Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Excerpts from the Bahá’í Sacred Writings
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PART ONE
THE Bahá’í REVELATION
10 THE Bahá’í WORLD
An ornamental eagle infront of an entrance to the courtyard Of the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjz’.
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EXCERPTS FROM THE Bahá’í SACRED
WRITINGS
1. BAHA’U’LLAH
EXTRACTS FROM THE KITA'B-I—AQDAS
37 Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor. We pray God that He may graciously assist him to retract and repudiate such claim. Should he repent, God Will, no doubt, forgive him. If, however, he persisteth in his error, God Will, assuredly, send down one Who Will deal mercilessly With him. Terrible, indeed, is God in punishing! Whosoever interpreteth this verse otherwise than its obvious meaning is deprived of the Spirit of God and of His mercy Which enoompasseth all created things. Fear God, and follow not your idle fancies. Nay, rather, follow the bidding of your Lord, the A1rnighty, the All—Wise. Erelong shall Glamorous voices be raised in most lands. Shun them, 0 My people, and follow not the iniquitous and eVil—hearted. This is that of Which We gave you forewarning When We were dwelling in ‘Iráq, then later While in the Land of Mystery, and now from this Resplendent Spot
38 Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, When the day—star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are With you at all times, and shall strengthen
you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me Will arise and serve Me With such determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat his purpose.
53 Should differences arise amongst you over any matter, refer it to God while the Sun still shineth above the horizon of this Heaven and, When it hath set, refer ye to whatsoever hath been sent down by Him. This, verily, is sufficient unto the peoples of the world. Say: Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, When the glory of My Presence is Withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a Wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever Will arise for the triumph of Our Cause With the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.
58 Beware lest the desires of the flesh and of a corrupt inclination provoke divisions among you. Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one body. Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation, if ye be of them that believe.
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12 THE Bahá’í WORLD
105 Whoso interpreteth What hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book.
121 When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, tum your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.
132 O peoples of the world! Give ear unto the call of Him Who is the Lord of Names, Who proclaimeth unto you from His habitation in the Most Great Prison: “Verily, no God is there but Me, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All—Subduing, the Most Exalted, the Omniscient, the All—Wise.” In tiuth, there is no God but Him, the Omnipotent Ruler of the worlds. Were it His Will, He would, through but a single word proceeding from His presence, lay hold on all mankind. Beware lest ye hesitate in your acceptance of this Cause—a Cause before Which the Concourse on high and the dwellers of the Cities of Names have bowed down. F ear God, and be not of those Who are shut out as by a veil. Bum ye away the veils with the fire of My love, and dispel ye the mists of vain imaginings by the power of this Name through Which We have subdued the entire creation.
161 Blessed is the man that hath acknowledged his belief in God and in His signs, and recognized that “He shall not be asked of His doings”. Such a recognition hath been made by God the ornament of every belief and its very foundation. Upon it must depend the acceptance of every goodly deed. Fasten your eyes upon it, that haply the Whisperings of the rebellious may not cause you to slip.
162 Were He to decree as lawful the thing Which from time immemorial had been forbidden, and forbid that Which had, at all
times, been regarded as lawful, to none is given the right to question His authority. Whoso will hesitate, though it be for less than a moment, should be regarded as a transgressor.
163 Whoso hath not recognized this sublime and fundamental verity, and hath failed to attain this most exalted station, the Winds of doubt Will agitate him, and the sayings of the infidels Will distract his soul. He that hath acknowledged this principle Will be endowed With the most perfect constancy. All honour to this all-glorious station, the remembrance of Which adometh eveiy exalted Tablet. Such is the teaching Which God bestoweth on you, a teaching that Will deliver you from all manner of doubt and peiplexity, and enable you to attain unto salvation in both this world and the next. He, verily, is the Ever—Forgiving, the Most Bountiful. He it is Who hath sent forth the Messengers, and sent down the Books to proclaim “There is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All—Wise”.
174 O people of the world! When the Mystic Dove Will have Winged its flight from its Sanctuaiy of Praise and sought its far-off goal, its hidden habitation, refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to Him Who hath branched from this mighty Stock.
