uprightness, and to be characterized with the morals of your Lord, the
Clement; to walk in the highway of equity and beneficence. Be ye
manifestations of the mercy of God, dawning-places of the light of His
great bounty, and arise with all steadfastness, truthfulness,
trustworthiness, compassion, modesty, love and accord with the people of
the world, no matter of what community they may be; inasmuch as it
behooveth the light to shine even upon the rocks in the field, and the
soul is qualified for quickening individuals, even though they be of the
ugliest and most disagreeable form, and a pure tree is adapted to bestow a
blessed fruit even upon those who throw stones at it.
"O ye who are attracted! O ye who are united! O ye..."
O ye(119) who are attracted! O ye who are united! O ye who are believers
and assured!
Glad-tidings unto you for that ye believed in God, were attracted to the
Beauty of God, were directed unto the Kingdom of God and were kindled by
the fire of the love of God!
Therefore, I say unto you that, verily, the angels of the Kingdom pray for
the maid-servants of the Merciful; the possessors of brilliant hearts,
spiritual susceptibilities, godlike feelings, heavenly attributes, holy
characteristics, confident souls, perfection of humanity and sanctified
and pure souls who are striving to spread the spirit of harmony--holy above
qualities (pertaining to) nature and passion--spreaders of the fragrances
of God severed from all else save God, banners of union and peace--signs of
love and accord!
Blessed are ye for organizing the assembly of unity! I ask God to confirm
you by the divine aid and strengthen you by the heavenly strength so that
every one of you may become a shining star by the light of the love of God
in the world, and banners moving by the breezes of love and peace on the
heights of glory among mankind; and lamps brilliant by the lights of
eternal majesty on the assemblies of men.
If ye keep firm in this path, ye will see by the eyes of joy signs
wherefore ye will thank your Forgiving Lord, and will be confirmed by the
hosts from the Supreme Concourse and angels from the Kingdom of El-Abha.
"O ye longing ones! O ye cheered ones! O ye attracted..."
O ye(120) longing ones! O ye cheered ones! O ye attracted ones! O ye who
are beseeching the Kingdom of God!
Blessed are ye, for ye have removed the covering; witnessed the lights of
the Sun of Truth which is shining from the horizon of bestowal; are
attracted by the fragrances sent forth from the garden of the Kingdom;
have arisen to praise the Lord of Grandeur and Might, and have resolved to
disseminate the teachings of God in those vast and extensive regions!
Truly I say unto you! Verily, ye have cast away superstitions; have
partaken an abundant portion from that Reality which is shining upon all
regions; have perceived the manifest signs, have entered the ark of
salvation and attained unto eternal life, under the shadow of the Lord of
Hosts, gazing unto the Most Honorable Station, enkindled with the fire
ablaze in the tree of existence, in the spot of Sinai; responding to the
call of the Clement One, severed from the world, and yearning for the
place of sacrifice in the path of Baha'.
You will surely hear from this call a ringing voice in the regions. Then
the nations will awake to this effulgence and hasten unto the fountain of
the Covenant; so that they may drink fresh and salutary water from the
grace of your Lord, the Clement.
At that time, the faithful shall be cheered, the sincere shall rejoice and
the yearning ones shall be drawn unto the unseen world, the Kingdom of
your Lord, the Merciful!
O ye beloved of God and His chosen ones! Trust ye in the divine
confirmation, the merciful bounty and the supreme bestowal. Verily, He
will confirm your hearts, dilate your breasts, make your tongues fluent
and will rejoice your souls by a grace from the Compassionate Merciful
One!
O ye beloved of Baha'! Do not look at your weakness, nay, rely upon the
confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Verily, It maketh the weak strong, the
lowly mighty, the child grown, the infant mature and the small great.
I beg of God that He may make you diffusers of His fragrances, servants of
His Cause, gazers unto His Face, speakers in His praise, and that He may
protect you against tests and trials, so that ye may become shining
lights, beaming stars, gleaming lamps and lofty trees. Verily, this is not
difficult with God!
