O my God, my God! Thou seest my state, beholdest my tribulations, hearest my cry, my lamentation, and the sighs of my burning anguish, my grief and pain. Thou seest the trembling of my frame, the quivering of my limbs, the whitening of my eyes, and my tears. Calamities have encompassed me from all sides, as winds surround a lamp or as mountainous waves encompass sailing ships.
O my Beloved! Thy most vehement enemies and antagonistic foes have assailed Thy helpless servant from every ambush where they lay in wait. They have descended upon me from every height, attacking like wolves and pouncing like dogs, fearing not the Day of Retribution. The clouds weep for Thy lowly servant, the doves lament, and the nightingales in the hearts of the loved ones cry out in anguish.
O my God! I am left alone and solitary, fallen into the talons of predatory eagles and swooping hawks from all religions and factions, with no helper or supporter, O my Most Glorious Beloved, O Lord of Lords! The oppression of nations and peoples has intensified against me like a millstone crushing a tiny grain, and the assault of tyrants has hemmed me in like ravenous wolves surrounding a weak lamb. I am encompassed by the people who have broken Thy Covenant and violated Thy Testament - he who rebelled against Thee and transgressed, who was named Yahya, whom I raised in the cradle of supreme loving-kindness.
O my God! Shackles encircle my wrists, and the great calamity revolves around me. My days have darkened, and clouds of pain have gathered thick. I am bewildered in my affairs, O my God, wandering in the desert of hardship amid successive, continuous trials from all directions, while I burn in the fire of separation and weep through the dark, trailing nights. The clouds rain down sorrow and grief, the seas overflow with anguish from all shores, and I yearn for Thee as the dove yearns for its grove.
O my God! The assault of Pharaonic enemies did not suffice until a band of those who claim loyalty rose against me. They aimed their arrows and shot me, O my Beloved, with the arrowheads of vain imaginings and darts of accusation and doubt. They unsheathed their swords and drew the blades of suspicion and violation through allusion, indication, suggestion and explicit statement, despite my patience, composure, silence, forbearance and fortitude.
O my God! They have belittled me and made me a target for the arrows of calumny, a mark for the darts of slander, and subject to objection. Yet I have found sweetness in every bitterness for Thy sake, found pleasure in every hardship, accepted every tribulation, endured every affliction, and remained patient through every mortal wound. I have not breathed a word of grief or complaint, nor moaned, lamented or cried out, lest the loved ones discover my tribulations and sense what has befallen me from the arrows of the friends.
When outcry and lamentation spread through all regions, and panic and wailing became widespread in all directions, they attributed to Thy servant tyranny, oppression, injustice and inequity through every hint, gesture and intimation. They wailed like mourners at a funeral, and falsely accused Thy servant of all they themselves had done, perpetrated, transgressed, oppressed, and deviated from the straight path.
O my God! In all these tribulations I found solace and comfort in those souls whom I loved with all my heart and who, at all times, kindled within me the fire of love. Yet my afflictions did not suffice, for now my sorrows have intensified through the cries and lamentations of this time. By Thy glory! Such are these cries that my limbs and members are nigh rent asunder, and my joints and pillars nearly severed. Have mercy upon me, O my God, through Thy grace and bounty! Show compassion unto me, O my Beloved, through Thy tenderness and favor! Lighten these hardships for me, ward off from me these calamities and trials, disperse these dense clouds that hover over the horizons of hearts, and remove these darknesses that are heaped one upon another, and these severe tribulations. O Lord! My bones have weakened, my hair has turned white, my sight has dimmed, and afflictions encompass me from every direction. Have mercy upon my weakness, my abasement, my broken state, my powerlessness, and my trials. Deliver me from these perils and rescue me from the darkness of these overwhelming tribulations. Raise me to Thy exalted threshold, elevate me to Thy holy and sublime presence, grant me rest from every affliction, free me from every malady, comfort me in my loneliness, strengthen me in my exile, and remove my anguish. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.
O Lord! Thou knowest that with all my heart I love Thy loved ones, and with all my soul I am drawn to the love of Thy chosen ones. I desire for them what Thou hast desired, and I love for them what Thou hast loved. I beseech Thee in the depths of my inner mysteries and in the dark of night to confirm them in every good thing, to grant them success in every deed that will cause their faces to shine in Thy Kingdom, their mention to be exalted in the heaven of Thy dominion, their breath to ascend to the presence of Thy mercy, their stars to gleam, their lights to shine forth, their breezes to waft, their springs to flow, their call to be raised, their traces to spread, their secrets to be diffused, their banners to be lifted high, and their fragrances to be scattered abroad.
And now, O my God, naught remains for me save to raise the voice of my lamentation, to burn in the fire of my tribulation, to cry out from the depths of my heart, and to be consumed by the blazing flames of my trials. I wail and say: O Lord! Remove the veil from all eyes, dispel from all insight the veils of glory and power, extinguish this fire that is kindled throughout all regions, sanctify our hearts from the rust of thoughts, purify our garments from the filth of illness, grant us rest from all conditions and traces, and cleanse our hearts from all that is unworthy in this most mighty Cycle that hath been exalted above all other cycles. O God! Realize me in effacement. O God! Establish me in the station of nothingness. O God! Make dear to me the reality of extinction and annihilation, and intoxicate me from the cup of evanescence, O Thou Self-Sufficient, Most High!
O God! Thou knowest that I love Thy praised Name, and my heart is attached to it in all conditions. O God! Grant comfort to his heart, and bestow tranquility upon his spirit and heart from every affliction that might change his joy and diminish his happiness. O God! Establish him in that which Thou lovest and approvest, and make him a promoter of Thy Cause, a guardian of Thy Covenant and Testament, a herald of Thy Name, and a spreader of Thy Word. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most High.
Prayer for the spiritual progress of others: a widening circle of care
prayer for the spiritual progress of others
Editorial introduction
To love someone is, sooner or later, to want for them more than you can give. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá turns that wanting into prayer: to desire for another soul what God desires for it, and to ask, in the dark of night, that its light shine and its springs flow. Such prayer reaches past relief from trouble toward a deeper flourishing, understanding, purity of heart, steadfastness, joy, and a capacity to serve that was not there before. The soul is pictured as a sapling waiting for spring rain, a bird of the meadow learning its song; growth needs nourishment, and its fruit is meant for more than itself. The circle keeps widening, from a friend remembered at the Sacred Threshold to stranger and friend alike, and it does not stop at death. Paul’s prayer that a community be strengthened inwardly and rooted in love asks a similar question about what people are meant to become [1], while the Buddhist cultivation of goodwill toward every being, near or far, offers another way of holding others in the heart [2]. From here the journey leads to prayer for particular people and groups, and to the spiritual recognition that all such longing finally seeks.
Selected passages
And thou, give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having enabled thee to attain unto this friend who is the best of companions and an excellent, faithful comrade - one who remembers thee at the Sacred Threshold, who prays for thy success, who seeks divine confirmation for thee, who causes the clouds of bounty to rain upon thee, who draws forth for thee the breast of God's mercy, who shares with thee in every gift from among God's bestowals, and who has asked me to pen this letter, adorned with the finest ornaments of love, speaking of my great affection and profound love for thee, O thou who art truly blessed!
Therefore we must pray for each other, implore and supplicate, and show forth utter helplessness and restlessness until the Most Merciful makes manifest that which befits this name.
I offer prayers at the threshold of the Self-Sufficient and beseech favors and bounties from the Kingdom of mysteries, so that the grace of guidance may encompass all, and every deprived one may receive a portion and every portionless one become abundantly blessed.
We beseech God, exalted be He, to ordain for you that which will bring joy to your eyes and gladden your hearts and expand your breasts, and to aid you in that which will benefit yourselves and your brethren, and to assist you with the hosts of wisdom and utterance.
My God, my God! These are servants who serve Thy lofty and exalted Threshold, and turn toward the plane of Thy gift which extends to the far horizons and distant regions. They desire naught save the shining of the lights of contentment and the radiating of the brilliance of faithfulness. O Lord! Grant them success in their hopes, facilitate for them their aspirations, transform for them every difficulty into ease, and aid them to show forth kindness and mercy among the people. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Forgiving, and verily Thou art the Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
With utmost humility, supplication and entreaty, I beseech His Holiness the Manifest Beauty to make each of His friends a sign of guidance, that they may become detached from all else save Him, become manifestations of sanctification and essences of purification in all perfections in every direction, be pointed to with fingers of praise on the horizon of existence like the shining moon, and supplicate day and night at the Threshold of Oneness that He may strengthen this weak servant through the power of His servitude.
My God, assist me and my companion to serve Your Cause, to be devoted to You, to supplicate at the gate of Your oneness, and enable me to raise my voice in the gatherings of Your handmaidens with Your attributes and praise, and to spread Your fragrances.
Despite this, I did not rise in defense or make any objection, and day and night I pray for all: "O Lord! Guide Thy servants to the straight path and ordain for them insight into affairs so they may awaken to their own good, whereby their faces may be illumined in Thy Kingdom, their stars may shine in Thy horizon, and their hearts may be enlightened by Thy bounties."
When I read it, I turned toward the illumined Shrine and sought divine confirmation, taking refuge in the mighty pillar, and beseeched the favors of the Glorious Lord for both myself and thee. I hope that we shall both be assisted.
O fresh sapling of the divine garden! Although outwardly I have not written to you until now, the Blessed Beauty - may my spirit be a sacrifice for His enraptured loved ones - bears witness that from the time your name was mentioned and your trace became known, I have beseeched God that you might become a sign of divine knowledge and a manifestation of the bounty of the All-Merciful.
Convey a heartfelt message to Rustam Surush Bahman Pur Jamshid and tell him that I have always been occupied with thoughts of you and have constantly beseeched God that you may be honored in servitude at the divine threshold and shine like a lamp in the gathering of friends.
This servant has the utmost joy from that praiseworthy party and in the evening and morning beseeches at the threshold of the Forgiving Lord and seeks their success, prosperity and salvation.
My hope is that Sirustan will become the nest and dwelling place of heavenly birds and the meadow of the people of truth - and this is not difficult for my Compassionate Lord.
May God, the All-Merciful, make you who are most grateful servants, manifestations of His infinite bestowals and perfect grace. Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant hands at the Divine Threshold and ask God that He may surround you with His bounties. May My Lord crown your endeavours and confirm you.
Convey to the Believers of God greetings and praise on my behalf saying: Day and night this longing One is supplicating toward the Kingdom of the Luminary of Regions, begging Him that the friends may attain the Most Great Bounty, that they may become the cause of Spreading the Love of God, in the East and the West; train the souls of humanity and make this nether world the court of the gifts of His Highness the Almighty; this mound of Earth become illumined and the Face of the entire world become as the Heavenly Paradise.
My prayer and ardent supplication, at eventide and at dawn, to the Threshold of the Desired One is that those blessed souls may receive the invisible assistance from the Abha Kingdom, and may be enabled to achieve that which beseemeth this wondrous age and becometh this glorious century.
Night and day I pray and seek divine confirmations and heavenly assistance for you, that you may all become celestial and that the lights of the Abha Kingdom may illumine your soul and heart, even your very being.
I turn my face toward the true heaven and implore the Lord of Hosts with tears and supplication, begging that the pure hearts of those loved ones may ever be illumined by the rays of the Sun of Truth, and the nostrils of the friends be perfumed by His musk-laden breeze, and day by day the hearts may become more radiant and the spirits more attracted.
O friends and handmaidens of the Merciful! It is clear and evident that 'Abdu'l-Baha is infinitely kind to you, for night and day He has no rest and seeks not a moment's repose. He either speaks or writes and engages in mention of the righteous ones and handmaidens of the Merciful. And on some nights at the threshold of the Abha Beauty He laments and weeps and implores confirmation and success from the Kingdom of God for all the friends and handmaidens of the Merciful.
This condition continues - every morning He beseeches and supplicates, and every evening He grieves and weeps, saying: "O Lord! Grant light to the righteous ones and make the leaves to be signs of the Kingdom of mysteries. Make them spiritual, make them luminous, make them heavenly, make them divine, and grant them eternal life and everlasting existence. Make them radiant lamps and divine verses. Make them waves of the sea of sanctification and hosts of the Abha Kingdom. Make them birds of the garden of inner meanings and fish of the everlasting sea. Preserve them from every affliction and protect and shield them from all trials. Make them walk the path of Thy good-pleasure and possess them in the clime of faithfulness. With every breath inspire them with a new spirit and with every moment quicken them with the breath of the Merciful. Grant them progress in all degrees and guide them in all things. Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, and Thou art the Knower of mysteries, the All-Seeing."
In the days of standing before the Holy Shrine, the remembrance of the friends surges like a boundless ocean in this yearning heart, and I offer prayers in supplication: "O Thou Self-Sufficing One! Grant these birds of the meadow flight, attune these nightingales of the rose-garden to sing melodies, and make them confidants of the melody of Thy Most Glorious Kingdom. Cast ecstasy and joy into the hearts, and infuse attraction and rapture in the souls and spirits, that each one may begin rejoicing with harp and drum and reed-pipe, and may praise Thy attributes until the temple of the world is set in motion and conveys, with exultation and tumult, the divine melody to the Most Glorious Kingdom."
