He is Eternal in His ABHA Horizon!

Verily, the Cause of God hath come upon the Clouds of Utterances and the polytheists are in this Day in great torment! Verily, the Hosts of Revelation have descended with Banners of Inspiration from the Heaven of the Tablet in the Name of God,the Powerful, the Mighty! At this time the monotheists all rejoice in the victory of God and His dominion, and the deniers will then be in manifest perplexity.

O ye people! Do ye flee from the Mercy of God after It has encompassed the existent things create between the heavens and earths? Beware lest ye prefer your own selves before the Mercy of God, and deprive not yourselves thereof! Verily, whosoever turneth away therefrom will be in great loss.

Verily, Mercy is like unto Verses which have descended from the one heaven, and from them the monotheists drink the choice Wine of Life, whilst the polytheists drink from the fiery water [hameen]; and when the Verses of God are read unto them, the fire of hatred is enkindled within their breasts.

Thus have they preferred their own selves before the Mercy of God, and are of those who are heedless. Enter, O people, beneath the shelter of the Word! Then drink therefrom the choice wine of Inner Significances and Utterances; for therein is hidden the Kawther of the Glorious One- and it hath appeared from the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the Mer˙ciful, with wonderful lights.

Say: Verily, the Ocean of Pre-Existence hath branched forth from this Most Great Ocean. Blessed, therefore, is he who abides upon Its shores, and is of those who are established thereon. Verily, this Most Sacred Temple of ABHA- the Branch of Holiness- hath branched from the Sadrat-el-Montaha. Blessed is whoseover sought shelter beneath It and is of those who rest therein.

Say: Verily, the Branch of Command hath sprung forth from this Roost which God hath firmly planted in the ground of the Will, the Limb of which has been elevated to a station which encompasses all existence. Therefore, exalted be He for this Creation, the Lofty, the Blessed, the Inaccessible, the Mighty!

O ye people! Draw nigh unto It [The Branch referred to in this Tablet both as "It" and "His"],and taste the fruits of Its Knowledge and Wisdom on the part of the Mighty, the Knowing One. Whososoever will not taste thereof shall be deprived of the Bounty, even though he hath partaken of all that is in the earth- were ye of those who know.

Say: Verily, a Word hath gone forth in favor from the Most Great Tablet and God has adorned It with the Mantle of Himself, and made It Sovereign over all in the earth and a Sign of His Grandeur and Omnipotence among the creatures; in order that, through It, the people shall praise their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Wise; and that, through It, they shall glorify their Creator and sanctify the Self of God which standeth within all things.

Verily, this is naught but a Revelation upon the part of the Wise, the Ancient One!

Say: O people, praise ye God, for Its Manifestation [the Branch], for verily It [the Branch] is the Most Great Favor upon you and the Most Perfect blessing upon you; and through Him every smouldering bone is quickened. Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned unto God, and whosoever turneth away from Him hath turned away from My Beauty, denied My Proof and is of those who transgress. Verily, He is the Remembrance of God amongst you and His Trust within you, and His Manifestation unto you and His Appearance among the servants who are nigh. Thus have I been commanded to convey to you the Message of God, your Creator; and I have delivered to you that of which I was commanded. Whereupon, thereunto testifieth God, then His Angels, then His (Messengers, and then His Holy Servants.

Inhale the fragrances of the Rizwan fromHis roses and be not of those who are deprived. Appreciate the Bounty of God upon you and be not veiled therefrom  and, Verily, We have sent Him forth in the temple of man.

Thus praise ye the Lord, the Originator of whatsoever He willeth through His wise and inviolable Command!

Verily, those who withhold themselves from the Shelter of the Branch are indeed lost in the wilderness of perplexity; and are consumed by the heat of self-desire, and are of those who perish.

Hasten, O people, unto the Shelter of God, in order that He may protect you from the heat of the Day whereon none shall find for himself any refuge or shelter except beneath the Shelter of His Name, the Clement, the Forgiving! Clothe yourselves, O people, with the garment of Assurance, in order that He may protect you from the art of doubts and superstitions, and that ye may be of those who are assured in those days wherein none shall ever be assured and none shall be firmly established in the Cause, except by severing himself from all that is possessed by the people and turning unto the Holy and Radiant Outlook.

