# Summons of the Lord of Hosts

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-20 — 1 clipping.*

---

> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Bahá'u'lláh, Summons of the Lord of Hosts, Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 2002, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Summons of the Lord of Hosts
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh
> 
> Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 2002
> 
> (Click to view by page and section or paragraph and section.)
> 
> -->
> 
> Contents
> 
> Introduction i
> 
> Suriy-i-Haykal/ Surih of the Temple 1
> Pope Pius IX 54
> Napoleon III 67
> Czar Alexander II 83
> Queen Victoria 88
> Nasiri'd-Din Shah/ Lawh-i-Sultan 96
> 
> Suriy-i-Ra'is 139
> 
> Lawh-i-Ra'is 159
> 
> Lawh-i-Fu'ad 175
> 
> Suriy-i-Muluk/ Surih to the Kings 183
> 
> Endnotes 237
> Note on the translation 241
> Key to passages translated
> by Shoghi Effendi 243
> Index 253
> 
> Introduction
> 
> The years following Bahá'u'lláh's arrival in Adrianople witnessed His
> Revelation's attainment, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, of ``its
> meridian glory'' through the proclamation of its Founder's message to
> the kings and rulers of the world. During this relatively brief but
> turbulent period of the Faith's history, and in the early years of His
> subsequent exile in 1868 to the fortress town of `Akká, He summoned
> the monarchs of East and West collectively, and some among them
> individually, to recognize the Day of God and to acknowledge the One
> promised in the scriptures of the religions professed by the
> recipients of His summons. ``Never since the beginning of the world'',
> Bahá'u'lláh declares, ``hath the Message been so openly proclaimed.''
> 
> The present volume brings together the first full, authorized English
> translation of these major writings. Among them is the complete
> Súriy-i-Haykal, the Súrih of the Temple, one of Bahá'u'lláh's most
> challenging works. It was originally revealed during His banishment to
> Adrianople and later recast after His arrival in `Akká. In this
> version He incorporated His messages addressed to individual
> potentates -- Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen
> Victoria, and Násiri'd-Dín Sháh.
> 
> It was this composite work which, shortly after its completion,
> Bahá'u'lláh instructed be written in the form of a pentacle,
> symbolizing the human temple. To it He added, as a conclusion, what
> Shoghi Effendi has described as ``words which reveal the importance He
> attached to those Messages, and indicate their direct association with
> the prophecies of the Old Testament'':
> 
> Thus have We built the Temple with the hands of power and might,
> could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised unto you in the
> Book. Draw ye nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth you, could
> ye but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples of the earth! Which is
> preferable, this, or a temple which is built of clay? Set your
> faces towards it. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the Help in
> Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
> 
> During the last years of His ministry Bahá'u'lláh Himself arranged for
> the publication for the first time of definitive versions of some of
> His principal works, and the Súriy-i-Haykal was awarded a prominent
> position among them.
> 
> Of the various writings that make up the Súriy-i-Haykal, one requires
> particular mention. The Lawh-i-Sultán, the Tablet to
> Násiri'd-Dín Sháh, Bahá'u'lláh's lengthiest epistle to
> any single sovereign, was revealed in the weeks immediately preceding
> His final banishment to `Akká. It was eventually delivered to the
> monarch by Badí`, a youth of seventeen, who had entreated Bahá'u'lláh
> for the honour of rendering some service. His efforts won him the
> crown of martyrdom and immortalized his name. The Tablet contains the
> celebrated passage describing the circumstances in which the divine
> call was communicated to Bahá'u'lláh and the effect it produced.
> Here, too, we find His unequivocal offer to meet with the Muslim
> clergy, in the presence of the Sháh, and to provide whatever
> proofs of the new Revelation they might consider to be definitive, a
> test of spiritual integrity significantly failed by those who claimed
> to be the authoritative trustees of the message of the Qur'án.
> 
> Included in this collection, as well, is the first full translation of
> the Súriy-i-Mulúk or Súrih of the Kings, which Shoghi Effendi
> described as ``the most momentous Tablet revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in
> which He, for the first time, directs His words collectively to the
> entire company of the monarchs of East and West''. It sets forth both
> the character of His mission and the standard of justice that must
> govern the exercise of their rule in this Day of God:
> 
> Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of the earth, and beware
> that ye transgress not the bounds which the Almighty hath
> fixed. Observe the injunctions laid upon you in His Book, and take
> good heed not to overstep their limits. Be vigilant, that ye may
> not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of
> mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is
> the straight path.
