Lawh-i-Mánikchí Ṣáḥib (Tablet of Mánikchí Ṣáḥib)

In the name of the One God

1 Praise be to the enduring Creator, who is worthy to sprinkle dew from the ocean of His bounty, thus elevating the heavens of existence and adorning them with the stars of knowledge. He has guided mankind to the exalted court of insight and wisdom. This dew, which is the first utterance of the Lord, is sometimes called the water of life, for it revives the dead in the desert of ignorance. At times, it is referred to as the first light. This light, revealed by the sun of knowledge, becomes manifest and apparent when it shines, revealing the first movement. These manifestations arise from the generosity of the One endowed with knowledge. He is the Knower and the Bestower, pure and immaculate from all that is said and heard. The grasp of vision and knowledge, in speech and action, falls short of the hem of His recognition. Existence and all that is made manifest therein bear witness to this discourse.

2 Thus it became known that the first bounty of the Creator is speech, and the enduring and accepting recipient of it is wisdom. He is the foremost knower in the school of the world, and He is the manifestation of the Divine. All that is manifest from the radiance of His vision belongs to Him, and everything that reveals the manifestations of His knowledge. All names are His names, and the beginning and end of all deeds are with Him.

3 Your letter reached me in this prison of time, bringing joy and enhancing friendship, refreshing the memory of bygone days. I am grateful to the Creator of the world who decreed our meeting in the land of Arabia. We saw, we spoke, we heard. It is hoped that such a meeting will not be forgotten, and the turning of time will not erase its memory from the heart. May the plant of friendship grow from what was sown, remaining verdant, flourishing, and enduring in the assembly of time.

The Hands of the Knowledgeable Physician

4 Regarding the question about the heavenly names, the pulse of the world is in the hands of the knowledgeable physician. He sees the ailment and with His wisdom, He treats it. Each day has its own secret, and every matter has its own sound. The remedy for today’s pain is one thing, and for tomorrow, another. Be mindful of today and speak of today’s matters.

5 It is observed that boundless ailments have overtaken the world, casting it upon the bed of misfortune. People, intoxicated with the wine of self-conceit, have kept the knowledgeable physician away. This has led to their own entrapment and that of others. They neither recognize the ailment nor know the cure. They have mistaken the truth for falsehood and counted the friend as an enemy.

6 Hearken to the voice of this prisoner. Stand and proclaim, so perhaps those who are asleep may awaken. Say, “O ye dead! The hand of Divine generosity offers the water of life; hasten and drink. Whoever is enlivened today shall never die, and whoever dies today shall never find life.”

Purpose of Language

7 Regarding the language, you had written about both Arabic and Persian being commendable, for what is sought from a language is to understand the speaker’s words, and this is achievable through both. Today, as the sun of knowledge is manifest and evident from the sky of Iran, it is fitting and deserved to praise this language.

8 O Friend, when the initial discourse emerged in latter days, a group of celestial beings heard a familiar voice and believed in it. However, another group, observing the actions of some not aligning with the words of one, remained distant from the radiance of the sun of knowledge.

What Purifies You is My Path

9 Say, O sons of the earth, the Pure God decrees that what purifies you and brings you comfort in this victorious day is indeed My path. Purity from impurities involves freeing oneself from things that cause harm and diminish the greatness of people. It includes the approval of one’s own words and actions, even if they are good. And comfort is granted when each person shows goodwill towards all on earth. The knower of this discourse bears witness that if all the people of the earth followed the heavenly words, they would never be deprived of the ocean of Divine bounty. There is no star brighter in the sky of truth than this.

10 The foremost utterance of the wise is this: “O sons of the earth, turn from the darkness of estrangement to the light of the sun of unity. This is what benefits the people of the world the most.” O friend, there is no leaf more pleasing on the tree of discourse than this, and there has been and will be no gem more captivating in the ocean of knowledge than this.