O ye people! Do ye take unto yourselves the Jebt as a helper other than God, and do ye seek the Taghoot as a Lord besides your Lord the Almighty, the Omnipotent? Forsake, O people, their mention, then hold the Chalice of Life in the Name of your Lord, the Merciful. Verily, by God, the existent world is quickened through a drop thereof, were ye of those who know.

Say: In that Day there is no refuge for any one save the Command of God, and no salvation for any soul but God. Verily, this is the truth and there is naught after truth but manifest error. Verily, God hath made it incumbent upon every soul to deliver His Cause [the Message] according to his ability. Thus hath the Command been recorded by the Finger of light and Power upon the Tablet of Majesty and Greatness. Whosoever quickens one soul in this Cause is like unto one quickening all the servants and the Lord shall bring him forth in the Day of Resurrection into the Rizwan of Oneness, adorned with the Mantle of Himself, the Protector, the Mighty, the Generous!

Thus will ye assist your Lord, and naught else save this shall ever be mentioned in this Day before God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. As to thee, O servant, hearken unto the admonition given unto thee in the Tablet; then seek the Grace of thy Lord at all times. Then spread the Tablet among those who believe in God and in His Verses; so that they may follow that which is contained therein, and be of those who are praiseworthy.

Say: O people, cause no corruption in the earth and dispute not with men; for, verily, this is not worthy of those who have chosen in the shelter of their Lord a station which shall indeed remain secure.

If ye find one athirst, give him to drink from the Chalice of Kawtha and Tasneen; and if ye find one endowed with an attentive ear, read unto him the verses of God, the Mighty, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

Unloose the tongue with excellent utterance, then admonish the people if ye find them advancing unto the sanctuary of God; otherwise abandon them unto themselves and forsake them in the abyss of hell. Beware lest ye scatter the pearls of Inner Significance before every barren, dumb one. Verily the blind are deprived of witnessing the Lights and are unable to distinguish between the stone and the holy, precious pearl.

Verily, wert thou to read the most mighty, wonderful verses to the stone for a thousand years, will it understand, or will they take any effect therein? No! by thy Lord the Merciful, the Clement!

If thou readest all the Verses of God unto the deaf, will he hear a single letter? No! Verily, by the Beauty, the Mighty, the Ancient!

Thus have We delivered unto thee some of the jewels of Wisdom and Utterance, in order that thou mayest gaze unto the direction of thy Lord and be severed from all the creatures. May the Spirit and Glory rest upon thee, and upon those who dwell upon the plain of Holiness and who remain in the Cause of their Lord in manifest steadfastness!

Here ends the Tablet of the Branch.

Although the Supreme Horizon is devoid of the vanities of the world, yet in the Treasury of Trust and Resignation, We have placed a priceless and unequalled inheritance for the heirs. We have not placed (therein) a treasure, neither have We added to the pain.

By God! In wealth fear is concealed and peril is hidden. Behold and then reflect upon that which the Merciful One hath revealed in The Koran:

"Woe unto every maligner and backbiter who heapeth up riches and counteth them over. There is no continuance in the riches of this world. That which is subject to mortality and undergoeth a change hath never been and is not worth regarding. But as is well known, the purpose of this Oppressed One in enduring these adversities and calamities, the revelation of the Verses and the manifestation of the Proofs, has been to quench the fire of hatred and animosity, so that perchance the horizons of the minds of the people of this world may shine with the light of concord and attain the real tranquillity. The sun of this explanation is shining and arising from the horizon of the Divine Tablet; all must look toward it.

O People of the world! I enjoin ye to that which is the means of the elevation of your station. Hold to the virtue of God and grasp the hem of that which is just. Verily, I say, the tongue is for mentioning that which is good; pollute it not with evil speech. God hath forgiven ye that which is past; hereafter ye must all speak that which is befitting. Avoid execration, reviling and that which is aggravating to man. The station of man is high. A short while since, this exalted Word was revealed from the Repository of the Pen of ABHA: "This is a great and blessed Day, but that which has been hidden in man is and shall be disclosed (in this Day) "The station of man is great if he holds to Reality and Truth, and if he be firm and steadfast in the Commands. The true man appeareth before the Merciful One like unto the heavens; his sight and hearing are the Sun and moon; his bright and shining qualities are the stars; his station is the highest one; his traces are the educators of the existence. Every believer who hath found the Perfume of the Garment in this Day and turneth with a pure heart toward the Supreme Horizon, he is mentioned as one of the followers of BAHA' upon the red Page.

