Baha’i Justice

Bahá’u’lláh explains: “The Festival of Naw-Rúz falleth on the day that the sun entereth the sign of Aries, [The vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere] even should this occur no more than one minute before sunset.”

This year the sun enters the constellation of Aries at 11:33 am Eastern Time (U.S.) on Sunday, March 20, 2022.

The Fast period begins at the begining of the Baha’i day at sunset, Monday, February 28, 2022 and ends at the begining of the Baha’i day at sunset, Saturday, March 19, 2022.

The Baha’i Holy Day of Naw-Ruz, 179 B.E. will begin at sunset, Saturday, March 19, 2022 and continue until sunset, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. The Baha’i Month of Baha’ begins at sunset, Monday, March 21, 2022.

Ayyam-i-Ha begins at sunset, Friday, February 25, 2022 and continues until sunset, Monday, February 28, 2022.

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A provisional translation of the fourth of the Holy Writings revealed by Baha’u’llah during the time He spent in Baghdad between 3/19/1856 and 4/22/1863, Lawh-i-Huriyyih/Tablet of the Maiden, follows here:

In the name of God, the most holy, the most exalted.

Praise be to Thee, O God, My God. I make mention of Thee at this time, when the sun of Thy Godhead hath risen from the horizon of the splendid divinity of Thy oneness, the lights of Thy lordship have flashed forth from the dawning of the ineffable encounter with the eternal kingdom of Thy self-sufficiency, and the darkness of this world hath been illumined by the radiance of the faithful realm of Thy cause–in such wise that the garden of paradise came into being above the essence of Thy glorious selfhood. Therein were planted the trees of Thy quintessence, which put forth the fruits of Thine essence, and therein wafted the breezes of Thy spirit and the breaths of Thy sanctity. Therein were foreordained the gems of Thy bounties and the substance of Thy munificence; and therein were uncovered the treasures of Thy knowledge and mystery. Over its terraces flow the streams of Thy glorious life, the canals of Thy radiant eternality, and the springs of the wine of Thine inaccessibility. When Thou didst desire, O my God, to manifest it, Thou didst raise it up to the throne of grandeur and greatness, embellish it with the rays of might and power, render it effulgent by Thine essence, and didst make to shine upon it the sun of oneness from the pre-eternal lights of Thy features. Thou didst light for it the wick of eternity in the lamp of pre-existence. Now, Thy most exalted decree hath come to the kingdom of command by Thy signature, so that a visage might appear therefrom, that the brilliance of Thy beauty might be manifest to all who dwell on earth, and that the glory of Thy countenance might be seen by all who are in the realm of Thy cause.

There arose the houri, Who had dwelt in pre-eternity in the pavilions of holiness, protection, and glorification and in the canopies of sinlessness, greatness and splendor. Upon Her creamy brow the most high pen hath written in crimson ink, “Praise be to God! This is a houri upon Whom none have gazed save God, the exalted, the most high. God hath purified the hem of Her purity from the knowledge of the concourse of names in the realm of eternity, and Her face from the view of all who are in the kingdom of creation. When She arose with the ornament of God from Her palace, She looked with one glance toward the sky. The people of the heavens swooned at the rays of Her visage and at the wafting of Her perfume. Then She looked with another glance toward the earth, and it was illumined by the lights of Her beauty and the loveliness of Her splendor.

Praise be to Thee, O my God, for all the wonders of Thy handiwork that Thou hast shown Me in Her, for the ensemble of Thy power, manifest in Her creation. She hung there, suspended. Then She journeyed through the sky as though striding across the horizon in mid-air. It is as though I discovered that the chain of being was set in motion by Her footfalls. She descended, drew nigh, and came until She halted before Me. I was bewildered by the subtleties and wonders of Her creation. Behold, I discovered within myself a passion that grew out of my yearning for Her. I raised my hands toward Her, and lifted the hem of Her veil from Her shoulder. I found Her hair to be sandy, wavy and curly, lying on Her back in ringlets, hanging down almost to Her legs. And when the gales blew it to the right of Her shoulder, it perfumed the heavens and the earth. When it was blown to the left, from its fragrance there spread a holy musk-like scent. It is as though the motion of Her tresses caused the spirit of life to quake in the inner essence of creation, and caused the kingdom of mystical insight to tremble in the realities of being.

