Glorified is He Who guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His path. Say: I,

verily, am the Path of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are

on the earth; well is it with them that hasten thereunto!



2 Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who comprehend.

Glorified is He Who speaketh forth from the Kingdom of His Revelation, and

Who remaineth unknown to all save His honoured servants. Glorified is He

Who quickeneth whomsoever He willeth by virtue of His word Be, and it

is! Glorified is He Who causeth whomsoever He willeth to ascend unto the

heaven of grace, and sendeth down therefrom whatsoever He desireth

according to a prescribed measure.



3 Blessed is He Who doeth as He willeth by a word of His command. He,

verily, is the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Blessed is He Who

inspireth whomsoever He willeth with whatsoever He desireth, through His

irresistible and inscrutable command. Blessed is He Who aideth whomsoever

He desireth with the hosts of the unseen. His might is, in truth, equal to

His purpose, and He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting.

Blessed is He Who exalteth whomsoever He willeth by the power of His

sovereign might, and confirmeth whomsoever He chooseth in accordance with

His good pleasure; well is it with them that understand!



4 Blessed is He Who, in a well-guarded Tablet, hath prescribed a fixed

measure unto all things. Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His Servant

that which shall illumine the hearts and minds of men. Blessed is He Who

hath sent down upon His Servant such tribulations as have melted the

hearts of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of eternity and the souls

of those who have drawn nigh unto their Lord. Blessed is He Who hath

showered upon His Servant, from the clouds of His decree, the darts of

affliction, and Who beholdeth Me enduring them with patience and

fortitude. Blessed is He Who hath ordained for His Servant that which He

hath destined for no other soul. He, verily, is the One, the Incomparable,

the Self-Subsisting.



5 Blessed is He Who hath caused to rain down upon His Servant from the

clouds of enmity, and at the hands of the people of denial, the shafts of

tribulation and trial; and yet seeth Our heart filled with gratitude.

Blessed is He Who hath laid upon the shoulders of His Servant the burden

of the heavens and of the earth--a burden for which We yield Him every

praise, though none may grasp this save them that are endued with

understanding. Glorified is He Who hath surrendered the embodiment of His

Beauty to the clutches of the envious and the wicked--a fate unto which We

are fully resigned, though none may perceive this save those who are

endued with insight. Glorified is He Who hath left Husayn to make His

dwelling amidst the hosts of His enemies, and exposed His body with every

breath to the spears of hatred and anger; yet do We yield Him thanks for

all that He hath destined to befall His Servant Who repaireth unto Him in

His affliction and grief.



6 While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet

voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden--the

embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord--suspended in the air

before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone

with the ornament of the good pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with

the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was

raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was

imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My

soul, and the souls of God's honoured servants.



7 Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in

heaven and all who are on earth, saying: By God! This is the Best-Beloved

of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of God

amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but

understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God

and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of

creation, if ye be of them that perceive. This is He Whose Presence is the

ardent desire of the denizens of the Realm of eternity, and of them that

dwell within the Tabernacle of glory, and yet from His Beauty do ye turn

aside.



8 O people of the Bayan! If ye aid Him not, God will assuredly assist Him

with the powers of earth and heaven, and sustain Him with the hosts of the

unseen through His command Be, and it is! The day is approaching when

God will have, by an act of His Will, raised up a race of men the nature

of which is inscrutable to all save God, the All-Powerful, the

Self-Subsisting. He shall purify them from the defilement of idle fancies

and corrupt desires, shall lift them up to the heights of holiness, and

shall cause them to manifest the signs of His sovereignty and might upon

earth. Thus hath it been ordained by God, the All-Glorious, the

All-Loving.



9 O people of the Bayan! Would ye deny Him Whose presence is the very

object of your creation, while ye rejoice idly upon your couches? Would ye

laugh to scorn and contend with Him, a single hair of Whose head

excelleth, in the sight of God, all that are in the heavens and all that

are on the earth? O people of the Bayan! Produce, then, that which ye

possess, that I may know by what proof ye believed aforetime in the

Manifestations of His Cause, and by what reason ye now wax so disdainful!



10 I swear by Him Who hath fashioned Me from the light of His own Beauty!

None have I ever seen that surpasseth you in heedlessness or exceedeth you

in ignorance. Ye seek to prove your faith in God through such holy Tablets

as ye possess, yet when the verses of God were revealed and His Lamp was

lighted, ye disbelieved in Him Whose very Pen hath fixed the destinies of

all things in the Preserved Tablet. Ye recite the sacred verses and yet

repudiate Him Who is their Source and Revealer. Thus hath God blinded your

eyes in requital for your deeds, would ye but understand. Day and night ye

transcribe the verses of God, and yet ye remain shut out, as by a veil,

from Him Who hath revealed them.



11 In this Day the Concourse on high beholdeth you in your evil doings and

shunneth your company, and yet ye perceive it not. They ask of one

another: What words do these fools utter, and in what valley are they

wont to graze? Do they deny that whereunto their very souls testify, and

shut their eyes to that which they plainly behold? I swear by God, O

people! They that inhabit the Cities of the Names of God are bewildered at

your actions, while ye roam, aimless and unconscious, in a parched and

barren land.



12 O Pen of the Most High! Hearken unto the Call of Thy Lord, raised from

the Divine Lote-Tree in the holy and luminous Spot, that the sweet accents

of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, may fill Thy soul with joy and fervour, and

that the breezes that waft from My name, the Ever-Forgiving, may dispel

Thy cares and sorrows. Raise up, then, from this Temple, the temples of

the Oneness of God, that they may tell out, in the kingdom of creation,

the tidings of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and be of

them that are illumined by His light.



13 We, verily, have ordained this Temple to be the source of all existence

in the new creation, that all may know of a certainty My power to

accomplish that which I have purposed through My word Be, and it is!

Beneath the shadow of every letter of this Temple We shall raise up a

people whose number none can reckon save God, the Help in Peril, the

Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall God bring forth from His Temple such souls

as will remain unswayed by the insinuations of the rebellious, and who

will quaff at all times of the cup that is life indeed. These, truly, are

of the blissful.



14 These are servants who abide beneath the shelter of the tender mercy of

their Lord, and who remain undeterred by those who seek to obstruct their

path. Upon their faces may be seen the brightness of the light of the

All-Merciful, and from their hearts may be heard the remembrance of Mine

all-glorious and inaccessible Name. Were they to unloose their tongues to

extol their Lord, the denizens of earth and heaven would join in their

anthems of praise--yet how few are they who hear! And were they to glorify

their Lord, all created things would join in their hymns of glory. Thus

hath God exalted them above the rest of His creation, and yet the people

remain unaware!



