and thoughtful of Thee night and day. Confer upon him Thy grace that he
may daily receive a new life, attain a fresh bounty, offer a new service
to Thy Threshold and serve Thy Throne.
Thou art the Giver, the Forgiver and Thou art the Pardoner, the Educator.
"O thou servant of Baha'!..."
O thou servant of Baha'!
Thy visit is accepted and thy name ever mentioned in the presence of
Abdul-Baha. I forget thee not for a moment but remember thee always. I
seek confirmation and strength from God for thee. Rest thou assured and be
happy in the love of Abdul-Baha. Know for a certainty that divine
confirmation will arrive and great attainment be made.
"O servant of Baha'!..."
O servant of Baha'!
Thy letter written to his honor, Mirza ........, with the enclosed map of
the ground of the Mashrak-el-Azcar, hath been seen.
The place is suitable, but if it were possible to have a wider piece of
ground, so that the building should stand in the middle, surrounded by a
flower garden, it would be better and more pleasing; otherwise, if this is
not possible, the building on the present ground is also permissible.
The flowers which Ruhullah picked on the ground of the Mashrak-el-Azcar
and thou didst send to me brought with them and exhaled a very sweet
fragrance. This fragrance is just as thou didst write, "the fragrance of
the rose-garden of the unity of the East and West." I hope that daily
these fragrances may become more powerful and more diffused throughout the
world.
Thou must hasten to send his honor .... ...... all the writings for which
he asked, to Rangoon, India.
An utmost happiness was produced by the news of the good health and safety
of the friends of God.
My spiritual beloved, his honor, Mr. ........, is rendering a great
service to the Kingdom of ABHA and becoming a means of strong attraction
towards, and connection with the world above by making this long tour(73)
and giving the news of the Holy Spot and diffusing the fragrances of the
love of God.
As to the calamities and afflictions of Abdul-Baha: These are not
calamities, but bounties; they are not afflictions, but gifts; not
hardships, but tranquillity; not trouble, but mercy--and we thank God for
this great favor.
"O thou who art advancing unto God!..."
O thou who art advancing unto God!
Praise God that He guided thee to the Path of His Kingdom, blessed thee
with the word of holiness, and illumined thy heart with a light shining in
the lofty Kingdom.
O maid-servant of God! Every star hath a setting, but the star of the
knowledge of God in the divine heaven; every light shall darken save the
light of the guidance of God; every dignity shall vanish away save the
glory under the shadow of the Word of God.
Verily, I pray God to make thee firm in this Path; to cause thee to enter
the Ark of Safety; and to strengthen thee in becoming humble and meek to
the maid-servants of the Merciful, and in overcoming self and passion
through the power of God.
"O my dear, intimate friend!..."
O my dear, intimate friend!
Verily, I address thee with such an appellation whereby the hearts of
those who are endowed with intelligence, are dilated with joy; because,
verily, this is from my heart which is overflowing with the love of
God--and an appellation that proceeds from love will certainly be as a
spirit for the souls, as a light to the eyes, as a life to bodies and as a
dressing for the hearts and bodies which are wounded and lacerated by the
afflictions of this world. Then be consoled by the praise of thy Lord,
whenever thou art attacked by grief and sorrow.
"O thou candle of the Love of God!..."
O thou candle of the Love of God!
I ask God to grant thee by His favor and grace that which is thy utmost
desire; that the closed doors become opened, the uneven roads become even,
thy face shine by the love of God, thy sight become brighter by witnessing
the signs of God; that thou mayest attain spiritual joy, eternal happiness
and heavenly life.
"O thou maid-servant of God!..."
O thou maid-servant of God!
Thank God that thou dost believe in the Greatest Manifestation, art
confident in the Word of God and dost hold to the divine teachings. I hope
that thou mayest be confirmed to give the Message to thy friends and
relatives and guide them also. Be patient and forbearing and treat them
with great love and kindness. Surely the attributes of the people of God
will have their effect eventually upon the people.
"O thou beloved of my heart!..."
O thou beloved of my heart!
Verily, my soul longs for thee, for the lamp of the love of Baha' is
lighted within thy heart and I love to look upon thy face, for it is
glittering with the light of guidance among the creatures. Glory be to Him
who hath united hearts together! Glory be to Him who hath brought the East
and West under the shadow of the Blessed Tree, the root of which is firmly
fixed in the earth and the branches of which reach unto the Supreme
Concourse!
