prayer for forgiveness
Editorial introduction
To ask forgiveness is to look squarely at what one has done and refuse to let it be the last word. Bahá’u’lláh pictures the supplicant trembling before divine justice and then, turning toward grace, finding the heart at rest; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá teaches that sin is like the darkness of night, and that darkness has no power once the sun has risen. The plea is never an end in itself. It asks for a changed life, for truthful speech, trustworthy conduct and useful service, and it soon widens past the self to parents and children, companions, opponents and those who have died, whom the living may still help by their pleading. Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector shows how admitting one’s own fault loosens the habit of judging others [1], and the Qur’an forbids despair of mercy while summoning the transgressor to return [2]. From here the path leads on into the mercy and grace of God, into prayer for the departed, and into the wider life of prayer itself.
In the Name of our Lord, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing!
My God, my God! Thou seest mine eyes fixed upon the horizon of Thy grace and the hands of this poor one raised to the heaven of Thy bounty. Whenever I contemplate Thy justice, O my God, my limbs tremble, my heart is agitated, my joints quiver, my sighs ascend and my tears fall. Yet whenever I contemplate Thy grace and Thy dealings with Thy loved ones, my spirit soars, my heart is assured and my soul finds rest.
O Kind Lord! Sin is as the darkness of night, while Thy pardon and forgiveness are as rays of light. In the presence of brilliant light, what effect can the darkness of the earthly realm have? And in the presence of the sun, what power can shadows possess?
Thou art the All-Forgiving, the Bestower, the Kind, the Resplendent.
We beseech God to open our eyes and make us aware of ourselves and our deeds. If we are not enabled to know His exalted Self, may we at least be enabled to know our heedless selves, and may He remove from our faces the veils that prevent us from beholding Him rising from the horizon of grace and bounty, that we may detach ourselves from all who dwell in the realms of creation and turn wholly toward Him, for He is our All-Merciful Lord.
There was another Bahtashi who in his younger days was an officer in the Turkish service government. This man became also very sick and when I called on him the members of his family had summoned a Mullah at his bed to pray for him and ask him to pray so that God may forgive his past sins before his death. After the performance of many ceremonials the Mullah in his most solemn voice asked the patient to repeat the formula "Oh God! I have sinned much. Confer upon me thy forgiveness.' The sick man did not answer. The Mullah most thoroughly in his duties repeated again and again but to no use.
Finally the patient getting tired with this repetition turned his eyes to the Mullah and said with real earnestness:- "Man! For many years I have sinned against God and his servants. I have ransacked the houses, orphaned the children, burned the hearts and have committed all kinds of iniquities. Is the government of God so child-like as to forgive all my past sins with the repetition of a mere formula? Is his system of dispensing justice so loose? Be gone! Thou ignorant Mullah! Thou art telling me all these things to get ten Piastres as thy fee. Come, come, my friends, give him some money and let him depart quickly from my presence. He is a Satan and a tempter.'
When the Mullah left the room in haste, while I was alone in the room, he fell on his knees and out of the depth of his heart he cried out: 'O Lord! O Lord! I am a real sinner and thou art the just God! I beg Thy Mercy! I have committed many sins. I have not done that which Thou hast commanded me and have practiced those things thou hast made unlawful. With humility and contrition I am standing in thy presence. Do with me whatever thou willest!' I was much affected at this outburst of earnestness and left the room, praying that his supplication may become accepted at the Threshold of the Almighty.
O Divine Providence! O Thou Compassionate! Make Thou hopeful the servant that is covered with shame and cause him to perform good acts. Vouchsafe unto him Thy bountiful favours. Do not look at my trespasses and disregard my misdeeds. Forgive my shortcomings and my sins.
In any case, we seek forgiveness through goodly character and praiseworthy deeds - how much more so without them! Never have the deeds of a servant been worthy of the court of the Lord, unless His grace should take hold and His favor should assist.
I supplicated and implored at the Threshold of the Beauty of Abha, beseeching pardon, forgiveness and bounty of the Merciful for thee, thy friends and even thine enemies.
Therefore the seeking of forgiveness by the loved ones and beseeching pardon and forgiveness from the Court of Unity on behalf of the deceased is legitimate and accepted and praiseworthy, and causes abundant pardon and progress.
O peerless Lord! This destitute one has fallen at Thy threshold, bewildered and distracted, enamored and devoted, seeking forgiveness for a loving mother. Thou art the one true Bestower and the Giver to all, whether friend or stranger. Grant forgiveness that it may cause the rain of mercy to descend and nourish the soul of that honored handmaiden.
Say:
O my God, my Beloved, my Mover, my Attractor, the One Who calls in my heart and the Beloved of my inmost being! Praise be unto Thee for having caused me to turn to Thy countenance, to be enkindled with Thy remembrance, to call out Thy Name, and to voice Thy praise. O my Lord! O my Lord! Were heedlessness not to exist, how would the standards of Thy mercy be raised and the banners of Thy generosity be unfurled? And were error not to be declared, how would it be known that Thou art the Concealer, the Forgiver, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise?
Our Lord! Take us not to task for our deeds, and punish us not with Thy wrath on the Day when the righteous and the wicked shall stand at the place of reckoning before the Mighty, the Compelling. Our Lord! We are sinners and Thou art the Pardoner, the Forgiving. Transform our evil deeds into good deeds and protect us from the evil of our souls, for they indeed command to evil, and we have no strength or power except through Thy confirmation, O our Lord, the Forgiving!
It is better that we now grasp the hem of His generosity and say:
My God, my God! Thou seest Thy servants and Thy creation, and Thou knowest them better than they know themselves. Transform their evil into good and their injustice into justice. Then, O my God, extinguish the fire of hatred and animosity with the Kawthar of Thy mercy and the water of Thy grace.
O my God, my God! Thou knowest my powerlessness, my brokenness, my restlessness, my distress, my terror and my agitation in the depths of nights and dawn's early hours. Thou knowest my devotions, my vigils, my supplications and my entreaties at morn and eventide. I lament and weep at my heedlessness, my forgetfulness, my transgressions and my shortcomings in my servitude at the threshold of Thy oneness and the court of Thy singleness. I melt in shame at my lapses and burn in the fire of my remorse for my abundant misdeeds.
O my God, my Adored One, my Beloved, my Heart's Desire! With what countenance shall I turn to Thy most glorious Kingdom, and with what tongue shall I implore Thy forgiveness and pardon? Not once did I draw a breath purely for Thy sake, freed from this cage of self, nor did I take a single step save in pursuit of my own desires. O my God, so immersed am I in transgression that I am ashamed of the very act of transgression itself, let alone standing before Thy most holy presence.
O God! With what face shall I turn to Thy Kingdom of Abha, and with what tongue shall I supplicate and implore Thee? O my God! This sinful servant hath borne every transgression, sin and iniquity that falleth within the compass and reckoning of Thy knowledge. Yet with utmost boldness and assurance he standeth at the door of Thy hope, seeking Thy pardon and forgiveness, and beseeching Thy ancient and wondrous grace and bounty. Verily Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful, and verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Lord of surpassing grace.
O my God, if Thou shouldst withhold from me the Euphrates of Thy forgiveness and the ocean of Thy mercy, who would show mercy to me and forgive me? Alas! Alas! I have abandoned what Thou didst command me and committed what Thou didst forbid me. By Thy might! Despite my acknowledgment of my grievous sins and great transgressions, I testify that they all are as nothing before the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy pardon and the sun of Thy generosity.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! By Thy might! My transgressions have prevented me from turning toward the horizon of the heaven of Thy grace, and my sins from attaining presence before Thy face. Whenever I contemplate the ocean of Thy generosity and the sun of Thy bounty, joy overtaketh me from every direction, yet whenever I reflect upon my errors and transgressions, I long to hide my face beneath the layers of the earth.
O my Lord! I confess that no deed hath appeared from me worthy of mention in Thy days. I beseech Thee to send upon my transgressions the winds of Thy forgiveness and the breezes of Thy pardon.
It has been ordained for you to fast for God for three consecutive days, and at noon each day to turn toward the Qiblih in the presence of the Light of Identity and supplicate God with these verses, that He may through His bounty forgive you and expiate your evil deeds and guide you to the straight path:
In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Compelling!
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art He Who created the heavens through the Pen of Thy creation and the earth through the breaths of the Tablets of Thy invention, and formed between them from the formations of Thy Identity according to the measures of Thy eternal craftsmanship, and turned upon them from the cycles of Thy Lordship that which Thou didst specially ordain for them from the essences of the manifestations of the might of Thy sovereignty. Thou didst send the winds of love from the right hand of Thy will and cause the rains of providence to descend from the clouds of the bounty of Thy generosity, and didst mix this living, life-giving sweet water with this holy, luminous earth. Then were the hearts of all existent things stirred within the vestures of Thy creation, and the bones of all created things were quickened by the wonders of Thy power, and the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee were bewildered by the essences of Thy grace, and the minds of the sincere were attracted by the melodies of Thy rapture. Then did the signs of Thy power appear in all things according to their ranks and capacities, that the corrupt might be distinguished from the good in their turning toward Thee or away from Thee. Thus did sanctified souls turn toward the Sun of Thy Beauty while darkened hearts turned away from the Kaaba of Thy Being and the sanctuary of Thy grandeur.
Thereafter didst Thou cause this water to descend from the heaven of Thy leave upon the earth of Thy decree, and didst nurture it in the treasuries of Thy protection and the repositories of Thy power, until through Thy bounty Thou didst manifest me and through Thy mercy raise me up, and didst nourish me from the milk of Thy generosity and feed me from the blessings of Thy good-pleasure and give me to drink from the rivers of Thy favors and the seas of Thy glory. And I grew to maturity for the manifestation of Thy power and the revelation of Thy might. Then didst Thou raise me to the clouds of the heaven and the Lote-Tree of the uttermost boundary, until Thou didst honor me with Thy beauty and cause me to know the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Sun of Thy guidance and the stars of Thy exaltation, and didst bring me to the station of nearness and beauty and cause me to attain unto the degrees of union and majesty. Thereafter didst Thou honor me with Thy supreme bounty and settle me in the precincts of Thy most exalted mercy and shelter me beneath the shadow of Thy most beautiful names.
Yet in all this was I heedless of Thy remembrance and far removed from the gardens of Thy nearness and forgetful of the wonders of Thy tenderness and the essences of Thy loving-kindness, until I did what I did and earned what I earned, such that I transgressed against Thee in a manner whereby I showed no shame in Thy presence and no embarrassment before Thy beauty, and committed that which befitteth not Thy sovereignty, and grew heedless of Thy love and occupied myself with that which Thou hadst forbidden to Thy servants. Alas for me and for those who are like me and who walk in my path! It is as though I disobeyed Thee with every disobedience, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of forgiveness and pardon! In all this was I occupied with myself and heedless of Thy Self, turning toward my own desires and turning away from Thy desire and will, until I reached a station wherein I went astray from the paths of Thy guidance and the ways of Thy commandments.