Verily, I hope from God that ye may become my associates in servitude to
His Holy Threshold and my partners at the entrance of the Door of His
Oneness; so that ye may equally serve in His great vineyard. Then thank ye
your Lord, for He hath favored you with this manifest success. By God, the
True One! this cannot be equalled either by the dominion of the world or
by the gift of ruling over all regions with pomp, glory and power! Reflect
ye upon the chosen ones of God in the earlier ages! How their worth was
unknown during their days; how they were known by people as but ordinary
individuals and unimportant persons! Afterwards, their arguments appeared,
their lights scintillated, their stars beamed, their trees became lofty,
their mysteries gleamed forth, their fruits were praised, their reservoirs
became overflowing, their gardens adorned, their birds warbled and their
joy became perfect in the Kingdom of their Beneficent Lord.
O my God! O my God! These are souls who have advanced toward Thy Kingdom;
their breasts dilated by supplicating to Thy Realm of Might; their eyes
anticipating the descent of Thy mercy; and their spirits rejoiced at Thy
grace and gift!
O my God! O my God! Guard them by the eye of Thy protection, preserve them
in the cave of Thy defence, deliver them from the grade of the contingent
world, protect them during the violence of tests and trials, and assist
them by a power from the breath of Thy Holy Spirit, in the world of
existence! Verily, Thou art the Beneficent, the Mighty, the Clement!
"O thou who art kindled by the Fire of Guidance which..."
O thou who art kindled by the Fire of Guidance which blazed and burnt in
the Tree of Sinai!
By the life of God, I am moved with joy by the mention of the beloved and
delighted in the love of the elect! And now, with a heart clear from aught
else save God and overflowing with the love of God, I mention thee,
supplicating God to make thee a lamp of guidance in those districts, that
out of thee the spirit of knowledge may be spread upon the hearts and
spirits until thou becomest a spring of fresh and sweet water whereto the
thirsty and earnest desirers will come to drink, and thus be satisfied
with the sweetness thereof.
Rejoice at this address which I hope from God will have a great effect on
thy heart and spirit and accordingly become the banner of the Supreme
Concourse in that distant and extensive spot(121) through which certain
nations and tribes would be directed with bright faces, rejoiced hearts
and speaking tongues uttering the praise of God.
"O thou who art advancing toward God!..."
O thou who art advancing toward God!
Verily I read thy letter which thou hast sent through Mrs. ........ and
was rejoiced at its contents, which indicated thy excessive love and thy
great passion for the Kingdom of God!
O my friend! Thank thou God for He hath illumined thy sight with a
radiance which is shining forth from the Sun of Truth; hath quickened
thee, and baptized thee with the water of life and with the fire of the
love of god.
I beg God to bless thee so that thou mayest diffuse the fragrances of God
in those countries and purify hearts from the filth of ignorance and to
make thy revered wife and honored daughters signs of His love among the
maid-servants of God, and to ordain for thee a reward befitting one who
hath attained (the visit of) the Holy Threshold in this Cause.
Verily, I bestowed every kindness upon the maid-servant of God, Mrs.
........, because she hath been the cause of thy guidance, and hath given
thee to drink the cup of knowledge.
"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
Supplicate God that thou mayest be confirmed to what is worthy and fit for
the Most Mighty Cycle.
Deliver my respectful greeting to Mr. ........ and refresh him with
regards and affection. Convey my longing greeting to [Messrs.] .........,
........ and ........ and say [to them] to engage with Mr. ........ in the
service of the Word of God with the utmost love and affinity, in order
that they may behold the confirmation of the Supreme Kingdom and observe
the protection and preservation of His Highness the Almighty. Truly their
hearts are like unto a cup, overflowing with the wine of the love of God
and at all times I expect to hear good news of them.
O thou dear friend! Thou hast said the truth! Last year(122) was the time
of test for all the friends. Trials for the faithful believers are like
unto divine bestowal and everlasting gifts.
The firmness and steadfastness of the person will become evident and
manifest. How could the disciples of His Holiness (Christ) attain to any
spiritual development if they did not undergo trials and tests!
O friend! Although we are weak, yet the confirmations of the Merciful Lord
are inexhaustible. Pray thou that the ill-natured become good-natured and
the weak become strong.
The dream thou hast seen is in accord with thy interpretation. I hope that
Mr. ........ may become the light of the Merciful One and be confirmed and
assisted to spread the Cause of God.
"My God! My God! Elohim ...."
