# Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

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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, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Wilmette, IL: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1979 [1941], bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh
> 
> Wilmette, IL: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1979 [1941]
> original date
> 
> 1891
> 
> Click on any of the numbers below to go to a specific page
> 
> Introduction (by Marzieh Gail)
> 
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> page 1
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> In the name of God, the One, the Incomparable,
> 
> the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
> 
> Praise be to God, the Eternal that perisheth not,
> the Everlasting that declineth not, the Self-Subsisting
> that altereth not. He it is Who is transcendent in
> His sovereignty, Who is manifest through His signs,
> and is hidden through His mysteries. He it is at
> Whose bidding the standard of the Most Exalted
> Word hath been lifted up in the world of creation,
> and the banner of "He doeth whatsoever He willeth"
> raised amidst all peoples. He it is Who hath revealed
> His Cause for the guidance of His creatures, and sent
> down His verses to demonstrate His Proof and His
> Testimony, and embellished the preface of the Book
> of Man with the ornament of utterance through His
> saying: "The God of Mercy hath taught the Qur'án,
> hath created man, and taught him articulate speech."
> No God is there but Him, the One, the Peerless, the
> Powerful, the Mighty, the Beneficent.
> 
> The light that is shed from the heaven of bounty,
> and the benediction that shineth from the dawning-place
> of the will of God, the Lord of the Kingdom
> 
> page 2
> 
> of Names, rest upon Him Who is the Supreme Mediator,
> the Most Exalted Pen, Him Whom God hath
> made the Dawning-Place of His most excellent
> names and the Dayspring of His most exalted attributes.
> Through Him the light of unity hath shone
> forth above the horizon of the world, and the law of
> oneness hath been revealed amidst the nations, who,
> with radiant faces, have turned towards the Supreme
> Horizon, and acknowledged that which the Tongue
> of Utterance hath spoken in the kingdom of His
> knowledge: "Earth and heaven, glory and dominion,
> are God's, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Lord
> of grace abounding!"
> 
> Give ear, O distinguished divine, unto the voice of
> this Wronged One. He verily, counselleth thee for
> the sake of God, and exhorteth thee unto that which
> will cause thee to draw nigh unto Him under all
> conditions. He, in truth, is the All-Possessing, the
> Exalted. Know thou that the ear of man hath been
> created that it may hearken unto the Divine Voice
> on this Day that hath been mentioned in all the Books,
> Scriptures, and Tablets. Purify thou, first, thy soul
> with the waters of renunciation, and adorn thine
> head with the crown of the fear of God, and thy temple
> with the ornament of reliance upon Him. Arise,
> then, and, with thy face set towards the Most Great
> House, the Spot round which, as decreed by the
> Eternal King, all that dwell on earth must circle,
> recite:
> 
> page 3
> 
> "O God, my God, and my Desire, and my Adored
> One, and my Master, and my Mainstay, and my utmost
> Hope, and my supreme Aspiration! Thou seest
> me turning towards Thee, holding fast unto the cord
> of Thy bounty, clinging to the hem of Thy generosity,
> acknowledging the sanctity of Thy Self and
> the purity of Thine Essence, and testifying to Thy
> unity and Thy oneness. I bear witness that Thou
> art the One, the Single, the Incomparable, the Ever-Abiding.
> Thou didst not take unto Thyself a partner
> in Thy dominion, nor didst Thou choose a peer for
> Thyself upon earth. All created things have borne
> witness unto that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur
> hath testified ere their creation. Verily Thou art
> God; there is none other God but Thee! From everlasting
> Thou wast sanctified from the mention of
> Thy servants, and exalted above the description of Thy
> creatures. Thou beholdest, O Lord, the ignorant
> seeking the ocean of Thy knowledge, the sore athirst
> the living waters of Thine utterance, the abased the
> tabernacle of Thy glory, the poor the treasury of Thy
> riches, the suppliant the dawning-place of Thy wisdom,
> the weak the source of Thy strength, the
> wretched the heaven of Thy bounty, the dumb the
> kingdom of Thy mention.
> 
> "I testify, O my God, and my King, that Thou hast
> created me to remember Thee, to glorify Thee, and
> to aid Thy Cause. And yet, I have aided Thine enemies,
> who have broken Thy Covenant, who have cast
> 
> page 4
> 
> away Thy Book, disbelieved in Thee, and repudiated
> Thy signs. Alas, alas, for my waywardness, and my
> shame, and my sinfulness, and my wrong-doing that
> have withheld me from the depths of the ocean of
> Thy unity and from fathoming the sea of Thy mercy.
> Wherefore, alas, alas! and again alas, alas! for my
> wretchedness and the grievousness of my transgressions!
> Thou didst call me into being, O my God, to
> exalt Thy Word, and to manifest Thy Cause. My
> heedlessness, however, hath deterred me and compassed
> me about, in such wise that I have arisen to
> blot out Thy signs, and to shed the blood of Thy
> loved ones, and of the dawning-places of Thy signs,
> and of the daysprings of Thy revelation, and of the
> repositories of Thy mysteries.
> 
> "O Lord, my Lord! and again, O Lord, my Lord!
> and yet again, O Lord, my Lord! I bear witness that
> by reason of mine iniquity the fruits of the tree of
> Thy justice have fallen, and through the fire of my
> rebelliousness the hearts of such of Thy creatures as
> enjoy near access to Thee were consumed, and the
> souls of the sincere among Thy servants have melted.
> O wretched, wretched that I am! O the cruelties,
> the glaring cruelties, I inflicted! Woe is me, woe is
> me, for my remoteness from Thee, and for my waywardness,
> and mine ignorance, and my baseness, and
> my repudiation of Thee, and my protests against
> Thee! How many the days during which Thou didst
> bid Thy servants and Thy loved ones to protect me,
> 
> page 5
> 
> whilst I commanded them to harm Thee and to harm
> them that Thou didst trust! And how numerous the
> nights during which Thou didst graciously remember
> me, and didst show me Thy path, whilst I turned
> away from Thee and from Thy signs! By Thy glory!
> O Thou Who art the Hope of such as have acknowledged
> Thy unity, and the Desire of the hearts of them
> that are rid of all attachment to any save Thee! I
> find no succorer except Thee, nor king, nor refuge,
> nor haven besides Thyself. Alas, alas! My turning
> away from Thee hath burnt up the veil of mine
> integrity, and my denial of Thee hath rent asunder
> the covering cast over mine honor. O would that I
> were beneath the depths of the earth, so that my evil
> deeds would remain unknown to Thy servants! Thou
> seest the sinner, O my Lord, who hath turned towards
> the dawning-place of Thy forgiveness and Thy
> bounty, and the mountain of iniquity that hath
> sought the heaven of Thy mercy and pardon. Alas,
> alas! My mighty sins have prevented me from approaching
> the court of Thy mercy, and my monstrous
> deeds have caused me to stray far from the
> sanctuary of Thy presence. Indeed, I am he that
> hath failed in duty towards Thee, and hath broken
> Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and committed
> that which hath made the dwellers of the cities of
> Thy justice, and the dawning-places of Thy grace
> in Thy realms, to lament. I testify, O my God, that
> I have put away Thy commandments, and clung to
> 
> page 6
> 
> the dictates of my passions, and have cast away the
> statutes of Thy Book, and seized the book of mine
> own desire. O misery, misery! As mine iniquities
> waxed greater and greater, Thy forbearance towards
> me augmented, and as the fire of my rebelliousness
> grew fiercer, the more did Thy forgiveness and Thy
> grace seek to smother up its flame. By the power of
> Thy might! O Thou Who art the desire of the world
> and the Best-Beloved of the nations! Thy long-suffering
> hath puffed me up, and Thy patience hath emboldened
> me. Thou beholdest, O my God, the tears
> that my shame hath caused to flow, and the sighs
> which my heedlessness hath led me to utter. I
> swear by the greatness of Thy majesty! I can find
> for myself no habitation save beneath the shadow of
> the court of Thy bounty, nor any refuge except
> under the canopy of Thy mercy. Thou seest me in
> the midst of a sea of despair and of hopelessness, after
> Thou didst cause me to hear Thy words "Despair
> not." By Thy power! My sore injustice hath severed
> the cord of my hope, and my rebellion hath darkened
> my face before the throne of Thy justice. Thou
> beholdest, O my God, him who is as one dead fallen
> at the door of Thy favor, ashamed to seek from the
> hand of Thy loving-kindness the living waters of Thy
> pardon. Thou hast given me a tongue wherewith to
> remember and praise Thee, and yet it uttereth that
> which hath caused the souls of such of Thy chosen
> ones as are nigh unto Thee to melt, and the hearts of
> 
> page 7
> 
> the sincere amongst the dwellers of the habitations
> of holiness to be consumed. Thou hast given me eyes
> to witness Thy signs, and to behold Thy verses, and
> to contemplate the revelations of Thine handiwork,
> but I have rejected Thy will, and have committed
> what hath caused the faithful among Thy creatures
> and the detached amidst Thy servants to groan. Thou
> hast given me ears that I may incline them unto Thy
> praise and Thy celebration, and unto that which Thou
> didst send down from the heaven of Thy bounty and
> the firmament of Thy will. And yet, alas, alas, I
> have forsaken Thy Cause, and have commanded Thy
> servants to blaspheme against Thy trusted ones and
> Thy loved ones, and have acted, before the throne of
> Thy justice, in such wise that those that have recognized
> Thy unity and are wholly devoted to Thee
> among the dwellers of Thy realm mourned with a
> sore lamentation. I know not, O my God, which
> among my evildoings to mention before the billowing
> ocean of Thy favor, nor which of my trespasses
> to declare when face to face with the splendors of
> the suns of Thy goodly gifts and bounties.
> 
> "I beseech Thee, this very moment, by the mysteries
> of Thy Book, and by the things hid in Thy knowledge,
> and by the pearls that lie concealed within the
> shells of the ocean of Thy mercy, to reckon me among
> such as Thou didst mention in Thy Book and describe
> in Thy Tablets. Hast Thou decreed for me, O my
> God, any joy after this tribulation, or any relief to
> 
> page 8
> 
> succeed this affliction, or any ease to follow this
> trouble? Alas, alas! Thou hast ordained that every
> pulpit be set apart for Thy mention, and for the
> glorification of Thy Word, and the revelation of Thy
> Cause, but I have ascended it to proclaim the violation
> of Thy Covenant, and have spoken unto Thy
> servants such words as have caused the dwellers of
> the Tabernacles of Thy majesty and the denizens of
> the Cities of Thy wisdom to lament. How often hast
> Thou sent down the food of Thine utterance out of
> the heaven of Thy bounty, and I denied it; and how
> numerous the occasions on which Thou hast summoned
> me to the soft flowing waters of Thy mercy,
> and I have chosen to turn away therefrom, by reason
> of my having followed my own wish and desire! By
> Thy glory! I know not for which sin to beg Thy
> forgiveness and implore Thy pardon, nor from which
> of mine iniquities to turn aside unto the Court of Thy
> bounteousness and the Sanctuary of Thy favor. Such
> are my sins and trespasses that no man can number
> them, nor pen describe them. I implore Thee, O Thou
> that turnest darkness into light, and revealest Thy
> mysteries on the Sinai of Thy Revelation, to aid me,
> at all times, to put my trust in Thee, and to commit
> mine affairs unto Thy care. Make me, then, O my
> God, content with that which the finger of Thy decree
> hath traced, and the pen of Thy ordinance hath
> written. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee,
> and in Thy grasp are the reins of all that are in heaven
> 
> page 9
> 
> and on earth. No God is there but Thee, the All-knowing,
> the All-Wise."
> 
> O Shaykh! Know thou that neither the
> calumnies
> which men may utter, nor their denials, nor any cavils
> they may raise, can harm him that hath clung to the
> cord of the grace, and seized the hem of the mercy,
> of the Lord of creation. By God! He, the Glory of
> God (Bahá), hath spoken not from mere impulse.
> He that hath given Him a voice is He that hath given
> a voice unto all things, that they may praise and
> glorify Him. There is none other God but Him, the
> One, the Incomparable, the Lord of strength, the
> Unconditioned.
> 
> They whose sight is keen, whose ears are retentive,
> whose hearts are enlightened, and whose breasts are
> dilated, recognize both truth and falsehood, and distinguish
> the one from the other. Recite thou this
> prayer that hath flowed from the tongue of this
> Wronged One, and ponder thereon with a heart rid
> of all attachment, and with ears that are pure and
> sanctified, be attentive to its meaning, that haply
> thou mayest inhale the breath of detachment and
> have pity upon thyself and upon others:
> 
> "My God, the Object of my adoration, the Goal
> of my desire, the All-Bountiful, the Most Compassionate!
> All life is of Thee, and all power lieth within
> the grasp of Thine omnipotence. Whosoever Thou
> exaltest is raised above the angels, and attaineth the
> station: `Verily, We uplifted him to a place on
> 
> page 10
> 
> high!'; and whosoever Thou dost abase is made lower
> than dust, nay, less than nothing. O Divine Providence!
> Though wicked, sinful, and intemperate, we
> still seek from Thee a `seat of truth,' and long to
> behold the countenance of the Omnipotent King.
> It is Thine to command, and all sovereignty belongeth
> to Thee, and the realm of might boweth before Thy
> behest. Everything Thou doest is pure justice, nay,
> the very essence of grace. One gleam from the splendors
> of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, sufficeth to
> banish and blot out every trace of sinfulness from the
> world, and a single breath from the breezes of the
> Day of Thy Revelation is enough to adorn all mankind
> with a fresh attire. Vouchsafe Thy strength,
> O Almighty One, unto Thy weak creatures, and
> quicken them who are as dead, that haply they may
> find Thee, and may be led unto the ocean of Thy
> guidance, and may remain steadfast in Thy Cause.
> Should the fragrance of Thy praise be shed abroad
> by any of the divers tongues of the world, out of
> the East or out of the West, it would, verily, be prized
> and greatly cherished. If such tongues, however, be
> deprived of that fragrance, they assuredly would be
> unworthy of any mention, in word or yet in thought.
> We beg of Thee, O Providence, to show Thy way
> unto all men, and to guide them aright. Thou art,
> verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing,
> the All-Seeing."
> 
> We beseech God to aid thee to be just and fair-minded,
> 
> page 11
> 
> and to acquaint thee with the things that
> were hidden from the eyes of men. He, in truth, is
> the Mighty, the Unconstrained. We ask thee to reflect
> upon that which hath been revealed, and to be fair
> and just in thy speech, that perchance the splendors
> of the daystar of truthfulness and sincerity may
> shine forth, and may deliver thee from the darkness
> of ignorance, and illumine the world with the light
> of knowledge. This Wronged One hath frequented
> no school, neither hath He attended the controversies
> of the learned. By My life! Not of Mine own volition
> have I revealed Myself, but God, of His own
> choosing, hath manifested Me. In the Tablet, addressed
> to His Majesty the Sháh--may God, blessed
> and glorified be He, assist him--these words have
> streamed from the tongue of this Wronged One:
> 
> "O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon
> My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious
> were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge
> of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but
> from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And
> He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and
> heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused
> the tears of every man of understanding to flow.
> The learning current amongst men I studied not;
> their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein
> I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am
> not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf
> which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty,
> 
> page 12
> 
> the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still
> when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by
> Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes!
> They move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing
> before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling
> summons hath reached Me, and caused
> Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed
> as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand
> of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
> transformed Me."
> 
> Now is the moment in which to cleanse thyself
> with the waters of detachment that have flowed out
> from the Supreme Pen, and to ponder, wholly for the
> sake of God, those things which, time and again, have
> been sent down or manifested, and then to strive, as
> much as lieth in thee, to quench, through the power
> of wisdom and the force of thy utterance, the fire of
> enmity and hatred which smouldereth in the hearts
> of the peoples of the world. The Divine Messengers
> have been sent down, and their Books were revealed,
> for the purpose of promoting the knowledge of God,
> and of furthering unity and fellowship amongst men.
> But now behold, how they have made the Law of God
> a cause and pretext for perversity and hatred. How
> pitiful, how regrettable, that most men are cleaving
> fast to, and have busied themselves with, the things
> they possess, and are unaware of, and shut out as by
> a veil from, the things God possesseth!
> 
> Say: "O God, my God! Attire mine head with the
> 
> page 13
> 
> crown of justice, and my temple with the ornament
> of equity. Thou, verily, art the Possessor of all gifts
> and bounties."
> 
> Justice and equity are twin Guardians that watch
> over men. From them are revealed such blessed and
> perspicuous words as are the cause of the well-being
> of the world and the protection of the nations.
> 
> These words have streamed from the pen of this
> Wronged One in one of His Tablets: "The purpose
> of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been
> to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the mine of
> man--they Who are the Dawning-Places of His
> Cause and the Repositories of the pearls of His knowledge;
> for, God Himself, glorified be He, is the Unseen,
> the One concealed and hidden from the eyes of men.
> Consider what the Merciful hath revealed in the
> Qur'án: No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in
> all vision, and He is the Subtile, the All-Informed!"
> 
> That the divers communions of the earth, and the
> manifold systems of religious belief, should never be
> allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among
> men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of
> God and His Religion. These principles and laws,
> these firmly-established and mighty systems, have
> proceeded from one Source, and are rays of one Light.
> That they differ one from another is to be attributed
> to the varying requirements of the ages in which they
> were promulgated.
> 
> Gird up the loins of your endeavor, O people of
> 
> page 14
> 
> Bahá, that haply the tumult of religious dissension
> and strife that agitateth the peoples of the earth may
> be stilled, that every trace of it may be completely
> obliterated. For the love of God, and them that
> serve Him, arise to aid this sublime and momentous
> Revelation. Religious fanaticism and hatred are a
> world-devouring fire, whose violence none can
> quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone,
> deliver mankind from this desolating affliction. Consider
> the war that hath involved the two Nations,
> how both sides have renounced their possessions and
> their lives. How many the villages that were completely
> wiped out!
> 
> The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is
> these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the
> leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with
> the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and
> fellowship. He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth
> Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it
> can illuminate the whole earth. The One true God,
> He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the
> truth of these words.
> 
> Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent
> and most sublime station, the station that can
> insure the protection and security of all mankind.
> This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration
> is the monarch of all aspirations. So long, however,
> as the thick clouds of oppression, which obscure
> the daystar of justice, remain undispelled, it would
> 
> page 15
> 
> be difficult for the glory of this station to be unveiled
> to men's eyes. These thick clouds are the exponents
> of idle fancies and vain imaginings, who are none
> other but the divines of Persia. At one time We spoke
> in the language of the lawgiver; at another in that
> of the truth-seeker and the mystic, and yet Our
> supreme purpose and highest wish hath always been
> to disclose the glory and sublimity of this station.
> God, verily, is a sufficient witness!
> 
> Consort with all men, O people of Bahá, in a spirit
> of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a
> certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others
> are deprived, share it with them in a language of
> utmost kindliness and goodwill. If it be accepted,
> if it fulfill its purpose, your object is attained. If
> anyone should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and
> beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly
> with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone
> of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it
> clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain
> of the light of wisdom and understanding.
> 
> By "divines" in the passage cited above is meant
> those men who outwardly attire themselves with the
> raiment of knowledge, but who inwardly are deprived
> therefrom. In this connection, We quote from the
> Tablet addressed to His Majesty the Sháh, certain
> passages from the "Hidden Words" which were revealed
> by the Abhá Pen under the name of the "Book
> of Fátimih," the blessings of God be upon her!
> 
> page 16
> 
> "O ye that are foolish, yet have a name to be wise!
> Wherefore do ye wear the guise of the shepherd, when
> inwardly ye have become wolves, intent upon My
> flock? Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the
> dawn, and which, though it seem radiant and luminous,
> leadeth the wayfarers of My city astray into the
> paths of perdition."
> 
> And likewise He saith: "O ye seeming fair yet
> inwardly foul! Ye are like clear but bitter water,
> which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of
> which, when tested by the Divine Assayer, not a drop
> is accepted. Yea, the sunbeam falls alike upon the
> dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection even
> as doth the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is
> the difference!"
> 
> And also He saith: "O essence of desire! At many
> a dawn have I turned from the realms of the Placeless
> unto thine abode, and found thee on the bed of
> ease busied with others than Myself. Thereupon, even
> as the flash of the spirit, I returned to the realms of
> celestial glory, and breathed it not in My retreats
> above unto the hosts of holiness."
> 
> And again He saith: "O bond slave of the world!
> Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness
> wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed of
> heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it
> returned whence it came."
> 
> Those divines, however, who are truly adorned
> with the ornament of knowledge and of a goodly
> 
> page 17
> 
> character are, verily, as a head to the body of the
> world, and as eyes to the nations. The guidance of
> men hath, at all times, been, and is, dependent upon
> such blessed souls. We beseech God to graciously aid
> them to do His will and pleasure. He, in truth, is
> the Lord of all men, the Lord of this world and of the
> next.
> 
> O Shaykh! We have learned that thou hast turned
> away from Us, and protested against Us, in such wise
> that thou hast bidden the people to curse Me, and
> decreed that the blood of the servants of God be shed.
> God requite him who said: "Willingly will I obey the
> judge who hath so strangely decreed that my blood
> be spilt at Hill and at Harám!" Verily I say: Whatever
> befalleth in the path of God is the beloved of
> the soul and the desire of the heart. Deadly poison
> in His path is pure honey, and every tribulation a
> draught of crystal water. In the Tablet to His
> Majesty the Sháh it is written: "By Him Who is the
> Truth! I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any
> affliction in My love for Him. Verily God hath made
> adversity as a morning dew upon His green pasture,
> and a wick for His lamp which lighteth earth and
> heaven."
> 
> Set thine heart towards Him Who is the Kaaba of
> God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and raise
> thou thine hands with such firm conviction as shall
> cause the hands of all created things to be lifted up
> towards the heaven of the grace of God, the Lord of
> 
> page 18
> 
> all worlds. Turn, then, thy face towards Him in
> such wise that the faces of all beings will turn in the
> direction of His shining and luminous Horizon, and
> say: "Thou seest me, O my Lord, with my face
> turned towards the heaven of Thy bounty and the
> ocean of Thy favor, withdrawn from all else beside
> Thee. I ask of Thee, by the splendors of the Sun of
> Thy revelation on Sinai, and the effulgences of the Orb
> of Thy grace which shineth from the horizon of Thy
> Name, the Ever-Forgiving, to grant me Thy pardon
> and to have mercy upon me. Write down, then, for
> me with Thy pen of glory that which will exalt me
> through Thy Name in the world of creation. Aid
> me, O my Lord, to set myself towards Thee, and to
> hearken unto the voice of Thy loved ones, whom the
> powers of the earth have failed to weaken, and the
> dominion of the nations has been powerless to withhold
> from Thee, and who, advancing towards
> Thee, have said: `God is our Lord, the Lord of all who
> are in heaven and all who are on earth!'"
> 
> O Shaykh! Verily I say, the seal of the Choice
> Wine hath, in the name of Him Who is the Self-Subsisting,
> been broken; withhold not thyself therefrom.
> This Wronged One speaketh wholly for the
> sake of God; thou too shouldst, likewise, for the sake
> of God, meditate upon those things that have been
> sent down and manifested, that haply thou mayest,
> on this blessed Day, take thy portion of the liberal
> effusions of Him Who is truly the All-Bountiful, and
> 
> page 19
> 
> mayest not remain deprived thereof. This indeed
> would not be hard for God. Dust-made Adam was
> raised up, through the Word of God, to the heavenly
> throne, and a mere fisherman was made the repository
> of Divine wisdom, and Abú-Dhar, the shepherd,
> became a prince of the nations!
> 
> This Day, O Shaykh, hath never been, nor is it
> now, the Day whereon man-made arts and sciences
> can be regarded as a true standard for men, since it
> hath been recognized that He Who was wholly unversed
> in any of them hath ascended the throne of
> purest gold, and occupied the seat of honor in the
> council of knowledge, whilst the acknowledged exponent
> and repository of these arts and sciences
> remained utterly deprived. By "arts and sciences"
> is meant those which begin with words and end with
> words. Such arts and sciences, however, as are
> productive of good results, and bring forth their
> fruit, and are conducive to the well-being and tranquility
> of men have been, and will remain, acceptable
> before God. Wert thou to give ear to My voice, thou
> wouldst cast away all thy possessions, and wouldst set
> thy face towards the Spot wherein the ocean of wisdom
> and of utterance hath surged, and the sweet
> savors of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the Compassionate,
> have wafted.
> 
> We deem it advisable, in this connection, to recount
> briefly some past events, that perchance they
> may be the means of vindicating the cause of equity
> 
> page 20
> 
> and justice. At the time when His Majesty the Sháh,
> may God, his Lord, the Most Merciful, aid him
> through His strengthening grace, was planning a
> journey to Isfahán, this Wronged One, having obtained
> his permission, visited the holy and luminous
> resting-places of the Imáms, may the blessings of God
> be upon them! Upon Our return, We proceeded to
> Lavásan on account of the excessive heat prevailing
> in the capital. Following Our departure, there occurred
> the attempt upon the life of His Majesty, may
> God, exalted and glorified be He, assist him. Those
> days were troublous days, and the fires of hatred
> burned high. Many were arrested, among them this
> Wronged One. By the righteousness of God! We
> were in no wise connected with that evil deed, and
> Our innocence was indisputably established by the
> tribunals. Nevertheless, they apprehended Us, and
> from Níyávarán, which was then the residence of
> His Majesty, conducted Us, on foot and in chains,
> with bared head and bare feet, to the dungeon of
> Tihrán. A brutal man, accompanying Us on horseback,
> snatched off Our hat, whilst We were being
> hurried along by a troop of executioners and officials.
> We were consigned for four months to a place foul
> beyond comparison. As to the dungeon in which this
> Wronged One and others similarly wronged were
> confined, a dark and narrow pit were preferable.
> Upon Our arrival We were first conducted along a
> pitch-black corridor, from whence We descended
> 
> page 21
> 
> three steep flights of stairs to the place of confinement
> assigned to Us. The dungeon was wrapped in thick
> darkness, and Our fellow prisoners numbered nearly
> a hundred and fifty souls: thieves, assassins and highwaymen.
> Though crowded, it had no other outlet
> than the passage by which We entered. No pen can
> depict that place, nor any tongue describe its loathsome
> smell. Most of these men had neither clothes
> nor bedding to lie on. God alone knoweth what befell
> Us in that most foul-smelling and gloomy place!
> 
> Day and night, while confined in that dungeon,
> We meditated upon the deeds, the condition, and the
> conduct of the Bábís, wondering what could have led
> a people so high-minded, so noble, and of such intelligence,
> to perpetrate such an audacious and outrageous
> act against the person of His Majesty. This
> Wronged One, thereupon, decided to arise, after His
> release from prison, and undertake, with the utmost
> vigor, the task of regenerating this people.
> 
> One night, in a dream, these exalted words were
> heard on every side: "Verily, We shall render Thee
> victorious by Thyself and by Thy Pen. Grieve Thou
> not for that which hath befallen Thee, neither be
> Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Erelong will
> God raise up the treasures of the earth--men who
> will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy
> Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of
> such as have recognized Him."
> 
> And when this Wronged One went forth out of
> 
> page 22
> 
> His prison, We journeyed, in pursuance of the order
> of His Majesty the Sháh--may God, exalted be He,
> protect him--to `Iráq, escorted by officers in the
> service of the esteemed and honored governments of
> Persia and Russia. After Our arrival, We revealed,
> as a copious rain, by the aid of God and His Divine
> Grace and mercy, Our verses, and sent them to various
> parts of the world. We exhorted all men, and particularly
> this people, through Our wise counsels and
> loving admonitions, and forbade them to engage in
> sedition, quarrels, disputes and conflict. As a result
> of this, and by the grace of God, waywardness and
> folly were changed into piety and understanding,
> and weapons converted into instruments of peace.
> 
> During the days I lay in the prison of Tihrán,
> 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.
> 
> We shall herewith cite a few passages from Tablets
> specifically revealed to this people, so that every
> one may know of a certainty that this Wronged One
> hath acted in a manner which hath been pleasing and
> 
> page 23
> 
> acceptable unto men endued with insight, and unto
> such as are the exponents of justice and equity:
> 
> "O ye friends of God in His cities and His loved
> ones in His lands! This Wronged One enjoineth on
> you honesty and piety. Blessed the city that shineth
> by their light. Through them man is exalted, and
> the door of security is unlocked before the face of all
> creation. Happy the man that cleaveth fast unto
> them, and recognizeth their virtue, and woe betide
> him that denieth their station."
> 
> And in another connection these words were revealed:
> "We enjoin the servants of God and His handmaidens
> to be pure and to fear God, that they may
> shake off the slumber of their corrupt desires, and
> turn toward God, the Maker of the heavens and of
> the earth. Thus have We commanded the faithful
> when the Daystar of the world shone forth from the
> horizon of `Iráq. My imprisonment doeth Me no
> harm, neither the tribulations I suffer, nor the things
> that have befallen Me at the hands of My oppressors.
> That which harmeth Me is the conduct of those who,
> though they bear My name, yet commit that which
> maketh My heart and My pen to lament. They that
> spread disorder in the land, and lay hands on the
> property of others, and enter a house without leave
> of its owner, We, verily, are clear of them, unless
> they repent and return unto God, the Ever-Forgiving,
> the Most Merciful."
> 
> page 24
> 
> And in another connection: "O peoples of the
> earth! Haste ye to do the pleasure of God, and war
> ye valiantly, as it behooveth you to war, for the sake
> of proclaiming His resistless and immovable Cause.
