[The first of two Tablets known by this name. It was revealed in 1897 in response to a letter that ‘Abdu’l-Baha received from Mirza Abu’l-Fadl]
He is the All-Glorious!
O thou who have devoted your life to the exaltation of the Word of God!
What you have written has been perused, and in accordance with your urging, its contents were noted with the utmost attention. It was read time and time again, until the taste buds were utterly sweetened with its purport, like tasting twice-refined sugar, because it was written with the best of intentions.
You had written, ‘All confess belief in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Kitab-i-‘Ahd and there are no deniers. What are these differences, and from where do they come?’
It is evident unto your honoured self that ‘They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts.’ [1] Moreover, steadfastness is necessary; mere words are not sufficient. ‘In the case of those who say, “Our Lord is God,” and further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them.’ [2] For those who acknowledge and swear allegiance to the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Kitab-i-‘Ahd, opposition is unseemly, whatever the circumstances. For example, some of the friends in the Holy Land affirm their firmness and loyalty to the Covenant and Testament with fine words and elegant phrases yet, despite the strictest admonitions of this servant that, in accordance with divine wisdom, no one should write abroad without my knowledge, they secretly and continuously send letters in every direction, so that by every means possible they may cast doubt in the hearts. Their affirmations are far removed from such persistence in instilling doubt. This is one example of the clear discrepancies; there are many more like it.
Concerned lest anyone from this direction should write something that would have contrary fragrances, this servant, despite his endless duties, has taken upon himself the toil of reading all communications and erasing anything that by implication or allusion is inappropriate. By your dear life! For four years now every day – in blotting out certain statements – I would imbibe a measure of ink, in the hope that the matter might remain confidential, so far as possible. [3]
Then suddenly I noticed that from all directions bundles of surreptitious letters were being returned [to me]. When their contents were observed, it was evident that all these letters were replete with attempts to cast doubts. Now reflect on the sorrows of this servant. I am immersed in a sea of calamities, all the enemies are on the attack from every side, difficulties are endless and troubles and hardships are limitless; under these conditions, I am nevertheless engaged day and night in exalting the Word of God. I am single, alone and powerless among the [diverse] factions of the world.
And yet the friends devote all their time and resources to the destruction of this servant. They pass their days and nights in the utmost comfort, bounty and ease, but all the time, they do nothing but destroy the edifice of the Covenant and Testament. Is this the fruit of the Kitab-i Aqdas? Is this the outcome of the Kitab-i ‘Ahd? Is this the essence of the divine counsels? Is this behaviour consonant with the divine texts?
‘Be fair, O you who are endowed with equity.’ It is evident that should the reins of affairs leave the hands of this servant, indubitably all affairs would be neglected and every person would move in accordance with his own ideas.
His Holiness the Spirit [Jesus] said to His disciples, ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?’ [4]
You wrote, ‘What and who are the causes of these differences?’ By observation and deduction your honour is thoroughly aware of the basis, reason and cause. ‘Fear the discernment of the believer, for he sees with the Light of God.’ [5]
However, I swear by the Desired One, this servant has no dispute with anyone and will not quarrel. Nor have I referred to anyone by hints or innuendo as the ‘chief of polytheists’, or called them the ‘abominable Shi‘ah’, ‘birds of night’, or ‘a prattler’. Nor have I ever condemned or excommunicated anyone. I refer to all as the ‘divine friends’ and the ‘friends of the Blessed Beauty’.
The most that I say is, ‘Do not vacillate in the divine Covenant and do not bring about dissension in God’s Cause. Do not barter away lasting glory for transitory ideas. Do not strike this edifice with an axe. Do not uproot everything. Recall the bounties and favours of the Blessed Beauty – may my life be a sacrifice unto His friends! Contemplate His sufferings, tribulations and difficulties, chains and imprisonments, and be moved by them.
Do not squander the sacrifice of the sacred blood of His Holiness the Exalted One [the Báb] – may my life be a ransom to His dust. Myriad sanctified souls have sacrificed their lives in the path of the divine Cause and with the utmost joy and ecstasy they have hastened to the field of heavenly martyrdom. They have forfeited their homes, allowed their possessions and belongings to be pillaged, their infants to be enchained, their families to live without sustenance and support. But you, who are in the utmost honour and enjoy the highest comfort, and know no sorrow, no sadness, no trial, no difficulty, and are more comfortable than the whole world, and are even unaware of the problems, troubles and constraints imposed by the government, at least do not waste the sacrifices of all those martyrs and do not accept supreme humiliation for God’s Cause and yourselves.’ However, ‘There is no life left in him whom you summon.’ [6]
Despite this, praised be God, thus far I have not condemned any of the friends, much less excommunicated them: in writing or verbally, by allusions, insinuations, or even implicitly. I shall serve everyone day and night, and God willing, I shall continue to do so; and will never look at the faults of anyone. Rather, I will sacrifice myself entirely in servitude to the Sanctified Threshold.
Consider: a few days ago news was received from Iran that the followers of Yahya [Azal] have celebrated and danced, saying, ‘Praised be God, some residents of the Holy Land have written polemics against that person [‘Abdu’l-Baha] and proclaimed that they [the Baha’is] are now of two factions. That person [‘Abdu’l-Baha] is now considered the ‘chief of polytheists’ while they are accounted as the contemptible sect of the Shi‘ah.’ This servant was so saddened [by this news] that the entire night until dawn I was immersed in lamentation and prayer, and such was the burning in my heart that in the morning a strange effect appeared in my face. It was evident that my liver [7] was so affected that the impact was manifested in my face. Nevertheless, I did not mention anything, nor complained. However, some of the friends were not grieved at all by this news, but rather heard it all with smiles. ‘O the regret that awaits them!’
Should the consequence of the Covenant and Testament of the Luminary of Horizons be that the true friends like unto your honoured self shed tears of blood while enemies dance and celebrate? If the laxity and lassitude of the divine friends in the Covenant of the All-Merciful should persist, I swear by the Sanctified Threshold – may my spirit be a sacrifice to its dust – the matter would become worse still and the divine foundation would tremble and all of us would become ensnared in the dark pit of everlasting regret. Night and day, the hope and supplication that this servant offers at the Threshold of Oneness is that, God willing, soon I may be delivered from this captivity and hasten to the next world so that in that world I may be unaware of the praise of friends or of the stones of insinuation from the deniers by either allusions or hints.
