manifest. Indeed My aim in planting the Tree of the Bayan hath been none
other than to enable you to recognize Me. In truth I Myself am the first
to bow down before God and to believe in Him. Therefore let not your
recognition become fruitless, inasmuch as the Bayan, notwithstanding the
sublimity of its station, beareth fealty to Him Whom God shall make
manifest, and it is He Who beseemeth most to be acclaimed as the Seat of
divine Reality, though indeed He is I and I am He. However, when the Tree
of the Bayan attaineth its highest development, We shall bend it low as a
token of adoration towards its Lord Who will appear in the person of Him
Whom God shall make manifest. Perchance ye may be privileged to glorify
God as it befitteth His august Self.
Indeed ye have been called into being through the power of the Point of
the Bayan while the Point Himself is resigned to the Will of Him Whom God
shall make manifest, is exalted through His transcendent sublimity, is
sustained by the evidences of His might, is glorified by the majesty of
His oneness, is adorned by the beauty of His singleness, is empowered by
His eternal dominion and is invested with authority through His
everlasting sovereignty. How then could they, who are but the creation of
the Point, be justified in saying 'why or wherefore'?
O congregation of the Bayan, and all who are therein! Recognize ye the
limits imposed upon you, for such a One as the Point of the Bayan Himself
hath believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest, before all things were
created. Therein, verily, do I glory before all who are in the kingdom of
heaven and earth. Suffer not yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from
God after He hath revealed Himself. For all that hath been exalted in the
Bayan is but as a ring upon My hand, and I Myself am, verily, but a ring
upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest--glorified be His
mention! He turneth it as He pleaseth, for whatsoever He pleaseth, and
through whatsoever He pleaseth. He, verily, is the Help in Peril, the Most
High.
7: PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS
"Hallowed be the Lord in Whose hand is the ..."
In the Name of God, the Lord of overpowering majesty, the All-Compelling.
Hallowed be the Lord in Whose hand is the source of dominion. He createth
whatsoever He willeth by His Word of command 'Be', and it is. His hath
been the power of authority heretofore and it shall remain His hereafter.
He maketh victorious whomsoever He pleaseth, through the potency of His
behest. He is in truth the Powerful, the Almighty. Unto Him pertaineth all
glory and majesty in the kingdoms of Revelation and Creation and whatever
lieth between them. Verily He is the Potent, the All-Glorious. From
everlasting He hath been the Source of indomitable strength and shall
remain so unto everlasting. He is indeed the Lord of might and power. All
the kingdoms of heaven and earth and whatever is between them are God's,
and His power is supreme over all things. All the treasures of earth and
heaven and everything between them are His, and His protection extendeth
over all things. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and
whatever lieth between them and He truly is a witness over all things. He
is the Lord of Reckoning for all that dwell in the heavens and on earth
and whatever lieth between them, and truly God is swift to reckon. He
setteth the measure assigned to all who are in the heavens and the earth
and whatever is between them. Verily He is the Supreme Protector. He
holdeth in His grasp the keys of heaven and earth and of everything
between them. At His Own pleasure doth He bestow gifts, through the power
of His command. Indeed His grace encompasseth all and He is the
All-Knowing.
Say: God sufficeth unto me; He is the One Who holdeth in His grasp the
kingdom of all things. Through the power of His hosts of heaven and earth
and whatever lieth between them, He protecteth whomsoever among His
servants He willeth. God, in truth, keepeth watch over all things.
Immeasurably exalted art Thou, O Lord! Protect us from what lieth in front
of us and behind us, above our heads, on our right, on our left, below our
feet and every other side to which we are exposed. Verily Thy protection
over all things is unfailing.(76)
"Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon the Tree of ..."
Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon the Tree of the Bayan, upon its
root and its branch, its boughs, its leaves, its fruits and upon
whatsoever it beareth or sheltereth. Cause this Tree then to be made into
a magnificent Scroll to be offered to the presence of Him Whom Thou wilt
make manifest on the Day of Judgement, that He may graciously allow the
entire company of the followers of the Bayan to be restored to life and
that He may, through His bounty, inaugurate a new creation.
Indeed all are but paupers in the face of Thy tender mercy, and lowly
servants before the tokens of Thy loving-kindness. I beg of Thee, by Thy
bounty, O my God, and by the outpourings of Thy mercy and bestowals, O my
Lord, and by the evidences of Thy heavenly favours and grace, O my Best
Beloved, to watch over Him Whom God shall make manifest that no trace of
despondency may ever touch Him.
