Power of prayer: communion, courage and action

Know thou, verily, it is becoming of a weak one to supplicate to the Strong One, and it behooveth a seeker of Bounty to beseech the Glorious Bountiful One. When one supplicates to his Lord, turns unto Him and seeks Bounty from His Ocean, this supplication is by itself a light to his heart, an illumination to his sight, a life to his soul and an exaltation for his being.

… By these attractions, one's ability and capacity increase. When the vessel is widened the water increaseth, and when the thirst grows the bounty of the cloud becomes agreeable to the taste of man.

Adorn our bodies with the Robe of Thy Bounty and remove from our eyes the veil of sinfulness and give us the Chalice of Thy Grace, that the essence of all beings may sing Thy praise before the vision of Thy Grandeur. Reveal then Thyself, O Lord! by Thy merciful Utterance and the mystery of Thy Divine Being, that the holy ecstasy of prayer may fill our souls -- a prayer that shall rise above words and letters and transcend the murmur of syllables and sounds -- that all things may be merged into nothingness before the revelation of Thy Splendour.

Praise be to God, thy heart is engaged in the commemoration of God, thy soul is gladdened by the glad tidings of God and thou art absorbed in prayer. The state of prayer is the best of conditions, for man is then associating with God. Prayer verily bestoweth life, particularly when offered in private and at times, such as midnight, when freed from daily cares....

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Prayer is communion with God ... Its efficacy is conditioned upon the freedom of the heart from extraneous suggestions and mundane thoughts. The worshipper must pray with a detached spirit, unconditional surrender of the will, concentrated attention and a magnetic spiritual passion. … If the mirror of his soul is polished from the dross of all desires the heavenly pictures and sidereal images of the Kingdom of God will become fully reflected therein. Then he will be given the power, to translate these celestial forms into his own daily life and the lives of many thousands.

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Thou hast written what shouldst thou do and what prayer shouldst thou offer in order to become informed of the mysteries of God: Pray thou with an attracted heart and supplicate with a spirit stirred by the glad tidings of God. Then the doors of the kingdom of mysteries shall be opened before thy face, and thou shalt comprehend the realities of all things.

Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses or on a multitude of pious acts by night and day; for were a man to read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for him than to read with lassitude all the Holy Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Read ye the sacred verses in such measure that ye be not overcome by languor and despondency. Lay not upon your souls that which will weary them and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten and uplift them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses towards the Dawning-place of His manifest signs; this will draw you nearer to God, did ye but comprehend.

Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul.

Man becomes like a stone unless he continually supplicates to GOD. The heart of man is like a mirror that is covered with dust, and to cleanse it one must continually pray to GOD that it may become clean, and the act of supplication is the polish which erases all worldly desires. The delight of supplicating and entreating before GOD cuts one's heart from the world. When the taste of man is nourished by honey, he never likes to taste any other sweetmeat. Therefore, prayer is a key by which the doors of the kingdom are opened.

O handmaiden of God! The gates of divine mercy are open for you and your honored mother, and the proof of this is that you spend your time in prayer. These very prayers are evidence of divine confirmations.

He remembereth him who remembereth Him, nay rather, He remembereth him who wisheth to remember Him, for His remembrance preceded the world even as His mercy preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth.

There is no call but He heareth it, and no deed but He seeth it. Verily, He is with those who love Him and make mention of Him.

God, exalted be His glory, hath remembered and will remember His servants and handmaidens. Forgetfulness doth not overtake Him - His station is sanctified above forgetfulness, let alone His Most Holy Essence.

Concerning means and prayer about which thou didst inquire: Prayer is like unto the spirit, and means are like unto the hand. The spirit's control is exercised through the hand. Although the Provider is God, yet the means for obtaining sustenance is the earth--"and in heaven is your sustenance"--for when sustenance is decreed, it is obtained through any means. But to abandon means is like unto one who is thirsty seeking to quench his thirst without water or other liquids.

Without action nothing in the material world can be accomplished, neither can words unaided advance a man in the spiritual Kingdom. It is not through lip-service only that the elect of God have attained to holiness, but by patient lives of active service they have brought light into the world.

Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers.

Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer.

The traditions established the fact that in all Dispensations the law of prayer hath constituted a fundamental element of the Revelation of all the Prophets of God -- a law the form and the manner of which hath been adapted to the varying requirements of every age.

… And as the sun and moon constitute the brightest and most prominent luminaries in the heavens, similarly in the heaven of the religion of God two shining orbs have been ordained -- fasting and prayer.

… At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and with all his soul persevere in the quest of his Beloved.

44 Whensoever the light of the revelation of the King of Oneness settleth upon the throne of the heart and soul, His radiance becometh visible in every limb and member. At that time, the mystery of the famed tradition gleameth out of the darkness: "A servant is drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him, and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth ..." For thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars of the dwelling are ashine with His light.

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Whosoever with a contrite heart prays and begs from Baha'u'llah help and assistance he will be aided even if he is not a Baha'i only that he is sincere and whole-hearted in his prayers.

"To pray is not to read Psalms. To pray is to trust in God, and to be submissive in all things to Him. Be submissive, then things will change for you. Put your family in God's hands. Love God's will. Strong ships are not conquered by the sea--they ride the waves. Now be a strong ship, not a battered one."

Wherever we went, just before beginning to speak, I saw the doors opening and the lights of the sun of Reality confirming, beyond the power of description. Everywhere we went, in churches, synagogues and meetings, I turned first to the Kingdom of Abha, seeking, for a few minutes, the confirmations. Then, knowing that the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty were hovering over that assembly, I would begin to speak.

Prayer is 'conversation with God.' The greatest attainment or the sweetest state is no other than 'conversation with God.' It originates spirituality, generates mindfulness and celestial feelings, begets the attractions of the Kingdom and engenders the susceptibilities of the higher Intelligence.

… Then in the darkness of the night I get up and pray - 'converse with God.' It is most sweet and uplifting! Prayer and supplication are so effective as to inspire one's heart for the whole day with high ideals and supreme serenity and calmness.

Does it matter who prays? God will answer the prayer of every servant if that prayer is urgent. His mercy is vast, illimitable. He answers the prayers of all His servants. He answers the prayer of this plant. The plant prays potentially, "O God! Send me rain!" God answers the prayer, and the plant grows.

...I have certain things that attract the confirmations of God. They are so wonderful and extraordinary that if I tell them, some people might not accept them as facts. These things especially belong to me. No one else knows or has ever given any importance to them. For example: whenever in the beginning of the lunar month I happen to look at the crescent of the moon, I raise my two hands with their palms open toward heaven and repeat nine times "Ya Baha El Abha." During all the days of that month, the heavenly Confirmations are experienced and witnessed. Again whenever at midnight, I am awakened I repeat the formula "Verily God is the Deliverer" many, many times; as many times as I feel the need of it; then right next day a great confirmation is seen and experienced. Again, I never enter any meeting or assemblage to speak without first turning my face to the Blessed Perfection; that is why they prove to be effective. These are the mysteries of the Kingdom. Many people have done these things but they have witnessed no confirmation.

Strangest of all is the following: When I made the necessary preparations to build the Tomb of the Bab on Mount Carmel, there was a piece of land belonging to a Foreign Consul, the acquisition of which was essential to the building. For this land would open a direct path from the foot of the mountain to the Holy Tomb. When the Nagezeen found out that I expect to buy this land they went to the owner and filled his ears with wild stories of gold and silver. They told him that Abbas Effendi is obliged to buy this land from you, therefore you may raise the price and ask him any amount you like.

When I began to speak with the owner of the land about the price, he said 5 francs a yard. I said, 'all right. I accept without any murmur. Go and prepare the papers.' Several days passed and I did not see him. When I saw him, I remarked why don't you end this transaction? He said: In this land there are many vines. If you can pay fifteen francs for each vine I will sell it. "All right" I yielded again and he disappeared for two more weeks. "Why do you protract this small affair?" I questioned. When I met him for the third time. "Oh!" he said "As soon as you buy the land you must put wires on both sides." I answered: "For your sake I will build two high walls." "Very well then, I am satisfied with this arrangement." He went away and I did not see him for nearly a month. When I saw him for the fourth time I asked him the reason of this unnecessarily delay. "Really" he rejoins "As I am the Consul of a foreign power, I cannot go to the Government land office to register this transference. If you like to buy this land you have to buy it without government registration." "All right" I said.

At last after much discussion it was arranged that we may meet each other on a certain day in a house and transact this affair. On the hour I was there and the brother of Sadek Pasha, one of the Grand Vizirs of the Ottoman Empire was with me. We waited and waited and he did not showed himself. At last the brother of the Grand Vizir took his umbrella and in a downpour of rain he went to the house of the Consul to find out what has become of him. They told him he is not at home. He returned, waited another hour and went again to see the Consul. He did not come out of his own room but sent word that I am not in. On his second return his pant was so full of mud that one could not see anything else. He came in wrath and anger. He threw down the umbrella and furiously exclaimed:- Master it is no use. Give up buying this land. The man is hidden in his own house and does not want to see us. I have never called on anybody in this fashion but this man is so egoistically arrogant."

You can conceive how I felt that after six months of worry, waiting and expectation this is now the result. I felt most grieved and perturbed. I returned home but did not speak with anyone. I went straight to my room and locked the door so that no one may disturb me. Several times they knocked at the door for tea and supper but I did not even answer. It is impossible for me to describe how I felt that night! I prayed all night and repeated the formula of "Verily God is the Deliverer". When I was saying "Verily God is the Deliverer" my whole constitution was moved and my heart was rising and sinking. It was a night the like of which I have seldom experienced. Toward the twilight I slept.

Suddenly I was awakened out of my sleep by the loud knocking at the door. I opened it. It was one of the believers. He said, the servant of the Consul and the brother of the wife of the German Consul with his interpreter have been here all morning anxious to see [me]." I came down. The servant of the Consul said that, my master has arranged all the papers in regard to the land and wants to affix his signature before yourself. The brother of the wife of the German Consul said that my brother-in-law hearing about your difficulties to get this piece of land - in order to serve you - he has found another piece of land which will open the way to the Holy Tomb of the Bab. We reached first at the office of our first friend. As soon as he saw me from far he affixed his signature to the papers and in a few minutes the title of the land was lawfully transferred to me.