But you inquired about the remedy for this situation. As long as the friends have hope that through machinations and false rumours this upwelling of the life of the Covenant could be diverted from its natural channel and this effulgent star may be shifted from its heavenly orbit to another course, never shall these seditions end nor will these dark clouds be dissipated off the horizon of God’s Cause.
But if the friends should truly rise as is incumbent on them in accordance with the Covenant and Testament, and manifest steadfastness and influence, then others will despair of changing and perverting the Centre of the Covenant, and will give up their provocations and deliberations. Gradually the radiant horizon of the Lord’s Cause will be cleansed and sanctified of these dense clouds and the true friends and the sincere supporters, like your kind self, will be cheered and inspired and the enemies of God will be despondent, disappointed and lost in the wilderness of regret, and all members will be protected and safeguarded from every calamity under the shade of the Divine Lote-Tree. [8]
After the ascension [of Baha’u’llah], through the power of reliance on God and the influence of confirmations from the Ancient Beauty – may my spirit be a sacrifice to his friends – the banner of the Word of God was hoisted so loftily over all horizons that the enemies shed tears of blood and the friends gained confidence and were greatly cheered and gladdened. But now because of these unpleasant fragrances, just the opposite has happened. Erelong the evil effects and everlasting regret will appear and be evident. ‘Verily, Destruction hath appeared by land and by sea.’ [9] This servant has no companion but tearful eyes and a seared heart. The world is immersed in joy and merrymaking, but here we are with our tearful eyes. ‘I only complain of my grief and my sorrow to God.’ [10]
You had also written about the enduring animosity among the friends and how this has resulted in laxity in the Covenant. Firstly, in regard to the waverers, its basis is evident and well known. Before the ascension [of Baha’u’llah] and the reading of the Kitab-i ‘Ahd, there was absolutely no enmity between the two sides. Nay, the majority were in complete harmony, and as for the few who had minor disputes with one another, they were persuaded to harmony. But among others who enjoyed friendship, because of the steadfastness of one and the wavering of the other, the reverse occurred and differences appeared. Among the friends who were weak [in the Covenant], such animosity crept in that they would write documents against one another, condemning each other as unrighteous, ignorant and degraded, accusing that such and such has precipitated the spoiling of the Cause of God and, because of his extreme timidity, has dishonoured the Baha’is in the eyes of people high and low; so that [in making these assertions], he has borne complete allegiance that he is a true Shi‘ah devoted to Murtida-‘Alı [11] and loathes every religion except the Ithna-‘Asharı. [12] One would write about the other, ‘This person is so steeped in sin and depravity that it cannot be described; and has brought us the enemies’ censure and reprimand.’ There was much like this. [13]
This servant would cast aside all these papers to be forgotten, considering them to be unworthy pages and charge all to respect, unity, consideration and service. However, now because of their weakness in the Covenant they have become utterly united.
So it is established that the primary cause of dissension or unity among the friends is firmness or wavering in the Covenant: the steadfast [in the Covenant] are united and the waverers are also united. Therefore we must trust in the aid and bounties of the Blessed Beauty and pray for this servant so that, God willing, I may befittingly arise in the servitude of the Ancient Beauty, and also pray for the waverers that God may bestow on them some measure of logic, perspective or fairness; ‘by their own hands they demolished their houses!’ [14] They may claim that they do not need prayers, but this servant has the utmost need; and apart from the sincere supplications emanating from the innermost hearts of the friends and their entreaties and implorations in this nether world, I know of no other means for attracting confirmations and divine aid.
Furthermore, the waverers are pursuing this unworthy servant, and for four years now this servant has endured every manner of oppression, denial, calumny, false rumour, betrayal, humiliation and even excommunication. If you were to consider certain papers and letters, you would observe that they all refer to ‘Beware, O neighbour’ and in the course of descriptions are slanderous [towards me]. Sometimes the steadfast [Baha’is] are counted as infidels and polytheists.
The point is that those who have strayed themselves are boldly implying that I am the chief infidel, and thus you can comprehend the rest by this example. However, this servant has placed all his reliance on the bounty and favour of the Blessed Beauty and is not offended by these imputations.
Despite this, I treat all with the utmost affection and wish everyone well. Night and day I bear the utmost burden for everyone’s comfort. I taste the poison of torment and become the target of arrows of persecution, yet I do not raise a sigh – nor do I groan or moan. However, every hour the waverers issue a thousand complaints and objections. They create a tale and disseminate it and then express sadness and affection, so that hearts may be lenient to them and people may commiserate with them, so that by this means a grudge against this servant may appear in people’s souls.
Consider: there was no calumny that was not hurled at the Blessed Beauty – may my life be sacrifice to His friends. Everyone was recumbent on the couch of ease and with the utmost comfort they reclined on the bed of laxity while the Perspicuous Beauty was the target of the darts of all enemies and the impregnable citadel of all believers. Despite this, they tacitly complained of the tyranny of the Blessed Beauty and would raise their cries, moan and groan.
Sanctified be God! This servant has not voiced complaints of attacks upon the Covenant, assaults on the Testament, harassment of my person, and creation of all these calamities and troubles. Nevertheless, the waverers are not content. They have raised their cry to high heaven. How well is it said, ‘how odd the events and how strange the incidents: I am the one laying slain; and yet it is my slayer who claims grievance!’ [15]
From one direction, the lax friends pour the poison of repression into the heart of this servant, and from yet another direction raise their cry and moan, so that through this means they would instill doubts in [believers’] hearts. ‘Vain are the designs they frame therein’ [16] and ‘they plotted, and God plotted, and God is the best of plotters.’ [17]
Sanctified is God! Can one hide the light of truth behind the clouds of doubts, or cover the sun of reality behind the veil of fabrications? Nay, by God! Unless spitefulness should entirely blind discernment and deprive and eliminate all sight. In this case, no need for clouds or veils shall remain either.
When the judge allows bribes to himself, how can he discern the wrongdoer from the wretched wronged one.
When malice comes, virtue is covered,
from the heart ascend a hundred veils to cover the eyes.