175 0 Pen of the Most High! Move Thou upon the Tablet at the bidding of Thy Lord, the Creator of the Heavens, and tell of the time When He Who is the Dayspring of Divine Unity puiposed to direct His steps towards the School of Transeendent Oneness; haply the pure in heart may gain thereby a glimpse, be it as small as a needle’s eye, of the mysteries of Thy Lord, the Almighty, the Omniscient, that lie concealed behind the veils. Say: We, indeed, set foot Within the School of inner meaning and explanation When all created things were unaware. We saw the words sent down by
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THE Bahá’í REVELATION 13
The doorway into the courtyard of the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh at Mazra ‘z'h.
Him Who is the All—Mercifill, and We accepted the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the Self—Subsisting, which He1 presented unto Us, and hearkened unto that which He had solemnly affirmed in the Tablet. This We assuredly did behold. And We assented to His wish through Our behest, for truly We are potent to command.
1 The Báb.
176 O people of the Bayan! We, verily, set foot within the School of God when ye lay slumbering; and We perused the Tablet while ye were fast asleep. By the one true God! We read the Tablet ere it was revealed, While ye were unaware, and We had perfect knowledge of the Book when ye were yet unborn. These words are to your measure, not to God’s. To this testifieth that which is enshrined within His knowledge, if ye be of
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14 THE BAHA’I WORLD
them that comprehend; and to this the tongue of the Almighty doth bear witness, if ye be of those who understand. I swear by God, were We to lift the veil, ye would be dumbfounded.
177 Take heed that ye dispute not idly concerning the Almighty and His Cause, for 10! He hath appeared amongst you invested with a Revelation so great as to encompass all things, whether of the past or of the future. Were We to address Our theme by speaking in the language of the inmates of
the Kingdom, We would say: “In truth, God created that School ere He created heaven and earth, and We entered it before the letters B and E were joined and knit together.” Such is the language of Our servants in Our Kingdom; consider what the tongue of the dwellers of Our exalted Dominion would utter, for We have taught them Our knowledge and have revealed to the"rn,whatever had lain hidden in God’s wisdom. Imagine then What the Tongue of Might and Grandeur would utter in His AllGlorious Abode!
EXCERPT FROM THE LAWH-I—RA’IS, TRANSLATED FROM THE PERSIAN
WHEN I was still a child and had not yet attained the age of maturity, My father decided to make arrangements in Tihran for the marriage of a grown-up brother of Mine; and as is customary in that city, the wedding festivities lasted for seven days and nights. On the last day it was announced that a special entertainment named after Sháh Sultan Salim would be presented on that same day. A large number of princes, dignitaries, and prominent people of the capital were present for the occasion, and I ascended to one of the upper rooms of the building where I sat down to observe the scene. Presently a tent was pitched in the courtyard, and before long some small figures in human form, each of which seemed no more than about a handspan in height, came out of the tent, and raised the call “The Sultan is coming! Set out the chairs!” Other figures then emerged, some of whom were seen to be engaged in sweeping, others in sprinkling water, and thereafter another character, who was pronounced to be the chief herald, raised up his voice and bade the people assemble for an audience with the king. Next, three groups of figures made their appearance and took their places, the first group attired in hats
and cummerbunds after the Persian fashion, the second wielding battle-axes, and the third comprising a number of sergeants-at—arms and executioners bearing clubs and canes. Finally a splendid figure, arrayed in regal majesty, wearing a kingly diadem upon his head, and bearing himself with the utmost haughtiness and grandeur—now advancing, now pausing in his progress—came strutting onto the scene and, with unparalleled solemnity, gravity, and sedateness, proceeded to seat himself upon a throne, whereupon a volley of shots was fired, a fanfare of tiumpets was sounded, and the king and tent were enveloped in a pall of smoke.
When the smoke had cleared, the king was seen to be ensconced upon his throne and surrounded by a suite of ministers, princes, and dignitaries of state who, having taken their places, were standing at attention in his presence. At this moment a captured thief was brought before the king, who gave the order that the offender should be beheaded. Without a moment’s delay the chief executioner proceeded to execute upon him the royal sentence, whereupon a red—coloured liquid resembling blood came trickling from his headless torso. This done, the king fell
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THE Bahá’í REVELATION 15
into conversation with those in attendance, and while he was thus engaged, intelligence arrived that rebellion had broken out on such and such a frontier. Thereupon the king reviewed his troops and despatched several regiments supported by units of artillery to quell the uprising. A few minutes later cannons were heard booming from behind the tent, and it was announced that the king’s troops were at that moment engaged in battle with the insurgents.
