the wise are deprived.' The sage of Sabzivar(14) hath said: 'Alas!
Attentive ears are lacking, otherwise the whisperings of the Sinaic Bush
could be heard from every tree.' In a Tablet to a man of wisdom who had
made enquiry as to the meaning of Elementary Reality, We addressed this
famous sage in these words: 'If this saying is truly thine, how is it that
thou hast failed to hearken unto the Call which the Tree of Man hath
raised from the loftiest heights of the world? If thou didst hear the Call
yet fear and the desire to preserve thy life prompted thee to remain
heedless to it, thou art such a person as hath never been nor is worthy of
mention; if thou hast not heard it, then thou art bereft of the sense of
hearing.' In brief, such men are they whose words are the pride of the
world, and whose deeds are the shame of the nations.
Verily We have sounded the Trumpet which is none other than My Pen of
Glory, and lo, mankind hath swooned away before it, save them whom God
pleaseth to deliver as a token of His grace. He is the Lord of bounty, the
Ancient of Days.
Say: O concourse of divines! Pronounce ye censure against this Pen unto
which, as soon as it raised its shrill voice, the kingdom of utterance
prepared itself to hearken, and before whose mighty and glorious theme
every other theme hath paled into insignificance? Fear ye God and follow
not your idle fancies and corrupt imaginings, but rather follow Him Who is
come unto you invested with undeniable knowledge and unshakeable
certitude.
Glorified be God! Man's treasure is his utterance, yet this Wronged One
hath withheld His Tongue, for the disbelievers are lying in ambush;
however, protection is afforded by God, the Lord of all worlds. Verily, in
Him have We placed Our trust and unto Him have We committed all affairs.
All-Sufficient is He for Us and for all created things. He is the One by
Whose leave, and through the potency of Whose command, the Day-Star of
sovereign might hath shone resplendent above the horizon of the world.
Well is it with him who perceiveth and recognizeth the Truth and woe
betide the froward and the faithless.
This Wronged One hath invariably treated the wise with affection. By the
wise is meant men whose knowledge is not confined to mere words and whose
lives have been fruitful and have produced enduring results. It is
incumbent upon everyone to honour these blessed souls. Happy are they that
observe God's precepts; happy are they that have recognized the Truth;
happy are they that judge with fairness in all matters and hold fast to
the Cord of My inviolable Justice.
The people of Persia have turned away from Him Who is the Protector and
the Helper. They are clinging to and have enmeshed themselves in the vain
imaginings of the foolish. So firmly do they adhere to superstitions that
naught can sever them therefrom save the potent arm of God--exalted is His
glory. Beseech thou the Almighty that He may remove with the fingers of
divine power the veils which have shut out the divers peoples and
kindreds, that they may attain the things that are conducive to security,
progress and advancement and may hasten forth towards the incomparable
Friend.
The word of God which the Abha Pen hath revealed and inscribed on the
_first leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is this: Verily I say: The fear of God hath
ever been a sure defence and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the
world. It is the chief cause of the protection of mankind, and the supreme
instrument for its preservation. Indeed, there existeth in man a faculty
which deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever is unworthy
and unseemly, and which is known as his sense of shame. This, however, is
confined to but a few; all have not possessed and do not possess it.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_second leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is the following: The Pen of the Most High
exhorteth, at this moment, the manifestations of authority and the sources
of power, namely the kings, the sovereigns, the presidents, the rulers,
the divines and the wise, and enjoineth them to uphold the cause of
religion, and to cleave unto it. Religion is verily the chief instrument
for the establishment of order in the world and of tranquillity amongst
its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened
the foolish and emboldened them and made them more arrogant. Verily I say:
The greater the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness of
the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the end to chaos and confusion. Hear
Me, O men of insight, and be warned, ye who are endued with discernment!
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_third leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is this: O son of man! If thine eyes be
turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto
that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards
justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for
thyself. Humility exalteth man to the heaven of glory and power, whilst
pride abaseth him to the depths of wretchedness and degradation.
