prayer for specific individuals; groups
Editorial introduction
Asked to pray that a correspondent be protected from the commanding self, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answers that he constantly utters that very prayer for himself, and hopes that both of them may be kept safe. To carry another person into prayer is, from the first, to stand beside them rather than above them. Names are remembered at midnight and written into letters despite exhaustion; a pilgrimage is made on behalf of a friend who could not travel; children, parents, bereaved households and whole gatherings are commended to God, and nearly every petition asks not only for relief but for the strength to be useful. Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector shows how easily intercession curdles into judgment [1], and the Qur’an joins a prayer for earlier believers with a plea that bitterness be lifted from the heart [2]; the circle, once opened, widens to strangers and enemies. The path leads on into the power of prayer itself, into asking for the spiritual progress of others, and into the gatherings where a community learns to pray as one without forgetting a single name.
You had written asking that through divine grace you might be protected from the evil of the commanding self. This prayer 'Abdu'l-Baha constantly utters for himself. I hope that both you and I may remain safe and protected in the shelter of divine protection.
O servant of the Abha Beauty! Your letter arrived and the books you sent were received. Convey on my behalf the Most Glorious Greetings to Mr. Albert R. Windust, Miss Gertrude Buikema and Miss Mary Lesch. In my moments of leisure at midnight when I engage in prayer, I will supplicate divine assistance and bounty on their behalf. Indeed, they have shown great effort in publishing the tablets.
Every morning I rise from my bed thinking of you, and every evening I raise a melody of supplication and entreaty to the Abha Kingdom, beseeching confirmation and success for you.
We ought to pray for Miss X, that she may become just as God wishes her to be. If she be so, it will be very good, because God always loves those who repent and are sorry for what they have done. Such people are ashamed before God and become very humble.
Our Lord! Our Merciful One! Make that liberated servant, the destitute but melody-filled Husayn, and make this helpless servant his partner and companion. With the breeze of forgiveness and pardon make our nostrils fragrant and our minds perfumed with musk.
Verily Thou art the Generous, verily Thou art the Merciful, and verily Thou art possessed of mighty grace.
O maid-servant of God! Do beseech and pray constantly for 'Abdu'l-Baha and beg the confirmation and assistance of God in his behalf, because I am earnestly fond of the prayer of the maid-servants of God in my behalf and of their asking the blessing of God for this servant!
Abdul-Baha's hope is that those kind friends will all share and participate with Abdul-Baha in servitude at the Threshold of the All-Merciful. We are all servants at that Court and worshippers at that Threshold.
You must certainly pray and show humility and supplication, and implore the Abha Kingdom: "O heavenly Glory of the world! O King of the realm of the All-Merciful! O my Beloved and my Purpose! O my Worshipped One and my Adored One! This broken-winged bird whom You enabled to soar - grant it wings and feathers. And this ailing person whom You charged with such a weighty trust - bestow upon him power and strength.
O thou handmaid of the Lord!
Thou hast, in the end of thy letter, prayed the Lord thy God to deliver me from the hand of the enemy and shield me from his harm. O handmaid of God! Shouldst thou wish to pray for 'Abduil-Baha turn thou, lowly and suppliant, to Godis Kingdom on high and implore Him and say: "O God, my God! Add Thou to the tribulation which 'Abduil-Baha sustaineth for Thy sake, refill his cup of woes and sufferings, and rain upon him showers of tests and trials.
At midnight, while in a state of prayer, I besought confirmation and success for thy friends Theodore de Boer, Miss MacCoy, Edith Sanderson, Mr. Dreyfus, Miss Laura Barney, Anna Watson, Mrs. Florence Watson, Mary Harper, Mrs. Lily Ross, Gustav Henry Clonquet, Charles Mason Remey, Mary Lucas, Louise Stauper, Martha McBean, Agnes Alexander, Thomas Breakwell, Sutherland Maxwell, Mary Pomeroy, Alfreda Martin Klemm, Bernetta Crawford Herman, that through divine assistance and heavenly protection they may be successful and remain firm and steadfast in the love of the divine Kingdom.
Convey, on my behalf, the utmost longing to the believers of Montreal. I remember them always and seek confirmation and assistance from the bounty of the Holy Spirit on their behalf.
From the day that I left America I have ever supplicated God on thy behalf, begging for thee infinite protection and assurance, so that in that city thou mayest be a centre for the Baha'is, for the assemblage of the spiritually minded and for the guidance of a vast multitude; that to the thirsty thou mayest be a fountain of life, and to those who are lost a path to salvation; that to those who are withered thou mayest be a source of joy and gladness, and to the lifeless impart eternal life.
O my confidant! In Alexandria, with the utmost lowliness and need, I supplicate and implore at the Sacred Threshold and beseech for you the hidden favors of the Blessed Beauty.
O thou whose heart is quickened by the breaths of the love of God!
Hearts have been gladdened by thy remembrance in this praiseworthy gathering, this blessed station, this renowned presence, and this frequented house on this witnessed Day. I have raised suppliant hands, turning in complete devotion to God, that He may cause the clouds of His overflowing grace and the rain clouds of His bounty and favors to pour down upon the gardens of the beings of the loved ones of the All-Merciful in this time.
For some time we stayed at the foot of Mount Carmel at the place of Elias, and day and night we remembered you and sought confirmation.
But night and day, heart and soul are engaged with utmost humility and supplication at the threshold of the Divine Unity in prayer: "O Kind Beloved! Show the light of Thy countenance to the lovers and revive the yearning ones with the life-giving breeze. Give the living waters to the thirsty ones and bestow special gifts upon those attracted to Thee. Especially that family whose men were among the longtime friends and whose women were leaders among the handmaidens of the Merciful.
Therefore we constantly open our tongue in thanksgiving and seek assistance and bounty from the spirituality of His Holiness Muhammad Mustafa the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), and pray for you.
I have the utmost attachment to all the people of Nur, and I pray for heavenly confirmation, divine success, eternal glory and everlasting bounty for them, because the nobles and dignitaries of Nur were all connected to the Most Holy Court in the days of Tehran, and also being from the same hometown, therefore I have extraordinary attachment to the people of Nur.
And We remember Nasir and Abbas and pray for their success and support from the presence of the Helper, the Wise. We send greetings upon him and upon Abdul-Karim and upon those with you.
O Husayn! Rejoice in that thy name hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen while the Wronged One was in this remote spot.
… Make mention of him who was named Hadi, that he may rejoice in My mention, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
A letter has been written to the distinguished souls who are present in that town and are aflame with the fire of God's love, and a prayer has been written for Jinab-i-Mirza and is being sent within this letter. And upon you be greetings and praise.
'Abdu'l-Baha is delighted and joyful with their words and deeds and conduct, and constantly I bow in supplication at the Threshold of the Ancient Beauty and offer prayers and seek confirmation and success, saying: "O Knower of mysteries! Make each of the Persians a soaring bird, melodious and sweet-voiced. Grant them heavenly shahnaz and make them royal falcons on the arm of the sovereign, for they are longtime friends, of good character and fine disposition, deserving of confirmation and prepared to walk the straight path.
In the Holy Garden, may my spirit be sacrificed for its pure threshold, forgiveness and pardon were sought from the Lord God, and likewise support and confirmation were beseeched for your honor and the children and ladies mentioned in the letter.
Its contents were delightful, from beginning to end expressing supplication, entreaty and attraction to the Kingdom of Glory. I have little time and write briefly. Show the utmost kindness on my behalf to Jinab-i-Ustad Muhammad Hasan-i-Banna. I beseech abundant favors for him and seek the forgiveness of the All-Forgiving Lord. I implore assistance from the Court of Oneness for Jinab-i-Shamshad and pray for joy of his heart and soul.
Earnest supplications were offered at the threshold of the Gracious Lord on behalf of your illustrious son, that he may be assisted with mighty confirmation.
Thy mention was made at the Divine Throne, and thus hast thou been blessed with the remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds.
Convey most glorious greetings to his honor Mirza Sadiq Khan. They are in mind and before our sight. I beseech God that they may become a lamp lit with the light of guidance and the cause of others' guidance.
We have remembered those who are there in a measure that none can reckon save God, the All-Numbering, the All-Knowing.
Repeatedly have we beseeched and continue to beseech protection, victory, triumph and that which will gladden thy heart from the True One. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. At this moment, this servant is present and attaining in thy stead, and the Wronged One's tongue attesteth to its acceptance. Well is it with thee, and may it be wholesome for thee. We beseech God to make the end of all affairs good through His grace and a mercy from His presence. Verily, He is the Commander, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise.
Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu'l-Qasim arrived at the luminous shrine in the white land in the utmost spirit and fragrance, and sat like dust in complete humility and submissiveness at the holy threshold around the blessed shrine. With utmost supplication and devotion he sought bounties for the loved ones and beseeched forgiveness for those who have ascended. In all conditions he remembered his relatives and performed pilgrimage on their behalf.
And I, on my own behalf and as a representative of yourself, circumambulate the two blessed burial places, visit the two purified tombs, and rub my face in the dust of the two illumined thresholds.
Thou hadst mentioned the construction of the sacred edifice and the raising of the mighty temple, and hadst expressed thy utmost desire to help carry earth for that lofty structure. God willing, I shall carry some loads of earth on thy behalf, and this indeed is glad tidings that shall illuminate thy face among the concourse of those drawn nigh.
O herald of the Covenant! Your letter was received and its contents were understood. Joy was added to joy. Therefore, since it was the time of departure for pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine, upon arriving at the Sacred Threshold I carried a water jug on your behalf and, with your intention, offered it as a vessel for the heavenly fountain. May God accept it with gracious acceptance.
O my God, my God! This is a servant who has awakened from the sleep of heedlessness and roused himself from the slumber of neglect and recovered from the intoxication of vain desires. Nothing awakened him except the fragrance of flowers from the gardens of Thy oneness, and nothing revived him except the sweet-scented breeze at dawn from the gardens of Thy singleness. O Lord! Illuminate his heart with the lights of Thy wise remembrance and light his lamp with the light of Thy manifest bounty. Verily Thou art the Generous One.
Tomorrow, Friday, specifically on your behalf, a prayer of visitation will be chanted with all the friends in the Holy Shrine. And since the gathering will be large and all will be representing you, it will count as a hundred visits for you.
However, since your honor hath dedicated your time to services, and service to the friends of God is the greatest of gifts and noblest of rewards, and in the holy court of the Ancient Beauty (may my spirit be sacrificed for those who long for His dust) it is the most acceptable of deeds and most beloved of actions, therefore it was decided that this servant would bow his head at the Sacred Threshold and supplicate and pray on your behalf as your deputy, and recite the Visitation Prayer.
In any case, this prayer was offered with utmost humility and supplication, and surely signs of its acceptance in the Abha Kingdom have appeared and will continue to appear.
O ye friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha! Your pure-hearted brother crossed the sea and arrived at the blessed, luminous Shrine. He circumambulated the point round which circle the Concourse on High. He laid his head upon the Sacred Threshold and sought assistance and bounty.
… Through the help and protection of the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, I hope that by virtue of this prayer the greatest bounty will be attained and the mightiest blessing secured, closed doors will be opened, and scattered affairs will be joined together.
We beseech the favors of the Lord of the Covenant that both Shamsu'd-Duha and Rahbar may ever remain safe and protected in the shelter of the Truth, and that thou too mayest ever be a manifestation of joy and delight beneath the shade of divine favors, and in the utmost enthusiasm and attraction.
O ye two who are associated with the Supreme Threshold! Jinab-i-Ardeshir, like a lion, made his way to the luminous forest and, like a fierce lion, reached these thickets. In this wilderness he roared, and at the Supreme Threshold he offered worship, and on your behalf he beseeched forgiveness and sought pardon. We implore the kind Lord that his needs may be fulfilled and his supplications be answered at the threshold of the Lord of Signs. And upon you both be greetings and praise.
O handmaiden of God, honored mother! When she arrived at the Holy Shrine and was honored to visit the Sacred Threshold, she was always mindful of you and made mention of you. In the Holy Shrine she beseeched divine favors on your behalf, and I hope that her prayer will be answered.
O handmaiden of God! Your esteemed husband reached the threshold of the Most Great Name, and placed his head upon the dust of the Court, and beseeched assistance and bounty that all the family, nay rather the entire household, might become, through the blessing of the Ancient Beauty, the manifestations of the Most Great Grace, and attain supreme triumph, and find their way to the highest paradise, becoming verses of guidance and signs of the Abha Kingdom.
I hope that this prayer will be accepted on behalf of all that family.
Due to my desire to stay in Mecca, I remained in this sacred land and conveyed greetings on behalf of the aforementioned owners in the presence of the Prophet - peace be upon him and his family - and the pure Imams - peace be upon them. I am hopeful through the grace and beneficence of my Lord that they have accepted it out of their generosity and bounty.
We make mention at this moment of him who was named Siyyid 'Ali, that the breezes of My revelation may attract him and draw him nigh unto My glorious and wondrous Kingdom.
Though I bear witness, O my God, that they who have left their homes, hastening toward the seat of Thy glory and gazing toward the horizon of Thy grace, are ever dwelling within the precincts of Thy mercy and drinking from the wine whose seal hath been broken by the hands of Thy power, yet I beseech Thee, O Thou the Beloved of Baha, to ordain for her the reward of those who have outwardly entered the pavilion of Thy grandeur, heard the melodies of Thy transcendent unity, and drunk from Thy hand the Kawthar of Thy mercy.
O Lord! Ordain for him and for those who have sought Thee that which befitteth Thy majesty. Then write down for them the good of this world and the next. Then make them to be of those who circle round the Kaaba of Thy Cause in all Thy worlds. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest.
O Divine Providence! O Lord of loving-kindness!
Thy faithful servant, Mr. Thornton Chase, forsook his home, departed from his native land, and traversed the mighty ocean, until, arriving at the shores of the Holy Land, he came unto this Blessed Spot, laid his head upon the Threshold of the Sacred Shrine, made lowly supplication at the court of Thy divine unity, and implored Thy confirmation and assistance...
O Lord! Ordain for him what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have attained the river of reunion in Thy days and who heard with their own ears Thy call when they were present before the Throne by Thy leave and command. Then forgive him, O my God, through Thy bounty and bestowals, and grant him what he desires.
I beseech God to protect him on the path and bring him to the sacred precincts of the Glorious Sanctuary.
… I ask God to gladden the hearts of the believers through His grace and facilitate our ascent to reach the Holy Land through His favor.
My Lord and my hope! These two servants hastened to Yathrib and Batha and dwelt near the Ancient House, the Sacred Mosque. My Lord, cause them to inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful from the holy place that perfumes all existence. My Lord, make them signs of Thy mercy and banners of Thy bounty and lamps of Thy guidance and brilliant stars in the horizon of Thy favor.
O Lord! These are a blessed family who have become related to the Tree of Thy Oneness and connected to the Tree of Thy Unity. Assist them to attain exalted nobility, mighty glory and wondrous bounty, that their trees may become verdant, their flowers bloom and their fruits reach perfection in the season of spring.