11 O sons of knowledge, the eyelid, with its delicacy, shields the eye from the world and all within it. What, then, would a thicker veil do if it descends over the eye of the heart? Say, O people, the darkness of greed and envy veils the light of the soul, just as clouds obscure the sun’s light. If someone listens to this discourse with an attentive ear, they will unfurl the wings of freedom and soar effortlessly in the sky of knowledge.

12 When darkness enveloped the world, the ocean of bounty stirred and light became manifest, so that deeds might be seen. This is the same light foretold in the heavenly scriptures. If the Creator wills, He purifies the hearts of the people of the age with goodly words, and the sun of unity shines upon souls, rejuvenating the world.

Words Require Actions

13 O people, words require actions, for the true witness to the authenticity of speech is action. Without it, the thirsty are not quenched, nor are the doors of vision opened for the blind. The celestial wise say: Harsh words are seen in place of swords, and gentle ones in place of milk. Through this knowledge, the children of the world attain understanding and seek superiority.

14 The language of wisdom says: “He who does not possess me, possesses nothing. Forsake all that exists and find me; I am the sun of insight and the ocean of knowledge. I rejuvenate the withered and revive the dead. I am the light that shows the path to the sighted, and I am the falcon on the hand of the Self-Sufficient, who unbinds the wings of the bound and teaches them to soar.”

Freedom and Unity

15 The Unique Friend declares: “The path to freedom has opened, hasten and drink from the spring of knowledge. Say, O friends, the curtain of unity has been raised; do not see each other with the eyes of strangers. You all are of the same essence and leaves of the same tree. Truly, I say, whatever diminishes ignorance and increases knowledge is pleasing to the Creator. Say, O people, walk in the shade of justice and truth, and enter the pavilion of unity.”

16 Say, O those with eyes, the past is the mirror of the future; look and become aware, so perhaps after gaining awareness, you recognize the friend and cause no offense. Today, the best fruit of the tree of knowledge is that which benefits and preserves people.

17 Say, “The tongue is the witness of my truth; do not taint it with falsehood. The soul is the treasury of my secrets; do not entrust it to the hands of greed.” It is hoped that in this dawn, as the world is illuminated by the lights of the sun of knowledge, we may understand the wish of the Friend and drink from the ocean of recognition.

Speak Measuredly

18 O friend, as listening ears are rare, the pen has remained silent in its abode for some time. The situation has reached a point where silence has overtaken speech and become more favored. Say, O people, speak measuredly so that newcomers may stay and those maturing may reach their potential. Milk must be given in measure so that the children of the world may grow into greatness and find their place in the court of unity.

19 O friend, we have seen the pure earth and sown the seeds of knowledge. Now, it remains to be seen what the sun’s rays will do—whether they will scorch or nourish. Say, today, by the victory of the Unique Knower, the sun of knowledge has risen from behind the curtain of the soul, and all birds of the wilderness are intoxicated with the wine of knowledge, rejoicing in the remembrance of the Friend. Blessed is the one who comes and finds.

A Prayer for Manikchi Sahib

20 O Lord, I seek Your forgiveness with my tongue, my heart, my soul, my spirit, my body, my flesh, my bones, my blood, and my skin, for You are indeed the Oft-Returning, the Merciful. I implore Your forgiveness, O my God, with a plea through which You bestow the fragrances of pardon upon the people of transgression and clothe the sinners in the beautiful garb of Your pardon. I seek Your forgiveness, O my Sovereign, with a plea through which the sovereignty of Your pardon and care is manifest, and through which the sun of generosity and grace shines upon the temple of the sinners. I seek Your forgiveness, O my Forgiver and Creator, with a plea that hastens the erring towards Your pardon and benevolence, and causes the seekers to stand at the door of Your merciful compassion, the Most Merciful of the Merciful. I implore Your forgiveness, O my Master, with a plea that You have made a fire to burn away all sins and transgressions from every repentant, returning, remorseful, weeping, unblemished soul, and through which the bodies of the creatures are purified from the turbidities of sins and wrongdoings and from all that Your noble and knowledgeable self dislikes.