KITAB-I-'AHD

(Book of the Covenant)

ALTHOUGH the Realm of Glory hath none of the

vanities of the world, yet within the treasury of

trust and resignation We have bequeathed to Our

heirs an excellent and priceless heritage. Earthly

treasures We have not bequeathed, nor have We added

such cares as they entail. By God! In earthly riches fear is

hidden and peril is concealed. Consider ye and call to mind

that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur'an:

`Woe betide every slanderer and defamer, him that layeth

up riches and counteth them.' Fleeting are the riches of the

world; all that perisheth and changeth is not, and hath

never been, worthy of attention, except to a recognized

measure.

The aim of this Wronged One in sustaining woes and

tribulations, in revealing the Holy Verses and in demonstrating

proofs hath been naught but to quench the flame of

hate and enmity, that the horizon of the hearts of men may

be illumined with the light of concord and attain real peace

and tranquillity. From the dawning-place of the divine

Tablet the day-star of this utterance shineth resplendent,

and it behoveth everyone to fix his gaze upon it: We

exhort you, O peoples of the world, to observe that which

will elevate your station. Hold fast to the fear of God and

firmly adhere to what is right. Verily I say, the tongue is

for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly

talk. God hath forgiven what is past. Henceforward everyone

should utter that which is meet and seemly, and should

refrain from slander, abuse and whatever causeth sadness in

men. Lofty is the station of man! Not long ago this exalted

Word streamed forth from the treasury of Our Pen of

Glory: Great and blessed is this Day--the Day in which all

that lay latent in man hath been and will be made manifest.

Lofty is the station of man, were he to hold fast to righteousness

and truth and to remain firm and steadfast in the

Cause. In the eyes of the All-Merciful a true man appeareth

even as a firmament; its sun and moon are his sight and

hearing, and his shining and resplendent character its stars.

His is the loftiest station, and his influence educateth the

world of being.

Every receptive soul who hath in this Day inhaled the

fragrance of His garment and hath, with a pure heart, set

his face towards the all-glorious Horizon is reckoned

among the people of Baha in the Crimson Book. Grasp ye,

in My Name, the chalice of My loving-kindness, drink

then your fill in My glorious and wondrous remembrance.

O ye that dwell on earth! The religion of God is for love

and unity; make it not the cause of enmity or dissension.

In the eyes of men of insight and the beholders of the Most

Sublime Vision, whatsoever are the effective means for

safeguarding and promoting the happiness and welfare of

the children of men have already been revealed by the Pen

of Glory. But the foolish ones of the earth, being nurtured

in evil passions and desires, have remained heedless of the

consummate wisdom of Him Who is, in truth, the All-Wise,

while their words and deeds are prompted by idle

fancies and vain imaginings.

O ye the loved ones and the trustees of God! Kings are

the manifestations of the power, and the daysprings of the

might and riches, of God. Pray ye on their behalf. He hath

invested them with the rulership of the earth and hath

singled out the hearts of men as His Own domain.

Conflict and contention are categorically forbidden in

His Book. This is a decree of God in this Most Great Revelation.

It is divinely preserved from annulment and is invested

by Him with the splendour of His confirmation. Verily He

is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

It is incumbent upon everyone to aid those daysprings

of authority and sources of command who are adorned

with the ornament of equity and justice. Blessed are the

rulers and the learned among the people of &Baha. They are

My trustees among My servants and the manifestations

of My commandments amidst My people. Upon them rest

My glory, My blessings and My grace which have pervaded

the world of being. In this connection the utterances

revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas are such that from the

horizon of their words the light of divine grace shineth

luminous and resplendent.

O ye My Branches! A mighty force, a consummate

power lieth concealed in the world of being. Fix your gaze

upon it and upon its unifying influence, and not upon the

differences which appear from it.

The Will of the divine Testator is this: It is incumbent

upon the Aghsan, the Afnan and My Kindred to turn, one

and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider

that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy

Book: `When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and

the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward

Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched

from this Ancient Root.' The object of this sacred verse is

none other except the Most Mighty Branch [Abdu'l-Baha].

Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our

potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful.

Verily God hath ordained the station of the

Greater Branch [Muhammad Ali] to be beneath that of

the Most Great Branch [Abdu'l-Baha]. He is in truth the

Ordainer, the All-Wise. We have chosen `the Greater' after

`the Most Great', as decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing,

the All-Informed.

It is enjoined upon everyone to manifest love towards the

Aghsan, but God hath not granted them any right to the

property of others.

O ye My Aghsan, My Afnan and My Kindred! We

exhort you to fear God, to perform praiseworthy deeds and

to do that which is meet and seemly and serveth to exalt

your station. Verily I say, fear of God is the greatest commander

that can render the Cause of God victorious, and

the hosts which best befit this commander have ever been

and are an upright character and pure and goodly deeds.

Say: O servants! Let not the means of order be made the

cause of confusion and the instrument of union an occasion

for discord. We fain would hope that the people of Baha

may be guided by the blessed words: `Say: all things are of

God.' This exalted utterance is like unto water for quenching

the fire of hate and enmity which smouldereth within

the hearts and breasts of men. By this single utterance contending

peoples and kindreds will attain the light of true

unity. Verily He speaketh the truth and leadeth the way.

He is the All-Powerful, the Exalted, the Gracious.

It is incumbent upon everyone to show courtesy to, and

have regard for the Aghsan, that thereby the Cause of God

may be glorified and His Word exalted. This injunction

hath time and again been mentioned and recorded in the

Holy Writ. Well is it with him who is enabled to achieve

that which the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days hath prescribed

for him. Ye are bidden moreover to respect the

members of the Holy Household, the Afnan and the

kindred. We further admonish you to serve all nations and

to strive for the betterment of the world.

That which is conducive to the regeneration of the

world and the salvation of the peoples and kindreds of the

earth hath been sent down from the heaven of the utterance

of Him Who is the Desire of the world. Give ye a

hearing ear to the counsels of the Pen of Glory. Better is

this for you than all that is on the earth. Unto this beareth

witness My glorious and wondrous Book.

LAWH-I-ARD-I-BA

(Tablet of the Land of Ba)

PRAISE be to Him Who hath honoured the Land

of Ba through the presence of Him round

Whom all names revolve. All the atoms of the

earth have announced unto all created things

that from behind the gate of the Prison-city there hath

appeared and above its horizon there hath shone forth the

Orb of the beauty of the great, the Most Mighty Branch of

God--His ancient and immutable Mystery--proceeding

on its way to another land. Sorrow, thereby, hath enveloped

this Prison-city, whilst another land rejoiceth.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted is our Lord, the Fashioner

of the heavens and the Creator of all things, He through

Whose sovereignty the doors of the prison were opened,

thereby causing what was promised aforetime in the

Tablets to be fulfilled. He is verily potent over what He

willeth, and in His grasp is the dominion of the entire

creation. He is the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Blessed, doubly blessed, is the ground which His footsteps

have trodden, the eye that hath been cheered by the

beauty of His countenance, the ear that hath been honoured

by hearkening to His call, the heart that hath tasted the

sweetness of His love, the breast that hath dilated through

His remembrance, the pen that hath voiced His praise, the

scroll that hath borne the testimony of His writings. We

beseech God--blessed and exalted be He--that He may

honour us with meeting Him soon. He is, in truth, the All-Hearing,

the All-Powerful, He Who is ready to answer.

EXCERPTS FROM OTHER

TABLETS

GOD testifieth that there is none other God but

Him and that He Who hath come from the

heaven of divine revelation is the Hidden Secret,

the Impenetrable Mystery, Whose advent hath

been foretold in the Book of God and hath been heralded

by His Prophets and Messengers. Through Him the

mysteries have been unravelled, the veils rent asunder and

the signs and evidences disclosed. Lo! He hath now been

made manifest. He bringeth to light whatsoever He

willeth, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, invested

with transcendent majesty and power.

