forgiveness and adorned his head with the crown of pardon. It beseemeth
him to pride himself among all men upon this resplendent, this radiant and
manifest bounty. Say: Be not despondent. After the revelation of this
blessed verse it is as though thou hast been born anew from thy mother's
womb. Say: Thou art free from sin and error. Truly God hath purged thee
with the living waters of His utterance in His Most Great Prison. We
entreat Him--blessed and exalted is He--to graciously confirm thee in
extolling Him and in magnifying His glory and to strengthen thee through
the power of His invisible hosts. Verily, He is the Almighty, the
Omnipotent.
Thou hast made mention of the people of Tar.(19) We have set Our face
toward the servants of God therein and advise them first to consider that
which the Point of the Bayan hath revealed concerning this Revelation
whereby all names and titles have been shaken, the idols of vain
imaginings have crumbled and the Tongue of Grandeur hath, from the realm
of glory, proclaimed: By the righteousness of God! The Hidden Treasure,
the Impenetrable Mystery, hath been uncovered to men's eyes, causing all
things, whether of the past or of the future, to rejoice. He hath said,
and His word is the truth: 'Of all the tributes I have paid to Him Who is
to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that no
words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him in
My Book, the Bayan, do justice to His Cause.'
Moreover We counsel them to observe justice, equity, honesty, piety and
that whereby both the Word of God and their own station will be exalted
amongst men. Verily I am the One Who exhorteth with justice. Unto this
beareth witness He from Whose Pen rivers of mercy have flowed and from
Whose utterance fountains of living waters have streamed forth unto all
created things. Immeasurably exalted is this boundless grace; immensely
blessed is this resplendent favour.
O people of Tar! Give ear unto the Call of Him Who doeth whatsoever He
willeth. In truth He remindeth you of that which will draw you nigh unto
God, the Lord of the worlds. He hath turned His face towards you from the
Prison of Akka and hath revealed for your sakes what will immortalize your
memory and your names in the Book which cannot be effaced and remaineth
unaffected by the doubts of the froward. Cast away the things current
amongst men and take fast hold on that whereunto ye are bidden by virtue
of the Will of the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. This is the Day wherein
the divine Lote-Tree calleth aloud, saying: O people! Behold ye My fruits
and My leaves, incline then your ears unto My rustling. Beware lest the
doubts of men debar you from the light of certitude. The Ocean of
utterance exclaimeth and saith: 'O ye dwellers on the earth! Behold My
billowing waters and the pearls of wisdom and utterance which I have
poured forth. Fear ye God and be not of the heedless.'
In this Day a great festival is taking place in the Realm above; for
whatsoever was promised in the sacred Scriptures hath been fulfilled. This
is the Day of great rejoicing. It behoveth everyone to hasten towards the
court of His nearness with exceeding joy, gladness, exultation and delight
and to deliver himself from the fire of remoteness.
O people of Tar! Through the strengthening power of My Name seize ye the
chalice of knowledge, drink then your fill in defiance of the people of
the world who have broken the Covenant of God and His Testament, rejected
His proofs and clear tokens, and cavilled at His signs which have pervaded
all that are in heaven and on earth.
The disbelievers among the people of the Bayan are like the followers of
the Shi'ih sect and walk in their footsteps. Leave them to their idle
fancies and vain imaginings. They are in truth accounted with the lost in
the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Shi'ih divines, one
and all, are now engaged in reviling and denouncing the True One from
their pulpits. Gracious God! Dawlat-Abadi(20) too hath followed suit. He
ascended the pulpit and gave voice to that which hath caused the Tablet to
cry out in anguish and the Pen to wail. Meditate upon his conduct and the
conduct of Ashraf(21)--upon him be My glory and My tender mercy--and
likewise consider those loved ones who hastened to the place of martyrdom
in My Name, and offered up their lives in the path of Him Who is the
Desire of the world.
The Cause is manifest, it shineth resplendent as the sun, but the people
have become veils unto themselves. We entreat God that He may graciously
assist them to return unto Him. He is, in truth, the Forgiving, the
Merciful.
O people of Tar! We send you greetings from this Spot and beseech
God--blessed and exalted is He--to give you to drink the choice wine of
constancy from the hand of His favour. Verily, He is the Lord of Bounty,
the Gracious, the All-Praised. Leave ye unto themselves the immature ones
of the world--they that are moved by selfish desire and cling to the
exponents of idle fancy. Verily He is your Helper and Succourer. He is, in
truth, potent to do whatsoever He willeth. No God is there but Him, the
One, the Peerless, the Mighty, the Most Great.
