Nearness and remoteness: the distances of the heart

By My life, you are with Me! How many near ones are strangers, and how many strangers are near! Blessed is he who is near and draws near!

O thou enraptured handmaid of God! Nearness is verily of the soul, not of the body; and the help that is sought, and the help that cometh, is not material but of the spirit; nevertheless it is my hope that thou wilt attain to nearness in every sense. The bounties of God will verily encompass a sanctified soul even as the sun's light doth the moon and stars: be thou assured of this.

However, it is clear and evident that true reunion is spiritual nearness attainable only by walking in the path of His good pleasure. Therefore, if a person is physically one hundred thousand miles away but blessed with Godis good pleasure that one is in truth among those who enjoy nearness to Him. Otherwise, that which looks outwardly near is in fact distant.

The spirit remains ever in its center of transcendence and elevation, like the sun constantly fixed in its orbit. Its absence and presence relate to the purity of the receiving place and the refinement of the body facing it. As soon as the facing surface is polished, the lights of the sun appear in it, and as soon as the surface becomes dense, its lights disappear from it. Thus we know that nearness and distance refer to purity and refinement versus rust, turbidity and density.

It is evident that the divine nearness is an unlimited nearness, be it in this world or the next one. This is a nearness which is sanctified from the comprehension of the minds. The more a man seeketh light from the Sun of Truth, the nearer he will draw. For instance, a clear body is near unto the sun, and a black stone is far from the sun. This nearness dependeth upon clearness, purity and perfection and that remoteness is due to density, dullness (or obscurity) and imperfection.

Truth, in its essence, hath no nearness or remoteness. It is sanctified above such stations, and its relationship to all things is on the same level. This nearness and remoteness are made manifest through Its Manifestations.

As for what was mentioned in the words of the ancients that "the Friend is nearer to me than myself" - this is a remote saying and strange utterance. How can the created be nearer to the Creator than the Creator's own Self? … Yet should ye remain distant -- that is, fail to reach unto that Reality -- in that very remoteness lieth nearness, which is the essence of grace itself, inasmuch as the signs of His manifestation are within you. And this is the verity: that communion is far from you, for ye cannot achieve the knowledge of Him, yet He is near unto your hearts, for He placeth the tokens of His own Reality therein, that thereby ye may attain unto nearness and Truth.

For besides this nearness and remoteness mentioned, there is a nearness with God that hath no likeness, opposite, or equal in the realm of limitations and physical places. Strive thou that through the favors of the King of Oneness thou mayest enter into that station, that thou mayest be wholly purified and sanctified from the tree of remoteness with all its fruits and leaves. This is a nearness that will never be transformed into remoteness and will endure through the eternity of God.

So establish thyself in that station and be assured that this rank, despite its perfect nearness is remote, and despite its perfect remoteness is near. God hath made it nearer to everything than anything else - neither darknesses can conceal it nor veils can hide it.

Then God made the point of nearness the focal point for drawing near in cycles, bringing it into existence and extending it as He had originated it when it was pure nothingness. And God made the point of remoteness the point of turning away in cycles, and the All-Merciful extended it with the shadows of drawing near in justice.

By "kinship" is not meant mere outward propinquity; rather is intended nearness unto Him -- may my spirit, and the spirits in the kingdom of Command and Creation, be a ransom for Him -- in the world of infinity and detachment and beginning.

Know thou that between God and any soul there is no kinship. Whoso turneth unto God, belongeth unto Him, though he be from the people of the farthest West; and whoso turneth away is not of Him, though he be at His very side.

As to approaching the Most Holy Court in these days, this is outwardly not permitted. We have revealed in one of the Tablets: "How many are near whom We do not confirm in their nearness, and how many are remote and, by the Self of the Beloved, are yet nigh!" And in another Tablet: "How many who are near are yet strangers, and how many who are distant are yet near! Blessed is he who is near and drew near!"

But in one's nearness to and remoteness from the True One there hath ever been, and will continue to be, a wisdom.

O Muhajir! Though thou art far from the seat of the Throne, yet thou art near. Nearness and remoteness in one sense are considered, and in another sense are not considered. However, spiritual nearness hath ever been and will continue to be beloved in the presence of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

How many who are near are far and know it not, and how many who are far are in truth near! Draw nigh with your hearts - this is the Beloved and My luminous Beauty.