Blessed is that strong one who will shatter the gods of

vain imaginings through the potency of the Name of his

Lord, He Who ruleth over all men.

O My Afnan! We would fain mention thy name as a

token of grace on Our part, that the sweet savours of

My remembrance may attract thee unto My Kingdom

and draw thee nigh unto the Tabernacle of My majesty

which hath been hoisted through the power of this

Name--a Name which hath caused every foundation to

tremble.

Say: O peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of

God! Whatever ye have been promised in the Books of

your Lord, the Ruler of the Day of Return, hath appeared

and been made manifest. Beware lest the changes and

chances of the world hold you back from Him Who is the

Sovereign Truth. Ere long will everything visible perish

and only that which hath been revealed by God, the Lord

of lords, shall endure.

Say: This is the Day of meritorious deeds, did ye but

know it. This is the Day of the glorification of God and of

the exposition of His Word, could ye but perceive it.

Abandon the things current amongst men and hold fast

unto that which God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting,

hath enjoined upon you. The day is fast approaching when

all the treasures of the earth shall be of no profit to you.

Unto this beareth witness the Lord of Names, He Who

proclaimeth: Verily, no God is there besides Him, the

Sovereign Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

Well is it with thee, O My Afnan, inasmuch as thou

wert honoured to receive My Holy Verses, hast inhaled the

sweet savours of My Revelation and responded to My Call

at a time when My servants and My creatures, casting the

Mother Book behind their backs and, clinging to the

dictates of the exponents of idle fancy and vain imaginings,

have denounced Me. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur

spoken in the kingdom of utterance at the bidding of God,

the Lord of Creation.

Persevere thou conscientiously in the service of the

Cause and, through the power of the Name of thy Lord,

the Possessor of all things visible and invisible, preserve the

station conferred upon thee. I swear by the righteousness of

God! Were anyone apprised of that which is veiled from

the eyes of men, he would become so enraptured as to wing

his flight unto God, the Lord of all that hath been and shall

be.

May His glory rest upon thee and upon such as have

drawn nigh unto Him and apprehended the meaning of

that which the exalted Pen of God, the Almighty, the All-Loving,

hath recorded in this Tablet.

ALL praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou

hast adorned the world with the splendour of the dawn

following the night wherein was born the One Who

heralded the Manifestation of Thy transcendent sovereignty,

the Dayspring of Thy divine Essence and the Revelation of

Thy supreme Lordship. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the

heavens and Fashioner of names, to graciously aid those

who have sheltered beneath the shadow of Thine abounding

mercy and have raised their voices amidst the peoples of the

world for the glorification of Thy Name.

O my God! Thou beholdest the Lord of all mankind

confined in His Most Great Prison, calling aloud Thy

Name, gazing upon Thy face, proclaiming that which hath

enraptured the denizens of Thy kingdoms of revelation

and of creation. O my God! I behold Mine own Self

captive in the hands of Thy servants, yet the light of Thy

sovereignty and the revelations of Thine invincible power

shine resplendent from His face, enabling all to know of a

certainty that Thou art God, and that there is none other

God but Thee. Neither can the power of the powerful

frustrate Thee, nor the ascendancy of the rulers prevail

against Thee. Thou doest whatsoever Thou willest by

virtue of Thy sovereignty which encompasseth all created

things, and ordainest that which Thou pleasest through

the potency of Thy behest which pervadeth the entire

creation.

I implore Thee by the glory of Thy Manifestation and

by the power of Thy might, Thy sovereignty and Thine

exaltation to render victorious those who have arisen to

serve Thee, who have aided Thy Cause and humbled themselves

before the splendour of the light of Thy face. Make

them then, O my God, triumphant over Thine enemies

and cause them to be steadfast in Thy service, that through

them the evidences of Thy dominion may be established

throughout Thy realms and the tokens of Thine indomitable

power be manifested in Thy lands. Verily Thou art

potent to do what Thou willest; no God is there but Thee,

the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

This glorious Tablet hath been revealed on the Anniversary

of the Birth [of the Bab] that thou mayest recite it

in a spirit of humility and supplication and give thanks

unto thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Make

thou every effort to render service unto God, that from

thee may appear that which will immortalize thy memory

in His glorious and exalted heaven.

Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I implore Thee by

the Dawning-Place of Thy signs and by the Revealer of

Thy clear tokens to grant that I may, under all conditions,

hold fast the cord of Thy loving providence and cling

tenaciously to the hem of Thy generosity. Reckon me then

with those whom the changes and chances of the world

have failed to deter from serving Thee and from bearing

allegiance unto Thee, whom the onslaught of the people

hath been powerless to hinder from magnifying Thy Name

and celebrating Thy praise. Graciously assist me, O my

Lord, to do whatever Thou lovest and desirest. Enable me

then to fulfil that which will exalt Thy Name and will set

ablaze the fire of Thy love.

Thou art, in truth, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

O HUSAYN! God grant thou shalt ever be bright and

radiant, beaming with the light of the Sun of Truth, and

mayest unloose thy tongue in magnifying the Name of

God, which is the most laudable of all acts.

Consider the multitude of souls who seemed to be intensely

eager and athirst, yet when the Ocean of living

waters did surge forth in the world of being, they remained

deprived thereof, inasmuch as they failed to relinquish idle

fancy and to become consciously aware of Him Who is the

Object of all knowledge. This failure is in recompense for

the deeds their hands had formerly wrought.

Render thou thanks unto the Beloved of the world for

having graciously aided thee to attain confirmation in this

glorious Cause. Entreat Him moreover to make His loved

ones steadfast therein, for the inflammatory writings of the

mischief-makers are widespread and the clamour of the

foreboders of evil is raised high. Happy are they that have

cast behind their backs all else save God and have held fast

unto that which the Lord of strength and power hath enjoined

upon them.

His Glory be upon thee and upon such as have been enabled

to recognize and embrace this mighty Cause.

THIS is a Tablet which the Lord of all being hath sent

down from His glorious station in honour of him who hath

believed in God, the Almighty, the All-Loving.

Blessed is the wayfarer who hath recognized the Desired

One, and the seeker who hath heeded the Call of Him Who

is the intended Aim of all mankind, and the learned one

who hath believed in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

How vast the number of the learned who have turned

aside from the way of God and how numerous the men

devoid of learning who have apprehended the truth and

hastened unto Him, saying, `Praised be Thou, O Lord of

all things, visible and invisible.'

By the righteousness of God! The world's horizon is

resplendent with the light of the Most Great Luminary, yet

the generality of mankind perceive it not. Verily He Who

is the Sovereign Truth moveth before the eyes of all men.

Unto this beareth witness the One Who is proclaiming in

the midmost heart of the world, `In truth no God is there

but Me, Omnipotent over all things, whether of the past

or of the future.'

Great is the blessedness of the believer who hath directed

himself towards Him and hath gained admittance into His

presence, and woe betide every disbeliever who hath

turned away from God and followed the wayward and the

outcast.

O FRIEND! In the Bayan We directed everyone in this

Most Great Revelation to see with his own eyes and hear

with his own ears. However when the horizon of the

world was illumined with the resplendent light of this

Revelation, many people forgot this divine commandment,

lost sight of this heavenly exhortation and immersed

themselves in the vain imaginings which their minds had

devised. Indeed the face of the sun of justice and fairness is

hidden behind the clouds of idle fancy which the foolish

ones have conceived. Therefore it is not to be wondered at

that the movements of the birds of darkness attract attention.

