Chastisement and requital

At times He maketh mention of His station as the Most Great Prison, and at others as the Most Exalted Paradise. By the life of the Desired One! Paradise doth not cause Him to forget His remembrance, nor do tribulations in His path harm Him. He hath borne such afflictions as none knoweth save the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

In these days sorrow hath come from every direction. Surely you have heard of the deeds of those who claim to love Us in the great city. They have kindled the fire of greed and covetousness and denied the property of a group.

Were we to assume compulsion in either obedience or disobedience, free will would be eliminated, and with its elimination obligation would be nullified, and with its nullification reward and punishment would fall outside the circle of righteousness. It befits not the Just and Wise One to bestow paradise on one who has not performed what merits it, or hell on one who has not done what warrants it.

There is no time. Retribution is of two kinds. One is individual: it is the recompense for individual deeds, such as oppression and rebellion. "No soul shall avail another aught"; "no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another." The other is general and all-embracing: it is like unto a man who afflicteth himself with a contagious disease.

Abdul-Baha answered the question of one, who stood at his service, saying: "This cycle is the cycle of favor and not of justice. Therefore, those whose deeds are clean and pure, even though they are not believers, will not be deprived of the divine mercy; but perfection is in faith and deeds.

Verily God rewardeth the God-fearing with better than what their hands have wrought, and God is the Protector of the righteous.

… Say not this one or that one, but be content with what God shall recompense you in the life to come. God will bestow bountifully upon you through His grace and mercy. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing.

O ye who are present! How long this drowsiness and sleep! How long this ignorance and blindness! How long this heedlessness and misery! How long this oppression and injustice! How long this hatred and discord! How long this rage of ignorant ones! How long this grasping with frail imaginations! How long this strife and argument! How long this turmoil and these battles! How long these racial prejudices! How long these patriarchal prejudice! How long these political prejudices!

The source and origin of the world's corruption are the divines of the age. Sedition appears through those souls and returns to them. Each party looks to its leaders; if they turn away, the followers turn away. In all matters they follow those people. May God abandon them and slay them!

And now concerning thy reference to the existence of two Gods. Beware, beware, lest thou be led to join partners with the Lord, thy God.

Turn people away from exaggeration regarding me, for God knows two groups will perish: the excessive lovers and the hateful detractors. Their sin is not upon me, for I said before and say now before God, His Messengers and His friends that I am a servant who has believed in God and His signs.

O friends of God! The daysprings of falsehood and hypocrisy have ever forbidden their followers from drawing near to and associating with other servants, fearing lest they discover the calumnies of those false souls.

The reward of Mercy is what is given through love without receipt of an equivalent--the judgment of Justice is given as a recompense--but a Merciful judgment is given as one gives to a poor beggar. Mercy cannot be for all.

Would that in the aforementioned reply [they had stated] I have one request of thee, and that is that thou shouldst come with fairness and justice and hear what is said.

"Thou hast said that a person [arrived] and stated that for four hours they tried to write two lines but could not, manifest inability. This word of yours is bereft of truth and honesty. Now we make an agreement with you -- send yourself or a representative to me, on the condition that in one hour a thousand verses shall be revealed.

As to your question regarding those souls who have harmed the people of truth or caused their death - whether such souls shall have any portion in God's infinite worlds or shall be deprived: These souls are of two kinds. If they witnessed reprehensible deeds from the friends of God while being unaware of the Manifestation of God's Cause, there is hope for their salvation. However, if someone commits such reprehensible acts against the friends of God purely out of passion and rejection of truth, such a one was never and will never be worthy of divine favors, and shall remain deprived and tormented in all the divine worlds.

Say: O people! Fear God and do not distort the words of God or change them according to your imaginings. Be not of those who are not guided by the lights of God and who differ in the religion of God.

For example, the student commits a mistake, the teacher punishes him. Now if this correction will become conducive to his improvement, then indeed it is identical with mercy and kindness but if on the contrary it adds to his unawareness, obtusity and doltishness, it is a heavy and grievous chastisement.

O people! Do ye read My verses, yet slay My Self and My Beloved? Why do ye not understand?

O people of the Bayan, guard yourselves against this! Should ye hear of One Who hath appeared, while knowing neither His beginning nor His end, ye shall neither affirm nor deny, lest ye enter the fire while ye know not.

For that One might well be Him Whom God shall make manifest, Whom ye await night and day. Shield yourselves through your faith in Him, for none can better shield you from yourselves than yourselves, nor better guard you against yourselves than yourselves.

By God, if the veiled souls would but cleanse their sight from the ophthalmia of self and desire, they would instantly attain to the dawning of the Day-Star of the horizons.

… Beware, O ye mirrors, lest ye be deceived by names in that Day. Know ye that ye, and all that is above you and below you, were created for that Day. Fear God and commit not that which would grieve His heart, lest ye be accounted among the heedless.

Ye seek to prove your faith in God through such holy Tablets as ye possess, yet when the verses of God were revealed and His Lamp was lighted, ye disbelieved in Him Whose very Pen hath fixed the destinies of all things in the Preserved Tablet. Ye recite the sacred verses and yet repudiate Him Who is their Source and Revealer. Thus hath God blinded your eyes in requital for your deeds, would ye but understand. Day and night ye transcribe the verses of God, and yet ye remain shut out, as by a veil, from Him Who hath revealed them.

Say: O people! Come somewhat to your senses and do not again suspend the Most High Beauty in the atmosphere of hatred, and do not crucify the Spirit on the cross of rancor, and do not cast the Most Glorious Joseph into the well of envy, and do not sever the purified and manifest head with the sword of malice, and do not banish from land to land. By God! All of this has befallen Me, but the people do not perceive.

Whoso performeth an atom's weight of good, We shall surely recompense him on the Day of Resurrection with a bountiful reward based on truth through truth. And whoso performeth an atom's weight of evil, We shall cause him to taste, by God's leave, the fire which God, the Ancient of Days, hath named 'scorching heat' in the Mother Book.

O servant of God! Any priest who leadeth thee away from this Fire, which is the reality of the Light and the mystery of divine Revelation, is indeed thine enemy. Suffer not the words of the foe to hold thee back from the Friend or the insinuations of the enemy to cause thee to forsake the Beloved.

The Christian says the Spirit must appear from heaven in great glory; that people remain heedless and deprived through such vain imaginings. And the Shi'ih sect says the Qa'im must come and appear from the imaginary Jabulqa and the fictitious Jabulsa. I testify that all sects worship their own desires and are devoted to the idols of their fancy.

He, verily, is the Glory of God; upon Him be the remembrance of God and His praise, and the praise of the Concourse on high, and of the dwellers of the everlasting realm, and of all things at all times. Beware lest ye become veiled by aught that hath been created in heaven or on earth. Hasten unto the paradise of His good-pleasure and be not of them that slumber.

Soon shall ye hear the call of a cawing crow; pay no heed to him but rather leave him to himself, turning unto the Qiblih of all horizons.

Say: Whoso layeth claim before the completion of a full thousand years, he hath indeed disbelieved in God, the Lord of the mighty throne.

How many a learned one awaited My days and how many a mystic lamented My separation, yet when I revealed Myself and sent down My verses they denied God, the Lord of existence. They took hold of idle fancies and cast away certitude. Thus did their souls entice them, yet they perceive not.

How many servants awaited My days, yet when the appointed time came, they denied the Lord of Names and Attributes! Say: O people, fear God and reject not the truth by what you possess.

Take heed lest leadership debar thee from the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

Say: O people, fear ye God and spread not corruption in the land, and be not of those who are not guided by God's guidance. Be not like those who mention God with their tongues yet are veiled from the Beauty of the One remembered, and who worship God in cloisters and mosques yet flee from the countenance of the Worshipped One in His days.

Say, this earthly life shall come to an end, and everyone shall expire and return unto my Lord God Who will reward with the choicest gifts the deeds of those who endure with patience. Verily thy God assigneth the measure of all created things as He willeth, by virtue of His behest; and those who conform to the good-pleasure of your Lord, they are indeed among the blissful.

O Sulayman!

The days are approaching their end, and yet the peoples of the earth are seen sunk in grievous heedlessness, and lost in manifest error.

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Woe unto them and unto those who follow them without any clear proof or Book from God, the Lord of the worlds.

How many a maidservant hath been so attracted by the verses of her Lord that the fire appeared from her very being, and how many a maidservant hath remained heedless and returned to the lowest of the low.

Despite this, you see the foolish among the vainglorious ones and the negligent ones wandering in the valley of doubts and plunging into the depths of suspicions. Leave them to their vain disputations.

Observe, then be fair, and be not of them who recognized God's favor, then denied it and caused their people to dwell in the fire.