On one occasion the tongue of the Lord spoke these words: "How many who were far We behold standing before Our face, and how many who were near were deprived of what they desired. Verily the Cause is in the grasp of God, the Lord of the mighty throne."

How many who were near were kept back, and how many who were remote attained!

The one who dwelt in the desert attained the outpourings of the All-Bountiful, while he who was in the mosque remained deprived.

If thou art outwardly far, then thou art near in spirit, and if thou art absent in body, thou art present is heart and spirit.

O suckling at the breast of providence! Though you have traveled and become distant from worldly sight, you are visible and near to the eye of heart and soul and vision and spirit.

O servant of God! Though thou art apparently far and physically remote from this gathering, thou art mentioned in this assembly and art present in this meeting. In truth, the bounty of God hath brought the distant near, made strangers intimate, rendered companions of the friends, and made steadfast the lovers.

The meaning is that thou shouldst know thou art near, not far; present and in attendance, not remote.

Do not imagine that you are distant and separated for a moment. No, by God! You are constantly before my sight and present, and our meeting is continuous. Sadi of Shiraz says:

"What veil can exist between lover and beloved? Neither Alexander's Wall can be an obstacle nor a barrier."...

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So long as thou remainest steadfast in My love, know of a certainty that thou art present before the Throne, for not a single atom between the heavens and earth is visible except that the realities of all things are present before the Throne of the All-Merciful every morn and eve.

Is it from the world, after thou hast seen it passing, passing away? Is it from thy remoteness from My presence, after the Tongue of the All-Merciful hath testified that thou art with Him at all times?

Do not be unhappy, do not be sad in your loneliness or separation. Your Lord is near those who have turned toward Him. He is the Beloved. God has always been with you.

That soul is alone who is negligent of God, but if he knows God, although he may live in an interminable desert without water and vegetation, yet he is not alone. God is with him.

I beseech God that at every moment thou mayest be the intimate companion of that Kind Friend, and through fellowship with God become independent of association with His creatures. In all conditions, the heart that findeth intimacy with the eternal Beauty will not be disturbed by any terror, nor become sorrowful and disappointed from any estrangement.

Be not grieved by separation. A nearness hath been ordained for thee which no remoteness can affect. Verily, He is the Friend of him who hath detached himself in His love and turned to Him with a luminous countenance.

Be not grieved by separation, for afterwards, by His command, that very separation was the essence of nearness, and parting by His leave was the reality of union.

This deprivation is the essence of attainment, this separation is true union, this remoteness is the core of nearness, and this parting is endless reunion.

For the substance of the grief is the essence of the visit, and the burning of the fire of zeal is the sweet water of the union. This distance is the nearness itself, this separation the reality of union.

Praise be to God Who has made separation the key to union and remoteness the harbinger of nearness, Who has honored us with His oneness among His servants and adorned us with the ornament of His laws and ordinances.

Observe the bounty and gift of the All-Merciful, how He has bestowed a special gift upon His loved ones, for while being a stranger causes grief, for the friends it is mercy and bounty. Dispersion is unity and wandering is freedom.

These material degrees of separation and union, remoteness and nearness, have absolutely no effect. Rather, when true spiritual union is achieved, its influence flows like the spirit through veins and arteries, the veil is completely removed, and the beauty of union becomes visible and manifest.

When radiant faces gather together with watching eyes and penetrating insight, the desert of separation becomes the destination of reunion, and the season of separation reveals the bounties of union, and longing becomes the cause of burning passion.

Therefore, one must seek true nearness and spiritual communion and fellowship.

However, we hope that you, in the extremity of remoteness, may attain the utmost degree of nearness, and may drink and partake of the cup of the mysteries of God's Cause which until now hath been concealed from all souls, and may become firmly established and steadfast upon the sacred carpet.

We beseech God to draw thee nigh unto Him with a nearness after which no remoteness followeth.

Sorrow not at remoteness, for God shall soon draw thee nigh unto Him.

