outer tongue testify to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and bear witness that
Thou art God and that there is no God but Thee. Thou didst bring mankind
into being to know Thee and to serve Thy Cause, that their station might
thereby be elevated upon Thine earth and their souls be uplifted by virtue
of the things Thou hast revealed in Thy Scriptures, Thy Books and Thy
Tablets. Yet no sooner didst Thou manifest Thyself and reveal Thy signs
than they turned away from Thee and repudiated Thee and rejected that
which Thou didst unveil before their eyes through the potency of Thy might
and Thy power. They rose up to inflict harm upon Thee, to extinguish Thy
light and to put out the flame that blazeth in Thy Burning Bush. Their
iniquity waxed so grievous that they conspired to shed Thy blood and to
violate Thy honour. And likewise acted he(36) whom Thou hadst nurtured
with the hand of Thy loving-kindness, hadst protected from the mischief of
the rebellious among Thy creatures and the froward amidst Thy servants,
and whom Thou hadst set the task of writing Thy holy verses before Thy
throne.
Alas! Alas! for the things he perpetrated in Thy days to such an extent
that he violated Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, rejected Thy holy Writ,
rose up in rebellion and committed that which caused the denizens of Thy
Kingdom to lament. Then no sooner had he found his hopes shattered and had
perceived the odour of utter failure than he raised his voice and gave
tongue to that which caused Thy chosen ones, who are nigh unto Thee, and
the inmates of the pavilion of glory, to be lost in bewilderment.
Thou seest me, O my God, writhing in anguish upon the dust, like unto a
fish. Deliver me, have mercy upon me, O Thou Whose aid is invoked by all
men, O Thou within Whose grasp lie the reins of power over all men and
women. Whenever I ponder my grievous shortcomings and my great trespasses,
despair assaileth me from every direction, and whenever I pause to
meditate upon the ocean of Thy bounteousness and the heaven of Thy grace
and the day-star of Thy tender compassion, I inhale the fragrance of hope
diffused from right and left, from north and south, as if every created
thing imparteth unto me the joyous tidings that the clouds of the heaven
of Thy mercy will pour down their rain upon me. By Thy might, O Thou Who
art the Mainstay of the sincere ones and the Desire of them that enjoy
near access unto Thee! Thy manifold favours and blessings and the
revelations of Thy grace and loving-kindness have truly emboldened me.
How, otherwise, can utter nothingness magnify the Name of Him Who hath, by
a word, brought creation into being, and how can an evanescent creature
extol Him Who hath demonstrated that no description can ever express Him
and no word of praise magnify His glory? He hath from everlasting been
immeasurably exalted above the understanding of His creatures and
sanctified from the conceptions of His servants.
O Lord! Thou beholdest this lifeless one before Thy face; suffer him,
through Thy generosity and bountiful favour, not to be deprived of the
chalice of immortal life. And Thou seest this afflicted one standing
before Thy throne; turn him not away from the ocean of Thy healing. I
entreat Thee to enable me at all times and under all conditions to
remember Thee, to magnify Thy Name and to serve Thy Cause, though I am
well aware that whatever proceedeth from a servant cannot transcend the
limitations of his soul, nor beseem Thy Lordship, nor be worthy of the
court of Thy glory and Thy majesty.
Thy might beareth me witness! Were it not to celebrate Thy praise, my
tongue would be of no use to me, and were it not for the sake of rendering
service to Thee, my existence would avail me not. But for the pleasure of
beholding the splendours of Thy realm of glory, why should I cherish
sight? And but for the joy of giving ear to Thy most sweet voice, of what
use is hearing?
Alas! Alas! I know not, O my God, my Mainstay, my heart's Desire, whether
Thou hast ordained for me that which shall bring solace to mine eyes,
gladden my bosom and rejoice my heart, or whether Thine irrevocable
decree, O King of eternity and the sovereign Lord of all nations, will
debar me from presenting myself before Thy throne. I swear by Thy glory
and majesty and by Thy dominion and power, the darkness of my remoteness
from Thee hath destroyed me. What hath become of the light of Thy
nearness, O Desire of every understanding heart? The tormenting agony of
separation from Thee hath consumed me. Where is the effulgent light of Thy
reunion, O Well-Beloved of such as are wholly devoted to Thee?
Thou seest, O my God, what hath befallen me in Thy Path at the hand of
those who have denied Thy Truth, have violated Thy Covenant, cavilled at
Thy signs, rejected the blessings Thou didst vouchsafe, disbelieved the
verses Thou didst send down and have refused to acknowledge the testimony
Thou didst fulfil.
