"We will now mention unto thee Trustworthiness and the station thereof in the estimation of G.o.d, thy Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. One day of days We repaired unto Our Green Island. Upon Our arrival, We beheld its streams flowing, and its trees luxuriant, and the sunlight playing in their midst. Turning Our face to the right, We beheld what the pen is powerless to describe; nor can it set forth that which the eye of the Lord of Mankind witnessed in that most sanctified, that most sublime, that blest, and most exalted Spot. Turning, then, to the left We gazed on one of the Beauties of the Most Sublime Paradise, standing on a pillar of light, and calling aloud saying: 'O inmates of earth and heaven! Behold ye My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation, and My effulgence. By G.o.d, the True One! I am Trustworthiness and the revelation thereof, and the beauty thereof. I will recompense whosoever will cleave unto Me, and recognize My rank and station, and hold fast unto My hem. I am the most great ornament of the people of Baha, and the vesture of glory unto all who are in the kingdom of creation. I am the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world, and the horizon of a.s.surance unto all beings.'

Thus have We sent down for thee that which will draw men nigh unto the Lord of creation."

This Wronged One hath, at all times, summoned the peoples of the world unto that which will exalt them, and draw them nigh unto G.o.d. From the Most Sublime Horizon there hath shone forth that which leaveth no room unto any one for vacillation, repudiation or denial. The wayward, however, have failed to profit therefrom; nay, it shall only increase their loss.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! It is inc.u.mbent upon the divines to unite with His Majesty, the _Sh_ah-may G.o.d a.s.sist him-and to cleave day and night unto that which will exalt the station of both the government and the nation. This people are a.s.siduously occupied in enlightening the souls of men and in rehabilitating their condition. Unto this testifieth that which hath been sent down by the Most Sublime Pen in this lucid Tablet. How often have things been simple and easy of accomplishment, and yet most men have been heedless, and busied themselves with that which wasteth their time!

One day, while in Constantinople, Kamal Pa_sh_a visited this Wronged One.

Our conversation turned upon topics profitable unto man. He said that he had learned several languages. In reply We observed: "You have wasted your life. It beseemeth you and the other officials of the Government to convene a gathering and choose one of the divers languages, and likewise one of the existing scripts, or else to create a new language and a new script to be taught children in schools throughout the world. They would, in this way, be acquiring only two languages, one their own native tongue, the other the language in which all the peoples of the world would converse. Were men to take fast hold on that which hath been mentioned, the whole earth would come to be regarded as one country, and the people would be relieved and freed from the necessity of acquiring and teaching different languages." When in Our presence, he acquiesced, and even evinced great joy and complete satisfaction. We then told him to lay this matter before the officials and ministers of the Government, in order that it might be put into effect throughout the different countries. However, although he often returned to see Us after this, he never again referred to this subject, although that which had been suggested is conducive to the concord and the unity of the peoples of the world.

We fain would hope that the Persian Government will adopt it and carry it out. At present, a new language and a new script have been devised. If thou desirest, We will communicate them to thee. Our purpose is that all men may cleave unto that which will reduce unnecessary labor and exertion, so that their days may be befittingly spent and ended. G.o.d, verily, is the Helper, the Knower, the Ordainer, the Omniscient.

G.o.d willing, Persia may be adorned with, and attain unto, that whereof she hath thus far been deprived. Say: "O _Sh_ah! Exert thyself so that all the peoples of the world may be illumined with the effulgent splendors of the sun of thy justice. The eyes of this Wronged One are turned towards naught save trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity, and all that profiteth men."

Regard Him not as a traitor. Glorified art Thou, O my G.o.d, and my Master, and my Mainstay! Aid Thou His Majesty the _Sh_ah to execute Thy laws and Thy commandments, and show forth Thy justice among Thy servants. Thou art, verily, the All-Bounteous, the Lord of grace abounding, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. The Cause of G.o.d hath come as a token of His grace. Happy are they who act; happy are they who understand; happy the man that hath clung unto the truth, detached from all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! Seek thou the sh.o.r.e of the Most Great Ocean, and enter, then, the Crimson Ark which G.o.d hath ordained in the Qayyum-i-Asma for the people of Baha. Verily, it pa.s.seth over land and sea. He that entereth therein is saved, and he that turneth aside perisheth. Shouldst thou enter therein and attain unto it, set thy face towards the Kaaba of G.o.d, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and say: "O my G.o.d! I beseech Thee by Thy most glorious light, and all Thy lights are verily glorious."

