chosen thee to love Him and selected thee from among His beings to know
Him and distinguished thee particularly with the gift of dazzling light
through which the faces of the righteous will shine. Verily I say unto
thee that this gift now signifieth a globule and a date stone which shall
spring up and grow until it becometh a tree of solid root and the branches
thereof will extend to the East and West. Then the tongues shall utter:
"This is naught but a great bounty!"
"O thou who art rejoicing at the Glad-tidings of God!..."
O thou who art rejoicing at the Glad-tidings of God!
Thank thou God for that by reason of which He hath enabled thee to
traverse the seas and countries and come safe to a Spot wherein the lights
are shining with great brilliancy. Thank Him for the help He rendered thee
to visit the pure and Holy Tomb and revolve around it, the fragrance of
which hath excelled that of the flowers of the dawn.
Go back to those regions where thy return is expected by those souls who,
through the signs of thy Lord, became attracted unto Him, the
Unconstrained, and say unto them: "Glad-tidings unto you who are sincere!
Glad-tidings unto you who are faithful servants! Verily I have seen the
Kingdom of God with its doors open, the garden of El-ABHA with extensive
sides and regions, with dazzling lights, rolling seas, verdant and
beautiful orchards, overflowing beds, green trees, fresh and bright
leaves, perfumed flowers, sweet rivers, gentle breeze, beautiful air,
magnificent views, elegant and handsome lips and mouths."
Tell them that "The suns of the garden of El-ABHA are still shining, the
moons rising, the stars brightening, the gifts perpetual, the grace
perfect, the glad-tidings spreading, the signs of singleness and oneness
are chanted in the cloister of its Godhead and the flags of sanctity are
waving above the palaces of its glory. Come here! Come here!"
"O thou who art drawn unto God and kindled by the Fire..."
O thou who art drawn unto God and kindled by the Fire which burned on Mt.
Sinai!
Set aside every mention save the mention of God and abandon everything
save the divulgence of the Testament, be attracted by the magnet of the
Covenant that thou mayest see the triumph of the angels of the King of the
Kingdom and the valor of the hosts of the Lord of Might. By the life of
the Lord! The Invincible Power will indeed strengthen, the Holy Spirit
will speak in thy mouth, the Word of God will be revealed in thy heart,
the sound of the trumpet of the Lord will gladden thee, the light of unity
will shine from thy brow, the doors of success and prosperity will be
opened upon thy face and the secrets of the Holy Books will be unfolded.
Then, at that time, thou shalt cry at the top of thy voice, saying:
"Blessed I am for this great bounty! Blessed I am for this evident
victory! Blessed I am for this power which could not be resisted by the
powers of whomsoever is upon the earth!"
"To him who is looking unto God! O thou who art..."
To him who is looking unto God! O thou who art gazing unto the Center of
the Covenant--may God confirm thee!
I supplicate God, beseech Him and pray to Him that He may deliver the
souls from the deluge of tests and kindle the lamp of sincerity in the
midst of the hearts. As to thee--O thou who art sincere in the Cause of
God, looking unto the Kingdom of God and uttering the praise of God!
--thank thou Him for that by reason of which He hath made thee wholly
faithful in His Cause, kindled thy heart with the fire of the Testament,
illumined thy mind with the light and conveyed unto thy spirit the
glad-tidings of the breaths of the Holy Spirit in the world of effulgence.
Therefore, roll up thy sleeves to serve the Covenant, make the hearts firm
in the Covenant of the beloved Lord, create harmony and agreement among
the believers and impart to them the glad-tidings of the confirmation
which they will receive from God if the differences of opinion be removed
and if they unite and agree, be firm in spreading the fragrance of God,
divulging the traces and chanting the signs of God. Verily, I send thee
good news of the confirmation which thou shalt receive, the like of which
was never seen by the eyes in those regions, and of the success, the
lights of which will brilliantly shine in those regions--if thou wilt arise
with all thy power to assist the Testament of God and to serve the
Covenant of God.
Give all the beloved salutations and praise. El-Baha is upon you all, O
people of El-Baha!
"O ye who are turned towards the Kingdom and drawn..."
O ye who are turned towards the Kingdom and drawn unto the Holy Fragrance
diffused from the Garden of El-ABHA!
