... near access to
God to flow."
136-9 "Say: O concourse ESW 49-52
of monks ...
wrapped in a thick
veil!"
140 "More grievous ... ESW 52
kingdoms of earth
and heaven."
141 "Upon Our arrival GPB 206
... token of God's
grace."
142-43 "As My ESW 52-53
tribulations
multiplied ...
poor and the
desolate."
143 "Abandon thy PDC ¶70
palaces ... them
that turn unto
Him."
143 "Shouldst thou PDC ¶70
desire ...
All-Knowing, the
All-Wise."
144 "Arise thou ... ESW 53
Lord of strength
and of might."
145 "Adorn the body ESW 53-54
... peoples of the
earth."
146 "Doth it behove ESW 54
you ... shining
and resplendent
Seat."
147 "Shed not the ESW 54
blood ... abode of
the
transgressors!"
148 "God hath GWB CLVIII
prescribed ...
influence his
hearers."
149 "Deal not ESW 54-55
treacherously ...
the Most
Generous."
150-51 "O people of Baha ESW 55
... created of a
sorry germ."
152 "Regard ye the ESW 55-56
world ... such as
create
dissension."
154 "He Who is your GWB CVII
Lord ... among
God's blessed
ones."
156 "Meditate on the ESW 56
world ... this
sublime Vision."
Czar Alexander II
(Lawh-i-Malik-i-Rus)
158 "O Czar of Russia PDC ¶75
... barter away
this sublime
station."
159-60 "Beware lest thy PDC ¶75-76
sovereignty ...
sword of the
oppressor."
162-3 "Again I say ... PDC ¶77-78
the Mighty, the
Glorified."
164 "Some lamented ... PDC ¶78
Evangel were
adorned."
170 "Blessed be the PDC ¶78
king ... the
All-Powerful, the
Almighty."
Queen Victoria (Lawh-i-Malikih)
171-3 "O Queen in London PDC ¶79-81
... the Ruler, the
All-Wise."
173 "And if any one of ESW 61-62
them ... of the
blissful."
174-6 "O ye the elected GWB CXX
... all else
naught but error."
176-7 "Each time that ESW 63-64
Most Mighty ...
what I say."
178-82 "O ye rulers ... GWB CXIX
naught but
manifest justice."
185 "Turn thou unto PDC ¶82
God ... heavens
and of the earth."
Nasiri'd-Din Shah (Lawh-i-Sultan)
192-95 "O King! I was but PDC ¶97-99
a man ... derived
from the Name of
God!"
217 "A just king is PDC ¶182
the shadow ...
that hath
surpassed the
worlds."
221 "Would that the PDC ¶110
world-adorning
wish ... for Me or
against Me."
225 "O ye that are PHW #24
foolish ... the
paths of
perdition."
226 "O ye seeming fair PHW #25
... immeasurable
is the
difference!"
227 "O essence of PHW #28
desire! ... unto
the hosts of
holiness."
228 "O bondslave of PHW #30
the world! ...
returned whence it
came."
230 "O King of the PDC ¶100
age! ... a
sufficient witness
unto Me."
231 "The religious KI 247-48
doctors ... and
unto them shall it
return."
231 "When the Standard KI 238
of Truth ... shall
curse it."
232 "Those doctors who GPB 143
have indeed drunk
of the cup of
renunciation"
242 "Each nation hath KI 5
plotted darkly ...
invalidate the
truth."
242 "No Messenger KI 5
cometh unto them
but they laugh Him
to scorn."
244 "But if their KI 109-10
opposition be
grievous ... a
ladder into
heaven"
249 "O would that thou PDC ¶101
wouldst ...
knowledge of the
Book."
249 "But for the PDC ¶101
repudiation ... no
God is there but
He!"
258 "By Him Who is the ESW 17
Truth! ...
lighteth earth and
heaven."
265 "I have seen, O PDC ¶102
Shah ... nor ear
heard."
265-6 "How numerous the PDC ¶102
tribulations ...
in the path of My
Lord!"
267 "According to what GPB 186
they say ...
metropolis of the
owl"
268 "By God! Though PDC ¶102
weariness ... such
as commune with
Him."
273 "But for the ESW 94
tribulations ...
the Lord of the
worlds."
276 "Thus have We PDC ¶113
built the Temple
... Be and it is."
Suriy-i-Ra'is
1 "Hearken, O chief WOB 178
... the Help in
Peril, the
Self-Subsisting."
2 "Thou hast, O WOB 178
Chief, committed
that ... evident
loss!"
5 "The day is PDC ¶152
approaching ... in
sore distress."
11 "the loved ones of GPB 179
God ... on the
first night
without food."
12 "The people GPB 179
surrounded the
house ... wept
over Us"
12 "We perceived that GPB 179-180
the weeping ...
such as ponder."
13 "unheard of in GPB 180
bygone centuries
... the power of
His might"
13 "King and Beloved GPB 136-137
of Martyrs"
14 "Say: This Youth GPB 181
hath departed ...
the power of
truth"
18 "Had Muhammad ... WOB 105-106
privileged to
behold Thy face!"
