Suriy-i-ra'is
Sources: The Summons Of The Lord Of Hosts By Baha'u'llahIn His name, the All-Glorious!
1 Hearken, O Chief,(61) to the voice of God, the Sovereign, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He, verily, calleth aloud between heaven and
earth, summoning all mankind unto the scene of transcendent glory. Neither
thy grunting, nor the barking of those around thee, nor the opposition of
the hosts of the world can withhold the Almighty from achieving His
purpose. The wh
All-Glorious, a Word softer than the morning breeze. It hath been
manifested in the form of the human temple, and through it God hath
quickened the souls of the sincere among His servants. In its inner
essence, this Word is the living water by which God hath purified the
hearts of such as have turned unto Him and forgotten every other mention,
and through which He draweth them nigh unto the seat of His mighty Name.
We have sprinkled it upon the people of the graves, and lo, they have
risen up, with their gaze fixed upon the shining and resplendent Beauty of
their Lord.
2 Thou hast, O Chief, committed that which hath caused Muhammad, the
Apostle of God, to lament in the most sublime Paradise. The world hath
made thee proud, so much so that thou hast turned away from the Face
through whose brightness the Concourse on high hath been illumined. Soon
thou shalt find thyself in manifest loss! Thou didst conspire with the
Persian Ambassador to harm Me, though I had come unto you from the source
of majesty and grandeur with a Revelation that hath solaced the eyes of
the favoured ones of God.
3 By God! This is the Day wherein the undying Fire crieth out from within
all created things: The Best-Beloved of the worlds is come! And before
all things there standeth a Moses, hearkening to the Word of thy Lord, the
Almighty, the All-Knowing. Were We to divest Ourself of the mortal raiment
which We have worn in consideration of your weakness, all that are in
heaven and on earth would offer up their souls for My sake. To this thy
Lord Himself doth testify. None, however, can perceive it save those who
have detached themselves from all things for love of their Lord, the
Almighty, the Most Powerful.
4 Hast thou imagined thyself capable of extinguishing the fire which God
hath kindled in the heart of creation? Nay, by Him Who is the Eternal
Truth, couldst thou but know it. Rather, on account of what thy hands have
wrought, it blazed higher and burned more fiercely. Erelong will it
encompass the earth and all that dwell therein. Thus hath it been decreed
by God, and the powers of earth and heaven are unable to thwart His
purpose.
5 The day is approaching when the Land of Mystery(62) and what is beside
it shall be changed, and shall pass out of the hands of the King, and
commotions shall appear, and the voice of lamentation shall be raised, and
the evidences of mischief shall be revealed on all sides, and confusion
shall spread by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the
hands of the hosts of oppression. The course of things shall be altered,
and conditions shall wax so grievous, that the very sands on the desolate
hills will moan, and the trees on the mountain will weep, and blood will
flow out of all things. Then wilt thou behold the people in sore
distress.(63)
6 O Chief! We revealed Ourself unto thee at one time upon Mount Tina, and
at another time upon Mount Zayta,(64) and yet again in this hallowed Spot.
Following, however, thy corrupt inclinations, thou didst fail to respond
and wert accounted with the heedless. Consider, then, and call thou to
mind the time when Muhammad came with clear tokens from Him Who is the
Almighty, the All-Knowing. The people were wont to pelt Him with stones
from hidden places and in the markets, and they rejected the signs of God,
thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. The learned also denied Him, as
did their followers, and likewise the kings of the earth, as thou hast
heard from the tales of old. Among those kings was Chosroes,(65) to whom
Muhammad sent a blessed epistle summoning him unto God and forbidding him
from misbelief. Verily, thy Lord knoweth all things. Following the
promptings of his evil and corrupt desires, however, Chosroes waxed
arrogant before God and tore up the Tablet. He, verily, is accounted among
the inmates of the nethermost fire.
