mention thee with the fullness of love, clemency, yearning and attraction,
supplicating my Lord that we may meet together at the meeting of His
Kingdom and the pavilion of His might, where we shall chant the verses of
thanks for His bounty, generosity and gifts, the lights of which have
shone upon all horizons and their effulgences have become intense upon the
hearts of the people of harmony.
O thou my dearly beloved! Hasten! Hasten! to the gifts of thy Lord, the
Merciful! Come to the Benefactor; avail thyself of this opportunity and
take thy portion of this Greatest Treasure in this promised day!
"O thou spiritual youth and merciful young man!..."
O thou spiritual youth and merciful young man!
Consider the grace of thy Master; how He hath directed thee to the
fountain of salvation, until thou hast drunk from the salsabil (i.e.,
clear water of life) of the guidance of God, in this holy and rich garden.
Cling to this firm handle and make thy feet steady in this path, so that
the bounties of thy Supreme Lord may successively pour upon thee and make
thee a sign of His mighty knowledge.
"O thou who art directed to the Light of Guidance!..."
O thou who art directed to the Light of Guidance!
Thank thou God, for tho hast chanted the verses of the Mighty guidance in
the assemblage of knowledge and hast unfurled the banner of attraction in
those most extensive places. Therefore, appreciate this with due
appreciation and know thou that this guidance is a gift, greater than
which cannot be imagined. Forasmuch as it is a bounty from the Glorious
Lord, a success to every sincere servant, a light for the faces of devoted
ones and a bestowal from the Lord, the Clement, the Merciful.
"O ye who are advancing towards the Kingdom of..."
O ye(114) who are advancing towards the Kingdom of God!
Mr. ........ hath praised you that, verily, ye have rent the veil asunder,
removed the covering, become informed of the mysteries of God and of the
symbols of the Holy Bible, have understood the interpretations of its
verses, discovered the truth of its evidences and been guided to the Path
of His Kingdom; are imploring for His heavenly gifts and are engaged in
His commemoration among seekers. Verily, I thank God, for He hath guided
you and ordained for you this great success and manifest bounty. Kiss, on
my behalf, the faces of your august children who are nurtured from the
breast of the guidance of God.
"O My God! O My God!..."
O My God! O My God!
This thy servant hath abandoned superstitions, emerged from darkness and
hath entered into Thy Light which hath shone forth to the world! Praise be
unto Thee, O My God! for thou hast removed the covering from his insight,
caused the reality of Guidance to appear unto him and hath ordained for
him a gift which is not followed by destruction!
O Lord! O Lord! Send unto him a gentle breeze from the garden of Thy
sanctity in Thy Kingdom of Abha, so that he may be refreshed and developed
as a flourishing branch in that adorned and thickly planted grove; cause
his tongue to speak Thy praise among mankind and confirm him through the
breath of Thy Holy Spirit at the time of prayer, so that he may become a
soul unto bodies, a light unto every eye, a joy to every heart, a
consolation to every depressed one, a happiness to every grieved one, and
a proof to every gazer! Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Potent, the
Bestower, the Merciful, the Giver!
"O thou who art advancing unto God!..."
O thou who art advancing unto God!
Thy precious and beloved letter came to hand and all contents noted.
Consider how the bounty of God hath surrounded thee until it brought thee
to the shore of the sea of the endless and boundless gift of God! I
supplicate the benevolence of God and His providence to make thee a
dazzling light and a merciful and bounteous gift to His creatures; and to
enable thee to be firm and steadfast in the Cause of the Truth and to
appoint thee as a means for the exaltation of His Word.
"O thou confirmed by an inspiration from the Kingdom!..."
O thou confirmed by an inspiration from the Kingdom!
Blessed thou art, for thou hast delivered the Word of thy Lord to
........, the maid-servant of God!
Glad-tidings unto thee for that by reason of which the spring of knowledge
hath flowed out in the garden of thy heart, inundated thy tongue and made
thee utter the name of thy Lord and call the people to the Kingdom of thy
God!
I supplicate God, my Lord and thy Lord, to illumine thy forehead with the
light of success and victory, strengthen thy spirit by the breath of god,
quicken thee by the spirit of God and make thee a pillar of guidance set
up in the firmament of the Kingdom of God.