> We have decreed that war shall be waged in the path
> of God with the armies of wisdom and utterance,
> and of a goodly character and praiseworthy deeds.
> Thus hath it been decided by Him Who is the All-Powerful,
> the Almighty. There is no glory for him
> that committeth disorder on the earth after it hath
> been made so good. Fear God, O people, and be not
> of them that act unjustly."
> 
> And again in another connection: "Revile ye not
> one another. We, verily, have come to unite and weld
> together all that dwell on earth. Unto this beareth
> witness what the ocean of Mine utterance hath revealed
> amongst men, and yet most of the people have
> gone astray. If anyone revile you, or trouble touch
> you, in the path of God, be patient, and put your
> trust in Him Who heareth, Who seeth. He, in truth,
> witnesseth, and perceiveth, and doeth what He pleaseth,
> through the power of His sovereignty. He,
> verily, is the Lord of strength, and of might. In the
> Book of God, the Mighty, the Great, ye have been
> forbidden to engage in contention and conflict. Lay
> fast hold on whatever will profit you, and profit the
> peoples of the world. Thus commandeth you the
> King of Eternity, Who is manifest in His Most Great
> Name. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the All-Wise."
> 
> page 25
> 
> And yet again in another connection: "Beware lest
> ye shed the blood of any one. Unsheathe the sword of
> your tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for
> therewith ye can conquer the citadels of men's hearts.
> We have abolished the law to wage holy war against
> each other. God's mercy hath, verily, encompassed
> all created things, if ye do but understand."
> 
> And yet again in another connection: "O people!
> Spread not disorder in the land, and shed not the blood
> of any one, and consume not the substance of others
> wrongfully, neither follow every accursed prattler."
> 
> And still again in another connection: "The Sun
> of Divine Utterance can never set, neither can its
> radiance be extinguished. These sublime words have,
> in this day, been heard from the Lote-Tree beyond
> which there is no passing: `I belong to him that loveth
> Me, that holdeth fast My commandments, and casteth
> away the things forbidden him in My Book.'"
> 
> And still again in another connection: "This is the
> day to make mention of God, to celebrate His praise,
> and to serve Him; deprive not yourselves thereof.
> Ye are the letters of the words, and the words of the
> Book. Ye are the saplings which the hand of Loving-kindness
> hath planted in the soil of mercy, and
> which the showers of bounty have made to flourish.
> He hath protected you from the mighty winds of
> misbelief, and the tempestuous gales of impiety, and
> nurtured you with the hands of His loving providence.
> Now is the time for you to put forth your
> 
> page 26
> 
> leaves, and yield your fruit. The fruits of the tree
> of man have ever been and are goodly deeds and a
> praiseworthy character. Withhold not these fruits
> from the heedless. If they be accepted, your end is
> attained, and the purpose of life achieved. If not,
> leave them in their pastime of vain disputes. Strive,
> O people of God, that haply the hearts of the divers
> kindreds of the earth may, through the waters of your
> forbearance and loving-kindness, be cleansed and
> sanctified from animosity and hatred, and be made
> worthy and befitting recipients of the splendors of
> the Sun of Truth."
> 
> In the fourth Ishráq (splendor) of the Ishráqát
> (Tablet of Splendors) We have mentioned: "Every
> cause needeth a helper. In this Revelation the hosts
> which can render it victorious are the hosts of praiseworthy
> deeds and upright character. The leader and
> commander of these hosts hath ever been the fear of
> God, a fear that encompasseth all things, and reigneth
> over all things."
> 
> In the third Tajallí (effulgence) of the Book of
> Tajallíyát (Book of Effulgences) We have mentioned:
> "Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of
> being, and are conducive to its exaltation. Knowledge
> is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent.
> Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The
> knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired
> as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not
> those which begin with words and end with words.
> 
> page 27
> 
> Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsmen
> on the peoples of the world. Unto this beareth witness
> the Mother Book in this conspicuous station."
> 
> In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man,
> and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation,
> of cheer and gladness unto him. Happy the man
> that cleaveth unto it, and woe betide the heedless.
> 
> It is incumbent upon thee to summon the people,
> under all conditions, to whatever will cause them to
> show forth spiritual characteristics and goodly deeds,
> so that all may become aware of that which is the
> cause of human upliftment, and may, with the utmost
> endeavor, direct themselves towards the most
> sublime Station and the Pinnacle of Glory. The fear
> of God hath ever been the prime factor in the education
> of His creatures. Well is it with them that
> have attained thereunto!
> 
> The first word which the Abhá Pen hath revealed
> and inscribed on the first leaf of Paradise is this:
> "Verily I say: The fear of God hath ever been a sure
> defence and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the
> world. It is the chief cause of the protection of mankind,
> and the supreme instrument for its preservation.
> Indeed, there existeth in man a faculty which
> deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever
> is unworthy and unseemly, and which is known
> as his sense of shame. This, however, is confined to
> but a few; all have not possessed, and do not possess, it.
> It is incumbent upon the kings and the spiritual
> 
> page 28
> 
> leaders of the world to lay fast hold on religion, inasmuch
> as through it the fear of God is instilled in
> all else but Him."
> 
> The second word We have recorded on the second
> leaf of Paradise is the following: "The Pen of the
> Divine Expounder exhorteth, at this moment, the
> manifestations of authority and the sources of power,
> namely the kings and rulers of the earth--may God
> assist them--and enjoineth them to uphold the cause
> of religion, and to cleave unto it. Religion is, verily,
> the chief instrument for the establishment of order
> in the world, and of tranquillity amongst its peoples.
> The weakening of the pillars of religion hath
> strengthened the foolish, and emboldened them, and
> made them more arrogant. Verily I say: The greater
> the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness
> of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the
> end to chaos and confusion. Hear Me, O men of
> insight, and be warned, ye who are endued with
> discernment!"
> 
> It is Our hope that thou wilt hear with attentive
> ears the things We have mentioned unto thee, that
> perchance thou mayest turn men away from the
> things they possess to the things that God possesseth.
> We entreat God to deliver the light of equity and the
> sun of justice from the thick clouds of waywardness,
> and cause them to shine forth upon men. No light
> can compare with the light of justice. The establishment
> 
> page 29
> 
> of order in the world and the tranquillity of
> the nations depend upon it.
> 
> In the Book of Utterance these exalted words have
> been written down and recorded: "Say, O friends!
> Strive that haply the tribulations suffered by this
> Wronged One and by you, in the path of God, may
> not prove to have been in vain. Cling ye to the hem
> of virtue, and hold fast to the cord of trustworthiness
> and piety. Concern yourselves with the things
> that benefit mankind, and not with your corrupt and
> selfish desires. O ye followers of this Wronged One!
> Ye are the shepherds of mankind; liberate ye your
> flocks from the wolves of evil passions and desires,
> and adorn them with the ornament of the fear of
> God. This is the firm commandment which hath, at
> this moment, flowed out from the Pen of Him Who
> is the Ancient of Days. By the righteousness of God!
> The sword of a virtuous character and upright conduct
> is sharper than blades of steel. The voice of the
> true Faith calleth aloud, at this moment, and saith:
> O people! Verily, the Day is come, and My Lord
> hath made Me to shine forth with a light whose
> splendor hath eclipsed the suns of utterance. Fear ye
> the Merciful, and be not of them that have gone
> astray."
> 
> The third word we have recorded on the third leaf
> of Paradise is this: "O son of man! If thine eyes be
> turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit
> 
> page 30
> 
> thee, and cleave unto that which will profit mankind.
> And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose
> thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for
> thyself. Humility exalteth man to the heaven of
> glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the
> depths of wretchedness and degradation. Great is the
> Day, and mighty the Call! In one of Our Tablets
> We have revealed these exalted words: `Were the
> world of the spirit to be wholly converted into the
> sense of hearing, it could then claim to be worthy
> to hearken unto the Voice that calleth from the
> Supreme Horizon; for otherwise, these ears that are
> defiled with lying tales have never been, nor are they
> now, fit to hear it.' Well is it with them that hearken;
> and woe betide the wayward."
> 
> We pray God--exalted be His glory--and cherish
> the hope that He may graciously assist the manifestations
> of affluence and power and the daysprings of
> sovereignty and glory, the kings of the earth--may
> God aid them through His strengthening grace--to
> establish the Lesser Peace. This, indeed, is the greatest
> means for insuring the tranquillity of the nations.
> It is incumbent upon the Sovereigns of the world--
> may God assist them--unitedly to hold fast unto
> this Peace, which is the chief instrument for the protection
> of all mankind. It is Our hope that they will
> arise to achieve what will be conducive to the well-being
> of man. It is their duty to convene an all-inclusive
> assembly, which either they themselves or
> 
> page 31
> 
> their ministers will attend, and to enforce whatever
> measures are required to establish unity and concord
> amongst men. They must put away the weapons of
> war, and turn to the instruments of universal reconstruction.
> Should one king rise up against another,
> all the other kings must arise to deter him. Arms and
> armaments will, then, be no more needed beyond
> that which is necessary to insure the internal security
> of their respective countries. If they attain unto this
> all-surpassing blessing, the people of each nation will
> pursue, with tranquillity and contentment, their own
> occupations, and the groanings and lamentations of
> most men would be silenced. We beseech God to aid
> them to do His will and pleasure. He, verily, is the
> Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, and
> the Lord of this world and of the world to come. It
> would be preferable and more fitting that the highly
> honored kings themselves should attend such an assembly,
> and proclaim their edicts. Any king who will
> arise and carry out this task, he verily will, in the
> sight of God, become the cynosure of all kings.
> Happy is he, and great is his blessedness!
> 
> In this land, every time men are conscripted for
> the army, a great terror seizeth the people. Every
> nation augmenteth, each year, its forces, for their
> ministers of war are insatiable in their desire to add
> fresh recruits to their battalions. We have learned
> that the government of Persia--may God assist them
> --have, likewise decided to reinforce their army. In
> 
> page 32
> 
> the opinion of this Wronged One a force of one hundred
> thousand fully-equipped and well-disciplined
> men would suffice. We hope that thou wilt cause the
> light of justice to shine more brightly. By the
> righteousness of God! Justice is a powerful force.
> It is, above all else, the conqueror of the citadels of
> the hearts and souls of men, and the revealer of the
> secrets of the world of being, and the standard-bearer
> of love and bounty.
> 
> In the treasuries of the knowledge of God there
> lieth concealed a knowledge which, when applied,
> will largely, though not wholly, eliminate fear. This
> knowledge, however, should be taught from childhood,
> as it will greatly aid in its elimination. Whatever
> decreaseth fear increaseth courage. Should the
> Will of God assist Us, there would flow out from the
> Pen of the Divine Expounder a lengthy exposition of
> that which hath been mentioned, and there would be
> revealed, in the field of arts and sciences, what would
> renew the world and the nations. A word hath, likewise,
> been written down and recorded by the Pen
> of the Most High in the Crimson Book which is
> capable of fully disclosing that force which is hid
> in men, nay of redoubling its potency. We implore
> God--exalted and glorified be He--to graciously assist
> His servants to do that which is pleasing and acceptable
> unto Him.
> 
> In these days enemies have compassed Us about,
> and the fire of hatred is kindled. O peoples of the
> 
> page 33
> 
> earth! By My life and by your own! This Wronged
> One hath never had, nor hath He now any desire for
> leadership. Mine aim hath ever been, and still is, to
> suppress whatever is the cause of contention amidst
> the peoples of the earth, and of separation amongst
> the nations, so that all men may be sanctified from
> every earthly attachment, and be set free to occupy
> themselves with their own interests. We entreat Our
> loved ones not to besmirch the hem of Our raiment
> with the dust of falsehood, neither to allow references
> to what they have regarded as miracles and prodigies
> to debase Our rank and station, or to mar the purity
> and sanctity of Our name.
> 
> Gracious God! This is the day whereon the wise
> should seek the advice of this Wronged One, and ask
> Him Who is the Truth what things are conducive to
> the glory and tranquillity of men. And yet, all are
> earnestly striving to put out this glorious and shining
> light, and are diligently seeking either to establish
> Our guilt, or to voice their protest against Us. Matters
> have come to such a pass, that the conduct of
> this Wronged One hath, in every way, been grossly
> misrepresented, and in a manner which it would be
> unseemly to mention. One of Our friends hath reported
> that among the residents of the Great City
> (Constantinople) he had heard with the greatest
> regret someone state that, each year, a sum of fifty
> thousand tumans was being despatched from his native
> land to Akká! It hath not, however, been made
> 
> page 34
> 
> clear who had disbursed the sum, nor through whose
> hands it had passed!
> 
> Briefly, this Wronged One hath, in the face of all
> that hath befallen Him at their hands, and all that
> hath been said of Him, endured patiently, and held
> His peace, inasmuch as it is Our purpose, through the
> loving providence of God--exalted be His glory--
> and His surpassing mercy, to abolish, through the
> force of Our utterance, all disputes, war, and bloodshed,
> from the face of the earth. Under all conditions
> We have, in spite of what they have said,
> endured with seemly patience, and have left them to
> God. In answer to this particular imputation, however,
> We have replied, that if that which he affirmeth
> be true, it behooveth him to be thankful to Him Who
> is the Lord of all being, and the King of the seen and
> unseen, for having raised up in Persia One Who,
> though a prisoner and with none to help and assist
> Him, hath succeeded in establishing His ascendency
> over that land, and in drawing from it a yearly revenue.
> Such an achievement should be praised rather
> than censured, if he be of them that judge equitably.
> Should anyone seek to be acquainted with the condition
> of this Wronged One, let him be told that these
> captives whom the world hath persecuted and the nations
> wronged have, for days and nights, been entirely
> denied the barest means of subsistence. We are loth
> to mention such things, neither have We had, nor
> do We have now, any desire to complain against Our
> 
> page 35
> 
> accuser. Within the walls of this prison a highly
> esteemed man was for some time obliged to break
> stones that he might earn a living, whilst others had,
> at times, to nourish themselves with that Divine sustenance
> which is hunger! We entreat God--exalted
> and glorified be He--to aid all men to be just and
> fair-minded, and to graciously assist them to repent
> and return unto Him. He, verily, heareth, and is
> ready to answer.
> 
> Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest
> what hath befallen this Wronged One at the hands
> of them that have not associated with Me, and who
> have arisen to harm and abase Me, in a manner which
> no pen can describe, nor tongue recount, nor can any
> Tablet sustain its weight. Thou hearest the cry of
> Mine heart, and the groaning of Mine inmost being,
> and the things that have befallen Thy trusted ones
> in Thy cities and Thy chosen ones in Thy land, at
> the hands of such as have broken Thy Covenant and
> Thy Testament. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the
> sighs of Thy lovers throughout the world, and by
> their lamentation in their remoteness from the court
> of Thy presence, and by the blood that hath been
> shed for love of Thee, and by the hearts that have
> melted in Thy path, to protect Thy loved ones from
> the cruelty of such as have remained unaware of the
> mysteries of Thy Name, the Unconstrained. Assist
> them, O my Lord, by Thy power that hath prevailed
> over all things, and aid them to be patient and long-suffering.
> 
> page 36
> 
> Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty,
> the All-Bountiful. No God is there but Thee, the
> Generous, the Lord of grace abounding.
> 
> In these days there are some who, far from being
> just and fair-minded, have assaulted Me with the
> sword of hatred and the spear of enmity, forgetting
> that it behooveth every fair-minded person to succor
> Him Whom the world hath cast away and the nations
> abandoned, and to lay hold on piety and righteousness.
> Most men have until now failed to discover the
> purpose of this Wronged One, nor have they known
> the reason for which He hath been willing to endure
> countless afflictions. Meanwhile, the voice of Mine
> heart crieth out these words: "O that My people
> knew!" This Wronged One, rid of attachment unto
> all things, uttereth these exalted words: "Waves have
> encompassed the Ark of God, the Help in Peril, the
> Self-Subsisting. Fear not the tempestuous gales, O
> Mariner! He Who causeth the dawn to appear is,
> verily, with Thee in this darkness that hath struck
> terror into the hearts of all men, except such as God,
> the Almighty, the Unconstrained, hath been pleased
> to spare."
> 
> O Shaykh! I swear by the Sun of Truth Which
> hath risen and shineth above the horizon of this
> Prison! The betterment of the world hath been the
> sole aim of this Wronged One. Unto this beareth
> witness every man of judgment, of discernment, of
> insight and understanding. Whilst afflicted with
> 
> page 37
> 
> trials, He held fast unto the cord of patience and
> fortitude, and was satisfied with the things which
> have befallen Him at the hands of His enemies, and
> was crying out: "I have renounced My desire for
> Thy desire, O my God, and My will for the revelation
> of Thy Will. By Thy glory! I desire neither Myself
> nor My life except for the purpose of serving Thy
> Cause, and I love not My being save that I may sacrifice
> it in Thy path. Thou seest and knowest, O my
> Lord, that those whom We asked to be fair and just,
> have, unjustly and cruelly, risen up against Us.
> Openly they were with Me, yet secretly they assisted
> My foes, who have arisen to dishonor Me. O God,
> my God! I testify that Thou hast created Thy servants
> to aid Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word, and
> yet they have helped Thine enemies. I beseech Thee,
> by Thy Cause that hath encompassed the world of
> being, and by Thy Name wherewith Thou hast subjected
> the seen and unseen, to adorn the peoples of
> the earth with the light of Thy justice, and to illuminate
> their hearts with the brightness of Thy knowledge.
> I am, O my Lord, Thy servant and the son of
> Thy servant. I bear witness unto Thy unity, and
> Thy oneness, and to the sanctity of Thy self and the
> purity of Thine Essence. Thou beholdest, O my
> Lord, Thy trusted ones at the mercy of the treacherous
> among Thy creatures, and the calumniators
> amidst Thy people. Thou knowest what hath befallen
> Us at the hands of them whom Thou knowest
> 
> page 38
> 
> better than we know them. They have committed
> what hath torn the veil from such of Thy creatures
> as are nigh unto Thee. I beseech Thee to assist them
> to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days
> of the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the
> Dayspring of Thine Inspiration. Potent art Thou
> to do what pleaseth Thee, and in Thy grasp are the
> reins of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth."
> The voice and the lamentation of the true Faith have
> been raised. It calleth aloud and saith: "O people!
> By the righteousness of God! I have attained unto
> Him Who hath manifested me and sent me down.
> This is the Day whereon Sinai hath smiled at Him
> Who conversed upon it, and Carmel at its Revealer,
> and the Sadrah at Him Who taught it. Fear ye God,
> and be not of them that have denied Him. Withhold
> not yourselves from that which hath been revealed
> through His grace. Seize ye the living waters of immortality
> in the name of your Lord, the Lord of all
> names, and drink ye in the remembrance of Him,
> Who is the Mighty, the Peerless."
> 
> We have, under all circumstances, enjoined on men
> what is right, and forbidden what is wrong. He Who
> is the Lord of Being is witness that this Wronged One
> hath besought from God for His creatures whatever
> is conducive to unity and harmony, fellowship and
> concord. By the righteousness of God! This Wronged
> One is not capable of dissimulation. He, verily, hath
> revealed that which He desired; He, truly, is the Lord
> of strength, the Unrestrained.
> 
> page 39
> 
> We once again refer unto some of the sublime words
> revealed in the Tablet to His Majesty the Sháh, so
> that thou mayest know of a certainty that whatever
> hath been mentioned hath come from God: "O King!
> I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch,
> when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted
> over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that
> hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from
> One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He
> bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven,
> and for this there befell Me what hath caused the
> tears of every man of understanding to flow. The
> learning current amongst men I studied not; their
> schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I
> dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am
> not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf
> which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty,
> the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still
> when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by
> Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes!
> They move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing
> before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling
> summons hath reached Me, and caused
> Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed
> as one dead when His behest was uttered. The
> hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate,
> the Merciful, transformed Me. Can anyone speak
> forth of his own accord that for which all men, both
> high and low, will protest against him? Nay, by Him
> Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him
> 
> page 40
> 
> whom the grace of the Almighty, the All-Powerful,
> hath strengthened.
> 
> "Look upon this Wronged One, O King, with the
> eyes of justice; judge thou, then, with truth concerning
> what hath befallen Him. Of a verity, God
> hath made thee His shadow amongst men, and the
> sign of His power unto all that dwell on earth. Judge
> thou between Us and them that have wronged Us
> without proof and without an enlightening Book.
> They that surround thee love thee for their own
> sakes, whereas this Youth loveth thee for thine own
> sake, and hath had no desire except to draw thee
> nigh unto the seat of grace, and to turn thee toward
> the right-hand of justice. Thy Lord beareth witness
> unto that which I declare.
> 
> "O King! Wert thou to incline thine ears unto the
> shrill voice of the Pen of Glory and the cooing of the
> Dove of Eternity, which on the branches of the Lote-Tree
> beyond which there is no passing, uttereth
> praises to God, the Maker of all Names and the
> Creator of earth and heaven, thou wouldst attain
> unto a station from which thou wouldst behold in
> the world of being naught save the effulgence of the
> Adored One, and wouldst regard thy sovereignty as
> the most contemptible of thy possessions, abandoning
> it to whosoever might desire it, and setting thy face
> toward the Horizon aglow with the light of His
> countenance. Neither wouldst thou ever be willing
> to bear the burden of dominion save for the purpose
> 
> page 41
> 
> of helping thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High.
> Then would the Concourse on high bless thee. O how
> excellent is this most sublime station, couldst thou
> ascend thereunto through the power of a sovereignty
> recognized as derived from the Name of God!"
> 
> Either thou or someone else hath said: "Let the
> Súrih of Tawhíd be translated, so that all may know
> and be fully persuaded that the one true God begetteth
> not, nor is He begotten. Moreover, the Bábís
> believe in his (Bahá'u'lláh's's) Divinity and Godhood."
> 
> O Shaykh! This station is the station in which
> one dieth to himself and liveth in God. Divinity,
> whenever I mention it, indicateth My complete and
> absolute self-effacement. This is the station in which
> I have no control over mine own weal or woe nor
> over my life nor over my resurrection.
> 
> O Shaykh! How do the divines of this age account
> for the effulgent glory which the Sadrah of Utterance
> hath shed upon the Son of `Imrán (Moses) on the
> Sinai of Divine knowledge? He (Moses) hearkened
> unto the Word which the Burning Bush had uttered,
> and accepted it; and yet most men are bereft of the
> power of comprehending this, inasmuch as they have
> busied themselves with their own concerns, and are
> unaware of the things which belong unto God. Referring
> to this, the Siyyid of Findirisk hath well said:
> "This theme no mortal mind can fathom; be it even
> that of Abú-Nasr, or Abú-`Alí Síná (Avicenna)."
> What explanation can they give concerning that
> 
> page 42
> 
> which the Seal of the Prophets (Muhammad)--may
> the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His
> sake--hath said?: "Ye, verily, shall behold your Lord
> as ye behold the full moon on its fourteenth night."
> The Commander of the Faithful (Imám `Alí)--peace
> be upon him--moreover, saith in the Khutbiy-i-Tutúnjíyyih:
> "Anticipate ye the Revelation of Him
> Who conversed with Moses from the Burning Bush
> on Sinai." Husayn, the son of `Alí--peace be upon
> him--likewise saith: "Will there be vouchsafed unto
> anyone besides Thee a Revelation which hath not
> been vouchsafed unto Thyself--A Revelation Whose
> Revealer will be He Who revealed Thee. Blind be
> the eye that seeth Thee not!"
> 
> Similar sayings from the Imáms--the blessings of
> God be upon them--have been recorded and are
> widely known, and are embodied in books worthy
> of credence. Blessed is he that perceiveth, and speaketh
> the pure truth. Well is it with him who, aided
> by the living waters of the utterance of Him Who
> is the Desire of all men, hath purified himself from
> idle fancies and vain imaginings, and torn away, in
> the name of the All-Possessing, the Most High, the
> veils of doubt, and renounced the world and all that
> is therein, and directed himself towards the Most
> Great Prison.
> 
> O Shaykh! No breeze can compare with the
> breezes of Divine Revelation, whilst the Word which
> is uttered by God shineth and flasheth as the sun
> 
> page 43
> 
> amidst the books of men. Happy the man that hath
> discovered it, and recognized it, and said: "Praised
> be Thou, Who art the Desire of the world, and thanks
> be to Thee, O Well-Beloved of the hearts of such
> as are devoted to Thee!"
> 
> Men have failed to perceive Our purpose in the
> references We have made to Divinity and Godhood.
> Were they to apprehend it, they would arise from
> their places, and cry out: "We, verily, ask pardon of
> God!" The Seal of the Prophets--may the souls of
> all else but Him be offered up for His sake--saith:
> "Manifold are Our relationships with God. At one
> time, We are He Himself, and He is We Ourself.
> At another He is that He is, and We are that We are."
> 
> Aside from this, why is it that thou didst not
> mention those other stations which the Abhá Pen
> hath disclosed? The tongue of this Wronged One
> hath, many a day and night, given utterance to these
> sublime words: "O God, my God! I bear witness to
> Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God,
> and that there is none other God but Thee. Thou
> hast everlastingly been sanctified above the mention
> of any one but Thee and the praise of all else except
> Thyself, and Thou wilt everlastingly continue to be
> the same as Thou wast from the beginning and hast
> ever been. I beseech Thee, O King of Eternity, by
> the Most Great Name, and by the effulgences of the
> Daystar of Thy Revelation upon the Sinai of Utterance,
> and by the billows of the Ocean of Thy knowledge
> 
> page 44
> 
> among all created things, to graciously assist Me
> in that which will draw Me nigh unto Thee, and
> will detach Me from all except Thee. By Thy glory,
> O Lord of all being, and the Desire of all creation!
> I would love to lay My face upon every single spot
> of Thine earth, that perchance it might be honored
> by touching a spot ennobled by the footsteps of Thy
> loved ones!"
> 
> By the righteousness of God! Idle fancies have
> debarred men from the Horizon of Certitude, and
> vain imaginings withheld them from the Choice
> Sealed Wine. In truth I say, and for the sake of God
> I declare: This Servant, this Wronged One, is abashed
> to claim for Himself any existence whatever, how
> much more those exalted grades of being! Every
> man of discernment, while walking upon the earth,
> feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware
> that the thing which is the source of his prosperity,
> his wealth, his might, his exaltation, his advancement
> and power is, as ordained by God, the very earth
> which is trodden beneath the feet of all men. There
> can be no doubt that whoever is cognizant of this
> truth, is cleansed and sanctified from all pride, arrogance,
> and vainglory. Whatever hath been said hath
> come from God. Unto this, He, verily, hath borne,
> and beareth now, witness, and He, in truth, is the
> All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
> 
> Beseech God to grant unto men hearing ears, and
> sharp sight, and dilated breasts, and receptive hearts,
> 
> page 45
> 
> that haply His servants may attain unto their hearts'
> Desire, and set their faces towards their Beloved.
> Troubles, such as no eye hath beheld, have touched
> this Wronged One. In proclaiming His Cause, He,
> in no wise, hesitated. Addressing Himself unto the
> kings and rulers of the earth--may God, exalted be
> He, assist them--He imparted unto them that which
> is the cause of the well-being, the unity, the harmony,
> and the reconstruction of the world, and of the
> tranquillity of the nations. Among them was Napoleon III,
> who is reported to have made a certain statement,
> as a result of which We sent him Our Tablet
> while in Adrianople. To this, however, he did not
> reply. After Our arrival in the Most Great Prison
> there reached Us a letter from his Minister, the first
> part of which was in Persian, and the latter in his
> own handwriting. In it he was cordial, and wrote
> the following: "I have, as requested by you, delivered
> your letter, and until now have received no answer.
> We have, however, issued the necessary recommendations
> to our Minister in Constantinople and our
> consuls in those regions. If there be anything you
> wish done, inform us, and we will carry it out."
> 
> From his words it became apparent that he understood
> the purpose of this Servant to have been a
> request for material assistance. We, therefore, revealed
> in his (Napoleon III's) name verses in the
> Súratu'l-Haykal, some of which We now quote, that
> thou mayest know that the Cause of this Wronged
> 
> page 46
> 
> One hath been revealed for the sake of God, and
> hath come from Him:
> 
> "O King of Paris! Tell the priest to ring the bells
> no longer. By God, the True One! The Most Mighty
> Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the
> Most Great Name, and the fingers of the will of Thy
> Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, toll it out
> in the heaven of Immortality, in His name, the All-Glorious.
> Thus have the mighty verses of Thy Lord
> been again sent down unto thee, that thou mayest
> arise to remember God, the Creator of earth and
> heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the earth
> have mourned, and the foundations of the cities have
> trembled, and the dust of irreligion hath enwrapped
> all men, except such as God, the All-Knowing, the
> All-Wise, was pleased to spare. Say: He Who is the
> Unconditioned is come, in the clouds of light, that
> He may quicken all created things with the breezes
> of His Name, the Most Merciful, and unify the
> world, and gather all men around this Table which
> hath been sent down from heaven. Beware that ye
> deny not the favor of God after it hath been sent
> down unto you. Better is this for you than that which
> ye possess; for that which is yours perisheth, whilst
> that which is with God endureth. He, in truth,
> ordaineth what He pleaseth. Verily, the breezes of
> forgiveness have been wafted from the direction of
> your Lord, the God of Mercy; whoso turneth thereunto,
> shall be cleansed of his sins, and of all pain and
> 
> page 47
> 
> sickness. Happy the man that hath turned towards
> them, and woe betide him that hath turned aside.
> 
> "Wert thou to incline thine inner ear unto all created
> things, thou wouldst hear: `The Ancient of Days
> is come in His great glory!' Everything celebrateth
> the praise of its Lord. Some have known God and
> remember Him; others remember Him, yet know
> Him not. Thus have We set down Our decree in
> a perspicuous Tablet.
