THE
SUMMONS
OF THE
LORD OF
HOSTS
TABLETS
OF
BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE
HAIFA
Súriy-i-Haykal / Súrih of the Temple
Pope Pius IX
Napoleon III
Czar Alexander II
Queen Victoria
Náṣiri’d-Dín
Sháh / Lawḥ-i-Sulṭán
Súriy-i-Ra’ís
LawḤ-i-Ra’ís
LawḤ-i-Fu’ád
Súriy-i-Mulúk / Súrih
to the Kings
Endnotes
Note on the
translation
Key to
passages translated by Shoghi Effendi
Index
The years following Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in Adrianople witnessed His Revelation’s
attainment, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, of “its meridian glory” through the
proclamation of its Founder’s message to the kings and rulers of the
world. During this relatively brief but
turbulent period of the Faith’s history, and in the early years of His
subsequent exile in 1868 to the fortress town of ‘Akká, He summoned the
monarchs of East and West collectively, and some among them individually, to
recognize the Day of God and to acknowledge the One promised in the scriptures
of the religions professed by the recipients of His summons. “Never since the
beginning of the world”, Bahá’u’lláh declares, “hath the Message been so openly
proclaimed.”
The
present volume brings together the first full, authorized English translation
of these major writings. Among them is
the complete Súriy-i-Haykal, the Súrih of the Temple, one of Bahá’u’lláh’s most
challenging works. It was originally
revealed during His banishment to Adrianople and later recast after His arrival
in ‘Akká. In this version He incorporated
His messages addressed to individual potentates—Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III,
Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, and Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh.
It was this composite
work which, shortly after its completion, Bahá’u’lláh instructed be written in
the form of a pentacle, symbolizing the human temple. To it He added, as a conclusion, what Shoghi Effendi has
described as “words which reveal the importance He attached to those Messages,
and indicate their direct association with the prophecies of the Old Testament”:
Thus have We built the Temple with
the hands of power and might, could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised unto you in the Book. Draw ye nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth you, could ye
but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples
of the earth! Which is preferable,
this, or a temple which is built of clay?
Set your faces towards it. Thus
have ye been commanded by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
During the last years of His ministry Bahá’u’lláh Himself arranged for the
publication for the first time of definitive versions of some of His principal
works, and the Súriy-i-Haykal was awarded a prominent position among them.
Of the various writings
that make up the Súriy-i-Haykal, one requires particular mention. The Lawḥ-i-Sulṭán, the Tablet to
Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh, Bahá’u’lláh’s lengthiest epistle to any single
sovereign, was revealed in the weeks immediately preceding His final banishment
to ‘Akká. It was eventually delivered
to the monarch by Badí‘, a youth of seventeen, who had entreated Bahá’u’lláh
for the honour of rendering some service.
His efforts won him the crown of martyrdom and immortalized his
name. The Tablet contains the celebrated
passage describing the circumstances in which the divine call was communicated
to Bahá’u’lláh and the effect it produced.
Here, too, we find His unequivocal offer to meet with the Muslim clergy,
in the presence of the Sháh, and to provide whatever proofs of the new
Revelation they might consider to be definitive, a test of spiritual integrity
significantly failed by those who claimed to be the authoritative trustees of
the message of the Qur’án.
Included in this collection, as well, is the
first full translation of the Súriy-i-Mulúk or Súrih of the Kings, which Shoghi
Effendi described as “the most momentous Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in
which He, for the first time, directs His words collectively to the entire
company of the monarchs of East and West”.
It sets forth both the character of His mission and the standard of justice
that must govern the exercise of their rule in this Day of God:
Lay not aside the fear of God, O
kings of the earth, and beware that ye transgress not the bounds which the
Almighty hath fixed. Observe the
injunctions laid upon you in His Book, and take good heed not to overstep their
limits. Be vigilant, that ye may not do
injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this,
verily, is the straight path.
The Tablet introduces
some of the great themes that were to figure prominently in the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh over the next two and a half decades: the obligation of those into whose hands God has entrusted civil
authority to institute the reign of justice, the necessity for the reduction of
armaments and the resolution of conflicts among nations, and an end to the
excessive expenditures that were impoverishing these rulers’ subjects.
Surveying the principal
contents of Bahá’u’lláh’s majestic call to the kings and rulers of the world, Shoghi
Effendi has written:
The magnitude and diversity of the
theme, the cogency of the argument, the sublimity and audacity of the language,
arrest our attention and astound our minds.
Emperors, kings and princes, chancellors and ministers, the Pope himself,
priests, monks and philosophers, the exponents of learning, parliamentarians
and deputies, the rich ones of the earth, the followers of all religions, and
the people of Bahá—all are brought within the purview of the Author of these
Messages, and receive, each according to their merits, the counsels and
admonitions they deserve. No less
amazing is the diversity of the subjects touched upon in these Tablets. The transcendent majesty and unity of an
unknowable and unapproachable God is extolled, and the oneness of His
Messengers proclaimed and emphasized.
The uniqueness, the universality and potentialities of the Bahá’í Faith
are stressed, and the purpose and character of the Bábí Revelation unfolded.
The summary draws attention to Bahá’u’lláh’s uncompromising indictment of
the conditions of human society for which its leadership is held primarily
responsible:
Episodes, at once moving and
marvellous, at various stages of His ministry, are recounted, and the
transitoriness of worldly pomp, fame, riches, and sovereignty, repeatedly and
categorically asserted. Appeals for the
application of the highest principles in human and international relations are
forcibly and insistently made, and the abandonment of discreditable practices
and conventions, detrimental to the happiness, the growth, the prosperity and
the unity of the human race, enjoined.
