living waters; water of life
Editorial introduction
The Euphrates runs clear in full view, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá observes, and the thirsty are nowhere to be found. Living water is first of all a question about thirst: not whether the gift is offered, since Bahá’u’lláh describes a river of life flowing from His Pen to all created things, but whether anyone has the capacity to want it. The thirsty one must run after the water; the fountain will not run after the thirsty. Once tasted, the image multiplies. Water is the manifestation of the All-Merciful upon creation, the meanings hidden in revealed words, the mercy that forgives, the recognition that turns a mirage into a spring, and sometimes, disconcertingly, it is fire or light as well, as if to forbid any merely material reading. Jesus at Jacob’s well promises the Samaritan woman a water that becomes an inward spring, and the Bahá’í writings press that promise toward its consequence: whoever drinks must give others to drink, through a whole lifetime [1]. The way continues toward becoming a source of living waters for others, toward the paired symbols of fire and water, and toward the recognition of God that marks the beginning of new life.
Truthfulness is like thirst, and guidance is like sweet water. Until thirst appears, even the water of life yields no fruit. As you observe, the sweet and flowing river of the Euphrates and the fountain of life are clear and evident, but the thirsty ones are nowhere to be found.
First develop the thirst, the capacity; then you will receive the precious Water of life.
The thirsty one must run after the water; the fountain will not run after those who are thirsty.
The inner, spiritual life of man is like unto this well. He must allay the thirst of the travelers on the path of Truth with the water of significances, not in one or two seasons but during the years of his existence.
All have arrived at this Great Rolling Ocean, but each one has taken that which will quench his thirst.
Praise befits and is worthy of the Omnipotent One Who, through the water of the material world, nurtures and preserves physical bodies, and through the water of love nurtures the hearts of His loved ones. For this spring is connected to the Most Great Spring, and this spring is the cause of enlightened eyes and the reason and cause for the manifestation and emergence of hearts and spirits.
Thus do We recount unto you the mysteries, in that Water which, under the name of the Water of Life, hath been mentioned in all the Tablets, concerning that which hath been veiled from your minds and hearts, that perchance ye may, in this wellspring, after severing yourselves from all who are in the heavens and on the earth, attain unto that Water, and return unto the wondrous effusions of His grace and bounty.
Water hath diverse meanings, among them the manifestation of the All-Merciful upon all created things, and among them the dawning of the lights of [the Word], and among them the water We have caused to flow from the Fountainhead of the Divine Will.
This is that Water whereof He hath said: "And from water We made all things living." For this Water there are meanings beyond counting. This is that Water which bestoweth eternal life and everlasting existence, and illumineth hearts with the light of divine knowledge. Blessed is he who hath recognized and partaken of it.
According to the Eastern ideas, water is regarded as the beginning of everything, - from water the lowest form of life come, and they inhabit water, also nourishes and sustains all life, hence water is regarded as the starting point of growth and life. In this saying of Jesus', water is not the symbol of cleansing, though the life of man is cleansed spiritually by the Bounties of God, such as Love, Truth, Goodness, Unity, etc, but in this saying the meaning of water is primarily the Bounties of God.
May you become thirsty for the water of reality. May you become hungry for the bread of the kingdom; for as His Holiness the Christ said, "He that drinketh the water that I shall give him shall never thirst."
He traversed land and sea until he reached the shore of the Most Great Sea, from whose waves can be heard what Moses heard on the most exalted and ancient Sinai - the spot whereon was established the mighty throne of God.
The greatest day in the life of a human soul is when as a thirsty one, he arrives at the Fountain of the Water of Life; when as a lover he attains the Presence of the Beloved; when as a blind and a deaf man receives spiritual sight and hearing: in short, the day wherein he enters the Kingdom of God.
This thirst will take thee to the spring of the Water of Life, and this search will guide thee to the Sun of Reality.
O thou who hast believed in God! When, in the desert of deprivation, the intensity of thy thirst increased, thou didst hasten to the fountainhead of the Water of Life and didst drink from the Spring of the All-Merciful.
Thou wast athirst and didst attain unto the fountain of the water of life.
So give thanks that God's grace has guided you from the periphery to the center, and from the glass to the lamp. He has freed you from the mirage and guided you to pure honey and the fountain of life.
Therefore, strive that you may drink your fill from this life-giving spring, become detached from the mirage of earthly horizons, and through the grace and favor of the Lord become His confidant--that you may drink from the Most Great Ocean and enter beneath the shade of the Ancient Beauty, and say "Would that my people knew how my Lord has forgiven me and made me to be of the honored ones!"
If you seek the spring of living waters, contemplate the meanings in the Words of God.
O handmaiden of God! Drink the water of life from the meanings of the words of the All-Merciful.
This subtle, luminous water is the divine words which have risen like waves of grace from the Most Great Ocean.
These living waters at times appear in the form of letters, and at other times shine forth like unto the sun, absorbing all excess moisture that the warmth of divine love might set aflame the hearts and souls of those who are ready.
