remembrance the She-Serpent(80) whose cruelty hath caused all created
things to groan, and the limbs of the holy ones to quake. Thus biddeth
Thee the Lord of all names, in this glorious station. The Chaste One(81)
hath cried out by reason of thine iniquity, and yet thou dost imagine
thyself to be of the family of the Apostle of God! Thus hath thy soul
prompted thee, O thou who hast withdrawn thyself from God, the Lord of all
that hath been and shall be. Judge thou equitably, O She-Serpent! For what
crime didst thou sting the children(82) of the Apostle of God, and pillage
their possessions? Hast thou denied Him Who created thee by His command
'be, and it was'? Thou hast dealt with the children of the Apostle of God
as neither 'Ad hath dealt with Hud, nor Thamud with Salih, nor the Jews
with the Spirit of God,(83) the Lord of all being. Gainsayest thou the
signs of thy Lord which no sooner were sent down from the heaven of His
Cause than all the books of the world bowed down before them? Meditate,
that thou mayest be made aware of thine act, O heedless outcast! Ere long
will the breaths of chastisement seize thee, as they seized others before
thee. Wait, O thou who hast joined partners with God, the Lord of the
visible and the invisible. This is the day which God hath announced
through the tongue of His Apostle. Reflect, that thou mayest apprehend
what the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur'an and in this inscribed
Tablet. This is the day whereon He Who is the Dayspring of Revelation hath
come with clear tokens which none can number. This is the day whereon
every man endued with perception hath discovered the fragrance of the
breeze of the All-Merciful in the world of creation, and every man of
insight hath hastened unto the living waters of the mercy of His Lord, the
King of Kings. O heedless one! The tale of the Sacrifice(84) hath been
retold, and he who was to be offered up hath directed his steps towards
the place of sacrifice, and returned not, by reason of that which thy hand
hath wrought, O perverse hater! Didst thou imagine that martyrdom could
abase this Cause? Nay, by Him Whom God hath made to be the Repository of
His Revelation, if thou be of them that comprehend. Woe betide thee, O
thou who hast joined partners with God, and woe betide them that have
taken thee as their leader, without a clear token or a perspicuous Book.
How numerous the oppressors before thee who have arisen to quench the
light of God, and how many the impious who murdered and pillaged until the
hearts and souls of men groaned by reason of their cruelty! The sun of
justice hath been obscured, inasmuch as the embodiment of tyranny hath
been stablished upon the throne of hatred, and yet the people understand
not. The children of the Apostle have been slain and their possessions
pillaged. Say: Was it, in thine estimation, their possessions or
themselves that denied God? Judge fairly, O ignorant one that hath been
shut out as by a veil from God. Thou hast clung to tyranny and cast away
justice; whereupon all created things have lamented, and still thou art
among the wayward. Thou hast put to death the aged, and plundered the
young. Thinkest thou that thou wilt consume that which thine iniquity hath
amassed? Nay, by Myself! Thus informeth thee He Who is cognizant of all.
By God! The things thou possessest shall profit thee not, nor what thou
hast laid up through thy cruelty. Unto this beareth witness Thy Lord, the
All-Knowing. Thou hast arisen to put out the light of this Cause; ere long
will thine own fire be quenched, at His behest. He, verily, is the Lord of
strength and of might. The changes and chances of the world, and the
powers of the nations, cannot frustrate Him. He doeth what He pleaseth,
and ordaineth what He willeth through the power of His sovereignty.
Consider the she-camel. Though but a beast, yet hath the All-Merciful
exalted her to so high a station that the tongues of the earth made
mention of her and celebrated her praise. He, verily, overshadoweth all
that is in the heavens and on earth. No God is there but Him, the
Almighty, the Great. Thus have We adorned the heaven of Our Tablet with
the suns of Our words. Blessed the man that hath attained thereunto and
been illumined with their light, and woe betide such as have turned aside,
and denied Him, and strayed far from Him. Praised be God, the Lord of the
worlds!
