ponder in his heart he would, free of all attachment to the world, hasten
unto the Most Great Light and would purge and purify himself from the dust
of vain imaginings and the smoke of idle fancy. What could have prompted
the people of the past to err and by whom were they misled? They still
reject the truth and have turned towards their own selfish desires. This
Wronged One calleth aloud for the sake of God. Whosoever wisheth, let him
turn thereunto; whosoever wisheth, let him turn away. Verily God can well
afford to dispense with all things, whether of the past or of the future.
O people of the Bayan! It is men like unto Hadi Dawlat-Abadi(6) who, with
turban and staff,(7) have been the source of opposition and hindrance and
have so grievously burdened the people with superstitions that even at the
present time they still expect the appearance of a fictitious person from
a fictitious place. Be ye warned, O men of understanding.
O Hadi! Give ear unto the Voice of this trustworthy Counsellor: direct thy
steps from the left unto the right, that is turn away from idle fancy unto
certitude. Lead not the people into error. The divine Luminary shineth,
His Cause is manifest and His signs are all-embracing. Set thy face
towards God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Renounce thy
leadership for the sake of God and leave the people unto themselves. Thou
art ignorant of the essential truth, thou art not acquainted therewith.
O Hadi! Be thou of one face in the path of God. When in company with the
infidels, thou art an infidel and with the pious, thou art pious. Reflect
thou upon such souls as offered up their lives and their substance in that
land, that haply thou mayest be admonished and roused from slumber.
Consider: who is to be preferred, he who preserveth his body, his life and
his possessions or the one who surrendereth his all in the path of God?
Judge thou fairly and be not of the unjust. Take fast hold of justice and
adhere unto equity that perchance thou mayest not, for selfish motives,
use religion as a snare, nor disregard the truth for the sake of gold.
Indeed thine iniquity and the iniquity of such people as thyself have
waxed so grievous that the Pen of Glory was moved to make such
observations. Fear thou God. He Who heralded this Revelation hath
declared: 'He shall proclaim under all conditions: "Verily, verily, I am
God, no God is there but Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."'
O people of the Bayan! Ye have been forbidden to contact the loved ones of
God. Why hath this ban been imposed and for what purpose? Be ye fair, I
adjure you by God, and be not of the heedless. Unto such as are endued
with insight, and before the Most Great Beauty, the object of this ban is
known and evident; it is so that no one may become aware of his (Hadi's)
secrets and deeds.
O Hadi! Thou hast not been in Our company, thou art therefore ignorant of
the Cause. Act not according to thine idle imaginings. Aside from these
things, scrutinize the Writings with thine own eyes and ponder upon that
which hath come to pass. Have pity upon thyself and upon the servants of
God and be not the cause of waywardness like unto the people aforetime.
The path is unmistakable and the proof is evident. Change injustice into
justice and inequity into equity. We cherish the hope that the breaths of
divine inspiration may strengthen thee and that thine inner ear may be
enabled to hear the blessed words: 'Say, it is God, then leave them to
entertain themselves with their cavillings.'(8) Thou has been there
(Cyprus) and hast seen him (Mirza Yahya). Now speak forth with fairness.
Do not misrepresent the matter, neither to thyself nor to the people. Thou
art both ignorant and uninformed. Give ear unto the Voice of this Wronged
One and hasten towards the ocean of divine knowledge that perchance thou
mayest be adorned with the ornament of comprehension and mayest renounce
all else but God. Hearken unto the Voice of this benevolent Counsellor,
calling aloud, unveiled and manifest, before the faces of kings and their
subjects, and summon the people of the world, one and all, unto Him Who is
the Lord of Eternity. This is the Word from Whose horizon the day-star of
unfailing grace shineth resplendent.
O Hadi! This Wronged One, rid of all attachment to the world, hath striven
with utmost endeavour to quench the fire of animosity and hatred which
burneth fiercely in the hearts of the peoples of the earth. It behoveth
every just and fair-minded person to render thanks unto God--exalted be His
glory--and to arise to promote this pre-eminent Cause, that fire may turn
into light, and hatred may give way to fellowship and love. I swear by the
righteousness of God! This is the sole purpose of this Wronged One. Indeed
in proclaiming this momentous Cause and in demonstrating its Truth We have
endured manifold sufferings, hardships and tribulations. Thou thyself
wouldst bear witness unto that which We have mentioned, couldst thou but
speak with fairness. Verily God speaketh the truth and leadeth the Way. He
is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Gracious.
