prayer for praise and gratitude
Editorial introduction
Thanksgiving in the Bahá’í writings begins with noticing. Someone was hungry and fed, thirsty and given to drink, lost in a dark night and guided to morning; a stranger was made intimate, a homeless wanderer sheltered, a prisoner remembered. The prayers of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá name such gifts one by one, as the psalmist bids his soul forget none of the benefits received [1], and the naming itself becomes praise. Yet praise here never rests in the heart alone. The breath that gives thanks for guidance asks to be made a pillar of strength, a refuge for others, a servant whose remembrance of God spills into improving the affairs of His servants. Nor is gratitude a denial of sorrow: it is spoken from exile, from grief over a son, from the plain confession that a feeble ant has been given Solomon’s might and that words fail. Learning to pray this way opens onto the wider life of prayer itself, onto thankfulness as a habit of the soul, and onto gratitude as its daily response to a world crowded with mercies.
Glory be unto Thee, O our God! Aid us to remember Thee and praise Thee, and to accomplish that which will improve the affairs of Thy servants. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy to answer prayer.
I beseech Thee to assist me in Thy remembrance, Thy praise, and service to Thy loved ones.
Turn to the Kingdom of Bounty and supplicate to the Self-Subsisting One of the unseen and seen realms, and pray:
O Kind Lord! O Glorious God! A hundred thousand thanks to Thee for having bestowed sustenance upon the destitute and granted remedy to the afflicted. Thou hast made the poor wealthy and placed balm upon the wounds of the injured. Thou hast given solace to the helpless and granted shelter to the wanderers. Thou art the Kind One, Thou art God, Thou art the All-Merciful.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee to make this servant of Thine a pillar of strength for all kingdoms, a refuge from perils, steadfast in all pathways, and a servant of Thy Cause among Thy servants.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having enabled me to perform a deed from which the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure hath been wafted.
Praise be to God Who created me by His behest, then nourished me through His bounty, then gave me to eat after I hungered. There is no God but He, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
O thou who art firm in the Ancient Covenant! Stretch forth thy hands in supplication toward the Kingdom of Glory and the Dawning-Place of Beauty, and say:
Praise be unto Thee, O my Exalted Lord, for what Thou hast bestowed and granted, for how Thou hast fed and quenched, for how Thou hast guided and directed, for how Thou hast preserved and healed.
My God, my God! I beseech the Kingdom of Thy mercy and I humble myself before the Dominion of Thy sovereignty, and I call upon Thee with a submissive and humble heart at the Center of Glory, saying: O Lord! Ordain healing for Thy servant who supplicates to Thy most exalted Kingdom, and make him a sign of Thy mercy among all people, and decree for him recovery from every ailment and disease, that he may thank Thee for the removal of distress, the abundance of mercy, the profusion of bounty, the manifestation of compassion, and healing from every illness.
I was thirsty, and Thou didst give me to drink from the sweet flowing Salsabil. I was fearful and trembling, and Thou didst grant me refuge and shelter. I was dead, and Thou didst bring me to life. I was in dark night, and Thou didst guide me to the luminous morn. A hundred thousand thanks be unto Thee!
Raise the hand of supplication to the court of the peerless Lord and say: O Lord! Praise and glory befit and beseem Thee, for Thou hast bestowed life upon this lifeless and dejected one, and guided this lost and wandering one to the shelter of safety. Thou hast given refuge to this homeless one in the haven of Thy favors and quenched the thirst of this parched soul with the sealed wine and sweet living waters. For Thou hast caused him to attain the Most Great Guidance and singled him out for the Most Great Gift. O Creator! Thanks be to Thee, praise be to Thee, glory be to Thee, laudation be to Thee.
Raise thy hands in supplication and prayer to the Kingdom of Glory and say: "O Lord! Thanks be unto Thee that Thou hast made this stranger intimate with Thee and admitted this destitute one to Thy shelter. Thou hast bestowed the water of life upon this burning thirsty one and brought this parched fish into the sweet Euphrates. Praise be unto Thee for this!
O servant of God! Raise both hands in thanksgiving to the threshold of the One God and say: "O God! Thanks be unto Thee that Thou hast led this heart and soul to the Beloved, and bestowed an endless portion upon this destitute one. Thou hast called this lost one to Thine own path, and given shelter and solace to this bewildered one in Thy protection. Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, the Everlasting, the All-Merciful."
Raise your hands in supplication to the court of the peerless Lord: O forgiving, beneficent Lord! Praise and glorification befit Thee, for Thou hast made this silent country full of fire, and brought these lifeless unconscious ones to enthusiasm and excitement. Thou gavest hope to the hopeless and showed the way to the treasury of life to the destitute. Thou made the poor wealthy and bestowed order and arrangement upon the helpless.
O God, my God! Praise and thanks be unto Thee that Thou hast sent down unto Thy servants a purifying draught through which their spirits have been cheered, their vision edified, their outward beings illumined, their inner realities sanctified, their faces brightened, their false stars blotted out, their hearts gladdened, their anxieties dispelled, and their breasts dilated with joy.
O my God! O my God! Praise be unto Thee! for Thou hast created me of the most excellent fabric, in the most honored form, and in the most exalted kind of Thy creation; didst nurture me from the breast of Thy favor, didst nurse me in the bosom of Thy mercy, until I grew up under the protection of Thy divinity, in the cradle of Thy training, and reached full growth through Thy favor and grace.
Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God! Praise and thanks be unto Thee for having created me from clay kneaded with the water of Thy love, and for having brought me forth from a lineage strengthened by the power of Thy confirmation, and for having nurtured me in the cradle of faith, and for having suckled me from the breast of certitude, and for having reared me in the bosom of recognition through the signs of Thy oneness, and for having caused me to reach maturity beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy singleness.
Say: O God! Verily Thou art the Creator of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them. Thou hast created me and all things, sustained me and all things, caused me and all things to die, given life to me and all things, raised me and all things, and made me the mirror of Thy Self, the crystal of Thy Being, the dawning-place of Thy Holiness and the dayspring of Thy Self-Subsistence unto all the worlds.
The spring rain of Thy grace has made the world of existence verdant and flourishing, and Thy Most Great All-encompassing bounty has clothed creation with the new garment of the new creation. Thy favors have encompassed the world of existence and Thy benevolence has included the seen and unseen.
O Thou Glory of the Most Glorious! I have wakened on this Naw-Ruz morning to find the lights of Thy holiness gleaming from all regions, the verses of Thy unity recited by the tongues of all things, and the tokens of Thy singleness evident in the scroll of the Book of Creation. Blessed is he who chanteth them in such accents as to fill with ecstasy the Concourse on high, and to reach the ears of the dwellers of the Abha Kingdom.
My God, my God! This is the day of Naw-Ruz and the morning of divine favors, illumined with a radiant, brilliant, manifest light from the outpouring of Thy Most Glorious Kingdom.
In the name of our Most Mighty, Most Great, Ever-Forgiving, Most Generous Lord!
Glorified art Thou, O Thou Who causeth the winds to blow and cleaveth the dawn!
O God, O Generous One, O Merciful One! I beseech Thee by Thy power which hath conquered all created things, and by Thy sovereignty which hath encompassed all existence, to ordain for every particle of Thy creation a speaking tongue in Thy remembrance, praise, and thanksgiving for Thy bounties and favors.
Glory be unto Thee, O God, for Thy Manifestation of Love to mankind!
Now say thou with utmost joy and delight, gladness and expansion:
O my God and the God of all worlds, my Object of worship and the Object of worship of all who dwell in the realm of possibility! I acknowledge and confess my inability to render thanks to Thee as beseemeth Thy station, but Thou art the All-Bountiful - accept from me that which is worthy and befitting Thy most holy court.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest me rolling my face in the dust of humility and contrition, supplicating toward the Kingdom of Thy Might, yearning for the contemplation of Thy Greatness, entreating Thy Grandeur, invoking at the Threshold of Thy Mercifulness, beseeching the realm of Thy Singleness, acknowledging my shortcomings, longing for Thy bounty, desiring Thy concealing veil and expecting the outpouring of the rain of Thy favor upon all the meadows and mountains!
I bear witness before Thee, and all things in the circle which is with Thee as the letter Ayn bear witness, even as the believers have testified unto Thee, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, Thou hast ever been sanctified from peers, and wilt ever remain, O my Desire, holy from all likeness. Thou art He Who hath originated all things through Thy Command, and brought all things into being through Thy wisdom.
O my God! Were I to attempt to mention Thee through all the letters of the Bayan, I would be powerless to do so. Therefore, O Lord, recompense each letter with the most excellent reward wherewith Thou dost recompense any letter in Thy presence, for all point to a single Point, which hath no equal, no likeness, no peer, no similitude, and no companion.
For naught besides Thee, O my God, even if Thou didst create it through the Point, sufficeth me, O my God, for all are, like myself, poor before Thee and slaves in Thy presence. Should the servant look to aught besides Thee, it beseemeth him not to be mentioned before Thee, for the turning of one who is poor unto another who is poor is poverty without justice, and the independence of the servant from aught besides Thee is poverty without riches.
… Glory be unto Thee, O my God, with whatsoever Thou lovest to be glorified before all things and after them, and from the right of all things and their left, and from before all things and behind them, and above all things and beneath them, and from the direction of all things and their encompassment - a glorification wherewith none hath ever glorified Thee before, nor shall anyone glorify Thee hereafter with its like; a glorification whereby they who glorify Thee may ascend to the summit of detachment, and whereby the sincere ones may rise unto the heights of inaccessibility; a glorification which Thou hast sanctified from comparison and purified from similitude; a glorification befitting the majesty of Thy holiness and the exaltation of Thy glory and the loftiness of Thy sovereignty and the splendor of Thy light and grandeur and the elevation of Thy Word and grace.
O my God! How can I extol Thy majesty on this Friday, knowing my own nothingness before Thee? Yet since Thou hast placed the signs of Thy Lordship within my soul, I commune with Thee in my solitude and exile amidst the mountains during these changing circumstances, that perchance the angels may hear my voice and call upon Thee due to my grief. Through this, Thou mayest look upon me with a near gaze that transforms my sorrow into the joy of the lights of Thy Self-Sufficiency, and my lamentations into witnessing the fragrances of Thy holiness.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of Names and Creator of the heavens, for having strengthened me, made me know Thee, and accepted what befell my son in Thy path.