Through the potency of the Name of the Best-Beloved,

invite thou the receptive souls unto God's holy

court, that perchance they may not remain deprived of the

heavenly Fountain of living water. He is in truth the

Gracious, the Forgiving.

The gaze of the loving-kindness of God--exalted and

glorified is He--hath everlastingly been directed towards

His beloved friends; verily He is the One Who knoweth

and remembereth.

O JAVAD! Such is the greatness of this Day that the Hour

itself is seized with perturbation, and all heavenly Scriptures

bear evidence to its overpowering majesty. In this Day the

Book solemnly testifieth to His glory and the Balance is

moved to lift up its voice. This is the Day wherein the

&Sirat calleth aloud: `I am the straight Path', and Mount

Sinai exclaimeth: `Verily the Lord of Revelation is come.'

Being overcome by the drunkenness of corrupt inclinations,

the people of the earth find themselves in a state of

stupor. They are, therefore, debarred from the wondrous

signs of God, are prevented from attaining the ultimate

goal and are deprived of the liberal effusions of divine

grace.

It behoveth the people of God to be forbearing. They

should impart the Word of God according to the hearer's

particular measure of understanding and capacity, that

perchance the children of men may be roused from heedlessness

and set their faces towards this Horizon which is

immeasurably exalted above every horizon.

O &Javad! The manifold bounties of God have ever been

and will continue to be vouchsafed unto thee. Praised be

God! Thou hast been shielded from the most great terror

and hast succeeded in drawing nigh unto the Most Great

Bounty at a time when all men were prevented from

recognizing the eternal King by the interposition of the

veils of outward glory, namely the divines of this day.

Cherish thou as dearly as thine own life this testimony pronounced

by the All-Glorious Pen and strive with all thy

might to preserve it by the potency of the Name of Him

Who is the Beloved One of the entire creation, that this

sublime honour may be proof against the eyes and the

hands of robbers. Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the

All-Knowing.

Convey the greetings of this Wronged One unto all the

beloved friends in that region and call to their minds Our

wondrous and exalted remembrances, that haply they may

forsake the things current amongst them, may set their

hearts on that which pertaineth unto God and remain

purged from unseemly deeds and pursuits.

May the glory of the Almighty, the All-Wise, be upon

thee and upon such as are related unto thee.

WE make mention of him who hath been attracted by Our

Call when it was raised from the summit of transcendent

glory and hath set his face towards God, the Lord of creation.

He is numbered with such as have heard and responded

to the summons of their Lord at a time when the peoples of

the world are wrapt in palpable veils. He testifieth unto

that whereunto God hath testified, and acknowledgeth his

belief in that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered.

Unto this beareth witness the Lord of Names in this

wondrous Tablet.

O My exalted Pen! Bring him, on My behalf, the joyful

tidings concerning the things that God, the Powerful, the

Omnipotent, hath reserved for him. Indeed he hath, for

most of the time, been hemmed in by manifold sorrows,

and verily his merciful Lord is the One Who seeth and

knoweth all things. Rejoice thou with exceeding gladness

inasmuch as this Wronged One hath turned His face towards

thee, hath mentioned thy name aforetime and doth

mention it at this very moment.

Unto My loved friends give thou remembrances in My

Name and convey to them the tidings of the gracious

bounties of their Lord, the Giver, the All-Generous. From

this exalted station We send Our greetings unto such

believers as have taken fast hold on the Sure Handle and

quaffed the choice wine of constancy from the hand of

favour of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised.

In this Day the faculty of hearing exclaimeth, `This is my

Day, wherein I hearken unto the wondrous Voice coming

from the precincts of the Prison of my Lord, the Perspicuous,

the Hearing.' And the faculty of sight calleth aloud,

`Verily this is my Day, for I behold the Dayspring of glory

shining resplendent at the bidding of Him Who is the

Ordainer, the All-Powerful.' Blessed the ear that hath

heard the call, `Behold, and thou shalt see Me.' and happy

the eye that hath gazed upon the most wondrous Sign,

dawning from this luminous horizon.

Say: O concourse of the rulers and of the learned and the

wise! The Promised Day is come and the Lord of Hosts

hath appeared. Rejoice ye with great joy by reason of this

supreme felicity. Aid Him then through the power of

wisdom and utterance. Thus biddeth you the One Who

hath ever proclaimed, `Verily, no God is there but Me, the

All-Knowing, the All-Wise.'

May His glory rest upon thee and upon those who are

with thee and such ones as cherish thee and give ear to the

words thou utterest in glorification of this mighty, this

transcendent Revelation.

O THOU who bearest My Name, Jud [Bounty]! Upon

thee be My Glory. Give ear unto that which thou didst

hear aforetime when the Day-Star of testimony was

shining resplendent above the horizon of &Iraq, when

&Baghdad served as the Seat of the Throne of thy Lord, the

Exalted, the Mighty.

I bear witness that thou hast hearkened unto the melody

of God and His sweet accents, inclined thine ear to the cooing

of the Dove of divine Revelation and hast heard the

Nightingale of fidelity pouring forth its notes upon the

Branch of Glory: Verily there is none other God but Me,

the Incomparable, the All-Informed.

O thou who bearest My Name! The glances of the

loving-kindness of God have been and continue to be

directed towards thee. While in His presence, thou hast

heard the Voice of the One true God--exalted be His glory

--and hast beheld the unveiled splendour of the Light of

divine knowledge. Ponder a while! How sublime is the

Utterance of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth and how

abject are the idle contentions of the people! The accumulations

of vain fancy have obstructed men's ears and stopped

them from hearing the Voice of God, and the veils of

human learning and false imaginings have prevented their

eyes from beholding the splendour of the light of His

countenance. With the arm of might and power We have

rescued a number of souls from the slough of impending

extinction and enabled them to attain the Dayspring of

glory. Moreover We have laid bare the divine mysteries

and in most explicit language foretold future events, that

neither the doubts of the faithless, nor the denials of the

froward, nor the whisperings of the heedless may keep

back the seekers of truth from the Source of the light of the

One true God. Nevertheless some people seem to have

been seized with epilepsy, others are torn up even as

hollow tree-stumps. They abandon God, the Most Exalted

--He before Whose revelation of a single verse, all the

Scriptures of the past and of more recent times pale into

lowliness and insignificance--and set their hearts on lying

tales and follow empty words.

Thou hast surely quaffed from the ocean of Mine utterance

and hast witnessed the effulgent splendour of the orb

of My wisdom. Thou hast also heard the sayings of the

infidels who neither are acquainted with the fundamentals

of the Faith, nor have tasted this choice Wine whose seal

hath been broken through the power of My Name, the

Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Beseech thou God that

the believers who are endued with true understanding may

be graciously enabled to do that which is pleasing unto

Him.

How strange that despite this ringing Call, despite the

appearance of this most wondrous Revelation, We notice

that men, for the most part, have fixed their hearts on the

vanities of the world and are sorely dismayed and troubled

by reason of prevailing doubts and evil suggestions. Say:

This is the Day of God Himself; fear ye God and be not of

them that have disbelieved in Him. Cast the idle tales behind

your backs and behold My Revelation through Mine

eyes. Unto this have ye been exhorted in heavenly Books

and Scriptures, in the Scrolls and Tablets.

Arise thou to serve the Cause of thy Lord; then give

the people the joyful tidings concerning this resplendent

Light whose revelation hath been announced by God

through His Prophets and Messengers. Admonish everyone

moreover to observe prudence as ordained by Him, and in

the Name of God advise them, saying: It behoveth every

one in this Day of God to dedicate himself to the teaching

of the Cause with utmost prudence and steadfastness.