May glory from Our presence rest upon those who have set their faces
toward the Dayspring of His Revelation and have acknowledged and
recognized that which the Tongue of utterance hath spoken in the kingdom
of knowledge in this blessed, this glorious and incomparable Day.
LAWH-I-DUNYA (TABLET OF THE WORLD)
In My Name, calling aloud in the Kingdom of Utterance
PRAISE and thanksgiving beseem the Lord of manifest dominion Who hath
adorned the mighty prison with the presence of their honours 'Ali-Akbar
and Amin, and hath illumined it with the light of certitude, constancy and
assurance.(22) The glory of God and the glory of all that are in the
heavens and on the earth be upon them.
Light and glory, greeting and praise be upon the Hands of His Cause,
through whom the light of fortitude hath shone forth and the truth hath
been established that the authority to choose rests with God, the
Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, through whom the ocean of bounty
hath surged and the fragrance of the gracious favours of God, the Lord of
mankind, hath been diffused. We beseech Him--exalted is He--to shield them
through the power of His hosts, to protect them through the potency of His
dominion and to aid them through His indomitable strength which prevaileth
over all created things. Sovereignty is God's, the Creator of the heavens
and the Lord of the Kingdom of Names.
The Great Announcement proclaimeth: O people of Persia! In former times ye
have been the symbols of mercy and the embodiments of affection and
kindliness. The regions of the world were illumined and embellished by the
brightness of the light of your knowledge and by the blaze of your
erudition. How is it that you have arisen to destroy yourselves and your
friends with your own hands?
O Afnan, O thou that has branched from Mine ancient Stock! My glory and My
loving-kindness rest upon thee. How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of
God! It hath overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and
will, ere long, gather together the whole of mankind beneath its shelter.
Thy day of service is now come. Countless Tablets bear the testimony of
the bounties vouchsafed unto thee. Arise for the triumph of My Cause, and,
through the power of thine utterance, subdue the hearts of men. Thou must
show forth that which will ensure the peace and the well-being of the
miserable and the downtrodden. Gird up the loins of thine endeavour, that
perchance thou mayest release the captive from his chains, and enable him
to attain unto true liberty.
Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath
the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face
of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen
of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a
new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh
potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide
regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by
the Pen of this Wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear ye, O My
well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture
sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse
generation is moulded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough
to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people.
Strife and conflict befit the beasts of the wild. It was through the grace
of God and with the aid of seemly words and praiseworthy deeds that the
unsheathed swords of the Babi community were returned to their scabbards.
Indeed through the power of good words, the righteous have always
succeeded in winning command over the meads of the hearts of men. Say, O
ye loved ones! Do not forsake prudence. Incline your hearts to the
counsels given by the Most Exalted Pen and beware lest your hands or
tongues cause harm unto anyone among mankind.
Referring to the land of Ta (Tihran) We have revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas
that which will admonish mankind. They that perpetrate tyranny in the
world have usurped the rights of the peoples and kindreds of the earth and
are sedulously pursuing their selfish inclinations. The tyrant(23) of the
land of Ya (Yazd), committed that which hath caused the Concourse on High
to shed tears of blood.
O thou who hast quaffed from the wine of Mine utterance and hast fixed thy
gaze upon the horizon of My Revelation! How strange that the people of
Persia, who were unrivalled in sciences and arts, should have sunk to the
lowest level of degradation among the kindreds of the earth. O people! In
this blessed, this glorious Day, deprive not yourselves of the liberal
effusions of bounty which the Lord of abounding grace hath vouchsafed unto
you. In this Day showers of wisdom and utterance are pouring down from the
clouds of divine mercy. Well is it with them who judge His Cause with
fairness, and woe betide the unjust.
Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that the counsels
which the Pen of this Wronged One hath revealed constitute the supreme
animating power for the advancement of the world and the exaltation of its
peoples. Arise, O people, and, by the power of God's might, resolve to
gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be
freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle
fancies--gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for
the misery of their wretched worshippers. These idols form the obstacle
that impedeth man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection. We
cherish the hope that the Hand of divine power may lend its assistance to
mankind and deliver it from its state of grievous abasement.
In one of the Tablets these words have been revealed: O people of God! Do
not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon
that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the
hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy
deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behaviour. Valiant acts will
ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce
its power. Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Baha! This, verily, is
the commandment which this Wronged One hath given unto you, and the first
choice of His unrestrained Will for every one of you.
