Station of the Manifestation of God: revelation, recognition and response

Rev. Bixby: By what authority is Baha'u'llah placed with Abraham, Moses and Jesus?

A. B: Today we believe Baha'u'llah to be an educator of humanity, as Abraham, Moses and Jesus were educators. Are His teachings worthy of serious attention? He originated and proclaimed them. He caused others to believe and follow them. What is the function of a teacher and educator of humanity? By what evidence shall we recognize him? Is it not his power to train and develop, as children are trained at school?

The holy divine Manifestations are all heavenly Artists. Upon the canvas of creation with the brush of their deeds and [lives] and actions, they paint immortal pictures which cannot be found in any Art Museum of Europe and America but you find these masterpieces of these spiritual Artists in the hearts.

Even Christ did not become manifest that we should merely believe in Him as the Christ, follow Him and adore His mention. … Nay, rather, Christ appeared in order to illumine the world of humanity, to render the earthly world celestial, to make the human kingdom a realm of angels, to unite the hearts, to enkindle the light of love in human souls, so that such souls might become independent, attaining complete unity and fellowship, turning to God, entering into the divine Kingdom, receiving the bounties and bestowals of God and partaking of the manna from heaven.

For example, Christ was capable of leading spirits into that abode of serenity. He was capable of guiding hearts into that haven of rest. From the day of His manifestation to the present time He has been resuscitating hearts and quickening spirits. He has exercised that vivifying influence in the realm of hearts and spirits; therefore, His resuscitating is everlasting.

The real Manifestation of God must be endowed with divine knowledge and not dependent upon learning acquired in schools. He must be the Educator, not the educated; His standard, intuition instead of tuition. He must be perfect and not imperfect, great and glorious instead of being weak and impotent. He must be wealthy in the riches of the spiritual world and not indigent.

In the human world, there have appeared souls who became educators of humanity, who shone like the sun and were worshipped throughout all regions - they were the dawning-places of revelation and the daysprings of the light of truth. Therefore, consider in the human temple what loftiness and exaltation this represents.

For in this great accomplishment He stood single and alone. Could He have made such a change and brought about such a condition among these people without the sanction and assistance of a heavenly power? Could He have transformed a people from humiliation to glory without a holy and divine support?

None other than a divine power could have done this. Therein lies the proof of Prophethood because the mission of a Prophet is education of the human race such as this Personage accomplished, proving Him to be a mighty Prophet among the Prophets and His Book the very Book of God.

Christ was heavenly, divine and belonged to the world of the Kingdom. He was the embodiment of spiritual knowledge. His intellect was superior to these philosophers, His comprehension deeper, His perception keener, His knowledge more perfect.

But Prophets demonstrate the existence of this Inner Perception and Intuition in man in a practical way. They show forth this power first in themselves by inspiring men with the faculty of comprehending the realities of things and grasping things supernatural.

'Abdu'l-Baha answered in words to the following effect: "Whatever good deeds man performs in this world have been originally inculcated by the Prophets and Manifestations of God. Were it not for the Prophets' teachings, man would remain ignorant and heedless like unto the brute beasts. … Hence true excellence consists in acknowledging the Manifestations of God and loving up to their teachings. (For they set the standard of a truly good life and enable men to perform Good Deeds.)"

The centers of progress for each age are the manifestations of God as seen in his prophets. In whatever country or at whatever time they appear, they are the focus of the creational day - for as the sun in the material heaven develops the material beings, so do these spiritual suns develop the world of minds and souls.

The day of the Manifestation of God is the divine and spiritual springtime when the trees of human souls become green and flourishing, new beauty and freshness are brought to the gardens of the hearts and new inspiration and fresh bounties are bestowed.

The Divine Messengers are the perfect teachers-teachers for the whole world; all that pertains to the universal order is from God. This earth is a school in which mankind are the pupils. The Divine Messengers are God's teachers.

"By God, who is the only God and there is no God but he, this servant swears the masters did not come that man should adore them, or worship them or acknowledge their prophethood. Nay, rather, the masters of all time have suffered for none other than this -- the fleshly veils might be rent asunder and reality become manifest.

He is the reformer of the world and the educator of nations. His fragrance is the true attractor and the spiritual magnet. He guideth seekers to their goal and showeth the way to aspirants reaching their desire.

In truth, the mention of the Sun and its like refers to His exalted and sublime station among the servants, otherwise every person of insight beareth witness to the sanctification of His Essence from whatsoever hath been mentioned and the detachment of His Self from whatsoever hath been or shall be comprehended.

Then in another sense it [the word "sun"] is applied to the Prophets of God and His chosen ones, for they are the suns of His names and attributes amidst His creation. Were it not for them, no one would be illumined by the lights of divine knowledge.

Thus, among created beings, man is the most perfect of creatures. By man is meant the perfect individual, and that perfect individual is like a mirror wherein divine perfections appear and are visible. However, the Sun does not descend from its height of sanctity and enter into the mirror, but when the mirror is pure and faces the Sun of Reality, the perfections of the Sun of Reality - which are its rays and heat - become manifest and visible in that mirror. These souls are the Holy Manifestations of God.

The daysprings of those effulgences, the dawning-places of those revelations, and the sources of those manifestations are those Exponents of holiness, those universal Realities and divine Beings who are the true mirrors of the sanctified Essence of the Divinity. All the perfections, bounties and splendours of the one true God are plainly visible in the realities of His Holy Manifestations, even as the light of the sun is fully reflected with all its perfections and bounties in a clear and spotless mirror.

The Lord Christ said, 'He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father' -- God manifested in man.

The sun does not leave his place in the heavens and descend into the mirror, for the actions of ascent and descent, coming and going, do not belong to the Infinite, they are the methods of finite beings. In the Manifestation of God, the perfectly polished mirror, appear the qualities of the Divine in a form that man is capable of comprehending.

Thus it is established that human reality is distinguished above all other beings and is the discoverer of the realities of things, especially the perfect individual, the universal outpouring, and the resplendent light - every noble Prophet and mighty Messenger. For He is like a pure and delicate mirror wherein are reflected sublime images that tell of the Sun of Reality which shines upon it with eternal grace.

I gave an exposition regarding the claim of the Divine Manifestations, Who considered Themselves God's mirror. I also considered the situation appropriate for saying, "His Holiness the Bab states, 'I am the Mirror of God.'[26] His purpose is to show the Sanctified Manifestations teach that, 'God's Effulgence shines upon Us, and from Us shines upon the creation.' It is in this station that They claim divinity. If the sun shining in the mirror claims that it is the sun, indeed it has spoken the truth."

That is, they are all Divine Manifestations and the reality of Divinity is ever sanctified above ascent, descent, incarnation and emergence. Whatever man thinks comes from his own imagination, therefore there is no incarnation, no emergence, and no ascent. Incarnation and admixture are properties of physical bodies. The utmost is that these holy Manifestations are like mirrors and the rays of the Sun of Reality are reflected in these mirrors. Therefore if that Sun which is reflected in the mirrors says "I am the Sun," it is the very truth. Despite this, It does not say It has incarnated, for that Sun is eternally in Its lofty sanctity.

The Holy Tree (Sadrat) is, in a sense, the Manifestation of the One True God, exalted be He. The Blessed Tree in the land of Za'faran refereth to the land which is flourishing, blessed, holy and all-perfumed, where that Tree hath been planted. The intent of all exalted names and titles revealed in the Bayan and from the Pen of the Most High in this Revelation is the Manifestation of God Himself.

Observe how veiled the people are, that they accept the manifestation of Truth in the mount of Sinai and in rock and clay and tree, yet they deny and turn away from and show pride before the Blessed Beauty, in Whom all signs and power and might and greatness and divine attributes were manifest.

O thou who art guided by divine guidance! His Holiness Moses beheld the light of guidance from the kindled fire in the Sinai Tree and spoke these words: "Stay here, I perceive a fire; perhaps I can bring you a brand from it, or find guidance at the fire."

But thou hast beheld the light of the Most Great Guidance in the blessed Mount of Certitude, the holy valley of the All-Merciful, as a kindled fire in the Blessed Tree of Man, and thou hast heard the soul-stirring call "Verily, I am God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers" from the divine throat.

This is the Most Hidden Treasure and this is the Heaven unto Which Jesus ascended and this is the Burning Bush Whereupon Moses discovered the Divine Guidance. This is the City Wherein the family of Moses abided and this is the Throne on High unto Which ascended the Apostle of God and this is the Unseen World from Whence these signs appeared and the lights shone forth and the suns arose and the luminaries appeared and the stars shed their splendour.

The sun is always the sun; if at a certain period it gave no light it would not at that period be called the sun, for the characteristics of the sun are light and heat. The great ones are from all time in their glorious station, their reality is luminous from the beginning, the reality that causes the qualities of God to appear, but the day of their manifestation is the day when they proclaim themselves of this earth.

In the same way the variation is in the soul of man, and not in the Manifestation, who remains fixed and eternal in His Station. All change related to us and our human conditions.

The difference between Christ and others is this: Christ was the Spirit, others are bodies. Christ was the Sun, others are mirrors. Christ was the Truth and was bestowing Eternal Life; others are dead and are imparting deadness and negligence.

Having barred the way that leadeth unto Thee, Thou hast, by virtue of Thine authority and through the potency of Thy will, called into being Them Who are the Manifestations of Thy Self, and hast entrusted Them with Thy message unto Thy people, and caused Them to become the Daysprings of Thine inspiration, the Exponents of Thy Revelation, the Treasuries of Thy Knowledge and the Repositories of Thy Faith, that all men may, through Them, turn their faces towards Thee, and may draw nigh unto the kingdom of Thy Revelation and the heaven of Thy grace.

And since the door of knowledge of the Hidden Essence, the Concealed Mystery, is closed, He hath sent forth from the realm of the unseen to the plane of existence holy souls who are the Manifestations of His Cause, the Daysprings of His decree, the Rising-places of His revelation and the Recipients of His knowledge.

And since the gates of knowledge and comprehension were closed, and the ultimate degree of the servants' understanding rejected, the Sovereign of existence, through His grace and bounty, caused the Manifestations of Oneness and Daysprings of Divine glory to appear from the horizon of "Verily, I am He Who is manifest above all things," so that all people might attain unto the knowledge of God through recognition of these Suns dawning from the horizon of truth, and might be blessed with obedience to God and submission to His will through obedience to these holy Beings.

Prophets do not comprehend the God Essence. To comprehend the Sun of Reality we would have to be greater (than the Sun). In order to comprehend the Essence of God a Prophet would have to encompass the Infinite.

None can transcend or rise beyond this exalted station - the station of recognition and attainment unto that Sun of Oneness and Daystar of Truth - for it is clearly impossible to reach the Unknowable Essence. Thus do the waves of that hidden Ocean surge in this divine Manifestation, and the rays of that invisible Sun shine forth from the horizon of this holy and eternal Dawn without any intimation.

Immeasurably high are the Prophets of God exalted above the comprehension of men, who can never know them except by their own Selves. Far be it from His glory that His chosen Ones should be magnified by any other than their own persons. Glorified are they above the praise of men; exalted are they above human understanding!

He cannot be known except through Himself, nor described save by His own Self. None hath ever encompassed this hidden secret and treasured mystery, nor ever shall. Whatever hath been mentioned is but as a shadow before the lights of the Sun of Truth.

O Ahmad! The station of the Manifestation is above what the servants mention of Him. Then shineth forth the light of unity and are extinguished the lamps of fancy and conjecture.

Thou hast asked about a station greater than the creation of the heavens and earth, which God hath placed above the testimonies of His servants - none shall understand it save them that are endued with knowledge. Yea, people understand according to their ranks and stations, not according to that which hath been ordained for it. Glorified, glorified be He above all that ye ask!

