Lawh-i-hikmat (tablet Of Wisdom)

Sources: Tablets Of Baha'u'llah Revealed After The Kitab-i-aqdas

_This Tablet was addressed to Aqa Muhammad, a distinguished

believer from the town of Qa'in, who was surnamed Nabil-i-Akbar

(see Memorials of the Faithful pages 1-5). Another distinguished

believer of Qa'in, Mulla Muhammad-'Ali, was known as

Nabil-i-Qa'ini (see Memorials of the Faithful pages 49-54). In the

abjad notation the name 'Muhammad' has the same numerical value as

'Nabil'._





THIS is an Epistle which the All-Merciful hath sent down from the Kingdom

of Utterance. It is truly a breath of life unto those who dwell in the

realm of creation. Glorified be the Lord of all worlds! In this Epistle

mention is made of him who magnifieth the Name of God, his Lord, and who

is named Nabil in a weighty Tablet.



O Muhammad! Hearken unto the Voice proceeding out of the Realm of Glory,

calling aloud from the celestial Tree which hath risen above the land of

Za'faran(51): Verily, no God is there but Me, the Omniscient, the Wise. Be

thou as the breezes of the All-Merciful for the trees of the realm of

existence and foster their growth through the potency of the Name of thy

Lord, the Just, the All-Informed. We desire to acquaint thee with that

which will serve as a reminder unto the people, that they may put away the

things current amongst them and set their faces towards God, the Lord of

the sincere.



We exhort mankind in these days when the countenance of Justice is soiled

with dust, when the flames of unbelief are burning high and the robe of

wisdom rent asunder, when tranquillity and faithfulness have ebbed away

and trials and tribulations have waxed severe, when covenants are broken

and ties are severed, when no man knoweth how to discern light and

darkness or to distinguish guidance from error.



O peoples of the world! Forsake all evil, hold fast that which is good.

Strive to be shining examples unto all mankind, and true reminders of the

virtues of God amidst men. He that riseth to serve My Cause should

manifest My wisdom, and bend every effort to banish ignorance from the

earth. Be united in counsel, be one in thought. Let each morn be better

than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man's merit lieth

in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. Take

heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and worldly desires and

your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion. Dissipate not the

wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit of evil and corrupt

affection, nor let your endeavours be spent in promoting your personal

interest. Be generous in your days of plenty, and be patient in the hour

of loss. Adversity is followed by success and rejoicings follow woe. Guard

against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind,

whether young or old, whether high or low. Beware lest ye sow tares of

dissension among men or plant thorns of doubt in pure and radiant hearts.



O ye beloved of the Lord! Commit not that which defileth the limpid stream

of love or destroyeth the sweet fragrance of friendship. By the

righteousness of the Lord! Ye were created to show love one to another and

not perversity and rancour. Take pride not in love for yourselves but in

love for your fellow-creatures. Glory not in love for your country, but in

love for all mankind. Let your eye be chaste, your hand faithful, your

tongue truthful and your heart enlightened. Abase not the station of the

learned in Baha and belittle not the rank of such rulers as administer

justice amidst you. Set your reliance on the army of justice, put on the

armour of wisdom, let your adorning be forgiveness and mercy and that

which cheereth the hearts of the well-favoured of God.



By My life! Thy grievances have plunged Me into sorrow. Regard not the

children of the world and all their doings but fix thy gaze upon God and

His never-ending dominion. Verily, He calleth to thy remembrance that

which is the source of delight for all mankind. Drink thou the life-giving

water of blissful joy from the chalice of utterance proffered by the

Fountainhead of divine Revelation--He Who hath made mention of thee in this

mighty stronghold. Endeavour to the utmost of thy powers to establish the

word of truth with eloquence and wisdom and to dispel falsehood from the

face of the earth. Thus directeth thee the Dayspring of divine knowledge

from this luminous horizon.



