Bahá’í World/Volume 7/Excerpts from Bahá’í Sacred Writings
EXCERPTS FROM BAHÁ’Í SACRED WRITINGS
PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS
BY BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
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.
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 (Riḍván) 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, 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.
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
Interior of room in Hájí Mírzá Jání’s house where the Báb stayed while in Káshán, Írán.
Interior of Vahid’s room in the Fortress of Khájih in Nayríz, Írán.
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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 hath illuminated the whole
world. No God is there beside Thee, the
Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving.
Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou art He Whom all things worship and Who worshipeth no one, Who is 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.
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 such as adore Thy unity may rejoice as 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.
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 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
The tomb of Manúchihr Khán, the Mu’tamidu’d-Dawlih, who befriended the Báb during His sojourn in Iṣfáhán, Írán.
Mural on the wall of Manúchihr Khán’s tomb, Írán.
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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.
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.
I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast to 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.
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 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 for 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.”
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
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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.
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.
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.
GLEANINGS FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
LAUDED and glorified art Thou, O Lord, my God! How can I make mention of Thee, assured as I am that no tongue, however deep its wisdom, can befittingly magnify Thy name, nor can the bird of the human heart, however great its longing, ever hope to ascend into the heaven of Thy majesty and knowledge.
If I describe Thee, O my God, as Him
Who is the All-Perceiving, I find myself
compelled to admit that They Who are the
highest Embodiments of perception have
been created by virtue of Thy behest. And
if I extol Thee as Him Who is the All-Wise,
I, likewise, am forced to recognize that the
Well Springs of wisdom have themselves
been generated through the operation of
Thy Will. And if I proclaim Thee as the
Incomparable One, I soon discover that they
Who are the inmost essence of oneness have
been sent down by Thee and are but the
evidences of Thine handiwork. And if I
acclaim Thee as the Knower of all things, I
must confess that they Who are the
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Quintessence of
knowledge are but the creation
and instruments of Thy Purpose.
Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the strivings of mortal man to unravel Thy mystery, to describe Thy glory, or even to hint at the nature of Thine Essence. For whatever such strivings may accomplish, they never can hope to transcend the limitations imposed upon Thy creatures, inasmuch as these efforts are actuated by Thy decree, and are begotten of Thine invention. The loftiest sentiments which the holiest of saints can express in praise of Thee, and the deepest wisdom which the most learned of men can utter in their attempts to comprehend Thy nature, all revolve around that Center Which is wholly subjected to Thy sovereignty, Which adoreth Thy Beauty, and is propelled through the movement of Thy Pen.
Nay, forbid it, O my God, that I should have uttered such words as must of necessity imply the existence of any direct relationship between the Pen of Thy Revelation and the essence of all created things. Far, far are They Who are related to Thee above the conception of such relationship! All comparisons and likenesses fail to do justice to the Tree of Thy Revelation, and every way is barred to the comprehension of the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Day Spring of Thy Beauty.
Far, far from Thy glory be what mortal man can affirm of Thee, or attribute unto Thee, or the praise with which he can glorify Thee! Whatever duty Thou hast prescribed unto Thy servants of extolling to the utmost Thy majesty and glory is but a token of Thy grace unto them, that they may be enabled to ascend unto the station conferred upon their own inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own selves.
No one else besides Thee hath, at any time, been able to fathom Thy mastery, or befittingly to extol Thy greatness. Unsearchable and high above the praise of men wilt Thou remain for ever. There is none other God but Thee, the Inaccessible, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the Holy of Holies.
The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and the end of all things is strict observance of whatsoever hath been sent down from the empyrean of the Divine Will that pervadeth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.
The Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been acclaimed as the Purpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God, and the most cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will of the Almighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto men. The advent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the sacred Scriptures. Behold how, notwithstanding such an announcement, mankind hath strayed from its path and shut out itself from its glory.
Say: O ye lovers of the One true God! Strive, that ye may truly recognize and know Him, and observe befittingly His precepts. This is a Revelation, under which, if a man shed for its sake one drop of blood, myriads of oceans will be his recompense. Take heed, O friends, that ye forfeit not so inestimable a benefit, or disregard its transcendent station. Consider the multitude of lives that have been, and are still being, sacrificed in a world deluded by a mere phantom which the vain imaginations of its peoples have conceived. Render thanks unto God, inasmuch as ye have attained unto your heart’s Desire, and been united to Him Who is the Promise of all nations. Guard ye, with the aid of the one true God—exalted be His glory—the integrity of the station which ye have attained, and cleave to that which shall promote His Cause. He, verily, enjoineth on you what is right and conducive to the exaltation of man’s station. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Revealer of this wondrous Tablet.
This is the Day in which God’s most
excellent favors have been poured out upon
men, the Day in which His most mighty
grace hath been infused into all created
things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples
of the world to reconcile their differences,
and, with perfect unity and peace,
abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care
and loving-kindness. It behooveth them to
cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be
conducive to the exaltation of their stations,
and to the promotion of their best interests.
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Happy are those
whom the all-glorious Pen
was moved to remember, and blessed are
those men whose names, by virtue of Our
inscrutable decree, We have preferred to
conceal.
Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfill that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.
This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God’s mercy hath been manifested unto men, the Day in which the Day Star of His loving-kindness hath shed its radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole of mankind. Now is the time to cheer and refresh the down-cast through the invigorating breeze of love and fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity.
They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and whomsoever they may meet, must evince, in their attitude towards God, and in the manner of their celebration of His praise and glory, such humility and submissiveness that every atom of the dust beneath their feet may attest the depth of their devotion. The conversation carried by these holy souls should be informed with such power that these same atoms of dust will be thrilled by its influence. They should conduct themselves in such manner that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to address to them such words as these: "I am to be preferred above you. For witness, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman layeth upon me. I am the instrument that continually imparteth unto all beings the blessings with which He Who is the Source of all grace hath entrusted me. Notwithstanding the honor conferred upon me, and the unnumbered evidences of my wealth—a wealth that supplieth the needs of all creation—behold the measure of my humility, witness with what absolute submissiveness I allow myself to be trodden beneath the feet of men. . . .”
Show forbearance and benevolence and love to one another. Should any one among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme kindliness and good-will. Help him to see and recognize the truth, without esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be possessed of greater endowments.
The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him. Let none, therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion of some might lie in the palm of a man’s hand, the portion of others might fill a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure.
Every eye, in this Day, should seek what will best promote the Cause of God. He, Who is the Eternal Truth, beareth Me witness! Nothing whatever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than dissension and strife, contention, estrangement and apathy, among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Beseech ye the one true God to grant that ye may taste the savor of such deeds as are performed in His path, and partake of the sweetness of such humility and submissiveness as are shown for His sake. Forget your own selves, and turn your eyes towards your neighbor. Bend your energies to whatever may foster the education of men. Nothing is, or can ever be, hidden from God. If ye follow in His way, His incalculable and imperishable blessings will be showered upon you. This is the luminous Tablet, whose verses have streamed from the moving Pen of Him Who is the Lord of all worlds. Ponder it in your hearts, and be ye of them that observe its precepts.
Behold, how the divers peoples
and kindreds of the earth
have been waiting for the
coming of the Promised One. No sooner
had He, Who is the Sun of Truth, been
made manifest, than, lo, all turned away
from Him, except them whom God was
pleased to guide. We dare not, in this Day,
lift the veil that concealeth the exalted
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station which
every true believer can attain, for
the joy which such a revelation
must provoke might well cause
a few to faint away and die.
He Who is the Heart and Center of the Bayán hath written: “The germ that holdeth within itself the potentialities of the Revelation that is to come is endowed with a potency superior to the combined forces of all those who follow Me.” And, again, He saith: “Of all the tributes I have paid to Him Who is to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him in My Book, the Bayán, do justice to His Cause.”
Whoso hath searched the depths of the oceans that lie hid within these exalted words, and fathomed their import, can be said to have discovered a glimmer of the unspeakable glory with which this mighty, this sublime, and most holy Revelation hath been endowed. From the excellence of so great a Revelation the honor with which its faithful followers must needs be invested can be well imagined. By the righteousness of the one true God! The very breath of these souls is in itself richer than all the treasures of the earth. Happy is the man that hath attained thereunto, and woe betide the heedless.
Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behooveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.
Great indeed in this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God's Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.
O thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, "the Kingdom is God’s,” may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.
By the righteousness of God! These are the days in which God hath proved the hearts of the entire company of His Messengers and Prophets, and beyond them those that stand guard over His sacred and inviolable Sanctuary, the inmates of the celestial Pavilion and dwellers of the Tabernacle of Glory. How severe, therefore, the test to which they who join partners with God must needs be subjected!
O Ḥusayn! Consider the eagerness with which certain peoples and nations have anticipated the return of Imám-Ḥusayn, whose coming, after the appearance of the Qá’im, hath been prophesied, in days past, by the chosen ones of God, exalted be His glory. These holy ones have, moreover, announced that when He Who is the Day Spring of the manifold grace of God manifesteth Himself, all the Prophets and Messengers, including the Qá’im, will gather together beneath the shadow of the sacred Standard which the Promised One will raise. That hour is now come. The world is illumined with the effulgent glory of His countenance. And yet, behold how far its peoples have strayed from His path! None have believed in Him except them who, through the power of the Lord of Names, have shattered the idols of their vain imaginings and corrupt desires and entered the city of certitude. The seal of the choice Wine of His Revelation hath, in this Day and in His Name, the Self-Sufficing, been broken. Its grace is being poured out upon men. Fill thy cup, and drink it in His Name, the Most Holy, the All-Praised.
The time foreordained unto the peoples
and kindreds of the earth is now come. The
promises of God, as recorded in the holy
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Scriptures, have
all been fulfilled. Out of
Zion hath gone forth the Law of God, and
Jerusalem, and the hills and land thereof,
are filled with the glory of His Revelation.
Happy is the man that pondereth in his
heart that which hath been revealed in the
Books of God, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting. Meditate upon
this, O ye beloved of God, and let
your ears be attentive
unto His Word, so that ye may, by His grace
and mercy, drink your fill from the crystal
waters of constancy, and become
as steadfast and immovable as the mountain in His
Cause.
In the Book of Isaiah it is written: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.” No man that meditateth upon this verse can fail to recognize the greatness of this Cause, or doubt the exalted character of this Day—the Day of God Himself. This same verse is followed by these words: "And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day.” This is the Day which the Pen of the Most High hath glorified in all the holy Scriptures. There is no verse in them that doth not declare the glory of His holy Name, and no Book that doth not testify unto the loftiness of this most exalted theme. Were We to make mention of all that hath been revealed in these heavenly Books and holy Scriptures concerning this Revelation, this Tablet would assume impossible dimensions. It is incumbent, in this Day, upon every man to place his whole trust in the manifold bounties of God, and arise to disseminate, with the utmost wisdom, the verities of His Cause. Then, and only then, will the whole earth be enveloped with the morning light of His Revelation.
All glory be to this Day, the Day in which the fragrances of mercy have been wafted over all created things, a Day so blest that past ages and centuries can never hope to rival it, a Day in which the countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned towards His holy seat. Thereupon the voices of all created things, and beyond them those of the Concourse on high, were heard calling aloud: “Haste thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light of the countenance of God, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee.”
Seized with transports of joy, and raising high her voice, she thus exclaimed: “May my lite be a sacrifice to Thee, inasmuch as Thou hast fixed Thy gaze upon me, hast bestowed upon me Thy bounty, and hast directed towards me Thy steps. Separation from Thee, O Thou Source of everlasting life, hath well nigh consumed me, and my remoteness from Thy presence hath burned away my soul. All praise be to Thee for having enabled me to hearken to Thy call, for having honored me with Thy footsteps, and for having quickened my soul through the vitalizing fragrance of Thy Day and the thrilling voice of Thy Pen, a voice Thou didst ordain as Thy trumpet-call amidst Thy people. And when the hour at which Thy resistless Faith was to be made manifest did strike, Thou didst breathe a breath of Thy spirit into Thy Pen, and lo, the entire creation shook to its very foundations, unveiling to mankind such mysteries as lay hidden within the treasuries of Him Who is the Possessor of all created things.”
No sooner had her voice reached that most exalted Spot than We made reply: "Render thanks unto Thy Lord, O Carmel. The fire of thy separation from Me was fast consuming thee, when the ocean of My presence surged before thy face, cheering thine eyes and those of all creation, and filling with delight all things visible and invisible. Rejoice, for God hath in this Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the day spring of the evidences of His Revelation. Well is it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath showered upon thee. Seize thou the Chalice of Immortality in the name of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, and give thanks unto Him, inasmuch as He, in token of His mercy unto thee, hath turned thy sorrow into gladness, and transmuted thy grief into blissful joy. He, verily, loveth the spot which hath been made the seat of His throne, which His footsteps have trodden, which hath been honored by His presence, from which He raised His call, and upon which He shed His tears.
[Page 179]
"Call out to Zion,
O Carmel, and announce the
joyful tidings: He that was
hidden from mortal eyes
is come! His all-conquering
sovereignty is manifest; His
all-encompassing splendor
is revealed. Beware
lest thou hesitate or halt. Hasten forth and
circumambulate the City of God that hath
descended from heaven, the celestial Kaaba
round which have circled in adoration the
favored of God, the pure in heart, and the
company of the most exalted angels. Oh,
how I long to announce unto every spot on
the surface of the earth, and to carry to
each one of its cities, the glad-tidings of
this Revelation—a Revelation to which the
heart of Sinai hath been attracted, and in
whose name the Burning Bush is calling:
‘Unto God, the Lord of Lords, belong the
kingdoms of earth and heaven.’ Verily this
is the Day in which both land
and sea rejoice at this
announcement, the Day for
which have been laid up those things which
God, through a bounty beyond the ken of
mortal mind or heart, hath destined for
revelation. Ere long will God sail His Ark
upon thee, and will manifest the people of
Bahá who have been mentioned in the Book
of Names.”
Sanctified be the Lord of all mankind, at the mention of Whose name all the atoms of the earth have been made to vibrate, and the Tongue of Grandeur hath been moved to disclose that which had been wrapt in His knowledge and lay concealed within the treasury of His might. He, verily, through the potency of His name, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Most High, is the ruler of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.