[18]
At all events, the purpose is this: the wavering party is continually hunting in pursuit of these birds, and not for a moment do they put aside their shameful activities and posturing, and immediately they raise the cry that they are being pursued and attacked!
Night and day, though, this servant is engaged in admonishing and counselling the friends: ‘O illustrious gentlemen! We were all lovers of the Blessed Beauty and beneath the canopy of life. If method and direction is different now, do not condemn and do not persist. Everyone may move as he wishes. “Not for thee, but for God, is the decision”; [19] and “Thou art not one to manage men’s affairs.” [20] Do not meddle in peoples’ doings. It is a pity if the tongue is engaged in anything other than God’s mention. Be accustomed to mentioning the Lord. In your assemblies and gatherings recite divine verses and prayers, and be engaged in exposition of proofs, testimonies and evidences. Reiterate the blessed counsels [of Baha’u’llah], speak of His disposition and character, recount His ways and actions, and share the glad tidings of His favours and bounties. In this wise will the meeting of friends become a rose-garden of mysteries and the assembly of lovers will become the horizon of illumination.’
Each of the friends [from here] writes letters to diverse places. Despite immense duties, to the extent possible I read these letters, so that if there is a word regarding a specific person, it is eliminated. What else can I do? It is now two years since from a certain town the intense fragrance of torpor has been inhaled, so much so that with all their might they have arisen to obliterate the Covenant. Until now I have not disclosed it and have kept the matter concealed. When they revised [their attitudes] in certain matters, without hesitation I encouraged them. What else can I do?
But these people [in ‘Akka] will not be stilled by [my] silence, nor will they be calmed by [my] insistence. Only two things will bring about their tranquillity: one is to change the Centre of the Covenant and to divert the flow of the Covenant’s celestial river into another channel; the other is to become utterly disappointed in their own deliberate efforts.
In short, until they have fully devoted all their energies to confusing the minds, to deranging the thoughts, to destroying the foundation of the Cause of the Merciful, and to dispersing the gathering of the friends, they will never be at peace. Your honoured person is aware of some of these matters, since you have learned of some minor occurrences, and this issue is not unknown to you.
However, they are negligent and oblivious to the fact that this dust and debris will not obscure the sun of the Covenant. These schemes will not conceal the radiance of [God’s] decree. These barriers will not impede the waves of this sea. These whirlwinds will not uproot and displace the Tree of Life. Through the bounties of the Abha Kingdom, erelong souls will be appointed who will adorn the temple of existence with the conquering sword of the Testament, and from whose brows will shine forth the light of the pre-existent Covenant, who will unfurl the banner of the Testament in the midmost heart of the planet. ‘On that day believers will rejoice.’ [21]
But this servant will not object to anyone’s station nor will I forfeit anyone’s rights. Under all conditions, I shall show consideration to all and serve everyone, since all were beneath the Divine Lote-Tree, and are esteemed, honoured, dignified and praiseworthy. None may object to another one, nor himself raise an excuse.
And now regarding the claim of Divinity and Lordship alleged of this servant: praise be unto God, my dust since conception has been moistened with the water of servitude and my essence has grown and developed through the life-giving breeze of thraldom. Thus, three years ago the following was penned for the friends of Iraq:
Know ye in truth that servitude unto His exalted threshold is my glorious crown, my shining diadem. And with it I glory betwixt all the heavens and the earth.
And some time ago, a query was made and an answer was offered, and it is deemed necessary to include that text in this letter:
He is the All-Glorious!
O admired Khalıl! I recited your verses of gratitude to the Lord of heaven and earth, Who lifted darkness and bestowed His bounties. And from heaven He poured forth most generously, [22] and from His clouds of life He sent water in abundance [23] and caused the rich soil to be vivified and bring forth plants with the consent of its Lord, [24] and to stir [to life], swell and grow every kind of luxuriant herb. [25] You must be thrilled with the divine tidings in these days, which have been bounteously received by the grace of your Lord, the Ancient of Days. I swear by the True God, His rays have shone forth brilliantly, and the breezes of the gardens of eternity have indeed been wafted. The seas of life have billowed forth, the fountains of wisdom have gushed forth and the lights of recognition have flashed. The stars of His guidance have been resplendent, the dawning-places of signs are luminous and the daysprings of evidence have become incandescent with a perspicuous light, and the portals of the Kingdom have been flung open unto all who are in heaven and on earth.
O thou who art clinging to the hem of the divine garment and adhering to the strong cord! Abandon the weak tremulous ones, those seeking to immerse themselves in the ocean of doubts, who are oblivious of the unique Authority, who has been appointed by an explicit text in accordance with the divine Covenant revealed by your All-Bountiful Lord. They have kept apart from the gracious bounties of your Lord and sought the great darkness of deprivation. I swear by the True God! You will soon see the banner of the Covenant waving upon the highest summits and the Luminary of the Testament so effulgent it will dazzle all eyes. It is then that you will witness the waverers in manifest loss, and the heedless ones in grievous remorse and severe despondency.
O Khalıl! The letter of your honoured self was received, and from the fragrance of the gardens of its meaning it was understood that some have asked what is the station sought and claimed by this servant. I swear by the Ancient Beauty, I am repelled by the odour of claim to any station. Under all circumstances, I shall not barter away an atom of servitude for the oceans of divinity and lordship. Many have expressed their divinity and lordship. His holiness Quddus – may my spirit by a sacrifice unto him – revealed a book of commentary on Samad (the Eternal). [26] From that book’s title until its end its purport is ‘I am God.’ And in Badasht, the honoured Tahirih raised the cry of ‘I am God’ to the pinnacle of heaven with a clarion voice. Similarly with other friends in Badasht. The Blessed Beauty in Qasıdih-yi Varqa’iyyih states,
‘My Cause pouring forth made deities divine, all lords have by my ample order thrived.’ [27]
However, He [Baha’u’llah] did not mention anyone who arose to be worthy of [the station of] servitude. And if – God forbid – I seek for myself any rank, what station is greater than, ‘a branch from the Ancient Root’. [28] I swear by God, the True One, all men are humbled when face to face with this exalted station, and the necks of every position and station are brought low in the presence of this most great position.
‘A. ‘A. [29]
He is God!
Qazvin. His honour ‘Abdu’l-Husayn, upon him be the Glory of
God, the most Glorious!
