which would cheer the eyes, and tranquillize the souls, and persuade every
fair-minded person that with Him is the knowledge of the Book. Certain
persons, incapable of answering the objections raised by their opponents,
claim that the Torah and the Gospel have been corrupted, whereas in
reality the references to such corruption pertain only to specific
cases.(51) But for the repudiation of the foolish and the connivance of
the divines, I would have uttered a discourse that would have thrilled and
carried away the hearts unto a realm from the murmur of whose winds can be
heard: "No God is there but He!" For the present, however, since the
season is not ripe, the tongue of My utterance hath been stilled and the
wine of exposition sealed up until such time as God, through the power of
His might, shall please to unseal it. He, verily, is the Almighty, the
Most Powerful.
250 Praise be unto Thee, O Lord My God! I ask Thee by Thy Name, through
which Thou hast subdued all who are in the heavens and all who are on the
earth, to protect the lamp of Thy Cause within the globe of Thine
omnipotence and Thy bountiful favour, lest it be exposed to the blasts of
denial from those who remain heedless of the mysteries of Thy name, the
Unconstrained. Increase, then, by the oil of Thy wisdom, the radiance of
its light. Thou, verily, hast power over all the dwellers of Thine earth
and of Thy heaven.
251 I implore Thee, O My Lord, by that most exalted Word which hath struck
terror into the hearts of all who are in the heavens and on the earth,
save only those who have taken fast hold of Thy Sure Handle, not to
abandon Me amidst Thy creatures. Lift Me up, then, unto Thyself, cause Me
to enter beneath the shadow of Thy mercy, and give Me to drink of the pure
wine of Thy providence, that I may dwell within the tabernacle of Thy
majesty and beneath the canopy of Thy favour. Potent art Thou to do what
pleaseth Thee. Thou, verily, art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
252 O King! The lamps of equity have been extinguished, and the fire of
tyranny hath so blazed on every side that My people have been led as
captives from Zawra'(52) to Mosul, known as Hadba'. This is not the first
outrage that hath been suffered in the path of God. It behoveth every soul
to consider and call to mind that which befell the kindred of the Prophet
when the people took them captive and brought them unto Damascus, known as
Fayha'. Amongst them was the prince of them that worship God, the mainstay
of such as have drawn nigh unto Him, and the sanctuary of those who long
for His presence--may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto him!(53)
253 They were asked: "Are ye of the party of the Seceders?"(54) He
replied: "Nay, by the Lord Almighty. We are but servants who have believed
in God and in His verses. Through us the countenance of faith hath beamed
with joy. Through us the sign of the All-Merciful hath shone forth. At the
mention of our names the desert of Batha(55) hath overflowed with water
and the darkness separating earth and heaven hath been dispelled."
254 "Have ye forbidden", they were asked, "that which God hath made
lawful, or allowed that which He hath forbidden?" "We were the first to
follow the divine commandments", he answered. "We are the root and origin
of His Cause, the beginning of all good and its end. We are the sign of
the Ancient of Days and the source of His remembrance amongst the
nations."
255 They were asked: "Have ye forsaken the Qur'an?" "In our House", he
replied, "did the All-Merciful reveal it. We are the breezes of the
All-Glorious amidst His creation. We are the streams that have branched
out from the Most Great Ocean, through which God hath revived the earth,
and through which He shall revive it again after it hath died. Through us
His signs have been diffused, His proofs revealed, and His tokens
disclosed. With us is the knowledge of His hidden meanings and His untold
mysteries."
256 "For what crime have ye been punished?" they were asked. "For our love
of God", he made reply, "and for our detachment from aught else save Him."
257 We have not related his exact words--peace be upon him!--but rather have
We imparted a sprinkling from that ocean of life eternal that lieth
enshrined within them, that those who hearken thereunto may be quickened
and made aware of what hath befallen the trusted ones of God at the hands
of a lost and wayward generation. We see the people in this day censuring
the oppressors of bygone ages, whilst they themselves commit yet greater
wrongs and know it not!