We hope through God's grace that He will soon grant nearness and reunion.

He said: We beseech God to protect and guard His honor Javad, upon him be peace, and to bestow upon him in every moment that which befits His generosity and bounty. Likewise we beseech God to transform the days of separation and remoteness into nearness and reunion.

Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee by the leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree, and by its fruits, branches, boughs and rustling, that Thou change the fire of separation from Thy loved ones into the light of reunion with Thee, and their remoteness into nearness unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Ancient One, possessed of great bounty. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Generous.

Thou shalt exchange the venom of separation for the honey of reunion, heal cruelty's blows with the balm of faith, hasten from the desert of remoteness unto the shore of nearness, and be set free from this dustbin of deprivation.

O assemblage of mystic knowers! Let your hearts be filled with joy, for the time of remoteness hath passed, and the spirit of certitude hath appeared, and the countenance of the celestial Youth hath beamed forth, adorned with the ornament of holiness in the paradise of His name, the Almighty.

Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration, Whose beauty is my sanctuary, Whose habitation is my goal, Whose praise is my hope, Whose providence is my companion, Whose love is the cause of my being, Whose mention is my solace, Whose nearness is my desire, Whose presence is my dearest wish and highest aspiration, I entreat Thee not to withhold from me the things Thou didst ordain for the chosen ones among Thy servants.

O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration, Whose beauty is my sanctuary, Whose court is my goal, Whose remembrance is my wish, Whose affection is my solace, Whose love is my begetter, Whose praise is my companion, Whose nearness is my hope, Whose presence is my greatest longing and supreme aspiration!

My joy is in Thy nearness and meeting Thee, my sustenance is Thy melodies, my spirit Thy verses, my companion Thy remembrances, and my origin Thy words. Decree for me what Thou willest through Thy command, but ordain for me Thy nearness.

Burn me with the fire of Thy dominion, then prescribe for me to meet Thee.

My God! Thou seest my loneliness and my sorrow and my regret and my grief and my sighing in this wilderness by reason of my deprivation from beholding Thy Face and attaining unto Thy Divine Presence and of my remoteness from Thy most sublime Threshold and Thy land of unfading splendor and Thy rich garden.

… O Lord, if Thou didst destine for me remoteness from that most holy garden round which have circled the Concourse on high, deny me not the fragrances thereof that perfume the world and the sweet savors thereof that art diffused in the seven heavens.

O Thou kind Lord! Bestow Thy mercy and show forth a token of Thy pity. Put a stop to this consuming separation and bring to an end this incurable affliction of remoteness. What fruit hath been borne by this annihilated atom, and what mark hath been made by this existence of mine which is even as nothingness itself?

Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto Thee, and to abide within the precincts of Thy court, for remoteness from Thee hath well-nigh consumed me.

Some have attained His presence, while others yearn for it from afar. The fire of separation hath consumed hearts, and the flame of remoteness from the Ancient Beauty hath melted both horizons and souls.

This is Thy servant who fashioned with his own hands what he fashioned for Thee, then was afflicted after that with separation and remoteness from Thee, whereby patience departed from all who have eyes to see, and whereby arose the lamentations of those near unto Thee, then their crying, and the weeping of the believers, then their weeping.

It is as though Thou hast forgotten him and left him in the wastelands of Thy separation and estrangement, and delivered him before the face of Thine enemies that they might do with him as they please and inflict upon him whatsoever they desire.

They are the flock of Thy gazelles, wandering in the wilderness of separation and scattered in the valley of regret.

O Lord! They are poor and Thou art in truth the All-Possessing; they are weak and Thou art in justice the All-Powerful; they are athirst in their separation and with Thee is the Kawthar of life, O Thou Who art the Lord of all existence.

He seeks, through the wonders of Your grace, Your nearness and meeting, to stand at Your gate, attain Your presence, and hearken to Your sweetest call by which the hearts of the Prophets were attracted.

O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord! Has the Pen of destiny decreed for me to attain Your presence, or has Your binding decree prevented me from turning to You, O Master of eternity?

Assist me, O Thou through Whom the sincere ones have soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness and reunion, and the hearts of the devoted ones have been consumed in their remoteness and separation from Thee.