Exalted be God, Her creator, for what He caused Me to see in Her. Then blessed be God, Her fashioner, for the manifestation of might that I witnessed in Her beauty, and the modalities of power that I saw in Her splendor. At one time, I perceived Her as the sweet water of life, delicious and flowing through the realities of beings and the dark recesses of contingent things. I grew certain that the entirety of being survived by virtue of Her eternity, and continued to exist because of Her perpetuity. At another time, I perceived Her as a fire that had blazed forth in the divine bush, as though the element of fire had been created from a torch ignited by Her glowing embers. The hearts of both visible and invisible being were consumed by Her heat and flame when they were shaken by a delicate yearning for Her and a wondrous hankering for Her. It is as though the fragrance of the All- Merciful wafted from the apertures in Her garments. Praise be to God, Her creator, originator and fashioner.

Then I drew near, till She stood before my face and gave utterance as a dove warbles in the realm of eternity, as though speaking in the wondrous music that hath no words, letters or sounds. It is as though all books appeared in commentary on the songs of Her innovation. I recognized all meaning in a single point therein. When I listened with my entire being, I heard the mention of God, the exalted, the most glorious, in Her tunes, and the name of God, the exalted, the most high, in Her melodies.

I raised my hand another time, and bared one of Her breasts that had been hidden beneath Her gown. Then the firmament was illumined by the radiance of its light, contingent beings were made resplendent by its appearance and effulgence, and by its rays infinite numbers of suns dawned forth, as though they trekked through heavens that were without beginning or end. I became bewildered at the pen of God’s handiwork, and at what it had inscribed upon Her temple. It was as though She had appeared with a body of light in the forms of the spirit, as though She moved upon the earth of essence in the substance of manifestation. I noticed that the houris had poked their heads out of their rooms and were suspended in the air above Her. They grew perplexed at Her appearance and Her beauty, and were entranced by the raptures of Her song. Praise be to Her creator, fashioner, and maker–to the one Who made Her manifest.

Then she nearly swooned within herself, and with all her being she sought to inhale My fragrance. She opened Her lips, and the rays of light dawned forth from Her teeth, as though the pearls of the cause had appeared from Her treasures and Her shells.

She asked, “Who art Thou?”

I said, “A servant of God and the son of his maidservant.”

She said, “I discern in Thee the signs of sorrow, which so sadden Thee that I find the lamp of joy in the niche of Thy heart to have been extinguished, and the lights of happiness in the lantern of Thy soul to have been cut off. I adjure Thee by God, other than Whom there is no God, not to conceal from Me what befell Thee. Inform Me, that I might know Thy circumstances with no departure from the whole truth, though it be less than a bit of overflowing foam.”

I said to Her, “Do not ask Me about that, for Thou canst not bear to hear from Me concerning my sorrow–not even a mere letter thereof. I entreat you in the name of God, the All-Powerful, the protector, the eternal, to lift Thy hand from Me and leave Me alone. Return to Thy place in paradise, and do not ask about what I cannot disclose to Thee–even though it be a mere syllable thereof.”

When She saw the quaking of my soul, the wailing of my heart, the lamenting of my being, the fire burning in my bones, the shuddering of my skin, the disturbance in my soul, and the uneasiness of my body, She called out to Me, asking, “Hast Thou a mother to bemoan Thy tribulations?”

I said, “I do not know.”

She asked, “Hast Thou a sister, to weep at Thy fate, or a helper, to aid Thee in Thy trial and to give Thee company in Thy loneliness?”

I said, “By my sorrow, to which no joy ever came, do not ask Me anything! Look at my heart, so that what Thou seekest may become apparent to Thee.”

She bowed Her head in the direction of my heart, scrutinizing all my limbs, members, bones and inner organs, as though She had lost something and sought it everywhere. Her examination lasted for a long time. Then She lifted Her head until it reached my breast. I saw that Her condition had undergone an alteration. Her head tilted once to the right, and once to the left. At one moment, She lifted Her gaze to the heavens with grief and misery, and at another She looked at the earth in confusion and regret. I saw Her lips move as though She were saying something beneath Her breath. I trained my ear on Her, and heard a faint cry, as though it issued from the depths of Her being in the essence of Her heart. When I brought my head close to Her mouth, I heard words that I cannot mention. Were I to disclose them, by God, nothing would be left of this world in the face of the searing of Her soul and the scorching of Her heart.

Then She addressed Me, saying, “Thy mother will die, O youth. For I have seen no one like Thee. My distress and bewilderment linger over Thee, and my perturbation hath increased at Thy condition. Would that I had never been created in the divine realm of eternity, had never been born from a breath of God in the most exalted chambers, had never imbibed the milk of life from the springs of glory! How sad is what I have come to know, and to see, how sorrowful what I have discovered. For however much I searched, I found within Thee no heart, whereby I might be informed about Thy circumstances.”