258 God beareth Me witness that My purpose hath not been to foment
sedition, but to purify His servants from whatsoever hath prevented them
from drawing nigh unto Him, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. I was asleep
upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of My Lord, the All-Merciful, passed
over Me, awoke Me from My slumber, and bade Me lift up My voice betwixt
earth and heaven. This thing is not from Me, but from God. Unto this
testify the dwellers of His Dominion and of His Kingdom, and the
inhabitants of the cities of His unfading glory. By Him Who is the Truth!
I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any affliction in My love for Him
and in the way of His good pleasure. Verily God hath made adversity as a
morning dew upon His green pasture, and a wick for His lamp which lighteth
earth and heaven.
259 Shall a man's wealth endure forever, or protect him from the One Who
shall, erelong, seize him by his forelock? Gazing upon those who sleep
beneath the gravestones, embosomed in the dust, could one ever distinguish
the sovereign's crumbling skull from the subject's mouldering bones? Nay,
by Him Who is the King of kings! Could one discern the lord from the
vassal, or those that enjoyed wealth and riches from those who possessed
neither shoes nor mat? By God! Every distinction hath been erased, save
only for those who upheld the right and who ruled with justice.
260 Whither are gone the learned men, the divines and potentates of old?
What hath become of their discriminating views, their shrewd perceptions,
their subtle insights and sage pronouncements? Where are their hidden
coffers, their flaunted ornaments, their gilded couches, their rugs and
cushions strewn about? Gone forever is their generation! All have
perished, and, by God's decree, naught remaineth of them but scattered
dust. Exhausted is the wealth they gathered, dispersed the stores they
hoarded, dissipated the treasures they concealed. Naught can now be seen
but their deserted haunts, their roofless dwellings, their uprooted
tree-trunks, and their faded splendour. No man of insight will let wealth
distract his gaze from his ultimate objective, and no man of understanding
will allow riches to withhold him from turning unto Him Who is the
All-Possessing, the Most High.
261 Where is he who held dominion over all whereon the sun shineth, who
lived extravagantly on earth, seeking out the luxuries of the world and of
all that hath been created upon it? Where is the commander of the swarthy
legion and the upraiser of the golden standard? Where is the ruler of
Zawra', and where the tyrant of Fayha'?(56) Where are those before whose
munificence the treasure-houses of the earth shrank in shame, and at whose
largesse and swelling spirit the very ocean was abashed? Where is he who
stretched forth his arm in rebellion, and who turned his hand against the
All-Merciful?
262 Where are they who went in quest of earthly pleasures and the fruits
of carnal desires? Whither are fled their fair and comely women? Where are
their swaying branches, their spreading boughs, their lofty mansions,
their trellised gardens? And what of the delights of these gardens--their
exquisite grounds and gentle breezes, their purling streams, their
soughing winds, their cooing doves and rustling leaves? Where now are
their resplendent morns and their brightsome countenances wreathed in
smiles? Alas for them! All have perished and are gone to rest beneath a
canopy of dust. Of them one heareth neither name nor mention; none knoweth
of their affairs, and naught remaineth of their signs.
263 What! Will the people dispute then that whereof they themselves stand
witness? Will they deny that which they know to be true? I know not in
what wilderness they roam! Do they not see that they are embarked upon a
journey from which there is no return? How long will they wander from
mountain to valley, from hollow to hill? "Hath not the time come for those
who believe to humble their hearts at the mention of God?"(57) Blessed is
he who hath said, or now shall say, "Yea, by my Lord! The time is come and
the hour hath struck!", and who, thereafter, shall detach himself from all
that hath been, and deliver himself up entirely unto Him Who is the
Possessor of the universe and the Lord of all creation.
264 And yet, what hope! For naught is reaped save that which hath been
sown, and naught is taken up save that which hath been laid down,(58)
unless it be through the grace and bestowal of the Lord. Hath the womb of
the world yet conceived one whom the veils of glory shall not hinder from
ascending unto the Kingdom of his Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most High?
Is it yet within us to perform such deeds as will dispel our afflictions
and draw us nigh unto Him Who is the Causer of causes? We beseech God to
deal with us according to His bounty, and not His justice, and to grant
that we may be of those who have turned their faces unto their Lord and
severed themselves from all else.
