expenditures, and laying the burden thereof on your subjects. This,
verily, is wholly and grossly unjust. Fear the sighs and tears of this
Wronged One, and lay not excessive burdens on your peoples. Do not rob
them to rear palaces for yourselves; nay rather choose for them that which
ye choose for yourselves. Thus We unfold to your eyes that which profiteth
you, if ye but perceive. Your people are your treasures. Beware lest your
rule violate the commandments of God, and ye deliver your wards to the
hands of the robber. By them ye rule, by their means ye subsist, by their
aid ye conquer. Yet, how disdainfully ye look upon them! How strange, how
very strange!
180 Now that ye have refused the Most Great Peace, hold ye fast unto this,
the Lesser Peace, that haply ye may in some degree better your own
condition and that of your dependents.
181 O rulers of the earth! Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may
need no more armaments save in a measure to safeguard your territories and
dominions. Beware lest ye disregard the counsel of the All-Knowing, the
Faithful.
182 Be united, O kings of the earth, for thereby will the tempest of
discord be stilled amongst you, and your peoples find rest, if ye be of
them that comprehend. Should any one among you take up arms against
another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice.
Thus did We exhort you in the Tablet sent down aforetime,(22) and We
admonish you once again to follow that which hath been revealed by Him Who
is the Almighty, the All-Wise. Should anyone seek refuge with you, extend
unto him your protection and betray him not. Thus doth the Pen of the Most
High counsel you, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed.
183 Beware lest ye act as did the King of Islam(23) when We came unto him
at his bidding. His ministers pronounced judgement against Us with such
injustice that all creation lamented and the hearts of those who are nigh
unto God were consumed. The winds of self and passion move them as they
will, and We found them all bereft of constancy. They are, indeed, of
those that are far astray.
184 Rein in Thy pen, O Pen of the Ancient of Days, and leave them to
themselves, for they are immersed in their idle fancies. Make Thou mention
of the Queen, that she may turn with a pure heart unto the scene of
transcendent glory, may withhold not her eyes from gazing toward her Lord,
the Supreme Ordainer, and may become acquainted with that which hath been
revealed in the Books and Tablets by the Creator of all mankind, He
through Whom the sun hath been darkened and the moon eclipsed, and through
Whom the Call hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven.
185 Turn thou unto God and say: O my Sovereign Lord! I am but a vassal of
Thine, and Thou art, in truth, the King of kings. I have lifted my
suppliant hands unto the heaven of Thy grace and Thy bounties. Send down,
then, upon me from the clouds of Thy generosity that which will rid me of
all save Thee, and draw me nigh unto Thyself. I beseech Thee, O my Lord,
by Thy name, which Thou hast made the king of names and the manifestation
of Thyself to all who are in heaven and on earth, to rend asunder the
veils that have intervened between me and my recognition of the
Dawning-Place of Thy signs and the Dayspring of Thy Revelation. Thou art,
verily, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Bounteous. Deprive me not,
O my Lord, of the fragrances of the Robe of Thy mercy in Thy days, and
write down for me that which Thou hast written down for Thy handmaidens
who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and have recognized Thee, and
set their hearts towards the horizon of Thy Cause. Thou art truly the Lord
of the worlds and of those who show mercy the Most Merciful. Assist me,
then, O my God, to remember Thee amongst Thy handmaidens, and to aid Thy
Cause in Thy lands. Accept, then, that which hath escaped me when the
light of Thy countenance shone forth. Thou, indeed, hast power over all
things. Glory be to Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of the
heavens and of the earth.
Nasiri'd-Din Shah
186 O King of the Earth! Hearken unto the call of this Vassal: Verily, I
am a Servant Who hath believed in God and in His signs, and have
sacrificed Myself in His path. Unto this bear witness the woes which now
beset Me, woes the like of which no man hath ever before sustained. My
Lord, the All-Knowing, testifieth to the truth of My words. I have
summoned the people unto none save God, thy Lord and the Lord of the
worlds, and have endured for love of Him such afflictions as the eye of
creation hath never beheld. To this testify those whom the veils of human
fancy have not deterred from turning unto the Most Sublime Vision, and,
beyond them, He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in the preserved
Tablet.
