PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS BY BAHA'U'LLAH
(U.S., 1987 pocket-size ed.)
Filename: PM.ZIP
Filedate: 11-19-93
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I
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every man
of insight confesseth Thy sovereignty and Thy
dominion, and every discerning eye perceiveth the
greatness of Thy majesty and the compelling power
of Thy might. The winds of tests are powerless to
hold back them that enjoy near access to Thee from
setting their faces towards the horizon of Thy glory,
and the tempests of trials must fail to draw away and
hinder such as are wholly devoted to Thy will from
approaching Thy court.
Methinks, the lamp of Thy love is burning in their
hearts, and the light of Thy tenderness is lit within
their breasts. Adversities are incapable of estranging
them from Thy Cause, and the vicissitudes of fortune
can never cause them to stray from Thy pleasure.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by them and by the
sighs which their hearts utter in their separation from
Thee, to keep them safe from the mischief of Thine
adversaries, and to nourish their souls with what Thou
hast ordained for Thy loved ones on whom shall come
no fear and who shall not be put to grief.
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II
Unto Thee be praise, O Lord my God! I entreat
Thee, by Thy signs that have encompassed the entire
creation, and by the light of Thy countenance that
hath illuminated all that are in heaven and on earth,
and by Thy mercy that hath surpassed all created
things, and by Thy grace that hath suffused the whole
universe, to rend asunder the veils that shut me out
from Thee, that I may hasten unto the Fountain-Head
of Thy mighty inspiration, and to the Day-Spring
of Thy Revelation and bountiful favors, and
may be immersed beneath the ocean of Thy nearness
and pleasure.
Suffer me not, O my Lord, to be deprived of the
knowledge of Thee in Thy days, and divest me not of
the robe of Thy guidance. Give me to drink of the
river that is life indeed, whose waters have streamed
forth from the Paradise (&Ridvan) in which the
throne of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, was established,
that mine eyes may be opened, and my face be
illumined, and my heart be assured, and my soul be
enlightened, and my steps be made firm.
Thou art He Who from everlasting was, through
the potency of His might, supreme over all things,
and, through the operation of His will, was able to
ordain all things. Nothing whatsoever, whether in
Thy heaven or on Thy earth, can frustrate Thy purpose.
Have mercy, then, upon me, O my Lord,
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through Thy gracious providence and generosity, and
incline mine ear to the sweet melodies of the birds
that warble their praise of Thee, amidst the branches
of the tree of Thy oneness.
Thou art the Great Giver, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Most Compassionate.
III
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech
Thee by Him Who is Thy Most Great Name, Who
hath been sorely afflicted by such of Thy creatures
as have repudiated Thy truth, and Who hath been
hemmed in by sorrows which no tongue can describe,
to grant that I may remember Thee and celebrate
Thy praise, in these days when all have turned away
from Thy beauty, have disputed with Thee, and
turned away disdainfully from Him Who is the Revealer
of Thy Cause. None is there, O my Lord, to
help Thee except Thine own Self, and no power to
succor Thee save Thine own power.
I entreat Thee to enable me to cleave steadfastly
to Thy Love and Thy remembrance. This is, verily,
within my power, and Thou art the One that
knoweth all that is in me. Thou, in truth, art knowing,
apprised of all. Deprive me not, O my Lord, of
the splendors of the light of Thy face, whose brightness
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hath illuminated the whole world. No God is
there beside Thee, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious,
the Ever-Forgiving.
IV
Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou art
He Whom all things worship and Who worshipeth
no one, Who is the Lord of all things and is the vassal
of none, Who knoweth all things and is known of
none. Thou didst wish to make Thyself known unto
men; therefore, Thou didst, through a word of Thy
mouth, bring creation into being and fashion the
universe. There is none other God except Thee, the
Fashioner, the Creator, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful.
I implore Thee, by this very word that hath shone
forth above the horizon of Thy will, to enable me to
drink deep of the living waters through which Thou
hast vivified the hearts of Thy chosen ones and quickened
the souls of them that love Thee, that I may,
at all times and under all conditions, turn my face
wholly towards Thee.
Thou art the God of power, of glory and bounty.
No God is there beside Thee, the Supreme Ruler, the
All-Glorious, the Omniscient.
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V
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Thou beholdest
me in the clutches of my oppressors. Every time I
turn to my right, I hear the voice of the lamentation
of them that are dear to Thee, whom the infidels have
made captives for having believed in Thee and in Thy
signs, and for having set their faces towards the
horizon of Thy grace and of Thy loving-kindness.
And when I turn to my left, I hear the clamor of
the wicked doers who have disbelieved in Thee and in
Thy signs, and persistently striven to put out the
light of Thy lamp which sheddeth the radiance of
Thine own Self over all that are in Thy heaven and
all that are on Thy earth.
The hearts of Thy chosen ones, O my Lord, have
melted because of their separation from Thee, and
the souls of Thy loved ones are burnt up by the fire
of their yearning after Thee in Thy days. I implore
Thee, O Thou Maker of the heavens and Lord of all
names, by Thy most effulgent Self and Thy most
exalted and all-glorious Remembrance, to send down
upon Thy loved ones that which will draw them
nearer unto Thee, and enable them to hearken unto
Thine utterances.
Tear asunder with the hand of Thy transcendent
power, O my Lord, the veil of vain imaginings, that
they who are wholly devoted to Thee may see Thee
seated on the throne of Thy majesty, and the eyes of
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such as adore Thy unity may rejoice at the splendors
of the glory of Thy face. The doors of hope have
been shut against the hearts that long for Thee, O my
Lord! Their keys are in Thy hands; open them by the
power of Thy might and Thy sovereignty. Potent
art Thou to do as Thou pleasest. Thou art, verily, the
Almighty, the Beneficent.
VI
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I swear by Thy
might! Successive afflictions have withheld the pen
of the Most High from laying bare that which is
hidden from the eyes of Thy creatures, and incessant
trials have hindered the tongue of the Divine Ordainer
from proclaiming the wonders of Thy glorification
and praise. With a stammering tongue, therefore,
I call upon Thee, O my God, and with this my
afflicted pen I occupy myself in remembrance of Thy
name.
Is there any man of insight, O my God, that can
behold Thee with Thine own eye, and where is the
thirsty one who can direct his face towards the living
waters of Thy love? I am the one, O my God, who
hath blotted out from his heart the remembrance of
all except Thee, and hath graven upon it the mysteries
of Thy love. Thine own might beareth me
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witness! But for tribulations, how could the assured
be distinguished from the doubters among Thy
servants? They who have been inebriated with the
wine of Thy knowledge, these, verily, hasten to meet
every manner of adversity in their longing to pass
into Thy presence. I implore Thee, O Beloved of
my heart and the Object of my soul's adoration, to
shield them that love me from the faintest trace of
evil and corrupt desires. Supply them, then, with the
good of this world and of the next.
Thou art, verily, He Whose grace hath guided
them aright, He Who hath declared Himself to be
the All-Merciful. No God is there but Thee, the All-Glorious,
the Supreme Helper.
VII
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee
by this Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned
into light, through which the Frequented Fane hath
been built, and the Written Tablet revealed, and the
Outspread Roll uncovered, to send down upon me
and upon them who are in my company that which
will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy transcendent
glory, and will wash us from the stain of
such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering
into the tabernacle of Thy unity.
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I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the
cord of Thy loving-kindness, and clung to the hem
of Thy mercy and favors. Do Thou ordain for me
and for my loved ones the good of this world and
of the world to come. Supply them, then, with the
Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain for the choicest
among Thy creatures.
These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou
hast bidden Thy servants to observe the fast. Blessed
is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and
with absolute detachment from all things except
Thee. Assist me and assist them, O my Lord, to obey
Thee and to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast
power to do what Thou choosest.
There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
VIII
Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou
beholdest my dwelling-place, and the prison into
which I am cast, and the woes I suffer. By Thy
might! No pen can recount them, nor can any tongue
describe or number them. I know not, O my God,
for what purpose Thou hast abandoned me to Thine
adversaries. Thy glory beareth me witness! I sorrow
not for the vexations I endure for love of Thee, nor
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feel perturbed by the calamities that overtake me in
Thy path. My grief is rather because Thou delayest
to fulfill what Thou hast determined in the Tablets
of Thy Revelation, and ordained in the books of Thy
decree and judgment.
My blood, at all times, addresseth me saying: "O
Thou Who art the Image of the Most Merciful! How
long will it be ere Thou riddest me of the captivity
of this world, and deliverest me from the bondage of
this life? Didst Thou not promise me that Thou shalt
dye the earth with me, and sprinkle me on the faces
of the inmates of Thy Paradise?" To this I make
reply: "Be thou patient and quiet thyself. The things
thou desirest can last but an hour. As to me, however,
I quaff continually in the path of God the cup
of His decree, and wish not that the ruling of His
will should cease to operate, or that the woes I suffer
for the sake of my Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious,
should be ended. Seek thou my wish and
forsake thine own. Thy bondage is not for my protection,
but to enable me to sustain successive tribulations,
and to prepare me for the trials that must needs
repeatedly assail me. Perish that lover who discerneth
between the pleasant and the poisonous in his love for
his beloved! Be thou satisfied with what God hath
destined for thee. He, verily, ruleth over thee as He
willeth and pleaseth. No God is there but Him, the
Inaccessible, the Most High."
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IX
Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I know
not what the water is with which Thou hast created
me, or what the fire Thou hast kindled within me,
or the clay wherewith Thou hast kneaded me. The
restlessness of every sea hath been stilled, but not
the restlessness of this Ocean which moveth at the
bidding of the winds of Thy will. The flame of every
fire hath been extinguished except the Flame which
the hands of Thine omnipotence have kindled, and
whose radiance Thou hast, by the power of Thy
name, shed abroad before all that are in Thy heaven
and all that are on Thy earth. As the tribulations
deepen, it waxeth hotter and hotter.
Behold, then, O my God, how Thy Light hath been
compassed with the onrushing winds of Thy decree,
how the tempests that blow and beat upon it from
every side have added to its brightness and increased
its splendor. For all this let Thee be praised.
I implore Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, and
Thy most ancient sovereignty, to look upon Thy
loved ones whose hearts have been sorely shaken by
reason of the troubles that have touched Him Who
is the Manifestation of Thine own Self. Powerful art
Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
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X
O Thou Whose face is the object of the adoration
of all that yearn after Thee, Whose presence is the
hope of such as are wholly devoted to Thy will,
Whose nearness is the desire of all that have drawn
nigh unto Thy court, Whose countenance is the companion
of those who have recognized Thy truth,
Whose name is the mover of the souls that long to
behold Thy face, Whose voice is the true life of Thy
lovers, the words of Whose mouth are as the waters
of life unto all who are in heaven and on earth!
I beseech Thee, by the wrong Thou hast suffered
and the ills inflicted upon Thee by the hosts of wrongful
doers, to send down upon me from the clouds of
Thy mercy that which will purify me of all that is
not of Thee, that I may be worthy to praise Thee and
fit to love Thee.
Withhold not from me, O my Lord, the things
Thou didst ordain for such of Thy handmaidens as
circle around Thee, and on whom are poured continually
the splendors of the sun of Thy beauty and
the beams of the brightness of Thy face. Thou art
He Who from everlasting hath succored whosoever
hath sought Thee, and bountifully favored him who
hath asked Thee.
No God is there beside Thee, the Mighty, the Ever-Abiding,
the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous.
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XI
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Darkness
hath fallen upon every land, and the forces of mischief
have encompassed all the nations. Through
them, however, I perceive the splendors of Thy wisdom,
and discern the brightness of the light of Thy
providence.
They that are shut out as by a veil from Thee have
imagined that they have the power to put out Thy
light, and to quench Thy fire, and to still the winds
of Thy grace. Nay, and to this Thy might beareth
me witness! Had not every tribulation been made
the bearer of Thy wisdom, and every ordeal the vehicle
of Thy providence, no one would have dared
oppose us, though the powers of earth and heaven
were to be leagued against us. Were I to unravel the
wondrous mysteries of Thy wisdom which are laid
bare before me, the reins of Thine enemies would be
cleft asunder.
Glorified be Thou, then, O my God! I beseech Thee
by Thy Most Great Name to assemble them that love
Thee around the Law that streameth from the good-pleasure
of Thy will, and to send down upon them
what will assure their hearts.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou
art, verily, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
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XII
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! This is Thy
servant who hath quaffed from the hands of Thy
grace the wine of Thy tender mercy, and tasted of
the savor of Thy love in Thy days. I beseech Thee,
by the embodiments of Thy names whom no grief
can hinder from rejoicing in Thy love or from gazing
on Thy face, and whom all the hosts of the heedless
are powerless to cause to turn aside from the path of
Thy pleasure, to supply him with the good things
Thou dost possess, and to raise him up to such heights
that he will regard the world even as a shadow that
vanisheth swifter than the twinkling of an eye.
Keep him safe also, O my God, by the power of
Thine immeasurable majesty, from all that Thou abhorrest.
Thou art, verily, his Lord and the Lord of all
worlds.
XIII
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Thou beholdest
how the tempestuous winds of tests have caused the
steadfast in faith to tremble, and how the breath of
trials hath stirred up those whose hearts had been
firmly established, except such as have partaken of
the Wine that is life indeed from the hands of the
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Manifestation of Thy name, the Most Merciful. These
are the ones whom no word except Thy most exalted
word can move, whom nothing whatever save the
sweet smelling fragrance of the robe of Thy remembrance
can enrapture, O Thou Who art the Possessor
of all names and the Maker of earth and heaven!
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the beloved Companion
of &Baha, by Thy name, the All-Glorious, to
keep safe these Thy servants under the shadow of
the wings of Thine all-encompassing mercy, that the
darts of the evil suggestions of the wicked doers
among Thy creatures, who have disbelieved in Thy
signs, may be kept back from them. No one on earth,
O my Lord, can withstand Thy power, and none in
all the kingdom of Thy names is able to frustrate Thy
purpose. Show forth, then, the power of Thy sovereignty
and of Thy dominion, and teach Thy loved
ones what beseemeth them in Thy days.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted,
the All-Glorious, the Most Great.
XIV
All praise be to Thee, O my God! Thou beholdest
my helplessness and poverty, and bearest witness unto
my woes and trials. How long wilt Thou abandon
me among Thy servants? Suffer me to ascend into
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Thy presence. The power of Thy might beareth me
witness! Such are the tribulations with which I am
encompassed that I am powerless to recount them
before Thy face. Thou, alone, verily, hast through
Thy knowledge reckoned them.
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art my Companion
in my lowliness, to rain down upon Thy loved ones
from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cause
them to be satisfied with Thy pleasure, and will enable
them to turn unto Thee and to be detached from all
else except Thee. Ordain, then, for them every good
conceived by Thee and predestined in Thy Book.
Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, He Whom nothing
whatsoever can frustrate. From everlasting Thou
hast been clothed with transcendent greatness and
power, with unspeakable majesty and glory. There
is no God beside Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious,
the Ever-Forgiving.
Glorified be Thy name, Thou in Whose hand are
the kingdoms of earth and heaven.
XV
O Thou Who art the Ruler of earth and heaven
and the Author of all names! Thou hearest the voice
of my lamentation which from the fortress-town of
&Akka ascendeth towards Thee, and beholdest how
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my captive friends have fallen into the hands of the
workers of iniquity.
We render Thee thanks, O our Lord, for all the
troubles which have touched us in Thy path. Oh, that
the span of my earthly life could be so extended as
to embrace the lives of the former and the latter
generations, or could even be so lengthened that no
man on the face of the earth could measure it, and
be afflicted every day and every moment with a fresh
tribulation for love of Thee and for Thy pleasure's
sake!
Thou well knowest, however, O my God, that my
wish is wholly dissolved in Thy wish, and that Thou
hast irrevocably decreed that my soul should ascend
unto the loftiest mansions of Thy Kingdom, and pass
into the presence of my all-glorious Companion.
Hasten, by Thy grace and bounty, my passing, O
my Lord, and pour forth upon all them that are dear
to Thee what will preserve them from fear and trembling
after me. Powerful art Thou to do whatsoever
may please Thee. No God is there except Thee, the
All-Glorious, the All-Wise.
Thou seest, O my Lord, how Thy servants have
left their homes in their longing to meet Thee, and
how they have been hindered by the ungodly from
looking upon Thy face, and from circumambulating
the sanctuary of Thy grandeur. Pour out Thy steadfastness
and send down Thy calm upon them, O my
Lord! Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Most Compassionate.
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XVI
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou seest my
tears and lamentations, and hearest my sighing, my
cry and bitter wailing. I am the one, O my Lord,
that hath held fast the cord of Thy mercy which
hath surpassed the entire creation. I am the one that
hath clung to the hem of Thy loving-kindness, O
Thou in Whose hand is the empire of all names!
Have mercy upon me and upon all them that are
in my company, through the wonders of Thy grace
and power. Shield us, then, O my God, from the
mischief of Thine enemies, and assist us to help Thy
Faith, and to protect Thy Cause, and to celebrate
Thy glory. Thou art, verily, He Who from everlasting
hath inhabited the inaccessible heights of His
unity, and will continue to remain the same for ever
and ever. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy knowledge,
nor is there anything that can frustrate Thee.
No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the Ever-Faithful,
the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the
Best-Beloved.
Lauded and glorified art Thou, in Whose hand is
the empire of all things!
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XVII
Magnified be Thy name, O God, the Lord of
heaven! Attire my head with the crown of martyrdom,
even as Thou didst attire my body with the
ornament of tribulation before all that dwell in Thy
land. Grant, moreover, that they whose hearts yearn
over Thee may draw nigh unto the horizon of Thy
grace, above which the Day-Star of Thy beauty sheddeth
its radiance. Ordain, also, for them what will
make them rich enough to dispense with aught else
except Thee, and rid them of all attachment to such
as have repudiated Thy signs.
There is none other God but Thee, the Guardian,
the Self-Subsisting.
XVIII
Praised be Thou, O my God! How can I thank
Thee for having singled me out and chosen me above
all Thy servants to reveal Thee, at a time when all
had turned away from Thy beauty! I testify, O my
God, that if I were given a thousand lives by Thee,
and offered them up all in Thy path, I would still
have failed to repay the least of the gifts which, by
Thy grace, Thou hast bestowed upon me.
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I lay asleep on the bed of self when lo, Thou didst
waken me with the divine accents of Thy voice, and
didst unveil to me Thy beauty, and didst enable me
to listen to Thine utterances, and to recognize Thy
Self, and to speak forth Thy praise, and to extol Thy
virtues, and to be steadfast in Thy love. Finally I
fell a captive into the hands of the wayward among
Thy servants.
Thou beholdest, therefore, the exile which I suffer
in Thy days, and art aware of my vehement longing
to look upon Thy face, and of mine irrepressible
yearnings to enter the court of Thy glory, and of the
stirrings of my heart under the influences of the winds
of Thy mercy.
I entreat Thee, O Thou Who art the Ruler of the
kingdoms of creation and the Author of all names,
to write down my name with the names of them who,
from eternity, have circled round the Tabernacle
of Thy majesty, and clung to the hem of Thy loving-kindness,
and held fast the cord of Thy tender mercy.
Thou art, in truth, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
XIX
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee,
by Thy Most Great Name through Which Thou didst
stir up Thy servants and build up Thy cities, and by
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Thy most excellent titles, and Thy most august attributes,
to assist Thy people to turn in the direction
of Thy manifold bounties, and set their faces towards
the Tabernacle of Thy wisdom. Heal Thou the sicknesses
that have assailed the souls on every side, and
have deterred them from directing their gaze towards
the Paradise that lieth in the shelter of Thy shadowing
Name, which Thou didst ordain to be the King of
all names unto all who are in heaven and all who are
on earth. Potent art Thou to do as pleaseth Thee. In
Thy hands is the empire of all names. There is none
other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.
I am but a poor creature, O my Lord; I have clung
to the hem of Thy riches. I am sore sick; I have held
fast the cord of Thy healing. Deliver me from the
ills that have encircled me, and wash me thoroughly
with the waters of Thy graciousness and mercy, and
attire me with the raiment of wholesomeness, through
Thy forgiveness and bounty. Fix, then, mine eyes
upon Thee, and rid me of all attachment to aught
else except Thyself. Aid me to do what Thou desirest,
and to fulfill what Thou pleasest.
Thou art truly the Lord of this life and of the next.
Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Merciful.
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XX
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who beholdest all
things and art hidden from all things! From every
land Thou hearest the lamentations of them that love
Thee, and from every direction Thou hearkenest unto
the cries of such as have recognized Thy sovereignty.
Were their oppressors to be asked: "Wherefore have
ye oppressed them and held them in bondage in
&Baghdad and elsewhere? What injustice have they
committed? Whom have they betrayed? Whose blood
have they spilled, and whose property have they plundered?"
they would know not what to answer.
Thou knowest full well, O my God, that their
only crime is to have loved Thee. For this reason
have their oppressors laid hold on them, and scattered
them abroad. Aware as I am, O my God, that Thou
wilt send down upon Thy servants only what is good
for them, I nevertheless beseech Thee, by Thy name
which overshadoweth all things, to raise up, for their
assistance and as a sign of Thy grace and as an evidence
of Thy power, those who will keep them safe
from all their adversaries.
Potent art Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou art,
verily, the Supreme Ruler, the Almighty, the Help
in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
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XXI
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I am Thy servant
and the son of Thy servant. I have set my face
towards Thy Cause, believing in Thy oneness, acknowledging
Thy unity, recognizing Thy sovereignty
and the power of Thy might, and confessing the
greatness of Thy majesty and glory. I ask Thee, by
Thy name through which the heaven was cleft
asunder, and the earth was rent in twain, and the
mountains were crushed, not to withhold from me
the breezes of Thy mercy which have been wafted in
Thy days, nor to suffer me to be far removed from
the shores of Thy nearness and bounty.
I am he who is sore athirst, O my Lord! Give me
to drink of the living waters of Thy grace. I am but
a poor creature; reveal unto me the tokens of Thy
riches. Doth it beseem Thee to cast out of the door
of Thy grace and bounty such as have set their hopes
on Thee, and can it befit Thy sovereignty to hinder
them that yearn after Thee from attaining the adored
sanctuary of Thy presence and from beholding Thy
face? By Thy glory! Such is not my belief in Thee,
for I am persuaded that Thou art the God of bounteousness,
Whose grace hath encompassed all things.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy mercy that
hath surpassed the entire creation, and Thy generosity
that hath embraced all created things, to cause me
to turn my face wholly towards Thee, and to seek
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Thy shelter, and to be steadfast in my love for Thee.
Write down, then, for me what Thou didst ordain
for them who love Thee. Powerful art Thou to do
what Thou pleasest. No God is there beside Thee,
the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds!
XXII
Exalted art Thou, O Lord my God! I am the one
who hath forsaken his all and set his face towards
the splendors of the glory of Thy countenance, who
hath severed every tie and clung to the cord of Thy
love and of Thy good-pleasure. I am he, O my God,
who hath embraced Thy love and accepted all the
adversities which the world can inflict, who hath
offered up himself as a ransom for the sake of Thy
loved ones, that they may ascend into the heavens
of Thy knowledge and be drawn nearer unto Thee,
and may soar in the atmosphere of Thy love and Thy
good-pleasure.
Ordain, O my God, for me and for them that
which Thou didst decree for such of Thy chosen ones
as are wholly devoted unto Thee. Cause them, then,
to be numbered among those whose eyes Thou hast
cleansed and kept from turning to any one save Thee,
+P26
and whose eyes Thou hast protected from beholding
any face except Thy face.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted,
the All-Glorious, the Supreme King, the Help in
Peril, the All-Pardoner, the Ever-Forgiving.
XXIII
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I implore
Thee by the onrushing winds of Thy grace, and by
them Who are the Day-Springs of Thy purpose and
the Dawning-Places of Thine inspiration, to send
down upon me and upon all that have sought Thy
face that which beseemeth Thy generosity and bountiful
grace, and is worthy of Thy bestowals and
favors. Poor and desolate I am, O my Lord! Immerse
me in the ocean of Thy wealth; athirst, suffer me to
drink from the living waters of Thy loving-kindness.
I beseech Thee, by Thine own Self and by Him
Whom Thou hast appointed as the Manifestation of
Thine own Being and Thy discriminating Word unto
all that are in heaven and on earth, to gather together
Thy servants beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy
gracious providence. Help them, then, to partake of
its fruits, to incline their ears to the rustling of its
leaves, and to the sweetness of the voice of the Bird
that chanteth upon its branches. Thou art, verily, the
+P27
Help in Peril, the Inaccessible, the Almighty, the
Most Bountiful.
XXIV
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee
by Them Who are the Tabernacles of Thy Divine
holiness, Who are the Manifestations of Thy transcendent
unity and the Day-Springs of Thine inspiration
and revelation, to grant that Thy servants may
not be kept back from this Divine Law which, at Thy
will and according to Thy pleasure, hath branched
out from Thy most great Ocean. Do Thou, then,
ordain for them that which Thou didst ordain for
Thy chosen ones and for the righteous among Thy
creatures, whose constancy in Thy Cause the tempests
of trials have failed to shake, and whom the tumults
of tests have been powerless to hinder from magnifying
Thy most exalted Word--the Word through
Which the heavens of men's idle fancies and vain
imaginations have been split asunder. Thou art, verily,
the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing.
Enable, then, Thy servants, O my God, to recognize
the Day-Star that hath shone forth above the
horizon of Thine irrevocable decree and purpose, and
suffer them not to be deprived of the Paradise which
Thou, by Thy name, the All-Glorious, hast called into
+P28
being in the heavens of Thine exalted omnipotence.
Cause them, moreover, O my God, to hearken to
Thy most sweet voice, that they may all hasten to
recognize Thy unity and acknowledge Thy oneness,
O Thou Who art the Beloved of the hearts of all that
yearn after Thee, and the Object of the adoration of
such as have known Thee!
I beseech Thee, by them that have cut down all
the idols in this Revelation through which the Most
Grievous Convulsion and the Great Terror have appeared,
to assist, at all times, Thy servants with the
signs of Thine almighty power and the evidences of
Thy transcendent and all-compelling might. Grant,
then, that their hearts may be made as strong as brass,
that they may remain unmoved by the overpowering
might of such as have transgressed against Him Who
is the Manifestation of Thine Essence and the Day-Spring
of Thine invisible Self, and that they may all
arise to glorify and help Thee, so that through them
the ensigns of Thy triumph may be lifted up in Thy
realm, and the standards of Thy Cause may be unfurled
throughout Thy dominions. Thou art He who
from everlasting hath, through the potency of His
will, been all-powerful, and will continue to remain
the same for ever and ever. Thou art, verily, the All-Glorious,
the Most High. No God is there but Thee,
the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Help in
Peril, the Most Great, the One Being, the Incomparable,
the All-Glorious, the Unrestrained.
+P29
XXV
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech
Thee by Thy Chosen Ones, and by the Bearers of
Thy Trust, and by Him Whom Thou hast ordained
to be the Seal of Thy Prophets and of Thy Messengers,
to let Thy remembrance be my companion, and
Thy love my aim, and Thy face my goal, and Thy
name my lamp, and Thy wish my desire, and Thy
pleasure my delight.
I am a sinner, O my Lord, and Thou art the Ever-Forgiving.
As soon as I recognized Thee, I hastened
to attain the exalted court of Thy loving-kindness.
Forgive me, O my Lord, my sins which have hindered
me from walking in the ways of Thy good-pleasure,
and from attaining the shores of the ocean of Thy
oneness.
There is no one, O my Lord, who can deal bountifully
with me to whom I can turn my face, and none
who can have compassion on me that I may crave
his mercy. Cast me not out, I implore Thee, of the
presence of Thy grace, neither do Thou withhold
from me the outpourings of Thy generosity and
bounty. Ordain for me, O my Lord, what Thou hast
ordained for them that love Thee, and write down
for me what Thou hast written down for Thy chosen
ones. My gaze hath, at all times, been fixed on the
horizon of Thy gracious providence, and mine eyes
bent upon the court of Thy tender mercies. Do with
+P30
me as beseemeth Thee. No God is there but Thee,
the God of power, the God of glory, Whose help is
implored by all men.
XXVI
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.
+P31
Glorified be Thy name, O Thou Who art the King
of all Kings!
XXVII
Thou beholdest, O my God, the Day-Star of Thy
Word shining above the horizon of Thy prison-city,
inasmuch as within its walls He who is the Manifestation
of Thy Self and the Day-Spring of the light
of Thy unity hath raised His voice and uttered Thy
praise. The fragrances of Thy love have thereby been
wafted over Thy cities and have encompassed all the
dwellers of Thy realm.
Since Thou hast revealed Thy grace, O my God,
deter not Thy servants from directing their eyes
towards it. Consider not, O my God, their estate, and
their concerns and their works. Consider the greatness
of Thy glory, and the plenteousness of Thy gifts,
and the power of Thy might, and the excellence of
Thy favors. I swear by Thy glory! Wert Thou to
look upon them with the eye of justice, all would
deserve Thy wrath and the rod of Thine anger. Hold
Thou Thy creatures, O my God, with the hands of
Thy grace, and make Thou known unto them what
is best for them of all the things that have been
created in the kingdom of Thine invention.
We testify, O my God, that Thou art God, and
that there is no God besides Thee. From eternity Thou
+P32
hast existed with none to equal or rival Thee, and
wilt abide for ever the same. I beseech Thee, by the
eyes which see Thee stablished upon the throne of
unity and the seat of oneness, to aid all them that
love Thee by Thy Most Great Name, and to lift them
up into such heights that they will testify with their
own beings and with their tongues that Thou art
God alone, the Incomparable, the One, the Ever-Abiding.
Thou hast had at no time any peer or
partner. Thou, in truth, art the All-Glorious, the
Almighty, Whose help is implored by all men.
XXVIII
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I bear witness
that from eternity Thou wert exalted in Thy transcendent
majesty and might, and wilt to eternity
abide in Thy surpassing power and glory. None in
the kingdoms of earth and heaven can frustrate Thy
purpose; none throughout the realms of revelation
and of creation can prevail against Thee. At Thy
command Thou doest what Thou willest, and by the
power of Thy sovereignty Thou rulest as Thou
pleasest.
I implore Thee, O Thou Who causest the dawn to
appear, by Thy Lamp which Thou didst light with
the fire of Thy love before all that are in heaven and
+P33
on earth, and whose flame Thou feedest with the fuel
of Thy wisdom in the kingdom of Thy creation, to
make me to be of those who have soared in Thine
atmosphere, and surrendered their will to Thy decree.
I am all wretchedness, O my Lord, and Thou art
the Most Powerful, the Almighty. Have pity upon
me by Thy grace and bountiful favor, and graciously
aid me to serve Thee and them that are dear to Thee.
Potent art Thou to do as Thou willest. No God is
there but Thee, the God of strength, of glory and
wisdom.
XXIX
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 Day-Spring 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 Fountain-Head of Thine inspiration. Blessed
is he that hath expended in Thy path what Thou didst
+P34
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 any one 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 every one what becometh Thee and beseemeth
Thine exaltation.
Thy might, in truth, is equal to all things.
XXX
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou seest
me in this day shut up in my prison, and fallen into
the hands of Thine adversaries, and beholdest my son
(The Purest Branch) lying on the dust before Thy
face. He is Thy servant, O my Lord, whom Thou
hast caused to be related to Him Who is the Manifestation
of Thyself and the Day-Spring of Thy
Cause.
At his birth he was afflicted through his separation
from Thee, according to what had been ordained for
him through Thine irrevocable decree. And when he
had quaffed the cup of reunion with Thee, he was cast
into prison for having believed in Thee and in Thy
+P35
signs. He continued to serve Thy Beauty until he
entered into this Most Great Prison. Thereupon I
offered him up, O my God, as a sacrifice in Thy path.
Thou well knowest what they who love Thee have
endured through this trial that hath caused the kindreds
of the earth to wail, and beyond them the Concourse
on high to lament.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by him and by his
exile and his imprisonment, to send down upon such
as loved him what will quiet their hearts and bless
their works. Potent art Thou to do as Thou willest.
No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful.
XXXI
Praised be Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by
them who have circled round the throne of Thy will,
and soared in the atmosphere of Thy good-pleasure,
and turned with all their affections towards the Horizon
of Thy Revelation and the Day-Spring of Thine
inspiration, and the Dawning-Place of Thy names, to
aid Thy servants to observe what Thou hast commanded
them in Thy days--commandments through
which the sacredness of Thy Cause will be demonstrated
unto Thy servants and the affairs of Thy
creatures and of Thy realm will be set aright.
I testify, O my God, that this is the Day whereon
+P36
Thy testimony hath been fulfilled, and Thy clear
tokens have been manifested, and Thine utterances
have been revealed, and Thy signs have been demonstrated,
and the radiance of Thy countenance hath
been diffused, and Thy proof hath been perfected,
and Thine ascendancy hath been established, and Thy
mercy hath overflowed, and the Day-Star of Thy
grace hath shone forth with such brilliance that Thou
didst manifest Him Who is the Revealer of Thyself
and the Treasury of Thy wisdom and the Dawning-Place
of Thy majesty and power. Thou didst establish
His covenant with every one who hath been created
in the kingdoms of earth and heaven and in the
realms of revelation and of creation. Thou didst raise
Him up to such heights that the wrongs inflicted by
the oppressors have been powerless to deter Him from
revealing Thy sovereignty, and the ascendancy of the
wayward hath failed to prevent Him from demonstrating
Thy power and from exalting Thy Cause.
So highly didst Thou exalt Him that He openly
delivered unto the kings Thy messages and commandments,
and hath never for one moment sought His
own protection, but striven to protect Thy servants
from whatever might withhold them from approaching
the kingdom of Thy nearness, and from setting
their faces towards the horizon of Thy good-pleasure.
Thou seest, O my God, how, notwithstanding the
swords that are drawn against Him, He calleth the
nations unto Thee, and though Himself a prisoner
summoneth them to turn in the direction of Thy
+P37
gifts and bounties. With every fresh tribulation He
manifested a fuller measure of Thy Cause, and exalted
more highly Thy word.
I testify that through Him the Pen of the Most
High was set in motion, and with His remembrance
the Scriptures in the kingdom of names were embellished.
Through Him Thy fragrances were wafted,
and the sweet smell of Thy raiment was shed abroad
amongst all the dwellers of the earth and the inmates
of heaven. Thou seest and knowest full well, O my
God, how He hath been made to dwell within the
most desolate of cities, so that He may build up the
hearts of Thy servants, and hath been willing to
suffer the most grievous abasement, that Thy creatures
may be exalted.
I pray Thee, O Thou Who causest the dawn to
appear, by Thy Name through Which Thou hast subjected
the winds, and sent down Thy Tablets, that
Thou wilt grant that we may draw near unto what
Thou didst destine for us by Thy favor and bounty,
and to be far removed from whatsoever may be repugnant
unto Thee. Give us, then, to drink from
the hands of Thy grace every day and every moment
of our lives of the waters that are life indeed, O Thou
Who art the Most Merciful! Make us, then, to be of
them who helped Thee when fallen into the hands of
those Thine enemies who are numbered with the rebellious
among Thy creatures and the wicked amidst
Thy people. Write down, then, for us the recompense
ordained for him that hath attained Thy presence,
+P38
and gazed on Thy beauty, and supply us with
every good thing ordained in Thy Book for such of
Thy creatures as enjoy near access to Thee.
Brighten our hearts, O my Lord, with the splendor
of Thy knowledge, and illumine our sight with the
light of such eyes as are fixed upon the horizon of
Thy grace and the Day-Spring of Thy glory. Preserve
us, then, by Thy Most Great Name, Which Thou
didst cause to overshadow such nations as lay claim
to what Thou hast forbidden in Thy Book. This,
verily, is what Thou didst announce unto us in Thy
Scriptures and Thy Tablets.
Cause us, then, to be so steadfast in our love
towards Thee that we will turn to none except Thee,
and will be reckoned amongst them that are brought
nigh to Thee, and acknowledge Thee as One Who is
exalted above every comparison and is holy beyond
all likeness, and will lift up our voices amongst Thy
servants and cry aloud that He is the one God, the
Incomparable, the Ever-Abiding, the Most Powerful,
the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.
Strengthen Thou, O my Lord, the hearts of them
that love Thee, that they may not be affrighted by
the hosts of the infidels that are turned back from
Thee, but may follow Thee in whatsoever hath been
revealed by Thee. Aid them, moreover, to remember
and to praise Thee, and to teach Thy Cause with
eloquence and wisdom. Thou art He Who hath called
Himself the Most Merciful. Ordain, then, O my God,
for me and for whosoever hath sought Thee what
+P39
beseemeth the excellence of Thy glory and the greatness
of Thy majesty. No God is there but Thee, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
XXXII
Thou seest Thy dear One, O my God, lying at
the mercy of Thine enemies, and hearest the voice of
His lamentation from the midst of such of Thy creatures
as have dealt wickedly in Thy sight. He it is,
O my Lord, through Whose name Thou didst beautify
Thy Tablets, and for Whose greater glory Thou
didst send down the &Bayan, and at Whose separation
from Thee Thou didst weep continually. Look Thou,
then, upon His loneliness, O my God, and behold
Him fallen into the hands of them that have disbelieved
in Thy signs, have turned their backs upon
Thee, and have forgotten the wonders of Thy mercy.
He it is, O my God, about Whom Thou hast said:
"But for Thee the Scriptures would have remained
unrevealed, and the Prophets unsent." And no sooner
had He, by Thy behest, been manifested and spoken
forth Thy praise, than the wicked doers among Thy
creatures compassed Him round, with the swords of
hate drawn against Him, O Thou the Lord of all
names! Thou well knowest what befell Him at the
hands of such as have rent asunder the veil of Thy
+P40
grandeur, and cast behind their backs Thy Covenant
and Thy Testament, O Thou Who art the Maker of
the heavens! He is the One for Whose sake Thou
(the &Bab) hast yielded Thy life, and hast consented
to be touched by the manifold ills of the world that
He may manifest Himself, and summoned all mankind
in His name. As soon as He came down, however,
from the heaven of majesty and power, Thy
servants stretched out against Him the hands of
cruelty and sedition, and caused Him to be afflicted
with such troubles that the scrolls of the world are
insufficient to contain a full recital of them.
Thou seest, therefore, O Thou Beloved of the
world, Him Who is dear to Thee in the clutches of
such as have denied Thee, and beholdest Thy heart's
desire under the swords of the ungodly. Methinks He,
from His most exalted station, saith unto me: "Would
that my soul, O Prisoner, could be a ransom for Thy
captivity, and my being, O wronged One, be sacrificed
for the adversities Thou didst suffer! Thou art
He through Whose captivity the standards of Thine
almighty power were hoisted, and the day-star of
Thy revelation shone forth above the horizon of
tribulation, in such wise that all created things bowed
down before the greatness of Thy majesty.
"The more they strove to hinder Thee from remembering
Thy God and from extolling His virtues,
the more passionately didst Thou glorify Him and
the more loudly didst Thou call upon Him. And
every time the veils of the perverse came in between
+P41
Thee and Thy servants, Thou didst shed the splendors
of the light of Thy countenance out of the heaven
of Thy grace. Thou art, in very truth, the Self-Subsisting
as testified by the tongue of God, the All-Glorious,
the one alone Beloved; and Thou art the
Desire of the world as attested by what hath flowed
down from the Pen of Him Who hath announced
unto Thy servants Thy hidden Name, and adorned
the entire creation with the ornament of Thy love,
the Most Precious, the Most Exalted.
"The eyes of the world were gladdened at the sight
of Thy luminous countenance, and yet the peoples
have united to put out Thy light, O Thou in Whose
hands are the reins of the worlds! All the atoms of
the earth have celebrated Thy praise, and all created
things have been set ablaze with the drops sprinkled
by the ocean of Thy love, and yet the people still seek
to quench Thy fire. Nay--and to this Thine own Self
beareth me witness--they are all weakness, and Thou,
verily, art the All-Powerful; and they are but paupers
and Thou, in truth, art the All-Possessing; and they
are impotent and Thou art, truly, the Almighty.
Naught can ever frustrate Thy purpose, neither can
the dissensions of the world harm Thee. Through the
breaths of Thine utterance the heaven of understanding
hath been adorned, and by the effusions of Thy
pen every moldering bone hath been quickened.
Grieve not at what hath befallen Thee, neither do
Thou lay hold on them for the things they have committed
in Thy days. Do Thou be forbearing toward
+P42
them. Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate."
XXXIII
Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art He
Who by a word of His mouth hath revolutionized
the entire creation, and by a stroke of His pen hath
divided Thy servants one from another. I bear witness,
O my God, that through a word spoken by Thee
in this Revelation all created things were made to
expire, and through yet another word all such as
Thou didst wish were, by Thy grace and bounty, endued
with new life.
I render Thee thanks, therefore, and extol Thee,
in the name of all them that are dear to Thee, for that
Thou hast caused them to be born again, by reason
of the living waters which have flowed down out of
the mouth of Thy will. Since Thou didst quicken
them by Thy bounteousness, O my God, make them
steadfastly inclined, through Thy graciousness, towards
Thy will; and since Thou didst suffer them to
enter into the Tabernacle of Thy Cause, grant by
Thy grace that they may not be kept back from
Thee.
Unlock, then, to their hearts, O my God, the portals
of Thy knowledge, that they may recognize Thee
as One Who is far above the reach and ken of the
+P43
understanding of Thy creatures, and immeasurably
exalted above the strivings of Thy people to hint at
Thy nature, and may not follow every clamorous
impostor that presumeth to speak in Thy name.
Enable them, moreover, O my Lord, to cleave so
tenaciously to Thy Cause that they may remain unmoved
by the perplexing suggestions of them who,
prompted by their desires, utter what hath been forbidden
unto them in Thy Tablets and Thy Scriptures.
Thou art well aware, O my Lord, that I hear the
howling of the wolves which appear in Thy servants'
clothing. Keep safe, therefore, Thy loved ones from
their mischief, and enable them to cling steadfastly
to whatsoever hath been manifested by Thee in this
Revelation, which no other Revelation within Thy
knowledge hath excelled.
Do Thou destine for them, O my Lord, that which
will profit them. Illumine, then, their eyes with the
light of Thy knowledge, that they may see Thee visibly
supreme over all things, and resplendent amidst
Thy creatures, and victorious over all that are in Thy
heaven and all that are on Thy earth. Powerful art
Thou to do Thy pleasure. No God is there but Thee,
the All-Glorious, Whose help is implored by all men.
Praised be Thou, Who art the Lord of all creation.
+P44
XXXIV
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee
by Thine Ancient Beauty and Most Great Name,
Whom Thou hast sacrificed that all the dwellers of
Thine earth and heaven may be born anew, and
Whom Thou hast cast into prison that mankind may,
as a token of Thy bounty and of Thy sovereign might,
be released from the bondage of evil passions and
corrupt desires, to number me with those who have
so deeply inhaled the fragrance of Thy mercy, and
hastened with such speed unto the living waters of
Thy grace, that no dart could hinder them from
turning unto Thee, nor any spear from setting their
faces towards the orient of Thy Revelation.
We testify, O my Lord, that Thou art God and
that there is none other God besides Thee. From everlasting
Thou wast enthroned on the inaccessible
heights of Thy power, and wilt unto everlasting continue
to exercise Thy transcendent and unrestrained
dominion. The hosts of the world are powerless to
frustrate Thy will, nor can all the dwellers of the
earth and all the inmates of heaven annul Thy decree.
Thou truly art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the
Most Great.
Bless, O my God, those of the followers of the
&Bayan as have been numbered with the people of
&Baha, who have entered within the Crimson Ark in
+P45
Thy Name, the Most Exalted, the Most High. Thy
might, verily, is equal to all things.
XXXV
I give praise to Thee, O Lord my God! I entreat
Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst cause
the dawn to appear, and the winds to blow, and the
seas to surge, and the trees to bring forth their fruits,
and the earth to be beautified with its rivers, that
Thou wilt aid all them that are dear to Thee with
both Thy visible and invisible hosts. Render them,
moreover, victorious over all those who have so rebelled
in Thy land, and dishonored Thy name, and
disbelieved in Thy signs, and broken Thy Covenant,
and cast behind their backs Thy laws, and have to
such an extent risen up against Thee, that they carried
into captivity Thy kindred, and flung the Manifestation
of Thy Self into prison, and immured Him
Who is the Day-Spring of Thine Essence in the most
desolate of cities.
Thou, O my Lord, art He whose strength is immense,
Whose decree is terrible. Lay hold on Thine
adversaries by the power of Thy sovereignty, and
assemble Thy loved ones beneath the shadow of the
tree of Thy oneness, that they may stand before Thy
+P46
throne, and catch the accents of Thy voice, and gaze
on Thy beauty, and discover the power of Thy might.
Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
XXXVI
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I am so carried
away by the breezes blowing from Thy presence that
I have forgotten my self and all that I possess. This
is but a sign of the wonders of Thy grace and bountiful
favors vouchsafed unto me. I give praise to Thee,
O my God, that Thou hast chosen me out of all Thy
creatures, and made me to be the Day-Spring of Thy
strength and the Manifestation of Thy might, and
empowered me to reveal such of Thy signs and such
tokens of Thy majesty and power as none, whether
in Thy heaven or on Thy earth, can produce.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy most effulgent
Name, to acquaint my people with the things Thou
didst destine for them. Do Thou, then, preserve them
within the stronghold of Thy guardianship and the
tabernacle of Thine unerring protection, lest through
them may appear what will divide Thy servants.
Assemble them, O my Lord, on the shores of this
Ocean, every drop of which proclaimeth Thee to be
God, besides Whom there is none other God, the All-Glorious,
the All-Wise.
+P47
Uncover before them, O my Lord, the majesty of
Thy Cause, lest they be led to doubt Thy sovereignty
and the power of Thy might. I swear by Thy glory,
O Thou Who art the Beloved of the worlds! Had they
been aware of Thy power they would of a certainty
have refused to utter what Thou didst not ordain
for them in the heaven of Thy will.
Inspire them, O my Lord, with a sense of their own
powerlessness before Him Who is the Manifestation
of Thy Self, and teach them to recognize the poverty
of their own nature in the face of the manifold tokens
of Thy self-sufficiency and riches, that they may
gather together round Thy Cause, and cling to the
hem of Thy mercy, and cleave to the cord of the
good-pleasure of Thy will.
Thou art the Lord of the worlds, and of all those
who show mercy, art the Most Merciful.
