an axe in their hands to uproot the life-tree of each other; they are
blood-thirsty and the instigators of corruption; they are armed to the
teeth with destructive implements; each seeketh the death and annihilation
of the other. But the heavenly power, the divine energy and the celestial
hand of strength, hath raised the canopy of the oneness of the realm of
humanity on the pinnacle of the contingent being and hoisted the standard
of the most great peace, friendship, love, uprightness and the adoration
of truth. The friends are the servants of this canopy and the beloved are
the hosts of this standard. Therefore they must with one accord arise to
that which is the requirement and the merit of this day, become
overflowing with joy and beatitude, perfume the nostrils with the
fragrances, sweeten the tastes with the honey and delicacy of love, become
the signs of guidance, be the glad-tidings of the Supreme Concourse and
the army of the Kingdom of Abha; so that they may destroy the edifice of
war and bloodshed, efface the traces of battle and strife from the face of
the earth, uproot the tree of foreignness and plant the tree of unity in
the rose-garden of the regions, extinguish the fire of hatred and
animosity and set in motion the sea of love and affinity, erase the traces
of discord from the Tablet of the earth and register thereon the verses of
concord, clear the field of existence from the thorns and brambles of
hostilities and ill-feeling and adorn it with the hyacinths and anemones
of harmony, train and educate the souls and loosen the tongue in the
delivery of the instructions and teachings of the Blessed Perfection!
"O ye beloved ones! It is the moment of the ecstasy..."
O ye beloved ones! It is the moment of the ecstasy of the soul and
consciousness and the season of running in the arena of sacrifice! Show ye
kindness to all; be ye engaged in the refinement of the souls. Become ye
as ignited lamps and adorn ye the orchard of being! These days are swiftly
passing and this mortal life will remain fruitless and without result.
Therefore, while there is yet time and the arrow is in the bow, enter ye
the chase and strike ye the game. This game is the good-pleasure of God,
and this chase is the merciful Providence; that is, living in accord with
the divine instructions.
"O Thou Pure God!..."
O Thou Pure God!
Thou art the Seer and the Hearer! Thou art the Powerful and the Mighty!
The fame of Thy Most Great Cause hath traveled forth and radiated from all
the horizons! The believers have attracted to the Face of that Brilliant
Orb. The tongues are engaged in Thy Commemoration and the hearts are at
all times dilated with the Fragrances of Thy Holiness. The faces are all
turned toward Thee; the hearts are captive of Thy Abode, and the souls are
athirst for the Salubrious Water of Thy River. The call of Thy Greatest
Name hath caused a mighty reverberation throughout all the kingdoms, and
the Power of Thy Consummate Word hath unfurled Thy Ensign to the East and
to the West! The favored ones supplicate with the utmost humility, and the
righteous ones are in an attitude of soulful invocation to the Kingdom of
Beauty.
O my God! Assist Thou all of them and pour upon them the showers of Thy
Supreme Confirmations; so that they may become the cause of the
tranquility of the world of creation; to be the servants of the human
race; to become, with all their hearts and souls, the real friends of all
nations; to become with the utmost joy and fragrance, the spiritual
companions of the adherents of all religions; to dispel the darkness of
strangeness and to spread the lights of friendship in this transitory
world!
O God! Grant Thou to all of them an Asylum in Thy Neighborhood and gladden
their hearts and impart to them rejoicing through Thine Incomparable
bounties! Thou are the Omnipotent and the Mighty! Thou art the Seer and
the Hearer!
"O ye real companions! Day and night Abdul-Baha..."
O ye real companions! Day and night Abdul-Baha is engaged in the
remembrances of the friends, and time after time doth he associate with
them and behold their blessed faces. I entreat in the Threshold of the
Lord of Existence to confrim them in a befitting manner and assist them to
follow wholly the Commands of God!
O ye friends of God! According to what is heard, some of the friends have
celebrated my birthday in some countries on the fifth of Zamadi-Avval
(23rd day of May). Although their intention is no other than good, their
aim be to promote the Word of God and to commemorate the True One among
the people in this manner, yet, according to the text of the Religion of
God and the irrefutable command, the fifth of Zamadi-Avval (May 23rd) is
the day of the Declaration of His Highness the Supreme (the Bab)--may my
life be a sacrifice to Him! Consequently, they must celebrate and adorn
that Blessed Day in the name of the Declaration of that Orb of regions;
make rejoicing and happiness, and impart the glad-tidings of heavenly
beatitude to each other. For that holy essence was the Herald of the Most
Great Name. Therefore, no one must mention that day of the fifth of
Zamadi-Avval (May 23rd) except as the Day of the Declaration of His
Highness the Bab. This is the unquestionable text of the Religion of God.