O thou who art athirst for the Water of Life! This manifest book is the fountainhead of the Water of Life Eternal. Drink so much as thou art able from the fountain of the Living Water!
Drink thou the pure water of immortality from the word of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. He who drinketh thereof, neither the allusions of all who dwell on earth can deter him from the Lord of Names, nor the veils of the people of idle fancy from drawing nigh unto the kingdom of his Lord, the Most Glorious.
Drink thou the living waters from the traces of thy Lord's Pen, the All-Merciful, and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the seen and unseen!
That which floweth from the Most Exalted Pen is the cause of the life of the world - it is the Water of Life.
Not one word that hath been sent down before or will be sent down hereafter can equal His Word, and every letter revealed from His presence is verily the water of life for all who dwell in the realm of possibility, and the emblem of eternity for all in the world, and a sign of guidance for all who are in the heavens and on earth.
O Javad! We have desired to cause the waters of everlasting life to flow for thee from this Tablet whereby the life of all in the realm of possibility hath been sustained. Thy Lord is, verily, the Mighty, the Powerful. And We have desired to give thee to drink of the choice wine - dost thou know from which cup, from this manifest cup? And to show thee the Ancient Beauty - dost thou know from which horizon, from this luminous horizon? And to cause thee to hear the Call - dost thou comprehend from which throat, from this most holy and wondrous Throat? And We have desired to attract thee - dost thou know by what thing, by this Word whereby all things have been attracted unto God, the Beloved of the worlds?
The Kawthar of divine grace flows in the chalices of words - take and drink, and say: "Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds!" Since harm in coming and going has befallen the very root of the Tree of the Cause, We have therefore forbidden the friends from attaining the presence - otherwise We would have commanded all to attend, for We have come especially for this grace - to give all to drink from the Kawthar of life, the mention of the All-Merciful.
God willing, thou shalt take from the hand of thy cousin and drink the Water of Everlasting Life which hath flowed from the Supreme Pen and appeared in the form of a Tablet, and thou shalt be gladdened by the remembrance of thy Friend.
This Prisoner hath mentioned this Tablet for the sake of God, and you too should read it for the sake of God, that perchance ye may attain unto the Living Waters which flow at the heart of contingent being.
The letter of that soul-friend who, like a spiritual bird soaring in the heaven of inner meanings and singing with various melodies in the branches of remembrance and utterance, stirred this evanescent temple and drew it with the right hand of attraction and rapture, and gave it to drink from the pure water of enduring love which, through divine confirmations, was flowing in the rivers of words.
And that which thou didst drink from My hand is the Kawthar of inner meanings wherewith God hath, as a token of His grace, given thee to drink, and He is verily the Most Generous of the generous.
We had sent thee before the chalice of divine knowledge, and thou didst drink therefrom through this Name whereby those in all the worlds were subdued. And before that We sent thee a cup which thou didst take and drink from, and We said: "May it be pleasant unto thee, O thou whose heart hath been adorned with the knowledge of God and whose tongue hath been honored by My mention, the Mighty, the Wondrous!"
This is a Book from the Wronged One to those who desire to drink the Living Waters from the cups of the bounty of their Lord, the Protecting, the Self-Subsisting, that the Call may attract them to the Supreme Horizon and strengthen them in what they have been commanded in the Preserved Tablet.
The Supreme Pen in this blessed Tablet conveys greetings to all the friends and commands all to that which God has willed in the Book, for verily that which descends from the heaven of the Divine Will is in truth the water of life for receptive souls and healing for the world's ills.
We have sent down from the heaven of divine knowledge that which was as the water of life unto all contingent beings.
Thus have We remembered thee and revealed unto thee that which was and is the Water of Life for all that exist and will exist.
The sweet water of life hath flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who hath drunk thereof, and woe unto every heedless and remote one.
Thus hath the living waters flowed from the Supreme Pen. Blessed is he who hath drunk thereof and hath said: "Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of them that know!"
Give thanks unto God, for My Most Exalted Pen hath moved and revealed that which God hath made the Water of Life for all who dwell in the realm of possibilities, and the Most Great Medicine for those who have been afflicted with poison, and a light for this darkness that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth.
And verily He is the Ocean of Utterance for all who dwell in the realm of possibility - whoso hath drunk therefrom hath indeed attained unto the Living Waters, and whoso hath turned away is of them who are debarred from this Spirit which at every moment bestoweth the signs of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
O handmaiden of God! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord from this holy and blessed quarter, that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who speaketh at this moment is indeed the Primal Point, Who hath appeared once again - whereat all witnesses and the witnessed were thunderstruck, save those who had quaffed the water of life, and these were but a numbered few.
He quickeneth whom He willeth with the waters of the Bayan, and giveth to drink whom He desireth from His luminous wine.
At all times the living waters flow and stream forth from the Pen of the All-Merciful, yet heedless souls remain veiled and deprived thereof.
