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Holy Kitab I Aqdas
Texts 1-19
Texts 20-38
Texts 39-57
Texts 58-76
Texts 77-95
Texts 96-114
Texts 115-133
Texts 134-152
Texts 153-171
Texts 172-190
Holy Kitab I Iqan
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Prayers & Meditations by Bahaullah
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
Section 13
Section 14
Section 15
Section 16
Section 17
Section 18
Section 19
Section 20
Section 21
Section 22
Section 23
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Prayers and
Meditations by Bahaullah:
Section 23 |
CLXXXII
Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash his hands, and while he
washeth, let him say:
Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of Thy Book
with such steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall have
no power over it. Guard it, then, from meddling with whatsoever
doth not belong unto it. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the
Most Powerful.
And while washing his face, let him say:
I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord! Illumine it with the
light of Thy countenance. Protect it, then, from turning to
anyone but Thee.
Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih (Point of
Adoration, i.e., &Bahji, &Akka), let him say:
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the
kingdoms of Revelation and of creation. He, in truth, hath
manifested Him Who is the Day-Spring of Revelation, Who
conversed on Sinai, through Whom the Supreme Horizon hath been
made to shine, and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no
passing hath spoken, and through Whom the call hath been
proclaimed unto all who are in heaven and on earth: "Lo, the
All-Possessing is come. Earth and heaven, glory and dominion are
God's, the Lord of all men, and the Possessor of the Throne on
high and of earth below!"
Let him, then, bend down, with hands resting on the knees, and
say:
Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise of anyone beside
me, above my description and the description of all who are in
heaven and all who are on earth!
Then, standing with open hands, palms upward toward the face,
let him say:
Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with beseeching
fingers, clung to the hem of Thy mercy and Thy grace, O Thou Who
of those who show mercy art the Most Merciful!
Let him, then, be seated and say:
I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art
God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast,
verily, revealed Thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened
wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on
earth. Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy
loved ones, whom the changes and chances of the world have not
deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their all,
in the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in
truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
(If anyone choose to recite instead of the long verse these
words: "God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting," it would be sufficient. And
likewise, it would suffice were he, while seated, to choose to
recite these words: "I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy
oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God
beside Thee.")
Medium obligatory prayer, to be recited daily, in the morning,
at noon, and in the evening.
CLXXXIII
Whoso wisheth to recite this prayer, let him stand up and turn
unto God, and, as he standeth in his place, let him gaze to the
right and to the left, as if awaiting the mercy of his Lord, the
Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Then let him say:
O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and the Maker of the
heavens! I beseech Thee by them Who are the Day-Springs of Thine
invisible Essence, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, to make
of my prayer a fire that will burn away the veils which have
shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me unto
the ocean of Thy Presence.
Let him then raise his hands in supplication toward God--blessed
and exalted be He--and say:
O Thou the Desire of the world and the Beloved of the nations!
Thou seest me turning toward Thee, and rid of all attachment to
anyone save Thee, and clinging to Thy cord, through whose
movement the whole creation hath been stirred up. I am Thy
servant, O my Lord, and the son of Thy servant. Behold me
standing ready to do Thy will and Thy desire, and wishing naught
else except Thy good pleasure. I implore Thee by the Ocean of
Thy mercy and the Day-Star of Thy grace to do with Thy servant
as Thou willest and pleasest. By Thy might which is far above
all mention and praise! Whatsoever is revealed by Thee is the
desire of my heart and the beloved of my soul. O God, my God!
Look not upon my hopes and my doings, nay rather look upon Thy
will that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. By Thy
Most Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I have desired only
what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love.
Let him then kneel, and bowing his forehead to the ground, let
him say:
Exalted art Thou above the description of anyone save Thyself,
and the comprehension of aught else except Thee.
Let him then stand and say:
Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living waters whereby I
may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth, and may make
mention of Thee in every world of Thy worlds.
Let him again raise his hands in supplication, and say:
O Thou in separation from Whom hearts and souls have melted, and
by the fire of Whose love the whole world hath been set aflame!
I implore Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the
whole creation, not to withhold from me that which is with Thee,
O Thou Who rulest over all men! Thou seest,
O my Lord, this stranger hastening to his most exalted home
beneath the canopy of Thy majesty and within the precincts of
Thy mercy; and this transgressor seeking the ocean of Thy
forgiveness; and this lowly one the court of Thy glory; and this
poor creature the orient of Thy wealth. Thine is the authority
to command whatsoever Thou willest. I bear witness that Thou art
to be praised in Thy doings, and to be obeyed in Thy behests,
and to remain unconstrained in Thy bidding.