I was greatly perplexed and bewildered to conceive the nature of this spectacle. When the show was over, the curtain of the tent was drawn. Then, after some twenty minutes, a man emerged from behind the tent canying a box under his arm.
“What is this box?” I asked him, “and what was the nature of this display?”
“All these lavish trappings,” he replied, “the king, the princes, and the ministers, their pomp and gloiy> their might and power, everything you saw, are all now contained within this box.”
I swear by My Lord Who hath brought into being all things through a single word from Him that, ever since that day, all the trappings of the world have seemed in the
eyes of this Youth akin to that same spectacle. They have never been, nor will ever be, possessed of any weight, though it be to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. How greatly I used to marvel that men would pride themselves upon such vanities, whilst those possessed of insight, ere they witness any evidence of human glory, perceive with certainty the inevitability of its waning. “Never have I looked upon any thing save that I have seen extinction before it; and God, verily, is a sufficient witness.”
It behoveth everyone to traverse this brief span of life With sincerity and fairness. Should one fail to attain unto the recognition of Him Who is the Eternal Tmth, let him at least comport himself with reason and justice. Erelong these outward trappings, these heaped-up treasures, these earthly vanities, these amassed battalions, this gorgeous finely, these proud and overweening soulsall shall pass into the confines of the grave, as though into that box. In the eyes of those possessed of insight, all this conflict, dissension and vainglory hath been, and will ever be, like unto the sport of Children. Take thou good heed, and be not of those who see and yet deny.
I
THE BAHA’I WORLD
16
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THE Bahá’í REVELATION 17
2. THE BAB
EXCERPTS FROM THE QAYYUMU’L—ASMA’ (SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE BA‘B)
O PEOPLES of the world! Whatsoever ye have offered up in the way of the One Tiue God, ye shall indeed find preserved by God, the Preserver, intact at God’s Holy Gate. O peoples of the earth! Bear ye allegiance unto this resplendent light wherewith God hath graciously invested Me through the power of infallible Truth, and walk not in the footsteps of the Evil One,1 inasmuch as he prompteth you to disbelieve in God, your Lord, and verily God will not forgive disbelief in Himself, though He Will forgive other sins to Whomsoever He pleaseth.2 Indeed His knowledge embraceth all things. .. ( C11 ap ter XVII.)
O PEOPLES of the East and the West! Be ye fearful of God concerning the Cause of the hue Joseph and barter Him not for a paltry price3 established by yourselves, or for a trifle of your earthly possessions, that ye may, in very truth, be praised by Him as those Who are reckoned among the pious Who stand nigh unto this Gate. (ChapterXXI)
o QURRATU’L-‘AYNl4 We have, verily, dilated Thine heart in this Revelation, Which stands truly unique from all created things, and have exalted Thy name through the manifestation of the Báb, so that men may become aware of Our transcendent power, and recognize that God is immeasurably
1 Cf. Qur’án 2:204.
2 cf. ibid. 4:51.
3 cf. ibid. 12:20.
4 In these passages of the Qayyumu’l—Asmá’ the name Qun'atu’l-‘Ayn (Solace of the Eyes) refers to the Báb Himself.
sanctified above the praise of all men. He is verily independent of the Whole of creation. (Chapter XXIII.)
ISSUE forth from your cities, O peoples of the West and aid God ere the Day When the Lord of mercy shall come down unto you in the shadow of the clouds With the angels Circling around Him,5 exalting His praise and seeking forgiveness for such as have truly believed in Our signs. Verily His decree hath been issued, and the command of God, as given in the Mother Book, hath indeed been revealed. . .
Become as true brethren in the one and indiyisible religion of God, free from distinction, for verily God desireth that your heaits should become mirrors unto your brethren in the Faith, so that ye find yourselves reflected in them, and they in you. This is the true Path of God, the Almighty, and He is indeed watchful over your actions. (Chapter XL VI.)
BE Thou patient, 0 Qurratu’l—‘Ayn, for God hath indeed pledged to establish Thy sovereignty throughout all countries and over the people that dwell therein. He is God and verily He is powerful over all things. (Chapter LIII.)
THIS divinely-inspired Book hath firmly established His Proof for all those Who are in the East and in the West, hence beware lest ye utter aught but the truth regarding God, for I swear by your Lord that this supreme Proof of Mine beareth Witness unto all things...
5 cf. Qur’án 2:206.