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Know thou that supplication and prayer is the Water of Life. It is the cause of the vivification of existence, and endows glad-tidings and joy to the souls.
This is that Kawthar whose description was sent down aforetime in the divine Books, and this is that Choice Wine for which the divines and mystics waited. This water hath been called by all names - at times thou seest it as fire, in such wise that its roaring flame is heard; at other times thou beholdest it as light, kindled and shining. O people of Baha! God willing, through the bounty of the Lord of Names, ye shall attain unto it and drink therefrom. Whosoever attaineth unto it hath attained unto everlasting life.
That melody at times appears in the form of water, speaking "Verily, I am the Quickener of the world," and at times is manifest as the fire of attraction, uttering "Verily, I am the Attracter of hearts."
And in certain instances it is known as the Living Waters, for through it the true life of the contingent world is made manifest and realized.
From their elements appeared the elements, such that you see that from their fire appeared the fire in all realms of being, which spoke from the blessed Branch of Unity on the exalted Sinai to Moses the Interlocutor. From their water, every soul finds permanence and life.
God has brought you into being around the Gate and has ordained for you hearts and eyes that you might give thanks to God around the Gate to God, the Truth, the Praiseworthy. Can other than God your Lord bring you in this world the water of camphor, a drink of truth through truth? Exalted is God our Lord, there is no God but Him, and He is the One Who gives His servants to drink from the pure spring in that Gate, and He is the Truth, Who has been witness over all things.
I have caused the living waters to issue from the Kawthar of My mouth, even as I have concealed the living sun behind My hair. In truth, within the darkness of My hair I have hidden the light of My beauty: though dark in its outer being, its inner being is light upon light, upon all light. Thus have the secrets been revealed by the Pen of the Unconstrained.
At one time We gave her to drink from My honeyed Mouth, at another caused her to partake of My mighty, My luminous Kawthar.
And the Water proclaimeth: "The Ocean of grace hath surged forth in the name of Him Who is the Lord of all worlds!"
And in another station this Day is the Water of Life for all who dwell in the realm of possibility. It is the true Salsabil and the spiritual Kawthar. From the hand of bounty It bestoweth upon the thirsty that which is the cause of everlasting life. Say: Well is it with them that drink!
Drink ye from the hand of the Youth cups of sweet water, then a cup from this Salsabil wherefrom floweth forth the creation of the Kawthar of eternity, then the holy waters and Tasnim.
Strive thou to drink from the flowing spring of God - that same spring concerning which He saith: "A spring wherefrom drink they who are brought nigh."
O thou who hast turned unto God! We have desired to give thee to drink of the Water of Life from a chalice whereof if thou shouldst drink but a single drop, thou wouldst find therein the taste of all the fruits and foods of Paradise.
The fingers of the All-Merciful have proffered the cup of life - whoso drinketh therefrom findeth the delights of the rivers flowing in Paradise.
The inner reality of the inner reality of the inner reality unto infinity has appeared in the form of a chalice, that it might be the vessel for this pure water which flows from the right hand of the Throne of the Lord of Manifestation. … God willing, drink ye of these waters and bestow them upon the people.
Praise be to God that thou hast attained to the recognition of the All-Merciful and hast drunk from the Living Waters which are His love.
Verily, through His remembrance are the hearts of the mystics revived, and verily He is the Kawthar of life - blessed then be they that drink thereof.
Praise be to God that you have found life through the living waters which are known as the Kawthar of divine knowledge in God's Book, and have attained unto a new life.
O you who are firm in the Covenant! The fountain of the water of life is the very essence of guidance. Praise be to God, you have drunk thereof, and every one who drinks becomes the Khidr of the time.
You have drunk the wine of wisdom from the divine chalice and goblet, and partaken of the living waters from the spring of recognition.
Strive that ye may drink of the crystal clear waters of the recognition of His sacred Being and receive your portion of the choice sealed Wine.
Drink from the living waters from the spring of certitude, and from this tree of certitude pluck the fruit of the highest heaven.
O two blessed leaves! Since you two leaves have grown from the Blessed Tree and have received the drops of the cloud of grace, and have blossomed in this garden of bounty, you must continually increase in freshness and delicacy, and the leaves of Paradise derive their vitality from the water of life - and that is the cup of mystical knowledge, the wine of certitude, assurance, explanation and utterance.
It is fitting that in this supreme paradise, like the merciful leaves, you should be nourished by the living waters and grow and develop from the Spring of Tasnim.
Soon will your Lord make you growing trees in His wonderful vineyard, blossoming, leafing and bearing fruits of the paradise of El-ABHA through the shadow of His Name, the Merciful, the Clement.
You made a plant fresh and verdant through the morning dew, and bestowed endless existence upon nothingness.
The lights of divine knowledge have shone forth from the horizon of possibility and the limitless ocean of the favors of the All-Merciful hath surged.