May Our Glory rest upon the people of Baha whom neither the tyranny of the
oppressor nor the ascendancy of the aggressor have been able to withhold
from God, the Lord of the worlds.
TAJALLIYAT (EFFULGENCES)
This is the Epistle of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting
He is the One Who heareth from His Realm of Glory.
GOD testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who hath
appeared is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, the Most Great Book
for all peoples, and the Heaven of bounty for the whole world. He is the
Most Mighty Sign amongst men and the Dayspring of the most august
attributes in the realm of creation. Through Him hath appeared that which
had been hidden from time immemorial and been veiled from the eyes of men.
He is the One Whose Manifestation was announced by the heavenly
Scriptures, in former times and more recently. Whoso acknowledgeth belief
in Him and in His signs and testimonies hath in truth acknowledged that
which the Tongue of Grandeur uttered ere the creation of earth and heaven
and the revelation of the Kingdom of Names. Through Him the ocean of
knowledge hath surged amidst mankind and the river of divine wisdom hath
gushed out at the behest of God, the Lord of Days.
Well is it with the man of discernment who hath recognized and perceived
the Truth, and the one possessed of a hearing ear who hath hearkened unto
His sweet Voice, and the hand that hath received His Book with such
resolve as is born of God, the Lord of this world and of the next, and the
earnest wayfarer who hath hastened unto His glorious Horizon, and the one
endued with strength whom neither the overpowering might of the rulers,
nor the tumult raised by the leaders of religion hath been able to shake.
And woe betide him who hath rejected the grace of God and His bounty, and
hath denied His tender mercy and authority; such a man is indeed reckoned
with those who have throughout eternity repudiated the testimony of God
and His proof.
Great is the blessedness of him who hath in this Day cast away the things
current amongst men and hath clung unto that which is ordained by God, the
Lord of Names and the Fashioner of all created things, He Who is come from
the heaven of eternity through the power of the Most Great Name, invested
with so invincible an authority that all the powers of the earth are
unable to withstand Him. Unto this beareth witness the Mother Book,
calling from the Most Sublime Station.
O 'Ali-Akbar!(9) We have repeatedly heard thy voice and have responded to
thee with that which the praise of all mankind can never rival; from which
the sincere ones inhale the sweet savours of the sayings of the
All-Merciful, and His true lovers perceive the fragrance of heavenly
reunion, and the sore athirst discover the murmuring of the water that is
life indeed. Blessed the man who hath attained thereto and hath recognized
that which is at this moment being diffused from the Pen of God, the Help
in Peril, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.
We testify that thou hast set thy face towards God and travelled far until
thou didst attain His presence and gavest ear unto the Voice of this
Wronged One, Who hath been cast into prison through the misdeeds of those
who have disbelieved in the signs and testimonies of God and have denied
this heavenly grace through which the whole world hath been made to shine.
Blessed thy face, for it hath turned unto Him, and thine ear, for it hath
heard His Voice, and thy tongue, for it hath celebrated the praise of God,
the Lord of lords. We pray God to graciously aid thee to become a standard
for the promotion of His Cause and to enable thee to draw nigh unto Him at
all times and under all conditions.
The chosen ones of God and His loved ones in that land are remembered by
Us, and We give them the joyful tidings of that which hath been sent down
in their honour from the Kingdom of the utterance of their Lord, the
sovereign Ruler of the Day of Reckoning. Make mention of Me to them and
illumine them with the resplendent glory of Mine utterance. Verily thy
Lord is the Gracious, the Bountiful.
O thou who dost magnify My praise! Give ear unto that which the people of
tyranny ascribe unto Me in My days. Some of them say: 'He hath laid claim
to divinity'; others say: 'He hath devised a lie against God'; still
others say: 'He is come to foment sedition'. Base and wretched are they.