Should he discover a pure soil, let him sow the seed of the

Word of God, otherwise it would be preferable to observe

silence.

Not long ago this most sublime Word was revealed in

the Crimson Book by the All-Glorious Pen: `The heaven

of divine wisdom is illumined with two luminaries: consultation

and compassion'. Please God, everyone may be

enabled to observe this weighty and blessed word.

Certain people seem to be entirely bereft of understanding.

By clinging to the cord of idle fancy they have debarred

themselves from the Sure Handle. I swear by My

life! Were they to reflect a while with fairness on that

which the All-Merciful hath sent down, they would, one

and all, spontaneously give utterance to these words,

`Verily Thou art the Truth, the manifest Truth.'

It behoveth thee to turn thy gaze in all circumstances

unto the One true God, and seek diligently to serve His

Cause. Call thou to mind when thou wert in My company,

within the Tabernacle of Glory, and didst hear from Me

that which He Who conversed with God [Moses] heard

upon the Sinai of divine knowledge. Thus did We

graciously aid thee, enabled thee to recognize the truth and

cautioned thee, that thou mightest render thanks unto thy

bountiful Lord. Thou shouldst safeguard this sublime

station through the potency of My Name, the Omnipotent,

the Faithful.

Convey greetings on My behalf to My loved ones and

suffer them to hearken unto My sweet Voice. Thus biddeth

thee the One Who hath bidden thee in the past; I am in

truth the Ordainer, the All-Informed. Glory be upon thee

and upon those who give ear to thy words concerning this

momentous Cause and who love thee for the sake of God,

the Lord of the worlds.

O HAYDAR! This Wronged One hath heard thy voice

raised in the service of the Cause of God and is well aware

of the feeling of joy which His love hath roused in thy

heart and of thy pangs of anguish at that which hath befallen

His loved ones. I swear by the Lord of mercy! The

whole world is overwhelmed with sorrow whilst mankind

is perplexed with doubts and dissensions. The people of

God, the Lord of Names, are so grievously beset by

enemies that the supreme Paradise hath lamented and the

inmates of highest Heaven and those who, day and night,

circle round the Throne have groaned aloud.

O Ali! Woes and sorrows are powerless to restrain thy

Lord, the All-Merciful. Indeed He hath risen to champion

the Cause of God in such wise that neither the overpowering

might of the world nor the tyranny of the nations can

ever alarm Him. He calleth aloud betwixt earth and

heaven, saying: The Promised Day is come. The Lord of

creation proclaimeth: Verily, there is no God besides Me,

the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Ali! The immature wish to put out the light of God

with their mouths and to extinguish by their acts the flame

in the Burning Bush. Say, wretched indeed is your plight,

O ye embodiments of delusion. Fear ye God and reject not

the heavenly grace which hath shed radiance upon all

regions. Say, He Who is the Exponent of the hidden Name

hath appeared, did ye but know it. He Whose advent hath

been foretold in the heavenly Scriptures is come, could ye

but understand it. The world's horizon is illumined by the

splendours of this Most Great Revelation. Haste ye with

radiant hearts and be not of them that are bereft of understanding.

The appointed Hour hath struck and mankind is

laid low. Unto this bear witness the honoured servants of

God.

O Haydar-'Ali! I swear by the righteousness of God!

The Blast hath been blown on the Trumpet of the &Bayan

as decreed by the Lord, the Merciful, and all that are in the

heavens and on the earth have swooned away except such

as have detached themselves from the world, cleaving fast

unto the Cord of God, the Lord of mankind. This is the

Day in which the earth shineth with the effulgent light of

thy Lord, but the people are lost in error and have been

shut out as by a veil. We desire to regenerate the world, yet

they have resolved to put an end to My life. Thus have their

hearts prompted them in this Day--a Day which hath been

made bright by the radiant light of the countenance of its

Lord, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Unconstrained.

The Mother Book hath lifted up its Voice, but the people

are bereft of hearing. The Preserved Tablet hath been

revealed with truth, yet the generality of mankind peruse

it not. They have denied the gracious favour of God after it

hath been sent down unto them and have turned away

from God, the Knower of things unseen. They firmly cling

to the hem of idle fancies, turning their backs on the hidden

Name of the Almighty.

Say, O concourse of divines! Be fair in your judgement,

I adjure you by God. Produce then whatever proofs and

testimonies ye possess, if ye are to be reckoned among the

inmates of this glorious habitation. Set your hearts towards

the Dayspring of divine Revelation that We may disclose

before your eyes the equivalent of all such verses, proofs,

testimonies, affirmations and evidences as ye and other

kindreds of the earth possess. Fear ye God and be not of

them that well deserve the chastisement of God, the Lord

of creation.

This is the Day in which the Ocean of knowledge hath

lifted up its Voice and hath brought forth its pearls. Would

that ye knew it! The heaven of the Bayan hath been raised

up in truth at the behest of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

I swear by God! The Essence of knowledge

exclaimeth and saith: Lo! He Who is the Object of all

knowledge is come and through His advent the sacred

Books of God, the Gracious, the Loving, have been

embellished. Every revelation of grace, every evidence of

goodly gifts emanateth from Him and unto Him doth it

return.

Fear ye God, O concourse of the foolish, and do not

inflict tribulations upon those who have willed naught but

that which God hath willed. Moreover, if ye heed my call,

follow not your selfish desires. The day is approaching

when everything now discernible will have faded away

and ye shall weep for having failed in your duty towards

God. Unto this testifieth this inscribed Tablet.

Rejoice thou with great joy that We have remembered

thee both now and in the past. Indeed the sweet savours of

this remembrance shall endure and shall not change

throughout the eternity of the Names of God, the Lord of

mankind. We have graciously accepted thy devotions, thy

praise, thy teaching work and the services thou hast

rendered for the sake of this mighty Announcement. We

have also hearkened unto that which thy tongue hath

uttered at the meetings and gatherings. Verily thy Lord

heareth and observeth all things. We have attired thee with

the vesture of My good-pleasure in My heavenly Kingdom,

and from the Divine Lote-Tree which is raised on the

borders of the vale of security and peace, situate in the

luminous Spot beyond the glorious City, We call aloud

unto thee saying: In truth there is no God but Me, the

All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have brought thee into

being to serve Me, to glorify My Word and to proclaim

My Cause. Centre thine energies upon that wherefor thou

hast been created by virtue of the Will of the supreme

Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.

At this moment We call to remembrance Our loved ones

and bring them the joyous tidings of God's unfailing grace

and of the things that have been provided for them in

My lucid Book. Ye have tolerated the censure of the

enemies for the sake of My love and have steadfastly

endured in My Path the grievous cruelties which the ungodly

have inflicted upon you. Unto this I Myself bear

witness, and I am the All-Knowing. How vast the number

of places that have been ennobled with your blood for the

sake of God. How numerous the cities wherein the voice of

your lamentation hath been raised and the wailing of your

anguish uplifted. How many the prisons into which ye have

been cast by the hosts of tyranny. Know ye of a certainty

that He will render you victorious, will exalt you among

the peoples of the world and will demonstrate your high

rank before the gaze of all nations. Surely He will not suffer

the reward of His favoured ones to be lost.

Take heed lest the deeds wrought by the embodiments

of idle fancy sadden you or the acts committed by every

wayward oppressor grieve you. Seize ye the chalice of

constancy through the power of His Name, quaff then

therefrom by virtue of the sovereignty of God, the

Powerful, the Omnipotent. Thus hath the Day-Star of My

tender compassion and loving-kindness shone forth above

the horizon of this Tablet that ye may render thanks unto

your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

The glory that hath dawned resplendent from the

heaven of Mine utterance rest upon thee and upon them

that have directed themselves towards thee and inclined

their ears to the words which thy mouth hath uttered

concerning this glorious, this august Revelation.

