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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 8 |
LXIII
Thou beholdest, O my God, Thy servant who dwelleth in this
prison-house, wholly detached from any one but Thee, his eyes
turned in the direction of the Day-Spring of Thy mercy, his
heart longing for the wondrous manifestations of Thy grace.
Thou, O my Lord, hast reckoned up the ills that have afflicted
him in Thy path. Thou seest him compassed about with such of Thy
creatures as have transgressed and rebelled against Thee, who
have come in between him and Thy loved ones, who have fixed his
abode in this land and wronged Thee, and who have hindered Thy
servants from turning towards Thee.
For all these things I offer thanksgiving unto Thee, O my Lord!
I implore Thee to assist me and them that love me to magnify Thy
Word, and to endow us with such strength that the ills of this
world and its tribulations will be powerless to hinder us from
remembering Thee and from extolling Thy virtues. Powerful art
Thou to do all things; resplendent art Thou above all things.
Every conqueror is but a serf whom Thy hand hath subjected, and
the richest of the rich is as destitute before the immensity of
Thy wealth. The noblest of nobles is humbled when faced with the
manifestations of Thy glory, and the mightiest of potentates is
a mere abject one when confronted with the compelling evidences
of Thine authority.
Tear asunder, O my God, the veil of vain imaginings that hath
obscured the vision of Thy people, that all may haste towards
Thee, may tread the path of Thy pleasure, and walk in the ways
of Thy Faith. We are, O my God, Thy servants and Thy bondsmen.
Thou art sufficient unto us so that we can dispense with the
world and all that is therein. We are wholly satisfied with all
that hath befallen us in Thy path, and exclaim: "Praised be
Thou, in Whose hand are the realms of revelation and of
creation, and all the kingdoms of earth and heaven!"
LXIV
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God, my Master! Thou hearest the
sighing of those who, though they long to behold Thy face, are
yet separated from Thee and far distant from Thy court. Thou
testifiest to the lamentations which those who have recognized
Thee pour forth because of their exile from Thee and their
yearning to meet Thee. I beseech Thee by those hearts which
contain naught except the treasures of Thy remembrance and
praise, and which show forth only the testimonies of Thy
greatness and the evidences of Thy might, to bestow on Thy
servants who desire Thee power to approach the seat of the
revelation of the splendor of Thy glory and to assist them whose
hopes are set on Thee to enter into the tabernacle of Thy
transcendent favor and mercy.
Naked am I, O my God! Clothe me with the robe of Thy tender
mercies. I am sore athirst; give me to drink of the oceans of
Thy bountiful favor. I am a stranger; draw me nearer unto the
source of Thy gifts. I am sick; sprinkle upon me the healing
waters of Thy grace. I am a captive; rid me of my bondage, by
the power of Thy might and through the force of Thy will, that I
may soar on the wings of detachment towards the loftiest summits
of Thy creation. Thou, verily, doest what Thou choosest. There
is no God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the
Unconstrained.
LXV
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou knowest that my sole aim in
revealing Thy Cause hath been to reveal Thee and not my self,
and to manifest Thy glory rather than my glory. In Thy path, and
to attain Thy pleasure, I have scorned rest, joy, delight. At
all times and under all conditions my gaze hath been fixed on
Thy precepts, and mine eyes bent upon the things Thou hast
bidden me observe in Thy Tablets. I have wakened every morning
to the light of Thy praise and Thy remembrance, and reached
every evening inhaling the fragrances of Thy mercy.
And when the entire creation was stirred up, and the whole earth
was convulsed, and the sweet savors of Thy name, the
All-Praised, had almost ceased to breathe over Thy realms, and
the winds of Thy mercy had well-nigh been stilled throughout Thy
dominions, Thou didst, through the power of Thy might, raise me
up among Thy servants, and bid me to show forth Thy sovereignty
amidst Thy people. Thereupon I arose before all Thy creatures,
strengthened by Thy help and Thy power, and summoned all the
multitudes unto Thee, and announced unto all Thy servants Thy
favors and Thy gifts, and invited them to turn towards this
Ocean, every drop of the waters of which crieth out, proclaiming
unto all that are in heaven and on earth that He is, in truth,
the Fountain of all life, and the Quickener of the entire
creation, and the Object of the adoration of all worlds, and the
Best-Beloved of every understanding heart, and the Desire of all
them that are nigh unto Thee.