O Lord! The tongue of my tongue and the heart of my heart and the spirit
of my spirit and my outward and inmost beings bear witness to Thy unity
and Thy oneness, Thy power and Thine omnipotence, Thy grandeur and Thy
sovereignty, and attest Thy glory, loftiness and authority. I testify that
Thou art God and that there is none other God besides Thee. From
everlasting Thou hast been a treasure hidden from the sight and minds of
men and shalt continue to remain the same for ever and ever. The powers of
earth can never frustrate Thee, nor can the might of the nations alarm
Thee. Thou art the One Who hath unlocked the door of knowledge before the
faces of Thy servants that they may recognize Him Who is the Day-Star of
Thy Revelation, the Dawning-Place of Thy signs, the Heaven of Thy
manifestation and the Sun of Thy divine beauty. In Thy holy Books, in Thy
Scriptures and Thy Scrolls Thou hast promised all the peoples of the world
that Thou Thyself shalt appear and shalt remove the veils of glory from
Thy face, even as Thou didst announce in Thy words unto Thy Friend(37)
through Whom the Day-Star of Revelation shone brightly above the horizon
of Hijaz, and the dawning light of divine Truth shed its radiance among
all men, proclaiming: 'The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of
the worlds.'(38) And before Muhammad Thou didst impart this glad-tiding
unto Him Who conversed with Thee,(39) saying: 'Bring forth thy people from
the darkness into the light and remind them of the days of God.'(40)
Moreover Thou didst proclaim this truth unto the Spirit(41) and unto Thy
Prophets and Thy Messengers, whether of the remote or more recent past. If
all that which Thou hast sent down in glorification of this Most Great
Remembrance, this Great Announcement, were to stream forth from the
wellspring of Thy most august Pen, the inmates of the cities of knowledge
and understanding would be dumbfounded, except such as Thou wouldst
deliver through the potency of Thy might and wouldst protect as a token of
Thy bountiful favour and Thy grace. I bear witness that Thou hast in truth
fulfilled Thy pledge and hast made manifest the One Whose advent was
foretold by Thy Prophets, Thy chosen ones and by them that serve Thee. He
hath come from the heaven of glory and power, bearing the banners of Thy
signs and the standards of Thy testimonies. Through the potency of Thine
indomitable power and strength, He stood up before the faces of all men
and summoned all mankind to the summit of transcendent glory and unto the
all-highest Horizon, in such wise that neither the oppression of the
ecclesiastics nor the onslaught of the rulers was able to deter Him. He
arose with inflexible resolve and, unloosing His tongue, proclaimed in
ringing tones: 'He Who is the All-Bountiful is come, riding aloft on the
clouds. Advance, O people of the earth, with shining faces and radiant
hearts!'
Great indeed is the blessedness of him who attaineth Thy presence,
drinketh the wine of reunion proffered by the hand of Thy bounteousness,
inhaleth the fragrance of Thy signs, unlooseth his tongue in celebrating
Thy praise, soareth high in Thy heavens, is carried away by the sweetness
of Thy Voice, gaineth admittance into the most exalted Paradise and
attaineth the station of revelation and vision before the throne of Thy
majesty.
I beg of Thee by the Most Great Infallibility which Thou hast chosen to be
the dayspring of Thy Revelation, and by Thy most sublime Word through
whose potency Thou didst call the creation into being and didst reveal Thy
Cause, and by this Name which hath caused all other names to groan aloud
and the limbs of the sages to quake, I beg of Thee to make me detached
from all else save Thee, in such wise that I may move not but in
conformity with the good-pleasure of Thy Will, and speak not except at the
bidding of Thy Purpose, and hear naught save the words of Thy praise and
Thy glorification.
I magnify Thy Name, O my God, and offer thanksgiving unto Thee, O my
Desire, inasmuch as Thou hast enabled me to clearly perceive Thy straight
Path, hast unveiled Thy Great Announcement before mine eyes and hast aided
me to set my face towards the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the
Fountainhead of Thy Cause, whilst Thy servants and Thy people turned away
from Thee. I entreat Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom of eternity, by the
shrill voice of the Pen of Glory, and by the Burning Fire which calleth
aloud from the verdant Tree, and by the Ark which Thou hast specially
chosen for the people of Baha, to grant that I may remain steadfast in my
love for Thee, be well pleased with whatsoever Thou hast prescribed for me
in Thy Book and may stand firm in Thy service and in the service of Thy
loved ones. Graciously assist then Thy servants, O my God, to do that
which will serve to exalt Thy Cause and will enable them to observe
whatsoever Thou hast revealed in Thy Book.