When I heard Her lift Her head up, I saw that Her eyes were overflowing with blood, as though oceans appeared from Her every teardrop. When Her eyes met mine, Her tears took the reins of patience from Her, and She shrieked Her lament such that I cannot mention or describe it. Then She was overcome with weeping. She lifted Her hands to my shoulder, and I placed my hand on Her shoulder, and we wept without moderation, such that it cannot be reckoned by time, eternity, eons, or epochs.

When Her weeping subsided, She said, “I adjure Thee by the One Who seized the pens in His powerful grasp and thereby established whatever He willed, to answer my questions about what hath befallen Thee, that I might be Thy companion in Thy calamities and make mention of Thine ordeals among the concourse on high in the sublime realm.”

I said to Her, “My beloved, by my life and Thine, I am not able to explain for Thee what befell Me. But look at my breast, that Thou mightest discover therein what will satisfy Thy quest, in the inmost recesses of my most hidden soul.”

Then She tilted Her head and brought it near once more to my breast, searching for so long a time that it cannot be expressed in the realm of glory, nor can it be uttered by the tongues of the eloquent. But She found no trace.

Behold, I saw the earth quake at the trembling of Her soul, and shake at the quivering of Her heart. She remained, before time, after time, above time. Then She raised Her head with a scream that cleft the sky and broke open the earth. Lands moved, and mountains were pulverized. Then She returned to Me and said, “Thy mother hath died, O youth. Thy circumstances have bewildered Me and Thy deeds have caused Me to perish. I never found anyone with neither heart nor breast. How hast Thou survived on earth, how canst Thou exist in this world?”

At that point She was gazing at Me as a lover looketh on the beauty of the beloved. Then I saw Her shaking within Herself, as though the breeze of God from this coat had wafted upon Her. She turned to Me outwardly and inwardly and said, “By Thy life, I perceive from Thee the fragrance of the beloved. Thou art the darling of the worlds. If Thou art He, why dost Thou disguise Thy comely features? Is it because of the people of the Qur’an, or because of the people of the Bayan? Woe be unto all created things!”

When I smelled Her perfume and saw Her advancing toward Me, I guided Her to my soul. When She knew, She wailed, shook, lamented, trembled, and fell on Her face in the dust before my feet. When I turned to Her, I found Her stretched out on the ground, and the spirit had departed from Her as though She had never been created therein. Then the houris suspended in the air howled, and the purified houris in the cloud of unknowing lamented, and all of them returned to their palaces and their pavilions, forsaking all that had been ordained for them and created for their essences.

I was standing over Her body, stricken by Her grief, bewildered at Her condition, and Her love. I took Her and washed Her with the tears of my eyes, then wrapped Her in a shroud of my own clothing. Then I brought my lips close to Her right ear and gave Her the glad tidings of what no one can hear from Me in Her regard. When I had spoken to Her, She trembled at the Word of God. Then She gave Me the glad tidings of what I must not mention or even breathe. Thereafter, I consigned Her to the sacred receptacles and returned Her to the place of intimacy, the station that we had foreordained for Her. Thus do we address you, O concourse of paradise, with a vision of eternity. Interpret it for Me, if ye can interpret the vision of the spirit.

Baha’u’llah

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Bahá’u’lláh explains: “The Festival of Naw-Rúz falleth on the day that the sun entereth the sign of Aries, [The vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere] even should this occur no more than one minute before sunset.”

This year the sun enters the constellation of Aries at 11:33 am Eastern Time (U.S.) on Sunday, March 20, 2022.

The Fast period begins at the begining of the Baha’i day at sunset, Monday, February 28, 2022 and ends at the begining of the Baha’i day at sunset, Saturday, March 19, 2022.

The Baha’i Holy Day of Naw-Ruz, 179 B.E. will begin at sunset, Saturday, March 19, 2022 and continue until sunset, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. The Baha’i Month of Baha’ begins at sunset, Monday, March 21, 2022.

Ayyam-i-Ha begins at sunset, Friday, February 25, 2022 and continues until sunset, Monday, February 28, 2022.

