Lawh-i-dunya (tablet Of The World)

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

In My Name, calling aloud in the Kingdom of Utterance



PRAISE and thanksgiving beseem the Lord of manifest dominion Who hath

adorned the mighty prison with the presence of their honours 'Ali-Akbar

and Amin, and hath illumined it with the light of certitude, constancy and

assurance.(22) The glory of God and the glory of all that are in the

heavens and on the earth be upon them.



Light and glory greeting and praise be upon the Hands of His Cause,

through whom the light of fortitude hath shone forth and the truth hath

been established that the authority to choose rests with God, the

Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, through whom the ocean of bounty

hath surged and the fragrance of the gracious favours of God, the Lord of

mankind, hath been diffused. We beseech Him--exalted is He--to shield them

through the power of His hosts, to protect them through the potency of His

dominion and to aid them through His indomitable strength which prevaileth

over all created things. Sovereignty is God's, the Creator of the heavens

and the Lord of the Kingdom of Names.



The Great Announcement proclaimeth: O people of Persia! In former times ye

have been the symbols of mercy and the embodiments of affection and

kindliness. The regions of the world were illumined and embellished by the

brightness of the light of your knowledge and by the blaze of your

erudition. How is it that you have arisen to destroy yourselves and your

friends with your own hands?



O Afnan, O thou that has branched from Mine ancient Stock! My glory and My

loving-kindness rest upon thee. How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of

God! It hath overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and

will, ere long, gather together the whole of mankind beneath its shelter.

Thy day of service is now come. Countless Tablets bear the testimony of

the bounties vouchsafed unto thee. Arise for the triumph of My Cause, and,

through the power of thine utterance, subdue the hearts of men. Thou must

show forth that which will ensure the peace and the well-being of the

miserable and the downtrodden. Gird up the loins of thine endeavour, that

perchance thou mayest release the captive from his chains, and enable him

to attain unto true liberty.



Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath

the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face

of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen

of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a

new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh

potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide

regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by

the Pen of this Wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear ye, O My

well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture

sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse

generation is moulded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough

to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people.



Strife and conflict befit the beasts of the wild. It was through the grace

of God and with the aid of seemly words and praiseworthy deeds that the

unsheathed swords of the Babi community were returned to their scabbards.

Indeed through the power of good words, the righteous have always

succeeded in winning command over the meads of the hearts of men. Say, O

ye loved ones! Do not forsake prudence. Incline your hearts to the

counsels given by the Most Exalted Pen and beware lest your hands or

tongues cause harm unto anyone among mankind.



Referring to the land of Ta (Tihran) We have revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas

that which will admonish mankind. They that perpetrate tyranny in the

world have usurped the rights of the peoples and kindreds of the earth and

are sedulously pursuing their selfish inclinations. The tyrant(23) of the

land of Ya (Yazd), committed that which hath caused the Concourse on High

to shed tears of blood.



O thou who hast quaffed from the wine of Mine utterance and hast fixed thy

gaze upon the horizon of My Revelation! How strange that the people of

Persia, who were unrivalled in sciences and arts, should have sunk to the

lowest level of degradation among the kindreds of the earth. O people! In

this blessed, this glorious Day, deprive not yourselves of the liberal

effusions of bounty which the Lord of abounding grace hath vouchsafed unto

you. In this Day showers of wisdom and utterance are pouring down from the

clouds of divine mercy. Well is it with them who judge His Cause with

fairness, and woe betide the unjust.



Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that the counsels

which the Pen of this Wronged One hath revealed constitute the supreme

animating power for the advancement of the world and the exaltation of its

peoples. Arise, O people, and, by the power of God's might, resolve to

gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be

freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle

fancies--gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for

the misery of their wretched worshippers. These idols form the obstacle

that impedeth man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection. We

cherish the hope that the Hand of divine power may lend its assistance to

mankind and deliver it from its state of grievous abasement.



In one of the Tablets these words have been revealed: O people of God! Do

not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon

that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the

hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy

deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behaviour. Valiant acts will

ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce

its power. Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Baha! This, verily, is

the commandment which this Wronged One hath given unto you, and the first

choice of His unrestrained Will for every one of you.



O friends! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the

gracious favours which in this Divine, this soul-stirring Springtime are

being showered upon you. The Day-Star of His great glory hath shed its

radiance upon you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed

you. How high the reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great

a bounty, nor failed to recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this,

His new attire. Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait,

ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led

by the light of the name of the All-Seeing God, make your escape from the

darkness that surroundeth you. Let your vision be world-embracing, rather

than confined to your own self. The Evil One is he that hindereth the rise

and obstructeth the spiritual progress of the children of men.



