Letter concerning the Tablet of the Divine Test
Akka era, 1880s
Tablet of Baha’u’llah via Khadimu’llah
to Mulla Sadiq-i Khurasani
concerning the Surah of the Divine Test
It will have been known to the friends of God that one day the antichrist arose with a new scheme, in order to sow doubts in the hearts of the servants. Yes, in Edirne he advertised his intention to the Iranians, saying, “Today we have resolved that he shall come to the Sultan Selim mosque, and we also shall attend, and shall make the truth manifest. Thus might truth be distinguished from falsehood.”
Mir Muhammad Shirazi became aware of this saying, and informed Aqa Mirza Muhammad Quli. The latter repeated it in the most glorious presence. When he was informed, he departed that very hour and set out for the above-mentioned mosque. There are more details, but we shall mention only those necessary to telling the story. He said to Mir Muhammad, “Go and inform the gentleman that I am waiting in the mosque.” The aforementioned Mir Muhammad gave the news to that accursed one. Azal excused himself, saying that it was not possible that day. “The appointment will have to be fixed on another day.”
Then Mir Muhammad said to that wicked one, “You yourself chose these arrangements. You stated a preference for this matter. You wrote a document saying that whoever did not appear today is false and far from the truth. Then how can any word of yours be depended upon?”
In short, he stayed at the mosque until sundown, but that wicked one avoided coming. As he passed through the market, the tongue of God addressed Mir Muhammad with these holy and eternal verses. All the people heard it, and were astonished at their revelation. This is the content of the aforementioned discourse:
14.
When we heard, we issued from our house with manifest sovereignty. We said, “Muhammad, the spirit has departed from its seat and along with it the spirits of the pure ones went forth, as did the realities of the Messengers. In truth, you shall behold the people of the most exalted panorama above my head. Then in my grasp are the proofs of the prophets. Then open your eyes. This is `Ali [the Bab], then Muhammad, the messenger of God, who has risen above the horizon of the House with evident sovereignty and come to you with all the verses from God, the mighty, the Omnipotent.”
Say: Were all the clergy and mystics on earth, and all the kings and emperors, to be gathered, I would stand before them and recite the verses of God, the king, the glorious, the wise. I am he who fears no one, even should all who are in the heavens and the earth assemble against me. The very verses have humbled themselves before my countenance, and all sounds are submissive before my wondrous and most amazing melodies. This is my palm, which God has rendered white for all the worlds. And this is my staff. Were we to cast it down, it would swallow the entire creation. All that has been created between the heavens and the earth is but a handful of clay to your lord.
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Go, Muhammad, to the concourse of idolaters and say, “The youth has come to you and with him are the hosts of revelation and inspiration. The kingdom of the Cause marches before him, and behind him are the tribes of the concourse on high and the inhabitants of the cities of eternity then the angels who are near.” Say: Fear God, and do not oppose the one by whose command every wise decree was ordained. Then come into the presence of God with your ropes and your staffs and with whatever you possess, if you are able to do so. We go now to the house of God that was erected by one of the kings and named the “Selim.” I, alone, have come to you from the dawning place of eternity with a great, a most great announcement. I shall wait until the sun sets in the west, so that perhaps my opponents will find the opportunity within themselves to repent.
Know that God forbade his friends from meeting with the idolaters and hypocrites. Nevertheless, we departed from our house depending upon God, gaze set toward the precincts of the Cause, so that thereby the heedless servants of God might be made aware. Those who have denied God or joined partners with him shall never believe in God, even should he bring them the sacred scrolls, or the hosts of the Invisible, or the proofs of the Messengers [and meeting with God only increases them in their oppression and unbelief. Thus was it revealed in the tablets, and in this mighty and inaccessible Tablet.
Know, Muhammad, that every Name that is related to my self has been exalted in the kingdom of names, if you but knew. Say: Today, the bond with all loved ones has been severed, save for those who entered under the shadow of this radiant and illumined Countenance. Whoever clings to one of the divine Names, while turning away from its Creator, is not of me, and God is innocent of him. In truth, we created the names just as we created any other thing, if you but knew. Say: Verily, I have manifested myself for the sake of God, and have gone out for the sake of God, and I speak before all who are on earth just as I speak before your face. I fear no one. My actions testify to that, if you but knew. Say: In truth, the signs of the Absolute Truth are as obvious as the light and rays of the sun. Nay, by God, they are even more apparent to anyone with sharp vision. Do you think anyone other than he can exist alongside him? No, by his exalted and mighty self. Say: All the realities of all things walk when this youth walks, and when he becomes still, so too do our steadfast servants. Sever yourself from the Names, and be satisfied with your Lord, and be not among the ignorant. Those who have devoted themselves to the divine names, they are worshippers of idols, if you would bear witness. Verily, a prophet is one who prophesies to the people of these pre-existent and most precious tidings. A messenger is one who fulfills my mission to those who have lost their path. The vicar [imam] is one who stands before my countenance with manifest humility. The lieutenant [vali] is one who seeks shelter in the fortress of my secure protection. The successor [vasi] is one who counsels the people with what we have commanded them in a guarded tablet.]
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He whom the idolaters have taken to themselves as their lord, whereby they have risen in opposition to God, the mighty, the august, the beautiful—he was just like any of the servants. He used to come into my presence morning and night. Then there wafted upon him from the region of his base self the gales of passion, as a result of his past behavior. Finally, they cast him down off his seat and abandoned him in the lowest depths. We had made his name renowned among the servants for a secret reason of our own.
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60.
In truth, your lord is ruler over what he desires.
Also, there is a man by the name of Hasan Aqa in that land, a tobacconist [a tobacco merchant]. The antichrist was with him when he issued the aforementioned challenge. The text was written out with his knowledge. Indeed, in reality on that day the truth was fulfilled and perfect. Rather, it became most seasoned and most perfect.
When Mir Muhammad came into the presence of the Beauty of God (4), he said, “I informed that accursed one (that is, Mirza Yayha), that Baha’u’llah was waiting in the mosque, and I said, `You should come and demonstrate your own truth.’
“That accursed one said, `Today it will have to be postponed. Choose another day.’”
Afterwards the tongue of God spoke forth, saying that with God it had been known that that scoundrel would not appear, and the purpose was to complete the proof. Rather, the proof had been complete from pre-eternity against those deniers of the beauty of the lord of the worlds.
The beauty of God departed from the mosque. It so happened that the store of the aforementioned Hasan Aqa was on Baha’u’llah’s route. When he arrived at the store, the tongue of God said, “Based on the decision that the gentleman had announced in his proclamation, the countenance of the All-Merciful presented himself, whereas the idolaters repudiated their own agreement.”
The next day, this sublime pronouncement was issued to Hasan Aqa. Yet the accursed one [Azal] gave it no attention. [Presumably Azal acquiesced, after counsel with others.]
The text of the letter is as follows:
1. - 13.
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
This is a letter from this youth to all who are upon the earth. Worship none but God, the king, the exalted, the mighty. Thus has the decree been revealed in all the tablets from the powerful, the Omnipotent.
We heard that some of our opponents desired to come into the presence of this youth. Say: Come, and do not delay! We have appointed as the meeting-place the house of God, which was erected by one of the emperors, and was called “Selim” in the kingdom of names, if you but knew. We have selected as the days for the meeting Sunday and Monday. God was a witness to what I say.
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13.
He is the one intended by your lord, the knowing, the wise.
Source: `Abdu’l-Hamid Ishraq-Khavari, ed. Ma’idih-‘i Asmani, 9 vols. (Tehran: MMMA, 1973), 4: 277-281.
Notes
(1) Mirza Yayha Subh-i Azal
(2) Note: The prologue is written in the third person, in the voice of Mirza Aqa Jan Kashi, Khadimu’llah, Baha’u’llah’s scribe. However, Baha'i tradition has been to account this as a literary device, and to see the entire Tablet as having been written by Baha’u’llah.
(3) Adrianople
(4) Baha’u’llah.
(5) Another translation of some of this passage can be found in Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, God Passes By (Wilmette, Ill.: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1970), pp. 168-169.
(6) The printed text gives tablaghu, to reach, which does not seem to me to make much sense. The manuscript of Qazvini’s 1867 letter gives tatla`u, to “stretch the neck forward.” This latter is very possible. However, since the miracle of Moses’ staff, being referred to here was to swallow the magician’s serpents, and since the shape of tabla`u, to swallow, is the same as that of the other two words given by copyists, I feel certain that it is the best reading here.
(7) passages in brackets are in the 1867 Qazvini letter but omitted from the Lawh-i Mubahalih. Some of these passages, but not all, are in Ishraq-Khavari, Ma’idih-‘i Asmani, 7:243-744.
(8) Qazvini gives wajh or “countenance” here, whereas the printed text gives “amr” or Cause: Ishraq-Khavari, Ma’idih-‘i Asmani, 7:243.
(9) Ishraq-Khavari, Ma’idih-‘i Asmani, 7:244 adds and guides (hada)
(10) Ishraq-Khavari, Ma’idih-‘i Asmani, 7:244 gives has come to him (atahu)
Tablet to Czar Alexander the 2nd CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
CZAR ALEXANDER
1.
O Czar of Russia!
Incline thine ear unto the voice of God, the King, the Holy,
2.
and turn thou unto Paradise,
the Spot wherein abideth He Who, among the Concourse on high, beareth the most excellent titles,
and Who in the kingdom of creation is called by the name of God, the Splendid, the All-Glorious.
3.
Beware lest thy desire deter thee from turning towards the face of thy Lord,
the Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
4.
We, verily, have heard the thing for which thou didst supplicate thy Lord,
whilst secretly communing with Him.
5.
Wherefore, the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted forth, and the sea of My mercy surged,
and We answered thee in truth.
Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
6.
Whilst I lay chained and fettered in the prison, one of thy ministers extended Me his aid.
7.
Wherefore hath God ordained for thee a station
which the knowledge of none can comprehend except His knowledge.
8.
Beware lest thou barter away this sublime station.
Thy Lord, verily, doeth what He willeth.
9.
What He pleaseth will God abrogate or confirm,
and with Him is the knowledge of all things in a Guarded Tablet.
10.
Beware lest thy sovereignty withhold thee from Him Who is the Supreme Sovereign.
11.
He, verily, is come with His Kingdom, and all the atoms cry aloud:
“Lo! The Lord is come in His great majesty!”
12.
He Who is the Father is come, and the Son, in the holy vale, crieth out:
“Here am I, here am I, O Lord, My God!”,
13.
whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud:
14.
“The All-Bounteous is come mounted upon the clouds!
15.
Blessed is he that draweth nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far away.”
16.
Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling Cause,
and summon, then, the nations unto God, the Exalted, the Great.
17.
Be thou not of them who called upon God by one of His names, yet who,
when He Who is the Object of all names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him,
and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest injustice.
18.
Consider and call thou to mind the days whereon the Spirit of God appeared,
and Herod gave judgement against Him.
19.
God, however, aided Him with the hosts of the unseen, and protected Him with truth,
and sent Him down unto another land, according to His promise.
He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth.
20.
Thy Lord truly preserveth whom He willeth,
be he in the midst of the seas, or in the maw of the serpent, or beneath the sword of the oppressor.
21.
Blessed be the king whom the veils of glory have not deterred
from turning unto the Dayspring of beauty
and who hath forsaken his all in his desire to obtain the things of God.
22
He, indeed, is accounted in the sight of God as the most excellent of men,
and is extolled by the inmates of Paradise
and them that circle morn and eve round the Throne on high.
23.
Again I say:
Hearken unto My voice that calleth from My prison,
that it may acquaint thee with the things that have befallen My Beauty,
at the hands of them that are the manifestations of My glory,
24.
and that thou mayest perceive how great hath been My patience, notwithstanding My might,
and how immense My forbearance, notwithstanding My power.
25.
By My life! Couldst thou but know the things sent down by My Pen,
and discover the treasures of My Cause, and the pearls of My mysteries
which lie hid in the seas of My names and in the goblets of My words,
thou wouldst, in thy love for My name,
and in thy longing for My glorious and sublime Kingdom,
lay down thy life in My path.
Tablet to Czar Alexander the 2nd CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-60
CZAR ALEXANDER
26.
Know thou that though My body be beneath the swords of My foes,
and My limbs be beset with incalculable afflictions,
yet My spirit is filled with a gladness with which all the joys of the earth can never compare.
27.
Set thine heart towards Him Who is the Point of adoration for the world, and say:
28.
“O peoples of the earth!
Have ye denied the One in Whose path He Who came with the truth,
bearing the announcement of your Lord, the Exalted, the Great, suffered martyrdom?”
Say:
This is an Announcement whereat the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers have rejoiced.
28.
This is the One Whom the heart of the world remembereth,
and is promised in the Books of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
29.
The hands of the Messengers were, in their desire to meet Me,
upraised towards God, the Mighty, the Glorified.
30.
Unto this testifieth that which hath been sent down in the sacred Scriptures
by Him Who is the Lord of might and power.
31.
Some lamented in their separation from Me, others endured hardships in My path,
and still others laid down their lives for the sake of My Beauty, if ye only could know it.
32.
Say:
I, verily, have not sought to extol Mine own Self,
yet rather God Himself, were ye to judge fairly.
33.
Naught can be seen in Me except God and His Cause, could ye but perceive it.
34.
I am the One Whom the tongue of Isaiah hath extolled,
the One with Whose name both the Torah and the Evangel were adorned.
35.
Thus hath it been decreed in the Scriptures of thy Lord, the Most Merciful.
36.
He, verily, hath borne witness unto Me, as I bear witness unto Him.
37.
And God testifieth to the truth of My words.
38.
Say:
The Books have been sent down for naught but My remembrance.
39.
Whosoever is receptive to their call shall perceive therefrom
the sweet fragrances of My name and My praise;
and he who hath unstopped the ear of his inmost heart shall hear from every word thereof:
40.
“The True One is come! He indeed is the beloved of the worlds!”
41.
It is for the sake of God alone that My tongue counselleth you
and that My pen moveth to make mention of you,
for neither can the malice and denial of all who dwell on earth harm Me,
nor the allegiance of the entire creation profit Me.
42.
We, verily, exhort you unto that which We were commanded, and desire naught from you
except that ye draw nigh unto what shall profit you in both this world and the world to come.
43.
Say:
Will ye slay Him Who summoneth you unto life everlasting?
45.
Fear ye God, and follow not every contumacious oppressor.
46.
O proud ones of the earth!
Do ye believe yourselves to be abiding in palaces
whilst He Who is the King of Revelation resideth in the most desolate of abodes?
47.
Nay, by My life! In tombs do ye dwell, could ye only perceive it.
48.
Verily, he who faileth, in these days, to be stirred by the breeze of God
is accounted among the dead in the sight of Him Who is the Lord of all names and attributes.
49.
Arise, then, from the tombs of self and desire and turn unto the Kingdom of God,
the Possessor of the Throne on high and of earth below,
that ye may behold that which ye were promised aforetime by your Lord, the All-Knowing.
50.
