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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
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Pages 81-121
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Pages 81-120
helped the Faith of God. Thus hath thy soul
prompted thee, and thou art truly one of the heedless.
Thine act hath consumed the hearts of the
Concourse on high, and those of such as have circled
round the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.
The soul of the Chaste One (Fátimih) melted, by
reason of thy cruelty, and the inmates of Paradise
wept sore in that blessed Spot.
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1 |
"Judge thou fairly, I adjure thee by God. What
proof did the Jewish doctors adduce wherewith to
condemn Him Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus
Christ), when He came unto them with truth? What
could have been the evidence produced by the Pharisees
and the idolatrous priests to justify their denial
of Muhammad, the Apostle of God when He came
unto them with a Book that judged between truth
and falsehood with a justice which turned into light
the darkness of the earth, and enraptured the hearts
of such as had known Him? Indeed thou hast produced,
in this day, the same proofs which the foolish
divines advanced in that age. Unto this testifieth
He Who is the King of the realm of grace in this
great Prison. Thou hast, truly, walked in their ways,
nay, hast surpassed them in their cruelty, and hast
deemed thyself to be helping the Faith and defending
the Law of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
By Him Who is the Truth! Thine iniquity hath
made Gabriel to groan, and hath drawn tears from
the Law of God, through which the breezes of justice
have been wafted over all who are in heaven and on
earth. Hast thou fondly imagined that the judgment
thou didst pronounce hath profited thee? Nay, by
Him Who is the King of all Names! Unto thy loss
testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of all
things as recorded in the preserved Tablet.
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2 |
"O thou who hast gone astray! Thou hast neither
seen Me, nor associated with Me, nor been My companion
for the fraction of a moment. How is it,
then, that thou hast bidden men to curse Me? Didst
thou, in this, follow the promptings of thine own
desires, or didst thou obey thy Lord? Produce thou
a sign, if thou art one of the truthful. We testify
that thou hast cast behind thy back the Law of God,
and laid hold on the dictates of thy passions. Nothing,
in truth, escapeth His knowledge; He, verily, is
the Incomparable, the All-Informed. O heedless one!
Hearken unto that which the Merciful hath revealed
in the Qur'án: `Say not to every one who meeteth you
with a greeting, "Thou art not a believer."' Thus
hath He decreed in Whose grasp are the kingdoms
of Revelation and of creation, if thou be of them
that hearken. Thou hast set aside the commandment
of God, and clung unto the promptings of thine
own desire. Woe, then, unto thee, O careless one that
doubtest! If thou deniest Me, by what proof canst
thou vindicate the truth of that which thou dost
possess? Produce it, then, O thou who hast joined
partners with God, and turned aside from His sovereignty
that hath encompassed the worlds!
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3 |
"Know thou that he is truly learned who hath
acknowledged My Revelation, and drunk from the
Ocean of My knowledge, and soared in the atmosphere
of My love, and cast away all else besides Me,
and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent
down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance.
He, verily, is even as an eye unto mankind, and
as the spirit of life unto the body of all creation.
Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath enlightened
him, and caused him to arise and serve His great and
mighty Cause. Verily, such a man is blessed by the
Concourse on high, and by them who dwell within
the Tabernacle of Grandeur, who have quaffed My
sealed Wine in My Name, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.
If thou be of them that occupy such a
sublime station, produce then a sign from God, the
Creator of the heavens. And shouldst thou recognize
thy powerlessness, do thou rein in thy passions, and
return unto thy Lord, that perchance He may forgive
thee thy sins which have caused the leaves of
the Divine Lote-Tree to be burnt up, and the Rock
to cry out, and the eyes of men of understanding to
weep. Because of thee the Veil of Divinity was rent
asunder, and the Ark has foundered, and the She-Camel
was hamstrung, and the Spirit (Jesus) groaned
in His sublime retreat. Disputest thou with Him
Who hath come unto thee with the testimonies of
God and His signs which thou possessest and which
are in the possession of them that dwell on earth?
Open thine eyes that thou mayest behold this
Wronged One shining forth above the horizon of the
will of God, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Resplendent.
Unstop, then, the ear of thine heart that thou
mayest hearken unto the speech of the Divine Lote-Tree
that hath been raised up in truth by God, the
Almighty, the Beneficent. Verily, this Tree, notwithstanding
the things that befell it by reason of thy
cruelty and of the transgressions of such as are like
thee, calleth aloud and summoneth all men unto the
Sadratu'l-Muntahá and the Supreme Horizon. Blessed
is the soul that hath gazed on the Most Mighty Sign,
and the ear that hath heard His most sweet Voice, and
woe to whosoever hath turned aside and done
wickedly.
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4 |
"O thou who hast turned away from God! Wert
thou to look with the eye of fairness upon the
Divine Lote-Tree, thou wouldst perceive the marks
of thy sword on its boughs, and its branches, and its
leaves, notwithstanding that God created thee for
the purpose of recognizing and of serving it. Reflect,
that haply thou mayest recognize thine iniquity and
be numbered with such as have repented. Thinkest
thou that We fear thy cruelty? Know thou and be
well assured that from the first day whereon the
voice of the Most Sublime Pen was raised betwixt
earth and heaven We offered up Our souls, and Our
bodies, and Our sons, and Our possessions in the
path of God, the Exalted, the Great, and We glory
therein amongst all created things and the Concourse
on high. Unto this testify the things which have befallen
Us in this straight Path. By God! Our hearts
were consumed, and Our bodies were crucified, and
Our blood was spilt, while Our eyes were fixed on
the horizon of the loving-kindness of their Lord, the
Witness, the All-Seeing. The more grievous their
woes, the greater waxed the love of the people of
Bahá. Unto their sincerity hath borne witness what
the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur'án.
He saith: `Wish ye, then, for death, if ye are sincere.'
Who is to be preferred, he that hath sheltered himself
behind curtains, or he that hath offered himself
in the path of God? Judge thou fairly, and be not of
them that rove distraught in the wilderness of falsehood.
So carried away have they been by the living
waters of the love of the Most Merciful, that neither
the arms of the world nor the swords of the nations
have deterred them from setting their faces towards
the ocean of the bounty of their Lord, the Giver,
the Generous.