O Lord! O Forgiver! Make this assured handmaiden of Yours, along with her children and descendants, firm and steadfast in Your Covenant and Testament.
O Lord! Exalt this family in this world and the world to come. Bless Thou this home and make it eternally radiant. Place upon the heads of Mr. and Mrs. Whyte a crown of everlasting glory, that its lustrous gems may shine resplendent throughout the ages and centuries.
O my Lord, what a lofty palace You have established for Your loved ones, that makes the vault of heaven seem like a prison, and what a pavilion You have raised up that makes the celestial dome appear upside down.
… O God, nurture this family with the spring rains of Your mercy and preserve them in the cave of Your protection and shelter from tests and trials. Keep them firm in the Covenant and detach them from Satan's wiles.
Convey my greetings to thy beloved son Albert. I beseech God to make him a lamp diffusing brilliant lights in the gatherings of the loved ones of God.
O Kind Lord! Keep Your handmaiden Qudsiyyih protected and preserved under the shelter of Your grace and bounty, place upon her head a brilliant crown from Your greatest gift, make her honored in both worlds, and make her the cause of eternal honor for that family. You are the Bestower, the Luminous, and the Kind.
What thou hast said (in thy letter) concerning the servant of Baha', the "Mother of the Faithful," is but true. Verily she is purified in soul, enkindled by the fire of the love of God, hath sincerely turned unto her Master, hath completely faced toward the kingdom of God and hath arisen to diffuse His fragrances in all parts and serve His friends with a sincerity and joy unto which the Supreme Concourse beareth witness. She shall surely have a firm and steady footing in the Cause of God, her face shall shine forth from the Horizon of Loftiness, her fame shall be spread in the Kingdom of God, and [she] shall have a ringing voice throughout regions, and the lights of her glorious deeds shall beam forth during cycles and ages.
As to ... and ..., verily the faces of these are as the pupil of the eye; although the pupil is created black, yet is it the source of light. I hope God will make these black ones the glory of the white ones and as the depositing of the lights of love of God. And I ask God to assist them in all circumstances, that they may be encompassed with the favors of their Loving Lord throughout centuries and ages.
As to ..., verily God hath ordained for her a noble station. The lights of knowledge shall surely shine forth from her face upon the world. Verily she is attracted to the word of her Lord, was dilated by hearing the speech of Abdul-Baha at the time of meeting and her eyes became consoled by witnessing the signs of her Mighty Lord.
As to the maid-servant of God ...: God hath indeed favored her with an excellent disposition which is like fragrance from a garden of the Merciful and she passeth her days in serving the Cause of God. I beg of God to confirm and assist her under all aspects and circumstances.
As to the son of the "Mother of the Faithful": I beg of God to make his ears attentive, his eyes observing, his heart abounding with the lights of guidance and to make his soul as one of the signs of his Mighty Lord. Pray ye in his behalf night and day that God may strengthen him in a matter which may shine, beam and glow in the niche of the Kingdom of God and that He may cause him to arise and assist the pious ones, to seek bounty from the signs, to gain illumination from the lights, to deliver the necks of all men from the chains of superstition, to feed the needy ones upon the food of the Kingdom of God and support the weak ones with a penetrative power from the Word of God. Verily the Lord is the Confirmer!
O descendant of that sacrifice upon the altar of love! Would that thou mightest become, like unto that ascending Tree, a branch thereof, and like Zacharias and John, become one concerning whom it was said "Grant me from Thyself an heir who shall inherit from me and inherit from the House of Jacob, and make him, O my Lord, one with whom Thou art well pleased." May this be confirmed and made manifest.
I too offer this supplication:
O kind Lord! Make these two assured souls content and pleasing in the court of Thy Oneness. Make them manifestations of the signs of unity and recipients of the favors of the new Kingdom. Make the son the mystery of the father and cause them to spring from the element of heart and soul, that outwardly and inwardly, spiritually and physically, they may become like their father and engage day and night in service to the Cause of God.
I supplicated God to increase thy faith, to encircle thee with the lights of the Kingdom, to guide thy thirsting and craving sons to the Fountain-head of Mercifulness. And (I beg of Him) to enable thee to teach His Truth, to deliver His Cause, to promote His Word, and to train the souls whom superstitions have veiled from witnessing the lights of the Bounty of these days.
I, therefore, supplicate God to confirm thy glorious children, Frederick, Robert, and Herbert, to surround them with the glances of His merciful eye, to direct them to the path of guidance and to make them enter the Ark of Safety which is cleaving the sea of this contingent world in the midst of the deluge of tests; that they may become righteous, guiding the people to the Kingdom of the Glorious Lord, the doors of which are open before the faces of all beings.
I hope that Rahim will be successful in his studies at school, and I pray to God that arrangements may be made for you to be enabled to visit the Holy Threshold before returning to America.
With utmost sincerity and purity, love and faithfulness, he has devoted himself to servitude at the Divine Threshold, and day and night offers prayers on your behalf and seeks forgiveness from the Lord of Creation.
O thou fresh and verdant leaf! Give thanks unto God for having caused thee to bring forth a perfect fruit that speaks in remembrance of its Creator. O Lord! Make firm her root in Thy Covenant, strengthen her trunk through Thy grace, reinforce her tree through Thy sovereignty, and rear her beneath the shade of the tree of Thy oneness. Verily, Thou art the Gracious, the Giver, the All-Bountiful.
This is Thy servant whom Thou hast brought forth from the loins of one of Thy loved ones and named Jalal (Glory) in the kingdom of Thy names and nurtured beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy Cause and given to drink of the wine of Thy love.
O Habihu'llah! We have answered thee and made mention of thee in this perspicuous Tablet. We have named the heavenly table "Mary" as a token of Our favor and a mercy from Our presence. We beseech God to bless her coming and to rain down upon her from the clouds of His grace the showers of His blessing, His bounty, His generosity and His gifts.
Say:
My God, my God! The sweet fragrance of Thy utterance hath enraptured me and the choice wine of Thy Most Great Name hath intoxicated me. Thou seest me, O my God, turning toward Thee, gazing upon Thy horizon, and awaiting the wonders of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by the breathings of Thy Revelation and the lights of Thy countenance to ordain for me and for my son the good of this world and of the world to come.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Kingdom and Thy Dominion, and by Thy chosen ones and Thy Prophets, to assist me to perform that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book and that which will cause the fragrances of Thy good-pleasure to be diffused. Then ordain for my brother who is named 'Ali the best of the hereafter and of the former life.
O My leaf! Turn to the Most Exalted Horizon, then hearken to the call of thy Lord, the Lord of Names. He calleth thee and giveth thee glad tidings of God's loving-kindness and grace, for thy son Husayn was present before the Wronged One. Verily thy Lord is the All-Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.
O God! O God! Verily, this Thy handmaid is attracted by Thy holy fragrances, and she hath turned her face toward Thy merciful countenance. Ordain for her every good in Thy Kingdom and shower Thy blessings upon this noble family. Let the lights of Thy mercy encompass them unto all eternity and keep them beneath the shield of Thy protection and support. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
O my God, my Lord and my Hope! Thou knowest that the Wronged One loveth to make mention of the son of him who turned towards Thy horizon, who arose to serve Thee, who spoke forth Thy praise, and who led Thy sheep to Thy spring. I beseech Thee, O God of the world and Desire of the nations, to ordain for him the best of what Thou hast sent down in Thy Book.
I pray for divine forgiveness for Jinab-i-Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad and that he may be immersed in the ocean of grace and bounty.
… I pray for the teacher of the Tarbiyat School and seek spiritual progress for the children.
I seek a ray of divine favors for the maidservant of God Ruhiyyih and protection and assistance from the All-Merciful for all.
No sooner had I heard it, than I supplicated to God in thy behalf that thou mayest become a strong growing tree, protected and guarded from the winds of tests and attain to heavenly guidance.
O God! Bahram-i-Khusraw yearned for Thy path, and spread his wings that he might behold Thy face and soar toward Thee. O Lord! Thou art forgiving and kind. Grant him forgiveness, bestow rest upon him, and give him tranquility at Thy threshold. Make him intoxicated with the wine of reunion and make him steadfast.
Grant endless bounties to Khusraw-i-Mihraban and make him radiant and distinguished among his peers through the divine light.
Grant peace to Isfandiyar-i-Bahram, make him of good name, bestow heavenly messages upon him, make him joyous, deliver him from the darkness of gloom, and make him like the bright morning light.
Make Baman-i-Bahram an aware servant at Thy threshold and make him a guardian at the gate. Make him loving and make him a leader.
Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, the Kind One.
O servant of God! What thou didst write and recount was read, and a prayer was offered at the Threshold of Oneness: O peerless Lord! Make this captive with musk-laden locks a recipient of Thine infinite favors, and grant whatever is the desire of his heart and conscience. Fulfill his need, bestow purity upon his heart, make him a prince of fidelity, and make him firm and steadfast in the station of poverty and nothingness. Heal his pain and fulfill his desire.
O handmaid of God! Convey the greetings of Abdul-Baha to Mrs. Persons Floyd and say: Be patient under hardship, show forth steadfastness and perseverance. Turn thy face toward Akka and seek confirmation. Strive to transform thy companion and attract his heart. If thou dost manifest the divine teachings in word and deed, it will cause his heart to be attracted. Though thou art in a cage, I hope thou wilt be freed and soar in this infinite atmosphere. Be confident in God's grace and favor.
In the time of invocation to God, I remember thee and supplicate and entreat Him to confirm thee and assist thee in the service of His Holy vineyard.
O illumined loved ones! Night and day 'Abdu'l-Baha supplicates endlessly at the Sacred Threshold, the Court of the Most Glorious Beauty, beseeching assistance, protection and victory for those blessed souls, that they may succeed in all matters.
I hope that ere long His honor Khan will return and become the cause of your gladness, joy, happiness and delight. I have not forgotten and will never forget thee, and I ever seek divine grace, assistance and bounty.
O Khadijih! Grieve not over what Our servant Muhsin hath done, for verily thy Lord is with thee at all times. She who hath found intimacy with her Lord, it behooveth her to cut herself off from intimacy with all else. Nevertheless, We beseech God that He may cause him to return unto thee in humility and repentance. Verily, He is wise in whatsoever He willeth. And the glory be upon you all.
O my God, glorified art Thou! Thou seest that one of Thy handmaidens hath appeared before Thy throne and seeketh Thy grace and bounty. O Lord! Assist her to serve the Greater Branch and make her content and well-pleasing in such wise that if she should behold another in His presence, she would remain unchanged in herself and would in all conditions gaze upon Thee, saying at all times: "Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is the reins of authority.
I offer utmost supplication to the Glorious Lord that relief may come. … I will offer humble entreaty for them at the Divine Threshold and seek infinite favors.
My God! Thou knowest that the two most noble Names did not seek to gather worldly goods nor acquire the ornaments of this abode of sorrows, but rather sought to dwell near Thee and spread Thy remembrance and praise.
O my God, my God! This servant of Thine has spent all that he could in Thy path. O Lord! Send down upon him a blessing from Thy presence and assist him through Thy power and might. Verily Thou art the Generous One.
O ye illustrious Afnan! A few months ago, a prayer was revealed beseeching protection and divine favors for all the Afnan of the sanctified Tree and praising the qualities of the offshoots of the sacred Tree, but news of its arrival hath not been received.
God, my God! This great company and mighty group has arisen to serve Thee and promote sciences with abundant resolve, without deficiency or weariness. Lord, accept from them this contribution and assist them with Thy hosts on the Day of the Covenant and make them mighty signs among all people. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Strong, the Mighty.
Day and night do I supplicate God in their behalf, beg lordly confirmations for them and ask heavenly assistance:- so that that city may become the envy of all the cities of the world.
My Lord, my hope, my shelter and my refuge! Assist this divine youth with the hosts of inspiration and cause him to praise You among the people, and make him Your brilliant sign and Your evident standard among the people until he speaks with the most wondrous utterance in gatherings of knowledge and wisdom and composes marvelous works containing proofs and arguments.
I pray for you, that divine confirmations may assist you and that you may study and be educated in such a way as to become the cause of joy to Aqa Mirza Ahmad.
Therefore shower upon her the glances of Thy merciful eye, adorn her with the ornament of the traces of Thy mercy, crown her head with the crown of those who have attained Thy presence and taken shelter in Thy vicinity, and accept from her this table which she hath spread for Thy loved ones. Verily Thou art the All-Generous, the All-Merciful.
O Thou Who hast appeared from the unseen realm of contingency upon all existence and hast shone with the lights of Beauty upon the horizons of possibility, whereupon His signs appeared with proof and evidence. He created man in the finest mold and with a noble form and majestic temple among the infinite forms in the realm of being.
My Lord! These two servants Thou didst create with power and sovereignty, and Thou didst guide them to the fountain of life, and gave them to drink from the cup of faith, and made them drunk with the wine of certitude, and caused them to speak with the most wondrous melodies in the gatherings of divine knowledge, and established them in Thy service and in spreading Thy verses and reciting Thy words and educating children who were born in the bosom of Thy love and nursed from the breast of Thy care and raised in the cradle of Thy guidance and nurtured by the outpourings of the cloud of Thy favors.
My Lord! Assist them to exalt Thy Word among Thy creatures and enable them to spread Thy banners among Thy creation. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Generous, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
O Thou kind Lord! This daughter of the Kingdom hath made a great exertion and hath written down the addresses of 'Abdu'l-Baha. O Lord! Assist her and her daughters to spread abroad the splendours of the Kingdom.
O Lord! Ordain for him every good thing in Thy kingdom, and assist him, as long as he liveth, to transcribe Thy verses and compose Thy words. Protect him within the shelter of Thy protection, and guard him beneath the eye of Thy care and preservation.
He is the Mighty. Glorified art Thou, O my God! This is Thy servant who hath sewn the robe of the glory of Thy sovereignty and the garments of the sanctity of Thy Temple, and who emigrated with Thy Most Exalted Beauty until he entered with Him into this Most Great Prison. I beseech Thee therefore, O my God, not to sever the thread which Thou hast made a means between him and the lights of Thy Beauty and the knowledge of Thyself. Then make him steadfast in Thy love, and grant him the best of what lieth with Thee, and establish for him from Thy grace a seat of constancy, and prepare for him from Thy command in this Cause guidance.
I pray for both of them, that in this noteworthy art may they become famous, that they may become accomplished masters in it, rare in quality.
Miss Jean Masson who is writing by 'Abdu'l-Baha's command an answer to the Wilson Book, sends her love to the Master, and begs his assistance in this difficult task.
O Lord, My God! Assist Thine erudite servant and make him the light of the garden of virtues, the pupil of the eyes of the learned, and a sign amongst Thy signs. Aid him in every matter and dilate his breast with the rays of Thy oneness, O My Lord, the Ever-Forgiving! Unloose his tongue in Thy praise in the assemblies of light, inspire him with the verses of Thy unity in the gatherings of joy and delight, and diffuse through him the sweet savours of Thy holiness in every land and region.