O thou who speakest in My Name! Consider the people and the things they

have wrought in My days. We revealed unto one of the rulers that which

overpowereth all the dwellers of the earth, and requested him to bring Us

face to face with the learned men of this age, that We might set forth for

him the testimony of God, His proofs, His glory and His majesty; and

naught did We intend thereby but the highest good. However, he committed

that which hath caused the inmates of the cities of justice and equity to

lament. Thus hath judgement been given between Me and him. Verily thy Lord

is the Ordainer, the All-Informed. In such circumstances as thou seest,

how can the Celestial Bird soar into the atmosphere of divine mysteries

when its wings have been battered with the stones of idle fancy and bitter

hatred, and it is cast into a prison built of unyielding stone? By the

righteousness of God! The people have perpetrated a grievous injustice.



As regards thine assertions about the beginning of creation, this is a

matter on which conceptions vary by reason of the divergences in men's

thoughts and opinions. Wert thou to assert that it hath ever existed and

shall continue to exist, it would be true; or wert thou to affirm the same

concept as is mentioned in the sacred Scriptures, no doubt would there be

about it, for it hath been revealed by God, the Lord of the worlds. Indeed

He was a hidden treasure. This is a station that can never be described

nor even alluded to. And in the station of 'I did wish to make Myself

known', God was, and His creation had ever existed beneath His shelter

from the beginning that hath no beginning, apart from its being preceded

by a Firstness which cannot be regarded as firstness and originated by a

Cause inscrutable even unto all men of learning.



That which hath been in existence had existed before, but not in the form

thou seest today. The world of existence came into being through the heat

generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is

its recipient. These two are the same, yet they are different. Thus doth

the Great Announcement inform thee about this glorious structure. Such as

communicate the generating influence and such as receive its impact are

indeed created through the irresistible Word of God which is the Cause of

the entire creation, while all else besides His Word are but the creatures

and the effects thereof. Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the All-Wise.



Know thou, moreover, that the Word of God--exalted be His glory--is higher

and far superior to that which the senses can perceive, for it is

sanctified from any property or substance. It transcendeth the limitations

of known elements and is exalted above all the essential and recognized

substances. It became manifest without any syllable or sound and is none

but the Command of God which pervadeth all created things. It hath never

been withheld from the world of being. It is God's all-pervasive grace,

from which all grace doth emanate. It is an entity far removed above all

that hath been and shall be.



We are loath to enlarge on this subject, inasmuch as the unbelievers have

inclined their ears towards Us in order to hear that which might enable

them to cavil against God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. And

since they are unable to attain to mysteries of knowledge and wisdom from

what hath been unravelled by the Source of divine splendour, they rise in

protest and burst into clamour. But it is true to say that they object to

that which they comprehend, not to the expositions given by the Expounder,

nor the truths imparted by the One true God, the Knower of things unseen.

Their objections, one and all, turn upon themselves, and I swear by thy

life that they are devoid of understanding.



Every thing must needs have an origin and every building a builder.

Verily, the Word of God is the Cause which hath preceded the contingent

world--a world which is adorned with the splendours of the Ancient of Days,

yet is being renewed and regenerated at all times. Immeasurably exalted is

the God of Wisdom Who hath raised this sublime structure.



Look at the world and ponder a while upon it. It unveileth the book of its

own self before thine eyes and revealeth that which the Pen of thy Lord,

the Fashioner, the All-Informed, hath inscribed therein. It will acquaint

thee with that which is within it and upon it and will give thee such

clear explanations as to make thee independent of every eloquent

expounder.



Say: Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the

Creator. Its manifestations are diversified by varying causes, and in this

diversity there are signs for men of discernment. Nature is God's Will and

is its expression in and through the contingent world. It is a

dispensation of Providence ordained by the Ordainer, the All-Wise. Were

anyone to affirm that it is the Will of God as manifested in the world of

being, no one should question this assertion. It is endowed with a power

whose reality men of learning fail to grasp. Indeed a man of insight can

perceive naught therein save the effulgent splendour of Our Name, the

Creator. Say: This is an existence which knoweth no decay, and Nature

itself is lost in bewilderment before its revelations, its compelling

evidences and its effulgent glory which have encompassed the universe.