> 
> The Tablet introduces some of the great themes that were to figure
> prominently in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh over the next two and a
> half decades: the obligation of those into whose hands God has
> entrusted civil authority to institute the reign of justice, the
> necessity for the reduction of armaments and the resolution of
> conflicts among nations, and an end to the excessive expenditures that
> were impoverishing these rulers' subjects.
> 
> Surveying the principal contents of Bahá'u'lláh's majestic call to the
> kings and rulers of the world, Shoghi Effendi has written:
> 
> The magnitude and diversity of the theme, the cogency of the
> argument, the sublimity and audacity of the language, arrest our
> attention and astound our minds. Emperors, kings and princes,
> chancellors and ministers, the Pope himself, priests, monks and
> philosophers, the exponents of learning, parliamentarians and
> deputies, the rich ones of the earth, the followers of all
> religions, and the people of Bahá -- all are brought within the
> purview of the Author of these Messages, and receive, each
> according to their merits, the counsels and admonitions they
> deserve. No less amazing is the diversity of the subjects touched
> upon in these Tablets. The transcendent majesty and unity of an
> unknowable and unapproachable God is extolled, and the oneness of
> His Messengers proclaimed and emphasized. The uniqueness, the
> universality and potentialities of the Bahá'í Faith are stressed,
> and the purpose and character of the Bábí Revelation unfolded.
> 
> The summary draws attention to Bahá'u'lláh's uncompromising indictment
> of the conditions of human society for which its leadership is held
> primarily responsible:
> 
> Episodes, at once moving and marvellous, at various stages of His
> ministry, are recounted, and the transitoriness of worldly pomp,
> fame, riches, and sovereignty, repeatedly and categorically
> asserted. Appeals for the application of the highest principles in
> human and international relations are forcibly and insistently
> made, and the abandonment of discreditable practices and
> conventions, detrimental to the happiness, the growth, the
> prosperity and the unity of the human race, enjoined. Kings are
> censured, ecclesiastical dignitaries arraigned, ministers and
> plenipotentiaries condemned, and the identification of His advent
> with the coming of the Father Himself unequivocally admitted and
> repeatedly announced. The violent downfall of a few of these kings
> and emperors is prophesied, two of them are definitely challenged,
> most are warned, all are appealed to and exhorted.
> 
> In a Tablet, the original of which has been lost, Bahá'u'lláh had
> already condemned, in the severest terms, the misrule of the Ottoman
> Sultán `Abdu'l-`Azíz. The present volume includes, however,
> three other Tablets which address two ministers of the Sultán,
> whose selfish and unprincipled influence played an important role in
> Bahá'u'lláh's successive banishments. The Súriy-i-Ra'ís, which
> addresses `Alí Páshá, the Ottoman Prime Minister, was revealed
> in August 1868 as the exiles were being moved from Adrianople to
> Gallipoli, and exposes unsparingly the abuse of civil power the
> minister had perpetrated. The Lawh-i-Ra'ís, which also contains
> passages directed to `Alí Páshá, was revealed shortly after
> Bahá'u'lláh's incarceration in the citadel of `Akká and includes a
> chilling denunciation of the character of the Minister. The third
> Tablet, the Lawh-i-Fu'ád, revealed in 1869 shortly after the
> death of Fu'ád Páshá, the Ottoman Minister to whose
> machinations it refers, describes the spiritual consequences of the
> abuse of power, and foretells the imminent downfall of his colleague,
> `Alí Páshá, and the overthrow of the Sultán himself --
> prophecies that were widely circulated and whose dramatic fulfilment
> added greatly to the prestige of their Author.
> 
> It seems especially appropriate, as Bahá'u'lláh's influence penetrates
> ever more deeply the life of the larger society throughout the world,
> that the full texts of these great Tablets should now be available for
> a broad readership. We express to the committees who were
> commissioned to undertake and review these translations the deep
> gratitude we feel for the care and sensitivity they have brought to
> the task. Bahá'ís will recognize key passages from several of the
> Tablets that were introduced to the West by Shoghi Effendi. His
> translations into English of the Bahá'í Holy Texts provide an enduring
> standard for the efforts of those who rise to the challenge of
> preparing appropriate renderings into English of these treasures of
> the Faith.