Kings are censured, ecclesiastical dignitaries arraigned, ministers and
plenipotentiaries condemned, and the identification of His advent with the
coming of the Father Himself unequivocally admitted and repeatedly
announced. The violent downfall of a
few of these kings and emperors is prophesied, two of them are definitely
challenged, most are warned, all are appealed to and exhorted.
In a Tablet, the
original of which has been lost, Bahá’u’lláh had already condemned, in the
severest terms, the misrule of the Ottoman Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz. The present volume includes, however, three
other Tablets which address two ministers of the Sulṭán, whose selfish
and unprincipled influence played an important role in Bahá’u’lláh’s successive
banishments. The Súriy-i-Ra’ís, which
addresses ‘Álí Páshá, the Ottoman Prime Minister, was revealed in August
1868 as the exiles were being moved from Adrianople to Gallipoli, and exposes
unsparingly the abuse of civil power the minister had perpetrated. The Lawḥ-i-Ra’ís, which also contains
passages directed to ‘Álí Páshá, was revealed shortly after
Bahá’u’lláh’s incarceration in the citadel of ‘Akká and includes a chilling
denunciation of the character of the Minister.
The third Tablet, the Lawḥ-i-Fu’ád, revealed in 1869 shortly after
the death of Fu’ád Páshá, the Ottoman Minister to whose machinations it
refers, describes the spiritual consequences of the abuse of power, and foretells
the imminent downfall of his colleague, ‘Álí Páshá, and the overthrow of
the Sulṭán himself—prophecies that were widely circulated and whose
dramatic fulfilment added greatly to the prestige of their Author.
It seems especially appropriate, as
Bahá’u’lláh’s influence penetrates ever more deeply the life of the larger
society throughout the world, that the full texts of these great Tablets should
now be available for a broad readership.
We express to the committees who were commissioned to undertake and
review these translations the deep gratitude we feel for the care and
sensitivity they have brought to the task.
Bahá’ís will recognize key passages from several of the Tablets that
were introduced to the West by Shoghi Effendi.
His translations into English of the Bahá’í Holy Texts provide an
enduring standard for the efforts of those who rise to the challenge of
preparing appropriate renderings into English of these treasures of the Faith.
The Universal House of Justice
This is
the Súrih of the Temple which God hath ordained to be
the
Mirror of His Names between the heavens and the earth, and
the Sign
of His Remembrance amidst the peoples of the world.
1 Glorified is He Who hath revealed
His verses to those who understand.
Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who perceive. Glorified is He Who guideth whomsoever He
pleaseth unto His path. Say: I, verily, am the Path of God unto all who
are in the heavens and all who are on the earth; well is it with them that
hasten thereunto!
2 Glorified is He Who sendeth down His
verses to those who comprehend.
Glorified is He Who speaketh forth from the Kingdom of His Revelation,
and Who remaineth unknown to all save His honoured servants. Glorified is He Who quickeneth whomsoever He
willeth by virtue of His word “Be”, and it is!
Glorified is He Who causeth whomsoever He willeth to ascend unto the heaven
of grace, and sendeth down therefrom whatsoever He desireth according to a prescribed
measure.
3 Blessed is He Who doeth as He
willeth by a word of His command. He,
verily, is the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Blessed is He Who inspireth whomsoever He willeth with whatsoever
He desireth, through His irresistible and inscrutable command. Blessed is He Who aideth whomsoever He
desireth with the hosts of the unseen.
His might is, in truth, equal to His purpose, and He, verily, is the
All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting.
Blessed is He Who exalteth whomsoever He willeth by the power of His
sovereign might, and confirmeth whomsoever He chooseth in accordance with His
good pleasure; well is it with them that understand!
4 Blessed is He Who,
in a well-guarded Tablet, hath prescribed a fixed measure unto all things. Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His Servant that
which shall illumine the hearts and minds of men. Blessed is He Who hath sent down upon His Servant such
tribulations as have melted the hearts of them that dwell within the Tabernacle
of eternity and the souls of those who have drawn nigh unto their Lord. Blessed is He Who hath showered upon His
Servant, from the clouds of His decree, the darts of affliction, and Who
beholdeth Me enduring them with patience and fortitude. Blessed is He Who hath ordained for His
Servant that which He hath destined for no other soul. He, verily, is the One, the Incomparable,
the Self-Subsisting.
5 Blessed is He Who hath caused to
rain down upon His Servant from the clouds of enmity, and at the hands of the
people of denial, the shafts of tribulation and trial; and yet seeth Our heart
filled with gratitude. Blessed is He
Who hath laid upon the shoulders of His Servant the burden of the heavens and
of the earth—a burden for which We yield Him every praise, though none may grasp
this save them that are endued with understanding. Glorified is He Who hath surrendered the embodiment of His Beauty
to the clutches of the envious and the wicked—a fate unto which We are fully
resigned, though none may perceive this save those who are endued with
insight. Glorified is He Who hath left
Ḥusayn to make His dwelling amidst the hosts of His enemies, and exposed
His body with every breath to the spears of hatred and anger; yet do We yield
Him thanks for all that He hath destined to befall His Servant Who repaireth
unto Him in His affliction and grief.