Know thou, moreover, that the Truth and whatsoever proceedeth from Him must needs be distinguished from creation and whatsoever emanateth therefrom. This verily is a certain truth. He can never be confused with aught else, and shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of holiness with manifest sovereignty.

Praise be to God, Who made His creatures to know the station of His theophany through His very Self; Who confirmed the signs of knowledge by the decree of His wisdom, without likeness or anthropomorphism; Who deposited the pattern of differentiation within the realities of hearts, without making similitude unto Himself; and Who sent down the verses of Sinai upon the forms of contingent beings, without any definition derived from aught else.

Thou hast made them the pillars of Thy unity, the interpreters of Thy revelation, the manifestations of Thy Self, and the signs of Thy sovereignty. Thou hast removed all distinction between Thee and them in the station of guidance unto Thee, such that all behold in the station of their knowledge Thy knowledge, in the station of their love Thy love, in the station of their manifestation Thy manifestation, and in the station of their concealment the sovereignty of Thy power.

After establishing this lofty station and this glorious seat, true oneness refers to His Vicegerent amongst His servants. He is the Dawning-Place of revelation, the Dayspring of inspiration, the Manifestation of His Self and the Repository of knowledge. He is the Treasury of names and attributes. Whoso hath known Him hath known God, and whoso hath clung unto Him hath clung unto God.

The oneness of God, exalted be His glory, is not established save through the Manifestation of His Self, the Dawning-Place of His Cause, the Dayspring of His Revelation, and His Representative among creation. In the Dispensation of the Furqan, the Seal of the Prophets (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake) attained this station. Were any likeness or peer to be found for that Essence of existence and Cause of creation, how could the sanctification of the Creator's Being from peers and likeness be established?

The Person of the Manifestation hath ever been the representative and mouthpiece of God. He, in truth, is the Dayspring of God’s most excellent Titles, and the Dawning-Place of His exalted Attributes.

These gates, which in truth are primarily the gates of the effusions of the King of Oneness, are the guides of the Way and the bearers of proof and evidence. They are the Manifestations of Names and Attributes, and the Dawning-places of revelation and signs. In every age and cycle, a gate among the gates was opened to the face of creation through a name among the Names, until it culminated in the ultimate gates of the Most Great Grace, the Most Noble Station, the Supreme Rank, and the Uttermost Goal.

As for the heavenly spirit, it is a holy essence, a perfect word, a complete sign, the mystery of existence, and the reality hidden from the eyes of all beings. It is the Supreme Pen, the Most Merciful Soul, and the manifestation of Truth from the dawning-place of creation and its sun at the point of invention. This is specifically for the Prophets in the worlds of creation.

Then, through the requirements of the establishment of the Sovereign of justice upon the throne of mercy and grace, He created, through pure origination and sheer invention, the Point of existence and the Praiseworthy Countenance, which has been expressed through various terms such as the Eternal Countenance, the Divine Reed, the Primal Point, the Warbling of the Dove, the Perfect Word of Manifestation, the Divine Identity of the Cloud of Unknowing, and the Countenance of Ahmad and Muhammad.

He created not the Sun of Truth that any benefit might return unto Him, or that He might find companionship therewith before its creation, or that His power might be made manifest thereby, for the power of the Essence is the Essence itself, which none but Him can comprehend. The power by which He createth the Sun of Truth is His calling it into being through itself, by itself, and it is its reality wherein He hath manifested Himself to it through its innermost essence. Had He not sent the Messengers and revealed the Books, would aught have diminished from His dominion? And after sending them, was aught added unto His sovereignty?

Rather, He created the Sun of Truth solely through His bounty and pure generosity, that it might derive strength from God its Creator and glory from God its Originator. When He created it through the Tongue of God by itself - for example, when God revealed to Muhammad, the Messenger of God, that there is no God but Him - He manifested unto him that he should speak from God, saying: "Verily We have sent thee as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, a warner, one who summoneth unto God by His leave, and as a luminous lamp." Through this Word was the Sun of Truth created, such that from the beginning that hath no beginning it hath been the Throne of God's manifestation, and unto the end that hath no end it shall be the Seat of God's revelation.

Thus have I shown thee how that Reality is wrought by Himself for His own Self -- albeit He hath no "how"; for whatsoever possesseth a "how" must needs be fashioned by the Will. And verily, the being of the Divine Will is the Sun of Reality: its hidden mystery is the ocean of the Names and Attributes, and its outward splendour the Kingdom of Command and Manifestations. Naught descendeth from God save through it, and naught ascendeth unto God, forevermore, save by it. This is the Cause of causes -- pre-existent and everlasting -- from the First of the first unto the Last of the last, unceasing, unaltered.

He has chosen a sublime Essence, and a pure and resplendent Reality, an exalted and crystalline Being, a distinguished and transcendent Nature, a radiant and effulgent Identity, a brilliant and lustrous Presence, a majestic and magnificent Existence, an august and splendid Entity, a powerful and mighty Reality, and a most glorious and sublime Being. Then did His Glory shine forth in its own essence, and He cast into its identity the image of His Self. Thus was manifested from it that which was within and upon it, filling thereby the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them.

Therefore reflect upon this Perfect Manifestation, this Distinguished Dayspring, this All-Encompassing Effulgence. Verily He is the gatherer of all ranks and exalted stations, heavenly realities, celestial subtleties, and divine outpourings. Likewise He is the gatherer of created realities and contingent darkness. In truth, He is the Greatest Medium, the Supreme Intermediary, the meeting place of the two seas, the confluence of the two rivers, and the possessor of two stations.

Know that, while the Manifestations of God possess infinite virtues and perfections, They occupy only three stations: The first is the material station; the second is the human station, which is that of the rational soul; and the third is that of divine manifestation and heavenly splendour.

Even the holy, divine Manifestations have had a nature in the utmost equilibrium, the health and wholesomeness of their bodies most perfect, their constitutions endowed with physical vigor, their powers functioning in perfect order, and the outward sensations linked with the inward perceptions, working together with extraordinary momentum and coordination.

Although those Manifestations are outwardly raised up in human form, in reality they are holy essences and sanctified realities.

We stated before that the Manifestations of God have three stations: first, the material reality, which pertains to the human body; second, the individual reality, that is, the rational soul; and third, the heavenly manifestation, which consists in the divine perfections and is the source of the life of the world, the education of the souls, the guidance of the people, and the enlightenment of all creation.

The corporeal station is human in nature and is subject to disintegration, for it is an elemental composition and that which is composed of elements must of necessity be decomposed and dispersed.

But the individual reality of the Manifestations of the All-Merciful is a sanctified reality, and it is so because it surpasses in essence and in attributes all created things. It is like the sun, which, by virtue of its inherent disposition, must inevitably produce light, and cannot be compared to any satellite. For instance, the constituent parts of the sun can in no wise be compared to those of the moon. The composition and arrangement of the former necessarily produce rays, whereas the constituent parts of the latter require the acquisition, rather than the production, of light. So the other human realities are souls, which, like the moon, acquire their light from the sun, but that sanctified Reality is luminous in and of itself.

The third station is that of divine grace, the revelation of the beauty of the Ancient of Days and the effulgence of the lights of the ever-living and omnipotent Lord. The individual realities of the holy Manifestations cannot be separated from divine grace and revelation any more than the corporeal mass of the sun can be separated from its light. Thus the ascension of the holy Manifestations is simply the abandonment of Their elemental bodies. For example, consider the lamp that lights this niche. Its rays may cease to fall upon the niche if the latter is destroyed, but there is no interruption in the bounty of the lamp itself. The pre-existent grace of the holy Manifestations is even as the light, Their individual realities as the glass globe, and Their human temples as the niche: If the niche is destroyed, the lamp continues to burn. The Manifestations of God are like so many different mirrors, as They each have Their own distinct individuality, but that which is reflected in these mirrors is one and the same sun. Thus, it is evident that the reality of Christ is different from that of Moses.

From the beginning, that sanctified Reality is undoubtedly aware of the secret of existence, and from childhood the signs of greatness are clearly manifested in Him. How then could He fail, in spite of such bounties and perfections, to be conscious of His own station?

We mentioned the three stations of the Manifestations of God: that of corporeal existence, of individual reality, and of perfect divine manifestation, which can be likened to the sun, its heat, and its light. Other individuals also share the corporeal station and the rational soul -- the spirit and mind. Thus the passages that state, "I lay asleep when the breeze of God wafted over Me and roused Me from My slumber" are akin to Christ's saying, "The flesh is full of sorrow but the spirit is rejoiced", or again, "I am afflicted", or "I am at ease", or "I am troubled": All these refer to the corporeal station and have no bearing on the individual reality or on the state of manifestation of the divine Reality. Consider, for example, that thousands of vicissitudes may occur to the body of man of which the spirit remains wholly unaware. It is even possible for certain members of the body to be completely impaired and for the essence of the mind to remain unaffected. A garment may sustain a myriad rents and tears and the wearer may yet remain unharmed. Thus, the words of Baha'u'llah, "I lay asleep when a breeze wafted over Me and roused Me from My slumber", refer to the body.

In the world of God there is no past, present, or future: All of these are one. So when Christ said, "In the beginning was the Word," He meant that it was, is, and shall be; for in the world of God there is no time. Time holds sway over the creatures but not over God. So in the prayer where Christ says, "Hallowed be Thy name", the meaning is that Thy name was, is, and shall be hallowed. Again, morning, noon, and evening exist in relation to the earth, but in the sun there is neither morning, nor noon, nor evening.

The divine Holy Prophets have two stations. The first is the station of "Abstraction." This is the station wherein they commune with God, receive the Graces of the Holy Spirit and become intimate with the Fragrances of Holiness. The second station is the station of "Plurality." In this station they occupy themselves with the education of mankind.

The four letters which are mentioned in the tradition of the Imam (peace be upon him) that must be revealed with the Promised One are these four stations: The station of servitude, with which the Promised One arose at first; and the station of Imamate, concerning which He said "Verily I am the Qa'im Whose appearance was promised unto you"; third is the station of Prophethood, concerning which He said that the Holy Manifestations have no beginning and no end; fourth is the word "Verily I am God" - "He speaketh not from mere impulse. His utterance is but revealed revelation."

The Holy Manifestations have two stations: one station specific to them which none other may follow, and a station which all must follow. The second station comprises God's law and teachings. They are like a physician - for a physician in perfect health may do things that patients must not follow. Likewise, whatever the Holy Manifestations choose, whatever they do, whatever they enact contains perfect wisdom.

Moreover, when any attribute is ascribed to the Manifestations of the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, it cannot be compared to the same attribute in others. When we say "The Apostle believed in what was revealed to him," his belief is not like the belief of others. When we say that Moses and his companion forgot their fish, their forgetfulness is not like that of others. This is the station where it is said "The good deeds of the righteous are the sins of those drawn nigh."

Since those sanctified realities, the universal Manifestations of God, encompass all created things both in their essence and in their attributes, since they transcend and discover all existing realities, and since they are cognizant of all things, it follows that their knowledge is divine and not acquired--that is, it is a heavenly grace and a divine discovery.

But the Prophets of God are specially distinguished souls. God hath chosen them from among His servants and made them the sources of His inspiration and revelation: "He singles out for His mercy whomsoever He willeth. That is of God's bounty; He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth." This station is not acquired; rather, it is a gift of divine bestowal and heavenly revelation.

Abdul Baha: They have asked if it is possible for a person to reach the station of Christ, - whoever suffers of prays, can he reach this station?

No! It cannot be, because Christ was the Word of God, the Holy Spirit. This is ancient, but these people are accidental, and the accidental is not ancient. It cannot be.

Divine Manifestations are a different creation.

… Prophets, therefore, have a station of their own. … But observe what a banner of unique being Christ unfurled without friend or helper. All are from God but all have different stations.