Think ye that the things ye possess shall profit you?
51.
Soon others will possess them and ye will return unto the dust with none to help or succour you.
52.
What advantage is there in a life that can be overtaken by death,
or in an existence that is doomed to extinction,
or in a prosperity that is subject to change?
53.
Cast away the things that ye possess
and set your faces toward the favours of God which have been sent down in this wondrous Name.
54.
Thus doth the Pen of the Most High warble unto thee its melodies
by the leave of thy Lord, the All-Glorious.
55.
When thou hast heard and recited them, say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all the worlds, inasmuch as Thou hast made mention of me
by the tongue of Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Being
at a time when He was confined in the Most Great Prison,
that the whole world might attain unto true liberty.”
56.
Blessed be the king whose sovereignty hath withheld him not from his Sovereign,
and who hath turned unto God with his heart.
57.
He, verily, is accounted of those that have attained unto that which God,
the Mighty, the All-Wise, hath willed.
58.
Erelong will such a [man] find himself numbered with the monarchs of the realms of the kingdom.
59.
Thy Lord is, in truth, potent over all things.
60.
He giveth what He willeth to whomsoever He willeth,
and withholdeth what He pleaseth from whomsoever He willeth.
He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
Chapter of the Almighty CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-30
THE ALMIGHTY
1.
This is the Surah of the Almighty, which we have pre-ordained in the realm of eternal life.
2.
We have revealed it to our Servants, so that it might be as a shining lamp unto them.
3.
He is the Eternal Truth, the Glorious, the Most Glorious.
4.
Praise be unto Him, who foreordained for each thing its portion in mighty, preserved Tablets.
5.
He created all things in such a manner that,
were they to purify themselves from the dust of imaginings and selfish passions,
6.
they would ascend to the farthest stations and would speak forth
the words uttered by the Holy Spirit, from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing:
7.
There is no God but Him,
8.
and that the possessor of the two Words among these two Names
is the everlasting Name of Names in the realm of immortality.
9.
The mercy of these days has thus encompassed all humankind, but the people remain unaware.
10.
God has shed his illumination on all creatures in this Tablet by virtue of His Name, the Almighty,
in order that they might beseech him for strength
to overcome all that was created between the earth and the heavens,
lest anyone be deprived of the sovereignty of His power.
11.
This is what has been revealed at this time, by the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
12.
Sun of my name, the Almighty:
13.
Rise from the East upon all beings with the wonders of the power of your Lord,
so that all things may witness in themselves the Might of God,
the Omnipotent, the All-Glorious.
14.
Whoever is deprived of the effulgence of this Name
will never succeed in establishing the power of his Lord, the August, the Ordainer.
15.
Even should he confess his inability,
this confession would fall short of the reality,
for how could he ever truly know what he had lost?
16.
Praised may he be, then, above what they oppse. [and disbelieve]
17.
Therefore, O people, make your hearts mirrors for this Sun,
that they may reflect its lights and radiance.
18.
Thus commands you your Lord, if you only knew it.
19.
God will render anyone who reflects the effulgence of this Name powerful over all things,
to the extent that if he were to instruct all things to turn upside down, they would do so.
20.
If he should wish to conquer all beings by the power of his will,
he would be enabled to accomplish it by the might of his Lord.
21.
This is, verily, a grace for all to see.
22.
The gales of power are wafted upon all possessors of might from this Tablet,
and they blow where they will by an order from him, were you only able to reason.
23.
The metaphor for this Name in this Tablet is a spring of water that feeds various rivers.
24.
In a like manner, from this Name flow the waters of Might into the streams of all being.
25.
All take therefrom according to their preordained portion.
26.
O Name, we have brought you into being by our command
and have exalted your mention in the kingdom of names.
27.
We adorned you with the cloak of immortality,
so that you might give thanks to your Lord and be among the grateful.
28.
Beware lest anything beguile you, nor should you be veiled from the mention of your Lord's name.
29.
Do not be among those who, when they find themselves high and exalted,
grow heedless of the mention of their Lord,
and then grow prideful toward God, who created them by the operation of his will.
30.
Thus did they act.
Chapter of the Almighty CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 31-60
THE ALMIGHTY
31.
You, who are named with this Name, and who are its manifestations:
32.
Listen to the voice of your Lord, the All-Merciful, in this paradise,
and pay no attention to all that was ordained in the worlds of being.
33.
Do not be among those who fail to comprehend,
and beware lest mere names entice you away from the mention of your Creator.
34.
When the Sun of your Lord's mention dawns upon you,
fall prostrate upon your faces,
bowing before God, the Almighty, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting.
35.
Beware, and let nothing stand in the way of your obedience to God.
36.
Do not be like the one whose cause we exalted among the servants,
and whose name we made renowned throughout the land,
37.
and who, when he beheld his glory and loftiness,
grew haughty toward the One who created and fashioned him.
38.
He reached the point where he demonstrated opposition to me before my face
and separated himself from God.
39.
He was among those who, when the sun of beauty shone upon them from the horizon of grandeur,
became proud and arrogant.
40.
My Name, we have made you the manifestation of this Name,
so that you might cast all contingent beings behind you,
and smash the idols of imaginings in all things,
leading everyone to the shade of your Lord, the Glorious, the Beloved.
41.
Thus may you ensure the victory of your Lord in every affair insofar as you are able,
so that the standards of victory might be planted upon lofty and holy summits.
42.
Say: People of the Bayan!
43.
If you will not aid this Youth to become triumphant, God Himself will render him victorious,
just as he succored him in truth with invisible hosts when he was imprisoned.
44.
He sent down what would preserve him from His enemies.
45.
In truth, there is no God but him, and to him belong the worlds of creation and command.
46.
All is with him upon a Preserved Tablet.
47.
My Name [is]: Be steadfast in the Cause.
48.
Then remind the people of that with which the Spirit inspired you.
49.
If you find one who accepts it, advance toward him,
and should anyone shun it, fearlessly turn away from him.
50.
Put your trust in God, your Lord,
and he will protect you from those who disbelieved and sought many gods.
51.
Such were those who, when the verses of the All-Merciful were recited to them,
were dallying within themselves.
52.
Sanctify your soul from all those who keep you from the path of God,
Possessor of everything that is in the heavens and upon the earth.
53.
This is, in truth, better for you than all that was concealed in the kingdom of creation and command.
54.
But most of the people do not comprehend.
55.
Await the Day whereon God will come with dominion from the Cause,
surrounded by angels of the Spirit.
56.
Then you will find that the people are fallen upon the ground
and a great commotion has overtaken the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth.
57.
All of the names will be inverted and they shall fall prostrate to the earth of limitation,
save for the one who is detached for the sake of God and who enters into the shade of his Lord,
the Exalted, the Most High, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.
58.
Thus have we inspired you with the wonders of your Lord's revelation,
so that you might attain certitude and be among the assured.
59.
Glory be upon you and upon anyone seeks in the shade of his Lord a place that is praiseworthy.
60.
Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-High, the Beloved.
Tablet of the Exalted Letters [to Maryam] CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-30
EXALTED LETTERS
1.
Verily, Thou seest, my best Beloved, how trials and tribulations have appeared from the horizon of Thy will.
2.
The fury of Thy wrath is pouring in from all sides, and the winds of sorrow have begun to blow.
3.
Numerous the lives that were sacrificed in the path of the Friend, and countless the illustrious heads that were hung on gallows.
4.
Neither a moment‟s repose was attained; nor a night‟s fete possible.
5.
The rope of Thy love has firmly fastened the necks of such as have recognized Thee, and the darts of Thy affection have been fired into the breasts of Thy lovers.
6.
Fourteen years have elapsed since tranquillity ceased and the means of comfort were sealed.
7.
Not one pleasure did they embrace from the favours of the world; nor a breath did they inhale from the merciful breezes of the spirit.
8.
At times, they were afflicted with the degradation of captivity and, at other times, with banishment in the plains of remoteness -- cast out from every home, exiled from every land, and debarred from every comfort.
9.
What indissoluble bonds were torn apart, and what cords of constancy were rent asunder!
10.
Deprived they remained of every portion of their lot, and empty handed they persisted of their share.
11.
Blessings of the lands were turned into pernicious vengeance; the orb of the dayspring of divinity was veiled beneath the twilight of obscurity; the light of omnipotence was held hidden within the lamps of men's hearts; the eternal flame was concealed within the tree of mystery; the everlasting pearl lay sheltered in the invisible shell; and the dawning place of Thy Godhead was enwrapped within the veil of holiness.
13.
How then can the pen move or the tongue recount?
14.
O Thou my Lord and my Master, thou knowest of the sufferings inflicted upon this Servant and the afflictions heaped upon this Wronged One.
15.
Not for a fleeting moment did I rest in an abode of safety; nor did I secure a refuge at any time.
16.
I quenched not My thirst but with the blood of My heart, and received not for sustenance but a token of the lamentations of My soul.
17.
At times, I roamed the cities, captive in the hands of the unbelievers; yet, at other times, I was accompanied by chains and fetters.
18.
And in these days, I have, in particular, become a target for the arrows of both parties [Shia'ites and Azalis] and the object of retribution from both sides.
19.
Friends glory in My abasement and rejoice in My sorrow; whilst foes have their hearts' fill of ill-will for My existence.
20.
Ample is the malice concealed in their breasts and plentiful the animosity hidden in their hearts.
21.
Having left the outward dungeon, I was taken captive in the prison of the ungodly.
22.
Shafts of idle fancies are flying from all sides, and swords of rivalry are rushing-in like torrents of rain.
23.
Yet in the face of all these trials and adversities and weighty afflictions, may there be no pause in servitude; may the steps not waver from steadfastness, and the eyes take stand in service in place of the feet.
24.
At this time when tears are flowing from My cheeks, and crimson blood is pouring out from My heart, I call on Thee to cause My anguished heart to turn away from all things except Thee, and to
fix it wholly upon Thyself; so that it may be severed from all else and enter in Thee.
25.
For he who holds fast unto Thee will never be put asunder, and he who is accepted by Thee will never be scorned.
26.
A king shall he remain even if condemned by mankind; victorious he shall be rendered even if no-one cometh to his aid; and dearly cherished shall he prevail even if he be an outcast.
27.
Then shall the flame of oneness be set ablaze; the tabernacle of divine unity shall shine forth from the mirror of singleness; and the pipe of the Persian shall sing out in the Arabic tongue the verse “all things shall perish, except His countenance”;32 inasmuch as the out-stretched arms of those that have recognized Thee are wanting and Thou art securely established upon the exalted court of glory. 32 Quran 22:88
29.
The longing hearts of those who thirst after Thee are perplexed, and Thou art ever–abiding with absolute sovereignty upon the repository of grandeur.
30
How then can mortal conception find its way to soar in the vast immensity of Thy firmament; or the mind advance into the realm of sacred evanescence?
Exalted Letters [to Maryam] CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 31-60
EXALTED LETTERS
31.
How can the vain imaginings of men, tarnished with dark and dreary clouds of dust, ever touch the hem of Thy sanctified and holy vesture; or narrow vision ever settle on Thy most luminous Countenance?
32.
Thou hast ever been and shall ever remain unfathomable, even though Thou art more manifest than any manifestation.
33.
And Thou shall remain veiled for eternity, even though Thine evidence is more evident in every object than the object itself.
34.
Thus Thou art unseen in Thy revelation and manifest in Thy concealment.
35.
Aye, O my beloved, not every breast is deserving of Thy love;
nor is every heart worthy of Thy affection.
36.
Thy love is a burning flame and the bodies of men are like unto firewood.
37.
How can firewood remain unmoved in near proximity to the flame, unless Thy eternal bounties are sent forth to hoist the banner of peace and to move the Almighty pen across the luminous tablet of the heart with Thy tender affection?
38.
Such is Thy ancient grace, for Thou bestowest unto thy servants whatsoever Thou willeth.
39.
I swear by Thy majesty, O my Lord, that these calamities are sweeter than the sweetest nectar, and more desirable than the breath of life; for unless those longing after the Ka'ba of reunion transcend the limits of grandeur, they shall not delight in the joy of the manifestation of Thy beauty.
40.
Unless they quaff their fill from the chalice of selflessness, they shall not enter the
threshold of immortality.
41.
Unless they attire themselves with the garb of poverty in the path of Thy good pleasure, they shall not be blessed with the exalted cloak of riches.
42.
Unless they are afflicted with the ailment of fervid love; they shall not discover the abode of healing.
43.
Unless they renounce their earthly home, they shall not ascend to the land of divine holiness.
44.
Unless they die to the perpetual desert of desire, they shall not attain life eternal.
45.
Unless they take refuge in the land of abasement, they shall not find the path to the heaven of exaltation.
46.
Unless they taste of the venom of separation, they shall not savour the sweetness of divine presence; and unless they traverse the wilds of remoteness and bereavement, they shall not abide secure in the cities of nearness and reunion.
47.
Although, O my Lord, calamities have surrounded all thy loved ones, two of Thy handmaidens
-- one by the name of Havva and the other by the name of Maryam --
have, in this day, been especially afflicted with extreme adversity.
48.
This great calamity was heaped upon them whence Thy handmaidens had no mother to tear away her garment in despair and throw dismal dust upon her head for their anguish.
49.
They had no companions to dry up their cheeks from their tears and shield their tresses from gloomy tarnish; nor did they have loving friends to console their sadness and fill their hearts with gladness.
50.
And they had no confidant to offer affection, or to brush their locks and tinge their hands after their loss.
51.
They drank their fill from draughts of blood and took their sustenance from provisions of grief; inasmuch as Thou didst purpose for them that which was willed by Thee, and ordained upon their fate Thine all-compelling behest in whatsoever thou didst desire.
52.
Thus, O my best Beloved, clothe them with the garb of patience and constancy, and with the attire of mercy and forbearance; that their eyes may be illumined by Thy new-found bounties and their hearts may be consoled by Thy boundless blessings.
53.
Enter them into the rivers of nearness and cities of reunion; and shelter the homeless within the precincts of Thy mercy and under the pleasant shadows of Thy forgiveness and grace.
54.
Comfort these bewildered ones in Thy sacred assemblages and give these thirsty ones a taste of the unseen streams of Thy life-giving waters and the preserved wine that is life indeed.
55.
Let the breezes of the city of Thy love waft over them, and cause them to enter the everlasting lands of Thy affection; so that they may stray far from all else and draw nigh unto Thee, and busy themselves in the glorification of Thy name and take pleasure in remembrance of Thee.
56.
Plant the tree of Thy affection in the luminous fields of their hearts and nurture it with the waters of Thy love, so that its branches may grow, develop, and bear fruit; and so that they may remain steadfast in Thy love, walk upon the land of Thy good pleasure, lay in the cradle of Thy divine presence, traverse the plains of Thy reunion; soar in the firmament of Thy nearness; renounce the tokens of worldly limitations and be ennobled by entering Thy gatherings of divine singleness; and inhale the breezes of unity in the realm of detachment.
58.
Thus they may close their eyes to all and open them to Thee, flee from aught else and seek Thy presence.
