read by me. The bounty is of God for that He hath inspired thee with the
word of fidelity and chosen thee from among those who are called, whether
men or women. Therefore, thank thou thy Lord at morn and eve and glorify
His praise for this favor. Verily a great favor is bestowed upon thee!
Our dear friend ......... hath arrived. He praises the beloved of God and
His maid-servants and adorns the ears with the pearls of praiseworthy
actions and good qualities of the elect and the faithful.
I supplicate God to enable him and every one else to serve Him in the
garden of El-Abha and to help thee to be gentle, humble and submissive; to
reveal Himself upon thee with the attributes of the Merciful and to grant
thee a heavenly table at all times.
"O thou honored friend!..."
O thou honored friend!
Verily the sight of Providence is far reaching and the divine glance is
perfect. Thou hast always been a recipient of favors and the object of the
bounty of the glorious Beauty of Abha. I trust in God that thou mayest be
thus aided by Him to serve His Cause and so shine as a luminous star in
the horizon of His Kingdom, an illumining candle burning in the assemblage
of the Bahais; that thou mayest be confirmed by a power of the Kingdom and
attain divine bounty and providence.
As to the question of women being chosen rather than men: In this cycle
there were men who arose through a divine power and who shone forth as the
sun from the dawning-point of holiness; and, likewise, there appeared
certain women who became side by side with men. The expression which you
quote, "Every woman who is directed to the guidance of God in this great
age, will surpass men in every respect," signified that, in this age,
certain women will appear who will surpass some men. It does not mean that
they will surpass all the men who have given their lives as sacrifices in
this Cause; for in this wonderful cycle there appeared such men as his
holiness Khudoos, his holiness Bab-el-Bab, his holiness the "King of
Martyrs" and his holiness the "Beloved of Martyrs," his holiness the great
Vaheed(143), and such ones who have no equals in the world of existence.
If, in the letters to the maid-servants of the Merciful, there hath been
written in the sense of encouragement (that form which such meanings can
be inferred), the purport is that some women in the wonderful age have
surpassed some men, and not that all women have surpassed all men. The
members of the House of Spirituality must give unlimited encouragement to
women. In this age, both men and women are in the shadow of the Word of
God. Whosoever endeavors the most will attain the greatest share, be it of
men or of women, of the strong or of the weak.
As to the matter of teaching and the choosing of men, the letters which I
have written to the Spiritual Meeting (House of Spirituality) of which you
are a member, will answer this question and will manifest the station of
men who remain firm in the Covenant of God. Refer to them.
As to the number of Tablets to women, this is due to the fact that most of
the letters which come to the Holy Land are from women. Rarely do letters
come from men and, naturally, to women the most are written. Men are
enjoined more than women to give the Message of the Cause of God and to
diffuse His fragrances.
My dear friend! If thou didst know how dear thou art to Abdul-Baha, thou
wouldst spread wings, and through excess of joy, soar and begin teaching
all that country.
As to the question: "Whither shall we turn in our prayers?" There is an
appointed center toward which one must direct himself in prayer, but at
present this center is not unfolded because of wisdom. In its time this
shall be announced. At present, in those regions, you should direct
yourself, as formerly, to the East. The appointed and certain center will
be announced in its time.
You also ask: "To whom shall we turn?" Turn to the Ancient Beauty. If it
be the will of God, the blessed likeness (of the Manifestation) will be
sent in its proper time, so that, in the world of the heart, thou mayest
direct thyself to that holy likeness and thus be saved from imagination
and phantasy. However, in the Temple (Mashrak-el-Azcar) the blessed
picture must never be placed (or hung) on the wall. This you should know.
As to the subject of babes and infants and weak ones who are afflicted by
the hands of oppressors: This contains great wisdom and this subject is of
paramount importance. In brief, for those souls there is a recompense in
another world and many details are connected with this matter. For those
souls that suffering is the greatest mercy of God. Verily that mercy of
the Lord is far better and preferable to all the comfort of this world and
the growth and development of this place of mortality. If it be the will
of God, when thou shalt be present this will be explained in detail by
word of mouth.
"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
Your letter *** arrived at this time and was read with great care. Its
contents proved a source of gladness, for it indicated firmness.