BY the righteousness of God! The Mother Book is made

manifest, summoning mankind unto God, the Lord of the

worlds, while the seas proclaim: The Most Great Ocean

hath appeared, from whose waves one can hear the thundering

cry: `Verily, no God is there but Me, the Peerless, the

All-Knowing.' And the trees raising their clamour exclaim:

O people of the world! The voice of the Divine Lote-Tree

is clearly sounding and the shrill cry of the Pen of Glory is

ringing loud: Give ye ear and be not of the heedless. The

sun is calling out: O concourse of the divines! The heaven

of religions is split and the moon cleft asunder and the

peoples of the earth are brought together in a new resurrection.

Fear ye God and follow not the promptings of

your passions, rather follow Him unto Whom have testified

the Scriptures of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The episode of Sinai hath been re-enacted in this Revelation

and He Who conversed upon the Mount is calling

aloud: Verily, the Desired One is come, seated upon the

throne of certitude, could ye but perceive it. He hath

admonished all men to observe that which is conducive to

the exaltation of the Cause of God and will guide mankind

unto His Straight Path.

How vast the number of the down-trodden who have

been enraptured by the Call of God! How numerous the

potentates who have risen up to commit acts of aggression

that have caused the inmates of the all-highest Paradise to

lament and the dwellers of this glorious habitation to wail

with grief! How great the multitude of the poor who have

quaffed the choice wine of divine revelation and how many

the rich who have turned away, repudiated the truth and

voiced their disbelief in God, the Lord of this blessed and

wondrous Day!

Say: Fear ye God, then observe equity in your judgement

of this Great Announcement before which, as soon as

it shone forth, every momentous announcement bowed

low in adoration. Say: O concourse of the foolish! If ye

reject Him, by what evidence can ye prove your allegiance

to the former Messengers of God or vindicate your belief

in that which He hath sent down from His mighty and

exalted Kingdom? What benefit do your possessions

bestow upon you? What protection can your treasures

afford you? None, I swear by the Spirit of God that

pervadeth all that are in the heavens and on the earth. Cast

away that which ye have put together with the hands of

idle fancy and vain imaginings and take fast hold of the

Book of God which hath been sent down by virtue of

His all-compelling and inviolable authority.

Thy letter was presented before this Wronged One and

in thine honour have We revealed this Tablet from which

the fragrance of the gracious favour of thy Lord, the

Compassionate, the Bountiful, is diffused. We beseech God

to make thee as a banner upraised in the city of His

remembrance, and to exalt thy station in this Cause--a

Cause beneath whose shadow the sincere ones of God shall

behold the peoples and kindreds of the earth seeking shelter.

Verily, thy Lord knoweth and informeth. Moreover We

entreat Him to nourish thee with the best of what hath

been treasured in His Book. He is in truth the One Who

doth hear and answer the call.

Persevere thou in helping His Cause through the

strengthening power of the hosts of wisdom and utterance.

Thus hath it been decreed by God, the Gracious, the All-Praised.

Blessed is the believer who hath in this Day

embraced the Truth and the man of fixed resolve whom

the hosts of tyranny have been powerless to affright.

The glory which hath shone forth above the horizon of

utterance be upon thee and upon such believers as have

seized the chalice of His sealed wine through the power of

His Name, the Self-Subsisting, and drunk deep despite

those that have rejected the One in Whom they had

formerly professed belief--they that have disputed the

truth of this Great Announcement whereunto God hath

testified in His precious and ancient Book.

O MUHAMMAD Husayn! Be thou prepared to receive the

outpourings of the loving-kindness of God, the Lord of the

worlds. The All-Merciful hath deigned to bestow upon

thee pearls of knowledge from the Ocean of the grace of

God, the Almighty, the Most Exalted.

Where is the man of insight who will recognize and

perceive the truth? Where is to be found the man of hearing

who will hearken unto My wondrous Voice calling from

the realm of glory? Where is the soul who will set his face

towards the Divine Lote-Tree in such wise that neither the

overpowering might of the kings, nor the violent commotions

of their subjects may frustrate him, lifting up his

voice amidst the entire creation through the power of

wisdom and utterance and testifying unto that whereunto

hath testified God, that verily no God is there besides Him,

the Powerful, the Invincible, the Omnipotent, the Knowing,

the Wise.

O Husayn! Thy name hath been mentioned in the Most

Great Prison before this Wronged One and We have

revealed for thee that with which none of the books of

the world can compare. Unto this beareth witness the King

of eternity; yet the generality of mankind are numbered

among the heedless. From the dawning-place of testimony

We have raised the Call unto all that dwell in the realm of

creation. Amongst men there are those who have been

carried away by the fragrance of the utterance of their Lord

in such manner that they have forsaken everything which

pertaineth unto men in their eagerness to attain the court of

the presence of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. There

are also those who are sore perplexed and wavering. Others

have made haste, winged their way to answer the Call of

their Lord, the Ancient of Days. Still others have turned

aside, rejected the truth and eventually disbelieved in God,

the Almighty, the All-Praised. And there are yet others

who have pronounced judgement against Him with such

cruelty that every wise and discerning soul hath been

moved to lament. We have graciously summoned them

unto the river that is life indeed, while they have, with

manifest injustice, decreed the shedding of My blood. Thus

hath the Day-Star of wisdom shone forth from above the

horizon of the utterance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful.

Shouldst thou attain unto its light, it behoveth thee to

magnify the praise of thy Lord and say, I yield Thee thanks,

O God of the worlds.

Blessed art thou and are they whom the world and its

vanities have failed to deter from this luminous Horizon.

Convey greetings on My behalf unto My loved ones.

We exhort them to observe wisdom as decreed in My

wondrous Book.

O MY handmaiden and My leaf! Rejoice with great joy

inasmuch as thy call hath ascended unto the Divine Lote-Tree

and is answered from the all-glorious Horizon. Verily,

no God is there but Me, the Wronged One, the Exile.

We have revealed Ourself unto men, have unveiled the

Cause, guided all mankind towards God's Straight Path,

promulgated the laws and have enjoined upon everyone

that which shall truly profit them both in this world and in

the next; yet they have pronounced judgement to shed My

blood, whereat the Maid of Heaven hath wept sore, Sinai

hath lamented and the Faithful Spirit was made to sigh

with grief.

In these days the people have debarred themselves from

the effusions of divine grace by following in the footsteps of

every ignorant one that hath gone astray. They have cast

the Ocean of divine knowledge behind their backs and

fixed their eyes upon such foolish men as claim to be well

versed in learning without being supported by any evidence

from God, the Lord of mankind.

Well is it with thee inasmuch as thou hast forsaken idle

imaginings and taken fast hold of the Cord of God that no

man can sever. Consider the gracious favour of God--

exalted be His glory. How numerous are the kings and

queens on earth who, despite much yearning, anticipation

and waiting, have been debarred from Him Who is the

Desire of the world, whilst thou didst attain. God willing,

thou mayest accomplish a deed whose fragrance shall

endure as long as the Names of God--exalted be His glory

--will endure. By the righteousness of God! The title `O

My handmaiden' far excelleth aught else that can be seen in

the world. Ere long the eyes of mankind shall be illumined

and cheered by recognizing that which Our Pen of Glory

hath revealed.

Blessed art thou and blessed is the mother that hath

nursed thee. Appreciate the value of this station and arise to

serve His Cause in such wise that the idle fancies and

insinuations of the doubters withhold thee not from this

high resolve. The Day-Star of certitude is shining resplendent

but the people of the world are holding fast unto vain

imaginings. The Ocean of divine knowledge hath risen

high whilst the children of men are clinging to the hem of

the foolish. But for the unfailing grace of God--exalted be

His glory--no antidote could ever cure these inveterate

diseases.