265 I have seen, O Shah, in the path of God what eye hath not seen nor ear
heard. Mine acquaintances have repudiated Me, and My pathways have been
straitened. The fount of well-being hath run dry, and the bower of ease
hath withered. How numerous the tribulations which have rained, and will
soon rain, upon Me! I advance with My face set towards Him Who is the
Almighty, the All-Bounteous, whilst behind Me glideth the serpent. Mine
eyes have rained down tears until My bed is drenched.
266 I sorrow not for Myself, however. By God! Mine head yearneth for the
spear out of love for its Lord. I never passed a tree, but Mine heart
addressed it saying: "O would that thou wert cut down in My name, and My
body crucified upon thee, in the path of My Lord!", for I see the people
wandering distraught and unconscious in their drunken stupor. They have
raised on high their passions and set down their God. Methinks they have
taken His Cause for a mockery and regard it as a play and pastime,
believing all the while that they do well, and that they dwell securely in
the citadel of safety. Howbeit the matter is not as they fondly imagine:
tomorrow shall they behold that which today they are wont to deny!
267 Erelong shall the exponents of wealth and power banish Us from the
land of Adrianople to the city of 'Akka. According to what they say, it is
the most desolate of the cities of the world, the most unsightly of them
in appearance, the most detestable in climate, and the foulest in water.
It is as though it were the metropolis of the owl, within whose precincts
naught can be heard save the echo of its cry. Therein have they resolved
to imprison this Youth, to shut against our faces the doors of ease and
comfort, and to deprive us of every worldly benefit throughout the
remainder of our days.
268 By God! Though weariness lay Me low, and hunger consume Me, and the
bare rock be My bed, and My fellows the beasts of the field, I will not
complain, but will endure patiently as those endued with constancy and
firmness have endured patiently, through the power of God, the Eternal
King and Creator of the nations, and will render thanks unto God under all
conditions. We pray that, out of His bounty--exalted be He--He may release,
through this imprisonment, the necks of men from chains and fetters, and
cause them to turn, with sincere faces, towards His face, Who is the
Mighty, the Bounteous. Ready is He to answer whosoever calleth upon Him,
and nigh is He unto such as commune with Him. We further beseech Him to
make of this darksome tribulation a shield for the Temple of His Cause,
and to protect it from the assault of sharpened swords and pointed
daggers. Adversity hath ever given rise to the exaltation of His Cause and
the glorification of His Name. Such hath been God's method carried into
effect in centuries and ages past. That which the people now fail to
apprehend they shall erelong discover, on that day when their steeds shall
stumble and their finery be folded up, their blades blunted and their feet
made to falter.
269 I know not how long they shall spur on the charger of self and passion
and rove in the wilderness of error and negligence! Shall either the pomp
of the mighty or the wretchedness of the abased endure? Shall he who
reposeth upon the loftiest seat of honour, who hath attained the pinnacle
of might and glory, abide forever? Nay, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All
on earth shall pass away, and there remaineth alone the face of My Lord,
the All-Glorious, the Most-Bountiful.(59)
270 What armour hath not been pierced by the arrow of destruction, and
what regal brow not divested by the hand of Fate? What fortress hath
withstood the approach of the Messenger of Death? What throne hath not
been shattered to pieces, what palace not reduced to rubble? Could the
people but taste that choice Wine of the mercy of their Lord, the
Almighty, the All-Knowing, which lieth in store for them in the world
beyond, they would assuredly cease their censure, and seek only to win the
good pleasure of this Youth. For now, however, they have hidden Me behind
a veil of darkness, whose fabric they have woven with the hands of idle
fancy and vain imagination. Erelong shall the snow-white hand of God rend
an opening through the darkness of this night and unlock a mighty portal
unto His City. On that Day shall the people enter therein by troops,
uttering what the blamers aforetime exclaimed,(60) that there shall be
made manifest in the end that which appeared in the beginning.
271 Is it their wish to tarry here when already they have one foot in the
stirrup? Look they to return, once they are gone? Nay, by Him Who is the
Lord of Lords! save on the Day of Judgement, the Day whereon the people
shall arise from their graves and be asked of their legacy. Well is it
with him who shall not be weighted down with his burdens on that Day, the
Day whereon the mountains shall pass away and all shall gather to be
questioned in the presence of God, the Most Exalted. Stern, indeed, is He
in punishing!