> 
> "Give ear, O King, unto the Voice that calleth
> from the Fire which burneth in this verdant Tree,
> on this Sinai which hath been raised above the hallowed
> and snow-white Spot, beyond the Everlasting
> City; `Verily, there is none other God but Me, the
> Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful!' We, in truth,
> have sent Him Whom We aided with the Holy Spirit
> (Jesus Christ) that He may announce unto you this
> Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of the
> will of your Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious,
> and Whose signs have been revealed in the West.
> Set your faces towards Him (Bahá'u'lláh), on this
> Day which God hath exalted above all other days,
> and whereon the All-Merciful hath shed the splendor
> of His effulgent glory upon all who are in heaven
> and all who are on earth. Arise thou to serve God and
> help His Cause. He, verily, will assist thee with the
> hosts of the seen and unseen, and will set thee king
> over all that whereon the sun riseth. Thy Lord, in
> truth, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
> 
> page 48
> 
> "The breezes of the Most Merciful have passed
> over all created things; happy the man that hath discovered
> their fragrance, and set himself towards them
> with a sound heart. Attire thy temple with the ornament
> of My Name, and thy tongue with remembrance
> of Me, and thine heart with love for Me, the
> Almighty, the Most High. We have desired for thee
> naught except that which is better for thee than
> what thou dost possess and all the treasures of the
> earth. Thy Lord, verily, is knowing, informed of all.
> Arise, in My Name, amongst My servants, and say:
> `O ye peoples of the earth! Turn yourselves towards
> Him Who hath turned towards you. He, verily, is
> the Face of God amongst you, and His Testimony
> and His Guide unto you. He hath come to you with
> signs which none can produce.' The voice of the Burning
> Bush is raised in the midmost heart of the world,
> and the Holy Spirit calleth aloud among the nations:
> `Lo, the Desired One is come with manifest dominion!'
> 
> "O King! The stars of the heaven of knowledge
> have fallen, they who seek to establish the truth of
> My Cause through the things they possess, and who
> make mention of God in My Name. And yet, when
> I came unto them in My glory, they turned aside.
> They, indeed, are of the fallen. This is, truly, that
> which the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) hath announced,
> when He came with truth unto you, He
> with Whom the Jewish doctors disputed, till at last
> 
> page 49
> 
> they perpetrated what hath made the Holy Spirit to
> lament, and the tears of them that have near access
> to God to flow.
> 
> "Say: O concourse of monks! Seclude not yourselves
> in your churches and cloisters. Come ye out
> of them by My leave, and busy, then, yourselves
> with what will profit you and others. Thus commandeth
> you He Who is the Lord of the Day of
> Reckoning. Seclude yourselves in the stronghold of
> My love. This, truly, is the seclusion that befitteth
> you, could ye but know it. He that secludeth himself
> in his house is indeed as one dead. It behooveth
> man to show forth that which will benefit mankind.
> He that bringeth forth no fruit is fit for the fire.
> Thus admonisheth you your Lord; He, verily, is the
> Mighty, the Bountiful. Enter ye into wedlock, that
> after you another may arise in your stead. We,
> verily, have forbidden you lechery, and not that
> which is conducive to fidelity. Have ye clung unto
> the promptings of your nature, and cast behind your
> backs the statutes of God? Fear ye God, and be not
> of the foolish. But for man, who, on My earth, would
> remember Me, and how could My attributes and My
> names be revealed? Reflect, and be not of them that
> have shut themselves out as by a veil from Him,
> and were of those that are fast asleep. He that
> married not (Jesus Christ) could find no place
> wherein to abide, nor where to lay His head, by
> reason of what the hands of the treacherous had
> 
> page 50
> 
> wrought. His holiness consisted not in the things ye
> have believed and imagined, but rather in the things
> which belong unto Us. Ask, that ye may be made
> aware of His station which hath been exalted above
> the vain imaginings of all the peoples of the earth.
> Blessed are they that understand.
> 
> "O King! We heard the words thou didst utter in
> answer to the Czar of Russia, concerning the decision
> made regarding the war (Crimean War). Thy Lord,
> verily, knoweth, is informed of all. Thou didst say:
> `I lay asleep upon my couch, when the cry of the
> oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea,
> wakened me.' This is what We heard thee say, and,
> verily, thy Lord is witness unto what I say. We
> testify that that which wakened thee was not their
> cry but the promptings of thine own passions, for
> We tested thee, and found thee wanting. Comprehend
> the meaning of My words, and be thou of the
> discerning. It is not Our wish to address thee words
> of condemnation, out of regard for the dignity We
> conferred upon thee in this mortal life. We, verily,
> have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of
> such as are nigh unto Him. Courtesy is, in truth,
> a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young or
> old. Well is it with him that adorneth his temple
> therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this
> great bounty. Hadst thou been sincere in thy words,
> thou wouldst have not cast behind thy back the
> Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him
> 
> page 51
> 
> Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. We have proved
> thee through it, and found thee other than that
> which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for
> that which escaped thee. Erelong the world and all
> that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom
> will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy
> fathers of old. It behooveth thee not to conduct
> thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires.
> Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and shield Him
> from the darts of such as act unjustly.
> 
> "For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be
> thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass
> from thine hands, as a punishment for that which
> thou hast wrought. Then wilt thou know how thou
> hast plainly erred. Commotions shall seize all the
> people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this
> Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God
> (Jesus Christ) in this, the Straight Path. Hath thy
> pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not
> endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou
> holdest fast by this firm Cord. We see abasement
> hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless.
> It behooveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling
> from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou
> possessest, and cry out: `Here am I, O Lord of all
> that is in heaven and all that is on earth!'
> 
> "O King! We were in `Iráq, when the hour of
> parting arrived. At the bidding of the King of Islám
> (Sultán of Turkey) We set Our steps in his direction.
> 
> page 52
> 
> Upon Our arrival, there befell Us at the hands of the
> malicious that which the books of the world can
> never adequately recount. Thereupon the inmates
> of Paradise, and they that dwell within the retreats
> of holiness, lamented; and yet the people are wrapped
> in a thick veil!"
> 
> And further We have said: "More grievous became
> Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour,
> until they took Us forth from Our prison and made
> Us, with glaring injustice, enter the Most Great
> Prison. And if anyone ask them: `For what crime
> were they imprisoned?' they would answer and say:
> `They, verily, sought to supplant the Faith with a
> new religion!' If that which is ancient be what ye
> prefer, wherefore, then, have ye discarded that which
> hath been set down in the Torah and the Evangel?
> Clear it up, O men! By My life! There is no place
> for you to flee to in this day. If this be My crime,
> then Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it
> before Me, and before Him He Who was the Spirit
> of God (Jesus Christ), and yet earlier He Who conversed
> with God (Moses). And if My sin be this,
> that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed
> His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners!
> Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth
> and heaven."
> 
> And further We have said: "As My tribulations
> multiplied, so did My love for God and for His Cause
> increase, in such wise that all that befell Me from the
> 
> page 53
> 
> hosts of the wayward was powerless to deter Me from
> My purpose. Should they hide Me away in the depths
> of the earth, yet would they find Me riding aloft on
> the clouds, and calling out unto God, the Lord of
> strength and of might. I have offered Myself up in
> the way of God, and I yearn after tribulations in
> My love for Him, and for the sake of His good
> pleasure. Unto this bear witness the woes which now
> afflict Me, the like of which no other man hath suffered.
> Every single hair of Mine head calleth out
> that which the Burning Bush uttered on Sinai, and
> each vein of My body invoketh God and saith: `O
> would I had been severed in Thy path, so that
> the world might be quickened, and all its peoples be
> united!' Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who
> is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
> 
> "Know of a truth that your subjects are God's
> trust amongst you. Watch ye, therefore, over them
> as ye watch over your own selves. Beware that ye
> allow not wolves to become the shepherds of the fold,
> or pride and conceit to deter you from turning unto
> the poor and the desolate. Arise thou, in My name,
> above the horizon of renunciation, and set, then, thy
> face towards the Kingdom, at the bidding of thy
> Lord, the Lord of strength and of might."
> 
> And further We have said: "Adorn the body of
> Thy kingdom with the raiment of My name, and
> arise, then, to teach My Cause. Better is this for thee
> than that which thou possessest. God will, thereby,
> 
> page 54
> 
> exalt thy name among all the kings. Potent is He
> over all things. Walk thou amongst men in the
> name of God, and by the power of His might, that
> thou mayest show forth His signs amidst the peoples
> of the earth."
> 
> And further We have said: "Doth it behoove you
> to relate yourselves to Him Who is the God of mercy,
> and yet commit the things which the Evil One hath
> committed? Nay, by the Beauty of Him Who is the
> All-Glorified! could ye but know it. Purge your
> hearts from love of the world, and your tongues from
> calumny, and your limbs from whatsoever may withhold
> you from drawing nigh unto God, the Mighty,
> the All-Praised. Say: By the world is meant that
> which turneth you aside from Him Who is the
> Dawning-Place of Revelation, and inclineth you unto
> that which is unprofitable unto you. Verily, the
> thing that deterreth you, in this day, from God is
> worldliness in its essence. Eschew it, and approach
> the Most Sublime Vision, this shining and resplendent
> Seat. Shed not the blood of anyone, O people, neither
> judge ye anyone unjustly. Thus have ye been commanded
> by Him Who knoweth, Who is informed of
> all. They that commit disorders in the land after it
> hath been well ordered, these indeed have outstepped
> the bounds that have been set in the Book. Wretched
> shall be the abode of the transgressors!"
> 
> And further We have said: "Deal not treacherously
> with the substance of your neighbor. Be ye trustworthy
> 
> page 55
> 
> on earth, and withhold not from the poor
> the things given unto you by God through His
> grace. He, verily, will bestow upon you the double
> of what ye possess. He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous,
> the Most Generous. O people of Bahá! Subdue the
> citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom
> and of utterance. They that dispute, as prompted
> by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable
> veil. Say: The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer
> heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do
> but understand. Draw it forth in My name and
> through the power of My might, and conquer, then,
> with it the cities of the hearts of them that have
> secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt
> desires. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious,
> whilst seated beneath the swords of the
> wayward. If ye become aware of a sin committed
> by another, conceal it, that God may conceal your
> own sin. He, verily, is the Concealer, the Lord of
> grace abounding. O ye rich ones on earth! If ye
> encounter one who is poor, treat him not disdainfully.
> Reflect upon that whereof ye were created.
> Every one of you was created of a sorry germ."
> 
> And further We have said: "Regard ye the world
> as a man's body, which is afflicted with divers ailments,
> and the recovery of which dependeth upon
> the harmonizing of all of its component elements.
> Gather ye around that which We have prescribed
> unto you, and walk not in the ways of such as create
> 
> page 56
> 
> dissension. Meditate on the world and the state of its
> people. He, for Whose sake the world was called
> into being, hath been imprisoned in the most desolate
> of cities (Akká), by reason of that which the hands
> of the wayward have wrought. From the horizon of
> His prison-city He summoneth mankind unto the
> Dayspring of God, the Exalted, the Great. Exultest
> thou over the treasures thou dost possess, knowing
> they shall perish? Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest
> a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation
> of the people of Bahá, is worth as much as
> the black in the eye of a dead ant? Abandon it unto
> such as have set their affections upon it, and turn
> thou unto Him Who is the Desire of the world.
> Whither are gone the proud and their palaces? Gaze
> thou into their tombs, that thou mayest profit by
> this example, inasmuch as We made it a lesson unto
> every beholder. Were the breezes of Revelation to
> seize thee, thou wouldst flee the world, and turn
> unto the Kingdom, and wouldst expend all thou
> possessest, that thou mayest draw nigh unto this
> sublime Vision."
> 
> We bade a Christian dispatch this Tablet, and he
> informed Us that he transmitted both the original
> and its translation. God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing,
> hath knowledge of all things.
> 
> One of the sections of the Súratu'l-Haykal is the
> Tablet addressed to His Majesty, the Czar of Russia--
> may God, exalted and glorified be He--assist him:
> 
> page 57
> 
> "O Czar of Russia! Incline thine ear unto the
> voice of God, the King, the Holy, and turn thou
> unto Paradise, the Spot wherein abideth He Who,
> among the Concourse on high, beareth the most excellent
> titles, and Who, in the kingdom of creation, is
> called by the name of God, the Effulgent, the All-Glorious.
> Beware that nothing deter thee from setting
> thy face towards thy Lord, the Compassionate,
> the Most Merciful. We, verily, have heard the thing
> for which thou didst supplicate thy Lord, whilst
> secretly communing with Him. Wherefore, the
> breeze of My loving-kindness wafted forth, and the
> sea of My mercy surged, and We answered thee in
> truth. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the
> All-Wise. Whilst I lay, chained and fettered, in the
> prison of Tihrán, one of thy ministers extended Me
> his aid. Wherefore hath God ordained for thee a
> station which the knowledge of none can comprehend
> except His knowledge. Beware lest thou barter
> away this sublime station."
> 
> And further We have said: "He Who is the Father
> is come, and the Son (Jesus Christ), in the holy vale,
> crieth out: `Here am I, here am I, O Lord, my God!',
> whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning
> Bush calleth aloud: `The All-Bounteous is come
> mounted upon the clouds! Blessed is he that draweth
> nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far
> away.'
> 
> "Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling
> 
> page 58
> 
> Cause, and summon, then, the nations
> unto God, the Mighty, the Great. Be thou not of
> them who called upon God by one of His names,
> but who, when He Who is the Object of all names
> appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him,
> and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him
> with manifest injustice. Consider and call thou to
> mind the days whereon the Spirit of God (Jesus
> Christ) appeared, and Herod gave judgment against
> Him. God, however, aided Him with the hosts of
> the unseen, and protected Him with truth, and sent
> Him down unto another land, according to His
> promise. He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth.
> Thy Lord truly preserveth whom He willeth, be he
> in the midst of the seas or in the maw of the serpent,
> or beneath the sword of the oppressor."
> 
> And further We have said: "Again I say: Hearken
> unto My voice that calleth from My prison, that it
> may acquaint thee with the things that have befallen
> My Beauty, at the hands of them that are the
> manifestations of My glory, and that thou mayest
> perceive how great hath been My patience, notwithstanding
> My might, and how immense My forbearance,
> notwithstanding My power. By My life!
> Couldst thou but know the things sent down by My
> Pen, and discover the treasures of My Cause, and the
> pearls of My mysteries which lie hid in the seas of
> My names and in the goblets of My words, thou
> wouldst for longing after His glorious and sublime
> 
> page 59
> 
> Kingdom, lay down thy life in the path of God.
> Know thou that though My body be beneath the
> swords of My foes, and My limbs be beset with incalculable
> afflictions, yet My spirit is filled with a gladness
> with which all the joys of the earth can never
> compare."
> 
> Likewise, We mention some verses from the Tablet
> of Her Majesty, the Queen (Queen Victoria)--may
> God, exalted and glorified be He, assist her. Our
> purpose is that haply the breezes of Revelation may
> envelop thee, and cause thee to arise, wholly for the
> sake of God, and serve His Cause, and that thou
> mayest transmit any of the Tablets of the kings
> which might have remained undelivered. This mission
> is a great mission, and this service a great service.
> In those regions distinguished divines are numerous,
> among whom are those Siyyids who are renowned for
> their eminence and distinction. Confer with them,
> and show them what hath flowed out of the Pen of
> Glory, that haply they may be graciously aided to
> better the condition of the world, and improve the
> character of peoples of different nations, and may,
> through the living waters of God's counsels, quench
> the hatred and the animosity which lie hid and
> smolder in the hearts of men. We pray God that
> thou mayest be assisted therein. And this, verily,
> would not be hard for Him.
> 
> "O Queen in London! Incline thine ear unto the
> voice of thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind, calling
> 
> page 60
> 
> from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, no God is there
> but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise! Cast away all
> that is on earth, and attire the head of thy kingdom
> with the crown of the remembrance of Thy Lord,
> the All-Glorious. He, in truth, hath come unto the
> world in His most great glory, and all that hath been
> mentioned in the Gospel hath been fulfilled. The land
> of Syria hath been honored by the footsteps of its
> Lord, the Lord of all men, and North and South
> are both inebriated with the wine of His presence.
> Blessed is the man that hath inhaled the fragrance
> of the Most Merciful, and turned unto the Dawning-Place
> of His beauty, in this resplendent Dawn. The
> Mosque of Aqsá vibrateth through the breezes of its
> Lord, the All-Glorious, whilst Bathá (Mecca) trembleth
> at the voice of God, the Exalted, the Most High.
> Every single stone of them celebrateth the praise of
> the Lord, through this Great Name."
> 
> And further We said: "We make mention of thee
> for the sake of God, and desire that thy name may
> be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the
> Creator of earth and of heaven. He, verily, is witness
> unto that which I say. We have been informed
> that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both
> men and women. This, verily, is what God hath
> enjoined in this wondrous Revelation. God hath,
> truly, destined a reward for thee, because of this. He,
> verily, will pay the doer of good, whether man or
> woman, his due recompense, wert thou to follow
> 
> page 61
> 
> what hath been sent unto thee by Him Who is the
> All-Knowing, the All-Informed. As to him who
> turneth aside, and swelleth with pride, after that the
> clear tokens have come unto him, from the Revealer
> of signs, his work shall God bring to naught. He, in
> truth, hath power over all things. Man's actions are
> acceptable after his having recognized (the Manifestation).
> He that turneth aside from the True One
> is indeed the most veiled amongst His creatures. Thus
> hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Almighty,
> the Most Powerful.
> 
> "We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the
> reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives
> of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for
> thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs
> will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are
> beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be
> tranquillized. It behooveth them, however, to be
> trustworthy among His servants, and to regard themselves
> as the representatives of all that dwell on earth.
> This is what counselleth them, in this Tablet, He Who
> is the Ruler, the All-Wise. And if any one of them
> directeth himself towards the Assembly, let him turn
> his eyes unto the Supreme Horizon, and say: `O my
> God! I ask Thee, by Thy most glorious Name, to aid
> me in that which will cause the affairs of Thy servants
> to prosper, and Thy cities to flourish. Thou, indeed,
> hast power over all things!' Blessed is he that entereth
> the Assembly for the sake of God, and judgeth between
> 
> page 62
> 
> men with pure justice. He, indeed, is of the
> blissful.
> 
> "O ye members of Assemblies in that land and in
> other countries! Take ye counsel together, and let
> your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind,
> and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be
> of them that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the
> human body which, though at its creation whole
> and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various
> causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for
> one day did it gain ease, nay, its sickness waxed more
> severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant
> physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires,
> and have erred grievously. And if at one time,
> through the care of an able physician, a member of
> that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as
> before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the
> All-Wise. We behold it, in this day, at the mercy
> of rulers, so drunk with pride that they cannot discern
> clearly their own best advantage, much less
> recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging
> as this."
> 
> And further We have said: "That which God hath
> ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument
> for the healing of the world is the union
> of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common
> Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through
> the power of a skilled, an all-powerful, and inspired
> 
> page 63
> 
> Physician. By My life! This is the truth, and all
> else naught but error. Each time that Most Mighty
> Instrument hath come, and that Light shone forth
> from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by
> ignorant physicians who, even as clouds, interposed
> themselves between Him and the world. It failed
> therefore, to recover, and its sickness hath persisted
> until this day. They indeed were powerless to protect
> it, or to effect a cure, whilst He Who hath been
> the Manifestation of Power amongst men was withheld
> from achieving His purpose, by reason of what
> the hands of the ignorant physicians have wrought.
> 
> "Consider these days in which He Who is the
> Ancient Beauty hath come in the Most Great Name,
> that He may quicken the world and unite its peoples.
> They, however, rose up against Him with sharpened
> swords, and committed that which caused the Faithful
> Spirit to lament, until in the end they imprisoned
> Him in the most desolate of cities, and broke the grasp
> of the faithful upon the hem of His robe. Were
> anyone to tell them: `The World Reformer is come,'
> they would answer and say: `Indeed it is proven that
> He is a fomenter of discord!', and this notwithstanding
> that they have never associated with Him, and
> have perceived that He did not seek, for one moment,
> to protect Himself. At all times He was at the mercy
> of the wicked doers. At one time they cast Him into
> prison, at another they banished Him, and at yet
> 
> page 64
> 
> another hurried Him from land to land. Thus have
> they pronounced judgment against Us, and God,
> truly, is aware of what I say."
> 
> This charge of fomenting discord is the same as
> that imputed aforetime by the Pharaohs of Egypt
> to Him Who conversed with God (Moses). Read
> thou what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the
> Qur'án. He--may He be blessed and glorified--saith:
> "Moreover We had sent Moses of old with Our signs
> and with clear authority to Pharaoh, and Hamán,
> and Qarún: and they said: `Sorcerer, impostor!' And
> when He came to them from Our presence with the
> truth, they said: `Slay the sons of those who believe
> as He doth, and save their females alive,' but the
> stratagem of the unbelievers issued only in failure.
> And Pharaoh said: `Let me alone, that I may kill
> Moses; and let him call upon his Lord: I fear lest he
> change your religion, or cause disorder to show itself
> in the land.' And Moses said: `I take refuge with my
> Lord, and your Lord from every proud one who
> believeth not in the Day of Reckoning.'"
> 
> Men have, at all times, considered every World
> Reformer a fomenter of discord, and have referred
> unto Him in terms with which all are familiar. Each
> time the Daystar of Divine Revelation shed its
> radiance from the horizon of God's Will a great
> number of men denied Him, others turned aside from
> Him, and still others calumniated Him, and thereby
> withheld the servants of God from the river of loving
> 
> page 65
> 
> providence of Him Who is the King of creation. In
> like manner, they who, in this day, have neither met
> this Wronged One nor associated with Him have
> said, and even now continue to say, the things thou
> hast heard and hearest still. Say: "O people! The
> Sun of Utterance beameth forth in this day, above
> the horizon of bounty, and the radiance of the Revelation
> of Him Who spoke on Sinai flasheth and
> glisteneth before all religions. Purge and sanctify
> your breasts, and your hearts, and your ears, and your
> eyes with the living waters of the utterance of the
> All-Merciful, and set, then, your faces towards Him.
> By the righteousness of God! Ye shall hear all things
> proclaim: `Verily, He the True One is come. Blessed
> are they that judge with fairness, and blessed they
> that turn towards Him!'"
> 
> Among the things they have imputed to the Divine
> Lote-Tree (Moses) are charges to the falsity of which
> every discerning man of knowledge, and every wise
> and understanding heart, will witness. Thou must,
> no doubt, have read and considered the verses which
> have been sent down concerning Him Who conversed
> with God. He--may He be blessed and glorified--
> saith: "He said: `Did We not rear thee among
> us when a child? And hast thou not passed years
> of thy life among us? And yet what a deed is that
> which thou hast done! Thou art one of the ungrateful.'
> He said: `I did it indeed, and I was one of
> those who erred. And I fled from you because I
> 
> page 66
> 
> feared you; but My Lord hath given Me wisdom and
> hath made Me one of His Apostles.'" And elsewhere
> He--may He be blessed and exalted--saith: "And
> He entered a city at the time when its inhabitants
> would not observe Him, and found therein two men
> fighting, the one, of His own people; the other, of
> His enemies. And he who was of His own people
> asked His help against him who was of His enemies.
> And Moses smote him with His fist and slew him.
> Said He: `This is a work of Satan; for he is an enemy,
> a manifest misleader.' He said: `O my Lord! I have
> sinned to mine own hurt, forgive me.' So God forgave
> Him; for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
> He said: `Lord! because Thou hast showed me this
> grace, I will never again be the helper of the wicked.'
> And in the city at noon He was full of fear, casting
> furtive glances round Him, and lo, the man whom He
> had helped the day before, cried out to Him again
> for help. Said Moses to him: `Thou art plainly a
> most depraved person.' And when He would have
> laid violent hands on him who was their common
> foe, he said to Him: `O Moses! Dost Thou desire to
> slay me, as thou slewest a man yesterday? Thou desirest
> only to become a tyrant in this land, and
> desirest not to become a peacemaker.'" Thine ears
> and thine eyes must needs now be cleansed and sanctified,
> that thou mayest be able to judge with fairness
> and justice. Moses Himself, moreover, acknowledged
> His injustice and waywardness, and testified
> 
> page 67
> 
> that fear had seized Him, and that He had transgressed,
> and fled away. He asked God--exalted be
> His glory--to forgive Him, and He was forgiven.
> 
> O Shaykh! Every time God the True One--exalted
> be His glory--revealed Himself in the person of His
> Manifestation, He came unto men with the standard
> of "He doeth what He willeth, and ordaineth what
> He pleaseth." None hath the right to ask why or
> wherefore, and he that doth so, hath indeed turned
> aside from God, the Lord of Lords. In the days of
> every Manifestation these things appear and are
> evident. Likewise, they have said that about this
> Wronged One, to the falsity of which they who are
> nigh unto God and are devoted to Him have borne,
> and still bear, witness. By the righteousness of God!
> This Hem of His Robe hath ever been and remaineth
> unsullied, though many have, at the present time,
> purposed to besmirch it with their lying and unseemly
> calumnies. God, however, knoweth and they
> know not. He Who, through the might and power
> of God, hath arisen before the face of all the kindreds
> of the earth, and summoned the multitudes to
> the Supreme Horizon, hath been repudiated by them
> and they have clung instead unto such men as have
> invariably withdrawn themselves behind veils and
> curtains, and busied themselves about their own
> protection. Moreover, many are now engaged in
> spreading lies and calumnies, and have no other intention
> than to instill distrust into the hearts and
> 
> page 68
> 
> souls of men. As soon as someone leaveth the Great
> City (Constantinople) to visit this land, they at
> once telegraph and proclaim that he hath stolen
> money and fled to Akká. A highly accomplished,
> learned and distinguished man visited, in his declining
> years, the Holy Land, seeking peace and retirement,
> and about him they have written such things as have
> caused them who are devoted to God and are nigh
> unto Him to sigh.
> 
> His Excellency, the late Mírzá Husayn Khán,
> Mushíru'd-Dawlih,--may God forgive him--hath
> known this Wronged One, and he, no doubt, must
> have given to the Authorities a circumstantial account
> of the arrival of this Wronged One at the
> Sublime Porte, and of the things which He said and
> did. On the day of Our arrival the Government
> Official, whose duty it was to receive and entertain
> official visitors, met Us and escorted Us to the place
> he had been bidden to take Us. In truth, the Government
> showed these wronged ones the utmost
> kindness and consideration. The following day Prince
> Shuja'u'd-Dawlih, accompanied by Mírzá Safá, acting
> as the representatives of the late Mushíru'd-Dawlih,
> the Minister (accredited to the Imperial
> Court) came to visit Us. Others, among whom were
> several Ministers of the Imperial Government, and
> including the late Kamál Páshá, likewise called on Us.
> Wholly reliant on God, and without any reference
> to any need He might have had, or to any other
> 
> page 69
> 
> matter, this Wronged One sojourned for a period of
> four months in that city. His actions were known
> and evident unto all, and none can deny them except
> such as hate Him, and speak not the truth. He that
> hath recognized God, recognizeth none other but
> Him. We have never liked, nor like We, to make
> mention of such things.
> 
> Whenever high dignitaries of Persia came to that
> city (Constantinople) they would exert themselves
> to the utmost soliciting at every door such allowances
> and gifts as they might obtain. This Wronged One,
> however, if He hath done nothing that would redound
> to the glory of Persia, hath at least acted in a
> manner that could in no wise disgrace it. That which
> was done by his late Excellency (Mushíru'd-Dawlih)
> --may God exalt his station--was not actuated
> by his friendship towards this Wronged One, but
> rather was prompted by his own sagacious judgment,
> and by his desire to accomplish the service he secretly
> contemplated rendering his Government. I testify
> that he was so faithful in his service to his Government
> that dishonesty played no part, and was held
> in contempt, in the domain of his activities. It was
> he who was responsible for the arrival of these
> wronged ones in the Most Great Prison (Akká).
> As he was faithful, however, in the discharge of his
> duty, he deserveth Our commendation. This Wronged
> One hath, at all times, aimed and striven to exalt
> and advance the interests of both the government
> 
> page 70
> 
> and the people, not to elevate His own station. A
> number of men have, now, gathered others about
> them, and have arisen to dishonor this Wronged One.
> He, nevertheless, beseecheth God--hallowed and glorified
> be He--to aid them to return unto Him, and
> assist them to compensate for that which escaped
> them, and repent before the door of His bounty. He,
> verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
> 
> O Shaykh! My Pen, verily, lamenteth over Mine
> own Self, and My Tablet weepeth sore over what hath
> befallen Me at the hands of one (Mírzá Yahyá) over
> whom We watched for successive years, and who,
> day and night, served in My presence, until he was
> made to err by one of My servants, named Siyyid
> Muhammad. Unto this bear witness My believing
> servants who accompanied Me in My exile from
> Baghdád to this, the Most Great Prison. And there
> befell Me at the hands of both of them that which
> made every man of understanding to cry out, and
> he who is endued with insight to groan aloud, and
> the tears of the fair-minded to flow.
> 
> We pray to God to graciously assist them that
> have been led astray to be just and fair-minded, and
> to make them aware of that whereof they have been
> heedless. He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, the Most
> Generous. Debar not Thy servants, O my Lord, from
> the door of Thy grace, and drive them not away
> from the court of Thy presence. Assist them to
> dispel the mists of idle fancy, and to tear away the
> 
> page 71
> 
> veils of vain imaginings and hopes. Thou art, verily,
> the All-Possessing, the Most High. No God is there
> but Thee, the Almighty, the Gracious.
