have neither prescribed any law nor laid down any prohibition. It is only
for the glorification of His Name and the exaltation of His Cause that We
have enunciated certain laws at Our behest, or forbidden the acts to which
We are averse, so that at the hour of His manifestation ye may attain
through Him the good-pleasure of God and abstain from the things that are
abhorrent unto Him.
Say, verily, the good-pleasure of Him Whom God shall make manifest is the
good-pleasure of God, while the displeasure of Him Whom God shall make
manifest is none other than the displeasure of God. Avoid ye His
displeasure, and flee for refuge unto His good-pleasure. Say, the living
guides to His good-pleasure are such as truly believe in Him and are
well-assured in their faith, while the living testimonies of His
displeasure are those who, when they hear the verses of God sent forth
from His presence, or read the divine words revealed by Him, do not
instantly embrace the Faith and attain unto certitude. XVI, 14.
6: EXCERPTS FROM VARIOUS WRITINGS
"Say, God is the Lord and all are worshippers unto ..."
Say, God is the Lord and all are worshippers unto Him.
Say, God is the True One and all pay homage unto Him.
This is God, your Lord, and unto Him shall ye return.
Is there any doubt concerning God? He hath created you and all things.
The Lord of all worlds is He.
Say, verily any one follower of this Faith can, by the leave of God,
prevail over all who dwell in heaven and earth and in whatever lieth
between them; for indeed this is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the one
true Faith. Therefore fear ye not, neither be ye grieved.
Say, God hath, according to that which is revealed in the Book, taken upon
Himself the task of ensuring the ascendancy of any one of the followers of
the Truth, over and above one hundred other souls, and the supremacy of
one hundred believers over one thousand non-believers and the domination
of one thousand of the faithful over all the peoples and kindreds of the
earth; inasmuch as God calleth into being whatsoever He willeth by virtue
of His behest. Verily He is potent over all things.
Say, the power of God is in the hearts of those who believe in the unity
of God and bear witness that no God is there but Him, while the hearts of
them that associate partners with God are impotent, devoid of life on this
earth, for assuredly they are dead.
The Day is approaching when God will render the hosts of Truth victorious,
and He will purge the whole earth in such wise that within the compass of
His knowledge not a single soul shall remain unless he truly believeth in
God, worshippeth none other God but Him, boweth down by day and by night
in His adoration, and is reckoned among such as are well assured.
Say, God indeed is the Sovereign Truth, Who is manifestly Supreme over His
servants; He is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
"God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His ..."
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the kingdoms
in the heavens and on the earth and all that is between them. He is
exalted above the comprehension of all things, and is inscrutable to the
mind of every created being; none shall be able to fathom the oneness of
His Being or to unravel the nature of His Existence. No peer or likeness,
no similitude or equal can ever be joined with Him. Yield ye praise then
unto Him and glorify Him and bear ye witness to the sanctity and oneness
of His Being and magnify His might and majesty with wondrous
glorification. This will enable you to gain admittance into the
all-highest Paradise. Would that ye had firm faith in the revelation of
the signs of God.
This is the divinely-inscribed Book. This is the outspread Tablet. Say,
this indeed is the Frequented Fane, the sweet-scented Leaf, the Tree of
divine Revelation, the surging Ocean, the Utterance which lay concealed,
the Light above every light... Indeed every light is generated by God
through the power of His behest. He of a truth is the Light in the kingdom
of heaven and earth and whatever is between them. Through the radiance of
His light God imparteth illumination to your hearts and maketh firm your
steps, that perchance ye may yield praise unto Him.
Say, this of a certainty is the Garden of Repose, the loftiest Point of
adoration, the Tree beyond which there is no passing, the blessed
Lote-Tree, the Most Mighty Sign, the most beauteous Countenance and the
most comely Face.
"From the beginning that hath no beginning all men have ..."
From the beginning that hath no beginning all men have bowed in adoration
before Him Whom God shall make manifest and will continue to do so until
the end that hath no end. How strange then that at the time of His
appearance ye should pay homage by day and night unto that which the Point
of the Bayan hath enjoined upon you and yet fail to worship Him Whom God
shall make manifest.
"Consecrate Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree ..."
