Guarding the Covenant: separation and restraint

O ye beloved ones, guard the Cause of God! Let no sweetness of tongue beguile you -- nay, rather consider the motive of every soul, and ponder the thought he cherisheth. Be ye straightway mindful and on your guard. Avoid him, yet be not aggressive! Refrain from censure and from slander, and leave him in the Hand of God.

Verily, enjoin upon the loved ones of God to refrain from molesting that deluded person. A stern prohibition! In truth I say: if any soul molests him, he was not and is not reckoned as being of the Truth - and God suffices as a witness.

The intention of moderation is that you should not engage in conflict and disputation, but also do not associate with them. Leave them to themselves.

Such incidents will inevitably occur occasionally, but the friends should leave such persons to themselves - neither follow them nor expose them, and deal with them in the most excellent manner.

You must greatly advise and counsel the friends lest anyone confront these people. The Arab poet said: "If I were to throw a stone at every barking dog, stones would become worth a dinar." Leave them in their vain pursuits.

Be not agitated by the clamour of the Yahya'is and others. These affairs are like unto the foam upon the sea: they come and they pass away. As for the Yahya'is, it is in no wise suitable that they should be present in your gatherings, for their sole aim is to cast doubts. Behave, then, with such tact and wisdom that they themselves will refrain from coming.

Have nothing to do with Mrs. Kirchner. Do not admit her to your meetings. Leave her to herself. In case you find some doubtful soul, investigate and find out what is the matter. Investigate with Mrs. True and Bagdadi. If after inquiry you find they still feel the same, do not permit them to come. Leave her (Mrs. Kirchner) to herself. Have nothing to do with her.

Therefore, the company of these people should be shunned and none should associate with them, unless they repent unto God. My Lord is verily the Compassionate, the Forgiving. Such repentance, however, must be sincere and not merely in words.

However, from those souls who cast doubts and seek to breach God's impregnable fortress, who wish to uproot the foundation of God's religion from its base, who distort the Book, and who break God's Covenant and Testament - from such souls one must absolutely keep distant and avoid, for the foul odor of Covenant-breaking is so putrid that even if it does not have an intense effect, it will inevitably distress the nostrils and cause weakness, laxity and feebleness.

And so from the very beginning any such deviation must be prevented.

Of course, anyone who wants to gain a following and create division among the friends will at first resort to one of the divine verses and make himself appear to be sincere and deeply attached to the Faith. Words of humility and sacrifice flow from his tongue so that he may deceive the simple and the naive.

Make every effort to protect them, for the people of doubts have arisen with various means - sometimes showing themselves as oppressed, sometimes uttering words of unity, sometimes praising the Intended One, sometimes claiming firmness and steadfastness by pen and tongue, so that through various deceptions they may cause wavering in the hearts of the steadfast ones.

Therefore the honored Afnans of the Blessed Tree must always be alert and vigilant that this faction does not create damage through their calumnies, doubts and insinuations.

Preserve the people from the whisperings of those who have seized upon vain imaginings and cast behind their backs what was revealed in My Preserved Tablet.

Say: O loved ones of God! Shun ye those who claim faith and attribute themselves to God while committing that which causeth all things to lament and the limbs of all names to tremble.

Should anyone come to you secretly and call you to waver in the Covenant and Testament, be not shaken; know that such a one is an evil person and among the companions of Satan. You must surely avoid him. Whosoever calls you to the divine Covenant is among the companions of the All-Merciful, and whosoever wavers is an enemy of the Blessed Beauty.

You must surely avoid these hate-filled souls who strive to destroy the edifice of the Abha Beauty and break the Covenant of that Peerless Beloved, even if they possess papers from 'Abdu'l-Baha in their hands. For the Covenant-breakers have a strong foul odor - avoid them as soon as you detect it.

There are letters preserved with the handwriting of Keirullah in which he clearly writes: 'I testify that thou art the Christ, the son of God;' but I did not accept this from him and wrote back that I am Abdul Baha. Now on account of some interest he is following the Nakezeens, but this interest will not remain, it will disappear. This century will pass and in the next century there will remain not one Nakez.