KITAB-I-'AHD (BOOK OF THE COVENANT)
ALTHOUGH the Realm of Glory hath none of the vanities of the world, yet
within the treasury of trust and resignation We have bequeathed to Our
heirs an excellent and priceless heritage. Earthly treasures We have not
bequeathed, nor have We added such cares as they entail. By God! In
earthly riches fear is hidden and peril is concealed. Consider ye and call
to mind that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur'an: 'Woe
betide every slanderer and defamer, him that layeth up riches and counteth
them.'(85) Fleeting are the riches of the world; all that perisheth and
changeth is not, and hath never been, worthy of attention, except to a
recognized measure.
The aim of this Wronged One in sustaining woes and tribulations, in
revealing the Holy Verses and in demonstrating proofs hath been naught but
to quench the flame of hate and enmity, that the horizon of the hearts of
men may be illumined with the light of concord and attain real peace and
tranquillity. From the dawning-place of the divine Tablet the day-star of
this utterance shineth resplendent, and it behoveth everyone to fix his
gaze upon it: We exhort you, O peoples of the world, to observe that which
will elevate your station. Hold fast to the fear of God and firmly adhere
to what is right. Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good,
defile it not with unseemly talk. God hath forgiven what is past.
Henceforward everyone should utter that which is meet and seemly, and
should refrain from slander, abuse and whatever causeth sadness in men.
Lofty is the station of man! Not long ago this exalted Word streamed forth
from the treasury of Our Pen of Glory: Great and blessed is this Day--the
Day in which all that lay latent in man hath been and will be made
manifest. Lofty is the station of man, were he to hold fast to
righteousness and truth and to remain firm and steadfast in the Cause. In
the eyes of the All-Merciful a true man appeareth even as a firmament; its
sun and moon are his sight and hearing, and his shining and resplendent
character its stars. His is the loftiest station, and his influence
educateth the world of being.
Every receptive soul who hath in this Day inhaled the fragrance of His
garment and hath, with a pure heart, set his face towards the all-glorious
Horizon is reckoned among the people of Baha in the Crimson Book. Grasp
ye, in My Name, the chalice of My loving-kindness, drink then your fill in
My glorious and wondrous remembrance.
O ye that dwell on earth! The religion of God is for love and unity; make
it not the cause of enmity or dissension. In the eyes of men of insight
and the beholders of the Most Sublime Vision, whatsoever are the effective
means for safeguarding and promoting the happiness and welfare of the
children of men have already been revealed by the Pen of Glory. But the
foolish ones of the earth, being nurtured in evil passions and desires,
have remained heedless of the consummate wisdom of Him Who is, in truth,
the All-Wise, while their words and deeds are prompted by idle fancies and
vain imaginings.
O ye the loved ones and the trustees of God! Kings are the manifestations
of the power, and the daysprings of the might and riches, of God. Pray ye
on their behalf. He hath invested them with the rulership of the earth and
hath singled out the hearts of men as His Own domain.
Conflict and contention are categorically forbidden in His Book. This is a
decree of God in this Most Great Revelation. It is divinely preserved from
annulment and is invested by Him with the splendour of His confirmation.
Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
It is incumbent upon everyone to aid those daysprings of authority and
sources of command who are adorned with the ornament of equity and
justice. Blessed are the rulers and the learned among the people of Baha.
They are My trustees among My servants and the manifestations of My
commandments amidst My people. Upon them rest My glory, My blessings and
My grace which have pervaded the world of being. In this connection the
utterances revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas are such that from the horizon of
their words the light of divine grace shineth luminous and resplendent.
O ye My Branches! A mighty force, a consummate power lieth concealed in
the world of being. Fix your gaze upon it and upon its unifying influence,
and not upon the differences which appear from it.
The Will of the divine Testator is this: It is incumbent upon the Aghsan,
the Afnan and My Kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the
Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy
Book: 'When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My
Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed,
Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.' The object of this sacred verse
is none other except the Most Mighty Branch ['Abdu'l-Baha]. Thus have We
graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the
Gracious, the All-Powerful. Verily God hath ordained the station of the
Greater Branch [Muhammad 'Ali] to be beneath that of the Most Great Branch
['Abdu'l-Baha]. He is in truth the Ordainer, the All-Wise. We have chosen
'the Greater' after 'the Most Great', as decreed by Him Who is the
All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
It is enjoined upon everyone to manifest love towards the Aghsan, but God
hath not granted them any right to the property of others.