15 These are they who circle round the Cause of God even as the shadow

doth revolve around the sun. Open, then, your eyes, O people of the Bayan,

that haply ye may behold them! It is by virtue of their movement that all

things are set in motion, and by reason of their stillness all things are

brought to rest, would that ye might be assured thereof! Through them the

believers in the Divine Unity have turned towards Him Who is the Object of

the adoration of the entire creation, and by them the hearts of the

righteous have found rest and composure, could ye but know it! Through

them the earth hath been established, the clouds have rained down their

bounty, and the bread of knowledge hath descended from the heaven of

grace, could ye but perceive it!



16 These souls are the protectors of the Cause of God on earth, who shall

preserve its beauty from the obscuring dust of idle fancies and vain

imaginings. In the path of their Lord they shall not fear for their lives;

rather will they sacrifice their all in their eagerness to behold the face

of their Well-Beloved when once He hath appeared in this Name, the

Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Most Holy.



17 O Living Temple! Arise by the power of Thy Self in such wise that all

created things will be moved to arise with Thee. Aid, then, Thy Lord

through such ascendancy and might as We have bestowed upon Thee. Take heed

lest Thou falter on that Day when all created things are filled with

dismay; rather be Thou the revealer of My name, the Help in Peril, the

Self-Subsisting. Assist Thy Lord to the utmost of Thine ability, and pay

no heed to the peoples of the world, for that which their mouths utter is

like unto the droning of a gnat in an endless valley. Quaff the water of

life in My name, the All-Merciful, and proffer unto the near ones amongst

the inmates of this lofty station that which shall cause them to become

detached from all names and enter beneath this blessed and

all-encompassing shadow.



18 O Living Temple! Through Thee have We gathered together all created

things, whether in the heavens or on the earth, and called them to account

for that which We had covenanted with them before the foundation of the

world. And lo, but for a few radiant faces and eloquent tongues, We found

most of the people dumbfounded, their eyes staring up in fear. From the

former We brought forth the creation of all that hath been and all that

shall be. These are they whose countenances God hath graciously turned

away from the face of the unbelievers, and whom He hath sheltered beneath

the shadow of the Tree of His own Being; they upon whose hearts He hath

bestowed the gift of peace and tranquillity, and whom He hath strengthened

and assisted through the hosts of the seen and the unseen.



19 O Eyes of this Temple! Look not upon the heavens and that which they

contain, nor upon the earth and them that dwell thereon, for We have

created you to behold Our own Beauty: See it now before you! Withhold not

your gaze therefrom, and deprive not yourselves of the Beauty of your

Lord, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Erelong shall We bring into

being through you keen and penetrating eyes that will contemplate the

manifold signs of their Creator and turn away from all that is perceived

by the people of the world. Through you shall We bestow the power of

vision upon whomsoever We desire, and lay hold upon those who have

deprived themselves of this gracious bounty. These, verily, have drunk

from the cup of delusion, though they perceive it not.



20 O Ears of this Temple! Purge yourselves from all idle clamour and

hearken unto the voice of your Lord. He, verily, revealeth unto you, from

the Throne of glory, that there is none other God save Me, the

All-Glorious, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Erelong shall We bring into being through you pure and undefiled ears

which will heed the Word of God and that which hath appeared from the

Dayspring of the Utterance of your Lord, the All-Merciful. They shall

assuredly perceive the sweet accents of Divine Revelation that proceed

from these most blessed and hallowed precincts.



21 O Tongue of this Temple! We, verily, have created thee through Our

name, the All-Merciful, have taught thee whatsoever had remained concealed

in the Bayan, and have bestowed upon thee the power of utterance, that

thou mayest make mention of Mine exalted Self amidst My creatures.

Proclaim, then, this wondrous and mighty Remembrance, and fear not the

manifestations of the Evil One. Thou wert called into being for this very

purpose by virtue of My transcendent and all-compelling command. Through

thee have We unloosed the Tongue of Utterance to expound all that hath

been, and We shall again, by My sovereign power, unloose it to speak of

that which is yet to come. Erelong shall We bring into being through thee

eloquent tongues that will praise and extol Me amongst the Concourse on

high and amidst the peoples of the world. Thus have the verses of God been

revealed, and thus hath it been decreed by the Lord of all names and

attributes. Thy Lord, verily, is the True One, the Knower of things

unseen. Nothing whatsoever shall prevent these tongues from magnifying

their Creator. Through them, all created things shall arise to glorify the

Lord of names and to bear witness that there is none other God save Me,

the All-Powerful, the Most-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Nor shall those who

make mention of Me speak aught unless they be inspired by this Tongue from

its lofty station. Few, however, are they who understand! No tongue is

there that speaketh not the praises of its Lord and maketh not mention of

His Name. Amongst the people, however, are those who understand and utter

praises, and those who utter praises, yet understand not.



22 O Maid of inner meanings! Step out of the chamber of utterance by the

leave of God, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Reveal, then, thyself

adorned with the raiment of the celestial Realm, and proffer with thy ruby

fingers the wine of the heavenly Dominion, that haply the denizens of this

world may perceive the light that shone forth from the Kingdom of God when

the Daystar of eternity appeared above the horizon of glory. Perchance

they may arise before the dwellers of earth and heaven to extol and

magnify this Youth Who hath established Himself in the midmost heart of

Paradise upon the throne of His name, the All-Sufficing Helper--He upon

Whose countenance shineth the brightness of the All-Merciful, from Whose

gaze appear the glances of the All-Glorious, and in Whose ways are

revealed the tokens and evidences of God, the omnipotent Protector, the

Almighty, the All-Loving.



23 Grieve not if none be found to accept the crimson wine proffered by Thy

snow-white hand and to seize it in the name of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted,

the Most High--He Who hath appeared again in His name, the Most Glorious.

Leave this people unto themselves, and repair unto the Tabernacle of

majesty and glory, wherein Thou shalt encounter a people whose faces shine

as brightly as the sun in its noontide splendour, and who praise and extol

their Lord in this Name that hath arisen, in the plenitude of might and

power, to assume the throne of independent sovereignty. From their lips

Thou shalt hear naught but the strains of My glorification and praise;

unto this Thy Lord beareth Me witness. The existence of these people,

however, hath remained concealed from the eyes of all who, from

everlasting, have been created through the Word of God. Thus have We made

plain Our meaning and set forth Our verses, that perchance men may reflect

upon the signs and tokens of their Lord.



24 These are they who, in truth, were not enjoined to prostrate themselves

before Adam.(1) They have never turned away from the countenance of Thy

Lord, and partake at every moment of the gifts and delights of holiness.

