Tablet to Varqá (Letters to Yazd)

To the Observer of the Face of God, the Most Glorious, the All-Glorious, His Honor Varqá, upon him be the Glory of God, the Owner of the Throne and the Earth.

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Greatest, the Most High, the All-Glorious.

Sanctified and Holy Praise for God

Praise, sanctified and holy, is befitting and worthy of the mention and hearing of the Possessor of all names, who has illuminated the world of humanity with the sun of the sky of knowledge and adorned the heaven of understanding with the stars of insight. The world of knowledge considers itself ignorant, mute, and speechless before a drop from the ocean of His wisdom. The realm of vision finds itself blind and deaf before the appearance of the point of His Book. At the manifestation of His will, He does what He wishes, leaving all bewildered and astonished. At the emergence of His power, He decrees what He desires, leaving all overwhelmed and prostrate. The realm of meanings trembles at the movement of His supreme pen, and the kingdom of understanding bows humbly before the rays of the sun of His utterance. The breeze of His garment refreshes and revitalizes the gardens of the hearts of lovers, and the fragrance of His grace perfumes the realms of souls. One utterance of His elevates the heaven of knowledge, and one call of His rejuvenates the withered world.

Oh, what audacity that this perishable servant speaks in this station, and oh, what a loss it is for him to consider himself among the living. We are the dead, fallen in the realm of love and intoxicated, awaiting what grace the spring of His utterance bestows. Will it return this mortal frame to nothingness, or will it grant eternal life? The command is in His hand; He gives and withholds, and He is the Commander, the Ruler, the Watcher, the Witness, the All-Knowing.

From God, Glorious is His Majesty, this perishable servant is a supplicant and hopeful for His grace, mercy, compassion, favor, kindness, and gifts. In the nights and days, with utmost humility and supplication, I ask for the support of the pure and the chosen ones so that all may rise in the mention, praise, and service of the Cause and act according to the will of God. God willing, it is hoped that the holy, detached, and assured souls will become intoxicated with the nectar of His utterance, enter the realm of possibility, and guide all religions to the horizon of the Merciful. Blessed is this auspicious day, blessed is this holy day in which the breeze of the divine breathed forth, the tongue of oneness spoke, and that which was hidden in the treasures of the power of our mighty Lord was revealed.

A Prayer to God

Glory be to You, O One to whom all things have turned, by whom the earth was cleft and the sky was split, and to the ocean of Your greatest name the realities of all names have hastened. I ask You by Your name, the Self-Subsisting, and by Your sovereign power over what has been and what will be, to decree for Your loved ones from Your supreme pen that which benefits them in this world and the hereafter.

O Lord, You see Your beloved ones among the most wretched of Your creation, and You hear their cries, their clamors, and their longings in Your days. I ask You by the name through which You subjected existence, from the realms of the unseen and the seen, to lift the veil from the faces of Your servants and Your creation so that they may turn to You and hear Your most delightful call that has risen between the earth and the sky.

O Lord, deliver them from that which prevents them from drawing near to You and from entering the precincts of the canopies of Your greatness. O Lord, reveal to them as You have revealed to Your chosen ones, and make Yourself known to them and what You have manifested by Your power and dominion. You are the One whom no circumstances can hinder, nor can any signs prevent. You do what You will and decree what You desire. With You is the knowledge of all things in a book that none but Your Self has beheld. There is no god but You, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Between the Holy Maiden and Baha’u’llah

O Beloved of my heart and Dearest of my soul, the song of the Bird of Your Utterance has informed me and the melody of the Nightingale of Your mention and praise has taught me what has delighted me with a joy that this servant is incapable of describing. Your Beloved and Our Beloved, the Aim of Your creation and our creation, the purpose of those in the heavens and the earth, bear witness to this. When the breezes of love shook me and I was drawn by what was spoken in praise of the Owner of Oneness, I took the Book and turned to the Mighty, the Bountiful, until I entered and stood before the Throne and presented what was within it.