Suffer me not, I implore Thee, to be kept back from the ocean of Thy tender mercies, nor to be far removed from the shores of nearness to Thee.

Deprive me not in these days of the fragrant breezes of Thy contentment, nor from hearing the warbling of the Dove of Thy Cause. And distance me not, O my Beloved, from the shore of the ocean of Thy nearness and presence.

O Lord! Deprive me not of the wonders of Thy grace and bounties, and distance me not from Thy nearness and presence.

Deprive not Thy servants and withhold them not from the sacred precincts of nearness.

O Lord! Deprive not Thy servants from drawing nigh unto the seat of Thy Cause, and drive them not from the court which Thou hast made the dawning-place of Thy bounty.

O Lord! Have mercy upon them through Your grace and favors, and lift them from the abyss of deprivation, and save them from the chasm of separation, and cause them to enter the Garden of Paradise, and grant them the chalice of pardon and beneficence.

Send down, then, O my God, through Thy Most Great Name, upon Thy loved ones what will, under all conditions, draw them nearer unto Thee.

I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Possessor of existence and the Forgiver of sins, by the lights of Thy countenance through which the Sun of Thy bounty hath shone upon existence, and by Thy Most Great Name which hath encompassed the world, to assist me to be steadfast in Thy Cause in such wise that neither the oppression of tyrants nor the injustice of pharaohs may frighten me. Then write down for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions.

O Lord! I am the one who has fled from myself unto Thee and desired from the heaven of Thy bounty what befits Thy grace and Thy bestowal. Verily Thou art He Whom the affairs of creation cannot frustrate, so send down upon Thy servant from the heaven of Thy grace that which will draw him near unto Thee in all conditions.

O my Lord! I am he who hath turned towards Thee and sought the Kaaba of Thy presence and the horizon of Thy reunion.

He is the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! This is Thy servant who hath turned his face toward the sanctuary of Thy oneness, who hath taken shelter beneath the tabernacle of Thy divine unity, who hath sought refuge in the cave of Thy holy mercy, who hath fled unto Thy presence and sought protection at Thy threshold, who hath detached himself from all else but Thee and come unto Thee, who hath turned his face purely toward Thee, and who hath called upon Thee in his inner and outer being, communing with Thee with both heart and tongue, hoping that Thou wouldst give him to drink from the camphor-fountains through Thy holy hands and grant him the fruits of Paradise from the tree of Thy oneness.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Beauty through which the horizons were illumined, and by Thy Name at which all in the kingdom of creation cried out, that Thou assist him with the confirmations of Thy divine Oneness and ordain for him every good thing Thou hast created in the heaven of Thy creativity. Verily, Thou art the All-Giving, the Merciful.

Now since affairs in this land are in turmoil, therefore the journey of that honored one is difficult. God willing, through divine grace and favor, permission will hereafter be granted at the appropriate time according to what is desired. What you sent has been received.

O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and hoping for that which lieth with Thee. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which hath been ordained by the Most Exalted Pen for Thy chosen servants who have, through Thy power and might, shattered the idols of vain imaginings and idle fancies.

I beseech Thee, O my God, to assist those who have turned towards Thee and leave them not to themselves for less than the twinkling of an eye.

Grant, moreover, that they whose hearts yearn over Thee may draw nigh unto the horizon of Thy grace, above which the Day-Star of Thy beauty sheddeth its radiance.

Grant her to hear Thy holy melodies that she may cast the veil from her head in her eagerness to meet Thee and speed through the domains of Thy nearness and union.

Therefore, raise thy hands in supplication and need toward the court of the Peerless Lord and offer prayers and praise, saying: "O Lord, O Creator! Thou hast given this weak ant a place on the carpet of the Solomon of the divine realm, guided this lost one to the shore of the ocean of Thy oneness, quenched this thirsty one with the Salsabil of bounty, brought this dead one to life with the spirit of eternal life, illumined this dejected face, and burned away these thick veils.

We have heard your call and recognized your yearning for the horizon of revelation. Verily your Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

The Glance of Divine Providence has ever been turned towards that direction.

Thou art witnessed in the Most Great Scene and mentioned in the Most Holy Court of the Lord of Eternity.

