Transcendence and the unknowability of God

All is rising and radiance, manifestation and light, for the Sun of Truth is sanctified above rising and setting. This rising and setting pertaineth to the world of creation, not to the Truth.

Description of His holy Essence is impossible, for naught existeth beside Him. He hath not charged any soul with the knowledge of His innermost Essence, by reason of His utter separation from all existence. None hath known Him, for none existeth in His presence. … He who claimeth to know His innermost Essence is an infidel, for it is impossible for creation to know Him.

Too high is the All-Merciful for the hearts of those who have recognized Him to apprehend His true nature, or for the minds of men to hope to fathom His essence. He verily is exalted above the understanding of anyone besides Himself, and sanctified beyond the comprehension of all else save Him. From all eternity He hath been independent of the entire creation.

Immeasurably exalted is His Essence above the descriptions of His creatures. He, alone, occupieth the Seat of transcendent majesty, of supreme and inaccessible glory. The birds of men's hearts, however high they soar, can never hope to attain the heights of His unknowable Essence. … Far be it from His glory that human pen or tongue should hint at His mystery, or that human heart conceive His Essence.

He is the One Who cannot be described by firstness or lastness, by outwardness or inwardness, for all these were created in His court of might and brought into being by a word from His presence. He is the One Who hath taken unto Himself no likeness, no partner, no peer, no similitude, and no offspring. Verily, He is God; there is no God but Him. He hath ever been, and there was naught else beside Him.

The oneness of God, exalted and mighty be He, is sanctified above the geometry of letters. He has been and ever will be established upon the throne of unity, and His oneness is purified from all numbers.

All directions and quarters belong to the realm of place, but the Abha Kingdom is sanctified above directions. All rising points exist in the contingent world, but that eternal realm exists in the placeless realm. Every region and kingdom is bounded, but that enduring kingdom is abstract and distinct.

The abode of bounty is most excellent and desirable, and the Ka'bah of purpose is sanctified from all directions and from despair and hope. It is utterly bare and pure of nearness and union, remoteness and separation.

God knows the unseen of the heavens and earth and that wherein you differ. He will judge between all with justice and God wrongs not a soul even by an atom's weight.

Praise be to Him Whose Essence is immeasurably exalted above the strivings of human hearts, however pure, to soar into the atmosphere of His nearness, and Whose Being is immensely sanctified beyond the exertions of human minds, however lofty, to ascend unto the heaven of His presence. From time immemorial He hath been exalted above the description of aught save Himself, and He will forever continue to be sanctified beyond the praise of all created things.

The invisible realm of the Divinity is sanctified and exalted above the comprehension of all beings, and all that can be imagined is mere human understanding. The power of human understanding does not encompass the reality of the divine Essence: All that man can hope to achieve is to comprehend the attributes of the Divinity, the light of which is manifest and resplendent in the world and within the souls of men.

Now concerning the Essence of Divinity: in truth it is on no account determined by anything apart from its own nature, and can in no wise be comprehended. For whatsoever can be conceived by man is a reality that hath limitations and is not unlimited; it is circumscribed, not all-embracing. It can be comprehended by man, and is controlled by him.

But that Essence of Essences, that Invisible of Invisibles, is sanctified above all human speculation, and never to be overtaken by the mind of man. Never shall that immemorial Reality lodge within the compass of a contingent being. His is another realm, and of that realm no understanding can be won. No access can be gained thereto; all entry is forbidden there. The utmost one can say is that Its existence can be proved, but the conditions of Its existence are unknown.

The difference in station between man and the Divine Reality is thousands upon thousands of times greater than the difference between vegetable and animal. And that which a human being would conjure up in his mind is but the fanciful image of his human condition, it doth not encompass God's reality but rather is encompassed by it. That is, man graspeth his own illusory conceptions, but the Reality of Divinity can never be grasped: It, Itself, encompasseth all created things, and all created things are in Its grasp.

When the ethereal force undulates, light appears in the world. Though its essence remains veiled, yet its waves are known. [In like manner] burning, sighing, and lamentation are plain and manifest, but the reality of love is concealed.

That which comes within human grasp is finite, and in relation to it we are infinite because we can grasp it. Assuredly, the finite is lesser than the infinite; the infinite is ever greater. If the reality of Divinity could be contained within the grasp of human mind, it would after all be possessed of an intellectual existence only -- a mere intellectual concept without extraneous existence, an image or likeness which had come within the comprehension of finite intellect.

People speak of Divinity, but the ideas and beliefs they have of Divinity are, in reality, superstition. Divinity is the effulgence of the Sun of Reality, the manifestation of spiritual virtues and ideal powers.

All these sacred words show us that man is made in God's image: yet the Essence of God is incomprehensible to the human mind, for the finite understanding cannot be applied to this infinite Mystery.

God contains all: He cannot be contained. That which contains is superior to that which is contained. The whole is greater than its parts. Things which are understood by men cannot be outside their capacity for understanding, so that it is impossible for the heart of man to comprehend the nature of the Majesty of God. Our imagination can only picture that which it is able to create.

And yet that pure Essence of Divinity is sanctified from and exalted above both these conceptions. In His holy court neither similitudes of reality nor comparisons of transcendence can find admittance.

Their difference is in Its attributes and perfections - that the philosophers do not believe that spiritual force and absolute perfection, while the Prophets explain the powerlessness of created things to comprehend the essence of the Divine Being, that that Ancient Reality cannot be limited by the perceptions of the contingent world, and they do not consider people's lack of sensation as evidence for the absence of the absolute perfections of the Necessary Being.

In its outward linguistic sense, the Unseen is that which is veiled from sight. In its inward sense, we sometimes express it as the Unseen of the unseen, the countenance of the Beloved, the Most Great Mystery and the Most Hidden Symbol, the Divine Reality and the Eternal Essence, Who has ever been alone in His Being and unique in His attributes, and will forever remain as He has been, exalted above mention and utterance and above whatsoever the people of mystical knowledge may speak. In this station, He knows Himself by Himself, and none other knows Him.

And as to what thou didst mention concerning the Unseen and the knowledge of the Prophets, there hath been and is no doubt that knowledge of the Unseen is exclusively reserved to the Ancient Being, glorified be His majesty, and all the Prophets unanimously acknowledge this fact. "None knoweth the Unseen save He" is established and proven. Likewise the blessed verse "No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision," for the impenetrable Unseen hath been and ever shall be hidden, and outward vision is powerless and incapable of beholding and comprehending it.

Due to the weakness of the servants, the station of this Revelation hath not been fully described save according to their capacity. "They have not estimated God according to His true measure."

The people of metaphor have imagined and described the Divine Reality in such a way that it must be completely forgotten. Their conception is pure imagination.

Today the sovereign of fire and light exists - whatever appears in these two stations is by the will of the Sovereign of Manifestation, which is the Divine Knowledge. All things become known through knowledge, and no soul has ever known or will ever know that invisible Essence. He says: "Whoever asks about Unity is ignorant, and whoever answers about it is a misbeliever."

Know that Truth is eternal and contingent beings are created. Truth is too exalted to descend to the realm of possibility, and possibility is prevented from ascending to eternity.

… He is above all things -- hidden by the mystery, veiled by the secret, secreted within the secret -- and naught availeth for the knowledge of Him but the secret.

Al-'Ama' in the language means a very light and subtle cloud that is seen and unseen. If you gaze with utmost care you find something, but as soon as you look, it cannot be seen. That is why, in the tradition of the investigators, by Al-'Ama' they mean the Universal Reality with no specifications, for specifications exist in the mode of simplicity and unity and are not distinguished from the essence. So it is both specified and unspecified, and this station is described as Divine Oneness and Al-'Ama', and it is the station of the Hidden Treasure mentioned in the Hadith.

Therefore the meaning of Knowing in this noble Tradition is not and never has been the knowledge of the true nature of the Absolute for that is beyond the province of Possible Being. Rather it is the knowledge of the traces and effulgences of that Most Holy and Forbidden Mystery. For however much detached minds and pure souls seek to penetrate the worlds of Inner Knowledge, their understanding will never penetrate more than that station which is a sign pointing towards the Monarch of Primal Oneness which He has placed as a trust within the reality of man. And however much they may fly with triumphant wings in the limitless space of what is knowable and observable, they will read naught but the letters of the book of their own selves.

We shall make brief mention of these spiritual stations, namely that the Unseen of Divinity and the Single Essence, in Its station of transcendence above all names and attributes comprehensible to human realities, is an impenetrable Mystery that cannot be known, and a pure Being that cannot be described. The path is barred and the quest rejected. His signs are His proof and His existence His evidence.

Every definition is inadequate and every depiction useless even such terms as the "invisible of the Invisibles" and the "Indescribable Essence".

In this day all people are worshippers of idle fancies, for they conceive a god in the realm of imagination and worship him. Thus if you were to ask someone who is engaged in prayer: "Whom are you worshipping?" he would say: "God." "What God?" "God as I imagine Him." Whereas that which is in his imagination is not God. All people are therefore worshippers of their own thoughts and fancies.

All the attributes referrable to God, such as Omnipotent, Omniscient, Merciful are only qualifying attributes. They are only attributes negating imperfections in the essence of God. Otherwise God being the Unnamable, we cannot refer to Him with any special names. Even the word "God" is after all a word which brings to our consciousness the realization of that Unfathomable, Absolute Something.

Glorified, glorified is He! I neither describe Him nor thank Him, neither know Him nor praise Him. Even if my words after negation establish the station of description, nay, by the might of Him Who hath no way unto anything - I intended naught in negation save negation itself, and naught in mention save powerlessness.

For He is too glorious to be wrathful through His supreme essence, with which nothing can be associated and unto which nothing can ascend. He hath ever been such that nothing comprehendeth Him while He comprehendeth all things, and He is the All-Powerful, the Most Great, the Compelling.

