BB00079: Epistle to Muhammad Shah 4

Part 1: “Praise and glory immeasurable befit that Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting…”

He is the All-Compelling, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, the Most High

Praise and glory immeasurable befit that Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting One, Who hath existed from time immemorial and beside Whom no thing existed in the sacred realm of His grandeur, and Who eternally abideth in the exalted essence of His primordial Being, with no thing accompanying Him in the realm of pure abstraction. God was even as He was. I testify that there is no God but Him. Naught resembleth Him, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.

I bear witness that the loftiest description of all created things before Him is utter falsehood and sheer nothingness, and that none shall ever know Him as He is in Himself, nor can any soul achieve true oneness with Him, nor is this possible in the contingent realm, for that which is contingent in His knowledge is but a creation in His dominion. He hath ever been known by His own Self, and there existed none else to know Him.

Whatsoever hath been brought into being through creation out of nothing, and hath been originated through innovation from naught, is mentioned within the bounds of its own limitations and existeth within the confines of its own parameters, yet before its Creator it is sheer nothingness and utter evanescence, no different than before its existence. Verily God is far exalted above being known through aught else or being described by any other than Himself. Glory be unto Thee! There is no God but Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I have ever been among those who praise Thee.

I bear witness that Muhammad, upon Whom and upon Whose family be the blessings of God, is His First Remembrance, Whom He originated for Himself and brought forth for His Cause, Whom He approved for His sovereignty and chose for His message, establishing Him upon the throne of His Own unique dominion, distinguished from any likeness among humankind or similitude, for He cannot be associated with the beauty of creation nor described by the attributes of servants. Naught resembleth Him, and He is the All-Compelling, the Concealer.

How can it be possible to know the Countenance of the Ancient of Days or to praise the essence of the Primal Remembrance, when the mystics have recognized that God is far more glorious and greater than to be known or unified with? Exalted then is the pure sign of the Living Being above the possibility that the loftiest heights of essential realities should arrive at His threshold, or that the ultimate comprehension of abstract entities should ascend to His presence. He is above all things and with them, yet none knoweth Him save God Who brought Him forth, and He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

And I bear witness unto those who manifest His Self, the leaves of the Divine Tree and the twenty-three reeds in the thicket of grandeur, to that which God hath testified concerning them in the knowledge of the unseen, whereof none encompasseth the knowledge save God. And I confess before Him that all created things beside them are utter nothingness, and any mention is but as a passing shadow—nay, I seek God’s forgiveness and turn unto Him in repentance from such excessive limitation. Verily the ultimate station of those who make mention is utter powerlessness before their manifestation, and the highest rank of the mystics is absolute poverty at their gate. I beseech God to send His peace upon them as befitteth Him. Verily He is the All-Powerful, the All-Bestowing.

And I bear witness before God and whoso is in His knowledge that His unity and the prophethood of His Beloved and the guardianship of His Messenger’s successors—the blessings of God be upon them—were not manifested except through a fourth degree, whose self was naught but the manifestation of three mirrors. Therefore the substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out of which others have been formed. He hath conferred upon Me that which the worldly-wise can never comprehend, nor the faithful discover, save through their utter powerlessness before a single one of my verses.

Were it not that God had granted me permission to apprise you of His bounty, I would not have spoken to you of my Lord’s favors. Since I fear God, my Lord, and since God, exalted be His glory, is closer to His servant than all else, I make Him known to you lest you neglect the decree of your glorious Master, the Remnant of God. God suffices as my witness.

I am one of the sustaining pillars of the Primal Word of God. Whosoever hath recognized Me hath known all that is true and right and hath attained all that is good and seemly, and whosoever hath failed to recognize Me hath turned away from all that is true and right and hath succumbed to everything evil and unseemly. I swear by the righteousness of Thy Lord, the Lord of all created things, the Lord of all the worlds! Were a man to rear in this world as many edifices as possible and worship God through every virtuous deed which God’s knowledge embraceth, and attain the presence of the Lord, and were he, even to a measure less than that which is accountable before God, to bear in his heart a trace of malice towards Me, all his deeds would be reduced to naught and he would be deprived of the glances of God’s favor, become the object of His wrath and assuredly perish.

