Prayer for martyrs: remembrance, mercy, and those who remain

O Lord! Glorify the abode of this newly arrived guest. Grant him an exalted station within the precincts of Thy transcendent mercy in the presence of the glorious Companion; confer upon him a dwelling in that immeasurable and boundless immensity, the vast kingdom of Thy pardon and forgiveness, which none can comprehend save those whom the Omnipotent Lord hath inspired.

O Forgiving Lord! Make that demolished house into a prosperous home and make that grieving family joyous and grateful, that they may shine like the sun among all peoples and become a goodly seed.

O Lord, verily, these two were evident signs of Thy love and conspicuous words on the Tablets of Thy Oneness. They were two sanctified souls amongst Thy friends, two radiant stars on horizon of faithfulness and certitude of the heaven of Thy servitude. O Lord, bestow upon them through Thy generosity and grace all that Thou has decreed in the Kingdom of Thy Light and grant patience upon those related to them.

I beseech Thee by them and by their blood to send down from the heaven of Thy mercy relief from Thy presence, peace from Thy side, and compassion from Thy direction.

O Lord, Lord! Verily Thy servant Muhammad-'Ali was attracted to Thy glorious Kingdom and enkindled with the fire of Thy love, aware of the hidden mystery. The arrow of the people of error struck him and he fell prostrate on the field of battle though he had no part in the conflict, but was innocent of all strife and combat. But when the cavalry attacked by day and night, and fired bullets with no escape possible, at that time Thy penitent servant fell to the earth, prostrate and slain.

O my Lord, my God! This servant of Thine, Mandeh-'Ali, was attracted by Thy holy fragrances with such rapture that he yearned to sacrifice himself in Thy path and longed for annihilation in Thy love. He drank the supreme chalice of martyrdom out of love for Thy beauty and desire to attain Thy presence.

… O Lord! Ordain for him entry into the Paradise of refuge, eternal life in the supreme Paradise, the enjoyment of Thy favors in the highest heaven, and grant him an exalted station.

O Lord, make him a star rising in the highest horizon, a lamp shining in the glass of eternity, and a blessed tree in the realm of dust, adorned with the flowers of Thy greatest gift and the fruits of the Sidrat al-Muntaha.

Lord, illumine the tomb of that glorious Branch and perfume the grave of that unique martyr with the outpouring of Thy mercy streaming down abundantly from the cloud of forgiveness.

He is the Most Holy, the Most Impregnable, the Most Mighty, the Most Exalted

A remembrance from Me unto him who hath attained unto the lights of divine knowledge in the days of his Lord, the All-Merciful, that the fragrance of remembrance may draw him to a station wherein he shall cast aside all sorrows and immerse himself in the ocean of life through this remembrance, before which the Spirit proclaimeth: "The Joy of the worlds is come!" He is a helper to him that hath no helper, and a son to him whose son was martyred in the love of God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Great.

All atoms and all things in their entirety, and beyond them the Tongue of God, the King, the Transcendent, the Mighty, the Impregnable, bear witness that he who dieth in the love of God is assuredly among those who have been martyred in His path and was of those who have attained. Wouldst thou grieve after that which the Tongue of the Wronged One and the Most Exalted, the Self-Subsisting, hath spoken? Through this word the denizens of the highest Paradise rejoiced, and the Dove warbled upon the branches of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. Blessed is he whom God hath singled out for this bounty, whereby the faces of His chosen ones were illumined in the most exalted Paradise, and the sweet fragrance of loving-kindness wafted over the dwellers of the heavens and the earth.

From thy Lord's word have been planted the trees of hope in the hearts of all created things, and the sun of generosity hath shone upon all in existence from this horizon which hath been illumined by the countenance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. By My life! Hadst thou been present before the Face and heard with thine own ears the verses of thy Lord, thou wouldst have forsaken the world and all that is therein, and wouldst have arisen amidst the peoples of all worlds, calling upon thy Lord, the All-Merciful: "I am content with Thy good-pleasure, O Thou the Beloved of the worlds, and I praise Thee for my son's martyrdom in the year wherein the Son of the Wronged One was martyred in the land of exile. Blessed are the two sons who have attained unto God's remembrance and His Word, and whose names have adorned the Tablet of Creation from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Wise."