Consecrate Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree unto Him, that from it
may be revealed all the fruits created by God within it for Him through
Whom God hath willed to reveal all that He pleaseth. By Thy glory! I have
not wished that this Tree should ever bear any branch, leaf, or fruit that
would fail to bow down before Him, on the day of His Revelation, or refuse
to laud Thee through Him, as beseemeth the glory of His all-glorious
Revelation, and the sublimity of His most sublime Concealment. And
shouldst Thou behold, O my God, any branch, leaf, or fruit upon Me that
hath failed to bow down before Him, on the day of His Revelation, cut it
off, O My God, from that Tree, for it is not of Me, nor shall it return
unto Me.
"He--glorified be His mention--resembleth the sun. ..."
He--glorified be His mention--resembleth the sun. Were unnumbered mirrors to
be placed before it, each would, according to its capacity, reflect the
splendour of that sun, and were none to be placed before it, it would
still continue to rise and set, and the mirrors alone would be veiled from
its light. I, verily, have not fallen short of My duty to admonish that
people, and to devise means whereby they may turn towards God, their Lord,
and believe in God, their Creator. If, on the day of His Revelation, all
that are on earth bear Him allegiance, Mine inmost being will rejoice,
inasmuch as all will have attained the summit of their existence, and will
have been brought face to face with their Beloved, and will have
recognized, to the fullest extent attainable in the world of being, the
splendour of Him Who is the Desire of their hearts. If not, My soul will
indeed be saddened. I truly have nurtured all things for this purpose.
How, then, can anyone be veiled from Him? For this have I called upon God,
and will continue to call upon Him. He, verily, is nigh, ready to answer.
"The glory of Him Whom God shall make manifest is ..."
The glory of Him Whom God shall make manifest is immeasurably above every
other glory, and His majesty is far above every other majesty. His beauty
excelleth every other embodiment of beauty, and His grandeur immensely
exceedeth every other manifestation of grandeur. Every light paleth before
the radiance of His light, and every other exponent of mercy falleth short
before the tokens of His mercy. Every other perfection is as naught in
face of His consummate perfection, and every other display of might is as
nothing before His absolute might. His names are superior to all other
names. His good-pleasure taketh precedence over any other expression of
good-pleasure. His pre-eminent exaltation is far above the reach of every
other symbol of exaltation. The splendour of His appearance far surpasseth
that of any other appearance. His divine concealment is far more profound
than any other concealment. His loftiness is immeasurably above every
other loftiness. His gracious favour is unequalled by any other evidence
of favour. His power transcendeth every power. His sovereignty is
invincible in the face of every other sovereignty. His celestial dominion
is exalted far above every other dominion. His knowledge pervadeth all
created things, and His consummate power extendeth over all beings.
"All men have proceeded from God and unto Him shall ..."
All men have proceeded from God and unto Him shall all return. All shall
appear before Him for judgement. He is the Lord of the Day of
Resurrection, of Regeneration and of Reckoning, and His revealed Word is
the Balance.
True death is realized when a person dieth to himself at the time of His
Revelation in such wise that he seeketh naught except Him.
True resurrection from the sepulchres means to be quickened in conformity
with His Will, through the power of His utterance.
Paradise is attainment of His good-pleasure and everlasting hell-fire His
judgement through justice.
The Day He revealeth Himself is Resurrection Day which shall last as long
as He ordaineth.
Everything belongeth unto Him and is fashioned by Him. All besides Him are
His creatures.
"Verily I am God, no God is there but Me, and aught ..."
In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High.
Verily I am God, no God is there but Me, and aught except Me is but My
creation. Say, worship Me then, O ye, My creatures.
I have called Thee into being, have nurtured Thee, protected Thee, loved
Thee, raised Thee up and have graciously chosen Thee to be the
manifestation of Mine Own Self, that Thou mayest recite My verses as
ordained by Me, and may summon whomsoever I have created unto My Religion
which is none other than this glorious and exalted Path.