For His Essential Being is pure, primordial simplicity, which by its very essence severs all from the mention of knowledge. And the manifestation of His Essence is eternal effulgence which by its very nature separates all contingent things from the station of utterance.

God cannot be described as being elevated above anything or established upon anything, for what was revealed in the Book from the Loving Friend regarding "He is established upon the throne" meant nothing by "throne" except His knowledge and power, which is His very Self and none other.

Praise be to God Who, through the sanctity of His Self-Subsistence, transcends the description of essences and their like. And praise be to God Who, through the uniqueness of His eternity, stands alone beyond the attributes of beings and their equivalents. And praise be to God Who, through the grandeur of His holiness, is exalted above the mention of entities and their correlates. Exalted be His station above my saying "He is He," for He is as He is in the might of His Identity and the majesty of His Oneness. Through His Essence, He severs all created things from mentioning knowledge of the Essence in the dawning of the manifestation of the Presence of the Essence, and disperses all contingent beings from mention of the stations of attributes in the depths of the mysteries of the sphere of names and attributes.

Whosoever says "He is He" limits himself and transgresses beyond the mystery of his origin, associating with His Essence the effects of his own self, and establishes, by God's leave, a likeness for Him Who has no likeness in the rank of creation in His Entity. And if I say that the Essence in itself severs all indications and is beyond the jurisdiction of names and attributes, my very mention of the Essence belies me, for by attributing description to Him and naming Him, and by asserting that the existence of creation is His transcendence, I have claimed mention from the court of His nearness and established in myself an example of His sign of eternality and a manifestation of His holy appearance.

So glorified and exalted, supreme and lofty is His Essence that none can ascend to Him on the highest wings of hearts and imagination. His Identity is too great for anyone to indicate Him in the kingdom of Command and the manifestation of abstractions through the most subtle possible allusions. Whoever claims [to know His unity has in that moment made himself a partner before the holy valley of His oneness, and whoever claims knowledge of His Entity has indeed been ignorant and has strayed from] knowledge of his own self and transgressed beyond the station of his limits, seeking the decree of impossibility in his mind while heedless of the station of the mystery of eternity in His Essence. For created things, as they are in their reality, indicate only severance, speak only of prevention, utter only despair, and point only to powerlessness. So glory be to God, their Creator, Lord of the heavens and earth, above the description of all things.

From it all things were fashioned, through it all things were called into being, upon it all things were founded, and within it all things found their establishment. Through it was the Divine Will brought into being before the mention of thingness, and in it was Lordship made manifest and all servitude made firm. It is neither of the eternal East nor of the non-existent West. It came into being through its own essence, not from any creation before it, and was endowed with its identity without any invention to rival it.

Say: God is the First, with no first before Him, and He is the Originator of the first ones. Say: God is the Last, with no last after Him, and He is the Creator of the last ones. Say: God is the Outward, naught is remembered with Him, and He is the Manifester of the manifest ones. Say: God is the Inward, naught shall be remembered with Him, and He is the Concealer of the hidden ones.

… Say: God is independent of you and of what ye do, and ye are servants of God, prostrating yourselves before Him by night and by day. This is of God's grace and mercy, that ye may be thankful. Were God not to command you, how could ye prostrate yourselves before Him?

How can I praise Thee, O my Beloved, when verily praise itself testifieth to its evanescence before the exaltation of Thy holiness and the transcendence of Thy might? And how can I not praise Thee when my heart findeth no rest except in Thy remembrance and praise?

… Whatsoever thou hast known of God, thy Lord, sanctify Him above thy knowledge. Whatsoever thou hast unified regarding God, thy Lord, exalt Him above thy unification. Whatsoever thou hast described of God, thy Lord, glorify Him above thy description. Whatsoever thou hast attributed to God, thy Creator, magnify Him above thine attribution. Whatsoever praise thou hast offered to God, thy Fashioner, uniquify Him above thy praise.

If He is mentioned by the letters "Ha" and "Waw" [huwa], this is among the wondrous favors He hath bestowed upon His creation, having permitted them this as a token of His generosity and grace. Otherwise, how can mere verbal expressions compare with that station which transcendeth all meaning and utterance? Exalted is the All-Merciful above the mention of every mentioner, the description of every describer, and the praise of every praiser.

At times I hear from the Tongue of Grandeur that "I am the All-Knowing," and at other times that "I have been sanctified from it from time immemorial." Sometimes He proclaimeth with the most exalted call that "With Me is the knowledge of the heavens and earth," and at other times He calleth out and saith "With Me is naught save the knowledge of Mine own Self, and I am the Mighty, the All-Knowing."

Though He hath ever been and will forever remain sanctified from all directions, and though He hath attributed Himself to the Hijaz, or to Iraq, or other places, this is but in consideration of the understanding of created things within the bounds of contingent being; else He is and hath ever been the Creator of all and sanctified above all.

If I mention Him as the Known, this is but an attribute for His servants, and if I describe Him as the Self-Subsisting, this is but a mention from His creation.

Exalted, exalted is He above being mentioned by any name or described by anything besides Him, above what the tongue mentions in praise and description.

By God! The Pen confesseth its powerlessness and the tongue its extinction. There is none possessed of being save he hath confessed his limitation, nor any wielder of authority save in his bewilderment and inability to reach. Exalted, exalted be He Whom if thou describest, thou limitest, and if thou leavest undescribed, thou fallest short of that which thou art commanded.

Say: Verily He is in His Essence independent of all that hath been created in the heavens and on earth, though His names seek existence.

Thereupon Our Pen of Glory cried out, dumbfounded: "O Thou Whom names fail to describe! Forgive me, I adjure Thee by Thy might which transcendeth beyond the earth and the heavens. Wherefore I have been fashioned through the potency of Thy creative power, how can I describe that which no word throughout the realm of creation can describe?

God is pure Essence, and cannot be said to be anywhere or in any place.

God is infinite, and as terms are finite the nature of God cannot be expressed in terms; but as man desires to express God in some way, he calls God "Love" and "Truth," because these are the highest things he knows.

Question: What is the reality of the Divinity and its connection to the Daysprings of Lordly splendour and the Dawning-Places of the light of the All-Merciful?

Answer: Know that the reality of the Divinity and the nature of the divine Essence is ineffable sanctity and absolute holiness, that is, it is exalted above and sanctified beyond every praise. All the attributes ascribed to the highest degrees of existence are, with regard to this station, mere imagination. The Invisible and Inaccessible can never be known; the absolute Essence can never be described. For the divine Essence is an all-encompassing reality, and all created things are encompassed.

In the world of God there is no past, present, or future: All of these are one. So when Christ said, "In the beginning was the Word," He meant that it was, is, and shall be; for in the world of God there is no time. Time holds sway over the creatures but not over God.

The mineral and vegetable kingdoms are unaware of the human and animal realms and can never conceive of them. Is it possible for mineral and vegetable to comprehend the reality of hearing and sight? God forbid! And yet all these are within the realm of creation. How then can a contingent being comprehend the Ancient Reality? The utmost that man can do is to comprehend the divine signs and traces.

It is clear and evident that the pre-existent cannot become temporal nor the temporal pre-existent. Transformation of essence is impossible and inconceivable.

It is given to man to obtain knowledge, to attain to great spiritual perfection, to discover hidden truths and to manifest even the attributes of God; but still man cannot comprehend the Essence of God.

The Infinite Reality cannot be said to ascend or descend. It is beyond the understanding of man, and cannot be described in terms which apply to the phenomenal sphere of the created world.

Question: What is the meaning of the Trinity and of its three Persons?

Answer: The reality of the Divinity is sanctified and exalted beyond the comprehension of all created things, can in no wise be imagined by mortal mind and understanding, and transcends all human conception.

If we say that the Trinity was originally one and was later divided, change and transformation will be necessarily applied to the Essence of Oneness, and change and transformation are necessities of the contingent world and not of the Essence of Divinity.

The station of Christ was that of absolute perfection. Those divine perfections shone even as the sun upon all believing souls, and the outpourings of that light became manifest and resplendent in their realities.

Furthermore, that which man can grasp is finite to man, and man to it is as infinite. Is it possible then for the reality of Divinity to be finite and the human creature infinite? On the contrary, the reverse is true; the human is finite while the essence of Divinity is infinite. Whatever comes within the sphere of human comprehension must be limited and finite. As the essence of Divinity transcends the comprehension of man, therefore God brings forth certain Manifestations of the divine Reality upon Whom He bestows heavenly effulgences in order that They may be intermediaries between humanity and Himself.

The realm of Divinity is an indivisible oneness, wholly sanctified above human comprehension; for intellectual knowledge of creation is finite, whereas comprehension of Divinity is infinite. How can the finite comprehend the infinite? We are utter poverty, whereas the reality of Divinity is absolute wealth. How can utter poverty understand absolute wealth?

There is also the divine unity or entity, which is sanctified above all concept of humanity. It cannot be comprehended nor conceived because it is infinite reality and cannot become finite. Human minds are incapable of surrounding that reality because all thoughts and conceptions of it are finite, intellectual creations and not the reality of Divine Being which alone knows itself.

These words have streamed from the pen of this Wronged One in one of His Tablets: "The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the mine of man -- they Who are the Dawning-Places of His Cause and the Repositories of the pearls of His knowledge; for, God Himself, glorified be He, is the Unseen, the One concealed and hidden from the eyes of men. Consider what the Merciful hath revealed in the Qur'an: No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision, and He is the Subtile, the All-Informed!"

Praise be unto God, incomparable in majesty, power and beauty, peerless in glory, might and grandeur; too high is He for human imaginations to comprehend Him or for any peer or equal to be ascribed unto Him.

He is that Almighty One Whose purpose the might of men can never hope to frustrate and the flow of Whose utterance the hosts of kings are powerless to halt.