I sought God's forgiveness and searched for the adornment of heart and soul, and began supplication and imploring:
"O Lord! This group are self-sacrificing, longtime friends who are intimate companions with each other. Their discourse is sweet and sugary, and their gathering is like the supreme paradise, for they seek Your face, tread Your path, speak Your mysteries, and are constantly searching to find what is befitting of this age and to adorn the world.
I continually beseech assistance and bounty from the presence of the One and request grace and gifts, that you may ever be manifestations of the favors of the One God and recipients of the generosity and benevolence of the Lord of creation, until grace and gifts encompass all directions and the light of reality shines forth and the light of oneness rises.
I remember every one of them in my prayers, and beg Confirmation and Assistance for each from the Threshold of the Blessed Perfection, so that He may usher in all of them in His Kingdom, gather them under the shade of His Providences, confer upon them an asylum in His Court and submerge them in the Sea of Lights in the Tabernacle of Testimony.
In any case, know thou that We have never been, nor are We now, forgetful of the divine friends for a single moment, and We have always been and continue to be supplicating the Abha Kingdom that It may bestow such a bounty that those essences of being and dawning-places of witness may become the rising-points of the lights of the praised Sovereign, and may be raised up in this human world with such qualities as to become the everlasting life of the human world.
O Lord! These souls are enamored of Thy countenance and lost in Thy path and in love with Thy nature and disposition. They are intoxicated with Thy cup and birds upon Thy roof. They are the tame birds of providence and the enchanted nightingales of the roses of truth. They are the thirsty ones at the fountain of mercy and the wanderers in the realm of grace.
O Forgiver! Pardon the sins of Thy servants and grant refuge to the helpless ones. … Grant strength to the weak and bestow healing upon the sick, make the poor honored and give fire to the cold.
O divine friends! At this moment when the physical sun is setting in the west, 'Abdu'l-Baha is engaged in remembrance and mention of you, and is supplicating and imploring at the Threshold of Oneness with utmost humility and need, that the kind Lord may bestow greatness upon His friends and grant them success - that is, may He give them sovereignty in the world of the spirit and bestow joy in the realm of the Kingdom.
O thou who art guided by the light of guidance! Although I have no time, nevertheless I have engaged in mentioning thee, that thou mayest find joy and delight and render thanks for the favors of the Peerless Lord - for the escort of His grace hath arrived, the light of guidance hath shone forth, and in the night-chamber of heart and soul the lamp of the Merciful's bestowal hath been kindled.
O 'Ata'u'llah! Thou art in the House while the Wronged One remembereth thee in His Most Great Prison and prayeth God to ordain for thee that which beseemeth the heaven of His grace and the sun of His bounty.
O Generous One! Deprive us not of the showers from the heaven of Thy mercy, and withhold us not from the waves of the ocean of Thy grace. These saplings of existence have been planted by the hand of Thy providence. Now is the time for growth and development, awaiting the April showers of Thy bounty and the springtime of Thy generosity - now and forever.
O my God, my Hope, my Desire, my Refuge, my Shelter, and my Haven! I beseech Thee with my heart, my tongue, my spirit and my soul to open before the faces of Thy loved ones and handmaidens the gates of Thy greatest mercy, and to send to the arena of their hearts clouds of abundant rain, layer upon layer, adorned with the outpourings of Thy mercy, showering upon them the rain of Thy favors and the downpour of grace and bounty in these days when the horizons are illumined with the light of the Covenant.
O Thou kind Lord! Make these trees the ornament of the Abha Paradise, and nurture them through Thy celestial bounty. Make them verdant and flourishing, and shower them with dewdrops. Clothe them in silken garments, and crown them with blossoms of sublime beauty. Grant them goodly fruit and bestow upon them sweet fragrance.
Now it is hoped that that Choice Fruit may again, with aid from the Ancient Beauty and outpourings from His Kingdom, give that withered garden infinite freshness and refinement, causing the feeble young trees to flourish through the sprinklings of the clouds of divine love, that they may give forth foliage, and the fragrant breeze of the love of God may spread abroad, perfuming every corner of that house.
O Lord! Water this mighty tree from the spring of Thy grace, guard it with the eye of Thy care, preserve it in the shade of Thy protection, let the outpouring of the clouds of Thy mercy continue upon it, encompass it with the glances from the eyes of Thy divinity, and make it blessed and fruitful with the fruits of Thy oneness in the paradise of Thy glorification - verdant, leafy, flowering, and adorned with the flowers of perfections that are realized in this human existence through Thy all-encompassing grace, Thy perfect bounty, Thy flowing generosity and Thy abundant favor.
O my God, my God! These servants of Thine are fragrant flowers in the gardens of Thy love, towering trees in the woodlands of Thy knowledge, and fishes swimming in the pools of Thy bounty.
O Lord! Make these blossoms fresh through the outpourings of the clouds of Thy grace, and these flowers resplendent through the warmth of the Sun of Thy mercy, that the chalices of their spirits may overflow with gratitude and praise unto Thee, and their faces may shine with radiant lights from the dawning-place of Thy oneness.
O Lord! Make them fresh and verdant, flourishing through the outpourings of the clouds of Thy mercy, stirred by the breezes of Thy love, growing and thriving through the heat of the Sun of Truth in Thy Kingdom.
O Lord! Make them signs of guidance and cause them to hear the glorification and magnification from the Supreme Concourse. Strengthen them with hosts they cannot see and expand their breasts through the flow of the spirit in their limbs and members. O Lord! These are the sweet herbs of Thy most exalted Paradise, the flowers of Thy highest Garden, and the leaves of Thy luminous Garden. Send down upon them abundant rain until they become fresh, verdant, and flourishing through the outpouring of the cloud of Thy all-encompassing mercy that showers abundantly upon all things.
O Lord! Make them tall trees in the gardens of Thy love and speaking tongues in Thy remembrance and rising stars from the horizon of Thy mercy and brilliant rays from the orb of Thy oneness and beauteous flowers in the garden of Thy mercy, and preserve them in the cave of Thy protection and shelter and guard them with the eye of Thy mercy.
O my God, my God! Thou seest Thy attracted servants in the land guiding others to the path of righteousness, speaking Thy praise among the people, establishing conclusive proof of Thy magnificent bounty upon hearts and minds, fearing not the power of irreligion nor dreading the might of kings on the Day of Gathering. O Lord! Make them trees firm of root, with extended branches, near-hanging fruits, wondrous flowers, verdant leaves, swaying and bending in Thy resplendent garden, stirred by the breezes of faithfulness, rising to the highest heaven.
O Lord! Send down from heaven blessed waters upon the gardens of the hearts of the loved ones, and cause to grow therein the sweet basil of knowledge and wisdom, and adorn them with the flowers of assurance, and cause to flow therein the fountain of certitude and the living waters. Then crown the branches of their trees with the diadems of "Allah-u-Akbar" and "La ilaha illa'llah".
I beseech from the divine Threshold infinite bounties for thee, and seek from the horizon of oneness the dawning of the light of bestowal, that the clouds of mercy may pour down their rain, and the breeze of providence may waft, and the Sun of Truth may shine forth, and the field of heart and soul may attain boundless freshness and delicacy.
O friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha! Through the boundless grace and favor, I beseech for you heavenly blessings and seek the nurturing of the vernal rain. I seek the radiance of the Sun of Truth and yearn for the life-giving breeze from the direction of divine favor.
With utmost humility, supplication and entreaty, I beseech the favor and generosity of the Sovereign of the unseen and visible realms that He may cause these two saplings in the garden of the love of God to become full of grace and freshness and fruitful through the rain of His bounty and mercy, and grant them such growth and development in these gardens that they may become the adornment of paradise.
O my friends! I make this supplication to the All-Bountiful Lord, and I implore Him with utmost humility and fervor, that He may cause these blessed souls to become well-pleasing to His holy will and enable them to attain whatsoever brings spiritual joy and divine gladness. May He make each one a brilliant star in the horizon of existence, and in this Most Glorious Paradise make each a fruitful tree, bestowing blossoms and fruits.
O Lord! Expand their breasts, illumine their hearts and give rest to their spirits through Thy copious, abundant outpourings upon the kingdom of the heavens and earth.
O Lord! Breathe a new spirit into the hearts that they may become Your confidantes and pour a joy into the hearts that they may at all times be engaged with Your mention. Give joy and exhilaration unto the hearts so that at every moment they may have a new spirit and attain unto immeasurable happiness.
O Lord! Make their cup to overflow, their star to shine, their morn to dawn, their horizon to gleam, their sea to surge and their lamp to blaze!
Make these stars radiant, and these lamps brilliant with endless light. Teach these birds the Pahlavi song, and grant these winged ones the power of flight in the heaven of detachment.
O Lord! These are birds soaring in recognition - implant in their wings the brilliant signs of might and power that they may fly to the highest summit, the ultimate goal, an infinite space.
I beseech Thee to aid them with Thine excellent assistances, Thy former grace, and Thy subsequent bounty, and to cause the flight feathers to grow upon their weakened wings, that they may soar to the summit of Thy transcendent greatness and the heaven of Thy exalted might, that they may find solace in Thy enduring favors and be illumined by Thy resplendent lights.
At all times do I engage in supplication, saying: O Thou peerless Lord! Nurture these righteous souls within the shelter of Thy bounty and free these lovers from attachment to all except Thyself. At every turn refresh them from the dew-filled rainclouds of Thy bounty and with each breath waft unto them the fragrances of musk, that their hearts may grow in spirit and their souls in love, and that like unto a raging fire, they may blaze with Thine ardour.
Verily, Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful. And Thou art the All-Seeing, the All-Merciful, the Bestower of all things.
O Lord! Grant this helpless servant shelter in Thy mighty stronghold and dwelling in Thy lofty refuge. Light a brilliant lamp in his heart and cause a spring of pure water to flow from his breast. Open wide before his face the gates of bounty and inspire his heart with the mysteries of the unseen.
O Lord! He is thirsty - give him to drink from the sweetest flowing water. He is hungry - feed him from the table that hath descended from Thy lofty heaven. O Lord! He is naked - clothe him with the garments of sanctification. He is bare-headed - crown him with the crown of detachment. He is poor - guide him to the hidden treasure. He is attracted - chant unto him the verses of love from Thy glorious Kingdom.
O Lord! Make him a brilliant star in the horizon of Your remembrance, a radiant light in the heaven of Your praise, a fragrant breeze from the garden of Your paradise, a wafting zephyr from the direction of Your grace, a ripe fruit from the tree of Your oneness, and a beauteous, blossoming rose in the meadows of Your gift.
My God, my God! Aid this helpless servant through Thy grace and mercy among all peoples. Illumine his sight to behold the manifest light. Assist him with hosts from on high. … Make him a brilliant star in the horizon of guidance, a luminous lamp in the heights of glory, and a tree firm in root with branches extending heavenward.
O Lord! Make this group the manifestation of divine favors and the dawning-places of heavenly bestowals. Give them to drink from the boundless ocean and make them illumined and radiant from the Sun that has risen from the Horizon of Truth. Grant such an outpouring that its lights may spread in the eternal morn; bestow such a grace that its effects may become renowned in the everlasting realm.
O Lord! Enlighten the hearts. O Kind Lord! Make the hearts like unto a rose garden and flower bed. O Peerless Beloved! Waft the fragrances of bestowals, shine forth the lights of bounty that hearts may become pure and unsullied, may receive their portion from Thy confirmations.
My God, my God! Perfume the hearts of Thy loved ones with the outpouring rain of Thy bounties, make their lives pleasant through the sprinklings of the cloud of Thy mercy, and make them signs of guidance among all peoples.
We beseech Him to water through thee the earth and all that is therein, that there may grow from it the herbs of wisdom and utterance and the hyacinths of knowledge and understanding.
Grant souls another resolve and cast another passion into heads, that they may seek everlasting glory and the delights of the new world, that they may soar toward the higher realm and seek the most exalted horizon, that they may hasten to the gathering of grandeur and receive bounty from the Abha Kingdom.
O Lord! Strengthen their loins, fortify their backs, perfect their joy, complete their light, and dilate their breasts through Thy divine confirmations, that they may become luminous stars in the dark horizons. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Glorious, the Generous. Verily, Thou art the Merciful, the Compassionate.
O my God! Increase these servants in love for Thy Beauty, illumine their hearts' vision with the light of Thy bounty, make their words penetrate the breasts of humanity, assist them with hosts from Thy Supreme Concourse, strengthen them with mighty power, establish them in the earth through Thy paramount power over all things, and make them standards of guidance waving in the winds of the supreme gift upon the highest summits of glory and elevation.
Though they are in this world, make them aware of another realm and perfume their nostrils with the fragrance from the rose garden of the Abha Kingdom. Grant heavenly strength and divine power. Bestow eloquent speech and teach them compelling utterance, so that each may raise the song of inner meanings and realities in this divine garden like celestial birds, and lift up a spiritual melody.
