beloved of God at the mercy of Our adversaries. Sentinels were posted at
every gate and no one was permitted to enter or leave. Indeed, they
perpetrated a sore injustice, for the loved ones of God and His kindred
were left on the first night without food. Such was the fate of those for
whose sake the world and all that is therein have been created. Woe betide
the perpetrators and those who led them into such evil! Erelong will God
consume their souls in the fire. He, verily, is the fiercest of avengers.
12 The people surrounded the house, and Muslims and Christians wept over
Us, and the voice of lamentation was upraised between earth and heaven by
reason of what the hands of the oppressors had wrought. We perceived that
the weeping of the people of the Son exceeded the weeping of others--a sign
for such as ponder.
13 One of My companions offered up his life, cutting his throat with his
own hands for the love of God, an act unheard of in bygone centuries and
which God hath set apart for this Revelation as an evidence of the power
of His might.(67) He, verily, is the Unconstrained, the All-Subduing. As
for the one who thus slew himself in 'Iraq,(68) he truly is the King and
Beloved of Martyrs, and that which he evinced was a testimony from God
unto the peoples of the earth. Such souls have been influenced by the Word
of God, have tasted the sweetness of His remembrance, and are so
transported by the breezes of reunion that they have detached themselves
from all that dwell on earth and turned unto the Divine Countenance with
faces beaming with light. And though they have committed an act which God
hath forbidden, He hath nevertheless forgiven them as a token of His
mercy. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. So
enraptured were these souls by Him Who is the All-Compelling that the
reins of volition slipped from their grasp, until at last they ascended to
the dwelling of the Unseen and entered the presence of God, the Almighty,
the All-Knowing.
14 Say: This Youth hath departed out of this country and deposited beneath
every tree and every stone a trust, which God will erelong bring forth
through the power of truth. Thus hath the True One come and the command of
Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise, been fulfilled. The hosts of earth
and heaven are powerless to resist His Cause, nor can all the kings and
rulers of the world ever frustrate His purpose. Say: Adversity is the oil
which feedeth the flame of this Lamp and by which its light is increased,
did ye but know. Indeed, the repudiation of the froward serveth but to
proclaim this Faith and to spread the Cause of God and His Revelation
throughout the world.
15 Great is your blessedness, inasmuch as ye have forsaken your homes and
wandered the land for the love of your Lord, the Almighty, the Ancient of
Days, until ye entered the Land of Mystery at a time when the fire of
oppression was ablaze and the croaking of the raven of discord had been
raised. Ye are My partners in My tribulations, for ye were present with Us
during the darksome night in which the hearts of those who testify to the
unity of God were agitated. Ye entered this land for the sake of Our love,
and departed therefrom through Our command. By the righteousness of God!
Because of you the earth itself glorieth over heaven. How excellent is
this most sublime, this glorious and exalted bounty! Ye have been deprived
of your nest, O birds of eternity, for the sake of your Lord, the
Unconstrained, but your true abode is beneath the wings of the grace of
the All-Merciful. Blessed are they that understand.
16 O My Dhabih! May the breaths of the spirit waft upon thee and upon such
as have sought communion with thee, inhaled from thee the sweet fragrance
of My presence, and hearkened unto that whereby the hearts of the true
seekers are sanctified. Render thanks unto God inasmuch as thou hast
attained unto the shores of this Most Great Ocean, and give ear to the
very atoms of the earth proclaiming: "This is the Best-Beloved of the
worlds!" The dwellers of the earth have wronged Him and failed to
recognize the One Whose name they ceaselessly invoke. Lost are such as
have remained heedless and have opposed Him for Whose loved ones it would
have behoved them to offer up their lives, how much more for His own
luminous and resplendent Beauty!
17 Be thou patient, though thy heart be consumed in its separation from
God, for He hath granted thee an exalted station in His presence. Nay,
thou art even now standing before His face, and We are imparting unto
thee, through the tongue of might and power, such words as even the ears
of the sincere ones have been deprived of hearing. Say: Were He to utter
but one word, that word alone would exceed in sweetness all the sayings of
men.
