Additional Tablets and Extracts (Selections)

He is the Healer, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

O Most Great Branch! By God! Thine illness hath saddened Me, but God will heal Thee and protect Thee. He is the Most Generous, the Best of Helpers.

The glory of God rest upon Thee and upon whosoever serveth Thee and circleth around Thee. Woe, great woe, betide him that opposeth and injureth Thee. Well is it with him that sweareth fealty to Thee; the fire of hell torment him who is Thine enemy.

In recent days the Kitáb-i-Aqdas hath been revealed from the heaven of holiness. Blessed is the man who will read it and ponder the verses sent down in it by the omnipotent, self-subsisting Lord. The reason was this: Over the course of some years, questions concerning the laws of God were received from divers lands, but the Supreme Pen did not respond to them; then, in the Land of Mystery, a brief tablet was revealed in the Persian language but was not sent out, and, as directed, it was kept in a safe place. Recently, once again petitions containing questions have reached the Most Holy Threshold. Thereupon this wondrous and sublime Book hath been sent down in the form of Divine verses. As Áqá J. M., upon him rest the glory of God, was on a visit here, that which was suitable for release at present was shared with him; namely, he was permitted to take a copy. God willing, you will receive the Text and act in accordance with wisdom.

Thou didst beg the Supreme Lord ... to bestow upon thee a station whereat in the path of His love thou wouldst give up everything: thy life, thy spirit, thy reputation, thine existence, all in all. All of these behests were submitted in the most sanctified, most exalted Presence of the Abhá Beauty. Thus did the Tongue of the Merciful speak in the Kingdom of Utterance: “God willing, he shall be seen in utmost purity and saintliness, as befitteth the Day of God, and attain the station of the most great martyrdom. Today, the greatest of all deeds is service to the Cause. Souls that are well assured should, with utmost discretion, teach the Faith, so that the sweet fragrances of the Divine Garment will waft from all directions. This martyrdom is not confined to the destruction of life and the shedding of blood. A person enjoying the bounty of life may yet be recorded a martyr in the Book of the Sovereign Lord. Well is it with thee that thou hast wished to offer whatsoever is thine, and all that is of thee and with thee in My path.”

The one true God, exalted be He, loveth to witness handiworks of high craftsmanship produced by His loved ones. Blessed art thou, for what thy skill hath produced hath reached the presence of thy Lord, the Exiled, the Wronged. Please God every one of His friends may be enabled to acquire one of the crafts, and be confirmed in adhering to what hath been ordained in the Book of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.

One of the names of God is the Fashioner. He loveth craftsmanship. Therefore any of His servants who manifesteth this attribute is acceptable in the sight of this Wronged One. Craftsmanship is a book among the books of divine sciences, and a treasure among the treasures of His heavenly wisdom. This is a knowledge with meaning, for some of the sciences are brought forth by words and come to an end with words.

The Sun of Truth is the Word of God, upon which dependeth the education of those who are endowed with the power of understanding and of utterance. It is the true spirit and the heavenly water, through whose aid and gracious providence all things have been and will be quickened. Its appearance in every mirror is conditioned by the colour of that mirror. For instance, when its light is cast upon the mirrors of the hearts of the wise, it bringeth forth wisdom. In like manner, when it manifesteth itself in the mirrors of the hearts of craftsmen, it unfoldeth new and unique arts, and when reflected in the hearts of those that apprehend the truth, it revealeth wondrous tokens of true knowledge and discloseth the verities of God’s utterance.

Moderation is indeed highly desirable. Every person who in some degree turneth towards the truth can himself later comprehend most of what he seeketh. However, if at the outset a word is uttered beyond his capacity, he will refuse to hear it and will arise in opposition.

He is the Glory of Glories.

Hearken thou unto My call from the horizon of My prison in the midst of Mine adversaries: “Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.” He hath truly hearkened unto the divine verses who ariseth to perform that which befitteth him. Many are the souls who have listened but are not accounted by the Almighty as having heard. True listening consisteth in man’s first perceiving with the ear of his spirit the call of the All-Merciful, and then remaining so steadfast in observing the divine precept and command that were he to witness from the peoples of the world naught save denial, enmity, and rejection he would in no wise be deflected from walking in the Straight Path of God. Well is it with them that attain!