Regarding the birth of this servant, which also happened on that day, this
is a proof of the favors and bounties of God toward this servant. However,
this Blessed Day must become known as the Day of the Declaration of His
Highness the Supreme (Bab) and the beginning of the effulgence of the Sun
of Reality. You must on this account be engaged in rejoicing, happiness
and gladness. This is the truth! Beware! Beware! that you avoid that which
is mentioned; otherwise, it will cause the utmost grief to the heart of
Abdul-Baha.
I ask from the inexhaustible bounties of His Highness the Almighty, that
the righteous ones become assisted to live in accord with the Religion of
God; neither do they deviate a hair's breadth therefrom; and spread this
Tablet throughout all regions, so that all the friends may comprehend the
truth and act accordingly.
"O ye beloved of God and maid-servants of the Merciful!..."
O ye beloved of God and maid-servants of the Merciful!
The republic of wise men believes that the difference in minds and
opinions is due to the difference of education and the acquisition of
ethics. That is, that minds are equal in origin, but education and the
acquisition of ethics cause minds to differ and comprehensions to be at
variance; that this difference is not in entity but in education and
teaching; that there is no individual distinction for any soul. Hence, the
members of the human race all possess the capacity of attaining to the
highest station, and the proof they adduce therefor is this: "The
inhabitants of a country like Africa are all as wandering savages and wild
animals; they lack intelligence and knowledge; all are uncivilized; not
one civilized and wise man is to be found among them. On the contrary,
consider the civilized countries, the inhabitants of which are living in
the highest state of culture and ethics, solidarity and inter-dependence;
possessing, with few exceptions, acute power of comprehensions and sound
mind. Therefore, it is made clear and evident that the superiority and
inferiority of minds and comprehensions arises from education and
cultivation, or from their lack and absence. A bent branch is straightened
by training and the wild fruit of the jungle is made the product of the
orchard. An ignorant man by learning becomes knowing, and the world of
savagery, through the bounty of a wise educator, is changed into a
civilized kingdom. The sick is healed by medication, and the poor man, by
learning the arts of commerce, is made rich. The follower, by attaining
the virtues of the leader, becomes great, and the lowly man, by the
education of the teacher, rises from the nadir of oblivion to the zenith
of celebrity." These are the proofs of the wise men.
The prophets also acknowledge this opinion, towit: That education hath a
great effect upon the human race, but they declare that minds and
comprehensions are originally different. And this matter is self-evident;
it cannot be refuted. We see that certain children of the same age,
nativity and race, nay, from the same household, under the tutorship of
one teacher, differ in their minds and comprehensions. One advanceth
rapidly, another is slow in catching the rays of culture, still another
remaineth in the lowest degree of stupidity.
No matter how much the shell is educated (or polished), it can never
become the radiant pearl. The black stone will not become the world
illumining gem. The calocynth(267) and the thorny cactus can never by
training and development become the blessed tree. That is to say, training
doth not change the human gem (i.e., human nature or entity), but it
produceth a marvelous effect. By this effective power all that is
registered latent of virtues and capacities in the human reality will be
revealed.
Cultivation by the farmer maketh of the grain the harvest, and the effort
of the gardener maketh of the seed a noble tree. The gentle teacher
promoteth the children of the school to the lofty altitude and the
bestowal of the trainer placeth the little child upon the throne of ether.
Therefore, it is demonstrated and proven that minds are different in the
original entity or nature, and that education commandeth a decided and
great influence. Were there no educator, all souls would remain savage,
and were it not for the teacher, the children would be ignorant creatures.
It is for this reason that, in this New Cycle, education and training are
recorded in the Book of God as obligatory and not voluntary. That is, it
is enjoined upon the father and mother, as a duty, to strive with all
effort to train the daughter and the son, to nurse them from the breast of
knowledge and to rear them in the bosom of sciences and arts. Should they
neglect this matter, they shall, be held responsible and worthy of
reproach in the presence of the stern Lord.