272 We beseech God to purge the hearts of certain divines from rancour and
enmity, that they may look upon matters with an eye unbeclouded by
contempt. May He raise them up unto so lofty a station that neither the
attractions of the world, nor the allurements of authority, may deflect
them from gazing upon the Supreme Horizon, and that neither worldly
benefits nor carnal desires shall prevent them from attaining that Day
whereon the mountains shall be reduced to dust. Though they now rejoice in
the adversity that hath befallen Us, soon shall come a day whereon they
shall lament and weep. By My Lord! Were I given the choice between, on the
one hand, the wealth and opulence, the ease and comfort, the honour and
glory which they enjoy, and, on the other, the adversities and trials
which are Mine, I would unhesitatingly choose My present condition and
would refuse to barter a single atom of these hardships for all that hath
been created in the world of being.
273 But for the tribulations that have touched Me in the path of God, life
would have held no sweetness for Me, and Mine existence would have
profited Me nothing. For them who are endued with discernment, and whose
eyes are fixed upon the Sublime Vision, it is no secret that I have been,
most of the days of My life, even as a slave, sitting under a sword
hanging on a thread, knowing not whether it would fall soon or late upon
him. And yet, notwithstanding all this We render thanks unto God, the Lord
of the worlds, and yield Him praise at all times and under all conditions.
He, verily, standeth witness over all things.
274 We beseech God to extend wide His shadow, that the true believers may
hasten thereunto and that His sincere lovers may seek shelter therein. May
He bestow upon men blossoms from the bowers of His grace and stars from
the horizon of His providence. We pray God, moreover, to graciously aid
the King to do His will and pleasure, and to confirm him in that which
shall draw him nigh unto the Dayspring of God's most excellent names, so
that he may not give countenance to the injustice he witnesseth, may look
upon his subjects with the eye of loving-kindness, and shield them from
oppression. We further beseech God, exalted be He, to gather all mankind
around the Gulf of the Most Great Ocean, an ocean every drop of which
proclaimeth that He is the Harbinger of joy unto the world and the
Quickener of all its peoples. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Day of
Reckoning!
275 And finally We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to enable thee to
aid His Faith and turn towards His justice, that thou mayest judge between
the people even as thou wouldst judge between thine own kindred, and
mayest choose for them that which thou choosest for thine own self. He,
verily, is the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.
276 Thus have We built the Temple with the hands of power and
might, could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised unto you
in the Book. Draw ye nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth
you, could ye but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples of the earth!
Which is preferable, this, or a temple which is built of clay? Set
your faces towards it. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Follow ye His bidding, and
praise ye God, your Lord, for that which He hath bestowed upon
you. He, verily, is the Truth. No God is there but He. He
revealeth what He pleaseth, through His words "Be and it is".
SURIY-I-RA'IS
In His name, the All-Glorious!
1 Hearken, O Chief,(61) to the voice of God, the Sovereign, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He, verily, calleth aloud between heaven and
earth, summoning all mankind unto the scene of transcendent glory. Neither
thy grunting, nor the barking of those around thee, nor the opposition of
the hosts of the world can withhold the Almighty from achieving His
purpose. The whole world hath been set ablaze by the Word of thy Lord, the
All-Glorious, a Word softer than the morning breeze. It hath been
manifested in the form of the human temple, and through it God hath
quickened the souls of the sincere among His servants. In its inner
essence, this Word is the living water by which God hath purified the
hearts of such as have turned unto Him and forgotten every other mention,
and through which He draweth them nigh unto the seat of His mighty Name.
We have sprinkled it upon the people of the graves, and lo, they have
risen up, with their gaze fixed upon the shining and resplendent Beauty of
their Lord.
2 Thou hast, O Chief, committed that which hath caused Muhammad, the
Apostle of God, to lament in the most sublime Paradise. The world hath
made thee proud, so much so that thou hast turned away from the Face
through whose brightness the Concourse on high hath been illumined. Soon
thou shalt find thyself in manifest loss! Thou didst conspire with the
Persian Ambassador to harm Me, though I had come unto you from the source
of majesty and grandeur with a Revelation that hath solaced the eyes of
the favoured ones of God.
