BB00025: Sahifiy-i-A’mal al-Sanna (Epistle on the Devotional Acts of the Year)

First Chapter: On the knowledge of the book

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Praised be God, Who hath sent down the Book in truth—a guidance and a reminder unto the humble. Verily, it is a Book wherein the ordinance of the Month of God hath been expounded in the Qur’an: a guidance and a mercy from God for a people who prostrate themselves. And that Book is from the Remnant of God—an Imam of manifest truth. He it is in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things; from His knowledge not so much as a thing escapeth. And the believers, according to the decree of the Book, do act for His sake.

Say: Act in accordance with that which hath been sent down in that Book; for it is indeed the Truth from God, even as under the ordinance of the Qur’an ye were wont to give utterance. And that Book is a Remembrance from Us, the path of God in the heavens and on the earth. This is a perspicuous Book.

Second Chapter: The first month—the month of fasting [Ramadan]

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Alif Lam Mim. This is the remembrance of God concerning the month of fasting, from the right hand of the sun’s meridian. There is no God but Him. Say: Worship ye Me. God hath ordained fasting in the month of Ramadan and hath decreed in the Night of Power the law of innovation, as guidance and glad tidings for those who act. Verily God hath prescribed for you fasting after silence, that people may know that their Lord, the Most Merciful, knoweth what they do in the days of God.

Say: Forbidden in the Book is approaching women and judgment without knowledge during the days of fasting, and that which ye judge in God’s religion. Rather, fasting is prescribed for those whose hearts sleep not from Our remembrance, and these are they who truly fast in the Book of God. And those who believe not in Our signs, no judgment is ordained for them in the Book, and these are they who are the lost.

Say: Verily God’s decree in the month of Ramadan, wherein was revealed the Qur’an and wherein are detailed the verses of innovation—whosoever is able, without judgment in the Book, must fast for thirty days, and it is not lawful for him from the knowledge of the white line until what remaineth of the setting of the sun in the face of heaven, upon falsehood regarding Our signs, nor less than a mustard seed, nor what entereth the breast nor what emergeth therefrom. Thus have We detailed in the Book with justice.

These are God’s bounds—whosoever transgresseth knowingly God’s command, upon him lieth an obligation in God’s Book: the freeing of a bondservant, or—if relief comes only after hardship—the feeding of thirty indigent persons; or the fasting of a month, in justice. And [there is also] a day of compensation according to what God hath ordained for him.

Such is the ordinance of God—provided he break not his fast with that which is unlawful; otherwise, the ordinance of thy Lord is the word of the third, according to that which subsisteth between the Remnant of God in His judgment. Such are the bounds of God; transgress them not, that haply ye may prosper in the religion of God.

Say: O ye who believe! Fear God in the Month of Fasting, and speak not regarding anything save the truth. Spend, by night and by day, of that which God hath appointed for you—without reminder or reproach—and remember God much, that haply ye may be shown mercy.

Say: In the Sacred Month, recite of Our verses as your hearts turn toward the Face of God; for thereby is confirmed the guardianship of those whom God hath made the Imams of justice—these, verily, are they that are brought nigh.

Say: Chant ye the Book of God among you, and what We sent down concerning Joseph, that ye may descend into the Gardens of Eden, wherein, before the presence of God, whatsoever your souls desire is brought forth; and the remembrance therein is greater than what ye have asked.

Say: Recite according to the ordinance sent down from the presence of God, and abide within the letters of His verses—read not a single letter thereof save with knowledge. No soul that reciteth that Book in the Sacred Month, according to what hath been sent down upon his heart, but that his name is inscribed in the scrolls of the righteous, in concealment. And this, verily, is the supreme bounty, firmly established in the Mother Book. Heed then, O concourse of the people of the Cloud! Follow the decree of God at the right hand of the Fire. There is no God but He—Me, therefore, fear ye.

When ye witness the Month of God, bear witness to that whereunto God hath borne witness for His own Self, and the men of knowledge among His servants: that there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise. Then work righteousness, in the calm assurance sent down from your Lord; for the choicest of ordinances in the Book of God is the mention of justice, inscribed.

Arise, O concourse, from your sanctified resting places at dawn, prostrating yourselves before God in humility. Remember God as He remembers Himself, and recite the verses, the most excellent of stories, in the night hours, for this is truly the great triumph. Do not neglect the voluntary prayers in the sacred month, and forget not the remembrance of Husayn before God’s decree at dawn, and remember him as God remembers Himself, for this is verily the ancient mystery. Light no fires on the night of the middle nor on the two nights of the sister of Power, nor on the last night of the Greatest Month. Remember God therein by reciting the Surah of the Spirit seventy times, for this is the praised station concealed in the Mother Book. Follow the decree of revelation in the Hour of Power, and pray upon the Word of Grace on the middle night and its sisters, for this is verily the ancient grace. Then recite on the Night of Power the verses revealed concerning Rome and thereafter, and take your portion therein from the decree of the Book, for God’s grace is greater than what people do.

Say: Break your fast with fresh dates, as mentioned in the Book of God, and use perfume at all times as a decree from God for a people who reflect. And on the middle day of this month was born Hasan, son of Ali, peace be upon them. Give thanks to God, your Lord, the Merciful, for His command, for He is mighty, appreciative. And on Sunday after the twentieth of this month, Ali, peace be upon him, was martyred in the land of Kufa. Remember God for His command in the watches of the night and the ends of the day with abundant remembrance.

Say: Follow the decrees of those We have revealed in the Book aforetime, for those who transgress God’s decree shall find no justice in their deeds on the Day of Resurrection, and these are the companions of the Fire.

Say: The greatest of all deeds in the Sacred Month is the remembrance of Husayn, peace be upon him, according to what was revealed in the Book aforetime, and God is mighty, praiseworthy.

Say: Perform ablutions in the odd hours and what was revealed concerning Power and thereafter, as a remembrance from God for people who act. Say: God’s grace and decree in the Sacred Month descends upon those who believe in the verses of origination, and God is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Recite God’s verses in the Scripture that ye may be numbered among the triumphant, as inscribed.

Then recite this prayer every day and after every prayer that ye may be numbered among those who remember, as written. And remember God, thy Lord, concerning Husayn according to the word of origination, and say: Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds:

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

O God! Thou art the Worshipped One, no partner hast Thou. Thou hast made me know Thyself and inspired me with Thy remembrance and called me to Thy presence, and were it not for Thee, I would be nothing that I might worship Thee. I beseech Thee, O God, by Thy bounty in this Sacred Month, through what Thou lovest for the people of Thy love, whom Thou hast brought into being by Thy command and created for Thy obedience and chosen for Thy love and selected for Thy knowledge and made them in every condition the station of Thy might and the manifestation of Thy power, lest anything should escape from the station of answering Thee, and everything in the creation of all things witnessed the signs of Thy grandeur, so that none should be veiled from the appearance of Thy manifestation in any condition, and manifest and existing in every condition. There is no god but Thou, the Mighty, the Wise.