Convey My greetings unto the handmaidens of God in

that region and give them the joyful tidings that His tender

mercy and grace are vouchsafed unto them. High indeed is

the station We have destined for thee. It behoveth thee to

yield praise and thanksgiving unto thy Lord, the Bountiful,

the Most Generous. Glorified be God, the Exalted, the

Great.

AT one time this sublime Word was heard from the

Tongue of Him Who is the Possessor of all being and the

Lord of the throne on high and of earth below--exalted is

the glory of His utterance--: Piety and detachment are

even as two most great luminaries of the heaven of teaching.

Blessed the one who hath attained unto this supreme

station, this habitation of transcendent holiness and

sublimity.

THIS is a Tablet sent down by the All-Merciful from the

Kingdom of utterance unto all that dwell on earth. Happy

is the man who hearkeneth and heedeth and woe betide

him who hath erred and doubted. This is the Day that hath

been illumined by the effulgent light of the Countenance

of God--the Day when the Tongue of Grandeur is calling

aloud: The Kingdom is God's, the Lord of the Day of

Resurrection.

Thy name hath been mentioned in Our Presence and We

have deigned to reveal for thee that which the tongue of no

one among the peoples of the world can recount. Rejoice

with exceeding joy inasmuch as thou hast been remembered

in the Most Great Prison and the Countenance of the

Ancient of Days hath turned towards thee from this exalted

habitation.

We have truly revealed the signs, demonstrated the

irrefutable testimonies and have summoned all men unto

the straight Path. Among the people there are those who

have turned away and repudiated the truth, others have

pronounced judgement against Us without any proof or

evidence. The first to turn away from Us have been the

world's spiritual leaders in this age--they that call upon

Us in the daytime and in the night season and mention My

Name while resting on their lofty thrones. However, when

I revealed Myself unto men they rose against Me in such

wise that even the stones groaned and lamented bitterly.

Great is thy blessedness inasmuch as thou hast hearkened

unto His Voice, set thy face towards Him and heeded the

Call of thy Lord when He came invested with invincible

power and sovereignty.

O MY handmaiden, O My leaf! Render thou thanks unto

the Best-Beloved of the world for having attained this

boundless grace at a time when the world's learned and

most distinguished men have remained deprived thereof.

We have designated thee `a leaf' that thou mayest, like unto

leaves, be stirred by the gentle wind of the Will of God--

exalted be His glory--even as the leaves of the trees are

stirred by onrushing winds. Yield thou thanks unto thy

Lord by virtue of this brilliant utterance. Wert thou to

perceive the sweetness of the title `O My handmaiden' thou

wouldst find thyself detached from all mankind, devoutly

engaged day and night in communion with Him Who is

the sole Desire of the world.

In words of incomparable beauty We have made fitting

mention of such leaves and handmaidens as have quaffed

from the living waters of heavenly grace and have kept

their eyes directed towards God. Happy and blessed are

they indeed. Ere long shall God reveal their station whose

loftiness no word can befittingly express nor any description

adequately describe.

We admonish thee to do that which will serve to

promote the interests of the Cause of God amongst men

and women. He doth hear the call of the friends and

beholdeth their actions. Verily, He is the Hearing and the

Seeing.

Upon thee and upon them be the glory of God, the

Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O HANDMAID of God! Hearken unto the Voice of the

Lord of Names, Who from His Prison hath directed His

gaze towards thee and is making mention of thee.

He hath extended assistance to every wayfarer, hath

graciously responded to every petitioner and granted admittance

to every seeker after truth. In this Day the Straight

Path is made manifest, the Balance of divine justice is set

and the light of the sun of His bounty is resplendent, yet the

oppressive darkness of the people of tyranny hath, even as

clouds, intervened and caused a grievous obstruction

between the Day-Star of heavenly grace and the people of

the world. Blessed is he who hath rent the intervening veils

asunder and is illumined by the radiant light of divine

Revelation. Consider how numerous were those who

accounted themselves among the wise and the learned, yet

in the Day of God were deprived of the outpourings of

heavenly bounties.

O My leaf, O My handmaid! Appreciate the value of

this blessing and of this tender mercy which hath encompassed

thee and guided thy steps unto the Dayspring of

glory.

Convey greetings on behalf of this Wronged One to

such handmaidens as worship God and cheer their hearts

with the assurance of His loving providence.

FIX your gaze upon wisdom in all things, for it is an

unfailing antidote. How often hath it turned a disbeliever

into a believer or a foe into a friend? Its observance is

highly essential, inasmuch as this theme hath been set forth

in numerous Tablets revealed from the empyrean of the

Will of Him Who is the Manifestation of the light of divine

unity. Well is it with them that act accordingly.

Centre your attention unceasingly upon that which will

cause the Word of God to be exalted. In this Most Great

Revelation goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character are

regarded as the hosts of God, likewise is His blessed and

holy Word. These hosts are the lodestone of the hearts of

men and the effective means for unlocking doors. Of all the

weapons in the world this is the keenest.

Beseech thou God to graciously assist all men to observe

that which His all-glorious Pen hath recorded in the sacred

Books and Tablets.

THIS Wronged One doth mention him who hath set his

face toward the Incomparable One, the All-Knowing, him

who beareth witness unto His unity even as the All-Glorious

Pen hath borne witness as it moveth swiftly within

the arena of utterance. Blessed is the soul that hath

recognized its Lord and woe betide him who hath grievously

erred and doubted.

Man is like unto a tree. If he be adorned with fruit, he

hath been and will ever be worthy of praise and commendation.

Otherwise a fruitless tree is but fit for fire. The

fruits of the human tree are exquisite, highly desired and

dearly cherished. Among them are upright character,

virtuous deeds and a goodly utterance. The springtime for

earthly trees occurreth once every year, while the one for

human trees appeareth in the Days of God--exalted be His

glory. Were the trees of men's lives to be adorned in this

divine Springtime with the fruits that have been mentioned,

the effulgence of the light of Justice would, of a certainty,

illumine all the dwellers of the earth and everyone would

abide in tranquillity and contentment beneath the sheltering

shadow of Him Who is the Object of all mankind. The

Water for these trees is the living water of the sacred Words

uttered by the Beloved of the world. In one instant are such

trees planted and in the next their branches shall, through

the outpourings of the showers of divine mercy, have

reached the skies. A dried-up tree, however, hath never

been nor will be worthy of any mention.

Happy is the faithful one who is attired with the vesture

of high endeavour and hath arisen to serve this Cause. Such

a soul hath truly attained the desired Goal and hath apprehended

the Object for which it hath been created. But a

myriad times alas for the wayward who are like unto dried-up

leaves fallen upon the dust. Ere long mortal blasts shall

carry them away to the place ordained for them. Ignorant

did they arrive, ignorant did they linger and ignorant did

they retire to their abodes.

The world is continually proclaiming these words:

Beware, I am evanescent, and so are all my outward

appearances and colours. Take ye heed of the changes and

chances contrived within me and be ye roused from your

slumber. Nevertheless there is no discerning eye to see, nor

is there a hearing ear to hearken.

In this Day the inner ear exclaimeth and saith: Indeed

well is it with me, today is my day, inasmuch as the Voice

of God is calling aloud. And the essence of vision crieth out:

Blessed am I, this is my day, for the Ancient Beauty is

shining resplendent from the most exalted Horizon.

It behoveth the people of &Baha to invoke and entreat the

Lord of Names that perchance the people of the world may

not be deprived of the effusions of grace in His days.