Take the Chalice of My Favor in My Name; then drink from It to My Remembrance, the Dearest, the New!

O People of the world ! The Creed of God is for love and union; make it not the cause of discord and disunion. In the sight of the men of discernment and those who are holding to the Manifestation, that which is the means of preservation and the cause of the ease and tranquillity of the servants is revealed from the Supreme Pen; but the ignorant of the earth who are fostered in ambition and lust are heedless of the matured Wisdom of the True Wise One and are speaking and working in imaginations and fancies.

O Saints of God and His loyal ones! Kings are the appearances of power and the daysprings of the might and wealth of the True One. Pray in their behalf, for the government of the earth is ordained to those souls; but the hearts He hath appointed for Himself.

He hath forbidden dispute and strife with an absolute prohibition in the Book (Kitab-el-Akdas). This is the command of God in this Greatest Manifestation, and He hath preserved it from any order of annulment and hath adorned it with the ornament of confirmation. Verily, He is the All-Knowing and the All-Wise!

It is incumbent upon all to aid those souls who are the day-springs of authority and the drawing points of command, and who are adorned with the ornament of equity and justice. Blessings be upon the princes and learned ones in BAHA'. These are My trusted ones amongst My servants; these are the rising points of My commandments amongst My creatures. Upon them be My Glory, My Mercy and My Grace which have surrounded all existence.

It is revealed in the Kitab-el-Akdas concerning this, that which from the Horizons of its Words, the Lights of the Divine Bounties gleam, rise, and glitter.

O My Branches! In this Existent Being the greatest strength and the most perfect power is hidden and concealed; look towards It and gaze in the direction of Its union and not at Its seeming differences.

This is the TESTAMENT OF GOD that the Branches [Aghsan], Twigs [Afnan], and Relations [Muntessabeen], must each and every one look to the Greatest Branch Ghusn Azam. Reflect upon that which is revealed in My Book, the Akdas: "When the Ocean of My Presence hath disappeared and the Book of Origin is achieved to the end, turn your faces towards Him whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Pre-Existent Root." The aim of this blessed verse hath been the Greatest Branch.We have likewise elucidated the Command as a favor from before Us; and I am the Generous, the All-Dispenser!

Verily, God hath ordained the station of the Greater Branch [Ghusn Akbar] after the station of the former. Verily, He is the Ordainer, the Wise. We have surely chosen the Greater [Akbar] after the greatest [Azam] as a Command from the All-Knowing, the Omniscient!

O My Branches, My Twigs and My Relations! We enjoin ye to the virtue of God, to follow that which is just and benefiting, and that by which your station will be exalted. Truly I say, piety is the greatest commander for the assistance of the Divine Religion, and the hosts that befit this commander have been and are good, pure, and pleasing qualities and deeds.

Say: O servants, make not the cause of order to be the cause of confusion, and make not the reason of union to be the occasion of discord! It is hoped that the people of BAHA' will look towards the blessed Word, Say:All are from the Presence of God and this exalted Word resembles water for extinguishing the fire of hatred and animosity which is deposited in all minds and hearts. The different creeds will attain the light of real union through this simple Word.

Verily, He sayeth the Truth and guideth in the Path, and He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and the Wonderful! Respect and regard for the Branches is incumbent upon all for the honoring of the Religion and the exaltation of the Word; and this Command hath been both previously and afterwards recorded and mentioned in the Books of God. Blessed is he who attaineth to that which hath been commanded from the Presence of the Commander, the PreExistent! Also respect (is enjoined) for the Ladies of the Household of God, and the Twigs and the Relations. I enjoin ye to the service of the nations and to the pacification of the world.