I bear witness before Thee in that station to what was revealed in the Qur’an concerning the decrees of Thy Lordship and the signs of Thy power, and what Thou wilt create henceforth concerning the people of Thy Cause, whom Thou hast made the pillars of Thy unity and the signs of Thy sanctification, as Thou—and none other—knowest, and as Thou—and none else—lovest. Verily Thou art the Most High, the Munificent.

O my God! How can I acknowledge what my soul hath wrought before Thee regarding the ordinances of Thy love and the signs of Thy knowledge, when it knoweth naught of these matters, as Thou knowest its transgressions? If I do good, there is no doubt it is an error for attributing it to myself, and if I commit evil, alas! alas! after the decree of Thy Book and the prohibition of the people of Thy Cause, I have transgressed against Thee. Glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of forgiveness and mercy! Were Thou to judge me according to my deserts, nothing would remain except that it would perish instantly.

Glory be unto Thee! From the day Thou didst create me until now, Thou hast manifested unto me in every moment less than the twinkling of an eye that which Thy knowledge encompasseth through the appearance of Thy manifestation, like the day when I was nothing, and unto the eternity of Thy Being have I been assured of that bounty from Thee. This is a word which nothing resembleth and no bounty can diminish. When I descended to those manifestations, I became veiled from Thy face by what I had indicated towards them. Alas! Alas! All good hath now descended from Thee, Thy knowledge encompasseth all things, and none perceiveth save those for whom Thou hast willed judgment, and none acteth according to its decree except those concerning whom Thou hast sent down the Command.

Nay, due to my wretched state and the transgressions of my deeds, when the Command descended concerning myself—though from Thee it was good and gracious—it was altered by my evil nature until its decree was lifted therefrom and judgment flowed according to my soul’s inclination. Alas! Alas! What sin is greater than this and what error surpasseth it? I know not how the heart can find rest before Thee, for even its tranquility is a sin unequalled by any other.

O my God! All paths without Thy leave are rejected, and all ways without Thy good-pleasure are blocked. If I seek intercession through creation, I would be an idolater, and if I take refuge in other than Thee, I would be ruined. Alas! Alas! I have no path and find no station for guidance. Verily Thou, O my God, art the Glorious Lord, the Self-Sufficient, before Whom nothing in the heavens or on earth can prevail, and Thou art powerful over all things.

O my God! When in my heart there is a grievous transgression, my heart findeth no rest except by committing a greater transgression and a more grievous word. Before remembrance, O Thou Lord of bounty, is Thy pardon, and before utterance, O Thou Lord of forgiveness, is Thy protection. Verily, O my God, my punishment lies in the ultimate object of my hope, and it is naught but Thy trial. Were it not for my fear of remoteness from Thy nearness, who could make me grieve and weep before Thy face?

Glory be unto Thee! Thou art the Fire, O my God, in my secret and my manifest being. Were it not for my fear of being veiled from Thy face due to Thy greatness, who could intervene between me and Thee? All hardships, O my God, are from Thee. Were it not that Thou willeth it, none could humiliate me after Thy forbearance.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I speak and fear none save Thee alone, Who hath no partner. In all sources of fear that I have witnessed, I have seen none except from Thine eyes. Alas! Alas! These words of mine bear witness to the utterance of idol-worshippers, for such forbearance cannot proceed from the servant. But Thou, O my God, knowest my secret and the loftiness of my intention. When the sea of grief and separation surged before Thee through the sprinkling of Thy love, the rope of my soul’s tranquility slipped from my hand, and thereby, O my God, it sinks in the water and emerges, then disperses in the water and speaks:

O my God! Thou art the ultimate goal of my seeking and my repose. Thou, O my God, art my bounty and my hope. Thou, O my Lord, art the utmost aim of my desire and aspiration. I testify that all of these are transgressions from me whose bounds none knoweth save Thee alone, Who hast no partner. My saying “Thou art Thou” is sin upon sin, and my assertion attributing fire unto Thee is the greatest of sins. Yet both of these return to one like myself, and their judgment returneth to my innermost being. With Thee, light and darkness are as one, the word of fire is like steadfastness, and the decree of approach like withdrawal is evident.

And if the people of love should find in my deeds, wrought before Thy face, a sweeter savor than in the utterances of my vindication unto Thee, then let the judgment be as it hath issued from Thee; it shall not tarry. For the Affair, inasmuch as it proceedeth from Thy decree, descendeth according to the appointed measure and shall not be altered. Alas, alas, from all that I have said and reckoned, and from all that appeareth from me which Thy knowledge hath encompassed! From all of this I seek forgiveness and flee unto Thee and turn in repentance unto Thee. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Bountiful.

O God, I beseech Thee on this day of the Sacred Month to regard me with the glance of Thy might and to summon me with the call of Thy greatness, that I may plunge into the ocean of Thy love and, before Thy face, give open voice to the summons of Thy secret, as Thou dost love and cherish. Extend unto me, O my God, in this very hour, the grace of severance unto Thee, until all things are effaced from me and my soul abideth steadfast before Thy oneness, with no turning or allusion to aught save Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Great.

O God, I beseech Thee to send down such blessings as befit Thy majesty, and such peace as Thou deservest, upon Muhammad and His kindred, and upon those who obey them. Verily, Thou art the Praiseworthy, the All-Glorious.

And I entreat Thee, O my God, to ordain for my parents, and for whoso followeth Thy signs in justice, every good encompassed by Thy knowledge, and protection from every evil encompassed by Thy Book. Thou, verily, art God; there is no God but Thee. Nothing overburdeneth Thy power, and Thou dost encompass all things. Thou art independent of all that are in the worlds, the Praiseworthy. Glorified art Thou, O my God! There is no power nor strength save in Thee. I implore Thy forgiveness, and through Thee I turn unto Thee by that which was sent down in the Qur’an for the people of Thy love: that the end of their prayer is the word of truth from Thee—“Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.”

Say: Recite this supplication in the latter two-thirds of the night, or at the beginning of its last third, as a remembrance of God for your souls, if ye would but understand. And verily this is a prayer the like of which hath not been sent down; nor hath any who reciteth its verses with justice failed to merit the bounty of thy Lord on a day near at hand.

