EPISTLE TO THE SON OF THE WOLF
     (U.S., 1988 pocket-size ed.)
     Filename:      ESW.ZIP
     Filedate:     11-19-93 



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          In the name of God, the One, the Incomparable, 
          the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. 

     Praise be to God, the Eternal that perisheth not, 
the Everlasting that declineth not, the Self-Subsisting 
that altereth not.  He it is Who is transcendent in 
His sovereignty, Who is manifest through His signs, 
and is hidden through His mysteries.  He it is at 
Whose bidding the standard of the Most Exalted 
Word hath been lifted up in the world of creation, 
and the banner of "He doeth whatsoever He willeth" 
raised amidst all peoples.  He it is Who hath revealed 
His Cause for the guidance of His creatures, and sent 
down His verses to demonstrate His Proof and His 
Testimony, and embellished the preface of the Book 
of Man with the ornament of utterance through His 
saying:  "The God of Mercy hath taught the &Qur'an, 
hath created man, and taught him articulate speech." 
No God is there but Him, the One, the Peerless, the 
Powerful, the Mighty, the Beneficent. 
     The light that is shed from the heaven of bounty, 
and the benediction that shineth from the dawning-place 
of the will of God, the Lord of the Kingdom 

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of Names, rest upon Him Who is the Supreme Mediator, 
the Most Exalted Pen, Him Whom God hath 
made the Dawning-Place of His most excellent 
names and the Dayspring of His most exalted attributes. 
Through Him the light of unity hath shone 
forth above the horizon of the world, and the law of 
oneness hath been revealed amidst the nations, who, 
with radiant faces, have turned towards the Supreme 
Horizon, and acknowledged that which the Tongue 
of Utterance hath spoken in the kingdom of His 
knowledge:  "Earth and heaven, glory and dominion, 
are God's, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Lord 
of grace abounding!" 
     Give ear, O distinguished divine, unto the voice of 
this Wronged One.  He verily, counselleth thee for 
the sake of God, and exhorteth thee unto that which 
will cause thee to draw nigh unto Him under all 
conditions.  He, in truth, is the All-Possessing, the 
Exalted.  Know thou that the ear of man hath been 
created that it may hearken unto the Divine Voice 
on this Day that hath been mentioned in all the Books, 
Scriptures, and Tablets.  Purify thou, first, thy soul 
with the waters of renunciation, and adorn thine 
head with the crown of the fear of God, and thy temple 
with the ornament of reliance upon Him.  Arise, 
then, and, with thy face set towards the Most Great 
House, the Spot round which, as decreed by the 
Eternal King, all that dwell on earth must circle, 
recite: 

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     "O God, my God, and my Desire, and my Adored 
One, and my Master, and my Mainstay, and my utmost 
Hope, and my supreme Aspiration!  Thou seest 
me turning towards Thee, holding fast unto the cord 
of Thy bounty, clinging to the hem of Thy generosity, 
acknowledging the sanctity of Thy Self and 
the purity of Thine Essence, and testifying to Thy 
unity and Thy oneness.  I bear witness that Thou 
art the One, the Single, the Incomparable, the Ever-Abiding. 
Thou didst not take unto Thyself a partner 
in Thy dominion, nor didst Thou choose a peer for 
Thyself upon earth.  All created things have borne 
witness unto that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur 
hath testified ere their creation.  Verily Thou art 
God; there is none other God but Thee!  From everlasting 
Thou wast sanctified from the mention of 
Thy servants, and exalted above the description of Thy 
creatures.  Thou beholdest, O Lord, the ignorant 
seeking the ocean of Thy knowledge, the sore athirst 
the living waters of Thine utterance, the abased the 
tabernacle of Thy glory, the poor the treasury of Thy 
riches, the suppliant the dawning-place of Thy wisdom, 
the weak the source of Thy strength, the 
wretched the heaven of Thy bounty, the dumb the 
kingdom of Thy mention. 
     "I testify, O my God, and my King, that Thou hast 
created me to remember Thee, to glorify Thee, and 
to aid Thy Cause.  And yet, I have aided Thine enemies, 
who have broken Thy Covenant, who have cast 

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away Thy Book, disbelieved in Thee, and repudiated 
Thy signs.  Alas, alas, for my waywardness, and my 
shame, and my sinfulness, and my wrong-doing that 
have withheld me from the depths of the ocean of 
Thy unity and from fathoming the sea of Thy mercy. 
Wherefore, alas, alas! and again alas, alas! for my 
wretchedness and the grievousness of my transgressions! 
Thou didst call me into being, O my God, to 
exalt Thy Word, and to manifest Thy Cause.  My 
heedlessness, however, hath deterred me and compassed 
me about, in such wise that I have arisen to 
blot out Thy signs, and to shed the blood of Thy 
loved ones, and of the dawning-places of Thy signs, 
and of the daysprings of Thy revelation, and of the 
repositories of Thy mysteries. 
     "O Lord, my Lord! and again, O Lord, my Lord! 
and yet again, O Lord, my Lord!  I bear witness that 
by reason of mine iniquity the fruits of the tree of 
Thy justice have fallen, and through the fire of my 
rebelliousness the hearts of such of Thy creatures as 
enjoy near access to Thee were consumed, and the 
souls of the sincere among Thy servants have melted. 
O wretched, wretched that I am!  O the cruelties, 
the glaring cruelties, I inflicted!  Woe is me, woe is 
me, for my remoteness from Thee, and for my waywardness, 
and mine ignorance, and my baseness, and 
my repudiation of Thee, and my protests against 
Thee!  How many the days during which Thou didst 
bid Thy servants and Thy loved ones to protect me, 

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whilst I commanded them to harm Thee and to harm 
them that Thou didst trust!  And how numerous the 
nights during which Thou didst graciously remember 
me, and didst show me Thy path, whilst I turned 
away from Thee and from Thy signs!  By Thy glory! 
O Thou Who art the Hope of such as have acknowledged 
Thy unity, and the Desire of the hearts of them 
that are rid of all attachment to any save Thee!  I 
find no succorer except Thee, nor king, nor refuge, 
nor haven besides Thyself.  Alas, alas!  My turning 
away from Thee hath burnt up the veil of mine 
integrity, and my denial of Thee hath rent asunder 
the covering cast over mine honor.  O would that I 
were beneath the depths of the earth, so that my evil 
deeds would remain unknown to Thy servants!  Thou 
seest the sinner, O my Lord, who hath turned towards 
the dawning-place of Thy forgiveness and Thy 
bounty, and the mountain of iniquity that hath 
sought the heaven of Thy mercy and pardon.  Alas, 
alas!  My mighty sins have prevented me from approaching 
the court of Thy mercy, and my monstrous 
deeds have caused me to stray far from the 
sanctuary of Thy presence.  Indeed, I am he that 
hath failed in duty towards Thee, and hath broken 
Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and committed 
that which hath made the dwellers of the cities of 
Thy justice, and the dawning-places of Thy grace 
in Thy realms, to lament.  I testify, O my God, that 
I have put away Thy commandments, and clung to 

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the dictates of my passions, and have cast away the 
statutes of Thy Book, and seized the book of mine 
own desire.  O misery, misery!  As mine iniquities 
waxed greater and greater, Thy forbearance towards 
me augmented, and as the fire of my rebelliousness 
grew fiercer, the more did Thy forgiveness and Thy 
grace seek to smother up its flame.  By the power of 
Thy might!  O Thou Who art the desire of the world 
and the Best-Beloved of the nations!  Thy long-suffering 
hath puffed me up, and Thy patience hath emboldened 
me.  Thou beholdest, O my God, the tears 
that my shame hath caused to flow, and the sighs 
which my heedlessness hath led me to utter.  I 
swear by the greatness of Thy majesty!  I can find 
for myself no habitation save beneath the shadow of 
the court of Thy bounty, nor any refuge except 
under the canopy of Thy mercy.  Thou seest me in 
the midst of a sea of despair and of hopelessness, after 
Thou didst cause me to hear Thy words "Despair 
not."  By Thy power!  My sore injustice hath severed 
the cord of my hope, and my rebellion hath darkened 
my face before the throne of Thy justice.  Thou 
beholdest, O my God, him who is as one dead fallen 
at the door of Thy favor, ashamed to seek from the 
hand of Thy loving-kindness the living waters of Thy 
pardon.  Thou hast given me a tongue wherewith to 
remember and praise Thee, and yet it uttereth that 
which hath caused the souls of such of Thy chosen 
ones as are nigh unto Thee to melt, and the hearts of 

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the sincere amongst the dwellers of the habitations 
of holiness to be consumed.  Thou hast given me eyes 
to witness Thy signs, and to behold Thy verses, and 
to contemplate the revelations of Thine handiwork, 
but I have rejected Thy will, and have committed 
what hath caused the faithful among Thy creatures 
and the detached amidst Thy servants to groan.  Thou 
hast given me ears that I may incline them unto Thy 
praise and Thy celebration, and unto that which Thou 
didst send down from the heaven of Thy bounty and 
the firmament of Thy will.  And yet, alas, alas, I 
have forsaken Thy Cause, and have commanded Thy 
servants to blaspheme against Thy trusted ones and 
Thy loved ones, and have acted, before the throne of 
Thy justice, in such wise that those that have recognized 
Thy unity and are wholly devoted to Thee 
among the dwellers of Thy realm mourned with a 
sore lamentation.  I know not, O my God, which 
among my evildoings to mention before the billowing 
ocean of Thy favor, nor which of my trespasses 
to declare when face to face with the splendors of 
the suns of Thy goodly gifts and bounties. 
     "I beseech Thee, this very moment, by the mysteries 
of Thy Book, and by the things hid in Thy knowledge, 
and by the pearls that lie concealed within the 
shells of the ocean of Thy mercy, to reckon me among 
such as Thou didst mention in Thy Book and describe 
in Thy Tablets.  Hast Thou decreed for me, O my 
God, any joy after this tribulation, or any relief to 

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succeed this affliction, or any ease to follow this 
trouble?  Alas, alas!  Thou hast ordained that every 
pulpit be set apart for Thy mention, and for the 
glorification of Thy Word, and the revelation of Thy 
Cause, but I have ascended it to proclaim the violation 
of Thy Covenant, and have spoken unto Thy 
servants such words as have caused the dwellers of 
the Tabernacles of Thy majesty and the denizens of 
the Cities of Thy wisdom to lament.  How often hast 
Thou sent down the food of Thine utterance out of 
the heaven of Thy bounty, and I denied it; and how 
numerous the occasions on which Thou hast summoned 
me to the soft flowing waters of Thy mercy, 
and I have chosen to turn away therefrom, by reason 
of my having followed my own wish and desire!  By 
Thy glory!  I know not for which sin to beg Thy 
forgiveness and implore Thy pardon, nor from which 
of mine iniquities to turn aside unto the Court of Thy 
bounteousness and the Sanctuary of Thy favor.  Such 
are my sins and trespasses that no man can number 
them, nor pen describe them.  I implore Thee, O Thou 
that turnest darkness into light, and revealest Thy 
mysteries on the Sinai of Thy Revelation, to aid me, 
at all times, to put my trust in Thee, and to commit 
mine affairs unto Thy care.  Make me, then, O my 
God, content with that which the finger of Thy decree 
hath traced, and the pen of Thy ordinance hath 
written.  Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee, 
and in Thy grasp are the reins of all that are in heaven 

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and on earth.  No God is there but Thee, the All-knowing, 
the All-Wise." 
     O &Shaykh!  Know thou that neither the calumnies 
which men may utter, nor their denials, nor any cavils 
they may raise, can harm him that hath clung to the 
cord of the grace, and seized the hem of the mercy, 
of the Lord of creation.  By God!  He, the Glory of 
God (&Baha), hath spoken not from mere impulse. 
He that hath given Him a voice is He that hath given 
a voice unto all things, that they may praise and 
glorify Him.  There is none other God but Him, the 
One, the Incomparable, the Lord of strength, the 
Unconditioned. 
     They whose sight is keen, whose ears are retentive, 
whose hearts are enlightened, and whose breasts are 
dilated, recognize both truth and falsehood, and distinguish 
the one from the other.  Recite thou this 
prayer that hath flowed from the tongue of this 
Wronged One, and ponder thereon with a heart rid 
of all attachment, and with ears that are pure and 
sanctified, be attentive to its meaning, that haply 
thou mayest inhale the breath of detachment and 
have pity upon thyself and upon others: 
     "My God, the Object of my adoration, the Goal 
of my desire, the All-Bountiful, the Most Compassionate! 
All life is of Thee, and all power lieth within 
the grasp of Thine omnipotence.  Whosoever Thou 
exaltest is raised above the angels, and attaineth the 
station:  `Verily, We uplifted him to a place on 

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high!'; and whosoever Thou dost abase is made lower 
than dust, nay, less than nothing.  O Divine Providence! 
Though wicked, sinful, and intemperate, we 
still seek from Thee a `seat of truth,' and long to 
behold the countenance of the Omnipotent King. 
It is Thine to command, and all sovereignty belongeth 
to Thee, and the realm of might boweth before Thy 
behest.  Everything Thou doest is pure justice, nay, 
the very essence of grace.  One gleam from the splendors 
of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, sufficeth to 
banish and blot out every trace of sinfulness from the 
world, and a single breath from the breezes of the 
Day of Thy Revelation is enough to adorn all mankind 
with a fresh attire.  Vouchsafe Thy strength, 
O Almighty One, unto Thy weak creatures, and 
quicken them who are as dead, that haply they may 
find Thee, and may be led unto the ocean of Thy 
guidance, and may remain steadfast in Thy Cause. 
Should the fragrance of Thy praise be shed abroad 
by any of the divers tongues of the world, out of 
the East or out of the West, it would, verily, be prized 
and greatly cherished.  If such tongues, however, be 
deprived of that fragrance, they assuredly would be 
unworthy of any mention, in word or yet in thought. 
We beg of Thee, O Providence, to show Thy way 
unto all men, and to guide them aright.  Thou art, 
verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing, 
the All-Seeing." 
     We beseech God to aid thee to be just and fair-minded, 