It ill beseemeth thee to turn thy gaze unto former or more recent times.

Make thou mention of this Day and magnify that which hath appeared

therein. It will in truth suffice all mankind. Indeed expositions and

discourses in explanation of such things cause the spirits to be chilled.

It behoveth thee to speak forth in such wise as to set the hearts of true

believers ablaze and cause their bodies to soar.



Whoso firmly believeth today in the rebirth of man and is fully conscious

that God, the Most Exalted, wieldeth supreme ascendancy and absolute

authority over this new creation, verily such a man is reckoned with them

that are endued with insight in this most great Revelation. Unto this

beareth witness every discerning believer.



Walk thou high above the world of being through the power of the Most

Great Name, that thou mayest become aware of the immemorial mysteries and

be acquainted with that wherewith no one is acquainted. Verily, thy Lord

is the Helper, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Be thou as a throbbing

artery, pulsating in the body of the entire creation, that through the

heat generated by this motion there may appear that which will quicken the

hearts of those who hesitate.



At the time when We were hidden behind countless veils of light thou didst

commune with Me and didst witness the luminaries of the heaven of My

wisdom and the billows of the ocean of Mine utterance. Verily thy Lord is

the Truthful, the Faithful. Great indeed is the blessedness of him who

hath attained the liberal effusions of this ocean in the days of his Lord,

the Most Bountiful, the All-Wise.



During Our sojourn in 'Iraq when We were at the house of one named Majid,

We set forth clearly for thee the mysteries of creation and the origin,

the culmination and the cause thereof. However since Our departure We have

limited Ourself to this affirmation: 'Verily, no God is there but Me, the

Ever-Forgiving, the Bountiful.'



Teach thou the Cause of God with an utterance which will cause the bushes

to be enkindled, and the call 'Verily, there is no God but Me, the

Almighty, the Unconstrained' to be raised therefrom. Say: Human utterance

is an essence which aspireth to exert its influence and needeth

moderation. As to its influence, this is conditional upon refinement which

in turn is dependent upon hearts which are detached and pure. As to its

moderation, this hath to be combined with tact and wisdom as prescribed in

the Holy Scriptures and Tablets. Meditate upon that which hath streamed

forth from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, He Who is the Source of all

grace, that thou mayest grasp the intended meaning which is enshrined in

the sacred depths of the Holy Writings.



Those who have rejected God and firmly cling to Nature as it is in itself

are, verily, bereft of knowledge and wisdom. They are truly of them that

are far astray. They have failed to attain the lofty summit and have

fallen short of the ultimate purpose; therefore their eyes were shut and

their thoughts differed, while the leaders among them have believed in God

and in His invincible sovereignty. Unto this beareth witness thy Lord, the

Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.



When the eyes of the people of the East were captivated by the arts and

wonders of the West, they roved distraught in the wilderness of material

causes, oblivious of the One Who is the Causer of Causes, and the

Sustainer thereof, while such men as were the source and the wellspring of

Wisdom never denied the moving Impulse behind these causes, nor the

Creator or the Origin thereof. Thy Lord knoweth, yet most of the people

know not.



Now We have, for the sake of God, the Lord of Names, set Ourself the task

of mentioning in this Tablet some accounts of the sages,(52) that the eyes

of the people may be opened thereby and that they may become fully assured

that He is in truth the Maker, the Omnipotent, the Creator, the

Originator, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.