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18 THE Bahá’í WORLD
0 servants of God! Be ye patient, for, God grant, He Who is the sovereign Truth Will suddenly appear amongst you, invested with the power of the mighty Word, and ye shall then be confounded by the Truth itself, and ye shall have no power to ward it off,1 and verily I am a witness over all mankind. (Chapter LIX)
THE infidels of a truth, seek to separate God from His Remembrance,2 but God hath determined to perfect His Light3 through His Remembrance, and indeed He is potent over all things. . . (Chapter LXI.)
O PEOPLES of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of God hath appeared in your midst, invested with this unerring Book, that ye may be guided aright to the ways of peace and, by the leave of God, step out of the darkness into the light and onto this far-extended Path of Truth4. ..
God hath, out of sheer nothingness and through the potency of His command, created the heavens and the earth and whatever lieth between them. He is single and peerless in His eternal unity with none to join partner with His holy Essence, nor is there any soul, except His Own Self, who can befittingly comprehend Him. ..
O peoples of the earth! Verily His Remembrance is come to you from God after an interval during which there were no Messengers,5 that He may purge and purify you from uncleanliness in anticipation of the Day of the One true God; therefore seek ye whole~heartedly divine blessings from Him, inasmuch as We have, in truth, chosen Him to be the Witness and the Source of wisdom unto all that dwell on earth. ..
O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Proclaim that Which hath been sent down unto Thee as a token of the grace of the merciful Lord, for if Thou
1 cf. Qur’án 21:40. 2 cf. ibid. 4:149.
3 cf. ibid. 9:32.
4 cf. ibid. 5:15—18. 5 cf. ibid. 5:22.
do it not, Our secret will never be made known to the people,6 while the purpose of God in creating man is but for him to know Him. Indeed God hath knowledge of all things and is self-sufficient above the need of all mankind. (Chapter LXII.)
WHENEVER the faithful hear the verses of this Book being recited, their eyes will overflow with tears and their hearts will be deeply touched by Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance for the love they cherish for God, the All—Praised. He is God, the All-Knowing, the Eternal. They are indeed the inmates of the all—highest Paradise wherein they will abide for ever. Verily they will see naught therein save that which hath proceeded from God, nothing that will lie beyond the compass of their understanding. There they Will meet the believers in Paradise, Who will address them With the words ‘Peace, Peace’ lingering on their lips. ..
O concourse of the faithfiil! Incline your ears to My Voice, proclaimed by this Remembrance of God. Verily God hath revealed unto Me that the Path of the Remembrance which is set forth by Me is, in very truth, the straight Path of God, and that whoever professeth any religion other than this upright Faith, will, when called to account on the Day of Judgement, discover that as recorded in the Book no benefit hath he reaped out of God’s Religion. ..
Fear ye God, O concourse of kings, lest ye remain afar from Him Who is His Remembrance [the Báb], after the Truth hath come unto you with a Book and signs from God, as spoken through the wondrous tongue of Him Who is His Remembrance. Seek ye grace from God, for God hath ordained for you, after ye have believed in Him, a Garden the vastness of which is as the vastness of the Whole of Paradise. Therein ye shall find naught save the gifts and favours which the Almighty hath graciously bestowed by virtue of this momentous Cause, as decreed in the Mother Book. (Chapter LX111.)
6 cf. ibid. 5:71.
THE Bahá’í REVELATION 19
SAY, O peoples of the world! Do ye dispute with Me about God by Viitue of the names Which ye and your fathers have adopted for Him at the promptings of the Evil One?1 God hath indeed sent down this Book unto Me with truth that ye may be enabled to recognize the true names of God, inasmuch as ye have strayed in error far from the Tmth. Veiily We have taken a covenant from every created thing upon its coming into being conceming the Remembrance of God, and there shall be none to avert the binding command of God for the puiification of mankind, as ordained in the Book Which is written by the hand of the Báb. (Chapter LXVIH.)
DOTH it seem strange to the people that We should have revealed the Book to a man from among themselves in order to purge them and give them the good tidings that
1 ct‘. Qur’ém 7:69; 12:40.
Detail Ofone Ofthe columns along the arcade Of the Shrine Ofthe Báb.
they shall be rewarded With a sure stance in the presence of their Lord? He indeed beareth witness unto all things. ..
When the verses of this Book are recited to the infidels they say: ‘Give us a book like the Qur’án and make changes in the verses.’ Say: ‘God hath not given Me that I should change them at My pleasure.’ I follow only What is revealed unto Me. Verily, I shall fear My Lord on the Day of Separation, Whose advent He hath, in very tmth, irrevocably ordained.2 (Chapter LXXI.)