The Month of Shawwal

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Alif–Lam–Mim. The ordinance of God in the Night of Fitr—there is none other God but Him. Say: Worship Me, and bow down before Me. And in such a night let the reverent adore, in fear of that Day whereon all shall be gathered unto God. Verily it is the Day of Resurrection—no doubt is therein. Say: Ye and all that ye have wrought in the path of God—on that Day unto God shall ye be raised up. He, verily, is the One God; He rendereth unto every soul according to that which it hath earned. God will not wrong any soul by so much as a grain of mustard-seed; and God is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised.

Say: The ordinance of this night is, in the Book of God, even as a measure decreed: Worship God your Lord with two cycles of prayer; in the first cycle affirm His oneness by the reckoning of a thousand; and in the second by a number likewise—haply ye may obtain mercy. Say: After the conclusion, ask ye forgiveness of your Lord a hundred times; then offer ye peace, that ye may attain, by the hands of God, a resting-place near the shrine of husayn—upon him be peace—for God hath borne witness unto His own Self that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Say: Break your fast on the Feast-day with a grain of mustard-seed of the clay of the Holy Land; and wash yourselves, by the ordinance of God, in the night and at the beginning of the day, that ye may be of the victorious. It is written: Say, O believers! Perform the prayer of the Feast as an obligation in the Book of God for whomsoever God hath made the ordinance binding; and turn not away from the command of God, lest ye return unto your own selves as losers.

This is indeed a prayer wherein Muhammad, the Messenger of God, hath recited five supplications in the first cycle, and four in the second—a remembrance for a people that act. Say: Recite this prayer when ye stretch forth your two hands, that ye may be of them that remember. It is written:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

O my God! Thine are glory and splendor; from Thee have descended the word of greatness and praise. There is none other God but Thee. I bear Thee witness by that wherewith Thou bearest witness unto Thine own Self before all things: there is none other God but Thee. And I bear witness unto Muhammad as Thou hast willed for Thine own Self, and Thou hast created the creation for his ordinance. There is none other God but Thee. And I bear witness unto the trustees of Muhammad, Thy Beloved—unto the word of justice from Thine own Self. There is none other God but Thee. And I bear witness unto every truth whereunto they have believed, and unto their mystery, with that which Thy knowledge hath encompassed—unto the word of forgiveness from Thine own Self. There is none other God but Thee, alone, without partner.

O God! This day is Thy day, and this station Thy station; and I, the least of specks of dust among Thy servants, am a suppliant at Thy Gate and one that seeketh refuge in Thy court. Write down, then, through Thy bounty, every good that Thou lovest for Thine own Self; and forgive me, and my parents, and the people of Thy love, that which Thou art worthy of and meet to bestow. Verily, when Thou willest a thing, ere Thou sayest unto it “Be,” it is with Thee already existent.

Glorified art Thou, O God, and praised; I have acknowledged Thy right. There is none other God but Thee. I mention not before Thee aught save that wherewith Thou describest Thyself unto me. Thou, verily, art witness over all things; and Thou art, whatsoever Thou willest, able. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And when thou hast finished the prayer, glorify thou thy Lord by a numbered reckoning, that thou mayest be of them that work—so hath it been inscribed. And recite that which We have revealed in the Scroll and that which was revealed in the scrolls of old; for the ordinance of God in every moment is witnessed. And say:

O ye… Purify your souls, and that which God hath placed in your hands on the Day of Fitr before the decline of the sun, with nine ratls of what God hath provided you of His bounty, that ye may be numbered among the believers in the Mother Book—so is it written.

Say: The most beloved of what God hath ordained for you in that ordinance is the fruit of the palm—follow the command of God, that ye may inherit of what God hath prepared for you in the good-pleasure; verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Mighty. Say: I love to expend in the path of God, in that obligation, repeated sugar; thus hath the ordinance of God in the Mother Book been decreed. Say: Remember ye God on the night of the middle of this month, for therein is an hour whereat the command descendeth from Us, according to a hidden decree.

Hearken, O concourse of the people of …, unto the call of the Leaf upon Sinai in the vessel of the Feast-day, from the word of justice: there is none other God but Him. Say: Me do ye remember. No soul that reciteth on that day the Surah of Decline but his name hath been written in the scrolls of the near ones—hidden. And We have sent down these verses for those who enter Paradise by the Gate, and then say, by the word of the All-Merciful: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Month of Dhi’l-Qa’dah

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Alif. Lam. Mim. This is God’s remembrance to the green leaf on the right of the crimson sea. There is no God but He. Say: Fear ye Me. Verily We have sent down the Spirit in the sacred months for those who fast for God, their Lord, the Most Merciful, besides Whom there is no other God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Follow what has been revealed unto thee from the Book of Creation, for it is the Truth, even as people in God’s knowledge are assured. Indeed, fighting has been forbidden in the Book during the months of pilgrimage, except for those who turn away from this decree in their Lord’s Book. Then it becomes lawful for the believers according to the ordained law of the Qur’an.

Say: O concourse! Fear God and do good with justice in the months of Creation, that ye may be numbered among those who prostrate themselves. And verily this month is recorded in the Book’s decree as “Hassan” in the Preserved Tablet. O concourse! Remember it as ye remember God yourselves, for the decree and name in His remembrance with God is decisive.

Recite this prayer every day after noon, that ye may inherit Paradise purely from God’s decree forever:

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

God beareth witness unto Himself as befitteth Him. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise. And I bear witness unto Muhammad, the Messenger of God, even as God hath borne witness unto Himself by His Essence, that there is no God but He, the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy. O God! I beseech Thee by the yellow leaf grown from the white tree, that Thou send blessings upon Thy proof, Hassan ʿAli, peace be upon him, through Thy wondrous attributes which none knoweth save Thee. Verily, Thou art the Ancient Bestower.

I bear witness before Thee, O my God, that he is a light from Thy Self, a sign of Thy power, and a mirror of Thy countenance wherein Thou hast manifested Thyself through Thine eternal might, pure from all allusion and likeness. None among creation can encompass his knowledge, for he indicateth naught but Thy Self, reflecteth in no mirror save Thy countenance, and none among creation knoweth him as Thou hast created him for Thyself and established him as the station of Thy might. There is no God but Thee.