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and to acquaint thee with the things that 
were hidden from the eyes of men.  He, in truth, is 
the Mighty, the Unconstrained.  We ask thee to reflect 
upon that which hath been revealed, and to be fair 
and just in thy speech, that perchance the splendors 
of the daystar of truthfulness and sincerity may 
shine forth, and may deliver thee from the darkness 
of ignorance, and illumine the world with the light 
of knowledge.  This Wronged One hath frequented 
no school, neither hath He attended the controversies 
of the learned.  By My life!  Not of Mine own volition 
have I revealed Myself, but God, of His own 
choosing, hath manifested Me.  In the Tablet, addressed 
to His Majesty the &Shah--may God, blessed 
and glorified be He, assist him--these words have 
streamed from the tongue of this Wronged One: 
     "O King!  I was but a man like others, asleep upon 
My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious 
were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge 
of all that hath been.  This thing is not from Me, but 
from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing.  And 
He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and 
heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused 
the tears of every man of understanding to flow. 
The learning current amongst men I studied not; 
their schools I entered not.  Ask of the city wherein 
I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am 
not of them who speak falsely.  This is but a leaf 
which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, 

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the All-Praised, have stirred.  Can it be still 
when the tempestuous winds are blowing?  Nay, by 
Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! 
They move it as they list.  The evanescent is as nothing 
before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding.  His all-compelling 
summons hath reached Me, and caused 
Me to speak His praise amidst all people.  I was indeed 
as one dead when His behest was uttered.  The hand 
of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, 
transformed Me." 
     Now is the moment in which to cleanse thyself 
with the waters of detachment that have flowed out 
from the Supreme Pen, and to ponder, wholly for the 
sake of God, those things which, time and again, have 
been sent down or manifested, and then to strive, as 
much as lieth in thee, to quench, through the power 
of wisdom and the force of thy utterance, the fire of 
enmity and hatred which smouldereth in the hearts 
of the peoples of the world.  The Divine Messengers 
have been sent down, and their Books were revealed, 
for the purpose of promoting the knowledge of God, 
and of furthering unity and fellowship amongst men. 
But now behold, how they have made the Law of God 
a cause and pretext for perversity and hatred.  How 
pitiful, how regrettable, that most men are cleaving 
fast to, and have busied themselves with, the things 
they possess, and are unaware of, and shut out as by 
a veil from, the things God possesseth! 
     Say:  "O God, my God!  Attire mine head with the 

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crown of justice, and my temple with the ornament 
of equity.  Thou, verily, art the Possessor of all gifts 
and bounties." 
     Justice and equity are twin Guardians that watch 
over men.  From them are revealed such blessed and 
perspicuous words as are the cause of the well-being 
of the world and the protection of the nations. 
     These words have streamed from the pen of this 
Wronged One in one of His Tablets:  "The purpose 
of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been 
to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the mine of 
man--they Who are the Dawning-Places of His 
Cause and the Repositories of the pearls of His knowledge; 
for, God Himself, glorified be He, is the Unseen, 
the One concealed and hidden from the eyes of men. 
Consider what the Merciful hath revealed in the 
&Qur'an:  No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in 
all vision, and He is the Subtile, the All-Informed!" 
     That the divers communions of the earth, and the 
manifold systems of religious belief, should never be 
allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among 
men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of 
God and His Religion.  These principles and laws, 
these firmly-established and mighty systems, have 
proceeded from one Source, and are rays of one Light. 
That they differ one from another is to be attributed 
to the varying requirements of the ages in which they 
were promulgated. 
     Gird up the loins of your endeavor, O people of 

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&Baha, that haply the tumult of religious dissension 
and strife that agitateth the peoples of the earth may 
be stilled, that every trace of it may be completely 
obliterated.  For the love of God, and them that 
serve Him, arise to aid this sublime and momentous 
Revelation.  Religious fanaticism and hatred are a 
world-devouring fire, whose violence none can 
quench.  The Hand of Divine power can, alone, 
deliver mankind from this desolating affliction.  Consider 
the war that hath involved the two Nations, 
how both sides have renounced their possessions and 
their lives.  How many the villages that were completely 
wiped out! 
     The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is 
these words:  Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the 
leaves of one branch.  Deal ye one with another with 
the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and 
fellowship.  He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth 
Me witness!  So powerful is the light of unity that it 
can illuminate the whole earth.  The One true God, 
He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the 
truth of these words. 
     Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent 
and most sublime station, the station that can 
insure the protection and security of all mankind. 
This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration 
is the monarch of all aspirations.  So long, however, 
as the thick clouds of oppression, which obscure 
the daystar of justice, remain undispelled, it would 

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be difficult for the glory of this station to be unveiled 
to men's eyes.  These thick clouds are the exponents 
of idle fancies and vain imaginings, who are none 
other but the divines of Persia.  At one time We spoke 
in the language of the lawgiver; at another in that 
of the truth-seeker and the mystic, and yet Our 
supreme purpose and highest wish hath always been 
to disclose the glory and sublimity of this station. 
God, verily, is a sufficient witness! 
     Consort with all men, O people of &Baha, in a spirit 
of friendliness and fellowship.  If ye be aware of a 
certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others 
are deprived, share it with them in a language of 
utmost kindliness and goodwill.  If it be accepted, 
if it fulfill its purpose, your object is attained.  If 
anyone should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and 
beseech God to guide him.  Beware lest ye deal unkindly 
with him.  A kindly tongue is the lodestone 
of the hearts of men.  It is the bread of the spirit, it 
clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain 
of the light of wisdom and understanding. 
     By "divines" in the passage cited above is meant 
those men who outwardly attire themselves with the 
raiment of knowledge, but who inwardly are deprived 
therefrom.  In this connection, We quote from the 
Tablet addressed to His Majesty the &Shah, certain 
passages from the "Hidden Words" which were revealed 
by the &Abha Pen under the name of the "Book 
of &Fatimih," the blessings of God be upon her! 

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     "O ye that are foolish, yet have a name to be wise! 
Wherefore do ye wear the guise of the shepherd, when 
inwardly ye have become wolves, intent upon My 
flock?  Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the 
dawn, and which, though it seem radiant and luminous, 
leadeth the wayfarers of My city astray into the 
paths of perdition." 
     And likewise He saith:  "O ye seeming fair yet 
inwardly foul!  Ye are like clear but bitter water, 
which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of 
which, when tested by the Divine Assayer, not a drop 
is accepted.  Yea, the sunbeam falls alike upon the 
dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection even 
as doth the star from the earth:  nay, immeasurable is 
the difference!" 
     And also He saith:  "O essence of desire!  At many 
a dawn have I turned from the realms of the Placeless 
unto thine abode, and found thee on the bed of 
ease busied with others than Myself.  Thereupon, even 
as the flash of the spirit, I returned to the realms of 
celestial glory, and breathed it not in My retreats 
above unto the hosts of holiness." 
     And again He saith:  "O bond slave of the world! 
Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness 
wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed of 
heedlessness fast asleep.  Bewailing then thy plight it 
returned whence it came." 
     Those divines, however, who are truly adorned 
with the ornament of knowledge and of a goodly 

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character are, verily, as a head to the body of the 
world, and as eyes to the nations.  The guidance of 
men hath, at all times, been, and is, dependent upon 
such blessed souls.  We beseech God to graciously aid 
them to do His will and pleasure.  He, in truth, is 
the Lord of all men, the Lord of this world and of the 
next. 
     O &Shaykh!  We have learned that thou hast turned 
away from Us, and protested against Us, in such wise 
that thou hast bidden the people to curse Me, and 
decreed that the blood of the servants of God be shed. 
God requite him who said:  "Willingly will I obey the 
judge who hath so strangely decreed that my blood 
be spilt at Hill and at &Haram!"  Verily I say:  Whatever 
befalleth in the path of God is the beloved of 
the soul and the desire of the heart.  Deadly poison 
in His path is pure honey, and every tribulation a 
draught of crystal water.  In the Tablet to His 
Majesty the &Shah it is written:  "By Him Who is the 
Truth!  I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any 
affliction in My love for Him.  Verily God hath made 
adversity as a morning dew upon His green pasture, 
and a wick for His lamp which lighteth earth and 
heaven." 
     Set thine heart towards Him Who is the Kaaba of 
God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and raise 
thou thine hands with such firm conviction as shall 
cause the hands of all created things to be lifted up 
towards the heaven of the grace of God, the Lord of 

+P18 
all worlds.  Turn, then, thy face towards Him in 
such wise that the faces of all beings will turn in the 
direction of His shining and luminous Horizon, and 
say:  "Thou seest me, O my Lord, with my face 
turned towards the heaven of Thy bounty and the 
ocean of Thy favor, withdrawn from all else beside 
Thee.  I ask of Thee, by the splendors of the Sun of 
Thy revelation on Sinai, and the effulgences of the Orb 
of Thy grace which shineth from the horizon of Thy 
Name, the Ever-Forgiving, to grant me Thy pardon 
and to have mercy upon me.  Write down, then, for 
me with Thy pen of glory that which will exalt me 
through Thy Name in the world of creation.  Aid 
me, O my Lord, to set myself towards Thee, and to 
hearken unto the voice of Thy loved ones, whom the 
powers of the earth have failed to weaken, and the 
dominion of the nations has been powerless to withhold 
from Thee, and who, advancing towards 
Thee, have said:  `God is our Lord, the Lord of all who 
are in heaven and all who are on earth!'" 
     O &Shaykh!  Verily I say, the seal of the Choice 
Wine hath, in the name of Him Who is the Self-Subsisting, 
been broken; withhold not thyself therefrom. 
This Wronged One speaketh wholly for the 
sake of God; thou too shouldst, likewise, for the sake 
of God, meditate upon those things that have been 
sent down and manifested, that haply thou mayest, 
on this blessed Day, take thy portion of the liberal 
effusions of Him Who is truly the All-Bountiful, and 

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mayest not remain deprived thereof.  This indeed 
would not be hard for God.  Dust-made Adam was 
raised up, through the Word of God, to the heavenly 
throne, and a mere fisherman was made the repository 
of Divine wisdom, and &Abu-Dhar, the shepherd, 
became a prince of the nations! 
     This Day, O &Shaykh, hath never been, nor is it 
now, the Day whereon man-made arts and sciences 
can be regarded as a true standard for men, since it 
hath been recognized that He Who was wholly unversed 
in any of them hath ascended the throne of 
purest gold, and occupied the seat of honor in the 
council of knowledge, whilst the acknowledged exponent 
and repository of these arts and sciences 
remained utterly deprived.  By "arts and sciences" 
is meant those which begin with words and end with 
words.  Such arts and sciences, however, as are 
productive of good results, and bring forth their 
fruit, and are conducive to the well-being and tranquility 
of men have been, and will remain, acceptable 
before God.  Wert thou to give ear to My voice, thou 
wouldst cast away all thy possessions, and wouldst set 
thy face towards the Spot wherein the ocean of wisdom 
and of utterance hath surged, and the sweet 
savors of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the Compassionate, 
have wafted. 
     We deem it advisable, in this connection, to recount 
briefly some past events, that perchance they 
may be the means of vindicating the cause of equity 

+P20 
and justice.  At the time when His Majesty the &Shah, 
may God, his Lord, the Most Merciful, aid him 
through His strengthening grace, was planning a 
journey to &Isfahan, this Wronged One, having obtained 
his permission, visited the holy and luminous 
resting-places of the &Imams, may the blessings of God 
be upon them!  Upon Our return, We proceeded to 
&Lavasan on account of the excessive heat prevailing 
in the capital.  Following Our departure, there occurred 
the attempt upon the life of His Majesty, may 
God, exalted and glorified be He, assist him.  Those 
days were troublous days, and the fires of hatred 
burned high.  Many were arrested, among them this 
Wronged One.  By the righteousness of God!  We 
were in no wise connected with that evil deed, and 
Our innocence was indisputably established by the 
tribunals.  Nevertheless, they apprehended Us, and 
from &Niyavaran, which was then the residence of 
His Majesty, conducted Us, on foot and in chains, 
with bared head and bare feet, to the dungeon of 
&Tihran.  A brutal man, accompanying Us on horseback, 
snatched off Our hat, whilst We were being 
hurried along by a troop of executioners and officials. 
We were consigned for four months to a place foul 
beyond comparison.  As to the dungeon in which this 
Wronged One and others similarly wronged were 
confined, a dark and narrow pit were preferable. 
Upon Our arrival We were first conducted along a 
pitch-black corridor, from whence We descended 

+P21 
three steep flights of stairs to the place of confinement 
assigned to Us.  The dungeon was wrapped in thick 
darkness, and Our fellow prisoners numbered nearly 
a hundred and fifty souls:  thieves, assassins and highwaymen. 
Though crowded, it had no other outlet 
than the passage by which We entered.  No pen can 
depict that place, nor any tongue describe its loathsome 
smell.  Most of these men had neither clothes 
nor bedding to lie on.  God alone knoweth what befell 
Us in that most foul-smelling and gloomy place! 
     Day and night, while confined in that dungeon, 
We meditated upon the deeds, the condition, and the 
conduct of the &Babis, wondering what could have led 
a people so high-minded, so noble, and of such intelligence, 
to perpetrate such an audacious and outrageous 
act against the person of His Majesty.  This 
Wronged One, thereupon, decided to arise, after His 
release from prison, and undertake, with the utmost 
vigor, the task of regenerating this people. 
     One night, in a dream, these exalted words were 
heard on every side:  "Verily, We shall render Thee 
victorious by Thyself and by Thy Pen.  Grieve Thou 
not for that which hath befallen Thee, neither be 
Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety.  Erelong will 
God raise up the treasures of the earth--men who 
will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy 
Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of 
such as have recognized Him." 
     And when this Wronged One went forth out of 

+P22 
His prison, We journeyed, in pursuance of the order 
of His Majesty the &Shah--may God, exalted be He, 
protect him--to &Iraq, escorted by officers in the 
service of the esteemed and honored governments of 
Persia and Russia.  After Our arrival, We revealed, 
as a copious rain, by the aid of God and His Divine 
Grace and mercy, Our verses, and sent them to various 
parts of the world.  We exhorted all men, and particularly 
this people, through Our wise counsels and 
loving admonitions, and forbade them to engage in 
sedition, quarrels, disputes and conflict.  As a result 
of this, and by the grace of God, waywardness and 
folly were changed into piety and understanding, 
and weapons converted into instruments of peace. 
     During the days I lay in the prison of &Tihran, 
though the galling weight of the chains and the 
stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in 
those infrequent moments of slumber I felt as if something 
flowed from the crown of My head over My 
breast, even as a mighty torrent that precipitateth 
itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty 
mountain.  Every limb of My body would, as a result, 
be set afire.  At such moments My tongue recited 
what no man could bear to hear. 
     We shall herewith cite a few passages from Tablets 
specifically revealed to this people, so that every 
one may know of a certainty that this Wronged One 
hath acted in a manner which hath been pleasing and 

+P23 
acceptable unto men endued with insight, and unto 
such as are the exponents of justice and equity: 
     "O ye friends of God in His cities and His loved 
ones in His lands!  This Wronged One enjoineth on 
you honesty and piety.  Blessed the city that shineth 
by their light.  Through them man is exalted, and 
the door of security is unlocked before the face of all 
creation.  Happy the man that cleaveth fast unto 
them, and recognizeth their virtue, and woe betide 
him that denieth their station." 
     And in another connection these words were revealed: 
"We enjoin the servants of God and His handmaidens 
to be pure and to fear God, that they may 
shake off the slumber of their corrupt desires, and 
turn toward God, the Maker of the heavens and of 
the earth.  Thus have We commanded the faithful 
when the Daystar of the world shone forth from the 
horizon of &Iraq.  My imprisonment doeth Me no 
harm, neither the tribulations I suffer, nor the things 
that have befallen Me at the hands of My oppressors. 
That which harmeth Me is the conduct of those who, 
though they bear My name, yet commit that which 
maketh My heart and My pen to lament.  They that 
spread disorder in the land, and lay hands on the 
property of others, and enter a house without leave 
of its owner, We, verily, are clear of them, unless 
they repent and return unto God, the Ever-Forgiving, 
the Most Merciful." 