> 
> I swear by the Daystar of God's Testimony that
> hath shone from the horizon of certitude! This
> Wronged One, in the daytime and in the night-season,
> occupied Himself with that which would
> edify the souls of men, until the light of knowledge
> prevailed over the darkness of ignorance.
> 
> O Shaykh! Time and again have I declared, and
> now yet again I affirm, that for two score years We
> have, through the grace of God and by His irresistible
> and potent will, extended such aid to His
> Majesty the Sháh--may God assist him--as the exponents
> of justice and of equity would regard as incontestable
> and absolute. None can deny it, unless he
> be a transgressor and sinner, or one who would hate
> Us or doubt Our truth. How very strange that until
> now the Ministers of State and the representatives
> of the people have alike remained unaware of such
> conspicuous and undeniable service, and, if apprized
> of it, have, for reasons of their own, chosen to ignore
> it! Previous to these forty years controversies and
> conflicts continually prevailed and agitated the servants
> of God. But since then, aided by the hosts of
> wisdom, of utterance, of exhortations and understanding,
> they have all seized and taken fast hold
> of the firm cord of patience and of the shining hem
> of fortitude, in such wise that this wronged people
> 
> page 72
> 
> endured steadfastly whatever befell them, and committed
> everything unto God, and this notwithstanding
> that in Mazindarán and at Rasht a great many
> have been most hideously tormented. Among them
> was his honor, Hájí Násir, who, unquestionably, was
> a brilliant light that shone forth above the horizon
> of resignation. After he had suffered martyrdom,
> they plucked out his eyes and cut off his nose, and
> inflicted on him such indignities that strangers wept
> and lamented, and secretly raised funds to support
> his wife and children.
> 
> O Shaykh! My Pen is abashed to recount what
> actually took place. In the land of Sád (Isfahán)
> the fire of tyranny burned with such a hot flame
> that every fair-minded person groaned aloud. By
> thy life! The cities of knowledge and of understanding
> wept with such a weeping that the souls
> of the pious and of the God-fearing were melted.
> The twin shining lights, Hasan and Husayn (The
> King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs) offered
> up spontaneously their lives in that city. Neither
> fortune, nor wealth, nor glory, could deter them!
> God knoweth the things which befell them and yet
> the people are, for the most part, unaware!
> 
> Before them one named Kázim and they who
> were with him, and after them, his honor Ashraf,
> all quaffed the draught of martyrdom with the utmost
> fervor and longing, and hastened unto the
> Supreme Companion. In like manner, at the time
> 
> page 73
> 
> of Sardár Azíz Khán, that godly man, Mírzá
> Mustafá, and his fellow martyrs, were arrested, and
> despatched unto the Supreme Friend in the All-Glorious
> Horizon. Briefly, in every city the evidences
> of a tyranny, beyond like or equal, were unmistakably
> clear and manifest, and yet none arose in self-defence!
> Call thou to mind his honor Badí, who was
> the bearer of the Tablet to His Majesty the Sháh,
> and reflect how he laid down his life. That knight,
> who spurred on his charger in the arena of renunciation,
> threw down the precious crown of life for
> the sake of Him Who is the Incomparable Friend.
> 
> O Shaykh! If things such as these are to be denied,
> what shall, then, be deemed worthy of credence?
> Set forth the truth, for the sake of God, and be not
> of them that hold their peace. They arrested his
> honor Najaf-`Alí, who hastened, with rapture and
> great longing, unto the field of martyrdom, uttering
> these words: "We have kept both Bahá and the
> khún-bahá (bloodmoney)!" With these words he
> yielded up his spirit. Meditate on the splendor and
> glory which the light of renunciation, shining from
> the upper chamber of the heart of Mullá `Alí-Ján,
> hath shed. He was so carried away by the breezes of
> the Most Sublime Word and by the power of the
> Pen of Glory that to him the field of martyrdom
> equalled, nay outrivalled, the haunts of earthly delights.
> Ponder upon the conduct of `Abá-Básir and
> Siyyid Ashraf-i-Zanjání. They sent for the mother
> 
> page 74
> 
> of Ashraf to dissuade her son from his purpose. But
> she spurred him on until he suffered a most glorious
> martyrdom.
> 
> O Shaykh! This people have passed beyond the
> narrow straits of names, and pitched their tents upon
> the shores of the sea of renunciation. They would
> willingly lay down a myriad lives, rather than breathe
> the word desired by their enemies. They have clung
> to that which pleaseth God, and are wholly detached
> and freed from the things which pertain unto men.
> They have preferred to have their heads cut off
> rather than utter one unseemly word. Ponder this
> in thine heart. Methinks they have quaffed their fill
> of the ocean of renunciation. The life of the present
> world hath failed to withhold them from suffering
> martyrdom in the path of God.
> 
> In Mazindarán a vast number of the servants of
> God were exterminated. The Governor, under the
> influence of calumniators, robbed a great many of
> all that they possessed. Among the charges he laid
> against them was that they had been laying up arms,
> whereas upon investigation it was found out that
> they had nothing but an unloaded rifle! Gracious
> God! This people need no weapons of destruction,
> inasmuch as they have girded themselves to reconstruct
> the world. Their hosts are the hosts of goodly
> deeds, and their arms the arms of upright conduct,
> and their commander the fear of God. Blessed that
> one that judgeth with fairness. By the righteousness
> of God! Such hath been the patience, the calm, the
> 
> page 75
> 
> resignation and contentment of this people that they
> have become the exponents of justice, and so great
> hath been their forbearance, that they have suffered
> themselves to be killed rather than kill, and this
> notwithstanding that these whom the world hath
> wronged have endured tribulations the like of which
> the history of the world hath never recorded, nor the
> eyes of any nation witnessed. What is it that could
> have induced them to reconcile themselves to these
> grievous trials, and to refuse to put forth a hand to
> repel them? What could have caused such resignation
> and serenity? The true cause is to be found
> in the ban which the Pen of Glory hath, day and
> night, chosen to impose, and in Our assumption of
> the reins of authority, through the power and might
> of Him Who is the Lord of all mankind.
> 
> Remember the father of Badí. They arrested that
> wronged one, and ordered him to curse and revile
> his Faith. He, however, through the grace of God
> and the mercy of his Lord, chose martyrdom, and
> attained thereunto. If ye would reckon up the martyrs
> in the path of God, ye could not count them.
> Consider his honor Siyyid Ismá'íl--upon--upon him be the
> peace of God, and His loving-kindness--how, before
> daybreak he was wont to dust, with his own turban,
> the doorstep of My house, and in the end, whilst
> standing on the banks of the river, with his eyes
> fixed on that same house, offered up, by his own
> hand, his life.
> 
> Do thou ponder on the penetrative influence of
> 
> page 76
> 
> the Word of God. Every single one of these souls
> was first ordered to blaspheme and curse his faith,
> yet none was found to prefer his own will to the
> Will of God.
> 
> O Shaykh! In former times he that was chosen
> to be slain was but one person, whereas now this
> Wronged One hath produced for thee that which
> causeth every fair-minded man to marvel. Judge
> fairly, I adjure thee, and arise to serve thy Lord.
> He, verily, shall reward thee with a reward which
> neither the treasures of the earth nor all the possessions
> of kings and rulers can equal. In all thine
> affairs put thy reliance in God, and commit them
> unto Him. He will render thee a reward which the
> Book hath ordained as great. Occupy thyself, during
> these fleeting days of thy life, with such deeds as will
> diffuse the fragrance of Divine good pleasure, and
> will be adorned with the ornament of His acceptance.
> The acts of his honor, Balál, the Ethiopian, were so
> acceptable in the sight of God that the "sín" of his
> stuttering tongue excelled the "shín" pronounced by
> all the world. This is the day whereon all peoples
> should shed the light of unity and concord. In brief,
> the pride and vanity of certain of the peoples of the
> world have made havoc of true understanding, and
> laid waste the home of justice and of equity.
> 
> O Shaykh! That which hath touched this Wronged
> One is beyond compare or equal. We have borne it
> all with the utmost willingness and resignation, so
> 
> page 77
> 
> that the souls of men may be edified, and the Word
> of God be exalted. While confined in the prison of
> the Land of Mím (Mazindarán) We were one day
> delivered into the hands of the divines. Thou canst
> well imagine what befell Us. Shouldst thou at some
> time happen to visit the dungeon of His Majesty
> the Sháh, ask the director and chief jailer to show
> thee those two chains, one of which is known as
> Qará-Guhar, and the other as Salásil. I swear by
> the Daystar of Justice that for four months this
> Wronged One was tormented and chained by one
> or the other of them. "My grief exceedeth all the
> woes to which Jacob gave vent, and all the afflictions
> of Job are but a part of My sorrows!"
> 
> Likewise, ponder thou upon the martyrdom of
> Hájí Muhammad-Ridá in the City of Love (Ishqábád).
> The tyrants of the earth have subjected that
> wronged one to such trials as have caused many foreigners
> to weep and lament for, as reported and
> ascertained, no less than thirty-two wounds were
> inflicted upon his blessed body. Yet none of the
> faithful transgressed My commandment, nor raised
> his hand in resistance. Come what might, they refused
> to allow their own inclinations to supersede
> that which the Book hath decreed, though a considerable
> number of this people have resided, and still
> reside, in that city.
> 
> We entreat His Majesty the Sháh,--may God, hallowed
> and glorified be He, assist him--himself to
> 
> page 78
> 
> ponder upon these things, and to judge with equity
> and justice. Although in recent years a number of
> the faithful have, in most of the cities of Persia, suffered
> themselves to be killed rather than kill, yet the
> hatred smouldering in certain hearts hath blazed
> more fiercely than before. For the victims of oppression
> to intercede in favor of their enemies is, in
> the estimation of rulers, a princely deed. Some must
> have certainly heard that this oppressed people have,
> in that city (Ishqábád), pleaded with the Governor
> on behalf of their murderers, and asked for the mitigation
> of their sentence. Take, then, good heed, ye
> who are men of insight!
> 
> O Shaykh! These perspicuous verses have been
> sent down in one of the Tablets by the Abhá Pen:
> "Hearken, O servant, unto the voice of this Wronged
> One, Who hath endured grievous vexations and trials
> in the path of God, the Lord of all Names, until
> such time as He was cast into prison, in the Land of
> Tá (Tihrán). He summoned men unto the most
> sublime Paradise, and yet they seized Him and
> paraded Him through cities and countries. How
> many the nights during which slumber fled from the
> eyes of My loved ones, because of their love for Me;
> and how numerous the days whereon I had to face
> the assaults of the peoples against Me! At one time
> I found Myself on the heights of mountains; at another
> in the depths of the prison of Tá (Tihrán), in
> chains and fetters. By the righteousness of God!
> 
> page 79
> 
> I was at all times thankful unto Him, uttering
> His praise, engaged in remembering Him, directed
> towards Him, satisfied with His pleasure, and lowly
> and submissive before Him. So passed My days, until
> they ended in this Prison (Akká) which hath made
> the earth to tremble and the heavens to sigh. Happy
> that one who hath cast away his vain imaginings,
> when He Who was hid came with the standards of
> His signs. We, verily, have announced unto men
> this Most Great Revelation, and yet the people are in
> a state of strange stupor."
> 
> Thereupon, a Voice was raised from the direction
> of Hijáz, calling aloud and saying: "Great is thy
> blessedness, O Akká, in that God hath made thee
> the dayspring of His Most Sweet Voice, and the
> dawn of His most mighty signs. Happy art thou in
> that the Throne of Justice hath been established upon
> thee, and the Daystar of God's loving-kindness and
> bounty hath shone forth above thy horizon. Well
> is it with every fair-minded person that hath judged
> fairly Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance,
> and woe betide him that hath erred and doubted."
> 
> Following upon the death of some of the martyrs,
> the Lawh-i-Burhán (Tablet of the Proof) was sent
> down from the heaven of the Revelation of Him
> Who is the Lord of Religions:
> 
> "He is the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
> The winds of hatred have encompassed the
> Ark of Bathá (Mecca), by reason of that which the
> 
> page 80
> 
> hands of the oppressors have wrought. O thou who
> art reputed for thy learning! Thou hast pronounced
> sentence against them for whom the books of the
> world have wept, and in whose favor the scriptures
> of all religions have testified. Thou, who art gone
> far astray, art indeed wrapt in a thick veil. By God
> Himself! Thou hast pronounced judgment against
> them through whom the horizon of faith hath been
> illumined. Unto this bear witness They Who are
> the Dawning-Places of Revelation and the Manifestations
> of the Cause of thy Lord, the Most Merciful,
> Who have sacrificed Their souls and all that They
> possessed in His straight Path. The Faith of God
> hath cried everywhere, by reason of thy tyranny,
> and yet thou disportest thyself and art of them that
> exult. There is no hatred in Mine heart for thee nor
> for anyone. Every man of discernment beholdeth
> thee, and such as are like thee, engulfed in evident
> folly. Hadst thou realized that which thou hast done,
> thou wouldst have cast thyself into the fire, or abandoned
> thine home and fled unto the mountains, or
> wouldst have groaned until thou hadst returned unto
> the place destined for thee by Him Who is the Lord
> of strength and of might. O thou who art even as
> nothing! Rend thou asunder the veils of idle fancies
> and vain imaginings, that thou mayest behold the
> Daystar of knowledge shining from this resplendent
> Horizon. Thou hast torn in pieces a remnant of the
> Prophet Himself, and imagined that thou hadst
> 
> page 81
> 
> helped the Faith of God. Thus hath thy soul
> prompted thee, and thou art truly one of the heedless.
> Thine act hath consumed the hearts of the
> Concourse on high, and those of such as have circled
> round the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.
> The soul of the Chaste One (Fátimih) melted, by
> reason of thy cruelty, and the inmates of Paradise
> wept sore in that blessed Spot.
> 
> "Judge thou fairly, I adjure thee by God. What
> proof did the Jewish doctors adduce wherewith to
> condemn Him Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus
> Christ), when He came unto them with truth? What
> could have been the evidence produced by the Pharisees
> and the idolatrous priests to justify their denial
> of Muhammad, the Apostle of God when He came
> unto them with a Book that judged between truth
> and falsehood with a justice which turned into light
> the darkness of the earth, and enraptured the hearts
> of such as had known Him? Indeed thou hast produced,
> in this day, the same proofs which the foolish
> divines advanced in that age. Unto this testifieth
> He Who is the King of the realm of grace in this
> great Prison. Thou hast, truly, walked in their ways,
> nay, hast surpassed them in their cruelty, and hast
> deemed thyself to be helping the Faith and defending
> the Law of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
> By Him Who is the Truth! Thine iniquity hath
> made Gabriel to groan, and hath drawn tears from
> the Law of God, through which the breezes of justice
> 
> page 82
> 
> have been wafted over all who are in heaven and on
> earth. Hast thou fondly imagined that the judgment
> thou didst pronounce hath profited thee? Nay, by
> Him Who is the King of all Names! Unto thy loss
> testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of all
> things as recorded in the preserved Tablet.
> 
> "O thou who hast gone astray! Thou hast neither
> seen Me, nor associated with Me, nor been My companion
> for the fraction of a moment. How is it,
> then, that thou hast bidden men to curse Me? Didst
> thou, in this, follow the promptings of thine own
> desires, or didst thou obey thy Lord? Produce thou
> a sign, if thou art one of the truthful. We testify
> that thou hast cast behind thy back the Law of God,
> and laid hold on the dictates of thy passions. Nothing,
> in truth, escapeth His knowledge; He, verily, is
> the Incomparable, the All-Informed. O heedless one!
> Hearken unto that which the Merciful hath revealed
> in the Qur'án: `Say not to every one who meeteth you
> with a greeting, "Thou art not a believer."' Thus
> hath He decreed in Whose grasp are the kingdoms
> of Revelation and of creation, if thou be of them
> that hearken. Thou hast set aside the commandment
> of God, and clung unto the promptings of thine
> own desire. Woe, then, unto thee, O careless one that
> doubtest! If thou deniest Me, by what proof canst
> thou vindicate the truth of that which thou dost
> possess? Produce it, then, O thou who hast joined
> 
> page 83
> 
> partners with God, and turned aside from His sovereignty
> that hath encompassed the worlds!
> 
> "Know thou that he is truly learned who hath
> acknowledged My Revelation, and drunk from the
> Ocean of My knowledge, and soared in the atmosphere
> of My love, and cast away all else besides Me,
> and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent
> down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance.
> He, verily, is even as an eye unto mankind, and
> as the spirit of life unto the body of all creation.
> Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath enlightened
> him, and caused him to arise and serve His great and
> mighty Cause. Verily, such a man is blessed by the
> Concourse on high, and by them who dwell within
> the Tabernacle of Grandeur, who have quaffed My
> sealed Wine in My Name, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.
> If thou be of them that occupy such a
> sublime station, produce then a sign from God, the
> Creator of the heavens. And shouldst thou recognize
> thy powerlessness, do thou rein in thy passions, and
> return unto thy Lord, that perchance He may forgive
> thee thy sins which have caused the leaves of
> the Divine Lote-Tree to be burnt up, and the Rock
> to cry out, and the eyes of men of understanding to
> weep. Because of thee the Veil of Divinity was rent
> asunder, and the Ark has foundered, and the She-Camel
> was hamstrung, and the Spirit (Jesus) groaned
> in His sublime retreat. Disputest thou with Him
> 
> page 84
> 
> Who hath come unto thee with the testimonies of
> God and His signs which thou possessest and which
> are in the possession of them that dwell on earth?
> Open thine eyes that thou mayest behold this
> Wronged One shining forth above the horizon of the
> will of God, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Resplendent.
> Unstop, then, the ear of thine heart that thou
> mayest hearken unto the speech of the Divine Lote-Tree
> that hath been raised up in truth by God, the
> Almighty, the Beneficent. Verily, this Tree, notwithstanding
> the things that befell it by reason of thy
> cruelty and of the transgressions of such as are like
> thee, calleth aloud and summoneth all men unto the
> Sadratu'l-Muntahá and the Supreme Horizon. Blessed
> is the soul that hath gazed on the Most Mighty Sign,
> and the ear that hath heard His most sweet Voice, and
> woe to whosoever hath turned aside and done
> wickedly.
> 
> "O thou who hast turned away from God! Wert
> thou to look with the eye of fairness upon the
> Divine Lote-Tree, thou wouldst perceive the marks
> of thy sword on its boughs, and its branches, and its
> leaves, notwithstanding that God created thee for
> the purpose of recognizing and of serving it. Reflect,
> that haply thou mayest recognize thine iniquity and
> be numbered with such as have repented. Thinkest
> thou that We fear thy cruelty? Know thou and be
> well assured that from the first day whereon the
> voice of the Most Sublime Pen was raised betwixt
> 
> page 85
> 
> earth and heaven We offered up Our souls, and Our
> bodies, and Our sons, and Our possessions in the
> path of God, the Exalted, the Great, and We glory
> therein amongst all created things and the Concourse
> on high. Unto this testify the things which have befallen
> Us in this straight Path. By God! Our hearts
> were consumed, and Our bodies were crucified, and
> Our blood was spilt, while Our eyes were fixed on
> the horizon of the loving-kindness of their Lord, the
> Witness, the All-Seeing. The more grievous their
> woes, the greater waxed the love of the people of
> Bahá. Unto their sincerity hath borne witness what
> the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur'án.
> He saith: `Wish ye, then, for death, if ye are sincere.'
> Who is to be preferred, he that hath sheltered himself
> behind curtains, or he that hath offered himself
> in the path of God? Judge thou fairly, and be not of
> them that rove distraught in the wilderness of falsehood.
> So carried away have they been by the living
> waters of the love of the Most Merciful, that neither
> the arms of the world nor the swords of the nations
> have deterred them from setting their faces towards
> the ocean of the bounty of their Lord, the Giver,
> the Generous.
> 
> "By God! Troubles have failed to unnerve Me, and
> the repudiation of the divines hath been powerless to
> weaken Me. I have spoken, and still speak forth
> before the face of men: `The door of grace hath
> been unlocked and He Who is the Dayspring of
> 
> page 86
> 
> Justice is come with perspicuous signs and evident
> testimonies, from God, the Lord of strength and of
> might!' Present thyself before Me that thou mayest
> hear the mysteries which were heard by the Son of
> `Imrán (Moses) upon the Sinai of Wisdom. Thus
> commandeth thee He Who is the Dawning-Place of
> the Revelation of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, from
> His great Prison."
> 
> Thereupon hath the cry and the lamentation of
> the true Faith been raised once again, saying: "Verily,
> Sinai calleth aloud and saith: `O people of the Bayán!
> Fear ye the Merciful. Indeed have I attained unto
> Him Who conversed upon me, and the ecstasies of
> my joy have seized the pebbles of the earth and the
> dust thereof.' And the Bush exclaimeth: `O people
> of the Bayán! Judge ye fairly that which hath in
> truth been manifested. Verily the Fire which God
> revealed unto the One Who conversed with Him is
> now manifested. Unto this beareth witness every
> man of insight and understanding.'"
> 
> We have made mention of certain martyrs of this
> Revelation, and have likewise cited some of the verses
> which were sent down concerning them from the
> kingdom of Our utterance. We fain would hope
> that, rid of all attachment to the world, thou wilt
> ponder the things which We have mentioned.
> 
> It behooveth thee now to reflect upon the state of
> Mírzá Hádí Dawlat-Ábádí and of Sád-i-Isfahání
> 
> page 87
> 
> (Tihrán). No sooner had the former heard that he
> had been called a Bábí than he became so perturbed
> that his poise and dignity forsook him. He ascended
> the pulpits and spoke words which ill befitted him.
> From time immemorial the clay clods of the world
> have, wholly by reason of their love of leadership,
> perpetrated such acts as have caused men to err.
> Thou must not, however, imagine that all the faithful
> are such as these two. We have described unto thee
> the constancy, the firmness, the steadfastness, the certitude,
> the imperturbability and the dignity of the
> martyrs of this Revelation, that thou mayest be well-informed.
> My purpose in citing the passages from the
> Tablets to the kings and others hath been that thou
> mayest know of a certainty that this Wronged One
> hath not concealed the Cause of God, but hath proclaimed
> and delivered, in the most eloquent language,
> before the face of the world, the things He had been
> commissioned to set forth. Certain faint-hearted
> ones, however, such as Hádí and others, have tampered
> with the Cause of God and have, in their concern
> for this fleeting life, said and done that which
> caused the eye of justice to weep and the Pen of Glory
> to groan, notwithstanding their ignorance of the
> essentials of this Cause; whereas this Wronged One
> hath revealed it for the sake of God.
> 
> O Hádí! Thou hast gone unto My brother and
> hast seen him. Set now thy face towards the court
> of this Wronged One, that haply the breezes of Revelation
> 
> page 88
> 
> and the breaths of inspiration may assist thee
> and enable thee to attain thy goal. Whoever gazeth
> this day on My signs will distinguish truth from falsehood
> as the sun from shadow, and will be made
> cognizant of the goal. God is aware and beareth Me
> witness that whatever hath been mentioned was for
> the sake of God, that haply thou mayest be the
> cause of the guidance of men, and mayest deliver the
> peoples of the world from idle fancies and vain
> imaginings. Gracious God! Until now they that have
> turned aside and denied Me have failed to recognize
> Who despatched that which was delivered unto the
> Herald--the Primal Point! The knowledge of it is
> with God, the Lord of the worlds.
> 
> Exert thyself, O Shaykh, and arise to serve this
> Cause. The Sealed Wine is disclosed in this day before
> the faces of men. Seize it in the name of thy Lord,
> and quaff thy fill in remembrance of Him Who is
> the Mighty, the Incomparable. Night and day hath
> this Wronged One been occupied in that which
> would unite the hearts, and edify the souls of men.
> The events that have happened in Persia during the
> early years have truly saddened the well-favored and
> sincere ones. Each year witnessed a fresh massacre,
> pillage, plunder, and shedding of blood. At one time
> there appeared in Zanján that which caused the
> greatest consternation; at another in Nayríz, and at
> yet another in Tabarsí, and finally there occurred
> the episode of the Land of Tá (Tihrán). From that
> 
> page 89
> 
> time onwards this Wronged One, assisted by the One
> True God--exalted be His glory--acquainted this
> oppressed people with the things which beseemed
> them. All have sanctified themselves from the things
> which they and others possess, and have clung unto,
> and fixed their eyes upon that which pertaineth unto
> God.
> 
> It is now incumbent upon His Majesty the Sháh--
> may God, exalted be He, protect him--to deal with
> this people with loving-kindness and mercy. This
> Wronged One pledgeth Himself, before the Divine
> Kaaba, that, apart from truthfulness and trustworthiness,
> this people will show forth nothing that can in
> any way conflict with the world-adorning views of
> His Majesty. Every nation must have a high regard
> for the position of its sovereign, must be submissive
> unto him, must carry out his behests, and hold fast
> his authority. The sovereigns of the earth have been
> and are the manifestations of the power, the grandeur
> and the majesty of God. This Wronged One hath at
> no time dealt deceitfully with anyone. Every one is
> well aware of this, and beareth witness unto it. Regard
> for the rank of sovereigns is divinely ordained,
> as is clearly attested by the words of the Prophets
> of God and His chosen ones. He Who is the Spirit
> (Jesus)--may peace be upon Him--was asked: "O
> Spirit of God! Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar
> or not?" And He made reply: "Yea, render to Caesar
> the things that are Caesar's and to God the things
> 
> page 90
> 
> that are God's." He forbade it not. These two sayings
> are, in the estimation of men of insight, one
> and the same, for if that which belonged to Caesar
> had not come from God, He would have forbidden it.
> And likewise in the sacred verse: "Obey God and
> obey the Apostle, and those among you invested with
> authority." By "those invested with authority" is
> meant primarily and more especially the Imáms--
> the blessings of God rest upon them! They, verily,
> are the manifestations of the power of God, and the
> sources of His authority, and the repositories of His
> knowledge, and the daysprings of His commandments.
> Secondarily these words refer unto the kings
> and rulers--those through the brightness of whose
> justice the horizons of the world are resplendent and
> luminous. We fain would hope that His Majesty
> the Sháh will shine forth with a light of justice whose
> radiance will envelop all the kindreds of the earth.
> It is incumbent upon every one to beseech the one
> true God on his behalf for that which is meet and
> seemly in this day.
> 
> O God, my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay,
> and my Desire, and my Beloved! I ask Thee
> by the mysteries which were hid in Thy knowledge,
> and by the signs which have diffused the fragrance
> of Thy loving-kindness, and by the billows of the
> ocean of Thy bounty, and by the heaven of Thy
> grace and generosity, and by the blood spilt in Thy
> path, and by the hearts consumed in their love for
> 
> page 91
> 
> Thee, to assist His Majesty the Sháh with Thy power
> and Thy sovereignty, that from him may be manifested
> that which will everlastingly endure in Thy
> Books, and Thy Scriptures, and Thy Tablets. Hold
> Thou his hand, O my Lord, with the hand of Thine
> omnipotence, and illuminate him with the light of
> Thy knowledge, and adorn him with the adornment
> of Thy virtues. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth
> Thee, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all created
> things. No God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving,
> the All-Bounteous.
> 
> In the Epistle to the Romans Saint Paul hath
> written: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher
> powers. For there is no power but of God; the
> powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever
> therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance
> of God." And further: "For he is the minister of
> God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that
> doeth evil." He saith that the appearance of the
> kings, and their majesty and power are of God.
> 
> Moreover, in the traditions of old, references have
> been made which the divines have seen and heard.
> We beseech God--blessed and glorified be He--to
> aid thee, O Shaykh, to lay fast hold on that which
> hath been sent down from the heaven of the bounty
> of God, the Lord of the worlds. The divines must
> needs unite with His Majesty, the Sháh, and cleave
> unto that which will insure the protection, the security,
> the welfare and prosperity of men. A just king
> 
> page 92
> 
> enjoyeth nearer access unto God than anyone. Unto
> this testifieth He Who speaketh in His Most Great
> Prison. God! There is none other God but Him, the
> One, the Incomparable, the Almighty, the All-Knowing,
> the All-Wise.
> 
> Wert thou, for the sake of God, to ponder, though
> it be but for an hour, upon the things which have
> occurred in former times and more recently, thou
> wouldst turn away from the things thou dost possess
> unto the things which belong unto God, and wouldst
> become a means for the exaltation of His Word.
> Hath, from the foundation of the world until the
> present day, any Light or Revelation shone forth
> from the dayspring of the will of God which the
> kindreds of the earth have accepted, and Whose Cause
> they have acknowledged? Where is it to be found,
> and what is its name? Since the Seal of the Prophets
> (Muhammad)--may all else but Him be His sacrifice--
> and before Him the Spirit of God (Jesus), as
> far back as the First Manifestation, all have at the
> time of Their appearance suffered grievously. Some
> were held to be possessed, others were called impostors,
> and were treated in a manner that the pen is ashamed
> to describe. By God! There befell Them what hath
> made all created things to sigh, and yet the people
> are, for the most part, sunk in manifest ignorance!
> We pray God to assist them to return unto Him,
> and to repent before the door of His mercy. Potent
> is He over all things.
> 
> page 93
> 
> At this moment the shrill voice of the Most Sublime
> Pen hath been raised, and hath addressed Me
> saying: "Admonish the Shaykh even as Thou hast
> admonished one of Thy Branches (sons), that haply
> the breezes of Thine utterance may attract and draw
> him nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds."
> 
> "Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.
> Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor,
> and look upon him with a bright and friendly face.
> Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich,
> an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of
> the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment,
> and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man,
> and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto
> them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful,
> a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an
> upholder and defender of the victim of oppression.
> Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine
> acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering,
> a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes
> to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the
> erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth,
> a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple
> of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind,
> an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary
> above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the
> human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a
> sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem
> of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy
> 
> page 94
> 
> generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We
> pray God to protect thee from the heat of jealousy
> and the cold of hatred. He verily is nigh, ready to
> answer." Thus hath My tongue spoken unto one of
> My Branches (sons), and We have mentioned it unto
> such of Our loved ones as have cast away their idle
> fancies, and clung unto that which hath been prescribed
> unto them in the day whereon the Daystar
> of Certitude hath shone forth above the horizon of
> the will of God, the Lord of the worlds. This is the
> day on which the Bird of Utterance hath warbled
> its melody upon the branches, in the name of its
> Lord, the God of Mercy. Blessed is the man that
> hath, on the wings of longing, soared towards God,
> the Lord of the Judgment Day.
> 
> The one true God well knoweth, and all the company
> of His trusted ones testify, that this Wronged
> One hath, at all times, been faced with dire peril.
> But for the tribulations that have touched Me in the
> path of God, life would have held no sweetness for
> Me, and My existence would have profited Me nothing.
> For them who are endued with discernment,
> and whose eyes are fixed upon the Sublime Vision, it
> is no secret that I have been, most of the days of My
> life, even as a slave, sitting under a sword hanging
> on a thread, knowing not whether it would fall soon
> or late upon him. And yet, notwithstanding all this
> We render thanks unto God, the Lord of the worlds.
> Mine inner tongue reciteth, in the daytime and in
> 
> page 95
> 
> the night-season, this prayer: "Glory to Thee, O my
> God! But for the tribulations which are sustained
> in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized;
> and were it not for the trials which are borne
> for love of Thee, how could the station of such as
> yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy might beareth Me
> witness! The companions of all who adore Thee are
> the tears they shed, and the comforters of such as seek
> Thee are the groans they utter, and the food of them
> who haste to meet Thee is the fragments of their
> broken hearts. How sweet to my taste is the bitterness
> of death suffered in Thy path, and how precious
> in my estimation are the shafts of Thine enemies
> when encountered for the sake of the exaltation of
> Thy Word! Let me quaff in Thy Cause, O my God
> and my Master, whatsoever Thou didst desire, and
> send down upon me in Thy love all Thou didst ordain.
> By Thy glory! I wish only what Thou wishest, and
> cherish what Thou cherishest. In Thee have I, at all
> times, placed My whole trust and confidence. Thou
> art verily the All-Possessing, the Most High. Raise
> up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers to this
> Revelation such as shall be counted worthy of Thy
> Name and of Thy sovereignty, that they may remember
> Thee among Thy creatures, and hoist the
> ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land, and adorn them
> with Thy virtues and Thy commandments. No God
> is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."
> 
> page 96
> 
> Thereupon the voice of the true Faith was lifted
> up, calling aloud again and again and saying: "O
> concourse of the earth! By God! I am the true Faith
> of God amongst you. Beware that ye deny Me not.
> God hath manifested Me with a light that hath encompassed
> all that are in the heavens and all that are
> on earth. Judge ye equitably, O people, My manifestation,
> and the revelation of My glory, and the
> radiance of My light, and be not of them that act
> unjustly."
> 
> O Shaykh! This Wronged One beseecheth God--
> blessed and glorified be He--to make thee the one who
> will open the door of justice, and reveal through thee
> His Cause among His servants. He, verily, is the
> All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous.
> 
> O Shaykh! Entreat thou the one true God to
> sanctify the ears, and the eyes, and the hearts of
> mankind, and to protect them from the desires of
> a corrupt inclination. For malice is a grievous malady
> which depriveth man from recognizing the Great
> Being, and debarreth him from the splendors of the
> sun of certitude. We pray and hope that through
> the grace and mercy of God He may remove this
> mighty obstacle. He, verily, is the Potent, the All-Subduing,
> the Almighty.
> 
> At this moment a Voice was raised from the right-hand
> of the Luminous Spot: "God! There is none
> other God but Him, the Ordainer, the All-Wise!
> Recite Thou unto the Shaykh the remaining passages
> 
> page 97
> 
> of the Lawh-i-Burhán (Tablet of the Proof) that
> they may draw him unto the horizon of the Revelation
> of his Lord, the God of Mercy, that haply he
> may arise to aid My Cause with perspicuous signs
> and exalted testimonies, and may speak forth amongst
> men that which the Tongue of Testimony hath
> spoken: `The Kingdom is God's, the Lord of the
> worlds!'"
> 
> "Peruse thou the Kitáb-i-Iqán (Book of Certitude)
> and that which the All-Merciful hath sent
> down unto the King of Paris (Napoleon III) and to
> such as are like him, that thou mayest be made aware
> of the things that have happened in the past, and be
> persuaded that We have not sought to spread disorder
> in the land after it had been well-ordered. We exhort,
> wholly for the sake of God, His servants. Let him
> who wisheth turn unto Him, and him who wisheth
> turn aside. Our Lord, the Merciful, is verily the All-Sufficing,
> the All-Praised. O concourse of the kindreds
> of the earth! This is the day whereon nothing
> amongst all things, nor any name amongst all names,
> can profit you save through this Name which God
> hath made the Manifestation of His Cause and the
> Dayspring of His Most Excellent Titles unto all
> who are in the kingdom of creation. Blessed is that
> man that hath recognized the fragrance of the All-Merciful
> and been numbered with the steadfast. Your
> sciences shall not profit you in this day, nor your
> arts, nor your treasures, nor your glory. Cast them
> 
> page 98
> 
> all behind your backs, and set your faces towards the
> Most Sublime Word through which the Scriptures
> and the Books and this lucid Tablet have been distinctly
> set forth. Cast away, O people, the things
> ye have composed with the pen of your idle fancies
> and vain imaginings. By God! The Daystar of
> Knowledge hath shone forth above the horizon of
> certitude.
> 
> "O thou who art gone astray! If thou hast any
> doubt concerning Our conduct, know thou that We
> bear witness unto that whereunto God hath Himself
> borne witness ere the creation of the heavens and
> of the earth, that there is none other God but Him,
> the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. We testify that
> He is One in His Essence, One in His Attributes.
> He hath none to equal Him in the whole universe,
> nor any partner in all creation. He hath sent forth
> His Messengers, and sent down His Books, that they
> may announce unto His creatures the Straight Path.
> 
> "Hath the Sháh been informed, and chosen to close
> his eyes to thine acts? Or hath he been seized with
> fear at the howling of a pack of wolves who have
> cast the path of God behind their backs and followed
> in thy way without any clear proof or Book? We
> have heard that the provinces of Persia have been
> adorned with the adornment of justice. When We
> observed closely, however, We found them to be the
> dawning-places of tyranny and the daysprings of
> injustice. We behold justice in the clutches of tyranny.
> 
> page 99
> 
> We beseech God to set it free through the
> power of His might and His sovereignty. He, verily,
> overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth.
> To none is given the right to protest against any one
> concerning that which hath befallen the Cause of
> God. It behooveth whosoever hath set his face
> towards the Most Sublime Horizon to cleave tenaciously
> unto the cord of patience, and to put his
> reliance in God, the Help in Peril, the Unconstrained.
> O ye loved ones of God! Drink your fill from the
> wellspring of wisdom, and soar ye in the atmosphere
> of wisdom, and speak forth with wisdom and eloquence.
> Thus biddeth you your Lord, the Almighty,
> the All-Knowing.
> 
> "O heedless one! Rely not on thy glory, and thy
> power. Thou art even as the last trace of sunlight
> upon the mountain-top. Soon will it fade away as
> decreed by God, the All-Possessing, the Most High.
> Thy glory and the glory of such as are like thee
> have been taken away, and this verily is what hath
> been ordained by the One with Whom is the Mother
> Tablet. Where is he to be found who contended
> with God, and whither is gone he that gainsaid His
> signs, and turned aside from His sovereignty? Where
> are they who have slain His chosen ones and spilt
> the blood of His holy ones? Reflect, that haply thou
> mayest perceive the breaths of thine acts, O foolish
> doubter! Because of you the Apostle (Muhammad)
> lamented, and the Chaste One (Fátimih) cried out,
> 
> page 100
> 
> and the countries were laid waste, and darkness fell
> upon all regions. O concourse of divines! Because
> of you the people were abased, and the banner of
> Islám was hauled down, and its mighty throne subverted.
> Every time a man of discernment hath sought
> to hold fast unto that which would exalt Islám, ye
> raised a clamor, and thereby was he deterred from
> achieving his purpose, while the land remained fallen
> in clear ruin.
> 
> "O My Supreme Pen! Call Thou to remembrance
> the She-Serpent (Imám-Jum'ih of Isfahán) whose
> cruelty hath caused all created things to groan, and
> the limbs of the holy ones to quake. Thus biddeth
> Thee the Lord of all names, in this glorious station.
> The Chaste One (Fátimih) hath cried out by reason
> of thine iniquity, and yet thou dost imagine thyself
> to be of the family of the Apostle of God! Thus hath
> thy soul prompted thee, O thou who hast withdrawn
> thyself from God, the Lord of all that hath been and
> shall be. Judge thou equitably, O She-Serpent! For
> what crime didst thou sting the children of the
> Apostle of God (King of Martyrs and Beloved of
> Martyrs), and pillage their possessions? Hast thou
> denied Him Who created thee by His command `be,
> and it was'? Thou hast dealt with the children of the
> Apostle of God as neither `Ád hath dealt with Húd,
> nor Thámúd with Salíh, nor the Jews with the Spirit
> of God (Jesus), the Lord of all being. Gainsayest
> thou the signs of thy Lord which had no sooner
> 
> page 101
> 
> been sent down from the heaven of His Cause than
> all the books of the world bowed down before them?
> Meditate, that thou mayest be made aware of thine
> act, O heedless outcast! Erelong will the breaths
> of chastisement seize thee, as they seized others before
> thee. Wait, O thou who hast joined partners with
> God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible. This
> is the day which God hath announced through the
> tongue of His Apostle. Reflect, that thou mayest
> apprehend what the All-Merciful hath sent down in
> the Qur'án and in this inscribed Tablet. This is
> the day whereon He Who is the Dayspring of Revelation
> hath come with clear tokens which none can
> number. This is the day whereon every man endued
> with perception hath discovered the fragrance of the
> breeze of the All-Merciful in the world of creation,
> and every man of insight hath hastened unto the living
> waters of the mercy of his Lord, the King of Kings.
> O heedless one! The tale of the Sacrifice (Ishmael)
> hath been retold, and he who was to be offered up
> hath directed his steps towards the place of sacrifice,
> and returned not, by reason of that which thy
> hand hath wrought, O perverse hater! Didst thou
> imagine that martyrdom could abase this Cause?
> Nay, by Him Whom God hath made to be the Repository
> of His Revelation, if thou be of them that comprehend.
> Woe betide thee, O thou who hast joined
> partners with God, and woe betide them that have
> taken thee as their leader, without a clear token or
> 
> page 102
> 
> a perspicuous Book. How numerous the oppressors
> before thee who have arisen to quench the light of
> God, and how many the impious who murdered and
> pillaged until the hearts and souls of men groaned
> by reason of their cruelty! The sun of justice hath
> been obscured, inasmuch as the embodiment of tyranny
> hath been stablished upon the throne of hatred,
> and yet the people understand not. O foolish one!
> Thou hast slain the children of the Apostle and
> pillaged their possessions. Say: Was it, in thine estimation,
> their possessions or themselves that denied
> God? Judge fairly, O ignorant one that hath been
> shut out as by a veil from God. Thou hast clung
> to tyranny, and cast away justice; whereupon all
> created things have lamented, and still thou art
> among the wayward. Thou hast put to death the
> aged, and plundered the young. Thinkest thou that
> thou wilt consume that which thine iniquity hath
> amassed? Nay, by Myself! Thus informeth thee He
> Who is cognizant of all. By God! The things thou
> possessest shall profit thee not, nor what thou hast
> laid up through thy cruelty. Unto this beareth witness
> thy Lord, the All-Knowing. Thou hast arisen
> to put out the light of this Cause; erelong will thine
> own fire be quenched, at His behest. He, verily, is
> the Lord of strength and of might. The changes and
> chances of the world, and the powers of the nations,
> cannot frustrate Him. He doeth what He pleaseth,
> and ordaineth what He willeth through the power
> 
> page 103
> 
> of His sovereignty. Consider the she-camel. Though
> but a beast, yet hath the All-Merciful exalted her
> to so high a station that the tongues of the earth made
> mention of her and celebrated her praise. He, verily,
> overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth.
> No God is there but Him, the Almighty, the Great.
> Thus have We adorned the heaven of Our Tablet
> with the suns of Our words. Blessed the man that
> hath attained thereunto, and been illumined with
> their light, and woe betide such as have turned aside,
> and denied Him, and strayed far from Him. Praised
> be God, the Lord of the worlds!"
> 
> O Shaykh! We have enabled thee to hear the melodies
> of the Nightingale of Paradise, and unveiled to
> thine eyes the signs which God, by His all-compelling
> behest, hath sent down in the Most Great Prison, that
> thine eye might be cheered, and thy soul be well-assured.
> He, verily, is the All-Bounteous, the Generous.
> Arise thou through the power of His testimony
> to serve the Cause of God, thy Lord, the God
> of Mercy. If thy faith be fearful, seize thou My
> Tablet, and preserve it in the bosom of trust. And
> when thou enterest into the place of resurrection,
> and God asketh thee by what proof thou hast believed
> in this Revelation, draw forth the Tablet and
> say: "By this Book, the holy, the mighty, the incomparable."
> Thereupon all will lift up their hands
> towards thee, and will seize the Tablet, and will press
> it to their eyes, and will inhale therefrom the fragrance
> 
> page 104
> 
> of the utterance of God, the Lord of the
> worlds. Were God to torment thee for having believed
> in His signs in this Revelation, for what reason
> could He then torment such as have disbelieved in
> Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and before Him in
> Jesus, the Son of Mary, and before Him in the One
> Who conversed with God (Moses), and before Him
> in the One Who is the Friend of God (Abraham),
> and as far back as the One Who was the First Manifestation,
> Who was created by the will of thy Lord,
> the Potent, the All-Encompassing. Thus have We
> sent down Our verses unto one before thee, and
> recalled them unto thee, in this day, that thou mayest
> understand, and be of them who are well assured.
> O thou who assumest the voice of knowledge! This
> Cause is too evident to be obscured, and too conspicuous
> to be concealed. It shineth as the sun in its
> meridian glory. None can deny it unless he be a
> hater and a doubter.
> 
> At this moment it behooveth us to turn unto the
> Desired One, and cleave unto these most sublime
> words: "O God, my God! Thou hast lighted the
> lamp of Thy Cause with the oil of wisdom; protect it
> from contrary winds. The lamp is Thine, and the
> glass is Thine, and all things in the heavens and on
> earth are in the grasp of Thy power. Bestow justice
> upon the rulers, and fairness upon the divines. Thou
> art the All-Powerful, Who, through the motion of
> Thy Pen, hast aided Thine irresistible Cause, and
> 
> page 105
> 
> guided aright Thy loved ones. Thou art the Possessor
> of power, and the King of might. No God is there
> but Thee, the Strong, the Unconstrained." Say thou
> also: "O God, my God! I yield Thee thanks inasmuch
> as Thou hast made me to drink of Thy Sealed Wine
> from the hand of the bounty of Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting.
> I entreat Thee by the splendors of the
> Dayspring of Thy Revelation, and by the potency
> of Thy Most Sublime Word, and by the might of
> Thy Most Exalted Pen, through Whose movement
> the realities of all created things have been enraptured,
> to aid His Majesty the Sháh to render Thy
> Cause victorious, and to turn towards the horizon of
> Thy Revelation, and to set his face in the direction
> of the lights of Thy countenance. Assist him, O my
> Lord, to draw nigh unto Thee. Help him, then, with
> the hosts of the heavens and of earth. I implore
> Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all Names and
> the Maker of the heavens, by the light of Thy Cause,
> and by the fire of the Lote-Tree of Thy loving-kindness,
> to help His Majesty to reveal Thy Cause amidst
> Thy creatures. Open, then, before his face the doors
> of Thy grace, and Thy mercy, and Thy bounty.
> Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee by Thy
> word: `Be, and it is.'"
> 
> O Shaykh! We had seized the reins of authority
> by the power of God and His Divine might, as He
> alone can seize, Who is the Mighty, the Strong. None
> had the power to stir up mischief or sedition. Now,
> 
> page 106
> 
> however, as they have failed to appreciate this loving-kindness
> and these bounties, they have been, and will
> be, afflicted with the retribution which their acts
> must entail. The State officials, considering the secret
> progress of the Extended Cord have, from every
> direction, incited and aided Mine adversaries. In the
> Great City (Constantinople) they have roused a considerable
> number of people to oppose this Wronged
> One. Things have come to such a pass that the
> officials in that city have acted in a manner which
> hath brought shame to both the government and
> the people. A distinguished siyyid, whose well-known
> integrity, acceptable conduct, and commercial reputation,
> were recognized by the majority of fair-minded
> men, and who was regarded by all as a highly
> honored merchant, once visited Beirut. In view of
> his friendship for this Wronged One they telegraphed
> the Persian Dragoman informing him that this siyyid,
> assisted by his servant, had stolen a sum of money
> and other things and gone to Akká. Their design in
> this matter was to dishonor this Wronged One. And
> yet, far be it from the people of this country to allow
> themselves to be deflected, by these unseemly tales,
> from the straight path of uprightness and truth.
> Briefly, they have assaulted Me from every side, and
> are reinforcing Mine adversaries. This Wronged One,
> however, beseecheth the one true God to graciously
> assist every one in that which beseemeth these days.
> Day and night I fix My gaze on these perspicuous
> 
> page 107
> 
> words, and recite: "O God, my God! I beseech Thee
> by the sun of Thy grace, and the sea of Thy knowledge,
> and the heaven of Thy justice, to aid them that
> have denied Thee to confess, and such as have turned
> aside from Thee to return, and those who have calumniated
> Thee to be just and fair-minded. Assist them,
> O my Lord, to return unto Thee, and to repent before
> the door of Thy grace. Powerful art Thou to do what
> Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all
> that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Praise
> be unto God, the Lord of the worlds."
> 
> The time is at hand when whatsoever lieth hid in
> the souls and hearts of men will be disclosed. This
> Day is the Day whereof Luqmán spoke unto his son,
> the Day which the Lord of Glory announced and with
> which He acquainted Him Who was His Friend
> (Muhammad) through these, His words--exalted be
> He:--"O my son! Verily, God will bring everything
> to light, though it were but the weight of a
> grain of mustard-seed, and hidden in a rock or in
> the heavens or in the earth; for God is Subtile, informed
> of all." This Day the deceitful of eye, and all
> that men's breasts conceal, are made known and laid
> bare before the throne of His Revelation. Nothing
> whatsoever can escape His knowledge. He heareth
> and seeth, and He, in truth, is the All-Hearing, the
> All-Seeing. How very strange that they discern not
> between the trustworthy and the treacherous!
> 
> Would that His Majesty the Sháh of Persia--may
> 
> page 108
> 
> God perpetuate his sovereignty--would inquire from
> the Consuls of the honored Persian Government who
> have been in this country, that he might become
> acquainted with the activities and behavior of this
> Wronged One. Briefly, they have incited a great
> many such as Akhtar and others, and are busying
> themselves in spreading calumnies. It is clear and
> evident that they will surround with their swords
> of hatred and their shafts of enmity the one whom
> they know to be an outcast among men and to have
> been banished from one country to another. This
> is not the first time that such iniquity hath been
> perpetrated, nor the first goblet that hath been dashed
> to the ground, nor the first veil that hath been rent
> in twain in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds.
> This Wronged One, however, remained calm and
> silent in the Most Great Prison, busying Himself with
> His own affairs, and completely detached from all
> else but God. Iniquity waxed so grievous that the
> pens of the world are powerless to record it.
> 
> In this connection it is necessary to mention the
> following occurrence, that haply men may take fast
> hold of the cord of justice and truthfulness. Hájí
> Shaykh Muhammad `Alí--upon--upon him be the glory of
> God, the Ever-Abiding--was a merchant of high
> repute, well-known unto most of the inhabitants of
> the Great City (Constantinople). Not long ago,
> when the Persian Embassy in Constantinople was
> secretly engaged in stirring up mischief, it was noticed
> 
> page 109
> 
> that this believing and sincere soul was greatly distressed.
> Finally, one night he threw himself into the
> sea, but was rescued by some passers-by who chanced
> to come upon him at that moment. His act was
> widely commented upon and given varied interpretations
> by different people. Following this, one night
> he repaired to a mosque, and, as reported by the
> guardian of that place, kept vigil the whole night,
> and was occupied until the morning in offering,
> ardently and with tearful eyes, his prayers and supplications.
> Upon hearing him suddenly cease his
> devotions, the guardian went to him, and found that
> he had already surrendered his soul. An empty bottle
> was found by his side, indicating that he had poisoned
> himself. Briefly, the guardian, while greatly astonished,
> broke the news to the people. It was found out
> that he had left two testaments. In the first he recognized
> and confessed the unity of God, that His
> Exalted Being had neither peer nor equal, and that His
> Essence was exalted above all praise, all glorification
> and description. He also testified to the Revelation
> of the Prophets and the holy ones, and recognized
> what had been written down in the Books of God,
> the Lord of all men. On another page, in which
> he had set down a prayer, he wrote these words in
> conclusion: "This servant and the loved ones of God
> are perplexed. On the one hand the Pen of the Most
> High hath forbidden all men to engage in sedition,
> contention or conflict, and on the other that same
> 
> page 110
> 
> Pen hath sent down these most sublime words:
> `Should anyone, in the presence of the Manifestation,
> discover an evil intention on the part of any soul,
> he must not oppose him, but must leave him to God.'
> Considering that on the one hand this binding command
> is clear and firmly established, and that on the
> other calumnies, beyond human strength to bear or
> endure, have been uttered, this servant hath chosen
> to commit this most grievous sin. I turn suppliantly
> unto the ocean of God's bounty and the heaven of
> Divine mercy, and hope that He will blot out with
> the pen of His grace and bounteousness the misdeeds
> of this servant. Though my transgressions be manifold,
> and unnumbered my evildoings, yet do I cleave
> tenaciously to the cord of His bounty, and cling unto
> the hem of His generosity. God is witness, and they
> that are nigh unto His Threshold know full well,
> that this servant could not bear to hear the tales
> related by the perfidious. I, therefore, have committed
> this act. If He chastise me, He verily is to
> be praised for what He doeth; and if He forgive me,
> His behest shall be obeyed."
> 
> Ponder, now, O Shaykh, the influence of the word
> of God, that haply thou mayest turn from the left
> hand of idle fancy unto the right hand of certitude.
> This Wronged One hath never acted hypocritically
> towards any one, in the Cause of God, and hath
> loudly proclaimed the Word of God before the face
> of His creatures. Let him who wisheth turn thereunto,
> 
> page 111
> 
> and let him who wisheth turn aside. If these
> things, however, that are so clear, so manifest and
> indubitable, be denied, what else can be deemed
> acceptable and worthy of credence in the estimation
> of men of insight? We beseech God--blessed and
> glorified be He--to forgive the aforementioned person
> (Hájí Shaykh Muhammad-`Alí), and change his
> evil deeds into good ones. He, verily, is the All-Powerful,
> the Almighty, the All-Bounteous.
> 
> Such things have appeared in this Revelation that
> there is no recourse for either the exponents of
> science and knowledge or the manifestations of justice
> and equity other than to recognize them. It is
> incumbent upon thee, in this day, to arise with celestial
> power and dissipate, with the aid of knowledge,
> the doubts of the peoples of the world, so that all
> men may be sanctified, and direct their steps towards
> the Most Great Ocean and cleave fast unto that which
> God hath purposed.
> 
> Every one who hath turned aside from Me hath
> clung to his own idle words, and therewith voiced
> his objections to Him Who is the Truth. Gracious
> God! Such references as have been made to Divinity
> and Godhead by the holy ones and chosen ones of
> God have been made a cause for denial and repudiation.
> The Imám Sádiq hath said: "Servitude is a
> substance, the essence of which is Divinity." The
> Commander of the Faithful (Imám `Alí) answered
> an Arab, who had questioned him concerning the
> 
> page 112
> 
> soul, as follows: "The third is the soul which is divine
> and celestial. It is a divine energy, a substance,
> simple, and self-subsistent." And further he--peace
> be upon him--said: "Therefore it is the Most Sublime
> Essence of God, the Tree of Blessedness, the
> Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the
> Garden of Repose." The Imám Sádiq hath said:
> "When our Qá'im will arise, the earth will shine
> with the light of her Lord." Likewise, a lengthy
> tradition is attributed to Ábí-`Abdi'lláh--peace be
> upon him--in which these sublime words are found:
> "Thereupon will He Who is the All-Compelling--
> exalted and glorified be He--descend from the clouds
> with the angels." And in the mighty Qur'án: "What
> can such expect but that God should come down to
> them overshadowed with clouds?" And in the tradition
> of Mufaddál it is said: "The Qá'im will lean
> His back against the Sanctuary, and will stretch forth
> His hand, and lo, it shall be snow-white but unhurt.
> And He shall say: `This is the hand of God, the right
> hand of God, that cometh from God, at the command
> of God!'" In whichever manner these traditions are
> interpreted, in that same manner let them also interpret
> that which the Most Sublime Pen hath set
> down. The Commander of the Faithful (Imám `Alí)
> hath said: "I am He Who can neither be named, nor
> described." And likewise He hath said: "Outwardly
> I am an Imám; inwardly I am the Unseen, the Unknowable."
> Abú-Ja'far-i-Túsí hath said: "I said to
> 
> page 113
> 
> Ábí `Abdi'lláh: `You are the Way mentioned in the
> Book of God, and you are the Impost, and you are
> the Pilgrimage.' He replied: `O man! We are the
> Way mentioned in the Book of God,--exalted and
> glorified be He--and We are the Impost, and We
> are the Fast, and We are the Pilgrimage, and We are
> the Sacred Month, and We are the Sacred City, and
> We are the Kaaba of God, and We are the Qiblih of
> God, and We are the Face of God.'" Jabír hath said
> that Abú-Ja'far--peace be upon him--spoke to him
> as follows: "O Jabír! Give heed unto the Bayán
> (Exposition) and the Má'ání (Significances)." He--peace be upon him--added: "As to the Bayán, it
> consisteth in thy recognition of God--glorified be
> He--as the One Who hath no equal, and in thy adoration
> of Him, and in thy refusal to join partners with
> Him. As to the Má'ání, We are its meaning, and its
> side, and its hand, and its tongue, and its cause, and
> its command, and its knowledge, and its right. If
> We wish for something, it is God Who wisheth it,
> and He desireth that which We desire." Moreover,
> the Commander of the Faithful (Imám `Alí)--peace
> be upon him--hath said: "How can I worship a Lord
> Whom I have not seen?" And, in another connection,
> he saith: "Nothing have I perceived except that I
> perceived God before it, God after it, or God with it."
> 
> O Shaykh! Ponder upon the things which have
> been mentioned, perchance thou mayest quaff the
> Sealed Wine through the power of the name of Him
> 
> page 114
> 
> Who is the Self-Subsisting, and obtain that which no
> one is capable of comprehending. Gird up the loins
> of endeavor, and direct thyself towards the Most
> Sublime Kingdom, that haply thou mayest perceive,
> as they descend upon Me, the breaths of Revelation
> and inspiration, and attain thereunto. Verily,
> I say: The Cause of God hath never had, nor hath it
> now, any peer or equal. Rend asunder the veils of
> idle fancies. He, in truth, will reinforce thee, and
> assist thee, as a token of His grace. He, verily, is
> the Strong, the All-Subduing, the Almighty. While
> there is yet time, and the blessed Lote-Tree is still
> calling aloud amongst men, suffer not thyself to be
> deprived. Place thy trust in God, and commit thine
> affairs unto Him, and enter then the Most Great
> Prison, that thou mayest hear what no ear hath ever
> heard, and gaze on that which no eye hath ever seen.
> After such an exposition, can there remain any room
> for doubt? Nay, by God, Who standeth over His
> Cause! In truth I say: On this day the blessed words
> "But He is the Apostle of God, and the Seal of the
> Prophets" have found their consummation in the verse
> "The day when mankind shall stand before the Lord
> of the worlds." Render thou thanksgiving unto God,
> for so great a bounty.
> 
> O Shaykh! The breezes of Revelation can never
> be confounded with other breezes. Now the Lote-Tree
> beyond which there is no passing standeth laden
> with countless fruits before thy face; besmirch not
> 
> page 115
> 
> thyself with idle fancies, as have done the people
> aforetime. These utterances themselves proclaim the
> true nature of the Faith of God. He it is Who witnesseth
> unto all things. To demonstrate the truth of
> His Revelation He hath not been, nor is He, dependent
> upon any one. Well nigh a hundred volumes
> of luminous verses and perspicuous words have
> already been sent down from the heaven of the will
> of Him Who is the Revealer of signs, and are available
> unto all. It is for thee to direct thyself towards
> the Ultimate Goal, and the Supreme End, and the
> Most Sublime Pinnacle, that thou mayest hear and
> behold what hath been revealed by God, the Lord
> of the worlds.