In reply to a question asked by Alice regarding the personality of the Manifestation: "The Blessed Perfection does not mean His body. This body is now interred in the Holy Tomb. When we say the Blessed Perfection we mean the Reality, and the Reality of the Blessed Perfection is living and everlasting.

All Divine Manifestations give up all personal condition, considerations and graces in the Cause of God to such an extent that there is nothing judged of their personality; that is, they sacrifice their personality entirely in the world.

"Their life is only the life of God; their thought is what is thought of God; and their grades are those chosen by God.

Yet another meaning of sacrifice is for the Point of Truth, with all His manifold tokens, signs, precepts, and acts, to appear and become evident in all manifestations, whether universal or particular. That is to say, souls would derive their grace from His splendours and hearts receive their illumination from His rays. This mystery of sacrifice is clearly evident in the essence of every sanctified Reality, every celestial Being, and every effulgent Manifestation, in accordance with the rank and station of each.

In brief, the Manifestations of God at times express power, wealth and independence, and at times they express weakness, poverty and evanescence. The purpose of these two stations, two mentions and two utterances hath been and is to demonstrate the power and might of God, exalted be His glory.

Say: Verily I am a servant who hath believed in God and His signs, and I say not unto you that I know the unseen, nor do I claim any sign from heaven, but rather I recite unto you these clear verses from the Book of God for a people who remember.

Know thou that I am but the servant of God among you, moved by the winds of the will of your Lord, the All-Merciful, as He pleaseth and willeth. I possess for myself neither life, nor death, nor stillness, nor motion. I speak not except by His leave, as evidenced by that which hath appeared from Me by His command, which none can perceive save those endowed with insight.

The Wronged One is not the Tree that spoke forth on Mount Sinai. He is but a servant who hath believed in God and His verses.

By God, the True One! If ye were to observe with the eye of insight, ye would find inscribed upon My luminous brow, by the most ancient Pen with musk-scented ink from the fingers of My power, in the most glorious script: "By God, this is the Most Exalted Perspective, this is the Most Great Beauty, this is He through one glance of Whose eyes were created the kingdoms of eternity, the cities of names, and the manifestations of oneness in the realm of creation.

Say: I am but a man like you, it is revealed to me that I am your Lord - will you not be certain? Say: I have no power except through God, there is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

God testifieth that there is no God but Him, and He Who speaketh at the bidding of His Lord is but the First to worship Him. He is the peerless Creator Who hath created the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them, and all do His bidding.

As for the Manifestation of the Blessed Beauty and the Manifestation of Christ, the intention is not physical unity or personal unity. The intention is that the supernatural power and divine light was manifest, evident and radiant in both, like the sun which shines from multiple zodiacal houses but the sun is one, though the personality and physicality are like multiple houses.

We cannot say that the Manifestations are either greater or lesser. In order to make this distinction, we must be greater than they. The only thing we know is this-THEY ARE LIFE!

But to say that one is greater and the other lesser, -this is beyond the comprehension of our intellects. In order to know that they are greater or lesser, we must surround them. But we are the surrounded, not the surrounding.

We see that they bestow light, --that the rest of the world is illumined by them, -that is all.

But when the Manifestation of God Himself came, He was like a magnifying glass. The Manifestation was like a fine glass filled with wine; it was so perfect that no glass could be seen; the wine only shone forth. So the Manifestation was such a fine and perfect vehicle for the light, that the Spirit of God only was noticed.

The Exalted One---may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him---was content with the station of Babhood, but the people accepted it not. He said, "I am the Remnant of God," yet the people accepted it not.

However, in the station of distinction, God hath preferred some above others, as the master is preferred above the servants. In this station, behold the station of some as the Point above the letters, and just as the letters are derived from the Point and revolve around it, likewise know thou the ranks of the Prophets.

Convey my spiritual greetings to the handmaiden of God, Sungamitta, and say to her that each of the Manifestations in previous Dispensations had a station in existence and a rank in human development. But the Manifestation of the Most Great Name--may my spirit be a sacrifice for His loved ones--represents the maturity and coming of age of human reality in the world of existence. For the sun is the source of light, the fountainhead of heat, and the center of illumination, combining within itself all the perfections that have been manifested by the other luminous stars upon the horizons.

Another kind of Prophets are followers and promulgators, not leaders and law-givers, but they are nonetheless the recipients of the hidden inspirations of God. Yet another kind are Prophets Whose prophethood has been limited to a particular locality. But the universal Manifestations are all-encompassing: They are like the root, and all others are as the branches; they are like the sun, and all others are as the moon and the stars.

Every Prophet has His own particular Mission and function. He does not come merely to perform miracles.

Though all the Manifestations of the Cause were indeed related unto God and their days are in one sense mentioned as the Days of God, yet the seeing eye perceiveth that this wondrous Day is specially reserved for the appearance of the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Secret. All books bear witness to this most glorious, most mighty, most holy, most exalted station.

As to the manifestation of the Greatest Name (Baha'u'llah): This was the Divine Manifestation which appeared upon the earthly world. This is He whom God promised in all His Books and Scriptures, such as the Bible, the Gospels and the Koran. All of these Books indicate this fact, and the least doubt cannot possibly occur to the minds concerning this clear fact, as is recorded in detail in the heavenly Books, especially in the brilliant and holy Tablets.

But Baha'u'llah is neither of the East nor of the West, neither of the South nor of the North. He is holy above all these directions. He is heavenly and godly.

Then know that the Divine Manifestations are true Suns who have ever been in a state of perfection and will forever remain sources of light - there is no change or alteration. However, resurrection is the day of the proclamation of the Cause, the appearance of the Call, the spreading of the Word, and the exposition of the teachings. Otherwise Christ and all the Divine Manifestations from eternity unto eternity are brilliant lights, radiant suns and holy spirits. Their appearance is according to the capacity and ability of the world.

And as for my station, it is servitude to the Most Glorious Beauty. I would not exchange this servitude for any station.

Baha'u'llah is the Source, the One Who has illumined this dark world, made corporeal into spiritual, quickened the dormant minds, changed the earthly souls into heavenly ones and given life to the dead and sight to the blind.

I bear witness that Muhammad, upon Whom and upon Whose family be the blessings of God, is His First Remembrance, Whom He originated for Himself and brought forth for His Cause, Whom He approved for His sovereignty and chose for His message, establishing Him upon the throne of His Own unique dominion, distinguished from any likeness among humankind or similitude, for He cannot be associated with the beauty of creation nor described by the attributes of servants.

I bear witness, O my God, before Thee concerning Thy chosen ones as Thou lovest and art well-pleased, and I bear witness that the most noble of them in Thy knowledge and the first of them in Thy Book is Muhammad - Thy blessings be upon him and his family - whom Thou didst create unique among his kind, free from likeness, and didst make him the station of Thy Self in every respect, purified from similarity and comparison. I bear witness that he fulfilled what Thou didst desire in Thy creation.

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Praise be to God Who hath made Himself known through His Own Self, Who is sanctified above any similarity to His servants and exalted beyond comparison with His creation. He is the Single One Whose very essence all contingent beings have testified to without qualification, and Whose Entity is described without associated reference. None knoweth the how of this save Him, and no judgment of the manner of His creation belongeth to the servants, for God hath originated whatsoever He willeth without the like of it, and invented whatsoever He desireth without similar pattern, and established the how without parallel command, and determined the where without other decree.

This is so that all may know the definitive boundary at the point of connection, and the description of essence in the path of opposition, and the letters of being in the atoms of servitude, and that the minutest particle at the extremity of minuteness may bear witness to the sign of divinity. There is no God but Him, the Most High, the Most Great.

God hath in this Day borne witness unto His Own Self by His Own Self that there is no God but Him, and the creation knoweth not a single letter of that testimony, for it is, even as it is, the very essence of testimony in the presence of Divine Unity. Glorified be God and exalted above what they describe.

And I bear witness that Muhammad, the blessings of God be upon him and his family, is His servant whom He chose for His Cause before all things, and whom his Lord selected for His love on the Day of the Seal after the passing away of all things -- he who existed before the mention of anything and who is sought after the passing away of everything.

He is a Messenger whom God sent forth in that Day for the knowledge of His Self, and made him the station of His sovereignty in every scene of His grandeur, for God was as He is, existing before all things, unassociated with any description or mention of creation. Glorified and exalted is He above what they describe.

And I bear witness to the successors of the Messenger of God, the blessings of God be upon him and his family, even as God hath borne witness unto them through their own selves, and none knoweth the how of this save Him, for God -- there is no God but Him -- graspeth not the vision while He graspeth the creation of all things, and He is the All-Subtle, the All-Informed.

And I bear witness to the servant of God concerning all affliction in the presence of the Remembrance at the fourth scene, and this is among that which God took from him by the Most Great Covenant on the day of his existence, that his decree might resemble the mention of Husayn, peace be upon him, and that the people of tribulation might enter into the crimson sand-hill, and that the people of tyranny might be openly charged with every evil deed in the worlds of the unseen and of testimony.

Even so hath God willed that He should see him sitting upon the dust with the grief of all existence and contingent being. Praise be to God even as He is, and I complain not of my anguish and sorrow save unto God, my Lord. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

Exalted be God far above what the oppressors among the people of that land assert with great haughtiness. God will soon punish them twice for what they have wrought, and He is not unjust to His servants.

And praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

God has placed all the signs of the horizons within the souls. Had God not placed the signs of the horizons within the souls, the servant could not have discovered what lies in the horizons. Thus the recognition of the exposition of prophethood is established in the signs of the soul to facilitate recognition of the signs of the horizons.

None knows your measure for it is God's measure, nor your station for it is God's station. None can encompass your description for it is God's description, nor your attributes for they are God's attributes.

Were it not for you, nothing would know God; were it not for you, nothing would worship God; were it not for you, nothing would sanctify God; were it not for you, nothing would remember God; were it not for you, nothing would describe God; were it not for you, nothing would praise God; were it not for you, nothing would characterize God.

The eyes of existence have never seen the like of Him, neither aforetimes, nor hereafter. He is the Name of the Unseen Essence , and the Countenance of Lordship, Who abideth beneath the Face of Divinity and refereth unto the Sovereignty of Divine Oneness.

… Although the Revelation of the Point of the Bayan is exactly the very Revelation of Muhammad in His Return, yet, inasmuch as He hath been manifested as the Revelation of God Himself, therefore, it is only beneath His glorious shadow that all Names can refer unto God. For He is the First and the Last, and the Seen and the Hidden.

Therefore the purpose of creation is the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest - exalted and glorified be His mention, and elevated and sublime be His station! This is a favor beyond which there is no favor, nor can any favor be associated with it, nor equal it, nor resemble it, nor suffice in place of it, for all favors have been created for the manifestation of this favor.

Therefore, when thou desirest to know Him, know the Manifestation of His Self in every Revelation, for this is the most glorious veil of God, the most exalted pavilion of God, the most excellent embroidery of God, and the most enduring light of God. Thou hast no way to know Him or to attain His good-pleasure except through the Manifestations of His Revelation in every Dispensation.

Say: O Solace of the Eye! I am in truth the Gate of God. I give you to drink, by God's leave, from the pure spring, the water of manifestation upon the face of the Mount.

… Say: "Verily I am the son of Muhammad, the Arabian, and have been witnessed around the Fire in the Preserved Tablet. Verily I am the Fire of the Interlocutor around the Mount that spoke in the Tree: 'There is no God but Him,' and God hath ever been My witness."

Praise be to Him Who hath created a luminous reality, a most merciful essence, a spiritual existence, a divine substance, a radiant pearl, and a brilliant and unique gem, and made it the channel of the supreme bounty, the bond of the Most Great Covenant, and the means of the highest gift. Through it flowed the bounties of its Lord and poured forth the desires of its people.