Then I said to the other man: I will buy your land too. He said: - No! you have what you require. You do not need any more. You want to buy this second piece of land so as not to hurt our feeling; but we are glad just the same." I insisted much to get that piece of land too, but the German Consul would not think of it. In short. The morning of that next day we started on the construction of the road, because the materials were made ready since a long time.

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When travelling in America and Europe, on many occasion[s] I did not have the power of uttering one word but before entering the meeting I begged Baha'u'llah to reinforce me and then walked in and commenced to speak for one or two hours.

The chanting of verses, whether individually or collectively, is the cause of the penetration of the Word of God in hearts and the reason for the flame of the fire of the love of God in breasts. But it is as you had written - on condition that hearts be like pure and delicate mirrors and spirits be raised in utmost joy and delight through divine glad-tidings.

Surely that melody will set the Western regions in motion and unite the hearts of the five continents of the world, demolishing the foundation of war.

That bird of the gardens of certitude and dove of the realm of mystic knowledge must, through the instruction of the All-Powerful and the inspiration of the Abha Kingdom, arrange the Psalms of the House of David in the gathering of the friends and sing with such a voice that the dwellers of the Supreme Concourse will loose their tongues in praise and seek confirmation from ancient grace, recent bounty, and the gifts of great triumph.

The effect of those prayers was so great that I would weep over them. Suddenly I observed that I can understand the significance of the book without being taught by any soul.

Command the people to recite the first verse of the Book at all times, before all times and after all times: God is Most Glorious, God is Most Exalted, God is Most Great, God is Most Luminous, God is Most Great, God is Most Manifest.

Among these was the prayer, until at this time before His countenance He turned to me and said: "We desire to bestow Our favor once again upon 'Ali-Qabl-i-Akbar, upon him be My glory. Send the verses that were revealed in previous years specifically concerning prayer, and write that by the life of God, its fragrances will attract the lovers, move those who are still, awaken the heedless, and bestow life upon the fair-minded.

And cause me, O my God, to hear my verses from one with a beautiful voice when he reciteth, that my heart may be drawn to the most sublime and glorious horizon, and that my tears may flow down my cheeks before Thee, as a mercy from Thy presence.

As for what thou hast asked regarding the expansion of sustenance, recite for forty days, one thousand and one times each day: "And whosoever feareth God, He will appoint for him a way out, and will provide for him from whence he expecteth not.

If thou performest with sincerity that which I have commanded thee, thou shalt surely find God, thy Lord, All-Forgiving and a Stronghold. Verily God hath erected, through His grace, a barrier between Satan and the one who reciteth His Book, and God hath power over all things.

Say to whomsoever desireth remembrance: read, at the line of noonday, the Word of Sanctification one hundred and ten times, and teach whom thou wilt of the whispered prayers; for thereby are hearts made steadfast, and God strengtheneth with His victory whomsoever He willeth. Naught escapeth His knowledge; verily He is the All-Powerful, the All-Glorious.

Recite these prayers during the nights as ye are witnesses. All your desires shall be fulfilled thereby, if ye believe and are convinced.

Then let him say:

O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and the Maker of the heavens! I beseech Thee by them Who are the Day-Springs of Thine invisible Essence, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, to make of my prayer a fire that will burn away the veils which have shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy Presence.

… Let him then stand and say:

Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living waters whereby I may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth, and may make mention of Thee in every world of Thy worlds.

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Regarding what you wrote about prayer - prayer is obligatory and required for all. You must certainly guide everyone to perform their prayers, for it is the ascension of spirits and the lamp of the hearts of the righteous. It is the living waters of the paradise of good-pleasure and an explicitly ordained duty from the All-Merciful.

Some servants are not in need of teaching. They can be seen as like unto the eye, in that the eye need not be taught to see; so too the ear with hearing. The moment the eye is opened by the aid of the Spirit, it is able to see on its own, yet at all times must it seek refuge with the Face of God, lest bleariness or some other impairment develop and become a barrier. They are those servants who have turned toward the Supreme Horizon after the call was lifted up, so steadfast that none hath the power to divert the gaze of those well-assured souls from the direction of God. At every moment have they drunk and do they drink still from the living waters of the utterance of the Merciful; they read the divine Words with intimate familiarity and eagerness. Those apart from these souls stand in need of goodly exhortations and compassionate counsels. Therefore, the loved ones of God must carry out this weighty task with wisdom and clarity. Let some teach with their words, some with their deeds and actions, and some with their characters, drawing others toward God. Virtuous deeds and spiritual conduct are themselves teachers of the Cause.

Certain people should not be sad that they are unlearned and have not acquired human knowledge. Consider the time of the Apostle [Muhammad]: Following the appearance of that Most Great Luminary, all the divines, men of letters, and sages remained deprived of that Path to the recognition of the All-Merciful, while the instant that Abu Dhar -- a mere shepherd -- accepted Him Who is the All-Possessing and the Most High, oceans of wisdom and utterance flowed from his heart and his tongue. Thou seest how all the learned ones humble themselves today at the very mention of his name, whereas in the early days of that Revelation, none paid him any mind. Exalted be the Ancient of Days, the Lord of grace abounding! He, verily, ordaineth as He pleaseth; He is the Almighty, the Most Powerful. It is thus that each and every loved one of God who hath truly turned to the horizon of eternity shall be bountifully given what will guide mankind aright.

Say: O My loved ones! Ye are the world's spiritual physicians. It is incumbent upon you, through the power and might of God, to heal by the sovereign remedy of the Most Great Name the soul-sickness of the kindreds of the earth and clarify the vision of all mankind, that all may set their faces toward the shores of the Most Great Ocean in the days of the Ancient King.

It behoveth ye all so to adorn your inner and outer beings that, robed in trustworthiness, girt with righteousness and arrayed in truthfulness and rectitude, ye may become a means for the exaltation of the Cause and the education of the human race.

This Revelation hath not come to enforce earthly commandments, as were recorded in the Bayan by the Pen of the Merciful, but rather to manifest the evidences of perfection in human souls -- that their spirits may be lifted up to eternal stations and that which their minds can scarcely believe may brilliantly appear -- till all may ultimately tread above the kingdoms of earth and heaven. By My life! Were I to rend asunder the veil in this connection, men's souls would soar unto the Court of thy Lord, He Who causeth the dawn to break. Since, however, We have enjoined wisdom, We have kept some of these stations undisclosed, in order that the ecstasy of the Unconstrained may not seize the reins of volition, and so that all might walk amongst men with evident rectitude and lead the people aright.

By God! Should one who is in affliction or grief read this Tablet with absolute sincerity, God will dispel his sadness, solve his difficulties and remove his afflictions.

He is the Healer, the Sufficer, the Helper, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

I call on Thee O Exalted One, O Faithful One, O Glorious One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Sovereign, O Upraiser, O Judge! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Peerless One, O Eternal One, O Single One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Most Praised One, O Holy One, O Helping One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Omniscient, O Most Wise, O Most Great One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Clement One, O Majestic One, O Ordaining One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Beloved One, O Cherished One, O Enraptured One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Mightiest One, O Sustaining One, O Potent One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Ruling One, O Self-Subsisting, O All-Knowing One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Spirit, O Light, O Most Manifest One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Frequented by all, O Thou Known to all, O Thou Hidden from all! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Concealed One, O Triumphant One, O Bestowing One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Almighty, O Succoring One, O Concealing One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Fashioner, O Satisfier, O Uprooter! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Rising One, O Gathering One, O Exalting One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Perfecting One, O Unfettered One, O Bountiful One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Beneficent One, O Withholding One, O Creating One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Most Sublime One, O Beauteous One, O Bounteous One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Just One, O Gracious One, O Generous One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O All-Compelling, O Ever-Abiding, O Most Knowing One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Magnificent One, O Ancient of Days, O Magnanimous One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Well-guarded One, O Lord of Joy, O Desired One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Kind to all, O Thou Compassionate with all, O Most Benevolent One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Haven for all, O Shelter to all, O All-Preserving One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Succorer of all, O Thou Invoked by all, O Quickening One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Unfolder, O Ravager, O Most Clement One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou my Soul, O Thou my Beloved, O Thou my Faith! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Quencher of thirsts, O Transcendent Lord, O Most Precious One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Greatest Remembrance, O Noblest Name, O Most Ancient Way! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Most Lauded, O Most Holy, O Sanctified One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Unfastener, O Counselor, O Deliverer! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Friend, O Physician, O Captivating One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Glory, O Beauty, O Bountiful One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O the Most Trusted, O the Best Lover, O Lord of the Dawn! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Enkindler, O Brightener, O Bringer of Delight! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Lord of Bounty, O Most Compassionate, O Most Merciful One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Constant One, O Life-giving One, O Source of all Being! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Who penetratest all things, O All-Seeing God, O Lord of Utterance! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Manifest yet Hidden, O Unseen yet Renowned, O Onlooker sought by all! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Who slayest the Lovers, O God of Grace to the wicked!

O Sufficer, I call on Thee, O Sufficer!

O Healer, I call on Thee, O Healer!

O Abider, I call on Thee, O Abider!

Thou the Ever-Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

Sanctified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy generosity, whereby the portals of Thy bounty and grace were opened wide, whereby the Temple of Thy Holiness was established upon the throne of eternity; and by Thy mercy whereby Thou didst invite all created things unto the table of Thy bounties and bestowals; and by Thy grace whereby Thou didst respond, in thine own Self with Thy word "Yea!" on behalf of all in heaven and earth, at the hour when Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur stood revealed, at the dawn-time when the might of Thy dominion was made manifest. And again do I beseech Thee, by these most beauteous names, by these most noble and sublime attributes, and by Thy most Exalted Remembrance, and by Thy pure and spotless Beauty, and by Thy hidden Light in the most hidden pavilion, and by Thy Name, cloaked with the garment of affliction every morn and eve, to protect the bearer of this blessed Tablet, and whoso reciteth it, and whoso cometh upon it, and whoso passeth around the house wherein it is. Heal Thou, then, by it every sick, diseased and poor one, from every tribulation and distress, from every loathsome affliction and sorrow, and guide Thou by it whosoever desireth to enter upon the paths of Thy guidance, and the ways of Thy forgiveness and grace.