Marvel not at the supreme loving-kindness of thy Lord, for He beholdeth that which none hath comprehended save His all-embracing Self, which encompasseth all created things. Were We to acquaint thee with the station of him who hath ascended unto God and his love for his Lord, thou wouldst assuredly arise to praise and remember him at all times. The Cause is in the grasp of thy Lord's power - He ordaineth what He pleaseth for whom He pleaseth, and bestoweth upon whom He willeth that which He desireth. He, verily, is the Ruler over what He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Follow thou thy Lord. Neither afflictions nor sorrows have deterred Him from that which He was commanded in the path of God, the Lord of all religions. In the ocean of tribulation, He calleth those on land among the peoples of creation to this Cause, through which the horizon of certitude hath been illumined. When the rapture of the All-Merciful's utterance overtaketh thee and thou drinkest the choice wine of life from the hands of grace and bounty, arise and lift up thy hands unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I have come unto Thee, detached from all else beside Thee, heedless of any other than Thee, turning unto the horizon of Thy grace, the Dayspring of Thy generosity, and the Source of Thy favors. I beseech Thee by the wrongs suffered by Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self, and by His exile in Thy lands, and His loneliness among Thy creatures, to make me one of those whom the might of Thine enemies hath not kept back from drawing nigh unto Thee, and whom the veils of Thy creatures and the coverings of Thy people have not prevented from beholding Thy face.

O Lord! Thou seest me standing before Thy gate, enkindled with the fire of Thy love, gazing toward the hidden gifts of Thy bounty, content with what Thou hast ordained for me in the tablets of Thy decree and the pages of Thy destiny. I beseech Thee by Thy Self to strengthen me in Thy love in such wise that I shall suffice myself with Thee as mine aid. O Lord! Turn unto him who hath turned unto Thee, then ordain for him what is best in Thy knowledge, for Thou knowest him better than he knoweth himself, and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Grant me, O my God, the sweetness of that which hath proceeded from the mouth of Thy bounty and descended from the heaven of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me the outpourings of the heaven of Thy mercy and the rain-showers of the clouds of Thy tender care. I have committed my soul into Thy hands; turn it about as Thou pleasest with the fingers of Thy power. This is my request and my hope, O Thou Beloved of the hearts of them that know, and Thou Goal of the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee.

O Lord! Shelter him in the cave of Thy grace, admit him into the garden of Thy oneness, and grant him the blessing of attaining Thy presence through the endurance of Thy unity and the permanence of Thy self-subsistence. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

O glorious martyr! With utmost humility and devotion, I am engaged in chanting this prayer: O Lord of the manifest signs! Grant this martyr deliverance from sorrows and bestow upon him the sweet fragrances of joyous days, that he may be completely freed from the grief and joy of contingent existence and attain heavenly gladness and divine delight, and that spiritual expansion may be manifested.

O God! Exalt him, make him honored, make him content, let no harm befall him, that he may inhale Your fragrance, discover Your mystery, hasten toward You, reach Your court, and behold Your countenance.

O Lord! Accept this pure blood in Your path and in the world above make this soul radiant.

Lord! Enter him into the Kingdom of Your mercy and the Paradise of Your uniqueness, comfort him through Your grace and favors, and seat him upon the throne of majesty in the Kingdom of Beauty through Your generosity and kindnesses.

O my God, my God! Honor his dwelling place and grant his desire and increase the bounty and bestow upon him nearness and the presence in the gathering where Thy Most Glorious Beauty is manifest.

O Lord! Shelter him in the vicinity of Thy greatest mercy, shade him beneath Thy Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary, make him a warbling bird upon the branches, singing varied melodies in Thy most exalted paradise upon the Tuba tree.

Lord, Lord! Illumine his face in the Kingdom of existence for spending his spirit in the realm of witnessing, and distinguish him among the people of prostration with abundant bounty and the praiseworthy station in the seat of truth in the Most Exalted Companion and Your Most Glorious Kingdom.

