from yielding thanks unto Thee and My shortcomings have failed to keep Me
back from extolling Thy virtues. The infidels had purposed to turn My
abode into one of disgrace and humiliation. But Thou hast glorified Me
through My remembrance of Thee, hast exalted Me through My praise of Thee,
hast graciously aided Me through the revelations of Thy oneness, and hast
conferred upon Me a great honour through the effulgent splendours of Thine
ancient eternity. To the fire Thou dost command, 'Be thou a soothing balm
unto My Servant', and to the prison, 'Be thou a seat of tender compassion
to My Servant, as a token from My presence'. Yea, I swear by Thy glory; to
Me the prison hath proved to be naught but the most delightful garden of
Paradise and hath served as the noblest spot in the realm above.
Praised and glorified art Thou. How often did adversities descend upon Me
and Thou didst temper them and avert them through Thy gracious favour; and
how many times were commotions stirred up against Me at the hand of the
people, while Thou didst cause them to subside through Thy tender mercy.
How numerous the occasions when the Nimrods kindled fires wherewith to
burn Me, but Thou didst make them balm for Me; and how manifold the
instances when the infidels decreed My humiliation and Thou didst turn
them into marks of honour for Me...
Verily Thou art the highest aspiration of every earnest seeker and the
Goal of the desire of them that yearn after Thee. Thou art He Who is ready
to answer the call of such as recognize Thy divine unity, and He before
Whom the faint-hearted stand in awe. Thou art the Helper of the needy, the
Deliverer of the captives, the Abaser of the oppressors, the Destroyer of
the wrong-doers, the God of all men, the Lord of all created things. Thine
are the kingdoms of Creation and Revelation, O Thou Who art the Lord of
all the worlds.
O All-Sufficient One! Thou dost suffice Me in every hardship that may
descend upon Me and in every affliction that may wax great before Me. Thou
art My sole Companion in My loneliness, the Delight of My heart in My
solitude and My Best Beloved in My prison and in My Abode. No God is there
but Thee!
Whomsoever Thou dost suffice shall not be put to grief; whomsoever Thou
dost protect shall never perish; whomsoever Thou dost help shall never be
abased; and he unto whom Thou turnest Thy gaze shall never be far removed
from Thee.
Write down for us then whatsoever is of Thee, and forgive us for what we
are. Verily Thou art the Lord of power and glory, the Lord of all the
worlds. 'Far be the glory of Thy Lord, the Lord of all greatness, from
what they impute to Him, and peace be upon His Apostles, and praise be
unto God, the Lord of all the worlds.'(78)
"Glory be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God Who hath ..."
Glory be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God Who hath existed before all
things, Who will exist after all things and will last beyond all things.
Thou art the God Who knoweth all things, and is supreme over all things.
Thou art the God Who dealeth mercifully with all things, Who judgeth
between all things and Whose vision embraceth all things. Thou art God my
Lord, Thou art aware of my position, Thou dost witness my inner and outer
being.
Grant Thy forgiveness unto me and unto the believers who responded to Thy
Call. Be Thou my sufficing helper against the mischief of whosoever may
desire to inflict sorrow upon me or wish me ill. Verily Thou art the Lord
of all created things. Thou dost suffice everyone, while no one can be
self-sufficient without Thee.
"I Implore Thee by the splendour of the light of Thy ..."
I Implore Thee by the splendour of the light of Thy glorious face, the
majesty of Thine ancient grandeur and the power of Thy transcendent
sovereignty to ordain for us at this moment every measure of that which is
good and seemly and to destine for us every portion of the outpourings of
Thy grace. For granting of gifts doth not cause Thee loss, nor doth the
bestowing of favours diminish Thy wealth.
Glorified art Thou, O Lord! Verily I am poor while in truth Thou art rich;
verily I am lowly while in truth Thou art mighty; verily I am impotent
while in truth Thou art powerful; verily I am abased while in truth Thou
art the most exalted; verily I am distressed while in truth Thou art the
Lord of might.
"Do Thou ordain for me, O Lord, every good thing Thou ..."
Do Thou ordain for me, O Lord, every good thing Thou hast created or wilt
create, and shield me from whatever evil Thou abhorrest from among the
things Thou hast caused or wilt cause to exist. In truth Thy knowledge
embraceth all things. Praised be Thou, verily no God is there but Thee,
and nothing whatsoever in the heavens or on the earth and all that is
between them can ever thwart Thy Purpose. Indeed potent art Thou over all
things.