"Immeasurably glorified and exalted art Thou. How ..."
Immeasurably glorified and exalted art Thou. How can I make mention of
Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the entire creation; and how can I acknowledge
Thy claim, O Thou, before Whom every created thing standeth in awe. The
loftiest station to which human perception can soar and the utmost height
which the minds and souls of men can scale are but signs created through
the potency of Thy command and tokens manifested through the power of Thy
Revelation. Far be it from Thy glory that anyone other than Thee should
make mention of Thee or should attempt to voice Thy praise. The very
essence of every reality beareth witness to its debarment from the
precincts of the court of Thy nearness, and the quintessence of every
being testifieth to its failure to attain Thy holy Presence. Immeasurably
glorified and exalted art Thou! That which alone beseemeth Thee is the
befitting mention made by Thine Own Self, and that only which is worthy of
Thee is the anthem of praise voiced by Thine Own Essence...
Through the revelation of Thy grace, O Lord, Thou didst call Me into being
on a night such as this,(77) and lo, I am now lonely and forsaken in a
mountain. Praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee for whatever conformeth to
Thy pleasure within the empire of heaven and earth. And all sovereignty is
Thine, extending beyond the uttermost range of the kingdoms of Revelation
and Creation.
Thou didst create Me, O Lord, through Thy gracious favour and didst
protect Me through Thy bounty in the darkness of the womb and didst
nourish Me, through Thy loving-kindness, with life-giving blood. After
having fashioned Me in a most comely form, through Thy tender providence,
and having perfected My creation through Thine excellent handiwork and
breathed Thy Spirit into My body through Thine infinite mercy and by the
revelation of Thy transcendent unity, Thou didst cause Me to issue forth
from the world of concealment into the visible world, naked, ignorant of
all things, and powerless to achieve aught. Thou didst then nourish Me
with refreshing milk and didst rear Me in the arms of My parents with
manifest compassion, until Thou didst graciously acquaint Me with the
realities of Thy Revelation and apprised Me of the straight path of Thy
Faith as set forth in Thy Book. And when I attained full maturity Thou
didst cause Me to bear allegiance unto Thine inaccessible Remembrance, and
enabled Me to advance towards the designated station, where Thou didst
educate Me through the subtle operations of Thy handiwork and didst
nurture Me in that land with Thy most gracious gifts. When that which had
been preordained in Thy Book came to pass Thou didst cause Me, through Thy
kindness, to reach Thy holy precincts and didst suffer Me, through Thy
tender mercy, to dwell within the court of fellowship, until I discerned
therein that which I witnessed of the clear tokens of Thy mercifulness,
the compelling evidences of Thy oneness, the effulgent splendours of Thy
majesty, the source of Thy supreme singleness, the heights of Thy
transcendent sovereignty, the signs of Thy peerlessness, the
manifestations of Thine exalted glory, the retreats of Thy sanctity, and
whatsoever is inscrutable to all but Thee.
"Verily I am Thy servant, O my God, and Thy poor ..."
Verily I am Thy servant, O my God, and Thy poor one and Thy suppliant and
Thy wretched creature. I have arrived at Thy gate, seeking Thy shelter. I
have found no contentment save in Thy love, no exultation except in Thy
remembrance, no eagerness but in obedience to Thee, no joy save in Thy
nearness, and no tranquillity except in reunion with Thee, notwithstanding
that I am conscious that all created things are debarred from Thy sublime
Essence and the entire creation is denied access to Thine inmost Being.
Whenever I attempt to approach Thee, I perceive nothing in myself but the
tokens of Thy grace and behold naught in my being but the revelations of
Thy loving-kindness. How can one who is but Thy creature seek reunion with
Thee and attain unto Thy presence, whereas no created thing can ever be
associated with Thee, nor can aught comprehend Thee? How is it possible
for a lowly servant to recognize Thee and to extol Thy praise,
notwithstanding that Thou hast destined for him the revelations of Thy
dominion and the wondrous testimonies of Thy sovereignty? Thus every
created thing beareth witness that it is debarred from the sanctuary of
Thy presence by reason of the limitations imposed upon its inner reality.