Say: God hath made My hidden love the key to the Treasure; would that ye might perceive it! But for the key, the Treasure would to all eternity have remained concealed; would that ye might believe it! Say: This is the Source of Revelation, the Dawning-place of Splendour, Whose brightness hath illumined the horizons of the world. Would that ye might understand!

Bear thou witness, moreover, by thine inmost being, that this is the Beauty of God which hath dawned above the horizon of the Unseen, a Beauty that hath ever been, and shall ever remain, unknown to all save Himself.

None hath understood His oneness save His Own Self, and none hath known Him except His Own Being. … When the doors of attainment unto His Eternal Essence were closed, and the wings of understanding were prevented from soaring into the kingdom of His command, He sent forth the Messengers from His presence and revealed unto them the Books from His side, and made their knowledge the knowledge of His Self.

Verily God hath testified, in Himself and by Himself, and in His inmost Essence, that there is none other God but Him and that He Who is come through the power of truth is the Manifestation of His most excellent names and the Dawning-Place of His most exalted attributes.

I shall restate here My theme, that perchance this may assist thee in recognizing thy Creator. Know thou that God - exalted and glorified be He - doth in no wise manifest His inmost Essence and Reality. From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the eternity of His Essence and concealed in the infinitude of His own Being.

Therefore know, O my brother, that I have interpreted all verses and signs, all revealed Books and established Scriptures, and all recorded and descended Psalms, for We have previously demonstrated and proven that all thou beholdest in the heavens and earth is naught but the manifestations of God's Name, the appearances of His attributes, the expressions of His sovereignty and the emergence of His power. For the Essence in its essence will never be manifested unto anything, nor comprehended by anything, nor known through anything - it hath ever been independent of the comprehension of its creation and exalted above the recognition of its servants. For it is an impregnable, inaccessible Mystery, transcendent, elevated, sublime, sanctified beyond recognition and free from description and exposition. The hands of the sanctified ones fall short of attaining unto the knowledge of His Essence, and the feet of the mystics stumble in their attempt to comprehend His Reality. When the door of knowledge of the Essence was thus closed to the servants, He opened for them the gates of Names.

When cognizance of the Divine Essence was barred to the faces of all created things, and the feet of the mystics faltered in their attempt to comprehend Its reality, He, in completion of His grace and in fulfillment of His favor and mercy, opened unto them the gates of Names and Attributes. He ordained that whoso desireth to know Him should turn his gaze upon the Manifestations of His Attributes in the vestures of His Names, for when the Essence appeareth, It ceaseth to be Essence, and this designation can no longer be applied to It, inasmuch as while concealed in the Treasury of the Unseen, It is referred to as the Essence. Yet even with this description, It is described as that which cannot be known save through Itself, cannot be described except by Itself, and cannot be comprehended save by Itself. And when there appeareth from It a revelation or attribute, it entereth and returneth into the kingdom of Names and Attributes, even as hath been attested by that which hath been sent down from the Throne of Glory: "I was in My Ancient Essence and the Eternity of My Being, I knew My love in thee, wherefore I created thee, cast upon thee My likeness, and manifested unto thee My beauty." And this likeness and beauty appeared only through the revelation of the Presence of the Essence in the mirrors of Names and Attributes, even as We have detailed its decree aforetime.

And verily now, O My brother, I have mentioned and cast upon thee all the stations of Names in the dawning-places of Attributes, and whatsoever pertaineth thereto and terminateth therein, with most perfect and eloquent expression and most sublime and impregnable exposition. When all that We have indicated unto thee of the subtleties of the Divine Realm and the mysteries of the Celestial Domain is established, it shall be proven that I have interpreted for thee all meanings and explanations, and whatsoever can be designated by name or trace, mention or description, manifestation or concealment, and all that floweth upon the tongue and can be expressed in speech. Notwithstanding all this, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, I possess treasures of meaning in these divine letters, yet I am unable to let fall a single drop from this Ocean of Oneness and this surging Sea of Eternality. It is as though I have not interpreted it by a single letter in the melody which God hath taught me from the songs of the birds of glory in the pavilions of eternity. By God! Were I to mention but a sprinkling of the meanings which God hath deposited therein, the servants would not be able to bear it, nay, they would fall senseless in that very moment. And since the matter is thus, be content with what I have been pleased to bestow upon thee and have cast upon thee of the gems of knowledge and wisdom. Then beseech God, thy Lord, that He may inspire thee with all meanings and explanations in a single letter of His Names, for verily He is the All-Powerful over all things and the Most Exalted above all things. He expendeth as He pleaseth and giveth as He willeth.

Know ye that the Truth, exalted be His mention, has been and will ever be sanctified above the worship, servitude and remembrance of His servants, for none among created things has had or will have the capacity or ability to know Him as He should be known. The possible can soar as it may in the atmospheres of nearness, reunion, attainment and immortality, yet it can never transcend the point of contingent existence which was created by the Will that pertains to the realm of possibility.

The King Who doeth what He willeth has, in the eternity of eternities, dwelt in the loftiness of His glory and the utmost heights of His beauty. And since all paths to Him were blocked and cut off from all besides Him, He did, through pure bounty and sheer grace, kindness and favor, raise up in every age and epoch a Soul to guide His servants from the valley of heedlessness and passion to the heights of glory and eternity, and to lead them from the realm of poverty and nothingness to the heaven of wealth and existence, that perchance these holy birds might be drawn to their divine homeland, and being sanctified from selfish and earthly allusions, might gather in the shade of the Countenance of God and abide forevermore in the eternity of God.

In all ages and epochs some among His servants have claimed these stations, yet never has mere assertion been accepted. Hence tests and trials have ever descended from the heaven of power that the true might be distinguished from the false. Consider how all these people claim the love of God, which is the greatest, foremost and most precedent of all things, yet even before trials descend they turn away in deed -- how much more after afflictions, ordeals, calamities and tribulations! Reflect on what I say, O ye who are endowed with insight!

The True One, exalted be His mention, has ever been and shall ever be sanctified above manifestation and appearance - an unknowable Mystery, an imperceptible Concealment, an unmanifested Inner Reality, an unhidden Treasure, and an unwitnessed Secret. For the term "mystery" applies only when something is not witnessed; in such case it is not manifest that it might be known. And after witnessing, the term "mystery" no longer exists that it might be understood. Therefore the Mystery has been and shall ever be unknowable.

He is the One Who cannot be known except through Himself, and Who needeth not the testimony of scriptures, books, and tablets to prove His Cause.

This utterance hath regard to the weakness of the people of the contingent world; otherwise His Cause is sanctified above mention and exalted above thoughts.

Know thou of a certainty that the Unseen can in no wise incarnate His Essence and reveal it unto men. He is, and hath ever been, immensely exalted beyond all that can either be recounted or perceived. … He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation, and His Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His Mission than the proof of His own Person.

He hath come Who was named Jehovah in the Torah, the Spirit of Truth in the Gospel, and the Great Announcement in the Qur'an. Through Him was revealed that which lay hidden in the knowledge of God, and that which was recorded in the scriptures of old was made manifest, and the Countenance of the All-Merciful spoke forth from the Throne of Utterance: "Verily, He shall not be known through My attributes nor through that which was mentioned in the Bayan."

When I contemplate, O my God, the relationship that bindeth me to Thee, I am moved to proclaim to all created things "verily I am God!"; and when I consider my own self, lo, I find it coarser than clay!

Cast off the garment of blind imitation from the temple of detachment, lest the lights of the Beauty of Divine Unity remain veiled by the covering of limitation, and the Cause of God - which hath ever been sanctified above the comprehension of the learned - be sullied by the allusions of the heedless. Enter the sanctuary of "Know God through God" and the station of "He cannot be comprehended through aught else."

Say: Verily He cannot be limited by any limit and cannot be veiled by any veil. He manifesteth as He pleaseth, and verily He is the Unconstrained, the Powerful, the Wise. Nothing can prevent Him from His Command and His sovereignty, and the schemes of the schemers and the might of monarchs cannot frustrate Him. Those who would limit God's Manifestation by a command or a sign or by what they possess of satanic imaginings - these have turned away from the Truth and disbelieved in the verses of the All-Merciful and are in manifest error.

Through him appeared existence and rose the Beauty of the Worshipped One, and the pure Oneness was bounded by the ornament of a known name, that people might be enabled to draw nigh unto Him - and this verily is a manifest bounty, for were He to appear as He truly is, none would be able to draw nigh unto Him or behold Him or learn from Him the knowledge of what was and what shall be.

He cannot be known through aught else beside Him nor can He be comprehended through anything other than Himself. And despite His manifestation in all things, He hath ever been sanctified above them and exalted beyond that which the people of mystical knowledge have uttered.

And when thou ascendest beyond this station and passeth on to another station, thou shalt be unable to establish for Him any mention or deny from Him any description, for in that station eyes shall not attain unto Him, thoughts shall not reach Him, minds and visions shall not comprehend Him. Thus hath the matter been decreed.

For this is the Day whereon God hath manifested Himself with all names unto all things. Whoso turneth unto Him--from him shall appear the evidences of his Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Even if but a single word appear in a single moment, it is not and never shall be bounded by temporal limitations, for a single word shining forth in less than a moment from the Mouth of the Will of the King of Oneness manifests its radiance, its decree and its revelation clearly and evidently in all worlds, and like an artery in a body, it appears and moves through all times from the beginning that hath no beginning to the end that hath no end.

This is the night round which have circled the Nights of Power, wherein the angels and the Spirit have come down bearing cups filled at the streams of Paradise, the night wherein Heaven itself was adorned with the ornament of God, the Almighty, the All-Gracious, the Most Bountiful, wherein every created thing was brought to life, and all the peoples of the earth were surrounded by His grace.

