Praying for unity: learning to become companions

O Lord! Make these separate letters into perfect words, and these brief utterances into manifest verses, that they may become conclusive proofs and precedent mercy and transcendent truth and abundant blessing. Make them exalted lamps and keys to the gates of righteousness, stars of guidance and shooting stars against self and passion, outpouring truth and pulsing veins and arteries, trees in Thy garden and flowers in Thy rose-garden.

O pure Lord! Heal the distressed hearts and unite the thoughts of the helpless ones. Be a kind Shepherd to the scattered sheep and a blessed Gatherer to the dispersed birds. Illumine the meadows of hearts with the light of unity and make souls alive and stirred by the breaths of fellowship. Make Thy ancient servant a faithful counselor and enable Thy old servant of the threshold to bring about fellowship and attraction, so that all may become unified like the waves of the sea of oneness and united like the hosts of the Kingdom of the All-Merciful.

O Lord! Unite all that is scattered and unify all that is divided and mend all that is torn, and gather Thy loved ones in assemblies of remembrance and praise, and admit Thy servants into gatherings of light and glory, and make them a single tongue speaking Thy praise and attributes among the concourse of creation, steadfast in Thy covenants among the people, humble, submissive, proclaiming, devoted, and supplicating to Thy Most Glorious Kingdom, beseeching Thy most exalted horizon.

O Kind Lord! That scattered gathering belongs to Thee, and those companions are Thy destitute ones. Grant a favor, bestow a gift, extend mercy, freely give aid and bounty so that all may become companions like the stars of the Pleiades and sweeten one another's taste with sugar-laden words.

O Lord! These are a gathering whom Thou hast united through Thy grace; gather their scattered affairs through Thy bounty; strengthen their loins through Thy beneficence; fortify their backs through Thy favors.

We beseech Him to adorn this dispersion with the ornament of unity and to transform this apparent separation and remoteness into nearness and presence.

I beseech Thee by Thy Self to unite those who have been scattered by the oppression of Thine enemies and dispersed by the rejection of Thy creatures.

Bring them together again, O Lord, by the Power of Thy Covenant, and gather their dispersion by the Might of Thy Promise, and unite their hearts by the dominion of Thy Love!

My Lord, Thou knowest that I have desired naught in Thy realm save the extinction of the fire of hatred and animosity from the hearts of Thy servants, and I desire for them naught save that which draweth them nigh unto the court of Thy holiness.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst deliver Adam from Satan, and Noah from the flood, and Abraham from the fire, and Moses from Pharaoh, and the Spirit from the Jews, and Muhammad from the Abu-Jahl of the age; and by Thy Name through which the breezes of Thy bounty wafted over the bodies of all created things, and the sun of Thy grace shone upon all who dwell in earth and heaven; and by Thy Name through which every poor one was enriched at the gate of Thy wealth, and every abased one was exalted through the manifestations of Thy mighty glory, and every remote one drew near to the wonders of Thy grace and favors; and by Thy Name through which the sun rose from the horizon of Thy providence, and the pavilion of glory was raised in the kingdom of Thy beneficence, and the trees of unity were planted in the paradise of Thy grace and bounty; and furthermore by Thy Name through which all faces were turned toward Thy face, and all souls were drawn to the shore of Thy holy nearness and meeting, and the birds of the hearts of them who are nigh unto Thee soared in the atmosphere of Thy reunion and glory, and the hearts of the holy ones drank from the cups of Thy divine oneness - that Thou mayest look, O my Beloved, with the glance of Thy favor upon these who have kept vigil on this Night which Thou hast made a festival for Thy creation, wherein Thou didst manifest Thyself by Thy Name the All-Merciful unto all creation, and wherein the Beauty of Thy Lordship was established upon the throne of forgiveness.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by this Night and by those who have kept vigil therein, that Thou mayest send down upon these souls every most perfect good, every most excellent bounty, every most abundant wealth, every most beauteous beauty, every most manifest manifestation, every most steadfast utterance, every most enduring sovereignty, every most perfect word, every most ancient providence, every most powerful sign, every most great name, every most excellent beneficence, every most resplendent glory, every most brilliant radiance, every most powerful might, every most clear permission, every most wondrous book, and every most gentle fruit. For they, O my God, have gathered around Thee on a day when the dwellers of earth have turned away from Thy presence, and have sought the sanctuary of Thy knowledge after all others rejected it. I beseech Thee, O my God, to change their sorrow into joy from Thy presence, and their grief into gladness from Thy court. Send down upon them, O my God, from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cause to grow from their hearts the plants of Thy knowledge and wisdom. Make them, O my Beloved, so steadfast in Thy love and Thy Cause that should all who are in the heavens and on earth endeavor to prevent them, they would pay no heed to any of them, but would turn with their inner and outer beings toward the court of Thy bounty and grace. Honor them, O my Beloved, with Thy presence on the Day when Thou wilt be established upon the throne of eternity, when the feet of the wise shall slip, and the dwellers of earth and heaven shall tremble.

