Tablet of Visitation see note below
A tablet that is read at the Shrines of Baha-ullah and the Bab. Much like a prayer, it is also frequently used in honoring the anniversaries of important dates of the Bahai prophets lives.
The praise which hath dawned from Thy most great person, and the glory which hath shone forth from Thy most effulgent Beauty, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art the Manifestation of Grandeur, and the King of Eternity, and the Lord of all who are in heaven and on earth! I testify that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the Daystars of ancient splendor have shed their radiance in the heaven of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above the horizon of creation. I testify, moreover, that with but a movement of Thy Pen Thine injunction "Be Thou" hath been enforced, and God's hidden Secret hath been divulged, and all created things have been called into being, and all the Revelations have been sent down.
I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shone forth, and that through a word from Thee Thou hast decided between all created things, causing them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the lowest abyss.
I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God. Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him who hath believed in Thee, and in Thy signs, and hath humbled himself before Thy sovereignty, and hath been honored with meeting Thee, and hath attained the good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee, and stood before Thy throne. Woe betide him that hath transgressed against Thee, and hath denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and gainsaid Thy sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy testimonies, and fled from Thy rule and Thy dominion, and been numbered with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the fingers of Thy behest upon Thy holy Tablets.
Waft, then, unto me, O my God and my Beloved, from the right hand of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness, the holy breaths of Thy favors, that they may draw me away from myself and from the world unto the courts of Thy nearness and Thy presence. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, truly, hast been supreme over all things.
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The remembrance of God and His praise, and the glory of God and His splendor, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art His Beauty! I bear witness that the eye of creation hath never gazed upon one wronged like Thee. Thou wast immersed all the days of Thy life beneath an ocean of tribulations. At one time Thou wast in chains and fetters; at another Thou wast threatened by the sword of Thine enemies. Yet despite all this, Thou didst enjoin upon all men to observe what had been prescribed unto Thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities Thou didst sustain. I beseech God, by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden, to remove the veils that have come in between Thee and Thy creatures, and to supply me with the good of this world and the world to come. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
Bless Thou, O Lord my Lord, the Divine Lote-Tree and its leaves, and its boughs, and its branches, and its stems, and its offshoots, as long as Thy most excellent titles will endure and Thy most august attributes will last. Protect it, then, from the mischief of the aggressor and the hosts of tyranny. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Powerful. Bless Thou, also, O Lord my God, Thy servants and Thy handmaidens who have attained unto Thee, Thou, truly, art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. No God is there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
Baha-ullah
Epistle to Mihrabán (the Loving) CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-[25]
THE LOVING
1.
In the Name of God, the Loving!
The invocation of this Tablet and the opening address are omitted by Shoghi Effendi.
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These were translated by J. V. Brown and sent to the editor.
2.
3.
4.
5.
O Mihrabán!
The Luminary of true understanding adorns this day the firmament of knowledge;
well is it with him that beholds and turns thereunto.
6.
All that hath been foretold is made manifest in this day.
7.
Say,
O friends!
choose not to stay afar from the ocean of God’s forgiveness,
for lo! He is so nigh unto you.
8.
He who was hidden from sight is come
and now appears in all His glory.
9.
In one hand, He bears the water of life,
in the other He brings the message of true liberty.
10.
Lay down and hold fast.
11.
Lay down all that pertains to this earth,
hold fast unto that which His generous hand doth bestow.
12.
He, the like of whom the eyes of the world have not seen, is now come.
13.
O friends!
Hasten, hasten unto Him;
hearken, hearken to His call.
14.
The doings of the divines have turned the people away from God,
and in the place of pious devotion malice reigns.
15.
They have strayed from God’s holy way;
16.
they have erred grievously
and still claim to lead the way.
17.
We have instructed those leaders,
called upon them to bear witness unto this day,
and lead the servants unto God, the Most Holy.
18.
Say,
O ye divines!
19.