Thou art verily the Powerful, the All-Sufficing, the Healing, the Protector, the Giving, the Compassionate, the All-Generous, the All-Merciful.

Thus if at every moment you were to open a hundred thousand tongues and with each tongue offer a hundred thousand thanks, you would not fulfill the thanks due for this gift.

O thou their lord their creator endow them with adornments, give them freedom and vouchsafe unto them dignity, teach them love and compassion so that these sanctified souls may love all the world, may show peacefulness and reconciliation unto all.

O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Know thou that supplication and prayer is the Water of Life. It is the cause of the vivification of existence, and endows glad-tidings and joy to the souls.

Therefore, recite this prayer:

My God, my God! Illumine my heart, inspire my conscience, expand my breast, and cause me to speak in praise of Thy Most Glorious Beauty among all people, until my tongue becomes eloquent with proof and argument among the followers of religions, and I may guide all to the straight path and give all to drink from this pure spring.

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Grant that from the clouds of Thy mercy may fall copious rain so that the trees of our lives may bring forth fruit and we may attain the most cherished desire of our hearts.

O my dear son! Your sweet letter made my heart and soul full of sweetness. Your endearing face is always in my thoughts. I too long to see you. Continue saying the Greatest Name and read your lessons at the beginning. Divine assistance and grace encompass all. Convey my greetings and affection to your respected father, mother and sister. And upon you be the Most Glorious Glory.

O Lord! These are servants who have turned to Thy merciful countenance, clung to the hem of Thy oneness, and held fast to the firm handle that cannot be broken. They commune with Thee in the depths of their hearts and the secrets of their souls, beseeching Thee to aid them in Thy remembrance and praise, and to assist them in spreading Thy traces, manifesting Thy signs, revealing Thy clear proofs, and exalting Thy Word.

On your behalf, I bow my head and hair at the Sacred Threshold and anoint them with that pure dust, and I visit the Holy Shrine.

When two birds sing on the branches of a cedar with sweet melodies in remembrance of God those melodies will reach the highest summit from this nether region and it will exhilarate the denizens of the temples of the Kingdom.

Supplication and prayer on behalf of others will surely be effective. When hearts are united, when faces are turned towards the kingdom of Abha, surely enlightenment will be the result.

When divine aid and grace become constant companions and God's protection and shelter are ever-present supporters, the weak human becomes mighty in strength, the feeble ant becomes a warrior of the Supreme Concourse, the powerless hoopoe becomes Solomon's messenger, and the lifeless gnat becomes the greatest host of the Merciful.

The greatest means for its realisations consists in the entreaty and the supplication of the friends to the kingdom of God. Ye should all implore and solicit, pray, supplicate and beseech from the mercies of God that this world-consuming war may be substituted for a world-illuminating peace.

It is sure and certain that the entreaty and the supplication of these servants will be acceptable at the Divine Threshold, for we wish naught among men and aim at nothing save the eradication of ignorant prejudices; so that all religions and races, embracing one another, may gather under the shade of the Pavilion of the Oneness of God.

Despite this, we still pray and implore and beseech at the threshold of the One, that He may forgive sin and grant bounty, make ruined Iran prosperous again, bring order to conditions, and cause Iran's material and moral progress.

Ever has the Pen of the Ancient King been engaged and astir in remembrance of His friends. At times the Euphrates of mercy hath flowed from it, and at others the perspicuous Book hath been revealed therefrom. He is the Unique One and the First Speaker of the world.

O my Lord! Thou Who art ever-forgiving! Verily, this assembly hath turned its face toward Thy Kingdom. Verily, they are all of Thy flock, and Thou art the one Shepherd of all. O Thou real Shepherd! Educate and train Thy sheep in Thy green and verdant pastures. Suffer these birds of Thine to build their nests in Thy rose garden.

I do supplicate God to confirm that spiritual assembly, that gathering of commemoration, to that whereby the merciful faces brighten, and I beseech Him to assist them and thee to that whereby man ascends the highest and noblest station of excellence and the loftiest apex of honor, to make them humble and courteous before the beloved of God, to become severed from aught else save God, to beseech the Kingdom of ABHA, to be freed from every mention save the commemoration of God, and to be sanctified from all the grades of passion and desire, with pure, holy hearts which are devoid of every feeling except entire attention unto God, the Lord of the present and the world to come.

And whenever I read a name, my soul was gladdened and I supplicated Thee to make him a firebrand from the fire of Thy love and a breath from the morn of salvation through the outpouring of Thy mercy.

I supplicate divine mercy from the Kingdom of the Merciful in behalf of thy brother. Likewise I ask confirmation in behalf of thy brother and his daughter, from the Lord of Hosts, that they become quickened, mindful, illumined and celestial.

'Abdu'l-Baha: Did you have any questions, Dr. Allen?

Dr. Woodson Allen: I want to ask one question. Most of my life has been given to the study and practise of medicine and surgery, and ever in that field of activity I must look for the handiwork of God, and the question that is puzzling me is simply this: can I give a man any assurance that he can be healed through the power of the Holy Spirit? For instance, I tell a man that he needs a surgical operation and he immediately believes me, but if I say that I believe he might be healed through the power of the Holy Spirit he would probably say to me that I was a fanatic and go to some other doctor.

'Abdu'l-Baha: Diseases are of two kinds. There are some which are due to material cause, and such diseases should be treated according to material methods. For instance, supposing there shall be some sort of process in the liver that is tissue pathology. Its treatment should be entirely physical. On the other hand, another disease may be spiritual in character. For example, fear is a nervous disease resulting not from any material cause. It is psychological neurosis. That sort of disease has to be treated spiritually.

God has not created all the plants you know and all the various metals for nothing. They are for some purpose. They have their physiologic findings, and each one of them has its physiologic result. They are not for useless purposes. And if we deny pharmaceutics and therapeutics, then it would mean that all these things are without physiologic effect, when there is use for each one of these plants. For example, if a man is stricken with fever, we will say with ague, if we give him quinine, it acts as a specific, and we know it is a remedy. Or a man may have smallpox, and we vaccinate him. We know vaccination is a preventive. Nobody can deny that. You see that would be foolishness. Everything has its use and its place. A man may be stricken with a certain form of skin disease -- psoriasis, for example, and we use a certain form of remedy. You cannot deny that sort of thing.

Can you deny the effect of these medicines? No! What do you think of that? Don't you that is so?

Dr. Allen: It is true.

'Abdu'l-Baha: But, on the other hand, there may be some diseases due to some spiritual cause. For example, a man may be subjected to excessive joy. Out of that excessive joy may result mental derangement -- a sort of emotional shock. It will be an emotional upsetting. That has to be treated spiritually. Or, fear may cause a tremendous shock to the nervous system and then that should be treated according to psychotherapy. And so on. There are many diseases which are neuroses and have to be treated accordingly.

Suppose a man has an abscess that is suppurating. Unless we do something for that abscess, it may go and become gangrened; it may become diseased. Suppose we leave this abscess. If we say prayers over that abscess -- the prayer for that is the knife -- the surgeon's knife -- it is the lance. We should lance it out.

You see both have their places. Those diseases that are due to psychological neurosis, treat them according to psychological neurosis and suggestive therapeutics, and those that are due to material causes then you have to give them the material treatment. For example, an abscess has to be incised. If you do not lance it, it will go on and become gangrenous, because the origin of that is entirely material pathology.

This is the truth of the matter: to discard medicine is nonsense. Medicine is perfectly reasonable.

Even the animals when they are sick, though they are not intelligent, know where certain grasses grow, and nature leads them to certain herbs, and they taste those herbs, and they smell them, and certain grasses that seem to please their taste they eat and get well. This is natural is it not?

For example, when your finger is wounded, you naturally stick it in your mouth. Evidently the saliva has something to do with that and seems to act as a salve. The animals, whenever they have a wound, lick it with their tongue and get well. This is natural. This is not a process of thought.

There are a number of diseases which are psychological. They have to be treated according to suggestive therapeutics.

Your hand may become wounded. Suppose you just imagine that there is not a wound there. You say: "My hand is not wounded." Would that help it? Would that help it? Would that cure it? You agree with that, don't you?

Dr. Allen: There is one point I want to make. Take, for instance a child that is sick. Everything has been done for the illness -- in a surgical case -- in a therapeutic way. The doctors have given up, but when some prayers are said for the child, it gets well. How is that?

The child had whooping cough. It got wet in the evening, and took cold and got pneumonia, and the doctor treated the child for several hours, and gave all the remedies he could think of, and the child kept getting worse. He called for me, and from all appearances it did not seem the child could possibly live. Every paroxysm seemed to be its last, and the pulse could not be felt at the wrist, and when it did come it was simply a flutter. He asked me what I thought, and I said I thought the child was dying. He said, what should I do? I suggested some simple remedy, and he gave that along with the one he had been giving, I sat by the child and took its hand, and said the Greatest Name, and in a few hours the child began to improve. As far as my mentality goes I cannot see that the remedy did the child any good.

The question that came to me is: Did the saying of the Greatest Name make it well?

In the morning, the doctor was tired, and he asked me if I would stay with the child while he went home. I stayed a few hours, and the child improved so well I went home, and the doctor called next morning and said: "That was wonderful medicine you gave the child, for the child is practically well."

Now, what I want to know is what cured that child?

Dr. Farid: The Greatest Name.

Dr. Allen: That is what I want to know -- how can I say that to those people?

'Abdu'l-Baha: The first thing for us to find out is whether the two forms of treatment -- the spiritual and material -- are real or not. We must investigate that first: whether the material medicine, or spiritual medicine, has a basis for that or not; whether they are real or not. That is the foundation.

We find that in the creation of God there is a basis for material medicine. Even in the animals, which are devoid of thought, there is an instinct which propels them when they are sick. They go to certain herbs which are physiologically suited, and they eat them. That is one thing.

