host, the birds of the atmosphere of Thy guidance, the fish of the sea of
Thy providence, the stars of the horizon of Thy bounty, the army of the
fortress of Thy law, the banners of Thy remembrance, the eyes of Thy
mercy, the fountains of Thy grace and the springs of Thy generosity.
Therefore, guard them with the eye of kindness, confirm them in promoting
Thy Word, strengthen their hearts in Thy love, reinforce their backs in
Thy service, make firm their loins in Thy servitude, spread through them
Thy fragrances, reveal through them Thy signs, manifest through them Thy
proofs, accomplish through them Thy words and perfect through them Thy
mercy!
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, and, verily, thou art the
Clement, the Merciful!
"El-Baha, praise, light, blessing and peace be upon thee,..."
El-Baha, praise, light, blessing and peace be upon thee,(170) O thou fire
of the Love of God, thou light of the Kingdom of God, thou radiance of the
Gift of God, thou peerless pearl in the Sea of the Mercy of God, thou
sturdy lion in the Jungle of the Guidance of God!
I testify that, verily, thou hast believed in God, thou hast become
assured of the Verses of God, thou hast trusted in the appearance of the
Kingdom of God, thou hast turned unto God, thou hast kept firm in the
Covenant of God, thou hast served the Cause of God, thou hast endeavored
to promote the Word of God, and thou hast suffered martyrdom in the path
of God. May the soul of men be a sacrifice to thee!
Blessed is the land which is reddened by thy blood! Blessed is the heart
which is burnt with the fire of thine afflictions! Blessed is the eye
which weeps over thy disaster! Blessed are the hearts which are consumed
by thy calamities! Blessed are the bosoms which are rent asunder by thy
sufferings!
Praise be unto thee! Exaltation be unto thee! Faithfulness be unto thee! O
thou sign of guidance and thou standard of great martyrdom!
O that the bullets which shot thee were shot at the breast of Abdul-Baha!
O that the darts which pierced thee would strike the heart of Abdul-Baha!
By the might of my Lord, afflictions are much more favored by Abdul-Baha
than the honey of life, inasmuch as this cup is overflowing with the gift
of God.
Blessed is the one who attaineth to visit thy grave! Blessed is the
forehead which is set against thy tomb! Blessed is the man who serves thy
sepulchre! Blessed is the person who lights a lamp(171) at thy
resting-place!
I beg of God to cause spheres of light to descend upon thy sepulchre and
the clouds of mercy to shower rains of forgiveness upon thy resting-place
and tomb!
Verily, He is the Compensator, the Beneficent, the Giver!
"O thou peerless, matchless, glorious martyr!..."
O thou peerless, matchless, glorious martyr!(172)
Verily, I salute thy pure dust, and thy holy, blessed tomb, which is
perfumed by the fragrances of sanctity which are blowing upon thee from
the Supreme Concourse, and the lights which are cast upon thee from the
Kingdom of El-Abha, and the copious rain which purifieth thy fragrant
plain, and say: "Upon thee be El-Baha! Upon thee be mercy, O thou lamp
ignited with the fire of the love of God, irradiated with the ray of the
gift of God, and aflame in the glass of the knowledge of God! Thou art he
who hath drunk the cup of sacrifice, hath expended his life in the path of
God, and hath shed his blood on the earth in love for the Beauty of God.
For they did not appreciate thy merit, denied thy dignity, were veiled
from beholding the gift of thy Lord, and supposed themselves to be just.
No! By no means!
"Punishment is for such as persecuted thee, hell is for such as rejected
thee, fire is for such as sentenced thee to death, infernal flame be for
such as betrayed thee, and the hellish gulf is for such as shed thy blood
with impunity! And paradise is for such as love thee, heaven is for such
as serve thee, the everlasting abode is for such as visit (thy tomb)!
"Upon thee be El-Baha! Upon thee be greeting and praise, O thou who hast
suffered martyrdom in the path of God, and art submerged in the ocean of
the mercy of God!
"Blessed are the nostrils which will be perfumed by the scent of thy
brilliant spot! Blessed are the eyes which will be illumined by the ray
which is being cast upon thee from the bounty of the Kingdom of El-Abha!
"I beg of God to make thy sepulchre a mine of mercy, a depository of
gifts, and to encompass it with manifest signs. Verily, He is the
Beneficent! the Giver! Verily, He is gracious, and showeth great favor
toward martyrs, and He is the Bestower, the Generous!"
"The first light which shone forth from the horizon of..."