Then, O my God, did I return from all this unto Thee, disappointed, in loss, remorseful and abased, and I beseech Thee by the Sun of Thy Oneness and the Light of Thy Eternity and the Pavilion of the glory of Thy concealment, that Thou show mercy unto me and forgive me and pardon me and take me not to task for that which Thou hast reckoned from me and that which Thou hast witnessed of my deeds. Verily Thou art the Merciful, the Forgiving, the Bountiful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Compassionate.
I ask forgiveness of Thee by Thy names and attributes. Deal not with me according to my deserts, for verily Thou art the God of virtue and the Lord of forgiveness. Verily I seek Thy pardon and repent before Thee of all that was ascribed to me instead of that which was worthy of Thee, for Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.
Then forgive me, O my God, for what I have done in Thy days, and by Thy grace and bounty absolve me of my misdeeds.
I beseech Thee to expiate my grievous transgressions and mighty sins, and purify me from that which is not befitting for Thy days, O Thou by the movement of Whose finger all created things were set in motion!
So seek forgiveness for what you have thought and said and written, and say:
"Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I am he who was neglectful in Thy path and followed the ways of fancy and imagination, being veiled from the recognition of the Manifestation of Thy Self, and I argued with that which burned the liver of Ali and then the heart of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, as though I had slain all existence, both seen and unseen. Therefore, O my God, look upon me with the glances of Thy mercy and leave me not to myself and my desires.
O my Lord! I am he who transgressed against Thee and opposed Thy beauty, being occupied with my self and my desires, and verily Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. O my Lord! When I recognized Thy Self, I sought Thy forgiveness for what I had been and for what appeared from my tongue and issued from my mouth and occurred to my heart, and I have turned unto Thee with my whole being, for verily Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
Turn unto God in repentance for what thou didst intend in thy soul, then return unto Him and say: "O my God! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Word to ordain for me the word of forgiveness, for I intended in my soul what Thou didst not desire and what Thou forbade in Thy Book. I beseech Thee to remit my evil deeds and to immerse me in the ocean of Thy forgiveness.
Listen to the call of this Wronged One: Turn away from what you possess and what the people possess, then turn with your face and heart to the Most Exalted Horizon and say: "O my God! I testify that I denied You when You called me to faith, and rejected Your proof when You commanded me to acknowledge it. I beseech You by Your mercy to forgive me and join me with Your near servants."
Verily, I have been among the wrongdoers, and I call upon Thee in the darkness of remoteness that there is no God but Thee. Glory be unto Thee! Verily, I am of those who repent. Answer Thou my prayer and have mercy upon me, for Thou art the Beloved of them that know Thee, and praise be unto Thee, for Thou art God, the Lord of all worlds.
I seek forgiveness of God, my Lord, and turn unto Him in repentance. Verily He hath ever been forgiving unto the believers.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Take us not to task for what our hands have wrought, then forgive our sins, pardon us and have mercy upon us. Thou art verily the Lord of Bounty and Might, the Lord of Grace and Kingdom.
O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I bear witness with my outer and inner tongue that Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee, the One, the Single, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
… Thou seest and hearest, O my God, my sighing and my weeping, my crying and my lowliness and my tribulation. O Lord! The temple of disobedience seeketh the waves of the ocean of Thy forgiveness and pardon, and the essence of heedlessness seeketh the wonders of Thy gifts and favors.
My God, my God! Thou seest me laying my brow upon the dust of lowliness and submission, pressing my face to the earth of utter nothingness before Thy unity, O my chosen Lord, humbly, submissively, imploringly supplicating unto the Kingdom of Thy lights by night and by day, that Thou mayest look upon us with the eye of Thy loving-kindness and the glances of Thy mercy, forgive our sins and our errors, and deal with us according to Thy grace and bounty in all conditions. Our Lord! We are sinners, and Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful. We are transgressors, and Thou art the Pardoner, the Generous.
O Thou kind Lord! My shortcomings are many and my righteous deeds are none. I am a sinner, an evil-doer, grief-stricken, without repose, helpless, wandering, captive, and oppressive.
O my God! Grant Thy grace, bestow Thy favor, show Thy generosity, and deal with me through Thy mercy.
My God, my God! I am Your servant, despairing of myself, overwhelmed by my transgressions, my great sins, my severe disobedience, and my excessive rebellion. I have nothing except Your magnificent beneficence and all-encompassing forgiveness. … Forgive my sins, pardon my errors and stumbles, admit me into the fortress of Your forgiveness and protection, accompany me with Your aid, cut me off from all else but You, and make my face sincere toward Your generous countenance.
I am a sinner. Thou art the Forgiving One. I am desperate of my deeds, but hopeful in Thy pardon. Being submerged in the ocean of errors, I seek Thy favor. I am a sinner yearning for Divine intimacy.
O Lord! O Forgiver! Though we are sinners and tread the path of rebellion, yet we knock at the door of forgiveness and seek Thy good-pleasure, speak Thy mysteries, and implore pardon and forgiveness. We seek Thy boundless favors and ask for Thy blessing and forgiveness. Look not upon our shortcomings and perceive not our weakness and lassitude.
O Lord! Though I am a sinner, I place my hopes in Thy forgiveness. I am destitute and poor; Thou art the Generous, the Succourer. I am afflicted and lowly; Thou art the Healer of every sick and captive soul.
O Kind God! We are sinful and You are the Forgiver. We are wicked and You are the Pardoning, All-Forgiving One.
Though the waves of sin have risen high, yet we trust in Your pardon and forgiveness. Though the flood of disobedience has reached its peak, yet we cling to Your grace and bounty.
O Pure Lord! We are all sinners, and Thou art the Forgiver. We are all filled with faults, and Thou art the Remover of difficulties. Record not the sins of these wrongdoers in the Preserved Tablet, and erase them from the outstretched parchment. Look not upon our worthiness and capacity - deal with us in a manner befitting Thy merciful threshold.
O Lord! We are sinners - forgive us. We are transgressors - pardon us. Shelter us in Thy protection. Perfect our deficiencies through Thy forgiveness.
Forgive our shortcomings and let our disobedience end in pardon. Bestow endless favors and grant fitting forgiveness of sins. You are the Forgiver, the Pardoner, and the Kind One.
Lord, Lord! We are sinners and Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. We are transgressors and Thou art the Pardoner, the All-Bountiful. Deal not with us according to what we deserve, but deal with us according to Thy forgiveness, Thy pardon and Thy grace, O All-Merciful, O All-Compassionate!
O Lord! O Creator! We are sinners and You are the Forgiver, we are guilty and You are the Magnanimous One. Though our transgressions are like a boundless ocean, Your pardon and forgiveness are greater still.
O Forgiver, we are all sinners and wrongdoers. Thou art the Forgiver, Thou art the Bestower, the Kind. Look not upon our worth and merit, but look upon Thy grace and pardon. Immerse us in the ocean of forgiveness and make us companions of the Supreme Concourse in the Most Glorious Paradise. Thou art the Merciful, Thou art the All-Compassionate.
O Lord! Forgive the transgressions of these souls and conceal the misdeeds of these lowly ones. Thou art aware, Thou art knowing, Thou art informed, Thou art cognizant. We are sinners, we are transgressors, we are heedless, we are negligent. Thou art the Pardoner, Thou art the Forgiving, Thou art the Gracious, Thou art the Merciful. Verily Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Concealer of faults.
O Lord Who covers faults and bestows gifts, look not at transgressions - grant forgiveness. See not shortcomings, regard not lassitude. Thou art the All-Forgiving Lord. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Mighty, the Bestower.
O thou who art turning unto God! Open thine eyes to the Kingdom of the Invisible Realm of Might and begin thy supplication with this prayer:
O Thou Kind One! Cover Thou and conceal our faults. From Thee is bounty, from us transgression. From Thee faithfulness, from us sin. From Thee shelter, from us illness. From Thee healing. Cover and forgive, be faithful, give shelter, and bestow healing.
Recite this prayer so that it may be the cause of spiritual salvation:
O Thou Almighty! I am a sinner, but Thou art the Forgiver! I am full of shortcomings, but Thou art the Compassionate! I am in darkness of error, but Thou art the Light of Pardon! Therefore, O Thou Benevolent God, forgive my sins, grant Thy Bestowals, overlook my faults, provide for me a shelter, immerse me in the Fountain of Thy Patience and heal me of all sickness and disease.
Turn to the Supreme Kingdom of Mystery and supplicate:
O Kind Lord! I am drowning in the sea of disobedience - show me the path of forgiveness.
O thou who seekest the seat of truth! Turn thy face toward the Abha Kingdom and supplicate to the Concourse on High: "O Thou bountiful Lord! Cover our faults, bestow upon us Thy freely-given grace and endless forgiveness. Open our eyes and attune our ears to mysteries, that in this mighty Dispensation the signs of divine unity may be embodied and the reality of detachment may be realized. For such heavenly bounty befitteth this luminous cycle."
O my Lord, this is a maidservant supplicating to You, communing with You, O my God, with the tongue of her inner heart and outer speech, saying: "Lord, forgive my sins and conceal my faults, and grant me a goodly exit, and purify me from the defilement of my errors, and cause me to enter into the ocean of Your pardon and forgiveness, O You Who are great in beneficence, O Forbearing One, O Merciful One!
Say:
"My God, my God! I testify to the sanctity of Thy Being above mention and utterance, and the exaltation of Thy Self above what is ordained in contingent existence.
… "O Lord! The thirst of separation from Thee hath consumed me - where is the sweet water of Thy mercy? My transgressions have removed me far from the court of Thy nearness - where are the waves of the ocean of Thy forgiveness?
O Lord! Though we are sinners, Thy forgiveness is greater than any sin. Though the darkness of rebellion is evident and manifest, the star of Thy mercy is more brilliant than the shining moon - its radiance dispels that darkness, and its wave removes that dross and debris. O Lord! O Forgiver! Thy bestowal hath given new life to creation, and the sun of Thy bounty hath shone from the horizon of contingent being. With such gifts, what care or concern have the sinners? All seek refuge in Thy mighty shelter and protection in Thy lofty stronghold.
O God, O Gracious One, O Merciful One! I have turned to Thee, and am clinging to the cord of Thy bounty, and am holding fast to the hem of Thy generosity. Thou art the Gracious One - a single drop from the ocean of Thy forgiveness would wash away the transgressions of all mankind, and one word from the mouth of Thy grace would bestow the water of life upon all contingent beings.
Thou art the Generous One Who hath caused the rain-clouds of Thy mercy to shower upon the high and the lowly alike, and the splendors of the Sun of Thy grace to shine upon both the obedient and the rebellious. O Merciful One, before Whose gate the essence of mercy boweth down, and around Whose Cause the reality of bounty circleth! I beseech Thee and seek Thy ancient grace and seek Thy recent generosity, that Thou mayest have mercy upon the manifestations of existence and deprive them not of the outpourings of Thy days.
Though Thy servants are heedless, yet they are weak; though they are remote, yet they are hopeful. The veils of idle fancies have hindered them and the shrouds of vain imaginings have debarred them from drawing nigh. O Generous One! Behold them with the eye of Thy bounty and act in a manner befitting Thy grace. Deprive not these bare bones of Thy wondrous fresh spirit, and leave not this handful of dust bereft of Thy holy habitation.