Thy Lord is, verily, the Mighty, the Bountiful. Blessed is she who, being veiled, hath heard and responded, and woe unto him who, wearing a turban, hath grown proud and turned away from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The names prevented the previous community from the lights of justice and fairness - some through the word "successor", others through mention of "guardian", and some parties through the terms "deputy" and "noble one" and "fourth pillar" and "mirror" remained deprived of the revealer of verses and possessor of names and attributes, and were forbidden the sealed wine.

Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of that which your Ancient Lord desireth for you. Pay no heed to those from whom ye perceive the stench of turning away. Leave them to themselves and put your trust in God.

O people of the earth! Be fair in your judgment, by God, and transgress not against Him Who hath come to you from the Dayspring of His Cause with manifest sovereignty.

O peoples of the earth! Make not yourselves the playthings of the ignorant, and cast not the Cause of God behind your backs. Fear God, and follow not every disbelieving deceiver.

Beware lest what thou beholdest among the people prevent thee from this Day. Leave them to themselves and turn with thy heart unto God, the Lord of all men. Shun those who walk the paths of idle fancy and draw nigh unto God, the Lord of all men.

Say: O company of the opposers! Beware lest ye deny the verses of God after their revelation. Lay hold on justice and cast behind you the whisperings of the wrongdoers who have cast the Most Great Ocean behind their backs, clinging to the idle fancies of the heedless.

Beware lest names withhold you from the Creator of heaven, or allusions veil you from the Dawning-Place of inspiration.

O people, dispute not concerning the Cause; rather gather ye upon the shore of this manifest ocean. Those whom heedlessness hath overtaken after the appearance of the Call are accounted among the heedless ones.

Beware the weeping of the wronged and orphaned children and the sighing of the victims of oppression, lest their tears should turn to floods and their breaths should turn to fire.

In any case, due to the excessive rebellion and transgression of the people of Iran, the cholera disease has overtaken it.

The world hath been overturned through the dissension of the peoples. Thus hath the banner of a thousand been raised and the ranks have appeared. Fear ye God, O peoples of the earth, and be not of the heedless ones.

Take heed lest pride debar thee from recognizing the Dayspring of Divine Revelation, lest earthly desires shut thee out, as by a veil, from the Lord of the Throne above and of the earth below. Thus counseleth thee the Pen of the Most High. He, verily, is the Most Gracious, the All-Bountiful. Do thou remember the one [Napoleon III] whose power transcended thy power, and whose station excelled thy station. Where is he? Whither are gone the things he possessed? Take warning, and be not of them that are fast asleep.

If ye pay no heed unto the counsels which, in peerless and unequivocal language, We have revealed in this Tablet, Divine chastisement shall assail you from every direction, and the sentence of His justice shall be pronounced against you. On that day ye shall have no power to resist Him, and shall recognize your own impotence.

The fire of fancy hath consumed the world; conjectures and idle fancies have darkened man's realm of perception. The rulers of the earth are not, in truth, opposed to anyone's religion or faith today, but when they observe any gathering that might lead to the association and coming together of people, they exercise the utmost caution and restraint, for various forms of mischief and sedition have arisen from such matters in the past.

O Baqir! Thou hast pronounced sentence against them for whom the books of the world have wept, and in whose favour 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 judgement against them through whom the horizon of faith hath been illumined.

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 in this, the Straight Path.

Thus We call unto thee from beyond the sea of grandeur, upon the crimson land, above the horizon of tribulation. Verily, no God is there save Him, the Almighty, the Most Generous. Walk thou steadfastly in My Cause and follow not the ways of those who, upon attaining unto the object of their desire, denied God, the Lord of Lords. Erelong shall He lay hold upon them in His wrath, and He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Subduing.

Know thou that, through the power of His sovereign might, God hath seized him who was the foremost amongst them that passed judgement against Us. When he saw his torment approaching, he fled to Paris to seek recourse to physicians.

"Is there none to help me?" he asked.

He was smitten upon the mouth and told: "There is no escape!"

And when he turned towards the angel of wrath, he well-nigh expired from fear. "I have a house full of riches," he pleaded. "I have a palace on the Bosphorus, beneath which the rivers flow."

The angel replied: "No ransom shall be accepted from thee on this day, even shouldst thou offer up all things visible and invisible. Hearest thou not the sighs of the kindred of God, whom thou didst cast into prison without proof or testimony? Thy deed hath provoked the lamentation of the inmates of Paradise, and of those who circle morn and eve round the Throne on high. The wrath of thy Lord hath descended upon thee, and stern is He in His chastisement!"

He made reply: "I held command over the people, and here is the mandate of my authority."

"Hold thy peace, O denier of the Day of Judgement!"

He implored: "Is no respite possible so that I may send for my family?"

"Far from it, O disbeliever in the verses of God!"

Thereupon the keepers of the fathomless abyss called unto him: "The gates of Hell have opened wide to receive thee, O thou who hast turned away from thy Lord, the Unconstrained! Repair unto its fire, for it yearneth after thee. Hast thou forgotten, O rejected one, when thou wert the Nimrod of the age, how thy tyranny eclipsed the very cruelties of Pharaoh, the Lord of the Stakes? By God! Thine iniquity hath rent asunder the veil of sanctity and caused the pillars of heaven to tremble. Where canst thou find refuge now? Who shall protect thee from the dreadful scourge of thy Lord, the All-Compelling? There is no haven for thee in this Day, O ungodly doubter!" Whereupon the agony of death seized him and he saw no more. Thus did We lay hold on him in Our wrathful anger, and severe is thy Lord in His punishment.

Then an angel from the right hand of the Throne summoned him: "Behold the angel of affliction. Is there any place to flee to save hell, wherein the heart boileth?" And the angel of chastisement received his spirit, and a voice proclaimed: "Enter the bottomless pit which hath been promised in the Book, and whose existence thou didst day and night deny!"

Soon will We dismiss the one who was like unto him, and will lay hold on their Chief who ruleth the land, and I, verily, am the Almighty, the All-Compelling. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God and extol thy Lord morn and eve. Suffer not the light of thy soul to be quenched by the calumnies of the one who was so blinded by Our bestowals as to turn away from God, the Lord of all names. He inspireth his devoted followers even as the Evil One prompteth his own. Erelong shalt thou behold him in evident loss both in this world and in the world to come. He, indeed, is among those whom an afflictive torment doth await. He dispatched an epistle to someone in that land, a writ of the workers of iniquity, in which he mocked God and recorded that which filled all created things with dismay. Say: Canst thou find anyone to protect thee when the wrath of God, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained, is visited upon thee?

Thus have We informed thee of that which lieth concealed within the hearts of men. Verily, thy Lord is the Almighty, the All-Knowing. Arise for the triumph of this Cause, and gather together My loved ones. Help them to see the truth in this Day when the feet of men have slipped. Say: It behoveth every true believer to assist his Lord. He, verily, is your helper, while the people have no one to turn to in this Day.

Then We seized Mihdi, to whom We had promised divine chastisement in Our Books and Scriptures. When Our awful majesty encompassed him, he entreated: "May I not retrace my steps?"

A voice exclaimed: "Woe betide thee, O disbeliever in the Day of Resurrection! This is the nethermost fire, and its flames have been made to blaze for thee. Thou didst forsake all righteous deeds in thy vain and futile life, and now thou hast none to shield thee from God. Thou art indeed he who caused all hearts to be consumed and the Holy Spirit to lament."

He pleaded: "Is there yet no refuge for me?"

"Nay, by my Lord, even shouldst thou seek recourse to every possible means!"

Thereupon he cried out in such distress as to cause the people of the graves to tremble, and was seized by the Hand of invincible power. A voice then proclaimed: "Return unto the seat of wrath in the fire of hell; wretched and evil be thine abode!"

Thus did We lay hold on him as We laid hold on those who preceded him. Behold their houses which We have left to the spiders, and take heed, O ye who are endued with understanding! He it is who opposed God, and for whom the verses of wrath were revealed in the Book. Blessed is he who readeth it and pondereth its contents, for a goodly end doth in truth await him.

Thus have We recounted unto thee the tale of the evil-doers, that thine eyes may be solaced. As for thee, there lieth in store naught but a blissful end.

The tyrants and pharaohs, and their like, that have been mentioned in the past and present are, in the first instance, those ignorant ones who are known as divines among the common rabble. By God's life! These are they who have barred the way of God, these are the veils that have intervened, and these are the false books. In truth, the divines of Persia are most heedless.

O Ahmad! The people of the Sunnah did not issue the decree for the martyrdom of the Lord of the world, nor did they seek to hold fast to the imaginary Jabulqa and Jabulsa, and the Jews did not reject the Beauty of the Manifestation, nor did they issue the decree for the shedding of His most pure blood.