O people of God! Great is the Day and mighty the Call! In one of Our
Tablets We have revealed these exalted words: 'Were the world of the
spirit to be wholly converted into the sense of hearing, it could then
claim to be worthy to hearken unto the Voice that calleth from the Supreme
Horizon; for otherwise, these ears that are defiled with lying tales have
never been, nor are they now, fit to hear it.' Well is it with them that
hearken; and woe betide the wayward.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_fourth leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is the following: O people of God! Beseech ye
the True One--glorified be His Name--that He may graciously shield the
manifestations of dominion and power from the suggestions of self and
desire and shed the radiance of justice and guidance upon them.
His Majesty Muhammad Shah, despite the excellence of his rank, committed
two heinous deeds. One was the order to banish the Lord of the Realms of
Grace and Bounty, the Primal Point; and the other, the murder of the
Prince of the City of Statesmanship and Literary Accomplishment.(15)
The faults of kings, like their favours, can be great. A king who is not
deterred by the vainglory of power and authority from observing justice,
nor is deprived of the splendours of the day-star of equity by luxury,
riches, glory or the marshalling of hosts and legions shall occupy a high
rank and a sublime station amongst the Concourse on high. It is incumbent
upon everyone to extend aid and to manifest kindness to so noble a soul.
Well is it with the king who keepeth a tight hold on the reins of his
passion, restraineth his anger and preferreth justice and fairness to
injustice and tyranny.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_fifth leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is this: Above all else, the greatest gift
and the most wondrous blessing hath ever been and will continue to be
Wisdom. It is man's unfailing Protector. It aideth him and strengtheneth
him. Wisdom is God's Emissary and the Revealer of His Name the Omniscient.
Through it the loftiness of man's station is made manifest and evident. It
is all-knowing and the foremost Teacher in the school of existence. It is
the Guide and is invested with high distinction. Thanks to its educating
influence earthly beings have become imbued with a gem-like spirit which
outshineth the heavens. In the city of justice it is the unrivalled
Speaker Who, in the year nine, illumined the world with the joyful tidings
of this Revelation. And it was this peerless Source of wisdom that at the
beginning of the foundation of the world ascended the stair of inner
meaning and when enthroned upon the pulpit of utterance, through the
operation of the divine Will, proclaimed two words. The first heralded the
promise of reward, while the second voiced the ominous warning of
punishment. The promise gave rise to hope and the warning begat fear. Thus
the basis of world order hath been firmly established upon these twin
principles. Exalted is the Lord of Wisdom, the Possessor of Great Bounty.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_sixth leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is the following: The light of men is
Justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny.
The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men. The ocean of
divine wisdom surgeth within this exalted word, while the books of the
world cannot contain its inner significance. Were mankind to be adorned
with this raiment, they would behold the day-star of the utterance, 'On
that day God will satisfy everyone out of His abundance,'(16) shining
resplendent above the horizon of the world. Appreciate ye the value of
this utterance; it is a noble fruit that the Tree of the Pen of Glory hath
yielded. Happy is the man that giveth ear unto it and observeth its
precepts. Verily I say, whatever is sent down from the heaven of the Will
of God is the means for the establishment of order in the world and the
instrument for promoting unity and fellowship among its peoples. Thus hath
the Tongue of this Wronged One spoken from His Most Great Prison.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_seventh leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is this: O ye men of wisdom among nations!
Shut your eyes to estrangement, then fix your gaze upon unity. Cleave
tenaciously unto that which will lead to the well-being and tranquillity
of all mankind. This span of earth is but one homeland and one habitation.
It behoveth you to abandon vainglory which causeth alienation and to set
your hearts on whatever will ensure harmony. In the estimation of the
people of Baha man's glory lieth in his knowledge, his upright conduct,
his praiseworthy character, his wisdom, and not in his nationality or
rank. O people of the earth! Appreciate the value of this heavenly word.