Today firmness is of the greatest favors of the merciful Lord. How many a
soul who traveled in one pathway and after a time wanting firmness (or
constancy) went back; yea, followed the way again until he reached the
same point (as before) and arrived at the first destination. Thus did he
waste his life and endeavored to set the minds (of the people) uneasy and
doubtful. The opportunity and portion of these souls became an evident
loss.
Thank thou God that thou art firm and constant and art abiding at the
threshold of servitude. I ask God to increase daily thy faith and
certainty, trust and firmness. Give thou the glad-tidings in a manner
which shall set afire souls that are in lethargy, give life to them that
are dead and sight to the blind.
Give greeting and praise from Abdul-Baha to all the friends of God,
particularly to the maid-servant of God, the firm and steadfast Mrs.
........ . Tell her to "feel at rest; thou art ever in mind, with me and
present in the gathering. God willing, I shall ask thee to come."
"O thou friend of old and O thou incomparable companion!..."
O thou friend of old and O thou incomparable companion!
Many letters have so far been received from thee and lengthy answers have
been written to them, but it is strange that they have not reached thee. I
was grieved when Mr. ....... said thou hadst not received them. Therefore,
I write this epistle immediately so that it may be a cause of comfort to
thee.
O dear friend! Thou art more deserving than others; thou art worthy of
every favor and attention. Is it possible then that I should answer others
and leave thee disappointed? God forbid! Thou art an old and true
believer; in faith thou hast attained precedence; thou art constantly
engaged in servitude; with an eloquent tongue thou art teaching the Cause
of God; thou hast become the cause of faith in others; whenever thou
findest an opportunity thou dost travel and visit the believers,
disseminating the fragrances of God; thou hast a soul full of glad-tidings
and hast an enlightened and clear heart. I have a great attachment for
thee; how is it possible then that I should disappoint thee?
I pray and supplicate God and ask for favor and help for thee. I am very
desirous to behold thy face.
Convey to all the beloved of God the utmost longing on the part of
Abdul-Baha.
"O Lord! O Beloved!..."
O Lord! O Beloved!
The truthful servant, Mr. ........, abandoned home, left his native land
and crossed the great ocean until he reached the shore of the Holy Land
and arrived at the Blessed Spot. He laid his head upon the threshold of
the sacred dust; he implored and supplicated the Gateway of Unity and
sought confirmation and strength.
Now he is returning to his native clime to serve and to spread the
fragrances of the Holy Spirit.
O Lord! Confirm him, aid and strengthen him through the hosts of the
Kingdom, so that he may become the cause of the spread of the Word of God,
the cause of joy and happiness to the friends and the means of awakening
the negligent. Thou art the Mighty and Powerful and Thou art the Precious,
the Almighty, the Wise!
O thou truthful servant of the Beauty of Abha! With a power of the
Kingdom, a divine attraction and a spiritual breath, return thou to that
land; fill to overflowing the lives and hearts with the wine of the love
of God; be the cause of joy to all and the means of unity and agreement to
all; because through unity and agreement do the beloved of God hoist the
standard, shine with the light of the love of God and are tender to one
another.
This is the attitude of the beloved of God and this is the example and
life of the sons of the Kingdom of God.
"O thou herald of the Kingdom!..."
O thou herald of the Kingdom!
Thank God that thou didst come to the holy shrine, put thy head upon the
holy dust, reached the gathering-place of the spiritual ones, became a
member of the assembly of the Merciful, found friendship with Abdul-Baha
and with the utmost love and joy spent a few days there. Then thou didst
receive permission to return so that thou mayest serve the Kingdom on the
continent of America and show (to the people) the way to heaven and lead
them toward the Lord of Hosts. I hope that, with a divine strength and a
godlike personality, with a heavenly guidance, with a divine attraction
and with a spiritual zeal, thou wilt educate the people.