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5 |
"By God! Troubles have failed to unnerve Me, and
the repudiation of the divines hath been powerless to
weaken Me. I have spoken, and still speak forth
before the face of men: `The door of grace hath
been unlocked and He Who is the Dayspring of
Justice is come with perspicuous signs and evident
testimonies, from God, the Lord of strength and of
might!' Present thyself before Me that thou mayest
hear the mysteries which were heard by the Son of
`Imrán (Moses) upon the Sinai of Wisdom. Thus
commandeth thee He Who is the Dawning-Place of
the Revelation of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, from
His great Prison."
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6 |
Thereupon hath the cry and the lamentation of
the true Faith been raised once again, saying: "Verily,
Sinai calleth aloud and saith: `O people of the Bayán!
Fear ye the Merciful. Indeed have I attained unto
Him Who conversed upon me, and the ecstasies of
my joy have seized the pebbles of the earth and the
dust thereof.' And the Bush exclaimeth: `O people
of the Bayán! Judge ye fairly that which hath in
truth been manifested. Verily the Fire which God
revealed unto the One Who conversed with Him is
now manifested. Unto this beareth witness every
man of insight and understanding.'"
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7 |
We have made mention of certain martyrs of this
Revelation, and have likewise cited some of the verses
which were sent down concerning them from the
kingdom of Our utterance. We fain would hope
that, rid of all attachment to the world, thou wilt
ponder the things which We have mentioned.
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8 |
It behooveth thee now to reflect upon the state of
Mírzá Hádí Dawlat-Ábádí and of Sád-i-Isfahání
(Sadru'l-`Ulamá), who reside in the Land of Tá
(Tihrán). No sooner had the former heard that he
had been called a Bábí than he became so perturbed
that his poise and dignity forsook him. He ascended
the pulpits and spoke words which ill befitted him.
From time immemorial the clay clods of the world
have, wholly by reason of their love of leadership,
perpetrated such acts as have caused men to err.
Thou must not, however, imagine that all the faithful
are such as these two. We have described unto thee
the constancy, the firmness, the steadfastness, the certitude,
the imperturbability and the dignity of the
martyrs of this Revelation, that thou mayest be well-informed.
My purpose in citing the passages from the
Tablets to the kings and others hath been that thou
mayest know of a certainty that this Wronged One
hath not concealed the Cause of God, but hath proclaimed
and delivered, in the most eloquent language,
before the face of the world, the things He had been
commissioned to set forth. Certain faint-hearted
ones, however, such as Hádí and others, have tampered
with the Cause of God and have, in their concern
for this fleeting life, said and done that which
caused the eye of justice to weep and the Pen of Glory
to groan, notwithstanding their ignorance of the
essentials of this Cause; whereas this Wronged One
hath revealed it for the sake of God.
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9 |
O Hádí! Thou hast gone unto My brother and
hast seen him. Set now thy face towards the court
of this Wronged One, that haply the breezes of Revelation
and the breaths of inspiration may assist thee
and enable thee to attain thy goal. Whoever gazeth
this day on My signs will distinguish truth from falsehood
as the sun from shadow, and will be made
cognizant of the goal. God is aware and beareth Me
witness that whatever hath been mentioned was for
the sake of God, that haply thou mayest be the
cause of the guidance of men, and mayest deliver the
peoples of the world from idle fancies and vain
imaginings. Gracious God! Until now they that have
turned aside and denied Me have failed to recognize
Who despatched that which was delivered unto the
Herald--the Primal Point! The knowledge of it is
with God, the Lord of the worlds.
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10 |
Exert thyself, O Shaykh, and arise to serve this
Cause. The Sealed Wine is disclosed in this day before
the faces of men. Seize it in the name of thy Lord,
and quaff thy fill in remembrance of Him Who is
the Mighty, the Incomparable. Night and day hath
this Wronged One been occupied in that which
would unite the hearts, and edify the souls of men.
The events that have happened in Persia during the
early years have truly saddened the well-favored and
sincere ones. Each year witnessed a fresh massacre,
pillage, plunder, and shedding of blood. At one time
there appeared in Zanján that which caused the
greatest consternation; at another in Nayríz, and at
yet another in Tabarsí, and finally there occurred
the episode of the Land of Tá (Tihrán). From that
time onwards this Wronged One, assisted by the One
True God--exalted be His glory--acquainted this
oppressed people with the things which beseemed
them. All have sanctified themselves from the things
which they and others possess, and have clung unto,
and fixed their eyes upon that which pertaineth unto
God.
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11 |
It is now incumbent upon His Majesty the Sháh--
may God, exalted be He, protect him--to deal with
this people with loving-kindness and mercy. This
Wronged One pledgeth Himself, before the Divine
Kaaba, that, apart from truthfulness and trustworthiness,
this people will show forth nothing that can in
any way conflict with the world-adorning views of
His Majesty. Every nation must have a high regard
for the position of its sovereign, must be submissive
unto him, must carry out his behests, and hold fast
his authority. The sovereigns of the earth have been
and are the manifestations of the power, the grandeur
and the majesty of God. This Wronged One hath at
no time dealt deceitfully with anyone. Every one is
well aware of this, and beareth witness unto it. Regard
for the rank of sovereigns is divinely ordained,
as is clearly attested by the words of the Prophets
of God and His chosen ones. He Who is the Spirit
(Jesus)--may peace be upon Him--was asked: "O
Spirit of God! Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar
or not?" And He made reply: "Yea, render to Caesar
the things that are Caesar's and to God the things
that are God's." He forbade it not. These two sayings
are, in the estimation of men of insight, one
and the same, for if that which belonged to Caesar
had not come from God, He would have forbidden it.
And likewise in the sacred verse: "Obey God and
obey the Apostle, and those among you invested with
authority." By "those invested with authority" is
meant primarily and more especially the Imáms--
the blessings of God rest upon them! They, verily,
are the manifestations of the power of God, and the
sources of His authority, and the repositories of His
knowledge, and the daysprings of His commandments.
Secondarily these words refer unto the kings
and rulers--those through the brightness of whose
justice the horizons of the world are resplendent and
luminous. We fain would hope that His Majesty
the Sháh will shine forth with a light of justice whose
radiance will envelop all the kindreds of the earth.
It is incumbent upon every one to beseech the one
true God on his behalf for that which is meet and
seemly in this day.