Drink thou the Kawthar of bounty from the hand of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is my forelock, and thanks be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast mentioned me when I was wronged at the hands of the servants.
When thou hast drunk the choice wine of revelation from the hand of thy Lord's bounty, say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having remembered me while I was in an impregnable prison. I beseech Thee to rain down upon me from the clouds of Thy bounty the showers of Thy mercy which have preceded existence in both the unseen and visible worlds. Praise be to Thee and thanks be to Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of glory and majesty!
O Pure One of God! These are Thy scattered flock, and these are Thy bewildered and unsettled lovers. Though we are poor and lowly, Thou art our Helper and Supporter. We are abject and sick, Thou art the Glorious Physician. We are destitute and captive, Thou art the Great Wealthy One.
When thou art startled, say: "Glory be unto Thee, O God! O my God! Thou art the First, and naught is before Thee. Thou art the Last, and naught is after Thee. Thou art the Manifest, and naught is above Thee. Thou art the Hidden, and naught is below Thee. Thou art the Almighty, and none is Thy peer. Thou hast risen above all heights and drawn nigh in utter remoteness. Thou hast caused all the spheres to move at the testimony of Thy Proof, and the Pens in the Most Exalted Paradise have fallen still at the manifestation of Thy countenance.
Say: O my God! Thou art the Sovereign of sovereigns and the Compassionate to the downtrodden. Thou art the Dispeller of doubts. Thou dost enrich whomsoever Thou willest and dost impoverish whomsoever Thou willest. Thou dost exalt whomsoever Thou willest and dost abase whomsoever Thou willest. Verily, Thou art and hast ever been the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful, the Mighty.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Send down upon my father at this moment in his resting place that which may comfort his heart. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all the worlds. And send down, O my God, upon her who bore me - verily, Thou art the Lord of all the worlds - whatsoever beseemeth Thy wondrous mercy, for Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and Thou art the Most Generous of the generous ones. Thou createst what Thou willest through Thy command "Be," and it is.
God bears witness regarding His servant that he has believed in God and His verses and was among those who are guided. My God, I bear witness to Thee by that which Thou dost testify for Thyself and for Thy favored ones near unto Thee among Thy servants, the Imams of justice who act according to Thy command and who are fearful of Thy might.
O God! Send blessings upon Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest and the letters of His Self among the people of Baha.
O God, my Lord! Send Thy blessings upon the Tree of Thy Oneness, and cause to descend upon it, O my Lord, that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy bounty and the sovereignty of Thy mighty Self-Subsistence.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Send down Thy blessings upon the First Temple, that with all Thy beauty it may be the most resplendent of Thy splendours; with all Thy majesty the most august of Thy majesties; with all Thy comeliness the most beauteous of Thy forms; with all Thy greatness the most mighty of Thy grandeurs; with all Thy light the most luminous of Thy lights; with all Thy mercy the most encompassing of Thy mercies; with all Thy words the most perfect of Thy utterances; with all Thy perfection the most complete of Thy perfections; with all Thy Names the most exalted of Thy Names; with all Thy might the most glorious of Thy powers; with all Thy will the most effectual of Thy behests; with all Thy doings the most consummate of Thy acts; with all Thy power the most far-reaching of Thy potencies; with all Thy sayings the most acceptable of Thy speeches; with all the things asked of Thee the most loved in Thy sight and the most securely treasured in Thy presence; with all Thy honour the most honoured of Thy honours; with all Thy sovereignty the most enduring of Thy dominions; with all Thy kingdom the most illustrious of Thy realms; with all Thy tokens of glory the loftiest of Thy tokens --
Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee by the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen, whereby Thou didst subdue all things, and by Thy Name which Thou didst make the Sovereign of names and the All-Ruling over earth and heaven, to send Thy blessings upon Thy Beloved, Whom Thou didst strengthen and exalt and cause to enter a station which the understanding of the world cannot comprehend nor the minds of nations grasp, and upon His family and companions whom Thou didst make the lamps of guidance among all creatures and the emblems of unity among kings and servants.
Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and holding fast to the cord of Thy Prophet and Thy Chosen One, Whom Thou hast made the Sovereign of the Messengers and the Guide of all paths. I beseech Thee by Him and by His family and companions to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise amongst Thy servants. Verily Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whom the Luminary of inner meanings hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance, and the worlds of knowledge and wisdom have been adorned with the lights of proof and evidence!
In the prayer of Kumayl ibn Ziyad al-Nakha'i it is said: "Until all my deeds and devotions become one continuous devotion, and my state in Thy service eternal." We beseech Him to give His servants to drink from the Kawthar of this exalted word.
Recite the verses of divine unity and magnify the Lord of peerless glory, "that Thou mayest turn every mention and invocation of mine into a single invocation, and engage me forever in Thy service".
Glory be unto Thee, O Thou at Whose mention all mention boweth down, and at Whose light's dawning all lights humble themselves. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue all things and didst open the cities of the Kingdom of Names, to assist Thy servants in Thy remembrance and praise, and to enable them to act according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book.
He is the All-Powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His firm and mighty command!
