Verily I considered the contents of thy recent letter, thy beautiful writing and I observed thy heartfelt thanks. Verily my heart is filled with love and affection; overflowing with spiritual attractions.
Verily I know that the Tablets (Book) of Abdul-Baha and his address is a hidden mystery and concealed fact. No one is informed of its greatness and importance at these times, but in the course of time and future centuries the signs thereof will be manifested, the lights thereof will dawn forth, the fragrances thereof will be diffused and the greatness, the importance thereof will be known. The truth I say unto thee, that each leaflet from Abdul-Baha will be a wide-spread book, nay, rather, a glistening gem on the Glorious Crown. Know tho its value and hold great its station.
Then praise G.o.d for that He chose thee to love Him and elected thee to spread His fragrances. He selected thee from among the women of the world, so that thou become a flame to the fire of His love, a sign of the Kingdom of His Grace and a summoner to His Name, in humbleness and meekness, invocation and supplication to G.o.d.
Verily I ask G.o.d to protect thee from the waves of tests and storms of trial until thou becomest firm in the Cause of thy Lord-a firmness whereby thou be enabled to withstand all nations and peoples. When thou art thus confirmed by G.o.d, with firmness and solidity in His Covenant among the people, thou wilt see the hosts of the Kingdom shelter thee from all sides with banners whereunto all heads bow.
O maid-servant of G.o.d! It is inc.u.mbent upon thee to be firm! It is inc.u.mbent upon thee to be steadfast! It is inc.u.mbent upon thee to be steadfast! It is inc.u.mbent upon thee to be steadfast in the Cause of the Light which hath shone forth unto the world with great brilliancy!
O maid-servant of G.o.d! Verily, Mary, the Magdalene, was a villager, but she kept firm in the Cause of Christ and confirmed the apostles at the time she declared to them (thus): "Verily, Christ is alive and eternal and death did not overtake Him; and verily, the foundation of His religion is not shaken by His crucifixion at the hand of the oppressors!" By this her face is eternally shining from the horizon of guidance.
O maid-servant of G.o.d! The circ.u.mstances will be severe for every thankful servant (i.e., believer in the Teachings) in those boundaries and countries. The people shall arise against you with the most bitter hatred, opposition and envy. Swords of persecution and curses shall be thrown at you by all the nations. The wind of tests and trials shall fiercely blow and thereby the weak trees, which are not firmly rooted in this wonderful vineyard, shall be uprooted. But the trees which are strong, thriving and green will be strengthened, their branches extended, their leaves opened, their appearance beautified and their blossoms and fruits increased. I ask G.o.d to make thee one of those firmly rooted trees and an extended branch in this most great vineyard, and to make thy heart like unto a cup overflowing with His love in every a.s.semblage. Verily He is the Powerful, the Generous!
Supplicate to G.o.d to guide Mrs. ........, so that she may become thy partner and partaker of this great bounty, and to confirm the family of Mr. ........, so that they may be blest with blessings and successive aids and with the appearance of the manifest signs. Thus all ye may become spreaders of the banner of union, love, harmony and peace upon plains and deserts, hills and mountains.
"O thou who art firm in the love of G.o.d!..."
O thou who art firm in the love of G.o.d!
Verily I read thy recent letter*** and I praised G.o.d for His glorious mercy and His blessings which are successively poured into the pure hearts.
I have written a reply to the letter of ........ and have enclosed it with this letter. I ask G.o.d to make him a sign of guidance and to guide, through him, souls (people) of his native land and of other people.
Verily, my G.o.d chooses whomsoever He willeth, by His mercy and generosity, for entrance into the Kingdom of Glory and shineth the lights of (His) Beauty upon them. Blessed is he who keeps firm in the Path and stands for the Cause of thy Merciful Lord-a firmness like unto the lofty mountains.
O maid-servant of G.o.d! Verily, I pray G.o.d to sanctify thee from the material and thus clothe thee with the garment of holiness and the mantle of purity and send through thee the glad-tidings of thy Lord from the Kingdom of Heaven.
O maid-servant of G.o.d! It is inc.u.mbent upon thee to be firm and steadfast, for by it man attains the greatest hope. Bear every difficulty and be content with any ordeal for the love of thy Lord, so that thou mayest obtain that favor, the lights of which shine throughout the horizons.
"***O ye shining faces and spiritual beings!..."
***O ye(118) shining faces and spiritual beings!
Verily, I was rejoiced at beholding those merciful faces in whose brows the lights of guidance shine on account of their turning unto the Kingdom of El-Abha! O ye beloved of G.o.d and His chosen Ones!
Blessed are your ears, for they have heard the Call!
Blessed are your eyes, for they have beheld the signs of their Mighty Lord!
Blessed are your tongues, for they have uttered the praise of my Lord, the Supreme!
Blessed are your nostrils, for they have inhaled the odor of faithfulness from the people of guidance!
Blessed are your hearts, for they are attracted to the Beauty of El-Abha!