XXXVII
Glory be to Thee, O King of eternity, and the
Maker of nations, and the Fashioner of every moldering
bone! I pray Thee, by Thy Name through which
Thou didst call all mankind unto the horizon of Thy
majesty and glory, and didst guide Thy servants to
the court of Thy grace and favors, to number me
with such as have rid themselves from everything except
+P48
Thyself, and have set themselves towards Thee,
and have not been kept back by such misfortunes
as were decreed by Thee, from turning in the direction
of Thy gifts.
I have laid hold, O my Lord, on the handle of Thy
bounty, and clung steadfastly to the hem of the robe
of Thy favor. Send down, then, upon me, out of the
clouds of Thy generosity, what will purge out from
me the remembrance of any one except Thee, and
make me able to turn unto Him Who is the Object
of the adoration of all mankind, against Whom have
been arrayed the stirrers of sedition, who have broken
Thy covenant, and disbelieved in Thee and in Thy
signs.
Deny me not, O my Lord, the fragrances of Thy
raiment in Thy days, and deprive me not of the
breathings of Thy Revelation at the appearance of
the splendors of the light of Thy face. Powerful art
Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Naught can resist
Thy will, nor frustrate what Thou hast purposed by
Thy power.
No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
XXXVIII
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I testify
that Thou wast a hidden Treasure wrapped within
+P49
Thine immemorial Being and an impenetrable Mystery
enshrined in Thine own Essence. Wishing to
reveal Thyself, Thou didst call into being the Greater
and the Lesser Worlds, and didst choose Man above all
Thy creatures, and didst make Him a sign of both
of these worlds, O Thou Who art our Lord, the Most
Compassionate!
Thou didst raise Him up to occupy Thy throne
before all the people of Thy creation. Thou didst
enable Him to unravel Thy mysteries, and to shine
with the lights of Thine inspiration and Thy Revelation,
and to manifest Thy names and Thine attributes.
Through Him Thou didst adorn the preamble of the
book of Thy creation, O Thou Who art the Ruler of
the universe Thou hast fashioned!
I bear witness that in His person solidity and
fluidity have been joined and combined. Through His
immovable constancy in Thy Cause, and His unwavering
adherence to whatsoever Thou, in the plentitude
of the light of Thy glory, didst unveil to His
eyes, throughout the domains of Thy Revelation and
creation, the souls of Thy servants were stirred up in
their longing for Thy Kingdom, and the dwellers of
Thy realms rushed forth to enter into Thy heavenly
dominion. Through the restlessness He evinced in Thy
path, the feet of all them that are devoted to Thee
were steeled and confirmed to manifest Thy Cause
amidst Thy creatures, and to demonstrate Thy sovereignty
throughout Thy realm.
How great, O my God, is this Thy most excellent
+P50
handiwork, and how consummate Thy creation,
which hath caused every understanding heart and
mind to marvel! And when the set time was fulfilled,
and what had been preordained came to pass, Thou
didst unloose His tongue to praise Thee, and to lay
bare Thy mysteries before all Thy creation, O Thou
Who art the Possessor of all names, and the Fashioner
of earth and heaven! Through Him all created things
were made to glorify Thee, and to celebrate Thy
praise, and every soul was directed towards the kingdom
of Thy revelation and Thy sovereignty.
At one time, Thou didst raise Him up, O my God,
and didst attire Him with the ornament of the name
of Him Who conversed with Thee (Moses), and
didst through Him uncover all that Thy will had
decreed and Thine irrevocable purpose ordained. At
another time, Thou didst adorn Him with the name
of Him Who was Thy Spirit (Jesus), and didst send
Him down out of the heaven of Thy will, for the
edification of Thy people, infusing thereby the spirit
of life into the hearts of the sincere among Thy servants
and the faithful among Thy creatures. Again,
Thou didst reveal Him, decked forth by the name of
Him Who was Thy Friend (&Muhammad), and caused
Him to shine brightly above the horizon of &Hijaz,
as a token of Thy power and an evidence of Thy
might. Through Him Thou didst send unto Thy servants
what enabled them to scale the heights of Thy
unity, and to yearn over the wonders of Thy manifold
knowledge and wisdom.
+P51
I testify, O Thou Who art the Lord of the whole
creation, and the Desire of whosoever hath sought
Thee, that, amidst Thy creatures, They resemble the
sun which no matter how often it riseth and setteth
is still the one and the same sun. Whoso maketh any
distinction between any of Them hath truly failed
to attain the ultimate purpose, and to reach the highest
goal, and hath been deprived of the mysteries of
unity and of the lights of sanctity and oneness. I
testify, moreover, that Thou hast decreed that none
on the face of the earth should equal Them, and none
of Thy creatures be able to be compared with any of
Them, in order that Thine own singleness and peerlessness
might be recognized and established.
Glorified, immeasurably glorified be Thy name,
O my God! How can I ever befittingly mention Thee
or sufficiently praise Thee, that Thou hast manifested
Him by the power of Thy might, and caused Him
to shine above the horizon of Thy will, and made
Him the Day-Spring of Thy signs, and the Dawning-Place
of the revelation of Thy names and Thine attributes?
How bewilderingly mysterious, moreover, O
my God, is His nature and all that Thou hast infused
into Him, through Thy strength and by the power
of Thy might! At one time He appeareth as the water
which is Life indeed, sent down out of the heaven of
Thy grace, and poured forth from the clouds of Thy
mercy, that Thy creatures may be endued with new
life, and live as long as Thine own Kingdom endureth.
Every drop of that water would suffice to quicken the
+P52
dead, and to set their faces in the direction of Thy
favors and Thy gifts, and to rid them of all attachment
to aught else except Thee. At another time He
revealeth Himself as the Fire which Thou didst kindle
in the tree of Thy unity, whose heat melted the hearts
of Thine ardent lovers when He Who is the Day-Star
of the world shone forth above the horizon of &Iraq.
I testify, O my God, that through Him the veils of
human fancy were burnt up, and the hearts of men
were set towards the scene of Thy most resplendent
glory.
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Supreme
Ordainer, not to suffer me to be deprived of the
breezes which are wafted in Thy days, the days
whereon the sweet smell of the raiment of Thy mercy
hath been shed abroad. Neither do Thou keep me
back from Thy most great Ocean, every drop of
which crieth out and saith: "Great is the blessedness
that awaiteth him who hath been awakened from his
sleep by the breath of God which, from the source
of His mercy, hath blown over all such of His creatures
as have set themselves towards Him!"
Thou seest, O my Lord, how Thy servants are held
captive by their own selves and desires. Redeem them
from their bondage, O my God, by the power of Thy
sovereignty and might, that they may turn towards
Thee when He Who is the Revealer of Thy names
and attributes is manifested unto men.
Cast upon this poor and desolate creature, O my
Lord, the glance of Thy wealth, and flood his heart
+P53
with the beams of Thy knowledge, that he may apprehend
the verities of the unseen world, and discover
the mysteries of Thy heavenly realm, and perceive
the signs and tokens of Thy kingdom, and behold
the manifold revelations of this earthly life all set
forth before the face of Him Who is the Revealer of
Thine own Self. Direct, then, his eyes, O my God,
towards the horizon of Thy loving-kindness, and
make steadfast his heart in its attachment to Thee,
and unloose his tongue to praise Thee, and make him
able to hold fast the cord of Thy love, and to cling
to the hem of Thy bounteousness, and to proclaim
Thy name amidst Thy creatures, and to recount Thy
virtues throughout Thy realm, in such wise that no
obstacle will deter him from turning to Thy name,
the All-Bountiful, and no veil shut him out from
Thee, in Whose hand is the dominion of utterance
and the kingdom of all names and attributes!
Hold Thou the hand of this seeker who hath set his
face towards Thee, O my Lord, and draw him out of
the depths of his vain imaginations, that the light of
certainty may shine brightly above the horizon of his
heart in the days whereon the sun of the knowledge of
Thy creatures hath been darkened through the shining
of the Day-Star of Thy glory; the days whereon
the moon of the world's wisdom hath been eclipsed
through the appearance of Thy hidden knowledge,
and the manifestation of Thy well-guarded secret,
and the revelation of Thine enshrined mystery; the
days whereon the stars of men's doings have fallen
+P54
through the rising of the orb of Thy unity and the
shedding of the radiance of Thy transcendent oneness.
I beg of Thee, O my God, by Thy most exalted
Word which Thou hast ordained as the Divine Elixir
unto all who are in Thy realm, the Elixir through
whose potency the crude metal of human life hath
been transmuted into purest gold, O Thou in Whose
hands are both the visible and invisible kingdoms, to
ordain that my choice be conformed to Thy choice
and my wish to Thy wish, that I may be entirely
content with that which Thou didst desire, and be
wholly satisfied with what Thou didst destine for
me by Thy bounteousness and favor. Potent art Thou
to do as Thou willest. Thou, in very truth, art the
All-Glorious, the All-Wise.
Happy is the man who hath recognized Thee, and
discovered the sweetness of Thy fragrance, and set
himself towards Thy kingdom, and tasted of the
things that have been perfected therein by Thy grace
and favor. Great is the blessedness of him who hath
acknowledged Thy most excellent majesty, and whom
the veils that have shut out the nations from Thee
have not hindered from directing his eyes towards
Thee, O Thou Who art the King of eternity and the
Quickener of every moldering bone! Blessed, also, is he
that hath inhaled Thy sweet savors, and been carried
away by Thine utterances in Thy days. Blessed, moreover,
be the man that hath turned unto Thee, and
woe betide him that hath turned his back upon Thee.
Praised be Thou, the Lord of the worlds!
+P55
XXXIX
O Thou Who dealest equitably with all who are
in heaven and on earth, and rulest over the kingdom
of Thy creation and of Thy Revelation! I testify that
every man of equity hath recognized his unfairness
in the face of the revelation of the splendors of the
Day-Star of Thy Justice, and the ablest of pens hath
confessed its impotence before the movement of Thy
most exalted Pen.
By Thy life, O Thou the Possessor of all names!
The minds of the profoundest thinkers are sore perplexed
as they contemplate the ocean of Thy knowledge,
and the heaven of Thy wisdom, and the
Luminary of Thy grace. How can he who is but a
creation of Thy will claim to know what is with
Thee, or to conceive Thy nature?
Praise, immeasurable praise be to Thee! I swear by
Thy glory! My inner and outer tongue, openly and
secretly, testify that Thou hast been exalted above
the reach and ken of Thy creatures, above the utterance
of Thy servants, above the testimonies of Thy
dear ones and Thy chosen ones, and the apprehension
of Thy Prophets and of Thy Messengers.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Name which
Thou hast made to be the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation
and the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration, to
ordain for this wronged One and for them that are
dear to Thee what becometh Thy loftiness. Thou, in
+P56
very truth, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Powerful,
the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
XL
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee,
by Thy Name which none hath befittingly recognized,
and whose import no soul hath fathomed; I
beseech Thee, by Him Who is the Fountain-Head of
Thy Revelation and the Day-Spring of Thy signs, to
make my heart to be a receptacle of Thy love and of
remembrance of Thee. Knit it, then, to Thy most
great Ocean, that from it may flow out the living
waters of Thy wisdom and the crystal streams of Thy
glorification and praise.
The limbs of my body testify to Thy unity, and
the hair of my head declareth the power of Thy sovereignty
and might. I have stood at the door of Thy
grace with utter self-effacement and complete abnegation,
and clung to the hem of Thy bounty, and
fixed mine eyes upon the horizon of Thy gifts.
Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what becometh
the greatness of Thy majesty, and assist me,
by Thy strengthening grace, so to teach Thy Cause
that the dead may speed out of their sepulchers, and
rush forth towards Thee, trusting wholly in Thee,
+P57
and fixing their gaze upon the orient of Thy Cause,
and the dawning-place of Thy Revelation.
Thou, verily, art the Most Powerful, the Most
High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
XLI
Thy unity is inscrutable, O my God, to all except
them that have recognized Him Who is the Manifestation
of Thy singleness and the Day-Spring of
Thy oneness. Whoso assigneth a rival unto Him hath
assigned a rival unto Thee, and whoso hath set up
a peer for Him hath set up a peer for Thyself. No,
no, none can withstand Thee in the whole of creation.
Thou hast everlastingly been exalted far above all
comparison and likeness. Thy oneness hath been
demonstrated by the oneness of Him Who is the
Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation. Whosoever denieth
this, hath denied Thy unity, and disputed with
Thee about Thy sovereignty, and contended with
Thee in Thy realm, and repudiated Thy commandments.
Assist Thou Thy servants, O my Lord, to recognize
Thy unity and to declare Thy oneness, that all may
gather together around what Thou didst desire in
this Day whereon the sun of Thine essence hath shone
forth above the horizon of Thy will, and the moon
+P58
of Thine own being hath risen from the Day-Spring
of Thy behest. Thou art He, O my Lord, from Whose
knowledge nothing whatsoever escapeth, and Whom
no one can frustrate. Thou doest Thy pleasure, by
Thy sovereignty that overshadoweth the worlds.
Thou well knowest, O my God, my Best-Beloved,
that naught can quench the thirst I suffer in my
separation from Thee except the waters of Thy presence,
and that the tumult of my heart can never be
stilled save through the living fountain of my reunion
with Thee. Send down, then, upon me, O my Lord,
out of the heaven of Thy bounty what will draw me
nearer unto the chalice of Thy gifts, and make me
able to quaff the choice sealed Wine, Whose seal hath
been loosed in Thy name, and from Which the sweet
savors of Thy days have been shed abroad. Thou, in
truth, art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite.
The whole universe testifieth to Thy generosity.
Have mercy, then, upon me by Thy graciousness, and
deal bountifully with me through the power of Thy
sovereignty, and suffer me to enjoy near access to
Thee by Thy manifold favors. Thou, truly, art the
Great Giver, the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Most Bountiful.
+P59
XLII
Lauded be Thy name, O my God and the God of
all things, my Glory and the Glory of all things, my
Desire and the Desire of all things, my Strength and
the Strength of all things, my King and the King of
all things, my Possessor and the Possessor of all things,
my Aim and the Aim of all things, my Mover and
the Mover of all things! Suffer me not, I implore
Thee, to be kept back from the ocean of Thy tender
mercies, nor to be far removed from the shores of
nearness to Thee.
Aught else except Thee, O my Lord, profiteth me
not, and near access to any one save Thyself availeth
me nothing. I entreat Thee by the plenteousness of
Thy riches, whereby Thou didst dispense with all else
except Thyself, to number me with such as have
set their faces towards Thee, and arisen to serve Thee.
Forgive, then, O my Lord, Thy servants and Thy
handmaidens. Thou, truly, art the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Compassionate.
XLIII
O God, Who art the Author of all Manifestations,
the Source of all Sources, the Fountain-Head of all
+P60
Revelations, and the Well-Spring of all Lights! I
testify that by Thy Name the heaven of understanding
hath been adorned, and the ocean of utterance
hath surged, and the dispensations of Thy providence
have been promulgated unto the followers of all
religions.
I beseech Thee so to enrich me as to dispense with
all save Thee, and be made independent of any one
except Thyself. Rain down, then, upon me out of
the clouds of Thy bounty that which shall profit me
in every world of Thy worlds. Assist me, then,
through Thy strengthening grace, so to serve Thy
Cause amidst Thy servants that I may show forth
what will cause me to be remembered as long as Thine
own kingdom endureth and Thy dominion will last.
This is Thy servant, O my Lord, who with his
whole being hath turned unto the horizon of Thy
bounty, and the ocean of Thy grace, and the heaven
of Thy gifts. Do with me then as becometh Thy
majesty, and Thy glory, and Thy bounteousness, and
Thy grace.
Thou, in truth, art the God of strength and power,
Who art meet to answer them that pray Thee. There
is no God save Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
+P61
XLIV
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who art my God
and throbbest within my heart! Thou art well aware
and dost witness that whatsoever shameth them that
are dear to Thee must shame also Him Who is the
Manifestation of Thyself and the Day-Spring of Thy
Revelation. Nay, He is put to greater shame than
they when they are led to confess the good things
which have escaped them in Thy days.
These are Thy servants, O my Lord, who for love
of Thee have abandoned their homes, and sustained
the tribulations decreed by Thee in Thy path. I
swear by Thy glory! Every time any one of them
testifieth before Thee to his evil doings, shame covereth
my face, for they are Thy servants who have
tasted of the cup of woe in Thy Cause, who have
quaffed from the chalice of adversity when the light
of Thy countenance was lifted upon them, and who
were so vexed by trials that peace was utterly denied
them within the precincts of Thy court.
The power of Thy might beareth me witness! My
heart hath melted by reason of my love for them that
are dear to Thee, and my soul is laden with anguish
for the sorrows which have afflicted them at the revelation
of Thy Cause and the appearance of the billowing
oceans of Thy grace and favors. The sighs
they uttered, O my Lord, have caused my sighs to
+P62
ascend towards Thee, and the burning of their hearts
hath consumed mine own heart within me.
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all
being and the Enlightener of all things visible and
invisible, to grant that every one of them may become
an ensign of Thy guidance among Thy servants, and
a revelation of the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy
loving-kindness amidst Thy creatures. Thou hast, O
my God, chosen them to love Thee, and to stand
before the throne of Thy majesty. No other station
hath excelled the station to which Thou hast called
them. How many the nights, O my God, when sleep
failed to overtake them because of their remembrance
of Thee, and how numerous the days which they
spent in lamentation over the things that have befallen
Thee at the hands of Thine enemies! I entreat
Thee, O Thou Who art the Ruler of rulers, and the
Uplifter of the downtrodden, to aid them so to assist
Thy Cause and exalt Thy word that through them
Thy praise may be shed abroad amidst Thy creatures,
and Thy virtues recounted throughout Thy realm.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! This is Thy servant
whom Thou hast in the kingdom of Thy names
called by Thine own name, and whom Thou hast
reared under the wings of Thy grace and favors.
Thou seest him, therefore, hastening in the direction
of Thy gifts, and rushing forth towards Thee seeking
after Thy bounty. Attire him, O my God, with the
+P63
mantle of Thy favor and the robe of Thy munificence
and generosity, that all created things may perceive
from him the sweet smell of the raiment of
Thy love. Adorn, then, his head with the crown of
Thy remembrance, in such wise that his fame may be
noised abroad among Thy servants as one who loveth
Thee and cleaveth steadfastly to Thy Cause. Assist
him, moreover, at all times and under all conditions
to help Thee and to remember Thee, and to extol Thy
virtues amidst Thy creatures.
I swear by Thy glory, O my God! Every time I
muse on Thy glory and Thy sovereignty I find myself
as the most guilty among them that have transgressed
against Thee in Thy realm, and every time I contemplate
the heights in which none except Thee can
abide, I discover that I am the most sinful of all the
creatures that dwell in Thy land. Had it not been for
Thy name, the Concealer, and for Thy name, the
Ever-Forgiving, and for the sweet savors of Thy
name, the Most Merciful, all Thy chosen ones had
been reckoned amongst the perverse and the wicked.
I render Thee thanks that Thy mercy hath overtaken
them and Thy grace and bountiful favors compassed
them on every side.
And now, having confessed the things Thou didst
cause to flow down from my Pen, I implore Thee,
by Thy name which Thou hast raised up above every
other name, and hast caused to overshadow all that
are in heaven and all that are on earth, to cast not
away him that hath turned towards Thee, and to
+P64
deny him not the wonders of Thy grace and the hidden
evidences of Thy mercy. Let the hands of Thine
omnipotence kindle in his heart a lamp that will
enable him to shine brightly in Thy days, and to
cry out with such vehemence in Thy name that no
timidity will deter him from soaring in the atmosphere
of Thy love, and from ascending to the horizon
of rapture and longing for Thee, and that the pursuits
of Thy creatures will not withhold him from
magnifying Thy word, that Thou mayest behold him
sanctified as Thou wishest and as beseemeth Thy
majesty and glory.
Exalted though this station may be, O my God,
and however excellent this position--for who else
except Thyself hath the power to show forth what
may be deemed worthy of Thine exaltation and befit
Thy greatness--yet Thou art He Who is the All-Bountiful,
the Most Compassionate. All the atoms of
the earth testify that Thou art the Ever-Forgiving,
the Benevolent, the Great Giver, the All-Glorious, the
All-Wise. Look, then, upon him, O my God, with
the eyes of Thy loving-kindness, and cast upon him
the glance of Thy generosity. Enrapture him, moreover,
with the sweet melodies of Him Who is the
Fountain-Head of Thy Revelation, in such wise that
he may wholly surrender his will to Thy pleasure, and
fix his hopes upon the things Thou didst ordain in
Thy Tablets. Strengthen, then, his heart by Thy
name, the Almighty, the Faithful, that he may draw
forth the hand of power, and with it help Thy Cause
+P65
when the light of Thy beauty is manifested and the
Day-Star of Thy majesty is risen.
Since Thou hast called him by Thy name, O my
Lord, single him out among Thy servants for Thy
service. Thou well knowest, O my Lord, that in revealing
myself I have sought only to reveal Thy
Cause, and have turned to no one except for the sake
of Thy Revelation and for the purpose of manifesting
Thy loving-kindness. I beseech Thee, by Thy
treasured Name Who, at this very moment, is speaking,
to send down upon him and upon them that love
Thee that which is enshrined in the heaven of Thy
favor and bounties, that they may be filled with vehement
longing towards Thee, and exult in Thy Covenant,
O Thou Who art the Lord of Lords! Ordain,
then, for him and for them that which becometh Thy
name, the All-Bountiful.
Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted,
the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Most Great.
XLV
My God, my Fire and my Light! The days which
Thou hast named the &Ayyam-i-Ha (the Days of &Ha,
Intercalary days) in Thy Book have begun, O Thou
Who art the King of names, and the fast which Thy
most exalted Pen hath enjoined unto all who are in
+P66
the kingdom of Thy creation to observe is approaching.
I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by these days and by
all such as have during that period clung to the cord
of Thy commandments, and laid hold on the handle
of Thy precepts, to grant that unto every soul may
be assigned a place within the precincts of Thy court,
and a seat at the revelation of the splendors of the
light of Thy countenance.
These, O my Lord, are Thy servants whom no corrupt
inclination hath kept back from what Thou
didst send down in Thy Book. They have bowed
themselves before Thy Cause, and received Thy Book
with such resolve as is born of Thee, and observed
what Thou hadst prescribed unto them, and chosen
to follow that which had been sent down by Thee.
Thou seest, O my Lord, how they have recognized
and confessed whatsoever Thou hast revealed in Thy
Scriptures. Give them to drink, O my Lord, from the
hands of Thy graciousness the waters of Thine eternity.
Write down, then, for them the recompense
ordained for him that hath immersed himself in the
ocean of Thy presence, and attained unto the choice
wine of Thy meeting.
I implore Thee, O Thou the King of kings and the
Pitier of the downtrodden, to ordain for them the
good of this world and of the world to come. Write
down for them, moreover, what none of Thy creatures
hath discovered, and number them with those
who have circled round Thee, and who move about
Thy throne in every world of Thy worlds.
+P67
Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the All-Knowing,
the All-Informed.
XLVI
Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained
&Naw-Ruz as a festival unto those who have
observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from
all that is abhorrent unto Thee. Grant, O my Lord,
that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by
the fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy
Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy praise
and with remembrance of Thee.
Since Thou hast adorned them, O my Lord, with
the ornament of the fast prescribed by Thee, do Thou
adorn them also with the ornament of Thine acceptance,
through Thy grace and bountiful favor. For the
doings of men are all dependent upon Thy good-pleasure,
and are conditioned by Thy behest. Shouldst
Thou regard him who hath broken the fast as one
who hath observed it, such a man would be reckoned
among them who from eternity had been keeping
the fast. And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath
observed the fast hath broken it, that person would
be numbered with such as have caused the Robe of
Thy Revelation to be stained with dust, and been
+P68
far removed from the crystal waters of this living
Fountain.
Thou art He through Whom the ensign "Praiseworthy
art Thou in Thy works" hath been lifted up,
and the standard "Obeyed art Thou in Thy behest"
hath been unfurled. Make known this Thy station,
O my God, unto Thy servants, that they may be
made aware that the excellence of all things is dependent
upon Thy bidding and Thy word, and the
virtue of every act is conditioned by Thy leave and
the good-pleasure of Thy will, and may recognize
that the reins of men's doings are within the grasp
of Thine acceptance and Thy commandment. Make
this known unto them, that nothing whatsoever may
shut them out from Thy Beauty, in these days
whereon the Christ exclaimeth: "All dominion is
Thine, O Thou the Begetter of the Spirit (Jesus)";
and Thy Friend (&Muhammad) crieth out: "Glory be
to Thee, O Thou the Best-Beloved, for that Thou hast
uncovered Thy Beauty, and written down for Thy
chosen ones what will cause them to attain unto the
seat of the revelation of Thy Most Great Name,
through which all the peoples have lamented except
such as have detached themselves from all else except
Thee, and set themselves towards Him Who is the
Revealer of Thyself and the Manifestation of Thine
attributes."
He Who is Thy Branch and all Thy company, O
my Lord, have broken this day their fast, after having
observed it within the precincts of Thy court,
+P69
and in their eagerness to please Thee. Do Thou ordain
for him, and for them, and for all such as have entered
Thy presence in those days all the good Thou
didst destine in Thy Book. Supply them, then, with
that which will profit them, in both this life and in
the life beyond.
Thou, in truth, art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
XLVII
O Thou the Lord of the visible and the invisible,
and the Enlightener of all creation! I beseech Thee,
by Thy sovereignty which is hid from the eyes of
men, to reveal in all directions the signs of Thy manifold
blessings and the tokens of Thy loving-kindness,
that I may arise with exultation and rapture and extol
Thy wondrous virtues, O Thou the Most Merciful,
and stir up by Thy name all created things, and
so kindle the fire of Thy glorification amidst Thy
creatures, that all the world may be filled with the
brightness of the light of Thy glory, and all existence
be inflamed with the fire of Thy Cause.
Roll not up, O my Lord, what hath been spread
out in Thy name, and extinguish not the lamp which
Thine own fire hath lit. Withhold not, O my Lord,
the water that is life indeed from running down--
the water from whose murmuring the wondrous
+P70
melodies which extol and glorify Thee can be heard.
Deny not, moreover, Thy servants the sweet fragrance
of the breath which hath been wafted through
Thy love.
Thou seest, O Thou Who art my All-Glorious
Beloved, the restless waves that surge within the ocean
of my heart, in my love and yearning towards Thee.
I implore Thee, by the signs of Thy majesty and the
evidences of Thy sovereignty, to subdue Thy servants
by this Name Which Thou hast made to be the King
of all names in the kingdom of Thy creation. Potent
art Thou to rule as Thou pleasest. No God is there
but Thee, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful.
Do Thou ordain, moreover, for every one who
hath turned towards Thee what will make him steadfast
in Thy Cause, in such wise that neither the vain
imaginations of the infidels among Thy creatures, nor
the idle talk of the froward amidst Thy servants will
have the power to shut him out from Thee. Thou,
verily, art the Help in Peril, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful.
XLVIII
Unto Thee be praise, O Lord my God! I beseech
Thee by Thy Most Great Name Who hath been shut
up in the prison-town of &Akka, and Who--as Thou
beholdest, O my God--hath fallen into the hands of
+P71
His enemies, and is threatened by the swords of the
wicked doers, to make me steadfast in His Cause, and
to direct mine eyes continually towards His court, in
such wise that nothing whatsoever will have the
power to turn me back from Him.
I testify, O my Lord, that He hath surrendered
His life in Thy path, and hath wished for Himself
nothing but tribulation in the love He beareth to
Thee. He hath endured all manner of vexations that
He may manifest Thy sovereignty unto Thy servants,
and exalt Thy word amidst Thy creatures. As the
adversities deepened, and the troubles sent down by
Thee compassed Him on every side, He became so
impassioned by His thought of Thee, that the hosts
of all them that had disbelieved in Thee and repudiated
Thy signs ceased to affright Him.
I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Him and by whatsoever
pertaineth unto Him, to set my affections
upon Him even as He hath set His own affections
upon Thyself. I testify that His love is Thy love,
and His self Thy self, and His beauty Thy beauty,
and His Cause Thy Cause.
Deny me not, O my Lord, what is with Thee, and
suffer me not to be forgetful of what Thou didst
desire in Thy days. Thou art, verily, the Almighty,
the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.
+P72
XLIX
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I entreat
Thee by Thy Name through which the Hour hath
struck, and the Resurrection came to pass, and fear
and trembling seized all that are in heaven and all
that are on earth, to rain down, out of the heaven
of Thy mercy and the clouds of Thy tender compassion,
what will gladden the hearts of Thy servants,
who have turned towards Thee and helped Thy
Cause.
Keep safe Thy servants and Thy handmaidens, O
my Lord, from the darts of idle fancy and vain imaginings,
and give them from the hands of Thy grace
a draught of the soft-flowing waters of Thy
knowledge.
Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted,
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
L
Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thou hearest Thine
ardent lovers lamenting in their separation from
Thee, and such as have recognized Thee wailing because
of their remoteness from Thy presence. Open
Thou outwardly to their faces, O my Lord, the gates
+P73
of Thy grace, that they may enter them by Thy
leave and in conformity with Thy will, and may
stand before the throne of Thy majesty, and catch
the accents of Thy voice, and be illumined with the
splendors of the light of Thy face.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. None
can withstand the power of Thy sovereign might.
From everlasting Thou wert alone, with none to
equal Thee, and wilt unto everlasting remain far
above all thought and every description of Thee.
Have mercy, then, upon Thy servants by Thy grace
and bounty, and suffer them not to be kept back
from the shores of the ocean of Thy nearness. If
Thou abandonest them, who is there to befriend
them; and if Thou puttest them far from Thee, who
is he that can favor them? They have none other
Lord beside Thee, none to adore except Thyself. Deal
Thou generously with them by Thy bountiful grace.
Thou, in truth, art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Compassionate.
LI
Thou dost witness, O my God, how He Who is
Thy splendor calleth Thee to remembrance, notwithstanding
the manifold troubles that have touched
Him, troubles which none except Thee can number.
Thou beholdest how, in His prison-house, He recounteth
+P74
Thy wondrous praises with which Thou
didst inspire Him. Such is His fervor that His enemies
are powerless to deter Him from mentioning
Thee, O Thou Who art the Possessor of all names!
Praised be Thou that Thou hast so strengthened
Him with Thy strength, and endowed Him by Thine
almighty power with such potency, that aught save
Thee is in His estimation but a handful of dust. The
lights of unfading splendor have so enveloped Him
that all else but Thee is in His eyes but a shadow.
And when Thine irresistible summons reached me, I
arose, fortified by Thy strength, and called all that
are in Thy heaven and all that are on Thy earth to
turn in the direction of Thy favors and the horizon
of Thy bounties. Some caviled at me, and determined
to hurt me and slay me. Others drank to the
full of the wine of Thy grace, and hastened towards
the habitation of Thy throne.
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Creator of
earth and heaven and the Source of all things, to
attract Thy servants through the fragrances of the
Robe of Thine Inspiration and Thy Revelation, and
to help them attain the Tabernacle of Thy behest
and power. From eternity Thou wert by Thy transcendent
might supreme over all things, and Thou
wilt be exalted unto eternity in Thy Godhead and
surpassing sovereignty.
Let Thy mercy, then, be upon Thy servants and
Thy creatures. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the
Inaccessible, the All-Glorious, the Unconditioned.
+P75
LII
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 Day-Star 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.
+P76
LIII
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.
+P77
LIV
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Aid Thou by
Thy strengthening grace Thy servants and Thy handmaidens
to recount Thy virtues and to be steadfast
in their love towards Thee. How many the leaves
which the tempests of trials have caused to fall, and
how many, too, are those which, clinging tenaciously
to the tree of Thy Cause, have remained unshaken by
the tests that have assailed them, O Thou Who art
our Lord, the Most Merciful!
I render Thee thanks that Thou hast made known
unto me such servants as have utterly abolished, by
the power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty, the
idols of their corrupt desires, and were not kept back
by the things which are possessed by Thy creatures
from turning in the direction of Thy grace. These
have so vehemently rent the veils asunder that the
dwellers of the cities of self have wept, and fear and
trembling seized the people of envy and wickedness
who, adorning their heads and their bodies with the
emblems of knowledge, have proudly rejected Thee
and turned away from Thy beauty.
I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy surpassing
majesty and Thine Ancient Name, to enable Thy
loved ones to assist Thee. Direct, then, continually
their faces towards Thy face, and write down for
them what will cause all hearts to exult and all eyes
to be gladdened.
+P78
Thou, truly, art the Help in peril, the Self-Subsisting.
LV
O God! The trials Thou sendest are a salve to the
sores of all them who are devoted to Thy will; the
remembrance of Thee is a healing medicine to the
hearts of such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court;
nearness to Thee is the true life of them who are Thy
lovers; Thy presence is the ardent desire of such as
yearn to behold Thy face; remoteness from Thee is
a torment to those that have acknowledged Thy oneness,
and separation from Thee is death unto them
that have recognized Thy truth!
I beseech Thee by the sighs which they whose souls
pant after Thee have uttered in their remoteness from
Thy court, and by the cries of such of Thy lovers as
bemoan their separation from Thee, to nourish me
with the wine of Thy knowledge and the living
waters of Thy love and pleasure. Behold Thy handmaiden,
O my Lord, who hath forgotten all else except
Thee, and who hath delighted herself with Thy
love, and lamented over the things that have befallen
Thee at the hands of the wicked doers among Thy
creatures. Do Thou ordain for her that which Thou
didst ordain for such of Thy handmaidens as circle
+P79
round the throne of Thy majesty, and gaze, at eventide
and at dawn, on Thy beauty.
Thou art, verily, the Lord of the Judgment Day.
LVI
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! These are the
days whereon Thou hast bidden all men to observe
the fast, that through it they may purify their souls
and rid themselves of all attachment to any one but
Thee, and that out of their hearts may ascend that
which will be worthy of the court of Thy majesty
and may well beseem the seat of the revelation of
Thy oneness. Grant, O my Lord, that this fast may
become a river of life-giving waters and may yield
the virtue wherewith Thou hast endowed it. Cleanse
Thou by its means the hearts of Thy servants whom
the evils of the world have failed to hinder from
turning towards Thine all-glorious Name, and who
have remained unmoved by the noise and tumult of
such as have repudiated Thy most resplendent signs
which have accompanied the advent of Thy Manifestation
Whom Thou hast invested with Thy sovereignty,
Thy power, Thy majesty and glory. These
are the servants who, as soon as Thy call reached
them, hastened in the direction of Thy mercy and
+P80
were not kept back from Thee by the changes and
chances of this world or by any human limitations.
I am he, O my God, who testifieth to Thy unity,
who acknowledgeth Thy oneness, who boweth humbly
before the revelations of Thy majesty, and who
recognizeth with downcast countenance the splendors
of the light of Thy transcendent glory. I have
believed in Thee after Thou didst enable me to know
Thy Self, Whom Thou hast revealed to men's eyes
through the power of Thy sovereignty and might.
Unto Him I have turned, wholly detached from all
things, and cleaving steadfastly unto the cord of
Thy gifts and favors. I have embraced His truth, and
the truth of all the wondrous laws and precepts that
have been sent down unto Him. I have fasted for
love of Thee and in pursuance of Thine injunction,
and have broken my fast with Thy praise on my
tongue and in conformity with Thy pleasure. Suffer
me not, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them who
have fasted in the daytime, who in the night-season
have prostrated themselves before Thy face, and who
have repudiated Thy truth, disbelieved in Thy signs,
gainsaid Thy testimony, and perverted Thine utterances.
Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes
of all them that have sought Thee, that we may recognize
Thee with Thine own eyes. This is Thy bidding
given us in the Book sent down by Thee unto
Him Whom Thou hast chosen by Thy behest, Whom
Thou hast singled out for Thy favor above all Thy
+P81
creatures, Whom Thou hast been pleased to invest
with Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou hast specially
favored and entrusted with Thy Message unto Thy
people. Praised be Thou, therefore, O my God, inasmuch
as Thou hast graciously enabled us to recognize
Him and to acknowledge whatsoever hath been sent
down unto Him, and conferred upon us the honor
of attaining the presence of the One Whom Thou
didst promise in Thy Book and in Thy Tablets.
Thou seest me then, O my God, with my face
turned towards Thee, cleaving steadfastly to the cord
of Thy gracious providence and generosity, and
clinging to the hem of Thy tender mercies and
bountiful favors. Destroy not, I implore Thee, my
hopes of attaining unto that which Thou didst ordain
for Thy servants who have turned towards the precincts
of Thy court and the sanctuary of Thy presence,
and have observed the fast for love of Thee.
I confess, O my God, that whatever proceedeth from
me is wholly unworthy of Thy sovereignty and falleth
short of Thy majesty. And yet I beseech Thee by
Thy Name through which Thou hast revealed Thy
Self, in the glory of Thy most excellent titles, unto
all created things, in this Revelation whereby Thou
hast, through Thy most resplendent Name, manifested
Thy beauty, to give me to drink of the wine
of Thy mercy and of the pure beverage of Thy favor,
which have streamed forth from the right hand of
Thy will, that I may so fix my gaze upon Thee and
be so detached from all else but Thee, that the world
+P82
and all that hath been created therein may appear
before me as a fleeting day which Thou hast not
deigned to create.
I moreover entreat Thee, O my God, to rain down,
from the heaven of Thy will and the clouds of Thy
mercy, that which will cleanse us from the noisome
savors of our transgressions, O Thou Who hast called
Thyself the God of Mercy! Thou art, verily, the
Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Beneficent.
Cast not away, O my Lord, him that hath turned
towards Thee, nor suffer him who hath drawn nigh
unto Thee to be removed far from Thy court. Dash
not the hopes of the suppliant who hath longingly
stretched out his hands to seek Thy grace and favors,
and deprive not Thy sincere servants of the wonders
of Thy tender mercies and loving-kindness. Forgiving
and Most Bountiful art Thou, O my Lord! Power
hast Thou to do what Thou pleasest. All else but Thee
are impotent before the revelations of Thy might, are
as lost in the face of the evidences of Thy wealth, are
as nothing when compared with the manifestations
of Thy transcendent sovereignty, and are destitute
of all strength when face to face with the signs and
tokens of Thy power. What refuge is there beside
Thee, O my Lord, to which I can flee, and where is
there a haven to which I can hasten? Nay, the power
of Thy might beareth me witness! No protector is
there but Thee, no place to flee to except Thee, no
refuge to seek save Thee. Cause me to taste, O my
Lord, the divine sweetness of Thy remembrance and
+P83
praise. I swear by Thy might! Whosoever tasteth of
its sweetness will rid himself of all attachment to
the world and all that is therein, and will set his face
towards Thee, cleansed from the remembrance of any
one except Thee.
Inspire then my soul, O my God, with Thy wondrous
remembrance, that I may glorify Thy name.
Number me not with them who read Thy words and
fail to find Thy hidden gift which, as decreed by
Thee, is contained therein, and which quickeneth the
souls of Thy creatures and the hearts of Thy servants.
Cause me, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them
who have been so stirred up by the sweet savors that
have been wafted in Thy days that they have laid
down their lives for Thee and hastened to the scene
of their death in their longing to gaze on Thy beauty
and in their yearning to attain Thy presence. And
were any one to say unto them on their way,
"Whither go ye?" they would say, "Unto God,
the All-Possessing, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting!"
The transgressions committed by such as have
turned away from Thee and have borne themselves
haughtily towards Thee have not availed to hinder
them from loving Thee, and from setting their faces
towards Thee, and from turning in the direction of
Thy mercy. These are they who are blessed by the
Concourse on high, who are glorified by the denizens
of the everlasting Cities, and beyond them by those
on whose foreheads Thy most exalted pen hath written:
+P84
"These! The people of &Baha. Through them have
been shed the splendors of the light of guidance."
Thus hath it been ordained, at Thy behest and by
Thy will, in the Tablet of Thine irrevocable decree.
Proclaim, therefore, O my God, their greatness and
the greatness of those who while living or after death
have circled round them. Supply them with that
which Thou hast ordained for the righteous among
Thy creatures. Potent art Thou to do all things.
There is no God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the
Help in Peril, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful.
Do not bring our fasts to an end with this fast, O
my Lord, nor the covenants Thou hast made with this
covenant. Do Thou accept all that we have done for
love of Thee, and for the sake of Thy pleasure, and
all that we have left undone as a result of our subjection
to our evil and corrupt desires. Enable us,
then, to cleave steadfastly to Thy love and Thy good-pleasure,
and preserve us from the mischief of such
as have denied Thee and repudiated Thy most resplendent
signs. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of this
world and of the next. No God is there beside Thee,
the Exalted, the Most High.
Magnify Thou, O Lord my God, Him Who is the
Primal Point, the Divine Mystery, the Unseen Essence,
the Day-Spring of Divinity, and the Manifestation
of Thy Lordship, through Whom all the
knowledge of the past and all the knowledge of the
future were made plain, through Whom the pearls of
Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and the mystery
+P85
of Thy treasured name disclosed, Whom Thou hast
appointed as the Announcer of the One through
Whose name the letter B and the letter E have been
joined and united, through Whom Thy majesty, Thy
sovereignty and Thy might were made known,
through Whom Thy words have been sent down, and
Thy laws set forth with clearness, and Thy signs
spread abroad, and Thy Word established, through
Whom the hearts of Thy chosen ones were laid bare,
and all that were in the heavens and all that were on
the earth were gathered together, Whom Thou hast
called &Ali-Muhammad in the kingdom of Thy
names, and the Spirit of Spirits in the Tablets of
Thine irrevocable decree, Whom Thou hast invested
with Thine own title, unto Whose name all other
names have, at Thy bidding and through the power
of Thy might, been made to return, and in Whom
Thou hast caused all Thine attributes and titles to
attain their final consummation. To Him also belong
such names as lay hid within Thy stainless tabernacles,
in Thine invisible world and Thy sanctified
cities.
Magnify Thou, moreover, such as have believed in
Him and in His signs and have turned towards Him,
from among those that have acknowledged Thy
unity in His Latter Manifestation--a Manifestation
whereof He hath made mention in His Tablets, and
in His Books, and in His Scriptures, and in all the
wondrous verses and gem-like utterances that have
descended upon Him. It is this same Manifestation
+P86
Whose covenant Thou hast bidden Him establish ere
He had established His own covenant. He it is Whose
praise the &Bayan hath celebrated. In it His excellence
hath been extolled, and His truth established, and His
sovereignty proclaimed, and His Cause perfected.
Blessed is the man that hath turned unto Him, and
fulfilled the things He hath commanded, O Thou
Who art the Lord of the worlds and the Desire of all
them that have known Thee!
Praised be Thou, O my God, inasmuch as Thou
hast aided us to recognize and love Him. I, therefore,
beseech Thee by Him and by Them Who are the Day-Springs
of Thy Divinity, and the Manifestations of
Thy Lordship, and the Treasuries of Thy Revelation,
and the Depositories of Thine inspiration, to enable us
to serve and obey Him, and to empower us to become
the helpers of His Cause and the dispersers of His
adversaries. Powerful art Thou to do all that pleaseth
Thee. No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the
All-Glorious, the One Whose help is sought by all
men!
LVII
God testifieth to the unity of His Godhood and to
the singleness of His own Being. On the throne of
eternity, from the inaccessible heights of His station,
His tongue proclaimeth that there is none other God
+P87
but Him. He Himself, independently of all else, hath
ever been a witness unto His own oneness, the revealer
of His own nature, the glorifier of His own
essence. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty,
the Beauteous.
He is supreme over His servants, and standeth over
His creatures. In His hand is the source of authority
and truth. He maketh men alive by His signs, and
causeth them to die through His wrath. He shall not
be asked of His doings and His might is equal unto
all things. He is the Potent, the All-Subduing. He
holdeth within His grasp the empire of all things,
and on His right hand is fixed the Kingdom of
His Revelation. His power, verily, embraceth the
whole of creation. Victory and overlordship are His;
all might and dominion are His; all glory and greatness
are His. He, of a truth, is the All-Glorious, the
Most Powerful, the Unconditioned.
LVIII
Praise be to Thee, to Whom the tongues of all
created things have, from eternity, called, and yet
failed to attain the heaven of Thine eternal holiness
and grandeur. The eyes of all beings have been opened
to behold the beauty of Thy radiant countenance,
yet none hath succeeded in gazing on the brightness
+P88
of the light of Thy face. The hands of them that are
nigh unto Thee have, ever since the foundation of
Thy glorious sovereignty and the establishment of
Thy holy dominion, been raised suppliantly towards
Thee, yet no one hath been able to touch the hem
of the robe that clotheth Thy Divine and sovereign
Essence. And yet none can deny that Thou hast ever
been, through the wonders of Thy generosity and
bounty, supreme over all things, art powerful to do
all things, and art nearer unto all things than they
are unto themselves.
Far be it, then, from Thy glory that anyone
should gaze on Thy wondrous beauty with any eye
save Thine own eye, or hear the melodies proclaiming
Thine almighty sovereignty with any ear except Thine
own ear. Too high art Thou exalted for the eye of
any creature to behold Thy beauty, or for the understanding
of any heart to scale the heights of Thine
immeasurable knowledge. For should the birds of the
hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee be ever enabled
to soar as long as Thine own overpowering
sovereignty can endure, or to ascend as long as the
empire of Thy Divine holiness can last, they shall, in
no wise, be able to transcend the limitations which a
contingent world hath imposed upon them, nor pass
beyond its confines. How, then, can he whose very
creation is restricted by such limitations, attain unto
Him Who is the Lord of the Kingdom of all created
things, or ascend into the heaven of Him Who ruleth
the realms of loftiness and grandeur?
+P89
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, my
Best-Beloved! Inasmuch as Thou hast ordained that
the utmost limit to which they who lift their hearts
to Thee can rise is the confession of their powerlessness
to enter the realms of Thy holy and transcendent
unity, and that the highest station which they who
aspire to know Thee can reach is the acknowledgment
of their impotence to attain the retreats of Thy sublime
knowledge I, therefore, beseech Thee, by this
very powerlessness which is beloved of Thee, and
which Thou hast decreed as the goal of them that have
reached and attained Thy court, and by the splendors
of Thy countenance that have encompassed all things,
and by the energies of Thy Will whereby the entire
creation hath been generated, not to deprive them
that have set their hopes in Thee of the wonders of
Thy mercy, nor to withhold from such as have sought
Thee the treasures of Thy grace. Ignite, then, within
their hearts the torch of Thy love, that its flame may
consume all else except their wondrous remembrance
of Thee, and that no trace may be left in those hearts
except the gem-like evidences of Thy most holy
sovereignty, so that from the land wherein they dwell
no voice may be heard except the voice that extolleth
Thy mercifulness and might, that on the earth on
which they walk no light may shine except the light
of Thy beauty, and that within every soul naught
may be discovered except the revelation of Thy countenance
and the tokens of Thy glory, that haply Thy
servants may show forth only that which shall please
+P90
Thee and shall conform wholly unto Thy most
potent will.