I prayed to the Kingdom of existence and beseeched for divine assistance and bounties, that Mr. Carl Gohring may achieve success in his medical practice and that both of you may be confirmed in service to the oneness of mankind and the worship of the True One.
And convey my utmost love and kindness to Dr. Helenius Sepala and Mrs. Trugg Helenius and say that I will pray to God that you may become members of the heavenly assembly and pillars of the celestial parliament, for this station is eternal and has no end or separation.
O Thou Almighty! Illumine Thou this Association and make Thou this gathering the bright candle of the world! For their intention is for the public good and their aim is Service to humankind.
O kind and compassionate God! Such a Society merits Thy Favors and such a Body deserves inexhaustible Bounty and Providence.
O Lord! Unite his scattered affairs, gather what is dispersed, cause his branch to grow, make his cloud to rain, spread his book, expand his breast, exalt his worth, illuminate his lamp, refine its glass, cause him to shine upon the horizons with the light of justice and fairness, establish him firmly in the earth, O Thou of hidden favors, enable him to accomplish the greatest tasks in the matter of his illustrious guardian, prosper Thy lands through him, give rest to Thy servants through him, and aid him in all matters, O my Zealous Lord!
I supplicate to God that He may confirm thy noble son in the attainment of arts (and sciences). … I pray ardently for them to the Threshold of Oneness and implore help and boundless Blessing for them. I am soliciting God that their dear child may be favored with growth, development and safety.
I therefore supplicate at the Blessed Threshold that, under the shadow of God's loving providence, and in the shelter of His protection, ye may be shielded and preserved from all visitations and afflictions, and that ye may keep the shining lamp of those two illustrious souls ever luminous and refulgent; that ye may follow their example, and be worthy offspring of those illustrious forbears.
In short, I offered the utmost of prayer and supplication at the Threshold of the Possessor of Glory that the leader of the Worthies, the Glorious Ameer, your kind father may be submerged in the Ocean of Divine Grace, become intoxicated with the Wine of Celestial Bestowal and Favor, obtain the Peace of the spirit in the Rose-garden of the Merciful;- in the midst of the Paradise of Knowledge and attain to the station of Transfiguration in the Delectable Heaven of God.
O my God! O Thou Who hast caused the clouds of ordainment to rain arrows of trials upon the souls of the loved ones after the greatest calamity and supreme catastrophe! O my Lord! These are nine souls from among Thy most special loved ones whom Thou hast raised unto Thyself, brought into Thy presence, caused to dwell near Thy most great mercy, and admitted into Thy highest Paradise. O Lord! Grant them sustenance from the table of reunion in Thy most exalted Kingdom and cause them to enter beneath the shade of Thy Lote-Tree of the furthermost boundary. Verily Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, the Merciful.
O Lord! O Lord! Ordain for her every good in Thy Kingdom, look upon her with the glances of Thy merciful eye, and admit her to the eternal Paradise when she ascendeth to the kingdom of Thy unity, in honor of her father who was martyred in Thy path and her uncle who drank the cup of sacrifice in Thy love.
My God, my God! This is a servant who has been set ablaze with the fire of Your love, attracted by the holy fragrances of Your presence, who has prayed fervently to You and beseeched at the gate of Your oneness that You encompass his father with the glances of Your merciful eyes, immerse him in the seas of Your pardon and forgiveness, cause the layers of light from Your most glorious Kingdom and highest horizon to descend upon his grave, and admit him into Your paradise of good-pleasure and gardens of oneness.
My Lord and my Hope! This is Thy servant, a branch of the Tree which was uprooted in Thy path by the hands of Thine enemies and was torn out in Thy love by the tempests of hostility that blew from the tyrants among Thy servants. O Lord! Make this branch a root, and this twig a tree growing, thriving, verdant, fresh and flourishing in the gardens of Thy oneness, blossoming and bearing fruit in the paradise of Thy mercifulness, with branches spreading wide through Thy grace and bounty.
O Lord! Muhammad hath endured every hardship and tribulation in Thy path, and hath shown patience in the face of the gravest afflictions out of love for Thy Beauty. He hath tasted every bitter cup in his longing to attain Thy presence. He hath never faltered in Thy remembrance, and the censure of the critic and the harm of the slanderer in Thy lands have never deterred him.
O My Name! The letter of 'Attar, upon him be the glory of God, was perused. The Most Exalted Pen hath borne and beareth witness that they are among those who arose to serve at the beginning of the Cause. Both men and women have been observed to be steadfast and enkindled in exalting the Word and serving the people of God. We beseech God to make all steadfast and to illumine them with the lights of the Sun of Truth. He is, verily, powerful and mighty over all things. Blessed is the mother who hath been named by the Tongue of the Lord of Names as the Mother of the Friends. We make mention of her at this moment that it may be a glory, an honor and a treasure for her with God, the Lord of the worlds.
The resplendent Remembrance from the horizon of the Kingdom and the radiant Light from the heaven of might be upon thee, O My handmaiden and My leaf, who hath spoken My praise, turned unto My horizon, soared in My atmosphere, clung to My cord and held fast to the hem of My loving-kindness and mercy. Thou art she who turned unto the Most Exalted Horizon when the Creator of the heavens came with the kingdom of names, and who hearkened when the Most Sublime Pen raised its shrill voice, and who hastened unto the ocean of knowledge when the concourse of divines and rulers held back.
Blessed art thou, O mother of My loved ones and she who hath shown kindness to My chosen ones. I testify that thy heart was a dawning-place of the love of God, thy tongue a source of His remembrance, and thy breast His view. Blessed is the handmaiden who turned unto thee and made mention of that which was sent down from the heaven of thy Lord's will, the All-Merciful, when thou didst ascend unto the Most Exalted Companion and didst dwell in the precincts of the mercy of thy Lord, the Lord of all men and the Lord of the worlds to come and of the first worlds. Blessed is the earth that was honored by thy body and attained unto thy presence. I testify that thou didst believe in God when most of His servants denied Him, and didst drink of My choice sealed wine through My Self-Subsisting Name when most of the people of the lands were debarred therefrom. Thou art she whom neither clamor deterred nor hatred veiled. Thou didst voice the praise of thy Lord until thy spirit ascended unto a station known to none save God, the Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens. In thy life thou wert in a house wherein was raised the remembrance of God, the Goal of all desire, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the earth below. Thou art she who attained unto the verses of thy Lord before and after thine ascension. Mercy outstripped thee and grace encompassed thee, and light moved before thy face, and at the time of thine ascension a company of angels and the Spirit received thee. He Who possesseth the Mother Book beareth witness unto this. Glory be upon thee, upon thy beginning and thine end, thy outer and inner being, and the mercy of God and His favors.
O my God, my God! I beseech Thee by the hearts that were cut to pieces in Thy path and dissolved in separation from Thee, and by the bodies that soared in Thy love, and by the faces that turned unto Thy face, and by the sweet-scented breezes of Thy Revelation in Thy days, and by the manifestations of Thy power in Thy Kingdom and Thy Realm of Might, to ordain for him who hath visited Thy handmaiden, through Thy Most Exalted Pen, the best of the world to come and of the first world. Then forgive him, O my God, through Thy grace and bounty, and purify him, O my Goal, from transgression, through Thy Name, the All-Merciful. Thou art He through Whose Name, the All-Forgiving, the ocean of forgiveness surged in the contingent world, and through Whose Name, the All-Bountiful, the sun of bounty shone forth from the horizon of the world. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy face to forgive Thy servants and to remit their misdeeds and transgressions. Then accept from them, O my God, what they have wrought in Thy days and what they have arisen to render in service to Thy loved ones and chosen ones. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He pleaseth, and in Thy right hand are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
O Abdullah! Upon thee be the peace of God, the Lord of all names and Creator of heaven. The mother and sister and other sister and two sons - all are remembered before the Wronged One. We make mention of Hibatu'llah, upon him be God's peace and favor, and We beseech God, exalted be His glory, for each one that which causeth elevation and ascendancy.
This servant will supplicate and implore at the Threshold of the One, seeking forgiveness on behalf of the honored Lari, beseeching pardon and forgiveness. I hope that the ocean of forgiveness will surge forth and wash away the stains of disobedience.
We beseech God to forgive thy father and to send down upon him at all times a blessing from His presence and a mercy from His side, and to make him hear His verses and behold the mysteries of His dominion and kingdom. He is verily the Mighty, the Unconstrained.
O Almighty! Endear thou this maidservant of Thy Threshold, Frau Ruoff, in the Kingdom of Thy Holiness, and submerge her in the Ocean of Sight. Overlook her shortcomings; confer upon her Thy Grace! Vouchsafe her Thy Purity in the Court of the Paradise of Abha! Bestow upon her Eternal Life and suffer her to become the manifestor of infinite bestowals in the meeting of transfiguration. Verily Thou art the Generous! The Pardoner and the Compassionate.
I beseech God that you may ever be assisted and confirmed, and I supplicate at the Threshold of Oneness for forgiveness of sins for your parents.
My God, my God! Aid Thy servant Mahdi through Thy forgiveness and pardon, cause him to enter the paradise of Thy oneness, give him to drink from the cup of meeting Thee from the hand of Thy mercy, and grant him the heavenly table of bestowal through Thy grace and favor. Verily, Thou art the Generous One, verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Pardoning.
I am, night and day, engaged in remembering you, and happy with your thought, and ask the Lord of the Kingdom for confirmation, that He may make each one of you a sign of guidance and the means of educating and guiding other women and men.
O God! Thou art witness that the nameless and traceless 'Abdu'l-Baha is ready to sacrifice his life in the path of the friends, and desires with utmost longing to freely and worthily offer up his life for each one. O Lord of loving-kindness! These servants are wandering in Thy wilderness, and are lost in the desert of Thy love and the plains of Thy knowledge. Cast upon them the glance of Thy favor and grant them a gift. Confirm them and give them success.
O peerless Lord! Make Dinyar Bahram joyous and grant him rest in the shade of the tree of pardon and forgiveness. Turn his night into day and make his day victorious, that he may find shelter in the proximity of the Most Great Mercy.
O Lord! Make the parents of the attracted leaf Kawkab Sultan the manifestation of pardon and forgiveness and exalt them through endless favors. Grant them free forgiveness and pardon and bestow upon them nearness to Your Threshold.
The heart was stirred and the spirit was drawn in supplication and entreaty to the Threshold of Oneness: "O peerless Lord! Make those two wise friends honored at the Threshold of Oneness. Make those two fragrant and colorful flowers bloom in the rose garden of the Kingdom. Grant those two soaring falcons of Thy love a nest and shelter in the Divine Lote Tree. Make those two nightingales of the rose garden of mystical knowledge harmonize with the most wondrous melodies in the eternal rose bush of mercy.
O Lord! Immerse in the ocean of Thy mercy this handmaiden of Thy threshold, the mother of Rustam and his noble father. Grant them shelter and refuge in the protection of Thy pardon and forgiveness, and favor them with Thy special grace in the proximity of Thy bounties. Thou art the Forgiver, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.
Prayer for forgiveness for Professor Cheyne and Mr. Daniel Jenkinsâ€"upon them both be the Glory of God, the All-Glorious.
… Grant these two free birds flight to the highest heaven that they may build their nests and abodes upon the Tree of Life and engage in Your praise and glorification with melody and song.
Thou seest one of Thy Afnan circling round Thy will and turning unto Thee when most of Thy servants have turned away from Thee. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued all created things, to transform his sorrow into supreme joy and his loss into greatest gain.
...O Lord! Accept this pitiful maidservant in Thy Kingdom and let her partake of everlasting bounty. Let her drink from the chalice of love and give her the light of recognition. Let her attain purity in the fountain of Job and let her be remedied from the afflictions and pains of human characteristics. Let a ray from Thine own qualities shine upon her. Make her heavenly and let her attain lordly qualities and breathe over her the breath of the Holy Spirit. Make her to become quickened with the spirit of the oneness of humanity. Give her an eloquent speech, a detached heart and the inspiration of proofs and evidences. Make her the cause of guidance of souls. Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Generous, the Merciful, the All-Knowing.
My Lord and my Hope! I beseech the Kingdom of Thy most glorious mystery and the Dominion of Thy grandeur manifest in the visible things, that Thou look upon this servant with the gaze of Thy mercy, and turn toward him with the glances of the eyes of Thy oneness, and send unto him a breath from the breaths of Thy holiness, and comfort him in his loneliness, and quench his thirst, and cool his burning anguish, and remove his great distress, O Thou Whose mercy hath preceded all things, Whose bounty hath encompassed all, Whose proof hath been perfected and Whose path hath been made manifest!
The prayer you requested is below:
My God, my God! You see me ascending in sighs and shedding tears, humbling myself before You in the depths of nights and early dawns, aflame with the fire of Your love by night and day. Lord! Protect Your servant whom You named Fadl in the shelter of Your protection, and guard him with the eye of Your care and grace from the evil of enemies who have oppressed humanity.
O Lord! They have borne every abasement in Thy path - make them mighty in Thy Kingdom. They have endured every hardship in Thy love - grant them comfort and joy in Thy holy court. They have fallen under the derision of enemies and the blame of the wicked - make them signs of Thy glory among all peoples, that the great may envy them and the mighty may covet their station, and that all who walk upon the dust may seek blessing from the earth beneath their feet.
We beseech God, glorified be His majesty, on behalf of each one, for blessing and bounty and health and protection and well-being and recognition and certitude and steadfastness.
O Lord! Illumine his sight with the witnessing of all Thy signs, strengthen his resolve to serve Thee among the God-fearing, grant him a way out in all matters, make easy for him all that is difficult, and strengthen him with the hosts of divine inspiration that he may guide mankind to the fountain of life in the garden of good-pleasure and the paradise of the heart.
O thou servant of the Court of Baha! Thy letter was received and read, and supplications were offered at the Holy Threshold of the Ancient Beauty and the Most Great Name, that a fresh confirmation may reach thee, a speedy recovery be granted, and the Beloved of thy desire may appear in the utmost beauty and grace. And upon thee be the Most Glorious Glory.
O Lord my God! This is a servant who is related to Your servant who was banished and exiled in Your path to the land of Sudan, where his body was consumed like fire from the intense heat, until You delivered him through Your grace. O my Lord! This is his son - make him a sign of Your beneficence, a banner of Your bounty, a lamp of Your love, a light of Your affection, a rose in the gardens of Your knowledge among Your creatures, and sweet basil in the garden of faith in You and Your verses amidst Your creation.
O Lord of the highest heavens! Verily Thy servant who is afflicted in Thy path, Ghulam-Rida, seeketh divine good-pleasure morn and eve, and ceaseth not to remember the loved ones at eventide and at dawn. O Lord! Make firm his feet in Thy Cause, make him steadfast in Thy love, and grant him an exalted seat of truth. And upon him be the Most Glorious Glory.