O ye My Aghsan, My Afnan and My Kindred! We exhort you to fear God, to
perform praiseworthy deeds and to do that which is meet and seemly and
serveth to exalt your station. Verily I say, fear of God is the greatest
commander that can render the Cause of God victorious, and the hosts which
best befit this commander have ever been and are an upright character and
pure and goodly deeds.
Say: O servants! Let not the means of order be made the cause of confusion
and the instrument of union an occasion for discord. We fain would hope
that the people of Baha may be guided by the blessed words: 'Say: all
things are of God.' This exalted utterance is like unto water for
quenching the fire of hate and enmity which smouldereth within the hearts
and breasts of men. By this single utterance contending peoples and
kindreds will attain the light of true unity. Verily He speaketh the truth
and leadeth the way. He is the All-Powerful, the Exalted, the Gracious.
It is incumbent upon everyone to show courtesy to, and have regard for the
Aghsan, that thereby the Cause of God may be glorified and His Word
exalted. This injunction hath time and again been mentioned and recorded
in the Holy Writ. Well is it with him who is enabled to achieve that which
the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days hath prescribed for him. Ye are bidden
moreover to respect the members of the Holy Household, the Afnan and the
kindred. We further admonish you to serve all nations and to strive for
the betterment of the world.
That which is conducive to the regeneration of the world and the salvation
of the peoples and kindreds of the earth hath been sent down from the
heaven of the utterance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. Give ye a
hearing ear to the counsels of the Pen of Glory. Better is this for you
than all that is on the earth. Unto this beareth witness My glorious and
wondrous Book.
LAWH-I-ARD-I-BA (TABLET OF THE LAND OF BA)
PRAISE be to Him Who hath honoured the Land of Ba(86) through the presence
of Him round Whom all names revolve. All the atoms of the earth have
announced unto all created things that from behind the gate of the
Prison-city there hath appeared and above its horizon there hath shone
forth the Orb of the beauty of the great, the Most Mighty Branch of
God--His ancient and immutable Mystery--proceeding on its way to another
land. Sorrow, thereby, hath enveloped this Prison-city, whilst another
land rejoiceth. Exalted, immeasurably exalted is our Lord, the Fashioner
of the heavens and the Creator of all things, He through Whose sovereignty
the doors of the prison were opened, thereby causing what was promised
aforetime in the Tablets to be fulfilled. He is verily potent over what He
willeth, and in His grasp is the dominion of the entire creation. He is
the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Blessed, doubly blessed, is the ground which His footsteps have trodden,
the eye that hath been cheered by the beauty of His countenance, the ear
that hath been honoured by hearkening to His call, the heart that hath
tasted the sweetness of His love, the breast that hath dilated through His
remembrance, the pen that hath voiced His praise, the scroll that hath
borne the testimony of His writings. We beseech God--blessed and exalted be
He--that He may honour us with meeting Him soon. He is, in truth, the
All-Hearing, the All-Powerful, He Who is ready to answer.
EXCERPTS FROM OTHER TABLETS
"GOD testifieth that there is none other God but..."
GOD testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who hath
come from the heaven of divine revelation is the Hidden Secret, the
Impenetrable Mystery, Whose advent hath been foretold in the Book of God
and hath been heralded by His Prophets and Messengers. Through Him the
mysteries have been unravelled, the veils rent asunder and the signs and
evidences disclosed. Lo! He hath now been made manifest. He bringeth to
light whatsoever He willeth, and treadeth upon the high places of the
earth, invested with transcendent majesty and power.
Blessed is that strong one who will shatter the gods of vain imaginings
through the potency of the Name of his Lord, He Who ruleth over all men.
O My Afnan! We would fain mention thy name as a token of grace on Our
part, that the sweet savours of My remembrance may attract thee unto My
Kingdom and draw thee nigh unto the Tabernacle of My majesty which hath
been hoisted through the power of this Name--a Name which hath caused every
foundation to tremble.
Say: O peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God! Whatever ye have
been promised in the Books of your Lord, the Ruler of the Day of Return,
hath appeared and been made manifest. Beware lest the changes and chances
of the world hold you back from Him Who is the Sovereign Truth. Ere long
will everything visible perish and only that which hath been revealed by
God, the Lord of lords, shall endure.