Although it is recognized that the contemporary men of learning are highly

qualified in philosophy, arts and crafts, yet were anyone to observe with

a discriminating eye he would readily comprehend that most of this

knowledge hath been acquired from the sages of the past, for it is they

who have laid the foundation of philosophy, reared its structure and

reinforced its pillars. Thus doth thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, inform



thee. The sages aforetime acquired their knowledge from the Prophets,

inasmuch as the latter were the Exponents of divine philosophy and the

Revealers of heavenly mysteries. Men quaffed the crystal, living waters of

Their utterance, while others satisfied themselves with the dregs.

Everyone receiveth a portion according to his measure. Verily He is the

Equitable, the Wise.



Empedocles, who distinguished himself in philosophy, was a contemporary of

David, while Pythagoras lived in the days of Solomon, son of David, and

acquired Wisdom from the treasury of prophethood. It is he who claimed to

have heard the whispering sound of the heavens and to have attained the

station of the angels. In truth thy Lord will clearly set forth all

things, if He pleaseth. Verily, He is the Wise, the All-Pervading.



The essence and the fundamentals of philosophy have emanated from the

Prophets. That the people differ concerning the inner meanings and

mysteries thereof is to be attributed to the divergence of their views and

minds. We would fain recount to thee the following: One of the Prophets

once was communicating to his people that with which the Omnipotent Lord

had inspired Him. Truly, thy Lord is the Inspirer, the Gracious, the

Exalted. When the fountain of wisdom and eloquence gushed forth from the

wellspring of His utterance and the wine of divine knowledge inebriated

those who had sought His threshold, He exclaimed: 'Lo! All are filled with

the Spirit.' From among the people there was he who held fast unto this

statement and, actuated by his own fancies, conceived the idea that the

spirit literally penetrateth or entereth into the body, and through

lengthy expositions he advanced proofs to vindicate this concept; and

groups of people followed in his footsteps. To mention their names at this

point, or to give thee a detailed account thereof, would lead to

prolixity, and would depart from the main theme. Verily, thy Lord is the

All-Wise, the All-Knowing. There was also he who partook of the choice

wine whose seal had been removed by the Key of the Tongue of Him Who is

the Revealer of the Verses of thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Generous.



Verily, the philosophers have not denied the Ancient of Days. Most of them

passed away deploring their failure to fathom His mystery, even as some of

them have testified. Verily, thy Lord is the Adviser, the All-Informed.



Consider Hippocrates, the physician. He was one of the eminent

philosophers who believed in God and acknowledged His sovereignty. After

him came Socrates who was indeed wise, accomplished and righteous. He

practised self-denial, repressed his appetites for selfish desires and

turned away from material pleasures. He withdrew to the mountains where he

dwelt in a cave. He dissuaded men from worshipping idols and taught them

the way of God, the Lord of Mercy, until the ignorant rose up against him.

They arrested him and put him to death in prison. Thus relateth to thee

this swift-moving Pen. What a penetrating vision into philosophy this

eminent man had! He is the most distinguished of all philosophers and was

highly versed in wisdom. We testify that he is one of the heroes in this

field and an outstanding champion dedicated unto it. He had a profound

knowledge of such sciences as were current amongst men as well as of those

which were veiled from their minds. Methinks he drank one draught when the

Most Great Ocean overflowed with gleaming and life-giving waters. He it is

who perceived a unique, a tempered, and a pervasive nature in things,

bearing the closest likeness to the human spirit, and he discovered this

nature to be distinct from the substance of things in their refined form.

He hath a special pronouncement on this weighty theme. Wert thou to ask

from the worldly wise of this generation about this exposition, thou

wouldst witness their incapacity to grasp it. Verily, thy Lord speaketh

the truth but most people comprehend not.



After Socrates came the divine Plato who was a pupil of the former and

occupied the chair of philosophy as his successor. He acknowledged his

belief in God and in His signs which pervade all that hath been and shall

be. Then came Aristotle, the well-known man of knowledge. He it is who

discovered the power of gaseous matter. These men who stand out as leaders

of the people and are pre-eminent among them, one and all acknowledged

their belief in the immortal Being Who holdeth in His grasp the reins of

all sciences.