59.
Then bestow upon them and upon Thy newly-arrived guest, O my Lord, all that hath been described herein and all that hath been set aside, and everything that belongeth neither to the former nor to the latter.
60.
The day is soon approaching when Thou shall grant that which is implored of Thee,
for such are Thy all-embracing favours that have encompassed all Thy creatures, O my God.
Provisionally translated by G. Yazdani
Tablet for the Cousin Maryam CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-30
MARYAM
1.
O Maryam!
The wrongs which I suffer have blotted out the wrongs suffered by My First Name (the Bab) from the Tablet of Creation, and showers of tribulations have rained from the clouds of God‟s decree upon this Manifest Beauty.
2.
My banishment from My home was prompted by naught else but the love of the Beloved, and My exile from My land for none other reason than attaining the good pleasure of the Desired One.
3.
Like a candle, I remained radiant and luminous before the biddings of His decrees, and stood as firm as a mountain in the face of divine tribulations.
4.
I was even as a torrent of rain amidst the revelations of the tokens of His Grace, and a flame of fire in staying the enemies of the Sovereign Lord of Eternity.
5.
The manifold evidences of My might gave way to the envy of the enemies, and the revelations of My wisdom brought forth their malice and perfidy.
6.
Not for one night did I rest in a place of safety, nor did I lift my head from my couch on any morn with ease.
7.
I swear by the beauty of the True One that Husayn wept at my meekness and the Friend of God (Ibrahim) cast Himself into the fire for My afflictions.
8.
Shoudst thou observe plainly; thou shalt witness that the Eyes of Majesty are shedding tears beneath the Tabernacle of Purity, and the men of glory are wailing in the Realm of Grandeure;
to which beareth witness the Tongue of Truth and Glory.
9.
O Maryam!
From the land of Ta (Tehran), after countless afflictions, We reached Iraq at the bidding of the Tyrant of Persia, where after the fetters of Our foes, We were afflicted with the perfidy of our friends. God knoweth what befell Me thereafter.
10.
Until such time as I renounced My home and all therein, and my life and all its attachments; and unaccompanied and alone chose to set out into retirement.
11.
I roamed the wilderness of resignation, travelling in such wise that in my exile every eye wept sore over Me, and all created things shed tears of blood because of My anguish.
12.
The birds of the air were My companions and the beasts of the field My associates.
13.
I traversed the mortal world in a flash of the sprit, and for two years or rather less, I shunned all beside God, and closed Mine eyes to all except Him, that haply the fire of hatred may die down and the heat of jealousy abate.
14.
O Maryam!
It is not befitting to divulge the divine mysteries, nor is it seemly to reveal heavenly secrets; and by this is meant the mysteries enshrined within the treasury of My being and naught else!
15.
As God is My witness, I endured what the oceans, waves and fruits -- and all that hath ever
been or will ever be – could never bear to endure.
16.
During this period of retirement, none from amongst my brothers or others ventured to enquire into this matter; nor did they seek to understand it, whilst this was a matter greater than the creation of the heavens and the earth.
17.
By God! One moment of this journey is far greater than pious worshipin both worlds.
18.
Although this journey was a most great testimony and the
mightiest and clearest evidence; yet it requires a man of insight to behold the scene of His Transcendent Glory.
19.
He, who is bereft of insight, perceiveth not even his own beauty; what recourse does he have then of attaining the most sacred Divine Beauty.
20.
What can the shadow discern of the object who sheddeth the shadow; or a handful of clay perceive of the subtle reality of the heart?
21.
At length, divine providence prompted some of His spiritual servants to think of this Canaanite Youth, and they set out with a bundle of letters to search Me out everywhere and from everyone, until they discovered a trace of this Traceless One in a cave of a mountain.
22.
And He guideth all things unto the straight, sacred, path.
23.
I swear by the Sun of Divine Reality that this poor forsaken One was so utterly amazed and mystified by their arrival that this Pen is unable to recount.
24.
Perhaps a keen Pen must needs step forth from within the eternal realm to rend asunder the veils and reveal all the mysteries with absolute sincerity and utmost certitude, and to speak with such tongue that would draw out the heavenly pearls from the shell of silence.
25.
And this indeed would not be difficult for Him.
26.
At last, the Hand of Glory broke the seal of mystery; but alas, ignorant remained the wise, save those who were truly detached.
27.
Then, the Day-star of the World returned to Iraq.
28.
We found no more than a handful of souls, faint and dispirited; nay utterly lost and dead.
28.
The Cause of God had ceased to be on any one‟s lips; nor was any heart receptive of its message.
29.
Hence, this Servant, arose to safeguard the Cause and exalt it to the heights of glory in such wise as though a new resurrection had come to pass.
30.
The loftiness of the cause became so evident in every city and so manifest in every land that all sovereigns conducted themselves with forbearance.
Tablet for Cousin Maryam CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 31-60
MARYAM
31.
O Maryam!
Arising before all enemies of different sects and tribes by this Servant, increased the fire of jealousy of Our foes, to such degree that is not possible to mention; nor is it imaginable
-- thus hath it been decreed by the Exalted, the Almighty.
32.
O Maryam!
The Pen of Him who is the Ancient of Days sayeth that the greatest of all deeds is to purify the heart from all else but God.
33.
Sanctify thy heart then from the ungodly, that thou mayest be worthy of the Realm of Eternal Reunion.
34.
O Maryam!
From the limitations of vain imitation, step thou into the vast immensity of the realm of detachment.
35.
Purify thy heart from the world and all that is therein, that thou mayest attain unto the sovereign Lord of faith, and not be deprived of His Divine Sanctuary.
36.
Rent asunder the veils of idle fancies through the power of detachment, and enter thou into the sacred court of certitude.
37.
O Maryam!
Though a tree may bear 100,000 leaves and harvest 100,000 fruits;
yet all these leaves and fruits shall disappear
and be destroyed with one movement of the autumn breeze or the cold of the winter.
38.
Waver not away thy gaze then from the very Root of the Divine Tree
and of the branches of the Tree of Transcendent Oneness.
39.
Witness thou the sea abiding secure in its spot with the utmost poise and dignity;
yet how innumerable shapes and figures form on its surface through the stirring of breezes of the will of the Everlasting Beloved.
40.
All these waves appear to be different one from another and run contrary to each other; yet the people are all busy with the waves and are veiled from the sovereign might of the sea of seas,
from Whose movement have appeared the signs of the Unconstrained.
41.
O Maryam!
Seek thou companionship with the Self of the All-merciful, and, barring thyself from association with evil, abide under the unerring protection of the Most Bountiful;
so that perchance the Hand of divine blessings may draw you away from the path of selfish desire to the vast immensity of exaltation and glory.
42.
O Maryam!
From beneath the shadows of mortality repair thee unto the Sun of Eternal Glory.
43.
All shadows remain and move about by reason of the existence of the sun;
in such manner that -- were the sun to withhold its bountiful rays for only a moment --
all created things would return to utter nothingness.
44.
Alas, how pitiful and regrettable that one should busy oneself with the manifestations of the mortal world and remain deprived of the DawningPlace of Sacred Immortality.
45.
O Maryam!
Cherish thou these days, for soon thou shalt not see the Celestial Youth in the earthly pavilion, and shalt behold the signs of grief in all things.
46,
They shall bite their fingers' end in wonder and regret; yet they shall not find the Youth even if they were to search for Him to the uttermost limits of the heavens and the earth.
47.
Thus hath it been revealed from the Kingdom of Exalted Glory.
48.
Yea, soon thou shalt see thyself biting thy fingers' ends, and endeavour to seek Him in all the heavens and the earth; but alas thou shalt not attain the presence of the Youth.
49.
In short, such was ultimately the state of affairs that this Servant decided to leave from amongst the stirrers of sedition, separated from all except for a few women who perhaps have to remain with this Servant.
50.
I shalt not even take with me the maids of the household; until such time as God may desire otherwise.
51.
This Youth begins His journey, whilst My tear drops are My only comfort;
the sighs of My heart are My only companion; My pen is My only friend;
My Beauty is My only solace; My army is my reliance, and My people are my trust.
52.
This is what I divulged unto thee from the mysteries of the Cause,
that thou mayest be of them that are endued with understanding.
53.
O Maryam!
All the seas of the world and the rivers that flow out from them are pouring down from the eyes of the Youth that hath appeared as a cloud and is weeping at His Own meekness.
54.
Alas, this Life and this Head, We offered in the path of the Friend from all eternity to all eternity, and shall be wholly resigned to whatever that may transpire.
55.
At one time this Head was raised on a spear;
and at another time it was delivered to the hands of Shimr.
56.
I was cast into the Fire at one time, and suspended in the air at another time.
57.
And this is that which the infidels have wrought against Us.
58.
And thus, O Maryam, We named this Tablet with wondrous wailings and showers of tears;
and dispatched it towards thee;
that thou mayest bewail with ease and share with the Ancient Beauty in His anguish.
59.
Furthermore, since Jinab-i-Baba was in our presence in the first year, he is aware of certain matters.
60.
God willing, the Holy Spirit will inspire his tongue to speak of the undoubted truth,
and cleanse the world with a dewdrop from the story of the Youth.
Translated provisionally by G. Yazdani
The Tablet to Hard-egg CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-30
[Heart-Egg]
HARDEGG
1.
In the name of God, the Most Holy.
2.
Thy sealed letter arrived before the Wronged One.
2.
There from did We catch a fragrance of thy sincerity towards God,
the Protector, the Independent.
3.
We entreat God that He might inform thee of that which is concealed in an inscribed Tablet;
4.
might enable thee to hearken unto the cooing of the dove upon the branches
and unto the murmuring of the water of life,
which hath flowed with wisdom and wxplanation
from the spring of the will of the king of existence.
5.
O beloved one!
It is necessary that thine eminence contemplate the Word of God,
the grandeur and sweetness of which sufficeth all the worlds.
6.
The first of those who believed in the Spirit [i.e. Jesus]
was enraptured by the Word of his Lord
and through it turned and believed, detached from whatsoever the people possess.
7.
Such action is incumbent upon the fishes of the Most Great Ocean.
8.
O Thou informed mystic knower and insightful religious leader!
9.
Know thou that base passion hath hindered most mortals from turning their faces unto God,
the King of Names.
10.
Such, however, as gaze with the eye of insight, shall bear witness
and seeing, exclaim,
‘Praise be unto my Lord, the Most Exalted.’
11.
Land and sea hath rejoiced at the Beneficence of God.
12.
The nations were given the promise regarding the appearance of the Healer of Infirmities.
13.
He, assuredly, is the expected Builder of the Temple.
14.
Blessed be such as are possessed of mystic knowledge.
15.
When the appointed time came,
Carmel cried out, trembling as if shaken by the breezes of the Lord,
16.
‘Blessed be such as hearken!’
17.
Should anyone incline with the ear of the inner nature,
the same would assuredly hear the cry from the Rock.
18.
It, verily, proclaimeth in a most elevated voice
and beareth witness unto the Eternal God.
19.
Blessed be such as catch a fragrance of the Utterance
and turn unto the Kingdom, detached from the contingent world.
20.
When that which is mentioned in the Holy Books hath come to pass,
thou shalt see the people beholding but not understanding.
21.
O beloved one!
Behold the mystery of reversal on account of the symbol of the Ruler,
for He hath made their exalted ones their lowly ones
and their lowly ones their exalted ones.
22.
And call thou to mind the fact
that when Jesus arrived He was rejected by the divines, the learned, and the educated.
23.
He who was a mere fisherman (the Apostle Peter), on the other hand, entered the Kingdom.
[thru faith in Jesus and acceptance of the teachings of the Gospel]
24.
This is the mystery of what was mentioned in the heart of the words,
by means of intimations and allusions.
25.
Great, great is the Cause!
26.
Peter the Apostle, in spite of his excellence and the eminence of his station,
held back his tongue when asked about it.
27.
Shouldst thou consider sincerely what hath heretofore come to pass,
for the sake of the Lord alone,
thou wilt assuredly see the Light shining before thine eyes.
28.
The Truth is too manifest to be wrapped up in veils,
the Path too open to be enveloped in darkness
and the Certainty too evident to be obscured by doubts.
29.
Those who have been held back
are the ones who have followed their lusts and are today slumbering, sleeping.
30.
They shall wake up and run around but find no place to hide.
Blessed be such as catch the fragrance of Truth,
then awaken, that they might attain whatsoever the sincere servants attained.
The Tablet to Hard-egg CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 31-60
HARD EGG
31.
Know thou that We saw the exterior letter 'ßád' in the word “Peace” (Ar ßul).
32.
It, verily, was adorned with the ornament of the upright letter 'A' (alif)
and is what hath assuredly been mentioned in an Outspread Tablet.
33.
And upon the manifestation of the lights of that Divine Word,
the Gate of Heaven was opened and the Kingdom of Names appeared.
34.
And this matter was completed through the letter “H” (Há)
after which it was united to the leveled letter “A” (Alif)
which was adorned with the Point of the letter “B” (Bá)
from which the Treasured Name, the Hidden Mystery, and the Guarded Symbol (Bahá) emerged.
35.
It, verily, is the Point from which existence hath appeared
and unto which it hath returned.
36.
Then We saw the Word which uttered a Word
which every community found to be according to its own tongue and language. [the Pentacost]
37.
When that Word was uttered,
a Sun shone forth from the Horizon of its Announcement,
the Lights of which eclipsed the sun of the heavens.
38.
It said,
‘The head of the 70 hath been adorned with the crown of the 40 [the 70 disciples of Christ]
and been united with the 7 before the 10.’ [Apostles]
39.
Then it lamented and it said,
‘What is this that I see?
40.
The house doth not recognize its master
neither doth the son pay heed unto his father;
nor likewise is the hopeful seeker cognizant of his place of refuge and haven.’
41.
O thou who soarest in
the atmosphere of mystic knowledge!
42.
Whoso knoweth the one in whose Logos-Person [that] what floweth [word-person]
[and] yet exhibiteth solidity;
[whoso knoweth that] what soareth, [and] yet is at rest;
[that] what is manifest, [and] yet concealed,
and what is resplendent, yet veiled,
43
[that soul] shall be seized by the attraction of the divine splendors
to such an extent that he will fly on the wings of yearning
in the atmosphere of nearness, holiness, and reunion.
44.
With regard to that which thine eminence [Hartik] hath mentioned concerning the darkness,
We bear witness that [the darkness] hath encompassed the creatures.
45.
Blessed be he who hath been illumined by the Light
which shineth forth from the horizon of the Mercy of his Lord, the Most Holy.
46.
The darkness is the vain imaginings
by virtue of which the people were prevented from turning towards the Kingdom
when the King of the Divine Realm appeared with the Cause of God.
47.
As for what thou hast mentioned,
that a certain person hath supposed
that there are no differences between Us with regard to the Spirit [Jesus Christ].
48.
This is indeed the truth,
inasmuch as the Spirit [Jesus Christ] is sanctified beyond being overwhelmed by differences
or encompassed by symbolic expressions.