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An excerpt from a tablet revealed by Baha’u’llah wherein He proclaims that the Qiblih of the Baha’i Faith is established for the entire five thousand century Baha’i Cycle follows here:

بناعقين نبايد توجه كرد قوله تعالي :
One should not pay attention to the enemies, He saith, exalted be He:

سوف تسمعون ندا ناعق لا تلتفتوا الیه دعوه بنفسه
Erelong you will hear the call of the clamorous impostor, don’t pay attention unto him, but leave him to himself

مقبلين الي قبلة الافاق قد تمت الحجة بهذه الحجة التي ظهرت بالحق
Set your faces toward Him Who is the Object (the Qiblih) of the adoration of all mankind, who has filled the Proof with this Proof that is revealed through the power of truth (God, al-Haqq)

و انتهت الانوار الي هذا الافق الذي منه اشرقت شمس العظمة و الاقتدار
The Lights have attained their consummation in this source (horizon) whence the splendor of (the) Might and (the) Grandeur is diffused.

طوبي لنفس تربي العباد بحدود الله التي نزلت في الزبر و الالواح
Blessed is the soul that hath been brought up as the servant with respect to God in that
Which has been sent down in the Scrolls and the Tablets.

قل لو يظهر في كل يوم احد لا يستقر امر الله في المدن و البلاد _
Say: If in each day another is manifested, the cause of God will not find rest in the cities and the lands.

هذا لظهور يظهر نفسه فيكل خمسمائه الف سنة مرة
This is the Revelation that manifests itself once every 500,000 years time, only once.

واحدة كذلك كشفنا القناع و ارفعنا الاحجاب
Only once, furthermore, we unveiled (kashfana)  the cover and lifted the veil.

طوبي لمن عرف مراد الله من عرفه يفرح قلبه
Blessed is the man that recognized (‘arif) the purpose of God, in recognition (‘irafah) rejoiced in his heart, and

و يستقيم علي الامر علي شان لايزله من في الابداع
been made firm in the cause such that he cannot be made to stumble by the entire creation.

قد كشفنا في هذا اللوح سرا من اسرار
هذا الظهورو سترنا ما هو المكنون لئلا ترتفع ضوضا الفجار
Verily We unveiled (kashfana) in this Tablet a secret wrapt in secrets.

This Revelation We have concealed that which is the Hidden, lest the tumult of the wicked rise.

Baha’u’llah

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Bahá’u’lláh explains: “The Festival of Naw-Rúz falleth on the day that the sun entereth the sign of Aries, [The vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere] even should this occur no more than one minute before sunset.”

This year the sun enters the constellation of Aries at 11:33 am Eastern Time (U.S.) on Sunday, March 20, 2022.

The Fast period begins at the begining of the Baha’i day at sunset, Monday, February 28, 2022 and ends at the begining of the Baha’i day at sunset, Saturday, March 19, 2022.

The Baha’i Holy Day of Naw-Ruz, 179 B.E. will begin at sunset, Saturday, March 19, 2022 and continue until sunset, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. The Baha’i Month of Baha’ begins at sunset, Monday, March 21, 2022.

Ayyam-i-Ha begins at sunset, Friday, February 25, 2022 and continues until sunset, Monday, February 28, 2022.

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An excerpt from the second of the Holy Writings revealed by Baha’u’llah during the time He spent in Baghdad between 3/19/1856 and 4/22/1863, The Seven Valleys, follows here:

An exposition of the mysteries enshrined in the stages of ascent for them that seek to journey unto God, the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE!

Praise be to God Who hath made being to come forth from nothingness; graven upon the tablet of man a measure of the mysteries of His eternity; taught him from the storehouse of divine utterance that which he knew not; made him a perspicuous book unto such as have believed and surrendered their souls; given him to behold, in this dark and ruinous age, a new creation within all things; and caused him to speak forth, from the midmost heart of eternity, and in a new and wondrous voice, embodied in the most excellent Temple. And all to this end: that every man may testify, in himself and by himself, before the Seat of the revelation of his Lord, that there is none other God but Him; and that all may reach that summit of realities where none shall contemplate anything but that he shall perceive God therein. 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.”

And I praise and glorify that primal Sea which hath branched out from the ocean of the unseen Essence, and that primal Morn which hath broken forth upon the horizon of Singleness, and that primal Sun which hath risen in the heaven of everlasting splendour, and that primal Fire which was kindled from the Lamp of eternity within the Niche of oneness: He Who is called “Aḥmad” in the kingdom of the exalted ones, and “Muḥammad” amongst the concourse of the favoured ones, and “Maḥmúd” in the realm of the sincere; and in the hearts of the knowing, “whichsoever ye call upon, most beauteous are His names.” And upon His kindred and His companions be abundant, abiding, and eternal peace!