The first light which shone forth from the horizon of Eternity, the first
radiance which was cast forth from the Morn of Guidance, and the first
mercy which descended from the Kingdom of Heaven, be upon thee,(173) O
thou manifest light, thou "strong rope," and the beloved one of the
denizens of the exalted heaven, who hast suffered martyrdom in the path of
the Lord of the Creatures, and who art submerged in the sea of favors,
through the grace of thy Lord, the Clement! the Merciful! El-Baha be upon
thee! Praise be upon thee!
By God, the True One! The angels of mercy bless thee in the Kingdom of
El-Baha, and the nostrils of the chosen ones are perfumed with the sweet
odor which is wafting from the garden of the Supreme Concourse upon thy
sepulchre; and hearts are burning, tears are being shed, the power of
endurance is cut off by the grievous disaster and great martyrdom, whereby
all hearts are consumed!
I testify that, verily, thou art a martyr of faithfulness, thou art
peerless among the beloved, thou art matchless among the chosen ones and
art fortunate among the pious! Blessed art thou, for they pierced thy
shining brow with a nail, and suspended upon it thine outward decoration,
tortured thee by reins, made thee to ride on a furious bull, paraded thee
in the city, cut off thine ear with a sharp-edged blade, and by force and
compulsion made thee to devour it, tormented thee with the torture of the
wicked, persecuted thee with a rage like unto the ferocity of ravenous
wolves of the plain and desert, and consumed thy pure body with the
torture of fire!
Blessed is the pure blood which was shed on the perfumed soil, and which
was poured out in the path of the forgiving Lord! Blessed is thy body
which was burned by the hand of every transgressor! Blessed is thy throat
which was cut by the poniard of every traitor! Blessed is thy breast which
was stricken by the oppressors' darts! Blessed is thy heart which was
wounded by a sharp sword! Blessed art thou, for thou hast showed forth all
happiness and joy when hou wert being paraded in the streets of the people
of haughtiness and the people of wickedness were clapping their hands and
oppressing thee with innumerable blows and wounds, whilst thou wert
clapping thy hands with them--O thou manifestor of light!--and wert warbling
melodies, whereby the people of the Kingdom of El-Abha were moved and
breasts dilated (with joy)!
By God, the True One! Verily, Abdul-Baha inhaleth the odor of faithfulness
from that remote region, the soil of which is reddened by thy pure blood,
and beholdeth the lights of bestowal successively pouring upon thy
resplendent tomb, and the rains of grace dropping upon thy blessed
resting-place, which is fragrant, brilliant and magnificent!
Blessed is he whosoever may roll his face in the dust of thine excellent
grave! Blessed is he whosoever may press his brow on thy great sepulchre!
Upon thee be El-Baha! Upon thee be praise! Upon thee be bestowal, O thou
honorable martyr, who hast severed thyself from all things in the pah of
thine Ancient Lord, who hast sacrificed thy soul, blood and body in the
path of thy Most Beautiful Beloved One!
Upon thee be grace from thy Lord, the Exalted! the Great!
"O ye beloved servants of Abdul-Baha and the maid-servants..."
O ye(174) beloved servants of Abdul-Baha and the maid-servants of the
Merciful One!
It is the early dawn and the soul-refreshing breeze of the Paradise of
Abha is wafting upon all the contingent beings, but it displays the effect
only in pure hearts and perfumes only the healthy mind. A seeing eye
beholdeth the splendors of the sun and a hearing ear listeneth to the
melody of the Supreme Concourse. Although the mercy of the vernal shower
and the heavenly outpouring descend upon all the earth, yet only from a
virgin soil vegetation groweth while the brackish ground is deprived and
unproductive, for the traces of the outpouring are not evident and
manifest. Now the holy Fragrances of Abha are diffused in every clime, but
only the spiritual souls are attracted and draw benefits. It is hoped by
this imprisoned one, from the bounty of the Living Self-Subsistent, that,
through the dominating power of the Word of God, the nostrils of the
heedless ones becomes opened and partake a share from the fragrances of
the Rose-Garden of Mystery.