The divine Prophets are conjoined in the perfect state of love. Each One has given the glad tidings of His successor's coming and each successor has sanctioned the One Who preceded Him. They were in the utmost unity, but Their followers are in strife. For instance, Moses gave the message of the glad tidings of Christ, and Christ confirmed the Prophethood of Moses. Therefore, between Moses and Jesus there is no variation or conflict. They are in perfect unity, but between the Jew and the Christian there is conflict. Now, therefore, if the Christian and Jewish peoples investigate the reality underlying their Prophets' teachings, they will become kind in their attitude toward each other and associate in the utmost love, for reality is one and not dual or multiple. If this investigation of reality becomes universal, the divergent nations will ratify all the divine Prophets and confirm all the Holy Books. No strife or rancor will then remain, and the world will become united. Then will we associate in the reality of love. We will become as fathers and sons, as brothers and sisters living together in complete unity, love and happiness; for this century is the century of light. It is not like former centuries. Former centuries were epochs of oppression. Now human intellects have developed, and human intelligence has increased. Each soul is investigating reality. This is not a time when we shall wage war and be hostile toward each other. We are living at a time when we should enjoy real friendship.

Fifty years ago Baha'u'llah sent Epistles to all the kings and nations of the world, at a time when there was no mention of international peace. One of these Epistles was sent by Him to the president of the American democracy. In these communications He summoned all to international peace and the oneness of the human world. He summoned mankind to the fundamentals of the teachings of all the Prophets. Some of the European kings were arrogant. Among them was Napoleon III. Baha'u'llah wrote a second Epistle to him, which was published thirty years ago. The context is this: "O Napoleon! Thou hast become haughty indeed. Thou hast become proud. Thou hast forgotten God. Thou dost imagine that this majesty is permanent for thee, that this dominion is abiding for thee. A letter have we sent unto thee for acceptance with thy greatest love; but, instead, thou hast shown arrogance. Therefore, God shall uproot the edifice of thy sovereignty; thy country shall flee away from thee. Thou shalt find humiliation hastening after thee because thou didst not arise for that which was enjoined upon thee, whereas that which was a duty incumbent upon thee was the cause of life to the world. The punishment of God shall soon be dealt out to thee."

This Epistle was revealed in the year 1869, and after one year the foundations of the Napoleonic sovereignty were completely uprooted.

And send thou likewise this Book unto the King of that region with golden ink that thou mayest be numbered among the helpers of that which is written. And whoso denieth Our verses and departeth not from his house as an emigrant unto the Land of Remembrance - We shall reveal his decree in the Book even as was revealed concerning Abu Lahab in the Qur'an. Fear ye God, O concourse of men, and have mercy upon yourselves, and disgrace not your subjects through what hath been sent down unto you after God's decree, and after all people shall read.

O 'Ali! Muhammad, the Apostle of God, weeps at thy tyranny in that thou didst follow thy passions and turn away from guidance. Rejoice not in what thou hast done, for thy Lord lieth in wait.

They have denied God's favor after its descent and cast behind their backs His wise Book. They have slain him who spoke the truth - for this the Concourse on High and those who circle round His mighty Throne have cursed them.

And when their time came and they returned to their abode, there arose after them one named Baqir who committed such oppression as caused the eyes of those who circle round the Throne to weep. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Recording. We have cast him down, and We shall seize him as We please and return him to a place from which even hell itself will flee.

In these days when the fire of tyranny is ablaze and the light of justice is concealed, the Most Exalted Pen makes mention of thee and declares: Reflect upon the rebellious souls and that which proceedeth from them. With their tongues they make mention of the All-Merciful and occupy themselves with praise of the Best-Beloved of all worlds, and yet they perpetrate that which causeth the Divine Lote-Tree to lament and bewail. Woe unto them and unto those who follow them! For the sake of this base and transient world they have forsaken the eternal realms of God.

Beware, O ye who are endued with insight, lest ye perpetrate that which causeth tears to flow from the Eye of God, the Omnipotent, the Most Exalted, the All-Wise. Beware lest ye fail to believe in Him Who hath appeared with the proof of 'Ali, then with the evidence of Muhammad, then with the testimony of the Spirit, then with the signs of Moses. Slay Him not with the swords of rejection and hatred.

O Husayn! That which befell the helpless people was but a single spark that blazed forth from the fire of the self of the Wolf and the Serpent. By the life of God! This single flame hath not sufficed, nor will it suffice, unless all the peoples of the world cry out "O Merciful! O Compassionate!" and become confirmed in a firm and mighty repentance.

They have slain the children of the Messenger and plundered their possessions. Thus have their evil souls prompted them, and they perceive it not.

O servants of God! Merciless oppressors like unto ravening wolves have torn at the breasts of the gazelles of the field of God and drunk their blood. But soon like rabid beasts they shall flee to a hole in the ground where they shall quarrel and rend one another. Forever shall they live in torment and remain trapped and disappointed by the flames of bitter remorse and abject misery.

Affairs changed; all the tyrants were debased; some of the members of this very commission were killed or murdered; and some fled away. Finally, one of them went to the believers in Egypt and begged for minimum subsistence.

Verily the one who commanded has returned to the fire, while the builder dwells in God's mercy and loving-kindness. Thus has His mercy preceded His servants.

O people of Baha! I swear by the Lord of the Kingdom of Names that the opposers among the divines and rulers who are today enkindled with the fire of hatred are not and have never been mentioned in the presence of God. Every person of insight sees such souls as thieves and murderers, for no human qualities are manifest from them.

Today the eye of justice is blind and the hand of tyranny upraised. We have guided them with the light of guidance, yet they point to the fire of error, and their call leadeth but to perdition.

O divine friends and spiritual companions! The heedlessness of souls, hardness of hearts, intensity of immersion in desires, abundance of harmful preoccupations, evil deeds of people, and following the opinions of those who cause doubts have subjected that region and land to the wrath and anger of the Lord.

Look not at the beginning; consider the end. Christ was crucified, the Prince of Martyrs was slain and plundered and His people taken captive. But observe now how these two illustrious ones shine forth manifest and resplendent from the horizon of might and power, while the obstinate Jews and Yazid are abased, overthrown, despised, rejected, condemned and wrapped in the severest torment and veils.

No heed was paid to these explicit words and severe warning, therefore "God doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth" became manifest.

We have counseled the statesmen of Persia to the utmost of our ability, but no one listened or accepted our advice. While travelling in Europe, I met many of the Persian Princes, Ministers and prominent men of that ancient country, and told them the truth of the matter; but the majority of them did not like it.

There is no God but Him. He will recompense every soul with justice on the Day of Resurrection, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Say: O deceiver, by what proof didst thou believe in God and in Muhammad the Apostle of God? Was it by mere words or by what thou findest in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise?

… Hearts have melted by reason of thy tyranny, and the hands of the loved ones have been raised because of thy deeds. Know thou of a certainty that they shall not return except through the fulfillment of what they desire from the heaven of the bounty of their Lord, the Gracious.

No harm hath ever befallen or shall ever befall the people of truth except that they shall surely receive its recompense from God.

Nay, by God! Had they known what they have wrought, they would have wept with the weeping of the bereft. But today they perceive not.

Such tyranny hath appeared that the pens are powerless to recount it. Justice hath lamented on account of it, and darkness hath enveloped all creatures save those whom God, the Lord of all men, hath willed otherwise. Through it the teeth of ruin have been bared, and prosperity hath wept throughout the nights and days.

O peoples of the earth!

How long will ye prevent the Youth from making mention of His Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing? And how long will ye occupy yourselves with the world and its ornaments? Verily it is a passing shadow. Death shall soon overtake you, and it is a vigilant watcher that neither armies and hosts can repel, nor your might, O concourse of the obstinate!

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Each day doth the wolf devour one of the sheep of God. O my God! How long wilt Thou look on and be patient?

If the Iranians had hearkened to counsel, they would certainly have remained protected, but they had no attentive ear. However much we counseled them, they responded with hardness of heart.

Time and again, in explicit terms in all letters for several years past, it was announced that government and people must mix together like milk and honey, otherwise loss and detriment are certain and established, and ultimately this discord will lead to the intervention of neighboring powers. Afterwards both sides will become distraught and regretful, but it will be fruitless.

As for Iran, revolution lies ahead, for the Iranians have not yet awakened to realize that there is no refuge save in the divine teachings and no salvation except in the conduct and behavior of true Baha'is. Inevitably chastisements will come to serve as the cause of awakening.

This servant testifies with both outer and inner tongue that had the people of the resplendent Faith acted according to the radiant Law and held fast to the divine Book, none would have prevailed over them and no cities or lands would have been plundered. Until now they are observed to be sleeping, for they have not arisen to redress what has been lost.

The smoke of corruption has encompassed all regions such that naught can be seen but armies and naught can be heard but the clash of swords.

They considered themselves the most just of all people, yet they committed manifest injustice in their killings, such that the people of the cities of justice and fairness remain bewildered.

But the oppressive souls are afflicted with the flames of divine servants' wrath, and after their spirits depart they are chastised with a torment a hundred thousand times more severe than earthly punishment.