In the past the divines were perplexed over this question,

a question which He Who is the Sovereign Truth hath,

during the early years of His life, Himself heard them ask

repeatedly: `What is that Word which the &Qa'im will

pronounce whereby the leaders of religion are put to flight?'

Say, that Word is now made manifest and ye have fled ere

ye heard it uttered, although ye perceive it not. And that

blessed, that hidden, that concealed and treasured Word is

this: `"HE" hath now appeared in the raiment of "I". He

Who was hidden from mortal eyes exclaimeth: Lo! I am

the All-Manifest.' This is the Word which hath caused the

limbs of disbelievers to quake. Glorified be God! All the

heavenly Scriptures of the past attest to the greatness of this

Day, the greatness of this Manifestation, the greatness of

His signs, the greatness of His Word, the greatness of His

constancy, the greatness of His pre-eminent station. Yet

despite all this the people have remained heedless and are

shut out as by a veil. Indeed all the Prophets have yearned

to attain this Day. David saith: `Who will bring me into

the Strong City?' By Strong City is meant &Akka. Its fortifications

are very strong and this Wronged One is imprisoned

within its walls. Likewise it is revealed in the

&Qur'an: `Bring forth thy people from the darkness into the

light and announce to them the days of God.'

The glory with which this Day is invested hath been

explicitly mentioned and clearly set forth in most heavenly

Books and Scriptures. However, the divines of the age have

debarred men from this transcendent station, and have kept

them back from this Pinnacle of Glory, this Supreme Goal.

Blessed art thou inasmuch as the darkness of vain

imaginings hath been powerless to hinder thee from the

light of certitude, and the onslaught of the people hath

failed to deter thee from the Lord of mankind. Appreciate

thou the value of this high station and beseech God--

exalted is His glory--to graciously enable thee to safeguard

it. Imperishable dominion hath exclusively pertained unto

the One true God and His loved ones and will continue to

pertain unto them everlastingly.

The glory that hath shone forth from the horizon of

eternity rest upon thee and upon such as have taken fast

hold of the Cord of God that no man can sever.

HE Who leadeth to true victory is come. By the righteousness

of God! He is fully capable of revolutionizing the

world through the power of a single Word. Having enjoined

upon all men to observe wisdom, He Himself hath

adhered to the cord of patience and resignation.

The clay clods of the world have set forth to visit the

embellished, the luminous, the crimson City of God, and

certain emissaries from Persia are secretly stirring up

mischief, though to outward seeming they pretend to be

gentle and meek. Gracious God! When will this world-afflicting

craftiness be transformed into sincerity? The exhortations

of God, the True One, have compassed the

world, but until now their influence hath not been disclosed.

Men's unseemly deeds have kept them back from

attaining unto Him. We entreat God--exalted and glorified

is He--to pour down, out of the clouds of divine grace, the

overflowing rain of His bounty upon all His servants.

Verily potent is He over all things.

O Ali Haydar! O thou who hast risen to serve My

Cause and art engaged in magnifying the praise of God, the

Lord of the mighty throne! Unto the emblems of justice

and the exponents of equity it is indubitably clear and

evident that this Wronged One, strengthened by the

transcendent power of the Kingdom, is seeking to efface

from among the peoples and kindreds of the earth every

evidence of disorder, discord, dissension, differences or

divisions; and it is for no other reason but this great, this

momentous object that He hath again and again been cast

into prison and many a day and a night hath been subjected

to chains and fetters. Blessed are they that judge this

impregnable Cause, this glorious Announcement, with

fairness and equity.

THIS is a Tablet sent down by the Lord of mercy that the

people of the world may be enabled to draw nigh unto

this Ocean which hath surged through the potency of His

august Name. Amongst men there are those who have

turned away from Him and gainsaid His testimony, while

others have quaffed the wine of assurance in the glory of

His Name which pervadeth all created things. A grievous

loss hath indeed been suffered by those that have inclined

their ears to the croaking of the raven, and refused to

hearken unto the sweet warblings of the Bird of Heaven

singing upon the twigs of the Tree of eternity: Verily there

is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This is the Day that hath been illumined by the splendours

of the light of Our countenance--the Day around which

all days and nights circle in adoration. Blessed is the man of

insight who hath perceived, and the sore athirst who hath

quaffed from this luminous Fountain. Blessed the man who

acknowledgeth the truth, earnestly striving to serve the

Cause of his Lord, the Powerful, the Almighty.

O servant who hast fixed his gaze upon My face!

Hearken unto the Voice of thy Lord, the All-Glorious,

calling aloud from the dayspring of grandeur and majesty.

Verily His Call will draw thee nigh unto the realm of glory

and will cause thee to extol His praise in such wise that

every created thing will be enraptured, and to magnify His

glory in such manner as to influence the entire creation.

Truly thy Lord is the Protector, the Gracious, the All-Informed.

Gather thou together the friends of God in that land and

acquaint them with My incomparable remembrance. We

have revealed for them a Tablet from which the fragrance

of the All-Merciful hath been wafted upon the realm of

existence, that they may rejoice with exceeding gladness

and remain steadfast in this wondrous Cause.

While in prison We have revealed a Book which We

have entitled `The Most Holy Book'. We have enacted

laws therein and adorned it with the commandments of thy

Lord, Who exerciseth authority over all that are in the

heavens and on the earth. Say: Take hold of it, O people,

and observe that which hath been sent down in it of the

wondrous precepts of your Lord, the Forgiving, the

Bountiful. It will truly prosper you both in this world and

in the next and will purge you of whatsoever ill beseemeth

you. He is indeed the Ordainer, the Expounder, the Giver,

the Generous, the Gracious, the All-Praised.

Great is thy blessedness inasmuch as thou hast been faithful

to the Covenant of God and His Testament and for thy

being honoured with this Tablet through which thy name

is recorded in My Preserved Tablet. Dedicate thyself to the

service of the Cause of thy Lord, cherish His remembrance

in thy heart and celebrate His praise in such wise that every

wayward and heedless soul may thereby be roused from

slumber.

Thus have We deigned to bestow upon thee a token of

favour from Our presence; and I verily am the Forgiving,

the All-Merciful.

WE desire to mention him who hath set his face towards

Us and to let him once again drink deep from the life-giving

waters of Our gracious providence that he may be enabled

to draw nigh unto My Horizon, be adorned with Mine

attributes, soar in Mine atmosphere, be confirmed in that

which will cause the sanctity of My Cause to be manifested

amongst My people and to celebrate My praise in a manner

that will cause every hesitating soul to hasten, every

motionless creature to wing its flight, every mortal frame

to be consumed, every chilled heart to be stirred with life

and every dejected spirit to surge with delight. Thus doth it

behove him who hath turned his face to Mine, hath

entered beneath the shadow of My loving-kindness and

received My verses which have pervaded the whole world.

O Ali! He Who is the Dayspring of divine Revelation is

calling unto thee through this most wondrous utterance.

By the righteousness of God! If thou wert present before

My Throne and didst hearken unto the Tongue of might

and grandeur, thou wouldst sacrifice thy body, thy soul,

thine entire being as a token of thy love for God, the

Sovereign, the Protector, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise,

and wouldst so thrill to the fascination of His Voice that

every pen would be powerless to recount thy station and

every eloquent speaker would be confounded in his attempt

to describe it. Ponder a while concerning this Revelation

and its invincible sovereignty; aid it then as it beseemeth

thy Lord, the Gracious, the All-Bountiful. Direct thou the

people unto the Dayspring of glory. Verily it is He Himself

Who is established upon His mighty Throne. Through

Him hath the horizon of this Prison been made to shine and

by Him have all that are in the heavens and on the earth

been illumined.

