Tests and trials; sacrifice and suffering

In the Dispensation of Abraham, by "immolation" was meant attainment to the station of sacrifice, not butchery and the shedding of blood. This is the mystery of sacrifice, and inexhaustible are its meanings. Among them are freedom from passion and desire, laying down one's life in the path of guidance, and detachment from all save God.

Know verily that calamities are of two kinds: one is a divine test of human beings; the other is retribution for one's own actions. The kind, which is meant as a test, is a form of training and discipline for the soul; and that which is retributive is a divine chastisement.

The father and the teacher sometimes humor the children and then again discipline them. This discipline is for educational purposes and is indeed to give them true happiness; it is absolute kindness and true providence. Although in appearance it is wrath yet in reality it is kindness. Although outwardly it is an ordeal yet inwardly it is purifying water.

Those who suffer most, attain to the greatest perfection.

Those who declare a wish to suffer much for Christ's sake must prove their sincerity; those who proclaim their longing to make great sacrifices can only prove their truth by their deeds. Job proved the fidelity of his love for God by being faithful through his great adversity, as well as during the prosperity of his life.

Abdu'l-Baha. -- 'The mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering. The more the ground is ploughed the better the seed will grow, the better the harvest will be. Just as the plough furrows the earth deeply, purifying it of weeds and thistles, so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment. His attitude in this world will be that of divine happiness. Man is, so to speak, unripe: the heat of the fire of suffering will mature him. Look back to the times past and you will find that the greatest men have suffered most.'

The storm did not come to sink the ship but to follow its own natural course. Now, the more substantial and sturdy the ship, the better it can endure the force of the storm. Tests of the world of nature are of the same kind.

There are two kinds of suffering, one subtle, the other gross. The subtle suffering is hatred, anger, fear, and torment which follow evil actions of the soul. The gross suffering is imprisonment, chastisement, and physical pain of martyrdom.

Meditate profoundly, that the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you, that you may inhale the sweetness of a spiritual and imperishable fragrance, and that you may acknowledge the truth that from time immemorial even unto eternity the Almighty hath tried, and will continue to try, His servants, so that light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses from thorns. Even as He hath revealed: "Do men think when they say 'We believe' they shall be let alone and not be put to proof?"

Furthermore He says, exalted be His glory: "Do men think that they will be left alone on saying 'We believe' and will not be tested?"

If that which appears from Truth is reckoned as sedition, then a hundred thousand souls be sacrificed for such sedition that distinguishes and separates the idolatrous Pharaonic souls from the manifestations of divine unity.

Know, moreover, that it is through such words that God proveth His servants and sifteth them, separating the believer from the infidel, the detached from the worldly, the pious from the profligate, the doer of good from the worker of iniquity, and so forth. Thus hath the Dove of holiness proclaimed: "Do men think when they say 'We believe' they shall be let alone and not be put to proof?"

And as for the rest of the blessed verse, it indicates the testing and trial in this world, for this world is the world of experience and testing, that the blessed may be distinguished from the wretched, light from darkness, and the misguided from the guided.

The tests and trials are discriminating angels of God who are occupied with separation and gathering - this is the meaning of what was revealed aforetime: "By those who drag forth violently." The intent is those discriminating angels who are charged with drawing forth and removing garments and spirits until distinction and separation become clear and evident.

This is one of the tests of God. That is why Jesus told all people to supplicate and beseech God that He might not let them fall into these tests. (God does not tempt us, --the devil tempts--God tests us.)

Were it not for tests, pure gold would not be distinguished from base metal. Were it not for tests, the brave would not be distinguished from the coward. Were it not for tests, the faithful would not be distinguished from the faithless. Were it not for tests, the minds and understanding of students in great schools would not advance. Were it not for tests, precious gems would not be distinguished from worthless pottery. Were it not for tests, nothing in the contingent world would progress.

As to the second question: the tests and trials of God take place in this world, not in the world of the Kingdom.

Be not distressed by this tribulation, for there is wisdom in it:

Though Khidr broke the vessel on the sea,

In Khidr's breaking there were mysteries.

God saith in His mighty Book: "And We will surely try you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient." And likewise He saith: "Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure."

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You had complained of hardship - but is there any comfort in this world? No, by God! The waves of events arrive one after another, and this is from the essential requirements of contingent beings and the characteristics of that which is originated.

O servant! Blessed art thou, inasmuch as hardships have touched thee in the path of God, and thou hast borne difficulties in the ways of His good-pleasure, and hast turned thy face toward that quarter wherefrom the Countenance was visible from the horizon of sorrow.

… In times when hardships and trials descend, we must be patient, and in times of comfort and ease we must be grateful.

O handmaiden of God! After every hardship comes ease, after every distress comes tranquility, and after every separation comes nearness and reunion.

Pay thou no heed to the humiliation to which the loved ones of God have in this Day been subjected.

This humiliation is the pride and glory of all temporal honor and worldly elevation.

Whatsoever occurreth in the world of being is light for His loved ones and fire for the people of sedition and strife. Even if all the losses of the world were to be sustained by one of the friends of God, he would still profit thereby, whereas true loss would be borne by such as are wayward, ignorant and contemptuous.

Observe how the people are subjected to tests and trials. Moses struck down an Egyptian to prevent an act of oppression, became known among men as a murderer -- especially since the victim belonged to the ruling nation -- and was obliged to flee, and it was after all this that He was raised up as a Prophet.

In that time no one but a certain few persons believed in Him; and the great one among them was Peter the disciple, who, through the burning of the fire of test and persecution, was in great fear and denied Christ three times; then the Jews who were scoffing persecuting, deriding and laughing at Him, despised Him as though He were a thief, a murderer, or a villain, and committed against Him that which made the hearts lament, distressed the minds, caused tears to flow and the foundations of existence to tremble and shake!

The hand of destiny will ere long plunge you into an ocean of tribulation for His sake. I, too, will follow you; I, too, will be immersed beneath its depths. Rejoice with exceeding gladness, for you have been chosen as the standard-bearer of the host of affliction, and are standing in the vanguard of the noble army that will suffer martyrdom in His name. In the streets of Shiraz, indignities will be heaped upon you, and the severest injuries will afflict your body.

And today all are tried by that for which I have evinced patience in the path of God and am well-pleased with His decree -- dwelling in stillness upon the mountain -- that the souls may be tested and the hearts purified by the ordinance of that noble verse: "Say: I ask of you no reward, save love for the near of kin." … By my life, the Cause hath now reached all, and all are tried this very day. Whoso grieveth for my plight and can do no more than this, hath verily laid hold on the primal Handle and the greatest Cord; and whoso is content therewith, though it be by the weight of a mustard seed, hath entered the fierce, deaf, and blinding trial.

Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of His servants as are detached from all else but Him, they whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the Almighty, they that speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment. Such is God's method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain in the future. Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient under ills and hardships, who lament not over anything that befalleth them, and who tread the path of resignation.

The people of the Qur’an have risen up against Us without any clear proof or evidence, tormenting Us at every moment with a fresh torment. They idly imagine that tribulations can frustrate Our Purpose. Vain indeed is that which they have imagined.

Verily, in the tribulations of the Lord of the Kingdom, at all times, are signs for the dwellers of the worlds. He hath accepted hardship that the peoples might enjoy ease, and borne affliction that all who are in the realm of being might find repose.

O tender twig of the blessed Tree! Thy numerous letters have been received, and their spiritual meanings were honey-sweet upon the palate of the soul. All praise be unto the All-Glorious Lord, Who, through the fragrant breezes wafting from His Abha Kingdom, hath revived and refreshed that verdant branch, that tender twig, and hath graciously aided thee to strive in the path of His good-pleasure.

O thou who art attracted to the divine fragrances! The resplendent Beauty of the Almighty, the radiant Sun of the Realm of Glory, hath arisen above the horizon of the world, shedding the lights of sanctity upon both East and West. Though possessed of immortal glory and holiness, that hallowed Being endured manifold trials and tribulations and accepted every affliction and calamity. He tasted deadly poison from every cup and drank bitter venom from every chalice. He was bound in chains and fetters and held in iron shackles. In the dungeon, His companions were criminals, and His associates transgressors and evildoers. He was subjected to vengeance and torment; He was banished from His native land and exiled to Iraq, and thence to Adrianople. He was beset by denial and disdain and suffered at the hand of every oppressor. He was made a target for the darts of hatred and malice and was assaulted by the shafts of hostility and injustice. He was consigned to the Most Great Prison and condemned to its oppressive confines. At all times, He was under the threat of sword and spear, a captive and a prisoner.

His one and only purpose in accepting such trials and tribulations for His blessed Self was to instruct the lovers in the ways of love and teach the longing souls the art of servitude, to guide the yearning ones to the right path and summon the friends with words such as these: "If ye lay claim to faith and certitude, if ye are enthralled by the Beauty of the Merciful and have surrendered your hearts to His delightful splendour, if ye are enraptured by His Countenance and ensnared by His flowing locks, drink deep of the cup of woe as if it were the chalice of immortality, and welcome the sting of death as the elixir of life. Abandon all rest and comfort, and turn away from the defilement of this world. Consider the desert thorn as the softest silk, and regard the scorching fire as a flowering rose-garden. Drink the brine of bitter torment as if it were a fresh and thirst-quenching draught, regard the point of the arrow as a wellspring of life-giving waters, and yearn for the sword and shaft as ye would the nectar of peace and security. Be ye exhilarated with the wine of tribulation, and take pleasure and delight in the sweetness of affliction."