This is a sin unpardonable, for they have made that poor babe a wanderer
in the Sahara of ignorance, unfortunate and tormented; to remain during a
lifetime a captive of ignorance and pride, negligent and without
discernment. Verily, if that babe depart from this world at the age of
infancy, it is sweeter and better. In this sense, death is better than
life; deprivation than salvation; non-existence lovelier than existence;
the grave better than the spacious, regal home; for in the sight of
mankind that child is abased and degraded and in the sight of God weak and
defective. in gatherings it is ashamed and humiliated and in the arena of
examination subdued and defeated by young and old. What a mistake is this!
What an everlasting humiliation!
Therefore, the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful must
train their children with life and heart and teach them in the school of
virtue and perfection. They must not be lax in the matter; they must not
be inefficient. Truly, if a babe did not live at all it were better than
to let it grow ignorant, for that innocent babe, in later life, would
become afflicted with innumerable defects, responsible to and questioned
by God, reproached and rejected by the people. What a sin this would be
and what an omission!
the first duty of the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful
is this: They must strive by all possible means to educate both sexes,
male and female; girls like boys; there is no difference whatsoever
between them. The ignorance of both is blameworthy, and negligence in both
cases is reprovable. "Are they who know and they who do not know equal?"
(Koran)
The command is decisive concerning both. If it be considered through the
eye of reality, the training and culture of daughters is more necessary
than that of sons, for these girls will come to the station of motherhood
and will mould the lives of the children. The first trainer of the child
is the mother. The babe, like unto a green and tender branch, will grow
according to the way it is trained. If the training be right, it will grow
right, and if crooked, the growth likewise, and unto the end of life it
will conduct itself accordingly.
Hence, it is firmly established that an untrained and uneducated daughter,
on becoming a mother, will be the prime factor in the deprivation,
ignorance, negligence and the lack of training of many children.
O ye beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful! Teaching and
learning, according to the decisive texts of the Blessed Beauty
(Baha'o'llah), is a duty. Whosover is indifferent therein depriveth
himself of the great bounty.
Beware! Beware! that ye fail not in this matter. Endeavor with heart, with
life, to train your children, especially the daughters. No excuse is
acceptable in this matter.
Thus may eternal glory and everlasting supremacy, like unto the mid-day
sun, shine forth in the assemblage of the people of Baha', and the heart
of Abdul-Baha become happy and thankful.
"O pure friends of God!..."
O pure friends of God!
Cleanliness and sanctity in all conditions are the characteristics of pure
beings and necessities of free souls. The first perfection consists in
cleanliness and sanctity and in purity from every defect. When man in all
conditions is pure and immaculate, he will become the center of the
reflection of the manifest Light. In all his actions and conduct there
must first be purity, then beauty and independence. The channel must be
cleansed before it is filled with sweet water. The pure eye comprehendeth
the sight and the meeting of God; the pure nostril inhaleth the perfumes
of the rose-garden of bounty; the pure heart becometh the mirror of the
beauty of truth. This is why, in the heavenly Books, the divine counsels
and commands have been compared to water. So, in the Koran it is said,
"and we have caused a pure water to descend from heaven;" and in the
Gospel, "Except a man hath received the baptism of water and of the
spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Then it is evident that
the divine teachings are the heavenly grace and the showers of the mercy
of God, which purify the hearts of men.
The meaning is, in all conditions, cleanliness and sanctity, purity and
delicacy exalt humanity and make the contingent beings progress. Even when
applied to physical things, delicacy causeth the attainment of
spirituality, as it is established in the Holy Scriptures.
External cleanliness, although it is but a physical thin, hath a great
influence upon spirituality. For example, although sound is but the
vibrations of the air which affect the tympanum of the ear, and vibrations
of the air are but an accident among the accidents which depend upon the
air, consider how much marvelous notes or a charming song influence the
spirits! A wonderful song giveth wings to the spirit and filleth the heart
with exalteth. To return to the subject, the fact of having a pure and
spotless body likewise exerciseth an influence upon the spirit of man.