Far be it from the sublimity of Thy Being, O my God, that anyone seek Thy
loving-kindness or favour. Far be it from Thy transcendent glory that
anyone entreat Thee for the evidences of Thy bestowals and tender mercy.
Too high art Thou for any soul to beseech the revelation of Thy gracious
providence and loving care, and too sanctified is Thy glory for anyone to
beg of Thee the outpourings of Thy blessings and of Thy heavenly bounty
and grace. Throughout Thy kingdom of heaven and earth, which is endowed
with manifold bounties, Thou art immeasurably glorified above aught
whereunto any identity could be ascribed.
All that I beg of Thee, O my God, is to enable me, ere my soul departeth
from my body, to attain Thy good-pleasure, even were it granted to me for
a moment tinier than the infinitesimal fraction of a mustard seed. For if
it departeth while Thou art pleased with me, then I shall be free from
every concern or anxiety; but if it abandoneth me while Thou art
displeased with me, then, even had I wrought every good deed, none would
be of any avail, and had I earned every honour and glory, none would serve
to exalt me.
I earnestly beseech Thee then, O my God, to graciously bestow Thy
good-pleasure upon me when Thou dost cause me to ascend unto Thee and make
me appear before Thy holy presence, inasmuch as Thou hast, from
everlasting, been the God of immense bounty unto the people of Thy realm,
and the Lord of most excellent gifts to all that dwell in the exalted
heaven of Thine omnipotence.
"How numerous the souls raised to life who were exposed ..."
How numerous the souls raised to life who were exposed to dire humiliation
in Thy Path for exalting Thy Word and for glorifying Thy divine Unity! How
profuse the blood that hath been shed for the sake of Thy Faith to
vindicate the authenticity of Thy divine Mission and to celebrate Thy
praise! How vast the possessions that were wrongfully seized in the Path
of Thy love in order to affirm the loftiness of Thy sanctity and to extol
Thy glorious Name! How many the feet that have trodden upon the dust in
order to magnify Thy holy Word and to extol Thy glory! How innumerable the
voices that were raised in lamentation, the hearts that were struck with
terror, the grievous woes that none other than Thee can reckon, and the
adversities and afflictions that remain inscrutable to anyone except
Thyself; all this to establish, O my God, the loftiness of Thy sanctity
and to demonstrate the transcendent character of Thy glory.
These decrees were ordained by Thee so that all created things might bear
witness that they have been brought into being for the sake of naught else
but Thee. Thou hast withheld from them the things that bring tranquillity
to their hearts, that they might know of a certainty that whatever is
associated with Thy holy Being is far superior to and exalted above aught
else that would satisfy them; inasmuch as Thine indomitable power
pervadeth all things, and nothing can ever frustrate it.
Indeed Thou hast caused these momentous happenings to come to pass that
those who are endued with perception may readily recognize that they were
ordained by Thee to demonstrate the loftiness of Thy divine Unity and to
affirm the exaltation of Thy sanctity.
"Glory be unto Thee, O Lord! Although Thou mayest ..."
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord! Although Thou mayest cause a person to be
destitute of all earthly possessions, and from the beginning of his life
until his ascension unto Thee he may be reduced to poverty through the
operation of Thy decree, yet wert Thou to have brought him forth from the
Tree of Thy love, such a bounty would indeed be far better for him than
all the things Thou hast created in heaven and earth and whatsoever lieth
between them; inasmuch as he will inherit the heavenly home, through the
revelation of Thy favours, and will partake of the goodly gifts Thou hast
provided therein; for the things which are with Thee are inexhaustible.
This indeed is Thy blessing which according to the good-pleasure of Thy
Will Thou dost bestow on those who tread the path of Thy love.
How numerous the souls who in former times were put to death for Thy sake,
and in whose names all men now pride themselves; and how vast the number
of those whom Thou didst enable to acquire earthly fortunes, and who
amassed them while they were deprived of Thy Truth, and who in this day
have passed into oblivion. Theirs is a grievous chastisement and a dire
punishment.