"O thou who art partaking of the Heavenly Food!..."
O thou who art partaking of the Heavenly Food!
Know thou verily the Divine Food is descending from heaven, but only those
taste thereof who are directed to the light of guidance, and only those
can enjoy it who are endowed with a sound taste. Otherwise every diseased
soul disliketh the delicious and merciful food and this is because of the
sickness which hath seized him, whereby the El-Zekkum(74) is sweet (to his
taste) while he fleeth from the ripe fruit of the Tree of the Living and
Pre-existent God--and there is no wonder in that.
In a similar way, thou beholdest some women who have abandoned the
Testament, and to them the bitterness of discord is sweet. They keep aloof
from the Extended Shadow and dwell under the shade of a "black smoke."
Alas for them and grief for them! They will surely lament and find
themselves in loss. Verily, this is but an evident truth!
"O thou tree, developed in the garden of the Love of..."
O thou tree, developed in the garden of the Love of God!
Be well watered with the abundant rain falling from the clouds of the
Testament of God, that thou mayest bring forth fresh and ripe fruits which
are beneficial to the hearts and souls.
"O thou spiritual man and merciful being!..."
O thou spiritual man and merciful being!
I have read thy brilliant letter which showeth the utterance of thy praise
upon the Beauty of El-ABHA, the Most Glorious. Blessed thou art!
Glad-tidings unto thee for that by reason of which thou hast drunk from
the cup which is overflowing with the wine of the love of God, and hast
become intoxicated from that pure wine which was given to thee from the
hand of Providence in the meeting of the knowledge of God.
Take the cup of sanctity in thy right hand and pass the glass of the
Kingdom, in the social meeting--which is the wine of the love of God and
the sweet, pure, cool water of the knowledge of God--and give to drink to
those who are in attendance, that they may rejoice, be happy and sing the
hymns of sanctity and unification, offering their praise to the Supreme
Kingdom.
"O thou who art attracted to the Holy Fragrances!..."
O thou who art attracted to the Holy Fragrances!
The light of truth hath made thine eyes to see, the voice of God hath made
thine ears to hear and the lights emanating from the beauty of the Light
of the World both made thine heart attracted and astonished. I hope that
thou wilt cut thyself from all that is in this world; wilt sever thyself
from all desires of this transitory world; wilt attach thy heart entirely
to the light of truth and wilt, at all times, rise in the service of truth
in the rose-garden of God.
The deriding of the enemy addeth to the joy of the heart and taunting of
the ignorant becometh the means of spirituality and fragrance.
Observe that the Pharisees called His Holiness, the sweet and the divine
Christ, Beelzebub or the head of evil spirits. This people (the people of
the world) are in the depths of ignorance and their reproach and
detraction are like praise and congratulation.
I hope that, in the path of the love of God, thou wilt exert thyself
exceedingly and thus wilt enjoy life.
The letter which thou hadst written to Mrs. ...... was perused by me.
Indeed, its contents were indicative of divine knowledge and showed that
thou art really attracted to the Beauty of God. Thou hast very well
explained the question of the progress of man in the higher stations and
his reaching the life eternal. This explanation is indeed from the
confirmation of the Holy Spirit.
"O thou who art accepted of God!..."
O thou who art accepted of God!
Know thou that, verily, the eye of favors is directed to thee and is
beholding thee with a divine glance, so that thou mayest, with clear eyes,
see the lights of the Kingdom upon the horizon. Remember, at all times,
this great favor and thank thy Lord and supplicate to Him every day.
"O thou servant of God!..."
O thou servant of God!
According to what I have heard, thou hast experienced a great financial
loss. Do not feel sorry, for thou wilt be compensated. I hope that
whatever thou hast lost will come back to thee. But this material loss is
not a very grave one; it is for a time and shall pass away.
Alhamdallah!(75)--that thou hast a share in the Kingdom of God and art
receiving gifts from the treasury of the Holy Spirit. Do not feel sorry;
do not brood over the loss; do not sit down depressed; do not be silent;
but, on the contrary, day and night be engaged in the commemoration of thy
Lord in the greatest joy and gladness.
"O thou who art attracted to the Beauty of the Deity!..."
O thou who art attracted to the Beauty of the Deity!