Glory be to Thee, O my God! The power of Thy
might beareth me witness! I can have no doubt that
should the holy breaths of Thy loving-kindness and
the breeze of Thy bountiful favor cease, for less than
the twinkling of an eye, to breathe over all created
things, the entire creation would perish, and all that
are in heaven and on earth would be reduced to utter
nothingness. Magnified, therefore, be the marvelous
evidences of Thy transcendent power! Magnified be
the potency of Thine exalted might! Magnified be the
majesty of Thine all-encompassing greatness, and the
energizing influence of Thy will! Such is Thy greatness
that wert Thou to concentrate the eyes of all
men in the eye of one of Thy servants, and to compress
all their hearts within his heart, and wert Thou
to enable him to behold within himself all the things
Thou hast created through Thy power and fashioned
through Thy might, and were he to ponder, throughout
eternity, over the realms of Thy creation and the
range of Thy handiwork, he would unfailingly discover
that there is no created thing but is overshadowed
by Thine all-conquering power, and is vitalized
through Thine all-embracing sovereignty.
Behold me, then, O my God, fallen prostrate upon
the dust before Thee, confessing my powerlessness
and Thine omnipotence, my poverty and Thy wealth,
mine evanescence and Thine eternity, mine utter
abasement and Thine infinite glory. I recognize that
+P91
there is none other God but Thee, that Thou hast no
peer nor partner, none to equal or rival Thee. In
Thine unapproachable loftiness Thou hast, from eternity,
been exalted above the praise of any one but
Thee, and shalt continue for ever, in Thy transcendent
singleness and glory, to be sanctified from the
glorification of any one except Thine own Self.
I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved! To make
mention of any created thing beseemeth not Thy
most exalted Self, and to bestow any praise upon any
one of Thy creatures would be wholly unworthy of
Thy great glory. Nay, such a mention would be but
blasphemy uttered within the court of Thy holiness,
and such praise would amount to no less than a transgression
in the face of the evidences of Thy Divine
sovereignty. For the mere mention of any one of
Thy creatures would in itself imply an assertion of
their existence before the court of Thy singleness and
unity. Such an assertion would be naught but open
blasphemy, an act of impiety, the essence of profanity
and a wanton crime.
Wherefore, I bear witness with my soul, my spirit,
my entire being, that should They Who are the Day-Springs
of Thy most holy unity and the Manifestations
of Thy transcendent oneness be able to soar so
long as Thine own sovereignty endureth and Thine
all-compelling authority can last, they will fail in the
end to attain unto even the precincts of the court
wherein Thou didst reveal the effulgence of but one
of Thy most mighty Names. Glorified, glorified be,
+P92
therefore, Thy wondrous majesty. Glorified, glorified
be Thine unattainable loftiness. Glorified, glorified be
the &preeminence of Thy kingship and the sublimity
of Thine authority and power.
The highest faculties which the learned have possessed,
and whatsoever truths they, in their search
after the gems of Thy knowledge, have discovered;
the brightest realities with which the wise have been
endowed, and whatever secrets they, in their attempts
to fathom the mysteries of Thy wisdom, have unraveled,
have all been created through the generative
power of the Spirit that was breathed into the
Pen which Thy hands have fashioned. How, then, can
the thing which Thy Pen hath created be capable of
comprehending those treasures of Thy Faith with
which, as decreed by Thee, that Pen hath been invested?
How can it ever know of the Fingers that
grasp Thy Pen, and of Thy merciful favors with
which it hath been endowed? How can it, already
unable to reach this station, be made aware of the
existence of Thy Hand that controlleth the Fingers
of Thy might? How can it attain unto the comprehension
of the nature of Thy Will that animateth the
movement of Thy Hand?
Glorified, glorified be Thou, O my God! How can
I ever hope to ascend into the heaven of Thy most
holy will, or gain admittance into the tabernacle of
Thy Divine knowledge, knowing as I do that the
minds of the wise and learned are impotent to fathom
+P93
the secrets of Thy handiwork--a handiwork which is
itself but a creation of Thy will?
Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God, my Master,
my Possessor, my King. Now that I have confessed
unto Thee my powerlessness and the powerlessness of
all created things, and have acknowledged my poverty
and the poverty of the entire creation, I call unto
Thee with my tongue and the tongues of all that are
in heaven and on earth, and beseech Thee with my
heart and the hearts of all that have entered beneath
the shadow of Thy names and Thine attributes, not to
shut us from the doors of Thy loving-kindness and
grace, nor to suffer the breeze of Thy bountiful care
and favor to cease from being wafted over our souls,
nor to permit that our hearts be occupied with any
one except Thee, or our minds to be busied with any
remembrance save remembrance of Thy Self.
By the glory of Thy might, O my God! Wert Thou
to set me king over Thy realms, and to establish me
upon the throne of Thy sovereignty, and to deliver,
through Thy power, the reins of the entire creation
into my hands, and wert Thou to cause me, though
it be for less than a moment, to be occupied with
these things and be oblivious of the wondrous memories
associated with Thy most mighty, most perfect,
and most exalted Name, my soul would still remain
unsatisfied, and the pangs of my heart unstilled.
Nay, I would, in that very state, recognize myself as
the poorest of the poor, and the most wretched of
the wretched.
+P94
Magnified be Thy name, O my God! Now that
Thou hast caused me to apprehend this truth, I beseech
Thee by Thy Name which no scroll can bear,
which no heart can imagine and no tongue can utter
--a Name which will remain concealed so long as
Thine own Essence is hidden, and will be glorified so
long as Thine own Being is extolled--to unfurl, ere
the present year draw to a close, the ensigns of Thine
undisputed ascendancy and triumph, that the whole
creation may be enriched by Thy wealth, and may
be exalted through the ennobling influence of Thy
transcendent sovereignty, and that all may arise and
promote Thy Cause.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Highest,
the All-Glorious, the All-Subduing, the All-Possessing.
LIX
All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the
Source of all glory and majesty, of greatness and
honor, of sovereignty and dominion, of loftiness and
grace, of awe and power. Whomsoever Thou willest
Thou causest to draw nigh unto the Most Great
Ocean, and on whomsoever Thou desirest Thou conferrest
the honor of recognizing Thy Most Ancient
Name. Of all who are in heaven and on earth, none
can withstand the operation of Thy sovereign Will.
+P95
From all eternity Thou didst rule the entire creation,
and Thou wilt continue for evermore to exercise Thy
dominion over all created things. There is none other
God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the
All-Powerful, the All-Wise.
Illumine, O Lord, the faces of Thy servants, that
they may behold Thee; and cleanse their hearts that
they may turn unto the court of Thy heavenly
favors, and recognize Him Who is the Manifestation
of Thy Self and the Day-Spring of Thine Essence.
Verily, Thou art the Lord of all worlds. There is no
God but Thee, the Unconstrained, the All-Subduing.
LX
Glorified be Thou, O my God! Behold Thou my
head ready to fall before the sword of Thy Will, my
neck prepared to bear the chains of Thy Desire, my
heart yearning to be made a target for the darts of
Thy Decree, mine eyes expectant to gaze on the
tokens and signs of Thy wondrous Mercy. For whatsoever
may befall me from Thee is the cherished
desire of them who thirst to meet Thee, and the
supreme aspiration of such as have drawn nigh unto
Thy court.
By the glory of Thy might, O Thou my Well-Beloved!
To have sacrificed my life for the Manifestations
+P96
of Thy Self, to have offered up my soul in the
path of the Revealers of Thy wondrous Beauty, is to
have sacrificed my spirit for Thy Spirit, my being for
Thy Being, my glory for Thy glory. It is as if I had
offered up all these things for Thy sake, and for the
sake of Thy loved ones.
Though my body be pained by the trials that befall
me from Thee, though it be afflicted by the revelations
of Thy Decree, yet my soul rejoiceth at having
partaken of the waters of Thy Beauty, and at having
attained the shores of the ocean of Thine eternity.
Doth it beseem a lover to flee from his beloved, or to
desert the object of his heart's desire? Nay, we all believe
in Thee, and eagerly hope to enter Thy presence.
LXI
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou dost
witness that Thy will hath prevailed over all created
things, and Thy mercy hath surpassed all who are in
heaven and on earth. And when Thou didst purpose
to unveil Thy sovereignty, and to glorify Thy word,
and to reveal Thy bounteousness and mercy, Thou
didst raise up one of Thy servants, and didst choose
Him above all Thy creatures, and didst single Him
out for Thy purpose, and didst clothe Him with the
robe of Thy guidance, and didst immerse Him beneath
+P97
the seas of Thy majesty and grandeur, and
didst sanctify Him from all that beseemeth not the
greatness of Thy glory and the power of Thy might,
and didst bid Him to cry out before all that are in
heaven and on earth, and summon the multitudes to
the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Revealer of
Thy signs.
No sooner had He proclaimed Thy Cause, and
risen up to carry out the things prescribed unto Him
in the Tablets of Thy decree, than the Great Terror
fell upon Thy creatures. Some turned towards Thee,
and detached themselves from all except Thee, and
sanctified their souls from the world and all that is
therein, and were so enravished by the sweetness of
Thy voice that they forsook all Thou hadst created
in the kingdom of Thy creation. Others recognized
Thee and then hesitated, others allowed the world to
come in between them and Thee and to withhold
them from recognizing Thee. Others disdained Thee,
and turned back from Thee, and wished to prevent
Thee from achieving Thy purpose. And yet behold
how all of them are calling upon Thee, and are expecting
the things they were promised in Thy Tablets.
And when the Promised One came unto them,
they recognized Him not, and disbelieved in Thy
signs, and repudiated Thy clear tokens, and strayed
so grievously from Thy path that they slew Thy
servants, through the brightness of whose faces the
countenances of the Concourse on high have been
illumined.
+P98
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all
names, to guard Thy loved ones against Thine enemies,
and to strengthen them in their love for Thee
and in fulfilling Thy pleasure. Do Thou protect them,
that their footsteps may slip not, that their hearts
may not be shut out as by a veil from Thee, and that
their eyes may be restrained from beholding anything
that is not of Thee. Cause them to be so enraptured
by the sweetness of Thy divine melodies
that they will rid themselves of all attachment to
any one except Thee, and will turn wholly towards
Thee, and extol Thee under all conditions, saying:
"Praised be Thou, O Lord our God, inasmuch as
Thou hast enabled us to recognize Thy most exalted
and all-glorious Self. We will, by Thy mercy, cleave
to Thee, and will detach ourselves from any one but
Thee. We have realized that Thou art the Beloved
of the worlds and the Creator of earth and heaven!"
Glorified be God, the Lord of all creation!
LXII
Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord my God!
Thou art He Who from everlasting hath been clothed
with majesty, with authority and power, and will
continue unto everlasting to be arrayed with honor,
with strength and glory. The learned, one and all,
+P99
stand aghast before the signs and tokens of Thy
handiwork, while the wise find themselves, without
exception, impotent to unravel the mystery of Them
Who are the Manifestations of Thy might and power.
Every man of insight hath confessed his powerlessness
to scale the heights of Thy knowledge, and every
man of learning hath acknowledged his failure to
fathom the nature of Thine Essence.
Having barred the way that leadeth unto Thee,
Thou hast, by virtue of Thine authority and through
the potency of Thy will, called into being Them Who
are the Manifestations of Thy Self, and hast entrusted
Them with Thy message unto Thy people, and caused
Them to become the Day-Springs of Thine inspiration,
the Exponents of Thy Revelation, the Treasuries
of Thy Knowledge and the Repositories of Thy Faith,
that all men may, through Them, turn their faces
towards Thee, and may draw nigh unto the kingdom
of Thy Revelation and the heaven of Thy grace.
I beseech Thee, therefore, by Thyself and by Them,
to send down, from the right hand of the throne of
Thy grace, upon all that dwell on earth, that which
shall wash them from the stain of their trespasses
against Thee, and cause them to become wholly devoted
to Thy Self, O Thou in Whose hand is the
source of all gifts, that they may all arise to serve
Thy Cause, and may detach themselves entirely from
all except Thee. Thou art the Almighty, the All-Glorious,
the Unrestrained.
O my God, my Master, my Best-Beloved! I am
+P100
Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have held
fast the cord of Thy grace, and clung to the hem
of the garment of Thy loving providence. I entreat
Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, Whom Thou hast
appointed as the unerring Balance among the nations,
and Thine infallible Proof unto all men, not to forsake
me, nor to abandon me to my corrupt desires.
Do Thou preserve me beneath the shadow of Thy
Supreme Sinlessness, and enable me to magnify Thine
own Self amidst the concourse of Thy creatures.
Withhold not from me the Divine fragrance of Thy
days, and deprive me not of the sweet savors wafting
from the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation. Bestow on
me the good of this world and of the next, through
the power of Thy grace that hath encompassed all
created things and Thy mercy that hath surpassed
the entire creation. Thou art He Who holdeth in His
grasp the kingdom of all things. Thou doest what
Thou willest through Thy decree, and choosest,
through the power of Thy might, whatsoever Thou
desirest. None can resist Thy will; naught can exhaust
the impelling force of Thy command. There
is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious,
the Most Bountiful.
+P101
LXIII
Thou beholdest, O my God, Thy servant who
dwelleth in this prison-house, wholly detached from
any one but Thee, his eyes turned in the direction of
the Day-Spring of Thy mercy, his heart longing for
the wondrous manifestations of Thy grace. Thou,
O my Lord, hast reckoned up the ills that have
afflicted him in Thy path. Thou seest him compassed
about with such of Thy creatures as have transgressed
and rebelled against Thee, who have come in
between him and Thy loved ones, who have fixed his
abode in this land and wronged Thee, and who have
hindered Thy servants from turning towards Thee.
For all these things I offer thanksgiving unto Thee,
O my Lord! I implore Thee to assist me and them
that love me to magnify Thy Word, and to endow
us with such strength that the ills of this world and
its tribulations will be powerless to hinder us from
remembering Thee and from extolling Thy virtues.
Powerful art Thou to do all things; resplendent art
Thou above all things.
Every conqueror is but a serf whom Thy hand
hath subjected, and the richest of the rich is as destitute
before the immensity of Thy wealth. The noblest
of nobles is humbled when faced with the manifestations
of Thy glory, and the mightiest of potentates
is a mere abject one when confronted with the compelling
evidences of Thine authority.
+P102
Tear asunder, O my God, the veil of vain imaginings
that hath obscured the vision of Thy people,
that all may haste towards Thee, may tread the path
of Thy pleasure, and walk in the ways of Thy Faith.
We are, O my God, Thy servants and Thy bondsmen.
Thou art sufficient unto us so that we can dispense
with the world and all that is therein. We are wholly
satisfied with all that hath befallen us in Thy path,
and exclaim: "Praised be Thou, in Whose hand are
the realms of revelation and of creation, and all the
kingdoms of earth and heaven!"
LXIV
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God, my Master!
Thou hearest the sighing of those who, though they
long to behold Thy face, are yet separated from
Thee and far distant from Thy court. Thou testifiest
to the lamentations which those who have recognized
Thee pour forth because of their exile from Thee and
their yearning to meet Thee. I beseech Thee by those
hearts which contain naught except the treasures of
Thy remembrance and praise, and which show forth
only the testimonies of Thy greatness and the evidences
of Thy might, to bestow on Thy servants who
desire Thee power to approach the seat of the revelation
of the splendor of Thy glory and to assist them
+P103
whose hopes are set on Thee to enter into the tabernacle
of Thy transcendent favor and mercy.
Naked am I, O my God! Clothe me with the robe
of Thy tender mercies. I am sore athirst; give me to
drink of the oceans of Thy bountiful favor. I am a
stranger; draw me nearer unto the source of Thy
gifts. I am sick; sprinkle upon me the healing waters
of Thy grace. I am a captive; rid me of my bondage,
by the power of Thy might and through the force
of Thy will, that I may soar on the wings of detachment
towards the loftiest summits of Thy creation.
Thou, verily, doest what Thou choosest. There is no
God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious,
the Unconstrained.
LXV
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou knowest that
my sole aim in revealing Thy Cause hath been to
reveal Thee and not my self, and to manifest Thy
glory rather than my glory. In Thy path, and to
attain Thy pleasure, I have scorned rest, joy, delight.
At all times and under all conditions my gaze hath
been fixed on Thy precepts, and mine eyes bent upon
the things Thou hast bidden me observe in Thy Tablets.
I have wakened every morning to the light of
+P104
Thy praise and Thy remembrance, and reached every
evening inhaling the fragrances of Thy mercy.
And when the entire creation was stirred up, and
the whole earth was convulsed, and the sweet savors
of Thy name, the All-Praised, had almost ceased to
breathe over Thy realms, and the winds of Thy mercy
had well-nigh been stilled throughout Thy dominions,
Thou didst, through the power of Thy might,
raise me up among Thy servants, and bid me to show
forth Thy sovereignty amidst Thy people. Thereupon
I arose before all Thy creatures, strengthened
by Thy help and Thy power, and summoned all the
multitudes unto Thee, and announced unto all Thy
servants Thy favors and Thy gifts, and invited them
to turn towards this Ocean, every drop of the waters
of which crieth out, proclaiming unto all that are
in heaven and on earth that He is, in truth, the Fountain
of all life, and the Quickener of the entire creation,
and the Object of the adoration of all worlds,
and the Best-Beloved of every understanding heart,
and the Desire of all them that are nigh unto Thee.
Though the fierce winds of the hatred of the
wicked doers blew and beat on this Lamp, He was,
at no time, in His love for Thy beauty, hindered
from shedding the fragrance of His light. As the
transgressions committed against Thee waxed greater
and greater, my eagerness to reveal Thy Cause correspondingly
increased, and as the tribulations deepened
--and to this Thy glory beareth me witness--
+P105
a fuller measure of Thy sovereignty and of Thy
power was vouchsafed by me unto Thy creatures.
And finally, I was cast by the transgressors into
the prison-city of &Akka, and my kindred were made
captives in &Baghdad. The power of Thy might beareth
me witness, O my God! Every trouble that hath
touched me in Thy path hath added to my joy and
increased my gladness. I swear by Thee, O Thou Who
art the King of Kings! None of the kings of the
earth hath power to hinder me from remembering
Thee or from extolling Thy virtues. Were they to
be leagued--as they have been leagued--against me,
and to brandish their sharpest swords and most afflictive
spears against me, I would not hesitate to magnify
Thy name before all them that are in Thy
heaven and on Thy earth. Nay rather, I would cry
out and say: "This, O my Beloved, is my face which
I have offered up for Thy face, and this is my spirit
which I have sacrificed for Thy spirit, and this is
my blood that seetheth in my veins, in its longing
to be shed for love of Thee and in Thy path."
Though--as Thou beholdest me, O my God--I be
dwelling in a place within whose walls no voice can
be heard except the sound of the echo, though all the
gates of ease and comfort be shut against us, and
thick darkness appear to have compassed us on every
side, yet my soul hath been so inflamed by its love
for Thee, that nothing whatsoever can either quench
the fire of its love or abate the consuming flame of
its desire. Lifting up its voice, it crieth aloud amidst
+P106
Thy servants, and calleth them, at all times and under
all conditions, unto Thee.
I beseech Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, to open
the eyes of Thy servants, that they may behold Thee
shining above the horizon of Thy majesty and glory,
and that they may not be hindered by the croaking
of the raven from hearkening to the voice of the
Dove of Thy sublime oneness, nor be prevented by
the corrupt waters from partaking of the pure wine
of Thy bounty and the everlasting streams of Thy
gifts.
Gather them, then, together around this Divine
Law, the covenant of which Thou hast established
with all Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers, and
Whose ordinances Thou hast written down in Thy
Tablets and Thy Scriptures. Raise them up, moreover,
to such heights as will enable them to perceive
Thy Call.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou
art, verily, the Inaccessible, the All-Glorious.
LXVI
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest
me dwelling in this prison-house that lieth behind the
seas and the mountains, and knowest full well what
I have endured for love of Thee and for the sake of
+P107
Thy Cause. Thou art He, O my God, Who hath
raised me up at Thy behest, and bidden me to occupy
Thy seat, and to summon all men to the court of
Thy mercy. It is Thou Who hast commanded me to
tell out the things Thou didst destine for them in the
Tablet of Thy decree and didst inscribe with the pen
of Thy Revelation, and Who hast enjoined on me the
duty of kindling the fire of Thy love in the hearts
of Thy servants, and of drawing all the peoples of
the earth nearer to the habitation of Thy throne.
And when, as bidden by Thee, I arose and called
out, by Thy leave, all Thy creatures, the wayward
among Thy servants opposed me. Some turned away
from me, others disowned my claim, a few hesitated,
while others were sore perplexed, notwithstanding
that Thy testimony was set forth before the followers
of all religions, and Thy proof demonstrated unto
all the peoples of the earth, and the signs of Thy
might so powerfully manifested as to encompass the
entire creation.
I was, moreover, opposed by mine own kindred,
although, as Thou knowest, they were dear to me and
I had desired for them that which I had desired for
mine own self. These are the ones who, when learning
that I had been cast into prison, perpetrated against
me what no man else on earth had perpetrated.
I entreat Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy
name by which Thou hast separated between truth
and denial, to purify their hearts of all evil suggestions,
and to enable them to draw nigh unto Him
+P108
Who is the Day-Spring of Thy names and Thine
attributes.
Thou knowest, O my God, that I have severed
every tie that bindeth me to any of Thy creatures
except that most exalted tie that uniteth me with
whosoever cleaveth unto Thee, in this the day of the
revelation of Thy most august Self, that hath appeared
in Thy name, the All-Glorious. Thou knowest
that I have dissolved every bond that knitteth me
to any one of my kindred except such as have enjoyed
near access to Thy most effulgent face.
I have no will but Thy will, O my Lord, and cherish
no desire except Thy desire. From my pen floweth
only the summons which Thine own exalted pen hath
voiced, and my tongue uttereth naught save what
the Most Great Spirit hath itself proclaimed in the
kingdom of Thine eternity. I am stirred by nothing
else except the winds of Thy will, and breathe no
word except the words which, by Thy leave and
Thine inspiration, I am led to pronounce.
Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Well-Beloved
of all that have known Thee, and the Desire
of the hearts of such as are devoted to Thee, inasmuch
as Thou hast made me a target for the ills that
I suffer in my love for Thee, and the object of the
assaults launched against me in Thy path. Thy glory
beareth me witness! I can, on no account, feel impatient
of the adversities that I have borne in my love
for Thee. From the very day Thou didst reveal Thyself
unto me, I have accepted for myself every manner
+P109
of tribulation. Every moment of my life my head
crieth out to Thee and saith: "Would, O my Lord,
that I could be raised on the spear-point in Thy
path!" while my blood entreateth Thee saying: "Dye
the earth with me, O my God, for the sake of Thy
love and Thy pleasure!" Thou knowest that I have,
at no time, sought to guard my body against any
affliction, nay rather I have continually anticipated
the things Thou didst ordain for me in the Tablet
of Thy decree.
Behold, then, O my God, my loneliness among Thy
servants and my remoteness from Thy friends and
Thy chosen ones. I beseech Thee, by the showers of
the clouds of Thy mercy, whereby Thou hast caused
the blossoms of Thy praise and utterance and the
flowers of Thy wisdom and testimony to spring forth
in the hearts of all them that have recognized Thy
oneness, to supply Thy servants and my kindred with
the fruits of the tree of Thy unity, in these days
when Thou hast been established upon the throne of
Thy mercy. Hinder them not, O my Lord, from attaining
unto the things Thou dost possess, and write
down for them that which will aid them to scale the
heights of Thy grace and favor. Give them, moreover,
to drink of the living waters of Thy knowledge,
and ordain for them the good of this world and of
the world to come.
Thou art, verily, the Lord of &Baha, and the Beloved
of his heart, and the Object of his desire, and the
Inspirer of his tongue, and the Source of his soul. No
+P110
God is there but Thee, the Inaccessible, the Most
High. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most
Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
LXVII
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I yield Thee
thanks for having enabled me to recognize the Manifestation
of Thyself, and for having severed me from
Thine enemies, and laid bare before mine eyes their
misdeeds and wicked works in Thy days, and for having
rid me of all attachment to them, and caused me
to turn wholly towards Thy grace and bountiful
favors. I give Thee thanks, also, for having sent down
upon me from the clouds of Thy will that which
hath so sanctified me from the hints of the infidels
and the allusions of the misbelievers that I have fixed
my heart firmly on Thee, and fled from such as
have denied the light of Thy countenance. Again I
thank Thee for having empowered me to be steadfast
in Thy love, and to speak forth Thy praise and to
extol Thy virtues, and for having given me to drink
of the cup of Thy mercy that hath surpassed all
things visible and invisible.
Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious,
the All-Loving.
+P111
LXVIII
Praised be Thou, O my God! Thou seest me shut up
in this Prison, and art well aware that I have entered
it solely for Thy sake and for the sake of the glorification
of Thy word and the proclamation of Thy
Cause. I cry out to Thee, this very moment, O Thou
Who art the Lord of all worlds, beseeching Thee, by
Thine undoubted Name, to attract the hearts of Thy
servants unto the Day-Spring of Thy most excellent
titles and the Dawning-Place of Thy most resplendent
signs.
But for the troubles that touch me in Thy path,
O my God, how else could my heart rejoice in Thy
days; and were it not for the blood which is shed for
love of Thee, what else could tinge the faces of Thy
chosen ones before the eyes of Thy creatures? I swear
by Thy might! The ornament that adorneth the
countenance of Thy dear ones is the blood which, in
their love for Thee, floweth out of their foreheads
over their faces.
Thou beholdest, O my God, how every bone in my
body soundeth like a pipe with the music of Thine
inspiration, revealing the signs of Thy oneness and the
clear tokens of Thy unity. I entreat Thee, O my God,
by Thy Name which irradiateth all things, to raise up
such servants as shall incline their ears to the voice
of the melodies that hath ascended from the right
hand of the throne of Thy glory. Make them, then,
+P112
to quaff from the hand of Thy grace the wine of
Thy mercy, that it may assure their hearts, and cause
them to turn away from the left hand of idle fancies
and vain imaginings to the right hand of confidence
and certitude.
Now that Thou hast guided them unto the door of
Thy grace, O my Lord, cast them not away, by Thy
bounty; and now that Thou hast summoned them
unto the horizon of Thy Cause, keep them not back
from Thee, by Thy graciousness and favor. Powerful
art Thou to do as Thou pleasest. No God is there but
Thee, the Omniscient, the All-Informed.
LXIX
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! My tongue,
both the tongue of my body and the tongue of my
heart, my limbs and members, every pulsating vein
within me, every hair of my head, all proclaim that
Thou art God, and that there is none other God
beside Thee. From everlasting Thou hast been immeasurably
exalted above all similitudes and comparisons,
and sanctified from whatsoever pertaineth to
the creation Thou hast created and fashioned. From
eternity Thou hast been alone, with none to share
the majesty of Thy singleness, and hast remained far
+P113
above the changes and chances to which all Thy creatures
are subjected.
And when Thou didst purpose to demonstrate the
power of Thy sovereign might, and to glorify Thy
word, and to guide the steps of Thy people, Thou
didst raise up from among Thy creatures One of Thy
servants, Whom Thou didst send forth with the signs
of Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou didst endue
with the clear tokens of Thy oneness, that He might
fulfill Thy testimony unto all created things, and
perfect Thy proof before all men.
As soon as He revealed Himself, as bidden by Thee,
and called Thy servants to turn in the direction of
Thy gifts, and to set their faces towards the horizon
of Thy knowledge, the signs of dissension appeared
amongst them. Some responded to Thy call and, without
the least hesitation, obeyed Thy summons. Others
turned their backs to Thee, and followed the desires
of a corrupt inclination.
I implore Thee, O my God, by Thy Most Great
Name, to enrapture the nations through the potency
of the Word which Thou didst ordain to be the king
of all words, the Word whereby the goodly pearls of
Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and the gem-like
mysteries which were wrapped up within Thee
were unraveled. Deprive them not, by Thy grace
and bounty, of the things Thou didst desire for them,
and suffer them not to be far removed from the
shores of the ocean of Thy presence.
Every existence, whether seen or unseen, O my
+P114
Lord, testifieth that Thy mercy hath surpassed all
created things, and Thy loving-kindness embraced
the entire creation. Look upon them, I entreat Thee,
with the eyes of Thy mercy. Thou art the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Compassionate. Do with them as
beseemeth Thy glory, and Thy majesty, and Thy
greatness, and Thy bounteousness and Thy grace.
Deal not with them according to the limitations imposed
upon them, or the manifold vicissitudes of their
earthly life.
Thou knowest, O my Lord, that I am but one of
Thy servants. I have tasted of the sweetness of Thy
speech, and acknowledged Thy unity and Thy singleness,
and set my face towards the Source of Thy most
excellent names and the Day-Spring of Thy transcendent
attributes, and wished to be enabled by Thee
to immerse myself beneath the ocean of Thy oneness
and to be submerged by the mighty waters of Thy
unity.
Assist me, by Thy strengthening grace, O my Lord,
to do what Thou didst will, and withhold not from
me the things Thou dost possess. So enravish me with
the wonders of Thine utterances that the noise and
distraction of this world may be powerless to deter
me from turning unto Thee, and may fail to shake
my constancy in Thy Cause, or to distract my gaze
from the horizon of Thy grace. Aid me, then, O my
God, to do what pleaseth Thee, and to carry out Thy
will. Write down for me, moreover, the good of this
world and of the world which is to come, and ordain
+P115
for me a seat of truth in Thy presence. Potent art
Thou to do what Thou willest, and to rule as Thou
pleasest. No God is there but Thee, the Inaccessible,
the All-Glorious, the Most Great.
All-praise to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the
Object of the adoration of the entire creation!
LXX
Faded now is all that erstwhile flourished in the
Paradise of Thy transcendent oneness, O my God!
Where are the rain-giving clouds of Thy mercy?
Shorn are the branches of the Tree of Thy unity of
the vesture of Thy majesty and wisdom; where is the
spring-time of Thy gifts and bounties? Motionless
lies the Ark of Thy Cause on the sea of Thy creation;
where are the winds of Thy grace and favors?
Encompassed on every side is Thy Lamp by the
tempests of discord blowing from every land; where
is the globe of Thy graciousness and protection?
Thou seest, O my God, how the eyes of these poor
creatures are bent upon the horizon of Thy riches,
how the hearts of these helpless ones are set in the
direction of Thy might. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who
art the sole Desire of them that have recognized
Thee, and the Object of the adoration of the entire
creation, not to suffer them, now that Thou hast
+P116
attracted them by Thy most exalted Word, to be far
removed from the Tabernacle which Thou hast reared
up by Thy name, the All-Glorious.
They are sore pressed with cares, O my Lord, and
are encompassed about by the wicked. Send down,
therefore, from the heaven of Thy behest Thine invisible
hosts, that, holding aloft the ensigns of Thy
victory, they may help them in Thy land, and may
shield them against Thine adversaries.
I entreat Thee, O my God, by Thy name through
which the clouds have rained down their rain, and
the streams have flowed, and the fire of Thy love hath
been kindled throughout Thy dominion, to assist Thy
servant who hath turned towards Thee, and hath
spoken forth Thy praise, and determined to help
Thee. Fortify, then, his heart, O my God, in Thy
love and in Thy Faith. Better is this for him than all
that hath been created on Thine earth, for the world
and whatsoever is therein must perish, and what pertaineth
unto Thee must endure as long as Thy most
excellent names endure. By Thy Glory! Were the
world to last as long as Thine own kingdom will last,
to set their affections upon it would still be unseemly
for such as have quaffed, from the hands of Thy
mercy, the wine of Thy presence; how much more
when they recognize its fleetingness and are persuaded
of its transience. The chances that overtake it, and
the changes to which all things pertaining unto it are
continually subjected, attest its impermanence.
Whosoever hath recognized Thee will turn to none
+P117
save Thee, and will seek from Thee naught else except
Thyself. Thou art the sole Desire of the heart of him
whose thoughts are fixed on Thee, and the highest
Aspiration of whosoever is wholly devoted unto Thee.
No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the
Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful.
LXXI
Magnified be Thy name, O my God, for that Thou
hast manifested the Day which is the King of Days,
the Day which Thou didst announce unto Thy chosen
Ones and Thy Prophets in Thy most excellent Tablets,
the Day whereon Thou didst shed the splendor
of the glory of all Thy names upon all created things.
Great is his blessedness whosoever hath set himself
towards Thee, and entered Thy presence, and caught
the accents of Thy voice.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the name of Him
round Whom circleth in adoration the kingdom of
Thy names, that Thou wilt graciously assist them
that are dear to Thee to glorify Thy word among
Thy servants, and to shed abroad Thy praise amidst
Thy creatures, so that the ecstasies of Thy revelation
may fill the souls of all the dwellers of Thine earth.
Since Thou hast guided them, O my Lord, unto
the living waters of Thy grace, grant, by Thy bounty,
+P118
that they may not be kept back from Thee; and since
Thou hast summoned them to the habitation of Thy
throne, drive them not out from Thy presence,
through Thy loving-kindness. Send down upon them
what shall wholly detach them from aught else except
Thee, and make them able to soar in the atmosphere
of Thy nearness, in such wise that neither the ascendancy
of the oppressor nor the suggestions of them
that have disbelieved in Thy most august and most
mighty Self shall be capable of keeping them back
from Thee.
LXXII
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou in Whose hands is
the kingdom of all names, and in the grasp of Whose
might are all that are in heaven and all that are on
earth! I entreat Thee, by Him Who is Thy Most
Effulgent Name Whom Thou hast made a target for
the darts of Thy decree in Thy path, O Thou the
King of eternity, to rend asunder the veils that have
shut off Thy creatures from the horizon of Thy glory,
that haply they may turn their faces in the direction
of Thy mercy, and draw nigh unto the Day-Spring
of Thy loving-kindness.
Leave not Thy servants to themselves, O my Lord!
Draw them through the influence of Thine utterances
unto the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration, and to
+P119
the Fountain of Thy Revelation, and to the Treasury
of Thy wisdom. Thou art He to Whose strength and
power all things have testified, Whose Purpose nothing
whatsoever of all that hath been created in Thy
heaven and on Thy earth hath been able to frustrate.
Render, then, victorious, O my God, Thy servants
who have set their faces towards Thee, and directed
their steps to the seat of Thy grace. Send down, then,
upon them what will keep them safe from the danger
of turning to any one but Thee, and from fixing
their eyes upon aught else except Thyself.
Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest, and to
rule as Thou pleasest. There is no God but Thee, the
God of glory and wisdom.
LXXIII
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech
Thee by Thy Name, the Restrainer, to withhold from
us the maleficence of Thine adversaries who have disbelieved
in Thy testimony, and caviled at Thy
beauty. Overpower by Thy Name, the All-Subduing,
such as have wronged Thy Previous Manifestation
Who hath now appeared invested with Thy title, the
All-Glorious. Lay hold, by Thy name, the Chastiser,
on them that have treated Thy Cause with scorn, have
jested at Thy most mighty utterances, and were hindered
+P120
from attaining this most exalted station. Enable
Thy loved ones, by Thy Name, the Victorious, to
prevail against Thine enemies and the infidels among
Thy creatures. Rend asunder, by Thy Name, the
Cleaver, the veil that hideth the doings of them that
have besmirched Thine honor and undermined Thy
Faith among Thy people. Bind, by Thy Name, the
Restorer, the broken hearts of them that love Thee,
and graciously bless them in their affairs. Teach them,
by Thy Name, the All-Knowing, the wonders of Thy
wisdom, that they may cleave steadfastly to Thy
Faith and walk in the ways of Thy pleasure. Keep
them safe, by Thy Name, the Withholder, from the
tyranny of the oppressor and the wickedness of the
evil-doers and the malice of the stirrers of mischief.
Shield them, by Thy Name, the Preserver, within the
stronghold of Thy might and power, that haply they
may be protected from the darts of doubt that are
hurled by such as have rebelled against Thee. Sanctify
for Thy servants, by Thy Name which Thou hast
blessed above all other names, which Thou hast singled
out for Thy favor, and by which Thou didst
reveal Thy beauty, these days of which the Pen of
Thy decree hath distinctly written, and which, according
to Thy will and wisdom, have been preordained
in Thine irrevocable Tablet. Subject to Thy
rule, by Thy Name, the Conqueror, the people of
Thy realm, that all may turn towards Thy face and
forsake their all for love of Thee and for the sake of
Thy pleasure.
+P121
Abase Thou, O my Lord, Thine enemies, and lay
hold on them with Thy power and might, and let
them be stricken by the blast of Thy wrath. Make
them taste, O my God, of Thine awful majesty and
vengeance, for they have repudiated the truth of
the One in Whom they had believed, Who came unto
them with Thy signs and Thy clear tokens and the
evidences of Thy power and the manifold revelations
of Thy might. Gather, then, together Thy loved
ones beneath the shadow of the Tree of Thy oneness,
and of the Manifestation of the effulgent light of
Thy unity.
Thou art, verily, the One Whose power is immense,
Whose vengeance is terrible. No God is there beside
Thee, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
LXXIV
Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God, inasmuch
as Thou hast inclined mine ear to Thy voice,
and called me to Thyself, and opened mine eyes to
gaze on Thy beauty, and illumined my heart with
Thy knowledge, and sanctified my breast from the
doubts of the infidels in Thy days. I am the one,
O my God, who lay fast asleep on his couch, when
lo, the messengers of Thy manifold mercies were sent
down upon me by Thee, and the gentle winds of Thy
+P122
loving-kindness blew over me, and roused me up,
and caused me to set my face towards the sanctuary
of Thy knowledge, and to fix mine eyes upon the
splendors of the light of Thy face.
I am but a poor creature, O my Lord! Behold me
clinging to the hem of Thy riches. I have fled from
darkness and from waywardness unto the brightness
of the light of Thy countenance. Were I--and to
this Thy glory beareth me witness--to render thanksgiving
unto Thee, through the whole continuance
of Thy kingdom and the duration of the heaven of
Thine omnipotence, I would still have failed to repay
Thy manifold bestowals.
I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name, the
Ever-Abiding, and by Thy name which Thou didst
ordain to be the most great Instrument binding Thee
to Thy servants, to grant that I may flee for shelter
to Thy door, and speak forth Thy praise. Write
down, then, for me, in every world of Thine, that
which will enable me to enter beneath Thy shadow
and within the borders of Thy court.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful,
the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Generous.
+P123
LXXV
All-praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God! I know
not how to sing Thy praise, how to describe Thy
glory, how to call upon Thy Name. If I call upon
Thee by Thy Name, the All-Possessing, I am compelled
to recognize that He Who holdeth in His hand
the immediate destinies of all created things is but
a vassal dependent upon Thee, and is the creation of
but a word proceeding from Thy mouth. And if I
proclaim Thee by the name of Him Who is the All-Compelling,
I readily discover that He is but a suppliant
fallen upon the dust, awe-stricken by Thy
dreadful might, Thy sovereignty and power. And
if I attempt to describe Thee by glorifying the oneness
of Thy Being, I soon realize that such a conception
is but a notion which mine own fancy hath
woven, and that Thou hast ever been immeasurably
exalted above the vain imaginations which the hearts
of men have devised.
The glory of Thy might beareth me witness!
Whoso claimeth to have known Thee hath, by virtue
of such a claim, testified to his own ignorance; and
whoso believeth himself to have attained unto Thee,
all the atoms of the earth would attest his powerlessness
and proclaim his failure. Thou hast, however,
by virtue of Thy mercy that hath surpassed the
kingdoms of earth and heaven, deigned to accept from
Thy servants the laud and honor they pay to Thine
+P124
own exalted Self, and hast bidden them celebrate Thy
glory, that the ensigns of Thy guidance may be unfurled
in Thy cities and the tokens of Thy mercy be
spread abroad among Thy nations, and that each and
all may be enabled to attain unto that which Thou
hast destined for them by Thy decree, and ordained
unto them through Thine irrevocable will and
purpose.
Having testified, therefore, unto mine own impotence
and the impotence of Thy servants, I beseech
Thee, by the brightness of the light of Thy beauty,
not to refuse Thy creatures attainment to the shores
of Thy most holy ocean. Draw them, then, O my
God, through the Divine sweetness of Thy melodies,
towards the throne of Thy glory and the seat of Thine
eternal holiness. Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful,
the Supreme Ruler, the Great Giver, the Most Exalted,
the Ever-Desired.
Grant, then, O my God, that Thy servant who
hath turned towards Thee, hath fixed his gaze upon
Thee, and clung to the cord of Thy mercifulness and
favor, may be enabled to partake of the living waters
of Thy mercy and grace. Cause him, then, to ascend
unto the heights to which he aspireth, and withhold
him not from that which Thou dost possess. Thou art,
verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.
+P125
LXXVI
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I
attempt to make mention of Thee, I am hindered
by the sublimity of Thy station and the overpowering
greatness of Thy might. For were I to praise Thee
throughout the length of Thy dominion and the
duration of Thy sovereignty, I would find that my
praise of Thee can befit only such as are like unto
me, who are themselves Thy creatures, and who have
been generated through the power of Thy decree and
been fashioned through the potency of Thy will. And
at whatever time my pen ascribeth glory to any one
of Thy names, methinks I can hear the voice of its
lamentation in its remoteness from Thee, and can
recognize its cry because of its separation from Thy
Self. I testify that everything other than Thee is but
Thy creation and is held in the hollow of Thy hand.
To have accepted any act or praise from Thy creatures
is but an evidence of the wonders of Thy grace
and bountiful favors, and a manifestation of Thy
generosity and providence.
I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Most Great
Name whereby Thou didst separate light from fire,
and truth from denial, to send down upon me and
upon such of my loved ones as are in my company
the good of this world and of the next. Supply us,
then, with Thy wondrous gifts that are hid from the
eyes of men. Thou art, verily, the Fashioner of all
+P126
creation. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty,
the All-Glorious, the Most High.
LXXVII
O Thou, at Whose dreadful majesty all things have
trembled, in Whose grasp are the affairs of all men,
towards Whose grace and mercy are set the faces of
all Thy creatures! I entreat Thee, by Thy Name
which Thou hast ordained to be the spirit of all
names that are in the kingdom of names, to shield
us from the whisperings of those who have turned
away from Thee, and have repudiated the truth of
Thy most august and most exalted Self, in this Revelation
that hath caused the kingdom of Thy names
to tremble.
I am one of Thy handmaidens, O my Lord! I have
turned my face towards the sanctuary of Thy gracious
favors and the adored tabernacle of Thy glory.
Purify me of all that is not of Thee, and strengthen
me to love Thee and to fulfill Thy pleasure, that I may
delight myself in the contemplation of Thy beauty,
and be rid of all attachment to any of Thy creatures,
and may, at every moment, proclaim: "Magnified be
God, the Lord of the worlds!"
Let my food, O my Lord, be Thy beauty, and my
drink the light of Thy presence, and my hope Thy
+P127
pleasure, and my work Thy praise, and my companion
Thy remembrance, and my aid Thy sovereignty,
and my dwelling-place Thy habitation, and
my home the seat which Thou hast exalted above the
limitations of them that are shut out as by a veil
from Thee.
Thou art, in truth, the God of power, of strength
and glory.
LXXVIII
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I
am reminded of Thee and muse on Thy virtues, I am
seized with such ecstasies and am so enravished by
Thee that I find myself unable to make mention of
Thy name and to extol Thee. I am carried back to
such heights that I recognize my self to be the same
as the remembrance of Thee in Thy realm, and the
essence of Thy praise among Thy servants. As long
as that self endureth, so long will Thy praise continue
to be shed abroad among Thy creatures and
Thy remembrance glorified by Thy people.
Every man endued with insight among Thy servants
is persuaded that my self liveth eternally and
can never perish, inasmuch as remembrance of Thee
is eternal and will endure so long as Thine own Self
endureth, and Thy praise is everlasting and will last as
long as Thine own sovereignty will last. By its means
+P128
Thou art glorified by such of Thy chosen ones as call
upon Thee and by the sincere among Thy servants.
Nay, the praise wherewith any one, in the entire
creation, praiseth Thee proceedeth from this exalted
self and returneth unto it, even as the sun which,
while it shineth, sheddeth its splendor upon whatsoever
may be exposed to its rays. From this sun is
generated, and unto it must return, the light which
is shed over all things.
Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou above any
attempt to measure the greatness of Thy Cause, above
any comparison that one may seek to make, above
the efforts of the human tongue to utter its import!
From everlasting Thou hast existed, alone with no
one else beside Thee, and wilt, to everlasting, continue
to remain the same, in the sublimity of Thine essence
and the inaccessible heights of Thy glory.
And when Thou didst purpose to make Thyself
known unto men, Thou didst successively reveal the
Manifestations of Thy Cause, and ordained each to
be a sign of Thy Revelation among Thy people, and
the Day-Spring of Thine invisible Self amidst Thy
creatures, until the time when, as decreed by Thee,
all Thy previous Revelations culminated in Him
Whom Thou hast appointed as the Lord of all who
are in the heaven of revelation and the kingdom of
creation, Him Whom Thou hast established as the
Sovereign Lord of all who are in the heavens and all
who are on the earth. He it was Whom Thou hast
determined to be the Herald of Thy Most Great
+P129
Revelation and the Announcer of Thy Most Ancient
Splendor. In this Thou hadst no other purpose except
to try them who have manifested Thy most excellent
titles unto all who are in heaven and on earth. He it
was Whom Thou hast commanded to establish His
covenant with all created things.
And when Thy promise came to pass and the set
time was fulfilled, He Who is the Possessor of all
Names and Attributes was made manifest unto men.
Thereupon all that were in the heavens and all that
were on the earth were terror-stricken save those
whom Thou didst keep under Thy protection and
preserve within the shelter of Thy power and gracious
providence. There befell Him, at the hands of such
of Thy creatures as have transgressed against Thee,
that which the tongue of no one of Thy servants can
recount.