O my God, my God! This is Your servant whom You have crowned with the crown of faithfulness, and who hastened to the field of martyrdom with such longing that the Concourse on High were moved to joy. O Lord! Reward him in Your Most Glorious Kingdom and give him to drink from the cup of reunion, and immerse him in the lights of divine manifestation in the gathering place of witnessing and immortality.

O Lord, elevate their stations in the Most Glorious Paradise, illuminate their faces with a brilliant light from the Supreme Concourse, honor their dwelling place in the vicinity of Your great mercy, admit them into Your abundant garden, and immortalize them in Your Paradise of Shelter.

My Lord! Make them brilliant stars in the horizon of eternity, radiant lamps in the supreme height, dazzling signs from the Most Glorious Kingdom, and unfurled banners at the pole of faithfulness.

Lord, make them waves in the ocean of forgiveness, make them hosts in the Kingdom of the All-Merciful, ordain for them every good in the Garden of Good-Pleasure, enable them to enter the scene of vision, and grant them eternal dwelling in the garden of meeting through grace and bounty.

Clothe them, O my God, with the robe of Thy favor and the raiment of Thy loving providence, which Thou hast reserved for Thine own Self and woven with the hands of Thy manifold bounties and gifts. Give them, then, to drink, from the hands of Thy loving-kindness, of the cups of Thy measureless mercy. Cause them, moreover, O my Best-Beloved, to abide within the precincts of Thy court and around Thy most effulgent Tabernacle.

We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon him in every moment mercy from His presence and loving-kindness from His own Self. Verily He is the Mighty, the Bestower. And we beseech Him, exalted be He, to establish his station in the shade of the Divine Lote-Tree and give him to drink of the Kawthar of immortality from the hands of grace and bounty.

Bless Thou, likewise, as long as Thine own Self endureth and Thine own Essence doth last, them that have suffered martyrdom in Thy path. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Say: Whoso is martyred in the path of God, God will assuredly exalt him in the life to come and in this life, for He hath power over all things. Say: God hath ordained for those who are martyred in His path that He shall exalt their mention in this life and in the life to come, and shall cause them to enter the seats of light from His presence.

… Glory be unto Thee, O God, my Lord! Send down Thy blessings upon those who have ascended unto Thee with dominion and kingdom.

I beseech Thee, O my God, to send Thy blessings upon Thy Proof, the Martyr in Thy path, as befits Thy praise and glory, and to bestow upon those who were slain before him on the Day of Ashura in this month such honor and bounty as Thou deemest worthy.

Ordain for him, O my God, from Thy glory its most glorious, from Thy majesty its most majestic, from Thy beauty its most beautiful, from Thy grandeur its most grand, from Thy light its most luminous, from Thy mercy its most expansive, from Thy words their most perfect, from Thy perfection its most perfect, from Thy names their greatest, from Thy might its mightiest, from Thy will its most decisive, from Thy purpose its swiftest, from Thy power its most powerful, from Thy decree its most just, from Thy providence its nearest, from Thy permission its most elevated, from Thy cause its most subtle, from Thy Book its most excellent, from Thy knowledge its most penetrating, from Thy power its most far-reaching, from Thy word its most pleasing, from Thy questions their most beloved, from Thy honor its most honorable, from Thy sovereignty its most enduring, from Thy dominion its most glorious, from Thy tenderness its most tender, from Thy exaltation its most exalted, from Thy bounty its most ancient, from Thy signs their most wondrous.

In the Name of God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O God! I testify, and all things testify, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thine is the creation and the command, Thou givest life and causeth death, then causeth death and givest life, and verily Thou art the Ever-Living Who dieth not. Within Thy grasp is the kingdom of all things; Thou createst what Thou willest by Thy command. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things.

This is the day when the souls of those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs ascend unto Thee and descend to the court of the Manifestations of Thy names and Thy examples. I beseech Thee therefore, O my God, to send down upon the hearts, souls, spirits and bodies of those who have detached themselves unto Thee that which will bring solace to their eyes in the pavilions of Paradise and will bring tranquility to their inner beings through that which Thou hast revealed in the Bayan. Verily, Thou art powerful over this, swift to act, O Thou the Possessor of might and sovereignty! And verily Thou art, over this, transcendent and inaccessible, O Thou the Possessor of glory and grace!