O thou, the firm one in the Covenant! Give my respectful greeting to thy
honored wife and say to her from me: "The Jewish people were expecting the
manifestation of Jesus and were at the same time attracted to Moses. When
His Holiness Christ appeared, they (the Jewish people) thought that holy
personality intended to take away the eternal honor of Moses. Moses, in
the eye of Israel, had no equal. Now, these had never thought that a
greater than him (Moses) would appear. So this way of thinking became the
cause of their being kept away from the Light of Christ and they were
prevented from the precious things of the Holy Spirit, notwithstanding the
fact that the greatest friend of Moses was Christ and He made His Holiness
Moses great in the eye of the world and made Him to be glorious in the
contingent world; whereas, even now, Israel (that is, the Jews) deny His
Holiness, the promised Christ, and count Him to be an enemy of His
Holiness Moses and of Aaron and David; and they were kept away from the
bounties of Christ. They think that no other great person like Moses could
ever come upon the earth and if such a person should be sent (by God), he
must come under the shadow of His Holiness Moses and promulgate the law of
the Torah. This negligence on the part of the Jews became the cause of
keeping away a multitude from the heavenly bounties and from the
beneficence of the Holy Spirit for nineteen-hundred years.
"The Sun is ever the same, but the place whence the Sun hath appeared hath
changed. Then, at Christ's time, it appeared in the sign of Aquarius, but
not it hath manifested itself from the sign of Cancer. These signs are
just for an illustration. The sun is the same sun, no matter from what
sign it may manifest itself or from what spot it may arise. Thou must look
at the Sun; do not become veiled by the places from which the Sun
appears."
O Mr. ........! Likewise instruct and give my love to thy dear son and
say: "O dear one of Abdul-Baha! Be the son of thy father and be the fruit
of that tree. Be a son that hath been born of his soul and heart and not
only of the water and clay. A real son is such an one as hath branches
from the spiritual part of a man. I ask God that thou mayest be at all
times confirmed and strengthened."
O thou servant of Baha'! Thou hast asked regarding the political affairs.
In the United States it is necessary that the citizens shall take part in
elections. This is a necessary matter and no excuse from it is possible.
My object in telling the believers that they should not interfere in the
affairs of government is this: That they should not make any trouble and
that they should not move against the opinion of the government, but
obedience to the laws and the administration of the commonwealth is
necessary. Now, as the government of America is a republican form of
government, it is necessary that all the citizens shall take part in the
elections of officers and take part in the affairs of the republic.
O thou firm one in the Covenant! We give thee Thahbet (the Firm) for a
name, so that this name be an example of firmness and in the future thou
mayest, even more than before, be confirmed in service, and upon thee be
El-Baha-el-Abha!
"O thou Thahbet (Firm) in the Covenant!..."
O thou Thahbet (Firm) in the Covenant!
Thy letter was received. It indicated firmness and steadfastness;
therefore, it gave me joy and gladness.
Today the greatest of all affairs in the Cause is firmness and
steadfastness. A tree will not give fruit unless it be firmly rooted. A
foundation will not last unless it be firm. There is nothing in this world
of man greater than firmness. A soul who is firm will become a son of the
Kingdom of God and will be confirmed with the power of the Holy Spirit.
For this reason I have named thee Thahbet (meaning firmness) and I ask the
True One and supplicate Him that thou shalt remain firm in the Cause of
God as an unshakable mountain and that the whirlwinds of test shall never
have any effect upon thee; nay, rather that thou shalt be the cause of the
firmness of others.
With me thou art beloved and I ask God that thou mayest become the
lighthouse of guidance in those regions and that thou mayest shine with
the lights of oneness in this world of man.
"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
The letter, which thou hast written to his honor Mirza ........, was
considered.
Be thou happy! Be thou happy! that thou hast put aside rest and composure;
that thou hast traveled through and visited different states and endured
innumerable inconveniences so that thou might diffuse the fragrances of
mysteries and perfume the nostrils of the spiritual ones. When thou wert
engaged in the service of the Cause, thou wert my partner in all trials
and difficulties. Thou hast been my associate and companion and both of us
were intoxicated and exhilarated with the wine of the love of god.
Praise be to God that thou hast been confirmed in the service and I have
likewise been assisted in visiting the Holy Threshold. In one day(144) the
world hath become another world and the chains and manacles of prison and
incarceration have been broken to pieces, and Abdul-Baha hath attained to
the meeting of the Holy Threshold.