From the Kingdom of the Revelation of the Aim of the people of the world, is revealed that which is the Cause of the Life of the world and the Salvation of the nations. Hearken to the admonitions of the Supreme Pen with the true ear. Verily they are better unto ye than all that which is upon earth. To this beareth witness My Book the Mighty, the Wonderful!

Here ends the Kitab-el-Ah'd or the Will and Testament of BAHA'O'LLAH.

 

[This is the Tablet of Akdas, revealed from the Holy Kingdom to the one who hath approached the Kibla of the World and Who hath come from the heaven of Pre-Existence with His Most Great Glory]:

In the Name of the Lord, the Lord of` Great Glory!

This is a Book from before Us to the one whom the covering of the Names hath not kept from God, the Creator of the earth and heaven, whereby his eyes may be enlightened in the Days of his Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsistent!

Say: O Concourse of the Son [Christians]! Are ye hidden from Myself because of My Name? What maketh ye to doubt? Ye have called for your Lord the Self-Dependent, night and day and when He hath come from the Heaven of Pre-Existence, in His Greatest Glory, ye have not approached Him, and were of the heedless. Then consider those who turned away from the Spirit Christ when He came to them with manifest power.

How many of the Pharisees were abiding in the Temples in His Name, and were entreating because of His separation! But when the Gate of Union was opened and the Light shone forth from the Day-Spring of Beauty, they disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Great, and did not attain to His Visitation, after having been promised thereunto in the Book of Isaiah, as well as in the Books of the Prophets and the Apostles. No one of them approached the Day-Spring of Favor except those who were of no account among the people, but in whose names all the lords of evident honor boast at the present day.

Remember, the most learned doctors of His country in His age condemned Him to be killed, whilst one who was a catcher of fishes believed in Him. Be astonished thereat and be of those who remember!

Likewise look at this time. How many monks were abiding in churches and were calling for the Spirit, and when He came in truth, they approached Him not and were of those who are afar! Blessed is whosoever abandoned them and approached the Aim of all that is in the heavens and earth. They read the Gospel and confess not in the Glorious Lord, after coming in His Holy, Mighty and Beautiful Kingdom.

Say: Verily, We have come unto you and have endured the abominations of the world because of your salvation. Do ye flee from Him who hath redeemed His Soul for your lives?

Fear God, O Concourse of the Spirit, and follow not all learned men who are afar. Do ye suppose that He hath desired His Soul after being at every instant under the swords of the enemy? or that He desired the world after being imprisoned in the most ruined of cities? Then judge thereupon and follow not the oppressors. Open the doors of your minds; verily the Spirit standeth behind them. What maketh ye to keep afar from Him who hath  desired to bring ye nigh to the Shining Abode?

Say: Verily, We have opened unto you the Gates of the Kingdom; are ye closing the door of your houses before My Face? Verily, this is naught but a great error.

Say: Verily, He hath come from Heaven as He came from it the first time; beware lest ye contradict that which He saith, as the nations before you contradicted that which He said. Thus do I make known to you the Truth, if you are of those who know.

Surely the River Jordan hath joined with the Great Sea; the Son in the holy valley calleth "Labeick." ["I am ready, O my God, I am ready!"]; and the Mount circles around the House, and the Tree calleth, "Surely the Desired One hath come in His Exalted Glory!" Say: Surely the Father hath come and hath fulfilled that whereunto you were promised in the Kingdom of God. This is the Word the Son veiled when He said to those around Him that at that time they could not bear it; but when the stated time was ended and the hour arrived, the Word shone forth from the Horizon of the Will.

Beware, O Concourse of the Son, cast it not behind ye, but hold thereunto! It is better for ye than all that which is before ye. Verily, He is near to the charitable. Surely the hour hath passed, the knowledge of which We had veiled from all that is in the earth, and from the Angels of the Presence.

Say: Verily, He beareth witness to Me and I bear witness to Him; verily, He desired naught but My Person, whereunto bear witness all those just ones who know. Verily, We are inviting to God the Lord of the Names, in the midst of afflictions. Say: Continue in that which is promised unto you in the Books of God, and walk not in the path of the ignorant.

