Lawh-i-aqdas (the Most Holy Tablet)(1)

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

This is the Most Holy Tablet sent down from the holy kingdom unto the one

who hath set his face towards the Object of the adoration of the world, He

Who hath come from the heaven of eternity, invested with transcendent

glory



In the name of the Lord, the Lord of great glory.



THIS is an Epistle from Our presence unto him whom the veils of names have

failed to keep back from God, the Creator of earth and heaven, that his

eyes may be cheered in the days of his Lord, the Help in Peril, the

Self-Subsisting.



Say, O followers of the Son!(2) Have ye shut out yourselves from Me by

reason of My Name? Wherefore ponder ye not in your hearts? Day and night

ye have been calling upon your Lord, the Omnipotent, but when He came from

the heaven of eternity in His great glory, ye turned aside from Him and

remained sunk in heedlessness.



Consider those who rejected the Spirit(3) when He came unto them with

manifest dominion. How numerous the Pharisees who had secluded themselves

in synagogues in His name, lamenting over their separation from Him, and

yet when the portals of reunion were flung open and the divine Luminary

shone resplendent from the Dayspring of Beauty, they disbelieved in God,

the Exalted, the Mighty. They failed to attain His presence,

notwithstanding that His advent had been promised them in the Book of

Isaiah as well as in the Books of the Prophets and the Messengers. No one

from among them turned his face towards the Dayspring of divine bounty

except such as were destitute of any power amongst men. And yet, today,

every man endowed with power and invested with sovereignty prideth himself

on His Name. Moreover, call thou to mind the one who sentenced Jesus to

death. He was the most learned of his age in his own country, whilst he

who was only a fisherman believed in Him. Take good heed and be of them

that observe the warning.



Consider likewise, how numerous at this time are the monks who have

secluded themselves in their churches, calling upon the Spirit, but when

He appeared through the power of Truth, they failed to draw nigh unto Him

and are numbered with those that have gone far astray. Happy are they that

have abandoned them and set their faces towards Him Who is the Desire of

all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth.



They read the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the All-Glorious Lord,

notwithstanding that He hath come through the potency of His exalted, His

mighty and gracious dominion. We, verily, have come for your sakes, and

have borne the misfortunes of the world for your salvation. Flee ye the

One Who hath sacrificed His life that ye may be quickened? Fear God, O

followers of the Spirit, and walk not in the footsteps of every divine

that hath gone far astray. Do ye imagine that He seeketh His own

interests, when He hath, at all times, been threatened by the swords of

the enemies; or that He seeketh the vanities of the world, after He hath

been imprisoned in the most desolate of cities? Be fair in your judgement

and follow not the footsteps of the unjust.



Open the doors of your hearts. He Who is the Spirit verily standeth before

them. Wherefore keep ye afar from Him Who hath purposed to draw you nigh

unto a Resplendent Spot? Say: We, in truth, have opened unto you the gates

of the Kingdom. Will ye bar the doors of your houses in My face? This

indeed is naught but a grievous error. He, verily, hath again come down

from heaven, even as He came down from it the first time. Beware lest ye

dispute that which He proclaimeth, even as the people before you disputed

His utterances. Thus instructeth you the True One, could ye but perceive

it.



The river Jordan is joined to the Most Great Ocean, and the Son, in the

holy vale, crieth out: 'Here am I, here am I O Lord, my God!', whilst

Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: 'He

Who is the Desired One is come in His transcendent majesty.' Say, Lo! The

Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is

fulfilled! This is the Word which the Son concealed, when to those around

Him He said: 'Ye cannot bear it now.' And when the appointed time was

fulfilled and the Hour had struck, the Word shone forth above the horizon

of the Will of God. Beware, O followers of the Son, that ye cast it not

behind your backs. Take ye fast hold of it. Better is this for you than

all that ye possess. Verily He is nigh unto them that do good. The Hour

which We had concealed from the knowledge of the peoples of the earth and

of the favoured angels hath come to pass. Say, verily, He hath testified

of Me, and I do testify of Him. Indeed, He hath purposed no one other than

Me. Unto this beareth witness every fair-minded and understanding soul.



Though beset with countless afflictions, We summon the people unto God,

the Lord of names. Say, strive ye to attain that which ye have been

promised in the Books of God, and walk not in the way of the ignorant. My

body hath endured imprisonment that ye may be released from the bondage of

self. Set your faces then towards His countenance and follow not the

footsteps of every hostile oppressor. Verily, He hath consented to be

sorely abased that ye may attain unto glory, and yet, ye are disporting

yourselves in the vale of heedlessness. He, in truth, liveth in the most

desolate of abodes for your sakes, whilst ye dwell in your palaces.