Look down, then, upon Him, O my God, with
the eye of Thy tender mercy, and send down upon
Him and upon those that love Him all the good Thou
didst ordain in the heaven of Thy will and the Tablet
of Thy decree. Aid them, then, with Thy succor, for
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the
All-Glorious, the All-Compelling.
+P130
LXXIX
All glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I bear
witness for Thee to that whereto Thou Thyself didst
bear witness for Thine own Self, ere the day Thou
hadst created the creation or made mention thereof,
that Thou art God, and that there is none other God
beside Thee. From eternity Thou hast, in Thy transcendent
oneness, been immeasurably exalted above
Thy servants' conception of Thy unity, and wilt to
eternity remain, in Thine unapproachable singleness,
far above the praise of Thy creatures. No words that
any one beside Thee may utter can ever beseem Thee,
and no man's description except Thine own description
can befit Thy nature. All who adore Thy unity
have been sore perplexed to fathom the mystery of
Thy oneness, and all have confessed their powerlessness
to attain unto the comprehension of Thine essence
and to scale the pinnacle of Thy knowledge. The
mighty have all acknowledged their weakness, and
the learned recognized their ignorance. They that are
possessed of influence are as nothing when compared
with the revelations of Thy stupendous sovereignty,
and they who are exalted sink into oblivion when
brought before the manifestations of Thy great glory.
The radiance of the brightest luminaries is eclipsed
by the effulgent splendors of Thy face, and the
tongues of the most eloquent of speakers falter under
the unrestrained effusions of Thy holy utterance, and
+P131
the foundations of the mightiest structures tremble
before the onrushing force of Thy compelling power.
Who is there, O my God, that can be deemed
worthy to be remembered when Thou art remembered,
and where is he to be found who can be regarded
as capable of hinting at Thy nature or worthy
of mention in the court of Thy transcendent oneness?
From everlasting Thou hast been alone with no one
else beside Thee, and to everlasting Thou wilt continue
to be one and the same. No God is there beside
Thee, the God of power, of glory and wisdom.
Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I beseech
Thee by Him Who is Thine exalted and supreme
Remembrance, Whom Thou hast sent down unto all
Thy creatures and invested with Thy name, the All-Glorious,
Whose will Thou hast ordained to be Thine
own will, Whose self Thou hast decreed to be the
revealer of Thine own Self, and His essence the Day-Spring
of Thy wisdom, and His heart the treasury of
Thine inspiration, and His breast the dawning-place
of Thy most excellent attributes and most exalted
titles, and His tongue the fountain-head of the waters
of Thy praise and the well-spring of the soft-flowing
streams of Thy wisdom, to send down upon us that
which will enable us to dispense with all else except
Thee, and will cause us to direct our steps towards
the sanctuary of Thy pleasure and to aspire after the
things Thou didst ordain for us according to Thine
irrevocable decree. Empower us, then, O my God,
to forsake ourselves and cleave steadfastly to Him
+P132
Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self, the Most Exalted,
the Most High. Supply us also with that which
is best for us, and write us down with such of Thy
servants as have repudiated the Idol (&Mirza &Yahya),
and firmly believed in Thee, and been so established
on the throne of certitude that the whisperings of
the Evil One have been powerless to hinder them
from turning their faces towards Thy name, the All-Merciful.
Powerful art Thou to do what Thou pleasest and
to ordain what Thou willest. No God is there but
Thee, the All-Possessing, the All-Highest, the Almighty,
the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise.
LXXX
O Thou Whose remembrance is the delight of the
souls of all them that yearn after Thee, Whose name
is the exultation of the hearts of all who are wholly
devoted to Thy will, Whose praise is cherished by
such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court, Whose face
is the ardent desire of all them that have recognized
Thy truth, Whose trial is the healer of the sicknesses
of them who have embraced Thy Cause, Whose
calamity is the highest aspiration of such as are rid
of all attachment to any one but Thyself!
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, in
+P133
Whose hands is the empire of whatsoever is in the
heavens and whatsoever is on earth, Thou, Who
through but one word of Thy mouth, caused all
things to expire and dissolve asunder, and Who, by
yet another word, caused whatever had been separated
to be combined and reunited! Magnified be Thy
name, O Thou Who hast power over all that are in
the heavens and all that are on earth, Whose dominion
embraceth whatsoever is in the heaven of Thy Revelation
and the kingdom of Thy creation. None can
equal Thee in Thy created realms; none can compare
with Thee in the universe Thou hast fashioned. The
mind of no one hath comprehended Thee, and the
aspiration of no soul hath reached Thee. I swear by
Thy might! Were any one to soar, on whatever wings,
as long as Thine own Being endureth, throughout the
immensity of Thy knowledge, he would still be powerless
to transgress the bounds which the contingent
world hath set for him. How can, then, such a man
aspire to wing his flight into the atmosphere of Thy
most exalted presence?
He, indeed, is endued with understanding who
acknowledgeth his powerlessness and confesseth his
sinfulness, for should any created thing lay claim to
any existence, when confronted with the infinite
wonders of Thy Revelation, so blasphemous a pretension
would be more heinous than any other crime in
all the domains of Thine invention and creation. Who
is there, O my Lord, that, when Thou revealest the
first glimmerings of the signs of Thy transcendent
+P134
sovereignty and might, hath the power to claim for
himself any existence whatever? Existence itself is
as nothing when brought face to face with the
mighty and manifold wonders of Thine incomparable
Self.
Far, immeasurably far, art Thou exalted above all
things, O Thou Who art the King of Kings! I entreat
Thee by Thy Self and by Them Who are the Manifestations
of Thy Cause and the Day-Springs of Thine
authority to write down for us that which Thou hast
written down for Thy chosen ones. Withhold not
from us that which Thou didst ordain for Thy loved
ones, who, as soon as Thy call reached them, hastened
unto Thee, and when the splendors of the light of
Thy countenance were shed upon them, instantly
prostrated themselves in adoration before Thy face.
We are Thy servants, O my Lord, and in the grasp
of Thy power. If Thou chastisest us with the chastisement
inflicted upon the former and the latter
generations, Thy verdict would be assuredly just and
Thine act praiseworthy. Powerful art Thou to do
what pleaseth Thee. None other God is there beside
Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
+P135
LXXXI
Unto Thee be praise, O Thou Who inclinest Thine
ear to the sighing of them that have rid themselves
of all attachment to any one but Thee, and Who
hearest the voice of the lamentation of those who are
wholly devoted to Thy Self! Thou beholdest all that
hath befallen them at the hands of such of Thy creatures
as have transgressed and rebelled against Thee.
Thy might beareth me witness, O Thou Who art the
King of the realms of justice and the Ruler of the
cities of mercy! The tribulations they have been made
to suffer are such as no pen, in the entire creation,
can reckon. Should any one attempt to make mention
of them, he would find himself powerless to
describe them.
As these tribulations, however, were sustained in
Thy path and for love of Thee, they who were
afflicted by them render thanks, under all conditions,
unto Thee, and say: "O Thou Who art the Delight
of our hearts and the Object of our adoration! Were
the clouds of Thy decree to rain down upon us the
darts of affliction, we would, in our love for Thee,
refuse to be impatient. We would yield Thee praise
and thanksgiving, for we have recognized and are
persuaded that Thou hast ordained only that which
will be best for us. If our bodies be, at times, weighed
down by our troubles, yet our souls rejoice with exceeding
gladness. We swear by Thy might, O Thou
+P136
Who art the Desire of our hearts and the Exultation
of our souls! Every trouble that toucheth us in our
love for Thee is an evidence of Thy tender mercy,
every fiery ordeal a sign of the brightness of Thy
light, every woeful tribulation a cooling draught,
every toil a blissful repose, every anguish a fountain
of gladness."
Whosoever, O my Lord, is impatient in the tribulations
befalling him in Thy path, hath not drunk
of the cup of Thy love nor tasted of the sweetness
of Thy remembrance. I implore Thee, by Him Who
is the King of all names and their Sovereign, Who is
the Revealer of all attributes and their Creator, and
by them who have soared aloft and drawn nigh unto
Thee and winged their flight into the atmosphere of
Thy presence, and have endured the galling of chains
for Thy sake, to grant that all Thy people may be
graciously aided to recognize Him Who is the Manifestation
of Thine own Self, Who, because He summoned
mankind unto Thee, hath been exiled and
cast into prison.
The tenderness of Thy mercy, O my Lord, surpasseth
the fury of Thy wrath, and Thy loving-kindness
exceedeth Thy hot displeasure, and Thy grace
excelleth Thy justice. Hold Thou, through Thy wondrous
favors and mercies, the hands of Thy creatures,
and suffer them not to be separated from the grace
which Thou hast ordained as the means whereby they
can recognize Thee. The glory of Thy might beareth
me witness! Were such a thing to happen, every
+P137
soul would be sore shaken, every man endued with
understanding would be bewildered, and every possessor
of knowledge would be dumbfounded, except
those who have been succored through the hands of
Thy Cause, and have been made the recipients of the
revelations of Thy grace and of the tokens of Thy
favors.
I swear by Thy might, O my God! Wert Thou to
regard Thy servants according to their deserts in
Thy days, they would assuredly merit naught except
Thy chastisement and torment. Thou art, however,
the One Who is of great bounteousness, Whose grace
is immense. Look not down upon them, O my God,
with the glance of Thy justice, but rather with the
eyes of Thy tender compassions and mercies. Do,
then, with them according to what beseemeth Thy
generosity and bountiful favor. Potent art Thou to
do whatsoever may please Thee. Incomparable art
Thou. No God is there beside Thee, the Lord of the
throne on high and of earth below, the Ruler of this
world and of the world to come. Thou art the God
of Bounty, the Ever-Forgiving, the Great Giver, the
Most Generous.
Do Thou bless, O Lord my God, the One through
Whom the mysteries of Thine omnipotence have been
disclosed, through Whom the revelations of Thy divinity
have been glorified, through Whom the goodly
pearls of Thy knowledge and wisdom have been uncovered,
through Whom Thy signs and tokens have
been noised abroad, through Whom Thy word hath
+P138
been set forth with clearness, through Whom the
light of Thy countenance hath shone forth and the
power of Thy sovereignty been established. Bless
Thou all those also who, wholly for Thy sake, have
turned towards Thee. Send down, moreover, upon
Him and them such of Thy wondrous mercies as may
well beseem Thy highness. Thou art, verily, the Almighty,
the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting.
LXXXII
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He
Who hath created all things through a word uttered
by Thy behest, and fashioned the entire creation
through the power of Thy sovereignty and might.
The mightiest of men are abased before the revelations
of Thy glory, and they who are endued with strength
tremble when faced with the evidences of Thy might.
Every man of insight is bereft of vision when confronted
with the effulgence of the glory of Thy face,
and he who is possessed of riches is poor and desolate
when beholding the plenteousness of Thy wealth.
I implore Thee by Thine All-Glorious Name,
wherewith Thou didst adorn all the denizens of the
kingdom of Thy revelation and the inmates of the
heaven of Thy will, to grant that my soul may be
attracted by the sweetness of the melody of the Bird
+P139
of Heaven that chanteth amidst the branches of the
tree of Thy decree that Thou art God, that there is
none other God beside Thee.
Cleanse me with the waters of Thy mercy, O my
Lord, and make me wholly Thine, and cause me to
approach the Tabernacle of Thy Cause and the adored
Sanctuary of Thy Presence. Ordain, then, for me all
the things Thou didst ordain for the chosen ones
among Thy handmaidens, and rain down upon me
that which will illuminate my face and enlighten
my heart.
Thou hast power to do what Thou willest, and
Thou ordainest what Thou pleasest.
LXXXIII
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest my
poverty and my misery, my troubles and my needs,
my utter helplessness and my extreme lowliness, my
lamentations and my bitter wailing, the anguish of
my soul and the afflictions which beset me. The power
of Thy might beareth me witness! Such is the depth of
mine abasement that Thy servants who have strayed
far from Thy path deride me. Thou knowest that
I am recognized as the bearer of Thy name among
Thy creatures. Thou knowest that my station is but
an image of Thy station, that my virtues recount
+P140
Thy virtues, that within mine inmost being naught
can be found except the revelations of Thy signs, and
that my very essence is but a reflection of the evidences
of Thy unity.
All these things Thou hast noised abroad among
Thy creatures, in such wise that none can recognize
me, except as one who beareth Thy name. I swear
by Thy glory! My lamentations are not for the things
which have befallen me in Thy path, but are due to
my recognition that by reason of mine abasement the
hearts of them that love Thee have been sore shaken,
and the souls of Thine adversaries have been so filled
with joy that they rejoice over those who have detached
themselves from all except Thee and have
hastened towards the river of Thy remembrance and
praise. So great is their waywardness that when meeting
Thy loved ones, they shake their heads in derision
of Thy Cause and say: "Where is your Lord Whom
ye mention in the daytime and in the night season?
Where is He to be found Whom ye call your Sovereign,
to Whom ye summon all men to turn?" Their
pride and haughtiness waxed greater and greater until
they denied the power of Thy might and rejected Thy
sovereignty and dominion.
Thy glory beareth me witness! I delight in mine
own afflictions and in the afflictions which they who
love me suffer in Thy path. Neither I nor they, however,
are able to bear such affronts and reproaches as
are uttered by Thine enemies against Thy Self, the
Unrestrained. How long shalt Thou remain seated,
+P141
O my God, on the throne of Thy forbearance and
patience? Speak Thou Thy word of wrath, O Thou
Whom no eyes can see! Well-beloved is Thy
mercy unto the sincere among Thy servants, and
well-beseeming Thy chastisement of the infidels
among Thine enemies. Send down upon them, therefore,
O my Lord, that which will unmistakably reveal
unto them the fury of Thy wrath and the ascendancy
of Thy power, and will enable them to recognize the
weight of Thy might and the greatness of Thy
strength. If Thou refusest, O my God, to aid them
that love Thee, assist Thou, then, Thine own Self and
Him Who is Thy Remembrance.
I entreat Thee by Thy name, that hath caused the
ocean of Thy wrath to surge, to chastise them who
have repudiated Thy truth and disowned Thine
utterances. Abase them, then, by Thy might and
power, and exalt such as have, wholly for Thy sake,
set their faces towards Thee, that through them the
ensigns of Thy glorification may be unfurled among
all nations, and Thy tokens be spread abroad among
all peoples, and that all may testify that Thou art
God, that there is none other God beside Thee, the
God of power, of majesty and glory.
+P142
LXXXIV
Magnified art Thou, O Lord my God! I ask Thee
by Thy Name which Thou hast set up above all other
names, through which the veil of heaven hath been
split asunder and the Day-Star of Thy beauty hath
risen above the horizon, shining with the brightness
of Thy Name, the Exalted, the Most High, to succor
me with Thy wondrous help and to preserve me in
the shelter of Thy care and protection.
I am one of Thy handmaidens, O my Lord! Unto
Thee have I turned, and in Thee have I placed my
trust. Grant that I may be so confirmed in my love
for Thee, and in fulfilling that which is well-pleasing
unto Thee, that neither the defection of the infidels
among Thy people, nor the clamor of the hypocrites
among Thy creatures, may avail to keep me back
from Thee.
Purge Thou mine ear, O my Lord, that I may
hearken unto the verses sent down unto Thee, and
illuminate my heart with the light of Thy knowledge,
and loose my tongue that it may make mention
of Thee and sing Thy praise. By Thy might, O my
God! My soul is wedded to none beside Thee, and
my heart seeketh none except Thine own Self.
No God is there beside Thee, the All-Glorious, the
Great Giver, the Forgiving, the Compassionate.
+P143
LXXXV
These are, O my God, the days whereon Thou didst
enjoin Thy servants to observe the fast. With it Thou
didst adorn the preamble of the Book of Thy Laws
revealed unto Thy creatures, and didst deck forth
the Repositories of Thy commandments in the sight
of all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy
earth. Thou hast endowed every hour of these days
with a special virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee,
Whose knowledge embraceth all created things. Thou
hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this
virtue in accordance with the Tablet of Thy decree
and the Scriptures of Thine irrevocable judgment.
Every leaf of these Books and Scriptures Thou hast,
moreover, allotted to each one of the peoples and
kindreds of the earth.
For Thine ardent lovers Thou hast, according to
Thy decree, reserved, at each daybreak, the cup of
Thy remembrance, O Thou Who art the Ruler of
rulers! These are they who have been so inebriated
with the wine of Thy manifold wisdom that they forsake
their couches in their longing to celebrate Thy
praise and extol Thy virtues, and flee from sleep in
their eagerness to approach Thy presence and partake
of Thy bounty. Their eyes have, at all times, been
bent upon the Day-Spring of Thy loving-kindness,
and their faces set towards the Fountain-Head of
Thine inspiration. Rain down, then, upon us and
+P144
upon them from the clouds of Thy mercy what beseemeth
the heaven of Thy bounteousness and grace.
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! This is the hour
when Thou hast unlocked the doors of Thy bounty
before the faces of Thy creatures, and opened wide the
portals of Thy tender mercy unto all the dwellers of
Thine earth. I beseech Thee, by all them whose blood
was shed in Thy path, who, in their yearning over
Thee, rid themselves from all attachment to any of
Thy creatures, and who were so carried away by the
sweet savors of Thine inspiration that every single
member of their bodies intoned Thy praise and
vibrated to Thy remembrance, not to withhold from
us the things Thou hast irrevocably ordained in this
Revelation--a Revelation the potency of which hath
caused every tree to cry out what the Burning Bush
had aforetime proclaimed unto Moses, Who conversed
with Thee, a Revelation that hath enabled every least
pebble to resound again with Thy praise, as the stones
glorified Thee in the days of &Muhammad, Thy Friend.
These are the ones, O my God, whom Thou hast
graciously enabled to have fellowship with Thee and
to commune with Him Who is the Revealer of Thyself.
The winds of Thy will have scattered them
abroad until Thou didst gather them together beneath
Thy shadow, and didst cause them to enter into the
precincts of Thy court. Now that Thou hast made
them to abide under the shade of the canopy of Thy
mercy, do Thou assist them to attain what must befit
so august a station. Suffer them not, O my Lord, to
+P145
be numbered with them who, though enjoying near
access to Thee, have been kept back from recognizing
Thy face, and who, though meeting with Thee, are
deprived of Thy presence.
These are Thy servants, O my Lord, who have
entered with Thee in this, the Most Great Prison,
who have kept the fast within its walls according
to what Thou hadst commanded them in the Tablets
of Thy decree and the Books of Thy behest. Send
down, therefore, upon them what will thoroughly
purge them of all Thou abhorrest, that they may be
wholly devoted to Thee, and may detach themselves
entirely from all except Thyself.
Rain down, then, upon us, O my God, that which
beseemeth Thy grace and befitteth Thy bounty.
Enable us, then, O my God, to live in remembrance
of Thee and to die in love of Thee, and supply us
with the gift of Thy presence in Thy worlds hereafter
--worlds which are inscrutable to all except
Thee. Thou art our Lord and the Lord of all worlds,
and the God of all that are in heaven and all that are
on earth.
Thou beholdest, O my God, what hath befallen
Thy dear ones in Thy days. Thy glory beareth me
witness! The voice of the lamentation of Thy chosen
ones hath been lifted up throughout Thy realm. Some
were ensnared by the infidels in Thy land, and were
hindered by them from having near access to Thee
and from attaining the court of Thy glory. Others
were able to approach Thee, but were kept back from
+P146
beholding Thy face. Still others were permitted, in
their eagerness to look upon Thee, to enter the precincts
of Thy court, but they allowed the veils of the
imaginations of Thy creatures and the wrongs inflicted
by the oppressors among Thy people to come
in between them and Thee.
This is the hour, O my Lord, which Thou hast
caused to excel every other hour, and hast related
it to the choicest among Thy creatures. I beseech
Thee, O my God, by Thy Self and by them, to ordain
in the course of this year what shall exalt Thy loved
ones. Do Thou, moreover, decree within this year
what will enable the Day-Star of Thy power to shine
brightly above the horizon of Thy glory, and to
illuminate, by Thy sovereign might, the whole world.
Render Thy Cause victorious, O my Lord, and
abase Thou Thine enemies. Write down, then, for
us the good of this life and of the life to come. Thou
art the Truth, Who knoweth the secret things. No
God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
LXXXVI
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I yield Thee
thanks for that Thou hast made me the target of
divers tribulations and the mark of manifold trials,
+P147
in order that Thy servants may be endued with new
life and all Thy creatures may be quickened.
I swear by Thy glory, O Thou the Best Beloved of
the worlds and the Desire of all such as have recognized
Thee! The one reason I wish to live is that I
may reveal Thy Cause, and I seek the continuance
of life only that I may be touched by adversity in
Thy path.
I implore Thee, O Thou by Whose summons the
hearts of all them who were nigh unto Thee have
soared into the atmosphere of Thy presence, to send
down upon Thy loved ones what will enable them
to dispense with all else except Thee. Endue them,
then, with such constancy that they will arise to
proclaim Thy Cause, and will call on Thy name,
before all that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth,
in such wise that the Pharaonic cruelties inflicted by
the oppressors among Thy servants will not succeed
in keeping them back from Thee.
Thou art, verily, the God of power, the God of
glory, the God of strength and wisdom.
LXXXVII
Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Behold
Thou mine eye expectant to gaze on the wonders of
Thy mercy, and mine ear longing to hearken unto
+P148
Thy sweet melodies, and my heart yearning for the
living waters of Thy knowledge. Thou seest Thy
handmaiden, O my God, standing before the habitation
of Thy mercy, and calling upon Thee by Thy
name which Thou hast chosen above all other names
and set up over all that are in heaven and on earth.
Send down upon her the breaths of Thy mercy, that
she may be carried away wholly from herself, and
be drawn entirely towards the seat which, resplendent
with the glory of Thy face, sheddeth afar the radiance
of Thy sovereignty, and is established as Thy
throne. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest.
No God is there beside Thee, the All-Glorious, the
Most Bountiful.
Cast not out, I entreat Thee, O my Lord, them
that have sought Thee, and turn not away such as
have directed their steps towards Thee, and deprive
not of Thy grace all that love Thee. Thou art He,
O my Lord, Who hath called Himself the God of
Mercy, the Most Compassionate. Have mercy, then,
upon Thy handmaiden who hath sought Thy shelter,
and set her face towards Thee.
Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Merciful.
+P149
LXXXVIII
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I testify that no
thought of Thee, howsoever wondrous, can ever
ascend into the heaven of Thy knowledge, and no
praise of Thee, no matter how transcendent, can soar
up to the atmosphere of Thy wisdom. From eternity
Thou hast been removed far above the reach and the
ken of the comprehension of Thy servants, and immeasurably
exalted above the strivings of Thy bondslaves
to express Thy mystery. What power can the
shadowy creature claim to possess when face to face
with Him Who is the Uncreated?
I bear witness that the highest thoughts of all such
as adore Thy unity, and the profoundest contemplations
of all them that have recognized Thee, are but
the product of what hath been generated through the
movement of the Pen of Thy behest, and hath been
begotten by Thy will. I swear by Thy glory, O Thou
Who art the Beloved of my soul and the Fountain
of my life! I am persuaded of my powerlessness to
describe and extol Thee in a manner that becometh
the greatness of Thy glory and the excellence of Thy
majesty. Aware as I am of this, I beseech Thee, by
Thy mercy that hath surpassed all created things, and
Thy grace that hath embraced the entire creation,
to accept from Thy servants what they are capable
of showing forth in Thy path. Aid them, then, by
+P150
Thy strengthening grace, to exalt Thy word and to
blazon Thy praise.
Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee.
Thou, truly, art the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.
LXXXIX
I know not, O my God, what the Fire is with which
Thou didst light the Lamp of Thy Cause, or what
the Glass wherewith Thou didst preserve it from
Thine enemies. By Thy might! I marvel at the wonders
of Thy Revelation, and at the tokens of Thy
glory. I recognize, O Thou Who art my heart's Desire,
that were fire to be touched by water it would
instantly be extinguished, whereas the Fire which
Thou didst kindle can never go out, though all the
seas of the earth be poured upon it. Should water at
any time touch it, the hands of Thy power would,
as decreed in Thy Tablets, transmute that water into
a fuel that would feed its flame.
I, likewise, recognize, O my God, that every lamp,
when exposed to the fury of the winds, must cease
from burning. As to Thy Lamp, however, O Beloved
of the worlds, I cannot think what power except Thy
power could have kept it safe for so many years from
the tempests that have continually been directed upon
it by the rebellious among Thy creatures.
+P151
I swear by Thy glory, O my God! Thy Lamp
which Thou didst light within the tabernacle of man
crieth out to Thee and saith: "O Thou the one alone
Beloved! How long wilt Thou forsake me? Lift me
up to Thee, I pray Thee. Though this wish of mine
be the wish of a human creature, yet Thou knowest
that my true wish is to sacrifice myself in Thy path.
Thou art He Who hath made my desire to be the
same as Thy desire, and my will the same as Thy will.
Do Thou preserve Thy loved ones, I beseech Thee,
in the shelter of Thy shadowing mercy which transcendeth
all things, that haply the sufferings they bear
may not deter them from turning in the direction of
Thy name, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful."
XC
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou knowest that
in my love for Thee I have not sought any rest, that
in proclaiming Thy Cause I have denied myself every
manner of tranquillity, and that in the observance of
whatever Thou hast prescribed in Thy Tablets I have
not delayed to do Thy bidding. I have, for this reason,
suffered what no man among all the inhabitants of
Thy realm hath suffered.
Thy glory beareth me witness! Nothing whatsoever
can withhold me from remembering Thee, though all
+P152
the tribulations of the earth were to assault me from
every direction. All the limbs and members of my
body proclaim their readiness to be torn asunder in
Thy path and for the sake of Thy pleasure, and they
yearn to be scattered in the dust before Thee. O
would that they who serve Thee could taste what I
have tasted of the sweetness of Thy love!
I implore Thee to supply whosoever hath sought
Thee with the living waters of Thy bounty, that they
may rid him of all attachment to any one but Thee.
Thou art, verily, the Omniscient, the All-Glorious,
the Almighty.
XCI
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! How great
is Thy might and Thy sovereignty; how vast Thy
strength and Thy dominion! Thou hast called into
being Him Who speaketh in Thy name before all
who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, and hast
bidden Him cry out amongst Thy creatures.
No sooner had a word gone forth from His lips,
however, than the divines among Thy people turned
back from Him, and the learned among Thy servants
caviled at His signs. Thereby the fire of oppression
was kindled in Thy land, until the kings themselves
rose up to put out Thy light, O Thou Who art the
King of kings!
+P153
Hostility waxed so intense that my kindred and
my loved ones were made captives in Thy land, and
they that are dear to Thee were hindered from gazing
on Thy beauty and from turning in the direction of
Thy mercy. This hostility failed to cause the fire that
burned within them to subside. The enemy finally
carried away as captive Him Who is the Manifestation
of Thy beauty and the Revealer of Thy signs,
and confined Him in the fortress-town of &Akka,
and sought to hinder Him from remembering Thee
and from magnifying Thy name. Thy servant, however,
could not be restrained from carrying out what
Thou hadst bidden Him fulfill. Above the horizon of
tribulation He hath lifted up His voice and He crieth
out, summoning all the inmates of heaven and all the
inhabitants of the earth to the immensity of Thy
mercy and the court of Thy grace. Day and night He
sendeth down the signs of Thine omnipotent power
and revealeth the clear tokens of Thy majesty, so that
the souls of Thy creatures may be drawn towards
Thee, that they may forsake themselves and turn unto
Thee, and may flee from their misery and seek the
tabernacle of Thy riches, and may haste away from
their wretchedness into the court of Thy majesty and
glory.
This is the Lamp which the light of Thine own
Essence hath lit, and whose radiance the winds of
discord can never extinguish. This is the Ocean that
moveth by the power of Thy sovereign might, and
whose waves the influence of the infidels that have
+P154
disbelieved in the Judgment Day can never still. This
is the Sun that shineth in the heaven of Thy will and
the splendor of which the veils of the workers of
iniquity and the doubts of the evil doers can never
cloud.
I yield Thee thanks, O my God, for that Thou hast
offered me up as a sacrifice in Thy path, and made
me a target for the arrows of afflictions as a token of
Thy love for Thy servants, and singled me out for
all manner of tribulation for the regeneration of Thy
people.
How sweet to my taste is the savor of woes sent
by Thee, and how dear to my heart the dispositions
of Thy providence! Perish the soul that fleeth from
the threats of kings in its attempt to save itself in
Thy days! I swear by Thy glory! Whoso hath quaffed
the living waters of Thy favors can fear no trouble
in Thy path, neither can he be deterred by any
tribulation from remembering Thee or from celebrating
Thy praise.
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art my Governor
and the Possessor of all names, to protect them that
have branched out from me (&Afnan), whom Thou
hast caused to be related to Thyself, and to whom
Thou hast, in this Revelation, shown Thy special
favor, and whom Thou hast summoned to draw nigh
unto Thee and to turn towards the horizon of Thy
Revelation. Withhold not from them, O my Lord,
the outpourings of Thy mercy or the effulgence of
the Day-Star of Thy grace. Enable them to distinguish
+P155
themselves amongst Thy people, that they may
exalt Thy word and promote Thy Cause. Aid them,
O my God, to do Thy will and pleasure.
No God is there but Thee, the All-Powerful, the
Most Exalted, the Most High.
XCII
Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations
which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true
lovers be recognized; and were it not for the trials
which are borne for love of Thee, how could the
station of such as yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy
might beareth me witness! The companions of all who
adore Thee are the tears they shed, and the comforters
of such as seek Thee are the groans they utter,
and the food of them who haste to meet Thee is the
fragments of their broken hearts.
How sweet to my taste is the bitterness of death
suffered in Thy path, and how precious in my estimation
are the shafts of Thine enemies when encountered
for the sake of the exaltation of Thy word! Let
me quaff in Thy Cause, O my God, whatsoever Thou
didst desire, and send down upon me in Thy love all
Thou didst ordain. By Thy glory! I wish only what
Thou wishest, and cherish what Thou cherishest. In
+P156
Thee have I, at all times, placed my whole trust and
confidence.
Raise up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers
to this Revelation such as shall be counted worthy
of Thy name and of Thy sovereignty, that they may
remember me among Thy creatures, and hoist the
ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God
is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
XCIII
Glory to Thee, O my God! One of Thy handmaidens,
who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs,
hath entered beneath the shadow of the tree of Thy
oneness. Give her to quaff, O my God, by Thy Name,
the Manifest and the Hidden, of Thy choice sealed
Wine that it may take her away from her own self,
and make her to be entirely devoted to Thy remembrance,
and wholly detached from any one beside
Thee.
Now that Thou hast revealed unto her the knowledge
of Thee, O my Lord, deny her not, by Thy
bounty, Thy grace; and now that Thou hast called
her unto Thyself, drive her not away from Thee,
through Thy favor. Supply her, then, with that
which excelleth all that can be found on Thine earth.
+P157
Thou art, verily, the Most Bountiful, Whose grace
is immense.
Wert Thou to bestow on one of Thy creatures
what would equal the kingdoms of earth and heaven,
it would still not diminish by even as much as an
atom the immensity of Thy dominion. Far greater art
Thou than the Great One men are wont to call Thee,
for such a title is but one of Thy names all of which
were created by a mere indication of Thy will.
There is no God but Thee, the God of power, the
God of glory, the God of knowledge and wisdom.
XCIV
The hearts that yearn after Thee, O my God, are
burnt up with the fire of their longing for Thee,
and the eyes of them that love Thee weep sore by
reason of their crushing separation from Thy court,
and the voice of the lamentation of such as have set
their hopes on Thee hath gone forth throughout Thy
dominions.
Thou hast Thyself, O my God, protected them, by
Thy sovereign might, from both extremities. But for
the burning of their souls and the sighing of their
hearts, they would be drowned in the midst of their
tears, and but for the flood of their tears they would
be burnt up by the fire of their hearts and the heat
+P158
of their souls. Methinks, they are like the angels which
Thou hast created of snow and of fire. Wilt Thou,
despite such vehement longing, O my God, debar
them from Thy presence, or drive them away, notwithstanding
such fervor, from the door of Thy
mercy? All hope is ready to be extinguished in the
hearts of Thy chosen ones, O my God! Where are
the breezes of Thy grace? They are hemmed in on
all sides by their enemies; where are the ensigns of
Thy triumph which Thou didst promise in Thy
Tablets?
Thy glory is my witness! At each daybreak they
who love Thee wake to find the cup of woe set before
their faces, because they have believed in Thee and
acknowledged Thy signs. Though I firmly believe
that Thou hast a greater compassion on them than
they have on their own selves, though I recognize that
Thou hast afflicted them for no other purpose except
to proclaim Thy Cause, and to enable them to ascend
into the heaven of Thine eternity and the precincts of
Thy court, yet Thou knowest full well the frailty of
some of them, and art aware of their impatience in
their sufferings.
Help them through Thy strengthening grace, I
beseech Thee, O my God, to suffer patiently in their
love for Thee, and unveil to their eyes what Thou
hast decreed for them behind the Tabernacle of Thine
unfailing protection, so that they may rush forward
to meet what is preordained for them in Thy path,
and may vie in hasting after tribulation in their love
+P159
towards Thee. And if not, do Thou, then, reveal the
standards of Thine ascendancy, and make them to be
victorious over Thine adversaries, that Thy sovereignty
may be manifested unto all the dwellers of
Thy realm, and the power of Thy might demonstrated
amidst Thy creatures. Powerful art Thou to
do what Thou willest. No God is there but Thee, the
Omniscient, the All-Wise.
Make steadfast Thou, O my God, Thy servant who
hath believed in Thee to help Thy Cause, and keep
him safe from all dangers in the stronghold of Thy
care and Thy protection, both in this life and in the
life which is to come. Thou, verily, rulest as Thou
pleasest. No God is there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Generous.
XCV
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Rain down,
I beseech Thee, from the clouds of Thine overflowing
grace, that which shall cleanse the hearts of Thy servants
from whatever may prevent their beholding Thy
face, or may prevent them from turning unto Thee,
that they may all recognize Him Who is their Fashioner
and Creator. Help them, then, O God, to reach
forth, through the power of Thy sovereign might,
towards such a station that they can readily distinguish
+P160
every foul smell from the fragrance of the
raiment of Him Who is the Bearer of Thy most lofty
and exalted name, that they may turn with all their
affections toward Thee, and may enjoy such intimate
communion with Thee that if all that is in heaven
and on earth were given them they would regard it
as unworthy of their notice, and would refuse to
cease from remembering Thee and from extolling
Thy virtues.
Shield, I pray Thee, O my Beloved, my heart's Desire,
Thy servant who hath sought Thy face, from the
darts of them that have denied Thee and from the
shafts of such as have repudiated Thy Truth. Cause
him, then, to be wholly devoted to Thee, to declare
Thy name, and to fix his gaze upon the sanctuary of
Thy Revelation. Thou art, in truth, He Who, at no
time, hath turned away those who have set their hopes
in Thee from the door of Thy mercy, nor prevented
such as have sought Thee from attaining the court of
Thy grace. No God is there but Thee, the Most Powerful,
the All-Highest, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious,
the All-Compelling, the Unconditioned.
XCVI
Magnified, O Lord my God, be Thy Name, whereby
the trees of the garden of Thy Revelation have
+P161
been clad with verdure, and been made to yield the
fruits of holiness during this Springtime when the
sweet savors of Thy favors and blessings have been
wafted over all things, and caused them to bring
forth whatsoever had been preordained for them in
the Kingdom of Thine irrevocable decree and the
Heaven of Thine immutable purpose. I beseech Thee
by this very Name not to suffer me to be far from
the court of Thy holiness, nor debarred from the
exalted sanctuary of Thy unity and oneness.
Ignite, then, O my God, within my breast the fire
of Thy love, that its flame may burn up all else except
my remembrance of Thee, that every trace of corrupt
desire may be entirely mortified within me, and that
naught may remain except the glorification of Thy
transcendent and all-glorious Being. This is my highest
aspiration, mine ardent desire, O Thou Who rulest
all things, and in Whose hand is the kingdom of the
entire creation. Thou, verily, doest what Thou choosest.
No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the
All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving.
XCVII
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee
by Thy Name that hath caused to surge within every
drop the oceans of Thy loving-kindness and mercy,
+P162
and to shine within every atom the luminaries of Thy
bountiful blessings and favors,--I implore Thee to
adorn every soul with the ornament of Thy love, that
none may remain on Thine earth who hath not turned
towards Thee, or hath failed to detach himself from
all except Thy Self.
Thou hast, verily, O my God, suffered Him Who
is the Manifestation of Thine own Self to be afflicted
with all manner of adversity in order that Thy servants
may ascend unto the pinnacle of Thy gracious
favor, and attain unto that which Thou hast, through
Thy providence and tender mercies, ordained for
them in the Tablets of Thine irrevocable decree. The
glory of Thy might beareth me witness! Were they,
every moment of their lives, to offer up themselves
as a sacrifice in Thy path, they would still have done
but little in comparison with the manifold bestowals
vouchsafed unto them by Thee.
Grant, therefore, I beseech Thee, that their hearts
may be inclined towards Thee, and that their faces
may be turned in the direction of Thy good-pleasure.
Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God
is there but Thee, the Inaccessible, the All-Glorious,
the Ever-Forgiving.
Deign, then, to accept, O my God, from Thy servant
the things which he hath shown forth in his love
for Thee. Fortify him, then, that he may cling to
Thy most exalted Word, and to unloose his tongue
to celebrate Thy praise, and cause him to be gathered
unto such of Thy people as are nigh unto Thee. Thou
+P163
art He within Whose grasp is the empire of all things.
There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Help
in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Unconstrained.
XCVIII
Magnified be Thy name, O Thou in Whose grasp
are the reins of the souls of all them that have recognized
Thee, and in Whose right hand are the destinies
of all that are in heaven and all that are on earth!
Thou doest, through the power of Thy might, what
Thou willest, and ordainest, by an act of Thy volition,
what Thou pleasest. The will of the most resolute
of men is as nothing when compared with the
compelling evidences of Thy will, and the determination
of the most inflexible among Thy creatures is
dissipated before the manifold revelations of Thy
purpose.
Thou art He Who, through a word of Thy mouth,
hath so enravished the hearts of Thy chosen ones that
they have, in their love for Thee, detached themselves
from all except Thyself, and laid down their lives
and sacrificed their souls in Thy path, and borne, for
Thy sake, what none of Thy creatures hath borne.
I am one of Thy handmaidens, O my Lord! I have
turned my face towards the habitation of Thy mercy,
and have sought the wonders of Thy manifold favors,
+P164
inasmuch as all the members of my body proclaim
Thee to be the All-Bounteous, He Whose grace is
immense.
O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration,
Whose beauty is my sanctuary, Whose court is my
goal, Whose remembrance is my wish, Whose affection
is my solace, Whose love is my begetter, Whose
praise is my companion, Whose nearness is my hope,
Whose presence is my greatest longing and supreme
aspiration! Disappoint me not, I entreat Thee, by
withholding from me the things Thou didst ordain
for the chosen ones among Thy handmaidens, and
supply me with the good of this world and of the
world to come.
Thou art, verily, the Lord of creation. No God is
there beside Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Bountiful.
XCIX
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I pray Thee,
by Him Who is the Day-Spring of Thy signs and
the Manifestation of Thy names, and the Treasury
of Thine inspiration, and the Repository of Thy wisdom,
to send upon Thy loved ones that which will
enable them to cleave steadfastly to Thy Cause, and
to recognize Thy unity, and to acknowledge Thy
+P165
oneness, and to bear witness to Thy divinity. Raise
them up, O my God, to such heights that they will
recognize in all things the tokens of the power of
Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy most august
and all-glorious Self.
Thou art He, O my Lord, Who doeth what He
willeth, and ordaineth what He pleaseth. Every possessor
of power is forlorn before the revelations of
Thy might, and every fountain of honor becomes
abject when confronted by the manifold evidences of
Thy great glory.
I beseech Thee, by Thyself and by whatsoever is
of Thee, to grant that I may help Thy Cause and
speak of Thy praise, and set my heart on the sanctuary
of Thy glory, and detach myself from all that
pertaineth not unto Thee. No God is there beside
Thee, the God of power, the God of glory and
wisdom.
C
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou beholdest
my perplexity, and the depth of mine anguish, and
the agony of my soul, and the afflictions which beset
me. By Thy glory! My heart crieth to Thee by reason
of the things that have befallen my loved ones in
Thy path, and mine eyes run down with tears for
them who, in these days, have ascended unto Thee,
+P166
who have cast the world behind their backs, and set
their faces towards the shores of Thy transcendent
mercy.
Clothe them, O my God, with the robe of Thy
favor and the raiment of Thy loving providence,
which Thou hast reserved for Thine own Self and
woven with the hands of Thy manifold bounties and
gifts. Give them, then, to drink, from the hands of
Thy loving-kindness, of the cups of Thy measureless
mercy. Cause them, moreover, O my Best-Beloved,
to abide within the precincts of Thy court and
around Thy most effulgent Tabernacle. Powerful art
Thou to do what pleaseth Thee.
And now I implore Thee, by the eternity of Thy
Self, to enable me to be patient in these tribulations
which have caused the Concourse on high to wail
and the denizens of the everlasting Paradise to weep,
and through which all faces have been covered with
the tawny dust provoked by the anguish that hath
seized such of Thy servants as have turned towards
Thy Name, the Most Exalted, the Most High. No
God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the Inaccessible,
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
All Thy servants, O my God, are occupied with
their own selves, so great have been the troubles
which, as decreed by Thee, have encompassed them
on every side. My tongue, however, is busied in extolling
Thy chosen ones, and my heart in remembering
them that are dear to Thee and are wholly subject
to Thy will.
+P167
Look not on my state, O my God, nor my failure
to serve Thee, nay rather regard the oceans of Thy
mercy and favors, and the things that beseem Thy
glory and Thy forgiveness and befit Thy loving-kindness
and bounties. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Generous.
CI
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou beholdest
what the tongue of no one except Thee can utter,
and bearest witness unto things which no mouth can
recount. The floods of afflictions are let loose, and the
winds of Thy judgment have blown, and from the
clouds rain down the darts of tests, and the heavens
of Thy decree pour forth the arrows of trial.
Thou seest, O my Lord, how Thy servants, who
have believed on Thee and acknowledged Thy signs,
have fallen into the clutches of Thine enemies, how
the doors of ease and comfort have been shut against
them, how they languish in the Fortress wherein
neither pleasantness nor hope can be found. They
have suffered in Thy path what no man before them
hath suffered. To this bear witness they who abide
around Thy throne, and the dwellers of the earth,
and the Concourse on high.
These, O my God, are Thy servants who, for love
+P168
of Thy beauty, have forsaken their homes, and been
so stirred up by the gentle winds of their desire for
Thee that they have sundered every tie in Thy path.
Such of Thy servants as dwell in Thy land and have
transgressed against Thee have assailed them, and banished
them from Thy cities, and made them captives,
and delivered them into the hands of workers of
iniquity among Thy people and the perverse amidst
the wicked doers in Thy realm. And finally, they were
made to abide in this place with which no other place,
however loathsome, in all Thy dominion, can compare.
They were seized with such trials that the clouds
weep over them and the thunder groaneth by reason
of the manifold tribulations that have afflicted them
in their love for Thee and for the sake of Thy
pleasure.
Thou knowest full well, O my God, that there is
no one on Thine earth who can claim to be related to
Thee except these, some of whom have suffered martyrdom
for Thy sake, while the rest have been permitted
to survive. Though for such as are like unto
us, O my God, it beseemeth not to claim to be related
to Thee, inasmuch as our misdeeds and our waywardness
have hindered us from reaching the depths of the
ocean of Thy oneness, and from immersing ourselves
beneath the waters of Thy transcendent mercy, yet
our tongues, O my God, bear witness, and our hearts
testify, and our limbs confess that Thy mercy hath
enveloped all created things and Thy compassion surpassed
all that are in heaven and all that are on earth.
+P169
I beseech Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, through
which all created things were rent asunder and the
whole creation was shaken, to send down from the
clouds of Thy mercy that which will purge them
from every ordeal and from whatever is hateful to
Thee. Raise them up, then, to such heights that no
amount of tribulation will keep them back from Thy
wondrous remembrance, nor any trouble hinder them
from turning toward the court of Thy transcendent
oneness.
By Thy might, O Well-Beloved of &Baha and His
heart's Desire! I myself cry out, under all conditions,
unto Thee saying: "Would I had, ere this day, drawn
nigh unto Thee!" When I hear, however, the sighs of
such of Thy people as are wholly devoted to Thee,
and those of Thy servants as enjoy near access to
Thy court, who have taken no other friend than
Thee, and sought no refuge except Thee, and have
chosen for themselves, in Thy path, what no man
hath chosen in the days of the Manifestations of Thy
transcendent unity and the Day-Springs of Thy most
holy sovereignty, then my heart is saddened and
my soul is vexed, and I cry to Thee, imploring Thee
to protect them, by Thy power that hath encompassed
the entire creation both visible and invisible,
from whatsoever may be abhorrent to Thee. This is
not for their own sakes, but that Thy name may,
through them, abide amongst Thy servants, and
Thy remembrance may continue to endure in Thy
dominions.
+P170
Thou knowest, O my God, that all Thy servants
have turned back from Thee and risen up against
Thee. Thou knowest that Thou hast no one to obey
Thee except them and such as have believed in Thy
Revelation, through which the foundations of the entire
universe have been shaken, and the souls of all
men have trembled, and all that lay asleep were
quickened. Thou art, O my God, the God of bounty,
Whose grace is immense.
Send down, then, upon them that which will assure
their hearts, and quiet their souls, and renew their
spirits, and refresh their bodies. Thou art, verily, their
Lord and the Lord of the worlds.
Praised be God, the Lord of all creation!
CII
Glory to Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all
worlds, and the Beloved of all such as have recognized
Thee! Thou seest me sitting under a sword hanging
on a thread, and art well aware that in such a state
I have not fallen short of my duty towards Thy
Cause, nor failed to shed abroad Thy praise, and declare
Thy virtues, and deliver all Thou hadst prescribed
unto me in Thy Tablets. Though the sword
be ready to fall on my head, I call Thy loved ones
+P171
with such a calling that the hearts are carried away
towards the horizon of Thy majesty and grandeur.