The Words of the Holy Maiden for Varqa (Dove)

Then the face of the Beloved turned towards me and said: “O dove, what was promised in the Book has appeared, and what the possessors of intellect were unable to comprehend has been manifested. By His life, signs have come that the Mother Book has circled around. O dove, the Book speaks, yet the people do not understand. The Balance calls, yet they do not perceive. The Path cries out, yet they do not comprehend. They have cast the Tablets of God behind their backs and taken what they were commanded from the places of conjecture, those who disputed the signs of God and broke His covenant and denied His Cause, which has encompassed existence. Say, this is the day in which the sea of life surged before the face of the Merciful, and the Euphrates of knowledge and utterance flowed to the right of the Throne if you but knew. This is the day in which what was never before manifested has appeared, and the sun of wisdom and proof has shone forth from the horizon of the sky of imprisonment, and yet the religions have turned away from it. Say, O people of the earth, arise from your seats and then come to the Most High Horizon. By God, it has been illuminated with the name of our Most Holy, Most Glorious Lord. Beware that the circumstances of the world should prevent you from the Possessor of the unseen and the seen. Say, He has appeared in truth, and the oppression of the scholars, the might of the rulers, and the power of those who turned away from the Knower of the unseen will not hinder Him. Say, this is the day of utterance. Arise from the slumber of desire and then remember the Possessor of all names. It is better for you if you but know. This is the day in which every stander has arisen to serve the Cause, and every speaker has spoken in praise of God, the Self-Subsisting, the Sustainer. Say, O people, abandon what you knew before and take what you see today in its praiseworthy station.”

Baha’u’llah’s Response to Varqa

O dove, the present servant has come with your Book and read it before the face of God. Indeed, your Lord is the All-Hearing. We have heard your mention, your praise, your supplications, and have found the fragrance of your love, your humility, your devotion, and your turning towards God, the Lord of the worlds. Every word of your words testifies to the greatness, sovereignty, appearance, and manifestation of God. Indeed, your Lord is the All-Knowing. Rejoice in this mention, through which the river of life has flowed in the realm of possibility and the birds of eternity have chirped on the branches. Indeed, there is no god but Me, the Singular, the All-Knowing.

Varqa Mentioned in Previous Tablets

We have mentioned you after your return in various Tablets with a mention that attracted the hearts of the knowledgeable. Stand firm in serving the Cause of your Lord, speaking in His praise, and guiding others to His straight path. O dove, in your days when the realm of utterance was agitated and troubled by the oppression of the people of religions, this oppressed one stood alone for the Cause in such a manner that neither the prevention of the scholars, the noise of the learned, nor the oppression of the rulers hindered Him from what He willed. The supreme pen has circled in the field of wisdom and utterance at all times, making all hear its call and manifesting to all its proof. In certain years, calamities have come upon us that none but the divine knowledge can count and comprehend. Nevertheless, the pen did not cease to move in nights and days, nor did the tongue choose silence. When the supreme word spread, and the banners of mention and praise were raised on the highest standards, the cawing of the crow and the buzzing of the fly appeared from behind the veil in such a manner that fear and anxiety seized the heedless souls, causing them to run from city to city and seek refuge from mountain to mountain. Now, with utmost malice and hatred, they have appeared and cling to misleading souls by any means. It is astonishing that souls who have clung to the source of conjecture and the rising place of illusions have indeed lost. Those who disbelieved in God, His signs, His sovereignty, His greatness, and His power followed those who are worse off in the sight of God, the Most High, the Great.

O Beloved of my heart, in reality, people are more inclined towards illusions than to the manifestations of certainty. All the people of utterance are aware that this servant was with the concealed self and for consecutive years, none but this servant was with him. Nevertheless, from those souls who had no knowledge, whatever they said was accepted, and to this day, no one has asked this servant about what they are heedless and veiled from. By the One who made all things speak with His mention and praise, the obedient ones, despite their lack of insight, are seen to be far superior to their leaders. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I swear by God and present this to God that perhaps some, by the strength of utterance, may tear asunder the veils and attain the light of the dawn of the Day of God and what has appeared therein. God willing, the Glorious, may grant success to attain the station of ‘extinguish the lamp of illusions, the dawn of certainty has arisen.’ However, alas and alas, for worldly desires have brought blindness and the veils of illusions have prevented the heart and sight from witnessing. Some factions who were nurtured in illusions and conjectures are very difficult to save because they are seen bound in the chains of conjecture and the shackles of illusions. The party of the Criterion is seen to be more veiled than all the other religions, for the leader of their faces is empty tales, behind them false news, to their right, conjectural mentions, and to their left, illusory thoughts.