Thus hath the Pen of the All-Merciful set forth the secrets of all things,

be they of the past or of the future. Would that the world might

understand! Erelong shall God make manifest this people upon the earth,

and through them shall exalt His name, diffuse His signs, uphold His

words, and proclaim His verses, in spite of those that have repudiated His

truth, gainsaid His sovereignty, and cavilled at His signs.



25 O Beauty of the All-Glorious! Shouldst Thou chance upon this people and

enter their presence, recount unto them that which this Youth hath related

unto Thee concerning Himself and the things that have befallen Him, that

they may come to know what hath been inscribed upon the Preserved Tablet.

Acquaint them with the tidings of this Youth, and with the trials and

tribulations He hath suffered, that they may become mindful of Mine

afflictions, and be of them that understand. Recount, then, unto them how

We singled out for Our favour one of Our brothers,(2) how We imparted unto

him a dewdrop from the fathomless ocean of knowledge, clothed him with the

garment of one of Our Names, and exalted him to such a station that all

were moved to extol him, and how We so protected him from the harm of the

malevolent as to disarm even the mightiest amongst them.



26 We arose before the peoples of earth and heaven at a time when all had

determined to slay us. While dwelling in their midst, We continually made

mention of the Lord, celebrated His praise, and stood firm in His Cause,

until at last the Word of God was vindicated amongst His creatures, His

signs were spread abroad, His power exalted, and His sovereignty revealed

in its full splendour. To this bear witness all His honoured servants. Yet

when My brother beheld the rising fame of the Cause, he became filled with

arrogance and pride. Thereupon he emerged from behind the veil of

concealment, rose up against Me, disputed My verses, denied My testimony,

and repudiated My signs. Nor would his hunger be appeased unless he were

to devour My flesh and drink My blood. To this testify such of God's

servants as have accompanied Him in His exile, and they that enjoy near

access unto Him.



27 To this end he conferred with one of My servants(3) and sought to win

him over to his own designs; whereupon the Lord despatched unto Mine

assistance the hosts of the seen and the unseen, protected Me by the power

of truth, and sent down upon Me that which thwarted his purpose. Thus were

foiled the plots of those who disbelieve in the verses of the

All-Merciful. They, truly, are a rejected people. When news spread of that

which the promptings of self had impelled My brother to attempt, and Our

companions in exile learned of his nefarious design, the voice of their

indignation and grief was lifted up and threatened to spread throughout

the city. We forbade, however, such recriminations, and enjoined upon them

patience, that they might be of those that endure steadfastly.



28 By God, besides Whom is none other God! We withstood all these trials

with forbearance, and enjoined upon God's servants to show forth patience

and fortitude. Removing Ourself from their midst, We took up residence in

another house, that perchance the flame of envy might be quenched in Our

brother's breast, and that he might be guided aright. We neither opposed

him, nor saw him again thereafter, but remained in Our home, placing Our

hopes in the bounty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. When,

however, he realized that his deed had been exposed, he seized the pen of

calumny and wrote unto the servants of God, attributing what he had

himself committed unto Mine own peerless and wronged Beauty. His purpose

was none other than to inspire mischief amongst God's servants, and to

instil hatred into the hearts of those who had believed in God, the

All-Glorious, the All-Loving.



29 By the One in Whose hand is My soul! We were dismayed by his

deceitfulness--nay, bewildered were all things visible and invisible. Nor

did he find respite from what he harboured in his bosom until he had

committed that which no pen dare describe, and by which he disgraced the

dignity of My station and profaned the sanctity of God, the Almighty, the

All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Were God to turn all the oceans of the

earth into ink and all created things into pens, they would not suffice Me

to exhaust the record of his wrongdoings. Thus do We recount that which

befell Us, that haply ye may be of them that understand.



30 O Pen of Eternity! Grieve not at the things that have befallen Thee,

for erelong shall God raise up a people who will see with their own eyes

and will recall Thy tribulations. Withhold Thy pen from the mention of

Thine enemies, and bestir it in the praise of the Eternal King. Renounce

all created things, and quaff the sealed wine of My remembrance. Beware

lest Thou become occupied with the mention of those from whom naught save

the noisome savours of enmity can be perceived, those who are so enslaved

by their lust for leadership that they would not hesitate to destroy

themselves in their desire to emblazon their fame and perpetuate their

names. God hath recorded such souls in the Preserved Tablet as mere

worshippers of names. Recount then that which Thou hast purposed for this

Temple, that its signs and tokens may be made manifest upon earth, and

that the brightness of this Light may illumine the horizons of the world

and cleanse the earth from the defilement of those who have disbelieved in

God. Thus have We set down the verses of God and made plain the matter

unto those who understand.



31 O Living Temple! Stretch forth Thy hand over all who are in heaven and

on earth, and seize within the grasp of Thy Will the reins of command. We

have, verily, placed in Thy right hand the empire of all things. Do as

Thou willest, and fear not the ignorant. Reach out to the Tablet that hath

dawned above the horizon of the pen of Thy Lord, and take hold of it with

such strength that, through Thee, the hands of all who inhabit the earth

may be enabled to lay fast hold upon it. This, in truth, is that which

becometh Thee, if Thou be of those who understand. Through the upraising

of Thy hand to the heaven of My grace, the hands of all created things

shall be lifted up to their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious.

Erelong shall We raise up, through the aid of Thy hand, other hands endued

with power, with strength and might, and shall establish through them Our

dominion over all that dwell in the realms of revelation and creation.

Thus will the servants of God recognize the truth that there is none other

God beside Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. With these hands,

moreover, We shall both bestow and withhold, though none can understand

this save those who see with the eye of the spirit.



32 Say: O people! Can ye ever hope to escape the sovereign power of your

Lord? By the righteousness of God! No refuge will ye find in this day, and

no one to protect you, save those upon whom God hath bestowed the favour

of His mercy. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

Say: O people! Forsake all that ye possess, and enter beneath the shadow

of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Better is this for you than all your works

of the past and of the future. Fear ye God, and deprive not yourselves of

the sweet savours of the days of the Lord of all names and attributes.

Take heed lest ye alter or pervert the text of the Word of God. Walk ye in

the fear of God, and be numbered with the righteous.



33 Say: O people! This is the Hand of God, which hath ever been above your

own hands, could ye but understand. Within its grasp We have ordained all

the good of the heavens and the earth, such that no good shall be made

manifest but that it proceedeth therefrom. Thus have We made it the source

and treasury of all good both aforetime and hereafter. Say: The rivers of

divine wisdom and utterance which flowed through the Tablets of God are

joined to this Most Great Ocean, could ye but perceive it, and whatever

hath been set forth in His Books hath attained its final consummation in

this most exalted Word--a Word shining above the horizon of the Will of the

All-Glorious in this Revelation which hath filled with delight all things

seen and unseen.