49.
He, verily, is the Light of Oneness among mankind
and the sign of the Ancient of Days among the peoples.
50.
He who turneth unto (Jesus Christ) hath turned unto He who sent Him,
51.
and they who rejecteth Him,
hath rejected He who caused Him to be made manifest and to speak forth.
52.
He hath ever been what He was,
and will ever remain the same as what He was;
53.
only the splendor of His theophany in the Mirrors [of Heaven] varies
on account of their different forms and colors.
54.
O beloved one!
Should a hint of the secret which was veiled in mystery be disclosed,
the hearts of those who cling unto what they possess
and cast away what is with God would be thrown into confusion.
55.
If thine eminence would ponder upon what We have set forth for thee
and rise up according to what hath been mentioned with the greatest steadfastness,
56.
there would, verily, be manifest from thee what was previously made manifest.
57.
O beloved one!
This Bird is ensnared betwixt the talons of oppression and hypocrisy,
and seest no nest wherein He might dwell
nor any retreat unto which he might wing his way.
58.
In such a state doth He summon mankind unto everlasting life.
59.
Blessed be the attentive ear!
60.
We ask God that He might bring us together in the same place
and might assist us in what He loveth and is well-pleasing unto Him.
Provisionally translated by ______
Tablet of the Scroll of God CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-30
in Arabic, from the mid 1880s or after.
A tablet addressed to Jews who are referred to as the "progeny of the Friend", the `Friend of God' Abraham, and to the legacy of the Speaker by whom Moses is inferred. The Bahai introduction is used that refers to Baha-ullah as al-Qayyun (the Independent), elsewhere said to be the Greatest Name. Various recent Hamadani Jewish Baha'i converts are addressed with statements.
SCROLL OF GOD
1.
"This is the Scroll of God, the Help in Peril, the Independent!
2.
It was sent down for the progeny of the Friend [= Abraham]
and the legacy of the Speaker [= Moses, the Jewish community],
on behalf of God, the Mighty and Beauteous.
3.
In My Name, the Help in Peril,
[for those] within the Kingdom of the Explaination (the Bayan)!
4.
This is a Book which was sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will of the All-Merciful
unto whomsoever lieth within the realm of Being,
to the end that it might cause them to be established [and bring them solace] before God,
the Lord of all the worlds.
5.
This is indeed the Day in which the Light hath radiated forth
in view of the fact that the Speaker on the Mount [Sinai]
[Moses = metaphorcially the prophet Baha'-allah]
hath been established upon the Throne of the Divine Manifestation.
6.
And He hath indeed cried out before the visages within the Dominion [of rulers, of kingship],
for unto God belongeth the Might and the Praise.
7.
This is the Day in which the Speaker [Moses] announced the Glad-tidings,
then the Spirit [of prophecy] [Jesus]
8.
and after him Muhammad, the Messenger of God
who appeared from the Dawning-Place of the Cause with brilliant Soverignty.
9.
Thereat did the perfume of the All-Merciful diffuse scent among the regions [countries]
and the [eschatological] Call was upraised amongst the religions!
10.
Blessed then be the ear that hath hearkened [attained] with due attention!
11.
And woe be upon such as merely slumber [unaware thereof]!
12.
He [Baha'-ullah] is indeed the Temple [or tabernacle] through the Most Great Manifestation.
13.
And He hath given all [them] good-tidings of the [eschatological] Day,
the Day whereon the people shall [stand up for judgement] before the Lord of all the worlds.
14.
The Day, that is, when "thy Lord shall indeed come"
or "some of the signs of thy Lord". Quran 6:158
15.
Thus did the Beloved [Lord] [Muhammad] cry out [as recorded in the Qur'an]
in view of the fact that [the Archangel] Gabriel gave him the Glad-tidings on the part of God,
the All-Knowing, the Well-Acquainted.
16.
O progeny of the Friend [= Abraham]
and the legacy of the Speaker [=Moses]!
17.
Hearken ye unto the Call of the Glorious [Lord] from the precincts of the Prison [of Acre]!
18.
He shall indeed draw thee near unto the place wherein
the Beauty of the All-Merciful did take his seat upon the Throne of the Explaination (the Bayan),
and He did summon all unto His straight path.
19.
At the moment do We desire that We should make mention of the names of the faithful
for whom this [missive] was despatched.
20.
This such that We might give them the Glad-tidings of the Providence of God,
the One who is the Goal of the Mystic knowers.
21.
O Hayyim!
Thou did indeed approach the divine visage after the annihilation of everything!
22.
And He thus makes mention of thee,
even though He does not guide anything among [created] things unto Himself,
including whatsoever stands before [worldly] kings and sovereigns.
23.
We heard thy call and thy petition and We made mention of thee aforetime,
just as We now make mention of the One whom God made to be
the key of the treasury of knowledge and wisdom, for He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
24.
He indeed is the [Lord God] the One Who hath ridiculed the world aforetime,
and hath ornamented it with the Ornament of the Wondrous Visagee
which hath shed brilliant light from the Horizon of the Sun of Trustworthiness and Benevolence.
25.
So blessed then be unto the mystic knowers.
26.
Through every single letter of His verses, there hath ever been [generated] a heaven,
although it is the heaven [possessed] of suns, moons, and stars,
around whom no one can circumambulate, except God [Himself], the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
27.
So blessed be unto thee for thou hath discovered the Perfume which hath enraptured thy soul,
even as a Pathway unto God, the Monarch of this Manifest Day!
28.
O Rahim!
The [true eschatological] Judge (Hakim Hayyim?) hath come from the horizon of Power
with [revealed] verses, bedazzling rays, and luminous explainatinons,
though the people remain [wrapped up] within an impenetrable veil.
29.
The Day hath indeed come
and there hath appeared the radiating brilliance
which was concealed in the (pearly) shell of the enigmas [clouds] of knowledge and wisdom,
a Cause from God, the Help in Peril,
for whomsoever is in the heavens or upon the earth[s].
30.
So be thou consumed within the Fire light of the Lote-Tree of My Cause evanescent
because of the Lights of My Manifestation
and crying out about My praiseworthyness which is Beauteous.
Tablet of the Scroll of God CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 31-60
31.
O Sulayman-Solomon!
Say:
`O concourse of the earth!
By God! He hath opened the Gate of Heaven!
32.
And the King of Names hath indeed come down
with a Sovereignty which cannot be withheld by the [evil doing] legions of all the worlds.
33.
Nor indeed withheld by the powerful influences of the nations
or by the machinations [clamour] of the divines.
34.
Nor indeed withheld by the reputations [accidental activities] of the ruling classes
or the supplication of all near the supreme horizon,
the locale in which there was upraised the Call that
`Dominion is of the Bright King of this [eschatological Day!', O Yehuda-Judah!
35.
Thy Supreme Lord summoneth thee on the part of God, the Mighty, the Powerful,
unto that which He hath ordained for the people of Baha'.
36.
So Blessed be the tongue that hath confessed that which the Tongue of Grandeur crieth out through Him in the Most Elevated Station
and acknowledged God and in His verses that have encompassed all the horizons.
37.
By God! He emanates through the dust of this prison,
the perfumed scent of the Bayan, through the knowledge of the All-Merciful,
that which hath ever been hidden in the [sacred] Books of God, the Lord of the elevated Pedestal!
38.
Hearken ye then unto the Call yet another time from the right-hand side of the Luminous Spot,
`Verily He, no God is there except Him, the Peerless, the Bright, the Beloved.
39.
Beware lest thou weaken over the croaking of the people of the Furqan
or the opposition of the people of the Bayan
40.
who have broken the covenant of God and His Testament
and have disbelieved in what was sent down [revealed] on His behalf
for He is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
41.
O Hayyim!
Mention was [previously] made of thee yet We come to mention thee again!
42.
This to the end that thou rejoice and be numbered among such as are thankful.
43.
Take [firm] hold [then] of the Book through the power which cometh from Us
and be not numbered among the patient [to observe it].
44.
Now as for Our observing thy receptivity.
46.
We have cast receptivity upon thee
and We make mention of thee for on this account are the eyes of the mystic knowers solaced!
47.
Should this [eschatological] Day anyone befittingly orient themselves
they would indeed hearken unto the [latter day] splitting apart of everything
and would heaken on this account unto that which the Supreme Pen crieth out in this respect.
48.
The All-Merciful hath indeed come unto His kingdom with the signs [verses] [of fulfillment].
49.
Blessed be whomsoever hath attained thereto and woe be upon such as delay.
50.
O Yari!
Have ye not heard the [eschatological] Call
or are ye to be numbered among the heedless?
51.
He hath come, him about whom the Speaker [Moses] cried out on the Mystic Sinai!
52.
There hath appeared a Pathway unto Him through the sea [ocean] Exodus 15:14,23
and [thereby] salvation from Pharoah and his hosts.
53.
Thy Lord is indeed the Powerful, the Victorious, the Almighty.
54.
Blessed be whomsoever casteth aside [opposeth] their idle fancies,
and turneth unto the Most Transcendent Horizon with a luminous visage.
55.
So cast ye aside whatsoever is of the people
on this Day in which the world hath been ennobled with the breaths of divine inspiration!
56.
Then Blessed be whomsoever hath attained and uttered,
57.
`Unto thee be praise,
O Thou who art the Desire of all the worlds'! [God in the spritual heaven]
58.
O Hadi!
We observed thy name and thus mention thee for We have heard thy petition
59.
and We respond unto thee through the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsistent.
60.
Say:
`O my God! O my God!
Translated by S. Lambden.
Tablet concerning the Prophetic Mission of Moses CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-30
to the honorable Khalīl, "the Friend",
a Jewish follower of the religion of Baha
THE PROPHETIC MISSION OF MOSES
1.
In the Name of Our Lord
Who hath described His Logos-Person by means of His Logos-Person
so that He might designate it through the Divine Names.
2.
The Sovereign of the Divine Realm and King of Life Who dieth not
hath so established and ornamented the Kingdom of Majesty and Beauty
and the Spiritual Realm of Might and Magnificence,
3.
that, through merely a breeze of the breezes of the Hidden Sea of Ink
which hath exuded from the Supreme Pen,
the Beauty of the Prophets was made manifest.
4.
They, through the Sun of the Blessed Word,
`I, verily, am Almighty God, Powerful over all things',
which shone forth from the Mouth of the Divine Will,
were transfigured through the Divine Theophany and irradiated with Light.
5.
Exalted be His Command and His Power!
6.
Exalted be His Might and His Sublimity!
7.
Exalted be His Grandeur and His Sovereignty!
8.
A beam from the lights and splendors of this bright, luminous, and splendid Sun
became manifest and evident in the horizons of existent being and the uncertain realities,
until the veils of forgetfulness intervened and eyes were withheld from witnessing.
9.
Then the Visage of the Speaker [Moses] appeared from the horizon of
the divine intention of the Living [God], the Ancient of Days.
10.
Praised be He Who caused Him [Moses] to be made manifest!
11.
And praise be He Who raised Him [Moses] up from the midst of the Sinaitic Fire, saying,
12.
`Moses, Moses!
I am the God of your father,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob!". Exodus 3:4,6
13.
When Moses heard the Divine Call from the midst of the Sinaitic Fire,
he was captivated by the charm of the All-Compelling Divinity
and veiled His face out of fear, being unable to look at Him.
14.
Thunderstruck He swooned away on account of the Call of His Lord,
for a period of 81,000 years,
until the Bounty of the Lord encompassed Him, and the fragrance of reunion wafted upon Him.
15.
When he came out of His swoon He exclaimed,
`Unto Thee be praised, O Thou Who hast enlivened Me through Thy most sweet call
and raised Me up once again, O Lord of Names,
through the Spirit of Thine Exposition.'
16.
Moses then rose up and stood before the Lord,
submissive, humble, praising, given to the remembrance of God;
glorifying and magnifying His Lord in His inmost heart for a period of 9,000,.000 years.
17.
Then, yet again, was the divine call made manifest from the Supreme Horizon,
“Moses, Moses!
18.
Go in my peace and with the fragrance of My garment
unto the retreats of My Holiness and the regions of Mine Intimacy;
19.
then unto the Cities of the Realm of Unknowing,
the Kingdoms of My Spirit,
the Worlds of Exaltedness,
20.
the Plains of Flashing Light,
the Most-Sublime Horizon,
and the Gardens of Eternity.
21.
It is permitted that thou ascend every Heaven, enter every Ocean, and ride in every Ark
22.
yet beware, beware lest you traverse the Ocean of Grandeur,
approach the Crimson Arks,
or draw near unto the sacred Snow-White Land,
for therein is a station in which the realities of Names are consumed.
24.
[And God said to Moses]
"I verily, when I heard the cry for succor of My hidden people,
hearkened unto the longing of My beloved ones about whom none is informed save Me,
and became aware of their lamentation in their separation from Me
25.
-- their tortured cries in the land of the One Who is invoked
in their ardent desire for the meeting with Me, and their request for reunion with Me --
26.
and when I came to a knowledge of their thirst and burning desire
for the Kawthar of My Hidden and Treasured Name,
27.
I desired to send you, Moses, unto them with My fragrances and My perfumes,
My sweet-scents and My bounties;
with My glad-tidings, My manifestations, and My graces.
27.
Then the Speaker [Moses] presented His plight unto the Lord, the Ancient of Days.
28.
He said to Him,
"If I come unto the people and say to them,
'Your Beloved bath sent Me unto you' and they ask What is His name?',
what reply shall I give to them?
29.
Then did the Divine Realm of Might quake, the celestial sphere of Power shake,
and the heavenly Kingdom of Loftiness and Exaltedness swoon away.
30.
The most elevated Heaven of Heavens trembled
by reason of the Divine Call which was raised from the Hidden Retreat of Grandeur
and the reverberation of the Voice of the Lord displaced every ancient mountain.
Tablet concerning the Prophetic Mission of Moses CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 31-60
to the honorable Khalīl, "the Friend",
a Jewish follower of the religion of Baha
THE PROPHETIC MISSION OF MOSES
31.
Say:
'I am He who is I AM WHO I AM.
32.
I AM hath sent Me (Moses) unto thee.'
33.
O Moses!
This thou shalt say unto the thirsty ones who desire the Kawthar of union with Me,
YHWH, your Beloved [Lord God], hath sent Me unto you
in order that I might give thee the glad-tidings of His manifestation,
His future advent, His nearness, and the Meeting with Him.'
34.
Subsequently Moses again heard the Divine Call from the supremely pure region,
the most luminous and holy station.
35.
Say,
'YHWH it is Who, from the Unseen Cloud of Unknowing,
hath enabled Me [Moses] to hearken unto His voice and be attentive to His Call,
yet I have neither seen Him nor gazed upon Him.
36.
He merely commanded Me that I should turn unto you with
merely a fragrance of the garment of the Beloved [Lord God]
in order that patience might be established in your hearts
on account of His absence and separation from thee,
to the end result that thou be comforted in view of the many days of your remoteness from Him."
37.