Salvation for Receptive Souls

In these days, this holy, blessed word has shone from the horizon of the will of the Revealer of signs: They asked Ja’far, the brother of ‘Askar, if any offspring remained from your brother? He said, there was a child, and he passed away. When the fabricated figures heard this, they denied and called him a liar. Consider to what extent the oppression reached and to what rank the slander ascended. After the mention of the holy vicinity and the appearance of the signatures, it came to what you have heard before. May God grant justice to such souls who have led the poor people into the wilderness of conjecture and illusions, and surpassed the followers of Abu Lahab. Now, for a long time, this title of ’liar’ will remain for that truthful speaker among the people of Pharaoh. These fabricated, false souls cling to the same attachments, their origin, and path is the same. The receptive souls must be informed so that they become aware and are not deprived of what God willed by the whispers of the party of Satan. I swear by the brightness of the sun of justice that the intention of this oppressed one is that strong souls arise for the Cause and protect people from the evil of the devils, so they may reach a station where they see themselves independent of what has passed and consider all but God as non-existent and lost. Say, O friends, gaze at the horizon of the Cause and what has appeared from it. This is the counsel of God to His friends.

And in another position, this supreme word has shone from the horizon of the heaven of the utterance of the Master of all beings: So far, we have not torn all the veils that were between the people of the Criterion, nor have we completely broken the idols of illusions. If these two things happen, by the Lord of the worlds, the people of utterance would see themselves in the lowest of the low. Some were torn by the finger of power and the arm of strength disintegrated, but many remain and persist. If receptivity were seen in the people of utterance, all would have attained the recognition of what is mentioned by God. However, God bears witness that they are more veiled than the people of the Criterion and other religions, and I am the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

In such a manner, the illusions of the people of the Criterion have surrounded that every possessor of a pen is incapable of describing it, especially the party that considers itself saved. The Sunni and the community believe that the Promised One should be born, for they say that from the Prophet, may the souls of all be a sacrifice unto Him, no hadith indicating the existence of the Promised One in Jablaq or Jablasa or any other place has been seen. Rather, the hadith of the Master of all humanity, the Owner of grandeur, and the narration of the Great Sheikh indicate the birth of the Promised One in the lands of Persia. How many holy souls, who believed in the birth, were martyred in clear oppression. It is astonishing that, despite witnessing that the saved faction was a tyrannical, rebellious group, at the time of the test, they were seen to be the most wretched and misguided of all on earth, for this saved group hung the Beauty of Oneness in the air and inflicted upon Him what the first and the last avoided.

The people of utterance must ponder what has been among the people of the Criterion so that perhaps the true eye may open and see what needs to be seen. In this case, they will be mentioned among the seers; otherwise, animals are nobler than them. From God, Glorious is His Majesty, in all states, this servant, the Possessor of Majesty, is a supplicant and hopeful that He may look upon His grace, compassion, and favor, not upon the opposers and deniers and what they have, so that perhaps the morning breeze of mercy in this Day of God may pass and adorn all with the ornament of vision, justice, and equity.

Regarding What Varqa Wrote About the Esteemed Father

Regarding what you wrote about the esteemed Father, exalted be His glory, a while ago it was mentioned and attained in the sacred presence of the Bab of the Explanation. Reflect on the purity and station of that holy soul who was placed in such a position that the Eternal Beauty would pause during His comings and goings and would mention the Bab of the Explanation. By the life of the Beloved, this is a great station and a great favor. Blessed and joyous is his presence. Indeed, grace is in His hand; He bestows it as He wills. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Generous.

That blessed Tablet was sent with Haji Mirza Abul-Hasan, exalted be His glory. God willing, it will reach and be attained. It also appears that at the time of its revelation, the aforementioned esteemed one, exalted be His glory, was present.

Regarding Sending Copies to Surrounding Areas

Regarding what you wrote about sending copies of what was dispatched to the surrounding areas, it was well received before His presence. He said: God willing, they will be assisted in spreading the divine verses, clear evidences, conditions, and manifestations.

Regarding your intention to focus on those aspects, it is highly favored because people are weak and unaware of certain matters. Often, they do not distinguish the buzzing of a fly from the rustling of the Tree of Eternity. Perhaps, by meeting you, veils may be torn asunder, and they may become truly unique in all aspects.

At a certain time, this firm and well-established blessed word shone and appeared from the horizon of the mouth of the Owner of Oneness: As long as the people of the Bayán observe and speak in accordance with the actions, words, indications, and implications of previous religions, they are heedless and deprived of the new Cause, the new creation, the new station, and the new condition.