Verily Thou art the Lord of Strength, Thou art potent to ordain whatsoever
Thou willest and within Thy grasp Thou holdest the reins of all created
things. No God is there but Thee, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise.
O Jalil! We have unveiled to thine eyes the sea and the waves thereof, the
sun and the radiance thereof, the heavens and the stars thereof, the
shells and the pearls thereof. Render thou thanks unto God for so great a
bounty, so gracious a favour that hath pervaded the whole world.
O thou who hast set thy face towards the splendours of My Countenance!
Vague fancies have encompassed the dwellers of the earth and debarred them
from turning towards the Horizon of Certitude, and its brightness, and its
manifestations and its lights. Vain imaginings have withheld them from Him
Who is the Self-Subsisting. They speak as prompted by their own caprices,
and understand not. Among them are those who have said: 'Have the verses
been sent down?' Say 'Yea, by Him Who is the Lord of the heavens!' 'Hath
the Hour come?' 'Nay, more; it hath passed, by Him Who is the Revealer of
clear tokens! Verily, the Inevitable is come, and He, the True One, hath
appeared with proof and testimony. The Plain is disclosed, and mankind is
sore vexed and fearful. Earthquakes have broken loose, and the tribes have
lamented, for fear of God, the Lord of Strength, the All-Compelling.' Say:
'The stunning trumpet-blast hath been loudly raised, and the Day is God's,
the One, the Unconstrained.' And they say: 'Hath the Catastrophe come to
pass?' Say: 'Yea, by the Lord of Lords!' 'Is the Resurrection come?' 'Nay,
more; He Who is the Self-Subsisting hath appeared with the Kingdom of His
signs.' 'Seest thou men laid low?' 'Yea, by my Lord, the Most High, the
Most Glorious!' 'Have the tree-stumps been uprooted?' 'Yea, more; the
mountains have been scattered in dust; by Him the Lord of attributes!'
They say: 'Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?' Say: 'The one is reunion
with Me; the other thine own self, O thou who dost associate a partner
with God and doubtest.' They say: 'We see not the Balance.' Say: 'Surely,
by my Lord, the God of Mercy! None can see it except such as are endued
with insight.' They say: 'Have the stars fallen?' Say: 'Yea, when He Who
is the Self-Subsisting dwelt in the Land of Mystery.(42) Take heed, ye who
are endued with discernment!' All the signs appeared when We drew forth
the Hand of Power from the bosom of majesty and might. Verily, the Crier
hath cried out, when the promised time came, and they that have recognized
the splendours of Sinai have swooned away in the wilderness of hesitation,
before the awful majesty of thy Lord, the Lord of creation. The trumpet
asketh: 'Hath the Bugle been sounded?' Say: 'Yea, by the King of
Revelation! when He mounted the throne of His Name, the All-Merciful.'
Darkness hath been chased away by the dawning light of the mercy of thy
Lord, the Source of all light. The breeze of the All-Merciful hath wafted,
and the souls have been quickened in the tombs of their bodies. Thus hath
the decree been fulfilled by God, the Mighty, the Beneficent. They who
reject the truth have said: 'When were the heavens cleft asunder?' Say:
'While ye lay in the graves of waywardness and error.' Among the faithless
is he who rubbeth his eyes, and looketh to the right and to the left. Say:
'Blinded art thou. No refuge hast thou to flee to.' And among them is he
who saith: 'Have men been gathered together?' Say: 'Yea, by My Lord!
whilst thou didst lie in the cradle of idle fancies.' And among them is he
who saith: 'Hath the Book been sent down through the power of the true
Faith?' Say: 'The true Faith itself is astounded. Fear ye, O ye men of
understanding heart!' And among them is he who saith: 'Have I been
assembled with others, blind?' Say: 'Yea, by Him that rideth upon the
clouds!' Paradise is decked with mystic roses, and hell hath been made to
blaze with the fire of the impious. Say: 'The light hath shone forth from
the horizon of Revelation, and the whole earth hath been illumined at the
coming of Him Who is the Lord of the Day of the Covenant!' The doubters
have perished, whilst he that turned, guided by the light of assurance,
unto the Dayspring of Certitude hath prospered. Blessed art thou, who hast
fixed thy gaze upon Me, for this Tablet which hath been sent down for
thee--a Tablet which causeth the souls of men to soar. Commit it to memory,
and recite it. By My life! It is a door to the mercy of thy Lord. Well is
it with him that reciteth it at eventide and at dawn. We, verily, heard
thy praise of this Cause, through which the mountain of knowledge was
crushed, and men's feet have slipped. My glory be upon thee and upon
whomsoever hath turned unto the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. The Tablet is
ended, but the theme is unexhausted. Be patient, for thy Lord is patient.