Blessed are your b.r.e.a.s.t.s, for they are dilated by the knowledge of G.o.d!
Blessed are your souls, for they have partaken of the spirit of life from the fragrances of sanct.i.ty in the Paradise of El-Abha!
Thank ye G.o.d! for He hath guided you unto His Kingdom and hath chosen you from among the called ones of nations! Your Lord hath indeed crowned you with the diadem of eternal glory (which will continue) throughout cycles and ages! Truly I say unto you, verily, the angels of heaven repeatedly bless you, for ye have advanced toward G.o.d and turned unto His Great Kingdom. Ye shall surely see in this effulgence a flash which will pervade all regions. At that time, all nations and communities will arise to praise and glorify you, and they will bless themselves with your commemoration in gatherings, temples of worship and in exalted a.s.semblies.
Is there any gift greater than this?
It is inc.u.mbent upon you to have union and harmony and love and uprightness, and to be characterized with the morals of your Lord, the Clement; to walk in the highway of equity and beneficence. Be ye manifestations of the mercy of G.o.d, dawning-places of the light of His great bounty, and arise with all steadfastness, truthfulness, trustworthiness, compa.s.sion, modesty, love and accord with the people of the world, no matter of what community they may be; inasmuch as it behooveth the light to shine even upon the rocks in the field, and the soul is qualified for quickening individuals, even though they be of the ugliest and most disagreeable form, and a pure tree is adapted to bestow a blessed fruit even upon those who throw stones at it.
"O ye who are attracted! O ye who are united! O ye..."
O ye(119) who are attracted! O ye who are united! O ye who are believers and a.s.sured!
Glad-tidings unto you for that ye believed in G.o.d, were attracted to the Beauty of G.o.d, were directed unto the Kingdom of G.o.d and were kindled by the fire of the love of G.o.d!
Therefore, I say unto you that, verily, the angels of the Kingdom pray for the maid-servants of the Merciful; the possessors of brilliant hearts, spiritual susceptibilities, G.o.dlike feelings, heavenly attributes, holy characteristics, confident souls, perfection of humanity and sanctified and pure souls who are striving to spread the spirit of harmony-holy above qualities (pertaining to) nature and pa.s.sion-spreaders of the fragrances of G.o.d severed from all else save G.o.d, banners of union and peace-signs of love and accord!
Blessed are ye for organizing the a.s.sembly of unity! I ask G.o.d to confirm you by the divine aid and strengthen you by the heavenly strength so that every one of you may become a shining star by the light of the love of G.o.d in the world, and banners moving by the breezes of love and peace on the heights of glory among mankind; and lamps brilliant by the lights of eternal majesty on the a.s.semblies of men.
If ye keep firm in this path, ye will see by the eyes of joy signs wherefore ye will thank your Forgiving Lord, and will be confirmed by the hosts from the Supreme Concourse and angels from the Kingdom of El-Abha.
"O ye longing ones! O ye cheered ones! O ye attracted..."
O ye(120) longing ones! O ye cheered ones! O ye attracted ones! O ye who are beseeching the Kingdom of G.o.d!
Blessed are ye, for ye have removed the covering; witnessed the lights of the Sun of Truth which is shining from the horizon of bestowal; are attracted by the fragrances sent forth from the garden of the Kingdom; have arisen to praise the Lord of Grandeur and Might, and have resolved to disseminate the teachings of G.o.d in those vast and extensive regions!
Truly I say unto you! Verily, ye have cast away superst.i.tions; have partaken an abundant portion from that Reality which is shining upon all regions; have perceived the manifest signs, have entered the ark of salvation and attained unto eternal life, under the shadow of the Lord of Hosts, gazing unto the Most Honorable Station, enkindled with the fire ablaze in the tree of existence, in the spot of Sinai; responding to the call of the Clement One, severed from the world, and yearning for the place of sacrifice in the path of Baha".
You will surely hear from this call a ringing voice in the regions. Then the nations will awake to this effulgence and hasten unto the fountain of the Covenant; so that they may drink fresh and salutary water from the grace of your Lord, the Clement.
At that time, the faithful shall be cheered, the sincere shall rejoice and the yearning ones shall be drawn unto the unseen world, the Kingdom of your Lord, the Merciful!
O ye beloved of G.o.d and His chosen ones! Trust ye in the divine confirmation, the merciful bounty and the supreme bestowal. Verily, He will confirm your hearts, dilate your b.r.e.a.s.t.s, make your tongues fluent and will rejoice your souls by a grace from the Compa.s.sionate Merciful One!
O ye beloved of Baha"! Do not look at your weakness, nay, rely upon the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Verily, It maketh the weak strong, the lowly mighty, the child grown, the infant mature and the small great.
I beg of G.o.d that He may make you diffusers of His fragrances, servants of His Cause, gazers unto His Face, speakers in His praise, and that He may protect you against tests and trials, so that ye may become shining lights, beaming stars, gleaming lamps and lofty trees. Verily, this is not difficult with G.o.d!