I will also mention for thee the invocation voiced by Balinus who was

familiar with the theories put forward by the Father of Philosophy

regarding the mysteries of creation as given in his chrysolite tablets,

that everyone may be fully assured of the things We have elucidated for

thee in this manifest Tablet, which, if pressed with the hand of fairness

and knowledge, will yield the spirit of life for the quickening of all

created things. Great is the blessedness of him who swimmeth in this ocean

and celebrateth the praise of his Lord, the Gracious, the Best-Beloved.

Indeed the breezes of divine revelation are diffused from the verses of

thy Lord in such wise that no one can dispute its truth, except those who

are bereft of hearing, of vision, of understanding and of every human

faculty. Verily thy Lord beareth witness unto this, yet the people

understand not.



This man hath said: 'I am Balinus, the wise one, the performer of wonders,

the producer of talismans.' He surpassed everyone else in the diffusion of

arts and sciences and soared unto the loftiest heights of humility and

supplication. Give ear unto that which he hath said, entreating the

All-Possessing, the Most Exalted: 'I stand in the presence of my Lord,

extolling His gifts and bounties and praising Him with that wherewith He

praiseth His Own Self, that I may become a source of blessing and guidance

unto such men as acknowledge my words.' And further he saith: 'O Lord!

Thou art God and no God is there but Thee. Thou art the Creator and no

creator is there except Thee. Assist me by Thy grace and strengthen me. My

heart is seized with alarm, my limbs tremble, I have lost my reason and my

mind hath failed me. Bestow upon me strength and enable my tongue to speak

forth with wisdom.' And still further he saith: 'Thou art in truth the

Knowing, the Wise, the Powerful, the Compassionate.' It was this man of

wisdom who became informed of the mysteries of creation and discerned the

subtleties which lie enshrined in the Hermetic writings.(53)



We have no wish to mention anything further but We shall utter that which

the Spirit hath instilled into My heart. In truth there is no God but Him,

the Knowing, the Mighty, the Help in Peril, the Most Excellent, the

All-Praised. By My life! In this Day the celestial Tree is loath to

proclaim aught else to the world but this affirmation: 'Verily, there is

none other God but Me, the Peerless, the All-Informed.'



Had it not been for the love I cherish for thee, I would not have uttered

a single word of what hath been mentioned. Appreciate the value of this

station and preserve it as thou wouldst thine eye and be of them that are

truly thankful.



Thou knowest full well that We perused not the books which men possess and

We acquired not the learning current amongst them, and yet whenever We

desire to quote the sayings of the learned and of the wise,(54) presently

there will appear before the face of thy Lord in the form of a tablet all

that which hath appeared in the world and is revealed in the Holy Books

and Scriptures. Thus do We set down in writing that which the eye

perceiveth. Verily His knowledge encompasseth the earth and the heavens.



This is a Tablet wherein the Pen of the Unseen hath inscribed the

knowledge of all that hath been and shall be--a knowledge that none other

but My wondrous Tongue can interpret. Indeed My heart as it is in itself

hath been purged by God from the concepts of the learned and is sanctified

from the utterances of the wise. In truth naught doth it mirror forth but

the revelations of God. Unto this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur

in this perspicuous Book.



Say, O people of the earth! Beware lest any reference to wisdom debar you

from its Source or withhold you from the Dawning-Place thereof. Fix your

hearts upon your Lord, the Educator, the All-Wise.



For every land We have prescribed a portion, for every occasion an

allotted share, for every pronouncement an appointed time and for every

situation an apt remark. Consider Greece. We made it a Seat of Wisdom for

a prolonged period. However, when the appointed hour struck, its throne

was subverted, its tongue ceased to speak, its light grew dim and its

banner was hauled down. Thus do We bestow and withdraw. Verily thy Lord is

He Who giveth and divesteth, the Mighty, the Powerful.