O friends! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the
gracious favours which in this Divine, this soul-stirring Springtime are
being showered upon you. The Day-Star of His great glory hath shed its
radiance upon you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed
you. How high the reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great
a bounty, nor failed to recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this,
His new attire. Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait,
ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led
by the light of the name of the All-Seeing God, make your escape from the
darkness that surroundeth you. Let your vision be world-embracing, rather
than confined to your own self. The Evil One is he that hindereth the rise
and obstructeth the spiritual progress of the children of men.
It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever
will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just
governments. Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the
Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked
and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared--and Our Word
is the truth--: 'Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of
friendliness and fellowship.' Whatsoever hath led the children of men to
shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them,
hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished.
From the heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world
of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down
that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole
human race. The highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever
the peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most
potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the
All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God. Of old it hath been revealed: 'Love
of one's country is an element of the Faith of God.' The Tongue of
Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: 'It is
not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the
world.' Through the power released by these exalted words He hath lent a
fresh impulse and set a new direction to the birds of men's hearts, and
hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God's holy
Book.
This Wronged One hath forbidden the people of God to engage in contention
or conflict and hath exhorted them to righteous deeds and praiseworthy
character. In this day the hosts that can ensure the victory of the Cause
are those of goodly conduct and saintly character. Blessed are they who
firmly adhere unto them and woe betide such as turn away therefrom.
O people of God! I admonish you to observe courtesy, for above all else it
is the prince of virtues. Well is it with him who is illumined with the
light of courtesy and is attired with the vesture of uprightness. Whoso is
endued with courtesy hath indeed attained a sublime station. It is hoped
that this Wronged One and everyone else may be enabled to acquire it, hold
fast unto it, observe it, and fix our gaze upon it. This is a binding
command which hath streamed forth from the Pen of the Most Great Name.
This is the day when the gems of constancy that lie hid in the mine of
men's inner selves should be made manifest. O people of Justice! Be as
brilliant as the light and as splendid as the fire that blazed in the
Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse
and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth, whilst the
fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred cannot but result in strife
and ruin. We beseech God that He may shield His creatures from the evil
designs of His enemies. He verily hath power over all things.
All praise be to the one true God--exalted be His glory--inasmuch as He
hath, through the Pen of the Most High, unlocked the doors of men's
hearts. Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining
portal that discloseth the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure
and stainless deeds. The summons and the message which We gave were never
intended to reach or to benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in
its entirety must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and
vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true liberty.
The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent glory of God's
Revelation. In the year sixty He Who heralded the light of Divine
Guidance--may all creation be a sacrifice unto Him--arose to announce a
fresh revelation of the Divine Spirit, and was followed, twenty years
later, by Him through Whose coming the world was made the recipient of
this promised glory, this wondrous favour. Behold how the generality of
mankind hath been endued with the capacity to hearken unto God's most
exalted Word--the Word upon which must depend the gathering together and
spiritual resurrection of all men.
Whilst in the Prison of Akka, We revealed in the Crimson Book that which
is conducive to the advancement of mankind and to the reconstruction of
the world. The utterances set forth therein by the Pen of the Lord of
creation include the following which constitute the fundamental principles
for the administration of the affairs of men:
First: It is incumbent upon the ministers of the House of Justice to
promote the Lesser Peace so that the people of the earth may be relieved
from the burden of exorbitant expenditures. This matter is imperative and
absolutely essential, inasmuch as hostilities and conflict lie at the root
of affliction and calamity.
Second: Languages must be reduced to one common language to be taught in
all the schools of the world.
Third: It behoveth man to adhere tenaciously unto that which will promote
fellowship, kindliness and unity.
Fourth: Everyone, whether man or woman, should hand over to a trusted
person a portion of what he or she earneth through trade, agriculture or
other occupation, for the training and education of children, to be spent
for this purpose with the knowledge of the Trustees of the House of
Justice.
Fifth: Special regard must be paid to agriculture. Although it hath been
mentioned in the fifth place, unquestionably it precedeth the others.
Agriculture is highly developed in foreign lands, however in Persia it
hath so far been grievously neglected. It is hoped that His Majesty the
Shah--may God assist him by His grace--will turn his attention to this vital
and important matter.
Were men to strictly observe that which the Pen of the Most High hath
revealed in the Crimson Book, they could then well afford to dispense with
the regulations which prevail in the world. Certain exhortations have
repeatedly streamed forth from the Pen of the Most High that perchance the
manifestations of power and the dawning-places of might may, sometime, be
enabled to enforce them. Indeed, were sincere seekers to be found, every
emanation of God's pervasive and irresistible Will would, for the sake of
His love, be revealed. But where are to be found earnest seekers and
inquiring minds? Whither are gone the equitable and the fair-minded? At
present no day passeth without the fire of a fresh tyranny blazing
fiercely, or the sword of a new aggression being unsheathed. Gracious God!