O maidservant of God! Render thanks unto the One Beloved for having adorned thee with the wondrous ornament of His remembrance, and for having assisted thee to recognize the Supernal Beauty. Please God thou wilt, through His bestowal, be illumined in these days of the All-Glorious by the effulgence of His countenance, and rejoice at that to which thou hast attained. The Glory of God rest upon you, O ye My maidservants.

The mother-in-law of Salmán

He is the Peerless.

O maidservant of God! Occupy thyself with God’s remembrance, and detach thy heart from all but Him. For His remembrance is the heart’s consoler, the very life of all that long for Him. Be not saddened by the world, for in truth it is a lethal poison and a deadly bane. Its good and evil are as changeful and inconstant as the winds of heaven, or as the covenant of the people of the Bayán. Beware that thou exult not in its joys, nor grieve at its afflictions. The heart is the seat of the revelation of the All-Merciful; defile it not with the dross of this world! Bind thy heart to the Well-Beloved, and be thou as steadfast as the mountain in His love. Such is the counsel of this Youth unto all the maidservants of God. Occupy yourselves at dawn in praise of your Beloved, and raise your heads each morning from your couch in His remembrance. The Spirit of God and His Glory rest upon thee, and upon all His maidservants.

The sister of Jináb-i-Ḥaydar-‘Alí

He is the Peerless, the Sanctified, the Most Glorious.

Praise be unto the Best-Beloved, the cloud of whose mercy hath ever rained upon all beings, and the sun of whose bounty hath ever shed its radiance upon all created things. Truly destitute is he who hath deprived himself of the showers of God’s grace!

O maidservant of God! Strive that thou mayest not be deprived of the effulgent splendours of His lights, nor far removed from the shadow of His mercy. Take thou refuge in His shelter, and abide thou beneath the shadow of His gracious favour; for all that cometh not beneath His shadow hath ever been, and shall remain, within the realm of disbelief. In these days, the operation of two divine names may be witnessed with the utmost clarity, to wit, the names of “Quickener” and “Destroyer”. These cause on the one hand death, and on the other, life. The one taketh life away from those that turn away from God; the other conferreth everlasting life upon those that turn towards Him. How great the power of Him Who at a single time hath made two seasons to appear: spring and autumn! How numerous the trees of human souls that have become fresh and verdant in this mystic, holy springtide, and richly laden with the fruits of divine knowledge! And how numerous the trees of human souls that have become parched and withered in this same season, deprived of all God’s manifold bestowals! A single breeze blew forth from out His peerless Paradise: To the believers in the unity of God it was a balm of peace and mercy; to the infidels, a blast of wrath and chastisement. Such is the power of Him Who is the sovereign Lord of all!

O maidservant of God! Please God thou wilt not be deprived of the gently stirring breezes of this springtide of supernal holiness, nor remain without a portion of the overflowing bounties of these days of the divine spirit. Pass thou beyond the world and all its peoples, and set thy face towards the one true God. For all else but Him is in its essence poor and needy and, being so, is powerless to satisfy even its own needs, how much less the needs of others!

O maidservant of God! Whenever thou art seated in comfort and tranquillity, do thou call to mind this Captive and occupy thyself with His remembrance; and if thou beholdest an exile from his native land, do thou recount the banishment and anguish of this spiritual Youth. I swear by Him Who is the Mover of all beings! Heaven, earth, and mountains would be incapable of bearing a single atom of the tribulations that have come to pass. Nay, better were it that the afflictions of this Youth remain concealed. He, verily, hath knowledge of all things. Do thou convey the salutation of Him Who is the Tongue of God unto all His devoted handmaidens.

He is the Peerless!