The gardens of Paradise have drawn near, and the sacred precincts of the All-Merciful have been adorned, and the fountains of divine knowledge are overflowing, and the Kawthar of certitude hath gushed forth with sweet, pleasant, delightful water - a drink blessed for those who partake of it.
The lights of the Abha Kingdom have encompassed the heavenly realms, and the waves of the Most Great Ocean have poured forth upon the arena of existence.
Your faith comes like rain; the first drops are far between, but soon it will pour in torrents.
… The Spirit resembles a rivulet when the earth fills the soul. Put away the terrestrial and the mighty torrent of living water will rush through your freed body.
He has baptized you with the water of Life, the Fire of the Love of God and the Spirit of His Knowledge and ushered you into His Kingdom and bestowed upon you His Kingdom and bestowed upon you Eternal Life!
For you I want this: that you be illumined by the divine light so that you may uncover the mysteries of reality, gain an eye to witness the Most Glorious Kingdom, acquire a hearing ear to hear the heavenly call, receive baptism through the Holy Spirit, seek baptism through the fire of the love of God and the water of life.
O maid-servant of God! Many a spiritual woman came (into the world) and passed away in vain; no sound is heard of them and no trace of them is seen; inasmuch as their spirits were not dependent upon the Holy Spirit, nor were they attracted to the fragrances of Truth; nor were they ever baptized by the Water of Life, nor by the Spirit of Truth which speaketh in the assemblies of the Kingdom and which breathes upon spirits the breezes which waft an eternal glory, the signs of which are everlasting.
But belief in God's Chosen Ones, His Prophets, through Whom come the living waters of His revelation, has created structures in the life of man that the revolution of many ages and cycles could not destroy, and brought him holy light that time could never dim.
When it was remarked that this would disappoint a great many people [we quote the letter received by us], "he replied that he had talked on every subject, from the scientific as well as psychological basis and that he breathed on the souls and spirits of all the Bahais in such a way that had it been upon bone, it would have taken on flesh (meaning, as I understood it, that he had given really life-giving spirit) and that if their souls were not on fire now, verily they were dead—just as a tree which is not green and does not show forth any signs of life though the most nourishing life-giving rains are pouring down upon it, and the fresh spring breezes flowing down upon it.
They who have deprived themselves thereof are as the dead, not the living, and their names are not mentioned before the Throne.
Say: The dead are they who have not been quickened today by the breezes of the All-Merciful and have not drunk the choice wine of verses from a wondrous cup.
O friends! Strive with all your hearts that perchance ye may drink this heavenly Kawthar from the hand of divine favors, for it hath ever been and shall remain the quickener of hearts and the gladdener of souls. Whosoever attaineth unto it and drinketh a draught thereof is numbered among the people of eternity in the Kingdom of Names, and whosoever remaineth deprived thereof is accounted among the dead.
Say: This indeed is the Water of Life which God hath specially ordained for the sincere among His creatures, while it is forbidden to them that are veiled.
They who have deprived themselves of the Living Waters in the days of the All-Merciful are indeed the lost, while they who have turned unto the Truth and quaffed the choice wine of reunion are the triumphant ones.
He hath appeared in the garment of "I am" and speaketh forth with "I am the One Who is manifest." This is the deadly poison for the evil ones and the water of life for the righteous.
The sovereign of minds is bewildered at those who have cast behind their backs the Water of Life and hastened unto the foulest of waters.
They are intimate with the infernal tree and have turned away from the living waters.
The Supreme Pen at all times summons humanity to the Most Glorious Horizon, yet all are observed to be as dead save a few who have drunk from the Living Waters and, in the path of the All-Merciful, have detached themselves from all who dwell on earth.
How many were the divines and princes who remained deprived of the Water of Life, while thou, praise be to God, didst attain unto it and drink therefrom.
Beware lest the allusions of those who have disbelieved in God veil thee, or the veils of those who hesitate prevent thee - they who have been debarred from the Living Waters because they followed every ignorant remote one.
Turn ye unto the Most Pure Fountain! Beware lest the veils of humanity prevent you from this mighty prospect.
How wonderful, how wonderful that thou hast lifted thy gaze from the stagnant pool and attained unto the living waters of Kawthar!
We have bestowed the choice wine of life upon all who dwell in the realm of possibility: some have drunk thereof in Our Name, the Self-Subsisting, while others turned away, following their vain imaginings.
Blessed is he who hath quaffed from the living waters of utterance proffered by the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and woe betide those who have turned away.
Thus was the water of life withheld and the gates of reunion were closed to those who had turned to their Lord's face, the Mighty, the Help in Peril.
The Dawning-Place of divine revelation, appearing in human temple, calleth aloud and bestoweth the water of life. Blessed is he who, through the outpourings of God, hath attained unto life everlasting, and deprived is he who hath been forbidden this eternal, spiritual Kawthar.
O My Most Exalted Pen! Say: O concourse of creation, come ye, come ye, that I may give you to drink of the Water of Life.