O Lord! Thy generosity hath made them bold, and Thy bounty hath caused Thy servants to persist. Deprive them not; both forgive and bestow Thy bounty.
O Forgiver, forgive! O Bestower, bestow! Though we are sinners, we place our hopes in Thee, and though we are in dark night, we seek Thy light.
Our errors are many, but Your ocean of mercy is boundless. Our weakness is great, but Your confirmation and success are manifest. Therefore, grant confirmation and bestow success, and make us successful in that which is worthy of Your threshold.
O God, O Forgiver of sins, Dispeller of cares, and Concealer of shortcomings! Through Thy mercy cause these two servants of Thy threshold, who are humble before Thy sovereignty, submissive to Thy majesty, and lowly and broken-winged at Thy door, to attain the kingdom of Thy bounty. Lord! Mend their broken bones, dress their wounds, treat their maladies, and immerse them in the sea of Thy mercy. By Thy grace and bounteousness, wash away their sins and make them signs of Thy pardon and forgiveness in the kingdom of Thy holiness, and banners of Thy favor and loving-kindness in the dominion of Thy sovereignty.
O Lord, O Forgiver, these are broken-winged birds - bestow upon them wings and feathers and enable them to soar in the heights of pardon and forgiveness. Grant these helpless ones shelter and refuge in the protection of Thy forgiveness. Lead these thirsty ones to the spring of favors and seat these needy ones at Thy bountiful table. Deliver them from the dark and gloomy night of deprivation and separation, and brighten their eyes with the dawn of reunion.
O Thou Living and Omnipotent One! Thou art the Shelter of sinners, the Bestower and the Forgiver. We are immersed in sin, and Thou art the Ocean of bounty. We are in the darkness of rebellion, and Thou art the Sun of grace and favor. O Lord! Look not upon our shortcomings, and deal not with us according to our unworthiness and utter impotence. We are abased and sick - make us mighty and glorious. Bestow healing, grant the supreme remedy of forgiveness and pardon. O Forgiver! Take us not to task for our sins.
O Lord! O Forgiver of sins and Accepter of repentance! O Most Merciful in this world and the next! Verily the servant has no Lord but You, and the sinner has no forgiver besides You, and the broken has no healer other than You, and the sick has no physician except You, and the poor has no treasure but You, and the fearful has no refuge save You, and the distracted has no shelter but You. … Treat us with Your grace, Your pardon and Your forgiveness, and do not hold us accountable for our negligence in Your path. Verily You are the Pardoning, the Forgiving.
O Lord! Thou art the Pardoner, the Forgiver, and the All-Merciful. Thou dost not look upon faults, Thou art the Nurturer of bounty, Thou dost cover sins, grant refuge, and provide dwelling and shelter in the precincts of Thy great mercy.
O my Lord, my Hope, the Ultimate Goal of my aspirations and the End of my desires! I beseech Thee by the sovereignty of Thy forgiveness which encompasses all created things, and by the vastness of the ocean of Thy pardon wherein are immersed all sinners among contingent beings, and by the outpourings of Thy clemency which have flooded all creation, to enfold this servant in the beauty of Thy pardon, to strengthen him with the hosts of Thy forgiveness, to treat him according to Thy grace and not according to Thy justice, and to fulfill Thy promise regarding Thy servant.
O Compassionate Lord! These three souls are deserving of pardon and forgiveness, and worthy of Thy grace and bounty. O Thou Shelter of the helpless! Forgive the sins of the sinners and teach wisdom to the ignorant. Set the ocean of forgiveness in motion, that every soul stained with sin may become tranquil and pure, and all faces may become radiant.
O Lord! The mountain of rebellion hath turned toward the ocean of Thy forgiveness. I beseech Thee by Thy mercy which hath preceded all created things to blot out his misdeeds through Thy bounty and grace.
O Lord! O Forgiver!
Bountifulness and loving-kindness befit the threshold of the Divine Lordship, and radiance befits the servants of the luminous Court, and forgiveness befits the bondsmen of the Divine Threshold, and the solace of the helpless ever praises that celestial Beloved.
O Lord! Isfandiyar has hastened to Thy court and found his way to Thy threshold. Show forth loving-kindness, bestow gladness, be forgiving. Though sins be countless, yet Thou art the Forgiver, and though ignorance be endless, yet Thou art the Teacher. Therefore, teach Thy servants that which leads to forgiveness, and forgive them. Thou art the Bestower, the Kind One.
A prayer to the Kind Lord: O Lord, forgive Your hopeful servant of yesterday and bestow upon her triumph, success, pardon and forgiveness. Immerse her in the ocean of Your bounty and cleanse and sanctify her from the dross of sin.
O Ocean of pardon and forgiveness, O Sun of forbearance and grace and benevolence! Assist Thy supplicating servant, purify him from sin, save him from deprivation, raise him from the abyss of separation, admit him into the garden of the All-Merciful, shelter him in Thy proximity O Bestower, shade him beneath the tree of Thy mercy O Helper, grant him the joy of meeting Thee, perfect Thy mercy upon him, and shower Thy blessings upon him.
O God, O Forgiver of sins and Concealer of faults, O Remover of sorrows! Assist Your servant who has turned to You, through Your mercy which has preceded all things and Your grace which has been bestowed throughout the world of creation. Immerse him, O my God, in the oceans of Your pardon and purify him from every sin, and grant him an exalted seat of truth.
O Lord, grant me the cup of bounty and let me taste the sweetness of Thy forgiveness in the abyss of error, and save me from estrangement and fulfill for me the measure of faithfulness.
Forgive Thou our sins and make us intoxicated and joyful with the wine of Thy grace.
Lord! Forgive Me and him our shortcomings, draw him out of misfortunes, lift off his anguish and lead him to the fountainhead of Thy bounty and let him to drink from the chalice of faithfulness and make him a sign of Thy grace and loving-kindness in the midmost of paradise and through the heaven of contentment.
With the breeze of forgiveness and pardon make our nostrils fragrant and our minds perfumed with musk.
Verily Thou art the Generous, verily Thou art the Merciful, and verily Thou art possessed of mighty grace.
O my Lord, the All-Glorious! This is an insignificant handmaiden that hath sought refuge at the Door of Thy Oneness and is inclined to the Threshold of Thy Holiness. She seeketh mercy and the remission of her sins. The light of faith is manifest in her face and the inner meanings of Divine knowledge evident in her speech. Impart Thou gladness to her soul and cheer Thou her heart. Thou art the Ever-Forgiving and the Concealer of sins.
O God, My God! This is one of Thy humble and lowly maidservants who hath fervently prayed to the kingdom of Thy unity. She hath implored Thee in the heart of dawn, and besought Thee in the dark of night and at the height of day, relying upon Thee and imploring Thy forgiveness and pardon.
O God! O Forgiver of sins and Bestower of gifts! Thou forgivest whomsoever Thou willest and pardonest whomsoever Thou willest. In Thy hand is all authority.
O Lord of pardon and forgiveness, Concealer of faults and Swift to bestow favors! Thou hast praised Thyself in the clear verses of the Qur'an as "Accepter of repentance, Forgiver of sins," and "Verily God forgives all sins."
… Verily, Thou art kind to Thy servants and generous to every penitent soul.
O Lord! I am the thirsty one, and with Thee is the Kawthar of life; I am the transgressor, and with Thee is the ocean of forgiveness. Deprive me not, O my God, from the ocean of Thy bounty, and make me not deprived of Thy grace, O Thou in Whose grasp is the kingdom of all possibilities.
Say: O Thou Who art the Lord of existence and the Sovereign of all that exists! Thou seest me turning my face toward the horizon of Thy bounty, with the gaze of one who beseecheth the ocean of Thy forgiveness and the sun of Thy pardon.
Say: My God, my God! Look not upon my self and my transgressions, but rather upon the Sun of Thy bounty and the Heaven of Thy generosity. I have come unto Thee detached from all else beside Thee. Do with me as beseemeth Thee. We testify that Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.
O my Lord! I am he who hath turned unto Thee and hath placed his trust in Thee. Ordain for me what shall profit me in Thy worlds. Verily Thou knowest what is within myself while I know not what is within Thyself. Thou art verily the Almighty, the Powerful. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name which was hidden in Thy knowledge and treasured up with Thee, to ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have acknowledged that which Thy Prophets have uttered. O Lord! I am the poor one who hath turned unto the ocean of Thy wealth, and I am the sinner who hath sought the Kawthar of Thy forgiveness.
O God! I ask Thee - by Thy Supreme Pen and by Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Greatest, the Impregnable, the Most High, the Most Glorious - to forgive me my debts through Thy Grace and Bounty, and to overlook and pardon my trespasses by Thy Benevolence and Mercy.
I seek Thy forgiveness for what I have said and say. And I say thereafter and beseech Thee to transform all that Thy knowledge encompasseth of me into that which befitteth Thy Self and that which characterized Thy station of majesty and glory, grandeur and beauty, might and grace, power and beneficence, through Thy favor and Thy generosity, O Thou Who art the Lord of bounty and bestowal, O Thou Who art the Lord of mercy and grandeur, O Thou Who art the Lord of grace and glory, justice and praise, for verily Thou art God, the Most Great, the Most High!
O my God! Thou knowest that this is an exalted night and the final evening, as the nights of this month of Thine and these days of Thy fasting draw to a close. We have witnessed naught against ourselves save what Thou hast witnessed against us. These hours have passed in heedlessness and its moments elapsed in forgetfulness. Thou, O my God, art the King of beneficence and the Ancient of favors. Therefore, bestow upon us as Thou didst bestow upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad and the servants of Muhammad.
O my God! Thou knowest that in all matters I have desired naught save Thy love and the knowledge of the ways of obedience unto Thee. If I have acquired aught else besides this, by Thy might and majesty, it was not through my denial of Thy oneness nor my rejection of Thy unity. Rather, since Thou didst create within my soul the signs of the manifestations of Thy dominion, I followed my desires in accordance with what I loved before the city of Thy omnipotence. Through this, destiny hath aided me in finding Thy grace from the beginning. Therefore forgive me whatsoever Thy knowledge encompasseth besides this.
O God! Forgive the one who seeketh prayer from Thee and let Thy mercy and care continue to rest upon him.
In these days the affairs of the Afnan were somewhat disrupted and suspended, as the transactions in various regions, due to the treachery of certain covenant-breakers, were seen to be without effect or fruit. Therefore, no blame lies or has lain upon them. Say: My God, my God! Aid the treacherous to be trustworthy, the slanderers to be truthful, and the ungodly to return to the Tree of Thy oneness and the gate of Thy forgiveness and bounty. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
I beseech Thee by the wonders of Thy verses, and the standards of Thy clear proofs, and that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken, to aid those who have turned away to turn towards Thee, the calumniators to be truthful, the deniers to acknowledge, and the irreligious to return to the gate of Thy pardon and forgiveness.
And I beg of God to forgive thy sins and to illumine thy face with the light of forgiveness, so that thou mayest conquer the self which desires the earthly world and prevent it from its wishes and appetites.