+P24 
     And in another connection:  "O peoples of the 
earth!  Haste ye to do the pleasure of God, and war 
ye valiantly, as it behooveth you to war, for the sake 
of proclaiming His resistless and immovable Cause. 
We have decreed that war shall be waged in the path 
of God with the armies of wisdom and utterance, 
and of a goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. 
Thus hath it been decided by Him Who is the All-Powerful, 
the Almighty.  There is no glory for him 
that committeth disorder on the earth after it hath 
been made so good.  Fear God, O people, and be not 
of them that act unjustly." 
     And again in another connection:  "Revile ye not 
one another.  We, verily, have come to unite and weld 
together all that dwell on earth.  Unto this beareth 
witness what the ocean of Mine utterance hath revealed 
amongst men, and yet most of the people have 
gone astray.  If anyone revile you, or trouble touch 
you, in the path of God, be patient, and put your 
trust in Him Who heareth, Who seeth.  He, in truth, 
witnesseth, and perceiveth, and doeth what He pleaseth, 
through the power of His sovereignty.  He, 
verily, is the Lord of strength, and of might.  In the 
Book of God, the Mighty, the Great, ye have been 
forbidden to engage in contention and conflict.  Lay 
fast hold on whatever will profit you, and profit the 
peoples of the world.  Thus commandeth you the 
King of Eternity, Who is manifest in His Most Great 
Name.  He, verily, is the Ordainer, the All-Wise." 

+P25 
     And yet again in another connection:  "Beware lest 
ye shed the blood of any one.  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." 
     And yet again in another connection:  "O people! 
Spread not disorder in the land, and shed not the blood 
of any one, and consume not the substance of others 
wrongfully, neither follow every accursed prattler." 
     And still again in another connection:  "The Sun 
of Divine Utterance can never set, neither can its 
radiance be extinguished.  These sublime words have, 
in this day, been heard from the Lote-Tree beyond 
which there is no passing:  `I belong to him that loveth 
Me, that holdeth fast My commandments, and casteth 
away the things forbidden him in My Book.'" 
     And still again in another connection:  "This is the 
day to make mention of God, to celebrate His praise, 
and to serve Him; deprive not yourselves thereof. 
Ye are the letters of the words, and the words of the 
Book.  Ye are the saplings which the hand of Loving-kindness 
hath planted in the soil of mercy, and 
which the showers of bounty have made to flourish. 
He hath protected you from the mighty winds of 
misbelief, and the tempestuous gales of impiety, and 
nurtured you with the hands of His loving providence. 
Now is the time for you to put forth your 

+P26 
leaves, and yield your fruit.  The fruits of the tree 
of man have ever been and are goodly deeds and a 
praiseworthy character.  Withhold not these fruits 
from the heedless.  If they be accepted, your end is 
attained, and the purpose of life achieved.  If not, 
leave them in their pastime of vain disputes.  Strive, 
O people of God, that haply the hearts of the divers 
kindreds of the earth may, through the waters of your 
forbearance and loving-kindness, be cleansed and 
sanctified from animosity and hatred, and be made 
worthy and befitting recipients of the splendors of 
the Sun of Truth." 
     In the fourth &Ishraq (splendor) of the &Ishraqat 
(Tablet of Splendors) We have mentioned:  "Every 
cause needeth a helper.  In this Revelation the hosts 
which can render it victorious are the hosts of praiseworthy 
deeds and upright character.  The leader and 
commander of these hosts hath ever been the fear of 
God, a fear that encompasseth all things, and reigneth 
over all things." 
     In the third &Tajalli (effulgence) of the Book of 
&Tajalliyat (Book of Effulgences) We have mentioned: 
"Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of 
being, and are conducive to its exaltation.  Knowledge 
is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent. 
Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone.  The 
knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired 
as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not 
those which begin with words and end with words. 

+P27 
Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsmen 
on the peoples of the world.  Unto this beareth witness 
the Mother Book in this conspicuous station." 
     In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, 
and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, 
of cheer and gladness unto him.  Happy the man 
that cleaveth unto it, and woe betide the heedless. 
     It is incumbent upon thee to summon the people, 
under all conditions, to whatever will cause them to 
show forth spiritual characteristics and goodly deeds, 
so that all may become aware of that which is the 
cause of human upliftment, and may, with the utmost 
endeavor, direct themselves towards the most 
sublime Station and the Pinnacle of Glory.  The fear 
of God hath ever been the prime factor in the education 
of His creatures.  Well is it with them that 
have attained thereunto! 
     The first word which the &Abha Pen hath revealed 
and inscribed on the first leaf of Paradise is this: 
"Verily I say:  The fear of God hath ever been a sure 
defence and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the 
world.  It is the chief cause of the protection of mankind, 
and the supreme instrument for its preservation. 
Indeed, there existeth in man a faculty which 
deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever 
is unworthy and unseemly, and which is known 
as his sense of shame.  This, however, is confined to 
but a few; all have not possessed, and do not possess, it. 
It is incumbent upon the kings and the spiritual 

+P28 
leaders of the world to lay fast hold on religion, inasmuch 
as through it the fear of God is instilled in 
all else but Him." 
     The second word We have recorded on the second 
leaf of Paradise is the following:  "The Pen of the 
Divine Expounder exhorteth, at this moment, the 
manifestations of authority and the sources of power, 
namely the kings and rulers of the earth--may God 
assist them--and enjoineth them to uphold the cause 
of religion, and to cleave unto it.  Religion is, verily, 
the chief instrument for the establishment of order 
in the world, and of tranquillity amongst its peoples. 
The weakening of the pillars of religion hath 
strengthened the foolish, and emboldened them, and 
made them more arrogant.  Verily I say:  The greater 
the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness 
of the ungodly.  This cannot but lead in the 
end to chaos and confusion.  Hear Me, O men of 
insight, and be warned, ye who are endued with 
discernment!" 
     It is Our hope that thou wilt hear with attentive 
ears the things We have mentioned unto thee, that 
perchance thou mayest turn men away from the 
things they possess to the things that God possesseth. 
We entreat God to deliver the light of equity and the 
sun of justice from the thick clouds of waywardness, 
and cause them to shine forth upon men.  No light 
can compare with the light of justice.  The establishment 

+P29 
of order in the world and the tranquillity of 
the nations depend upon it. 
     In the Book of Utterance these exalted words have 
been written down and recorded:  "Say, O friends! 
Strive that haply the tribulations suffered by this 
Wronged One and by you, in the path of God, may 
not prove to have been in vain.  Cling ye to the hem 
of virtue, and hold fast to the cord of trustworthiness 
and piety.  Concern yourselves with the things 
that benefit mankind, and not with your corrupt and 
selfish desires.  O ye followers of this Wronged One! 
Ye are the shepherds of mankind; liberate ye your 
flocks from the wolves of evil passions and desires, 
and adorn them with the ornament of the fear of 
God.  This is the firm commandment which hath, at 
this moment, flowed out from the Pen of Him Who 
is the Ancient of Days.  By the righteousness of God! 
The sword of a virtuous character and upright conduct 
is sharper than blades of steel.  The voice of the 
true Faith calleth aloud, at this moment, and saith: 
O people!  Verily, the Day is come, and My Lord 
hath made Me to shine forth with a light whose 
splendor hath eclipsed the suns of utterance.  Fear ye 
the Merciful, and be not of them that have gone 
astray." 
     The third word we have recorded on the third leaf 
of Paradise is this:  "O son of man!  If thine eyes be 
turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit 

+P30 
thee, and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. 
And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose 
thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for 
thyself.  Humility exalteth man to the heaven of 
glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the 
depths of wretchedness and degradation.  Great is the 
Day, and mighty the Call!  In one of Our Tablets 
We have revealed these exalted words:  `Were the 
world of the spirit to be wholly converted into the 
sense of hearing, it could then claim to be worthy 
to hearken unto the Voice that calleth from the 
Supreme Horizon; for otherwise, these ears that are 
defiled with lying tales have never been, nor are they 
now, fit to hear it.'  Well is it with them that hearken; 
and woe betide the wayward." 
     We pray God--exalted be His glory--and cherish 
the hope that He may graciously assist the manifestations 
of affluence and power and the daysprings of 
sovereignty and glory, the kings of the earth--may 
God aid them through His strengthening grace--to 
establish the Lesser Peace.  This, indeed, is the greatest 
means for insuring the tranquillity of the nations. 
It is incumbent upon the Sovereigns of the world-- 
may God assist them--unitedly to hold fast unto 
this Peace, which is the chief instrument for the protection 
of all mankind.  It is Our hope that they will 
arise to achieve what will be conducive to the well-being 
of man.  It is their duty to convene an all-inclusive 
assembly, which either they themselves or 

+P31 
their ministers will attend, and to enforce whatever 
measures are required to establish unity and concord 
amongst men.  They must put away the weapons of 
war, and turn to the instruments of universal reconstruction. 
Should one king rise up against another, 
all the other kings must arise to deter him.  Arms and 
armaments will, then, be no more needed beyond 
that which is necessary to insure the internal security 
of their respective countries.  If they attain unto this 
all-surpassing blessing, the people of each nation will 
pursue, with tranquillity and contentment, their own 
occupations, and the groanings and lamentations of 
most men would be silenced.  We beseech God to aid 
them to do His will and pleasure.  He, verily, is the 
Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, and 
the Lord of this world and of the world to come.  It 
would be preferable and more fitting that the highly 
honored kings themselves should attend such an assembly, 
and proclaim their edicts.  Any king who will 
arise and carry out this task, he verily will, in the 
sight of God, become the cynosure of all kings. 
Happy is he, and great is his blessedness! 
     In this land, every time men are conscripted for 
the army, a great terror seizeth the people.  Every 
nation augmenteth, each year, its forces, for their 
ministers of war are insatiable in their desire to add 
fresh recruits to their battalions.  We have learned 
that the government of Persia--may God assist them 
--have, likewise decided to reinforce their army.  In 

+P32 
the opinion of this Wronged One a force of one hundred 
thousand fully-equipped and well-disciplined 
men would suffice.  We hope that thou wilt cause the 
light of justice to shine more brightly.  By the 
righteousness of God!  Justice is a powerful force. 
It is, above all else, the conqueror of the citadels of 
the hearts and souls of men, and the revealer of the 
secrets of the world of being, and the standard-bearer 
of love and bounty. 
     In the treasuries of the knowledge of God there 
lieth concealed a knowledge which, when applied, 
will largely, though not wholly, eliminate fear.  This 
knowledge, however, should be taught from childhood, 
as it will greatly aid in its elimination.  Whatever 
decreaseth fear increaseth courage.  Should the 
Will of God assist Us, there would flow out from the 
Pen of the Divine Expounder a lengthy exposition of 
that which hath been mentioned, and there would be 
revealed, in the field of arts and sciences, what would 
renew the world and the nations.  A word hath, likewise, 
been written down and recorded by the Pen 
of the Most High in the Crimson Book which is 
capable of fully disclosing that force which is hid 
in men, nay of redoubling its potency.  We implore 
God--exalted and glorified be He--to graciously assist 
His servants to do that which is pleasing and acceptable 
unto Him. 
     In these days enemies have compassed Us about, 
and the fire of hatred is kindled.  O peoples of the 

+P33 
earth!  By My life and by your own!  This Wronged 
One hath never had, nor hath He now any desire for 
leadership.  Mine aim hath ever been, and still is, to 
suppress whatever is the cause of contention amidst 
the peoples of the earth, and of separation amongst 
the nations, so that all men may be sanctified from 
every earthly attachment, and be set free to occupy 
themselves with their own interests.  We entreat Our 
loved ones not to besmirch the hem of Our raiment 
with the dust of falsehood, neither to allow references 
to what they have regarded as miracles and prodigies 
to debase Our rank and station, or to mar the purity 
and sanctity of Our name. 
     Gracious God!  This is the day whereon the wise 
should seek the advice of this Wronged One, and ask 
Him Who is the Truth what things are conducive to 
the glory and tranquillity of men.  And yet, all are 
earnestly striving to put out this glorious and shining 
light, and are diligently seeking either to establish 
Our guilt, or to voice their protest against Us.  Matters 
have come to such a pass, that the conduct of 
this Wronged One hath, in every way, been grossly 
misrepresented, and in a manner which it would be 
unseemly to mention.  One of Our friends hath reported 
that among the residents of the Great City 
(Constantinople) he had heard with the greatest 
regret someone state that, each year, a sum of fifty 
thousand tumans was being despatched from his native 
land to &Akka!  It hath not, however, been made 