Arise with every power to assist the Covenant of God and serve in His
vineyard. Be confident that a confirmation will be granted unto you and a
success on His part is given unto you. Verily, He shall support you by the
angels of His holiness and reinforce you with the breaths of the Spirit
that ye may mount the Ark of Safety, set forth the evident signs, impart
the spirit of life, declare the essence of His commands and precepts,
guide the sheep who are straying from the fold in all directions, and give
the blessings. Ye have to use every effort in your power and strive
earnestly and wisely in this new century. By God, verily the Lord of Hosts
is your support, the angels of heaven your assistance, the Holy Spirit
your companion and the Center of the Covenant your helper. Be not idle,
but active and fear not. Look unto those who have been in the former
ages--how they have resisted all nations and suffered all persecutions and
afflictions, and how their stars shone, their attacks proved successful,
their teachings established, their regions expanded, their hearts
gladdened, their ideas cleared and their motives effective. Ye are now in
a great station and noble rank and ye shall find yourselves in evident
success and prosperity, the like of which the eye of existence never saw
in former ages.
El-Baha and salutations be upon every one who is firm in the Covenant,
free from dissension, sanctified from deceits and steadfast in the path.
"O thou herald of the Kingdom of God!..."
O thou herald of the Kingdom of God!
Hearken with the ears of (thy) spirit to the Concourse of El-ABHA, and
thou wilt hear, verily, the angels of the Supreme Concourse blessing and
praising thee, while saying: "Be thou rejoiced, O thou who hast arisen to
serve the Cause of God and to promote the Word of God, and be gladdened at
the light of the gift of God!"
By God, the True One, verily, the gifts of God are in such profusion as to
rush like a torrent, overflow as a sea, and shower as rain. Gird up thy
loins, strengthen thy back, make firm thy feet, and exert thyself in
quickening souls, dilating breasts, illumining insights, giving hearing to
ears, and attracting hearts. Unseal the jars of the choice wine of the
love of God, and give the craving ones to drink from this cup which is
overflowing with the knowledge of God.
O my friend, the affection of my heart unto thee cannot be expressed
through any interpretation, and I can hardly write it or acknowledge it:
Turn with thy breast unto the heart of Abdul-Baha, and then this concealed
fact will be disclosed, and the hidden mystery [be] unveiled unto thee.
Verily, I beseech God to make thee a tree with ripened fruits within
reach, overshadowing those regions.
It is incumbent upon thee to be meek, to be humble, to be submissive and
suppliant before the Threshold of the Merciful. It is incumbent upon thee
to serve the beloved of God in that spiritual clime.
Send my greeting and praise to thy revered wife, to thy esteemed daughter
and to thy other children. I beg of God to enable all of them to render
service to His Cause in His great vineyard.
"O thou who hast arisen to render service to the Cause..."
O thou who hast arisen to render service to the Cause of God in His Great
Vineyard!
Verily, I have already written thee several letters, and sent them to thee
at different times. Now, I address thee with such words whereby the souls
of the proximate ones are rejoiced, and the faces of the sincere ones are
cheered.
O my friend, verily the Cause is great and great, and the penetration of
the Word of God in the temple (body) of all the regions is similar to the
pervasion of the soul in a sound body.
By the life of Baha', verily, the power of the Kingdom of God hath taken
hold of the pillars of the world, and hath possessed all the nations. Thou
wilt surely find the standards of the Testament waving in all regions, the
chanting of the verses of unity raised in exalted assemblies, and the
lights of the Sun of Truth and its heat dispersing the thick clouds massed
on the horizon. Be rejoiced at this glad-tidings, whereby the hearts of
the sincere among the beloved are cheered.
O my friend, isolate all thy faculties and senses from every other mention
and thought, and follow the example of Abdul-Baha in servitude to the Holy
and Exalted Threshold. Hasten to the field of sacrifice, craving for the
most great martyrdom; expend thy life and all of thy grades in love for
God and in attraction to the Beauty of El-ABHA.
By God, the True One, man should seek only this bounty, inasmuch as it is
everlasting, eternal, divine, spiritual, luminous and merciful. Be
sanctified from all the universe, and send my greeting and praise to the
spiritual leaf, the being who relies upon the grace of her Lord--the
maid-servant of God, thy revered wife, and say unto her that she may
address the veiled ones (those blind to the Truth), saying: "Verily, eyes
are dazzled by gazing at the sun, and it is impossible to consider it
because of the intensity of its rays; and verily the sea cannot be
contained in a cup. The weakness of eyes does no harm to the sun, nor the
smallness of the cup to the sea."