Secondly, a man may have malaria, and as soon as we give him quinine it seems to have its specific effect; or, in diarrhea, opium has its effect, stopping it; or, in psoriasis, if we give a form of mercurial treatment, it may heal it; or, in the case of a wound, if we wash it with carbolic acid, it gets well. So you see there is a basis for material medicine. We cannot deny that. It is not so?

Then we come to the spiritual medicine. We find that it often happens that a man gets sick, and we pray, and he gets well. It often happens. That happens in numerous cases. A man has become insane, and we pray, and he gets well. It often has happened. A man has, day by day, become emaciated, and we pray, and he gets well, gets strength. And so on in many cases.

Therefore, both of these have their provinces. Hence, both of them should be used -- both the one material and the other the spiritual. Neither of them has to be given up.

Supplication to God at morn and eve is conducive to the joy of hearts, and prayer causes spirituality and fragrance.

The one who is sick may be in the East, and the healer in the West, and they may not have been acquainted with each other - but as soon as that Holy Person turns his heart to God and begins to pray the sick one is healed.

If you pray for pure earth to become green and verdant, it will be answered, but if you pray for a rock to become a flower garden and meadow, it lacks the capacity. The acceptance of prayer depends upon capacity.

Sometimes if the nervous system is paralyzed through fear, a spiritual remedy is necessary. Madness, incurable otherwise, can be cured through prayer, but an abscess cannot be cured by prayer alone. Extreme cases need prayer.

Endeavor and supplicate and pray God that, day unto day, thy firmness and steadfastness may grow and that thy countenance may radiate through the light of guidance.

This is the key to all good: "And whosoever feareth God, He will appoint for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he expecteth not. And whosoever putteth his trust in God, He will suffice him."

Therefore one must take refuge in the glass of supplication and lamentation, so that before the oil is depleted, it is not extinguished by the blowing of the strong winds of destiny. Talismans, prayers and seeking healing are for protection from the winds of suspended destiny, but the inevitable destiny cannot be changed or altered.

God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.

The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty can succeed in averting it.

Know thou that that entreaties of the faithful at the threshold of His singleness are answered and their desires granted, but owing to His inscrutable wisdom, all things are contingent upon time and await the appointed hour.

Once the Lord hath enabled thee to attain this condition, be thou assured that He will inspire thee with words of truth, and will cause thee to speak through the breathings of the Holy Spirit.

Be not troubled because of hardships and ordeals; turn unto God, bowing in humbleness and praying to Him, while bearing every ordeal, contented under all conditions and thankful in every difficulty.

Bestow forgiveness upon every servant laden with transgression, and grant refuge and shelter unto these helpless ones. Release the captive bound in the chains of sins, and give the poor and homeless one an abode at Thy Holy Threshold. The ocean of Thy forgiveness is boundless, and the sun of Thy bounty is radiant and resplendent. What power or effect, then, can the darkness of sin possess? What fear or peril can there be for sinners?

O branch who supplicates to the Kingdom of the Ancient Root! Praise be to God, this servant's entreaties and supplications reached the threshold of the Divine Unity, and after the darkness of tribulation, the dawn of hope appeared, and some measure of relief was obtained by you.

Endow it with Thy celestial potency, that this infant seed of God may soon germinate in the hearts of men, that it may thrive and prosper, that it may grow to become a mighty tree, beneath the shadow of which all the peoples and kindreds of the earth may gather.

Answer Thou My prayer, O God, and fulfil My most cherished desire. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

Q. Are we not able, through love and faith, to make those on the other side hear of the Cause who had not heard of it while here?

A. Yes, surely sincere prayer always has its effect, and it has a great influence in the other word.

O Lord! I am one crying for help - You have helped me; and a stranger - You have sheltered me; and a sinner - You have pardoned me; and abased - You have honored me; and poor - You have enriched me; and seeking protection - You have honored me; and captive - You have freed me.

Find solace in the remembrance of God, for through His remembrance sorrows are lifted and mercy and joy descend from all directions.

We beseech God to assist them with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and to aid them to champion His Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

I beseech Thee by the Light whereby the horizon of the heaven of Thy bounty was illumined, to send down upon this handmaiden of Thine mercy and healing through Thy generosity and grace.

Supplications and entreaties were made at the Most Exalted Threshold on behalf of Mr. Strakhan and healing was sought for him.

Write to him that he should recite prayers and supplicate to the Abha Kingdom, and know with certainty that these difficulties will be resolved.

We have heard thy cry and the sighing of thy heart in thy separation from God, the Lord of the worlds, and We have heard thy lamentation for My Name, the H. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the Answerer.

By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, since this visitation will be performed with utmost sincerity, it is greater than the worship of all humanity and the jinn.

Therefore, we must all embrace one another and, angel-like, circle round the Throne of the All-Merciful, spending our hours in glorification and praise. By spiritual circumambulation is meant heart attachment, inner attraction, expansion of breasts, revival of spirit, and the enkindling of the fire of the love of God.

We hope that through the favors of the Self-Subsisting, Living Lord, the effects of the blessings of this proxy pilgrimage will become manifest.

Upon receipt of the first prayer of visitation you should, with several others on behalf of 'Abdu'l-Baha, intend to visit the luminous resting place of that one ascended to God and perform the visitation by proxy.

O Mustafa! Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my Lord, the Most Glorious, for having caused me to hear Thy call and making me present before the throne of Thy grandeur, and for having conversed with me without veil or barrier.

O my Lord! I am he who has sought Thy nearness and Thy presence, to stand before Thy throne and at the door of Thy grandeur. Wouldst Thou turn away from Thy door him who hopes in Thee, or disappoint him in what he seeks from the wonders of Thy grace and favors?

These melodies shall reach unto the Kingdom of Glory, and these songs shall cheer and gladden the Concourse on high.

Every longing one whose eyes had turned white from grief of separation regained sight through the fragrance of Thy garment, and every ailing seeker became whole and well, and every deaf seeker became hearing, and every thirsty one became quenched, and every hungry one became satisfied.

When the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is completed, when the lights are emanating therefrom, and the righteous assemble therein, when prayers are offered to the Kingdom of divine mysteries and the voice of glorification is raised to the Supreme Lord, then shall the believers rejoice, and their hearts be dilated, overflowing with the love of the ever-living and self-subsisting God.

And, for the tranquility and repose of the hearts, there is no other means save the commemoration of almighty God.

When its accessories are completed and its full machinery starts running, when the melody of vocal and instrumental music arises and bursts upon the air with its joyous trends, when the prayers and supplications addressed at dawn and at sunrise ascend to the Throne of the Almighty, then will the effect of the Mashrekol-Azkar be made evident and manifest.

Console and show great love on my behalf to the maidservant of God thy daughter, Ella Rice-Wray, and say, "The meeting of worship that thou didst establish will undoubtedly bring important results. It will become the cause of promotion of the Cause of God and the motive of firmness and steadfastness, unity and concord."

Raise thou such melodies and harmony in Green Acre that may reach unto the Kingdom of ABHA and cause joy and exaltation in the angels of heaven!

We visit the Holy Shrine at all times on your behalf and implore the outpourings of the Abha Kingdom that, God willing, you may be so successful in serving God's Cause and unifying the Word that the voice of praise from the invisible Realm and the Concourse on High may reach the ears of all these yearning souls.

They who turned toward the throne after My arrival in the Most Great Prison - the Concourse on High pray for them and perceive from them the sweet fragrances of the mercy of their Lord, the All-Merciful.

Today in the world of existence no love and kindness can be conceived of greater than this: that a soul should, in the Blessed Garden, engage in the mention and remembrance of a friend and offer prayers for good. This is His most great favor, His greatest gift, His most perfect bestowal and His most exalted bounty.

When I reach the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, I shall lay my head on the Sacred Threshold and beseech confirmation for every one of the friends.

By the Day-Star of the heaven of inner meanings! If the friends were to act, or had acted, according to that which was revealed, the whole world would guard them as the pupils of their eyes, and the hosts of the unseen would protect them from behind. All things have been and are among the hosts of God. The winds are reckoned among His troops, the mountains among His armies. Moses with but a staff threw the world into turmoil, for it appeared through God's command and arose to serve Him.

Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord's loving-kindness and say: O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name and Thy dominion that overshadoweth the world, to assist me to be steadfast in Thy love and to number me with those who have attained unto Thy good-pleasure. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest.

I swear by the Sun of Truth that the sighs of the oppressed are more potent in their effect than cannons and sharper than swords! Though consummate wisdom may require that some fruits of deeds be delayed for a limited time, such delay will not prevent the inevitable decree. Assuredly the oppressors have been and will be requited.

By the hand of power He lit a lamp, and the contrary winds which are the cause of its extinction, by His all-compelling will, served but to increase its radiance. A fire that the hand of power kindleth, the seas of the world cannot extinguish.

O young one! Call upon your Lord, for We hear what you supplicate to your Creator. He will answer you and every destitute one who has become poor before his Lord, and every one who is denied and deprived.

In the middle of the night at dawn I supplicate and implore at the threshold of the All-Knowing God and beg for aid, grace and boundless bounty.

At the time of the dominion, might and power of the enemies, prayers were openly offered. Now, praise be to God, through divine assistance and favor they are victorious and triumphant.

Therefore pray that God may confirm and grant a glance of favor - the God who can make black earth a place of heart's delight, who can make desolate land into a rose garden, who with a single attention can transform Iran and give order to scattered souls, make the ruined prosperous, and make sorrowful hearts joyful and delighted.

Read always the supplications. Turn always thy attention toward God. Be always stirred with divine Fragrances; then eternal happiness will be thy share.

Let thy troubled heart say what it will; this tribulation hath brought thee to supplication and caused thee to fall into humble entreaty, such that night and day thou callest out to the Most Great Name, saying "O Beauty of God, I sacrifice my all for Thee." Herein lieth the power of God, that a single drop endureth an ocean of tribulation.

Can any of these circumstances be changed by prayer? Yes, prayer might prevent the strong wind from blowing out the light of the lamp--but it could never change the amount of oil in the lamp--that is preordained.

