"O thou whose heart is overflowing with the love of G.o.d!..."
O thou whose heart is overflowing with the love of G.o.d!
Verily, I received thy beautiful letter and praised G.o.d for kindling the fire of His love in thy heart and cheering thy spirit with the cup of the gift of thy Lord. I ask G.o.d to increase thy intoxication with this wine and gladden thy spirit with this great gospel. I wrote letters to those whose names thou didst mention in thy letter. Deliver them with rejoicing face, revived heart, and tongue uttering the name of the Merciful.
"O thou who art confident in the appearance of the Kingdom..."
O thou who art confident in the appearance of the Kingdom of G.o.d! Verily I read thy letter, which was beautifully composed and which proved thy great love, the extent of thy knowledge and the illumination of thy sight, by witnessing the signs whereunto the heads bow in reverence and faces show respect.
O beloved! Thank G.o.d that He chose thee for His love and elected thy wife for the calling of the appearance of the Kingdom of G.o.d. Verily, this is a great favor, and wert thou aware of the results which will follow it in the Kingdom of G.o.d, thou wouldst, verily, rejoice exceedingly and wouldst call with loud voice: "Blessed are we for this great favor, and glad-tidings be unto us for this glorious attainment."
Consider the past, so that thou mayest become informed of the mysteries which shall be disclosed in the future. When the disciples were calling in the name of Christ, the Jews scoffed, scorned and laughed at them. They were saying, "They (i.e., the disciples) are taken with madness, and madness is made an art." They even beat them with whips, threw stones at them, prevented the people from approaching them, and were saying, "This man (Christ) is naught but a sorcerer, blasphemeth G.o.d and is possess of a devil."
Then observe how that persecution and scorn were changed to glory, honor and reverence. Ultimately, they (the Jews) honored their sublime stations and acknowledged their loftiness, which was exalted, promoted and glorified in the center of the horizons until it reached the degree of exaggeration in deeds. They made for them likenesses and pictures, decorated with jewels shining in the eyes; they placed these likenesses or pictures in the temples, churches and monasteries built on the tops of the mountains, and worshipped them with respect, glory, majesty and reverence.
This is the condition of the neglectful ones who are deprived of the Truth (the Manifestations of G.o.d) at the day of their existence among them.
After the ascension of their (the prophets") spirits unto the Center of Purity and Piety, then the negligent ones repent and return, making likenesses and pictures according to their own ideas, which do not bear resemblance, and worship the same. This is the station of the ignorant ones who are as animals, following every croaker and shaken by every wind.
"Forsake them to play in their shallow waters."
As to thee: Be happy because of what thy Lord, the Clement, the Merciful, hath given thee; choosing thee and thy esteemed wife for entrance into His Kingdom, for calling in His name, praising Him in a.s.semblies, gatherings and meetings.
The truth I verily say unto thee, this divine grace cannot be exchanged for the sovereignty of the earth, the east or the west. For that (the worldly kingdom) is naught but dreams, torture to the spirit, trouble for the hearts; its mortality is certain and its destruction a well known fact-while this spiritual kingdom and divine grace will shine, and it is an ABHA (Glorious) jewel which will glisten on the diadems of great glory in the course of centuries and cycles.
"O thou who art directed unto G.o.d!..."
O thou who art directed unto G.o.d!
Thy revered wife, Mrs. ........, is indeed confirmed by the fragrances of the spirit and rendered victorious by the hosts of the Kingdom. Verily, she hath abandoned comfort and ease; calleth in the name of G.o.d in those regions; hath remained firm in G.o.d"s religion; and no power of test hath shaken her. Rest thou a.s.sured! Her light shall shine in the globe of the love of G.o.d and her face shall be illumined with the light of G.o.d"s bounty!
I pray for a heavenly blessing to descend upon the heart of [thy wife], for she arose for the spreading of G.o.d"s fragrances. I ask G.o.d to protect thee and her from the winds of trial. May thy tongue be moved to utter beautiful explanations and may the hearts of the people of Johnstown (N.Y.) become tender, so that they may be guided to the Fountain of the Water of Life and be illumined by the lights shining from the kingdom of heaven.
(87) Be not in despair, but rather smile by the mercy of thy Lord; and be not sorrowful when meeting with worldly difficulties and depressions, for they pa.s.s away-and thine shall be immortality during ages and centuries, times and cycles.