Therefore, O my God, I beseech Thee to send peace upon him, his grandfather, his father, his mother, his brother, and upon the holy Shi’ih, the letters of Thy unity, the Imams of justice who act by Thy command and judge through fear of Thee, as befitteth Thee and as Thou deserveth. Verily, Thou art the Praiseworthy Guardian. And I beseech Thee, O my God, to bless their followers as they deserve before Thee. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Generous. Nothing in the heavens or earth is too great for Thee, and Thou art powerful over all things, Self-Sufficient from all worlds, Praiseworthy. There is no might nor power except through Thee, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And verily on the twenty-fifth day of this month, the Ka’bah was revealed by God’s leave, so remember God on that day through a lengthy remembrance of Hussein, peace be upon him. And on the last day of this sacred month, Muhammad al-Jawad was taken up by the hands of his Lord. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Forbearing. Remember ye God through mention of Him on that Day, for God’s decree concerning it is like unto the tenth of Muharram as inscribed in the Mother Book.

Recite this prayer on that day, that ye may be numbered among the triumphant ones who are witnessed:

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

O God! Thou art the Living, there is no God but Thee. Thou hast created all things by Thy command and hast ordained death for Thy servants that Thou mayest recompense in the next life each according to what their hands have wrought in Thy path. Thou hast given life to the people of the Cause in the decree of death by Thine own hands, even as Thou didst reveal in Thy decisive Book to Muhammad, the Apostle of God and Seal of the Prophets, by Thy Name. Verily, Thou takest souls at the time appointed with certainty. I testify that on that Day Thou didst lift the veil from the face of Thy Proof, the son of Thy Proof, Muhammad son of ʿAli, peace be upon them, and didst raise him to the station which Thou hadst ordained for him in the realm of holiness. O God! Through him Thou didst create all things, and through him Thou hast ordained the return. I testify that in all things he maintained the utmost moderation, and were it not that his slayer transgressed against his command and fate descended through his decree, his body would not have changed until it was raised to the station of Paradise.

Alas! Alas! The people of Thy Cause were slain, and were it not that the people of polytheism inflicted wounds upon them, they would not have changed from the ancient cause until the time of events. I bear witness that after their slaying, they are like unto what they were before—living in Thy presence, working by Thy command and ruling by Thy decree. Neither limitation nor changing years affect them. Therefore, O God, bestow Thy peace upon them as they deserve, and punish their enemies, O God, according to their deeds. Send down upon the resting place of him whom Thou didst raise unto Thyself on that Day what Thou deemest worthy of bestowal, for verily Thou art the Beneficent, the Generous, and Thou art powerful over all things. There is no might nor power save through Thy command. And I say, from the knowledge of the Book: Verily we belong to God, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Month of Dhi’l-Hijjah

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

Alif. Lam. Mim. God’s remembrance to the crimson leaf on the right of the green sea. There is no God but I; say: Worship ye Me. O ye concourse! Follow God’s decree concerning the pilgrimage, for it is obligatory for those who are able to find a way to the House, whether by land or sea. Don your consecration in two garments from the land wherein God’s Messenger was mentioned for each group among you—a decree for the lesser pilgrimage enjoyed until the greater pilgrimage, that ye may obtain mercy. Verily God’s decree for the men of mystery is around the Point, then for the concealed men around the Alif, then for the veiled men around the Ba, then for the noble men around the Ha, as inscribed in the Mother Book. Likewise is God’s decree for women at the time of consecration. Whoso transgresseth God’s bounds shall have no authority on the Day of Resurrection, and these are the lost.

We have indeed detailed the decree of what is forbidden in consecration, and what hath been sent down from God concerning the decree of circumambulation, and what is detailed in the decree of the running between Safa and Marwa, and what is ordained thereafter in the Book of the Sea, should God wish to manifest it, and God is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Likewise have We detailed therein the decree of pilgrimage and what is ordained concerning ʿArafat and Mash’ar and Mina in such wise as none before hath mentioned it, and God is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

This month in the judgment of the Book is the name of Husayn. Bear thou witness, by God, that on the ninth day thereof, before His shrine, through His remembrance, thou shalt assuredly be accounted among those who visit the Lord, seated upon the Throne. And I see no limit to this in the Book of God, and verily the prescribed number of pilgrimages in this regard is sealed. O concourse! Follow ye the ordinance of God in fasting nine days from the beginning of the month, and the eighth day after the second decade is the Most Great Festival, and from the fourth day of the third decade until the seventh day ye shall be numbered among the worshippers in the presence of God. Recite ye what We have sent down in the Tablet concerning the Day of ʿArafat and before it, and the eighth day after the second decade which is the Feast of Ghadir and after it, for this is the grace of God in the Book, and verily there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Bear ye witness to the word of sorrow from the seventh day of the first decade, for on that day, after death, Muhammad ibn ʿAli the First was disappointed in the land of Medina, and verily that day is regarded by God as equal to the tenth of Muharram, mighty and great. Follow ye God’s ordinance regarding the prayer of Ghadir and likewise the twenty-fourth day before noon, for it is truly an ancient prayer. It consists of two cycles of prayer wherein one recites after the first word the Surah of Unity and the verse of generosity until the letter Nun, and the Surah of Power, each one ten times, an ordinance from God for people who act. Say: O concourse of the people of Paradise! Enter ye the gate with this prayer, for it is indeed a mighty remembrance equal in the Book of God to the ordinance of pilgrimage to the House without prescribed number—a hundred thousand pilgrimages, and likewise regarding the lesser pilgrimage—as a bounty from God to all who are humble. Spend ye in the path of God on the Day of Ghadir whatsoever your hearts are pleased to give in God’s path, for its reward is among the prohibited ordinances.

Say: Recite ye until the tenth day this prayer that ye may be recorded among those who prostrate themselves:

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

God beareth witness that there is no God but Him. None can comprehend His knowledge save Him. Glorified and exalted be He above what they describe. O God! Verily the month is Thy month and the days are Thy days. I beseech Thee by Him Whose authority Thou hast manifested in that month and Whose excellence Thou hast made for the remembrance of His station, that Thou send blessings upon ʿAli, the Commander of the Faithful, Thy Friend, Who standeth by Thy Cause and is chosen for Thy mystery, Whom Thou hast established in the station of Thy Beloved in every matter, and for Whose Day Thou didst create creation in this honored month, even as Thou art worthy.

Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without number. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without mention of His glory. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without novel geometry. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without ancient name. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without similar attribute. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without invented description. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without originated verse. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without novel likeness. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without similarity in remembrance that He loves. And verily, O God, There is no God but Thee, without any command to limit Thee. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, without any attribute that any besides Thee could measure. There is no God but Thee!

