Lawh-i-Rais (Tablet to Ra’is)

He is the sovereign by right.

A Promise to the Ra’is (Ali Pasha)

The Most Exalted Pen says:

O soul, who considers yourself the highest of people and regards the divine servant, whom the eyes of the Supreme Concourse find bright and luminous, as the lowest of servants. This servant has never and will never have any expectations from you or your kind, for it has always been the case that each of the manifestations of the Merciful and the dawning places of the sublime glory, who have descended from the eternal world to the mortal realm to revive the dead, have been deemed by people like you as corrupt and deficient, even though these sacred beings were the very ones upon whom the reformation of the world depended. They have fulfilled their destiny, and soon you will fulfill yours, and you will find yourself in great loss.

In your opinion, this reviver of the world and its reformer is corrupt and deficient. What fault have women, young children, and nursing infants committed to be subjected to the lashes of your wrath and fury? In no religion or nation have children been deemed guilty. The pen of God’s decree has absolved them from blame. Yet, the flames of your oppression and tyranny have engulfed all. If you belong to any religion or creed, in all divine scriptures, valuable books, and confirmed tablets, children have never been held accountable. Even those who do not believe in God have not committed such acts because everything has an effect, and no one denies the effects of things except a fool who is entirely deprived of intellect and wisdom. Therefore, surely, the cries of these children and the wailing of these oppressed will have an effect.

The Exile and Imprisonment of His Group

A group that has never opposed your kingdoms or rebelled against the government, dwelling in seclusion and occupied with the remembrance of God day and night, such souls you have plundered, and what they possessed has been unjustly taken away. After the command for this servant’s exile was issued, they grieved, and those who executed the exile mentioned that they had no issue with these souls and no objection to them. The government had not exiled them; if they wished, they could come with you. These poor souls spent their means and, abandoning all possessions, sufficed with the companionship of the servant. Trusting in God, they once again migrated with the Truth until the prison of Acre became their abode.

Upon arrival, military officers surrounded everyone, males and females, young and old, all were housed in the barracks. The first night, everyone was deprived of food and drink because the officers had seized the gate of the barracks and prevented everyone from leaving, and no one thought of these poor ones. Even when they asked for water, no one responded.

Some time has passed, and all remain imprisoned in the barracks, although we had resided in Adrianople for five years. All the people of the town, learned and ignorant, rich and poor, testified to the sanctity and purity of these servants. When this servant was leaving Adrianople, one of the beloved of God sacrificed himself with his own hands, unable to witness this oppressed one in the hands of the oppressors. Three times during the journey, the boat was changed, and it is clear how much hardship was endured by the children from being transferred from one boat to another. After leaving the boat, four of the friends were separated and prevented from accompanying. After this servant departed, one of the four, named Abdul-Ghaffar, threw himself into the sea, and his fate remains unknown.

This is but a drop from the ocean of oppression that has been mentioned. Nevertheless, you have not been content with this. Every day, officers execute a new decree, and it has not yet ended. Every night and day, they are engaged in new schemes. From the state treasury, they give three loaves of bread to the captives each day, which no one is able to eat. Such oppression has not been seen or heard of from the beginning of the world until now.

A Prophecy

By the One who made the voice of Bahá resound between earth and heaven, you had no significance or mention among those who have sacrificed their souls, bodies, and possessions out of love for God, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Powerful. A handful of clay in the sight of God is greater than your kingdom, sovereignty, honor, and power. If He wills, He can make you as scattered dust. He will seize you with His wrath and cause corruption to appear among you, and your lands will be divided. Then you will lament and cry out, but you will find no helper or supporter for yourselves.

This mention is not to make you aware, for the wrath of God has encompassed those souls, and they will never become aware. Nor is it to recount the injustices inflicted upon the pure souls, for these souls are so exhilarated by the wine of the Merciful and so taken by the sweet-scented Salsabil of divine grace that if the world’s oppression were to fall upon them, they would still be pleased and even grateful in the path of God. They have never complained and never will. Indeed, the blood in their veins constantly seeks and hopes from the Lord of all worlds to be spilled on the dust in His path, and their heads long to be raised on every spear for the sake of the Beloved.