> 
> Ponder a while upon the verses concerning the
> Divine Presence, which have been sent down in the
> Qur'án by Him Who is the Lord of the kingdom of
> names, perchance thou mayest discover the Straight
> Path, and be made an instrument for the guidance
> of His creatures. Such a one as thou must needs in
> this day arise to serve this Cause. The abasement of
> this Wronged One as well as thy glory shall both
> pass away. Strive thou, that haply thou mayest
> achieve a deed the fragrance of which shall never
> fade from the earth. Concerning the Divine Presence
> there hath been sent down what no denier hath been
> or is now able to refute or repudiate. He--blessed
> and exalted be He--saith: "It is God Who hath
> reared the heavens without pillars thou canst behold;
> 
> page 116
> 
> then mounted His throne, and imposed laws on the
> sun and moon: each traveleth to its appointed goal.
> He ordereth all things. He maketh His signs clear,
> that ye may have firm faith in the Presence of your
> Lord." He also saith: "To him who hopeth to attain
> the Presence of God, the set time of God will surely
> come. And He is the Hearer, the Knower." And
> further He--exalted be He--saith: "As for those who
> believe not in the signs of God, or that they shall
> ever attain His Presence, these of My mercy shall
> despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement
> await." And likewise He saith: "And they say,
> `What! when we shall have lain hidden in the earth,
> shall we become a new creation?' Yea, they deny that
> they shall attain the Presence of their Lord." And
> likewise He saith: "They truly doubt the Presence
> of their Lord. He, verily, overshadoweth all things."
> And likewise He saith: "Verily, they who hope not
> to attain Our Presence, and find their satisfaction in
> this world's life, and rest on it, and who of Our signs
> are heedless--these! their abode the fire, in recompense
> of their deeds!" And likewise He saith: "But when
> Our clear signs are recited to them, they who look
> not forward to attain Our Presence, say, `Bring a
> different Qur'án from this, or make some change in
> it.' Say: It is not for Me to change it as Mine own
> soul prompteth. I follow only what is revealed to
> Me: verily, I fear, if I rebel against My Lord, the
> punishment of a great day." And likewise He saith:
> 
> page 117
> 
> "Then gave We the Book to Moses--complete for
> Him who should do right, and a decision for all
> matters, and a guidance, and a mercy, that they
> might believe in the Presence of their Lord." And
> likewise he saith: "They are those who believe not
> in the signs of the Lord, or that they shall ever attain
> His Presence. Vain, therefore, are their works; and
> no weight will We allow them on the Day of Resurrection.
> This shall be their reward--Hell. Because
> they were unbelievers, and treated My signs and My
> Apostles with scorn." And likewise He saith: "Hath
> the history of Moses reached thee? When He saw a
> fire, and said to His family, `Tarry ye here, for I
> perceive a fire; haply I may bring you a brand from
> it, or find at the fire a guide.' And when He came
> to it, He was called to, `O Moses! Verily, I am Thy
> Lord; therefore pull off Thy shoes, for Thou art in
> the holy vale of Towa. And I have chosen Thee;
> hearken then to what shall be revealed. Verily, I am
> God, there is no God but Me. Therefore, worship
> Me.'" And likewise He saith: "Have they not considered
> within themselves that God hath not created
> the heavens and the earth and all that is between them
> but for a serious end, and for a fixed term? But truly
> most men believe not that they shall attain the Presence
> of their Lord." And likewise He saith: "What!
> Have they no thought that they shall be raised again
> for the Great Day, the Day when mankind shall
> stand before the Lord of the worlds?" And likewise
> 
> page 118
> 
> He saith: "We heretofore gave the Book to Moses.
> Have thou no doubt as to His attaining Our Presence."
> And He saith: "Aye! But when the earth
> shall be crushed with crushing, crushing, and thy
> Lord shall come and the angels rank on rank." And
> likewise He saith: "Fain would they put out the
> light of God with their mouths! But though the
> infidels hate it, God will perfect His light." And
> likewise He saith: "And when Moses had fulfilled
> the term, and was journeying with His family, He
> perceived a fire on the mountain side. He said to His
> family: `Wait ye, for I perceive a fire, haply I may
> bring you tidings from it, or a brand from the fire
> to warm you.' And when He came up to it, a Voice
> cried to Him out of the Bush from the right side of
> the Vale in the sacred Spot: `O Moses, I truly am
> God, the Lord of the worlds!'"
> 
> In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine
> Presence hath been explicitly recorded. By this Presence
> is meant the Presence of Him Who is the Dayspring
> of the signs, and the Dawning-Place of the
> clear tokens, and the Manifestation of the Excellent
> Names, and the Source of the attributes, of the true
> God, exalted be His glory. God in His Essence and
> in His own Self hath ever been unseen, inaccessible,
> and unknowable. By Presence, therefore, is meant
> the Presence of the One Who is His Vicegerent
> amongst men. He, moreover, hath never had, nor
> hath He, any peer or likeness. For were He to have
> 
> page 119
> 
> any peer or likeness, how could it then be demonstrated
> that His being is exalted above, and His
> essence sanctified from, all comparison and likeness?
> Briefly, there hath been revealed in the Kitáb-i-Iqán
> (Book of Certitude) concerning the Presence and
> Revelation of God that which will suffice the fair-minded.
> We beseech Him--exalted be He--to aid
> every one to become the essence of truthfulness, and
> to draw nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Lord of
> strength and power. No God is there but Him, the
> All-Hearing, the Lord of Utterance, the Almighty,
> the All-Praised.
> 
> O thou who art reputed for thy learning! Bid
> men to do that which is praiseworthy, and be not of
> such as tarry. Observe thou with a keen eye. The
> Sun of Truth shineth resplendently, at the bidding
> of the Lord of the kingdom of utterance, and the
> King of the heaven of knowledge, above the horizon
> of the prison-city of Akká. Repudiation hath not
> veiled it, and ten thousand hosts arrayed against it
> were powerless to withhold it from shining. Thou
> canst excuse thyself no longer. Either thou must
> recognize it, or--God forbid--arise and deny all the
> Prophets!
> 
> Reflect, O Shaykh, upon the Shí'ih sect. How
> many the edifices which they reared with the hands
> of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and how numerous
> the cities which they built! At length those vain
> imaginings were converted into bullets and aimed
> 
> page 120
> 
> at Him Who is the Prince of the world. Not one
> single soul among the leaders of that sect acknowledged
> Him in the Day of His Revelation! Whenever
> His blessed name was mentioned, all would say:
> "May God hasten the joy His coming will bring!"
> On the day of the Revelation of that Sun of Truth,
> however, all, as hath been observed, have exclaimed,
> saying: "May God hasten His chastisement!" He Who
> was the Essence of being and Lord of the seen and
> unseen they suspended, and committed what made
> the Tablet to weep, and the Pen to groan, and the
> cries of the sincere to break forth, and the tears of
> the favored ones to flow.
> 
> Meditate, O Shaykh, and be fair in what thou
> sayest. The followers of Shaykh-i-Ahsa'í (Shaykh
> Ahmad) have, by the aid of God, apprehended that
> which was veiled from the comprehension of others,
> and of which they remained deprived. Briefly, in
> every age and century differences have arisen in the
> days of the manifestation of the Daysprings of Revelation,
> and the Dawning-Places of inspiration, and
> the Repositories of Divine knowledge, differences
> which have been caused and provoked by lying and
> impious souls. To expatiate on this is not permissible.
> Thou art thyself better acquainted and more familiar
> with the idle fancies of the superstitious and the
> vain imaginings of the doubters.
> 
> In this day, this Wronged One requesteth thee and
> the other divines who have drunk of the cup of the
> 
> page 121
> 
> knowledge of God, and are illumined by the shining
> words of the Daystar of Justice, to appoint some
> person, without informing any one, and despatch him
> to these regions, and enable him to remain a while in
> the island of Cyprus, and associate with Mírzá Yahyá,
> perchance he may become aware of the fundamentals
> of this Faith and of the source of the Divine laws
> and commandments.
> 
> Wert thou to ponder a while, thou wouldst bear
> witness unto the wisdom, and the power, and the
> sovereignty of God, exalted be His glory. The few
> who were unaware of this Cause, and had not met
> Us, have spoken in such a manner that all things,
> and those souls who are well assured, pleased, and
> pleasing unto God, have testified unto the imposture
> of these heedless ones. Wert thou now to exert thyself,
> the truth of this Cause would be made apparent
> unto mankind, and the people would be delivered
> from this grievous and oppressive darkness. Who
> else but Bahá can speak forth before the face of men,
> and who else but He can have the power to pronounce
> that which He was bidden by God, the Lord
> of Hosts?
> 
> This heedless one hath now clung to the practice
> of Rawdih-khání (traditional lamentation for the
> Imám Husayn). He--I swear by God--is in evident
> error. For it is the belief of this people that during
> the Revelation of the Qá'im, the Imáms--may--may the
> peace of God be upon them--have arisen from their
> 
> page 122
> 
> sepulchres. This verily is the truth, and no doubt
> is there about it. We beseech God to bestow upon the
> superstitious a portion of the living waters of certitude
> which are streaming from the wellspring of
> the Most Sublime Pen, that all may attain unto that
> which becometh these days.
> 
> O Shaykh! While hemmed in by tribulations this
> Wronged One is occupied in setting down these
> words. On every side the flame of oppression and
> tyranny can be discerned. On the one hand, tidings
> have reached Us that Our loved ones have been
> arrested in the land of Tá (Tihrán) and this notwithstanding
> that the sun, and the moon, and the
> land, and the sea all testify that this people are
> adorned with the adornment of fidelity, and have
> clung and will cling to naught except that which
> can ensure the exaltation of the government, and the
> maintenance of order within the nation, and the
> tranquillity of the people.
> 
> O Shaykh! We have time and again stated that for
> a number of years We have extended Our aid unto
> His Majesty the Sháh. For years no untoward incident
> hath occurred in Persia. The reins of the stirrers
> of sedition among various sects were held firmly in
> the grasp of power. None hath transgressed his
> limits. By God! This people have never been, nor
> are they now, inclined to mischief. Their hearts are
> illumined with the light of the fear of God, and
> adorned with the adornment of His love. Their
> 
> page 123
> 
> concern hath ever been and now is for the betterment
> of the world. Their purpose is to obliterate
> differences, and quench the flame of hatred and enmity,
> so that the whole earth may come to be viewed
> as one country.
> 
> On the other hand, the officials of the Persian
> Embassy in the Great City (Constantinople) are
> energetically and assiduously seeking to exterminate
> these wronged ones. They desire one thing, and God
> desireth another. Consider now what hath befallen
> the trusted ones of God in every land. At one time
> they have been accused of theft and larceny; at another
> they have been calumniated in a manner without
> parallel in this world. Answer thou fairly. What
> could be the results and consequences, in foreign
> countries, of the accusation of theft brought by the
> Persian Embassy against its own subjects? If this
> Wronged One was ashamed, it was not because of
> the humiliation it brought this servant, but rather
> because of the shame of its becoming known to the
> Ambassadors of foreign countries how incompetent
> and lacking in understanding are several eminent
> officials of the Persian Embassy. "Flingest thou thy
> calumnies into the face of Them Whom the one true
> God hath made the Trustees of the treasures of His
> seventh sphere?" Briefly, instead of seeking, as they
> should, through Him Who occupieth this sublime
> station, to attain unto the most exalted ranks, and
> to obtain His advice, they have exerted themselves
> 
> page 124
> 
> and are striving their utmost to put out His light.
> However, according to what hath been reported, His
> Excellency the Ambassador Mu'ínu'l-Mulk, Mírzá
> Muhsin Khán--may God assist him--was, at that
> time, absent from Constantinople. Such things have
> happened because it was believed that His Majesty
> the Sháh of Persia--may the All-Merciful assist him
> --was angry with them that have attained and revolve
> round the Sanctuary of Wisdom. God well
> knoweth and testifieth that this Wronged One hath,
> at all times, been cleaving fast unto whatever would
> be conducive to the glory of both the government
> and the people. God, verily, is sufficient Witness.
> 
> Describing the people of Bahá, the Most Sublime
> Pen hath sent down these words: "These, verily, are
> men who if they come to cities of pure gold will
> consider them not; and if they meet the fairest and
> most comely of women will turn aside." Thus hath
> it been sent down by the Most Sublime Pen for the
> people of Bahá, on the part of Him Who is the
> Counsellor, the Omniscient. In the concluding passages
> of the Tablet to His Majesty the Emperor of
> Paris (Napoleon III) these exalted words have been
> revealed: "Exultest thou over the treasures thou dost
> possess, knowing they shall perish? Rejoicest thou
> in that thou rulest a span of earth, when the whole
> world, in the estimation of the people of Bahá, is
> worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant?
> Abandon it unto such as have set their affections upon
> 
> page 125
> 
> it, and turn thou unto Him Who is the Desire of the
> world."
> 
> God alone--exalted be His glory--is cognizant of
> the things which befell this Wronged One. Every
> day bringeth a fresh report of stories current against
> Us at the Embassy in Constantinople. Gracious God!
> The sole aim of their machinations is to bring about
> the extermination of this servant. They are, however,
> oblivious of the fact that abasement in the
> path of God is My true glory. In the newspapers
> the following hath been recorded: "Touching the
> fraudulent dealings of some of the exiles of Akká,
> and the excesses committed by them against several
> people, etc...." Unto them who are the exponents
> of justice and the daysprings of equity the intention
> of the writer is evident and his purpose clear. Briefly,
> he arose and inflicted upon Me divers tribulations,
> and treated Me with injustice and cruelty. By God!
> This Wronged One would not barter this place of
> exile for the Most Sublime Habitation. In the estimation
> of men of insight whatsoever befalleth in the
> path of God is manifest glory and a supreme attainment.
> Already We have said: "Glory to Thee, O my
> God! But for the tribulations which are sustained
> in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized;
> and were it not for the trials which are borne
> for love of Thee, how could the station of such as
> yearn for Thee be revealed?"
> 
> Such abasement hath been inflicted that each day
> 
> page 126
> 
> they spread fresh calumnies. This Wronged One,
> however, cleaveth to seemly patience. Would that
> His Majesty the Sháh of Persia would ask for a report
> of the things which befell Us in Constantinople,
> that he might become fully acquainted with the
> true facts. O Sháh! I adjure thee by thy Lord, the
> God of Mercy, to look into this matter with the eye
> of fairness. Is there to be found a just man who will
> judge in this day according to that which God hath
> sent down in His Book? Where is the fair-minded
> person who will equitably consider what hath been
> perpetrated against Us without any clear token or
> proof?
> 
> O Shaykh! Ponder the behavior of men. The
> inmates of the cities of knowledge and wisdom are
> sore perplexed asking themselves why it is that the
> Shí'ih sect, which regarded itself as the most learned,
> the most righteous, and the most pious of all the
> peoples of the world, hath turned aside in the Day
> of His Revelation, and hath shown a cruelty such as
> hath never been experienced. It is incumbent upon
> thee to reflect a while. From the inception of this
> sect until the present day how great hath been the
> number of the divines that have appeared, none of
> whom became cognizant of the nature of this Revelation.
> What could have been the cause of this waywardness?
> Were We to mention it, their limbs would
> cleave asunder. It is necessary for them to meditate,
> to meditate for a thousand thousand years, that haply
> 
> page 127
> 
> they may attain unto a sprinkling from the ocean of
> knowledge, and discover the things whereof they are
> oblivious in this day.
> 
> I was walking in the Land of Tá (Tihrán)--the
> dayspring of the signs of thy Lord--when lo, I heard
> the lamentation of the pulpits and the voice of their
> supplication unto God, blessed and glorified be He.
> They cried out and said: "O God of the world and
> Lord of the nations! Thou beholdest our state and
> the things which have befallen us by reason of the
> cruelty of Thy servants. Thou hast created us and
> revealed us for Thy glorification and praise. Thou
> dost now hear what the wayward proclaim upon us
> in Thy days. By Thy might! Our souls are melted
> and our limbs are trembling. Alas, alas! Would that
> we had never been created and revealed by Thee!"
> 
> The hearts of them that enjoy near access to God
> are consumed by these words, and from them the
> cries of such as are devoted to Him are raised. Time
> and again have We, for the sake of God, admonished
> the distinguished divines, and summoned them unto
> the Most Sublime Horizon, that perchance they
> might, in the days of His Revelation, obtain their
> portion of the ocean of the utterance of Him Who
> is the Desire of the world, and remain not utterly
> deprived thereof.
> 
> In most of Our Tablets this most weighty exhortation
> hath been sent down from the heaven of His
> all-encompassing mercy. We said: "O concourse of
> 
> page 128
> 
> rulers and divines! Incline your ears unto the Voice
> calling from the horizon of Akká. Verily, it aideth
> you to proceed aright, and draweth you nigh unto
> Him, and directeth your steps towards the station
> which God hath made the Dayspring of His Revelation
> and the Dawning-Place of His splendors. O
> peoples of the world! He Who is the Most Great
> Name is come, on the part of the Ancient King,
> and hath announced unto men this Revelation which
> lay hid in His knowledge, and was preserved in the
> treasury of His protection, and was written down
> by the Most Sublime Pen in the Books of God, the
> Lord of Lords. O people of Shín (Shíráz)! Have ye
> forgotten My loving-kindness and My mercy that
> have surpassed all created things, and which proceeded
> from God Who layeth low the necks of men?"
> 
> In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) the following
> hath been revealed: "Say: O leaders of religion!
> Weigh not the Book of God with such standards
> and sciences as are current amongst you, for the
> Book itself is the unerring Balance established amongst
> men. In this most perfect Balance whatsoever the
> peoples and kindreds possess must be weighed, while
> the measure of its weight should be tested according
> to its own standard, did ye but know it. The eye
> of My loving-kindness weepeth sore over you, inasmuch
> as ye have failed to recognize the One upon
> Whom ye have been calling in the daytime and in
> the night season, at even and at morn. Advance, O
> 
> page 129
> 
> people, with snow-white faces and radiant hearts,
> unto the blest and crimson Spot, wherein the Tree
> beyond which there is no passing is calling: `Verily,
> there is none other God beside Me, the Omnipotent
> Protector, the Self-Subsisting!' O ye leaders of religion
> in Persia! Who is the man amongst you that can
> rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he to be
> found that dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance
> or wisdom? No, by My Lord, the All-Merciful!
> All on the earth shall pass away; and this is the face
> of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-Beloved. We
> have decreed, O people, that the highest and last
> end of all learning be the recognition of Him Who is
> the Object of all knowledge; and yet behold how ye
> have allowed your learning to shut you out, as by a
> veil, from Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light,
> through Whom every hidden thing hath been revealed.
> Say: This, verily, is the heaven in which the
> Mother Book is treasured, could ye but comprehend
> it. He it is Who hath caused the Rock to shout, and
> the Burning Bush to lift up its voice upon the Mount
> rising above the Holy Land, and proclaim: `The
> Kingdom is God's, the sovereign Lord of all, the All-Powerful,
> the Loving!' We have not entered any
> school, nor read any of your dissertations. Incline
> your ears to the words of this unlettered One, wherewith
> He summoneth you unto God, the Ever-Abiding.
> Better is this for you than all the treasures of
> the earth, could ye but comprehend it. Whoso interpreteth
> 
> page 130
> 
> what hath been sent down from the heaven
> of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he,
> verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime
> Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid
> Book."
> 
> Thereupon We heard the groaning of the true
> Faith, and said unto it: "Wherefore, O true Faith,
> do I hear Thee cry out in the night season, and groan
> in the daytime, and utter Thy lamentations at daybreak?"
> She made reply: "O Prince of the world that
> standest revealed in the Most Great Name! The
> heedless ones have hamstrung Thy white She-Camel,
> and caused Thy Crimson Ark to founder, and wished
> to put out Thy Light, and to veil the face of Thy
> Cause. Wherefore hath the voice of My lamentation
> been lifted up, as well as the voice of the lamentation
> of all created things, and yet the people are for
> the most part unaware." The true Faith hath laid
> fast hold, in this day, on the hem of Our bounty,
> and circleth about Our Person.
> 
> O Shaykh! Enter thou My presence, that thou
> mayest behold what the eye of the universe hath never
> beheld, and hear that which the ear of the whole
> creation hath never heard, that haply thou mayest
> free thyself from the mire of vague fancies, and set
> thy face towards the Most Sublime Station, wherein
> this Wronged One calleth aloud: "The Kingdom is
> God's, the Almighty, the All-Praised!" We fain
> would hope that through thine exertions the wings
> 
> page 131
> 
> of men may be sanctified from the mire of self and
> desire, and be made worthy to soar in the atmosphere
> of God's love. Wings that are besmirched with mire
> can never soar. Unto this testify they who are the
> exponents of justice and equity, and yet the people
> are in evident doubt.
> 
> O Shaykh! Protests have been voiced against Us
> from every side--protests such as Our pen craveth
> pardon for setting down. Nevertheless, by reason of
> Our great mercy, We have replied unto them, in
> accordance with the understanding of men, that
> haply they may be delivered from the fire of negation
> and denial, and become illumined with the light of
> affirmation and acceptance. Equity is rarely to be
> found, and justice hath ceased to exist.
> 
> Among others, these perspicuous verses have, in
> answer to certain individuals, been sent down from
> the Kingdom of Divine knowledge: "O thou who
> hast set thy face towards the splendors of My Countenance!
> Vague fancies have encompassed the dwellers
> of the earth and debarred them from turning
> towards the Horizon of Certitude, and its brightness,
> and its manifestations and its lights. Vain imaginings
> have withheld them from Him Who is the Self-Subsisting.
> They speak as prompted by their own
> caprices, and understand not. Among them are those
> who have said: `Have the verses been sent down?'
> Say: `Yea, by Him Who is the Lord of the heavens!'
> `Hath the Hour come?' `Nay, more; it hath passed,
> 
> page 132
> 
> by Him Who is the Revealer of clear tokens! Verily,
> the Inevitable is come, and He, the True One, hath
> appeared with proof and testimony. The Plain is disclosed,
> and mankind is sore vexed and fearful. Earthquakes
> have broken loose, and the tribes have lamented,
> for fear of God, the Lord of Strength, the
> All-Compelling.' Say: `The stunning trumpet blast
> hath been loudly raised, and the Day is God's, the
> One, the Unconstrained.' `Hath the Catastrophe
> come to pass?' Say: `Yea, by the Lord of Lords!' `Is
> the Resurrection come?' `Nay, more; He Who is
> the Self-Subsisting hath appeared with the Kingdom
> of His signs.' `Seest thou men laid low?' `Yea, by my
> Lord, the Exalted, the Most High!' `Have the tree-stumps
> been uprooted?' `Yea, more; the mountains
> have been scattered in dust; by Him the Lord of
> attributes!' They say: `Where is Paradise, and where
> is Hell?' Say: `The one is reunion with Me; the
> other thine own self, O thou who dost associate a
> partner with God and doubtest.' They say: `We see
> not the Balance.' Say: `Surely, by my Lord, the God
> of Mercy! None can see it except such as are endued
> with insight.' `Have the stars fallen?' Say: `Yea,
> when He Who is the Self-Subsisting dwelt in the
> Land of Mystery (Adrianople). Take heed, ye who
> are endued with discernment!' All the signs appeared
> when We drew forth the Hand of Power from
> the bosom of majesty and might. Verily, the Crier
> hath cried out, when the promised time came, and
> 
> page 133
> 
> they that have recognized the splendors of Sinai have
> swooned away in the wilderness of hesitation, before
> the awful majesty of thy Lord, the Lord of creation.
> The trumpet asketh: `Hath the Bugle been sounded?'
> Say: `Yea, by the King of Revelation!, when He
> mounted the throne of His Name, the All-Merciful.'
> Darkness hath been chased away by the dawning-light
> of the mercy of thy Lord, the Source of all
> light. The breeze of the All-Merciful hath wafted,
> and the souls have been quickened in the tombs of
> their bodies. Thus hath the decree been fulfilled by
> God, the Mighty, the Beneficent. They that have
> gone astray have said: `When were the heavens cleft
> asunder?' Say: `While ye lay in the graves of waywardness
> and error.' Among the heedless is he who
> rubbeth his eyes, and looketh to the right and to the
> left. Say: `Blinded art thou. No refuge hast thou
> to flee to.' And among them is he who saith: `Have
> men been gathered together?' Say: `Yea, by my
> Lord!, whilst thou didst lie in the cradle of idle fancies.'
> And among them is he who saith: `Hath the
> Book been sent down through the power of the true
> Faith?' Say: `The true Faith itself is astounded. Fear
> ye, O ye men of understanding heart!' And among
> them is he who saith: `Have I been assembled with
> others, blind?' Say: `Yea, by Him that rideth upon
> the clouds!' Paradise is decked with mystic roses,
> and hell hath been made to blaze with the fire of the
> impious. Say: `The light hath shone forth from the
> 
> page 134
> 
> horizon of Revelation, and the whole earth hath been
> illumined at the coming of Him Who is the Lord of
> the Day of the Covenant!' The doubters have perished,
> whilst he that turned, guided by the light of
> assurance, unto the Dayspring of Certitude hath
> prospered. Blessed art thou, who hast fixed thy gaze
> upon Me, for this Tablet which hath been sent down
> for thee--a Tablet which causeth the souls of men to
> soar. Commit it to memory, and recite it. By My
> life! It is a door to the mercy of thy Lord. Well is it
> with him that reciteth it at eventide and at dawn.
> We, verily, hear thy praise of this Cause, through
> which the mountain of knowledge was crushed, and
> men's feet have slipped. My glory be upon thee and
> upon whomsoever hath turned unto the Almighty,
> the All-Bounteous. The Tablet is ended, but the
> theme is unexhausted. Be patient, for thy Lord is
> patient."
> 
> These are verses We sent down previously, soon
> after Our arrival in the prison-city of Akká, and
> We have sent them unto thee, that thou mayest be
> acquainted with what their lying tongues have
> spoken, when Our Cause came unto them with might
> and sovereignty. The foundations of idle fancies
> have trembled, and the heaven of vain imaginings
> hath been cleft asunder, and yet the people are in
> doubt and in contention with Him. They have denied
> the testimony of God and His proof, after He came
> from the heaven of power with the kingdom of His
> 
> page 135
> 
> signs. They have cast away what had been prescribed,
> and perpetrated what had been forbidden them in
> the Book. They have abandoned their God, and
> clung unto their desires. They truly have strayed and
> are in error. They read the verses and deny them.
> They behold the clear tokens and turn aside. They
> truly are lost in strange doubt.
> 
> We have admonished Our loved ones to fear God,
> a fear which is the fountain-head of all goodly deeds
> and virtues. It is the commander of the hosts of
> justice in the city of Bahá. Happy the man that hath
> entered the shadow of its luminous standard, and
> laid fast hold thereon. He, verily, is of the Companions
> of the Crimson Ark, which hath been mentioned
> in the Qayyúm-i-Asmá.
> 
> Say: O people of God! Adorn your temples with
> the adornment of trustworthiness and piety. Help,
> then, your Lord with the hosts of goodly deeds and a
> praiseworthy character. We have forbidden you dissension
> and conflict in My Books, and My Scriptures,
> and My Scrolls, and My Tablets, and have wished
> thereby naught else save your exaltation and advancement.
> Unto this testify the heavens and the stars
> thereof, and the sun and the radiance thereof, and
> the trees and the leaves thereof, and the seas and the
> waves thereof, and the earth and the treasures thereof.
> We pray God to assist His loved ones, and aid them
> in that which beseemeth them in this blest, this
> mighty, and wondrous station.
> 
> page 136
> 
> Further, in another Tablet, We have said: "O thou
> who hast fixed thy gaze upon My countenance!
> Admonish men to fear God. By God! This fear is
> the chief commander of the army of thy Lord. Its
> hosts are a praiseworthy character and goodly deeds.
> Through it have the cities of men's hearts been opened
> throughout the ages and centuries, and the standards
> of ascendancy and triumph raised above all other
> standards."
> 
> "We will now mention unto thee Trustworthiness
> and the station thereof in the estimation of God, thy
> Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. One day of
> days We repaired unto Our Green Island. Upon Our
> arrival, We beheld its streams flowing, and its trees
> luxuriant, and the sunlight playing in their midst.
> Turning Our face to the right, We beheld what the
> pen is powerless to describe; nor can it set forth that
> which the eye of the Lord of Mankind witnessed in
> that most sanctified, that most sublime, that blest,
> and most exalted Spot. Turning, then, to the left
> We gazed on one of the Beauties of the Most Sublime
> Paradise, standing on a pillar of light, and calling
> aloud saying: `O inmates of earth and heaven! Behold
> ye My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation,
> and My effulgence. By God, the True One!
> I am Trustworthiness and the revelation thereof,
> and the beauty thereof. I will recompense whosoever
> will cleave unto Me, and recognize My rank
> and station, and hold fast unto My hem. I am the
> 
> page 137
> 
> most great ornament of the people of Bahá, and the
> vesture of glory unto all who are in the kingdom of
> creation. I am the supreme instrument for the prosperity
> of the world, and the horizon of assurance
> unto all beings.' Thus have We sent down for thee
> that which will draw men nigh unto the Lord of
> creation."
> 
> This Wronged One hath, at all times, summoned
> the peoples of the world unto that which will exalt
> them, and draw them nigh unto God. From the
> Most Sublime Horizon there hath shone forth that
> which leaveth no room unto any one for vacillation,
> repudiation or denial. The wayward, however, have
> failed to profit therefrom; nay, it shall only increase
> their loss.