O peoples of the earth! Take heed lest the veils of glory prevent you from turning unto God, the One, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Great. Beware lest vain imaginings hold you back from the Dawning-Place of certitude, or the oppression of those who have denied the Day of Judgment fill you with fear. The gates of forgiveness and bounty have been opened wide, for the Dove of Paradise hath warbled upon the branches. Mercy and grace and generosity belong unto God, the Lord of all the worlds. Say: O concourse of divines! Should you fear for your faith, preserve the Tablets of God in the treasuries of trust and detachment. When ye stand before the presence of the Lord of all beings on the Day of Rising, and He asketh you by what proof ye believed in Him Who appeared, then bring forth the Tablets and say: By this blessed, holy, mighty and beloved Book. Then shall the hands of all created things be raised toward you, taking therefrom and placing upon their eyes the fragrance of the divine utterance. This is what ye have been commanded in this Tablet from God, the Speaker, the True, the Trustworthy. When thou attainest unto the Tablet of God and His traces, turn thy face toward the Kaaba of God, which speaketh before the faces of the world: "There is none other God but Him, the Commander, the All-Wise," and say: Unto Thee be praise, O Lord of Names, and unto Thee be glory, O Goal of the hearts of them that know. I beseech Thee by Thyself and by Thy Manifestation and by the City wherein was established the throne of Thy grandeur, and by the breezes wherein wafted the fragrance of reunion with Thee, and by the ocean of Thy greatest signs and the manifestations of Thy power in the kingdom of creation, to enable me to serve Thy Cause in Thy days and to make mention of Thee amongst Thy servants. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of every wise command.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having enabled me to acknowledge the sanctification of Thy Being from all similitudes and the detachment of Thine Essence from all likenesses. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Throne and the mysteries of Thy Book to enable me in all circumstances to remember Thee and to act according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book.
My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers, by Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, by the lights of Thy throne, and by Him through Whom Thou didst manifest the law of detachment and sent down the word of unity, through Whom the suns of ordinances shone forth from the horizons of all lands, and the tongues of all servants uttered that Thou art God and there is none other God but Thee - to make me in all conditions one who speaks Thy praise and glorification, who acts according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book, and who is content with what Thou hast ordained for me through Thy decree and Thy will.
I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy mercy and the dawning lights of the sun of Thy grace to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise among Thy servants with the wisdom which Thou hast sent down in Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets.
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the sighs of them that are nigh unto Thee and the tears of them that yearn for Thee and by the pearls of the shells of Thy utterance in the ocean of Thy knowledge and wisdom, to aid me to be steadfast in Thy Cause and to enable me to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy servants with the wisdom which Thou hast commanded all to observe in Thy Books and Thy Tablets.
Say: My God, my God! Aid me to remember Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy servants with the wisdom Thou hast sent down in Thy Book.
O Lord! Assist me to remember and praise Thee, cause my tongue to speak of Thy glorification and attributes among Thy creation, and make my face sincere before Thy generous countenance, O my Great Lord!
Praise be unto Thee for having loosened my tongue in my supplications, that I might commune in the depths of night and call upon Thee with my heart and soul.
My Lord and my Hope! Strengthen me in this mighty Cause and gird up my loins in Thy service and expand my breast through the spreading of the fragrances of Thy mercy and illumine my sight by witnessing the signs of Thy power and loose my tongue in Thy praise and make flow from my pen the exposition of Thy proofs and evidences and occupy me with establishing Thy Manifestation and make me walk in the path of sincerity in Thy religion and preserve me from every remembrance save Thy remembrance and every praise save Thy praise and deliver me from the depths of my self and desire and free me from the conditions of my own being and essence and make me one of those servants who have purified their faces for Thee, O Merciful, O Compassionate!
O Nasr! When thou art blessed with the sweet savors of utterance, render thanks unto God, the Lord of all religions, and say:
My God, my God! Thou hearest and knowest that this Thy servant hath testified to the unity of Thy Being and its sanctity, and to the immaculacy of Thine Essence and its sovereignty, and hath acknowledged Thy power, Thy grandeur and Thine authority. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Kingdom and by Thy Prophets and Messengers, and by Him through Whom Thou didst unlock the gates of bounty unto all being and of generosity unto the world - He through Whom was manifested the decree of unity amongst the peoples - to assist me in all conditions to remember and praise Thee, and to grant me success in that whereby my mention may endure throughout the permanence of Thy dominion.
My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having drawn me nigh unto Thee, and brought me into Thy presence, and honored me with meeting Thee, and given me to drink of the Kawthar of Thy utterance, and made known to me Thy momentous Message and Thy straight Path. I am he who, O my God, was heedless - the revelations of Thy loving-kindness taught me; who was asleep - the hand of Thy bounty awakened me; who was far removed - the manifestations of Thy grace drew me nigh.
When thou hast drunk the choice wine of My utterance from the cup of My bounty, turn thy face toward the House and say: "Glorified art Thou, O my God! I testify that I was as one dead, and Thou didst adorn me with the ornament of being; I was heedless, and Thou didst make known to me Thy extended path; I was silent, and Thou didst cause me to speak through Thy bounty which pervadeth both the seen and the unseen.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having remembered me when I was silent, and for having turned toward me when I was still.
Say:
My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden. Thou hast created me through Thy grace and brought me forth through Thy generosity and enabled me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, the Dawning-Place of Thy signs, and the Manifestation of Thy Self on a day when most of Thy creatures turned away from Thee, violated Thy covenant and Thy testament, disputed Thy signs, and denied Thy proof and Thy testimony.