O Lord! Send down from the heaven of Thy mercy that which will set right my affairs, then enable me to make good what hath escaped me during the dawning of the lights of the Day-Star of Thy Revelation.
I beseech You by Him Who summons the nations in the Most Great Prison to the horizon of Your gifts and favors, that You write down for me what I have missed in Your days, and rend asunder the veils that have come between me and You. Verily, You are the Forgiving, the Merciful.
O my God, my Beloved, my Helper and my Sustainer! How many days have I heard Thy mention and Thy call, yet failed to act in a manner befitting Thy days. Whenever I reflect upon myself, my grief and regret and sighs and shame increase.
I beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the ocean of forgiveness surged and the fragrance of the garment of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, was diffused, to assist me in serving Thee and remembering Thee.
O my Lord! Thou seest the sinner who seeketh the ocean of Thy forgiveness and pardon. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity which hath encompassed the world to forgive my misdeeds and transgressions, and to ordain for me that which will keep me steadfast in Thy Cause in such wise that neither the oppression of the aggressors, nor the doubts of the suspicious, nor the signs of those who have denied the Day of Judgment shall hold me back.
O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden. I acknowledge my grievous sins and great transgressions before the Dayspring of Thy generosity and the Dawning-Place of Thy bounty and the Manifestation of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to make me sanctified from all that Thou lovest not and approvest not.
Say:
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having illumined me with the lights of the Orb of Thy bounty and for having sent down unto me that which hath drawn me nigh unto the shore of the ocean of Thy nearness. O Lord! Adorn my temple with the robe of righteousness and my head with the crown of detachment.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me to the ocean of Thy bounty and for having remembered me in the prison when I was wronged at the hands of Thy servants. I beseech Thee, O Illuminator of the horizons and the One manifest on the Day of Meeting, by Thy Name through which the back of hypocrisy was broken, to assist me to be steadfast in Thy Cause and Thy love. O Lord! Deprive not Thy thirsty servant of the Kawthar of Thy grace, nor the poor one of the treasury of Thy generosity and bounty.
I have turned unto Thee, clinging to the cord of Thy bounty and holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by the breezes of the dawn of Thy Manifestation and by the places which were honored by Thy footsteps and which Thou didst make the seat of Thy throne, that Thou forgive me and make me of those who have been so attracted by the wine of Thy revelation and inspiration that nothing whatsoever hath deterred them from drawing nigh unto Thy most exalted horizon and turning toward the lights of Thy countenance, O Lord of all being!
Say:
My God, my God! I testify that Thy mercy hath preceded all created things and Thy grace hath encompassed all possibilities. … I beseech Thee to assist me in all conditions to turn to Thee and to repent at the door of Thy generosity.
This servant beseeches his Lord to spread another carpet and to purify the hearts of His servants with the waters of Kawthar and illumine them with the lights of His Most Great Countenance. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Answering, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
O Lord! Thou seest them cast upon the earth of heedlessness and forgetfulness, their deeds having prevented them from soaring in the atmosphere of Thy love, from turning to Thy face, and from entering the paradise of Thy presence. I beseech Thee, O Desired One of the world and Lord of the nations, by Thy mercy which Thou hast made the supreme cause for the tranquility and joy of Thy chosen ones, by Thy bounty and grace and favors, to deliver them from the darkness of self and passion.
Transform, O my God, their transgressions into forgiveness, their weakness into strength, their agitation into tranquility, and their silence into remembrance and utterance, through the wisdom Thou hast ordained through Thy Most Exalted Pen.
I beseech Thee, O Ancient Lord, by the Most Great Name through which Thou didst subdue the world and didst open before their faces the gates of bounty, grace and generosity, that Thou mayest acquaint Thy servants with that which they have neglected, then draw them near, O my God, to the ocean of Thy bestowal [and heaven of] Thy gifts.
Say: O my Lord! I am Thy handmaiden and the daughter of Thy handmaiden, clinging to the cord of Thy bounty and holding fast to the hem of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee by the City wherein was raised Thy sweetest call and the shrill voice of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and by the earth which was honored by Thy footsteps, O Thou Lord of all beings and Sovereign of the hereafter and of former times, to purify me and Thy other handmaiden, through the Kawthar of Thy utterance and the Salsabil of Thy bounty, from every sin and error which Thou hast inscribed by Thy knowledge.
O Lord! Thou seest one of Thy leaves who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs. I beseech Thee to forgive her and assist her in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with.
O God, our Lord! Leave us not to ourselves, but preserve us through Thy power that encompasseth all things, and guard us from every slip and sin. Guide us along the shining white path and the radiant straight way, for we are sinners and Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful; we are transgressors and Thou art the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
O Lord! Give him the cup of bounty, forgive his sins, remove from him all veils, admit him into the garden of providence, dispel from him all perplexities, strengthen him in both beginning and end, make him a guide to the path of guidance, and send down upon him the sign of Thy mercy.
O Lord! I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy and the effulgences of the lights of the sun of Thy grace, to aid Thy heedless servants to return to the court of Thy glory and to enter the precincts of Thy grandeur. O Lord! Disappoint them not through Thy bounty and generosity, and deprive them not from the heaven of Thy bestowals.
I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Beauty to give to drink from the wine of Thy reunion to all who have forsaken Thee, and to cause all who have heard Thee to hearken to the verses of Thy Beauty. Disappoint not those who hope in Thee, and drive not away those who long for Thee, for Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Merciful.
I beseech Thee, O God of the world and Desire of the nations, to aid him and those who turned away to return unto Thee and to repent at the door of Thy mercy. Thou knowest that I summoned him in all conditions unto Thee until he drew against Me the sword of hatred and there appeared from him that which caused the limbs of all things to quake. O Lord! Help him to return to the door of Thy mercy, which Thou hast opened through Thy Most Great Name unto all peoples.
They have exchanged truth for falsehood, trustworthiness for treachery, acceptance for rejection, justice for tyranny, and fairness for oppression. Through this every fair-minded one hath lamented, the sighs of every assured one have ascended, and the tears of every seeing one have fallen. I beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist them to return unto Him, to turn in repentance at the door of His bounty, and to stand before the throne of His justice.
Seize them through Thy wrath, Thy might and Thy power, or aid them to return unto Thee and to repent before the gate of Thy pardon and Thy bounty. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Possessor of great bounty.
Say: My God, my God! Prevent not Thy servants from the ocean of Thy bounty. If Thou forgivest them, this is of the wonders of Thy grace and bestowal; and if Thou chastiseth them, verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful.
And I beseech Thee, at that hour, to forgive them that were heedless of Thy Most Great remembrance and turned unto the desires of vain fancy; yea, forgive them, for they are Thy servants and Thy bondsmen, possessing no power over their own benefit or harm, nor over life or resurrection.
When thou hearest what hath befallen My Self, say: "My God, my God! Adorn the temples of the heedless with the light of acceptance, the deniers with the ornament of recognition, and the idolaters with the radiance of unity and oneness. O my Lord! Aid them to return to the gate of Thy forgiveness. Verily Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful."
Say:
O my God, my God! Thou didst desire for Thy servants that which would exalt them in Thy lands, yet they have wrought that which hath rent asunder the veil of Thy sanctity. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the effulgences of the Orb of Thy Revelation to aid them to return unto Thee. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.
Say: My God, my God! Thou seest those who turned away from Thee and objected to Thee without any proof from Thee or evidence from Thy presence. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance and by the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy grace and bounty to aid Thy servants to return unto Thee and to repent at the door of Thy generosity. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest through Thy word "Be" and it is.
Therefore, O my God, forgive their sins and conceal their faults and save their souls and rescue their spirits and guide them to Thy manifest path and extended shade, and pardon and forgive them - they are weak captives. Verily, Thou art the Pardoner, the Forgiving.
Then those who had sought confirmation began to complain and raised outcries that their honor became the cause of our dishonor and their comfort the cause of our distress. Thus did the pure wine become turbid and the life-giving breeze turned into a violent tempest of inauspicious continuous days. Again, in consideration of your request, God willing, prostrate at the Sacred Threshold, supplication will be made seeking pardon and forgiveness.
Nevertheless, supplications and entreaties were made at the threshold of divine grace and favors, that pardon and forgiveness might encompass all and endless bounties might surround them.
Aid me and aid Thy sincere servants through Thy great favor in all regions, grant bounty and pardon wrongdoing, remove the veil from the eyes of the people of passion, guide to the right path all who have gone astray and erred, take not to task those among Thy wretched servants who have transgressed and rebelled, but treat them with grace and beneficence and forgiveness of sins.
O thou who art commemorating the praises of God!
Verily, I read thy letter of elegant expression, for which I supplicate to God to make thee meek, humble and fit for the effulgence of the light of His love among the maid-servants; and (I beg of God) to make all mankind the children of His mercy! This is the utmost mercy of Abdul-Baha for which he is endeavoring night and day and is summoning all to this fountain which is flowing with the pure water of the gift of God.
And when he laid his head upon that Threshold, he offered supplications and lamentations, and beseeched forgiveness for all.
Through the bounty of the Lord of creation, I hope that He will forgive the sins of all, grant comfort to the souls, adorn them with His love, and deliver them from trials.
I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance to clothe all created things with the robe of forgiveness, and adorn their temples, O my God, with the garments of mercy and loving-kindness.
Have mercy, O Most Merciful One of the heavens and earth, and forgive, O All-Forgiving One, those who dwell in the kingdom of command and creation. O Lord! Thou seest the sinner seeking after the waves of the ocean of Thy forgiveness and the effulgences of the lights of the Sun of Thy pardon.
I beseech Thee by Thy Name the All-Bountiful, and by Thy Name the All-Merciful, and by Thy Name the All-Knowing, and by Thy Name the All-Wise, and by Thy Name the Self-Subsisting, and by Thy Name the All-Loving, and by Thy Name the All-Munificent, and by Thy Name the All-Forgiving, and by Thy Name the All-Bestowing, that Thou forgive Thy loved ones and purify them from the defilement of the world and its suspicions and its idle fancies, and adorn them with the lights of certitude through Thy mercy and Thy bounty.
My God! I beseech of Thee mercy and forgiveness for people who abandoned vain imaginings, purified themselves from disobedience, disassociated from the rebellious ones, and kept themselves free from all that is unworthy in the days of Thy manifestation among mankind.
My God, my God, my Lord and my Hope! I beseech the Kingdom of Thy mercy, I humble myself before the Dominion of Thy oneness, I take refuge at the gate of Thy unity, and I seek abundance from the cloud of Thy mercy.
I implore Thee to encompass these servants with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy and Thy favors, to immerse them in the ocean of Thy pardon and forgiveness, and to make them signs of Thy grace and loving-kindness.
O Lord! Thou art forgiving and kind, and the Sovereign of the realm of pardon and forgiveness. These souls and this sinful servant beseech from the threshold of Thy grace and bounty pardon and forgiveness for these dear souls.
O Lord! Thou art the Generous One, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful. Do not hold us to account for grievous sin, but treat us according to Thy mighty grace. Forgive these souls who have appeared at Thy spacious gate, who have placed their trust in Thee and turned to Thee, yearning for grace and forgiveness before Thee.