One night I was so hemmed in by My anxieties that I had no other recourse than to recite and repeat over and over again a prayer of the Bab which I had in My possession, the recital of which greatly calmed Me. The next morning the owner of the plot himself came to Me, apologized and begged Me to purchase his property.

"When I dictate a supplication my whole being is absorbed in the mercy and tenderness of God. I am deeply affected and my heart is melted in the contemplation of divine Beauty." he said.

Say: It behoveth every true believer to assist his Lord. He, verily, is your helper, while the people have no one to turn to in this Day.

Should adversity touch thee, seek the aid of My Name, the Helper, the Assisting, the All-Powerful, and through it God will dispel the affliction of those who have believed and are among the steadfast.

Send down therefore, O my God, upon them that which will make them mighty through Thy power and exalted through Thy sovereignty, that the oppression of the oppressors may not hold them back from Thy path, nor the clamor of the idolaters prevent them from turning toward the court of Thy oneness.

Therefore I beseech Thee, O my most glorious God, by Thy Self which Thou hast cast into the Most Great Prison for the liberation of mankind, that Thou assist Thy loved ones at all times through Thy wondrous confirmations and mighty inspirations, that they may all arise to aid Thy Cause and spread Thy remembrance, and that they may all become detached from all else save Thee and turn to none other than Thee, O our Lord, the All-Merciful, and O our Beloved, the Help in Peril!

Though under the sword, We make mention of the servants with that which shall profit them and draw them nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Peerless.

O friends! Arise with utmost steadfastness in the Cause of the Beloved of the worlds, in such wise that the entire world may testify to this most great station. The degrees of steadfastness, detachment, firmness and constancy become apparent only at the time when the clamor of the barking ones, the ungodly and the atheists is raised.

Instead I will pray fervently and in the hours of dawn will, with utmost ardour and humility, implore tearfully to the Abha Kingdom, beseeching unbounded protection and help for all of you. Divine confirmation will undoubtedly be forthcoming.

Nevertheless, night and day supplications and entreaties are raised to the threshold of Oneness that each of the loved ones may become like a brilliant lamp, a radiant star, a shining orb, and a clear sign, and that the outpourings of the Most Glorious Kingdom may arrive successively one after another.

Rather these are breezes that shall never be cut off from pure and holy hearts, for they waft from the direction of the garment of the Beloved and pass from the Most Great Prison which is the seat of the throne of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who hath found and known! Blessed is he who hath inhaled and breathed in! Blessed is he who hath turned toward Him with his breast stripped bare of coverings! And blessed is he who hath turned wholly unto Him, sanctified from all directions!

We beseech God to assist you in your current endeavors and aid you in that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Protector of the sincere ones and the Answerer of the prayers of the supplicants.

Several years ago this blessed verse was revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance - exalted and mighty be His Word: "This is not the day for questions. It behoveth every soul, when he heareth the Call, to say: 'Here am I, here am I, O Lord of Names!' and 'Here am I, here am I, O Desire of the worlds!'"

Praise be to God, the Pen of Response is in motion and each question hath been granted an explicit answer. Verily our Lord and your Lord, and our Beloved and your Beloved, is powerful over all things and worthy to respond.

O people of God! Aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, through wisdom and utterance, and through the hosts of goodly deeds and character, that the fragrance of His good-pleasure may be diffused therefrom.

The petition of that beloved of the heart hath in truth produced a mighty effect, and evident fruits have appeared therefrom. The passage of time shall not alter these fruits, nor change their freshness.

Remember God in the night season and in the days in such wise that the hearts of the heedless may be attracted.

Hadst thou been present at the time of its revelation, the attraction of revelation would have seized thee in such wise that thou wouldst have found thyself soaring to a station at which eyes are dazzled.

O Muhammad! We have heard thy call, and the cry of thy heart, and the yearning of thy soul in thy love for thy Lord, unto Whom is thy return and thy final abode. The servant who is present hath come and read what thou hast spoken and called out and whispered and praised - the One Who is the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Verily He answereth whosoever calleth upon Him and turneth unto whosoever hath turned unto Him. He, verily, is the Near One, the Watchful.

This has resulted from the many preoccupations of heart and body; otherwise, at all times when we attain the presence of and are honored at the Holy Shrine, we are occupied with your remembrance and thought, beseeching and supplicating from the manifest bounty of the Ancient Beauty that at all times He may perfume your pure and goodly nostrils with the holy fragrances of the Abha Kingdom, and day by day increase the heat and enkindlement of that divine Samandar of the fire of God's love.

I swear by the Greatest Name that remembrance of the friends brings comfort to the soul and joy to the conscience, and brings such spirit and fragrance that the heart comes into rapture and delight and the soul into longing and ecstasy.

According to thy wish, I prayed and implored at the Threshold of Oneness and asked for thee this great Blessing and these Illustrious Bounties.

Whatever supplications have been made in the hidden mysteries and secrets at the threshold of the Blessed Beauty, there is hope through His glorious bounty that they have been answered.

O thou exalted branch of the Divine Lote Tree! Night and day, morning and evening, even in the darkness of night and middle of day, I supplicate and beseech with utmost humility at the threshold of the Divine Unity, saying: "O God! These souls are Afnans of the Tree of Thy mercy and branches of the Tree of Thy oneness.

To continue: Your letter reached Me, and when I had read and learned of its contents, I repaired to the station and laid it before the face of our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which diffused the fragrance of the All-Merciful throughout all creation.

We beseech God to assist thee in all conditions. This prayer hath already been answered.

Wert thou to gather all that hath been revealed for thee, thou wouldst find it a book wherein every word indicateth thy Lord's loving care.

And thou, O servant, know that thy letter came before Us and God's gaze turned toward it out of love for thee, and He was ever watchful over thee.

Blessed art thou for having opened the doors of thy heart in thy recognition of God and for having turned thee to a seat of mighty glory and raised thee to a station where thou didst hear the melody of grandeur from the mouth of Glory and where He gave thee to drink of the sweetest nectar from holy and impregnable chalices.

We beseech God that through thy remembrance and supplication He may raise up servants in the earth. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

O Karim! Your call reached the threshold of the Throne of the Merciful, and the divine sacred ear inclined to hear it.

O thou who soarest in the atmosphere of the Intended One! We have been with thee in all conditions and heard what thou didst call upon God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

We have heard thy call and have answered thee with that which shall endure as long as the Kingdom of God, the Lord of Lords, shall endure.

Concerning your mention of Mulla Hasan---upon him be the glory of Baha'u'llah---and the state in which he found himself after being vouchsafed the honour of attaining unto that most august and all-protecting Tablet of the Most Holy, Divine Presence: well is it with him, and with whosoever hath discovered the fragrance of the loving-kindness of the All-Merciful in His utterance. God Himself beareth witness and is the surety thereof, that were all who dwell upon the earth to catch but the faintest breath of a single word from among the Words of God, they would, one and all, become drunken with its rapture, and would turn, illumined, unto the lights of His Countenance.

Shouldst thou ask for all who are on earth, We would surely fulfill thy need and would send down from the heaven of My generosity, for each one of them, the signs of My grandeur and My clear tokens.

When thou drinkest the choice wine of revelation from the cup of My utterance and findest the fragrance of the All-Merciful from My words, say:

My God, my God! Separation from Thee hath destroyed me, remoteness from Thee hath consumed me, Thy Manifestation hath bewildered me, Thy verses have enkindled me, and Thy clear signs have attracted me.

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By God! Were all things to hear but one note of His melodies with the ear of their inmost nature, they would surely be drawn unto the court of glorified might.

And were my flesh to be boiled in the cauldron of hate, the smell which it would send forth would rise towards Thee and cry out: "Where art Thou, O Lord of the worlds, Thou One Desire of them that have known Thee!"

I implore Thee, O my God, by the Lights of Thy unity and the Repositories of Thy revelation, to send down from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cleanse the hearts of all such as have turned towards Thee.

I implore Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, and Thy most ancient sovereignty, to look upon Thy loved ones whose hearts have been sorely shaken by reason of the troubles that have touched Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine own Self.

When thou findest the fragrance of the All-Merciful's utterance and art attracted by the breezes of revelation, say:

My God, my God! Thou seest me advancing toward Thee, standing before the door of Thy grandeur, and gazing toward the horizon of Thy grace.

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Say: O people! Nothing shall profit you this day though ye should cling to all things between earth and heaven, or remember God throughout the duration of His kingdom. Thus hath the command been sent down from the presence of One mighty and wise.

I render Thee thanks, therefore, and extol Thee, in the name of all them that are dear to Thee, for that Thou hast caused them to be born again, by reason of the living waters which have flowed down out of the mouth of Thy will.

Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, detached from all else but Thee. I beseech Thee by the Word through which Thou didst manifest from nothingness the Sign of eternity, to ordain for me that which will benefit me in every world of Thy worlds.

It is said by Christ (Glory be to Him!) "Pray that ye may not enter into temptation." Now, it is incumbent upon thee to pray! It is incumbent upon thee to beseech God!

It is evident that when a breath is released for the sake of God from the human world, it influences the pillars of existence, both seen and unseen, and creates a warmth in the world of hearts that the sea of contingent being cannot extinguish.

Make the withered earth verdant and flourishing, and breathe new life into the frozen heart, so that in utter helplessness it may find heavenly power, and in complete poverty it may seek eternal wealth.

O maid-servant of God! Forget all else save God, be in communion with Him, supplicate and pray to Him to make thee conqueror over the material things, impressed by the bounties of the Kingdom, commemorating the name of thy Lord, pure from all else save Him, and imbued with the spiritual attributes of those who are holy (and high); then shall thy breaths have effect upon the hearts, and attract the hearts of thy son and husband unto the Kingdom of God.

Become a sign of remembrance, and occupy thyself night and day with humble devotions and supplications. Show forth utter neediness and helplessness, and become an intimate companion in prayer.

The realities of things, the essences of contingent beings, and the conditions and circumstances of all exist under the shadow of the Word of God. That is what prevails, for it is like the sun - the heat and light of the sun penetrate all things. Therefore, whatsoever hath proceeded from the Supreme Pen hath come to pass and shall come to pass....