Awake from your slumber,
20.
shake off your heedlessness,
and be straightway mindful.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25...
There is other material following this address that is also omitted by S. Effendi.
(MW’s note, based on information supplied by J. V. Brown)
Translated by S. Effendi 1928
Tablet to Shikkar Shikan Shavand CHAPTER ONE
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Divisions 1-35
Revealed in Arabic and Persian
SHAVAND
1.
He is the Supreme, the Most Exalted.
2.
Warblers, mellifluous-toned, all the parrots of Ind shall be,
because of this Pársí sugar-cone which to Bengal goes.
the great Persian poet, Háfiz of Shíráz AD 1350
3.
Your letter having reached this mortal spot of isolation was brought forth
and stored in Our treasury of submission and acquiescence.
4.
What thou had written was noted
and everything expressed therein was found to be true and correct.
5.
However, they that yearn for the abode of the Beloved,
they that circle round the sanctuary of the Desired One,
are not apprehensive of trials and adversities,
nor do they flee from that which is ordained by God.
Poetic verse from the Mathnaví of J. Rúmí AD 1250
6.
They receive their portion from the ocean of resignation
and drink their fill from the soft-flowing stream of His mercy.
7.
They would not surrender the good-pleasure of the Friend
in exchange for the kingdom of both worlds,
nor would they barter that which the Well-Beloved hath decreed
in return for dominion over the realms of the infinite.
8.
They would eagerly drink the venom of woe as if it were the water of life
and would drain deadly poison to its bitter dregs just as a sweet and life-giving draught.
9.
In the arid wastes of desolation
they are stirred with enthusiasm through the remembrance of the Friend,
and in the dreary wilds of adversity
they are eager and impatient to offer themselves as a sacrifice.
10.
Unhesitatingly have they renounced their lives
and directed their steps towards the abode of the Best Beloved.
11.
They have closed their eyes to the world
and fixed their gaze upon the beauteous countenance of the Friend, [of God]
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cherishing no desire but the presence of the loved One [Lord]
and seeking no attainment save reunion with Him.
12.
They fly with the feathers of trust in God,
and soar with the wings of adherence unto His Will.
13.
In their estimation a blood-shedding blade is more desirable than finest silk
and a piercing dart more acceptable than mother’s milk.
14.
‘High-spirited souls by the myriad are deemed necessary in this path,
To lay down a hundred lives with every fleeting breath.’ Qurán 6:35
In the Kitáb-i-Íqán, Bahá’u’lláh writes concerning this verse of the Quran,
“The implication of this utterance is that His case had no remedy,
that they would not withhold their hands from Him
unless He should hide Himself beneath the depths of the earth, or take His flight unto heaven.”
15.
It behoveth us to kiss the hand of the would-be assassin
and to set out, dancing, on our way to the habitation of the Friend.
16.
How indescribably pleasant is that hour,
how immeasurably sweet that moment when the transcendent spirit is intent upon sacrificing itself,
when the tabernacle of fidelity is hastening to attain the heights of self-surrender!
17.
With necks laid bare,
we yearn for the stroke of the ruthless sword wielded by the hand of the Beloved.
18.
With breasts aglow with light, we eagerly await the dart of His decree.
19.
Contemptuous of name, we have detached ourselves from all else but Him,
20.
we shall not run away,
21.
we pray for calamity, [of affliction or martyrdom]
that thereby we may soar unto the sublime heights of the spirit,
22.
seek shelter beneath the shade of the tree of reunion,
23.
attain the highest station of love,
24.
and drink our fill from the wondrous wine of everlasting communion with Him.
25.
Surely we will not forfeit this imperishable dominion,
nor will we forgo this incomparable blessing.
26.
If hidden beneath the dust,
we shall rear our heads from the bosom of the tender mercy of the Lord of mankind.
27.
No trial can suppress these companions,
no mortal feet can traverse this journey,
nor can any veil obscure this countenance.
28.
