BB00028: Du’a’ li-Hurufi Bismillahi’l-Amna’i’il-Aqdas

Part 1: “Glorified art Thou, O my God! From time…”

In the Name of God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! From time immemorial Thou hast been alone in the realm of holiness and grandeur, and unto eternity wilt Thou remain exalted in the heaven of sanctity and glory. Thou hast ever drawn those who love Thee unto the horizon of Thy bounty and favor, and raised those who are devoted to Thee unto the wellspring of Thy holiness and majesty. Thou art He Who existed before all things in the eternity of Thine essence, and Thou art He Who will endure after all things in the everlastingness of Thine existence. Through that which the Point of the Bayan hath manifested do men attain to the knowledge of Thy unity, and through him who hath guided those of ancient and recent times, both outward and inward, are Thy names and attributes, the manifestations of Thy signs and conditions made known. For whoso knoweth him hath known Thee, and whoso knoweth Thee hath known him, inasmuch as Thou didst create him as a mirror of Thyself, for the knowledge of Thine own Self, as a manifestation for those who would turn unto Thee, as a sign for those who would prostrate before Thee, and as a path for those who would follow the ways of Thy sovereignty before Thee.

How can I thank Thee, O my God, for having recognized him, and how can I praise Thee, O my God, for his appearance? Through him Thou hast filled Thy heaven and established the truth that there is none other God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thine is the creation and the command. Thou givest life and causest death, then causest death and givest life, and verily Thou art the Ever-Living Who dieth not. In Thy grasp is the kingdom of all things. Thou createst what Thou willest by Thy command ʿBe,’ and it is. Yea, by Thy might! Had Thou not manifested that Point, none would have known Thy unity through Thyself alone, there being no God but Thee, nor would the mirrors of Thy names and attributes have been known through him, for he hath naught save through his manifestation of Thee, through Thee, unto Thee. I have known Thee through Thee, that there is no God besides Thee and no Lord except Thee, and I have known that Point as Thy servant, in Thy grasp.

Whosoever hath been illumined by Thy signs, O my God, seeth naught but Thee therein, for these are but tokens of Thy Lordship and attributes of Thine eternity. All who have been guided by that Point are assuredly among Thy near ones or among Thy pure ones who stand in ranks before Thee. The wondrous varieties of those guided by him are beyond counting by Thy angels or by those who have believed in Thee. Thine are the most excellent names in the kingdom on high even unto the primal atom, and Thine are the supreme stations in the hereafter and in the former time.

Had Thou not manifested that Point, O my God, who would have unified Thee as befitteth Thy unity, who would have sanctified Thee as befitteth Thy sanctity, who would have magnified Thee as befitteth Thy magnificence, and who would have glorified Thee as befitteth Thy glory? Though the essences of all created things were far removed from the dawning-place of Thy knowledge and veiled from the light of Thy presence, yet through him Thou hast given life to all lands, created all servants, freed all things from the manifestations of limitations and numbers, and caused all things to ascend unto a horizon without bounds or end. Though I behold Thy servants in their veils, I testify that before his appearance none had truly unified Thee and none had verified Thy signs.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for this, in that Thou hast manifested the Countenance of Thy Self on the Day of Resurrection through the appearance of Thine essence, and hast sent down the signs of Thy power openly before all Thy servants, revealing the loftiness of Thy sovereignty and self-sufficiency, and concealing the inaccessibility of Thy divinity and majesty. Thine is the creation and the command, O my God, in all that Thou hast created or wilt create. Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thy manifestation in whatsoever Thou dost manifest is solely for the exaltation of Thy unity and the inaccessibility of Thy sanctity.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! No affair can there be that originates not from Thee to serve as proof unto those who dwell in the kingdom of Thy heaven and earth. Nay, by Thy might! Thy proof hath ever been and shall continue to be inaccessible and exalted. Whether Thou choosest to manifest it—that is of Thy grace unto all Thy servants; or whether Thou keepest it hidden—that is of Thy justice unto the dwellers of Thy earth and heaven.

Glorified art Thou, O God! The manifestation of Thy proof in every age hath been solely due to what beseemeth Thine eternity and becometh the exaltation of Thy Self-Subsistence. Wert Thou to regard what Thy servants deserve, or what befitteth the dwellers of Thy earth and heaven, then verily Thou wouldst not raise up any proof. Yet Thou makest it a mirror of Thy Self, reciting Thy verses from Thy presence. Every one of Thy commands is but a beginning and a bounty, and every manifestation of Thy generosity is but a favor and a blessing.

Thou hast never been veiled from Thy creation, and Thou givest unto everyone his due portion whereby he may uphold his own essence through certitude in Thy unity and assurance of Thy oneness, for this is what hath been established with Thee from before and will be till after.