Say: This is the Day of meritorious deeds, did ye but know it. This is the
Day of the glorification of God and of the exposition of His Word, could
ye but perceive it. Abandon the things current amongst men and hold fast
unto that which God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath enjoined
upon you. The day is fast approaching when all the treasures of the earth
shall be of no profit to you. Unto this beareth witness the Lord of Names,
He Who proclaimeth: Verily, no God is there besides Him, the Sovereign
Truth, the Knower of things unseen.
Well is it with thee, O My Afnan, inasmuch as thou wert honoured to
receive My Holy Verses, hast inhaled the sweet savours of My Revelation
and responded to My Call at a time when My servants and My creatures,
casting the Mother Book behind their backs and, clinging to the dictates
of the exponents of idle fancy and vain imaginings, have denounced Me.
Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in the kingdom of utterance at the
bidding of God, the Lord of Creation.
Persevere thou conscientiously in the service of the Cause and, through
the power of the Name of thy Lord, the Possessor of all things visible and
invisible, preserve the station conferred upon thee. I swear by the
righteousness of God! Were anyone apprised of that which is veiled from
the eyes of men, he would become so enraptured as to wing his flight unto
God, the Lord of all that hath been and shall be.
May His glory rest upon thee and upon such as have drawn nigh unto Him and
apprehended the meaning of that which the exalted Pen of God, the
Almighty, the All-Loving, hath recorded in this Tablet.
"ALL praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou..."
ALL praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast adorned the world
with the splendour of the dawn following the night wherein was born the
One Who heralded the Manifestation of Thy transcendent sovereignty, the
Dayspring of Thy divine Essence and the Revelation of Thy supreme
Lordship. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the heavens and Fashioner of names,
to graciously aid those who have sheltered beneath the shadow of Thine
abounding mercy and have raised their voices amidst the peoples of the
world for the glorification of Thy Name.
O my God! Thou beholdest the Lord of all mankind confined in His Most
Great Prison, calling aloud Thy Name, gazing upon Thy face, proclaiming
that which hath enraptured the denizens of Thy kingdoms of revelation and
of creation. O my God! I behold Mine own Self captive in the hands of Thy
servants, yet the light of Thy sovereignty and the revelations of Thine
invincible power shine resplendent from His face, enabling all to know of
a certainty that Thou art God, and that there is none other God but Thee.
Neither can the power of the powerful frustrate Thee, nor the ascendancy
of the rulers prevail against Thee. Thou doest whatsoever Thou willest by
virtue of Thy sovereignty which encompasseth all created things, and
ordainest that which Thou pleasest through the potency of Thy behest which
pervadeth the entire creation.
I implore Thee by the glory of Thy Manifestation and by the power of Thy
might, Thy sovereignty and Thine exaltation to render victorious those who
have arisen to serve Thee, who have aided Thy Cause and humbled themselves
before the splendour of the light of Thy face. Make them then, O my God,
triumphant over Thine enemies and cause them to be steadfast in Thy
service, that through them the evidences of Thy dominion may be
established throughout Thy realms and the tokens of Thine indomitable
power be manifested in Thy lands. Verily Thou art potent to do what Thou
willest; no God is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
This glorious Tablet hath been revealed on the Anniversary of the Birth
[of the Bab] that thou mayest recite it in a spirit of humility and
supplication and give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed. Make thou every effort to render service unto God, that from
thee may appear that which will immortalize thy memory in His glorious and
exalted heaven.
Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I implore Thee by the Dawning-Place of
Thy signs and by the Revealer of Thy clear tokens to grant that I may,
under all conditions, hold fast the cord of Thy loving providence and
cling tenaciously to the hem of Thy generosity. Reckon me then with those
whom the changes and chances of the world have failed to deter from
serving Thee and from bearing allegiance unto Thee, whom the onslaught of
the people hath been powerless to hinder from magnifying Thy Name and
celebrating Thy praise. Graciously assist me, O my Lord, to do whatever
Thou lovest and desirest. Enable me then to fulfil that which will exalt
Thy Name and will set ablaze the fire of Thy love.
