Covenant-breaking and Covenant-breakers

They that have violated the Covenant of God by breaking His commandments, and have turned back on their heels, these have erred grievously in the sight of God, the All-Possessing, the Most High.

Blessed art thou O Vafa, inasmuch as thou hast been faithful to the Covenant of God and His Testament at a time when all men have violated it and have repudiated the One in Whom they had believed, and this notwithstanding that He hath appeared invested with every testimony, and hath dawned from the horizon of Revelation clothed with undoubted sovereignty.

… Beware, beware lest thou behave like unto the people of the Bayan. For indeed they erred grievously, misguided the people, ignored the Covenant of God and His Testament and joined partners with Him, the One, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing.

Strange it is that they have not attained to a single letter of the Bayan and have not reflected upon the countless emphatic statements that have flowed from the Supreme Pen. By My life! Were they to reflect, they would understand. He says that if someone should appear with a single verse, ye shall never deny him, and if someone should make a claim without proof, ye shall not oppose him.

Do not mistake a mirage for water, and do not count imagination as knowledge. Distinguish cooing from warbling, and know a flower from clay. Do not sacrifice the explicit text for sensory conjecture. Do not change that which is specifically designated through doubts and allusions.

But certain restive souls---who were at first firm in the Covenant and even wrote epistles, which are still extant, attesting to their firmness and their separation from the violators, and referring to the latter as outcasts from the Threshold of the Almighty---have now, because of personal interests, deviated from the Covenant and followed the people of malice. So it was with Judas Iscariot, who took part in shedding the blood of Christ for the sake of a few pieces of silver.

Now, instead of all being united and in accord, clinging to the cord of unity and holding fast to the bond of concord, and rising up together in faithfulness to the bounties of the Blessed Beauty and the Most Great Name to establish the unity of all who dwell on earth, from certain corners, secretly and covertly, with utmost caution, unwholesome odors waft that would cause great discord in the Cause itself.

Today the wavering ones have attacked like locusts and pounced like predators and loosened their reins and raised their spears and cried out in woe and descended like a flood to scatter the unity of the loved ones and shake the feet of the weak ones and disturb the ignorant.

But My ignorant loved ones took him as a partner with My Self, and they wrought corruption in the lands and were among the corruptors. Observe how ignorant the people are! Even souls who were in the presence, despite this, have gone and spread such words.

Notwithstanding such clear, comprehensive, and explicit statements, certain individuals have begun to utter their own interpretations and have misconstrued the meanings after their own selfish passions and desires. They have defiled those perspicuous truths with vain and feeble imaginings and made His explicit command subject to unseemly conditions. What ignorance is this and what folly! What waywardness and what foolishness! They shut their eyes to the manifest Light and cling to the creeping things of the earth.

In any case, these Covenant-breakers and all opposition are like the foam of the sea - they have no permanence and will vanish, while the sea, which is the source of life, remains established.

Despite this, a few foolish ones are trying through various tricks and deceptions to create a breach and cause division and utterly destroy the divine edifice. But vain is that which they imagine.

This covenant was taken so that they would be faithful to Abdul-Baha, not that they would scratch at the blessed throat, meaning the blessed Cause. But they completely closed their eyes to justice and engaged in the utmost cruelty and oppression.

The hosts of doubts are souls who, contrary to the explicit text of the Most Holy Book and the Book of the divine Covenant and Testament, utter a word from their tongues.

As for the Tablet of Mallahu'l-Quds, which He says must be read by each of the friends - if that blessed Tablet is read fairly, all that issued from Mirza Yahya in breaking the Covenant of the Exalted One, and all that later issued from the unfaithful, is clear and evident, for He says that from what We have written before, they may understand that which has appeared or will appear later....

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And the people of the eternal realm and the Supreme Concourse are those souls who are firm in the Covenant, while all others who follow self and desire are wavering.

Another meaning of the accursed tree mentioned in the Quran is that it has a manifestation in every dispensation. In the Bayan it was the first one who showed pride, in the dispensation of the Blessed Beauty it was the first one who turned away, and in these days it is the first one who violated the Covenant....

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They who have cast the command of God behind their backs are they who have violated the Covenant.

Whoso fulfilleth God's covenant, verily he is of the people of Baha, and he who breaketh it hath this day no protector before Us.

O how strange! Despite these divine texts being universally accepted without the slightest doubt by any soul, even among other peoples in diverse lands, still some hypocrites, seeking to sow discord in God's religion and craving worldly life, after believing, denied; after submitting, grew proud; after acknowledging, rejected; and after giving thanks, doubted. Thus they wandered in the wilderness of loss and strayed in the desert of humiliation.

Indeed, today the most potent command in the Abha Kingdom is firmness and steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament of God, for the ark of the Covenant will be encompassed by storms from all directions. The leaves of doubt and interpretations of ambiguous verses that were secretly spread will be openly distributed. "But as for those in whose hearts is perversity, they follow the ambiguous verses thereof." Glory be to God!

O faithful servant of the Beauty of God! Today the measure of truthfulness is steadfastness in the Covenant of the All-Merciful, for a hundred thousand beliefs and certitudes without firmness in God's Covenant and Testament are not worth a barleycorn, since faith and assurance are contingent upon steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament, and without it they cannot be realized.

O loved ones of God! By God the True One, the purpose of the covenant-breakers in publishing fabricated papers and spreading base rumors is to cause the Center of the Covenant to be completely forgotten and to make themselves appear important in the eyes of the ignorant.

Thus it is seen that no means for dissension hath been left, but carnal desires are the cause of difference as it is the case with the violators. These do not doubt the validity of the Covenant but selfish motives have dragged them to this condition. It is not that they do not know what they do---they are perfectly aware and still they exhibit opposition.

They say that after the Blessed Beauty, may my spirit be sacrificed for His loved ones, before the thousand years specified in the Book, it is possible for a soul - God forbid - to become a partner in His grandeur and majesty and appear with a more wondrous beauty. God forbid! This is a mighty calumny, let alone something greater than that.

Turn with thy heart to the Qiblih of all who are in the heavens and earth and address those who have disbelieved among the people of the Bayan, saying: O people! Have ye disbelieved in your All-Merciful Lord after He announced to you His advent - He Who came with the truth with manifest sovereignty?

Among the insinuations of the people of doubts is that they say to someone that one must return to the verses, meaning to exercise individual interpretation, implying that everyone is independent and can deduce whatever they wish, that is, there is no need for an Interpreter. Consider how much such words cause the Cause of God to be wasted and how much they will cause discord. Despite the existence of the divine Book of the Covenant with a designated and explicitly appointed Interpreter, yet what words are being insinuated.

For every thoughtless and forgetful one hath fallen to casting doubts and spreading ambiguities. One hath made the Most Great Infallibility a pretext and girded up his loins to belittle the station of the Center of the Covenant. Another hath raised the banner of emphasizing unity and pronounced the believers in unity to be infidels, intimating by hints and allusions that this servant is the chief of misbelievers. Another, like the second Caliph, hath declared "The Book of God sufficeth us" and proclaimed no need for an Interpreter, calling like one of old to the Book alone.

Now the appointed Center is abandoned and the specific reference point is forsaken and overthrown. The defeated parties are prancing about and doubts born of personal interpretation have overcome the heart of every coward, and a thousand calumnies are on their tongues.

One says the Blessed Beauty has made all independent, meaning there is no need for the Center of the Covenant.

… None besides the Interpreter knows the divine purpose, otherwise there would be no need for a Covenant and Testament, and He would not have commanded in the Most Holy Book to turn to the Interpreter.

For according to the decisive, explicit divine texts which absolutely accept no interpretation and are established and certain, any soul who entertains desires and imagines some station for themselves will in the end regret it. The Manifestation of God's appearance is impossible and inadmissible for a thousand years, and this is from the decisive divine texts. Despite this, how can any soul entertain desires and catch the scent of station?

Either one must say the Blessed Beauty was mistaken and did not know if this person was worthy of this station, or one must obey.

In brief, either one must say the Blessed Beauty was false or He was true - there is no third option.

One will say "The Book of God is sufficient for us," another will engage in interpreting the clear verses and promoting the ambiguous ones, and with an icy disposition will extinguish the kindled fire in the hearts of the friends and forget the mighty Covenants of the Day of "Am I not?"

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.

This freely chosen Faith and Covenant hath caused a great commotion throughout all regions and hath shaken the very foundations of the Covenant-breakers.

Say: Did We not take from you a covenant in the atoms of the Furqan, and before it in the Gospel, and before it in the Torah, and in the atoms of the Bayan, that ye should not change the favor of God nor oppose His verses nor wax proud against them, if ye be of those who know? Yet ye broke your covenant and cast the testament of God behind your backs, and were of those who believed and then disbelieved, and were a most evil and lost people.

It is clear and evident that every mighty cause in existence must face intense opposition, and every sturdy ship must encounter massive waves. Similarly, such a Covenant will find violators of utmost strength, and such an ancient Testament will face opponents of greatest power. The vaster the ocean, the mightier its tempests; the firmer the edifice, the more exposed it is to the force of hurricanes.

Despite this, a few who were nurtured in the cradle have endeavored to break this Covenant, and some children have arisen to overthrow the edifice of the Testament. Alas! Alas! How small is their station and how great their pride!

In brief, they utter words of unity while each considers himself a partner and associate with the Truth. In the blessed days they whispered claims of divinity and heard in response: "Be thou cast out! Verily, thou art accursed!"

O you who hold fast to the sure handle! If you knew with what glance of favor you are regarded and with what bounties you are specially endowed, you would surely grow wings and soar, becoming intimate with the angel of grace.

It is five o'clock at night, and this servant is dwelling at the place of Khidr which is located on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, occupied and delighted with your remembrance, and engaged in writing these lines.

Through the power and might of the Covenant and Testament, gird up the loins of endeavor so that you may make firm and steadfast those who waver and doubt, and become a deterrent to those who harbor suspicions and intimations. For the winds of tests and trials are at their fiercest intensity, and the mind is bewildered how, despite this divine Covenant and Testament which is mentioned in all tablets and scriptures and explicitly recorded by the Supreme Pen, the doors of interpretation are opened and several thoughtless ones are busy undermining and weakening it. One says we must refer to the tablets and writings, while violating the explicit text, his intention in saying this not being to honor the Book of God but rather his corrupt purpose being that there is no need for the appointed Interpreter. Another says that the Blessed Beauty made all independent, meaning there is no need for the Center of the Cause. Another says that infallibility was exclusively for the Blessed Beauty, meaning the Center of the Cause can err and make mistakes. Another says they have exaggerated, meaning that firm adherence is not necessary. In brief, there are many such doubts and intimations, and they will soon reach that region as well.

The Tablet of the Year of Stress is sufficient and a means of guidance for people of insight, so that they may not falter in any matter regarding the Covenant and Testament, and like a foundation of steel may remain firm and steadfast.

Soon the hand of divine power will create souls who will become signs of guidance and standard-bearers of firmness and steadfastness in God's Covenant and Testament, and deterrents to those whose faith wavers. Through the grace and favor of the Blessed Beauty, may my spirit be sacrificed for His loved ones, I hope that you will be one of those souls.

And greetings be upon you and upon all who are firm in God's Covenant.

'Abdu'l-Baha 'Abbas

What you sent arrived.

Were it not for the protecting power of the Covenant to guard the impregnable fort of the Cause of GOD there would arise among the Bahais, in a day, a thousand different sects as was the case in former ages, but in this Blessed Dispensation, for the sake of the permanency of the Cause of GOD and the avoidance of dissension amongst the people of GOD, the Blessed Beauty (May my soul be a sacrifice to HIM), has through the Supreme Pen written the Covenant and Testament; He appointed a Center, the Exponent of the Book and the Annuller of disputes.

Now, God forbid, certain immature ones wish through various schemes, subtle tricks, allusions, traditions and metaphors to weaken this mighty structure and elevated refuge, unaware that God raises up certain souls from among His firm and steadfast servants who arrive like Gabriel and, like shooting stars, repel doubts and drive away the jinn of intimations.