Let him then raise his hands, and repeat three times the
Greatest Name. Let him then bend down with hands resting on the
knees before God-- blessed and exalted be He--and say:
Thou seest, O my God, how my spirit hath been stirred up within
my limbs and members, in its longing to worship Thee, and in its
yearning to remember Thee and extol Thee; how it testifieth to
that whereunto the Tongue of Thy Commandment hath testified in
the kingdom of Thine utterance and the heaven of Thy knowledge.
I love, in this state, O my Lord, to beg of Thee all that is
with Thee, that I may demonstrate my poverty, and magnify Thy
bounty and Thy riches, and may declare my powerlessness, and
manifest Thy power and Thy might.
Let him then stand and raise his hands twice in supplication,
and say:
There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. There
is no God but Thee, the Ordainer, both in the beginning and in
the end. O God, my God! Thy forgiveness hath emboldened me, and
Thy mercy hath strengthened me, and Thy call hath awakened me,
and Thy grace hath raised me up and led me unto Thee. Who,
otherwise, am I that I should dare to stand at the gate of the
city of Thy nearness, or set my face toward the lights that are
shining from the heaven of Thy will? Thou seest, O my Lord, this
wretched creature knocking at the door of Thy grace, and this
evanescent soul seeking the river of everlasting life from the
hands of Thy bounty. Thine is the command at all times, O Thou
Who art the Lord of all names; and mine is resignation and
willing submission to Thy will, O Creator of the heavens!
Let him then raise his hands thrice, and say:
Greater is God than every great one!
Let him then kneel and, bowing his forehead to the ground, say:
Too high art Thou for the praise of those who are nigh unto Thee
to ascend unto the heaven of Thy nearness, or for the birds of
the hearts of them who are devoted to Thee to attain to the door
of Thy gate. I testify that Thou hast been sanctified above all
attributes and holy above all names. No God is there but Thee,
the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious.
Let him then seat himself and say:
I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things,
and the Concourse on high, and the inmates of the all-highest
Paradise, and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the
all-glorious Horizon, that Thou art God, that there is no God
but Thee, and that He Who hath been manifested is the Hidden
Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, through Whom the letters B and E
(Be) have been joined and knit together. I testify that it is He
Whose name hath been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and
Who hath been mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the
Throne on high and of earth below.
Let him then stand erect and say:
O Lord of all being and Possessor of all things visible and
invisible! Thou dost perceive my tears and the sighs I utter,
and hearest my groaning, and my wailing, and the lamentation of
my heart. By Thy might! My trespasses have kept me back from
drawing nigh unto Thee; and my sins have held me far from the
court of Thy holiness. Thy love, O my Lord, hath enriched me,
and separation from Thee hath destroyed me, and remoteness from
Thee hath consumed me. I entreat Thee by Thy footsteps in this
wilderness, and by the words "Here am I. Here am I" which Thy
chosen Ones have uttered in this immensity, and by the breaths
of Thy Revelation, and the gentle winds of the Dawn of Thy
Manifestation, to ordain that I may gaze on Thy beauty and
observe whatsoever is in Thy Book.
Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and bend down with
hands resting on the knees, and say:
Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast aided me to remember
Thee and to praise Thee, and hast made known unto me Him Who is
the Day-Spring of Thy signs, and hast caused me to bow down
before Thy Lordship, and humble myself before Thy Godhead, and
to acknowledge that which hath been uttered by the Tongue of Thy
grandeur.
Let him then rise and say:
O God, my God! My back is bowed by the burden of my sins, and my
heedlessness hath destroyed me. Whenever I ponder my evil doings
and Thy benevolence, my heart melteth within me, and my blood
boileth in my veins. By Thy Beauty, O Thou the Desire of the
world! I blush to lift up my face to Thee, and my longing hands
are ashamed to stretch forth toward the heaven of Thy bounty.
Thou seest, O my God, how my tears prevent me from remembering
Thee and from extolling Thy virtues, O Thou the Lord of the
Throne on high and of earth below! I implore Thee by the signs
of Thy Kingdom and the mysteries of Thy Dominion to do with Thy
loved ones as becometh Thy bounty, O Lord of all being, and is
worthy of Thy grace, O King of the seen and the unseen!
Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and kneel with his
forehead to the ground, and say:
Praise be unto Thee, O our God, that Thou hast sent down unto us
that which draweth us nigh unto Thee, and supplieth us with
every good thing sent down by Thee in Thy Books and Thy
Scriptures. Protect us, we beseech Thee, O my Lord, from the
hosts of idle fancies and vain imaginations. Thou, in truth, art
the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
Let him then raise his head, and seat himself, and say:
I testify, O my God, to that whereunto Thy chosen Ones have
testified, and acknowledge that which the inmates of the
all-highest Paradise and those who have circled round Thy mighty
Throne have acknowledged. The kingdoms of earth and heaven are
Thine, O Lord of the worlds!
Long obligatory prayer, to be recited once in twenty-four hours.
CLXXXIV
Since Thou hast, O my God, established Thyself upon the throne
of Thy transcendent unity, and ascended the mercy seat of Thy
oneness, it befitteth Thee to blot out from the hearts of all
beings whatsoever may keep them back from gaining admittance
into the sanctuary of Thy Divine mysteries, and may shut them
out from the tabernacle of Thy Divinity, that all hearts may
mirror Thy beauty, and may reveal Thee, and speak of Thee, and
that all created things may show forth the tokens of Thy most
august sovereignty, and shed the splendors of the light of Thy
most holy governance, and that all who are in heaven and on
earth may laud and magnify Thy unity, and give Thee glory, for
having manifested Thy Self unto them through Him Who is the
Revealer of Thy oneness.
Divest, then, Thy servants, O my God, of the garments of self
and desire, or grant that the eyes of Thy people may be lifted
up to such heights that they will discern in their desires
naught except the stirring of the gentle winds of Thine eternal
glory, and may recognize in their own selves nothing but the
revelation of Thine own merciful Self, that the earth and all
that is therein may be cleansed of whatever is alien to Thee, or
anything that manifesteth aught save Thy Self. All this can be
fulfilled throughout Thy dominion by Thy word of command, "Be,"
and it is! Nay, even swifter than this, and yet the people
understand not.
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O my Beloved! I
swear by Thy glory! I recognize this very moment that Thou hast
granted all for which I have supplicated Thee, in this blessed
night which, as decreed by Thee, calleth to remembrance Him Who
was the Companion of Thy beauty and the Beholder of Thy face,
ere I had been mentioned by Thee, or called into being within
the court of Thy holiness. I perceive that Thou hast made all
things to be the manifestations of Thy behest, and the
revelations of Thy handiwork, and the repositories of Thy
knowledge, and the treasuries of Thy wisdom. I recognize,
moreover, that were any of the revelations of Thy names and
Thine attributes to be withheld, though it be the weight of a
grain of mustard seed, from whatsoever hath been created by Thy
power and begotten by Thy might, the foundations of Thine
everlasting handiwork would thereby be made incomplete, and the
gems of Thy Divine wisdom would become imperfect. For the
letters of negation, no matter how far they may be removed from
the holy fragrances of Thy knowledge, and however forgetful they
may become of the wondrous splendors of the dawning light of Thy
beauty, which are shed from the heaven of Thy majesty, must
needs exist in Thy realm, so that the words which affirm Thee
may thereby be exalted.
Thy might beareth me witness, O my Well-Beloved! The entire
creation hath been called into being to exalt Thy triumph and to
establish Thine ascendancy, and all the bounds that have been
set by Thee are but the signs of Thy sovereignty, and proclaim
the power of Thy might. How great, how very great, are the
revelations of Thy wondrous power in all things! They are such
that the lowliest among Thy creatures hath been made by Thee a
manifestation of Thy most august attribute, and the most
contemptible token of Thy handiwork hath been chosen as a
recipient of Thy most mighty name. Poverty, as decreed by Thee,
hath been made the means for the revelation of Thy riches, and
abasement a path leading to Thy glory, and sinfulness a cause
for the exercise of Thy forgiveness. By them Thou hast
demonstrated that to Thee belong Thy most excellent titles, and
unto Thee pertain the wonders of Thy most exalted attributes.