6 While engulfed in tribulations I
heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden—the
embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord—suspended in the air
before Me. So rejoiced was she in her
very soul that her countenance shone with the ornament of the good pleasure of
God, and her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a
call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which
rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God’s honoured servants.
7 Pointing
with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in heaven and all who
are on earth, saying: By God! This is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, and
yet ye comprehend not. This is the
Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could
ye but understand. This is the Mystery
of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the
kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive. This is He Whose Presence is the ardent
desire of the denizens of the Realm of eternity, and of them that dwell within
the Tabernacle of glory, and yet from His Beauty do ye turn aside.
8 O people of the Bayán! If ye aid Him not, God will assuredly assist
Him with the powers of earth and heaven, and sustain Him with the hosts of the
unseen through His command “Be”, and it is!
The day is approaching when God will have, by an act of His Will, raised
up a race of men the nature of which is inscrutable to all save God, the
All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. He
shall purify them from the defilement of idle fancies and corrupt desires,
shall lift them up to the heights of holiness, and shall cause them to manifest
the signs of His sovereignty and might upon earth. Thus hath it been ordained by God, the All-Glorious, the
All-Loving.
9 O people of the Bayán! Would ye deny Him Whose presence is the very
object of your creation, while ye rejoice idly upon your couches? Would ye laugh to scorn and contend with
Him, a single hair of Whose head excelleth, in the sight of God, all that are
in the heavens and all that are on the earth?
O people of the Bayán! Produce,
then, that which ye possess, that I may know by what proof ye believed
aforetime in the Manifestations of His Cause, and by what reason ye now wax so
disdainful!
10 I
swear by Him Who hath fashioned Me from the light of His own Beauty! None have I ever seen that surpasseth you in
heedlessness or exceedeth you in ignorance.
Ye seek to prove your faith in God through such holy Tablets as ye possess,
yet when the verses of God were revealed and His Lamp was lighted, ye disbelieved
in Him Whose very Pen hath fixed the destinies of all things in the Preserved
Tablet. Ye recite the sacred verses and
yet repudiate Him Who is their Source and Revealer. Thus hath God blinded your eyes in requital for your deeds, would
ye but understand. Day and night ye
transcribe the verses of God, and yet ye remain shut out, as by a veil, from
Him Who hath revealed them.
11 In this Day the Concourse on high
beholdeth you in your evil doings and shunneth your company, and yet ye
perceive it not. They ask of one
another: “What words do these fools
utter, and in what valley are they wont to graze? Do they deny that whereunto their very souls testify, and shut
their eyes to that which they plainly behold?”
I swear by God, O people! They that
inhabit the Cities of the Names of God are bewildered at your actions, while ye
roam, aimless and unconscious, in a parched and barren land.
12 O Pen of the Most High! Hearken unto the Call of Thy Lord, raised
from the Divine Lote-Tree in the holy and luminous Spot, that the sweet accents
of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, may fill Thy soul with joy and fervour, and that
the breezes that waft from My name, the Ever-Forgiving, may dispel Thy cares
and sorrows. Raise up, then, from this
Temple, the temples of the Oneness of God, that they may tell out, in the
kingdom of creation, the tidings of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the
All-Glorious, and be of them that are illumined by His light.
13 We, verily, have ordained this
Temple to be the source of all existence in the new creation, that all may know
of a certainty My power to accomplish that which I have purposed through My
word “Be”, and it is! Beneath the
shadow of every letter of this Temple We shall raise up a people whose number
none can reckon save God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall God bring forth from His
Temple such souls as will remain unswayed by the insinuations of the
rebellious, and who will quaff at all times of the cup that is life
indeed. These, truly, are of the blissful.
14 These are
servants who abide beneath the shelter of the tender mercy of their Lord, and
who remain undeterred by those who seek to obstruct their path. Upon their faces may be seen the brightness
of the light of the All-Merciful, and from their hearts may be heard the
remembrance of Mine all-glorious and inaccessible Name. Were they to unloose their tongues to extol
their Lord, the denizens of earth and heaven would join in their anthems of praise—yet how few are they who hear!
And were they to glorify their Lord, all created things would join in
their hymns of glory. Thus hath God
exalted them above the rest of His creation, and yet the people remain
unaware!
15 These are they who circle round the
Cause of God even as the shadow doth revolve around the sun. Open, then, your eyes, O people of the
Bayán, that haply ye may behold them!
It is by virtue of their movement that all things are set in motion, and
by reason of their stillness all things are brought to rest, would that ye
might be assured thereof! Through them
the believers in the Divine Unity have turned towards Him Who is the Object of
the adoration of the entire creation, and by them the hearts of the righteous
have found rest and composure, could ye but know it! Through them the earth hath been established, the clouds have
rained down their bounty, and the bread of knowledge hath descended from the
heaven of grace, could ye but perceive it!
16 These souls are the protectors of
the Cause of God on earth, who shall preserve its beauty from the obscuring
dust of idle fancies and vain imaginings.
In the path of their Lord they shall not fear for their lives; rather
will they sacrifice their all in their eagerness to behold the face of their
Well-Beloved when once He hath appeared in this Name, the Almighty, the
All-Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Most Holy.
17 O Living Temple! Arise by the power of Thy Self in such wise
that all created things will be moved to arise with Thee. Aid, then, Thy Lord through such ascendancy
and might as We have bestowed upon Thee.