Fourthly: He must answer the questions of all the sages, solve all the difficult problems of humanity and be able to withstand all the persecutions and sufferings heaped upon him.

His Holiness the Amir [Ali], peace be upon him, was standing in an elevated place when a denier said, "O Ali, are you confident in God's protection?" He replied "Yes." Then he said "Throw yourself down from this high place and trust in God's protection." In reply he said "It is not for me to test God, rather it befits God to test His servant."

He replied "It is not befitting for me, it is not proper for me to test the Truth. Rather, it is befitting for the Truth to test and try me. For the pan of the human scale cannot bear that heavy burden - indeed, even the indicator of the scale would scatter and disintegrate."

The greatest proof of the Blessed Perfection - May my life be a ransom to Him - consists in the fact that he was always manifest and evident under all conditions and circumstances. He was never concealed nor was he disguised for one day. In Persia, in Bagdad, in Constantinople, in Adrianople and in the most great Prison Baha'u'llah ever withstood the persecutions of the enemies and kept his own ground in the face of all the world.

Is it possible that one can accept a book and refuse to accept him who teaches it? Is it possible to accept the sun and to reject its rays? He who rejects the rays is a rejector of the sun, too.

Know thou, O servant, that My Manifestation is My proof, and My standing forth My evidence, and My proof that which floweth from My sacred, transcendent, firm and manifest Pen.

Verily He has come with that which no one has brought, and has revealed the equivalent of what all the parties possess of the Books of the Prophets and Messengers, nay rather more, were ye of those who know.

Moreover, the words and verses of Christ, when taken altogether, would comprise at most ten pages, whereas if the verses of Baha'u'llah were gathered together from beginning to end, they would fill several trunks. Aside from this, the utterances of Christ in the Gospel are solely concerned with spiritual admonitions and with the improvement and rectification of human character, whereas the Writings of Baha'u'llah encompass manifold expressions of wisdom and inner meaning, realities and sciences, counsels and admonitions, and explanations and exegeses of the Sacred Scriptures of old.

He is indeed the One Whose mention the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur'an, and before it in the Torah and the Gospel. He hath not entered any school, and speaketh by His innate knowledge, if ye be of them that understand.

Briefly, Baha'u'llah says that "He Who is the Dawning-place of God's Cause" is the manifestation of "He doeth whatsoever He willeth", that this station is reserved to that sanctified Being, and that others receive no share of this essential perfection. That is, since the essential infallibility of the universal Manifestations of God has been established, whatsoever proceeds from them is identical with the truth and conformable to reality. They are not under the shadow of the former religion.

The True One, exalted be His station, is the possessor of the Most Great Infallibility, and the meaning of the Most Great Infallibility is that error, mistake and forgetfulness have no access whatsoever to that realm. This is the station of "He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth." If He declares the qiblih to be toward the east, it is the indubitable truth, and if He declares it to be toward the west, likewise.

Yes, in Baghdad, as you wrote, He would go to coffeehouses and partake of coffee and the water pipe, but this was to preserve the Bayan and its people. Beyond this, do not think ill of your Lord, for the Blessed Being has always been and will always be sanctified.

They say the purpose of the Prophets in making their claims was to gain leadership and governance, even though the foundation of God's Cause and the claims of the sacred Manifestations were entirely contrary to comfort, ease and pleasure, let alone thoughts of leadership.

The word 'prophetes' is from the Greek and means literally the 'predictor'. Many people therefore think that a Prophet is a Seer Who prophesies the future, because He foresees the future. The Prophet, however, is more than a Seer, it is true that each Prophet has visions far into the future, but beyond this He is the Announcer and Expounder of the Word of God.

The Master: "In the whole of the Orient the concept of the nature of a Prophet is the same, no matter whether it is the religion of Islam, or the Mosaic or Christian religions, namely: The Prophet, by reason of the personal attributes implanted in Him by the Lord God, is Leader as well as Teacher of His religion (creed). He, the Prophet, reigns and teaches in the name of God. The nature of the Prophet has superhuman traits which prove that He towers above ordinary human nature.

The dignity and burden of prophethood is not conferred on the true Prophet, but it is inborn, created in Him.

God is to every human being as great as the individual mental capacity permits one to see Him. So, also, is the Manifestation who represents Him in this world of beings.

In spite of all their [the Theosophists'] awareness, and notwithstanding their quest for peace - knowing as they do that a Perfect Man is needed in this perspicuous age - most of them are ignorant of this Cause and the momentousness of the advent of Baha'u'llah, which is more manifest than the sun itself.

Rather, they expect that a young Indian [Krishnamurti], who at present is being groomed in Europe, will be the source of such a prodigious cause. They do not realize that to deem him who will be the World Teacher to be in need of education by others is like trying to create a resplendent Sun by using the oil and wick of a candle.

But the light of this Perfect Man must be heavenly, not earthly; His perfections must be innate, not acquired; and His writings must be unbounded bestowals, not the products of the finite disciplines of this limited and contingent world.

Mine is the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them, and unto Me shall all things return in their beginning and their end. Say: the glory of every land belongeth unto Him Whom We shall make manifest.

Truly the Cycle of Prophethood hath been rolled up and He Who hath sent down the Prophets hath come, arrayed with a manifest and perspicuous sovereignty. He, verily, is the One at Whose Advent all created things have given this utterance: 'The Kingdom is God's, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the All-Praised.' He is the One for Whom the necks of God's Chosen Saints have been outstretched in longing and ardent expectation and every Prophet hath awaited His Presence in this wondrous Day.

Say: We have laid no claim to Prophethood, nor to successorship, nor to that which the people possess. To this testifieth He Who is the Self-Subsisting, and he who hath knowledge of mysteries.

This most exalted station and loftiest summit and ultimate goal ended with the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him. He is the Seal through whom the Beginning was made manifest, and He is the Last through whom the First became evident. He is the Manifestation of 'He doeth what He willeth' and the Embodiment of the words 'He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.'

And blessings and peace be upon Him through Whom was opened the door of all knowledge and wisdom, and through Whom the breezes of the All-Merciful wafted over all lands and the fragrance of the garment was diffused among all religions. Exalted be He Whom God hath made the Dawning-Place of His signs, the Dayspring of His power, the Source of His commandments, and the Manifestation of His laws. Through Him all created things were moved and all existing things were quickened. Through Him the sea revealed its waves, the Books their mysteries, and the earth its treasures.

And may prayers and peace be upon the Point of Existence and the Lord of the kingdom of earth and heaven, Whom God hath made the Manifestation of His names and the Dawning-Place of His attributes and the Repository of His knowledge and the Source of His Command - He but for Whom nothing would have been created - and upon His family and companions who conquered the world through His Name and arose to aid His Cause and bore witness even as the tongue of His grandeur bore witness that there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

He is the Most Great Talisman in the world. The "man" who is here mentioned refers, in its primary degree, to the Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake. He is the manifestation of the words "He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden." He is the Primal Point from which all the books of the world have been derived and elaborated. He is the true Most Great Sign and the spiritual Farthest Mosque. He is the Kaaba of God among creation and the Frequented Fane amidst His servants.

And prayers and peace be upon Him through whom the Cause of the House and its dwellers was raised up, He through whose will the Will of God appeared and through whose volition His pervading Will was manifest, through whose utterance flowed the river of mercy, through whom the cycle of Prophethood and Messengership was ended, the proof was completed and the blessing perfected, and the mysteries of divinity were revealed.

Blessings, peace, salutations and praise be upon the Manifestations of His Cause, the Dawning-Places of His Revelation, the Daysprings of His wisdom and the Daybreaks of His knowledge--they who have forsaken the world and taken hold of that which they were bidden by God, the Lord of eternity and Creator of nations. These are God's ambassadors and His chosen ones, His trustees and His loved ones. Whoso hath recognized them hath recognized God, and whoso hath turned towards them hath turned towards God. They have no will, nor judgment, nor movement, nor rest, nor mention save by God's leave and through His might and power.

[Q17:79] This Station of Praise is the assemblage of all perfect attributes and complete bounty and all-encompassing grace - that is, it is the holy Will and the manifestation of all the merciful qualities.

O Shafi'! He hath come Who was mentioned in the hearts of the Prophets and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of God. Blessed is he who hath recognized Him and said: "Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!" Say: He hath appeared and made manifest that which was hidden in knowledge, and hath spoken before the faces of the world in such wise that neither the veils of the wrongdoers nor the gestures of the heedless have hindered Him.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who hath come from the heaven of divine revelation is the Hidden Secret, the Impenetrable Mystery, Whose advent hath been foretold in the Book of God and hath been heralded by His Prophets and Messengers. Through Him the mysteries have been unraveled, the veils rent asunder and the signs and evidences disclosed. Lo! He hath now been made manifest. He bringeth to light whatsoever He willeth, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, invested with transcendent majesty and power.

O people! I am the Manifestation of God amongst you, and His proof amidst you, and His sovereignty unto you, were ye to be of them that know.

Say: This is He but for Whom the Bayan would not have been revealed, nor would the verses of God, the Mighty King, the All-Knowing, have been sent down.

Therefore, the Manifestations of God are the focal points of attention.

In the dispensation of the Prophet (peace be upon Him), the Beauty of Muhammad and the Reality of Ahmad were the focus of attention, until the Day of the Manifestation of the Bab. And on the day of the dawning of the Greatest Glad-Tidings, the Point of attention was the Bab (may my spirit be a sacrifice for Him). And today the center of attention and the object of supplication and imploring is the Abha Beauty (may my spirit be a sacrifice for His loved ones) until the Manifestation who will come after the thousand years.

However, when the Tree of the Bayan attaineth its highest development, We shall bend it low as a token of adoration towards its Lord Who will appear in the person of Him Whom God shall make manifest. Perchance ye may be privileged to glorify God as it befitteth His august Self.

I have written a gem in His remembrance, which is that He cannot be indicated by My indication nor by what was mentioned in the Bayan. Yea, by His glory, that Word with God is greater than the worship of all on earth, for the essence of all worship leadeth unto that. Therefore, as thou hast known God, know Him Whom God shall make manifest, for He is more glorious and more exalted than to be known without Him or to be indicated by the indication of His creation.

The condemnation of God be upon him who regards me either as a representative of the Imam or the gate thereof.

It is incumbent upon one who claims such a momentous matter that he be characterized by all perfect attributes, both theoretical and practical, and that he lack not any branch of knowledge or custom, and that he have complete and detailed mastery over all outward and inward sciences, and that there be no matter of divine grace or supernatural occurrence that is praiseworthy in God's sight except that he possess it definitively, not merely potentially - like the potential that God has placed in all things, whether essentially or accidentally.

Verily, I am the Qa'im Whose Day all await, and through Whom all have been promised. God hath created Me by His command and made Me to stand over every soul by virtue of what God hath vouchsafed unto Me.

Beyond this brief account of My state in the station of poverty and glory which I have disclosed - though even at this stage it is manifest that the very pebbles of the earth are charged with knowing My name, even if they know not My form - it beseems you not.

Verily, when God made Me the Manifestation of His Cause, from before and hereafter, I shall thank Him and praise Him. There is no God but He, the All-Praised, the All-Thankful, the Eternal. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth, and verily we are all guided by Him. And His guidance returneth unto Me in the Book.

Every Manifestation is but a revelation of Thine Own Self, with each of Whom we have truly appeared and we bow down in adoration before Thee.

Nay rather, whatsoever Thy Manifestation doeth, that hast Thou done; whatsoever Thy Manifestation commandeth, that hast Thou commanded. Verily, they are one reality -- if it dawn, it hath no beginning; if it set, it hath no equal. It is one essence that abideth in the firmament of glory, without peer or likeness. Its similitude before Thee is as the sun -- Thou hast created it for the manifestation of Thy splendour.