Then let her explain to the people, and make known to every questioner, by
saying: "Verily, minds are limited, and the splendor of lights is so great
as not to be comprehended by (man's) reflective faculties. Ye ought to
have the sigh of the heart so that ye may apprehend the reality of the
mysteries of God which are deposited behind coverings."
"O thou who hast sought illumination from the Light of..."
O thou who hast sought illumination from the Light of the Guidance of God!
Verily I read thy words of thanksgiving to God for that He hath directed
thee to His Kingdom, illuminated thine insight with the light of guidance,
and baptized thee with the water which hath descended from heaven, with
the fire which was ignited in the Sinaitic Tree, and with the Holy Spirit
which quickeneth hearts and souls. Then, thank thou God for this gift
whereby thy face is shining amid the concourse of Chosen Ones.
Know thou, verily, man before reaching (spiritual) maturity passes his
days and only apprehends trivial things which are clear on account of
their exoteric indications, but when he attains full development, then he
grasps the reality of things and their esoteric facts. Every day after
maturity is equivalent to one year before it, on account of (man's)
perception, understanding apprehension and discoveries.
Now, thou hast reached development and apprehended the degree of maturity:
Gaze at the grades of the existence, the realities of beings, the
allegories in the epistles of God, and the mysteries in the Old and New
Testament. By the life of Baha', the covering will be removed from off
thee (i.e., facts will be unfolded to thee), and thou wilt be informed of
that which all the philosophers and wise men are unable to apprehend.
Verily, this is a gift which God assigns only to such of His chosen
servants as He willeth. Verily, thy Lord will inspire thee with the
mysteries of God, the Protector, the Self-subsistent.
Verily, I beseech the Lord of Hosts to increase thy faith each day over
that of the previous day, to confirm thee through His Holy Spirit, to give
thee capacity to partake of the lights of knowledge and wisdom, to make
thee a herald of the Covenant in those regions, and to instruct thee in
that which thou knowest not; so that thou mayest become a physician for
bodies as well as souls, to heal bodies with the medicines which are
useful and beneficial for physical (sickness), and to cure hearts and
souls with that antidote which quickeneth hearts and souls.
O my friend, it is incumbent upon thee to be severed (from all else save
God), to be attracted, to be sincere, and to spend thy life in the path of
God. Be thou holy, spiritual, divine, lively, brilliant, godlike,
sanctified, pure, with merciful character, firm in the Covenant, fluent
and knowing; and gaze toward the Kingdom of El-ABHA with a heart brimming
over with the love of God, with tears flowing the commemoration of God,
with a face scintillating through the light of God, with a heart sincere
to the beloved of God, and with a sword which divides truth from
falsehood. By God, the True One, the Spirit of Baha' will assist thee with
such strength that all the concourse of the earth will fail (to
withstand).
"O my Lord, my Hope!..."
O my Lord, my Hope!(84)
Praise be unto Thee, for Thou hast sent down unto us this spiritual table,
supreme benefit and heavenly blessing. O our Lord! Strengthen us to
partake of this heavenly food, so that its fine essence may run through
the pillars of our spiritual being and that we may thereby obtain a
celestial power for serving Thy Cause, promulgating Thy signs and adorning
Thy vineyard with lofty trees, the fruits whereof shall be near (to
gather) and of perfuming fragrances. Verily Thou art the Possessor of
great bounty! Verily Thou are the Clement, the Merciful!
"O my Lord, my Hope!..."
O my Lord, my Hope!(85)
Thanks be unto Thee for these foods and benefits. O Lord! Suffer us to
ascend to Thy Kingdom and to sit at the tables of thy divine world.
Nourish us with the food of Thy meeting and cause us to attain to the
sweetness of beholding Thy beauty, forasmuch as this is the utmost wish,
the mightiest gift and the greatest bestowal. O Lord, O Lord! Make this
feasible unto us. Verily Thou art the Beneficent, the Giver! Verily Thou
art the Bestower, the Mighty, the Merciful.
"O thou seeker of the True One!..."
O thou seeker of the True One!