Verily, I have read thy clear letter, and was heartily cheered at its
elegant style, because it indicated thy sincerity in the Cause of God, thy
hearty adherence to the Word of God, and thy service in the vineyard of
God.
O thou maid-servant of God! Be tranquil and know, verily, that indeed, the
Holy Ghost in this glorious age teacheth every soul that is sincerely
faithful, firm and drawn to the Kingdom of the Great Lord. Verily, I
address thee with a heart overflowing with the love of God.
I beg of God to ordain for thee all that which thou desirest and grant
thee the honors of meeting, and that thou mayest be a true maid-servant,
emptied of all save Him, that thou mayest be apt in serving in His
vineyard and in guiding thy two children into His Right Path.
Indeed thou wilt see the teachings of God spread in those regions by the
breath of the Holy Spirit, and thou wilt discover the fragrances of the
paradise of the Kingdom.
Verily, these glad-tidings are very great for thee, and also for the
maid-servants of the Merciful One, and for the men of God in that wide
region (i.e., America).
"O ye who are longing for the beauty of El-ABHA!..."
O ye(76) who are longing for the beauty of El-ABHA!
Verily that Light (i.e., the Light of the Manifestation) shone forth from
the horizon of the Manifestation, appeared upon the horizon of existence,
and the darkness was changed into light; the Sun of Guidance dawned in the
horizon of heaven, whereby the eyes which were looking unto the Kingdom of
God were illuminated, the breasts which were filled with God's love were
dilated, and the heavenly spirits were attracted by the magnet of the Holy
Spirit, so that the hearts became as pure mirrors reflecting the godlike
appearances and manifesting the heavenly lights--except the eyes which were
in the veil of imitation of the forefathers (i.e., those who followed the
theories of their fathers) were hindered from or veiled from witnessing
that brilliant and godlike illumination, and the people held to the
superstitions of the Pharisees and neglected the mystery of God and the
glad-tidings (recorded) in the Holy Scriptures, which elucidated the
appearance of the Lord of Hosts in the promised day.
As to you--O ye who are attracted to the fragrances of God! --kneel down and
thank God for choosing you to enter His wonderful Kingdom.
How many of the Pharisees were waiting for the appearance of the Spirit
(i.e., Jesus) then were veiled from it. But ye have taken away the veil
and were guided unto the light, have given up imitating forefathers and
directed your eyes to the Sun of Truth, which is shining in the Supreme
Horizon. This is a favor to you on the part of your Lord, and a gift for
you.
"O maid-servant of God!..."
O maid-servant of God!
Thy letter was understood. Thou hast asked, very humbly, for certain
things and all were worthy to be coveted. Thou desirest forgiveness of
sins; didst ask for great unity and peace; sought nearness to the
Threshold of God; hoped to be detached from thine own will, seeking the
will of God; prayed for rescue from self-love (or selfishness); hoped for
progress in the station of knowledge; desired to serve God; and prayed
that thy honorable husband and thy children may be set aglow with the fire
of the love of God and may manifest light on their brows through the
radiance of the knowledge of God. All these wishes are well worthy of
asking. Especially the rescue from self-love. This is a strange trait and
means of the destruction of many important souls in the world. If man be
imbued with all good qualities but be selfish, all the other virtues will
fade or pass away and eventually he will grow worse.
I hope the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful will be
entirely freed from selfishness. Should this become their nature, they
will indeed become manifestations of great bounties, and the doors of the
divine grace will open.
Be thou grateful to Mrs. ........ for having led thee to the Straight Path
and guiding thee to the Kingdom of God. If thou shouldst thank her a
thousand times an hour, thou wilt fail to thank her sufficiently for the
attainment.
"***O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God!..."
***O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God!
Know thou that the heart of Abdul-Baha is overflowing with great love for
thee, and verily he is night and day invoking and beseeching the Kingdom
of God that He may make thee a sign of His mercy among His creatures, a
cause of love and harmony and a means of hinging [or a pivot for] every
good among the people of all regions, and to make thee announce to the
people the opening of the door of the Kingdom. "Verily God will
appropriate His mercy unto whom He pleaseth."
O thou servant of God! Turn thy face thoroughly unto God, so that He may
make thee to show forth the Greatest Gift and make thee to be a source of
those signs which may prove thy proper relationship unto God and the joy
of thy heart, through the fragrances of the Holy Spirit, in every moment
and instant.