We give thee glad tidings of My remembrance and recite unto thee My verses and draw thee nigh unto My mighty Kingdom.

And We make mention of him who hath been named Haydar from the direction of My Most Luminous Horizon, that he may draw nigh unto God, the One, the Single, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Blessed art thou for having won the lights of the Countenance and drawn nigh unto God, the Lord of mankind.

O Muhammad! Thou hast attained unto divine favors and reached the sacred station of nearness.

Blessed art thou for having turned to God, the Lord of all worlds, and recognized Him after Our heedless servants turned away from Him.

The glory of God rest upon those who have sought the Ultimate Goal and have turned towards the horizon which hath been illumined by His shining countenance.

Therefore, thank God for His having privileged thee to attain nearness to the Blessed Tree which is grown upon the highest Sinai and is set aglow with the fire of Godis love, calling unto responsive listeners.

Whoever attains to such a bounty will surely become near to the Supreme Threshold.

The family of Haji 'Ammih Khanum, indeed their entire lineage, are near ones at the Divine Threshold and are attracted by holy fragrances.

O 'Ali! Thou hast walked with thy feet towards God and turned with thy spirit to the shore of an impregnable nearness.

For some time there was no news of you in the visible world. Some said you had taken residence in the monastery, while others pointed to the mosque saying you had secluded yourself there. I said this bewildered, passionate one finds rest nowhere but in the divine sanctuary, and this wanderer of separation takes seclusion nowhere but in the Lord's Ka'bah.

The heart findeth no rest save through the Day-Star of assurance from the direction of Thy grace, nor doth the eye become tranquil except by beholding the horizon of Thy manifestation, nor doth the soul find repose save through the appearances of Thy generosity and bounty.

If thou seekest eternal rest take shelter beneath the protection of God's Beauty and if thou seekest everlasting gifts enter beneath the shade of His loving providence and bounty. This protection and providence, this shade of bounty is none other than attraction to the holy fragrances of His divine Beauty.

If you seek an impregnable fortress, seek the shadow of the Glorious Lord. If you desire a lofty palace, seek the seat of truth with the All-Powerful Sovereign.

If thou desirest to stroll in the kingdom, enter the paradise of My loving-kindness, and if thou desirest to find solace in anyone, find it in My Self, which hath power over all in the heavens and earths.

The tongue of Divine Unity magnifies upon thy face, O Samadiyyih. We beseech God to assist thee in detachment in both beginning and end, and to solace thine eyes through the favors of thy Lord, the Possessor of all existence. Return thou to the abode of security and the seat of fellowship, near unto the mighty King. The glory be upon thee and upon those with thee.

Yet we hope that a breeze of grace may waft over you and draw you from the west of remoteness to the east of nearness, that you may find repose in the eternal holy Ridvan in the company of the holy manifestations of divine fellowship.

Perchance they will be attracted by this melody whereby were attracted the spirits of the near ones among the dwellers of the paradise of the most high, and will journey from the worlds of fancy to the sanctuaries of holiness, and will migrate from the abodes of limitations to the treasuries of eternity, that they may arrive at the stream of nearness and attainment and alight upon the shore of the sea of attraction and beauty.

It is calling aloud at all times upon the branch of Fire within the hallowed and luminous garden of Paradise, that perchance the inmates of the realm of creation may detach themselves from the world of dust and ascend unto the retreats of nearness -- the Spot where the Fire seeketh illumination from the light of the Countenance of God, the Glorious, the Powerful.

Say: In the flight of this Bird there are signs for them that know, and it guideth all, through this detachment, unto the precincts of a mighty nearness.

Therefore, O my dear one, take a step and pass beyond place, for until you drink from the fountain of "returning," you will not stand upon the throne of "we belong to God."

Then grant him that which will cause him to ascend unto the stations of nearness, "the distance of two bow-lengths or even less."

May ye reach such a condition and attain such a station that though ye dwell upon the earth ye are at all times intimately connected to the Concourse on High. Though your bodies live and move down here upon the dust let your spirits soar into the realms of Abha and behold its lights.