Purge out thoroughly their ears, O my Lord, that
they may hearken unto the sweet melodies that have
ascended from the right hand of the throne of Thy
glory. I swear by Thy might! Were any one to attune
his ears to their harmony he would soar up to the
kingdom of Thy revelation, wherein every created
thing proclaimeth that Thou art God, and that there
is none other God save Thee, the Omnipotent, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Cleanse Thou, O
my God, the eyes of Thy servants, and so transport
them by the sweetness of Thine utterances that
calamities will be powerless to hinder them from
turning unto Thee, and from directing their eyes
towards the horizon of Thy Revelation.
Darkness hath encompassed every land, O my God,
and caused most of Thy servants to tremble. I beseech
Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, to raise in
every city a new creation that shall turn towards
Thee, and shall remember Thee amidst Thy servants,
and shall unfurl by virtue of their utterances and
wisdom the ensigns of Thy victory, and shall detach
themselves from all created things.
Potent art Thou to do Thy pleasure. No God is
there but Thee, the Most Powerful, He Whose help
is implored by all men.
+P172
CIII
Glory be to Thee, Thou in Whose hand are the
heaven of omnipotence and the kingdom of creation.
Thou doest, by Thy sovereignty, what Thou
willest, and ordainest, through the power of Thy
might, what Thou pleasest. From eternity Thou hast
been exalted above the praise of all created things,
and wilt to eternity remain far above the glorification
of any one of Thy creatures. Existence itself
testifieth to its non-existence when face to face with
the manifold revelations of Thy transcendent oneness,
and every created thing confesseth, by its very
nature, its nothingness when compared with the
sacred splendors of the light of Thy unity. Thou
hast, in Thyself, been independent of any one besides
Thee and rich enough, in Thine own essence, to dispense
with any one except Thy Self. Every description
by which they who adore Thy unity describe
Thee, and every praise wherewith they who are devoted
unto Thee praise Thee, are but the traces of
the pen which the fingers of Thy strength and power
have set in motion--fingers whose movement is controlled
by the arm of Thy decree--the arm itself
animated by the potency of Thy might.
Thy glory beareth me witness! How can I, aware
as I am of this truth, hope to befittingly make mention
of Thee and celebrate Thy praise? Howsoever I
describe Thee, whichever of Thy virtues I recount,
+P173
I cannot but blush and feel ashamed of what my
tongue hath uttered or my pen written.
The quintessence of knowledge, O my Lord, proclaimeth
its powerlessness to know Thee, and perplexity,
in its very soul, confesseth its bewilderment
in the face of the revelations of Thy sovereign might,
and remembrance, in its inmost spirit, acknowledgeth
its forgetfulness and effacement before the manifestations
of Thy signs and the evidences of Thy praise.
What, then, can this poor creature hope to achieve,
and to what cord must this wretched soul cling?
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of the
worlds, and the Beloved of such as have recognized
Thee, and the Desire of all that are in heaven and on
earth, by Thy Name through which the cry of every
suppliant hath ascended into the heaven of Thy
transcendent holiness, through which every seeker
hath soared to the sublimities of Thy unity and
grandeur, through which the imperfect have been
perfected, and the abased exalted, and the tongue of
every stammerer unloosed, and the sick made whole,
and whatever was unworthy of Thy highness and
beseemed not Thy greatness and Thy sovereignty
made acceptable unto Thee,--I beseech Thee to aid
us by Thine invisible hosts and by a company of the
angels of Thy Cause. Do Thou, then, accept the
works we have performed for love of Thee, and for
the sake of Thy pleasure. Cast us not away, O my
God, from the door of Thy mercy, and break not
our hopes in the wonders of Thy grace and favors.
+P174
Our limbs, our members, O my Lord, bear witness
to Thy unity and oneness. Send down upon us Thy
strength and power, that we may become steadfast
in Thy Faith and may aid Thee among Thy servants.
Illumine our eyes, O my Lord, with the effulgence of
Thy beauty, and enlighten our hearts with the splendors
of Thy knowledge and wisdom. Write us up,
then, with those who have fulfilled their pledge to
Thy Covenant in Thy days, and who, through their
love for Thee, have detached themselves from the
world and all that is therein.
Powerful art Thou to do what Thou pleasest. No
God is there beside Thee, the All-Powerful, the
Omniscient, the Supreme Ruler, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting.
CIV
O Thou Whose nearness is my wish, Whose presence
is my hope, Whose remembrance is my desire,
Whose court of glory is my goal, Whose abode is my
aim, Whose name is my healing, Whose love is the
radiance of my heart, Whose service is my highest
aspiration! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, through
which Thou hast enabled them that have recognized
Thee to soar to the sublimest heights of the knowledge
of Thee and empowered such as devoutly worship
+P175
Thee to ascend into the precincts of the court
of Thy holy favors, to aid me to turn my face
towards Thy face, to fix mine eyes upon Thee, and
to speak of Thy glory.
I am the one, O my Lord, who hath forgotten all
else but Thee, and turned towards the Day-Spring
of Thy grace, who hath forsaken all save Thyself in
the hope of drawing nigh unto Thy court. Behold
me, then, with mine eyes lifted up towards the Seat
that shineth with the splendors of the light of Thy
Face. Send down, then, upon me, O my Beloved, that
which will enable me to be steadfast in Thy Cause,
so that the doubts of the infidels may not hinder me
from turning towards Thee.
Thou art, verily, the God of Power, the Help in
Peril, the All-Glorious, the Almighty.
CV
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He
the excellence of Whose glory hath exalted them
who are the sources of authority and honor, the
potency of Whose might hath empowered them who
are the fountain-heads of energy and strength, the
dominion of Whose will hath elevated the Exponents
of Thy Cause above all that are in heaven and on
earth, and the life-giving effusions of Whose Pen
+P176
have quickened the souls of the denizens of the
kingdom of creation.
I am he, O my Lord, who, wholly for Thy sake,
hath turned his face unto Thee, and who, while
acknowledging Thy power and Thy sovereignty,
hath directed his steps towards Thy dearly-loved
Sanctuary, and Thine adored and hallowed Court. In
this state I have reached the City (&Baghdad) wherein,
in the full glory of Thy names, Thou didst reveal
Thy Self unto all created things. In it I have communed
with Thy loved ones, and from the House
within its walls I have inhaled the breaths of Thy
holiness and perceived the fragrances of Thy fellowship.
Cast me not from Thy presence, O my Lord,
neither do Thou drive me away from the shores of
Thy love and Thy good-pleasure. For the poor can
find no refuge unless he knocketh at the door of Thy
wealth, and the outcast can find no peace until he be
admitted to the court of Thy favor.
Magnified be Thy name, O my Lord, for Thou
hast enabled me to recognize the Manifestation of
Thine own Self, and hast caused me to be assured of
the truth of the verses which have descended upon
Thee. Empower me, I implore Thee, to cling steadfastly
unto whatsoever Thou hast bidden me observe.
Help me to guard the pearls of Thy love which, by
Thy decree, Thou hast enshrined within my heart.
Send down, moreover, every moment of my life, O
+P177
my God, that which will preserve me from any one
but Thee, and will set my feet firm in Thy Cause.
Thou art, verily, the God of glory, the God of
power, the God of knowledge and wisdom. No God
is there beside Thee, the Great Giver, the All-Bountiful,
the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving.
Praised be God, the All-Glorious, the All-Compelling.
CVI
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I give Thee
thanks inasmuch as Thou hast called me into being
in Thy days, and infused into me Thy love and Thy
knowledge. I beseech Thee, by Thy name whereby
the goodly pearls of Thy wisdom and Thine utterance
were brought forth out of the treasuries of the
hearts of such of Thy servants as are nigh unto Thee,
and through which the Day-Star of Thy name, the
Compassionate, hath shed its radiance upon all that
are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to supply me,
by Thy grace and bounty, with Thy wondrous and
hidden bounties.
These are the earliest days of my life, O my God,
which Thou hast linked with Thine own days. Now
that Thou hast conferred upon me so great an honor,
withhold not from me the things Thou hast ordained
for Thy chosen ones.
+P178
I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast
sown in the soil of Thy love, and caused to spring
forth by the hand of Thy bounty. This seed craveth,
therefore, in its inmost being, for the waters of Thy
mercy and the living fountain of Thy grace. Send
down upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness,
that which will enable it to flourish beneath Thy
shadow and within the borders of Thy court. Thou
art He Who watereth the hearts of all that have recognized
Thee from Thy plenteous stream and the
fountain of Thy living waters.
Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds.
CVII
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by that Remembrance
of Thee through which all things have been raised
to life, and through which all faces have been made
to shine, not to frustrate the hopes I have set on the
things Thou dost possess. Cause me, then, by Thy
mercy, to enter beneath Thy shadow that shadoweth
all things.
Be Thou, O my Lord, my sole Desire, my Goal,
mine only Hope, my constant Aim, my Habitation
and my Sanctuary. Let the object of mine ardent
quest be Thy most resplendent, Thine adorable, and
ever-blessed Beauty. I implore Thee, O my Lord, by
+P179
whatsoever is of Thee, to send, from the right hand
of Thy might, that which will exalt Thy loved ones
and abase Thine enemies.
No God is there beside Thee, Thou alone art my
Beloved in this world and in the world which is to
come. Thou alone art the Desire of all them that have
recognized Thee.
Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds.
CVIII
Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast been
true to what the Pen of Thy Revelation hath inscribed
upon the Tablets sent down by Thee unto
Them Whom Thou hast chosen above all Thy creatures,
and through Whom Thou hast unlocked the
doors of Thy mercy, and shed abroad the radiance
of the light of Thy guidance. Glory to Thee that
Thou hast laid bare what had from eternity been
wrapped up within the Tabernacle of Thy majesty,
Thine omnipotence and glory, and through which
Thou hadst decked forth the heaven of Thy Revelation
and adorned the pages of the book of Thy
testimony.
And when the Pledge was fulfilled and the Promised
One appeared, He was rejected by such of Thy
servants as profess to have believed in Him in Whom
+P180
Thy Godhead was manifested, Whom Thou didst
ordain to be the Herald of this Revelation, and
through Whose advent the eyes of the inmates of the
sanctuary of Thy unity were cheered.
I know, O my Lord, neither their reasoning with
which they have acknowledged Thee and believed in
Thy signs, nor their argument whereby they have
repudiated Thy sovereignty. Every time I call them
to Thee and say: "O people! Consider the utterances
of the Lord your God which are in your possession
and those that have been sent down from the heaven
of His will and power," they cavil at Thee, and turn
their backs to Thee, though--as Thou art aware--
each of the words that have gone out of the mouth
of Thy will sheddeth the fragrance of the breaths of
Thy mercy.
Some have chosen to cleave to him who is counted
unworthy to converse with any of Thy servants that
watch at Thy door (&Mirza &Yahya), how much more
to enter into the court in which the Tongue of Thy
majesty speaketh. Cleanse Thou their hearts and their
eyes, O my Lord, that they may see with their eyes
and understand with their hearts, that haply they
may be attracted by Thine utterances to the Day-Spring
of Thine inspiration, and draw nigh unto the
soft-flowing stream of Thy knowledge.
Thou art He, O my Lord, Who hath, in every line
of Thy Book, entered into covenant with them for
me, and made it so sure that none of Thy creatures
can any longer evade it. Thou didst say--and Thy
+P181
word is the truth: "One single letter from Him excelleth
all that hath been sent down in the &Bayan."
Thou dost consider, therefore, O my God, how
they have transgressed against Thy Cause, and beholdest
what their hands have wrought in Thy days.
They have so grievously wronged me that the Lote-Tree
of Thy Revelation moaneth, and the inmates of
the Tabernacle of Thy majesty and the dwellers of
the cities of Thy names lament. I know not, O my
God, for what reason they have risen up to oppress
me, and by what proof they have turned aside from
Him Who is the Day-Spring of Thy signs. I beseech
Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and
the Creator of the heavens, to aid them to act equitably
in Thy Cause, that haply they may discover
the sweet smell of the robe of Thy mercy, and set
their faces towards the horizon that shineth with
the brightness of the light of Thy face. Weak are
they, O my Lord, and Thou art the Lord of strength
and power. They are but paupers, and Thou art the
All-Possessing, the Most Generous.
Thou art well aware, O my God, that throughout
my life I have sought no advantage for myself. I
have offered up my spirit and my whole being for
the exaltation of Thy word amidst Thy creatures
and the glorification of Thy name among Thy servants.
Thou didst send me with such a Testimony
that They Who are the Exponents of Thy Revelation
and the Day-Springs of Thine inspiration were
stirred up with vehement longing. Through it, Thy
+P182
proof was established, and Thy bounty fulfilled, and
Thy Cause perfected, and Thine utterances released,
and Thy clear tokens uncovered.
Thou knowest, O my God, that I have wished only
what Thou hast wished, and desire what Thou dost
desire. Were I to speak forth before Thy servants the
things wherewith Thou didst, through Thy bounty,
inspire me and which Thou didst command me to
utter amidst Thy creatures, the oppressors among
Thy people would cavil at me. And were I to hold
my peace and cease to celebrate the wonders of Thy
praise, all the limbs of my body would be stirred up
to extol Thee. I know not what the water is with
which Thou didst create me, or what the fire Thou
didst kindle within me. I swear by Thy glory! I shall
not cease to mention Thee, though all that are in
Thy heaven and on Thy earth rise up against me.
Thee will I magnify, in all circumstances, with a
heart wholly rid of all attachment to the world and
all that is therein.
Praised be Thou, the Well-Beloved of the hearts of
all such as have recognized Thee.
CIX
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou beholdest
how my gaze is fixed toward Thy tender
+P183
mercies, and how mine eyes are bent upon the horizon
of Thy grace, and Thy loving-kindness, and how
my hands are stretched out unto the heaven of
Thy bestowals. Thy might beareth me witness! Every
limb of my body crieth out to Thee and saith: "O
Thou Who art the Well-Beloved of the worlds, and
the Lord of all that are in heaven and on earth, and
the one Desire of the hearts which are devoted to
Thee! I implore Thee, by Thine Ocean unto which
Thou didst summon all the inmates of heaven and all
the dwellers of the earth, to help Thy servants who
have been kept back from turning unto it and from
approaching its shores. Make them, then, O my God,
to be detached from all else but Thee, and enable
them to speak forth Thy praise and extol Thy virtues.
Supply them, moreover, O my God, with the
choice Wine of Thy mercy, that it may cause them
to be forgetful of any one except Thee, and to arise
to serve Thy Cause, and to be steadfast in their love
for Thee. Thou art, verily, the Lord of their lives
and the Object of their adoration. If they be driven
away by Thee, who will then look upon them; and
if they be removed far from Thee, who is there that
can help them to approach Thy Presence? I swear
by Thy might! No refuge is there to flee to except
Thee, and no shelter to seek except Thy shelter, and
no protection except Thy protection. Woe betide
him who hath taken as Lord any one beside Thee, and
blessed are the ones who have rid themselves of all
attachment to all the dwellers of Thine earth, and
+P184
clung to the hem of Thy bounteousness. These! the
people of &Baha, before all that are in heaven and all
that are on earth. No God is there but Thee, the
Omniscient, the All-Wise."
Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
CX
I know not, O my God, whether I should speak
forth the wonders of Thy praise among Thy servants,
and lay bare before them the secrets of Thy mercy
and the mysteries of Thy Cause, or keep them
wrapped up within the receptacle of my heart.
Though the lover be loth to share with any one the
intimate conversation of his beloved, yet at whatever
time Thine inescapable commandment to declare
Thy Cause reacheth me, I will unhesitatingly obey
it. I would proclaim Thee, undeterred by the darts
of affliction that may rain down upon me from the
clouds of Thy decree.
I swear by Thy might! Neither the hosts of the
earth nor those of heaven can keep me back from
revealing the things I am commanded to manifest.
I have no will before Thy will, and can cherish no
desire in the face of Thy desire. By Thy grace I am,
at all times, ready to serve Thee and am rid of all
attachment to any one except Thee.
+P185
What I desire, however, O my God, is that Thou
shouldst bid me unveil the things which lie hid in
Thy knowledge, so that they who are wholly devoted
to Thee may, in their longing for Thee, soar up into
the atmosphere of Thy oneness, and the infidels may
be seized with trembling and may return to the nethermost
fire, the abode ordained for them by Thee
through the power of Thy sovereign might.
Thou dost consider, O my Lord, how Thy dear
ones are sore pressed by Thine enemies, and hearest
from all sides their sighing by reason of what hath
befallen them in Thy path. Thou knowest, O my
Lord, that their one desire was to seek Thy face, and
that the sole Object of their adoration was Thee.
They who wronged them had no other purpose except
to turn them away from Thee, and to extinguish
the fire which Thou hadst kindled with the hands
of Thine almighty power.
Unseal the lips of Thy will, O my Lord, and let a
word proceed therefrom that shall subject unto itself
the world and all that is therein. How long shalt
Thou behold these things and tarry, O my God?
Darkness hath enveloped the whole earth, and Thy
tokens are ready to be blotted out throughout Thy
realm.
Forgive me, O my God, for what I have spoken,
for Thou art the One that knoweth all things, and
in Thee are wrapped up the secrets that are hid from
all else except Thyself. When Thy promise shall come
to pass, Thou wilt manifest what Thou wilt, and
+P186
subdue as Thou pleasest. We should wish only what
Thou hast wished for us. In Thee is the knowledge
of all things, and with Thee is the issue of all things.
Thou art, verily, the Truth, the Knower of things
unseen.
Forgive me, then, my sins and the sins of them
that love me, and supply them with the good of this
world and of the next.
Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Compassionate.
CXI
Praised be Thou, O my God! Thou beholdest both
the helplessness of Thy dear ones and the ascendancy
of Thy foes, both the wretchedness of Thy chosen
ones and the glory of them who gainsaid Thy Cause
and repudiated Thy signs. The latter deny Thy
tokens, and fail to repay Thee for the temporal benefits
Thou didst bestow upon them, while the former
yield Thee thanks for what hath befallen them in
their eagerness to partake of the everlasting gifts
Thou dost possess.
How sweet is the thought of Thee in times of
adversity and trial, and how delightful to glorify
Thee when compassed about with the fierce winds
of Thy decree! Thou knowest full well, O my God,
+P187
that I endure patiently whatsoever toucheth me in
Thy path. Nay, I perceive that all the members and
limbs of my body long for tribulation, that I may
manifest Thy Cause, O Thou Who art the Lord of
all names! The waters of Thy love have preserved
me in the kingdom of Thy creation, and the fire of
my remembrance of Thee hath set me ablaze before
all that are in heaven and on earth. Great is my blessedness,
and great the blessedness of this fire whose
flame crieth out: "No God is there save Thee, Who
art the Object of my heart's adoration, and the
Source and Center of my soul!"
Thy glory beareth me witness! Were all that are in
the heavens and all that are on earth to unite and
seek to hinder me from remembering Thee and from
celebrating Thy praise, they would assuredly have
no power over me, and would fail in their purpose.
And were the infidels to slay me, my blood would,
at Thy command, lift up its voice and proclaim:
"There is no God but Thee, O Thou Who art all
my heart's Desire!" And were my flesh to be boiled
in the cauldron of hate, the smell which it would
send forth would rise towards Thee and cry out:
"Where art Thou, O Lord of the worlds, Thou One
Desire of them that have known Thee!" And were
I to be cast into fire, my ashes would--I swear by Thy
glory--declare: "The Youth hath, verily, attained
that for which he had besought his Lord, the All-Glorious,
the Omniscient."
How, then, can such a man be fearful of the combination
+P188
of the kings to injure him in Thy Cause?
No, no, I swear by Thyself, O Thou Who art the
King of kings! Such is my love for Thee that I can
fear no one, though the powers of all the worlds be
arrayed against me. Alone and unaided I have, by the
power of Thy might, arisen to proclaim Thy Cause,
unafraid of the host of my oppressors.
To all that dwell on earth I cry aloud and say:
"Fear ye God, O ye servants of God, and suffer not
yourselves to be kept back from this pure Wine that
hath flowed from the right hand of the throne of the
mercy of your Lord, the Most Merciful. I swear by
God! Better for you is what He possesseth than the
things ye yourselves possess and the things ye have
sought and are now seeking in this vain and empty
life. Forsake the world, and set your faces towards
the all-glorious Horizon. Whoso hath partaken of the
wine of His remembrance will forget every other
remembrance, and whoso hath recognized Him will
rid himself of all attachment to this life and to all
that pertaineth unto it."
I implore Thee, O my God and my Master, by
Thy word through which they who have believed in
Thy unity have soared up into the atmosphere of
Thy knowledge, and they who are devoted to Thee
have ascended into the heaven of Thy oneness, to
inspire Thy loved ones with that which will assure
their hearts in Thy Cause. Endue them with such
steadfastness that nothing whatsoever will hinder
them from turning towards Thee.
+P189
Thou art, verily, the Bountiful, the Munificent,
the Forgiving, the Compassionate.
CXII
Thou beholdest, O my God, how bewildered in
their drunkenness are Thy servants who have turned
back from Thy beauty and caviled at what hath
been sent down from the right hand of the throne
of Thy majesty. Thou didst come, O my God, in the
clouds of Thy spirit and Thine utterance, and lo,
the entire creation shook and trembled, and the limbs
of them who repudiated Thy testimonies were made
to quiver, O Thou in Whose grasp is the lordship of
all things!
Thou art He, O my God, Who hast summoned all
men to turn in the direction of Thy mercy, and
called them unto the horizon of Thy grace and bounties.
None, however, heeded Thy call, except such
as have forsaken all things save Thee, and hastened
unto the Day-Spring of Thy beauty, and the Dawning-Place
of Thine inspiration and Thy revelation.
Thou knowest, O my God, that none can be found
on the face of the earth to remember Thee except
them. Thou seest how the oppressors among Thy
creatures have laid hold on them. Some, O my God,
have shed their blood in Thy path, others have abandoned
+P190
their homes and set their faces towards the
seat of Thy throne, and were hindered from stepping
into the court of Thy great glory, while still
others have been cast into prison and are at the mercy
of the workers of iniquity.
I implore Thee, O Thou Who holdest in Thy
hands the reins of unconstrained power, to succor
them through the wondrous potency of Thy might.
Misery, O my Lord, hath taken hold on them in Thy
path, exalt them by the power of Thy sovereignty;
and weariness hath afflicted them in their love for
Thee, render them victorious, through Thy strength
and Thine omnipotence, over Thine enemies.
Aware as I am, O my God, that Thou hast decreed
for them that which excelleth whatsoever is in Thy
heaven and on Thy earth, I still cherish the desire
that Thou mayest behold them in Thy days exalted
and honored by Thy creatures. Supreme art Thou
over Thy creation. All are held within Thy grasp,
and lie prisoned in the hollow of Thy hand. No
God is there but Thee, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise.
CXIII
Magnified be Thy name, O my God! I testify that
if Thy servants were to turn towards Thee with the
+P191
eyes Thou didst create in them and with the ears
wherewith Thou didst endow them, they would all
be carried away by a single word sent down from
the right hand of the throne of Thy majesty. That
word alone would suffice to brighten their faces, and
to assure their hearts, and to cause their souls to soar
up to the atmosphere of Thy great glory, and to
ascend into the heaven of Thy sovereignty.
I pray Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all
names and the Ruler of both earth and heaven, to
grant that all who are dear to Thee may each become
a cup of Thy mercy in Thy days, that they may
quicken the hearts of Thy servants. Empower them
also, O my God, to be as the rain that poureth down
from the clouds of Thy grace, and as the winds that
waft the vernal fragrances of Thy loving-kindness,
that through them the soil of the hearts of Thy
creatures may be clad with verdure, and may bring
forth the things that will shed their fragrance over
all Thy dominion, so that every one may perceive the
sweet smell of the Robe of Thy Revelation. Potent art
Thou to do what Thou willest.
The power of Thy might beareth me witness!
Whoso hath drunk of the cup which the hand of
Thy mercy hath borne round will strip himself of all
things except Thee, and will be able, through a word
of his mouth, to enrapture the souls of such of Thy
servants as have slumbered on the bed of forgetfulness
and negligence, and to cause them to turn their
faces toward Thy most Great Sign, and seek from
+P192
Thee naught else except Thyself, and ask of Thee
only what Thou hast determined for them by the
pen of Thy judgment and hast prescribed in the
Tablet of Thy decree.
Send down, then, O my God, through Thy Most
Great Name, upon Thy loved ones what will, under
all conditions, draw them nearer unto Thee. Thou
art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, Whose
help is implored by all men.
CXIV
Mine eyes are cheered, O my God, when I contemplate
the tribulations that descend upon me from the
heaven of Thy decree, and which have encompassed
me on every side according to what Thy pen hath
irrevocably established. I swear by Thy Self! Whatsoever
is of Thee is well pleasing unto me, though it
involve the bitterness of mine own death.
He Who was Thy Spirit (Jesus), O my God, withdrew
all alone in the darkness of the night preceding
His last day on earth, and falling on His face to the
ground besought Thee saying: "If it be Thy will,
O my Lord, my Well-Beloved, let this cup, through
Thy grace and bounty, pass from me."
By Thy beauty, O Thou Who art the Lord of all
names and the Creator of the heavens! I can smell
+P193
the fragrance of the words which, in His love for
Thee, His lips have uttered, and can feel the glow of
the fire that had inflamed His soul in its longing to
behold Thy face and in its yearning after the Day-Spring
of the light of Thy oneness, and the Dawning-Place
of Thy transcendent unity.
As to me--and to this Thou art Thyself my witness
--I call upon Thee saying: "I have no will of
mine own, O my Lord, and my Master and my Ruler,
before the indications of Thy will, and can have no
purpose in the face of the revelation of Thy purpose.
I swear by Thy glory! I wish only what Thou wishest,
and cherish only what Thou cherishest. What I
have chosen for myself is what Thou hast Thyself
chosen for me, O Thou the Possessor of my soul!"
Nay, I find myself to be altogether nothing when
face to face with the manifold revelations of Thy
names, how much less when confronted with the
effulgent splendors of the light of Thine own Self.
O miserable me! Were I to attempt merely to describe
Thee, such an attempt would itself be an evidence
of my impiety, and would attest my heedlessness
in the face of the clear and resplendent tokens
of Thy oneness. Who else except Thee can claim to
be worthy of any notice in the face of Thine own
revelation, and who is he that can be deemed sufficiently
qualified to adequately praise Thee, or to pride
himself on having befittingly described Thy glory?
Nay--and to this Thou dost Thyself bear witness--
it hath incontrovertibly been made evident that
+P194
Thou art the one God, the Incomparable, Whose help
is implored by all men. From everlasting Thou wert
alone, with none to describe Thee, and wilt abide for
ever the same with no one else to equal or rival Thee.
Were the existence of any co-equal with Thee to be
recognized, how could it then be maintained that
Thou art the Incomparable, or that Thy Godhead is
immeasurably exalted above all peers or likeness? The
contemplation of the highest minds that have recognized
Thy unity failed to attain unto the comprehension
of the One Thou hast created through the
word of Thy commandment, how much more must
it be powerless to soar into the atmosphere of the
knowledge of Thine own Being. Every praise which
any tongue or pen can recount, every imagination
which any heart can devise, is debarred from the station
which Thy most exalted Pen hath ordained, how
much more must it fall short of the heights which
Thou hast Thyself immensely exalted above the conception
and the description of any creature. For the
attempt of the evanescent to conceive the signs of
the Uncreated is as the stirring of the drop before
the tumult of Thy billowing oceans. Nay, forbid it,
O my God, that I should thus venture to describe
Thee, for every similitude and comparison must pertain
to what is essentially created by Thee. How can
then such similitude and comparison ever befit Thee,
or reach up unto Thy Self?
By Thy glory, O my God! Though I recognize
and firmly believe that no description which any except
+P195
Thyself can give of Thee can beseem Thy
grandeur, and that no glory ascribed to Thee by any
save Thyself can ever ascend into the atmosphere of
Thy presence, yet were I to hold my peace, and cease
to glorify Thee and to recount Thy wondrous glory,
my heart would be consumed, and my soul would
melt away.
My remembrance of Thee, O my God, quencheth
my thirst, and quieteth my heart. My soul delighteth
in its communion with Thee, as the sucking child
delighteth itself in the breasts of Thy mercy; and my
heart panteth after Thee even as one sore athirst
panteth after the living waters of Thy bounty, O
Thou Who art the God of mercy, in Whose hand is
the lordship of all things!
I give thanks to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast
suffered me to remember Thee. What else but remembrance
of Thee can give delight to my soul or
gladness to my heart? Communion with Thee enableth
me to dispense with the remembrance of all
Thy creatures, and my love for Thee empowereth
me to endure the harm which my oppressors inflict
upon me.
Send, therefore, unto my loved ones, O my God,
what will cheer their hearts, and illumine their faces,
and delight their souls. Thou knowest, O my Lord,
that their joy is to behold the exaltation of Thy Cause
and the glorification of Thy word. Do Thou unveil,
therefore, O my God, what will gladden their eyes,
+P196
and ordain for them the good of this world and of
the world which is to come.
Thou art, verily, the God of power, of strength
and of bounty.
CXV
Thou seest, O my God, how the wrongs committed
by such of Thy creatures as have turned their backs
to Thee have come in between Him in Whom Thy
Godhead is manifest and Thy servants. Send down
upon them, O my Lord, what will cause them to be
busied with each others' concerns. Let, then, their
violence be confined to their own selves, that the
land and they that dwell therein may find peace.
One of Thy handmaidens, O my Lord, hath
sought Thy face, and soared in the atmosphere of
Thy pleasure. Withhold not from her, O my Lord,
the things Thou didst ordain for the chosen ones
among Thy handmaidens. Enable her, then, to be
so attracted by Thine utterances that she will celebrate
Thy praise amongst them.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No
God is there but Thee, the Almighty, Whose help is
implored by all men.
+P197
CXVI
My God, my Well-Beloved! No place is there for
any one to flee to when once Thy laws have been
sent down, and no refuge can be found by any soul
after the revelation of Thy commandments. Thou
hast inspired the Pen with the mysteries of Thine
eternity, and bidden it teach man that which he
knoweth not, and caused him to partake of the living
waters of truth from the cup of Thy Revelation and
Thine inspiration.
No sooner, however, had the Pen traced upon the
tablet one single letter of Thy hidden wisdom, than
the voice of the lamentation of Thine ardent lovers
was lifted up from all directions. Thereupon, there
befell the just what hath caused the inmates of the
tabernacle of Thy glory to weep and the dwellers of
the cities of Thy revelation to groan.
Thou dost consider, O my God, how He Who is the
Manifestation of Thy names is in these days threatened
by the swords of Thine adversaries. In such a
state He crieth out and summoneth all the inhabitants
of Thine earth and the denizens of Thy heaven
unto Thee.
Purify, O my God, the hearts of Thy creatures
with the power of Thy sovereignty and might, that
Thy words may sink deep into them. I know not
what is in their hearts, O my God, nor can tell the
thoughts they think of Thee. Methinks that they imagine
+P198
that Thy purpose in calling them to Thine
all-highest horizon is to heighten the glory of Thy
majesty and power. For had they been satisfied that
Thou summonest them to that which will recreate
their hearts and immortalize their souls, they would
never have fled from Thy governance, nor deserted the
shadow of the tree of Thy oneness. Clear away, then,
the sight of Thy creatures, O my God, that they may
recognize Him Who showeth forth the Godhead as
One Who is sanctified from all that pertaineth unto
them, and Who, wholly for Thy sake, is summoning
them to the horizon of Thy unity, at a time when
every moment of His life is beset with peril. Had His
aim been the preservation of His own Self, He would
never have left it at the mercy of Thy foes.
I swear by Thy glory! I have accepted to be tried
by manifold adversities for no purpose except to regenerate
all that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth.
Whoso hath loved Thee, can never feel attached to
his own self, except for the purpose of furthering
Thy Cause; and whoso hath recognized Thee can
recognize naught else except Thee, and can turn to
no one save Thee.
Enable Thy servants, O my God, to discover the
things Thou didst desire for them in Thy Kingdom.
Acquaint them, moreover, with what He Who is the
Origin of Thy most excellent titles hath, in His love
for Thee, been willing to bear for the sake of the
regeneration of their souls, that they may haste to
attain the River that is Life indeed, and turn their
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faces in the direction of Thy Name, the Most Merciful.
Abandon them not to themselves, O my God!
Draw them, by Thy bountiful favor, to the heaven
of Thine inspiration. They are but paupers, and Thou
art the All-Possessing, the ever-Forgiving, the Most
Compassionate.
CXVII
Glory to Thee, O my God! The first stirrings of
the spring of Thy grace have appeared and clothed
Thine earth with verdure. The clouds of the heaven
of Thy bounty have rained their rain on this City
within whose walls is imprisoned Him Whose desire
is the salvation of Thy creatures. Through it the soil
of this City hath been decked forth, and its trees
clothed with foliage, and its inhabitants gladdened.
The hearts of Thy dear ones, however, will rejoice
only at the Divine Springtime of Thy tender mercies,
whereby the hearts are quickened, and the souls are
renewed, and the trees of human existence bear their
fruits.
The plants that have sprung forth, O my Lord, in
the hearts of Thy loved ones have withered away.
Send down upon them, from the clouds of Thy spirit,
that which will cause the tender herbs of Thy knowledge
and wisdom to grow within their breasts.
+P200
Rejoice, then, their hearts with the proclamation of
Thy Cause and the exaltation of Thy sovereignty.
Their eyes, O my Lord, are expectantly turned in
the direction of Thy bounty, and their faces are set
towards the horizon of Thy grace. Suffer them not,
through Thy bounty, to be deprived of Thy grace.
Potent art Thou, by Thy sovereign might, over all
things. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
CXVIII
Thou seest, O my God, how Thy servants have
been cleaving fast to Thy names, and have been calling
on them in the daytime and in the night season.
No sooner, however, had He been made manifest
through Whose word the kingdom of names and the
heaven of eternity were created, than they broke
away from Him and disbelieved in the greatest of
Thy signs. They finally banished Him from the land
of His birth, and caused Him to dwell within the
most desolate of Thy cities, though all the world had
been built up by Thee for His sake. Within this, the
Most Great Prison, He hath established His seat.
Though sore tried by trials, the like of which the eye
of creation hath not seen, He summoneth the people
+P201
unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Fashioner of the
universe!
I beseech Thee, O Thou the Shaper of all the nations
and the Quickener of every moldering bone,
to graciously enable Thy servants to recognize Him
Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self and the
Revealer of Thy transcendent might, that they may
cut down, by Thy power, all the idols of their corrupt
inclinations, and enter beneath the shadow of
Thine all-encompassing mercy, which, by virtue of
Thy name, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, hath
surpassed the entire creation.
I know not, O my God, how long will Thy creatures
continue to slumber on the bed of forgetfulness
and evil desires, and remain far removed from
Thee and shut out from Thy presence. Draw them
nearer, O my God, unto the scene of Thine effulgent
glory, and enrapture their hearts with the sweet
savors of Thine inspiration, through which they who
adore Thy unity have soared on the wings of desire
towards Thee, and they who are devoted to Thee
have reached unto Him Who is the Dawning-Place
of the Day-Star of Thy creation.
Cleave asunder, O my Lord, the veils that shut
them out from Thee, that they may behold Thee
shining above the horizon of Thy oneness and shedding
Thy radiance from the dawning-place of Thy
sovereignty. By Thy glory! Were they to discover the
sweetness of Thy remembrance and apprehend the
excellence of the things that are sent down upon
+P202
them from the right hand of the throne of Thy
majesty, they would cast away all that they possess,
and would rush forth into the wilderness of their
longing after Thee, that the glance of Thy loving-kindness
may be directed towards them and the radiance
of the Day-Star of Thy beauty may be shed
upon them.
Let their hearts, O my Lord, be carried away by
Thy remembrance, and their souls enriched by Thy
riches, and their wills strengthened to proclaim Thy
Cause amidst Thy creatures. Thou art, verily, the
Great Giver, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
CXIX
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Thou seest how
I have been sorely vexed among Thy servants, and
beholdest the things that have befallen me in Thy
path. Thou knowest full well that I have not spoken
a word but by Thy leave, that my lips have never
been opened except at Thy bidding and in accordance
with Thy pleasure, that every breath I have
breathed hath been animated with Thy praise and
Thy remembrance, that I have summoned all men
to naught else except that whereunto Thy chosen
ones have through all eternity been summoned, and
+P203
that I have bidden them observe only the things that
would draw them nearer unto the Day-Spring of
Thy loving-kindness, and the Dawning-Place of Thy
favors, and the Horizon of Thy riches, and the
Manifestation of Thine inspiration and Thy revelation.
Thou art well aware, O my God, that I have not
failed in my duty towards Thy Cause. At all times
and under all conditions I have wafted, in every
direction, the breezes of Thine inspiration, and shed
abroad the sweet smell of the raiment of Thy mercy,
that haply Thy servants may discover its fragrance,
and through it be enabled to turn towards Thee.
I implore Thee, O my God, by the Lights of Thy
unity and the Repositories of Thy revelation, to send
down from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will
cleanse the hearts of all such as have turned towards
Thee. Blot out, then, from their hearts all that may
induce Thy servants to cavil at Thy Cause.
Thy will hath overruled my will, O my God, and
I have shown forth what hath grievously vexed me.
Have mercy, then, upon me, O Thou Who of all
those who show mercy art the Most Merciful!
Assist Thou Thy servants, O my God, to help Thy
Cause, and give them to drink what will quicken
their hearts in Thy realm, lest anything hinder them
from remembering Thee and from extolling Thy
virtues, that they may quit their homes in Thy name,
and summon all the multitudes unto Thee. Guard
their faces, O my God, from turning to any one save
+P204
Thee, and their ears from hearkening unto the sayings
of all such as have turned away from Thy beauty
and repudiated Thy signs.
Supreme art Thou over all things. There is none
other God save Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
CXX
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou beholdest
my low estate and the habitation wherein I
dwell, and bearest witness unto my perplexity, my
crying needs, my troubles, and the afflictions I suffer
among Thy servants who recite Thy verses and repudiate
their Revealer, who call on Thy names and
cavil at their Creator, who seek to draw nigh unto
Him Who is Thy Friend and put to death Him Who
is the Best-Beloved of the worlds.
Open Thou their eyes, O my God, and My Master,
that they may gaze on Thy beauty, or cause them to
return unto the lowest abyss of the fire. Potent art
Thou to do what Thou willest. Thou art, verily, the
All-Glorious, the All-Wise.
The glory of Thy might, O my God, beareth me
witness! Every time I attempt to remember Thee, I
find myself overpowered by the sublimity of Thy
station and the immensity of Thy might; and every
time I hold my peace, lo, I am impelled by my love
+P205
for Thee and by the potency of Thy will, to unloose
my tongue and mention Thee. He who is poor and
needy, O my God, is calling for his Lord, the All-Possessing;
and he who is destitute of all strength
remembereth his Master, the All-Powerful. If He
deign to accept His servant's supplication, He is, verily,
of unsurpassed bounteousness; and if He cast him
out, He is of those who judge equitably the best. He
indeed is acceptable, O my God, who hath set his
face towards Thee, and he is truly deprived who
hath been careless of the remembrance of Thee in
Thy days. Blessed is he that hath tasted of the sweetness
of Thy remembrance and praise. Nothing, not
even the arising of all the peoples of the whole
world to assail him, can hinder such a man from
directing his steps towards the paths of Thy pleasure
and the ways of Thy Cause.
Look, then, O Thou Who art the Well-Beloved of
&Baha, upon the tears he sheddeth before Thee, and
behold the sighs which he uttereth, O Thou Who art
his heart's Desire! I swear by Thy might, and Thy
majesty and Thy glory! Were I to inherit from Thee
all the delights of Paradise, and to keep them in my
possession as long as Thine own Being endureth, and
were I to become, for less than a moment, careless
of the remembrance of Thee, I would, of a certainty,
cast them away from me and cease to consider them.
I am the one, O my God, who for love of Thee hath
forsaken the world and all its benefits, and willingly
+P206
accepted every tribulation for the sake of Thy
remembrance.
I entreat Thee, O Thou Who art my Companion
and my Best-Beloved, to lift the veil that hath come
in between Thee and Thy servants, that they may
recognize Thee with Thine own eye and rid themselves
of all attachment to any one but Thee. Thou
art, verily, the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Most Compassionate. No God is there beside Thee,
the Most Exalted, the Self-Sufficing, the Self-Exalting,
the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.
Praise be unto Thee, for Thou art, in truth, the
Lord of earth and heaven.
CXXI
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I am the one
who hath sought the good pleasure of Thy will, and
directed his steps towards the seat of Thy gracious
favors. I am he who hath forsaken his all, who hath
fled to Thee for shelter, who hath set his face towards
the tabernacle of Thy revelation and the adored sanctuary
of Thy glory. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by
Thy call whereby they who recognized Thy unity
have sought the shadow of Thy most gracious providence,
and the sincere have fled far from themselves
unto Thy name, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious,
+P207
through which Thy verses were sent down, and Thy
word fulfilled, and Thy proof manifested, and the
sun of Thy beauty risen, and Thy testimony established,
and Thy signs uncovered,--I beseech Thee to
grant that I may be numbered with them that have
quaffed the wine that is life indeed from the hands
of Thy gracious providence, and have rid themselves,
in Thy path, of all attachment to Thy creatures, and
been so inebriated with Thy manifold wisdom that
they hastened to the field of sacrifice with Thy praise
on their lips and Thy remembrance in their hearts.
Send down, also, upon me, O my God, that which
will wash me from anything that is not of Thee, and
deliver me from Thine enemies who have disbelieved
in Thy signs.
Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God
is there beside Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
CXXII
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou seest and
knowest that I have called upon Thy servants to
turn nowhere except in the direction of Thy bestowals,
and have bidden them observe naught save
the things Thou didst prescribe in Thy Perspicuous
Book, the Book which hath been sent down according
to Thine inscrutable decree and irrevocable purpose.
+P208
I can utter no word, O my God, unless I be permitted
by Thee, and can move in no direction until
I obtain Thy sanction. It is Thou, O my God, Who
hast called me into being through the power of Thy
might, and hast endued me with Thy grace to manifest
Thy Cause. Wherefore I have been subjected to
such adversities that my tongue hath been hindered
from extolling Thee and from magnifying Thy
glory.
All praise be to Thee, O my God, for the things
Thou didst ordain for me through Thy decree and
by the power of Thy sovereignty. I beseech Thee
that Thou wilt fortify both myself and them that
love me in our love for Thee, and wilt keep us firm
in Thy Cause. I swear by Thy might! O my God!
Thy servant's shame is to be shut out as by a veil
from Thee, and his glory is to know Thee. Armed
with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt
me, and with Thy love in my heart all the world's
afflictions can in no wise alarm me.
Send down, therefore, O my Lord, upon me and
upon my loved ones that which will protect us from
the mischief of those that have repudiated Thy truth
and disbelieved in Thy signs.
Thou art, verily, the All-Glorious, the Most
Bountiful.
+P209
CXXIII
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou hast,
in Thine all highest Paradise, assigned unto Thy servants
such stations that if any one of them were to
be unveiled to men's eyes all who are in heaven and
all who are on earth would be dumbfounded. By Thy
might! Were kings to witness so great a glory they
would, assuredly, rid themselves of their dominions
and cleave to such of their subjects as have entered
beneath the shadow of Thine immeasurable mercy
and sought the shelter of Thine all-glorious name.
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of
the worlds and the Desire of all that have recognized
Thee, by Thy name, through which Thou stirrest up
whom Thou willest and drawest toward Thee whom
Thou pleasest, to open the eyes of all that are dear to
Thee, that haply they may not be veiled from Thee
as the peoples of the earth are, but may outwardly
perceive the signs and tokens of Thy power, and inwardly
apprehend the things Thou didst ordain for
them in the realms of Thy glory.
Potent art Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou art the
one alone Beloved in both this world and in the next.
No God is there but Thee, the Most Exalted, the
All-Glorious.
+P210
CXXIV
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every time
I venture to make mention of Thee, I am held back
by my mighty sins and grievous trespasses against
Thee, and find myself wholly deprived of Thy grace,
and utterly powerless to celebrate Thy praise. My
great confidence in Thy bounty, however, reviveth
my hope in Thee, and my certitude that Thou wilt
bountifully deal with me emboldeneth me to extol
Thee, and to ask of Thee the things Thou dost
possess.
I implore Thee, O my God, by Thy mercy that
hath surpassed all created things, and to which all
that are immersed beneath the oceans of Thy names
bear witness, not to abandon me unto my self, for
my heart is prone to evil. Guard me, then, within the
stronghold of Thy protection and the shelter of Thy
care. I am he, O my God, whose only wish is what
Thou hast determined by the power of Thy might.
All I have chosen for myself is to be assisted by Thy
gracious appointments and the ruling of Thy will,
and to be aided with the tokens of Thy decree and
judgment.
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of
the hearts which long for Thee, by the Manifestations
of Thy Cause and the Day-Springs of Thine inspiration,
and the Exponents of Thy majesty, and the
Treasuries of Thy knowledge, not to suffer me to be
+P211
deprived of Thy holy Habitation, Thy Fane and Thy
Tabernacle. Aid me, O my Lord, to attain His hallowed
court, and to circle round His person, and to
stand humbly at His door.
Thou art He Whose power is from everlasting to
everlasting. Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge. Thou
art, verily, the God of power, the God of glory and
wisdom.
Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds!
CXXV
O Thou the dread of Whom hath fallen upon all
things, before the splendors of Whose face the countenances
of all men are downcast, at the revelations
of Whose sovereignty all necks have humbly bowed,
to the ruling of Whose will all hearts have been subdued,
the awfulness of Whose majesty hath caused
the foundations of all things to tremble, and to the
power of Whose authority the winds have been subjected!
I beseech Thee by the compelling force of
Thy Revelation, and by the power of Thy might,
and by the exaltation of Thy word, and by the sublimity
of Thy sovereignty, to number us with them
whom the world hath been powerless to hinder from
turning towards Thee.
Cause me, O my Lord, to be of those who, with
+P212
their substance and their own selves, have fought
valiantly in Thy path. Write down, then, for me the
recompense Thou didst ordain for them in the Tablet
of Thy decree. Stablish me also on the seat of truth
in Thy presence, and join me with the sincere among
Thy servants.
I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Messengers,
and Thy Chosen Ones, and by Him through Whom
Thou hast affixed Thy seal upon the Manifestations of
Thy Cause among Thy creatures, and Whom Thou
hast adorned with the ornament of Thine acceptance
among all that dwell in Thy heaven and on Thy
earth, to graciously assist me to attain unto what
Thou hast ordained for Thy servants and bidden
them observe in Thy Tablets. Wash away, then, my
sins, O my God, by Thy grace and bounty, and
reckon me among such as are not overtaken by fear
nor put to grief.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting.