Despite this, those who by their own pen and seal, in crude terms, fired the shot of lordship and called themselves the Most Great Sun of God, saying "all suns compared to him are smaller than the smallest" - the Blessed Beauty struck at the root of such claims, explicitly stating that should one deviate a hair's breadth from the shadow of the Cause, they would become utter nothingness.

And when the Most Great Luminary set from the horizon of the world, the time of doubts arrived and the dominion of ambiguous verses appeared. The appointed Center was forgotten and independent judgment and derivation arose. One, like the second Caliph, said "The Book of God is sufficient for us." Another, like the son of Hind, began to weep and lament and cry out "Alas for he of the two lights! Woe unto him who equipped the army of difficulty!" Another cried "Alas for the Law! Alas for the Religion!"

Since you asked and implored, I am compelled to write: Today there are souls who say "The Book of God suffices us," while the appointed Interpreter is abandoned and forgotten, even though his interpretation is like an impregnable fortress.

Now certain neophytes have conceived the notion of displacing this divine Star of the Covenant from the pole of the Center of the Covenant, and on the pretext of the term "Most Great Infallibility" would attribute the possibility of error to the appointed Interpreter, thereby insulting the Blessed Beauty by suggesting that He established as the Center of His Covenant one capable of error and made him the interpreter of all His Tablets and Scriptures.

The specifically designated Center of Authority was established, the clear and manifest Interpreter of verses was made known, the Remover of differences was mentioned, and the medicine and remedy were entrusted to the designated skilled Physician. Now the foolish ones have abandoned the designated, acknowledged Physician and followed certain charlatans. Soon you shall see them in manifest loss.

You had written concerning the tree and the branch and the leaves, and that as long as the branch is attached to the tree it remains fresh, but when severed from the tree it has neither station nor rank. This is a most apt simile.

Yet when the Promise was fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, He was denied by the peoples of the earth and behind them the people of the Bayan who violated the Covenant even as the followers of past religions had violated it before them.

O My kinsmen and sons of My brothers! Fear God and dispute not about My verses and My Branches. This is what We counseled you before and in this perspicuous Tablet.

If they sense any heaviness or hint of violation from someone, they should offer counsel if possible, but with utmost kindness, humility and submissiveness. If it is not accepted, they should avoid that person.

Can we preserve the Cause of God and raise up a bulwark for its protection by aught save the safeguarding of the divine Covenant and Testament? But ye say that each one is steadfast. Perchance this steadfastness may be like the steadfastness of the Christians in the Covenant of Christ, or like the firmness of the Muslims in the Covenant of the Messenger, or like the steadfastness of the people of the Bayan in the Covenant of the Primal Point. Do any of them say, "We are breakers of the Covenant"? The purpose of this similitude is that steadfastness is not established by words. It is not intended thereby that those who are wavering are like the people of the Bayan---God forbid!

Avoidance is of two kinds; one is in view of guarding the cause of GOD; and this must be conducted with joy and fragrance, and not with hostility or violence. The other kind is avoidance with hostility (or asperity): this kind is not acceptable (or approvable).

The Covenant-breakers should be left to the Blessed Beauty. The friends should be made aware, doubts should be dispelled, conclusive divine proofs should be established, and strong heavenly evidence should be presented with a gentle tongue.

O dear son! Do not deal and behave with harshness and severity toward the Covenant-breakers of America, but rather conduct yourself with moderation.

Question: If one of the followers of the Calf, meaning one of the friends of him who turned away from God, should utter unseemly words about the Branches, and it be possible to bring him to justice in such a way that no harm would come to the Divine Cause - is this permitted or not?

Regarding the matter of Aqa Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, wherein Nabil ruled that Hadrat-i-Kalim had said such and such - would that thou hadst been present before the Throne of Revelation and heard the words of God, the Self-Subsisting, addressing the aforementioned Nabil. Among other things He said: "Thou hast made Kalim My partner. By God, the Self-Subsisting! If anyone were to slay one of the Branches, I would not consent to his execution. Thou hast set aside all these divine utterances and accepted the word of Kalim."

These whisperings of the party of lethargy will be completely erased from the world of existence. God says in the Qur'an: "As for the foam, it passes away as scum upon the banks, while that which is of benefit to mankind remains on the earth."

They violated God's Covenant and rent asunder the sanctity of the Cause, yet since it occurred through the heedlessness of ignorance, God hath pardoned them and adorned them with the robe of His gracious forgiveness.

Pray thou for that person, that perchance he may awaken, become mindful, and free himself from the Covenant-breakers. It is incumbent upon us to pray, and God confirmeth whomsoever He willeth in whatsoever He willeth.

The faithless, however, by day and night, openly and privily do their utmost to shake the foundations of the Cause, to root out the Blessed Tree, to deprive this servant of service, to kindle secret sedition and strife and to annihilate Abdu'l-Baha. Outwardly they appear as sheep, yet inwardly they are naught but ravening wolves. Sweet in words, they are but at heart a deadly poison.

Sixth is showing kindness to the negligent ones and employing all means to bring those souls back to the Covenant of the All-Merciful.

And now consider: What fruit can this wavering and vacillation bear for the people of negligence? Will they be plunged in the ocean of divine mercy in the realm above? Will their affairs be made to thrive in this world below? Nay, by God! Every wavering soul will be entombed in the depths of eternal abasement.

The followers of the Bayan have risen up against Me with a cruelty unparalleled in the world. Had they but observed with the eye of equity and turned unto that which God hath desired, the fragrance of the divine Robe would have embraced them all. By Him Who hath caused Me to speak the truth, they are seen to be so bereft of justice and heedless that naught above it can be imagined.

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.

And certain people who have not attained to the ultimate purpose in these divine days and have not drunk the choice wine of inner meanings from the cup of utterance become doubtful due to the deeds of the heedless and actions of the pretenders. Thus it was observed that some souls who had ascended to the heaven of faith remained veiled from the horizon of sublime oneness due to the words and deeds of false ones, despite having heard for years this verse:

"Should all created things become unbelievers, No speck of dust would settle on the hem of His grandeur."

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O ye blessed souls! Although ye are undergoing crucial tests in view of the repeated and assiduous attempts of some people to shake the faith of the friends in Los Angeles, yet ye are under the guarding eye of the bounty of Baha'u'llah and are assisted by legions of angels.

Among the people are those who broke the Covenant, and among them are those who followed what was commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

When anyone cometh unto you with tablets of fire and the book of wickedness, cast them behind you and turn unto the Countenance, and say: "Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made Thyself known unto us and removed from us the veil through Thy sovereignty.

In these days Satan summoneth in the name of the All-Merciful, and the Samiri calleth mentioning the Primal One, and Iblis is occupied with the utmost deception.

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.

Say: O wavering, vacillating one! Slink away in the fire of your heedlessness and speak not, for you turned away after acknowledging and denied after confessing, and the proof is what issued from you in rebuke of the wavering ones and in disparagement of the hateful ones.

Say to those who waver: Have you forgotten what occurred in Christ's dispensation, or have you not learned of the events that took place in His blessed day? Did not the Pharisees rise against Him? Did they not decree the shedding of His blood and the killing of His loved ones and the torment of His chosen ones? Have you not heard of those who innovated and broke His covenant after Him?

A number of followers of self and passion, even as Judas Iscariot, have strayed from the Cause of God and arisen to instill doubt in the hearts, that they may tear down the foundations of the Covenant and strike at the root of the Tree of the Cause. They have no aim but sedition and mischief. Wolves are they, though outwardly they may claim to be shepherds.

The whispering souls are busy with deception and guile. Every falsehood that hath led and leadeth God's servants astray hath attributed and doth attribute itself to the truth."

O true friends! Yesterday it became known, and was heard from reliable sources, that my brother Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, besides being the instigator of a document of calumnies, has also made a statement claiming that Baha'u'llah followed a path in conformity with the resplendent Law, but 'Abbas Effendi has altered and changed it and violated the Law, and we are in no way associated with him and we disavow him. … And although my brother makes such allegations against me, while you know that he himself claims successorship, I have not and will not mention anything but good regarding him before the authorities.

Yet, notwithstanding so great a covenant, some grievous wavering must assuredly appear; and despite so firm a testament, some breaker and transgressor, deviating from the straight path, must needs be seen. Such is the way of God and His unerring tests, and thou shalt find no change in the way of God.

O promoter of the religion of God! A few days ago a letter was written to you. Although I have absolutely no time, I am again immediately writing you a reply so that you may know how much attachment I have for you, for you are sincere in the Cause of God. You have no purpose except the good-pleasure of God and you have dedicated all your time to service to the Kingdom of God. For this reason I have the utmost love for you.

Praise be to God, the matter of the meetings has been resolved and no conflict remains. Now the friends must engage in teaching, and in the gatherings no mention should be made except discussion of the Cause of God. The members of the Baha'i assembly, indeed all Baha'is, must be extremely kind to one another and all their discussions must relate to the Abha Kingdom. No scattered conversations should occur, for this causes coldness and lethargy in those present. The candle of the gathering must be the mention of God, teaching the Cause of God, explaining divine proofs, and expounding the teachings of Baha'u'llah. When this happens, the gathering becomes heavenly, becomes divine, becomes lordly, becomes illumined, and becomes the cause of guidance for the wayward and yields tremendous results.

O servant of Baha'u'llah! Inform all the friends that perhaps some letters containing the fabrications of the people of doubts may be sent to those regions. The purpose of these letters is to cause the friends to waver from the Covenant and Testament. Therefore, they should pay no attention to such letters, but rather return them to the sender and write a brief but sufficient and complete response saying that we are firm in the Covenant and are servants of the Blessed Beauty. We give no heed to these doubts and idle fancies, and according to the decisive commands of Baha'u'llah and the explicit text of the Most Holy Book and the explicit text of the Book of the Covenant, we turn to the Center of the Covenant and we shun the people of doubts.

And upon you be the Most Glorious Glory.

We know that the letter "H" was overwhelmed by the veils of fancy, and names prevented him from entering God's Kingdom, and he became as one asleep. The reminder profiteth him not; it increaseth naught for the wrongdoers save manifest loss.

When We raised up the Cause, they who served Me and circled round Me morning and evening arose to slay Me. Thus mayest thou know the state of these souls and those who followed them and took them as lords for themselves instead of God. By God, they and their idols are in the fire, and naught shall protect them from thy Lord's torment save that they repent and return unto God Who created them by His command.

This is because just as physical diseases like tuberculosis and cancer are contagious, spiritual diseases are also contagious. If a person with tuberculosis associates with a thousand healthy people, the health and wellness of those thousand healthy people will not affect or cure that sick person's tuberculosis. However, when this tuberculosis patient associates with those thousand people, in a short time the disease will spread to many of those healthy souls.

… He states that soon a foul odor will spread in that city and you must avoid that foul odor - thus does the All-Knowing, All-Wise command you. And that foul odor is the odor of Covenant-breaking.

Now they have turned to Najaf and deceive the religious authorities with calumnies, and sow corruption in Egypt, and cast doubts in Europe, and utter false reports and pure fabrications, even forging historical accounts attributed to one of the friends who was present at the beginning of the Cause, inserting whatever lies and reports they can, and sending it to Europe claiming this is the history of this Cause written by an impartial person.

And further, those persons who have the golden key are Yahya'i people. They have secretly deceived these souls and told them to practice deception and be hypocrites. And they are hypocrites. Never allow them near you and avoid them for they are among the people of hypocrisy.

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.

He expects that I will either drink the cup of supreme martyrdom, or hasten to the Supreme Concourse, or be cast into the wilderness of Fyzzan, or take up residence in the depths of the sea, so that he might enter the arena and prance about. How far, how far from what they are promised! If the goodly tree is uprooted, none will hasten to the shade of a fruitless tree. If the sweet waters of the Euphrates disappear, none will drink from bitter salt. If the song of the nightingale of inner meanings in the divine rose-garden is cut off, none will find pleasure in croaking and cawing.

The friends in Los Angeles and San Francisco are very firm in the Covenant. If they sense the least violation on the part of anyone, they shun him entirely; for they know that such a person is engaged in extinguishing the lamps of faith ignited by the light of the Covenant, thereby producing weakness and indifference in the divine Cause.

