Prayers,
Tablets,
Instructions and
Miscellany
Gathered by
American Visitors to the
Holy City
During the Summer of 1900
<p5>
PRAYER TO BE SAID ON FIRST
AWAKENING
Praise be unto Thee, Oh my God, that Thou
hast awakened me after my sleep, caused me to
appear after my absence, and raised me from
my insensibility. I arose facing the Lights of
the Dawn of Thine Appearance, by which the
horizons of the Heavens of Thy Power and Thy
Majesty were enlightened, confessing Thy
Signs, assured in Thy Book, and holding to
Thy Rope.
I beg of Thee, by the Power of Thy Will, and
by the Penetration of Thy Purpose, to ordain
that which Thou hast showed me in my vision,
as the most solid foundation for the dwelling
place of Thy love in the hearts of Thy Friends,
and the best cause for the appearance of Thy
Favour and Thy Grace.
Oh my Lord, ordain to me, by Thy Supreme
Pen, the blessings of the world to come, and
the present one. I bear witness, that verily the
reins of affairs are in Thy Grasp, and that Thou
changest them as Thou desirest. There is no
God but Thee, the Powerful and the Faithful.
Thou art the One whose Command changeth
lowliness into might; weakness into strength;
humility to authority; confusion to tranquility,
and doubt to conviction. There is no God but
Thee, The Glorious, The Generous. Disappoint
<p6>
not whosoever entreateth Thee, and forbid
not whosoever desireth Thee. Ordain that
which befitteth the Heaven of Thy Bounty, and
the Ocean of Thy Generosity. Verily Thou art
the Powerful, the Mighty.
PRAYER TO BE SAID BEFORE GOING
TO BUSINESS
He is the Protector and the Self-Subsistent.
I arose by Thy Favour, oh my God, and left
the house depending upon Thee, and confiding
my affairs unto Thee. Then send down upon
me a blessing from before Thee, from the
Heaven of Thy Mercy. Then make me to return
to the house in safety, as Thou didst cause
me to leave it in safety and steadfastness. There
is no God but Thee, The Single, The One, The
Knowing and the Wise.
PRAYER TO BE SAID ON FIRST
AWAKENING
I arise in Thy Shelter, and it behooveth him
who seeketh Thy protection to be under the
shield of Thy Guard, and in the Fortress of Thy
Defence. O my Lord, enlighten me inwardly
by the Lights of the Day-break of Thy Manifestation,
as Thou hast enlightened me outwardly
by the Light of the dawn of Thy Favour.
PRAYER TO BE SAID ON ENTERING OR
LEAVING A CITY
O my God, ordain this place fortunate and
safe. Then guard me, oh my God, at the moment
<p7>
of my entering and of my leaving it. Then
ordain it as a fortress to me, and to those who
adore Thee and worship Thee, that they may
be fortified therein through Thy Favour, and
protected therein from the thrusts of the infidels
by Thy Power.
Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful,
the Protector, the Honoured and the Self-Subsistent.
PRAYER TO BE SAID BEFORE GOING
TO SLEEP
Thou are the Praiser and the Praised One.
O my God, and my Master and my Desire.
This, thy servant desireth to sleep in the shelter
of Thy Mercy, and to rest under the shadow of
the Dome of Thy Favour, assisted by Thy Protection
and Thy Guard. O my Lord, I invoke
Thee, by Thine Eye which sleepeth not, to protect
mine eye from beholding aught beside
Thee. Then increase its light by witnessing
Thy Signs, and by looking towards the Horizon
of Thy Manifestation. Thou art He before
whose Appearances of Might, the existence of
power is subdued.
There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the
Conqueror, the Chosen One.
A SHORT PRAYER
In case of necessity, may be used instead
of the longer daily prayer
After ablution of face and hands, turn towards
Acca, and say:
<p8>
I testify, oh my God, that Thou hast created
me for Thy knowledge and for Thine adoration.
I testify at this instant, to my powerlessness,
and to Thy Power; to my weakness, and
to Thy Might; to my poverty, and to Thy
Riches. There is no God but Thee, The Protector,
The Self-Subsistent.
PRAYER TO BE SAID BEFORE GOING
TO SLEEP
O my God, O my God! How can I choose
to sleep whilst the eyes of the yearning ones
are awaken because of separation from Thee,
and how can I rest on the bed whilst the minds
of Thy lovers are troubled by Thine Absence.
O my Lord, I confide my spirit and my essence
in the right hand of Thy Authority and
Thy Security, and I lay my head on the bed
by Thy Power; then raise it therefrom by Thy
Will and Thy Desire. Verily Thou art the Protector,
the Guardian, the Powerful and the
Mighty.
By Thy Might, naught I desire from sleep,
neither from waking, but that which Thou desirest.
I am Thy servant, and in Thy Grasp.
Confirm me to that whereby the scent of Thy
Satisfaction is diffused. This is my hope, and
the hope of those who are near to Thy Presence.
Praise be unto Thee, O God of the creatures.
<p9>
TABLET REVEALED FROM THE BLESSED
PERFECTION TO THE EXALTED LEAF
This Book is from before Us to her who hath
heard and attained, and she hath sprung from
this Pre-Existent Root, and hath appeared in
My Name, and hath tasted My Most Holy and
Wonderful Saliva. We have given her to drink
from My Sweetest Mouth, and once from the
Mighty and Shining Kawther. May My Glory
and the Fragrance of My Shining Garment be
upon her.
The Greatest
Oh thou blessed and sparkling Leaf! Sing
and chant on the Twigs of the Bower of Beha
in this exalted Word; Verily there is no God
but Him, the Lord of the Beginning and the
End. We have surely ordained thee as the best
of the maid-servants, and have bestowed upon
thee such a station from before Our Presence
to which no women have preceded (thee). In
this wise We have preferred thee, and have
given thee precedence as a Favour from before
the Lord of the Throne and the earth. We have
surely created thine eye to perceive the Lights
of My Face, and thine ears to hear My Verses,
and thy temple to stand before the Throne.
Thank thy Lord, the Lord of all creatures!
How sweet is the witness of The Tree for His
Leaf, and the Bower of Singleness for His
Fruit! She ought to diffuse the scent of musk
with My Remembrance. Blessed is whosoever
discoverth it and saith: Praise be unto Thee,
<p10>
oh my Lord, The Behi-ul-Abha! How sweet is
thy presence before My Face, and My Regard
unto thee, and My Favour unto thee, and My
Good-will upon thee, and My Remembrance of
thee in this Tablet which we have ordained as
the Sign of My Favour unto thee, both secretly
and openly.
The Abha
Oh My Leaf, hear My Call! Verily there is
no God but Me, the Mighty, the Wise! I discover
from thee the breaths of My Love, and
the Fragrance of the Garment of My Name,
The Most Holy, The Shining. Wave on the
tree as thou wilt, then speak in the praise of thy
Lord among all the creatures. Be not grieved
with the world, and hold to this Tree from
which God hath caused thee to spring forth.
By My Life, it behooveth the lover to hold to
the Beloved! This is the Beloved of all the
creatures!
Oh My God and My Lord! Praise be unto
Thee for that Thou hast made to appear the
Sun of Thy Beauty from behind the clouds, in
days whereof the eye of mankind hath not beheld
the life. Then, oh My God, make the faces
of Thy servants to emerge from behind the
calyx, and to behold Thee manifestly on the
Throne of Thy Grandeur and Glory. May the
Peace of God and His Favour and His Mercy
be upon ye!
<p11>
EXTRACT FROM TABLET REVEALED BY
THE BLESSED PERFECTION
Oh friends of The True One! The object of
enduring the successive afflictions and these
succeeding calamities, is this--that the souls
assured to God may behave with one another
with the greatest harmony, in such a manner
that discord and duellism and difference be
effaced from among them, with certain exceptions
revealed in Divine Scriptures. A man of
insight will in no wise be subject to any defect;
all that will take place will be a proof of the
greatness of his station, and of the purity of his
nature. For instance, if some one should humble
himself before the lovers of God for the
sake of God, that submission will be as to God,
because it has regard to his belief in God.