CXXVI
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He
the fire of Whose love hath set ablaze the hearts of
them who have recognized Thy unity, and the splendors
of Whose countenance have illuminated the
+P213
faces of such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court.
How plenteous, O my God, is the stream of Thy
knowledge! How sweet, O my Beloved, is the injury
which, in my love for Thee, and for the sake of Thy
pleasure, I suffer from the darts of the wicked doers!
How pleasing are the wounds which, in Thy path
and in order to proclaim Thy Faith, I sustain from
the swords of the infidels!
I beseech Thee, by Thy name through which Thou
turnest restlessness into tranquillity, fear into confidence,
weakness into strength, and abasement into
glory, that Thou of Thy grace wilt aid me and Thy
servants to exalt Thy name, to deliver Thy Message,
and to proclaim Thy Cause, in such wise that we may
remain unmoved by either the assaults of the transgressors
or the wrath of the infidels, O Thou Who art
my Well-Beloved!
I am, O my Lord, Thy handmaiden, who hath
hearkened to Thy call, and hastened unto Thee, fleeing
from herself and resting her heart upon Thee. I
implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name out of which
all the treasures of the earth were brought forth, to
shield me from the hints of such as have disbelieved
in Thee and repudiated Thy truth.
Powerful art Thou to do what Thou pleasest. Thou
art, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
+P214
CXXVII
All praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God! How mysterious
the Fire which Thou hast enkindled within
my heart! My very limbs testify to the intensity
of its heat, and evince the consuming power of its
flame. Should my bodily tongue ever attempt to describe
Thee as the One Whose strength hath ever
excelled the strength of the most mighty amongst
men, the tongue of my heart would address me, saying:
"These are but words which can only be adequate
to such things as are of the same likeness and
nature as themselves. But He, of a truth, is infinitely
exalted above the mention of all His creatures."
The power of Thy might beareth me witness, O
my Well-Beloved! Every limb of my body, methinks,
is endowed with a tongue that glorifieth Thee and
magnifieth Thy name. Armed with the power of
Thy love, the hatred which moveth them that are
against Thee can never alarm me; and with Thy
praise on my lips, the rulings of Thy decree can in
no wise fill me with sorrow. Fortify, therefore, Thy
love within my breast, and suffer me to face the
assaults which all the peoples of the earth may launch
against me. I swear by Thee! Every hair of my head
proclaimeth: "But for the adversities that befall me
in Thy path, how could I ever taste the divine sweetness
of Thy tenderness and love?"
Send down, therefore, O my Lord, upon me and
+P215
upon them that love me, that which will cause us to
become steadfast in Thy Faith. Enable them, then,
to become the Hands of Thy Cause amongst Thy
servants, that they may scatter abroad Thy signs,
and show forth Thy sovereignty. There is no God
but Thee, Who art powerful to do whatsoever Thou
willest. Thou art, in truth, the All-Glorious, the
All-Praised.
CXXVIII
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
+P216
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.
CXXIX
Praised be Thou, O my God! Thou seest how Thy
righteous servants have fallen into the hands of the
wicked doers, who have disbelieved in Thy name, the
Unconstrained, and denied Thy majesty, and Thine
+P217
unrestrained authority, and Thy strength, and Thy
sovereign might. Their mouths utter what the mouths
of the Jews uttered aforetime.
Put forth, therefore, out of the bosom of Thy
glory, O my Lord, the hand of Thine omnipotence,
and through it assist Thou Thy loved ones who,
though sore-tried in Thy path with such trials as
have caused the inmates of the kingdom of Thy Cause
to groan, were not deterred from turning towards the
horizon of Thy Revelation.
Set, then, the seal of Thine unerring protection on
their hearts, O my Lord, lest perchance the remembrance
of aught else except Thee enter therein. Make
them able, moreover, to proclaim Thy name amidst
Thy creatures, and supply them with the best of what
Thou hast destined for such of Thy chosen ones as
enjoy near access to Thee.
Potent art Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou truly
art the All-Glorious, to whom all cry for help.
CXXX
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou seest
how Thy servants have everywhere been compassed
with tribulations, how their adversaries have all risen
up against them and grievously wronged them. Thy
glory beareth me witness! Were all the wicked doers
+P218
of the earth to band themselves against us, and to cast
us into a fire such as no man hath kindled, they would
be powerless to distract our gaze from the horizon of
Thy name, the Most Exalted, the Most High, and
would fail to turn aside our hearts from the seat of
Thine effulgent glory.
I swear by Thy might! The arrows that transfix
us in Thy path are the ornaments of our temples,
and the spears which pierce us in our love for Thee
are as silk unto our bodies. By the glory of Thy
might! Nothing whatsoever can beseem Thy servants
except what the pen of Thine irrevocable decree hath
traced in this priceless and exalted Tablet.
All praise be to Thy Self at all times and under all
conditions. Thou art, verily, the God of knowledge
and wisdom.
CXXXI
Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest how
He Who is Thy Light hath been shut up in the fortress-town
of &Akka, and been sore oppressed by
reason of what the hands of the wicked doers have
wrought, whose corrupt desires have kept them back
from turning towards Thee, O Thou Who art the
King of all names!
I swear by Thy glory! Tribulations, however woeful,
+P219
can never hinder me from remembering Thee
or from celebrating Thy praise. Every vexation borne
for love of Thee is a token of Thy mercy unto Thy
creatures, and every ordeal suffered in Thy path is
but a gift from Thee bestowed on Thy chosen ones.
I testify that my countenance, which shineth above
the Day-Spring of eternity, hath been irradiated by
adversity, and my body hath been adorned by it before
all who are in heaven and all who are on earth.
I pray Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, to aid all
them that have believed on Thee and on Thy signs
to be steadfast in Thy love and to set themselves
towards the Dawning-Place of the Day-Star of Thy
loving-kindness. Inspire them, then, O my God, with
what will unloose their tongue to praise Thee, and
will draw them nigh unto Thee in the life that now
is and the life that is to come.
Thou truly art the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the
Beneficent.
CXXXII
Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I beseech
Thee by Thy power that hath encompassed all created
things, and by Thy sovereignty that hath transcended
the entire creation, and by Thy Word which was
hidden in Thy wisdom and whereby Thou didst create
+P220
Thy heaven and Thy earth, both to enable us to
be steadfast in our love for Thee and in our obedience
to Thy pleasure, and to fix our gaze upon Thy face,
and celebrate Thy glory. Empower us, then, O my
God, to spread abroad Thy signs among Thy creatures,
and to guard Thy Faith in Thy realm. Thou
hast ever existed independently of the mention of
any of Thy creatures, and wilt remain as Thou hast
been for ever and ever.
In Thee I have placed my whole confidence, unto
Thee I have turned my face, to the cord of Thy loving
providence I have clung, and towards the shadow
of Thy mercy I have hastened. Cast me not as one
disappointed out of Thy door, O my God, and withhold
not from me Thy grace, for Thee alone do I
seek. No God is there beside Thee, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Bountiful.
Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved
of them that have known Thee!
CXXXIII
O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such
as are nigh unto Thee, Whose sword is the ardent
desire of all them that love Thee, Whose dart is the
dearest wish of those hearts that yearn after Thee,
Whose decree is the sole hope of them that have recognized
+P221
Thy truth! I implore Thee, by Thy divine
sweetness and by the splendors of the glory of Thy
face, to send down upon us from Thy retreats on
high that which will enable us to draw nigh unto
Thee. Set, then, our feet firm, O my God, in Thy
Cause, and enlighten our hearts with the effulgence
of Thy knowledge, and illumine our breasts with the
brightness of Thy names.
CXXXIV
I am he, O my Lord, that hath set his face towards
Thee, and fixed his hope on the wonders of Thy grace
and the revelations of Thy bounty. I pray Thee that
Thou wilt not suffer me to turn away disappointed
from the door of Thy mercy, nor abandon me
to such of Thy creatures as have repudiated Thy
Cause.
I am, O my God, Thy servant and the son of Thy
servant. I have recognized Thy truth in Thy days,
and have directed my steps towards the shores of Thy
oneness, confessing Thy singleness, acknowledging
Thy unity, and hoping for Thy forgiveness and pardon.
Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest; no
God is there beside Thee, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving.
+P222
CXXXV
Unto Thee be praise, O Lord my God! I testify
that Thou art God, and that there is none other God
besides Thee. Thou hast from eternity been immeasurably
exalted above the praise of any one except
Thee, and far above the description of any of Thy
creatures. All created things have borne witness to
Thy unity, and every dweller in Thy kingdom hath
confessed Thy oneness. The essence of the apprehension
of the assured among Thy creatures can never
attain unto Thee, and the gem-like utterances with
which Thy people have praised and glorified Thee
can never hope to ascend unto the atmosphere of
Thy holiness. For men's apprehension of Thee is but
the apprehension of Thine own creation; how can
it reach up to Thee? And all human praise and glorification
of Thee pertain unto Thy servants; how can
they be deemed worthy of the court of Thy oneness?
I swear by Thy glory! The quintessence of knowledge
is powerless to comprehend Thy nature, and the
inmost reality of every praise of Thee falleth short
of the seat of Thy great glory and of Thine all-compelling
power. Every utterance that seeketh to describe
Thee, and every knowledge that attempteth to
comprehend Thee, is but an expression of Thine own
creating, and is begotten by Thy will, and fashioned
in conformity with Thy purpose.
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art inscrutable to
+P223
all except Thee, and can be comprehended through
naught else save Thyself, by the wrongs which He
Who is the Day-Spring of Thy Cause hath suffered
at the hands of the ignoble among Thy creatures, and
by what hath befallen Him in Thy path, to grant
that I may, at all times, be wholly dissolved in Thee,
and fix my gaze upon the horizon of Thy will and be
steadfast in Thy love.
I have, O my Lord, turned unto Thee according
to what Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book, and
have set my face towards the horizon of Thy loving-kindness
even as Thou hast permitted me in Thy
Tablets. Cast me not out of the door of Thy grace,
I beseech Thee, and write down for me the recompense
destined for him who hath entered Thy presence,
and hath risen to serve Thee, and hath been
carried away by the drops sprinkled upon him from
the Ocean of Thy favors in Thy days, and by the
splendors of the Day-Star of Thy gifts that have
been shed upon him at the revelation of the light of
Thy countenance.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God
is there save Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
+P224
CXXXVI
Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I am Thy
servant who hath laid hold on the cord of Thy tender
mercies, and clung to the hem of Thy bounteousness.
I entreat Thee by Thy name whereby Thou hast subjected
all created things, both visible and invisible,
and through which the breath that is life indeed was
wafted over the entire creation, to strengthen me by
Thy power which hath encompassed the heavens and
the earth, and to guard me from all sickness and
tribulation. I bear witness that Thou art the Lord of
all names, and the Ordainer of all that may please
Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty,
the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Do Thou ordain for me, O my Lord, what will
profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Supply me,
then, with what Thou hast written down for the
chosen ones among Thy creatures, whom neither the
blame of the blamer, nor the clamor of the infidel,
nor the estrangement of such as have withdrawn
from Thee, hath deterred from turning towards
Thee.
Thou, truly, art the Help in Peril through the
power of Thy sovereignty. No God is there save Thee,
the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
+P225
CXXXVII
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I yield Thee thanks
that Thou hast made known unto me Him Who is
the Day-Spring 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 any one 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.
+P226
CXXXVIII
O God, and the God of all Names, and Maker of
the heavens! I entreat Thee by Thy Name through
which He Who is the Day-Spring of Thy might and
the Dawning-Place of Thy power hath been manifested,
through which every solid thing hath been
made to flow, and every dead corpse hath been quickened,
and every moving spirit confirmed--I entreat
Thee to enable me to rid myself of all attachment
to any one but Thee, and to serve Thy Cause, and
to wish what Thou didst wish through the power of
Thy sovereignty, and to perform what is the good
pleasure of Thy will.
I beseech Thee, moreover, O my God, to ordain
for me what will make me rich enough to dispense
with any one save Thee. Thou seest me, O my God,
with my face turned towards Thee, and my hands
clinging to the cord of Thy grace. Send down upon
me Thy mercy, and write down for me what Thou
hast written down for Thy chosen ones. Powerful art
Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is there but
Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
+P227
CXXXIX
Glory be to Thee, O Thou Who hast, through the
movement of Thy most august pen, subdued the concourse
of Thy creation, and manifested the pearls of
the ocean of Thy wisdom through the words which
Thy tongue hath spoken before all who are in heaven
and on earth. I testify that Thy might hath encompassed
the whole universe, and Thy mercy surpassed
all created things. The powers of the earth have never
prevailed against Thee, nor hath the tumult of the
nations frustrated Thy purpose. Thou hast revealed
in Thy realm whatsoever Thou hadst desired through
the power of Thy sovereignty, and hast ordained all
things according to the good pleasure of Thy will.
From eternity Thou hast inhabited the loftiest heights
of Thy dominion and of Thine unfettered sovereignty,
and wilt unto eternity continue to abide in
the inaccessible retreats of Thy majesty and glory.
I implore Thee, by Thy Name through which the
fragrance of the raiment of Thy presence was wafted,
and the gentle winds of Thy bountiful grace passed
over all created things, to graciously assist me, at all
times and under all conditions, to serve Thy Cause,
and to enable me to remember Thee and to extol Thy
virtues. Let, then, Thine almighty arms enfold me, O
my God, and ordain for me what beseemeth Thy
bounty in every world of Thy worlds.
Thou beholdest, O my Lord, how I have set myself
+P228
towards the ocean of Thy grace and the adored
sanctuary of Thy favors. Deny me not, I pray Thee,
the drops which are sprinkled from the ocean of Thy
gifts; neither do Thou withhold from me the outpourings
of the clouds of Thy tender mercies. I am he,
O my God, that hath clung to the resplendent hem
of Thy robe, and taken hold on Thy strong cord that
none can sever. I testify that Thou hast created me,
and nourished me, and brought me up, and fed me,
and sustained me, that I may recognize Him Who is
the Day-Spring of Thy signs, and the Revealer of
Thy clear tokens. I offer unto Thee, therefore, most
high praise, O Lord my God, that Thou hast suffered
me to attain unto this most sublime station and this
most august seat. Thou, truly, art the Great Giver,
the Almighty, the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Generous.
Illumine mine eyes, O my Lord, with the splendors
of the horizon of Thy Revelation, and brighten my
heart with the effulgence of the Day-Star of Thy
knowledge and wisdom, that I may set myself wholly
towards Thy face, and be rid of all attachment to
any one except Thee, in such wise that the changes
and chances of the world will be powerless to hinder
me from recognizing Him Who is the Manifestation
of Thine own Self, and the Revealer of Thy signs, and
the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation, and the Repository
of Thy Cause.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Protector, the
All-Glorious, the All-Wise.
+P229
CXL
Praised be Thou, O my God! This servant of Thine
testifieth that naught else except Thee can ever express
Thee, nor canst Thou be described by any one
save Thyself. The thoughts of them that have recognized
Thy reality, however much they may ascend
towards the heaven of Thy praise, can never hope to
pass beyond the bounds which, by Thy behest and
decree, have been fixed within their own hearts. How
can the creature who is as nothing comprehend Him
Who is the Ancient of Days, or succeed in describing
the full measure of His sovereignty, His glory, and
His grandeur? Nay, and to this Thou Thyself dost
witness, O Thou Who art the Governor of nations!
Every created thing hath recognized its own impotence,
and the power of Thy might, and hath confessed
its own abasement and Thy great glory.
I beseech Thee by Thy Lastness which is the same
as Thy Firstness, and by Thy Revelation which is
identical with Thy Concealment, to grant that they
who are dear to Thee, and their children, and their
kindred, may become the revealers of Thy purity
amidst Thy creatures, and the manifestations of Thy
sanctity amongst Thy servants.
Thou art, verily, powerful to do Thy pleasure.
Thou art, in truth, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
+P230
CXLI
I give Thee thanks, O my God, for that Thou hast
made me to be a target for the darts of Thine adversaries
in Thy path. I offer Thee most high praise, O
Thou Who art the Knower of the seen and unseen
and the Lord of all being, that Thou hast suffered
me to be cast into prison for love of Thee, and caused
me to quaff the cup of woe, that I may reveal Thy
Cause and glorify Thy word.
Which of my tribulations am I to recount before
Thy face, O my Lord? Am I to recite before Thee
what in days of old befell me at the hands of the
workers of iniquity among Thy creatures, or to describe
the vexations which have compassed me about
in these days for the sake of Thy good pleasure?
Thanks be to Thee, O Thou the Lord of all names;
and glory be to Thee, O Maker of the heavens, for all
that I have sustained in these days at the hands of
such of Thy servants as have transgressed against
Thee, and of Thy people that have dealt frowardly
towards Thee.
Number us, we implore Thee, with them who have
stood fast in Thy Cause until their souls finally
winged their flight unto the heaven of Thy grace and
the atmosphere of Thy loving-kindness. Thou art,
verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
+P231
CXLII
Glory be to Thee, O my God! My face hath been
set towards Thy face, and my face is, verily, Thy
face, and my call is Thy call, and my Revelation
Thy Revelation, and my self Thy Self, and my
Cause Thy Cause, and my behest Thy behest, and my
Being Thy Being, and my sovereignty Thy sovereignty,
and my glory Thy glory, and my power Thy
power.
I implore Thee, O Thou Fashioner of the nations
and the King of eternity, to guard Thy handmaidens
within the tabernacle of Thy chastity, and to cancel
such of their deeds as are unworthy of Thy days.
Purge out, then, from them, O my God, all doubts
and idle fancies, and sanctify them from whatsoever
becometh not their kinship with Thee, O Thou Who
art the Lord of names, and the Source of utterance.
Thou art He in Whose grasp are the reins of the
entire creation.
No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the Most
Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting.
CXLIII
Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beg of Thee by Thy
name, the Most Merciful, to protect Thy servants
+P232
and Thy handmaidens when the tempests of trials
pass over them, and Thy manifold tests assail them.
Enable them, then, O my God, so to seek refuge
within the stronghold of Thy love and of Thy Revelation,
that neither Thine adversaries nor the wicked
doers among Thy servants, who have broken Thy
Covenant and Thy Testament, and turned away most
disdainfully from the Day-Spring of Thine Essence
and the Revealer of Thy glory, may prevail against
them.
They themselves, O my Lord, have waited at the
door of Thy grace. Do Thou open it to their faces
with the keys of Thy bountiful favors. Potent art
Thou to do what Thou willest, and to ordain what
Thou pleasest. These are the ones, O my Lord, who
have set their faces towards Thee, and turned unto
Thy habitation. Do with them, therefore, as becometh
Thy mercy, which hath surpassed the worlds.
CXLIV
O my God and my Master! I am Thy servant and
the son of Thy servant. I have risen from my couch
at this dawn-tide when the Day-Star of Thy oneness
hath shone forth from the Day-Spring of Thy will,
and hath shed its radiance upon the whole world,
+P233
according to what had been ordained in the Books of
Thy Decree.
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, that we have
wakened to the splendors of the light of Thy knowledge.
Send down, then, upon us, O my Lord, what
will enable us to dispense with any one but Thee, and
will rid us of all attachment to aught except Thyself.
Write down, moreover, for me, and for such as are
dear to me, and for my kindred, man and woman
alike, the good of this world and the world to come.
Keep us safe, then, through Thine unfailing protection,
O Thou the Beloved of the entire creation and
the Desire of the whole universe, from them whom
Thou hast made to be the manifestations of the Evil
Whisperer, who whisper in men's breasts. Potent art
Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou art, verily, the Almighty,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Bless Thou, O Lord my God, Him Whom Thou
hast set over Thy most excellent Titles, and through
Whom Thou hast divided between the godly and the
wicked, and graciously aid us to do what Thou lovest
and desirest. Bless Thou, moreover, O my God, them
Who are Thy Words and Thy Letters, and them who
have set their faces towards Thee, and turned unto
Thy face, and hearkened to Thy Call.
Thou art, truly, the Lord and King of all men,
and art potent over all things.
+P234
CXLV
O God, my God! Be Thou not far from me, for
tribulation upon tribulation hath gathered about me.
O God, my God! Leave me not to myself, for the
extreme of adversity hath come upon me. Out of the
pure milk, drawn from the breasts of Thy loving-kindness,
give me to drink, for my thirst hath utterly
consumed me. Beneath the shadow of the wings of
Thy mercy shelter me, for all mine adversaries with
one consent have fallen upon me. Keep me near to
the throne of Thy majesty, face to face with the
revelation of the signs of Thy glory, for wretchedness
hath grievously touched me. With the fruits of the
Tree of Thine Eternity nourish me, for uttermost
weakness hath overtaken me. From the cups of joy,
proffered by the hands of Thy tender mercies, feed
me, for manifold sorrows have laid mighty hold upon
me. With the broidered robe of Thine omnipotent
sovereignty attire me, for poverty hath altogether despoiled
me. Lulled by the cooing of the Dove of Thine
Eternity, suffer me to sleep, for woes at their blackest
have befallen me. Before the throne of Thy oneness,
amid the blaze of the beauty of Thy countenance,
cause me to abide, for fear and trembling have violently
crushed me. Beneath the ocean of Thy forgiveness,
faced with the restlessness of the leviathan of
glory, immerse me, for my sins have utterly doomed
me.
+P235
CXLVI
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beg of Thee
by Thy Name through which He Who is Thy Beauty
hath been stablished upon the throne of Thy Cause,
and by Thy Name through which Thou changest all
things, and gatherest together all things, and callest
to account all things, and rewardest all things, and
preservest all things, and sustainest all things--I beg
of Thee to guard this handmaiden who hath fled for
refuge to Thee, and hath sought the shelter of Him
in Whom Thou Thyself art manifest, and hath put
her whole trust and confidence in Thee.
She is sick, O my God, and hath entered beneath
the shadow of the Tree of Thy healing; afflicted, and
hath fled to the City of Thy protection; diseased, and
hath sought the Fountain-Head of Thy favors; sorely
vexed, and hath hasted to attain the Well-Spring of
Thy tranquillity; burdened with sin, and hath set her
face toward the court of Thy forgiveness.
Attire her, by Thy sovereignty and Thy loving-kindness,
O my God and my Beloved, with the raiment
of Thy balm and Thy healing, and make her
quaff of the cup of Thy mercy and Thy favors. Protect
her, moreover, from every affliction and ailment,
from all pain and sickness, and from whatsoever may
be abhorrent unto Thee.
Thou, in truth, art immensely exalted above all else
+P236
except Thyself. Thou art, verily, the Healer, the All-Sufficing,
the Preserver, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Merciful.
CXLVII
Thou art He, O my God, through Whose names
the sick are healed and the ailing are restored, and
the thirsty are given drink, and the sore-vexed are
tranquillized, and the wayward are guided, and the
abased are exalted, and the poor are enriched, and the
ignorant are enlightened, and the gloomy are illumined,
and the sorrowful are cheered, and the chilled
are warmed, and the downtrodden are raised up.
Through Thy name, O my God, all created things
were stirred up, and the heavens were spread, and
the earth was established, and the clouds were raised
and made to rain upon the earth. This, verily, is a
token of Thy grace unto all Thy creatures.
I implore Thee, therefore, by Thy name through
which Thou didst manifest Thy Godhead, and didst
exalt Thy Cause above all creation, and by each of
Thy most excellent titles and most august attributes,
and by all the virtues wherewith Thy transcendent
and most exalted Being is extolled, to send down this
night from the clouds of Thy mercy the rains of Thy
healing upon this suckling, whom Thou hast related
unto Thine all-glorious Self in the kingdom of Thy
+P237
creation. Clothe him, then, O my God, by Thy grace,
with the robe of well-being and health, and guard
him, O my Beloved, from every affliction and disorder,
and from whatever is obnoxious unto Thee.
Thy might, verily, is equal to all things. Thou, in
truth, art the Most Powerful, the Self-Subsisting.
Send down, moreover, upon him, O my God, the
good of this world and of the next, and the good of
the former and latter generations. Thy might and
Thy wisdom are, verily, equal unto this.
CXLVIII
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee
by Thy Name, through which Thou didst lift up the
ensigns of Thy guidance, and didst shed the radiance
of Thy loving-kindness, and didst reveal the sovereignty
of Thy Lordship; through which the lamp of
Thy names hath appeared within the niche of Thine
attributes, and He Who is the Tabernacle of Thy
unity and the Manifestation of detachment hath
shone forth; through which the ways of Thy guidance
were made known, and the paths of Thy good
pleasure were marked out; through which the foundations
of error have been made to tremble, and the
signs of wickedness have been abolished; through
which the fountains of wisdom have burst forth, and
+P238
the heavenly table hath been sent down; through
which Thou didst preserve Thy servants and didst
vouchsafe Thy healing; through which Thou didst
show forth Thy tender mercies unto Thy servants
and revealedst Thy forgiveness amidst Thy creatures
--I implore Thee to keep safe him who hath held fast
and returned unto Thee, and clung to Thy mercy,
and seized the hem of Thy loving providence. Send
down, then, upon him Thy healing, and make him
whole, and endue him with a constancy vouchsafed
by Thee, and a tranquillity bestowed by Thy highness.
Thou art, verily, the Healer, the Preserver, the
Helper, the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Glorious,
the All-Knowing.
CXLIX
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I give praise to
Thee, that Thou hast made me able so to reveal Thine
utterances, and manifest Thy proofs and Thy testimonies,
that every proof hath been made to circle
round my will, and every testimony to compass my
pleasure. Thou seest me, O my Lord, lying at the
mercy of Thine adversaries, who have repudiated Thy
signs, and refuted Thy testimony, and turned back
from Thy beauty, and resolved to shed Thy blood. I
beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names,
+P239
by Thy name through which Thou hast subdued all
created things, to graciously aid Thy servants and
Thy loved ones to cleave steadfastly to Thy Cause.
Give them, then, to drink what will quicken their
hearts in Thy days. Enable them, moreover, O my
Lord, to fix their gaze at all times upon Thy pleasure,
and to yield Thee thanks for the evidences of Thine
irrevocable decree. For Thou art, verily, praiseworthy
in all that Thou hast done in the past, or wilt do in
the future, and art to be obeyed in whatsoever Thou
hast wished or wilt wish, and to be loved in all that
Thou hast desired or wilt desire. Thou lookest upon
them that are dear to Thee with the eyes of Thy
loving-kindness, and sendest down for them only that
which will profit them through Thy grace and Thy
gifts.
We entreat Thee, O Thou Who art the Cloud of
Bounty and the Succorer of the distressed, that
Thou wilt aid us to remember Thee, and to make
known Thy Cause, and to arise to help Thee. Though
all weakness, we yet have clung to Thy Name, the
Most Powerful, the Almighty.
Bless Thou, O my God, them that have stood fast
in Thy Cause, and whom the evil suggestions of
the workers of iniquity have failed to deter from
turning towards Thy face, and who have hastened
with their whole hearts toward Thy grace, until they
finally quaffed the water that is life indeed from the
hands of Thy bounty.
+P240
Potent art Thou to do Thy pleasure. No God is
there save Thee, the Mighty, the Most Generous.
CL
I give praise to Thee, O my God, that the fragrance
of Thy loving-kindness hath enraptured me, and the
gentle winds of Thy mercy have inclined me in the
direction of Thy bountiful favors. Make me to quaff,
O my Lord, from the fingers of Thy bounteousness
the living waters which have enabled every one that
hath partaken of them to rid himself of all attachment
to any one save Thee, and to soar into the
atmosphere of detachment from all Thy creatures,
and to fix his gaze upon Thy loving providence and
Thy manifold gifts.
Make me ready, in all circumstances, O my Lord,
to serve Thee and to set myself towards the adored
sanctuary of Thy Revelation and of Thy Beauty. If
it be Thy pleasure, make me to grow as a tender herb
in the meadows of Thy grace, that the gentle winds
of Thy will may stir me up and bend me into conformity
with Thy pleasure, in such wise that my
movement and my stillness may be wholly directed
by Thee.
Thou art He, by Whose name the Hidden Secret
was divulged, and the Well-Guarded Name was revealed,
+P241
and the seals of the sealed-up Goblet were
opened, shedding thereby its fragrance over all creation,
whether of the past or of the future. He who
was athirst, O my Lord, hath hasted to attain the
living waters of Thy grace, and the wretched creature
hath yearned to immerse himself beneath the ocean
of Thy riches.
I swear by Thy glory, O Lord the Beloved of the
world and the Desire of all them that have recognized
Thee! I am sore afflicted by the grief of my separation
from Thee, in the days when the Day-Star of Thy
presence hath shed its radiance upon Thy people.
Write down, then, for me the recompense decreed for
such as have gazed on Thy face, and have, by Thy
leave, gained admittance into the court of Thy
throne, and have, at Thy bidding, met Thee face to
face.
I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name the
splendors of which have encompassed the earth and
the heavens, to enable me so to surrender my will to
what Thou hast decreed in Thy Tablets, that I may
cease to discover within me any desire except what
Thou didst desire through the power of Thy sovereignty,
and any will save what Thou didst destine for
me by Thy will.
Whither shall I turn, O my God, powerless as I am
to discover any other way except the way Thou didst
set before Thy chosen Ones? All the atoms of the
earth proclaim Thee to be God, and testify that there
is none other God besides Thee. Thou hast from
+P242
eternity been powerful to do what Thou hast willed,
and to ordain what Thou hast pleased.
Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what will set
me, at all times, towards Thee, and enable me to
cleave continually to the cord of Thy grace, and to
proclaim Thy name, and to look for whatsoever may
flow down from Thy pen. I am poor and desolate,
O my Lord, and Thou art the All-Possessing, the
Most High. Have pity, then, upon me through the
wonders of Thy mercy, and send down upon me,
every moment of my life, the things wherewith Thou
hast recreated the hearts of all Thy creatures who
have recognized Thy unity, and of all Thy people
who are wholly devoted to Thee.
Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted,
the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
CLI
Glorified art Thou, O my Lord! Thou beholdest
my tribulations and all that hath befallen me at the
hands of such of Thy servants as keep company with
me, who have disbelieved in Thy most resplendent
signs, and turned back from Thy most effulgent
Beauty. I swear by Thy glory! Such are the troubles
that vex me, that no pen in the entire creation can
either reckon or describe them.
+P243
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the King of
names and the Creator of earth and heaven, so to
assist me by Thy strengthening grace that nothing
whatsoever will have the power to hinder me from
remembering Thee, or celebrating Thy praise, or to
keep me back from observing what Thou hast prescribed
unto me in Thy Tablets, that I may so arise
to serve Thee that with bared head I will hasten forth
from my habitation, cry out in Thy name amidst
Thy creatures, and proclaim Thy virtues among Thy
servants. Having accomplished what Thou hadst decreed,
and delivered the thing Thou hadst written
down, the wicked doers among Thy people would,
then, compass me about and would do with me in
Thy path as would please them.
In the love I bear to Thee, O my Lord, my heart
longeth for Thee with a longing such as no heart hath
known. Here am I with my body between Thy hands,
and my spirit before Thy face. Do with them as it
may please Thee, for the exaltation of Thy word, and
the revelation of what hath been enshrined within
the treasuries of Thy knowledge.
Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest, and able
to ordain what Thou pleasest.
+P244
CLII
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I can discover
no one in Thy realm who can befittingly turn unto
Thee, or is able to adequately hearken unto what hath
gone out of the mouth of Thy will. I beseech Thee,
therefore, O Thou Who art the Possessor of the entire
creation and the King of the realm of Thine invention,
graciously to aid Thy creatures to accomplish
that which is pleasing and acceptable unto Thee, that
they may arise to serve Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures,
and to speak forth Thy praise before all who
are in heaven and on earth.
Thou art He, O my Lord, Whose bounty hath surpassed
all things, and Whose power hath transcended
all things, and Whose mercy hath encompassed all
things. Look, then, upon Thy people with the eyes of
Thy tender mercies, and leave them not to themselves
and to their corrupt desires in Thy days. How
farsoever they may have strayed from Thee, and however
grievously they have turned back from Thy face,
yet Thou, in Thine essence, art the All-Bountiful, and,
in Thine inmost spirit, art the Most Merciful. Deal
with them according to the unrevealed tokens of Thy
bounty and Thy gifts. Thou art, verily, the One to
the power of Whose might all things have testified,
and to Whose majesty and omnipotence the whole
creation hath borne witness.
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No God is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.
CLIII
My God, Thou Whom I adore and worship, Who
art Most Powerful! I testify that no description by
any created thing can ever reveal Thee, and no praise
which any being is able to utter can express Thee.
Neither the comprehension of any one in the whole
world, nor the intelligence of any of its peoples, can,
as it befitteth Thee, gain admittance into the court
of Thy holiness, or unravel Thy mystery. What sin
hath kept the inmates of the city of Thy names so
far from Thine all-glorious Horizon, and deprived
them of access to Thy most great Ocean? One single
letter of Thy Book is the mother of all utterances,
and a word therefrom the begetter of all creation.
What ingratitude have Thy servants shown forth that
Thou hast withheld them, one and all, from recognizing
Thee? A drop out of the ocean of Thy mercy
sufficeth to quench the flames of hell, and a spark of
the fire of Thy love is enough to set ablaze a whole
world.
O Thou Who art the All-Knowing! Wayward
though we be, we still cling to Thy bounty; and
though ignorant, we still set our faces toward the
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ocean of Thy wisdom. Thou art that All-Bountiful
Who art not deterred by a multitude of sins from
vouchsafing Thy bounty, and the flow of Whose
gifts is not arrested by the withdrawal of the peoples
of the world. From eternity the door of Thy grace
hath remained wide open. A dewdrop out of the
ocean of Thy mercy is able to adorn all things with
the ornament of sanctity, and a sprinkling of the
waters of Thy bounty can cause the entire creation
to attain unto true wealth.
Lift not the veil, O Thou Who art the Concealer!
From eternity the tokens of Thy bounty have encompassed
the universe, and the splendors of Thy Most
Great Name have been shed over all created things.
Deny not Thy servants the wonders of Thy grace.
Cause them to be made aware of Thee, that they may
bear witness to Thy unity, and enable them to recognize
Thee, that they may hasten towards Thee. Thy
mercy hath embraced the whole creation, and Thy
grace hath pervaded all things. From the billows of
the ocean of Thy generosity the seas of eagerness and
enthusiasm were revealed. Thou art what Thou art.
Aught except Thee is unworthy of any mention unless
it entereth beneath Thy shadow, and gaineth admittance
into Thy court.
Whatever betide us, we beseech Thine ancient forgiveness,
and seek Thine all-pervasive grace. Our hope
is that Thou wilt deny no one Thy grace, and wilt
deprive no soul of the ornament of fairness and justice.
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Thou art the King of all bounty, and the Lord
of all favors, and supreme over all who are in heaven
and on earth.
CLIV
Dispel my grief by Thy bounty and Thy generosity,
O God, my God, and banish mine anguish through
Thy sovereignty and Thy might. Thou seest me, O
my God, with my face set towards Thee at a time
when sorrows have compassed me on every side. I
implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all being,
and overshadowest all things visible and invisible,
by Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued the hearts
and the souls of men, and by the billows of the Ocean
of Thy mercy and the splendors of the Day-Star of
Thy bounty, to number me with them whom nothing
whatsoever hath deterred from setting their faces toward
Thee, O Thou Lord of all names and Maker of
the heavens!
Thou beholdest, O my Lord, the things which have
befallen me in Thy days. I entreat Thee, by Him Who
is the Day-Spring of Thy names and the Dawning-Place
of Thine attributes, to ordain for me what will
enable me to arise to serve Thee and to extol Thy
virtues. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful, Who art wont to answer the prayers of
all men!
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And, finally, I beg of Thee by the light of Thy
countenance to bless my affairs, and redeem my debts,
and satisfy my needs. Thou art He to Whose power
and to Whose dominion every tongue hath testified,
and Whose majesty and Whose sovereignty every understanding
heart hath acknowledged. No God is
there but Thee, Who hearest and art ready to answer.
CLV
Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew
a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope!
Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in
Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of
Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the
Goal of my desire! Through the power of Thy transcendent
might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy
holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes
of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my
God! Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity
on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of
Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except
Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation
of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O
Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest
and the most hidden of the hidden!
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CLVI
I give praise to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast
awakened me out of my sleep, and brought me forth
after my disappearance, and raised me up from my
slumber. I have wakened this morning with my face
set toward the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy
Revelation, through Which the heavens of Thy power
and Thy majesty have been illumined, acknowledging
Thy signs, believing in Thy Book, and holding fast
unto Thy Cord.
I beseech Thee, by the potency of Thy will and the
compelling power of Thy purpose, to make of what
Thou didst reveal unto me in my sleep the surest
foundation for the mansions of Thy love that are
within the hearts of Thy loved ones, and the best
instrument for the revelation of the tokens of Thy
grace and Thy loving-kindness.
Do Thou ordain for me through Thy most exalted
Pen, O my Lord, the good of this world and of the
next. I testify that within Thy grasp are held the
reins of all things. Thou changest them as Thou
pleasest. No God is there save Thee, the Strong, the
Faithful.
Thou art He Who changeth through His bidding
abasement into glory, and weakness into strength, and
powerlessness into might, and fear into calm, and
doubt into certainty. No God is there but Thee, the
Mighty, the Beneficent.
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Thou disappointest no one who hath sought Thee,
nor dost Thou keep back from Thee any one who
hath desired Thee. Ordain Thou for me what becometh
the heaven of Thy generosity, and the ocean
of Thy bounty. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the
Most Powerful.
CLVII
My God, Whom I worship and adore! I bear witness
unto Thy unity and Thy oneness, and acknowledge
Thy gifts, both in the past and in the present.
Thou art the All-Bountiful, the overflowing showers
of Whose mercy have rained down upon high and
low alike, and the splendors of Whose grace have been
shed over both the obedient and the rebellious.
O God of mercy, before Whose door the quintessence
of mercy hath bowed down, and round the
sanctuary of Whose Cause loving-kindness, in its inmost
spirit, hath circled, we beseech Thee, entreating
Thine ancient grace, and seeking Thy present favor,
that Thou mayest have mercy upon all who are the
manifestations of the world of being, and to deny
them not the outpourings of Thy grace in Thy days.
All are but poor and needy, and Thou, verily, art
the All-Possessing, the All-Subduing, the All-Powerful.
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CLVIII
I have wakened in Thy shelter, O my God, and it
becometh him that seeketh that shelter to abide
within the Sanctuary of Thy protection and the
Stronghold of Thy defense. Illumine my inner being,
O my Lord, with the splendors of the Day-Spring of
Thy Revelation, even as Thou didst illumine my outer
being with the morning light of Thy favor.
CLIX
O my God, the God of bounty and mercy! Thou
art that King by Whose commanding word the whole
creation hath been called into being; and Thou art
that All-Bountiful One the doings of Whose servants
have never hindered Him from showing forth His
grace, nor have they frustrated the revelations of His
bounty.
Suffer this servant, I beseech Thee, to attain unto
that which is the cause of his salvation in every world
of Thy worlds. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the
Most Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
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CLX
My God, the Object of my adoration, the Goal of
my desire, the All-Bountiful, the Most Compassionate!
All life is of Thee and all power lieth within the
grasp of Thine omnipotence. Whosoever Thou exaltest
is raised above the angels, and attaineth the
station: "Verily, We uplifted him to a place on
high!"; and whosoever Thou dost abase is made lower
than dust, nay, less than nothing.
O Divine Providence! Though wicked, sinful, and
intemperate, we still seek from Thee a "seat of truth,"
and long to behold the countenance of the Omnipotent
King. It is Thine to command, and all sovereignty
belongeth to Thee, and the realm of might
boweth before Thy behest. Everything Thou doest is
pure justice, nay, the very essence of grace. One
gleam from the splendors of Thy Name, the All-Merciful,
sufficeth to banish and blot out every trace
of sinfulness from the world, and a single breath
from the breezes of the Day of Thy Revelation is
enough to adorn all mankind with a fresh attire.
Vouchsafe Thy strength, O Almighty One, unto
Thy weak creatures, and quicken them who are as
dead, that haply they may find Thee, and may be led
unto the ocean of Thy guidance, and may remain
steadfast in Thy Cause. Should the fragrance of Thy
praise be shed abroad by any of the divers tongues of
the world, out of the East or out of the West, it
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would, verily, be prized and greatly cherished. If such
tongues, however, be deprived of that fragrance, they
assuredly would be unworthy of any mention, be
they words or thoughts.
We beg of Thee, O Providence, to show Thy way
unto all men, and to guide them aright. Thou art,
verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing,
the All-Seeing.
CLXI
Praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou
hast turned the faces of Thy servants towards the
right-hand of the throne of Thy gifts, and hast caused
them to be detached from all else besides Thee, that
they may recognize Thy sovereignty and acknowledge
Thy glory. I testify to the potency of Thy
Cause, the pervasive influence of Thy decree, the immutability
of Thy will, the endlessness of Thy purpose.
All things lie prisoned within the grasp of Thy
might, and the whole creation is destitute when
brought face to face with the evidences of Thy
wealth.
Deal Thou, therefore, O my God, my Beloved, my
supreme Desire, with Thy servants and with all that
were created by Thee as would beseem Thy beauty
and Thy greatness, and would be worthy of Thy generosity
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and gifts. Thou art, in truth, He Whose mercy
hath encompassed all the worlds, and Whose grace
hath embraced all that dwell on earth and in heaven.
Who is there that hath cried after Thee, and whose
prayer hath remained unanswered? Where is he to be
found who hath reached forth towards Thee, and
whom Thou hast failed to approach? Who is he that
can claim to have fixed his gaze upon Thee, and
toward whom the eye of Thy loving-kindness hath
not been directed? I bear witness that Thou hadst
turned toward Thy servants ere they had turned
toward Thee, and hadst remembered them ere they
had remembered Thee. All grace is Thine, O Thou
in Whose hand is the kingdom of Divine gifts and
the source of every irrevocable decree.
Send down, therefore, O my God, upon all that
seek Thee that which will entirely strip them of all
that pertaineth not unto Thee, and will draw them
nigh unto Thy Self. Assist them, by Thy grace, to
love Thee and to conform unto that which shall
please Thee. Grant, then, that they may go straight
on in the path of Thy Cause, the path wherein have
slipped the footsteps of the doubters among Thy people
and the froward among Thy servants. Thou art,
verily, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Most
Great.
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CLXII
Lauded and glorified art Thou, O my God! I entreat
Thee by the sighing of Thy lovers and by the
tears shed by them that long to behold Thee, not to
withhold from me Thy tender mercies in Thy Day,
nor to deprive me of the melodies of the Dove that
extolleth Thy oneness before the light that shineth
from Thy face. I am the one who is in misery, O God!
Behold me cleaving fast to Thy Name, the All-Possessing.
I am the one who is sure to perish; behold me
clinging to Thy Name, the Imperishable. I implore
Thee, therefore, by Thy Self, the Exalted, the Most
High, not to abandon me unto mine own self and
unto the desires of a corrupt inclination. Hold Thou
my hand with the hand of Thy power, and deliver
me from the depths of my fancies and idle imaginings,
and cleanse me of all that is abhorrent unto
Thee.
Cause me, then, to turn wholly unto Thee, to put
my whole trust in Thee, to seek Thee as my Refuge,
and to flee unto Thy face. Thou art, verily, He Who,
through the power of His might, doeth whatsoever
He desireth, and commandeth, through the potency
of His will, whatsoever He chooseth. None can withstand
the operation of Thy decree; none can divert
the course of Thine appointment. Thou art, in truth,
the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.
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CLXIII
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou seest
how I have turned myself toward Thee, and set
my face in the direction of Thy grace and Thy gifts.
I implore Thee, by Thy name through which Thou
didst enable all them that have recognized Thy unity
to partake of the wine of Thy mercy, and all such
as have drawn nigh unto Thee to quaff the living
waters of Thy loving-kindness, to rid me entirely of
all vain imaginings, and to incline me in the direction
of Thy grace, O Thou Who art the Lord of all men!
Graciously assist me, O my God, in the days of
the Manifestation of Thy Cause and of the Day-Spring
of Thy Revelation, to tear asunder the veils
which have hindered me from recognizing Thee, and
from immersing myself beneath the ocean of Thy
knowledge. Hold Thou me with the hands of Thy
power, and grant that I may be so carried away by
the sweet melodies of the Dove of Thy oneness, that
I will cease to regard in all creation any face except
Thy face, O Thou the Goal of my desire, and will
recognize in the visible world naught else save the
evidences of Thy might, O Thou Who art the God
of mercy!
I am but a wretched creature, O my Lord, and
Thou art the All-Possessing, the Most High; and I
am all weakness, and Thou art the Almighty, and the
Supreme Ordainer in both the beginning and the
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end. Withhold not from me the fragrances of Thy
Revelation, and shatter not my hopes in the outpourings
which have been sent down out of the heaven
of Thy gifts. Ordain Thou for me, O my God, the
good of this world and the world to come, and grant
me what will profit me in every world of Thy worlds,
for I know not what will help or harm me. Thou, in
truth, art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Have mercy, then, O my God, upon Thy servants
who are drowned in the midst of the ocean of evil
suggestions, and deliver them by the power of Thy
sovereignty, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names
and attributes! Thou art He Who from everlasting
hath ordained what hath pleased Thee, and will unto
everlasting abide the same. No God is there but Thee,
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
CLXIV
O God, my God! I have set out from my home,
holding fast unto the cord of Thy love, and I have
committed myself wholly to Thy care and Thy protection.
I entreat Thee by Thy power through which
Thou didst protect Thy loved ones from the wayward
and the perverse, and from every contumacious oppressor,
and every wicked doer who hath strayed far
from Thee, to keep me safe by Thy bounty and Thy
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grace. Enable me, then, to return to my home by
Thy power and Thy might. Thou art, truly, the Almighty,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
CLXV
From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity
give me to drink, O my God, and of the fruits of the
tree of Thy being enable me to taste, O my Hope!
From the crystal springs of Thy love suffer me to
quaff, O my Glory, and beneath the shadow of Thine
everlasting providence let me abide, O my Light!