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Thanks be to the bounties of the Most Glorious Kingdom that has cast such love and affection and connection and unity into hearts, that when 'Abdu'l-Baha utters the names of the beloved ones, darkness becomes light and gloom is transformed into joy.

O thou handmaid, faithful and believing!

The hearts of all the friends rejoiced, and in particular, the heart of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, when we heard of thy rising up to serve the Cause of God, and that thou hast set apart one of the rooms in thy home for meetings of the lovers of God, so that from it may ascend to the Lord of Revelation the clamour of chanted prayers.

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How often, O my God, has he communed with You in the darkness of nights, seeking refuge at the gate of Your oneness and assistance through Your might and power, that You may aid him in serving Your Cause and make him successful in raising the banners of Your Word, in pointing to You, in guiding to You, and in bearing witness before You.

If thou seekest an intimate companion for thy soul, become the companion of His remembrance, and if thou desirest the expanses of Paradise and consciousness, make the heart a wellspring of recognition and dawning-place of the star of certitude.

That you expressed insufficiency is evidence of your increased seeking from the treasury of grace. Yea, those who seek the Ka'bah of the All-Merciful and circle round the sanctuary of the All-Glorious are like fish in the ocean--the more they drink, the more they cry out "Is there more?"

Say:

My God, my God, my Lord, my Support, my Goal, my Object of worship, and the Ultimate End of my desire! By Thy might and majesty, Thy greatness and power, I long to lay my face upon every spot of Thy earth that perchance it may be honored by having been touched by the feet of Thy loved ones.

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Thy might beareth me witness! Every limb of my body crieth out to Thee and saith: "O Thou Who art the Well-Beloved of the worlds, and the Lord of all that are in heaven and on earth, and the one Desire of the hearts which are devoted to Thee!

At every moment I commune in prayer and supplication at the Threshold of the Ancient Beauty, so that moment by moment from the cloud of providence dewdrops may fall upon the gardens of hearts, making them verdant and adorned with flowers and sweet herbs.

Make the insignificant ant a Solomon of the glorious realm and make the poor atom a prince of the zenith of ether. Bestow upon the drop the bounty of the sea and grant the blade of grass the freshness and delicacy of the green tree.

He whom the grace of Thy mercy aideth, though he be but a drop, shall become the boundless ocean, and the merest atom which the outpouring of Thy loving-kindness assisteth, shall shine even as the radiant star.

Verily Thy lovers thirst, O my Lord; lead them to the wellspring of bounty and grace. Verily, they hunger; send down unto them Thy heavenly table. Verily, they are naked; robe them in the garments of learning and knowledge.

Send down upon me Thy mercy, and write down for me what Thou hast written down for Thy chosen ones. Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee.

O Lord! Thou seest him standing in service to Thee, gazing toward Thy horizon, hoping for that which lieth with Thee. I beseech Thee by the pavilion of Thy glory and the tabernacles of Thy grandeur and that which hath flowed from the Pen of Thy Command, to ordain for him that which shall profit him in all the worlds of Thy worlds.

Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the heaven of knowledge was raised up and adorned with the suns of utterance, to make me detached from all else but Thee, holding fast to the cord of Thy bounty and clinging to the hem of Thy mercy.

O Lord! I testify that Thou didst create ears to hearken unto Thy call in Thy Day, and eyes to behold the lights of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Source of Thy signs and the Fountainhead of the manifestations of Thy power and favors.

God will preserve thee thereby from every ailment and disease, even as He hath preserved thee in truth through a sovereignty that hath encompassed all the worlds.

When the Call attracteth thee from the Most Exalted Horizon, say: "O Lord of the Kingdom of Names and Creator of Heaven! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy verses, and the pearls hidden in the shells of Thy knowledge, and the mysteries deposited in Thy Book, to make me steadfast in Thy love, firm in Thy Cause, and standing in Thy service.

O my God and my Lord! Withhold not Thy servants from entering the crimson Ark of rubies which Thou hast ordained specifically for the people of Baha. O Lord! Thou seest Thy servant turning toward the horizon of Thy prison. I beseech Thee by the light of Thy Cause, whereby Thy earth and heaven were illumined, to aid me to serve Thy loved ones.

I beseech Thee to assist me in serving Thee, in making mention of Thee, and in praising Thee amongst Thy creatures, and to make me steadfast in Thy love and content with what Thou hast ordained for me in Thy preserved Book.

I beseech Thee by the light of Thy Cause and the fire of Thy love, and by the Name through which Thou didst shine forth upon the world, and by Thy power which hath encompassed the nations, to make me speak forth Thy praise and mention, to arise to serve Thy Cause, and to remain steadfast in Thy love.

And He hath answered thee with words which, by God, travel and move more swiftly than lightning, and from their movement is generated a heat that outpaceth fire, that it may draw thee to the sanctuary of holiness and nearness and majesty.

We beseech God, glorified and mighty be He, to guide those lost in the valley of error to the resplendent horizon of guidance, and to lead those who thirst in the desert of bewilderment to the ocean of recognition.

Glorified art Thou, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the Word through which the earth yielded up its treasures, the horizons their lights, the seas their pearls, and the Divine Lote-Tree that which lay hidden within it, to assist Thy loved ones to celebrate Thy praise and glory and to promote Thy Cause through the wisdom Thou hast sent down in Thy Book....

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By Thy glory! Were I to render Thee thanks throughout the duration of Thy Kingdom and Thy dominion, I would find myself powerless to repay that wherewith Thou hast favored me through Thy grace and bounty.

When thou hast quaffed the choice wine of My utterance and attained unto hearkening to My call, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me unto Thy Most Great Announcement and for having given me to drink of the Kawthar of knowledge before the faces of the peoples.

Thou seest and knowest that I have arisen among Thy servants to serve Thy Cause and to unite the hearts of Thy creation. Assist me, O my God, and enable me, O my Best-Beloved, to mention Thee and praise Thee and to do that which Thou lovest and art pleased with.

By God! Through His remembrance are quickened the hearts of them that have known Him, and through it are severed from all that hath been created between the heavens and earth the souls of those whom the overpowering raptures of longing have seized.

I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued all things, and through which Thou hast called all unto the most exalted horizon, to aid me in Thy remembrance and praise, and in remaining steadfast in Thy love and affection.

I implore Thee by the mysteries of Thy Book and the sweetness of Thy utterance to ordain for me the reward of those who were steadfast in Thy Cause and who spoke Thy praise in such wise that the hosts of those who denied Thee and Thy signs could not hinder them.

O my Lord! I am he who hath turned toward the ocean of Thy grace and acknowledged Thy sovereignty and power. I beseech Thee to aid me in all conditions to serve Thee and remember Thee and praise Thee. Verily Thou art the Protector of those in earth and heaven. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest.

O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward the lights of Thy countenance and awaiting the wonders of Thy grace. 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 honored pilgrim, memorize this prayer and recite it at the threshold of the All-Merciful during times of joy and fragrance.

O Lord! Make bright his morn, illumine his lamp, loose his tongue, make manifest his exposition, and make him a sign of Thy great mercy. Verily, Thou art the Hearer of Prayer, and verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful.

Water and sun are Thy two great signs - deprive not Thy servants of these two. By Thy leave they are effective, and without it they neither nourish nor satisfy, and thus shall it ever be. Thy power maketh dust to become as the sun and earth to become as heaven. Take our hands, for we are helpless. Bestow Thy grace, for we are poor and lowly.

When thou hast attained the choice wine of My utterance and found the fragrance of My verses, say: My God, my God! Aid me to remember Thee and praise Thee and serve Thy Cause, that I may arise among Thy servants to exalt Thy Word and manifest Thy Cause until the standards of Thy oneness and the banners of Thy victory are raised.

Glory be to Thee, O God of Paradise and the Garden, and Educator of all creation! I beseech Thee by the manifestations of Thy sovereignty and the modes of Thy Self-Subsistence to preserve those who have turned to Thee from the evil of self and passion, and aid them in that which diffuseth the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure.

I beseech Thee by the lights that shine forth from the dayspring of Thy mercy and the stars in the heaven of Thy grace, to aid Thy servants to rend asunder that which hath prevented them from turning towards Thee and from attaining unto Thy presence.

When thou hast attained unto My verses and been seized by the wine of the choice nectar of My utterance, say: My God, my God! Thy call hath drawn me near, and Thy nearness is my hope and desire, and Thy separation hath consumed me, and Thy remoteness hath destroyed me. I beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy Kingdom and the signs of Thy Dominion, and by the Point through which Thy Books and Thy Scriptures were differentiated, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, speaking forth Thy praise, and holding fast to Thy Covenant and Testament.

When thou hast attained unto the traces of My Most Exalted Pen and art attracted by the breezes of revelation, turn thy face toward the House and say:

My God, my God! Thy call hath drawn me near, and Thy grace hath confirmed me, and the light of Thy manifestation hath guided me to Thy straight path and Thy mighty announcement.

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Say:

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Unto Thee be praise for having guided me, taught me, caused me to know Thee, and fed me from the table of recognition, and given me to drink from the Kawthar of utterance. My Lord! I beseech Thee by Thyself and by Thy most great signs to assist me in that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book.

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Thou art He Who hath opened the door of hope unto all who are in earth and heaven and ordained for Thy servants and Thy handmaidens that which draweth them nigh unto Thee.

O my Lord! Thou seest that he hath turned toward Thee and appeared before Thy face, and the might of the wicked ones hath not deterred him.

Then enable me, O my God, to aid Thy Cause and assist Thy Faith, that I may sacrifice my spirit, my soul and my body before Thy Beauty and in beholding the lights of the glory of Thine eternity.

Do Thou ordain for him through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall draw him nigh unto the Most Sublime Summit. Thou, verily, art the Educator of the world and the Lord of the nations, and Thou, verily, art the Potent, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.

O my God! They have bowed down to the Word of Thy transcendent Unity and prostrated themselves on the ground in exaltation before the majesty of Thy Oneness, and fell on dust in submission and humility to Thy Divine Threshold. O God! Accept from them every good deed in Thy path, Thou art the Benevolent.