O Lord! Provide for the speedy growth of the Tree of Thy divine Unity;
water it then, O Lord, with the flowing waters of Thy good-pleasure, and
cause it, before the revelations of Thy divine assurance, to yield such
fruits as Thou desirest for Thy glorification and exaltation, Thy praise
and thanksgiving, and to magnify Thy Name, to laud the oneness of Thine
Essence and to offer adoration unto Thee, inasmuch as all this lieth
within Thy grasp and in that of none other.
Great is the blessedness of those whose blood Thou hast chosen wherewith
to water the Tree of Thine affirmation, and thus to exalt Thy holy and
immutable Word.
Ordain for me, O my Lord, and for those who believe in Thee that which is
deemed best for us in Thine estimation, as set forth in the Mother Book,
for within the grasp of Thy hand Thou holdest the determined measures of
all things.
Thy goodly gifts are unceasingly showered upon such as cherish Thy love
and the wondrous tokens of Thy heavenly bounties are amply bestowed on
those who recognize Thy divine Unity. We commit unto Thy care whatsoever
Thou hast destined for us, and implore Thee to grant us all the good that
Thy knowledge embraceth.
Protect me, O my Lord, from every evil that Thine omniscience perceiveth,
inasmuch as there is no power nor strength but in Thee, no triumph is
forthcoming save from Thy presence, and it is Thine alone to command.
Whatever God hath willed hath been, and that which He hath not willed
shall not be.
There is no power nor strength except in God, the Most Exalted, the Most
Mighty.
"O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to gain ..."
O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to gain admittance into the
Paradise of Thy Faith, so that no created being may remain beyond the
bounds of Thy good-pleasure.
From time immemorial Thou hast been potent to do what pleaseth Thee and
transcendent above whatsoever Thou desirest.
"Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure of ..."
Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure of Thy love and Thy
good-pleasure, and through the attractions of Thy resplendent light
enrapture our hearts, O Thou Who art the Supreme Evidence and the
All-Glorified. Send down upon me, as a token of Thy grace, Thy vitalizing
breezes, throughout the day-time and in the night season, O Lord of
bounty.
No deed have I done, O my God, to merit beholding Thy face, and I know of
a certainty that were I to live as long as the world lasts I would fail to
accomplish any deed such as to deserve this favour, inasmuch as the
station of a servant shall ever fall short of access to Thy holy
precincts, unless Thy bounty should reach me and Thy tender mercy pervade
me and Thy loving-kindness encompass me.
All praise be unto Thee, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God.
Graciously enable me to ascend unto Thee, to be granted the honour of
dwelling in Thy nearness and to have communion with Thee alone. No God is
there but Thee.
Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst
blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except
Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason
of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou
wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he
might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.
"Glory be unto Thee, O Lord, Thou Who hast brought ..."
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord, Thou Who hast brought into being all created
things, through the power of Thy behest.
O Lord! Assist those who have renounced all else but Thee, and grant them
a mighty victory. Send down upon them, O Lord, the concourse of the angels
in heaven and earth and all that is between, to aid Thy servants, to
succour and strengthen them, to enable them to achieve success, to sustain
them, to invest them with glory, to confer upon them honour and
exaltation, to enrich them and to make them triumphant with a wondrous
triumph.
Thou art their Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of
all the worlds. Strengthen this Faith, O Lord, through the power of these
servants and cause them to prevail over all the peoples of the world; for
they, of a truth, are Thy servants who have detached themselves from aught
else but Thee, and Thou verily art the protector of true believers.
Grant Thou, O Lord, that their hearts may, through allegiance to this,
Thine inviolable Faith, grow stronger than anything else in the heavens
and on earth and in whatsoever is between them; and strengthen, O Lord,
their hands with the tokens of Thy wondrous power that they may manifest
Thy power before the gaze of all mankind.
"O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge and toward all ..."
O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge and toward all Thy signs I set my
heart.
O Lord! Whether travelling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work,
I place my whole trust in Thee.
Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make me independent of all
things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy!
Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be
satisfied with whatsoever Thou hast ordained for me.
Thine is the absolute authority to command.
"O Lord! Thou art the Remover of every anguish and the ..."
O Lord! Thou art the Remover of every anguish and the Dispeller of every
affliction. Thou art He Who banisheth every sorrow and setteth free every
slave, the Redeemer of every soul. O Lord! Grant deliverance through Thy
mercy and reckon me among such servants of Thine as have gained salvation.