+P34 
clear who had disbursed the sum, nor through whose 
hands it had passed! 
     Briefly, this Wronged One hath, in the face of all 
that hath befallen Him at their hands, and all that 
hath been said of Him, endured patiently, and held 
His peace, inasmuch as it is Our purpose, through the 
loving providence of God--exalted be His glory-- 
and His surpassing mercy, to abolish, through the 
force of Our utterance, all disputes, war, and bloodshed, 
from the face of the earth.  Under all conditions 
We have, in spite of what they have said, 
endured with seemly patience, and have left them to 
God.  In answer to this particular imputation, however, 
We have replied, that if that which he affirmeth 
be true, it behooveth him to be thankful to Him Who 
is the Lord of all being, and the King of the seen and 
unseen, for having raised up in Persia One Who, 
though a prisoner and with none to help and assist 
Him, hath succeeded in establishing His ascendency 
over that land, and in drawing from it a yearly revenue. 
Such an achievement should be praised rather 
than censured, if he be of them that judge equitably. 
Should anyone seek to be acquainted with the condition 
of this Wronged One, let him be told that these 
captives whom the world hath persecuted and the nations 
wronged have, for days and nights, been entirely 
denied the barest means of subsistence.  We are loth 
to mention such things, neither have We had, nor 
do We have now, any desire to complain against Our 

+P35 
accuser.  Within the walls of this prison a highly 
esteemed man was for some time obliged to break 
stones that he might earn a living, whilst others had, 
at times, to nourish themselves with that Divine sustenance 
which is hunger!  We entreat God--exalted 
and glorified be He--to aid all men to be just and 
fair-minded, and to graciously assist them to repent 
and return unto Him.  He, verily, heareth, and is 
ready to answer. 
     Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God!  Thou seest 
what hath befallen this Wronged One at the hands 
of them that have not associated with Me, and who 
have arisen to harm and abase Me, in a manner which 
no pen can describe, nor tongue recount, nor can any 
Tablet sustain its weight.  Thou hearest the cry of 
Mine heart, and the groaning of Mine inmost being, 
and the things that have befallen Thy trusted ones 
in Thy cities and Thy chosen ones in Thy land, at 
the hands of such as have broken Thy Covenant and 
Thy Testament.  I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the 
sighs of Thy lovers throughout the world, and by 
their lamentation in their remoteness from the court 
of Thy presence, and by the blood that hath been 
shed for love of Thee, and by the hearts that have 
melted in Thy path, to protect Thy loved ones from 
the cruelty of such as have remained unaware of the 
mysteries of Thy Name, the Unconstrained.  Assist 
them, O my Lord, by Thy power that hath prevailed 
over all things, and aid them to be patient and long-suffering. 

+P36 
Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty, 
the All-Bountiful.  No God is there but Thee, the 
Generous, the Lord of grace abounding. 
     In these days there are some who, far from being 
just and fair-minded, have assaulted Me with the 
sword of hatred and the spear of enmity, forgetting 
that it behooveth every fair-minded person to succor 
Him Whom the world hath cast away and the nations 
abandoned, and to lay hold on piety and righteousness. 
Most men have until now failed to discover the 
purpose of this Wronged One, nor have they known 
the reason for which He hath been willing to endure 
countless afflictions.  Meanwhile, the voice of Mine 
heart crieth out these words:  "O that My people 
knew!"  This Wronged One, rid of attachment unto 
all things, uttereth these exalted words:  "Waves have 
encompassed the Ark of God, the Help in Peril, the 
Self-Subsisting.  Fear not the tempestuous gales, O 
Mariner!  He Who causeth the dawn to appear is, 
verily, with Thee in this darkness that hath struck 
terror into the hearts of all men, except such as God, 
the Almighty, the Unconstrained, hath been pleased 
to spare." 
     O &Shaykh!  I swear by the Sun of Truth Which 
hath risen and shineth above the horizon of this 
Prison!  The betterment of the world hath been the 
sole aim of this Wronged One.  Unto this beareth 
witness every man of judgment, of discernment, of 
insight and understanding.  Whilst afflicted with 

+P37 
trials, He held fast unto the cord of patience and 
fortitude, and was satisfied with the things which 
have befallen Him at the hands of His enemies, and 
was crying out:  "I have renounced My desire for 
Thy desire, O my God, and My will for the revelation 
of Thy Will.  By Thy glory!  I desire neither Myself 
nor My life except for the purpose of serving Thy 
Cause, and I love not My being save that I may sacrifice 
it in Thy path.  Thou seest and knowest, O my 
Lord, that those whom We asked to be fair and just, 
have, unjustly and cruelly, risen up against Us. 
Openly they were with Me, yet secretly they assisted 
My foes, who have arisen to dishonor Me.  O God, 
my God!  I testify that Thou hast created Thy servants 
to aid Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word, and 
yet they have helped Thine enemies.  I beseech Thee, 
by Thy Cause that hath encompassed the world of 
being, and by Thy Name wherewith Thou hast subjected 
the seen and unseen, to adorn the peoples of 
the earth with the light of Thy justice, and to illuminate 
their hearts with the brightness of Thy knowledge. 
I am, O my Lord, Thy servant and the son of 
Thy servant.  I bear witness unto Thy unity, and 
Thy oneness, and to the sanctity of Thy self and the 
purity of Thine Essence.  Thou beholdest, O my 
Lord, Thy trusted ones at the mercy of the treacherous 
among Thy creatures, and the calumniators 
amidst Thy people.  Thou knowest what hath befallen 
Us at the hands of them whom Thou knowest 

+P38 
better than we know them.  They have committed 
what hath torn the veil from such of Thy creatures 
as are nigh unto Thee.  I beseech Thee to assist them 
to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days 
of the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the 
Dayspring of Thine Inspiration.  Potent art Thou 
to do what pleaseth Thee, and in Thy grasp are the 
reins of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth." 
The voice and the lamentation of the true Faith have 
been raised.  It calleth aloud and saith:  "O people! 
By the righteousness of God!  I have attained unto 
Him Who hath manifested me and sent me down. 
This is the Day whereon Sinai hath smiled at Him 
Who conversed upon it, and Carmel at its Revealer, 
and the Sadrah at Him Who taught it.  Fear ye God, 
and be not of them that have denied Him.  Withhold 
not yourselves from that which hath been revealed 
through His grace.  Seize ye the living waters of immortality 
in the name of your Lord, the Lord of all 
names, and drink ye in the remembrance of Him, 
Who is the Mighty, the Peerless." 
     We have, under all circumstances, enjoined on men 
what is right, and forbidden what is wrong.  He Who 
is the Lord of Being is witness that this Wronged One 
hath besought from God for His creatures whatever 
is conducive to unity and harmony, fellowship and 
concord.  By the righteousness of God!  This Wronged 
One is not capable of dissimulation.  He, verily, hath 
revealed that which He desired; He, truly, is the Lord 
of strength, the Unrestrained. 

+P39 
     We once again refer unto some of the sublime words 
revealed in the Tablet to His Majesty the &Shah, so 
that thou mayest know of a certainty that whatever 
hath been mentioned hath come from God:  "O King! 
I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, 
when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted 
over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that 
hath been.  This thing is not from Me, but from 
One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing.  And He 
bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, 
and for this there befell Me what hath caused the 
tears of every man of understanding to flow.  The 
learning current amongst men I studied not; their 
schools I entered not.  Ask of the city wherein I 
dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am 
not of them who speak falsely.  This is but a leaf 
which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, 
the All-Praised, have stirred.  Can it be still 
when the tempestuous winds are blowing?  Nay, by 
Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! 
They move it as they list.  The evanescent is as nothing 
before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding.  His all-compelling 
summons hath reached Me, and caused 
Me to speak His praise amidst all people.  I was indeed 
as one dead when His behest was uttered.  The 
hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, 
the Merciful, transformed Me.  Can anyone speak 
forth of his own accord that for which all men, both 
high and low, will protest against him?  Nay, by Him 
Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him 

+P40 
whom the grace of the Almighty, the All-Powerful, 
hath strengthened. 
     "Look upon this Wronged One, O King, with the 
eyes of justice; judge thou, then, with truth concerning 
what hath befallen Him.  Of a verity, God 
hath made thee His shadow amongst men, and the 
sign of His power unto all that dwell on earth.  Judge 
thou between Us and them that have wronged Us 
without proof and without an enlightening Book. 
They that surround thee love thee for their own 
sakes, whereas this Youth loveth thee for thine own 
sake, and hath had no desire except to draw thee 
nigh unto the seat of grace, and to turn thee toward 
the right-hand of justice.  Thy Lord beareth witness 
unto that which I declare. 
     "O King!  Wert thou to incline thine ears unto the 
shrill voice of the Pen of Glory and the cooing of the 
Dove of Eternity, which on the branches of the Lote-Tree 
beyond which there is no passing, uttereth 
praises to God, the Maker of all Names and the 
Creator of earth and heaven, thou wouldst attain 
unto a station from which thou wouldst behold in 
the world of being naught save the effulgence of the 
Adored One, and wouldst regard thy sovereignty as 
the most contemptible of thy possessions, abandoning 
it to whosoever might desire it, and setting thy face 
toward the Horizon aglow with the light of His 
countenance.  Neither wouldst thou ever be willing 
to bear the burden of dominion save for the purpose 

+P41 
of helping thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High. 
Then would the Concourse on high bless thee.  O how 
excellent is this most sublime station, couldst thou 
ascend thereunto through the power of a sovereignty 
recognized as derived from the Name of God!" 
     Either thou or someone else hath said:  "Let the 
&Surih of &Tawhid be translated, so that all may know 
and be fully persuaded that the one true God begetteth 
not, nor is He begotten.  Moreover, the &Babis 
believe in his (&Baha'u'llah's) Divinity and Godhood." 
     O &Shaykh!  This station is the station in which 
one dieth to himself and liveth in God.  Divinity, 
whenever I mention it, indicateth My complete and 
absolute self-effacement.  This is the station in which 
I have no control over mine own weal or woe nor 
over my life nor over my resurrection. 
     O &Shaykh!  How do the divines of this age account 
for the effulgent glory which the Sadrah of Utterance 
hath shed upon the Son of &Imran (Moses) on the 
Sinai of Divine knowledge?  He (Moses) hearkened 
unto the Word which the Burning Bush had uttered, 
and accepted it; and yet most men are bereft of the 
power of comprehending this, inasmuch as they have 
busied themselves with their own concerns, and are 
unaware of the things which belong unto God.  Referring 
to this, the Siyyid of Findirisk hath well said: 
"This theme no mortal mind can fathom; be it even 
that of &Abu-Nasr, or &Abu-'Ali &Sina (Avicenna)." 
What explanation can they give concerning that 

+P42 
which the Seal of the Prophets (&Muhammad)--may 
the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His 
sake--hath said?:  "Ye, verily, shall behold your Lord 
as ye behold the full moon on its fourteenth night." 
The Commander of the Faithful (&Imam &Ali)--peace 
be upon him--moreover, saith in the &Khutbiy-i-Tutunjiyyih: 
"Anticipate ye the Revelation of Him 
Who conversed with Moses from the Burning Bush 
on Sinai."  &Husayn, the son of &Ali--peace be upon 
him--likewise saith:  "Will there be vouchsafed unto 
anyone besides Thee a Revelation which hath not 
been vouchsafed unto Thyself--A Revelation Whose 
Revealer will be He Who revealed Thee.  Blind be 
the eye that seeth Thee not!" 
     Similar sayings from the &Imams--the blessings of 
God be upon them--have been recorded and are 
widely known, and are embodied in books worthy 
of credence.  Blessed is he that perceiveth, and speaketh 
the pure truth.  Well is it with him who, aided 
by the living waters of the utterance of Him Who 
is the Desire of all men, hath purified himself from 
idle fancies and vain imaginings, and torn away, in 
the name of the All-Possessing, the Most High, the 
veils of doubt, and renounced the world and all that 
is therein, and directed himself towards the Most 
Great Prison. 
     O &Shaykh!  No breeze can compare with the 
breezes of Divine Revelation, whilst the Word which 
is uttered by God shineth and flasheth as the sun 

+P43 
amidst the books of men.  Happy the man that hath 
discovered it, and recognized it, and said:  "Praised 
be Thou, Who art the Desire of the world, and thanks 
be to Thee, O Well-Beloved of the hearts of such 
as are devoted to Thee!" 
     Men have failed to perceive Our purpose in the 
references We have made to Divinity and Godhood. 
Were they to apprehend it, they would arise from 
their places, and cry out:  "We, verily, ask pardon of 
God!"  The Seal of the Prophets--may the souls of 
all else but Him be offered up for His sake--saith: 
"Manifold are Our relationships with God.  At one 
time, We are He Himself, and He is We Ourself. 
At another He is that He is, and We are that We are." 
     Aside from this, why is it that thou didst not 
mention those other stations which the &Abha Pen 
hath disclosed?  The tongue of this Wronged One 
hath, many a day and night, given utterance to these 
sublime words:  "O God, my God!  I bear witness to 
Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, 
and that there is none other God but Thee.  Thou 
hast everlastingly been sanctified above the mention 
of any one but Thee and the praise of all else except 
Thyself, and Thou wilt everlastingly continue to be 
the same as Thou wast from the beginning and hast 
ever been.  I beseech Thee, O King of Eternity, by 
the Most Great Name, and by the effulgences of the 
Daystar of Thy Revelation upon the Sinai of Utterance, 
and by the billows of the Ocean of Thy knowledge 