I beseech Thee, O God, by the Tree which Thou hast planted at Thy affirmation and watered with the blood of Thy loved ones, to cause that Tree, its branches, leaves and fruits to grow until it reacheth that which is befitting at Thy creation and returneth to that which is worthy of the court of Thy glory and majesty. For Thou hast made lawful the blood of Thy loved ones at the manifestation of Thy unity and hast made detachment permissible for the people of Thy love at the appearance of Thy sanctity.

I beseech Thee therefore, O my God, by the hearts that have glorified Thy Essence morning and evening, by the spirits that have prostrated themselves before Thy Being at eventide and dawn, by the souls that have unified Thy camphor-like nature in the vessel of night and the extremities of day, and by the bodies that have submitted themselves before Thee between Thy hands through what Thou hast cast into them of awe and detachment, to send down at this moment from the highest horizon upon these sacred temples and radiant, perfected Manifestations in Thy love that which will establish Thy glorification, raise up Thy praise, proclaim Thy unity, and exalt Thy magnification, and will set right what Thou hast intended for the people of Thy kingdom, and will bring into being that which will delight the eyes of the people of Thy dominion.

For verily Thou art each day in a wondrous state. Thou dost recompense every soul for what it hath earned, and there remaineth not hidden from Thee that which the hands of men have acquired - neither from those whom Thou hast created from the Tree of Affirmation and hast exalted their mention through what Thou hast revealed regarding them until the Day of Reckoning, nor from the Tree of Negation which Thou hast caused to perish in its shade with true annihilation, whereof Thou didst reveal aforetime in the Mother Book: "It is like an evil tree, uprooted from above the earth, having no stability."

Glorified art Thou, O God! All return unto Thee, even if it be a servant who hath possessed the east of the earth and its west. But Thou hast made them to be among the letters of negation, wherefore they earn not so much as a grain of anything, and when they are seized by Thy command they enter into the fire and return to the severest punishment, and their own souls disavow themselves just as I this day bear witness regarding those who worship Thee not - how they disavow the Names of those who worshipped Thee not before, though they themselves are in torment, yet they know not. And their skins shall be changed until they disavow themselves just as they disavowed before, and they curse themselves for what their hands have earned in Thy path. Verily Thou art most severe in punishment and most exemplary in retribution. And how many servants have possessed the east of the earth and its west, yet today none remembereth them save to curse them if they are remembered, or else Thou hast elevated their mention as though they had no mention. Thus dost Thou cause the Tree of Negation to perish, even as Thou hast promised unto Thyself.

Glorified art Thou, O God! I seek refuge in Thee through Thy Names which Thou hast magnified, through the verses Thou hast sent down, through the similitudes Thou hast exalted, through the decrees Thou hast ordained, and through the stations Thou hast distinguished, lest I should disavow them or mention them in any way other than how Thou hast mentioned them. Therefore, O my God, curse their souls and curse those who curse them not, and those who remain silent regarding their cursing, and those who desire to remedy what their hands have wrought, and those who turn to them for any matter, for Thou hast commanded the Tree of Affirmation and those who seek shelter beneath its shade to deny those who believe not in Thee. We, by Thy might, believe in Thee and Thy signs, while we disavow the Tree of Negation and all that pertaineth thereunto.

O God! Multiply Thy blessings and the tokens of Thy mercy upon the Tree of Thy unity, the branches of Thy singleness, the leaves of Thy sanctity, and the fruits of Thy glorification. And curse, O Lord, the Tree of Negation and all that is associated therewith. Place the degradation of their deeds before their eyes and seize them for their actions with a severity surpassing that with which Thou didst seize the Pharaohs, destroy the tyrants, and annihilate the manifestations of wickedness, removing them from the earth save the Blessed Tree, for verily Thou art powerful over this through the dominion of Thy might and the sovereignty of Thy dominion.

O God! Rend them with every torment and destroy them with every destruction Thou createst by Thy command, for we declare there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thy proof hath been completed against all who dwell in the kingdom of Thy heaven and earth, whereby Thou dost establish the Tree of Affirmation and exalt it, that Thou might abase the Tree of Negation and destroy it, for there is no glory save in obedience to Thee and Thy good-pleasure, and no abasement save in Thy wrath and in failing to follow the Manifestations of Thy countenance.