Likewise, if the former (the one to whom the
submission is shown) does not act like the latter,
or if pride appear from him, the man of insight
has attained the summit of his action, and has
attained and will attain to its reward, and the
evil of the deed of the former soul will turn to
himself. So also, if someone act proudly, that
pride will turn him from God (I take refuge in
God) oh possessors of mind. I swear by the
Greatest Name, in these days it is too pitiful
that a soul should consider non-essential
grades. Stand up for the Divine Cause, and
behave with the utmost affection one with the
other. Burn the carnal coverings sincerely before
the Face of the Beloved with the fire of
<p12>
Unity, and have intercourse with one another
with bright and glad faces. Ye have all seen
the natural qualities of the True One, that it
hath not been pleasing to Him that one night
should pass in which one of the believers of
God should be displeased with this youth. The
core of the world is enkindled by the Divine
Word; it is pitiful for ye not to be enkindled
with this fire. Please God, We hope ye will appoint
this blessed night "the night of agreement"
and ye will all unite one with the other,
and will be adorned with the embroidery of
good and praiseworthy inward qualities. And
your care must be this--to guide one from the
chambers of mortality to the River of Life, and
to behave in such a manner among the servants
that the traces of the True One may show forth
from ye. Because ye are the first of the adorers,
and the first of the worshippers, and the
first of the encirclers; then by The One who
hath caused Me to speak in that which is desired,
your names are more renowned in the
exalted Kingdom than the names before ye.
Believe not that this utterance is imagination.
Would that ye could have seen that which
your Lord, The Merciful, sees of the greatness
of your station, and the greatness of your
worth, and the loftiness of your position! I beg
God that your passionate desires will not prevent
ye from that which is ordained for ye. We
hope that ye will behave with one another with
<p13>
the utmost harmony, affection and friendship--
in such a manner that the Ensign of Unity may
be raised, and the standard of polytheism be annihilated,
and that ye may advance one before
the other in good deeds, and in showing forth
the acceptance (of God). To Him is the Command
and the Creation, He doeth that which
He willeth, and ordereth that which He desireth;
and verily He is The Powerful, The
Mighty, The Omnipotent.
REVEALED IN AKKA BY THE BLESSED
PERFECTION FOR ROUHA KHANUM
He is established upon the Throne of the
Beyan.
Praise, acclamation, remembrance and glory
are ascribed to the Most Holy and Inaccessible
Court of the Presence of the Beloved, who
quickened the world and the nations by the
waves of Revelation, and adorned them with
the embroidery of Existence. He is the Powerful,
on whose rebuff or reception are and have
been dependent the deeds and actions of all created
things. If one were to invoke and worship
the Presence of the Exalted Wealthy One, from
the First from before which there is no beginning,
unto the Last, of which there is no ending,
in deserts, lands, mountains and hills,--whilst
the scent of God's Satisfaction were not diffused
from him, he hath never been, nor will be accepted.
At a time when once the Residence of the
<p14>
Seat of the Lord was in one direction of the
directions, a certain one in the Presence,
praised a servant of the servants, and mentioned
that day and night he was employed in
supplication to the Supplier of all necessities.
In answer to him We commanded that if the
watcher by night and the invoker by day has
gained favour, he is beloved and accepted before
God; otherwise it hath been and will be of
no use. Nay rather, in this condition, that
which is just and that which is forbidden,
piety and atrocious sin, are adjudged
the same; whereunto beareth witness the Ommul
Kitab (the "Mother of the Book";
this name is applied both to the Manifestor in
every age who reveals scriptures, and to the
revealed Book), and verily He is The Truthful
and The Faithful.
Oh Rouha! may the Beha of God, the Lord
of the creatures, be upon thee! In the Days of
the Manifestation, holy and pure deeds and
pleasing and spiritual inborn qualities are beloved.
Deeds are counted as fruits of the
Blessed Tree before God; blessed are the doers,
both men and women. But the favour therein
is dependent on permission; otherwise it will
be of no value and remembrance before God,
The Remembrancer and The Knowing.
On this morn this order is revealed from the
Heaven of the Desire. Break thy fast, Oh Leaf
of My Tree, because, when hurtful, fasting has
been, and will be, of no benefit.
<p15>
Say: Oh my God, oh my God, behold Thy
Leaf who is holding to the Tree of Thy Command,
and clinging to the Hem of Thy Favour.
I beg Thee to assist her to that which is beloved
and pleasing. By Thy Might, she hath seized
Thy Favour, and hath cut herself from the
favour of all that is in the world, and hath approached
Thee, and hath cast away all that is
in the heavens and earths, except that which
Thy Will hath Wished, and Thy Desire hath
Desired, which protecteth all, both small and
great.
Oh My Leaf, oh My Leaf! take the Chalice
of Immortality in the Name of God, the Lord
of the Kingdom of Names! then drink thereof
in His Name, The Commander, the Omnipotent.
Verily I say, there is a great station before
God for fasting and prayer, but the favour
therein exists when in health; when in feebleness,
this action is not allowed. This is the
Commandment of the True One (Whose Glory
is Exalted) both in the past and in the future.
Blessed are the hearers and doers, both men
and women. Praise be unto God, The Revealer
of the Scriptures!
I praise Thee, oh my God, oh the Desired
One of all contingent beings, and the Beloved
One of all created things! I beg Thee to preserve
Thine Household from the evil of those
who violated Thy Covenant and Thine Alliance,
<p16>
and denied Thy Right, and disbelieved in Thy
Signs. Then cause to descend upon them the
rains of Thy Generosity and Grace, from the
Clouds of Thy Mercy. Then write for them by
Thy Supreme Pen, that which will exalt them in
Thy Name from among Thy servants. Verily
Thou art Powerful to all that Thou desirest.
There is no God but Thee, The Mighty, The
Great. May the glory shining forth and arising
from the Horizon of the Heaven of Thy Generosity,
be upon ye, oh Household, and upon
whosoever is with ye, and loves ye, and encircles
ye, and upon those who have sought a position
for themselves in your vicinity. Verily He is
The Assister, The Powerful, The Mighty, The
Generous.
MONOJAT OF THE BLESSED PERFECTION
REVEALED BEFORE THE MANIFESTATION
IN BAGDAD
He is God, The King, The Mighty, The Majestic,
The Holy.
I invoke Thee, oh My God, at the time that
the Lamp of Unity will be lighted in the White
Niche, and this Eternal Candle will be melted
in the Red Globe, and the Heart will be burnt
with the fire of grief in the Liver of Beha, and
the Cock of the Command shall cry out in the
Supreme Kingdom, and red tears flow on yellow
cheeks, then verily though He write before
Thee with the Pen of Black on the Green Tablet,
<p17>
yet, within His Mind, He writeth with the
Pen of Blood on the Fragments of His Lovers,
that which no one is able to hear in the lower
Kingdom of Might.
Therefore the Breezes of Spirit ceased from
the City of Eternity, and the Fruits of the Tree
of Tooba (a tree of blessedness in Paradise) fell
down, and the Branches of the Sadrat-el-Montaha
broke, the melodies of the Nightingale
were silenced in the Supreme Concourse, and in
the Chambers of Abha, the delight of the Pure
Ones was changed, because I was surrounded
by the scorpions of the mountains and the dogs
of the ocean; in such wise that if I desire to look
at the right hand, the poisons thereof will touch
Me, and if I look to the left hand, the dogs will
wound Me there. If I desire to raise My Head,
millstones will fall upon it.
The matter hath reached to such an extent,
that all the delicacies of the world are cut from
Me. If I desire to drink water, I drink the
Blood of My Heart; and if I desire to taste
food, I eat from the fragments of My Liver.
Oh My God, all these are affairs that are inflicted
upon Me in Thy Love, and have come
upon Me because of Thine Obedience. Verily,
Oh My God, if Thou wilt at this time be powerful
in protecting Me, then protect Me, and if
Ye do not so, then build Me an House near the
Throne of Thy Glory, beyond the Heavens of
the Might of Thine Eternity. Then raise Me
<p18>
unto Thee, that I may dwell in it by Thy Favour,
and repose in the Neighborhood of Thy
Mercy. For verily I have not found for Myself
in Thine earth, a retreat wide enough to put
My Foot on, or to stand upon. For verily Thy
servants have hated Me, and have reviled Me,
and every day they are consulting about My
murder, and are saying in respect of Me all that
they desire, and all that they wish they are deciding
against Me, so that I am perplexed in
My work, and have not found a refuge to flee
unto, nor a place to settle in, neither is there a
shelter for Me to dwell in.
Alas! Alas! I have no mother to weep over
my condition, and I have no sister to strip her
head in mourning for Me in My misfortune;
there is no near friend to be associated with Me
in My calamity, or to befriend Me in My affliction.
I am, however, contented with what is inflicted
upon Me in Thy Path. Would that Thy
servants could be satisfied therewith, and that
it would have sufficed them to do all these
things unto Myself. No! by Thy Might! this
shall never satisfy them. Nay, they will attack
the Countenance which Thou hast raised (to be)
in Thy Place, and whom Thou hast established
to be on the Throne of Thy Sovereignty; whom
Thou hast concealed under the Tents of Thy
Glory, and under the Canopy of Thy Sublimity,
whom Thou hast branched from the Ocean of
Thy Singleness and enkindled with the Fire of
Thine Eternity, whom Thou hast elevated to
<p19>
the station which is never comprehended by
anyone, and is never known by any soul, whom
Thou hast appointed a fortress unto Thy servants,
and a Light unto the countries, whom
Thou hast ordained the people to have recourse
unto, as they have their recourse unto Thee,
and to be submissive under His Hands as their
submission unto Thee. Notwithstanding all
this, they contradicted Him, and waged war
against Him, both in secret and public, in such
wise that they raised banners of contradiction
against Him and standards of sedition against
His Cause.