I have fashioned all created things for Thy sake, and I have, by virtue of
My Will, set Thee sovereign Ruler over all mankind. Moreover, I have
decreed that whoso embraceth My religion shall believe in My unity, and I
have linked this belief with remembrance of Thee, and after Thee the
remembrance of such as Thou hast, by My leave, caused to be the 'Letters
of the Living', and of whatever hath been revealed from My religion in the
Bayan. This, indeed, is what will enable the sincere among My servants to
gain admittance into the celestial Paradise.
Verily, the sun is but a token from My presence so that the true believers
among My servants may discern in its rising the dawning of every
Dispensation.
In truth I have created Thee through Thyself, then at My Own behest I have
fashioned all things through the creative power of Thy Word. We are
All-Powerful. I have appointed Thee to be the Beginning and the End, the
Seen and the Hidden. Verily We are the All-Knowing.
No one hath been or will ever be invested with prophethood other than
Thee, nor hath any sacred Book been or will be revealed unto any one
except Thee. Such is the decree ordained by Him Who is the
All-Encompassing, the Best Beloved.
The Bayan is in truth Our conclusive proof for all created things, and all
the peoples of the world are powerless before the revelation of its
verses. It enshrineth the sum total of all the Scriptures, whether of the
past or of the future, even as Thou art the Repository of all Our proofs
in this Day. We cause whomsover We desire to be admitted into the gardens
of our most holy, most sublime Paradise. Thus is divine revelation
inaugurated in each Dispensation at Our behest. We are truly the supreme
Ruler. Indeed no religion shall We ever inaugurate unless it be renewed in
the days to come. This is a promise We solemnly have made. Verily We are
supreme over all things...
"Say: Praise be to God Who graciously enableth whomsoever ..."
He is God, the Sovereign Lord, the All-Glorious.
Say: Praise be to God Who graciously enableth whomsoever He willeth to
adore Him. Verily no God is there but Him. His are the most excellent
titles; it is He Who causeth His Word to be fulfilled as He pleaseth and
it is He Who leadeth those who have received illumination and seek the way
of righteousness.
Fear thou God, thy Lord, and make mention of His Name in the day-time and
at eventide. Follow not the promptings of the faithless, lest thou be
reckoned among the exponents of idle fancies. Faithfully obey the Primal
Point Who is the Lord Himself, and be of the righteous. Let nothing cause
thee to be sore shaken, neither let the things which have been destined to
take place in this Cause disturb thee. Strive earnestly for the sake of
God and walk in the path of righteousness. Shouldst thou encounter the
unbelievers, place thy whole trust in God, thy Lord, saying, Sufficient is
God unto me in the kingdoms of both this world and the next.
The Day is approaching when God shall bring the faithful together. In
truth no God is there other than Him.
May the peace of God be with those who have been guided aright through the
power of divine guidance.
"Glorified is He to Whom pertaineth the dominion of ..."
He is God, the Supreme Ruler, the Sovereign Truth, He Whose help is
implored by all.
Glorified is He to Whom pertaineth the dominion of the heavens and of the
earth, in Whose hand lieth the kingdom of all created things and unto Whom
shall all return. It is He Who setteth the measure assigned to each and
every thing and revealeth His goodly gifts and blessings in His sacred
Book for the benefit of those who offer gratitude for His Cause.
Say, this earthly life shall come to an end, and everyone shall expire and
return unto my Lord God Who will reward with the choicest gifts the deeds
of those who endure with patience. Verily thy God assigneth the measure of
all created things as He willeth, by virtue of His behest; and those who
conform to the good-pleasure of your Lord, they are indeed among the
blissful.
Thy Lord hath never raised up a prophet in the past who failed to summon
the people to His Lord, and today is truly similar to the times of old,
were ye to ponder over the verses revealed by God.
When God sent forth His Prophet Muhammad, on that day the termination of
the prophetic cycle was foreordained in the knowledge of God. Yea, that
promise hath indeed come true and the decree of God hath been accomplished
as He hath ordained. Assuredly we are today living in the Days of God.
These are the glorious days on the like of which the sun hath never risen
in the past. These are the days which the people in bygone times eagerly
expected. What hath then befallen you that ye are fast asleep? These are
the days wherein God hath caused the Day-Star of Truth to shine
resplendent. What hath then caused you to keep your silence? These are the
appointed days which ye have been yearningly awaiting in the past--the days
of the advent of divine justice. Render ye thanks unto God, O ye concourse
of believers.