Say, did ye not hearken to the Voice of the Crier, calling aloud in the

wilderness of the Bayan, bearing unto you the glad-tidings of the coming

of your Lord, the All-Merciful? Lo! He is come in the sheltering shadow of

Testimony, invested with conclusive proof and evidence, and those who

truly believe in Him regard His presence as the embodiment of the Kingdom

of God. Blessed is the man who turneth towards Him, and woe betide such as

deny or doubt Him.



Announce thou unto the priests: Lo! He Who is the Ruler is come. Step out

from behind the veil in the name of thy Lord, He Who layeth low the necks

of all men. Proclaim then unto all mankind the glad-tidings of this

mighty, this glorious Revelation. Verily, He Who is the Spirit of Truth is

come to guide you unto all truth. He speaketh not as prompted by His own

self, but as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.



Say, this is the One Who hath glorified the Son and hath exalted His

Cause. Cast away, O peoples of the earth, that which ye have and take fast

hold of that which ye are bidden by the All-Powerful, He Who is the Bearer

of the Trust of God. Purge ye your ears and set your hearts towards Him

that ye may hearken to the most wondrous Call which hath been raised from

Sinai, the habitation of your Lord, the Most Glorious. It will, in truth,

draw you nigh unto the Spot wherein ye will perceive the splendour of the

light of His countenance which shineth above this luminous Horizon.



O concourse of priests! Leave the bells, and come forth, then, from your

churches. It behoveth you, in this day, to proclaim aloud the Most Great

Name among the nations. Prefer ye to be silent, whilst every stone and

every tree shouteth aloud: 'The Lord is come in His great glory!'? Well is

it with the man who hasteneth unto Him. Verily, he is numbered among them

whose names will be eternally recorded and who will be mentioned by the

Concourse on High. Thus hath it been decreed by the Spirit in this

wondrous Tablet. He that summoneth men in My name is, verily, of Me, and

he will show forth that which is beyond the power of all that are on

earth. Follow ye the Way of the Lord and walk not in the footsteps of them

that are sunk in heedlessness. Well is it with the slumberer who is

stirred by the Breeze of God and ariseth from amongst the dead, directing

his steps towards the Way of the Lord. Verily, such a man is regarded, in

the sight of God, the True One, as a jewel amongst men and is reckoned

with the blissful.



Say: In the East the light of His Revelation hath broken; in the West have

appeared the signs of His dominion. Ponder this in your hearts, O people,

and be not of those who have turned a deaf ear to the admonitions of Him

Who is the Almighty, the All-Praised. Let the Breeze of God awaken you.

Verily, it hath wafted over the world. Well is it with him that hath

discovered the fragrance thereof and been accounted among the

well-assured.



O concourse of bishops! Ye are the stars of the heaven of My knowledge. My

mercy desireth not that ye should fall upon the earth. My justice,

however, declareth: 'This is that which the Son hath decreed.' And

whatsoever hath proceeded out of His blameless, His truth-speaking,

trustworthy mouth, can never be altered. The bells, verily, peal out My

Name, and lament over Me, but My spirit rejoiceth with evident gladness.

The body of the Loved One yearneth for the cross, and His head is eager

for the spear, in the path of the All-Merciful. The ascendancy of the

oppressor can in no wise deter Him from His purpose. We have summoned all

created things to attain the presence of thy Lord, the King of all names.

Blessed is the man that hath set his face towards God, the Lord of the Day

of Reckoning.



O concourse of monks! If ye choose to follow Me, I will make you heirs of

My Kingdom; and if ye transgress against Me, I will, in My long-suffering,

endure it patiently, and I, verily, am the Ever-Forgiving, the

All-Merciful.



O land of Syria! What hath become of thy righteousness? Thou art, in

truth, ennobled by the footsteps of thy Lord. Hast thou perceived the

fragrance of heavenly reunion, or art thou to be accounted of the

heedless?