Yet all the divines of this age are engaged in cursing and denunciation. Glory be to God! The former faction, who counted themselves the most learned, most God-fearing and most ascetic in the world, committed that which no previous factions had done. In the early years, both learned and ignorant would curse the Lord of the world and issue decrees for His death.

His purpose has been and continues to be the exaltation of the Word of Unity. O Muhammad-Baqir, upon thee be my peace! the ungodly have surrounded the believers in the Divine Unity from all directions, and the clouds of tyranny have prevented the Sun of Justice from shedding its radiant beams. All must beseech God that the original power and lost ascendancy may be made manifest and evident. The cities and lands of the people of Divine Unity lie in ruins through the tyranny of the ungodly.

These are days wherein the oppressor glorieth in his tyranny and displayeth might and majesty. Glory be to God! The colors of the world have so deluded him that he hath become heedless of the consequences of his deeds. By the life of God! He hath surpassed in tyranny the oppressor of Damascus the Spacious.

Today the proof crieth out, and the evidence proclaimeth "the All-Merciful hath come," and reason pointeth the way. Yet no one with sight can be found, nor any with hearing discovered.

God hath seized them for their sins and He will seize those who have wronged you without any proof or book from God, the Lord of all worlds. Those souls are in loss, while in this hour the Pen of the [All-Merciful] maketh mention of you.

O Muhammad, The trees of hope have been cut down by the sword of vain imaginings, and the houses of justice and fairness have been destroyed by the hands of tyranny, and the ornaments of this transient world have deprived all from the divine eternal Kingdom.

Yet the servants and handmaidens have been prevented from the Lord of Names by the veils of the divines. They martyred the Purpose of the world, and night and day they strive and struggle to extinguish the Light of the One Who conversed on Sinai. Glory be to God! They walk in the path of vain imaginings and move according to the dictates of self and passion.

O Muhammad-Husayn! The oppressor of the land of Ya has kindled a fire that will not be extinguished. Soon the recompense of his deeds will seize him.

The darkness of heedlessness and ignorance hath encompassed the world and deprived all of their just reward from the Dawning-Place of Divine Revelation and the Dayspring of His Cause, save whom God willeth. The clouds of tyranny have prevented the Sun of Justice from shining forth.

Did that which the Caesars possessed benefit them, or did that which the Pharaohs had amassed avail them? Leadership deluded them to such a degree that they occupied themselves with the world and its ornaments during their numbered days, and were heedless of that which was with their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Behold the people and their lack of awareness - they have chosen for themselves that which will soon perish and have cast behind their backs that which will endure as long as God, the Lord of all men, endureth.

Had it not been for the letter Shin of the complaints of the heedless ones becoming manifest, verily would the decree of the Tree of Paradise have been realized and made manifest in this earthly realm, and the world would have been freed and delivered from the blow of want.

Whoso hath failed to recognize Him will have condemned himself to the misery of remoteness, a remoteness which is naught but utter nothingness and the essence of the nethermost fire. Such will be his fate, though to outward seeming he may occupy the earth’s loftiest seats and be established upon its most exalted throne.

Yes, in the divine utterances it is mentioned that paradise is the recognition of God and hellfire is separation from the Lord of Lords. The intent of this utterance is not that there is no divine realm or infinite bounty beyond this - God forbid! Rather, the meaning is that recognition and separation are like the tree, while bliss and torment in all divine worlds are like the fruit. At every level of the ranks, bounty and punishment exist. In the world of the heart, recognition is bounty and separation is punishment, for these two are the foundation of every bounty and punishment in the divine worlds. But in God's realm, for accepted souls there exists that which no eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man.

Similarly, ultimate retributions and punishments consist in being deprived of the special bounties and unfailing bestowals of God and sinking to the lowest degrees of existence. And whoso is deprived of these favours, though he continue to exist after death, is accounted as dead in the eyes of the people of truth.

If a soul distances himself from the Manifestation, he may yet be awakened, for he may have failed to know Him and to recognize Him as the Embodiment of the divine perfections. But if he loathes the divine perfections themselves, which are the Holy Spirit, this shows that, bat-like, he is a hater of the light.

This hatred of the light itself is irremediable and unforgivable; that is, it is impossible for such a soul to draw near to God.

The murderer, therefore, is submerged in the abyss of vices, and surely he will be subjected to the proper retribution in the transferences mentioned in the lecture, which transferences are numerous, appearing in endless forms and images.

But when the deeds of man are not in accord with the good-pleasure of God, whenever he thinks of them he becomes sad and his heart beats faster... From this standpoint Paradise is the Good-pleasure of the Lord; Hell is its absence. The most burning fire is the very disobedience to the Command of God. For example, one of the greatest moral crimes is murder. Now murder itself is hell and burning fire and a punishment. The jail, the remorse and the penalty of the laws are only the concommittant results of murder. Similarly in a case of robbery or injustice..."

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Likewise apprehend thou the nature of hell-fire and be of them that truly believe. For every act performed there shall be a recompense according to the estimate of God, and unto this the very ordinances and prohibitions prescribed by the Almighty amply bear witness. For surely if deeds were not rewarded and yielded no fruit, then the Cause of God - exalted is He - would prove futile. Immeasurably high is He exalted above such blasphemies! However, unto them that are rid of all attachments a deed is, verily, its own reward.

The Bugle hath sounded, the Trumpet hath been blown, the Crier hath raised his call, and all upon the earth have swooned away--but still do the dead, in the tombs of their bodies, sleep on.

And the second clarion hath sounded, there hath followed the second blast after the first, and the dread woe hath come, and every nursing mother hath forgot the infant at her breast--yet still the people, confused and distracted, heed it not.

As for the spirits of the infidels, by My life, at the time of death they recognize what has passed them by, and they lament and implore. Likewise after their spirits depart from their bodies.

O servants! The world is the abode of demons - keep yourselves from approaching them. The demons are the wayward ones who lie in the sleep of heedlessness with corrupt deeds. Their sleep is sweeter than wakefulness, and their death more attractive than life.

Say: The shout hath been raised, and the people have come forth from their graves, and arising, are gazing around them. Some have made haste to attain the court of the God of Mercy, others have fallen down on their faces in the fire of Hell, while still others are lost in bewilderment. … They hasten forward to Hell Fire, and mistake it for light.

As for the sincere ones, they are in great joy, in lasting bliss, and in a noble station, having attained unto the manifest Truth, receiving glad tidings from God, promised the meeting with their Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. By the splendor of the Kingdom and the light of the Realm of Might! By the life of God, this is indeed the magnificent bounty and the beautiful gift.

Open ye your eyes, and consider His clear evidence. Paradise is on your right hand, and hath been brought nigh unto you, while Hell hath been made to blaze. Witness its devouring flame. Haste ye to enter into Paradise, as a token of Our mercy unto you, and drink ye from the hands of the All-Merciful the Wine that is life indeed.

As for the question of reward and punishment - since it is based on attainment or deprivation, it is therefore eternal, for this deprivation stems from the essence of the transgressor, and that success and prosperity is likewise the eternal grace of the All-Merciful Lord.

The generations that have gone on before you—whither are they fled? And those round whom in life circled the fairest and the loveliest of the land, where now are they? Profit by their example, O people, and be not of them that are gone astray.

Others ere long will lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into your habitations. Incline your ears to My words, and be not numbered among the foolish.

Therefore, die in your wrath, O people of hatred, for God's punishment and His wrath have come upon you, and ye are tormented within your own selves.

Know that there are two kinds of torment: subtle and palpable. For example, ignorance is itself a torment, but it is a subtle torment; indifference to God is itself a torment; falsehood is itself a torment; iniquity and treachery are torments. Indeed all the human imperfections are torments, but they are subtle torments. A person endowed with a conscience will certainly prefer to be killed rather than to sin, and to have his tongue cut out rather than to slander and lie.

The other kind of torment is palpable and consists in physical punishments such as imprisonment, beating, expulsion and banishment.

For example--punishment and torment for an unbeliever is a well and that which makes a man fall into it is blindness. He cannot see the way so the greatest punishment is blindness. In the same way, if unbelievers were not veiled from the Beauty of God, they would not be so afflicted. Paradise is knowledge and Hell is unbelief.

Do thou remind the people with this Most Evident Embroidery that they follow not Satan within themselves, but rather follow this Cause that is inscribed and concealed.

The sixth verse means: Those souls who have not acted according to the Commands of the Lord, who have been instrumental in sowing the seeds of discord and mistrust amongst their fellowmen, who have encouraged animalism by perfecting engines of hell, who have brought about the destruction of the fair fabric of human progress, who have forgotten God and religion - these souls (verse 7 and 8) will dwell in 'a raging fire' - that is;- they will remain in a state of ignorance, heedlessness, inadvertence and deprivation from the Bestowals of the True One.