Grieve not because of my imprisonment and calamity; for this prison is my
beautiful garden, my mansioned paradise and my throne of dominion among
mankind. My calamity in my prison is a crown to me in which I glory among
the righteous. Thou shalt hear greater than this.
I ask God to assist whosoever is related to thee to receive guidance in
the future days, and to bless Mrs. and Miss ........, Miss ........ and
Miss ........, and make them the signs of His gift among the people of the
world.
"O thou who art attracted unto the Beauty of El-Abha!..."
O thou who art attracted unto the Beauty of El-Abha!
Verily I read thy recent letter***, and noted its beautiful contents and
meanings which proved thy firmness in the straight Path.
O friend! Be set aglow with the fire of the love of God, so that the
hearts of the people will become enlightened by the light of thy love.
Supplicate to God, pray to Him and invoke Him at midnight and at dawn. Be
humble and submissive to God and chant the verses of thanksgiving at morn
and eve, for that He guided thee unto the Manifest Light and showed to
thee the straight Path and destined to thee the station of nearness in His
wonderful Kingdom. Verily I ask God to augment for thee, every day, the
light of guidance and His gift of virtue, comfort and ease. Thus thou
mayest set a good example in that region; that He may lift up the veil
from before the eyes of thy mother and father, so that they may witness
the lights of the Kingdom of God, which have encompassed all regions.
"O thou who hast spread the Fragrance of God!--may..."
O thou who hast spread the Fragrance of God!--may God confirm thee!
Since thou hast reached America, we have not received any message
announcing to us thy safe and sound arrival there, but Mr. ........, in a
letter to us, hath endeavored to explain in detail that thy return was
like showers of rain to that country and like the attack of a lion upon
those valleys and mountains. He also informed us that thou hadst been
received there with honors by the best men; by those whose breasts were
dilated by the gentle breeze coming from the gardens of the Kingdom of
God.
O thou who warmest thyself by the fire of the love of God, spreading from
the Tree of the Covenant! Let thy soul be at ease and thy heart in peace
concerning the perfect success and progress which the pen is not able to
express, for in a short time thou shalt see the flag of the Kingdom waving
in those far and wide regions, and the lights of the Truth shining
brilliantly in its dawn above those horizons, and thou shalt know that
thou art the center of the circle of the love of God, the axis around
which souls revolve in their way and supplication to God. Therefore, thou
must widen thy heart, dilate thy breast, have patience in plenty, calmness
of soul and cut thyself from everything but God! By God, the truth is, if
thou goest according to the teachings of El-Abd(115) and followest the
steps of Him who is annihilated in God, thou shalt see that the cohorts of
the Kingdom of God will come to thy help, one after another, and that the
hosts of the Might of God will be in thy presence in steady succession,
the gates of the great victory opened and the rays of the brilliant
morning diffused! By thy life, O my beloved! if thou didst know what God
hath ordained for thee, thou wouldst fly with delight and thy happiness,
gladness and joy would increase every hour! El-Baha be upon thee!
Present to the beloved people of God there my longings for them. Preach to
them the glad-tidings of God.***
Present my best greetings to the honorable and spiritual women, to those
who are very much attracted toward God, and particularly to that one who
have proved that it is possible for a camel to pass through a needle's
eye. May God keep them in joy and happiness and burning with His love.
"O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!..."
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!
Be rejoiced for my mentioning thee and gladden thine eyes by the bounty of
thy Lord. Know, verily, that His favor unto thee is great, great; for He
guided thee unto the Merciful Light, confirmed thee in bearing calamities
and hardships in the path of God, on the part of the neglectful ones.
There is no harm in any affliction which befalleth thee in the love of
El-Baha, for this affliction is a gem which glistens and shines on the
crown of guidance which adorns thy head among the maid-servants. Remember
the hardships of the disciples, and what Mary, the Virgin; Mary, the
Magdalene; and Mary, the mother of Jesus, bore in the path of God;
especially Barbara, until she was martyred in the love of Christ; and she
being attracted unto the Kingdom of God, her spirit soared unto the
summits of holiness in the paradise of eternal life, in the place of
Meeting.
"O thou whose nostrils are perfumed with the Fragrances..."