Thereupon, will the doors of the Kingdom be flung wide before thy face, and thou wilt behold what eyes have never beheld, and hear what ears have never heard. This Wronged One exhorteth thee as He hath exhorted thee before, and hath never had any wish for thee save that thou shouldst enter the ocean of the unity of G.o.d, the Lord of the worlds. This is the day whereon all created things cry out, and announce unto men this Revelation, through which hath appeared what was concealed and preserved in the knowledge of G.o.d, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! Thou hast heard the sweet melodies of the Doves of Utterance cooing on the boughs of the Lote-Tree of knowledge. Hearken, now, unto the notes of the Birds of Wisdom upraised in the Most Sublime Paradise. They verily will acquaint thee with things of which thou wert wholly unaware.

Give ear unto that which the Tongue of Might and Power hath spoken in the Books of G.o.d, the Desire of every understanding heart. At this moment a Voice was raised from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no pa.s.sing, in the heart of the Most Sublime Paradise, bidding Me relate unto thee that which hath been sent down in the Books and Tablets, and the things spoken by My Forerunner, Who laid down His life for this Great Announcement, this Straight Path. He hath said-and He, verily, speaketh the truth: "I have written down in My mention of Him these gem-like words: 'No allusion of Mine can allude unto Him, neither anything mentioned in the Bayan.'" And further, He-exalted and glorified be He-saith, concerning this most mighty Revelation, this Great Announcement: "Exalted and glorified is He above the power of any one to reveal Him except Himself, or the description of any of His creatures. I Myself am but the first servant to believe in Him and in His signs, and to partake of the sweet savors of His words from the first-fruits of the Paradise of His knowledge. Yea, by His glory! He is the Truth. There is none other G.o.d but Him. All have arisen at His bidding." Such are the words sung by the Dove of Truth on the boughs of the Divine Lote-Tree. Well is it with him that hath given ear unto its Voice, and quaffed from the oceans of Divine utterance that lie concealed in each of these words. In another connection hath the Voice of the Bayan called aloud from the loftiest branches. He saith-blessed and glorified be He: "In the year nine ye will attain unto all good." On another occasion He saith: "In the year nine ye will attain unto the Presence of G.o.d."

These melodies, uttered by the Birds of the cities of Knowledge, conform with that which hath been sent down by the All-Merciful in the Qur'an.

Blessed are the men of insight; blessed they that attain thereunto.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! I swear by G.o.d! The River of Mercy floweth, and the Ocean of Utterance surgeth, and the Sun of Revelation shineth forth resplendent.

With a detached heart, and a dilated breast, and an utterly truthful tongue, recite thou these sublime words that have been revealed by My Forerunner-the Primal Point. He saith-glorified be His utterance-addressing his honor, A?im: "This, verily, is the thing We promised thee, ere the moment We answered thy call. Wait thou until nine will have elapsed from the time of the Bayan. Then exclaim: 'Blessed, therefore, be G.o.d, the most excellent of Makers!' Say: This, verily, is an Announcement which none except G.o.d hath comprehended. Ye, however, will be unaware on that day." In the year nine this Most Great Revelation arose and shone forth brightly above the horizon of the Will of G.o.d. None can deny it save he who is heedless and doubteth. We pray G.o.d to aid His servants to return unto Him, and beg forgiveness for the things they committed in this vain life. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the All-Merciful. In another connection He saith: "I am the first servant to believe in Him, and in His signs." In like manner, in the Persian Bayan, He saith: "He, verily, is the One Who, under all conditions, proclaimeth: 'I, in very truth, am G.o.d!'" and so on-blessed and glorified be He. That which is meant by Divinity and G.o.dhead hath previously been stated. We have in truth rent the veils asunder and disclosed that which will draw men nigh unto G.o.d, Who layeth low the necks of men. Happy the man that hath attained unto justice and equity in this Grace that hath encompa.s.sed all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, as bidden by G.o.d, the Lord of the worlds.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! Hearken unto the melodies of the Gospel with the ear of fairness. He saith-glorified be His utterance-prophesying the things that are to come: "But of that Day and Hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father." By Father in this connection is meant G.o.d-exalted be His glory. He, verily, is the True Educator, and the Spiritual Teacher.