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12 |
O God, my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay,
and my Desire, and my Beloved! I ask Thee
by the mysteries which were hid in Thy knowledge,
and by the signs which have diffused the fragrance
of Thy loving-kindness, and by the billows of the
ocean of Thy bounty, and by the heaven of Thy
grace and generosity, and by the blood spilt in Thy
path, and by the hearts consumed in their love for
Thee, to assist His Majesty the Sháh with Thy power
and Thy sovereignty, that from him may be manifested
that which will everlastingly endure in Thy
Books, and Thy Scriptures, and Thy Tablets. Hold
Thou his hand, O my Lord, with the hand of Thine
omnipotence, and illuminate him with the light of
Thy knowledge, and adorn him with the adornment
of Thy virtues. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth
Thee, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all created
things. No God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving,
the All-Bounteous.
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13 |
In the Epistle to the Romans Saint Paul hath
written: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher
powers. For there is no power but of God; the
powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever
therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance
of God." And further: "For he is the minister of
God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that
doeth evil." He saith that the appearance of the
kings, and their majesty and power are of God.
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14 |
Moreover, in the traditions of old, references have
been made which the divines have seen and heard.
We beseech God--blessed and glorified be He--to
aid thee, O Shaykh, to lay fast hold on that which
hath been sent down from the heaven of the bounty
of God, the Lord of the worlds. The divines must
needs unite with His Majesty, the Sháh, and cleave
unto that which will insure the protection, the security,
the welfare and prosperity of men. A just king
enjoyeth nearer access unto God than anyone. Unto
this testifieth He Who speaketh in His Most Great
Prison. God! There is none other God but Him, the
One, the Incomparable, the Almighty, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise.
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15 |
Wert thou, for the sake of God, to ponder, though
it be but for an hour, upon the things which have
occurred in former times and more recently, thou
wouldst turn away from the things thou dost possess
unto the things which belong unto God, and wouldst
become a means for the exaltation of His Word.
Hath, from the foundation of the world until the
present day, any Light or Revelation shone forth
from the dayspring of the will of God which the
kindreds of the earth have accepted, and Whose Cause
they have acknowledged? Where is it to be found,
and what is its name? Since the Seal of the Prophets
(Muhammad)--may all else but Him be His sacrifice--
and before Him the Spirit of God (Jesus), as
far back as the First Manifestation, all have at the
time of Their appearance suffered grievously. Some
were held to be possessed, others were called impostors,
and were treated in a manner that the pen is ashamed
to describe. By God! There befell Them what hath
made all created things to sigh, and yet the people
are, for the most part, sunk in manifest ignorance!
We pray God to assist them to return unto Him,
and to repent before the door of His mercy. Potent
is He over all things.
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16 |
At this moment the shrill voice of the Most Sublime
Pen hath been raised, and hath addressed Me
saying: "Admonish the Shaykh even as Thou hast
admonished one of Thy Branches (sons), that haply
the breezes of Thine utterance may attract and draw
him nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds."
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17 |
"Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.
Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor,
and look upon him with a bright and friendly face.
Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich,
an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of
the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment,
and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man,
and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto
them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful,
a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an
upholder and defender of the victim of oppression.
Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine
acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering,
a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes
to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the
erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth,
a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple
of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind,
an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary
above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the
human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a
sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem
of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy
generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We
pray God to protect thee from the heat of jealousy
and the cold of hatred. He verily is nigh, ready to
answer." Thus hath My tongue spoken unto one of
My Branches (sons), and We have mentioned it unto
such of Our loved ones as have cast away their idle
fancies, and clung unto that which hath been prescribed
unto them in the day whereon the Daystar
of Certitude hath shone forth above the horizon of
the will of God, the Lord of the worlds. This is the
day on which the Bird of Utterance hath warbled
its melody upon the branches, in the name of its
Lord, the God of Mercy. Blessed is the man that
hath, on the wings of longing, soared towards God,
the Lord of the Judgment Day.
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18 |
The one true God well knoweth, and all the company
of His trusted ones testify, that this Wronged
One hath, at all times, been faced with dire peril.
But for the tribulations that have touched Me in the
path of God, life would have held no sweetness for
Me, and My existence would have profited Me nothing.
For them who are endued with discernment,
and whose eyes are fixed upon the Sublime Vision, it
is no secret that I have been, most of the days of My
life, even as a slave, sitting under a sword hanging
on a thread, knowing not whether it would fall soon
or late upon him. And yet, notwithstanding all this
We render thanks unto God, the Lord of the worlds.
Mine inner tongue reciteth, in the daytime and in
the night-season, this prayer: "Glory to Thee, O my
God! But for the tribulations which are sustained
in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized;
and were it not for the trials which are borne
for love of Thee, how could the station of such as
yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy might beareth Me
witness! The companions of all who adore Thee are
the tears they shed, and the comforters of such as seek
Thee are the groans they utter, and the food of them
who haste to meet Thee is the fragments of their
broken hearts. How sweet to my taste is the bitterness
of death suffered in Thy path, and how precious
in my estimation are the shafts of Thine enemies
when encountered for the sake of the exaltation of
Thy Word! Let me quaff in Thy Cause, O my God
and my Master, whatsoever Thou didst desire, and
send down upon me in Thy love all Thou didst ordain.
By Thy glory! I wish only what Thou wishest, and
cherish what Thou cherishest. In Thee have I, at all
times, placed My whole trust and confidence. Thou
art verily the All-Possessing, the Most High. Raise
up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers to this
Revelation such as shall be counted worthy of Thy
Name and of Thy sovereignty, that they may remember
Thee among Thy creatures, and hoist the
ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land, and adorn them
with Thy virtues and Thy commandments. No God
is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."
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19 |
Thereupon the voice of the true Faith was lifted
up, calling aloud again and again and saying: "O
concourse of the earth! By God! I am the true Faith
of God amongst you. Beware that ye deny Me not.
God hath manifested Me with a light that hath encompassed
all that are in the heavens and all that are
on earth. Judge ye equitably, O people, My manifestation,
and the revelation of My glory, and the
radiance of My light, and be not of them that act
unjustly."
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20 |
O Shaykh! This Wronged One beseecheth God--
blessed and glorified be He--to make thee the one who
will open the door of justice, and reveal through thee
His Cause among His servants. He, verily, is the
All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous.