Lo! They are, in truth, enslaved to idle imaginings.
We shall now cease using the eloquent language.(10) Truly thy Lord is the
Potent, the Unconstrained. We would fain speak in the Persian tongue that
perchance the people of Persia, one and all, may become aware of the
utterances of the merciful Lord, and come forth to discover the Truth.
The first Tajalli which hath dawned from the Day-Star of Truth is the
knowledge of God--exalted be His glory. And the knowledge of the King of
everlasting days can in no wise be attained save by recognizing Him Who is
the Bearer of the Most Great Name. He is, in truth, the Speaker on Sinai
Who is now seated upon the throne of Revelation. He is the Hidden Mystery
and the Treasured Symbol. All the former and latter Books of God are
adorned with His praise and extol His glory. Through Him the standard of
knowledge hath been planted in the world and the ensign of the oneness of
God hath been unfurled amidst all peoples. Attainment unto the Divine
Presence can be realized solely by attaining His presence. Through His
potency everything that hath, from time immemorial, been veiled and
hidden, is now revealed. He is made manifest through the power of Truth
and hath uttered a Word whereby all that are in the heavens and on the
earth have been dumbfounded, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to
exempt. True belief in God and recognition of Him cannot be complete save
by acceptance of that which He hath revealed and by observance of
whatsoever hath been decreed by Him and set down in the Book by the Pen of
Glory.
They that immerse themselves in the ocean of His utterances should at all
times have the utmost regard for the divinely-revealed ordinances and
prohibitions. Indeed His ordinances constitute the mightiest stronghold
for the protection of the world and the safeguarding of its peoples--a
light upon those who acknowledge and recognize the truth, and a fire unto
such as turn away and deny.
The second Tajalli is to remain steadfast in the Cause of God--exalted be
His glory--and to be unswerving in His love. And this can in no wise be
attained except through full recognition of Him; and full recognition
cannot be obtained save by faith in the blessed words: 'He doeth
whatsoever He willeth.' Whoso tenaciously cleaveth unto this sublime word
and drinketh deep from the living waters of utterance which are inherent
therein, will be imbued with such a constancy that all the books of the
world will be powerless to deter him from the Mother Book. O how glorious
is this sublime station, this exalted rank, this ultimate purpose!
O 'Ali-Akbar! Consider how abject is the state of the disbelievers. They
all give utterance to the words: 'Verily He is to be praised in His deeds
and is to be obeyed in His behest.' Nevertheless if We reveal aught which,
even to the extent of a needle's eye, runneth counter to their selfish
ways and desires, they will disdainfully reject it. Say, none can ever
fathom the manifold exigencies of God's consummate wisdom. In truth, were
He to pronounce the earth to be heaven, no one hath the right to question
His authority. This is that whereunto the Point of the Bayan hath
testified in all that was sent down unto Him with truth at the behest of
God, He Who hath caused the Dawn to break.
The third Tajalli is concerning arts, crafts and sciences. Knowledge is as
wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is
incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should
be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which
begin with words and end with words. Great indeed is the claim of
scientists and craftsmen on the peoples of the world. Unto this beareth
witness the Mother Book on the day of His return. Happy are those
possessed of a hearing ear. In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure
for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer
and gladness unto him. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in this
Most Great Prison.
The fourth Tajalli is concerning Divinity, Godhead and the like. Were a
man of insight to direct his gaze towards the blessed, the manifest
Lote-Tree and its fruits, he would be so enriched thereby as to be
independent of aught else and to acknowledge his belief in that which the
Speaker on Sinai hath uttered from the throne of Revelation.
O 'Ali-Akbar! Acquaint the people with the holy verses of thy Lord and
make known unto them His straight Path, His mighty Announcement.
Say: O people, if ye judge fairly and equitably, ye will testify to the
truth of whatsoever hath streamed forth from the Most Exalted Pen. If ye
be of the people of the Bayan, the Persian Bayan will guide you aright and
will prove a sufficient testimony unto you; and if ye be of the people of
the Qur'an, ponder ye upon the Revelation on Sinai and the Voice from the
Bush which came unto the Son of 'Imran [Moses].