O Samandar! Every fire in the world is extinguished by the waters of the objections of the calumniators and perverters, yet this Fire is observed to increase with each passing moment. The seas of hatred and animosity have failed to quench it. Each day it appeareth with a new light, a new flame, and a new utterance, though from every direction an arrow is aimed and from every side a sword is drawn. He Whom We preserved through successive years hath been taken by the manifestations of idle fancies as a lord for themselves besides God.

Consider the baseness of Hadi. He hath lately uttered words which no discerning ear hath ever wished to hear, nor will. Now "Mirror" and "Successor" and the like have appeared. Say: Cast away these names that obstruct and hold fast unto that which beseemeth the days of God. Today the Speaker on Sinai is seated upon the throne of Revelation, speaking forth, and the Tree is adorned with ripe fruits and is manifest.

His connection was severed when he openly arose among the people to waste the Cause of God. Thou art aware of his words, deeds, actions and wickedness, and likewise of the kindness, mercy and consideration shown to him over numbered years. Nevertheless, he committed that which beseemed and befitted him, and now he seeketh to mislead some of the loved ones of God and obtain glory for himself.

In these days the affairs of the Afnan were somewhat disrupted and suspended, as the transactions in various regions, due to the treachery of certain covenant-breakers, were seen to be without effect or fruit.

To assist the people of tyranny is in no wise permissible, for this would harm the very root of the Tree. In all the Books this decree hath been revealed. In the Qur'an He saith: "Lean not towards those who do wrong."

The claimants of divine love have broken the Covenant and joined the enemies. Neither kindly counsels nor wise exhortations have proved effective.

As for the violators, these unfortunate ones are regretful, but when an arrow has left the bow its return is difficult.

… Observe what the violators have manifested in these years and months. They have done nothing except cast doubts into the ears of a few weak unstable ones, and from another direction they beat the drum and cymbal of discord in the gatherings of the horizons and made the Cause of God a laughingstock to the world.

O physician, O beloved! When physical physicians diagnose an illness, the treatment becomes easy and the physician becomes very hopeful. But spiritual diseases, even when diagnosed, are difficult to treat.

For example, observe how the disease of Covenant-breaking is clear and evident, yet how difficult is its treatment. The decisive text of the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the explicit command of the Book of the Covenant are like the supreme remedy, yet they have absolutely no effect on the illness of the Covenant-breakers, but rather increase their malady.

When a dead body is thrown into the ocean, the waves will throw it back upon the shore. So it is with the Ocean of Truth, it will not accept a dead body; and if a believer has not these abundancies of God, the sea will roll until he is finally cast out.

Keep hidden from all the sending of letters. This matter hath been mentioned repeatedly that it be not forgotten.

It is essential and obligatory to exercise the utmost caution and protection regarding those who associate with the great calamity and her relatives. Verily, they are among the enemies of God and His friends.

Furthermore, his honor Name 66 [Allah] had written asking if permission would be granted to go before the second Ayn. They said: God forbid! God forbid! God forbid! By no means can anything be achieved through him, and even if it could - which it cannot - it would not be acceptable. A denier is a denier, whether the first Ayn or the second Ayn. Even thinking of such matters is not permissible, as it has been and will be the cause of endless harm.

Then know thou that Rida hath openly rebelled against God and committed that which none before him hath committed. He hath squandered God's Cause and spread abroad that which the Pen is powerless to mention. Thus have We been afflicted in this mighty Prison. He committed in the Land of Mystery that which caused the Spirit of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds, to lament. Yet We concealed it, for thy Lord is the Concealer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

After the ascension of the Blessed Beauty, he arose with utmost jealousy and engaged in every kind of persecution, joining with his brother Mirza Muhammad-'Ali in spreading calumnies about me to all regions and creating great mischief. I was patient and forbearing. After some time, he regretted his actions and found himself in manifest loss. He came, repented, acknowledged his error, and announced that Mirza Muhammad-'Ali had led him astray and misguided him, that Mirza Muhammad-'Ali had altered the divine text and with all his might violated the divine Covenant, and had forced him into opposition.

In any case, declare your impartiality and make manifest your universal good-will. Engage in spreading the divine fragrances, and the time will come when you may, with utmost effort, lovingly draw the Yahyais under the divine shade.

In any case, now too the violators are in the utmost joy and delight due to the discord among the friends, while this servant is in the depths of grief and sorrow. Surely you are not content with my grief and the joy of the people of darkness.

But the Covenant-breakers have forbidden it - they say with their tongues "Associate with all religions with joy and fragrance" but in practice they won't let a five-year-old child come near us, except for those souls whom they are certain are so filled with rancor and hatred that even if you brought them every sign they would not believe in it.

Then when circumstances became so constricting for this servant that all joy and fragrance was cut off, and arrows of cruelty rained down like drops of rain, I saw no choice but to completely disappear from the land of destination.

… Now he writes complaints to various quarters that I have wronged him and raises lamentations. "I endured being slain while my slayer complains." This person is like the enemies of the Blessed Beauty who complained about the Blessed Beauty while His blessed breast was torn to pieces.

For example, one of the Covenant-breakers secretly entered the home of one of the friends in Iran and received the utmost consideration and complete hospitality. They showed him kindness in every way. In the end he stole the wife's jewels and whatever money was in her box, and also stole all her papers. He took her tablets which proved she was a Baha'i to the government, saying "I did not know this person, so I went to her house. Then I saw she was a Baha'i, so I have brought her papers to you."

Convey to all the friends in New York, individually, that any person from the East - whether Baha'i or non-Baha'i, even if they are my relatives like Mirza Jalal, Mirza Mohsen and Mirza Hadi - if they come without having a letter of permission in my handwriting and signature, the friends of God must absolutely not associate with them and must avoid them and know that they are wolves come to scatter the flock, thieves come to destroy the house, like Taghizadeh.

If an Azali person requests to visit the House of God and this intention is sincere, not aimed at opposition, argument and casting doubts, allow the visit. Although these souls desire to circumambulate the House, they are heedless of the Lord of the House.

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. Thus did the sea of the Covenant surge again and again until it cast out the dead bodies - that is, those souls who are deprived of the divine spirit and who follow their desires and passions and harbor thoughts of leadership.

In brief, any soul who becomes a Covenant-breaker, or shows disrespect to the Cause of God, or deviates for a moment from the shadow of God's Cause, falls, even if they count themselves among the highest of the high.

The Center of Violation stole all the Divine trusts that were specifically entrusted to this servant. Of a thousand, not one has been returned, and to this day they remain under the usurpation of that unjust one.

O you who speak in praise of God! Your letter was reviewed and from the meanings of its words the utmost spirit and fragrance was evident. Regarding Ibn-i-Yahya, you had written - for the misbeliever this proof of falsehood suffices that his two sons came to this land and disassociated themselves from him.

These two Iranians who have come to the Hawaiian Islands and America - you should outwardly treat them with kindness. From the evidence, they are Yahyais, meaning followers of the Enemy of God, but they practice deception.

When thou speakest with anyone regarding the Centre of Sedition, speak not with immense sorrow and regret, for people are weak.

Beware lest thy relationship to her who hath fabricated lies against herself concerning God and disbelieved after having believed and turned away after having advanced - such was her deed if thou be of them that hear - prevent thee. Shun her and turn away from her, then turn to God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And if the Covenant-breakers had not destroyed the foundation of the Religion of God, I would even have been satisfied with them.

The treatises which the friends of God have thus far written in response to the Covenant-breakers were solely in hopes that the violators might become aware and mindful, that perchance they might remember, or fear God and return unto Him, and supplicate before Him, and weep and cry out and lament, saying in the wilderness, "Alas for that which we neglected in regard to God!"

Although that poor one is not really at fault - others guide and incite and encourage. If the dove were left alone it would sleep. If the center of lukewarmness were not so bold, no soul would ever become remote and separated from the shelter.

These wavering souls, like bats in their dark abode, have deprived themselves of the brilliant lights of the Sun of the Covenant and are veiled from the rays of the Orb of the horizons. What humiliation could be greater than this and what punishment mightier than this?

Regarding Mirza Ali, it was written to Mr. Wilhelm that if you find an Iranian who shows absolutely no sign of violation and whose association with the friends you deem permissible, they may associate with him.

O Kalim! Hearken unto the divine call and keep thyself aloof from anyone in whom thou perceivest the fragrance of malice, and remain steadfast in the Cause of God in such wise that all may become steadfast through thy steadfastness.

And yet, some thoughtless individuals loudly clamour that the darkest of nights hath arrived and the deepest gloom hath enveloped all, that the Cause of God hath been abolished and His Law annulled, that another hath laid claim to a new revelation, raised the cry of "Verily, I am God", and exalted himself above the Ancient Beauty. Their purpose is to use these false and foolish statements to conceal their own violation and to shroud the tabernacle of the Covenant of the ever-living Lord under the frail webs they have woven.

And now, one of the greatest and most fundamental principles of the Cause of God is to shun and avoid entirely the Covenant-breakers, for they will utterly destroy the Cause of God, exterminate His Law and render of no account all efforts exerted in the past. O friends! It behooveth you to call to mind with tenderness the trials of His Holiness, the Exalted One, and show your fidelity to the Ever-Blest Beauty. The utmost endeavor must be exerted lest all these woes, trials and afflictions, all this pure and sacred blood that hath been shed so profusely in the Path of God, may prove to be in vain.

O unique and peerless one! Your letter of 5 Muharram 1329 was received. Although a detailed letter was written to you several days ago, which remained in draft form and had not yet been transcribed onto special paper when this letter arrived, nevertheless, despite having not a moment's leisure, a brief reply is being written so that you may know to what degree the love exists. But pray excuse the brevity of the response.

As to your first question, regarding "after the Most Great [Branch]," He states that this utterance was conditional upon steadfastness in the Covenant and obedience to the Command. After violation, there is certainly a fall, as is explicitly stated in the Tablets. All the Covenant-breakers, even the center of violation himself, acknowledge this decisive text wherein the Blessed Beauty explicitly states that should Mirza Muhammad Ali deviate for even a moment from the shadow of the Cause, he has been and will be mere nothingness. What deviation is greater than breaking the Covenant? What deviation is greater than opposing the Command? What deviation is greater than denouncing the Center of the Covenant? What deviation is greater than composing treatises of doubt and spreading them throughout the horizons against the Center of the Covenant? What deviation is greater than calumniating 'Abdu'l-Baha? What deviation is greater than causing corruption in the religion of God? What deviation is greater than allying with the enemies of 'Abdu'l-Baha? What deviation is greater than submitting petitions against Him to the tyrannical king, the deposed Ottoman Sultan? And so forth. This is not mere deviation, but rather opposition, hatred and enmity with all strength against 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Wronged One of the horizons.

Then what meaning remains for "after the Most Great"? And the Branches are limited to specific persons; there is no succession. Each one steadfast is accepted, and each one wavering falls, as is explicitly stated in the Tablets and Scriptures.

Gracious God! After the martyrdom of the Bab--may my soul be offered up for the dust ennobled by His footsteps--in what way did that individual arise, and what actions did he undertake? What eloquence did he evince and what wonders did he utter? All the loved ones of the Lord bear witness that, after the martyrdom of the Bab, this person vanished and went into hiding. He fled to the region of Nur, whence he scurried away--in the coarse guise of a dervish--to the regions of Mazindaran and Gilan until he finally reached Kirmanshah.

That you have claimed to be informed: no, by God, absolutely no one is informed, neither you nor anyone else. And that which has been suggested to you, by God besides Whom there is no God, all of it was and will be false. Would that the one whom they have now accepted as authority instead of God were like any ordinary person from the marketplace! Strange that you should attempt to cause doubt in this servant. All your words, conjectures, interpretations, allusions, proofs, clear statements and obscure ones, and claims to knowledge in this Cause - all of these trace back and lead to Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani.

And to every city where the Ancient Beauty would go, he would arrive afterwards. The only thing that befell him was that he was sent to Cyprus, and this too happened indirectly, for the intention was to imprison the Ancient Beauty, and to fulfill what had been previously said concerning the mention of the island - and you and all know that no one but this servant was or is aware of its circumstances.