Joel saith: "For the Day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?" Firstly, in the sublime utterance set forth in the Gospel He saith that none is aware of the time of the Revelation, that none knoweth it except G.o.d, the All-Knowing, Who is cognizant of all. Secondly, He setteth forth the greatness of the Revelation. Likewise, in the Qur'an He saith: "Of what ask they of one another? Of the Great Announcement."

This is the Announcement, the greatness of which hath been mentioned in most of the Books of old and of more recent times. This is the Announcement that hath caused the limbs of mankind to quake, except such as G.o.d, the Protector, the Helper, the Succorer, hath willed to exempt.

Men have indeed with their own eyes witnessed how all men and all things have been thrown into confusion and been sore perplexed, save those whom G.o.d hath chosen to exempt.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! Great is the Cause, and great the Announcement! Patiently and calmly ponder thou upon the resplendent signs and the sublime words, and all that hath been revealed in these days, that haply thou mayest fathom the mysteries that are hid in the Books, and mayest strive to guide His servants. Hearken with thine inner ear unto the Voice of Jeremiah, Who saith: "Oh, for great is that Day, and it hath no equal." Wert thou to observe with the eye of fairness, thou wouldst perceive the greatness of the Day. Incline thine ear unto the Voice of this All-Knowing Counsellor, and suffer not thyself to be deprived of the mercy that hath surpa.s.sed all created things, visible and invisible. Lend an ear unto the song of David.

He saith: "Who will bring me into the Strong City?" The Strong City is Akka, which hath been named the Most Great Prison, and which possesseth a fortress and mighty ramparts.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! Peruse that which Isaiah hath spoken in His Book. He saith: "Get thee up into the high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings; lift up Thy Voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings.

Lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah: 'Behold your G.o.d!

Behold the Lord G.o.d will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him.'" This Day all the signs have appeared. A Great City hath descended from heaven, and Zion trembleth and exulteth with joy at the Revelation of G.o.d, for it hath heard the Voice of G.o.d on every side. This Day Jerusalem hath attained unto a new Evangel, for in the stead of the sycamore standeth the cedar. Jerusalem is the place of pilgrimage for all the peoples of the world, and hath been named the Holy City. Together with Zion and Palestine, they are all included within these regions. Wherefore, hath it been said: "Blessed is the man that hath migrated to Akka."

Amos saith: "The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter His Voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither." Carmel, in the Book of G.o.d, hath been designated as the Hill of G.o.d, and His Vineyard. It is here that, by the grace of the Lord of Revelation, the Tabernacle of Glory hath been raised. Happy are they that attain thereunto; happy they that set their faces towards it.

And likewise He saith: "Our G.o.d will come, and He will not be silent."

O _Sh_ay_kh_! Reflect upon these words addressed by Him Who is the Desire of the world to Amos. He saith: "Prepare to meet thy G.o.d, O Israel, for, lo, He that formeth the mountains and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, the Lord, the G.o.d of Hosts, is His name." He saith that He maketh the morning darkness. By this is meant that if, at the time of the Manifestation of Him Who conversed on Sinai anyone were to regard himself as the true morn, he will, through the might and power of G.o.d, be turned into darkness. He truly is the false dawn, though believing himself to be the true one. Woe unto him, and woe unto such as follow him without a clear token from G.o.d, the Lord of the worlds.

Isaiah saith: "The Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day." Concerning the greatness of the Revelation He saith: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty."

And in another connection He saith: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the splendor of our G.o.d."