Although in prison, I have experienced the utmost joy and fragrance, the
heart was attracted, the spirit rejoiced, the eyes turned toward the
Kingdom of God and the tongue mentioning the Name of the True One and
displaying the utmost effort and endeavor in the promotion of the Word of
God and the diffusion of the fragrances of God; yet, under all
difficulties, there have been no shortcomings, nor hath there been any
lack of enthusiasm. The call hath been raised uninterruptedly and the
fragrances of holiness have been diffused through all regions and empires.
In the meeting that had been organised in Los Angeles the rays of the Sun
of Truth shone forth, making it an assembly of illumination. The house of
Mr. and Mrs. ........ became the nest and shelter of the birds of the
Kingdom, and the house of Mrs. ......... and the residence of Miss
........ in Pasadena became the gathering-place of the Merciful and the
rose-garden of realities and significances. I supplicate from the bounty
and favor of His Holiness the Almighty to assist those holy souls by the
invisible confirmations and that they be helped by the providence and
grace of His Highness the One.
Convey on my behalf longing greeting to the brother of Mr. ........ and
say: "Praise God that thou hast followed in the footsteps of thy respected
brother, associated with him and become his confidant."
Likewise announce my longing greeting to the assemblies of Oakland and San
Francisco. The houses of Mrs. ........ and Mrs. ........ have become the
place of reading the divine verses and the nests of the nightingales of
the heavenly orchard. A sweet fragrance hath reached the spirit and soul
from those assemblies.
Praise be to God, that in all cities the believers have met thee with the
utmost attraction and thy shining face and joyful disposition became the
cause of the enkindlement of the fire of their souls and hearts.
Undoubtedly thou shalt also make a trip to Green Acre.
The utmost joy was produced by the news of the purchase of the ground for
the erection of the Temple. I hope that ere long they may lay the
foundation.
Deliver on my behalf divine glad-tidings to the assemblies in Seattle, the
members of the houses of Mrs. ........ and Mrs. ........ and the
assemblies in Portland and Denver and say: "O ye sons and daughters of the
Kingdom! Be ye thankful that although the light of guidance hath dawned
from the East, yet, praise be to God, it illuminated both the East and the
West! In order that glorification and thanks may be shown for these
bounties, the words and actions must be in accordance with the advices and
behests of His Highness Baha'o'llah. Thanks does not depend upon words but
upon deeds!"
"O ye beloved of God and His sincere friends!..."
O ye(145) beloved of God and His sincere friends!
By the life of God! The hearts are cheered whenever you are mentioned, the
souls are comforted in your love, the holy spirits are captivated by your
fragrance, the eyes are expecting to see you and the hearts are longing to
meet you, owing to the fact that your hearts were kindled with the fire of
the love of God, your ears were charmed by hearing the Word of God and
your souls were rested in the appearance of the mysteries of God.
Blessed are ye, O children of the Kingdom of God! Glad-tidings to ye, O
friends of God! as He hath made your destiny great and your share victory
and happiness, your lamps lighted and your spring to yield supply!
Ye are the most brilliant stars! Ye are the most dazzling lamps! Ye are
the green branches! Ye are the ripe fruits! Ye are the beautiful gardens!
Ye are the overflowing bowls!
God is merciful and compassionate! His bounty is great and great! He
appropriateth by His mercy those whom He liketh and chooseth for His love
those of whom He approveth. This is in accordance with what Christ said:
"Many are called, but few chosen."
God maketh your endeavor praiseworthy, your reward great and your days in
El-Baha feasts and pleasures, because of your casting away the imaginary
god and accepting the Knowable, for [your] discarding every evil spirit,
craving for the witnessed Light and for turning your faces to the Exalted
Position.
God will show forth your endeavor, increase your spirit and fragrance,
perfume the different directions with your perfume, enlighten the horizon
with your light and quicken the hearts with that which is treasured within
you; will cheer the souls with what you have accomplished and cause the
verses of thankfulness to be recited in all places; the banner in
remembrance of you to wave through all the ages; your fame and praise to
encircle the horizon and the tongues to speak of your virtues and good
endeavors.