I adjure Thee by Thy Name, the Concealer, to conceal whatsoever hath been wrought contrary to Thy good-pleasure, and by Thy Name, the All-Forgiving, to forgive us and to adorn Thy male and female servants with the robe of pardon.
Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Lord and my Support! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Bountiful, and glorified art Thou, O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Forgiving, and glorified art Thou, O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Concealer, to conceal the sins of Thy servants and whatsoever they have committed in Thy days.
I have done in my days what Thou didst forbid in Thy Books and through the tongues of Thy Messengers. I acknowledge, O my God, my transgression against myself.
… O Lord! Thou seest the sinner seeking the ocean of Thy forgiveness, and him that is far removed yearning for the court of Thy nearness.
Although, O All-Knowing God, the deeds of this people and their actions have, after glory, brought abasement, and after power have revealed weakness, yet we beseech of Thee Thy ancient grace and we entreat Thee: look not upon our deeds and actions, for they were not and are not worthy of Thy glance. Look upon Thine own mercy and bounty.
Say thou: My God, my God! I disavow their deeds and actions and whatsoever hath proceeded from their mouths. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Goal of all peoples, by Thy Most Great Name through which the gates of knowledge and wisdom were opened to all who are in Thy heaven and earth, and the ocean of understanding surged in the contingent world through Thy bounty and generosity, to forgive me and ordain for this servant of Thine that which will draw him nigh unto Thee in all conditions.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Forgive these souls, then forgive me and have mercy upon me, then pardon me for what I have committed before Thee, for this is a station Thou hast reserved for Thyself and made it a testimony of Thy Being and a guidance and a light and a mercy unto all the worlds.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by this leaf who held fast to the Tree of Thy Revelation, and by the blood that was shed in the land of Ya in Thy path, and by their patience and fortitude, their humility and submissiveness, and by the tears that were shed in separation from Thee, and by the sighs that were raised in remoteness from Thee, that Thou forgive whosoever hath visited her and drawn nigh unto her resting-place and spoken that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered in Thy prison.
Therefore forgive, O God, whoever has entered Thy gate and visited Thy Word and followed Thy verses, for Thou art the Generous, the Bestower.
O God! Forgive me and those who have believed in Thee, whether male or female, and fulfill our needs, for Thou art the Guardian of the believers.
O my Lord! Thou seest me standing before the door of Thy grace, clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy loving-kindness. I beseech Thee by the Name through which the earth was overturned and its high places made low, to forgive me and whosoever hath acknowledged Thy unity and oneness.
When thou hast drunk the choice wine of revelation from the hand of My bounty and hast attained unto My traces, say:
My God, my God! Thy separation hath brought me to nothingness and my deeds have kept me far from Thee in Thy days. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause through which the fragrance of Thy mercy was wafted throughout creation, and by Thy loving-kindness whereby the ocean of forgiveness surged before the faces of all peoples, that Thou forgive me and those who have believed in Thee and in Thy verses.
O Lord! Forgive me and those with me, those who have held fast to Thy firm handles and clung to the hem of Thy luminous robe. Then draw the hearts of Thy creation to the horizon of the heaven of Thy manifestation. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Flowing, the Most Generous, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
We beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue the cities and souls to blot out our evil deeds and to pass over what our hands have wrought.
O Lord! These servants seek forgiveness for their illustrious father and their mother who nurtured them at the breast of kindness with a tender and pure heart. Lord! Forgive them both and pardon them, and make them two brilliant stars in the horizon of Thy mercy, and two radiant lamps in the glass of Thy pardon and forgiveness.
My God, my God! Verily Your maidservant who has attained salvation, Ziya'u'l-Hajiyyih, implores You begging forgiveness and pardon for her father, and supplicates You to make her father a sign of forgiveness shining in the horizon of pardon and beneficence. O Lord! Answer her prayer, facilitate her hopes, and grant her desire. Verily You are the Generous and verily You are the All-Merciful, the Compassionate.
O my Forgiver, O my Pardoner! I press my face and soil my brow in the dust at the threshold of Thy sacred court, beseeching the outpouring of Thy pardon, Thy favor, Thy generosity and Thy grace for Thy servant who has turned to Thee and entered the precincts of Thy forgiveness and pardon.
My God, my God! Pardon him and forgive him for the sake of his son who served Thee in Thy days, strove to spread Thy fragrances, gathered a group from Israel in commemorative gatherings, and occupied himself with Thy praise and attributes, desiring nothing but the exaltation of Thy Cause, the elevation of Thy Word, the spread of Thy remembrance, and the gathering of souls beneath the shade of Thy banner.
O Lord! Make Your servant Elijah distinguished and successful in the eternal world. Grant pardon and forgiveness. Bestow Your ancient forgiveness, for the noble son is the intercessor for that sinful father. This son made up for that father - though that one was unaware, this one became a fruitful tree and is worthy of endless favors and kindnesses. You are the Giver, the Bestower, the Forgiver, the Kind.
O All-Knowing Lord! This servant at Thy threshold, Bahman, begs pardon for the sins of his father Bahram. The intercession of the pure ones is ever acceptable at Thy threshold, and the supplications of the free are beloved at Thy door. Therefore, through Thy grace and favor, grant refuge to Bahram Pulad in the shelter of Thy mercy and deliver him from the darkness of sin. Thou art the Forgiver, the Pardoner, the All-Merciful.
Though we are sinners and evildoers, drowned in rebellion and fallen into oppression and transgression, yet we are helpless and wandering, with hearts torn into a hundred pieces. We offer prayers and present our needs, seeking pardon and forgiveness, grace and mercy. We are worthy of forgiveness and deserving of favor and pardon.
O my God! This is a maidservant who hath turned toward the horizon of Thy mercy, seeking Thy pardon and forgiveness, imploring Thy clemency and remission for her mother who hath returned unto Thee and come into Thy presence. O Lord! Purify her from her sins and forgive her through Thy mercy, O Thou Most Merciful of the merciful ones!
I beseech Thee by the sovereignty of Thy forgiveness, which hath encompassed the people of rebellion, that Thou forgive the father of Thy servant who communed with Thee in the hidden recesses of his heart and openly.
Do Thou forgive his father who hath passed away.
O my Lord! Immerse him in the ocean of Thy great mercy and lead him to the fountains of Thy pardon, O Forgiver of sins!
O Lord! I cover My face in the dust of submission to Thy celestial Glory, beseeching Thee to forgive and pardon her father and to shelter him beneath the canopy of Thine abounding grace within Thy garden of repose.
Pray for her and say:
O thou forgiving Lord: Forgive my kind motheris sins. Pardon her shortcomings, cast a glance of Providence and usher her unto Thy Kingdom.
O Lord! Grant forgiveness to the kind mother and nurture her in the embrace of pardon and forgiveness. Bestow the worthy downpour of the rain of mercy and permit the shining of the sun of bounty.
O Lord! Forgive and bestow Thy favors upon Ahmad, the father of this servant of Thy threshold. Make him an intimate companion in the privacy of Thy forgiveness. Give him to drink from the heart-delighting stream of Thy pardon and immerse him in the ocean of Thy forgiveness.
I beseech Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom of Creation, by the ocean of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy grace, to forgive me and my parents and those who have believed in Thee and Thy signs.
Then forgive me, O my God, and my father and mother, and those who are related to me. Then send down upon me of every good thing Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen servants. Then assign me a seat of truth in the vicinity of Thy greatest mercy.
Write down for me, O my God, the good of this world and the next. Then forgive me and my parents and those for whom Thou hast desired the wondrous tokens of Thy bounty and favor. Thou art He through Whose Name the ocean of forgiveness surged and the fragrance of Thy name, the All-Merciful, was wafted.
I beseech Thee by the finger of Thy power and will whereby the spheres of utterance revolved amidst the Concourse of creation, and by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the manifestations of Thy grandeur in the kingdom of creation, and by this grave which Thou hast made the point of circumambulation for Thy servants and creatures, that Thou forgive me and my father and my mother and whosoever hath hastened to the gate of Thy grandeur and before the throne of Thy manifestation.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by those who were martyred in Thy path and soared in the atmosphere of Thy love in such wise that the power of the world could not hold them back from the Most Great Name, that Thou forgive me and my father and my mother and whosoever hath held fast unto Thy Strong Cord, O God of the worlds!
O my God and my Master! I beseech You by this martyr who was martyred in Your path, and by this blood which was shed in Your love, that You forgive me and my parents and my relatives from among those who have believed in You and Your verses.
I beseech Thee, O God, by the vastness of Thy mercy, the all-encompassing nature of Thy knowledge, the ultimate bounty and utmost good-pleasure, that Thou send blessings upon the Blessed Leaf from the Primal Tree, which is neither of the East nor of the West, through what Thou possesseth of wondrous fragrances and ancient favors, and that Thou forgive me and my parents and whomsoever Thou lovest in this hour upon that earth, through Thy grace and bounty and the sovereignty of Thy Self-Subsistence.
I beseech Thee to forgive those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and to adorn their fathers and mothers with the ornament of Thy pardon and beneficence.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me in Thy prison. I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Forgiving, that Thou forgive me and my family.
Therefore, O God, forgive me and my parents and those who follow me in Thy judgment. Send down upon us Thy fragrances, honor us with Thy blessings, and protect us from all evil through the authority of Thine eternity.
Then I beseech Thee, O my God and my Beloved, by Thy Most Beautiful Names and Thy most exalted attributes, and by the Manifestation of Thy Most Great Name, and by Thy resplendent beauty in the heaven of eternity, that Thou forgive me and my parents and my brothers and my kindred, and that Thou absolve them of their misdeeds, and veil them not, O my God, from the effulgence of the lights of Thy countenance, and withhold them not from the showers of the clouds of Thy grace and bounty.
And I beseech Thee to forgive me and my father and my uncle, and to remit our sins through Thy grace and generosity, O Thou through Whose Name the ocean of forgiveness surgeth in all creation, and the fragrance of generosity wafteth among the worlds, and the sweet savors of bounty are diffused throughout existence.
I beseech Thee by the branches of the Tree of Thy singleness and Thy chosen ones who have been set ablaze with the fire of Thy love and have spent their substance and their spirits in Thy path, to forgive me and those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs.
O Thou Self-Sufficing One! Come to the aid of Rashid Khudadad. Illumine Dawlat Rashid with the rays of the sun. Grant unto Khurshid Isfandiyar a portion and share of the divine presence.
Make these lovers of Thy countenance intoxicated with the wine of Thy favor, that they may raise up passionate cries and lift their voices in ecstasy, and through beholding the lights and the sweetness of attaining Thy presence in the court of that Lord, may they become the recipients of the gift of pardon and forgiveness and of favors and bounties.
I beseech boundless bounties for thee and for thy father Khudarahm, and I seek the favors of the All-Merciful Lord. For Gulbanu Ardishir I seek sweet milk from the breast of forgiveness, and for the fortune of Ardishir I desire a portion and share from the bounty and pardon of the Lord of creation. And for Shahryar Khudabakhsh I seek boundless bounty and infinite favors.