Be thou sure that, verily, thy deceased child is now one of those babes
who are suckled in the Kingdom of Life, under the charge of the Beauty of
El-ABHA. "Verily, God confirmeth whom He wisheth!"
"O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!..."
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!
Verily I read thy excellent letter which contained thy praises of the
Supreme Lord. Verily I supplicate God to confirm thee in that which He
desireth, to protect thee from conceit and self-exaltation and from
selfish concerns, to make thee devoted unto Him and resigned unto Him and
to be the means of promoting the divine love amongst the dearly beloved of
God. And I beseech Him to preserve thee from the confirmed tests and great
trials which break backs and perish souls and to make thee a sign of
submissiveness and a standard of meekness, lowliness and humility before
the Kingdom of the Mighty and Omnipotent God.
"O thou who art advancing unto the Kingdom of God!..."
O thou who art advancing unto the Kingdom of God!
Verily I noted thy writing and was made glad by thy letter. I pray God to
cause thee to attain the bounties of the Kingdom, so that thou mayest
arise for the service of the Cause of God and that of the world of
humanity--and (may God's) blessing descend upon thy honorable wife. Verily
my Lord is kind unto His servants and is the Generous, the Giver of
Bounty!
Know that the return of Christ for a second time doth not mean what the
people believe, but, rather, signifieth the One promised to come after
Him. He shall come with the Kingdom of God and His power which hath
surrounded the world. This power (or reign) is in the world of hearts and
spirits and not in that of matter (or bodies). For the material world is
not comparable to a single wing of a fly, or rather less in the sight of
thy Lord, wert thou of those who know! Verily Christ came with His Kingdom
from the beginning which hath no beginning and will come with His Kingdom
to the eternity of eternities, inasmuch as in this sense Christ is an
expression of the divine reality, the simple essence and heavenly entity
which hath no beginning or ending. It hath appearance, arising and
manifestation and setting in each of the cycles.
"O thou who art marching unto God!..."
O thou who art marching unto God!
Thy letter was read. Its contents indicated thy devotion to the Horizon of
the Living God and thy love for the Promised Perfection. Firmness is,
however, a requisite. Thou must remain solid and firm as a great mountain.
Regarding thy revered wife, thou hast written that a warmer place is more
suitable than the cold. If this winter thou shouldst go to those regions,
it is better. I ask God that thou, thy wife and thy friends may draw nigh
unto the Spiritual Beauty.
"Rejoice, O maid-servant of God!..."
Rejoice, O maid-servant of God!
--for that thou hast known God and heard His call and art attracted to His
breaths! Then prostrate thyself and kneel down before the gracious Lord,
in His great Kingdom, and say:
"My Lord! My Lord! I praise Thee and I thank Thee for that whereby Thou
hast favored Thine humble maid-servant, Thy slave beseeching and
supplicating Thee, because Thou hast verily guided her unto Thine obvious
Kingdom and caused her to hear Thine exalted Call in the contingent world
and to behold Thy Signs which prove the appearance of Thy victorious reign
over all things.
"O my Lord, I dedicate that which is in my womb unto Thee. Then cause it
to be a praiseworthy child in Thy Kingdom and a fortunate one by Thy favor
and Thy generosity; to develop and to grow up under the charge of Thine
education. Verily Thou art the Gracious! Verily Thou art the Lord of Great
Favor!"
"O thou who art afflicted by a visitation by which thine..."
O thou who art afflicted by a visitation by which thine eyes are
overflowing with tears!
Be not grieved and afflicted for this calamity which hath befallen thee;
nay, rather, rejoice that God hath favored (thy babe) with His heavenly
gifts. Truly, I say unto thee, wert thou informed of that felicity which
thy babe hath attained in the worlds of God, thy breast would be dilated
and thy soul would be purified. Truly, I say unto thee, thy child will be
fostered from the breast of the gift of God in the Exalted Kingdom and
will be nursed in the bosom of mercy in the Supreme World of God.
Therefore, be filled with delight, for the favor of thy Lord is very
great!
I beg of God to pour on thee becoming patience, so that thy heart may be
consoled with the fragrance of His mercy and that thy breast may be
dilated with His favors, that thou mayest attain to the spiritual states
which are lasting forever and ever.
Thou oughtest to bear it with becoming patience. Again, thou oughtest to
patiently bear this calamity which hath flowed thine eyes with tears and
hath greatly afflicted thee.