In another place, this blessed word shone and appeared: “Indeed, I am the Creator of the heavens and the earth,” for it has no resemblance to what came before or after. This is indeed a novelty in all aspects. Blessed are the knowledgeable, and blessed are the successful. The end.

Regarding The Friends of Yazd

And regarding what you wrote about the friends of the Land of Yá (Yazd), may the glory of God be upon them, this answer has been revealed from the heaven of divine will:

He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.

O people of Yá, listen to the call of the Possessor of all names, who calls you from the Most Great Prison and invites you to a station that God has made sanctified from the descriptions of all religions and purified from their mentions and indications. He is the All-Powerful, by whom the standard of “He does what He wills” has been raised and the banner of “He rules as He desires” has been hoisted. Blessed is the strong one who has spoken this Most Great Mention, and the soul that has turned to His straight path. Indeed, we have entered the prison and called everyone to God, the Lord of the worlds, in such a manner that neither the armies nor the ranks nor the shouts of heroes and rulers, nor the noise of scholars and mystics, have prevented us. Blessed is the servant who has attained what God has willed, and woe to the heedless ones. This is the day in which earthquakes have appeared, tribes have lamented, widows have cried out, and the skins of those who disputed the signs of God and His proof have shuddered and denied His manifest, clear Book. Say, O people of the Bayán, leave what you have. By God, the Merciful has come with a proof that nothing in the possession of the parties can withstand. The Possessor of all names testifies to this in this great Tablet. Say, the oppressed one guides you to the face of God and commands you what delights the eyes of those who, when they heard the call, hastened to the Most High Horizon and responded to their Lord, the All-Seeing, All-Hearing. Beware that the circumstances of the creation prevent you from the Truth. Leave what people have with this name by which every wise matter has appeared. Support your Lord, the Merciful, with wisdom and utterance. This is what you have been commanded for successive years and in this Tablet that speaks before the faces of the world what the Tongue of the Ancient One has spoken: There is no god but Me, the Mighty, the Generous. Indeed, we have borne hardships and afflictions in private and in public for the exaltation of God’s Cause. When it was exalted in truth, the buzzing of the fly was heard from behind the veil, lamenting as every prophet and every trustworthy messenger had lamented. Say, O people of the Bayán, be fair in the matter of your Lord, the Merciful. Beware that what prevented the people of the Criterion from turning to the Greatest Ocean also prevents you, and do not let what veiled the nations veil you. Fear God and do not follow every distant crier. Turn with the greatest steadfastness to the Most High Horizon. By God’s life, this is better for you than what has been created in the earth and the sky. The Possessor of all names testifies to this in this unique Tablet. How many servants have been attracted by the verses of their Lord in such a manner that neither the might of rulers nor the strength of the powerful have frightened them. They hastened in the wilderness of love and faithfulness, saying: Here I am, here I am, O Beloved of hearts, and here I am, here I am, O Aim of those in the heavens and the earth. Thus has the Tongue of Grandeur spoken out of grace from Him to manifest what was hidden in God’s treasury and inscribed in the books of the messengers. Take the Book of God with strength from Us and power from Us. By God’s life, this is the day We promised before, that We would make you leaders in the earth and make you the inheritors. Hold fast, O servants of God, to the Greatest Cord and cling to the hem of God, the All-Powerful, the Mighty. Stand firm on the Cause with such steadfastness that the circumstances of the world and the doubts of the rejecters do not prevent you. Thus have We illuminated the horizon of the Book with the sun of the mention of your Lord, the Singular, the All-Knowing.

The Supreme Pen calls to the friends of the Land of Yá and its surroundings and mentions them with the best mentions, that perhaps the nectar of the utterance of the Merciful may seize them in such a manner that the indications of the world and the words of the nations cannot prevent it. Behold this pure, firm, blessed word, which is like a pouring rain for the gardens of the utterance of the Merciful. Observe and drink from it. You will not see and find the exalted truth with the eyes of the people. Turn away from all so that you may attain vision and meeting. Today is the day when the actions, ranks, and stations of all are manifested and will continue to be manifested, for the Wise Discerner has appeared, and the Detailed Knower is revealed and clear. Strive so that you may not be deprived of the infinite bounties of the Bountiful and not be prevented from what is befitting for this Most Holy Day. The spread of illusions is greater than before, and the armies of conjecture are stronger than they were. God willing, you will be assisted by the grace of the Merciful in a matter whose mention will remain forever in the dominion and the kingdom. Praise be to God, you have attained the Day of God and have perceived the fragrances of the garment of reunion. Those souls who considered themselves the highest, greatest, and most exalted among the people are deprived of the ocean of knowledge and veiled and prevented from the horizon of the divine Cause, while you have attained the preceding mercy and encompassing grace in a matter that has always been and will always be the hope of the sincere and the near ones. In all conditions, ask God, Glorious is His Majesty, to assist you in preserving this precious pearl and to keep it safe and hidden from the eyes of thieves and traitors. He speaks the truth and guides the way. There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

The end.

