Súriy-i-Ra’ís (Surah to the Chief)

In the name of the Most Glorious

1) Indeed, O Chief (Mehmed Emin Âli Pasha, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire), hear the call of God, the Sovereign, the Dominant, the Self-Subsisting. Indeed, He calls between the earth and the sky, and invites all to the most glorious vision. Not obstructed by your veils, nor by the barking around you, nor by the armies of the worlds. The world has ignited from the word of your most glorious Lord, and it is gentler than the breeze of dawn. It has appeared in the form of a human, and through it, God has enlivened His servants who are oriented towards Him. In its essence is a water with which God has purified the hearts of those who turn to Him and are heedless of the mention of anything other than Him. He has drawn them near to the vision of His great Name, and we have sprinkled from it upon the graves, and they are standing, observing the beauty of God, the luminous, the radiant.

Prophecy of Loss

2) Indeed, O Chief, you have committed what would cause Muhammad, the Messenger of God, to lament in the highest Paradise. The world has deceived you, therefore you have turned away from the face whose light illuminates the highest assembly. You will find yourself in clear loss. You have allied with the Chief of the Persians to your detriment, after what has come to you from the horizon of greatness and majesty, by whose command the eyes of those drawn near are delighted.

3) By God, this is a day on which fire speaks in all things; the Beloved of the worlds has come, and at every instance from all things, the Speaker of the command stands to listen to the word of your Lord, the Mighty, the Knowing. Indeed, were we to shed the garment we have donned due to your weakness, those in the heavens and the earth would offer themselves in ransom for my soul, and your Lord bears witness to this. None will hear it except those who have severed themselves from all existence, out of love for God, the Mighty, the Powerful.

4) Do you think you can extinguish the fire that God has ignited on the horizons? No, by His True Essence, if you are among the knowing. Rather, by what you have done, its flames and ignition have increased. Thus will it encompass the earth and those upon it. So has the matter been decreed, and none shall stand with Him in judgment, neither in the heavens nor in the two earths.

5) Thus will the land of mystery and what lies beneath it be transformed, and it will escape from the hand of the King. The earthquake will manifest, the wailing will rise, and corruption will appear in the lands. Affairs will differ due to the secrets inflicted upon these by the troops of the unjust. The rule will change and the matter will intensify so much that the dunes will lament in the plateaus, the trees will weep in the mountains, blood will flow from all things, and you will see people in great turmoil.

The Reason for the Loss

6) Indeed, O Leader, we have manifested ourselves to you once at the Mount of Fig and once at the Olive, and in this blessed spot. You did not perceive [the significance] because you followed your own desires and were among the heedless. So look and then remember: when Muhammad came with clear signs from an All-Powerful, All-Knowing [source], the people wished to stone him in the watchtowers and the marketplaces. They disbelieved the signs of Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your early forefathers. The scholars denied him, then those who followed them among the factions, and behind them, the kings of the earth, as you have heard from the stories of the ancients. Among them was Chosroes, to whom he sent a noble letter, inviting him to God and forbidding him from polytheism. Surely, your Lord is All-Knowing about all things. Indeed, he was arrogant towards God and tore the tablet, following his own soul and desires, except that he is among the companions of the Blaze.

7) Did Pharaoh manage to prevent God from His authority when he transgressed upon the earth and was among the tyrants? Indeed, we made the Speaker [Moses] appear from his own house despite his nose. Indeed, we were capable. And remember when Nimrod ignited the fire of polytheism to burn Abraham, we saved him with the truth and seized Nimrod with manifest authority. Say, the king of Persia killed the Beloved of the Worlds to extinguish with that the Light of God among all else and to prevent people from the path of life in the days of God, the Mighty, the Generous.

8) We have indeed manifested the matter in the lands, and elevated His remembrance among the monotheists. Say, the youth has come to enliven the world and to unify all that is upon the earth. What God wills shall prevail, and you will see the entire earth as the Most Glorious Garden. Thus it is inscribed from the pen of the Matter upon a straight tablet.

9) Leave mention of the leader, then recall the companion who found solace in the love of God and cut himself off from those who associated others with Him and were among the losers. He tore through the veils such that the people of Paradise heard the sound of its tearing. Exalted is God, the Sovereign, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the Wise.