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21 |
O Shaykh! Entreat thou the one true God to
sanctify the ears, and the eyes, and the hearts of
mankind, and to protect them from the desires of
a corrupt inclination. For malice is a grievous malady
which depriveth man from recognizing the Great
Being, and debarreth him from the splendors of the
sun of certitude. We pray and hope that through
the grace and mercy of God He may remove this
mighty obstacle. He, verily, is the Potent, the All-Subduing,
the Almighty.
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22 |
At this moment a Voice was raised from the right-hand
of the Luminous Spot: "God! There is none
other God but Him, the Ordainer, the All-Wise!
Recite Thou unto the Shaykh the remaining passages
of the Lawh-i-Burhán (Tablet of the Proof) that
they may draw him unto the horizon of the Revelation
of his Lord, the God of Mercy, that haply he
may arise to aid My Cause with perspicuous signs
and exalted testimonies, and may speak forth amongst
men that which the Tongue of Testimony hath
spoken: `The Kingdom is God's, the Lord of the
worlds!'"
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23 |
"Peruse thou the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude)
and that which the All-Merciful hath sent
down unto the King of Paris (Napoleon III) and to
such as are like him, that thou mayest be made aware
of the things that have happened in the past, and be
persuaded that We have not sought to spread disorder
in the land after it had been well-ordered. We exhort,
wholly for the sake of God, His servants. Let him
who wisheth turn unto Him, and him who wisheth
turn aside. Our Lord, the Merciful, is verily the All-Sufficing,
the All-Praised. O concourse of the kindreds
of the earth! This is the day whereon nothing
amongst all things, nor any name amongst all names,
can profit you save through this Name which God
hath made the Manifestation of His Cause and the
Dayspring of His Most Excellent Titles unto all
who are in the kingdom of creation. Blessed is that
man that hath recognized the fragrance of the All-Merciful
and been numbered with the steadfast. Your
sciences shall not profit you in this day, nor your
arts, nor your treasures, nor your glory. Cast them
all behind your backs, and set your faces towards the
Most Sublime Word through which the Scriptures
and the Books and this lucid Tablet have been distinctly
set forth. Cast away, O people, the things
ye have composed with the pen of your idle fancies
and vain imaginings. By God! The Daystar of
Knowledge hath shone forth above the horizon of
certitude.
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24 |
"O thou who art gone astray! If thou hast any
doubt concerning Our conduct, know thou that We
bear witness unto that whereunto God hath Himself
borne witness ere the creation of the heavens and
of the earth, that there is none other God but Him,
the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. We testify that
He is One in His Essence, One in His Attributes.
He hath none to equal Him in the whole universe,
nor any partner in all creation. He hath sent forth
His Messengers, and sent down His Books, that they
may announce unto His creatures the Straight Path.
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25 |
"Hath the Sháh been informed, and chosen to close
his eyes to thine acts? Or hath he been seized with
fear at the howling of a pack of wolves who have
cast the path of God behind their backs and followed
in thy way without any clear proof or Book? We
have heard that the provinces of Persia have been
adorned with the adornment of justice. When We
observed closely, however, We found them to be the
dawning-places of tyranny and the daysprings of
injustice. We behold justice in the clutches of tyranny.
We beseech God to set it free through the
power of His might and His sovereignty. He, verily,
overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth.
To none is given the right to protest against any one
concerning that which hath befallen the Cause of
God. It behooveth whosoever hath set his face
towards the Most Sublime Horizon to cleave tenaciously
unto the cord of patience, and to put his
reliance in God, the Help in Peril, the Unconstrained.
O ye loved ones of God! Drink your fill from the
wellspring of wisdom, and soar ye in the atmosphere
of wisdom, and speak forth with wisdom and eloquence.
Thus biddeth you your Lord, the Almighty,
the All-Knowing.
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26 |
"O heedless one! Rely not on thy glory, and thy
power. Thou art even as the last trace of sunlight
upon the mountain-top. Soon will it fade away as
decreed by God, the All-Possessing, the Most High.
Thy glory and the glory of such as are like thee
have been taken away, and this verily is what hath
been ordained by the One with Whom is the Mother
Tablet. Where is he to be found who contended
with God, and whither is gone he that gainsaid His
signs, and turned aside from His sovereignty? Where
are they who have slain His chosen ones and spilt
the blood of His holy ones? Reflect, that haply thou
mayest perceive the breaths of thine acts, O foolish
doubter! Because of you the Apostle (Muhammad)
lamented, and the Chaste One (Fátimih) cried out,
and the countries were laid waste, and darkness fell
upon all regions. O concourse of divines! Because
of you the people were abased, and the banner of
Islám was hauled down, and its mighty throne subverted.
Every time a man of discernment hath sought
to hold fast unto that which would exalt Islám, ye
raised a clamor, and thereby was he deterred from
achieving his purpose, while the land remained fallen
in clear ruin.
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27 |
"O My Supreme Pen! Call Thou to remembrance
the She-Serpent (Imám-Jum'ih of Isfahán) whose
cruelty hath caused all created things to groan, and
the limbs of the holy ones to quake. Thus biddeth
Thee the Lord of all names, in this glorious station.
The Chaste One (Fátimih) hath cried out by reason
of thine iniquity, and yet thou dost imagine thyself
to be of the family of the Apostle of God! Thus hath
thy soul prompted thee, O thou who hast withdrawn
thyself from God, the Lord of all that hath been and
shall be. Judge thou equitably, O She-Serpent! For
what crime didst thou sting the children of the
Apostle of God (King of Martyrs and Beloved of
Martyrs), and pillage their possessions? Hast thou
denied Him Who created thee by His command `be,
and it was'? Thou hast dealt with the children of the
Apostle of God as neither `Ád hath dealt with Húd,
nor Thámúd with Salíh, nor the Jews with the Spirit
of God (Jesus), the Lord of all being. Gainsayest
thou the signs of thy Lord which had no sooner
been sent down from the heaven of His Cause than
all the books of the world bowed down before them?
Meditate, that thou mayest be made aware of thine
act, O heedless outcast! Erelong will the breaths
of chastisement seize thee, as they seized others before
thee. Wait, O thou who hast joined partners with
God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible. This
is the day which God hath announced through the
tongue of His Apostle. Reflect, that thou mayest
apprehend what the All-Merciful hath sent down in
the Qur'án and in this inscribed Tablet. This is
the day whereon He Who is the Dayspring of Revelation
hath come with clear tokens which none can
number. This is the day whereon every man endued
with perception hath discovered the fragrance of the
breeze of the All-Merciful in the world of creation,
and every man of insight hath hastened unto the living
waters of the mercy of his Lord, the King of Kings.