Bestir yourselves, O people, in anticipation of the days of Divine justice, for the promised hour is now come. Beware lest ye fail to apprehend its import and be accounted among the erring.
Contemplate with thine inward eye the chain of successive Revelations that hath linked the Manifestation of Adam with that of the Báb. I testify before God that each one of these Manifestations hath been sent down through the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, that each hath been the bearer of a specific Message, that each hath been entrusted with a divinely-revealed Book and been commissioned to unravel the mysteries of a mighty Tablet. The measure of the Revelation with which every one of them hath been identified had been definitely foreordained. This, verily, is a token of Our favor unto them, if ye be of those that comprehend this truth. . . . And when this process of progressive Revelation culminated in the stage at which His peerless, His most sacred, and exalted Countenance was to be unveiled to men’s eyes, He chose to hide His own Self behind a thousand veils, lest profane and mortal eyes discover His glory. This He did at a time when the signs and tokens of a divinely-appointed Revelation were being showered upon Him —signs and tokens which none can reckon except the Lord, your God, the Lord of all worlds. And when the set time of concealment was fulfilled, We sent forth, whilst still wrapt within a myriad veils, an infinitesimal glimmer of the effulgent Glory enveloping the Face of the Youth, and lo, the entire company of the dwellers of the Realms above were seized with violent commotion and the favored of God fell down in adoration before Him. He hath, verily, manifested a glory such as none in the whole creation hath witnessed, inasmuch as He hath arisen to proclaim in person His Cause unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth.
That which thou hast heard concerning Abraham, the Friend of the All-Merciful, is the truth, and no doubt is there about it. The Voice of God commanded Him to offer up Ishmael as a sacrifice, so that His steadfastness in the Faith of God and His detachment from all else but Him may be demonstrated unto men. The purpose of God, moreover, was to sacrifice him as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth. This same honor, Jesus, the Son of Mary, besought the one true God, exalted be His name and glory, to confer upon Him. For the same reason was Ḥusayn offered up as a sacrifice by Muḥammad, the Apostle of God.
No man can ever claim to have
comprehended the nature of the hidden and
manifold grace of God; none can fathom His
[Page 180]
all-embracing
mercy. Such hath been the
perversity of men and their transgression, so
grievous have been the trials that
have afflicted the Prophets of
God and their chosen
ones, that all mankind deserveth
to be tormented and to perish. God’s hidden and
most loving providence, however, hath,
through both visible and invisible agencies,
protected and will continue to protect it
from the penalty of its wickedness. Ponder
this in thine heart, that the truth may be
revealed unto thee, and be thou steadfast in
His path.
It hath been decreed by Us that the Word of God and all the potentialities thereof shall be manifested unto men in strict conformity with such conditions as have been foreordained by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have, moreover, ordained that its veil of concealment be none other except its own Self. Such indeed is Our Power to achieve Our Purpose. Should the Word be allowed to release suddenly all the energies latent within it, no man could sustain the weight of so mighty a Revelation. Nay, all that is in heaven and on earth would flee in consternation before it.
Consider that which hath been sent down unto Muḥammad, the Apostle of God. The measure of the Revelation of which He was the bearer had been clearly foreordained by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. They that heard Him, however, could apprehend His purpose only to the extent of their station and spiritual capacity. He, in like manner, uncovered the Face of Wisdom in proportion to their ability to sustain the burden of His Message. No sooner had mankind attained the stage of maturity, than the Word revealed to men’s eyes the latent energies with which it had been endowed—energies which manifested themselves in the plenitude of their glory when the Ancient Beauty appeared, in the year sixty, in the person of ‘Alí-Muḥammad, the Báb.
All-praise and glory be to God Who, through the power of His might, hath delivered His creation from the nakedness of non-existence, and clothed it with the mantle of life. From among all created things He hath singled out for His special favor the pure, the gem-like reality of man, and invested it with a unique capacity of knowing Him and of reflecting the greatness of His glory. This twofold distinction conferred upon him hath cleansed away from his heart the rust of every vain desire, and made him worthy of the vesture with which his Creator hath deigned to clothe him. It hath served to rescue his soul from the wretchedness of ignorance.
This robe with which the body and soul of man hath been adorned is the very foundation of his well-being and development. Oh, how blessed the day when, aided by the grace and might of the one true God, man will have freed himself from the bondage and corruption of the world and all that is therein, and will have attained unto true and abiding rest beneath the shadow of the Tree of Knowledge!
The songs which the bird of thine heart had uttered in its great love for its friends have reached their ears, and moved Me to answer thy questions, and reveal to thee such secrets as I am allowed to unfold. In thine esteemed letter thou hadst inquired which of the Prophets of God should be regarded as superior to others. Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath regarded His Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other Prophet gone before Him. If any man, therefore, should fail to comprehend this truth, and should consequently indulge in vain and unseemly language, no one whose sight is keen and Whose understanding is enlightened would ever allow such idle talk to cause him to waver in his belief.
The measure of the revelation of the
Prophets of God in this world, however,
must differ. Each and every one of them
hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message,
and hath been commissioned to reveal
Himself through specific acts. It
is for this reason that they appear
to vary in their greatness. Their
Revelation may be likened unto
[Page 181]
the light of the
moon that sheddeth its radiance
upon the earth. Though every time
it appeareth, it revealeth a fresh measure
of its brightness, yet its inherent splendor
can never diminish, nor can its light suffer
extinction.
It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation in the intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an ever-changing world. Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared. God’s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to insure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.
The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to foster the wellbeing of the world and its peoples, that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity. To none is given the right to question their words or disparage their conduct, for they are the only ones who can claim to have understood the patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments. No man, however acute his perception, can ever hope to reach the heights which the wisdom and understanding of the Divine Physician have attained. Little wonder, then, if the treatment prescribed by the Physician in this day should not be found to be identical with that which He prescribed before. How could it be otherwise when the ills affecting the sufferer necessitate at every stage of his sickness a special remedy? In like manner, every time the Prophets of God have illumined the world with the resplendent radiance of the Day Star of Divine knowledge, they have invariably summoned its peoples to embrace the light of God through such means as best befitted the exigencies of the age in which they appeared. They were thus able to scatter the darkness of ignorance, and to shed upon the world the glory of their own knowledge. It is towards the inmost essence of these Prophets, therefore, that the eye of every man of discernment must be directed, inasmuch as their one and only purpose hath always been to guide the erring, and give peace to the afflicted. These are not days of prosperity and triumph. The whole of mankind is in the grip of manifold ills. Strive, therefore, to save its life through the wholesome medicine which the almighty hand of the unerring Physician hath prepared.
And now concerning thy question regarding the nature of religion. Know thou that they who are truly wise have likened the world unto the human temple. As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.
As to thy question regarding the sayings of the leaders of past religions. Every wise and praiseworthy man will no doubt eschew such vain and profitless talk. The incomparable Creator hath created all men from one same substance, and hath exalted their reality above the rest of His creatures. Success or failure, gain or loss, must, therefore, depend upon man’s own exertions. The more he striveth, the greater will be his progress. We fain would hope that the vernal showers of the bounty of God may cause the flowers of true understanding to spring from the soil of men’s hearts, and may wash from them all earthly defilements.
Ponder a while. What is it that prompted,
in every Dispensation, the peoples of the
earth to shun the Manifestation of the
All-Merciful? What could have impelled them
to turn away from Him and to challenge
His authority? Were men to meditate on
these words which have flowed from the Pen
of the Divine Ordainer, they would, one and
all, hasten to embrace the truth of this
[Page 182]
God-given, and
ever-enduring Revelation, and
would testify to that which He Himself
hath solemnly affirmed. It is the veil of
idle imaginations which, in the days of the
Manifestations of the Unity of God and the
Day Springs of His everlasting glory, hath
intervened, and will continue to intervene,
between them and the rest of mankind. For
in those days, He Who is the Eternal Truth
manifesteth Himself in conformity with
that which He Himself hath purposed, and
not according to the desires and
expectations of men. Even as He hath revealed:
"So oft, then, as an Apostle cometh to
you with that which your souls desire not,
do ye swell with pride, and treat some as
impostors, and slay others.”
There can be no doubt whatever that had these Apostles appeared, in bygone ages and cycles, in accordance with the vain imaginations which the hearts of men had devised, no one would have repudiated the truth of these sanctified Beings. Though such men have been, night and day, remembering the one true God, and have been devoutly engaged in the exercise of their devotions, yet they failed in the end to recognize, and partake of the grace of, the Day Springs of the signs of God and the Manifestations of His irrefutable evidences. To this the Scriptures bear witness. Thou hast, no doubt, heard about it.
Consider the Dispensation of Jesus Christ. Behold, how all the learned men of that generation, though eagerly anticipating the coming of the Promised One, have nevertheless denied Him. Both Annas, the most learned among the divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, denounced Him and pronounced the sentence of His death.
In like manner, when Muḥammad, the Prophet of God—may all men be a sacrifice unto Him—appeared, the learned men of Mecca and Medina arose, in the early days of His Revelation, against Him and rejected His Message, while they who were destitute of all learning recognized and embraced His Faith. Ponder a while. Consider how Balal, the Ethiopian, unlettered though he was, ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude, whilst ‘Abdu’lláh Ubayy, a leader among the learned, maliciously strove to oppose Him. Behold, how a mere shepherd was so carried away by the ecstasy of the words of God that he was able to gain admittance into the habitation of his Best-Beloved, and was united to Him Who is the Lord of Mankind, whilst they who prided themselves on their knowledge and wisdom strayed far from His path and remained deprived of His grace. For this reason He hath written: "He that is exalted among you shall be abased, and he that is abased shall be exalted.” References to this theme are to be found in most of the heavenly Books, as well as in the sayings of the Prophets and Messengers of God.
Verily I say, such is the greatness of this Cause that the father flieth from his son, and the son flieth from his father. Call ye to mind the story of Noah and Canaan. God grant that, in these days of heavenly delight, ye may not deprive yourselves of the sweet savors of the All-Glorious God, and may partake, in this spiritual Springtime, of the outpourings of His grace. Arise in the name of Him Who is the Object of all knowledge, and, with absolute detachment from the learning of men, lift up your voices and proclaim His Cause. I swear by the Day Star of Divine Revelation! The very moment ye arise, ye will witness how a flood of Divine knowledge will gush out of your hearts, and will behold the wonders of His heavenly wisdom manifested in all their glory before you. Were ye to taste of the sweetness of the sayings of the All-Merciful, ye would unhesitatingly forsake your selves, and would lay down your lives for the Well-Beloved.
Who can ever believe that this Servant of
God hath at any time cherished in His heart
a desire for any earthly honor or benefit?
The Cause associated with His Name is far
above the transitory things of this world.
Behold Him, an exile, a victim of tyranny,
in this Most Great Prison. His enemies have
assailed Him on every side,
and will continue to do
so till the end of His
life. Whatever, therefore,
He saith unto you is wholly
for the sake of God, that haply the peoples
of the earth may cleanse their hearts from
the stain of evil desire, may rend its veil
asunder, and attain unto the knowledge of
the one true God—the most exalted station
to which any man can aspire. Their belief
[Page 183]
or disbelief in
My Cause can neither profit
nor harm Me. We summon them wholly
for the sake of God. He, verily, can afford
to dispense with all creatures.
Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things. Its evidences, as witnessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now manifest before thee. The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening power released by His transcendent, His all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit.
We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor of His glory upon all created things. Through Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of perversity and ignorance. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified.
Leprosy may be interpreted as any veil that interveneth between man and the recognition of the Lord, his God. Whoso alloweth himself to be shut out from Him is indeed a leper, who shall not be remembered in the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We bear witness that through the power of the Word of God every leper was cleansed, every sickness was healed, every human infirmity was banished. He it is Who purified the world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with light, hath turned towards Him.
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 godly deed. Fasten your eyes upon it, that haply the whisperings of the rebellious may not cause you to slip.
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.
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-honor to this all-glorious station, the remembrance of which adorneth every exalted Tablet. Such is the teaching which God bestoweth on you, a teaching that will deliver you from all manner of doubt and perplexity, and enable you to attain unto salvation in both this world and in the next. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.
Know of a certainty that in every Dispensation the light of Divine Revelation hath been vouchsafed unto men in direct proportion to their spiritual capacity. Consider the sun. How feeble its rays the moment it appeareth above the horizon. How gradually its warmth and potency increase as it approacheth its zenith, enabling meanwhile all created things to adapt themselves to the growing intensity of its light. How steadily it declineth until it reacheth its setting point. Were it, all of a sudden, to manifest the energies latent within it, it would, no doubt, cause injury to all created things. . . . In like manner, if the Sun of Truth were suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of its manifestation, the full measure of the potencies which the providence of the Almighty hath bestowed upon it, the earth of human understanding would waste away and be consumed; for men’s hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its revelation, nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light. Dismayed and overpowered, they would cease to exist.
Praise be to Thee, O Lord My God, for
the wondrous revelations of
Thine inscrutable decree and
the manifold woes and trials
Thou hast destined for Myself. At one
[Page 184]
time Thou didst
deliver Me into the hands
of Nimrod; at another Thou hast allowed
Pharaoh’s rod to persecute Me. Thou, alone,
canst estimate, through Thine
all-encompassing knowledge and the operation of
Thy Will, the incalculable afflictions I have
suffered at their hands. Again Thou didst
cast Me into the prison-cell of the ungodly,
for no reason except that I was moved to
whisper into the ears of the well-favored
denizens of Thy Kingdom an intimation of
the vision with which Thou hadst, through
Thy knowledge, inspired Me, and revealed
to Me its meaning through the potency of
Thy might. And again Thou didst decree
that I be beheaded by the
sword of the infidel. Again
I was crucified for having
unveiled to men's eyes the hidden gems of
Thy glorious unity, for having revealed to
them the wondrous signs of Thy sovereign
and everlasting power. How
bitter the humiliations
heaped upon Me, in a subsequent
age, on the plain of Karbilá! How lonely
did I feel amidst Thy people! To what a
state of helplessness I was reduced in that
land! Unsatisfied with such indignities, My
persecutors decapitated Me, and, carrying
aloft My head from land to land paraded it
before the gaze of the unbelieving
multitude, and deposited it on the seats of the
perverse and faithless. In a later age, I was
suspended, and My breast was made a target
to the darts of the malicious cruelty of My
foes. My limbs were riddled with bullets,
and My body was torn asunder.