Allah’u’Abha!
O ‘Abdu’l-Husayn! May my spirit be a sacrifice for your name! You and I are namesakes! You are fortunate, but I am obscure. You have arisen to His servitude, while I remain aghast in this vale of transgressions and the meads of oblivion. Since you have become successful in His servitude, pray also on my behalf. Perchance through the supplications, entreaty and the pure breaths of the friends this servant may also make a movement in the field of His thraldom.
‘A. ‘A. [‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas]
At all events, this servant will not exchange the prayer-mat of thraldom for the throne of lordship, nor will I barter servitude unto the threshold of the Blessed Beauty for sovereignty over all the worlds. Those who seek pretext should look for another excuse [to attack me], and should look for other false rumours in order to confuse the minds and perplex the thoughts of the wavering friends, for this [previous] arrow did not have any penetrative power, and the poison of that dagger did not harm the heart.
In the Surih-yi Haykal, the Blessed Beauty states, ‘I have created dawning-places for Godhood and day-springs for Lordship.’ And He states in the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf:
Gracious God! Such references as have been made to Divinity and Godhead by the holy ones and chosen ones of God have been made a cause for denial and repudiation. The Imam sadiq hath said: ‘Servitude is a substance, the essence of which is Divinity.’ The Commander of the Faithful (Imam ‘Alı) answered an Arab, who had questioned him concerning the soul, as follows: ‘The third is the soul which is divine and celestial. It is a divine energy, a substance, simple, and self-subsistent.’ And further he – peace be upon Him – said: ‘Therefore it is the Most Sublime Essence of God, the Tree of Blessedness, the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the Garden of Repose.’ [30]
In that same Epistle revealed by the tongue of the True God it is stated:
The Commander of the Faithful (Imam ‘Alı) hath said: ‘I am He Who can neither be named, nor described.’ And likewise He hath said: ‘Outwardly I am an Imam; inwardly I am the Unseen, the Unknowable.’ [31]
Again of Abı ‘Abdi’llah [Sadiq], He [Baha’u’llah] quotes him thus:
We are the Ka‘aba of God, and We are the Qiblih of God, and We are the Face of God. [32]
Again He states: Jabir hath said that Abu-Ja‘far – peace be upon him – spoke to him as follows:
‘O Jabir! Give heed unto the Bayan (Exposition) and the Ma‘anı (Significances).’ He – peace be upon him – added: ‘As to the Bayan, it consisteth in thy recognition of God – glorified be He – as the One Who hath no equal, and in thy adoration of Him, and in thy refusal to join partners with Him. As to the Ma‘ani, We are its meaning, and its side, and its hand, and its tongue, and its cause, and its command, and its knowledge, and its right. If We wish for something, it is God Who wisheth it, and He desireth that which We desire.’ [33]
Now consider what melodies have been uttered by the tongue of the near ones and what songs have been raised by them, and how the Greatest Name [Baha’u’llah] – may my soul be a sacrifice to His loved ones – employed these [statements] to establish proof and testimony among the gainsayers. And yet, this servant, neither in writing nor verbally, has mentioned anything save utter evanescence and absolute self-effacement. Despite this, I am the target of a myriad objections and repudiations. Woe betide me if, God forbid, I should have uttered a word like the above! Then what inferno would be witnessed and what revolt would be raised by the party of the waverers.
O friends of God and truly just ones! Consider for a moment the Risalihy-i-Khal [34] and what has been stated regarding the pure dust of the Prince of Martyrs [Imam Husayn], may my spirit be a sacrifice unto him. Sweet is His utterance:
For instance, consider the pervading power of those drops of the blood of Husayn which besprinkled the earth. What ascendancy and influence hath the dust itself, through the sacredness and potency of that blood, exercised over the bodies and souls of men! So much so, that he who sought deliverance from his ills, was healed by touching the dust of that holy ground, and whosoever, wishing to protect his property, treasured with absolute faith and understanding, a little of that holy earth within his house, safeguarded all his possessions. These are the outward manifestations of its potency. And were We to recount its hidden virtues they would assuredly say: ‘He verily hath considered the dust to be the Lord of Lords, and hath utterly forsaken the Faith of God.’ [35]
Consider now such descriptions and attributes He ascribes to the fragrant dust of one Letter of the Qur’anic Letters [Imams]! If the wavering party has understood this to be polytheism, then that sanctified Person [Baha’u’llah] is exposed to objections!
In the Visitation Tablet of the Prince of the Martyrs [Imam Husayn] – may my soul be his sacrifice – the Ancient Beauty – may my spirit be a sacrifice to His sacred dust – has spoken such praise and glorification that from the inception of time till now these attributes of Godhead and aspects of Lordship have not been used for any of the Sanctified Manifestations. For instance, He states:
Ah! Ah! At the injustice which hath inflamed the realities of existence, and hath befallen the King of the visible and invisible from those who broke God’s Covenant and Testament, and denied His proof, and gainsaid His bounty, and disputed His signs!
Ah! Ah! May the spirits of the Concourse on High be a sacrifice for thy calamity! O son of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing! O thou mystery enshrined in the most exalted word!
And similarly, He states:
But for thee the command of B and E [36] would not have appeared and the sealed Choice Wine would not have been unsealed. But for thee the dove of clear testimony would not have sung on the branch of my exposition nor would the Tongue of Grandeur have spoken at the concourse of religions. Because of thy sorrows separation and division occurred between H and E. [37]
Likewise, He [Baha’u’llah] has stated:
Through thee the Omnipotence of God and His Command and the Mysteries of God and His behests came to be. But for thee, the Hidden Treasure and His strong and irrevocable decree would not have been manifested. But for thee, His Call would not have been raised on the Most Exalted Horizon, and the pearls of His wisdom and exposition would not have been manifested from the treasury of the Most Glorious Pen.
Also, He has revealed [in the same tablet]:
Thou art He by turning unto whom all faces have turned unto the King of existence, and the Divine Lote-Tree hath proclaimed: The Kingdom is God’s, the Sovereign of all things visible and invisible.
He also states:
May all existence be a sacrifice unto Thy Being, O thou the Dawning-Place of Divine Revelation and the Dayspring of His Great Sign! And may all souls be a sacrifice unto Thy calamities, O Thou the Revealer of the Unseen in the world of the visible!