My God! My God! Elohim(123) .
To this Thy servant give the understanding of the Old Testament and the
New and enable her to speak forth with mighty voice and to sing with power
the holy songs and to discover the real meaning and the secret mysteries
of those verses, for Thou art the Powerful Inspirer and the Mighty One!
"O maid-servant of God, thou who hast given up thy..."
O maid-servant of God, thou who hast given up thy life to the service of
the Kingdom of God!
I have read the signs of thy thankfulness to God for guiding thee to the
way of the Lord, to the path of salvation which leads to the Tent of the
Testament behind the Tabernacle in the Capital of the Kingdom.
Know in the reality of assurance that every true woman who is attracted by
the fragrances of holiness in this most glorious age will surpass even the
most developed men of previous centuries.
It is incumbent upon thee to make thy greatest effort; to put forth thy
full strength; to supplicate and to worship, and to be careful to put thy
full trust in the Kingdom of the Lord Most High.
Make ready thy soul that thou mayest be like the light which shineth forth
from the loftiest heights on the coast, by means of which guidance may be
given to the timid ships amid the darkness of fog and the heaving of the
sea.
Then gain the knowledge of godliness and learn the exact facts from the
revered Abul Fazl(124), and, if it be possible, remain there a few months.
With regard to thy friend, send her to the sea coast or accompany her to
Marseilles and return to Cairo that thou mayest learn the necessary
proofs.
Then return to America--this is in case it is possible for thee. If
anything happens otherwise, the way is open and it will be made convenient
for thee--say always in the name of God--and rely upon Him; but to
understand the teachings regarding the Truth is absolutely required. And
upon God let thy confidence rest.
"O thou who in truth art attracted through the Breaths..."
O thou who in truth art attracted through the Breaths of the Holy Spirit!
I sent to thee a letter few in words and full in its meanings and its
mysteries, showing signs of good-tidings. By my life, there are manifested
meanings in the mysteries of the words!
At present I address thee in plain language without being veiled, and I
say to thee: "Stand up with all thy strength to guide the followers of
negligence and blindness, and diffuse the breaths of God in those regions;
and set off with all speed to New York and Chicago and call with the
loudest voice in the assemblies of the beloved ones and invite them to the
Alliance of God; and make them steadfast in the Covenant of God, and bear
good-tidings to all the steadfast ones, and inspire all who waver to be
firm in the religion of God and to resist all force with is against the
Alliance of God. Verily I promise the confirmation of the Holy Spirit to
thee in those great assemblies whenever ye argue upon the Covenant of
God."
"O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom of God!..."
O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom of God!
I hope thou wilt ride thy steed in this field as much as thou canst and
that thou mayest know nothing except praising, worshiping and extolling
the Sun of the World of Creation.
O maid-servant of God! The radiance of favor is (cast) upon thy head and
thou art clad with the robe of gift. Praise be unto God, that the breeze
of the divine spring maketh the soul thrive and the fragrances of holiness
are quickening the heart of man. Favor is perfect and bounty is
overflowing--the doors of prosperity are opened and hearts are expanded and
dilated. The drops of the cloud of favor are continually (falling) and the
lakes of graces are successively overflowing. The wine of the love of God
is circulating, and the melodies of thankful birds are astonishing all
people distant and near. The radiance of the Manifestor of the Mount is
illuminating all hearts and breasts and the never-ending bounties are
successively (flowing) from the divine Kingdom. I hope that, through the
favor of the Blessed Perfection thou wilt become the lamp of the society
of Green Acre (Me.), and wilt become the cup-bearer of the wine of the
love of God, thou wilt invite a great number of people into the Kingdom of
the Powerful Lord and wilt teach numerous souls, thou wilt put the crown
of the exalted gift upon thy heard and wilt rule over the empire of the
greatest spirituality, and thou wilt become the envy of the queens of all
regions and wilt be the rival of all the celebrated people of the world.
"O thou who art wholly advancing unto God!..."
O thou who art wholly advancing unto God!