Take heed lest Thou falter on that Day when all created things are
filled with dismay; rather be Thou the revealer of My name, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting. Assist Thy Lord to
the utmost of Thine ability, and pay no heed to the peoples of the world, for
that which their mouths utter is like unto the droning of a gnat in an endless
valley. Quaff the water of life in My
name, the All-Merciful, and proffer unto the near ones amongst the inmates of
this lofty station that which shall cause them to become detached from all
names and enter beneath this blessed and all-encompassing shadow.
18 O Living Temple! Through Thee have We gathered together all
created things, whether in the heavens or on the earth, and called them to
account for that which We had covenanted with them before the foundation of the
world. And lo, but for a few radiant faces and
eloquent tongues, We found most of the people dumbfounded, their eyes staring
up in fear. From the former We brought
forth the creation of all that hath been and all that shall be. These are they whose countenances God hath
graciously turned away from the face of the unbelievers, and whom He hath
sheltered beneath the shadow of the Tree of His own Being; they upon whose hearts
He hath bestowed the gift of peace and tranquillity, and whom He hath
strengthened and assisted through the hosts of the seen and the unseen.
19 O Eyes of this
Temple! Look not upon the heavens and
that which they contain, nor upon the earth and them that dwell thereon, for We
have created you to behold Our own Beauty:
See it now before you! Withhold
not your gaze therefrom, and deprive not yourselves of the Beauty of your Lord,
the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved.
Erelong shall We bring into being through you keen and penetrating eyes that will contemplate the
manifold signs of their Creator and turn away from all that is perceived by the
people of the world. Through you shall
We bestow the power of vision upon whomsoever We desire, and lay hold upon
those who have deprived themselves of this gracious bounty. These, verily, have drunk from the cup of
delusion, though they perceive it not.
20 O Ears of this Temple! Purge yourselves from all idle clamour and
hearken unto the voice of your Lord. He, verily, revealeth unto you, from the Throne of glory, that
there is none other God save Me, the All-Glorious, the Almighty, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Erelong
shall We bring into being through you pure and undefiled ears which will heed the
Word of God and that which hath appeared from the Dayspring of the Utterance of
your Lord, the All-Merciful. They shall
assuredly perceive the sweet accents of Divine Revelation that proceed from
these most blessed and hallowed precincts.
21 O Tongue of this Temple! We, verily, have created thee through Our
name, the All-Merciful, have taught thee whatsoever had remained concealed in
the Bayán, and have bestowed upon thee the power of utterance, that thou mayest
make mention of Mine exalted Self amidst My creatures. Proclaim, then, this wondrous and mighty
Remembrance, and fear not the manifestations of the Evil One. Thou wert called into being for this very
purpose by virtue of My transcendent and all-compelling command. Through thee have We unloosed the Tongue of
Utterance to expound all that hath been, and We shall again, by My sovereign
power, unloose it to speak of that which is yet to come. Erelong shall We bring into being through
thee eloquent tongues that will praise and extol Me amongst the Concourse on
high and amidst the peoples of the world.
Thus have the verses of God been revealed, and thus hath it been decreed
by the Lord of all names and attributes.
Thy Lord, verily, is the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Nothing whatsoever shall prevent these
tongues from magnifying their Creator.
Through them, all created things shall arise to glorify the Lord of
names and to bear witness that there is none other God save Me, the
All-Powerful, the Most-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Nor shall those who make mention of Me speak aught unless they be
inspired by this Tongue from its lofty station. Few, however, are they who understand! No tongue is there that speaketh not the praises of its Lord and
maketh not mention of His Name. Amongst
the people, however, are those who understand and utter praises, and those who
utter praises, yet understand not.
22 O Maid of inner meanings! Step out of the chamber of utterance by the
leave of God, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Reveal, then, thyself adorned with the raiment of the celestial
Realm, and proffer with thy ruby fingers the wine of the heavenly Dominion,
that haply the denizens of this world may perceive the light that shone forth
from the Kingdom of God when the Daystar of eternity appeared above the horizon
of glory. Perchance they may arise
before the dwellers of earth and heaven to extol and magnify this Youth Who
hath established Himself in the midmost heart of Paradise upon the throne of
His name, the All-Sufficing Helper—He upon Whose countenance shineth the
brightness of the All-Merciful, from Whose gaze appear the glances of the
All-Glorious, and in Whose ways are revealed the tokens and evidences of God,
the omnipotent Protector, the Almighty, the All-Loving.
23 Grieve not if none be found to
accept the crimson wine proffered by Thy snow-white hand and to seize it in the
name of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High—He Who hath appeared again in
His name, the Most Glorious. Leave this
people unto themselves, and repair unto the Tabernacle of majesty and glory,
wherein Thou shalt encounter a people whose faces shine as brightly as the sun
in its noontide splendour, and who praise and extol their Lord in this Name
that hath arisen, in the plenitude of might and power, to assume the throne of
independent sovereignty. From their
lips Thou shalt hear naught but the strains of My glorification and praise;
unto this Thy Lord beareth Me witness.
The existence of these people, however, hath remained concealed from the
eyes of all who, from everlasting, have been created through the Word of
God. Thus have We made plain Our
meaning and set forth Our verses, that perchance men may reflect upon the signs
and tokens of their Lord.