To continue: I have hearkened to the song of the nightingale of knowledge upon the twigs of the tree of thine inmost being, and to the cooing of the dove of certitude upon the branches of the bower of thine heart. Methinks I inhaled the fragrance of purity from the raiment of thy love and, in perusing thy letter, attained thy very presence. I noted, moreover, thine allusions to thy death in God and thy life through Him, and the love thou dost cherish for the beloved of the Lord and for the Manifestations of His names and the Exponents of His attributes. I have purposed, therefore, to acquaint thee with holy and resplendent tokens from the realms of might and glory, that haply they may draw thee nigh unto the court of holiness, nearness, and beauty, and draw thee to a station wherein thou shalt see naught in all existence but the hallowed Countenance of thy Beloved, and wilt behold all of creation as a day wherein none was deemed worthy of mention.

Of this did the nightingale of oneness sing in the garden of his mystical treatise, saying, “And there shall appear upon the tablet of thine heart an inscription of the subtle mysteries of the verse ‘Fear ye God; God will teach you’, and the bird of thy spirit shall recall the sanctuaries of ancient splendour, and soar upon the wings of longing into the heaven of the command ‘Walk the beaten paths of thy Lord’, and partake of the choice fruits of communion in the gardens of the utterance ‘Feed, moreover, on every kind of fruit.’”

By My life, O friend! Wert thou to taste the fruits of these verdant trees that spring from the soil of true understanding, once the effulgent light of His Essence hath been reflected in the Mirrors of His names and attributes, yearning would seize the reins of patience and restraint from out thy hand and stir thy spirit into commotion with the splendours of His light. It would draw thee from this abode of dust unto thy true and heavenly habitation in the midmost heart of mystic knowledge, and raise thee to a station wherein thou wilt soar in the air even as thou treadest upon the earth, and wilt walk upon the water even as thou movest over the land. Wherefore, may it rejoice me, and thee, and whosoever mounteth into the heaven of knowledge, and whose heart hath been revived by the breezes of certitude that waft from the Sheba of the All-Merciful upon the meadow of his inner being. Peace be upon him who followeth the way of guidance!

And further: the stages that mark the wayfarers’ journey from their mortal abode to the heavenly homeland are said to be seven. Some have referred to them as seven valleys, and others, as seven cities. And it is said that until the wayfarer taketh leave of self and traverseth these stages, he shall never attain the ocean of nearness and reunion nor taste of the matchless wine.

Baha’u’llah

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Excerpt from a provisional translation of the first Tablet revealed by Baha’u’llah during the time He spent in Baghdad between 3/19/1856 and 4/22/1863

Tafsīr al-ḥurūfāt al-muqaṭṭa`āt/Commentary on the Isolated Letters

There is no God except Him, the Elevated, the Transcendent

Praise be to God who created the letters (al-ḥurūfāt)  in the worlds of the Theophanic Cloud (`awālim al-`amā’) beyond the Pavilions of Holiness (surādiqāt al-qūds)  in the Lofty Heights  of the Most Rsplendent Sphere (rafā’rif al-asnā) then gave them to drink from the Goblet of Eternal Subsistence  as ordained in the Tablets of the Divine Decree  (alwāḥ al-qiḍā’).

This that He might bring life to the inmost hearts  of those who are nigh unto God in the Omnipotent sphere of Divine realization  (jabarūt al-qiḍā’).

He then clothed the letters in a black robe in accordance with what was decreed through the measure of His eternality respecting the possibilities of divine foreordination (qadar). This relative to the crimson domes (qibāb al-ḥamrā’) and to the status of knowledge for He has concealed the Water of Life in the shadows of the worlds of Names nigh unto the Lote-Tree of the Extremity (sidrat al-muntahā’). He then caused them to descend into the Kingdom of the Divine Will (malakūt al-inshā’) in the atmosphere of the Divine Decree (hawa’ al-qiḍa’) whereupon a great Cry was heard from the Most-Exalted Realm thus addressing the Primordial Pen (al-qalam al-awwalī), `O Pen! Set down the mysteries of pre-existence (asrār al-qidam) upon the Perspicuous, Snow-White Tablet  (al-lawḥ al-munīr al-bayḍā’).’