O maidservant of God! Render thanks unto the one true Beloved for having guided thee to recognize His own Self. Many are the daughters of kings and other notables who, through having been veiled from recognizing the beauty of the All-Merciful, are not remembered by the Lord. Thou, however, hast been remembered by Him, and thy name set down by the Pen of His Command. Regard not this, that in these days, to outward seeming, they live in luxury and honour. For I swear by Him Who hath made true honour the exclusive portion of His loved ones, that though they repose on jewelled couches, in the eyes of God they dwell upon the dust, and soon shall they all return, in the utmost poverty and abasement, to that place wherein is neither lamp nor couch, neither friend nor comforter.

Thou, however, and other maidservants of God like unto thee, though ye be seated on the dust, are, in the eyes of God, established upon the seats of honour; and when finally ye return unto your Lord, ye shall ascend with matchless glory unto the realms above. Then shall the whole sublime and holy company of the Maids of Heaven come forth to greet you and inhale from you the sweet savours of the love of God. Ever hast thou had both wealth and honour, for the love of God hath been with thee, and—God willing—shall remain with thee for evermore; and naught that hath been created in the heaven or the earth is equal to a single atom of this love. Dirhams and dínárs are not the measure of true wealth; its measure, rather, is the love of Him Who is the Beauteous, the Unconstrained.

How many are they who, though rich in dínárs, are yet the poorest of God’s creatures; for, even as is witnessed, each day their greed for gain increaseth and their avarice waxeth more intense.

O maidservant of God! Hold not cheap the precious gem of love, and remain thou steadfast in His love. Such is Our perspicuous and mighty counsel unto thee. The Glory of God rest upon thee and upon all His devoted maidservants.

Forsake wickedness and rebellion and hold fast unto the fear of God. Sanctify yourselves from satanic deeds and adorn your souls with the ornament of God. Strife and dissension have ever been, and shall ever remain, unworthy of the station of the exponents of truth.

Divest not yourselves of the robe of courtesy and fairmindedness, and speak not that which hath been forbidden you in the Tablets of your Lord, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Whoso is deprived of courtesy walketh naked among men, though he be clothed in all the world’s silk. This is that which hath been revealed through the power of truth in His mighty and guarded Tablets. He who is devoid of courtesy is indeed bereft of faith.

Say: That justice which causeth the pillars of tyranny to quake and the foundations of misbelief to crumble is the recognition of this Revelation.... And whoso believeth not therein hath abandoned the stronghold of justice and his name is recorded among the oppressors in God’s mighty and guarded Tablets.

It ill beseemeth the people of God to transgress the bounds of courtesy.

Courtesy is among the hallmarks of the human reality, an attribute whereby man is distinguished above all else. Whoso hath not attained thereunto, his non-existence is assuredly preferable to his existence.

Detachment is even as a sun, which, dawning above the horizon of the soul, overcometh the flame of wayward and covetous desires.

Alas, alas! May the souls of the Concourse on high be a ransom for the calamities thou didst sustain, O scion of the divine Lote Tree and the Mystery enshrined in the most exalted Word! Would that the decree of the Lord of the beginning and the end had remained unfulfilled! Would that mortal eyes had never beheld thy body fallen upon the dust! The calamities thou didst endure have withheld the billows of wisdom and knowledge from surging upon the ocean of divine utterance and stilled the breezes of the All-Glorious. Because of the sorrows thou didst suffer, the signs have been blotted out, and the fruits have fallen, and the cries of the righteous have been lifted up, and the tears of the pious have flowed down. Alas, alas! O thou Prince of Martyrs and their sovereign King! Alas, alas! O thou Pride of Martyrs and their Best-Beloved!

It ill beseemeth men to centre all their efforts on their own selves; rather must they ceaselessly strive for the betterment of the lives of one another.

Adorn thyself with My virtues, in such wise that should anyone stretch forth the hand of oppression against thee, thou wouldst neither take notice nor contend with him. Leave him to the judgement of thy Lord, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, and be thou long-suffering under all conditions. By God! This is one of Mine attributes, though none but the sincere are apprised of it. Know thou then that the patient sighs of the oppressed are dearer to God than all deeds, could ye but comprehend it. Be patient in whatsoever may befall thee, and put thy trust in God, thy Lord, in all thine affairs. He, verily, doth suffice thee against the harm inflicted by all that have been and shall be, and doth protect thee within the shelter of His Cause and the stronghold of His custody.