We have deigned to mention thy name in the past as

well as in this gracious Tablet that thou mayest once again

inhale the sweet fragrance of the All-Merciful. This is but

a token of My favour unto thee. Render thou thanks unto

thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the All-Seeing.

Grieve thou not at men's failure to apprehend the Truth.

Ere long thou shalt find them turning towards God, the

Lord of all mankind. We have indeed, through the potency

of the Most Sublime Word, encompassed the whole world,

and the time is approaching when God will have subdued

the hearts of all that dwell on earth. He is in truth the

Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.

We also remember thy brother from this land that he

may rejoice at My mention of him and be of them that

reflect.

O friend! The Best-Beloved is calling thee from His

Most Great Prison and exhorteth thee to observe that

which Mine exalted Pen hath revealed in My Most Holy

Book that thou mayest hold fast unto it with such resolve

and power as is born of Me; and I verily am the Ordainer,

the All-Wise.

Great is indeed your blessedness inasmuch as His unfailing

grace hath been vouchsafed unto you and ye have

been aided to recognize this Cause--a Cause through whose

potency the heavens have been folded together and every

lofty and towering mountain hath been scattered in dust.

Moreover through Our boundless grace We make

mention of your mother who hath been privileged to

recognize God. We send her Our greetings from this

glorious station. We remember every one of you, men and

women, and from this Spot--the Scene of incomparable

glory--regard you all as one soul and send you the joyous

tidings of divine blessings which have preceded all created

things, and of My remembrance that pervadeth everyone,

whether young or old. The glory of God rest upon you, O

people of Baha. Rejoice with exceeding gladness through

My remembrance, for He is indeed with you at all times.

GIVE ear unto that which the Spirit imparteth unto thee from

the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, that

His Call may attract thee to the Summit of transcendent

glory and draw thee nigh unto the Station where thou

shalt behold thine entire being set ablaze with the fire of the

love of God in such wise that neither the ascendancy of the

rulers nor the whisperings of their vassals can quench it, and

thou wilt arise amidst the peoples of the world to celebrate

the praise of thy Lord, the Possessor of Names. This is that

which well beseemeth thee in this Day.

We will recount for thee the thing that hath happened

in the past that thou mayest perceive the sweetness of this

utterance and become aware of such events as have transpired

in former times. Verily thy Lord is the Admonisher,

the Gracious, the Best-Beloved.

Call thou to mind the days when He Who conversed

with God tended, in the wilderness, the sheep of Jethro, His

father-in-law. He hearkened unto the Voice of the Lord of

mankind coming from the Burning Bush which had been

raised above the Holy Land, exclaiming, `O Moses! Verily

I am God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers,

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' He was so carried away by the

captivating accent of the Voice that He detached Himself

from the world and set out in the direction of Pharaoh and

his people, invested with the power of thy Lord Who

exerciseth sovereignty over all that hath been and shall be.

The people of the world are now hearing that which Moses

did hear, but they understand not.

Say, I swear by the righteousness of God! Ere long the

pomp of the ministers of state and the ascendancy of the

rulers shall pass away, the palaces of the potentates shall be

laid waste and the imposing buildings of the emperors

reduced to dust, but what shall endure is that which We

have ordained for you in the Kingdom. It behoveth you, O

people, to make the utmost endeavour that your names

may be mentioned before the Throne and ye may bring

forth that which will immortalize your memories throughout

the eternity of God, the Lord of all being.

Remember thou on My behalf the loved ones in that

land, convey My greetings to them and gladden their

hearts with the tidings of that which hath been revealed for

them from this glorious station.

Say, take heed lest the overpowering might of the

oppressors alarm you. The day is approaching when every

emblem of vainglory will have been reduced to nothingness;

then shall ye behold the invincible sovereignty of your

Lord ruling over all things visible and invisible.

Beware lest the veils deter you from the outpourings of

His bounty in this Day. Cast away the things that keep you

back from God and persevere on this far-stretching Way.

We desire naught for you but that which profiteth you as

hath been recorded in His Preserved Tablet. We often

remember Our loved ones; however, We have found them

wanting in that which becometh them at the Court of the

favour of their Lord, the Gracious, the Forgiving, save

those whom God desireth to exempt. Verily, potent is

He to do what He willeth. He giveth and withholdeth.

He is indeed the Eternal Truth, the Knower of things

unseen.

Seize ye, O loved ones of the All-Merciful, the chalice of

eternal life proffered by the hand of the bountiful favours

of your Lord, the Possessor of the entire creation, then

drink ye deep therefrom. I swear by God, it will so enrapture

you that ye shall arise to magnify His Name and

proclaim His utterances amidst the peoples of the earth and

shall conquer the cities of the hearts of men in the name of

your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised.

Moreover, We announce unto everyone the joyful

tidings concerning that which We have revealed in Our

Most Holy Book--a Book from above whose horizon the

day-star of My commandments shineth upon every

observer and every observed one. Hold ye fast unto it and

fulfil that which is revealed therein. Indeed better is this for

you than whatsoever hath been created in the world, did ye

but know it. Beware lest the transitory things of human life

withhold you from turning unto God, the True One.

Ponder ye in your hearts the world and its conflicts and

changes, so that ye may discern its merit and the station of

those who have set their hearts upon it and have turned

away from that which hath been sent down in Our

Preserved Tablet.

Thus have We revealed these holy verses and sent them

unto thee that thou mayest arise to glorify the Name of

God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. The glory of

God be upon thee and upon such as have partaken of this

choice, sealed Wine.

THIS Wronged One hath perused thy letter in the Most

Great Prison and is apprised of thine enquiry concerning the

commandments of God on the subjects of resurrection and

the means of livelihood. Thou hast done well to ask these

questions, for the benefit thereof will be gained by thyself

as well as other servants of God, both outwardly and

inwardly. Verily thy Lord knoweth all things and readily

answereth the call.

The supreme cause for creating the world and all that is

therein is for man to know God. In this Day whosoever is

guided by the fragrance of the raiment of His mercy to gain

admittance into the pristine Abode, which is the station of

recognizing the Source of divine commandments and the

Dayspring of His Revelation, hath everlastingly attained

unto all good. Having reached this lofty station a twofold

obligation resteth upon every soul. One is to be steadfast in

the Cause with such steadfastness that were all the peoples

of the world to attempt to prevent him from turning to the

Source of Revelation, they would be powerless to do so.

The other is observance of the divine ordinances which

have streamed forth from the wellspring of His heavenly-propelled

Pen. For man's knowledge of God cannot

develop fully and adequately save by observing whatsoever

hath been ordained by Him and is set forth in His heavenly

Book.

A year ago the Most Holy Book was sent down from the

heaven of the bounty of the Lord of Names. God willing,

thou mayest be graciously enabled to fulfil that which hath

been revealed therein.

Concerning the means of livelihood, thou shouldst,

while placing thy whole trust in God, engage in some

occupation. He will assuredly send down upon thee from

the heaven of His favour that which is destined for thee.

He is in truth the God of might and power.

Yield thou thanks unto God that thy letter hath reached

the presence of this Prisoner and from the Seat of divine

authority the answer hath been revealed and is being sent to

thee. This is an incalculable blessing vouchsafed by God.

Although it is not evident at present, it soon shall be. It

behoveth thee to say:

Magnified be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I am the one

who hath turned his face towards Thee and hath placed his

whole reliance in Thee. I implore Thee by Thy Name

whereby the ocean of Thine utterance hath surged and the

breezes of Thy knowledge have stirred, to grant that I may

be graciously aided to serve Thy Cause and be inspired to

remember Thee and praise Thee. Send down then upon me

from the heaven of Thy generosity that which will preserve

me from anyone but Thee and will profit me in all Thy

worlds.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Inaccessible, the

Supreme, the Knowing, the Wise.

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