18 Had Muhammad, the Apostle of God, attained this Day, He would have
exclaimed: "I have truly recognized Thee, O Thou the Desire of the Divine
Messengers!" Had Abraham attained it, He too, falling prostrate upon the
ground, and in the utmost lowliness before the Lord thy God, would have
cried: "Mine heart is filled with peace, O Thou Lord of all that is in
heaven and on earth! I testify that Thou hast unveiled before mine eyes
all the glory of Thy power and the full majesty of Thy law! I bear
witness, moreover, that through Thy Revelation the hearts of the faithful
are well assured and contented." Had Moses Himself attained it, He,
likewise, would have raised His voice saying: "All praise be to Thee for
having lifted upon me the light of Thy countenance and enrolled me among
them that have been privileged to behold Thy face!"
19 Consider the people and their condition. Reflect upon the things that
their mouths have uttered and that their hands have wrought in this
blessed, this most holy and peerless Day. They that have tarnished the
good name of the Cause of God and turned unto the Evil One are accursed of
all created things and are numbered among the inmates of the fire. Verily,
whosoever hath hearkened to My call shall remain unperturbed by the
clamour of all that are on earth; and whosoever is influenced by the words
of anyone beside Me hath never heard My call. By God! Such a man is
deprived of entering My Kingdom, is debarred from My realms of majesty and
power, and is of them that are in utter loss.
20 Sorrow not for that which hath befallen thee. Thou hast borne for My
love that which most people have never endured. Thy Lord knoweth and is
informed of all. He was with thee in the assemblages and gatherings, and
heard that which flowed from the wellspring of thy heart in remembrance of
thy Lord, the All-Merciful. This, indeed, is a token of His bountiful
favour.
21 Erelong will God raise up from among the kings one who will aid His
loved ones. He, verily, encompasseth all things. He will instill in the
hearts the love of His loved ones. This, indeed, is irrevocably decreed by
One Who is the Almighty, the Beneficent.
22 We beseech God to gladden the hearts of His servants through thy call,
to make thee an ensign of guidance in His lands, and to assist through
thee those who have been brought low. Heed not the one who raised a loud
clamour and he who raiseth it even now. Let thy Lord, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Generous, be all-sufficient unto thee. Relate unto My loved ones
that which thou hast seen and learned of the tale of this Youth, and
convey unto them that which We have imparted unto thee. Verily, thy Lord
assisteth and watcheth over thee at all times and under all conditions.
The blessings of the Concourse on high surround thee, and the kindred and
the leaves of the holy family who circle round the celestial Tree extol
thee with a wondrous praise.
23 O Pen of Revelation! Call Thou to remembrance him(69) whose letter
reached Us during this darksome night. He it is who wandered from region
to region until he entered the City,(70) seeking the shelter of the mercy
of his Lord, the Almighty, the Most High. Eagerly awaiting the favours of
his Lord, he dwelt therein for a night, but departed therefrom the
following morning as bidden by God, filling with sorrow the heart of this
Youth. To this the Almighty is Himself a witness.
24 Great is thy blessedness, for thou hast received the wine of utterance
from the hand of the All-Merciful, and became so enraptured by the sweet
fragrance of the Best-Beloved as to renounce thy comfort and to be
numbered with them that have hastened unto His Paradise, the Dawning-Place
of the signs of thy Lord, the Gracious, the Peerless. Happy the one who
hath quaffed the wine of inner mysteries from the countenance of his Lord
and been intoxicated by this pure and crystal draught. By God! It causeth
every true believer to soar in the heaven of majesty and grandeur, and
transmuteth every doubt into certainty.
25 Grieve not at what hath befallen thee, but put thy whole trust in God,
the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the Wise. Raise thy house upon the solid
foundation of divine utterances, and give praise to thy Lord. He, verily,
shall suffice thee above all the peoples of the earth.
26 God hath, in truth, inscribed your names upon a Tablet wherein are
enshrined the hidden secrets of all that hath been. Erelong shall the
faithful call to remembrance your exile and all your journeys in His path.
He, verily, loveth those who love Him, and is the helper of the sincere.
By the righteousness of God! The eyes of the Concourse on high are fixed
upon you and their fingers point towards you. Thus doth the bounty of your
Lord encompass you. Would that the people might recognize that which hath
escaped them in the days of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.