Verses Out of Context

God willing, from the infinite divine favors, the nectar of attraction and longing, and the spring of steadfastness and desire from the exalted words that have been issued from the Source of the Cause, all will drink. Indeed, every soul that truly attains it will see the entire world as non-existent and will stand on the path of God with such steadfastness that the instigators of malice and hatred will find themselves incapable of hindering their movement. By the life of the Beloved, the horizon of power and steadfastness is illuminated and brightened by the lights of such souls. Consider the words of the distant crier. They take two words from the utterance and two words from the Criterion and make a verse and send it around. Consider how much they think people are foolish and ignorant to believe in such nonsense, yet they consider it proof and evidence. By your life, O Beloved of my heart, this servant is very bewildered by the people. What has happened, and what have the people committed to be led by such ignorance? From the beginning of the world until now, such novel conditions and mighty verses have not been seen, and the eyes of utterance and the sight of knowledge have not observed anything like it. No book can compare to a single most holy, most exalted Tablet. All the books testify to this. Whoever attains a drop from the ocean of justice, the world is surrounded by novel, mighty verses, and brilliant verses have been revealed that are equal to all heavenly books. In the divine Book, what has happened before and what will happen afterward is clearly mentioned. Nevertheless, they have said and continue to say what no heedless rejecter has said at the appearance of the manifestations, and the shamelessness of this rebellious, oppressive faction has reached such a level that they speak and continue to speak these nonsensical words at the appearance of the manifestation and the messenger. May God grant justice and bestow the sight of grace.

A Chameleon Burned Books

Among the recent news is that Mírzá Ahmad of the Land of K and R, one night in the great city, after using certain substances, burned all the writings that were an affront to God in his possession and said, “I like it.” In truth, he is observed to be like a chameleon; it is unknown to which direction he intended and to which direction he desires, and in which way he turned and to which way he is turning. God willing, may God, Glorious is His Majesty, keep the hem of the Cause purified from such souls, or from His grace and bounty, grant them the nectar of certainty and assurance. Indeed, He is the Generous Giver.

Mirza Aqa Receives the Gaze of Divine Grace

Indeed, regarding what you wrote about Mr. Mirza Aqa and mentioned his kindnesses, as well as the special grace sought from God, Glorious is His Majesty, these matters were presented before His Presence. This is what was spoken by the tongue of the Merciful in the Kingdom of Utterance. His exalted words: “The gaze of divine grace is directed towards him. Praise be to God, he has attained what most people of the earth are deprived of.” Some time ago, in the company of Mr. Abu’l-Hasan, a tablet specifically for you and another tablet in his name were sent. God willing, they will attain it. We counsel him to wisdom and steadfastness. God willing, he will be successful in these two great matters, and special grace will also appear from the heaven of grace. Verily, He is the Generous, the Bountiful. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Great. The end.

Blessings For the Martyrs of Miyandoab

Regarding your request for the blessings and favors of God, Glorious is His Majesty, for the martyrs of Miyandoab, it was presented, and these radiant words have descended from the heaven of divine will:

“O Pen of the Most High, mention those who turned towards My Most Glorious Horizon, who heard My sweetest call, who held fast to My firm cord, who clung to My luminous hem, and who turned towards My face after the perishing of all things. They soared in the air of the love of their Lord, the Possessor of all names, and drank from the crimson cups of the wine of destiny. Blessed are you for having attained the ultimate goal, the highest station, and the loftiest rank. Congratulations to you and joyous are you for being remembered by the Beloved of the world and the Greatest Name, from whom every seeker finds the fragrance of the garment and every perceiver senses the aroma of My name, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate.

I bear witness that you have attained the knowledge of God in days when all things lamented and the supreme concourse bewailed what befell those who took the Book of God with power from Him and spent what they had in this straight path. Rejoice in the highest company with what your Master of all beings remembers you in this prison, which has been named with all the names and the Most Great Prison in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praised.