Then, O my God, leave them not to themselves. Take their hands with the power of Thy grace and gather them before the sovereign of the might of Thy bountifulness. Then raise them up, O my Beloved, unto that which Thou hast purposed for them through the sovereignty of Thy mighty dominion, for this is the good than which there is no likeness in creation nor equal in invention. Verily, Thou art powerful over this, mighty and omnipotent. Glory be unto Thee, O my Beloved! I beseech Thee by Thy hidden Name, and by Thy treasured Sign, and by Thy guarded Secret, that Thou deprive not these souls of the surging waves of the sea of Thy oneness, and cause them, O my Desire, to embark upon the ark of Thy glorious might.

O My Hope! Withhold not from them that which Thou hast, and send down upon them that whereby their spirits may be calmed, their hearts reassured, their souls established, their tongues loosed, their minds soar, their eyes be gladdened, their ears hear, and their hearts be enraptured, that they may be drawn, O my Beloved, by the breezes of Thy days, which none have attained save those whom Thou hast chosen for the recognition of Thy Self, elected for Thy Revelation and inspiration, approved for the manifestation of Thy Cause and sovereignty, and made the dawning-places of Thy Cause in Thy lands, the daysprings of Thy divine sustenance amongst Thy creatures, and the manifestations of Thy lordship between Thy heaven and Thy earth. Thou art, verily, the Powerful over what Thou willest, and the Dominant over what Thou desirest. None can resist Thy command or reverse Thy decree. Thou doest what Thou willest by Thy sovereignty and ordainest what Thou desirest by Thy will. Thou art, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, the Giver, the Bountiful, the Beloved, the Generous.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the oceans of Thy names surged in the kingdom of Thy attributes, and the sun of Thy decree shone forth from the horizon of Thy judgment, to gather these beneath the shade of the tree of Thy oneness. Then grant them, O my God, from the wonders of Thy bounties which Thou hast sent down at all times from the heaven of Thy will and concealed from the eyes of Thy creatures, that they may delight in secret as they have delighted openly in the wondrous gifts of Thy divine unity. Send down, O my Beloved, into their hearts that which will purify them from all else but Thee and draw them near to the sanctuary of Thy good-pleasure and the source of Thy will, that they may speak naught except in Thy love, turn to none save in devotion to Thee, face no direction but the direction of Thy mercy and bounty, raise not their hands save toward the heaven of Thy might and generosity, and open not their eyes save unto the wondrous splendors of the lights of Thy countenance.

O Beloved! Give them to drink from the cups of everlasting life by the hand of this Youth in this paradise, that they may be severed from the idols of Satan and unite in Thy Cause in these days, remembering Thee at eventide and at dawn beneath the canopy of Thy grace, O Thou Bestower! O Thou Who sendeth down the Revelation, and bringeth the contingent world into being! I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, to remove discord from among these, then clothe them in the robe of Thy grace and the garments of Thy favors, in such wise that they may speak only of the wondrous traces of Thy divine sovereignty, and there may appear from them naught but that which will guide all created things to the court of Thy holy love, whereby the servants may ascend to the atmosphere of nearness to Thy unity, rise unto the heaven of Thy uniqueness, gather in the precincts of Thy mercy, and be as one soul before the sanctuary of Thy grandeur.

Then I beseech Thee, O my God, to purify their hearts from the dust of contingent things and the soil of created things, that the mirrors of their hearts may be cleansed and there may be reflected therein the wondrous splendors of the lights of Thy luminous beauty. Verily, Thou art the Giver, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, and verily, Thou art wise over all things.

Bless, then, O my God, those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs and in Thy Beauty which shineth between Thy earth and Thy heaven. Thou art, verily, the Lord of forgiveness and mercy, and the Lord of grandeur and majesty. Then, O my God, detach Thy servants from all else but Thee and draw them to the court of Thy glory. Verily, Thou art the Forgiving, the Resurrector, the Life-Giver, the Almighty, the Powerful.