And he also states:
Because of Thee, the Sun of Revelation hath been made manifest and the Speaker of Sinai hath spoken and a decree of forgiveness and grace has appeared in the world of creation. I testify that Thou art the Path of God and His Balance, the Dawning-Place of His Signs and the Dayspring of His Might and the Source of His commands and His pervasive instructions.
And He also states:
I testify that Thou art the Treasury of the pearls of His Knowledge and the Repository of the jewels of His utterance and His wisdom. Because of Thy calamity the Point left Its Most Exalted Habitation and sought a station for Itself beneath Ba’. [38] Thou art that Most Great Tablet on which the mysteries of the past and of the future are inscribed, as well the knowledge of what hath been and what will be. Thou art the Supreme Pen through whose movement earth and heaven move.
And then He says:
Sanctified art Thou, O My God and the Lord of Revelation and the One resplendent on the Branch of the Tree [of Sinai]. I beseech Thee by this Light that shines above the Horizon of the heaven of detachment and by Whom the command of trust and resignation were established.
There are many such utterances and they are unnumbered in the divine books and scrolls. I have recorded a compendium in these pages that it may lead to discernment of understanding hearts, and that footsteps may not deviate from the path of God whenever ears hear eulogy and acclaim about a dust that pertains to the Sublime Threshold in the worlds of exposition and being. These were praises of the Greatest Name [Baha’u’llah] – may my life be a sacrifice to His loved ones – for one of the holy essences of the Qur’anic guides. Let that be a lesson to you, O ye endowed with discernment!
And God forbid that in citing these divine verses one may presume that this servant claims one word of these stations. I take refuge with God! I am a servant who hath believed in God and His evidences. I have no rank but lowliness, humility, weakness, evanescence under all conditions and situations. I entertain no aspiration but absolute servitude to the True God, the Mighty, the All-Subduing.
At all events, the waves of doubt have arisen from the ocean of fabrications and the promulgation of ambiguities that have enveloped the East and the West. This servant’s hope was that all the friends of God should be as wings for this wronged bird that I might spread my wings in the atmosphere of service of the divine Cause and withstand the assaults of the enemy.
Now, however, some of the friends have girded the loins of endeavour and with the stones of invective have utterly broken the wings of this homeless bird. Unsatisfied with this, they have raised the shouts of being wronged and maltreated and commenced a hue and cry. All of this despite the fact that they have continuously spread secret instructions and promulgated clandestine communications, all intended to destroy the foundation of the constant and clear Covenant.
But this wronged bird is aided and supported by the Eagle of life eternal, the Self-Subsisting, and this broken-winged bird is helped and assisted by the Falcon of the Dayspring of Oneness. Therefore, I will offer my breast as a shield for the arrows of assaults, and my soul and heart as targets of rebellious attacks. I accept every tribulation in His path and welcome every calamity with all my heart and life. I thank all for their deeds, and close my eyes to everyone’s conduct. Night and day, alone I will serve God’s Cause, and wish no name or title, nor seek any recognition or renown. I abhor all praise and set aside all acclaims.
The first name that the Blessed Beauty – may my spirit be a sacrifice unto His loved ones – bestowed upon me on the day of my birth was ‘Abbas. After a while, in childhood, He summoned this servant and after expressing the greatest loving bounties and gracious favours, bestowed [upon me] seals of my venerable grandfather – may my spirit be a sacrifice unto him – which are two illumined seals. On one of them ‘‘Abduhu-‘Abbas’ [39] is prominently embossed. This is the name, the title, the acclaim and the praise of this servant. Otherwise, I will not consent to any other attribute, adjective, name or appellation, except this ancient name. Otherwise, what the Supreme Pen has revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Kitab-i-‘Ahd and other tablets are solely from His gracious favour and bestowal!
O friends of God! Attachment to names and affection for appellations cause distraction and resemble the wind in the wilderness. Gird the loins of service and seek to diffuse the divine fragrances and immolate yourselves to exalt the Word of God. Meditate awhile on the state of detachment of the illustrious Ruh’u’llah, [40] and how that pure spirit and evident light, at the age of twelve, hastened unrestrained to the field of martyrdom and sacrificed himself with such fervour and joy.
There are only two possibilities: either we shall be confirmed in the service of the sacred Cause or we shall not. If we succeed in this mighty bounty, then all the beauteous names circumambulate us. And if we are disappointed and deprived, what benefit [can we derive] from names, titles, descriptions and attributes? Dispense therefore with every name and attribute beneath the shadow of your Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.
By God, the True One! If ye observe the counsels of God, and stand fast in the Covenant of God, all His Most Excellent Names shall serve you, and all His Most Exalted Attributes shall glory in you. Cast aside, therefore, these vain imaginings; then expend your energies in that whereby your faces may be illumined in the Kingdom of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsistent that the holy angels may receive you, and the joyful tidings of attainment and prosperity may reach you from the Heaven of your Ancient Lord.
At all events, consider in what calamity and what anxiety is this servant immersed. From one direction comes the attack of the previous [Islamic] community; from another side, the obsession of other enemies; from yet another way, the machinations of the followers of Yahya [Azal]; and from another route, the conspiracies of ill-wishers among the highly-placed; [41] and from yet another path, the administration of intricate affairs in ‘Akka. And under all conditions, [this servant] is involved in correspondence and communication with all places, and responses to complex questions; and at times, in digressions about managing food provisions; or at some hours, in perplexity about how to pay debts; and at other times, night and day, in regret and remorse over the attack of an army of the suspicious and the spreading of fabrications [by the enemies].
Despite this, the friends are not satisfied with the difficulties of this servant and they, too, with utmost deliberation and in complete secrecy, send clandestine instructions to other places, publish falsehoods, seeking to undermine the foundation of the Covenant – never failing to cause debilitation. [They do] all of this even when they have no troubles, know no toil, have no distractions, and are neither responsible nor accountable for anything, whether major or minor.
Tulips inebriated, daffodils intoxicated, and they call me wrongdoer,
I ask for your judgment, Lord; whom should I judge?