I further testify before Thee that Thy Manifestation in creation hath neither beginning nor end that I might remember Thee thereby. In every Manifestation, Thou acceptest not from the Manifestations of Thy creation that which Thou didst reveal unto them aforetime, from the days of Adam until now. Such hath been Thy way in every Manifestation, for the Sun of Thy Revelation is one, though it rise infinitely unto infinity - it is but one fruit, though its rising in each Manifestation be according to what Thou hast ordained for it.

From the beginning that hath no beginning until now, all that God hath manifested through Me hath been to summon every soul unto God, my Lord, the Lord of all the worlds. I have revealed the Books from God as He hath permitted Me, and have ordained ways as He hath willed. He, verily, is the Most Wise of the wise.

His own self cannot be counted among others, rather all else was created for Him, for He is the mirror of Thy Self alone, with no partner. Were that mirror two, the heavens and earth and all between them would have been corrupted, for Thou hast distinguished Him with verses that have rendered the Letters of the Living powerless -- how much more so those names that lie in the depths of the highest heaven.

Verily I am the Mirror of God, my Lord; all turn unto Me. Verily I commune from the most exalted horizon. I hear what ye utter and observe what ye do.

God hath sent no Prophet but Him, and hath revealed no Book but unto Him. This is the essence of the Cause, both before and after, if ye would but look to the Source of the Cause. Yet now He saith that God sent not the Messengers aforetime, nor revealed the Books, save for the Day of Resurrection.

O 'Ali! Bear thou witness within thyself that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who appeared with the name 'Ali before Nabil is verily the Manifestation of His Self, the Dayspring of His Cause, the Treasury of His knowledge, the Rising Place of His Revelation, the Repository of His signs, and the Source of His mercy unto all worlds. And He Who hath appeared and shone forth with His Most Luminous, Most Glorious Name in His latter Manifestation is for His glory, then His might and grandeur over all who are in the heavens and the earth.

God testifies that there is no God but Him and that 'Ali-Qabli-Nabil is His servant and His Glory. The days of servitude have passed and the Glory has appeared with a sovereignty that has encompassed all created things.

He was named "Ali" amongst the people of the Bayan, and then Muhammad amongst the people of the Qur'an, and, in ancient times, was named with each one of the most excellent names of God.

In the Name of God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath tasted the sweetness of communing with his Lord and hath remembered his Master with wondrous breaths of love, whose letters of his words testify to his love for his Lord, and from whose heart waft the sublime breaths of the spirit. And thou, O Pen, if thou art saddened in thyself, We counsel thee to be patient lest there appear from thee that which would cause all created things to be overthrown and all existence to cease. And if thou desirest to make mention of the tribulations of the Ancient Beauty, make mention in the secret of secrets, and if thou wouldst hear from Me, conceal it lest thereby be saddened he who hath loved his Lord. Thus doth the tongue of thy Lord command thee that thou mayest exercise goodly patience.

Then make mention of the servant who desired to attain the presence in those days when all were forbidden from turning to Him, save those who had shattered the chains of idle fancy and had detached themselves from all who dwell on earth. O servant who hast ascended to the atmosphere of nearness! Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from all directions - that which God hath proclaimed in every age, dispensation and epoch: that there is none other God but Him, and that this is indeed His servant who hath sacrificed his spirit in His path and feared no one in proclaiming God's Cause until the pavilion of the Cause was raised aloft through His sovereignty which hath encompassed the worlds. When he opened his eye, the eyes of all created things were opened; when he raised his hand, the hands of all beings were raised; when he unloosed, through the power of might and strength, the tongue of the Divine Will and brought it forth, then did all things speak out, saying: "By God! This is indeed the Tongue of God which hath appeared from its treasury and speaketh in all atoms that there is none other God but Him, and that He is the Ever-Watchful over all things."

Know thou that We have read thy letter and have turned toward that which was contained therein, and We have recognized how the fragrances of thy Lord's love stirred within thee. Blessed art thou for having attained unto that which most of the people have been deprived of. Thou hast taken hold of the Book of God with the hand of strength and cast behind thee the intimations of the idolaters, and soared in an atmosphere wherein no wings have soared save those who have detached themselves wholly from all that is on earth and have taken their seat upon the cushions of transcendent glory. Arise to aid the Cause of God and His Command, and pay no heed to those who have taken Satan as their protector.

Say: O people! Do ye doubt God, or His might which hath encompassed all created things? Fear ye God, and deny not Him by Whose command the seas were set in motion, the trees yielded their fruits, the lights shone forth, the winds blew, and the earth was made firm. Then did it shine with the lights of its Lord, if ye be among those who know. O people! Dispute not concerning the Cause of God. By God! He hath appeared with all His signs, and none deny Him save every proud one who is far astray. Then know thou that thy Lord will aid thee in all matters and will support thee in what He desireth, and verily His favor upon thee is great. Cast beneath thy feet those babblers whose deeds belie their words and whose words belie their deeds, who comprehend not what issueth from their lying tongues, and who imagine themselves to be virtuous and well-pleasing in the religion of God.

Say: O people! If ye believed in Ali aforetime, by God, this is his very Self; and if ye believed in Muhammad, this is His Messenger; and if ye believed in the Spirit, by God, this is He Who caused him to ascend unto heaven; and if ye believed in Him Who conversed with God, this is verily His Manifestation on Sinai; and if ye believed in the Most Hidden Mystery, behold, He hath appeared in truth in human temple, and now doth the tongue of the All-Merciful proclaim in the highest paradise concerning Him: "This is the Beauty whereby Mine eye is consoled, My spirit is refreshed, and My signs are made manifest." Beware, O people! Draw not against Him the swords of hatred. Have mercy upon yourselves and be not tyrannical and wretched.

Say: O concourse of unbelievers! Perish in your wrath! By God! The clouds of destiny have been rent asunder and the Beauty of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High, hath come with such an adorning as none on earth or in heaven can prevent, and He hath arisen to uphold His Cause with a sovereignty that hath been from all eternity powerful in truth. Do ye imagine that aught can withstand His Cause? Nay, by My Self, were ye to be possessed of true vision. Thou beholdest not those servants who have disbelieved save as a mirage which the thirsty one supposeth to be water, when in reality it hath no existence.

Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and recite them, for verily in their recitation there is a great glad-tiding. And peace be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and upon those who hearken unto thy words concerning this Cause, from which the feet of every deceitful dissembler have slipped.

It is evident to every person of insight that the Most Great Verse, which needs nothing else to prove itself and never will, is in its primal reality the Manifestation Himself, for whatever and whoever is below Him is in need of His command. None denies this save every rejected ignorant one.

Do ye find any other than Me in the Bayan? Nay, by Him Who caused Me to speak His praise amongst the worlds! Hath there flowed from the Most Exalted Pen any mention save My mention? Nay, by My true Self, were ye of them that know! Were it not for My mention, the Bayan would not have been revealed, and by My Name was adorned the heaven of the Cause.

And verily this is He before Whom walk the Manifestations of truth, behind Whom proceed the Daysprings of divinity, at Whose right hand move the Essences of glory and at Whose left advance the Temples of the All-Merciful, all of them speaking, crying out and proclaiming: "O people of the Bayan! By God, the tongues of the All-Merciful have given the lie to your claims that ye believe in God, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

When He took His seat upon the throne, the Primal Point prostrated himself saying: "Verily, I am the first of them that worship."

The Bayan was revealed for His wondrous remembrance and every lofty thing was realized through His exalted station. Were it not for Him, the Primal Point would not have spoken, the Dove would not have warbled, the Sperm-drop of Names would not have attained maturity, the gate of heaven would not have opened, the Book of Creation would not have been adorned, the Tablet of Eternity would not have been embellished, the Most Exalted Pen would not have moved, the hearts of the chosen ones would not have soared, the horizon of faithfulness would not have been illumined, the ocean of reunion would not have surged, the carpet of separation would not have been rolled up, and the star of meeting would not have shone forth.

The Point of the Bayan, Who heralded to the world My appearance, hath said: "Should He come with a verse, reject Him not." Yet the people of the Bayan rejected Me after I came unto them from the Orient of divine knowledge with verses that all the books of the world cannot match, as attesteth He Who possesseth a perspicuous Book.

He declareth: "A one-year-old child of the Day of His Manifestation is mightier than all who are in the Bayan."

It is incumbent upon everyone, in this day, to perceive with the eye of God, and to hearken with His ear. Whoso beholdeth Me with an eye besides Mine own will never be able to know Me. None among the Manifestations of old, except to a prescribed degree, hath ever completely apprehended the nature of this Revelation.

This sublime and most exalted matter cannot be realized except through the Manifestation of His Self, Who is Him and none else. His Manifestation hath never been, nor shall ever be, confined within any limitation or made contingent upon any permission or command, inasmuch as every command is ordained by His command and remembered by His remembrance. He hath been and shall ever be, in His own Self, independent of and sanctified above all else besides Him.

He is the One Whose manifestation none hath known save His own Self. To this testify all atoms and beyond them the Tongue of God, the True One, the Trustworthy. God hath made His Day transcend understanding, even as His own Self transcendeth comprehension. Thus hath the decree been sent down from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Say: O people! Nullify not the Cause of God through what ye possess. Set aside that which distracteth you from it and turn ye unto the station from whose horizon hath shone forth the Sun of the beauty of your Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

Whoso denieth Me hath denied God and His Messengers. To this testifieth He before Whom the verses bow down.

Say: Barter not away this Youth, O people, for the vanities of this world or the delights of heaven. By the righteousness of the one true God! One hair of Him excelleth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.

This is the Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive. This is He Whose Presence is the ardent desire of the denizens of the Realm of eternity, and of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of glory, and yet from His Beauty do ye turn aside.

… O Living Temple! We have, in very truth, appointed Thee to be the sign of My majesty amidst all that hath been and all that shall be, and have ordained Thee to be the emblem of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the earth, through My word "Be", and it is!

This blessed Primal Word hath been designated by all the goodly names. He is the Straight Path and the Mighty News. He is the Dawning-Place of God's Cause and the Dayspring of His divine revelation. He is the Sure Handle and the Supreme Horizon. He is the Manifestation of God amidst all else beside Him.

All that which creation hath heard and become enabled to know and comprehend hath been taken from that Source of divine wisdom and that Dayspring of celestial knowledge.

He is indeed the Most Great Book, the Most Exalted Word, and the Greatest Sign. Through Him appeared God's pervading Will, His all-encompassing Power, His enduring Sovereignty and His all-prevailing Might. He is indeed the Countenance that shone forth from the horizon of eternity after the passing of all things.

This is a Book sent down in truth, and verily it is a guidance and mercy unto all the worlds. Indeed it is God's testimony amongst His servants, His proof amidst His creation, His most great evidence among His creatures, and His balance which hath been established in truth - yet the people comprehend not its utterance. Verily it is the Most Great Sign, the Most Exalted Countenance, and the Mystery of the First and the Last, made manifest in the Most Glorious Garment - glorified be He above the comprehension of every wayward misbeliever.

From the horizon of each of His words shineth forth the light of certitude and blazeth the fire of true knowledge. These light and fire outwardly differ yet inwardly are united. Blessed is he who hath attained unto them both. Today, attentive ears hear from the Blessed Tree that which Moses heard on the Mount of Certitude, and perceiving eyes behold that which the Prophets and Messengers sought after.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who speaketh is the Dayspring of Revelation, the inscribed Book, the frequented Fane, the outstretched Parchment, the hidden Treasure, and the concealed Mystery.

Through Him hath the world been adorned and every nation been moved to proclaim that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

Say: All the Books and Tablets have appeared in the temple of the Youth. Glorified then be He Who hath appeared with power and sovereignty!

The Dawn hath appeared upon the Temple of Man. Verily this is the Book of the All-Merciful which was mentioned in the Scriptures of God, the Most High, the Most Great.