I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad, Thy Messenger, the Seal of the Prophets, with the most excellent of what Thy knowledge encompasses and Thy Book records, and upon the Imams of Justice with the like of what Thou hast ordained for him. Verily Thou art the All-Praiseworthy Protector. I bear witness before Thee that their names are derived from Thine own names, and they are: Ali, Fatima, Hassan, Hussein, Ali, Muhammad, Ja’far, Musa, Ali, Muhammad, Ali, Hassan and the Expected Successor—God’s blessings be upon them all. They are the bearers of Thy proof, the pillars of Thy unity, the signs of Thy grandeur, and the emblems of Thy glory, through whom all creation in every condition attains justice. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy bounty, to send down upon their followers what Thou hast written of Thy bounty for Thyself. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Ancient.

Say: Follow God’s decree on the Day of the Feast as We have revealed before, that ye may be among the triumphant. For him who hath power over earthly desires, the law of guidance is prescribed, and for others, God’s way hath been decreed with justice, and the decree in the Mother Book hath been fulfilled. Recite ye the Book of Innovation in the hours of this month, that ye may be numbered among the strivers in God’s Book.

And read this prayer on the Day of Knowledge, and the day before it, and the day after it, and the Day of Power, and every Friday, and the Day of Innovation, and the twenty-fourth of this month with ablutions, for therein is hidden God’s Most Great Name.

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

O God! Thou art the Sovereign without rival, and Thou art the All-Powerful without peer. Thou hast brought creation into being through a single word of creation, not from anything, and Thou hast placed in the realities of all things a remembrance of Thyself, not from any likeness. I bear witness before Thee by that ancient sign on that great day, as Thy Essence hath testified to Itself before all things. There is no God but Him, and none knoweth how He is save Him. O my God! I testify that Thy Essence transcends all description in words, and that Thy Being is beyond all proof through attributes. O my God! As Thou art, Thou canst not be known except through Thyself, nor described except by Thy countenance. The ultimate station of creation hath been differentiated from the Point of Separation, and the highest essences of servants have faltered at the Point of Despair. No similitude in the realities of contingent beings can indicate aught but prevention, nor can any geometry in the essential nature of creation prove aught save severance.

Glory be to Thee, O my God, from the deeds of creation and all that they are engaged in regarding the Command, for they know naught save their own limitations and witness naught save what Thou hast placed within their realities. Glory be to Thee! Whosoever hath sought Thy unity hath been veiled by his own self, and therefore hath the decree praised him from Thy presence, for the word of polytheism is in his realm. And whosoever hath sought to describe Thy Self hath claimed an opposite to Thy Essence, for description in the presence of allusion returneth unto itself. Glory be to Thee! All good is from Thee and belongeth to Thee alone, without any partner, and what is attributed to creation and appears from them are signs of Thy kingdom. There is no God but Thee! Glorified art Thou, O my God! I cannot reckon Thy praise, nor do I cherish Thy remembrance for aught save Thy Face. How, then, can I set forth my state before Thee, when Thy knowledge doth encompass it, while I myself know naught thereof?

Wherefore I bear witness, O my God, that my mention of Thy unity hath acquired a fault for which, wert Thou to punish me with all Thy power as recompense for that deed, eternally and forever, by the permanence of Thy Essence, I would deserve it, and my sin would not be equaled. Alas, alas for the grievous transgressions and what I have committed before Thy face without permission from Thy decree! Here am I then, in my station before Thee, seeking Thy forgiveness and turning unto Thee. I acknowledge that my seeking forgiveness for sin is itself a sin requiring another word, which hath no remedy save my incapacity and Thy pardon as its path. There is no God but Thee. I beseech Thee, O God, by Thy bounty, to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad according to what Thy knowledge hath encompassed and Thy Book hath enumerated. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Bestower of favors.

Naught in the heavens nor on the earth can overburden Thy power, for Thou art, verily, potent over all things, and what Thou wilt Thou bringest swiftly to pass, nigh at hand. O God! This day is Thy day, and this station Thy station. I beseech Thee, then, by Thyself—by that reality known to none save Thee—that Thou wouldst send down Thy blessings, as becometh Thy majesty and as beseemeth Thy deserts, upon Thy Friend, the One who ariseth by Thy command, who is well-pleased with Thy decree, who summoneth unto Thyself—Thy Proof, the son of Thy Proof—whom Thou hast chosen for Thine Own Self, veiled for Thy love, elected for Thy guardianship, and appointed in the seat of Thy Self in the realms of recognition and bestowal. For Thou hast ever been exalted above conjunction with created things, and subject to no change in any affair by reason of Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted.

I bear witness that His Will in all things is the very essence of Thy Will; that His purpose in every decree is the execution of Thy behest; that times and ages alter Him not, so exalted is the majesty of His glory; that none among creation attaineth unto the sanctum of His knowledge, so lofty is the splendor of His beauty; that from His knowledge naught in the heavens or on the earth can escape; that there is nothing but it is beneath His judgment; and that unto Him, by Thy leave, return the decree of creation and command. Thou, verily, art God—there is none other God but Thee—the Ancient, the All-Sufficing. O God, send Thy peace upon Him in every condition as Thou art worthy thereof and as Thou deservest; guard, O God, His occultation, and fulfill for Him what Thou hast promised; for Thou dost encompass all things and art powerful to accomplish whatsoever Thou wilt.

And I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy bounty, to send Thy blessings upon Thy Servant whom Thou hast sent unto mankind with clear signs, and whose path of recognition is made plain in the firm verses. I testify that He hath conveyed what He was charged to convey of Thy decree, and Thou art witness over all things. There is no power nor strength save in God, the Most High, the Most Great. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

The Month of Muharram

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Alif Lam Mim. A remembrance from God for the Crimson Leaf, touching upon the left shores of the Green Sea: there is no God but He. Say: Unto Me, then, bear ye witness.

On the first day of this month, in the year 1235, the Remembrance was born upon the Holy Land, and forthwith did the Truth proclaim:

“Sovereignty is Mine, and I—verily—I am the Most High, the Most Great.”

No servant who, on that day, performeth prayer for My remembrance—two rak’ahs, each comprising fourteen repetitions of the Surih of Unity; and two rak’ahs upon the Surih of the Remembrance, and at the hour of noon—but that for him is ordained the decree of Paradise. And God, thy Lord, breaketh not His promise.

Say: Fast ye that day in thanksgiving for His Countenance. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Ancient. And when the month dawneth, clothe ye the temple of oneness within your souls with that black raiment which God hath decreed in its ordinance; and leave ye not undone so much as a single glance of remembrance of Husayn, peace be upon him, for he is an Imam of justice, slain. And if ye but knew the merit God hath appointed in weeping for him…

Glorified art Thou, O my God! If ye but knew the merit God hath ordained in weeping for him, ye would choose for your souls naught but his remembrance. Turn ye unto God with justice, that haply ye may bear witness; and know ye that certain deeds on that Day shall profit you not, save after your obedience unto Us in that Gate. Fear God, and follow not the vain desires of your souls, that ye may be thankful.