Because he associated with Siyyid Muhammad he was led into error and sorely afflicted and tried; but like the shooting stars, he became as a missile to drive off satanic imaginings, and he repulsed the evil whisperers and went back to Baghdad, where he found rest in the shade of the Holy Tree.

But in these days in America fierce winds have surrounded the Lamp of the Covenant to extinguish this brilliant Light and uproot this Tree of Life. Certain weak souls, motivated by self-interest and unaware, have been shaken by the earthquake of hatred and enmity, and have striven to obliterate God's Covenant and Testament and to muddy the clear waters that they might catch fish in troubled waters. They have risen in rebellion against the Center of the Covenant, exactly like the Babis who attacked the Blessed Beauty.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Thy detailed letter and the brief ones have all been received and attentively perused. Praise be to God, they imparted glad tidings and joyful news. Thou art indeed serving diligently in the path of God, art making every effort to show forth love to everyone, art raising the Call to the divine Kingdom and bringing light to the hearts of men. Be thou well assured that the confirmations of the Kingdom shall encompass thee and thou shalt become the recipient of the bounties of the Lord of Hosts.

As far as possible, rest thou not for a moment, travel to the North and South of the country and summon all men to the oneness of the world of humanity and to universal peace, saying: O people! Baha'u'llah laid the foundation of universal peace fifty years ago. He even addressed Epistles to the kings wherein He declared that war could destroy the foundation of the world of humanity, that peace was conducive to everlasting life and that dire peril awaited mankind. Also three years before the outbreak of the world war 'Abdu'l-Baha travelled to America and most of Europe, where he raised His voice before all gatherings, societies and churches, appealing: O ye assemblage of men! The continent of Europe hath virtually become an arsenal filled with explosives. There are vast stores of destructive material hidden underground, liable to burst forth at a single spark, causing the whole earth to quake. O ye men of understanding! Bestir yourselves that perchance this accumulation of volatile material may not explode. But the appeal went unheeded and consequently this murderous war broke out.

The bulk of humanity now realiseth what a great calamity war is and how war turneth man into a ferocious animal, causing prosperous cities and villages to be reduced to ruins and the foundations of the human edifice to crumble. Now, since all men have been awakened and their ears are attentive, it is time for the promulgation of universal peace--a peace based on righteousness and justice--that mankind may not be exposed to further dangers in the future. Now is the dawn of universal peace, and the first streaks of its light are beginning to appear. We earnestly hope that its effulgent orb may shine forth and flood the East and the West with its radiance. The establishment of universal peace is not possible save through the power of the Word of God. Effort must be made for the Word of God to exert its influence so that universal peace may be established.

Strive thou as much as possible to raise the Call of the Kingdom of God, for it is this Call that bestoweth the spirit of life. Likewise endeavour to summon the people to the divine Covenant and Testament, inasmuch as the power of the Covenant, like unto an artery, pulsateth in the body of the world.

Thou hast mentioned the names of numerous souls in thy letter. Verily each one of them deserveth to receive a separate letter, particularly those who are wholly dedicated to the service of the Kingdom of God, who cherish no desire save the common weal and have no purpose but to show utmost love and kindness to every member of human society. Though their bodies are earthly, their souls belong to the realm of the spirit. That is, they have been quickened by the breath of celestial life. Their hearts are mirrors of the Sun of Truth whose light shineth therein with the utmost splendour. Convey thou to them on my behalf the expression of my ardent love and kindness and tell them that day and night I entreat and supplicate the Kingdom of Glory with utmost humility and lowliness, begging for them heavenly confirmations.

Concerning the friends in Pittsburgh, thou hast written that some misunderstandings have arisen among them. No power can eliminate misunderstandings except that of the Covenant. The power of the Covenant is all-embracing and resolveth all difficulties, for the Pen of Glory hath explicitly declared that whatever misunderstanding may arise should be referred to the Centre of the Covenant. He will resolve every difficulty. Thus no power can dispel misunderstandings among the friends except the Covenant and the Testament of God.

Therefore it behoveth thee to urge and encourage all the friends to remain firm in the Covenant and Testament. Christ, referring to Peter, said: "Thou art a Rock and upon this Rock I shall build My Church." This statement is not recorded by the pen of Christ, nor doth it clearly call for turning to Peter, nor hath it been revealed by Christ in His Book. It is but a tradition handed down by the apostles. This tradition, however, caused everyone to obey, and eliminated misunderstandings among the apostles and the Christians. Now here is the Book of the Covenant, and not a tradition. It hath been inscribed by the Supreme Pen of Baha'u'llah and is not conveyed by word of mouth. Therein He hath explicitly enjoined that after His passing all must turn to the Centre of the Covenant, and that for anything not understood in the Book, He is the authorised Interpreter and whatsoever He uttereth is right. On Him alone hath this authority been conferred. The Book of the Covenant is the last Tablet revealed by the Supreme Pen before His ascension, and all previous Tablets are subordinate to the Book of the Covenant, which is the last emanation of His Will, whereas all other Tablets were revealed prior to this One, and He hath named it the "Book of the Covenant".

Therefore reflect ye carefully. Should the friends be firm in the Covenant, could misunderstandings arise among them? By God, that cannot be, except among those individuals who harbour evil intentions and malice, who cherish the idea of leadership and partisanship. Notwithstanding that these men have written treatises in their own handwriting in which they invoked evil upon the Covenant-breakers, denouncing them as the ones who subvert the institution of the Cause of Baha'u'llah and affirming that this Covenant is inscribed by the Pen of the Most High and that whoever deviateth in the least from the Centre of the Covenant would be of the malicious and would deserve the wrath of God, yet these men have now themselves become the exponents of violation, inasmuch as they are motivated by malice. Their main object was to secure leadership and acquire wealth, but when they realised that by remaining firm in the Covenant their selfish desires would not be gratified, they deviated therefrom. These men were either first truthful and then became untrue or first were untrue and then became truthful. In either case their lie is manifest. Despite all this, certain people who are not aware of the facts will be sorely shaken by reason of the doubts instilled in their hearts. Therefore it behoveth thee to awaken everyone. Send a copy of this letter to Mr. Remey, Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Goodall. Upon thee be the glory of the All-Glorious!

Should a Persian come to those regions from the East---even, supposing the impossible, my son, or a daughter of 'Abdu'l-Baha---without having a letter of permission in my handwriting and bearing my signature, it is forbidden to meet such a person or converse with him. For whosoever cometh without permission hath no aim save sedition and the violation of the Covenant.

This servant is amazed at what this Hadi-i-Dawlat-Abadi is saying. From the beginning of the Cause he had no knowledge whatsoever. He and Siyyid Muhammad and their like acted solely out of desire for leadership, doing that which causeth loss in this world and the next. Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani was one of the servants and accompanied Us from Iraq. After his opposition became manifest in the Land of Mystery, We banished him. Later it was heard that he called himself "Quddus". In truth he was a fitting Quddus for this heedless party.

Among other things, he met with Khalil in Sabzivar and spoke words whereof God Himself is aware. Yet wondrous indeed is it that Khalil should have granted such a heedless one admittance. Say: O Khalil! Know thou that the deeds of Hadi, from the first, are but guile and deception, whereby he entered into this Cause.

The world of violation is like unto a rootless tree, ere long it will entirely die. The world of the Covenant is like unto the blessed Tree which is growing beside the river of the Water of Life in the utmost delicacy and beauty and day by day it is developing and adding to its verdancy. Erelong no trace will be left from the world of violation.

[As the end of the Ancient Beauty's earthly life was drawing near, His talks often often made reference to the importance of the Covenant. On that particular day, the Blessed Beauty issued stern warnings about Covenant-breaking. Midway through His address, He pointed towards the Greater Branch [His son, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, the future archbreaker of His Covenant] and emphatically stated:]

Should one of our branches for a moment pass out from under the shadow of the Cause, he surely shall be brought to naught.

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

Arius, the Patriarch of Alexandria, gathered around himself one and a half million souls, even attracting the Emperor, but since the foundation was not firm, it vanished and disappeared. What can the Covenant-breakers, who are but a group of weak souls, accomplish? For thirty years they have strived, yet in the end they have only succeeded in attracting to themselves a few mindless people and some women of loose character. Soon you will see these few souls scattered as well.

When he violated the Covenant, he went out from the shadow of the Blessed Perfection.

Baha'u'llah also said in this Tablet mentioned, that if for an instant this one should disobey His Commands, he would become a 'fallen branch.' He mentioned this expressly for Muhammad-'Ali, knowing that he would disobey and deny.

Concerning Ahmad-i-Kirmani, it was written that he had not chosen for himself any proof, path, way, religion, fairness, or truth. He changes color like a chameleon and turns like a spotted snake. His being is not like wax - though I have said this before - but rather like clay, accepting any form at any moment. May God and the company of the believers protect us from that sinful liar.

They are assuredly among the wrongdoers. Verily, he who stood before My face and wrote down that which proceeded from the mouth of My Will hath been taken by the oppressors as a lord for themselves apart from God. They are indeed among the most lost ones in My Great Book.

And remember the Lame One when he was in Iraq. We sent him the Tablets and summoned him unto God, the Almighty, the All-Chosen. He turned away from the All-Merciful after We had revealed unto him the verses and shown him clear proofs, in such wise that from their horizon shone forth the Sun of evidence and proof. … He claimed within himself that which was greater than that which was claimed by the first one to disbelieve in God, and promised the people his appearance in this year, heedless of that which had been ordained for him by God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling.

O My handmaiden! Reflect upon My Cause and what hath befallen Me in the path of My Beloved, after all the peoples rose up in opposition. My sister hath risen in opposition -- she who hath done that which hath caused the letter Ta to weep in the Most Glorious Paradise, and the people of the Ridvan to lament, and then the Maids who dwell in the chambers of thy Lord's protection, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Meanwhile, that person of ill repute hid in obscurity and, out of fear and dread, adopted the name Haji Ali in Basra and Suq al-Shuyukh, selling shoes and plaster. Even the Bayanis bear witness to this fact and none can deny it.

When through the power of the Most Great Name, the Cause of God achieved greatness and fear and dread were dispelled, that same person emerged from hiding. Now in Cyprus, being under British protection, he has taken to writing letters since there is absolutely no fear there - religious freedom and liberty for all peoples exists.

He knew that Muhammad-' Ali would disobey the Covenant. By violating the Covenant he has become a fallen branch. The Covenant was also written by Muhammad- 'Ali's own hand from dictation of the Blessed Perfection who knew he would disobey.

When We were in Adrianople, that vile one had written a letter to someone. Among other things, We observed that he had stolen a passage from a Tablet revealed in Iraq and written it in his own name. That passage was: "We are as the sun rising and as the moon shining." That heedless wretch did not realize that the domain of the Phoenix has never been, nor ever will be, the playground of flies, and darkness has no right to claim to be the sun.

The Ancient Beauty outwardly proceeded toward Iraq with a government official, and after that illusory figure, who had been hiding in Kermanshah and its surroundings for some time, arrived and later joined in Hudaybah after departure from Iraq. All the companions who were in attendance witnessed and saw this event. Likewise, all observed that he was unable to speak in His presence. Consider how if the hand of grace had not revealed this matter, how many souls would have been seen drowning in the seas of their own delusions.

In these days, Mirza Ahmad-i-Kirmani, despite having sent several petitions to the Most Holy Court expressing repentance and contrition and seeking forgiveness from the Ocean of Generosity, has arrived in the great city and obtained from the satans certain infernal papers which he has distributed. Outwardly he shows agreement and unity with the people of concord, while inwardly he is united with the people of discord - though even in this he speaks falsely. The servant sees him like a chameleon, changing color at every moment.

And verily when My brother felt secure in himself he contended against My Self and disputed My verses, until he arose to slay Me. Thus did Satan whisper in his breast and made him to be deprived of the holy shore.

At one time, after the Martyrdom of the Bab, the Cause of God suffered a severe blow through the rebellion of Yahya, at another time it sustained intense harm following the ascension of Baha'u'llah. I fear lest self-seeking souls might once again disturb the spirit of love and harmony among the friends.

