"Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto Thee,..."
Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto Thee, and to abide within the
precincts of Thy court, for remoteness from Thee hath well-nigh consumed
me. Cause me to rest under the shadow of the wings of Thy grace, for the
flame of my separation from Thee hath melted my heart within me. Draw me
nearer unto the river that is life indeed, for my soul burneth with thirst
in its ceaseless search after Thee. My sighs, O my God, proclaim the
bitterness of mine anguish, and the tears I shed attest my love for Thee.
I beseech Thee, by the praise wherewith Thou praisest Thyself and the
glory wherewith Thou glorifiest Thine own Essence, to grant that we may be
numbered among them that have recognized Thee and acknowledged Thy
sovereignty in Thy days. Help us then to quaff, O my God, from the fingers
of mercy the living waters of Thy loving-kindness, that we may utterly
forget all else except Thee, and be occupied only with Thy Self. Powerful
art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God is there beside Thee, the Mighty,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Glorified be Thy name, O Thou Who art the King of all Kings!
--Baha'u'llah
"Glorified art Thou, O my God! I yield Thee..."
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I yield Thee thanks that Thou hast made
known unto me Him Who is the Dayspring of Thy mercy, and the Dawning-Place
of Thy grace, and the Repository of Thy Cause. I beseech Thee by Thy Name,
through which the faces of them that are nigh unto Thee have turned white,
and the hearts of such as are devoted to Thee have winged their flight
towards Thee, to grant that I may, at all times and under all conditions,
lay hold on Thy cord, and be rid of all attachment to anyone except Thee,
and may keep mine eyes directed towards the horizon of Thy Revelation, and
may carry out what Thou hast prescribed unto me in Thy Tablets.
Attire, O my Lord, both my inner and outer being with the raiment of Thy
favors and Thy loving-kindness. Keep me safe, then, from whatsoever may be
abhorrent unto Thee, and graciously assist me and my kindred to obey Thee,
and to shun whatsoever may stir up any evil or corrupt desire within me.
Thou, truly, art the Lord of all mankind, and the Possessor of this world
and of the next. No God is there save Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
--Baha'u'llah
"Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I entreat Thee..."
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I entreat Thee by the fragrances of the
Raiment of Thy grace which at Thy bidding and in conformity with Thy
desire were diffused throughout the entire creation, and by the Daystar of
Thy will that hath shone brightly, through the power of Thy might and of
Thy sovereignty, above the horizon of Thy mercy, to blot out from my heart
all idle fancies and vain imaginings, that with all my affections I may
turn unto Thee, O Thou Lord of all mankind!
I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, O my God! I have laid hold on
the handle of Thy grace, and clung to the cord of Thy tender mercy. Ordain
for me the good things that are with Thee, and nourish me from the Table
Thou didst send down out of the clouds of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy
favor.
Thou, in very truth, art the Lord of the worlds, and the God of all that
are in heaven and all that are on earth.
--Baha'u'llah
"Many a chilled heart, O my God, hath been..."
Many a chilled heart, O my God, hath been set ablaze with the fire of Thy
Cause, and many a slumberer hath been wakened by the sweetness of Thy
voice. How many are the strangers who have sought shelter beneath the
shadow of the tree of Thy oneness, and how numerous the thirsty ones who
have panted after the fountain of Thy living waters in Thy days!
Blessed is he that hath set himself towards Thee, and hasted to attain the
Dayspring of the lights of Thy face. Blessed is he who with all his
affections hath turned to the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the
Fountainhead of Thine inspiration. Blessed is he that hath expended in Thy
path what Thou didst bestow upon him through Thy bounty and favor. Blessed
is he who, in his sore longing after Thee, hath cast away all else except
Thyself. Blessed is he who hath enjoyed intimate communion with Thee, and
rid himself of all attachment to anyone save Thee.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Him Who is Thy Name, Who, through the power
of Thy sovereignty and might, hath risen above the horizon of His prison,
to ordain for everyone what becometh Thee and beseemeth Thine exaltation.
Thy might, in truth, is equal to all things.
--Baha'u'llah
"I know not, O my God, what the Fire is which..."
I know not, O my God, what the Fire is which Thou didst kindle in Thy
land. Earth can never cloud its splendor, nor water quench its flame. All
the peoples of the world are powerless to resist its force. Great is the
blessedness of him that hath drawn nigh unto it, and heard its roaring.
Some, O my God, Thou didst, through Thy strengthening grace, enable to
approach it, while others Thou didst keep back by reason of what their
hands have wrought in Thy days. Whoso hath hasted towards it and attained
unto it hath, in his eagerness to gaze on Thy beauty, yielded his life in
Thy path, and ascended unto Thee, wholly detached from aught else except
Thyself.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by this Fire which blazeth and rageth in the
world of creation, to rend asunder the veils that have hindered me from
appearing before the throne of Thy majesty, and from standing at the door
of Thy gate. Do Thou ordain for me, O my Lord, every good thing Thou didst
send down in Thy Book, and suffer me not to be far removed from the
shelter of Thy mercy.
Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the
All-Powerful, the Most Generous.
--Baha'u'llah
"Praise be unto Thee, O my God! I am one of..."
Praise be unto Thee, O my God! I am one of Thy servants, who hath believed
on Thee and on Thy signs. Thou seest how I have set myself towards the
door of Thy mercy, and turned my face in the direction of Thy
loving-kindness. I beseech Thee, by Thy most excellent titles and Thy most
exalted attributes, to open to my face the portals of Thy bestowals. Aid
me, then, to do that which is good, O Thou Who art the Possessor of all
names and attributes!
I am poor, O my Lord, and Thou art the Rich. I have set my face towards
Thee, and detached myself from all but Thee. Deprive me not, I implore
Thee, of the breezes of Thy tender mercy, and withhold not from me what
Thou didst ordain for the chosen among Thy servants.
Remove the veil from mine eyes, O my Lord, that I may recognize what Thou
hast desired for Thy creatures, and discover, in all the manifestations of
Thy handiwork, the revelations of Thine almighty power. Enrapture my soul,
O my Lord, with Thy most mighty signs, and draw me out of the depths of my
corrupt and evil desires. Write down, then, for me the good of this world
and of the world to come. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God
is there but Thee, the All-Glorious, Whose help is sought by all men.
I yield Thee thanks, O my Lord, that Thou hast wakened me from my sleep,
and stirred me up, and created in me the desire to perceive what most of
Thy servants have failed to apprehend. Make me able, therefore, O my Lord,
to behold, for love of Thee and for the sake of Thy pleasure, whatsoever
Thou hast desired. Thou art He to the power of Whose might and sovereignty
all things testify.
There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Beneficent.
--Baha'u'llah
"In the Name of thy Lord, the Creator, the Sovereign,..."
In the Name of thy Lord, the Creator, the Sovereign, the All-Sufficing,
the Most Exalted, He Whose help is implored by all men.
Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the heavens and of the earth, O
Lord of the Kingdom! Thou well knowest the secrets of my heart, while Thy
Being is inscrutable to all save Thyself. Thou seest whatsoever is of me,
while no one else can do this save Thee. Vouchsafe unto me, through Thy
grace, what will enable me to dispense with all except Thee, and destine
for me that which will make me independent of everyone else besides Thee.
Grant that I may reap the benefit of my life in this world and in the
next. Open to my face the portals of Thy grace, and graciously confer upon
me Thy tender mercy and bestowals.
O Thou Who art the Lord of grace abounding! Let Thy celestial aid surround
those who love Thee, and bestow upon us the gifts and the bounties Thou
dost possess. Be Thou sufficient unto us of all things, forgive our sins
and have mercy upon us. Thou art Our Lord and the Lord of all created
things. No one else do we invoke but Thee, and naught do we beseech but
Thy favors. Thou art the Lord of bounty and grace, invincible in Thy power
and the most skillful in Thy designs. No God is there but Thee, the
All-Possessing, the Most Exalted.
Confer Thy blessings, O my Lord, upon the Messengers, the holy ones and
the righteous. Verily, Thou art God, the Peerless, the All-Compelling.
--The Bab
"O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and..."
O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and toward all Thy signs I set my
heart.
O Lord! Whether traveling 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.
--The Bab
"O God, my God! Thou art my Hope and my..."
O God, my God! Thou art my Hope and my Beloved, my highest Aim and Desire!
With great humbleness and entire devotion I pray to Thee to make me a
minaret of Thy love in Thy land, a lamp of Thy knowledge among Thy
creatures, and a banner of divine bounty in Thy dominion.
Number me with such of Thy servants as have detached themselves from
everything but Thee, have sanctified themselves from the transitory things
of this world, and have freed themselves from the promptings of the
voicers of idle fancies.
Let my heart be dilated with joy through the spirit of confirmation from
Thy kingdom, and brighten my eyes by beholding the hosts of divine
assistance descending successively upon me from the kingdom of Thine
omnipotent glory.
Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Powerful.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of detachment..."
O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of detachment from all things, and
in the assembly of Thy splendors and bestowals, rejoice me with the wine
of loving Thee. Free me from the assaults of passion and desire, break off
from me the shackles of this nether world, draw me with rapture unto Thy
supernal realm, and refresh me amongst the handmaids with the breathings
of Thy holiness.
O Lord, brighten Thou my face with the lights of Thy bestowals, light Thou
mine eyes with beholding the signs of Thine all-subduing might; delight my
heart with the glory of Thy knowledge that encompasseth all things,
gladden Thou my soul with Thy soul-reviving tidings of great joy, O Thou
King of this world and the Kingdom above, O Thou Lord of dominion and
might, that I may spread abroad Thy signs and tokens, and proclaim Thy
Cause, and promote Thy Teachings, and serve Thy Law and exalt Thy Word.
Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Ever-Giving, the Able, the Omnipotent.
--'Abdu'l-Baha