34 Erelong shall God draw forth, out of the bosom of power, the hands of

ascendancy and might, and shall raise up a people who will arise to win

victory for this Youth and who will purge mankind from the defilement of

the outcast and the ungodly. These hands will gird up their loins to

champion the Faith of God, and will, in My name the Self-Subsistent, the

Mighty, subdue the peoples and kindreds of the earth. They will enter the

cities and will inspire with fear the hearts of all their inhabitants.

Such are the evidences of the might of God; how fearful, how vehement is

His might, and how justly doth He wield it! He, verily, ruleth and

transcendeth all who are in the heavens and on the earth, and revealeth

what He desireth according to a prescribed measure.



35 Should any one of them be called upon to confront all the hosts of

creation, he would assuredly prevail through the ascendancy of My Will.

This, verily, is a proof of My power, though My creatures comprehend it

not. This, verily, is a sign of My sovereignty, though My subjects

understand it not. This, verily, is a token of My command, though My

servants perceive it not. This, verily, is an evidence of Mine ascendancy,

though none amongst the people is truly thankful for it, save those whose

eyes God hath illumined with the light of His knowledge, whose hearts He

hath made the repository of His Revelation, and upon whose shoulders He

hath placed the weight of His Cause. These shall inhale the fragrances of

the All-Merciful from the garment of His Name, and shall rejoice at all

times in the signs and verses of their Lord. As for those who disbelieve

in God, and join partners with Him, they shall indeed incur His wrath,

shall be cast into the Fire, and shall be made to dwell, fearful and

dismayed, in its depths. Thus do We expound Our verses, and make plain the

truth with clear proofs, that perchance the people may reflect upon the

signs of their Lord.



36 O Living Temple! We have, in very truth, appointed Thee to be the sign

of My majesty amidst all that hath been and all that shall be, and have

ordained Thee to be the emblem of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the

earth, through My word Be, and it is!



37 O First Letter of this Temple, betokening the Essence of Divinity!(4)

We have made thee the treasury of My Will and the repository of My Purpose

unto all who are in the kingdoms of revelation and creation. This is but a

token of the grace of Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.



38 O Second Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the Almighty! We

have made thee the manifestation of Our sovereignty and the dayspring of

Our Names. Potent am I to fulfil that which My tongue speaketh.



39 O Third Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the All-Bountiful!

We have made thee the dawning-place of Our bounty amidst Our creatures and

the fountainhead of Our generosity amidst Our people. Powerful am I in My

dominion. Nothing whatsoever of all that hath been created in the heavens

or on the earth can escape My knowledge, and I am the True One, the Knower

of things unseen.



40 O Pen! Send down out of the clouds of Thy generosity that which shall

enrich all created things, and withhold not Thy favours from the world of

being. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful in the heaven of Thine

eternity, and the Lord of infinite grace unto all who inhabit the kingdom

of names. Look not upon the people and the things they possess; look

rather upon the wonders of Thy gifts and favours. Gather then Thy servants

beneath Thy shade that shadoweth all mankind. Stretch forth the hand of

bounty over all creation, and the fingers of bestowal over all existence.

This, verily, is that which beseemeth Thee, though the people understand

it not. Whosoever turneth his face towards Thee doeth so by Thy grace, and

as to him who turneth away, Thy Lord, in truth, is independent of all

created things. Unto this bear witness His true and devoted servants.



41 Erelong shall God raise up, through Thee, those with hands of

indomitable strength and arms of invincible might, who will come forth

from behind the veils, will render the All-Merciful victorious amongst the

peoples of the world, and will raise so mighty a cry as to cause all

hearts to tremble with fear. Thus hath it been decreed in a Written

Tablet. Such shall be the ascendancy which these souls will evince that

consternation and dismay will seize all the dwellers of the earth.



42 Beware lest ye shed the blood of anyone. Unsheathe the sword of your

tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the

citadels of men's hearts. We have abolished the law to wage holy war

against each other. God's mercy, hath, verily, encompassed all created

things, if ye do but understand. Aid ye your Lord, the God of Mercy, with

the sword of understanding. Keener indeed is it, and more finely tempered,

than the sword of utterance, were ye but to reflect upon the words of your

Lord. Thus have the hosts of Divine Revelation been sent down by God, the

Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and thus have the armies of divine

inspiration been made manifest from the Source of command, as bidden by

God, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved.



43 Say: The measure of all created things hath been appointed in this

concealed and manifest Temple, wherein lie enshrined the knowledge of the

heavens and the earth, and of all things past and future. The finger of

God's handiwork hath inscribed upon this Tablet that which the wisest and

most learned of men are powerless to fathom, and hath created therein

temples inscrutable to all save His own Self, could ye but apprehend this

truth. Blessed be the one who readeth it, who pondereth its contents, and

who is numbered with them that comprehend!



44 Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My

beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but

His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but

His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself naught could

be seen but God.



45 Beware lest ye speak of duality in regard to My Self, for all the atoms

of the earth proclaim that there is none other God but Him, the One, the

Single, the Mighty, the Loving. From the beginning that hath no beginning

I have proclaimed, from the realm of eternity, that I am God, none other

God is there save Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; and unto the

end that hath no end I shall proclaim, amidst the kingdom of names, that I

am God, none other God is there beside Me, the All-Glorious, the

Best-Beloved. Say: Lordship is My Name, whereof I have created

manifestations in the world of being, while We Ourself remain sanctified

above them, would ye but ponder this truth. And Godhead is My Name,

whereof We have created exponents whose power shall encompass the people

of the earth and make them true worshippers of God, could ye but recognize

it. Thus should ye regard all Our Names, if ye be endued with insight.



46 O Fourth Letter of this Temple, betokening the attribute of Grace! We

have made thee the manifestation of grace betwixt earth and heaven. From

thee have We generated all grace in the contingent world, and unto thee

shall We cause it to return. And from thee shall We manifest it again,

through a word of Our command. Potent am I to accomplish whatsoever I

desire through My word Be, and it is! Every grace that appeareth in the

world of being hath originated from thee, and unto thee shall it return.

This, verily, is what hath been ordained in a Tablet which We have

preserved behind the veil of glory and concealed from mortal eyes. Well is

it with them that deprive themselves not of this manifest and unfailing

grace.