O ye friends of God! The real friends are the skillful physicians and the
divine instructions are the antidote of the Merciful One and the remedies
of the hearts. They (the believers) heal the nostril affected with rheum,
make mindful the negligent ones, give a share to the deprived ones and
make hopeful the hopeless ones. In this day if anyone liveth in accord
with the heavenly teachings and instructions, he shall become a spiritual
physician to the world of humanity and the trumpet of Israfel(175) to
quicken the dead; for the confirmations of the Kingdom of Abha are
uninterrupted and the victory of the Supreme Concourse is the associate of
every one who is pure in heart. The weak gnat will become the strong royal
falcon and the sparrow is transformed into the eagle soaring toward the
apex of the Ancient Glory. Therefore, look ye not upon your own capability
and merit, nay rather, lay your confidence in the bounty and protection,
favor and grace of the Blessed Perfection--may my life be a sacrifice to
His beloved ones!--and, mounting upon the charger of magnanimity, rush ye
toward the arena of martyrdom, so that ye may win the polo of favors in
this vast field of God!
O ye maid-servants of the Merciful One! The queens of the world went down
to the tombs and disapeared and vanished from the face of the earth. There
remained for them no fruit, no name, no trace, no fame and no existence.
But every one of the maid-servants in the court of Oneness shone forth
like unto the brilliant stars from the glorious Ancient Horizon, cast
their rays upon centuries and cycles, attained to their utmost desires in
the Kingdom of Abha and drank from the wine of meeting (with God) in the
Assembly of the Almighty. These souls have taken a share from (the
benefits) of being and obtained results.
O ye friends of the wronged one! Purify your eyes from beholding [any as]
strangers. Do ye not see foreignness, nay rather, know all as friends; for
with the observation of strangeness, the practice of love and unity is
difficult.
In this wonderful age, according to the divine texts, ye must befriend all
nations and communities. Ye must not look upon violence, force, evil
intentions, persecutions or hostility, nay rather, ye must raise your eyes
to the horizon of glory [and see] that each one of these creatures is a
sign of the Lord of Signs and [has] stepped upon the arena of existence
through divine favor and supreme energy. Thus they are known and not
unknown, are friends and not strangers. We must deal with all according to
the above criterion.
Therefore, the beloved must, with infinite kindness and love, associate
and sympathize with both friends and strangers and not look at all upon
the merits and capabilities of the persons. Under all circumstances they
must show forth genuine love and be not defeated by the intensity of
rancor, hatred, quarrel, malice and the grudge of the people. Should they
(they people) shoot arrows they (the friends) must administer milk and
honey; if they give poison, the believers must impart delicacies; if they
cause pain, let the beloved be a remedy; if they strike a blow, let them
become the antidote.
O my God! O my God! Verily, these are Thy weak servants and Thy
submissive, faithful ones and Thy sincere maid-servants who are humbled
before Thy illumined Threshold, acknowledging Thy Oneness which hath
appeared like unto the appearance of the sun in midday, listening to Thy
call from Thy mysterious Kingdom and uttering Thy prayers with hearts
overflowing with Thy love and devotion!
O my Lord! Pour upon all of them the rain of Thy mercy, [cause to] descend
upon every one the showers of Thy bounty from the clouds of Thy
munificence, make them graceful plants in Thy divine Rose-garden and
suffer these myrtles to become verdant, green and refreshed by the
outpouring from the Cloud of Thy Singleness.
Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Most High, the Mighty and Omnipotent,
and the Creator of the earth and heaven, and verily there is no God but
Thee, the Lord of the Manifest Signs!
"O servants of the Blessed Beauty!..."
O servants(176) of the Blessed Beauty!
It is a well known fact that, owing to the frequency of disturbances, the
work of delivering the Message hath been for a short time discontinued. In
consequence, persons travel less frequently to the different parts of the
country. It is known and clear that today the unseen divine assistance
encompasseth those who deliver the Message. And if the work of delivering
the Message be neglected, the assistance shall be entirely cut off, for it
is impossible that the friends of God could receive assistance unless they
be engaged in delivering the Message. Under all conditions the Message
must be delivered, but with wisdom. If it be not possible openly, it must
be done quietly. The friends should be engaged in educating the souls and
should become instruments in aiding the world of humanity to acquire
spiritual joy and fragrance. For example: If every one of the friends
(believers) were to establish relations of friendship and right dealings
with one of the negligent souls, associate and live with him with perfect
kindliness, and meanwhile through good conduct and moral behavior lead him
to divine instruction, to heavenly advice and teachings, surely he would
gradually arouse that negligent person and would change his ignorance into
knowledge.
Souls are liable to estrangement. Such methods should be adopted that the
estrangement should be first removed, then the Word will have effect.