O Thou Kind Almighty! Bestow Thou a refuge and protection to this homeless and shelterless servant of Thine, Rostam Iran - under Thy Shade and confer upon him joy and fragrance.
Have mercy, O Lord, upon his poverty before Thee, and accept, O Lord, his obedience before Thy face. Inspire him, O Lord, with Thy remembrance and with what he asked of me and what he asks not of the paths of wisdom. Fulfill, O Lord, what Thy foremost servant has guaranteed regarding his mother's rights, and reward him, O Lord, in his striving and obedience as befits Thee.
O Lord of the Kingdom, power and might! You see me crying out to You, seeking shelter at the gate of Your mercy, seeking illumination from the lights of Your oneness, and seeking assistance through Your aid and care. Lord, rescue me through Your grace and favor, and assist me through Your generosity and wealth. Lord, straighten my path to You and strengthen my trust in You. Do not leave me to myself and do not abandon me in the wilderness of passions. Draw me near to Your luminous threshold, facilitate for me the ultimate desire, and protect me with Your watchful eye in this first life. Verily You are the Generous, verily You are the Forbearing, and verily You are the Kind, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
O honored pilgrim, memorize this prayer and recite it at the threshold of the All-Merciful during times of joy and fragrance. As for the future of Iran, it will be one of joy and delight, and through the diffusion of divine fragrances and the chanting of evident verses it will cause the people of the world to turn towards [the Faith]. Verily your Lord is independent of kings and subjects, the wealthy and the poor. And upon you be the Most Glorious Glory.
O God! O Thou Who givest life to the world and educates the nations! I beseech Thee by Thy Greatest Name to cast tranquility into the heart of Thy servant Hatam Muhammad, that his heart may find peace in Thy irrevocable Cause, for Thou hast placed the station of peace above faith, as Thou hast made clear in Thy Holy Book and Thy Mighty Qur'an, addressing Abraham: "Dost thou not believe?"
I will always pray: "O God! Protect Thy servants from drinking wine and prevent them from intoxicants. O Lord! Remove this affliction from the face of the earth until no trace of intoxicants remains and no mention of smoking tobacco is heard. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful."
O Lord! The friends in every corner are under threat from strangers and the unfriendly. They are weary of life and detached from every thought. They seek Thy face and hasten toward Thee, speaking of Thy mysteries. O loving Friend! Protect and preserve these helpless ones from strangers in the stronghold of Thy protection, raise up the fallen ones with Thy mighty hand, and grant the deprived ones a bountiful portion through Thy ancient grace. Make those who are destitute intimate with Thy mysteries, and nurture and favor the yearning ones with the gift of attaining Thy presence.
O Lord! This is Your servant who has turned to the light of Your mercifulness and has been attracted by the fragrances from the gardens of Your oneness. He has spent his spirit, his body, his dwelling and his house in Your path and has detached himself from all things, aflame with the fire of Your love.
O Lord, protect her grandchild in the cave of Your protection and shelter, and guard the apple of her eye beneath the shadow of Your preservation and safekeeping.
...O Lord! That kind mother is dear - make her successful and confirmed in Thy good-pleasure, give her to drink from the Salsabil of bounty, let her taste from the cup of oneness, make her intoxicated with the wine of 'Am I not?', exalt her at the feast of the Abha Kingdom, and make her successful in attaining the highest horizon.
O my Lord! This is a servant who has turned to the Kingdom of Thy unity, who has been guided by the Fire kindled in the Tree of Thy singleness, and who has supplicated to the Kingdom of Thy detachment, being assured of Thee and Thy verses, holding fast to the cord of Thy favors, hoping for Thy help and protection, seeking Thy good-pleasure, and yearning for well-being through Thy grace.
O my Lord! Open unto him the gates of joy, transform all his hardship into ease, and make him to find comfort in all affairs, O my Tender Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
O Kind Lord! Free Bahmarad Rustam from the bonds of grief, make him honored, forgive him, bestow Thy favors upon him, make him the companion of the people of the highest heaven, grant him shelter at Thy threshold, and through Thy grace and bounty, make Rustam, the kind son of Hormuzdyar, blessed. Make them two shining candles, two flowers in the rose garden, and an adornment of the gathering.
O Lord! These souls are descendants of the glorious Abraham and from among the most eminent of Israel. Grant them shelter, bestow Thy gifts, ordain for them benefit and profit, and vouchsafe unto them comfort and tranquility.
O Lord! Those two honored servants who are the protectors of the poor and helpers of the weak - confirm them and grant them success, preserve them in the shelter of Thy protection. Bestow upon them eternal glory and everlasting favor. Make their faces radiant and their hearts joyous.
O my God, my Lord, my Master and my Hope! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou didst subdue the servants and all who are in the lands, and through which appeared the ocean of Thy wisdom and wafted the fragrance of Thy loving-kindness and flowed the river of Thy mercy, to pour forth upon them patience from Thee, then ordain for them what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who cast the world behind them, turning unto Thee and hastening to the ocean of Thy bounty.
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and by that which hath appeared from Thy presence, and by this lamp which hath been beset by tempestuous winds from every direction, that Thou protect him and Thy loved ones there, and ordain for him and for them that which shall never cease to shed its fragrance throughout the eternity of Thy names and attributes.
O Lord! Thou seest Thy servant Nabil, the traveler, in the hands of the tyrannical among Thy servants. I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, to assist him in all conditions to serve Thee, to make him a champion of Thy Cause, and steadfast in carrying out what Thou hast willed through Thy sovereignty.
Cause then My sister to become one of Thy handmaids who believe in Thee and are steadfast in Thy love. Shelter her moreover in the precincts of Thy mercy and grant her to dwell under the shadow of the Tree of Thy bounty, that her heart may be assured, her spirit calmed and her soul at peace.
O Lord! Thou seest how he hath been tried in Thy path. Deprive him not of that which Thou hast ordained for the sincere ones among Thy chosen ones and for them that are nigh unto Thee among Thy loved ones. Aid him in all conditions to remain steadfast in Thy remembrance and praise, and to speak forth among Thy servants, detached from all else besides Thee.
O My handmaiden and My leaf! Say: Glory be to Thee, O Lord of all dominion and Protector of the downtrodden! I beseech Thee by what Thou hast ordained in Thy celestial kingdom and Thy realm of might, to inscribe for this Thy leaf, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, that which will tranquilize her soul and dilate her breast.
O Lord! These souls are Thy friends, and this gathering consists of Thy companions, and this assembly comprises Thy scattered ones who are stirred by the breeze of Thy favor and whose nostrils are perfumed by the sweet savors of Thy bounty. Manifest Thy mercy and grant solace and bounty. Set their hearts free and quicken their souls through Thy ever-increasing bestowals and gifts. Protect them beneath the shelter of Thy protection and grant them steadfastness in Thy mighty Cause and manifest sovereignty. Create them anew and breathe into them the spirit of detachment. Kindle the fire of love and unity in their hearts and consume the veils of diverse imaginings. Make them firm and steadfast, deep-rooted and flourishing. Open wide the gates of bestowal, pass round the cup of purity, adorn the feast of bounty, and send down the heavenly repast, that they may become celestial and divine. Thou art the All-Bountiful.
O Thou Pure God!
Gaze providently at the beloved ones and the dear maid-servants in Chicago. Confer upon them Thy bounty and grace.
"O God! This respectful assemblage are my relatives and kindred and the cause of the happiness of this afflicted one. Bestow upon them a shining face and grant them a musk-diffusing character. Show them the mystery of the Kingdom and suffer them to hear the soul-elevating harmony of heaven! Awaken (the people) by the breeze of the Paradise of ABHA and make them alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.
O Lord, O Shelter and Refuge! In that port the loving friends arranged a gathering of fellowship and adorned an assembly with holy fragrances. Day and night they engaged in the recitation of verses and chanted praises and attributes with the most wondrous melodies. With utmost humility and supplication they sought forgiveness for their errors and transgressions.
O my God, my God! These are servants who have gathered in this spiritual assembly with radiant faces, supplicating unto Thee that Thou mayest assist them to serve Thy Cause in this glorious century, to exalt Thy Word in this wondrous Day, and to diffuse Thy fragrances throughout all regions of the earth through Thy great protection and aid. O Lord! Confirm them in all that they desire through Thy bounty and generosity. Verily, Thou art the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, the Lord of infinite grace. Verily, Thou art the Giver, the Confirmer, the Helper, the All-Bountiful.
O Lord! These are Thy friends and are intoxicated with the wine of Thy Covenant. They are all nurtured in the cradle of Thy bounty and are nursed at the breast of Thy loving providence. Though they be poor, yet they are wise; though they be weak, yet they are strong, for Thou art their Support, Thou art their Kind Helper.
Make them distinguished in the world of existence and grant them a place in the Divine Threshold. Make them white-faced in the Supreme Concourse, open unto them the door of hope, and grant them a portion of heavenly bestowals.
O Lord my Creator, O my God, my Compassionate Lord! These Persians are longtime friends and true companions of the East. They are enamored and bewildered by Thy countenance, and lost and wandering in Thy path. For long years they gazed upon Thy radiant face and burned in the fire of love for Thee. Therefore open a door and bestow a ray of light that hearts may become as heaven and souls as rose gardens. Thou art the Mighty, Thou art the All-Seeing.
O Kind Lord! These souls are servants of Thy threshold and true guardians. Day and night they are aflame with the fire of Thy love and are intimate with the breathings of Thy holiness. They have no purpose save Thy good-pleasure and seek no desire except reunion with Thee. Like unto candles they burn and melt, and like unto nightingales they are companions to melody and song. Each one in Thy Most Glorious Paradise utters Thy praise, drinks from the stream of Thy mercy, strives to exalt Thy Word, and burns and boils with the fire of Thy love.
My God, my God! These are a company attracted to the Kingdom of Thy mercy and a group turned toward the Realm of Thy oneness. O Lord! Make their hearts mirrors wherein the Sun of Reality is reflected with its brilliant effulgences shining upon all regions. Make their tongues speak Thy praise among all humanity, their eyes delighted by witnessing Thy greatest signs, their ears gladdened by hearing the melodies of the Supreme Concourse, and their faces illumined by rays of light from the guidance.
'Abdu'l-Baha is fervently beseeching at the Divine Threshold, supplicating and saying: O Divine Providence! Vouchsafe blissful joy to Thy faithful friends and admit these awakened ones into the circle of the righteous. O God! O Thou Self-Subsisting One! Bestow a share upon all, provide for all. O Thou Merciful One, O Thou Compassionate One. Enable us to gain admittance into Thy delectable paradise and make us truly steadfast. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.
O divine friends and handmaidens of the All-Merciful! Your letters were received, and the contents of all expressed the supplication for 'Abdu'l-Baha to journey to those regions. I too am filled with the utmost longing. In all existence there is no greater joy than beholding the faces of the friends - this is the heart's deepest desire. However, at present there are many obstacles, though in the future, through the assistance and favor of Baha'u'llah, it is hoped that the means will be provided. Whenever possible, I shall immediately journey to India, but only if such a journey becomes feasible, for it is an extended voyage, and the Holy Land is a center receiving an unceasing flow of letters like rain from all directions. At minimum one in ten must be answered, while seekers bound for the Ka'bih of the Beloved arrive in succession, who must be met with and served, for 'Abdu'l-Baha is the servant of the friends and takes pride in this mighty station. How could I relinquish this bounty? Beyond this, many obstacles exist. Nevertheless, I hope to make the journey, though I am present in spirit at the gatherings of the friends, sharing in their prayers and supplications. Still, the eyes too deserve their portion.
In any case, as India is now astir in these days, letters arrive from various regions. Therefore, with utmost joy I implore the Abha Kingdom, seeking confirmation and success for the divine friends at every moment. Likewise, with complete humility and contrition I supplicate the Kingdom of Light, beseeching endless glory for the friends. The Blessed Beauty - may my spirit be sacrificed for His loved ones - placed upon the heads of His loved ones a crown of eternal glory whose brilliant pearls shine forth from the everlasting horizon upon all ages and centuries.
The Cause is so mighty that even abasement in God's path leads to glory. Consider that no humiliation could be greater than being slain, stripped of possessions, and having one's family taken captive. On the sorrowful plain of Karbila there could be no greater abasement. Yet observe how this very humiliation became eternal glory for the Prince of Martyrs - may the souls of all existence be sacrificed for Him - while Yazid and Walid, though outwardly mighty and established upon the throne of sovereignty, found their glory transformed to everlasting disgrace. Today, millions are refreshed by a single "I thirst" of that Thirsty One, the poor partake of the choicest foods, orphans find solace, and the helpless receive assistance. But Yazid and Walid are left with the title "abased," their humiliation increasing moment by moment.
Thus it became clear that the divine friends are so glorious that no abasement can follow, no change or alteration possible. Should the entire world unite, seeking to humiliate a single one of God's loved ones, they would fail, for the ultimate outward abasement is martyrdom, yet this martyrdom becomes the cause of eternal glory. Thus it is proven that the Ancient Beauty created no abasement for His loved ones. How can anyone bring into existence that which God has not created? In any case, rely upon God's infinite grace, that you may advance day by day in spiritual stations, heavenly perfections, divine bestowals and celestial guidance.
O my God! O my God! These are servants who have turned their faces to Thy gracious countenance, who have followed Thy straight path and the mighty way, who fear not the assault of every sinful deceiver nor dread the taunts of any aggressive transgressor. They have rent asunder the veils, torn away the coverings, abandoned idols, and bid farewell to vain imaginings. They have turned to Thee with hearts as firm as towering mountains and souls as steadfast as immovable pillars, supplicating Thee with hearts overflowing with love and breasts expanded by the signs of Thy oneness amidst humanity. O Lord! Make them brilliant stars in the horizon of creation, radiant lamps in the realm of existence, lofty trees in the Abha Paradise, and surging waves from the ocean of faithfulness, that this region may be stirred by the holy breaths of Thy sanctity in this mighty cycle. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous.
You had mentioned the steadfastness of the friends of T. and Kh. This news perfumed our nostrils and illumined our hearts. We beseech and implore the Abha Kingdom with utmost humility and supplication that He may make the friends of that region so firm and steadfast in God's Cause and His divine Covenant that all the friends may follow their example and they may become an excellent pattern.
O my God, my God! These are two servants, attracted to Thy radiant countenance and Thy Most Glorious Beauty, submissive to Thy loved ones, humble before Thy chosen ones, serving Thy Cause, arising to diffuse Thy fragrances, raising the banners of praise, shining from the horizon of faithfulness, speaking Thy mention in every morn and eve. O Lord! Make them two signs of Thy bounty and two words of Thy Book and two lamps of Thy love and two glass vessels of the lights of guidance in that furthermost bank. O Lord! Strengthen them with a host from the angels of heaven and assist them in serving Thy loved ones with confirmation from the One mighty in power. Verily Thou art the Generous, verily Thou art the Kind, and verily Thou art the Benevolent, the Compassionate, the Ever-Living, the All-Powerful.