Your blood was shed when it was mingled with the love of God, your spirits ascended when they were perfumed with the breezes of the days, and your bodies were laid down when they were adorned with the ornament of martyrdom in this Cause, for which the near and the sincere spent what they had. Thus, the Tongue of Grandeur has spoken of you and praised you. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Generous, the Light shining from the horizon of the sky of the Mercy of the Merciful upon you, O manifestations of names in existence and dawning-places of knowledge among the people of religions.

You are those whom no hindrance prevented, nor did the ridicule of a polytheist. You heard and hastened until you attained the station inscribed by the Pen of God, the Singular, the All-Informed. Joy to you and blessed are you and those who remember you and visit you with what the Tongue of the Oppressed uttered when surrounded by sorrows from those who denied the right of God and His chosen ones and turned away from the face when it shone from the horizon of manifestation with a clear light.”

And we mention the faithful one whom we have mentioned in My clear Book. He surpassed most of creation in the service of God and His Cause and attained a grace that none but the All-Knowing, the All-Informed was aware of. We were with him when his spirit ascended to the Supreme Company, and we gave him to drink from the purest Kawthar time and again, and he was encompassed by the mercy of his Lord in a manner that pens are powerless to describe. This is testified by the one who speaks and will speak at all times: Verily, there is no god but Him, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

O faithful one, you are a letter from My crimson scroll and a mention from this Book that speaks the truth and remembers My loved ones, with whom the supreme concourse visits and those who bowed to the face of their Lord, the Possessor of this wondrous Day. Blessed is he who remembers you and draws near to God through you, the Lord of the worlds.

God Will Enable Varqa to Do What He Loves

O dove, O you who gaze upon the Most High Horizon and drink My sealed nectar from the fingers of My white bounty, We have mentioned the servants whom you asked God to mention, and We have revealed His grace and kindness to them. Thank God, your Lord, for this great favor. You have a station with your Lord, the Mighty, the Praised. Indeed, He will enable you to do what He loves and is pleased with, and will support you in His mention in such a manner that hearts and minds will be attracted to it. Verily, your Lord is the All-Powerful, the All-Mighty. The end.

Assistance to Fulfill God’s Will

Regarding what you wrote about Mr. Mirza Muhammad Khan and Mr. Mirza Muhammad Ali, it was presented in the Most Sacred Presence, and two exalted and noble Tablets specifically for them were revealed from the heaven of divine will and sent. God willing, they will attain them and be assisted in fulfilling God’s will. As for the mention of Mr. Sabz Ali and his attention to Zanjan and his stay in that land for the purpose of spreading the Cause of God, all these matters were presented. His Exalted Majesty said: It is highly favored to focus on that land because many are unaware and are observed to be in a state of separation from the Cause. God willing, you will become the cause of their awakening with the fire of the love of the Merciful, and you will refresh the withered hearts with the Kawthar of the mention of the Merciful.

Adorn Mr. Rasul, exalted be His glory, with the adornment of greatness from the tongue of this oppressed one. Say, by God, you are mentioned before the Throne, and you are inscribed in My clear Book. The gaze of the Truth is directed towards you and, God willing, will always be. Be steadfast in the service of your Lord’s Cause in every condition. What you see will perish, but what has appeared from the Supreme Pen will remain with you forever in the kingdom of God, the Mighty, the Wise. Adorn all the friends of that land with the adornment of the utterance of the Possessor of Religions. Good is the state of a heart that is enkindled with His love and a tongue that speaks His mention. Say, O friends of the Merciful, strive so that each of you may be observed as a sun rising and shining from the horizon of the sky of steadfastness, such that the polytheist and what he possesses and those with him are seen as mere clumps of clay. This is the station of the Great Steadfastness, which the horizons of the divine Tablets are illumined and brightened by its mention. The end.

Souls Turning to Conjecture

O Beloved of my heart, some weak souls in your land and its surroundings are observed to be on the brink of a dangerous cliff because they have heard things that were not worth listening to and have taken from souls who were devoid of knowledge. This is what I understood from the interpretation of the statements of the Revealer of signs and presented it to you. God willing, with the arms of power and strength, and the hands of divine might, and sufficient and healing utterances, they may turn from the left of conjecture to the right of certainty and drink from the Kawthar of steadfastness.