Given these trials and tribulations of the Blessed Beauty---may my life be a ransom for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of His loved ones---can we yearn for any greater gift than affliction in His path? Can we seek any balm other than a wound suffered for His sake, or any remedy except pain itself? Can we wish for any refuge save moments of fear, or any haven other than occasions of abasement? Can we hasten to any field but the arena of sacrifice, or desire any solace for our souls save the blade of tyranny? Nay, by Him Whose might extendeth over all things!

O my Lord! Graciously assist me to remain faithful and steadfast in Thy Cause amidst all peoples. Aid me to drain the cup of woe, to be immersed beneath an ocean of trials and tribulations, to drink deep from the chalice of affliction, and to be invigorated by the gentle breaths of faithfulness in Thy path, O Thou in Whose grasp are the kingdoms of earth and heaven! Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the Most Exalted.

Read thou this letter in the gatherings of the friends.

Such is the tale of this Youth and such are the circumstances surrounding Him on all sides as a result of that which hath been perpetrated by the hands of them for whose protection We have made Our bosom a shield, that the darts of the envious may not touch them.

On the night of arrival there was absolutely nothing in the sanctuary. The Pasha sent a small evening meal, which they distributed among the children. The weather was extremely hot, the water was salty, and the food was disagreeable - one can imagine what transpired. Yet through divine grace we were and are in the utmost joy and delight.

By God, the True One! The heavens wept and the earth lamented, and the hearts of existence were consumed. Such grief and sorrow, such tribulation and affliction descended from the clouds of divine decree that all the members of the household are now ill.

Abraham's migration from His native land caused the bountiful gifts of the All-Glorious to be made manifest, and the setting of Canaan's brightest star unfolded to the eyes the radiance of Joseph. The flight of Moses, the Prophet of Sinai, revealed the Flame of the Lord's burning Fire, and the rise of Jesus breathed the breaths of the Holy Spirit into the world. The departure of Muhammad, the Beloved of God, from the city of His birth was the cause of the exaltation of God's Holy Word, and the banishment of the Sacred Beauty led to the diffusion of the light of His divine Revelation throughout all regions.

It hath ever been thus: Abraham departed from His native land, but His departure became the cause of joy. Moses was sent far from His homeland, but that exile led Him to behold the Fire upon Sinai.

The meaning is this: Although those ill-mannered ones offered thee insults and taunts, cursed and reviled thee, and at last dismissed thee with the greatest disrespect and banished thee from thy town, it doth not matter. It behoveth thee to offer thanksgiving and praise for having attained to so great a bestowal, so manifest a bounty.

If thou art debarred from the public baths, praised be God, for thou art immersed instead in that wellspring of cool water that is "to wash with and to drink”, and art indeed a sorely tried and true believer in the path of the Blessed Beauty. Upon thee be greetings and praise.

This is a Revelation, under which, if a man shed for its sake one drop of blood, myriads of oceans will be his recompense.

As to these servants and homeless ones, we were so inebriated with our fill from the draught of the love of God that we yearned to drink deep of that wine of God's Covenant. Thus, chalice in hand, dancing and leaping with joy, we hastened into the arena of sacrifice. We offered supplications begging for adversity. We exposed our breasts as a target for the shafts of oppression and with the whole affection of our hearts and souls we welcomed the sword of injustice.

Like Him let us bare our breasts to the shafts of agony, like Him make our hearts to be targets for the spears decreed by God. Let us, like candles, burn away; as moths, let us scorch our wings; as the field larks, vent our plaintive cries; as the nightingales, burst forth in lamentations.

Therefore, supreme wisdom required that the fire of tests blaze forth and the flood of trials overflow, so that the truthful be distinguished from the false, the faithful from the hypocrite, the self-worshipper from the God-worshipper, the good fruit from the evil fruit, the signs of light become manifest, the darkness of night vanish, the nightingale of faithfulness sing, the raven of unfaithfulness reveal its nature, good earth yield growth, and barren soil remain frustrated and lost, those attracted to the Abha Beauty stand firm, and followers of self and passion become covenant-breakers.

O ye who have been wronged in the path of God!

The loved ones of the Almighty have always been exposed to the dire oppression and tyranny of the people of iniquity, and His chosen ones have continually suffered woeful cruelties at the hand of the perfidious. The friends of God have always quaffed the cup of adversity proffered by the hand of the immortal Cupbearer.

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O ye refugees in the path of God! The inveterate religion of the worldly is to stand against truthfulness, to abhor uprightness, and to oppose friendliness and good-will. Therefore, be not sorrowful on account of that which hath occurred, and be not humiliated thereby.

'Abdu'l-Baha exulteth with boundless joy at these trials and tribulations, inasmuch as after the Ascension of the Abha Beauty the loved ones of God find their happiness in tumult and trouble, and their felicity in ceaseless afflictions. That is, the depths of the pit are for them the apex of heaven, and the straw mat of hardship is a kingly throne. Confinement in bonds and fetters is their highest aspiration, and captivity in stocks and chains their true freedom and a source of incomparable joy and delight.

My only joy in this swiftly passing world was to tread the stony path of God and to endure hard tests and all material griefs. For otherwise, this earthly life would prove barren and vain, and better would be death. The tree of being would produce no fruit; the sown field of this existence would yield no harvest.

Some say that this land will be thrown into turmoil, others maintain that these wanderers will be driven into the endless desert, some suppose that they will be utterly destroyed, and certain souls believe that this storm will subside and this dust will settle and security and safety will be attained.

And from its contents the utmost of grief was perceived. Because our intention was that the means of comfort should be prepared. Now it has become the cause of difficulties and you are in great troubles. But as these troubles are in the Path of God, in reality it is a great favour and has great results.

O my youth! Though you are aged in body, yet in spirit you are a living youth. … Especially in these days when you have gained freshness and grace through blows, strikes and slaps from the hands of oppressors in the path of God. This has become light upon light - you have become even fresher and more graceful.

O ye faithful friends in this world neither wrong doing remaineth nor torment nor suffering, neither does comfort, rest, happiness, neither injury nor hurt--all will pass away, but those who suffer in the path of Baha will attain the great bounty. Others will be afflicted with manifest loss....

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"Say: that which hath befallen Me at the hands of Mine enemies hath been the supreme means for the exaltation of My Cause amongst My servants and the spreading of My fame amongst My creatures, and I am the All-Seeing.

O you who are firm in the Covenant! In recent years, calamities, trials and afflictions, both hidden and manifest, have encompassed the entire world. Yet praise be to God, the friends of God were to such a degree safe and secure, not suffering tribulations and trials like others.

...In the beginning of every Revelation adversities have prevailed, which later on have been turned into great prosperity...

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For the meaning of this name is "fierce lion" and its quality is boundless courage. But manliness lies not in ferocity, and courage consists not in force and might.

Rather, true manliness and wisdom lie in freedom from all save God. If, through divine strength, you gain deliverance from the clutches of the commanding self, you are indeed Rustam, son of Zal, and steadfast at the Divine Threshold.

Otherwise, if a rabid dog confronts a person, he will perforce show submission and humility. When anyone encounters a tyrant, an oppressor, or a bloodthirsty one, he becomes submissive--but what benefit is there in this? How many souls were submissive and humble before Yazid, but out of fear--what benefit is there in this? It yields no result.

Praise must accord with reality and conduct, otherwise it becomes a test, placing the praised person under trial and tribulation, and God forbid that they should see any station or rank for themselves - then they would fall to the lowest depths of fire.

And through the assistance of causative manifestations, I reveal to all the worlds the concealed tyranny of the excluded oppressor. Through the means of wealth I distinguish between generosity and miserliness, and through the means of deeds I make evident knowledge and ignorance.

And in some instances poverty is a divine gift and mercy from the Lord, such as when a blessed soul falls into severe tests in God's path, gives up home and possessions to plunder and pillage, and poverty and want result, to the point where they say "poverty is my pride" and proclaim it with honor.

From this blessed verse it is clear and evident that whoever travels the divine path, the wealthy become poor, not the poor wealthy - it works in reverse.

… He says either abandon love or be content with every calamity and tribulation, for poverty, abasement, tribulation and trials are essential requirements of sacrifice in God's path.

O handmaiden of God! Be thou resigned unto fate and be satisfied with whatever the operation of destiny causeth to occur. Moreover, do not believe that whatever man desireth is also best for man. How often it is that one's desire is the enemy of the soul and the cause of its abasement and degradation.

All calamities and afflictions have been created for man so that he may spurn this mortal world -- a world to which he is much attached. When he experienceth severe trials and hardships, then his nature will recoil and he will desire the eternal realm -- a realm which is sanctified from all afflictions and calamities.

These were divine tests, for it is impossible for a person not to become the target of the arrow of destiny in this dustheap. Everyone suffers tribulations according to their capacity, but praise be to God, you remained firm and steadfast and did not become disturbed or distressed.

Take heed lest the world beguile you as it beguiled the people who went before you!

Say: Follow, O people, what hath been prescribed unto you in Our Tablets, and walk not after the imaginations which the sowers of mischief have devised, they that commit wickedness and impute it to God, the Most Holy, the All-Glorious, the Most Exalted. Say: We have accepted to be tried by ills and troubles, that ye may sanctify yourselves from all earthly defilements.

Say: O friends! The touchstone in your midst distinguisheth the truthful from the false. Mere claims were not and are not sufficient.

