Thy letter was read and I am very happy that thou art active and full of life through the spirit of Life and that thou art firm and steadfast in this great Cause.
To enter the Kingdom is easy, but to remain firm and constant is difficult. The planting of trees is easy, but their cultivation and training to strengthen their roots and to make them firm is difficult.
Now, as thou art a firm tree, thou shalt certainly grow and send out branches, leaves and blossoms and bear fruits.
These branches, leaves, blossoms and fruits are the souls who may be guided, through the providence of G.o.d, by thee. Therefore, thou art confirmed and strengthened.
Some of the friends intended to visit the Holy Land, but hindrances prevented them and they have deferred their coming. You should also remain with your mother and serve her until a suitable time arrives.
Give my greetings and praise to my spiritual friend [thy husband] and gladden him with the joyful tidings of G.o.d; also, give the same to the friends of G.o.d and His maid-servants.
"O thou who has sought shelter in the Impregnable..."
O thou who has sought shelter in the Impregnable Cave!
Verily, the glad-tidings of G.o.d have encompa.s.sed Abdul-Baha from all directions. While his heart is beating with the love of G.o.d, he holds a cup full of the knowledge of G.o.d in his right hand and wishes to give the seekers to drink of this wine, so that they may, perchance, be exhilarated with this cup, which is overflowing with the signs of G.o.d.
Be thou rejoiced at these words, because thou wilt partake of this wine which refreshes hearts and souls.
"O thou who art confessing the Oneness of G.o.d!..."
O thou who art confessing the Oneness of G.o.d!
Verily, I read thy letter and I besought G.o.d to cause thee to promulgate His divine Manifestation, to be rejoiced at the bounty of His Kingdom, to adhere to His Testament, to hold fast to the hem of the robe of His grandeur, to exert thyself in His Cause, to desire the unity of His dearly beloved ones, and the harmony amongst His chosen ones and to endeavor to remove the doubts which are being emanated from deceitful souls.
By the might of my Lord, verily, the Lord will a.s.sist only those who will remain firm in His Cause, and desire union, love, humility and submissiveness, and to become separated from aught else save G.o.d. Every forehead which is illuminated with these lights will be a lamp of guidance and a star whereby all horizons will be lighted.
Exert thyself with all thy heart and soul and with all strength, so that thou mayest become a sign of firmness and as a banner of the Word of G.o.d which may wave on every lofty edifice through the favor of thy Glorious Lord.
As to thy question concerning the 12th chapter of Ecclesiastes: This is prophecy regarding the coming of Jesus in that book, the signs and marks of which were fulfilled with the appearance of the Promised One of the Bible(64) ; but since the Jews did not understand the meaning thereof, so they denied Jesus and- G.o.d forbid! -said that He was the deformed (Antichrist). Then it is said by Jesus in the Gospel, that similar signs would appear in the "last day"-or in other words-in the day when Christ will come the second time in this world.
The interpretation of these statements is mentioned in the clearest manner and with the most wonderful proofs in the Book of Ighan(65) . His honor, Ali-Kuli-Khan, has already translated this Book which will soon be published in America(66) . Then you will be informed of the explanation and interpretation of these verses and statements as elucidated by the Blessed Perfection. Therefore my interpretation is not necessary.
As to thy question concerning the 54th chapter of Isaiah: This chapter refers to the Exalted Leaf, the mother of Abdul-Baha. As a proof to this it is said: "For more are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife." Reflect upon this statement and then upon the following: "And thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." And truly the humiliation and reproach which she suffered in the path of G.o.d is a fact which no one can refute. For the calamities and afflictions mentioned in the whole chapter are such afflictions which she suffered in the path of G.o.d, all of which she endured with patience and thanked G.o.d therefor and praised Him, because He had enabled her to endure afflictions for the sake of Baha". During all this time, the men and women (nakazeen) persecuted her in an incomparable manner, while she was patient, G.o.d-fearing, calm, humble and contented through the favor of her Lord and by the bounty of her Creator.
As to thee-O thou who art confessing the Oneness of G.o.d! -rise with all thy power to keep firm in the Testament of G.o.d, and firmly believe that, verily, all troops are defeated save those of the Testament and all banners are reversed, save that of the Covenant of G.o.d, which will wave over all horizons and will overshadow the hosts of spirit, love and peace, while agitated by the breeze of the favor of G.o.d. Be thou of the number of this great host and among the vanguard of this great and powerful army.
"O thou illumined youth!..."
O thou illumined youth!
Thank thou G.o.d, for that the tongues spoke in thy praise and the pends moved with thy love, thy knowledge and thy enkindlement by the fire of the love of G.o.d. One of them is the pen of Abdul-Baha. Therefore, be a sign of knowledge, standard of a.s.surance and a light of G.o.d, so that thou mayest become strengthened by the breaths of the Holy Spirit in these days.
"O thou revered sincere one!..."
O thou revered sincere one!
Know thou, verily, the brilliant realities and sanctified spirits are likened to a shining crescent. It has one face turned toward the Sun of Truth, and another face opposite to the contingent world. The journey of this crescent in the heaven of the universe ends in (becoming) a full moon. That is, that face of it which is turned toward the divine world becomes also opposite to the contingent world, and by this, both its merciful and spiritual, as well as contingent, perfections become complete.
"O thou servant of G.o.d!..."
O thou servant of G.o.d!
Thy letter was received. Thou hast spoken concerning thy lack of ability and capacity. Wert thou without ability and capacity, thou wouldst not have advanced toward the Kingdom of ABHA.
Consider how there are thousands of heedless souls who are asleep, while there is one who is conscious and awake! Even as His Holiness Christ has said, the friends of G.o.d are the salt of the earth, and the salt is but a little part of the whole. Undoubtedly the friends of G.o.d have been endowed with ability and capacity, on which account this became of the "chosen"
and not of the "called."
O thou spiritual friend! This world is a prison for heavenly souls, and this earthly world is but a cage, and not a nest, unto the divine birds. A prisoner who is awake and conscious will certainly seek for freedom, and a mindful bird will certainly wish for deliverance from the cage. When the heart becometh free from attachment unto this world, it will crave for the world of the Kingdom and seek for eternal life.
"O thou who are enkindled by the fire of the Love of..."
O thou who are enkindled by the fire of the Love of G.o.d!
Verily, I received thy good and beautiful letter and I found it to be a sign of thy love and an evidence of thy being attracted to the Beauty of El-ABHA. I ask G.o.d to make thee a caller to the Kingdom of El-ABHA, in those regions; to give thee a draught of the wine of grace, to attract thee to the center of guidance, to cause thee to ascend unto the Supreme World and to confirm thee by the fragrances of the Holy Spirit, until thou mayest guide the people unto the kingdom of immortality, revive the hearts by the fragrances of G.o.d and plant the seed of guidance in the field of the souls, by a help from thy Lord, the Merciful, the Clement.
As to the wonderful melody whereby thy spirit was revived, verily it is a melody of the melodies of the divine music, which will cause the spirits to ascend unto the Supreme Horizon and will (cause) the mysteries to be unfolded.
O maid-servant of G.o.d! Be one of the angels of peace and a saint in the world. Verily thy Lord will cause thee to listen to that wonderful melody, through the spiritual instrument.
Regarding thy visit to this region(67), it is not permissible at this time. But when the time comes, permission will be granted thee to present thyself at this Source of Light and Dawning-Point of the love of thy Lord, the Forgiver.