[42]
O my God! Thou seest my loneliness, estrangement and anguish. Thou beholdest the wasting of my body, the distraction of my soul, the waning of my moon, the eclipse of my sun, the weakness of my members, the trembling of my limbs, the subversion of my being, the straitening of my breast, the beating of my heart, the fainting of my spirit, my lack of comfort, my sore affliction in Thy path, and the multitude of woes I suffer in Thy love.
O Lord! Tempests have uprooted my flourishing trunk, and upheavals have unearthed my well-established root. Storms of trouble have beset me, and the throes of trials and tribulations have undone me.
O Lord, they have grown tired of me; singled me out for every infamy; made me the target of their shafts; and wished upon me deprivation. I swear by Thy might! I am alone and single in Thy kingdom and I do not have an impregnable stronghold nor an inaccessible sanctuary but Thy All-Glorious Kingdom, nor do I have a sanctuary nor a support but the protection of Thy Great Mercy.
O my God! Raise me up to Thee, that this fire burning in my limbs and loins may be extinguished and that this perpetual storm and dust cloud which reaches the heavens may be rendered calm and tranquil. It is only then that my spirit will be comforted and my heart will be quickened and my essence will be gladdened by Thy Bounty and Thy Loving Providence.
For Thy loved ones I am a burden unto them and Thy servants suffer because of my existence. Shortcomings have encompassed me and I have failed to achieve that to which I had aspired in this Day of Resurrection.
O my forgiving God! Rescue me, rescue me! Free me, free me from these wastelands and save me from these grievous years! [43]
Thou art the Saviour of every contrite servant.
As to the matter of exerting corporal punishment for certain incidents, it is known to your honoured self that the waverers and the party of rebellion and revolt are actively engaged in causing outrage and creating havoc and are not stilled through any means. If this servant would also fight the believers with mace and club, then no one will remain in the field and it is best to recite, ‘To God we belong, and unto Him do we return’ [44] and close our eyes to everything!
The moment this servant counsels anyone, immediately the party of the waverers surround him and divert him from the Covenant and Testament, as has been experienced many times in this land. Now this servant’s hands and feet are completely tied and he sits in a corner, observing and watching events, wondering what path God will show and what decree He will command.
One of the friends had said, ‘Some are imaginary chiefs.’ I replied, ‘No, by God! An oppressed subordinate is, as you say, an imaginary leadership and such would be enviable. Woe unto me if it was evident leadership – then what would happen!’ Although this is naught save tests and tribulations, it is the envy and desire of every gathering.
Oh! If only there was joy of heart or comfort of soul. But as of now a transfer [of leadership] has not occurred. This servant swears by the Sanctified Shrine that he wishes to occupy a lonely corner and to accept no provisions and for someone else to carry this heavy burden for a time. What harm would there be? By God! It would bring light to the eyes of this servant and would comfort his life and rest his mind, and if anyone has a doubt about this assertion, let him try. What harm would there be? I swear by God, besides Whom there is none other God! That day will be a day of celebration for this servant! And if carried out with sincerity and truth, it would bestow lasting benefits, and I would support it with heart and soul. I would not send clandestine instructions anywhere, would not confuse thoughts, would not confound minds, and would not divide the Word of God. I would not institute [such stations as] ‘revealer of inner truth’ or ‘revealer of evident truth’. I would conduct myself with the utmost honesty and absolute truthfulness, and would resolve all of these difficulties. I would not claim to be wronged, and would not stigmatize anyone as the ‘raven’, with myself as the ‘nightingale’. I would not wish anyone’s humiliation, and like the people of Europe would not conceive of a secret sect, [45] nor would I correspond surreptitiously with anyone. His Holiness the Spirit [Jesus] said, ‘Does anyone seek to cover his light under a bushel?’ [46] No, by God! Rather take the lamp and show it to every eye. Every secret affair is darkness and every whispering unseemly in the Mighty Book, the All-Knowing. [47]
In short, during this period – I swear by your dear life! – the utmost consideration and forbearance was exercised. Let it not be deemed that this servant changed and altered his ways. Nay, this practice is the essence of this servant – if near ones deny, praise be unto God that all strangers will testify that this servant treats everyone, whether righteous or otherwise, with the utmost love and affection and never objects to anyone. If testimonials are needed, all the peoples of Syria will confirm it by signing and taking an oath. Sanctified is God! The ways, manners and all conditions of this servant are well known to strangers, but denied by our acquaintances! ‘Virtue is that which the enemy concedes!’
O divine friends! Think not that by this reference specific persons were intended; rather my intention is the party of the waverers. I adjure you by the Ancient Beauty not to insult anyone or wish humiliation on any soul. Never repudiate anyone, who either specifically, or by allusion or by insinuation ascribes charges of heresy, blasphemy, atheism, loss, error or wickedness. Never charge anyone with impiety. Do not oppose and resist anyone, even if it is in defense.
Conduct yourself with the utmost gentleness, affection, friendliness, well-wishing and compassion. Seek to display a spiritual attitude and follow in the path of angels. Pray for all and implore God for everyone’s welfare. Mention every person with perfect courtesy. Do not anger anyone and treat all with kindness. And if with your own ears you hear, either by reference, or implication, or expressly, insults towards this servant, do not be perturbed. Like this servant, behave with the greatest forbearance and patience, and be accustomed to the holy fragrances.
However, do not be deceived by anyone, and do not lend ears to the flattery of some. Quickly discern the doubts of the doubtful. Be perspicacious. Do not be misled. Do not be attracted to the praise of the waverers. Fix your gaze on the Light of God and be the manifestation of, ‘Beware the discernment of the believer, for he sees with the Light of God.’ [48]
These owls plotted a scheme,
learnt the call of the white eagles.
If the crow should learn the call of the lapwing,
from where would it learn the lapwing’s secret and Sheba’s
news? [49]
O friends! I swear by God! This servant has never wished humiliation upon any soul, nor have I wronged anyone. Indeed all that has transpired is due to the rising of the sun of the Covenant upon the Horizons. ‘This thing is not of me, but from Him. God knows, when He sends His Manifestations, His most important bounty, we disturb their lives.’