"Throughout eternity Thou hast been, O my Lord, ..."
Throughout eternity Thou hast been, O my Lord, and wilt ever remain the
One true God, while all else save Thee are needy and poor. Having clung
tenaciously to Thy Cord, O my God, I have detached myself from all
mankind, and having set my face towards the habitation of Thy tender
mercy, I have turned away from all created things. Graciously inspire me,
O my God, through Thy grace and bounty, Thy glory and majesty, and Thy
dominion and grandeur, for no one mighty and all-knowing can I find beside
Thee. Protect me, O my God, through the potency of Thy transcendent and
all-sufficing glory and by the hosts of the heavens and the earth,
inasmuch as in no one can I wholly place my trust but in Thee and no
refuge is there but Thee.
Thou art God, my Lord, Thou knowest my needs, Thou seest my state and art
well aware of what hath befallen me by reason of Thy decree, and of the
earthly sufferings I have endured by Thy leave and as a token of Thy
bounty and favour.
"The glory of glories and the most resplendent light rest ..."
The glory of glories and the most resplendent light rest upon Thee, O my
God. Thy majesty is so transcendent that no human imagination can reach it
and Thy consummate power is so sublime that the birds of men's hearts and
minds can never attain its heights. All beings acknowledge their
powerlessness to praise Thee as beseemeth Thy station. Immeasurably
exalted art Thou. No one can glorify Thy Being, or fathom the evidences of
Thy bounty as it exists in Thine inmost Essence, since Thou alone knowest
Thyself as Thou art in Thyself.
I yield praise unto Thee, O Lord our God, for the bounty of having called
into being the realm of creation and invention--a praise which shineth
resplendent through the potency of Thine inspiration which none other but
Thee can befittingly appraise. I glorify Thee moreover and render Thee
thanks as beseemeth Thine awe-inspiring presence and the glory of Thine
overpowering majesty, for this sublime blessing, this wondrous sign which
is manifest in Thy kingdoms of Revelation and Creation.
All glory be unto Thee. Immeasurably exalted is that which beseemeth Thee.
Verily no one hath ever adequately grasped the loftiness of Thy station,
nor hath any one except Thee recognized Thee as beseemeth Thee. Thou art
manifest through the outpourings of Thy bounty, while no one besides Thee
can fathom the sublimity of Thy Revelation.
Magnified be Thy name. Hath aught else save Thee any independent existence
so as to be capable of hinting at Thy nature, and doth anyone but Thee
possess any trace of identity wherewith I could recognize Thee? All that
is known owes its renown to the splendour of Thy Name, the Most Manifest,
and every object is deeply stirred by the vibrating influence emanating
from Thine invincible Will. Thou art nearer unto all things than all
things.
Lauded and glorified art Thou. Too exalted is Thy loftiness for the hands
of such as are endued with understanding to reach unto Thee, and too
profound is Thy fathomless depth for the rivers of men's minds and
perceptions to flow out therefrom.
"All praise be unto God Who was Ever-Existent ere ..."
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
All praise be unto God Who was Ever-Existent ere created things were
called into being, when there was no one else besides Him. He is the One
Who hath been Ever-Abiding while no element of His creation did yet exist.
Indeed the souls of them that are endued with understanding fail to
comprehend the least manifestation of His attributes, and the minds of
those who have acknowledged His unity are unable to perceive the most
insignificant token of His omnipotence.
Sanctified art Thou, O Lord my God. The tongues of men fall short in
extolling Thy glorious handiwork, how much more then would they falter in
lauding the majesty of Thy transcendent power; and since human
understanding is sore perplexed to fathom the mystery of a single object
of Thy creation, how can anyone ever attain the recognition of Thine Own
Being?
I have known Thee by Thy making known unto me that Thou art unknowable to
anyone save Thyself. I have become apprised by the creation Thou hast
fashioned out of sheer non-existence that the way to attain the
comprehension of Thine Essence is barred to everyone. Thou art God,
besides Whom there is none other God. No one except Thine Own Self can
comprehend Thy nature. Thou art without peer or partner. From everlasting
Thou hast been alone with no one else besides Thee and unto everlasting
Thou wilt continue to be the same, while no created thing shall ever
approach Thine exalted position.