It is astonishing that people ask about the light of the sun’s rays from Saha. Say, O people with insight, turn towards the sun itself and recognize it by itself. It does not need anything else to prove its reality; its proof is its signs and its existence. Have they not heard this word, or have they not seen the sun of grace rising from the horizon of the sky of manifestation, or have they not perceived the breezes of utterances? Indeed, in this Greatest Manifestation, all are commanded to observe Him with their own eyes and recognize Him by Himself. Even though the entire world is a book in proving this definitive Cause, and all things, books, scriptures, writings, and tablets, with the highest eloquence, call out and give glad tidings of the Days of God. The beloved of the self, this servant, and every wise person is bewildered by the heedless and their sayings. What this servant has presented, if some of the friends and gentlemen observe it, is very favored, so that perhaps the servants may be freed from the darkness of conjectures and illusions and be illuminated by the dawn of the Day of God.

If they reflect on the greatness that is mentioned in all the books regarding this Most Sacred Cause, they will become aware. In one place, He says: This is the Day in which nothing is mentioned but God alone. False breaths that existed before have prevented people from the essence of truth in this unique, mighty Day. In this position, utterances have appeared from the Tongue of the Ancient, which, if attentive ears listen to, will surely free and liberate them from what people have. The matter and the greatness and power belong to Him, and He is the ruler over what He wills, and He is the mighty, the powerful.

Last night, several Tablets descended from the heaven of divine knowledge, containing some mentions that truly melt the soul and ignite the body. This perishable servant intended to send copies of them but did not find the opportunity, as there were many travelers present, each requesting numerous Tablets from the heaven of the Oneness, and this perishable servant is occupied with writing them. With a hundred thousand tongues, I beseech that you support this perishable servant to fulfill this significant task. Indeed, He is the powerful supporter.

This servant asks his Lord that He may not prevent His servants from what has appeared in the dominion by His Greatest, Most Glorious Name.

Abide By Wisdom

And regarding what you wrote that one of the friends has written a treatise and presented it before His presence, this is what has been revealed in response:

Today, what is written must be observed with utmost precision to ensure that it does not cause discord or become a subject of criticism by the people. What the friends of God speak today is heard by the people of the earth. In the Tablet of Wisdom, this word was revealed: “The ears of the heedless are stretched towards Us to hear what they can use to object to God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting.” This matter is not without importance; what is written must not depart from wisdom, and the words must be imbued with the sweetness of milk so that the children of the age may be nurtured by it and attain the station of maturity. We have previously mentioned that one word is like the springtime, refreshing and rejuvenating the hearts of the people, while another word is like the scorching wind, burning flowers and blossoms. God willing, authors from among the friends of God should write that which fair-minded souls will accept and that will not become a subject of criticism by the people. The end.

Explanations of the Kitab-i-Aqdas

The Verse of Tahreem (Prohibition)

Regarding the blessed verse of Tahreem that was revealed in the divine Book, the question was presented before the Throne. He said, “The preferred and beloved way was for it to be mentioned to you orally in His Presence. For now, it is not permissible to mention it in writing until its day comes.” The end.

Successorship

Similarly, the question about this blessed verse was presented: His exalted words, “When the ocean of reunion ebbs,” to His exalted words, “that which has branched from this mighty root.” The divine intention refers to His Holiness, the Most Great Branch, and after him, His Holiness, the Most Mighty Branch. My spirit, essence, and being are a sacrifice for the dust of their feet.

Who Are the Twigs?

Regarding your question about the branches (Aghsan) and twigs (Afnan) of God, it was presented in the Most Sacred Presence. He said: Up until now, what has been mentioned about the Afnan by the Supreme Pen refers to those souls connected to the Primal Point (the Báb). In this Manifestation, we have invited everyone to the Most High Horizon and guided them to the Greatest Ocean. At the beginning of the days, a specific supplication was revealed for them, and in that supplication, the success of faith and recognition was destined for them. God willing, they will act according to what God wills and remain steadfast and firm in this Most Great Cause. Blessed are they for being named with this name from which the fragrance of the Merciful has spread in the realm of existence, and we have attributed them to this tree as a grace from us upon them. So, ask God to protect them from the insinuations of the people and the doubts of the learned. We have preferred some over others in a book that none but God, the Lord of the worlds, has comprehended. What has been destined for them will be revealed by the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Who are Kinsmen?

The souls currently associated with the Tree are mentioned as kinsmen in the Book of Names. If they act according to what God wills, blessed are they for turning and succeeding. They should ask God to protect them and enable them to remain steadfast in their current state. Today is a day when all souls must strive to attain the word of satisfaction from the Possessor of all names.