I testify with my being, my soul and my tongue that Thou art He through Whom the Beauty of the All-Glorious was established upon the throne of His name, the All-Merciful, and through Whom the Primal Will was manifested unto all created beings, and through Whom the bounty of Paradise descended from the heaven of grace from Thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, and through Whom the Command of God, the Supreme, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, was revealed.

O Beauty of the Essence of Oneness, Who is sanctified above all limitations and purified from words, allusions, names, attributes, manifestations and revelations, hath appeared in human temple. Therefore most people, looking upon human habits manifested from the Divine Temple, remain veiled, heedless that herein lies the essence of power.

Thou knowest that my station is but an image of Thy station, that my virtues recount Thy virtues, that within mine inmost being naught can be found except the revelations of Thy signs, and that my very essence is but a reflection of the evidences of Thy unity.

For He standeth in the place of God and is the Manifestation of the Absolute Light, through Whom were revealed from the dust the mysteries of origin and return, and through Whom the Dove of Utterance warbled upon the branch of knowledge. Through Him the world was illumined with the light of unity and nations with the mention of detachment.

Say: Verily the grace, knowledge and wisdom have all appeared in the temple of a concealed Name, Whose manifestation was veiled by His beauty in such wise that none among creation recognized Him, could ye but know it, though He moved among them all the days as one of them, as though they were veiled by their own selves and were as blind, deaf and dumb, in that they beheld not the Beauty of God nor heard the melodies of God, though all these were before their eyes morning and evening.

And when Thou didst purpose to demonstrate the power of Thy sovereign might, and to glorify Thy word, and to guide the steps of Thy people, Thou didst raise up from among Thy creatures One of Thy servants, Whom Thou didst send forth with the signs of Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou didst endue with the clear tokens of Thy oneness, that He might fulfill Thy testimony unto all created things, and perfect Thy proof before all men.

I testify that His love is Thy love, and His self Thy self, and His beauty Thy beauty, and His Cause Thy Cause.

He is the Manifestation of God amidst creation, for His commandments are the commandments of God and His word is the Word of God. He is the Dawning Place of all the most beautiful names and the Manifestation of the most exalted attributes. Whosoever attains unto Him attains unto all good, and whosoever turns away from Him is counted among those who have turned away from God.

The mystic knower is he who knoweth the Manifestation of My Self in My Beauty which dawneth forth through My Name in the vesture of Mine Order that is sanctified from all except Me, and who speaketh forth My remembrance and [praise], and who gazeth with Mine eye upon My sovereignty and power and then upon My Manifestations and creation. Thus hath it been ordained by My Pen for My creatures and My servants.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who hath appeared is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, the Most Great Book for all peoples, and the Heaven of bounty for the whole world. He is the Most Mighty Sign amongst men and the Dayspring of the most august attributes in the realm of creation.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath manifested the Cause amidst all peoples is verily our Lord and the Lord of all worlds, the Ancient Lord Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name - He at Whose appearance every edifice hath been shaken and every person thrown into confusion, save whom God hath willed, our Lord and the Lord of all who are in earth and heaven, and Lord of the throne on high and of the dust beneath.

Say: O people! He is the Most Great Sign amongst you, and the Beauty of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High, in your midst, would ye but perceive it. He is God's power over them that turned away, and the breath of the All-Merciful to them that are turned unto Him.

O 'Ali! Bear thou witness that I am the Manifestation of God in the heaven of eternity, His Hidden Mystery in the unseen realm of the divine cloud, the Ancient Beauty in the kingdom of glory, and the Primal Spirit in the most exalted vesture. All were created by My command and circle round Me, all act by My bidding, and all have prostrated themselves before My countenance and clung to the hem of My loving-kindness, even though they perceive it not within themselves in this wondrous Temple.

Say: By God, none like unto Me hath appeared in creation, and I am He Whose like no eye hath beheld, and I am the Omnipotent over what I wish, and I am the Forgiving, the Merciful. Whoso denieth My Cause hath denied all the Messengers, and whoso turneth away from My face hath turned away from the face of God.

Everything of him pertained to God. To know him was to know God. To have him was to have God. To obey him was to obey God.

By God! Every member of My body crieth out: O people! He is verily the Beloved of those who know, and every hair of Mine proclaimeth: O people! He is verily the Object of worship of all worlds.

The Tongue of Grandeur hath testified to His manifestation and His establishment upon the throne, and His dawning from the horizon of the world, yet the peoples remain veiled. The eye of creation hath never witnessed His like - to this testifieth He Who walketh and speaketh that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Say: I am the Beauty of God on earth, His Proof amidst His servants, His Evidence amongst His creation, His Testament in His realm, and His Path amongst His creatures, would that ye might know.

Can anyone speak in His presence? Nay, by the Lord of the Throne! But the people are behind a thick veil. Can anyone stand against Him? Nay, by His truth, were ye of them that know!

And He Who hath appeared is verily the Dayspring of the Unseen. No doubt existeth: He hath come with manifest sovereignty. Through Him My Cause was established, My path was raised up, My balance was set, and that which lay hidden in My preserved Tablet was revealed.

O servant! Know thou that the Gift is Mine Own Self, and the Bounty is that which hath been sent down to thee from this Quarter. By God! Nothing in earth or heaven can equal it.

This is the Day wherein mysteries have been revealed, the trees have spoken, and the Lote-Tree of the Far Boundary has given glad tidings to the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise and the Supreme Heaven of the appearance of Him Who conversed on Sinai, which was recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Tablet.

In the name of God, the Most Sanctified, the Most Holy

The Ancient Beauty hath ascended the throne of His Most Great Name, and the bird of the throne is warbling in the sweetest of tones and the most wondrous of melodies in His presence, proclaiming, "O concourse of earth and heaven! Rejoice, for the veil hath been rent asunder and the covering torn away, and the face of the Beloved hath shone forth above the horizon of power with a sovereignty that neither the ascendancy of the wicked nor the clamour of the boastful can thwart. Bestir yourselves and hasten with all your hearts to the presence of your Beloved. He, verily, is the One Whose mention hath enraptured the inmates of heaven and the Concourse on High, and Whose remembrance hath been extolled by all created things and hath prompted them to proclaim: "No God is there but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!"

Great is thy blessedness, for thy letter hath been presented before His throne and We have made reply through these words that are now being revealed. God hath verily forgiven thee and them that have been mentioned in thy letter. Verily thy Lord is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful. Convey to thy son the greetings of thy Lord: We, verily, have ordained that which is best for him. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Convey to him and to thy daughters the glad tidings of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Almighty, the All-Praised.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath appeared is verily the Savior of all nations and the Quickener of the world. The clamor of the people doth not prevent Him from that which He desireth, nor doth the croaking of those in the lands.

Say: O people! He hath come Who cannot be indicated by the signs of creation nor walketh in their ways. He hath appeared and made manifest His straight Path.

God hath raised Me by His sovereignty and made Me the standard of guidance among His servants. Hasten unto Me and be not of those who tarry. Say: Through My rising the Cause of God hath risen in all things, and through My manifestation hath been perfected what was sent down in the Tablets and what was mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel.

Say: Should God so desire, He would renew all created things through a word from His presence. He, verily, is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth and Who ruleth over whatsoever He desireth.

He whom He hath manifested is, in truth, His Manifestation amongst His servants and the One Who standeth in His stead. Through Him His sovereignty, then His command, became manifest, and through Him the sun of His Will hath shone forth from the horizon of His purpose upon all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Say: By God! He is this One, and this is the treasured Mystery. Say: If ye desire the outward, verily He is this Speaker Who proclaimeth that there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Loving. And if ye desire the inward, verily He hath appeared but through this Name and speaketh but through this tongue, the Mighty, the Beloved.

O servant! Bear witness within thyself to that whereunto God hath testified concerning His own Self, by His own Self, ere mention was made of any remembrance or names were ordained through the form of a wondrous Temple - that there is none other God but Him, and that the Tree of the Bayan is the first Tree wherein appeared the Fire and spoke forth: "Verily, I am God, the Lord of all worlds," and verily He is the Sovereign of the Messengers, and the mention of Adam and clay was not.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the truth is indeed the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery through Whom the ocean of life surged in creation and the horizon of proof was illumined by the Sun of certitude. He is the One in Whose praise the Books of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting, have spoken.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who speaketh the truth is indeed the Speaker of Sinai through Whom those that lay buried have risen. Whoso turneth unto Him hath in truth turned unto God throughout all ages, and whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from the All-Informed, the Single One.

Among the people are those who have followed vain desire and cast behind them that which they were commanded by One All-Knowing, All-Wise.

And among them are those who were attracted by the fragrance of the Garment and turned with manifest joy toward the Supreme Horizon.

In it hath appeared the Most Great Sign, manifested in human form. Blessed be God, Lord of all kings, through Whom the divine fragrances have wafted, the Word hath appeared, and those in the graves have arisen.

He was hidden in the eternity of eternities, and when He willed to appear, He appeared in truth and manifested whatsoever He desired.

O My handmaiden! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath testified ere the creation of all things: that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared is indeed the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery, and that He is the One through Whom the hearts and minds were set ablaze, through Whom the Divine Lote-Tree spoke forth, through Whom the Rock cried out, through Whom the Dove sang, and through Whom the Nightingale of Heaven proclaimed: There is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O youth! We bear witness that thou didst answer the Call of the Lord of all beings when it was raised between earth and heaven, and didst acknowledge His Manifestation and His sovereignty and His establishment upon the throne.

Say: The Ancient Being hath appeared in truth, and the Essence of Pre-existence hath dawned from this holy, exalted, mighty and manifest horizon. Thereby hath the Beauty of the Adored One been revealed with all names and attributes, would that ye might perceive. Say: This is a Day wherein God hath transcended all Manifestations, and wherein the Holy Spirit ascendeth at every moment, would that ye might be assured.

Say: Were the veil to be lifted from the face of the Youth, the tongues of all created things would proclaim: "By God! This is a wondrous king!"

Yet doth every thing bear witness to the sanctification of His Essence from names and their kingdom, and the glorification of His Self from attributes and their dominion. Thereupon doth the Tongue of Grandeur speak above His head, saying: "By God! This is My Beloved - I love not that any should know Him save Me or that any eye should behold Him save Mine own."

Say: O people! Verily He is the Point of piety, from which have been expounded sciences which none knoweth save God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible. Verily He is the Tree of guidance - blessed is he who hath turned unto it, for he is of them that have turned unto God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust beneath.

He, verily, is the One Who speaketh the truth at the heart of the world.

… Say: By God! The Light walketh, and the Book speaketh, and the Ancient Beauty calleth out in the midst of the atmosphere, summoning all created things unto a Luminary that hath been illumined by the light of His countenance.

Lo, the Book walks in human form and calls the people unto Him Who is the Mighty, the Loving. Verily the Ocean hath appeared in human form and proclaimeth "The Kingdom is God's, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting." Lo, the Tree crieth out "He Who is the Lord of Destiny hath appeared," yet most of the people hear not. The Pen exclaimeth with loudest voice "The Lord of Eternity and Creator of Nations hath come," yet most of the people perceive not.

Say: Do ye dispute with the Ancient Beauty concerning that which He witnessed in the most remote dwelling places near the Divine Lote-Tree, when He beheld of the greatest signs of His own Self? By God! The Mighty Spirit inspired Him in the Most Glorious Pavilion with mysteries that can neither be witnessed nor seen.

Who is He by Whose name was raised the banner of "There is none other God but Him"? And Who is He at Whose appearance the Cry was raised, and the Trumpet was sounded, and all that are on earth were thunderstruck, save those whom God pleased? And Who is He Who arose with the Cause and manifested through His sovereignty whatsoever He desired in the kingdom of creation?