The Blessed Beauty, in all His Tablets and Epistles, forbade the sincere and steadfast loved ones from consorting and associating with the violators of the Covenant of the Bab, enjoining that no soul should draw nigh unto them; for their breath is even as the venom of the serpent, which instantly destroyeth. Among other utterances, He saith in the Hidden Words: "Treasure the companionship of the righteous and withdraw both heart and hand from fellowship with the wicked."

The intention of Baha'u'llah's exhortation is not to associate with a Covenant-breaker or those who curse the Blessed Beauty, or the likes of Haji Muhammad-Karim Khan who wrote in refutation of His Holiness the Exalted One. The intention is to consort with such people that are not antagonistic, or two-faced, or conniving, or hypocritical.

It is necessary for the believing souls to associate with the righteous that thus they might inhale Holy Breaths. When He (Baha'u'llah) says, associate with all religions with joy and fragrance, by this is meant the human kind and not the wicked.

First, shun those in whom thou perceivest the stench of malice and hypocrisy, and sit not with them in any gathering. This is God's command unto thee and unto those who ascend unto the heights of the spirit. Thou hast sat with them on several occasions - and We know this from the knowledge which God hath taught Me - therefore We forbid thee and those who would soar unto the heaven of nearness.

Whosoever from whom they detect the fragrance of hatred, they must leave to himself and place their trust in God, exalted be His glory.

Thou must separate thyself from them and desire not their friendship. Seek for thyself, under the protection of thy Lord, a shelter fortified. Do not consort with those who have disbelieved and denied what they had accepted. Woe to the one who once believed and then rejected.

O My servants! Should any one of you hear that his brother or sister hath turned away from God, it behooveth him to turn away from that one and to turn towards the Beloved of the sincere ones.

Cleanse thou yourself from the love of these people, turn not thy face to them and befriend them not even for less than an instant. Avoid the likes of them and cling to the mercy of God and His generosity.

Guard it from the manifestations of Satan who bid people to deny Him Who created them by His command, and who have taken for themselves a partner with God. Shun such as these, neither sit with them nor associate with them.

Beware lest thou turn unto those in whose hearts thou findest hatred for the Youth, neither associate nor commune with them. Then turn away from such as these and draw nigh unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

Beware lest thou sit with Mine enemies. Flee from them and shun them. Then take for thyself a station beneath the shadow of thy Lord's protection, which God hath purified from the doubts of time.

Beware lest thou deal in a friendly manner with the enemies of God or associate with any of them. Thus doth it beseem Our steadfast loved ones who have remained firm in their love for God and have shunned every remote idolater.

Say: O My loved ones and My chosen ones! Hearken unto the call of this Prisoner Who is confined in this Most Great Prison. Should you find anyone who showeth the least sign of aversion, turn away from him and eschew his fellowship. This is what We have enjoined upon you in all the Tablets, and to this do all things bear witness, both from the unseen realm and from the visible world, and beyond them the Beauty of matchless glory.

Remember Him at all times, turning away from those who have turned away from His extended path.

Never can the cooing of the Dove be mistaken for the croaking of the raven of hatred, nor can the melodies of the birds of holiness be confused with the cries of crows and magpies. The screech of the falcon soaring in the heights of glory can never resemble the screeching and moaning of the owls of oppression. The glorification and praise of the Supreme Concourse can never accord with the ranting of the rabble in the lowest depths.

Neither let thyself be consumed by the fire of their souls, nor sit with them, nor draw nigh unto them, for their likeness is as the likeness of the serpent – should anyone draw nigh unto it, it would instantly bite him. Guard thyself against these and their like. Nay, indeed! Were We to find thee possessed of the power within thyself, We would assuredly enjoin upon thee that thou pass not through their markets, nor enter the city wherein dwelleth any one of them; for by the breath of their own selves is the very air of every exalted land corrupted.

Doctor Fareed, his mother and relatives intend to make a journey to those parts. These people are violators of the Covenant and in the utmost rebellion. Beware! Beware! Lest anyone associate with them. Association with them is poison. Warn all the friends.