24 These are they who, in truth, were
not enjoined to prostrate themselves before Adam.[1] They have never turned away from the
countenance of Thy Lord, and partake at every moment of the gifts and delights
of holiness. Thus hath the Pen of the
All-Merciful set forth the secrets of all things, be they of the past or of the
future. Would that the world might
understand! Erelong shall God make
manifest this people upon the earth, and through them shall exalt His name,
diffuse His signs, uphold His words, and proclaim His verses, in spite of those
that have repudiated His truth, gainsaid His sovereignty, and cavilled at His
signs.
25 O Beauty of the All-Glorious! Shouldst Thou chance upon this people and
enter their presence, recount unto them that which this Youth hath related unto
Thee concerning Himself and the things that have befallen Him, that they may
come to know what hath been inscribed upon the Preserved Tablet. Acquaint them with the tidings of this
Youth, and with the trials and tribulations He hath suffered, that they may
become mindful of Mine afflictions, and be of them that understand. Recount, then, unto them how We singled out
for Our favour one of Our brothers,[*]
how We imparted unto him a dewdrop from the fathomless ocean of knowledge,
clothed him with the garment of one of Our Names, and exalted him to such a
station that all were moved to extol him, and how We so protected him from the
harm of the malevolent as to disarm even the mightiest amongst them.
26 We arose before the peoples of earth and
heaven at a time when all had determined to slay us. While dwelling in their midst, We continually made mention of the
Lord, celebrated His praise, and stood firm in His Cause, until at last the
Word of God was vindicated amongst His creatures, His signs were spread abroad,
His power exalted, and His sovereignty revealed in its full splendour. To this bear witness all His honoured
servants. Yet when My brother beheld
the rising fame of the Cause, he became filled with arrogance and pride. Thereupon he emerged from behind the veil of
concealment, rose up against Me, disputed My verses, denied My testimony, and
repudiated My signs. Nor would his
hunger be appeased unless he were to devour My flesh and drink My blood. To this testify such of God’s servants as
have accompanied Him in His exile, and they that enjoy near access unto Him.
27 To this end he conferred with one of My
servants[2]
and sought to win him over to his own designs; whereupon the Lord despatched
unto Mine assistance the hosts of the seen and the unseen, protected Me by the
power of truth, and sent down upon Me that which thwarted his purpose. Thus were foiled the plots of those who
disbelieve in the verses of the All-Merciful.
They, truly, are a rejected people.
When news spread of that which the promptings of self had impelled My
brother to attempt, and Our companions in exile learned of his nefarious
design, the voice of their indignation and grief was lifted up and threatened
to spread throughout the city. We
forbade, however, such recriminations, and enjoined upon them patience, that
they might be of those that endure steadfastly.
28 By God, besides Whom is none other
God! We withstood all these trials with
forbearance, and enjoined upon God’s servants to show forth patience and
fortitude. Removing Ourself from their
midst, We took up residence in another house, that perchance the flame of envy
might be quenched in Our brother’s breast, and that he might be guided
aright. We neither opposed him, nor saw
him again thereafter, but remained in Our home, placing Our hopes in the bounty
of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. When, however, he realized that his deed had been exposed, he
seized the pen of calumny and wrote unto the servants of God, attributing what
he had himself committed unto Mine own peerless and wronged Beauty. His purpose was none other than to inspire
mischief amongst God’s servants, and to instil hatred into the hearts of those
who had believed in God, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving.
29 By the One in Whose hand is My
soul! We were dismayed by his
deceitfulness—nay, bewildered were all things visible and invisible. Nor did he find respite from what he
harboured in his bosom until he had committed that which no pen dare describe,
and by which he disgraced the dignity of My station and profaned the sanctity
of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Were God to turn all the oceans of the earth
into ink and all created things into pens, they would not suffice Me to exhaust
the record of his wrongdoings. Thus do
We recount that which befell Us, that haply ye may be of them that understand.
30 O Pen of Eternity! Grieve not at the things that have befallen
Thee, for erelong shall God raise up a people who will see with their own eyes
and will recall Thy tribulations.
Withhold Thy pen from the mention of Thine enemies, and bestir it in the
praise of the Eternal King. Renounce
all created things, and quaff the sealed wine of My remembrance. Beware lest Thou become occupied with the
mention of those from whom naught save the noisome savours of enmity can be
perceived, those who are so enslaved by their lust for leadership that they
would not hesitate to destroy themselves in their desire to emblazon their fame
and perpetuate their names. God hath
recorded such souls in the Preserved Tablet as mere worshippers of names. Recount then that which Thou hast purposed
for this Temple, that its signs and tokens may be made manifest upon earth, and
that the brightness of this Light may illumine the horizons of the world and
cleanse the earth from the defilement of those who have disbelieved in
God. Thus have We set down the verses
of God and made plain the matter unto those who understand.
31 O Living Temple! Stretch forth Thy hand over all who are in
heaven and on earth, and seize within the grasp of Thy Will the reins of
command. We have, verily, placed in Thy
right hand the empire of all things. Do
as Thou willest, and fear not the ignorant.
Reach out to the Tablet that hath dawned above the horizon of the pen of
Thy Lord, and take hold of it with such strength that, through Thee, the hands
of all who inhabit the earth may be enabled to lay fast hold upon it. This, in truth, is that which becometh Thee,
if Thou be of those who understand.
Through the upraising of Thy hand to the heaven of My grace, the hands
of all created things shall be lifted up to their Lord, the Mighty, the
Powerful, the Gracious. Erelong shall
We raise up, through the aid of Thy hand, other hands endued with power, with strength
and might, and shall establish through them Our dominion over all that dwell in
the realms of revelation and creation.