It is undisputed, however, that the influence of Thine attraction hath
everlastingly been inherent in the realities of Thy handiwork, although
that which beseemeth the hallowed court of Thy providence is exalted
beyond the attainment of the entire creation. This indicateth, O my God,
my utter powerlessness to praise Thee and revealeth my utmost impotence in
yielding thanks unto Thee; and how much more to attain the recognition of
Thy divine unity or to succeed in reaching the clear tokens of Thy praise,
Thy sanctity and Thy glory. Nay, by Thy might, I yearn for naught but
Thine Own Self and seek no one other than Thee.
"Magnified be Thy Name, O God. Thine in truth are the ..."
Magnified be Thy Name, O God. Thine in truth are the Kingdoms of Creation
and Revelation, and verily in our Lord have we placed our whole trust. All
praise be unto Thee, O God; Thou art the Maker of the heavens and the
earth and that which is between them, and Thou in truth art the supreme
Ruler, the Fashioner, the All-Wise. Glorified art Thou, O Lord! Thou wilt
surely gather mankind for the Day of whose coming there is no doubt--the
Day whereon everyone shall appear before Thee and find life in Thee. This
is the Day of the One true God--the Day Thou shalt bring about as Thou
pleasest through the power of Thy behest.
Thou art the Sovereign, the wondrous Creator, the Mighty, the Best
Beloved.
"Lauded be Thy Name, O God. Thou art in truth our ..."
Lauded be Thy Name, O God. Thou art in truth our Lord; Thou art aware of
whatsoever is in the heavens and on the earth. Send down then upon us a
token of Thy mercy. Verily Thou art unsurpassed among them that show
mercy. All praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Ordain for us from Thy presence
that which will comfort the hearts of the sincere among Thy servants.
Glorified art Thou, O God, Thou art the Creator of the heavens and the
earth and that which lieth between them. Thou art the sovereign Lord, the
Most Holy, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Magnified be Thy Name, O God, send
down upon them who have believed in God and in His signs a mighty succour
from Thy presence such as to enable them to prevail over the generality of
mankind.
"Glory be unto Thee, O God. How can I make mention ..."
Glory be unto Thee, O God. How can I make mention of Thee while Thou art
sanctified from the praise of all mankind. Magnified be Thy Name, O God,
Thou art the King, the Eternal Truth; Thou knowest what is in the heavens
and on the earth, and unto Thee must all return. Thou hast sent down Thy
divinely-ordained Revelation according to a clear measure. Praised art
Thou, O Lord! At Thy behest Thou dost render victorious whomsoever Thou
willest, through the hosts of heaven and earth and whatsoever existeth
between them. Thou art the Sovereign, the Eternal Truth, the Lord of
invincible might.
Glorified art Thou, O Lord, Thou forgivest at all times the sins of such
among Thy servants as implore Thy pardon. Wash away my sins and the sins
of those who seek Thy forgiveness at dawn, who pray to Thee in the
day-time and in the night season, who yearn after naught save God, who
offer up whatsoever God hath graciously bestowed upon them, who celebrate
Thy praise at morn and eventide, and who are not remiss in their duties.
"Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, have ..."
Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, have mercy upon us and
enable us to return unto Thee. Suffer us not to rely on aught else besides
Thee, and vouchsafe unto us, through Thy bounty, that which Thou lovest
and desirest and well beseemeth Thee. Exalt the station of them that have
truly believed and forgive them with Thy gracious forgiveness. Verily Thou
art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
"O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from ..."
O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from whatsoever may be
repugnant unto Thee and vouchsafe unto us that which well beseemeth Thee.
Give us more out of Thy bounty and bless us. Pardon us for the things we
have done and wash away our sins and forgive us with Thy gracious
forgiveness. Verily Thou art the Most Exalted, the Self-Subsisting.
Thy loving providence hath encompassed all created things in the heavens
and on the earth, and Thy forgiveness hath surpassed the whole creation.
Thine is sovereignty; in Thy hand are the Kingdoms of Creation and
Revelation; in Thy right hand Thou holdest all created things and within
Thy grasp are the assigned measures of forgiveness. Thou forgivest
whomsoever among Thy servants Thou pleasest. Verily Thou art the
Ever-Forgiving, the All-Loving. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy knowledge,
and naught is there which is hidden from Thee.