Within the meadows of Thy nearness, before Thy
presence, make me able to roam, O my Beloved, and
at the right hand of the throne of Thy mercy, seat
me, O my Desire! From the fragrant breezes of Thy
joy let a breath pass over me, O my Goal, and into
the heights of the paradise of Thy reality let me gain
admission, O my Adored One! To the melodies of
the dove of Thy oneness suffer me to hearken, O Resplendent
One, and through the spirit of Thy power
and Thy might quicken me, O my Provider! In the
spirit of Thy love keep me steadfast, O my Succorer,
and in the path of Thy good-pleasure set firm my
steps, O my Maker! Within the garden of Thine immortality,
before Thy countenance, let me abide for
ever, O Thou Who art merciful unto me, and upon
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the seat of Thy glory stablish me, O Thou Who art
my Possessor! To the heaven of Thy loving-kindness
lift me up, O my Quickener, and unto the Day-Star
of Thy guidance lead me, O Thou my Attractor! Before
the revelations of Thine invisible spirit summon
me to be present, O Thou Who art my Origin and my
Highest Wish, and unto the essence of the fragrance
of Thy beauty, which Thou wilt manifest, cause me
to return, O Thou Who art my God!
Potent art Thou to do what pleasest Thee. Thou
art, verily, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the
All-Highest.
CLXVI
O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration,
Whose beauty is my sanctuary, Whose habitation is
my goal, Whose praise is my hope, Whose providence
is my companion, Whose love is the cause of my
being, Whose mention is my solace, Whose nearness
is my desire, Whose presence is my dearest wish and
highest aspiration, I entreat Thee not to withhold
from me the things Thou didst ordain for the chosen
ones among Thy servants. Supply me, then, with the
good of this world and of the next.
Thou, truly, art the King of all men. There is no
God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
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CLXVII
O my God! This is Thy servant and the son of
Thy servant who hath believed in Thee and in Thy
signs, and set his face towards Thee, wholly detached
from all except Thee. Thou art, verily, of those who
show mercy the most merciful.
Deal with him, O Thou Who forgivest the sins of
men and concealest their faults, as beseemeth the
heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy grace.
Grant him admission within the precincts of Thy
transcendent mercy that was before the foundation
of earth and heaven. There is no God but Thee, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
Let him, then, repeat six times the
greeting "&Allah-u-Abha," and then
repeat nineteen times each of the following
verses:
We all, verily, worship God.
We all, verily, bow down before God.
We all, verily, are devoted unto God.
We all, verily, give praise unto God.
We all, verily, yield thanks unto God.
We all, verily, are patient in God.
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(If the dead be a woman, let him say:
This is Thy handmaiden and the daughter
of Thy handmaiden, etc....)
Prayer for the Dead.
CLXVIII
O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and
Thy presence my drink, and Thy pleasure my hope,
and praise of Thee my action, and remembrance of
Thee my companion, and the power of Thy sovereignty
my succorer, and Thy habitation my home,
and my dwelling-place the seat Thou hast sanctified
from the limitations imposed upon them who are
shut out as by a veil from Thee.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious,
the Most Powerful.
CLXIX
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! Abase not him
whom Thou hast exalted through the power of Thine
everlasting sovereignty, and remove not far from
Thee him whom Thou hast caused to enter the tabernacle
of Thine eternity. Wilt Thou cast away, O my
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God, him whom Thou hast overshadowed with Thy
Lordship, and wilt Thou turn away from Thee, O
my Desire, him to whom Thou hast been a refuge?
Canst Thou degrade him whom Thou hast uplifted,
or forget him whom Thou didst enable to remember
Thee?
Glorified, immensely glorified art Thou! Thou art
He Who from everlasting hath been the King of the
entire creation and its Prime Mover, and Thou wilt
to everlasting remain the Lord of all created things
and their Ordainer. Glorified art Thou, O my God!
If Thou ceasest to be merciful unto Thy servants,
who, then, will show mercy unto them; and if Thou
refusest to succor Thy loved ones, who is there that
can succor them?
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou! Thou
art adored in Thy truth, and Thee do we all, verily,
worship; and Thou art manifest in Thy justice, and
to Thee do we all, verily, bear witness. Thou art, in
truth, beloved in Thy grace. No God is there but
Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
CLXX
Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance
of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is
my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy
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mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both
this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art
the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
CLXXI
O my God, my Master, the Goal of my desire!
This, Thy servant, seeketh to sleep in the shelter of
Thy mercy, and to repose beneath the canopy of
Thy grace, imploring Thy care and Thy protection.
I beg of Thee, O my Lord, by Thine eye that
sleepeth not, to guard mine eyes from beholding
aught beside Thee. Strengthen, then, their vision that
they may discern Thy signs, and behold the Horizon
of Thy Revelation. Thou art He before the revelations
of Whose omnipotence the quintessence of
power hath trembled.
No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Subduing,
the Unconditioned.
CLXXII
How can I choose to sleep, O God, my God, when
the eyes of them that long for Thee are wakeful
because of their separation from Thee; and how can
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I lie down to rest whilst the souls of Thy lovers are
sore vexed in their remoteness from Thy presence?
I have committed, O my Lord, my spirit and my
entire being into the right hand of Thy might and
Thy protection, and I lay my head on my pillow
through Thy power, and lift it up according to Thy
will and Thy good-pleasure. Thou art, in truth, the
Preserver, the Keeper, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful.
By Thy might! I ask not, whether sleeping or
waking, but that which Thou dost desire. I am Thy
servant and in Thy hands. Do Thou graciously aid
me to do what will shed forth the fragrance of Thy
good pleasure. This, truly, is my hope and the hope
of them that enjoy near access to Thee. Praised be
Thou, O Lord of the worlds!
CLXXIII
My God, my Adored One, my King, my Desire!
What tongue can voice my thanks to Thee? I was
heedless, Thou didst awaken me. I had turned back
from Thee, Thou didst graciously aid me to turn
towards Thee. I was as one dead, Thou didst quicken
me with the water of life. I was withered, Thou didst
revive me with the heavenly stream of Thine utterance
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which hath flowed forth from the Pen of the
All-Merciful.
O Divine Providence! All existence is begotten by
Thy bounty; deprive it not of the waters of Thy
generosity, neither do Thou withhold it from the
ocean of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to aid and assist
me at all times and under all conditions, and seek
from the heaven of Thy grace Thine ancient favor.
Thou art, in truth, the Lord of bounty, and the
Sovereign of the kingdom of eternity.
CLXXIV
O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the ocean of
Thy healing, and by the splendors of the Day-Star
of Thy grace, and by Thy Name through which
Thou didst subdue Thy servants, and by the pervasive
power of Thy most exalted Word and the
potency of Thy most august Pen, and by Thy mercy
that hath preceded the creation of all who are in
heaven and on earth, to purge me with the waters
of Thy bounty from every affliction and disorder,
and from all weakness and feebleness.
Thou seest, O my Lord, Thy suppliant waiting at
the door of Thy bounty, and him who hath set his
hopes on Thee clinging to the cord of Thy generosity.
Deny him not, I beseech Thee, the things he
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seeketh from the ocean of Thy grace and the Day-Star
of Thy loving-kindness.
Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee.
There is none other God save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Generous.
CLXXV
I have risen this morning by Thy grace, O my
God, and left my home trusting wholly in Thee, and
committing myself to Thy care. Send down, then,
upon me, out of the heaven of Thy mercy, a blessing
from Thy side, and enable me to return home in
safety even as Thou didst enable me to set out under
Thy protection with my thoughts fixed steadfastly
upon Thee.
There is none other God but Thee, the One, the
Incomparable, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
CLXXVI
Praise be unto Thee, Who art my God and the
God of all men, and my Desire and the Desire of
all them that have recognized Thee, and my Beloved
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and the Beloved of such as have acknowledged Thy
unity, and the Object of my adoration and of the
adoration of them that have near access to Thee, and
my Wish and the Wish of such as are wholly devoted
to Thee, and my Hope and the Hope of them that
have fixed their hearts upon Thee, and my Refuge
and the Refuge of all such as have hastened towards
Thee, and my Haven and the Haven of whosoever
hath repaired unto Thee, and my Goal and the Goal
of all them that have set themselves towards Thee,
and my Object and the Object of those who have
fixed their gaze upon Thee, and my Paradise and the
Paradise of them that have ascended towards Thee,
and my Lode-star and the Lode-star of all such as
yearn after Thee, and my Joy and the Joy of all
them that love Thee, and my Light and the Light of
all such as have erred and asked to be forgiven by
Thee, and my Exultation and the Exultation of all
them that remember Thee, and my Stronghold and
the Stronghold of all such as have fled to Thee, and
my Sanctuary and the Sanctuary of all that dread
Thee, and my Lord and the Lord of all such as dwell
in the heavens and on the earth!
Unto Thee be praise for that Thou hast enraptured
me by the sweetness of Thine utterances, and
set me towards the horizon above which the splendors
of the Day-Star of Thy face have shone, and caused
me to turn unto Thee at a time when most of Thy
creatures had broken off from Thee.
Thou art He, O my God, Who hath unlocked the
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gate of heaven with the key of Thy Name, the Ever-Blessed,
the All-Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Most
Great, and hast summoned all mankind to the ocean
of Thy presence. No sooner had Thy most sweet voice
been raised, than all the inmates of the Kingdom of
Names and the Concourse on high were stirred up.
By Thy call the fragrance of the raiment of Thy
Revelation was wafted over such of Thy creatures
as have loved Thee, and such of Thy people as have
yearned towards Thee. They rose up and rushed forth
to attain the Ocean of Thy meeting, and the Horizon
of Thy beauty, and the Tabernacle of Thy Revelation
and Thy majesty, and the Sanctuary of Thy
Presence and Thy glory. They were so inebriated
with the wine of their reunion with Thee, that they
rid themselves of all attachment to whatever they
themselves and others possessed.
These are Thy servants whom the ascendancy of
the oppressor hath failed to deter from fixing their
eyes on the Tabernacle of Thy majesty, and whom
the hosts of tyranny have been powerless to affright
and divert their gaze from the Day-Spring of Thy
signs and the Dawning-Place of Thy testimonies.
I swear by Thy glory, O Thou the Lord of all
being and the Enlightener of all things visible and
invisible! Whoso hath quaffed from the hands of
Thy bounteousness the living waters of Thy love will
never allow the things pertaining to Thy creatures to
keep him back from Thee, neither will he be dismayed
at the refusal of all the dwellers of Thy realm
+P269
to acknowledge Thee. Before all who are in heaven
and on earth such a man will cry aloud, and announce
unto the people the tumult of the Ocean of Thy
bounty and the splendors of the Luminaries of the
heaven of Thy bestowals.
Happy indeed is the man that hath turned towards
the sanctuary of Thy presence, and rid himself of all
attachment to any one except Thyself. He is truly
exalted who hath confessed Thy glory, and fixed his
eyes upon the Day-Star of Thy loving-kindness. He
is endued with understanding who is aware of Thy
Revelation and hath acknowledged Thy manifold
tokens, Thy signs, and Thy testimonies. He is a man
of insight whose eyes have been illumined with the
brightness of Thy face, and who, as soon as Thy call
was raised, hath recognized Thee. He is a man of
hearing who hath been led to hearken unto Thy
speech, and to draw nigh unto the billowing ocean
of Thine utterances.
Behold Thou this stranger, O my Lord, who hath
hastened to attain his most exalted Home in the
shelter of Thy shadowing mercy, and this ailing soul
who hath set his face towards the ocean of Thy
healing.
Look, then, O Thou my God Who settest my soul
on fire, upon the tears I shed, and the sighs I utter,
and the anguish that afflicteth my heart and the fire
that consumeth my being. Thy glory beareth me
witness, O Thou, the Light of the world! The fire
of Thy love that burneth continually within me hath
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so inflamed me that whoever among Thy creatures
approacheth me, and inclineth his inner ear towards
me, cannot fail to hear its raging within each of my
veins.
I am so carried away by the sweetness of Thine
utterances, and so inebriated with the wine of Thy
tender mercies, that my voice can never be stilled,
nor can my suppliant hands any longer desist from
being stretched out towards Thee. Thou seest, O my
Lord, how mine eyes are fixed in the direction of Thy
grace, and mine ears inclined towards the kingdom of
Thine utterance, and my tongue unloosed to celebrate
Thy praise, and my face set towards Thy face that
surviveth all that hath been created by Thy word,
and my hands raised up towards the heaven of Thy
bounty and favor.
Wilt Thou keep back from Thee the stranger
whom Thou didst call unto his most exalted Home
beneath the shadow of the wings of Thy mercy, or
cast away the wretched creature that hath hastened
to attain the shores of the ocean of Thy wealth? Wilt
Thou shut up the door of Thy grace to the face of
Thy creatures after having opened it through the
power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty, or
close the eyes of Thy people when Thou hast already
commanded them to turn unto the Day-Spring of
Thy Beauty and the Dawning-Place of the splendors
of Thy countenance?
Nay, and to this Thy glory beareth me witness!
Such is not my thought of Thee, nor the thought of
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those of Thy servants that have near access to Thyself,
nor that of the sincere amongst Thy people.
Thou knowest, and seest, and hearest, O my Lord,
that before every tree I am moved to lift up my voice
to Thee, and before every stone I am impelled to sigh
and lament. Hath it been Thy purpose in creating
me, O my God, to touch me with tribulation, or to
enable me to manifest Thy Cause in the kingdom of
Thy creation?
Thou hearest, O my God, my sighs and my groaning,
and beholdest my powerlessness, and my poverty,
and my misery, and my woes, and my wretchedness. I
swear by Thy might! I have wept with such a weeping
that I have been unable to make mention of Thee,
or to extol Thee, and cried with such a bitter cry
that every mother in her bereavement was bewildered
at me, and forgot her own anguish and the sighs she
had uttered.
I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thine Ark, through
which the potency of Thy will was manifested and
the energizing influences of Thy purpose were revealed,
and which saileth on both land and sea
through the power of Thy might, not to seize me
in my mighty sins and great trespasses. I swear by
Thy glory! The waters of Thy forgiveness and Thy
mercy have emboldened me, as hath Thy dealing, in
bygone ages, with the sincere among Thy chosen ones,
and with such of Thy Messengers as have proclaimed
Thy oneness.
I am well aware, O my Lord, that I have been so
+P272
carried away by the clear tokens of Thy loving-kindness,
and so completely inebriated with the wine
of Thine utterance, that whatever I behold I readily
discover that it maketh Thee known unto me, and
it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens,
and of Thy testimonies. By Thy glory! Every time
I lift up mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind
Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine incomparable
glory and greatness; and every time I turn
my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the
evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy
bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it
speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency
of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy
grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the
mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy
victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence.
I swear by Thy might, O Thou in Whose grasp
are the reins of all mankind, and the destinies of the
nations! I am so inflamed by my love for Thee, and
so inebriated with the wine of Thy oneness, that I
can hear from the whisper of the winds the sound
of Thy glorification and praise, and can recognize in
the murmur of the waters the voice that proclaimeth
Thy virtues and Thine attributes, and can apprehend
from the rustling of the leaves the mysteries that
have been irrevocably ordained by Thee in Thy
realm.
Glorified art Thou, O God of all names and Creator
of the heavens! I render Thee thanks that
+P273
Thou hast made known unto Thy servants this Day
whereon the river that is life indeed hath flowed
forth from the fingers of Thy bounty, and the springtime
of Thy revelation and Thy presence hath appeared
through Thy manifestation unto all who are
in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth.
This is the Day, O my Lord, whose brightness
Thou hast exalted above the brightness of the sun
and the splendors thereof. I testify that the light it
sheddeth proceedeth out of the glory of the light of
Thy countenance, and is begotten by the radiance
of the morn of Thy Revelation. This is the Day
whereon the hopeless have been clothed with the raiment
of confidence, and the sick attired with the
robe of healing, and the poor drawn nigh unto the
ocean of Thy riches.
I swear by Thy Beauty, O King of eternity Who
sittest on Thy most glorious Throne! He Who is the
Day-Spring of Thy signs and the Revealer of Thy
clear tokens hath, notwithstanding the immensity of
His wisdom and the loftiness of His knowledge, confessed
His powerlessness to comprehend the least of
Thine utterances, in their relation to Thy most exalted
Pen,--how much more is He incapable of apprehending
the nature of Thine all-glorious Self and of Thy
most august Essence!
I cannot think, O my God, of any words wherewith
to make mention of Thee, and know not how
to express or extol Thee. Were I to attempt to describe
Thee by Thy names, I would readily recognize
+P274
that the kingdom of these names is itself created
through the movement of Thy fingers, and trembleth
for fear of Thee. And were I to venture to extol Thine
attributes, I would be forced to admit that these
attributes are Thine own creation, and lie within
Thy grasp. It behooveth not Them Who are the Manifestations
of these names and attributes to stand before
the gate of the city of Thy Revelation, how
much less to scale the heights whereon Thou didst
stablish the throne of Thy majesty.
I swear by Thy might, O Thou Who art the King
of names and the Maker of the heavens! Whatsoever
hath been adorned with the robe of words is but Thy
creation which hath been generated in Thy realm
and begotten through the operation of Thy will, and
is wholly unworthy of Thy highness and falleth short
of Thine excellence.
And since it hath been demonstrated that Thy
most august Self is immeasurably exalted above all
that hath been created in the world of being, and is
far above the reach and ken of the apprehension of
Thy chosen Ones and Thy loved Ones, the splendors
of the light of Thy unity are therefore manifested,
and it becometh evident unto every one, whether free
or bond, that Thou art One in Thine own Self, one
in Thy Cause, and one in Thy Revelation. Great is
the blessedness of the man who, in his love towards
Thee, hath rid himself of all attachment from every
one except Thyself, and hastened unto the horizon
+P275
of Thy Revelation, and attained unto this Cup which
Thou hast caused to excel all the seas of the earth.
I beg of Thee, O my God, by Thy power, and Thy
might, and Thy sovereignty, which have embraced all
who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to make
known unto Thy servants this luminous Way and
this straight Path, that they may acknowledge Thy
unity and Thy oneness, with a certainty which the
vain imaginations of the doubters will not impair,
nor the idle fancies of the wayward obscure. Illumine,
O my Lord, the eyes of Thy servants, and brighten
their hearts with the splendors of the light of Thy
knowledge, that they may apprehend the greatness
of this most sublime station, and recognize this most
luminous Horizon, that haply the clamor of men may
fail to deter them from turning their gaze towards
the effulgent light of Thy unity, and to hinder them
from setting their faces toward the Horizon of
detachment.
This is the Day, O my Lord, which Thou didst
announce unto all mankind as the Day whereon
Thou wouldst reveal Thy Self, and shed Thy radiance,
and shine brightly over all Thy creatures. Thou
hast, moreover, entered into a covenant with them,
in Thy Books, and Thy Scriptures, and Thy Scrolls,
and Thy Tablets, concerning Him Who is the Day-Spring
of Thy Revelation, and hast appointed the
&Bayan to be the Herald of this Most Great and all-glorious
Manifestation, and this most resplendent and
most sublime Appearance.
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And when the world's horizon was illumined, and
He Who is the Most Great Name was manifested, all
disbelieved in Him and in His signs, except such as
have been carried away by the sweetness of Thy
glorification and praise. There befell Him what must
remain inscrutable to everyone except Thee, Whose
knowledge transcendeth all who are in Thy heaven
and all who are on Thy earth.
Thou well knowest, O my God, that the Revealer
of the &Bayan (the &Bab) hath commanded all mankind
concerning Thy Cause, and Thy Revelation,
and Thy Sovereignty. He hath said, and sweet is His
speech: "Beware lest the &Bayan and its Letters keep
you back from Him Who is the Most Merciful and
from His sovereignty." He, moreover, hath written:
"Were He to produce no more than one verse, ye
must not deny Him. Haste ye towards Him, that
haply He may cause to descend upon you what He
pleaseth, as a token of His grace unto you. He truly
is the Possessor of His servants, and the King of
creation."
Thou seest, then, O Thou Who art the Beloved of
the world and the Revealer of the Most Great Name,
how He hath come down with the kingdom of His
signs, and in a manner that hath caused the atoms of
the earth to testify that the whole world hath been
filled with these signs. And yet, notwithstanding this
most manifest and all-glorious Revelation, and these
signs which none can appraise except Thee, O Thou
the King of names, Thou beholdest how they have
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broken off from Him Who is the Day-Spring of Thine
Essence, and have caviled at the One Who is the
Fountain-Head of Thy wisdom and of Thine utterance.
They were so seized with thirst for fame, that
they rejected Thy tokens, and Thy testimonies, and
Thy signs, which every man of insight perceiveth in
whatsoever declareth Thy greatness, and Thy sovereignty,
and acknowledgeth Thy Revelation and
Thy might. They have so traduced Him as to cause
the inmates of the all-glorious Tabernacle and the
Concourse on high to lament, and have uttered such
calumnies against Him that the souls of Thy chosen
Ones and the hearts of them that are dear to Thee
have melted. They have erred so grievously that they
cast away Thy most resplendent signs, and clung to
their idle fancies, O Thou Who art the Possessor of
Names and the Lord of the Throne on high and of
earth below!
Thou art, O my God and the Exultation of my
heart, the One Who hath adorned Thy Tablet, of
which none is aware except Thee, with the mention
of this Day which Thou didst call after Thy name,
that haply none may on that day be seen save Thy
most august Self, and naught else be brought to mind
except Thy most sweet remembrance.
No sooner had He revealed Himself than the foundations
of the kindreds of the earth shook and trembled,
and the learned swooned away, and the wise
were bewildered, except such as have, through the
power of Thy might, drawn nigh unto Thee, and
+P278
received the choice wine of Thy Revelation from
the hand of Thy grace, and have quaffed it in Thy
name, and exclaimed: "Praise be unto Thee, O Thou
the Desire of the worlds! and glory be to Thee, O
Thou Who art the Exultation of the hearts that pant
after Thee!"
My God, my Master, my Highest Hope, and the
Goal of my desire! Thou seest and hearest the sighing
of this wronged One, from this darksome well
which the vain imaginations of Thine adversaries have
built, and from this blind pit which the idle fancies
of the wicked among Thy creatures have digged. By
Thy Beauty, O Thou Whose glory is uncovered to
the face of men! I am not impatient in the troubles
that touch me in my love for Thee, neither in the
adversities which I suffer in Thy path. Nay, I have,
by Thy power, chosen them for mine own self, and I
glory in them amongst such of Thy creatures as enjoy
near access to Thee, and those of Thy servants
that are wholly devoted to Thy Self.
I beseech Thee, however, O Thou Who art the
Enlightener of the world and the Lord of the nations,
at this very moment when, with the hands of hope, I
have clung to the hem of the raiment of Thy mercy
and Thy bounty, to forgive Thy servants who have
soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, and set
their faces towards the splendors of the light of
Thy countenance, and turned unto the horizon
of Thy good pleasure, and approached the ocean of
Thy mercy, and all their lives long have spoken
+P279
forth Thy praise, and have been inflamed with the
fire of their love for Thee. Do Thou ordain for them,
O Lord my God, both before and after their death,
what becometh the loftiness of Thy bounty and the
excellence of Thy loving-kindness.
Grant, O my Lord, that they who have ascended
unto Thee may repair unto Him Who is the most
exalted Companion, and abide beneath the shadow of
the Tabernacle of Thy majesty and the Sanctuary of
Thy glory. Sprinkle, O my Lord, upon them from
the ocean of Thy forgiveness what will make them
worthy to abide, so long as Thine own sovereignty endureth,
within Thy most exalted kingdom and Thine
all-highest dominion. Potent art Thou to do what
pleaseth Thee.
Deny not Thy loved ones, O my Lord, the sweet
savors of this Day whereon the mysteries of Thy
name, the Self-Subsisting, were unraveled, and all
that had been enshrined within the treasuries of Thy
wisdom was revealed. This is the Day, O my Lord,
whereon every atom of the earth hath been made to
vibrate and to cry out: "O Thou Who art the
Revealer of signs and the King of creation! I, verily,
perceive the fragrance of Thy presence. Methinks
Thou hast revealed Thyself, and unlocked the door
of reunion with Thee before all who are in Thy
heaven and all who are on Thy earth. I am persuaded
through the fragrance of Thy robe, O my Lord, that
the world hath been honored through Thy presence,
and hath inhaled the sweet smell of Thy meeting. I
+P280
know not, however, O Thou the Beloved of the world
and the Desire of the nations, the place wherein the
throne of Thy majesty hath been established, nor the
seat which hath been made Thy footstool, and been
illumined with the splendors of the light of Thy
face."
I swear by Thy glory, O Thou Who art the Lord
of all being and the Possessor of all things visible and
invisible! Every man of understanding hath been so
bewildered at Thy knowledge, and every man endued
with insight been so perplexed in his attempt to
fathom the signs of Thy great glory, that all have
recognized their powerlessness to visualize, and their
impotence to soar into, the heaven wherefrom one of
the Luminaries of the Manifestations of Thy knowledge
and of the Day-Springs of Thy wisdom hath
shone forth. Who is he that shall befittingly describe
this most sublime station and this most august seat--
the seat which, as decreed by Thee, transcendeth the
comprehension of Thy creatures and the testimonies
of Thy servants, and which hath everlastingly been
hid from the understanding and the knowledge of
men, and been closed with the seal of Thy name, the
Self-Subsisting.
I swear by Thy glory and Thy sovereignty which
overshadow the kingdoms of earth and of heaven!
Were any of Thy chosen Ones and Thy Messengers
to meditate on the manifold evidences of Thy most
exalted Pen--a Pen which is driven by the fingers of
Thy will--and were he to muse on its mysteries, and
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its tokens, and all that it showeth forth, he would be
so perplexed that his tongue would fail to extol and
describe Thee, and his heart would be utterly unable
to understand Thee. For he would, at one time, discover
that from this Pen there floweth out unto all
created things the water that is life indeed, and that
the Pen itself hath been named by Thee the trumpet
whereby the dead speed out of their sepulchers. At
another time he would find that there proceedeth
from this Pen such fire as Thine own Revelation can
kindle, and as He Who conversed with Thee (Moses)
on Sinai hath perceived.
How marvelous, then, are the manifold tokens of
Thy might, and how great are the diverse evidences
of Thy power! The learned have, without exception,
admitted their ignorance when confronted with the
radiance of the Luminary of Thy knowledge; and the
mighty have all confessed their impotence in the face
of the billowing Ocean of Thy power; and the rich
have one and all acknowledged their poverty before
the effusions of the Treasuries of Thy wealth; and the
worldly wise have each recognized their nothingness
beside the splendors of the Light of Thy beauty; and
the exalted have all witnessed unto their abasement
when face to face with the effulgence of the Day-Star
of Thy glory; and they who are in authority have
borne witness to their own evanescence and to the
evanescence of others, and discovered the eternity of
Thy majesty, and of Thy sovereignty, and of Thy
sublimity, and of Thy power.
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My God, and the God of all things, and my King
and the King of all things, and the Beloved of my
soul, and the Goal of my desire! Thou knowest full
well that I make mention of Thee, in this day, in the
name of such of Thy creatures as have detached
themselves from all except Thee, and I extol Thy virtues
through the tongue of those of Thy people that
have recognized Thy oneness, that haply there may
pour out from the sighs which they utter in their
love and their yearning for Thee what will melt away
all that may hinder Thy servants from setting their
faces towards the heaven of Thy knowledge and the
kingdom of Thy signs.
This, then, O my God and the God of all names,
and the Creator of earth and heaven, is the Day
whereon He Whose heart gloweth with the flaming
fire of Thy presence is calling upon Thee. Where can
separation from Thee be found, O my God, so that
reunion with Thee may be clearly recognized at the
appearance of the Light of Thy unity, and the revelation
of the splendors of the Sun of Thy oneness?
I ask pardon of Thee, O my God, for all that hath
been said, and for whatsoever hath flowed out, and is
now flowing out from my Pen in Thy days. I testify
that Thou hast decreed that the offering of prayer
should befit not me, but Him Who hath, at Thy bidding
and in conformity with Thy pleasure, preceded
me. Rather hast Thou ordained that the revelation of
verses should be specially attributed unto this mighty
Manifestation, and to This Announcement that hath
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adorned the Scrolls of Thy majesty and Thy Tablet
in which account is kept.
I render Thee thanks, O Thou Who hast lighted
Thy fire within my soul, and cast the beams of Thy
light into my heart, that Thou hast taught Thy servants
how to make mention of Thee, and revealed
unto them the ways whereby they can supplicate
Thee, through Thy most holy and exalted tongue,
and Thy most august and precious speech. But for
Thy leave, who is there that could venture to express
Thy might and Thy grandeur; and were it not for
Thine instruction, who is the man that could discover
the ways of Thy pleasure in the kingdom of Thy
creation?
I beseech Thee, O God of bounty and King of all
created things, to guard Thy servants from the imaginations
which their hearts may devise. Raise them
up, then, to such heights that their footsteps may slip
not in the face of the evidences of Thy handiwork,
which the manifold exigencies of Thy wisdom have
ordained, and whose secrets Thou hast hid from the
face of Thy people and Thy creatures. Withhold
them not, O my Lord, from the ocean of Thy knowledge,
neither do Thou deprive them of what Thou
didst destine for such of Thy chosen ones as have near
access to Thee, and those of Thy trusted ones as are
wholly devoted to Thy Self. Supply them, then, from
Thy sea of certainty with what will calm the agitation
of their hearts. Turn, O Lord my God, the darkness
of their fancies into the brightness of certitude,
+P284
and cause them to arise, and to walk steadfastly in
Thy straight Path, that haply Thy Book may not
hinder them from recognizing Him Who is its
Revealer, and Thy names from acknowledging the
One Who is their Creator, and their Provider, and
their Origin, and their King, and their Begetter, and
their Destroyer, and their Glorifier, and their Abaser,
and their Governor, and the Sovereign Protector of
their Bearers.
Thou art the One, O my God and my Ruler, Who
hast sent down Thy Book that Thou mayest manifest
my Cause, and glorify my Word. Through it Thou
didst enter into a Covenant, concerning me, with all
that hath been created in Thy realm. Thou seest, O
Beloved of the world, how the rebellious among Thy
creatures have made of that Covenant a bulwark for
themselves, and through it have withdrawn from Thy
Beauty, and repudiated Thy signs.
Thou art He, O my God, Who hath commanded
them in Thy great Book, and said: "Fear ye the Most
Merciful, O people of the &Bayan, and deny not Him
for Whom I have ordained the &Bayan to be one of the
leaves of His Paradise. I, verily, esteem it as a gift
from me unto Him. Were it His pleasure to accept
it, He, truly, is the Most Bountiful; and if He cast it
away and refuse to consider it, His verdict is just, and
He, in very truth, is Praiseworthy in His acts, and
meet to be obeyed in His behests. To none is given the
right to cavil at Him."
Thou beholdest, therefore, O my God, how this
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wronged one hath fallen into the hands of such as
have denied Thy right, and broken off from Thy
sovereignty. He, round whose person circleth Thy
proof, and in whose name and on behalf of whose
sovereignty Thy testimony crieth out unto all created
things, hath suffered more grievously in his days
than any pen can recount, and been so harassed that
He Who is Thy Spirit (Jesus) lamented, and all the
denizens of Thy Kingdom and all the inmates of Thy
Tabernacle in the realms above cried with a great
and bitter lamentation.
Should any one incline his inner ear, he would hear
the cry and the wailing of all created things over what
hath befallen Him Whom the world hath wronged,
at the hands of them with whom Thou hast covenanted
in the Day of Separation. Where is that fair-minded
soul, O my God, who will judge equitably
Thy Cause, and where is the man of insight to be
found who will behold Thee with Thine own eyes?
Is there any man of hearing who will hear Thee with
Thine ears, or one endued with eloquence who will
speak the truth in Thy days?
I swear by Thy glory, O Thou Who beholdest me
from Thine all-glorious horizon, and hearest the voice
of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing!
Should any one consider Thy Books which Thou
didst name the &Bayan, and ponder in his heart what
hath been revealed therein, he would discover that
each of these Books announceth my Revelation, and
declareth my Name, and testifieth to my Self, and
+P286
proclaimeth my Cause, and my Praise, and my Rising,
and the radiance of my Glory. And yet, notwithstanding
Thy proclamation, O my God, and in spite
of the words Thou didst utter, O my Beloved, Thou
hast seen and heard their calumnies against me, and
their evil doings in my days.
I testify in my present state, O my Lord, and
against the will of him who hath turned his back to
Thee (&Mirza &Yahya), that Thou art God, and that
there is none other God beside Thee. This, verily, is
the Day wherewith Thy Scriptures, and Thy Books,
and Thy Tablets, have been adorned. And He Who
now speaketh is, in truth, the Well-guarded Treasure,
and the Hidden Secret, and the Preserved Tablet, and
the Impenetrable Mystery, and the Sealed Book. He,
truly, is to be obeyed in whatsoever He commandeth,
and decreeth, and revealeth, and is to be loved in
everything He, through His sovereignty, enjoineth,
and, through His power, ordaineth. Whoso will hesitate
for less than the twinkling of an eye, hath, verily,
denied Thy right, and repudiated all that Thou hast
revealed in Thy Books, and in Thy Scriptures, and
sent down with Thy chosen Ones, and Thy Prophets,
and Thy Messengers, and the Trustees of Thy
Revelation.
I beg of Thee, O Thou in Whose hands are the
kingdoms of earth and heaven, and in Whose grasp
lie all who dwell in the dominions of Thy Revelation
and Thy creation, not to withhold the glance of Thy
favors from such as have sustained tribulations in
+P287
Thy path, and tasted of the cup of woe in their love
towards Thee, and have been cast into prison in Thy
name, and endured what none of Thy creatures and
Thy people have endured. They are Thy servants, O
my Lord, who have responded to Thee as soon as
Thou didst send out Thy summons, and have set their
faces towards Thee when the light of Thy countenance
was lifted upon them, and turned unto Thee
at the time when Thy most exalted horizon shone
forth with the brightness of Thy name through
which all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth
swooned away. Ordain for them, O my Lord, what
Thou didst ordain for Thy chosen ones who have
welcomed the darts of the infidels in Thy Cause and
for love of Thee, and hasted to attain the orient of
tribulation with Thy name on their lips and Thy remembrance
in their hearts. Thou art the One, O my
God, Who hath promised in Thy perspicuous utterances
to remember them in Thy Book as a recompense
for their works in Thy days.
Bless them, O my God, and ascribe unto them such
glory as hath shone forth above the horizon of Thy
will, and hath shed its splendors from the kingdom of
Thine utterance. Immerse them, O my Lord, beneath
the ocean of Thy mercy, and illumine them with the
dawning light of Thy Revelation. Forgive, then,
O my God, their fathers and their mothers, by Thy
favor, and Thy bounty, and Thy tender mercies.
Send, then, upon them from the right hand of Thy
most exalted Paradise the fragrance of the robe of
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Thine all-glorious Beauty. Potent art Thou to do what
pleaseth Thee. Thou, verily, art the Governor, the
Ordainer, the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Most Generous.
Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the
world, and the Adored of the hearts of them that
have recognized Thee.
CLXXVII
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy mighty Sign,
and by the revelation of Thy grace amongst men, to
cast me not away from the gate of the city of Thy
presence, and to disappoint not the hopes I have set
on the manifestations of Thy grace amidst Thy
creatures. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy
Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most
Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which
have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy most sweet
Voice and by Thy most exalted Word, to draw me
ever nearer to the threshold of Thy door, and to suffer
me not to be far removed from the shadow of
Thy mercy and the canopy of Thy bounty. Thou
seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most
Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the
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Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious,
and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have
clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the splendor of Thy
luminous brow and the brightness of the light of
Thy countenance, which shineth from the all-highest
horizon, to attract me by the fragrance of Thy raiment,
and make me drink of the choice wine of Thine
utterance. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy
Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most
Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy hair which
moveth across Thy face, even as Thy most exalted
pen moveth across the pages of Thy Tablets, shedding
the musk of hidden meanings over the kingdom
of Thy creation, so to raise me up to serve Thy Cause
that I shall not fall back, nor be hindered by the
suggestions of them who have caviled at Thy signs
and turned away from Thy face. Thou seest me,
O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy,
the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most
Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung
all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name which
Thou hast made the King of Names, by which all
who are in heaven and all who are on earth have been
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enraptured, to enable me to gaze on the Day-Star of
Thy Beauty, and to supply me with the wine of Thine
utterance. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy
Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most
Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the Tabernacle of
Thy majesty upon the loftiest summits, and the Canopy
of Thy Revelation on the highest hills, to graciously
aid me to do what Thy will hath desired
and Thy purpose hath manifested. Thou seest me,
O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy,
the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most
Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung
all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Beauty that
shineth forth above the horizon of eternity, a Beauty
before which as soon as it revealeth itself the kingdom
of beauty boweth down in worship, magnifying
it in ringing tones, to grant that I may die to all that
I possess and live to whatsoever belongeth unto Thee.
Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name,
the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty,
the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious,
and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have
clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the Manifestation
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of Thy Name, the Well-Beloved, through Whom the
hearts of Thy lovers were consumed and the souls of
all that dwell on earth have soared aloft, to aid me
to remember Thee amongst Thy creatures, and to
extol Thee amidst Thy people. Thou seest me, O my
God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most
Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the
Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the
hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the rustling of the
Divine Lote-Tree and the murmur of the breezes of
Thine utterance in the kingdom of Thy names, to remove
me far from whatsoever Thy will abhorreth,
and draw me nigh unto the station wherein He Who
is the Day-Spring of Thy signs hath shone forth.
Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the
Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty,
the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious,
and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have
clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by that Letter which,
as soon as it proceeded out of the mouth of Thy will,
hath caused the oceans to surge, and the winds to
blow, and the fruits to be revealed, and the trees to
spring forth, and all past traces to vanish, and all
veils to be rent asunder, and them who are devoted
to Thee to hasten unto the light of the countenance
of their Lord, the Unconstrained, to make known
unto me what lay hid in the treasuries of Thy knowledge
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and concealed within the repositories of Thy
wisdom. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy
Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most
Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the fire of Thy love
which drove sleep from the eyes of Thy chosen ones
and Thy loved ones, and by their remembrance and
praise of Thee at the hour of dawn, to number me
with such as have attained unto that which Thou hast
sent down in Thy Book and manifested through Thy
will. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy
Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most
Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the light of Thy
countenance which impelled them who are nigh unto
Thee to meet the darts of Thy decree, and such as
are devoted to Thee to face the swords of Thine enemies
in Thy path, to write down for me with Thy
most exalted Pen what Thou hast written down for
Thy trusted ones and Thy chosen ones. Thou seest
me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most
Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the
Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
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clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung
all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through
which Thou hast hearkened unto the call of Thy
lovers, and the sighs of them that long for Thee, and
the cry of them that enjoy near access to Thee, and
the groaning of them that are devoted to Thee, and
through which Thou hast fulfilled the wishes of them
that have set their hopes on Thee, and hast granted
them their desires, through Thy grace and Thy
favors, and by Thy Name through which the ocean
of forgiveness surged before Thy face, and the clouds
of Thy generosity rained upon Thy servants, to write
down for every one who hath turned unto Thee, and
observed the fast prescribed by Thee, the recompense
decreed for such as speak not except by Thy leave,
and who forsook all that they possessed in Thy path
and for love of Thee.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thyself, and by
Thy signs, and Thy clear tokens, and the shining
light of the Day-Star of Thy Beauty, and Thy
Branches, to cancel the trespasses of those who have
held fast to Thy laws, and have observed what Thou
hast prescribed unto them in Thy Book. Thou seest
me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most
Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most
Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung
all in this world and in the world to come.
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CLXXVIII
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I supplicate
Thee by Him Whom Thou hast called into being,
Whose Revelation Thou hast ordained to be Thine
own Revelation and His Concealment Thine own
Concealment. Through His Firstness Thou hast confirmed
Thine own Firstness, and through His Lastness
Thou hast affirmed Thine own Lastness. Through
the power of His might and the influence of His
sovereignty the mighty have apprehended Thine
omnipotence, and through His glory they who are
endowed with authority have acknowledged Thy
majesty and greatness. Through His supreme ascendancy
Thy transcendent sovereignty and all-encompassing
dominion have been recognized, and through
His will Thine own will hath been revealed. Through
the light of His countenance the splendors of Thine
own face have shone forth, and through His Cause
Thine own Cause hath been made manifest. Through
the generative power of His utterance the whole
earth hath been made the recipient of the wondrous
signs and tokens of Thy sovereignty, and the heavens
have been filled with the revelations of Thine incomparable
majesty, and the seas have been enriched with
the sacred pearls of Thine omniscience and wisdom,
and the trees adorned with the fruits of Thy knowledge.
Through Him all things have sung Thy praise,
and all the eyes have been turned in the direction of
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Thy mercy. Through Him the faces of all have been
set towards the splendors of the light of Thy countenance,
and the souls of all have been inclined unto
the revelations of Thy divine greatness.
How great is Thy power! How exalted Thy sovereignty!
How lofty Thy might! How excellent
Thy majesty! How supreme is Thy grandeur--a
grandeur which He Who is Thy Manifestation hath
made known and wherewith Thou hast invested Him
as a sign of Thy generosity and bountiful favor. I
bear witness, O my God, that through Him Thy
most resplendent signs have been uncovered, and Thy
mercy hath encompassed the entire creation. But for
Him, how could the Celestial Dove have uttered its
songs or the Heavenly Nightingale, according to the
decree of God, have warbled its melody?
I testify that no sooner had the First Word proceeded,
through the potency of Thy will and purpose,
out of His mouth, and the First Call gone forth from
His lips than the whole creation was revolutionized,
and all that are in the heavens and all that are on
earth were stirred to the depths. Through that Word
the realities of all created things were shaken, were
divided, separated, scattered, combined and reunited,
disclosing, in both the contingent world and the
heavenly kingdom, entities of a new creation, and
revealing, in the unseen realms, the signs and tokens
of Thy unity and oneness. Through that Call Thou
didst announce unto all Thy servants the advent of
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Thy most great Revelation and the appearance of
Thy most perfect Cause.
No sooner had that Revelation been unveiled to
men's eyes than the signs of universal discord appeared
among the peoples of the world, and commotion
seized the dwellers of earth and heaven, and the
foundations of all things were shaken. The forces of
dissension were released, the meaning of the Word
was unfolded, and every several atom in all created
things acquired its own distinct and separate character.
Hell was made to blaze, and the delights of
Paradise were uncovered to men's eyes. Blessed is the
man that turneth towards Thee, and woe betide him
who standeth aloof from Thee, who denieth Thee and
repudiateth Thy signs in this Revelation wherein the
faces of the exponents of denial have turned black
and the faces of the exponents of truthfulness have
turned white, O Thou Who art the Possessor of all
names and attributes, Who holdest in Thy grasp the
empire of whatever hath been created in heaven and
on earth!
Praise be to Thee, therefore, O my God--such
praise as Thou didst ascribe to Thine own Self, and
which none except Thee can either comprehend or
reckon. Thou art He, O my Lord, Who hath made
known His own Self unto me, at a time when Thy
servants have failed to recognize Thee--servants who,
by virtue of the ties that bind them to Thee, have
been ruling over all that dwell on earth and have been
vaunting themselves over its peoples. Were I, O my
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God, to exercise from pole to pole supreme dominion
over the earth, and were I to be offered all the treasures
it containeth, and were I to expend them in
Thy path, I would still be powerless to attain unto
this station, unless I were assisted and strengthened
by Thee. And were I to glorify Thee, O my God, so
long as the glory of Thy majesty endureth and the
influence of Thy sovereignty and power will last,
such a glorification could never be compared with
any of the praises which Thou, as a token of Thy
grace, hast taught me, and wherewith Thou hast
bidden me to extol Thy virtues. If such be the excellence
of each one of the praises which Thou hast
taught me, how immeasurably greater must be the
excellence of the station of the One Who hath known
Thee, Who hath entered Thy Presence, and pursued
steadfastly the path of Thy Cause!
I have clearly perceived, and I am wholly persuaded,
that Thou hast from everlasting been immeasurably
exalted above the mention of all beings,
and wilt continue unto everlasting to remain far
above the conception of Thy creatures. None can
befittingly praise Thee except Thine own Self and
such as are like unto Thee. Thou hast, verily, been
at all times, and wilt everlastingly continue to remain,
immensely exalted beyond and above all comparison
and likeness, above all imagination of parity
or resemblance. Having, thus, recognized Thee as
One Who is incomparable, and Whose nature none
can possess, it becometh incontrovertibly evident that
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whosoever may praise Thee, his praise can befit only
such as are of his own nature, and are subject to his
own limitations, and it can in no wise adequately
describe the sublimity of Thy sovereignty, nor scale
the heights of Thy majesty and holiness. How sweet,
therefore, is the praise Thou givest to Thine own
Self, and the description Thou givest of Thine own
Being!
I testify, O my God, that Thou hast, from eternity,
sent down upon Thy servants naught else except
that which can cause them to soar up and be
drawn near unto Thee, and to ascend into the heaven
of Thy transcendent oneness. Thou hast established
Thy bounds among them, and ordained them to
stand among Thy creatures as evidences of Thy justice
and as signs of Thy mercy, and to be the stronghold
of Thy protection amongst Thy people, that no
man may in Thy realm transgress against his neighbor.
How great is the blessedness of him who, for
love of Thy beauty and for the sake of Thy pleasure,
hath curbed the desires of a corrupt inclination and
observed the precepts laid down by Thy most exalted
Pen! He, in truth, is to be numbered with them that
have attained unto all good, and followed the way of
guidance.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Name through
which Thou hast enabled Thy servants and Thy people
to know Thee, through which Thou hast drawn
the hearts of those who have recognized Thee towards
the resplendent court of Thy oneness, and the souls
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of Thy favored ones unto the Day-Spring of Thy
unity,--I beseech Thee to grant that I may be assisted
to observe the fast wholly for Thy sake, O Thou Who
art full of majesty and glory! Empower me, then,
O my God, to be reckoned among them that have
clung to Thy laws and precepts for the sake of Thee
alone, their eyes fixed on Thy face. These, indeed,
are they whose wine is all that hath proceeded out
of the mouth of Thy primal will, whose pure beverage
is Thine enthralling call, whose heavenly River is
Thy love, whose Paradise is entrance into Thy presence
and reunion with Thee. For Thou hast been
their Beginning and their End, and their Highest
Hope, and their Supreme Desire. Blinded be the eye
that gazeth on whatsoever may displease Thee, and
confounded be the soul that seeketh the things that
are contrary to Thy will.