Preserve me, O my God, through Thy power, Thy might, Thy sufficiency, Thy strength, and the examples of Thy Lordship, from that which Thou lovest not and which is attributed to the Tree of Negation. Grant me, O my God, that which Thou hast loved and attributed to the Tree of Affirmation from Thy presence, for that Tree is established as Thou hast described it in the Mother Book, where Thou hast said - and Thy word is the truth - "its root is firm and its branch is in heaven, yielding its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord."

Glory be unto Thee, O Lord! Although Thou mayest cause a person to be destitute of all earthly possessions, and from the beginning of his life until his ascension unto Thee he may be reduced to poverty through the operation of Thy decree, yet wert Thou to have brought him forth from the Tree of Thy love, such a bounty would indeed be far better for him than all the things Thou hast created in heaven and earth and whatsoever lieth between them; inasmuch as he will inherit the heavenly home, through the revelation of Thy favors, and will partake of the goodly gifts Thou hast provided therein; for the things which are with Thee are inexhaustible. This indeed is Thy blessing which according to the good-pleasure of Thy Will Thou dost bestow on those who tread the path of Thy love.

How numerous the souls who in former times were put to death for Thy sake, and in whose names all men now pride themselves; and how vast the number of those whom Thou didst enable to acquire earthly fortunes, and who amassed them while they were deprived of Thy Truth, and who in this day have passed into oblivion. Theirs is a grievous chastisement and a dire punishment. O Lord! Provide for the speedy growth of the Tree of Thy divine Unity; water it then, O Lord, with the flowing waters of Thy good-pleasure, and cause it, before the revelations of Thy divine assurance, to yield such fruits as Thou desirest for Thy glorification and exaltation, Thy praise and thanksgiving, and to magnify Thy Name, to laud the oneness of Thine Essence and to offer adoration unto Thee, inasmuch as all this lieth within Thy grasp and in that of none other.

Great is the blessedness of those whose blood Thou hast chosen wherewith to water the Tree of Thine affirmation, and thus to exalt Thy holy and immutable Word. Ordain for me, O my Lord, and for those who believe in Thee that which is deemed best for us in Thine estimation, as set forth in the Mother Book, for within the grasp of Thy hand Thou holdest the determined measures of all things. Thy goodly gifts are unceasingly showered upon such as cherish Thy love and the wondrous tokens of Thy heavenly bounties are amply bestowed on those who recognize Thy divine Unity. We commit unto Thy care whatsoever Thou hast destined for us, and implore Thee to grant us all the good that Thy knowledge embraceth. Protect me, O my Lord, from every evil that Thine omniscience perceiveth, inasmuch as there is no power nor strength but in Thee, no triumph is forthcoming save from Thy presence, and it is Thine alone to command. Whatever God hath willed hath been, and that which He hath not willed shall not be. There is no power nor strength except in God, the Most Exalted, the Most Mighty.

O God! Open the eyes of them that love Thee, inasmuch as they see no glory save in obedience to Thee and in Thy good-pleasure, and no abasement save in him who believeth not in Thee and boweth not down before the majesty of Thy Countenance, for that is an everlasting glory, and this an abasement from which its people shall flee when its shame is made manifest. Glory be unto Thee! There is no God but Thee. I love naught but what Thou lovest, and verily I, with my heart, my soul, my spirit, my being and all that Thou hast given me to possess, am quit of him who believeth not in Thee and acknowledgeth not Thy unity, for he is among the letters of negation in Thy sight.

I shall love with my whole being all the manifestations through which Thy unity is established, and I beseech Thee of Thy grace to join together these holy Temples and preserve them before them and behind them, on their right and on their left, above their heads and beneath their feet, and from every direction that leadeth unto them, that no measure of grief, even to the extent of nineteen times nineteen mustard seeds, may reach them. Rather, O my God, do Thou at all times send down from the heights of Thy unity that which shall gladden their eyes and which shall wreak such vengeance upon negation and those who dwell therein as shall cool their hearts, for by this doth Thy servant rejoice before Thy glory and his heart is solaced at the appearance of Thy chastisement and Thy power. There is no strength save in Thee.