Gracious God! It was intended that at the time of the manifestation of the
One true God the faculty of recognizing Him would have been developed and
matured and would have reached its culmination. However, it is now clearly
demonstrated that in the disbelievers this faculty hath remained
undeveloped and hath, indeed, degenerated.
O 'Ali! That which they accepted from the Bush they now refuse to accept
from Him Who is the Tree of the world of existence. Say, O people of the
Bayan, speak not according to the dictates of passion and selfish desire.
Most of the peoples of the earth attest the truth of the blessed Word
which hath come forth from the Bush.
By the righteousness of God! But for the anthem of praise voiced by Him
Who heralded the divine Revelation, this Wronged One would never have
breathed a word which might have struck terror into the hearts of the
ignorant and caused them to perish. Dwelling on the glorification of Him
Whom God shall make manifest--exalted be His Manifestation--the Bab in the
beginning of the Bayan saith: 'He is the One Who shall proclaim under all
conditions, "Verily, verily, I am God, no God is there but Me, the Lord of
all created things. In truth all others except Me are My creatures. O, My
creatures! Me alone do ye worship."' Likewise in another instance He,
magnifying the Name of Him Who shall be made manifest, saith: 'I would be
the first to adore Him.' Now it behoveth one to reflect upon the
significance of the 'Adorer' and the 'Adored One', that perchance the
people of the earth may partake of a dewdrop from the ocean of divine
knowledge and may be enabled to perceive the greatness of this Revelation.
Verily, He hath appeared and hath unloosed His tongue to proclaim the
Truth. Well is it with him who doth acknowledge and recognize the truth,
and woe betide the froward and the wayward.
O kindreds of the earth! Incline your ears unto the Voice from the divine
Lote-Tree which overshadoweth the world and be not of the people of
tyranny on earth--men who have repudiated the Manifestation of God and His
invincible authority and have renounced His favours--they in truth are
reckoned with the contemptible in the Book of God, the Lord of all
mankind.
The Glory which hath dawned above the horizon of My tender mercy rest upon
thee and upon whosoever is with thee and giveth ear to thy words
concerning the Cause of God, the Almighty, the All-Praised.
KALIMAT-I-FIRDAWSIYYIH (WORDS OF PARADISE)
He is the One Who speaketh through the power of Truth in the Kingdom of
Utterance
O YE the embodiments of justice and equity and the manifestations of
uprightness and of heavenly bounties! In tears and lamenting, this Wronged
One calleth aloud and saith: O God, my God! Adorn the heads of Thy loved
ones with the crown of detachment and attire their temples with the
raiment of righteousness.
It behoveth the people of Baha to render the Lord victorious through the
power of their utterance and to admonish the people by their goodly deeds
and character, inasmuch as deeds exert greater influence than words.
O Haydar-'Ali!(11) Upon thee be the praise of God and His glory. Say:
Honesty, virtue, wisdom and a saintly character redound to the exaltation
of man, while dishonesty, imposture, ignorance and hypocrisy lead to his
abasement. By My life! Man's distinction lieth not in ornaments or wealth,
but rather in virtuous behaviour and true understanding. Most of the
people in Persia are steeped in deception and idle fancy. How great the
difference between the condition of these people and the station of such
valiant souls as have passed beyond the sea of names and pitched their
tents upon the shores of the ocean of detachment. Indeed none but a few of
the existing generation hath yet earned the merit of hearkening unto the
warblings of the doves of the all-highest Paradise. 'Few of My servants
are truly thankful.'(12) People for the most part delight in
superstitions. They regard a single drop of the sea of delusion as
preferable to an ocean of certitude. By holding fast unto names they
deprive themselves of the inner reality and by clinging to vain imaginings
they are kept back from the Dayspring of heavenly signs. God grant you may
be graciously aided under all conditions to shatter the idols of
superstition and to tear away the veils of the imaginations of men.
Authority lieth in the grasp of God, the Fountainhead of revelation and
inspiration and the Lord of the Day of Resurrection.