Deign, O my God, I implore Thee, by Thy Self
and by them, to accept, through Thy grace and Thy
loving-kindness, the works we have performed, however
much they fall short of the loftiness of Thy state
and the sublimity of Thy station, O Thou Who art
most dear to the hearts that long for Thee, and the
Healer of the souls that have recognized Thee! Rain
down, therefore, upon us from the heaven of Thy
mercy and the clouds of Thy gracious providence
that which will cleanse us from the faintest trace of
evil and corrupt desires, and will draw us nearer unto
Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy most exalted
and all-glorious Self. Thou art, verily, the Lord of
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this world and of the next, and art powerful to do
all things.
Do Thou bless, O Lord my God, the Primal Point,
through Whom the point of creation hath been made
to revolve in both the visible and invisible worlds,
Whom Thou hast designated as the One whereunto
should return whatsoever must return unto Thee,
and as the Revealer of whatsoever may be manifested
by Thee. Do Thou also bless such of His Letters as
have not turned away from Thee, who have been
firmly established in Thy love, and clung steadfastly
to Thy good-pleasure. Bless Thou, likewise, as long
as Thine own Self endureth and Thine own Essence
doth last, them that have suffered martyrdom in Thy
path. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Merciful.
Moreover, I beseech Thee, O my God, by Him
Whom Thou hast announced unto us in all Thy Tablets
and Thy Books and Thy Scrolls and Thy Scriptures,
through Whom the kingdom of names hath
been convulsed, and all that lay hid in the breasts
of them that have followed their evil and corrupt
desires hath been revealed,--I beseech Thee to
strengthen us in our love for Him, to make us steadfast
in His Cause, to help us befriend His loved ones
and challenge His enemies. Shield us, then, O my
God, from the mischief wrought by them that have
denied Thy presence, and turned away from Thy
face, and resolved to put an end to the life of Him
Who is the Manifestation of Thine own Self.
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O my God and my Master! Thou knowest how
they have disgraced Thy Cause and dishonored Thee
among Thy creatures, how they have joined Thine
enemies, that they may undermine Thy Revelation
and injure Thee. Lay hold on them with the power
of Thy wrath and might, O my God, and expose their
shameful acts and their wickedness, that whatever is
hid in their breasts may be revealed unto the people
that dwell within Thy land, O Thou Who art the
Inflictor of trials, the Fashioner of nations, and the
Bestower of favors! No God is there beside Thee, the
All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.
CLXXIX
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! The tongues of
all created things testify to Thy sovereignty and Thine
omnipotence, and proclaim mine own poverty and my
wretchedness when face to face with the revelations
of Thy wealth. Look, then, O my God, upon this
sinner whose gaze hath, at all times, been fixed upon
the source of Thy forgiveness, and whose eyes have
been bent upon the horizon of Thy grace and Thy
gifts.
Ever since the day Thou didst create me at Thy
bidding, O my God, and didst arouse me through the
gentle winds of Thy tender mercies, I have refused
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to turn to any one except Thee, and have, through
the power of Thy sovereignty and Thy might, arisen
to face Thine enemies, and have summoned all mankind
unto the shores of the ocean of Thy oneness and
the heaven of Thine all-glorious unity. I have sought,
all my days, not to guard myself from the mischief
of the rebellious among Thy creatures, but rather to
exalt Thy name amidst Thy people. I have, thereby,
suffered what none of Thy creatures hath suffered.
How many the days, O my God, which I have
spent in utter loneliness with the transgressors
amongst Thy servants, and how many the nights, O
my Best-Beloved, during which I lay a captive in the
hands of the wayward amidst Thy creatures! In the
midst of my troubles and tribulations I have continued
to celebrate Thy praise before all who are in
Thy heaven and on Thy earth, and have not ceased
to extol Thy wondrous glory in the kingdoms of Thy
Revelation and of Thy creation, though all that I
have been capable of showing forth hath fallen short
of the greatness and the majesty of Thy oneness, and
is unworthy of Thine exaltation and of Thine omnipotence.
I swear by Thy glory, O Thou Who art the one
alone Beloved! I find myself to be only nothing before
the habitation of Thy great glory. Every time I attempt
to extol any one of Thy virtues, my heart
restraineth me, for naught but Thee is able to soar
into the atmosphere of the kingdom of Thy nearness,
or reach up to the heaven of Thy presence.
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Thy might beareth me witness! I am well aware
that were I to bow myself before a handful of dust,
from now until the end that hath no end, in acknowledgment
of its relationship to Thy name, the Fashioner,
I would still find myself far removed from that
dust, and incapable of approaching it, and would discover
that such an adoration can in no wise befit it,
nor transcend the limitations to which I myself have
been subjected. And were I to arise to serve one of
Thy servants, and to wait at his door so long as Thine
own kingdom endureth and Thine omnipotence will
last, as a sign of my acknowledgment of the tie that
bindeth him to Thy name, the Creator, I would,
likewise,--and to this Thy glory beareth me witness
--have to confess my complete failure to do him
adequate service, and my deprivation of what can
truly befit his station. And this for the reason that
I recognize in them naught else except the bond that
bindeth them to Thy names and Thine attributes.
How can, then, such a man succeed in befittingly extolling
the One through a motion of Whose finger all
the names and their kingdom were called into being,
and all the attributes and their dominion were created,
and Who, through yet another motion of that same
finger, hath united the letters B and E (Be) and knit
them together, manifesting thereby what the highest
thoughts of Thy chosen ones who enjoy near access
to Thee are unable to grasp, and what the profoundest
wisdom of those of Thy loved ones that are wholly
devoted to Thee are powerless to fathom.
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I swear by Thy glory, O Beloved of my soul! I am
bewildered when I contemplate the tokens of Thy
handiwork, and the evidences of Thy might, and find
myself completely unable to unravel the mystery of
the least of Thy signs, how much more to apprehend
Thine own Self. I beseech Thee, therefore, O my
God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast caused
all such as love Thee to soar in the atmosphere of Thy
will, and hast guided all them that yearn after Thee
into the Paradise of Thy nearness and Thy presence,
to waft from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness the
fragrance of certainty upon the needy among Thy
loved ones, in these days when the tempests of trials
have compassed them on every side, and so grievously
assailed them that the souls of men have been troubled
and the foundations of all beings have trembled
at what hath been sent down unto them from the
heaven of Thine irrevocable Purpose. They were so
shaken that the lamp of their love for Thee and of
their remembrance of Thee was ready to be extinguished
in the recess of their hearts. Powerful art
Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, in truth, art
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
Thou givest ear, O my God and my Master, to the
sighing of them that are dear to Thee, and hearest
from all sides their cry, by reason of what hath befallen
them at the hands of those whose hearts have
been deprived of the sweet savors of Thy love. There
is none either to befriend or to succor them, nor can
anything deter their enemies from harming them.
+P305
Unrestrained, they do what they wish, and deal with
them as they please.
Give, therefore, O my Lord, the wonders of Thine
aid to Thy loved ones, who have sought no helper
except Thee, and have turned to none save Thyself,
and whose eyes have expectantly awaited to behold
the wonders of Thy favors and Thy gifts. Have pity,
then, upon them, O my God, through the incomparable
tokens of Thy mercy, and shelter them within the
stronghold of Thy protection and Thy loving-kindness.
Thou art the One, O my Lord, Who from everlasting
hath been the Refuge of the fearful, and the
Haven of the needy. Withhold not, I beseech Thee,
from these feeble creatures the matchless tokens of
Thy bounteousness and generosity, and leave them
not to the mercy of them whose essence hath been
solely created of the fire of Thy wrath and of Thine
anger, and who have never discovered the fragrance
of compassion and equity, and who have been so
deluded by the deceitfulness of the world that they
have denied Thy proof, and joined partners with
Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and shed the blood
of those who are dear to Thee, and have been trusted
by Thee. I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved! They
have committed what no man before them hath committed,
and have thereby deserved Thy wrath and
the scourge of Thine anger. Lay hold on them by the
power of Thy sovereignty, and set over them such
as will have no mercy upon them, unless they return
unto Thee, and enter beneath the shadow of Thy
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loving-kindness, and are forgiven by Thee. Thou hast
from everlasting been supreme over all things, and
wilt unto everlasting remain the same. Thou, truly,
art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Equitable,
the All-Wise.
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Look Thou
upon this wronged one, who hath been sorely afflicted
by the oppressors among Thy creatures and the infidels
among Thine enemies, though he himself hath refused
to breathe a single breath but by Thy leave
and at Thy bidding. I lay asleep on my couch, O my
God, when lo, the gentle winds of Thy grace and
Thy loving-kindness passed over me, and wakened
me through the power of Thy sovereignty and Thy
gifts, and bade me arise before Thy servants, and
speak forth Thy praise, and glorify Thy word. Thereupon
most of Thy people reviled me. I swear by Thy
glory, O my God! I never thought that they would
show forth such deeds, aware as I am that Thou hast
Thyself announced this Revelation unto them in the
Scrolls of Thy commandment and the Tablets of Thy
decree, and hast covenanted with them concerning
this youth in every word sent down by Thee unto
Thy creatures and Thy people.
I am bewildered, therefore, O my God, and know
not how to act toward them. Every time I hold my
peace, and cease to extol Thy wondrous virtues, Thy
Spirit impelleth me to cry out before all who are in
Thy heaven and on Thy earth; and every time I am
still, the breaths wafted from the right hand of Thy
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will and purpose pass over me, and stir me up, and
I find myself to be as a leaf which lieth at the mercy
of the winds of Thy decree, and is carried away
whithersoever Thou dost permit or command it.
Every man of insight who considereth what hath been
revealed by me, will be persuaded that Thy Cause is
not in my hands, but in Thy hands, and will recognize
that the reins of power are held not in my grasp
but in Thy grasp, and are subject to Thy sovereign
might. And yet, Thou seest, O my God, how the
inhabitants of Thy realm have arrayed themselves
against me, and inflict upon me every moment of
my life what causeth the realities of Thy chosen ones
and trusted ones to tremble.
I entreat Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy
Name through which Thou hast guided Thy lovers
to the living waters of Thy grace and Thy favors, and
attracted them that long for Thee to the Paradise of
Thy nearness and Thy presence, to open the eyes of
Thy people that they may recognize in this Revelation
the manifestation of Thy transcendent unity,
and the dawning of the lights of Thy countenance
and Thy beauty. Cleanse them, then, O my God,
from all idle fancies and vain imaginations, that they
may inhale the fragrances of sanctity from the robe
of Thy Revelation and Thy commandment, that
haply they may cease to inflict upon me what will
deprive their souls of the fragrances of the manifold
tokens of Thy mercy, that are wafted in the days of
Him Who is the Manifestation of Thyself, and the
+P308
Day-Spring of Thy Cause, and that they may not
perpetrate what will call down Thy wrath and anger.
Thou well knowest, O my God, that I was regarded
as one of the people of the &Bayan, and consorted with
them with love and fellowship, and summoned them
to Thee in the daytime and in the night season,
through the wonders of Thy Revelation and Thine inspiration,
and sustained at their hands what the inmates
of the cities of Thine invention are powerless to
recount. I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved! Every
morning I waken to find that I am made a target for
the darts of their envy, and every night, when I lie
down to rest, I discover that I have fallen a victim
to the spears of their hate. Though Thou hast made
known unto me the secrets of their hearts, and hast
set me above them, I have refused to uncover their
deeds, and have dealt patiently with them, mindful
of the time which Thou hast fixed. And when Thy
promise came to pass, and the set time was fulfilled,
Thou didst lift, to an imperceptible degree, the veil
of concealment, and lo, all the inmates of the kingdoms
of Thy Revelation and of Thy creation shook
and trembled, except those who were created by Thee,
through the fire of Thy love, and the breath of Thine
eagerness, and the water of Thy loving-kindness, and
the clay of Thy grace. These are they who are glorified
by the Concourse on high and the denizens of the
Cities of eternity.
I give praise to Thee, therefore, O my God, that
Thou hast preserved them that have acknowledged
+P309
Thy unity, and hast destroyed them that have joined
partners with Thee, and hast divided the one from
the other through yet another word that hath proceeded
out of the mouth of Thy will, and flowed
down from the pen of Thy purpose. Thereby have
Thy servants, who were created through the word of
Thy commandment, and were begotten by Thy will,
caviled at me, and so fiercely opposed me that they
repudiated Thee, and have rejected Thy signs, and
have risen up against Thee.
Thy glory beareth me witness, O my Beloved! My
pen is powerless to describe what their hands have
wrought against Him Who is the Manifestation of
Thy Cause, and the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation,
and the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration. For all
this I give praise to Thee. I swear by Thy glory, O
my God! My heart yearneth after the things ordained
by Thee in the heaven of Thy decree and the kingdom
of Thine appointment. For whatsoever befalleth
me in Thy path is the beloved of my soul and the
goal of my desire. This, verily, is to be ascribed to
naught except Thy power and Thy might.
I am the one, O my God, who, through the love
I bear to Thee, hath been able to dispense with all
who are in heaven and on earth. Armed with this
love, I am afraid of no one, though all the peoples
of the world unite to hurt me. Oh, that my blood
could, this very moment, be shed on the face of the
earth before Thee, and Thou wouldst behold me in
the condition in which Thou didst behold such of
+P310
Thy servants as have drawn nigh unto Thee, and
those of Thy righteous creatures as have been chosen
by Thee!
I give Thee thanks, O my God, that Thou hast
decided through the power of Thy decree, and wilt
continue to decide through Thine irrevocable appointment
and purpose. I entreat Thee, O my Beloved,
by Thy Name through which Thou didst lift up the
ensigns of Thy Cause, and shed the splendors of the
light of Thy countenance, to send down upon me and
upon such of Thy servants as are wholly devoted to
Thee all the good Thou hast ordained in Thy Tablets.
Establish us, then, upon the seats of truth in Thy
presence, O Thou in Whose hands is the kingdom of
all things!
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious,
the Most Merciful.
CLXXX
The praise which hath dawned from Thy most
august Self, and the glory which hath shone forth
from Thy most effulgent Beauty, rest upon Thee, O
Thou Who art the Manifestation of Grandeur, and
the King of Eternity, and the Lord of all who are
in heaven and on earth! I testify that through Thee
the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the
+P311
majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and
the Day-Stars of ancient splendor have shed their
radiance in the heaven of Thine irrevocable decree,
and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above
the horizon of creation. I testify, moreover, that with
but a movement of Thy Pen Thine injunction "Be
Thou" hath been enforced, and God's hidden Secret
hath been divulged, and all created things have been
called into being, and all the Revelations have been
sent down.
I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty
the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled,
and through Thy face the face of the Desired One
hath shone forth, and that through a word from Thee
Thou hast decided between all created things, causing
them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the
summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the
lowest abyss.
I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath
known God, and he who hath attained unto Thy
presence hath attained unto the presence of God.
Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him who hath
believed in Thee, and in Thy signs, and hath humbled
himself before Thy sovereignty, and hath been
honored with meeting Thee, and hath attained the
good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee,
and stood before Thy throne. Woe betide him that
hath transgressed against Thee, and hath denied Thee,
and repudiated Thy signs, and gainsaid Thy sovereignty,
and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud
+P312
before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy testimonies,
and fled from Thy rule and Thy dominion, and been
numbered with the infidels whose names have been
inscribed by the fingers of Thy behest upon Thy holy
Tablets.
Waft, then, unto me, O my God and my Beloved,
from the right hand of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness,
the holy breaths of Thy favors, that they
may draw me away from myself and from the world
unto the courts of Thy nearness and Thy presence.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou,
truly, hast been supreme over all things.
The remembrance of God and His praise, and the
glory of God and His splendor, rest upon Thee, O
Thou Who art His Beauty! I bear witness that the eye
of creation hath never gazed upon one wronged like
Thee. Thou wast immersed all the days of Thy life
beneath an ocean of tribulations. At one time Thou
wast in chains and fetters; at another Thou wast
threatened by the sword of Thine enemies. Yet, despite
all this, Thou didst enjoin upon all men to
observe what had been prescribed unto Thee by Him
Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou
didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities
Thou didst sustain. I beseech God, by Thee and
by them whose faces have been illumined with the
splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and who,
for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they
+P313
were bidden, to remove the veils that have come in
between Thee and Thy creatures, and to supply me
with the good of this world and the world to come.
Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted,
the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
Bless Thou, O Lord my God, the Divine Lote-Tree
and its leaves, and its boughs, and its branches, and its
stems, and its offshoots, as long as Thy most excellent
titles will endure and Thy most august attributes will
last. Protect it, then, from the mischief of the aggressor
and the hosts of tyranny. Thou art, in truth,
the Almighty, the Most Powerful. Bless Thou, also,
O Lord my God, Thy servants and Thy handmaidens
who have attained unto Thee. Thou, truly, art the
All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. No God is
there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
The Tablet of Visitation.
+P314
CLXXXI
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created
me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at
this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might,
to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Short obligatory prayer, to be recited
once in twenty-four hours, at noon.
CLXXXII
Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash
his hands, and while he washeth, let
him say:
Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take
hold of Thy Book with such steadfastness that the
hosts of the world shall have no power over it. Guard
it, then, from meddling with whatsoever doth not belong
unto it. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the
Most Powerful.
And while washing his face, let him
say:
I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord!
Illumine it with the light of Thy countenance. Protect
it, then, from turning to anyone but Thee.
+P315
Then let him stand up, and facing the
Qiblih (Point of Adoration, i.e., &Bahji,
&Akka), let him say:
God testifieth that there is none other God but
Him. His are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation.
He, in truth, hath manifested Him Who is the
Day-Spring of Revelation, Who conversed on Sinai,
through Whom the Supreme Horizon hath been made
to shine, and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is
no passing hath spoken, and through Whom the call
hath been proclaimed unto all who are in heaven and
on earth: "Lo, the All-Possessing is come. Earth and
heaven, glory and dominion are God's, the Lord of
all men, and the Possessor of the Throne on high and
of earth below!"
Let him, then, bend down, with hands
resting on the knees, and say:
Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise
of anyone beside me, above my description and the
description of all who are in heaven and all who are
on earth!
Then, standing with open hands, palms
upward toward the face, let him say:
Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with
beseeching fingers, clung to the hem of Thy mercy
and Thy grace, O Thou Who of those who show
mercy art the Most Merciful!
+P316
Let him, then, be seated and say:
I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and
that Thou art God, and that there is none other God
beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed Thy Cause,
fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door
of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth.
Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon
Thy loved ones, whom the changes and chances of
the world have not deterred from turning unto Thee,
and who have given their all, in the hope of obtaining
that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the
Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
(If anyone choose to recite instead of
the long verse these words: "God testifieth
that there is none other God but
Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting,"
it would be sufficient. And
likewise, it would suffice were he, while
seated, to choose to recite these words:
"I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy
oneness, and that Thou art God, and
that there is none other God beside
Thee.")
Medium obligatory prayer, to be recited
daily, in the morning, at noon,
and in the evening.
+P317
CLXXXIII
Whoso wisheth to recite this prayer, let
him stand up and turn unto God, and,
as he standeth in his place, let him gaze
to the right and to the left, as if awaiting
the mercy of his Lord, the Most
Merciful, the Compassionate. Then
let him say:
O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and the
Maker of the heavens! I beseech Thee by them Who
are the Day-Springs of Thine invisible Essence, the
Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, to make of my
prayer a fire that will burn away the veils which have
shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will
lead me unto the ocean of Thy Presence.
Let him then raise his hands in supplication
toward God--blessed and exalted
be He--and say:
O Thou the Desire of the world and the Beloved
of the nations! Thou seest me turning toward Thee,
and rid of all attachment to anyone save Thee, and
clinging to Thy cord, through whose movement the
whole creation hath been stirred up. I am Thy servant,
O my Lord, and the son of Thy servant. Behold
me standing ready to do Thy will and Thy desire, and
wishing naught else except Thy good pleasure. I implore
Thee by the Ocean of Thy mercy and the Day-Star
of Thy grace to do with Thy servant as Thou
+P318
willest and pleasest. By Thy might which is far above
all mention and praise! Whatsoever is revealed by
Thee is the desire of my heart and the beloved of
my soul. O God, my God! Look not upon my hopes
and my doings, nay rather look upon Thy will that
hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. By Thy
Most Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I
have desired only what Thou didst desire, and love
only what Thou dost love.
Let him then kneel, and bowing his
forehead to the ground, let him say:
Exalted art Thou above the description of anyone
save Thyself, and the comprehension of aught else
except Thee.
Let him then stand and say:
Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living
waters whereby I may live as long as Thy sovereignty
endureth, and may make mention of Thee in every
world of Thy worlds.
Let him again raise his hands in supplication,
and say:
O Thou in separation from Whom hearts and souls
have melted, and by the fire of Whose love the whole
world hath been set aflame! I implore Thee by Thy
Name through which Thou hast subdued the whole
creation, not to withhold from me that which is with
Thee, O Thou Who rulest over all men! Thou seest,
+P319
O my Lord, this stranger hastening to his most exalted
home beneath the canopy of Thy majesty and
within the precincts of Thy mercy; and this transgressor
seeking the ocean of Thy forgiveness; and
this lowly one the court of Thy glory; and this poor
creature the orient of Thy wealth. Thine is the authority
to command whatsoever Thou willest. I bear
witness that Thou art to be praised in Thy doings,
and to be obeyed in Thy behests, and to remain unconstrained
in Thy bidding.
Let him then raise his hands, and repeat
three times the Greatest Name.
Let him then bend down with hands
resting on the knees before God--
blessed and exalted be He--and say:
Thou seest, O my God, how my spirit hath been
stirred up within my limbs and members, in its longing
to worship Thee, and in its yearning to remember
Thee and extol Thee; how it testifieth to that whereunto
the Tongue of Thy Commandment hath testified
in the kingdom of Thine utterance and the
heaven of Thy knowledge. I love, in this state, O my
Lord, to beg of Thee all that is with Thee, that I
may demonstrate my poverty, and magnify Thy
bounty and Thy riches, and may declare my powerlessness,
and manifest Thy power and Thy might.
Let him then stand and raise his hands
twice in supplication, and say:
+P320
There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.
There is no God but Thee, the Ordainer,
both in the beginning and in the end. O God, my
God! Thy forgiveness hath emboldened me, and
Thy mercy hath strengthened me, and Thy call hath
awakened me, and Thy grace hath raised me up and
led me unto Thee. Who, otherwise, am I that I should
dare to stand at the gate of the city of Thy nearness,
or set my face toward the lights that are shining
from the heaven of Thy will? Thou seest, O my Lord,
this wretched creature knocking at the door of Thy
grace, and this evanescent soul seeking the river of
everlasting life from the hands of Thy bounty. Thine
is the command at all times, O Thou Who art the
Lord of all names; and mine is resignation and willing
submission to Thy will, O Creator of the heavens!
Let him then raise his hands thrice, and
say:
Greater is God than every great one!
Let him then kneel and, bowing his
forehead to the ground, say:
Too high art Thou for the praise of those who are
nigh unto Thee to ascend unto the heaven of Thy
nearness, or for the birds of the hearts of them who
are devoted to Thee to attain to the door of Thy gate.
I testify that Thou hast been sanctified above all
attributes and holy above all names. No God is there
but Thee, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious.
+P321
Let him then seat himself and say:
I testify unto that whereunto have testified all
created things, and the Concourse on high, and the
inmates of the all-highest Paradise, and beyond them
the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the all-glorious
Horizon, that Thou art God, that there is no God
but Thee, and that He Who hath been manifested is
the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, through
Whom the letters B and E (Be) have been joined and
knit together. I testify that it is He Whose name
hath been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and
Who hath been mentioned in the Books of God, the
Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below.
Let him then stand erect and say:
O Lord of all being and Possessor of all things
visible and invisible! Thou dost perceive my tears and
the sighs I utter, and hearest my groaning, and my
wailing, and the lamentation of my heart. By Thy
might! My trespasses have kept me back from drawing
nigh unto Thee; and my sins have held me far
from the court of Thy holiness. Thy love, O my Lord,
hath enriched me, and separation from Thee hath
destroyed me, and remoteness from Thee hath consumed
me. I entreat Thee by Thy footsteps in this
wilderness, and by the words "Here am I. Here am I"
which Thy chosen Ones have uttered in this immensity,
and by the breaths of Thy Revelation, and
the gentle winds of the Dawn of Thy Manifestation,
+P322
to ordain that I may gaze on Thy beauty and observe
whatsoever is in Thy Book.
Let him then repeat the Greatest Name
thrice, and bend down with hands
resting on the knees, and say:
Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast
aided me to remember Thee and to praise Thee, and
hast made known unto me Him Who is the Day-Spring
of Thy signs, and hast caused me to bow down
before Thy Lordship, and humble myself before Thy
Godhead, and to acknowledge that which hath been
uttered by the Tongue of Thy grandeur.
Let him then rise and say:
O God, my God! My back is bowed by the burden
of my sins, and my heedlessness hath destroyed me.
Whenever I ponder my evil doings and Thy benevolence,
my heart melteth within me, and my blood
boileth in my veins. By Thy Beauty, O Thou the
Desire of the world! I blush to lift up my face to
Thee, and my longing hands are ashamed to stretch
forth toward the heaven of Thy bounty. Thou seest,
O my God, how my tears prevent me from remembering
Thee and from extolling Thy virtues, O Thou
the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below!
I implore Thee by the signs of Thy Kingdom and the
mysteries of Thy Dominion to do with Thy loved
ones as becometh Thy bounty, O Lord of all being,
and is worthy of Thy grace, O King of the seen and
the unseen!
+P323
Let him then repeat the Greatest Name
thrice, and kneel with his forehead to
the ground, and say:
Praise be unto Thee, O our God, that Thou hast
sent down unto us that which draweth us nigh unto
Thee, and supplieth us with every good thing sent
down by Thee in Thy Books and Thy Scriptures.
Protect us, we beseech Thee, O my Lord, from the
hosts of idle fancies and vain imaginations. Thou, in
truth, art the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
Let him then raise his head, and seat
himself, and say:
I testify, O my God, to that whereunto Thy
chosen Ones have testified, and acknowledge that
which the inmates of the all-highest Paradise and
those who have circled round Thy mighty Throne
have acknowledged. The kingdoms of earth and
heaven are Thine, O Lord of the worlds!
Long obligatory prayer, to be recited
once in twenty-four hours.
+P324
CLXXXIV
Since Thou hast, O my God, established Thyself
upon the throne of Thy transcendent unity, and ascended
the mercy seat of Thy oneness, it befitteth
Thee to blot out from the hearts of all beings whatsoever
may keep them back from gaining admittance
into the sanctuary of Thy Divine mysteries, and may
shut them out from the tabernacle of Thy Divinity,
that all hearts may mirror Thy beauty, and may reveal
Thee, and speak of Thee, and that all created
things may show forth the tokens of Thy most august
sovereignty, and shed the splendors of the light of
Thy most holy governance, and that all who are in
heaven and on earth may laud and magnify Thy
unity, and give Thee glory, for having manifested
Thy Self unto them through Him Who is the
Revealer of Thy oneness.
Divest, then, Thy servants, O my God, of the
garments of self and desire, or grant that the eyes
of Thy people may be lifted up to such heights that
they will discern in their desires naught except the
stirring of the gentle winds of Thine eternal glory,
and may recognize in their own selves nothing but
the revelation of Thine own merciful Self, that the
earth and all that is therein may be cleansed of whatever
is alien to Thee, or anything that manifesteth
aught save Thy Self. All this can be fulfilled throughout
Thy dominion by Thy word of command, "Be,"
+P325
and it is! Nay, even swifter than this, and yet the
people understand not.
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O my
Beloved! I swear by Thy glory! I recognize this very
moment that Thou hast granted all for which I have
supplicated Thee, in this blessed night which, as decreed
by Thee, calleth to remembrance Him Who
was the Companion of Thy beauty and the Beholder
of Thy face, ere I had been mentioned by Thee, or
called into being within the court of Thy holiness.
I perceive that Thou hast made all things to be the
manifestations of Thy behest, and the revelations of
Thy handiwork, and the repositories of Thy knowledge,
and the treasuries of Thy wisdom. I recognize,
moreover, that were any of the revelations of Thy
names and Thine attributes to be withheld, though it
be the weight of a grain of mustard seed, from whatsoever
hath been created by Thy power and begotten
by Thy might, the foundations of Thine everlasting
handiwork would thereby be made incomplete, and
the gems of Thy Divine wisdom would become imperfect.
For the letters of negation, no matter how
far they may be removed from the holy fragrances
of Thy knowledge, and however forgetful they may
become of the wondrous splendors of the dawning
light of Thy beauty, which are shed from the heaven
of Thy majesty, must needs exist in Thy realm, so
that the words which affirm Thee may thereby be
exalted.
Thy might beareth me witness, O my Well-Beloved!
+P326
The entire creation hath been called into
being to exalt Thy triumph and to establish Thine
ascendancy, and all the bounds that have been set
by Thee are but the signs of Thy sovereignty, and
proclaim the power of Thy might. How great, how
very great, are the revelations of Thy wondrous
power in all things! They are such that the lowliest
among Thy creatures hath been made by Thee a
manifestation of Thy most august attribute, and the
most contemptible token of Thy handiwork hath
been chosen as a recipient of Thy most mighty name.
Poverty, as decreed by Thee, hath been made the
means for the revelation of Thy riches, and abasement
a path leading to Thy glory, and sinfulness a cause
for the exercise of Thy forgiveness. By them Thou
hast demonstrated that to Thee belong Thy most
excellent titles, and unto Thee pertain the wonders
of Thy most exalted attributes.
Since Thou hast purposed, O my God, to cause all
created things to enter into the tabernacle of Thy
transcendent grace and favor, and to waft over the
entire creation the fragrances of the raiment of Thy
glorious unity, and to look upon all things with the
eyes of Thy bounty and Thy oneness, I beseech Thee,
therefore, by Thy love, which Thou hast made to be
the mainspring of the revelations of Thine eternal
holiness, and the flame that gloweth within the hearts
of such of Thy creatures as yearn towards Thee, to
create, this very moment, for those of Thy people
who are wholly devoted to Thee, and for such of
+P327
Thy loved ones as love Thee, out of the essence of
Thy bounty and Thy generosity, and from the inmost
spirit of Thy grace and Thy glory, Thy Paradise of
transcendent holiness, and to exalt it above everything
except Thee, and to sanctify it from aught
else save Thyself. Create, moreover, within it, O my
God, out of the lights shed by Thy throne, handmaidens
who will intone the melodies of Thy wondrous
and most sweet invention, that they may magnify
Thy name with such words as have not been
heard by any of Thy creatures, be they the inmates
of Thy heaven or the dwellers of Thine earth,
nor been comprehended by any of Thy people. Unlock,
then, the gates of this Paradise to the faces of
Thy loved ones, that haply they may enter them in
Thy name, and by the power of Thy sovereignty, that
thereby the sovereign bounties vouchsafed by Thee
unto Thy chosen ones and the transcendent gifts
granted unto Thy trusted ones be perfected, that they
may extol Thy virtues with such melodies as none can
either intone or describe, and that none of Thy people
may conceive the design of appearing in the guise of
any of Thy chosen ones, or of emulating the example
of Thy loved ones, and that none may fail to discern
between Thy friends and Thine enemies, or to distinguish
them that are devoted to Thee from such as
stubbornly oppose Thee. Potent art Thou to do what
Thou willest, and powerful and supreme art Thou
over all things.
Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my
+P328
Beloved, above the strivings of any of Thy creatures,
however learned, to know Thee; exalted, immensely
exalted art Thou above every human attempt, no
matter how searching, to describe Thee! For the
highest thought of men, however deep their contemplation,
can never hope to outsoar the limitations
imposed upon Thy creation, nor ascend beyond
the state of the contingent world, nor break the
bounds irrevocably set for it by Thee. How can, then,
a thing that hath been created by Thy will that overruleth
the whole of creation, a thing that is itself
a part of the contingent world, have the power to
soar into the holy atmosphere of Thy knowledge, or
reach unto the seat of Thy transcendent power?
High, immeasurably high art Thou above the endeavors
of the evanescent creature to soar unto the
throne of Thine eternity, or of the poor and wretched
to attain the summit of Thine all-sufficing glory!
From eternity Thou didst Thyself describe Thine
own Self unto Thy Self, and extol, in Thine own
Essence, Thine Essence unto Thine Essence. I swear
by Thy glory, O my Best-Beloved! Who is there besides
Thee that can claim to know Thee, and who save
Thyself can make fitting mention of Thee? Thou art
He Who, from eternity, abode in His realm, in the
glory of His transcendent unity, and the splendors of
His holy grandeur. Were any one except Thee to be
deemed worthy of mention, in all the kingdoms of
Thy creation, from the highest realms of immortality
down to the level of this nether world, how could it,
+P329
then, be demonstrated that Thou art established upon
the throne of Thy unity, and how could the wondrous
virtues of Thy oneness and Thy singleness be
glorified?
I bear witness, this very moment, to what Thou
hast testified for Thine own Self, ere Thou hadst
created the heavens and the earth, that Thou art
God, and that there is none other God besides Thee.
Thou hast from everlasting been potent, through the
Manifestations of Thy might, to reveal the signs of
Thy power, and Thou hast ever made known, through
the Day-Springs of Thy knowledge, the words of Thy
wisdom. No one besides Thee hath ever been found
worthy to be mentioned before the Tabernacle of
Thy unity, and none except Thyself hath proved
himself capable of being praised within the hallowed
court of Thy oneness.
Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast revealed
Thy favors and Thy bounties; and glory be
to Thee, O my Beloved, that Thou hast manifested
the Day-Star of Thy loving-kindness and Thy tender
mercies. I yield Thee such thanks as can direct the
steps of the wayward towards the splendors of the
morning light of Thy guidance, and enable those who
yearn towards Thee to attain the seat of the revelation
of the effulgence of Thy beauty. I yield Thee
such thanks as can cause the sick to draw nigh unto
the waters of Thy healing, and can help those who
are far from Thee to approach the living fountain of
Thy presence. I yield Thee such thanks as can divest
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the bodies of Thy servants of the garments of mortality
and abasement, and attire them in the robes of
Thine eternity and Thy glory, and lead the poor unto
the shores of Thy holiness and all sufficient riches. I
yield Thee such thanks as can enable the Heavenly
Dove to warble forth, upon the branches of the Lote-Tree
of Immortality, her song: "Verily, Thou art
God. No God is there besides Thee. From eternity
Thou hast been exalted above the praise of aught
else but Thee, and been high above the description of
any one except Thyself." I yield Thee such thanks
as can cause the Nightingale of Glory to pour forth
its melody in the highest heaven: "&Ali (the &Bab),
in truth, is Thy servant, Whom Thou hast singled out
from among Thy Messengers and Thy chosen Ones,
and made Him to be the Manifestation of Thyself in
all that pertaineth unto Thee, and that concerneth
the revelation of Thine attributes and the evidences of
Thy names." I yield Thee such thanks as can stir up
all things to extol Thee, and to glorify Thine Essence,
and can unloose the tongues of all beings to magnify
the sovereignty of Thy beauty. I yield Thee such
thanks as can fill the heavens and the earth with the
signs of Thy transcendent Essence, and assist all created
things to enter the Tabernacle of Thy nearness
and Thy presence. I yield Thee such thanks as can
make every created thing to be a book that shall
speak of Thee, and a scroll that shall unfold Thy
praise. I yield Thee such thanks as can establish the
Manifestations of Thy sovereignty upon the throne
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of Thy governance, and set up the Exponents of Thy
glory upon the seat of Thy Divinity. I yield Thee
such thanks as can make the corrupt tree to bring
forth good fruit through the holy breaths of Thy
favors, and revive the bodies of all beings with the
gentle winds of Thy transcendent grace. I yield Thee
such thanks as can cause the signs of Thine exalted
singleness to be sent down out of the heaven of Thy
holy unity. I yield Thee such thanks as can teach
all things the realities of Thy knowledge and the
essence of Thy wisdom, and will not withhold the
wretched creatures from the doors of Thy mercy and
Thy bountiful favor. I yield Thee such thanks as can
enable all who are in heaven and on earth to dispense
with all created things, through the treasuries of
Thine all-sufficing riches, and can aid all created
things to reach unto the summit of Thine almighty
favors. I yield Thee such thanks as can assist the hearts
of Thine ardent lovers to soar into the atmosphere of
nearness to Thee, and of longing for Thee, and kindle
the Light of Lights within the land of &Iraq. I yield
Thee such thanks as can detach them that are nigh
unto Thee from all created things, and draw them to
the throne of Thy names and Thine attributes. I yield
Thee such thanks as can cause Thee to forgive all sins
and trespasses, and to fulfill the needs of the peoples
of all religions, and to waft the fragrances of pardon
over the entire creation. I yield Thee such thanks as
can enable them that recognize Thy unity to scale the
heights of Thy love, and cause such as are devoted
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to Thee to ascend unto the Paradise of Thy presence.
I yield Thee such thanks as can satisfy the wants of
all such as seek Thee, and realize the aims of them
that have recognized Thee. I yield Thee such thanks
as can blot out from the hearts of men all suggestions
of limitations, and inscribe the signs of Thy unity.
I yield Thee such thanks as that with which Thou
didst from eternity glorify Thine own Self, and didst
exalt it above all peers, rivals, and comparisons, O
Thou in Whose hands are the heavens of grace and
of bounty, and the kingdoms of glory and of majesty!
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God, and my
Master! Thou bearest witness, and seest, and knowest
the things that have befallen Thy loved ones in Thy
days, and the continual trials, and the successive
tribulations, and the incessant afflictions, which have
been sent down upon Thine elect. Such hath been
their plight that the earth became too strait for
them, and they were encompassed by the evidences
of Thy wrath and the signs of Thy fear in every land,
and the doors of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness
were shut against them, and the garden of their
hearts was deprived of the overflowing showers of
Thy grace and Thy bountiful favors. Wilt Thou
withhold, O my God, from such as love Thee the
wonders of Thine ascendancy and triumph? Wilt
Thou shatter, O my Beloved, the hopes which they
who are devoted to Thee have fixed on Thy manifold
bounties and gifts? Wilt Thou keep back, O my
Master, those that have recognized Thee from the
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shores of Thy sanctified knowledge, or wilt Thou
cease to rain down upon the hearts of such as desire
Thee the showers of Thy transcendent grace? No,
no, and to this Thy glory beareth me witness! I
testify this very moment that Thy mercy hath surpassed
all created things, and Thy loving-kindness
encompassed all that are in heaven and all that are
on earth. From everlasting the doors of Thy generosity
were open to the faces of Thy servants, and the
gentle winds of Thy grace were wafted over the
hearts of Thy creatures, and the overflowing rains of
Thy bounty were showered upon Thy people and
the dwellers of Thy realm.
I know full well Thou hast delayed to manifest
Thy triumph in the kingdom of creation by reason
of Thy knowledge which embraceth both the mysteries
of Thy decree, and the hidden things ordained
behind the veils of Thine irrevocable purpose, that
thereby those who have entered beneath the shadow
of Thy transcendent mercy may be separated from
those who have dealt disdainfully with Thee, and
turned back from Thy presence at the time when
Thou didst manifest Thy most exalted Beauty.
Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou, therefore,
O my Beloved! Forasmuch as Thou hast divided,
in Thy realm, Thy loved ones from Thine enemies,
and hast perfected Thy most weighty testimony and
Thy most infallible Proof unto all who are in heaven
and on earth, have mercy, then, upon those who
were brought low in Thy land, by reason of what
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hath befallen them in Thy path. Exalt them, then,
O my God, through the power of Thy might and
the potency of Thy will, and raise them up to proclaim
Thy Cause through Thine omnipotent sovereignty
and purpose.
I swear by Thy glory! My sole purpose in showing
forth Thine ascendancy hath been to glorify Thy
Cause, and to magnify Thy word. I am persuaded
that if Thou wert to delay to send down Thy victory
and to demonstrate Thy power, the signs of Thy
sovereignty would assuredly perish in Thy land, and
the tokens of Thy rule would be blotted out throughout
Thy dominion.
My breast is straitened, O my God, and sorrows
and vexations have compassed me round, for I hear
among Thy servants every praise except Thy wondrous
praise, and behold amidst Thy people the evidences
of all things save the evidences of what
Thou hast prescribed unto them by Thy behest, and
destined for them through Thy sovereign will, and
ordained unto them by Thine overruling decree. They
have strayed so far from Thee that should any of
Thy loved ones deliver unto them the wondrous
tokens of Thy unity, and the gem-like utterances
that attest Thy transcendent oneness, they would
thrust their fingers into their ears, and would cavil
at him and mock him. All this hast Thou set down
through Thine all-encompassing sovereignty, and apprehended
through Thine omnipotent supremacy.
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O my
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Master! Look, then, upon the hearts which, in their
love for Thee, have been transfixed by the darts of
Thine enemies, and the heads which were borne on
spears for the sake of the exaltation of Thy Cause
and the glorification of Thy name. Have pity, then,
upon those hearts which have been consumed by the
fire of Thy love, and been touched by such tribulations
as are known only unto Thee.
All laud and honor to Thee, O my God! Thou well
knowest the things which, for a score of years, have
happened in Thy days, and have continued to happen
until this hour. No man can reckon, nor can any
tongue tell, what hath befallen Thy chosen ones during
all this time. They could obtain no shelter, nor
find any refuge in which they could abide in safety.
Turn, then, O my God, their fear into the evidences
of Thy peace and Thy security, and their abasement
into the sovereignty of Thy glory, and their poverty
into Thine all-sufficient riches, and their distress into
the wonders of Thy perfect tranquillity. Vouchsafe
unto them the fragrances of Thy might and Thy
mercy, and send down upon them, out of Thy marvelous
loving-kindness, what will enable them to dispense
with all except Thee, and will detach them
from aught save Thyself, that the sovereignty of Thy
oneness may be revealed and the supremacy of Thy
grace and Thy bounty demonstrated.
Wilt Thou not, O my God, look upon the tears
which Thy loved ones have shed? Wilt Thou not pity,
O my Beloved, the eyes which have been dimmed by
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reason of their separation from Thee, and because of
the cessation of the signs of Thy victory? Wilt Thou
not behold, O my Master, the hearts wherein have
beaten the wings of the dove of longing and love for
Thee? By Thy glory! Things have come to such a pass
that hope hath well nigh been banished from the
hearts of Thy chosen ones, and the breaths of despair
are ready to seize them, by reason of what hath befallen
them in Thy days.
Behold me, then, O my God, how I have fled from
myself unto Thee, and have abandoned my own being
that I may attain unto the splendors of the light of
Thy Being, and have forsaken all that keepeth me
back from Thee, and maketh me forgetful of Thee,
in order that I may inhale the fragrances of Thy
presence and Thy remembrance. Behold how I have
stepped upon the dust of the city of Thy forgiveness
and Thy bounty, and dwelt within the precincts of
Thy transcendent mercy, and have besought Thee,
through the sovereignty of Him Who is Thy Remembrance
and Who hath appeared in the robe of Thy
most pure and most august Beauty, to send down, in
the course of this year, upon Thy loved ones what
will enable them to dispense with any one except
Thee, and will set them free to recognize the evidences
of Thy sovereign will and all-conquering purpose, in
such wise that they will seek only what Thou didst
wish for them through Thy bidding, and will desire
naught except what Thou didst desire for them
through Thy will. Sanctify, then, their eyes, O my
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God, that they may behold the light of Thy Beauty,
and purge their ears, that they may listen to the melodies
of the Dove of Thy transcendent oneness. Flood,
then, their hearts with the wonders of Thy love, and
preserve their tongues from mentioning any one save
Thee, and guard their faces from turning to aught
else except Thyself. Potent art Thou to do what
pleaseth Thee. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Protect, moreover, O my Beloved, through Thy
love for them and through the love they bear to Thee,
this servant, who hath sacrificed his all for Thee, and
expended whatsoever Thou hast given him in the
path of Thy love and Thy good pleasure, and preserve
him from all that Thou abhorrest, and from whatsoever
may hinder him from entering into the Tabernacle
of Thy holy sovereignty, and from attaining
the seat of Thy transcendent oneness. Number him,
then, O my God, with such as have allowed nothing
whatever to deter them from beholding Thy beauty,
or from meditating on the wondrous evidences of
Thine everlasting handiwork, that he may have fellowship
with none except Thee, and turn to naught
save Thyself, and discover in whatever hath been
created by Thee in the kingdoms of earth and heaven
nothing but Thy wondrous Beauty and the revelation
of the splendors of Thy face, and be so immersed beneath
the billowing oceans of Thine overruling providence
and the surging seas of Thy holy unity, that he
will forget every mention except the mention of Thy
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transcendent oneness, and banish from his soul the
traces of all evil suggestions, O Thou in Whose hands
are the kingdoms of all names and attributes!
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who art the Goal
of my desire! I swear by Thy glory! How great is
my wish to attain unto a detachment so complete
that were there to appear before me those countenances
which are hid within the chambers of chastity,
and the beauty of which Thou didst veil from
the eyes of the entire creation, and whose faces Thou
didst sanctify from the sight of all beings, and were
they to unveil themselves in all the glory of the splendors
of Thine incomparable beauty, I would refuse to
look upon them, and would behold them solely for
the purpose of discerning the mysteries of Thy handiwork,
which have perplexed the minds of such as
have drawn nigh unto Thee, and awed the souls of all
them that have recognized Thee. I would, by Thy
power and Thy might, soar to such heights that nothing
whatsoever would have the power to keep me
back from the manifold evidences of Thy transcendent
dominion, nor would any earthly scheme
shut me out from the manifestations of Thy Divine
holiness.
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O my
God, and my Beloved, and my Master, and my Desire!
Shatter not the hopes of this lowly one to attain the
shores of Thy glory, and deprive not this wretched
creature of the immensities of Thy riches, and cast
not away this suppliant from the doors of Thy grace,
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and Thy bounty, and Thy gifts. Have mercy, then,
upon this poor and desolate soul who hath sought no
friend but Thee, and no companion except Thee, and
no comforter save Thee, and no beloved apart from
Thee, nor cherished any desire but Thyself.
Cast, then, upon me, O my God, the glances of
Thy mercy, and forgive me my trespasses and the
trespasses of them that are dear to Thee, and which
come in between us and the revelation of Thy triumph
and Thy grace. Cancel Thou, moreover, our
sins which have shut off our faces from the splendors
of the Day-Star of Thy favors. Powerful art Thou
to do Thy pleasure. Thou ordainest what Thou willest,
and art not asked of what Thou wishest through
the power of Thy sovereignty, nor canst Thou be
frustrated in whatsoever Thou prescribest through
Thine irrevocable decree. No God is there save Thee,
the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the Ever-living,
the Most Compassionate.