Surely My Body is imprisoned for the salvation of your souls; then draw nigh to the Face, and follow not all the obstinate proud ones. Verily, He hath accepted the greatest abasement for your honor, and, ye are diverting yourselves in the valley of heedlessness. Verily, He is in the most ruined of houses for your sakes, and ye are sitting in palaces.

Say: Have ye not heard the sound of the voice of the Crier [the BAB] who is crying in the wilderness of The Beyan,proclaiming to you your Merciful Lord?

Know that surely He hath come in the Truth, in the shadow of Demonstration, with Proof and Argument, and the Unitarians are beholding the Kingdom before their faces. Blessed is he who approacheth Him, and woe to all deniers and doubters!

Say unto the Priest that the Chief hath surely come. Then emerge from behind the veil, in the Name of thy Lord, the Lord of the necks, and proclaim to the people this Greatest and Exalted Manifestation.

Verily, the Spirit of Truth hath come to guide you into all Truth. Verily, He speaketh not unto you from Himself, nay rather from before the All-Knowing and Wise.

Say: He is the One whom the Son hath glorified and hath upraised His Command.

Abandon that which is before you, O people of the earth, and take that which is commanded you from before the Powerful, the Faithful. Purify your ears and turn your minds to hear the sweet Call which hath arisen from the direction of Sinai, the abode of your Most Glorious (BAHA) Lord. Verily, He attracts you unto a station wherein you will behold the Lights of the Face, which hath shone forth from this brilliant Horizon.

Say: O Concourse of Priests, leave the bells, then come out from the Churches. In this Day it behooveth you to proclaim in this Greatest Name among the nations. Do you choose to be silent whilst all trees and stones are calling out with the loudest voice, "Surely the Lord hath come, the Possessor of Great Glory"! Blessed is he who hasteneth unto Him. Verily, he is of those whose names will be established forever and the Supreme Concourse will remember. The Command is appointed from before the Spirit in this wonderful Tablet.

He who inviteth the people in My Name, he is of Me, and from him will appear that which will be beyond the power of all that is in the earth. Then follow the Path of the Lord, and follow not the heedless. Blessed is the sleeper who will awaken by these Powers and will stand up among the dead, directing himself in the Path of the Lord; verily, he is of the essence of the creatures before the True One, and verily, he is of those who have attained.

Say: Verily, He hath surely shone forth from the direction of the Orient, and His Signs have appeared in the Occident. Think thereupon, O people, and be not like unto those who neglected the Remembrancer when He came unto them from before the Mighty, the Laudable. Awake by the Breezes of God ! Verily, they have blown in the world. Blessing to whosoever hath found their fragrance and is of the assured!

Say: O Concourse of Bishops! Ye are the stars of the heaven of My Knowledge. My favor liketh it not that ye fall down upon the face of the earth, but My Equity saith, this is that which is appointed by the Son, and whatsoever hash issued from His Pure, Faithful and True Mouth shall not change. Verily, the bell is ringing in My Name and is mourning for My Soul, but the Spirit is in manifest gladness.

Say: The Body of the Beloved is yearning after the Cross, and His Head desireth the spear in the Path of the Merciful. Verily, the assault of the oppressors keepeth Him not from that which He Desireth. Surely We have abandoned all things to the Meeting of thy Lord the Possessor of Names. Blessed are those who draw nigh to God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

O Concourse of Monks! If ye follow Me I will appoint ye heirs of My Kingdom, and if ye disobey Me in my forbearance I will endure it patiently: Verily, I am the Forgiver and the Merciful. O Land of Syria! Where is thy righteousness? Surely thou hast attained the honor of the Feet of thy Lord. Have ye discovered the fragrance of Union, or are ye of the heedless? Bethlehem is even now stirred by the Breeze of God. I hear its call, saying, O Generous Lord, where is Thy Great Glory established? The Breaths of Thy Union have already quickened me after being melted because of my separation. Praise be unto Thee, for Thou hast uncovered the veilings and hast come with powers in manifest Glory!" We called unto it from behind the Canopy of Majesty and Greatness: "O Bethlehem !