These pa.s.sages stand in need of no commentary. They are shining and manifest as the sun, and glowing and luminous as light itself. Every fair-minded person is led, by the fragrance of these words, unto the garden of understanding, and attaineth unto that from which most men are veiled and debarred. Say: Fear G.o.d, O people, and follow not the doubts of such as shout aloud, who have broken the Covenant of G.o.d and His Testament, and denied His mercy that hath preceded all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth.

And likewise, He saith: "Say to them that are of a fearful heart: be strong, fear not, behold your G.o.d." This blessed verse is a proof of the greatness of the Revelation, and of the greatness of the Cause, inasmuch as the blast of the trumpet must needs spread confusion throughout the world, and fear and trembling amongst all men. Well is it with him who hath been illumined with the light of trust and detachment. The tribulations of that Day will not hinder or alarm him. Thus hath the Tongue of Utterance spoken, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Merciful. He, verily, is the Strong, the All-Powerful, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.

It is now inc.u.mbent upon them who are endowed with a hearing ear and a seeing eye to ponder these sublime words, in each of which the oceans of inner meaning and explanation are hidden, that haply the words uttered by Him Who is the Lord of Revelation may enable His servants to attain, with the utmost joy and radiance, unto the Supreme Goal and Most Sublime Summit-the dawning-place of this Voice.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! Wert thou to perceive, be it less than a needle's eye, the breaths of Mine utterance, thou wouldst abandon the world and all that is therein, and wouldst set thy face towards the lights of the countenance of the Desired One. Briefly, in the sayings of Him Who is the Spirit (Jesus) unnumbered significances lie concealed. Unto many things did He refer, but as He found none possessed of a hearing ear or a seeing eye He chose to conceal most of these things. Even as He saith: "But ye cannot bear them now." That Dawning-Place of Revelation saith that on that Day He Who is the Promised One will reveal the things which are to come. Accordingly in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and in the Tablets to the Kings, and in the Law?-i-Ra'is, and in the Law?-i-Fu'ad, most of the things which have come to pa.s.s on this earth have been announced and prophesied by the Most Sublime Pen.

In the Kitab-i-Aqdas the following hath been revealed: "O Land of Ta (?ihran)! Let nothing grieve thee, for G.o.d hath chosen thee to be the source of the joy of all mankind. He shall, if it be His Will, bless thy throne with one who will rule with justice, who will gather together the flock of G.o.d which the wolves have scattered. Such a ruler will, with joy and gladness, turn his face towards, and extend his favors unto, the people of Baha. He indeed is accounted in the sight of G.o.d, as a jewel among men. Upon him rest forever the glory of G.o.d, and the glory of all that dwell in the kingdom of His revelation." These verses were revealed previously. Now, however, the following verse hath been sent down: "O G.o.d, my G.o.d! Baha beseecheth Thee and imploreth Thee, by the lights of Thy countenance and the billows of the ocean of Thy Revelation, and the effulgent splendors of the Sun of Thine utterance, to aid the _Sh_ah to be fair and equitable. If it be Thy wish, bless Thou, through him, the throne of authority and sovereignty. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee.

There is none other G.o.d but Thee, Who hearest, Who art ready to answer."

"Rejoice with great joy, O Land of Ta (?ihran), for G.o.d hath made thee the dayspring of His light, inasmuch as within thee was born the Manifestation of His glory. Be thou glad for this name that hath been conferred upon thee-a name through which the Daystar of grace hath shed its splendor, through which both earth and heaven have been illumined. Erelong will the state of affairs within thee be changed, and the reins of power fall into the hands of the people. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing. His authority embraceth all things. Rest thou a.s.sured in the gracious favor of thy Lord. The eye of His loving-kindness shall everlastingly be directed towards thee. The day is approaching when thy agitation will have been trans.m.u.ted into peace and quiet calm. Thus hath it been decreed in the Wondrous Book."

And likewise, in the Law?-i-Fu'ad, and in the Tablet of the King of Paris (Napoleon III), and in other Tablets, there hath been revealed that which will lead every fair-minded person to testify unto the power, and the majesty, and the wisdom of G.o.d-exalted be His glory. Were men to observe with the eye of justice, they would be made aware of the secret of this blessed verse: "Neither is there a thing green or sere, but it is noted in a distinct writing," and would comprehend it. On this day, however, men's repudiation of the truth hath prevented them from understanding what hath been sent down in truth by Him Who is the Revealer, the Ancient of Days.