We have caused you to draw nigh unto the right side of Paradise—the Spot out of which the undying Fire crieth in manifold accents: “There is none other God besides Me, the All-Powerful, the Most High!” Take heed lest ye allow yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from this Daystar that shineth above the dayspring of the Will of your Lord, the All-Merciful, and whose light hath encompassed both the small and the great. Purge your sight, that ye may perceive its glory with your own eyes, and depend not on the sight of anyone except yourself, for God hath never burdened any soul beyond its power.

How many a man considered himself a celebrated divine and a repository of heavenly mysteries, and yet when the slightest test visited him, he arose with such opposition and denial as to cause the Concourse on high to moan and lament.

How often through hardship doth the servant attain to the wellspring of ease, and how often through ease doth hardship overtake him, if ye be of those who observe. For example, wert thou to be in the position of authority and power that thy grandfather occupied, perchance leadership would have prevented thee from guidance.

In every Revelation, He revealeth the essence of that Revelation in a manner contrary to the understanding and desires of men, and this very contrariness is the standard and the path of His Cause, and the source of tests and trials. Even as was witnessed in the Revelation of the Year Sixty, when the Promised Beauty appeared in a way contrary to all that the people possessed, whereupon such a clamor arose among the servants that every learned one fell, every illumined one was darkened, and every exalted one was brought low--all these conditions being witnessed with manifest evidence.

Those souls who considered themselves the most learned, distinguished and accomplished were not and are not mentioned in the presence of God. By the life of God! If the veil were lifted, those who turned away would circle around those who turned towards God, and would flock from all directions to attain their presence and meeting. However, consummate wisdom has concealed this, so that there might be manifested from them in His days what was hidden within them and stored in their inmost beings.

How many a ruler hath been prevented from attaining the presence of the Countenance, and how many a poor one hath attained and said: "Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Goal of them that know!"

How many a worker hath been prevented today from attaining the presence of his Lord, though created for that purpose, and how many a heedless one hath attained and been numbered among the successful!

All who dwell on earth today have been tested by the blessed Word that has dawned from the horizon of the merciful Will. Some, following their desires, remained veiled from the Lord of all beings, while others turned with utmost longing and yearning toward the divine horizon of manifestation.

Your letter is before Me, but in these days the Pen of Command is perplexed in reply, for it is not known which souls have been elevated to the highest heaven by the fragrances of trials wafting from the right hand of the Will of the All-Merciful, and which have been cast down to the lowest depths.

Say: O people! God will test you with a river - whoso draweth nigh unto it is not of the truth, and whoso turneth away from it is verily of the people of eternity, and this is a promise that shall in truth be fulfilled.

Although tests and trials are decreasing in one respect, since day by day the banner of God's Cause waves more strongly and rises higher, yet in another respect hidden tests are clearly evident.

Strive thou within thyself, then struggle in thine own being, lest anything prevent thee from the love of thy Lord, for in these days the breezes of temptation have blown from the direction of tests, causing leaves to fall even as the autumn winds cause them to fall - thus hath the Cause been known in truth.

It hath never been permissible for anyone to test God, nor is it now. He verily testeth whom He willeth.

And then, when the tests grew harsh and the violence thereof intensified, their feet slipped on the pathway and they turned backward from the Faith after having acknowledged its truth, and they denied it, and fell away from harmony and love into mischief and hate. Thus became visible the power of tests, which maketh mighty pillars to tremble and shake.

The aforementioned messenger related a tale that once when We were at the Mount of Splendor, and the Beloved of all horizons went forth intending to reach the Mount of Glory, He implored with utmost humility those who claimed to love Him, saying that though this journey and migration might outwardly seem easy and simple, yet inwardly it was severe and a gate of tests, and though it appeared to be with sovereignty and power, in reality it concealed countless trials and distresses.

O divine servant! I am aware of your hardships and trials. There is wisdom in this, and you yourself will later understand. Now you must exercise the utmost patience and forbearance. These hardships and difficulties will pass away and a time of joy will come. These trials and tribulations are not due to your shortcomings, but arise from consummate wisdom.

Whatsoever befalleth in this Day the sincere ones, the assured ones, the steadfast ones, and the firm ones hath not been due to error or transgression.

For these thy prevailing diseases are not on account of sins, but they are to make thee detest this world and know that there is no rest and composure in this temporal life.

O thou who asketh! Know that God does not decree illness for any soul except for what their own hands have earned of transgressions, and this serves only as atonement for their sins.

For some souls diseases and afflictions are the requital of actions. For others, they are the cause of awakening, so that they no longer attach their hearts to this evanescent world. In this case, hardships and tribulations are a gift.

As to your question concerning the reason why some souls are happy in this world and others are in the greatest affliction, Know thou that the wisdom of God ordains variety and differences in the manner of living. … For every person stricken with affliction there are rewards in the kingdom of God because this earthly life is all anguish and affliction which vary according to station. Kings have hardships and affliction and vassals have troubles and hardships. … No one in this world is in comfort, no heart is assured, no soul is gladdened. They are all surrounded by one type of affliction or another.

As to the subject of babes and infants and weak ones who art afflicted by the hands of oppressors: This contains great wisdom and this subject is of paramount importance. In brief, for those souls there is a recompense in another world and many details are connected with this matter. For those souls that suffering is the greatest mercy of God. Verily that mercy of the Lord is far better and preferable to all the comfort of this world and the growth and development of this place of mortality.

In the blessed verse He says: "We seized them with lesser punishment before the greater punishment, that they might return." But alas, alas! Where is awakening and where is awareness? Heedlessness has so encompassed them that warning does not awaken them, "and it increases not the wrongdoers except in loss" and "Of no avail are signs and warnings."

O thou who traversest the desert! Wandering about and traveling long distances causes nervous and physical ailments, but we beseech God that this ailment may become the cause of perfect health and this suffering may result in the healing of heedless souls. We beg confirmation and seek assistance from God.

O servant of God! His Holiness Job fell into the most great divine tests, but he engaged in patience and forbearance. He endured all calamities and pains, and did not desire a moment's laxity in the requirements of servitude.

Truly Mashhadi Yusuf Husaynov is zealous, steadfast, and brave, and his efforts are praiseworthy. He is near to the threshold of the All-Glorious and is regarded and praised by the Concourse on High. He is sound and healthy, protected under the shelter of the All-Forgiving Lord. Physical ailments are of no importance - Jacob's eyes turned white from grief, Job was afflicted with all manner of diseases and illnesses, yet their radiant reality remained pure and sanctified from every dust.

In truth, you have endured unbearable trials and tribulations in the path of the Beloved of the horizons, and suffered severe hardships. Your frail body received harsh blows and your weak frame bore heavy burdens.

… Sometimes when various ailments take hold of the body and multiple diverse illnesses arise, as soon as tribulations intensify and calamities grow severe, the illnesses immediately vanish and health, well-being and comfort are attained with perfect joy and delight.

Finishing his letter-writing he raised his head and dictated a cable and then wearily told me:-

"How I long to be far away from all the people for two months, somewhere where I have not to read letters, answer questions and always associate with men. Can you deliver me from all this work so that I may rest for awhile?

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Thinking about troubles is more difficult than the actual experience. How wonderful it would have been if man was like the birds of the heavens, which are carefree and never save for their next meal. I hope that soon God will fling open His gate of mercy upon His servants. It has been very difficult for people. Before My journey to America, I knew two or three hundred of the poor. But now, save a handful, the rest have perished.

As to thy sighs and lamentations and thy state of agitation and distress, thou art justified. However, it behooveth thee to serve the Threshold of the All-Merciful with the utmost assurance, steadfastness and certitude, for these trials and tribulations are in the path of the All-Glorious, and this bitter cup must be drunk with the utmost joy and gladness out of love for the Abha Beauty.

Shouldst thou lament and cry, shouldst thou groan and complain, thou wouldst be justified for thou has sustained afflictions so continuous and calamities so great that no human being hath borne their like.

Indeed at that moment such souls will rejoice with exceeding gladness and will be so carried away by the joyful tidings of God that they will wing their flight to the heaven of eternal glory with the utmost ecstacy, exultation and spiritual blissfulness.

… In truth these calamities and sufferings are a glorious diadem whose glittering gems will shed lustre upon ages and centuries to come.

These afflictions are indeed beyond human endurance, yet from another perspective they are a divine bounty, for days pass and eventually come to an end in any case.

O ye two assured believers! In this mortal world certain matters come to pass which outwardly are the cause of surging waves of sorrow, yet therein lies hidden a wisdom whereat the wise stand perplexed and bewildered. This is naught but a wisdom concealed from all eyes.

So that man may be free of any attachment, detached from heedlessness, attracted by Divine love, sanctify his heart, possess a mature mind and be endowed with perfections, and distinguish between truth and error.

Thou hast sustained many afflictions and diverse adversities. Thou hast borne the martyrdom of thy distinguished brother with patience and acquiescence.

Rather, one should fear and dread the severity of divine tests, lest any soul's flame of the love of God be extinguished and grow cold. This is cause for regret and occasion for remorse.

I am aware that thou art much afflicted, and in extreme distress; but if we taste a drop from affliction's cup, the Blessed Beauty drank down a sea of anguish, and once we call this to mind, then every hardship turneth into peaceful rest, and toil into merciful bliss. Then will a draught of agony be but refreshing wine, and the tyrant's wound only a friend's most gentle balm.