7 Was it in Pharaoh's power to stay the hand of God from exercising His
sovereignty when he acted wantonly in the land and was of the
transgressors? From within his own house and in spite of his will We
brought forth Him Who conversed with God. Well able are We to achieve Our
purpose. Recall, moreover, how Nimrod kindled the fire of impiety that its
flames might consume Abraham, the Friend of God; We delivered Him,
however, through the power of truth and seized Nimrod with the fury of Our
wrath. Say: The Oppressor(66) put to death the Beloved of the worlds to
quench the light of God amongst the people and to debar them from the
wellspring of life eternal in the days of thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most
Bountiful.
8 We, too, have revealed the Cause of God in His cities and raised aloft
His remembrance amidst them that truly believe in Him. Say: This Youth
hath come to quicken the world and unite all its peoples. The day is
approaching when that which God hath purposed will have prevailed and thou
shalt behold the earth transformed into the all-glorious paradise. Thus
hath it been inscribed by the Pen of Revelation upon this weighty Tablet.
9 Forsake Thy mention of the Chief, O Pen, and call to remembrance Anis,
that intimate of the love of God who severed himself from the wayward and
the infidel. He tore the veils asunder in such wise that the inmates of
Paradise could hear them being rent. Glorified be God, the Sovereign, the
Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
10 O nightingale! Incline thine ear unto the voice of the All-Glorious on
this night when armed troops have surrounded Us while We remain in a state
of utmost joy. O would that our blood might be shed upon the earth and our
bodies cast upon the dust in the path of God! This, indeed, is My desire
and the desire of whosoever hath sought Me and attained unto My most
wondrous, Mine incomparable Kingdom.
11 Know thou, O servant, that one day, upon awakening, We found the
beloved of God at the mercy of Our adversaries. Sentinels were posted at
every gate and no one was permitted to enter or leave. Indeed, they
perpetrated a sore injustice, for the loved ones of God and His kindred
were left on the first night without food. Such was the fate of those for
whose sake the world and all that is therein have been created. Woe betide
the perpetrators and those who led them into such evil! Erelong will God
consume their souls in the fire. He, verily, is the fiercest of avengers.
12 The people surrounded the house, and Muslims and Christians wept over
Us, and the voice of lamentation was upraised between earth and heaven by
reason of what the hands of the oppressors had wrought. We perceived that
the weeping of the people of the Son exceeded the weeping of others--a sign
for such as ponder.
13 One of My companions offered up his life, cutting his throat with his
own hands for the love of God, an act unheard of in bygone centuries and
which God hath set apart for this Revelation as an evidence of the power
of His might.(67) He, verily, is the Unconstrained, the All-Subduing. As
for the one who thus slew himself in 'Iraq,(68) he truly is the King and
Beloved of Martyrs, and that which he evinced was a testimony from God
unto the peoples of the earth. Such souls have been influenced by the Word
of God, have tasted the sweetness of His remembrance, and are so
transported by the breezes of reunion that they have detached themselves
from all that dwell on earth and turned unto the Divine Countenance with
faces beaming with light. And though they have committed an act which God
hath forbidden, He hath nevertheless forgiven them as a token of His
mercy. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. So
enraptured were these souls by Him Who is the All-Compelling that the
reins of volition slipped from their grasp, until at last they ascended to
the dwelling of the Unseen and entered the presence of God, the Almighty,
the All-Knowing.
14 Say: This Youth hath departed out of this country and deposited beneath
every tree and every stone a trust, which God will erelong bring forth
through the power of truth. Thus hath the True One come and the command of
Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise, been fulfilled. The hosts of earth
and heaven are powerless to resist His Cause, nor can all the kings and
rulers of the world ever frustrate His purpose. Say: Adversity is the oil
which feedeth the flame of this Lamp and by which its light is increased,
did ye but know. Indeed, the repudiation of the froward serveth but to
proclaim this Faith and to spread the Cause of God and His Revelation
throughout the world.