These are verses We sent down previously, and We have sent them unto thee,
that thou mayest be acquainted with what their lying tongues have spoken,
when God came unto them with might and sovereignty. The foundations of
idle fancies have trembled, and the heaven of vain imaginings hath been
cleft asunder, and yet the people are in doubt and in contention with Him.
They have denied the testimony of God and His proof, after He came from
the heaven of power with the kingdom of His signs. They have cast away
what had been prescribed, and perpetrated what had been forbidden them in
the Book. They have abandoned their God, and clung unto their desires.
They truly have strayed and are in error. They read the verses and deny
them. They behold the clear tokens and turn aside. They truly are lost in
strange doubt.
We have admonished Our loved ones to fear God, a fear which is the
fountainhead of all goodly deeds and virtues. It is the commander of the
hosts of justice in the city of Baha. Happy the man that hath entered the
shadow of its luminous standard, and laid fast hold thereon. He, verily,
is of the Companions of the Crimson Ark, which hath been mentioned in the
Qayyum-i-Asma.
Say: O people of God! Adorn your temples with the adornment of
trustworthiness and piety. Help, then, your Lord with the hosts of goodly
deeds and a praiseworthy character. We have forbidden you dissension and
conflict in My Books, and My Scriptures, and My Scrolls, and My Tablets,
and have wished thereby naught else save your exaltation and advancement.
Unto this testify the heavens and the stars thereof, and the sun and the
radiance thereof, and the trees and the leaves thereof, and the seas and
the waves thereof, and the earth and the treasures thereof. We pray God to
assist His loved ones, and aid them in that which beseemeth them in this
blest, this mighty, and wondrous station. Moreover We beseech Him to
graciously enable those who surround Me to observe that which My Pen of
Glory hath enjoined upon them.
O Jalil! Upon thee be My glory and My loving providence. Verily We have
enjoined the people to do what is meet and seemly and yet they have
committed such things as have caused My heart and My Pen to lament.
Incline thine ear to that which is sent down from the heaven of My Will
and the realm of My good-pleasure. I sorrow not for My captivity, nor for
the things that have befallen Me at the hand of Mine enemies. Nay, My
sorrows are occasioned by those who claim to be related to Me and yet
commit that which causeth the voice of My lamentations to be lifted up and
My tears to flow. We have exhorted them at length in various Tablets and
beseech God to graciously assist them, to enable them to draw nigh unto
Him and to confirm them in that which would bring peace to the hearts and
tranquillity to the souls and would stay their hands from whatsoever
ill-beseemeth His days.
Say, O My loved ones in My lands! Give ye ear unto the counsels of Him Who
admonisheth you for the sake of God. He hath in truth created you, hath
revealed before your eyes that which exalteth you and promoteth your
interests. He hath made known unto you His straight Path and hath
acquainted you with His Great Announcement.
O Jalil! Admonish men to fear God. By God! This fear is the chief
commander of the army of thy Lord. Its hosts are a praiseworthy character
and goodly deeds. Through it have the cities of men's hearts been opened
throughout the ages and centuries, and the standards of ascendancy and
triumph raised above all other standards.
We will now mention unto thee Trustworthiness and the station thereof in
the estimation of God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. One day of
days We repaired unto Our Green Island. Upon Our arrival, We beheld its
streams flowing, and its trees luxuriant, and the sunlight playing in
their midst. Turning Our face to the right, We beheld what the pen is
powerless to describe; nor can it set forth that which the eye of the Lord
of Mankind witnessed in that most sanctified, that most sublime, that
blest, and most exalted Spot. Turning, then, to the left We gazed on one
of the Beauties of the Most Sublime Paradise, standing on a pillar of
light, and calling aloud saying: 'O inmates of earth and heaven! Behold ye
My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation, and My effulgence. By God,
the True One! I am Trustworthiness and the revelation thereof, and the
beauty thereof. I will recompense whosoever will cleave unto Me, and
recognize My rank and station, and hold fast unto My hem. I am the most
great ornament of the people of Baha, and the vesture of glory unto all
who are in the kingdom of creation. I am the supreme instrument for the
prosperity of the world, and the horizon of assurance unto all beings.'
