Suriy-i-Ismuna’l-Mursal (Surah of Our Name, the Messenger)

This is the Surah of Our Name, the Messenger, revealed by the Supreme Pen, in order to be a herald for the worlds.

He is the Most Wondrous, the Most Sacred, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

This is a writing from Bahá’u’lláh to those who have recognized God and acknowledged His sovereignty, and then remained in a high and holy station. In it, there is what will set them straight if they listen to what has been revealed and do not prevent the ear of the heart from hearing the Word of the Mighty, Powerful, and Inaccessible God. God has manifested in this Tablet with His name “the Messenger” to the possible beings so that no one may be prevented from the wondrous things hidden in this blessed and marvelous name. We have made this Tablet the beginning of the appearance of this name in the worlds, and from it, We have sent the messengers of the One who has no beginning. We sent them to the servants by a command from Us, and indeed We have been commanding. And We will continue to send messengers by this command to the end that has no end with power from Us, and indeed We have been able. This Tablet was inscribed by the Pen of Power and preserved behind the veil of sanctity until We revealed it in truth and sent it forth in the best design in the form of these radiant, holy, and luminous words.

To Baha’u’llah, the Messenger

O this name, We have made you the manifestation of Our messengers in the Kingdom of Names and ordained for you what no one among the creatures can count. We have exalted you in truth to the station where all the messengers are shaded by your shadow, and through you, We send the messengers to all the worlds of your Lord. This is what We have ordained for you as a favor from Us for Our knowing servants. Among the messengers, there are those We send with the truth and send them to the servants with a book and clear proof. And among them are those whom We made speak with a favor from Us and inspired with the wisdom of the command from Us, and indeed We have been able over all things. Among them are those whom We inspired with messengers from the angels, and among them are those whom We made the Spirit speak in their chests with ten thousand sacred wonders. Among them are those whom We manifested with all of this and made them the manifestation of all the names between the earth and the heaven. We purified them from the defilement of the polytheists, supported them with the greatest Spirit, and made them the manifestation of Our Self to those in the Kingdom of Command and Creation. We ordained for them the best of the worlds. Thus, We have preferred some of them over others as a favor from Me, and I am the ancient Fadā’l (Benevolent). Beneath these, We manifested this name to all who are in the heavens and the earth and made this name a sun from which all existence, both hidden and seen, may benefit from its lights. None recognizes this except those who have been given the sight of the spirit from the All-Knowing, Wise. No one can prevent the manifestation of this sun except the one who places a veil between himself and its lights. Thus, We reveal to the servants what brings them closer to the spring of understanding and clarifies the paths of knowledge.

Messengers Who Weren’t Aware

Many messengers were manifested upon them the manifestations of this sun, but within themselves, they were not aware. For example, those who carry the messages of kings to the lands, they are messengers from them, and this name manifested upon them according to their capacity and their exposure to this radiant, honored, and wondrous sun. Among them are those who carry the messages of God in His Tablets but do not understand within themselves and are among the heedless, as you witness. Those who are called “chāpar” (couriers) in their going and coming carry the verses of God and His Book and spread them in the lands, but within themselves, they are veiled. Many of them, if they were aware of this, would not accept it within themselves, nor would they carry it, but they would be among the deniers. This name’s manifestation shines upon them in their heedlessness. Thus, the bounty of your Lord encompasses the worlds. We sent with these, in all their goings, what none among the knowing can carry, how much less those below them. This is one of the hidden mercies of their Lord upon them and upon Our near servants. Today, their names are mentioned before God by the angels of the messengers, and We made them bearers of glad tidings for Our willing servants. They will remain in this favor until God reveals their deeds to them as a promise from Him. Indeed, He is the best fulfiller. God will raise them up with His authority and make them know the manifestation of His Self and bring them to the Paradise of Sanctity as a reward for what they have done and were among the doers. No one’s reward is lost before God, and He does not waste the reward of the doers of good. We inspired the kings before to appoint servants for this matter so that what God willed in those days for the spread of His signs might appear from them. Thus, We explain to you the power of your Lord so that you may be certain of His power.