187 Whensoever the clouds of tribulation have rained down the darts of
affliction in the path of God, the Lord of all names, I have hastened to
meet them, as every fair-minded and discerning soul shall attest. How many
the nights which found the beasts of the field resting in their lairs, and
the birds of the air lying in their nests, while this Youth languished in
chains and fetters with none to aid or succour Him!
188 Call Thou to mind God's mercy unto Thee; how, when Thou wert
imprisoned with a number of other souls, He delivered Thee and aided Thee
with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, until the King sent Thee to
'Iraq after We had disclosed unto him that Thou wert not of the sowers of
sedition. Those who follow their corrupt desires and lay aside the fear of
God are indeed in grievous error. They that spread disorder in the land,
shed the blood of men, and wrongfully consume the substance of others--We,
verily, are clear of them, and We beseech God not to associate Us with
them, whether in this world or in the world to come, unless they should
repent unto Him. He, verily, is of those who show mercy the most merciful.
189 Whoso turneth towards God must distinguish himself from others by his
every deed, and follow that which hath been enjoined upon him in the Book.
Thus hath it been decreed in a lucid Tablet. Those, however, who cast
behind their backs the commandments of God, and follow the prompting of
their own desires, are, verily, in grievous error.
190 O King! I adjure thee by thy Lord, the All-Merciful, to look upon thy
servants with the glances of the eye of thy favour, and to treat them with
justice, that God may treat thee with mercy. Potent is thy Lord to do as
He pleaseth. The world, with all its abasement and glory, shall pass away,
and the kingdom will remain unto God, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing.
191 Say: He hath kindled the lamp of utterance, and feedeth it with the
oil of wisdom and understanding. Too high is thy Lord, the All-Merciful,
for aught in the universe to resist His Faith. He revealeth what He
pleaseth through the power of His sovereign might, and protecteth it with
a host of His well-favoured angels. He is supreme over His servants and
exerciseth undisputed dominion over His creation. He, verily, is the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
192 O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo,
the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the
knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One
Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between
earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears
of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I
studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt,
that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely.
This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty,
the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds
are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! They
move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the
Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to
speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His
behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate,
the Merciful, transformed Me. Can anyone speak forth of his own accord
that for which all men, both high and low, will protest against him? Nay,
by Him Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him whom the grace
of the Almighty, the All-Powerful, hath strengthened.
193 The Pen of the Most High addresseth Me, saying: Fear not. Relate unto
His Majesty the Shah that which befell thee. His heart, verily, is between
the fingers of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, that haply the sun of justice
and bounty may shine forth above the horizon of his heart. Thus hath the
decree been irrevocably fixed by Him Who is the All-Wise.
194 Look upon this Youth, O King, with the eyes of justice; judge thou,
then, with truth concerning what hath befallen Him. Of a verity, God hath
made thee His shadow amongst men, and the sign of His power unto all that
dwell on earth. Judge thou between Us and them that have wronged Us
without proof and without an enlightening Book. They that surround thee
love thee for their own sakes, whereas this Youth loveth thee for thine
own sake, and hath had no desire except to draw thee nigh unto the seat of
grace, and to turn thee toward the right hand of justice. Thy Lord beareth
witness unto that which I declare.
195 O King! Wert thou to incline thine ear unto the shrill of the Pen of
Glory and the cooing of the Dove of Eternity which, on the branches of the
Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, uttereth praises to God, the
Maker of all names and Creator of earth and heaven, thou wouldst attain
unto a station from which thou wouldst behold in the world of being naught
save the effulgence of the Adored One, and wouldst regard thy sovereignty
as the most contemptible of thy possessions, abandoning it to whosoever
might desire it, and setting thy face toward the Horizon aglow with the
light of His countenance. Neither wouldst thou ever be willing to bear the
burden of dominion save for the purpose of helping thy Lord, the Exalted,
the Most High. Then would the Concourse on high bless thee. O how
excellent is this most sublime station, couldst thou ascend thereunto
through the power of a sovereignty recognized as derived from the Name of
God!