Then again was the Divine Call made manifest from the Furthermost Tree
that had grown up from the midst of the Throne
in the Snow-White Heights of the most concealed realm of Grandeur,
38.
'O Mosesl
This is My Name and My Memorial unto the people throughout their holy and blessed generations.
39.
It will endure throughout the ages of Eternity and Everlastingness
and throughout times having neither beginning nor end.
40.
This is a Sign among the people of the Day of My coming unto them
and through which I shall make Myself known unto them
and draw aside the veil which conceals My Beauty.
41.
They shall know no one except Me,
and, apart from this My Name and this My Memorial,
shall nothing ever be mentioned among them.
42.
These are My servants whom I did not command to prostrate themselves when I created Adam.
43.
The inhabitants of My Concealed Pavilions
and the Concourse of the Realm of My Unknowing were not informed about them.
44.
"O Moses!
Bear Thou witness that I, verily, am the Lord!
45.
I was alone, a divine Being sanctified above all Names in Mine Essence.
46.
I remained unknkown, [unseen and unheard,] for an eternity of eternities.
47.
In the hiddenness of My Bahā' I shall not be known until the end of all ages.
48.
I, verily, appeared unto Abraham and lsaac and Jacob through My Name,
the Almighty God Powerful over all things
yet by My Name YHWH, I did not make Myself known until this Day. Exodus 6:3
49.
This is the Treasured Secret of My Hidden Name.
50.
This is the Mystery of My Concealed Name.
51.
This is the cipher of My Concealed and Guarded Beauty.
52.
It hath ever been and will ever be,
as long as the Ancient Eternity of Mine Essence and the Locale of My Being endureth
hidden and concealed in the Treasuries of My Command
and the Storehouses of My Custodianship;
53.
secreted beneath the Veils of My Glory
and wrapped under the Coverings of Mine Infallibility and Power.
54.
I have hidden the name Bahā beneath the Robe of My Greatness and the Canopy of My Grandeur
until the time that it will be made known on My part
in a land that is concealed and hidden in the Veils or Mine Occultation
and the All-Encircling Ocean of My Knowledge.
55.
I alone shall determine the appointed time for its disclosure.
56.
And He, verily is I Myself in the era of the One Invoked.
57.
I shall decree when this Treasure (that is, the greatest name Baha) shall be made manifest
through the sovereign [power and might]of My Will,
and I shall break its seal with the Fingers of My Might
and the Fingertips of My Power.
58.
I shall cause that Hidden Pearl to emerge, by the submersion of My Supreme Pen,
from the concealed, inaccessible, pure and untainted [Kingdom of] Oman of My Ink".
59.
When the Divine Call was ended,
and the Mighty, Hidden Letters came to be in the threefold form in the foursquare Temple,
and the Innermost Mystery and Secret Treasure was made manifest,
and eight Illumined Letters bore up the Heavenly Throne,
then was the Temple of the Greatest Name perfected and sealed with a sacred, guarded Seal.
60.
Blessed be he who gazes upon the Seal of the Beloved One
and becomes aware of that which bath been decreed in it
of the Mysteries deposited in the treasuries of the Books of old
on the part of One All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Translated by S. Lambden
The Tablet of the Branch CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-30
THE BRANCH
1.
He is Eternal in His Abha Horizon!
2.
Verily, the Cause of God hath come upon the clouds of utterances
and the polytheists are in this day in great torment!
3.
Verily, the hosts of revelation have descended with banners of inspiration
from the heaven of the Tablet in the name of God, the powerful, the mighty!
4.
At this time the monotheists all rejoice in the victory of God and His dominion,
and the deniers will then be in manifest perplexity.
5.
O ye people! Do ye flee from the mercy of God
after it has encompassed the existent things created between the heavens and earths?
6.
Beware lest ye prefer your own selves before the mercy of God, and deprive not yourselves thereof!
7.
Verily, whosoever turneth away therefrom will be in great loss.
8.
Verily, mercy is like unto verses which have descended from the one heaven,
and from them the monotheists drink the choice wine of life,
9.
whilst the polytheists drink from the fiery water;
and when the verses of God are read unto them, the fire of hatred is enkindled within their breasts.
10.
Thus have they preferred their own selves before the mercy of God, and are of those who are heedless.
11.
Enter, O people, beneath the shelter of the Word!
Then drink therefrom the choice wine of inner significances and utterances;
12.
for therein is hidden the kawther of the glorious One
- and it hath appeared from the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the merciful, with wonderful lights.
13.
Say: Verily, the ocean of pre-existence hath branched forth from this most great Ocean.
14.
Blessed, therefore, is he who abides upon Its shores, and is of those who are established thereon.
15.
Verily, this most sacred temple of Abha - the branch of Holiness -
hath branched forth from the Sadratu'l-Muntaha.
16.
Blessed is whosoever sought shelter beneath it and is of those who rest therein.
17.
Say: Verily, the branch of command hath sprung forth from this root which God hath firmly planted in the ground of the will,
the limb of which has been elevated to a station which encompasses all existence.
18.
Therefore, exalted be He for this creation, the lofty, the blessed, the inaccessible, the mighty!
19.
O ye people! Draw nigh unto It,
and taste the fruits of its knowledge and wisdom on the part of the mighty, the knowing One.
20.
Whosoever will not taste thereof shall be deprived of the bounty, even though he hath partaken of all that is in the earth - were ye of those who know.
21.
Say: Verily a word hath gone forth in favor from the most great Tablet
and God has adorned It with the mantle of Himself,
and made it sovereign over all in the earth
and a sign of His grandeur and omnipotence among the creatures;
22.
in order that, through it,
the people shall praise their Lord, the mighty, the powerful, the wise;
and that, through it,
they shall glorify their creator and sanctify the self of God which standeth within all things.
23.
Verily, this is naught but a Revelation upon the part of the wise, the ancient One!
24.
Say: O people, praise ye God, for its Manifestation,
for verily it is the most great favor upon you and the most perfect blessing upon you;
and through Him every moldering bone is quickened.
25.
Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned unto God,
and whosoever turneth away from Him
hath turned away from My beauty, [and] denied My proof, and is of those who transgress.
26.
Verily, He is the remembrance of God amongst you and His trust within you,
and His manifestation unto you and His appearance among the servants who are nigh.
27.
Thus have I been commanded to convey to you the message of God, your Creator;
and I have delivered to you that of which I was commanded.
28.
Whereupon, thereunto testifieth God, then His angels, then His messengers, and then His holy servants.
29.
Inhale the fragrances of the Ridvan from His roses and be not of those who are deprived.
Appreciate the bounty of God upon you and be not veiled therefrom -
30.
and, verily, We have sent Him forth in the temple of man.
Thus praise ye the Lord,
the Originator of whatsoever He willeth through His wise and inviolable Command!
The Tablet of the Branch CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 31-60
THE BRANCH
31.
Verily, those who withhold themselves from the shelter of the Branch
are indeed lost in the wilderness of perplexity;
and are consumed by the heat of self-desire, and are of those who perish.
32.
Hasten, O people, unto the shelter of God,
in order that He may protect you from the heat of the Day
whereon none shall find for himself any refuge or shelter
except beneath the shelter of His Name, the clement, the forgiving!
33.
Clothe yourselves, O people, with the garment of assurance,
in order that He may protect you from the dart of doubts and superstitions,
34.
and that ye may be of those who are assured in those days
wherein none shall ever be assured and none shall be firmly established in the Cause,
except by severing himself from all that is possessed by the people
and turning unto the holy and radiant Outlook.
35.
O ye people! Do ye take unto yourselves the Jebt as a helper other than God,
and do ye seek the Taghoot as a Lord besides your Lord the almighty, the omnipotent?
36.
Forsake, O people, their mention,
then hold the chalice of life in the Name of your Lord, the merciful.
37.
Verily, by God, the existent world is quickened through a drop thereof, were ye of those who know.
38.
Say: In that Day there is no refuge for any one save the command of God,
and no salvation for any soul but God.
39.
Verily, this is the truth and there is naught after truth but manifest error.
40.
Verily, God hath made it incumbent upon every soul to deliver His Cause according to his ability.
41.
Thus hath the command been recorded by the finger of might and power
upon the Tablet of majesty and greatness.
42.
Whosoever quickens one soul in this Cause is like unto one quickening all the servants
43.
and the Lord shall bring him forth in the day of resurrection into the Ridvan of oneness,
adorned with the Mantle of Himself, the protector, the mighty, the generous!
44.
Thus will ye assist your Lord,
and naught else save this shall ever be mentioned in this day before God,
your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.
45.
As to thee, O servant, hearken unto the admonition given unto thee in the Tablet;
then seek the grace of thy Lord at all times.
46.
Then spread the Tablet among those who believe in God and in His verses;
so that they may follow that which is contained therein, and be of those who are praiseworthy.
47.
Say: O people, cause no corruption in the earth and dispute not with men;
48.
for, verily, this is not worthy of those who have chosen in the shelter of their Lord
a station which shall indeed remain secure.
49.
If ye find one athirst, give him to drink from the chalice of Kawtha and Tasneen;
50.
and if ye find one endowed with an attentive ear,
read unto him the verses of God, the mighty, the merciful, the compassionate!
51.
Unloose the tongue with excellent utterance,
then admonish the people if ye find them advancing unto the sanctuary of God;
52.
otherwise abandon them unto themselves and forsake them in the abyss of hell.
53.
Beware lest ye scatter the pearls of inner significance before every barren, dumb one.
54.
Verily, the blind are deprived of witnessing the lights
and are unable to distinguish between the stone and the holy, precious pearl.
55.
Verily, wert thou to read the most mighty, wonderful verses to the stone for a thousand years,
will it understand, or will they take any effect therein?
56.
No! by thy Lord, the merciful, the clement!
57.
If thou readest all the verses of God unto the deaf, will he hear a single letter?
58.
No! Verily, by the beauty, the mighty, the ancient!
59.
Thus have We delivered unto thee some of the jewels of wisdom and utterance,
in order that thou mayest gaze unto the direction of thy Lord and be severed from all the creatures.
60.
May the spirit and glory rest upon thee,
and upon those who dwell upon the plain of holiness
and who remain in the Cause of their Lord in manifest steadfastness!
Tablet of Forever CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
A early version of the translation
FOREVER
1.
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the All Glorious.
2.
This is the Tablet of Eternity which cometh from the All-Glorious
unto he who hath attained the deep knowledge of God
and did drink of the Kawthar of Life from the cup of the words of his Lord, the All-Merciful.
3.
In his heart did he orient himself towards the Greatest Panorama
in whom the Visage of God radiated forth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
4.
Hearken ye then unto My Call from the shore of calamity,
`He, verily, no God is there except Him.’
5.
He is the One Who hath, in very Truth, been made manifest.
6.
The Divine Decree in no wise preventeth him from the commemoration of King of Names
neither is he veiled by whatsoever He (God) hath permitted of the glorifications
of those amongst them who have disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Mighty.
7.
Know O servant, that thy letter [treatise] was received by Us.
8.
We took hold thereof with the hands of the Divine Favour.
9.
Therein thou didst denounce him (Mīrzā Yaḥyā Nūrī)
through the Utterance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised.
10.
We beamed forth beyond what was [written] therein
and decreed for thee in the Tablet [al-Baqā]
a [special] rank if thou shouldst vision him and fall prostrate and proclaim,
11.
`Praised be God, Lord of all the worlds’.
12.
We wrote down for thee such benefits as are the lot of such as have attained the Meeting with God.
13.
And We decreed for thee such as We desired for thee,
for thy Lord is indeed One Powerful and Mighty.
14.
Render thanks unto thy Lord,
that He revealed for thee this Luminous and Resplendent Tablet
from the heaven of the Divine Bounty.
15.
In all circumstances be content through the Divine Bounty
and rise up for His Victory between earth and heaven.
16.
Beware lest the croaking of such as have disbelieved in God withhold thee
or thou be veiled by the veils of such as have sought [benediction] from the Divine Visage
after he had shone forth with manifest Sovereignty
from the horizon of the Will of thy Lord, the All-Merciful.
17.
He indeed is One Who bestoweth favour
upon them that rise up in the service of His Cause and summoneth the people unto Him.
18.
Therefore, blessing be upon whomsoever attained detachment from all that is other than Him
and orienteth his heart towards whatsover was commanded by One Mighty and All-Knowing.
19.
Know thou that We cast upon the kings a Word from before Us that provided sustenance.
20.
We beseech God that He guide them unto His straight Path.
21.
We indeed raised up one of Our servants
whom We clothed in the garment of detachment
and ornamented with the ornament of power and contentment.
22.
We dispatched him (Aqa Badí` Khurasani) unto him (Shah Nāṣir al-Dīn)
with a Manifest Book.
23.
And We communicated unto him the treatises of his Lord
perchance he would utter remembrance and incline to the fear of God,
for thy Lord is indeed One Who Ruleth according to what He willeth
and is not witheld by the insinuations of such as have spread iniquity.
24.
Wherefore do We announce unto thee the glad-tidings.
25.
This to the end that thou might arise according to whatsoever hath been decreed
on the part of thy Lord, One Mighty, Beautiful.
Tablet of Forever CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-55
A early version of the translation
FOREVER
26.
We indeed did send aforetime unto the Messenger of the Spirits
that with the mounting up of the Temple of Pre-Existence upon the Most Great Throne
and the dawning forth of the Sun from the horizon of the Prison [of `Akkā’],
there are cerainly signs for them with insight!
27.
So turn ye aside, O people of guidance,
that thou be not controlled by base passion.
28.
Take ye hold of this Cord which, when it was set in motion,
caused the very heavenly spheres to revolve
and He dawned forth from the horizon of Names with the permission of the Cleaver of Heaven.
29.
Then render thy Lord victorious amidst the concourse of existing beings.
30.
Thus hast thou been commanded on the part of the Dawning-Place of Inspiration.
31.
Assuredly doth My Remembrance cause those who confess the Oneness of God
to soar up through the night journeys of realities.
32.
It likewise causeth the sincere ones to soar up unto the Dawning-Place of Lights.
33.
This in My Name which transformeth copper into gold
and filleth with ardent love the company of the pious.
34.
This through My Most-Sweet Call which hath emblazoned all the worlds.
35.
Through My All-Glorious Name streams hath been made to flow from rocks.
36.
The Pen hath undoubtedly been stupefied with the love of the King of Pre-Existence
for, should We command it, it would undoubtedly enthrall
all them that inhabit the countries of the world.
37.
Say:
Through My Transcendent Name,
the Kawthar of Life hath been actualized for all who inhabit existent reality.
38.
And through My Name the All-Merciful, the Breeze of forgiveness hath wafted.
39.
Exalted then be My Most Evident Name, which, when I make mention thereof,
nymphs emerge from their chambers inclining towards the locale of the theophany,
unto His Ultimate Pillar, the Fire of the Supreme Panorama.
40.
We visioned the Ruler [angel] of Our proximate servant
a Tablet which delighted the very eyes of the sincere servants.
41.
Therefore, blessed be He,
and thou, in that thou hast attained unto that whereby most of the servants were deprived.