In every land We have set up a luminary of knowledge, and when the time

foreordained is at hand, it will shine resplendent above its horizon, as

decreed by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. If it be Our Will We are

fully capable of describing for thee whatever existeth in every land or

hath come to pass therein. Indeed the knowledge of thy Lord pervadeth the

heavens and the earth.



Know thou, moreover, that the people aforetime have produced things which

the contemporary men of knowledge have been unable to produce. We recall

unto thee Murtus who was one of the learned. He invented an apparatus

which transmitted sound over a distance of sixty miles. Others besides him

have also discovered things which no one in this age hath beheld. Verily

thy Lord revealeth in every epoch whatsoever He pleaseth as a token of

wisdom on His part. He is in truth the supreme Ordainer, the All-Wise.



A true philosopher would never deny God nor His evidences, rather would he

acknowledge His glory and overpowering majesty which overshadow all

created things. Verily We love those men of knowledge who have brought to

light such things as promote the best interests of humanity, and We aided

them through the potency of Our behest, for well are We able to achieve

Our purpose.



Beware, O My loved ones, lest ye despise the merits of My learned servants

whom God hath graciously chosen to be the exponents of His Name 'the

Fashioner' amidst mankind. Exert your utmost endeavour that ye may develop

such crafts and undertakings that everyone, whether young or old, may

benefit therefrom. We are quit of those ignorant ones who fondly imagine

that Wisdom is to give vent to one's idle imaginings and to repudiate God,

the Lord of all men; even as We hear some of the heedless voicing such

assertions today.



Say: The beginning of Wisdom and the origin thereof is to acknowledge

whatsoever God hath clearly set forth, for through its potency the

foundation of statesmanship, which is a shield for the preservation of the

body of mankind, hath been firmly established. Ponder a while that ye may

perceive what My most exalted Pen hath proclaimed in this wondrous Tablet.

Say, every matter related to state affairs which ye raise for discussion

falls under the shadow of one of the words sent down from the heaven of

His glorious and exalted utterance. Thus have We recounted unto thee that

which will exhilarate thy heart, will bring solace to thine eyes and will

enable thee to arise for the promotion of His Cause amidst all peoples.



O My Nabil! Let nothing grieve thee, rather rejoice with exceeding

gladness inasmuch as I have mentioned thy name, have turned My heart and

My face towards thee and have conversed with thee through this irrefutable

and weighty exposition. Ponder in thy heart upon the tribulations I have

sustained, the imprisonment and the captivity I have endured, the

sufferings that have befallen Me and the accusations that the people have

levelled against Me. Behold, they are truly wrapped in a grievous veil.



When the discourse reached this stage, the dawn of divine mysteries

appeared and the light of utterance was quenched. May His glory rest upon

the people of wisdom as bidden by One Who is the Almighty, the

All-Praised.



Say: Magnified be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name

through which the splendour of the light of wisdom shone resplendent when

the heavens of divine utterance were set in motion amidst mankind, to

graciously aid me by Thy heavenly confirmations and enable me to extol Thy

Name amongst Thy servants.



O Lord! Unto Thee have I turned my face, detached from all save Thee and

holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy manifold blessings. Unloose my

tongue therefore to proclaim that which will captivate the minds of men

and will rejoice their souls and spirits. Strengthen me then in Thy Cause

in such wise that I may not be hindered by the ascendancy of the

oppressors among Thy creatures nor withheld by the onslaught of the

disbelievers amidst those who dwell in Thy realm. Make me as a lamp

shining throughout Thy lands that those in whose hearts the light of Thy

knowledge gloweth and the yearning for Thy love lingereth may be guided by

its radiance.



Verily, potent art Thou to do whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp

Thou holdest the kingdom of creation. There is none other God but Thee,

the Almighty, the All-Wise.