Indeed it may be likened unto a ship for the ocean of knowledge and a
shining luminary for the realm of perception.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_eighth leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is the following: Schools must first train
the children in the principles of religion, so that the Promise and the
Threat recorded in the Books of God may prevent them from the things
forbidden and adorn them with the mantle of the commandments; but this in
such a measure that it may not injure the children by resulting in
ignorant fanaticism and bigotry.
It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of Justice to take counsel
together regarding those things which have not outwardly been revealed in
the Book, and to enforce that which is agreeable to them. God will verily
inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the Provider,
the Omniscient.
We have formerly ordained that people should converse in two languages,
yet efforts must be made to reduce them to one, likewise the scripts of
the world, that men's lives may not be dissipated and wasted in learning
divers languages. Thus the whole earth would come to be regarded as one
city and one land.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_ninth leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is this: In all matters moderation is
desirable. If a thing is carried to excess, it will prove a source of
evil. Consider the civilization of the West, how it hath agitated and
alarmed the peoples of the world. An infernal engine hath been devised,
and hath proved so cruel a weapon of destruction that its like none hath
ever witnessed or heard. The purging of such deeply-rooted and
overwhelming corruptions cannot be effected unless the peoples of the
world unite in pursuit of one common aim and embrace one universal faith.
Incline your ears unto the Call of this Wronged One and adhere firmly to
the Lesser Peace.
Strange and astonishing things exist in the earth but they are hidden from
the minds and the understanding of men. These things are capable of
changing the whole atmosphere of the earth and their contamination would
prove lethal. Great God! We have observed an amazing thing. Lightning or a
force similar to it is controlled by an operator and moveth at his
command. Immeasurably exalted is the Lord of Power Who hath laid bare that
which He purposed through the potency of His weighty and invincible
command.
O people of Baha! Each one of the ordinances We have revealed is a mighty
stronghold for the preservation of the world of being. Verily, this
Wronged One desireth naught but your security and elevation.
We exhort the men of the House of Justice and command them to ensure the
protection and safeguarding of men, women and children. It is incumbent
upon them to have the utmost regard for the interests of the people at all
times and under all conditions. Blessed is the ruler who succoureth the
captive, and the rich one who careth for the poor, and the just one who
secureth from the wrong doer the rights of the downtrodden, and happy the
trustee who observeth that which the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days hath
prescribed unto him.
O Haydar-'Ali! Upon thee be My glory and My praise. My counsels and
admonitions have compassed the world. Yet, instead of imparting joy and
gladness they have caused grief, because some of those who claim to love
Me have waxed haughty and have inflicted upon Me such tribulations as
neither the followers of former religions nor the divines of Persia did
ever inflict.
We have said: 'My imprisonment doeth Me no harm, nor do the things that
have befallen Me at the hands of My enemies. That which harmeth Me is the
conduct of my loved ones who, though they bear My name, yet commit that
which maketh My heart and My pen to lament.' Such utterances as these have
again and again been revealed, yet the heedless have failed to profit
thereby, since they are captive to their own evil passions and corrupt
desires. Beseech thou the One true God that He may enable everyone to
repent and return unto Him. So long as one's nature yieldeth unto evil
passions, crime and transgression will prevail. We cherish the hope that
the hand of divine power and the outpouring of heavenly blessings may
sustain all men, may attire them with the vesture of forgiveness and
bounty and guard them against that which would harm His Cause among His
servants. He is, in truth, the Potent, the All-Powerful, and He is the
Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_tenth leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is the following: O people of the earth!
Living in seclusion or practising asceticism is not acceptable in the
presence of God. It behoveth them that are endued with insight and
understanding to observe that which will cause joy and radiance. Such
practices as are sprung from the loins of idle fancy or are begotten of
the womb of superstition ill beseem men of knowledge. In former times and
more recently some people have been taking up their abodes in the caves of
the mountains while others have repaired to graveyards at night. Say, give
ear unto the counsels of this Wronged One. Abandon the things current
amongst you and adopt that which the faithful Counsellor biddeth you.
Deprive not yourselves of the bounties which have been created for your
sake.