O heedless one! The tale of the Sacrifice (Ishmael)
hath been retold, and he who was to be offered up
hath directed his steps towards the place of sacrifice,
and returned not, by reason of that which thy
hand hath wrought, O perverse hater! Didst thou
imagine that martyrdom could abase this Cause?
Nay, by Him Whom God hath made to be the Repository
of His Revelation, if thou be of them that comprehend.
Woe betide thee, O thou who hast joined
partners with God, and woe betide them that have
taken thee as their leader, without a clear token or
a perspicuous Book. How numerous the oppressors
before thee who have arisen to quench the light of
God, and how many the impious who murdered and
pillaged until the hearts and souls of men groaned
by reason of their cruelty! The sun of justice hath
been obscured, inasmuch as the embodiment of tyranny
hath been stablished upon the throne of hatred,
and yet the people understand not. O foolish one!
Thou hast slain the children of the Apostle and
pillaged their possessions. Say: Was it, in thine estimation,
their possessions or themselves that denied
God? Judge fairly, O ignorant one that hath been
shut out as by a veil from God. Thou hast clung
to tyranny, and cast away justice; whereupon all
created things have lamented, and still thou art
among the wayward. Thou hast put to death the
aged, and plundered the young. Thinkest thou that
thou wilt consume that which thine iniquity hath
amassed? Nay, by Myself! Thus informeth thee He
Who is cognizant of all. By God! The things thou
possessest shall profit thee not, nor what thou hast
laid up through thy cruelty. Unto this beareth witness
thy Lord, the All-Knowing. Thou hast arisen
to put out the light of this Cause; erelong will thine
own fire be quenched, at His behest. He, verily, is
the Lord of strength and of might. The changes and
chances of the world, and the powers of the nations,
cannot frustrate Him. He doeth what He pleaseth,
and ordaineth what He willeth through the power
of His sovereignty. Consider the she-camel. Though
but a beast, yet hath the All-Merciful exalted her
to so high a station that the tongues of the earth made
mention of her and celebrated her praise. He, verily,
overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth.
No God is there but Him, the Almighty, the Great.
Thus have We adorned the heaven of Our Tablet
with the suns of Our words. Blessed the man that
hath attained thereunto, and been illumined with
their light, and woe betide such as have turned aside,
and denied Him, and strayed far from Him. Praised
be God, the Lord of the worlds!"
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O Shaykh! We have enabled thee to hear the melodies
of the Nightingale of Paradise, and unveiled to
thine eyes the signs which God, by His all-compelling
behest, hath sent down in the Most Great Prison, that
thine eye might be cheered, and thy soul be well-assured.
He, verily, is the All-Bounteous, the Generous.
Arise thou through the power of His testimony
to serve the Cause of God, thy Lord, the God
of Mercy. If thy faith be fearful, seize thou My
Tablet, and preserve it in the bosom of trust. And
when thou enterest into the place of resurrection,
and God asketh thee by what proof thou hast believed
in this Revelation, draw forth the Tablet and
say: "By this Book, the holy, the mighty, the incomparable."
Thereupon all will lift up their hands
towards thee, and will seize the Tablet, and will press
it to their eyes, and will inhale therefrom the fragrance
of the utterance of God, the Lord of the
worlds. Were God to torment thee for having believed
in His signs in this Revelation, for what reason
could He then torment such as have disbelieved in
Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and before Him in
Jesus, the Son of Mary, and before Him in the One
Who conversed with God (Moses), and before Him
in the One Who is the Friend of God (Abraham),
and as far back as the One Who was the First Manifestation,
Who was created by the will of thy Lord,
the Potent, the All-Encompassing. Thus have We
sent down Our verses unto one before thee, and
recalled them unto thee, in this day, that thou mayest
understand, and be of them who are well assured.
O thou who assumest the voice of knowledge! This
Cause is too evident to be obscured, and too conspicuous
to be concealed. It shineth as the sun in its
meridian glory. None can deny it unless he be a
hater and a doubter.
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At this moment it behooveth us to turn unto the
Desired One, and cleave unto these most sublime
words: "O God, my God! Thou hast lighted the
lamp of Thy Cause with the oil of wisdom; protect it
from contrary winds. The lamp is Thine, and the
glass is Thine, and all things in the heavens and on
earth are in the grasp of Thy power. Bestow justice
upon the rulers, and fairness upon the divines. Thou
art the All-Powerful, Who, through the motion of
Thy Pen, hast aided Thine irresistible Cause, and
guided aright Thy loved ones. Thou art the Possessor
of power, and the King of might. No God is there
but Thee, the Strong, the Unconstrained." Say thou
also: "O God, my God! I yield Thee thanks inasmuch
as Thou hast made me to drink of Thy Sealed Wine
from the hand of the bounty of Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting.
I entreat Thee by the splendors of the
Dayspring of Thy Revelation, and by the potency
of Thy Most Sublime Word, and by the might of
Thy Most Exalted Pen, through Whose movement
the realities of all created things have been enraptured,
to aid His Majesty the Sháh to render Thy
Cause victorious, and to turn towards the horizon of
Thy Revelation, and to set his face in the direction
of the lights of Thy countenance. Assist him, O my
Lord, to draw nigh unto Thee. Help him, then, with
the hosts of the heavens and of earth. I implore
Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all Names and
the Maker of the heavens, by the light of Thy Cause,
and by the fire of the Lote-Tree of Thy loving-kindness,
to help His Majesty to reveal Thy Cause amidst
Thy creatures. Open, then, before his face the doors
of Thy grace, and Thy mercy, and Thy bounty.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee by Thy
word: `Be, and it is.'"