Thus have We sent down for thee that which will draw men nigh unto the
Lord of creation.
The Pen of the Most High turneth from the eloquent language(43) to the
luminous one(44) that thou, O Jalil, mayest appreciate the tender mercy of
thy Lord, the Incomparable One and mayest be of them that are truly
grateful.
O thou who hast fixed thy gaze upon the all-glorious Horizon! The Call is
raised but hearing ears are numbered, nay non-existent. This Wronged One
findeth himself in the maw of the serpent, yet He faileth not to make
mention of the loved ones of God. So grievous have been Our sufferings in
these days that the Concourse on High are moved to tears and to
lamentation. Neither the adversities of the world nor the harm inflicted
by its nations could deter Him Who is the King of Eternity from voicing
His summons or frustrate His purpose. When those who had for years been
hiding behind the veils perceived that the horizon of the Cause was
resplendent and that the Word of God was all-pervasive, they rushed forth
and with swords of malice inflicted such harm as no pen can portray nor
any tongue describe.
They that judge with fairness testify that since the early days of the
Cause this Wronged One hath arisen, unveiled and resplendent, before the
faces of kings and commoners, before the rulers and the divines, and hath,
in ringing tones, summoned all men unto the straight Path. He hath had no
helper save His Pen, nor any succourer other than Himself.
Those who are ignorant or heedless of the motivating purpose of the Cause
of God have rebelled against Him. Such men are the foreboders of evil,
whom God hath mentioned in His Book and Tablets and against whose
influence, clamour and deception He hath warned His people. Well is it
with those who, in the face of the remembrance of the Lord of Eternity,
regard the peoples of the world as utter nothingness, as a thing
forgotten, and hold fast to the firm handle of God in such wise that
neither doubts nor insinuations, nor swords, nor cannon could hold them
back or deprive them of His presence. Blessed are the steadfast; blessed
are they that stand firm in His Faith.
In response to thy request the Pen of Glory hath graciously described the
stations and grades of the Most Great Infallibility. The purpose is that
all should know of a certainty that the Seal of the Prophets(45)--may the
souls of all else but Him be offered up for His sake--is without likeness,
peer or partner in His Own station. The Holy Ones(46)--may the blessings of
God be upon them--were created through the potency of His Word, and after
Him they were the most learned and the most distinguished among the people
and abide in the utmost station of servitude. The divine Essence,
sanctified from every comparison and likeness, is established in the
Prophet, and God's inmost Reality, exalted above any peer or partner, is
manifest in Him. This is the station of true unity and of veritable
singleness. The followers of the previous Dispensation grievously failed
to acquire an adequate understanding of this station. The Primal
Point(47)--may the life of all else but Him be offered up for His
sake--saith: 'If the Seal of the Prophets had not uttered the word
"Successorship", such a station would not have been created.'
The people aforetime joined partners with God, though they professed
belief in His unity; and although they were the most ignorant amongst men,
they considered themselves the most accomplished. But, as a token of
divine retribution upon those heedless ones, their erroneous beliefs and
pursuits have, in this Day of Judgement, been made clear and evident to
every man of discernment and understanding.
Beseech thou God, the True One, that He may graciously shield the
followers of this Revelation from the idle fancies and corrupt imaginings
of such as belong to the former Faith, and may not deprive them of the
effulgent splendours of the day-star of true unity.
O Jalil! He Whom the world hath wronged now proclaimeth: The light of
Justice is dimmed, and the sun of Equity veiled from sight. The robber
occupieth the seat of the protector and guard, and the position of the
faithful is seized by the traitor. A year ago an oppressor ruled over this
city, and at every instant caused fresh harm. By the righteousness of the
Lord! He wrought that which cast terror into the hearts of men. But to the
Pen of Glory the tyranny of the world hath never been nor will it ever be
a hindrance. In the abundance of Our grace and loving-kindness We have
revealed specially for the rulers and ministers of the world that which is
conducive to safety and protection, tranquillity and peace; haply the
children of men may rest secure from the evils of oppression. He, verily,
is the Protector, the Helper, the Giver of victory. It is incumbent upon
the men of God's House of Justice to fix their gaze by day and by night
upon that which hath shone forth from the Pen of Glory for the training of
peoples, the upbuilding of nations, the protection of man and the
safeguarding of his honour.
The first Ishraq