To the Kings of the Bayan

O kings of the Bayan, command your messengers at the appearance of the sun of certitude from the East of the All-Glorious that they go with the news of God and His Tablets to all the lands and inform the people of the holy, wondrous lights. Inform them to carry the signs of God to all regions so that the fragrances of sanctity may waft upon the worlds. We have made you the manifestation of Our sovereignty for this and for the recognition of your Originator at the time of appearance. By God, this is better for you than the kingdoms of the heavens and the earth. Await the days of God so that you may find them, then strive after you have heard to reach the sanctuary of sanctity, the abode of the great Throne. By God, your turning towards the presence of the All-Glorious and standing before the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful, is better than the worship of the two worlds. Beware lest you deprive yourselves of the bounty of those days, then enter the sanctum of Paradise beside the mercy of your Lord, the Most Merciful. By God, this will establish your sovereignty and raise your rank and elevate your mention and inscribe your names on the Tablets of a holy guardian. You will be taken by the bounty of your Creator in those days and given power over all who are on the earth. Thus, God has commanded you in this Tablet so that you may not be veiled at the time of appearance by what you possess of the adornments of the earth and may not prevent yourselves from what is better for you than what has been created between the heavens and the earth if you listen to the counsel of God. If you heed the advice of God, it is for your own selves, and if you turn away, it is for your own selves, and He is indeed self-sufficient from His veiled servants. If you do not act according to what you have been commanded in the Tablet, He will send His Tablets by the hands of the angels of the bearers of glad tidings in your heedlessness, as We send them by the hands of your servants in their heedlessness. Thus, your Lord is able to do what He wills and rules what He desires. No one can prevent Him from His sovereignty, and nothing can hinder Him from what He has created in the heavens and the earth, if you are among the knowing. As you have witnessed and heard all this from the manifestations of Our Self at the time of appearance, whenever the manifestations of oppression prevented them from their sovereignty and turned against them with aversion, they manifested by their authority what they willed and established the matter with their words and cut off the root of the oppressors. Thus, We have detailed in this Tablet the secrets of the matter, so blessed is the one who reads it, thinks about what is inscribed upon it, and brings forth what is hidden within it of the pearls of radiant knowledge.

To the Kings of Baha

O kings of Bahá, do not act as the kings did with Us in those days. Among them was the king of Persia who hanged the body of the matter in the air and killed it unjustly, causing all things to weep, then the inhabitants of Paradise, then the people of the highest Assembly. He killed a few souls from our relatives, seized our wealth, made our people captives in the hands of the oppressors, and imprisoned Me time after time. By God, the Truth, no one can count what befell Me in prison except God, the Reckoner, the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful. Then after that, He expelled Me with My family from the lands until He brought us to Iraq with manifest sorrow. We remained there until the king of Rome rose against Us and summoned Us to the seat of his sovereignty. When We arrived, what pleased the king of Persia happened to Us until We entered this prison where the hands of the lovers were cut off from Our hem. Thus, they did to Us, but We thank God for what befell Us from His unchangeable decrees and praise Him for it, hoping for what is with Him. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

To the Messenger and Its Manifestations

O Our name, the Messenger, and its manifestations, We have honored you, exalted you, and made you the manifestations of Us in the Kingdom of Names. Beware lest anything delude you from your Creator, and do not let your high mention veil you from your Originator. Fear God and be among the pious. O mirrors of this name, do not treat Our Self as the mirrors did in those days, for you were created by Our command and sent by the will of Our Pen if you are among the perceiving. Should the shadows deny the lights of the sun or object to them after they were created by them? No, by My Sovereign Self, the All-Powerful, the Mighty. Their aversion to the sun and their objection to it is like the beetle’s objection to the scent of musk. Thus, We have given an example for the servants that perhaps the people may be among those who are certain of the signs of their Lord. Whoever does not convey to himself the messages of his Lord and does not prevent himself from wrongdoing and indecency and what is forbidden in the Tablets, he is deprived of the manifestation of this name and is among the deprived.

To the People of Baha

O people of Bahá, convey to yourselves the messages of your Lord, then convey to the servants so that the messages of God may surround you upon the worlds. Beware lest you deprive yourselves of this most exalted, inaccessible favor. And you, O servant, rise from your slumber, then convey to the people what you have been commanded by your Lord, the Most Merciful. Do not look at anyone, then look at the face of your Lord, the Mighty, the Luminous. Suffice with your Lord apart from others so that you may witness yourself independent of the worlds. We have sent down this paradise and sent it to you so that you may think about it and what is upon it and thank your Lord and be among the thankful. Cut yourself off from the world and its adornments, then rely on God in all matters and be among the trusting. Gather the people on the command of your Lord and be among the doers of good. Rise with the sword of statement from the horizon of the tongue, then sing on My melody between the heavens and the earth. If you find yourself extinguished, ignite from this fire by the name of your chosen Lord so that you may attract to yourself the hearts of the righteous among Our near servants. If you find yourself ill, seek healing in My name, the Healer, so that every sick and ailing one may be healed through you. Thus, We have ordained for you and commanded you to be among the worlds. The lights of your Lord are upon you in My name, the Most Glorious, and upon those with you among Our certain servants.