O ye two firm in the Covenant! His Holiness 'Abdu'l-Husayn, namesake of 'Abdu'l-Baha, hath offered the utmost praise and commendation of those two souls assured by the favors of the Most Glorious Beauty, that they are guardians at the threshold of the All-Knowing God and two kind servants to the friends of the All-Merciful. They are the cause of the glory of the Cause of God and diffusers of the divine fragrances.
From this news boundless joy and delight was produced in hearts, that praise be to God, Kashan is the dwelling place of the sincere ones and the nest and shelter of the birds of the highest heaven. From the beginning of the Cause it was full of melody and song, and in the age of the Most Great Name it is full of melody and harmony, and the friends are in the utmost refinement and culture. O Lord! Make Kashan radiant with light and make that region a paradise of delight, that the song of "Glory be to the Holy One, Lord of the angels and the Spirit" may reach the Most Glorious Horizon and bestow joy and fragrance upon the people of the Supreme Concourse.
O Lord! These are Thy distinguished servants and Thy chosen ones among humanity, and the noble princes in that white spot, and the great ones among Thy creation and the eminent ones among Thy creatures. They are jubilant in Thy remembrance and exultant in Thy praise, calling out Thy name, submitting to Thy word, and rejoicing in Thy favors. O Lord! Make them leaves of the Tree of Thy mercy and flowers of the Garden of Thy lordship and lamps of the horizon of Thy love and stars in the heaven of Thy bounty.
My God, my God! These are servants who have turned toward the Kingdom of Thy sanctity from the most distant lands, far-reaching regions and remote places, supplicating to Thee at morn and eventide, relying upon Thee in all matters and conditions, imploring the might of Thy mercy at eve and dawn.
O Most Great Luminary of the Invisible Kingdom of Mystery!
These Alvar servants of Thine are enamored of Thy countenance and enthralled by Thy locks, intoxicated by Thy chalice and addicted to the wine of Thy eternal tavern. They are caught in Thy snare and are nightingales at Thy dawn. They are flowers of Thy meadow and grass by the stream of Thy rose garden.
O Lord! Thou hast brought these wanderers beneath Thy shadow and given them shelter and succor. Thou hast turned nothingness into being and non-existence into reality. To the thirsty Thou hast given cooling water, and to the hungry Thou hast spread a bountiful table and freely bestowed abundant provision.
Therefore, be Thou in every circumstance their refuge and shelter, and in every pursuit their helper and sustainer.
O Lord, O Lord! I beseech Thee to grant the friends in Shahrud access to the flowing waters, assist them with bountiful aid, give them to drink from the pure cup, and bestow upon them abundant gifts, inasmuch as they have turned to the Center of Light and the Dawning-Place of the Manifestation, have purified their faces for Thee, O my Forgiving Lord, have voiced Thy praise among the masses, and have spread Thy fragrances with all joy and gladness.
At all times he is gladdened by thoughts of you and beseeches God's help and favor: "O God! Cherish these friends and make them familiar with whispered prayer and supplication, and cause them to be in harmony with the birds of the meadow, that they may sing in the rose garden of unity and adorn the gathering of detachment, that they may find rest in the shelter of divine favors and stain their face and hair with their own blood in the field of sacrifice."
O my God! O my God! Verily Your servant Jalil and the noble Hasan have turned their faces purely toward Your generous countenance, have devoted themselves to Your mighty Kingdom, have submitted to Your dominion among the worlds, have shown humility before Your sincere loved ones, and have chosen tribulation over a life of ease in Your path, O my Glorious Lord! O Lord, make them soaring birds winging through the atmosphere of Your love, and make them lofty trees in the garden of Your knowledge.
O ye two revered souls!
Since the day of my departure from Budapest I have been always remembering you and have begged from his holiness Baha'u'llah protection and providence for you, so that divine spirituality and the Bestowals of the Kingdom of Abha may surround you and the most holy Power may so reveal itself in your hearts that from all your limbs the cry of "Ya Baha El Abha" may be raised and be heard by all the people.
Prayer: O Lord! Make the Spiritual Assembly of Philadelphia the manifestation of divine confirmations and the dawning-place of merciful lights, so that they may render service to the human world and show love and kindness to all humanity.
I beseech God to grant them confirmation and success, and to bring all the Parsees beneath the shadow of the celestial Standard, that the banner of truth may wave over all the people of that land, and that they may show forth such vigor and movement as to gladden the spirits of their forebears in the highest heaven.
'Abdu'l-Baha, in utmost humility and lowliness, supplicates at the Sacred Threshold of the Blessed Beauty that Isfahan may attain the utmost joy and delight, and Najafabad may become prosperous and flourishing. May each of those blessed souls receive the breath of the All-Merciful, and may every heart and conscience attain unto the Beloved.
My God, my God! This is Thy servant who is related to him whose breast Thou didst expand through the light of Thy knowledge, whose face Thou didst illumine with the radiance that shone upon the horizons of Thy kingdom, whose nostrils Thou didst perfume with the sweet fragrances wafting from the gardens of Thy oneness, and who arose to serve Thy Cause, exalt Thy Word, deliver Thy proof, and bestow Thy bounty upon Thy creatures. O my Lord! Enable this noble branch to achieve what Thou didst enable that illustrious root to achieve. Make him a sign of Thy oneness, an emblem of Thy glorification, a flower of Thy gardens, a fish in Thy pools, a branch in Thy groves, a lamp of Thy love, a niche for the light of Thy knowledge, and a jewel in the crown of Thy gift. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Merciful, the Bestower. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Merciful.
'Abdu'l-Baha
Give my most glorious greetings and salutations to the honored brothers Jinab-i-Mirza Diya'u'llah and Jinab-i-Mirza Badi'u'llah, that these three fruitful branches may all bear fruit with perfect freshness and grace in the glorious, luminous palace. And the Glory be upon you and upon them both.
O Lord! Aid Thy loved ones and Thy branches in that which beseemeth them in Thy days, then write down for them the reward of those who have circled round Thy Will and quaffed the choice wine of revelation from the hand of Thy bounty.
O Lord! Assist him to serve Thy Cause, make him steadfast in the word of Thy Oneness, support him with Thy confirmations, strengthen his loins in arising to obey Thee, and illumine his countenance among the company of the Afnans through the intensity of his firmness and steadfastness, that the censure of the censurer may not deter him in Thy Cause, nor may the force of violent tempests that uproot the ancient and deep-seated in every age move him, nor may the whirlwinds that tear up the firmly fixed from their foundations in all times shake him.
My God, my God! Verily Your servant Mahdi has arisen before Your exalted threshold and beseeches the Kingdom of the All-Merciful, hoping for confirmation from the Righteous Support for himself, his companion, his mother and those related to him.
O my God and my Hope! Thou knowest my secret and my public self, my hidden and manifest being, and art aware of the extent of my love and the intensity of my devotion to the branch of Thy divine Lote-Tree, the twigs of Thy Tree of Oneness, and the offshoot of Thy Tree of mercifulness. O Lord! Make pure his soil with the downpour of Thy favors, moisten his leaves with the outpouring of the clouds of Thy bounty, cause him to be verdant through the rains of Thy springtime grace, flowering through the breezes of Thy paradise of care, and fruit-bearing in the holy paradise of Thy faithfulness.
O my God, my God! Thou art He Who hast planted the tree of Thy mercy in the paradise of Thy oneness and watered it from the wellspring of Thy unity, until it grew and developed and lengthened and branched forth and spread out and extended, filling the east and west of existence. And among its branches is this steadfast and firmly rooted Afnan, who holdeth fast to the cord of Thy Covenant and cleaveth to the hem of Thy Testament. O Lord! Thou knowest that I love this Afnan with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my being, and that I am well pleased with him. I beseech Thee by Thy grace and bounty to be well pleased with him and make him a sign of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Merciful, the All-Pardoning, the All-Forgiving.
He is God, exalted be His station, the Grandeur and Glory
Praise be to God Who summoned His Afnan to the Divine Lote-Tree, to the Supreme Horizon, to the Ultimate Goal, and to the Most Glorious Vista, and permitted them to turn towards the ocean of His oneness and the depths of the sea of His unity, and aided them according to His will until He brought them into His presence and caused them to hear His sweetest call, and manifested Himself to them through His most beautiful names. Exalted is He Who made them know Him and drew them unto Him. They are those who, when they heard, responded, and drank the wine of reunion from the hand of the bounty of their Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. The Supreme Pen hath testified to their love, their orientation, their presence, and their arrival at the Most Great Scene, the Station wherein the Lord of Destiny proclaimeth that there is none other God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Glory be unto Thee, O God of the Afnan and Lord of all existence! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Merciful, to assist them at all times in Thy remembrance and praise, and in arising to serve Thee with wisdom and utterance. O Lord! Thou beholdest them turning toward the horizon of Thy grace, gazing upon the lights of Thy countenance, and clinging to the hem of Thy bounty. They traversed land and sea until they entered the Luminous Spot, the place which Thou didst make the circling-point of Thy loved ones, Thy chosen ones, and the Concourse on high. I beseech Thee to ordain for them that whereby their spirits, bodies, forms, names, and remembrances shall endure throughout the dominion of the kingdom and the realm. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Transcendent, the Single, the All-Informed.
Praise be to God Who invited the Afnan of the Tree and blessed them with the water of reunion. They turned and were blessed with divine bounties, and through God's grace a special place opposite the mansion was designated for them. This evanescent servant beseeches and hopes that the Supreme Pen will bestow upon all Afnan the reward of nearness and meeting. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
May my spirit be a sacrifice for your steadfastness! The heart of this evanescent one has melted upon seeing how the servants have deprived themselves of the outpourings of the Most Great Sea, and their heedlessness has reached such a point that they have cast aside the Intended One and followed every heedless and rejected one. All atoms cry out, yet ears are deprived of hearing them, save those whom God willeth. They reflect not upon the vicissitudes and conflicts of the world. At every moment it demonstrates and speaks of its own transience, yet people remain heedless of hearing and seeing it through what their hands have wrought aforetime. They see that they depart and return not, yet they neither understand nor perceive. At every moment they witness members of their own kind returning to dust with complete regret and remorse, yet they remain veiled, proud, and heedless. Verily, this servant, with his tongue and the tongues of the Afnan of the Tree, calls upon God to assist the servants to turn unto Him and to prosper them in that which He loves and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Lord of the Hereafter and of the former life, and in His grasp is the Kingdom of creation. There is none other God but He, the Forgiving, the Generous.
O Lord! Transform the losses of Thy loved ones into the greatest gain, then set right their affairs through Thy grace, O Thou Who art the Lord of eternity and Who art manifest through the Most Great Name.
Glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who with the finger of Thy power didst rend the veils! I beseech Thee by Thy sovereignty, Thy might and Thy power to aid Thy resplendent Law and protect it from the idolaters among Thy servants and the deniers among Thy creatures. O Lord! Weakness hath seized the limbs of Thy party, and the vitals of Thy religion tremble at the onslaught of Thine enemies. I beseech Thee, O King of Kings and Merciful to the downtrodden, to send down from the heaven of Thy grace that which will exalt Thy Cause among Thy servants and raise the standards of Thy mention in Thy lands. O Lord! I implore Thee by the Manifestations of Thy Cause, the Daysprings of Thy revelation, and by the Seal of Thy Prophets and chosen ones, to protect him who hath clung to Thee and to the cord of obedience to Thee, who hath spoken Thy praise and glorification, and arisen to serve Thy Cause. O Lord! Thou seest him clinging to Thee, hoping in Thy grace, and yearning for Thy nearness and meeting. O Lord! Deprive him not of the revelations of the light of Thy knowledge, and render him not deprived of the effulgences of the dawn of Thy favors. Make all his deeds and devotions as one devotion in Thy presence. This is what the sovereign of Thy chosen ones uttered in a prayer taught by the Lord of Thy Messengers: "that all my deeds and devotions may become as one devotion, and in eternal service to Thee." O Lord! Protect him who hath entered the fortress of Thy security, then aid him who hath sought shelter beneath the shadow of Thy banner. Grant him pilgrimage to Thy Sacred House once again, and ordain for him that which shall profit him in the hereafter and in this world. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.
We make mention of 'Abdu'l-Baha who hath attained that which most of the servants have not attained. God willing, may they ever gaze toward the horizon of the All-Merciful and be gladdened by His grace. Likewise, convey greetings from the Wronged One to the other friends. We beseech God to draw them nigh unto Him and to strengthen them in that which will exalt their mention among His servants, and to grant them success through wisdom.
Convey the Most Glorious and Most Wondrous greetings to the assured handmaiden of God, the mother of Mirza Jalal, and likewise to the leaves of the Most Glorious Paradise, the young maidens of the loved ones who are engaged in reciting prayers and chanting verses and performing obligatory prayers. I beseech God to assist them in attraction and enkindlement and devotion and supplication and humility and submissiveness in all circumstances and conditions.
Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator of earth and heaven! I beseech Thee by Thy most great signs and by them who circle round Thy throne, O Lord of all being and Master of the seen and unseen, to assist Thy handmaiden and leaf that her mention may endure in Thy kingdom.
O My handmaiden, upon thee be My glory! We have made mention of thee in numerous Tablets, both before and after, as a bounty from Us, and at this manifest hour. Every handmaiden who hath believed in God on the Day of Judgment hath indeed attained, and every learned one who hath turned away from God, the Lord of all worlds, hath truly lost.
O Lord! O Forgiver of sins! Make Tuba a bird of the Tuba tree and grant it a nest and dwelling in the Sadrat'ul-Muntaha. Make it harmonious with divine melody in the infinite garden so that it may become intimate with prayer and supplication and forever sing with the melody of the Concourse on High in that garden of eternity.
O God, my Lord and my Hope! This is one of Your maidservants and a leaf from the leaves of Your tree of mercy.
… My Lord! Aid her in the desert of separation from You and the intensity of her deprivation, yearning for attainment unto Your presence in Your most glorious Kingdom.
O handmaids of the All-Merciful! In this moment when 'Abdu'l-Baha is in the utmost state of supplication and imploring, and is prostrate at the Sacred Threshold of the Lord of Mercy, I became occupied with your remembrance and, God willing, at a time filled with spirit and fragrance, I shall recite the Prayer of Visitation on your behalf facing the Blessed Spot, and I shall beseech boundless favors so that the spiritual breezes of the Abha Kingdom may influence your hearts and make you detached from this transient world and yearning for the divine realm, that you may become wholly attracted to the Eternal Beauty and night and day be enkindled with the love of the Abha Beauty and consumed with passion, having learned the way of sanctification and holiness, melting away in the fire of the love of God.
And upon you be greetings and praise.
O my God! These are the five leaves from the tree of Thy mercy and the five handmaidens at the sacred threshold of Thy oneness.
… Verily, Thou art the Chooser!
