"Verily, thou hast seen the physical picture of Abdul-Baha printed by the
rays of the phenomenal sun (i.e., his photograph) and thine eyes became
overflowing with tears. Beg thou of God that He may show unto thee his
(Abdul-Baha's) spiritual picture printed by the ray shining forth from the
Merciful Kingdom. Then the attractions of God shall overtake thee and make
thee as a spark of fire aflame with the heat of the love of God."
O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to visit his holiness
Mirza Abul Fazl, so that thou mayest learn from him the arguments and
decisive texts in the holy Bible concerning the appearance of the Kingdom
of God in this great cycle. Verily, his visit(313) is a prize unto thee, a
hoard(314) unto thee, a consolation unto
O maid-servant of God! Verily, Mr. ......... is an excellent man, exerting
all his powers to diffuse fragrances of God. God shall surely strengthen
him in a great matter and make him a banner waving through the winds of
confirmation upon this glorious castle.
As to my drinking the sup of sacrifice: By the Lord of heaven, this is my
utmost hope, the joy of my heart, the consolation of my soul and my final
desire. Thou shouldst pray God that He may prepare this hope for me and
ordain for me this mighty gift and that he may give me to quaff this cup
which is overflowing with the wine of faithfulness in the path of Baha'.
O maid-servant of God! When I had thy letter in my hand, I was in such a
condition that the breeze of the love of God cheered me and I was thereby
moved with such joy that the place was filled with the spirit of the love
of God. No doubt thy heart hath been also impressed by this spiritual joy,
merciful attraction and ecstatic love.
"O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!..."
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!
Verily, I read thy letter of graceful expressions and eloquent composition
and was rejoiced in heart at the feelings sent forth from thy pure heart.
Verily, I invoke God that He may bestow upon thee the confirmation of the
Spirit in all moments, so that thou mayest direct (or guide) people to the
glorified and praised One, hold the cup of the love of God in thy hand,
give it to drink to every thirsty [one], heal every sick person and
nourish every hungry one with this table (or food) which hath descended
from heaven.
As to thy question concerning the registering of the names of those to
whom thou hast given the "Greatest Name," there is no obstacle (or harm)
in this. Verily, thy Lord will enroll their names upon the scroll of the
Kingdom and the angels of heaven will bless them with the glad-tidings of
the Kingdom of Abha.
As to what thou hast said concerning the longing and the burning of thy
revered daughter with the fire of the love of God: I beg of God to make
her a sign of salvation and a light scintillating in the Supreme Apex.
As to what thou hast written concerning thy coming (to Acca): For the
present this is not consistent with wisdom. When the opportunity cometh,
at an appointed time, we will summon thee to come; and this is a
glad-tidings unto thee and the greatest joy and happiness.
O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to boil forth like unto
the fire ablaze in Sinai, so that thou mayest attract hearts unto the
Kingdom of the Merciful. This is a gift which the dominion of the world
cannot equal!
"O thou lamp who art enkindled with the fire of the..."
O thou lamp who art enkindled with the fire of the Love of God!
Verily, I read thy recent letter which showed thy strong love, thy being
ablaze with the fire of the love of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised, and
the penetration of the Spirit of Truth in thy limbs, nerves, veins,
arteries, bones, blood and flesh, until it hath taken the reins of power
from thy hands and moveth thee as it willeth, causeth thee to speak in
what it willeth and attracteth thee as it willeth. This is becoming of
whatever heart is replenished with the spirit of the love of God. Thou
shalt surely behold wondrous traces and shalt discover the signs of thy
Mighty Lord.
O maid-servant of God! The meaning which thou hast apprehended from my
former statement is the real fact. It is the meaning of (my) statement;
God hath strengthened thee therein and shall surely confirm thee in still
greater than this. At that time thou wilt say: "This is that which was
promised by Abdul-Baha and His promise was certain and decided."
O maid-servant of God! Verily, thy Lord hath breathed the spirit of
argument into thy mouth. Speak thou in the most wonderful explanation and
meditate not at the time of advancing proofs, evidences and signs, and
speak thou that which the Spirit inspireth thee. This is a proof unto thee
and unto every just one among the possessors of understanding.
O maid-servant of God! Verily, I am with thee in spirit and reveal unto
thee the word of guidance at every moment and time.