On account of this Cry (al-nidā’) was the Pen stupefied with intense yearning for 70,000 years  according to the computations of such as calculate these things. When it recovered from its having swooned away according to the further operations of the  Divine Decree, it wept crimson tears for 70,000 years. Then it stood up erect between the hands of God at a time which was neither preceded by the decree of firstness in the beginning nor by the decree of lastness in the end. While it was burning in the fire of separation on account of the cessation of the most-sweet Cry, there appeared within its tears a black hue (lawn al-sawda’)  in the heavenly sphere of fidelity (jabarūt al-wafā’). A black teardrop sprinkled down upon the Tablet whereupon the Point (al-nuqṭa) was made manifest in the world of origination (`ālam al-badā’). This Point assumed the primordial shape upon the mirrors of the letters in the beings of the Names. The  “A” (al-alif) received it before all the other letters, in the elemental particles of things (fi dharr al-ashyā’) for thus did this Divine Point take on the form of this Eternal “A” (alif). This inasmuch as the merciful breezes blew upon it from the Source of Singleness whereupon the  Countenance of the Divine Singularity (wajh al-wahidiyya) was disclosed from behind the Green Veils. The substance (body, temple, form.. haykal) of the Point was made manifest  in the shape of the letter “A”  (al-alif)  “A”  and rose up from the Tablet for the promotion of the Most-Exalted, Most-Great Cause of God  in the world of Names and Attributes. This is a station (maqām) which the reality of the Divine Will (al-mashiyya) was clothed in the nominal robe and invested in the garment of qualificative attributes in the City of Grandeur.

When this upright letter “A” (al-alif) was established upon the Luminous Tablet it was again transfigured with renewed splendor whereupon the isolated letters (al-ḥurūfāt al-muqaṭṭa`āt) shone forth in the primordial theophanies (awwal al-ẓuhūrāt) in order that they might be an evidence of the worlds of incomparability and command in the Citadels of origination. Then there appeared from these Letters which shone forth from the Primordial “A” (al-alif al-awwliyya) in the first of the theophanies, the worlds of delineation and multiplicity. They were differentiated, separated and isolated then gathered together,  reconciled, united and linked together. Then assembled words and compounded letters appeared in the worlds of creation in the forms of Names and Attributes (hayākil al-asmā’ wa’l-ṣifāt).

Wherefore was the completion of the creation of the worlds of dominion  and the Predestined Ornament (ṭarāz al-qadariyya) among the manifestations of existing beings, to the end that all things might demonstrate, through the tongue of their inmost realities, that He, verily, is the Eternal, the Enduring,  the Creator, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Sovereign. And that `Alī before Muhammad  is the Manifestation of the Divine Essence (maẓhar al-dhāt) and the Manifestation of the Divine Attributes (maẓhar al-ṣifāt)  from whom existence derives and unto whom beings return. And that he is the one from whose beneficent Logos-Self (nafsihi al-mannn)  is the Breath of the All-Merciful (nafas al-rahman)  for thereby were created the realities of the essences and the receptive dispositions (ḥaqā’iq al-jawhariyyāt al-qābiliyyāt) in the world of being as well as the manifestations of existing beings in the worlds of existence. The Mirrors that speak of Him and the Letters that cry out about Him are foremost in the creation of God; the source of outward things and the refuge for the servants in the Day of Dispersion. In this way God hath distinguished them above the rest of the creatures in the worlds of preexistence (`awālim al-qidam). Through them it was that the Lights shone forth, the moons gleamed, the suns shed splendor and the stars were evident. They all testify of Him and demonstrate Him such that there is no distinction between Him and between them except that they were created by His Command,  were raised up in accordance with His Intention, and were assembled through His Power. They are those through whom is the cyclic scheme (tadūr al-adwār); the revolving of the spheres of existence  (takūr al-akwār) and through whom the Trees of the Divine Unity sprung up  and the incomparable fruits were made manifest.

Through them are the rains of detachment sent down until the Point returns to its original station  after revolving around itself and arriving at its place whereupon the end returns unto the beginning. Then the Primal Call was raised up from the Furthermost Tree with the splendor of the Sun once again. And this is that which the Dove hath sung in the midst of Eternity in this singular Night in which the Fire of the Divine Oneness hath been ignited from the Tree of Sinai in the shade of the most-ancient Name and the Eternal Secret which was named the Living (al-ḥayy), the Pre-existent (al-qadim) in the Qayyūm al-asmā’ in order that every manifestation may bear witness in the secret recesses of their hearts unto the secret things, that He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful, the Protector, the Bestower.