Since Thou hast purposed, O my God, to cause all created things
to enter into the tabernacle of Thy transcendent grace and
favor, and to waft over the entire creation the fragrances of
the raiment of Thy glorious unity, and to look upon all things
with the eyes of Thy bounty and Thy oneness, I beseech Thee,
therefore, by Thy love, which Thou hast made to be the
mainspring of the revelations of Thine eternal holiness, and the
flame that gloweth within the hearts of such of Thy creatures as
yearn towards Thee, to create, this very moment, for those of
Thy people who are wholly devoted to Thee, and for such of Thy
loved ones as love Thee, out of the essence of Thy bounty and
Thy generosity, and from the inmost spirit of Thy grace and Thy
glory, Thy Paradise of transcendent holiness, and to exalt it
above everything except Thee, and to sanctify it from aught else
save Thyself. Create, moreover, within it, O my God, out of the
lights shed by Thy throne, handmaidens who will intone the
melodies of Thy wondrous and most sweet invention, that they may
magnify Thy name with such words as have not been heard by any
of Thy creatures, be they the inmates of Thy heaven or the
dwellers of Thine earth, nor been comprehended by any of Thy
people. Unlock, then, the gates of this Paradise to the faces of
Thy loved ones, that haply they may enter them in Thy name, and
by the power of Thy sovereignty, that thereby the sovereign
bounties vouchsafed by Thee unto Thy chosen ones and the
transcendent gifts granted unto Thy trusted ones be perfected,
that they may extol Thy virtues with such melodies as none can
either intone or describe, and that none of Thy people may
conceive the design of appearing in the guise of any of Thy
chosen ones, or of emulating the example of Thy loved ones, and
that none may fail to discern between Thy friends and Thine
enemies, or to distinguish them that are devoted to Thee from
such as stubbornly oppose Thee. Potent art Thou to do what Thou
willest, and powerful and supreme art Thou over all things.
Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my Beloved, above the
strivings of any of Thy creatures, however learned, to know
Thee; exalted, immensely exalted art Thou above every human
attempt, no matter how searching, to describe Thee! For the
highest thought of men, however deep their contemplation, can
never hope to outsoar the limitations imposed upon Thy creation,
nor ascend beyond the state of the contingent world, nor break
the bounds irrevocably set for it by Thee. How can, then, a
thing that hath been created by Thy will that overruleth the
whole of creation, a thing that is itself a part of the
contingent world, have the power to soar into the holy
atmosphere of Thy knowledge, or reach unto the seat of Thy
transcendent power?
High, immeasurably high art Thou above the endeavors of the
evanescent creature to soar unto the throne of Thine eternity,
or of the poor and wretched to attain the summit of Thine
all-sufficing glory! From eternity Thou didst Thyself describe
Thine own Self unto Thy Self, and extol, in Thine own Essence,
Thine Essence unto Thine Essence. I swear by Thy glory, O my
Best-Beloved! Who is there besides Thee that can claim to know
Thee, and who save Thyself can make fitting mention of Thee?
Thou art He Who, from eternity, abode in His realm, in the glory
of His transcendent unity, and the splendors of His holy
grandeur. Were any one except Thee to be deemed worthy of
mention, in all the kingdoms of Thy creation, from the highest
realms of immortality down to the level of this nether world,
how could it, then, be demonstrated that Thou art established
upon the throne of Thy unity, and how could the wondrous virtues
of Thy oneness and Thy singleness be glorified?
I bear witness, this very moment, to what Thou hast testified
for Thine own Self, ere Thou hadst created the heavens and the
earth, that Thou art God, and that there is none other God
besides Thee. Thou hast from everlasting been potent, through
the Manifestations of Thy might, to reveal the signs of Thy
power, and Thou hast ever made known, through the Day-Springs of
Thy knowledge, the words of Thy wisdom. No one besides Thee hath
ever been found worthy to be mentioned before the Tabernacle of
Thy unity, and none except Thyself hath proved himself capable
of being praised within the hallowed court of Thy oneness.
Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast revealed Thy favors
and Thy bounties; and glory be to Thee, O my Beloved, that Thou
hast manifested the Day-Star of Thy loving-kindness and Thy
tender mercies. I yield Thee such thanks as can direct the steps
of the wayward towards the splendors of the morning light of Thy
guidance, and enable those who yearn towards Thee to attain the
seat of the revelation of the effulgence of Thy beauty. I yield
Thee such thanks as can cause the sick to draw nigh unto the
waters of Thy healing, and can help those who are far from Thee
to approach the living fountain of Thy presence. I yield Thee
such thanks as can divest the bodies of Thy servants of the
garments of mortality and abasement, and attire them in the
robes of Thine eternity and Thy glory, and lead the poor unto
the shores of Thy holiness and all sufficient riches. I yield
Thee such thanks as can enable the Heavenly Dove to warble
forth, upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of Immortality, her
song: "Verily, Thou art God. No God is there besides Thee. From
eternity Thou hast been exalted above the praise of aught else
but Thee, and been high above the description of any one except
Thyself." I yield Thee such thanks as can cause the Nightingale
of Glory to pour forth its melody in the highest heaven: "&Ali
(the &Bab), in truth, is Thy servant, Whom Thou hast singled out
from among Thy Messengers and Thy chosen Ones, and made Him to
be the Manifestation of Thyself in all that pertaineth unto
Thee, and that concerneth the revelation of Thine attributes and
the evidences of Thy names." I yield Thee such thanks as can
stir up all things to extol Thee, and to glorify Thine Essence,
and can unloose the tongues of all beings to magnify the
sovereignty of Thy beauty. I yield Thee such thanks as can fill
the heavens and the earth with the signs of Thy transcendent
Essence, and assist all created things to enter the Tabernacle
of Thy nearness and Thy presence. I yield Thee such thanks as
can make every created thing to be a book that shall speak of
Thee, and a scroll that shall unfold Thy praise. I yield Thee
such thanks as can establish the Manifestations of Thy
sovereignty upon the throne of Thy governance, and set up the
Exponents of Thy glory upon the seat of Thy Divinity. I yield
Thee such thanks as can make the corrupt tree to bring forth
good fruit through the holy breaths of Thy favors, and revive
the bodies of all beings with the gentle winds of Thy
transcendent grace. I yield Thee such thanks as can cause the
signs of Thine exalted singleness to be sent down out of the
heaven of Thy holy unity. I yield Thee such thanks as can teach
all things the realities of Thy knowledge and the essence of Thy
wisdom, and will not withhold the wretched creatures from the
doors of Thy mercy and Thy bountiful favor. I yield Thee such
thanks as can enable all who are in heaven and on earth to
dispense with all created things, through the treasuries of
Thine all-sufficing riches, and can aid all created things to
reach unto the summit of Thine almighty favors. I yield Thee
such thanks as can assist the hearts of Thine ardent lovers to
soar into the atmosphere of nearness to Thee, and of longing for
Thee, and kindle the Light of Lights within the land of &Iraq. I
yield Thee such thanks as can detach them that are nigh unto
Thee from all created things, and draw them to the throne of Thy
names and Thine attributes. I yield Thee such thanks as can
cause Thee to forgive all sins and trespasses, and to fulfill
the needs of the peoples of all religions, and to waft the
fragrances of pardon over the entire creation. I yield Thee such
thanks as can enable them that recognize Thy unity to scale the
heights of Thy love, and cause such as are devoted to Thee to
ascend unto the Paradise of Thy presence. I yield Thee such
thanks as can satisfy the wants of all such as seek Thee, and
realize the aims of them that have recognized Thee. I yield Thee
such thanks as can blot out from the hearts of men all
suggestions of limitations, and inscribe the signs of Thy unity.
I yield Thee such thanks as that with which Thou didst from
eternity glorify Thine own Self, and didst exalt it above all
peers, rivals, and comparisons, O Thou in Whose hands are the
heavens of grace and of bounty, and the kingdoms of glory and of
majesty!
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God, and my Master! Thou bearest
witness, and seest, and knowest the things that have befallen
Thy loved ones in Thy days, and the continual trials, and the
successive tribulations, and the incessant afflictions, which
have been sent down upon Thine elect. Such hath been their
plight that the earth became too strait for them, and they were
encompassed by the evidences of Thy wrath and the signs of Thy
fear in every land, and the doors of Thy mercy and Thy
loving-kindness were shut against them, and the garden of their
hearts was deprived of the overflowing showers of Thy grace and
Thy bountiful favors. Wilt Thou withhold, O my God, from such as
love Thee the wonders of Thine ascendancy and triumph? Wilt Thou
shatter, O my Beloved, the hopes which they who are devoted to
Thee have fixed on Thy manifold bounties and gifts? Wilt Thou
keep back, O my Master, those that have recognized Thee from the
shores of Thy sanctified knowledge, or wilt Thou cease to rain
down upon the hearts of such as desire Thee the showers of Thy
transcendent grace? No, no, and to this Thy glory beareth me
witness! I testify this very moment that Thy mercy hath
surpassed all created things, and Thy loving-kindness
encompassed all that are in heaven and all that are on earth.