This is the Day wherein the hand of the All-Merciful hath taken the living waters, and He Himself calleth out saying: "Come, O people of the earth, then drink in My Name, the Mighty, the Bestower."
O concourse of creation! Drink ye the water of life from the cup of My bounty and follow not them who have disbelieved in the Hour when it appeared with manifest sovereignty.
Draw thou nigh - verily it surgeth before thy face - then drink therefrom in My Name, the Beloved.
We give to drink the water of life at all times - blessed is he who attains unto it in these days of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beloved.
We give to drink the water of life from God, the True King, [the Manifest] to those who have turned to Him. Verily he who hath taken and drunk thereof is of the people of this glorious station.
Turn ye to the Living Waters, then drink therefrom once in His Most Great Name, and again in remembrance of His Beautiful Name.
Drink thou the water of life in My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
O servant! Take thou the cup of life in the days of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, then drink therefrom in His Name, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
Say: This indeed is the Kawthar of life amidst the Concourse of existence - drink ye thereof and be not of the heedless.
Say: By these waters are souls quickened. Drink, O people, and turn neither to the right nor to the left.
Drink ye of the Water of Life, despite those who have denied this irrevocable Cause.
Take, in the Most Great Name, the Kawthar of eternity, then drink thereof despite every denier who hath denied the Cause of God, the Glorious, the Praised.
Drink thou the Kawthar of life at all times through this Name whereby the back of the greatest idol was broken and the hearts of those who disbelieved in God, the Lord of all worlds, were consumed.
God willing, may you drink from the living waters which have been unsealed by the hand of divine power through the grace of the All-Merciful.
If you thirst for Salsabil, drink from the pure spring, and if you seek brilliant rays, fix your heart upon the Sun of Truth.
O thou My delight! Arise and say: I walk toward the goal of My hope, that I may drink the water of life from the springs of My paradise.
Blessed then are those who seek, and joy be to those who strive toward this spring of living waters.
A mention from Us to him who desires to drink the living waters from the hands of his Lord's bounty, the All-Merciful, and to be numbered among those who have attained.
Convey My loving greetings to her face and to thy aunt who desired to drink the water of life on this wondrous Day. Say to her: Tarry not, but follow My straight and manifest path.
O thou who art thirsty for the water of life of the Kingdom! Your letter was received and brought joy to my heart, for it was evidence of firmness and steadfastness.
O thou who art guided by the lights of God's guidance! Praise be to God that thou hast arrived at the spring of eternal life and drunk from the pure fountain of living waters.
Praise be to God that a spring of the water of life gushed forth and thou didst drink therefrom, and the angel of the unseen raised a cry and thou didst hear its call.
God willing, may they all at all times drink from the everlasting fountain of divine knowledge and remain oriented toward the horizon of His Cause.
O handmaiden of God! I pray that thou mayest be engaged with utmost yearning and attraction in the remembrance of the Luminary of the horizons, and remain firm and steadfast in His love with perfect sanctity and detachment, and drink at all times from the living waters which flow from the Finger of the Will of the All-Merciful.
God saith: O My handmaidens! This is the Day of mention and utterance, and this is the Day of service and recognition. Strive ye that ye may quaff from the living waters and behold yourselves abiding and enduring beneath the shade of the Divine Lote-Tree in the kingdom of earth and heaven.
O Greatest Leaf! The Supreme Pen commands: In all conditions be occupied with the remembrance of the Friend and with the utmost joy and fragrance drink from the life-giving water.
God willing, may you drink at all times from the living waters and be occupied with the remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds.
God willing, at all times drink ye of this manifest nectar which is the cause and reason for the quickening of the worlds, and be ye occupied with the remembrance of the true Object of all desire.
I am certain with the certainty of knowledge, O my God, that with Thee is the water of everlasting life -- to whom shall I turn, O Lord of all creation and King of the worlds?
Thirsty are we: give us the Water of Life!
Suffer this thirsty one to reach to the Fountainhead of Thy Bestowal!
Cause this thirsty one to reach the Fountain of Life, and let this fish to plunge into the Infinite Ocean of forgiveness--so that this bird may soar unto the rose-garden of the Merciful One and enter into the meadows of boundless forgiveness and pardon.
Make her intoxicated from the overflowing chalice of pardon and forgiveness, and quench her thirst from the spring of eternal life.
I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Educator of the world, to give me to drink of the choice wine of grace from the hands of Thy bounty and the living waters of loving-kindness from the fingers of Thy favor.
Say: O God of Names and Creator of Heaven! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Compelling over all things, through which the gate of Thy bounty was opened to all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, and the Water of Life flowed forth amongst Thy creatures, to make me attracted to Thy verses, detached from all else but Thee, and in all conditions turned toward the horizon from which shone forth the Sun of Thy Manifestation.