Finally, behold how, in this Day,
My treacherous enemies have
leagued themselves against Me,
and are continually plotting to instill the
venom of hate and malice into the souls of
Thy servants. With all their might they
are scheming to accomplish their
purpose. . . . Grievous as is
My plight, O God, My
Well-Beloved, I render thanks unto Thee,
and My Spirit is grateful for whatsoever
hath befallen me in the path of
Thy good-pleasure. I am well pleased
with that which
Thou didst ordain for Me, and welcome,
however calamitous, the pains and sorrows I
am made to suffer.
O My Well-Beloved! Thou hast breathed Thy Breath into Me, and divorced Me from Mine own Self. Thou didst, subsequently, decree that no more than a faint reflection, a mere emblem of Thy Reality within Me be left among the perverse and envious. Behold, how, deluded by this emblem, they have risen against Me, and heaped upon Me their denials! Uncover Thy Self, therefore, O My Best-Beloved, and deliver Me from My plight.
Thereupon a Voice replied: “I love, I dearly cherish this emblem. How can I consent that Mine eyes, alone, gaze upon this emblem, and that no heart except My heart recognize it? By My Beauty, which is the same as Thy Beauty! My wish is to hide Thee from Mine own eyes: how much more from the eyes of men!”
I was preparing to make reply, when lo, the Tablet was suddenly ended, leaving My theme unfinished, and the pearl of Mine utterance unstrung.
God is My Witness, O people! I was asleep on My couch, when lo, the Breeze of God wafting over Me roused Me from My slumber. His quickening Spirit revived Me, and My tongue was unloosed to voice His Call. Accuse Me not of having trangressed against God. Behold Me, not with your eyes but with Mine. Thus admonisheth you He Who is the Gracious, the All-Knowing. Think ye, O people, that I hold within My grasp the control of God’s ultimate Will and Purpose? Far be it from Me to advance such claim. To this I testify before God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Had the ultimate destiny of God’s Faith been in My hands, I would have never consented, even though for one moment, to manifest Myself unto you, nor would I have allowed one word to fall from My lips. Of this God Himself is, verily, a witness.
O Son of Justice! In the night season the
beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired
from the emerald height of fidelity unto the
Sadratu’l-Muntahá, and wept with such a
weeping that the Concourse on high and the
dwellers of the realms above wailed at His
lamenting. Whereupon there was asked,
Why the wailing and weeping? He made
reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon
the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from
[Page 185]
them that dwell
on earth the fragrance of
fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld,
and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore
tried within the claws of the dogs of earth.
Thereupon the Maid of Heaven hastened
forth unveiled and resplendent from Her
mystic mansion, and asked of their names,
and all were told but one. And when urged,
the first letter thereof was
uttered, whereupon the dwellers
of the celestial chambers
rushed forth out of their habitation of glory.
And whilst the second letter was pronounced
they fell down, one and all, upon the dust.
At that moment a voice was heard from
the inmost shrine: "Thus far
and no farther.” Verily, We
bear witness unto that
which they have done, and now are doing.
O Afnán, O thou that hast branched from Mine ancient Stock! My glory and My loving-kindness rest upon thee. How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of God! It hath overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and will, erelong, gather together the whole of mankind beneath its shelter. Thy day of service is now come. Countless Tablets bear the testimony of the bounties vouchsafed unto thee. Arise for the triumph of My Cause, and, through the power of thine utterance, subdue the hearts of men. Thou must show forth that which will ensure the peace and the well-being of the miserable and the down-trodden. Gird up the loins of thine endeavor, that perchance thou mayest release the captive from his chains, and enable him to attain unto true liberty.
Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the pen of this wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear ye, O My well-beloved ones! Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse generation is molded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people. . . .
Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that the counsels which the Pen of this wronged One hath revealed constitute the supreme animating power for the advancement of the world and the exaltation of its peoples. Arise, O people, and, by the power of God’s might, resolve to gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle fancies—gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for the misery of, their wretched worshipers. These idols form the obstacle that impeded man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection. We cherish the hope that the Hand of Divine power may lend its assistance to mankind, and deliver it from its state of grievous abasement.
In one of the Tablets these words have been revealed: O people of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behavior. Valiant acts will ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce its power. Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Bahá! This, verily, is the commandment which this wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained Will for every one of you.
O friends! It behooveth you
to refresh and revive your souls through
the gracious favors which in this Divine,
this soul-stirring Springtime
are being showered upon
you. The Day Star of His
great glory hath shed its radiance upon you,
and the clouds of His limitless grace have
overshadowed you. How high
the reward of him that hath
not deprived himself of so
great a bounty, nor failed to
recognize the beauty of his
Best-Beloved in this, His
new attire. Watch over yourselves, for the
Evil One is lying in
wait, ready to entrap you.
Gird yourselves
against his wicked devices,
and, led by the light of the name of
the All-Seeing God,
[Page 186]
make your
escape from the darkness that
surroundeth you. Let your vision
be world-embracing, rather than
confined to your
own self. The Evil One is he
that hindereth the rise
and obstructeth the spiritual progress
of the children of men.
It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just governments. Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared—and Our Word is the truth—: "Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.” Whatsoever hath led the children of men to shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished. From the heaven of God’s Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole human race. The highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever the peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God. Of old it hath been revealed: “Love of one’s country is an element of the Faith of God.” The Tongue of Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: "It is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the world.” Through the power released by these exalted words He hath lent a fresh impulse, and set a new direction, to the birds of men’s hearts, and hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God's holy Book.
O people of Justice! Be as brilliant as the light, and as splendid as the fire that blazed in the Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth, whilst the fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred cannot but result in strife and ruin. We beseech God that He may shield His creatures from the evil designs of His enemies. He verily hath power over all things.
All-praise be to the one true God—exalted be His glory—inasmuch as He hath, through the Pen of the Most High, unlocked the doors of men’s hearts. Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining portal that discloseth the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure and stainless deeds. The summons and the message which We gave were never intended to reach or to benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in its entirety must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true liberty. The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent glory of God’s Revelation. In the year sixty He Who heralded the light of Divine Guidance —may all creation be a sacrifice unto Him—arose to announce a fresh revelation of the Divine Spirit, and was followed, twenty years later, by Him through Whose coming the world was made the recipient of this promised glory, this wondrous favor. Behold how the generality of mankind hath been endued with the capacity to hearken unto God’s most exalted Word—the Word upon which must depend the gathering together and spiritual resurrection of all men. . . .
Incline your hearts, O people of God, unto the counsels of your true, your incomparable Friend. The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.
O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh the preeminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that We have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God’s holy Book whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst the children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential prerequisites of concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring unity. Well is it with them that keep My statutes.
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Time and again
have We admonished
Our beloved ones to avoid, nay to flee from,
anything whatsoever from which the odor
of mischief can be detected. The world is
in great turmoil, and the minds of its people
are in a state of utter confusion.
We entreat the Almighty that
He may graciously illuminate them with the
glory of His Justice, and
enable them to discover that which
will be profitable unto them at all times
and under all conditions. He, verily is the
All-Possessing, the Most High.
Lay not aside the fear of God, O ye the learned of the world, and judge fairly the Cause of this unlettered One to Whom all the Books of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, have testified. . . . Will not the dread of Divine displeasure, the fear of Him Who hath no peer or equal, arouse you? He Whom the world hath wronged hath, at no time, associated with you, hath never studied your writings, nor participated in any of your disputations. The garb He weareth, His flowing locks, His headdress, attest the truth of His words. How long will ye persist in your injustice? Witness the habitation in which He, Who is the incarnation of justice, hath been forced to dwell. Open your eyes, and, beholding His plight, meditate diligently upon that which your hands have wrought, that haply ye may not be deprived of the light of His Divine utterance, nor remain bereft of your share of the ocean of His knowledge.
Certain ones among both commoners and nobles have objected that this wronged One is neither a member of the ecclesiastical order nor a descendant of the Prophet. Say: O ye that claim to be just! Reflect a little while, and ye shall recognize how infinitely exalted is His present state above the station ye claim He should possess. The Will of the Almighty hath decreed that out of a house wholly devoid of all that the divines, the doctors, the sages, and scholars commonly possess His Cause should proceed and be made manifest.
The Breathings of the Divine Spirit awoke Him, and bade Him arise and proclaim His Revelation. No sooner was He roused from His slumber than He lifted up His voice and summoned the whole of mankind unto God, the Lord of all worlds. We have been moved to reveal these words in consideration of the weakness and frailty of men; otherwise, the Cause We have proclaimed is such as no pen can ever describe, nor any mind conceive its greatness. To this beareth witness He with Whom is the Mother Book.
The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of cities!
I sorrow not for the burden of My imprisonment. Neither do I grieve over My abasement, or the tribulation I suffer at the hands of Mine enemies. By My life! They are My glory, a glory wherewith God hath adorned His own Self. Would that ye know it!
The shame I was made to bear hath uncovered the glory with which the whole of creation had been invested, and through the cruelties I have endured, the Day Star of Justice hath manifested itself, and shed its splendor upon men.
My sorrows are for those who have involved themselves in their corrupt passions, and claim to be associated with the Faith of God, the Gracious, the All-Praised.
It behooveth the people of Bahá to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity, that all the peoples of the earth may recognize in their faces the brightness of the All-Merciful, and that through them
Badí‘, the bearer of Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet to the Sháh of Írán, shown in chains before his martyrdom. (Note the brasier in which irons were heated and applied to his flesh.)
Two early believers of Ṭihrán about to be bastinadoed.
[Page 189]
may be spread
abroad the signs and tokens
of God, the Almighty, the All-Wise. They
that have tarnished the fair name of the
Cause of God, by following the things of
the flesh—these are in palpable error!
O Jews! If ye be intent on crucifying once again Jesus, the Spirit of God, put Me to death, for He hath once more, in My person, been made manifest unto you. Deal with Me as ye wish, for I have vowed to lay down My life in the path of God. I will fear no one, though the powers of earth and heaven be leagued against Me. Followers of the Gospel! If ye cherish the desire to slay Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, seize Me and put an end to My life, for I am He, and My Self is His Self. Do unto Me as you like, for the deepest longing of My heart is to attain the presence of My Best-Beloved in His Kingdom of Glory. Such is the Divine decree, if ye know it. Followers of Muḥammad! If it be your wish to riddle with your shafts the breast of Him Who hath caused His Book the Bayán to be sent down unto you, lay hands on Me and persecute Me, for I am His Well-Beloved, the revelation of His own Self, though My name be not His name. I have come in the shadows of the clouds of glory, and am invested by God with invincible sovereignty. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. I, verily, anticipate from you the treatment ye have accorded unto Him that came before Me. To this all things, verily, witness, if ye be of those who hearken. O people of the Bayán! If ye have resolved to shed the blood of Him Whose coming the Báb hath proclaimed, Whose advent Muḥammad hath prophesied, and Whose Revelation Jesus Christ Himself hath announced, behold Me standing, ready and defenseless, before you. Deal with Me after your own desires.
God is my witness! Had it not been in conflict with that which the Tablets of God have decreed, I would have gladly kissed the hands of whosoever attempted to shed my blood in the path of the Well-Beloved. I would, moreover, have bestowed upon him a share of such worldly goods as God had allowed me to possess, even though he who perpetrated this act would have provoked the wrath of the Almighty, incurred His malediction, and deserved to be tormented throughout the eternity of God, the All-Possessing, the Equitable, the All-Wise.
Know verily that whenever this Youth turneth His eyes towards His own self, he findeth it the most insignificant of all creation. When he contemplates, however, the bright effulgences He hath been empowered to manifest, lo, that self is transfigured before Him into a sovereign Potency permeating the essence of all things visible and invisible. Glory be to Him Who, through the power of truth, hath sent down the Manifestation of His own Self and entrusted Him with His message unto all mankind.
AMERICA’S SPIRITUAL MISSION—
TEACHING TABLETS REVEALED
BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
To the Assemblies and Meetings of the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the United States and Canada.
UPON them be Bahá’u’lláh u’l-Abhá!
He is God!
O ye blessed souls:
I desire for you eternal success and prosperity and beg perfect confirmation for each one in the divine world. My hope for you is that each one may shine forth like unto the morning star from the horizon of the world and in this Garden of God become a blessed tree, producing everlasting fruits and results.
Therefore I direct you to that which is conducive to your heavenly confirmation and illumination in the Kingdom of God!
It is this: Alaska is a vast country;
although one of the maid-servants of the
Merciful has hastened to those parts, serving
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as a librarian
in the Public Library, and according
to her ability is not failing
in teaching the Cause, yet
the call of the Kingdom
of God is not yet raised
through that spacious territory.
His Holiness Christ says: Travel ye to the East and to the West of the world and summon the people to the Kingdom of God. Hence the mercy of God must encompass all humanity. Therefore do ye not think it permissible to leave that region deprived of the breezes of the Morn of Guidance. Consequently, strive as far as ye are able to send to those parts fluent speakers, who are detached from aught else save God, attracted with the fragrances of God, and sanctified and purified from all desires and temptations. Their sustenance and food must consist of the teachings of God. First they must themselves live in accordance with those principles, then guide the people. Perchance, God willing, the lights of the most great guidance may illumine that country and the breezes of the rose garden of the love of God may perfume the nostrils of the inhabitants of Alaska. Should we become confirmed in thus rendering such a service, rest ye assured that ye shall crown your heads with the diadem of everlasting sovereignty, and at the threshold of oneness you will become the favored and accepted servants.
Likewise the Republic of Mexico is very important. The majority of the inhabitants of that country are devoted Catholics. They are totally unaware of the reality of the Bible, the Gospel and the new divine teachings. They do not know that the basis of the religions of God is one and that the Holy Manifestations are like unto the Sun of Truth, rising from the different dawning-places. Those souls are submerged in the sea of dogmas. If one breath of life be blown over them, great results will issue therefrom. But it is better for those who intend to go to Mexico to teach, to be familiar with the Spanish language.