At this time, I beg Thee, oh My God, by the
Light of Thine Eternity, whereby the heavens
and earth are illumined, to make My Feet of
iron by which I may stand in His service, and
the service of whosoever loveth Thee, that I
may become a helper of Thy Religion, and a
guardian of Thine Orders, until I suffer martyrdom
in His Path in Thy Presence, Oh Thou in
whose Hand is the Kingdom of all things. And
verily Thou art the Almighty!
Then I beg of Thee, oh My God, by the
grief that befell Me in Thy Way, and that left
Me not for one instant of Thine Instants, to
cause Me to ascend to the Paradise of Thine
Eternity, and to raise Me therein by Thy Favour,
and to forbid Me not from that which is
ordained therein of the wonderful Graces of Thy
Singleness, and of the Essence of Thine Eternal
Gifts, whereby I may be one of the Dwellers and
<p20>
one of the Travellers in the Neighborhood of
Its Favour. That the whispers of devils hinder
Me not from My Love unto Thee, and from My
yearning after Thee, and My Desire unto Thee,
and from My Passion towards Thee. Verily
that is the Paradise which Thou hast created
from the seeds of Thy Power, and formed from
the subtilties of Thy Might, so that the Sun
shines therein uneclipsed; its Moon is beaming
unveiled; its stars fall not; its houses are indestructible;
its trees are unchangeable; its fruits
unalterable; its mysteries unveiled; its treasures
unfailing; its light unquenchable; its garment
weareth not out; its signs are unobliterable; its
bunches are pendant; its fruits everlasting; its
leaves continuous; and its blessings accomplished.
Its Sun is forever in the noon-day and
is Moon in the day-spring of beauty.
Therefore praise be unto Thee, praise be unto
Thee, Oh My God. By Thine Honour! were I
to mention Thee as long as the Might of Thy
Dominion and the Eternity of Thine Absolute
Power continues, the description of one sprinkle
of that which Thou hast created therein
from the Appearances of Thy Sovereignty and
the grades of the Holiness of Thy Divinity, I
would be impotent, dumb, and hopeless before
having declared one Letter from the Essences
which Thou hast created therein by Thy Power,
and hast caused to appear therein by Thy Purpose.
Therefore praise be unto Thee, praise be unto
Thee!
<p21>
The Robe of Majesty and Honour, and the
Essences of Power and Authority behooveth
One like unto Thee. Verily Thou art the Powerful
in truth, and verily We are all worshipping
Thee and returning unto Thee.
TABLET REVEALED IN ADRIANOPLE BY
THE BLESSED PERFECTION TO MIRZA
ALY REZA KHORAZANI
He is Immortal in the Horizon of Abha!
The Cause of God hath come in the shades of
the Beyan, and the polytheists are in great torment
in this day. The hosts of Revelation have
surely descended with the Ensigns of Inspiration
from the Heaven of the Tablet in the Name
of God, the Powerful, The Omnipotent. Then
the Unitarians shall rejoice with the victory of
God and His absolute Power, and in this day
the deniers will be in manifest agitation.
Oh ye people, are ye fleeing from the Mercy
of God after that it hath surrounded the contingent
beings created between the heavens and
earth? Change not the blessing of God upon
yourselves, and deprive not yourselves thereof;
whosoever turneth away therefrom will be in
great loss. The similitude of blessing is like
unto the Verses; verily they descend from the
same Heaven, and the Unitarians drink the
Wine of Life from them, and the polytheists
drink therefrom the water of Hameen[1]. When
the Verses of God are read unto them, the fire
<p22>
of hatred kindles in their hearts. In this wise,
they change the blessing of God upon themselves
and are of the heedless.
[1. A fountain of boiling water in Hell spoken of in the Koran.]
Oh people! enter under the shadow of the
Word; then drink from It the choice Wine of
Significations and Beyan, because the Kawther
of the Gracious One is treasured therein, and
hath appeared from the Will of your Lord, the
Merciful, with wonderful Lights.
Say: The Ocean of Pre-existence hath surely
branched forth from this great Ocean; then
blessed is whosoever abides on Its Shore and
will be of the dwellers. This Holy and Abha
Temple, the Branch of Holiness, hath surely
branched forth from the Sadrat-el-Montaha.
May it be healthful to whosoever seeketh refuge
under Its Shadow, and is of the reposers.
Say: The Branch of the Cause hath surely
sprung forth from this Root which God hath
made firm in the Ground of Will, and hath elevated
Its Branch to a Station that hath surrounded
all the existence. Then exalted be this
Lofty, Blessed, Mighty and Inaccessible Creation!
Oh people! draw nigh unto It, and taste the
Fruits of Wisdom and Knowledge from It, from
before The Mighty, The Knowing. Whosoever
will not taste of It will be deprived of the blessing
of God, although he may have nourished
himself with all that is in the earth, if thou art
of the knowing.
Say: A Word is surely severed in favour
<p23>
from The Greatest Tablet, and God hath
adorned it with the embroidery of His Self, and
hath ordained it as a King over all that is on
earth, and as a Sign of His Grandeur and His
Power amongst all the creatures, whereby people
may glorify their Lord, The Mighty, The
Powerful, The Wise, and that by which they
may magnify their Creator, and sanctify the Self
of God, Who standeth upon all things. This is
naught but a revelation from before The Knowing,
The Pre-Existent.
Say: Oh people! then thank God for Its
Manifestation (The Branch), for verily He is the
Greatest Favour unto ye, and the most perfect
Blessing for ye, and that by which every decayed
bone is quickened.
Whosoever faceth unto Him, hath surely
faced unto God, and whosoever turneth away
from Him, hath surely turned away from My
Beauty and disbelieved in My Proof and is of
the prodigal. Verily He is The Trust of God
among ye, and His Deposit within ye, and His
Appearance upon ye, and The Dawn among His
servants who are nigh.
In this wise I am ordered to deliver unto ye
the Message of God your Creator, and I delivered
unto ye all whereunto I was commanded.
Therefore thereunto witnesseth God, then His
Angels and His Apostles, then His holy servants.
Inhale the scent of the Rizwan from Its
Flowers (The Branches), and be not of those
who are deprived thereof. Take advantage of
<p24>
the Favour of God upon ye, and be not veiled
therefrom; and verily we have surely raised It
in the Temple of Man; then blessed be God, the
Originator of all that He wills by His affirmed
and wise Command. Verily those who deprived
themselves from the Shade of the Branch, are
those who lose their way in the wilderness, and
the heat of passionate desire burneth them and
they are of the perishing. Hasten oh people,
unto the Shadow of God, that ye may be preserved
from the heat of the day in which no
one shall find for himself any shade or abode,
except under the Shadow of His Name, The
Forgiving, The Merciful.
Wear oh people, the raiment of Assurance to
guard ye from the thrust of suspicion and imagination,
that ye may be of the assured in those
days in which one shall never be assured and
shall never be established in the Cause but by
cutting himself from all that is in the hands of
the people, and facing the Holy and Brilliant
Countenance.
Oh people! do ye take the Djelet as an assistant
to yourselves without God? and do ye take
the Taghout as a lord without your Lord, The
Powerful, The Omnipotent? Leave their remembrance,
oh people! (The Djelet and the
Taghout were the two Meccan idols mentioned
in the Koran, and which were destroyed by
Aly.) Then take the Cup of Life in the Name
of your Merciful Lord: By God! the existence
is quickened with one drop thereof, if ye are of
the knowing.
<p25>
Say: In this day there is no shelter for any
one but the Cause of God, and there is no place
of refuge for any soul but God--and this is that
which is true, and there is naught after the truth
but manifest error.
God hath surely compelled every soul to deliver
His Cause as much as he has power therein.
In this wise the Command is pre-ordained
by the Finger of Power and Authority on the
Tablets of great Might. Whosoever quickeneth
one soul in this Cause, it is as if he quickened
all the servants, and God shall raise him in the
Day of Judgment in the Rizwan of Oneness,
with the embroidery of His Soul, The Protector,
The Mighty, The Generous. Verily this is your
assistance unto your Lord, and nothing but this
shall ever be remembered in this day before
God, your Lord, and the Lord of your forefathers.
Verily thou, oh servant, hear that which We
have commanded thee in the Tablet; then seek
the Favour of Thy Lord at every moment. Then
publish the Tablet before those who believe in
God and His Verses, that they may follow whatever
is in It, and may be of the benevolent.