If one of the believers be kind to one of the negligent ones and with
perfect love should gradually make him understand the reality of the Cause
of God in such a way that the latter should know in what manner the
Religion of God hath been founded and what its object is, doubtless he
will become changed; excepting abnormal souls who are reduced to the state
of ashes and whose hearts are like stones, yea, even harder.
If by this method every one of the friends of God were to try to lead one
soul to the right path, the number of the believers would be doubled every
year. But this should be carried out with perfect wisdom and in such a
manner that no harm would ever result therefrom.
In the same way those who deliver the Message should travel to all parts
of the country. And if delivering the Message should be the cause of
disturbance, let them then be engaged in encouraging and educating the
friends, in order that those souls receive spiritual attraction and
rejoice, seek delight and ecstasy, acquire new life and through the
fragrances of sanctity gain vivacity and freshness.
The object is this, that in the time of peace and safety this work of
delivering the Message should be carried on with the utmost fervor. But
when there is no peace and safety, extreme wisdom should be exercised,
though no complete cessation of effort is permissible, for in that case
the divine assistance shall be entirely cut off.
With regard to the formation of benevolent associations, surely this
subject should be given due attention. The disciples of His Holiness
Christ--may my life be a sacrifice unto Him!--were only eleven persons and
they had established a benevolent fund. So the establishment of the fund
had that degree of importance.
"O ye sincere ones! O ye favored ones! O ye beseeching..."
O ye(177) sincere ones! O ye favored ones! O ye beseeching ones! O ye
supplicating ones!
Verily, I set my forehead on the dust and turn my face toward the Lord of
Lords and invoke my Lord with intense fervor and attraction, that He may
look upon you with the glances of the eye of His providence, watch over
you with the gaze of His protection, unite your hearts, dilate your
breasts, harmonize your souls, rejoice you with gladness, exhilarate you
with the chalices of salvation, make you steadfast in the divine Cause and
that He may enable you to cling to the hem of the Almighty, to hasten
toward the place of sacrifice and to be sheltered under the shadow of the
Blessed Tree whose roots are planted firm and whose branches are extended
to heaven:
O my Lord! O my Lord! These are the chosen ones whose faces are illumined
with the light of guidance, who found the heavenly table pleasing to their
tastes, who submitted willingly to every matter which happened in the land
and sought help from the hosts of the Supreme Concourse. Their feet are
indeed made firm, their banners hoisted, their deeds righteous and their
actions just. O Lord! Make them fragrant plants of Thy paradise, flowers
of the garden of nearness, verses of Thy glorious book, words of Thy
"Published tablet" unto the people of the world and as falcons soaring on
the loftiest summit. Verily Thou art the Beneficent, the Merciful, the
Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower!
O my dear friends! Yours was not merely a letter; it was perfumed with
amber and diffused a sweet fragrance. Every word thereof was a rose in the
rose-garden of the love of God and was a flower, a hyacinth.
When the breeze of Providence blows from the direction of gift, the
gardens of hearts attain thereby exceeding purity and freshness. Such
significances arise from the soul and consciousness and impart joy and
fragrance.
O friends! It is the wish of Abdul-Baha that the friends may establish
general unity and not a particular meeting of unity. You must have great
consideration for this fact, for during the past cycles though such events
(founding of particular, i.e., exclusive unity meetings) were, in the
beginning, a means for harmony, they became in the end the cause of
trouble.
We are all servants of one Threshold, attendants at one Court, waves of
one sea, drops of one stream, the dust before one door and plants of one
garden. There must arise no trouble to deprive one from that which is the
real purpose. The beloved of God must be friendly even with strangers and
intimate even with outsiders--how much more with others among the righteous
(i.e., believers)!
To organize assemblies is praiseworthy and acceptable, but these must be
established for certain matters. For example: Assemblages for teaching
(the Truth), gatherings for the spread of the fragrances of God,
gatherings for the relief of the orphans, gatherings for the protection
(i.e., feeding, etc.,) of the poor, assemblages for the spread of learning
and, in a word, there must be gatherings for matters which concern the
well-being of men, such as organizations of a society of commerce,
societies for the expansion of agriculture. To be brief, similar societies
are very acceptable and praiseworthy and concern all in general and not a
particular number.
In a word: That which is conducive to the life (or growth) of the people
is acceptable and whatever is the cause of disaffection is blameworthy. I
hope all the friends of the East and West shall rest in the same
assemblage and adorn one gathering, appearing with all the heavenly
attributes and virtues in the world of humanity.