Say: Praise be unto Thee for having sent down unto me that which hath caused me to soar in the atmosphere of Thy love and to speak forth Thy beauteous praise. I beseech Thee to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.
Turn thy face toward the precincts of the Throne and say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, my Lord, my Master and my Beloved, for having caused me to recognize the Manifestation of Thy Most Exalted Self in this latter resurrection, and for having enabled me to voice His praise between earth and heaven.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me unto Thy straight path and made known to me Thy momentous announcement. I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, whereby the hearts of the nations were thrown into commotion, to assist me in all conditions to remember and praise Thee among Thy handmaidens.
When thou art illumined by the lights of the Luminary of utterance in the days of the manifestation of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having given me to drink from the cup of Thy knowledge and guided me to Thine all-highest horizon and the most exalted summit, and for having made mention of me in the prison of 'Akka.
When thou hast drunk thereof, say: "Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having turned toward me from the direction of Thy prison and remembered me with that which the treasuries of kings and rulers cannot equal. I bear witness that Thou art verily the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful."
Again praise be to God, again praise be to God, again praise be to God for the wondrous bounty and the table sent down from the heaven of kindness and unity, upon which was inscribed the royal signature of the name of the All-Bountiful, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of creation.
Say: O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having mentioned me in Thy Tablets and made me turn to Thy will, and become effaced before Thy good-pleasure, and a servant of Thy Cause, and one who speaks Thy praise amongst Thy servants, and one who seeks protection in Thy custody and shelter in Thy presence.
When thou dost inhale its fragrance say: "My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy signs, and shown me the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance, and enabled me to behold the horizon of Thy Revelation, and guided me to Thy path, and honored me with Thy traces, and illumined my heart with the lights of Thy knowledge.
Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, and glory be to Thee, O my Aim, and greatness and laudation be to Thee, O my Beloved, for having confirmed me in recognition and made known to me Thy straight path and Thy mighty Message.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me to Thy most exalted horizon, caused me to hear the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree, and enabled me to turn unto Thee when the divines and theologians of the earth turned away, save whom Thy Will hath desired and Thy Purpose hath chosen.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me, caused me to hear, given me to drink, and made me turn toward the court of Thy glory after the turning away of most of Thy creatures.
When thou hearest My call and drinkest the choice wine of My utterance, turn thy face toward the Kaaba of My Revelation and say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me and given me to drink and caused me to know Thee. I beseech Thee by Thy most great signs and by the lights of Thy countenance from the most sublime horizon, and by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue the kingdom of names, to open before my face the doors of Thy grace and bounty, then send down upon me from the clouds of Thy generosity the rain of Thy munificence.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy utterance in Thy days and for having made me to know the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Dayspring of Thy clear tokens.
Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me. Glory be to Thee, O my God! Praise be to Thee for having made me know Thee. Glory be to Thee, O my God! Praise be to Thee for having honored me, brought me into Thy presence, caused me to hear and to see. Glory be to Thee, O my God! Praise be to Thee for having favored me, enabled me to serve Thee, and caused me to speak forth Thy praise and glorification.
When thou hast attained unto My Tablet and heard My call, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having made known unto me the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Ocean of Thy knowledge and the Repository of Thine inspiration.
When thou hast attained unto My Tablet and beheld the stars of the heaven of My utterance, say:
My God, my God! Unto Thee be praise and glory, and unto Thee be thanksgiving and splendor, for having manifested the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Dayspring of Thy clear tokens and the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Source of Thy knowledge and the Ocean of Thy generosity and bounty.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and sent down unto me from the clouds of Thy bounty that whose fragrance shall never cease throughout the duration of Thy dominion and Thy kingdom.
When the fragrance of the Tablet taketh hold of thee, arise and say: "Glory be unto Thee, O my God! All praise be unto Thee for having remembered me and all glory be unto Thee for having sent down upon me from the heaven of Thy grace that which shall immortalize me in Thy Manifest Book.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the world and the Beloved of the nations, for having guided me unto Thy path, shown me Thy way, and sent down for me Thy proof. I beseech Thee to ordain that I may, in all conditions, be mindful of Thy verses and hold fast unto the cord of Thy Cause.
When thou hearest My call and attainest unto My Tablet, say: "My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to hear Thy most sweet call and shown me the traces of Thy Most Exalted Pen.
O My leaf! When thou hast attained unto My Tablet and heard My call, say:
My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having strengthened me and made me recognize Thee and guided me and caused me to hear Thy most sweet call as it was raised betwixt earth and heaven.
Say: All praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having guided me unto the path of righteousness and for having caused me to turn toward Thee and to turn away from those who have denied Thy Self and rejected Thy proof.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! This is the garment of glory which Thou hast sent to the city of Thy oneness, and this is the wondrous Book which Thou hast brought forth through the sovereign power of Thy grace, and this is the light of majesty which Thou hast caused to shine forth from the horizon of Thine essence, and this is the camphor tree which Thou hast planted in the meadows of Thy mercy, and this is the trumpet of the Cause into which Thou hast breathed Thy spirit and sent unto those who love Thee. Glorified art Thou, O my God! Perfect then Thy favor upon Thy loved ones through the manifestations of Thy glory, for verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting.