His guilt is that he is but a falcon,
Other than goodness, what was Joseph’s crime? [50]
O spiritual friends! The Luminous Beauty [Baha’u’llah], the merciful Teacher, the Sun of resplendent light of the divine realm – may my spirit be a sacrifice to His Shrine and may my soul be forfeited for his servants – endured arrows, chains and the threat of the sword, and under chains and fetters He spent his days. For some time He was imprisoned and was continually a companion of torment and pain. One day He was banished to Iraq, and in another instant he was accused of discord on the tongue of all peoples. During the day He held the chalice of tribulation at the feast of calamities, and at night He was intoxicated and inebriated by the cup of oppression at the banquet of fidelity.
One year, He broke down the gates of the marketplace of sorrows, and for love’s sake became the prisoner of every tormenter. Another time, His household was pillaged and plundered and He was dispossessed and rendered homeless throughout every realm and nation.
At another period, like unto a candle He burnt in the lamp of exile, and another time, single and alone, He dwelt on high mountains and in the caves of Kurdistan with no companion or friend.
For some period in Baghdad, He made His breast the target of the arrows of the enemy.
For years, in the face of the onslaught of the people of enmity, like an impregnable and unassailable fortress, He endured alone. For some time He was an exile in the East, and some other times was expelled to the West. At one time He was in Bulgaria, [51] at another in Slavia. Until at last, He was incarcerated in the Most Great Prison and deep captivity till His days ended, the Day of God was concluded, the sun of His countenance disappeared and the night of separation enveloped. The faithful friends burnt in the fire of remorse and ignited the flame of regret.
In short, that Sun of divine unity endured every mighty suffering in grievous calamities, so that an assemblage of the impoverished could receive their [spiritual] sustenance, the dispersed be gathered, the depressed made joyous, the withered be refreshed and refined, the dead resuscitated, the dispossessed be lodged and accommodated, the destitute led to the treasure-house of spirit, and knowledge bestowed on the ignorant.
During this extended period, with the utmost kindliness and supreme gentleness these souls were nurtured in the bosom of loving providence through the outpouring of grace, so that on the day of separation, we could arise with true fidelity and loyalty, gird up the loins of service and with efforts of heart and soul, close our eyes to all things, and become the manifestations of, ‘Make my supplications, entreaties, and communes one prayer, and that in Thy service.’
Now while His sanctified garment is still warm and spotless, and the tender cushion fresh and adorning, [52] should we forget all His counsels and remain silent? Should we discard all His bounties and embark on the path of disobedience? And when we move, should we provoke a storm of division, provoke a fight with everyone, and rest on the couch of feather and silk while raising a hue and cry? Should we repose in the comfort of our veranda and complain of the harassment of the wronged ones? Should we do and say as we please, spreading [our complaints] throughout the world while from another direction raising the cry, ‘Help! Help!’ to high heaven? Is it not enough that we have not rendered any service; why should we also insult the temple of His Cause? Does it not suffice that we have not extended any assistance; why should we take an axe to the root of his blessed Tree as well?
O Lord, awaken us from the slumber of negligence and lead us from ignorance to awareness. Grant light to our eyes and bestow hearing to our ears. Confer a sense of equity and confirm a measure of faithfulness. Perchance the axe may be softened and the storm may be stilled.
Thou art the Powerful and the Almighty, and Thou art the Knower and the Wise.
‘A. ‘A. [‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas]
At all events, the point is that the intention of the party of the waverers is to portray certain shortcomings of this servant to others and to the public, thereby concealing the sins of their own wavering [in the Covenant], to divert all from the Straight Path and, assembling them around themselves, to raise the standard of dispute and establish the foundation of division.
For instance, consider from India what false accusations and heretical and blasphemous documents were attributed to Haji Muhammad Husayn, about which they wrote to Egypt until they made even your honoured self profoundly offended by him and you complained according to what you had heard in your first letters [to me]. But then when, solely because of divine bounties, the aforementioned wronged Haji reached Egypt, you observed that [those talks about him] were calumnies, since in your recent letter, you wrote:
“The honoured Haji Muhammad Husayn Isfahani arrived in Egypt from Bombay. With utmost attention I listened to his remarks. Not a single contrary word was heard from him. Why have some believers made their vocation writing exaggerations?”
This servant of God has no desire but the unity of all believers upon the singular Word of God, steadfastness and constancy of all in the divine Covenant, and wishes no one’s reputation to be degraded.
God, blessed and exalted is He, knows they have written things that on hearing them, the mind is astonished and the heart is perturbed. Now contemplate their purpose in these fabrications. The falsehoods from India imitated the lies from ‘Akka, and you realize that their intent was not to disparage the Haji; rather [their target] was this servant. Consider this as the basis and the truth of the events will become apparent. I only wish that they would have been satisfied with this!
I swear by the One True God! My breast is riddled with the arrows of fabrications and my heart is shredded in pieces by what is narrated [of me], such that if more arrows were to befall me, the subsequent arrows will break on their impact with the previous darts!
Consider: this servant [is prepared to] sacrifice himself for every one of the servants of the Blessed Beauty, and states and writes, ‘May my spirit, my being, my essence, and my soul be sacrificed!’ Despite this, they spread on tongues that this servant has laid claim to the highest ranks and positions – descriptions of which the pen refuses to convey.
Nevertheless, the majority of the wavering souls have taken as a pretext and vehicle of their fickleness the expressions of humility, despondency, renunciation, imploring, retrocession and poverty of this servant, saying
“He writes, ‘May my spirit be a sacrifice to the friends and to the dust of their feet!’ and consequently how could he [‘Abdu’l-Baha] be superior to anyone or be the Centre of the Covenant – an appointed Centre upon which the execution of the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Kitab-i-‘Ahd are placed? Therefore, everyone is a peer and companion [to him], nay, indeed ranks above him.”
Despite this, this servant also considers this station greater than his own rank.
At all events, O divine friends! In the Cause of God there are not and never shall be excommunication or condemnation, [53] nor is it permissible to silence or humiliate others. Do not argue with anyone nor engage in disputation. Do not wish any person’s degradation, nor mention their name in fault. Do not seek anybody’s loss and do not loosen your tongue to an unkind description of any man. Never backbite about any soul and do not lift the veil from anyone’s deeds. So long as a soul expresses steadfastness, do not protest and do not disgrace him.