Hast thou seen the Hour manifested in the temple of man? Say: Yea, by my Lord, the All-Merciful! Verily it moveth and speaketh the truth with a sovereignty that encompasseth the worlds.

He it is Whose head God hath adorned with the crown of the exalted Word: "But for Thee, I would not have created the spheres."

O Asad! Hearken to the call of the Manifestation of thy Lord, the One, the Single, Who hath taken unto Himself neither consort nor son. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Peerless, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, the Ever-Abiding.

We have manifested the Countenance from the Most Exalted Horizon and called all unto it, yet the people turn aside from it. The sun of certitude has shone upon them from the horizon of the loving-kindness of their Lord, the Most Merciful, yet they wallow in their own idle fancies.

This is a Day whereon God hath called out by His own Self. Blessed is he who hath heard and answered his Ancient Lord. They that are heedless this day are verily among the most lost.

By God! The Path has been established and the Balance set up, and I am the Straight Path. Blessed is he who, when hearing, arose; and he who, being silent, upon recognizing spoke; and he who, being hesitant, hastened to the most exalted horizon, and I am the Luminous Horizon.

The whole world and whatsoever is therein was, in its primal reality, created for the Dawning-Place of Divine Revelation. Yet now we see that through the tyranny of the corrupt He is imprisoned and wronged in the most ruined of lands. This is naught but the result of humanity's failure to recognize the Truth.

O Nur! Hearken unto that whereunto the Lord of Revelation calleth thee. He verily draweth thee nigh, teacheth thee, causeth thee to know, and raiseth thee to a station wherein thou shalt behold naught in all existence save the Sovereign of the Kingdom.

Be fair, ye peoples of the world; is it meet and seemly for you to question the authority of one Whose presence ‘He Who conversed with God’ (Moses) hath longed to attain, the beauty of Whose countenance ‘God’s Well-beloved’ (Muḥammad) had yearned to behold, through the potency of Whose love the ‘Spirit of God’ (Jesus) ascended to heaven, for Whose sake the ‘Primal Point’ (the Báb) offered up His life?

The New Jerusalem hath descended from the realm of the divine Will, and the wilderness hath been honored and blessed by the footsteps of the Lord of all beings.

I came not to proclaim that which ye already possess. Verily, verily, this day is a new day; He that hath come is the Wondrous, and His bidding the wonder of all that is in heaven and on earth

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Give heed to My warning, ye people of Persia! If I be slain at your hands, God will assuredly raise up one who will fill the seat made vacant through My death, for such is God's method carried into effect of old, and no change can ye find in God's method of dealing.

By God! When thy brother learned that thou hadst risen against him and that the fire of jealousy would not be quenched in thy breast, he departed with his family alone and entered another house, closing upon his face the door of coming and going, and there did he remain among those who dwell therein.

Although the royal farman specifically decreed that Baha'u'llah was to be held in solitary confinement within the 'Akka fortress, in a cell, under perpetual guard; that He was never to set foot outside; that He was never even to see any of the believers--notwithstanding such a farman, such a drastic order, His tent was raised in majesty on the heights of Mount Carmel. What greater display of power could there be than this, that from the very prison, the banner of the Lord was raised aloft, and rippled out for all the world to see!

Asked if Baha'u'llah was subject to earthly potentates, 'Abdu'l-Baha said:

"Yes, in Persia to the Shah, in Turkey to the Sultan, though in reality He was not subject to any, for, though his body was in prison, his Spirit was in Heaven."

All that hath been revealed in the Bayan is My remembrance, and all that hath been revealed in this Manifestation is the embellishment of Mine Own Self, which We have created for My Temple, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. My outward calleth unto My inward, and My inward unto My outward. There is none other in the kingdom save Me, yet the people are in manifest heedlessness.

Moses feared Pharaoh's lack of belief, not fear for his life, as stated in the Qur'an: "Verily I fear lest they should hasten to harm me." He says I fear they will act hastily before the propagation of the Cause and make objections. He feared their rebellion and disobedience, not for himself. As for the matter of fearing the ropes and staffs of the sorcerers, he feared they might influence souls, not fear of harm to himself. These ropes and staffs represent the doubts of the people. Moses feared these might influence souls.

During Their days, the station of the Blessed Beauty and His Holiness the Exalted One - may My spirit be a sacrifice unto Both - was not evident, but in the future it will become apparent.

Alas for you, O company of the wretched, for what your hands have wrought, your tongues have uttered, and your hearts have imagined, until ye drove from His homeland this Bird that dwelt therein by the command of the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.

… Therefore, O City of God, inform thy people that the Bird hath taken flight - the Bird whose departure or death was their only desire.

When the lights of the dawn of the Day shown forth and gleamed, the divines and mystics turned away from it, until they pronounced judgment against Him Who came with manifest wrong.

He hath borne what no one before Him hath borne, and hath seen what the eyes of the Messengers have not seen.

Can the crowing of the raven prevent the warbling of the dove? Nay, by my Lord, the All-Merciful! She warbleth upon the twigs of the Divine Lote-Tree and giveth glad tidings unto them that are nigh and unto the sincere ones. The hosts of the heedless shall not prevent her, and praise be to God, the Beloved of the mystics.

The Dove warbleth, and nothing between earth and heaven preventeth It from the remembrance of Its Lord, even were It to be caught in the claws of the oppressors.

From the horizon of tribulation hath dawned the Sun, upon which hath been inscribed by the Most Glorious Pen: "The Prison belongeth unto God, the One, the Peerless, the Mighty, the Unconstrained."

All the philosophers of the West acknowledge this overwhelming power and stand amazed at how the Most Great Name, in prison and under affliction, manifested perfect power and overwhelming might. This is a sign among His signs, and a proof among His proofs and evidences.

[He then gave an account of the appearance of the Manifestations of God. 'Outwardly', He said, the holy Manifestations of God were completely humiliated and despised. They were mocked by all. But in a short space of time the penetrative influence of their words filled the hearts and the sun of their greatness and majesty illumined the world.]

GOD's compassion is everlasting. Therefore His happiness is eternal and everlasting; it is not subject to change or transformation. That is why the sanctified ones and prophets never entertained unhappiness, because their happiness came from GOD.

I seemed to be standing within a great mosque, in the inmost shrine, facing the Qiblih, in the place of the Imam himself. I became aware that a large number of people were flocking into the mosque. More and yet more crowded in, taking their places in rows behind Me, until there was a vast multitude. As I stood I raised loudly the call to prayer.

During the years that Baha'u'llah lived in Bagdad and Adrianople whosoever stood in His Presence and listened to His Wisdom he was impressed with His marvelous Power and Knowledge. The Jews, the Christians, the Zoroastrians and the Mohamadans found their highest aspirations embodied in Him.

I do not mean by this that Jesus Christ was not great - for He was a Manifestation of God: I only mean that He had only a few followers during his lifetime, and that though He lived in Nazareth, He was not even heard of in Acca. While now the face of Beha'ullah has spread far and wide.

The Apostles of Christ attained to the greatest station in life, yet they were vilified and scorned in their days because they were followers of the humble Nazarene and they were considered the most despised and ignorant! But now the brilliant lights of their stations have flooded the whole world with knowledge and wisdom. Each one of the Apostles is shining like unto a star from the horizon of Eternal Glory.

When they came into His Spiritual Presence they were awed with the Majesty of His Appearance and the Magnetism of His Countenance. They listened to His words with rapt attention and went away dumbfounded.

Say: By God! The Beauty of the Divine Identity was among you and ye were among those who denied Him, until He departed from your midst.

Say: Verily the Bird of Nearness hath taken flight of itself unto God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Ye recognized it not in its days and were heedless of its presence, and God beareth witness to this, if ye do not.

O people! This is the Youth of God who standeth among you and calleth you unto the path of His good-pleasure. He hath sacrificed His soul for His Cause, the Mighty, the Powerful.

O people! Act not as did the peoples of former times, nor compare the Self of God with aught else, nor His words with that which people utter, nor what He possesseth with what ye possess, if ye be of those who comprehend.

By God! His station is one which the birds of the hearts of the doubters can never attain, nor the fragrances of the hearts of the mystics. Were We to manifest this station, thou wouldst be bewildered within thyself and wouldst say: "Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest."

I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shone forth, and that through a word from Thee Thou hast decided between all created things, causing them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the lowest abyss.

I give praise to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast chosen me out of all Thy creatures, and made me to be the Day-Spring of Thy strength and the Manifestation of Thy might, and empowered me to reveal such of Thy signs and such tokens of Thy majesty and power as none, whether in Thy heaven or on Thy earth, can produce.

Illumine, O Lord, the faces of Thy servants, that they may behold Thee; and cleanse their hearts that they may turn unto the court of Thy heavenly favors, and recognize Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Day-Spring of Thine Essence.

Know thou that God hath ordained no veil between the servant and Him, and verily the veil existeth through God from the point of turning away.

I testify, O my God, that this is the Day whereon Thy testimony hath been fulfilled, and Thy clear tokens have been manifested, and Thine utterances have been revealed, and Thy signs have been demonstrated, and the radiance of Thy countenance hath been diffused, and Thy proof hath been perfected, and Thine ascendancy hath been established, and Thy mercy hath overflowed, and the Day-Star of Thy grace hath shone forth with such brilliance that Thou didst manifest Him Who is the Revealer of Thyself and the Treasury of Thy wisdom and the Dawning-Place of Thy majesty and power.

Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou dost witness that Thy will hath prevailed over all created things, and Thy mercy hath surpassed all who are in heaven and on earth. And when Thou didst purpose to unveil Thy sovereignty, and to glorify Thy word, and to reveal Thy bounteousness and mercy, Thou didst raise up one of Thy servants, and didst choose Him above all Thy creatures, and didst single Him out for Thy purpose, and didst clothe Him with the robe of Thy guidance, and didst immerse Him beneath the seas of Thy majesty and grandeur, and didst sanctify Him from all that beseemeth not the greatness of Thy glory and the power of Thy might, and didst bid Him to cry out before all that are in heaven and on earth, and summon the multitudes to the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Revealer of Thy signs.

No sooner had He proclaimed Thy Cause, and risen up to carry out the things prescribed unto Him in the Tablets of Thy decree, than the Great Terror fell upon Thy creatures. Some turned towards Thee, and detached themselves from all except Thee, and sanctified their souls from the world and all that is therein, and were so enravished by the sweetness of Thy voice that they forsook all Thou hadst created in the kingdom of Thy creation. Others recognized Thee and then hesitated, others allowed the world to come in between them and Thee and to withhold them from recognizing Thee. Others disdained Thee, and turned back from Thee, and wished to prevent Thee from achieving Thy purpose. And yet behold how all of them are calling upon Thee, and are expecting the things they were promised in Thy Tablets. And when the Promised One came unto them, they recognized Him not, and disbelieved in Thy signs, and repudiated Thy clear tokens, and strayed so grievously from Thy path that they slew Thy servants, through the brightness of whose faces the countenances of the Concourse on high have been illumined.

I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names, to guard Thy loved ones against Thine enemies, and to strengthen them in their love for Thee and in fulfilling Thy pleasure. Do Thou protect them, that their footsteps may slip not, that their hearts may not be shut out as by a veil from Thee, and that their eyes may be restrained from beholding anything that is not of Thee. Cause them to be so enraptured by the sweetness of Thy divine melodies that they will rid themselves of all attachment to any one except Thee, and will turn wholly towards Thee, and extol Thee under all conditions, saying: "Praised be Thou, O Lord our God, inasmuch as Thou hast enabled us to recognize Thy most exalted and all-glorious Self. We will, by Thy mercy, cleave to Thee, and will detach ourselves from any one but Thee. We have realized that Thou art the Beloved of the worlds and the Creator of earth and heaven!"

Glorified be God, the Lord of all creation!