The Night Military Advisors Were Ordered To Do Evil

10) O scribes, listen to the call of the Most Glorious on this night in which the military officers have gathered against us, and we are in great joy. How I wish that our blood be spilled upon the face of the earth in the path of God, and that we be laid upon the ground. This is my desire and the desire of those who seek me, ascending to my wondrous, marvelous kingdom.

11) Know that one day we woke up to find the lovers of God at the mercy of the adversaries. The authorities took over all the gates and prevented the servants from entering and exiting, and they were among the wrongdoers. The lovers of God and their Lord were left without sustenance on the first night. Thus, it was decreed upon those for whom the world and whatever is in it were created for themselves. Woe unto them and those who ordered them to do evil; God will surely burn their livers with fire, and He is the most severe of avengers.

12) The people crawled around the House, and both Islam and Christianity wept for us. The wailing of cries rose between the earth and the sky due to what the hands of the wrongdoers had earned. Indeed, we found that the followers of the Son wept more intensely than other communities, and in that are signs for those who ponder. One of the lovers offered his life for mine and slit his own throat out of love for God. This is something we have not heard of from the earlier generations.

God’s Proof Against All Creation

13) This is what God has specifically bestowed upon this Manifestation to display His power. Indeed, He is the All-Powerful, the Omnipotent. And the one who slit his throat in Iraq, he is indeed the beloved of the martyrs and their leader. What emerged from him was God’s proof against all creation. Those are the ones upon whom the word of God had its effect; they tasted the sweetness of remembrance and were taken by the breezes of union, so much so that they severed themselves from everyone on the entire earth and turned toward the face with a luminous countenance. And if anything not permitted by God had appeared from them, He would nonetheless have forgiven them as a grace from Himself. Indeed, He is the Most-Forgiving, the Merciful. They were drawn by the irresistible pull of the Almighty, so much so that the reins of choice were taken from their hands, until they ascended to the station of direct encounter and presence before God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

14) Say, the youth has departed from these abodes and has placed under every tree and stone a trust that God will reveal in truth. Thus has the judgement come and the matter been decreed by a Wise Planner. The armies of the heavens and the earths cannot stand against His command, and all the kings and sovereigns cannot prevent Him from what He wills. Say, calamities are the oil for this lamp, and by them its light increases, if you are among the knowing. Say, turning away is from every averter, the herald of this matter, and through it the command of God and His appearance have spread among the worlds.

15) Blessed are you for what you have migrated from your homelands, and traversed countries and lands out of love for God, your Sustainer, the Mighty, the Ancient. Until you entered the land of the secret on the day when the fire of oppression blazed and the raven of discord croaked. You are partners in my tribulations, for you were with us on the night when the hearts of the monotheists were agitated. You entered out of love for us and departed by our command. By God, it is fitting that the earth should boast over the heaven because of you. Oh, how excellent is this sublime grace, the Mighty, the Impenetrable. Indeed, O birds of eternity, you were prevented from nests in the path of your Chosen Lord. Indeed, your refuge is under the wing of the grace of your Merciful Lord. Blessed are the discerning.

16) Indeed, O my sacrificed spirits, for you and for whoever finds solace in you, gains insights from you, and hears from you what purifies the hearts of the seekers. I express gratitude to God for you having reached the shores of the Greatest Ocean. Then listen to the call of every atom: this is the Beloved of the world. Yet, the people of the world wrong Him and do not recognize the One they invoke at all times. Those who are heedless of Him and turn away from what they should rightfully devote their souls to, in the path of His loved ones, have surely lost. How luminous is His radiant beauty!

17) Indeed, even if your heart melts in separation from God, remain patient. Verily, you have a great station with Him. You will stand facing the Divine and converse with you in the tongue of power and strength, not withheld from the ears of the devoted. Say, were He to speak a word, it would be sweeter than all the words of the worlds.

The Day of the Desired of the Messengers

18) This is a day that if Muhammad, the Messenger of God, had perceived, he would have said, “We have recognized You, O the Desired of the Messengers.” If Abraham the Friend had perceived it, he would have laid his face upon the soil in submission to God, your Lord, and said, “My heart is content, O God, Lord of the dominions of the heavens and the earths, I witness the dominion of Your command and the might of Your power, and with Your emergence, the hearts of the seekers are at peace.” If Moses the Speaker had perceived it, he would have said, “Praise be to You for showing me Your beauty and making me among the visitors.”