+P44 
among all created things, to graciously assist Me 
in that which will draw Me nigh unto Thee, and 
will detach Me from all except Thee.  By Thy glory, 
O Lord of all being, and the Desire of all creation! 
I would love to lay My face upon every single spot 
of Thine earth, that perchance it might be honored 
by touching a spot ennobled by the footsteps of Thy 
loved ones!" 
     By the righteousness of God!  Idle fancies have 
debarred men from the Horizon of Certitude, and 
vain imaginings withheld them from the Choice 
Sealed Wine.  In truth I say, and for the sake of God 
I declare:  This Servant, this Wronged One, is abashed 
to claim for Himself any existence whatever, how 
much more those exalted grades of being!  Every 
man of discernment, while walking upon the earth, 
feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware 
that the thing which is the source of his prosperity, 
his wealth, his might, his exaltation, his advancement 
and power is, as ordained by God, the very earth 
which is trodden beneath the feet of all men.  There 
can be no doubt that whoever is cognizant of this 
truth, is cleansed and sanctified from all pride, arrogance, 
and vainglory.  Whatever hath been said hath 
come from God.  Unto this, He, verily, hath borne, 
and beareth now, witness, and He, in truth, is the 
All-Knowing, the All-Informed. 
     Beseech God to grant unto men hearing ears, and 
sharp sight, and dilated breasts, and receptive hearts, 

+P45 
that haply His servants may attain unto their hearts' 
Desire, and set their faces towards their Beloved. 
Troubles, such as no eye hath beheld, have touched 
this Wronged One.  In proclaiming His Cause, He, 
in no wise, hesitated.  Addressing Himself unto the 
kings and rulers of the earth--may God, exalted be 
He, assist them--He imparted unto them that which 
is the cause of the well-being, the unity, the harmony, 
and the reconstruction of the world, and of the 
tranquillity of the nations.  Among them was Napoleon III, 
who is reported to have made a certain statement, 
as a result of which We sent him Our Tablet 
while in Adrianople.  To this, however, he did not 
reply.  After Our arrival in the Most Great Prison 
there reached Us a letter from his Minister, the first 
part of which was in Persian, and the latter in his 
own handwriting.  In it he was cordial, and wrote 
the following:  "I have, as requested by you, delivered 
your letter, and until now have received no answer. 
We have, however, issued the necessary recommendations 
to our Minister in Constantinople and our 
consuls in those regions.  If there be anything you 
wish done, inform us, and we will carry it out." 
     From his words it became apparent that he understood 
the purpose of this Servant to have been a 
request for material assistance.  We, therefore, revealed 
in his (Napoleon III's) name verses in the 
&Suratu'l-Haykal, some of which We now quote, that 
thou mayest know that the Cause of this Wronged 

+P46 
One hath been revealed for the sake of God, and 
hath come from Him: 
     "O King of Paris!  Tell the priest to ring the bells 
no longer.  By God, the True One!  The Most Mighty 
Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the 
Most Great Name, and the fingers of the will of Thy 
Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, toll it out 
in the heaven of Immortality, in His name, the All-Glorious. 
Thus have the mighty verses of Thy Lord 
been again sent down unto thee, that thou mayest 
arise to remember God, the Creator of earth and 
heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the earth 
have mourned, and the foundations of the cities have 
trembled, and the dust of irreligion hath enwrapped 
all men, except such as God, the All-Knowing, the 
All-Wise, was pleased to spare.  Say:  He Who is the 
Unconditioned is come, in the clouds of light, that 
He may quicken all created things with the breezes 
of His Name, the Most Merciful, and unify the 
world, and gather all men around this Table which 
hath been sent down from heaven.  Beware that ye 
deny not the favor of God after it hath been sent 
down unto you.  Better is this for you than that which 
ye possess; for that which is yours perisheth, whilst 
that which is with God endureth.  He, in truth, 
ordaineth what He pleaseth.  Verily, the breezes of 
forgiveness have been wafted from the direction of 
your Lord, the God of Mercy; whoso turneth thereunto, 
shall be cleansed of his sins, and of all pain and 

+P47 
sickness.  Happy the man that hath turned towards 
them, and woe betide him that hath turned aside. 
     "Wert thou to incline thine inner ear unto all created 
things, thou wouldst hear:  `The Ancient of Days 
is come in His great glory!'  Everything celebrateth 
the praise of its Lord.  Some have known God and 
remember Him; others remember Him, yet know 
Him not.  Thus have We set down Our decree in 
a perspicuous Tablet. 
     "Give ear, O King, unto the Voice that calleth 
from the Fire which burneth in this verdant Tree, 
on this Sinai which hath been raised above the hallowed 
and snow-white Spot, beyond the Everlasting 
City; `Verily, there is none other God but Me, the 
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful!'  We, in truth, 
have sent Him Whom We aided with the Holy Spirit 
(Jesus Christ) that He may announce unto you this 
Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of the 
will of your Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, 
and Whose signs have been revealed in the West. 
Set your faces towards Him (&Baha'u'llah), on this 
Day which God hath exalted above all other days, 
and whereon the All-Merciful hath shed the splendor 
of His effulgent glory upon all who are in heaven 
and all who are on earth.  Arise thou to serve God and 
help His Cause.  He, verily, will assist thee with the 
hosts of the seen and unseen, and will set thee king 
over all that whereon the sun riseth.  Thy Lord, in 
truth, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. 

+P48 
     "The breezes of the Most Merciful have passed 
over all created things; happy the man that hath discovered 
their fragrance, and set himself towards them 
with a sound heart.  Attire thy temple with the ornament 
of My Name, and thy tongue with remembrance 
of Me, and thine heart with love for Me, the 
Almighty, the Most High.  We have desired for thee 
naught except that which is better for thee than 
what thou dost possess and all the treasures of the 
earth.  Thy Lord, verily, is knowing, informed of all. 
Arise, in My Name, amongst My servants, and say: 
`O ye peoples of the earth!  Turn yourselves towards 
Him Who hath turned towards you.  He, verily, is 
the Face of God amongst you, and His Testimony 
and His Guide unto you.  He hath come to you with 
signs which none can produce.'  The voice of the Burning 
Bush is raised in the midmost heart of the world, 
and the Holy Spirit calleth aloud among the nations: 
`Lo, the Desired One is come with manifest dominion!' 
     "O King!  The stars of the heaven of knowledge 
have fallen, they who seek to establish the truth of 
My Cause through the things they possess, and who 
make mention of God in My Name.  And yet, when 
I came unto them in My glory, they turned aside. 
They, indeed, are of the fallen.  This is, truly, that 
which the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) hath announced, 
when He came with truth unto you, He 
with Whom the Jewish doctors disputed, till at last 

+P49 
they perpetrated what hath made the Holy Spirit to 
lament, and the tears of them that have near access 
to God to flow. 
     "Say:  O concourse of monks!  Seclude not yourselves 
in your churches and cloisters.  Come ye out 
of them by My leave, and busy, then, yourselves 
with what will profit you and others.  Thus commandeth 
you He Who is the Lord of the Day of 
Reckoning.  Seclude yourselves in the stronghold of 
My love.  This, truly, is the seclusion that befitteth 
you, could ye but know it.  He that secludeth himself 
in his house is indeed as one dead.  It behooveth 
man to show forth that which will benefit mankind. 
He that bringeth forth no fruit is fit for the fire. 
Thus admonisheth you your Lord; He, verily, is the 
Mighty, the Bountiful.  Enter ye into wedlock, that 
after you another may arise in your stead.  We, 
verily, have forbidden you lechery, and not that 
which is conducive to fidelity.  Have ye clung unto 
the promptings of your nature, and cast behind your 
backs the statutes of God?  Fear ye God, and be not 
of the foolish.  But for man, who, on My earth, would 
remember Me, and how could My attributes and My 
names be revealed?  Reflect, and be not of them that 
have shut themselves out as by a veil from Him, 
and were of those that are fast asleep.  He that 
married not (Jesus Christ) could find no place 
wherein to abide, nor where to lay His head, by 
reason of what the hands of the treacherous had 

+P50 
wrought.  His holiness consisted not in the things ye 
have believed and imagined, but rather in the things 
which belong unto Us.  Ask, that ye may be made 
aware of His station which hath been exalted above 
the vain imaginings of all the peoples of the earth. 
Blessed are they that understand. 
     "O King!  We heard the words thou didst utter in 
answer to the Czar of Russia, concerning the decision 
made regarding the war (Crimean War).  Thy Lord, 
verily, knoweth, is informed of all.  Thou didst say: 
`I lay asleep upon my couch, when the cry of the 
oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea, 
wakened me.'  This is what We heard thee say, and, 
verily, thy Lord is witness unto what I say.  We 
testify that that which wakened thee was not their 
cry but the promptings of thine own passions, for 
We tested thee, and found thee wanting.  Comprehend 
the meaning of My words, and be thou of the 
discerning.  It is not Our wish to address thee words 
of condemnation, out of regard for the dignity We 
conferred upon thee in this mortal life.  We, verily, 
have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of 
such as are nigh unto Him.  Courtesy is, in truth, 
a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young or 
old.  Well is it with him that adorneth his temple 
therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this 
great bounty.  Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, 
thou wouldst have not cast behind thy back the 
Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him 

+P51 
Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise.  We have proved 
thee through it, and found thee other than that 
which thou didst profess.  Arise, and make amends for 
that which escaped thee.  Erelong the world and all 
that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom 
will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy 
fathers of old.  It behooveth thee not to conduct 
thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires. 
Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and shield Him 
from the darts of such as act unjustly. 
     "For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be 
thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass 
from thine hands, as a punishment for that which 
thou hast wrought.  Then wilt thou know how thou 
hast plainly erred.  Commotions shall seize all the 
people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this 
Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God 
(Jesus Christ) in this, the Straight Path.  Hath thy 
pomp made thee proud?  By My Life!  It shall not 
endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou 
holdest fast by this firm Cord.  We see abasement 
hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless. 
It behooveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling 
from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou 
possessest, and cry out:  `Here am I, O Lord of all 
that is in heaven and all that is on earth!' 
     "O King!  We were in &Iraq, when the hour of 
parting arrived.  At the bidding of the King of &Islam 
(&Sultan of Turkey) We set Our steps in his direction. 

+P52 
Upon Our arrival, there befell Us at the hands of the 
malicious that which the books of the world can 
never adequately recount.  Thereupon the inmates 
of Paradise, and they that dwell within the retreats 
of holiness, lamented; and yet the people are wrapped 
in a thick veil!" 
     And further We have said:  "More grievous became 
Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, 
until they took Us forth from Our prison and made 
Us, with glaring injustice, enter the Most Great 
Prison.  And if anyone ask them:  `For what crime 
were they imprisoned?' they would answer and say: 
`They, verily, sought to supplant the Faith with a 
new religion!'  If that which is ancient be what ye 
prefer, wherefore, then, have ye discarded that which 
hath been set down in the Torah and the Evangel? 
Clear it up, O men!  By My life!  There is no place 
for you to flee to in this day.  If this be My crime, 
then &Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it 
before Me, and before Him He Who was the Spirit 
of God (Jesus Christ), and yet earlier He Who conversed 
with God (Moses).  And if My sin be this, 
that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed 
His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! 
Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth 
and heaven." 
     And further We have said:  "As My tribulations 
multiplied, so did My love for God and for His Cause 
increase, in such wise that all that befell Me from the 

+P53 
hosts of the wayward was powerless to deter Me from 
My purpose.  Should they hide Me away in the depths 
of the earth, yet would they find Me riding aloft on 
the clouds, and calling out unto God, the Lord of 
strength and of might.  I have offered Myself up in 
the way of God, and I yearn after tribulations in 
My love for Him, and for the sake of His good 
pleasure.  Unto this bear witness the woes which now 
afflict Me, the like of which no other man hath suffered. 
Every single hair of Mine head calleth out 
that which the Burning Bush uttered on Sinai, and 
each vein of My body invoketh God and saith:  `O 
would I had been severed in Thy path, so that 
the world might be quickened, and all its peoples be 
united!'  Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who 
is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. 
     "Know of a truth that your subjects are God's 
trust amongst you.  Watch ye, therefore, over them 
as ye watch over your own selves.  Beware that ye 
allow not wolves to become the shepherds of the fold, 
or pride and conceit to deter you from turning unto 
the poor and the desolate.  Arise thou, in My name, 
above the horizon of renunciation, and set, then, thy 
face towards the Kingdom, at the bidding of thy 
Lord, the Lord of strength and of might." 
     And further We have said:  "Adorn the body of 
Thy kingdom with the raiment of My name, and 
arise, then, to teach My Cause.  Better is this for thee 
than that which thou possessest.  God will, thereby, 

+P54 
exalt thy name among all the kings.  Potent is He 
over all things.  Walk thou amongst men in the 
name of God, and by the power of His might, that 
thou mayest show forth His signs amidst the peoples 
of the earth." 
     And further We have said:  "Doth it behoove you 
to relate yourselves to Him Who is the God of mercy, 
and yet commit the things which the Evil One hath 
committed?  Nay, by the Beauty of Him Who is the 
All-Glorified! could ye but know it.  Purge your 
hearts from love of the world, and your tongues from 
calumny, and your limbs from whatsoever may withhold 
you from drawing nigh unto God, the Mighty, 
the All-Praised.  Say:  By the world is meant that 
which turneth you aside from Him Who is the 
Dawning-Place of Revelation, and inclineth you unto 
that which is unprofitable unto you.  Verily, the 
thing that deterreth you, in this day, from God is 
worldliness in its essence.  Eschew it, and approach 
the Most Sublime Vision, this shining and resplendent 
Seat.  Shed not the blood of anyone, O people, neither 
judge ye anyone unjustly.  Thus have ye been commanded 
by Him Who knoweth, Who is informed of 
all.  They that commit disorders in the land after it 
hath been well ordered, these indeed have outstepped 
the bounds that have been set in the Book.  Wretched 
shall be the abode of the transgressors!" 
     And further We have said:  "Deal not treacherously 
with the substance of your neighbor.  Be ye trustworthy 