15 Great is your blessedness, inasmuch as ye have forsaken your homes and
wandered the land for the love of your Lord, the Almighty, the Ancient of
Days, until ye entered the Land of Mystery at a time when the fire of
oppression was ablaze and the croaking of the raven of discord had been
raised. Ye are My partners in My tribulations, for ye were present with Us
during the darksome night in which the hearts of those who testify to the
unity of God were agitated. Ye entered this land for the sake of Our love,
and departed therefrom through Our command. By the righteousness of God!
Because of you the earth itself glorieth over heaven. How excellent is
this most sublime, this glorious and exalted bounty! Ye have been deprived
of your nest, O birds of eternity, for the sake of your Lord, the
Unconstrained, but your true abode is beneath the wings of the grace of
the All-Merciful. Blessed are they that understand.
16 O My Dhabih! May the breaths of the spirit waft upon thee and upon such
as have sought communion with thee, inhaled from thee the sweet fragrance
of My presence, and hearkened unto that whereby the hearts of the true
seekers are sanctified. Render thanks unto God inasmuch as thou hast
attained unto the shores of this Most Great Ocean, and give ear to the
very atoms of the earth proclaiming: This is the Best-Beloved of the
worlds! The dwellers of the earth have wronged Him and failed to
recognize the One Whose name they ceaselessly invoke. Lost are such as
have remained heedless and have opposed Him for Whose loved ones it would
have behoved them to offer up their lives, how much more for His own
luminous and resplendent Beauty!
17 Be thou patient, though thy heart be consumed in its separation from
God, for He hath granted thee an exalted station in His presence. Nay,
thou art even now standing before His face, and We are imparting unto
thee, through the tongue of might and power, such words as even the ears
of the sincere ones have been deprived of hearing. Say: Were He to utter
but one word, that word alone would exceed in sweetness all the sayings of
men.
18 Had Muhammad, the Apostle of God, attained this Day, He would have
exclaimed: I have truly recognized Thee, O Thou the Desire of the Divine
Messengers! Had Abraham attained it, He too, falling prostrate upon the
ground, and in the utmost lowliness before the Lord thy God, would have
cried: Mine heart is filled with peace, O Thou Lord of all that is in
heaven and on earth! I testify that Thou hast unveiled before mine eyes
all the glory of Thy power and the full majesty of Thy law! I bear
witness, moreover, that through Thy Revelation the hearts of the faithful
are well assured and contented. Had Moses Himself attained it, He,
likewise, would have raised His voice saying: All praise be to Thee for
having lifted upon me the light of Thy countenance and enrolled me among
them that have been privileged to behold Thy face!
19 Consider the people and their condition. Reflect upon the things that
their mouths have uttered and that their hands have wrought in this
blessed, this most holy and peerless Day. They that have tarnished the
good name of the Cause of God and turned unto the Evil One are accursed of
all created things and are numbered among the inmates of the fire. Verily,
whosoever hath hearkened to My call shall remain unperturbed by the
clamour of all that are on earth; and whosoever is influenced by the words
of anyone beside Me hath never heard My call. By God! Such a man is
deprived of entering My Kingdom, is debarred from My realms of majesty and
power, and is of them that are in utter loss.
20 Sorrow not for that which hath befallen thee. Thou hast borne for My
love that which most people have never endured. Thy Lord knoweth and is
informed of all. He was with thee in the assemblages and gatherings, and
heard that which flowed from the wellspring of thy heart in remembrance of
thy Lord, the All-Merciful. This, indeed, is a token of His bountiful
favour.
21 Erelong will God raise up from among the kings one who will aid His
loved ones. He, verily, encompasseth all things. He will instill in the
hearts the love of His loved ones. This, indeed, is irrevocably decreed by
One Who is the Almighty, the Beneficent.
22 We beseech God to gladden the hearts of His servants through thy call,
to make thee an ensign of guidance in His lands, and to assist through
thee those who have been brought low. Heed not the one who raised a loud
clamour and he who raiseth it even now. Let thy Lord, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Generous, be all-sufficient unto thee. Relate unto My loved ones
that which thou hast seen and learned of the tale of this Youth, and
convey unto them that which We have imparted unto thee. Verily, thy Lord
assisteth and watcheth over thee at all times and under all conditions.