Soon shall all that hath been spread out today of the ornaments of the world be rolled up, and God shall gather you together in a presence which was inscribed as binding upon all the worlds. At that time, ye shall find for yourselves no helper, and God shall seize you with a fire which was kindled in your hearts.

O Nuru'llah Ma'navi! May His Holiness the Guide grant, God willing, and thus hath He willed, that thou mayest drink from the ocean of health and taste of the wine of well-being, that thou mayest become a place for the perfect bounty of God and a mine for the manifestation of His eternal lights, so that thy friends may rejoice and thine enemies be blinded - every envious one is in the fire and every envied one in the mercy of the All-Forgiving.

Know thou that My love is the sword of the Almighty that separateth the righteous from the wicked, and by it are the hearts of the free ones made cool while the souls of the infidels are set ablaze.

And when God sealed Prophethood with His Beloved, He promised His servants that they would meet Him on the Day of Resurrection, as ye read in the Book, insomuch that We have not recorded in the Book any matter greater than this.

Thus doth God seize those who disbelieved and turned away, and forgiveth those who believed and turned towards Him, and will raise them to the station of nearness and cause them to dwell in the proximity of an extended mercy.

God shall soon change the earth and whatsoever is upon it, and shall gather together all creatures at a station which hath been irrevocably decreed by the Pen of Destiny from time immemorial. They shall be questioned concerning what they have wrought in their vain life, and shall be rewarded according to their deeds.

Verily those who join partners with God from among His servants - these are the companions of the fire, therein shall they abide. And whoso holdeth fast to the cord of God and placeth his trust in Him - these are they who have attained their portion from their Lord and they rejoice in the Most Glorious Paradise. Thus doth God recompense everyone according to their due measure - and who is better than God in measuring, if ye but ponder the verses of God?

When an illegitimate intention is joined with action, the punishment is severe. And for mere intention, if it is strong in conception and determination, a lighter punishment of one degree is ordained for it. But vain imaginings which are of the nature of delusions - their mere occurrence results from spiritual weakness. For these imaginings there is no punishment.

No good deed has been or ever will be lost - all are preserved and safeguarded in the treasury of divine knowledge, and their reward shall assuredly come.

Indeed, in certain of the letters which this servant hath addressed to the friends of God and the drinkers of the choice wine of the merciful love, these matters have been set forth in detail---how many are they who, being in truth falsehood itself and the very essence of treachery, yet appear amongst the servants in the guise of trustworthiness and sincerity. The friends of God must not be deceived by such persons, nor accept, by reason of their empty pretensions, whatsoever they may utter.

The counsels of the past and present bow down, nay prostrate themselves, before God's exhortation in this Most Great Manifestation. Some have become so inflamed with the fire of self and passion that they have astonished the Concourse on High.

I adjure you, O concourse of creation, by the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of the hereafter and of former times, not to veil me with the veils of treachery, greed and passion, nor leave me exposed before them.

Well is it with the one who fulfilleth My decrees for the love of My Beauty, and woe to the one who neglecteth the Dayspring of Command in the days of his Lord, the Almighty, the Omnipotent.

O Muhammad-i-Hasan! The deeds of some have become the cause of grief. Today the helpers of the Cause of God are goodly deeds and praiseworthy conduct. Repeatedly hath this exalted word been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen: The harm to this Wronged One came not from the chains and fetters of the land of Ta, nor from the oppression of the tyrants of the land of Mim, but rather from those souls who claim to love Him and count themselves among the people of Baha, yet are found to be enslaved by self and passion.

If they live thus, they will pass through this world with perfect contentment, bliss, and peace of heart, and become the object of divine grace and favour in the Kingdom of heaven. But if they do other than this, they will live out their lives in great bitterness, longing at every moment for death, and will be shamefaced in the heavenly realm.

Regarding what you wrote about one of the friends of God expressing grief over the believers' involvement with the craft of elixir-making, verily he hath spoken the truth. Indeed, right is with him in prohibiting this act. Multiple Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of divine Will and sent to various regions concerning this.

O Andalib! By the life of God, the deeds of those who have cast godliness behind their backs, clinging to tyranny and wickedness while attributing themselves to the Dayspring of sanctity and holiness, have grieved Me. By this the Pen of God hath lamented in the most exalted station. We have revealed in the Tablets that which draweth the servants nigh unto the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Among them are those who claimed My love and entry into the stronghold of My grace, yet committed that which caused My heart and My Pen to lament, and the eye of My inner being to weep at all times.

As long as these antiquated, social customs and religious ceremonies hold sway in India, complete progress will not be obtained.

The question of the races is one which is extremely regrettable. For the blacks hate the whites, while the whites distrust the blacks. You must overcome this by showing them that you make no distinction. The end will be very unfortunate for both if the differences are not removed.

If those souls who claim to be of this Cause had acted according to what God hath commanded them, all the earth would now be beheld as a piece of Paradise.

I wrote explicitly that if these incompatibilities were not removed, widespread disruption would soon result and continuous regret would follow. Now you have observed that it all came to pass. I saw this disruption at that time, but the friends were intoxicated.

And if you ask them for a fee, the reward of your Lord is better." He states that if you seek a reward for self-sacrifice, the reward that God bestows is the best of rewards.

For example, if a man does a great injustice to another in his life, then, after his death, his son will be despised for having had such a father, and in some cases the injury might also be so serious that the effect would reach to the grandson, etc., or a man may, by wrong living, fall into consumption and give that disease to his children unto the third or fourth generation.

Both physically and mentally, the sins of the fathers may be visited upon the children.

Say: O people! Commit not acts of mischief and indecency, and follow not every doubting misbeliever. Beware lest ye backbite one another. This hath been forbidden in the Tablets. Fear ye the All-Merciful, and be not of those who spread corruption. Enter not a house except with permission, betray not the trust of others in their possessions, and lean not towards them that have acted unjustly, for this indeed is a grievous error.

Commerce and occupation have diverted him from the remembrance and praise of God, and prevented him from justice and fairness in His days. By the life of God! He hath denied My favor, My grace and My loving-kindness, and hath clung to that which hath erased the white spot of love from his heart. We opened before his face the gates of blessing and bounty, yet he denied them and rejected God's grace and favor, and said that which none before him had ever said.

The fire of greed, passion, avarice and immorality hath been kindled in the Great City, whereby the veil of propriety hath been rent asunder among the people and the light of fairness hath been extinguished through the appearance of tyranny.

The reward of no soul hath been lost, nor shall it be lost. If anyone draweth a single breath for the sake of God, its effects shall assuredly appear in creation. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Say: O concourse of the heedless! I swear by God! The promised day is come, the day when tormenting trials will have surged above your heads, and beneath your feet, saying: ‘Taste ye what your hands have wrought!’

From frequent recitation of verses, sermons and prayers, inevitably some passages remain in one's mind and memory. When one writes something, these expressions come to mind and are written down. However, some simple souls imagine that this flows from the heart and springs from the fountain of the soul. Such delusions cast them into great dangers.

These past years were days of revolution. In days of revolution, a mirage is counted as water. Therefore, hardship and distress are requirements of times of insecurity.

A rich man gives a bounty to a poor man. Should the rich man also give him a reward because he has received bounty? It is the same with the animals. Their qualities are bestowed by God. Shall He give them reward for this Bounty?

Accept not every speaker's word and be not assured by every doer's deed. Many a deed whose source is desire, and many a word whose purpose is to lead astray.

The fires of greed and passion and lust and lewdness have been kindled in the Great City. They have consumed the properties of the Afnan and have raised their voices amongst the people with manifest tyranny. Thus have their souls prompted them to that which hath caused the countenance of trustworthiness and justice to be sullied.

O Generous One! I desired Thee before and I desire Thee now, and I counsel thee with that wherewith God counsels His servants, that thou mayest remind the people and awaken them from their beds of heedlessness, lest they spread corruption in the earth after its reformation, follow the promptings of their souls, chase after every ignorant rabble who follows every crier, or incline with every wind.

Beware lest ye utter that which would cause the standards of discord to be raised throughout the lands.

Whoso achieveth good deeds, upon him shall descend from the heaven of divine favor a mercy from His presence and a blessing from His court.

My concern is not with My enemies, but rather with those who claim belief yet commit that from which people flee.

Have they become distant because they were prevented? Nay, but because of what they have earned. O people of understanding! Baha doth summon them unto guidance, but desire hath prevented them from turning to the Mighty, the Bestower.

O Nuru'llah, upon thee be His glory and His peace! In these days the wolves of the earth have surrounded the divine sheep. The Supreme Pen hath, in countless Tablets, commanded the servants to trustworthiness, religious devotion, righteousness and the fear of God. Yet the heedless have cast away godliness and embraced depravity, committing that which hath caused trustworthiness and religion to lament.