By Thy might! I have not loved nor do I love to mention a single letter of negation, nay, I love not that my knowledge should encompass it, nay, I love not that my thoughts should dwell upon it. However, do I not see that these whom Thou hast chosen by Thy Cause and selected for the places of Thy creation, and made them the letters of Thy affirmation and the repositories of Thy signs, have been abased at the hands of them that have waxed proud? Though their weakness in Thy sight is a glory that shall not pass away, and the strength of them that have waxed proud is an abasement that shall destroy them, yet have I confided in Thee, O my God, that Thou wilt hasten to exalt this Tree that Thy unity may be made manifest and the branches of Thy detachment may bear fruit, and that Thou wilt annihilate him who believeth not in Thee and in Thy signs, and bring him to utter extinction, and destroy him as befitteth Thy power over him, that the Command may remain Thine alone. There is no God but Thee, and no letter of negation existeth save that Thou hast scattered it by the severity of Thy might, nor any letter of affirmation save that Thou hast honored it through the glory of Thy names and the gifts of the measures of Thy majesty, for none is able to do this save Thee.

There is no power nor strength except through Thee. In Thee do I place my trust and verily Thou art sufficient unto us. They who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs have no way against them who have not believed in Thee and in Thy signs. Those are the party of God and those are the triumphant ones. And those are the letters of negation and those are they who, by reason of what their hands have wrought, shall be brought to naught upon the earth. They have no protector nor helper from God. They have no protector nor supporter from God. God hath seized them for their sins, and they have no defender from God.

I beseech Thee, O God, by what Thou hast created for It before all things - and these are those sanctified names and glorified letters - to send down at this moment upon those who have been martyred in the path of Thy love that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy Countenance and the exaltation of Thy Sovereignty, and to send down Thy blessings upon them from me and from all things, at every moment, before every moment, and after every moment.

O my God! Send down Thy blessings upon the hearts that have grieved in Thy path, and upon the bodies that have endured patiently for Thy good-pleasure, and upon the souls that have yearned for Thee in their love for Thee, and upon the hearts that have ascended unto Thee through their devotion to Thee - blessings that have no equal in Thy knowledge and no likeness in Thy Book, blessings that fill Thy heaven and Thy earth and all things that have been created through Thy will.

"I beseech Thee, by the loftiness of Thy grace and the sublimity of Thy mercy, to remember me before God, Thy Lord, and to remember those who are martyrs from Thy presence, then those who were martyred in the path of Thy love, who gave up their souls in ardent devotion to Thy Cause, who ascended unto God through their detachment in Thy love, and who attained what is with God through their attraction to obedience unto Thee.

Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon the Point through which Thy hidden knowledge and treasured mysteries were detailed, and through whom Thou didst take the covenant of the Dayspring of Thy Being and the Manifestation of the Mystery of Thy Oneness, and upon those who were touched by tribulation and adversity in Thy love until they were martyred in Thy path, and upon those who believed in Thee purely for Thy sake and left their homes to exalt Thy Word and manifest Thy Cause, and who bore naught on their journey save Thy love and Thy verses.

O my God! Send Thy blessings upon Thy loved ones and trusted ones and friends through whom were raised the standards of Thy victory and the banners of Thy power, and through whom Thy signs were spread abroad and Thy proof was made manifest and Thy evidence became all-encompassing - those whom nothing whatsoever prevented from drawing nigh unto Thee, who strove in Thy path with true striving and aided Thy Cause with true aid, and through whom the limbs of those who denied Thee and Thy signs trembled and the hearts of the deniers among Thy servants were confounded.

I beseech Thee by the blood of these souls and the pieces of their bodies, by their steadfastness, their patience and their forbearance, by their being enkindled with the fire of Thy love and their turning toward the light of Thy countenance, by their remembrance and their devotion in Thy days, by their sacrifice of their spirits in Thy path, and by their submissiveness and humility before the manifestations of Thy commandments and Thy laws, to adorn the hearts of the peoples with the light of Thy love and Thy knowledge.