196 Amongst the people are those who allege that this Youth hath had no
purpose but to perpetuate His name, whilst others claim that He hath
sought for Himself the vanities of the world--this, notwithstanding that
never, throughout all My days, have I found a place of safety, be it to
the extent of a single foothold. At all times have I been immersed in an
ocean of tribulations, whose full measure none can fathom but God. He,
truly, is aware of what I say. How many the days in which My loved ones
have been sorely shaken by reason of My afflictions, and how many the
nights during which My kindred, fearing for My life, have bitterly wept
and lamented! And this none can deny save them that are bereft of
truthfulness. Is it conceivable that He Who expecteth to lose His life at
any moment should seek after worldly vanities? How very strange the
imaginings of those who speak as prompted by their own caprices, and who
wander distractedly in the wilderness of self and passion! Erelong shall
they be called upon to account for their words, and on that day they shall
find none to befriend or help them.
197 And amongst the people are those who claim that He hath disbelieved in
God--yet every member of My body testifieth that there is none other God
but Him; that those Whom He hath raised up in truth and sent forth with
His guidance are the Manifestations of His most excellent names, the
Revealers of His most exalted attributes, and the Repositories of His
Revelation in the kingdom of creation; that through them the Proof of God
hath been perfected unto all else but Him, the standard of Divine Unity
hath been raised, and the sign of sanctity hath been made manifest; and
that through them every soul hath found a path unto the Lord of the Throne
on high. We testify that there is none other God but Him, that from
everlasting He was alone with none else besides Him, and that He shall be
unto everlasting what He hath ever been. Too high is the All-Merciful for
the hearts of those who have recognized Him to apprehend His true nature,
or for the minds of men to hope to fathom His essence. He verily is
exalted above the understanding of anyone besides Himself, and sanctified
beyond the comprehension of all else save Him. From all eternity He hath
been independent of the entire creation.
198 Remember the days in which the Sun of Batha(24) shone forth above the
horizon of the Will of thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High, and recall
how the divines of that age turned away from Him, and the learned
contended with Him, that haply thou mayest apprehend that which, in this
day, remaineth concealed behind the veils of glory. So grievous became His
plight on every side that He instructed His companions to disperse. Thus
was the decree made manifest from the heaven of divine glory. Remember,
furthermore, how, when one of these same companions came before the King
of Ethiopia and recited unto him a Surih of the Qur'an, he declared to his
attendants: "This, truly, hath been revealed by One Who is All-Knowing and
All-Wise. Whoso acknowledgeth the truth, and believeth in the teachings of
Jesus, can in no wise deny what hath been recited. We, verily, bear
witness to its truth, even as we bear witness to the truth of that which
we possess of the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."
199 I swear by God, O King! Wert thou to incline thine ear to the melodies
of that Nightingale which warbleth in manifold accents upon the mystic
bough as bidden by thy Lord, the All-Merciful, thou wouldst cast away thy
sovereignty and set thy face towards this Scene of transcendent glory,
above whose horizon shineth the Book of the Dawntide,(25) and wouldst
expend all that thou possessest in thine eagerness to obtain the things of
God. Then wouldst thou find thyself raised up to the summit of exaltation
and glory, and elevated to the pinnacle of majesty and independence. Thus
hath the decree been recorded in the Mother Book by the Pen of the
All-Merciful. Of what avail are the things which are yours today and which
tomorrow others shall possess? Choose for thyself that which God hath
chosen for His elect, and God shall grant thee a mighty sovereignty in His
Kingdom. We beseech God to aid thy Majesty to hearken unto that Word whose
radiance hath enveloped the whole world, and to protect thee from such as
have strayed far from the court of His presence.
200 Glory be to Thee, O Lord My God! How many the heads which were raised
aloft on spears in Thy path, and how many the breasts which were made the
target of arrows for the sake of Thy good pleasure! How many the hearts
that have been lacerated for the exaltation of Thy Word and the promotion
of Thy Cause, and how many the eyes that have wept sore for love of Thee!