Similarly, the six Central American Republics, situated south of Mexico—Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the seventh country Belize or British Honduras. The teachers going to those parts must also be familiar with the Spanish language.
You must give great importance to teaching the Indians, that is, the aborigines of America. For these souls are like the ancient inhabitants of Peninsular Arabia, who previous to the Manifestation of His Holiness Muḥammad were treated as savages. But when the Muḥammadic light shone forth in their midst, they became so illumined that they brightened the world. Likewise, should these Indians and aborigines be educated and obtain guidance, there is no doubt that through the divine teachings, they will become so enlightened as in turn to shed light to all regions.
All the above countries have importance, but especially the Republic of Panama, wherein the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans come together through the Panama Canal. It is a center for travel and passage from America to other continents of the world, and in the future it will gain most great importance.
Likewise the islands of the West Indies, such as Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the islands of the Lesser Antilles, Bahama Islands, even the small Watling Island, have great importance; especially the two black republics, Haiti and Santo Domingo, situated in the cluster of the Greater Antilles. Likewise the cluster of the islands of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean have importance.
In a similar way, the republics of the continent of South America—Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, French Guiana, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela; also the islands to the north, east and west of South America, such as Falkland Islands, the Galapagos, Juan Fernandez, Tobago and Trinidad. Likewise the city of Bahia, situated on the eastern shore of Brazil. Because it is some time that it has become known by this name, its efficacy will be most potent.
In short, O ye believers of God! Exalt
your effort and magnify your aims. His
Holiness Christ says: Blessed are the poor,
for theirs shall be the Kingdom of Heaven.
In other words: Blessed are the nameless and
traceless poor, for they are the leaders of
mankind. Likewise it is said in the Qur’án:
“We desire to bestow our gifts upon those
who have become weak on the face of the
earth, and make them a nation and the heirs
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(of spiritual truth).”
Or, we wish to grant
a favor to the impotent souls and suffer them
to become the inheritors of the Messengers
and Prophets.
Therefore, now is the time that you may divest yourselves from the garment of attachment to this phenomenal realm, be wholly severed from the physical world, become angels of heaven and travel and teach through all these regions.
I declare by Him, beside whom there is no one, that each one of you shall become the Israfil of Life, blowing the breath of life into the souls of others.
Upon you be greeting and praise!
Supplication
O Thou Incomparable God! O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! These souls are Thy heavenly army. Assist them and with the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse, make them victorious; so that each one of them may become like unto a regiment and conquer these countries through the love of God and the illumination of divine teachings.
O God! Be Thou their supporter and their helper, and in the wilderness, the mountain, the valley, the forests, the prairies and the seas, be Thou their confidant—so that they may cry out through the power of the Kingdom and the breath of the Holy Spirit!
Verily Thou are the Powerful, the Mighty and the Omnipotent, and Thou art the Wise, the Hearing and the Seeing.
Haifa, Palestine,
April 8, 1916.
To the believers and the maid-servants of the Merciful of the Bahá’í Assemblies and meetings in the United States and Canada.
He is God!
O ye real Bahá’ís of America:
Praise be to His Highness the Desired One that ye have become confirmed in the promotion of divine teachings in that vast Continent, raised the call of the Kingdom of God in that region and announced the Glad Tidings of the manifestation of the Lord of Hosts and His Highness the Promised One. Thanks be unto the Lord that ye have become assisted and confirmed in this aim. This is purely through the confirmations of the Lord of Hosts and the breaths of the Holy Spirit. At present your confirmation is not known and understood. Ere long ye shall observe that each one of you like unto a brilliant and shining star will diffuse the light of guidance from that horizon and that ye have become the cause of eternal life to the inhabitants of America.
Consider! The station and the confirmation of the apostles in the time of Christ was not known, and no one looked on them with the feeling of importance—nay, rather, they persecuted and ridiculed them. Later on it became evident what crowns studded with the brilliant jewels of guidance were placed on the heads of the apostles, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of John.
Likewise your confirmation is not known at the present time. I hope that ere long it may throw a mighty reverberation through the pillars of the earth. Therefore it is the hope of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that just as ye are confirmed and assisted on the continent of America, ye may also be confirmed and assisted in other continents of the globe—that is, ye may carry the fame of the Cause of God to the East and to the West and spread the Glad Tidings of the appearance of the Kingdom of the Lord of Hosts throughout the five continents of the world.
When this divine call travels
from the continent of America
to Europe, Asia, Africa,
Australia and the Islands of the Pacific, the
American believers shall be established on the
throne of everlasting Glory, the fame of their
illumination and guidance shall reach to all
regions and the renown of their greatness
become world-wide. Therefore, a party,
speaking the languages, severed,
holy, sanctified and filled with
the love of God, must
turn their faces to and travel through the
three great island groups of the Pacific
Ocean,—Polynesia, Micronesia and
Melanesia, and the islands attached
to these groups,
such as New Guinea, Borneo, Java, Sumatra,
Philippine Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji
Islands, New Hebrides, Loyalty Islands, New
Caledonia, Bismarck Archipelago, Ceram,
Celebes, Friendly Islands,
Samoa Islands, Society Islands,
Caroline Islands, Low
[Page 192]
Archipelago,
Marquesas, Hawaiian Islands, Gilbert
Islands, Moluccas, Marshall Islands, Timor
and the other islands. With
hearts overflowing with the
love of God, with tongues
commemorating the mention of God, with
eyes turned to the Kingdom of God, they
must deliver the Glad Tidings
of the manifestation of the
Lord of Hosts to all the
people. Know ye of a certainty
that in
The grave of the author of "Nabil’s Narrative," 'Akká, Palestine.
whatever meeting ye may enter, in the apex of that meeting the Holy Spirit shall be waving and the heavenly confirmations of the Blessed Perfection shall encompass all.
Consider ye, that Miss Agnes Alexander, the daughter of the Kingdom, the beloved maid-servant of the Blessed Perfection, traveled alone to Hawaii and the Island of Honolulu, and now she is gaining spiritual victories in Japan! Reflect ye how this daughter was confirmed in the Hawaiian Islands. She became the cause of the guidance of a gathering of people.
Likewise Miss Knobloch traveled alone to Germany. To what a great extent she became confirmed! Therefore, know ye of a certainty that whosoever arises in this day to diffuse the divine fragrances, the cohorts of the Kingdom of God shall confirm him and the bestowals and the favors of the Blessed Perfection shall encircle him.
Oh, how I long that it could be made possible for me to travel through these parts, even if necessary on foot and with the utmost poverty, and while passing through the cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans, cry at the top of my voice “Ya-Bahá’u’l-Abhá!” and promote the divine teachings. But now this is not feasible for me; therefore I live in great regret; perchance, God willing, ye may become assisted therein.
At this time, in the island of Hawaii, through the efforts of Miss Alexander, a number of souls have reached the shore of the sea of faith; Consider ye, what happiness, what joy is this! I declare by the Lord of Hosts that had this respected daughter founded an empire, that empire would not have been so great! For this sovereignty is eternal sovereignty and this glory is everlasting glory.
Likewise, if some teachers go to other
islands and other parts, such as the continent
of Australia, New Zealand,
Tasmania, also to
Japan, Asiatic Russia, Korea,
French Indo-China, Siam,
Straits Settlements, India,
Ceylon and Afghanistan,
most great results will
be forthcoming. How good would it be
were there any possibility of a commission
composed of men and women,
to travel together through
China and Japan,—so that
this bond of love may become strengthened,
and through this going and coming they may
establish the oneness of the world of
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humanity, summon the
people to the Kingdom of
God and spread the teachings.
Similarly, if possible, they should travel to the continent of Africa, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Madeira Islands, Reunion Island, St. Helena, Zanzibar, Mauritius, etc., and in those countries summon the people to the Kingdom of God and raise the cry of “Ya-Bahá’u’l-Abhá!” They must also upraise the flag of the oneness of the world of humanity in the island of Madagascar.
Books and pamphlets must be either translated or composed in the languages of these countries and islands, to be circulated in every part and in all directions.
It is said that in South Africa, a diamond mine is discovered. Although this mine is most valuable, yet after all it is stone. Perchance, God willing, the mine of humanity may be discovered and the brilliant pearls of the Kingdom be found.
In brief, this world-consuming war has set such a conflagration to the hearts that no word can describe it. In all the countries of the world the longing for Universal Peace is taking possession of the consciousness of men. There is not a soul who does not yearn for concord and peace. A most wonderful state of receptivity is being realized. This is through the consummate wisdom of God, so that capacity may be created, the standard of the oneness of the world of humanity be upraised, and the fundamentals of Universal Peace and the divine principles be promoted in the East and the West.
Therefore, O ye believers of God! Show ye an effort and after this war spread ye the synopsis of the divine teachings in the British Isles, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Portugal, Roumania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece, Andora, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Monaco, San Marino, Balearic Isles, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, Malta, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetland Islands, Hebrides and Orkney Islands.
In all these countries, like unto the morning stars shine ye forth from the horizon of guidance. Up to this time you have displayed great magnanimity, but after this, ye must add a thousand times to your effort and throughout the above countries, capitals, islands, meetings and churches, invite mankind to the Kingdom of Abhá! The circle of your exertion must become widened. The more it is broadened and extended, the greater will be your confirmation.
You have observed that while ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in the utmost bodily weakness and feebleness, while He was indisposed, and had not the power to move—notwithstanding this physical state He traveled through many countries, in Europe and America, and in churches, meetings and conventions was occupied with the promotion of the divine principles and summoned the people to the manifestation of the Kingdom of Abhá. You have also observed how the confirmations of the Blessed Perfection encompassed all. What result is forthcoming from material rest, tranquillity, luxury and attachment to this corporeal world! It is evident that the man who pursues these things will in the end become afflicted with regret and loss.
Consequently, one must close his eyes wholly to these thoughts, long for eternal life, the sublimity of the world of humanity, the celestial developments, the Holy Spirit, the promotion of the Word of God, the guidance of the inhabitants of the globe, the promulgation of Universal Peace and the proclamation of the oneness of the world of humanity! This is the work! Otherwise like unto other animals and birds one must occupy himself with the requirements of this physical life, the satisfaction of which is the highest aspiration of the animal kingdom, and one must stalk across the earth like unto the quadrupeds.
Consider ye! No matter how much man gains wealth, riches and opulence in this world, he will not become as independent as a cow. For these fattened cows roam freely over the vast tableland. All the prairies and meadows are theirs for grazing, and all the springs and rivers are theirs for drinking! No matter how much they graze, the fields will not be exhausted! It is evident that they have earned these material bounties with the utmost facility.
Still more ideal than this life is the life
of the bird. A bird, on the summit of a
mountain, on the high, waving branches, has
built for itself a nest more beautiful than the
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palaces of the kings!
The air is in the utmost
purity, the water cool and clear as crystal,
the panorama charming and enchanting. In
such glorious surroundings, he expends his
numbered days. All the harvests of the plain
are his possessions, having earned all this
wealth without the least labor. Hence, no
matter how much man may advance in this
world, he shall not attain to the station of
this bird! Thus it becomes evident that in
the matters of this world, however much
man may strive and work to the point of
death, he will be unable to earn
the abundance, the freedom
and the independent life
of a small bird. This proves and establishes
the fact that man is not created for the life
of this ephemeral world:—nay, rather, is he
created for the acquirement of
infinite perfections, for the
attainment to the sublimity
of the world of humanity, to be drawn nigh
unto the divine threshold, and to sit on the
throne of everlasting sovereignty!
you be Bahá’u’l-Abhá!
Any soul starting on a trip of teaching to various parts, and while sojourning in strange countries, may peruse the following supplication—day and night.
O God! O God! Thou seest me enamored and attracted toward Thy Kingdom, the u’l-Abhá, enkindled with the fire of Thy love amongst mankind, a herald of Thy Kingdom in these vast and spacious countries, severed from aught else save Thee, relying on Thee, abandoning rest and comfort, remote from my native home, a wanderer in these regions, a stranger fallen on the ground, humble before Thine exalted threshold, submissive toward Thy most high realm, supplicating Thee in the middle of nights and in the heart of evenings, entreating and invoking Thee in the morn and eve;—so that Thou mayest assist me in the service of Thy Cause, the promotion of Thy Teachings and the exaltation of Thy Word in the Easts of the earth and the Wests thereof.
O Lord! Strengthen my back and confirm me in Thy servitude with all my powers, and do not leave me alone and by myself in these countries.
O Lord! Associate with me in my loneliness and accompany me in my journeys through these foreign lands.
Verily, Thou art the confirmer of whomsoever Thou willest in that which Thou desirest, and verily Thou art the Powerful, the Omnipotent.
Haifa, Palestine,
April 11, 1916.
To the Assemblies and meetings of the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the United States and Canada.
Upon them be Bahá’u’lláh u’l-Abhá!
He is God!
O ye heavenly souls, sons and daughters of the Kingdom:
God says in the Qur’án, "Take ye hold of the Cord of God, all of you, and become ye not disunited.”
In the contingent world there are many
collective centers which are conducive to
association and unity between the children of
men. For example, patriotism is a collective
center; nationalism is a collective center;
identity of interests is a collective center;
political alliance is a collective center; the
union of ideals is a collective center, and the
prosperity of the world of humanity
is dependent upon the organization
and promotion of the collective
centers. Nevertheless,
all the above institutions are, in reality, the
matter and not the substance, accidental and
not eternal—temporary and not everlasting.
With the appearance of great revolutions and
upheavals, all these collective centers are
swept away. But the Collective Center of
the Kingdom, embodying the Institutes and
Divine Teachings, is the eternal Collective
Center. It establishes relationship between
the East and the West, organizes the oneness
of the world of humanity, and destroys the
foundation of differences. It overcomes and
includes all the other collective centers. Like
unto the ray of the sun, it dispels entirely
the darkness encompassing all the regions,
bestows ideal life, and causes the effulgence
of divine illumination. Through the breaths
of the Holy Spirit it performs miracles; the
Orient and the Occident embrace each other,
the North and South become intimates and
associates, conflicting and contending
opinions disappear, antagonistic
aims are brushed aside, the law
of the struggle for existence is
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abrogated, and the
canopy of the oneness of
the world of humanity is raised on the apex
of the globe, casting its shade over all the
races of men. Consequently, the
real Collective Center is the
body of the divine teachings,
which include all the degrees
and embrace all the universal
relations and necessary laws of humanity.