Who Are the Branches?

The term Aghsan (branches) refers to the present branches, but in the primary rank, there have been and are two Great Branches. Souls are considered fruits and leaves afterward. In the possessions of people, there has never been and will never be a right for the branches. The end.

What Can Branches Do?

This blessed verse was mentioned: His Exalted Majesty said, “Refer what you do not understand from the Book to the branch that has branched from this mighty root.” The ‘Book’ refers to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and the ‘branch that has branched off from this mighty root’ refers to the Aghsan. The end.

Fasting During Travel

Regarding the fasting of travelers and the limits of travel, this question was presented (what constitutes travel and when does the term “traveler” apply, and if a traveler stays in a place for several days during their journey, what is their obligation? Also, on the day a traveler intends to start their journey, for instance, if they become a traveler at noon or in the afternoon, what is their obligation from morning until noon?):

The limits of travel have been specified as nine hours in the divine Book. This means that from the place where one starts traveling to the place where one intends to reach, if it takes nine hours, the obligation to fast is lifted. If a traveler stops in a place and it is determined that they will stay there for up to nineteen days, they must fast. If the stay is less than that, fasting is not obligatory.

If during the fasting period a traveler arrives in a place and intends to stay there for a full month, they must break their fast for the first three days and then resume fasting for the remaining days. If they return to their home, they must fast on that day. On the day they intend to start their journey, fasting is not obligatory from the morning until the time of departure.

Other News

News From a Well-Known Island

This humble servant presents that all the names mentioned in your previous and subsequent communications, which reached this humble servant, were all presented in the Most Sacred Presence. He expressed His favor and a Tablet from the Most Sacred was sent specifically for Mr. Sabz Ali. God willing, he will attain it.

This humble servant requests that, in any way that is appropriate and fitting, you mention this servant’s humble devotion and reverence to everyone. Strange and wondrous events have appeared from the well-known island (Cyprus) in these days. A recent news has arrived that is a cause of embarrassment, and this servant is ashamed to mention it. We leave it to God, Glorious is His Majesty. He does what He wills and decrees what He desires.

Mr. Sabz Ali, praise be to God, has torn the veil and shattered the idol of illusion, and has drunk the Kawthar of certainty from the hand of the Holy Spirit. God willing, he will always attain this exalted station.

Praises to Followers

According to the command, convey the praises of God to those associated with Mr. Abá Basír and Mr. Sayyid Ashraf in the land of Zá, and express the grace of God to all, so that everyone may be illuminated by the rays of the sun of truth and drink from the ocean of steadfastness. Verily, He is the Guardian of the sincere and the near ones.

Regarding what you wrote about the esteemed Ḥarf-Ḥayy, exalted be His glory, after visiting according to the command and will, he returned and then sought permission to stay in the great city. Permission was granted, and after some time, he ascended to the Most High Horizon. Blessed is he; indeed, he is among those who attained what was foretold by the Primal Point, may the spirit of all else be a sacrifice unto Him, and he was among the successful.

And Mr. Mullá Muhammad `Alí Deh, exalted be His glory, has turned his attention for some time, and news about him has come from the City of God and other areas.

Reassurance to Varqa From God

O Beloved of my heart, the mention that was at the end of your book was once again presented in the Divine Presence after presenting the matters. This answer has descended from the heaven of divine will. His exalted words:

“O dove, O you who gaze upon the face of your Most Glorious Lord, We have heard what you supplicated to God at the end of your book. Blessed is your face for turning towards Him and your tongue for speaking. Mention your Lord among the people so that through mention and utterance they may be attracted to the horizon of the Merciful and drawn closer to a station where the affairs of the creation do not prevent them from the truth, nor the doubts of those who disbelieve in God, the Most High, the Most Great. Blessed are you and those who hear your words concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. The Glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon you, O you who have attained the nectar by My mighty, wondrous Name.”

The expression of mention, praise, glorification, magnification, and greetings to the friends of the City and the Divine lands from this humble servant is dependent on the grace of that Beloved. The Glory be upon you, and upon your kinsfolk, and upon those who have fulfilled the covenant of God in His mighty, wondrous Day. Praise be to God, the Unique, the One, the Mighty, the Wise.

Your servant, on the first of Sha’ban, the year 1298. (June 27, 1881)