+P55 
on earth, and withhold not from the poor 
the things given unto you by God through His 
grace.  He, verily, will bestow upon you the double 
of what ye possess.  He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, 
the Most Generous.  O people of &Baha!  Subdue the 
citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom 
and of utterance.  They that dispute, as prompted 
by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable 
veil.  Say:  The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer 
heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do 
but understand.  Draw it forth in My name and 
through the power of My might, and conquer, then, 
with it the cities of the hearts of them that have 
secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt 
desires.  Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious, 
whilst seated beneath the swords of the 
wayward.  If ye become aware of a sin committed 
by another, conceal it, that God may conceal your 
own sin.  He, verily, is the Concealer, the Lord of 
grace abounding.  O ye rich ones on earth!  If ye 
encounter one who is poor, treat him not disdainfully. 
Reflect upon that whereof ye were created. 
Every one of you was created of a sorry germ." 
     And further We have said:  "Regard ye the world 
as a man's body, which is afflicted with divers ailments, 
and the recovery of which dependeth upon 
the harmonizing of all of its component elements. 
Gather ye around that which We have prescribed 
unto you, and walk not in the ways of such as create 

+P56 
dissension.  Meditate on the world and the state of its 
people.  He, for Whose sake the world was called 
into being, hath been imprisoned in the most desolate 
of cities (&Akka), by reason of that which the hands 
of the wayward have wrought.  From the horizon of 
His prison-city He summoneth mankind unto the 
Dayspring of God, the Exalted, the Great.  Exultest 
thou over the treasures thou dost possess, knowing 
they shall perish?  Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest 
a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation 
of the people of &Baha, is worth as much as 
the black in the eye of a dead ant?  Abandon it unto 
such as have set their affections upon it, and turn 
thou unto Him Who is the Desire of the world. 
Whither are gone the proud and their palaces?  Gaze 
thou into their tombs, that thou mayest profit by 
this example, inasmuch as We made it a lesson unto 
every beholder.  Were the breezes of Revelation to 
seize thee, thou wouldst flee the world, and turn 
unto the Kingdom, and wouldst expend all thou 
possessest, that thou mayest draw nigh unto this 
sublime Vision." 
     We bade a Christian dispatch this Tablet, and he 
informed Us that he transmitted both the original 
and its translation.  God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, 
hath knowledge of all things. 
     One of the sections of the &Suratu'l-Haykal is the 
Tablet addressed to His Majesty, the Czar of Russia-- 
may God, exalted and glorified be He--assist him: 

+P57 
     "O Czar of Russia!  Incline thine ear unto the 
voice of God, the King, the Holy, and turn thou 
unto Paradise, the Spot wherein abideth He Who, 
among the Concourse on high, beareth the most excellent 
titles, and Who, in the kingdom of creation, is 
called by the name of God, the Effulgent, the All-Glorious. 
Beware that nothing deter thee from setting 
thy face towards thy Lord, the Compassionate, 
the Most Merciful.  We, verily, have heard the thing 
for which thou didst supplicate thy Lord, whilst 
secretly communing with Him.  Wherefore, the 
breeze of My loving-kindness wafted forth, and the 
sea of My mercy surged, and We answered thee in 
truth.  Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the 
All-Wise.  Whilst I lay, chained and fettered, in the 
prison of &Tihran, one of thy ministers extended Me 
his aid.  Wherefore hath God ordained for thee a 
station which the knowledge of none can comprehend 
except His knowledge.  Beware lest thou barter 
away this sublime station." 
     And further We have said:  "He Who is the Father 
is come, and the Son (Jesus Christ), 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:  `The All-Bounteous is come 
mounted upon the clouds!  Blessed is he that draweth 
nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far 
away.' 
     "Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling 

+P58 
Cause, and summon, then, the nations 
unto God, the Mighty, the Great.  Be thou not of 
them who called upon God by one of His names, 
but who, when He Who is the Object of all names 
appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him, 
and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him 
with manifest injustice.  Consider and call thou to 
mind the days whereon the Spirit of God (Jesus 
Christ) appeared, and Herod gave judgment against 
Him.  God, however, aided Him with the hosts of 
the unseen, and protected Him with truth, and sent 
Him down unto another land, according to His 
promise.  He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth. 
Thy Lord truly preserveth whom He willeth, be he 
in the midst of the seas or in the maw of the serpent, 
or beneath the sword of the oppressor." 
     And further We have said:  "Again I say:  Hearken 
unto My voice that calleth from My prison, that it 
may acquaint thee with the things that have befallen 
My Beauty, at the hands of them that are the 
manifestations of My glory, and that thou mayest 
perceive how great hath been My patience, notwithstanding 
My might, and how immense My forbearance, 
notwithstanding My power.  By My life! 
Couldst thou but know the things sent down by My 
Pen, and discover the treasures of My Cause, and the 
pearls of My mysteries which lie hid in the seas of 
My names and in the goblets of My words, thou 
wouldst for longing after His glorious and sublime 

+P59 
Kingdom, lay down thy life in the path of God. 
Know thou that though My body be beneath the 
swords of My foes, and My limbs be beset with incalculable 
afflictions, yet My spirit is filled with a gladness 
with which all the joys of the earth can never 
compare." 
     Likewise, We mention some verses from the Tablet 
of Her Majesty, the Queen (Queen Victoria)--may 
God, exalted and glorified be He, assist her.  Our 
purpose is that haply the breezes of Revelation may 
envelop thee, and cause thee to arise, wholly for the 
sake of God, and serve His Cause, and that thou 
mayest transmit any of the Tablets of the kings 
which might have remained undelivered.  This mission 
is a great mission, and this service a great service. 
In those regions distinguished divines are numerous, 
among whom are those Siyyids who are renowned for 
their eminence and distinction.  Confer with them, 
and show them what hath flowed out of the Pen of 
Glory, that haply they may be graciously aided to 
better the condition of the world, and improve the 
character of peoples of different nations, and may, 
through the living waters of God's counsels, quench 
the hatred and the animosity which lie hid and 
smolder in the hearts of men.  We pray God that 
thou mayest be assisted therein.  And this, verily, 
would not be hard for Him. 
     "O Queen in London!  Incline thine ear unto the 
voice of thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind, calling 

+P60 
from the Divine Lote-Tree:  Verily, no God is there 
but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise!  Cast away all 
that is on earth, and attire the head of thy kingdom 
with the crown of the remembrance of Thy Lord, 
the All-Glorious.  He, in truth, hath come unto the 
world in His most great glory, and all that hath been 
mentioned in the Gospel hath been fulfilled.  The land 
of Syria hath been honored by the footsteps of its 
Lord, the Lord of all men, and North and South 
are both inebriated with the wine of His presence. 
Blessed is the man that hath inhaled the fragrance 
of the Most Merciful, and turned unto the Dawning-Place 
of His beauty, in this resplendent Dawn.  The 
Mosque of &Aqsa vibrateth through the breezes of its 
Lord, the All-Glorious, whilst &Batha (Mecca) trembleth 
at the voice of God, the Exalted, the Most High. 
Every single stone of them celebrateth the praise of 
the Lord, through this Great Name." 
     And further We said:  "We make mention of thee 
for the sake of God, and desire that thy name may 
be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the 
Creator of earth and of heaven.  He, verily, is witness 
unto that which I say.  We have been informed 
that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both 
men and women.  This, verily, is what God hath 
enjoined in this wondrous Revelation.  God hath, 
truly, destined a reward for thee, because of this.  He, 
verily, will pay the doer of good, whether man or 
woman, his due recompense, wert thou to follow 

+P61 
what hath been sent unto thee by Him Who is the 
All-Knowing, the All-Informed.  As to him who 
turneth aside, and swelleth with pride, after that the 
clear tokens have come unto him, from the Revealer 
of signs, his work shall God bring to naught.  He, in 
truth, hath power over all things.  Man's actions are 
acceptable after his having recognized (the Manifestation). 
He that turneth aside from the True One 
is indeed the most veiled amongst His creatures.  Thus 
hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Almighty, 
the Most Powerful. 
     "We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the 
reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives 
of the people.  Thou, indeed, hast done well, for 
thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs 
will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are 
beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be 
tranquillized.  It behooveth them, however, to be 
trustworthy among His servants, and to regard themselves 
as the representatives of all that dwell on earth. 
This is what counselleth them, in this Tablet, He Who 
is the Ruler, the All-Wise.  And if any one of them 
directeth himself towards the Assembly, let him turn 
his eyes unto the Supreme Horizon, and say:  `O my 
God!  I ask Thee, by Thy most glorious Name, to aid 
me in that which will cause the affairs of Thy servants 
to prosper, and Thy cities to flourish.  Thou, indeed, 
hast power over all things!'  Blessed is he that entereth 
the Assembly for the sake of God, and judgeth between 

+P62 
men with pure justice.  He, indeed, is of the 
blissful. 
     "O ye members of Assemblies in that land and in 
other countries!  Take ye counsel together, and let 
your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind, 
and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be 
of them that scan heedfully.  Regard the world as the 
human body which, though at its creation whole 
and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various 
causes, with grave disorders and maladies.  Not for 
one day did it gain ease, nay, its sickness waxed more 
severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant 
physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires, 
and have erred grievously.  And if at one time, 
through the care of an able physician, a member of 
that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as 
before.  Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the 
All-Wise.  We behold it, in this day, at the mercy 
of rulers, so drunk with pride that they cannot discern 
clearly their own best advantage, much less 
recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging 
as this." 
     And further We have said:  "That which God hath 
ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument 
for the healing of the world is the union 
of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common 
Faith.  This can in no wise be achieved except through 
the power of a skilled, an all-powerful, and inspired 

+P63 
Physician.  By My life!  This is the truth, and all 
else naught but error.  Each time that Most Mighty 
Instrument hath come, and that Light shone forth 
from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by 
ignorant physicians who, even as clouds, interposed 
themselves between Him and the world.  It failed 
therefore, to recover, and its sickness hath persisted 
until this day.  They indeed were powerless to protect 
it, or to effect a cure, whilst He Who hath been 
the Manifestation of Power amongst men was withheld 
from achieving His purpose, by reason of what 
the hands of the ignorant physicians have wrought. 
     "Consider these days in which He Who is the 
Ancient Beauty hath come in the Most Great Name, 
that He may quicken the world and unite its peoples. 
They, however, rose up against Him with sharpened 
swords, and committed that which caused the Faithful 
Spirit to lament, until in the end they imprisoned 
Him in the most desolate of cities, and broke the grasp 
of the faithful upon the hem of His robe.  Were 
anyone to tell them:  `The World Reformer is come,' 
they would answer and say:  `Indeed it is proven that 
He is a fomenter of discord!', and this notwithstanding 
that they have never associated with Him, and 
have perceived that He did not seek, for one moment, 
to protect Himself.  At all times He was at the mercy 
of the wicked doers.  At one time they cast Him into 
prison, at another they banished Him, and at yet 

+P64 
another hurried Him from land to land.  Thus have 
they pronounced judgment against Us, and God, 
truly, is aware of what I say." 
     This charge of fomenting discord is the same as 
that imputed aforetime by the Pharaohs of Egypt 
to Him Who conversed with God (Moses).  Read 
thou what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the 
&Qur'an.  He--may He be blessed and glorified--saith: 
"Moreover We had sent Moses of old with Our signs 
and with clear authority to Pharaoh, and &Haman, 
and &Qarun:  and they said:  `Sorcerer, impostor!'  And 
when He came to them from Our presence with the 
truth, they said:  `Slay the sons of those who believe 
as He doth, and save their females alive,' but the 
stratagem of the unbelievers issued only in failure. 
And Pharaoh said:  `Let me alone, that I may kill 
Moses; and let him call upon his Lord:  I fear lest he 
change your religion, or cause disorder to show itself 
in the land.'  And Moses said:  `I take refuge with my 
Lord, and your Lord from every proud one who 
believeth not in the Day of Reckoning.'" 
     Men have, at all times, considered every World 
Reformer a fomenter of discord, and have referred 
unto Him in terms with which all are familiar.  Each 
time the Daystar of Divine Revelation shed its 
radiance from the horizon of God's Will a great 
number of men denied Him, others turned aside from 
Him, and still others calumniated Him, and thereby 
withheld the servants of God from the river of loving 

+P65 
providence of Him Who is the King of creation.  In 
like manner, they who, in this day, have neither met 
this Wronged One nor associated with Him have 
said, and even now continue to say, the things thou 
hast heard and hearest still.  Say:  "O people!  The 
Sun of Utterance beameth forth in this day, above 
the horizon of bounty, and the radiance of the Revelation 
of Him Who spoke on Sinai flasheth and 
glisteneth before all religions.  Purge and sanctify 
your breasts, and your hearts, and your ears, and your 
eyes with the living waters of the utterance of the 
All-Merciful, and set, then, your faces towards Him. 
By the righteousness of God!  Ye shall hear all things 
proclaim:  `Verily, He the True One is come.  Blessed 
are they that judge with fairness, and blessed they 
that turn towards Him!'" 
     Among the things they have imputed to the Divine 
Lote-Tree (Moses) are charges to the falsity of which 
every discerning man of knowledge, and every wise 
and understanding heart, will witness.  Thou must, 
no doubt, have read and considered the verses which 
have been sent down concerning Him Who conversed 
with God.  He--may He be blessed and glorified-- 
saith:  "He said:  `Did We not rear thee among 
us when a child?  And hast thou not passed years 
of thy life among us?  And yet what a deed is that 
which thou hast done!  Thou art one of the ungrateful.' 
He said:  `I did it indeed, and I was one of 
those who erred.  And I fled from you because I 

+P66 
feared you; but My Lord hath given Me wisdom and 
hath made Me one of His Apostles.'"  And elsewhere 
He--may He be blessed and exalted--saith:  "And 
He entered a city at the time when its inhabitants 
would not observe Him, and found therein two men 
fighting, the one, of His own people; the other, of 
His enemies.  And he who was of His own people 
asked His help against him who was of His enemies. 
And Moses smote him with His fist and slew him. 
Said He:  `This is a work of Satan; for he is an enemy, 
a manifest misleader.'  He said:  `O my Lord!  I have 
sinned to mine own hurt, forgive me.'  So God forgave 
Him; for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. 
He said:  `Lord! because Thou hast showed me this 
grace, I will never again be the helper of the wicked.' 
And in the city at noon He was full of fear, casting 
furtive glances round Him, and lo, the man whom He 
had helped the day before, cried out to Him again 
for help.  Said Moses to him:  `Thou art plainly a 
most depraved person.'  And when He would have 
laid violent hands on him who was their common 
foe, he said to Him:  `O Moses!  Dost Thou desire to 
slay me, as thou slewest a man yesterday?  Thou desirest 
only to become a tyrant in this land, and 
desirest not to become a peacemaker.'"  Thine ears 
and thine eyes must needs now be cleansed and sanctified, 
that thou mayest be able to judge with fairness 
and justice.  Moses Himself, moreover, acknowledged 
His injustice and waywardness, and testified 