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the King of kings and the Pitier of the
downtrodden, by Thy Most Great Name which Thou hast made the Dawning-Place
of Thy most excellent names and the Dayspring of Thy most exalted
attributes, to remove the veils that have come in between Thee and Thy
creatures and debarred them from turning unto the horizon of Thy
Revelation. Cause them, then, O My God, by Thy most exalted Word, to turn
from the left hand of oblivion and delusion unto the right hand of
knowledge and certitude, that they may know what Thou hast purposed for
them through Thy bounty and grace, and may set their faces towards Him Who
is the Manifestation of Thy Cause and the Revealer of Thy signs.
201 O My God! Thou art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite.
Withhold not Thy servants from the most mighty Ocean, which Thou hast made
the repository of the pearls of Thy knowledge and Thy wisdom, and turn
them not away from Thy gate, which Thou hast opened wide before all who
are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth. O Lord! Leave them not to
themselves, for they understand not and flee from that which is better for
them than all that Thou hast created upon Thine earth. Cast upon them, O
My God, the glances of the eye of Thy favour and bounty, and deliver them
from self and passion, that they may draw nigh unto Thy most exalted
Horizon, taste the sweetness of Thy remembrance, and delight in that bread
which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the firmament of
Thy grace. From everlasting Thy bounty hath embraced the entire creation
and Thy mercy hath surpassed all things. No God is there but Thee, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
202 Glorified art Thou, O Lord My God! Thou well knowest that Mine heart
hath melted in Thy Cause, and that My blood so boileth in My veins with
the fire of Thy love that every drop of it proclaimeth with its inner
tongue: "Grant that I may be spilt upon the ground for Thy sake, O my
Lord, the Most High, that from it there may spring forth that which Thou
hast purposed in Thy Tablets and hast hidden from the eyes of all, except
such servants as have tasted of the crystal stream of knowledge from the
hands of Thy grace and quaffed the soft-flowing waters of understanding
from the cup of Thy bestowal."
203 Thou knowest, O My God, that in all Mine affairs I have sought only to
obey Thy bidding, that in Mine every utterance I have wished only to extol
Thy praise, and that in whatsoever hath proceeded from My Pen I have
purposed only to win Thy good pleasure and to reveal that which Thou hast
enjoined upon Me through Thy sovereignty.
204 Thou beholdest Me, O My God, as one bewildered in Thy land. Whensoever
I make mention of that which Thou hast enjoined upon Me, Thy creatures
cavil at Me; yet were I to neglect that which Thou hast bidden Me observe,
I would deserve the scourge of Thine anger and would be far removed from
the meadows of Thy nearness. Nay, by Thy glory! I have set My face towards
Thy good pleasure, and turned away from the things whereon Thy servants
have set their affections. I have embraced all that is with Thee, and
forsaken all that might lead Me away from the retreats of Thy nearness and
the heights of Thy glory. I swear by Thy might! With Thy love in My heart
nothing can ever alarm Me, and in the path of Thy good pleasure all the
world's afflictions can in no wise dismay Me. All this, however,
proceedeth from Thy power and Thy might, from Thy bounty and Thy grace,
and is not of Mine own deserving.
205 This is an Epistle, O My God, which I have purposed to send unto the
King. Thou knowest that I have wished of him naught but that he should
show forth justice to Thy servants and extend his favours unto the people
of Thy kingdom. For Myself I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and
through Thy succour I wish for naught save that which Thou wishest. Perish
the soul that seeketh from Thee aught save Thyself! I swear by Thy glory!
Thy good pleasure is my dearest wish, and Thy purpose My highest hope.
Have mercy, O My God, upon this poor creature Who hath clung unto the hem
of Thy riches, and this suppliant soul Who calleth upon Thee, saying,
"Thou art, verily, the Lord of might and glory!" Assist Thou, O My God,
His Majesty the Shah to keep Thy statutes amidst Thy servants and to
manifest Thy justice amongst Thy creatures, that he may treat this people
as he treateth others. Thou art, in truth, the God of power, of glory and
wisdom.
206 By the leave and permission of the King of the Age, this Servant
journeyed from the Seat of Sovereignty(26) to 'Iraq, and dwelt for twelve
years in that land. Throughout the entire course of this period no account
of Our condition was submitted to the court of thy presence, and no
representation ever made to foreign powers. Placing Our whole trust in
God, We resided in that land until there came to 'Iraq a certain
official(27) who, upon his arrival, undertook to harass this poor company
of exiles. Day after day, at the instigation of some of the outwardly
learned and of other individuals, he would stir up trouble for these
servants, although they had at no time committed any act detrimental to
the state and its people or contrary to the rules and customs of the
citizens of the realm.