(88) Be not sad on account of poverty, nor be sorrowful when the people scorn thee. Remember the poverty of Jesus, the persecution of the Jews to His glorious person and the scorn of Him. Verily, that poverty is the glory of the beginning and the ending. It is a light which hath illumined the heavens and the earth. ***O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom of G.o.d!
***Consider not the present state, for it is the time of sowing seeds in that country (America) and, of course, great difficulties are met with, differences and hindrances of the people being severe. Firmness must uphold us. As the servants and the maid-servants of the Merciful stand firmly and persevere, the good see will soon grow and bear the fruit of blessing. Then will spirit and fragrance prevail, and joy and rejoicing come from the heavenly sphere; the sorrows and toils shall be forgotten and the eternal peace and rest appear. I trust, through the bounty of ABHA, that ye may be strengthened to serve and to spread the Word of G.o.d.***
The giving .... the ring(89) of the Greatest Name is very beautiful. The ring should be worn on the small finger of the right hand.
The prayer for forgiveness(90) is behalf of those who have pa.s.sed, ignorant, from this world, will be sent as requested.
Regarding the "two wings" of the soul: These signify wings of ascent. One is the wing of knowledge, the other of faith, as this is the means of the ascent of the human soul to the lofty station of divine perfections.***
"O Thou Forgiving Lord!..."
O Thou Forgiving Lord!(91)
Although certain souls finished the days of life in ignorance, were estranged and selfish, yet the ocean of Thy forgiveness is, verily, able to redeem and make free the sinners by one of its waves. Thou redeemest whomsoever Thou willest and deprivest whomsoever Thou willest not(92) !
Shouldst Thou treat justly, we all are sinners and deserve to be deprived; and shouldst Thou observe mercy, every sinner shall be made pure and every stranger shall become a friend. Therefore, forgive and pardon and grant Thy mercy unto all. Thou art the Forgiver, the Light-giver and the Compa.s.sionate!
"O thou sign of the Love of G.o.d!..."
O thou sign of the Love of G.o.d!
Be rejoiced that thou hast held the cup of providence in thy hand and drunk the choice wine of guidance, opened thine eye and witnessed the lights of the Kingdom, unstopped thine ear and heard thy voice of the Lord of Hosts.
Be not grieved at the death of thy dear daughter. This divine bird flew away to the rose-garden of the Merciful and that plant of humanity hastened to the garden of the Kingdom of El-ABHA. That drop returned to the Most Great Sea and that ray betook herself to the Most Great Orb. Be happy and thankful because thou wilt see her face shining in the divine Kingdom and wilt find her as a lamp amid an a.s.sembly in the spiritual heaven.
"O thou who art commemorating the praises of G.o.d!..."
O thou who art commemorating the praises of G.o.d!
Verily, I read thy letter of elegant expression, for which I supplicate to G.o.d to make thee meek, humble and fit for the effulgence of the light of His love among the maid-servants; and (I beg of G.o.d) to make all mankind the children of His mercy! This is the utmost mercy of Abdul-Baha for which he is endeavoring night and day and is summoning all to this fountain which is flowing with the pure water of the gift of G.o.d. Verily, I pray G.o.d to a.s.sembly all mankind in the shadow of the standard of peace and under the tents of love in the Paradise of El-ABHA; so that all of them may become the children of G.o.d and His beloved ones. Verily thy Lord is compa.s.sionate to the servants who are rightly guided.
As to thee: Appreciate the value of thy father, for he taught thee to await the manifestation of the Light of Lights. Verily he hath inhaled the fragrance of the Paradise of El-ABHA and his nostrils are therewith perfumed. Therefore, he bade thee to antic.i.p.ate and prepare thyself for the appearance of the Kingdom of G.o.d.
"O thou dear one!..."
O thou dear one!
Blessed art thou, for thou hast entered into the bosom of the training of G.o.d and drunk the cup of knowledge while thou art young in age among girls. Thank thou G.o.d for that He hath caused thee to taste the sweetness of His love at thy earliest childhood. I beg of G.o.d to protect thee from wavering in the Cause of G.o.d, to make thee firm in the Covenant of G.o.d, to guard thy mother in the stronghold of His great Kingdom and to make thee a girl successful and nurtured from the breast of the love of G.o.d, refreshed from the milk of His knowledge in this great day.