I beseech Thee by Thyself not to turn away Thy servants from the Dayspring of Thy grace, nor to withhold them from the Kawthar of Life in Thy days.
Then kindle her heart at all times with the fire of Thy love, and give her to drink from the Kawthar of life which floweth from the right hand of the throne of Thy majesty.
Say: O God, O Master of existence and Educator of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the sun of Thy power hath shone forth and the ocean of Thy Will and favors hath surged and the heaven of Thy grandeur and bounty hath been upraised, to give me to drink, at all times, the water of life from Thy white hand and Thy most glorious finger.
Then grant them, O my God, the water of life of attaining Thy presence.
O my God! This is Thy servant who hastened to the fields of Thy mercy and ran to the wilderness wherein no voice is heard except Thy voice, and who sought to drink from the clouds of Thy grace and bounty.
When the rustling of My Most Exalted Pen attracteth thee, say: O Lord of Names! I beseech Thee by Thy grace to withhold me not from the river of Thy mercy and the ocean of Thy bounty.
Praise be unto Thee for Thou hast guided every thirsty one to the Fountain of Life and every ailing one to the Merciful Physician. Illumine the heart of this Thy servant with the light of Assurance, make firm his feet in the straight Path and Manifest Road, and suffer him to drink from the Clear Spring and the Water of Tasneem.
O my Lord and my Hope! I beseech Thee by Thy all-encompassing sovereignty which holdeth sway over all created things, to aid Thy servants in every direction, to quicken their hearts through Thy divine breathings, to revive their souls through Thy gentle breezes, to give them to drink from the cup of everlasting life, and to preserve them in the ark of salvation.
Verily I place my head on the earth and beg of Thee, O Thou Lord of lords to submerge these believers of Thine in the river of the Water of Life!
O Lord! Expand the breasts of the sincere ones through witnessing the manifest light, heal the hearts of the believers with the cup of Thy grace overflowing with the living waters, open before their faces the gates of ease, shine upon them the lights of joy, shower upon them the rains of bounty, and assist them with the lions of guidance, until the birds of holiness warble in those verdant gardens, and the lions of truth roar in those mighty thickets, and the whales of mystical knowledge swim in those vast pools.
Among the people were those who were guided by God's guidance, attained His presence, and drank from the hands of submission the pure water of life, and were of the assured ones.
And among them were those who rejoiced, whose scales were heavy, whose commerce prospered, who were given their book in their right hand, whose faces were illumined, whose mouths smiled, whose hearts soared with joy at meeting their Lord and with longing to behold the beauty of their Creator, who enjoyed the blessings and drank from the spring of life, and whose eyes were brightened by beholding the manifest light shining from the dawn of certitude.
Blessed art thou and blessed are they who have attained unto the Water of Life in the days of their Lord, the All-Merciful.
Blessed is he who has drunk the living waters from the cup of the mercy of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and having drunk, has said: "All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds."
Blessed are they who in this blessed Day have drunk from the hands of bounty the living waters of immortality and have joined with the Beloved of all worlds.
The Most Exalted Pen proclaims: O My loved ones! In these days when the Sun of bounty hath dawned from the horizon of the world and the Water of Life hath flowed forth through My Name, praise be to God that ye have attained thereunto through His grace and have not remained deprived of the days of God.
Blessed is the soul that hath found the fragrance of His raiment and turned toward His horizon and quaffed the living waters from the cup of His bounty.
Praise be to God that through the grace of the All-Merciful thou hast drunk from the living waters and turned toward the supreme horizon.
Praise be to God that in such days, when darkness hath encompassed the world, thou hast attained unto the living waters and drunk from the river of mercy.
I swear by the sun of the heaven of proof - whosoever attaineth unto it and drinketh thereof, the Tongue of Grandeur shall utter the blessed words "Well is it with those who drink!" and "Happy are they who drink!"
Verily, glory be upon thee and upon those who have quaffed the living waters in the days of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and who have rent asunder the veils through power and sovereignty.
Blessed is the one who hath drunk the living waters from the utterance of the All-Merciful and taken shelter beneath the pavilions of grandeur and the Tree of grace.
I testify that thou didst drink the living waters from the hand of thy Lord's loving-kindness, the All-Merciful, and didst attain His presence in the highest paradise.
Blessed art thou for having attained unto the recognition of God, thy Lord, and having drunk the water of life from the fingers of thy Lord's will, the Most Merciful, and having detached thyself from every rejected misbeliever.
And they who have drunk the living waters - these are the people of Baha, and by them hath the Kingdom of eternity been adorned.
Well is it with him who hath drunk of this water which hath streamed forth from the heaven of the bounty of the Lord of Bounties. He attaineth unto life everlasting.
Blessed art thou for having drunk the water of life from the hands of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Most High.
Praise be to God that, through God's infinite loving-kindness, thou hast quaffed from the cup of mystic knowledge the living waters in the name of the Beloved of all creation.