Send down, then, O my God, at that time, from the all-embracing treasures of Thy bounties and the abodes of Thy favours, upon that Branch whom Thou hast made a mirror unto the Point—wherein naught is seen save Him alone—whatsoever beseemeth the loftiness of Thy exaltation and the sublimity of Thine unapproachableness. And raise up … and cause him to follow Thy command therein, and … the Fire which Thou hast created beneath his shadow, by reason of the exaltation of his remembrance and the unassailability of his praise. Verily Thou, O my God, hast ever clothed whom Thou willest with the robe of Thy love, that all things may bear witness unto Thy independence of all beside Thee, and unto the poverty of all things before Thee.

Hadst Thou not sent forth the Messengers and revealed the Scriptures, who could withstand Thee in Thy acts, saying: “Wherefore?” or “For what cause?” And after Thou hast revealed them, who is able to make himself equal with Thee in Thy deeds, saying: “How is this?” or “When shall this be?” Glorified art Thou: there is none other God but Thee. From everlasting Thou hast been praised in what Thou hast done and doest, and beloved in what Thou hast decreed and dost decree. Thou art not to be asked concerning what Thou doest, but all shall be asked concerning what they do. There is no power save through Thee, and no command save from Thy presence. Thou art, in truth, powerful and mighty to do whatsoever Thou willest; swift and exalted to accomplish whatsoever Thou desirest; able and mighty to establish whatsoever Thou lovest; and, as Thou willest, to blot out whatsoever Thou lovest not. In Thy grasp is the dominion of all things, and verily Thou art powerful over all things.

In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Verily Thou hast ever been the Being before all things, and Thou shalt ever be the Being after all things. None of Thy creatures shall know Thee according to the rightful due of Thine eternal pre-existence, nor shall any of Thy servants know Thee according to the rightful due of Thy singleness. And lo, I bear witness unto Thee—and unto all things—that Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee, alone, without partner. Thine is the sovereignty and Thine the praise; Thine are might and glory; Thine are splendour and majesty; Thine are radiance and beauty; Thine are laudation and action; Thine are power and …; Thine are grace and bounties; Thine are gifts and exaltation; Thine are munificence and bestowal; Thine are power and independence; Thine are greatness and sovereignty; Thine are light and exaltation; Thine are mercy and detachment; Thine are might and unapproachableness; Thine are will and names, in their essential reality; and Thine is whatsoever Thou hast encompassed in the loftiness of its own being, unto the uttermost limit of its subtle abstraction within it….

O my God! Thine are the beginnings, O my Beloved, through what Thou hast originated and brought into being; and Thine are the proofs, O my Desired One, through what Thou hast brought to pass and devised. Thine is the Most Exalted Height above every height and loftiness; and Thine is the Most Glorious Sublimity above every sublimity and radiance. Thine is sovereignty, O my God, from everlasting and to everlasting; and Thine is dominion, O my Lord, from before and from after, in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Thine are the Most Exalted Words, in their essence, their camphor-sweetness, their abstraction, and their pristine simplicity; and Thine are the Most Great Signs, O my Beloved, in their being, their selfhood, their soul, and their “I-ness.” Thine are the manifestations, O my God, in their firstness and their lastness, their outwardness and their inwardness; and Thine are the attributes … my yearning … in their exaltation, their unapproachableness, their detachment, and their joyfulness.

Were I to desire, O my God, to remember the first beginnings of the pathways of the might of Thy bounties and the wondrous lights of the holiness of Thy majesty, my spirit would be severed from me ere I could number them; and the waters of the oceans would be exhausted before … O my God! I glorify the essence of Thy being above what Thou lovest not; and I praise Thee, O my Beloved, for what Thou hast loved and lovest; and I beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, for what Thou lovest not, and turn in repentance unto Thee, O my Desired One, for what Thou lovest not.

Thou hast ever desired to bear witness unto nothing save Thy glorification, Thy praise, Thy sanctification, and Thy magnification; and the voices are uplifted unto Thee, and the tongues ascend unto Thee, from them that know Thy right and sanctify Thee above the sons of Thy names and Thy similitudes. For, O my God, Thou hast ever loved not to hear save that which beseemeth the loftiness of Thy holiness and the sublimity of Thy exaltation. Nay, Thou hast ordained for all things Thine unity—that none should hear Thee save in Thy remembrance, nor should any associate aught with Thine essence; otherwise the confession of Thy unity would not profit in the kingdom of Thy wondrous creation.