I asked him, 'Did you really write and dispatch them?' And when he answered that he had, I said, 'I swear by the Righteousness of God! A day will come when Mirza Muhammad-`Ali will wish that his fingers had been cut off so that he could not have taken the pen to proclaim his break with the Covenant. For four years, I have concealed this matter so that the beloved of God may not learn of your unfaithfulness to the Covenant. It is now beyond My power to hide it any longer. You have announced it yourselves to the believers.'"

When my brother felt secure in himself and saw this land at peace, he secretly commissioned one of the servants to kill me.

When the secret nursed in his (Mírzá Yaḥyá) bosom was revealed by God he disclaimed such an intention, and imputed it to that same servant (Ustád Muḥammad-‘Alí).

Some letters in his handwriting appeared which still exist.

Verily, he who pronounced judgment against the Third Letter who believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest hath uttered that which hath rent asunder the veil of the Kingdom and caused the dwellers of the realms above to lament. He who should have kissed the dust of his feet hath been unjustly slain - to this doth the Wronged One bear witness in this praiseworthy station. Moreover, he pronounced judgment against certain souls, whereat the eyes of the Concourse on High and the dwellers in the cities of Names shed tears.

He was faithful while the brothers were cruel. He showed the utmost love and loyalty while the brothers displayed the height of oppression and error. See how great is the difference between these paths!

After the great Martyrdom and the most mighty Tragedy, notwithstanding the explicit Text forbidding marriage with the Bab's wives, with utmost impudence, Azal at first took her as a wife and then, having absolutely no sense of shame or compunction, gave her to Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani. This act resulted in the mother of the Bab refusing to give her allegiance to the Faith for some time.

Mirza Yahya is amazingly still in his madness. Many letters of counsel had been written to him from Iran and sent for us to forward, but I observed that this person's mind has dried up and it would be futile, so I did not send them.

They have preserved this bounty and have appreciated and do appreciate the value of this favor, for if one does not appreciate divine favors, they will be lost. Canaan did not appreciate, therefore the divine address came to His Holiness Noah: "He is not of thy family," for misconduct and violation of the Covenant removed nobility of lineage.

During all this time, the men and women (Covenant-breakers) persecuted her in an incomparable manner, while she was patient, God-fearing, calm, humble and contented through the favor of her Lord and by the bounty of her Creator.

O Dhabih! The harm to this Wronged One has not been and is not from imprisonment, plunder, captivity, martyrdom and outward abasement. Rather, the harm lies in the deeds which the loved ones of God commit and attribute to Him. This is My harm, by His Self that dominates the worlds! And another greatest harm is that each day someone from among the people of the Bayan claims the Cause, some clinging to one of the Branches, and some independently saying what they have said and doing what they do.

And furthermore, regarding what you wrote about the ancient enmity between the friends which has become a means of violation of the Covenant: First, the violators have a well-known and evident cause, and before the Ascension and the reading of the Book of the Covenant, there was absolutely no cause for discord between the two sides. Indeed, most were in harmony with each other, and among some where there had been slight coolness, it was transformed into harmony. And among other souls where there had been harmony, due to one's firmness and another's wavering, coolness arose instead.

In 'Akka, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali would hear me speak and would repeat my words exactly on other occasions but he did not understand that a thousand wisdoms and ingredients other than speech are necessary.

Consider how two souls, each among the most heedless and wicked of men, went to Gilan and what mischief they caused. One claimed "I am the Most Great Branch," and those souls who were in that land immediately accepted him. The other claimed truth for himself, and him too they accepted. Loss be upon the seeker and the sought! Though later the falsehood of both was made clear to them and they returned to the truth, from the beginning they should not have paid heed to such souls.

Be ye informed and cognizant of this. Beware lest anyone shall secretly question or deny this to you. There are some people of self-will and desire who do not communicate their intentions to you in clear language. They envelop their meanings in secret statements and insinuations.

The worst enemies of the Cause are in the Cause and mention the Name of God. We need not fear the enemies on the outside for such can be easily dealt with. But the enemies who call themselves friends and who persistently violate every fundamental law of love and unity, are difficult to be dealt with in this day, for the mercy of God is still great.

Some people must necessarily turn their backs upon it, on account of their lack of sincerity in the Cause of God and for their selfishness and egotism.

… O maid-servant of God! When some souls turn away from the love of God, there is no harm therein.

One said this covenant is a ray and not the sun. Another said that it is a little spring and not the sea. Yet another called it a mirage and a dream. Each one muttered with malice and made murmurs in secret.

They are not deceived by mention of this wronged one's name with reverence, and from complaints about the friends who are firm and steadfast in the Covenant and Testament they understand that this is a pretext and the real target is someone else. They are so perceptive, intelligent and insightful that from publications and resort to ambiguous verses they perceive that the purpose is to cast doubts and cause wavering in the Covenant and Testament.

With the appearance of truth the point of Opposition raises its head. The former gains signal victory, the other goes into crushing defeat; the first upraises the standard of guidance, the other unfurls the banner of error; One is divine revelation, another is satanic suggestion; the first leads us into the paradise of Peace, the second hurls us headlong into the hell of war.

I educated this youth (Dr. Farid) so that he would be of benefit to the Cause, would render service to the Sacred Threshold and give light as a bright candle. However, carnal desires and love of money prevented him and prompted him to rebel. He has always deceived the friends and through various means has extracted money from them.

Even though at the time of departure He informed all that the Calf would bellow after the departure of the Ancient Beauty, and the Samiri would appear, and the birds of night would stir after the setting of the Sun, yet though all witnessed this, they recognized it not. Rather, most became worshippers of the Calf and followers of Samiri, turning entirely away from the Truth. Their abode is naught but the fire - how wretched the dwelling-place of the deniers!

Remember when there came in Iraq one who desired to test God. When We manifested unto him, he broke the Covenant and turned back to his kind, even as people turned back in former ages.

Therefore, the loved ones of God must be mindful and through loving counsel awaken such persons, lest any weakness enter into or breach occur in the mighty fortress of the Cause.

And shouldst thou see among the people of the Bayan one who denieth this Beauty, draw nigh unto him and stand before his eyes and say: "O thou who associateth partners with God! By what proof didst thou believe in 'Ali while denying Him Who sent him with the truth?

Know thou that spiritual diseases are like physical ones. Thou seest that if a person is afflicted with a chronic physical illness, traces of his ailment will linger in three or four generations of his offspring. Likewise, should he be afflicted with a spiritual disease, that of an immoral character, this will have a great influence on his progeny, for upbringing exerteth an astounding influence and that person's character will be passed on to his descendants. … By this "transgression" is meant immorality and heedlessness of God. In truth, this transgression is the breaking of the Covenant, the abasement resulting from which will linger in the descendants for four generations.

Whatever hath and will transpire in this land is through the conspiracy of the brothers who are not resting, neither day nor night, and are thirsting for the blood of Abdul-Baha. The government is not responsible at all. These difficulties are brought about through the evil slanders and machinations of the nakazeen.

The Centre of Sedition cherisheth the hope that once he hath caused the blood of this prisoner to be spilt, he may at last find an arena in which to spur on his charger. Woe unto such idle fancies, such vain imaginings! For lo, some imaginings are a grievous sin. Those who are inebriated with the wine of the Covenant are weary of the stirrers of sedition, and those who seek guidance from the light of Revelation eschew the movers of mischief.

By the life of God, I am in grievous sadness because of this dust that hath risen in the atmosphere, dimming the faces of some of the weak ones, blinding the eyes of some of the foolish, healing the breasts of the ignoble, and gladdening the hearts of God's enemies. What regret! The eyes of the loved ones have turned white with weeping, they have wailed with the wailing of the bereaved, while the lips of the wretched and the foolish have smiled.

In brief, from the day of the Ascension until now, my unkind brother has grasped at every means and clung to every device to extinguish the lamp of the love of God. At first, he began spreading tablets of doubt and contaminated East and West with false statements, thinking that casting doubts would abrogate the manifest verses.

Perchance hereafter the people of violation and discord may spread calumnies and utter falsehoods and slanders, saying that the blessed remains are in another place, or that some portion is elsewhere. Let the divine friends know that this is pure calumny, infidelity, croaking and violation.

What needed to be submitted is this: Mirza Husayn Beg the liar, who claimed love and acceptance while squandering the property of several of the friends - that deceitful usurper wrote various things to the Holy Threshold, while the sincere friends unwittingly consider every treacherous liar to be trustworthy and count them among the people of faith. In any case, that liar met his due. Now the friends should be vigilant and not consider every liar to be truthful.

Say: By God! There hath befallen Me that which hath befallen no one in all the worlds, for I nurtured and strengthened one among the servants that he might aid his Lord and be among the helpers. And when he grew and felt security within himself, he emerged from behind the veil with swords of steel. By God! He struck at Me at every moment and warred against My Self and disputed the verses whereby his own faith and the faith of all in the heavens and earth were established.

And you, O people of the Bayan, witness all this, were it not for the veils of self and desire that prevent you. Judge fairly then - did I fall short in any matter? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! By God, I was among enemies in days when souls trembled for my life from the hosts of the oppressors, and I received the arrows of the enemies with my breast lest they fall upon them. Judge fairly then - could one whose deeds were such as you witnessed be suspected of loving this world, or of seeking to exalt his own mention, or of self-glorification? Nay, by the Lord of the Mighty Throne! By God, O people, that has befallen Me which cannot be mentioned by pen or tongue. Whenever I wish to speak of it, My intense weeping and the sorrow of My heart and the trembling of My limbs prevent Me. To this bears witness what flows from My grieving pen.

When My brother saw that the Cause had advanced and My name had become renowned among the loved ones, he desired to kill Me. When God thwarted him in this and I departed from among them, he took up the pen and wrote concerning Me that which I am ashamed to mention, casting the blame upon My wronged and solitary self, attributing every evil to Me in his words to instill hatred in the breasts of the rebellious. His words in his own hand are still in My possession, and whoever wishes to see them may come into the presence of this Youth to see and learn what has befallen Me in this remote prison. Salman has witnessed, and We ask God to make him speak truthfully of what he witnessed with his own eyes, that he may be among those who would not sell the slave of truth for numerous coins of falsehood. When I witnessed and learned what he had written concerning Me, I lamented within Myself with the lamentation of the distressed, and I wept over the Cause, for I knew that what he had committed would cause God's Cause to be lost among the people, though His Cause is sanctified above being changed by anything.

However, people are not all of one capacity, and there must be weak ones among them who will be disturbed by such matters, except those whom God protects through His authority - and He is indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful. By God the Truth, had My blood been shed a thousand times, it would have been better in My sight than for these matters to become known among the servants. But God has decreed what He willed, and He does what He pleases and ordains what He desires. Verily I was cognizant of what was within his soul from former times, yet We concealed it lest it cause the feet of the deluded ones to stumble. When that which was manifest appeared from him, I commanded that the people be informed, that their faith might be preserved and their deeds not be rendered vain, lest they be numbered among the lost. Therefore did We inform the servants and command them with that which they were commanded in all the Tablets from the Ancient Revealer, that they might purify their hearts from all allusions and behold the Manifestation with the eye of the Manifestation, not with the eye of any created thing, for none can perceive Him save through His own hallowed and all-seeing eye.

This noble Temple was stolen by the sinful Yahya along with various Tablets bearing the script of the Primal Point - may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him - thinking it would benefit him. Nay! This deed will bring him remorse in this world and the next. However, copies of that Temple exist among the loved ones, including one in Yahya's handwriting. This copy was sent with some books of thy Lord's Tablets to India as a trust, but the Center of Violation inspired the trustee to take possession of them and not return these trusts to their rightful owners.

He let down his bucket and exclaimed: "O joyful tidings! This is the Youth of the Covenant, whom his brothers have cast into the pit of calumny and sold for a paltry price, a few counted dirhams. Woe unto them for that which they have earned!"

Furthermore, it is confidentially written that a few weak souls secretly have dealings with the Yahyais; they are hypocrites. 'Abdu'l-Baha keeps this concealed that perhaps they may become aware and mindful. If they do not, announcement becomes necessary.