Now, see how much purity is approved in the Court of God, that it should
be especially mentioned in the Holy Books of the Prophets. So the Holy
Books forbid the eating of any unclean thing, or the use of anything which
is not pure. Certain prohibitions are absolute and imperative for all: he
who commits that which is forbidden is detested by God and excluded from
the number of the elect. This applieth to the things forbidden by an
absolute prohibition and of which the perpetration is a grave sin; they
are so vile that even to mention them is shameful. There are other
forbidden things which do not cause an immediate evil and of which the
pernicious effect is only gradually produced. They are also abhorred,
blamed and rejected by God, but their prohibition is not recorded in an
absolute way, although cleanliness and sanctity, spotlessness and purity,
the preservation of health and independence are required by these
interdictions.
One of these last prohibitions is the smoking of tobacco, which is
unclean, malodorous, disagreeable and vulgar and of which the gradual
harmfulness is universally recognized. All clever physicians have judged,
and have also shown by experiment, that one of the constituents of tobacco
is a mortal poison and that smokers are exposed to different
indispositions and maladies. That is why cleanly people have a marked
aversion for its use.
His Supreme Highness (the Bab)--may my soul be His sacrifice! --in the
beginning of His Cause, openly forbade it and all the friends abandoned
its use. But, as it was a time for caution and he who abstained from
smoking was ill treated, persecuted and even killed, therefore the friends
were obliged, as a matter of prudence, to smoke. later, the Kitab-el-Akdas
was revealed and as the prohibition of tobacco was not clearly stated in
it, the friends did not renounce it. But the Blessed Perfection had always
a marked aversion for its use. At the beginning of the Cause, for certain
reasons, he smoked a little, but later he abandoned it completely, and the
holy souls who obeyed him in all circumstances, also entirely gave up
smoking. I wish to say that, in the sight of God, the smoking of tobacco
is a thing which is blamed and condemned, very unclean, and of which the
result is by degrees injurious. Besides it is a cause of expense and of
loss of time and it is a harmful habit. So, for those who are firm in the
Covenant, it is a thing reprobated by the reason and by tradition, the
renouncement of which giveth gradual repose and tranquility, permitteth
one to have stainless hands and a clean mouth, and hair which is not
pervaded by a bad odor.
Without any doubt, the friends of God on receiving this epistle will
renounce this injurious by all means, even if it be necessary to do so by
degrees. This is my hope.
As to the question of opium, disgusting and execrated, I resign myself to
God for its punishment. The formal text of the Kitab-el-Akdas forbids and
reproves it and, according to reason, its use leads to madness. Experience
hath shown that he who giveth himself up to it is completely excluded from
the world of humanity. Let us take refuge in God against the perpetration
of so shameful a thing, which is the destruction of the foundations of
humanity and which causeth a perpetual unhappiness. It taketh possession
of the soul of man, killeth the reason, weakeneth the intelligence, maketh
a living man dead and extinguisheth the natural heat. It is impossible to
imagine anything more pernicious. Happy is he who never mentioneth the
word opium! But what is the fate of those who make use of it!
O friends of God! Force and violence, constraint and oppression are
condemned in this divine cycle, but to prevent the use of opium, all means
must be employed, so that the human species may be delivered and freed
from this great calamity. Otherwise, alas! for all the negligent before
God.
O Lord! Give to the people of Baha' cleanliness and holiness in all
conditions, purify and free them from all defilement, deliver them from
the use of all that is execrated, liberate them from the chains of habits,
so that they may be pure and free, clean and spotless, that they may be
worthy servants of the Sacred Threshold and may deserve to enter into
relation with God. Deliver them from alcohol and tobacco, and save them
from opium, the purveyor of madness! Make them companions of the holy
breezes, in order that they may know the pleasures of the wine of the love
of God, and that they may attain to the joy and the happiness of
attraction to the Kingdom of Abha!
Hast Thou not said, "All that thou hast in thy cellar will not appease the
thirst of my love--bring me, O cup-bearer, of the wine of the spirit, a cup
full as the sea!"
O friends of God! Experience hath shown how much the renouncing of
tobacco, wine and opium, giveth health, strength and intellectual
enjoyments, penetration of judgment and physical vigor. There exists today
a tribe(268) which refrains and abstains from tobacco, alcohol and opium
and it completely excels all others in power, in bravery, in health,
beauty and grace. A single one of these men can withstand ten men of other
tribes, and this hath been universally proved; that is to say, generally,
the individuals of this tribe are superior to the individuals of the other
tribes.