O God our Lord! Protect us through the potency of Thy might, enable us to
enter Thy wondrous surging ocean, and grant us that which well befitteth
Thee.
Thou art the Sovereign Ruler, the Mighty Doer, the Exalted, the
All-loving.
"Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! Nothing whatsoever ..."
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy
knowledge, nor is there anything that could slip from Thy grasp, or
anything that could thwart Thy Purpose, whether in the heavens or on the
earth, of the past or of the future.
Thou seest Paradise and the inmates thereof; Thou beholdest the realm
below and the dwellers thereof. All are but Thy servants and are held
within Thy grasp.
"O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in ..."
O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in Thy days by granting
them a befitting victory, inasmuch as they have sought martyrdom in Thy
path. Send down upon them that which will bring comfort to their minds,
will rejoice their inner beings, will impart assurance to their hearts and
tranquillity to their bodies and will enable their souls to ascend to the
presence of God, the Most Exalted, and to attain the supreme Paradise and
such retreats of glory as Thou hast destined for men of true knowledge and
virtue. Verily Thou knowest all things, while we are but Thy servants, Thy
thralls, Thy bondsmen and Thy poor ones. No Lord but Thee do we invoke, O
God our Lord, nor do we implore blessings or grace from anyone but Thee, O
Thou Who art the God of mercy unto this world and the next. We are but the
embodiments of poverty, of nothingness, of helplessness and of perdition,
while Thy whole Being betokeneth wealth, independence, glory, majesty and
boundless grace.
Turn our recompense, O Lord, into that which well beseemeth Thee of the
good of this world and of the next, and of the manifold bounties which
extend from on high down to the earth below.
Verily Thou art our Lord and the Lord of all things. Into Thy hands do we
surrender ourselves, yearning for the things that pertain unto Thee.
"Glorified be Thy Name, O Lord! In whom shall I ..."
Glorified be Thy Name, O Lord! In whom shall I take refuge while Thou art
in truth my God and my Beloved; unto whom shall I turn for shelter while
Thou art my Lord and my Possessor; and towards whom shall I flee while
Thou art in truth my Master and my Sanctuary; and whom shall I implore
while Thou art in truth my Treasure and the Goal of my desire; and through
whom shall I plead before Thee, while Thou art in truth my highest
aspiration and supreme desire? Every hope hath been frustrated save the
yearning for Thy heavenly grace, and every door is barred except the
portal leading to the well-spring of Thy blessings.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy most effulgent splendour, before whose
brightness every soul humbly boweth down and prostrateth itself in
adoration for Thy sake--a splendour before whose radiance fire is turned
into light, the dead are brought to life and every difficulty is changed
into ease. I entreat Thee by this great, this wondrous splendour and by
the glory of Thine exalted sovereignty, O Thou Who art the Lord of
indomitable power, to transform us through Thy bounty into that which Thou
Thyself dost possess and enable us to become fountains of Thy light, and
graciously vouchsafe unto us that which beseemeth the majesty of Thy
transcendent dominion. For unto Thee have I raised my hands, O Lord, and
in Thee have I found sheltering support, O Lord, and unto Thee have I
resigned myself, O Lord, and upon Thee have I placed my whole reliance, O
Lord, and by Thee am I strengthened, O Lord.
Verily there is no power nor strength except in Thee.
"Thou art aware, O My God, that since the day Thou ..."
Thou art aware, O My God, that since the day Thou didst call Me into being
out of the water of Thy love till I reached fifteen years of age I lived
in the land which witnessed My birth [_Sh_iraz]. Then Thou didst enable Me
to go to the seaport [Bu_sh_ihr] where for five years I was engaged in
trading with the goodly gifts of Thy realm and was occupied in that with
which Thou hast favoured Me through the wondrous essence of Thy
loving-kindness. I proceeded therefrom to the Holy Land [Karbila] where I
sojourned for one year. Then I returned to the place of My birth. There I
experienced the revelation of Thy sublime bestowals and the evidences of
Thy boundless grace. I yield Thee praise for all Thy goodly gifts and I
render Thee thanksgiving for all Thy bounties. Then at the age of
twenty-five I proceeded to thy sacred House [Mecca], and by the time I
returned to the place where I was born, a year had elapsed. There I
tarried patiently in the path of Thy love and beheld the evidences of Thy
manifold bounties and of Thy loving-kindness until Thou didst ordain for
Me to set out in Thy direction and to migrate to Thy presence. Thus I
departed therefrom by Thy leave, spending six months in the land of Sad
[Isfahan] and seven months in the First Mountain [Maku], where Thou didst
rain down upon Me that which beseemeth the glory of Thy heavenly blessings
and befitteth the sublimity of Thy gracious gifts and favours. Now, in My
thirtieth year, Thou beholdest Me, O My God, in this Grievous Mountain
[_Ch_ihriq] where I have dwelt for one whole year.