We heard that which the person in question hath mentioned regarding
certain teachers of the Faith. Indeed he hath spoken truly. Some heedless
souls roam the lands in the name of God, actively engaged in ruining His
Cause, and call it promoting and teaching the Word of God; and this
notwithstanding that the qualifications of the teachers of the Faith, like
unto stars, shine resplendent throughout the heavens of the divine
Tablets. Every fair-minded person testifieth and every man of insight is
well aware that the One true God--exalted be His glory--hath unceasingly set
forth and expounded that which will elevate the station and will exalt the
rank of the children of men.
The people of Baha burn brightly amidst the gatherings even as a candle
and hold fast unto that which God hath purposed. This station standeth
supreme above all stations. Well is it with him who hath cast away the
things that the people of the world possess, yearning for that which
pertaineth unto God, the Sovereign Lord of eternity.
Say: O God, my God! Thou beholdest me circling round Thy Will with mine
eyes turned towards the horizon of Thy bounty, eagerly awaiting the
revelation of the effulgent splendours of the sun of Thy favours. I beg of
Thee, O Beloved of every understanding heart and the Desire of such as
have near access unto Thee, to grant that Thy loved ones may become wholly
detached from their own inclinations, holding fast unto that which
pleaseth Thee. Attire them, O Lord, with the robe of righteousness and
illumine them with the splendours of the light of detachment. Summon then
to their assistance the hosts of wisdom and utterance that they may exalt
Thy Word amongst Thy creatures and proclaim Thy Cause amidst Thy servants.
Verily, potent art Thou to do what Thou willest, and within Thy grasp lie
the reins of all affairs. No God is there but Thee, the Mighty, the
Ever-Forgiving.
O thou who hast turned thy gaze towards My face! In these days there
occurred that which hath plunged Me into dire sadness. Certain wrong-doers
who profess allegiance to the Cause of God committed such deeds as have
caused the limbs of sincerity, of honesty, of justice, of equity to quake.
One known individual to whom the utmost kindness and favour had been
extended perpetrated such acts as have brought tears to the eye of God.
Formerly We uttered words of warning and premonition, then for a number of
years We kept the matter secret that haply he might take heed and repent.
But all to no purpose. In the end he bent his energies upon vilifying the
Cause of God before the eyes of all men. He tore the veil of fairness
asunder and felt sympathy neither for himself nor for the Cause of God.
Now, however, the deeds of certain individuals have brought sorrows far
more grievous than those which the deeds of the former had caused. Beseech
thou God, the True One, that He may graciously enable the heedless to
retract and repent. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Bountiful, the Most
Generous.
In these days it is incumbent upon everyone to adhere tenaciously unto
unity and concord and to labour diligently in promoting the Cause of God,
that perchance the wayward souls may attain that which will lead unto
abiding prosperity.
In brief, dissensions among various sects have opened the way to weakness.
Each sect hath picked out a way for itself and is clinging to a certain
cord. Despite manifest blindness and ignorance they pride themselves on
their insight and knowledge. Among them are mystics who bear allegiance to
the Faith of Islam, some of whom indulge in that which leadeth to idleness
and seclusion. I swear by God! It lowereth man's station and maketh him
swell with pride. Man must bring forth fruit. One who yieldeth no fruit
is, in the words of the Spirit,(13) like unto a fruitless tree, and a
fruitless tree is fit but for the fire.
That which the aforesaid persons have mentioned concerning the stations of
Divine Unity will conduce in no small measure to idleness and vain
imaginings. These mortal men have evidently set aside the differences of
station and have come to regard themselves as God, while God is
immeasurably exalted above all things. Every created being however
revealeth His signs which are but emanations from Him and not His Own
Self. All these signs are reflected and can be seen in the book of
existence, and the scrolls that depict the shape and pattern of the
universe are indeed a most great book. Therein every man of insight can
perceive that which would lead to the Straight Path and would enable him
to attain the Great Announcement. Consider the rays of the sun whose light
hath encompassed the world. The rays emanate from the sun and reveal its
nature, but are not the sun itself. Whatsoever can be discerned on earth
amply demonstrateth the power of God, His knowledge and the outpourings of
His bounty, while He Himself is immeasurably exalted above all creatures.