Say: Oh people! commit not corruptions on
the earth and dispute not with men, because
verily this agreeth not with the state of those
who have taken a station under the Shadow of
their Lord, which is in truth secure.
When ye find a thirsty one, then give him to
drink of the Cup of Kawther and Tasneen (Waters
<p26>
of Paradise), and if ye find a possessor of
attentive ears, then read unto him the Verses of
God, The Powerful, The Mighty, The Merciful.
Unloose your tongue in able explanation; then
admonish men if ye find them drawing nigh
unto the sanctuary of God; otherwise abandon
them to themselves, then leave them in the
depth of hell. Beware of scattering the pearls
of Inner Significance before every barren blind
one, because the blind are verily deprived of
beholding the Light, and distinguish not the
stone from the holy, precious Pearl. Verily, if
thou produce wonderful signs of might for one
thousand years unto the stone, will it understand
them in itself, or will they take effect in
it? No, by thy Lord, The Clement, The Merciful!
And if thou read all the Verses of God
unto the deaf, will he hear a single letter thereof?
No! by the Pre-Existent Beauty of Might.
In this wise we have brought to thy notice the
jewels of Wisdom and Beyan, that thou mayest
be a gazer unto the Direction of thy Lord, and
cut away from all the creatures.
May the Spirit and Glory be upon thee and
upon those who have dwelt in the Holy Residence,
and are in the Cause of their Lord with
manifest steadfastness.
EXTRACT FROM TABLET REVEALED IN BAGDAD
TO HAJI KHALEEL OF KASVIN, BY
THE BLESSED PERFECTION IN ANSWER
TO SOME QUESTIONS
As to thy questions regarding My Son. Know
that verily My Sons, if they follow the ordinances
<p27>
of God, and exceed not that which is
limited in Beyan--the Book of God, The Protector
and the Self-Subsistent; and if they command
their own souls to that which is just; and
if they forbid that which is forbidden; and if
they witness to that which God hath witnessed
in His firm, established and ordained Verses;
and if they believe in Him Whom God shall
cause to appear in the Day that will be counted
of the earliest and of the latter time, in which
all will contradict God, their Lord; and if they
disagree not in the Cause of God; and if they
bear not enmity to His ordained and decreed
Law; then know that verily they will be the
Leaves of the Tree of Unity, and Its Fruits, and
by whom the clouds shall rain, and the sky shall
lift with favour--if ye are of the assured--and
they will be of the Family of God among ye,
and His Household in your midst, and His
Favour upon the creatures--if ye are of those
who know. From them the Breezes of God
shall blow upon ye, and the Winds of the Might
of the Beloved will pass by those who are nigh.
They will be the Pen of God and His Cause and
His Word among mankind, and by them they
receive and bestow--if thou art of the instructed.
By them the earth is illumined with the Light
of thy Lord, and the Signs of His Favour appear
unto those who deny not the Signs of God.
Then whosoever listeneth to them, will have
surely listened to Me, and whosoever shunneth
<p28>
them, will have shunned the Path of God, The
Protector, The Self-Subsistent.
Thou shalt soon find the opposition of the
contradictors, and their haughtiness upon Us,
and their oppression upon Ourselves, without
any proof, or any preserved Book. Say: O
people, verily they are the Signs of God among
ye. Beware, and dispute not with them, and
kill them not, and be not of those who oppress
and are senseless. They are the captives of
God on the earth, and have fallen under the
hands of the oppressors in this land, which is
situated behind lofty mountains. All this was
inflicted upon them whilst they were yet little
ones in the world, and had no sin--nay rather,
in the Path of God, The Powerful, The Potent,
The Mighty, The Beloved.
But the One who will appear among them in
illuminate knowledge, God will cause the Verses
of His Power to flow from His Tongue, and He
is the One to whom God has assigned His
Cause. Verily there is no God but Him, in
Whom is the creation and the command, and
verily we are all performing His Commands.
I beg God to incline them to His obedience,
and to nourish them with that whereby their
mind is satisfied, and the minds of those who
are facing the direction of God at every instant,
and to overlook their oppression, and to ordain
them of those who will inherit the Heaven of
Paradise from before God, The Mighty, The
Protector, The Self-Subsistent.
<p29>
EXTRACT FROM ANOTHER TABLET BY
THE BLESSED PERFECTION
Verily I have devoted My Soul and My Spirit
for the exaltation of The Word, and for glorifying
the Command of Thy Lord, the Mighty, The
Benevolent. If I see any one of the Branches
opposing that which God hath desired, in truth
He will expel him, and we are The Powerful,
The Avenger.
EXTRACT FROM THE "TABLET RIZWAN EL
IGRAR" (THE GARDEN OF CONFESSION).
Revealed by The Blessed Perfection to Aga Mohammed
Aly Yazdi, who is still living
in Sidon. (July, 1900)
...My Eye weeps, and the eyes of Aly weep
before the Supreme Companion; and My Heart
laments, and the heart of Mohammed laments
under the Canopy of Abha; and my Mind cries
out, and the minds of the Apostles cry out before
the Sadrat-el-Montaha, if ye are of the onlookers.
My sadness is not for Myself, but for the One
Who shall come after Me in the Shadow of the
Command with Manifest and Evident Power.
Verily there are who will not consent to His
Manifestation, and will protest against His
Verses, and will disbelieve His Proof, and will
fight against His Person, and will use deceit in
His Affair, just as they are inflicting upon Him
in these days, and ye are witnessing thereto.
Verse revealed in Koran (Chap. 39) regarding
the word "choose."
<p30>
"And We have given the Book of Koran in
heritage unto such of Our servants as We have
chosen: of them (there is) who oppresseth his
own soul[1]; and of them (there is) who keepeth
midway[2]; and of them (there is) who outstrippeth
in good works, by the permission of
God.
[1. By not practicing what he is taught and
commanded in the Koran.]
[2. That is, who performs his duty for the
most part, but not perfectly.]
EXTRACT FROM THE "TABLET OF JAMAL."
REVEALED BY THE BLESSED
PERFECTION
...Make mention of Him in thy days, and the
misfortunes that were inflicted upon Him by
those who had not discerned the scent of faithfulness,
and followed fancies. Verily thou art
informed of what was inflicted upon Us in the
Land of Mystery, by the oppression of those
two persons (Mirza Riza-gholi and his sister)
of the God, the Lord of the Days. God seized
one of them by the violence of His Presence,
and when he saw them, he said. "I have repented
before Thee, Oh Thou in Whose Grasp
is the Guiding rein of mankind."
At length he was present and did penitence
in hypocrisy, and the Lord rent not the veil until
the fixed hour came.
And when We entered the Prison (Acca) he
committed such deeds that the veneration of
God was destroyed amidst His servants. By
<p31>
My Life, We were patient and veiled it, until the
matter reached to such a degree that the Cause
was on the point of changing. So We expelled
him and his sister from the Gate.
Oh Jamal! I have expended My Soul and
My Life to honour the Word, and honour the
Cause of thy Lord, The Mighty, The Beneficent.
If we see any one of the Branches in opposition
to that which is desired by God, in
truth We will expel him; and I am The Powerful
and The Avenger. Verily thou art informed of
their deeds (Mirza R. and sister.) By God, the
Eye of Pre-Existence wept under the Most
High Canopy, and the Righteous Ones lamented
for that which they committed.
EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK OF BADI,
REVEALED BY THE BLESSED
PERFECTION
...Oh ye who are heedless of the meanings
of the Divine Words, and oh ye who are not
benefited by the fruits of the Lordly Tree! First
understand what is the religion of the Beyan,
and what is the purpose of the Point of Revelation
(Whose grandeur is exalted) of His Words
and of His Signs; then occupy yourselves in investigation.
Be not of those souls who interpret
the Divine Words according to their sensual
passions, and falsify the meanings thereof.
This is the religion of Beyan, as follows:
He calls the Origin of the Manifestation, a
Tree, and the Branches, Twigs, Leaves and
Fruit, the Appearances of that Manifestation, as
<p32>
it will be observed. For example, the First
Point Himself (may the spirit of what is beside
Him, redeem Him) was the Tree of Divine
Manifestation, and the followers of His Cause
were all counted as His Leaves, Branches,
Twigs and Fruit. Likewise consider all other
Manifestations, and mention them under whatsoever
name thou mayest please.