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O Shaykh! We had seized the reins of authority
by the power of God and His Divine might, as He
alone can seize, Who is the Mighty, the Strong. None
had the power to stir up mischief or sedition. Now,
however, as they have failed to appreciate this loving-kindness
and these bounties, they have been, and will
be, afflicted with the retribution which their acts
must entail. The State officials, considering the secret
progress of the Extended Cord have, from every
direction, incited and aided Mine adversaries. In the
Great City (Constantinople) they have roused a considerable
number of people to oppose this Wronged
One. Things have come to such a pass that the
officials in that city have acted in a manner which
hath brought shame to both the government and
the people. A distinguished siyyid, whose well-known
integrity, acceptable conduct, and commercial reputation,
were recognized by the majority of fair-minded
men, and who was regarded by all as a highly
honored merchant, once visited Beirut. In view of
his friendship for this Wronged One they telegraphed
the Persian Dragoman informing him that this siyyid,
assisted by his servant, had stolen a sum of money
and other things and gone to Akká. Their design in
this matter was to dishonor this Wronged One. And
yet, far be it from the people of this country to allow
themselves to be deflected, by these unseemly tales,
from the straight path of uprightness and truth.
Briefly, they have assaulted Me from every side, and
are reinforcing Mine adversaries. This Wronged One,
however, beseecheth the one true God to graciously
assist every one in that which beseemeth these days.
Day and night I fix My gaze on these perspicuous
words, and recite: "O God, my God! I beseech Thee
by the sun of Thy grace, and the sea of Thy knowledge,
and the heaven of Thy justice, to aid them that
have denied Thee to confess, and such as have turned
aside from Thee to return, and those who have calumniated
Thee to be just and fair-minded. Assist them,
O my Lord, to return unto Thee, and to repent before
the door of Thy grace. Powerful art Thou to do what
Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all
that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Praise
be unto God, the Lord of the worlds."
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The time is at hand when whatsoever lieth hid in
the souls and hearts of men will be disclosed. This
Day is the Day whereof Luqmán spoke unto his son,
the Day which the Lord of Glory announced and with
which He acquainted Him Who was His Friend
(Muhammad) through these, His words--exalted be
He:--"O my son! Verily, God will bring everything
to light, though it were but the weight of a
grain of mustard-seed, and hidden in a rock or in
the heavens or in the earth; for God is Subtile, informed
of all." This Day the deceitful of eye, and all
that men's breasts conceal, are made known and laid
bare before the throne of His Revelation. Nothing
whatsoever can escape His knowledge. He heareth
and seeth, and He, in truth, is the All-Hearing, the
All-Seeing. How very strange that they discern not
between the trustworthy and the treacherous!
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Would that His Majesty the Sháh of Persia--may
God perpetuate his sovereignty--would inquire from
the Consuls of the honored Persian Government who
have been in this country, that he might become
acquainted with the activities and behavior of this
Wronged One. Briefly, they have incited a great
many such as Akhtar and others, and are busying
themselves in spreading calumnies. It is clear and
evident that they will surround with their swords
of hatred and their shafts of enmity the one whom
they know to be an outcast among men and to have
been banished from one country to another. This
is not the first time that such iniquity hath been
perpetrated, nor the first goblet that hath been dashed
to the ground, nor the first veil that hath been rent
in twain in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds.
This Wronged One, however, remained calm and
silent in the Most Great Prison, busying Himself with
His own affairs, and completely detached from all
else but God. Iniquity waxed so grievous that the
pens of the world are powerless to record it.
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In this connection it is necessary to mention the
following occurrence, that haply men may take fast
hold of the cord of justice and truthfulness. Hájí
Shaykh Muhammad `Alí--upon him be the glory of
God, the Ever-Abiding--was a merchant of high
repute, well-known unto most of the inhabitants of
the Great City (Constantinople). Not long ago,
when the Persian Embassy in Constantinople was
secretly engaged in stirring up mischief, it was noticed
that this believing and sincere soul was greatly distressed.
Finally, one night he threw himself into the
sea, but was rescued by some passers-by who chanced
to come upon him at that moment. His act was
widely commented upon and given varied interpretations
by different people. Following this, one night
he repaired to a mosque, and, as reported by the
guardian of that place, kept vigil the whole night,
and was occupied until the morning in offering,
ardently and with tearful eyes, his prayers and supplications.
Upon hearing him suddenly cease his
devotions, the guardian went to him, and found that
he had already surrendered his soul. An empty bottle
was found by his side, indicating that he had poisoned
himself. Briefly, the guardian, while greatly astonished,
broke the news to the people. It was found out
that he had left two testaments. In the first he recognized
and confessed the unity of God, that His
Exalted Being had neither peer nor equal, and that His
Essence was exalted above all praise, all glorification
and description. He also testified to the Revelation
of the Prophets and the holy ones, and recognized
what had been written down in the Books of God,
the Lord of all men. On another page, in which
he had set down a prayer, he wrote these words in
conclusion: "This servant and the loved ones of God
are perplexed. On the one hand the Pen of the Most
High hath forbidden all men to engage in sedition,
contention or conflict, and on the other that same
Pen hath sent down these most sublime words:
`Should anyone, in the presence of the Manifestation,
discover an evil intention on the part of any soul,
he must not oppose him, but must leave him to God.'
Considering that on the one hand this binding command
is clear and firmly established, and that on the
other calumnies, beyond human strength to bear or
endure, have been uttered, this servant hath chosen
to commit this most grievous sin. I turn suppliantly
unto the ocean of God's bounty and the heaven of
Divine mercy, and hope that He will blot out with
the pen of His grace and bounteousness the misdeeds
of this servant. Though my transgressions be manifold,
and unnumbered my evildoings, yet do I cleave
tenaciously to the cord of His bounty, and cling unto
the hem of His generosity. God is witness, and they
that are nigh unto His Threshold know full well,
that this servant could not bear to hear the tales
related by the perfidious. I, therefore, have committed
this act. If He chastise me, He verily is to
be praised for what He doeth; and if He forgive me,
His behest shall be obeyed."
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Ponder, now, O Shaykh, the influence of the word
of God, that haply thou mayest turn from the left
hand of idle fancy unto the right hand of certitude.
This Wronged One hath never acted hypocritically
towards any one, in the Cause of God, and hath
loudly proclaimed the Word of God before the face
of His creatures. Let him who wisheth turn thereunto,
and let him who wisheth turn aside. If these
things, however, that are so clear, so manifest and
indubitable, be denied, what else can be deemed
acceptable and worthy of credence in the estimation
of men of insight? We beseech God--blessed and
glorified be He--to forgive the aforementioned person
(Hájí Shaykh Muhammad-`Alí), and change his
evil deeds into good ones. He, verily, is the All-Powerful,
the Almighty, the All-Bounteous.