I swear by the Sun of Utterance, there hath been ordained for thee that which the bird of imagination is powerless and incapable of attaining. Thou hast attained unto the blessing of recognition and received thy portion from the table of utterance, and thou hast been assisted to turn towards and act in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Thereby hath the orb of "He doeth what He willeth" shone forth from the horizon of the Cause. Give thanks unto God for that He hath removed the veil from before thine eyes and revealed that which had been hidden from all vision. When thou findest the fragrance of the Bayan, say: I beseech Thee, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, by the lights of Thy Face and by the pinions that have flown in the air of Thy love, that Thou mayest ordain for me, from the Pen of Thy Command, that which will confirm me in all conditions.

Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the tears of Thy sincere servants and the sighs of Thy near ones, and by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen and the rustling of the Lote Tree of the furthermost boundary, to aid me to serve Thy Cause and to be steadfast in Thy love.

By the Sun of the Kingdom of utterance! If the shrill voice of the Supreme Pen were truly heard by an attentive ear, all people would leave their homes and cry out "Here am I, O God, here am I!"

Verily, through the call of God are drawn the hearts of the pure ones, and were all who are in the heavens and earth to hear it, they would detach themselves from all things and turn toward the precincts of the Throne, the seat whereon thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, is established.

This call quickens the body and brings the soul to its Beloved. O Husayn! Listen with thy heart's ear, that thou mayest attain, through the sweetness of the divine Word, to such a station that thou wilt find thyself, at all times, in a state of joy and delight.

Blessed be thy tongue for having attained to the remembrance of God, the Lord of the kingdom of earth and heaven, and blessed be thine ear for having hearkened unto His call when it was raised from the realm of might, and happy be thy heart for having turned and thy face for having been directed.

Blessed is the pen that hath moved in My remembrance, and the face that hath turned toward My court, and the heart that hath turned to My horizon, and the ear that hath heard the Call when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven, and the hand that hath taken hold of My perspicuous Book.

Beseech God that thou mayest taste the sweetness of His utterance, for whoever hath found it hath seen himself detached from the world and all that is therein.

Not an atom's weight escapeth His knowledge, and with Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earths. Remember thy Lord throughout all days and be not veiled from Him. Indeed His remembrance is better than whatsoever hath been created in the realm of existence, wert thou of them that know. Through His remembrance souls find peace and the hearts of them that remember are gladdened.

Glorify thy Lord with praise in the morning and the evening, at sunset and at dawn. Thus doth the Wronged One command thee from this remote spot.

A prayer was sent before; persevere in it, for it is a key to the gates of divine favor and mercy and kindness.

Blessed art thou, O thou who gazest upon what has been sent down to thee in this Tablet, by which spirits take flight. Preserve it, then recite it. By My life! It is a gate to thy Lord's mercy. Blessed is he who recites it at eventide and at dawn.

O servant of God! Say: The Lord declareth: He that is afflicted seeketh not wellness and shall not arise, and he that beareth the sign shall not attain unto salvation.

O ‘Alí! Remembrance of Me is a healing medicine to the souls and a light to the hearts of men.

Through the influence of this chalice, do Thou revive O Lord, all the dwellers of the earth and ordain for the people of Baha -- they that yearn to behold Thy face but have been turned away by reason of what the hands of Thine enemies have wrought -- ordain for them that which will profit them, O Thou Who art the Lord of names and the Possessor of earth and heavens!

Send down upon them, O my God, from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cause to grow from their hearts the plants of Thy knowledge and wisdom.

Let us pray to God that He will exhilarate our spirits so we may behold the descent of His bounties, illumine our eyes to witness His great guidance and attune our ears to enjoy the celestial melodies of the heavenly Word.

O faithful servant of God, truly you have witnessed the power of the confirmations of the Most Great Name and observed the influence of the breathings of the Holy Spirit.

O heaven, rain down! O cloud, pour forth! O storm clouds, thunder and flash! O horizons, be fragrant! O breeze of God, blow! O Spirit of God, be stirred!"

Gird up thy loins, therefore, to serve the Cause of God in His great vineyard; trust in the favors of thy Lord; supplicate unto Him and beseech in the middle of the night and at early morn just as a needy and captive one beseeches.

Praise be to God, the prayers and entreaties of Abdul-Baha in the Abha Kingdom were accepted and you became successful in service.

Today the hosts of the Supreme Concourse in the Most Glorious Kingdom have formed their ranks, and all are waiting to assist and support whoever enters the arena.

As much as you can, diffuse the divine fragrances in this mighty Cause and demonstrate the power of steadfastness, so that you may witness the assistance and favor of the Divine Unity from every direction.

Verily I ask God to protect thee from the waves of tests and storms of trial until thou becomest firm in the Cause of thy Lord--a firmness whereby thou be enabled to withstand all nations and peoples.

There is no doubt that the gates of your Lord's mercy are opened before the faces of the sincere ones. The divine fragrances only perfume the nostrils of those who are firm and steadfast.

Gather the people upon the shore of this sea, then impart unto them what God hath imparted unto thy heart, that they may detach themselves from the worlds and turn with their whole being to the direction of God, thy Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

Abdul-Baha, every night in the darkest hours, with tearful eyes beseeches divine aid and grace. Surely this heat and flame will influence the hearts of the friends and they will arise with the utmost strength and power to serve the Cause of God.

The divine friends must supplicate and implore night and day, and beg confirmation from the Kingdom of the Lord for this dust-heap, for without His favors we are nothing, nothing at all. Whatever happens is through His confirmation.

Therefore do I beseech the loved ones of God wherever they might be to beg of Him with tears, to supplicate Him and implore the hosts of the Concourse of Abha to aid and assist them from the unseen world.

I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist your honor in that which He loves and with which He is well-pleased. Today all - that is, the community of the All-Merciful - must implore with utmost humility and supplication the Self-Sufficient Lord for the victory of His manifest Faith, and beseech the All-Powerful One to extinguish the fire of the ungodly.

Whenever you are supplicating ask confirmations for them.

… Therefore, you should supplicate and pray for such friends as these and implore confirmations and assistance.

I ask Thee, by the glory of Thy Cause and the power of Thy Word, graciously to assist them that have arisen to discharge what hath been enjoined upon them in Thy Book, and to perform that whereby the fragrance of Thine acceptance may be shed abroad.

We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist all who are on earth to turn unto Him and to act according to that which He hath revealed in His Book. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We beseech God to make you enkindled with the fire of His love and speaking His praise among His servants, such that through your call the call of the world will be raised up.

He will assist you through a power that proceedeth from Him and ordain for you that which shall endure as long as His own kingdom shall endure, the Inaccessible, the Mighty.

Verily He remembereth him who remembereth Him, and answereth him who raiseth his hands in supplication toward His exalted heaven. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Hearing, the Answering.

Whoso hath attained unto the Book of God and His Cause is assuredly among those drawn nigh. It behooveth him to beseech God at all times to make him steadfast in this momentous Cause.

O Muhammad! I swear by the Most Great Name that such power hath been manifested that were the hands of supplication of all created things to be raised toward the right hand of His bounty, all would return with radiant palms from the Sinai of divine grace and favor.

My turning toward thee cannot be equaled by the treasures of the world nor by what hath been witnessed and mentioned among the nations.

We have read thy letter before Us and heard thy cry and supplication at thy remoteness from the Dawning-Place of Lights.

We have remembered thee with such remembrance that the Concourse on High hath hastened from all directions to hearken to My sweetest call from the prison of Akka.

Grieve not over the separation. Be thou vocal in the remembrance of the Adored One by night and by day. He, verily, draweth nigh whom He willeth through His sovereignty. He is, in truth, the Almighty, the Powerful.

If thou desirest to make mention of God, the Lord of the Throne and of earth, arise, then raise up the hands of thy inner and outer being with such steadfastness that the hands of all contingent things will be lifted thereby toward the heaven of the grace of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

Say: These are verses of the Spirit which We cast upon you that through them may be quickened the hearts of those who have detached themselves unto God, and that they may be made pure and luminous by the lights of this Dawn.

No glory or loftiness can compare with this station wherein thy mention is heard and an answer of grace is bestowed. Where are they who gave up their lives yearning to hear the words "Listen, then behold," and ascended with this longing?

O servant! Turn with thy heart toward the holy direction, that the breezes of fellowship that blow from the direction of thy Lord's Throne, the All-Merciful, in the Pole of Paradise, may stir thee, and may detach thee from all existence and contingent beings, and draw thee nigh unto God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the Helper.

By God! Whoso hears the Call with true hearing, the veils of the world shall not prevent him, nor shall the mists of the nations withhold him.

Say: O people! Answer your Lord, the All-Merciful, in these days wherein the Call hath been raised from all things, and the Spirit of Holiness proclaimeth between earth and heaven: "The sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained!"

By God! We have heard thy call in the nights and at dawn. Therefore have We preserved thee that thou mayest hear this Call both secretly and openly.

Hold fast unto what We have counseled thee, then abandon whatsoever diverteth thee from God, and say: "I have turned my face unto Thee, O Lord of Lords, and have sought the Ka'bah of existence through Thy blessed, hallowed, mighty and wise Name."

Be thankful that you have been mentioned before the Face, and this Tablet has been revealed for you from which the fragrance of the All-Merciful has wafted throughout all possibility.

We heard his call and answered him that the rapture of the Call might seize him and draw him with his heart near unto My luminous horizon.

He who hath awakened at the call of his Lord and arisen to serve Him - upon him shall the denizens of the Supreme Paradise bestow their blessings, and this is a praiseworthy station.

We have indeed sent down unto thee aforetime clear verses, and now again have verses been sent down from the heaven of glorious and resplendent might, that thou mayest give thanks unto God, thy Lord, at all times and be steadfast in His Cause.

O my handmaid! Hear My call, by which the souls of the pure ones are stirred, and then the realities of the holy ones, and by the call of God the hearts of the sincere ones are attracted.

Grieve not at anything. Remember thy Lord. Verily, He heareth the call of whosoever turneth unto Him. He is the Guardian of them that remember Him.

Every goodly mention returneth unto Him, and verily He is the Answerer of the prayers of those who are in distress.