Say:
My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having strengthened me, and made me to know Thee, and caused me to hear and to see, and brought me near until I stood before the gate of Thy bounty and grace, and attained unto that which most of Thy servants were deprived of.
When you have taken the cup of knowledge in My Name and drunk thereof through My love, turn your face toward the Most Great House of God and say: "My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me when people were in manifest error. Glory be to Thee for having strengthened me when the people were behind a thick veil. Thanks be to Thee for having awakened me when the servants were in strange slumber.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me, and all bounty be Thine for having given me to drink, and all glory be to Thee for having called me, and all thanksgiving be unto Thee for having remembered me, and all generosity be Thine for having made me to know Thee, and all grace be Thine for having taught me, and all favor be unto Thee for having caused me to hear and to behold Thy signs, Thy Book, and the Kawthar of Thy utterance.
When the wine of utterance overtaketh thee and thou art illumined by the lights of the Day-Star of My loving-kindness, say:
"My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having given me to drink of the Kawthar of Thy utterance and for having sent down unto me in Thy Most Great Prison that which nothing in creation can equal.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me through Thy loving-kindness and illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and given me to drink of the Kawthar of Thy eternity from the hand of Thy bounty.
O Muhammad-Qabli-Rida! Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me and caused me to hear and for having sent down unto me that which hath diffused the fragrance of Thy loving-kindness.
When thou hast attained unto the Tablet of God and its effects, say: "My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having opened before my face the door of Thy knowledge, and made known to me Thy path, and shown me Thy signs, and strengthened me in that which most of Thy creatures were hindered from.
When thou art stirred by the breezes of My verses and art given to drink of the Kawthar of My utterance, turn toward My direction and say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and my sight with beholding the traces of Thy Pen.
Glorify your Lord, then praise Him and say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and enabled me to turn toward Thee.
When thou hast received it and found the fragrance of Our loving-kindness, say:
My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me and revealed unto me that which draweth me nigh unto Thee.
Put thy trust in God, thy Lord, and say: "Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having made known unto me the Dayspring of Thy signs, the Dawning-Place of Thy lights, and the Manifestation of Thy Self, before Whom, when He appeared, all necks bowed down in submission.
Say: "My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me and Thy servants through Thy Most Exalted Pen, and for having sent down from the heaven of Thy bounty the table of inner meanings and utterance.
When thou attainest the presence of revelation and hearest the shrill voice of My Pen, say:
"Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having made clear to me Thy path, and for having sent down to me Thy proof, and for having manifested what was hidden in Thy knowledge - a grace from Thee unto Thy loved ones.
When thou attainest unto it and findest the fragrance of revelation, say: "My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink the Kawthar of immortality from the hands of Thy bounty, and thanks be to Thee for having guided me unto Thy path.
Rejoice thou in this most exalted Word and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all mankind and Master of the throne on high and of the earth below, for having given me to drink the Kawthar of Thy bounty from the hand of Thy generosity and for having sent down unto me that whereby my name shall endure among all names and my remembrance among all remembrances.
Rejoice thou in this most great favor and say: "Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made known unto me the Dawning-Place of Thy mighty signs and taught me what was hidden in Thy knowledge and guided me unto Thy mighty, extended Path."
When thou didst discover the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful and wert seized by the pure wine of revelation, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Sovereign of existence, Who hast appeared through Thy name, the All-Loving!
When thou attainest unto the Tablet of God and its traces, say:
"My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and for having sent down unto me that which shall cause my remembrance to endure in Thy Book.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having enabled me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thy knowledge, and for having given me to drink of the wine of Thy bounty in such wise that I have turned my face unto Thy face and been honored by Thy favors to such extent that Thou hast mentioned me in Thy Most Great Prison.
When thou dost inhale the fragrance of My loving-kindness, say: Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me in the prison of 'Akka, and thanks be unto Thee for having enabled me to turn towards Thy Most Glorious Horizon.
Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy utterance and guided me to the ocean of Thy knowledge.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink, from the hand of Thy bounty, the Kawthar of Thy utterance, and for having confirmed me in acknowledging that which Thou hast revealed in the Books of the Prophets and Messengers, and for having inspired me with the Word of Unity, whereby the limbs of the ungodly have trembled.
Be thou thankful unto thy Lord and say: "Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made me one of Thy leaves and recorded me by Thy Most Exalted Pen as one of the Afnans whom Thou hast mentioned in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets, and hast commanded Thy servants to love them and to show them affection - a bounty from Thy presence.
Say: O my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to turn to the horizon of Thy bounty and to speak forth Thy praise.
Say: Praise be unto Thee for having sent down to me from the heaven of Thy utterance the signs of Thy generosity and grace.
When thou attainest unto them, arise from thy place and turn toward the Kaaba of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and say: "Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of the world, for having adorned my being with the ornament of Thy remembrance, the mighty, the wondrous.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having enabled me to attain unto Thy presence and to hear Thy voice, as I stand before the door of Thy bounty.
Say: O my Lord! All praise be unto Thee for having made me recognize the Manifestation of Thy Self and cast into my heart the lights of love and sent unto me a Book of glory most bountiful. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for this great bounty and mighty gift.
Say: My God, my God! All praise be unto Thee for having caused me to hear Thy call, for having guided me unto Thy path, for having shown me the traces of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and for having summoned me to the supreme heights.