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Such things have appeared in this Revelation that
there is no recourse for either the exponents of
science and knowledge or the manifestations of justice
and equity other than to recognize them. It is
incumbent upon thee, in this day, to arise with celestial
power and dissipate, with the aid of knowledge,
the doubts of the peoples of the world, so that all
men may be sanctified, and direct their steps towards
the Most Great Ocean and cleave fast unto that which
God hath purposed.
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Every one who hath turned aside from Me hath
clung to his own idle words, and therewith voiced
his objections to Him Who is the Truth. Gracious
God! Such references as have been made to Divinity
and Godhead by the holy ones and chosen ones of
God have been made a cause for denial and repudiation.
The Imám Sádiq hath said: "Servitude is a
substance, the essence of which is Divinity." The
Commander of the Faithful (Imám `Alí) answered
an Arab, who had questioned him concerning the
soul, as follows: "The third is the soul which is divine
and celestial. It is a divine energy, a substance,
simple, and self-subsistent." And further he--peace
be upon him--said: "Therefore it is the Most Sublime
Essence of God, the Tree of Blessedness, the
Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the
Garden of Repose." The Imám Sádiq hath said:
"When our Qá'im will arise, the earth will shine
with the light of her Lord." Likewise, a lengthy
tradition is attributed to Ábí-`Abdi'lláh--peace be
upon him--in which these sublime words are found:
"Thereupon will He Who is the All-Compelling--
exalted and glorified be He--descend from the clouds
with the angels." And in the mighty Qur'án: "What
can such expect but that God should come down to
them overshadowed with clouds?" And in the tradition
of Mufaddál it is said: "The Qá'im will lean
His back against the Sanctuary, and will stretch forth
His hand, and lo, it shall be snow-white but unhurt.
And He shall say: `This is the hand of God, the right
hand of God, that cometh from God, at the command
of God!'" In whichever manner these traditions are
interpreted, in that same manner let them also interpret
that which the Most Sublime Pen hath set
down. The Commander of the Faithful (Imám `Alí)
hath said: "I am He Who can neither be named, nor
described." And likewise He hath said: "Outwardly
I am an Imám; inwardly I am the Unseen, the Unknowable."
Abú-Ja'far-i-Túsí hath said: "I said to
Ábí `Abdi'lláh: `You are the Way mentioned in the
Book of God, and you are the Impost, and you are
the Pilgrimage.' He replied: `O man! We are the
Way mentioned in the Book of God,--exalted and
glorified be He--and We are the Impost, and We
are the Fast, and We are the Pilgrimage, and We are
the Sacred Month, and We are the Sacred City, and
We are the Kaaba of God, and We are the Qiblih of
God, and We are the Face of God.'" Jabír hath said
that Abú-Ja'far--peace be upon him--spoke to him
as follows: "O Jabír! Give heed unto the Bayán
(Exposition) and the Má'ání (Significances)." He
--peace be upon him--added: "As to the Bayán, it
consisteth in thy recognition of God--glorified be
He--as the One Who hath no equal, and in thy adoration
of Him, and in thy refusal to join partners with
Him. As to the Má'ání, We are its meaning, and its
side, and its hand, and its tongue, and its cause, and
its command, and its knowledge, and its right. If
We wish for something, it is God Who wisheth it,
and He desireth that which We desire." Moreover,
the Commander of the Faithful (Imám `Alí)--peace
be upon him--hath said: "How can I worship a Lord
Whom I have not seen?" And, in another connection,
he saith: "Nothing have I perceived except that I
perceived God before it, God after it, or God with it."
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O Shaykh! Ponder upon the things which have
been mentioned, perchance thou mayest quaff the
Sealed Wine through the power of the name of Him
Who is the Self-Subsisting, and obtain that which no
one is capable of comprehending. Gird up the loins
of endeavor, and direct thyself towards the Most
Sublime Kingdom, that haply thou mayest perceive,
as they descend upon Me, the breaths of Revelation
and inspiration, and attain thereunto. Verily,
I say: The Cause of God hath never had, nor hath it
now, any peer or equal. Rend asunder the veils of
idle fancies. He, in truth, will reinforce thee, and
assist thee, as a token of His grace. He, verily, is
the Strong, the All-Subduing, the Almighty. While
there is yet time, and the blessed Lote-Tree is still
calling aloud amongst men, suffer not thyself to be
deprived. Place thy trust in God, and commit thine
affairs unto Him, and enter then the Most Great
Prison, that thou mayest hear what no ear hath ever
heard, and gaze on that which no eye hath ever seen.
After such an exposition, can there remain any room
for doubt? Nay, by God, Who standeth over His
Cause! In truth I say: On this day the blessed words
"But He is the Apostle of God, and the Seal of the
Prophets" have found their consummation in the verse
"The day when mankind shall stand before the Lord
of the worlds." Render thou thanksgiving unto God,
for so great a bounty.
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O Shaykh! The breezes of Revelation can never
be confounded with other breezes. Now the Lote-Tree
beyond which there is no passing standeth laden
with countless fruits before thy face; besmirch not
thyself with idle fancies, as have done the people
aforetime. These utterances themselves proclaim the
true nature of the Faith of God. He it is Who witnesseth
unto all things. To demonstrate the truth of
His Revelation He hath not been, nor is He, dependent
upon any one. Well nigh a hundred volumes
of luminous verses and perspicuous words have
already been sent down from the heaven of the will
of Him Who is the Revealer of signs, and are available
unto all. It is for thee to direct thyself towards
the Ultimate Goal, and the Supreme End, and the
Most Sublime Pinnacle, that thou mayest hear and
behold what hath been revealed by God, the Lord
of the worlds.
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39 |
Ponder a while upon the verses concerning the
Divine Presence, which have been sent down in the
Qur'án by Him Who is the Lord of the kingdom of
names, perchance thou mayest discover the Straight
Path, and be made an instrument for the guidance
of His creatures. Such a one as thou must needs in
this day arise to serve this Cause. The abasement of
this Wronged One as well as thy glory shall both
pass away. Strive thou, that haply thou mayest
achieve a deed the fragrance of which shall never
fade from the earth. Concerning the Divine Presence
there hath been sent down what no denier hath been
or is now able to refute or repudiate. He--blessed
and exalted be He--saith: "It is God Who hath
reared the heavens without pillars thou canst behold;
then mounted His throne, and imposed laws on the
sun and moon: each traveleth to its appointed goal.