O thou who art imploring God! I was indeed acquainted with the great misfortunes and afflictions which have befallen thee, but I hope that through the bounty of thy Lord, He may ordain unto thee heavenly fragrance and spirituality, attractive and internal perceptions and incorporeal susceptibilities; that He may grant thee strength after weakness, give thee rest after trouble, bring thee nigh to Him, and make thee a sign of His love among all His maid-servants, and forgive thy father, mother, brother and grandfather their sins. Verily, He is the Pardoner, the Forgiver.
I, too, take refuge at the divine Threshold and beseech forgiveness and pardon for thy father, and for thy helpless mother I implore from the All-Merciful Lord endless bounties.
I beseech God to grant forgiveness to Mirza Abdul-Samad and to immerse that leaf's father, mother, brothers and sisters in the ocean of favors.
O Isfandiyar! For Paridukht I have offered humble supplications at the threshold of God and sought forgiveness and pardon. And for Bahman-rad Rustam I opened my tongue in intercession and beseeched grace and forgiveness from the Most Glorious Kingdom.
O Lord of Grace and Forgiveness! Grant endless bounty to the servant of the Threshold Fadlu'llah and forgive his sins. Give Fatimah Begum an abundant portion and make her forgiven and pardoned. Make Zaynu'l-'Abidin one of those drawn nigh and raise him to the highest heaven. Make 'Inayatu'llah a manifestation of Thy greatest mercy and grant him mighty forgiveness. Thou art the Forgiver, the Giver, and the Kind One.
O Forgiver! Grant his father and mother a place in Your shelter and bestow refuge in Your court. Forgive their sins and teach them gratitude for Your favors.
O Pure Lord! Forgive the sins of Khudadad's father and mother and make those two souls pure and radiant. Free them from defilement and favor them with detachment. Grant them entry to the feast of meeting and make them joyful at the heavenly celebration. Deliver them from the furnace and bring them into the rose garden. Grant them release from death and bestow eternal life.
O my Lord and my hope and ultimate desire! Verily Your servant Muhammad supplicates to Your kingdom and implores Your dominion and seeks Your pardon and forgiveness for his noble father and beloved brother. … Forgive his father and brother their sins and errors, admit them to the garden of grace and bounty, ordain for them immortality in the paradise of meeting, sustain them from the heavenly table, and make them signs of Your pardon and forgiveness in Your most glorious kingdom.
O Lord! Verily, Thy servant Muhammad-'Ali seeketh forgiveness for his father and sister, who responded to the call and turned unto Thee with hearts assured of Thy grace and bounty.
O Lord! Forgive them through Thy mercy which hath preceded all things, and cause them to enter the precincts of Thy supreme mercy.
My God, my God! Aid this servant in that which Thou lovest and approvest, forgive his father and pardon him, immerse him in the seas of Thy mercy, cause him to enter Thy Garden of Eden, shelter him beneath Thy Lote-Tree of the Extremity, house him in Thy Paradise of Refuge, grant him the meeting with Thee in Thy highest Paradise, and crown him with Thy bounties in the most glorious Kingdom.
My Lord! Forgive the root of this servant and the branch of this offshoot, and cause him to enter the garden of Thy good-pleasure and the meadows of Thy pardon and forgiveness.
Protect him through Thy generosity, for he is a penitent servant. Forgive, O God, those who follow Thy verses and strive in Thy path, and who fear none except Thy judgment and Thy justice.
I beseech Thee by Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers to forgive him and those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and to accept from him what he hath wrought in Thy path.
Then forgive, O my God, him who was named Muhammad-'Ali, who attained unto Thy recognition and acknowledged what Thou didst command him in Thy Tablets, and ordain for him from the wonders of Thy favors what Thou lovest and art pleased with.
Then forgive, O my God, his grievous offenses and his grave transgressions. Then wash him, O my Beloved, in the seas of Thy bounty and forgiveness and in the deep waters of Thy grace and favor, and turn him from every direction toward the right hand of Thy holy might, that he may dwell not on earth save through Thy Name, nor move except with Thy good-pleasure, nor walk except by Thy leave, nor eat nor drink except in Thy remembrance, for in Thy hand is the kingdom of all things and Thou art powerful over all things.
O Lord, O Forgiver! Thou art the Compassionate; Thou art the Lord of mighty forgiveness. We are all, from head to foot, naught but shortcoming; Thou art the forgiving Lord. We are sinners; Thou art the Pardoner. Bestow forgiveness upon every servant laden with transgression, and grant refuge and shelter unto these helpless ones. Release the captive bound in the chains of sins, and give the poor and homeless one an abode at Thy Holy Threshold. The ocean of Thy forgiveness is boundless, and the sun of Thy bounty is radiant and resplendent. What power or effect, then, can the darkness of sin possess? What fear or peril can there be for sinners?
Make this faithful and assured handmaiden dear at Thy Threshold, and guide this poor, bewildered one unto the treasure of the riches of Thy pardon. Lead this wanderer in the wilderness of longing unto the pavilion of nearness, and direct this thirsting one, whose liver is aflame in the desert of remoteness, unto the ocean of proximity and reunion. Immerse this assured leaf in this "cool and refreshing bath and drink," that she may be cleansed and sanctified from all the ills and ailments of the world of being, enter the Kingdom of Thy glory, and repose beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy mercy; that she may drink from the cup of meeting, and, in the assemblage of divine effulgence, behold the radiance of the Beauty. Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful, and Thou art the Lord of pardon and forgiveness.
O well-favored servant of the Court of Glory! Sorrow and weep no more. In the passing of that faithful leaf many a wisdom is hidden, and in each of those wisdoms, a mercy is concealed. Soon this grief will come to an end, and this affliction will vanish.
That bird of the garden of resignation hath made her nest upon the threshold of eternity and found peace and tranquility. Thou shouldst think of the peace she hath attained, of the tranquility of her soul, and of the pardon and forgiveness of the All-Merciful. Peace be upon thee.
O Lord! These pure souls have hastened toward Thee, quaffed from Thy plenteous stream, and desired to gaze upon Thy countenance. Immerse these thirsting ones in the ocean of Thy forgiveness, and rejoice and gladden them with Thy presence.
So he supplicated and implored Thee and came before Thee and beseeched Thee, submissive, humble, lowly, entreating, seeking forgiveness for sins, yearning to enter the world of the unseen, moved by the breezes of forgiveness, absolved from sin and transgression.
O Lord! Let him drink from the brimming cup of Thy mercy, O Thou Who enrapturest the hearts of the lovers! Crown him with the diadem of Thy pardon and forgiveness for his firmness in the Covenant.
Therefore, set aside grief and sorrow, and occupy thyself with seeking forgiveness and pardon from the Forgiving Lord, that thou mayest gladden and rejoice the spirit of that noble one.
Therefore one should not mourn or be captive to pain and grief, but rather seek forgiveness and beseech help and grace.
O Lord! Immerse her in the ocean of Thy forgiveness, cause her to take shelter beneath the tree of Thy favor and loving-kindness, and purify her from the defilement of transgressions.
Remit her sins, forgive her by Thy grace, and reward her in the precincts of Thy most great mercy. Thou art the Bountiful. Thou art the Merciful, the Compassionate.
O Lord! He is thirsty and parched - give him to drink from the spring of Thy bounty and benevolence. … And forgive all who are related to him through Thy pardon, forbearance and generosity.
O Bestower of kindness! A handmaiden most humble and meek, powerless and helpless, lowly and suppliant, hath returned and sought refuge at the court of Thy grandeur. To grant forgiveness and pardon and to be clement beseemeth a master. Withhold not, therefore, O Lord, Thy mercy and Thy forgiveness.
This is a Book from the Letter Sin after Ha'. O people of the Bayan, read it! Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Hidden Essence in the shelter of eternity, and by Thy Most Exalted Remembrance, and by Thy Holy Beauty in Thy Most Glorious Paradise, and by the Light of Thy Face in the Most Hidden Pavilion, and by Thy exalted Letters and holy Words in the lofty realms of immortality, and by Thy holy Temples which no realities of created things have preceded in recognition, and by Thy hidden Countenances which no understanding of contingent beings hath encompassed - to forgive the one who hath ascended unto Thee and descended upon Thee, and soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, and risen unto the Lote-Tree of Thy might.
Then cause him to enter, O my God, into the paradise of Thy oneness, and give him to drink, O my Beloved, of the wine that hath flowed from the right hand of the Throne of Thy identity, and grant him the fruits of the Tree of Paradise in the gardens of Thy might and reunion. Then bestow Thy bounty, O Most Bountiful One, through Thy grace, and shelter him, O my Hope, beneath the shadow of Thy Most Great Mercy at the Ultimate Tree and the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary. Then cause him to hear the melodies of Thy Doves which none of Thy servants in the nether regions have attained, for Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Then I beseech Thee, O my God, by the blood that was shed in Thy path, and by the heart that was consumed in Thy love, and by the bone that melted in passion and yearning for Thee, and by the body that was crushed in Thy cause, and by the form that was burned in Thy love - to withhold the evil of this youth from the head of Thy creation. Then seize him, O Powerful One, through Thy power, then destroy him, O Sovereign, through Thy sovereignty, then annihilate him, O Mighty One, through Thy might, that thereby the hearts of those near unto Thee among Thy servants may find rest, and the hearts of the sincere ones among Thy creatures may be assured. For Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
Then aid, O my God, Thy servant who seeketh no helper other than Thee and desireth no supporter besides Thee. Thou witnesseth, O my Best-Beloved, how Thy servants have risen against him, attributing to him what befitteth their own station and imputing to him what beseemeth their own selves, while in all matters and all such conditions he hath committed his affair unto Thee and spent his spirit in Thy path and his body in Thy good-pleasure and his form in that which pleaseth Thee. And Thou art the Helper, the Victorious, the Powerful, the Holy One.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Manifestation through Whom the Hour was thrown into commotion and the Resurrection took flight, and every intimate friend and confidant fell away, and through Whom darkness was illumined and the Word shone forth and the proof was perfected, to clothe her with the robe of forgiveness and purify her from transgression.
O Pure God! Look not upon her shortcomings, for Thou art the Lord of forgiveness. Deal not with her according to justice, for Thou art the Master of abundant grace. Though transgressions be endless, Thy pardon and forgiveness are greater still. Thou art the Merciful, the Bestower, the All-Loving.
O Thou kind Lord! Pour into his mouth a draught of that wine of the All-Merciful, that he may be filled with joy and waft musk-like fragrance. Immerse him in the ocean of pardon and forgiveness, and illumine him with the lights of grace and bounty.
My God, my God! Thou seest me casting my face in the dust of lowliness before Thy mighty Oneness, and seeking forgiveness for Thy servant who hath forsaken all contingent things and soared on wings of longing to the unseen realm of the worlds.
O Lord! He hath come before Thee and approached Thy threshold, seeking Thy pardon and hoping for Thy grace, awaiting the manifestations of Thy tender mercy. Do Thou forgive him and his companion who hath returned unto Thee, drawn by Thy sweet fragrances and placing her trust in Thee.