Arise then to render thanks and praise, for He hath guided thee to the Most Great Ocean and caused thee to be mentioned by the Most Exalted Pen.
When you perceive its fragrance and read its verses, say:
"Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thine are the bounty and the favors. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name through which Thou didst separate between the nations and didst manifest what was hidden in Thy knowledge and treasured in the repository of Thy wisdom, to make me aided in all conditions to remember Thee and praise Thee.
When thou findest the fragrance of the Robe, and the intoxication of the living Kawthar---distilled from the ocean of the mercy of My Name, the All-Merciful---seizeth thee, then say: Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who hast, through Thy Name, moved my most exalted Pen. I bear witness that Thou art the Lord of the servants and the Nurturer of all who are in earth and heaven.
When you gained the blessing of your Lord the All-Merciful's utterance, say: "My God, my God! Thou art He through Whose signs were set in motion the spheres of existence, and through Whose bounty appeared the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge. O Master of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the mysteries of Thy Book, and by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue Thy earth and Thy heaven, to assist me to make mention of Thee and praise Thee, and that whereby my remembrance shall endure in Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets.
Raise thou thy hands in gratitude to the threshold of divine unity and say:
'O God! O Thou sanctified Lord! A myriad thanks be offered up to Thee for Thou hast made me firm in Thy Cause, and enabled me to speak out in Thy praise.
Glorified art Thou, O God! Thou art the Creator of the heavens and earth, the Ordainer of command and creation.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O my Beloved, and glory be unto Thee, O Glory of those who are in the heavens and on earth, for having caused me to turn toward Thee and to speak Thy praise and to be attracted by Thy verses and to be detached from all else besides Thee.
At every moment turn to the divine Kingdom and pray: "O Kind Lord! What bounty You have shown and what favors You have bestowed! … O peerless Lord! Thanks be to You, praise be to You, glory be to You, and worship be to You.
Therefore raise thy hands to the court of the Peerless One and say: O pure Lord! Praise be to Thee, worship be to Thee, and adoration be to Thee, for having enabled this lowly servant to succeed in such a momentous matter.
Therefore, like a spiritual nightingale upon the mystic branch, cry out with divine melodies: "Holy and Sanctified is the Lord of the angels and the Spirit, the Lord of the Kingdom of the Unseen, the King of the Throne of Glory, the Most Glorious Beauty!"
O servant of Baha! In thanksgiving to the Most Exalted Lord - may my spirit be offered up as a sacrifice unto Him - open your tongue in prayer and supplication and say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for what Thou hast bestowed, honored, granted, conferred, enabled and confirmed. Verily, Thou art the Bestower, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
O my Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee and detached from all else save Thee. Have mercy upon me, O my God, through the wonders of Thy mercy; then grant me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy bounty. Then enable me, O my God, to remember and praise Thee in such wise that the veils of them who are heedless of the Dayspring of Thy most beautiful names and the Dawning-Place of Thy most exalted attributes shall not prevent me.
Say: My God, my God! I perceive the fragrance of Thy bounty from Thy utterance and behold the lights of Thy daybreak from Thy horizon. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst manifest the Resurrection and its conditions, and the Hour and its signs, and through which Thou didst subdue the servants and send down upon the lands that which was inscribed by Thy Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet, to enable me to remember Thee and praise Thee throughout the nights and days.
O my Lord! I beseech Thee to assist me under all conditions to remember and praise Thee in such wise that neither the books of the world nor the intimations of the nations shall prevent me, and to ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones whom neither souls nor bodies nor riches deterred from Thy love.
Turn thou unto the Dayspring of Revelation and say: O my God and the God of all things, my Creator and the Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee by the Name through which the limbs of the wicked have trembled, to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise.
Be thankful and say: "Praise be unto Thee, O Master of existence, and glorified be Thou, O Lord of Lords!"
I beseech God to nourish thee at all times with the fruits of the tree of generosity and beneficence, and to aid thee throughout all days to remember and praise Him amidst mankind.
Then make the hearts of the pure ones throb with Thy remembrance at dawn and dusk, their tongues speak Thy praise night and day, and their breasts expand with the signs of Thy oneness in the early hours.
Turn your faces to the sanctified Kingdom and open your tongues in praise of the Ancient of Days.
Make him speak in praise of Thy Self amidst Thy creation. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Possessor of wondrous grace.
Then manifest through Thy grace that which will exalt Thy remembrance and praise. Verily Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest.
I beseech Thee by the lights of the faces of Thy loved ones and the mysteries hidden in Thy Book to enable me to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee.
O Lord! I beseech Thee by the breath whereby hearts and souls were attracted, in such wise that they hastened to the river of Thy nearness and drank from the choice wine of Thy love, to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise and in that whereby my mention may endure among Thy servants.
Glory be unto Thee, O Light of hearts and Manifest One through Thy beloved Name! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Book, which none among the nations hath comprehended, to illumine the hearts of Thy loved ones with the light of Thy knowledge.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O God of existence and Sovereign of the unseen and the seen!
God willing, thou shalt ever be speaking in praise and glorification of God and remain steadfast in His Cause.