O thou whose nostrils are perfumed with the Fragrances of God!
Verily, I read thy letter which contained graceful expressions and was of
a well made foundation, and I inhaled the odor of the love of God from the
garden of its meanings and witness the lights of sincerity in the Cause of
God from the dawning-place of its mysteries.
Blessed art thou, O maid-servant of God, for thou art attracted to the
Word of god, and thy heart is illuminated with the lights of the guidance
of God, and thy soul is cheered by the gentle breeze blowing from the
direction of the favor of God.
Verily thy Lord is gracious toward thee. Thank thou God for this great
bounty and praise Him for He hath caused thee to enter His New Kingdom;
and glorify Him for He hath chosen thee from among those men and women
"who were called".
Preach the Kingdom of God to every man and maid-servant who is waiting the
appearance of His Glorious Kingdom. The lights of guidance shall surely be
spread, even as the morning light spreads over all the regions of the
earth; all the regions of the earth shall be refreshed by the Word of God.
Deliver my longings and greetings to the consolation of thine eye(116),
......, and to thy younger son, ....... Verily I love them both even as a
compassionate father loveth his dear children. As to thee, have for them
an abundant love and exert thine utmost in training them, so that their
being may grow through the milk of the love of God, forasmuch as it is the
duty of parents to perfectly and thoroughly train their children.
There are also certain sacred duties on children toward parents, which
duties are written in the Book of God, as belonging to God. The
(children's) prosperity in this world and the Kingdom depends upon the
good pleasure of parents, and without this they will be in manifest loss.
Send my greetings to ........(117), who is free in this world, but a slave
of God in His Great Kingdom.
"O dear servant of God!..."
O dear servant of God!
The tests of God are surrounding you from all directions and many
afflictions have occurred; but thanks be to God that you and your
honorable husband are patient, thankful and constant.
The necessity and the particularity of the assured and believing ones is
to be firm in the Cause of God and withstand the hidden and evident tests.
Thanks be to God that you are distinguished and made eminent by this
blessing. Anybody can be happy in the state of comfort, ease, health,
success, pleasure and joy; but if one will be happy and contented in the
time of trouble, hardship and prevailing disease, it is the proof of
nobility. Thanks be to God that that dear servant of God is extremely
patient under the disastrous circumstances, and in the place of
complaining gives thanks.
Verily I am pleased with both you and [your husband], and I ask God that
you may find pleasure and ease in another world--for this earthly world is
narrow, dark and frightful, rest cannot be imagined and happiness really
is non-existent, everyone is captured in the net of sorrow, and is day and
night enslaved by the chain of calamity; there is no one who is at all
free or at rest from grief and affliction. Still, as the believers of God
are turning to the limitless world, they do not become very depressed and
sad by disastrous calamities--there is something to console them; but the
others in no way have anything to comfort them at the time of calamity.
Whenever a calamity and a hardship occurs, they become sad and
disappointed, and hopeless of the bounty and the mercy of the Glorious
Lord.
Give especial greetings of Abha to all the friends of God and the divine
servants, and give them deep love from Abdul-Baha.
O dear servant of God! Give my greeting and love to your boys. I ask God
that each one of them become a shining lamp.
"O thou dear maid-servant of God!..."
O thou dear maid-servant of God!
In reality thou art faithful and assured, thoughtful and mentioning the
name of thy Lord. All the inhabitants of the Kingdom are satisfied with
thy service, and the approximate angels are opening their tongues in thy
praise. These angels are spiritual and merciful powers, and in one sense
the angels are those sanctified souls who have disentangled themselves
from the world of possession and are confirmed with the powers of the
Kingdom. However, be thou not sad. Rejoice and delight in the divine
glad-tidings!
I know that thou art in difficulty, but this difficulty is conducive to
the everlasting felicity and this weakness is followed by the supreme
strength. Consider thou how the faithful women in the time of Christ, and
after the departure of His Highness, underwent hardships! What
difficulties did they not bear; and what calamities did they not endure!
But that adversity and trial, misfortune and derision, became the cause of
imperishable and deathless glory and rest.
Do ye not look upon the beginning of the affairs; attach your hearts to
the ends and results. The present period is like unto the sowing time.