Thus will the servants of God recognize the truth that there is none
other God beside Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. With these hands, moreover, We shall both
bestow and withhold, though none can understand this save those who see with
the eye of the spirit.
32 Say: O people!
Can ye ever hope to escape the sovereign power of your Lord? By the righteousness of God! No refuge will ye find in this day, and no
one to protect you, save those upon whom God hath bestowed the favour of His
mercy. He, verily, is the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
Say: O people! Forsake all that ye possess, and enter
beneath the shadow of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Better is this for you than all your works of the past and of the
future. Fear ye God, and deprive not
yourselves of the sweet savours of the days of the Lord of all names and
attributes. Take heed lest ye alter or
pervert the text of the Word of God. Walk ye in the fear of God, and be numbered with the righteous.
33 Say: O people!
This is the Hand of God, which hath ever been above your own hands,
could ye but understand. Within its
grasp We have ordained all the good of the heavens and the earth, such that no
good shall be made manifest but that it proceedeth therefrom. Thus have We made it the source and treasury
of all good both aforetime and hereafter.
Say: The rivers of divine wisdom
and utterance which flowed through the Tablets of God are joined to this Most
Great Ocean, could ye but perceive it, and whatever hath been set forth in His
Books hath attained its final consummation in this most exalted Word—a Word
shining above the horizon of the Will of the All-Glorious in this Revelation which
hath filled with delight all things seen and unseen.
34 Erelong shall God draw
forth, out of the bosom of power, the hands of ascendancy and might, and shall
raise up a people who will arise to win victory for this Youth and who will
purge mankind from the defilement of the outcast and the ungodly. These hands will gird up their loins to
champion the Faith of God, and will, in My name the Self-Subsistent, the
Mighty, subdue the peoples and kindreds of the earth. They will enter the cities and will inspire with fear the hearts
of all their inhabitants. Such are the
evidences of the might of God; how fearful, how vehement is His might, and how
justly doth He wield it! He, verily,
ruleth and transcendeth all who are in the heavens and on the earth, and
revealeth what He desireth according to a prescribed measure.
35 Should any one of them be called
upon to confront all the hosts of creation, he would assuredly prevail through
the ascendancy of My Will. This,
verily, is a proof of My power, though My creatures comprehend it not. This, verily, is a sign of My sovereignty,
though My subjects understand it not.
This, verily, is a token of My command, though My servants perceive it
not. This, verily, is an evidence of
Mine ascendancy, though none amongst the people is truly thankful for it, save
those whose eyes God hath illumined with the light of His knowledge, whose
hearts He hath made the repository of His Revelation, and upon whose shoulders
He hath placed the weight of His Cause.
These shall inhale the fragrances of the All-Merciful from the garment
of His Name, and shall rejoice at all times in the signs and verses of their
Lord. As for those who disbelieve in
God, and join partners with Him, they shall indeed incur His wrath, shall be
cast into the Fire, and shall be made to dwell, fearful and dismayed, in its
depths. Thus do We expound Our verses,
and make plain the truth with clear proofs, that perchance the people may
reflect upon the signs of their Lord.
36 O Living Temple! We have, in very truth, appointed Thee to be
the sign of My majesty amidst all that hath been and all that shall be, and
have ordained Thee to be the emblem of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the
earth, through My word “Be”, and it is!
37 O First Letter of this Temple,
betokening the Essence of Divinity![3] We have made thee the treasury of My Will
and the repository of My Purpose unto all who are in the kingdoms of revelation
and creation. This is but a token of
the grace of Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
38 O Second Letter of this Temple,
betokening My name, the Almighty! We
have made thee the manifestation of Our sovereignty and the dayspring of Our
Names. Potent am I to fulfil that which
My tongue speaketh.
39 O Third Letter of this Temple, betokening
My name, the All-Bountiful! We have
made thee the dawning-place of Our bounty amidst Our creatures and the
fountainhead of Our generosity amidst Our people. Powerful am I in My dominion.
Nothing whatsoever of all that hath been created in the heavens or on
the earth can escape My knowledge, and I am the True One, the Knower of things
unseen.
40 O Pen!
Send down out of the clouds of Thy generosity that which shall enrich
all created things, and withhold not Thy favours from the world of being. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful in the
heaven of Thine eternity, and the Lord of infinite grace unto all who inhabit
the kingdom of names. Look not upon the
people and the things they possess; look rather upon the wonders of Thy gifts
and favours. Gather then Thy servants
beneath Thy shade that shadoweth all mankind.
Stretch forth the hand of bounty over all creation, and the fingers of
bestowal over all existence. This,
verily, is that which beseemeth Thee, though the people understand it not. Whosoever turneth his face towards Thee
doeth so by Thy grace, and as to him who turneth away, Thy Lord, in truth, is
independent of all created things. Unto
this bear witness His true and devoted servants.
41 Erelong shall God raise up, through
Thee, those with hands of indomitable strength and arms of invincible might,
who will come forth from behind the veils, will render the All-Merciful
victorious amongst the peoples of the world, and will raise so mighty a cry as
to cause all hearts to tremble with fear.
Thus hath it been decreed in a Written Tablet. Such shall be the ascendancy which these souls will evince that
consternation and dismay will seize all the dwellers of the earth.
42 Beware lest ye shed the blood of
anyone. Unsheathe the sword of your
tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the
citadels of men’s hearts. We have
abolished the law to wage holy war against each other. God’s mercy, hath, verily, encompassed all
created things, if ye do but understand.