27 Render thanks unto God for having aided thee to know Him and to enter
within the precincts of His court at a time when the ungodly surrounded
the family of thy Lord and His loved ones, and expelled them from their
homes with manifest cruelty, intending to separate us at the shore of the
sea. Verily, thy Lord is aware of that which lieth concealed within the
breasts of the unbelievers. Say: Even should ye tear our bodies asunder,
ye could not banish from our hearts the love of God. We were of a truth
created for sacrifice, and in this do we take pride before all creation.
28 O thou who art set aglow with the fire of the love of God! Know thou
that thy letter hath reached Us and that We have been apprised of its
contents. We beseech God to confirm thee in His love and in His good
pleasure, to assist thee in the promotion of His Cause, and to number thee
with such as have arisen for the triumph of His Faith.
29 As to thy question regarding the soul: Know thou that among the people
there are numerous treatises and manifold views as to its stations. Among
these are the soul of the kingdom, the soul of the dominion, the celestial
soul, the divine soul, the sanctified soul, as well as the benevolent
soul, the contented soul, the soul pleasing unto God, the inspired soul,
the irascible soul, and the concupiscent soul. Every group hath its own
pronouncements concerning the soul and We are disinclined to dwell upon
the sayings of the past. Verily, with thy Lord is the knowledge of the
former and latter generations.
30 Would that thou wert present before Our throne to hear from the Tongue
of Grandeur itself that which thou desirest and scale the loftiest heights
of knowledge by the grace of Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! The
ungodly, however, have intervened between us. Take heed lest thou be
grieved thereby. Be content with that which hath been ordained by an
irrevocable decree, and be of them that endure with patience.
31 Know that the soul which is common to all men cometh forth following
the commingling of things and after their maturation, as thou dost observe
in the germ: once it hath developed to its predestined stage, God
manifesteth the soul that was latent within it. Thy Lord, verily, doeth
what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.
32 As to the soul which is intended, in truth it hath been called forth by
the Word of God and is such that, if it be kindled with the fire of the
love of its Lord, neither the waters of opposition nor the oceans of the
world can quench its flame. That soul is indeed a fire ablaze in the tree
of man which proclaimeth: "No God is there but Him!" Whosoever hearkeneth
unto its call is verily of those who have attained unto Him. And when it
casteth off its earthly frame, God shall raise it up again in the most
excellent of forms and cause it to enter a sublime paradise. Thy Lord, of
a certainty, hath power over all things.
33 Know, furthermore, that the life of man proceedeth from the spirit, and
the spirit turneth to wheresoever the soul directeth it. Ponder upon that
which We have revealed unto thee that thou mayest recognize the Soul of
God which hath appeared above the Dayspring of bounty invested with
manifest sovereignty.
34 Know also that the soul is endowed with two wings: should it soar in
the atmosphere of love and contentment, then it will be related to the
All-Merciful. And should it fly in the atmosphere of self and desire, then
it will pertain to the Evil One; may God shield and protect us and protect
you therefrom, O ye who perceive! Should the soul become ignited with the
fire of the love of God, it is called benevolent and pleasing unto God,
but should it be consumed with the fire of passion, it is known as the
concupiscent soul. Thus have We expounded this subject for thee that thou
mayest obtain a clear understanding.
35 O Pen of the Most High! Recount unto him who hath turned unto Thy Lord,
the All-Glorious, that which shall enable him to dispense with the sayings
of men. Say: Spirit, mind, soul, and the powers of sight and hearing are
but one single reality which hath manifold expressions owing to the
diversity of its instruments. As thou dost observe, man's power to
comprehend, move, speak, hear, and see all derive from this sign of his
Lord within him. It is single in its essence, yet manifold through the
diversity of its instruments. This, verily, is a certain truth. For
example, if it directeth its attention to the means of hearing, then
hearing and its attributes become manifest. Likewise, if it directeth
itself to the means of vision, a different effect and attribute appear.
Reflect upon this subject that thou mayest comprehend the true meaning of
what hath been intended, find thyself independent of the sayings of the
people, and be of them that are well assured. In like manner, when this
sign of God turneth towards the brain, the head, and such means, the
powers of the mind and the soul are manifested. Thy Lord, verily, is
potent to do whatsoever He pleaseth.