O Single God! Grant these assured souls the cup of bounty and bestow upon these pleased and pleasing hearts the exhilaration of the wine of favors, that remembrance of Thy perfection and beauty may become wine, and they may burst into song and melody and bring delight and rapture to the listeners and ecstasy and joy to the seekers.
My Lord! Make their mornings blessed and illuminate their lamp and ordain their success and prosperity and comfort their spirits with holy fragrances that perfume their gatherings and breezes of intimacy that pass through their assemblies and sweet breaths that spread in their sanctuaries.
O Lord! Make these pure and holy souls the children of the Kingdom, and make these illumined faces the lamps of the Merciful. Fill these living hearts to overflowing with the wine of Thy love, and grant these free spirits infinite joy and delight through the glad-tidings of the Kingdom.
In every moment may He grant a confirmation and in every instant bestow a healing balm, so that every wounded one may find rest and every frozen one become aflame, every silent one become articulate and every lifeless one spring forth. May weariness and exhaustion vanish and the lights of the Beauty encompass all. May joy and delight be attained and divine gladness unveil its face.
With the utmost humility I supplicate before the Lord of the Kingdom to fill thy heart with joy through divine gifts - so that thy cup may become overflowing with the wine of heaven by Guidance, the Cloud of the Lordly Bounty pour upon thee the vernal shower, the glances of the eye of mercifulness encircle thee from all directions and that thou mayst become ignited like unto the glowing lamp amidst the congregations of the believers of God.
I beseech from the favors of the King of the Kingdom: O my kind friend, grant that dear one of mine, that spiritual youth and divine soul, assistance each morning and bestow success each evening. Make his morning joyous and his night brighter than the shining moon. Illumine his eyes and make his breast the envy of rose garden and meadow. Adorn the rosebush of his heart with the design of the roses of inner meanings and confirm his triumphant spirit through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
O my God, my God! This is a tender, fresh, verdant branch which Thou hast planted on the banks of the streams of Thy bounty in the garden of Thy mercy and the grove of the love of Thy Beauty of Oneness. O Lord! Water it with the water of mercy, nurture it with the hands of grace and kindness, and make it a herald of Thy Name throughout all regions, a spreader of Thy mention in all quarters, a scatterer of the pearls of Thy knowledge upon the heads of men, and an igniter of the fire of Thy love in the hearts of the loved ones.
Abdul-Baha's ever supplicates at the Threshold of Oneness:
"O peerless Lord! Make these passionate and enraptured souls successful through Thine infinite mercy, that they may become recipients of human perfections and manifestations of divine favors. Let them become fresh flowers in the garden of guidance and trees of utmost delicacy in the paradise of truth.
O Lord! Make them successful in Thy service and independent of both stranger and kin. Send down, at every moment, the dewdrops of Thy grace, that the garden of hearts may become verdant and flourishing, and the flowers of divine bounty may bloom."...
O Lord! Cause the springs of inner meanings to flow from their hearts, unveil to their minds the mysteries of Thy words in the Seven Oft-repeated Verses, and guide them to Him Who guides to Thee in the Most Merciful Presence. O Lord! Illumine their eyes with the light of recognition, brighten their consciences with bounty and favor, cause them to speak with proof and evidence, inspire them with words of grace and kindness. Make them guides to Thy creation, trustees of Thy utterance, and protectors of Thy sanctuary. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Chosen One.
O my God, my God! Aid Thy loved ones to turn unto Thee and to hold fast to the cord of Thy oneness. O Lord! Illumine their hearts with the light of Thy knowledge and their eyes with the vision of Thy signs and their tongues with Thy praise and glorification.
O God! O God! Thou beholdest these faces are brightened by the Light of Guidance, these eyes are looking toward Thy Kingdom El Abha, these hearts are overflowing with Thy Love amongst mankind and these breasts are dilated with the signs of Thy Unity in the expanse of the earth.
O Lord! Illumine their hearts with the light of Thy knowledge and adorn their temples with the ornament of piety.
Lord! Make their eyes cool with beholding Thy signs, their ears attentive to Thy counsels and teachings, their souls pure through the outpourings of Thy divinity, and their hearts clear through the radiance of the lights of Thy oneness.
O Lord! I implore Thee to remove the veils from insight and vision, to deliver souls from deception and pride, and to save those plunging in depths of darkness.
O Lord! All are Thy servants and dwellers in Thy lands.
… I beseech Thee by Thy mercy that preceded all things to grant them a share of the lights of guidance, guide them to the path of right conduct, make them signs of Thy love throughout the lands, gather them beneath the shadow of the banner of the Covenant, and take them not to task for their heedlessness of Thy remembrance, O Lord of the horizons!
O Lord! The night of deprivation hath descended upon all creation, so cause the lights of the Sun of Reality to shine upon all beings until the morn of certitude breatheth with the light of knowledge and the earth shineth with a brilliant ray from the Kingdom of Glory.
O God! O Thou Who dost revive souls with the fragrant breaths wafting from the gardens of holiness in the midst of Paradise! I take refuge at Thy spacious door, beseeching Thee to breathe with Thy merciful breath into the heart of every servant who supplicates Thy divine Kingdom.
O God! O Thou Who revivest hearts through the breezes of Thy grace and expandeth breasts through the dawning of the lights of Thy bounty! I bow my face to the dust in humility, submissiveness and lowliness at the gate of Thy oneness, hoping for the outpourings of Thy mercy for Thy loved ones and longing for the manifestations of Thy bounty for Thy friends. Look then, O my God, upon them with the glances of the eyes of the All-Merciful, then breathe into them the spirit of life by which they may soar to the highest zenith and most exalted summit - the place of sacrifice - in all circumstances, conditions and phases, until they become signs of guidance among all peoples and brilliant stars from the Supreme Horizon.
O Lord! Raise from those sanctified souls the cry of 'Holy and Sanctified!' and adorn those abstract forms with the robe of Thy greatest gift. Make eyes seeing, ears hearing, and tongues speaking.
May He make you the cause of exalting the Word of God and the means of spreading divine characteristics. May He grant expansion of heart and bestow breadth and capacity of mind and soul, so that in the gathering of friends you may be illumined and radiant with the lights of the All-Merciful's grace, and manifest and embodied with the effects of divine bounty.
Continually do I remember them, and beg for those blessed souls especial Confirmations. At all times I have entreated toward the Kingdom of Abha, wishing for each infinite Protection and Grace - so that each one of them may become like a shining star in the horizon of Reality, like a sharp-edged sword they may divide the wrong from the right, becoming the ensign of guidance and the Flag of the Supreme Concourse.
My God, my God! This is a servant whom Thou hast taught diverse arts and sciences by which he became renowned among all people, until he became the most learned of the horizons and his fame spread throughout the realm of Iraq. Thou hast cast upon him the word of piety and made him independent of all else. Make him a star of guidance and a lamp that burns and illumines within the glass of righteousness. Cause him to speak Thy praise and expand his breast through attraction to Thy radiant countenance.
Praise be to God, it contained news of the guidance of Mirza Farrukh Khan, that seeker of the Beloved of the horizons who traversed the path of search until he discovered the destination of truth, and his eyes were illumined by the light of the Blessed Cause, and through eternal grace made his mind's realm the envy of rose garden and meadow.
I beseech God that thou mayest be the recipient of His special favors and be illumined with the light of His knowledge.
We implore God to assist thee and thy mother to attain unto the Most Great Steadfastness, and to aid you both with the means of earth and heaven, and to draw you near unto Him in all conditions.
At all times I beseech and implore from the heaven of the Lord of the Worlds' grace that He may increase their fire of love and illumine the hearts of all with the light of knowledge and whatever is befitting.
O Lord! Renew them through Thy Most Exalted Word and illumine their hearts, O Thou Possessor of Names and Creator of heaven!
O my Lord! Enable Thy servants to turn unto the Tree and its fruits, and the Sun and its lights, and the Sea and its waves.
O Lord! Withhold not Thy servants from the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy Manifestation, and disappoint them not of the outpourings of Thy days.
O God! O Thou Who appeared on Sinai and manifested in Seir and shone forth from Paran and illumined from the supreme horizon and appeared from the Most Glorious Kingdom! I press my forehead and rub my face in the holy dust whose fragrance has wafted from the Dawning-Place and perfumed the horizons. I implore Thee with a throbbing heart and eyes flowing with abundant tears in Thy love, with a breast expanded by Thy remembrance and a spirit gladdened by Thy favors, to look upon these pure ones with the eyes of Thy mercy and encompass them with Thy divine outpourings.
Consider, for instance, at the time of the manifestation of the universal Manifestation, before that Ancient Being maketh Himself known and uttereth the creative Word, the world existed but none had knowledge of Him. Likewise, He was the Creator but no creation existed with Him, for at that moment the spirit is withdrawn from all to which the name "thing" can be applied.
Do Thou inspire Thy loved ones to preserve, as they would their own eyes, the fruits of the paradise of Thy oneness, the depths of Thy unity, the ocean of Thy singleness, and the seas of Thy grandeur's might, and whatsoever Thou hast sent down from Thy presence with wondrous, sublime, exalted and impregnable lordship.
O servant of the Truth! In this dawn when I am in step with the fragrances of the gardens of the Ancient Kingdom, and moment by moment find fresh spirit and delight in remembrance of the divine friends, I supplicate at the threshold of the Greatest Name: O Thou Glory of the Most Glorious! O Sun of the Supreme Concourse! Guide the friends to the rose garden of truthfulness and sincerity, and adorn them with the ornament of purity and the embellishment of truth-seeking, goodly intent and pure nature. Free their hearts from every idle fancy and make their faces shine like the star of the heaven of righteousness.
O my God! Send Thy blessings upon Thy trusted ones and Thy chosen ones who have acted according to that which Thou didst command them in Thy Book. Then adorn them among Thy servants with trustworthiness and religiosity and truthfulness and purity.
O God! O Lord of faithfulness, Bestower of bounties, Forgiver of sins, Confirmer of the sincere ones in guidance, Deliverer of the supplicants in this worldly life from this dark pit! Assist these souls to acquire the light of piety from the dawning-places of Thy Most Beautiful Names, and guide them to the most excellent path wherein there is neither crookedness nor deviation.
O Generous One! Guide the heedless to the ocean of awareness, illumine Thy handmaidens with the light of Thy Name, and assist them to perform pure and holy deeds and to acquire praiseworthy character.
At all times we ceaselessly supplicate and implore at the threshold of the Almighty: "O Lord! Grant Thy maidservants the power of discrimination and make Thy handmaidens the dawning-places of the signs of sanctification. Make their hearts intimate with Thy love and their spirits familiar with Thy bounty.
Make them pure and spotless from every defilement, and free them from all that is unseemly. Make their garments as fragrant as the shirt of Joseph, and their dispositions as perfumed with musk and ambergris as the morning breeze. Endow them with merciful attributes and adorn them with spiritual characteristics, that they may become signs of Divine Unity and clear evidences of the effulgence of the light of the Peerless Lord. Make them the cause of the glory of Thy Cause and the means of exalting their own station, that their hardships may be transformed into ease, and their poverty into the riches of eternal glory. May they receive everlasting bounties and become the manifestations of sanctity and the dawning-places of detachment, that they may recount tales of the realm of light and spirituality, and that all doors may be opened before their faces from every direction.
O Lord! Protect them from self and desire, and watch over them with the eye of Thy care at all times. Make them firm in guidance, illuminate their faces with perpetually radiant lights from Thy most glorious Kingdom, grant them knowledge from Thee, strengthen them with mighty power, make them a great sign, fill their cups to overflowing with the choice wine of bestowal, and ordain for them every good thing in Thy most exalted dominion.
I beg of God to make thee fluent in tongue, pure in heart, strong in spirit, severed in heart from all else save God, and occupied in the praise of God, to continue in prayer and supplication unto God, to be humble, meek, spiritual, free from the earthly world and its concerns, and awakened to the Kingdom and its Manifestation.
Bring them together again, O Lord, by the Power of Thy Covenant, and gather their dispersion by the Might of Thy Promise, and unite their hearts by the dominion of Thy Love! Cause them to love one another so as to sacrifice their spirits, expend their money and give up their desires for each otheris sake!
O Lord! Gather them beneath the banner of the Covenant with radiant faces, and assemble them in the shade of the Tree of Life with hearts overflowing with joy, and immerse them in the ocean of grandeur until they dive and plunge into the depths of the divine attributes and names and gather the radiant and preserved pearl.
O Lord! I render Thee thanks that Thou hast made Thy distinguished friends discerning, and hast granted every needy one a share from the treasury of guidance. Thou hast bestowed boundless gifts and endless bounties. Thou hast freely given the Most Great Guidance and graciously granted the Greatest Gift.
Therefore, make these friends noble in Thy Kingdom and cause them to be kind and loving toward one another, that each may sacrifice himself for the other and shower forth gems, hasten to the field of sacrifice, attain the grace of the All-Merciful, and seek heavenly bounties.
And I will constantly supplicate to the Kingdom of Mysteries: "O Lord! These men are Thy servants and these women Thy handmaidens. They are detached from all save Thee and captivated by Thy love. … O Lord! Confirm them and quicken them through the breaths of the Holy Spirit. Cause them to be born of the spirit and baptize them in the fountain of Job, that all may become pure and holy and shine like lights in the human world.