It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever

will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just

governments. Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the

Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked

and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared--and Our Word

is the truth--: 'Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of

friendliness and fellowship.' Whatsoever hath led the children of men to

shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them,

hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished.

From the heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world

of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down

that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole

human race. The highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever

the peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most

potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the

All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God. Of old it hath been revealed: 'Love

of one's country is an element of the Faith of God.' The Tongue of

Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: 'It is

not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the

world.' Through the power released by these exalted words He hath lent a

fresh impulse and set a new direction to the birds of men's hearts, and

hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God's holy

Book.



This Wronged One hath forbidden the people of God to engage in contention

or conflict and hath exhorted them to righteous deeds and praiseworthy

character. In this day the hosts that can ensure the victory of the Cause

are those of goodly conduct and saintly character. Blessed are they who

firmly adhere unto them and woe betide such as turn away therefrom.



O people of God! I admonish you to observe courtesy, for above all else it

is the prince of virtues. Well is it with him who is illumined with the

light of courtesy and is attired with the vesture of uprightness. Whoso is

endued with courtesy hath indeed attained a sublime station. It is hoped

that this Wronged One and everyone else may be enabled to acquire it, hold

fast unto it, observe it, and fix our gaze upon it. This is a binding

command which hath streamed forth from the Pen of the Most Great Name.



This is the day when the gems of constancy that lie hid in the mine of

men's inner selves should be made manifest. O people of Justice! Be as

brilliant as the light and as splendid as the fire that blazed in the

Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse

and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth, whilst the

fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred cannot but result in strife

and ruin. We beseech God that He may shield His creatures from the evil

designs of His enemies. He verily hath power over all things.



All praise be to the one true God--exalted be His glory--inasmuch as He

hath, through the Pen of the Most High, unlocked the doors of men's

hearts. Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining

portal that discloseth the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure

and stainless deeds. The summons and the message which We gave were never

intended to reach or to benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in

its entirety must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and

vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true liberty.

The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent glory of God's

Revelation. In the year sixty He Who heralded the light of Divine

Guidance--may all creation be a sacrifice unto Him--arose to announce a

fresh revelation of the Divine Spirit, and was followed, twenty years

later, by Him through Whose coming the world was made the recipient of

this promised glory, this wondrous favour. Behold how the generality of

mankind hath been endued with the capacity to hearken unto God's most

exalted Word--the Word upon which must depend the gathering together and

spiritual resurrection of all men.



Whilst in the Prison of Akka, We revealed in the Crimson Book that which

is conducive to the advancement of mankind and to the reconstruction of

the world. The utterances set forth therein by the Pen of the Lord of

creation include the following which constitute the fundamental principles

for the administration of the affairs of men:



First: It is incumbent upon the ministers of the House of Justice to

promote the Lesser Peace so that the people of the earth may be relieved

from the burden of exorbitant expenditures. This matter is imperative and

absolutely essential, inasmuch as hostilities and conflict lie at the root

of affliction and calamity.



Second: Languages must be reduced to one common language to be taught in

all the schools of the world.



Third: It behoveth man to adhere tenaciously unto that which will promote

fellowship, kindliness and unity.



Fourth: Everyone, whether man or woman, should hand over to a trusted

person a portion of what he or she earneth through trade, agriculture or

other occupation, for the training and education of children, to be spent

for this purpose with the knowledge of the Trustees of the House of

Justice.



Fifth: Special regard must be paid to agriculture. Although it hath been

mentioned in the fifth place, unquestionably it precedeth the others.

Agriculture is highly developed in foreign lands, however in Persia it

hath so far been grievously neglected. It is hoped that His Majesty the

Shah--may God assist him by His grace--will turn his attention to this vital

and important matter.



Were men to strictly observe that which the Pen of the Most High hath

revealed in the Crimson Book, they could then well afford to dispense with

the regulations which prevail in the world. Certain exhortations have

repeatedly streamed forth from the Pen of the Most High that perchance the

manifestations of power and the dawning-places of might may, sometime, be

enabled to enforce them. Indeed, were sincere seekers to be found, every

emanation of God's pervasive and irresistible Will would, for the sake of

His love, be revealed. But where are to be found earnest seekers and

inquiring minds? Whither are gone the equitable and the fair-minded? At

present no day passeth without the fire of a fresh tyranny blazing

fiercely, or the sword of a new aggression being unsheathed. Gracious God!

The great and the noble in Persia glory in acts of such savagery that one

is lost in amazement at the tales thereof.