Gracious G.o.d! Perspicuous signs have appeared on every side, and yet men are, for the most part, deprived of the privilege of beholding and of comprehending them. We beseech G.o.d to bestow His aid, that all men may recognize the pearls that lie hid within the sh.e.l.ls of the Most Great Ocean, and exclaim: "Praised be Thou, O G.o.d of the world!"

O concourse of the fair-minded! Observe and reflect upon the billows of the ocean of the utterance and knowledge of G.o.d, so that ye may testify with your inner and outer tongues that with Him is the knowledge of all that is in the Book. Nothing escapeth His knowledge. He, verily, hath manifested that which was hidden, when He, upon His return, mounted the throne of the Bayan. All that hath been sent down hath and will come to pa.s.s, word for word, upon earth. No possibility is left for anyone either to turn aside or protest. As fairness, however, is disgraced and concealed, most men speak as prompted by their own idle fancies.

O G.o.d, my G.o.d! Debar not Thy servants from turning their faces towards the light of cert.i.tude, that hath dawned above the horizon of Thy will, and suffer them not to be deprived, O my G.o.d, of the oceans of Thy signs.

They, O my Lord, are Thy servants in Thy cities, and Thy slaves in Thy lands. If Thou hast not mercy upon them, who, then, will show them mercy?

Take Thou, O my G.o.d, the hands of such as have been drowned in the sea of idle fancies, and deliver them by Thy power and Thy sovereignty. Save them, then, with the arms of Thy might. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest, and in Thy right hand are the reins of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.

In like manner, the Primal Point saith: "Behold ye Him with His own eyes.

Were ye to behold Him with the eyes of another, ye would never recognize and know Him." This referreth to naught else except this Most Great Revelation. Well is it with them that judge fairly. And likewise, He saith: "The year-old germ that holdeth within itself the potentialities of the Revelation that is to come is endowed with a potency superior to the combined forces of the whole of the Bayan." These glad-tidings of the Bayan and of the Books of former times have been repeatedly mentioned under divers names in numerous books, that perchance men might judge equitably that which hath arisen and shone forth above the horizon of the will of G.o.d, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

O _Sh_ay_kh_! Tell the people of the Bayan: "Ponder ye these blessed words. He saith: 'The whole of the Bayan is only a leaf amongst the leaves of His Paradise.' Be fair, O people, and be not of such as are accounted as lost in the Book of G.o.d, the Lord of the worlds." The blessed Lote-Tree standeth, in this day, before thy face, laden with heavenly, with new and wondrous fruits. Gaze on it, detached from all else save it. Thus hath the Tongue of might and power spoken at this Spot which G.o.d hath adorned with the footsteps of His Most Great Name and Mighty Announcement.

And likewise, He saith: "Ere nine will have elapsed from the inception of this Cause, the realities of the created things will not be made manifest.

All that thou hast as yet seen is but the stage from the moist germ until We clothed it with flesh. Be patient, until thou beholdest a new creation.

Say: 'Blessed, therefore, be G.o.d, the most excellent of Makers!'" And likewise, He hath said regarding the power of this Revelation: "Lawful is it for Him Whom G.o.d will make manifest to reject him who is greatest on earth, inasmuch as such a one is but a creature in His grasp, and all things adore Him. After ?in (68) a Cause shall be given unto you which ye shall come to know." And also He saith: "Know thou with absolute certainty, and through the firmly established and most irrevocable decree, that He-exalted be His glory, and magnified be His might, and sanctified be His holiness, and glorified be His grandeur, and lauded be His ways, maketh each thing to be known through its own self; who then can know Him through any one except Himself?" And further, He saith-exalted and glorified be He: "Beware, beware lest, in the days of His Revelation, the Vahid of the Bayan (eighteen Letters of the Living) shut thee not out as by a veil from Him, inasmuch as this Vahid is but a creature in His sight.