O God! O Lord of realities and meanings! Look upon that divine gathering and heavenly company with the glances of Thy protecting eye, and preserve them with the hosts of Thy protection and shelter, and guard them with the guardianship of Thy protection and care, and assist them to attain harmony, and enable them to remain firm in unity, and shower upon them Thy blessings, and ordain for them services. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Generous, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
O kind Lord, verily this assemblage is longing for Thee and loving Thy beauty. Verily, these friends are set aglow with the fire of Thy love and are joyful because of Thy presence. They have turned to Thy kingdom, seeking naught but Thy good pleasure, desiring naught but to pursue Thy pathway, and seeking naught save Thy good will. Not a day passes but they are occupied with Thy commemoration and are ever ready to serve Thee.
O ye steadfast ones! O ye firm ones! A perfumed breeze and a musk-laden breath reaches the nostrils of the yearning ones from the region of Kerman. In the divine Tablets there is an indication which proves that that land and territory will ultimately be illumined by the brilliant lights of the Sun of Truth. The people of Kerman have always been enchanted and enraptured, and in all ages have been renowned for their attraction and ecstasy. Surely in this great Cause they will outstrip others. A dispirited people are forever withered. They have no life, they are not like a pulsating artery. They may show some feeble movement for a few days, but with the slightest affliction or trial they become extinguished. However, when the people of Kerman and Rafsanjan ignite, they are like the fire-temple of Sadih - their flames reach to the heavens for thousands of years. In any case, we await the day when the friends in Kerman will kindle such a fire that its heat will spread to all regions, and the divine melody from the branches of that land will bring delight to the ears of the Concourse on High.
My God, my God! These are servants in whose breasts and inner beings the fire of Thy love is ablaze, and the breezes of Thy holiness pass over them morning and evening, perfuming their nostrils until their hearts are stirred by that life-giving fragrance that revives the souls of the successful and prosperous ones. Lord! Spiritual sensibilities and divine attractions have been awakened in them until they have made all their remembrances and prayers into a single prayer, and their state in Thy service eternal. Lord! Illumine their faces with a brilliant light, adorn their hearts with a radiant brightness, expand their breasts with the signs of Thy oneness, raise upon their hills the banners of Thy uniqueness, enlighten their inner vision, purify their inmost thoughts, and make their faces sincere for Thy gracious countenance. Verily Thou art the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, and verily Thou art the Bestower, the Kind, the Merciful.
O my God! Thou seest these servants whose hearts have been sanctified from the stains of doubt, whose spirits have been purified from the taint of evil deeds, whose inner beings have been made good through virtuous acts, and whose faces have been illumined by the light of steadfastness that dispels all darkness.
O Lord! Make them radiant lights in all directions, brilliant traces in the East and the West and all regions, and signs of truth in all kingdoms, climes and areas.
O Lord! Make them signs of Your love, banners of Your knowledge, traces of Your remembrance, and emblems of Your religion in Your lands. Remember them in Your Kingdom and assist them in Your Realm to be steadfast in Your Cause, firm in Your religion, and deeply rooted in Your oneness.
...O Lord! These souls yearn for Thy presence and are enamored with that musk-laden tress. At every moment they raise a cry, send forth sighs and lamentations, and implore Thy grace and bounty. Thou art the Bestower, the Kind, the Merciful, the Compassionate, and Thou art the Dispenser of infinite bounties. O Generous Lord! Make these souls firm in Thy Covenant, steadfast in Thy Testament, attracted to the fragrances of holiness, mindful of the verses of unity. Make them the recipients of the glances of the eye of Thy mercy and drawn to the beauty of Thy light. Grant them fresh confirmations at every moment, and at every breath waft the fragrance of the All-Merciful to their nostrils. Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, and Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, the All-Knowing.
O Lord! Accept from him this deed of his, whereby he sought naught save to attain unto Thy good pleasure and to gain Thy acceptance, to arrive at Thy presence and to enter through Thy spacious gate which Thou hast opened before the faces of all who dwell in Thy earth and heaven.
Then aid him, through Thy bounty and Thy gift, to stand firm in Thy Cause, to remain steadfast in Thy love, and to be immovable in Thy Word.
O Lord! Illumine the hearts of Thy loved ones with the lights of Thy bounty, perfume the nostrils of Thy servants with the sweet fragrances of holiness wafting from the gardens of Thy most high paradise, aid them to obey Thy Cause and to remain firm and steadfast in Thy Covenant and Testament, and to be enkindled by the fire burning in the Tree of Thy divinity.
O handmaiden of God! I beseech God that thou mayest remain firm and steadfast in faith and certitude, and arise to serve the Kingdom of God.
O Lord! Aid them to remain firm, grant them success in becoming steadfast, make their feet firm upon the path, make them leaders of the tribes, distinguish them through Thy grace and bounty, and encompass them with the glances of the eyes of Thy mercy amidst Thy creation, that they may call out Thy Name, exalt Thy Word, speak forth Thy praise, spread Thy signs, guide people to the straight path and the right way, hasten to the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in the early hours of dawn, and supplicate Thee with hearts throbbing with remembrance.
O Lord! Thanks be unto Thee for having illumined their eyes, inspired their hearts, caused their ears to hear, and cast the word of guidance upon the hearts of the righteous. They have turned unto Thee with dilated breasts, attracted hearts, spirits immersed in the oceans of Thy mercy, and souls made joyous through the signs of Thy oneness. O Lord! Make firm their footsteps upon this path, strengthen their hearts through the mysteries of Thy words, aid them with hosts they cannot see to diffuse Thy fragrances, guard them from tests, protect them from stupor, and make for them a straight path extended to the Kingdom of Heaven.
O my Lord! These are Your chosen ones whom You have selected through the manifestation of Your love and for whom You have approved the outpouring of Your light, and whom You have immersed in the seas of Your presence, and given to drink from the pure water from the hand of the Cup-Bearer of the Dawning-Place of Your Manifestation.
O my Lord! Preserve them from the contingencies of doubts and the events of the people of ambiguities, and make them clear signs and unfurled banners and brilliant lights in all directions and overflowing fountains and verdant gardens until through them the fragrances of Your holiness spread throughout all regions and every quarter becomes illumined by the light of dawn.
O my God, my refuge in my distress, my shelter in my anguish, my succor in my grief and pain! These are servants whom the veil of desire has not prevented from beholding the light shining upon all regions, nor have the doubts of the misguided prevented them from turning to the Center of Glory. … My Lord! Make them dawning-places of light and verses recited at morn and eventide, that they may guide others unto Thee and speak Thy praise and remain firm in Thy covenant and call every heedless doubter to the fountain of certitude, a sweet flowing water.
O Loving Lord! Your friends are wandering in Your path and attached to Your face. They are yearning to behold You and are caught in limitless longing and burning. They hasten toward You, seek Your countenance, speak Your mysteries. Confirm them, grant them success, that they may be steadfast in servitude and arise in service, adorn the gathering of fellowship, find repose in the shade of Your grace, come to the altar of love, and stain their face and hair with their own blood.
O Lord! Assist this exalted Branch of the Tree of Thy mercy to remain firm and steadfast, and all who are related to Him in this mighty Covenant which Thou didst take from the realities of the people of the pavilion of holiness in the tabernacle of Thy grandeur, O Generous One, O Merciful One!
O loving friends! It is morning and Abdul-Baha has drunk the morning cup of the wine of the love of God and is in the utmost joy and ecstasy. Therefore, remembering the friends of that land and the companions of that meadow, he has undertaken to write this letter. Praise be to God, the light of the Sun of Truth has fallen upon all the East and the West and illumined the world. From all regions the cry of Ya Baha'u'l-Abha is raised. On earth the call of Ya Ali'u'l-A'la reaches to the ethereal sphere. The ultimate hopes and desires of the friends have appeared and the Beloved of the horizons has shed His radiance upon East and West. These are the promises of the Promised Beauty and the kindness of the Intended Lord.
Observe that although this terrible war has uprooted the foundation of all peoples and all nations have fallen into great turmoil and compared to before have become disordered, have declined and reached a state of fall and descent - except these supplicating, imploring souls who are in the shadow of the favor of the Blessed Beauty and are day by day ascending and progressing while all others are falling and declining. The call of the Most Great Name is the tumult of the horizons and the might of God's Cause is the earthquake of the people of discord. Necks have been humbled before the Word of God, heads have bowed before the power of God, voices have been quieted before the call of God, and faces have yielded before the Self-Subsisting Lord.
Now in thankfulness for this great bounty, we who are servants of that Threshold and watchful attendants must with complete sacrifice and perfect wisdom arise to exalt the Word of God and spread the verses of God. Convey my longing greetings to the friends of Najafabad. From the beginning of the Revelation until now, blessed souls in that populous place have sacrificed themselves in the path of God, have rejoiced in sacrificing themselves, and have offered their blood in the place of sacrifice of love. Therefore the glance of the favor of the Blessed Beauty is ever encompassing and the outpourings of the Intended Lord are complete.
O my God, my God! These are the sincere ones who have bowed down at the gate of Thy oneness, who have humbled themselves at the threshold of Thy holiness, who have knelt in the court of Thy mercy, and who have prostrated themselves in humility and brokenness before the horizon of Thy eternality. They spread Thy verses, proclaim Thy mysteries, promulgate Thy signs, recite Thy words, relate Thy glad-tidings, explain Thy allusions, spare no effort in Thy service, never tire of Thy remembrance, and never weaken in their servitude to Thee. O Lord! Make them overflowing clouds, brilliant rays, piercing meteors, and penetrating thunderbolts casting down the Covenant-breakers and driving away the violators. Make them signs of guidance among mankind, lights shining from the supreme horizon, and perfect words in the scriptures and tablets, possessing the best virtues, detesting the people of vice, speaking Thy praise among the tribes. Therefore make them, O my God, guides of Thy creation who guide to righteousness and call to prosperity and success in that furthest region and loftiest shore. Verily Thou art the Confirmer, the Supporter, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous.
I will supplicate unto Thee, O my God, and I will implore Thee, prostrate and contrite before Thy most exalted Kingdom, the Dominion of Thy most sublime Invisibility, Thy loftiest Summit, and Thy remotest Goal, that Thou mayest shower all Thy blessings, salutations and bounties upon those among Thy servants who have remained firm in Thy Covenant, who have aided Thy Word and diffused Thy verses. … O Lord! Illumine their foreheads with manifest light, give them to drink from cups of pure water, cause them to enter the garden of delight, make them guides to Thy straight path, defenders of Thy impregnable fortress, archers against the vacillating apostates, and guardians of Thy mighty edifice, until their faces shine like stars in the east and west of Thy earth, and through them the fragrances of Thy holiness are wafted throughout its dawning-places and regions.
O Lord! Deliver them from the evil of the people of error, immerse them in the sea of supplication and entreaty, and make them fountains of guidance, lamps in the darkest night, brilliant and luminous stars, and missiles against the people of misguidance and perversity.
O Living One! O Self-Subsisting One! O Lord! Make them stars in the horizon of guidance and meteors against the satans of self and passion, and make them bow down and prostrate themselves before the Most Glorious Kingdom. O Lord! Strengthen them with powerful might and grant them a way out.
I beseech Thee, O Lord of the Day of Mutual Separation, to assist Thy servants and handmaidens to be steadfast in Thy love and to be detached from all else but Thee.
I beseech Thee to send down from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness upon Thy loved ones that which will renew them in Thy love, cause them to speak Thy praise, and preserve them from whatsoever is repugnant to Thy good-pleasure, that they may gather together to remember Thee among Thy creatures.
O Lord! Sanctify the hearts of those who circle round me from whatsoever is unworthy of Thy sanctification and glorification. Then make their hearts horizons for the lights of Thy knowledge and dawning-places for the manifestations of the Sun of Thy loving-kindness. … O Lord! Even as Thou hast this day transformed the earth of Thy prison wherein Thou hast permitted joy and gladness for the people of Thy unity and the repositories of Thy oneness, do Thou transform the hearts of Thy servants that there may appear from them that which Thou lovest and approvest.
O thou who art perfumed by the breaths of God's love!
I have read thy letter and have supplicated unto God that He may accept thee into His Kingdom, make thee worthy to be called a child of the Kingdom, and render thee firm as mighty mountains in God's Covenant, and a herald of His Great Covenant which He hath established through a trace of His Supreme Pen with the dwellers of the heavens and earth, until thou mayest be confirmed to diffuse the fragrance of holiness throughout those regions and climes.
O my Lord! Assist them to serve Thy servants and aid them to win Thy good-pleasure and exalt them in the Kingdom of existence and illumine them with the lights of Thy bounty in the worlds of the Unseen and the Seen.
My Lord and my Hope! Assist this handmaiden of Thine to promote Thy manifest Faith and establish Thy proof for every faithful striver, and to give drink to every thirsty one from the living waters, and to refine the character of Thy handmaidens among all peoples, and to sanctify the souls of the leaves from conditions that do not befit the virtues of the denizens of the highest paradise, and to educate the children and youth of the believers and train them in knowledge, sciences, teachings and the discovery of truths and meanings in this mighty century.