No soul that hath wrought every good yet denieth a single letter of Our verses but that We shall gather him on the Day of Resurrection before Us in a coffer of iron. On that Day he shall have no power to pronounce a judgment; unto God are all raised.

And when the tenth day cometh upon you, take your portion from the allotment of the Book, and weep as ye are able for the sake of God; for on a day such as this he was slain—thirsting and alone. God chastised those who warred against Husayn—peace be upon him—on the Day of Truth, and those who were content with their deeds were, in judgment, as they; these, verily, are the unbelievers.

Draw not nigh to vain speech, nor to smoke, nor to signs and gestures in the assembly of his remembrance, for all this is an evil deed in the Book of God. And God is Mighty, Praiseworthy. God hath forbidden that he be mentioned in the forms of likenesses. Fear God, and ascribe not unto yourselves the names of justice, O people of the Sanctuary; for whoso resembleth Husayn—peace be upon him—in his remembrance hath verily borne the proof of God’s guardianship.

Turn aside, O concourse, from the footsteps of Satan; for God hath forbidden your works in the Book, while ye work not according to the signs of God. Recite, in the dwellings of his remembrance, the Verses of the “Bid’ah” and what We have sent down, in the verses, of Our Names, that ye may be numbered, before God, among the winners, attested. And We love not, in the days of remembrance, so much as a single letter of poetry. Recite the verses of God with equity, and what hath been sent down in the akhbar in truth—for this, indeed, is the mighty triumph.

And read the “Book of Bid’ah” on the twenty-fifth day of this ennobled month; for on that day the son of Husayn—peace be upon him—was seized in Madinah, and it is a day of great lamentation. Draw not nigh to gestures on the Day of Ashura, for with Us it is a grievous sin. And salute Husayn, on the Day of Ashura and its night, with these verses, that ye may be of the people of presence, inscribed:

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

God beareth witness for His servant by His own testimony that there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Ancient. O God! Thou art Peace, from Thee is peace, and unto Thee returneth peace. Thou art One, without partner. I bear witness that this day is Thy day, and this station Thy station; and that the martyr therein is Thy Proof, the son of Thy Proof. And Thou, O my God, hast, in truth, summoned, in fulfilment of Thy promise unto the people of response, to the visitation of his very self by Thyself; to the presence of Thy Throne by the sanctity of Thy might; to the mention of his abasement by the mention of Thy glory; to the station of his subjugation by the station of Thy power; and to his place of martyrdom by the station of Thy all-embracing mercy. Verily, Thou art the Lord of surpassing bounty.

I testify that though he was slain before Thy face, yet is he living with Thee; nothing frustrateth his power, nothing escapeth his knowledge; neither times nor ages affect him. For from the light of Thine Essence didst Thou create him; no extinction awaiteth him, for ever and ever. Great indeed is his calamity with Thee, O my God, and vast his affliction in Thy sight. Thou alone knowest his right; none save Thee hath measured his trial.

O God, send Thou Thy peace, and recompense him with Thy good-pleasure as beseemeth Thy majesty. And, through Thy bounty, cause Thy mercy to descend upon those who were slain before his face on that day, as Thou art worthy thereof; for verily these are the winners, drawn nigh unto Thee. Inscribe Thy mercy for those who labor in Thy path, who weary their souls for Thy very Self, and who weep, in the days of justice, for Thy sake—all the good whereof Thy knowledge doth encompass—for Thou art the Bountiful, the Lord of grace, Who commandeth no ordinance but that, ere its mention, Thou hast created in Paradise its recompense for whoso followeth it and is numbered among the prostrate.

Peace be upon thee, O Aba ʿAbdi’llah! And the mercy of God and His blessings be upon thee. I bear witness, O my Master, before Thy presence, that though thou wast slain, thou didst not die; by thy life do the hearts of creation live, and through the munificence of thy blood-price doth God accept the testimony of those made solitary. I bear witness that thou art the Light of God, which none can obscure; the Command of God, which none can vanquish; the Mystery of God, which none can fathom; and the Name of God, which none can describe. Exalted is thine identity above all description; sanctified thy being beyond all epithet. None knoweth how thou art save God, Who created thee and annexed, by the mention of thy blood-price, thy remembrance unto His own Self—there is no God but He.

I bear witness that when thy head was severed, it remained conjoined with the Light of God, thy Lord; and that when thou wert left alone upon the earth, all beings were humbled before thee, abased in the presence of thy Face, and brought low by thy calamity. Never wert thou abject in thine own self—for in every condition did God exalt thee—nor overcome in any affair—for God was thy Helper. Thou art the slain One without peer, the solitary One without like. May the blessings of God rest upon thee, O Proof of God, as becometh Him—for He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

I testify before Thee that, through thy blood-price, the decree of the letters of Oneness was altered in the thicket of Divinity, and that the word of glorification was transmuted by the letters of magnification in the realm of Power; there is not a thing but it hath glorified God through thy remembrance, and in every condition it weepeth for thy sake. God knoweth, O my Master, thy calamity and the greatness of thy affliction, and that whatsoever is other than thee, in the balance of testimony and pain, is as the tawhid of an ant before thee. Glory be to God—the One, the Single, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting—of Whom none knoweth how He is, save He Himself.

O God! Unto Thee do I pour out my plaint and sorrow on that day. I beseech Thee, by Thy bounty, to admit me within the Gate of Thy Sanctuary, and to inscribe my name among those who visit Thy very Self. Chastise, with Thy everlasting, never-ending chastisement, those who have made that day a day of rejoicing and have been content with the deeds of the hosts of Satan; for Thou art powerful to do what Thou wilt, and Thou judgest with justice whom Thou wilt, as Thou wilt.

I entreat Thee, O God, by Thy right and by the right of him who on that day was slain before Thy face, to punish the enemies of the Faith who waged war against Thee and slew Thy Proof, and those who thereafter followed in their works, with that wherewith Thou art wont to seize—Thou art, verily, potent over all things and encompassest all things. There is no power nor strength save in God, the Most High, the Most Great. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

The Month of Safar

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Alif Lam Mim. A Remembrance of God for the White Leaf concerning the Red Tree. There is none other God but He. Say: Me, then, fear ye.

Say: Work, in the Days of God; for, verily, the Abode of the Hereafter is truth, and unto God shall all be mustered. Say: Fast, O concourse, on the seventh day of this month; for on that day ʿAli, son of Musa, was born, and verily it is a true and most great festival. Perform ye the ordinance of God, in the days of their births, as on the day of the ordinance of the Messenger of God, in justice; and God knoweth what ye do.