In prayer one must turn his face towards the Sanctified Reality of His holiness Baha’u’llah—that Reality which surrounds all the phenomena.

O thou who art enamored of the Joseph of the divine Egypt! The Joseph of Canaan appeared with grace and beauty in the market of earthly Egypt, but the Joseph of the true Beauty appeared in the divine Egypt with a luminous countenance, divine comeliness, heavenly grace, lordly beauty, glorified charm, a brilliant dawning-place, and an appearance like a rose garden in the market of manifestation.

O Lord! Aid them to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy oneness and the Manifestation of Thy singleness, for Thy oneness is not established except through Him Who speaketh by Thy leave, and Thy singleness is not realized save through acknowledgment of Him Who hath arisen by Thy Command and appeared from the horizon of Thy majesty.

O thou who art turned unto God!

The Beloved of Abha, with a face like the shining moon and a beauty like the radiant sun, unveiled Himself and lifted the veil in the gathering of contingent beings. Through His light He illumined the horizons of the kingdom of earth and heaven.

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At one time, Thou didst raise Him up, O my God, and didst attire Him with the ornament of the name of Him Who conversed with Thee (Moses), and didst through Him uncover all that Thy will had decreed and Thine irrevocable purpose ordained. At another time, Thou didst adorn Him with the name of Him Who was Thy Spirit (Jesus), and didst send Him down out of the heaven of Thy will, for the edification of Thy people, infusing thereby the spirit of life into the hearts of the sincere among Thy servants and the faithful among Thy creatures. Again, Thou didst reveal Him, decked forth by the name of Him Who was Thy Friend (Muhammad), and caused Him to shine brightly above the horizon of Hijaz, as a token of Thy power and an evidence of Thy might.

He Who is the Lord of Eternity doth testify from the Most Great Prison that He is God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

I know not, O my God, whether I am beguiled by Thy proof or whether all men are as dead ones who perceive not that one among the Jews believed in Musa ibn Ja'far, Thy proof, when he witnessed his patience. All people know my station and observe my patience, yet they perceive not and find no way unto Thee.

I bear Thee witness, O my God, from the first moment Thou didst cause the Manifestation of Thine own Self to appear, that that was the first Day of Resurrection: Thou didst make Thyself known unto every thing through that whereby Thou wast known unto all before, that none might be able to veil itself from Thy Countenance after Thou hadst made Thyself known and sent down Thy signs.

He is God, exalted be His station, the Glory and the Power!

Praise and glory befit that intended Lord Who illumined the world with the lights of His Most Great Name, Who guided with a single call and taught the way, Who bestowed upon the realm of dust distinction above the heavens. That call in every age is made manifest through a revelation and an effulgent light. He is the Living Waters for the thirsty and He is the True Spirit for the dead. The source of the attributes of the world hath been through Him and unto Him do they return. Yet ears capable of hearkening to this call are as rare as red sulphur.

Blessings and peace be upon the first ear that was blessed to hearken unto the call of the Lord of Names, and the first eye that witnessed and beheld the greatest signs of its Lord, and the first hand that was raised to the heaven of bounty, and the first foot that hastened to the seat of the throne of the Creator of heaven, and the first countenance that turned toward the lights of the Countenance, and the first light that shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Cause whereby surged the ocean of knowledge in creation and the mysteries of the Books were revealed through clear proof and evidence, and through whom the stations of revelation and inspiration were completed and the messages of God, the Lord of all beings, were sealed. He it is Who informed the people of the Day of Resurrection and of the Hour which none knoweth save God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. He it is Who warned the idolaters who broke the Covenant and Testament and gave glad tidings to the believers of what was ordained for them in the highest Paradise and the most exalted Garden. And upon His family and companions, whom neither land nor sea nor anything whatsoever prevented from striving in His path and exalting His Word. The Most Exalted Pen hath testified that they strove in the path of God with true striving until the banner of unity was raised and the standard of detachment was hoisted in the name of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Glory be unto Thee, O Light of the world and Manifestation of the Unseen amidst the nations! I beseech Thee by Thy mysteries hidden in Thy knowledge and Thy verses treasured therein that Thou ordain for Thy Afnan, whom Thou hast related to Thyself and mentioned from Thy Most Exalted Pen in Thy Scriptures and Tablets, the good of the hereafter and of this world and whatsoever beseemeth Thy generosity and bounty, O Lord of Names and Creator of heaven! O my Lord, send down upon them from the heaven of Thy generosity a mercy from Thee and a blessing from Thy presence. Then grant them that which will gladden their hearts and solace their eyes and bring joy to their souls. O God! Illumine their faces with the lights of Thy countenance, and their hearts with the effulgences of Thy knowledge, and their breasts with the lights of Thy mention and praise. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Bountiful. And praise be unto Thee, for verily Thou art the Goal of the worlds and the Beloved of those who have recognized Thee.

In the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Holy!

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Him Whom Thou hast manifested and made His Revelation the very Revelation of Thyself, and His concealment the very concealment of Thyself; and through His primacy Thou hast confirmed Thine own primacy, and through His finality Thou hast established Thine own finality; and through His power and dominion every possessor of power hath testified to Thy power, and through His grandeur every possessor of grandeur hath testified to Thy grandeur and Thy majesty; and through His self-subsistence Thy self-subsistence and all-encompassing nature have become known; and through His Will Thy Will hath been manifested; and through His countenance Thy Face hath shone forth; and through His command Thy Command hath become manifest; and through His signs the horizons have been filled with the wondrous signs of Thy sovereignty, and the heaven with the revelations of the glory of Thy unity, and the seas with the pearls of the sanctity of Thy knowledge and wisdom; and the trees have been adorned with the fruits of Thy knowledge; and through Him all things have glorified Thee, and all things have turned toward the court of Thy mercy, and all faces have turned to the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and all souls to the manifestations of the glory of Thy oneness.

How transcendent is Thy power, how transcendent Thy sovereignty, how transcendent Thy might, how transcendent Thy greatness, how transcendent Thy majesty which was manifested through Him and which Thou didst bestow upon Him through Thy bounty and generosity! I testify, O my God, that through Him Thy most great signs appeared and Thy mercy preceded all things. Were it not for Him, the Dove would not have cooed, nor would the Nightingale of Praise have warbled in the heaven of destiny. And I testify that with the first word that proceeded from His mouth and the first call that was raised by Him through Thy Will and Purpose, all things were transformed--the heaven and all that is therein, and the earth and all that is thereon. Through it the realities of existence were transformed, separated, divided, distinguished, joined together and unified. Through it appeared the creative words in the world of dominion and kingdom, and the manifestations of unity in the world of might, and the signs of oneness in the realm of divinity. Through that call the servants were given the glad-tidings of Thy most great Revelation and Thy most perfect Command.

When He appeared, the nations were thrown into confusion, upheaval appeared in earth and heaven, the pillars of all things were shaken. Through Him appeared the great tribulation and the Most Great Word was differentiated, whereby appeared the distinction between every atom of all created things. Through it was the Fire kindled and Paradise made manifest. Blessed is he who hath turned unto Thee, and woe unto him who hath turned away from Thee and denied Thee and Thy signs in this Revelation wherein the faces of the idolaters were darkened and the faces of the sincere were illumined.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by this Revelation, to ordain for us the good of this world and the world to come, and to send down upon us from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will render us independent of all except Thee and detached from all save Thyself, holding fast unto the cord of Thy loving care and clinging to the hem of Thy tender mercies. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

But -- praise be to God! -- your Teacher and Instructor is Baha'u'llah. He is the Educator of the Orient and Occident. He is the Teacher of the very world of divinity and spirituality, the Sun of Truth, the Word of God.

This is the work that Baha'u'llah has done and is doing. He has not tied together the iron bars - the religions of the world - with the rope of indulgent tolerance or ordinary amenities of human necessity which are liable to break at any time - but with the fire of the love of God He has melted them first and then casting them into one mould of spiritual brotherhood. He has rendered the most marvelous service to the world of humanity.

Baha'u'llah is this divine Metallurgist and those who have the deep insight and look around the world witness daily the working of this Principle of fusion.

To-day the penetrative or Executive Power over the spirits, minds and souls is the love of Baha’u’llah, because He is the Promised One of all the nations, the Heavenly Teacher of all the world and the Physician of the hearts and the souls.

The poor ones have capacity. They were favored at the threshold of God. If wealth were a necessity, Christ would have wished it for himself. He lived a simple life, and one of the titles of Baha'u'llah was 'the poor one.' In Persian His title was 'darvish' and that means one who has not a slave.

Through Him the light of unity hath shone forth above the horizon of the world, and the law of oneness hath been revealed amidst the nations, who, with radiant faces, have turned towards the Supreme Horizon, and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Utterance hath spoken in the kingdom of His knowledge: "Earth and heaven, glory and dominion, are God's, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Lord of grace abounding!"

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

Through Your grace You have chosen servants whom You have purified for Your presence, directed to Your beauty, and made intimate with Your countenance. You have raised them from their slumber as heralds of Your Cause, turning to Your Word, promoting Your religion, and stirring hearts dormant to the fire of Your love. These are the stars of Your guidance, the lamps of Your bounty, the landmarks of Your religion, the emblems of Your law, the standards of Your guidance, and the waves of the ocean of Your bounty.

The True One is aware and bears witness that whatsoever hath flowed and continueth to flow from the Most Exalted Pen hath been and ever shall be for the elevation of humanity and for their freedom and deliverance.

Say: O people! Be fair! Defile not existence with unseemly false statements and fabricated stories. By the Sun of knowledge that shineth resplendent from the most exalted horizon of utterance, from the beginning of the world until now no Revelation like unto this hath appeared. He is the Interlocutor of Sinai Who sitteth upon the throne of Revelation. He is the Great News mentioned in the former Books, Whose advent the Prophets and Messengers foretold unto all peoples.

Furthermore, the outward and inward reality of this Point of Sorrow testifieth that today the Dayspring of Eternity is sovereign over all who are in the heavens and on earth. He is the Lord of all books and the Illuminator of all scriptures. Through Him are established the pillars of the Bayan, and through His name was set firm the throne of Paradise in the essence of creation, and through Him were raised the highest heavens, and through Him was the earth made stable upon the pillar of light.

The Supreme Pen has been occupied night and day with counsels and admonitions, commanding that which elevates the station of man and forbidding that which lowers it.

He, verily, is the sanctuary of peace for all who are in the heavens and on earth, and the dawning-place of bounty for every small one and great.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh with truth is indeed the Wronged One in this mighty prison. By God! Neither the opposition of the divines nor the power of princes hath deterred Him.

By the life of God! He desireth naught for Himself and uttereth only that which God hath commanded Him, the Mighty, the Beauteous.

Glory and praise, blessings and splendor be upon His Prophets and His chosen ones, whom He has made the Dawning-Places of His names and the Daysprings of His attributes and the Manifestations of His Self and the Recipients of His knowledge and the Treasuries of His verses - through whom were opened the gates of divine knowledge to all in the realm of possibility, and the Dove of certitude warbled upon the highest branches.

This is He but for Whom no Divine Messenger would have been invested with the robe of prophethood, nor would any of the sacred scriptures have been revealed. To this bear witness all created things

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...not by reason of any racial superiority, political capacity, or spiritual virtue which a race or nation might possess, but rather as a direct consequence of its crying needs, its lamentable degeneracy, and irremediable perversity, has the Prophet of God chosen to appear in its midst, and with it as a lever has lifted the entire human race to a higher and nobler plane of life and conduct. For it is precisely under such circumstances, and by such means that the Prophets have, from time immemorial, chosen and were able to demonstrate their redemptive power to raise from the depths of abasement and of misery, the people of their own race and nation, empowering them to transmit in turn to other races and nations the saving grace and the energizing influence of their Revelation.

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