Forgiveness and pardon were sought from the Court of Unity for those souls who have ascended to the seat of truth, that they may be immersed in lights in the realm of mysteries and find rest under the protection of forgiveness through the favors of the Lord God.
O Lord! Give him to drink from a cup whose mixture is of camphor, let him drink from the pure Kawthar, and immerse him in the seas of light. Verily You are the Pardoning, the Forgiving.
O Lord! Forgive the one who has sought the vicinity of Your vast mercy, and pardon Your servant who has turned toward Your broad and distant threshold. Immerse him in the seas of Your forgiveness and pardon, and grant him the cup of Your grace and forgiveness. Verily You are the Pardoning, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
O Lord! Forgive Thy servant Hussein and perfume his nostrils with the fragrance of Thy pardon. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Merciful, the Exalted.
O Lord! Honor her resting place, grant her ultimate desire, shelter her in the vicinity of Thy mercy, make easy for her Thy gift, admit her to the garden of Thy grace, bring her to the stream of Thy divinity, and make her a sign of forgiveness and pardon.
Prayer: O peerless Lord! Grant Sarah a journey through the Kingdom of forgiveness and [O Lord] bring her to Elijah's embrace, that both may be immersed in the ocean of endless favors.
My Lord! Strip from her the garment of error and clothe her with the raiment of bounty and bestowal, and grant her an exalted seat of truth.
Therefore immerse her in the seas of Thy pardon and forgiveness, shade her beneath the tree of Thy mercy, give her to drink from the chalices of Thy gift, and illumine her face with the light of Thy grace so that her countenance may beam in the midst of Paradise and her tongue may be loosed in praise of Thee in the Garden of Ridvan.
My God, my God! This is Your servant who was set ablaze with the fire of Your love and was attracted by Your holy fragrances and responded to Your call and served at the threshold of Your mercy and left behind pure progeny who supplicate to Your Kingdom. He has ascended to You hoping for Your grace and bounty, yearning for nearness to Your presence, seeking forgiveness for sins, relying upon Your pardon, O Mighty One, O All-Knowing!
Open the gate of forgiveness and treat him with pardon and benevolence. Through the effulgence of Thy favors, dispel the darkness of sins and with the light of Thy bounty make his countenance bright and radiant.
I beseech God to grant you confirmation from the Strong, the Mighty, and to immerse your father in the seas of pardon and forgiveness and admit him into the garden of spirit and delight.
Verily, I supplicate God to forgive thy father and to submerge him in the sea of forgiveness and pardon.
I implore forgiveness for Rustam, son of Faridun, from the bounty of the Compassionate Lord, that he may become the recipient of pardon and forgiveness and draw near to the Court of God.
O my Lord and my Hope! O Forgiver of sins! O Remover of afflictions! O Concealer of faults! I implore Thy forgiveness for Thy handmaiden who hath returned unto Thee, and drawn nigh unto Thee, and presented herself before Thee in humility and submissiveness, in fear of Thy chastisement, thirsting for the sweet waters of Thy grace.
O Lord! Strip from her the garment of sins and clothe her in the robes of forgiveness through Thy mercy, O Knower of the unseen and Concealer of faults! Verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful, the Forgiving, the Generous.
Prayer:
O Lord! O Forgiver! Bring Thy dear maidservant Mrs. Emily Noblack from the earthly world into the pure realm. Forgive sins, pardon faults, look not upon shortcomings, but deal according to Thy grace and bounty.
Then I beseech You, O Forgiving One, to send down the layers of light from pardon and forgiveness upon the grave of the assured leaf who has returned to You, the mother of Your servant Muhammad-Quli, and to immerse his brother in the seas of mercy and forgiveness, and to aid them both to enter the Garden of Good-Pleasure, and to fill for them both the cup of bestowal with grace and beneficence, and to cause them to alight in the blessed dwelling of Your highest Paradise, and to intoxicate them with the wine of immortality, and to give them to drink from the goblets of faithfulness, and to make them both signs of Your greatest mercy in the All-Glorious Paradise.
I beseech at the Threshold of the Divine Oneness that forgiveness be granted so that eternal rest and endless joy may be ordained.
O Kind Lord! Deliver Kheyrbam from the darkness of sins and grant eternal life in the realm of lights. Though we are immersed in transgression, we gaze toward the Kingdom of forgiveness. Carry out whatever befits Your mercy.
O Merciful and Forgiving Lord!
These two noble servants and two cherished handmaidens, like birds of the meadow, have spread their wings and sought the nest of Thy pardon and forgiveness, that through Thy grace and bounty they may become, like the peacocks of the highest paradise, adorned in the paradise above and enter the retreat of that heart-attracting Friend.
I beseech Thee by the greatness of Thy majesty, the abundance of Thy bestowals, the vastness of Thy mercy, and the appearance of Thy gift, to forgive this servant who has come before Thee, arrived in Thy presence, sought refuge in the shelter of Thy supreme mercy, taken shade beneath the Tree of the furthermost boundary, and relied upon Thy pardon and forgiveness in this world and the next.
Supplications and entreaties were made at the threshold of the Glorious Lord that He might immerse those two kind friends in the fountain of His Holiness Job and cleanse them from every fault and sin, rendering them pure and holy.
O Lord! These Persian friends followed the path of righteousness, sought after divine worship, and engaged in loving fellowship. They were renowned by Thy name and known for following Thy Faith. Now they have spread their wings and hastened to Thy realm. In the material world they sowed seeds and watered them with the water of divine guidance, that they might gather a harvest in Thy world and illumine their countenance with the light of forgiveness. Thou art kind and Thy bounty is endless.
O Forgiver! Grant forgiveness. O Kind One! Bestow pardon and forgiveness. Thou art the Bestower, the Forgiver, the Resplendent, the Luminous.
O Lord! His brother Yahya hath called upon Thy servants who circle round the throne of Thy mercy to seek forgiveness for that one who hath ascended to the highest horizon of reunion. Therefore all are calling upon Thee with tongues of supplication and lowliness, and seeking forgiveness for him. Verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
O Lord! This is Thy handmaiden who hath believed in the revelation of Thy Kingdom and taken refuge in the shelter of Thy forgiveness and supplicated unto the heaven of Thy pardon and turned toward the direction of Thy mercy. Forgive her, O my God, her sins and atone for her misdeeds and cause her to enter into the fountain of Thy pardon and mercy and admit her into the gardens of Thy bounty beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy oneness and grant her sustenance in the Kingdom of Thy presence.
O Thou Almighty! O Thou Forgiving Lord! Endear Thou this believing, assured maidservant of God in Thy Kingdom and submerge her in the ocean of Thy Grace and illumine her countenance in Thy Kingdom, El Abha.
O Lord of pardon and forgiveness! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Merciful, to accept the repentance of Thy servant Husayn, and give him to drink from the two flowing springs, and forgive his sins, and make him abide forever in the two dark green gardens. O Lord! He is the intimate companion of the loved ones, the captive of loyalty, and the one who seeks refuge at the Most Exalted Threshold. Therefore forgive his sins and pardon his misdeeds. Verily, Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful, the All-Merciful....
Prayer seeking forgiveness for Aqa Mihraban Khudarahm, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious:
O Forgiving Lord! Forgive the sins of Thy faithful servant Khudarahm, conceal his errors, bestow Thy gifts, cleanse him from the defilement of disobedience, and admit him into the luminous realm. O Lord! Though we are sinners and confess our sins, we are worthy of the forgiveness of the Lord. O Forgiving One! Thou art the Bestower and the Kind, the Brilliant and the Radiant One. Make worthy Thy freely-given grace and bounty. Thou art the Forgiver, the Merciful One.
My God, my God! Verily, this pure and righteous one seeketh Thy greatest mercy, and feareth the fires of retribution, and seeketh healing from Thy cup brimming with the wine of Thy supreme forgiveness, and longeth to drink from the living waters in the garden of paradise.
O Lord! Encompass him with the glances of Thine all-merciful eye, and grant him Thy gifts in the spiritual worlds, and forgive his transgressions through the abundance of Thy divine mercy.
Verily Thou art the Forgiver of sins, the Concealer of faults, the Dispeller of sorrows, and verily Thou art the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.
Her heart and soul were illumined by the light of guidance, and in utmost supplication she hastened to Thy Kingdom. O God! Grant her Thy forgiveness and pardon, and in the world of mysteries immerse her in the ocean of lights. Verily, Thou art the Forgiving, the Compassionate.
O Equitable One!
The handmaiden of Thy threshold, Malaki, has hastened to the realm of purity. Therefore, make her soul radiant and immerse her in the ocean of forgiveness, and grant her a portion from Thy grace and favor. Forgive her and bestow Thy kindness upon her, and make her the intimate companion of the angels in the realm of mystery. Thou art the Bestower, the Giver, the Forgiver, and the Kind One.
O God! A group of friends have hastened toward Thee and rushed from this world to Thy world. They traversed Thy path, sought Thy good-pleasure, and spoke Thy mystery. O Lord! Make Khusraw Rustam intimate with Thy forgiveness, grant Makhmal Bahram repose beneath Thy protection, and make Sarv Salamat a manifestation of Thy forgiveness. Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, and the Kind One.
O my God, my God! Verily, Thy servant 'Ali-Muhammad standeth in need of pardon and forgiveness and assistance. I press my brow to the dust of Thy sacred Threshold and beseech forgiveness for him, O my Lord, the All-Merciful.
O Kind One! O Radiant and Resplendent Bestower!
[Name] was wandering and bewildered in this world. Grant him order and arrangement in Thy world. He was without refuge or shelter - give him a dwelling and abode in the shelter of Thy Great Mercy. … Thou art the Forgiver, the Illuminator, the Kind One.
O Lord! Cover the sins, grant forgiveness, be the Concealer, be the Pardoner, and make her pure and sanctified from every sin. Thou art the Forgiver of sins and the Resplendent One from the dawning-place of pardon.
'Abdu'l-Baha, in utmost humility and self-effacement, implores and supplicates at the Most Exalted Threshold that the illumined leaf, the content handmaiden of God, may become in the infinite Kingdom the manifestation of pardon and forgiveness, and that the divine leaf, the pleased handmaiden of God, may become in the world of the spirit like a shining full moon illumined by the light of forgiveness and pardon.
For the near handmaid of God Mardiyyih and the suppliant handmaid of God Radiyyih, forgiveness and pardon were sought from the Threshold of Oneness.
In response to their request, a prayer seeking forgiveness was offered at the threshold of oneness for Khayru'-Nisa, Sahib-Sultan and Furughiyyih-Sultan:
"O my God! O my God! These are maidservants who have arisen in faithfulness at Thy holy threshold, O Lord of the Most Beautiful Names, and have hastened to the wellspring of Thy mercy in the world of eternity. O Lord! Immerse them in the seas of Thy great mercy, and shelter them at Thy luminous holy threshold, and forgive them through Thy mercy which has encompassed all things.
O Lord! Grant these two servants of Thy threshold, Baqir and Ishaq, shelter in Thy protection, immerse them in the ocean of forgiveness, enable them to attain the Supreme Companion and confirm them with the Greatest Gift. … O Lord! Look not upon sin, grant shelter and refuge in Thy protection, and bestow that which befits the reality of Thy mercy.