If thou wishest the divine knowledge and recognition, purify thy heart
from all beside God, be wholly attracted to the ideal, beloved One; search
for and choose Him and apply thyself to rational and authoritative
arguments. For arguments are a guide to the path and by this the heart
will be turned unto the Sun of Truth. And when the heart is turned unto
the Sun, then the eye will be opened and will recognize the Sun through
the Sun itself. Then (man) will be in no need of arguments (or proofs),
for the Sun is altogether independent, and absolute independence is in
need of nothing, and proofs are one of the things (of which absolute
independence has no need). Be not like Thomas; be thou like Peter. I hope
you will be healed physically, mentally and spiritually.
"O maid-servant of God!..."
O maid-servant of God!
Thank God, thy faith increased and thou didst become attached to the
Kingdom of the Merciful. Endeavor and supplicate and pray God that, day
unto day, thy firmness and steadfastness may grow and that thy countenance
may radiate through the light of guidance. Thus shalt thou stand solid as
an iron mountain. For firmness attracts the bounty of God and
steadfastness is a magnet to receive His strength. Pray thou God for this
(attainment), and I will pray to Him to awaken the two people that they
may avoid alcoholic drinks.
Hypnotism hath a weak influence over bodies, but hath no result. But the
power of the Kingdom of God is great. If thou canst, endeavor to obtain a
share of that power.
I ask God to help [thy son] in attaining faith and assurance and in
directing himself to the desired One. Although young, he shall attain
maturity. May the love of God take root in his heart from his youthful
age.
"O thou who art a young tree in the Garden of the Love..."
O thou who art a young tree in the Garden of the Love of God!
I supplicate to God that He may develop and flourish thee with the shower
of mercy, the heat and light of the Sun of Truth and the soul-imparting
breeze of the Paradise of ABHA and to bestow upon thee a great limitless
delicacy and freshness.
"O thou who art quickened by the Divine Fragrances!..."
O thou who art quickened by the Divine Fragrances!
I considered thy letter. Its expression was wonderful and indicated the
brilliancy of thy heart and conscience. Be hopeful of the mercy of the
Lord of Creation, whose grace is infinite and the sea of whose gift is
boundless. I beg of the abundant favor of that Ancient Lord that thou
mayest decorate thy spiritual reality (being) with the human perfections,
be endowed with a new life, keep steadfast in the Covenant, diffuse the
fragrances (i.e., teach the Truth) and deliver the Cause of God.
"O thou who art acknowledging the Oneness of God!..."
O thou who art acknowledging the Oneness of God!
Verily, I read thy letter which contained beautiful meanings and wonderful
texts; was informed of thy turning unto God and thy attainment unto the
bounty of the Kingdom, which is apparent and manifest by the appearance of
God.
O maid-servant of God! Let not thy hands tremble nor thy heart be
disturbed, but rather be confident and firm in the love of thy Lord, the
Merciful, the Clement.
O maid-servant of God! Verily, all existence is [a book of] pages and
tablets which utter the glad-tidings of the appearance of the Kingdom of
thy Lord, the Supreme, the Great.
Observe the pages of the universe and discover the traces which appeared!
Hast thou seen or heard in any of the previous centuries or generations
that which is manifested in this Glorious Age? If the writings of the
previous centuries, the middle centuries and the later centuries, be
compared with that which is manifested in this single century, they will
not weigh against it! nay, rather, they are as drops of water in
comparison with the ocean. Magnified is He, who hath crowned this century
with the appearance of His Kingdom!
As to thee, turn unto God with a heart cheerfully swayed by His love and
kindled by the fire of His desires, both day and night. The lights of God
will appear unto thee, the mysteries of God be unfolded to thee and thy
bosom healed by the exhortations uttered by the Supreme Pen.
Convey my greeting and praise to thy respected husband and say to him that
the Jews are still expecting Christ and long to see Him in all
anticipation and great zeal, while His light was manifested, His beauty
shone forth, His call was raised, His trumpet blown, His standard hoisted,
and His stars sparkled; but the Pharisees are yet in an amazing slumber,
immersed in former traditions, and they make play with the signs of Thy
Lord, the Merciful, the Clement.
Thank God that He guided thee unto the fountain of guidance, gave thee to
drink from the cup of affection, summoned thee unto His Supreme Kingdom
and chose thee from among those people. This is a favor wholly above
comprehension and is not realized by the intellects which are negligent of
the Lord of hosts and angels.
O thou friend! Endeavor so that thou mayest ascend to the station which is
above the firmaments, near to the Generous Lord who created and made thee.
"O thou bright pearl!..."
O thou bright pearl!