Thou art treading the path of His good-pleasure; thou hast surrendered thyself unreservedly to that which is ordained and destined by Him; thou hast placed thy whole trust in Him and manifested unswerving constancy and fortitude in the face of this grievous calamity.

In this bloody war thou didst find solace and showed patience and forbearance. If there be no spiritual consolation, through what shall man find solace in the difficulties and pains of these days?

Concerning what thou hadst written about the trials and tribulations that had befallen thee, it produced in me, on the one hand, grief beyond endurance, and on the other, boundless joy. The grief was due to the fact that, outwardly, diverse afflictions and manifold trials had descended upon thee. The joy was because this servant knoweth with certainty that ere long the heedless, sleeping souls shall, after becoming conscious and awakening, all make mention of thy name and shall wail and weep for what befell thee, though now they perceive it not.

Know thou that those who have entered this City have been afflicted with exhausting air, a troubled life, and tormenting water, such that gladness hath been transformed into sorrow. They have become, in relation to their former state, finer than a needle's thread and more delicate than embroidered silk. On the right is heard naught but the moaning of those who tremble from the thunder's fury through what the hands of the malicious have wrought, and on the left the groaning of those whom persistent affliction hath touched through what hath flowed from the pen of the reckoner.

If you ask about the physical frame, it is afflicted with countless trials. And if you ask about the spirit, it is in the heights of joy and delight. In the path of God, I have never complained of tribulation. Rather, in the love of the All-Merciful, I have grown accustomed to trials and afflictions just as an infant is accustomed to its mother's breast.

The flowing pen of that beloved of the heart somewhat consoled and brought solace to this grief-stricken heart from the oppression of the earth. Were it not for the gentle breezes of love for His loved ones, the heart would burst and existence would not be sustained.

Nothing shall befall us except what God has ordained for us. Were it not for the glad-tidings "Give thou good news unto the patient ones," the threats of "We shall surely prove you with somewhat of fear" would have transported the servants from existence to non-existence, just as He brought them from non-existence into being.

At this time and throughout this tempest of calamities now tossing its waves to high heaven, cruel and incessant darts are being hurled against me from every point of the compass, and at every moment, here in the Holy Land, terrifying news is received, and every day bringeth its quota of horror.

Joy and sorrow have embraced each other through what hath befallen you in the path of God. Blessed are they who understand. The sun of joy hath dawned through the manifestation of the Lord of Revelation unto you with the lights of grace and bounty, while sorrow hath consumed the hearts of the pure ones through what hath befallen you at the hands of the oppressors.

Let no hardship sadden thy heart, nor set thy hope upon any worldly gifts. Be happy and content with whatsoever God hath willed, that thy heart and soul may find tranquillity and thine inner being and conscience may experience true joy. Erelong shall this hardship and tribulation pass away and inner peace and joy be attained.

If hardship comes, it will surely be transformed into ease. Thus hath God ordained in the Books of old and in this perspicuous Book. Poverty hath never been a cause of abasement in the sight of God; rather it hath been the cause of glory.

Later, having repaired to the Holy Place and presented the matter before His presence, He said:

"In his loss there is profit, and in his harm there is benefit. We beseech God to make this very loss the essence of blessing and bounty. Verily, He is powerful over all things. O Afnan! Thou hast been and art with Us. Whatever befalleth, We are partners therein. Verily, He Who hath taken no partner unto Himself is God. We beseech Him to change hardship into ease, and difficulty into comfort.

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Be not grieved by hardship, for all are in hardship. And be not distressed by constraints, for all are under constraints. If there be no constraint of wealth, there must needs be constraint of aspirations. And if through the grace of the Beloved Who never fails the constraint of aspirations be removed, the constraint of greed remains.

As for the affairs of Alexandria, although the situation is distressing now, I hope that in the future what was lost will be compensated and the means for organizing affairs will be provided. Verily with difficulty comes ease. This is a wave that has come - it has no permanence and will pass.

For some time you have withdrawn to a corner of obscurity, but the time of ascent to acceptance will come again. … So if there is some temporary disruption in the continuation of your position and duties, this is due to the requirements of this faithless world and the manners of these shameless times.

Know thou that We have heard that thy father hath cast thee out from the house because thou hast believed in God, the Almighty, the Most Noble. Grieve not at this, but rather be glad within thyself and be thou among the joyous ones.

O thou faithful and assured leaf! In this supreme calamity and grievous tribulation that hath befallen the servants of the Most Glorious Beauty and the handmaids of the All-Merciful in the path of the Lord of Grandeur, thou too hast received an abundant share and hast endured severe persecution from thy kindred and tribe. Although thy relatives provided protection from others, they themselves caused sufficient harm.

Every gathering has its dispersion, every union its separation, and every nearness is followed by remoteness. Such is the decree of the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.

For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitude under My decree and patience under My trials.

… The true lover yearneth for tribulation even as doth the rebel for forgiveness and the sinful for mercy.

To the loyal soul, a test is but God's grace and favour; for the valiant doth joyously press forward to furious battle on the field of anguish, when the coward, whimpering with fright, will tremble and shake. So too, the proficient student, who hath with great competence mastered his subjects and committed them to memory, will happily exhibit his skills before his examiners on the day of his tests. So too will solid gold wondrously gleam and shine out in the assayer's fire.

It is clear, then, that tests and trials are, for sanctified souls, but God's bounty and grace, while to the weak, they are a calamity, unexpected and sudden.

Tests are of various kinds, meeting the needs of the soul. Tests are not sent as punishment, but in reality to reveal the soul to itself. Tests reveal strength as well as weakness and provide opportunity to remedy defects.

Everything in life ministers to our development. Our lesson is to study and learn. Money and difficulties are alike advantages to us. Tests are either stumbling blocks or stepping-stones, just as we make them.

O thou dear maid-servant of God! The souls who bear the tests of God become the manifestations of great bounties; for the divine trials cause some souls to become entirely lifeless, while they cause the holy souls to ascend to the highest degree of love and solidity. They cause progress and they also cause retrogression.

The friends of God must always strive so that in faith and assurance they may advance day after day; and that the tests may not cause their stagnation; for the cause of the stagnation is often the tests and trials of God."

Many believe themselves to be courageous, but the battlefield of tests and trials will prove whether they have the real strength to stand firm.

In Persia some believers who claimed to have Faith in Baha'u'llah fell away when they were tested. On the other hand, some who thought themselves weak, proved to be heroes and martyrs.

Tests are a means by which a soul is measured as to its fitness, and proven out by its own acts. God knows its fitness beforehand, and also its unpreparedness, but man, with an ego, would not believe himself unfit unless proof were given him. Consequently his susceptibility to evil is proven to him when he falls into the tests, and the tests are continued until the soul realizes its own unfitness, then remorse and regret tend to root out the weakness.

The same test comes again in greater degree, until it is shown that a former weakness has become a strength, and the power to overcome evil has been established.

It is the law of human life, that man must struggle with his tools for growth until he learns how to use them aright and to the best advantage. The Glory of God is known to man in that personal volition and responsibility is bestowed upon him as God's greatest gift in this Day of Maturity.

The tremendous trials and besetting difficulties of the world-stage encircle them like unto a whirl-wind. Having not rehearsed their parts thoroughly and not being warned beforehand, they become bewildered, discouraged, scared and ere long you see them flowing back, back to their origin - the indistinct mass of humanity, staying there forever and never aspiring and preparing themselves for a second rise, a second attempt and a second examination.

The wisdom of this irrevocable decree is clear and evident.

For when the winds of tests blow, the frail trees are uprooted while the blessed trees are made firm and immovable. Torrents of rain distress and scatter the creeping things that walk upon the earth while the gardens are filled with anemones and bring forth roses and sweet herbs, and the nightingales warble their melodies, chanting a myriad songs at every moment.

This is a bounty unto the righteous and a calamity unto those who are weak.

O thou whose eyes are fixed upon the Abha Kingdom! In this grievous day, when dire adversities have shaken the pillars of the earth, and the tests and trials sent by God have rocked the foundations of the world, remain thou firm and staunch in His Cause through the power of the Kingdom and the confirmations from on high.

For faith and certitude without tests provide no assurance or reliability - they may vanish due to some minor matter or illusory doubts, and their light may set.

The true lovers of the Abha Beauty, and they that have quaffed the Cup of the Covenant fear no calamity, nor feel depressed in the hour of trial. They regard the fire of adversity as their garden of delight, and the depth of the sea the expanse of heaven.

The great majority of people are like rootless trees. They can be toppled with the slightest wind that blows; but those trees which have their roots spread deep and wide and are strong and firm, such trees will never be shaken by any gale and will despite the storms continue to sprout forth leaves and branches and fruit.

Therefore one must show forth gratitude in the face of Job-like afflictions and must evince joy and pleasure at the unyielding cruelty of evil-doers, inasmuch as such tribulations lead to immortality, and serve as the supreme factor to attract His consummate blessings and infinite bestowals.

O thou who hast been sore afflicted on the pathway of the Covenant! Anguish and torment, when suffered on the pathway of the Lord, Him of manifest signs, is only favor and grace; affliction is but mercy, and grief a gift from God. Poison is sugar on the tongue, and wrath is kindness, nourishing the soul.

Then praise thou Him, the loving Provider, for having ordained this dire affliction, which is but bounty unalloyed.

If there were no trials, patience would not be realized. If there were no disturbance, there would be no tranquility and composure. If there were no tribulations and pain, rest and comfort would not exist. If there were no sorrows, no one would be joyful.