For example, take the Point of Revelation as
the Ocean, and the others as Its Waves. Likewise
as the Sun, and the others as Mirrors. In
this Station, if He says to each one of the Appearances
of the Manifestation, "He is Me, and
I am Him," it is true, and there is no doubt of
it. Such are the Letters of the Living, some of
whom are yet alive.... (As far as His Exalted
Speech, which says) If the Person of the Manifestation
says to every Tree of those Trees
planted in this holy Ground, that this is a Proof
to all things, verily it is the Proof; just as He
has created the Proofs from before times ... as
far as His Exalted speech (may its remembrance
be honoured) which says: "Know that as long
as they are under the shadow of God, and are
depending upon His Name, these names will be
true, and this honor will remain upon them. But
after transgressing and exceeding the limitations,
The Robe of Honour of Names will be
stripped from off them, and they will be mentioned
by God as rejected and cast away." ...as
far as His exalted speech (may His Explanation
be honoured) which says as follows: "Consider
<p33>
the Appearance of the Manifestation as
the Fruit of the Tree of the Manifestation, and
of these Fruits they are counted, as long as they
are holding to the Tree. But after being cut off
from the Tree, they will be so changed by the
blowing of the winds of passion and lust, that
they will be deprived of, and lose all flavour,
delicacy and freshness."
EXTRACT FROM THE SAME BOOK
...In the Appearance of the Manifestation,
naught is seen but the Self of the Manifestation.
Therefore, in all the Appearances of the Manifestation,
whether in the age of the Koran, Gospel,
Psalms or Bible, naught is seen but the Self
of the Manifestation. Likewise, in the people
of the Beyan, naught is seen but the Manifestation
of the Point of the Beyan; that is, as long
as they are under the shade of the Beyan. And
if one leave it (I take refuge in God) naught is
seen in him but only Satan and his deeds.
EXTRACT FROM A TABLET TO A WOMAN,
REVEALED BY THE BLESSED PERFECTION
IN ADRIANOPLE
...O My Maid-servant, thus did My sister;
the world deluded her to such an extent that she
denied God, The Mighty and The Wise. Verily
We have not condemned her unto thee on account
of Ourself, but when she contradicted
God, We turned away from her. In this wise,
We commanded from before The Powerful and
The Potent.
<p34>
We have cut off the rope of relationship between
Us and her, by an order from before Him,
for she disbelieved in Him Who hath created
her, and verily God is a Witness to that which
I say.
If one of My sons should exceed beyond the
ordinances of God, by God, My Eye shall not
turn to him at all, and to this bear witness all
the just and the informed.
Verily thou, O My Maid-servant, guard thyself,
lest relationship prevent thee from God,
thy Lord, and the Lord of the creatures. Cut
off the ties from all relations and hold to the
relationship of God, The Forgiver and The Merciful.
By God! with His relationship, the people
will be in no need of the relationship of all creatures.
...Verily We have cut off the rope of relationship
from all relations except those who believe
in God and turn away from infidels. O
My servants, if one among ye may hear that his
brother or sister hath turned away from God,
it behooveth him to turn away from him or her,
and turn to God, the Beloved of the sincere.
TALKS WITH OUR LORD AT THE TABLE AT
DIFFERENT TIMES, AUGUST, 1900
Our Lord said that He had seen the faces of
the American believers and He was very glad
--for their faces were radiant with the Light of
the Covenant of God, for the faces of those who
violated the Covenant of God would appear
veiled in darkness.
<p35>
The Covenant of God is like the sun--the
brilliance and light of the Covenant radiates and
shines forth from the faces of those who are firm
in it. He said "I pray to the Blessed Perfection
that He will so turn their faces to the Covenant,
that all America may be enlightened by the
brightness of their light." Abdel Kerim stands
with the greatest sincerity in the Cause of God.
Beholding the likeness of these believers is, as
it were, bringing them into the Holy Place.
He said that He prayed for them all in the
visit to the Holy Tomb. He sends His best
greetings and love to all the believers; though
they are not present bodily, they are present
in the heart, and their remembrance brings the
greatest joy and fragrance.
Our Lord said: How strange it is that I am
from Persia, and you are from America. It is a
long distance from America to Persia. The
greatness of the power of the Cause of God is
manifested in bringing this to pass.
During the thirty years of Christ's life, there
were only eleven believers, and at the end of His
life, even they wavered, until Mary Magdalen
confirmed them in the truth of God--but the
radiance of this Sun has been felt from here to
America, and notwithstanding all this, the violaters
desire to quench the Light of the Covenant
of God. They wish to extinguish this
Light, but they do not know that the Light of
God's Covenant is kindled and comes from the
Presence of God, and though it were surrounded
<p36>
by all the winds of the earth, they could not prevail
to blow it out.
The existent contingent world was shaken by
the Covenant of God, and yet they wish to remove
it by their most weak power. It is as
if a handful of earth should endeavor to stop the
waves of the ocean. It is like a mote trying to
stop the rays of the sun from reaching the earth.
Christ said that He would not drink of the
fruit of the vine, until He took it in the kingdom
of His Father. There are no grapes in that
kingdom; the meaning is spiritual.
"As we find ourselves eating with each other
here, so we hope that we shall partake of the
Divine Food with each other in the Kingdom of
Heaven. The body is quickened by this food,
but by the spiritual food, the spirit is quickened.
The first is for giving power and force to the
body, whilst the essential food is for giving
power and force to the spirit. The body needs
food to give it strength, but the spirit is purified
by the essential food. Without food the body
will perish; so also, the spirit will die without
the spiritual food. Bread is the food of the body,
whilst the Breath of God is the food of the
Spirit. The Gifts and Favours of God are the
food of the spirit, so also is the love of God, and
affection and union."
Then looking at the photographs of the
American believers, our Lord said: "The faces
are reflected in the hearts and minds, and not on
<p37>
the paper. The reflection is not durable on the
paper, but it is so in the hearts. The figures on
the paper may fade, but when they are in the
heart, they are preserved from fading and destruction."
He was sorry that Dr. Kheiralla had
thrown away the great foundation God had prepared
for him. It sometimes happens that God
crowns a man with His great mercies and favours,
and that then the man, with his own
hands, takes off the crown and casts it on the
ground.
Many of these faces bear good tidings of the
Kingdom--they shall progress in the Cause
greatly. Only you must wait three or four years,
and then you will see a great advancement in
the Cause of God. This is, as it were, only the
beginning of the fall of the rain--it is raining
now, drop by drop. The believers in America
are like a field in which the corn has newly
sprung up. This is the dawn of the day, when
only a faint, few rays of the sun are visible. As
in the early morning, only a faint radiance is
visible in the horizon, so it is now. The people
in America see the truth but little now, but the
Sun of Truth will shine brightly there afterwards.
We must remember that this truth is not for
the people of a single religion, or for a single
nation; therefore we must be able to give proofs
that will completely satisfy the seeker from each
religion. If we give proofs from the Taurat,
that will only convince the Jews; if from the
<p38>
Gospels, the Christians only will believe; if from
the Koran, it will appeal only to the Mohammedans;
and so on with all the other religions. But
this religion is a universal one--a religion for
the whole world, therefore we must be able to
convince each one from his own standpoint.
To every one who believes in an inspired
Scripture, we are able to prove this religion
from the signs given in their own Books, but
as the religion is general and for every one, and
not only for those who hold to inspired writings,
therefore we must be able to give general arguments
that will convince and satisfy the materialists
and every kind of free thinker.
The first thing to do is to satisfy the enquirer
of the need of a Creator and an educator. He
must be sure that there can be nothing in the
world of existence without a Power to put it into
existence, and that nothing can grow or take
effect without one who is complete and perfect
to care for it. For instance, a plant requires, in
order to grow, the rays of the sun to shine upon
it, the rain to water it, the breezes to blow upon
it; otherwise it will not be properly developed.
So too, with a child, unless he has some one to
train him and instruct him, he would grow up a
savage. Though everything in this world receives
growth and development by natural laws,
yet we find the cultivator necessary to give order
and arrangement. Not only does the plant
require for its existence the sun, rain and
breezes, but it also needs a gardener to watch
<p39>
over and cultivate it, in order that it may gain
its full perfection. If a garden is left to itself,
it quickly becomes a wilderness; the flowers
will not attain full beauty, and the trees will not
produce good fruit. So it is with the souls.
After they have been put into existence by the
Being, it is necessary for them to have an instructor,
in order that they may progress and
develop and attain their highest station, and
their every good and progress depends on such
a trainer.
For instance, before the manifestation of
Moses, when Moses gave his instructions and
commands to the Hebrew people, they were
savage and uncivilized, and so inferior to the
Egyptians that they would not hire them as servants,
but gave them the roughest, rudest work
to do. But when Moses appeared among them,
and opened before their faces the Gates of Divine
Favours, by receiving the spiritual knowledge,
they became, from its light, a great and
civilized nation, renowned for their learning and
their arts.