I beseech Thee by this Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of detachment, whereby was established the decree of trust and resignation throughout creation, and by the bodies that were dismembered in Thy path, and by the hearts that were melted in Thy love, and by the blood that was shed in the land of submission before Thy face, to forgive those who have turned toward this Most Exalted Station and this Most High Summit, and to ordain for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall make the fragrance of their acceptance and sincerity imperishable in the cities of Thy remembrance and praise.

Lord! Accept from Thy loved ones their spilled blood, their slain bodies, and their oppressed souls. Grant the martyrs an exalted station and a true and faithful tongue. Bestow upon them high degrees and lofty ranks. Grant them the grace of attaining Thy presence and shower them with bounties.

O Lord! Accept from them these offerings of their souls, multiply Thy bounties unto them, deliver them from destruction, and grant them a goodly life in the Concourse on High. Verily, Thou art the Protector, Thou art the Helper, Thou art the All-Bountiful, Thou art the Kind, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

O Lord! That good and blessed family sacrificed all it possessed in Thy path, seeking to abide in Thy Kingdom. It surpassed all martyrs in the path of sacrifice. Therefore, assign to it an exalted station, a bountiful reward, delightful blessings, and a pleasing seat of truth in the most glorious Kingdom, that it may be immersed in the seas of light in an infinite holy expanse.

My God, my God! These are the remnants of Thy loved ones who have striven with their wealth and souls in Thy path. Lord! They made themselves targets for arrows out of love for Thy Beauty and bore spears out of longing to meet Thee and yearning for Thy good-pleasure. Lord! They shed their blood in Thy path and gave their spirits in Thy love and sacrificed their souls and wealth and children in attraction to Thy Kingdom and yearned for death in search of attaining Thee, until their offering of souls became renowned throughout the regions and their fame spread across the seven far-flung climes.

O my God and the God of all things seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the Word which Thou didst bring forth from the mine of Thy utterance, and by the Name through which, when Thou didst lift its veil, Thy creation and the dwellers of Thy realm were enraptured, to ordain from Thy Most Exalted Pen, for him who hath entered prison for Thy name and borne hardships in Thy path, the reward of one who hath been martyred in Thy good-pleasure.

O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in Thy days by granting them a befitting victory, inasmuch as they have sought martyrdom in Thy path. Send down upon them that which will bring comfort to their minds, will rejoice their inner beings, will impart assurance to their hearts and tranquillity to their bodies and will enable their souls to ascend to the presence of God, the Most Exalted, and to attain the supreme Paradise and such retreats of glory as Thou hast destined for men of true knowledge and virtue.

I beseech Thee not to withhold from me that which Thou hast ordained for them who have suffered martyrdom in Thy path and have endured tribulations for love of Thee.

I beseech Thee to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for them who have tasted the sweetness of utterance from the mouth of Thy Will and who have circled round Thy Cause until they were martyred in Thy path.

O God! My God! Destine for me this lofty station. Bestow upon me that brilliant cup. Give me to drink from the pure wine of that glorious martyrdom, the wine that is sweeter and more delicious than Tasnim and Salsabil: O divine wine of the Remembrance of God. Allow me to join those martyrs and deprive me not of Thy favors except for such as those who are nigh unto thee from amongst the noble ones.

May the Concourse on High visit the spirits of those blessed souls who hastened to the field of martyrdom in the path of the Most Great Name (may my spirit be sacrificed for Him), who freely gave their lives, who spread their wings through the power of the supreme martyrdom and ascended to the horizon of eternal glory. May the dwellers of the Most Glorious Kingdom sanctify them and 'Abdu'l-Baha praise them, and in every moment cry out "Oh what longing for that most exalted station!

O God! Bless me through their blessing, grant me their greeting, gather me with them under Your banner, include me among their company in the Paradise of meeting You, and comfort me with their beauty in the garden of Your bestowal.

A prayer of visitation has been written for the martyrs. The friends of God in Sari and Barfurush must certainly recite this prayer of visitation at the illumined resting place of those martyrs on behalf of 'Abdu'l-Baha.