And beware, beware that the words sent down in the Bayan shut thee not out as by a veil from Him." And again, He-exalted be He-saith: "Look not upon Him with any eye except His own. For whosoever looketh upon Him with His eye, will recognize Him; otherwise he will be veiled from Him. Shouldst thou seek G.o.d and His Presence, seek thou Him and gaze upon Him." And likewise, He saith: "Better is it for thee to recite but one of the verses of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest than to set down the whole of the Bayan, for on that Day that one verse can save thee, whereas the entire Bayan cannot save thee."

Say: O people of the Bayan! Be fair, be fair; and again, be fair, be fair.

Be ye not of them who have made mention of the Manifestation of the Cause of G.o.d in the daytime and in the night season, and who, when He, through His grace, appeared, and when the Horizon of Revelation was illumined, p.r.o.nounced against Him such a judgment as hath provoked the lamentations of the inmates of the Kingdom and of the Realm of Glory, and of such as have circled about the will of G.o.d, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Meditate upon these sublime words. He saith: "I, verily, am a believer in Him, and in His Faith, and in His Book, and in His Testimonies, and in His Ways, and in all that proceedeth from Him concerning them. I glory in My kinship with Him, and pride Myself on My belief in Him." And likewise, He saith: "O congregation of the Bayan and all who are therein! Recognize ye the limits imposed upon you, for such a One as the Point of the Bayan Himself hath believed in Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest, before all things were created. Therein, verily, do I glory before all who are in the kingdom of heaven and earth." By G.o.d! All the atoms of the universe groan and lament at the cruelty perpetrated by the froward among the people of the Bayan. Whither are gone they who are endued with insight and hearing?

We beseech G.o.d-blessed and glorified be He-to summon them and exhort them unto that which will profit them, and withhold them from that which will harm them. He, in truth, is the Strong, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.

And likewise, He saith: "Suffer not yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from G.o.d after He hath revealed Himself. For all that hath been exalted in the Bayan is but as a ring upon My hand, and I Myself am, verily, but a ring upon the hand of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest-glorified be His mention! He turneth it as He pleaseth, for whatsoever He pleaseth, and through whatsoever He pleaseth. He, verily, is the Help in Peril, the Most High." And likewise, He saith: "Were He to make of every one on earth a Prophet, all would, in very truth, be accounted as Prophets in the sight of G.o.d." And likewise, He saith: "In the day of the revelation of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest all that dwell on earth will be equal in His estimation. Whomsoever He ordaineth as a Prophet, he, verily, hath been a Prophet from the beginning that hath no beginning, and will thus remain until the end that hath no end, inasmuch as this is an act of G.o.d. And whosoever is made a Vicegerent by Him, shall be a Vicegerent in all the worlds, for this is an act of G.o.d. For the will of G.o.d can in no wise be revealed except through His will, nor His wish be manifested save through His wish. He, verily, is the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful, the All-Highest."

Briefly, in every instance He hath stated that which is conducive to the conversion, the advancement, the exaltation, and the guidance of men. A few unfair ones, however, have become a veil, and an insurmountable barrier, and debarred the people from turning towards the lights of His Countenance. We pray G.o.d to cast them out by His sovereignty, and seize on them with His seizing power. He, verily, is the Lord of Strength, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

And likewise, He saith: "He-glorified be His mention-resembleth the sun.

Were unnumbered mirrors to be placed before it, each would, according to its capacity, reflect the splendor of that sun, and were none to be placed before it, it would still continue to rise and set, and the mirrors alone would be veiled from its light. I, verily, have not fallen short of My duty to admonish that people, and to devise means whereby they may turn towards G.o.d, their Lord, and believe in G.o.d, their Creator. If, on the day of His Revelation, all that are on earth bear Him allegiance, Mine inmost being will rejoice, inasmuch as all will have attained the summit of their existence, and will have been brought face to face with their Beloved, and will have recognized, to the fullest extent attainable in the world of being, the splendor of Him Who is the Desire of their hearts. If not, My soul will indeed be saddened. I truly have nurtured all things for this purpose. How, then, can anyone be veiled from Him? For this have I called upon G.o.d, and will continue to call upon Him. He, verily, is nigh, ready to answer."