Verily I have read thy letter in answer to mine and praised God--may glory
and dignity be unto Him!--for by reason of which He hath kindled the lamp
of guidance in the glass of thy heart, lighted in thy breast the fire of
love and faithfulness, illumined thy face with the light of His knowledge
among women and chosen thee for spreading His fragrances amid the
maid-servants. Be happy and rejoice at this speech through which the sick
will recover, the sad become cheered, the dumb speak and the deaf hear;
rather, the decayed bones will be quickened and the rocks and stones be
affected.
Remember my spiritual favors which have uninterruptedly descended upon
thee at the table which was spread under the abundant gifts of the Kingdom
of God. Verily, I continue supplicating God to make to grow from the
luxuriant garden of the heart the aromatic plants of His knowledge,
through the abundant rain pouring froth from the clouds of His Kingdom,
the Most Great; that thou mayest be a herald of the Covenant in those
regions and a preacher of the Kingdom of God in those distant isles.
Blessed thou art for this letter. Glad-tidings unto thee for this speech!
"O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God!..."
O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God!
By God the Truth, verily he angels of the Supreme Assembly pray for thee
every morn and eve and announce to thee glad-tidings! O blessed art thou
who hast devoted thyself to diffusing the fragrances of God! Know thou
that, verily, thy Lord will surely strengthen thy hands and assist thee
through the hosts which are hidden from the sight of the heedless ones,
and will give the victory through a numerous army from the Supreme
Assembly and will illuminate thy heart with the rays shining from the
Kingdom of Abha, the Most Glorious! O maid-servants of God! Gird up thy
loins, strengthen thy back, be not discouraged or grieved if people are
pouring the arrows of scorn and blame thee, insomuch as in this thou wilt
follow the example of those who have endured every tribulation and
calamity.
As to the young man and his revered wife, [as to] both of whom thou hast
informed me: I beseech God to remove the veil from them and lift the
covering from before their faces, so that they may witness the greatest
signs of their Lord, the Great, in this day in which all the regions of
heaven and earth are sparkling with the lights of their Lord. Tell him,
"Verily the Kingdom hath appeared with the ornaments of sanctity on the
apex of the world of being. Thou oughtest to enter therein, and this is
glad-tidings unto thee and to all those who have been expecting the advent
of the Kingdom of their Lord with true heart turned toward God."
"O thou who art attracted to the Word of God!..."
O thou who art attracted to the Word of God!
Verily I read thy excellent letter, nay, rather thy brilliant, peerless
pearls, which proved thy sincerity in the Cause of God, the enkindlement
of thy heart with the fire of the love of God and the illumination of thy
face through the light of the gift of God!
O maid-servant of God! Know, verily, I was with you in spirit during your
assemblage in the meeting of the commemoration of God, the House of
Agreement, under the Standard of peace, and I perceived ye with my spirit
on the Mount of Salvation and shared with ye in celebrating the praise of
my Lord, and I smiled with all cheerfulness, joy and gladness when I found
that ye were beseeching God and supplicating before the Kingdom of God. I
beseech God to guide some of those who have given themselves to the Word
of God, while they know not the Word. And I beg of God to give insight to
every heedless one, so that he may witness the signs of his Mighty Lord in
this great century wherein the Lord is glorified for the bounties and
gifts which He hath bestowed on all the horizons [i.e., regions] through
His Ancient Grace.
Verily I wrote an answer to the letter of ........ and enclose it in this
letter.
O maid-servant of God! By God the True One, verily Abdul-Baha invokes God
to strengthen thee through the mightiest power, so that thou mayest become
a star of guidance in Green Acre, to diffuse the fragrances of God, to
blow forth the spirit of God, to summon people to the Word of god, and may
speeches pour forth from thy pure lips as a torrent which rapidly pours
down from the loftiest mountains!
"O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of the..."
O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of the Garden of the Covenant
and art speaking the praise of the Orb of the Universe!
Know thou, verily, I read thy letter which expressed the commemoration of
thy Lord, the Great, and indicated that the fire of the love of god is
ablaze in thy heart and in the soul of the sincere ones. Truly I say unto
thee, verily thy magnificent letter was as one of the melodies of the
birds of holiness in the wonderful garden. Verily the hearts of the
Supreme Concourse are dilated with the songs which thou hast warbled on
the Blessed Tree in the Exalted Paradise.