> 
> O Shaykh! It is incumbent upon the divines to
> unite with His Majesty, the Sháh--may God assist
> him--and to cleave day and night unto that which
> will exalt the station of both the government and
> the nation. This people are assiduously occupied in
> enlightening the souls of men and in rehabilitating
> their condition. Unto this testifieth that which hath
> been sent down by the Most Sublime Pen in this lucid
> Tablet. How often have things been simple and
> easy of accomplishment, and yet most men have been
> heedless, and busied themselves with that which
> wasteth their time!
> 
> One day, while in Constantinople, Kamál Páshá
> visited this Wronged One. Our conversation turned
> 
> page 138
> 
> upon topics profitable unto man. He said that he
> had learned several languages. In reply We observed:
> "You have wasted your life. It beseemeth you and
> the other officials of the Government to convene a
> gathering and choose one of the divers languages,
> and likewise one of the existing scripts, or else to
> create a new language and a new script to be taught
> children in schools throughout the world. They
> would, in this way, be acquiring only two languages,
> one their own native tongue, the other the language
> in which all the peoples of the world would converse.
> Were men to take fast hold on that which hath been
> mentioned, the whole earth would come to be regarded
> as one country, and the people would be
> relieved and freed from the necessity of acquiring
> and teaching different languages." When in Our
> presence, he acquiesced, and even evinced great joy
> and complete satisfaction. We then told him to lay
> this matter before the officials and ministers of the
> Government, in order that it might be put into
> effect throughout the different countries. However,
> although he often returned to see Us after this, he
> never again referred to this subject, although that
> which had been suggested is conducive to the concord
> and the unity of the peoples of the world.
> 
> We fain would hope that the Persian Government
> will adopt it and carry it out. At present, a new language
> and a new script have been devised. If thou
> desirest, We will communicate them to thee. Our
> 
> page 139
> 
> purpose is that all men may cleave unto that which
> will reduce unnecessary labor and exertion, so that
> their days may be befittingly spent and ended. God,
> verily, is the Helper, the Knower, the Ordainer, the
> Omniscient.
> 
> God willing, Persia may be adorned with, and attain
> unto, that whereof she hath thus far been
> deprived. Say: "O Sháh! Exert thyself so that all
> the peoples of the world may be illumined with the
> effulgent splendors of the sun of thy justice. The
> eyes of this Wronged One are turned towards naught
> save trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity, and all
> that profiteth men." Regard Him not as a traitor.
> Glorified art Thou, O my God, and my Master, and
> my Mainstay! Aid Thou His Majesty the Sháh to
> execute Thy laws and Thy commandments, and show
> forth Thy justice among Thy servants. Thou art,
> verily, the All-Bounteous, the Lord of grace abounding,
> the Almighty, the All-Powerful. The Cause of
> God hath come as a token of His grace. Happy are
> they who act; happy are they who understand; happy
> the man that hath clung unto the truth, detached
> from all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.
> 
> O Shaykh! Seek thou the shore of the Most Great
> Ocean, and enter, then, the Crimson Ark which God
> hath ordained in the Qayyúm-i-Asmá for the people
> of Bahá. Verily, it passeth over land and sea. He
> that entereth therein is saved, and he that turneth
> aside perisheth. Shouldst thou enter therein and
> 
> page 140
> 
> attain unto it, set thy face towards the Kaaba of God,
> the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and say: "O
> my God! I beseech Thee by Thy most glorious light,
> and all Thy lights are verily glorious." Thereupon,
> will the doors of the Kingdom be flung wide before
> thy face, and thou wilt behold what eyes have never
> beheld, and hear what ears have never heard. This
> Wronged One exhorteth thee as He hath exhorted
> thee before, and hath never had any wish for thee
> save that thou shouldst enter the ocean of the unity
> of God, the Lord of the worlds. This is the day
> whereon all created things cry out, and announce
> unto men this Revelation, through which hath appeared
> what was concealed and preserved in the
> knowledge of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
> 
> O Shaykh! Thou hast heard the sweet melodies
> of the Doves of Utterance cooing on the boughs of
> the Lote-Tree of knowledge. Hearken, now, unto
> the notes of the Birds of Wisdom upraised in the
> Most Sublime Paradise. They verily will acquaint
> thee with things of which thou wert wholly unaware.
> Give ear unto that which the Tongue of Might and
> Power hath spoken in the Books of God, the Desire
> of every understanding heart. At this moment a
> Voice was raised from the Lote-Tree beyond which
> there is no passing, in the heart of the Most Sublime
> Paradise, bidding Me relate unto thee that which
> hath been sent down in the Books and Tablets, and
> 
> page 141
> 
> the things spoken by My Forerunner, Who laid down
> His life for this Great Announcement, this Straight
> Path. He hath said--and He, verily, speaketh the
> truth: "I have written down in My mention of Him
> these gem-like words: `No allusion of Mine can allude
> unto Him, neither anything mentioned in the
> Bayán.'" And further, He--exalted and glorified be
> He--saith, concerning this most mighty Revelation,
> this Great Announcement: "Exalted and glorified is
> He above the power of any one to reveal Him except
> Himself, or the description of any of His creatures.
> I Myself am but the first servant to believe in Him
> and in His signs, and to partake of the sweet savors
> of His words from the first-fruits of the Paradise
> of His knowledge. Yea, by His glory! He is the
> Truth. There is none other God but Him. All have
> arisen at His bidding." Such are the words sung by
> the Dove of Truth on the boughs of the Divine Lote-Tree.
> Well is it with him that hath given ear unto its
> Voice, and quaffed from the oceans of Divine utterance
> that lie concealed in each of these words. In
> another connection hath the Voice of the Bayán
> called aloud from the loftiest branches. He saith--
> blessed and glorified be He: "In the year nine ye will
> attain unto all good." On another occasion He saith:
> "In the year nine ye will attain unto the Presence
> of God." These melodies, uttered by the Birds of the
> cities of Knowledge, conform with that which hath
> 
> page 142
> 
> been sent down by the All-Merciful in the Qur'án.
> Blessed are the men of insight; blessed they that attain
> thereunto.
> 
> O Shaykh! I swear by God! The River of Mercy
> floweth, and the Ocean of Utterance surgeth, and
> the Sun of Revelation shineth forth resplendent.
> With a detached heart, and a dilated breast, and an
> utterly truthful tongue, recite thou these sublime
> words that have been revealed by My Forerunner--the Primal Point.
> He saith--glorified be His utterance--addressing his honor, Azím: "This, verily, is
> the thing We promised thee, ere the moment We
> answered thy call. Wait thou until nine will have
> elapsed from the time of the Bayán. Then exclaim:
> `Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of
> Makers!' Say: This, verily, is an Announcement
> which none except God hath comprehended. Ye,
> however, will be unaware on that day." In the year
> nine this Most Great Revelation arose and shone forth
> brightly above the horizon of the Will of God. None
> can deny it save he who is heedless and doubteth.
> We pray God to aid His servants to return unto Him,
> and beg forgiveness for the things they committed
> in this vain life. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the
> Pardoner, the All-Merciful. In another connection
> He saith: "I am the first servant to believe in Him,
> and in His signs." In like manner, in the Persian
> Bayán, He saith: "He, verily, is the One Who, under
> all conditions, proclaimeth: `I, in very truth, am
> 
> page 143
> 
> God!'" and so on--blessed and glorified be He. That
> which is meant by Divinity and Godhead hath previously
> been stated. We have in truth rent the veils
> asunder and disclosed that which will draw men nigh
> unto God, Who layeth low the necks of men. Happy
> the man that hath attained unto justice and equity in
> this Grace that hath encompassed all that is in the
> heavens and all that is on earth, as bidden by God,
> the Lord of the worlds.
> 
> O Shaykh! Hearken unto the melodies of the
> Gospel with the ear of fairness. He saith--glorified
> be His utterance--prophesying the things that are
> to come: "But of that Day and Hour knoweth no
> man, no, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son,
> but the Father." By Father in this connection is
> meant God--exalted be His glory. He, verily, is the
> True Educator, and the Spiritual Teacher.
> 
> Joel saith: "For the Day of the Lord is great and
> very terrible; and who can abide it?" Firstly, in the
> sublime utterance set forth in the Gospel He saith
> that none is aware of the time of the Revelation, that
> none knoweth it except God, the All-Knowing, Who
> is cognizant of all. Secondly, He setteth forth the
> greatness of the Revelation. Likewise, in the Qur'án
> He saith: "Of what ask they of one another? Of
> the Great Announcement." This is the Announcement,
> the greatness of which hath been mentioned
> in most of the Books of old and of more recent times.
> This is the Announcement that hath caused the limbs
> 
> page 144
> 
> of mankind to quake, except such as God, the Protector,
> the Helper, the Succorer, hath willed to exempt.
> Men have indeed with their own eyes witnessed
> how all men and all things have been thrown
> into confusion and been sore perplexed, save those
> whom God hath chosen to exempt.
> 
> O Shaykh! Great is the Cause, and great the Announcement!
> Patiently and calmly ponder thou upon
> the resplendent signs and the sublime words, and all
> that hath been revealed in these days, that haply
> thou mayest fathom the mysteries that are hid in the
> Books, and mayest strive to guide His servants.
> Hearken with thine inner ear unto the Voice of Jeremiah,
> Who saith: "Oh, for great is that Day, and it
> hath no equal." Wert thou to observe with the eye
> of fairness, thou wouldst perceive the greatness of
> the Day. Incline thine ear unto the Voice of this
> All-Knowing Counsellor, and suffer not thyself to be
> deprived of the mercy that hath surpassed all created
> things, visible and invisible. Lend an ear unto the
> song of David. He saith: "Who will bring me into
> the Strong City?" The Strong City is Akká,
> which hath been named the Most Great Prison, and
> which possesseth a fortress and mighty ramparts.
> 
> O Shaykh! Peruse that which Isaiah hath spoken
> in His Book. He saith: "Get thee up into the high
> mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings; lift up
> Thy Voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest
> good tidings. Lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the
> 
> page 145
> 
> cities of Judah: `Behold your God! Behold the Lord
> God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall
> rule for Him.'" This Day all the signs have appeared.
> A Great City hath descended from heaven, and Zion
> trembleth and exulteth with joy at the Revelation
> of God, for it hath heard the Voice of God on every
> side. This Day Jerusalem hath attained unto a new
> Evangel, for in the stead of the sycamore standeth
> the cedar. Jerusalem is the place of pilgrimage for
> all the peoples of the world, and hath been named
> the Holy City. Together with Zion and Palestine,
> they are all included within these regions. Wherefore,
> hath it been said: "Blessed is the man that hath
> migrated to Akká."
> 
> Amos saith: "The Lord will roar from Zion, and
> utter His Voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations
> of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel
> shall wither." Carmel, in the Book of God, hath been
> designated as the Hill of God, and His Vineyard. It
> is here that, by the grace of the Lord of Revelation,
> the Tabernacle of Glory hath been raised. Happy
> are they that attain thereunto; happy they that set
> their faces towards it. And likewise He saith: "Our
> God will come, and He will not be silent."
> 
> O Shaykh! Reflect upon these words addressed by
> Him Who is the Desire of the world to Amos. He
> saith: "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel, for, lo,
> He that formeth the mountains and createth the
> wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought,
> 
> page 146
> 
> that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon
> the high places of the earth, the Lord, the God of
> Hosts, is His name." He saith that He maketh the
> morning darkness. By this is meant that if, at the
> time of the Manifestation of Him Who conversed on
> Sinai anyone were to regard himself as the true morn,
> he will, through the might and power of God, be
> turned into darkness. He truly is the false dawn,
> though believing himself to be the true one. Woe
> unto him, and woe unto such as follow him without
> a clear token from God, the Lord of the worlds.
> 
> Isaiah saith: "The Lord alone shall be exalted in
> that Day." Concerning the greatness of the Revelation
> He saith: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee
> in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory
> of His majesty." And in another connection He
> saith: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be
> glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom
> as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and
> rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon
> shall be given unto it, the splendor of Carmel
> and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and
> the splendor of our God."
> 
> These passages stand in need of no commentary.
> They are shining and manifest as the sun, and glowing
> and luminous as light itself. Every fair-minded
> person is led, by the fragrance of these words, unto
> the garden of understanding, and attaineth unto that
> from which most men are veiled and debarred. Say:
> 
> page 147
> 
> Fear God, O people, and follow not the doubts of
> such as shout aloud, who have broken the Covenant
> of God and His Testament, and denied His mercy
> that hath preceded all that are in the heavens and
> all that are on earth.
> 
> And likewise, He saith: "Say to them that are of
> a fearful heart: be strong, fear not, behold your God."
> This blessed verse is a proof of the greatness of the
> Revelation, and of the greatness of the Cause, inasmuch
> as the blast of the trumpet must needs spread
> confusion throughout the world, and fear and trembling
> amongst all men. Well is it with him who hath
> been illumined with the light of trust and detachment.
> The tribulations of that Day will not hinder
> or alarm him. Thus hath the Tongue of Utterance
> spoken, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Merciful.
> He, verily, is the Strong, the All-Powerful, the All-Subduing,
> the Almighty. It is now incumbent upon
> them who are endowed with a hearing ear and a seeing
> eye to ponder these sublime words, in each of
> which the oceans of inner meaning and explanation
> are hidden, that haply the words uttered by Him
> Who is the Lord of Revelation may enable His
> servants to attain, with the utmost joy and radiance,
> unto the Supreme Goal and Most Sublime Summit--
> the dawning-place of this Voice.
> 
> O Shaykh! Wert thou to perceive, be it less than
> a needle's eye, the breaths of Mine utterance, thou
> wouldst abandon the world and all that is therein,
> 
> page 148
> 
> and wouldst set thy face towards the lights of the
> countenance of the Desired One. Briefly, in the sayings
> of Him Who is the Spirit (Jesus) unnumbered
> significances lie concealed. Unto many things did
> He refer, but as He found none possessed of a hearing
> ear or a seeing eye He chose to conceal most of these
> things. Even as He saith: "But ye cannot bear them
> now." That Dawning-Place of Revelation saith that
> on that Day He Who is the Promised One will reveal
> the things which are to come. Accordingly in the
> Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and in the Tablets to the Kings, and
> in the Lawh-i-Ra'ís, and in the Lawh-i-Fu'ád, most
> of the things which have come to pass on this earth
> have been announced and prophesied by the Most
> Sublime Pen.
> 
> In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas the following hath been revealed:
> "O Land of Tá (Tihrán)! Let nothing grieve
> thee, for God hath chosen thee to be the source of
> the joy of all mankind. He shall, if it be His Will,
> bless thy throne with one who will rule with justice,
> who will gather together the flock of God which
> the wolves have scattered. Such a ruler will, with joy
> and gladness, turn his face towards, and extend his
> favors unto, the people of Bahá. He indeed is accounted
> in the sight of God, as a jewel among men.
> Upon him rest forever the glory of God, and the
> glory of all that dwell in the kingdom of His revelation."
> These verses were revealed previously. Now,
> however, the following verse hath been sent down:
> 
> page 149
> 
> "O God, my God! Bahá beseecheth Thee and imploreth
> Thee, by the lights of Thy countenance and
> the billows of the ocean of Thy Revelation, and the
> effulgent splendors of the Sun of Thine utterance,
> to aid the Sháh to be fair and equitable. If it be Thy
> wish, bless Thou, through him, the throne of authority
> and sovereignty. Potent art Thou to do what
> pleaseth Thee. There is none other God but Thee,
> Who hearest, Who art ready to answer." "Rejoice
> with great joy, O Land of Tá (Tihrán), for God
> hath made thee the dayspring of His light, inasmuch
> as within thee was born the Manifestation of His
> glory. Be thou glad for this name that hath been
> conferred upon thee--a name through which the
> Daystar of grace hath shed its splendor, through
> which both earth and heaven have been illumined.
> Erelong will the state of affairs within thee be
> changed, and the reins of power fall into the
> hands of the people. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing.
> His authority embraceth all things. Rest
> thou assured in the gracious favor of thy Lord. The
> eye of His loving-kindness shall everlastingly be
> directed towards thee. The day is approaching when
> thy agitation will have been transmuted into peace
> and quiet calm. Thus hath it been decreed in the
> Wondrous Book."
> 
> And likewise, in the Lawh-i-Fu'ád, and in the Tablet
> of the King of Paris (Napoleon III), and in other
> Tablets, there hath been revealed that which will lead
> 
> page 150
> 
> every fair-minded person to testify unto the power,
> and the majesty, and the wisdom of God--exalted be
> His glory. Were men to observe with the eye of justice,
> they would be made aware of the secret of this
> blessed verse: "Neither is there a thing green or sere,
> but it is noted in a distinct writing," and would comprehend
> it. On this day, however, men's repudiation
> of the truth hath prevented them from understanding
> what hath been sent down in truth by Him Who
> is the Revealer, the Ancient of Days. Gracious God!
> Perspicuous signs have appeared on every side, and
> yet men are, for the most part, deprived of the privilege
> of beholding and of comprehending them. We
> beseech God to bestow His aid, that all men may
> recognize the pearls that lie hid within the shells of
> the Most Great Ocean, and exclaim: "Praised be
> Thou, O God of the world!"
> 
> O concourse of the fair-minded! Observe and
> reflect upon the billows of the ocean of the utterance
> and knowledge of God, so that ye may testify with
> your inner and outer tongues that with Him is the
> knowledge of all that is in the Book. Nothing escapeth
> His knowledge. He, verily, hath manifested
> that which was hidden, when He, upon His return,
> mounted the throne of the Bayán. All that hath been
> sent down hath and will come to pass, word for
> word, upon earth. No possibility is left for anyone
> either to turn aside or protest. As fairness, however, is disgraced and concealed, most men speak as prompted by their own idle fancies.
> 
> page 151
> 
> O God, my God! Debar not Thy servants from
> turning their faces towards the light of certitude,
> that hath dawned above the horizon of Thy will,
> and suffer them not to be deprived, O my God, of
> the oceans of Thy signs. They, O my Lord, are Thy
> servants in Thy cities, and Thy slaves in Thy lands.
> If Thou hast not mercy upon them, who, then, will
> show them mercy? Take Thou, O my God, the hands
> of such as have been drowned in the sea of idle fancies,
> and deliver them by Thy power and Thy sovereignty.
> Save them, then, with the arms of Thy might. Powerful
> art Thou to do what Thou willest, and in Thy
> right hand are the reins of all that is in the heavens
> and all that is on earth.
> 
> In like manner, the Primal Point saith: "Behold
> ye Him with His own eyes. Were ye to behold Him
> with the eyes of another, ye would never recognize
> and know Him." This referreth to naught else
> except this Most Great Revelation. Well is it with
> them that judge fairly. And likewise, He saith: "The
> year-old germ that holdeth within itself the potentialities
> of the Revelation that is to come is endowed
> with a potency superior to the combined forces of
> the whole of the Bayán." These glad-tidings of the
> Bayán and of the Books of former times have been
> repeatedly mentioned under divers names in numerous
> 
> page 152
> 
> books, that perchance men might judge equitably
> that which hath arisen and shone forth above the
> horizon of the will of God, the Lord of the Mighty
> Throne.
> 
> O Shaykh! Tell the people of the Bayán: "Ponder
> ye these blessed words. He saith: `The whole of the
> Bayán is only a leaf amongst the leaves of His Paradise.'
> Be fair, O people, and be not of such as are
> accounted as lost in the Book of God, the Lord of
> the worlds." The blessed Lote-Tree standeth, in this
> day, before thy face, laden with heavenly, with new
> and wondrous fruits. Gaze on it, detached from all
> else save it. Thus hath the Tongue of might and
> power spoken at this Spot which God hath adorned
> with the footsteps of His Most Great Name and
> Mighty Announcement.
> 
> And likewise, He saith: "Ere nine will have elapsed
> from the inception of this Cause, the realities of the
> created things will not be made manifest. All that
> thou hast as yet seen is but the stage from the moist
> germ until We clothed it with flesh. Be patient, until
> thou beholdest a new creation. Say: `Blessed, therefore,
> be God, the most excellent of Makers!'" And
> likewise, He hath said regarding the power of this
> Revelation: "Lawful is it for Him Whom God will
> make manifest to reject him who is greatest on earth,
> inasmuch as such a one is but a creature in His grasp,
> and all things adore Him. After Hin (68) a Cause
> shall be given unto you which ye shall come to know."
> 
> page 153
> 
> And also He saith: "Know thou with absolute certainty,
> and through the firmly established and most
> irrevocable decree, that He--exalted be His glory,
> and magnified be His might, and sanctified be His
> holiness, and glorified be His grandeur, and lauded
> be His ways, maketh each thing to be known through
> its own self; who then can know Him through any
> one except Himself?" And further, He saith--exalted
> and glorified be He: "Beware, beware lest, in
> the days of His Revelation, the Vahíd of the Bayán
> (eighteen Letters of the Living) shut thee not out as
> by a veil from Him, inasmuch as this Vahíd is but a
> creature in His sight. And beware, beware that the
> words sent down in the Bayán shut thee not out as
> by a veil from Him." And again, He--exalted be
> He--saith: "Look not upon Him with any eye except
> His own. For whosoever looketh upon Him with
> His eye, will recognize Him; otherwise he will be
> veiled from Him. Shouldst thou seek God and His
> Presence, seek thou Him and gaze upon Him." And
> likewise, He saith: "Better is it for thee to recite
> but one of the verses of Him Whom God shall make
> manifest than to set down the whole of the Bayán,
> for on that Day that one verse can save thee, whereas
> the entire Bayán cannot save thee."
> 
> Say: O people of the Bayán! Be fair, be fair; and
> again, be fair, be fair. Be ye not of them who have
> made mention of the Manifestation of the Cause of
> God in the daytime and in the night season, and
> 
> page 154
> 
> who, when He, through His grace, appeared, and
> when the Horizon of Revelation was illumined,
> pronounced against Him such a judgment as hath
> provoked the lamentations of the inmates of the
> Kingdom and of the Realm of Glory, and of such
> as have circled about the will of God, the All-Knowing,
> the All-Wise.
> 
> Meditate upon these sublime words. He saith: "I,
> verily, am a believer in Him, and in His Faith, and in
> His Book, and in His Testimonies, and in His Ways,
> and in all that proceedeth from Him concerning
> them. I glory in My kinship with Him, and pride
> Myself on My belief in Him." And likewise, He
> saith: "O congregation of the Bayán and all who
> are therein! Recognize ye the limits imposed upon
> you, for such a One as the Point of the Bayán Himself
> hath believed in Him Whom God shall make
> manifest, before all things were created. Therein,
> verily, do I glory before all who are in the kingdom
> of heaven and earth." By God! All the atoms of the
> universe groan and lament at the cruelty perpetrated
> by the froward among the people of the Bayán.
> Whither are gone they who are endued with insight
> and hearing? We beseech God--blessed and glorified
> be He--to summon them and exhort them unto that
> which will profit them, and withhold them from
> that which will harm them. He, in truth, is the
> Strong, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.
> 
> And likewise, He saith: "Suffer not yourselves to
> 
> page 155
> 
> be shut out as by a veil from God after He hath
> revealed Himself. For all that hath been exalted in
> the Bayán is but as a ring upon My hand, and I
> Myself am, verily, but a ring upon the hand of Him
> Whom God shall make manifest--glorified be His
> mention! He turneth it as He pleaseth, for whatsoever
> He pleaseth, and through whatsoever He
> pleaseth. He, verily, is the Help in Peril, the Most
> High." And likewise, He saith: "Were He to make of
> every one on earth a Prophet, all would, in very truth,
> be accounted as Prophets in the sight of God." And
> likewise, He saith: "In the day of the revelation of
> Him Whom God shall make manifest all that dwell
> on earth will be equal in His estimation. Whomsoever
> He ordaineth as a Prophet, he, verily, hath been a
> Prophet from the beginning that hath no beginning,
> and will thus remain until the end that hath no end,
> inasmuch as this is an act of God. And whosoever
> is made a Vicegerent by Him, shall be a Vicegerent
> in all the worlds, for this is an act of God. For the
> will of God can in no wise be revealed except through
> His will, nor His wish be manifested save through His
> wish. He, verily, is the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful,
> the All-Highest."
> 
> Briefly, in every instance He hath stated that which
> is conducive to the conversion, the advancement, the
> exaltation, and the guidance of men. A few unfair
> ones, however, have become a veil, and an insurmountable
> barrier, and debarred the people from
> 
> page 156
> 
> turning towards the lights of His Countenance. We
> pray God to cast them out by His sovereignty, and
> seize on them with His seizing power. He, verily, is
> the Lord of Strength, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
> 
> And likewise, He saith: "He--glorified be His
> mention--resembleth the sun. Were unnumbered
> mirrors to be placed before it, each would, according
> to its capacity, reflect the splendor of that sun,
> and were none to be placed before it, it would still
> continue to rise and set, and the mirrors alone would
> be veiled from its light. I, verily, have not fallen
> short of My duty to admonish that people, and to
> devise means whereby they may turn towards God,
> their Lord, and believe in God, their Creator. If, on
> the day of His Revelation, all that are on earth bear
> Him allegiance, Mine inmost being will rejoice, inasmuch
> as all will have attained the summit of their
> existence, and will have been brought face to face
> with their Beloved, and will have recognized, to the
> fullest extent attainable in the world of being, the
> splendor of Him Who is the Desire of their hearts.
> If not, My soul will indeed be saddened. I truly have
> nurtured all things for this purpose. How, then,
> can anyone be veiled from Him? For this have I
> called upon God, and will continue to call upon Him.
> He, verily, is nigh, ready to answer."
> 
> And likewise, He saith: "They will even refuse
> unto that Tree, which is neither of the East nor of
> the West, the name believer, for were they so to name
> 
> page 157
> 
> Him, they would fail to sadden Him." Hath thine
> ear, O world, heard with what helplessness these
> words were revealed from the dayspring of the will
> of Him Who is the Dawning-Place of all names? He
> saith: "I have educated all men, that they may recognize
> this Revelation, and yet the people of the Bayán
> refuse to concede even the name believer to that
> blessed Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to
> the West." Alas, alas, for the things which have befallen
> Me! By God! There befell Me at the hands of
> him whom I have nurtured (Mírzá Yahyá), by day
> and by night, what hath caused the Holy Spirit, and
> the dwellers of the Tabernacle of the Grandeur of
> God, the Lord of this wondrous Day, to lament.
> 
> Likewise, refuting certain disbelievers, He saith:
> "For none knoweth the time of the Revelation except
> God. Whenever it appeareth, all must acknowledge
> the Point of Truth, and render thanks unto God."
> They that have turned aside from Me have spoken
> even as the followers of John (the Baptist) spoke.
> For they, too, protested against Him Who was the
> Spirit (Jesus) saying: "The dispensation of John hath
> not yet ended; wherefore hast thou come?" Now, too,
> they that have repudiated Us, though they have never
> known Us and have been at all times ignorant of the
> fundamentals of this Cause, knowing not from
> Whom it proceeded or what it signifieth, have spoken
> that which hath made all created things to sigh and
> lament. By My life! The mute can never confront
> 
> page 158
> 
> the One Who incarnateth in Himself the kingdom
> of utterance. Fear God, O people, and peruse, then,
> that which hath been sent down with truth in the
> eighth Chapter of the sixth Vahíd of the Bayán, and
> be not of such as have turned aside. He, likewise,
> hath commanded: "Once every nineteen days this
> Chapter should be read, that haply they may not be
> veiled, in the time of the revelation of Him Whom
> God shall make manifest, by considerations foreign
> to the verses, which have been, and are still, the
> weightiest of all proofs and testimonies."
> 
> John, son of Zacharias, said what My Forerunner
> hath said: "Saying, repent ye, for the Kingdom
> of heaven is at hand. I indeed baptize you with
> water unto repentance, but He that cometh after Me
> is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to
> bear." Wherefore, hath My Forerunner, as a sign of
> submissiveness and humility, said: "The whole of the
> Bayán is only a leaf amongst the leaves of His Paradise."
> And likewise, He saith: "I am the first to
> adore Him, and pride Myself on My kinship with
> Him." And yet, O men, the people of the Bayán
> have acted in such a manner that Dhi'l-Jawshan, and
> Ibn-i-Anas, and Asbáhí have sought and still seek
> refuge with God against such deeds. This Wronged
> One hath, in the face of all religions, busied Himself
> day and night with the things that are conducive unto
> the exaltation of the Cause of God, whereas those men
> 
> page 159
> 
> have clung unto that which is the cause of humiliation
> and injury.
> 
> And likewise, He saith: "Recognize Him by His
> verses. The greater your neglect in seeking to know
> Him, the more grievously will ye be veiled in fire."
> O ye among the people of the Bayán that have turned
> aside from Me! Ponder upon these most sublime
> words, that have proceeded from the wellspring of
> the utterance of Him Who is the Point of Knowledge.
> Hearken ye, at this moment, unto these words.
> He saith: "On that Day, the Daystar of Truth will
> address the people of the Bayán and will recite this
> Súrih of the Qur'án: `Say: O ye unbelievers! I worship
> not that which ye worship, and ye do not worship
> that which I worship. I shall never worship that
> which ye worship, neither will ye worship that which
> I worship. To you be your religion, to Me My religion.'"
> Gracious God! Notwithstanding these lucid
> statements, and these shining and luminous tokens all
> are occupied with their vain imaginings, and are
> unaware of, and veiled from, the Desired One. O ye
> that have gone astray! Awake from the sleep of
> heedlessness, and give ear unto these words of My
> Forerunner. He saith: "The tree of affirmation, by
> turning aside from Him, is accounted as the tree of
> denial, and the tree of denial, by turning towards
> Him, is accounted as the tree of affirmation." And
> likewise, He saith: "Should anyone lay claim unto a
> 
> page 160
> 
> Revelation, and fail to produce any proof, do not
> protest, and sadden Him not." Briefly, this Wronged
> One hath, night and day, been uttering the words:
> "Say: O ye unbelievers!", that haply this may be
> the means of awakening the people, and may adorn
> them with the adornment of fairness.