Aid ye your Lord, the God of Mercy, with the sword of
understanding. Keener indeed is it, and
more finely tempered, than the sword of utterance, were ye but to reflect upon
the words of your Lord. Thus have the
hosts of Divine Revelation been sent down by God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting, and thus have the armies of divine inspiration been made
manifest from the Source of command, as bidden by God, the All-Glorious, the
Best-Beloved.
43 Say: The measure of all created things hath been
appointed in this concealed and manifest Temple, wherein lie enshrined the
knowledge of the heavens and the earth, and of all things past and future. The finger of God’s handiwork hath inscribed
upon this Tablet that which the wisest and most learned of men are powerless to
fathom, and hath created therein temples inscrutable to all save His own Self,
could ye but apprehend this truth.
Blessed be the one who readeth it, who pondereth its contents, and who
is numbered with them that comprehend!
44 Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My
beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His
Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His
Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the
Truth, and in Myself naught could be seen but God.
45 Beware lest ye speak of duality in
regard to My Self, for all the atoms of the earth proclaim that there is none
other God but Him, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Loving. From the beginning that hath no beginning I
have proclaimed, from the realm of eternity, that I am God, none other God is
there save Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; and unto the end that
hath no end I shall proclaim, amidst the kingdom of names, that I am God, none
other God is there beside Me, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Say:
Lordship is My Name, whereof I have created manifestations in the world
of being, while We Ourself remain sanctified above them, would ye but ponder
this truth. And Godhead is My Name,
whereof We have created exponents whose power shall encompass the people of the
earth and make them true worshippers of God, could ye but recognize it. Thus should ye regard all Our Names, if ye
be endued with insight.
46 O Fourth Letter of this Temple,
betokening the attribute of Grace! We
have made thee the manifestation of grace betwixt earth and heaven. From thee have We generated all grace in the
contingent world, and unto thee shall We cause it to return. And from thee shall We manifest it again,
through a word of Our command. Potent
am I to accomplish whatsoever I desire through My word “Be”, and it is! Every grace that appeareth in the world of
being hath originated from thee, and unto thee shall it return. This, verily, is what hath been ordained in
a Tablet which We have preserved behind the veil of glory and concealed from
mortal eyes. Well is it with them that
deprive themselves not of this manifest and unfailing grace.
47 Say: In this day, the fertilizing winds of the
grace of God have passed over all things.
Every creature hath been endowed with all the potentialities it can
carry. And yet the peoples of the world
have denied this grace! Every tree hath
been endowed with the choicest fruits, every ocean enriched with the most
luminous gems. Man, himself, hath been
invested with the gifts of understanding and knowledge. The whole creation hath been made the
recipient of the revelation of the All-Merciful, and the earth the repository
of things inscrutable to all except God, the Truth, the Knower of things
unseen. The time is approaching when
every created thing will have cast its burden.
Glorified be God Who hath vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all
things, whether seen or unseen! Thus
have We created the whole earth anew in this day, yet most of the people have
failed to perceive it. Say: The grace of God can never be adequately
understood; how much less can His own Self, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting, be comprehended!
48 O Temple of the Cause! Grieve not if Thou findest none ready to
receive Thy gifts. Thou wast created
for My sake; occupy Thyself therefore with My praise amidst My servants. This is that which hath been ordained for
Thee in the Preserved Tablet. Having
found upon the earth many a soiled hand, We sanctified the hem of Thy garment
from the profanity of their touch and placed it beyond the reach of the
ungodly. Be patient in the Cause of Thy
Lord, for erelong shall He raise up souls endowed with sanctified hearts and
illumined eyes who shall flee from every quarter unto Thine all-encompassing
and boundless grace.
49 O Temple of God! No sooner had the hosts of Divine Revelation
been sent down by the Lord of all names and attributes bearing the banners of
His signs, than the exponents of doubt and fancy were put to flight. They disbelieved in the clear tokens of God,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and rose up against Him in enmity and
opposition. Amongst them were those who
claimed: “These are not clear verses
from God, nor do they proceed from an innate and untaught nature.” Thus do the unbelievers seek to remedy the
sickness of their hearts, utterly heedless that they thus render themselves
accursed of all who dwell in heaven and on earth.
50 Say: The Holy Spirit Itself hath been generated
through the agency of a single letter revealed by this Most Great Spirit, if ye
be of them that comprehend. And that
innate and untaught nature in its essence is called into being by the verses of
God, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Say:
This nature prideth itself in its relation to Our transcendent Truth,
whilst We, for Our part, glory neither in it nor in aught else, for all beside
Myself hath been created through the potency of My word, could ye but
understand.
51 Say: We have revealed Our verses in nine
different modes. Each one of them
bespeaketh the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. A single one of them sufficeth for a proof
unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth; yet the people, for the most
part, persist in their heedlessness.
Should it be Our wish, We would reveal them in countless other modes.
52 Say: O people!
Fear ye God, and allow not your tongues to utter, in their
deceitfulness, that which displeaseth Him.
Stand abashed before the One Who, as ye well know, hath created you out
of a drop of water.[4] Say:
We have created all that are in heaven and on earth in the nature made
by God. Whosoever turneth unto this
blessed Countenance shall manifest the potentialities of that inborn nature,
and whosoever remaineth veiled therefrom shall be deprived of this invisible
and all-encompassing grace. Verily,
there is naught from which Our favour hath been withheld, inasmuch as We have
dealt equitably in the fashioning of each and all, and by a word of Our mouth
presented unto them the trust of Our love.