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THOU seest, O God of Mercy, Thou Whose power pervadeth all created things, these servants of Thine, Thy thralls, who, according to the good-pleasure of Thy Will, observe in the daytime the fast prescribed by Thee, who arise, at the earliest dawn of day, to make mention of Thy Name, and to celebrate Thy praise, in the hope of obtaining their share of the goodly things that are treasured up within the treasuries of Thy grace and bounty. I beseech Thee, O Thou that holdest in Thine hands the reins of the entire creation, in Whose grasp is the whole kingdom of Thy names and of Thine attributes, not to deprive, in Thy Day, Thy servants from the showers pouring from the clouds of Thy mercy, nor to hinder them from taking their portion of the ocean of Thy good-pleasure.

All the atoms of the earth bear witness, O my Lord, to the greatness of Thy power and of Thy sovereignty; and all the signs of the universe attest the glory of Thy majesty and of Thy might. Have mercy, then, O Thou Who art the sovereign Lord of all, Who art the King of everlasting days, and Ruler of all nations, upon these Thy servants, who have clung to the cord of Thy commandments, who have bowed their necks to the revelations of Thy laws which have been sent down from the heaven of Thy Will.

Behold, O my Lord, how their eyes are lifted up towards the dawning-place of Thy loving-kindness, how their hearts are set upon the oceans of Thy favors, how their voices are lowered before the accents of Thy most sweet Voice, calling, from the most sublime Station, in Thy name the All-Glorious. Help Thou Thy loved ones, O my Lord, them that have forsaken their all, that they may obtain the things Thou dost possess, whom trials and tribulations have encompassed for having renounced the world and set their affections on Thy realm of glory. Shield them, I entreat Thee, O my Lord, from the assaults of their evil passions and desires, and aid them to obtain the things that shall profit them in this present world and in the next.

I pray Thee, O my Lord, by Thy hidden, Thy treasured Name, that calleth aloud in the kingdom of creation, and summoneth all peoples to the Tree beyond which there is no passing, the seat of transcendent glory, to rain down upon us, and upon Thy servants, the overflowing rain of Thy mercy, that it may cleanse us from the remembrance of all else but Thee, and draw us nigh unto the shores of the ocean of Thy grace. Ordain, O Lord, through Thy most exalted Pen, that which will immortalize our souls in the Realm of glory, will perpetuate our names in Thy Kingdom, and safeguard our lives in the treasuries of Thy protection and our bodies in the stronghold of Thy inviolable fastness. Powerful art Thou over all things, be they of the past or of the future. No God is there but Thee, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Thou seest, O Lord, our suppliant hands lifted up towards the heaven of Thy favor and bounty. Grant that they may be filled with the treasures of Thy munificence and bountiful favor. Forgive us, and our fathers, and our mothers, and fulfill whatsoever we have desired from the ocean of Thy grace and Divine generosity. Accept, O Beloved of our hearts, all our works in Thy path. Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Incomparable, the One, the Forgiving, the Gracious.

Baha’u’llah-Gleanings #CXXXVIII

In the world of existence man has traversed successive degrees until he has attained the human kingdom. In each degree of his progression he has developed capacity for advancement to the next station and condition. While in the kingdom of the mineral he was attaining the capacity for promotion into the degree of the vegetable. In the kingdom of the vegetable he underwent preparation for the world of the animal, and from thence he has come onward to the human degree, or kingdom. Throughout this journey of progression he has ever and always been potentially man.

In the beginning of his human life man was embryonic in the world of the matrix. There he received capacity and endowment for the reality of human existence. The forces and powers necessary for this world were bestowed upon him in that limited condition. In this world he needed eyes; he received them potentially in the other. He needed ears; he obtained them there in readiness and preparation for his new existence. The powers requisite in this world were conferred upon him in the world of the matrix so that when he entered this realm of real existence he not only possessed all necessary functions and powers but found provision for his material sustenance awaiting him.

Therefore, in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the world of the Kingdom must be obtained here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by acquiring forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so, likewise, the indispensable forces of the divine existence must be potentially attained in this world.

What is he in need of in the Kingdom which transcends the life and limitation of this mortal sphere? That world beyond is a world of sanctity and radiance; therefore, it is necessary that in this world he should acquire these divine attributes. In that world there is need of spirituality, faith, assurance, the knowledge and love of God. These he must attain in this world so that after his ascension from the earthly to the heavenly Kingdom he shall find all that is needful in that eternal life ready for him.

That divine world is manifestly a world of lights; therefore, man has need of illumination here. That is a world of love; the love of God is essential. It is a world of perfections; virtues, or perfections, must be acquired. That world is vivified by the breaths of the Holy Spirit; in this world we must seek them. That is the Kingdom of everlasting life; it must be attained during this vanishing existence.