Charity is pleasing and praiseworthy in the sight of God and is regarded
as a prince among goodly deeds. Consider ye and call to mind that which
the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur'an: 'They prefer them before
themselves, though poverty be their own lot. And with such as are
preserved from their own covetousness shall it be well.'(17) Viewed in
this light, the blessed utterance above is, in truth, the day-star of
utterances. Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.
Verily, such a man is reckoned, by virtue of the Will of God, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise, with the people of Baha who dwell in the
Crimson Ark.
The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the
_eleventh leaf_
of the Most Exalted Paradise is this: We enjoin upon them that are the
emblems of His names and attributes to firmly adhere henceforth unto that
which hath been set forth in this Most Great Revelation, not to allow
themselves to become the cause of strife, and, until the end that knoweth
no end, to keep their eyes directed towards the dayspring of these
resplendent words which have been recorded in this Tablet. Strife leads to
bloodshed and provokes commotion amongst people. Hearken ye unto the Voice
of this Wronged One and deviate not therefrom.
Were anyone to ponder in his heart that which hath, in this Revelation,
streamed forth from the Pen of Glory, he would be assured that whatever
this Wronged One hath affirmed He hath had no intention of establishing
any position or distinction for Himself. The purpose hath rather been to
attract the souls, through the sublimity of His words, unto the summit of
transcendent glory and to endow them with the capacity of perceiving that
which will purge and purify the peoples of the world from the strife and
dissension which religious differences provoke. Unto this bear witness My
heart, My Pen, My inner and My outer Being. God grant that all men may
turn unto the treasuries latent within their own beings.
O people of Baha! The source of crafts, sciences and arts is the power of
reflection. Make ye every effort that out of this ideal mine there may
gleam forth such pearls of wisdom and utterance as will promote the
well-being and harmony of all the kindreds of the earth.
Under all conditions, whether in adversity or at ease, whether honoured or
afflicted, this Wronged One hath directed all men to show forth love,
affection, compassion and harmony. And yet whenever there was any slight
evidence of progress and advancement, those concealed behind the veils
would sally forth and utter calumnies more wounding than the sword. They
cling unto misleading and reprehensible words and suffer themselves to be
deprived of the ocean of verses revealed by God.
If these obstructing veils had not intervened Persia would, in some two
years, have been subdued through the power of utterance, the position of
both the government and the people would have been raised and the Supreme
Goal, unveiled and unconcealed, would have appeared in the plenitude of
glory. In short, sometimes in explicit language, at other times by
allusion, We said whatever had to be said. Thus, once Persia had been
rehabilitated, the sweet savours of the Word of God would have wafted over
all countries, inasmuch as that which hath streamed forth from the Most
Exalted Pen is conducive to the glory, the advancement and education of
all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Indeed it is the sovereign
remedy for every disease, could they but comprehend and perceive it.
Recently the Afnans and Amin--upon them be My glory and
loving-kindness--attained Our presence and beheld Our countenance; likewise
Nabil, the son of Nabil and the son of Samandar--upon them rest the glory
of God and His loving-kindness--are present and have drunk the cup of
reunion. We entreat God that He may graciously ordain for them the good of
this world and of the next and that the outpouring of His blessings and
grace may descend upon them from the heaven of His generosity and the
clouds of His tender compassion. Verily of those who show mercy He is the
Most Merciful, and He is the Gracious, the Beneficent.
O Haydar-'Ali! Thine other letter which thou hadst forwarded through him
who beareth the title of Jud(18) (Bounty) hath reached Our holy court.
Praised be God! It was adorned with the light of divine unity and of
detachment and was ablaze with the fire of love and affection. Pray thou
unto God that He may grant keenness to the eyes and illumine them with a
new light, perchance they may perceive that which hath no parallel nor
peer.