47 Say: In this day, the fertilizing winds of the grace of God have passed

over all things. Every creature hath been endowed with all the

potentialities it can carry. And yet the peoples of the world have denied

this grace! Every tree hath been endowed with the choicest fruits, every

ocean enriched with the most luminous gems. Man, himself, hath been

invested with the gifts of understanding and knowledge. The whole creation

hath been made the recipient of the revelation of the All-Merciful, and

the earth the repository of things inscrutable to all except God, the

Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The time is approaching when every

created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath

vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or

unseen! Thus have We created the whole earth anew in this day, yet most of

the people have failed to perceive it. Say: The grace of God can never be

adequately understood; how much less can His own Self, the Help in Peril,

the Self-Subsisting, be comprehended!



48 O Temple of the Cause! Grieve not if Thou findest none ready to receive

Thy gifts. Thou wast created for My sake; occupy Thyself therefore with My

praise amidst My servants. This is that which hath been ordained for Thee

in the Preserved Tablet. Having found upon the earth many a soiled hand,

We sanctified the hem of Thy garment from the profanity of their touch and

placed it beyond the reach of the ungodly. Be patient in the Cause of Thy

Lord, for erelong shall He raise up souls endowed with sanctified hearts

and illumined eyes who shall flee from every quarter unto Thine

all-encompassing and boundless grace.



49 O Temple of God! No sooner had the hosts of Divine Revelation been sent

down by the Lord of all names and attributes bearing the banners of His

signs, than the exponents of doubt and fancy were put to flight. They

disbelieved in the clear tokens of God, the Help in Peril, the

Self-Subsisting, and rose up against Him in enmity and opposition. Amongst

them were those who claimed: These are not clear verses from God, nor do

they proceed from an innate and untaught nature. Thus do the unbelievers

seek to remedy the sickness of their hearts, utterly heedless that they

thus render themselves accursed of all who dwell in heaven and on earth.



50 Say: The Holy Spirit Itself hath been generated through the agency of a

single letter revealed by this Most Great Spirit, if ye be of them that

comprehend. And that innate and untaught nature in its essence is called

into being by the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the

Best-Beloved. Say: This nature prideth itself in its relation to Our

transcendent Truth, whilst We, for Our part, glory neither in it nor in

aught else, for all beside Myself hath been created through the potency of

My word, could ye but understand.



51 Say: We have revealed Our verses in nine different modes. Each one of

them bespeaketh the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril, the

Self-Subsisting. A single one of them sufficeth for a proof unto all who

are in the heavens and on the earth; yet the people, for the most part,

persist in their heedlessness. Should it be Our wish, We would reveal them

in countless other modes.



52 Say: O people! Fear ye God, and allow not your tongues to utter, in

their deceitfulness, that which displeaseth Him. Stand abashed before the

One Who, as ye well know, hath created you out of a drop of water.(5) Say:

We have created all that are in heaven and on earth in the nature made by

God. Whosoever turneth unto this blessed Countenance shall manifest the

potentialities of that inborn nature, and whosoever remaineth veiled

therefrom shall be deprived of this invisible and all-encompassing grace.

Verily, there is naught from which Our favour hath been withheld, inasmuch

as We have dealt equitably in the fashioning of each and all, and by a

word of Our mouth presented unto them the trust of Our love. They that

have accepted it are indeed safe and secure, and are numbered among those

who are immune from the terrors of this Day. Those, however, who have

rejected it have, in truth, disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the

Self-Subsisting. Thus do We distinguish between the people and pronounce

judgement upon them. We, of a certainty, have the power to discern.



53 Say: The Word of God can never be confounded with the words of His

creatures. It is, in truth, the King of words, even as He is Himself the

sovereign Lord of all, and His Cause transcendeth all that was and all

that shall be. Enter, O people, the City of Certitude wherein the throne

of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been established. Thus biddeth you

the Pen of the All-Glorious, as a token of His unfailing grace. Haply ye

may not make His Revelation a cause of dissension amongst you.



54 Among the infidels are those who have repudiated His Self and risen up

against His Cause, and who claim that these divine verses are contrived.

Such also were the objections of the deniers of old, who now implore

deliverance from the Fire. Say: Woe betide you for the idle words that

proceed from your mouths! If these verses be indeed contrived, then by

what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, if ye be men of

understanding! Whensoever We revealed Our clear verses unto such men, they

rejected them, and whensoever they beheld that which the combined forces

of the earth are powerless to produce, they pronounced it sorcery.



55 What aileth this people that they speak of that which they understand

not? They raise the same objections as did the followers of the Qur'an

when their Lord came unto them with His Cause. They, verily, are a

rejected people. They hindered others from appearing before Him Who is the

Ancient Beauty, and from sharing the bread of His loved ones. Approach

them not, one was even heard to say, for they cast a spell upon the

people and lead them astray from the path of God, the Help in Peril, the

Self-Subsisting. By the righteousness of the one true God! He who is

incapable of speaking in Our presence hath uttered such words as none

among the former generations hath ever spoken, and hath committed such

acts as none of the unbelievers of bygone ages hath ever committed.



56 The very words and deeds of these men bear eloquent testimony to the

truth of My words, if ye be of them that judge with fairness. Whosoever

attributeth the verses of God to sorcery hath not believed in any of His

Messengers, hath lived and laboured in vain, and is accounted of those who

speak that of which they have no knowledge. Say: O servant! Fear God, thy

Creator and thy Fashioner, and transgress not against Him, but judge with

fairness and act with justice. Those whom the Lord hath endued with

knowledge shall find, in the very objections raised by the unbelievers,

conclusive proofs to invalidate their claims and vindicate the truth of

this manifest Light. Say: Would ye repeat that which the unbelievers

uttered when a Message came unto them from their Lord? Woe betide you, O

assemblage of foolish ones, and blighted be your works!



57 O Ancient Beauty! Turn aside from the unbelievers and that which they

possess, and waft over all created things the sweet savours of the

remembrance of Thy Beloved, the Exalted, the Great. This remembrance

quickeneth the world of being and reneweth the temples of all created

things. Say: He, verily, hath established Himself upon the Throne of might

and glory. Whosoever desireth to gaze upon His countenance, lo, behold Him

standing before thee! Blessed be the Lord Who hath revealed Himself in

this shining and luminous Beauty. Whosoever desireth to hearken unto His

melodies, lo, hear them rising from His resplendent and wondrous lips! And

unto whosoever desireth to be illumined by the splendours of His light,

say: Seek the court of His presence, for God hath verily granted you leave

to approach it, as a token of His grace unto all mankind.



58 Say: O people! We shall put to you a question in all truthfulness,

taking God for a witness between you and Us. He, verily, is the Defender

of the righteous. Appear, then, before His Throne of glory and make reply

with justice and fair-mindedness. Is it God Who is potent to achieve His

purpose, or is it ye who enjoy such authority? Is it He Who is truly

unconstrained, as ye imply when ye say that He doeth what He pleaseth and

shall not be asked of His doings, or is it ye who wield such power, and

who merely make such assertions out of blind imitation, as did your

forebears at the appearance of every other Messenger of God?