21 "Ere long will God PDC ¶185
... the Almighty,
the Beneficent"
Lawh-i-Ra'is
6 "From the GPB 187
foundation of the
world ... nor
heard of."
7 "Soon will He PDC ¶153
seize you ... none
to help or succour
you."
9 "Several times PDC ¶153
calamities ... the
Pen of My
command."
25-26 "There is a matter PDC ¶111
... may be made
known unto you."
Lawh-i-Fu'ad
13 "Soon will We PDC ¶156
dismiss ... the
All-Compelling."
Suriy-i-Muluk
2 "O kings of the PDC ¶41
earth! ... the
All-Powerful, the
All-Wise."
2-3 "Fear God, O PDC ¶41
concourse ... and
be not of the
heedless."
4 "My face hath come PDC ¶41
forth ... could ye
but know it."
6 "Arise, then, ... PDC ¶41
may be revealed
unto you."
6 "Beware lest ye PDC ¶41
hinder ... can be
quickened."
7-14 "Lay not aside the PDC ¶42-46
fear ... the right
course."
15 "O kings of PDC ¶64
Christendom! ...
the entire
creation."
20-23 "Twenty years have GWB CXVI
passed ... turn
his face towards
Thee."
24-30 "Call Thou to GWB LXV
remembrance ...
Himself a
witness."
36 "Know ye that the GWB LXV
world ... all
things hath
testified."
37-47 "Fear God, ye GWB LXVI
inhabitants ...
the path of
resignation."
53-54 "The day is GWB LXVI
approaching ... of
the past or of the
future."
58-72 "Hearken, O King GWB CXIV
... abide and rule
therein."
74 "They expelled Us GPB 161
... on earth can
compare"
74 "the place which GPB 161
none entereth ...
authority of the
sovereign"
75 "Neither My family GPB 161
... that freezing
weather."
78-83 "I swear by God, O GWB CXIV
King! ... the Lord
of all worlds!"
84-107 "Dost thou imagine GWB CXIII
... trust and
confidence in
their Lord."
108 "O ye divines of PDC ¶224
the City! ... than
all your doings."
109-111 "Know ye, that had PDC ¶224
your leaders ...
turn upon their
heels."
111 "Know ye that God PDC ¶224
will not ... could
ye but perceive
it."
FOOTNOTES
2 Mirza Yahya.
3 Ustad Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Salmani. See God Passes By, pp. 166-168, for
an account of the events referred to by Baha'u'llah in this and
following paragraphs.
7 The Bab.
11 A small rock situated low in the eastern corner of the Kaaba.
12 Peter.
13 cf. Matthew 5:29; Mark 9:47.
15 The Crimean War (1853-1856).
17 The Sultan of Turkey.
18 cf. Qur'an 77:20; 32:8.
20 'Akka.
21 Mecca.
22 The Suriy-i-Muluk.
23 The Sultan of Turkey.
24 Muhammad.
25 cf. Qur'an 17:78.
26 Tihran.
52 Baghdad.
55 Mecca.
62 Adrianople.
66 Muhammad Shah.
69 Anis.
70 Adrianople.
71 Mirza 'Ali-Akbar-i-Naraqi.
81 'Ali Pasha.
82 Sultan 'Abdu'l-'Aziz.
84 The Bab.
89 Jesus.
94 Sultan 'Abdu'l-'Aziz.
95 Adrianople.
99 The Bab.
100 Imam Husayn.
101 The Muslims.
105 Nasiri'd-Din Shah.
107 Baghdad.
ENDNOTES
1 cf. Qur'an 2:30-34; 38:71-75.
4 The word _Haykal_ (Temple) is composed in Arabic of the four letters
_Ha'_, _Ya'_, _Kaf_ and _Lam_ (HYKL). Its first letter is taken to
symbolize the word _Huviyyah_ (Essence of Divinity); its second
letter the word _Qadir_ (Almighty), of which _Ya'_ is the third
letter; its third letter the word _Karim_ (All-Bountiful); and its
fourth letter the word _Fadl_ (Grace), of which _Lam_ is the third
letter.
5 cf. Qur'an 21:30; 24:45; 25:54.
6 That is, the letter "E". In all such instances in the Writings where
the letters "B" and "E" are mentioned, the Arabic letters are _Kaf_
and _Nun_, the two consonants of the Arabic word _Kun_, which is the
imperative meaning "Be".
8 "The tree beyond which there is no passing", a reference to the
station of the Manifestation of God.
9 These are examples of the types of questions put to the Bab.
According to the teachings of Shi'ite Islam, leadership of the
Islamic community belonged of right, after the passing of the
Prophet Muhammad, to a line of twelve successors, descendants of His
daughter Fatimih, known as "Imams". This line being eventually
severed through the "occultation" of the last Imam, communication
with the latter was for a time maintained through a succession of
four intermediaries known as "Gates".
10 One of a trio of Arabian goddesses whose worship was abolished by
the Prophet Muhammad.