Day and night this Wronged One yieldeth thanks and praise unto the Lord of

men, for it is witnessed that the words of counsel and exhortation We

uttered have proved effective and that this people hath evinced such

character and conduct as are acceptable in Our sight. This is affirmed by

virtue of the event which hath truly cheered the eye of the world, and is

none other than the intercession of the friends with the high authorities

in favour of their enemies. Indeed one's righteous deeds testify to the

truth of one's words. We cherish the hope that men of piety may illumine

the world through the radiant light of their conduct, and We entreat the

Almighty--glorified and exalted is He--to grant that everyone may in this

Day remain steadfast in His love and stand firm in His Cause. He is, in

truth, the Protector of those who are wholly devoted to Him and observe

His precepts.



O people of God! Countless are the realms which Our Pen of Glory hath

revealed and manifold the eyes to which it hath imparted true

enlightenment. Yet most of the people in Persia continue to be deprived of

the benefits of profitable counsels and remain sorely lacking in useful

sciences and arts. Formerly these sublime words were especially revealed

by the Pen of Glory in honour of one of the faithful, that perchance those

that have gone astray may embrace the Truth and become acquainted with the

subtleties of the Law of God.



The unbelievers and the faithless have set their minds on four things:

first, the shedding of blood; second, the burning of books; third, the

shunning of the followers of other religions; fourth, the extermination of

other communities and groups. Now however, through the strengthening grace

and potency of the Word of God these four barriers have been demolished,

these clear injunctions have been obliterated from the Tablet and brutal

dispositions have been transmuted into spiritual attributes. Exalted is

His purpose; glorified is His power; magnified is His dominion! Now let us

beseech God--praised be His glory--to graciously guide aright the followers

of the Shi'ih sect and to purge them of unseemly conduct. From the lips of

the members of this sect foul imprecations fall unceasingly, while they

invoke the word 'Mal'un' (accursed)--uttered with a guttural sound of the

letter 'ayn--as their daily relish.



O God my God! Thou hearest the sighing of Him Who is Thy Light (Baha),

hearkenest unto His lamentations in the daytime and in the night season

and knowest that He desireth naught for Himself but rather seeketh to

sanctify the souls of Thy servants and to deliver them from the fire with

which they are beset at all times. O Lord! The hands of Thy well-favoured

servants are raised towards the heaven of Thy bounty and those of Thy

sincere lovers are lifted up to the sublime heights of Thy generosity.

Disappoint them not, I entreat Thee, in that which they seek from the

ocean of Thy favour and from the heaven of Thy grace and the day-star of

Thy bounty. Aid them, O Lord, to acquire such virtues as will exalt their

stations among the peoples of the world. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the

Mighty, the Most Generous.



O people of God! Give ear unto that which, if heeded, will ensure the

freedom, well-being, tranquillity, exaltation and advancement of all men.

Certain laws and principles are necessary and indispensable for Persia.

However, it is fitting that these measures should be adopted in conformity

with the considered views of His Majesty--may God aid him through His

grace--and of the learned divines and of the high-ranking rulers. Subject

to their approval a place should be fixed where they would meet. There

they should hold fast to the cord of consultation and adopt and enforce

that which is conducive to the security, prosperity, wealth and

tranquillity of the people. For were any measure other than this to be

adopted, it could not but result in chaos and commotion.



According to the fundamental laws which We have formerly revealed in the

Kitab-i-Aqdas and other Tablets, all affairs are committed to the care of

just kings and presidents and of the Trustees of the House of Justice.

Having pondered on that which We have enunciated, every man of equity and

discernment will readily perceive, with his inner and outer eyes, the

splendours of the day-star of justice which radiate therefrom.



The system of government which the British people have adopted in London

appeareth to be good, for it is adorned with the light of both kingship

and of the consultation of the people.



In formulating the principles and laws a part hath been devoted to

penalties which form an effective instrument for the security and

protection of men. However, dread of the penalties maketh people desist

only outwardly from committing vile and contemptible deeds, while that

which guardeth and restraineth man both outwardly and inwardly hath been

and still is the fear of God. It is man's true protector and his spiritual

guardian. It behoveth him to cleave tenaciously unto that which will lead

to the appearance of this supreme bounty. Well is it with him who giveth

ear unto whatsoever My Pen of Glory hath proclaimed and observeth that

whereunto he is bidden by the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.



Incline your hearts, O people of God, unto the counsels of your true, your

incomparable Friend. The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose

roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you

to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified

and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches

may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.



O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh the

pre-eminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that We

have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God's holy Book

whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst

the children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential

prerequisites of concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring

unity. Well is it with them that keep My statutes.