For God hath ordained that all the good things which lie in the treasury of His knowledge shall be attained through obedience unto Me, and every fire recorded in His Book, through disobedience unto Me. Methinks in this day and from this station I behold all those who cherish My love and follow My behest abiding within the mansions of Paradise, and the entire company of Mine adversaries consigned to the lowest depths of hellfire.

By my life! Were it not for the necessity of accepting the command of God’s Proof—may my spirit and all that God’s knowledge encompasses be sacrificed for him—I would not have informed you of this. By His might and God’s favor upon him! God has placed all the keys of Paradise in my right hand and all the keys of hellfire in my left.

Indeed, God’s command concerning me is greater than this—were I to lift the veil from it, none would believe in it save those from whom God has taken a covenant of allegiance to me. The essence of all remembrance is that I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I am the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade. Whoso recognizeth Me, assurance and all good are in store for him, and whoso faileth to recognize Me, infernal fire and all evil await him.

When Moses, peace be upon him, made his request of God, God manifested Himself to the mountain through the light of one of Ali’s followers, as clearly stated in the well-known tradition of the robes of light—and that light is, by God, my light, for the numerical value of my name corresponds to the name of the Lord concerning whom God, glorified be He, hath said: “And when thy Lord manifested Himself to the mountain.” Think not this too great a matter, for no mention remaineth to my self save the mention of thy Lord, the Lord of might and glory.

My purpose is the Proof of God, the Lord of the Age—may my spirit and all that my Lord’s knowledge encompasses be sacrificed for the dust of his holy court—that the promise of the Almighty mentioned in the Qur’an in the Surih of Isra’ might be fulfilled:

“So when the promise for the first of the two came, We raised against you servants of Ours possessed of mighty prowess, and they ravaged your habitations, and it was a promise performed.”

The holy Imam, peace be upon him, in interpreting this blessed verse, hath said:

“They are a people whom God will send forth before the rising of the Qa’im, peace be upon him, and they will not leave unavenged a single wrong done to the family of Muhammad except that they will slay the wrongdoer.”

I swear by the One, the Single, that God did not bestow upon me His proofs—the manifest signs and tokens—save that His servants should obey His command […] that they should seek vengeance for His Holiness the Prince of Martyrs, peace be upon him.

And tribulations mentioned in the traditions appeared to me, beyond counting or reckoning. Among these is where He saith: “A tribulation must needs come wherein every inner circle will fall […] until none shall remain save Us and Our followers.” And in another tradition He saith […] “This Cause shall not come to pass until two-thirds of humanity perish.” And in yet another tradition […] they say: “By Him in Whose hand is my soul, they speak truly […] servants who think not that they disobey God their Lord for the twinkling of an eye, while they reckon themselves to be guided.”

I swear by the Absolute Truth that were the veil to be lifted, thou wouldst witness all in this very world in the fire of God’s wrath, which is more severe and bitter than the fire of hell—“except those who take shelter in the shade of the tree of My love, for they shall be the triumphant ones.”

This is a matter about which His Holiness al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, speaketh in the tradition of Mufaddal when asked about the signs of the Return, saying: “His Cause shall appear in the year sixty and His mention shall be exalted.” God beareth Me witness, I was not a man of learning, for I was trained as a merchant. In the year sixty1 God graciously infused my soul with the conclusive evidences and weighty knowledge which characterize Him Who is the Testimony of God—may peace be upon Him—until finally in that year I proclaimed God’s hidden Cause and unveiled its well-guarded Pillar, in such wise that no one could refute it. “That he who should perish might perish with a clear proof before him and he who should live might live by clear proof.”

In that same year [year 60] I dispatched a messenger and a book unto thee, that thou mightest act towards the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of God as befitteth the station of thy sovereignty. But inasmuch as dark, dreadful and dire calamity had been irrevocably ordained by the Will of God, the book was not submitted to thy presence, through the intervention of such as regard themselves the well-wishers of the government. Up to the present, when nearly four years have passed, they have not duly presented it to Your Majesty. However, now that the fateful hour is drawing nigh, and because it is a matter of faith, not a worldly concern, therefore I have given thee a glimpse of what hath transpired.

I swear by God! Shouldst thou know the things which in the space of these four years have befallen Me at the hands of thy people and thine army, thou wouldst hold thy breath from fear of God, unless thou wouldst rise to obey the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of God and make amends for thy shortcomings and failure.