I continually make entreaty and supplication at the Divine Threshold that He may make our dear fellow countrymen perfect in all human virtues and the cause of educating the ignorant.
I pray to God that thou mayest employ this talent in prayer and supplication, in order that the souls may become quickened, the hearts may become attracted and all may become inflamed with the fire of the love of God!
O Lord! Teach her the mysteries of the Kingdom of Your mercy and the realities of the realm of Your oneness, and loosen her tongue in expression of Your unity so that the hearts of the handmaidens may be revived thereby and their spirits may be attracted to Your Most Glorious Kingdom.
I beseech God to make thee speak in praise of His Most Glorious Beauty - such praise as would astound the minds of the eloquent and confound the thoughts of the learned - and to make thee a sign of His bounty among the maidens and a lamp of His love shining upon all hearts and spirits.
O Lord! Be generous unto him with eloquent speech, with an expansive heart, and with a radiant countenance through the light of Your knowledge, O Merciful, O Compassionate One!
O God! Aid him in all conditions, O Thou my kind Lord, and loosen his tongue in Thy remembrance and praise in assemblages extolling Thy sanctity and unity. Strengthen his loins in your service, and clothe him with the robe of honor by Thy mercy, and crown his head with the diadem of servitude at Thy holy and exalted Threshold. Ordain for him such good that he may revel among the hosts of the well-favored and that his face may shine with a resplendent light, O Thou the Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
My God, my God! This is Thy truthful servant and Thy sincere bondsman who has heard the call raised from the highest heaven, who has turned toward Thy Most Glorious Kingdom and has fallen prostrate before Thy greatness among all people, submissive and humble before Thy sovereignty which has encompassed all things. O Lord! Make him a herald of harmony throughout all regions and a bearer of glad tidings of the Word of the Lord of the Daybreak among the lovers. Through him guide the souls, illumine the faces, dilate the hearts, and gladden the spirits with the signs of Thy bestowal, O Lord of grace!
Lord! Make smooth his path, make him a guide to Your Kingdom, give him to drink from the spring of Tasnim and the cup of Salsabil, and ordain for him abundant grace and beautiful triumph, that he may spread the traces of Your mercy throughout the dusty earth, disseminate the proofs of Your oneness among people of understanding, revive hearts with blessed water descending from heaven, and expand breasts through the chanting of Your verses to the melody of the dove.
O my God, my God! Thou seest my powerlessness, my brokenness, my abasement, my distress, my anxiety and my agitation in my separation from Thy presence and my deprivation in being parted from Thee. I lament as one who thirsts for sweet waters, and I moan as one who is enthralled by the intensity of yearning and passion. My Lord, my Lord! Be my companion in my loneliness, my friend in my solitude, my comfort in my estrangement, my reliever in my anguish, and forgive my sins. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Merciful, the All-Giving.
Then I beseech Thee with a heart aflame with the fire of Thy love, with patience exhausted from separation from Thee, and with tears flowing in yearning for Thee, that Thou assist Thy servant whom Thou hast guided to the Straight Path, given to drink from flowing waters, quenched his thirst from the Spring of Tasnim, enlightened his vision with the manifest light, and purified his inner being with Thy great bounty.
My Lord, my Lord! Cause wings to grow upon him that he may soar to the heights of glory and the highest horizon through Thy grace and generosity, and that he may wing his flight in the atmosphere of the heaven of Thy merciful Kingdom, and speak in praise of the countenance of Thy singleness, and be set ablaze by the fire burning in the Tree of Thy oneness, and guide the people to the manifest horizon, the mighty path and the straight way, and lead them into the Garden of Delight, and seat them in the noble station, and quicken them through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in this radiant Day. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Generous, the Most Merciful, the All-Merciful.
I will pray for him and beseech the Lord of the Kingdom that he may become a valiant soldier of the Lord of Hosts and break asunder the ranks and multitudes of the heedless through the power of proof, that he may praise and glorify the Ancient Lord with eloquent tongue and tear asunder the veils of people's vain imaginings with effective speech, so that he may baptize souls with the fire of the love of God and the water of life and the spirit.
O Lord! Though this scattered group are weak and powerless, yet among the people of creation they are the army of life and the hosts of salvation. Therefore assist them with the hosts of Thy Supreme Kingdom and strengthen them with the angels of Thy most exalted Concourse, that they may scatter the army of death and shatter the ranks of darkness with the light of guidance.
I place my forehead upon the luminous threshold and implore with all humility, submissiveness and lowliness, calling out and saying: O Lord! Strengthen the cultivated one with a mighty host from Your Most Glorious Kingdom and assist him with a penetrating power in the realities of things, that he may make firm those who waver upon the Straight Path and call the seekers to the supreme triumph and guide the yearning ones to the manifest outpouring.
O Divine Providence! Now is the time for the hosts of the Abha Kingdom to charge forth. Now is the hour for the confirmations and assistance of the angels of the Concourse on high. Fulfil that which Thou didst promise (Honour Thou Thy promise), and into our cups, tainted with the dregs of sorrow, pour forth the wine of Thy favour.
I press my forehead to the dust at the threshold of the gate of guidance, supplicating to the Supreme Kingdom that God may make you lamps lit by the hand of the Most Great Mercy, so that you may illuminate those institutes and hills with a light radiating from the bounty of the Most Glorious Beauty.
O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy ceaseless outpouring, Thy all-encompassing grace, and Thy complete confirmation to aid Thy loved ones through Thy great favors and enable them to unfurl the sails of servitude upon the seas of Thy Cause, to light the lamp of love within the glass of people's hearts, and to strengthen their loins in service to Thy most exalted Threshold.
O God! O Thou Worshipped One! Confirm these souls so that they may raise the call of Thy Kingdom and suffer humanity to be delivered from the dark precipes of the world of nature, and cause their entrance in the divine world. May they illumine every dark one and make heavenly every one who is earthly.
O Lord! Make manifest what Thou promised in the heavenly Books and reveal what Thou spoke through the tongues of the Prophets. Show Thy divine power and make evident Thy heavenly bounty. Make this country a supreme paradise and make this East and West luminous throughout the earth. Make these Parsees heavenly beings and make these nameless and traceless ones like radiant stars.
It is my ardent hope that the power of the Holy Spirit may turn that country into a paradise and that the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth may illumine that territory, so that it may move forward in every aspect of spiritual development, that the light of divine guidance may shine forth, the reviving fragrance of the rose-garden of God may waft over it and the clouds of His gracious favour may rain down, thus bestowing freshness and beauty to those territories and regions.
Whenever I supplicate and entreat toward the Kingdom of Abha I shall beg you confirmation and assistance to open before your faces the door of every good - so that each one of you may become a sign of guidance and a flag of peace.
There we will put our brow at the Holy Threshold and pray in behalf of all the friends throughout the world, supplicating His Confirmations so that they may arise to diffuse the sweet scent of his utterances and summon all men to the Standard of Universal Peace, Brotherhood, divine Civilization and spirituality. May their hearts be inspired with the Holy Spirit and the powers of the Kingdom of Abha.
Verily this servant sendeth greetings to him and mentioneth him and beseecheth God to make his breaths a lamp unto the darkness of the world and his face a healing to the sick among the nations, and through the ocean of His wisdom to purify chronic and persistent diseases and base and degraded morals.
O Lord, assist Thy righteous servants to spread the fragrance of flowers and the morning breeze from the gardens of Thy nearness.
O Thou Kind Lord! Make these friends Thy helpers, and bestow upon these loved ones service at Thy Threshold. Make them day by day more radiant and more enchanting. Make them fragrant flowers in the Garden of the Most Glorious, and brilliant stars in the supreme horizon. Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, and the Kind.
This servant, with utmost humility and contrition, supplicates at the Threshold of the Lord: O Peerless Beloved! These souls are Thy friends and the servants of Thy Threshold. They are intoxicated with Thy wine and wandering in Thy desert. They are thirsting for Thy Salsabil and following Thy mighty proof. Confirm them and grant them success, so that each one may become a sign of guidance and a gift of the Supreme Concourse.
My God, my God! I beseech Thee in the depths of my heart, and with my inner and outer tongue, that Thou wouldst assist Thy servant who hath sought refuge at the gate of Thy oneness, to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee, and to unfurl the sails of the Ark of Thy verses.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Beloved, and my Heart's Desire! Aid Thy loved ones to celebrate Thy praise and glorify Thee in such wise as to raise thereby the standards of Thy Cause. O Lord! Enable them to serve Thee, then assist them with the hosts of the unseen.
Then send down upon the hearts of Thy loved ones that which will purify them from all else but Thee and cause them to speak Thy praise, that Thy remembrance may be spread through them amongst Thy servants.
O my God! Aid Thy loved ones to remember and praise Thee, then inspire them with that which shall subdue the hearts of Thy creatures and the souls of them that dwell in Thy dominion.
O God! Assist this servant to promote Thy mighty Cause and to spread the sweet fragrance of Thy wondrous remembrance and to raise high Thy lofty standard and to reveal Thy ancient mystery.
Strengthen, O God, Thy loved ones who have turned to the horizon of Thy Cause, who have detached themselves from all else but Thee, and who have arisen to serve Thee in such wise as to exalt their stations in Thy dominion and kingdom and to elevate their remembrance in Thy realm and heaven.
Make mention of the Truth on behalf of His loved ones and say: My God, my God! Aid Thy loved ones to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee, to serve Thy Cause and to stand firm in their love for Thee. Adorn their deeds with the glory of Thy acceptance and the light of Thy good-pleasure.
Lord, Lord! Make his illustrious descendant follow in his footsteps, chanting his prayers, reciting his words, so that he may be his hidden secret, his evident successor, his glorious light, his mighty proof, and a remembrance of Abdul-Baha from his father - serving Your Cause, firm in the path of Your justice, steadfast in Your religion, spreading Your remembrance, supplicating to You, relying upon You.
We beseech the favors of the Lord of all desire that He may quicken the handmaidens of God in that land through the life-giving breeze of His grace and enable them to achieve that which befits this century.
O beloved handmaidens at the threshold of the Divine Unity! 'Abdu'l-Baha supplicates at the Divine Threshold with utmost lowliness and pleading, begging for heavenly aid and bounty, that ye may be crowned with His most great gift and become the recipients of His endless favors.
O Thou kind God, suffer this maidservant of the threshold to become heavenly, angelic, merciful and celestial. Confer Thy providence upon her, reveal to her Thy mercy, Thy clemency, and aid her in the service of the Kingdom.
O thou who art turning toward the Kingdom of God!
I was informed of the contents of thy excellent letter and supplicated the Holy Threshold, the Circuit of the Supreme Concourse, to baptize thee with the water of knowledge and the fire of the love of God and to make thee a perfect and faithful servant in His Great Vineyard, so that thou mayest water the trees of the love of God in the Paradise of ABHA; and to make thee a sign of meekness and humbleness among the maid-servants of God and a promulgator of His Cause in those vast and extensive regions.
O thou who art turned to the Kingdom of the Lord, the Forgiving!
With prayers and supplications and with submissive songs of the Texts of God, I plead to Him to accept thee in His Kingdom; to clothe thee with the mantle of sanctity; to gloriously cover thee with the veil of abstinence; to illumine thy brow with the light of singleness; to console thine eyes with the seeing of the Texts of the Kingdom in the human form; and to make thee utter the mentioning of Him, rejoicing through His bounty, heralding His Kingdom with a bright face, whose light will illumine all sides.
Verily, I beseech my Lord to grant thee thy greatest wishes and to bestow on thee the privilege of entering into the center of the Kingdom of God; and to make thee a herald in His name, in that vast and extensive region.
Therefore, I supplicated and implored the Heavenly Father on your behalf and sought infinite confirmations, that you might become the cause of firmness and steadfastness for others.
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who illuminest the world and art manifest through the Most Great Name, to assist me and Thy leaves to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy handmaidens, and to ordain for me and for them every bounty that lay hidden in the heaven of Thy generosity and the treasuries of Thy loving-kindness.
Therefore, O my God, cause to flow upon them in the abode of joy and the gathering-place of light and the right side of the Mount from the hand of the Cup-bearer of Manifestation, a cup tempered at the Camphor Fountain. Grant them eternal life in the Kingdom of mysteries and the Center of lights throughout the succession of ages and centuries.
O Lord! Make their endeavors appreciated, their difficulties eased, their portion abundant, and their banner victorious.
O my God, my God! Aid these souls to serve Thee and inspire them with servitude to Thee and unfurl over them the banner of Thy mercy and shelter them beneath the shade of the tree of Thy mercy and cause them to speak Thy remembrance and make them steadfast in Thy love and open before their faces the doors of blessing and wealth through Thy bounty, O my Most Exalted Lord!
O thou fresh fruit of the Paradise of shelter, it hath indeed great taste! With the tongue of a suckling, pray at the Threshold of the All-Bountiful Lord, saying:
O Kind Lord! Nurture this suckling babe in the bosom of Thy bounty and, through the outpouring of Thy grace, rear this weak and young one. Through Thy favor and generosity, may he grow and develop day by day, become worthy to render service, and engage in servitude at Thy Holy Threshold.