Consider! The people of the East and the West were in the utmost strangeness. Now to what a high degree they are acquainted with each other and united together! How far are the inhabitants of Írán from the remotest countries of America! And now observe how great has been the influence of the heavenly power, for the distance of thousands of miles has become identical with one step! How various nations that have had no relations or similarity with each other are now united and agreed through this divine potency! Indeed to God belongs power in the past and in the future! And verily God is powerful over all things!
Consider! When the rain, the heat, the sun and the gentle zephyrs cooperate with each other, what beautiful gardens are produced! How the various kinds of hyacinths, flowers, trees and plants associate with each other and are conducive to the adornment and charm of one another! Hence the oneness of the bounty of the sun, the oneness of rain and the oneness of the breeze have so overcome all other considerations that the variety of hues, fragrances and tastes have increased the adornment, the attraction and sweetness of the whole. In a similar manner, when the divine Collective Center and the outpouring of the Sun of Reality and the breaths of the Holy Spirit are brought together, the variety of races and the differences existing between countries will become the cause of the embellishment, decoration and elegance of the world of humanity.
Therefore, the believers of God throughout all the republics of America, through the divine power, must become the cause of the promotion of heavenly teachings and the establishment of the oneness of humanity. Every one of the important souls must arise, blowing over all parts of America the breath of life, conferring upon the people a new spirit, baptizing them with the fire of the love of God, the water of life, and the breaths of the Holy Spirit so that the second birth may become realized. For it is written in the Gospel, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.”
Therefore, O ye believers of God in the United States and Canada! Select ye important personages, or else they by themselves, becoming severed from rest and composure of the world, may arise and travel throughout Alaska, the Republic of Mexico, and south of Mexico in the Central American Republics, such as Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Belize; and through the great South American Republics, such as Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, French Guiana, Dutch Guiana, British Guiana, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile; also in the group of the West Indies Islands, such as Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Santo Domingo, and the group of Islands of the Lesser Antilles, the Islands of Bahama and the Islands of Bermuda; likewise to the islands to the east, west and south of South America, such as Trinidad, Falkland Islands, Galapagos Islands, Juan Fernandez and Tobago. Visit ye especially the city of Bahia, on the eastern shore of Brazil. Because in the past years this city was christened with the name, Bahia, there is no doubt that it has been through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Consequently, the believers of God must display the utmost effort, upraise the divine melody throughout those regions, promulgate the heavenly teachings and waft over all, the spirit of eternal life; so that those Republics may become so illumined with the splendors and the effulgences of the Sun of Reality that they may become the objects of the praise and commendation of all other countries. Likewise, you must give great attention to the Republic of Panama, for in that point the Occident and the Orient find each other united through the Panama Canal, and it is also situated between the two great oceans. That place will become very important in the future. The Teachings once established there will unite the East and the West, the North and the South.
Hence the intention must be purified, the
effort ennobled and exalted, so that you may
establish affinity between the hearts of the
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world of humanity.
This glorious aim will
not become realized save through
the promotion of divine teachings
which are the foundations of the
holy religions.
Consider how the religions of God served the world of humanity! How the religion of Torah became conducive to the glory and honor and progress of the Israelitish nation! How the breaths of the Holy Spirit of His Holiness Christ created affinity and unity between divergent communities and quarreling families! How the sacred power of His Holiness Muḥammad became the means of uniting and harmonizing the contentious tribes and the different clans of Peninsular Arabia—to such an extent that one thousand tribes were welded into one tribe; strife and discord were done away with; all of them unitedly and with one accord strove in advancing the cause of culture and civilization, and thus were freed from the lowest degree of degradation, soaring toward the height of everlasting glory! Is it possible to find a greater Collective Center in the phenomenal world than this? In comparison to this Divine Collective Center, the national collective center, the patriotic collective center, the political collective center and the cultural and intellectual collective center are like child’s play!
Now strive ye that the Collective Center of the sacred religions—for the inculcation of which all the Prophets were manifested and which is no other than the spirit of the Divine Teachings—be spread in all parts of America, so that each one of you may shine forth from the horizon of Reality like unto the morning star, divine illumination may overcome the darkness of nature, and the world of humanity may become enlightened. This is the most great work! Should you become confirmed therein, this world will become another world, the surface of the earth will become the delectable Paradise, and eternal Institutions be founded.
Let whosoever travels to different parts to teach, peruse over mountain, desert, land and sea this supplication!
O God! O God! Thou seest my weakness, lowliness and humility amongst Thy creatures; nevertheless I have trusted in Thee and have arisen in the promotion of Thy Teachings amongst Thy strong servants, relying on Thy power and might!
O Lord! I am a broken-winged bird and desire to soar in this Thy space to which there is no limit. How is it possible for me to do this save through Thy providence and grace, Thy confirmation and assistance!
O Lord! Have pity on my weakness and strengthen me with Thy power!
O Lord! Have pity on my impotency and assist me with Thy might and majesty!
O Lord! Should the breaths of the Holy Spirit confirm the weakest of creatures, he shall attain to the highest station of greatness and shall possess anything he desireth. Indeed Thou hast assisted Thy servants in the past, and they were the weakest of Thy creatures, the lowliest of Thy servants and the most insignificant of those who lived upon the earth; but through Thy sanction and potency they took precedence over the most glorious of Thy people and the most noble of Thy mankind. Whereas formerly they were as moths, they became royal falcons and whereas before they were as bubbles, they became seas. Through Thy bestowal, Thy mercy and Thy most great favor they became stars shining in the horizon of guidance, birds singing in the rose-gardens of immortality, lions roaring in the forests of knowledge and wisdom and whales swimming in the oceans of life.
Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Powerful, the Mighty, and the Most merciful of the Merciful!
Haifa, Palestine,
March 8, 1917.
To the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful of the Bahá’í Assemblies in the United States of America and Canada.
Upon them be Bahá’u’lláh u’l-Abhá!
He is God!
O ye apostles of Bahá’u’lláh—May my life be a ransom to you!
The blessed Person of the Promised One is
interpreted in the Holy Book as the Lord of
Hosts—the heavenly armies. By heavenly
armies those souls are intended who are
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entirely freed from the
human world, transformed into celestial
spirits and have become
divine angels. Such souls are the rays of the
Sun of Reality who will illumine
all the continents. Each one is
holding in his hand
a trumpet, blowing the breath of life over
all the regions. They are delivered from
human qualities and the defects of the
world of nature, are characterized with the
characteristics of God, and are attracted with
the fragrances of the Merciful. Like unto
the apostles of Christ, who were filled with
Him, these souls also have become filled with
His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh; that is, the love of
Bahá’u’lláh has so mastered every organ, part
and limb of their bodies, as to leave no effect
from the promptings of the human world.
These souls are the armies of God and the conquerors of the East and the West. Should one of them turn his face toward some direction and summon the people to the Kingdom of God, all the ideal forces and lordly confirmations will rush to his support and reinforcement. He will behold all the doors open and all the strong fortifications and impregnable castles razed to the ground. Singly and alone he will attack the armies of the world, defeat the right and left wings of the hosts of all the countries, break through the lines of the legions of all the nations and carry his attack to the very center of the powers of the earth. This is the meaning of the Hosts of God.
Any soul from among the believers of Bahá’u’lláh who attains to this station, will become known as the Apostle of Bahá’u’lláh. Therefore strive ye with heart and soul so that ye may reach this lofty and exalted position, be established on the throne of everlasting glory, and crown your heads with the shining diadem of the Kingdom, whose brilliant jewels may irradiate upon centuries and cycles.
O ye kind friends! Uplift your magnanimity and soar high toward the apex of heaven so that your blessed hearts may become illumined more and more, day by day, through the Rays of the Sun of Reality, that is, His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh; at every moment the spirits may obtain a new life, and the darkness of the world of nature may be entirely dispelled; thus you may become incarnate light and personified spirit, become entirely unaware of the sordid matters of this world and in touch with the affairs of the divine world.
Consider you what doors His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh has opened before you, and what a high and exalted station He has destined for you, and what bounties He has prepared for you! Should we become intoxicated with this cup, the sovereignty of this globe of earth will become lower in our estimation than the children’s plays. Should they place in the arena the crown of the government of the whole world, and invite each one of us to accept it, undoubtedly we shall not condescend, and shall refuse to accept it.
To attain to this supreme station is, however, dependent on the realization of certain conditions:
The first condition is firmness in the
Covenant of God. For the power of the
Covenant will protect the Cause of
Bahá’u’lláh from the doubts of
the people of error.
It is the fortified fortress
of the Cause of God
and the firm pillar of the religion of God.
Today no power can conserve the oneness of
the Bahá’í world save the Covenant of God;
otherwise differences like unto a most great
tempest will encompass the Bahá’í world. It
is evident that the axis of the oneness of the
world of humanity is the power
of the Covenant and nothing else.
Had the Covenant
not come to pass, had it not been revealed
from the Supreme Pen and had not the Book
of the Covenant, like unto the ray of the
Sun of Reality, illuminated the world, the
forces of the Cause of God would have been
utterly scattered and certain souls who were
the prisoners of their own passions and lusts
would have taken into their hands an axe,
cutting the root of this Blessed Tree. Every
person would have pushed forward his own
desire and every individual aired his own
opinion! Notwithstanding this
great Covenant, a few negligent
souls galloped with
their chargers into the battlefield, thinking
perchance they might be able to weaken the
foundation of the Cause of God: but praise
be to God all of them were afflicted
with regret and loss, and ere
long they shall see
themselves in poignant despair. Therefore,
in the beginning one must make his steps
firm in the Covenant so that the
confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh
may encircle from all
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sides, the
cohorts of the Supreme Concourse
may become the supporters and the helpers,
and the exhortations and
advices of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, like
unto the pictures engraved on
stone, may remain permanent
and ineffaceable in the tablets of the hearts.
The second condition: Fellowship and love amongst the believers. The divine friends must be attracted to and enamored of each other and ever be ready and willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other. Should one soul from amongst the believers meet another, it must be as though a thirsty one with parched lips has reached to the fountain of the water of life, or a lover has met his true beloved. For one of the greatest divine wisdoms regarding the appearance of the Holy Manifestations is this: The souls may come to know each other and become intimate with each other; the power of the love of God may make all of them the waves of one sea, the flowers of one rose garden, and the stars of one heaven. This is the wisdom for the appearance of the Holy Manifestations! When the most great bestowal reveals itself in the hearts of the believers, the world of nature will be transformed, the darkness of the contingent being will vanish, and heavenly illumination will be obtained. Then the whole world will become the Paradise of Abhá, every one of the believers of God will become a blessed tree, producing wonderful fruits.
O ye friends! Fellowship, fellowship! Love, love! Unity, unity!—So that the power of the Bahá’í Cause may appear and become manifest in the world of existence. Just at this moment I am engaged in your commemoration and this heart is in the utmost glow and excitement! Were you to realize how this consciousness is attracted with the love of the friends, unquestionably you would obtain such a degree of joy and fragrance that you would all become enamored with each other!
The third condition: Teachers must continually travel to all parts of the continent, nay, rather, to all parts of the world, but they must travel like ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who journeyed throughout the cities of America. He was sanctified and free from every attachment and in the utmost severance. Just as His Holiness Christ says, "Shake off the very dust from your feet.”
You have observed that while in America many souls in the utmost of supplication and entreaty desired to offer some gifts, but this servant, in accord with the exhortations and behests of the Blessed Perfection, never accepted a thing, although on certain occasions we were in most straitened circumstances. But on the other hand, if a soul for the sake of God, voluntarily and out of his pure desire, wishes to offer a contribution (toward the expenses of a teacher) in order to make the contributor happy, the teacher may accept a small sum, but must live with the utmost contentment.
The aim is this: The intention of the teacher must be pure, his heart independent, his spirit attracted, his thought at peace, his resolution firm, his magnanimity exalted and in the love of God a shining torch. Should he become as such, his sanctified breath will even affect the rock; otherwise there will be no result whatsoever. As long as a soul is not perfected, how can he efface the defects of others. Unless he is detached from aught else save God, how can he teach severance to others!
In short, O ye believers of God! Endeavor ye, so that you may take hold of every means in the promulgation of the religion of God and the diffusion of the fragrances of God.
Amongst other things is the holding of the meetings for teaching so that blessed souls and the old ones from amongst the believers may gather together the youths of the love of God in schools of instruction and teach them all the divine proofs and irrefragible arguments, explain and elucidate the history of the Cause, and interpret also the prophecies and proofs which are recorded and are extant in the divine Books and Epistles regarding the Manifestation of the Promised One, so that the young ones may go in perfect knowledge in all these degrees.
Likewise, whenever it is possible a committee must be organized for the translation of the Tablets. Wise souls who have mastered and studied perfectly the Íránian, Arabic, and other foreign languages, or know one of the foreign languages, must commence translating Tablets and books containing the proofs of this Revelation, and publishing those books, circulate them throughout the five continents of the globe.
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Similarly, the Magazine,
the Star of the West, must be edited
with the utmost regularity, but its
contents must be the promulgation
of the Cause of God that both East
and West may become informed of the most
important events.
In short, in all the meetings, whether public or private, nothing should be discussed save that which is under consideration, and all the articles be centered around the Cause of God. Promiscuous talk must not be dragged in and contention is absolutely forbidden.
The teachers traveling in different directions must know the language of the country in which they will enter. For example, a person being proficient in the Japanese language may travel to Japan, or a person knowing the Chinese language may hasten to China, and so forth.
In short, after this universal war, the people have obtained extraordinary capacity to hearken to the divine teachings, for the wisdom of this war is this: That it may become proven to all that the fire of war is world-consuming, whereas the rays of peace are world-enlightening. One is death, the other is life; this is extinction, that is immortality; one is the most great calamity, the other is the most great bounty; this is darkness, that is light; this is eternal humiliation and that is everlasting glory; one is the destroyer of the foundation of man, the other is the founder of the prosperity of the human race.