O PEOPLES of the eaith! Verily the two God calleth saying: He Who is the Remembrance is indeed the sovereign Truth from God, and naught remaineth beyond truth but error,3 and naught is there beyond CITOI‘ save fire, irrevocably ordained. ..
2 cf. Qur’éin 10:16. 3 cf. ibid. 10:33.
20 THE BAHA’l WORLD
0 Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Point to Thy tiuthful breast through the power of truth and exclaim: I swear by the One tine God, herein lieth the Vicegerency of God; I am indeed the One Who is regarded as the Best Reward1 and I am indeed He Who is the Most Excellent Abode. (Chapter LXXH.)
O YE concourse of the believers! Utter not words of denial against Me once the Truth is made manifest, for indeed the mandate of the Báb hath befittingly been proclaimed unto you in the Qur’án aforetime. I swear by your Lord, this Book is verily the same Qur’án Which was sent down in the past. (Chapter LWI.)
HAD it been Our Wish, We would have brought all men into one fold round Our Remembrance, yet they Will not cease to differ,2 unless God accomplish what He Willeth through the power of truth. In the estimation of the Remembrance this commandment hath, in very truth, been irrevocably ordained. ..
God hath indeed Chosen Thee to wam the people, to guide the believers aright and to elucidate the secrets of the Book. (Chapter LXXXV.)
SHOULD it be Our Wish, it is in Our power to compel, through the agency of but one letter of Our Revelation, the world and all that is therein to recognize, in less than the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause. . .. Truly other apostles have been laughed to scorn before Thee,3 and Thou art none other but the Servant of God, sustained by the power of Truth. Ere long We shall prolong the days of such as have rejected the Truth by reason of that Which their hands have wrought,4 and verily God Will not deal unjustly With anyone, even to the extent of a speck on a date-stone. (Chapter LXXXVH.)
1 cf. Qur’án18z42. 2 cfiibid. 11:120. 3 cf. ibid. 6:10.
4 cf. ibid. 3:172.
O YE peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God, the True One, the testimony shown forth by His Remembrance is like unto a sun Which the hand of the merciful Lord hath raised high in the midmost heart of the heaven, Wherefrom it shineth in the plenitude of its meridian splendour. ..
With each and every Prophet Whom We have sent down in the past, We have established a separate Covenant concerning the Remembrance of God and His Day. Manifest, in the realm of glory and through the power of truth, are the Remembrance of God and His Day before the eyes of the angels that circle His mercy—seat. (Chapter X C]. )
0 HOUR of the Dawn! Ere the resplendent glory of the divine Luminary sheddeth its radiance from the Dayspring of this Gate, call thou to mind that the appointed Day of God Will indeed be at hand in less than a twinkling of an eye. Thus hath the decree of God been issued in the Mother Book. (Chapter X C] V.)
GOD had, in truth, proposed Our Mission unto the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid thereof. However, Man, this ‘Ali, Who is none other but the Great Remembrance of God, undertook to bear it. Hence God, the All-Encompassing, hath referred to Him in His Preserved Book as the ‘Wronged One’, and by reason of His being undistinguished before the eyes of men, He hath, according to the judgement of the Book, been entitled ‘the Unknown’. . .5
Erelong We Will, in very truth, torment such as waged war against Husayn [Imam Husayn], in the Land of the Euphrates, With the most afflictive torment, and the most dire and exemplary punishment. . ..
God knoweth well the heart of Husayn, the heat of His burning thirst and His longsuffering for the sake of God, the Incomparable, the Ancient of Days; and unto Him God is verily a Witness. (Chapter X11)
5 cf. Qur’án 33:72.
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THIS Book which We have sent down is indeed abounding in blessings1 and beareth witness to the Truth, so that the people may realize that the conclusive Proof of God in favour of His Remembrance is similar to the one wherewith Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, was invested, and verily great is the Cause as ordained in the Mother Book. (Chapter LXVI.)
WE have in truth sent Thee forth unto all men, by the leave of God, invested with Our signs and reinforced by Our unsurpassed sovereignty. He is indeed the appointed Bearer of the Trust of God. ..
O Qurratu’l—‘Ayn! Persevere steadfastly as Thou art hidden and let not the faithless amongst men nor their utterances grieve Thee, since Thy Lord shall, by the righteousness of God, the Most Great, pass judgement upon them on the Day of Resurrection, and surely God witnesseth all things. (Chapter LXXXIV.)