They that have accepted it are indeed safe and secure, and are numbered
among those who are immune from the terrors of this Day. Those, however, who have rejected it have,
in truth, disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Thus do We distinguish between the people
and pronounce judgement upon them. We,
of a certainty, have the power to discern.
53 Say: The Word of God can never be confounded with
the words of His creatures. It is, in
truth, the King of words, even as He is Himself the sovereign Lord of all, and
His Cause transcendeth all that was and all that shall be. Enter, O people, the City of Certitude
wherein the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been established. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the
All-Glorious, as a token of His unfailing grace. Haply ye may not make His Revelation a cause of dissension
amongst you.
54 Among the infidels are those who
have repudiated His Self and risen up against His Cause, and who claim that
these divine verses are contrived. Such
also were the objections of the deniers of old, who now implore deliverance
from the Fire. Say: Woe betide you for the idle words that
proceed from your mouths! If these
verses be indeed contrived, then by what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, if ye be men of understanding! Whensoever We revealed Our clear verses unto
such men, they rejected them, and whensoever they beheld that which the
combined forces of the earth are powerless to produce, they pronounced it
sorcery.
55 What aileth this people that they
speak of that which they understand not?
They raise the same objections as did the followers of the Qur’án when
their Lord came unto them with His Cause.
They, verily, are a rejected people.
They hindered others from appearing before Him Who is the Ancient
Beauty, and from sharing the bread of His loved ones. “Approach them not,” one was even heard to say, “for they cast a
spell upon the people and lead them astray from the path of God, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting.” By the
righteousness of the one true God! He
who is incapable of speaking in Our presence hath uttered such words as none among
the former generations hath ever spoken, and hath committed such acts as none
of the unbelievers of bygone ages hath ever committed.
56 The very words and deeds of these
men bear eloquent testimony to the truth of My words, if ye be of them that judge
with fairness. Whosoever attributeth
the verses of God to sorcery hath not believed in any of His Messengers, hath
lived and laboured in vain, and is accounted of those who speak that of which
they have no knowledge. Say: O servant!
Fear God, thy Creator and thy Fashioner, and transgress not against Him,
but judge with fairness and act with justice.
Those whom the Lord hath endued with knowledge shall find, in the very
objections raised by the unbelievers, conclusive proofs to invalidate their claims
and vindicate the truth of this manifest Light. Say: Would ye repeat that
which the unbelievers uttered when a Message came unto them from their Lord? Woe betide you, O assemblage of foolish
ones, and blighted be your works!
57 O Ancient Beauty! Turn aside from the unbelievers and that
which they possess, and waft over all created things the sweet savours of the
remembrance of Thy Beloved, the Exalted, the Great. This remembrance quickeneth the world of being and reneweth the
temples of all created things.
Say: He, verily, hath
established Himself upon the Throne of might and glory. Whosoever desireth to gaze upon His
countenance, lo, behold Him standing before thee! Blessed be the Lord Who hath revealed Himself in this shining and
luminous Beauty. Whosoever desireth to
hearken unto His melodies, lo, hear them rising from His resplendent and
wondrous lips! And unto whosoever
desireth to be illumined by the splendours of His light, say: Seek the court of His presence, for God hath
verily granted you leave to approach it, as a token of His grace unto all
mankind.
58 Say: O people!
We shall put to you a question in all truthfulness, taking God for a
witness between you and Us. He, verily,
is the Defender of the righteous.
Appear, then, before His Throne of glory and make reply with justice and
fair-mindedness. Is it God Who is
potent to achieve His purpose, or is it ye who enjoy such authority? Is it He Who is truly unconstrained, as ye
imply when ye say that He doeth what He pleaseth and shall not be asked of His
doings, or is it ye who wield such power, and who merely make such assertions
out of blind imitation, as did your forebears at the appearance of every other
Messenger of God?
59 If He be truly unconstrained, behold
then how He hath sent down the Manifestation of His Cause with verses which
naught in the heavens or on the earth can withstand! Such hath been the manner of their revelation that they have
neither peer nor likeness in the world of being, as ye yourselves beheld and
heard when once the Daystar of the world shone forth above the horizon of ‘Iráq
with manifest dominion. All things
attain their consummation in the divine verses, and these indeed are the verses
of God, the Sovereign Lord, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the
Almighty. Beyond this, He hath been
made manifest as the Bearer of a Cause whose sovereign might is acknowledged by
all created things, and this none can deny save the sinners and the ungodly.
60 Say: O people! Is it your wish to conceal the beauty of the Sun behind the veils of your own selfish desires, or to prevent the Spirit from raising its melodies within this sanctified and luminous breast? Fear ye God, and contend not with Him Who representeth the Godhead. Dispute not with the One at Whose bidding the letter “B” was created and joined with its mighty foundation.[5] Believe in the Messengers of God and His sovereign might, and in the Self of God and His majesty. Follow not those who have repudiated what they had once believed, and who have sought for themselves a station after their own fancy; these, truly, are of the ungodly. Bear ye witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath borne witness, that the company of His favoured ones may be illumined by the words that issue from your lips. Say: We, verily, believe in that which was revealed unto the Apostles of old, in that which hath been revealed, by the power of truth, unto ‘Alí,