19) Consider the people and their affairs, and what has emerged from their mouths and what their hands have acquired in this blessed, holy, and wondrous day. Indeed, those who have squandered the matter and turned towards Satan, upon them is the curse of all things, and they are the companions of the Blaze. Indeed, the one who hears my call is not influenced by the call of the worlds, and the one who is influenced by the words of others has certainly not heard my call. By God, he is deprived of my dominion and the realms of my grandeur and power, and he is among the losers.

20) Do not grieve over what has befallen you, for you have borne in my love what most servants cannot bear. Indeed, your Lord is All-Knowing and Aware, and has been with you in gatherings and assemblies, and has heard what has flowed from the fountain of your heart, the path of wisdom and expression in the remembrance of your Merciful Lord. Indeed, this is a clear favor.

Prophecy: A King Will Aid God’s Allies

21) God will indeed raise among the kings those who will aid His allies. He is, assuredly, all-encompassing over all things, and He will cast into the hearts love for His allies. This is a certainty from the presence of the Mighty, the Beautiful.

The Family of God Will Glorify This King

22) We ask God to open the hearts of His servants to your call, and to make you a beacon of guidance in His lands, and to aid the oppressed through you. Pay no heed to the squawking of those who squawk; suffice yourself with your Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. So, narrate to my loved ones the tales of the young man from what you have known and seen, then cast upon them what We have cast upon you. Verily, your Lord supports you in all circumstances, and He is indeed watchful over you. The highest assembly will send blessings upon you, and the family of God and its people, among the floating leaves around the tree, will glorify you with a unique mention.

23) Indeed, O Pen of Revelation, remind the one who stood in the presence of His Book directly in the dark night, traversed through lands until he entered the city and sought sanctuary in the mercy of his Mighty, Impregnable Lord. There, he spent the evening in anticipation of his Lord’s grace, and at the break of dawn, he left by God’s command. Because of this, the young man was filled with sorrow, and God is a witness to what I say.

24) Blessed are you for having drawn the essence of eloquence from the balm of the Merciful, and for having been scented by the Beloved to such an extent that you detached from your own comfort and were among those who hastened towards the higher realms of Paradise, a radiant beacon of your Mighty, Unique Lord’s verses. O soul that drank the intoxicating essence of meanings from the Fountainhead of his Lord and was intoxicated by the droplets of this wine, by God, with it the monotheists soar to the heavens of grandeur and majesty, and doubt is replaced by certainty.

Establish the Pillars of the House

25) Do not be saddened by what has come your way; put your trust in God, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the Wise. Establish the pillars of the House with the bricks of eloquence, then remember your Lord, for He is sufficient for you against all the worlds.

26) Verily, God has inscribed your mention on the Tablet that contains the numerals of the secrets of what was. The monotheists will remember your migration, your arrival, and your departure in the path of God. He chooses whoever chooses Him, and He is the guardian of the sincere. By God, the Supreme Concourse gazes upon you and points toward you with their fingers. Thus, the grace of your Lord has enveloped you. If only the people knew what they have overlooked in the days of God, the Mighty, the Praised.

27) Indeed, give thanks to God for strengthening you in recognizing Him and admitting you into His sanctuary on the day when the polytheists besieged the people of God and His allies. They unjustly expelled them from their homes and sought to divide us at the seashore. Verily, your Lord is knowledgeable about what is in the hearts of the polytheists. Say, even if you sever our foundations, the love of God will not leave our hearts. We were created for sacrifice, and in that, we take pride over the worlds. 28) Then know, O you who are ablaze with the fire of God, your book has arrived before us and we have recognized what is in it. We ask God to grant you success in His love and satisfaction, to support you in conveying His command, and to make you among the helpers.

The Soul

29) As for what you asked about the soul, know that people have various statements and various stations concerning it, including the celestial soul, the imperial soul, the divine soul, the godly soul, the holy soul, the content soul, the satisfied soul, the pleasing soul, the inspired soul, the self-reproaching soul, and the commanding soul. Each group has its own explanations. We do not wish to mention what has been said before, and with your Lord is the knowledge of the first and the last.

30) If only you were present near the Throne and heard what is intended from the Tongue of Grandeur, and reached the pinnacle of knowledge from the Wise and Knowing. However, the polytheists have come between us and you. Beware of being saddened by this; be content with what has transpired as part of predestined fate and be among the patient.