Say: He it is Who is the Manifestation of Him Who is the Unknowable, the Invisible of the Invisibles, could ye but perceive it. He it is Who hath laid bare before you the hidden and treasured Gem, were ye to seek it. He it is Who is the one Beloved of all things, whether of the past or of the future.

The heaven of every religion hath been rent, and the earth of human understanding been cleft asunder, and the angels of God are seen descending. Say: This is the Day of mutual deceit; whither do ye flee?

When creation witnessed its blindness, He took for Himself a name from among names that this limited people might know Him by it, else He, exalted be He, is sanctified from being known by any name or described by any attribute. All names are but creation in His kingdom and all attributes are but signs of that which is created.

Otherwise, Hath He any equal to be recognised by, or any peer to be praised by, or any like to be likened unto, or any associate to be associated with, or any simile to be resembled to? Glorified then Be God above such claims, a most mighty glorification! For naught is seen in Him but God, while We all verily adore Him.

… Otherwise, My Essence is sanctified above any firstness or lastness, and it is exalted beyond any manifestation or concealment.

I testify that God hath ever been and will ever be too exalted to be a treasure unto any of His creation. However, since God hath created all things for His knowledge and worship, He hath opened for them a path in creation beyond which nothing is possible in invention, and hath made Him Whom God shall make manifest the Sun of Truth, purified from all that is attributed unto Him.

… I testify that the Divine Essence is an inaccessible mystery that none save Him can know, and when thou desirest to know Him, know Him through His Manifestation in every Revelation, for no other way is possible in the contingent world.

Glorified is He before Whom all the dwellers of earth and heaven bow down in adoration and unto Whom all men turn in supplication. He is the One Who holdeth in His grasp the mighty kingdom of all created things and unto Him shall all return. He is the One Who revealeth whatsoever He willeth and by His injunction "Be Thou" all things have come into being.

When the Day-Star of Baha will shine resplendent above the horizon of eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne. Beware lest ye be seated in His presence or ask questions without His leave. Fear ye God, O concourse of the Mirrors.

Beg ye of Him the wondrous tokens of His favour that He may graciously reveal for you whatever He willeth and desireth, inasmuch as on that Day all the revelations of divine bounty shall circle around the Seat of His glory and emanate from His presence, could ye but understand it.

It behooveth you to remain silent before His Throne, for indeed of all the things which have been created between heaven and earth nothing on that Day will be deemed more fitting than the observance of silence. Moreover, take ye good heed not to be reckoned among those of the past who were invested with knowledge, yet by reason of their learning waxed proud before God, the Transcendent, the Self-Subsisting, inasmuch as on that Day it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the Omniscient, the Source of all knowledge, far above such as are endued with learning; and it is He Who is the Potent, the All-Compelling, the Lord of power, in the face of those who wield power; and it is He Who is the Mighty, the Most August, the Most Glorious before such as display glory; and on that Day it is He Who is the Lofty, the All-Highest, the Source of exaltation, far above those who are elevated in rank; and it is He Who is the Almighty, the Source of glory and grandeur, far above the pomp of the mighty; and it is He Who is the Omnipotent, the Supreme Ruler, the Lord of judgement, transcending all such as are invested with authority; and it is He Who is the Generous, the Most Benevolent, the Essence of bounty, Who standeth supreme in the face of such as show benevolence; and it is He Who is the Ordainer and the Supreme Wielder of authority and power, inconceivably high above those who hold earthly dominion; and it is He Who is the Most Excellent, the Unsurpassed, the Pre-eminent in the face of every man of accomplishment.

Ye have, one and all, been called into being to seek His presence and to attain that exalted and glorious station. Indeed, He will send down from the heaven of His mercy that which will benefit you, and whatever is graciously vouchsafed by Him shall enable you to dispense with all mankind. Verily on that Day the learning of the learned shall prove of no avail, neither the accomplishments of the exponents of knowledge, nor the pomp of the highly honoured, nor the power of the mighty, nor the remembrance of the devout, nor the deeds of the righteous, nor the genuflexion of the kneeling worshipper, nor his prostration or turning towards the Qiblih, nor the honour of the honoured, nor the kinship of the highly born, nor the nobility of those of noble descent, nor the discourse of the eloquent, nor the titles of the prominent -- none of these shall be of any avail unto them -- inasmuch as all these and whatever else ye have known or comprehended were created by His word of command 'Be' and it is. Indeed if it be His Will He can assuredly bring about the resurrection of all created things through a word from Himself. He is, in truth, over and above all this, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Omnipotent.

Beware, O concourse of Mirrors, lest on that Day titles make you vainglorious. Know ye of a certainty that ye, together with all those who stand above you or below you, have been created for that Day. Fear ye God and commit not that which would grieve His heart, nor be of them that have gone astray. Perchance He will appear invested with the power of Truth while ye are fast asleep on your couches, or His messengers will bring glorious and resplendent Tablets from Him while ye turn away disdainfully from Him, pronounce sentence against Him -- such sentence as ye would never pass on yourselves -- and say, 'This is not from God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Existent'.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, Thou art well aware that I have proclaimed Thy Word and have not failed in the mission Thou didst enjoin upon me. I entreat Thee to guard the people of the Bayan on that Day in order that they may not pronounce censure against Thee nor contend with Thy signs. Protect them then, O my God, through the power of Thy might which pervadeth all mankind.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Best Beloved.

This is the vision of the splendours which have been deposited within the realities of all things; for otherwise He, exalted be His glory, is entirely sanctified above being seen or witnessed: "No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile, the All-Perceiving."

Know thou that the Divine Essence, which is called the Invisible of the Invisibles, never to be described, beyond the reach of mind -- is sanctified above any mention, any definition or hint or allusion, any acclamation or praise. In the sense that It is that It is, the intellect can never grasp It, and the soul seeking knowledge of It is but a wanderer in the desert, and far astray. 'No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision: He is the Subtile, the All-Informed.'

He is indeed a true believer in the unity of God who, in this Day, will regard Him as One immeasurably exalted above all the comparisons and likenesses with which men have compared Him. He hath erred grievously who hath mistaken these comparisons and likenesses for God Himself.

If a clear and spotless mirror were placed before the sun, the light and heat, the form and image of the sun would appear therein with such a manifestational appearance that if a beholder were to say, "This is the sun," he would be speaking the truth. But the mirror is the mirror and the sun is the sun. The sun is but one sun, and remains one even if it appears in numerous mirrors. There is no place here for inherence, egress, commingling or descent; for egress, regress, inherence, descent and commingling are among the characteristics and requirements of bodies, not of spirits, how much less of the holy and sanctified Reality of the Divinity.

Indeed He was a hidden treasure. This is a station that can never be described nor even alluded to. And in the station of 'I did wish to make Myself known', God was, and His creation had ever existed beneath His shelter from the beginning that hath no beginning, apart from its being preceded by a Firstness which cannot be regarded as firstness and originated by a Cause inscrutable even unto all men of learning.

And in one station, all that hath been or will be mentioned returneth unto the First Mention, for the Truth, glorified and exalted be He, is an impenetrable Mystery that cannot be comprehended. In this station, He was and ever shall be sanctified beyond all mentions and names, and exalted above the understanding of all created things. The way is barred and the quest forbidden.

The true believer in divine unity is one who sees all things as manifestations of God's primal sign, and beholds in all things the expressions of His names and attributes, while seeing that sign as sanctified above all things and sovereign over all things - how much more so the Truth Himself, exalted is He above being associated with His creation or known through aught else. … All exists through Him and subsists by Him, while He is sanctified and exalted above all. There is no God but Him, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

And this is mentioned according to the capacity of the people of the earth, otherwise the Sun of Truth is sanctified above what hath been mentioned and what will be mentioned.

Thus will you behold the Truth as One, Mighty and Self-Subsisting, and all else as existing through Him and sustained by Him. This is the Sun of true Divine Unity that has dawned from the horizon of the Divine Pen.

The Creator of all is One God. From this same God all creation sprang into existence, and He is the one goal, towards which everything in nature yearns.

The truth, however, is that the reality of that sanctified Essence can in no wise descend into the realm of creation. For Him there is no egress or regress, no descent or dissolution, no composition or commingling; only infinite transcendence. He is even as the sun whose rays shine upon all earthly beings. All things are invigorated and made visible by Him, and reflect His light, whilst He remaineth, in the heights of holiness, exalted above and sanctified beyond all conditions, determinations, and distinctions, even beyond the very comprehension of His creatures.

Through it God created all beings, and it ever speaks only of itself and indicates naught but its own identity. God has no sign in creation that points to His Essence, for His Being separates all beings from knowledge of Him, and His Identity prevents all identities from description. The relation of the Will to Him is like the relation of the House to God - it is a relation bestowing honor upon creation, not unto the Essence, for He is sanctified above the mention of allusions, relations, indications, signs, stations, effulgences and fragrances attributed to Him.

Exalted is He above any association of eternity with origination! We testify that the very eternity comprehended by those drawn nigh and the sincere ones is itself originated in His presence. He has ever been sanctified beyond mention of eternity or origination, and He is holy beyond mention and description.

All things are like unto His handiwork and are dependent upon Him. We refer to Him as Self-Existent because we need to make use of a term but we do not mean that that Being can be contained within our comprehension. What is intended is the Reality from Whom all things emanate, the Reality through Whom all things exist.

God said: I was a hidden treasure and desired to be known, therefore, I created the universe. I created it not out of nothingness but through self-emanation; my breath became creative word of command, logos (see Evangile of John, introduction), which resulted in form and figure.

The freethinkers of all periods and from all peoples want to make of God, the Creator, an impersonal Cause, an unmoving Primal Cause of all existence, an eternal pole in the flight of earthly appearances. This is falsely conceived, God is above all the freely acting, almighty, omnipresent Creator, the eternal pole around which, according to His decree, the ephemeral flight of earthly appearances revolves, comes or vanishes.