Before Christ manifested, the Sun of the Revelation
of Moses had disappeared from the horizon
of this world, and for a long period the people
had lost its light, and had sunk into a condition
of abasement and subjection, but when
this new Instructor, this new Educator, appeared,
they received a new impetus and a new
life from His teachings, and then the effect
showed itself in a new and great civilization.
<p40>
When Mohammed appeared in the wilderness
of Hadjaz, the people were wandering tribes in
the lowest depths of idolatry and paganism. So
degraded were they, that they used to bury their
own children alive. He delivered his teachings
to savage tribes, even far more savage than the
Arabs of the present day, but under the power
and life of the instructions imparted to them by
Mohammed, these barbarians quickly became a
civilized people, and from them appeared men
famed for their learning and arts and sciences
throughout the whole world.
According to history, sixty centuries have
elapsed since the time of Adam, the first man of
whom we have any record, but never in any
period of this long age, has humanity been in
the high condition in which it is now, in inventions,
sciences, arts and material prosperity of
every kind. All historians are agreed in this
fact, that there never has been such a time of
high attainment for humanity as exists in this
nineteenth century. This is nothing but the effect
of the highest and most perfect Revelation.
The Blessed Perfection has appeared upon the
horizon of this world from the Kingdom of
Eternity, and the effect of the Rays of His Glory
is visible in every direction. And this is true,
even though its effects are only partially visible
now, for His Laws and Commands have not
yet been put into practice, by means of which
the highest development of humanity will be
possible. If such a high condition is apparent
<p41>
now, in the beginning of this Revelation, what
a great state must we not look for when the full
power of Its Light is manifested.
August. 10th
There are two kinds of attachments or unions
--one the material or elementary, that is to say,
the attachment that is formed by means of the
four elements.
Such is the union between members of an
household. In order to furnish people's needs
and desires, and to obtain their comforts and
conveniences, they must have attachment, communication,
friendship and concord. As long
as there is no bond nor communication between
the members of an household, there is no comfort
nor rest for them, and they cannot have their
needs supplied. From the household, turn to
the people of a city. When citizens are linked
one with another, if one wishes to build a house,
he can send for materials and masons, and then
for carpenters to construct the doors, window
frames, etc. Each one must be linked with the
other, in order that they may communicate with
and help one another. Then when several cities
are united together, they form a territory
or dominion. In one part of this territory perhaps
they grow rice, whilst in another part of
it, there may be no rice, but some other kind of
grain or food, and each part can prepare something
the other is in need of. So we see the
union between cities is the same as between
members of an household. This is the material
<p42>
attachment or union of the four elements. The
more solid the union between the people of the
material world, the greater will be their comforts.
In the beginning, when man was created,
he only thought of himself. He thought "What
shall I do for myself?" But when presently he
became united with others, a household was
formed, and then he began to think of them, of
their wants and desires, and then he cried
"What shall I do for them?" So at first, he only
thought of himself, and secondly for his family.
Afterwards many families united together, and
so were formed into a city, and man then begun
to think from the family to the city, and said,
"What shall we do for the city?" Then many cities
united together and constituted a territory or
country, then the thoughts of the people were
"What shall we do for the progress of our
country?" Afterwards because of intercommunication,
the wisdom of people began to consider
"What shall we do for the comfort of our
race?" Now all this effect was caused by the
power of communication, which enabled them to
think of the wide world, instead of only themselves
and their families. You will see in the
future that the power of communication will be
greatly strengthened in this age, so that in time,
all mankind will unceasingly consider the comfort,
right guidance and well-being of the
others.
These bonds of union that we have been considering,
have to do only with material conditions,
<p43>
and are important as enabling bodily necessities
to be furnished--they are necessary for
uniting one with another, and for furnishing the
needs of the material world.
Now if we compare these bonds and their connections
with the spiritual union, we will find
that there is no comparison between the degree
of one with the other. It is like a drop of water
to the ocean, or a grain of sand to the whole.
And we will surely find that the spiritual union
is absolutely necessary for the attachment and
happiness of the essential or spiritual world.
We have two conditions or states of life--the
material and the essential. If we consider the
material life of the world, which only lasts for
40, 50 or 100 years, we will find it is nothing in
comparison with the spiritual life. The body is
in existence only for a certain time, but the essence
or soul is of far other duration. So as we
find that the essential or spiritual life, is greater
and better than the material, we must know also
that the spiritual links must be so much the
higher and greater than the bodily ties. There
can be no greater or stronger tie than that which
exists between the brother and sister, or between
the father, mother and children. But
when a member of a family dies, his relations
follow his remains to the grave, mourn his departure
a short time, and then take up the work
of life without him.
Now let us consider the power of the spiritual
union or connection. For instance, those who
<p44>
live in the world a thousand years from to-day,
will read of those who are living now in this great
day, and will have great honour for them. They
have connection with us by a spiritual union,
and they will think of us who have been in the
days of this Manifestation. This is a proof of
the infinite superiority of the spiritual over the
material union. Look at the solidity of the
spiritual union. For instance, we think of Abraham
and his followers, and we rejoice as we
speak of their good qualities, although so many
hundreds of years have passed since their time.
This is one of the effects of the Spiritual union.
We who are at this time, under the guidance
of the directions of the Blessed Perfection, hope
to reach to the fullest extent and highest degree
of the union between the spiritual and material,
because when the spiritual connections unite
with the material connections, everything will
be complete both in the spiritual and in the material.
Then, when these two are united and
become one, the earth shall become the Paradise
of Abha.
The mass of stones is formed of single atoms.
If there were no connection between these
atoms, formation would be impossible. Next
above this stage comes the plant life. There the
connection is greater than that of the stones,
because the stones are only formed of atoms by
the power of attraction, but with the plants there
are two kinds of connections--one is the connection
of atoms by which the plant is formed,
<p45>
and the other is the power of growth. So there
is a greater bond in the plant than in the stone,
because the stone has only a single connection,
whereas the plant has two. In the animal life,
we find three connections--first, that which belongs
to the atom; then that which belongs to
the power of growth manifest in plants, and to
the animal life, there is added a third bond--
that of sensation and feeling, for, if we break a
bough from a tree, there is no sensation in the
tree; but if a man breaks an arm or a limb, his
whole body suffers, because he has the power of
feeling. That power is not found in the other
kingdoms. Now, all these connections in the
stone, plant or animal, are material, but when
we come to the highest point of the existence,
we find man, who is greater than all in wisdom
and power. Man himself, is both spiritual and
material, for, in man, we find that, in addition
to all the material connections, is added the
spiritual connection or union.
Our Lord said that people should come from
the east and from the west; that Persians and
Americans should come from different parts and
meet at the Holy Place. There are two sorts of
meetings, the meeting of the body, and the
meeting of the souls. People can live in the
same house, and be of the same flesh and blood,
and eat at the same table, and yet be at variance,
because they are not one in heart, but that
others, even though they have different customs
<p46>
and habits, and be of different races, would be
in love and harmony when they came together,
because their souls had met. For instance, Judas
Iscariot, though he was with his Lord so much,
yet did not know Him, because his heart was
far distant.
We are in the condition of babes in the womb;
the baby does not understand why it has eyes,
ears, etc. It has no use for them there, but
when it leaves the womb, then it finds their use.
So through the revealed laws of our God, we
gain the spiritual features or powers, as it were,
of which we shall understand the real use after
leaving the body.
Our Blessed Lord said: It is not the body
that feels pain or trouble, but the soul. If we
have a pain in our arm, the defect is in the body,
but it is the soul that feels the pain and is troubled,
not the body, though the body is the cause
of the trouble.
There are two kinds or conditions of life or
existence. There is that existence which is palpable
to our touch, but does not grow or feel--
the mineral kingdom. Then there is the higher
stage of existence--the plant life, which grows,
but cannot feel. Above this, is the animal kingdom,
which is palpable to the touch, and has the
power of growth and feeling, but cannot attain
to the position or grade of man, which is the
highest degree of all. That which is lower, cannot
<p47>
perceive the higher. The minerals cannot
understand or feel the plants, the plants cannot
understand or perceive the animals, and the animals
cannot understand man. Now, these grades
all belong to one kingdom; they are all composed
of matter. If it is impossible for these
different kingdoms belonging to the same world,
to understand the other, rather is it impossible
for man to understand the things of the future
life. For, as is the difference between these
grades or conditions, so is the difference between
man and the spiritual kingdom--it is impossible
for him to perceive or understand it,
because he has no power with which to perceive
it. As a child in the womb of its mother could
not understand if some one were to tell him
about the world outside, so is the human condition
on this earth. We can form no conception
or idea of the heavenly kingdom, because we
have no senses with which to perceive it.