THIS Religion is indeed, in the sight of God, the essence of the Faith of Muhammad; haste ye then to attain the celestial Paradise and the all-highest Garden of His goodpleasure in the presence of the One True God, could ye but be patient and thankful before the evidences of the signs of God. (Chapter XL VIII.)
0 MY seiyants! This is God’s appointed Day which the merciful Lord hath promised you in His Book; wherefore, in very tiuth, glorify ye abundantly the name of God while treading the Path of the Most Great Remembrance. .. Verily God hath granted leave to His Remembrance to say whatsoever He Willeth in whatever manner He pleaseth. Indeed whatsoever He chooseth is none other than what is Chosen by Us. The Lord, in truth, Witnesseth all things. (Chapter LCCCVII.)
1 cf. Qur’án 6:93.
INDEED We conversed with Moses by the leave of God from the midst of the Burning Bush in the Sinai and revealed an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy Light upon the Mystic Mount and its dwellers, whereupon the Mount shook to its foundations and was crushed into dust. ..
O peoples of the earth! I swear by your Lord! Ye shall act as former generations have acted. Warn ye, then, yourselves of the terrible, the most grievous vengeance of God. For God is, verily, potent over all things. (ChapterLIII)
O QURRATU’L-‘AYN! I recognize in Thee none other except the ‘Great Announcement’——the Announcement voiced by the Concourse on high. By this name, I bear Witness, they that circle the Throne of Glory have ever known Thee.
O concourse of the believers! Do ye harbour any doubt as to that whereunto the Remembrance of God doth summon you? By the righteousness of the One true God, He is none other than the sovereign Tiuth Who hath been made manifest through the power of Truth. Are ye in doubt concerning the Báb? Verily He is the One Who holdeth, by Our leave, the kingdoms of earth and heaven in His grasp, and the Lord is in tiuth fully aware of what ye are doing. ..
Indeed I am but a man like unto you. However; God bestoweth upon Me whatever favours He Willeth as He pleaseth, and that which your Lord hath decreed in the Mother Book is unbounded. (Chapter LXKXVIII.)
O QURRATU’L—‘AYN! Say: Verily I am the One Who is hailed in the Mother Book as the ‘Great Announcement’. Say: The people have grievously differed over Me, whereas in tiuth there is no difference between Me and the Báb; and God, the Eternal Truth, is sufficient witness. (Chapter LXXVII.)
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THE BAHA’I WORLD
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THE BAHA’t REVELATION 23
3. ‘ABDU’L-BAHA
DEARLY loved friends of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
Your letter bearing the happy news of the election of the Spiritual Assembly hath arrived, affording great pleasure in the knowledge thatmpraise be to God!——the friends in your area have conducted the election in a spirit of the utmost fellowship, concord and amity, and have been successful in electing consecrated souls and wellfavoured servants of His heavenly Threshold whose firmness in the Covenant is acknowledged by the generality of the believers. Now, with all radiance, joy and heartfelt devotion, attracted by the fragrances of God and the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, the members of this newly elected Assembly must devote themselves to service; and, in
SOON will the Western regions become as radiant as the horizons of the East, and the Sun of Truth shine forth with a refulgence that will cause the darkness of error to fade away and vanish. Great is the multitude who will rise up to oppose you, who will oppress you, heap blame upon you, rejoice at your misfortunes, account you people to be shunned, and Visit injury upon you; yet shall your heavenly Father confer upon you such spiritual illumination that ye shall become even as the rays of the sun Which, as they chase away the sombre clouds, break forth to flood the surface of the earth with light. It is incumbent upon you, whensoever these tests may overtake you, to stand firm, and to be patient and enduring. Instead of repaying like with like, ye should requite opposition with the utmost benevolence and lovingkindness, and on no account attach
their efforts to raise on high the Word of God, to shed abroad His holy fragrances, to educate the souls of men, and to promulgate the Most Great Peace, they must become standard-bearers of guidance, and ensigns of the Concourse on high. Truly, those who have been elected are blessed, holy souls. When I read their names, my heart was immediately filled with joy, joy at the tidings that—praise be unto Godl—souls have been raised up in that land who are servants of the Kingdom, and Who stand ready to lay down their lives in the way of the Peerless King.