O true spiritual heavenly descendant of Jamal Effendi! When his holiness Jonah became the companion of the whale in its belly and in infinite confinement, he cried out and sighed. He was patient, showed forbearance, repented and turned to God, saying "There is no god but Thee."

In the fire of tribulations they remain fresh and verdant, and in the tempest of trials and afflictions tranquil and at peace, for they rest their backs against a mighty mountain and take refuge in a ship wrought of steel.

It is easy to approach the Kingdom of Heaven, but hard to stand firm and staunch within it, for the tests are rigorous, and heavy to bear.

The intent of what I wrote to thee in my previous letter was this, that when exalting the Word of God, there are trials to be met with, and calamities; and that in loving Him, at every moment there are hardships, torments, afflictions.

Concerning what thou didst write about several individuals from the Sikh community, that one of them is very attracted and enkindled but fears the reproach and censure of kith and kin - in the Qur'an it states "the blame of the blamer shall not delay them from God."

Not until man is tried doth the pure gold distinctly separate from the dross. Torment is the fire of test wherein the pure gold shineth resplendently and the impurity is burned and blackened. At present thou art, praise be to God, firm and steadfast in tests and trials and art not shaken by them.

O ye friends of God! Let not the cavils of the foolish grieve you nor the tribulation of this world dismay you. Indeed, the motivating impulse whereby the sweet savours of God are diffused throughout the world is none but the suffering that befalleth His loved ones and the dire troubles that constantly touch His chosen ones.

O spiritual friends and loved ones of the All-Merciful! In every age believers are many but the tested are few. Render ye praise unto God, ye that are tested believers, that ye have been subjected to every kind of trial and ordeal in the path of the supreme Lord. In the fire of ordeals, your faces have flushed aglow like unto pure gold, and amidst the flames of cruelty and oppression which the wicked had kindled, ye suffered yourselves to be consumed while remaining all the time patient.

It is evident that the nobler the aim and the higher the aspiration, the more difficult the path to its attainment. "Did ye think that ye would enter Paradise while yet there had not come unto you the like of what came to those who passed away before you? Affliction and adversity befell them." Likewise He says: "Ye will not attain it save with great difficulty."

Whatever task God places before humans, He surely gives them the strength for it. We should not always be focused on physical comfort, but rather should seek a high purpose and goal even if it is contrary to bodily ease.

One must not look to the beginning of matters - one must strive in affairs with pure intention and ultimately await the results. Never has any fruit been produced from ease and comfort in any instance. Every result and fruit that has been produced in any age or century has come about through hardship and enduring difficulties and sacrificing one's life.

Truly you have endured much hardship and reached a state of weakness. It is hoped that your triumphant spirit is in the utmost strength. Be gladdened by the divine glad-tidings.

Though from the descent of this dark, blind calamity the darkness of grief and sorrow hath encompassed the kingdom of being and reality itself desireth non-existence, yet we must arise to exalt the Word of God and afterwards hope for ascension.

And the glory rest upon thee and upon those whom God hath preserved through His sovereignty and delivered from the depths of trials.

Test no one after this, for testing is God's prerogative. Man has only to submit to what was revealed in the Qur'an: "We shall surely try you with something of fear and hunger, and decrease of goods and lives and fruits."

O seeker of truth! One day the Prince of Believers ('Ali) - peace be upon him - was on a rooftop when a hapless person called out: "O 'Ali! Are you certain of God's protection and that you are preserved and safeguarded in His sheltering care?" He replied "Yes." The man said "Then throw yourself down!" He responded: "The seeker does not test the Sought; rather the Sought tests the seeker."

In truth, such objections have forever emanated from the people of hatred and rancor in the days of Divine Manifestation. However, this evanescent servant beseeches from the ocean of God's bounty and generosity that He may guide him and not deprive him of the breathings of revelation. It is human nature to err and make mistakes, while it is divine nature to forgive and bestow. We hope that with the arm of trust in God he may rend asunder the veils of idle fancies and vain imaginings and turn toward the Dawning-Place of certitude. Today is the day of return and the day of forgiveness and favor.

Should anyone at any time encounter hard and perplexing times, he must say to himself, "This will soon pass." Then he will be calm and quiet. In all my calamity and difficulties I used to say to myself, "This will pass away." Then I became patient.

For at all times, avoidance of dangers, trials, and harmful perils taketh precedence, while the pursuit of benefits, glad-tidings, virtues and advantages cometh after.

Although in the blessed Tablets this verse of Sana'i is written: "If He bestows the pearl of bounty, behold the hearts are its shells, and if the arrow of calamity comes, behold the souls are its targets," yet for you I wish the pearl of bounty, not the arrow of calamity.

O Javad! This is a year of hardship for the servants and a year of divine decree for Us. If aught befalleth Us, We are supremely content, and if it be averted, We are supremely thankful....

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O lion-hearted one amongst men! Regard the afflictions endured in the path of God as comfort itself. Every affliction suffered for His sake is a potent remedy, every bitterness is naught but sweetness and every abasement an exaltation. Were men to apprehend and acknowledge this truth, they would readily lay down their lives for such affliction. For it is the key to inestimable treasures, and no matter how outwardly abhorrent, it hath ever been and will continue to be inwardly prized.

O army of God! When calamity striketh, be ye patient and composed. However afflictive your sufferings may be, stay ye undisturbed, and with perfect confidence in the abounding grace of God, brave ye the tempest of tribulations and fiery ordeals.

O friends! There hath befallen you that which hath befallen the Truth Itself. Praise be to God, ye have committed no wrong but have been wronged; ye have sought to harm no one, yet have been subjected to utmost harm; with perfect kindness ye besought God's mercy for mankind, yet ye beheld the might of vengeance; ye sought freedom, yet were led to captivity.

Lodge complaints with the local government and seek justice from the sublime center of sovereignty and the seat of the Grand Vizier, for royal clemency and the justice of the exalted ministry prevail.

For nigh upon forty years We have forbidden the servants, through compassionate counsels and wise exhortations, from corruption, conflict and contention. This purpose, through the absolute Divine Will and His aid, gained influence in the realms of Persia, to such an extent that when they heard evil, they spoke good; when they witnessed ugliness, they showed forth beauty; when they were slain, they interceded on behalf of their slayers. Nevertheless, neither from the government nor from the people did anyone take notice.

Those who were persecuted but did not persecute - these are of the people of Baha. Upon them rest My mercy which hath preceded all worlds. By the life of the All-Merciful! The contingent world shall pass away, but that which hath been ordained for whosoever hath turned with a pure and luminous heart toward the horizon of certitude shall endure. Thus hath the Dove warbled and the Divine Lote-Tree called out from this glorious station.

It is incumbent upon you, whensoever these tests may overtake you, to stand firm, and to be patient and enduring. Instead of repaying like with like, ye should requite opposition with the utmost benevolence and loving-kindness, and on no account attach importance to cruelties and injuries, but rather regard them as the wanton acts of children.

If history should repeat itself and all these same things should happen to you, do not be saddened but be full of joy, and thank God that you are called upon to suffer as holy men of old suffered.

O friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha! Although the upheaval in Iran is severe and trials and tribulations have overcome everyone near and far, all parties are impatient and restless, each group is overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, blood has been spilled and homes have fallen, property has been plundered and pillaged, and leaders have become homeless, many leaders have crept into corners of oblivion and all the tribes and peoples of Iran have become scattered and dispersed.

Once there was an official who in order to intimidate me to bribe him came one morning and said: 'I shall write inflammatory letters and throw them into the window into your house; then shall [I] send the police to search and seize these documents and thus you will be convicted.'

Question: Regarding the cause of tribulations in the manifestation of matters.

Answer: "God effaces what He wills and confirms what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book."

Question: A group from Qazvin submits that if we deny this true Cause in our province, we may perhaps be able to remain with a thousand mockeries and taunts, otherwise they deem our death obligatory.

Despite all this, and griefs the like of which have never appeared in the world, the Most Exalted Pen moves and the Tongue speaks.

Matters reached such a point that it became necessary for us to send you away with utmost speed and protect you, and not leave you wandering and homeless. Such was our thought and this is what came to pass.

Inevitably there is wisdom in this - perhaps you dislike something while it is good for you.

I swear by the Sun of Unity that has dawned from the Horizon of Divine Oneness that the turning of the loved ones to this direction causes harm to the very root of the Tree. Therefore my tongue bears witness that whosoever turns to this direction after what has been inscribed in this Tablet is not of Me, and God is sufficient as Witness.

O servant of the Beauty of Abha!

For some time, due to poor health and physical weakness, I have been unable to write or speak. Letters from you and all the friends from various places remained unanswered, and I was very affected by this.

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The delay in answering the questions is because a detailed response was written to your honored father, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, but it is here [with me] and cannot be sent, as the safety of the route and peace and tranquility are uncertain.

O my restless one! Indeed you traversed mountain and desert and reached the City of God from Iran. You endured endless hardship and bore boundless difficulties. Then you were commanded to return, which caused you much tribulation. But what could be done, for at that time the Desired Land was secretly in utmost turmoil, though 'Abdu'l-Baha maintained calm and composure.

It is not permissible for thee to sever thy connection with Bombay, for thy presence there is necessary, while in the Holy Land there is no work or employment available and the tests are severe.

In this prohibition [from visiting Haifa] there is a providence which will become manifest before long. But know ye with the utmost certainty that this disappointment is regarded in the Threshold of the Manifest Light as greater than a visit to that magnificent station. For the substance of the grief is the essence of the visit, and the burning of the fire of zeal is the sweet water of the union.