This Light hath already appeared from the Orient and hath journeyed toward the Occident until it came unto thee in Its latter days. Then tell Me: Do the children know the Father and confess Him, or do they contradict Him as the people contradicted Him before?" Thereupon, its cry arose and said, "Thou are the Knowing, the All-Informed!"

Verily, We testify that all things bear witness to Us, whereof some know and bear witness, but the majority bear witness and know not. Mount Sinai already shakes with the shock of Meeting, and hath raised its sweet call to the remembrance of its Lord, the ABHA [the Most Glorious], and saith: "O my Lord, I perceive the fragrance of Thy Garment as Thou hast approached with Signs and hast honored these countries by Thy Feet. Blessing be unto Thy people if they know Thee and discover Thy Fragrance, and woe unto those who sleep!"

Blessing be unto thee, O thou who hast approached the Face, for thou hast torn off the coverings, broken the idols and known thy Pre-Existent Lord.

Surely the people of The Koran have stood against Us without any proof or argument, and have tortured Us at every instant with a new torment, supposing, verily, that calamities will prevent Us from that which We have Desired; but what they suppose is false. Verily, thy Lord is Powerful in that which He Desireth.

I passed not by any tree, except My Mind addressed it: "Would that thou wert cut down in My Name and that My Body were crucified upon thee!" This is that which We have revealed in the Book of the King [Shah of Persia], that it may be a remembrance of Me to the people of Religions. Verily, thy Lord is the Knowing, the Wise.

Verily, grieve thou not for all they have committed. Verily, they are dead and not living; leave them to the dead and turn thy face to the Reviver of all creatures. Beware lest thou art grieved by the sayings of those who have neglected.

Be steadfast in the Cause and teach the people with great wisdom. In such wise commandeth thee the Lord of the earth and heaven. Verily, He is the Mighty and the Generous!

God shall soon exalt thy remembrance and will establish whatsoever thou hast spoken in His Love with the Supreme Pen. Verily, He is an assister to the charitable.

Remember from My Part he who is named Murad, and say: Blessing be unto thee, O Murad, who hath cast away thy desire and seized the Desire of all the creatures.

Say: Blessed is the sleeper who is awakened by My Breezes! Blessed is the dead who is quickened by My Breaths! Blessed is the eye that is enlightened by My Beauty! Blessed is the seeker who sought the tent of My Majesty and My Greatness! Blessed is the affrighted one who took refuge under the shadow of My Domes! Blessed is the thirsty one who hastened to the Salsabil of My Favor! Blessed is the hungry one who hastened away from desire because of My Passion, and was present at the, Table that descended from the Heaven of My Grace for My elect! Blessed is the lowly one who held to the Rope of My Might, and the poor who took shelter under the shade of the Canopy of My Wealth! Blessed is the ignorant one who desired the Charter of My Knowledge, and the heedless one who held to the Rope of My Remembrance! Blessed is the spirit who was stirred by My Breath and entered My Kingdom! Blessed is the soul whom the fragrance of My Union shook and attracted to the Day-Spring of My Command! Blessed is the ear which heard, the tongue which witnessed, and the eye which beheld and knew the Soul of the Lord, the Possessor of Glory and Dominion, and the Lord of Majesty and Might! Blessed are those who have attained! Blessed is whosoever is illumined by the Sun of My Word! Blessed is whosoever adorned his head with the Wreath of My Love! Blessed is he who heard My grief and rose up for My assistance among My people! Blessed is he who redeemed himself in My Path and suffered tribulations for My Name! Blessed is he who was assured in My Word and stood up among the dead for My Remembrance! Blessed is he who was attracted by My Melodies and rent the coverings by My Power! Blessed is he who performed My Covenant and was not prevented by the world from entering the Court of My Holiness! Blessed is he who cut himself from all other than Me, soared in the ether of My Love, entered My Kingdom, perceived the Dominions of My Might, drank the Kawther of My Favor and the Salsabil of My Grace, and was informed of My Command and of whatsoever was hidden in the Treasuries of My Words, and shone forth from the Horizon of Inner Significance in My Commemoration and My Praise!

Verily, he is of Mine. May My Mercy, Grace, Favor and Glory be unto him!

Here ends the Lawh-el-Akdas or BAHA'O'LLAH'S Message to the Christians.

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