"O thou who art advancing unto the Kingdom of God!..."
O thou who art advancing unto the Kingdom of God!
Verily, I read thy beautiful letter, its good composition, and I scented
from the garden of its significances the fragrance of God's love. I pray
God to confirm thee in the Path, to cause thee to enter the Ark of Safety,
to reveal unto thee the signs and manifest to thee the evidences; thus
thou mayest be firm in the love of God, steadfast in the religion of God
and a growing tree by the bounty of the Kingdom of El-ABHA.
O maid-servant of God! Be rejoiced for God hath made thee a believing
maid-servant in His Holy Threshold and a leaf of the leaves of the Tree of
Life. If God giveth thee good descendants and a manly son, rest assured in
that he will be a good son, looking unto the Supreme Horizon and confident
in his soul by the favors of the Lord of the High Heavens.
I supplicate God to make His beloved ones in Cincinnati (O.) glow with the
fire of Sinai, imploring unto the Kingdom of El-ABHA, meek and lowly for
the sake of God among His beloved, denying self and passion, grasping the
rope of piety, so that they may be lamps of guidance in those regions. I
pray God to make thee a maid-servant whose garment shall be faithfulness
and the crown of her head the love of El-Baha.
Convey greeting and praise from me to thy honorable husband. I ask God to
aid him with a strength whereat minds shall amaze in the Cause of the
Living God.
"O ye illumined faces! O ye divine souls! and O ye..."
O ye(77) illumined faces! O ye divine souls! and O ye spiritual temples!
Verily, I read your letter which uttered your extreme love and entire
attraction to the Kingdom of God, your trust in God, your immersing into
the deep seas of the bounties of God and your chanting the verses of
thanksgiving to God, because He guided you to His Eternal Kingdom,
manifested to you His evident light, descended upon you a heavenly table
through His great favor, planted you in His glorious vineyard and caused
you to become manifestations of guidance among the people and
dawning-points of wisdom among the creatures.
Servants of God! Sanctify the soul and dilate the breast by the promise
your Lord gave you, that, verily, He confirms you through the hosts of
inspiration. Ye will see (the time when) your faces shine as stars in the
horizon of guidance and your heads crowned by the crown of success in the
Supreme World.
O Thou kind Lord!
These souls are Thy friends and this gathering is longing for Thee. They
are captives of the lights of Thy Beauty and ecstatic by Thy musk-scented
locks. Their hearts are Thine; they are Thy poor, humble and homeless;
they have severed themselves from relative and stranger and have
established the relationship of unity with Thee. They have adored Thee.
They were sons of earth; Thou hast made them new fruits of the Kingdom.
They were plants of the desert of bereavement; Thou hast made them trees
of the rose-garden of knowledge. They were silent; Thou hast made them
speak. They were extinct; Thou hast lighted them. They were sterile soil;
Thou hast made them the rose-garden of significances. They were the
children of the world of humanity; Thou hast caused them to attain
development and the maturity of the Kingdom!
O kind One! Grant them shelter and security under Thy protection, preserve
them from tests and trials, send them invisible help and confer upon them
the doubtless bounty, O Thou kind Beloved!
They are the body and Thou art the Life. The body is dependent for its
life and freshness upon the Spirit--therefore they are in need of
confirmation and long for the Breaths of the Holy Spirit in this new
Cause!
Thou art the Able! Thou art the Giver, the Educator, the Forgiver, the
Pardoner and the Light shining from the Invisible Realm!
"O ye who are attracted to the Heavenly Kingdom! O..."
O ye(78) who are attracted to the Heavenly Kingdom! O ye who are
enlightened by the Light of Guidance! O ye lamps lighted by the Light of
Love and Affection!
Verily, I have read your brilliant letter, which indicated your
enkindlement by the fire of the love of God and prayed [for] your entrance
into the Kingdom of God.
Blessed ye are, O ye who are firm and steadfast in the Covenant of God!
Blessed ye are, O ye shining stars from the horizon of the love of God!
I supplicate to God to make you the heralds of His mercy, spreaders of the
fragrances of His holiness, utterers of His name, servants in His vineyard
and dwellers in the Paradise of El-ABHA; so that ye may become signs of
guidance, standards of love and divine fruitful trees, cheerfully moved by
the breezes of God.