O thou who art marching onward to God!
I have read thy beautiful letter which contained delicate meanings, and I am made glad by its contents which expressed spiritual feelings. I have prayed to God to send down upon thee a blessing from the Kingdom of Heaven and thus make thy heart beat with joy in the love of God, and make thee meek and humble before the good maid-servants of God, and pure and holy in His Kingdom.
O Lord! Make these handmaidens honored in Thy Kingdom of Glory, and accept these maidservants at Thy Holy Threshold. Illumine their hearts and purify their spirits. Make fragrant their nostrils that they may become worthy of Thy Most Holy Court and engage in worship, service, supplication, and utter humility and need. May they become quickened through Thy remembrance and attain everlasting life through Thy love. Verily Thou art the Generous, Thou art the Merciful, and Thou art the Mighty, the Kind, the Ancient Lord."
I beseech Thee by Thy favors which the pens of the world are powerless to recount, and by Thy gifts which the hearts of nations confess are beyond limitation, and by the Light wherewith the Mount was illumined when it shone forth from the horizon of the will of the Lord of Manifestation, to bless the steps of Thy handmaiden whom Thou hast named Neshat-Angiz by Thy wondrous and mighty Pen among Thy chosen ones and loved ones. Then make her a sign of Thy mercy among Thy handmaidens and a manifestation of Thy grace among Thy creatures.
O Lord! Grant that this dearly-loved maidservant of Thine may proclaim the servitude of Abduil-Baha.
And I say: O Lord! Hold me not accountable for attempting expression and exposition, and punish me not for forgetting my helplessness, lowliness and abasement in this field. Leave me not to myself, for it is sinful and plunged in the depths of rebellion. Abandon me not to my own devices, submerged in the seas of heedlessness and transgression.
My Lord and my Hope! This is Thy servant who hath bowed down before the King of Thy oneness, who hath humbled himself before the presence of Thy singleness, who hath believed in the Beauty of Thy uniqueness, and who hath supplicated the Kingdom of Thy self-subsistence. O my Lord! Answer his prayer, facilitate the fulfillment of his hopes, grant his supplication, bestow upon him his heart's desire, expand his breast, gladden his heart, and make him joyous through Thy glad-tidings and moved by Thy fragrances and quickened by the breezes of the realities of Thy mysteries.
O my God! I traveled through wildernesses and crossed seas until I reached the realm of light, where I became a resident at Thy threshold and sought shelter in Thy court.
O Lord! Forgive my sins and awaken my heart and soul.
My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Prophets, Thy chosen ones, Thy pure ones, and by Muhammad Thy Messenger, and by His family and companions who aided Thy religion and sacrificed their wealth, their souls and their blood in Thy path, to ordain for him that which will profit him in all the worlds of Thy worlds and cause his mention to endure among Thy servants.
I beseech Thee, O my God, to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and to do with me what is worthy of Thee, for Thou art the Lord of righteousness and the Lord of forgiveness, and to cause all who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs and who seek Thy good-pleasure to enter the kingdom of Thy grace and Thy glory.
O God, my God! These are Thy servants whom the breezes of the gardens of Thy mercy have stirred, and the waves from the fountains of Thy oneness have refreshed. … O my Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate! Aid them to serve Thy Cause and join them with Thy servant in servitude at Thy exalted threshold which transcends the comprehension of all created things.
My God, my God! Muhammad has hastened to the court of Thy holiness and the precincts of Thy mercy, that he may attain Thy presence, gaze upon Thy beauty, and find shelter in Thy shadow. O Lord! Ordain for him every good thing in Thy Kingdom, aid him through those special favors Thou hast reserved for Thy near ones among Thy servants, and make him drink from the cup of forgiveness until he becomes intoxicated with the choice wine of grace and bounty.
O Pure Lord! Draw near this longtime servant to the Supreme Horizon and honor this poor servant in the Great Kingdom. Quench this one who thirsts for favors from the Ocean of Beneficence, and assist this one who is turned to the horizon of Oneness with the confirmation of Thy Glorious Lord. And grant refuge to this wanderer in Thy lane, in the shelter of Thy aid and bounty, in this world and the next.
...O Lord! These brothers are loving, companions and friends. They seek Your face, tread Your path, speak Your mysteries. Grant them stability, bestow praise, confirm them, reveal the verses of unity, make them honored, make them ecstatic, illumine them, make them lamps of the gathering. You are the Powerful and Mighty. Verily You are the Generous, the Most High.
I beseech God to make the end of your life the beginning of favors, and to confirm your two distinguished sons, the comfort of your eyes, as two brilliant stars in the horizon of glory.
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.
O Lord of the highest heavens, Helper of humanity, Refuge of the weak ones and Shelter of the poor! Verily Thy servant Mustafa hath freed himself from error and misguidance and hath been guided by the light of guidance.
He calleth upon Thee with utmost humility and contrition, saying: "O my chosen Lord! Aid me from the Kingdom of mysteries and grant me an exalted station in the realm of lights.
O my Lord, my Goal, the Ultimate End of my hopes, and my Refuge! I take flight to none save Thee, I place my trust in none save Thee, and I lament before none save Thee.
I beseech Thee, by the sovereignty of Thy oneness, to ordain every good thing for this servant of Thine who hath clung to the hem of bounty and hath acknowledged his transgressions.
O Lord of the world to come and of this present life! Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Forgiving.
Glory be to Thee, O Thou Who kindlest the hearts of them that long for Thee with the fire of Thy love, and drawest nigh the souls of the near ones by the melodies of the Dove of Thy affection! I beseech Thee---by the Manifestations of Thy signs, by the Daysprings of the lights of Thy Revelation, and by that which Thou hast hidden in Thy knowledge---to send down, from the heaven of Thy bounty, unto him who hath sought Thee and found Thee, that which shall gladden his eye, tranquillize his heart, and bring repose unto his being, that neither the vicissitudes of the world, nor aught that is with the peoples, may trouble him. Then succour him, O my God, by the tokens of Thy power and the evidences of Thy sovereignty. Verily Thou art powerful to do whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Commander, the All-Wise.
My God, my God! Thou hearest the cry of the lovers and the plaint of those who yearn for Thee. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst deliver Thy chosen ones from the evil of Thine enemies and didst exalt Thy Cause through Thy power and might, to assist Thy loved ones to do what is pleasing and acceptable unto Thee. Then ordain for them, O Thou through Whose Name the ocean of generosity surged throughout the world, that which shall profit them in the hereafter and in this world, and shall draw them nigh unto Thee in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Lord of grace abounding. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O my God! Send Thy blessings upon the first Sun that shone from the horizon of Thy sanctity and the last Dawn that rose from the light of Thy countenance, whereby Thy Cause illumined the kingdom of Thy creation after the concealment of Thy countenance, and upon Thy sanctified loved ones and Thy exalted Letters, and upon those who have come unto Thee and descended upon Thee, for Thou art the Doer of what Thou pleasest and the Bestower of what Thou lovest, and Thou art powerful over all things.
As to what thou didst write regarding Aqa Muhammad-'Ali, mention of him was made in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court. A brief prayer was revealed from the heaven of divine Will and was sent. Let him recite it. This is what God hath revealed from the heaven of Will and Purpose:
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O God, Lord of all things and Creator of names! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou didst shatter the idols and dispel all vain imaginings, to immerse me in the ocean of certitude, O Lord of all religions. My Lord! Aid me in that which Thou hast willed through Thy sovereignty and revealed in Thy perspicuous Book. My Lord! This is a day wherein the pages of contingent being and the Books which Thou didst reveal unto Thy Messengers and chosen ones have been adorned. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me the outpourings of the ocean of Thy grace, nor to shut me out from the door which Thou hast opened unto all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth. My Lord! I am weak and have clung to Thy Name, the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Ordain for me from Thy bounty that which shall profit me in this world and the next. Verily, Thou art the Giving, the Bountiful, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
God willing, may they become blessed and confirmed through the reading of these exalted and blessed words which have appeared from the Dayspring of the Divine Will.
Furthermore, convey greetings on behalf of this poor and lowly one to all those souls in that land and in the land of N and R who have drunk from the Divine Chalice and are gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon. O friends! O ye who drink the choice wine of the mercy of the All-Merciful! This is a great day. Great is its worth, great is its station, and great indeed is that which transpireth therein. Ye must regard the vain imaginings of the heedless souls and the suppositions of the idolatrous forms as null and void, and drink at all times from the Salsabil of certitude in the name of the Lord of the Day of Judgment. The tongue was created for this day, and the eye came into being from the realm of nothingness for this blessed day. By the life of God! This is the day of ears and hearts, that they might see and speak and hear and preserve in the treasury. Say: Strive, that ye may not remain deprived of the bounteous grace on such a day as this. Although, praise be to God, in that garden the flowers of inner meanings have bloomed in the name of the Eternal Beloved and the blossoms of utterance have appeared in the name of the Desired One of all things, yet God willing, may their fire be seen as ever more enkindled and their light more manifest at all times through the influence of the Divine Word.
This evanescent servant beseecheth the true Sovereign to preserve those flowers of love from poisonous winds and cold blasts, that they may ever remain smiling with perfect freshness and delicacy. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Bountiful. Glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and upon those who have attained unto the recognition of God and are assured of His presence, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
Adorn thyself with the ornament of trust, resignation and submission, and say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison, and thanksgiving be unto Thee for having revealed unto me that which shall endure as long as Thy dominion and Thy kingdom, Thy glory and Thy sovereignty shall endure, O God of the worlds!
I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which Thou hast ordained for such of Thy servants as are sincere, whom neither swords could deter from clinging to equity in Thy Cause, nor could the hosts of the wicked frighten from turning toward the sanctuary of Thy nearness.
… O my Lord! Strengthen him and Thy handmaiden who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, that through them Thy remembrance may be exalted amongst Thy servants and Thy Cause amongst Thy creation.
O Muhammad-Qabli-Hasan! Praise the Goal of the world Who remembers thee in the Most Great Prison. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O my Glory! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Kingdom and the mysteries of Thy Dominion to ordain for me that which will make me a banner of Thy Name amongst Thy servants.
He is the Dawning One from the horizon of utterance! O God of Names and Creator of heaven! Thou knowest and seest that there hath come to the prison a letter from one of Thy loved ones, who hath held fast to the cord of Thy bounty and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors, who hath acknowledged Thy oneness in Thy days and confessed Thy singleness when most of Thy servants turned away from Thee.
O Lord! Give him to drink, at all times, of Thy sealed wine, whose seal was broken by Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting. Then cause to appear through him, in Thy service, that whereby the people of Thy realm shall turn unto Thee and those who were heedless in Thy days shall be awakened. O Lord! Even as Thou didst adorn the beginning of his letter with Thy verses, do Thou adorn his breast with the light of Thy wisdom. Then ordain for him the reward of attaining Thy presence. Verily Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O Hatim, upon thee be the glory of God, the Lord of eternity! Thy mention hath been made in the presence of the Wronged One, and this most sublime and wondrous Tablet hath been sent down especially for thee from the heaven of divine Will, that thine eyes may be consoled thereby and thy heart may rejoice.
O son of My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. We bear witness that thou hast attained unto My Day, hast quaffed the choice wine of My utterance from the cup of My bounty, and hast heard My sweetest call and the shrilling of My most exalted Pen. Say:
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name, through which Thou didst guide the nations unto the shore of the ocean of Thy Revelation, and gavest them to drink the Kawthar of reunion from the hands of Thy grace and bounty, to ordain for me, by Thy most glorious Pen, that which Thou hast ordained for the company of the pure in heart. Rain down then upon me, from the clouds of Thy favour, the showers of Thy mercy. Verily, Thou art powerful to do whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are held the reins of the former and the latter generations. Praise be to Thee, O God of all worlds and Desire of the hearts of them that have attained unto true knowledge.
O 'Ali! Do not despair of God's spirit and mercy, and grieve not over anything in the days of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. Be content with what has been ordained and fix thy gaze upon the Supreme Horizon from which the Mount received its Interlocutor, and the Tree its Caller, and the Beloved attained the presence of God, the Lord of the exalted throne.
We have heard thy call and, having accepted thy turning unto Us, have made mention of thee in such wise that the fragrance thereof shall endure throughout the eternity of the Most Beautiful Names of God. Be thou thankful for this and say: "Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds!"
O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad, the son of him who turned towards My countenance and soared in Mine atmosphere and migrated with Me and heard My sweetest call when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven. … Blessed is he who maketh mention of him and reciteth what We have revealed for him in this praiseworthy station.
O Haydar! The Wronged One hath made mention of thee from His Most Great Prison with a remembrance from which hath flowed the Water of Life for all contingent beings.
O Lord! I beseech Thee with all humility, supplication, imploring and contrition to assist every servant who arises to serve Thy Cause, and every one enkindled with the fire of Thy love who strives to exalt Thy Word, and every hero who loosens the reins in the arena of spreading Thy traces, and every speaker who speaks with most eloquent tongue in explaining Thy lights and the mysteries of Thy Book.
O my God, my Beloved, my Purpose! I beseech Thee by Thy imprisonment among Thy servants and Thy trials among the people of Thy realm to assist him and Thy servants to aid Thy Cause through wisdom and utterance. O Lord! He is the one who hath drunk the Kawthar of Thy presence and attained the honor of visiting Thy countenance. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him of the wonders of Thy generosity and bounty. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest and within Thy grasp is the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earths.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou beholdest my dwelling place and my tribulation, and Thou knowest that in this Tablet I have desired naught save one of Thy loved ones who hath turned to the court of Thy favor, that the breathings of Thy revelation might attract him in Thy days, and that the rapture of reunion might seize him in such wise as to cause him to arise to serve Thee amidst Thy creatures. O Lord! Accept from him that which hath proceeded from him in Thy path, then enable him to do what Thou lovest and approvest.
I beseech the favors of divine bestowal that Mr. Weirs may become attracted to the divine Kingdom and be so enkindled with the fire of the love of God that he may illuminate that region.
Blessed is he who hath loved thee and loveth thee, and who hath heard from thee the verses of God, the Lord of the worlds. Thou art he whose heart We have adorned with My love, whose tongue with My remembrance, whose eyes with beholding My horizon, whose hand with taking My Book, and whose feet with steadfastness in My Cause.
O Lord, my Lord! This is Your servant who has detached himself from all directions and turned towards the land of Your loved ones, speaking Your remembrance, expounding Your proofs and evidence, diffusing Your fragrances, chanting Your verses, and manifesting Your clear signs. Lord, Lord! Treat him with Your great mercy, distinguish him with Your mighty gift, choose him for Your Most Glorious Kingdom, assist him with Your hosts from the Supreme Concourse, expand his breast through the exaltation of Your Word, strengthen his loins through the manifestation of Your signs, and illumine his eye through the spread of Your fragrances - so that he may reach the heights of hopes and enjoy happiness and delight in the beginning and the end, and commune with You in the depths of dawn in gratitude for Your abundant blessings, Your preceding mercy, Your conclusive proof, Your bounties descending from heaven, and Your table spread from Your Most Glorious Kingdom. Lord, Lord! You know that 'Abdu'l-Baha's heart is gladdened by the mention of that penitent servant whom You have distinguished with great kindnesses and mighty virtues and qualities. You are verily the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.
