O my dear friend!
Verily, my heart is united with thee even though my body is in a distant land, for verily neither long distance nor immense remoteness can prevent the union between hearts, because the clear hearts are in reality a.s.sembled in union in the Kingdom of G.o.d, while bodies are disperse in the east and west of the earth. This dispersion cannot stop the affinity and cannot veil the eye of soul from seeing in all directions.
"O thou who art cheerfully moving by the Fragrances..."
O thou who art cheerfully moving by the Fragrances of G.o.d!
Know thou verily, that when the Sun of Truth shown forth to the horizons, the eyes of the people of affection were brightened by witnessing thereof, but the blind are in veil and discord, and say: "Where is the Sun of the Horizon?" Leave them in the veils of pa.s.sions and fathoms of the seas of ignorance, to sink and play.
Verily, thou shouldst be rejoiced with this Light, which is shining to the Easts of the earth and the Wests thereof, and be illumined thereby, so that thou becomest saved with thy whole being from the gloomy darkness.
Then thou wilt become of the great signs of guidance.
"O thou seeker of Truth!..."
O thou seeker of Truth!
I received the photograph of thy shining figure and I looked at it with thorough attention. A tranquility and steadfastness was manifest in thy visage. I beg of G.o.d that the lights of the Kingdom may so shine upon this face (or figure) that they may dispel the darkness of error from many. If thou doest act according to the commandments and exhortations of G.o.d, know thou for a certainty that the luminosity of thy face will day by day increase. Be thou happy and well pleased and arise to offer thanks to G.o.d, in order that thanksgiving may conduce to the increase of bounty.
"O thou maid-servant of G.o.d!..."
O thou maid-servant of G.o.d!
Thy message, through the maid-servant of G.o.d ........ was received. Happy is thy state that thou art seeking the Truth and endeavoring to attain eternal life. This is a lofty aim, but it requireth the heavenly confirmation and a.s.sistance.
I pray that this a.s.sistance may be vouchsafed unto thee and this bounty environ thee, that thou hearest the call of the Kingdom and beholdest the greatest signs.
Reflect upon this: What a bounty and what a favor it is that the sages of the world and the wise among mankind are incompetent of comprehension, yet the little children of the Kingdom have attained the Truth, dwell and abide under the shadow of the Tree of Life and are a.s.sisted by the everlasting and eternal gift!
"O maid-servant of G.o.d!..."
O maid-servant of G.o.d!
Verily that Infant is born and exists and their will appear from His Cause a wonder which thou wilt hear in future. Thou shalt see Him with the most perfect form, most great gift, most complete perfection, most great power and strongest might! His Face glisteneth a glistening whereby the horizons are illumined! Therefore, forget not this account as long as thou art living, forasmuch as there are signs for it in the pa.s.sing centuries and ages.
Upon ye be greeting and praise!
ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
"If the people live and act in accord with..."
"If the people live and act in accord with the General Tablets which are revealed in the beloved of the East and of the West, this universe will become another universe, and the whole existence of this world will be clad in another garment"
Abdul-Baha Abbas
VOLUME III
"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
Thou hast asked regarding the phrase, "He is G.o.d!" written above the Tablets. By this Word it is intended that no one hath any access to the Invisible Essence. The way is barred and the road is impa.s.sable. In this world all men must turn their faces toward "Him-whom G.o.d-shall-Manifest."
He is the "Dawning-place of Divinity" and the "Manifestation of Deity." He is the "Ultimate Goal," the "Adored One" of all and the "Worshipped One"
of all. Otherwise, whatever flashes through the mind is not that Essence of essences and the Reality of realities; nay, rather it is pure imagination(223) woven by man and is surrounded, not the surrounding.
Consequently, it returns finally to the realm of suppositions and conjectures.
"O G.o.d! O thou Attracted of the hearts of the favored..."
O G.o.d! O thou Attracted of the hearts of the favored ones toward the Manifest Horizon!
Verily, Thou art witnessing that the fire is ablaze in the b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the tears are streaming from the eyes and the period of patience and silence hath come to an end. The eyes of the beloved ones, O my G.o.d, are swimming in tears; the hearts of the yearning ones, O my Beloved, are wandering in the wilderness of Thy mercifulness; and the souls of the attracted ones, O my Desires, are afflicted with anguish on account of Thy separation!
Verily, they have heard Thy universal proclamation, O my G.o.d, and what Thou has revealed in the Koran: "Say! travel ye on earth, so that ye may behold the signs of the mercy of G.o.d." thereupon, after Thy ascension, the people of faithfulness have arisen, traveling to distant lands and hastening to far and remote regions of the world, in order to cry out Thy Name, to remind the souls of the arrival of Thy days, to lead the minds to the fountain of Thy signs, to demonstrate to all the inhabitants of the world Thy proof and Thy religion, to guide the truth seekers to the right path and to indicate the straight highway to the strivers. From among them is Thy servant ... who is firm in the Ancient Covenant, fleeing from the people of darkness, drinking from the water of eternal life and intoxicated with the wine which is overflowing from the divine cup.
Verily, he hath left his native abode, waved the hand of farewell to his relatives, forsaken ease and comfort, hastened to strange and unknown kingdoms and accepted hardship and adversities while heralding Thy Name, commemorating Thy glorification, attracted to Thy beauty, stirred by the fragrances of Thy holiness, speaking Thy praises, voicing Thy Cause, guiding others to Thee, proving Thy religion, demonstrating Thy irrefutable truth, becoming an answerer to every questioning one and a guide to every one held in error!
O my Lord! O my Lord! Verily, he endured every affliction in Thy path and bore patiently every hardship and adversity in Thy love. A breath of rest hath he not breathed, neither hath his sought after any favor, abode or habitation in this world; nay, rather hath he walked in the footsteps of Thy most exalted Word, His Highness Christ, for he hath taken the stars for his lamp, the earth for his bed and the herbs for his food.
Notwithstanding this, his cry was raised in the a.s.semblages and his voice was heard in the meetings. The seekers flowed toward him and the thirsty ones hastened to drink from the water of his utterance. O my G.o.d! This is no other than through Thy generosity, Thy beneficence, Thy mercy and Thy favors. O my G.o.d! Help him by the hosts of the approximate angels, a.s.sist him by the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse amid Thy creatures, make him a lamp of guidance in that distant part of the earth and a luminary shining and sparkling from the dawning-place of faithfulness, in order that he may serve Thy holy threshold, falling prostrate upon the ground thanking and praising for Thy bounty, liberality and gifts to him; girding up his loins of endeavor in Thy service and becoming reinforced and empowered in Thy adoration!