In this day the verses of the Mother Book are resplendent and unmistakable
even as the sun. They can in no wise be mistaken for any of the past or
more recent utterances. Truly this Wronged One desireth not to demonstrate
His Own Cause with proofs produced by others. He is the One Who embraceth
all things, while all else besides Him is circumscribed. Say, O people,
peruse that which is current amongst you and We will peruse what
pertaineth unto Us. I swear by God! Neither the praise of the peoples of
the world, nor the things that the kindreds of the earth possess are
worthy of mention before the remembrance of His Name. Unto this beareth
witness He Who under all conditions proclaimeth, 'Verily He is God, the
sovereign Ruler of the Day of Reckoning and the Lord of the mighty
Throne.'
Glorified be God! One wondereth by what proof or reason the disbelievers
among the people of the Bayan have turned away from the Lord of being. In
truth the station of this Revelation transcendeth the station of whatever
hath been manifested in the past or will be made manifest in the future.
Were the Point of the Bayan present in this day and should He, God forbid,
hesitate to acknowledge this Cause, then the very blessed words which have
streamed forth from the wellspring of His Own Bayan would apply to Him. He
saith, and His word is the truth, 'Lawful is it for Him Whom God will make
manifest to reject him who is the greatest on earth.' Say, O ye that are
bereft of understanding! Today that Most Exalted Being is proclaiming:
'Verily, verily, I am the first to adore Him.' How shallow is the fund of
men's knowledge and how feeble their power of perception. Our Pen of Glory
beareth witness to their abject poverty and to the wealth of God, the Lord
of all worlds.
Lauded and glorified is He Who hath called the creation into being. He is
the sovereign Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The Mother Book is
revealed and the Lord of Bounty is established upon the most blessed seat
of glory. The Dawn hath broken, yet the people understand not. The signs
have been ushered in, while He Who hath revealed them is overwhelmed with
manifest sorrow. Indeed I have endured that which hath caused the world of
existence to lament.
Say: O Yahya (Azal), produce a single verse, if thou dost possess
divinely-inspired knowledge. These words were formerly spoken by My Herald
Who at this hour proclaimeth: 'Verily, verily, I am the first to adore
Him.' Be fair, O My brother. Art thou able to express thyself when brought
face to face with the billowing ocean of Mine utterance? Canst thou
unloose thy tongue when confronted with the shrill voice of My Pen? Hast
thou any power before the revelations of Mine omnipotence? Judge thou
fairly, I adjure thee by God, and call to mind when thou didst stand in
the presence of this Wronged One and We dictated to thee the verses of
God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Beware lest the source of
falsehood withhold thee from the manifest Truth.
O thou who hast fixed thy gaze upon My countenance! Say: O ye heedless
ones! By reason of a droplet ye have deprived yourselves of the ocean of
heavenly verses and for the sake of an insignificant atom ye have shut
yourselves out from the splendours of the Day-Star of Truth. Who else but
Baha hath the power to speak forth before the face of mankind? Judge ye
fairly and be not of the unjust. Through Him the oceans have surged, the
mysteries have been divulged and the trees have lifted up their voices
exclaiming: The kingdoms of earth and heaven are God's, the Revealer of
signs, the Fountainhead of clear tokens. Peruse ye the Persian Bayan
revealed by Him Who heralded this Revelation and look at it with the eye
of fairness. Verily He will guide you aright to His Path. At this moment
He proclaimeth that which His tongue had formerly uttered when He was
seated upon the throne of His most exalted Name.
Thou hast made mention of the loved ones in those regions. Praised be God,
each one of them attained the honour of being remembered by the True
One--exalted is His glory--and the names of them, one and all, flowed from
the Tongue of Grandeur in the kingdom of utterance. Great indeed is their
blessedness and happiness, inasmuch as they have drunk the choice wine of
revelation and inspiration from the hand of their Lord, the Compassionate,
the Merciful. We beseech God to strengthen them to manifest inflexible
constancy and to summon to their aid the hosts of wisdom and utterance. He
is in truth the Mighty, the Omnipotent. Convey my greetings to them and
give them the joyful tidings that the Day-Star of remembrance hath dawned
and shed its radiance from above the horizon of the bountiful favours of
their Lord, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.