By what means can man acquire these things? How shall he obtain these merciful gifts and powers? First, through the knowledge of God. Second, through the love of God. Third, through faith. Fourth, through philanthropic deeds. Fifth, through self-sacrifice. Sixth, through severance from this world. Seventh, through sanctity and holiness. Unless he acquires these forces and attains to these requirements, he will surely be deprived of the life that is eternal. But if he possesses the knowledge of God, becomes ignited through the fire of the love of God, witnesses the great and mighty signs of the Kingdom, becomes the cause of love among mankind and lives in the utmost state of sanctity and holiness, he shall surely attain to second birth, be baptized by the Holy Spirit and enjoy everlasting existence.

Is it not astonishing that although man has been created for the knowledge and love of God, for the virtues of the human world, for spirituality, heavenly illumination and eternal life, nevertheless, he continues ignorant and negligent of all this? Consider how he seeks knowledge of everything except knowledge of God. For instance, his utmost desire is to penetrate the mysteries of the lowest strata of the earth. Day by day he strives to know what can be found ten meters below the surface, what he can discover within the stone, what he can learn by archaeological research in the dust. He puts forth arduous labors to fathom terrestrial mysteries but is not at all concerned about knowing the mysteries of the Kingdom, traversing the illimitable fields of the eternal world, becoming informed of the divine realities, discovering the secrets of God, attaining the knowledge of God, witnessing the splendors of the Sun of Truth and realizing the glories of everlasting life. He is unmindful and thoughtless of these. How much he is attracted to the mysteries of matter, and how completely unaware he is of the mysteries of Divinity! Nay, he is utterly negligent and oblivious of the secrets of Divinity. How great his ignorance! How conducive to his degradation! It is as if a kind and loving father had provided a library of wonderful books for his son in order that he might be informed of the mysteries of creation, at the same time surrounding him with every means of comfort and enjoyment, but the son amuses himself with pebbles and playthings, neglectful of all his father’s gifts and provision. How ignorant and heedless is man! The Father has willed for him eternal glory, and he is content with blindness and deprivation. The Father has built for him a royal palace, but he is playing with the dust; prepared for him garments of silk, but he prefers to remain unclothed; provided for him delicious foods and fruits, while he seeks sustenance in the grasses of the field.

Praise be to God! You have heard the call of the Kingdom. Your eyes are opened; you have turned to God. Your purpose is the good pleasure of God, the understanding of the mysteries of the heart and investigation of the realities. Day and night you must strive that you may attain to the significances of the heavenly Kingdom, perceive the signs of Divinity, acquire certainty of knowledge and realize that this world has a Creator, a Vivifier, a Provider, an Architect—knowing this through proofs and evidences and not through susceptibilities, nay, rather, through decisive arguments and real vision—that is to say, visualizing it as clearly as the outer eye beholds the sun. In this way may you behold the presence of God and attain to the knowledge of the holy, divine Manifestations.

You must come into the knowledge of the divine Manifestations and Their teachings through proofs and evidences. You must unseal the mysteries of the supreme Kingdom and become capable of discovering the inner realities of things. Then shall you be the manifestations of the mercy of God and true believers, firm and steadfast in the Cause of God.

Praise be to God! The door of divine knowledge has been opened by Bahá’u’lláh, for He has laid the foundation whereby man may become acquainted with the verities of heaven and earth and has bestowed the utmost confirmation in this day. He is our Teacher and Adviser; He is our Seer and the One clement toward us. He has prepared His gifts and vouchsafed His bounties, revealed every admonition and behest, prepared for us the means of eternal glory, breathed upon us the life-quickening breaths of the Holy Spirit, opened before our faces the doors of the paradise of Abhá and caused the lights of the Sun of Truth to shine upon us. The clouds of mercy have poured down their precious rain. The sea of favor is swelling and surging toward us.

The spiritual springtime has come. Infinite bounties and graces have appeared. What bestowal is greater than this? We must appreciate the divine generosity and act in accordance with the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh so that all good may be stored up for us and in both worlds we shall become precious and acceptable to God, attain to everlasting blessings, taste the delicacy of the love of God, find the sweetness of the knowledge of God, perceive the heavenly bestowal and witness the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is my advice, and this is my admonition.

Talk by Abdu’l-Baha’ at 309 West Seventy-eighth Street, New York on July 6, 1912