From everlasting the doors of Thy generosity were open to the
faces of Thy servants, and the gentle winds of Thy grace were
wafted over the hearts of Thy creatures, and the overflowing
rains of Thy bounty were showered upon Thy people and the
dwellers of Thy realm.
I know full well Thou hast delayed to manifest Thy triumph in
the kingdom of creation by reason of Thy knowledge which
embraceth both the mysteries of Thy decree, and the hidden
things ordained behind the veils of Thine irrevocable purpose,
that thereby those who have entered beneath the shadow of Thy
transcendent mercy may be separated from those who have dealt
disdainfully with Thee, and turned back from Thy presence at the
time when Thou didst manifest Thy most exalted Beauty.
Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou, therefore, O my Beloved!
Forasmuch as Thou hast divided, in Thy realm, Thy loved ones
from Thine enemies, and hast perfected Thy most weighty
testimony and Thy most infallible Proof unto all who are in
heaven and on earth, have mercy, then, upon those who were
brought low in Thy land, by reason of what hath befallen them in
Thy path. Exalt them, then, O my God, through the power of Thy
might and the potency of Thy will, and raise them up to proclaim
Thy Cause through Thine omnipotent sovereignty and purpose.
I swear by Thy glory! My sole purpose in showing forth Thine
ascendancy hath been to glorify Thy Cause, and to magnify Thy
word. I am persuaded that if Thou wert to delay to send down Thy
victory and to demonstrate Thy power, the signs of Thy
sovereignty would assuredly perish in Thy land, and the tokens
of Thy rule would be blotted out throughout Thy dominion.
My breast is straitened, O my God, and sorrows and vexations
have compassed me round, for I hear among Thy servants every
praise except Thy wondrous praise, and behold amidst Thy people
the evidences of all things save the evidences of what Thou hast
prescribed unto them by Thy behest, and destined for them
through Thy sovereign will, and ordained unto them by Thine
overruling decree. They have strayed so far from Thee that
should any of Thy loved ones deliver unto them the wondrous
tokens of Thy unity, and the gem-like utterances that attest Thy
transcendent oneness, they would thrust their fingers into their
ears, and would cavil at him and mock him. All this hast Thou
set down through Thine all-encompassing sovereignty, and
apprehended through Thine omnipotent supremacy.
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O my Master! Look,
then, upon the hearts which, in their love for Thee, have been
transfixed by the darts of Thine enemies, and the heads which
were borne on spears for the sake of the exaltation of Thy Cause
and the glorification of Thy name. Have pity, then, upon those
hearts which have been consumed by the fire of Thy love, and
been touched by such tribulations as are known only unto Thee.
All laud and honor to Thee, O my God! Thou well knowest the
things which, for a score of years, have happened in Thy days,
and have continued to happen until this hour. No man can reckon,
nor can any tongue tell, what hath befallen Thy chosen ones
during all this time. They could obtain no shelter, nor find any
refuge in which they could abide in safety. Turn, then, O my
God, their fear into the evidences of Thy peace and Thy
security, and their abasement into the sovereignty of Thy glory,
and their poverty into Thine all-sufficient riches, and their
distress into the wonders of Thy perfect tranquillity. Vouchsafe
unto them the fragrances of Thy might and Thy mercy, and send
down upon them, out of Thy marvelous loving-kindness, what will
enable them to dispense with all except Thee, and will detach
them from aught save Thyself, that the sovereignty of Thy
oneness may be revealed and the supremacy of Thy grace and Thy
bounty demonstrated.
Wilt Thou not, O my God, look upon the tears which Thy loved
ones have shed? Wilt Thou not pity, O my Beloved, the eyes which
have been dimmed by reason of their separation from Thee, and
because of the cessation of the signs of Thy victory? Wilt Thou
not behold, O my Master, the hearts wherein have beaten the
wings of the dove of longing and love for Thee? By Thy glory!
Things have come to such a pass that hope hath well nigh been
banished from the hearts of Thy chosen ones, and the breaths of
despair are ready to seize them, by reason of what hath befallen
them in Thy days.