The great and the noble in Persia glory in acts of such savagery that one
is lost in amazement at the tales thereof.
Day and night this Wronged One yieldeth thanks and praise unto the Lord of
men, for it is witnessed that the words of counsel and exhortation We
uttered have proved effective and that this people hath evinced such
character and conduct as are acceptable in Our sight. This is affirmed by
virtue of the event which hath truly cheered the eye of the world, and is
none other than the intercession of the friends with the high authorities
in favour of their enemies. Indeed one's righteous deeds testify to the
truth of one's words. We cherish the hope that men of piety may illumine
the world through the radiant light of their conduct, and We entreat the
Almighty--glorified and exalted is He--to grant that everyone may in this
Day remain steadfast in His love and stand firm in His Cause. He is, in
truth, the Protector of those who are wholly devoted to Him and observe
His precepts.
O people of God! Countless are the realms which Our Pen of Glory hath
revealed and manifold the eyes to which it hath imparted true
enlightenment. Yet most of the people in Persia continue to be deprived of
the benefits of profitable counsels and remain sorely lacking in useful
sciences and arts. Formerly these sublime words were especially revealed
by the Pen of Glory in honour of one of the faithful, that perchance those
that have gone astray may embrace the Truth and become acquainted with the
subtleties of the Law of God.
The unbelievers and the faithless have set their minds on four things:
first, the shedding of blood; second, the burning of books; third, the
shunning of the followers of other religions; fourth, the extermination of
other communities and groups. Now however, through the strengthening grace
and potency of the Word of God these four barriers have been demolished,
these clear injunctions have been obliterated from the Tablet and brutal
dispositions have been transmuted into spiritual attributes. Exalted is
His purpose; glorified is His power; magnified is His dominion! Now let us
beseech God--praised be His glory--to graciously guide aright the followers
of the Shi'ih sect and to purge them of unseemly conduct. From the lips of
the members of this sect foul imprecations fall unceasingly, while they
invoke the word 'Mal'un' (accursed)--uttered with a guttural sound of the
letter 'ayn--as their daily relish.
O God my God! Thou hearest the sighing of Him Who is Thy Light (Baha),
hearkenest unto His lamentations in the daytime and in the night season
and knowest that He desireth naught for Himself but rather seeketh to
sanctify the souls of Thy servants and to deliver them from the fire with
which they are beset at all times. O Lord! The hands of Thy well-favoured
servants are raised towards the heaven of Thy bounty and those of Thy
sincere lovers are lifted up to the sublime heights of Thy generosity.
Disappoint them not, I entreat Thee, in that which they seek from the
ocean of Thy favour and from the heaven of Thy grace and the day-star of
Thy bounty. Aid them, O Lord, to acquire such virtues as will exalt their
stations among the peoples of the world. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the
Mighty, the Most Generous.
O people of God! Give ear unto that which, if heeded, will ensure the
freedom, well-being, tranquillity, exaltation and advancement of all men.
Certain laws and principles are necessary and indispensable for Persia.
However, it is fitting that these measures should be adopted in conformity
with the considered views of His Majesty--may God aid him through His
grace--and of the learned divines and of the high-ranking rulers. Subject
to their approval a place should be fixed where they would meet. There
they should hold fast to the cord of consultation and adopt and enforce
that which is conducive to the security, prosperity, wealth and
tranquillity of the people. For were any measure other than this to be
adopted, it could not but result in chaos and commotion.
According to the fundamental laws which We have formerly revealed in the
Kitab-i-Aqdas and other Tablets, all affairs are committed to the care of
just kings and presidents and of the Trustees of the House of Justice.
Having pondered on that which We have enunciated, every man of equity and
discernment will readily perceive, with his inner and outer eyes, the
splendours of the day-star of justice which radiate therefrom.
The system of government which the British people have adopted in London
appeareth to be good, for it is adorned with the light of both kingship
and of the consultation of the people.
In formulating the principles and laws a part hath been devoted to
penalties which form an effective instrument for the security and
protection of men. However, dread of the penalties maketh people desist
only outwardly from committing vile and contemptible deeds, while that
which guardeth and restraineth man both outwardly and inwardly hath been
and still is the fear of God. It is man's true protector and his spiritual
guardian. It behoveth him to cleave tenaciously unto that which will lead
to the appearance of this supreme bounty. Well is it with him who giveth
ear unto whatsoever My Pen of Glory hath proclaimed and observeth that
whereunto he is bidden by the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.