O maid-servant of God! We have sent thee nine ring stones of the Greatest
Name. This is an allusion unto thee of a matter which thou shalt surely
understand henceforth. We have also sent unto thee a photograph of His
Holiness the glorious Badi whom thy Lord did send to His Highness
Nassir-ed'Din-Shah with a manifest epistle by which He perfected the proof
and evidence to the people of Persia. this faithful messenger (Badi) took
the epistle of Baha' with all power and authority and repaired to the
threshold of His Highness the Shah, while cheered and smiling in joy. He
then presented himself before the Shah and said: "This is an epistle from
Baha'o'llah," and then presented it to him. They arrested him and after
severe torture and punishment, delivered him to the executioners. he was
sitting between the executioners at the time of his death with all
dignity, while turning unto God.
"O thou candle of the Love of God!..."
O thou candle of the Love of God!
What thou hast written was considered. The contents were spiritual and the
sentiments merciful. Praise be to God! that thou art attracted to the
Beauty of Abha and severed from the world. Thy face hast glowed like unto
fire and thou hast consumed the veils of superstitions. Thou hast opened
thine eyes to the Sun of Truth and inhaled the fragrant odor from the
garment of the divine Joseph. Thy mission now is this: Travel as much as
possible to different parts in America, pass through cities and villages
(or towns), guide all to the Beauty of Abha and raise the call of the
Kingdom and say: "O greatest of glad-tidings, for the Sun of Truth of the
Beauty of Abha hath dawned from the horizon of the contingent world and
illumined the regions with the lights of the mightiest guidance! The
reality of the Pentateuch and the Gospel have become manifest and the
mysteries of the heavenly Books have appeared! Now is the age of the
Merciful One and the time of joy and gladness! O ye heedless ones, be ye
conscious! O ye sleepers, be ye awake! O ye blind ones, see! O ye deaf
ones, hear! O ye dumb ones, speak! O ye dead ones, be quickened! O ye
destitute ones, receive a portion and share! It is the irradiation of the
Merciful One and the moving of the boundless sea! It is the bounty of the
wonderful springtime and the downpour of the rain of the gift of the Great
Lord!" This is thy mission.
Send greeting to the maid-servant fo God, Miss ........, and say, "As the
love of God hath the utmost penetration in thy heart, the ring-stone
bearing the Greatest Name will take effect in thy heart like unto a strong
wine, for capacity is great and the power of the wine is intense.
Therefore, there wilt not remain any power or resistance."(315)
Looking upon the picture which thou hast sent caused great delight, joy
and fragrance. God willing, thine actual picture (or form) will also
become present (here).
When thou wert present at Acca, the seeds of the love of God were sown in
thy heart, through the power of the Spirit. At that time they were not so
much manifest. Now that pure seed is growing more verdant and refreshed,
day by day, and becometh more manifest. This is why thou findest thyself
possessing more and more spiritual sentiments.
"The contents of thy last letter were extremely rejoicing,..."
(316) The contents of thy last letter were extremely rejoicing, for they
were a glorious evidence of the glowing of the fire of the love of God, of
attainment to the gift of God and of the spiritual connection of the
spirits. Forasmuch as hearts are like unto mirrors, when the light of the
love of God is enkindled, brilliant rays will reflect and merciful
phenomena become manifest and clear. Physical nearness or remoteness is of
no importance; the essential fact is the spiritual affinity and ideal
nearness. Judas Iscariot was for a long time favored in the holy court of
His Holiness Christ, yet he was entirely far and remote; while Paul, the
apostle, was in close embrace with His Holiness. The Egyptian carrier of
glad-tidings was the bearer of the garment of Joseph, yet he could not
inhale the fragrance of the garment. His holiness Jacob, in Canaan, longed
for meeting (Joseph), yet he was near and inhaled the fragrance of the
garment. Consequently, it is evident that one can certainly and surely
inhale the perfume of affinity even from a far distance. I beg of God that
He may strengthen and solidify such connections between the friends
(believers), so that the spiritual unity may become a manifest light and
the earthly world may become a camping-place for the heavenly hosts.
