Tablet of Joseph (Lawh-i Yusuf)
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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, Tablet of Joseph (Lawh-i Yusuf), bahai-library.com.
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Tablet of Joseph (Lawh-i Yusuf)

Bahá'u'lláh

Anton Haddad, translator
published in Untitled 1904 compilationVolume 1, pp. 1-8

New York: Bahá'í Board of Counsel, 1904-02-19

Cover Letter

New York Feb. 19, 1904.

NOTICE

We send you herewith the first instalment of matter about which we
wrote you a week or two ago. It is intended to divide this in five parts, as
follows:

Vol. 1 Long Tablets by the Manifestation.

Vol. 2 Tablets to the Kings and short Tablets by the Manifestation.

Vol. 3 Tablets from the Master, Abdul Baha.

Vol. 4 Writings, lectures, etc., by Believers.

Vol. 5. News letters and information regarding the Cause.

Covers will be sent you for each volume, so they can be kept separately and
can be easily referred to.

If you know of any one who desires the matter sent to them kindly send their
name and address, or have them write to C. E. Sprague, Pub. Agt., 191 William
St., New York, and the name will be placed on the list.

Yours in God's Cause,

The New York Bahai Board of Counsel.

[Page 1]

THE TABLET OF JOSEPH

Revealed by Baha'Ullah.

The Tongue of God utters (this) in Persian words:

O Joseph! My Demonstration was brought to Its fullness and completion for all
who are in heaven and on earth before I made Myself known, because It appeared
with such wonderful condition that no one could find a way to delay or
oppose.

Meditate upon the nations of former ages and why they were excluded from
approaching the Shore of God and prevented from the Beauty of His Eternal
Majesty. If thou lookest with clear insight (iron sight), thou wilt perceive
that all are deprived of the of the Bounty of God on account of the veils of
words, imaginations, and invented proofs. In the Day of God, though the Beauty
of God was like the sun in heaven, shining and radiating, still they were
veiled on account of their superstitions and imaginations. Notwithstanding
that they had been commanded in all the Tablets not to cling to anything
created between earth and Heaven in the time of the Manifestation, but to
adhere only to the Root of the Cause and that which is manifested through Him,
yet they deviated from the Right Path and adhered to the idea that the way to
know God (Who is exalted and holy above all) depends upon believing or
disbelieving the people. Woe upon them, being remote from God because of their
willingness to know God through that which is beside Him! This is impossible,
because the Ancient

2

Essence is known (only) by Himself, and all things which are known are made
possible (only) through that which flows from the Pen of His Command. Exalted
is He, that He should be known through that which is beside Him because,
verily, all else but Him was created as thou art.

In this day all those on earth and in heaven are viewed (by God) as being in
one region. Every soul which is wholly cut from all else save God and is
soaring to the Heaven of the knowledge of God, is and will be of those who are
faithful to God and of His saints, even though they should not be known by
others; and the soul which rejects will be considered as one of the lowest of
the creatures in the sight of God, even though he should be of the chiefs among
the people, because God (exalted is His mention) hath never been and never will
be related or attributed to any one of the creatures. All people were created
alike by the Breath of His order, and loftiness, exaltation and debasement
appeared among the people after they had been created. Every soul who accepts
the Word of God while hearing It, verily, is of the inhabitants of the Supreme
Kingdom and of the confirmed ones in the Paradise of ABHA, and those who do not
(accept) are mentioned as the people of Hades.

In this day he who desires to be in relationship with the Tree of the Cause,
must withdraw himself from all that is in heaven and upon earth and advance
toward the Great Aspect with a pure and shining heart and a sanctified soul.
If any soul desires to know God (exalted

3

is His Majesty) through other means, he will never succeed, and will never
understand, because all beside Him are limited with (evident) limitations of
possibilities and are brought into existence by (His) power of creation.
Through that which is created and limited the Essence of the Ancient was not
and never will be known.

Hear the Lordly commandments and the tones of the Eternal Holiness, and turn
from the left hand of uncertainty and superstition to the Right Hand of
Assurance. Ponder carefully with thine insight upon the Godly Manifestations
and the conditions of Eternal Holiness. Cleanse the eye from unsatisfying
views that thou mayest see the Manifestations of the Majestic Oneness in
everything. Purify thine ear from the saying of all the people, that thou
mayest hear the Holy and Godly tones from all directions, and sanctify thy
heart from the confused, wordy allusions of the past that thou mayest perceive
the plain, direct, wonderful words revealed, and victoriously succeed to the
Stream of Eternal Holiness and the Pure Wine which has no lineness [sic,
likeness?]. This is the command of JAMAL EL QUEDAM (The Beauty of the Ancient)
to thee.

Concerning what thou hast asked as to the beginning of the Creation, its end,
assembling, resurrection, path, paradise and fire, know verily that all are
true and there is no doubt about them, and he who is faithful and has clear
insight can see with his inward and outward eyes all these ranks and stations
in every time, because such an one will not be, in any time, prevented

4

from the Bounty, neither excluded from what he wishes.

If thou soarest unto the Heaven of Godly Bounty, thou shalt see the Sign of
God manifested in all manners of things brought into existence in every time,
whether of the past or the future; because, verily, the Bounty of God hath
never been nor ever will be specialized in any one thing.

The explanation of what God intended by the (words) Assembling, Resurrection,
Paradise, Fire, etc., which are mentioned in the Godly Tablets, is found only
and especially at the time of the Manifestation; for example, at the time of
the Manifestation the Toungue [sic] of God utters the Word, and through the
Word which comes forth from his mouth, the Paradise, Fire, Assembling,
Resurrection, Oath and all that thou hast asked, and that which thou hast not,
will be disclosed and manifested.