Give ear unto this: Never shall mortal eye recognize the everlasting Beauty, nor the lifeless heart delight in aught but in the withered bloom.

Whosoever wisheth, let him turn thereunto; whosoever wisheth, let him turn away. God, verily, is independent of him and of that which he may see and witness.

The One true God, exalted be His glory, hath wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity harm Him. The Bird of the Realm of Utterance voiceth continually this call: 'All things have I willed for thee, and thee, too, for thine own sake'.

Otherwise, My Beauty is sanctified above the vision of the mystics, and My Glory is exalted beyond the comprehension of those who have attained.

This is God, your Lord, and unto Him shall ye return. Is there any doubt concerning God? He hath created you and all things. The Lord of all worlds is He.

Diminish not the greatness of God, nor construe from Our verses aught save the ordinance of servitude. And behold the judgment of 'Ali -- upon him be peace -- addressed unto his son Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah: that from the very atoms of the mountain God hath ordained the life of the denizens of earth, of sea, and of air.

For if any likeness were to be seen for the Ancient Being and the Dawning Place of the Most Great Name, such a truth would be like creation and ever remain so.

O divine friends and maidservants of the All-Merciful! All names, attributes and qualities that fall within human comprehension are mere conception, imagination and fancy. Thought precedes comprehensive expressions. "Whatever you have distinguished with your imaginations in your most subtle reasoning is but a creation like yourselves, returning unto yourselves."

O thou who lovest Baha! When the light of truth shone forth from the lamp of oneness, lover and beloved embraced, and the decree of oneness became so penetrating and decisive that you would say there was no lover, only the beloved, or no beloved, only the lover. Names and attributes, distinctions and determinations, relations and connections were all qualities of the Essence in the most noble manner, in perfect simplicity and unity.

The iron was first heated by being put onto the fire. It becomes hot. It was black; it becomes red like the fire. It was solid; it becomes liquid, fluid. These are the qualities of the fire. When the qualities of the fire become manifest in the iron, the iron will assume the very form and likeness of the fire. Likewise the reality of man when he forgets himself, and the Divine names and attributes become manifest in him, then he will become the very image of God.

The God of Moses and Jesus is able to bestow the same favors, nay, greater favors upon His people in this day. For example, in past ages He bestowed reason, intelligence and understanding upon His servants. Can we say He is not able to confer His bounties in this century? Would it be just if He sent Moses for the guidance of past nations and entirely neglected those living now? Could it be possible that this present period has been deprived of divine bounties while past ages of tyranny and barbarism received an inexhaustible portion of them?

When we pray to God, a feeling fills our heart; this feeling is the language of the spirit which speaks to God. When in prayer we are detached from all outward things save God, then it is as if in our hearts we heard the voice of God. Without words, we speak, we communicate, we talk with God, and hear the answer.

Consider the prejudice of patriotism. This is one globe, one land, one country. God did not divide it into national boundaries. He created all the continents without national divisions. Why should we make such division ourselves?

It is evident that the divine nearness is an unlimited nearness, be it in this world or the next one. This is a nearness which is sanctified from the comprehension of the minds. The more a man seeketh light from the Sun of Truth, the nearer he will draw. For instance, a clear body is near unto the sun, and a black stone is far from the sun.

Furthermore, the attainment of absolute perfection for a human being is impossible; thus, however much he may progress he is still imperfect and has above him a point higher than himself. And the instant he sees this point he will not be satisfied with himself. It is for this reason that when someone called Christ 'Good Master', He replied that there is only One who is good and that is God.

There are three types of freedom.

There is a divine freedom, and this is peculiar unto the Essence of the Creator; for He is absolutely free. In no respect, nor in any of His modes or attributes, can any soul constrain Him.

But as man must form and express a conception of God in some way, he calls God "Love" or "truth", because these are the highest things he knows. Life is eternal, so man, to express God's infinity, says: "God is life." But these things in themselves are not God.

The God of Persia is the God of France, of Turkey, of Italy, etc. He is One and the same, so in loving Him we are united.

In my presence proximity and remoteness which are the accidents of this contingent world have no significance whatever because the gracious outpourings of Placeless Realm of Singleness encompass us at all times.

Where is there a treasure that could fit into the conception of His essence? Like unto Him, He is sanctified above unity and multiplicity, absoluteness and limitation, composition and simplicity. All these are attributes of His lowliest creation.

But that which eternally endureth is the Beauty of the True One, for its splendour perisheth not and its glory lasteth forever; its charm is all-powerful and its attraction infinite.

Some have imagined that their purpose was to found temples and churches or to establish a new nation or to gain personal fame and that for these considerations they accepted severe degradation and became targets for the arrow of fate. These are idle fancies because those holy Beings knew well that the dominion of God existed when there was no trace of them and that it shall continue to exist when no trace of them remains.

The stars of all thoughts and the constellations of apparent opinions will ultimately set, but the Sun of Reality will have endless radiance from the eternal horizon and will remain firm and established, with neither descent nor setting.

You had apologized that your tongue was dull and your expression weak, whereas from souls attracted to the Most Glorious Kingdom, a single letter is a book, a gleam is a radiance, a drop is an ocean, an atom is a sun.

In all conditions, the fair-minded observe themselves to be powerless and wanting. Yet this hath yielded one great blessing, namely that the Intended One hath accepted these expressions of powerlessness and confession of shortcoming, and hath reckoned them as worship. This bounty itself requireth a hundred thousand million thanks.

As to your expression of inability to adequately praise and glorify God - this very admission of powerlessness is itself a perfect praise and an acceptable mention.

This is that which ye have been commanded by the Finger of God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. O joy! This is the Festival of God that hath appeared from the horizon of transcendent grace. This is the Festival wherein the Beauty of the All-Glorious hath been exalted above all things, and hath spoken between earth and heaven whatsoever He wished and desired, without veil or concealment. This is of His grace that hath encompassed all creation. In it the Temple of Baha was established upon the Throne of Eternity, and the Face shone forth from the horizon of the Beginning with wondrous and glorious lights.

He Who hath testified in His Own Being that verily He is the One, the Single, the Untrammeled, the Exalted. We bear witness that verily there is no God but Him, acknowledging His oneness, confessing His singleness. He hath ever dwelt in unapproachable heights, in the summits of His loftiness, sanctified from the mention of aught save Himself, free from the description of aught but Him.

Say: Think ye that your allegiance to His Cause can ever profit Him, or your repudiation of its truth cause Him any loss? No, by My Self, the All-Subduing, the Inaccessible, the Most High!

Seek not to rely upon anyone in thy recognition of the Truth, for that Essence of eternity hath never been and shall never be known except through Itself. It hath never depended upon the acceptance or rejection of anyone. Its proof hath been Its Own Self, and Its evidence that which It hath revealed through Its grace.

No praise can attain unto this station, for all praise is bounded by the limitations of souls, while this station is exalted above all mention and description, and in its primary aspect and supreme state is sanctified from all enumeration.

The Incomparable Lord is sanctified and exalted above all limitation and description. Duality cannot describe the One, nor can mention suffice except through His confirmations.

He is the Single One Who cannot be numbered, the Knower Who cannot be known, the Cognizant Who cannot be recognized, the Powerful One Whose power cannot be measured, the One Who reaches where none can reach. None in the heavens or the earth or what lies between them or beneath them can attain to knowledge of Him.

Say: Your belief profiteth Him not, nor doth your denial harm Him. Whatsoever appeareth from you returneth unto yourselves, while He, at His most exalted station, through His name the All-Knowing, hath ever been sanctified above the worlds.

Whatsoever proceedeth from God, glorified be His majesty, hath been and shall ever be beloved by the sincere ones and those drawn nigh. No friend would ever exchange the actions of his friend for all the world - how much less that which proceedeth from God, exalted be His glory and greatness! Were He to decree existence for that which hath no existence, or were He to apply the law of evanescence to that which endureth, none hath the right to say "why" or "wherefore."

The Will of God hath never been subject to the will of another, nor shall His Purpose ever be dependent upon the intention of the peoples of the world. Had the will of the Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - been subject to the will of the people of His age, He would not have been afflicted with curses, abuse, tribulations and hardships. And had Christ heeded the words of Herod, that which came to pass would not have transpired. Hast thou not heard His saying: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways"?

Some souls who imagined themselves seated upon the cushions of steadfastness were deprived of the Truth merely at the mention of a name from among names. Say: O people! All names have been and are created by a Word. What fruit did the adherence of the former people to names yield? Night and day they were occupied with the mention of names, heedless and debarred from the Truth.

God has never had and will never have any relation or connection with anyone. Whoever turns to Him is counted as being of Him, and apart from that has been and will be unmentioned.

Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

Let him then kneel and, bowing his forehead to the ground, say:

Too high art Thou for the praise of those who are nigh unto Thee to ascend unto the heaven of Thy nearness, or for the birds of the hearts of them who are devoted to Thee to attain to the door of Thy gate. I testify that Thou hast been sanctified above all attributes and holy above all names. No God is there but Thee, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious.

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As to them that have joined partners with Thee, and have asserted any relationship between Thy creation and Thyself, they have failed to recognize Thee and attain to Thy knowledge. They, amongst all created things, are the farthest removed from Thee and the most ignorant in Thine estimation. Too exalted art Thou to be associated with anything but Thyself, or to be mentioned with a remembrance other than Thine. From everlasting Thou hast been alone with no one else beside Thee, and to everlasting Thou wilt continue to be one and the same.

O my Lord, no words do I find to glorify Thee; no way do I see for the bird of my mind to soar upward to Thy Kingdom of Holiness; for Thou, in Thy very essence, art sanctified above those tributes, and in Thy very being art beyond the reach of those praises which are offered Thee by the people that Thou hast created. In the sanctity of Thine own being hast Thou ever been exalted above the understanding of the learned among the Company on high, and forever wilt Thou remain enwrapped within the holiness of Thine own reality, unreached by the knowledge of those dwellers in Thine exalted Kingdom who glorify Thy Name.