Several calamities have befallen you, yet you have paid no heed. One was the fire that burned most of the city with the flames of justice, such that poets composed verses about it, and they have written that such a fire had never occurred until now. Nevertheless, it increased your heedlessness. Similarly, the plague took hold, yet you did not become aware. But wait, for the wrath of God is prepared, and soon you will see what has been decreed by the Pen of Command.

Do you consider your honor to remain, or your kingdom to be everlasting? No, by the breath of the Merciful. Neither your honor will remain, nor our abasement. This abasement is the pride of all honors.

A Scene From Baha’u’llah’s Childhood

When this servant was a child and had not yet reached the age of maturity, my father intended to arrange a marriage for one of my elder brothers in Tehran. As was the custom of that city, they engaged in celebration for seven days and nights. On the last day, it was mentioned that today is the game of Shah Sultan Selim. Many nobles, dignitaries, and notable figures of the city gathered. This servant was sitting in one of the rooms of the building, observing. A tent was set up in the courtyard, and it was seen that figures resembling human beings, about a span tall, emerged from the tent, announcing that the Sultan was coming and to set up the chairs. Then, other figures came out and began sweeping, and others started sprinkling water. Another person announced, saying he was the herald, informing people to be present for the Sultan’s reception. Then, a group with shawls and hats, as is the custom in Persia, and another group with axes, along with another group of executioners with sticks and flails, came and stood in their respective places. Then a person with royal grandeur and an imperial crown, with utmost pride and majesty, proceeded forward, stopping occasionally, and with complete dignity and composure, ascended the throne.

Upon sitting, the sound of cannon fire and trumpets arose, and smoke surrounded the tent and the Sultan. After it cleared, it was seen that the Sultan was seated, and ministers, nobles, and dignitaries stood in their places before him. Meanwhile, a thief was brought in, and by the Sultan’s order, it was decreed that he be beheaded. Immediately, the chief executioner beheaded him, and red water, resembling blood, flowed from him. Then, the Sultan conversed with the attendees. During this time, news arrived that a certain border had rebelled, and a military parade was held. Several regiments of soldiers, along with artillery, were dispatched. A few minutes later, the sound of cannons was heard from behind the tent, and it was said that a battle was underway.

This servant was deeply thoughtful and perplexed, wondering what these arrangements were. The reception concluded, and the tent curtain was drawn. After about twenty minutes, a person emerged from behind the tent with a box under his arm.

I asked him, “What is this box, and what were these arrangements?”

He replied that all these expansive arrangements, visible objects, the Sultan, the nobles, the ministers, the grandeur, and the splendor, and the power and authority that you witnessed, are now in this box.

By the Lord who created everything with a word from Him, since that day, all the means of the world have appeared to this servant like that arrangement, and they have never had, and will never have, the weight of a mustard seed. I was very astonished that people take pride in such things, whereas the discerning ones, even before witnessing the majesty of anything majestic, perceive its decline with absolute certainty. I have never seen anything without perceiving its end before it, and God is sufficient as a witness.

It is incumbent upon every soul to pass these few days with sincerity and fairness. If one is not enabled to recognize the truth, at least let him walk in the path of reason and justice. Soon, all these apparent things, visible treasures, worldly adornments, lined-up armies, decorated garments, and arrogant souls will be carried into the box of the grave, just like that box. To those with insight, all these disputes, contentions, and prides are like children’s play and will always be. Take heed and do not be among those who see and yet deny.

You and the World Are Perishable

For this servant and the friends of the Truth, as all are captives and afflicted, they have never had, and never will have, any expectations from the likes of you. The purpose is that you raise your head from the pillow of heedlessness and come to awareness, and not unjustly assault the servants of God. While you still have power and strength, strive to remove harm from the oppressed. If you come to fairness and observe with absolute certainty the affairs and conflicts of the perishable world, you will acknowledge that all is like the game that was mentioned.

Listen to the word of God and do not be deceived by the world. Those like you who claimed lordship on earth without right, and sought to extinguish the light of God in His lands and destroy the foundations of the House in His territories—do you see them? Be fair and then return to God. Perhaps He may forgive you for what you have committed in this false life. Though we know that you will never be enabled to do so, because by your oppression the fire has been kindled, the spirit has lamented, the pillars of the Throne have trembled, and the hearts of the near ones have been shaken.