And on the seventh after the first ten of this month he who was born therein was taken up by the hands of God; and it is a day, inscribed in the Mother Book, like unto the tenth of Muharram. Weep then, for the sake of the Face of God, as ye are able; for the promise of God is true. He, verily, is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy. Read on the twentieth the Remembrance of God in the “Comprehensive Visitation,” for this is God’s decree for all the believers. On that day is joined what had been cut off for the unbeliever, by what thy Lord hath willed to sever; and this, in the Mother Book, is of God’s concealed decree.

And on the twenty-eighth the Day of Ashura approacheth; on it, by the ordinance of God, the Word of Justice—Muhammad, the Messenger of God—and hasan, son of ʿAli, His very Self, were taken up. Say: Work what ye will for the sake of God; for that day, in the Mother Book, is mighty indeed. And recite on that day the Word of Unity seven hundred times, that ye may be numbered among the visitors to the Remembrance of God, as inscribed in the Mother Book.

Unto this station have We sent down the decree with justice, and aforetime We purposed to set forth in that Book the ordinances of the year, a guidance and a glad-tidings for a people who act. And now that We have perused the writings of the people, by God’s leave have We taken vengeance upon them, and We have made Our verses forbidden unto them, save to him whom God, in truth, permitteth—unto a known, appointed Day.

And when there remained, ere noontide, a portion of the day, We expounded unto the people the ordinances of the Days of God which God hath prescribed for them, that haply men may be assured through the signs of God.

The Month of Rabi’u’l-Awwal

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Alif Lam Mim. A Remembrance of God for the Blessed Leaf at the right of the Crimson Sea. There is none other God but He. Say: Me, then, bear ye witness.

By Him Who settled the Throne upon the water!—to withhold a single letter of the Book of God is, for mankind, more grievous than the fire of Gehenna, if they would but heed the signs of God. Make mention of the Greatest Countenance—Hasan, son of ʿAli, son of Muhammad—on the eighth day of this month; for on that day, by God’s leave, he was taken up. And on the like of this let the people of His oneness weep. Verily, unto God do we belong, and unto Him do all bow down in prostration.

And on the ninth day thereafter, give thanks unto God for him who entered the Fire, and deem him then the greatest among you, that haply ye may be grateful. And on the midmost day of this month was born the Greatest Name of God, ʿAli, son of Musa. Give thanks, then, unto your Lord, the All-Merciful, for his remembrance, and invoke blessings upon him, that ye may inherit the Garden of Eden—whatsoever your souls desire—without any self-regard, that ye may be found [worthy]. And on the seventh after the first ten of this month was born Muhammad, the Messenger of God—verily a true and most great festival. And on that very day was born the Greatest Remembrance of God, Ja’far, son of Muhammad. Give thanks for the sake of God, and make mention of him by God’s command, that ye may be assured of the Meeting with God.

Recite, in the Days of God, from the Scroll and the Verses whatsoever ye will; for this, indeed, is the supreme triumph.

The Month of Rabi’u’l-Thani

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Alif Lam Mim. A Remembrance of God for the Red Leaf from the Yellow Tree. There is none other God but He. Say: Me, then, fear ye.

Make mention of God on the tenth day of this month; for therein was born hasan, son of ʿAli, son of Muhammad—verily a true festival, inscribed in the Book of God. Make mention of God, on all days, even as on the Day of Ghadir, and throughout all the hours of the night, even as on the Night of Power, that haply ye may prosper. And send salutations upon the Family of God—blessings be upon their resting-places—and invoke blessings upon the Gate over against the Gate, that ye may be thankful.

And send unto Me, in the festival days, the leaves of your deeds, that God may forgive you for that which ye knew not and understood not.

The Month of Jamadiu’l-Awwal

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Alif. Lam. Mim. God’s remembrance from the right of the Mount. There is no God but He. Say: Hearken unto Me! Verily We have power over all things, and We are the All-Knowing. We know all things and We are the All-Witnessing. On the fifteenth day of this month was born the Most Great Name of God unto the son of Husayn, and verily he is a manifest and just Imam. Be grateful unto God on that day and send salutations upon him, that ye may be rightly guided. God knoweth where He sendeth down the decree of revelation, and verily unto Him do we worship.

The Month of Jamadiu’l-Thani

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Alif. Lam. Mim. The remembrance of thy Lord in the fire on the right side of the snow-capped mountain. There is no God but He. Say: Aid ye Me! And verily on the third day of this month was taken that which was born on the twentieth day, and verily she is a blessed leaf from the yellow Tree. There is no God but He. Say: Prostrate ye before Me! O concourse of followers in God’s commandment! Let each one of you honor yearly the resting places of the Family of God, then convey My greetings unto them, likewise in the commandment of pilgrimage, that ye may be among those who remember the Hidden Word in God’s Book. Verily this is the sanctioned mystery inscribed in God’s Book. Glorified be God, the Lord of all worlds, above what they attribute. Peace be upon them that follow My commandment, for these are they that are brought near. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

The Month of Rajab

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Alif. Lam. Mim. The remembrance of thy Lord in the Sacred Month. There is no God but He. Say: Present yourselves before Me! O concourse! Fast in this month what ye are able, for verily the signs of grace are inscribed therein. And verily on the second day of this month was justly born that which was taken on the third day, and verily he is Ali from Muhammad inscribed in the Mother Book. Be grateful unto God on the first day and present yourselves at his resting place on the third day, for it is a great and true day. And on the tenth day was born Muhammad son of Ali by God’s leave in the Holy Land, and verily he is a noble and just Imam.

And verily that day is the Day of the Covenant inscribed in the Mother Book. Recite the Prayer of Justice on the fifteenth night and its sisters, for verily this is the most excellent of deeds inscribed in the Mother Book. O concourse! Remember the twenty-seventh night of the third decade of this month that ye may be rightly guided. And verily she is a leaf from the crimson Tree. There is no God but He. Say: Bear ye witness before Me! And sleep not on that night, for from the hour of its dawn was Muhammad, the Messenger of God, raised up unto the Cause, and verily it is an ancient and mighty day.