31) Know that the soul, in which all creatures partake, comes into being after the amalgamation of elements and their reaching maturity, as you see in the sperm. Once it ascends to the station preordained for it, God manifests through it its own essence that was concealed within it. Indeed, your Lord does as He wills and decrees as He wishes. 32) The intended soul is one that is summoned from the Word of God, and it is the one that, if ignited with the fire of the love of its Lord, cannot be extinguished by the waters of indifference nor by the oceans of the worlds. Indeed, it is the blazing, inflamed fire in the Lote Tree of humanity, declaring that there is no deity but He. Whoever hears its call is among the successful. And when it departs the body, God resurrects it in the best of forms and admits it into a lofty Paradise. Indeed, your Lord has power over all things.

33) Then know that the life of a human is from the spirit, and the direction of the spirit toward one orientation over others is from the soul. Contemplate what we have imparted to you so that you may recognize the soul of God that has come from the East of Grace with manifest authority.

34) Then know that the soul has two wings; if it soars in the air of love and contentment, it is attributed to the Compassionate. If it flies in the air of whim, it is attributed to Satan. May God protect us and you from it, O assembly of the knowledgeable. When it is ignited by the fire of the love of God, it is called “the contented” and “the pleased.” If it is ignited by the fire of whim, it is called “the commanding.” Thus, we have detailed it for you so that you may be among the discerning.

35) Indeed, O Supreme Pen, mention to the one who turns to your Most Glorious Lord what will suffice him over the mention of the worlds. Say, the spirit, the intellect, the soul, the hearing, and the sight are one; they differ due to differing causes. As in a human being, you observe what the person understands, moves, speaks, hears, and sees—all of it is from the sign of their Lord within them, and they are one in their essence. However, they differ due to differing causes; indeed, this is a known truth. For example, when oriented towards the causes of hearing, the judgment of hearing and its name appear. Similarly, when oriented towards the causes of sight, another effect and another name appear. Contemplate to reach the essence of the intended purpose, and you will find yourself free from what people mention and be among those who are certain. Also, when it is directed toward the brain, the head, and other causes, the judgments of the intellect and the soul appear. Indeed, your Lord has the power over what He wills.

Look At Prior Tablets For a More Detailed Explanation

36) Indeed, We have clarified all that We have mentioned in the Tablets that We have revealed in response to one who asked about the isolated letters in the Qur’an. Therefore, look therein to become acquainted with what has descended from the Might of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. For this reason, We have abbreviated in this Tablet, and We ask God to acquaint you through this abbreviation with that which is endless in remembrances, and to give you to drink from this cup what is in the oceans. Indeed, your Lord is the Most Generous, the Mighty, the Strong.

To the Pen of Eternity

37) Indeed, O Pen of Eternity, remind the Exalted One who was with you in Iraq until he emerged illuminating the horizons, then migrated until he was present face-to-face at a time when we were captives in the hands of those deprived of the breezes of the Merciful. Do not grieve over what has befallen us and you in the path of God. Be assured, then stand firm. Indeed, He aids those He loves, and He is capable over all things. The one who turned to Him, from him the faces of the celestial hosts were illuminated, and God is a witness to what I say.

To the People

38) Say, O people, do you consider faith to be for yourselves, after you have turned away from the One through whom religions have appeared in the worlds? By God, you are among the dwellers of the Fire. Thus has the matter been inscribed from the Pen of God upon the Tablets. Say, with the barking of a dog, you will not prevent the leaves from their melodies. Reflect so that you may find a path to the Truth.

39) Say, “Glory be to You, O God, my Lord. I ask You by the tears of the lovers in Your air, and the cries of the yearning in their separation from You, and by Your Beloved who has been tried before the hands of Your adversaries, to assist those who have sought refuge under the shadow of the wing of Your generosity and Your grace, and have taken no lord for themselves other than You.”

To the Lord

40) O Lord, we have left our homelands, yearning for Your presence and seeking Your union. We have crossed land and sea to stand before You and to listen to Your verses. But when we reached the sea, we were prevented from it, and the idolaters stood between us and the lights of Your countenance.

41) O Lord, the thunder of the heavens has seized us, and with You is the abundance of everlasting life. Verily, You are capable of whatever You will. Do not deprive us of what we desire; then write for us the reward of those who are close among Your servants and sincere among Your creation. Then guide us to steadfastness in Your love, in a manner that nothing less than You prevents us from You, and nothing besides You diverts us from Your love. Verily, You are capable of whatever You will, and indeed, You are the Mighty, the Generous.