O people of the earth, hear the call of this oppressed one with the ears of your hearts and ponder deeply on this analogy that has been mentioned. Perhaps you will not be consumed by the fire of desire and passion and will not be prevented from the truth by the adorned things of this base world. Honor and abasement, poverty and wealth, trouble and comfort—all are transient, and soon all on the earth will return to the graves. Therefore, every discerning one should gaze towards the everlasting sight, that perhaps by the favors of the Eternal Sovereign he may enter the everlasting kingdom and dwell in the shade of the Tree of Command.

Although the world is a place of deception and trickery, it constantly informs all people of their eventual demise. The very act of water flowing is a signal for the water carrier, informing him that he too will depart. If only the people of the world, who have amassed worldly adornments and been deprived of the truth, knew to whom that treasure would ultimately belong—no, by the essence of Bahá, no one knows except the Almighty God Himself.

Hakim Sanai, upon whom be mercy, said: “Take counsel, O you whose place is darkened, take counsel, Take counsel, O you whose face is brightened with dawn.”

However, most are asleep. Such souls are like the one who, intoxicated by the wine of self-desire, showed affection to a dog, holding it in his arms and playing with it. When the dawn of awareness arose, and the horizon of the sky was illuminated by the shining light, he saw that the beloved or the lover was a dog. He returned to his place, disappointed, regretful, and crestfallen.

Do not think that you have humiliated this servant or that you are superior to him. You are defeated by one of His servants, yet you are not a poet. The most base and abject of creatures rules over you, and that is your self and desire, which has always been rejected. Were it not for the consideration of ultimate wisdom, you would have seen your own weakness and that of all on the earth. This abasement is the honor of the Cause, if only you knew.

This servant does not and has never liked any word contrary to decorum. We have adorned the forms of Our chosen servants with the garment of propriety, otherwise, some of the deeds you deem insignificant would be mentioned in this Tablet.

Young Children Did Not Need An Army

O man of power, these young children and these poor ones, by God, did not need a royal decree and an army. After our arrival, a man named Giliboli Omar Bashi was present before us. God knows what he said. After discussions in which he mentioned his own innocence and your guilt, this servant stated that first, it was necessary to arrange a meeting where this servant could gather with the scholars of the time to determine what crime these servants had committed. Now the matter has surpassed these considerations, and you claim that you are commanded to imprison us in the remotest of lands. I have one request: if you can present it to the presence of the Sultan, that this servant meet with him for ten minutes and ask whatever he deems as proof and evidence of the truth of the word of God. If it is proven to be from God, then release these oppressed ones and leave them to their own condition.

He pledged that he would convey this word and send a response, but no news was received from him. While it is not appropriate for the Truth to present Himself to anyone, for all are created to obey Him, yet out of consideration for these young children and a group of women who have been separated from their loved ones and homeland, we accepted this matter. Nevertheless, nothing came of it. Omar is present and alive; ask him so that the truth may be revealed to you.

Now, many are ill and imprisoned. None knows what has befallen us except God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. Two of these servants hastened to the Supreme Companion in the early days of our arrival. One day, it was decreed that those pure bodies should not be taken away until the costs of their shrouds and burial were paid, even though none of those souls had asked for anything, and at that time, no worldly adornments were available. Despite our efforts to take charge and for the existing souls to carry the bodies, this too was not allowed. Eventually, they took a prayer mat to the market, auctioned it, and paid the fee. After it became known, they dug a small area and placed both pure bodies in the same spot, even though they had taken double the burial and shroud costs.

The pen is incapable, and the tongue is powerless to describe what has happened, but all these poisonous trials are sweeter than honey to this servant. Would that at every moment, the world’s harm for the sake of God and the love of the Merciful would befall this perishable one, the ocean of meanings.

Ask God To Help You Reach Maturity

We ask for patience and forbearance from Him, for you are weak and do not know. If you were aware and attained even a breath from the fragrant breezes wafting from the path, you would abandon all that you possess and find joy in, and reside in one of the ruined chambers of this Most Great Prison. Ask God to help you reach maturity so that you become aware of the beauty and ugliness of deeds and actions. Peace be upon those who follow guidance.