As for Javad's book, observe the divine power - how it compelled the Covenant-breakers to provide such evidence in their own handwriting to the loved ones, proving their own ignorance, engaging in foolishness, and recording all events contrary to reality. … There is no greater proof of the Covenant than the fabrications of the hypocrites, for from all contents of this book it becomes clear they have no purpose save malice, envy and hatred.

While all souls lie comfortably on beds of ease and all people repose in the cradle of tranquility, the Holy Land is in great turmoil without a minute's rest or peace, and this is due to the sedition and corruption of the Covenant-breakers.

That tablet was in the blessed case which was entrusted to Abdu'l-Baha before the Ascension. That case contained numerous papers, but the unfaithful ones took it away under some pretext and now it is with them.

However, the aforementioned parliament was in the hands of evil divines and the faithless people of Yahya, and their purpose was ultimately despotism and domination, and in the end they would arise to cut down the Blessed Tree.

"They [i.e. the Covenant-breakers] sent Mirza Majdi'd-Din to Jamal Pasha claiming that I am against [the Committee for] Union and Progress. They advanced many calumnies, including: 'Whenever there has been a problem or disturbance, we have become entangled with it. Therefore, now, in order to protect our lives and possessions, we are presenting a deposition that it was He [i.e. 'Abdu'l-Baha] Who committed these deeds. So, if a difficulty occurs, we are not to blame.'

Likewise they say the Bayan has been altered - one's heart melts at such words, for the beginning has become like the end of the Shi'ih party. And likewise do they assert that the wondrous verses have been appropriated from the revealed utterances of the Primal Point -- may our spirits be offered up for His sake -- and are being circulated under their own name, notwithstanding that presently two, nay three, equivalent Revelations have been vouchsafed, and the distinction between these divine expositions is as manifest and evident as the sun itself.

The printed version produced under the interference of the Center of Violation is not correct; the handwriting of Jinab-i-Zayn is accurate.

They have employed such deceptions that cannot be described - as soon as someone greets them, they secretly spread that this person is also their confidant, so as to cause the friends to shun them and create enmity and hatred toward that person. And when the fire of hatred is kindled, violation of the Covenant immediately becomes certain. But they saw no fruit from these schemes and deceits.

Therefore, the Yahya'is mocked 'Abdu'l-Baha's explicit statement about the Assembly's dispersion until suddenly the Assembly was scattered and dissolved, and the Yahya'is were disappointed and defeated, unable to change the monarchy to their intended person, from whom they had received large amounts of bribes and kickbacks.

They consider the spreading of doubts as the means of life; this servant regards the promotion of clear verses as the means of salvation. They deem the shame and disgrace of the Cause of God and the joy of enemies as the cause of glory; this servant considers the diffusion of divine fragrances and the exaltation of the Word of God as the essence of servitude. Verily God does not prosper the work of the corrupt ones.

During all this time, the men and women (nakazeen) persecuted her in an incomparable manner, while she was patient, God-fearing, calm, humble and contented through the favor of her Lord and by the bounty of her Creator.

Two years ago, word was sent from here to Tehran that this Jamal al-Din had come to the Great City and two sons-in-law of Yahya had become his ministers of left and right. Since the foundation of these souls' thoughts and all their conversation and mention is corruption and sedition, they seek nothing but tumult and turmoil and speak of nothing but corruption and enmity.

As for your dismissal, the divine friends are heedless while the Yahyais are engaged in corruption day and night. To whichever party they encounter, they attribute the Baha'is to another party that is opposed to that one. … Most of these corruptions are perpetrated by Mirza Yahya, Sadru'l-'Ulama and Dhika'u'l-Mulk, while the friends of God are occupied with disputing over minor matters like school affairs.

Shouldst thou be successful in inducing that Armenian himself to repudiate his words, confessing that certain self-interested persons had misled him, it would be most agreeable, for, as thou hast observed, that which he hath written is utter calumny and sheer misrepresentation on the part of the Covenant-breakers.

As for the letters that were addressed to His Excellency Atabek, they were absolutely not from this servant. If such things exist, they must be from the Covenant-breakers and are undoubtedly seditious and filled with fabrications.

And say that the promoter of these absurd claims and calumnies is Haji Mirza Yahya who is the elected representative from Kerman and the son-in-law of Mirza Yahya Azal and claims to be Mirza Yahya's successor. Since he thinks that if the Baha'i foundation is overthrown, the followers of Yahya will gain supremacy, he therefore strives with these calumnies.

We rented the palace for thirty years until we bought it, then the Covenant-breakers took it from us and wouldn't even leave me a room where I could change my sweat-soaked shirt in summer.

… The Covenant-breakers had also taken the garden of the shrine from us, even though I and the friends had hauled the soil and planted flowers with our own hands.

If the question of violation had not occurred, now the Blessed Tree would have borne fruit. It was near its blossoming, but this delayed it. If it had not been for violation, what would have been the condition of America! They have made the people indifferent. When the Cause was ablaze, it was as though water had been poured upon it.

Today 'Abdu'l-Baha told amazing stories regarding the World War and the proclamation of jihad by the Muslims, and He remarked, 'If the Covenant-breakers had not frustrated My efforts, I would have assembled some of the Muslim and the Christian chiefs and exhorted them to disallow internal conflict [in the nation]. However, the violators of the Covenant resisted and blocked Me.'

The opposers and hypocrites have clung to calumnies at which the world of justice stands bewildered. That which was revealed from the Supreme Pen they have falsely attributed to others. The Kitab-i-Iqan, which was specifically revealed for His Holiness the Afnan, the honored Uncle, upon him be all the most glorious Glory, and wherein the journey and migration of the Ancient Beauty, exalted be His glory, is mentioned, they have denied - while equivalent to all the heavenly books from the Bayan and before it, nay rather more, exists.

Your letters sent in the name of Jud, upon him be My glory, were perused. Tablets were specifically revealed and dispatched for some. Ask of God to transform the Most Great Prison. Glory be to God! The love of the friends and loved ones for Muhammad-'Ali is evident and clear, and most are aware of it. Nevertheless, he has united with one like himself and they have fabricated calumnies for the sake of the possessions of the servants. And now they cry out that the wealth has been stolen and they have set about to subvert the Cause of God.

The Covenant-breaker hopes that after he has shed the blood of this wronged one, or cast this frail body into the depths of the sea, or left it wandering nameless and traceless in the wilderness, then the divine friends will say they have none but Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and must cling to his robe and follow him. Thus he would find a vast field and make a great showing, and after 'Abdu'l-Baha's destruction, he would find comfort and pleasure, prepare a feast and spread a table, living in utmost ease and comfort.

I swear by the Blessed Beauty, if you knew what they have done, you would surely weep tears of blood. And now this wronged one is in grave danger every moment, until God wills what will be. I seek steadfastness and firmness from the grace of the Blessed Beauty, and I will resist these trials so that this weak, frail, confined and imprisoned 'Abdu'l-Baha, who is surrounded by all afflictions, may remain firm and steadfast in His servitude. This is my ultimate hope and the extent of my desire, and upon it rests my life and death.

The Unity Meeting became a cause of discord because Tavahhush'ul-Mulk was a main pillar in that meeting, despite 'Abdu'l-Baha warning from last year that this person was insincere. Though he wrote a letter of repentance, he still has several secret collaborators in the Unity Meeting.

There are several supplementary ordinances in the Blessed Handwriting, but the Covenant-breakers stole 'Abdu'l-Baha's papers and that document was among them.

… When we wanted to wash the pure body, Mirza Muhammad 'Ali said "Perhaps the water will affect this. You give this to us and we will safeguard it until the washing is complete and the pure body is enshrouded in its burial shroud." … But they seized everything along with all the trusts and blessed seals and rings, and did not give me a single page from the two bags. They remain with them to this day.

Indeed it is a Testament, were they but to know, mighty. For by it the pillars of the Cause are strengthened, the edifice of Truth is raised, the banners of remembrance are lifted high, and the religion of God is protected from the evil of the violators, the distortion of the extremists, and the threat of the interpreters.

Rather, all were saying, especially the Covenant-breakers, that the foundation of 'Abdu'l-Baha and indeed all the friends had been destroyed - soon they would either be hidden in the depths of the sea or cast into the desert of Fezzan.

I have come here and left the field empty that those who are weak in their faith may do as they please, that they may do it openly, not in secret. 'And soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take!'

O divine friends! That land is pure and holy - do not let it be contaminated with the stain of doubts, for the trouble-makers have strange schemes. At first they show steadfastness, then little by little, until they find a receptive ear, they secretly cast doubts and make others swear not to reveal but conceal it, and when they find a receptive ear, to pass it on.

In any case, today it is an absolute obligation upon all the friends to preserve the divine fortress, and defense of the Covenant is mandatory, for the people of hesitation have resorted to means by which the foundation of the Cause of God would be completely undermined and the edifice of the religion of God utterly demolished. They speak the name of unity like ancient bygone peoples while worshipping the idols of their own selves and desires. They utter the name of Truth while uprooting the foundation of the Covenant.

O spiritual physician! Although physical illnesses are severe, the difficulty lies in treating spiritual diseases and symptoms that have absolutely no cure or remedy. Consider that there is no cure for the chronic ailment of J. No, by God! If all the physicians of the world were to gather together, they could not find a treatment or solution.

As for the matter of the brothers which has become known in those regions through newspapers and printed letters in England - it is of no importance. These events are but a mirage, not water to drink - an imaginary matter arising from the thoughtlessness of the Branches that will soon pass away and vanish.

For when the Covenant-breakers witnessed the exaltation of the Word of God and the spread of the divine fragrances, and observed that in Africa and America sacred souls were arriving at the Sacred Threshold in complete attraction in successive waves, the fire of hatred blazed so fiercely in their breasts that they portrayed this mighty Cause to the government as a source of severe corruption.

Whichever side is killed, it benefits the Yahya'is. One day they form a Ja'fari committee and another day a national club, but the hidden founder is Yahya'i, and out of jealousy toward the Baha'is they try to create conflict and contention between Baha'is and others.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

Regarding the prayer with nine-rak'ats about which you inquired - that prayer, along with some writings from the Sacred Texts, has fallen into the hands of the Covenant-breakers.

… And it is not limited to that alone - the Center of violation has stolen all the trusts of this servant, and all the friends in the Holy Land are aware of this.

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

At the time of the ascension of Baha'u'llah, as we were otherwise occupied, I gave him [Mirza Muhammad-'Ali] for safekeeping two boxes containing divine Writings. He has concealed them. He has kept them so that after my passing he might bring them out and use them in accord with his personal inclination. "By God, besides Whom there is no god," each of these will only greatly harm himself. Consider how, out of My sincerity, I entrusted him with two boxes of divine Writings, and instead he behaves in such a manner. He will not be able to do anything but bring complete ruin and regret upon himself.

They [the Covenant-breakers] attributed a Tablet to the Ancient Beauty and produced it, in which---God forbid!---the scattering and dispersion of the blessed Cause was explicitly appointed according to the number of 'all things.' (361) Somehow the friends managed to obtain a copy of this tablet and sent it to the presence of 'Abdu'l-Baha, Who said there were numerous tablets corrupted like this one and that it was unimportant.

Whenever a promise is broken, it causes a commotion. For instance, suppose two nations have a disagreement has a physical effect. It causes war, and thousands of men are cut in pieces. So, when man breaks his promise to God, in other words when he "violates the Covenant," the effect is physical, and calamities appear.

They say the Bayan has been corrupted. The Book of Certitude, which was revealed in the presence of the maternal uncle in answer to his questions and which mentions the exile of this Wronged One, they have nevertheless attributed to the dayspring of idle fancies.

Those who altered the Tablets of God - these have lost both this world and the next, and they shall have no portion of this cup. These have sold the traces of God for their own selves and their desires.

Nevertheless, since you have requested it, this servant will write a response to those questions, but only after the Center of Violation sends his response and explains the issues. For if I take precedence and explain, the Center of Violation will take this servant's very explanations, append to them some ambiguous meaningless words, and claim that this servant has plagiarized, thus causing confusion in the matter, as he has done repeatedly many times before. And fabricating souls consider his fabrications to be flowers from the rose garden of truth, derive the utmost joy from them, and they become the cause of casting doubts.