Though the fierce winds of the hatred of the wicked doers blew
and beat on this Lamp, He was, at no time, in His love for Thy
beauty, hindered from shedding the fragrance of His light. As
the transgressions committed against Thee waxed greater and
greater, my eagerness to reveal Thy Cause correspondingly
increased, and as the tribulations deepened --and to this Thy
glory beareth me witness-- a fuller measure of Thy sovereignty
and of Thy power was vouchsafed by me unto Thy creatures.
And finally, I was cast by the transgressors into the
prison-city of &Akka, and my kindred were made captives in
&Baghdad. The power of Thy might beareth me witness, O my God!
Every trouble that hath touched me in Thy path hath added to my
joy and increased my gladness. I swear by Thee, O Thou Who art
the King of Kings! None of the kings of the earth hath power to
hinder me from remembering Thee or from extolling Thy virtues.
Were they to be leagued--as they have been leagued--against me,
and to brandish their sharpest swords and most afflictive spears
against me, I would not hesitate to magnify Thy name before all
them that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth. Nay rather, I
would cry out and say: "This, O my Beloved, is my face which I
have offered up for Thy face, and this is my spirit which I have
sacrificed for Thy spirit, and this is my blood that seetheth in
my veins, in its longing to be shed for love of Thee and in Thy
path."
Though--as Thou beholdest me, O my God--I be dwelling in a place
within whose walls no voice can be heard except the sound of the
echo, though all the gates of ease and comfort be shut against
us, and thick darkness appear to have compassed us on every
side, yet my soul hath been so inflamed by its love for Thee,
that nothing whatsoever can either quench the fire of its love
or abate the consuming flame of its desire. Lifting up its
voice, it crieth aloud amidst Thy servants, and calleth them, at
all times and under all conditions, unto Thee.
I beseech Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, to open the eyes of Thy
servants, that they may behold Thee shining above the horizon of
Thy majesty and glory, and that they may not be hindered by the
croaking of the raven from hearkening to the voice of the Dove
of Thy sublime oneness, nor be prevented by the corrupt waters
from partaking of the pure wine of Thy bounty and the
everlasting streams of Thy gifts.
Gather them, then, together around this Divine Law, the covenant
of which Thou hast established with all Thy Prophets and Thy
Messengers, and Whose ordinances Thou hast written down in Thy
Tablets and Thy Scriptures. Raise them up, moreover, to such
heights as will enable them to perceive Thy Call.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the
Inaccessible, the All-Glorious.
LXVI
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest me dwelling in
this prison-house that lieth behind the seas and the mountains,
and knowest full well what I have endured for love of Thee and
for the sake of Thy Cause. Thou art He, O my God, Who hath
raised me up at Thy behest, and bidden me to occupy Thy seat,
and to summon all men to the court of Thy mercy. It is Thou Who
hast commanded me to tell out the things Thou didst destine for
them in the Tablet of Thy decree and didst inscribe with the pen
of Thy Revelation, and Who hast enjoined on me the duty of
kindling the fire of Thy love in the hearts of Thy servants, and
of drawing all the peoples of the earth nearer to the habitation
of Thy throne.
And when, as bidden by Thee, I arose and called out, by Thy
leave, all Thy creatures, the wayward among Thy servants opposed
me. Some turned away from me, others disowned my claim, a few
hesitated, while others were sore perplexed, notwithstanding
that Thy testimony was set forth before the followers of all
religions, and Thy proof demonstrated unto all the peoples of
the earth, and the signs of Thy might so powerfully manifested
as to encompass the entire creation.
I was, moreover, opposed by mine own kindred, although, as Thou
knowest, they were dear to me and I had desired for them that
which I had desired for mine own self. These are the ones who,
when learning that I had been cast into prison, perpetrated
against me what no man else on earth had perpetrated.
I entreat Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy name by which Thou
hast separated between truth and denial, to purify their hearts
of all evil suggestions, and to enable them to draw nigh unto
Him Who is the Day-Spring of Thy names and Thine attributes.