But the hearts of those who love the Beauty of the Beloved, whose zenith is the Abha Kingdom and the highest horizon, in an instant can fly from the lowest depths to the heaven of heavens, and in a breath can soar from the nearest horizon to the manifest and even nearer horizon.

Make your way to the sanctified Concourse and become an intimate companion of the denizens of the Abha Kingdom.

… Therefore for all of us it is far better to spread our wings and fly from this perilous depth, entering a world that is sanctified from these dangers, so that we may find rest in that soul-stirring atmosphere of the Ever-Living, the Omnipotent One.

This loftiness dwells in the divine Court, and this height resides in the Most Great Throne of the All-Merciful. All existence and being lie at the depths of this summit and height, and all loftiness and grandeur exist under the shade of this heavenly exaltation.

That station is nearness at the Threshold of God, is the Eternal, Everlasting Bounty.

Therefore, O my God, protect me from all fire and grant me paradise and whatsoever Thou hast created therein, for I know of no fire more intense than remoteness from Thee, and no paradise more exalted than nearness unto Thee.

The other kind of torment is palpable and consists in physical punishments such as imprisonment, beating, expulsion and banishment. But for the people of God, to be veiled from Him is still more grievous than all these torments.

Good thoughts, good resolves, and good deeds bring men nearer to God, and that is heaven. Hell is the state of mind in which there are evil thoughts and purposes, yielding to the desires of the senses, clinging to material things. In that state man is separated from God, and in his ignorance he suffers.

One must not look at oneis self, for the more he does this, the more he sees his faults and feels guilty and useless. But when he looks at God, he feels God is near to him, and feels Godis power, Greatness, Bounty and Love. If we look at ourselves, we see only our weakness.

The nearer you are to the light, the further you are from the darkness; the nearer you are to heaven, the further you are from the earth; the nearer you are to God, the further you are from the world.

Everything that veils us from the one true God, everything that alienates us from the Beloved is blameworthy and reprehensible, but everything that draws us nearer to Him is acceptable and full of praise.

Glorified be He Who created all things by His command and ordained the measures of every matter in a Preserved Tablet of might, and established therein the laws of the Cause through the tongue of the Messengers aforetime - and this is a known truth - and commanded them in the Book with that which would draw them near to a most praiseworthy sanctuary of holiness, and forbade them from all that would veil them from the beauty of God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

He commandeth His servants to do that which draweth them nigh unto Him and maketh them to be of those who fear not neither shall they grieve.

Although letters have been sent in Arabic, Persian and all kinds of ways, nevertheless love is expressed anew that you should, God willing, follow that departed one in all matters pertaining to the material world. This will surely be the nearest means of drawing nigh unto God.

Be not grieved by exile, for God hath made it a means of drawing thee nearer to thy Lord. He desireth for thee naught save that which shall draw thee closer to thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

He desireth for no one save that which will draw him nigh unto the sacred court, the station wherein whosoever entereth will behold himself as a mirror of His beauty, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

O My loved ones! We summon you at all times unto God, your Lord, the All-Merciful. By this We desire naught save to draw you nigh unto God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

Rather, in all successive ages and consecutive days, the entire creation from the beginning that has no beginning has been commanded to turn to this Source of glorious bounty, and the divine Herald has ever called and will continue to call the servants from estrangement in transient, passing homelands to draw near to the glorious, eternal abodes.

And He granteth unto the people of earth that which will bring them to the precincts of the Throne and draw them nigh unto a holy and praiseworthy station.

We beseech God that He may assist thee to rend asunder the veils that have hindered thee, with celestial power, that thou mayest attain to the station of nearness and holiness.

Today all must speak for the sake of God and gaze toward God. Let them not deprive their eyes from the supreme horizon, nor prevent their ears from hearkening to the words of the Lord of Names, nor withhold their hearts from turning to Him, nor veil their minds from contemplating His mighty signs and manifest conditions.

Whoever turned attained their portion and share, and whoever remained heedless was deprived and distant. Blessed are they, men and women, who have turned, and woe to them, men and women, who are heedless.

Strive thou that the heedlessness and forgetfulness of the peoples of the worlds may not prevent thee from the direction of the All-Merciful, and that thou mayest ever dwell, in spirit and fragrance, beneath the shade of the divine Lote-Tree, in rest and in peace.