Through the bounty and gift of the Forgiving Lord, I hope that the honored mother may be immersed in the sea of forgiveness and that the honored wife may find stability and order.
O gracious Lord! Adorn Thy handmaiden Bibi Zinat with the light of forgiveness and immerse her in the ocean of pardon. Cleanse her from every impurity and, in utmost freedom, bring her into the realm of lights. … Rend asunder the veil of sin and manifest the beauty of forgiveness and pardon.
The honored father has stepped into the next world and hastened to the shelter of the Most Great Name. He is now familiar with the chanting of the verses of mercy and intimate with glorification and praise in the Kingdom of forgiveness, for 'Abdu'l-Baha, with the utmost supplication and entreaty, sought pardon and forgiveness for him and besought grace and beneficence. It is certain that this prayer was answered at the threshold of the Most Glorious Beauty.
Immediately upon the Ascension of thy respected father, a detailed prayer seeking forgiveness was written and sent, and now too thy request is accepted, for thou art a memento of that noble soul.
O my God, my God! Deal with this Thy handmaiden through Thine infinite bounty, and deal not with her through Thy justice, O Thou Who bestowest Thy favors upon all, both high and low. Forgive her, then, through Thy grace, for the sake of her children and her family, and make her a sign of Thy mercy in the garden of Thy all-merciful nature, and an emblem of Thy forgiveness at the threshold of Thy oneness.
We beseech Him, exalted be He, by the ocean of His forgiveness, the heaven of His grace, and the sun of His mercy which hath preceded all created things, to send down upon him a heavenly feast and a blessing from His presence, and to cause him to enter the Most Exalted Paradise. Verily, He is the Bestower, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We have purified him at the time of his ascension from the world's defilement and forgiven him through Our grace, for We are the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.
Then forgive him through Thy grace and generosity. Verily Thou art the Forgiver of sins and the Merciful unto both kings and servants.
And as for thy request for forgiveness for those souls thou didst mention - all have been adorned with the ornament of forgiveness and have attained unto the bounties of God. In this Night of Ridvan, the ocean of forgiveness hath embraced all.
As to thy request for forgiveness for thy departed father and others, it hath been granted. God hath forgiven them as a mercy and favor from His presence. He is verily the Forgiver, the Bountiful, the Generous.
And as for his supplication to God, exalted be His glory, seeking forgiveness for his parents, this was presented, and the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these words: "Upon them be the Glory of God. God hath forgiven them both as a favor from His presence unto thee, O 'Ali. This is naught but a great bounty. Be thou grateful and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds."
Concerning their mention of the esteemed aunt, upon her be the glory of God, and her purpose: it was presented and He said: "Our Lord! Forgive me and those who have appeared before the Countenance and her and her sister's son." This ended. This is a great glad-tiding. God willing, may all attain the robe of forgiveness. We continually beseech this from God, exalted be His glory, and it will surely be adorned with the honor of acceptance.
God hath forgiven thy father and thy mother and thy kindred, and hath arrayed them in the robes of His loving-kindness as a bounty from His presence. Rejoice thou in this and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of all worlds!
And as for the request for forgiveness and pardon specifically for thyself and thy parents, this blessed word issued forth from the horizon of the Mouth of Will: "God hath answered what thou didst desire from the wonders of His grace and the ocean of His forgiveness. Verily, He is the Generous, the Bountiful."
We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to forgive thee and thy parents, and those who have turned to the Most Great Manifestation and believed in God, the One, the All-Informed. Verily, He forgiveth whom He willeth through His mercy, and chastiseth those who have denied the Day of Judgment.
We make mention of thy father and thine uncle, and We beseech God, exalted be He, to forgive them and thee, and to ordain for you that which He hath ordained for His loved ones who have turned with radiant faces toward the Supreme Horizon and have heard the Call when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven.
We beseech God, exalted be He, to forgive you and ordain for you that which shall profit you in all His worlds. Verily He is potent over all things and worthy to answer. May He send down upon you His blessings and ordain for you attendance before His presence or the reward of meeting Him.
And regarding what thou didst write about Darvish Baqir who hath ascended unto God, and thy request for forgiveness -- it was mentioned, and a wondrous and exalted bounty was directed towards him.
A prayer seeking forgiveness for the esteemed person Mu'ayyad, who has ascended to the hidden world, has been revealed from the Pen of the Covenant - convey it to his relatives.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
What thou hadst written to Jinab-i-Mirza Husayn was noted. From the favors of the Sun of Truth, confirmation and assistance were sought for you, and likewise forgiveness was beseeched for him who ascended unto God, Aqa Mirza Habib, that he may become the recipient of pardon, favors and the object of the benevolence of the merciful Lord.
The hand of supplication and entreaty was raised to the court of the Lord of Majesty, and forgiveness and pardon were beseeched from the threshold of the One for that steadfast and firm one, and confirmation was sought that thou mayest be assisted to serve the friends of God and be confirmed with boundless grace.
At the threshold of the Blessed Beauty, forgiveness was sought for your honored wife, that He may immerse her in the ocean of pardon.
Supplications were offered to the Abha Kingdom, and forgiveness and pardon were beseeched for Mulla Muhammad Rafi', and likewise for the handmaid of God Zakiyyih, entreaty for divine forgiveness and grace was made.
O Lord! Forgive him the sins that proceeded from him, pardon his misdeeds and transform them into good deeds.
A prayer seeking divine forgiveness:
O Pure One! Make Kaykhusraw the sovereign of the realm of forgiveness and ordain him to be the king of the kingdom of bounty. Forgive his sins and deliver him from deprivation. Make him worthy of Thy favor and generosity.
O wise Nush! Since your good-natured father is kind to you and well-behaved and beneficent toward your brothers, therefore this sinful servant makes supplication for pardon and forgiveness from the Lord, that He may cleanse and purify him from the earthly world and grant him passage to the celestial realm. This intercession with utmost entreaty was solely for the sake of you and your brothers, that Gushtasb may become pure in soul and that forgiveness and pardon may encompass that servant of God.
I hope that you will become the cause of forgiveness for your father and pardon for your mother.
Today is the day of beneficence and the time for the manifestation of pardon and forgiveness and the outpouring of the Merciful One's effulgence.
I beseech God to forgive you and pardon us and you, to clothe you in the robes of bounty, to cause you to enter the Garden of Meeting, and grant you the vision of the Beauty in the mornings and evenings.
For the relatives and dependents of that honored one - the wife and mother and father, even ancestors and maternal ancestors - forgiveness was beseeched.
Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Haydar-'Ali Usku'i, with utmost humility and need, offered prayers and supplications to the Kingdom of Mystery, and sought endless forgiveness for you - that is, a spring like that of Job: "This is a cool bath and drink" - so that you may be resurrected in perfect health, wellness and safety, and be gathered under the shade of the raised standard.
O supplicating leaf! Your letter arrived and supplications and entreaties were made at the threshold of the All-Knowing God, and forgiveness and pardon were sought from the Court of the Divine Unity for your father and mother and Mirza Nuru'llah Khan. It is hoped that, through the favors of the Glorious Lord, they may be immersed in the ocean of forgiveness and attain to the proximity of His supreme mercy.
At the threshold of the One, I express utter lowliness and need on behalf of you and your relations and associates, and I beseech forgiveness and pardon.
We convey Our greetings to the wife of Muhammad-Rida, upon them both be the Glory of God, and give her the glad-tidings of God's favors, exalted be His glory. We beseech God to forgive him whose forgiveness he seeketh, verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
O Lord! Aid Thy servant 'Abdu'l-Husayn through Thy pardon and grace at every moment and time, purify him from sins, remove from him all difficulties, and conceal his faults.
O my God, my God! A servant among Thy servants hath beseeched another servant among Thy servants, and a soul among Thy loved ones hath implored the most humble of Thy bondsmen, desiring to hear a word of good pleasure and to be gladdened by an expression of joy concerning that which hath passed.
O my Lord! This helpless, lowly one is ashamed of his sins and abashed at his transgressions, both manifest and hidden. How can he utter a word of good pleasure?
Therefore, O my God, through Thy bounty, generosity and beneficence be Thou pleased with him, and through Thy grace and favors make him well-pleased.
O my God and my Lord! How can I seek Thy forgiveness for my grievous sins and my great transgressions, knowing that all this was naught but the warbling of the Dove of Thine eternity in my heart, the surging of the waves of Thy love in my breast, and the manifestation of the countenance of Thy identity in my heart?
Therefore, O my Beloved, forgive me and my transgressions which I have committed before Thee, for my very mention of Thee is a sin that nothing in earth or heaven can equal. Then forgive my parents, my loved ones, my kindred and my relatives, for verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.
Since this is what hath appeared from the horizon of Thy wisdom, therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, by the Mirrors reflecting Thy beauty and the Daysprings manifesting Thy majesty, that Thou forgive those who have migrated in Thy path and journeyed from their homes to the wellspring of union with Thee, and who have detached themselves from all else to reach the city of Thy presence, until they attained unto Thy presence and stood before the sanctuary of Thy nearness and the Kaaba of Thy glory, and found intimacy with Thy beauty and heard Thy melodies.
I beseech You by the lights of the dawn of manifestation and by the Word whereby those in the graves arose and the decree of resurrection appeared, to ordain for me from the wonders of Your generosity and grace Your nearness and reunion, and the reward of meeting You and the reward of those martyred in Your path.
Then I ask You, O my God, by the river of Your mercy and the ocean of Your favor, to forgive me and accept what has appeared from me in Your days.
'Abdu'l-Baha likewise entreats the Threshold of Oneness with utmost fervor, weeping and hoping that perchance the musk-laden breeze of the Lord's forgiveness may reach the nostrils of the soul, and a wave from the ocean of divine pardon may wash over him, delivering him from the defilement of sins and transgressions. This is not far from the ocean of Baha's grace, His mercy, His pardon and His forgiveness.
My Lord! My Lord! Hold me not to account for my transgression, blot out my sins, remove my distress, comfort me in my loneliness, be my companion in my exile.
O God! Do not look upon our desert. Have mercy upon us! Be compassionate to us! Grant us Thy Favor and guide us to the right Path. Verily Thou art the Powerful and the Mighty.
O Lord! Vain imaginings have prevented them from turning unto Thee and entering the depths of the ocean of Thy oneness. I beseech Thee by the power that hath encompassed all created things and by the might before which all possibilities have bowed down, that Thou assist Thy weak servants to turn unto Thee and to behold the lights of Thy countenance. Thou art He to Whose forgiveness, generosity and mercy all things have testified. Aid Thy servants through Thy bounty, Thy favors and Thy might, O Thou Goal of the world!
Lo, O my God! I have raised the hands of hope toward the heaven of Thy mercy and forgiveness. I beseech Thee by the hands that were severed in Thy path that Thou wilt not send them back empty of what they seek from Thy grace and bounty.
I beseech You with all shame and modesty, despite the errors that have proceeded from me, to intercede before You that You may pardon these souls and forgive their misdeeds and shelter them in the protection of Your supreme mercy.
For thought and discussion