Read ye during that night, according to your capacity, from the verses of origination, for this verily is recorded in the Mother Book as a great attainment. Then recite what We have revealed in the Tablet aforetime concerning that night, that perchance ye may obtain mercy. And remember God throughout that month by His own remembrance—there is no God but He—then say: All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Month of Sha’ban

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate

Alif. Lam. Mim. God’s remembrance of the Yellow Leaf before the Green Leaf. There is no God but I. Say: Fear ye Me. Observe ye God’s decree in this month, for it beareth witness to an ancient truth. Say: Fast ye as ye will and consider the origination of your own selves and the creation of these verses that ye may be reminded by God’s signs and be guided. And verily on the third day the Spirit descended upon the Throne and it is indeed a great festival day. Present yourselves before God’s throne and submit to Him Who is established thereon, for He is the true and witnessing Imam. And on the night of the middle and its sisters, pray as We have enjoined upon you in the Sacred Month that ye may be assured through God’s signs. And on the fifteenth night of this month in the year 255 was born the Remnant of God, the great and true Imam.

Fast ye, O concourse, on the day of the middle and sleep not during its night, for this is God’s grace recorded in a clear Book. Strive ye during this month concerning the decree of the verses of origination that ye may be rightly guided. Worship God, your Lord, the Most Merciful, then fast on the last day and sever not what God hath commanded to be joined, for this is a wondrous remembrance. And on the day of transition recite the word of Unity the number of days in the year, for this is a great and wonderful name. And remember God in every condition through what was revealed in the Qur’an: All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And recite this prayer every day of this month at noon:

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate

God beareth witness unto Himself before all things even as He now beareth witness unto Himself—there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise. O my God! I bear witness before Thee on this day of this month—the month of Sha’ban belonging to Thy beloved Muhammad, may God’s blessings be upon him and his family—which Thou hast preferred above the sacred months through the excellence of Thy beloved above all creation, and none knoweth how this is save Thee, as Thou bearest witness unto Thyself that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner, Self-Sufficient, never-ceasing, and now as Thou hast ever been. None knoweth how this is save Thee. Glorified art Thou and exalted far above what the wrongdoers say with great exaltation.

And I bear witness to Muhammad and his family—Thy blessings be upon them as Thou determineth for their station and willeth for them in every condition. Verily Thou art powerful over all things. O my God! The sign of this sun at this hour hath by Thy leave declined to the position of noon, and verily unto Thee in every hour are breezes wherewith Thou bestowest favor upon whomsoever Thou willest, and none can comprehend them save Thee. I beseech Thee, O my God, to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the source of creation in existence, the signs of Thy power among the servants, the manifestations of Thy grandeur in the signs of dominion and creation of hearts, and Thy servants whom Thou hast chosen for Thyself and selected for Thy love and made them the station of Thine own Self.

In all matters, let them call the people unto Thyself, and none shall know aught between Thee and them save the word of servitude. There is no God but Thee. O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, even as Thou hast made them the Tree of Justice among the Prophets, the Repository of the Message among the chosen ones, and the Mine of Knowledge among the saints, and the People of the House of Revelation for whatsoever Thou createst and willest, wherein this decree is in Thy firm Book concerning the power of the Prince of Successors to Thy beloved Muhammad—peace be upon him and his family—for the eloquent guardians, the rightly-guided Imams who act according to Thy command and who are fearful of Thee.

Thou didst say—and Thy word is the truth—“It is not for any mortal that God should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by His permission what He willeth. Verily, He is Most High, All-Wise.” And Thou hast made clear the decree of that verse by Thy true word concerning Thy power: “And verily, in the Mother Book with Us, he is indeed exalted and wise.”

O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Ark established upon the sea of creation on the Day of Origin, and the Ship sailing upon the surging ocean in the Tablet of Invention, rising at times to the horizon of heaven and descending at others to the depths of creation. I bear witness that whosoever boards it shall be safe from the promptings of Satan among the people of destruction, and no servant abandons it except that he drowns in the abode of perdition—Hell shall they enter, and evil is that resting place.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Tree of Purpose and the Praised Sign, Thy servants whom Thou hast made as guides for the servants in all the worlds, and the protection of the people of existence in both worlds, the refuge of the weak and poor, and the salvation of the fearful and hopeful ones. They are Thy trustees whose obedience Thou hast ordained and whose love Thou hast made obligatory, and Thou hast joined their guardianship with Thy guardianship and the acknowledgment of their servitude with the acknowledgment of Thy oneness. They are Thy honored servants who act by Thy command and who worship before Thy face.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad—blessings befitting Thy power with no end in Thy knowledge, blessings that excel all things as Thy grace excels all creation. O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad—a fulfillment in execution and a decree in origination, perpetual through His will in creation, and eternal to the utmost bounds of invention, by Thy permission, an existence from Thyself, a sign of Thy Lordship, a kingdom of Thy sovereignty, and a manifestation of Thy greatness, by Thy power, O Lord of the worlds.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the chosen, the virtuous, whom Thou hast made the seat of Thy will, the repository of Thy purpose, and the place of Thy decree and determination. They are Thy servants who will naught except by Thy will, who judge not except by Thy desire, and who change not except by Thy greatness and sovereignty. They are the mine of knowledge, the ultimate purpose, the Imams of religion, and the guides of all creation.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad according to what Thou lovest and art pleased with, and as Thou describest Thyself—none other than Thee, Thou alone, there is no God but Thee. O God! By Thy right upon them and their right in Thy Book, that Thou shouldst fill our hearts with Thy love and our souls with Thy knowledge, and make us not among the heedless. And ordain for us all that Thou lovest for Thy beloved Muhammad—peace be upon him and his family—in this great month from the breezes of Thy holiness, the signs of Thy glory, and the tokens of Thy manifestation, and that which none encompasseth save Thee and none is capable of besides Thee.

O God! Hope is cut off save from Thy grace, and I seek help from all through knowledge of Thy power, and Thou, O my God, nothing is hidden from Thee in the heavens or on the earth, and Thou wilt judge between all on the Day of Resurrection with justice.

Write down bounty for those who have recognized Thee and justice for those who know not Thy command. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest and none among Thy creation can prevent Thy bestowal. Verily Thou art powerful over all things, and praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Alif. Lam. Mim. This Book is a remembrance from Us unto all the worlds. Verily God will not accept any deed from anyone except through the Covenant of the remembrance of God’s Name, the Most Exalted, the Most Praiseworthy.

O concourse! Convey the verses of God unto every soul in the manner that God hath appointed you the station of His Cause, that ye may be rightly guided. Follow ye the innovative ordinance in the Later Book, for verily it is the appreciative path of truth. Verily in the Days of God, the most excellent of all good is the remembrance of innovation, and its verses are recorded in the Mother Book.

O concourse! Send blessings upon him when his name is mentioned, then send unto him righteous offerings from what ye have earned in the Days of God according to the ordinance of that Gate, and be ye thankful and say: Verily, praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.