Endeavor, and spare no effort, and hasten to the Kingdom of thy Lord, the
Lord of the shining and clear evidences and arguments.
Verily, by Truth, every seed cast in this great and magnificent century
(period) will be cultivated by God and produce plants through the
abundance of the clouds of His mercy, which preceded the postulates, and
from which all the existing beings have been awakened and issued, and to
which they will return.
Therefore, use thy utmost power to sow and cast those pure seeds, the
divine teachings, in the hearts which move and cheer by the fragrance of
God.
Convey my greeting and praise to thy honored, noble-minded husband, for I
love him with all that is within me.
"O thou who art attracted by the Breaths of God! --may..."
O thou who art attracted by the Breaths of God! --may God confirm thee!
Verily I read thy letter, which contained expressions like as of "the pure
sealed wine," showing what throbs of the thoughts of the love of God in
the mind of that righteous one (thyself) and that which shines of the
lights of the knowledge of God in the heart of that beloved one.
I beseech God to ordain thee as a sign of His great signs, to confirm thee
to shine as a light in the lantern of America; to cause thee to be
stripped and cut from all positions, to announce the good tidings of God,
to diffuse the breaths of God, to speak the praise of God and to turn thy
face to the Kingdom of ABHA, to be freed from depending on this world, to
be kindled by the fire of the love of God, to be adorned with the ornament
of perfection; to be the center of those virtues and characteristics
wherewith the inner qualities of man are ornamented, to be confirmed by
the breaths of the Holy Ghost, to call on the name of God.
O my beloved one! It is incumbent upon thee to be firm in the Covenant and
to stand up and serve the religion of God. Verily, this is the magnet of
confirmation and assistance, the attracter of all success and the leader
of hosts of gifts.
May God protect thee from all accidents! May the Glory of ABHA be upon
thee!
Convey my greetings to the spiritual leaf, the servant of God, thy honored
wife, the esteemed ........, and say unto her: "Serve in the olive garden
of God, that God may help thee by those confirmations by which intellects
are astounded and the perceptions are cleared."
"O thou who art sincere in the Religion of God!..."
O thou who art sincere in the Religion of God!
Verily, the maid-servant of God, the assured leaf [thy wife] hath
presented herself in the Sacred Spot and is blessed by the pure and holy
dust, inhaled the fragrances of God from the meadow of Abdul-Baha. She
will soon return unto thee, while being watched over by the glance of the
providence of God.
I beseech God to cause thee to partake of the heavenly table, to be firm
in the love of God and to transmit His lights in those regions; to make
thee severed from all else save Him and to be a servant of His Cause, and
to strengthen thee with a power which may penetrate into the reality of
things.
"O thou who art attracted by the Speech of Abdul-Baha!..."
O thou who art attracted by the Speech of Abdul-Baha!
Verily I speak unto thee through the tongue of my spirit, from the
spiritual direction, and explain for thee the mysteries of the kingdom and
the meanings of the sacred, heavenly books. Direct thyself unto the Lord
of the Supreme World and loosen thy tongue, so that He shall confirm thee
by the spirit of Beyan (i.e., explanation) and breathe into thy mouth the
Holy Spirit and move thy tongue with the best meanings and mysteries.
Trust in God and rely on His great bounty, because His bounty is
overflowing like the seas, brilliant like unto the lights, flowing like
currents of water and raining like the clouds. It is incumbent upon thee
to be humble, lowly and submissive at the appearance of the lights of the
gifts of thy Lord, in every instant. Serve the friends of God under all
circumstances and conditions. This is the station of the spiritual ones;
this is the honor of the Bahais; this is the glory of the sincere ones and
this is the sovereignty of the unitarians.
"O thou who art attracted unto the Beauty of ABHA!..."
O thou who art attracted unto the Beauty of ABHA!
Verily I call thee, from this Spot, with a speech whereby the spirit is
breathed into hearts and bodies, and address thee with a calling whereby
His clear wine overflows in the fountain of a heart which is consumed by
the love of God.
Verily, I love thee with my heart, my spirit and my mind, and associate
with thee in spirit (and converse with thee) by my innate tongue. I love
for thee to arise for that to which I have arisen in servitude to the
Sublime and Holy Threshold, turning unto God, hoping for martyrdom, so
that thou mayest attain to the gift, the lights of which glisten in the
eternal horizon.(86)
"O thou whose heart is overflowing with the love of God!..."
O thou whose heart is overflowing with the love of God!