Undoubtedly it is impregnated with perils and difficulties, but in the
future many a harvest shall be gathered and benefits and results will come
apparent. When one considers the issue and the end, exhaustless joy and
happiness will dawn.
Live thou as far as thou art able according to the divine commands and
advices, because they are conducive to eternal life.
Caress and kiss on my behalf, with utmost love and yearning, thy two dear
children. I supplicate God that they may come the servants of the Cause of
God as their father and mother have, and be trained according to Bahai
education, so that they may become two great signs of the love of God.
"O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!..."
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!
Verily, I read thy interesting letter, understood from it an excellent
meaning and pray to God to augment thy love, knowledge, certainty and
confidence.
O maid-servant of God! Everything of importance in this world demands the
close attention of its seeker. The one in pursuit of anything must undergo
difficulties and hardships until the object in view is attained and the
great success is obtained. This is the case of things pertaining to the
world. How much higher is that which concerns the Supreme Concourse! That
Cause involves every favor, glory and eternal bliss in the world of God.
The seeker after the great guidance and eternal happiness necessarily will
encounter difficulties. He must be patient under such circumstances. The
chosen believers of the past quaffed the chalice of suffering and sank
deep in the ocean of trials until they attained to that blessed station
and sublime beatitude.
Verily, I pray to God to aid thy children in the service of the Word of
God, the furtherance of His Covenant and the spread of His fragrances, for
this is the great happiness of this life and that to come.
I ask God to confirm the maid-servants of God, Mrs. ........ and Mrs.
........, in spirituality and to make them firm in turning unto the Center
of Mercy and to make them sincere unto His glorious Face.
Convey my greetings to Madam ........ and say to her: "Be not sorrowful on
account of separation; verily, thy Lord is of more good to thee than
anything in the material world. He is the best companion and the best
friend and will accompany three under all aspects."
Convey my regards to the maid-servant of God, ........, and say to her:
"Be rejoiced, O maid-servant of God, through the fragrances which have
perfumed the world. Seek an abundant share from this table which hath
descended from heaven."
O maid-servant of God! It is necessary for every sould who believeth in
her Lord to send Abdul-Baha a letter of acknowledgement in the Oneness of
God.
"O thou maid-servant of God!..."
O thou maid-servant of God!
Glad-tidings unto thee because of my address and answer to thee! God hath
purified thee from iniquities when He hath drowned thee in the sea of His
mercy and made thee drink the cup of faith and the pure wine of knowledge.
Well done! Well done! because thou hast desired the evanescence of thy
will for the will of God, sought the augmentation of the love of God, the
enlargement of the knowledge of God and straightforwardness in the path of
God. I ask God to assist thee under all conditions and to enable thee to
attain the utmost of hopes.
"O thou who art calling in the Name of God and heralding..."
O thou who art calling in the Name of God and heralding unto the Kingdom
of God!
Verily I considered the contents of thy recent letter, thy beautiful
writing and I observed thy heartfelt thanks. Verily my heart is filled
with love and affection; overflowing with spiritual attractions.
Verily I know that the Tablets (Book) of Abdul-Baha and his address is a
hidden mystery and concealed fact. No one is informed of its greatness and
importance at these times, but in the course of time and future centuries
the signs thereof will be manifested, the lights thereof will dawn forth,
the fragrances thereof will be diffused and the greatness, the importance
thereof will be known. The truth I say unto thee, that each leaflet from
Abdul-Baha will be a wide-spread book, nay, rather, a glistening gem on
the Glorious Crown. Know tho its value and hold great its station.
Then praise God for that He chose thee to love Him and elected thee to
spread His fragrances. He selected thee from among the women of the world,
so that thou become a flame to the fire of His love, a sign of the Kingdom
of His Grace and a summoner to His Name, in humbleness and meekness,
invocation and supplication to God.
Verily I ask God to protect thee from the waves of tests and storms of
trial until thou becomest firm in the Cause of thy Lord--a firmness whereby
thou be enabled to withstand all nations and peoples. When thou art thus
confirmed by God, with firmness and solidity in His Covenant among the
people, thou wilt see the hosts of the Kingdom shelter thee from all sides
with banners whereunto all heads bow.