Any letter sent from this land without this servant's seal has the purpose of casting doubts, breaking the Covenant, demeaning the Center of the Cause of God, dividing the Word of God, and dispersing the gathering of the loved ones of God.

Its review caused much grief and sorrow - how the former unfaithful ones destroyed that magnificent building and took its doors, windows and roof timbers to build houses for themselves.

His honor my brother desired fellowship; we showed love and served him with complete sincerity. To the extent possible - and you are witness - there was no failing. But it seems his constant association and interaction day and night made 'Abdu'l-Baha like a magnet attracting calamities, trials and afflictions.

Observe the copies of books and treatises by Mirza Yahya in the public library in London that exist in his own handwriting and the handwriting of his son, and show them to Taqizadeh so that he may know what an amazingly learned, eloquent and articulate person is promoting nonsense.

Send those papers you have obtained from the fruits of the tree of negation, which are fruitless for themselves, to Cyprus without your name.

O handmaid of Baha! The matter of Mirza Badi'u'llah has reached a strange and peculiar stage. The purpose is that you should inform His Honor Haji in detail about the situation - that all these recent disturbances concerning the Commission of Investigation and other matters up until now have stemmed entirely from Mirza Badi'u'llah, who continuously reported the activities of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and is now showing the utmost enmity and hatred.

O Amin, regarding the letter that was written and sent in refutation of the calumnies of the people of Najaf, with instructions that its contents be disseminated among the friends - it appears that the followers of Yahya have infiltrated among the believers and are gathering intelligence which they transmit abroad with a thousand embellishments. This letter of refutation will, God forbid, fall into the hands of the Yahya'is and they will send it to Najaf with a thousand additions.

In regard to your question about using Kheirella's translation - Abdul-Baha says that the believers should use nothing that Kheirella has translated as all are wrong. If there is any prayer in the little book which he has translated they must be taken out. Please tell this to the other friends.

The Center of Violation stole the history of Nabil along with other papers from this servant through subtle means. Now he has written a history based on it and sent it to America to be published.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant! The letter that was written in defense against the calumniators of the people of Najaf-i-Ashraf - you must certainly keep it secure and give its copy to no one, for it will fall into the hands of the Yahyais and they will send it to Najaf, causing an increase in hatred and enmity. You must most assuredly keep it secure. Observe in the Hablu'l-Matin newspaper that all these rumors are from the Yahyais.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant! According to reports, Mirza Husayn-'Ali Jahrami is traveling from Bombay to Jahrom and is claiming to have recanted from Covenant-breaking and expressing remorse.

I was not content that we should be safe while they were in danger, therefore I took all the family, while everyone else was fleeing, and came to 'Akka, except for the Covenant-breakers.

The Tablets of God which the late Aqa Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God, carried upon first arriving at the prison fell into the hands of that deceitful oppressor, who gave them to Mirza Hadi, son of that illusory person. He copied them in his own hand in Yahya's name and sent them to certain places.

For the wound from the dagger of the Covenant-breakers has no antidote or balm except the unity and harmony of those firm in the Covenant, and the incurable ailment of the people of lethargy has no immediate abundant cure except the oneness of the people of the Covenant.

The tests of every dispensation are in direct proportion to the greatness of the Cause, and as heretofore such a manifest Covenant, written by the Supreme Pen, hath not been entered upon, the tests are proportionately more severe. These trials cause the feeble souls to waver while those who are firm are not affected. These agitations of the violators are no more than the foam of the ocean, which is one of its inseparable features; but the ocean of the Covenant shall surge and shall cast ashore the bodies of the dead, for it cannot retain them.

Now the pretenders and Covenant-breakers await 'Abdu'l-Baha's death, hoping that he might be hanged, or find his resting place in the depths of the sea, or be exiled to the most distant lands and fortresses, or that illness and disease might silence his voice and song, so that they might find an arena for themselves.

Alas! Alas! The Cause of God, through the power of the Abha Kingdom, shall remain protected and preserved from all these dangers, whether 'Abdu'l-Baha be present or absent.

Say: O people! This is God's Covenant - do not cast it behind your backs! O people! This is God's Book - do not abandon it! O people! This is God's remnant - do not mock it!

In these days, certain souls whose deeds in America were as clear as the sun have arisen in enmity to the Center of the Covenant. They imagine they can extinguish the lamp of the Covenant. God forbid! The lamp of the Covenant is like the morning star - it shall never be extinguished.

O ye loved ones of God! Praise be to Him, the bright banner of the Covenant is flying higher every day, while the flag of perfidy hath been reversed, and hangeth at half-mast. The benighted attackers have been shaken to their core; they are now as ruined sepulchers, and even as blind creatures that dwell beneath the earth they creep and crawl about a corner of the tomb, and out of that hole, from time to time, like unto savage beasts, do they jibber and howl. Glory be to God! How can the darkness hope to overcome the light, how can a magician's cords hold fast "a serpent plain for all to see"? "Then lo! It swallowed up their lying wonders."4 Alas for them! They have deluded themselves with a fable, and to indulge their appetites they have done away with their own selves. They gave up everlasting glory in exchange for human pride, and they sacrificed greatness in both worlds to the demands of the insistent self. This is that of which We have forewarned you. Erelong shall ye behold the foolish in manifest loss.

O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy mighty Covenant, to remain faithful to Thy manifest Cause, and to carry out the commandments Thou didst set down for them in Thy Book of Splendors; that they may become banners of guidance and lamps of the Company above, wellsprings of Thine infinite wisdom, and stars that lead aright, as they shine down from the supernal sky.

Verily art Thou the Invincible, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Furthermore, some of the Covenant-breakers have secretly come among you, making protestations of firmness in the Covenant, and through various intrigues and schemes are sowing corruption and discord among you, that they might deprive you of the lights of God's Covenant and entangle you in the darkness of violation. Is it fitting that the Covenant-breakers should lay such a snare and catch firm ones like yourselves while you remain preoccupied with differences among yourselves?

They must be alert and vigilant, immediately withdraw upon seeing any sign of Covenant-breaking, and strive night and day until the lights of the Abha Kingdom encompass the world and the darkness of error is completely dispelled.

He hath cast into a stupor all those who are clinging to their vain illusions, and made them infamous in the sight of high and low. He hath caused those who run after their fads and fancies to become objects of general reproach, and hath exposed the arrogant to public view; He hath made those of the friends who proved infirm of faith to serve as a warning to every beholder, and hath caused the leaders of those who waver to love but themselves and sink down in self-conceit.

The Supreme Pen today counsels all to steadfastness, for the croakers have appeared with evident craftiness and have striven and continue to strive to lead people astray. It is reported they have gathered the writings of this Revelation. God is aware and knowing of all intentions. We counsel all to the Most Great Steadfastness in such wise that the hearts of those who have denied God, the Lord of all worlds, may be astonished thereby.

O manifestation of the name of Bounty! Plant firm the foot of steadfastness, for the winds of discord are blowing from the direction of schism with such force that thou shalt soon witness how they cut off the yellowed leaves from the divine Tree and cast them to the dust.

Break not the Covenant thou didst enter into before God, neither violate His Testament, but be steadfastly loyal to thine undertaking.

This will completely destroy the foundation of the Cause and strengthen the party of Yahya.

… The Yahyais have recently sent Taqizadeh with several others to America to create a breach in the Cause of God there, while the friends are occupied with dispute and conflict with each other.

And let there also be some of the eloquent and articulate words like pure water and honey and wine - meaning healing for the hearts of the wise - the manuscripts and books of Mirza Yahya, for these too are a source of lessons.

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.

In brief, the unifying purpose of the religion of God must be guarded--thus a number of the upstart may not become the means of dispersion. Probably letters full of doubts and falsehoods will be forwarded to those parts. Call the believers to firmness and steadfastness.

It would be better if correspondence is sent through Port Said, for direct mail to Haifa is dangerous since the Ottomans have neither order nor law nor control nor connection. Therefore the Covenant-breakers can obtain many letters from the post for a small sum. But if sent through Port Said it arrives protected and preserved.

Tell the divine friends not to become distressed by the frightful events and shocking news from the Holy Land, for danger is constant at all times, enemies are attacking from all directions, and the faithless Covenant-breakers do not hesitate for a moment in spreading calumnies. They constantly loose their tongues in slander and confuse the minds of those in authority.

For from the discord of the steadfast ones, the Covenant-breakers are in ecstasy and filled with joy and delight, while the promotion of God's Cause and exaltation of God's Word is suspended and delayed.

O old friend, exercise the utmost vigilance that no discord arises between any two souls, for this leads to one becoming a Covenant-breaker.

In any case, now that this most great migration hath taken place, assuredly various groups will arise to make claims, and the satans among men, finding their opportunity, will aspire to Solomon's throne.

We desire naught on earth save the betterment of the world and the edification of its peoples. To this testifieth the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Among the people are those who turned away, those who denied, and those who cast it behind their backs, clinging to the idle fancies of the ungodly - they who violated God's Covenant and His Testament, denied His proof and His evidence, and uttered that which caused the dwellers of Paradise and the people of this luminous station to lament.

Say: O people! Cause no division in God's Cause, and break not His Covenant, and be not of them that perceive not.

O my God! Make firm the leaves of this Tree, lest the tempests of trials should cause them to fall. Thou, in truth, art the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Beneficent. Deprive not, moreover, those of Thy servants that have set their faces towards Thee. Enable them, O my God, to bear witness to Thy oneness, to acknowledge Thy singleness, to recognize Thy sovereign might, to turn towards the sanctuary of Thy glory and grandeur, to repair unto Thee for refuge, and to seek Thy presence for protection. Cast them not away, O my Lord, by Thy grace, and withhold them not from this river that hath flowed from the right hand of the throne of Thy oneness. Suffer them not, O my Lord, to be numbered with them that have broken Thy Covenant, violated Thy Testament, waxed proud before Thee, disputed Thy truth, rejected Thy grace, and turned away from Thee, all in spite of the fact that not a single word hath been inscribed by Thy Supreme Pen wherewith Thou didst not enter into a Covenant with me.

O my God! They have belittled me and made me a target for the arrows of calumny, a mark for the darts of slander, and subject to objection. Yet I have found sweetness in every bitterness for Thy sake, found pleasure in every hardship, accepted every tribulation, endured every affliction, and remained patient through every mortal wound. I have not breathed a word of grief or complaint, nor moaned, lamented or cried out, lest the loved ones discover my tribulations and sense what has befallen me from the arrows of the friends.

Enable them, then, O my God, so to seek refuge within the stronghold of Thy love and of Thy Revelation, that neither Thine adversaries nor the wicked doers among Thy servants, who have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and turned away most disdainfully from the Day-Spring of Thine Essence and the Revealer of Thy glory, may prevail against them.

O Lord! Thou seest how the people of the Bayan have broken Thy Covenant, shattered Thy Testament, and turned away from Thy Beauty.

Yet Thou seest the weak ones among the people plunging into the doubts of the slumberers, clinging to pretexts flimsier than a spider's web, falling into the abyss of degradation, and taking refuge in the pit of despair. They make excuses for everyone who hath violated the Covenant and risen in hypocrisy on the morn of separation, who hath made light of the Testament established in its cradle, and who hath derided the signs of the Covenant before most of the faithful. Then with his pen and his own hand he wrote epistles of discord and spread them throughout all regions.

O Lord! In this mighty Dispensation Thou didst manifest Thyself through the Manifest Sovereign, and in the Most Great Resurrection Thou didst shine forth with Thy most luminous Beauty. This century is the sovereign of centuries and this age is the springtime of ages in all respects. And since Thou hast distinguished this Dispensation in all aspects and stations above all other Days of the Manifestations of Thy Oneness, Thou didst - purely to shut the door to discord and dissension, to cut out the root of schism, to dispel doubts and prevent misgivings - clearly separate truth from falsehood through a decisive and evident text in Thy Most Holy Book, which abrogates all books and scriptures.