Yea, it is clear and evident that in view of the multitudes of internal and external opponents
who have raised the standards of opposition,
who have girded the loins of endeavour to eliminate these poor creatures,
29.
it standeth to reason that one should turn away from them and flee from this land,
nay, from the face of the earth.
30.
However, through the loving-kindness of God and by the aid of His invisible confirmations,
we are as radiant as the sun and as shining as the moon.
31.
We are established upon the throne of tranquillity
and seated upon the couch of fortitude.
32.
Of what importance is the shipwreck to the fish of the spirit?
33.
What doth a soul celestial care if the physical frame is destroyed?
34.
Indeed this body is for it a prison;
and the ship merely a place of confinement to the fish.
35.
What else but a nightingale can understand a Nightingale’s melody
and who else except the intimate friend can recognize the familiar voice of the Friend?
Tablet to Shikkar Shikan Shavand CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 36-65
SHAVAND
36.
Consider what was revealed in the bygone days unto Him Who is the Seal of the Prophets
and the Beginning of His chosen Ones that thou may become weightless as a spirit,
and like unto a breath, emerge from the cage of the body.
37.
While encompassed with sever tests and surrounded from all sides by enemies
the most holy Bird descended down and brought forth this verse:
38.
“Yet if their opposition be grievous to Thee—
if Thou canst, seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into heaven.”4
39.
Oh, that a thousand eyes would shed tears of blood and a hundred thousand lives would groan from the heart.
40.
On another occasion He saith:
“And when the unbelievers were devising against thee,
to confine thee, or slay thee, or to expel thee,
and were devising, and God was devising; and God is the best of devisers.”5
41.
Reflect well on these two blessed and holy verses,
which have descended from the Source of Revelation,
so that thou may become apprised of the unseen mysteries.
42.
If the discerning eye of the people was open this outward establishment of this Servant upon His seat would have been sufficient enough for them all,
that, despite being surrounded by enemies and having been plagued by numerous calamities,
We are incandescent as a candle and radiant as the Beloved of Love in the assemblage of lovers.
43.
We have burnt all the veils and have become ablazed like the fire of love.
Yet, alas, to what use?
44.
For all the people’s eyes are shut and all their ears are closed.
They traverse the valley of heedlessness and roam the wilderness of error.
45.
“Ye are quit of what I do, and I am quit of what you do.”6 [i.e. above]
46.
Thou should be apprised to the fact that one of the divines7 in this land,
who is preoccupied with amassing worldly treasures
and who truly has not tasted from the cup of justice and equity,
47.
having neither seen this Servant nor met Him at any gathering
—to befriend Him as much as even an hour—
has now lifted his pen of tyranny
and has passed judgment on shedding the blood of these wronged ones.
48.
‘Willingly will I obey the judge who hath so strangely decreed
that my blood be spilt at Hill and at Haram!’8
49.
He, moreover, has spread some baseless rumors among a certain group of people
and in the course of these days has imparted to the noted individual9
some expressions of his idle fancies.
50.
That individual, in turn, has taken these tales of fiction back to Tihrán.
51.
‘Whatever malice and intrigue he has in his heart;
It is manifest as the day before the one true God.’10
52.
All these propositions are clear and evident,
and the motive behind them has also been exposed and confirmed.
53.
Should he succeed to conceal his evil intentions from this Servant,
how could he conceal it before the presence of the one true God,
‘the One Whom nothing is concealed from His Knowledge’?
54.
I know not at the end to what faith he will prescribe
or with what proof he will choose to argue his case?
55.
After all it has been some time since this Servant hath secluded Himself from the world,
closing His door to friend and stranger alike, and choosing the way of solitude.
56.
I know not from where this jealousy hath sprung
or from which direction did this antagonism appear?
57.
And it is not known whether in the end this would bring him blessing
and confirmation and cause his heart to be cheered!
58.