Thou art, in truth, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
"O HUSAYN! God grant thou shalt ever be bright and..."
O HUSAYN! God grant thou shalt ever be bright and radiant, beaming with
the light of the Sun of Truth, and mayest unloose thy tongue in magnifying
the Name of God, which is the most laudable of all acts.
Consider the multitude of souls who seemed to be intensely eager and
athirst, yet when the Ocean of living waters did surge forth in the world
of being, they remained deprived thereof, inasmuch as they failed to
relinquish idle fancy and to become consciously aware of Him Who is the
Object of all knowledge. This failure is in recompense for the deeds their
hands had formerly wrought.
Render thou thanks unto the Beloved of the world for having graciously
aided thee to attain confirmation in this glorious Cause. Entreat Him
moreover to make His loved ones steadfast therein, for the inflammatory
writings of the mischief-makers are widespread and the clamour of the
foreboders of evil is raised high. Happy are they that have cast behind
their backs all else save God and have held fast unto that which the Lord
of strength and power hath enjoined upon them.
His Glory be upon thee and upon such as have been enabled to recognize and
embrace this mighty Cause.
"THIS is a Tablet which the Lord of all being hath sent..."
THIS is a Tablet which the Lord of all being hath sent down from His
glorious station in honour of him who hath believed in God, the Almighty,
the All-Loving.
Blessed is the wayfarer who hath recognized the Desired One, and the
seeker who hath heeded the Call of Him Who is the intended Aim of all
mankind, and the learned one who hath believed in God, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting.
How vast the number of the learned who have turned aside from the way of
God and how numerous the men devoid of learning who have apprehended the
truth and hastened unto Him, saying, 'Praised be Thou, O Lord of all
things, visible and invisible.'
By the righteousness of God! The world's horizon is resplendent with the
light of the Most Great Luminary, yet the generality of mankind perceive
it not. Verily He Who is the Sovereign Truth moveth before the eyes of all
men. Unto this beareth witness the One Who is proclaiming in the midmost
heart of the world, 'In truth no God is there but Me, Omnipotent over all
things, whether of the past or of the future.'
Great is the blessedness of the believer who hath directed himself towards
Him and hath gained admittance into His presence, and woe betide every
disbeliever who hath turned away from God and followed the wayward and the
outcast.
"O FRIEND! In the Bayan We directed everyone in this..."
O FRIEND! In the Bayan We directed everyone in this Most Great Revelation
to see with his own eyes and hear with his own ears. However when the
horizon of the world was illumined with the resplendent light of this
Revelation, many people forgot this divine commandment, lost sight of this
heavenly exhortation and immersed themselves in the vain imaginings which
their minds had devised. Indeed the face of the sun of justice and
fairness is hidden behind the clouds of idle fancy which the foolish ones
have conceived. Therefore it is not to be wondered at that the movements
of the birds of darkness attract attention. Through the potency of the
Name of the Best-Beloved, invite thou the receptive souls unto God's holy
court, that perchance they may not remain deprived of the heavenly
Fountain of living water. He is in truth the Gracious, the Forgiving.
The gaze of the loving-kindness of God--exalted and glorified is He--hath
everlastingly been directed towards His beloved friends; verily He is the
One Who knoweth and remembereth.
"O JAVAD! Such is the greatness of this Day that the Hour..."
O JAVAD! Such is the greatness of this Day that the Hour itself is seized
with perturbation, and all heavenly Scriptures bear evidence to its
overpowering majesty. In this Day the Book solemnly testifieth to His
glory and the Balance is moved to lift up its voice. This is the Day
wherein the Sirat calleth aloud: 'I am the straight Path', and Mount Sinai
exclaimeth: 'Verily the Lord of Revelation is come.'
Being overcome by the drunkenness of corrupt inclinations, the people of
the earth find themselves in a state of stupor. They are, therefore,
debarred from the wondrous signs of God, are prevented from attaining the
ultimate goal and are deprived of the liberal effusions of divine grace.
It behoveth the people of God to be forbearing. They should impart the
Word of God according to the hearer's particular measure of understanding
and capacity, that perchance the children of men may be roused from
heedlessness and set their faces towards this Horizon which is
immeasurably exalted above every horizon.