> 
> And now, meditate upon these words, which diffuse
> the breath of despair, in His sorrowful invocation
> unto God, the Lord of the worlds. He saith: "Glorified
> art Thou, O My God! Bear Thou witness that,
> through this Book, I have covenanted with all created
> things concerning the Mission of Him Whom Thou
> shalt make manifest, ere the covenant concerning
> Mine own Mission had been established. Sufficient
> witness art Thou and they that have believed in Thy
> signs. Thou, verily, sufficest Me. In Thee have I
> placed My trust, and Thou, verily, takest count of
> all things."
> 
> In another connection He saith: "O Sun-like Mirrors!
> Look ye upon the Sun of Truth. Ye, verily,
> depend upon it, were ye to perceive it. Ye are all
> as fishes, moving in the waters of the sea, veiling
> yourselves therefrom, and yet asking what it is on
> which ye depend." And likewise, He saith: "I complain
> unto thee, O Mirror of My generosity, against
> all the other Mirrors. All look upon Me through their
> own colors." These words were sent down from the
> Source of the Revelation of the All-Bounteous, and
> were addressed to Siyyid Javád, known as Kárbilá'í.
> 
> page 161
> 
> God testifieth, and the world beareth Me witness that
> this Siyyid stood by this Wronged One, and even
> wrote a detailed refutation against them that turned
> aside from Me. Two communications, moreover, in
> which he hath borne witness unto the Revelation of
> the True One, and in which the evidences of his
> turning away from all else but Him, are clear and
> manifest, have been sent by Us to Haydar-`Alí. The
> handwriting of the Siyyid is unmistakable, and is
> known unto everyone. Our purpose in doing this was
> that perchance they that have denied Us might attain
> unto the living waters of acknowledgment, and such
> as have turned aside be illumined with the light of
> conversion. God is My witness that this Wronged
> One hath had no purpose except to convey the Word
> of God. Blessed are the fair-minded, and woe betide
> them that have turned aside. They that have turned
> away from Me have schemed many a time, and acted
> deceitfully in divers ways. They have, on one occasion,
> secured a picture of this Siyyid, and pasted it
> on a sheet with that of others, surmounted by the
> portrait of Mírzá Yahyá. Briefly, they have seized
> upon every means in order to repudiate the True
> One. Say: "The True One is come evident as the
> shining sun; O pity that He should have come into
> the city of the blind!" The afore-mentioned Siyyid
> admonished the deniers, and summoned them unto
> the Most Sublime Horizon, but failed to impress
> these stones that can take no imprint. Concerning
> 
> page 162
> 
> him they have said things against which he sought
> refuge with God--exalted be His glory. The supplications
> which he hath sent to this Holy Court are now
> in Our possession. Happy are the fair-minded.
> 
> Ponder now upon the complaint of the Primal
> Point against the Mirrors, that haply men may be
> awakened, and may turn from the left hand of idle
> fancies and imaginings unto the right hand of faith
> and certitude, and may be made cognizant of that
> wherefrom they are veiled. It is indeed for the purpose
> of recognizing this Most Great Cause that they
> have come out of the world of non-existence into the
> world of being. And likewise He saith: "Consecrate
> Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree unto Him,
> that from it may be revealed all the fruits created by
> God within it for Him through Whom God hath
> willed to reveal all that He pleaseth. By Thy glory!
> I have not wished that this Tree should ever bear
> any branch, leaf, or fruit that would fail to bow
> down before Him, on the day of His Revelation, or
> refuse to laud Thee through Him, as beseemeth the
> glory of His all-glorious Revelation, and the sublimity
> of His most sublime Concealment. And shouldst
> Thou behold, O my God, any branch, leaf, or fruit
> upon Me that hath failed to bow down before Him,
> on the day of His Revelation, cut it off, O My God,
> from that Tree, for it is not of Me, nor shall it return
> unto Me."
> 
> O people of the Bayán! I swear by God! This
> 
> page 163
> 
> Wronged One hath had no other intention except to
> manifest the Cause He was commissioned to reveal.
> Were ye to incline your inner ears unto Him, ye
> would hear from every limb and member and vein
> and even from every single hair of this Wronged One
> that which would stir and enrapture the Concourse
> on high and the world of creation.
> 
> O Hádí! The blind fanaticism of former times
> hath withheld the hapless creatures from the Straight
> Path. Meditate on the Shí'ih sect. For twelve hundred
> years they have cried "O Qá'im!", until in the
> end all pronounced the sentence of His death, and
> caused Him to suffer martyrdom, notwithstanding
> their belief in, and their acceptance and acknowledgment
> of, the True One--exalted be His glory--and
> of the Seal of the Prophets, and of the Chosen Ones.
> It is now necessary to reflect a while, that haply that
> which hath come between the True One and His
> creatures may be discovered, and the deeds which
> have been the cause of protest and denial be made
> known.
> 
> O Hádí! We have heard the moaning of the
> pulpits which, as attested by all, the divines of the
> age of this Revelation have ascended, and from which
> they have cursed the True One, and caused such
> things to befall Him Who is the Essence of Being
> and His companions as neither the eye nor the ear
> of the world hath seen or heard. Thou hast now summoned,
> and art still summoning the people, claiming
> 
> page 164
> 
> to be His vicegerent and mirror, despite thine ignorance
> of this Cause as a result of thy not having been
> in Our company.
> 
> Every one of this people well knoweth that Siyyid
> Muhammad was but one of Our servants. In the days
> when, as requested by the Imperial Ottoman Government,
> We proceeded to their Capital, he accompanied
> Us. Subsequently, he committed that which
> --I swear by God--hath caused the Pen of the Most
> High to weep and His Tablet to groan. We, therefore,
> cast him out; whereupon, he joined Mírzá
> Yahyá, and did what no tyrant hath ever done. We
> abandoned him, and said unto him: "Begone, O heedless
> one!" After these words had been uttered, he
> joined the order of the Mawlavis, and remained in
> their company until the time when We were summoned
> to depart.
> 
> O Hádí! Suffer not thyself to become the instrument
> for the dissemination of new superstitions, and
> refuse to set up once again a sect similar to that of
> the Shí'ihs. Reflect how great the amount of blood
> which hath been spilt. Thou amongst others, who
> hast laid claim to knowledge, and likewise the Shí'ih
> divines, have, one and all, in the first and ensuing
> years, cursed the True One, and decreed that His
> most holy blood be shed. Fear God, O Hádí! Be not
> willing that men be again afflicted with the vain
> imaginings of former times. Fear God, and be not of
> them that act unjustly. In these days We have heard
> 
> page 165
> 
> that thou hast striven to lay hands on and destroy
> every copy of the Bayán. This Wronged One requesteth
> thee to renounce, for the sake of God, this
> intention. Thine intelligence and judgment have
> never excelled, nor do they now excel, the intelligence
> and judgment of Him Who is the Prince of
> the World. God testifieth and beareth Me witness
> that this Wronged One hath not perused the Bayán,
> nor been acquainted with its contents. This much,
> however, is known and is clear and indubitable that
> He hath ordained the Book of the Bayán to be the
> foundation of His works. Fear God, and meddle not
> in matters which far transcend thee. For twelve hundred
> years they that resemble thee have afflicted the
> hapless Shí'ihs in the pit of vain fancies and idle
> imaginings. Finally, there appeared, on the Day of
> Judgment things against which the oppressors of old
> have sought refuge with the True One.
> 
> Apprehend now the cry of Him Who is the Point
> as raised by His utterance. He supplicateth God that
> if there should appear from this Tree--which is His
> blessed Self--any fruit, or leaf, or branch that would
> fail to believe in Him, God should cut it off forthwith.
> And likewise, He saith: "Should any one make
> a statement, and fail to support it by any proof,
> reject him not." And yet, now, though supported
> by a hundred books, thou hast rejected Him and
> rejoicest therein!
> 
> Again I repeat, and plead with thee to carefully
> 
> page 166
> 
> scrutinize that which hath been revealed. The breezes
> of utterance in this Revelation are not to be compared
> with those of former ages. This Wronged One
> hath been perpetually afflicted, and found no place
> of safety in which He could peruse either the writings
> of the Most Exalted One (the Báb) or those of
> any one else. About two months after Our arrival
> in `Iráq, following the command of His Majesty the
> Sháh of Persia--may God assist him--Mírzá Yahyá
> joined Us. We said unto him: "In accordance with
> the Royal command We have been sent unto this
> place. It is advisable for thee to remain in Persia.
> We will send Our brother, Mírzá Músá, to some
> other place. As your names have not been mentioned
> in the Royal decree, you can arise and render some
> service." Subsequently, this Wronged One departed
> from Baghdád, and for two years withdrew from
> the world. Upon Our return, We found that he had
> not left, and had postponed his departure. This
> Wronged One was greatly saddened. God testifieth
> and beareth Us witness that We have, at all times,
> been busied with the propagation of this Cause.
> Neither chains nor bonds, stocks nor imprisonment,
> have succeeded in withholding Us from revealing
> Our Self. In that land We forbad all mischief, and
> all unseemly and unholy deeds. Day and night We
> sent forth Our Tablets in every direction. We had
> no other purpose except to edify the souls of men,
> and to exalt the blessed Word.
> 
> page 167
> 
> We especially appointed certain ones to collect the
> writings of the Primal Point. When this was accomplished,
> We summoned Mírzá Yahyá and Mírzá Vahháb-i-Khurásání,
> known as Mírzá Javád, to meet in
> a certain place. Conforming with Our instructions,
> they completed the task of transcribing two copies
> of the works of the Primal Point. I swear by God!
> This Wronged One, by reason of His constant association
> with men, hath not looked at these books, nor
> gazed with outward eyes on these writings. When
> We departed, these writings were in the possession of
> these two persons. It was agreed that Mírzá Yahyá
> should be entrusted with them, and proceed to Persia,
> and disseminate them throughout that land. This
> Wronged One proceeded, at the request of the Ministers
> of the Ottoman Government to their capital.
> When We arrived in Mosul, We found that Mírzá
> Yahyá had left before Us for that city, and was
> awaiting Us there. Briefly, the books and writings
> were left in Baghdád, while he himself proceeded to
> Constantinople and joined these servants. God beareth
> now witness unto the things which have touched
> this Wronged One, for after We had so arduously
> striven, he (Mírzá Yahyá) abandoned the writings
> and joined the exiles. This Wronged One was, for a
> long period, overwhelmed by infinite sorrows until
> such time when, in pursuance of measures of which
> none but the one true God is aware, We despatched
> the writings unto another place and another country,
> 
> page 168
> 
> owing to the fact that in `Iráq all documents must
> every month be carefully examined, lest they rot and
> perish. God, however, preserved them and sent them
> unto a place which He had previously ordained. He,
> verily, is the Protector, the Succorer.
> 
> Wherever this Wronged One went Mírzá Yahyá
> followed Him. Thou art thyself a witness and well
> knowest that whatever hath been said is the truth.
> The Siyyid of Isfahán, however, surreptitiously duped
> him. They committed that which caused the greatest
> consternation. Would that thou wouldst inquire from
> the officials of the government concerning the conduct
> of Mírzá Yahyá in that land. Aside from all
> this, I adjure thee by God, the One, the Incomparable,
> the Lord of Strength, the Most Powerful, to carefully
> look into the communications addressed in his name
> to the Primal Point, that thou mayest behold the
> evidences of Him Who is the Truth as clear as the
> sun. Likewise, there proceeded from the words of
> the Point of the Bayán--may--may the souls of all else but
> Him be sacrificed for His sake--that which no veil
> can obscure, and which neither the veils of glory nor
> the veils interposed by such as have gone astray can
> hide. The veils have, verily, been rent asunder by
> the finger of the will of thy Lord, the Strong, the
> All-Subduing, the All-Powerful. Yea, desperate is
> the state of such as have calumniated Me and envied
> Me. Not long ago it was stated that thou hadst
> ascribed the authorship of the Kitáb-i-Iqán and of
> 
> page 169
> 
> other Tablets unto others. I swear by God! This is
> a grievous injustice. Others are incapable of apprehending
> their meaning, how much more of revealing
> them!
> 
> Hasan-i-Mazindarání was the bearer of seventy
> Tablets. Upon his death, these were not delivered
> unto those for whom they were intended, but were
> entrusted to one of the sisters of this Wronged One,
> who, for no reason whatever, had turned aside from
> Me. God knoweth what befell His Tablets. This
> sister had never lived with Us. I swear by the Sun
> of Truth that after these things had happened she
> never saw Mírzá Yahyá, and remained unaware of
> Our Cause, for in those days she had been estranged
> from Us. She lived in one quarter, and this Wronged
> One in another. As a token, however, of Our loving-kindness,
> our affection and mercy, We, a few days
> prior to Our departure, visited her and her mother,
> that haply she might quaff from the living waters
> of faith, and attain unto that which would draw her
> nigh unto God, in this day. God well knoweth and
> beareth Me witness, and she herself testifieth, that I
> had no thought whatsoever except this. Finally, she
> --God be praised--attained unto this through His
> grace, and was adorned with the adornment of love.
> After We were exiled and had departed from `Iráq
> to Constantinople, however, news of her ceased to
> reach Us. Subsequent to Our separation in the Land
> of Tá (Tihrán), We ceased to meet Mírzá Ridá-Qulí,
> 
> page 170
> 
> Our brother, and no special news reached Us
> concerning her. In the early days we all lived in one
> house, which later on was sold at auction, for a negligible
> sum, and the two brothers, Farmán-Farmá
> and Hisamu's-Saltanih, purchased it and divided it
> between themselves. After this occurred, We separated
> from Our brother. He established his residence
> close to the entrance of Masjid-i-Sháh, whilst We
> lived near the Gate of Shimírán. Thereafter, however,
> that sister displayed toward Us, for no reason
> whatever, a hostile attitude. This Wronged One held
> His peace under all conditions. However, Our late
> brother Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan's's daughter--upon
> him be the glory of God and His peace and His mercy
> --who had been betrothed to the Most Great Branch
> (`Abdu'l-Bahá) was taken by the sister of this
> Wronged One from Núr to her own house, and from
> there sent unto another place. Some of Our companions
> and friends in various places complained
> against this, as it was a very grievous act, and was
> disapproved by all the loved ones of God. How
> strange that Our sister should have taken her to her
> own house, and then arranged for her to be sent elsewhere!
> In spite of this, this Wronged One remained,
> and still remaineth, calm and silent. A word, however,
> was said in order to tranquilize Our loved ones.
> God testifieth and beareth Me witness that whatever
> hath been said was the truth, and was spoken with
> sincerity. None of Our loved ones, whether in these
> 
> page 171
> 
> regions or in that country, could believe Our sister
> capable of an act so contrary to decency, affection and
> friendship. After such a thing had occurred, they,
> recognizing that the way had been barred, conducted
> themselves in a manner well-known unto thyself and
> others. It must be evident, therefore, how intense
> was the grief which this act inflicted upon this
> Wronged One. Later on, she threw in her lot with
> Mírzá Yahyá. Conflicting reports concerning her are
> now reaching Us, nor is it clear what she is saying
> or doing. We beseech God--blessed and glorified be
> He--to cause her to turn unto Him, and aid her
> to repent before the door of His grace. He, verily,
> is the Mighty, the Forgiving; and He is, in truth, the
> All-Powerful, the Pardoner.
> 
> In another connection He, likewise, saith: "Were
> He to appear this very moment, I would be the first
> to adore Him, and the first to bow down before
> Him." Be fair, O people! The purpose of the Most
> Exalted One (the Báb) was to insure that the proximity
> of the Revelation should not withhold men
> from the Divine and everlasting Law, even as the
> companions of John (the Baptist) were prevented
> from acknowledging Him Who is the Spirit (Jesus).
> Time and again He hath said: "Suffer not the Bayán
> and all that hath been revealed therein to withhold
> you from that Essence of Being and Lord of the
> visible and invisible." Should any one, considering
> this binding injunction, cling unto the Bayán, such a
> 
> page 172
> 
> one hath, verily, passed out of the shadow of the
> blessed and exalted Tree. Be fair, O people, and be
> not of the heedless.
> 
> And likewise, He saith: "Let not names shut you
> out as by a veil from Him Who is their Lord, even
> the name of Prophet, for such a name is but a creation
> of His utterance." And likewise, He, in the
> seventh chapter of the second Vahíd, saith: "O people
> of the Bayán! Act not as the people of the Qur'án
> have acted, for if ye do so, the fruits of your night
> will come to naught." And further, He saith--glorified
> be His mention: "If thou attainest unto His
> Revelation, and obeyest Him, thou wilt have revealed
> the fruit of the Bayán; if not, thou art unworthy of
> mention before God. Take pity upon thyself. If
> thou aidest not Him Who is the Manifestation of the
> Lordship of God, be not, then, a cause of sadness unto
> Him." And further He saith--magnified be His
> station: "If thou attainest not unto the Presence of
> God, grieve not, then, the Sign of God. Ye will renounce
> that which can profit them that acknowledge
> the Bayán, if ye renounce that which can harm Him.
> I know, however, that ye will refuse to do so."
> 
> O Hádí! Methinks it is by reason of these indubitable
> utterances that thou hast determined to blot
> out the Bayán. Give ear unto the voice of this
> Wronged One, and renounce this oppression that hath
> made the pillars of the Bayán to tremble. I have been
> neither in Chihríq nor in Máh-Ku. At the present time
> 
> page 173
> 
> statements have been circulated among thy disciples
> identical with those made by the Shí'ihs who have
> said that the Qur'án is unfinished. These people
> also contend that this Bayán is not the original one.
> The copy in the handwriting of Siyyid Husayn is
> extant, as is also the copy in the handwriting of Mírzá
> Ahmad.
> 
> Regardest thou as one wronged he who in this
> world was never dealt a single blow, and who was
> continually surrounded by five of the handmaidens
> of God? And imputest thou unto the True One,
> Who, from His earliest years until the present day,
> hath been in the hands of His enemies, and been tormented
> with the worst afflictions in the world, such
> charges as the Jews did not ascribe unto Christ?
> Hearken unto the voice of this Wronged One, and
> be not of them that are in utter loss.
> 
> And, likewise, He saith: "How many the fires
> which God converteth into light through Him Whom
> God shall make manifest; and how numerous the
> lights which are turned into fire through Him! I
> behold His appearance even as the sun in the midmost
> heaven, and the disappearance of all even as that of
> the stars of the night by day." Hast thou ears, O
> world, wherewith to hear the voice of the True One,
> and to judge equitably this Revelation Which, as soon
> as it appeared, Sinai exclaimed: "He that discoursed
> upon Me is come with evident signs and resplendent
> tokens, in spite of every heedless one that hath gone
> 
> page 174
> 
> far astray, and of every lying calumniator, who hath
> wished to quench the light of God with his calumnies,
> and blot out the signs of God through his
> malice. They, verily, are of such as have acted unjustly
> in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds."
> 
> And likewise, He saith: "The Bayán is from beginning
> to end the repository of all of His attributes,
> and the treasury of both His fire and His light."
> Great God! The soul is carried away by the fragrance
> of this utterance, inasmuch as He declareth, with
> infinite sadness, that which He perceiveth. Likewise,
> He saith to the Letter of the Living, Mullá Báqir--upon him be the glory of God and His loving-kindness:
> "Haply thou mayest in eight years, in the day
> of His Revelation, attain unto His Presence."
> 
> Know thou, O Hádí, and be of them that hearken.
> Judge thou equitably. The companions of God and
> the Testimonies of Him Who is the Truth have, for
> the most part, suffered martyrdom. Thou, however,
> art still alive. How is it that thou hast been spared?
> I swear by God! It is because of thy denial, whereas
> the martyrdom of the blessed souls was due to their
> confession. Every just and fair-minded person will
> bear witness unto this, inasmuch as the cause and
> motive of both are clear and evident as the sun.
> 
> And likewise He addresseth Dayyán, who was
> wronged and suffered martyrdom, saying: "Thou
> shalt recognize thy worth through the words of Him
> Whom God shall make manifest." He, likewise, hath
> 
> page 175
> 
> pronounced him to be the third Letter to believe in
> Him Whom God shall make manifest, through these
> words: "O thou who art the third Letter to believe
> in Him Whom God shall make manifest!" And likewise
> He saith: "Should God, however, be willing, He
> will make thee known through the words of Him
> Whom God shall make manifest." Dayyán, who,
> according to the words of Him Who is the Point--
> may the souls of all else but Him be sacrificed for
> His sake--is the repository of the trust of the one
> true God--exalted be His glory--and the treasury of
> the pearls of His knowledge, was made by them to
> suffer so cruel a martyrdom that the Concourse on
> high wept and lamented. He it is whom He (the
> Báb) had taught the hidden and preserved knowledge
> and entrusted him therewith, through His words:
> "O thou who art named Dayyán! This is a hidden
> and preserved Knowledge. We have entrusted it unto
> thee, and brought it to thee, as a mark of honor from
> God, inasmuch as the eye of thine heart is pure. Thou
> wilt appreciate its value, and wilt cherish its excellence.
> God, verily, hath deigned to bestow upon the
> Point of the Bayán a hidden and preserved Knowledge,
> the like of which God hath not sent down prior
> to this Revelation. More precious is it than any other
> knowledge in the estimation of God--glorified be He!
> He, verily, hath made it His testimony, even as He
> hath made the verses to be His testimony." This
> oppressed one, who was the repository of the knowledge
> 
> page 176
> 
> of God, together with Mírzá `Alí-Akbar, one
> of the relatives of the Primal Point--upon him be
> the glory of God and His mercy--and Abu'l-Qásim-i-Káshí
> and several others suffered martyrdom
> through the decree pronounced by Mírzá Yahyá.
> 
> O Hádí! His book which he hath entitled "Mustayqiz"
> is in thy possession. Read it. Although thou
> hast seen the book, peruse it again, that haply thou
> mayest obtain for thyself a lofty seat beneath the
> canopy of truth.
> 
> In like manner, Siyyid Ibráhím, concerning whom
> these words have flowed from the Pen of the Primal
> Point--magnified be His utterance: "O thou who
> art mentioned as My friend in My scriptures, and as
> My remembrance in My books, next to My scriptures,
> and as My name in the Bayán"--such a one, together
> with Dayyán, hath been surnamed by him (Mírzá
> Yahyá) Father of Iniquities and Father of Calamities.
> Judge thou fairly, how grievous hath been
> the plight of these oppressed ones, and this notwithstanding
> that one of them was occupied in serving
> him, whilst the other was his guest. Briefly, I swear
> by God, the deeds he committed were such that Our
> Pen is ashamed to recount.
> 
> Reflect a while upon the dishonor inflicted upon
> the Primal Point. Consider what hath happened.
> When this Wronged One, after a retirement of two
> years during which He wandered through the deserts
> and mountains, returned to Baghdád, as a result of
> the intervention of a few, who for a long time had
> 
> page 177
> 
> sought Him in the wilderness, a certain Mírzá
> Muhammad-`Alí of Rasht came to see Him, and
> related, before a large gathering of people, that which
> had been done, affecting the honor of the Báb, which
> hath truly overwhelmed all lands with sorrow. Great
> God! How could they have countenanced this most
> grievous betrayal? Briefly, We beseech God to aid
> the perpetrator of this deed to repent, and return
> unto Him. He, verily, is the Helper, the All-Wise.
> 
> As to Dayyán--upon him be the glory of God
> and His mercy--he attained Our presence in accordance
> with that which had been revealed by the pen
> of the Primal Point. We pray God to aid the heedless
> to turn unto Him, and such as have turned aside
> to direct themselves towards Him, and them that
> have denied Him to acknowledge this Cause, which,
> no sooner did it appear than all created things proclaimed:
> "He that was hidden in the Treasury of
> Knowledge, and inscribed by the Pen of the Most
> High in His Books, and His Scriptures, and His
> Scrolls, and His Tablets, is come!"
> 
> In this connection it hath been deemed necessary
> to mention such traditions as have been recorded
> regarding the blessed and honored city of Akká, that
> haply thou mayest, O Hádí, seek a path unto the
> Truth, and a road leading unto God.
> 
> In the name of God, the Compassionate, the
> Merciful.
> 
> The following hath been recorded concerning the
> 
> page 178
> 
> merits of Akká, and of the sea, and of Aynu'l-Baqár
> (The Spring of the Cow) which is in Akká:
> 
> `Abdu'l-`Azíz, son of `Abdu'-Salám, hath related
> unto us that the Prophet--may the blessings of God
> and His salutations be upon him--hath said: "Akká
> is a city in Syria to which God hath shown His
> special mercy."
> 
> Ibn-i-Mas'úd--may God be pleased with him--
> hath stated: "The Prophet--may the blessings of God
> and His salutations be upon Him--hath said: `Of
> all shores the best is the shore of Askelon, and Akká
> is, verily, better than Askelon, and the merit of Akká
> above that of Askelon and all other shores is as the
> merit of Muhammad above that of all other Prophets.
> I bring you tidings of a city betwixt two mountains
> in Syria, in the middle of a meadow, which is called
> Akká. Verily, he that entereth therein, longing for
> it and eager to visit it, God will forgive his sins, both
> of the past and of the future. And he that departeth
> from it, other than as a pilgrim, God will not bless
> his departure. In it is a spring called the Spring of
> the Cow. Whoso drinketh a draught therefrom, God
> will fill his heart with light, and will protect him
> from the most great terror on the Day of Resurrection.'"
> 
> Anas, son of Malík --may God be pleased with
> him--hath said: "The Apostle of God--may the
> blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him--
> hath said: `By the shore of the sea is a city, suspended
> 
> page 179
> 
> beneath the Throne, and named Akká. He that
> dwelleth therein, firm and expecting a reward from
> God--exalted be He--God will write down for him,
> until the Day of Resurrection, the recompense of such
> as have been patient, and have stood up, and knelt
> down, and prostrated themselves, before Him.'"
> 
> And He--may the blessings of God and His salutations
> be upon Him--hath said: "I announce unto
> you a city, on the shores of the sea, white, whose
> whiteness is pleasing unto God--exalted be He! It is
> called Akká. He that hath been bitten by one of
> its fleas is better, in the estimation of God, than he
> who hath received a grievous blow in the path of
> God. And he that raiseth therein the call to prayer,
> his voice will be lifted up unto Paradise. And he that
> remaineth therein for seven days in the face of the
> enemy, God will gather him with Khidr--peace be
> upon Him--and God will protect him from the
> most great terror on the Day of Resurrection." And
> He--may the blessings of God,--exalted be He--and
> His salutations be upon Him--hath said: "There are
> kings and princes in Paradise. The poor of Akká are
> the kings of Paradise and the princes thereof. A
> month in Akká is better than a thousand years elsewhere."
> 
> The Apostle of God--may the blessings of God
> and His salutations be upon Him--is reported to have
> said: "Blessed the man that hath visited Akká, and
> blessed he that hath visited the visitor of Akká.
> 
> page 180
> 
> Blessed the one that hath drunk from the Spring of
> the Cow and washed in its waters, for the black-eyed
> damsels quaff the camphor in Paradise, which hath
> come from the Spring of the Cow, and from the
> Spring of Salván (Siloam), and the Well of Zamzam.
> Well is it with him that hath drunk from these
> springs, and washed in their waters, for God hath forbidden
> the fire of hell to touch him and his body
> on the Day of Resurrection."
> 
> The Prophet--may the blessings of God and His
> salutations be upon Him--is stated to have said: "In
> Akká are works of supererogation and acts which
> are beneficial, which God vouchsafed specially unto
> whomsoever He pleaseth. And he that saith in Akká:
> `Glorified be God, and praise be unto God, and there
> is none other God but God, and most great is God,
> and there is no power nor strength except in God,
> the Exalted, the Mighty,' God will write down for
> him a thousand good deeds, and blot out from him
> a thousand evil deeds, and will uplift him a thousand
> grades in Paradise, and will forgive him his transgressions.
> And whoso saith in Akká: `I beg forgiveness
> of God,' God will forgive all his trespasses. And
> he that remembereth God in Akká at morn and at
> eventide, in the night-season and at dawn, is better
> in the sight of God than he who beareth swords, spears
> and arms in the path of God--exalted be He!"
> 
> The Apostle of God--may the blessings of God and
> His salutations be upon Him--hath also said: "He
> 
> page 181
> 
> that looketh upon the sea at eventide, and saith: `God
> is Most Great!' at sunset, God will forgive his sins,
> though they be heaped as piles of sand. And he that
> counteth forty waves, while repeating: `God is Most
> Great!'--exalted be He--God will forgive his sins,
> both past and future."
> 
> The Apostle of God--may the blessings of God and
> His salutations be upon Him--hath said: "He that
> looketh upon the sea a full night is better than he
> who passeth two whole months betwixt the Rukn
> and the Maqám. And he that hath been brought up
> on the shores of the sea is better than he that hath
> been brought up elsewhere. And he that lieth on the
> shore is as he that standeth elsewhere."
> 
> Verily, the Apostle of God--may the blessings of
> God, exalted be He, and His salutations be upon
> Him--hath spoken the truth.
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views85643 views since posted 1999-09-02; last edit 2026-01-14 18:49 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../bahaullah_epistle_son_wolf;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
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> BH00005
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> © BIC, public sharing permitted. See sources 1, 2, and 3.
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> — *Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (Used by permission of the curator)*