Although, he treads the path of a corrupt inclination
and this lowly One hath clung to the cord of the fear of God,
and God willing will be led to the light of salvation—
I have no ill-feeling towards him and have kept no resentment in My heart.
59.
I have left it to God and clung to the sure handle of justice.
60.
After achieving his intentions perhaps he may be led to drink from the boiling waters of Hell
and be fed from the fire of the Wrath of God.
61.
For a powerful Ruler is presiding
and He, indeed, doth not forgive oppression.
62.
Until the ordained time cometh no one hath power over Us,
and when the ordained time hath arrived it will find Our whole being longing for it.
63.
It would not be any sooner or later.
‘Surely we belong to God, and to Him we return.’11
64.
‘If God helps you, none can overcome you;
yet if He forsakes you, who then can help you after Him?’12
65.
‘Peace be upon him who follows the guidance!’13
Translated by S. Monjazeb
Notes:
1 These two verses are from a lyric poem by the great Persian poet Khájih Shamsu’d-Dín Muhammad-i-Shírází better known as Háfiz of Shíráz (1320-91 C.E.).
2 The italicized passages are the authorized translation excerpts of this Tablet published by the Universal House of Justice in The Bahá’í World Volume XVIII (1979-83) [Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1986], p. 11. All other non-italicized text, except the opening verse of the Háfiz, are translated by Shahrokh Monjazeb and must be regarded as a provisional translation pending the publication of an authorized version by the Bahá’í World Centre.
2 This poetic verse is from the Mathnaví of Jalálu’d-Dín Rúmí (1207-73 C.E.).
3 Qur’án 6:35. In the Kitáb-i-Íqán Bahá’u’lláh, expounding on the meaning of this verse, writes: “The implication of this utterance is that His case had no remedy, that they would not withhold their hands from Him unless He should hide Himself beneath the depths of the earth, or take His flight unto heaven.” (Kitáb-i-Íqán [U.S. edition], p.110)
4 Qur’án 8:30.
5 Qur’án 10:41.
6 This is a reference to Shaykh ‘Abdu’l-Husayn-i-Tihrání who was the arch-nemesis of Bahá’u’lláh, outside of the faith, during the years of Bahá’u’lláh’s banishment to Baghdad. He was also know as Shaykhu’l-‘Iráqayn. See God Passes By, p. 141.
7 This verse is an Arabic poetic verse by Ibn al-Fárid (1182-1235 C.E.) the famous Arab Sufi teacher and poet who lived in Egypt.
8 This is a reference to Mírzá Búzúrg Khán-i-Qazvíní the notorious accomplice of Shaykh ‘Abdu’l-Husayn-i-Tihrání mentioned above. Mírzá Búzúrg Khán was the Persian Consul-General in Baghdad from July 1860 to February 1863.
9 This poetic verse is likely from the Mathnaví of Jalálu’d-Dín Rúmí (1207-73 C.E.).
10 Qur’án 2:156.
11 Qur’án 3:160.
12 Qur’án 20:49.
Letter about Marriage CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-7
MARRIAGE
1.
Thou hast asked concerning the laws of marriage and divorce.
2.
That which was sent down previously on this matter in the Book of the Most Holy
hath been forwarded. [ ]
3.
Likewise, a sermon hath been sent down from the heaven of divine oneness
in this connection. [ ]
4.
After the consent of the two parties and the consent of the parents,
they should present themselves in a gathering of the pious
and recite this blessed sermon with the greatest joy and fragrance.
5.
After reading the khutba, [bridal dowery]
the two beloved in one place should read these two blessed verses mentioned in the Bayán. [ ]
6.
The two verses mentioned in the Bayán should be written down,
after which the husband should hand the dowry to the wife
and both of them should put their seals upon a sheet of paper, and the witnesses likewise.
7.
And if it be a place where the people are unable to read the sermon, it is no matter;
the reading of the two verses is sufficient.
Translated by D. MacEoin
Spurious interferences require editing? ALREADY PROCESSED? 1-35
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