O thou dear maid-servant of God! Be thou aglow and illumined and be thou
enkindled in soul with the fire of the love of God in every assemblage. Be
not quiet for a moment and do not seek composure even for an hour (i.e.,
be active in spreading the light). Be thou a cause for the illumining of
hearts and spiritualizing of souls. Always communicate about this (truth)
with that great personage in France and write to him: "No matter how
clear, pure and polished a mirror may be, not until it is turned unto the
Sun of Truth will it find glorious bounty and become reflective of rays."
***
"O thou servant of the Beauty of Abha!..."
O thou servant of the Beauty of Abha!
We considered all that thou hast written. It seems that the maid-servant
of God, Mrs. ........., hath arisen to deliver (the truth). If she
advanceth in this manner, maketh more effort and day by day groweth in
spirituality, sincerity, devotion and severance, in a short time she will
become purely merciful and will spiritualize others; she will progress in
the stations of sanctity and purity; she will become the possessor of a
fluent speech and will find her heart brilliant and full of serenity and
faith to such an extent that her pure breath will so take effect even in
stone, tree and clay (i.e., in all people), that she, herself, will be
astonished. When the interior parts of musical instruments become clear
and polished, their tone will take effect and warm the hearts. I hope the
maid-servant of God, Mrs. ........., may attain to this degree, for she is
capable.
"O thou who art attracted to the Holy Spirit!..."
O thou who art attracted to the Holy Spirit!
It is some time since news hath come from thee, though I have the utmost
kindness toward that favored maid-servant of the Threshold of the
Almighty. I beg of God that the power of the Spirit will cause in thee
such an ecstasy and attraction that thou mayest be the cause of
everlasting life to the seekers; mayest hold a cup of the knowledge of God
in thy hand and give people to drink the wine of the love of God; that
thou mayest exhilarate the souls, awaken the heedless, bring the ignorant
to consciousness, make the blind seeing, quicken the dead, enkindle the
faded souls and refresh the withered ones.
Convey greeting and praise to the favored maid-servant of God, thy revered
daughter. Also, announce thou on my behalf the confirmations of the Holy
Spirit unto the other maid-servants of the Merciful One.
O thou divinely attracted one! If thou wishest for the illumination of the
Kingdom, exert thyself in steadfastness as much as thou canst and resist
thou the tests, so that thou mayest, like unto a lamp, illumine the world
and bestow everlasting life, like unto the Spirit.
"O thou flame of the Love of God!..."
O thou flame of the Love of God!
What thou hast written caused joy, for that letter was like unto a
rose-garden whose roses of significances bestowed the sweet odor of the
love of God upon the nostrils. Similarly, my answers to thy letters will,
like unto rain and dew, bestow infinite purity and freshness upon those
myrtles of significances which have blossomed in the garden of the heart.
thou hast written concerning the tests that have come upon thee. To the
sincere ones, tests are as a gift from God, the Exalted, for a heroic
person hasteneth, with the utmost joy and gladness, to the tests of a
violent battlefield, but the coward is afraid and trembles and utters
moaning and lamentation. Likewise, an expert student prepareth and
memorizeth his lessons and exercises with the utmost effort, and in the
day of examination he appeareth with infinite joy before the master.
Likewise, the pure gold shineth radiantly in the fire of test.
Consequently, it is made clear that for holy souls, trials are as the gift
of God, the Exalted; but for weak souls they are an unexpected calamity.
This test is just as thou hast written: it removeth the rust of egotism
from the mirror of the heart until the Sun of Truth may shine therein.
For, no veil is greater than egotism and no matter how thin that covering
may be, yet it will finally veil man entirely and prevent him from
receiving a portion from the eternal bounty.
O thou attracted maid-servant of God! When the men and maid-servants of
God pass in my mind, I feel the heat of the love of God and I pray the
Almighty God to assist those blessed souls with the invisible hosts.
Praise be to God! the prophecies of all the prophets have become manifest
and are fulfilled in this holy and blessed age and this great day of
Baha'o'llah!
O thou attracted maid-servant of God! Nearness is, in reality, of the
soul, not of the body, and help and receptivity of help are spiritual, not
physical. Notwithstanding this, I hope that thou mayest attain nearness in
every respect. Be thou assured that the divine bounties will so encompass
holy souls even as the light of the sun doth the moon and stars.
Convey thou, on behalf of Abdul-Baha, the sweet odor of the fragrances of
holiness to the nostrils of each one of the friends of God and the
maid-servants of the Merciful and inspire and encourage thou all of them
to diffuse the fragrances of God (i.e., to teach the truth).