+P67 
that fear had seized Him, and that He had transgressed, 
and fled away.  He asked God--exalted be 
His glory--to forgive Him, and He was forgiven. 
     O &Shaykh!  Every time God the True One--exalted 
be His glory--revealed Himself in the person of His 
Manifestation, He came unto men with the standard 
of "He doeth what He willeth, and ordaineth what 
He pleaseth."  None hath the right to ask why or 
wherefore, and he that doth so, hath indeed turned 
aside from God, the Lord of Lords.  In the days of 
every Manifestation these things appear and are 
evident.  Likewise, they have said that about this 
Wronged One, to the falsity of which they who are 
nigh unto God and are devoted to Him have borne, 
and still bear, witness.  By the righteousness of God! 
This Hem of His Robe hath ever been and remaineth 
unsullied, though many have, at the present time, 
purposed to besmirch it with their lying and unseemly 
calumnies.  God, however, knoweth and they 
know not.  He Who, through the might and power 
of God, hath arisen before the face of all the kindreds 
of the earth, and summoned the multitudes to 
the Supreme Horizon, hath been repudiated by them 
and they have clung instead unto such men as have 
invariably withdrawn themselves behind veils and 
curtains, and busied themselves about their own 
protection.  Moreover, many are now engaged in 
spreading lies and calumnies, and have no other intention 
than to instill distrust into the hearts and 

+P68 
souls of men.  As soon as someone leaveth the Great 
City (Constantinople) to visit this land, they at 
once telegraph and proclaim that he hath stolen 
money and fled to &Akka.  A highly accomplished, 
learned and distinguished man visited, in his declining 
years, the Holy Land, seeking peace and retirement, 
and about him they have written such things as have 
caused them who are devoted to God and are nigh 
unto Him to sigh. 
     His Excellency, the late &Mirza &Husayn &Khan, 
&Mushiru'd-Dawlih,--may God forgive him--hath 
known this Wronged One, and he, no doubt, must 
have given to the Authorities a circumstantial account 
of the arrival of this Wronged One at the 
Sublime Porte, and of the things which He said and 
did.  On the day of Our arrival the Government 
Official, whose duty it was to receive and entertain 
official visitors, met Us and escorted Us to the place 
he had been bidden to take Us.  In truth, the Government 
showed these wronged ones the utmost 
kindness and consideration.  The following day Prince 
&Shuja'u'd-Dawlih, accompanied by &Mirza &Safa, acting 
as the representatives of the late &Mushiru'd-Dawlih, 
the Minister (accredited to the Imperial 
Court) came to visit Us.  Others, among whom were 
several Ministers of the Imperial Government, and 
including the late &Kamal &Pasha, likewise called on Us. 
Wholly reliant on God, and without any reference 
to any need He might have had, or to any other 

+P69 
matter, this Wronged One sojourned for a period of 
four months in that city.  His actions were known 
and evident unto all, and none can deny them except 
such as hate Him, and speak not the truth.  He that 
hath recognized God, recognizeth none other but 
Him.  We have never liked, nor like We, to make 
mention of such things. 
     Whenever high dignitaries of Persia came to that 
city (Constantinople) they would exert themselves 
to the utmost soliciting at every door such allowances 
and gifts as they might obtain.  This Wronged One, 
however, if He hath done nothing that would redound 
to the glory of Persia, hath at least acted in a 
manner that could in no wise disgrace it.  That which 
was done by his late Excellency (&Mushiru'd-Dawlih) 
--may God exalt his station--was not actuated 
by his friendship towards this Wronged One, but 
rather was prompted by his own sagacious judgment, 
and by his desire to accomplish the service he secretly 
contemplated rendering his Government.  I testify 
that he was so faithful in his service to his Government 
that dishonesty played no part, and was held 
in contempt, in the domain of his activities.  It was 
he who was responsible for the arrival of these 
wronged ones in the Most Great Prison (&Akka). 
As he was faithful, however, in the discharge of his 
duty, he deserveth Our commendation.  This Wronged 
One hath, at all times, aimed and striven to exalt 
and advance the interests of both the government 

+P70 
and the people, not to elevate His own station.  A 
number of men have, now, gathered others about 
them, and have arisen to dishonor this Wronged One. 
He, nevertheless, beseecheth God--hallowed and glorified 
be He--to aid them to return unto Him, and 
assist them to compensate for that which escaped 
them, and repent before the door of His bounty.  He, 
verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful. 
     O &Shaykh!  My Pen, verily, lamenteth over Mine 
own Self, and My Tablet weepeth sore over what hath 
befallen Me at the hands of one (&Mirza &Yahya) over 
whom We watched for successive years, and who, 
day and night, served in My presence, until he was 
made to err by one of My servants, named Siyyid 
&Muhammad.  Unto this bear witness My believing 
servants who accompanied Me in My exile from 
&Baghdad to this, the Most Great Prison.  And there 
befell Me at the hands of both of them that which 
made every man of understanding to cry out, and 
he who is endued with insight to groan aloud, and 
the tears of the fair-minded to flow. 
     We pray to God to graciously assist them that 
have been led astray to be just and fair-minded, and 
to make them aware of that whereof they have been 
heedless.  He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, the Most 
Generous.  Debar not Thy servants, O my Lord, from 
the door of Thy grace, and drive them not away 
from the court of Thy presence.  Assist them to 
dispel the mists of idle fancy, and to tear away the 

+P71 
veils of vain imaginings and hopes.  Thou art, verily, 
the All-Possessing, the Most High.  No God is there 
but Thee, the Almighty, the Gracious. 
     I swear by the Daystar of God's Testimony that 
hath shone from the horizon of certitude!  This 
Wronged One, in the daytime and in the night-season, 
occupied Himself with that which would 
edify the souls of men, until the light of knowledge 
prevailed over the darkness of ignorance. 
     O &Shaykh!  Time and again have I declared, and 
now yet again I affirm, that for two score years We 
have, through the grace of God and by His irresistible 
and potent will, extended such aid to His 
Majesty the &Shah--may God assist him--as the exponents 
of justice and of equity would regard as incontestable 
and absolute.  None can deny it, unless he 
be a transgressor and sinner, or one who would hate 
Us or doubt Our truth.  How very strange that until 
now the Ministers of State and the representatives 
of the people have alike remained unaware of such 
conspicuous and undeniable service, and, if apprized 
of it, have, for reasons of their own, chosen to ignore 
it!  Previous to these forty years controversies and 
conflicts continually prevailed and agitated the servants 
of God.  But since then, aided by the hosts of 
wisdom, of utterance, of exhortations and understanding, 
they have all seized and taken fast hold 
of the firm cord of patience and of the shining hem 
of fortitude, in such wise that this wronged people 

+P72 
endured steadfastly whatever befell them, and committed 
everything unto God, and this notwithstanding 
that in &Mazindaran and at &Rasht a great many 
have been most hideously tormented.  Among them 
was his honor, &Haji &Nasir, who, unquestionably, was 
a brilliant light that shone forth above the horizon 
of resignation.  After he had suffered martyrdom, 
they plucked out his eyes and cut off his nose, and 
inflicted on him such indignities that strangers wept 
and lamented, and secretly raised funds to support 
his wife and children. 
     O &Shaykh!  My Pen is abashed to recount what 
actually took place.  In the land of &Sad (&Isfahan) 
the fire of tyranny burned with such a hot flame 
that every fair-minded person groaned aloud.  By 
thy life!  The cities of knowledge and of understanding 
wept with such a weeping that the souls 
of the pious and of the God-fearing were melted. 
The twin shining lights, &Hasan and &Husayn (The 
King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs) offered 
up spontaneously their lives in that city.  Neither 
fortune, nor wealth, nor glory, could deter them! 
God knoweth the things which befell them and yet 
the people are, for the most part, unaware! 
     Before them one named &Kazim and they who 
were with him, and after them, his honor &Ashraf, 
all quaffed the draught of martyrdom with the utmost 
fervor and longing, and hastened unto the 
Supreme Companion.  In like manner, at the time 

+P73 
of &Sardar &Aziz &Khan, that godly man, &Mirza 
&Mustafa, and his fellow martyrs, were arrested, and 
despatched unto the Supreme Friend in the All-Glorious 
Horizon.  Briefly, in every city the evidences 
of a tyranny, beyond like or equal, were unmistakably 
clear and manifest, and yet none arose in self-defence! 
Call thou to mind his honor &Badi', who was 
the bearer of the Tablet to His Majesty the &Shah, 
and reflect how he laid down his life.  That knight, 
who spurred on his charger in the arena of renunciation, 
threw down the precious crown of life for 
the sake of Him Who is the Incomparable Friend. 
     O &Shaykh!  If things such as these are to be denied, 
what shall, then, be deemed worthy of credence? 
Set forth the truth, for the sake of God, and be not 
of them that hold their peace.  They arrested his 
honor &Najaf-'Ali, who hastened, with rapture and 
great longing, unto the field of martyrdom, uttering 
these words:  "We have kept both &Baha and the 
&khun-baha (bloodmoney)!"  With these words he 
yielded up his spirit.  Meditate on the splendor and 
glory which the light of renunciation, shining from 
the upper chamber of the heart of &Mulla &Ali-Jan, 
hath shed.  He was so carried away by the breezes of 
the Most Sublime Word and by the power of the 
Pen of Glory that to him the field of martyrdom 
equalled, nay outrivalled, the haunts of earthly delights. 
Ponder upon the conduct of &Aba-Basir and 
Siyyid &Ashraf-i-Zanjani.  They sent for the mother 

+P74 
of &Ashraf to dissuade her son from his purpose.  But 
she spurred him on until he suffered a most glorious 
martyrdom. 
     O &Shaykh!  This people have passed beyond the 
narrow straits of names, and pitched their tents upon 
the shores of the sea of renunciation.  They would 
willingly lay down a myriad lives, rather than breathe 
the word desired by their enemies.  They have clung 
to that which pleaseth God, and are wholly detached 
and freed from the things which pertain unto men. 
They have preferred to have their heads cut off 
rather than utter one unseemly word.  Ponder this 
in thine heart.  Methinks they have quaffed their fill 
of the ocean of renunciation.  The life of the present 
world hath failed to withhold them from suffering 
martyrdom in the path of God. 
     In &Mazindaran a vast number of the servants of 
God were exterminated.  The Governor, under the 
influence of calumniators, robbed a great many of 
all that they possessed.  Among the charges he laid 
against them was that they had been laying up arms, 
whereas upon investigation it was found out that 
they had nothing but an unloaded rifle!  Gracious 
God!  This people need no weapons of destruction, 
inasmuch as they have girded themselves to reconstruct 
the world.  Their hosts are the hosts of goodly 
deeds, and their arms the arms of upright conduct, 
and their commander the fear of God.  Blessed that 
one that judgeth with fairness.  By the righteousness 
of God!  Such hath been the patience, the calm, the 

+P75 
resignation and contentment of this people that they 
have become the exponents of justice, and so great 
hath been their forbearance, that they have suffered 
themselves to be killed rather than kill, and this 
notwithstanding that these whom the world hath 
wronged have endured tribulations the like of which 
the history of the world hath never recorded, nor the 
eyes of any nation witnessed.  What is it that could 
have induced them to reconcile themselves to these 
grievous trials, and to refuse to put forth a hand to 
repel them?  What could have caused such resignation 
and serenity?  The true cause is to be found 
in the ban which the Pen of Glory hath, day and 
night, chosen to impose, and in Our assumption of 
the reins of authority, through the power and might 
of Him Who is the Lord of all mankind. 
     Remember the father of &Badi'.  They arrested that 
wronged one, and ordered him to curse and revile 
his Faith.  He, however, through the grace of God 
and the mercy of his Lord, chose martyrdom, and 
attained thereunto.  If ye would reckon up the martyrs 
in the path of God, ye could not count them. 
Consider his honor Siyyid &Isma'il--upon him be the 
peace of God, and His loving-kindness--how, before 
daybreak he was wont to dust, with his own turban, 
the doorstep of My house, and in the end, whilst 
standing on the banks of the river, with his eyes 
fixed on that same house, offered up, by his own 
hand, his life. 
     Do thou ponder on the penetrative influence of 

+P76 
the Word of God.  Every single one of these souls 
was first ordered to blaspheme and curse his faith, 
yet none was found to prefer his own will to the 
Will of God. 
     O &Shaykh!  In former times he that was chosen 
to be slain was but one person, whereas now this 
Wronged One hath produced for thee that which 
causeth every fair-minded man to marvel.  Judge 
fairly, I adjure thee, and arise to serve thy Lord. 
He, verily, shall reward thee with a reward which 
neither the treasures of the earth nor all the possessions 
of kings and rulers can equal.  In all thine 
affairs put thy reliance in God, and commit them 
unto Him.  He will render thee a reward which the 
Book hath ordained as great.  Occupy thyself, during 
these fleeting days of thy life, with such deeds as will 
diffuse the fragrance of Divine good pleasure, and 
will be adorned with the ornament of His acceptance. 
The acts of his honor, &Balal, the Ethiopian, were so 
acceptable in the sight of God that the "&sin" of his 
stuttering tongue excelled the "&shin" pronounced by 
all the world.  This is the day whereon all peoples 
should shed the light of unity and concord.  In brief, 
the pride and vanity of certain of the peoples of the 
world have made havoc of true understanding, and 
laid waste the home of justice and of equity. 
     O &Shaykh!  That which hath touched this Wronged 
One is beyond compare or equal.  We have borne it 
all with the utmost willingness and resignation, so 