By the living Truth! That bounty is great and great and the Lord is
supreme in majesty! The confirmation is successive and success is
continuous, and the kindness of your God, the Merciful, the Compassionate,
will surround you from all sides.
"O ye sincere ones! O ye firm ones! O ye heralds of..."
O ye(146) sincere ones! O ye firm ones! O ye heralds of the Kingdom of
God!
Fly away with joy! Flutter in the open of the Kingdom! Spread the wings of
sanctity in those districts and lands, so that the shadow of the King of
the Kingdom may be stretched over those climes and the fragrances of God
be diffused in those tracts and in those vast and extensive regions.
By the Lord of the Kingdom! If one arise to promote the Word of God with a
pure heart, overflowing with the love of God and severed from the world,
the Lord of Hosts will assist him with such a power as will penetrate the
core of the existent beings.
As to ye, be rejoiced, O ye children of the Kingdom of God! Your faces
will surely become illuminated, your brows shining, your breasts dilated
with an abundant bounty and refreshed with a rain pouring from the clouds
of the gift of God. You will find yourselves as souls for the temple of
the contingent world and as arteries pulsating in the body of the
universe. Your faces will shine with the light of favor throughout all
environments.
Make your feet firm; withstand the creeds (or multitudes); chant the Book;
and explain mysteries through an inspiration on the part of your Exalted
Lord, the possessor of glory and honor!
"O ye two revered persons, ye servants in the vineyard..."
O ye two(147) revered persons, ye servants in the vineyard of God!
Verily, I read your letter and was informed of its contents filled with
spiritual attractions and thanked God--glorified is He!--for His grace and
His merciful bestowals.
It behooveth you to be the first assistant to the Word of God, the first
servant of the Cause of God and the first one to withstand the spreaders
(of false rumors) who say that which they know not, who calumniate God,
well knowing that they are calumniators and that they, themselves, have
contrived the thing for their own sakes, and evil is that which they do.
Remember what the Pharisees published concerning Jesus, attributed to Him
and said about Him and how they oppressed Him until they paraded Him in
Jerusalem in such a form as made the angels of sanctity to weep in the
Sublime Kingdom. They put on His head a crown of thistles; nay, more, they
cast dust in His face--into a face whereby the heaven and the earth is
illuminated! They turned their backs upon Him, then bowed and said: "Peace
be unto thee, O King of kings! Peace be unto thee, O King of the Jews!"
Of the same class are the Pharisees and priests in this manifest day.
"Leave them to amuse themselves with their vain discourse." They are as
people deluded by their temptations and are isolated from the gifts of
your Lord, the Clement, the Merciful. "They are deaf, dumb and blind;
therefore, they will not understand."
Verily, I, through the grace of my Lord, have never heeded these souls,
even to reading their articles, inasmuch as their articles signify no
other than the buzzing of flies to the hearing of an eagle, or the
croaking of a frog of the material world to the ears of the leviathan of
the sea of the Kingdom. Is it to be considered as anything? No, by no
means! Verily, the eagle soareth high in the supreme apex while the flies
rumble in the lowest rubbish.
But it is incumbent upon you to block them up as a stone with decisive
arguments before which heads are bowed and voices are made humble. God
will strengthen you therein. You will surely find these Pharisees in
manifest loss. Can one ever prevent the waves of the sea of the Lofty One
from rolling? Or is it possible for me to restrain the fragrances of
sanctity from diffusion? Or can one withhold the sun from casting its rays
to all regions? No, by no means! Nay, rather such souls make the table
sent down from heaven unlawful unto themselves.
How is the bat to be compared with the most great orb which bestows bounty
upon all regions! How is the gnat to be compared with the eagle soaring in
the spacious firmament! How are the Caiaphas and Annas to be compared with
the Christ mounted on the clouds with great power and glory!
Thank God that He hath opened your insight to the Light which is shining
from the Supreme Concourse and caused you to witness His most mighty
signs. By my life! the hearts of the people of Baha' are cheered with such
gifts!
"O ye sincere, O ye firm and steadfast in the Testament..."
O ye(148) sincere, O ye firm and steadfast in the Testament of God!