Let not the deeds of those who reject the Truth shut you out as by a veil.
Such people have warrant over your bodies only, and God hath not reposed
in them power over your spirits, your souls and your hearts. Fear ye God
that haply it may be well with you. All things have been created for your
sakes, and for the sake of naught else hath your creation been ordained.
Fear ye God and take heed lest forms and apparels debar you from
recognizing Him. Render ye thanksgiving unto God that perchance He may
deal mercifully with you.
This mortal life is sure to perish; its pleasures are bound to fade away
and ere long ye shall return unto God, distressed with pangs of remorse,
for presently ye shall be roused from your slumber, and ye shall soon find
yourselves in the presence of God and will be asked of your doings.
Say, how dare ye flagrantly deny the verses sent down from the heaven of
justice, yet ye read the Books of God revealed in the past? How do ye
repudiate the meeting with your Lord which was appointed with you
aforetime, and fail in this Day to heed His warning? Indeed, by adhering
to forms and by following the promptings of your selfish desires, ye have
deprived yourselves of the good-pleasure of your Lord, except those whom
their Lord hath endowed with knowledge and who in this Day render thanks
unto Him for the bounty of being identified with the true Faith of God.
Therefore announce ye the Message unto those who manifest virtue and teach
them the ways of the One True God, that haply they may comprehend.
Withhold thy tongue from uttering that which might grieve thee and beseech
God for mercy. Verily He is fully cognizant of the righteous, for He is
with such of His servants as truly believe in Him, and He is not unaware
of the actions of the mischief-makers, inasmuch as nothing whatever in the
heavens or on the earth can escape His knowledge.
These verses, clear and conclusive, are a token of the mercy of thy Lord
and a source of guidance for all mankind. They are a light unto those who
believe in them and a fire of afflictive torment for those who turn away
and reject them.
"O Thou who art the chosen one among women! ..."
O Thou who art the chosen one among women!
He is God; glorified is the splendour of His light. The verses in this
Tablet are revealed for the one who hath believed in the signs of her Lord
and is reckoned among such as are wholly devoted unto Him. Bear thou
witness that verily no God is there but Him, Who is both my Lord and
thine, and that no other God besides Him existeth. He is the Bountiful,
the Almighty.
Yield thee thanks unto God, for He hath graciously aided thee in this Day,
revealed for thee the clear verses of this Tablet, and hath numbered thee
among such women as have believed in the signs of God, have taken Him as
their guardian and are of the grateful. Verily God shall soon reward thee
and those who have believed in His signs with an excellent reward from His
presence. Assuredly no God is there other than Him, the All-Possessing,
the Most Generous. The revelations of His bounty pervade all created
things; He is the Merciful, the Compassionate.
"God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the ..."
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the
Best Beloved.
Fix your gaze upon Him Whom God shall make manifest in the Day of
Resurrection, then firmly believe in that which is sent down by Him.
Say, God hath undisputed triumph over every victorious one. There is no
one in heaven or earth or in whatever lieth between them who can frustrate
the transcendent supremacy of His triumph. He calleth into being
whatsoever He willeth through the potency of His behest. Verily God is the
mightiest Sustainer, the Helper and the Defender.
"When the Day-Star of Baha will shine resplendent above ..."
When the Day-Star of Baha will shine resplendent above the horizon of
eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne.
Beware lest ye be seated in His presence or ask questions without His
leave. Fear ye God, O concourse of the Mirrors.
Beg ye of Him the wondrous tokens of His favour that He may graciously
reveal for you whatever He willeth and desireth, inasmuch as on that Day
all the revelations of divine bounty shall circle around the Seat of His
glory and emanate from His presence, could ye but understand it.