Praise be unto Thee, O My Lord, for all times, heretofore and hereafter;
and thanks be unto Thee, O My God, under all conditions, whether of the
past or the future. The gifts Thou hast bestowed upon Me have reached
their fullest measure and the blessings Thou hast vouchsafed unto Me have
attained their consummation. Naught do I now witness but the manifold
evidences of Thy grace and loving-kindness, Thy bounty and gracious
favours, Thy generosity and loftiness, Thy sovereignty and might, Thy
splendour and Thy glory, and that which befitteth the holy court of Thy
transcendent dominion and majesty and beseemeth the glorious precincts of
Thine eternity and exaltation.
"I am aware, O Lord, that my trespasses have covered my ..."
I am aware, O Lord, that my trespasses have covered my face with shame in
Thy presence, and have burdened my back before Thee, have intervened
between me and Thy beauteous countenance, have compassed me from every
direction and have hindered me on all sides from gaining access unto the
revelations of Thy celestial power.
O Lord! If Thou forgivest me not, who is there then to grant pardon, and
if Thou hast no mercy upon me who is capable of showing compassion? Glory
be unto Thee, Thou didst create me when I was non-existent and Thou didst
nourish me while I was devoid of any understanding. Praise be unto Thee,
every evidence of bounty proceedeth from Thee and every token of grace
emanateth from the treasuries of Thy decree.
"I Beg Thee to forgive me, O my Lord, for every mention ..."
I Beg Thee to forgive me, O my Lord, for every mention but the mention of
Thee, and for every praise but the praise of Thee, and for every delight
but delight in Thy nearness, and for every pleasure but the pleasure of
communion with Thee, and for every joy but the joy of Thy love and of Thy
good-pleasure, and for all things pertaining unto me which bear no
relationship unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of lords, He Who provideth
the means and unlocketh the doors.
"How can I praise Thee, O Lord, for the evidences of Thy ..."
How can I praise Thee, O Lord, for the evidences of Thy mighty splendour
and for Thy wondrous sweet savours which Thou hast imparted to Me in this
fortress, in such measure that nothing in the heavens or on the earth can
compare with them? Thou hast watched over Me in the heart of this mountain
where I am compassed by mountains on all sides. One hangeth above Me,
others stand on My right and My left and yet another riseth in front of
Me. Glory be unto Thee, no God is there but Thee. How often have I seen
rocks from the mountain hurtling down upon Me, and Thou didst protect Me
therefrom and preserved Me within the stronghold of Thy divine Unity.
Glorified and exalted art Thou, and praise be unto Thee for whatsoever
Thou lovest and desirest, and thanks be unto Thee for that which Thou hast
decreed and preordained. From time immemorial Thy tender mercy hath been
sent down and the process of Thy creation hath been and ever is ceaseless.
Thy handiwork is unlike the work of anyone besides Thee, and Thy goodly
gifts are unparalleled by the gifts of anyone other than Thyself.
Praise be unto Thee, O My Beloved, and magnified be Thy Name. Ever since
the hour I set foot upon this fortress till the moment I shall have
departed therefrom, I behold Thee established upon Thy seat of glory and
majesty, sending down upon Me the manifold tokens of Thy bountiful favour
and grace. Thou beholdest that My dwelling place is but the heart of the
mountains, and Thou discernest naught in My Person except the evidences of
abasement and loneliness.
Lauded be Thy Name; I render Thee thanks for every instance of Thine
inscrutable Decree and offer My praise for every token of Thy
tribulations. Having suffered Me to be cast into the prison, Thou didst
turn it into a garden of Paradise for Me and caused it to become a chamber
of the court of everlasting fellowship.
How numerous the verses Thou didst send down unto Me, and the prayers Thou
didst hear Me offer unto Thee. How diverse the revelations which Thou
didst call into being through Me and the experiences Thou didst witness in
Me.