"O thou dear sister!..."
O thou dear sister!
The letter arrived at a time when--praise be to God! --calamities and
sufferings in the path of God have surrounded us from every direction and
arrows and darts are flying from every bow. But, through the love of His
Holiness Baha'o'llah, we, in this intense darkness, are like unto a
shining torch, and while in this tempest of calamities, we are turning
toward the Kingdom of the Almighty and engaged in remembering thee. We do
not consider this calamity as billows of the sea of afflictions and
sufferings; nay, it is the ark of deliverance and the shore of peace and
security.
Praise be to God! according to the commandments and exhortations of
Baha'o'llah, we are the well-wisher of all governments and act toward all
the nations of the world in peace and love. We have no intention but that
which is good and no desire but the good pleasure of God. We mean well
toward every people and seek to have sincerity and good-will toward every
government. In return for arrows and swords, we present milk and honey and
we heal the deadly poison with the swift healing antidote. Night and day
we are in action and exertion, in order to dress the wounds and cure the
pain (of the people), to care for the afflicted and comfort even the
ill-natured one, so that, through the assistance and favor of God, this
darkness of selfish prejudice shall vanish and the error of folly and
ignorance shall be changed into divine guidance.
O thou dear sister! Whenever the daughters of the Kingdom are ready in the
Presence, they become initiated into the mystery and are always companions
and associates (with us).
Convey respectful greeting to the favored maid-servant of God, Mrs.
........., and tell her: "Be thou assured in the divine favors and rejoice
in the glad-tidings of the Merciful One."
I hope the maid-servants of the Merciful will day by day increase in faith
and assurance.
I send thee a few stones (of the Greatest Name). All the holy leaves send
greeting to thee.
"O thou beloved maid-servant of God!..."
O thou beloved maid-servant of God!
Thy letter was received and it produced joy and fragrance. Its contents
were of the utmost sweetness. Whatsoever thou mayest write I will read
with great attention.
Praise be to God! thou hast consumed the veils and become enkindled with
the fire of the love of God. thank thou God for this.
Mr. ......... hath been delighted with your city, for he hath inhaled the
fragrance fo the love of God from it.
Although thy visit to Acca in the year 1899 was short, yet it was the
breath of life. Later on its traces will become manifest.
I hope that the divine mysteries may become revealed to thee at all time.
Become thou engaged in teaching the truth, for the teaching of the Cause
containeth the power of a magnet; it attracteth the mysteries of God.
Regarding my freedom: To me prison is freedom; to me incarceration is an
open court; to me humility is identical with glory; to me adversity is a
gift and death is life. I hope that thou wilt also take a portion from
this sea and seek a reflection from these lights, becoming and ignited
lamp so that the winds of contradiction will not blow it out, and day by
day more revelation and vision may descend, and thou be enkindled more
than before with the fire of the love of God.
Convey respectful greeting to the maid-servants of the Merciful One. I
supplicate God that they may add to their faith and assurance every
moment.
"O thou sign of the Kingdom and the bird singing with..."
O thou sign of the Kingdom and the bird singing with the most wonderful
melodies in the rose-garden of Paradise!
Verily, I have considered the meanings of thy brilliant letter which was
of most eloquent expression and found it overflowing with praise,
thanksgiving, sanctification, supplication and invocation toward the
Supreme Kingdom. By my life, it was like unto a rose-garden adorned with
the myrtles of realities and truths, wherefrom the pure fragrances
emanated and perfumed the nostrils and dilated the hearts and souls.
O thou maid-servant of God! Display thou an effort, gird up the loins of
endeavor, dilate thy breast and be thou prepared for the manifestation of
the breaths of the Holy Spirit in thine heart. By God, the true One,
verily, the Holy Spirit confirmeth every maid-servant who ariseth to
spread the fragrances of God, so that the inhabitants of the whole world
cannot overcome her spiritual strength--for similar things have happened in
the past centuries.
O thou maid-servant of God! Celebrate the praises of God; become thou
engaged with His mentioning like unto the tempestuous and roaring torrent
rushing down from the mountains and hills; rend asunder the veils and
coverings, so that the shining lights may become manifest to the eyes,
refreshing the hearts of the righteous ones with the gentle breezes of the
flowers of truth and the sweet fragrance of the dawn of eternity.