The blessings of the Concourse on high surround thee, and the kindred and
the leaves of the holy family who circle round the celestial Tree extol
thee with a wondrous praise.
23 O Pen of Revelation! Call Thou to remembrance him(69) whose letter
reached Us during this darksome night. He it is who wandered from region
to region until he entered the City,(70) seeking the shelter of the mercy
of his Lord, the Almighty, the Most High. Eagerly awaiting the favours of
his Lord, he dwelt therein for a night, but departed therefrom the
following morning as bidden by God, filling with sorrow the heart of this
Youth. To this the Almighty is Himself a witness.
24 Great is thy blessedness, for thou hast received the wine of utterance
from the hand of the All-Merciful, and became so enraptured by the sweet
fragrance of the Best-Beloved as to renounce thy comfort and to be
numbered with them that have hastened unto His Paradise, the Dawning-Place
of the signs of thy Lord, the Gracious, the Peerless. Happy the one who
hath quaffed the wine of inner mysteries from the countenance of his Lord
and been intoxicated by this pure and crystal draught. By God! It causeth
every true believer to soar in the heaven of majesty and grandeur, and
transmuteth every doubt into certainty.
25 Grieve not at what hath befallen thee, but put thy whole trust in God,
the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the Wise. Raise thy house upon the solid
foundation of divine utterances, and give praise to thy Lord. He, verily,
shall suffice thee above all the peoples of the earth.
26 God hath, in truth, inscribed your names upon a Tablet wherein are
enshrined the hidden secrets of all that hath been. Erelong shall the
faithful call to remembrance your exile and all your journeys in His path.
He, verily, loveth those who love Him, and is the helper of the sincere.
By the righteousness of God! The eyes of the Concourse on high are fixed
upon you and their fingers point towards you. Thus doth the bounty of your
Lord encompass you. Would that the people might recognize that which hath
escaped them in the days of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.
27 Render thanks unto God for having aided thee to know Him and to enter
within the precincts of His court at a time when the ungodly surrounded
the family of thy Lord and His loved ones, and expelled them from their
homes with manifest cruelty, intending to separate us at the shore of the
sea. Verily, thy Lord is aware of that which lieth concealed within the
breasts of the unbelievers. Say: Even should ye tear our bodies asunder,
ye could not banish from our hearts the love of God. We were of a truth
created for sacrifice, and in this do we take pride before all creation.
28 O thou who art set aglow with the fire of the love of God! Know thou
that thy letter hath reached Us and that We have been apprised of its
contents. We beseech God to confirm thee in His love and in His good
pleasure, to assist thee in the promotion of His Cause, and to number thee
with such as have arisen for the triumph of His Faith.
29 As to thy question regarding the soul: Know thou that among the people
there are numerous treatises and manifold views as to its stations. Among
these are the soul of the kingdom, the soul of the dominion, the celestial
soul, the divine soul, the sanctified soul, as well as the benevolent
soul, the contented soul, the soul pleasing unto God, the inspired soul,
the irascible soul, and the concupiscent soul. Every group hath its own
pronouncements concerning the soul and We are disinclined to dwell upon
the sayings of the past. Verily, with thy Lord is the knowledge of the
former and latter generations.
30 Would that thou wert present before Our throne to hear from the Tongue
of Grandeur itself that which thou desirest and scale the loftiest heights
of knowledge by the grace of Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! The
ungodly, however, have intervened between us. Take heed lest thou be
grieved thereby. Be content with that which hath been ordained by an
irrevocable decree, and be of them that endure with patience.
31 Know that the soul which is common to all men cometh forth following
the commingling of things and after their maturation, as thou dost observe
in the germ: once it hath developed to its predestined stage, God
manifesteth the soul that was latent within it. Thy Lord, verily, doeth
what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.