59 If He be truly unconstrained, behold then how He hath sent down the

Manifestation of His Cause with verses which naught in the heavens or on

the earth can withstand! Such hath been the manner of their revelation

that they have neither peer nor likeness in the world of being, as ye

yourselves beheld and heard when once the Daystar of the world shone forth

above the horizon of 'Iraq with manifest dominion. All things attain their

consummation in the divine verses, and these indeed are the verses of God,

the Sovereign Lord, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Almighty.

Beyond this, He hath been made manifest as the Bearer of a Cause whose

sovereign might is acknowledged by all created things, and this none can

deny save the sinners and the ungodly.



60 Say: O people! Is it your wish to conceal the beauty of the Sun behind

the veils of your own selfish desires, or to prevent the Spirit from

raising its melodies within this sanctified and luminous breast? Fear ye

God, and contend not with Him Who representeth the Godhead. Dispute not

with the One at Whose bidding the letter B was created and joined with

its mighty foundation.(6) Believe in the Messengers of God and His

sovereign might, and in the Self of God and His majesty. Follow not those

who have repudiated what they had once believed, and who have sought for

themselves a station after their own fancy; these, truly, are of the

ungodly. Bear ye witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath borne

witness, that the company of His favoured ones may be illumined by the

words that issue from your lips. Say: We, verily, believe in that which

was revealed unto the Apostles of old, in that which hath been revealed,

by the power of truth, unto 'Ali,(7) and in that which is now being

revealed from His Throne of glory. Thus doth your Lord instruct you, as a

sign of His favour and as a token of His grace that encompasseth all the

worlds.



61 O Feet of this Temple! We, verily, have wrought you of iron. Stand firm

with such constancy in the Cause of your Lord as to cause the feet of

every severed soul to be strengthened in the path of God, the Almighty,

the All-Wise. Beware lest the storms of enmity and hatred, or the blasts

of the workers of iniquity, cause you to stumble. Be immovable in the

Faith of God, and waver not. We, verily, have called you forth by virtue

of that Name which is the source of all steadfastness, and by the grace of

each one of Our most excellent Names as revealed unto all who are in

heaven and on earth. Erelong shall We bring into being through you other

feet, firm and steadfast, which shall walk unwaveringly in Our path, even

should they be assailed by hosts as formidable as the combined forces of

the former and latter generations. In truth, We hold all grace in the

hollow of Our hand, and bestow it as We please upon Our favoured servants.

Time and again have We vouchsafed unto you Our favours, that ye may offer

such thanks unto your Lord as to cause the tongues of all created things

to speak forth in praise of Me, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.



62 O Living Temple! Arise to serve this Cause through a might and a power

born of Us. Disclose, then, unto the servants of God all that the Spirit

of God, the sovereign Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Glorious, the

All-Wise, hath imparted unto Thee. Say: O people! Will ye turn away from

Him Who is the Eternal Truth, and choose instead him whom We have created

out of a mere handful of clay? To do so is to inflict a grievous injustice

upon yourselves, if ye be of them that reflect upon the verses of your

Lord. Say: O people! Cleanse your hearts and your eyes, that ye may

recognize your Maker in this holy and luminous attire. Say: The celestial

Youth hath ascended the Throne of glory, made manifest His independent

sovereignty, and now voiceth, in the most sweet and wondrous accents, this

call betwixt earth and heaven: O peoples of the earth! Wherefore have ye

disbelieved in your Lord, the All-Merciful, and turned aside from Him Who

is the Beauty of the All-Glorious? By the righteousness of God! This is

His Hidden Secret, Who hath risen from the dayspring of creation; and this

is His cherished Beauty, Who hath shone forth above the horizon of this

exalted Station, invested with the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril,

the All-Glorious, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.



63 O Temple of Holiness! We, verily, have cleansed Thy breast from the

whisperings of the people and sanctified it from earthly allusions, that

the light of My beauty may appear therein and be reflected in the mirrors

of all the worlds. Thus have We singled Thee out above all that hath been

created in the heavens and the earth, and above all that hath been decreed

in the realms of revelation and creation, and chosen Thee for Our own

Self. This is but an evidence of the bounty which God hath vouchsafed unto

Thee, a bounty which shall last until the Day that hath no end in this

contingent world. It shall endure so long as God, the Supreme King, the

Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Wise, shall endure. For the Day of God is

none other but His own Self, Who hath appeared with the power of truth.

This is the Day that shall not be followed by night, nor shall it be

bounded by any praise, would that ye might understand!



64 O Breast of this Temple! We, verily, have caused all things to mirror

forth thy reality, and made thee as a mirror of Our own Self. Shed, then,

upon the breasts of all created beings the splendours of the light of thy

Lord, that they may be freed from all allusions and limitations. Thus hath

the Daystar of wisdom shone forth above the horizon of the Pen of the

Eternal King. Blessed are those who perceive it! Through thee have We

created other sanctified breasts, and unto thee shall We cause them to

return, as a token of Our grace unto thee and unto Our favoured servants.

Erelong shall We bring into being through thee men with sanctified and

illumined breasts, who will testify to naught save My beauty and show

forth naught but the resplendent light of My countenance. These shall in

truth be the mirrors of My Names amidst all created things.



65 O Temple of Holiness! We, verily, have made Thine inmost heart the

treasury of all the knowledge of past and future ages, and the

dawning-place of Our own knowledge which We have ordained for the dwellers

of earth and heaven, that all creation may partake of the outpourings of

Thy grace and may attain, through the wonders of Thy knowledge, unto the

recognition of God, the Exalted, the Powerful, the Great. In truth, that

knowledge which belongeth unto Mine own Essence is such as none hath ever

attained or will ever grasp, nor shall any heart be capable of bearing its

weight. Were We to disclose but a single word of this knowledge, the

hearts of all men would be filled with consternation, the foundations of

all things would crumble into ruin, and the feet of even the wisest among

men would be made to slip.



66 Within the treasury of Our Wisdom there lieth unrevealed a knowledge,

one word of which, if we chose to divulge it to mankind, would cause every

human being to recognize the Manifestation of God and to acknowledge His

omniscience, would enable every one to discover the secrets of all the

sciences, and to attain so high a station as to find himself wholly

independent of all past and future learning. Other knowledges We do as

well possess, not a single letter of which We can disclose, nor do We find

humanity able to hear even the barest reference to their meaning. Thus

have We informed you of the knowledge of God, the All-Knowing, the

All-Wise. Were We to find worthy vessels, We would deposit within them the

treasures of hidden meanings and impart unto them a knowledge, one letter

of which would encompass all created things.