The souls who have turned towards God must be so firm that should all the peoples of the earth wish to remove them from the ocean of nearness, they would find themselves powerless to do so.

The glory be upon thee and upon those who have soared in the atmosphere of My nearness and held fast to My strong cord.

Hold fast unto the cord of My loving-kindness, then immerse thyself in the ocean of My Cause, and draw near with thy heart unto this Scene from whose horizon hath shone forth the Sun of thy Lord's beauty, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise.

Strive to connect thy heart to the Most Great Ocean. In this way, the divine bounty will ever encompass thee.

Therefore, O thou who gazest toward God and speaketh in praise of God, if thou seekest true union at the divine threshold, bring thy heart near, and if thou seekest spiritual nearness at the merciful court, gladden thy spirit, so that thou mayest attain true divine union and be confirmed and assisted in achieving such nearness that thou wilt forever abide under the shade of the Tree of Oneness.

O Javad! The heart's desire of every person of understanding is to increase in nearness to the Divine Threshold, and the wish of every wise one is to attain the good-pleasure of the Most Glorious Beauty, may my spirit be a sacrifice for His loved ones.

Separate not thyself from His good-pleasure that thou mayest finally attain His reunion and reach the Threshold of Divine Unity.

When we attained unto Thy nearness, we did sever ourselves from kith and kin alike, desiring only to know Thee, to praise Thee and to worship Thee.

In the estimation of the loved ones of God, abasement is exaltation itself, and affliction leadeth to faithfulness. Earthly glory and comfort are but a mirage of illusion, while in the realm of the spirit heavenly gifts are everlasting and imperishable. The lights in the nether world may be bright, but they are put out at the break of dawn, whereas the stars that shine in the heaven of the love of God will sparkle continually throughout ages and centuries. Such is everlasting glory, such is infinite bounty, such is life eternal, and such is boundless grace.

Therefore, be thou nurtured in the cradle of the love of God until thou illuminest thy heart and countenance with divine radiance, and the light of reality may ever shine upon thy sight, and thine eye may be bright, and thou mayest draw nearer day by day to the divine threshold, and show forth firmness, steadfastness and constancy in the Kingdom of the All-Merciful.

I hope therefore that at the Divine Threshold thou mayest secure favor, may become connected with the Kingdom by ideal ties and may daily progress so that thou mayest be accepted in the Sight of His Holiness Baha'u'llah!

Praise be to God, thy desire is to attain nearness to the divine Threshold. This is the greatest of desires, and this thought is the cause of endless progress in the highest realm.

Strive that each day you may find a new blessing and attain to a fresh bounty.

I love children exceedingly, for they are near unto the Kingdom of God.

This spiritual brotherhood has no other purpose than nearness to the Threshold of God.

O dawning-place of "My servant draws nigh unto Me through voluntary devotions"! Blessed art thou!

When man turns to God, He says "Whosoever draws nigh unto Me by a span, I will draw nigh unto him by a cubit." This means that any servant who comes closer to Me by one span, I will come closer to him by one cubit. The purpose is that the slightest turning of man toward God becomes the cause of infinite nearness.

In the sacred hadith He says: "Whoso draweth nigh unto Me a span, I draw nigh unto him a cubit." This drawing nigh is through the guidance of souls and the attraction of hearts.

In the contingent world, even unto the very acme of the Placeless, loftiness, advancement and exaltation are impossible save on the wings of servitude; while nearness to the Holy Presence is unattainable unless the pinions of thraldom be unfurled.

The more you succeed in this servitude, the more divine nearness becomes possible and the closer you draw to God.

If thou canst, become the commander of the army of life and the leader of the hosts of salvation - that is, bestow fresh life upon hearts and grant eternal life to souls, so that thou mayest become near to the divine threshold and the court of the All-Merciful, and receive thy portion and share from the infinite bounty.

Blessed is he who hath arisen to serve His Cause, who hath attained unto the cup of His love, who hath spoken in His remembrance and praise, who hath turned toward Him with his heart, who hath stood in His court, and who hath circled round His throne.