And likewise, He saith: "They will even refuse unto that Tree, which is neither of the East nor of the West, the name believer, for were they so to name Him, they would fail to sadden Him." Hath thine ear, O world, heard with what helplessness these words were revealed from the dayspring of the will of Him Who is the Dawning-Place of all names? He saith: "I have educated all men, that they may recognize this Revelation, and yet the people of the Bayan refuse to concede even the name believer to that blessed Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West." Alas, alas, for the things which have befallen Me! By G.o.d! There befell Me at the hands of him whom I have nurtured (Mirza Ya?ya), by day and by night, what hath caused the Holy Spirit, and the dwellers of the Tabernacle of the Grandeur of G.o.d, the Lord of this wondrous Day, to lament.

Likewise, refuting certain disbelievers, He saith: "For none knoweth the time of the Revelation except G.o.d. Whenever it appeareth, all must acknowledge the Point of Truth, and render thanks unto G.o.d." They that have turned aside from Me have spoken even as the followers of John (the Baptist) spoke. For they, too, protested against Him Who was the Spirit (Jesus) saying: "The dispensation of John hath not yet ended; wherefore hast thou come?" Now, too, they that have repudiated Us, though they have never known Us and have been at all times ignorant of the fundamentals of this Cause, knowing not from Whom it proceeded or what it signifieth, have spoken that which hath made all created things to sigh and lament. By My life! The mute can never confront the One Who incarnateth in Himself the kingdom of utterance. Fear G.o.d, O people, and peruse, then, that which hath been sent down with truth in the eighth Chapter of the sixth Vahid of the Bayan, and be not of such as have turned aside. He, likewise, hath commanded: "Once every nineteen days this Chapter should be read, that haply they may not be veiled, in the time of the revelation of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest, by considerations foreign to the verses, which have been, and are still, the weightiest of all proofs and testimonies."

John, son of Zacharias, said what My Forerunner hath said: "Saying, repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after Me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear." Wherefore, hath My Forerunner, as a sign of submissiveness and humility, said: "The whole of the Bayan is only a leaf amongst the leaves of His Paradise." And likewise, He saith: "I am the first to adore Him, and pride Myself on My kinship with Him." And yet, O men, the people of the Bayan have acted in such a manner that _Dh_i'l-Jaw_sh_an, and Ibn-i-Anas, and Asbahi have sought and still seek refuge with G.o.d against such deeds. This Wronged One hath, in the face of all religions, busied Himself day and night with the things that are conducive unto the exaltation of the Cause of G.o.d, whereas those men have clung unto that which is the cause of humiliation and injury.

And likewise, He saith: "Recognize Him by His verses. The greater your neglect in seeking to know Him, the more grievously will ye be veiled in fire." O ye among the people of the Bayan that have turned aside from Me!

Ponder upon these most sublime words, that have proceeded from the wellspring of the utterance of Him Who is the Point of Knowledge. Hearken ye, at this moment, unto these words. He saith: "On that Day, the Daystar of Truth will address the people of the Bayan and will recite this Surih of the Qur'an: 'Say: O ye unbelievers! I worship not that which ye worship, and ye do not worship that which I worship. I shall never worship that which ye worship, neither will ye worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, to Me My religion.'" Gracious G.o.d! Notwithstanding these lucid statements, and these shining and luminous tokens all are occupied with their vain imaginings, and are unaware of, and veiled from, the Desired One. O ye that have gone astray! Awake from the sleep of heedlessness, and give ear unto these words of My Forerunner. He saith: "The tree of affirmation, by turning aside from Him, is accounted as the tree of denial, and the tree of denial, by turning towards Him, is accounted as the tree of affirmation." And likewise, He saith: "Should anyone lay claim unto a Revelation, and fail to produce any proof, do not protest, and sadden Him not." Briefly, this Wronged One hath, night and day, been uttering the words: "Say: O ye unbelievers!", that haply this may be the means of awakening the people, and may adorn them with the adornment of fairness.