O people! Sanctify yourselves from whatsoever prevents you from your Lord, the Most Merciful, and be not tyrannical and wretched in the earth. Fear God and commit not unseemly acts. Follow the ways of God and follow not every froward devil.

And thou, remind the loved ones not to bring harm upon Us after this great harm, and not to waste the Cause of God amongst them, and not to differ regarding the command of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Strive within thyself that through thee the Cause of God may be exalted - for this wert thou created by His firm and unshakeable command. He who leaveth no trace in the world shall be subject to the decree of extinction.

Today it is essential that all the loved ones of God observe incoming matters with new vision, for certain wolves have appeared and continue to appear in shepherds' clothing, and some, wearing various garments, claim belief for the purpose of seizing people's property. Avoid these ones and believe not what they say.

However, beseech God that the pearls of love may remain protected from thieves and manifestations of Satan, for they have appeared with all manner of deceptions - the treacherous one appears in the guise of the trustworthy, and the corrupt one in the cloak of piety.

God willing, they will succeed in paying their debts.

You should free yourself from discussing their affairs with me, otherwise you will always be in bitterness and trouble.

… Occupy yourself with matters that bear fruit and benefit.

None of them should claim leadership, for all are servants of the Divine Unity. The station of leader and led befitteth not this people.

Certain ignorant ones in cities and villages have acted in such wise as to cause people to turn away. We beseech God to guide the ignorant to the ocean of knowledge, to grant them wisdom and bestow upon them vision, that they may turn with pure and sanctified hearts and hold fast to deeds.

Furthermore, you must consider all aspects, for if this matter becomes known and some become aware of what has occurred, they will take action, and that person will surely hesitate in showing love, as he has not attained maturity and has other stations in view.

By God, O Ahmad! That very letter from those people completed God's proof against thee, for thou art certain they wrote falsely.

O party of God! The dark smoke of deeds and conduct hath prevented the world from beholding the Most Sublime Horizon. The embodiment of tyranny hath established itself above justice, and the treacherous one hath usurped the station of the trustworthy.

No righteous deed appeareth from any doer except that its reward hath been recorded by the Pen of the King of Oneness.

O people of the earth! Fear God and follow not your desires, nor conceal your deeds.

They seize the wealth of the people falsely and dispose of it however they please.

… The world hath deluded them with its ornaments. Soon shall they behold the recompense of their deeds from God, the Just, the Commanding, the Wise.

They must hold fast to goodly deeds and praiseworthy character, that perchance His mercy may take them by the hand and His grace may grant them deliverance. Otherwise what remains will also pass away in time. The people of unity have not reflected on what has been the cause of this oppression and the reason for this weakness that has befallen them.

The most excellent of deeds today is steadfastness, for the cawers and the liars and the infidels have appeared and will appear in every land, even as was revealed aforetime by the Supreme Pen.

… The cawers are souls who speak without divine permission and who deviate from the straight path of servitude.

He that was far off hath entered the Realm of Glory, while he that thought himself near hath been kept back. Thus hath God made your high ones low and your low ones high.

Among the people are those who hunt souls with the snare of humility, and among them are those who have made the ranks of sandals a ladder to reach the station of glory. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The reward of no one hath been or shall be lost. Every deed performed for God - its fragrance shall never be cut off and its fruits shall return to the doer in this world and the next.

Were We to detail for you what We have concealed beneath the veils of forbearance, ye would surely cry out among the peoples of creation: "Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is witness to what I say."

However, some hearkened to the call and attained to the recognition of the oneness of God and the Manifestation of His Cause, yet such deeds as would cause the exaltation and glorification of the Word of God did not appear from them. What regret and remorse, that in such days they should deprive themselves of the ocean of God's good-pleasure!

How many souls there are who claim to have turned to Him and recognized Him, yet in their deeds and actions they are found wanting.

Say: O people! Spread not corruption in the earth after it hath been set in order, neither dispute regarding the signs of God after their revelation. Fear ye the Day when ye shall all be brought before God. Ye shall be questioned concerning what ye have wrought in your vain life, and shall be recompensed accordingly.

Should they hearken unto the counsels of the true Well-Wisher and act accordingly, they shall assuredly attain unto the supreme blessing and unto glory and exaltation.

Say: Beware lest ye barter away the verses of God, and beware lest ye abandon that which ye have been commanded by One All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Fear ye, O people of corruption! He commandeth you to righteousness and piety, and forbiddeth you from that which would render your deeds null and void. Verily, he that followeth his idle fancies hath no protector this Day.

Be not of them who bar men from the path of God and prevent the servants from entering the ways of guidance, while imagining themselves to be rightly guided.

O friends! The thief and the traitor are lying in wait; beware lest ye be heedless. O bearers of God's trust! Protect from the robber's hand the pearls of the love of God. In this day, whosoever rendeth not asunder the veil of his idle imaginings will assuredly fail to hear the Voice of God.

Had the accepted servants acted according to the commandments of the Lord of the Worlds, surely the fragrances of the chastisement would have encompassed the idolators and hypocrites.

Follow not the desires of those who have denied God, the Lord of the hereafter and of former times. Beware lest abasement hold you back from God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible, and beware lest poverty veil you from gazing upon the Most Great Scene.

Beware lest anything among all things occupy you away from the Creator of heaven, or wealth and hopes prevent you from the Final Goal in this Day wherein the Temple of the Manifestation is established upon the Throne of Utterance and speaketh that which draweth the servants nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds.

The matter has but two aspects: either we are confirmed in service to this holy Cause or we are not. If we attain this supreme bounty, all the most beautiful names circle round us; but if we are disappointed and deprived, what fruit can come from names, titles, descriptions, and lineages?

Indeed, one matter has become the cause of great regret, namely that in every place where a believer was arrested, first the Tablets and Writings were seized, and then the owner of the house. Glory be to God! Are the Tablets and Writings to be kept in front of the houses of the friends or in places exposed to all eyes? In the land of Ta, many Tablets and Writings fell into the hands of the oppressors. A hundred thousand regrets, for they do not preserve them and may perhaps destroy them all.

Woe and torment be upon those who oppose thee and harm thee. Blessed is he who befriendeth thee, and hell-fire be upon him who is thine enemy.

Now, if one of the friends wishes to discuss political matters in his home or in meetings held elsewhere, it would be better for him to first sever his relationship with this Cause, that all may know he hath nothing to do with us and acts independently. Otherwise, it will in the end cause general harm. The meaning is this: he will destroy our spiritual way of life and will busy the friends with discussions that result in their degradation and depravation.

Woe betide him that denieth thy exalted station, and the things ordained for thee from God, the Lord of all names, and him that hath turned away from thee, and rejected thy station before God, the Lord of the mighty throne.

He educated them, one and all, through the sweet scents of holiness, opened the doors of manifold grace before their faces, nurtured them in the bosom of His loving-kindness, and taught them the lessons of the spirit in the school of insight. Would it not be regrettable if we were to sit dispirited or remain lost and bewildered, if we were to prefer the path of comfort and repose, seeking freedom from all cares? This is not faithfulness! This is not sincerity! This is not the path of guidance!

However, that weeping was followed by a myriad blessings and this jubilation by grievous retribution. Erelong the fruits of these two shall appear from the tree of His irrevocable Decree.

Earthquakes have broken loose, successive calamities have appeared, tests have deepened, and trials have waxed greater. The horizons of the hearts of the people of negligence have been darkened by the clouds of rebellion. The water of certitude hath run dry, and the scalding water of idle fancies and vain imaginings hath streamed forth. Doubts have spread, and perplexing interpretations have divulged.

However, strive within thyself in all thy days lest the whisperings of Satan cause thee to slip and lead thee astray from the path of glorious might and from the straight and holy way.

Speak not of that which God hath not permitted you. Fear ye the All-Merciful, and be of them that are endued with insight.

By God's life! He pronounced unjust judgment against those whom he should have served, then uttered that which no idolater had ever uttered before. His likeness is as the spotted snake that both bites and hisses.

In the end this good intention led him to the rank of martyrdom and won him the greatest gift.

This event deserves gratitude, so praise God that He has left such a noble distinction to that family and lineage forever.

O friends! How long will you remain heedless? Reflect at last! Consider the end of all matters at their beginning. … Guard your tongue. Be not deceived by two words of seeming affection, and count not such ones among the faithful. The matter of this station is most severe - deem it not light.

By the life of God! My heart is agitated, my soul is aflame, and my tears flow. My sighs ascend and my grief intensifies, and sorrow weighs heavily upon me, out of fear of the consequences of laxity, dread of the punishment of shortcomings, and apprehension of the difficulties that may arise and the dissolution of the precious bond, and the scattering of the radiant pearls.

Erelong will God punish those wicked-doers, both in this world and hereafter for that which they have wrought and will bring dire humiliation upon them in this life and in the next. Verily, God is the Avenger, the Almighty.