Consequently, a number of souls may arise and act in accordance with the aforesaid conditions, and hasten to all parts of the world, especially from America to Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, and travel through Japan and China. Likewise, from Germany teachers and believers may travel to the continents of America, Africa, Japan and China; in brief, they may travel through all the continents and islands of the globe. Thus in a short space of time, most wonderful results will be produced, the banner of Universal Peace will be waving on the apex of the world and the lights of the oneness of the world of humanity may illumine the universe.
In brief, O ye believers of God! The text of the Divine Book is this: If two souls quarrel and contend about a question of the Divine questions, differing and disputing, both are wrong. The wisdom of this incontrovertible law of God is this: That between two souls from amongst the believers of God, no contention and dispute may arise; that they may speak with each other with infinite amity and love. Should there appear the least trace of controversy, they must remain silent, and both parties must continue their discussions no longer, but ask the reality of the question from the Interpreter. This is the irrefutable command!
Upon you be Bahá’u’l-Abhá!
Supplication
O God! O God! Thou seest that black darkness hath encompassed all the regions, all the countries are burning with the conflagration of dissension and the fire of war and carnage is ignited in the Easts of the earth and the Wests thereof. The blood is being shed, the corpses are outstretched and the heads are decapitated and thrown on the ground in the battlefield.
Lord! Lord! Have pity on these ignorant ones, look upon them with the eye of forgiveness and pardon. Extinguish this fire so that these gloomy clouds covering the horizon may be scattered; the Sun of Reality may shine forth with the rays of conciliation; this darkness be rent asunder and all the countries be illumined with the lights of peace.
Lord! Awaken them from the depths of the sea of animosity, deliver them from these impenetrable darknesses, establish affinity between their hearts and enlighten their eyes with the light of peace and reconciliation.
Lord! Rescue them from the fathomless depths of war and bloodshed! Arouse them out of the gloom of error, rend asunder the veil from their eyes, brighten their hearts with the light of guidance, deal with them through Thy favor and mercy and do not treat them according to Thy justice and wrath through which the backs of the mighty ones are shaken!
Lord! Verily the wars have prolonged, the calamities have increased, and every building hath turned into ruin.
Lord! Verily the breasts are agitated and the souls are convulsed. Have mercy on
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these poor ones and
do not leave them to do
with themselves that which they desire!
Lord! Send forth throughout Thy countries humble and submissive souls, their faces illumined with the rays of guidance, severed from the world, speaking Thy remembrance and praise and diffusing Thy holy fragrances amongst mankind!
Lord! Strengthen their backs, reinforce their loins and dilate their breasts with the signs of Thy most great love.
Lord! Verily they are weak and Thou art the Powerful and the Mighty; and they are impotent and Thou art the Helper and the Merciful!
Lord! Verily the sea of transgression is waving high and these hurricanes will not be calmed down save through Thy boundless grace which hath embraced all the regions!
Lord! Verily the souls are in the deep valleys of lust and nothing will awaken them save Thy most wonderful bounties.
Lord! Dispel these darknesses of temptations and illumine the hearts with the lamp of Thy love, through which all the countries will be enlightened. Confirm those believers who, leaving their countries, their families and their children, travel throughout the regions for the sake of the love of Thy beauty, the diffusion of Thy fragrances and the promulgation of Thy teachings. Be thou their companion in their loneliness, their helper in a strange land, the remover of their sorrow, the comforter in their calamity, their deliverer in their hardship, the satisfier of their thirst, the healer of their malady and the allayer of the fire of their longing.
Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Possessor of Mercy, and Verily Thou art the Compassionate and the Merciful.
Haifa, Palestine,
April 19, 20 and 22, 1917.
To the friends and maid—servants of God in the Northeastern States.
Upon them be greeting and praise!
O ye heavenly heralds:
These are the days of Naw-Rúz. I am always thinking of those kind friends! I beg for each and all of you confirmations and assistance from the threshold of Oneness, so that those gatherings may become ignited like unto candles, in the republics of America, enkindling the light of the love of God in the hearts; thus the rays of the heavenly teachings may begem and brighten the states of America like the infinitude of immensity with the stars of the most great guidance.
The Northeastern states on the shores of
the Atlantic—Maine, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
New York—in some of these states believers
are found, but in some of the cities of these
states up to this date people are not yet
illumined with the lights of the Kingdom
and are not aware of the heavenly teachings;
therefore, whenever it is possible for each one
of you, hasten ye to those cities and shine
forth like unto the stars with the light of
the most great guidance. God says in the
glorious Qur’án, “The soil was black and
dried. Then we caused the rain to descend
upon it and immediately it became green,
verdant, and every kind of plant sprouted up
luxuriantly.” In other words, he says the
earth is black, but when the spring showers
descend upon it that black soil is quickened,
and variegated flowers are pushed forth. This
means the souls of humanity belonging to
the world of nature are black like unto the
soil. But when the heavenly outpourings
descend and the radiant effulgences appear,
the hearts are resuscitated, are liberated from
the darkness of nature and the flowers of
divine mysteries grow and become luxuriant.
Consequently man must become the cause of
the illumination of the world of humanity
and propagate the holy teachings revealed in
the sacred books through divine inspiration.
It is stated in the blessed Gospel: Travel ye
toward the East and toward the West and
enlighten the people with the light of the
most great guidance, so that they may take a
portion and share of the eternal life. Praise
be to God, that the Northeastern states are
in the utmost capacity. Because the ground
is rich, the rain of the divine outpouring is
descending. Now you must become heavenly
farmers and scatter pure seeds in the prepared
soil. The harvest of every other seed is
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limited, but the bounty
and the blessing of
the seed of the Divine Teachings is unlimited.
Throughout the coming centuries and cycles
many harvests will be gathered. Consider the
work of former generations. During the
lifetime of His Holiness Christ the believing,
firm souls were few and numbered, but the
heavenly benedictions descended so
plentifully that in a number of years countless
souls entered under the shade of the Gospel.
God has said in the Qur’án, "One grain will
bring forth seven sheaves, and every sheaf
shall contain one hundred grains.” In other
words, one grain will become seven hundred;
and if God so wills he will double these also.
It has often happened that one blessed soul
has become the cause of the guidance of a
nation. Now we must not look at our own
ability and capacity; nay, rather,
we must behold the favors and
bounties of God in these
days, who has made the drop to
find the expression of the sea
and the atom the importance of the sun.
Upon you be greeting and praise!
Haifa, Palestine,
March 26, 1916.
To the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful of the Northeastern States of the United States of America—Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York.
He is God!
O ye real friends:
All the regions in the estimation of the True One are one region and all the cities and villages are ideally equal and similar to each other. Neither holds distinction over another. All of them are the fields of God and the habitation of the souls of men. But through faith and assurance and the precedence of one part over another the dweller imparts holiness and sanctification to the dwelling and some of the countries becoming exceptional, attain to the most great distinction.
For example, notwithstanding that some of the countries of Europe and America are distinguished for the purity of the air, the wholesomeness of the water, and the charm of the mountains, plains and prairies and are preferred above all the rest, yet Palestine became an honor to all other regions of the world because all the holy divine Manifestations from the time of His Holiness Abraham to the time of the appearance of the Seal of the Prophets, have either lived in this region or emigrated to or traveled through here.
Likewise Yathroh and Bat-há attained to the most great bounty and the light of the Prophets has shone from that horizon. For this reason Palestine and Hedjaz are distinguished above all other regions.
Likewise as the continent of America in the estimation of the True One is the field of the effulgence of light, the Kingdom of the manifestation of mysteries, the home of the righteous ones and the gathering place of the free, therefore, every section thereof is blessed; but because these nine states have been favored in faith and assurance, hence through this precedence they have obtained spiritual privilege. They must realize the value of this bounty; because they have obtained such a favor and in order to render thanksgiving for this most great bestowal, they must arise in the diffusion of divine fragrances so that the blessed verse of the Qur’án:
“God is the light of heaven and earth: the similitude of His light is a niche in a wall, wherein a lamp is placed, and the lamp enclosed in a case of glass; the glass appears as if it were a shining star. It is lighted with the oil of a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East, nor of the West; it wanteth little but that the oil thereof would give light, although no fire touched it. This is the light added unto light. God will direct unto His light whom He pleaseth.”—may be realized.
He says, "The world of nature is the
world of darkness, because it is the origin of
a thousand depravities; nay, rather,
it is darkness upon darkness.”
The illumination of the world of
nature is dependent upon the
splendor of the Sun of Reality. The grace
of guidance is like unto the candle which is
enkindled in the glass of knowledge and
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wisdom and that glass
of knowledge and wisdom is the mirror
of the heart of humanity.
The oil of that luminous lamp is from the
fruits of the Blessed Tree and that oil is so
refined that it will burn without light. When
the intensity of the light and the
translucency of the glass and the purity of the
mirror are brought together, it will become
light upon light.
In brief, in these nine blessed states ‘Abdu’l-Bahá journeyed and traveled from place to place, explained the wisdom of the heavenly books and diffused the fragrances. In most of these states he founded the Divine Edifice and opened the door of teaching. In those states he sowed pure seeds and planted blessed trees.
Now the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful must irrigate these fields and with the utmost power engage themselves in the cultivation of these heavenly plantations so that the seeds may grow and develop, prosperity and blessing be realized and many rich and great harvests be gathered in.
The Kingdom of God is like unto a farmer who comes into possession of a piece of pure and virgin soil. Heavenly seeds are scattered therein, the clouds of divine providence pour down and the rays of the Sun of Reality shine forth.
Now all these bounties exist and appear in full in these nine states. The divine Gardener passed by that holy ground and scattered pure seeds from the lordly teachings in that field; the rain of the bounties of God poured down and the heat of the Sun of Reality—that is, the merciful confirmations —shone with the utmost splendor. It is my hope that each one of those blessed souls may become a peerless and unique irrigator and the East and the West of America may become like unto a delectable paradise so that all of you may hear from the Supreme Concourse the cry of “Blessed are you, and again blessed are you!”
Upon you be greeting and praise!
The following supplication is to be read by the teachers and friends daily:
O Thou Kind Lord! Praise be unto Thee that Thou hast shown unto us the highway of guidance, opened the doors of the Kingdom and manifested Thyself through the Sun of Reality. To the blind Thou hast given sight; to the deaf Thou hast granted hearing; Thou hast resuscitated the dead; Thou hast shown the way to those who have gone astray; Thou hast led those with parched lips to the fountain of guidance; Thou hast suffered the thirsty fish to reach the ocean of reality and Thou hast invited the wandering birds to the rose garden of grace.
O Thou Almighty! We people are Thy servants and Thy poor ones! We are remote, we yearn for Thy presence; we are thirsty for the water of Thy fountain; we are ill, longing for Thy medicine. We are walking in Thy path and have no aim or hope save the diffusion of Thy fragrances so that the souls may raise the cry of "O God! Guide us to the straight path!” May they open their eyes by beholding the lights and become freed from the darkness of ignorance! May they walk around the lamp of guidance! May the portionless receive a share! and may the deprived ones become the confidants of the mysteries!
O Almighty! Look upon us with the glance of mercifulness! Grant us heavenly confirmation! Bestow upon us the breaths of the Holy Spirit! So that we may become assisted in service and like unto brilliant stars we may shine in these regions with the light of guidance! Verily! Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, and Thou art the Wise and the Seeing!
Haifa, Palestine,
February 2, 1917.
To the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the Southern States.
Upon them be greeting and praise!
O ye heralds of the Kingdom of God:
A few days ago an epistle was written to
those divine believers, but because these days
are the days of Naw-Rúz, you have come to
my mind and I am sending you this greeting
for this glorious feast. All the days are
blessed, but this feast is the national féte of
Írán. The Íránians have been holding it for
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several thousand years
past. In reality every
day which man passes in the mention of God,
the diffusion of the fragrances of God and
calling the people to the Kingdom of God,
that day is his feast. Praise be to God that
you are occupied in the service of
the Kingdom of God and are engaged
in the promulgation of the religion
of God by day and by
night. Therefore all your days are feast days.
There is no doubt that the assistance and the
bestowal of God shall descend upon you.
In the Southern States of the United States, the friends are few, that is, in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Consequently you must either go yourselves or send a number of blessed souls to those states, so that they may guide the people to the Kingdom of Heaven. One of the Holy Manifestations, addressing a believing soul, says, “If a person become the cause of the illumination of one soul, it is better than a boundless treasury.” Again He says, “O ‘Alí! If God guide, through thee, one soul, it is better for thee than all the riches!” Again He says, "Direct us to the straight path!” that is, Show us the right road. It is also mentioned in the Gospel, “Travel ye to all parts of the world and give ye the glad tidings of the appearance of the Kingdom of God.”
In brief, I hope you will display in this respect the greatest effort and magnanimity. It is assured that you will become assisted and confirmed. A person declaring the glad tidings of the appearance of the realities and significances of the Kingdom is like unto a farmer who scatters pure seeds in the rich soil. The spring cloud will pour upon them the rain of bounty, and unquestionably the station of the farmer will be raised in the estimation of the lord of the village, and many harvests will be gathered.
Therefore, ye friends of God! Appreciate ye the value of this time and be ye engaged in the sowing of the seeds, so that you may find the heavenly blessing and the lordly bestowal. Upon you be Baha’u’l-Abhá!
Haifa, Palestine,
March 27, 1916.
To the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful in the Southern States.
Upon them be Bahá’u’lláh u’l-Abhá!
O ye blessed, respected souls:
The philosophers of the ancients, the thinkers of the Middle Ages and the scientists of this and the former centuries have all agreed upon the fact that the best and the most ideal region for the habitation of man is the temperate zone, for in this belt the intellects and thoughts rise to the highest stage of maturity, and the capability and ability of civilization manifest themselves in full efflorescence. When you read history critically and with a penetrating eye, it becomes evident that the majority of the famous men have been born, reared and have done their work in the temperate zone, while very very few have appeared from the torrid and frigid zones.
Now these sixteen Southern States of the United States are situated in the temperate zone, and in these regions the perfections of the world of nature have been fully revealed. For the moderation of the weather, the beauty of the scenery and the geographical configuration of the country display a great effect in the world of minds and thoughts. This fact is well demonstrated through observation and experience.