Your flowing verses caused joy and delight to hearts, and were specifically presented at the Most Holy Court. Praise be to God that you have attained this greatest gift. Blessed are you for having drunk from the Living Waters and attained the praise of our Lord, the Most Merciful. God willing, may you ever be speaking His praise and engaged in His remembrance.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world and Educator of the nations, for having given me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy utterance and caused me to hear Thy call and strengthened me through the means of the heavens and earth, until Thou didst cause me to be present before Thy face and to stand at the gate of Thy grandeur and might.
When thou perceivest the fragrance of the All-Merciful's utterance, say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink the Kawthar of Thy knowledge from the cup of Thy bounty, for having illumined my reality with the light of Thy recognition, and for having made known to me Thy straight and manifest path and Thy mighty Message.
When thou findest the Kawthar of life in the Ridvan of thy Lord's utterance, the All-Merciful, drink thereof and say: "Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth!"
This is one of Thy servants who hath turned toward the horizon of Thy grace and desired the wonders of Thy bounty and favor. He hath attained unto the living waters which were sealed with the seal of Thy might and power.
Happy is he who hath attained unto My days, and blessed is he who hath drunk the living waters of immortality from this Pen.
By My life! It is indeed the water of life for all who are in the heavens and on earth. Through it God quickeneth whomsoever He willeth of His creation.
It hath been raised up through this Name, as We watered it from the Water of Life which flowed from a luminous and holy Finger.
The ocean of attainment hath surged and the Dayspring of Beauty calleth: Drink ye, O concourse of loved ones!
Hath anyone drunk from the living waters and remained silent, or failed to attain thereunto and remained heedless? By God's life! Whoso drinketh thereof will be seized with such longing that he will arise and exclaim: "By God! The Beloved hath come with His mighty and impregnable dominion!"
Blessed is the hand that today hath attained unto the Tablet of God, detached from all else save Him, and through the power of the Most Great Name hath taken hold of it and hath drunk and given to drink the Water of Life that lay hidden within the chalices of the words of the All-Merciful.
Drink thou from the water of life, then give to drink them that dwell in the realm of possibility, that it may draw them nigh unto the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.
God willing, thou shalt drink continuously from the choice wine of divine grace and bestow it upon the servants.
O friends! The Euphrates of the All-Merciful's grace is flowing, and the Ocean of Life is manifest and evident. Through the blessedness of the Most Great Name, drink ye thereof at all times and offer it freely to all mankind, that all who dwell on earth may abandon the turbid pools of fancy and idle imaginings and turn instead to the Ocean of Life.
They freely offer the water of life to the thirsty and freely give them to drink from the flowing springs of divine knowledge.
Therefore must the friends of God strive mightily, night and day, that perchance they may guide those who have gone astray unto the straight path, and give the thirsty to drink of this living water.
This is the Day wherein it behooveth every soul to remind the people of this Most Great Remembrance and give them to drink of the Water of Life that floweth from the right hand of My mighty Throne.
Blessed is he who hath arisen amidst all contingent beings and, in the name of his Lord, the All-Merciful, hath taken the living waters and given to drink the crimson wine unto them that have recognized the unity of God from among the people of Baha, and unto the sincere ones from the drops that have trickled from the ocean of the will of the Lord of Names.
He calleth upon Thee at all times, and offereth in Thy name the Water of Life to the people of Thy kingdom.
O compassionate Lord! Give the friends radiance and fervor and heavenly confirmations so that they may give the thirsty ones to drink of the Salsabil of guidance and lead those who have lost their way to the path of loving providence.
Arise to serve Him so that you may become the cause of guidance for a great multitude, give the thirsty to drink from the Salsabil (heavenly spring), and grant a share and portion from the greatest gift to those who are deprived.
Honored Aqa Siyyid Jalal, having arrived from those regions, brings glad tidings of the power of faith and intensity of certitude of the friends - that those holy souls are alive with the divine breath and fresh and verdant from the breeze of providence. They have a passion in their heads and hearts aflame in their breasts. They touch the heart and soul of every unaware one and make those who are lost and bewildered become enamored with the face of the Beloved. They give the Water of Guidance to the thirsty and bestow the Water of Life to the dead.
I satisfy the hungry ones with the Bread of life and allay the thirst of the thirsty ones with the pure Water of Immortality.
I beg of God that the power of the Spirit will cause in thee such ecstasy and attraction that thou mayest be the cause of everlasting life to the seekers; mayest hold a cup of knowledge of God in thy hand and give people to drink the wine of the love of God; that thou mayest exhilarate the souls, awaken the heedless, bring the ignorant to consciousness, make the blind seeing, quicken the dead, enkindle the faded souls and refresh the withered ones.
And now, with a heart clear from aught else save God and overflowing with the love of God, I mention thee, supplicating God to make thee a lamp of guidance in those districts, that out of thee the spirit of knowledge may be spread upon the hearts and spirits until thou becomest a spring of fresh and sweet water whereto the thirsty and earnest desirers will come to drink, and thus be satisfied with the sweetness thereof.