The angels and the Spirit pray for them by His leave. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid them and assist them in a manner befitting their connection to His firm and mighty Cause.

And the thanksgiving for this bounty is that thou shouldst be raised up with divine attributes, engage in teaching the Cause of God, and worship the divine Covenant.

O my God, direct and keep Thy Servants to accomplish any deeds acceptable before Thee in the Cause of Thy unity. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Merciful.

O God! How subtle is the flow of Thy love in hearts drawn to the fragrances of Thy holiness, and how sweet is beholding the signs of Thy oneness in realities informed by the outpouring of Thy mercy, and how delectable is the sweet water from the Kawthar of Thy knowledge springing from hearts stirred by the breezes of the gardens of servitude unto Thee. O Lord! Thou hast created nothing more wondrous in all creation than this, nor ordained any station in existence greater than this. O Lord! Servitude is wonderful to behold, and bondage is before the eyes of the discerning, and evanescence at the gate of Thy oneness is the ultimate hope of the stars in the heaven of lights, and effacement is the final goal of the possessors of mysteries.

By Thy mighty sovereignty! If Thou shouldst raise me to the highest horizon of glory and seat me upon the throne of grandeur, and make my face shine with the light of beauty, and cause the waves of the sea of perfection to surge around me, and perfect upon me all blessings, O my exalted Lord, and support me with all the hosts of the Concourse on High, and raise the banner of my being upon the loftiest peaks of grandeur, and ordain for me every good thing Thou hast created in the kingdom of creation - none of these would equal even a tenth part of a particle of servitude at Thy exalted threshold and bondage before Thy sublime presence.

For this is the comfort of my spirit, the joy of my heart, the healing of my illness, the cooling of my burning, the quenching of my thirst, the light of my countenance, the solace of my eyes, the whiteness of my face, the perfume of my nostrils, the sweetness of my taste, the peace of my heart, and the tranquility of my soul. Therefore, O my God, confirm me in this station, for which I yearn for drops from the overflowing of its surging crimson sea, and long to inhale its fragrances that have perfumed the horizons. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Exalted. 'Abdu'l-Baha

O Lord! This is a servant who has turned with his whole being to Thy glorious Kingdom, who has detached himself from all else but Thee, who has been set ablaze by the fire kindled in the Tree of Thy mercy, who has been drawn by the sweet-scented breaths wafting from the gardens of Thy oneness, who has held fast to Thy sure handle and clung to the hem of the robe of grandeur. O Lord! Make him a banner among the people, a radiant lamp in the kingdom of creation, a tongue speaking Thy remembrance, O Lord of the hereafter and this world, a herald calling out Thy name in the assemblies of the wise, a guide to Thy path among humanity, and a promoter of Thy religion, O Lord of the highest heavens. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the All-Giving.

Now this servant at the threshold of Baha, alone in a spot on the slopes of Mount Carmel, pen in hand, engrossed in thoughts of thy face and character, is occupied with writing. If thou knew in what state I have engaged in writing, surely such longing and attraction, such enthusiasm and burning would take hold that thou wouldst cry out "from my burning the fire of the Friend is like a ember" and forget all circumstances and conditions, for "dominion belongs to the victor" is proven true.

A day's work done in the spirit of service is in itself an act of worship. Such work is a prayer unto God."

O Lord! Make this food heavenly and make those assembled here of the hosts of Thy Supreme Concourse so that they may become life-giving and the cause of the enlightenment of the world of man, that they may arise to, guide all the peoples of the world.

Upon Our being seated, Radiyih, upon her be My glory, attained Our presence on thy behalf, laid the table of God's bounty and in thy name extended hospitality to all present.

That which exists and is witnessed shall soon vanish, but any deed performed by any soul for the triumph of God's Cause, even if it be but a sigh breathed forth for the love of God, shall endure forever and its effects shall be manifested in all the divine worlds through wondrous and sublime appearances.

By the Day-Star of ancient mysteries! The sweet-scented fragrance of every breath breathed in the love of God is wafted in the court of the presence of the Lord of Revelation. The reward of no good deed is or ever will be lost.

O my Juliet! In this glorious age the divine confirmations are like unto the rays of the sun. The hearts and souls are like unto the surface of crystal. The clearer the crystal the greater the refulgence of the sunlight.

If a soul from the beginning that has no beginning to the end that has no end were to remember and worship the Self-Sufficient, Exalted Lord in wilderness, plains, mountains and hills, yet the fragrance of His good-pleasure does not emanate therefrom, it was not and is not acceptable.

Make thy provision reliance upon Him, and thy work that which draweth thee nigh unto Him, and thy strength that which maketh thee purified from the mention of aught else but Him.

Know thou the value of the utterance of the All-Merciful, and preserve and read the blessed Tablet, that perchance through the attraction of the Call thou mayest attain unto that which God hath purposed.

We beseech God to draw thee nigh unto Him, to grant thee the good of this world and the next, and to make thee a helper to His weak servants and one who is confirmed in that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayer.

How blessed are those souls who plant for God's sake and leave it for God's creatures. The springtime consumption and sustenance of a single being lasts but a day or two. We beseech God with utmost humility and supplication to grant us the strength to plant trees whose fruits will forever benefit and nourish the inhabitants of earth.

O my Lord! Thou seest the needy one hath made for the ocean of Thy generosity and the poor one for the sun of Thy grace. Ordain for him what beseemeth the heaven of Thy bounty and the sea of Thy munificence. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.

One goodly word and one righteous deed are, in this Day, more precious in the sight of God than all the books of the earth - namely, those books which the heedless divines have written according to their vain imaginings.

Through the grace and bounty of the Blessed Beauty, it is hoped that we may arise to serve as we should and must, raise high the banner of the supreme gift, discover the inexhaustible treasure, receive our portion from the favors of the Most Glorious Kingdom, and be assisted by the hosts of the Supreme Concourse, so that we may raise the unified pavilion of the oneness of the world of humanity at the pole of contingent being, diffuse the fragrant musk of mysteries, make all nostrils perfumed, and scatter the pearls of supreme guidance upon East and West.

This servant, at all times, hath besought and continues to beseech relief for that beloved one, and God willing, his relief is near, for His loved ones and friends have no purpose save Him. In this land of exile, they have chosen their abode in His path.

O beloved of my heart! The ignorance and folly of the servants have become the cause and reason for abasement. We must, with the utmost lowliness and supplication, beseech the Self-Sufficing Lord for that which is the cause of victory and joy.

When thou art in remembrance, be silent that thou mayest hear what the Spirit reciteth in this Paradise, which appeareth in the form of a visible Tablet. When thou hast heard and recognized what is treasured in thy Lord's melodies of self-knowledge, then aid Him with thyself and with thy tongue, and tarry not even for the twinkling of an eye.

Beseech ye God to protect His friends from harmful deeds and to confirm them in that which befitteth His days. Verily He is powerful over all things.

O My handmaiden! We have repeatedly heard thy call. He is the Hearer of every mention by every mentioner and the call of every caller, and likewise He heareth the breath of every soul.

Thus have We revealed unto thee the Word of Truth; taught thee the paths of guidance; and made known unto thee the ways of godliness, that thou mayest discern clearly the nature of the Cause.

We beseech God, exalted be He, to ordain for thee through His Most Exalted Pen that which He hath destined for His chosen ones.

The core of religious faith is that mystical feeling which unites man with God. This state of spiritual communion can be brought about and maintained by means of meditation and prayer.... It is not sufficient for a believer to merely accept and observe the teachings. He should, in addition, cultivate the sense of spirituality, which he can acquire chiefly by means of prayer. The Baha'i Faith, like all other Divine Religions, is thus fundamentally mystic in character.... prayer is absolutely indispensable to their inner spiritual development, and this, as already stated, is the very foundation and purpose of the religion of God.

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Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of God is the greatest thing in life without doubt.

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...use these five steps if we have a problem of any kind for which we desire a solution, or wish help. Pray and meditate about it. Use the prayers of the Manifestations, as they have the greatest power. Learn to remain in the silence of contemplation for a few moments. During this deepest communion take the next step. Arrive at a decision and hold to this. This decision is usually born in a flash at the close or during the contemplation. It may seem almost impossible of accomplishment, but if it seems to be an answer to prayer or a way of solving the problem, then immediately take the next step. Have determination to carry the decision through. Many fail here. The decision, budding into determination, is blighted and instead becomes a wish or a vague longing. When determination is born, immediately take the next step. Have faith and confidence, that the Power of the Holy Spirit will flow through you, the right way will appear, the door will open, the right message, the right principle or the right book will be given to you. Have confidence, and the right thing will come to meet your need. Then as you rise from prayer take immediately the fifth step. Act as though it had all been answered. Then act with tireless, ceaseless energy. And, as you act, you yourself will become a magnet which will attract more power to your being, until you become an unobstructed channel for the Divine Power to flow through you.

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Teaching is the source of Divine Confirmation. It is not sufficient to pray diligently for guidance, but this prayer must be followed by meditation as to the best methods of action and then action itself. Even if the action should not immediately produce results, or perhaps not be entirely correct, that does not make so much difference, because prayers can only be answered through action and if someone's action is wrong, God can use that method of showing that pathway which is right...

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The true basis of prayer is for the individual to hold himself as a reed, through which the Holy Spirit may flow. His will should be completely submissive to the Will of God. When this is done, then the Hosts of the Unseen Kingdom have an opportunity to assist and direct the individual. Thus it may be seen that sometimes the answer is not what is expected by the individual, but what is best for the Cause of God. The Guardian has so often pointed out that there are three elements of prayer -- meditation, supplication and action. It is most important that an individual act, because it is only while the individual is acting that a prayer can be answered.

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The believers, as we all know, should endeavour to set such an example in their personal lives and conduct that others will feel impelled to embrace a Faith which reforms human character. However, unfortunately, not everyone achieves easily and rapidly the victory over self. What every believer, new or old, should realize is that the Cause has the spiritual power to re-create us if we make the effort to let that power influence us, and the greatest help in this respect is prayer. We must supplicate Baha'u'llah to assist us to overcome the failings in our own characters, and also exert our own will-power in mastering ourselves.

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