Therefore strive that the greatest cleanliness and sanctity, which is the
great desire of Abdul-Baha, should be resplendent among the Bahais, and
that the companions of God should surpass the rest of mankind in all
conditions and perfections; that they may be physically and morally
superior to others; that through cleanliness and purity, refinement and
health, they may be the chief of wise men, and that by their
affranchisement, their prudence, and the control of their desires, they
may be the princes of the pure, the free and the wise.
Upon you be the glory of El-Abha!
"O ye two , servant and maid-servant of the Beauty of..."
O ye two(269), servant and maid-servant of the Beauty of Abha!
Thank ye His Highness the Incomparable One, that ye have become assisted
in the service of the self-subsistent Lord and that ye are making copies
of the Tablets of Abdul-Baha, spreading them all around. This service is
the most great bounty; for like unto the messenger from Egypt, ye are
sending the garment of the Joseph of the love of God to all directions, so
that the fragrance of the rose-garden of the Kingdom of Abha impart the
spirit of life to the inquirers.
Excellent! Excellent is your magnanimity and exalted intention!
"O thou who art skilled in the Knowledge of God and..."
O thou who art skilled in the Knowledge of God and wise in the Wisdom of
the Almighty!
Turn thy face toward the Kingdom of Might with supplication and invocation
and entreat thy Lord, the Merciful, with this commune, until the heart and
consciousness be illumined by the breath of God from the right side of
grace and generosity, and say:
"O my God! O my God! Verily I am Thy humble servant and Thy meek slave. I
beseech Thee with all my heart and soul, in the middle of nights, and
declare: O my Lord! O my Lord! Enlighten the sights [or eyes] by the
outpouring of lights; purify the souls by the fragrances of Paradise;
dilate the hearts by the wafting of the breeze whereby the sorrows are
dispelled, and exhilarate the spirits by the cups of the wine which is
gleaming and sparkling like unto a lamp!
"Then intoxicate me with the wine of Thy love, so that I may attain to
success and prosperity in this dawn of Light; may speak Thy praises, call
upon Thy Name, be engaged in Thy commemoration in this vast country and
spacious continent and be inebriated with the pure Wine which is glowing
in the excellent Cup. Then suffer me to become the sign of guidance among
Thy creatures and to become a supreme example among the believers, in
order that I may lead others to Thy Word, spread Thy truth, promulgate Thy
knowledge and deliver Thy teachings.
"Verily, Thou art the Confirmer, the Assister, the Mighty, the Powerful
and the Beneficent!"
"O seeker for the Truth!..."
O seeker for the Truth!
There are two ways of healing sickness, material means and spiritual
means. The first is by the use of remedies, of medicines; the second
consists in praying to God and in turning to Him. Both means should be
used and practiced.
Illness caused by physical accident should be treated with medical
remedies; those which are due to spiritual causes disappear through
spiritual means. Thus an illness caused by affliction, fear, nervous
impressions, will be healed by spiritual rather than by physical
treatment. Hence, both kinds of remedies should be considered. Moreover,
they are not contradictory, and thou shouldst accept the physical remedies
as coming from the mercy and favor of God, who hath revealed and made
manifest medical science so that His servants may profit from this kind of
treatment also. Thou shouldst give equal attention to spiritual
treatments, for they produce marvellous effects.
Now, if thou wishest to know the divine remedy which will heal man from
all sickness and will give him the health of the divine kingdom, know that
it is the precepts and teachings of God.l Guard them sacredly.
"O thou darling dear!..."
O thou darling dear!
Turn thy face toward the Supreme Kingdom and chant thou this commune:
O Thou Pure God! I am a little child; make Thou the bosom of Thy Gift a
dear resting-place of comfort, suffer me to grow and be nurtured with the
honey and the milk of Thy love and train me under the breast of Thy
knowledge; bestow Thou freedom while in a state of childhood and grant
Thou excellence!
O Thou Incomparable One! Make me the confident of the Kingdom of the
Unseen! Verily, Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful!
O Unequalled Lord!(270)
For this helpless child be a Protector; for this weak and sinful one be
kind and forgiving.
O Creator! Although we are but useless grass, still we are of Thy garden;
though we are but young trees, bare of leaves and blossoms, still we are
of Thy orchard; therefore, nourish this grass with the rain of Thy county;
refresh and vivify these young, languishing trees with the breeze of Thy
spiritual springtime.
Awaken us, enlighten us, sustain us, give us eternal life and accept us
into Thy Kingdom!
"O thou worshipper of Truth!..."
O thou worshipper of Truth!