Part 2: “While I was in Shiraz the indignities…”

While I was in Shiraz the indignities which befell Me at the hands of its wicked and depraved Governor waxed so grievous that if thou wert acquainted with but a tithe thereof, thou wouldst deal him retributive justice. For as a result of his unmitigated oppression, thy royal court hath become, until the Day of Resurrection, the object of the wrath of God. Moreover, his indulgence in alcohol had grown so excessive that he was never sober enough to make a sound judgment. Therefore, disquieted, I was obliged to set out from Shiraz with the aim of attaining the enlightened and exalted court of Your Majesty. The Mu’tamidu’d-Dawlih then became aware of the truth of the Cause and manifested exemplary servitude and devotion to His chosen ones. When some of the ignorant people in his city arose to stir up sedition, he defended the divine Truth by affording Me protection for a while in the privacy of the Governor’s residence. At length, having attained the good-pleasure of God, he repaired to his habitation in the all-highest Paradise. May God reward him graciously There is no doubt that this very deed became the cause of his deliverance from the fire of hell and from the rights of men.

After his ascension to the realm of immortality, the wicked Gurgin, with five others, at midnight, through deception and false oaths […] set forth. Alas, alas, for what was decreed for me! Then came the order from His Presence to journey to Mah-Ku, before I even had a month to prepare for the journey. Alas, alas for what transpired, until I arrived at a village whose people were ignorant.

I swear by the Most Great Lord that if ye knew where I am residing, ye would be the first to have mercy upon me. In the midst of a mountain there is a fortress, and in that fortress, through His grace, its inhabitants are limited to two guards and four dogs. Picture, then, My plight. And praise be to God, as is His due and merit.

I swear by God that if he who hath become content with treating me thus knew with whom he was dealing, he would never find happiness. Shall I tell you the secret of this matter? It is as though all the Prophets, the Successors, the Truthful Ones, and all the God-fearing ones known to God among His servants were imprisoned, and injustice was done to them, and there remained no sin in God’s knowledge save that it was committed against them. For God hath said: “Whoso killeth a believer, it is as if he hath killed all mankind,” and the Imam (peace be upon him) hath said: “The least form of killing is to reject thy brother’s request when he asketh thee.”

Now behold what ye witness. God is Most Great against His wrath! After I became aware of this decree, When this decree was made known unto Me, I wrote to him who administereth the affairs of the kingdom, saying:

“Put Me to death, I adjure thee by God, and send My head wherever thou pleasest. For surely an innocent person such as I cannot reconcile himself to being consigned to a place reserved for criminals and let his life continue.”

My plea remained unanswered. Evidently His Excellency the Haji is not fully aware of the truth of our Cause. It would be far more heinous a deed to sadden the hearts of the faithful, whether men or women, than to lay waste the sacred House of God.

Verily, the One True God beareth Me witness that in this Day I am the true mystic Fane of God, and the Essence of all good. He who doeth good unto Me, it is as if he doeth good unto God, His angels and the entire company of His loved ones. He who doeth evil unto Me, it is as if he doeth evil unto God and His chosen ones. Nay, too exalted is the station of God and of His loved ones for any person’s good or evil deed to reach their holy threshold. Whatever reacheth Me is ordained to reach Me; and that which hath come unto Me, to him who giveth will it revert.

By the One in Whose hand is My soul, he hath cast no one but himself into prison. For assuredly whatsoever God hath decreed for Me shall come to pass and naught else save that which God hath ordained for us shall ever touch us. Woe betide him from whose hands floweth evil, and blessed the man from whose hands floweth good. Unto no one do I take My plaint save to God; for He is the best of judges. Every state of adversity or bliss is from Him alone, and He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

In brief, I hold within My grasp whatsoever any man might wish of the good of this world and of the next. Were I to remove the veil, all would recognize Me as their Best-Beloved, and no one would deny Me. Let not this assertion astound Your Majesty inasmuch as a true believer in the unity of God who keepeth his eyes directed towards Him alone will regard aught else but Him as utter nothingness. I swear by God! I seek no earthly goods from thee, be it as much as a mustard seed. Indeed, to possess anything of this world or of the next would, in My estimation, be tantamount to open blasphemy. For it ill beseemeth the believer in the unity of God to turn his gaze to aught else, much less to hold it in his possession.