As it is not yet shown while the child is in the
womb of its mother, what its condition will be,
whether it will have all the gifts of God or not,
whether it will be perfect in all its members or
not, whether it will be blind, or deaf, or dumb--
but afterwards, when it enters the world, then it
becomes clearly apparent if it is defective or
not--so it is with the soul in this present state.
Its perfection or its lackness is not understood
until it enters the heavenly kingdom; then it is
clearly seen, and then the soul understands
whether or not it is lacking in the gifts of God.
<p48>
All the time too that the child is in the womb
of its mother, it receives all its life and nourishment
from outside of itself; if it were cut off
from that life, it would be in a dead state; so it
is with the soul here, if it is cut off from its
spiritual food, it is dead.
As the child in the womb does not yet know
the use of its members, it does not know what
its eyes are for, neither its nose, nor ears, nor
tongue--so also it is with the soul on earth. It
cannot understand here the uses and powers of
its spiritual gifts, but directly it enters the eternal
kingdom, it will become clearly apparent.
Fasting is of two kinds--spiritual and material.
The spiritual fasting comes first, and is
the soul's refusal or denial of all kinds of evil
actions and habits--this is the important fasting.
The bodily fasting or abstinence from
food, is a sign or witness to the inward fasting,
and is of no value by itself. But when both
kinds of fasting go together, then the effect upon
the soul is as "light upon light."
The meaning of Christ's saying "Verily I say
unto you, this generation shall not pass away till
all these things be fulfilled" is this: There are
two generations--a spiritual one and a physical
one. Thirty-three years is counted one physical
generation (Christ himself was thirty
years old when He began to teach, and was
crucified when He was thirty-three) but in this
<p49>
saying, Christ was not speaking of the physical
but of the spiritual generation or epoch, and
meant that His dispensation or epoch would not
pass away, until all things should be fulfilled--
which took place at the coming of Mohammed.
Our Lord explained the real meaning of
Christ's saying that He should come from Heaven
at His second coming, as follows: "That
heaven is the same that Christ spoke of when
He said 'I came down from Heaven, not to do
Mine own will, but the Will of Him who sent
Me.' And also when He said 'No man hath
ascended into heaven, but He that came down
from heaven, even the Son of man, who is in
heaven.' Christ here said of Himself that He
came down from heaven, although He was born
of Mary. For His coming to this earth must
be both spiritually and materially--spiritually,
from the Heaven of the Divine Will, and in a
material body, that He may be manifested on
this earth to us. There are not two heavens;
the only real heaven is the Heaven of the Divine
Will; it is not the empty space to which
we give the name of 'the heavens'--it cannot be
that Christ would come from there."
THE ISRAELITES
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness--
that is the outer story. The meaning of the wilderness
is pride, which its name "Teen" also
signifies. That is why it is said that the Israelites
<p50>
could not advance on their way to the
Promised Land, because it is impossible for
those who are in the wilderness of pride to make
any spiritual progress. Another reason why the
Israelites were so long in entering and inheriting
the Promised Land, which in reality belonged
to them, was that they were afraid to
fight their enemies, though God had promised
that they should overcome them. We also, if
we lose heart, and cease to hold to the Garment
of God's mercies and promises, shall be detained
from the promised blessings.
THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST
Our Exalted Lord said that the meaning of
Christ's saying that he that speaketh against
the Father and the Son, it shall be forgiven him,
but he that speaketh against the Holy Ghost,
shall not be forgiven, is this: Speaking against
God means to keep far from Him--to deny Him
--this is the same as cursing Him. Now we
cannot know the Father or the Son, but
through the Holy Spirit; it is impossible to approach
God in any way except by the Holy
Spirit. The way for mankind to the Holy Spirit
is open, but not the way to the Father or the
Son. For the Father and the Son is like the
physical sun, and the Holy Spirit like its rays.
We can only see the sun and receive its benefits
through its rays, and we have no means of approaching
the sun except through its rays.
There is no reality in those who say that they
<p51>
believe in God, and yet deny the Holy Spirit,
as do the Jews, who for centuries have worshipped
God, and yet have denied His Holy
Spirit--such cannot really believe in God.
Our Exalted Lord said that a great Manifestation
appears on the earth every 500,000 years.
The difference between a great Manifestation
and a lesser One, is as that between the sun and
the planets. The 7th "day" of Genesis, 1st chapter,
refers to the Great Manifestation.
MELCHISEDECK
When the writer of the "Epistle to the Hebrews"
spoke of Melchisedeck, he did so in
order to prove to the Jews that the spiritual
relationship is far higher, greater, and more to
be considered than the material; that, even
though as the Jews objected, Christ was not of
the line of Levi from which line all the priests
came, and so, they said, He could not be the
promised Messiah--yet neither was Melchisedeck
also, and yet Abraham gave him tithes,
showing that he was a prophet. That he is said
to be without father, mother, etc., means that,
though according to the flesh, he was not of the
line of Levi by either father or mother, yet, according
to the Spirit, he was a true prophet and
priest, and therefore, as he was of the Spirit,
and the Spirit is eternal, it can be said of him
that he was without beginning and without
end.
<p52>
THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS
It would be impossible, even if the devil were
to take Christ up to the very top of the highest
mountain in the world, that he could see more
than a very small part of it, and even if he were
to rise high up above the world, he could not
do more, for the world is round, not flat. The
"high mountain" means a high condition; the
devil signifies the human nature of Christ. Now,
human nature always desires the things of the
senses, so here we are told, that the promptings
of Christ's human nature showed Him that He
could attain, with His great powers, if He chose,
the highest ruler in the world, and the greatest
possible earthly position, if He would only "fall
down and worship"--that is, follow the ways of
the world. But the Holy Spirit in Christ refused
to worship; it was impossible for Him to
do so, for all the earthly glories were as nothing
to Him in comparison with doing the "Will
of the Father."
BAPTISM
John the Baptist baptized the people with
water, but he said that the one who was to come
after him would baptize with fire. What is the
meaning of this, for in the material world, these
two elements are contrary the one to the other,
and then, if Christians take the water literally,
they ought also to take the fire literally. The
meaning is this: as everything in the material
world has its beginning of life in water, so water
<p53>
is a type of the beginning of the spiritual life--
the new birth, which also John preached when
he exhorted people to repent, and so their
hearts were changed from material desires to a
living faith in God. When the soul has begun
this new life, then the fire of the love of God will
purify them into a higher condition.
THE NEW NAME
In reference to the "new name" of Revelations,
our dear Lord said that the new name has a
spiritual and inward meaning, not an outward
one, that it does not mean something that can
be pronounced by the tongue, but it means that
when a soul comes into the great Kingdom of
God, the "attributes" or "names" of God light
upon him, and by this he receives new consciousness
and new understanding, and he becomes
a new man. Just, as when in springtime,
the sun and rain come to the earth, all the trees
and herbs spring up and bear new flowers. Man
is, as it were, in shadow, but when the sun
shines upon him, all the shadows disappear.
REDEMPTION
The Jews taught that every man who commits
sin must redeem himself by the sacrifice of
an animal. When Christ taught that He was
the living bread that gave life to the world, His
followers understood "life" to mean, the forgiveness
of sins. But the real redemption is,
when a man wishing to give the knowledge of
<p54>
their God to the people, sacrifices himself--that
is to say, he strips himself from all the cares of
the body, from his rest, comforts, and pleasures,
and thinks only of the service of God and giving
the truth to the people. Now it is certain
that one man cannot stand up against all the
world without danger to himself; he will be
opposed on every side, and his life will be in
danger. Our dear Lord said that, for Himself,
His life was not safe for one moment--if He
considered His safety, He would never walk in
the street, as His enemies might attack Him at
any time. Now when He left the table, He
might receive a telegram from the Sultan's
officers, ordering Him to be put in prison. But
all this was nothing to Him. The service of
El-Beha is everything.
In answer to a question asked Seyyid Mohsin
as to whether or not our Lord was not the same
as the Blessed Perfection, because the same
power was manifested in Both, he said that our
Lord always said that their difference was the
same as is the difference between the sun and
the moon. The light of the sun subsists in
itself, while the moon receives her light from
the sun. Both shine and give light, but the one
from itself, and the other by reflection.
Our Lord said that, when He was a little boy
in Teheran, He was followed and beaten by
boys and people, because He was a Babi, but
<p55>
His own people were very glad of this, for they
knew that the power of God is manifested in
persecution. If a tree is watered by the sun
and the rain falls upon it, is it any the worse if
a little dust falls upon its leaves? If the father
is pleased with his child, what does it care about
the neighbors' opinion?
At this time, those who serve in the Covenant
shall find that which they can only realize
now as a drop will become a mighty ocean, and
the star will become a sun. In autumn and winter
we see few changes in the growth of plants,
but in spring and summer great changes come
rapidly. So it is at this time--this is the spring
time, and therefore we must expect and look for
a great and rapid growth of the souls and a development
in every way--such as would not
happen at another time, because this is the
spring time.