14 This is Baha'u'llah's second Tablet addressed to the French Emperor.
An earlier Tablet was revealed in Adrianople.
16 Within the year Napoleon III was defeated at the Battle of Sedan
(1870) and sent into exile.
19 The two Most Great Festivals are the Festival of Ridvan, during
which Baha'u'llah first proclaimed His Mission, and the Declaration
of the Bab. The "twin days" refer to the Birthdays of the Bab and
Baha'u'llah. cf. Kitab-i-Aqdas, ¶110.
27 Mirza Buzurg Khan, the Persian Consul-General in Baghdad.
28 The Mu'taminu'l-Mulk, Mirza Sa'id Khan-i-Ansari, Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
29 Baha'u'llah here refers to His and His companions' application for
Ottoman citizenship.
30 Aqa Siyyid Muhammad-i-Tabataba'iy-i-Isfahani, known as "Mujahid".
31 The second Russo-Persian War of 1825-28.
32 Qur'an 2:94; 62:6.
33 cf. Persian Hidden Words, nos. 24, 25, 28 and 30.
34 Qur'an 49:6.
35 Qur'an 5:59.
36 A Tradition ascribed to the eleventh Imam, Abu Muhammad al-Hasan
al-'Askari.
37 Traditions ascribed to the sixth Imam, Abu 'Abdu'llah Ja'far
as-Sadiq.
38 Traditions ascribed to the sixth Imam, Abu 'Abdu'llah Ja'far
as-Sadiq.
39 Qur'an 2:179.
40 Qur'an 6:164; 17:15; 35:18; 39:7; 53:38.
41 cf. Qur'an 3:40; 14:27; 22:18.
42 cf. Qur'an 5:1.
43 cf. Qur'an 5:64.
44 Qur'an 40:5.
45 Qur'an 36:30.
46 Qur'an 8:30.
47 Qur'an 6:35.
48 cf. Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33.
49 John 14:28.
50 cf. John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7.
51 See, for example, Qur'an 4:46; 5:13; 5:41; and 2:75, and the
discussion in the Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 84 ff.
53 'Ali Ibn Husayn, known as "Zaynu'l-'Abidin", the second of the Imam
Husayn's sons, who became the fourth Imam.
54 The Kharijites, a faction opposed to both the Imams and the Umayyad
state.
56 Allusions to the 'Abbasid and Umayyad dynasties, respectively.
57 Qur'an 57:16.
58 cf. Luke 19:21.
59 cf. Qur'an 55:26.
60 cf. Qur'an 12:31.
61 This Tablet was revealed in Arabic in honour of Haji Muhammad
Isma'il-i-Kashani, entitled Dhabih (Sacrifice) and Anis (Companion)
by Baha'u'llah, and addresses 'Ali Pasha, the Ottoman Prime
Minister, referred to here as Ra'is (Chief or Ruler).
63 Sultan 'Abdu'l-'Aziz lost both his throne and his life in 1876.
During the subsequent war with Russia (1877-1878), Adrianople was
occupied by the enemy and the Turks experienced a violent bloodbath.
64 Literally, "the Mount of Figs" and "the Mount of Olives", cf. Qur'an
95:1.
65 Chosroes II, the Sasanian monarch who reigned in Persia during the
lifetime of Muhammad.
67 Haji Ja'far-i-Tabrizi; he was prevented in time from ending his
life.
68 Siyyid Isma'il of Zavarih.
72 This second Tablet of Baha'u'llah addressing 'Ali Pasha was revealed
in Persian shortly after Baha'u'llah's arrival and confinement in
'Akka.
73 For an account of this incident see _God Passes By_, p. 182.
74 A probable reference to the fire of Hocapasa, which destroyed a
large part of the city of Constantinople in 1865.
75 The Lawh-i-Fu'ad was addressed to Shaykh Kazim-i-Samandar of Qazvin,
one of the apostles of Baha'u'llah. Its subject, the former Ottoman
statesman Fu'ad Pasha, died in France in 1869. The letter
names_Kaf_and Za refer to the K and Z of Kazim.
76 cf. Qur'an 38:3.
77 cf. Qur'an 13:13.
78 cf. Qur'an 40:32.
79 cf. Qur'an 38:12, 89:10.
80 "heart" translates _fu'ad_, the given name of the Ottoman minister.
83 Mirza Mihdiy-i-Rashti, a judge in Constantinople and supporter of
Mirza Yahya.
85 John 14:28.
86 John 16:13.
87 John 1:13.
88 The French Ambassador in Constantinople.
90 The Persian Ambassador in Constantinople.
91 Qur'an 51:55.
92 Qur'an 49:6.
93 Qur'an 12:53.
96 Qur'an 15:88.
97 cf. Qur'an 77:20; 32:8.
98 Qur'an 40:28.
102 Qur'an 4:94.
103 Qur'an 6:52.
104 Qur'an 6:44.
106 The Persian Consul-General in Baghdad.
108 Qur'an 20:55.
109 Al-Muqanna' of Khurasan (eighth century A.D.).
110 Qur'an 4:94.