Say: By My life, thy return is better than the acceptance of one who was not adorned with the ornament of permission. Thy Lord is the best Helper, the best Informed, the best Knower.

To whatever extent they can maintain outward appearances, it is permissible and acceptable. That is, if it is possible to return home in utmost joy and fragrance, that would be best. Otherwise, let not grief enter your noble being, and be exceedingly happy that you have migrated to God and journeyed unto Him.

Praise be to God that in this severe test they were like a mountain of iron. It is hoped that these transgressions will come to an end.

Your days shall come - be not disheartened. These are days of wisdom and kindness - observe them carefully. When the time comes, that which He has willed shall be made manifest and your hearts shall rejoice thereby, O concourse of lovers and horsemen of all regions!

However much they strive and agitate and seek to do battle, their efforts are brought to naught. They are disappointed and hopeless, for the real existence of the friends of God is safeguarded within the sanctuary of God's inviolable protection. Whatever cruelties they inflict affect the body only, not the soul; they touch the elements, not the mind.

His mighty words in response to Mirza Abu'l-Hasan, upon him be 966 [Baha'u'llah], state: "Concerning what you wrote about Mosul, He said it would have been better had they heeded the blessed words 'We shall surely test you' followed by 'and give glad tidings to the patient ones.'

Inner troubles and afflictions increase day by day. Until now, I alone have endured and continue to endure them. This is not the time for martyrdom - I have work for you to do.

We have chosen tribulations for the reformation of the world and the unity of all therein.

Yet it is observed that some become disturbed by certain words of others and by the rejection or acceptance of souls.

God requite him who said: "Willingly will I obey the judge who hath so strangely decreed that my blood be spilt at Hill and at Haram!" Verily I say: Whatever befalleth in the path of God is the beloved of the soul and the desire of the heart. Deadly poison in His path is pure honey, and every tribulation a draught of crystal water.

… But for the tribulations which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized; and were it not for the trials which are borne for love of Thee, how could the station of such as yearn for Thee be revealed?

That Holy Being, despite His exalted station and sublime reality, endured chains and fetters to guide us, and throughout His earthly life never rested for a moment, never found comfort for an instant, never laid His head upon the pillow of tranquility and peace. Throughout His days He was encompassed by afflictions and sorrows. How then is it befitting for us to conduct ourselves? Surely justice demands that we water this pure seed that has been sown and tend these planted saplings, completely sacrificing ourselves for humanity, that the earth may become a paradise supreme and its face transformed into the most glorious Garden.

We have chosen tribulations for the betterment of the world and the unity of all therein. Beware lest ye speak that whereby discord may arise.

Beware lest the utterances of the ignorant sadden you or the commands of the oppressors frighten you. Hold fast unto that which is good in all circumstances, and commit not that which would cause the clamor of the idolaters to be raised.

External calamities have no effect - there is no wisdom in afflictions from without, for whatever comes from outsiders is expected, as we have no expectations of them.

We had hoped that in these endless trials and tribulations the friends would become a healing balm for the wounds inflicted by the oppressors.

Now the lack of unity and oneness among the friends has reached such a point that the arrows and spears of strangers have completely lost their effect - whatever wounds they inflict have become like honey, for they gladden the spirit and their impact is merely physical. But the lack of fellowship among the friends with one another is a spiritual wound, and it also causes the body to waste away from the severity of the spirit's distress.

For the mighty winds of tests are blowing today - the Hands of the Cause must not sit idle for a moment nor become engaged in any other affairs until the storm of trials subsides, the turbulence of tests becomes still, the clouds of wavering dissipate, and the dawn of devotion shines forth with the rays of supplication.

The delay in response is due to the severe impact of tribulations, not from any negligence in attending to matters.

Consider then the state of one who is oppressed, condemned and afflicted in the hands of external and internal enemies. Let us be brief. Although the test is severe, the oppression of the tyrant has no effect upon pure hearts, and the persecution and insults of strangers have no influence. Rather, in such circumstances hearts attain a state of joy and increase in gentleness and tenderness, turning to prayer.

In spite of everything, this homeless prisoner remained inwardly tranquil and secure, trusting in the peerless Lord, yearning for whatever afflictions might have to be encountered in the pathway of God's love. For bolts of hate are, in our sight, but a gift of pearls from Him, and mortal poison but a healing draught.

… Whatsoever may happen is for the best, because affliction is but the essence of bounty, and sorrow and toil are mercy unalloyed, and anguish is peace of mind, and to make a sacrifice is to receive a gift, and whatsoever may come to pass hath issued from God's grace.

There is no greater trial than the test of riches. Whosoever you see that he is helping and assisting the poor ones according to his ability, know of a certainty that his faith is strong.

What hardship these coal miners have to suffer, how poor and needy they are! It is necessary for the directors of companies and the owners of factories to allot a certain share, however small it may be, to their laborers so that their condition may be improved and they may be deterred from striking.

But if a rich man be compassionate, he is very near to God, for he has come out of temptation.

Say: O people! Mock not those who have been afflicted with trials in God's path. These are among the most exalted of creation, and through them doth mercy descend upon the peoples of the world, were ye but to know.

We previously informed the people about the days of adversity, lest they be disturbed when the winds of trials blow from the direction of the All-Merciful. Thus was the decree ordained in the Tablet. And when they blew, souls were disturbed, but God pardoned them, for His mercy hath preceded all worlds.

Your pilgrimage is accepted, but your effort is not appreciated, for in such days as these, beholding the oppressed and wandering ones has incalculable reward and is in truth the robe of deeds and the crown of actions.

He hath once again been afflicted with trials. We beseech God first to adorn him with the ornament of patience, then to deliver him through His power and sovereignty.

O captive in the path of God and O bird of the spiritual nest! Although due to the calamities that have befallen and the successive afflictions, surely the pure water of the heart becomes clouded and the glass of the inner heart shatters, yet since it is in the path of the Beloved of the horizons, there is no harm in it. In this station, sorrows are harbingers of joy, and calamities and afflictions are heralds of delight and gladness.

O Lord, my God! Thou seest how the son of Mahmud hath been seized with trembling and dismay, at the hand of hostile enemies. The vast immensity of the world was for him straitened, inasmuch as multiple calamities befell him and adversities waxed increasingly severe. He was so overtaken by the darkness of tyranny and injustice, of cruelty and iniquity that, unable to endure the onslaught of those trials and tribulations, he finally forsook hearth and home and migrated to the Holy Land.

In any case, at this time He commanded this servant to write to Nazir: "O stranger in foreign lands! God willing, may this exile become the cause and means of comfort for steadfast and assured souls in the homeland. Many times exile leads to finding a homeland, and many are the homelands whose dust of exile is more excellent and beloved in God's sight. Exile in the path of the Friend is more beloved and precious to lovers than their homeland.

What a hard time I had often till midnight going through villages and trying to persuade the farmers to sell us something. Especially at that time there was a famine in those districts and people loathed to give up their hoarded provisions, fearing the worse may come also to them.

He had remarkable powers of endurance. He traveled on foot, as a rule eating nothing but onions and bread; and in all that time, he moved about in such a way that he was never once held up and never once lost a letter or a Tablet. Every letter was safely delivered; every Tablet reached its intended recipient. Over and over again, in Isfahan, he was subjected to severe trials, but he remained patient and thankful under all conditions, and earned from non-Baha'is the title of "the Babis' Angel Gabriel."

[One evening 'Abdu'l-Baha was in the little garden outside the house. A number of us pilgrims were present. Calling attention to trees and flowers He had planted, He said in part: "This was a place for dirt and refuse and loathsome to look upon. During the days when Akka was in confusion and the whirlwind of tests was violent, and a rumor persisted that they were about to banish us to a remote place, we were engaged in planting these trees and flowers, and laying out this garden. Now this has become such a delightful place. How surprising indeed is the assertion made by some people that existence needs no trainer! Were it not for the direct result of care and training, this place would have ever remained a heap of dirt and refuse." Then He walked toward the house, followed by us all. In the sitting-room, downstairs, He resumed the above conversation to the following effect:]

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Without doubt, until snow and rain and cold and storms and severe blizzards occur, the capacity for spring is not prepared. In winter, the Lord makes preparation for life-giving spring.

Likewise, this severe war caused souls to awaken and feelings of universal peace were created in hearts, so that the divine teachings might influence souls of all peoples.

We must not fear difficulties and labor. They lead us to the noblest end. We must resist the whole world, for the world wants war; unite our efforts and with divine love we will succeed.

There were many troubles and vicissitudes, but, in the thought of meeting you, all these things vanished and were forgotten.

It is incumbent upon us to deal with them in truth and love. Some are bad in character, they are not truthful, they bring false charges and I must satisfy all. How difficult is this task. It is very difficult!

Consider how souls of high resolve, whether earthly or heavenly, whether physical or spiritual, whether of the dust or of the celestial spheres, have always endured great hardships, and until they did so, they did not succeed.

O ye who are related to that sincere servant of Baha! Your noble father has forsaken home and country, and in plain and mountain he uncovers mysteries and calls souls to the extended shade.

… You are truly counted among those who strive in the path of God, for you are always far and separated from him.

Thou hast endured many hardships in the path of God. No matter hath been or shall be hidden from God, and no service hath been or shall be lost.