Then remove hatred from among them that they may unite upon the word of Thy singleness within the temple of Thy oneness, such that they dwell only in Thy remembrance, turn only to Thy face, draw near only through Thy good-pleasure, and speak only by Thy leave, that they may become as one soul and one name and one form in the earth.

I beseech Thee, moreover, O my God, to unite the hearts of Thy loved ones and to join them together in harmony and fellowship in Thy Cause, that naught may appear from them that would ill beseem them in Thy days.

Grant us all shelter in the protection of Thy grace, and save us all in the cave of Thy preservation and guardianship and in freedom and detachment from the conditions of self and passion, that we may all become united and harmonious, entering beneath the pavilion of Thy oneness, crossing the bridge and entering the Most Glorious Paradise of essential unity.

Say:

O my God, my God! Purify the hearts of Thy servants from the mention of aught else but Thee, and illumine them with the lights of Thy knowledge. Then assist them to turn unto Thee and to behold Thy signs and to hearken unto the rustling of Thy Pen.

I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast made it the Dawning-Place of power, to rend asunder the veil that hath come between Thee and Thy loved ones, that they may gather in Thy presence, hearken unto Thy call, and attain unto the Kawthar of reunion in Thy days.

I beseech Thee, by Thine own Self and by Him Whom Thou has appointed as the Manifestation of Thine own Being and Thy discriminating Word unto all that are in heaven and on earth, to gather together Thy servants beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy gracious providence. Help them, then, to partake of its fruits, to incline their ears to the rustling of its leaves, and to the sweetness of the voice of the Bird that chanteth upon its branches.

O my God, my God! I beseech Thee to gather Thy loved ones beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy providence, then rain down upon them from the heaven of Thy mercy the showers of Thy glory and bounty.

Then gather them, O my God, beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy oneness that they may hear with their ears Thy call and that which hath been sent down from the right hand of the throne of Thy grandeur.

I beseech Thee by Thy Beauty which hath shone forth from the horizon of glory, to gather together Thy loved ones beneath the canopies of Thy grace and then to make them drink of that which will quicken their hearts in Thy days.

The servant beseecheth the Lord of Eternity and the Sovereign of nations to unite us through His grace, to draw us near unto Him in all conditions, to shelter us in the precincts of His mercy, to bestow His favors upon us as He did at first, and to vouchsafe unto us the chalices of reunion and the cups of meeting.

Grant a favor, bestow a blessing, that all may gather under the extended shade and canopy of the Praised Station, beneath the raised banner, and be seated facing each other on thrones and couches.

O God of the world and Creator of the nations! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name to bless this union through Thy name, the All-Merciful. Then unite their hearts through Thy Name by which Thou didst unite hearts at the dawning-places of Thy Cause, the repositories of Thy laws, the descending-points of Thy knowledge, and the sources of Thy names.

Suffer them to become the signs of Thy Name in Thy world and protect them through Thy bestowals which are inexhaustible in this world and the world to come. O Lord! They are supplicating the kingdom of Thy mercifulness and invoking the realm of Thy singleness. Verily, they are married in obedience to Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity until the end of time.

"O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy loved ones, make Thy friends' souls one, cause them to be united and in agreement in all matters. Gather them at the fountain of Thy mercy among Thy creatures and beneath the banner of Thy oneness among Thy creation. Assemble them under the standard of human unity and protect them in the shelter of Thy protection from every affliction.

I convey greetings to the gentlemen and friends of that land, and with the tongue of the inner heart I say:

My God, my God! Unite the hearts of Thy loved ones and friends, then make their word as one. O Lord! Illumine them with the light of unity and ordain for them the station of concord. The servant beareth witness that Thou hast ordained the exaltation of Thy Word in the unity of Thy servants and their concord in Thy Cause.

O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy loved ones and Thy servants and Thy parties and Thy chosen ones and Thy faithful ones.

O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord.

O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Glorious Name through which the gate of Thy bounty was opened to Thy creation, and the ocean of Thy knowledge surged amongst Thy creatures, and the sun of Thy generosity shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of Thy mercy, to unite Thy loved ones and chosen ones. … O Lord! Make known to them that which appeareth from their unity in Thy countries and realms, and draw them nigh unto the ocean of Thy good-pleasure, then cause them to enter the depths of the sea of Thy oneness, and illumine them with the lights of detachment in Thy days.