Indeed, the wings of the birds of human minds are broken in their attempt to soar up to the atmosphere of Thy divine holiness, and the spiders of idle fancy are powerless to weave their frail webs upon the loftiest summits of the canopy of Thy knowledge. No recourse is there for me, then, but to acknowledge my powerlessness and shortcomings, and no habitation is there for me but in the depths of poverty and privation. Verily, powerlessness to comprehend Thee is the essence of understanding, confession of shortcomings is the only means of attaining Thy presence, and admission of poverty is the source of true wealth.

All that exists in the universe, O my God, is bound by limitations and constraints, even the concept of absoluteness itself, and Thou art exalted above this, even were it the greatest that could be conceived in the world of being. Transcendence is but an aspect of Thy servants' worship, sanctification a characteristic of Thy bondsmen, and similitude a reality born of Thy creation's thoughts - yet Thou art free from all of this and exempt from all that the most subtle perceptions of Thy most distinguished chosen ones can attain in the heights of grandeur and majesty.

O Lord! Indeed, the inmost reality of all created things can never hope to fathom the secrets even of the world of existence. How, then, O my God, can it apprehend the hidden Secret, the well-guarded Mystery, which is inscrutable to even the most luminous of realities in the realm of being within the invisible world?

O God, my God! The wings of human thought can never hope to ascend unto the Kingdom of Mysteries, and the minds of the righteous are sore perplexed in attempting to attain unto the gems that lie wrapt within the veils of concealment.

The least of the signs of Thy Kingdom is, under all conditions, sanctified above all description and praise, and every single reality in Thy dominion is exalted beyond the highest tributes of the people of the world; for the very essence of remembrance is wholly removed from the One remembered, and the inner reality of all praise remaineth veiled from the One praised. The signs of Thy dominion, in their very essence, are immeasurably exalted above the reckoning of the exponents of praise, and are sanctified beyond the grasp of them that are endued with understanding.

Speech itself is deficiency and writing proves ignorance in this difficult matter. The tongue is an instrument composed of elements of sound, and speech is an accident among accidents through a material instrument and accidental sound. How can one utter praise and glorification of the Incomparable Lord?

O my God! How can I make mention of Thee, utter Thy praise, speak of Thy attributes and glories, when my remembrance and praise are but voices raised from lips preoccupied with mention of aught else but Thee, proceeding from a heart distracted by concerns that have kept it from Thy beauty and engaged it with other than Thee? How can such remembrance ascend to the heaven of Thy glorious oneness, or reach the court of Thy divine holiness?

I testify that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the Day-Stars of ancient splendor have shed their radiance in the heaven of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above the horizon of creation.

Kindle, then, within their breasts, O my Beloved, the fire of Thy love, that it may burn away the mention of aught else, and that they may testify within themselves that from everlasting Thou hast dwelt within the inaccessible heights of Thine eternity, that Thou wert alone with none beside Thee, and that Thou wilt continue unto everlasting to be what Thou hast ever been. No God is there but Thee, the Lord of might and bounty.

I testify that Thou wast a hidden Treasure wrapped within Thine immemorial Being and an impenetrable Mystery enshrined in Thine own Essence.

Praise be unto Thee, a praise that no earthly tongue can ever befittingly extol, a praise through which the outpourings of Thy mercy have rained upon all created things and the light of Thy countenance hath shone upon all who are in heaven and on earth. Praise be unto Thee, a praise that hath unloosed the tongue of every stammerer in Thy celebration, that hath drawn every remote one nigh unto the seat of Thy mighty throne, and that hath guided every thirsty one to the living waters of Thy bounty and the soft-flowing streams of Thy favour.

Praise be to Thee, O solace of the hearts of the people of Baha! I testify, O my God, that none besides Thee can fathom Thine inscrutable wisdom or apprehend the truths and mysteries enshrined in all that hath proceeded from the manifold tokens of Thy power and the manifestations of Thy will.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Beauty that shineth forth above the horizon of eternity, a Beauty before which as soon as it revealeth itself the kingdom of beauty boweth down in worship, magnifying it in ringing tones, to grant that I may die to all that I possess and live to whatsoever belongeth unto Thee.

Immeasurably exalted is Thy true state above the description or knowledge of anyone besides Thee, and sanctified art Thou from the glorification of Thy creatures and the praise of Thy servants in their attempts to ascend unto Thee. Whatsoever appeareth from Thy servants is limited by the limitations of their own selves and is created by their own idle fancies and imaginings.

Too high art Thou exalted for the eye of any creature to behold Thy beauty, or for the understanding of any heart to scale the heights of Thine immeasurable knowledge. For should the birds of the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee be ever enabled to soar as long as Thine own overpowering sovereignty can endure, or to ascend as long as the empire of Thy Divine holiness can last, they shall, in no wise, be able to transcend the limitations which a contingent world hath imposed upon them, nor pass beyond its confines.

Lauded and glorified art Thou, Lord, God Omnipotent!

… How then can I sing and tell of Thine Essence, which the wisdom of the wise and the learning of the learned have failed to comprehend, inasmuch as no man can sing that which he understandeth not, nor recount that unto which he cannot attain, whilst Thou hast been from everlasting the Inaccessible, the Unsearchable.

I cannot think, O my God, of any words wherewith to make mention of Thee, and know not how to express or extol Thee. Were I to attempt to describe Thee by Thy names, I would readily recognize that the kingdom of these names is itself created through the movement of Thy fingers, and trembleth for fear of Thee. And were I to venture to extol Thine attributes, I would be forced to admit that these attributes are Thine own creation, and lie within Thy grasp.

I have clearly perceived, and I am wholly persuaded, that Thou hast from everlasting been immeasurably exalted above the mention of all beings, and wilt continue unto everlasting to remain far above the conception of Thy creatures. None can befittingly praise Thee except Thine own Self and such as are like unto Thee. Thou hast, verily, been at all times, and wilt everlastingly continue to remain, immensely exalted beyond and above all comparison and likeness, above all imagination of parity or resemblance.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my Beloved, above the strivings of any of Thy creatures, however learned, to know Thee; exalted, immensely exalted art Thou above every human attempt, no matter how searching, to describe Thee! For the highest thought of men, however deep their contemplation, can never hope to outsoar the limitations imposed upon Thy creation, nor ascend beyond the state of the contingent world, nor break the bounds irrevocably set for it by Thee.

Every time I attempt to extol any one of Thy virtues, my heart restraineth me, for naught but Thee is able to soar into the atmosphere of the kingdom of Thy nearness, or reach up to the heaven of Thy presence.

O Lord my God! Whensoever I attempt to unloose my tongue to extol the wondrous expressions of Thy transcendent oneness, or to open my lips to disclose the mystic gems of Thine incomparable handiwork wherewith Thou hast inspired me, I am compelled to recognize that all things sing Thy praise and glorify Thy remembrance--a remembrance which hath so pervaded the heavens and the earth that all things proclaim, in their very being, the wondrous testimonies of Thine exalted praise and bear witness to the marvellous tokens of Thy transcendent unity.

Thou art, in truth, He Who can neither be described in letters, nor evoked by words, nor even contained within the hidden meanings they conceal. For these are all circumscribed by the inherent limitations of speech which characterize all the utterances of the peoples of the world.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the mention of every soul and the understanding of every heart! Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the description of anyone save Thyself and beyond every conception of Thy creatures!

Cause us, then, to be so steadfast in our love towards Thee that we will turn to none except Thee, and will be reckoned amongst them that are brought nigh to Thee, and acknowledge Thee as One Who is exalted above every comparison and is holy beyond all likeness, and will lift up our voices amongst Thy servants and cry aloud that He is the one God, the Incomparable, the Ever-Abiding, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.

The essence of the apprehension of the assured among Thy creatures can never attain unto Thee, and the gem-like utterances with which Thy people have praised and glorified Thee can never hope to ascend unto the atmosphere of Thy holiness. For men's apprehension of Thee is but the apprehension of Thine own creation; how can it reach up to Thee?

Yet, by Thy glory, I have not known separation from Thee that I should seek nearness and reunion with Thee, nor have I witnessed separation from Thee that I should desire union and meeting with Thee. What then can be my thought of Thee, O my God, and what can be the concern of Thy servants toward Thee, O my Beloved, for Thou art established above all things and abiding over all things?

Every praise which any tongue or pen can recount, every imagination which any heart can devise, is debarred from the station which Thy most exalted Pen hath ordained, how much more must it fall short of the heights which Thou hast Thyself immensely exalted above the conception and the description of any creature. For the attempt of the evanescent to conceive the signs of the Uncreated is as the stirring of the drop before the tumult of Thy billowing oceans.

In joy, all glory is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in sorrow, all beauty is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

Glorified art Thou beyond being described by what is possible or impossible! Rather, this is from what Thou hast specifically bestowed upon me, having made me the root of that Tree and all that returns unto it in its beginning and its end, demonstrating that Thou art [exalted] above its praise and transcendent above its knowledge.

And I, O my God, am he who hath not limited Thy manifestation by the limitations of myself nor by the indication of any existent thing, for I am certain that Thou canst not be indicated by any indication, nor limited by any limitation, for limitations are the attribute of Thy creation, while Thou hast ever been sanctified above the knowledge of every knowing one, and none can encompass Thy knowledge save Thyself.

Unlock, then, to their hearts, O my God, the portals of Thy knowledge, that they may recognize Thee as One Who is far above the reach and ken of the understanding of Thy creatures, and immeasurably exalted above the strivings of Thy people to hint at Thy nature, and may not follow every clamorous impostor that presumeth to speak in Thy name.