In the Kingdom of God, there is no difference
between the men and the women; both
are considered alike--only the one who works
the hardest surpasses the other. In the time of
Christ, women were the great agents in spreading
the Kingdom. The disciples would not
have been confirmed if it had not been for them
--Peter would not have been strengthened. In
cultivating a garden, it makes no difference
whether the gardener is a man or a woman--
but if the woman works hard and takes care of
<p56>
the plants, she will certainly have a better reward
than the man who idles.
All the Beloved of the Lord will have great
trouble, but unless we suffer, we will not be
fitted to receive the Powers and Gifts of God.
At the time of Christ and soon after His death,
those who taught the doctrine and spread the
Light, were persecuted in every way, but those
witnesses received great spiritual gifts which
those coming after did not receive. Unless the
ground is first ploughed up, it is not able to receive
the seeds and bear fruit. The tree spends
all its powers in growing, in trying to become
taller and greater, and when the rain beats
upon its leaves, it becomes all the fresher,
greener and stronger.
All the teachers of the religion of God are
like a doctor healing a sick person--the sick
man does not like the medicine, but the doctor
knows what will do him good better than he
does, and must try and heal him with the remedies.
Humanity is in a sick condition, and does
not love the Commands of God, but these are
they only which will bring happiness. Teachers
are like schoolmasters--the children do not like
their lessons, and are not sorry if the teacher
falls ill, or some trouble happens which prevents
him from giving them their lessons. So it will
be with the spiritual guides--human nature does
not desire the things of the Kingdom. But the
<p57>
teachers must be wise, and gently draw souls into
the Kingdom by all means in their power,
and then the Mercy and the Power and the Gifts
of God will rest upon them. The weak will become
strong who work in this great cause, the
little ones great, the ignorant wise, and the weak
women will be as strong men.
Jesus Christ said only a few words to Peter,
telling him that upon that rock He would build
His church. He left no written instruction or
will, and yet because it was the Word of God,
it took root, and millions have obeyed it. And
now, when the Covenant has been written and
established, how can anyone be foolish enough
to imagine that they can resist it? No, the Ensign
of the Covenant has reached to the Supreme
Heights, and its authority will be spread
all over the earth.
INSTRUCTIONS FROM OUR LORD
The kingdom of Heaven resembles the year.
As the year has four seasons, so also the kingdom
of God on earth has its periods or seasons,
and remember that the seasons are caused by
the movement of the earth, and not by the
movement of the sun.
Before the coming of the spring, the earth
looks as if dead and lifeless, but when it appears,
all the world seems to spring into life and brightness
--into a new existence of beauty and joy.
All nature is clad in fresh green, the grass
<p58>
springs up, the leaves bud, and the trees are
covered with blossoms. But the spring passes,
and then comes the summer, in which the promise
of the spring is fulfilled; the spring blossoms
ripen into fruit, and the fields are covered with
yellow grain; the result of the new life of the
spring is manifested. Then comes the autumn,
in which the life of the spring and summer
begins slowly to fade, and finally winter
comes round, and the life of the earth seems to
be completely extinct--dead.
So it is also in the spiritual things. The cycle
of every prophet has its period of spring, of
summer, of autumn and of winter. When
Moses appeared, and the new Life and Light of
God shone on the earth through him, the people
to whom he came were as dead souls--without
life. But when he gave his teaching, then began
the spring time of souls, and they awoke
into life, full of joy and beauty. Afterwards
came the period of their summertime when the
lives of these followers of Moses had become
gradually fashioned and moulded by his teachings,
and the fruit of his labors appeared. But
after a time, hearts became heavy, faith grew
slack, and the people gradually lost the truth
and reality of the revelation of their great teacher,
and then presently the period of their winter
came, when they grew corrupted by outer
influences, and were as dead, without fruits and
without life.
Then came the spring time of the revelation
<p59>
of Jesus Christ, which also, in its cycle, passed
through the periods of rise, fullness, decline and
fall, until, at the time of the appearance of Mohammed,
the people were as dead--given over
to materialities and dogmas, having lost the
truth of the revelation of the Manifested Word.
So too, with the revelation of Mohammed, it
also passed through these same conditions, till,
when the Blessed Perfection appeared, again the
time of spring came to this earth, and to souls
enveloped and shrouded in darkness, a new season
of life and joy and gladness begin. (The
people that walked in darkness have seen a
great light; they that dwelt in the land of the
shadow of death, upon them hath the light
shined.)
That passage of the Old Testament in which
it is said that Jerusalem shall go into the wilderness,
could not mean that the city of Palestine
should be removed into the wilderness--no, it
means that a new Revelation of God should appear
in the wilderness, which took place when
Mohammed preached to those wild tribes in the
desert--savage, uncivilized people as they were.
But always, when the word of God is manifested,
the eyes of the spiritually blind are
opened, the ears that were deaf to the Voice of
the Holy Spirit, are at last unsealed; those who
were crippled in the powers of their soul, become
strong; the lame man leaps as an hart, and
the tongue of the dumb shall sing the praises of
God.
<p60>
INSTRUCTIONS FROM OUR LORD
Life is of two kinds--material and spiritual.
If we wish to understand what the spiritual life
is, we must look to the material world, which
is an outward figure or symbol of the inward
spiritual reality. For instance, there are two
suns--a spiritual one, and also a material--an
outward and an inward. When we consider the
physical symbol or picture, we shall understand
something of the spiritual sun, of which it is
the outer mirror. For, as when the sun rises
and shines on the earth, all existence receives
life and benefit from its rays, and without it,
there would be no life; so also, when the real,
the spiritual sun arises and shines in this world,
all souls receive their life and light from Its Appearance,
and without It, they would remain in
a condition of darkness and death. Also, as by
reason of the earth, the sun seems to appear
and disappear, in reality to itself, there is no
rising and no setting, but it remains always in
the same glory of light. So it is with the spiritual
Sun. It has Its time or period of Epiphany
and Its time of Occultation on this earth, when
It manifests to humanity, and then disappears
from their view. But to Itself, there is no Epiphany
and no Occultation, and the Kingdom of
Heaven is a continuous Kingdom--an eternal
dominion in the souls. John the Baptist called
the people to repentance, and to be baptized of
him, in order to prepare them for the appearance
of the Light of the Spiritual Sun, which
<p61>
was then on the point of arising to illuminate
the world. The time of John the Baptist was
like the early dawn which precedes the Light.
INSTRUCTIONS FROM MOWLANA
We must first find out whether he who claims
to be a prophet, is surely so or not; then if we
find that he is, we must accept whatever he says,
because his voice is the voice of God, and he has
the creative power, and what he commands or
does, must be the will of God.
He has the power to abrogate the commands
of the preceding Revelator, as did Jesus, who
broke the Sabbath, although the keeping of the
Sabbath was one of the strictest commands of
Moses. For this reason, the Jews rejected His
teachings, not knowing that every Revelator
gives and establishes his own laws. The revelation
of Moses was not like the revelation of
Abraham, as the revelation of Jesus was unlike
the revelation of Moses. The Revelator is
thereby over all preceding commands, as is
shown when Jesus said to the woman that was
a sinner, who bathed His Feet, "Thy sins be
forgiven thee," although the sin of adultery, according
to the law of Moses, was one of the
gravest. Although the prophet gives laws and
commands to the people, he is not bound by
the laws, because he is lord and maker of the
laws.
<p62>
INSTRUCTIONS FROM MOWLANA FOR
FIRST TEACHINGS
Every material thing we see around us, represents
some spiritual idea. As there is an outward,
material reality, so there is also an inward,
spiritual reality. Take for example--the
sun; there is a material sun, and there is also a
spiritual sun. As the physical sun rises and
sets, so also does the spiritual sun. When the
sun rises, the darkness vanishes. So also, when
the Sun of Truth arises, all errors and ignorance
disappear. As everything in the world depends
entirely upon the material sun for life
and growth, and for producing fruit--for without
its rays, no fruit would be possible--so also,
without the Light of the Spiritual Sun, souls
can produce no fruit, but where It shines, fruits
follow in due season. Unless we dig and plant
a piece of ground, and have a gardener to care
for the plants, we can have no garden; we shall
have no beautiful flowers or plants, but there
will be a wild forest instead. So also, with children,
unless they have some one to rear them
and care for them, and cultivate their minds,
they would become like wild animals. Everything
in the world must have some thing or
some one to care for it, to enable it to live and
grow. As the children need a teacher, a trainer,
so also the souls need a Master. Who are these
Masters, who train souls in spiritual knowledge?
They are the Prophets, who teach in
the school of God, and they are the greatest and
highest of all teachers and instructors.