Say:
My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me when I was among the heedless. I beseech Thee by Thy Fig which was raised up in the Most Exalted Paradise, and by the Olive Tree which stood tall before the crimson chambers, and by Thy binding command which subdued the world, to assist me to remember Thee and praise Thee and to stand firm in Thy Cause.
Rejoice thou in the Most Great Name, then prostrate thyself and be thou submissive before God, the Lord of all worlds.
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having kindled the lamp of Thy oneness between Thy heaven and earth, and for having nourished it with the oil of Thy wisdom and Thy command, and protected it with the glass of Thy power and might.
Be thankful to your Lord for this most great favor and say: "Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Beloved of those who are in the heavens and on earth!"
The Divine Lote Tree calls out: "O My Leaf, O My Leaf!" The Lord exclaims: "O My handmaiden, O My handmaiden!" The Supreme Pen chants: "O My Letter, O My Letter!" O Leaf, the Speaker of Sinai utters these words and makes mention of you. Can all the treasures of earth equal this? Nay, by My forgiving, generous Self! Therefore be thankful and say: "Praise be to Thee, O Beloved of the mystics and Goal of all the worlds!"
Praise be unto Thee for what Thou hast bestowed, and thanks be unto Thee for what Thou hast granted. Thou givest to whomsoever Thou willest, and confirmest whomsoever Thou willest, and guidest whomsoever Thou willest to whatsoever Thou willest. … Verily Thou art the Bestower, the Giver, the Generous, the Merciful.
O Lord! Assist them through Thy grace and favor, strengthen them through Thy might and sovereignty, teach them Thy proof and evidence, cause them to speak Thy praise, make their faces sincere before Thy face, illumine their hearts with Thy remembrance, expand their breasts through Thy verses, gather their souls beneath Thy banners, and make them the lamps of unity, the emblems of sanctity, and the lights of detachment, that they may shine with Thy mention throughout all regions and be illumined by Thy radiant light from the dawning-place of effulgence.
And at this time, after mention of the leaves, the Luminary of the horizons makes mention and says: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the hands of Thy Cause and the salamander of the fire of Thy love to ordain for those who have turned to Thee, both men and women, from the ocean of Thy bounty the pearls of Thy wisdom and knowledge, and from the heaven of Thy generosity the stars of Thy remembrance and praise.
O God! My Lord, my Master, my Refuge! These are servants who have purified their faces for Your greatness and sovereignty, and have sanctified their souls through Your love and recognition, and have revived their spirits through a breeze that wafted from the gardens of Your holiness, and have expanded their breasts through the manifest signs of Your oneness in the horizons of Your lands.
O my Lord! My Lord! These are servants who have been attracted by Thy holy fragrances and have been set ablaze with the fire of Thy love and have held fast to the hem of Thy grace.
My Lord and Master! Thou seest the breasts expanded through the verses of Thy holy might, and the hearts gladdened by the fragrant breaths wafting from the garden of Thy companionship, and the spirits revived by the gentle breeze blowing from the meadows of Thy oneness, and the hearts attracted by the fragrances diffused from the gardens of Thy mercy.
Praise be to Him Who caused the Dove to speak in praise of the Sun of Glory, and illumined the highest heaven with one of His Most Beautiful Names, and showered upon the sanctified realities an outpouring from the Supreme Example and the Most Exalted Reality, whereupon they were revived and expanded and were attracted and rejoiced and were joined and gathered and made ready and became worthy of the manifestation of lights from the Luminary of Mysteries.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having enabled Thy loved ones to carry out Thy command and manifest that which Thou didst desire through Thy sovereignty. O Lord! Thou knowest that I desired for no one save Thy remembrance and praise, and sought from no soul that which Thou hadst bestowed through Thy bounty and favor. I summoned them in all conditions purely for Thy sake to the court of Thy grace.
I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen, to render all his deeds acceptable and all his efforts praiseworthy. Moreover, make his past works a treasure for him in the repositories of Thy protection and Thy preservation.
After making supplication, He said: "We beseech God to assist him with the hosts of His verses and His evidences, to grant him that which befits His generosity and bounty, to aid him in serving His loved ones, and to make him a helper unto them, a supporter of them, and a witness for them. He is, verily, the Powerful, the All-Bounteous."
Say:
Glorified art Thou, O Thou at Whose separation the hearts of those near unto Thee among Thy servants have melted, and at Whose remoteness the tears of the sincere ones among Thy creatures have fallen! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst cause the mountains to be scattered in dust and the earth to become a level plain, and by the Most Great Word whereby Thou didst subdue all who are in earth and heaven, to make me in all conditions strengthened through Thy loving-kindness, speaking Thy praise, and standing firm in service to Thy Cause.
My God, my God! Thou seest my turning toward Thy horizon, my orientation to the lights of Thy countenance, and my rising to serve Thee and to serve Thy loved ones. I beseech Thee by the trees which Thou hast planted by the hands of Thy bounty, and by the light of Thy face from which have shone forth the suns of Thy Cause from the horizons of the heaven of Thy wisdom, to ordain through Thy Most Exalted Pen for Thy loved ones that which will solace their eyes, gladden their hearts, and tranquilize their souls.
Say: Remember the Lord in such wise that every slumberer may be awakened thereby and the hearts of those who have turned to the Qiblih of all who are in the heavens and on earth may rejoice.
For thought and discussion