> 
> The Universal House of Justice
> 
> Click on any of the numbers below to go to a page of Summons of the Lord of Hosts (or visit this Contents page for finding a listing of paragraph numbers):
> 
> Title
> Contents
> Introduction
> 
> i
> ii
> iii
> iv
> v
> vi
> vii
> 
> Súriy-i-Haykal
> 1
> 3
> 4
> 5
> 6
> 7
> 8
> 9
> 10
> 11
> 12
> 13
> 14
> 15
> 16
> 17
> 18
> 
> 19
> 20
> 21
> 22
> 23
> 24
> 25
> 26
> 27
> 28
> 29
> 30
> 31
> 32
> 33
> 34
> 35
> 36
> 37
> 38
> 39
> 40
> 41
> 42
> 43
> 44
> 45
> 46
> 47
> 
> 48
> 49
> 50
> 51
> 52
> 53
> 
> Pope Pius IX
> 54
> 55
> 56
> 57
> 58
> 59
> 60
> 61
> 62
> 63
> 64
> 65
> 66
> 
> Napoleon
> 67
> 68
> 69
> 70
> 71
> 72
> 73
> 74
> 75
> 76
> 77
> 78
> 79
> 80
> 81
> 82
> 
> Czar Alexander II
> 
> 83
> 84
> 85
> 86
> 87
> 
> Queen Victoria
> 
> 88
> 89
> 90
> 91
> 92
> 93
> 94
> 95
> 
> Násiri'd-Dín Sháh
> 96
> 
> 97
> 98
> 99
> 100
> 101
> 102
> 103
> 104
> 105
> 106
> 107
> 108
> 
> 109
> 110
> 111
> 112
> 113
> 114
> 115
> 116
> 117
> 118
> 119
> 120
> 121
> 122
> 
> 123
> 124
> 125
> 126
> 127
> 128
> 
> 129
> 130
> 131
> 132
> 133
> 134
> 135
> 136
> 137
> 
> Súriy-i-Ra'ís
> 139
> 141
> 142
> 143
> 144
> 145
> 146
> 147
> 148
> 149
> 150
> 151
> 152
> 153
> 154
> 155
> 156
> 157
> 
> Lawh-i-Ra'ís
> 
> 159
> 161
> 162
> 163
> 164
> 165
> 166
> 167
> 168
> 169
> 170
> 171
> 172
> 173
> 
> Lawh-i-Fu'ád
> 
> 175
> 177
> 178
> 179
> 180
> 181
> 
> Súriy-i-Mulúk
> 
> 183
> 185
> 186
> 187
> 188
> 189
> 190
> 191
> 192
> 193
> 194
> 195
> 196
> 197
> 198
> 
> 199
> 200
> 201
> 202
> 203
> 204
> 205
> 206
> 207
> 208
> 209
> 210
> 211
> 212
> 213
> 214
> 215
> 216
> 
> 217
> 218
> 219
> 220
> 221
> 222
> 
> 223
> 224
> 225
> 226
> 227
> 228
> 229
> 
> 230
> 231
> 232
> 233
> 234
> 235
> 
> Endnotes
> 237
> 238
> 239
> 
> 240
> 
> Note on the Translation
> 241
> 
> Key to Passages Translated by Shoghi Effendi
> 243
> 244
> 245
> 246
> 247
> 248
> 249
> 
> 250
> 251
> 252
> 
> Click on any of the numbers below to go to a paragraph of Summons of the Lord of Hosts:
> 
> Title
> Contents
> 
> Introduction (by page only)
> 
> i
> ii
> iii
> iv
> v
> vi
> vii
> 
> Súriy-i-Haykal
> 
> 1
> 2
> 3
> 4
> 5
> 6
> 7
> 8
> 9
> 10
> 11
> 12
> 13
> 14
> 15
> 16
> 17
> 18
> 
> 19
> 20
> 21
> 22
> 23
> 24
> 25
> 26
> 27
> 28
> 29
> 30
> 31
> 32
> 33
> 34
> 35
> 36
> 37
> 38
> 39
> 40
> 41
> 42
> 43
> 44
> 45
> 46
> 47
> 
> 48
> 49
> 50
> 51
> 52
> 53
> 54
> 55
> 56
> 57
> 58
> 59
> 60
> 61
> 62
> 63
> 64
> 65
> 66
> 67
> 68
> 69
> 70
> 71
> 72
> 73
> 74
> 75
> 76
> 77
> 78
> 79
> 80
> 81
> 82
> 83
> 84
> 85
> 86
> 87
> 88
> 89
> 90
> 91
> 92
> 93
> 94
> 95
> 96
> 
> 97
> 98
> 99
> 100
> 101
> 
> Pope Pius IX
> 
> 102
> 103
> 104
> 105
> 106
> 107
> 108
> 
> 109
> 110
> 111
> 112
> 113
> 114
> 115
> 116
> 117
> 118
> 119
> 120
> 121
> 122
> 
> 123
> 124
> 125
> 126
> 127
> 128
> 
> 129
> 130
> 
> Napoleon
> 
> 131
> 132
> 133
> 134
> 135
> 136
> 137
> 138
> 139