O thou maid-servant of God! Verily, the bounties of thy Lord are great and
great in this glorious century and new age; the confirmations are
consecutive and continuous; the rays of the Sun of Truth are shining and
sparkling; the stars of guidance are gleaming and scintillating and the
rains of generosity are falling and flowing! Blessing is upon the one who
taketh a share from this glorious outpouring and receiveth illumination
from this light which is shining forth from the firmament of ether.
O thou maid-servant of God! Blessed art thou, for the Temple of the
Covenant (Abdul-Baha) hath become manifest to thee in a dream with
incomparable humility and submission toward God, and that thou hast beheld
that countenance overflowing with yearning, attraction and love toward the
Beauty of the Almighty. Ere long thou shalt witness a great effect through
this observation, whereby the spirit of life will become manifest in thee,
which is now flowing in the veins of the contingent beings. Then thou
shalt behold that which none have seen! At that time thou shalt fall upon
the ground before God the True One, for He hath favored thee with this
most great bounty.
"O thou bird of the Rose-garden of the Kingdom!..."
O thou bird of the Rose-garden of the Kingdom!
In appearance there hath some time elapsed since news hath been received
from thee, but in spirit the arrival of the news is uninterrupted. I hope,
from the bounties of the Exalted, the Quickener of the souls, that thou
mayest not rest for one moment but pulsate constantly like unto the
pulsation of an artery in the body of the world, to infuse the spirit of
life in the souls and suffer the people to soar up the the zenith of the
Kingdom.
Undoubtedly, write thou letters and do not stop correspondence even in
appearance.
"Convey my respectful greeting to Mrs. ........."
(317) Convey my respectful greeting to Mrs. ......... and say: "We hope
that day by day thou mayest take higher flights, attain to greater
spiritual attractions, thy word become more penetrative through the power
of the Spirit and through the confirmations of the Spirit of Abha become
illumined. This is the path of salvation and prosperity. This is the
attractive power of the Holy Spirit from the Supreme Concourse."
"O thou daughter of the Kingdom!..."
O thou daughter of the Kingdom!
I hope, from the Almighty, that thou mayest be confirmed to the
necessities and conditions of the following address; that is, to forget
this world of possession, become wholly heavenly, become embodied spirit
and attain to universal mind. This arena is vast and unlimited; therein
the charger of spirit must move swiftly, for here one cannot travel by
foot. This gift is very great but complete and sufficient capacity is
necessary.
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! The moment thou presented thyself in this
prison, at the time of meeting, I realized that thou wouldst become
attracted and attain to spiritual communication, such communication that
as soon as the mirror of the heart is cleansed from the rust of worldly
thoughts, immediately thou shalt find me reflected therein, and all the
mountains, seas and deserts annihilated. Thou art present and visible and
under all circumstances thou art protected by the glances of the Spirit.
Print the account which thou hast written about thy trip to Acca and
spread it.
Shouldst thou become entirely attached to the Kingdom of Abha, thou shalt
find the Holy Spirit always thy companion and shalt behold the spiritual
confirmations uninterrupted.
Convey in my behalf the utmost love and kindness to each and all the
friends and maid-servants of the Merciful.
Upon thee and upon them to Baha-el-Abha!
"O thou who art attracted to the Beauty of Abha!..."
O thou who art attracted to the Beauty of Abha!
For a period of time no news hath been outwardly received from thee, but
spiritual communications are continual (between us). Thou hast always been
remembered and been present here. Though bodily ailments have come upon
thee, yet the divine health is always constant and permanent. If thou
knewest to what favors thou hast attained and how thou art gazed upon by
the eye of the Beauty of Abha, even thy bodily ailments will be removed
and merciful glad-tidings will surround thee.
Thou hast asked for permission to come: If the means for a comfortable
journey are, in the best manner, arranged and ready for thee, thou art
permitted to come here.
That merciful maid-servant (i.e., thyself) seeth some spiritual dreams (or
visions). These are, in reality, discoveries of the heart and are
spiritual visions. I beg of God that, through the power of insight, thou
mayest continually witness the lights of the Kingdom of Abha.
Thou hast written that the fundamental basis is love. This is the actual
truth; the divine splendors are founded on love and the radiance of the
Merciful One in the human world produceth heartfelt attractions.