O my spiritual one, my illumined one, my divine one! Although physical trials pour down like heavenly rain, or rather like mountain torrents, yet the remembrance of the faces of the friends remains fixed and imprinted in my heart and soul.

Especially since this is the season of trials and the time of oppression. In such circumstances one must be warm, nay rather, gentle.

When Baha'u'llah in the early history of the Cause desired to test any one, he would say something contrary to his established opinion.

This is real work, for in times of peace and security anyone can do any task, but when fierce winds and rain and snow and hail and thunder and lightning and great thunderbolts come repeatedly from every direction and whirlwinds surround - in such a calamity, in the heart of the sea, in the most great tempest, if the captain unfurls the sail he shows great power. Otherwise, in a calm sea any helpless one can open the sail and steer the ship.

O friends! The most tender and sensitive heart hath endured all grievous trials, that perchance some souls might be sanctified from the allusions and veils of all who dwell in the realms of creation and turn toward the All-Merciful.

By Thy glory, O my God! I have reached such a state of abasement that I have become hopeless of the breezes of Thy mercy, and have attained to such a degree of poverty that I see myself deprived of the fragrances of Thy glory - this despite my certainty of the all-encompassing nature of Thy favors toward the people of Thy kingdom, and my acknowledgment of the flow of Thy mercy among Thy creation.

Before Me riseth up the Serpent of wrath with jaws stretched to engulf Me, and behind Me stalketh the lion of anger intent on tearing Me in pieces, and above Me, O My Well-Beloved, are the clouds of Thy decree, raining upon Me the showers of tribulations, whilst beneath Me are fixed the spears of misfortune, ready to wound My limbs and My body.

We have made abasement the garment of glory, and affliction the adornment of Thy temple, O Pride of the worlds.

How mighty, O my God, is the ordained fate, and how difficult for him is every inevitable decree! No skin is left on his body, no patience in his heart, no endurance in his soul. Nevertheless, he has naught save submission to Thy decree and contentment with Thy good-pleasure, though his patience be exhausted, his tears flowing, his heart aflame.

They withstood severe shocks and faced tribulations with smiling faces, throbbing hearts, and flowing tears. They thanked You when calamities befell them in Your path and difficulties surrounded them in Your love.

And now I implore Thee, by the eternity of Thy Self, to enable me to be patient in these tribulations which have caused the Concourse on high to wail and the denizens of the everlasting Paradise to weep, and through which all faces have been covered with the tawny dust provoked by the anguish that hath seized such of Thy servants as have turned towards Thy Name, the Most Exalted, the Most High.

How strange it is, O my God, that they remain heedless of the descent of this calamity and show little awareness that this tribulation is the consequence of their actions. For justice demands retribution for crimes and sins, and reward for those of purity, chastity, obedience and submission. They see that this bitter tree has grown from the blood that was shed by the hands of every oppressor and ignorant one, and that this poisonous plant has sprouted from seeds sown by the hands of every treacherous and tyrannical one.

How many nights, O my God, did they toss restlessly in their beds from the attacks of enemies, and how many days did they flutter like moths around the lamp of tribulation, finding no relief except through the holy fragrances of Your presence when their limbs trembled and their bodies shook, until they hastened to You and rushed to attain Your presence and yearned to appear before You.

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

Glorified art Thou, O Thou Who hearest the cry of those who are detached and the lamentation of those who are sincere, and Who beholdest what hath befallen them at the hands of the oppressors among Thy creatures and the transgressors among Thy people. By Thy glory, O King of the kingdoms of justice and Sovereign of the cities of bounty! Such tribulations have come upon them that no pen of creation can recount, and should it attempt to mention them, it would not know what to record. Yet since these afflictions have been endured in Thy path and for love of Thee, they give thanks to Thee in all conditions, saying: "O Beloved of our hearts and One remembered in our breasts! Should the arrows of tribulation rain down upon us from the clouds of destiny, we would not complain in our love for Thee, but would thank Thee for this, for we have recognized and are certain that Thou hast ordained for us naught but what is best for us. And though our bodies may at times be distressed by these trials, our souls rejoice in them. By Thy glory, O Desire of our hearts and Joy of our breasts! Every punishment in Thy love is mercy, every fire is light, every torment is sweet, every toil is rest, and every sorrow is gladness. O Lord! Whoso complaineth of tribulations in Thy path hath not drunk from the cup of Thy love nor tasted the sweetness of Thy remembrance."

I beseech Thee by the Sovereign of Names and its King, and the Manifestation of attributes and their Creator, and by those who have soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness and meeting and have tasted the sword's edge in Thy path, to assist all Thy creatures to recognize the Manifestation of Thy Self, Who is imprisoned in exile for having summoned all creation unto Thee. O Lord! Thy mercy hath preceded Thy wrath, Thy loving-kindness Thy fury, and Thy grace Thy justice. Take hold of the hands of Thy creatures through the wondrous tokens of Thy favors and gifts, and cut them not off from the means which Thou hast ordained for the recognition of Thy Self. By Thy glory! When these are cut off, every soul becometh perturbed, every man of wisdom is bewildered, and every knower is confounded, save him whom the hands of Thy Cause have taken and whom the evidences of Thy grace and the influences of Thy favors have seized.

By Thy glory, O my God! If Thou shouldst regard Thy servants according to their deserts in Thy days, they would merit naught except Thy chastisement and torment. But Thou art the Generous One, possessed of great bounty. Look not upon them, O my God, with the glances of Thy justice, but rather with the glances of the eyes of Thy grace and favor. Then deal with them according to what beseemeth Thy generosity and bounty. Thou art, verily, powerful to do what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below, the Ruler of this world and of the world to come. Verily, Thou art the All-Merciful, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon Him through Whom the mysteries of Thy Lordship were made manifest, then were exalted the evidences of Thy Divinity, and there appeared the pearls of Thy knowledge and wisdom, and were spread abroad Thy signs, and Thy Word was expounded, and Thy countenance shone forth, and Thy sovereignty was established, and upon those who turned unto Him with pure hearts for Thy sake. Then send down, O my God, upon Him and upon them from the wonders of Thy mercy that which beseemeth Thy presence. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Most Glorious, the Self-Subsisting.

Though my body be pained by the trials that befall me from Thee, though it be afflicted by the revelations of Thy Decree, yet my soul rejoiceth at having partaken of the waters of Thy Beauty, and at having attained the shores of the ocean of Thine eternity.

The winds of tests are powerless to hold back them that enjoy near access to Thee from setting their faces towards the horizon of Thy glory, and the tempests of trials must fail to draw away and hinder such as are wholly devoted to Thy will from approaching Thy court.

O God! The trials Thou sendest are a salve to the sores of all them who are devoted to Thy will; the remembrance of Thee is a healing medicine to the hearts of such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court; nearness to Thee is the true life of them who are Thy lovers; Thy presence is the ardent desire of such as yearn to behold Thy face; remoteness from Thee is a torment to those that have acknowledged Thy oneness, and separation from OAThee is death unto tThee is death unto them that have recognized Thy truth!

Do Thou, then, ordain for them that which Thou didst ordain for Thy chosen ones and for the righteous among Thy creatures, whose constancy in Thy Cause the tempests of trials have failed to shake, and whom the tumults of tests have been powerless to hinder from magnifying Thy most exalted Word--the Word through Which the heavens of men's idle fancies and vain imaginations have been split asunder.

To this I make reply: "Be thou patient and quiet thyself. The things thou desireth can last but an hour. As to me, however, I quaff continually in the path of God the cup of His decree, and wish not that the ruling of His will should cease to operate, or that the woes I suffer for the sake of my Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, should be ended.

How sweet is the thought of Thee in times of adversity and trial, and how delightful to glorify Thee when compassed about with the fierce winds of Thy decree!

The flame of every fire hath been extinguished except the Flame which the hands of Thine omnipotence have kindled, and whose radiance Thou hast, by the power of Thy name, shed abroad before all that are in Thy heaven and all that are on Thy earth. As the tribulations deepen, it waxeth hotter and hotter.

Praised and glorified art Thou. How often did adversities descend upon Me and Thou didst temper them and avert them through Thy gracious favor; and how many times were commotions stirred up against Me at the hand of the people, while Thou didst cause them to subside through Thy tender mercy. How numerous the occasions when the Nimrods kindled fires wherewith to burn Me, but Thou didst make them balm for Me; and how manifold the instances when the infidels decreed My humiliation and Thou didst turn them into marks of honor for Me....

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By Thy might! It is as though I see this station of mine as the summit of Paradise, for whoever can praise Thee cares not for the displeasure of Thy servants, and whoever delights in intimacy with Thy presence misses no good in the presence of Thy Divine Dominion. Therefore, unto Thee be praise in this station of mine - a praise radiant, effulgent, luminous and sanctified, which excels all praise as Thy Self excels all Thou hast created, for Thou hast freed me on this mountain for Thy worship.

Mine eyes are cheered, O my God, when I contemplate the tribulations that descend upon me from the heaven of Thy decree, and which have encompassed me on every side according to what Thy pen hath irrevocably established. I swear by Thy Self! Whatsoever is of Thee is well pleasing unto me, though it involve the bitterness of mine own death.

From the very day Thou didst reveal Thyself unto me, I have accepted for myself every manner of tribulation. Every moment of my life my head crieth out to Thee and saith: "Would, O my Lord, that I could be raised on the spear-point in Thy path!" while my blood entreateth Thee saying: "Dye the earth with me, O my God, for the sake of Thy love and Thy pleasure!"