42.
Those, that is, who summoned the faith within themselves,
and when the All-Merciful came unto them in the Kingdom of the Bayān, they disbelieved in him.
43.
Let the curse of God be upon those who spread tyranny
or were even as vipers among those of the corrupt.
44.
Today is not the Day of Forbearance. [patience, perseverance, endurance].
45.
It assuredly is beloved by virtue of My mention, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
46.
Rising up in all circumstances according to my remembrance and the victory of My cause!
47.
This to such a degree that neither of these twain will be witheld from the locale of darknesses.
48.
Make mention of those who have believed aforetime in thy Lord.
49.
Clothe then in the garment of praise and explanation
from the tongue of their Lord, the all-Merciful.
50.
This indeed is a mighty bounty.
51.
Beware lest you turn aside from that wisdom
which is in accordance with Our command from the servants who stand before thy Lord,
the Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
52.
He shall surely send down for you from the heaven of divine providence
what is sufficient before your Lord, the all-Knowing, the All-Informed.
53.
Wherefore hath the Tablet of thy Lord betokened deliverance!
54.
Then so take it with the hand of peacefulness and say,
55.
‘Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all the worlds.’
Translated by S. Lambden
Now in progress
The Fire Tablet CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
FIRE
1.
In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most Great!
2.
They that are consecrated unto God have been consumed by the fire of separation;
Where is the flashing of the lights of Thy presence, O Beloved of the Worlds?
3.
They that are near unto God have been left abandoned within the shadows of exile;
Where are the dawning rays of the moon of Thy union, O Desire of the Worlds?
4.
The bodies of the chosen ones have been cast into confusion on the earth of remoteness;
Where is the ocean of Thy nearness, O Thou that drawest unto Thee the Worlds?
5.
The hands of longing are lifted up unto the heaven of grace and bounty;
Where are the rains of Thy bestowal, O Thou that answerest the prayers of the Worlds?
6.
The infidels have risen up with violence in every direction;
Where is the victory of the Pen of Thy decree, O Conqueror of the Worlds?
7.
The barking of dogs hath been raised on every hand;
Where is the lion of the jungle of Thy power, O Subduer of the Worlds?
8.
All creation hath been overcome with cold;
Where is the heat of Thy love, O Fire of the Worlds?
9.
Afflictions have reached their height;
Where are the revelations of Thy gladness, O Joy of the Worlds?
10.
Darkness hath overwhelmed most beings;
Where are the lights of Thy radiance, O Light of the Worlds?
11.
Necks have grown high with hypocrisy;
Where are the swords of Thy retribution, O Destroyer of the Worlds?
12.
Wretchedness hath increased to its utmost degree;
Where are the signs of Thy majesty, O Glory of the Worlds?
13.
Sadness hath overtaken the dawning-place of Thy name, the Merciful;
Where is the joy of the manifestations of Thy revelation, O Happiness of the Worlds?
14.
All mankind hath been plunged into grief;
Where are the tokens of Thy rejoicing, O Gladness of the Worlds?
15.
Thou dost behold the dawning-place of the verses behind the veils of vain allusions.
Where is the finger of Thy might, O Power of the Worlds?
16.
The trembling of thirst hath shaken all in the realm of creation;
Where are the sweet waters of Thy bounty, O Mercy of the Worlds?
17.
Greed hath taken hold of all in the realm of existence;
Where are the dawning-places of detachment, O Lord of the Worlds?
18.
Thou seest the Oppressed One alone amongst strangers;
Where is the host of the heaven of Thy command, O Monarch of the Worlds?
19.
I have been left alone in the land of exile;
Where are the dawning points of Thy fidelity, O Constancy of the Worlds?
20.
The agonies of death have taken fast hold of the horizons of the world;
Where are the waters of Thy living ocean, O Life of the Worlds?
21.
The evil whisperings of Satan have encompassed all that dwell upon the earth;
Where are the shooting stars of Thy fire, O Light of the Worlds?
22.
Most men have been altered by the drunkenness of desire;
Where are the dawning-places of piety, O Desire of the Worlds?
23.
Thou seest the Wretched One in the veil of darkness among the people of Syria;
Where is the glow of the light of Thy morning, O Lamp of the Worlds?
24.
Thou seest me prohibited from speaking;
Where will Thy melodies appear, O Dove of the Worlds?
25.
Vain superstitions and imaginings have rendered unconscious most of mankind;
Where are the dawning-places of Thy certitude, O Tranquillity of the Worlds?
26.
Bahá has been submerged beneath the ocean of tribulations;
Where is the Ark of Thy salvation, O Saviour of the Worlds?
27.
Thou beholdest the dawning-place of Thy verses amidst the shadows of the contingent world;
Where is the Sun of the horizon of Thy bounty,
O Thou Who bestowest illumination on all the Worlds?
28.
The lamps of truthfulness and purity, of zeal and faithfulness have been extinguished;
Where are the tokens of Thy zeal, O Thou Who settest in motion the Worlds?
29.
Dost thou see anyone who will come to thy assistance
or who will ponder on what has befallen thee, out of love for thee?
30.
Whereupon the pen hesitated, O Beloved of the Worlds?
The Fire Tablet CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-50
FIRE
31.
The branches of the Lote-tree beyond which there is no passing have been snapped
by the blowing of the winds of fate;
Where are the banners of Thy victory, O Conqueror of the Worlds?
32.
My face has remained upon the dust of false accusations;
Where are the breezes of Thy mercy, O Thou that showest compassion to the Worlds?
33.
The hem of the robe of holiness hath been sullied by the people of deceit;
Where is the ornament of Thy purification, O Thou that adornest the Worlds?
34.
The ocean of bounty hath been stilled by what the hands of men have wrought;
Where are the billows of Thy grace, O Aim of the Worlds?
35.
The Gate of Meeting hath been locked by the tyranny of the people of enmity;
Where is the key of Thy favour, O Thou that openest the Worlds?
36.
The leaves have turned yellow with the foul winds of treachery;
Where are the heavy rains of the clouds of Thy bounty, O Thou art bountiful to the Worlds?
37.
The entire creation hath been covered in the dust of rebellion;
Where are the breezes of Thy forgiveness, O Thou Who forgivest the Worlds?
38.
The Youth hath been abandoned in a barren land;
Where are the showers of the heaven of Thy grace, O Thou that sendest rain upon the worlds?
39.
O Most Exalted Pen!
We have heard thy most sweet call from the kingdom of eternity.
40.
Give ear, then, to that which the Tongue of Grandeur speaketh, O Wronged One of the Worlds.
41.
Were it not for the freezing cold, how should the heat of thine utterance be manifested,
O thou that givest explanation unto the Worlds?
42.
And were it not for affliction, how should the Sun of thy patience rise above the horizon,
O Perplexed One of the Worlds?
43.
Grieve not over the wrongdoers, for thou wast created to be longsuffering,
O Patience of the Worlds.
44.
How sweet is thy shining forth above the horizon of the covenant among the people of treachery,
and thy longing for God, O Love of the Worlds.
45.
Through thee, the ensign of independence was lifted up upon the highest mountains
and the sea of bounty surged, O Passion of the Worlds.
46.
Through thy oneness, the Sun of divine unity shone forth,
and through thy banishment the homeland of divine singleness was adorned;
wherefore, be patient, O Stranger of the Worlds.
47.
We have made abasement the robe of glory, and affliction the ornament of thy tabernacle,
O Pride of the Worlds.
48.
Thou beholdest the hearts filled with rancour, but it is for thee to show forbearance,
O Coverer of the sins of the Worlds.
49.
Shouldst thou behold the sword, advance towards it;
and should an arrow be let fly, turn your steps in its path, O Sacrifice of the Worlds.
50.
Is it thou who lamentest, or is it I?
51.
Nay, I cry out aloud for the fewness of them that have lent thee their aid,
O thou through whom hath been raised the lamentation of the Worlds.
52.
I have heard thy cry, O most glorious Beloved.
53.
Whereupon, the face of Bahá hath been set aglow with the heat of tribulation
and the lights of Thy luminous words,
and he hath risen up with the utmost faithfulness in the place of martyrdom and sacrifice,
gazing unto Thy good-pleasure, O Thou Who appraisest the Worlds.
54.
O `Alí Akbar, give thanks unto God for this Tablet from which you may discover the fragrance of the wrongs I have suffered and that which I have endured in the path of God,
the Object of the devotion of the Worlds.
55.
Should all My servants without exception read it and meditate upon it,
there shall be ignited in every vein of their bodies a conflagration that shall set ablaze the Worlds.
Translated by D. MacEoin
Tablet of the Nightingale and the Owl
Ttranslated by Juan Cole.
edited by Alison Marshall.
1863/1868?
1. Introduction, by Alison Marshall (from whoisbahaullah.com)
Tablet of the Nightingale and the Owl is a short story, which reads much like a fairy tale. It was written by Bahá'u'lláh when he was living in Edirne (Adrianople), sometime after he broke off relations with his half-brother, Mirza Yahya (Subh-i-Azal). Historian, Adib Taherzadeh, has suggested[1] that the reference in the tablet to the artificial nightingales being expelled from the divine garden could be interpreted as referring to Bahá'u'lláh's separation from Mirza Yahya.
Throughout his writings, Bahá'u'lláh refers to himself as the divine Beloved and to the believers as his lovers. In this tablet, he symbolises the divine Beloved as a spiritual Rose of perfect beauty and the believers as nightingales, who long for the beauty of the Rose. In the middle of the tablet, Bahá'u'lláh illustrates how misunderstandings develop and harden between people, by telling the story of the crow and the nightingale. This is a story within a story and, in this second story, Bahá'u'lláh plays the role of the nightingale.
Bahá'u'lláh begins the tablet by wasting no time getting to the point, that all is not well in the divine garden. The Rose has appeared but the nightingales are not interested. He appeals to them to unite with him, but the problem is that they are not real nightingales, just artificial ones. They don't recognise their Beloved and argue that he isn't the real Rose, which, they say, originated from Medina not Iraq. The Rose doesn't mince words, informing the nightingales that their argument proves that they've never, in fact, recognised the Rose at all. "Rather, you recognised walls, rafters and buildings." He explains that he isn't from any place in particular; instead, he comes from different places at different times. This is a key principle of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, which is commonly referred to as the 'oneness of the prophets'. Briefly, it states that the prophets are, from a spiritual point of view, the same person, even though they appear to humanity at different times and places. Bahá'u'lláh accuses the nightingales of being crows "who have learned to mimic nightingales" through their blind obedience - the implication being that their religious life looks the part but isn't the real McCoy.
The Rose tells the artificial nightingales that they are like the owl, as it is depicted in the following story. The owl once told the nightingale that crows sing more beautifully than the nightingale. The nightingale asks for the chance to prove that this isn't true, suggesting that both he and the crow sing so that their songs can be compared. But the owl refuses this request, saying that he once heard a beautiful melody in a garden and asked around for what made the sound. Others told him it was a crow, and the owl decided this must be true for he happened to notice a crow fly out of the garden soon after he'd heard the sound. Ignoring the nightingale's protests, the crow becomes confirmed in his conclusion. He challenges the nightingale: if the nightingale made that sound, why hasn't he become famous for it? The nightingale explains that he was a victim of the hunter's tyranny and that he and his song have been hidden.
The tablet reverts back to the Rose addressing the artificial nightingales, counselling them not to allow an obscure idea that they've picked up from somewhere to become a certain truth. Instead, they should listen to the Rose himself and not worry about things like the place he originated from. Suddenly, a real nightingale arrives and tells the artificial ones that, although they are nightingales in form, they've been hanging out with crows for so long that they've become like them. He tells them to fly away, that the divine garden is a place for real nightingales only.
In the final paragraph, Bahá'u'lláh ends with general advice for the "human nightingales". He exhorts them to properly investigate who their real Beloved is and to do what they can to protect the divine garden and the world from his enemies. The way to do this is through manifesting good deeds and character, which will prove that the accusations of enemies are just slander. If, however, the enemies do witness a wrong committed by one of the lovers, all "must return to the most holy abode", so that only those wrong actions will vindicate the slanderers.
Note
Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. Adrianople, 1863-68 (Oxford: George Ronald, 1977) p 243. A full discussion of the tablet is on pages 241 to 244.
2. Translation, by Juan Cole
3.
The Nightingale and the Owl CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE OWL
1.
The spiritual rose in the divine garden blossoms into mystical meanings at the approach of spring, yet the artificial nightingales remain deprived.
2.
The rose says,
"Nightingales: I am your beloved,
and have appeared with perfect color, fragrance and delicacy, and with unparalleled freshness.
3.
Come mingle with your friend and do not fly away."
4.
The metaphorical nightingales say,
"We are natives of Medina, and were intimate with the Arabian rose.
5.
You hail from the plane of true reality,
and you threw off your veil in the garden of Iraq."
6.
The rose said,
"It has become apparent that for all this time,
you were deprived of the beauty of the All-Merciful, and never recognized me.
7.
Rather, you recognized walls, rafters and buildings.
8.
If you had known me, you would not now flee your friend.
9.
Nightingales, I am neither from Medina nor from Mecca,
neither from Iraq nor Syria.
10.
Rather, from time to time I travel through the lands and observe.
11.
At one time I appeared in Egypt, at another in Bethlehem.
12.
At one point I was in Arabia and at another I bloomed in Iraq, then in Shiraz.
13.
Now, in Edirne I have thrown off my veil.
14.
You are known for your love of me,
yet it is apparent that you have begun to ignore me.
15.
It is obvious that you are really crows, who have learned to mimic nightingales.
16.
You are wandering in the land of illusion and blind obedience,
and are bereft of the blessed garden of divine unity.
17.
"You are like the owl, who once said to the nightingale,
'Crows sing more beautifully than you.'
18.
"The nightingale replied,
'Owl, why are you being so unfair and closing your eyes to the truth?
19.
Every claim, in the end, requires substantiation
and every assertion needs to be supported by evidence.
20.
I am present and the crow is present,
so let him sing and then let me sing.'
21.
"The owl responded, '
This suggestion is unacceptable, and must be rejected.
22.
For, I heard a delightful melody from a garden.
23.
Afterwards I asked who had sung it.
24.
They told me that it was the voice of a crow.
25.
Moreover, I saw a crow come out of that garden,
and I was convinced that the answer was true.'
The Nightingale and the Owl CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-50
THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE OWL
26.
"The poor nightingale said,
'Owl, that was not the voice of a crow. That was my voice.
27.
Now I will sing that same melody that you heard,
rather, an even better and more original one.'
28.
"The owl insisted,
'I will not budge from what I have said, and your offer is rejected,
for I have heard the same thing from my forebears and peers.
29.
Now, the crow is present with documentary evidence in hand.
If it was you, why did his name gain renown?'
30.
"The nightingale said,
'You are completely unfair!
31.
The hateful hunter had trapped me, and to my back was the sword of tyranny.
32.
That is the reason for which the crow became famous for it.
33.
I was concealed, rather than being fully manifest,
and silent rather than singing flawlessly.