All men, O my God, confess their powerlessness to know Thee as Thou
knowest Thine Own Being; the generative impulse Thou hast released is
manifest throughout the entire creation, and all created things which Thou
hast fashioned are but expressions of Thy wondrous signs. Magnified be Thy
name; Thou art immeasurably exalted above the strivings of anyone among
Thy creatures to attain Thy recognition as is befitting and worthy of
Thee.
Praise be unto Thee! The way in which Thou hast called into being Thy
creation out of non-existence preventeth all created things from
recognizing Thee, and the manner in which Thou hast fashioned the
creatures, with the limitations imposed upon them, proclaimeth their utter
nothingness before the revelations of Thine attributes.
Exalted art Thou, O my God! All mankind are powerless to celebrate Thy
glory and the minds of men fall short of yielding praise unto Thee. I bear
witness in Thy presence, O my God, that Thou art made known by Thy
wondrous tokens and art recognized through the revelations of Thy signs.
The fact that Thou hast brought us forth into existence prompteth me to
acknowledge before Thee that Thou art immeasurably exalted above our
praise, and by virtue of the qualities wherewith Thou hast endowed our
beings I testify unto Thee that Thou art transcendent beyond our
comprehension.
Grant that I may soar to the noblest heights in approaching Thee, and
enable me to draw nigh unto Thee through the fragrance of Thy holiness.
Thus may all impediments be dissolved by the light of ecstasy, and all
remoteness from Thee be dissipated by my attainment unto the seats of
reunion, and the subtle veils which have hindered me from entering Thy
mansion of glory become so rarified that I may gain admittance into Thy
presence, take up my abode near Thee, and voice the expressions of praise
wherewith Thou hast described Thine Own Self unto me, bearing witness that
Thou art God, that there is no God but Thee, the One, the Incomparable,
the Ever-Abiding, that Thou dost not beget, neither art Thou begotten,
that Thou hast no offspring, no partner, nor is there any protector
against humiliation but Thee, and Thou art the Lord of all worlds. I bear
witness also that all besides Thee are but Thy creatures, and are held
within Thy grasp. No one is favoured with means or liveth in want except
by Thy Will. Thou art the King of everlasting days and the supreme Ruler.
Thy might is potent over all things and all created things exist by Thy
Will. All mankind recognize their lowly servitude and confess their
shortcomings and naught is there which doth not celebrate Thy praise.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the glory of Thy merciful Countenance and by
the majesty of Thine ancient Name not to deprive me of the vitalizing
fragrance of the evidences of Thy Days--such Days as Thou Thyself hast
inaugurated and brought forth.
"Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou ..."
Thou art God, no God is there but Thee.
Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art supreme over the
realm of being and Thy power pervadeth all created things. Thou holdest
the kingdom of creation within Thy grasp and dost call into being in
conformity with Thy pleasure.
All praise be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by such souls as
are eagerly waiting at Thy gate and by those holy beings who have attained
the court of Thy presence, to cast upon us the glances of Thy tender
compassion and to regard us with the eye of Thy loving providence. Cause
our souls to be enkindled with the fire of Thy tender affection and give
us to drink of the living waters of Thy bounty. Keep us steadfast in the
path of Thine ardent love and enable us to abide within the precincts of
Thy holiness. Verily Thou art the Giver, the Most Generous, the
All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I invoke Thee by Thy Most Great Name through
which the hidden secrets of God, the Most Exalted, were divulged and the
kindreds of all nations converged toward the focal centre of faith and
certitude, through which Thy luminous Words streamed forth for the
quickening of mankind and the essence of all knowledge was revealed from
that Embodiment of bounty. May my life, my inmost being, my soul and my
body be offered up as a sacrifice for the dust ennobled by His footsteps.
I earnestly beg Thee, O Lord my God, by Thy most glorious Name whereby Thy
sovereignty hath been established and the tokens of Thy might have been
manifested, and whereby the oceans of life and of holy ecstasy have surged
for the reviving of the mouldering bones of all Thy creatures and for the
stirring of the limbs of such as have embraced Thy Cause--I earnestly beg
Thee to graciously ordain for us the good of this world and of the next,
to enable us to gain admission into the court of Thy mercy and
loving-kindness and to kindle in our hearts the fire of joy and ecstasy in
such wise that the hearts of all men may thereby be attracted.
Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Protector, the Almighty, the
Self-Subsisting.
"Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beg Thee to ..."