> 140
> 141
> 
> 142
> 143
> 144
> 145
> 146
> 147
> 148
> 149
> 150
> 151
> 152
> 153
> 154
> 155
> 156
> 157
> 
> Czar Alexander II
> 
> 158
> 159
> 160
> 161
> 162
> 163
> 164
> 165
> 166
> 167
> 168
> 169
> 
> 170
> 
> Queen Victoria
> 
> 171
> 172
> 173
> 174
> 175
> 176
> 177
> 178
> 179
> 180
> 181
> 182
> 183
> 184
> 185
> 
> Násiri'd-Dín Sháh
> 
> 186
> 187
> 188
> 189
> 190
> 191
> 192
> 193
> 194
> 195
> 196
> 197
> 198
> 
> 199
> 200
> 201
> 202
> 203
> 204
> 205
> 206
> 207
> 208
> 209
> 210
> 211
> 212
> 213
> 214
> 215
> 216
> 
> 217
> 218
> 219
> 220
> 221
> 222
> 
> 223
> 224
> 225
> 226
> 227
> 228
> 229
> 
> 230
> 231
> 232
> 233
> 234
> 235
> 236
> 237
> 238
> 239
> 
> 240
> 241
> 242
> 
> 243
> 244
> 245
> 246
> 247
> 248
> 249
> 
> 250
> 251
> 252
> 253
> 254
> 255
> 256
> 257
> 258
> 259
> 260
> 
> 261
> 262
> 263
> 264
> 265
> 266
> 267
> 
> 268
> 269
> 270
> 271
> 272
> 273
> 274
> 275
> 276
> 
> Súriy-i-Ra'ís
> 
> 1
> 2
> 3
> 4
> 5
> 6
> 7
> 8
> 9
> 10
> 11
> 12
> 13
> 14
> 15
> 16
> 17
> 18
> 19
> 20
> 21
> 22
> 23
> 24
> 25
> 26
> 27
> 28
> 29
> 30
> 31
> 32
> 33
> 34
> 35
> 36
> 37
> 38
> 39
> 40
> 41
> 
> Lawh-i-Ra'ís
> 
> 1
> 2
> 3
> 4
> 5
> 6
> 7
> 8
> 9
> 10
> 11
> 12
> 13
> 14
> 15
> 16
> 17
> 18
> 19
> 20
> 21
> 22
> 23
> 24
> 25
> 26
> 27
> 28
> 29
> 
> Lawh-i-Fu'ád
> 
> 1
> 2
> 3
> 4
> 5
> 6
> 7
> 8
> 9
> 10
> 11
> 12
> 13
> 14
> 15
> 16
> 17
> 18
> 19
> 20
> 21
> 
> Súriy-i-Mulúk
> 
> 1
> 2
> 3
> 4
> 5
> 6
> 7
> 8
> 9
> 10
> 11
> 12
> 13
> 14
> 15
> 16
> 17
> 18
> 
> 19
> 20
> 21
> 22
> 23
> 24
> 25
> 26
> 27
> 28
> 29
> 30
> 31
> 32
> 33
> 34
> 35
> 36
> 37
> 38
> 39
> 40
> 41
> 42
> 43
> 44
> 45
> 46
> 47
> 
> 48
> 49
> 50
> 51
> 52
> 53
> 54
> 55
> 56
> 57
> 58
> 59
> 60
> 61
> 62
> 63
> 64
> 65
> 66
> 67
> 68
> 69
> 70
> 71
> 72
> 73
> 74
> 75
> 76
> 77
> 78
> 79
> 80
> 81
> 82
> 83
> 84
> 85
> 86
> 87
> 88
> 89
> 90
> 91
> 92
> 93
> 94
> 95
> 96
> 
> 97
> 98
> 99
> 100
> 101
> 102
> 103
> 104
> 105
> 106
> 107
> 108
> 
> 109
> 110
> 111
> 112
> 113
> 114
> 115
> 116
> 117
> 118
> 
> Endnotes (by page only)
> 237
> 238
> 239
> 
> 240
> 
> Note on the Translation (by page only)
> 241
> 
> Key to Passages Translated by Shoghi Effendi (by page only)
> 243
> 244
> 245
> 246
> 247
> 248
> 249
> 
> 250
> 251
> 252
> 
> -->
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views27320 views since posted 2002-05-15; last edit 2025-12-18 15:58 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../bahaullah_summons_lord_hosts;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
> Inventory #
> BH00007, BH00347, BH00259, BH01042, BH00662, BH00038, BH00260, BH00269, BH01494, BH00021
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> © BIC, public sharing permitted. See sources 1, 2, and 3.
> History
> Formatted 2002 by John Wiegley.
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> — *Summons of the Lord of Hosts (Used by permission of the curator)*