I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Word, which Thou hast made a sign of Thy oneness, to cause her to grow with a goodly growth, enable her to be nourished from the breast of Thy lordship, rear her in the cradle of the mercy of Thy oneness, nurture her in the fortress of Thy divine mercy, and name her from Thy Kingdom "Ruhiyyih," that she may be gladdened by the spirit of divine knowledge.
O Thou Kind Lord! Accept this pure and holy girl in Thy new Kingdom. Make her beloved by all and glorify her in their sight. Intoxicate her with the overflowing cup of Thy Love.
Confer upon her tumultuous joy and irresistible attraction and grant her an eloquent tongue and suffer her to become an embodiment of wisdom and divine understanding so that she may arise to diffuse the Fragrances of the Paradise of Abha.
Yet I supplicate at the sacred Threshold, tearfully beseeching and saying: O Thou kind Lord! Through the power of Thy Faith and Thy Covenant bestow with every breath a new life and spirit upon this tender and conscientious youth, so that at every moment he may plunge into the sea of sacrifice, at every hour he may render some service, and every day he may kindle a fire that would burn away the veils and may enable a whole company to enter beneath the shadow the Word of God.
Therefore I ask Thee, O my God, to give him to drink of the milk of Thy bounty so that he may raise the standards of Thy victory [in his youth] and arise in his maturity to serve Thy Cause, just as he arose in his youth at Thy command, that Thy proof concerning him may be fulfilled and that the breezes of nearness may take hold of him through Thy grace.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst illumine the hearts of the lovers and light up the faces of the sincere ones, and through which Thou didst attract Thy near servants in such wise that they severed themselves from all else but Thee and ascended to a station wherein they sacrificed their souls and spirits in Thy path, and the blame of the blamers did not hold them back from the sanctuary of Thy holiness and the Kaaba of Thy intimacy - to cause this youth to ascend unto the heaven of the might of Thy Cause and the seat of the sanctity of Thy dominion.
Then give him to drink that which shall open before his heart's face the gates of wisdom and utterance.
O Lord! This is a fresh and verdant branch, watered by the droplets of Thy cloud of mercy. His is a portion from the overflowing Kawthar of Thy oneness, esteemed among Thy loved ones, a branch grown from the tree of Thy lordship, cultured among Thy creation, sagacious among Thy servants. Lord! Assist him in all conditions and circumstances, make his hopes easy of fulfillment, shower upon him the rain of confirmation every morn and eve. Make him a mighty lion in the thickets of triumph and success, and a copious rain in the gardens of knowledge and achievement.
Abdul-Baha's heart has the utmost attachment to the descendants of the martyrs and he supplicates at the divine threshold:
O Kind Lord! These descendants are saplings from the rose garden of martyrdom. Make them fresh and verdant through the rains of grace and bounty, that they may arise with the utmost delicacy and freshness, keep alight the candle of the noble martyrs, and make green and flourishing the field of hopes of those who sacrificed themselves.
Through the grace and favor of the Blessed Beauty, it is hoped that Mulla Aqa Baba will be like his father, and Fatimih Nura will follow the way and conduct of Khadijih Kubra. I will pray for both that they may be confirmed and assisted in what befits and is worthy of the descendants of martyrs.
This servant, with utmost humility and contrition, makes his appeal at the threshold of Divine Oneness, beseeching that this sapling of hopes of His Holiness the Martyr be granted spiritual freshness and grace through the outpourings of the clouds of divine knowledge, that it may at every moment put forth flowers and blossoms and diffuse the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of God, making the world redolent with musk - and this is not difficult for His grace and bounty.
O Lord! Assist him in Thy service and enable him to arise in Thy remembrance and praise, and gladden the eye of his father that he may witness his attraction to the holy fragrances of Thy sanctity and his success in bearing the Most Great Trust through Thy grace and bounty.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having adorned my head with the crown of Thy favor amidst the people of Thy Kingdom, and for having made my son a servant of Thine in Thy prison. I beseech Thee, O Lord, by Thy power that hath encompassed all things, to enable him under all conditions to serve Thee, O Lord of all names. Then cause him to be so immersed in the ocean of Thy love that he may desire naught but what Thou hast desired, and may gaze toward the horizon of Thy good-pleasure in such wise that nothing that hath been created in the world may hinder him from remembering Thee, O Fashioner of earth and heaven.
Verily, I beseech God to illumine thy sight by witnessing the light of hopes and cause thee to speak His praise among the maid-servants, and to make thee steadfast in this path, on which feet have slipped through the power of tests.
And I beg of Him to enable thee to confirm thy parents and make thee a servant in His great vineyard, and cause the consolation of thine eye, thy noble child, to enter the garden of His exalted Kingdom.
O Lord! Make the father of this new servant precious in Thy Kingdom and cause the mother of this confidant of mysteries to soar in the heights of mysteries. Immerse [them] in the ocean of forgiveness and make [them] companions of the people of faith. Bestow the rays of [Thy] favor and freely grant the outpouring of pardon and kindness.
O maid-servant of God! I hope through the Grace and Bounty of the Creator that the lights of guidance may shine upon the members of the household (family) and that they may receive a portion from the bounty of the Kingdom.
O thou who art advancing unto God! Verily I pray to God to make thee and thy revered husband--under the shadow of His Greatest Name--confirmed in all conditions, aided in the service of the Cause of God with a confirmation on the part of the Merciful Lord.
O Lord! These two leaves have grown from the Tree of Thy mercy and have been stirred by a fragrant breeze wafting from the valley of Thy knowledge, and have been drawn to Thy Kingdom by Thy sweet savors.
O Lord! Dilate their breasts through beholding the manifestation of the signs of Thy greatness and the unfurling of the banners of Thy power, and gladden their eyes through their attainment unto the cave of Thy protection and safekeeping.
O Lord! Make his relatives noble ones, his in-laws righteous ones, and all those connected to him free ones. Aid them through Your grace evening and morn.
I supplicate and beseech at the threshold of the Divine Oneness and ask assistance and favor for thee, so that with his honor thy dearer-than-life brother Aqa Siyyid Asadu'llah, you may be assisted and confirmed in all circumstances, and in both worlds may achieve the desire of your heart and peace of soul.
I beseech God that He may accept her prayer and facilitate the fulfillment of her hopes, and that He may comfort her eyes through witnessing your success and prosperity in the Kingdom, and illumine your face through the confirmations of His ancient Kingdom, so that you may find yourself, your sister, your mother and your brother-in-law in great joy.
Verily, I beg of God to bestow upon thee and thy relatives the blessing of His clemency and to assign for thee and for them everlasting glory and eternal life in the visible world and in the Kingdom.
Furthermore, We entreat Thee, O God of the world, to destine for those who are related to him that which shall draw them nigh unto Thee under all conditions. Thou, verily, art the All-Sufficing, the Most Exalted. No God is there save Thee, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.
O Lord! Assist the Afnan to achieve the greatest virtue in the world of humanity, and expand his breast with the light of certitude, and make his feet firm in Thy love, supported by a power from the unseen realm of possibility, and protect his two brothers beneath the wing of Thy mercy, O Educator of the worlds!
O Lord! Make Aqdiyyih Akhtar, the unique daughter of these handmaidens of the All-Merciful, successful through Thy greatest gift and assist her in serving the loved ones. Grant her the tongue of teaching and bestow eloquent speech, that they may invite the lost ones to the path of salvation and become the manifestation of the confirmations of Thy Kingdom.
God willing, may his blessed son Mirza Habib follow in his footsteps and associate with the people with his character and nature, and may that handmaiden of God become the manifestation of abundant favors.
Say:
Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having enabled Thy handmaiden to turn to Thee and place her trust in Thee. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy generosity to ordain for me and my daughter the good of this world and the next. O my Lord! Thou seest Thy handmaiden turning to Thee and holding fast to the cord of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint her from the ocean of Thy generosity
and the luminary of Thy favor.
O my God! O my God! This is Thy servant who hath turned towards the kingdom of Thy mercy and inclined his face with devotion towards Thy Countenance. … O God! Afford him his highest wish, look favorably upon his aspirations, and cause him to become a sign of Thy mercy amongst all people.
My God, my God! There hath turned toward Thee a handmaiden from among Thy handmaidens, seeking from Thee Thy boundless grace and ancient loving-kindness. O Lord! Disappoint her not, through Thy bounty and loving-kindness, and withhold her not from the ocean of Thy mercy and bestowals.
I beseech Thee by the light of Thy Cause and the fire of Thy Sacred Tree to confirm him who hath turned unto Thee and held fast to the cord of Thy bounty. Ordain for him that which will gladden his eyes and rejoice his heart. Then send down upon him from the heaven of Thy generosity a blessing from Thy presence.
O my God! Thou knowest that this servant is enkindled with the fire of Thy love, wandering in the wilderness of longing for Thee, attracted by the wondrous lights of Thy beauty, and speaking in remembrance of Thee. Therefore, cause him to ascend on wings of holiness to the kingdom of Thy verses, aid him with the confirmations of the unseen realm of Thy oneness, give him to drink from the cup of immortality offered by the hands of Thy sanctity, and bring him into the presence of the brilliant rays shining from Thy beauty. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful.
O Thou the Desire of them that yearn after Thee and the Object of such as are devoted to Thee and the Light of all who are in heaven and on earth, lowly and submissive unto the door of Thy divinity, I supplicate unto the kingdom of Thy unity and the realm of Thy oneness and implore Thine eternal godhead to look upon this Thy servant with the glance of Thy mercy. Help him, moreover, with the manifestations of the signs of Thine assistance and power and enrapture him with the revelations of the evidences of Thy bounty and purify his countenance at all times in the kingdom of Thy Revelation and Thy creation. Verily, Thou art the Great Giver, the Bounteous, the Generous, the Compassionate.
I beseech Thee, moreover, by Thy mercy that hath embraced the entire creation, through which Thou didst vivify the realities of all created things, to aid Thy servant Ja'far to bring forth righteous offsprings among Thy loved ones. Verily, Thou bestowest goodly descendants unto whomsoever Thou willest through Thy grace and Bounty. Verily, Thou art the the Most Generous.
Supplications and entreaties were made at the Threshold of Oneness that whatever is your ultimate desire may be fulfilled and facilitated, and that your power of memory may progress.
I have prayed for his praiseworthy progress, that he may plant in the world of existence a sapling which, nourished by the dewdrops of grace, may grow and yield goodly fruit forever.
When I saw that likeness, I supplicated and implored, at the Threshold of the Lord of the Kingdom, to make thee a dear one of the two realms and to free thee from every fetter save the love of God.
The hope is that those two beloved friends may become exemplars for the people of prostration, and day by day witness evident confirmations, that they may guide the heedless to the praised station.
O Lord! Make this needy servant honored at Thy divine threshold, and make this helpless and lowly one exalted and wise. Make his heart an ocean and his soul the companion of the realm above, the confidant of the angel and in harmony with the tumultuous bird, so that like the birds of the heavenly rose-garden he may warble, and like the free cypress by the divine stream he may flourish and find repose.
Grant refuge and shelter under the shadow of Your grace to those who dwell in Your court and are enraptured by Your countenance, and bestow dwelling and abode in the cave of Your mercy to those wandering in mountain and desert for Your sake. Grant remedy to the helpless and bestow means and resources to the destitute. Give joy and gladness to the broken-hearted and grant unfailing warmth and praiseworthy condition to the dispirited.
The hand of supplication is raised to the Abha Kingdom and the tongue of entreaty is engaged in lamentation and plea: "O Lord! Grant a remedy to these helpless ones, bestow healing upon these afflicted ones, and confer bounty and favor upon these destitute ones. Give shelter in Thy protection to these weak souls, and grant strength to these frail and poor ones."
O Lord! These friends are Thy loved ones, and this gathering consists of Thy bewildered lovers. They have no refuge save Thy shelter, and seek no haven but Thy court. Therefore assist them and grant them Thy grace and victory. Guide them and direct them to that which is Thy good-pleasure, and make them firm and steadfast in Thy Cause. We are helpless ones, we are wanderers, we are powerless ones, we are dejected ones, we are withered ones. Grant us life, bestow upon us spirit, open a door, show us a way out, give us stability, grant us remedy and healing. Place a balm upon the wound and make the poison sweet. Transform darkness into light and hardship into comfort.
O my God, my God! These are Thy weak servants, and Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty over whatsoever Thou willest. O Lord! Have mercy upon their impotence, their weakness, their lowliness and their brokenness. Hear their supplications, their prayers and their cries in the depths of night and at dawn. Expand their breasts, strengthen their backs, make their affairs easy, and perfect their joy through the appearance of Thy manifest signs, the waving of Thy conquering standards, the diffusion of Thy lights, the spreading of Thy mysteries, and the revelation of Thy traces among Thy creation.
O Lord! Though we are weak, Thou art strong. Though we are poor, Thou art rich. Though we are lowly, Thou art mighty. So look not upon our poverty and weakness, but grant according to what befits Thy absolute wealth and power and strength.