O God, my God, creator of me and of the heavens, I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy Oneness, by the mysteries of Thy Book, and by lamentation of Thy loved ones in their separation from Thee, and by the tears of the pure ones on their remoteness from Thee, I invoke thee, O Thou Lord of indomitable Strength, by this sacred Tomb and by this exalted Shrine [Vahid's], to forgive me and my father, and all those who for Thy sake have approach these sacred remains, and all those who have come and will come on pilgrimage to this spot.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by them, by their sighs and tears in their longing and yearning, that Thou forgive me and my parents and whosoever hath turned unto Thee, O Lord of the Covenant, on the Day of Separation. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by this most pure sepulcher and this hallowed and purified dust, that Thou ordain for this servant of Thine, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, the good of the hereafter and of this world.

And for him who presenteth himself before the tomb, it behooveth him to say:

"My God, my God! I beseech Thee by this martyr who gave up his spirit in Thy path and deposited his body in Thy love between the hands of Thine enemies, and who denied not Thy Manifestation and Thy Revelation and Thy Cause that hath encompassed Thy earth and Thy heaven, to forgive me and my father and my mother and my kinsmen. Then ordain for me the good of the world to come and of this world.

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It behooveth him who visiteth thee to say before thy tomb: "My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the clamor of Thy yearning ones and the cry of those who long for Thee, and by the hearts that are entangled in separation from Thee, and by the livers that melted in remoteness from Thee, and by the breasts that faced the arrows in Thy path, and by the spirits that ascended in yearning for meeting Thee, to forgive me and him who visiteth this station which was mentioned by Thy Most Exalted Pen, and ordain for me and for him the good of the hereafter and the former life and what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones.

Blessed is the one who visits your illumined resting place. Blessed is the one who kisses your purified grave. Blessed is the one who clings to your perfumed shrine. Blessed is the one who inhales your amber-scented dust. Blessed is the one who serves your tomb which surpasses the most fragrant musk. Blessed is the one who lights the lamp in your lofty portico. Blessed is the one who adorns your wondrous resting place.

I beseech God to send down blessing and abundant grace upon everyone who seeks blessing from your pure dust and visits your graves and attains eternal portion throughout endless ages and successive centuries and eras.

I beseech God to send down every blessing upon the soul that seeks blessing at thy perfumed, fragrant grave and thy purified resting place. Verily my Lord bestows grace upon the martyrs in their resting place of sacrifice, and He is the Giver to whomsoever He willeth and the Bestower of whatsoever He willeth upon whomsoever He pleaseth, and verily He is the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

I beg of God to cause spheres of light to descend upon thy sepulchre and the clouds of mercy to shower rains of forgiveness upon thy resting-place and tomb!

May God perfume your radiant grave with the outpouring of His abundant mercy, and send down upon your tomb, enveloped in lights, layers of His greatest mercy, and make your shrine adorned with the ornament of glory and your resting place illumined with the light of beauty, and may He appear to the noble and righteous ones around your resplendent garden with outpourings that dazzle the eyes.

I beseech God to increase you in blessings and to illuminate your pure and holy grave with the brilliant lights radiating from your luminous countenance, so that every visitor may be blessed by your dust, upon which descends continuous mercy from the Lord of earth and heaven.

Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which earthquakes seized all the tribes of the earth and the dwellers of the cities of creation were struck with terror, to protect Thy male and female servants beneath the shadow of Thy grace and favors, lest their desires prevent them from turning towards the Kaaba of Thy Cause and the Dawning-Place of Thy inspiration. Then ordain for each one of them that which befitteth Thy presence in Thy days and beseemeth Thy sovereignty.

O my Lord, confirm the relatives of these martyrs in serving Thy Cause, elevating Thy Word, spreading Thy Religion, igniting Thy Love in the hearts of Thy servants and guide those who are lost in the wilderness of error.

O Lord! These are the offspring of those noble band, the progeny of those illustrious company, pieces of the hearts of those distinguished group, the lion cubs of those lions from the Valley of Shara. Assist them with Thy confirmations and make them successful through Thy bestowals, that they may revive the teachings of their fathers' religion, walk in the footsteps of their forebears, and build upon the foundation of their ancestors, so that the fathers may glory in their children in Thy most glorious Kingdom, and the forebears may take pride in their descendants in Thy most exalted Heaven.