67 O Inmost Heart of this Temple! We have made thee the dawning-place of

Our knowledge and the dayspring of Our wisdom unto all who are in heaven

and on earth. From thee have We caused all sciences to appear, and unto

thee shall We cause them to return. And from thee shall We bring them

forth a second time. Such, indeed, is Our promise, and potent are We to

effect Our purpose. Erelong shall We bring into being through thee

exponents of new and wondrous sciences, of potent and effective crafts,

and shall make manifest through them that which the heart of none of Our

servants hath yet conceived. Thus do We bestow upon whom We will

whatsoever We desire, and thus do We withdraw from whom We will what We

had once bestowed. Even so do We ordain whatsoever We please through Our

behest.



68 Say: Should We choose, at one time, to shed the radiance of Our loving

providence upon the mirrors of all things, and, at another, to withhold

from them the splendours of Our light, this verily lieth within Our power,

and none hath the right to ask why or wherefore. For We are potent

indeed to achieve Our purpose, and render no account for that which We

bring to pass; and none can dispute this save those who join partners with

God and doubt His Truth. Say: Nothing can withstand the power of Our might

or interrupt the course of Our command. We exalt whomsoever We please unto

the Realm of supernal might and glory, and, should We so desire, cause the

same to sink into the lowest abyss of degradation.



69 O dwellers of the earth! Would ye contend that if We raise up a soul

unto the Sadratu'l-Muntaha,(8) it shall then cease to be subject to the

power of Our sovereignty and dominion? Nay, by Mine own Self! Should it be

Our wish, We would return it to the dust in less than the twinkling of an

eye. Consider a tree: Behold how We plant it in a garden, and nourish it

with the waters of Our loving care; and how, when it hath grown tall and

mature, and brought forth verdant leaves and goodly fruits, We send forth

the tempestuous gales of Our decree, tear it up by its roots, and lay it

prostrate upon the face of the earth. So hath it been Our way with all

things, and so shall it be in this day. Such, in truth, are the matchless

wonders of Our immutable method--a method which hath ever governed, and

shall continue to govern, all things, if ye be of them that perceive.

None, however, knoweth the wisdom thereof save God, the All-Powerful, the

Almighty, the All-Wise.



70 Would ye gainsay, O people, the very thing that your eyes behold? Woe

unto you, O assemblage of deniers! That which alone is exempt from change

is His own Self, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, were ye to gaze

with the eye of insight, while all else beside Him can be altered by an

act of His Will. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the

All-Wise.



71 O people! Dispute not concerning My Cause, for ye shall never fathom

the manifold wisdom of your Lord, nor shall ye ever gauge the knowledge of

Him Who is the All-Glorious, the All-Pervading. Whosoever layeth claim to

have known His Essence is without doubt among the most ignorant of all

people. Every atom in the universe would charge such a man with imposture,

and to this beareth witness My tongue which speaketh naught but the truth.

Magnify My Cause and promulgate My teachings and commandments, for none

other course beside this shall beseem you, and no other path shall ever

lead unto Him. Would that ye might heed Our counsel!



72 O Living Temple! We have made Thee the Dayspring of each one of Our

most excellent titles, the Dawning-Place of each one of Our most august

attributes, and the Fountainhead of each one of Our manifold virtues unto

the denizens of earth and heaven. Thereafter have We raised Thee up in Our

own image betwixt the heavens and the earth, and ordained Thee to be the

sign of Our glory unto all who are in the realms of revelation and

creation, that My servants may follow in Thy footsteps, and be of them who

are guided aright. We have appointed Thee the Tree of grace and bounty

unto the dwellers of both the heavens and the earth. Well is it with them

who seek the shelter of Thy shade and who draw nigh unto Thy Self, the

omnipotent Protector of the worlds.



73 Say: We have made each one of Our Names a wellspring from which We have

caused the streams of divine wisdom and understanding to gush forth and

flow in the garden of Our Cause--streams whose number none can reckon save

Thy Lord, the Most Holy, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.

Say: We have generated all Letters from the Point and have caused them to

return unto It, and We have sent It down again in the form of a human

temple. All glory be unto the Author of this incomparable and wondrous

handiwork! Erelong shall We unfold and expound It again, in Our name, the

All-Glorious. This is indeed a token of Our grace, and I, truly, am the

Most Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.



74 We have brought forth all Lights from the Orb of Our name, the True

One, have caused them to return unto It, and have again made them manifest

in the form of a human temple. All glory be unto the Lord of strength,

might, and power! None can withstand the operation of My will or the

exercise of My might. I am He Who hath raised up all creatures through a

word of My mouth, and My power is, in truth, equal to My purpose.



75 Say: It is in Our power, should We wish it, to cause all created things

to expire in an instant, and, with the next, to endue them again with

life. The knowledge thereof, however, is with God alone, the All-Knowing,

the All-Informed. It is in Our power, should We wish it, to enable a speck

of floating dust to generate, in less than the twinkling of an eye, suns

of infinite, of unimaginable splendour, to cause a dewdrop to develop into

vast and numberless oceans, to infuse into every letter such a force as to

empower it to unfold all the knowledge of past and future ages. This, in

truth, is a matter simple of accomplishment. Such have been the evidences

of My power from the beginning that hath no beginning until the end that

hath no end. My creatures, however, have been oblivious of My power, have

repudiated My sovereignty, and contended with Mine own Self, the

All-Knowing, the All-Wise.



76 Say: Of all that lieth between heaven and earth, naught can stir except

by My leave, and unto My Kingdom none can ascend save at My behest. My

creatures, however, have remained veiled from My might and My sovereignty,

and are numbered with the heedless. Say: Naught is seen in My revelation

but the Revelation of God, and in My might but His Might, could ye but

know it. Say: My creatures are even as the leaves of a tree. They proceed

from the tree, and depend upon it for their existence, yet remain

oblivious of their root and origin. We draw such similitudes for the sake

of Our discerning servants that perchance they may transcend a mere

plant-like level of existence and attain unto true maturity in this

resistless and immovable Cause. Say: My creatures are even as the fish of

the deep. Their life dependeth upon the water, and yet they remain unaware

of that which, by the grace of an omniscient and omnipotent Lord,

sustaineth their very existence. Indeed, their heedlessness is such that

were they asked concerning the water and its properties, they would prove

entirely ignorant. Thus do We set forth comparisons and similitudes, that

perchance the people may turn unto Him Who is the Object of the adoration

of the entire creation.