It behooveth you to remain silent before His Throne, for indeed of all the
things which have been created between heaven and earth nothing on that
Day will be deemed more fitting than the observance of silence. Moreover,
take ye good heed not to be reckoned among those of the past who were
invested with knowledge, yet by reason of their learning waxed proud
before God, the Transcendent, the Self-Subsisting, inasmuch as on that Day
it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the Omniscient, the Source of all
knowledge, far above such as are endued with learning; and it is He Who is
the Potent, the All-Compelling, the Lord of power, in the face of those
who wield power; and it is He Who is the Mighty, the Most August, the Most
Glorious before such as display glory; and on that Day it is He Who is the
Lofty, the All-Highest, the Source of exaltation, far above those who are
elevated in rank; and it is He Who is the Almighty, the Source of glory
and grandeur, far above the pomp of the mighty; and it is He Who is the
Omnipotent, the Supreme Ruler, the Lord of judgement, transcending all
such as are invested with authority; and it is He Who is the Generous, the
Most Benevolent, the Essence of bounty, Who standeth supreme in the face
of such as show benevolence; and it is He Who is the Ordainer and the
Supreme Wielder of authority and power, inconceivably high above those who
hold earthly dominion; and it is He Who is the Most Excellent, the
Unsurpassed, the Pre-eminent in the face of every man of accomplishment.
Ye have, one and all, been called into being to seek His presence and to
attain that exalted and glorious station. Indeed, He will send down from
the heaven of His mercy that which will benefit you, and whatever is
graciously vouchsafed by Him shall enable you to dispense with all
mankind. Verily on that Day the learning of the learned shall prove of no
avail, neither the accomplishments of the exponents of knowledge, nor the
pomp of the highly honoured, nor the power of the mighty, nor the
remembrance of the devout, nor the deeds of the righteous, nor the
genuflexion of the kneeling worshipper, nor his prostration or turning
towards the Qiblih, nor the honour of the honoured, nor the kinship of the
highly born, nor the nobility of those of noble descent, nor the discourse
of the eloquent, nor the titles of the prominent--none of these shall be of
any avail unto them--inasmuch as all these and whatever else ye have known
or comprehended were created by His word of command 'Be' and it is. Indeed
if it be His Will He can assuredly bring about the resurrection of all
created things through a word from Himself. He is, in truth, over and
above all this, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Omnipotent.
Beware, O concourse of Mirrors, lest on that Day titles make you
vainglorious. Know ye of a certainty that ye, together with all those who
stand above you or below you, have been created for that Day. Fear ye God
and commit not that which would grieve His heart, nor be of them that have
gone astray. Perchance He will appear invested with the power of Truth
while ye are fast asleep on your couches, or His messengers will bring
glorious and resplendent Tablets from Him while ye turn away disdainfully
from Him, pronounce sentence against Him--such sentence as ye would never
pass on yourselves--and say, 'This is not from God, the All-Subduing, the
Self-Existent'.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God, Thou art well aware that I have proclaimed
Thy Word and have not failed in the mission Thou didst enjoin upon me. I
entreat Thee to guard the people of the Bayan on that Day in order that
they may not pronounce censure against Thee nor contend with Thy signs.
Protect them then, O my God, through the power of Thy might which
pervadeth all mankind.
"Glory be unto Him Who is the Lord of all that are in ..."
He is the Almighty.
Glory be unto Him Who is the Lord of all that are in the heavens and on
the earth; He is the All-Wise, the All-Informed. It is He Who calleth into
being whatsoever He willeth at His behest; He is indeed the Clement, the
Fashioner. Say, verily He is equal to His purpose; whomsoever He willeth,
He maketh victorious through the power of His hosts; there is none other
God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise. His is the kingdom of earth and heaven
and He is the Lord of power and glory. Such as have believed in God and in
His signs are indeed the followers of truth and shall abide in the gardens
of delight, while those who have disbelieved in God and have rejected that
which He hath revealed, these shall be the inmates of the fire wherein
they shall remain forever. Say, most people have openly repudiated God and
have followed the rebellious wicked doers. Such people resemble those who
have gone before them, upholding every hostile oppressor. Verily no God is
there but God; His is the kingdom of heaven and earth and He is the
Clement, the All-Knowing. God testifieth that there is no God but Him, and
He Who speaketh at the bidding of His Lord is but the First to worship
Him. He is the peerless Creator Who hath created the heavens and the earth
and whatsoever lieth between them, and all do His bidding. He is the One
Whose grace hath encompassed all that are in the heavens, on earth or
elsewhere, and everyone abideth by His behest.
"It behooveth you to await the Day of the appearance of ..."