And I witness that all essences are thunderstruck before the dawning of the manifestation of Thy lights, and all attributes are consumed by the fire of Thy might and power. Yet withal, how can I cling to any of that or hold fast to any such matter?

Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, that Thou make me sanctified above all that is known and said, and all that is understood through words, until I know Thy Self through Thy Self, and behold Thy beauty through Thine own vision, and Thy majesty through Thine own sight.

For whenever I call upon Thee and say "O my God," I witness that it is but a name whose letters have issued from my mouth. And that which has issued from my mouth and appeared through my will - how could it be worthy to ascend to the heaven of Thy glory or capable of rising to the ultimate goal in the presence of the effulgences of the lights of Thy Beauty?

For the heart wherein aught else but Thee hath entered can never be a mirror for Thy beauty, and the foot that hath walked in other than Thy good-pleasure can never gain entrance to the garden of Thy love or dwell in the precincts of Thy mercy, and the eye that hath turned to aught besides Thee can never be capable of beholding the lights of Thy countenance or witnessing the mysteries of Thy sovereignty.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! All these are beloved by me due to their connection with Thee and their relation to Thee; otherwise Thou art sanctified above all glory and pride, and all loftiness and honor. How could it be otherwise, when these are stations Thou hast not loved for Thyself nor ordained for Thine Essence?

Glorified art Thou, O my God and the God of the world, my Goal and the Goal of the nations! I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence, by Thy sovereignty which hath encompassed the seen and unseen, to transform oppression into justice and tyranny into equity.

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I bear witness that from eternity Thou wert exalted in Thy transcendent majesty and might, and wilt to eternity abide in Thy surpassing power and glory.

I beseech Thee by this Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light, through which the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the Written Tablet revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered, to send down upon me and upon them who are in my company that which will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy transcendent glory, and will wash us from the stain of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering into the tabernacle of Thy unity.

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He Who hath created all things through a word uttered by Thy behest, and fashioned the entire creation through the power of Thy sovereignty and might. The mightiest of men are abased before the revelations of Thy glory, and they who are endued with strength tremble when faced with the evidences of Thy might. Every man of insight is bereft of vision when confronted with the effulgence of the glory of Thy face, and he who is possessed of riches is poor and desolate when beholding the plenteousness of Thy wealth.

I testify with the tongue of both mine inner and outer being that Thou hast revealed and manifested Thyself, that Thou hast sent down Thy verses and demonstrated Thy proofs, and that Thou art independent of anyone besides Thee and sanctified above all else except Thyself.

All-praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God! I know not how to sing Thy praise, how to describe Thy glory, how to call upon Thy Name.

… Whoso claimeth to have known Thee hath, by virtue of such a claim, testified to his own ignorance; and whoso believeth himself to have attained unto Thee, all the atoms of the earth would attest his powerlessness and proclaim his failure.

The learned, one and all, stand aghast before the signs and tokens of Thy handiwork, while the wise find themselves, without exception, impotent to unravel the mystery of Them Who are the Manifestations of Thy might and power. Every man of insight hath confessed his powerlessness to scale the heights of Thy knowledge, and every man of learning hath acknowledged his failure to fathom the nature of Thine Essence.

Thou hast ever been in the heights of exaltation at a level beyond which the hearts of the mystics among Thy servants cannot soar, and Thou wilt ever abide in the sublimities of independence at a station unto which the birds of the hearts of the sincere ones among Thy creatures cannot wing their flight.

… Thou art He Who hath sanctified His Self from the knowledge of all else but Thee and hath purified His Essence from the mention of aught except Thyself.

I ask of Thee, by Thy Hidden and Treasured Name, which none knoweth save Thine own Self, to protect the bearer of this Tablet from every calamity and pestilence, and from every wicked man and woman; from the evil of the evil-doers, and from the scheming of the unbelievers.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou above any attempt to measure the greatness of Thy Cause, above any comparison that one may seek to make, above the efforts of the human tongue to utter its import! From everlasting Thou hast existed, alone with no one else beside Thee, and wilt, to everlasting, continue to remain the same, in the sublimity of Thine essence and the inaccessible heights of Thy glory.

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by Them Who are the Tabernacles of Thy Divine holiness, Who are the Manifestations of Thy transcendent unity and the Day-Springs of Thine inspiration and revelation, to grant that Thy servants may not be kept back from this Divine Law which, at Thy will and according to Thy pleasure, hath branched out from Thy most great Ocean.

For were I to praise Thee throughout the length of Thy dominion and the duration of Thy sovereignty, I would find that my praise of Thee can befit only such as are like unto me, who are themselves Thy creatures, and who have been generated through the power of Thy decree and been fashioned through the potency of Thy will.

Thou hast ever existed independently of the mention of any of Thy creatures, and wilt remain as Thou hast been for ever and ever.

From eternity Thou hast been exalted above the praise of all created things, and wilt to eternity remain far above the glorification of any one of Thy creatures. Existence itself testifieth to its non-existence when face to face with the manifold revelations of Thy transcendent oneness, and every created thing confesseth, by its very nature, its nothingness when compared with the sacred splendors of the light of Thy unity. Thou hast, in Thyself, been independent of any one besides Thee and rich enough, in Thine own essence, to dispense with any one except Thy Self.

Every time I attempt to remember Thee, I find myself overpowered by the sublimity of Thy station and the immensity of Thy might; and every time I hold my peace, lo, I am impelled by my love for Thee and by the potency of Thy will, to unloose my tongue and mention Thee.

None can equal Thee in Thy created realms; none can compare with Thee in the universe Thou hast fashioned. The mind of no one hath comprehended Thee, and the aspiration of no soul hath reached Thee. I swear by Thy might! Were any one to soar, on whatever wings, as long as Thine own Being endureth, throughout the immensity of Thy knowledge, he would still be powerless to transgress the bounds which the contingent world hath set for him. How can, then, such a man aspire to wing his flight into the atmosphere of Thy most exalted presence?

Should my bodily tongue ever attempt to describe Thee as the One Whose strength hath ever excelled the strength of the most mighty amongst men, the tongue of my heart would address me, saying: "These are but words which can only be adequate to such things as are of the same likeness and nature as themselves. But He, of a truth, is infinitely exalted above the mention of all His creatures."

By Thy life, O Thou the Possessor of all names! The minds of the profoundest thinkers are sore perplexed as they contemplate the ocean of Thy knowledge, and the heaven of Thy wisdom, and the Luminary of Thy grace. How can he who is but a creation of Thy will claim to know what is with Thee, or to conceive Thy nature?

I testify that by Thy Name the heaven of understanding hath been adorned, and the ocean of utterance hath surged, and the dispensations of Thy providence have been promulgated unto the followers of all religions.

Magnified art Thou, O Lord my God! I ask Thee by Thy Name which Thou hast set up above all other names, through which the veil of heaven hath been split asunder and the Day-Star of Thy beauty hath risen above the horizon, shining with the brightness of Thy Name, the Exalted, the Most High, to succor me with Thy wondrous help and to preserve me in the shelter of Thy care and protection.

Thou art, verily, He Who from everlasting hath inhabited the inaccessible heights of His unity, and will continue to remain the same for ever and ever.

I implore Thee, O thou Who art the Beloved of the worlds and the Desire of all that have recognized Thee, by Thy name, through which Thou stirrest up whom Thou willest and drawest toward Thee whom Thou pleasest, to open the eyes of all that are dear to Thee, that haply they may not be veiled from Thee as the peoples of the earth are, but may outwardly perceive the signs and tokens of Thy power, and inwardly apprehend the things Thou didst ordain for them in the realms of Thy glory.

All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the Source of all glory and majesty, of greatness and honor, of sovereignty and dominion, of loftiness and grace, of awe and power.

From eternity Thou hast, in Thy transcendent oneness, been immeasurably exalted above Thy servants' conception of Thy unity, and wilt to eternity remain, in Thine unapproachable singleness, far above the praise of Thy creatures. No words that any one beside Thee may utter can ever beseem Thee, and no man's description except Thine own description can befit Thy nature.

Is there any man of insight, O my God, that can behold Thee with Thine own eye, and where is the thirsty one who can direct his face towards the living waters of Thy love?

This servant of Thine testifieth that naught else except Thee can ever express Thee, nor canst Thou be described by any one save Thyself. The thoughts of them that have recognized Thy reality, however much they may ascend towards the heaven of Thy praise, can never hope to pass beyond the bounds which, by Thy behest and decree, have been fixed within their own hearts. How can the creature who is as nothing comprehend Him Who is the Ancient of Days, or succeed in describing the full measure of His sovereignty, His glory, and His grandeur?

Glorified, immensely glorified art Thou! Thou art He who from everlasting hath been the King of the entire creation and its Prime Mover, and Thou wilt to everlasting remain the Lord of all created things and their Ordainer.

Thou art He Whom all things worship and Who worshipeth no one, Who is the Lord of all things and is the vassal of none, Who knoweth all things and is known of none. Thou didst wish to make Thyself known unto men; therefore, Thou didst, through a word of Thy mouth, bring creation into being and fashion the universe.

We testify, O my God, that Thou art God, and that there is no God besides Thee. From eternity Thou hast existed with none to equal or rival Thee, and wilt abide for ever the same.

I implore Thee, by Thy Name which none hath befittingly recognized, and whose import no soul hath fathomed; I beseech Thee, by Him Who is the Fountain-Head of Thy Revelation and the Day-Spring of Thy signs, to make my heart to be a receptacle of Thy love and of remembrance of Thee.

Verily Thou art He Who hath ever been powerful over whatsoever Thou willest and shall ever remain powerful over whatsoever Thou desirest. There is none other God but Thee, the Most High, the Most Great, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

Far greater art Thou than the Great One men are wont to call Thee, for such a title is but one of Thy names all of which were created by a mere indication of Thy will.