207 Fearing lest the actions of these transgressors should produce some
outcome at variance with thy world-adorning judgement, this Servant
despatched a brief account of the matter to Mirza Sa'id Khan(28) at the
Foreign Ministry, so that he might submit it to the royal presence and
that whatever thou shouldst please to decree in this respect might be
obeyed. A long while elapsed, and no decree was issued. Finally matters
came to such a pass that there loomed the threat of imminent strife and
bloodshed. Of necessity, therefore, and for the protection of the servants
of God, a few of them appealed to the Governor of 'Iraq.(29)
208 Wert thou to observe these events with the eye of fairness, it would
become clear and evident in the luminous mirror of thine heart that what
occurred was called for by the circumstances, and that no other
alternative could be seen. His Majesty himself is witness that in whatever
city a number of this people have resided, the hostility of certain
functionaries hath enkindled the flame of conflict and contention. This
evanescent Soul, however, hath, since His arrival in 'Iraq, forbidden all
to engage in dissension and strife. The witness of this Servant is His
very deeds, for all are well aware and will testify that, although a
greater number of this people resided in 'Iraq than in any other land, no
one overstepped his limits or transgressed against his neighbour. Fixing
their gaze upon God, and reposing their trust in Him, all have now been
abiding in peace for well-nigh fifteen years, and, in whatever hath
befallen them, they have shown forth patience and resigned themselves to
God.
209 After the arrival of this Servant in this, the city of Adrianople,
some of the people of 'Iraq and elsewhere inquired about the meaning of
the term "rendering assistance unto God" which hath been mentioned in the
Holy Scriptures. Several answers were sent out in reply, one of which is
set forth in these pages, that it may be clearly demonstrated in the court
of thy presence that this Servant hath had no end in view but to promote
the betterment and well-being of the world. And if certain of the divine
favours which, undeserving as I may be, God hath pleased to bestow upon Me
be not plain and manifest, this much at least will be clear and apparent,
that He, in His surpassing mercy and infinite grace, hath not deprived
Mine heart of the ornament of reason. The passage that was referred to
concerning the meaning of "rendering assistance unto God" is as follows:
_He is God, exalted be His glory!_
210 It is clear and evident that the one true God--glorified be His
mention!--is sanctified above the world and all that is therein. By
"rendering assistance unto God", then, it is not meant that any
soul should fight or contend with another. That Sovereign Lord Who
doeth whatsoever He pleaseth hath entrusted the kingdom of
creation, its lands and its seas, into the hands of the kings, for
they are, each according to his degree, the manifestations of His
divine power. Should they enter beneath the shadow of the True
One, they will be accounted of God, and if not, thy Lord, verily,
knoweth and observeth all things.
211 That which God--glorified be His Name!--hath desired for Himself
is the hearts of His servants, which are the treasuries of His
love and remembrance and the repositories of His knowledge and
wisdom. It hath ever been the wish of the Eternal King to cleanse
the hearts of His servants from the things of the world and all
that pertaineth thereunto, that they may be made worthy recipients
of the effulgent splendours of Him Who is the King of all names
and attributes. Wherefore must no stranger be allowed in the city
of the heart, that the incomparable Friend may enter His abode. By
this is meant the effulgence of His names and attributes, and not
His exalted Essence, inasmuch as that peerless King hath ever
been, and shall eternally remain, sanctified above ascent and
descent.
212 It followeth, therefore, that rendering assistance unto God,
in this day, doth not and shall never consist in contending or
disputing with any soul; nay rather, what is preferable in the
sight of God is that the cities of men's hearts, which are ruled
by the hosts of self and passion, should be subdued by the sword
of utterance, of wisdom and of understanding. Thus, whoso seeketh
to assist God must, before all else, conquer, with the sword of
inner meaning and explanation, the city of his own heart and guard
it from the remembrance of all save God, and only then set out to
subdue the cities of the hearts of others.