I know of a certainty that since I have God, the Ever-Living, the Adored One, I am the possessor of all things, visible and invisible, through the possession of the Living, the Worshipped One, and I have not associated partners with God even to the weight of nineteen mustard seeds, nor have I sinned against Him, nor in the end have I been unjust. Yet in this mountain I have remained alone, and have come to such a pass that none of those gone before Me have suffered what I have suffered, nor any transgressor endured what I have endured! I render praise unto God and yet again praise Him. I find Myself free from sorrow, inasmuch as I abide within the good-pleasure of My Lord and Master.

Methinks I am in the all-highest Paradise, rejoicing at My communion with God, the Most Great. Verily this is a bounty which God hath conferred upon Me; and He is the Lord of unbounded blessings.

I swear by the truth of God! Wert thou to know that which I know, thou wouldst forgo the sovereignty of this world and of the next, that thou mightest attain My good-pleasure, through thine obedience unto the True One and in the matter [words not readable]. There is in the mirrors of that presence some doubt regarding the matter of religion, and it is that thou shouldst become sovereign over a people concerning whom God hath said in the Qur’an “possessed of mighty prowess.” Have mercy on thyself from God’s wrath on the Day of Resurrection. Where now is Dhu’l-Qarnayn and Solomon and their dominion? Verily, the world and its dominion shall pass away, and all shall be brought before God. And if Thou acceptest not, He will raise up one who shall establish His Cause, for verily the promise of God must needs be fulfilled.

One matter concerns worldly affairs, as I fear lest the covenant be broken. The late Mu’tamid one night held a private meeting, even ordering Haji Mulla Ahmad to leave. Afterward he said:

“I know all my wealth was acquired through oppression, and its true owner is God. Now I leave it all to Him and seek thy permission in its disposition. Today I know of no right but thine.”

He even removed the rings from his fingers and gave them to me. I accepted them but returned them to him, accepting his repentance and giving permission for their use. I call God to witness, and He suffices as witness. Now I desire not even one dinar of his wealth. The evidence is complete—let His Holiness dispose of all his property as deemed fitting. I have today fulfilled my acceptance of this matter—decree whatever is appropriate.

Since God has ordained witnesses for every matter in this world, let them bring forth the leading scholars of the state, especially those present such as Jinab Aqa Siyyid Yahya and Jinab Akhund Mulla Abdul-Khaliq. Let them inquire about the evidences of this Cause, that they may present the verses and writings and explain them as they truly are. Though God suffices as witness over me, outwardly little remains except that proof has been established.

These two—one who knew me before the Manifestation of the Cause and one after—both know of my creation and nature. Hence they were chosen. All the mystics and those versed in jafr have testified to this Cause. Even the Indian jafr expert wrote in ancient times, according to what was written to someone, this poem:

“Your Lord shall come in two cycles to revive the religion after Ra and Ghayn. By my soul, He is in the counting of His own Name—this is the name of the Axis of the Worlds…”

A year before in two cities of Azerbaijan, two people related in a dream […] And as I heard:

“In 1259 thou shalt find a Cause whose authority is not like any guardian or prophet-messenger of old, but rather from among the prophets or children of the latter ones.”

Though these are but reminders for weak hearts—otherwise from my pen flow a thousand verses of communion in six hours, verses which none of the mystics and divines are capable of comprehending, and which none can distinguish from the prayers of the immaculate Household.

And verses concerning the innate nature of things, power and might flow forth such that all who dwell on earth from among the ranks of subjects are powerless to produce verses like unto them. What need is there for these proofs, when by the leave of the Remnant of God, I wrote to two learned men in Yazd of the passing of the late Mu’tamid eighty-seven days before it occurred—and God is sufficient witness to this. Through the grace of God nothing can frustrate My purpose, and I am fully conscious of that which God hath bestowed upon Me as a token of His favor. If it were My will, I would disclose to Your Majesty all things; but I have not done this, nor will I do it, that the Truth may be distinguished from aught else beside it, and this prophecy uttered by the Imam Baqir—may peace rest upon Him—be fully realized:

“What must needs befall us in Adhirbayjan is inevitable and without parallel. When this happeneth, rest ye in your homes and remain patient as we have remained patient. As soon as the Mover moveth make ye haste to attain unto Him, even though ye have to crawl over the snow.”

I implore pardon of God for Myself and for all things related to Me and affirm, “Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.”