Bethlehem is astir with the Breeze of God. We hear her voice saying: 'O

most generous Lord! Where is Thy great glory established? The sweet

savours of Thy presence have quickened me, after I had melted in my

separation from Thee. Praised be Thou in that Thou hast raised the veils,

and come with power in evident glory.' We called unto her from behind the

Tabernacle of Majesty and Grandeur: 'O Bethlehem! This Light hath risen in

the orient, and travelled towards the occident, until it reached thee in

the evening of its life. Tell Me then: Do the sons recognize the Father,

and acknowledge Him, or do they deny Him, even as the people aforetime

denied Him (Jesus)?' Whereupon she cried out saying: 'Thou art, in truth,

the All-Knowing, the Best-Informed.' Verily, We behold all created things

moved to bear witness unto Us. Some know Us and bear witness, while the

majority bear witness, yet know Us not.



Mount Sinai is astir with the joy of beholding Our countenance. She hath

lifted her enthralling voice in glorification of her Lord, saying: 'O

Lord! I sense the fragrance of Thy garment. Methinks Thou art near,

invested with the signs of God. Thou hast ennobled these regions with Thy

footsteps. Great is the blessedness of Thy people, could they but know

Thee and inhale Thy sweet savours; and woe betide them that are fast

asleep.'



Happy art thou who hast turned thy face towards My countenance, inasmuch

as thou hast rent the veils asunder, hast shattered the idols and

recognized thine eternal Lord. The people of the Qur'an have risen up

against Us without any clear proof or evidence, tormenting Us at every

moment with a fresh torment. They idly imagine that tribulations can

frustrate Our Purpose. Vain indeed is that which they have imagined.

Verily, thy Lord is the One Who ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.



I never passed a tree but Mine heart addressed it saying: 'O would that

thou wert cut down in My name, and My body crucified upon thee.' We

revealed this passage in the Epistle to the Shah that it might serve as a

warning to the followers of religions. Verily, thy Lord is the

All-Knowing, the All-Wise.



Let not the things they have perpetrated grieve thee. Truly they are even

as dead, and not living. Leave them unto the dead, then turn thy face

towards Him Who is the Life-Giver of the world. Beware lest the sayings of

the heedless sadden thee. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, and teach the

people with consummate wisdom. Thus enjoineth thee the Ruler of earth and

heaven. He is in truth the Almighty, the Most Generous. Ere long will God

exalt thy remembrance and will inscribe with the Pen of Glory that which

thou didst utter for the sake of His love. He is in truth the Protector of

the doers of good.



Give My remembrance to the one named Murad and say: 'Blessed art thou, O

Murad, inasmuch as thou didst cast away the promptings of thine own desire

and hast followed Him Who is the Desire of all mankind.'



Say: Blessed the slumberer who is awakened by My Breeze. Blessed the

lifeless one who is quickened through My reviving breaths. Blessed the eye

that is solaced by gazing at My beauty. Blessed the wayfarer who directeth

his steps towards the Tabernacle of My glory and majesty. Blessed the

distressed one who seeketh refuge beneath the shadow of My canopy. Blessed

the sore athirst who hasteneth to the soft-flowing waters of My

loving-kindness. Blessed the insatiate soul who casteth away his selfish

desires for love of Me and taketh his place at the banquet table which I

have sent down from the heaven of divine bounty for My chosen ones.

Blessed the abased one who layeth fast hold on the cord of My glory; and

the needy one who entereth beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle of My

wealth. Blessed the ignorant one who seeketh the fountain of My knowledge;

and the heedless one who cleaveth to the cord of My remembrance. Blessed

the soul that hath been raised to life through My quickening breath and

hath gained admittance into My heavenly Kingdom. Blessed the man whom the

sweet savours of reunion with Me have stirred and caused to draw nigh unto

the Dayspring of My Revelation. Blessed the ear that hath heard and the

tongue that hath borne witness and the eye that hath seen and recognized

the Lord Himself, in His great glory and majesty, invested with grandeur

and dominion. Blessed are they that have attained His presence. Blessed

the man who hath sought enlightenment from the Day-Star of My Word.

Blessed he who hath attired his head with the diadem of My love. Blessed

is he who hath heard of My grief and hath arisen to aid Me among My

people. Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath

borne manifold hardships for the sake of My Name. Blessed the man who,

assured of My Word, hath arisen from among the dead to celebrate My

praise. Blessed is he that hath been enraptured by My wondrous melodies

and hath rent the veils asunder through the potency of My might. Blessed

is he who hath remained faithful to My Covenant, and whom the things of

the world have not kept back from attaining My Court of holiness. Blessed

is the man who hath detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in

the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My Kingdom, gazed

upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty, hath

drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted

himself with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the

treasury of My Words, and hath shone forth from the horizon of divine

knowledge engaged in My praise and glorification. Verily, he is of Me.

Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My glory.