Even the holy, divine Manifestations have had a nature in the utmost equilibrium, the health and wholesomeness of their bodies most perfect, their constitutions endowed with physical vigor, their powers functioning in perfect order, and the outward sensations linked with the inward perceptions, working together with extraordinary momentum and coordination.
Therefore in these sixteen states, because
they are contiguous to other states and their
climate being in the utmost of moderation,
unquestionably the divine teachings
must reveal themselves with a
brighter effulgence,
the breaths of the Holy Spirit must display a
penetrating intensity, the ocean of the love
of God must be stirred with higher waves,
the breezes of the rose garden of the divine
love be wafted with higher velocity, and the
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fragrances of holiness
be diffused with swiftness and rapidity.
Praise be to God that the divine outpourings are infinite, the melody of the lordly principles is in the utmost efficacy, the most great Orb shining with perfect splendor, the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse are attacking with invincible power, the tongues are sharper than the swords, the hearts are more brilliant than the light of electricity, the magnanimity of the friends precedes all the magnanimities of the former and subsequent generations, the souls are divinely attracted, and the fire of the love of God is enkindled.
At this time and at this period we must avail ourselves of this most great opportunity. We must not sit inactive for one moment; we must sever ourselves from composure, rest, tranquillity, goods, property, life and attachment to material things. We must sacrifice everything to His Highness, the Possessor of existence, so that the powers of the Kingdom may show greater penetration and the brilliant effulgence in this New Cycle may illumine the worlds of minds and ideals.
It is about twenty-three years that the fragrances of God have been diffused in America, but no adequate and befitting motion has been realized, and no great acclamation and acceleration has been witnessed. Now it is my hope that through the heavenly power, the fragrances of the Merciful, the attraction of consciousness, the celestial outpourings, the heavenly cohorts and the gushing forth of the mountain of divine love, the believers of God may arise and in a short time the greatest good may unveil her countenance, the Sun of Reality may shine forth with such intensity that the darkness of the world of nature may become entirely dispelled and driven away; from every corner a most wonderful melody may be raised, the morning birds may break into such a song that the world of humanity may be quickened and moved, the solid bodies may become liquefied, and the souls who are like unto adamantine rocks may open their wings and through the heat of the love of God fly heavenward.
Nearly two thousand years ago, Armenia was enveloped with impenetrable darkness. One blessed soul from among the disciples of Christ hastened to that part, and through his effort, ere long that province became illumined. Thus it has become evident how the power of the Kingdom works!
Therefore, rest ye assured in the confirmations of the Merciful and the assistances of the Most High; become ye sanctified above and purified from this world and the inhabitants thereof; suffer your intention to become for the good of all; cut your attachment to the earth and like unto the essence of the spirit become ye light and delicate. Then with a firm resolution, a pure heart, a rejoiced spirit, and an eloquent tongue, engage your time in the promulgation of the divine principles so that the oneness of the world of humanity may pitch her canopy in the apex of America and all the nations of the world may follow the divine policy. This is certain, that the divine policy is justice and kindness toward all mankind. For all the nations of the world are the sheep of God, and God is the kind shepherd. He has created these sheep. He has protected them, sustained and trained them. What greater kindness than this? And every moment we must render a hundred thousand thanksgivings that, praise be to God, we are freed from all the ignorant prejudices, are kind to all the sheep of God, and our utmost hope is to serve each and all, and like unto a benevolent father educate every one.
Upon you be greeting and praise!
Every soul who travels through these cities, villages and hamlets of these states and is engaged in the diffusion of the fragrances of God, must peruse this commune every morning:
O God! O God! Behold me! Nothwithstanding my lowliness and my lack of capacity and ability, I am bent upon the accomplishment of the greatest works, aiming to promote Thy Word amongst the republics and resolved to spread Thy teachings amongst all mankind. Far be it from me to become confirmed in this work save Thou mayst assist me with the breaths of the Holy Spirit! Make me victorious through the armies of Thy Supreme Kingdom and encircle me with Thy confirmations, which shall make the moth the eagle, the drop the river and the seas, and the scintillas the suns and the moons!
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O Lord! Confirm me with
Thine insuperable power and Thy
penetrating potency, so
that my tongue may speak out Thy praises
and glorifications amongst Thy creatures,
and my heart become overflowed with the
wine of Thy love and knowledge. Verily,
Thou art the powerful to do that which Thou
willest, and Thou art mighty over all things!
Haifa, Palestine,
February 3, 1917.
To the friends of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the Central States.
O ye heavenly souls, O ye spiritual assemblies, O ye lordly meetings:
For some time past correspondence has been delayed, and this has been on account of the difficulty of mailing and receiving letters. But because at present a number of facilities are obtainable, therefore, I am engaged in writing you this brief epistle so that my heart and soul may obtain joy and fragrance through the remembrance of the friends. Continually this wanderer supplicates and entreats at the threshold of His Holiness the One and begs assistance, bounty and heavenly confirmations in behalf of the believers. You are always in my thought. You are not nor shall you ever be forgotten. I hope by the favor of His Holiness the Almighty that day by day you may add to your faith, assurance, firmness and steadfastness, and become instruments for the promotion of the holy fragrances. In the great book, the divine Qur’án, God, addressing his Messenger, His Holiness Muḥammad (upon him be greeting and praise!), says, "Verily thou dost guide the people to the straight path.” In other words, Thou dost show mankind the direct road. Consider how guidance is a matter of infinite importance, for it points to the loftiness of the station of His Holiness the Messenger.
Although in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota—praise be to God—believers are found who are associating with each other in the utmost firmness and steadfastness—day and night they have no other intention save the diffusion of the fragrances of God, they have no other hope except the promotion of the heavenly teachings, like the candles they are burning with the light of the love of God, and like thankful birds are singing songs, spirit-imparting, joy-creating, in the rose garden of the knowledge of God,—yet in the states of Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas few of the believers exist. So far the summons of the Kingdom of God and the proclamation of the oneness of the world of humanity has not been made in these states systematically and enthusiastically. Blessed souls and detached teachers have not traveled through these parts repeatedly; therefore these states are still in a state of heedlessness. Through the efforts of the friends of God souls must be likewise enkindled in these states, with the fire of the love of God and attracted to the Kingdom of God, so that section may also become illumined and the soul imparting breeze of the rose garden of the Kingdom may perfume the nostrils of the inhabitants. Therefore, if it is possible, send to those parts teachers who are severed from all else save God, sanctified and pure. If these teachers be in the utmost state of attraction, in a short time great results will be forthcoming. The sons and daughters of the kingdom are like unto the real farmers. Through whichever state or country they pass they display self-sacrifice and sow divine seeds. From that seed harvests are produced. On this subject it is revealed in the glorious Gospel: When the pure seeds are scattered in the good ground heavenly blessing and benediction is obtained. I hope that you may become assisted and confirmed, and never lose courage in the promotion of the divine teachings. Day by day may you add to your effort, exertion, and magnanimity.
Upon you be greeting and praise!
Haifa, Palestine,
March 29, 1916.
To the believers and the maid-servants of God in the Central States.
Upon them be Bahá’u’lláh u’l-Abhá!
He is God!
God says in the great Qur’án, “He specializes for His Mercy whomsoever He willeth.” O ye old believers and intimate friends:
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These twelve central
states of the United
States are like unto the heart of America,
and the heart is connected with all the organs
and parts of man. If the heart
is strengthened, all the organs
of the body are reinforced, and
if the heart is weak all the
physical elements are subjected to feebleness.
Now praise be to God that Chicago and its environs from the beginning of the diffusion of the fragrances of God have been a strong heart. Therefore, through divine bounty and providence it has become confirmed in certain great matters.
Firstly: The Call of the Kingdom was in the very beginning raised from Chicago. This is indeed a great privilege, for in future centuries and cycles, it will be as an axis around which the honor of Chicago will revolve.
Secondly: A number of souls with the utmost firmness and steadfastness arose in that blessed spot in the promotion of the Word of God and even to the present moment, having purified and sanctified the heart from every thought, they are occupied with the promulgation of the teachings of God. Hence the call of praise is raised uninterruptedly from the Supreme Concourse.
Thirdly: During the American journey ‘Abdu’l-Bahá several times passed through Chicago and associated with the friends of God. For some time he sojourned in that city. Day and night he was occupied with the mention of the True One and summoned the people to the Kingdom of God.
Fourthly: Up to the present time, every movement initiated in Chicago, its effect was spread to all parts and to all directions, just as everything that appears in and manifests from the heart influences all the organs and limbs of the body.
Fifthly: The first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in America was instituted in Chicago, and this honor and distinction is infinite in value. Undoubtedly out of this Mashriqu’l-Adhkár thousands of other Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs will be born.
Likewise (were instituted in Chicago) the general Annual Conventions, the foundation of the Star of the West, the Publishing Society for the publication of books and Tablets and their circulation in all parts of America, and the preparations now under way for the celebration of the Golden Centenary Anniversary of the Kingdom of God. I hope that this Jubilee and this Exhibition may be celebrated in the utmost perfection so that the call to the world of unity, "There is no God but One God, and all the Messengers, from the beginning to the Seal of the Prophets (Muḥammad) were sent on the part of the True One!” may be raised; the flag of the oneness of the world of humanity be unfurled, the melody of Universal Peace may reach the ears of the East and the West, all the paths may be cleared and straightened, all the hearts may be attracted to the Kingdom of God, the tabernacle of unity be pitched on the apex of America, the song of the love of God may exhilarate and rejoice all the nations and peoples, the surface of the earth may become the eternal paradise, the dark clouds may be dispelled and the Sun of Truth may shine forth with the utmost intensity.
O ye friends of God! Exert ye with heart and soul, so that association, love, unity and agreement be obtained between the hearts, all the aims may be merged into one aim, all the songs become one song and the power of the Holy Spirit may become so overwhelmingly victorious as to overcome all the forces of the world of nature. Work! This is the great Work, should ye become assisted therein. Thus America may become the fulcrum of merciful susceptibilities, and the throne of the Kingdom of God is established upon earth with the greatest joy and majesty.
This phenomenal world will not remain in an unchanging condition even for a short while. Second after second it undergoes change and transformation. Every foundation will finally become collapsed; every glory and splendor will at last vanish and disappear, but the Kingdom of God is eternal and the heavenly sovereignty and majesty will stand firm, everlasting. Hence in the estimation of a wise man the mat in the Kingdom of God is preferable to the throne of the government of the world.
Continually my ear and eye are
turned toward the Central States;
perchance a melody from some blessed
souls may reach my ears-souls who
are the dawning-places of the love
of God, the stars of the horizon of
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sanctification and
holiness—souls who will illumine
this dark universe and quicken to life this
dead world. The joy of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá depends upon this!
I hope that you may become confirmed therein.
Consequently, those souls who are in a condition of the utmost severance, purified from the defects of the world of nature, sanctified from attachment to this earth, vivified with the breaths of eternal life—with luminous hearts, with heavenly spirit, with attraction of consciousness, with celestial magnanimity, with eloquent tongues and with clear explanations—such souls must hasten and travel through all parts of the Central States. In every city and village they must occupy themselves with the diffusion of the divine exhortations and advices, guide the souls and promote the oneness of the world of humanity. They must play the melody of international conciliation with such power that every deaf one may attain hearing, every extinct person may be set aglow, every dead one may obtain new life and every indifferent soul may find ecstasy. It is certain that such will be the consummation.
The spreaders of the fragrances of God may peruse this commune every morning:
O Lord! O Lord! Praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee for Thou hast guided me to the highway of the Kingdom, suffered me to walk in this straight and far-stretching path, illumined my eye by beholding the lights, made me listen to the melodies of the birds of holiness from the Kingdom of Mysteries and attracted my heart with Thy love among the righteous ones.
O Lord! Confirm me with the Holy Spirit, so that I may call in Thy Name amongst the nations and give the glad tidings of the manifestation of Thy Kingdom amongst mankind.
O Lord! I am weak, strengthen me with Thy power and potency. My tongue falters, suffer me to utter Thy commemoration and praise. I am lonely, console me through my entrance into Thy Kingdom. I am remote, cause me to approach to the threshold of Thy Mercifulness. O Lord! Make me a brilliant lamp, a shining star and a blessed tree, adorned with fruits, its branches overshadowing all these regions! Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful and Unconstrained!
Haifa, Palestine,
February 8, 1917.
To the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the Western States.
He is God!
O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom:
Day and night I have no other occupation than the remembrance of the friends, praying from the depth of my heart in their behalf, begging for them confirmation from the Kingdom of God and supplicating the direct effect of the breaths of the Holy Spirit. I am hopeful from the favors of His Highness the Lord of Bestowals, that the friends of God during such a time may become the secret cause of the illumination of the hearts of humanity, breathing the breath of life upon the spirits—whose praiseworthy results may become conducive to the glory and exaltation of humankind throughout all eternity. Although in some of the Western States, like California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, the fragrances of holiness are diffused, numerous souls have taken a share and a portion from the fountain of everlasting life, they have obtained heavenly benediction, have drunk an overflowing cup from the wine of the love of God and have hearkened to the melody of the Supreme Concourse—yet in the states of New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Nevada, the lamp of the love of God is not ignited in a befitting and behooving manner, and the call of the Kingdom of God has not been raised. Now, if it is possible, show ye an effort in this direction. Either travel yourselves, personally, throughout those states or choose others and send them, so that they may teach the souls. For the present those states are like unto dead bodies: they must breathe into them the breath of life and bestow upon them a heavenly spirit. Like unto the stars they must shine in that horizon and thus the rays of the Sun of Reality may also illumine those states.
God says in the great Qur’án, “Verily God
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is the helper of
those who have believed. He
will lead them from darkness into light.”
This means: God loves the believers,
consequently He will deliver them from darkness
and bring them into the world of light.
It is also recorded in the blessed Gospel: Travel ye throughout the world and call ye the people to the Kingdom of God. Now this is the time that you may arise and perform this most great service and become the cause of the guidance of innumerable souls. Thus through this superhuman service the days of peace and conciliation may illumine and enlighten all the regions and the world of humanity may find peace and composure.