For thirty years Thou didst nurture all who claimed to love Thee at the breast of the Virgin of Thy Most Holy Book with the milk of the Covenant. In all Thy Tablets and Scriptures Thou didst praise and cherish those who held fast to Thy Covenant, while condemning and reproving the wavering and the Covenant-breakers. Then by Thy Supreme Pen Thou didst write the Book of the Covenant and inscribe the Tablet of the Testament, so that no room would remain for doubt or misgiving, and the Cause and Center of God's Cause would be as clear as the sun, and no one could create a breach or cast into Thy blessed Cause - which is the greatest means of unifying the world and removing differences between nations - the odor of discord and dissension, destroying this mighty edifice and turning this Most Glorious Paradise into a thorny wilderness.

Now certain immature ones have fallen to thinking of breaking the Covenant, and some foolish ones have arisen to uproot and destroy this foundation, secretly and even now openly striking with an axe at the root of faith and covenant and Thy Cause, and wielding a sword against the temple of Thy Testament. At every moment they perpetrate some injustice and inflict some cruelty, raising the cry of the oppressed. They interpret Thy Tablets, which by Thy explicit text are clear and evident, according to their own imaginings, putting them in their pockets and using them to prove their own delusions and fancies, mocking Thy oppressed servants. No arrow remains that they have not shot, no spear or lance remains that they have not hurled, no slander remains that they have not uttered, no wound remains that they have not inflicted.

O Lord! Thou art aware. O Forgiver! Thou art the refuge and shelter. O Creator! Thou art the witness. Thy steadfast friends are afflicted - grant them deliverance. Thy faithful loved ones are tried - give them relief. Raise high Thy manifest standard and grant leave to the manifest serpent to emerge from the sleeve of Thy Moses, that it may swallow up their falsehoods. Glory be upon all who are firm in God's strong and mighty Covenant.

I beseech Thee by Thy Name that hath dominion over all names, and by the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen whereby all things were set in motion, to ordain for me through the Pen of Destiny that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and protect me from the evil of Thine enemies who have broken Thy Covenant and Testament, denied Thy proof and rejected Thy evidence.

Supply us also with that which is best for us, and write us down with such of Thy servants as have repudiated the Idol (Mirza Yahya), and firmly believed in Thee, and been so established on the throne of certitude that the whisperings of the Evil One have been powerless to hinder them from turning their faces towards Thy name, the All-Merciful.

O my God, the All-Loving! Thou seest me from Thy Kingdom of holiness and the Heaven of Thy oneness, in the hands of a pack of fierce wolves and a band of predatory beasts who have turned back on their heels, broken their Covenant, violated Thy testament, denied Thy signs, grown proud before the Center of Thy Covenant, shown arrogance towards Thee, turned their faces from Thy beauty, and claimed that Thou hast erred in Thy Cause by directing all to the Source of the expression of Thy verses and calling all to turn to the Dawning-place of Thy bounty and the Dayspring of Thy gifts.

Thou didst grant him such firmness that he regarded every unsteady one as more worthless than stone and clay, and like a mountain of iron he stood firm against every devil, until Qazvin became a supreme paradise through the bounty of the Covenant and became a mirror of the highest heaven. The odor of violation never had any effect and inflammatory letters were not circulated.

Save me from the oppression of those who have not observed Thy Covenant and Testament, who have not preserved Thy sanctity and have not protected Thy preserve, but rather have attributed error to Thee and claimed rightness for themselves, saying that the one specified in the Book deserves censure and avoidance, while the first to break the Covenant, abandon Thy Cause, and violate Thy Testament deserves obedience and submission, even though he arose in strongest opposition to the Dawning Place of the lights of Thy Covenant, the blazing Lamp.

I complain of my anguish and sorrow unto Thee regarding what has befallen Thy wretched, poor servant and Thy weak, humble bondsman from the violators of Thy Covenant after Thee, those who have departed from Thy manifest religion after Thy ascension, those who wavered in Thy ancient Covenant after the Sun of Thy Beauty was veiled by the clouds of Thy mighty glory.

Therefore, O my God, protect it from the perversion of the extremists and the innovations of the innovators, and preserve the fortress of Thy Cause from those who would break away, through Thy power, O Thou Most Merciful of the merciful ones, and through Thy sovereignty which pervadeth the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.

When we are firm and steadfast in Thy Covenant and Faith, we shun all else but Thee. O Lord! Have mercy and grant steadfastness.

And yet, I have aided Thine enemies, who have broken Thy Covenant, who have cast away Thy Book, disbelieved in Thee, and repudiated Thy signs.

… Indeed, I am he that hath failed in duty towards Thee, and hath broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and committed that which hath made the dwellers of the cities of Thy justice, and the dawning-places of Thy grace in Thy realms, to lament.

Say:

O my God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy standing and sitting, by Thy Will and Authority, by Thy recitation of verses, by Thy declarations and utterances, and by the manifestation of Thy Cause before Thy creation, to protect Thy loved ones from the evil of the oppressors who have violated Thy Covenant and Testament, and have committed that which hath caused every truthful and trustworthy one to lament, and every knowing and informed one to weep.

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I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds, by Thy Most Great Name, whereby the limbs of the nations who broke Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, who disputed Thy verses and contended with the Daysprings of Thy Cause and the Dawning-Places of Thy Revelation, were made to tremble, to change my sorrow into gladness from Thy presence and my grief into joy from Thy direction.

Thou seest me in the claws of Thine enemies who have violated Thy Covenant and turned away from meeting Thee, after Thou didst counsel all in Thy Book and didst make a single word from Him to be above the Bayan and what Thou didst reveal therein of Thy verses.

O God, my God! Thou seest my state, my tribulation, my suffering, my abasement, my trials, my anguish, my grief, my agitation and my distress, and Thou beholdest how the people of hatred have assailed 'Abdu'l-Baha, how they have drawn against him the swords of malice, aimed at him the arrows of calumny, encompassed him from every direction, given him the cup of venom to drink, and at every moment cast him into destruction.

O God, my God! All parties have risen in most grievous oppression against this servant of Thine who hath sought the gate of Thy oneness and prostrated himself upon the dust in servitude, supplicating before the threshold of Thy oneness, who hath sacrificed his spirit in Thy path and forsaken all comfort in Thy love. The Party of the Qur'an hath risen in all rebellion, the Party of the Bayan hath aimed their spears and arrows and risen with every calumny and accusation, the Party of the Gospel hath made me drink bitter poison that I might turn to Thy glorious Kingdom, and the band of the malicious and the company of the hateful who have violated the Covenant have arisen with every hypocrisy, cast doubts, spread rumors throughout all lands, scattered pages of discord to all horizons, attributed to Thy servant every disgrace among the people, distorted Thy tablets and altered Thy words, hoping to change Thy Covenant and transform Thy Testament, until they strove with all their might and endeavor to shed my blood, forged false statements in my name and brought them before the authorities and rulers of these parts that they might cast me into a bottomless pit. Thou art indeed aware of all this, so how hast Thou left me in their hands and placed me under the dominion of the people of hatred, and hast not raised me unto Thee in the proximity of Thy supreme mercy?

O Lord, O Lord! Space hath grown strait, tribulation severe, the malady chronic, the remedy difficult, and healing most arduous. None can remove this harm save Thee, and none can shelter this refugee save Thee. O Lord! Have mercy upon me through Thy grace and bounty, and deliver me from the depths of these seas through Thy mercy and favor, that my heart may find rest in the seat of truth at the threshold of Thy Kingdom and my spirit repose in the court of forgiveness before Thy presence of divine mercy. By Thy glory! This is the supreme gift for this servant of Thine at this time.

O Lord, O Lord! Bring near unto me the cup of doom, intoxicate me with the wine of sacrifice, and raise me unto Thee, O my Most Glorious Lord! Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous, the Bestower, and verily Thou art the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.

O servants of the Lord God! The tribulations of 'Abdu'l-Baha increase moment by moment, and the onslaught of the people of hatred continues unabated. At every instant they strike a blow, and at every moment they offer a deadly poison. One day they spread papers of doubt, another time they circulate slanderous letters. At times they raise an outcry, at times they wail loudly. Sometimes they distort words, at times they make accusations before rulers and attribute every sedition and mischief to 'Abdu'l-Baha. At one hour they issue a death sentence, at another they call him the chief of misbelievers, the destroyer of the manifest religion, and the tree of negation. In short, they arise by every means to harm 'Abdu'l-Baha, and this weak, frail, wronged servant cannot rest for a moment before these obstinate people, cannot draw a peaceful breath, and cannot lay his head upon the pillow of comfort.

In these days, a certain person from Jahrum, who from the beginning of the Day of the Covenant until now had arisen with the utmost violation, and who had distributed with his own hand to all lands various calumnies against the Center of the Covenant, and who had printed all the epistles of the violators in India and spread them abroad, came to the Holy Land with Haji Mahmud Avazi, claiming "I have come with Haji Mahmud merely to investigate and examine, and our purpose is to search after truth." He met with the loved ones of God and engaged in questions and answers. Haji Mahmud, praise be to God, is like an immovable mountain, firm in the Covenant, but that obstinate person employed such guile and deception, claiming he had become entirely free from violation and all doubts had been removed, but desired just one minute of meeting.

'Abdu'l-Baha wrote in response that whatever this person says is contrary to truth. His purpose is like that of Aqa Khan Kirmani, who was of the party of Yahya and came to the Holy Land, expressing his longing to attain the presence of the Most Holy. The Blessed Beauty said his purpose was something else, but no matter, let him come. So he attained the Most Holy Presence, and when he returned, he published a treatise stating "I went to the Holy Land merely to investigate and met Him and saw and heard such and such things and found no answers to my questions. Then I went to Cyprus where I received complete and sufficient answers to all I asked." He attributed various calumnies to the Blessed Beauty, printed and circulated them.

Now this person from Jahrum has the same purpose, therefore he does not deserve a meeting. But the friends insisted greatly, so finally there was a meeting of a few minutes. Now, like Aqa Khan Kirmani, he has composed a treatise with the chief violators of Akka and has hastened to India by steamer to print those calumnies with utmost speed and publish the Blessed Tablets which they have distorted, that perchance they may cause the weak ones to waver.

Now, O loved ones of God, resist the arrows of doubts through divine power, heavenly might, celestial confirmation, divine aid and grace, conscientious firmness and steadfastness, divine inspirations, holy breaths, eternal attraction, an illumined heart and a sanctified spirit.

Make the letters and writings of every violator of the Covenant a cause of steadfastness and firmness, for those possessed of certitude increase in faith and assurance through the doubts of the veiled ones. Their turning away becomes the cause of increased devotion in the believers, and their denial leads to the strengthening of the assured ones. You must demonstrate such steadfastness and firmness that, like divine lions, you may stride forth in the arena of understanding, causing each of the foxes of violation to flee to their den of despair and humiliation, and to the corner of hopelessness and loss. Woe unto them! Away with them! And misery be unto them until the Day when they shall be raised up! Glory be to God! Despite having witnessed the power of the Covenant, having seen the banner of the Testament raised throughout all regions and the standard of the Covenant billowing forth, and having observed the violators afflicted with perpetual misfortune, evident loss and utter abasement, still they remain heedless and unmindful. This is divine retribution! This is heavenly wrath! This is the abasement of the Jews! This is the state of the obstinate people! Leave them to their vain discourse, wherein they amuse themselves, and let them be immersed in their folly. Verily, they are among the lost ones. Soon you shall see them as scattered dust, with neither mention nor trace remaining of them in any land. And upon you be greetings and praise.

Thou hast healed them from the diseases of violation and the symptoms of breaking the Covenant, O Lord of the Covenant!

Baha'u'llah and the Master in many places and very emphatically have told us to shun entirely all Covenant-breakers as they are afflicted with what we might try and define as a contagious spiritual disease; they have also told us, however, to pray for them. These souls are not lost forever. In the Aqdas, Baha'u'llah says that God will forgive Mirza Yahya if he repents. It follows, therefore, that God will forgive any soul if he repents. Most of them don't want to repent, unfortunately. If the leaders can be forgiven it goes without saying that their followers can also be forgiven.

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