O maid-servant of God! Verily Abdul-Baha was with you in Green Acre in his
spirit, soul and in all of his spiritual grades, and he was your companion
in your meetings and was bearing unto you, with his spiritual tongue, the
glad-tidings of the divine splendors which shall be poured forth upon you
from the Kingdom of God, in a short time.
O maid-servant of God! Be rejoiced at this glad-tidings whereby the hearts
of the people of the Kingdom of El-Abha are moved with joy. Verily I
beseech God to make Green Acre as the paradise of El-Abha, so that the
melodies of the nightingale of sanctity may be heard from it and that the
chanting of the verses of unity may be raised therein; to cause the clouds
of the great gift to pour upon it the rains falling from heaven; to make
those countries become verdant with the myrtles of truth and inner
significances and to plant therein blessed trees, with the hand of
Providence, which may bring forth pure and excellent fruits wherefrom the
fragrances of God may be diffused throughout all regions. These signs
shall surely appear and these lights shall shine forth.
O maid-servant of God, the Merciful! It is incumbent upon you to unveil
the covering and to witness the Beauty of the Almighty! Ye shall surely
see the lights rising in those parts, as ye have already seen them. Ye
shall surely behold a Pillar of Fire extending upward to the Supreme Apex
and it will call unto you with the most wonderful expression and will
address you, saying:
"I am the Ancient Light! I am the Lord of the Exalted Kingdom! I am the
Star shining forth unto the horizon of the hearts of the people of
Oneness!"
O maid-servant of God! Be tranquil in heart and be enkindled with the fire
ignited in the Blessed Tree--an enkindlement which may cause a fire to
blaze in the inanimate hearts in those regions.
O maid-servant of God! Be not disheartened if thou hearest the murmuring
of the deniers, the clamor of the hypocrites, the shouting of the
contradictors, the barking of the furious, harmful dogs, in those climes.
Remember the persecutions which consecutively befell the disciples of
christ from the perverse Jews. Consequently, withstand their oppositions
with all quiescence and dignity (patience) and their contradictions with
all cheerfulness, gladness and dilation of heart (i.e., exaltation) by day
and night. Resist their fighting with peace and reconciliation, their
blows with kindness and perfection and their blame with joy and
tranquillity. Do beseech God to direct them to the Path of Salvation and
breathe into them the Spirit of Life. Be thou a light to every darkness, a
dispeller of every sadness, a healer for every sick person, a quencher for
every thirst, a shelter for every refugee, a refuge for every captive. If
the Pharisees interfere with thee, it is incumbent upon thee to implore
God to guide them to the road of salvation! And it is incumbent upon thee
to be affable to them under all circumstances, to be patient in
afflictions, to be courteous with the enemies and to pray for the hateful
sinners! This is the nature of the faithful and convinced women believers
whose hearts are dilated with the fragrances of God and who instruct
(people) in the teachings of God!
O maid-servant of God! Trust in the grace of thy Lord. He shall surely
assist thee with a confirmation whereat minds will be amazed and the
thoughts of the men of learning will be astonished. Consider the divine
splendors in Green Acre: One of them is the tree of fire and another is
what was witnessed by thy friend--a light shining forth unto all sides.
This is through the grace of thy Lord unto thee! Consequently, be engaged
in perusing St. John's Revelation; all these signs are spoken of in that
vision. Thou shalt soon behold (things) still greater than this.
O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to diffuse the fragrances
of God and to be occupied in delivering (teaching) the Cause of God!
Deliver my greeting to ........ and say unto them: "Trust ye in the grace
of your Lord and thank your Master, for He hath directed you to the Path
of the Kingdom of God. Verily He is the Assister, the Beneficent!"
The coming of any one to these countries is, at this time, difficult and
unallowable. I beg of God to facilitate it and then we will permit
........ to come. I beg of God to manifest His lights in the heart of
........ so that he may apprehend that which he never before apprehended
and behold the mysteries of the Kingdom with real certainty in this
glorious age.
God willing, next year some of the teachers (of the Truth) will present
themselves at Green Acre and will cause the voices of the people of the
Kingdom to reach the Supreme Apex.
"O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God and..."
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God and enkindled with the
Fire wherein Moses, the Speaker, found Guidance!
May it be salutary to thee, the draught from this cup, which is
overflowing with the wine of the love of God.