His blessed and exalted Word is: "O Ayyub! This is not the day of seclusion. Arise from the horizon of certitude with that which will illumine every darkness, raise up every seated one, quicken every motionless one, cause every mute to hear, every silent one to speak, gladden every sorrowful one, and draw near every heedless one who is far. Beware lest the affairs of the world sadden thee.

Souls who are entirely heedless of and uninformed about the Cause have said that which no idolater has ever said. May God protect us and your honor from the evil of these people. For long periods they have been occupied with collecting verses, tablets and wondrous, exalted books, and their intention is known and evident. Therefore it is not permitted henceforth to give divine writings to such souls.

We have said before: Place not thy trust in every friendship, nor believe every speaker. One must not be assured by every soul, nor should the pearl of divine love be revealed before every soul, for most of the servants are found to be thieves, traitors and infidels.

Beware, beware lest ye step forth from the robe of wisdom. They in whose hearts is doubt have appeared in the garments of faith, and thy Lord beareth witness that they are liars. Believe not every claimant who speaketh as his passion biddeth him.

O Handmaiden of God!

The news of your trouble and difficulty on the way caused Us great sorrows. In truth the trouble was very hard to bear. I hope you may receive a great reward for it. The cause of this trouble and difficulty was that for the love of seeing that unkind person you made great haste to go.

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Among the friends are those who give daily accounts to certain others. This is not new - it existed before and has now emerged again. In any case, discretion is necessary and obligatory. The servant speaks what he heard from the Tongue of Grandeur. Under these circumstances, great caution is most beloved.

Beware lest thou be moved by the intimations of those who outwardly claim to love God and His Cause but inwardly speak that which rendeth the veil of sanctity. … These have made mention of the inward a snare for the servants.

The reward of every deed is treasured in the repositories of immunity, and when the time comes it will be manifested in most beauteous array. Verily thy Lord will fully recompense the sincere among His handmaidens and His sincere servants.

Beware lest ye believe those who claim what God hath not permitted them. By My life, with this Revelation every wise matter hath been concluded. Those who follow every crier are among the heedless.

The deeds of His servants escape not His knowledge, and He suffereth not to be lost the reward of anyone who draweth breath in His love, how much less of one who endureth hardships in His path.

Know thou the value of this exalted station and preserve it in the name of Truth, for thieves and traitors have been and are lying in wait.

Such injustice hath appeared that justice hath lamented, but God will seize whom He willeth through His sovereignty.

But as for Samsam, if he has truly committed such oppression, he must await God's vengeance, for "they who act unjustly shall know what vicissitudes their affairs will experience."

Convey my longing greeting to all the believers of God throughout all the cities of America and announce to them on my behalf that if any person from amongst the Persian believers who may be well-known as to his character, whether man or woman, although he may be my own son or daughter, comes to America and has not a new permission for his going to America written with my own handwriting and singed with my own signature, you must not give him any attention at all.

The friends of God must be very vigilant and show the utmost sagacity and intelligence. As soon as they see someone showing special familiarity, they should know his purpose is division. Anyone who makes new claims and raises objections - whatever the claim may be, if he makes a new claim - know that he has hidden motives and will cause discord.

These matters are of no importance and do not deserve a response. What importance can there be in a matter whose foundation is weaker than a spider's web? One must engage in diffusing the divine fragrances. For several years I labored, hoping they would not leave the Cause, but the more we strived, the more they increased in audacity.

He who searches for any path but this one will fall into a darksome abyss, and every seeker of rank and glory who fails to promote this servitude shall find himself wailing and sighing in the end.

And now as commanded, regarding the fifty tumans that were first transferred, if received, twenty tumans should be delivered in the Land of Kaf to the honored matron, the Mother of the Sacred Precinct, upon her be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and thirty tumans to the beloved Ibn-i-Abhar, upon him be the Glory of God, Master of Power. More will arrive later, God willing.

In these days, fear hath so seized the people of that land that even in the darkness of night they inquire not about the Truth nor speak of Him - how much less in the day, and in the presence of the people. Therefore silence is preferable until such time as God shall open the gates of utterance unto all who dwell within the realm of possibilities.

Say: O people! Take not the calf as your lord besides Me. Fear God, verily We are of them that fear. Beware lest ye join partners with God or ascribe to God any rival, equal or likeness.

Beware lest the possessions prevent thee from the remembrance of thy Lord. Consider thy dwelling place. We desire not that thy reward be lost.

He says, exalted be His glory:

"May he be patient; may he be present; may he hold fast to consultation and act according to what emerges from it. Divine relief will come. Inform the people of the regions who are forbearing and the bearers of the Divine Trust not to feel secure from traitors, thieves and liars. As previously this supreme utterance was revealed from the Most Exalted Pen: 'Do not trust every new arrival, do not believe every speaker, and do not listen to every liar.'

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Make mention of this Wronged One amongst His loved ones. Say: He hath sacrificed Himself in the path of God, your Lord, that He might draw you nigh unto an exalted station of glory. Fear God, O people! Slander Him not, neither commit that which hath been forbidden you in all the Tablets. Thus doth this Prisoner counsel you out of love for your own selves, and God is witness to what He saith.

If you remain steadfast in this matter, you will attain to all good - not like some who claim to love God but, despite the most great prohibition, proceed to the Most Holy Court without His leave.

Go forth but commit not that which would cause sedition. Trust in God--verily He seizeth whom He willest, and He hath power over all things.

Today, whatever verbal attacks come from people, when steadfastness is shown, in a short time it will have the opposite effect. Soon you will observe that these events will become the cause of glory.

However, if any Iranian or Arab comes to those parts and does not have in hand a letter of recommendation with my handwriting and signature, you must not associate with them at all. Perhaps they come to those parts merely to cause harm, enmity, corruption and cast doubts.

If you see an unharmonious movement or hear an unreasonable word, you must look to the root of the Blessed Tree, not its leaves, for the Tree is firm and growing and in the utmost freshness and verdancy, and ere long will bear delicious fruit and cast its shadow upon the horizons.

Consider the past. What were the results of the oppressors' wrongdoings and what were the consequences in the lives of those that suffered and were afflicted at their hands? The impious Yazid and the sinful Walid crawled on their hands and knees to their pit of perdition and His holiness the Prince of Martyrs is still shining from the sublime horizon of eternal glory.

Jenab-i-Aqa Siyyid Asadu'llah: According to what has been heard, some thieves in 'Akka have suspicions such that they might come one night to steal.

O My loved one! Deliver the enclosed letter, but this person is not at all steadfast - say nothing whatsoever in his presence. Makhdum-Zadih told him that we send mail via the Austrian steamer. He disclosed this secret to him, which was absolutely not permitted. These are government people.

Mirza Tiraz is authorized.

If a shrine were built, they would destroy it and it would cause an uproar, just as they destroyed the grave of Mirza Abdul-Husayn Afnan.

That same God will, in the world to come, place upon your head the crown of immortal glory, and will shower upon you His inestimable blessings.

Justice hath in most days been concealed by the transgressions of tyranny. The delay of chastisement hath emboldened the wolves.

After your letter arrived - may God reward you with the most wondrous reward for mentioning Him Who was in the hands of the enemies at all times until He was imprisoned in this prison - and if you inquire about conditions, I swear by the Pre-existent King that they are beyond description. However, this much was known to you, that all which this servant strove for over successive years to exalt the Cause of God was scattered to the winds.

Among the people are those who have hastened and acted, those who have not heard, and those who have heard and turned away. Blessed is he who hath turned towards God, and woe unto the deniers and the heedless ones.

It is not and was not advisable to come to this region and its surroundings, for numerous conflicting rumors have arisen among the people and soon their fruits will become manifest. Blessed are they who are patient and attentive.

The turning of the friends to this direction has not been and is not advisable for the Cause. It has nearly reached the point where it would become the cause and means of universal harm to the very root of the Blessed Tree. God is sufficient witness to this.

Regarding certain servants, whatsoever they desired was granted them, and that very thing became the cause of their being veiled, as ye have witnessed and heard.

Today is a day when the clamor of the objectors has been raised and inflammatory papers are being circulated. Blessed are those souls whom the doubts of the antagonists have not prevented from the Kingdom of utterance, and who with complete steadfastness stand firm in service and speak His praise.

O maidservant of God! Hold fast to the strong cord of steadfastness, for it hath been observed that certain men who counted themselves among the most exalted of servants were, through an ignorant utterance, deprived of the ocean of knowledge and forbidden from the sun of insight.

Regard most of the men of the world as Antichrist, save those souls whom God hath preserved through His loving providence and adorned with the ornament of humanity and justice.

Beware lest the conditions of creation cause thee to slip. Leave them to themselves and place thy trust in Him through Whom feet have slipped.

Shouldst thou find the sweetness of My utterance and the delicacy of My call, thou wouldst lament for what hath befallen Me at the hands of the heedless ones.