O Thou Kind God! We are Thy humble servants; endear us in Thy Kingdom! We are poor; enrich us through Thy heavenly Treasury! We are ignorant; suffer us to become informed with Thy Mysteries. We are dead; quicken us with the Breaths of Thy Holy-Spirit. We are extinct; enkindle us with the Fire of Thy Love, O God!
My Lord! My Lord! We are indeed lowly ones - exalt us through Thy power and assist us through the confirmations of Thy most glorious Kingdom. Dilate our breasts through the verses of Thy holiness, O my Most Exalted Lord!
O my loving Lord! Grant life to these lonely ones and lead them to the Beloved. Free them from prison and bring them into the heavenly court.
I have lifted up my hands and beseeched in tearful prayer and trust on their behalf, imploring the Kingdom of Abha from the depths of My heart, saying: O God! Give shelter to these poor ones in the shade of the Tree beyond which there is no passing. Give refuge to these lost ones in the vastness of remoteness from Thee so that they might enter the shelter of Thy grace and loving providence. Cause these who are sore athirst in the wilderness of poverty to approach the shores of Thy Ocean of Oneness and allow these seekers of the Abha Kingdom to attain the habitation of Divine Unity.
O Lord, grant this poor one a place in the exalted court, make him esteemed, make him a shining star in the heaven of forgiveness, and bestow upon him shelter and refuge in the shade of the tree of hope.
O Thou Who art free from all want! Bestow Thy favors upon Thy servants and handmaidens, and grant the wishes of all, freely and abundantly. Enable them to soar to the heights of love, and make them intimate companions of the birds of the garden of Thy bounties. Grant them fresh strength and bestow upon them a more pleasing state. Overlook their faults and confer glory and blessing upon them in this world and the next. Grant them rest and tranquility, adorn them with Thy counsels and exhortations, and deliver them from trials.
O ye divine friends! O ye firm ones in the Covenant of the All-Merciful! The Sun of the Covenant hath shed its radiance from the Horizon of the Supreme Pen upon all regions. It illumined the East and conquered the West. It raised its pavilion at the apex of the horizons and accomplished its work with both friend and stranger.
Yet while some, like moths, circled around the candle of the Covenant, others, like bats, crept into the cave of doubts and were drowned in the depths of vain imaginings. One said that to believe in the unity of the brilliant Sun required hatred for the radiant moon. Another claimed that to prove the truth necessitated and depended upon believing in the lack of infallibility and purity and in the rebellion and revolt of the Center of the Covenant. Another said that consultation and opinion required that we attribute claims to the Pivot of the Divine Covenant, then write a decree for his execution and consider him the fulfillment of "God will soon raise up one who will show him no mercy."
In brief, each of these clots and morsels of flesh made claims of being the greatest in relation to the Blessed Beauty through their own writing and seal, and on the day of His manifestation, while He was yet sitting upon the throne of grandeur, shamelessly laid claim to being the Most Great Sun itself. Now they attribute this base accusation to the Center of the Covenant. Therefore take heed, O ye who are endowed with insight!
O faithful God! These loved ones and chosen ones are the hosts of life and the armies of salvation. They are spiritual cohorts and waves of the ocean of the All-Merciful. They are the verses of the Holy Book and the signs of the Kingdom of Glory. O Lord! Protect and shelter them, and bestow Thy grace and bounty upon them. Look not upon their transgressions; nourish them with Thy favor. Take not account of their shortcomings and forgive their sins. Give them refuge and deliver them from the pit, and raise them to the zenith of the moon. Illumine their faces and set their souls ablaze with the fire of Thy love, that the manifestation and appearance of all may become as radiant as day.
O my God, my God! Take the hands of Thy loved ones who are encompassed by tribulations due to their connection to Thee and their arising to serve Thee, to mention Thee and to praise Thee. O Lord! Withhold them not from the ocean of Thy bounty, nor from the effulgent rays of the Sun of Thy generosity. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Cause through which Thou hast transformed darkness into light, tyranny into justice, and oppression into equity, to send down from the heaven of Thy bestowal a blessing upon Thy chosen ones and loved ones. O Lord! Thou seest their weakness before the waves of the ocean of Thy power and might, and their poverty before the manifestations of the lights of the Sun of Thy Revelation and riches. Ordain for them that which befitteth Thy generosity and grace. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Then I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Most Great Name through which the world was illumined, to ordain for those who have arisen to promote Thy Cause, and those who were imprisoned in Thy path and Thy love and who were patient in hardship and adversity seeking Thy good-pleasure, that which will draw them near unto Thee in every world of Thy worlds.
O Lord! Thou seest Thy sincere servants who have entered the stronghold of Thy Cause and clung to the hem of Thy bounty. I implore Thee to shield them from the evil of Thy servants and the oppression of Thy creatures.
My Lord! Grant them success to walk the most straight path and deliver them from the severest perils. Grant them a true mention throughout ages and cycles and a widespread fame among the servants.
This servant of the Ancient Beauty met with the honorable descendant who arrived. Through the grace and gift of the Greatest Name, we hope that through the breaths of God's love, the foul odor of that Yahya who is dead forever will be removed from the land of Jeddah, and in that light the traces of the Ancient Beauty will become manifest. The darkness of Covenant-breaking will vanish, the Sun of the Covenant will shine, the breeze from the gardens of oneness will blow, the spiritual spring will appear, and the Holy Spirit will breathe its fragrance.
O Lord! This is a servant who has been set aflame by the fire of Thy love in Thy verses, and has been gladdened by the appearance of Thy Word from the Dawning Place of Thy oneness, and has been illumined by the Sun of Beauty in the heaven of Thy most glorious Kingdom, and has been honored to appear before Thy mighty Lordship, and has heard the call and beheld the Source of the Book and has inhaled the fragrances of revelation and has prostrated before the Lord of Lords while standing in love. O Lord! Assist him with Thy confirmation and aid him with Thy assistance and send down upon him Thy mercy and quicken him with the breaths from the garden of Thy unity. O Lord! Make his son successful in what Thou lovest and art pleased with, and cause him to hear Thy counsels which the Concourse on High heard, and make him aware of what is best for him in the next world and this world. Strengthen him through Thy help and Thy voice, O Thou the Possessor of bounty and transcendence, and prepare his way, O my Most Exalted Lord, and make his path easy, O my Most Glorious Beloved. Protect him within the protection of Thy safekeeping from the arrows of tribulation and guard him beneath the glances of Thy protection and favors, O Thou the Self-Subsisting One of earth and heaven. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.
The heart of 'Abdu'l-Baha was deeply moved by its perusal, and He turned in supplication and entreaty to the Abha Beauty, saying:
"O Thou Beloved of the horizons! This yearning servant, descendant of the illustrious 'Abdu'llah, seeketh Thy good-pleasure. May he remain protected and preserved in the shelter of Thy protection from the winds of tests and trials.
I beseech God to make you a lamp of guidance and a light of piety in a glass that is lit and shines between earth and heaven, and to exalt your mention among the Concourse on High, and to ordain for you that which will elevate you among those near ones of the people of heaven, for you have borne every hardship and trial in the path of God.
Plant in his wings the splendors of power and might, and the pinions of glory and invincibility, that he may soar to the highest reaches of success and strive for the loftiest summits of achievement.
Whenever I hear that such a soul is found, I praise the Blessed Beauty for His favor and bounty and beg Him to encircle him with the angels of protection and the seraphs of preservation.
Thou knowest, O my God, that in this most great tribulation and darkest ordeal, I make mention of him who hath turned unto Thee with pure heart, that the attraction of Thy verses may seize him unto a station wherein he may be wholly detached from all else save Thee, and may make mention to the people of Thy bounties which have been sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and inscribed by the Pen of Thy decree.
Glory be unto Thee, O Thou by Whose Name the gates of heaven were opened! I beseech Thee by the sovereignty of Names to assist Thy chosen ones to make mention of Thee and glorify Thee and that which beseemeth Thy days. Then protect them from the evil of Thine enemies who cast Thy Book behind their backs and turned away from Thy Beauty and disputed Thy proof and Thy testimony. Then ordain for them, O my God and God of all things visible and invisible, that which Thou hast ordained for those who offered up their spirits and their bodies in Thy path. Then manifest what Thou hast destined for them through Thy bounty and favors.
My God and my Lord and my Support! I beseech Thee by Thy comprehensive grace and Thy mighty favor to assist Thy loved ones in remembering Thee and praising Thee and thanking Thee in the places of Thy bounties, and preserve them in the shelter of Thy protection from the evil of the most wretched among Thy creatures, and grant them the good of this world and the next.
I beseech Thee, O my God, turning toward the Kingdom of Thy Divinity, supplicating to the Heaven of Thy Mercifulness, clinging to the hem of Thy Singleness, imploring the glory of Thy Self-Subsistence, prostrate upon the dust in humility and submission, entreating Thy favors and loving-kindness, to look upon Thy sincere servants with the eyes of Thy mercy. Cast upon them the mantle of Thy light, make them steadfast in Thy Cause, and render them the dawning-places of Thy signs and the daysprings of Thy spirit and Thy fragrances, yearning for the sweetness of bearing tribulations in Thy path in such wise that nothing shall prevent them from Thy mention and praise.
O my God! Thou art He Whose power hath encompassed the kingdom of all things, and the seas of Whose bounty and forgiveness have surged over the spirits of the chosen ones. I beseech Thee by the heaven of Thy mercy, the sun of Thy bestowal, the horizon of Thy grace, the ocean of Thy generosity, the orb of Thy beneficence, and the cloud of Thy favors, to immerse him whom Thou hast raised unto Thee in the depths of Thy mercy, to enfold him in the glances of the eyes of Thy forgiveness, to shelter him in the proximity of Thy greatest mercy and Thy most glorious kingdom, and to perpetuate upon him the outpourings of Thy supreme bestowal in Thy most exalted paradise.
O kind Lord! Thy servant Sulayman hath become weary of this world, that in the world above he may sit upon a Solomonic throne, behold Thy face, and acquire Thy qualities. O Forgiver! Pardon his sins, grant him refuge, make him aware, and in the world of mysteries immerse him in lights.
O Kind God! You delivered Luhrasb's kith and kin from the prison of this world - lead them to the court of Gushtasb who is close to the Divine Threshold and among the most exalted prophets. O Bestower! Make the blessed faces of this group radiant in Thy Kingdom and brilliant like the sun and moon.
O Forgiving, Loving and All-Knowing One! Make the handmaiden of God Tuba radiant and cause her to soar in the infinite heights. Make her the intimate companion of the birds of that boundless space and harmonize her with the birds of the garden of immortality.
Send, then, Thy blessings, O God, upon the hearts of those who have ascended unto Thee, and upon their spirits, their souls, and their bodies, with all Thy bounty and Thy mercy, and all Thy grace and Thy munificence; for verily Thou art the King, the All-Bountiful, the Most Exalted, the Inaccessible.
Pour forth patience upon her spouse, exemplar of the righteous and choicest of the virtuous, and upon her noble children. O Lord! Strengthen them with angels from heaven, fortify their backs with hosts from Your Most Glorious Kingdom, and reinforce their efforts with Your endless confirmations.
Through the favors of the Glorious Lord, it is hoped that those left behind by that pearl will be nurtured in the shell of God's infinite bounties and become manifestations of favors and bestowals.
I beseech from the threshold of Oneness forgiveness for those who have ascended to God, and I implore from the Blessed Beauty's threshold that you may be confirmed in achieving your utmost desire, that a goodly end may be assured and ordained, that your children may become manifestations of the good-pleasure of the Lord, and that Baha'u'd-Din may be accepted at the Supreme Threshold.
O my God! Grant wings to this bird of the garden of divine knowledge, and bestow Thy favor and nearness upon this moth of the candle of Thy love. Guide this wanderer in the desert of love to the privacy of Thy grace, and lead this one who thirsteth in the wilderness of separation to the spiritual ocean of reunion. Make this ancient servant an intimate at the feast of Thy favors, and enrich this poor and lowly one with true wealth....
My God! Reach them with the fragrances from the flowers of Thy gardens of mercy and the breezes of dawn from the orchards of Thy oneness. Immerse them in the oceans of Thy mercy and make their flowing tears a cooling draught to extinguish the fire of their hearts, to soothe the flames of their sighing, and to comfort them in their separation.
O Lord my God! Thou art He Who hath attracted the hearts of Thy servants and handmaidens through the wondrous melodies and strains of Thy songs, and then left them in the wilderness of separation through what was ordained by the Pen of Thy decree. Thou hast made them drink from the fountain of Thy love and made them to be among those who are kept far from the paradise of Thy presence and are forbidden from entering the sanctuary of Thy nearness and meeting with Thee.
Therefore I beseech God for confirmation, that He may become your Helper and Protector, your Supporter and Aid, so that, God willing, you may spend your remaining days in comfort and ease, be gladdened by divine glad-tidings, and become the cause of joy and delight to the handmaidens of the All-Merciful.
Ordain for him every good thing in the Kingdom of Mysteries, gather him with the righteous ones, and protect him from the calamities of night and the predators of day.