Time and again have We admonished Our beloved ones to avoid, nay to flee

from, anything whatsoever from which the odour of mischief can be

detected. The world is in great turmoil, and the minds of its people are

in a state of utter confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may

graciously illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable them

to discover that which will be profitable unto them at all times and under

all conditions. He, verily is the All-Possessing, the Most High.



We have ere this uttered these sublime words: Let them that bear

allegiance to this Wronged One be even as a raining cloud in moments of

charity and benevolence and as a blazing fire in restraining their base

and appetitive natures.



Gracious God! A thing hath recently happened which caused great

astonishment. It is reported that a certain person(24) went to the seat of

the imperial throne in Persia and succeeded in winning the good graces of

some of the nobility by his ingratiating behaviour. How pitiful indeed,

how deplorable! One wondereth why those who have been the symbols of

highest glory should now stoop to boundless shame. What is become of their

high resolve? Whither is gone the sense of dignity and honour? The sun of

glory and wisdom hath unceasingly been shining above the horizon of

Persia, but nowadays it hath sunk to such a low level that certain

dignitaries have allowed themselves to be treated as playthings in the

hands of the foolish. The aforesaid person hath written such things

concerning this people in the Egyptian press and in the Beirut

Encyclopedia that the well-informed and the learned were astonished. He

proceeded then to Paris where he published a newspaper entitled

Urvatu'l-Vuthqa [The Sure Handle] and sent copies thereof to all parts of

the world. He also sent a copy to the Prison of Akka, and by so doing he

meant to show affection and to make amends for his past actions. In short,

this Wronged One hath observed silence in regard to him. We entreat God,

the True One, to protect him and to shed upon him the light of justice and

fairness. It behoveth him to say:



O God my God! Thou seest me standing before the door of Thy forgiveness

and benevolence, turning my gaze toward the horizon of Thy bountiful

favours and manifold blessings. I beg of Thee by Thy sweet accents and by

the shrill voice of Thy Pen, O Lord of all mankind, to graciously aid Thy

servants as it befitteth Thy days and beseemeth the glory of Thy

manifestation and Thy majesty. Verily potent art Thou to do whatsoever

Thou willest. All they that dwell in the heavens and on the earth bear

witness to Thy power and Thy might, to Thy glory and Thy bounteousness.

Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the Well-Beloved of the heart

of every man of understanding!



Thou beholdest, O my God, the essence of poverty seeking the ocean of Thy

wealth and the substance of iniquity yearning for the waters of Thy

forgiveness and Thy tender mercy. Grant Thou, O my God, that which

beseemeth Thy great glory and befitteth the loftiness of Thy boundless

grace. Thou art in truth the All-Bountiful, the Lord of grace abounding,

the Ordainer, the All-Wise. No God is there but Thee, the Most Powerful,

the All-Compelling, the Omnipotent.



O people of God! In this day everyone should fix his eyes upon the horizon

of these blessed words: 'Alone and unaided He doeth whatsoever He

pleaseth.' Whoso attaineth this station hath verily attained the light of

the essential unity of God and is enlightened thereby, while all others

are reckoned in the Book of God among the followers of idle fancy and vain

imagination. Incline your ears to the Voice of this Wronged One and

safeguard the integrity of your stations. It is highly necessary and

imperative that everyone should observe this matter.



Unveiled and unconcealed, this Wronged One hath, at all times, proclaimed

before the face of all the peoples of the world that which will serve as

the key for unlocking the doors of sciences, of arts, of knowledge, of

well-being, of prosperity and wealth. Neither have the wrongs inflicted by

the oppressors succeeded in silencing the shrill voice of the Most Exalted

Pen, nor have the doubts of the perverse or of the seditious been able to

hinder Him from revealing the Most Sublime Word. I earnestly beseech God

that He may protect and purge the people of Baha from the idle fancies and

corrupt imaginings of the followers of the former Faith.



O people of God! Righteous men of learning who dedicate themselves to the

guidance of others and are freed and well guarded from the promptings of a

base and covetous nature are, in the sight of Him Who is the Desire of the

world, stars of the heaven of true knowledge. It is essential to treat

them with deference. They are indeed fountains of soft-flowing water,

stars that shine resplendent, fruits of the blessed Tree, exponents of

celestial power, and oceans of heavenly wisdom. Happy is he that followeth

them. Verily such a soul is numbered in the Book of God, the Lord of the

mighty Throne, among those with whom it shall be well.



The glory which proceedeth from God, the Lord of the Throne on High and of

the earth below, rest upon you, O people of Baha, O ye the companions of

the Crimson Ark, and upon such as have inclined their ears to your sweet

voices and have observed that whereunto they are bidden in this mighty and

wondrous Tablet.