From a Tablet dated 29 May 1907 to the Assembly of Chicago.
importance to cruelties and injuries, but rather regard them as the wanton acts of children. For ultimately the radiance of the Kingdom will overwhelm the darkness of the world of being, and the holy, exalted character of your aims will become unmistakably apparent. Nothing shall remain concealed: the olive oil, though stored within the deepest vault, shall one day burn in brightness from the lamp atop the beacon. The small shall be made great, and the powerless shall be given strength; they that are of tender age shall become the children of the Kingdom, and those that have gone astray shall be guided to their heavenly home.
From a Tablet dated 14 November 1909 to an individal, published in Crisis and Victory (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1988), p. 24.
24 THE BAHA’l WORLD
III
ERELON G the wicked-doers in that land will arise to heap denunciations upon the true believers, and vent their spite upon the company of the faithful. Each day they will inflict a galling wound, each hour a stunning blow. Rebuking the friends for the love they bear Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, they Will consider justified their denunciations, their scorn and malice, and spare no effort to do the friends Whatever injury it lieth within their power to inflict. Such conduct is at one with the modes and practices of the people aforetime: in bygone centuries, in the days of the appearance of
the holy Manifestations, the people acted in just this manner; and now, in these days, it is inevitable that they will repeat such actions, nay, act With greater perversity than before. .. Hence it is certain that thou Wilt be afflicted With adversities, tests and injuries for the sake of the Blessed Beauty; yet these afflictions shall be the purest bounties and bestowals, and a token of thy acceptance at the Divine Threshold.
From an undated Tablet to an individual, published in Crisis and Vict01y(London: 1988), p. 6.
IV
D THOU Pure and Omnipotent God! 0 Thou my kind Lord! Grant us such power as to enable us to Withstand the perils of the entire world, and give us such might as to cause the waves of our endeavours, like unto
O YE denizens of the Kingdom!
How many are those Who devote their lifetime to pious worship and to ascetioism, cherishing the ardent desire for admission into the Kingdom. Yet they all failed. However, ye have achieved this goal and entered the Kingdom without any toil or hardship even as, in the days of Christ, the Pharisees and the priests were denied access to the Kingdom while Peter, John and Andrew attained thereto though they were neither fanatical worshippers nor asoetics. Therefore render ye thanks unto God, Who hath crowned you with this diadem of eternal glory and vouchsafed these endless favours
the Pacific Ocean, to reach the shores of both East and West.
From a Tablet to an individual.
unto you. It is high time that ye should, in recognition of these manifold bounties, set your hearts firmly upon Him, draw nearer unto His court and become so captivated and inflamed that the music of the hymns ye sing in praise of the Desired One may ascend unto the Celestial Concourse, that each one of you may, even as a nightingale, warble melodies in glorification of the Lord of Hosts and be enabled to foster the education of all mankind.
From a Tablet to the friends in Switzerland and Germany.
[Page 25]
THE Bahá’í REVELATION 25
Detail Ofthe House of 'Ade ’lláh Pdglgd, in ‘Akká.
.. .THOU shouldst initially adopt that course of pmdence that the Faith enjoins. In the early stages, thou shouldst seek out the company of the eminent members of the populace and, turning thyself in utter lowliness to the unseen realm of Glory, thou shouldst pray for succour and protection so that the Holy Spirit may, through the outpourings of its grace, grant thee its assistance. When, by thy godly conduct and
demeanour, thy fervour, thy chaste and lucid utterance, thou shalt have succeeded in Winning the affection of one and all, then shall the portals of heavenly guidance be opened Wide; then shall the bounteous cup be home around and all the souls that drink therefrom be inebriated With the Wine of holy mysteries and truths.
From a Tablet to an individual.
26 THE BAHA’l WORLD
VII
YE should strive to widen the circle of those With whom ye enj 0y friendly relations, and to establish the closest contact with those benevolent souls whose only thought is to do good, who are labouring in the cause of universal peace, and who cherish no desire but to witness the unification of the world of humanity. Ye should seek out the company of such people as these, that ye may imbue them with an awareness of the heavenly Kingdom, for albeit their motives
are of the finest, yet they do not realize that all the powers of the earth are impotent either to establish universal peace or to promote the oneness of the human world. Nothing short of the power of the Word of God and the breaths of the Holy Spirit can ever succeed.
From a Tablet dated 13 July 1912 to the Assembly of New York.