These doubts of the Covenant-breakers are like the foam of the sea, and the sea cannot be without foam. The sea of the Covenant will surge once and cast out the dead bodies to the shore, for the sea does not accept dead bodies. … In brief, this foam of the sea has no permanence and will soon vanish and disappear, while the sea of the Covenant will surge eternally and remain in turmoil and upheaval.

One must associate with souls who are firm in the Covenant and befriend the righteous, for evil companions cause evil qualities to spread, like leprosy - it is impossible for one to associate with a leper and not contract leprosy. This is for protection and preservation.

He who sits with leper catches leprosy. He who is with Christ shuns Pharisees and abhors Judas Iscariots. Certainly shun violators. Inform Goodall, True and Parsons telegraphically.

Therefore, as much as you can, protect the souls and banish the sick tubercular one. There is no other remedy. According to explicit verses, one must avoid the wicked.

In any case, you must exercise the utmost care lest the utterances or publications of these veiled ones influence the weak ones, or cloud the pure hearts of the simple ones, or their cold breath make the thoughtless ones grow cold. For doubts at all times act as a deadly poison which makes a healthy body sick or even destroys it. Therefore you must, holding fast to the Covenant like a kind physician, prevent this swift poison and treat this chronic and severe illness.

We called it a secure city so that it might remain protected and safeguarded from the arrows of doubt of the Covenant-breakers.

… Therefore, we beseech God to preserve and protect the nostrils of holy souls from this foul odor, which is like a deadly poison.

Be thou steadfast in the love of thy Lord, then detach thyself from the idolaters. And shouldst thou see the Satan from whom thou perceivest the stench of misbelief, shun him and be under mighty protection. He appears in human form and speaks of what was revealed in the Bayan, that he might cause confusion among Our weak servants.

Should a cawing one come unto thee, shun him and put thy trust in God, the Lord of Lords.

Guard this station through the Name of the Lord of Names, for the cawing ones have been and are lying in ambush.

Would that someone were aware of his recent deeds that appeared in Cyprus. This servant is ashamed to mention them.

Now consider: what do the deluded souls who dwell in those lands, who never had any awareness of this Cause, do and say? God willing, through the power and might of the assured souls, the stronghold of the Cause has been and will be protected from the wickedness of malicious deluded souls.

As to the matter of our ill-wishers amongst the Yahya'is [i.e. the Azalis], who accuse the Friends [i.e. the Baha'is] of sympathy with the Court [or Government, Dawlat], it is certain that the truth of the case will become plain and evident, and you should peruse the letters sent by this post to Mirza 'Abdu'llah Sahib-furush.

The divine friends must absolutely, absolutely avoid any association with him. Previously a letter was written and a telegram sent stating that if any Iranian person, whether believer or non-believer, comes to America without having a document bearing my seal and signature, the divine friends should know with certainty that he is from the friends of Satan and must completely avoid associating with him.

Be very mindful of this. Do not allow these souls into your gatherings and meetings. Associate only with one who has in hand a letter of permission with the writing and signature of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Otherwise avoid them and make excuses. No individual among you is permitted to associate with them, for spiritual diseases are like physical diseases - like plague and cholera and cancer they are contagious.

Therefore He cabled and wrote to America, even to you, that if any Persian, whether stranger or acquaintance, should come to America without bearing in his hand a permit written and signed by Me, beware, beware of drawing nigh unto him. Not only must you not draw nigh to such a person, but do not even look at him.

The friends in San Francisco are exceedingly firm. They do not receive violators in their homes. Recently a violator went to that city. The Baha'i friends turned him away, saying, "You are not with us; why do you try to come among us?"

Do not allow these souls near you, avoid them completely. Until you are certain someone is completely detached from these corrupt ones, do not converse with them at all, for those parties are ill-intentioned and utterly corrupt, and prejudiced and unfair people.

And whoever directs you to associate with them under any pretext, absolutely do not accept it, even if they praise them highly. And write this matter to each of the cities of America one by one, so they can announce it among the friends.

And when you observe that they make mention of Azal, at that time announce to all the friends that no one should go near them. These souls are very deceitful and full of tricks.