Thou knowest, O my God, that I have severed every tie that
bindeth me to any of Thy creatures except that most exalted tie
that uniteth me with whosoever cleaveth unto Thee, in this the
day of the revelation of Thy most august Self, that hath
appeared in Thy name, the All-Glorious. Thou knowest that I have
dissolved every bond that knitteth me to any one of my kindred
except such as have enjoyed near access to Thy most effulgent
face.
I have no will but Thy will, O my Lord, and cherish no desire
except Thy desire. From my pen floweth only the summons which
Thine own exalted pen hath voiced, and my tongue uttereth naught
save what the Most Great Spirit hath itself proclaimed in the
kingdom of Thine eternity. I am stirred by nothing else except
the winds of Thy will, and breathe no word except the words
which, by Thy leave and Thine inspiration, I am led to
pronounce.
Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Well-Beloved of all that
have known Thee, and the Desire of the hearts of such as are
devoted to Thee, inasmuch as Thou hast made me a target for the
ills that I suffer in my love for Thee, and the object of the
assaults launched against me in Thy path. Thy glory beareth me
witness! I can, on no account, feel impatient of the adversities
that I have borne in my love for Thee. From the very day Thou
didst reveal Thyself unto me, I have accepted for myself every
manner of tribulation. Every moment of my life my head crieth
out to Thee and saith: "Would, O my Lord, that I could be raised
on the spear-point in Thy path!" while my blood entreateth Thee
saying: "Dye the earth with me, O my God, for the sake of Thy
love and Thy pleasure!" Thou knowest that I have, at no time,
sought to guard my body against any affliction, nay rather I
have continually anticipated the things Thou didst ordain for me
in the Tablet of Thy decree.
Behold, then, O my God, my loneliness among Thy servants and my
remoteness from Thy friends and Thy chosen ones. I beseech Thee,
by the showers of the clouds of Thy mercy, whereby Thou hast
caused the blossoms of Thy praise and utterance and the flowers
of Thy wisdom and testimony to spring forth in the hearts of all
them that have recognized Thy oneness, to supply Thy servants
and my kindred with the fruits of the tree of Thy unity, in
these days when Thou hast been established upon the throne of
Thy mercy. Hinder them not, O my Lord, from attaining unto the
things Thou dost possess, and write down for them that which
will aid them to scale the heights of Thy grace and favor. Give
them, moreover, to drink of the living waters of Thy knowledge,
and ordain for them the good of this world and of the world to
come.
Thou art, verily, the Lord of &Baha, and the Beloved of his
heart, and the Object of his desire, and the Inspirer of his
tongue, and the Source of his soul. No God is there but Thee,
the Inaccessible, the Most High. Thou art, verily, the Almighty,
the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
LXVII
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I yield Thee thanks for
having enabled me to recognize the Manifestation of Thyself, and
for having severed me from Thine enemies, and laid bare before
mine eyes their misdeeds and wicked works in Thy days, and for
having rid me of all attachment to them, and caused me to turn
wholly towards Thy grace and bountiful favors. I give Thee
thanks, also, for having sent down upon me from the clouds of
Thy will that which hath so sanctified me from the hints of the
infidels and the allusions of the misbelievers that I have fixed
my heart firmly on Thee, and fled from such as have denied the
light of Thy countenance. Again I thank Thee for having
empowered me to be steadfast in Thy love, and to speak forth Thy
praise and to extol Thy virtues, and for having given me to
drink of the cup of Thy mercy that hath surpassed all things
visible and invisible.
Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the
All-Loving.
LXVIII
Praised be Thou, O my God! Thou seest me shut up in this Prison,
and art well aware that I have entered it solely for Thy sake
and for the sake of the glorification of Thy word and the
proclamation of Thy Cause. I cry out to Thee, this very moment,
O Thou Who art the Lord of all worlds, beseeching Thee, by Thine
undoubted Name, to attract the hearts of Thy servants unto the
Day-Spring of Thy most excellent titles and the Dawning-Place of
Thy most resplendent signs.
But for the troubles that touch me in Thy path, O my God, how
else could my heart rejoice in Thy days; and were it not for the
blood which is shed for love of Thee, what else could tinge the
faces of Thy chosen ones before the eyes of Thy creatures? I
swear by Thy might! The ornament that adorneth the countenance
of Thy dear ones is the blood which, in their love for Thee,
floweth out of their foreheads over their faces.