VIII
0 THOU who at turning unto theKingdom of God!
Thy letter hath been received and perused. It afforded us joy and pleasure, gave us good news and is a token of the wealth of thy love. This period of time is the Promised Age, the assembling of the human race to the Resurrection Day and now is the great Day of Judgement. Soon the Whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the wintertime is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand. The black earth is becoming a verdant garden; the deseits and mountains are teeming with red flowers; from the borders of the Wilderness the tall grasses are standing like advance guards before the cypress and jessamine trees; While the birds are singing among the rose branches like the angels in the highest heavens, announcing the glad—tidings Of the approach of that spiritual spring, and the
sweet music of their voices is causing the real essence of all things to move and quiver.
O my spiritual friend! Dost thou know from what airs emanate the notes sung by those birds? They are from the melodies of peace and reconciliation, of love and unity, of justice and security, of concord and harmony. In a short time this heavenly singing will intoxicate all humanity; the foundations of enmity shall be destroyed; unity and affection shall be witnessed in every assembly; and the splendours Of the love of God will shine forth in these great festivals.
Therefore, contemplate what a spirit of life God hath given that the body of the Whole earth may attain life everlasting! The Abhá Paradise will soon spread a pavilion in the midmost heat of the world, under whose shelter the beloved shall rejoice and the pure hearts shall repose in peace.
From a Tablet dated 1903 to an individual.
THE Bahá’í REVELATION 27
IX
0 FRIENDS of God!
Do ye know in what cycle ye are created and in what age ye exist? This is the age of the Blessed Perfection and this is the time of the Greatest Name! This is the century of the Manifestation, the age of the Sun of all hori20113 and the beautiful springtime of the Eternal One!
The earth is in motion and growth; the mountains, hills and prairies are green and pleasant; bounty is overflowing; mercy universal; rain is descending from the clouds of compassion; the brilliant sun is shining; the full moon adorneth the ethereal horizon; the great ocean-tide is flooding every little stream; gifts and favours follow one upon the other and a refreshing breeze is blowing, waiting the fragrant perfume of the blossoms.
If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for What other time shall we look?
0 YE beloved friends of God and handmaids of the Merciful!
Call ye to mind the blessed Name of our peerless Beloved, the Abhá Beauty, in an uplifting spirit of unbounded ecstasy and delight, then unloose your tongues in His praise in such wise that the realm of the heart may be purged from the woes and sorrows of the world of water and clay, that the great heights of spiritual perception may be unveiled before your eyes, that the glorious signs of His Divine Unity may shine resplendent, a fresh outpouring of His grace may stream forth, and a liberal effusion of celestial confirmations may be vouchsafed unto you.
His Name is indeed the healing medicine for every illness, and imparteth warmth unto those starving With cold. It is the sovereign remedy and the supreme talisman. It is the
Boundless treasure is in the hand of the King of Kings! Lift the hem of thy garment to receive it.
This is the time for growing; the season for joyous gathering! Take the cup of the Testament in thy hand; leap and dance with ecstasy in the triumphal procession of the Covenant! Place your confidence in the everlasting bounty, turn to the presence of the generous God; ask assistance from the kingdom of Abhá; seek continuation from the Supreme World; turn thy Vision to the horizon of eternal wealth; and pray for help from the Source of Mercy!
Soon shall ye see the friends attaining their longed—for destination and pitching their tents, while we are but in the first day of our journey.
To the Assembly in Samarkand, Russia. New translation of a Tablet published earlier in T ablets of AbdulBalm Abbas, p. 641.
source of life in both worlds, and of salvation unto such as have gone astray. Today this hallowed Name serveth as a shield for all mankind, and as a veritable refuge for the children of men. It is the wondrous accent of the Lord of Mercy, and His celestial melody.
Wherefore, O faithful friends, raise ye the triumphal cry of Ya—Baha’u’l—Abhá! O ye Who yeam after the Beauty of the Almighty! Lift up your faces toward the Supreme Horizon. Rest not, even for a moment. Breathe not a single breath save in remembrance of His love and in recognition of His grace, in the promulgation of His Utterances and the Vindication of His Testimonies.
Verily, this is the Magnet of divine confirmations. This is the mighty Force which will surely attract heavenly assistance.
From a Tablet to a group of believers.
I
THE BAHA’I WORLD
28
‘sal House of Justice, 0n [Vlounr Carmel in Haifa, Israel.
1V8]
The Seat Ofthe Un