3 By God! This is the Day wherein the undying Fire crieth out from within
all created things: "The Best-Beloved of the worlds is come!" And before
all things there standeth a Moses, hearkening to the Word of thy Lord, the
Almighty, the All-Knowing. Were We to divest Ourself of the mortal raiment
which We have worn in consideration of your weakness, all that are in
heaven and on earth would offer up their souls for My sake. To this thy
Lord Himself doth testify. None, however, can perceive it save those who
have detached themselves from all things for love of their Lord, the
Almighty, the Most Powerful.
4 Hast thou imagined thyself capable of extinguishing the fire which God
hath kindled in the heart of creation? Nay, by Him Who is the Eternal
Truth, couldst thou but know it. Rather, on account of what thy hands have
wrought, it blazed higher and burned more fiercely. Erelong will it
encompass the earth and all that dwell therein. Thus hath it been decreed
by God, and the powers of earth and heaven are unable to thwart His
purpose.
5 The day is approaching when the Land of Mystery(62) and what is beside
it shall be changed, and shall pass out of the hands of the King, and
commotions shall appear, and the voice of lamentation shall be raised, and
the evidences of mischief shall be revealed on all sides, and confusion
shall spread by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the
hands of the hosts of oppression. The course of things shall be altered,
and conditions shall wax so grievous, that the very sands on the desolate
hills will moan, and the trees on the mountain will weep, and blood will
flow out of all things. Then wilt thou behold the people in sore
distress.(63)
6 O Chief! We revealed Ourself unto thee at one time upon Mount Tina, and
at another time upon Mount Zayta,(64) and yet again in this hallowed Spot.
Following, however, thy corrupt inclinations, thou didst fail to respond
and wert accounted with the heedless. Consider, then, and call thou to
mind the time when Muhammad came with clear tokens from Him Who is the
Almighty, the All-Knowing. The people were wont to pelt Him with stones
from hidden places and in the markets, and they rejected the signs of God,
thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. The learned also denied Him, as
did their followers, and likewise the kings of the earth, as thou hast
heard from the tales of old. Among those kings was Chosroes,(65) to whom
Muhammad sent a blessed epistle summoning him unto God and forbidding him
from misbelief. Verily, thy Lord knoweth all things. Following the
promptings of his evil and corrupt desires, however, Chosroes waxed
arrogant before God and tore up the Tablet. He, verily, is accounted among
the inmates of the nethermost fire.
7 Was it in Pharaoh's power to stay the hand of God from exercising His
sovereignty when he acted wantonly in the land and was of the
transgressors? From within his own house and in spite of his will We
brought forth Him Who conversed with God. Well able are We to achieve Our
purpose. Recall, moreover, how Nimrod kindled the fire of impiety that its
flames might consume Abraham, the Friend of God; We delivered Him,
however, through the power of truth and seized Nimrod with the fury of Our
wrath. Say: The Oppressor(66) put to death the Beloved of the worlds to
quench the light of God amongst the people and to debar them from the
wellspring of life eternal in the days of thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most
Bountiful.
8 We, too, have revealed the Cause of God in His cities and raised aloft
His remembrance amidst them that truly believe in Him. Say: This Youth
hath come to quicken the world and unite all its peoples. The day is
approaching when that which God hath purposed will have prevailed and thou
shalt behold the earth transformed into the all-glorious paradise. Thus
hath it been inscribed by the Pen of Revelation upon this weighty Tablet.
9 Forsake Thy mention of the Chief, O Pen, and call to remembrance Anis,
that intimate of the love of God who severed himself from the wayward and
the infidel. He tore the veils asunder in such wise that the inmates of
Paradise could hear them being rent. Glorified be God, the Sovereign, the
Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
10 O nightingale! Incline thine ear unto the voice of the All-Glorious on
this night when armed troops have surrounded Us while We remain in a state
of utmost joy. O would that our blood might be shed upon the earth and our
bodies cast upon the dust in the path of God! This, indeed, is My desire
and the desire of whosoever hath sought Me and attained unto My most
wondrous, Mine incomparable Kingdom.