+P77 
that the souls of men may be edified, and the Word 
of God be exalted.  While confined in the prison of 
the Land of &Mim (&Mazindaran) We were one day 
delivered into the hands of the divines.  Thou canst 
well imagine what befell Us.  Shouldst thou at some 
time happen to visit the dungeon of His Majesty 
the &Shah, ask the director and chief jailer to show 
thee those two chains, one of which is known as 
&Qara-Guhar, and the other as &Salasil.  I swear by 
the Daystar of Justice that for four months this 
Wronged One was tormented and chained by one 
or the other of them.  "My grief exceedeth all the 
woes to which Jacob gave vent, and all the afflictions 
of Job are but a part of My sorrows!" 
     Likewise, ponder thou upon the martyrdom of 
&Haji &Muhammad-Rida in the City of Love (&Ishqabad). 
The tyrants of the earth have subjected that 
wronged one to such trials as have caused many foreigners 
to weep and lament for, as reported and 
ascertained, no less than thirty-two wounds were 
inflicted upon his blessed body.  Yet none of the 
faithful transgressed My commandment, nor raised 
his hand in resistance.  Come what might, they refused 
to allow their own inclinations to supersede 
that which the Book hath decreed, though a considerable 
number of this people have resided, and still 
reside, in that city. 
     We entreat His Majesty the &Shah,--may God, hallowed 
and glorified be He, assist him--himself to 

+P78 
ponder upon these things, and to judge with equity 
and justice.  Although in recent years a number of 
the faithful have, in most of the cities of Persia, suffered 
themselves to be killed rather than kill, yet the 
hatred smouldering in certain hearts hath blazed 
more fiercely than before.  For the victims of oppression 
to intercede in favor of their enemies is, in 
the estimation of rulers, a princely deed.  Some must 
have certainly heard that this oppressed people have, 
in that city (&Ishqabad), pleaded with the Governor 
on behalf of their murderers, and asked for the mitigation 
of their sentence.  Take, then, good heed, ye 
who are men of insight! 
     O &Shaykh!  These perspicuous verses have been 
sent down in one of the Tablets by the &Abha Pen: 
"Hearken, O servant, unto the voice of this Wronged 
One, Who hath endured grievous vexations and trials 
in the path of God, the Lord of all Names, until 
such time as He was cast into prison, in the Land of 
&Ta (&Tihran).  He summoned men unto the most 
sublime Paradise, and yet they seized Him and 
paraded Him through cities and countries.  How 
many the nights during which slumber fled from the 
eyes of My loved ones, because of their love for Me; 
and how numerous the days whereon I had to face 
the assaults of the peoples against Me!  At one time 
I found Myself on the heights of mountains; at another 
in the depths of the prison of &Ta (&Tihran), in 
chains and fetters.  By the righteousness of God! 

+P79 
I was at all times thankful unto Him, uttering 
His praise, engaged in remembering Him, directed 
towards Him, satisfied with His pleasure, and lowly 
and submissive before Him.  So passed My days, until 
they ended in this Prison (&Akka) which hath made 
the earth to tremble and the heavens to sigh.  Happy 
that one who hath cast away his vain imaginings, 
when He Who was hid came with the standards of 
His signs.  We, verily, have announced unto men 
this Most Great Revelation, and yet the people are in 
a state of strange stupor." 
     Thereupon, a Voice was raised from the direction 
of &Hijaz, calling aloud and saying:  "Great is thy 
blessedness, O &Akka, in that God hath made thee 
the dayspring of His Most Sweet Voice, and the 
dawn of His most mighty signs.  Happy art thou in 
that the Throne of Justice hath been established upon 
thee, and the Daystar of God's loving-kindness and 
bounty hath shone forth above thy horizon.  Well 
is it with every fair-minded person that hath judged 
fairly Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance, 
and woe betide him that hath erred and doubted." 
     Following upon the death of some of the martyrs, 
the &Lawh-i-Burhan (Tablet of the Proof) was sent 
down from the heaven of the Revelation of Him 
Who is the Lord of Religions: 
     "He is the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! 
The winds of hatred have encompassed the 
Ark of &Batha (Mecca), by reason of that which the 

+P80 
hands of the oppressors have wrought.  O thou who 
art reputed for thy learning!  Thou hast pronounced 
sentence against them for whom the books of the 
world have wept, and in whose favor the scriptures 
of all religions have testified.  Thou, who art gone 
far astray, art indeed wrapt in a thick veil.  By God 
Himself!  Thou hast pronounced judgment against 
them through whom the horizon of faith hath been 
illumined.  Unto this bear witness They Who are 
the Dawning-Places of Revelation and the Manifestations 
of the Cause of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, 
Who have sacrificed Their souls and all that They 
possessed in His straight Path.  The Faith of God 
hath cried everywhere, by reason of thy tyranny, 
and yet thou disportest thyself and art of them that 
exult.  There is no hatred in Mine heart for thee nor 
for anyone.  Every man of discernment beholdeth 
thee, and such as are like thee, engulfed in evident 
folly.  Hadst thou realized that which thou hast done, 
thou wouldst have cast thyself into the fire, or abandoned 
thine home and fled unto the mountains, or 
wouldst have groaned until thou hadst returned unto 
the place destined for thee by Him Who is the Lord 
of strength and of might.  O thou who art even as 
nothing!  Rend thou asunder the veils of idle fancies 
and vain imaginings, that thou mayest behold the 
Daystar of knowledge shining from this resplendent 
Horizon.  Thou hast torn in pieces a remnant of the 
Prophet Himself, and imagined that thou hadst 

+P81 
helped the Faith of God.  Thus hath thy soul 
prompted thee, and thou art truly one of the heedless. 
Thine act hath consumed the hearts of the 
Concourse on high, and those of such as have circled 
round the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. 
The soul of the Chaste One (&Fatimih) melted, by 
reason of thy cruelty, and the inmates of Paradise 
wept sore in that blessed Spot. 
     "Judge thou fairly, I adjure thee by God.  What 
proof did the Jewish doctors adduce wherewith to 
condemn Him Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus 
Christ), when He came unto them with truth?  What 
could have been the evidence produced by the Pharisees 
and the idolatrous priests to justify their denial 
of &Muhammad, the Apostle of God when He came 
unto them with a Book that judged between truth 
and falsehood with a justice which turned into light 
the darkness of the earth, and enraptured the hearts 
of such as had known Him?  Indeed thou hast produced, 
in this day, the same proofs which the foolish 
divines advanced in that age.  Unto this testifieth 
He Who is the King of the realm of grace in this 
great Prison.  Thou hast, truly, walked in their ways, 
nay, hast surpassed them in their cruelty, and hast 
deemed thyself to be helping the Faith and defending 
the Law of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. 
By Him Who is the Truth!  Thine iniquity hath 
made Gabriel to groan, and hath drawn tears from 
the Law of God, through which the breezes of justice 

+P82 
have been wafted over all who are in heaven and on 
earth.  Hast thou fondly imagined that the judgment 
thou didst pronounce hath profited thee?  Nay, by 
Him Who is the King of all Names!  Unto thy loss 
testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of all 
things as recorded in the preserved Tablet. 
     "O thou who hast gone astray!  Thou hast neither 
seen Me, nor associated with Me, nor been My companion 
for the fraction of a moment.  How is it, 
then, that thou hast bidden men to curse Me?  Didst 
thou, in this, follow the promptings of thine own 
desires, or didst thou obey thy Lord?  Produce thou 
a sign, if thou art one of the truthful.  We testify 
that thou hast cast behind thy back the Law of God, 
and laid hold on the dictates of thy passions.  Nothing, 
in truth, escapeth His knowledge; He, verily, is 
the Incomparable, the All-Informed.  O heedless one! 
Hearken unto that which the Merciful hath revealed 
in the &Qur'an:  `Say not to every one who meeteth you 
with a greeting, "Thou art not a believer."'  Thus 
hath He decreed in Whose grasp are the kingdoms 
of Revelation and of creation, if thou be of them 
that hearken.  Thou hast set aside the commandment 
of God, and clung unto the promptings of thine 
own desire.  Woe, then, unto thee, O careless one that 
doubtest!  If thou deniest Me, by what proof canst 
thou vindicate the truth of that which thou dost 
possess?  Produce it, then, O thou who hast joined 

+P83 
partners with God, and turned aside from His sovereignty 
that hath encompassed the worlds! 
     "Know thou that he is truly learned who hath 
acknowledged My Revelation, and drunk from the 
Ocean of My knowledge, and soared in the atmosphere 
of My love, and cast away all else besides Me, 
and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent 
down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance. 
He, verily, is even as an eye unto mankind, and 
as the spirit of life unto the body of all creation. 
Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath enlightened 
him, and caused him to arise and serve His great and 
mighty Cause.  Verily, such a man is blessed by the 
Concourse on high, and by them who dwell within 
the Tabernacle of Grandeur, who have quaffed My 
sealed Wine in My Name, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. 
If thou be of them that occupy such a 
sublime station, produce then a sign from God, the 
Creator of the heavens.  And shouldst thou recognize 
thy powerlessness, do thou rein in thy passions, and 
return unto thy Lord, that perchance He may forgive 
thee thy sins which have caused the leaves of 
the Divine Lote-Tree to be burnt up, and the Rock 
to cry out, and the eyes of men of understanding to 
weep.  Because of thee the Veil of Divinity was rent 
asunder, and the Ark has foundered, and the She-Camel 
was hamstrung, and the Spirit (Jesus) groaned 
in His sublime retreat.  Disputest thou with Him 

+P84 
Who hath come unto thee with the testimonies of 
God and His signs which thou possessest and which 
are in the possession of them that dwell on earth? 
Open thine eyes that thou mayest behold this 
Wronged One shining forth above the horizon of the 
will of God, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Resplendent. 
Unstop, then, the ear of thine heart that thou 
mayest hearken unto the speech of the Divine Lote-Tree 
that hath been raised up in truth by God, the 
Almighty, the Beneficent.  Verily, this Tree, notwithstanding 
the things that befell it by reason of thy 
cruelty and of the transgressions of such as are like 
thee, calleth aloud and summoneth all men unto the 
&Sadratu'l-Muntaha and the Supreme Horizon.  Blessed 
is the soul that hath gazed on the Most Mighty Sign, 
and the ear that hath heard His most sweet Voice, and 
woe to whosoever hath turned aside and done 
wickedly. 
     "O thou who hast turned away from God!  Wert 
thou to look with the eye of fairness upon the 
Divine Lote-Tree, thou wouldst perceive the marks 
of thy sword on its boughs, and its branches, and its 
leaves, notwithstanding that God created thee for 
the purpose of recognizing and of serving it.  Reflect, 
that haply thou mayest recognize thine iniquity and 
be numbered with such as have repented.  Thinkest 
thou that We fear thy cruelty?  Know thou and be 
well assured that from the first day whereon the 
voice of the Most Sublime Pen was raised betwixt 

+P85 
earth and heaven We offered up Our souls, and Our 
bodies, and Our sons, and Our possessions in the 
path of God, the Exalted, the Great, and We glory 
therein amongst all created things and the Concourse 
on high.  Unto this testify the things which have befallen 
Us in this straight Path.  By God!  Our hearts 
were consumed, and Our bodies were crucified, and 
Our blood was spilt, while Our eyes were fixed on 
the horizon of the loving-kindness of their Lord, the 
Witness, the All-Seeing.  The more grievous their 
woes, the greater waxed the love of the people of 
&Baha.  Unto their sincerity hath borne witness what 
the All-Merciful hath sent down in the &Qur'an. 
He saith:  `Wish ye, then, for death, if ye are sincere.' 
Who is to be preferred, he that hath sheltered himself 
behind curtains, or he that hath offered himself 
in the path of God?  Judge thou fairly, and be not of 
them that rove distraught in the wilderness of falsehood. 
So carried away have they been by the living 
waters of the love of the Most Merciful, that neither 
the arms of the world nor the swords of the nations 
have deterred them from setting their faces towards 
the ocean of the bounty of their Lord, the Giver, 
the Generous. 
     "By God!  Troubles have failed to unnerve Me, and 
the repudiation of the divines hath been powerless to 
weaken Me.  I have spoken, and still speak forth 
before the face of men:  `The door of grace hath 
been unlocked and He Who is the Dayspring of 

+P86 
Justice is come with perspicuous signs and evident 
testimonies, from God, the Lord of strength and of 
might!'  Present thyself before Me that thou mayest 
hear the mysteries which were heard by the Son of 
&Imran (Moses) upon the Sinai of Wisdom.  Thus 
commandeth thee He Who is the Dawning-Place of 
the Revelation of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, from 
His great Prison." 
     Thereupon hath the cry and the lamentation of 
the true Faith been raised once again, saying:  "Verily, 
Sinai calleth aloud and saith:  `O people of the &Bayan! 
Fear ye the Merciful.  Indeed have I attained unto 
Him Who conversed upon me, and the ecstasies of 
my joy have seized the pebbles of the earth and the 
dust thereof.'  And the Bush exclaimeth:  `O people 
of the &Bayan!  Judge ye fairly that which hath in 
truth been manifested.  Verily the Fire which God 
revealed unto the One Who conversed with Him is 
now manifested.  Unto this beareth witness every 
man of insight and understanding.'" 
     We have made mention of certain martyrs of this 
Revelation, and have likewise cited some of the verses 
which were sent down concerning them from the 
kingdom of Our utterance.  We fain would hope 
that, rid of all attachment to the world, thou wilt 
ponder the things which We have mentioned. 
     It behooveth thee now to reflect upon the state of 
&Mirza &Hadi &Dawlat-Abadi and of &Sad-i-Isfahani 
(&Sadru'l-'Ulama), who reside in the Land of &Ta 

+P87 
(&Tihran).  No sooner had the former heard that he 
had been called a &Babi than he became so perturbed 
that his poise and dignity forsook him.  He ascended 
the pulpits and spoke words which ill befitted him. 
From time immemorial the clay clods of the world 
have, wholly by reason of their love of leadership, 
perpetrated such acts as have caused men to err. 
Thou must not, however, imagine that all the faithful 
are such as these two.  We have described unto thee 
the constancy, the firmness, the steadfastness, the certitude, 
the imperturbability and the dignity of the 
martyrs of this Revelation, that thou mayest be well-informed. 
My purpose in citing the passages from the 
Tablets to the kings and others hath been that thou 
mayest know of a certainty that this Wronged One 
hath not concealed the Cause of God, but hath proclaimed 
and delivered, in the most eloquent language, 
before the face of the world, the things He had been 
commissioned to s