34.
Those possessing ears, however,
are able to distinguish the song of the All-Merciful from the cawing of the crow.
35.
Now attend to the original voice and melody,
so that it may show you the truth.'
36.
"You nightingales are just like that owl.
37.
Do not transform a minor illusion into a hundred thousand certainties,
nor one syllable you overheard into the entire visible world.
38.
Listen to the counsel of the friend,
and do not look at the face of your sweetheart with the eyes of a stranger.
39.
Know me by myself,
not by my location or my dwelling places."
40.
They were conversing when suddenly, from the blessed garden that belongs to God,
a illumined nightingale with a divine embellishment arrived, warbling a celestial song.
41.
He busied himself with circling around the rose, then said,
"Although you have the form of nightingales,
you have for some time associated intimately with crows,
and their ways have become apparent in you.
42.
Your place is not this garden. Fly away!
43.
This spiritual rose is the center around which fly the nightingales from the divine nest."
44.
Thereforenightingales, make every effort to recognize the friend.
45.
Protect the rose of the heavenly garden from its enemies.
46.
That is, friends of truth, you must arm yourselves with service
and safeguard the people of the world
from the plotting and hypocrisy of the fomenters of dissension.
47.
You should appear among the people adorned with respect and humility
and all the other attributes of God.
48.
Let the hem of holiness remain pure and undefiled by the slanders of Satan and his manifestations,
and let the falsehoods of liars become clear and apparent to the peoples of the world.
49.
If, God forbid, an impure act is observed among you,
all must return to the most holy abode,
and only those actions will confirm the slanders of the liars.
50.
That is the sure truth,
and praise be to God, lord of the worlds.
Passages from the Tablet to Hájí Mírzá Kamálu'd-Dín CHAPTER [TWO]
Divisons [27-44]
Brief comments by Bahá'u'lláh on the Isaac/Ishmael controversy.
Revealed in 1878
("In the letter of Haji Mirza Kamalu'd-Din, Hakim Hizqiel Hayyim asks two questions...")
HAJI MIRZA
27.
The question is that whereas in past Scriptures[1][2] Isaac is said to have been the sacrifice;[3]
in the Qur’án this station is given to Ishmael.[5]
28.
This is, undoubtedly, true.
29.
All, however, must fix their gaze upon the word which hath dawned from the Divine Horizon:[6]
30.
it is incumbent upon every soul to ponder upon its sovereignty, influence, might, and on its all-encompassing nature.
31.
There hath never been any doubt whatsoever
that all these things are confirmed and corroborated only by the Word of God.
32.
It is the Word of God that transcendeth all things, creates the universe, educateth the people,
guideth them who are sore athirst from separation unto the ocean of reunion,
and penetrateth through the darkness of ignorance with the light of understanding.
33.
Consider:
all those who believe in past Scriptures[7] think of Isaac as the Sacrifice;
likewise, the people of Qur’án confirm this station for Ishmael.
34.
It is clear and evident to every possessor of insight and every religious person that no one was, outwardly[9] sacrificed;
all agree that an animal was sacrificed.
35.
So, ponder upon this:
Why is it that a person who hath gone to the altar of sacrifice for the Beloved and yet hath come back [alive], is adorned with the raiment of ‘Sacrifice of God’ and accepted[10] as such?
36.
There is no doubt that this is so because of the Word of God.
37.
Therefore, the criterion[11] for the manifestation of all names and for confirmation and fulfillment of all stations is dependent upon the Word of God.[12]
38.
Likewise, there is no doubt, that the Inaccessible, Unknowable [God] doth not talk as He is,
and hath always been, sanctified from such conditions;
39.
rather, He speaketh through the tongue of His Manifestations.[13]
40.
Thus the Torah issued from the tongue of Moses.
41.
The same is true of other Holy Scriptures:
42.
all were revealed by the tongues of Prophets and Messengers,
yet, the real Speaker[14] in all these Holy Books is the One true God.
43.
It is now, therefore, established and confirmed that the station of ‘Sacrifice of God’
was, according to past Books,[15] given to Isaac by Abraham
44.
and that very same station is, according to Divine Revelation,
Ishmael’s in the Qur’ánic Dispensation.[16]
Translated by Iskandar Hai
[1] Hájí Mírzá Kamálu’d-Dín was a Jewish convert to the Faith. This Tablet was revealed for him — or perhaps Kamálu'd-Dín merely conveyed the question — on 14 Ramadan 1295 AH (September 11th, 1878) and is published in “Amr va Khalq”, Volume 2, pp 197-198.
Moojan Momen clarifies:
From the information given by Mazandarani in Amr va Khalq, it is not possible to be 100% sure who Haji Mirza Kamalu'd-Din was, but I cannot think of any prominent Baha'i at that time with that name other than Haji Mirza Kamalu'd-Din Naraqi. However, Naraqi was definitely not a Jew. He was the grandson of one of the most famous Muslim clerics of the reign of Fath-`Ali Shah, Mulla Ahmad Naraqi. In any case, a Jew is unlikely to have had the name Haji Mirza Kamalu'd-Din.
The text of Amr va Khalq is a little difficult to understand but to me it appears to say "In the letter of Haji Mirza Kamalu'd-Din, Hakim Hizqiel Hayyim asks two questions..."
Hakim Hizqiel Hayyim is undoubtedly a Jewish name. So I think it is correct that the questioner as Jewish, but Kamalu'd-Din himself was probably not the questioner. He merely conveyed the question. I cannot at present identify Hakim Hizqiel Hayyim and 1878 is before there were Jewish Baha'is resident in Kashan/Naraq, where Haji Mirza Kamalu'd-Din Naraqi was. So this may have been a question from a Jew, rather than a Jewish convert to the Baha'i Faith. This is interesting as it indicates that the Baha'is were talking to the Jews about the Baha'i Faith as early as 1878. [note from an email, 2015-12-04]
[2] kutub-i-qabl [i.e., the Torah or Pentateuch]
[3] See Genesis 22:1-13: “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”
[5] See Qur’án, 37:83-114, esp. v 102 - 113: “Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: ‘O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!’ (The son) said: ‘O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if God so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!’ So when they had both submitted their wills (to God), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him ‘O Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!’ - thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial- And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice: And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: ‘Peace and salutation to Abraham!’ Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For he was one of our believing Servants. And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous. We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls.”
[6] i.e., the Manifestation of God
[7] i.e., the Bible, the Pentateuch
[9] or “actually”
[10] i.e. in His sight
[11] madár
[12] Thus, Bahá’u’lláh many times refers to God as the ‘Lord of Names’ ; in one of the prayers, He is referred to as the ‘King of Names’
[13] This is demonstrated by the Words of Yeshua, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” (John 12:49).
In the Qur’án, Alláh reveals,
“Say: ‘It is not for me, of my own accord, to change it: I follow naught but what is revealed unto me: if I were to disobey my Lord, I should myself fear the penalty of a Great Day (to come).’”
(Qur’án, 10:15, Yusef ‘Alí trans.)
Tablet of the Daystar of Divine Beauty CHAPTER ONE
Divisons 1-25
DAYSTAR OF DIVINE BEAUTY
1.
He is God!
The Daystar of Divine Beauty hath risen from the dawning-place of ancient glory
and shineth upon all created things.
2.
Happy art thou, who hast been illumined by its splendours.
3.
He is God!
The Burning Bush exclaimeth with the tongue of "I, verily, am God."
4.
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast hearkened unto its melodies.
5.
He is God!
The Lamp of God shineth resplendent
and hath set afire the candles of the hearts of men with its light.
6.
Happy art thou, who hast been illumined with its glory.
7.
He is God!
The Divine Cup-Bearer proffereth the celestial draught from the wine of the All-Merciful.
8.
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast quaffed from His wine.
9.
O Darvísh!
Free thyself from the transient world,
that thou mayest wing your flight to the everlasting world.
10.
Detach thyself from this world
that God may cause thee to ascend unto the exalted heaven of holiness.
11.
He is God!
The Phoenix of Holiness casteth its shadow upon the creation.
12.
Happy art thou, who hast sought shelter beneath it.
13.
O Darvísh!
Divest thyself from the colour of the world,
that thou mayest be adorned with the wondrous colour of the Best-Beloved.
14.
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast acted accordingly.
15.
O 'Alí!
Free thyself from the outward form of creation,
that thou mayest ascend unto the placeless Throne of the Ancient of Days.
16.
He is God!
The Tree of detachment hath been planted on this sacred soil
through the Hand of the Best-Beloved
and hath cast its shadow upon the paradise of holiness.
17.
Happy art thou, who hast sought shelter beneath it and hast partaken of its fruits.
18.
He is God, the Desire of the world!
The all-glorious and peerless Beauty hath risen
from the dawning-place of the everlasting Realm of the Unseen.
19.
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast presented thyself before Him
and been honoured with His most manifest Beauty.
20.
O thou who art adorned with truth!
The Nightingale of Holiness singeth with the most excellent melodies.
21.
Happy art thou, who hast hearkened unto it.
22.
O 'Alí!
Abandon not the everlasting life for a life evanescent,
that thou mayest soar unto the celestial heaven of Nearness.
23.
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast acted accordingly.
24.
He is God!
With mystic wings soar unto the celestial heaven of holiness, and abandon the [unspiritual] world,
that thou mayest enter the gate of the All-Merciful in the realm of the Beloved.
25.
Happy art thou, who hast hearkened unto My call.
Tablet of the Daystar of Divine Beauty CHAPTER TWO
Divisons 26-50
DAYSTAR OF DIVINE BEAUTY
26.
He is God!
Open the eyes of truth that thou mayest behold the radiant and resplendent Beauty
and exclaim with the tongue of mystery:
27.
"O Thou, the most excellent of Makers!"
28.
He is God!
The Immortal Bird hath passed by the mortal nest of the world
and found its abode in the eternal nest of the divine Dove.
29.
He is God!
With the ears of mystery hearken unto My sweet utterances from this eloquent Tongue
and let your ears be attentive unto naught else but His Word.
30.
He is God!
The Divine Fire is kindled within the Burning Bush and converseth with the Moses of the Spirit:
31.
"Verily I am God, thy Lord, and the Lord of the worlds!"
32.
Blessed art thou who hast, with the ears of truth, hearkened unto its utterances
and hast, with the eyes of fire, behold the flames within it.
33.
He is God!
The Phoenix of Eternity singeth with the melodies of the Dove upon the Tree of Attainment,
34.
"O people! This is the most great Beauty of God,
Who hath shone forth from this most resplendent horizon
and removed the veil from the most pure Countenance."
35.
Happy art thou, inasmuch as thou hast attained unto His Beauty.
36.
He is God!
The Royal Falcon of love hath appeared above the horizon of holiness
in such wise that all birds are intoxicated and bewildered by its wondrous accents.
37.
He is God!
The Celestial Hoopoe hath appeared above the horizon of holiness of the Praised One.
38.
Happy are ye, who have fixed your gaze upon its Beauty.
39.
He is God, the Best-Beloved!
This is the Flower of Glory,
shedding its wondrous fragrance over the flowers of the heavenly Kingdom.
40.
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast inhaled its fragrances.
41.
He is God!
The Peacock of Glory spreadeth wide its fully adorned feathers
and embellisheth the most highest paradise.
42.
Happy art thou, who hast fixed thy gaze at its glory with a most luminous and clear eye.
43.
He is God!
This is the Flower of Eternity which sheddeth its fragrance
over the throne of the Concourse on High, above the most exalted heavens.
44.
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast hearkened unto its ringing Call.
45.
He is God!
This is the Flower of Eternity that dieth not,
46.
the Flower through which the heaven of grandeur and this world are scented with its fragrances.
47.
Happy art thou, who hast inhaled its sweet savours.
48.
He is God!
This is the Tree of Holiness that hath been planted upon the Sinai of the Spirit
and voiceth the call:
49.
"There is none other God but Him."
50.
Happy is the one that hearkeneth unto its sweet accents,
seeketh shelter beneath its shade and partaketh of its fruits.
Translated by N. Alkan
Tablet of Beauty CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
Tablet to Jamal of Buru-jirdi
Many tablets were addressed to Jamal-i Burujirdi. The Persian text was first printed in 1892 — a compilation of revelations of Bahá-ulláh in the handwriting of His prominent apostle Mishkin Qalam. A remarkable yet arrogant Baha'i teacher, Jamal-iBurujirdi was numbered among them that broke the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh at the time of His passing in 1892.
He was therefore stigmatized by Shoghi Effendi as one "powerful and perfidious."[2]
Though about half of the English translation of a significant revelation addressed to him has long been known since it is printed in Shoghi Effendi's 'Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá-ulláh', the full text of this tablet is provisionally translated below.
Of particular interest are the opening paragraphs in which diverse perceptions of Bahá-ulláh's station or claims are said to be "acceptable" as long as no contention results. The last paragraph makes it clear that teachers of the Bahai Cause should, though levels of knowledge and insight differ, manifest the "utmost unity".
JAMAL
1.
"The Ocean of Divine Revelation which is hidden within the Supreme Pen
hath sprinkled forth in the form of these Words:
2.
O Jamal!
Thou didst arrive in the Most Holy Presence and attain the Most Great Vision.
3.
With thine outer eye thou didst witness the waves of the Ocean of Divine Significances
and with thine own ears didst hear the Consummate Words,
each of which is a Treasury of the pearls of Wisdom and Utterance.
4.
As far as understanding is possible and befitting for thee,
thou didst apprehend the merciful, all-encompassing Bounties
and the all-embracing Compassion directed towards all mankind.
5.
O Jamal!
On this Day it is befitting that you should exhibit
such love, compassion, humility, detachment and sanctity
that none of the servants (of God) may inhale from your words and deeds,
the unsavoury odour of the words and deeds of past communities
6.
who, on hearing merely one word, would immediately anathematize and curse one another,
for “We have created souls to be in diverse states.” [14] [3] Quran 71:13
7.
There are those who have attained to the highest levels of spiritual comprehension
while others are different therefrom.
8.
For example, one person envisages the Unseen, the Transcendent, the Inaccessible [Lord] (God)
in the Person [4] of the Manifestation (of God)
without making any distinction or connection (between them) [5]
9.
Others there are who recognise the Person of the Manifestation as the Appearance of God,
and consider the commands and prohibitions of the Manifestation (of God)
to be identical with such as originate with the only True God.
10.
These two positions are both acceptable before the throne of God.
11.
If however, the supporters of these two positions should contend and quarrel with one another
in their exposition of the two perspectives, both groups are, and hath ever been, rejected.
12.
This inasmuch as the purpose of the spiritual understanding (`irfán)
and the exposition of the highest levels of the elucidation of the teachings (bayán)
is to attract the hearts, and cause fellowship between souls,
and further the propagation of the Cause of God.
13.
As a result of contention and disputation amongst those who hold to these two positions,
there hath been and will ever result the dissipation of the Cause of God
and both groups shall return to the hellfire
despite the fact that they, in their own estimation,
soar in the highest horizon of spiritual understanding.