32 As to the soul which is intended, in truth it hath been called forth by
the Word of God and is such that, if it be kindled with the fire of the
love of its Lord, neither the waters of opposition nor the oceans of the
world can quench its flame. That soul is indeed a fire ablaze in the tree
of man which proclaimeth: No God is there but Him! Whosoever hearkeneth
unto its call is verily of those who have attained unto Him. And when it
casteth off its earthly frame, God shall raise it up again in the most
excellent of forms and cause it to enter a sublime paradise. Thy Lord, of
a certainty, hath power over all things.
33 Know, furthermore, that the life of man proceedeth from the spirit, and
the spirit turneth to wheresoever the soul directeth it. Ponder upon that
which We have revealed unto thee that thou mayest recognize the Soul of
God which hath appeared above the Dayspring of bounty invested with
manifest sovereignty.
34 Know also that the soul is endowed with two wings: should it soar in
the atmosphere of love and contentment, then it will be related to the
All-Merciful. And should it fly in the atmosphere of self and desire, then
it will pertain to the Evil One; may God shield and protect us and protect
you therefrom, O ye who perceive! Should the soul become ignited with the
fire of the love of God, it is called benevolent and pleasing unto God,
but should it be consumed with the fire of passion, it is known as the
concupiscent soul. Thus have We expounded this subject for thee that thou
mayest obtain a clear understanding.
35 O Pen of the Most High! Recount unto him who hath turned unto Thy Lord,
the All-Glorious, that which shall enable him to dispense with the sayings
of men. Say: Spirit, mind, soul, and the powers of sight and hearing are
but one single reality which hath manifold expressions owing to the
diversity of its instruments. As thou dost observe, man's power to
comprehend, move, speak, hear, and see all derive from this sign of his
Lord within him. It is single in its essence, yet manifold through the
diversity of its instruments. This, verily, is a certain truth. For
example, if it directeth its attention to the means of hearing, then
hearing and its attributes become manifest. Likewise, if it directeth
itself to the means of vision, a different effect and attribute appear.
Reflect upon this subject that thou mayest comprehend the true meaning of
what hath been intended, find thyself independent of the sayings of the
people, and be of them that are well assured. In like manner, when this
sign of God turneth towards the brain, the head, and such means, the
powers of the mind and the soul are manifested. Thy Lord, verily, is
potent to do whatsoever He pleaseth.
36 All that We have mentioned here hath been elucidated in the Tablets We
have revealed in response to questions regarding the disconnected letters
of the Qur'an. Ponder them that thou mayest comprehend that which hath
been sent down from the Kingdom of Him Who is the Almighty, the
All-Praised. Thus have We chosen to be concise in this Tablet. We beseech
God to acquaint thee through this brief exposition with that which words
can never hope to exhaust, and to give thee to drink of the limitless
oceans from this cup. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Bountiful and
unassailable in His power.
37 O Pen of the Ancient of Days! Call Thou to remembrance 'Ali,(71) he who
sojourned with Thee in 'Iraq until the Daystar of the world departed
therefrom. He forsook his home to attain the court of Thy presence at a
time when We were captive in the hands of such as have been deprived of
the sweet savours of the All-Merciful. Grieve not at what hath befallen Us
and thee in the path of God. Rest assured and persevere. He, verily,
rendereth victorious those who love Him, and His might is equal to all
things. Whoso turneth unto Him brighteneth thereby the faces of the
Concourse on high, and unto this God Himself is My witness.
38 Say: O people, do ye imagine that, after rejecting the One through Whom
the religions of the world have been made manifest, ye still bear
allegiance to the Faith of God? By the righteousness of God! Ye are
accounted among the inmates of the Fire. Thus hath the decree been
recorded in the Tablets by the Pen of God. Say: Never will the barking of
dogs deter the Nightingale from warbling its melodies. Ponder awhile that
perchance ye may discover a path leading to the Eternal Truth.
39 Say: Magnified art Thou, O Lord my God! I entreat Thee by the tears Thy
lovers have shed in their longing after Thee, and by the yearning of those
who cry out in their separation from Thee, and by Thy Best-Beloved Who
hath fallen into the hands of Thine adversaries, to graciously assist
those who have sought refuge beneath the sheltering wings of Thy favour
and loving-kindness, and who have yearned for no other Lord except Thee.