77 O people! Fear God, and disbelieve not in Him Whose grace hath

surrounded all things, Whose mercy hath pervaded the contingent world, and

the sovereign potency of Whose Cause hath encompassed both your inner and

your outer beings, both your beginning and your end. Stand ye in awe of

the Lord, and be of them that act uprightly. Beware lest ye be accounted

among those who allow the verses of their Lord to pass them by unheard and

unrecognized; these, truly, are of the wayward.



78 Say: Would ye worship him who neither heareth nor seeth, and who is of

a truth the most abject and wretched of all God's servants? Wherefore have

ye failed to follow the One Who hath come unto you from the Source of

Divine Command bearing the tidings of God, the Most Exalted, the Most

Great? O people! Be not like unto those who presented themselves before

Our throne, and yet failed to perceive or comprehend; these are indeed a

contemptible people. We recited unto them verses that would enrapture the

dwellers of the heavenly Dominion and the inmates of the Kingdom on high,

and yet they departed veiled therefrom, and hearkened rather unto the

voice of him who is but a servant of God and a mere creation of His Will.

Thus do We impart unto you that which shall guide you towards the path of

God's favoured ones.



79 How many those who entered within the Abode of Paradise, the Seat

wherein the throne of God had been established, and stood before their

Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, only to inquire about the four

Gates or of some Imam of the Islamic Faith!(9) Such was the state of these

souls, if ye be of them that comprehend. It is even as ye witness in the

present day: those who have disbelieved in God and joined partners with

Him cling to a single one of Our Names, and are debarred from recognizing

Him Who is the Creator of all Names. We testify that such men are of a

truth amongst the people of the Fire. They ask the sun to expound the

words of the shadow, and the True One to explain the utterances of His

creatures, could ye but perceive it! Say: O people! The sun offereth

naught save the effulgence of its own light and that which appeareth

therefrom, whilst all else seek illumination from its rays. Fear God, and

be not of the ignorant! Among them also were those who inquired of the

darkness about the light. Say: Open thine eyes, that thou mayest behold

the brightness which hath visibly enveloped the earth! This, verily, is a

light which hath risen and shone forth above the horizon of the Dayspring

of divine knowledge with manifest radiance. Would ye ask the Jews whether

Jesus was the True One from God, or the idols if Muhammad was an Apostle

of His Lord, or inquire from the people of the Qur'an as to Him Who was

the Remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great?



80 Say: O people! Cast away, before the splendours of this Revelation, the

things that ye possess, and cleave to that which God hath bidden you

observe. Such is His command unto you, and He, verily, is best able to

command. By My Beauty! My purpose in revealing these words is to cause all

men to draw nigh unto God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Beware lest

ye deal with Me as ye dealt with My Herald. Do not object, when the verses

of God are sent down unto you from the Court of My favour, saying, these

do not proceed from an innate and untaught nature, for that nature itself

hath been created by My word and circleth round Me, if ye be of them that

apprehend this truth. Inhale from the utterances of your Lord, the

All-Merciful, the sweet smell of the garment of inner meanings, which hath

been diffused throughout the entire creation and hath shed its fragrance

over all created things. Happy are those who perceive it and hasten unto

God with radiant hearts.



81 O Living Temple! We, verily, have made Thee a mirror unto the kingdom

of names, that Thou mayest be, amidst all mankind, a sign of My

sovereignty, a herald unto My presence, a summoner unto My beauty, and a

guide unto My straight and perspicuous Path. We have exalted Thy Name

among Our servants as a bounty from Our presence. I, verily, am the

All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. We have, moreover, adorned Thee with

the ornament of Our own Self, and have imparted unto Thee Our Word, that

Thou mayest ordain in this contingent world whatsoever Thou willest and

accomplish whatsoever Thou pleasest. We have destined for Thee all the

good of the heavens and of the earth, and decreed that none may attain

unto a portion thereof unless he entereth beneath Thy shadow, as bidden by

Thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have conferred upon Thee

the Staff of authority and the Writ of judgement, that Thou mayest test

the wisdom of every command. We have caused the oceans of inner meaning

and explanation to surge from Thy heart in remembrance of Thy Lord, the

God of mercy, that Thou mayest render thanks and praise unto Him and be of

those who are truly thankful. We have singled Thee out from amongst all

Our creatures, and have appointed Thee as the Manifestation of Our own

Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth.



82 Bring then into being, by Our leave, resplendent mirrors and exalted

letters that shall testify to Thy sovereignty and dominion, bear witness

to Thy might and glory, and be the manifestations of Thy Names amidst

mankind. We have caused Thee again to be the Origin and the Creator of all

mirrors, even as We brought them forth from Thee aforetime. And We shall

cause Thee to return unto Mine own Self, even as We called Thee forth in

the beginning. Thy Lord, verily, is the Unconstrained, the All-Powerful,

the All-Compelling. Warn, then, these mirrors, once they have been made

manifest, lest they swell with pride before their Creator and Fashioner

when He appeareth amongst them, or let the trappings of leadership delude

and debar them from bowing in submission before God, the Almighty, the

All-Beauteous.



83 Say: O concourse of mirrors! Ye are but a creation of My will and have

come to exist by virtue of My command. Beware lest ye deny the verses of

My Lord, and be of them who have wrought injustice and are numbered with

the lost. Beware lest ye cling unto that which ye possess, or take pride

in your fame and renown. That which behoveth you is to wholly detach

yourselves from all that is in the heavens and on the earth. Thus hath it

been ordained by Him Who is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.



84 O Temple of My Cause! Say: Should I wish to transform, in a single

moment, all things into mirrors of My Names, this undoubtedly is in My

power, how much more in the power of My Lord, Who hath called Me into

being through His all-compelling and inscrutable command. And should I

choose to revolutionize the entire creation in the twinkling of an eye,

this assuredly is possible unto Me, how much more unto that sovereign

Purpose enshrined in the Will of God, My Lord and the Lord of all the

worlds.



85 Say: O ye manifestations of My Names! Should ye offer up all that ye

possess, nay your very lives, in the path of God, and invoke Him to the

number of the grains of sand, the drops of rain, and the waves of the sea,

and yet oppose the Manifestation of His Cause at the time of His

appearance, your works shall in no wise be mentioned before God. Should

ye, however, neglect all righteous works and yet choose to believe in Him

in these days, God perchance will put away your sins. He, verily, is the

All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. Thus doth the Lord inform you of His

purpose, that haply ye may not wax proud before the One through Whom

whatsoever hath been revealed from all eternity hath been confirmed. Happy

is he who approacheth this Most Sublime Vision, and woe to them that turn

aside!



86 How numerous those who expend all their w