You must strive night and day to strengthen hearts, and if you detect even the slightest whiff of wavering from any passerby, you must prevent the friends from associating with them.

Most certainly, one hundred times certainly, if you detect the slightest whiff of that word which I am ashamed to mention and from which I seek refuge in God, you must completely avoid that person. The Blessed Beauty is disgusted with such a person, the Exalted One stands apart, and such a one is a bloodthirsty enemy to 'Abdu'l-Baha. Inform all the friends so they may be on their guard.

As I have utmost love for believers I awaken them. Doctor Fareed with his mother and his relations are violators of Covenant and enemies of Cause. Avoid meeting them most scrupulously. Any association with them is totally forbidden.

ASSOCIATION WITH THEM TOTALLY FORBIDDEN. INFORM BELIEVERS.

Hold aloof from Taki Zade, Baba Aga, Assad'o'llah, and whomsoever associates with them.

As I have utmost love for you I awaken you Doctor Fareed with his mother and his relations are violators of Covenant and enemies of Cause. Avoid meeting them most scrupulously. Association with them is totally forbidden.

On your return to America speak with some of the firm Baha'is about the violators. Azalis may come to America such as Taqi Zadih. In the beginning they will profess to be Baha'is and when they have established themselves in your confidence they will then begin to scatter the seeds of doubt and violation.

Mirza Asadu'llah went to London to counsel his son and wife and bring them to repentance, but it is clear that he joined them. His purpose too is to cast doubts. And regarding Sprague, it is as thou hast written - through subtle means she casts doubts, but in the end she will regret it.

He spoke of Farid and said, "Never argue with anyone," and then added:

If a Judas-like person should sell Christ and seek to destroy the very foundation of the Cause, is it meet that we should aid him? Or if a thief should desire to break into a house, should we assist him? Judas sold Christ for thirty pieces of silver; Dr. Farid sold us for four or five dollars. This foundation hath been reared through the blood of holy souls.

The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.

With those who are against the Centre of the Covenant you must not associate at all. When you find that a soul has turned away from the Covenant you must cut yourself off completely from him. You will know these people. You will see it in their faces. You will see a dimness on the faces, like the letting down of a veil.

With this consideration those responses were recorded but not published. Now it is observed that this has become cause for their audacity. We are perplexed as to what course to take. In any case, the Glad Tidings treatise has now been published and thou hast sent it abroad. The person in question has written a rebuttal. Publish also the response to his rebuttal, that they might become mindful, though this is difficult, for understanding, recognition and feeling have vanished from this group, and they have become the manifestation of "What aileth these people that they fail to understand a single word?"

In any case wisdom is very necessary. Such persons should never be mentioned to anyone.

Leave them in their stupefaction, bewildered.

And thou, O thou who art enkindled with the fire ignited in the heart of the world, leave aside the nations and the doubts of the weak ones in knowledge and judgment - the dull-witted, foolish, ignorant ones - regarding the power of the Covenant of the Ancient Beauty.

Otherwise the matter will become so confused that those very birds of night that have been stirred to action will become nonexistent and rejected, for even the life of bats depends on the grace of the sun's heat.

I declare by the Educator of the visible and invisible, it will evidently be witnessed that the descendants of the violators will think their descent as a disgrace and will disown their fathers and forefathers, just as Akrama, the son of Abudjahl, kept clear of his father, and Kaled, the son of Valid, left his father.

Ahmad came and brought them all in. never associate with Mrs. Kirchner. Never speak a word to Mrs. Kirchner. When I was in Chicago she begged My pardon. I accepted her. At that very moment I realized she was lying. I made her understand that her repentance was not sincere. But using that pardon as a pretext she came and sewed seeds of intrigue.

Day and night engage in thanksgiving to the Forgiving Lord that you have taken up residence in this flourishing house and have become entirely detached from and averse to that buried foundation.

I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, through which the limbs of the idolaters trembled and the hearts of the deceivers were agitated - they who turned away from Thee and violated Thy Covenant and Testament, and followed their own desires in Thy days.