36 All that We have mentioned here hath been elucidated in the Tablets We
have revealed in response to questions regarding the disconnected letters
of the Qur'an. Ponder them that thou mayest comprehend that which hath
been sent down from the Kingdom of Him Who is the Almighty, the
All-Praised. Thus have We chosen to be concise in this Tablet. We beseech
God to acquaint thee through this brief exposition with that which words
can never hope to exhaust, and to give thee to drink of the limitless
oceans from this cup. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Bountiful and
unassailable in His power.
37 O Pen of the Ancient of Days! Call Thou to remembrance 'Ali,(71) he who
sojourned with Thee in 'Iraq until the Daystar of the world departed
therefrom. He forsook his home to attain the court of Thy presence at a
time when We were captive in the hands of such as have been deprived of
the sweet savours of the All-Merciful. Grieve not at what hath befallen Us
and thee in the path of God. Rest assured and persevere. He, verily,
rendereth victorious those who love Him, and His might is equal to all
things. Whoso turneth unto Him brighteneth thereby the faces of the
Concourse on high, and unto this God Himself is My witness.
38 Say: O people, do ye imagine that, after rejecting the One through Whom
the religions of the world have been made manifest, ye still bear
allegiance to the Faith of God? By the righteousness of God! Ye are
accounted among the inmates of the Fire. Thus hath the decree been
recorded in the Tablets by the Pen of God. Say: Never will the barking of
dogs deter the Nightingale from warbling its melodies. Ponder awhile that
perchance ye may discover a path leading to the Eternal Truth.
39 Say: Magnified art Thou, O Lord my God! I entreat Thee by the tears Thy
lovers have shed in their longing after Thee, and by the yearning of those
who cry out in their separation from Thee, and by Thy Best-Beloved Who
hath fallen into the hands of Thine adversaries, to graciously assist
those who have sought refuge beneath the sheltering wings of Thy favour
and loving-kindness, and who have yearned for no other Lord except Thee.
40 We have forsaken our homes, O Lord, in our eagerness to meet Thee and
in our longing to be united with Thee. We have traversed land and sea to
attain the court of Thy presence and to give ear to Thy verses. When we
arrived at the shores of the sea, however, we were held back from Thee, as
the ungodly intervened between us and the light of Thy countenance.
41 O Lord! Dire thirst hath seized us, and with Thee are the soft-flowing
waters of eternal life. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Deny us
not the object of our quest. Write down then for us the recompense decreed
for such of Thy servants as enjoy near access to Thee and are wholly
devoted to Thy will. Make us so steadfast in Thy love that naught shall
keep us back from Thee or deter us from Thine adoration. Powerful art Thou
to do Thy pleasure. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Generous.
LAWH-I-RA'IS
He is in His own Right the Supreme Ruler!
1 The Pen of the Most High proclaimeth: O thou who hast imagined thyself
to be the most exalted of men(72) and who hast regarded as the lowliest of
all creatures this divine Youth, through Whom the eyes of the Concourse on
high have been illumined and made radiant! This Youth hath sought nothing
from thee or from such as are like unto thee, inasmuch as from time
immemorial, whenever the Manifestations of the All-Merciful and the
Exponents of His unfading glory have stepped out of the Realm of eternity
into this mortal world and revealed themselves to revive the dead, men
such as thee have considered these sanctified Souls and Temples of Divine
Oneness, upon Whom must needs depend the rehabilitation of the peoples of
the earth, to be stirrers of mischief and worthy of blame. These men,
verily, have all returned unto dust. Thou, too, shalt erelong take abode
therein and find thyself in grievous loss.
2 Even if this Lifegiver and World Reformer be in thine estimation guilty
of sedition and strife, what crime could have been committed by a group of
women, children, and suckling mothers that they should be thus afflicted
with the scourge of thine anger and wrath? No faith or religion hath ever
held children responsible. The Pen of divine Command hath exempted them,
yet the fire of thy tyranny and oppression encompasseth all. If thou
bearest allegiance to any faith or religion, then thou shouldst know that,
according to all the heavenly Books and all the divinely inspired and
weighty Scriptures, children are not to be held accountable. Aside from
this, not even those who disbelieve in God have perpetrated such unseemly
acts. Since from every thing an effect becometh manifest, a fact that none
can deny save those who are bereft of reason and understanding, it is
certain that the sighs of these children and the cries of these wronged
ones will have their due consequence.