40 We have forsaken our homes, O Lord, in our eagerness to meet Thee and
in our longing to be united with Thee. We have traversed land and sea to
attain the court of Thy presence and to give ear to Thy verses. When we
arrived at the shores of the sea, however, we were held back from Thee, as
the ungodly intervened between us and the light of Thy countenance.
41 O Lord! Dire thirst hath seized us, and with Thee are the soft-flowing
waters of eternal life. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Deny us
not the object of our quest. Write down then for us the recompense decreed
for such of Thy servants as enjoy near access to Thee and are wholly
devoted to Thy will. Make us so steadfast in Thy love that naught shall
keep us back from Thee or deter us from Thine adoration. Powerful art Thou
to do Thy pleasure. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Generous.
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WHATSOEVER hath been announced in the Books hath been revealed and made clear. From every direction the signs have been manifested. The Omnipotent One is calling, in this Day, and announcing the appearance of the Supreme Heaven. ... When The Victory Arriveth Every Man Shall
When the victory arriveth, every man shall profess himself as believer and shall hasten to the shelter of God's Faith. Happy are they who in the days of world-encompassing trials have stood fast in the Cause and refused to swerve from its truth. ... When Thou Art Departed Out Of The Court Of
When thou art departed out of the court of My presence, O Muhammad, direct thy steps towards My House (Ba_gh_dad House), and visit it on behalf of thy Lord. When thou reachest its door, stand thou before it and say: Whither is the Ancient Beauty g... When We Observed Carefully, We Discovered That Our
WHEN We observed carefully, We discovered that Our enemies are, for the most part, the divines... Among the people are those who said: He hath repudiated the divines. Say: Yea, by My Lord! I, in very truth, was the One Who abolished the idols! We,... Whoso Layeth Claim To A Revelation Direct
Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor. We pray God that He may graciously assist him to retract and repudiate such claim. Should he repent, God wil... Whoso Wisheth To Recite This Prayer, Let
Whoso wisheth to recite this prayer, let him stand up and turn unto God, and, as he standeth in his place, let him gaze to the right and to the left, as if awaiting the mercy of his Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Then ... Woman's Work
'Abdu'l-Baha's interest in women's work and progress is well known, and among the notable leaders who came to see him, may be mentioned Mrs. Annie Besant, President of the Theosophical Society, the organizers of various suffrage bodies, civic and ... Zenobia
'Abdu'l-Baha asked the company if they remembered the story of Zenobia and of the fall of Palmyra. He then continued as follows, using his hands in the grave and simple gesticulations characteristic of him: There was once a Governor in Ancient S... Epistle To The Son Of The Wolf
In the name of God, the One, the Incomparable, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Praise be to God, the Eternal that perisheth not, the Everlasting that declineth not, the Self-Subsisting that altereth not. He it is Who i... Introduction
The years following Baha'u'llah'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 thi... Lawh-i-fu'ad
He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious! 1 Kaf. Za'.(75) We call unto thee from beyond the sea of grandeur, upon the crimson land, above the horizon of tribulation. Verily, no God is there save Him, the Almighty, the Most Generou... Lawh-i-ra'is
He is in His own Right the Supreme Ruler! 1 The Pen of the Most High proclaimeth: O thou who hast imagined thyself to be the most exalted of men(72) and who hast regarded as the lowliest of all creatures this divine Youth, throug... Suriy-i-haykal
_This is the Surih 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._ He is the Most Wondrous,... Suriy-i-muluk
He is the Almighty! 1 This is a Tablet from this Servant, who is called Husayn in the kingdom of names, to the concourse of the kings of the earth. Haply they may approach it in a spirit of open-mindedness, discover fr... Suriy-i-ra'is
In His name, the All-Glorious! 1 Hearken, O Chief,(61) to the voice of God, the Sovereign, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He, verily, calleth aloud between heaven and earth, summoning all mankind unto the scene of ...