O Herald of the Covenant! Jinab-i-Muhammad Khan, upon him be the Glory of God, has now arrived and attained to circumambulation of the gathering place of the Supreme Concourse, and is now present before this servant. He requests that you remain in Khurasan for some time, and pleads on behalf of the friends. Since they are dear guests, I too am compelled to accept their request. The rest is up to you. The journey to Rasht is also ahead - proceed however you deem advisable and in accordance with wisdom and as circumstances require. And upon you be greetings and praise.
O Lord! O Thou Who drawest the hearts by the magnet of that love which poureth forth upon all created things; Who quickenest the dry and crumbling bone with a spirit that refresheth hearts and souls; Who shinest with the ancient Light upon the horizons of all existence; Who givest unto every thing a portion of Thy wide-embracing mercy that surroundeth the realm of being! Verily I call upon Thee and beseech Thee to look upon Thy servant Vali with the glance of Thine invisible, all-merciful eye, to encompass him with the manifold bounties of Thy manifest grace, and to make him a shining star in those regions, in that far-distant shore and in those vast and widely sundered climes. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Merciful, the Bestower. There is no God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the Pardoner, the All-Forgiving.
O thou servant at the Threshold of God! Thou art of the longtime friends, and of the intimates and well-beloved associates of that dweller in the eternal Paradise, Jamal-i-Effendi, accepted at the Divine Threshold and near unto the Court of the Lord of infinity. Wherefore art thou the king of the realm of faithfulness, the monarch of the kingdom of the Most Great Favour. Thy crown is the guidance of God, thy throne is steadfastness in the Cause of God. Thy collar is the chain of the tresses of the Friend; thy necklace the ringlets of His musk-laden locks. Thy cavalcade is the host of loving friends; thy majesty the company of knowing and discerning souls. Thy canopy is the shade of thy Lord’s tender mercy; thy standard the banner of the signs of the Almighty.
Such a sovereignty is boundless in joy, and a dominion such as this is, throughout everlasting ages, accepted and beloved.
Upon thee be the glory of the Most Glorious
At every moment I implore and supplicate the Ancient Beauty with humility and meekness, saying:
O my God, my God! This is Your servant who has forsaken all mention and is occupied with Your mention, who has turned his gaze from every direction and faced the Kingdom of Your mercy, who has turned away from all faces and sincerely directed his face to the Sovereign of Your Lordship, and who has beseeched Your Divine Presence to assist him in serving Your Cause, exalting Your Word, manifesting Your signs and revealing Your lights.
My Lord, make him a diffuser of the divine fragrances, a remover of veils, a reciter of clear verses, and a healer of every chronic disease. My Lord, make him speak with proof and evidence, inspire him with the essence of explanation and exposition, raise through him the banner of assurance, and unfurl through him the sail of grace and beneficence, that the Ship of Certitude may sail upon this flood on the sea of knowledge.
Praise be sanctified above tablet and ink unto the Educator of countless worlds, Who is worthy and deserving, Who created creation and manifested all necessary means through His mighty strength and perfect power. He bestowed sight that His signs might be beheld, hearing that His utterance might be heard, tongue that it might move in His praise, heart that it might be illumined with the lights of His knowledge, hands that they might grasp His Book, and feet that they might stand firm in His Cause. His is the grace and the bestowal, His the greatness and the praise, His the favor and the glory.
Glorified art Thou, O my Creator and Illuminator of my heart and Strengthener of my limbs! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy bounty and the pearls concealed therein, and by the splendors of the Sun of Thy grace and whatsoever wisdom Thou hast ordained therein, to assist Thy loved ones to remember Thee and praise Thee and to act according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. O Lord! Thou seest Nabil-i-Nabil clinging to Thy cord and holding fast to Thy robe and standing in service to Thy servants. I beseech Thee by Muhammad, Thy Beloved and Thy Chosen One, and by the ocean of His knowledge and the light of His countenance and the heaven of His wisdom and the sun of His grace, to make him assisted in that which will draw him near unto Thee. O Lord! Thou seest him speaking Thy praise; enable him to achieve that which will elevate the station of man in the contingent world. O Lord! Thou seest him in all conditions mindful of Thy verses, gladdened by Thy favors, and steadfast in Thy love amongst Thy servants. Strengthen him through Thy sovereignty, then ordain for him what befitteth Thy bounty and Thy bestowal. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
My Lord confirmeth, maketh things pleasant, bestoweth His blessings, His most great guidance, most mighty grace, the happiness of both this world and the world to come, and changeth sorrows and anguish into gladness and joy. With every breath I beg of Abha Kingdom that He may confirm you, gladden your hearts, bless you and glorify all the friends of Saysan and write down My longing for them.
My hope is that the prayer will be answered and boundless bounty will be attained and the confirmation of the Lord of Lords will arrive and each one will be confirmed in comprehensive utterances and decisive speech.
O my God, my God! Verily Thy servant Yuhanna Dawud hath been set aflame with the fire of passionate love in Thy love, and hath emerged in the realm of existence with a power like the rumbling of thunder. He hath spoken Thy remembrance amongst the servants and become renowned throughout the land, while every envious one lieth in wait for him. O Lord! Protect him from the arrows of the corrupt ones and make him a brilliant sign shining upon the heads of all witnesses. Verily Thou art the Generous, verily Thou art the Mighty, the Bestower.
O my God, my God! This is a spirit that has been stirred by the revelations of the Day of meeting with Thee, and this is a lamp that has been lit from the fire kindled in the Tree of Thy mercy. O Lord! Assist him in all things and make him aware of the mysteries of Thy revealed Tablet. Strengthen his back to exalt Thy Word, O Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting! Make his tongue speak forth Thy proofs and evidences, O Thou Possessor of might and power! Make his children, descendants and progeny successful in serving Thy Cause, O Lord of signs and of the Kingdom!
My God and my Hope! This is Thy servant who hath turned unto Thee, who hath clung to the hem of Thy garment and held fast to Thy cord, who hath striven to exalt Thy Word and labored in Thy Cause, who hath traveled through Thy lands until he returned unto Thee and took up his abode near Thee, seeking refuge with Thee in Thy most noble spot.
O my Lord! Encompass him with the glances of Thine eye of mercy, aid him to serve the Word of Thy oneness, make him successful in the greatest steadfastness and in remaining firm and resolute amidst all mankind, and make him one who speaketh forth in praise, who gazeth toward Thy most exalted Kingdom, and who turneth his face toward Thy most glorious Dominion.
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the All-Bestowing.
O two servants of Truth! In this moment I am offering prayers at the Threshold of the One God, the Most Great Name, saying: "O Lord! Make these two precious souls intimate companions with Thy remembrance, and guide these two longing hearts to the rose-garden of inner meanings and realities. Lead these two fish to the sweet waters of guidance, and bring these two gazelles of the desert of unity to the meadow of Thy bounty.
O thou verdant myrtle planted in the Paradise of Sanctity!
The senses of the people of Baha are assuredly perfumed through the pure fragrance exhaled from the Garden of thine heart. Verily, I read those beautiful words traced by thy pen and asked God to make thee a sign of the Signs of His Power amongst His girls, to cause thee to be an emblem of this great Century, to strengthen thee in speech and explanation, to make thee attain the visit of the Holy Threshold and to enable thy father and mother in whatever conduces to salvation and life until the eternity of the eternities and El-Baha be upon thee.
My Lord! Verily Thy servant Ahmad-i-Mahmud took shelter under the extended shade and accompanied Thy servant in journeying and traveling through many regions, keeping him company for several months until he returned to his country to serve the path of righteousness and to make good his beginning and his end.
My Lord! Encompass him with every good, ward off from him all harm, ordain for him a blessing from Thy presence, and make easy for him every difficulty through facility.
O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Word through which were enraptured the people of Baha, and by Thy Most Glorious Name through which hearts were drawn to Thy Most Sublime Horizon, and by that Name through which Thou didst transform darkness into light and tyranny into justice, and through which the ships of Thy Cause did sail upon the sea of Thy will - to aid Thy servants to turn unto Thee and to direct themselves towards Thee.
Thou seest Thy servant who was named Nabil before Sadiq, who hath turned toward the lights of Thy countenance after the passing of the people of Thy kingdom, and drawn nigh unto the ocean of Thy bestowal and the heaven of Thy bounty, and hath advanced toward Thee when most of Thy creation turned away from Thee.
O Lord! Make him so enkindled with the fire of Thy love that through him the inhabitants of Thy lands and realms may be set ablaze.
O Lord! Thou witnesseth his arising to serve Thee, his praise of Thy Self, and his turning towards the ocean of Thy grace. Send down upon him from the heaven of Thy bounty that which shall cause him to endure through the endurance of Thy most beautiful names and Thy most exalted attributes. Then write for him the good of this world and the next. Then cause him to rest beneath Thy shade and aid him to transcribe Thy verses, spread abroad Thy commandments, and manifest Thy knowledge.
I beseech Thee, O my God, to make him and those with him Thy trustees in Thy lands and Thy signs among Thy creation. And we beseech Thee to name him in the Book of Names "The Exalted" that those with him may rejoice thereby. Then ordain for them, O my God, what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones.
My God, my God! Verily, Thy servant Baqir, of radiant countenance and illumined heart, implores Thee and hopes for Thy favors and awaits the wonders of Thy tender mercies. O Lord! Assist him against the enemies and strengthen him with mighty power and loosen his tongue in praise and cause him to speak through the confirmation of the Holy Spirit in the Abha Kingdom, that he may be illumined by the lamp of guidance in the gatherings of the great ones and may call the seekers to the white path and the most excellent way.
I supplicate God to make His beloved ones in Cincinnati (O.) glow with the fire of Sinai, imploring unto the Kingdom of El-ABHA, meek and lowly for the sake of God among His beloved, denying self and passion, grasping the robe of piety, so that they may be lamps of guidance in those regions.
On behalf of this servant convey perfect love and yearning greetings to his honor the late Qamarof and say that we are always engaged in prayer for you, that God may confirm and assist you to be successful in great matters in service to that just king, to render outstanding services, and to leave an eternal trace in the world of humanity.
May God reward thee with the best of rewards, bestow upon thee His most excellent favors, ennoble thy future life, make thee a sign of guidance, strengthen thee with mighty power, immerse thee in the ocean of faithfulness, give thee to drink from the chalice of the divine call, clothe thee with the robe of righteousness, and cause thee to taste the sweetness of bestowal.
Regarding those whose names thou hast written, I ask aid and assistance for them from God, especially ... I beseech at the Threshold of the Oneness of God to shower upon him blessings and open upon him the door of guidance, bestowing upon his heart the heavenly light.
O my God, my God! Thou knowest the intensity of my longing and my great attachment to this servant who is firm in the Covenant and who has grown through the outpouring of the cloud of bounty.
I have beseeched forgiveness from the Lord of Creation for your mother and asked for her comfort and ease. I hope this prayer will be accepted.
This sincere intention that you have is itself service, and assuredly you will be assisted to servitude before the Blessed Beauty, and whatsoever is your ultimate hope and desire - I will beseech God that it may be facilitated, so that you may become an intermediary stringing together the pearls among the friends, and shine forth with the light of God's favor.
O kind Lord! Grant this household an eternal foundation and an everlasting establishment and make it blessed. Thou art the Bestower, the Giver, and the Kind One.
'Abdu'l-Baha, with utmost supplication and imploring, beseecheth this bounty for thee from the Court of Oneness, and longeth to be thy partner and associate in this service.
O thou whose name hath been adorned through its connection with the Most Great Name! My Lord and my Hope! This servant of Thine hath turned to Thee with a watchful eye and a radiant face, and hath taken in his right hand the cup of guidance and drunk the wine of mystic knowledge, and desireth to give the sincere ones to drink of this divine wine.
My Lord! Make him a guardian of the loved ones and a protector of the chosen ones and a servant at Thy holy Threshold amidst all peoples, and assist him with the hosts of the angels of heaven.
O Thou Forgiving Lord! Shed Thy Radiance upon these servants of Thine and give unto them a melodious voice in the Rose-garden of the Most High! Make them the musicians of the Heavenly Feast. Suffer them to become soul-sacrificing in the arena of nearness and union and let them rest on the Couch of the Everlasting Glory. Verily Thou art the Giver, the Generous, the Pardoner and the Kind!
My God, my God! This is a servant who has been illumined by the guiding lights shining from the Sun of Truth and has been enlightened by the Lamp kindled in the Glass of the All-Merciful. O Lord! Illumine his face with the light of bounty and expand his breast through the verses of faithfulness, and make him a goodly example to all humanity. Verily, Thou doest whatsoever Thou willest.
O Thou Kind Almighty, confirm Thou this servant of Thine, Mr. Fraser, in the service of Thy Kingdom. Make him illumined; make him heavenly; make him spiritual; make him divine! Thou art the Generous, the King!
Lord! Make him speak with a brilliant proof, a radiant evidence, a conclusive argument and overwhelming power, so that Thy distinguishing word may be fulfilled: "Truth has come and falsehood has perished," and there is no doubt that the false word is ephemeral and base.
O thou who art turned toward the Abha Kingdom! The blessed leaf, Khalih Khanum, mentions thee at all times in the gathering of the Merciful, remembers thee in the meetings of fellowship, and offers prayers for thee in the Holy Shrine, that through the aid and bounty of the Ancient Beauty thou mayest become the joy of the righteous and the leader of the army of the free--that is, that thou mayest be freed from every bond, detached from every defilement, severed from all save God and holding fast to the Sure Handle of the All-Choosing One.
O my Lord! These two servants have taken refuge in the shelter of Thy mercifulness and have clung to the threshold of Thy Lordship and have turned their faces toward the Kingdom of Thy Self-Subsistence and have purified their countenances in Thy love and have held fast to Thy Most Firm Handle, O Thou Who art the Lord of the First and the Last!
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.
Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Loving.
Verily, Thy servant Abu'l-Qasim shares with Thy loved ones the outpourings of Thy mercy, and I swear by Thy resplendent Beauty that he strives to serve Thy servants throughout the worlds, that Thy verses may be spread abroad, Thy evidences become manifest, and Thy words penetrate the hearts of the seekers.
Verily God has forgiven thy father and thy mother. He is indeed the Forgiver, the Mighty, the Generous.
Rejoice thou in thy Lord's favor, then render thanks unto Him at morn and eventide.