These very words should not be used by anyone as an instrument of hostility or objection. With steadfastness and constancy, [we can] uproot the base of wavering and by adherence and upholding [the Covenant we will] strengthen the foundation of God’s religion. Leave the party of the waverers to themselves and refer them to the Lord of the Covenant and Testament, as He is the Living, the Ancient, the All-Mighty, the All-Powerful, and the Destroyer of the foundation of all conniving and scheming.
The verses of the Kitab-i Aqdas, the Preserved Divine Tablet, shall not be abrogated and the Centre of God’s Covenant will not stumble. The perspicuous standard will not be subverted. The star of the luminous morn will not fade away. The ocean of existence will not be severed from [divine] confirmations. The renowned sun will not remain behind thick clouds. The breeze of bounty will not be stilled and the portals of mercy will not be shut. The favours of the Abha Beauty will not be lost and the fountain of the cool and refreshing water will not be impeded.
Ere long the star of the Covenant will shine over horizons, and the sun of the Testament will radiate over the East and the West. The waverers will become regretful and remorseful and the party of haste will be dispersed and scattered. This promise shall not be broken.
‘A. ‘A. [‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas]
Some footnotes from the original translation
[1] Qur’an 48:11.
[2] Qur’an 41:30.
[3] Presumably ‘Abdu’l-Baha had to black out the unwanted
text with ink. It is said that when using old pens, sometimes one had to put
the tip on one’s tongue to moisten the nib and to get the right ink
consistency. Therefore, it is very likely that ‘Abdu’l-Baha consumed a good
quantity of ink just blacking out some of the ill-advised texts.
[4] Matthew 5:13.
[5] Islamic Hadith [tradition]
[6] This is a common Arabic saying and usually used when one
means to say, ‘It is hopeless to cry for
help, because there will be no chance of a rescue regardless of how much
you shout!’
[7] In Persian, the liver is the seat of emotions, but in
English, it would be the heart.
[8] Sadratu’l-Muntaha means ‘Lote-tree beyond which there is
no passing’; it signifies the station of the
Manifestation of God (cf. Qur’an 58:10–18).
[9] Qur’an 30:40.
[10] Qur’an 12:86.
[11] A reference to Imam ‘Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet
Muhammad and the first Shi‘i Imam.
[12] Lit. Twelve, it is a reference to a sect of Shi‘i who
believe in the successorship of twelve Imams,
namely, ‘Ali and his descendants. By making these protestations to
‘Abdu’l-Baha, they were claiming to be as loyal to him, as the first Shi‘is
were to ‘Ali.
[13] This paragraph describes the internal disputes of the
Covenant-breakers.
[14] Qur’an 59:2.
[15] From Hafiz, a Persian poet.
[16] Qur’an 11:16.
[17] Qur’an 14:46.
[18] From Rumi, a Persian poet.
[19] Qur’an 3:128.
[20] Qur’an 88:22.
[21] cf. Qur’an 30.4
[22] cf. Qur’an 6:6
[23] cf. Quran 78:14
[24] cf. Qur’an 7:58
[25] cf. Qur’an 22:5 and 41:39
[26] A reference to an extensive commentary by Quddus
composed during the siege of Shaykh Tabarsi on the word Samad (lit. eternal),
which appears in Qur’an 112:2: ‘In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful. Say: He is God alone; God the
eternal! He begetteth not, and He is not begotten; And there is none like unto
Him.’
[27] Adapted from translation (no. 110) by Juan Cole.
[28] The Kitab-i-Aqdas
[29] ‘A. ‘A. stands for ‘Abdu’l-Baha ‘Abbas and was
‘Abdu’l-Baha’s usual signature. Khalıl
Khu’ı, the recipient of this tablet, that ‘Abdu’l-Baha quotes here, was
a supporter of Mirza Muhammad-‘Ali, the Master’s half-brother who opposed Him.
[30] Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
[31] Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
[32] Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
[33] Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
[34] The Treatise of the Uncle; a reference to the
Kitab-i-Iqan, which was revealed by Baha’u’llah in response to questions put to him by a
maternal uncle of the Bab.
[35] Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
[36] The original kaf and nun, make up the word kun, meaning
‘be’; meaning that God uttered ‘Be!’ and
creation came into being.
[37] In Arabic, h and w form the word huwa, meaning ‘he is’.
In Baha’i scripture, ‘He is’ signifies the divine referential pronoun.
[38] The Persian letter Ba [b] has a point beneath it, and
also the Bab adopted the title of the Point.
However, it should be noted that the ‘Point’ that the Bab adopted did
not refer to the point under the Ba.
The Bab was the ‘Primal Point’ and this title came from the idea that just as
in the world of tadvın (composition) all letters, words and sentences start
from the very point – or moment – that the pen is placed on paper and letters
and words come to existence through the movement of that first (primal) point,
so is the case in the world of takvın (creation) and all that is created starts
from the ‘Primal Point’. This is one
reason why the Bab styled His first believers as the ‘Letters’. That is, these
‘Letters’ came into existence through
the movement of the Primal Point on the tablet of creation.
[39] Lit, His servant ‘Abbas.
[40] Killed in the Shah’s prison in 1896 along with his
father Varqa.
[41] Presumably a reference to intense criticism of
‘Abdu’l-Baha by certain government officials in Istanbul.
[42] From Hafiz, a Persian poet.
[43] Qur’an 12:48
[44] Qur’an 2:15. This verse is typically recited on news of
a death.
[45] Probably a reference to such secret societies initiated
in Europe as Freemasonry.
[46] Matthew 5:16 states, ‘Neither do men light a candle,
and put it under a bushel.’
[47] Echoing Qur’an 58:10, ‘Only of Satan is this
clandestine talk, that he may bring the faithful to grief.’
[48] An Islamic tradition.
[49] From Rumi, a Persian poet.
[50] From Rumi, a Persian poet.
[51] A reference to Edirne. Following the dethroning of
Sultan ‘Abdu’l-‘Azız in 1876 and the Ottoman’s
disastrous war of 1877–8 with Russia and her Bulgarian allies, which
brought the enemies to the gate of Istanbul, Edirne was occupied by Bulgaria.
[52] Reference to Baha’u’llah’s passing, which had occurred
only a few years prior to this Tablet.
[53] The two terms, takfir and tafsıq, mean to declare a
person having heretical belief [kufr] or seditious intentions [fisq].
(Source: Baha’i Library Online)