O my Lord! O my Lord! Enable me to witness the most great sign and to
realize the fulfillment of this hope throughout all regions. Verily Thou
art the Bestower, the Beneficent, whose bounties are great!
Some of the friends have asked to present themselves in these parts. In
these days this does not conform with wisdom. God willing, permission
shall be given at some favorable time.
"Glory be unto Thee, O Thou whose mercy hath encompassed..."
(178) Glory be unto Thee, O Thou whose mercy hath encompassed all things,
whose gift is made perfect, whose power hath encircled the world, whose
proof is demonstrated, whose signs have become manifest, whose words are
promulgated, whose arguments are established and whose ensigns are
hoisted! Praise be unto Thee for that which Thou hast bestowed! Thanks be
unto Thee for that which Thou hast granted! Glorification behooveth Thee
for Thou hast manifested Thyself! Glory be unto Thee Glory be unto Thee!
How inaccessible is Thy station! How manifest is Thy proof and how
all-embracing is Thy munificence!
Verily the dark night hath been spreading its wings over all the regions
and the face of the heaven and earth was hidden behind the clouds of inky
gloom and blackness--wherefore the sights were veiled from beholding the
most great signs and inner perceptions were blinded and unable to find the
fire of divine guidance; souls were wandering in the desert of error and
heedlessness and the possessors of intelligence were lost in the
wilderness of amazement and skepticism, crying and weeping as a mother
bereft of her babe--bewailing and lamenting like unto a thirsty one in the
midst of a vast and boundless Sahara!
But through Thy greatest bounty, the glorious dawn broke and the lightning
of guidance flashed from the Supreme Horizon upon the face of heaven! Then
the First Point (the Bab) appeared among mankind with the glad-tidings of
Thy Manifestation, the fragrances of Thy Holiness and the verses of Thy
Singleness, spreading Thy good news, heralding Thy Name, declaring and
praising Thee in numerous epistles!
Thine is favor for this gift which hath cheered the souls of the pure
ones! Thine is generosity for Thou hast enabled every righteous and
devoted one to adore Thee by causing the Sun of Truth to shine upon all
the regions of existence! Thine is glory and excellence! Thine is power
and beauty! Thine is sovereignty and authority! Thine is dominion and
kingdom! Thine is exaltation and omnipresence! Thine is divinity and
lordship! For thou hast manifested Thy bounty from the horizon of
emanation, rent asunder the veil and raised the covering from Thy
illumined countenance in the promised day and shone forth upon the world
of being with the rays gleaming from the dawn of revelation!
Then the "Resurrection" appeared, the "Day ofd Judgment" became manifest,
the "earth" heaved and shook, the "mountains" were levelled, the "seas"
boiled, the "sun" was eclipsed, the "luminaries" were darkened, the
"stars" scattered, the "signs" became known, the "bridge" expanded, the
"conditions" were fulfilled, the "balance" was set up, the "fire" burned
fiercely and the "paradise" became begemmed!--wherefore the devoted ones
entered into delectable gardens with beatitude and the veiled ones were
left to amuse themselves with their own imaginations; the possessors of
perception beheld the lights and those whose eyes were weak vanished in
gloomy darkness before the appearance of the mid-day Sun!
Then those whose ears were unstopped and open rejoiced in listening to the
call, while the deaf (or ignorant) were astonished , crying out, "What is
the cause of this acclamation and rejoicing?" Then the fluent speakers
loosened their tongues in thanksgiving and glorification, while the dumb
became as hard and lifeless stones; then the souls were purified, the
hearts were attracted, the breasts were dilated, the characters were
sanctified, the secret thoughts became manifest and the realities stepped
into the arena of existence; they sought illumination, were guided, became
ablaze, enflamed and enkindled, called forth and proclaimed, saying:
"Glad-tidings be unto the righteous ones! Rejoicing be unto the perceiving
ones! Happiness be unto the favored ones! Joy be unto the yearning ones!
Cheerfulness be unto the attracted ones! Exhilaration be unto the longing
ones!
Glory be unto Him who hath arisen from the Brightest Dawn!
Glory be unto Him who hath shone forth the Manifest Light!
Glory be unto Him who showered Glorious Outpourings upon the contingent
beings!
Glory be unto Him who illumined the Supreme Horizon with such a Radiance
by which the gloom of the dark night hath been dispelled!
Glory be unto Him who causeth to descend the Food from heaven!
Glory be unto Him who causeth the Running Spring to gush forth from the
rugged cliff!
Glory be unto Him who poured down the Pure Water from on high!