O waterer, water every peerless sapling in the stream of divine unity, and cause the waters of divine knowledge to flow in the channels of hearts.
Quench the thirst of those who are parched in the desert of longing with the living waters in this exalted Paradise, and cause the moths of love and affection to circle round the brilliant lamp and burn their wings in the heat of its luminous flame, that they may become the manifestation of 'We shall surely give them a good life' and the dawning-place of 'Nay, they are alive and are provided sustenance from their Lord.'
O wanderer in the path of God! Give thanks that you have forsaken your comfort and ease and become a wanderer in that land and region to raise the divine call and lead the thirsty ones to the fountain of living waters, to give news of the Beloved of the horizons to the longing ones and guide the seekers to the avenue of the Friend.
The intention is that the spring of life may flow there and the fountain of life may gush forth in Sari.
He said the plants of God's garden have withered from lack of water - someone must return to the Euphrates of the All-Merciful's mercy so that all may be refreshed by the sweet fragrances of the mention of their Chosen Lord.
O true friend! Although the spring of sweet Euphrates gushes and wells up in its own place, yet the more it flows the more its sweetness and delicacy increase.
Like the water of life, he will cause the hearts of the friends to be revived, and will tear asunder the leaves of doubts about God's Covenant that have spread throughout the horizons, becoming the manifestation of the favors of the Luminary of the horizons.
Convey My greetings to the loved ones in that land and make mention of them from the Wronged One, that they may perchance attain unto new life through the waters of the All-Merciful's utterance and remain steadfast in the Cause of God.
O seeker of truth! Praise God that you have been enabled to raise the call to the divine Kingdom and have found the spring of the water of life that quenches every thirsty one.
God willing, through divine favor and the fragrance of His celestial Robe, ye shall quicken and perpetuate ephemeral beings. This is the king of deeds.
O 'Ali-Akbar! A single deed performed for God's sake may give life to many, and remembrance in the path of God is the water of life for the bodies of the chosen ones of God - that is, those souls who are firmly attached to Him and are detached and free from all else.
Teachings were revealed and counsels and admonitions were issued so that souls might become centers of divine inspirations and sources of heavenly lights, that each might become a horizon of truth and a mirror of the grace of the Abha Kingdom, that the light might shine forth and the fragrance of flowers and the morning breeze might waft and perfume the nostrils of the spiritually-minded.
All humanity is caught in the slumber of heedlessness while you are awake; all are dead while you have attained eternal life and are raising the call to the divine Kingdom and are the cause of illumination of the human world.
Blessed is every generous one who has turned to the ocean of generosity.
O friends! Strive ye to receive your portion from the ocean of divine bounty and take your share from the infinite cornfields of grace.
You must certainly guide everyone to perform their prayers, for it is the ascension of spirits and the lamp of the hearts of the righteous. It is the living waters of the paradise of good-pleasure and an explicitly ordained duty from the All-Merciful.
It was heavenly sustenance that became the cause of eternal life. Well done, and may it be wholesome to you!
This sustenance is the remedy for every ill and the spiritual strength of heart and soul. I hope that day by day you will partake more abundantly of this heavenly blessing.
You who are intoxicated with the camphor-fountain of truth, beat the drum of joy and, in gratitude to the Abha Beauty, raise such a melody that the leviathan of the horizons will roar and the culture of the Concourse on High will be amazed.
Let us inquire of the hoopoe of the spirit the path that leadeth to the lane of the Beloved, that haply we may attain unto the court of holiness within His sacred precincts. Let us learn the canon of rapture and the mode of ecstasy from the nightingales of His rose-garden of sanctity, and receive the rite of burning and melting from the candle of His mystic chamber.
Give glad tidings to the youth and say: The true rose garden hath appeared and the spiritual nightingales are warbling upon its branches and twigs. Strive that ye may not be deprived of the outpourings of the All-Bountiful Lord in this spiritual morn and luminous atmosphere.
We beseech God to assist His people and guide them to the Most Great Ocean that all may partake of that which bestoweth life and granteth everlasting existence.
Purify yourselves with this water which hath flowed from the Kawthar of the mouth of your Lord's will, the Most Merciful, from the right hand of Paradise, that perchance ye may behold the Beauty of the Divine in the garment of His Most Glorious Name and recognize Him Whom ye have called upon morning and evening.
Today the river of sanctification floweth and the ocean of purification surgeth.
Purify thyself with the living waters flowing from the right hand of the Throne, then seek His grace, for His grace descendeth upon all created things without measure or count.
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
O Thou ... the words of Whose mouth are as the waters of life unto all who are in heaven and on earth!
For Ibn 'Arabi, the most appropriate symbol of Life is afforded by 'water'. Water is the ground of all natural elements, and it flows and penetrates into even the narrowest corners of the world. 'The secret of Life has diffused into water'.
For thought and discussion