During my stay in America I cried out in every meeting and summoned the people to the propagation of the ideals of universal peace. I said plainly that the continent of Europe had become like unto an arsenal and its conflagration was dependent upon one spark, and that in the coming years, or within two years, all that which is recorded in the Revelation of John and the Book of Daniel would become fulfilled and come to pass. This matter, in all probability, was published in the San Francisco Bulletin, October 12, 1912. You may refer to it, so that the truth may become clear and manifest; thus ye may fully realize that this is the time for the diffusion of the fragrances.
The magnanimity of man must be heavenly or, in other words, it must be assisted by the divine confirmation, so that he may become the cause of the illumination of the world of humanity.
Upon you be greeting and praise.
Haifa, Palestine,
April 1, 1916.
To the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the Western States of the United States: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah.
Upon them be Bahá’u’lláh u’l-Abhá!
He is God!
O ye friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful, the chosen ones of the Kingdom:
The blessed state of California bears the utmost similarity to the Holy Land, that is, the country of Palestine. The air is of the utmost temperance, the plain very spacious, and the fruits of Palestine are seen in that state in the utmost of freshness and delicacy. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was traveling and journeying through those states, he found himself in Palestine, for from every standpoint there was a perfect likeness between this region and that state. Even the shores of the Pacific Ocean, in some instances, show perfect resemblance to the shores of the Holy Land—even the flora of the Holy Land have grown on those shores—the study of which has led to much speculation and wonder.
Likewise in the state of California and other Western States, wonderful scenes of the world of nature, which bewilder the minds of men, are manifest. Lofty mountains, deep canyons, great and majestic waterfalls, and giant trees are witnessed on all sides, while its soil is in the utmost fertility and richness. That blessed state is similar to the Holy Land and that region and that country like unto a delectable paradise, is in many ways identical with Palestine. Now just as there are natural resemblances, heavenly resemblances must also be acquired.
The lights of the divine traces
are manifest in Palestine. The
majority of the Israelitish
Prophets raised the call of the Kingdom
of God in this holy ground. Having spread
the spiritual teachings, the nostrils of the
spiritually-minded ones became fragrant, the
eyes of the illumined souls became
brightened, the ears were thrilled
through this song,
the hearts obtained eternal life from the
soul—refreshing breeze of the Kingdom of
God and gained supreme illumination from
the splendor of the Sun of Reality. Then
from this region the light was
spread to Europe, America, Asia,
Africa and Australia.
Now California and the other Western
States must earn an ideal similarity with the
Holy Land, and from that state and
that region the breaths of the Holy
Spirit be diffused to all parts of
America and Europe,
that the call of the Kingdom of
God may exhilarate and rejoice
all the ears, the divine
principles bestow a new life, the different
parties may become one party, the divergent
ideas may disappear and revolve around one
unique center, the East and the West of
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America may embrace
each other, the anthem of the
oneness of the world of humanity
may confer a new life upon all the
children of men, and the
tabernacle of Universal Peace
be pitched on the apex of
America;—thus Europe and Africa may become
vivified with the breaths of the Holy Spirit,
this world may become another world, the
body politic may attain to a
new exhilaration, and just as in
the state of California
and other Western States the marvelous
scenes of the world of nature are evident and
manifest, the great signs of the Kingdom of
God may also be unveiled so that the body
may correspond with the spirit, the outward
world may become a symbol of the inward
world, and the mirror of the earth
may become the mirror of the Kingdom, reflecting
the ideal virtues of heaven.
During My journey and traveling in those parts, I beheld wonderful scenes and beautiful panoramas of nature, orchards and rivers; national parks and general conclaves; deserts, plains, meadows and prairies; and the grains and fruits of that region greatly attracted My attention; even to the present moment they are in My mind.
Particularly was I greatly pleased with the meetings in San Francisco and Oakland, the gatherings in Los Angeles, and the believers who came from the cities of other states. Whenever their faces cross My memory, immediately infinite happiness is realized.
Therefore I hope that the divine teachings like unto the rays of the sun may be diffused in all the Western States, and the blessed Verse of the Qur’án, "It is a good City and the Lord is the Forgiver!” may become realized. Likewise, the significance of another Qur’ánic Verse, “Do ye not travel through the land and behold the traces of the Mercy of God?” become revealed in the utmost effulgence.
Praise be to God that through the divine bounty and providence, in that region the field of service is vast, the minds are in the utmost degree of intelligence and progress, sciences and arts are being promoted, the hearts like unto mirrors are in the utmost state of purity and translucency, and the friends of God are in perfect attraction. Therefore it is hoped that meetings for teaching will be organized and instituted, and for the diffusion of the fragrances of God wise teachers may be sent to cities, even to villages.
The teachers of the Cause must be heavenly, lordly and radiant. They must be embodied spirit, personified intellect, and arise in service with the utmost firmness, steadfastness and self-sacrifice. In their journeys they must not be attached to food and clothing. They must concentrate their thoughts on the outpourings of the Kingdom of God and beg for the confirmations of the Holy Spirit. With a divine power, with an attraction of consciousness, with heavenly glad tidings and celestial holiness they must perfume the nostrils with the fragrances of the Paradise of Abhá.
The following commune is to be read by them every day:
O God! O God! This is a broken-winged bird and his flight is very slow—assist him so that he may fly toward the apex of prosperity and salvation, wing his way with the utmost joy and happiness throughout the illimitable space, raise his melody in Thy Supreme Name in all the regions, exhilarate the ears with this call, and brighten the eyes by beholding the signs of guidance!
O Lord! I am single, alone and lowly. For me there is no support save Thee, no helper except Thee and no sustainer beside Thee. Confirm me in Thy service, assist me with the cohorts of Thy angels, make me victorious in the promotion of Thy Word and suffer me to speak out Thy wisdom amongst Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the custodian of the poor and the defender of the little ones, and verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the Unconstrained!
Haifa, Palestine,
February 15, 1917.
To the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the Provinces of the Dominion of Canada.
He is God!
O ye daughters and sons of the Kingdom:
Although in most of the states and cities
of the United States—praise be to God—the
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fragrances of God are
diffused and innumerable souls are
turning their faces and advancing
toward the Kingdom of God, yet in
some of the states the flag of oneness is not
upraised as it ought to be and must be, and
the mysteries of the Holy Books, like the
Bible, the Gospel and the Qur’án, are not
promulgated. Through the unanimous effort
of the friends, the banner of oneness
must be unfurled in those states, and
the divine teachings be promoted,
so that they may
also receive a portion and a share
of the heavenly bestowals and
the most great guidance.
Likewise in the provinces of Canada, such as
Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova
Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario,
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British
Columbia, Ungava, Keewatin, Mackenzie,
Yukon, and the Franklin Islands in the
Arctic Circle—the believers of God must
become self-sacrificing and like
unto the candles of guidance become
ignited in the provinces of Canada.
Should they show forth such
a magnanimity, it is assured that they will
obtain universal divine confirmations, the
heavenly cohorts will reinforce them
uninterruptedly, and a most great victory will be
obtained. Perchance, God willing, the call of
the Kingdom may reach the ears of the
Eskimos, the inhabitants of the
Islands of Franklin in the north of
Canada, as well as Greenland. Should
in Greenland the fire of the
love of God be ignited, all the ices of that
continent will be melted and its
frigid climate will be changed into a
temperate climate—that is, if the
hearts will obtain the
heat of the love of God, that country and
continent will become a divine garden and a
lordly orchard, and the souls, like unto the
fruitful trees, will obtain the utmost
freshness and delicacy. Magnanimity is necessary,
heavenly exertion is called for. Should you
display an effort, so that the fragrances of
God be diffused amongst the Eskimos, its
effect will be very great and far-reaching.
God says in the great Qur’án, “A day will
come wherein the lights of unity
will enlighten all the world. The
earth will be irradiated with the
light of its Lord.” In other
words, "The earth will become illumined
with the light of God. That light is the
light of unity.” “There is no God but God.”
The continent and the islands of Eskimos are
also parts of this earth. They must similarly
receive a portion of the bestowals of the
most great guidance.
Upon you be greeting and praise.
Haifa, Palestine,
April 5, 1916.
To the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the Dominion of Canada, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Mackenzie, Keewatin, Ungava, Franklin Islands, and Greenland.
Upon them be Bahá’u’lláh u’l-Abhá!
He is God!
O ye kind friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful:
In the great Qur’án, God says, “Thou shalt see no difference in the creatures of God.” In other words, He says: From the ideal standpoint, there is no variation between the creatures of God, because they are all created by Him. From the above premise, a conclusion is drawn, that there is even no difference between the various countries; nevertheless, the future of the Dominion of Canada is very great, and its historical events infinitely glorious. Thus it shall become the object of the glance of providence and the manifestation of the favors of the Supreme Lord.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His journey and
sojourn through that Dominion obtained the
utmost joy. Before My departure, many
souls warned Me not to travel to Montreal,
saying, the majority of the inhabitants are
Catholics, and are in the utmost fanaticism,
that they are submerged in the sea of
imitations, that they have not the capability to
hearken to the call of the Kingdom of God,
that the veil of bigotry has so covered the
eyes that they have deprived themselves from
beholding the signs of the most great
guidance, and that the dogmas have taken
possession of the hearts entirely,
leaving no trace
of reality. They asserted that should the
Sun of Reality shine with perfect splendor
throughout that dominion, the dark,
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impenetrable clouds
of superstitions have so enveloped
the horizon that it would be utterly
impossible for any one to behold its rays.
But these stories did not have any effect on the resolution of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He, trusting in God, turned His face toward Montreal. When He entered that city He observed all the doors open, He found the hearts in the utmost receptivity and the ideal power of the Kingdom of God removing every obstacle and obstruction. In the churches and meetings of that Dominion He called men to the Kingdom of God with the utmost joy, and scattered such seeds which will be irrigated with the hand of Divine Power. Undoubtedly those seeds will grow, becoming green and verdant, and many rich harvests will be gathered. In the promotion of the divine principles He found no antagonist and no adversary. The believers He met in that city were in the utmost spirituality, and attracted with the fragrances of God. He found that through the effort of the maid-servant of God, Mrs. Maxwell, a number of the sons and daughters of the Kingdom in that Dominion were gathered together and associated with each other, increasing this joyous exhilaration day by day. The time of sojourn was limited to a number of days, but the results in the future are inexhaustible. When a farmer comes into the possession of a virgin soil, in a short time he will bring under cultivation a large field. Therefore I hope that in the future Montreal may become so stirred, that the melody of the Kingdom may travel to all parts of the world from that Dominion and the breaths of the Holy Spirit may spread from that center to the East and the West of America.
O ye believers of God! Do ye not look upon the smallness of your number and the multitudes of the nations. Five grains of wheat will be endued with heavenly blessing, whereas a thousand tons of tares will yield no results or effect. One fruitful tree will be conducive to the life of society, whereas a thousand forests of wild trees offer no fruits. The plain is covered with pebbles, but precious stones are rare. One pearl is better than a thousand wildernesses of sand, especially this pearl of great price, which is endowed with divine blessing. Ere long thousands of other pearls will be born from it. When that pearl associates and becomes the intimate of the pebbles, they also all change into pearls.
Therefore, again I repeat, that the future of Canada, whether from the standpoint of civilization or from the viewpoint of the virtues of the Kingdom, is very great. Day by day civilization and freedom shall increase. Likewise the cloud of the Kingdom will water the seeds of guidance sown in that Dominion. Consequently, rest ye not, seek ye no composure, attach not yourselves to the luxuries of this ephemeral world, free yourselves from every attachment, and strive with heart and soul to become fully established in the Kingdom of God. Gain ye the heavenly treasures. Day by day become ye more illumined. Draw ye nearer and nearer unto the threshold of oneness. Become ye the manifestors of spiritual favors and the drawing-places of infinite lights! If it is possible, send ye teachers to other portions of Canada, likewise dispatch ye teachers to Greenland and the home of the Eskimos.
As regards the teachers, they must completely divest themselves from the old garments and be invested with a new garment. According to the statement of Christ, they must attain to the station of rebirth:—that is, whereas in the first instance they were born from the womb of the mother, this time they must be born from the womb of the world of nature. Just as they are now totally unaware of the experiences of the fœtal world, they must also forget entirely the defects of the world of nature. They must be baptized with the water of life, the fire of the love of God and the breaths of the Holy Spirit; be satisfied with little food, but take a large portion from the heavenly table. They must disengage themselves from temptation and covetousness and be filled with the spirit. Through the effect of their pure breath, they must change the stone into the brilliant ruby and the shell into pearl. Like unto the cloud of vernal shower, they must transform the black soil into the rose garden and orchard. They must make the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the extinguished one enkindled and set aglow, and the dead quickened.
Upon you be Bahá’u’lláh u’l-Abhá!
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The spreaders
of the fragrances of God
should peruse every morning the following
supplication:
Praise be to Thee, O God! Verily these are Thy servants, who are attracted by the fragrances of Thy Mercifulness, enkindled by the ignited fire in the tree of Thy Singleness, and their eyes are brightened by beholding the effulgences of the light in the Sinai of Thy Oneness!
O Lord! Loosen their tongues in Thy commemoration amongst Thy people; suffer them to speak Thy praise through Thy favor and grace, assist them with the cohorts of Thine angels, strengthen their loins in Thy service and make them the signs of Thy guidance amongst Thy creatures!
Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Exalted, the Pardoner and the Merciful!
O God! O God! Thou beholdest this weak one begging the strength of Thy Kingdom! This poor one supplicating the treasures of Thy heaven! This thirsty one longing for Thy Fountain of the water of eternal life! This sick one invoking Thy perfect recovery through Thy boundless Mercy, which Thou hast specialized for Thy chosen servants in Thy Supreme Kingdom!
O Lord! I have no other helper save Thee, no other comforter beside Thee, and no other sustainer except Thee! Assist me with Thine angels in the diffusion of Thy holy fragrances and the dissemination of Thy teachings amongst Thine elected people!
O Lord! Suffer me to sever myself from aught else save Thee, holding past to the hem of Thy garment; make me sincere in Thy religion, firm in Thy love and living in accordance with that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the Omnipotent!
Haifa, Palestine,
February 21, 1917.