Every soul who sincerely accepts the Word (of God) hath verily passed through
the (Right Path) and succeeded in approaching the Paradise of (God's Pleasure),
and hath assembled with those who are near to God --- the chosen ones.

He, in the Presence of God, will be considered as one of the inhabitants of
the Paradise and of the confirmed ones of the Supreme Kingdom; and every soul
that rejects is in fire and considered as one of those who are in relationship
with denial and Sejjin (Hades) and assembled in the shadow of the
polytheists.

5

That which has (just) been mentioned, represents all these stations, which in
the time of the Manifestation appear through the Word.

But the souls who succeed in attaining the Pleasure of God and believing in
His Cause, will gain the reward of their deeds in the world to come, after
their spirits leave their bodies. Because all seen things in this world are
not ready (nor able) to bear more than that (which has been given to them).

Though the worlds of God are circulating around this world, yet for each soul
in any of these worlds (there is) a fixed and preordained command.

Do not think (or imagine) that anything mentioned in the Books of God is false
or foolish; (Verily), God is exalted above all that.

I swear by the Sun of the Horizon of the Meanings, that there are for ever and
ever many Godly Paradises which have no equal nor comparison.

In (this) the first life the meaning of Paradise is pleasing God and
(believing) entering His Cause!

But after departing from this world the faithful ones will enter into
paradises which have no likeness and will enjoy winning graces which are beyond
comprehension; verily those paradises are the fruits of their deeds which they
have accomplished in this world.

Dost thou not see that if any one of God's creatures serves another, or
performs work for him, he receives his reward and compensation for it? Then
how can it be said that the All-Generous commandeth his creatures (to do
according to) His Ordinances and after that

6

excluded them from His Mercy?

Praised is He, and Praised is He about that; Exalted is He and Exalted is He
above what the creatures imagine about Him!

In this day, all these ranks (asked about) are witnessed; therefore is the
soul blessed who victoriously succeedeth in attaining the Paradise of ABHA,
which is was and ever will be the Supreme of all Paradises.

If purified ears and matured souls shall be found, then, continually will be
mentioned that which is from the Wonderful Bounty of God, that all may be
purified and emptied of all that they perceived, understood or witnessed; and
advanced toward the highest Aspect.

But of what benefit is this! Since through all the training of the Point of
Bian, (the souls of all beside Him be a sacrifice for Him!) these creatures
have not progressed from the seed to the first station of the embryo,
therefore, when will they reach the condition of the body? And beside all
these there are several stations which have not been mentioned. Woe upon those
who changed the Grace of God that was bestowed upon them so that by their being
in existence, the Heaven of Meanings was prevented from mentioning them, (the
stations) and their conditions!

Thus ponder carefully upon the condition of these creatures and be one of the

witnesses.

The Paradise and the Fire in the apparent life, were and will ever be the
acceptance and the rejection; and

7

after the ascension of the spirit, there are Paradises which have no equal --
and also Fire which has no likeness, which are the fruits of the deeds of the
advancer and the opposer, who will be in such condition; but no soul understood
or ever will understand these stations save God.

And for the faithful one (the believer) many stations were created above what
was heard; this is from the wonderful gifts of God, which are prepared in the
Paradise of Everlasting Majesty. In the same way stations were created for the
denier of eternal and everlasting torment beyond what was heard.

Heareby We bear witness that the Path is lifted up in Truth, the Balance is
laid in Justice, the Manifestations assembled, the Hidden issies [sic, issues?]
disclosed, the Clarion pealed, the Trumpet sounded, the Fire burst forth, the
Paradise approached nearer, the Proclaimer announced, the Heavens roller [sic]
together as a scroll, the Ground leveled, the Breeze of God wafted, the Spirit
of God sent, the Beauteous damsels adorned, the Youths beautified, the Mansions
assured, the securities of the upper apartments (of Paradise) inlaid with
precious stones, the Waters overflowed, the Fruits hung low (so as to be easily
gathered), the Fruits plucked, the Texts revealed, the Deeds of the deniers
effaced, the Deeds of the Advancers confirmed, the Tablet which was kept in
Heaven manifested in Truth, the Written Tablet pronounced with Authority, and
the Desired One of all existence, The Beloved of all creatures, the
worshipped

8

of those on earth and in Heaven, hath been manifested in the Temple of a Youth,
while the tongue of everything declares, "Verily, blessed is God, the Creator
of the Creators."

O My servant! O Joseph! hear the Tones of God, and do not compare this Day
with any other day, neither the Wonderful Sweet Words of God with any other
words; look to the apparent matters with thine own eye, and do not follow
anyone in knowing the Greatest and Brilliant ORB.

In this Day, the beloved of God must not hesitate or delay an instant in
teaching the Cause of the Manifestation; and must summon the people
continually, with good admonitions and conciliating words, to the Religion of
Majestic Oneness; because verily, in this Day, to the soul who is the cause of
guidance to another soul, the recompense of a Martyr in the way of God will be
assuredly recorded by the Pen of the Cause for his deed.

This is from the Bounty of God unto the (servants) teachers. Do according to
what thou has been commanded and do not be of those who tarry.

And EL-BAHA is upon thee and upon those who are with thee, if thou art
steadfast in this Sublime and Most Exalted Cause.

(Translation by Anton Haddad).

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previous at archive.org.../bahaullah_lawh_yusuf;
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BH00258
Language
English
Permission
public domain
History
Typed 2000 by Sen McGlinn; Proofread 2000 by Thellie Lovejoy.
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-- Tablet of Joseph (Lawh-i Yusuf) (Used by permission of the curator)