14.
O Jamál!
The Unseen, the Inaccessible, the Transcendent [Lord], [6] lamenteth and weepeth
for He inhaleth not the fragrance of that which, in this Day, is beloved (of God).
15.
The community of the True [Lord] should manifest the virtues of God
for He is the Concealer of faults, the [Lord] Who Knoweth things hidden, and the Forgiver of sins.
16.
This is the Day whereon the Ocean of Gods mercy hath been manifested unto men,
the Day in which the Day-Star of His loving-kindness shall shed its radiance upon them,
the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favour have overshadowed the whole of mankind.
17.
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.
18.
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.
19.
The conversation carried by these holy souls should be informed with such power
that these same atoms of the dust will be thrilled by its influence.
20.
They should conduct themselves in such manner
that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to address them such words as these:
"I am to be preferred above you.
21.
For witness,, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman layeth upon me.
22.
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.
23.
Notwithstanding the honour 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.
24.
Consider the divines and the mysticsof the past.
Although they soar in the atmosphere of Divine Unity
and expound the grades of Divine Singleness and Praise
not a word which emanateth from such souls found acceptance before the Him Who is the Word.
25.
Indeed, when he who cannot even pronounce the word of Unity attains certitude in the station of the Manifestation even that person's undone deeds are rendered acceptable and his unsung praise is beloved by God.
Tablet of Beauty CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-50
Tablet to Jamal-i-Burujirdi
JAMAL
26.
Learn ye a lesson about this matter, O men endowed with discernment!
27.
I swear by the waves of the Mystic Ocean which is truly hidden from the eyes of men!
28.
There hath never been nor is there now anyone capable of proffering a befitting description of the essential nature of this Most Great Manifestation.
29.
Wherefore, show forebearance and benevolence and love to one another.
30.
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 goodwill.
31.
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
32.
The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him.
33.
Let none, therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle.
34.
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.
35.
Every eye in this Day should seek what will best promote the Cause of God.
He Who is the Eternal Truth, beareth Me witness!
36.
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.
37.
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.
38.
Beseech ye the one true God to grant that ye may taste the savour 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.
39.
Forget your own selves, and turn your eyes towards your neighbour.
40.
Bend your energies to whatever may foster the education of men.
Nothing is, or can ever be, hidden from God.
41.
If ye follow in His way,
His incalculable and imperishable blessings will be showered upon you.
42.
This is the luminous Tablet,
whose verses have streamed from the moving Pen of Him Who is the Lord of all worlds.
43.
Ponder it in your hearts,
and be ye of them that observe its precepts.
44.
Before those souls who,
at the behest of God in this Day are engaged in the propagation of the Cause
and who have received the special loving providence of God,
all should manifest due humility.
45.
This submissiveness before them (teachers of the Bahá'í Faith) is, in truth, referable to God
for it originateth from His command and returneth, therefore, unto Him.
46.
Such as have received this special bounty (of teaching)
should demonstrate and manifest amongst themselves the utmost unity.
47.
Apart from and beyond this matter the degrees of understanding and knowledge amongst them (the teachers) is perfectly evident unto God and shall always remain so.
48.
Thus have We ignited the lamp of Utterance amongst mankind.
49.
Blessed be the one who seeketh illumination from its niche and is enlightened by its radiance.
50.
That one is of those who have attained and of those who have been honoured.
Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds."
Translated by K. Fananapazir and S. Lambden
Refer God Passes By (Baha' i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois 1987) p.248. See also Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh Vol. 2 (George Ronald: Oxford 1977) pp.ll8f, 264ff.
The verse of the Qur'an partially cited or alluded to by Bahá'u'lláh here (71:13) has been variously rendered. The word atwár"' is an accusative plural the singular of which, tawr, literally means something like, a stage, state, limit, degree, or condition'- the word is a Qur'anic hapax legomenon [it occurs only once in the Qur'an]. George Sale translated it "..since he hath created you variously". A. J. Arberry has "..seeing He created you by stages" (The Koran Interpreted, OUP: Oxford [=The World's Classics]) 1986 p. 609. The above translation takes into account Bahá'u'lláh's application of these words to the spiritual state of the individual.
The word haykal here could also be rendered 'temple', `form' or 'body'.
This sentence probably refers to such persons as envision the Essence of God and the Manifestation of God as One and the same Reality. They neither make any distinction between them nor speak of their connection or union - apparently because they are envisaged as a single Reality.
The Godhead is again referred to in this elevated manner - see above. Having outlined two viewpoints regarding His station - both of which are referred to as "acceptable" (maqbúl) - it is of interest that Bahá'u'lláh here refers to the "The Unseen, the Inaccessible, the Transcendent One [God)" as the One Who "lamenteth and weepeth". Shoghi Effendi, in Gleanings.. LXXXIV (= Iqtidarát pp.157-8, an untitled Tablet), translates ghayb-i maní` lá yudrak as "Him Who is the invisible, the unknowable Essence'.
See Persian original text of Bahá'u'lláh's Iqtidarat:
[Tablet to the (Zoroastrian) Servants of God] CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
Published in _____ as “The Beginning of All Utterance is the Praise of God”, together with a number of other large tablets addressed to the congregations of Zoroastrian believers. The term Servant of God is a Islamic term for faithful believers that submit to the yoke of God, thuis the tablet is addressed to all believers in general.
[SERVANTS OF GOD]
1.
The beginning of all utterance is the praise of God.
2.
O servants [of God]!
The springs of divine bestowal are streaming forth.
3.
Quaff ye therefrom, that by the aid of the incomparable Friend
ye may be sanctified from this darksome world of dust and enter His abode.
4.
Renounce the world and direct your steps toward the city of the Beloved.
5.
O servants!
The fire that consumeth all veils hath been kindled by My hand;
quench it not with the waters of ignorance.
6.
The heavens are the token of My greatness;
look upon them with a pure eye.
7.
The stars bear witness to My truth;
bear ye likewise witness thereto.
8.
O servants!
Eyes are needed if one is to see,
and ears, if one is to hear.
9.
Whoso in this blessed Day hath not heard the divine call hath indeed no ear.
10.
By this is not meant that bodily ear that is perceived by the eye.
11.
Open your inner eye, that ye may behold the celestial Fire,
12.
and listen with the ear of inner understanding,
that ye may hear the delightsome words of the Beloved.
13.
O servants!
If your heart acheth for the Beloved, lo, the remedy is come!
14.
If ye have eyes to see,
behold, the shining countenance of the Friend hath appeared!
15.
Kindle ye the fire of knowledge and flee from the ignorant.
16.
Such are the words of the Lord of the world.
17.
O servants!
Lifeless is the body that is bereft of a soul,
and withered the heart that is devoid of the remembrance of its Lord.
18.
Commune with the remembrance of the Friend and shun the enemy.
19.
Your enemy is such things as ye have acquired of your own inclination,
to which ye have firmly clung, and whereby ye have sullied your souls.
20.
The soul hath been created for the remembrance of the Friend;
safeguard its purity.
21.
The tongue hath been created to bear witness to God;
pollute it not with the mention of the wayward.
22.
O servants!
Verily I say, he is to be accounted as truthful who hath beheld the straight Path.
23.
That Path is one, and God hath chosen and prepared it.
24.
It shineth resplendent amongst all paths as the sun amongst the stars.
25.
Whosoever hath not attained it hath failed to apprehend the truth and hath gone astray.
Such are the counsels of the incomparable, the peerless Lord.
[Tablet to the Servants of God] CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-50
[SERVANTS OF GOD]
26.
O servants!
This nether world is the abode of demons:
27.
Guard yourselves from approaching them.
28.
By demons is meant those wayward souls who,
with the burden of their evil deeds, slumber in the chambers of oblivion.
29.
Their sleep is preferable to their wakefulness, and their death is better than their life.
30.
O servants!
Not every mortal frame hath a spirit or is imbued with life.
31.
In this day he is endowed with spirit who with all his heart seeketh the abode of the Beloved.
32.
The end of all beginnings is to be found in this Day:
33.
Turn ye not a blind eye unto it.
34.
The matchless Friend is :
35.
Stray not far from Him.
36.
O servants!
Ye are even as saplings in a garden, which are to perishing for want of water.
37.
Wherefore, revive your souls with the heavenly water that is raining down
from the clouds of divine bounty.
38.
Words must be followed by deeds.
39.
Whoso accepteth the words of the Friend is in truth a man of deeds;
otherwise a dead carcass is verily of greater worth.
40.
O servants!
Pleasant is the utterance of the Friend:
41.
Where is the soul who will taste its sweetness, and where is the ear that will hearken unto it?
42.
Well is it with him who, in this day, communeth with the Friend
43.
and in His path renounceth and forsaketh all save Him,
that he may behold a new world and gain admittance to the everlasting paradise.
44.
The Lord of the world saith,
O servants!
Forsake your own desires and seek that which I have desired for you.
45.
Walk ye not without one to guide you on the way,
and accept ye not the words of every guide.
46.
How numerous the guides who have gone astray and failed to discover the straight Path!
47.
He alone is a guide who is free from the bondage of this world
and whom nothing whatsoever can deter from speaking the truth.
48.
O servants!
Follow the path of truthfulness and turn not away from the needy.
49.
Make mention of Me before the great ones of the earth and fear not.
50.
O servants!
Be pure in your deeds, and conduct yourselves in accordance with the words of God.
Such are the counsels of the incomparable Lord.
Tablet to the (Zoroastrian) Friends of God CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
Published in _____ as “The Beginning of Every Account is the Name of God”, together with a number of other large tablets addressed to the congregations of Zoroastrian believers. Friend of God is a term for Abraham, and, a term that is commonly used by the Greek sea empires and their friends that preceded Abraham with the ancient Minoan sea empire at Knossus. Here it refers to the prophet.
[FRIENDS OF GOD]
1.
The beginning of every account is the name of God.
2.
O friends of God!
Incline your inner ears to the voice of the peerless and self-Subsistent Lord,
that He may deliver you from the bonds of entanglement and the depths of darkness
and enable you to attain the eternal light.
3.
Ascent and descent, stillness and motion,
have come into being through the will of the Lord of all that hath been and shall be.
4.
The cause of ascent is lightness, and the cause of lightness is heat.
5.
Thus hath it been decreed by God.
6.
The cause of stillness is weight and density, which in turn are caused by coldness.
7.
Thus hath it been decreed by God.
8.
And since He hath ordained heat to be the source of motion and ascent
and the cause of attainment to the desired goal, hot air balloons, 1000 BC in Persia
He hath therefore kindled with the mystic hand that Fire that dieth not
9.
and sent it forth into the world, that this divine Fire might, by the heat of the love of God,
guide and attract all mankind to the abode of the incomparable Friend.
10.
This is the mystery enshrined in your Book that was sent down aforetime,
a mystery which hath until now remained concealed from the eyes and hearts of men.
11.
That primal Fire hath in this Day appeared with a new radiance and with immeasurable heat.
12.
This divine Fire burneth of itself, with neither fuel nor fume,
that it might draw away such excess moisture and cold
as are the cause of torpor and weariness, of lethargy and despondency,
and lead the entire creation to the court of the presence of the All-Merciful.
13.
Whoso hath approached this Fire hath been set aflame and attained the desired goal, and whoso hath removed himself therefrom hath remained deprived.
14.
O servant of God!
Turn thou away from the stranger, that thou mayest recognize the Friend.
15.
He indeed is a stranger who leadeth you away from the Friend.
16.
This is not the day whereon the high priests can command and exercise their authority.
17.
In your Book it is stated that the high priests will, on that day,
lead men far astray, and will prevent them from drawing near unto Him.
18.
He indeed is a high priest who hath seen the light
and hastened unto the way leading to the Beloved.
19.
Such a man is a benevolent priest and a source of illumination to the whole world.
20.
O servant of God!
Any priest who leadeth thee away from this Fire,
which is the reality of the Light and the mystery of divine Revelation, is indeed thine enemy.
21.
Suffer not the words of the foe to hold thee back from the Friend
or the insinuations of the enemy to cause thee to forsake the Beloved.
22.
O servant of God!
The day of deeds hath come,
Now is not the time for words.
23.
The Messenger of God hath appeared,
Now is not the hour for hesitation.
24.
Open thou thine inner eye that thou mayest behold the face of the Beloved,
25.
and hearken thou with thine inner ear
that thou mayest hear the sweet murmur of His celestial voice.
[Tablet to the Friends of God] CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-50
[FRIENDS OF GOD]
26.
O servant of God!
The robe of divine bestowal hath been sewn and readied.
27.
Take hold of it and attire thyself therewith.
28.
Renounce and forsake the people of the world.
29.
O wise one!
Shouldst thou heed the counsel of thy Lord,
thou wouldst be released from the bondage of His servants
and behold thyself exalted above all men.
30.
O servant of God!
We have bestowed a dewdrop from the ocean of divine grace;
would that men might drink therefrom!
31.
We have brought a trace of the sweet melodies of the Beloved;
would that men might hearken with their inner ear!
32.
Soar upon the wings of joy in the atmosphere of the love of God.
33.
Regard the people of the world as dead and seek the fellowship of the living.
34.
Whoso hath not breathed the sweet fragrance of the Beloved at this dawntide
is indeed accounted among the dead.
35.
He Who is the All-Sufficing proclaimeth aloud,
“The realm of joy hath been ushered in;
be not sorrowful!
36.
The hidden mystery hath been made manifest;
be not disheartened!”
37.
Wert thou to apprehend the surpassing greatness of this Day,
thou wouldst renounce the world and all that dwell therein
and hasten unto the way that leadeth to the Lord.
38.
O servants of God!
Deprived souls are heedless of this triumphant Day,
and chilled hearts have no share of the heat of this blazing Fire.
39.
O servant of God!
The Tree which We had planted with the Hand of Providence hath borne its destined fruit,
and the glad-tidings We had imparted in the Book have appeared in full effect.
40.
O servant of God!
We revealed Ourself to thee once in thy sleep, yet thou didst remain unaware.
41.
Remember now, that thou mayest perceive
and hasten with heart and soul to the placeless Friend.
42.
O servant of God!
Say,
O high priests!
The Hand of Omnipotence is stretched forth from behind the clouds;
behold ye it with new eyes.
43.
The tokens of His majesty and greatness are unveiled;
44.
gaze ye on them with pure eyes.
45.
O servant of God!
The Daystar of the everlasting realm is shining resplendent above the horizon of His will
and the Oceans of divine bounty are surging.
46.
Bereft indeed is the one who hath failed to behold them,
and lifeless the one who hath not attained thereunto.
47.
Close thine eyes to this nether world,
48.
open them to the countenance of the incomparable Friend,
and commune intimately with His Spirit.
49.
O servant of God!
With a pure heart unloose thy tongue in the praise of thy Lord
for having made mention of thee through His gem-scattering pen.
50.
Couldst thou but realize the greatness of this bestowal,
thou wouldst find thyself invested with everlasting life.
Tablets of the Holy Mariner CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
(Persian & Arabic)
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