As mention hath been made of His honor Haji Mirza, upon him be the peace of God and His grace, and likewise mention of His honor Haji A.A., upon them both be Baha'u'llah's [glory], if that beloved one is present in that land, convey greetings on behalf of this deprived one to each of them. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to grant unto each one both outward and inward bounties, and sustenance both earthly and heavenly, and this will assuredly be answered through His generosity, which hath encouraged me, and through His bounty, which hath increased my certitude. And I implore God to bestow speedy recovery upon the honored beloved, His honor A.B., upon him be Baha'u'llah's [glory]. Peace and praise and remembrance and glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and who love you for the sake of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth.
The letters from that spiritual friend arrived in succession. Praise be to God, each was a truthful messenger, a blessed courier, and a beloved herald, for the fragrance of love, affection and devotion wafted from them. After reading, I approached the Sacred Threshold where, after presentation, it was said: "O Muhammad-Rida, upon thee be the peace of God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names! I was seated upon the throne, contemplating God's power, sovereignty, might, grandeur and strength, when there came one who loved Me and read thy letter before My face. From it We found the fragrance of trust in God and detachment, and thy adherence to righteousness and godliness. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having made me acknowledge the unity of Thy Being and the sanctity of Thy Self above the recognition of Thy creatures. I beseech Thee, O Bestower of bounties and Quickener of moldering bones, by Thy Most Great Name, to assist me to exercise justice and fairness. O Lord! Thou seest the believers in the hands of the ungodly who have broken Thy covenant and Thy pact and have surrounded Thy cities and lands. O Lord! Ordain for me and Thy servants the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily, Thou art the Lord of the Throne and earth, and in Thy grasp is the reins of all things. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Powerful."
This evanescent one begs his Everlasting Lord to rain down upon you from the clouds of grace the showers of His bounty, and to adorn you in all conditions with the ornament of health, well-being and favor. Verily, He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Mention was made of His Eminence the Effendi, may God, blessed and exalted be He, strengthen him. In truth, from his name joy appears in the heart. This is naught but a divine hidden grace deposited in his innermost being. Then, according to his desire, he attained the presence, and after presentation of his mention, it was said: "We beseech God, the Lord of all beings, the Lord of the Sacred House, the Sacred Monument and Station, to ordain for him every good that He has sent down in His Book, to open before his face the gate of munificence and generosity, and the gate of blessing, glory and wealth among the nations, and to give him to drink, at all times, from the Kawthar of divine knowledge. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Bestower, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Gracious."
O God, my Purpose, my Adored One! Thy remembrance is the companion of hearts and Thy mention the solace of souls. Whosoever seeketh anyone but Thee hath been and shall ever be in loss, and whosoever desireth any other than Thee hath been and shall ever be bereft. Bid the sun of Thy grace to shine upon the dead, and the rain of Thy mercy to pour upon the realm of existence. O my God! The saplings of the garden seek water, and the flowers of the garden of inner meanings yearn for confirmation. Water and sun are Thy two great signs - deprive not Thy servants of these two.
We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to adorn thee in all conditions with the ornament of righteousness and fear of God, to protect thee from the evil of enemies, to give thee to drink at all times from the cup of recognition, and to ordain for thee from the Pen of Destiny that which will draw thee near unto Him and assist thee in that which thou hast been commanded in His Book.
Although this servant has not had the honor of meeting him, I beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to sanctify the orators of the world and adorn them with the ornament of knowledge and deeds.
Mention was made in the letter of Nur-Muhammad. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make him one who drinks from the cup of certitude at all times and to ordain for him that which will exalt him among the religions. Verily He is the Mighty, the Bestower. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of grace be upon you, O friends of God and His chosen ones.
Blessed art thou for having turned and believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We beseech God to confirm thee even as He confirmed thy father, and through you both to open the doors of hearts. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Aid Thou Mihdi, who hath emigrated from his homeland out of love for meeting Thee and standing before Thy gate. O Lord! Ordain for him what Thou hast sent down in Thy Book for those who are nigh unto Thee among Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted and Most Glorious Lord!
Praise be to God that the fragrances of the Divine Word are diffused, the sweet scent of His garment is wafted abroad, and the light of His Cause is radiant. Blessed are those souls whom doubts and idle fancies did not prevent from the Dayspring of certitude - they heard the call and responded, turning with heart and soul to the supreme horizon. Their aim in all conditions hath been the good-pleasure of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. With radiant faces, pure hearts, and enlightened breasts they have arisen to serve His Cause. These are they who move by His Will and rest by His Will. Their purpose in all matters hath been the grace of Him Who conversed on Sinai, and their aspiration to attain the presence of Him Who hath appeared. Exalted be their station, their glory, and their power! For the opposition of the world did not hinder them, nor did the might of rulers weaken them. They appear with complete power. Upon them be the glory of God and the lights of His mighty throne.
Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thou seest Thy servant whom Thou hast made to be attracted by Thy verses and enkindled with the fire of Thy love. He desires to mention one of Thy loved ones who is named 'Ali-before-Akbar in Thy Most Great View. I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, by Thy most exalted Paradise and Thy most sublime Garden, and by the Sun of Thy grace which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of bounty, to assist him in Thy remembrance, Thy praise, and the service of Thy Cause. O Lord! Deny him not the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance in Thy days, and ordain for him what Thou hast ordained for the chosen ones among Thy servants. Aid him with the hosts of the unseen and the visible. Verily, Thou art the Lord of creation. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And further: it is submitted that for some time no news has outwardly been received from that spiritual beloved. God willing, may they be protected and preserved in all conditions within the fortress of divine protection. The loved ones of that land have been and are remembered, and for each I beseech divine confirmation and assistance. Today, being the third of the blessed month of Ramadan, I am commanded to mention this matter: According to what they have written, the honored consort of the beloved and esteemed Nazir, upon him be the glory of God, is traveling in that direction, and they have written that two persons are accompanying her - one being Aqa 'Ali-Muhammad and the other an outsider. In this case, the coming of that outsider is in no way advisable. Therefore, if they prevent that person and instead have one or two of those souls who have intended to visit the Most Holy Court and have been honored with permission accompany her, this would be acceptable and beloved before God. They commanded: Write to His Honor 'Ali-before-Akbar, upon him be My glory - the loved ones of God must in all conditions be vigilant regarding the Command of God and act toward His friends and loved ones in a manner that is befitting. Soon shall all the deeds, actions, manifestations and appearances of the world return to nothingness. That which occurs for the sake of God and in His path is recorded and inscribed by the Divine Pen in the eternal tablet. Today, service to the Truth is service to His loved ones, for the Prisoner is outwardly prevented from what is befitting. Therefore, whatever appears regarding His friends and loved ones is attributed to Him and counted as service to Him. Blessed are those souls whom love of the world and its ornaments did not prevent and deprive from service. They are among those who are near to God in His Book, the Lord of all worlds.
This evanescent servant conveyeth his greetings unto the friends of God, who are known and distinguished in the Book as the people of Baha. He beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to set each one of them ablaze with His love, that they may, through their utterance, draw all created things unto the horizon of the All-Merciful and discharge their obligations towards the friends of God. The people of Baha are accounted before God as the people of justice and fairness in all cities. Well is it with them, and joy be unto them! After the arrival of the honored consort of the esteemed Nazir, upon him be the glory and favor of God, they should, according to their means, attend to their affairs of whatever kind, and if funds are needed there, they should give and arrange for them to be transferred, and payment shall be made. This servant beseecheth his Lord to aid His loved ones to do that which He loveth and is pleased with.
As for Aqa 'Ali-Muhammad who is with them, it would be more pleasing if he were to remain in that city and engage in commerce. Convey my greetings unto him. Praise be to God, they are mentioned in His presence, and another person was previously mentioned as well. If, instead of these two souls, those friends who have permission were to attend to this matter, it would be and is more fitting, more pleasing and more excellent. Glory and praise be upon you and upon those with you, and upon them that have acted according to that which was enjoined upon them by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
I beseech Thee, O Lord, by his right, to send peace upon Him Who stands by Thy Cause in His station in fulfillment throughout the worlds of creation, Who is obeyed in the spheres of attributes and names, Who is unique in His station of obedience above all mankind and exalted in His station of good-pleasure above all similitude and likeness - the Light of Thy Countenance on Mount Paran, the Manifestation of Thy majesty upon the Dome of Time, and the revelation of Thy appearance in the verses of the Bayan.
I beseech Thee, O my God, at this moment, by the radiant lights of Thy countenance and the dawning-places of the Sun of Thy oneness, that Thou send Thy blessings upon Thy Proof, son of Thy Proof, Ali ibn Musa, Thy chosen one among Thy loved ones and Thy pure one among Thy near ones, whom Thou hast made the gate of knowledge of Thee and the path of approach unto the sacred carpet of Thy exaltation.
Prayer of Muhammad ibn 'Ali, peace be upon him:
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art the Originator of the heavens and earth, possessed of might and splendor, of majesty and radiance, of grandeur and glory, of loftiness and names, of dominion and attributes. Through Thy camphor-like essence Thou hast sanctified Thyself above the recognition of all created things, and through Thine own Being Thou hast exalted Thyself above the praise of all existences. Through the glory of Thy holy Personality, Thou art beyond what any bird of the hearts can attain in the kingdom of names and attributes. Through the sublimity of Thy Self-Subsistence, Thou art exalted in such grandeur that the hands of the essences among the possessors of abstraction in the kingdom of earth and heavens cannot reach Thee. Thou art safeguarded in such an impregnable manifestation that none among all beings can know Thee.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy splendor which is more splendorous than all splendor, and Thy majesty which is more majestic than all majesty, and Thy beauty which is more beautiful than all beauty, and Thy grandeur which is greater than all grandeur, and by Thy light which is more luminous than all light, and by Thy mercy which hath encompassed all atoms, and by Thy perfection which is more perfect than all perfection in the kingdom of earth and heavens, to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad ibn 'Ali, Thy Proof and son of Thy Proof, with the most excellent blessings Thou hast ever sent upon any of Thy chosen ones or bestowed upon any of Thy sincere ones. And cause, O my God, his heart to be well-pleased with Thee, his spirit with Thy Prophet, his soul with his chosen forefathers and then with the Imams after him, the pure ones, and his body with the pillars of Thy Sacred House, for verily none but Thee possesseth this, nor can any besides Thee accomplish it.
Make his eyes, O my God, to be gladdened by there being naught in his knowledge that he would dislike, that all things may bear witness to that for which Thou didst create them - the testimony that there is no God but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God and that the Imams are the Proofs of God and that the Gates of the House are the Manifestations of God's Mystery. For this is that for which Thou hast created, sustained, caused to die and given life to all things. There is no power nor strength except through Thee. Through Thee have I become independent of all else but Thee, and have hoped for Thy grace and beneficence, being certain that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, the Lord of all worlds.
O God! Let his eyes be gladdened that his knowledge encompasseth not aught that he abhorreth. And O God! Send down upon them that love him that which befitteth the glory of Thy holy might and the splendor of Thine eternal majesty.
O Lord! O Pure One! Thanks be unto Thee that we traversed mountain and desert and crossed the mighty ocean until we reached this region. Throughout this land we mentioned Thy name and fame, even in this church, like unto Elijah, we called unto Thy Kingdom. O Lord! Make the people of this church attracted to Thy beauty, keep them safe and protected in Thy shelter, and bless them.
My request is that, on my behalf, they should recite this prayer in the Holy Shrine in a state of weeping, helplessness and supplication, with a voice of imploring and beseeching, with sighs and lamentations and cries, and that those who hear it should beg for its acceptance.
O thou lamp of certitude and steadfast in the Covenant!
The letter arrived and the noble descendant of Habib shared it with his collaborator and partner. He demonstrated the utmost eloquence and perfect fluency. Blessed art thou and he and his partner in this great achievement! It was not a letter - it was a musk-pod. When I opened it, the fragrance of the love of God wafted forth and the scent of that garden of faithfulness perfumed the nostrils.
Praise be to God that the illustrious Khalil has such a descendant as thee, and that his holiness Abraham has such a devoted and compassionate son in Israel. The raising up of such souls is truly a cause of joy, for praise be to God, the lamentations and prayers and counsels and admonitions of the Prophets of Israel were not in vain. A branch from the branches of God has entered beneath the shadow of the Lord and on the Day of the Lord has become one of the hosts of the Lord of Hosts. They have found the Beloved of their souls and discovered the hidden mystery of the heart. They have rapture in their heads and majesty in their breasts. They are sacrificing lovers and longing servants, faithful guardians and truthful ones.
O Lord, God of Abraham and Isaac! Thou hast clothed this glorious party of Israel in the robe of virtue and distinguished them with a special gift, and made them the manifestation of "Verily, I have chosen you above all peoples." From that people Thou didst raise up Prophets and gather blessed souls beneath the shadow of the Most Great Banner. O Lord! Make manifest and evident that which Thou didst promise through the tongue of the Prophets, and make them successful and joyous through the gifts which Thou didst give them glad tidings of. Grant organization to this scattered people and bestow eternal glory upon this oppressed nation, that they may gather in the Holy Land which is the inheritance of their forefathers and with utmost glory engage in Thy praise and glorification. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Merciful, the Mighty, the Bestower.
Regarding the black friends, you wrote that black and white gathered in one meeting and completely eliminated distinctions of race and differences of color. When an assembly of these two races is arranged, it becomes a magnet for the Concourse on High and the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty encompass it. I offered prayers to the Divine Kingdom and sought forgiveness of sins for Mrs. Hannen's mother and Miss Noblack.
O God! O Thou Who openest the doors, Who bewilderest hearts and minds, Who preparest the means for the success of Thy servants in both the beginning and the end!
My Lord, make this servant of Thine immersed in the ocean of Thy mercy, devoted to the threshold of Thy holiness, and a companion to Thy chosen ones and loved ones. Aid him to serve Thy creation, to show compassion to Thy creatures, and to be sincere in Thy Cause. Make him a sign of Thy bounty in Thy lands and a token of Thy mercy amongst Thy servants.
O Lord! Grant them success in every good deed among the chosen ones, and let Thy grace and favor encompass even the strangers. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Choosing.
'Abdu'l-Baha constantly implores and beseeches at the Divine Threshold that He may rid His friends of all concerns, and make them kind to both stranger and kin, so that the radiant flame of true fellowship may be kindled in the assemblage of the world and utterly consume the veil of estrangement.
I supplicated and implored at the Threshold of the Beauty of Abha, beseeching pardon, forgiveness and bounty of the Merciful for thee, thy friends and even thine enemies.
...O my God, my God! Aid Thy servants to manifest such virtues as Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones, and to walk in such paths as Thou hast chosen for Thy trusted ones, that they may treat all humanity with utmost truthfulness and love, both in private and in public, becoming a refuge for the fearful, a haven for those who cry for help, physicians to the sick, supporters of the lowly among men, sweet crystal water for the thirsty, a heavenly feast for the hungry, sincere in their faith toward Thee, merciful toward all mankind, loving even toward enemies, and tender even toward those filled with rancor and hatred. Verily, Thou art the Generous, Thou art the Great, Thou art the All-Merciful, the Ever-Compassionate. Abbas Abbas.
For thought and discussion