O Lord! Make Thy loved ones waves of the sea of Thy oneness, and breezes from the gardens of Thy singleness, and stars of the heaven of fellowship and love, and pearls of the oceans of love and guidance, that they may drink from a single spring and inhale a single air and be illumined by a single ray and turn with their whole being toward the world of detachment and the center of unity.

O Lord! Illumine the eyes of hearts with the lights of the sun of Thy justice, that all things may be enlightened by its light and radiance, and that in every place the banners of Thy names and attributes may be raised.

O my Lord! Assist those who are firm to elevate Thy Word throughout all regions, and make them manifest signs of Thy oneness dazzling to all eyes, and stars in the heaven of Thy bounty rising from the dawning-place of harmony, and hosts from the kingdom of Thy sanctity charging against the ranks of discord, and armies from the realm of Thy unity gathered beneath the banner of concord.

My God, my God! Send down upon Thy servants that which will unite their hearts in Thy Cause and make them follow Thy laws and Thy religion.

O our God, we beg of Thee by the King of Names and Maker of heaven and earth, by the rustling of the leaves of the Tree of Life and by Thine utterances, through which the realities of things are drawn unto us, to grant that the unity in the Love of God may be speedily established throughout the world; that Thou wilt guide us always and unmistakably to whatever Thou wouldst have us to do, and that we may ever be strong and fully prepared to render instant, exact and complete obedience.

I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Loving, to assist the servants to attain unto unity, and enable them to remember and praise Thee, and to arise to serve Thy Cause.

O Lord! These are distinguished servants who have arisen to spread the lights of guidance in those vast regions. O Lord! Fulfill their hopes, assist their supporters, refine their meanings and reward their endeavors.

Then I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and the mysteries of Thy Book to enable me to unite the hearts of Thy servants and to be united with them through Thy bounty and favor.

O my God! O my God! Aid the loved ones to love and loyalty with all peoples and nations upon the earth. Make them signs of guidance and standards of Thy mercy amidst humanity, and lamps of grace and bounty and trees of the garden of existence.

O Divine Providence! Lift to Thy true lovers' lips the God-intoxicating wine of Thy mysteries, and make of them the shining dawning places of Thy guidance. Exalt the hearts of Thy friends in rapturous elation, endow their souls with joy and enable them to lift up their ears and hearken to Thy mysteries. Unite their hearts that they may raise high the standard of the oneness of humankind in this nether world and become the promoters of love and concord among the diverse kindreds of the earth.

O Kind Lord! These souls are under the shadow of Thy mercy and these beings are turned toward Thy Kingdom.

… May all parties become united, seek eternal life, promote the oneness of the human world, and spread universal peace.

Likewise, we must ever supplicate that God may create love in hearts. Let us implore and beseech that the Sun of Truth may shine upon all, that we may all be immersed in the ocean of the Lord's mercy. Let us implore and beseech that all who are imperfect may become perfect. Let us implore and beseech that all children may reach maturity. May the sun of love shine upon East and West, and may all hearts be illumined by the light of the love of God, and may all souls be quickened by the spirit of divine bestowals.

May the East embrace the West, may Europe hasten without delay along the path of love, may the Turk consider the Tajik an intimate companion and count him as dear and kind. May all associate and consort with one another in the utmost fellowship and unity. May estrangement vanish, may mention of others as strangers cease, and may all become familiar friends and compassionate companions to each other. O Lord! Transform this dark night into radiant day, and change this hatred and enmity between nations into fellowship and love, so that the world of creation may find rest and this proud world may seek abundant portion from the divine realm.

When I beheld this wondrous creation of Thine eternal power, I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou art the Self-Subsisting over the manifestations of Thy names, that Thou unite Thy servants even as Thou hast united light and darkness, and fire and water. Then gather them together on the shore of Thy Most Great Ocean even as Thou hast gathered these upon the shore of the Kawthar of Thy utterance.

Verily, I set my forehead on the dust and turn my face toward the Lord of Lords and invoke my Lord with intense fervor and attraction, that He may look upon you with the glances of the eye of His providence, watch over you with the gaze of His protection, unite your hearts, dilate your breasts, harmonize your souls, rejoice you with gladness, exhilarate you with the chalices of salvation, make you steadfast in the divine Cause.

Catalogue reference: AB00590 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.