There is no God but Thee, the God of power, the God of glory, the God of knowledge and wisdom.

O my God! I testify that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been established upon the throne of Thy oneness and seated upon the seat of Thy singleness. None can draw nigh unto Thee or soar in the atmosphere of Thy knowledge save to the extent which Thou hast ordained for them through Thy mercy which hath preceded all created things and Thy grace which hath encompassed all existing things.

From everlasting Thou hast been immeasurably exalted above all similitudes and comparisons, and sanctified from whatsoever pertaineth to the creation Thou hast created and fashioned. From eternity Thou hast been alone, with none to share the majesty of Thy singleness, and hast remained far above the changes and chances to which all Thy creatures are subjected.

Verily Thou art at this time in the sanctuary of eternity and dost witness this crimson spirit and hear this sweetest melody at the pole of identity, the center of the cloud of unknowing.

I can discover no one in Thy realm who can befittingly turn unto Thee, or is able to adequately hearken unto what hath gone out of the mouth of Thy will.

Glory be to Thee, O King of eternity, and the Maker of nations, and the Fashioner of every moldering bone!

From everlasting Thou wert alone, with none to equal Thee, and wilt unto everlasting remain far above all thought and every description of Thee.

Thou art He Who cannot be known in the essence of His Being, nor described in the glory of His Reality, for all else besides Thee is bounded by the limits of creation and characterized by similitude.

While all seek to draw nigh unto Thee through their praise of Thee, I draw nigh unto Thee through sanctifying Thee above the description of aught else and exalting Thee beyond the attributes of all others. For the existence of description indicates separation from the described, and the mention of attributes testifies that they are but effects that cannot be mentioned alongside the Attributed One.

Unto Him pertaineth all glory and majesty in the kingdoms of Revelation and Creation and whatever lieth between them. Verily He is the Potent, the All-Glorious. From everlasting He hath been the Source of indomitable strength and shall remain so unto everlasting.

How can I make mention of Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the entire creation; and how can I acknowledge Thy claim, O Thou, before Whom every created thing standeth in awe. The loftiest station to which human perception can soar and the utmost height which the minds and souls of men can scale are but signs created through the potency of Thy command and tokens manifested through the power of Thy Revelation. Far be it from Thy glory that anyone other than Thee should make mention of Thee or should attempt to voice Thy praise.

Those who attribute positive qualities to Thine Essence while negating their opposites have not truly known Thee, for attributes, by their very nature in their own realm, are distinct from that which they describe.

Thou hast ever been sanctified beyond all names and wilt ever be pure from all similitudes. How near art Thou to Thy loved ones and how gracious unto Thy beloved ones!

Every hope hath been frustrated save the yearning for Thy heavenly grace, and every door is barred except the portal leading to the well-spring of Thy blessings.

I have found no contentment save in Thy love, no exultation except in Thy remembrance, no eagerness but in obedience to Thee, no joy save in Thy nearness, and no tranquillity except in reunion with Thee, notwithstanding that I am conscious that all created things are debarred from Thy sublime Essence and the entire creation is denied access to Thine inmost Being.

Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the heavens and of the earth, O Lord of the Kingdom! Thou well knowest the secrets of my heart, while Thy Being is inscrutable to all save Thyself.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thy Essence transcendeth all proofs, and Thy Being is evidenced in the establishment of certitude beyond all expression. Created beings know naught save the stations of their own selves, and the examples in the essence of creation point to naught save their own realities.

Send down, O my God, Thy blessings upon Muhammad, Thy chosen Servant, whom Thou didst fashion for Thyself and prefer above all the denizens of creation, making Him the seat of Thy sovereignty in the realms of sight and space, that He might manifest the exaltation of Thy Self above origination and the splendour of Thy devising -- since Thou art not conjoined with the bringing-forth of beings, nor described by the appearances of the people of splendour. Verily, Thou art God, the Great, the Most Sublime.

Far be it from the sublimity of Thy Being, O my God, that anyone seek Thy loving-kindness or favor. Far be it from Thy transcendent glory that anyone entreat Thee for the evidences of Thy bestowals and tender mercy. Too high art Thou for any soul to beseech the revelation of Thy gracious providence and loving care, and too sanctified is Thy glory for anyone to beg of Thee the outpourings of Thy blessings and of Thy heavenly bounty and grace. Throughout Thy kingdom of heaven and earth, which is endowed with manifold bounties, Thou art immeasurably glorified above aught whereunto any identity could be ascribed.

Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beg Thee to forgive me and those who support Thy Faith. Verily Thou art the sovereign Lord, the Forgiver, the Most Generous.

I bear witness, O my God, that to meet Him is to meet Thee, for Thou canst not be comprehended in Thine Essence nor seen in Thy Reality, and there existeth not in Thy creation any mirror Thou mightest choose for Thine Essence wherein naught can be seen save Thee and which pointeth to none other than Thee.

Thou hast manifested Thyself through these names and attributes unto all things, lest any soul mistake the mention of attributes as pertaining to aught but Thee, and that the minds of them that believe in Thy unity might find rest in the mention of attributes before the countenance of Thy face. Thou art known without similitude, and described without name.

Whoso claimeth to know Thy Self, or uttereth a word concerning Thy unity, hath veiled himself from Thee, and comprehendeth not the examples of Thy Will, nor can he indicate aught save the station of Thy might in its essence. Glory be unto Thee, O my God, from any description save Thine own of Thyself, and from any testimony save Thine own to Thine Essence. Thou hast ever been, and there was naught else that could know Thee or point to Thee.

Thou art as Thou art - nothing can know Thee and nothing can describe Thee, for all else besides Thee has been created from nothingness through origination, and they can only point to Thee through negation and are cut off in affirmation.

Both the world of existence and the souls of men bear witness that Thou art transcendent above the revelations of Thy handiwork, and the bearers of Thy names and attributes proclaim that Thou art immeasurably exalted above such praise as the dwellers of the dominions of creation and invention may render unto Thee.

… Thy divine Being testifieth that Thou art inscrutable to all that dwell in Thy realm of existence, and Thine inmost Essence proclaimeth that Thou art far above the description of those who reveal Thy glory.

If I say "Thou art Thou," then similitudes would tell of likenesses, yet Thou canst never be known through these. And if I say "He is He," then would Oneness point to the Essence of creation and Unity to the Reality of invention, though these in their very nature can only point through negation and can only be described through denial.

O my God! Thou art witness that were it not for the necessity of accepting Thy decree and following Thy command, I would declare Thee far above my unity with Thee and my mention of Thy Self. For what am I and what is my measure that I should make mention of Thee? For my mention which riseth from me is according to my measure, not Thine.

For in each of Thy Manifestations, when Thou makest Thyself known through Thy signs, all Thy creation become veiled. Thy servants, even should they worship Thee, would be veiled, and those who prostrate themselves before Thee, even should they prostrate, would not be veiled. Rather, they have worshipped Thee based on imagination and prostrated themselves without knowledge.

Glorified art Thou! There is no knowledge save for him who knoweth Thee and serveth Thee and feareth Thy justice and hopeth for Thy grace and is exalted through the exaltation of Thy Cause. For there is no glory except in Thy love and good-pleasure and obedience and fear of Thee, and in detachment unto Thee and abiding beneath the shade of Thy gracious favors and the expressions of Thy Command.

If I say Thou art knowing, verily Thou art the Creator of knowledge by Thy power. If I say Thou art powerful, verily Thou art the Originator of power by Thy all-encompassing might. If I say Thou art hearing, verily Thou art the Bestower of hearing by Thy lordship. If I say Thou art seeing, verily Thou art the Creator of sight by Thy self-subsistence.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! All relationships return unto me like the mention of the Ka'bih, the Sacred House, and all geometry is cut off from Thee like the Sacred Monument and the Station. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thy majesty hath transcended the majesty of all things and Thy loftiness hath risen above the loftiness of all things.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! There was no beginning to Thy creation, so how can I mention Thy firstness? And there shall be no end to what Thou hast created, so how can I speak of Thy lastness? Thou wert before all things, Thou art above all things, Thou shalt be after all things, Thou art the Creator of all things, and Thou art supreme over all things.

I was a Hidden Treasure. I wished [loved] to be made known, and thus I called creation into being in order that I might be known.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

And the movement which is coming into existence of the world is a movement of Love. This is clearly indicated by the Apostle when he says (conveying God's own words): 'I was a hidden treasure, and I loved to be known.' If it were not for this love, the world would never have appeared in this concrete existence. In this sense, the movement of the world toward existence was a movement of Love which brought it into existence.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

Concerning the Tablet of the Master explaining one of the doctrines of Sufism, which He revealed during His youth at the demand of Ali Shawka Pasha: this is published in the second volume of His Tablets published in Egypt. Unfortunately it has not been translated into English. It is an epistle of about fifty pages, otherwise I would have attempted to translate it for you. It is not however very important from a Baha'i point of view for He says at the end that His object was merely to state the Sufi view and not to criticize it in the light of the Baha'i teachings. Moreover, the task would be very difficult for I am unfamiliar with the terminology used. It needs a scholar on Sufism to render the Tablet into English.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

The pictures of Divinity that come to our mind are the product of our fancy; they exist in the realm of our imagination. They are not adequate to the Truth; truth in its essence cannot be put into words. Divinity cannot by comprehended because it is comprehending.

Catalogue reference: ABU0445 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.

Through Thy revelation of Thyself have I known Thee, that Thou canst not be known through aught else but Thee. Through Thy creation of all things from nothing have I known Thee, that none can attain unto knowledge of Thine essence.

Catalogue reference: BB00018 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.

Thou knowest their helplessness and their feebleness; where is Thy power, O Thou in Whose grasp lay the powers of heaven and earth?

Catalogue reference: BH07469 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.