Thou beholdest, O my God, how every bone in my body soundeth
like a pipe with the music of Thine inspiration, revealing the
signs of Thy oneness and the clear tokens of Thy unity. I
entreat Thee, O my God, by Thy Name which irradiateth all
things, to raise up such servants as shall incline their ears to
the voice of the melodies that hath ascended from the right hand
of the throne of Thy glory. Make them, then, to quaff from the
hand of Thy grace the wine of Thy mercy, that it may assure
their hearts, and cause them to turn away from the left hand of
idle fancies and vain imaginings to the right hand of confidence
and certitude.
Now that Thou hast guided them unto the door of Thy grace, O my
Lord, cast them not away, by Thy bounty; and now that Thou hast
summoned them unto the horizon of Thy Cause, keep them not back
from Thee, by Thy graciousness and favor. Powerful art Thou to
do as Thou pleasest. No God is there but Thee, the Omniscient,
the All-Informed.
LXIX
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! My tongue, both the tongue of
my body and the tongue of my heart, my limbs and members, every
pulsating vein within me, every hair of my head, all proclaim
that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee.
From everlasting Thou hast been immeasurably exalted above all
similitudes and comparisons, and sanctified from whatsoever
pertaineth to the creation Thou hast created and fashioned. From
eternity Thou hast been alone, with none to share the majesty of
Thy singleness, and hast remained far above the changes and
chances to which all Thy creatures are subjected.
And when Thou didst purpose to demonstrate the power of Thy
sovereign might, and to glorify Thy word, and to guide the steps
of Thy people, Thou didst raise up from among Thy creatures One
of Thy servants, Whom Thou didst send forth with the signs of
Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou didst endue with the clear tokens
of Thy oneness, that He might fulfill Thy testimony unto all
created things, and perfect Thy proof before all men.
As soon as He revealed Himself, as bidden by Thee, and called
Thy servants to turn in the direction of Thy gifts, and to set
their faces towards the horizon of Thy knowledge, the signs of
dissension appeared amongst them. Some responded to Thy call
and, without the least hesitation, obeyed Thy summons. Others
turned their backs to Thee, and followed the desires of a
corrupt inclination.
I implore Thee, O my God, by Thy Most Great Name, to enrapture
the nations through the potency of the Word which Thou didst
ordain to be the king of all words, the Word whereby the goodly
pearls of Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and the gem-like
mysteries which were wrapped up within Thee were unraveled.
Deprive them not, by Thy grace and bounty, of the things Thou
didst desire for them, and suffer them not to be far removed
from the shores of the ocean of Thy presence.
Every existence, whether seen or unseen, O my Lord, testifieth
that Thy mercy hath surpassed all created things, and Thy
loving-kindness embraced the entire creation. Look upon them, I
entreat Thee, with the eyes of Thy mercy. Thou art the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. Do with them as
beseemeth Thy glory, and Thy majesty, and Thy greatness, and Thy
bounteousness and Thy grace. Deal not with them according to the
limitations imposed upon them, or the manifold vicissitudes of
their earthly life.
Thou knowest, O my Lord, that I am but one of Thy servants. I
have tasted of the sweetness of Thy speech, and acknowledged Thy
unity and Thy singleness, and set my face towards the Source of
Thy most excellent names and the Day-Spring of Thy transcendent
attributes, and wished to be enabled by Thee to immerse myself
beneath the ocean of Thy oneness and to be submerged by the
mighty waters of Thy unity.
Assist me, by Thy strengthening grace, O my Lord, to do what
Thou didst will, and withhold not from me the things Thou dost
possess. So enravish me with the wonders of Thine utterances
that the noise and distraction of this world may be powerless to
deter me from turning unto Thee, and may fail to shake my
constancy in Thy Cause, or to distract my gaze from the horizon
of Thy grace. Aid me, then, O my God, to do what pleaseth Thee,
and to carry out Thy will. Write down for me, moreover, the good
of this world and of the world which is to come, and ordain for
me a seat of truth in Thy presence. Potent art Thou to do what
Thou willest, and to rule as Thou pleasest. No God is there but
Thee, the Inaccessible, the All-Glorious, the Most Great.
All-praise to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the Object of the
adoration of the entire creation! |
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