He ordereth all things. He maketh His signs clear,
that ye may have firm faith in the Presence of your
Lord." He also saith: "To him who hopeth to attain
the Presence of God, the set time of God will surely
come. And He is the Hearer, the Knower." And
further He--exalted be He--saith: "As for those who
believe not in the signs of God, or that they shall
ever attain His Presence, these of My mercy shall
despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement
await." And likewise He saith: "And they say,
`What! when we shall have lain hidden in the earth,
shall we become a new creation?' Yea, they deny that
they shall attain the Presence of their Lord." And
likewise He saith: "They truly doubt the Presence
of their Lord. He, verily, overshadoweth all things."
And likewise He saith: "Verily, they who hope not
to attain Our Presence, and find their satisfaction in
this world's life, and rest on it, and who of Our signs
are heedless--these! their abode the fire, in recompense
of their deeds!" And likewise He saith: "But when
Our clear signs are recited to them, they who look
not forward to attain Our Presence, say, `Bring a
different Qur'án from this, or make some change in
it.' Say: It is not for Me to change it as Mine own
soul prompteth. I follow only what is revealed to
Me: verily, I fear, if I rebel against My Lord, the
punishment of a great day." And likewise He saith:
"Then gave We the Book to Moses--complete for
Him who should do right, and a decision for all
matters, and a guidance, and a mercy, that they
might believe in the Presence of their Lord." And
likewise he saith: "They are those who believe not
in the signs of the Lord, or that they shall ever attain
His Presence. Vain, therefore, are their works; and
no weight will We allow them on the Day of Resurrection.
This shall be their reward--Hell. Because
they were unbelievers, and treated My signs and My
Apostles with scorn." And likewise He saith: "Hath
the history of Moses reached thee? When He saw a
fire, and said to His family, `Tarry ye here, for I
perceive a fire; haply I may bring you a brand from
it, or find at the fire a guide.' And when He came
to it, He was called to, `O Moses! Verily, I am Thy
Lord; therefore pull off Thy shoes, for Thou art in
the holy vale of Towa. And I have chosen Thee;
hearken then to what shall be revealed. Verily, I am
God, there is no God but Me. Therefore, worship
Me.'" And likewise He saith: "Have they not considered
within themselves that God hath not created
the heavens and the earth and all that is between them
but for a serious end, and for a fixed term? But truly
most men believe not that they shall attain the Presence
of their Lord." And likewise He saith: "What!
Have they no thought that they shall be raised again
for the Great Day, the Day when mankind shall
stand before the Lord of the worlds?" And likewise
He saith: "We heretofore gave the Book to Moses.
Have thou no doubt as to His attaining Our Presence."
And He saith: "Aye! But when the earth
shall be crushed with crushing, crushing, and thy
Lord shall come and the angels rank on rank." And
likewise He saith: "Fain would they put out the
light of God with their mouths! But though the
infidels hate it, God will perfect His light." And
likewise He saith: "And when Moses had fulfilled
the term, and was journeying with His family, He
perceived a fire on the mountain side. He said to His
family: `Wait ye, for I perceive a fire, haply I may
bring you tidings from it, or a brand from the fire
to warm you.' And when He came up to it, a Voice
cried to Him out of the Bush from the right side of
the Vale in the sacred Spot: `O Moses, I truly am
God, the Lord of the worlds!'"
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In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine
Presence hath been explicitly recorded. By this Presence
is meant the Presence of Him Who is the Dayspring
of the signs, and the Dawning-Place of the
clear tokens, and the Manifestation of the Excellent
Names, and the Source of the attributes, of the true
God, exalted be His glory. God in His Essence and
in His own Self hath ever been unseen, inaccessible,
and unknowable. By Presence, therefore, is meant
the Presence of the One Who is His Vicegerent
amongst men. He, moreover, hath never had, nor
hath He, any peer or likeness. For were He to have
any peer or likeness, how could it then be demonstrated
that His being is exalted above, and His
essence sanctified from, all comparison and likeness?
Briefly, there hath been revealed in the Kitáb-i-Íqán
(Book of Certitude) concerning the Presence and
Revelation of God that which will suffice the fair-minded.
We beseech Him--exalted be He--to aid
every one to become the essence of truthfulness, and
to draw nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Lord of
strength and power. No God is there but Him, the
All-Hearing, the Lord of Utterance, the Almighty,
the All-Praised.
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O thou who art reputed for thy learning! Bid
men to do that which is praiseworthy, and be not of
such as tarry. Observe thou with a keen eye. The
Sun of Truth shineth resplendently, at the bidding
of the Lord of the kingdom of utterance, and the
King of the heaven of knowledge, above the horizon
of the prison-city of Akká. Repudiation hath not
veiled it, and ten thousand hosts arrayed against it
were powerless to withhold it from shining. Thou
canst excuse thyself no longer. Either thou must
recognize it, or--God forbid--arise and deny all the
Prophets!
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Reflect, O Shaykh, upon the Shí'ih sect. How
many the edifices which they reared with the hands
of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and how numerous
the cities which they built! At length those vain
imaginings were converted into bullets and aimed
at Him Who is the Prince of the world. Not one
single soul among the leaders of that sect acknowledged
Him in the Day of His Revelation! Whenever
His blessed name was mentioned, all would say:
"May God hasten the joy His coming will bring!"
On the day of the Revelation of that Sun of Truth,
however, all, as hath been observed, have exclaimed,
saying: "May God hasten His chastisement!" He Who
was the Essence of being and Lord of the seen and
unseen they suspended, and committed what made
the Tablet to weep, and the Pen to groan, and the
cries of the sincere to break forth, and the tears of
the favored ones to flow.
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Meditate, O Shaykh, and be fair in what thou
sayest. The followers of Shaykh-i-Ahsa'í (Shaykh
Ahmad) have, by the aid of God, apprehended that
which was veiled from the comprehension of others,
and of which they remained deprived. Briefly, in
every age and century differences have arisen in the
days of the manifestation of the Daysprings of Revelation,
and the Dawning-Places of inspiration, and
the Repositories of Divine knowledge, differences
which have been caused and provoked by lying and
impious souls. To expatiate on this is not permissible.
Thou art thyself better acquainted and more familiar
with the idle fancies of the superstitious and the
vain imaginings of the doubters.
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In this day, this Wronged One requesteth thee and
the other divines who have drunk of the cup of the
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