3 Ye have plundered and unjustly despoiled a group of people who have
never rebelled in your domains, nor disobeyed your government, but rather
kept to themselves and engaged day and night in the remembrance of God.
Later, when the order was issued to banish this Youth, all were filled
with dismay. The officials in charge of My expulsion declared, however:
"These others have not been charged with any offence and have not been
expelled by the government. Should they desire to accompany you, no one
will oppose them." These hapless souls therefore paid their own expenses,
forsook all their possessions, and, contenting themselves with Our
presence and placing their whole trust in God, journeyed once again with
Him until the fortress of 'Akka became the prison of Baha.
4 Upon our arrival, we were surrounded by guards and confined together,
men and women, young and old alike, in the army barracks. The first night
all were deprived of either food or drink, for the sentries were guarding
the gate of the barracks and permitted no one to leave. No one gave a
thought to the plight of these wronged ones. They even begged for water,
and were refused.
5 Time hath passed, and we all remain confined in these barracks,
notwithstanding that during the five years we dwelt in Adrianople, all its
inhabitants, whether learned or ignorant, rich or poor, bore witness to
the purity and sanctity of these servants. At the time this Youth was
departing from Adrianople, one of the loved ones of God attempted to take
his own life, so unbearable to him was the sight of this Wronged One in
the hands of His oppressors. During the journey we were thrice compelled
to change ships, and it is evident how much the children suffered as a
result. Upon disembarking, four of the believers were separated and
prevented from accompanying Us. As this Youth was leaving, one of the
four, named 'Abdu'l-Ghaffar, cast himself into the sea, and no one knoweth
what befell him thereafter.(73)
6 All this is but a drop in the ocean of the wrongs that have been
inflicted upon Us, and still ye are not satisfied! The officials enforce
every day a new decree, and no end is in sight to their tyranny. Night and
day they conceive new schemes. They have assigned each prisoner, from the
government storehouse, a daily allowance of three loaves of bread that no
one can eat. From the foundation of the world until the present day a
cruelty such as this hath neither been seen nor heard of.
7 By the righteousness of Him Who hath caused Baha to speak forth before
all that are in heaven and all that are on earth! Ye have neither rank nor
mention among them that have offered up their souls, their bodies and
their substance for the love of God, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling,
the Almighty. A handful of clay is greater in the sight of God than all
your dominion and your sovereignty, and all your might and your fortune.
Should it be His wish, He would scatter you in dust. Soon will He seize
you in His wrathful anger, sedition will be stirred up in your midst, and
your dominions will be disrupted. Then will ye wail and lament, and will
find none to help or succour you.
8 In making mention of these matters, it is not Our purpose to rouse you
from your slumber, since the fury of God's wrath hath so encompassed you
that ye shall never take heed. Nor is it Our intention to recount the
iniquities visited upon these pure and blessed souls, for they have been
so intoxicated with the wine of the All-Merciful and are so carried away
with the inebriating effect of the living waters of His loving providence
that even were they to suffer all the cruelties of the world for His sake,
they would remain content and yield thanks unto Him. These souls have
never held, nor shall they ever hold any grievance. Nay, their blood
continually imploreth and beseecheth the Lord of the worlds that it might
be spilt upon the dust in His path, and their heads yearn to be borne
aloft on spears for the sake of the Beloved of hearts and souls.
9 Several times calamities have overtaken you, and yet ye failed utterly
to take heed. One of them was the conflagration which devoured most of the
City(74) with the flames of justice, and concerning which many poems were
written, stating that no such fire had ever been witnessed. And yet, ye
waxed more heedless. Plague, likewise, broke out, and ye still failed to
give heed! Be expectant, however, for the wrath of God is ready to
overtake you. Erelong will ye behold that which hath been sent down from
the Pen of My command.
10 Have ye fondly imagined your glory to be imperishable and your dominion
to be everlasting? Nay, by Him Who is the All-Merciful! Neither will your
glory last, nor will Mine abasement endure. Such abasement, in the
estimation of a true man, is the pride of every glory.