Have mercy upon Thy servant who hath taken refuge at the gate of Thy oneness, who hath sought shelter at the threshold of Thy grace, who hath clung to the cord of Thy favors, who hath held fast to the hem of Thy bounty.
O Educator of existence! These souls are prostrate in worship and in utmost supplication before the Kingdom of the visible world. Therefore, the hope of this servant at Your threshold is that You be their shelter and refuge.
O faithful friend of 'Abdu'l-Baha! Ever does this wanderer supplicate and implore at the Divine Threshold, crying out and turning unto Him, saying: "O Lord! Through heavenly power, protect and preserve the company of the merciful brethren, and through divine bounty, bestow celestial blessings. Open the doors and grant abundant grace. Confirm them and lavish endless favors upon them.
O God of the world and Goal of the nations! I beseech Thee by the Name through which the gate of Thy most exalted Paradise was opened to all who are in the kingdom of creation, and through which the Call was raised between earth and heaven, to assist Thy chosen ones to celebrate Thy praise and glorification, and inspire them with that which Thou hast willed through Thy knowledge. O Lord! Deprive them not of the ocean of Thy good-pleasure, nor keep them distant from the sanctuaries of Thy nearness. O Lord! Regard them not according to what they possess, but behold the heaven of Thy bounty and riches, and the helplessness of Thy creation and the poverty of Thy servants.
O thou who art yearning for the Beauty of the All-Glorious!
By day and by night we supplicate the Threshold of the Self-Sufficient One in utter lowliness and in tears, imploring Him and saying: "O Thou kind Lord! Safeguard these friends within the sanctuary of Thy protection and enable them to cast aside all things, both great and small. Free them from the world of being and enable them to be detached from this contingent world and its defilements. Refresh them by the breaths wafting from the abode of the Placeless and bestow upon them life anew."
I supplicate and beseech the Self-Sufficing Lord, saying: O Lord! Shelter these souls beneath the shadow of Thy grace, make them to be of the company of the righteous, cause them to become detached from all else save Thee, make them intimate with Thy mysteries, and perfume their nostrils with the sweet fragrance of Thy rose-garden.
O God! O God! Verily I place my head on the earth and beg of Thee, O Thou Lord of lords to submerge these believers of Thine in the river of the Water of Life!
O my Lord and my Hope! I beseech Thee by Thy all-encompassing sovereignty which holdeth sway over all created things, to aid Thy servants in every direction, to quicken their hearts through Thy divine breathings, to revive their souls through Thy gentle breezes, to give them to drink from the cup of everlasting life, and to preserve them in the ark of salvation.
O Lord! Quicken their hearts with the breathings of Thy holiness, and expand their breasts with the signs of Thy oneness, and perfume their nostrils with the sweet fragrance of Thy favors.
O Thou kind Lord! Make these servants noble in the world above and in this world make them dear, steadfast and firm. Bestow upon them the light of Thy favor and draw them toward Thyself through Thy divine power. Give glad-tidings to their souls and rejoice their hearts. Make them luminous, heavenly, divine, and holy, and make them a source of pride and glory to the world of humanity.
I beseech Thee by the light of Thy bountiful Countenance, O Mighty Possessor of all that hath been created, to destine for Thy servant who is detached from corrupt desires, a sanctified soul, content with Thy decree, the attainment of the vision of Grandeur in this world and the next, and to make of him a sign of guidance, a banner of chastity, protected by the watchful eye of the All-Merciful, O Thou Possessor of the most excellent names.
I beseech Thee by Thy grace and mercy which Thou hast specially bestowed upon the choicest of Thy creation and sent down upon the most honored of Thy servants, and by Thy supreme gift through which the faces of Thy loved ones were illumined, and by Thy ancient light and Thy Beauty which was enshrouded in the hidden cloud from the eyes of beholders yet shineth and gleameth in the most exalted Kingdom, the Most Glorious Companion, the Realm of the Unseen, His most supreme Divinity, that Thou mayest send down upon this servant all Thy mercy, Thy generosity and Thy favor, and aid him to stand firm in Thy Cause and be steadfast in Thy Word, and grant him the good of this world and the next, and bless him in all his affairs, and keep him safe and protected in the shelter of Thy protection, encompassed by the glances of the eye of Thy mercy.
Say: O my God, my God! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy generosity to ordain for Thy loved ones there that which will draw them nigh unto Thee. Then write down for them the reward of attaining Thy presence and the good of this world and the world to come.
Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon those who have attained the blessing of recognizing Thee in Thy days, who have turned unto Thee and have drunk the choice sealed wine of revelation from the hands of Thy bounty. O Lord! Illumine their hearts with the lights of Thy knowledge and their faces with the radiance of Thy countenance. Then ordain for them through Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of the hereafter and of this world.
Send down, O God, upon all who have believed in Thee and Thy signs, every good thing which Thy knowledge hath encompassed and which Thou hast sent down in the Tablet.
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God, Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Word through which all things were enraptured, and by the surging waves of the ocean of Thy utterance, O Lord of all mankind and Sovereign of both this world and the next, to ordain through Thy Most Exalted Pen for Thy loved ones that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity, the sun of Thy bounty, and the sea of Thy giving.
My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy knowledge and the heaven of Thy wisdom to assist Thy servants to turn unto Thee, to return unto the court of Thy bounty, and to arise before the manifestation of Thy gifts. Then write down for them, through Thy grace, that which shall profit them in all the worlds of Thy worlds, and ordain for them the good of the hereafter and of the former time.
O God! O Master of Kings and Merciful One to the servants! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name and Thy sovereignty which prevaileth over the nations to ordain for those who have laid fast hold on the Sure Handle and clung to the Snow-White Path and the Resplendent Law, and believed in that which hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy Will, that which is best for them in the hereafter and in this world.
Then I beseech Thee, O Thou Goal of the world and Beloved of the nations, to open before my face and the faces of them that love Thee the gates of Thy grace, Thy mercy, Thy favor and Thy blessing.
I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Sovereign over all things, by the lights of Thy Kingdom and Thy Dominion, to rain down upon him who hath turned unto Thee the showers of Thy mercy from the clouds of Thy grace. O Lord! Assist him through Thy bounty and ordain for him that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity.
And We beseech the Lord of Creation to wrap you both in the mantle of righteousness and to make you and them that have believed standards of guidance amidst all creation. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
We beseech God to make him successful in all conditions in that which He loveth and is pleased with.
We beseech Him to ordain for His loved ones that which will bring joy to their eyes and gladness to their hearts.
O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy hidden Name, which none hath known whether past or future, that Thou send down upon him from the heaven of Thy grace that which will make him rich through Thy riches and strengthened through Thy confirmations.
This is Thy servant who hath heard Thy call, and been drawn by Thy verses, and been set ablaze with the fire of Thy love, and become occupied with Thy remembrance. … O Lord! Having guided him to the sweet spring of Thy mercy and given him to drink from the cups of Thy love, send upon him at all times the breezes of the Spirit from the direction of Thy divine oneness, aid him with Thy confirmations, assist him in every matter, and make him steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy remembrance.
My God, my God! Thou seest Thy loved ones and Thy friends. Ordain for them what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have hastened with their hearts to Thy horizon, soared in Thy atmosphere, and have sacrificed their spirits in Thy path. O Lord! Withhold them not from the outpourings of Thy days, then send down upon them from the clouds of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy bounty that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and aid them in that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book.
O Lord! I beseech Thee by them, by Thy greatest signs and the manifestations of Thy grandeur in the kingdom of creation, to assist Thy servant to act according to what Thou hast commanded in Thy Book and to remember Thy chosen ones and pure ones. Verily Thou art the Helper, the Wise. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Great.
In any case, I convey greetings and glorification to him and all other friends, and with the tongue of the secret and the secret of the secret I submit:
"My God, my God! Deprive not Thy friends of the ocean of Thy generosity, and assist them all through Thy near angels that they may, with complete steadfastness, spend these two days in Thy service. Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty."
O Lord, my Lord! With utmost humility, supplication and devotion I lay my face upon the lowly dust and call upon You with lamentation and yearning, and commune with You with a sorrowful heart, saying: Lord, Lord!
… O Lord! Have mercy on these pure ones and make firm their feet on this Path that has no crookedness or deviation.
Therefore with a heart at ease and with the utmost humility and lamentation I beseech and supplicate the threshold of the Lord:
O kind Creator! Be a shelter and refuge to the handmaidens of the Merciful and assist the enlightened friends with the grace of dawn. Grant these supplicating souls a fresh spirit with every breath of Your favors, and bestow upon these pure hearts boundless strength, that they may arise as they ought to fulfill their servitude.
O Lord! These are Thy chosen servants, broken-winged yet joyous in spirit, submissive before the threshold, humble at the door, speaking Thy praise, drawn to Thy most glorious Kingdom. Therefore ordain for them every good thing in the kingdom of existence, distinguish them with Thy special gift among those who bow down in worship, enable them to attain the station of witnessing, illuminate their eyes through beholding the signs within themselves and in the horizons, assist them to serve Thee among the people of radiance and to worship Thee with the people of unity, and guide them to him who will guide them to the Luminary of the horizons in the kingdom of the unseen heavens which minds and eyes cannot perceive and before whose might the hearts of the free stand in awe.
O Lord! Make the friends in Qazvin the manifestations of the highest heaven and make them signs of the evident Light. Grant them confirmation and success in all degrees, and make them victorious and triumphant in all things. In every breath, waft to their nostrils the sweet fragrances of the Most Glorious Paradise, and in every moment send a dewdrop from the ocean of Thy favors. O Lord! Make these holy souls honored in Thy Kingdom and make their nostrils perfumed with the holy fragrances of Thy sanctity....
O my God, my God! These are servants whose hearts have been attracted to the Center of Beauty and whose souls have been set ablaze with the fire of Thy love, O Lord of Glory and Majesty. Their hearts yearn for Thy most glorious Kingdom, and their eyes are cheered by beholding Thy most great signs. O Lord, make them among the hosts of the Supreme Concourse and the angels of Thy sanctuary, circling round Thy throne in the highest heaven and raising their voices in Thy praise before all people.
"I am praying every night and I supplicate and implore. I beg of God to bestow upon you infinite grace so that all of us may attain to the station of servitude, so that we may do as He wishes us to do.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God, Lord of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and the manifestations of Thy sovereignty to assist the people of unity to act according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book, whereby Thou didst separate between the believers and the ungodly, and guided those who turned unto Thee to Thy straight path, and taught them what would preserve them from that which harmeth them outwardly and inwardly. Then I beseech Thee, O Goal of the world and Object of worship of the nations, to enable them to do what Thou lovest and approvest, that perchance sorrows may be changed to joy, abasement to supreme glory, and weakness to the power which Thou hast mentioned in Thy mighty Book.
We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist thee, honor thee, bestow upon thee, and give thee to drink from the Kawthar of life and whatsoever is befitting this blessed and wondrous Day.
O Lord! Make easy, through Thy bounty and grace, all that which is difficult, and answer, through Thy favor, bounty and generosity, all who supplicate Thee.
I venture forth in the court of Thy glorious bounty, and with plaintive, tender cry I call upon Thee in the inner mysteries of Thy most holy Essence, and I submit that O my Splendor, my Remembrance and my Hope, pour forth upon Thy loved ones from the drops of Thy holy camphor and from the waves of Thy seas of intimacy, that perchance their hearts may find rest like unto Mount Encompassing before the manifestation of Thy Ancient Beauty, and their inner beings may be cooled like unto snow amidst the surging of the seas of the Sovereign Lord of Thy Uniqueness, that they might become radiant through the radiance of the beauty of the Presence of Thy Divinity, and shine forth through the effulgence of the countenance of the Sovereign Lord of Thy Grace, and become detached from all else through the appearance of the countenance of Thy attraction, and stand firm in the establishment of Thy Cause, and find delight in the remembrance of the letters of Thy sovereignty, and speak with Thy utterance before Thee, and journey toward the heaven of infinitude through Thy power, and find tranquility through Thy peace, and do Thou teach them a drop from the drops of knowledge hidden within the treasuries of Thy might, and show them a wave from the waves of that beloved state which lies concealed in the inner mysteries of Thy clemency.
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For thought and discussion
Questions to carry forward
- What do these prayers understand as another person’s good? How do requests for comfort, knowledge, character, spiritual recognition, and service deepen or complicate your first answer?
- How do images of gardens, rain, birds, light, and fruit change the way you imagine spiritual growth? What might they suggest about patience, freedom, nourishment, and the role of those who care?
- What relationship do the passages establish between praying for others and serving them? How might education, friendship, music, kindness, or care for the vulnerable become responses to the hopes expressed here?
- How does prayer change when it concerns a named child, a family, an entire community, someone in conflict with us, or a person who has died? What holds these different forms of remembrance together?
- What can the prayer in Ephesians and the Buddhist cultivation of goodwill help you notice in this compilation? Where do their understandings of spiritual growth and the source of help remain distinct?
- How might we pray for another person with deep hope while leaving room for a life and wisdom we cannot fully know? Which of the connected subjects—prayer for particular people or prayer for spiritual recognition—would you explore next?