O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to be firm! It is
incumbent upon thee to be steadfast! It is incumbent upon thee to be
steadfast! It is incumbent upon thee to be steadfast in the Cause of the
Light which hath shone forth unto the world with great brilliancy!
O maid-servant of God! Verily, Mary, the Magdalene, was a villager, but
she kept firm in the Cause of Christ and confirmed the apostles at the
time she declared to them (thus): "Verily, Christ is alive and eternal and
death did not overtake Him; and verily, the foundation of His religion is
not shaken by His crucifixion at the hand of the oppressors!" By this her
face is eternally shining from the horizon of guidance.
O maid-servant of God! The circumstances will be severe for every thankful
servant (i.e., believer in the Teachings) in those boundaries and
countries. The people shall arise against you with the most bitter hatred,
opposition and envy. Swords of persecution and curses shall be thrown at
you by all the nations. The wind of tests and trials shall fiercely blow
and thereby the weak trees, which are not firmly rooted in this wonderful
vineyard, shall be uprooted. But the trees which are strong, thriving and
green will be strengthened, their branches extended, their leaves opened,
their appearance beautified and their blossoms and fruits increased. I ask
God to make thee one of those firmly rooted trees and an extended branch
in this most great vineyard, and to make thy heart like unto a cup
overflowing with His love in every assemblage. Verily He is the Powerful,
the Generous!
Supplicate to God to guide Mrs. ........, so that she may become thy
partner and partaker of this great bounty, and to confirm the family of
Mr. ........, so that they may be blest with blessings and successive aids
and with the appearance of the manifest signs. Thus all ye may become
spreaders of the banner of union, love, harmony and peace upon plains and
deserts, hills and mountains.
"O thou who art firm in the love of God!..."
O thou who art firm in the love of God!
Verily I read thy recent letter*** and I praised God for His glorious
mercy and His blessings which are successively poured into the pure
hearts.
I have written a reply to the letter of ........ and have enclosed it with
this letter. I ask God to make him a sign of guidance and to guide,
through him, souls (people) of his native land and of other people.
Verily, my God chooses whomsoever He willeth, by His mercy and generosity,
for entrance into the Kingdom of Glory and shineth the lights of (His)
Beauty upon them. Blessed is he who keeps firm in the Path and stands for
the Cause of thy Merciful Lord--a firmness like unto the lofty mountains.
O maid-servant of God! Verily, I pray God to sanctify thee from the
material and thus clothe thee with the garment of holiness and the mantle
of purity and send through thee the glad-tidings of thy Lord from the
Kingdom of Heaven.
O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to be firm and steadfast,
for by it man attains the greatest hope. Bear every difficulty and be
content with any ordeal for the love of thy Lord, so that thou mayest
obtain that favor, the lights of which shine throughout the horizons.
"***O ye shining faces and spiritual beings!..."
***O ye(118) shining faces and spiritual beings!
Verily, I was rejoiced at beholding those merciful faces in whose brows
the lights of guidance shine on account of their turning unto the Kingdom
of El-Abha! O ye beloved of God and His chosen Ones!
Blessed are your ears, for they have heard the Call!
Blessed are your eyes, for they have beheld the signs of their Mighty
Lord!
Blessed are your tongues, for they have uttered the praise of my Lord, the
Supreme!
Blessed are your nostrils, for they have inhaled the odor of faithfulness
from the people of guidance!
Blessed are your hearts, for they are attracted to the Beauty of El-Abha!
Blessed are your breasts, for they are dilated by the knowledge of God!
Blessed are your souls, for they have partaken of the spirit of life from
the fragrances of sanctity in the Paradise of El-Abha!
Thank ye God! for He hath guided you unto His Kingdom and hath chosen you
from among the called ones of nations! Your Lord hath indeed crowned you
with the diadem of eternal glory (which will continue) throughout cycles
and ages! Truly I say unto you, verily, the angels of heaven repeatedly
bless you, for ye have advanced toward God and turned unto His Great
Kingdom. Ye shall surely see in this effulgence a flash which will pervade
all regions. At that time, all nations and communities will arise to
praise and glorify you, and they will bless themselves with your
commemoration in gatherings, temples of worship and in exalted assemblies.
Is there any gift greater than this?