Beware lest sorrows keep thee back from thy Lord, the All-Merciful, or imprisonment turn thee away from the direction of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

How many servants for whom We ordained what they desired, yet when they attained it they denied God, the Lord of the worlds! How many drew nigh but achieved not, and how many were kept back yet attained!

God judges not as we judge; He looks at the intentions of the heart. Also His punishment is always to cure, to redeem, to educate, so that we may become radiant sons of God."

As mentioned, some corruption hath appeared from you, and this is unworthy of your station. Most assuredly make amends for this corruption, for today the True One will not be well pleased with you save through redressing what hath gone before. God is witness that grievous injury hath in truth befallen you.

O heedless ones! Though the wonders of My mercy have encompassed all created things, both visible and invisible, and though the revelations of My grace and bounty have permeated every atom of the universe, yet the rod with which I can chastise the wicked is grievous, and the fierceness of Mine anger against them terrible.

Know ye of a certainty that if ye turn not back from that which ye have committed, chastisement will overtake you on every side, and ye shall behold things more grievous than that which ye beheld aforetime.

Say: Woe unto thee, O remote oppressor! Soon shalt thou see the Cause above thy head and thyself in manifest loss. Abandon that which deluded thee and take what hath come from God, that He may forgive thee and remit thy misdeeds, O heedless evil one!

Either thou must present a sound and direct proof for that which thou hast mentioned and establish it, or thou must say a thousand times "I turn unto Thee in repentance, O Most Merciful of the merciful!" And if thou shouldst transgress beyond these two alternatives - that is, if thou shouldst fail to meet either condition - then I must needs execute upon thee the divine punishment.

Say: Seek ye forgiveness for what ye have thought concerning Him Who was among you but as one like yourselves. Though ye traverse the earth, ye shall find none like unto Him - and God is witness to this.

Beware lest the allusions of the divines hold thee back from the Lord of all names. Cast them behind thee and convey the Cause of thy Lord with wisdom and utterance.

We beseech God to protect thee and those who are with thee from the one who hath falsely accused Us and stolen Our Tablets and that which We have revealed. We beseech God to assist her to return and adorn her with the ornament of justice and fairness.

Say: How long will heedlessness persist and folly reign? The human temple befitteth the robe of knowledge, not ignorance. While time remaineth, arise to redress what hath escaped you.

But some of the lineage completely forgot the counsel of their noble forefather and became entirely caught up in the bonds of this world, remaining sightless and deaf.

O handmaiden of God! Although outwardly thou hast not been present at this Threshold, yet I hope that through the bounty and favor of the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting One, thou mayest be counted among those who have attained and numbered among the pilgrims. How many deeds not performed were accepted, and how many deeds carried out were not accepted. He singles out for His mercy whomsoever He willeth.

Children of unbelievers and infidels who die before the age of responsibility are not punished, because they are under the favor of God.

Whosoever tarries today, even for less than a moment, all his deeds are rendered void, unless he returns unto God, the Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.

Beware lest thou spread corruption in the earth after it hath been set in order." If he desisteth and repenteth, verily He is the Mighty, the Forgiving. And if he turneth away from counsel, We beseech God to set over him one who shall curb his mischief.

Beware lest ye turn God's bounty into vengeance against yourselves, and His light into fire. Fear God and be of the penitent.

O servant! Your letter arrived and was seen. This Wronged One seeks forgiveness on your behalf for what you mentioned, for you have asked for that which An-Nadr ibn al-Harith and a group of unbelievers asked of the Messenger of God - may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for Him.

Say: O company of the hateful ones! Rejoice not in what hath befallen the Bird, for God shall turn your joy to grief and your pleasure to sorrow.

How many a servant hath turned away from the Countenance, having followed the vain imaginings of those who disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Erelong shall he bewail his own self and repent of that which he wrought in these fleeting days.

Say: The Sun of Truth hath risen, the Ocean of Utterance is surging - deprive not yourselves. While time remaineth, hold fast unto the cord of return.

But when I behold Thy vengeance upon the idolaters, the pillars of my heart are shaken; the very flesh within my breast is confounded; my skin shuddereth; my eyes and bowels weep; and my inmost being crieth out: "How could I enter the fire? And if I were to endure therein, how could I endure to be parted from the meeting with my Lord?" Nay, by His might! I have no endurance, nor can I bear it.

If Thou wert to make all that Thou hast created and wilt create into a fire wherein naught but Thy fire would be mentioned, and if Thou wert to cause my body to grow, through Thy power, to a size beyond which, by Thy might, there could be no greater, and if Thou wert to cast me alone therein, and prolong for me in every state of being a torment greater than which no knowledge before me can encompass - even then I would deserve this as recompense for my good deeds before Thy face, how much more then for my evil deeds were Thou to exact retribution from me!

Say: O people! Speak not according to your desires. Fear God and follow not those who say that for which God hath given no leave. Speak with truth, for verily He is of all things All-Knowing and All-Witnessing.

Say: O people, do ye imagine that, after rejecting the One through Whom the religions of the world have been made manifest, ye still bear allegiance to the Faith of God? By the righteousness of God! Ye are accounted among the inmates of the Fire. Thus hath the decree been recorded in the Tablets by the Pen of God.

Therefore, 'Abdu'l-Baha announces that no one should give ear to any nonsense or fall into doubt or suspicion. The sacred likeness of the blessed body that became the target of bullets in Tabriz has been completely established in the holy station on Mount Carmel.

O my God and my Master! Thou knowest how they have disgraced Thy Cause and dishonored Thee among Thy creatures, how they have joined Thine enemies, that they may undermine Thy Revelation and injure Thee. Lay hold on them with the power of Thy wrath and might, O my God, and expose their shameful acts and their wickedness, that whatever is hid in their breasts may be revealed unto the people that dwell within Thy land, O Thou Who art the Inflictor of trials, the Fashioner of nations, and the Bestower of favors!

Thou dost recompense every soul for what it hath earned, and there remaineth not hidden from Thee that which the hands of men have acquired - neither from those whom Thou hast created from the Tree of Affirmation and hast exalted their mention through what Thou hast revealed regarding them until the Day of Reckoning, nor from the Tree of Negation which Thou hast caused to perish in its shade with true annihilation, whereof Thou didst reveal aforetime in the Mother Book: "It is like an evil tree, uprooted from above the earth, having no stability."

Blessed is he who hath recognized Him and known Him Who was promised in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Praised. And woe unto him who hath turned away from Him unto Whom the faces of the Concourse on High have turned, and at Whom every rejected misbeliever is thunderstruck.

Punishment be upon whoever wronged you, and hell-fire for whoever forsook you, and the blaze for whoever issued the decree for your death, and crushing torment for whoever betrayed you, and the abyss for whoever shed your blood with impunity, and paradise for whoever loved you, and heaven for whoever served you, and eternity for whoever visits you.

Paradise itself doth beseech God, its Lord, to grant it leave that they who praise God their Lord might enter therein - they who believe in thee and in those who are martyrs after thee. And verily the fire shall consume those who believe not in thee and thy signs, more swiftly than any can comprehend, since they believed neither in thee nor in thy station with God thy Lord.

Seeking nearness to the wealthy and the affluent, she turned away from her brother. She sent to the house of the enemy one who was related to the Friend. Beseech God that He may sanctify all from excessive love of the world.

Thou causest to enter whom Thou willest into Thy love and good-pleasure, which is the highest of Thy gardens and Thy paradise, and Thou withholdest from whom Thou willest the recognition of Thy Proof and His good-pleasure. That is the fire which Thou hast promised to the sinful among Thy servants.

Whoso believeth in Thee and in Thy signs achieveth deliverance, while whoso remaineth veiled harmeth none but himself.

He who was powerless to speak before His face hath uttered that which was not uttered by the Lord of the Stakes. Say: If thou dost object to God in this Revelation, by what proof canst thou establish that whereon thou dost rely, O heedless and doubting one?

I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great, Most Impregnable, Most Holy, Most Mighty, Most Glorious Name to ordain for whosoever hath turned unto Thee and carried out what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book the reward of every steadfast one whom neither the tyranny of the servants nor the clamor of the lands hath deterred.

and the faces of those who turned away from the Most Glorious Horizon were darkened... woe unto the heedless

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Ye may contend: 'How doth He speak on My behalf?' Have ye not perused the unseemly words ye uttered in the past, as reflected in the text of My Book, and still ye feel not ashamed?

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Blessed is he who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, who hath humbled himself before Thy sovereignty, who hath been honored with meeting Thee, who hath attained the good pleasure of Thy will, who hath circled round Thee, and who hath presented himself before Thy Throne. Woe betide him who hath wronged Thee, and denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and gainsaid Thy sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy testimonies, and fled from Thy rule and Thy dominion, and been numbered with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the fingers of Thy command upon Thy holy Tablets.

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