Behold me, then, O my God, how I have fled from myself unto
Thee, and have abandoned my own being that I may attain unto the
splendors of the light of Thy Being, and have forsaken all that
keepeth me back from Thee, and maketh me forgetful of Thee, in
order that I may inhale the fragrances of Thy presence and Thy
remembrance. Behold how I have stepped upon the dust of the city
of Thy forgiveness and Thy bounty, and dwelt within the
precincts of Thy transcendent mercy, and have besought Thee,
through the sovereignty of Him Who is Thy Remembrance and Who
hath appeared in the robe of Thy most pure and most august
Beauty, to send down, in the course of this year, upon Thy loved
ones what will enable them to dispense with any one except Thee,
and will set them free to recognize the evidences of Thy
sovereign will and all-conquering purpose, in such wise that
they will seek only what Thou didst wish for them through Thy
bidding, and will desire naught except what Thou didst desire
for them through Thy will. Sanctify, then, their eyes, O my God,
that they may behold the light of Thy Beauty, and purge their
ears, that they may listen to the melodies of the Dove of Thy
transcendent oneness. Flood, then, their hearts with the wonders
of Thy love, and preserve their tongues from mentioning any one
save Thee, and guard their faces from turning to aught else
except Thyself. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou,
verily, art the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.
Protect, moreover, O my Beloved, through Thy love for them and
through the love they bear to Thee, this servant, who hath
sacrificed his all for Thee, and expended whatsoever Thou hast
given him in the path of Thy love and Thy good pleasure, and
preserve him from all that Thou abhorrest, and from whatsoever
may hinder him from entering into the Tabernacle of Thy holy
sovereignty, and from attaining the seat of Thy transcendent
oneness. Number him, then, O my God, with such as have allowed
nothing whatever to deter them from beholding Thy beauty, or
from meditating on the wondrous evidences of Thine everlasting
handiwork, that he may have fellowship with none except Thee,
and turn to naught save Thyself, and discover in whatever hath
been created by Thee in the kingdoms of earth and heaven nothing
but Thy wondrous Beauty and the revelation of the splendors of
Thy face, and be so immersed beneath the billowing oceans of
Thine overruling providence and the surging seas of Thy holy
unity, that he will forget every mention except the mention of
Thy transcendent oneness, and banish from his soul the traces of
all evil suggestions, O Thou in Whose hands are the kingdoms of
all names and attributes!
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who art the Goal of my desire! I
swear by Thy glory! How great is my wish to attain unto a
detachment so complete that were there to appear before me those
countenances which are hid within the chambers of chastity, and
the beauty of which Thou didst veil from the eyes of the entire
creation, and whose faces Thou didst sanctify from the sight of
all beings, and were they to unveil themselves in all the glory
of the splendors of Thine incomparable beauty, I would refuse to
look upon them, and would behold them solely for the purpose of
discerning the mysteries of Thy handiwork, which have perplexed
the minds of such as have drawn nigh unto Thee, and awed the
souls of all them that have recognized Thee. I would, by Thy
power and Thy might, soar to such heights that nothing
whatsoever would have the power to keep me back from the
manifold evidences of Thy transcendent dominion, nor would any
earthly scheme shut me out from the manifestations of Thy Divine
holiness.
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O my God, and my
Beloved, and my Master, and my Desire! Shatter not the hopes of
this lowly one to attain the shores of Thy glory, and deprive
not this wretched creature of the immensities of Thy riches, and
cast not away this suppliant from the doors of Thy grace, and
Thy bounty, and Thy gifts. Have mercy, then, upon this poor and
desolate soul who hath sought no friend but Thee, and no
companion except Thee, and no comforter save Thee, and no
beloved apart from Thee, nor cherished any desire but Thyself.
Cast, then, upon me, O my God, the glances of Thy mercy, and
forgive me my trespasses and the trespasses of them that are
dear to Thee, and which come in between us and the revelation of
Thy triumph and Thy grace. Cancel Thou, moreover, our sins which
have shut off our faces from the splendors of the Day-Star of
Thy favors. Powerful art Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou ordainest
what Thou willest, and art not asked of what Thou wishest
through the power of Thy sovereignty, nor canst Thou be
frustrated in whatsoever Thou prescribest through Thine
irrevocable decree. No God is there save Thee, the Almighty, the
Most Powerful, the Ever-living, the Most Compassionate. |
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