Still others were permitted, in their eagerness to look upon Thee, to enter the precincts of Thy court, but they allowed the veils of the imaginations of Thy creatures and the wrongs inflicted by the oppressors among Thy people to come in between them and Thee.

Wherefore I have been subjected to such adversities that my tongue hath been hindered from extolling Thee and from magnifying Thy glory.

Armed with the power of Thy love, the hatred which moveth them that are against Thee can never alarm me; and with Thy praise on my lips, the rulings of Thy decree can in no wise fill me with sorrow. … Every hair of my head proclaimeth: "But for the adversities that befall me in Thy path, how could I ever taste the divine sweetness of Thy tenderness and love?"

Some, O my God, Thou didst, through Thy strengthening grace, enable to approach it, while others Thou didst keep back by reason of what their hands have wrought in Thy days.

I render Thee thanks, O Lord, for this tribulation, which I deem amongst the greatest of Thy bounties and gifts, for it is endured in the path of Thy love--a love whose flames blaze within my very heart and soul.

O Divine Providence Assist me to bear this heavy burden and protect this great bestowal for the force of these tests is strong indeed and power of these trials immense. It crusheth the mighty mountain into dust and reduceth it to the tiniest parts.

I yield Thee thanks, O my God, in these days when the oppressors amongst Thy people and the rebellious amongst Thy creatures have arrayed themselves against us, and are rejoicing at the adversities which, through the mysterious workings of Thy decree, Thou hast caused to descend upon us as gems from the treasury of Thy providence. Such hath ever been Thy custom with Thy loved ones and Thy practice with Thy chosen servants. I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved, that though others may flee from tribulations suffered in Thy path, I am he who, in his love for Thee, yearneth after every woe and trial.

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I swear by Thy might! Successive afflictions have withheld the pen of the Most High from laying bare that which is hidden from the eyes of Thy creatures, and incessant trials have hindered the tongue of the Divine Ordainer from proclaiming the wonders of Thy glorification and praise.

Thou beholdest, O my God, their eyes turned towards Thee, their gaze fixed upon the Dayspring of Thy might and Thy loving providence.

Thine enemies have sharpened their teeth for the flesh of Thy loved ones. Protect, then, Thy companions, O Thou Who layest low the necks of men, O Thou the Lord of the Judgement Day!

O my Lord! Thou knowest that the people are encircled with pain and calamities and are environed with hardships and trouble. Every trial doth attack man and every dire adversity doth assail him like unto the assault of a serpent. There is no shelter and asylum for him except under the wing of Thy protection, preservation, guard and custody.

I beg of Thee by Thy name, the Most Merciful, to protect Thy servants and Thy handmaidens when the tempests of trials pass over them, and Thy manifold tests assail them. Enable them, then, O my God, so to seek refuge within the stronghold of Thy love and of Thy Revelation, that neither Thine adversaries nor the wicked doers among Thy servants, who have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and turned away most disdainfully from the Day-Spring of Thine Essence and the Revealer of Thy glory, may prevail against them.

Help them through Thy strengthening grace, I beseech Thee, O my God, to suffer patiently in their love for Thee, and unveil to their eyes what Thou hast decreed for them behind the Tabernacle of Thine unfailing protection, so that they may rush forward to meet what is preordained for them in Thy path, and may vie in hasting after tribulation in their love towards Thee.

By Thy glory, O my God! I am content with all of this, but Thine enemies rejoice therein and mock Thy loved ones, and because of this mine eyes weep and my heart bleeds and my liver is consumed.

Darkness hath encompassed every land, O my God, and caused most of Thy servants to tremble. I beseech Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, to raise in every city a new creation that shall turn towards Thee, and shall remember Thee amidst Thy servants, and shall unfurl by virtue of their utterances and wisdom the ensigns of Thy victory, and shall detach themselves from all created things.

Thou beholdest how the tempestuous winds of tests have caused the steadfast in faith to tremble, and how the breath of trials hath stirred up those whose hearts had been firmly established, except such as have partaken of the Wine that is life indeed from the hands of the Manifestation of Thy name, the Most Merciful.

Had not every tribulation been made the bearer of Thy wisdom, and every ordeal the vehicle of Thy providence, no one would have dared oppose us, though the powers of earth and heaven were to be leagued against us.

I entreat Thee, by Him Who is Thy Most Effulgent Name Whom Thou hast made a target for the darts of Thy decree in Thy path, O Thou the King of eternity, to rend asunder the veils that have shut off Thy creatures from the horizon of Thy glory, that haply they may turn their faces in the direction of Thy mercy, and draw nigh unto the Day-Spring of Thy loving-kindness.

I pray Thee, by Thy Name through which Thou didst call all mankind unto the horizon of Thy majesty and glory, and didst guide Thy servants to the court of Thy grace and favors, to number me with such as have rid themselves from everything except Thyself, and have set themselves towards Thee, and have not been kept back by such misfortunes as were decreed by Thee, from turning in the direction of Thy gifts.

How many the leaves which the tempests of trials have caused to fall, and how many, too, are those which, clinging tenaciously to the tree of Thy Cause, have remained unshaken by the tests that have assailed them, O Thou Who art our Lord, the Most Merciful!

Yet at times doubts seize me and return me to the abode of the doubtful ones, and at times the breaths of Thy name, the All-Merciful, take hold of me and cause me to soar in the atmosphere of them that are nigh unto Thee.

And I beseech Him to preserve thee from the confirmed tests and great trials which break backs and perish souls and to make thee a sign of submissiveness and a standard of meekness, lowliness and humility before the Kingdom of the Mighty and Omnipotent God.

O my God! Thou seest and beholdest the dust that hath risen to the highest heaven, and the smoke that hath enveloped humanity, and the mist that hath spread from all directions. The whirlwind of doubts hath come, and the tornado of veils, and the storm of individual interpretation, and the thunderbolt of "the Book is sufficient for us," and it hath uprooted the trunks of trees, and broken the branches, and pulled out the roots, and scattered the nests, and demolished the dwellings.

They have fallen under the claws of fierce beasts of tribulations and dropped into the pit of abandonment through calamities. Drought and barrenness, illness and flood and woe have overcome that land and region, uprooting their foundations, shaking their pillars, sickening their bodies and distressing their spirits.

O Lord! These are servants enslaved; free their necks from chains and fetters.

O my God! Thou art He Who ordaineth not any trial for anyone except that Thou hast ordained for him a reward through Thy grace and bounty. Therefore, pour forth upon him, O Lord, patience and deliver us from every affliction through Thy grace.

I beg of Thee, O my God, by those who have fasted for love of Thee and have quaffed the living waters of submission from the hands of Thy bounty, to ordain for Thy loved ones, who under the blaze of the orb of Thy trials have clung to the cord of patience, all the good Thou hast reckoned in Thy Books and Thy Tablets.

O God! I am prepared to endure any ordeal in Thy path and desire with all my heart and soul to meet any hardship.

O God! Protect me from tests.

O my Lord! Here before Thy face I have brought my frame, my body, my form, my sight, my hearing, my spirit and my heart, and I desire to entrust them into the hands of Thy loving-kindness.

Say: O my Lord! Pour forth upon me patience in my exile from this severe cold, then make me to be numbered with Thy grateful servants.

Tests are benefits from God, for which we should thank Him. Grief and sorrow do not come to us by chance, they are sent to us by the Divine Mercy for our own perfecting. Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit. The labourer cuts up the earth with his plough, and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest. The more a man is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him.

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Failures, tests, and trials, if we use them correctly, can become the means of purifying our spirit, strengthening our characters, and enable us to rise to greater heights of service.

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Naturally there will be periods of distress and difficulty, and even severe tests; but if that person turns firmly toward the divine Manifestation, studies carefully His spiritual teachings and receives the blessings of the Holy Spirit, he will find that in reality these tests and difficulties have been the gifts of God to enable him to grow and develop. Thus you might look upon your own difficulties in the path of service. They are the means of your spirit growing and developing.

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The greater your trials and sufferings, the stronger should wax your attachment and devotion to the Cause. For only through repeated tribulations and trials does God test His servants, and these they should therefore view as blessings in disguise, and as opportunities whereby they can acquire a fuller consciousness of the Divine Will and Purpose.

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...suffering, of one kind or another, seems to be the portion of man in this world.... they seem to be part of the polish God employs to make us finer, and enable us to reflect more of His attributes!

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As long as there will be life on earth, there will also be suffering, in various forms and degrees. But suffering, although an inescapable reality, can nevertheless be utilized as a means for the attainment of happiness. This is the interpretation given to it by all the Prophets and saints, who, in the midst of severe tests and trials, felt happy and joyous and experienced what is best and holiest in life. Suffering is both a reminder and a guide.

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The persecutions from which you are now suffering have this one great advantage, namely to deepen your faith is the Cause, and to revive and refresh your energies for its service. You should, therefore, rejoice and welcome those sufferings in so far as they serve to further awaken your consciousness of being member of the New World Order of Baha'u'llah.

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All the friends of God ... should contribute to the extent possible, however modest their offering may be. God doth not burden a soul beyond its capacity.

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Obedience to the Laws of Baha'u'llah will necessarily impose hardships in individual cases. No one should expect, upon becoming a Baha'i, that faith will not be tested, and to our finite understanding of such matters these tests may occasionally seem unbearable. But we are aware of the assurance which Baha'u'llah Himself has given the believers that they will never be called upon to meet a test greater than their capacity to endure.

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