Therefore, glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy bounty that Thou mayest hear from me whatsoever Thou lovest to hear from all the manifestations of Thy names and Thy similitudes, befitting the loftiness of Thy exaltation and the sublimity of Thine unapproachableness. For I, O my God—despite what I have known or heard of my praise from hour to hour—my heart accepteth it not… and how could it be, when Thou, O my God, through the independence of Thy Self-Subsisting Being and the unassailability of the dominion of Thine eternity… in every moment it behoveth… that Thou shouldst… love to hear that which Thou hast heard before of Thy praise.

Had it not been so, O my God, Thou wouldst not have taken the Messengers unto Thyself, nor raised up the Books, nor established what Thou hast ordained as the path of Thy love. Glorified art Thou: there is none other God but Thee. I shall call upon Thee, O my God, at that time, by Thy signs—the most wondrous of them, and the most wondrous of the wondrous—and… O my Beloved, by Thy words—the newest of them, and the newest of the new.

O God! Make known to me in every condition that which proceedeth from the Point of the Bayan in its beginning and on the day of its return, for thereby are manifested the wondrous signs of Thy creation wherein I dwell, as naught else is befitting to serve as proof of Thee or to speak from Thy presence. For Thou art He Who hath not revealed His verses of power to any besides Him, that I might deduce through His conditions Thy conditions in that which Thou hast specially favored with this mighty bounty and this supreme gift.

I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon this Branch from the branches of the Tree of Thy love, and cause me, O my God, to believe in His manifestation in this world and the next, and to drink the water of His love from the cups of His bounty, and protect me from the fire which Thou hast created in His shadow for the exaltation of His remembrance and the elevation of His station, through Thy power, might, glory, grandeur and majesty. For verily Thou art the One Who hath ever been and shall ever be powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, in every wondrous condition.

There is no power nor strength save in Thee. Thine is the creation and the command, both before and after. Thou givest life and causeth death, and verily Thou art the Ever-Living Who dieth not. Within Thy grasp lies the kingdom of all things. Thou hast no partner in sovereignty, nor any protector in the earth save by Thy leave. Thou createst what Thou willest by Thy command and ordainest it as Thou pleasest by Thy permission. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things.

Part 2: “Glorified art Thou, O my God! I shall…”

In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I shall not begin Thy praise save with Thy Name: O our Lord, the All-Merciful, and with Thy remembrance: O our Beloved, the Most Exalted. For, O my God, whoso beginneth not with Thy praise in any matter hath no living spirit; and whoso ascendeth not unto Thee through Thee hath no heart in the Bayan. By Thee have I begun, O my God, with Thy remembrance and Thy praise; by Thee have I opened, O my Beloved, through the loftiness of Thy remembrance and Thy praise; and by Thee have I been veiled, O my Beloved, through the wondrousness of my thanksgiving. With the all-embracing treasures of Thy bounties, and with those letters wherein naught is seen save Thee, do I turn my face unto Thee with Thy face; and I long to extol Thee before the King of Thy holiness and the sublimity of …—

…He Who from everlasting hath been the Being, through the essential reality and the camphor-sweetness of Thine eternal pre-existence; and Thou shalt assuredly abide after all things, through the pristine, essential, immaterial simplicity of the reality of Thy being.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by that which Thou hast brought into being and dost bring into being by Thy will; and by that which Thou hast established and dost establish by Thy desire; and by that which Thou hast made to pass and dost cause to pass by Thy power; and by that which Thou hast originated and dost originate by Thy decree; and by that which Thou hast devised and dost devise by Thy leave; and by that which Thou hast brought forth and dost bring forth through Thy most august command; and by that which Thou hast revealed and dost reveal in Thy Books: draw me, in every state, unto Thee by the fragrances of the holiness of the might of Thy singleness; raise me up unto Thee through the wondrous things of the might of Thy Lordship; cause the lights of Thy countenance to watch over me; sever from me whatsoever hindereth me from rendering thanks for Thy Lordship; and strengthen me with that whereby I may arise to fulfil the stations of Thy command, in the hidden treasury of Thine unseen will and the wondrous things of the might of Thy Lordship.

For this is that wherefor Thou hast created me, O my God, and hast sustained me, and … and quickened me … that I may bear witness that there is none other God but Thee, alone, without partner. Thine are creation and command, from before and from after. Not, O my God, was Thy creation created because Thou didst stand in need of anything; nor was that which Thou hast enjoined upon them of worship for … their hearts in Thy sight. Otherwise, what would profit Thee, O my God, if all things should address Thee saying, “Thee do we worship,”—for naught would diminish Thee were they not to address Thee.

Glorified art Thou: there is none other God but Thee. I call Thee to witness, and all Thy creation, that Thou hast created all things only for the portion of their own essence and the share of their being. Yet, since not all Thy creatures apprehend the portion of their hearts, nor attain unto the utmost of Thy outpouring upon them, Thou hast sent forth the Messengers by Thy munificence and revealed the Books by Thy bounty, that every soul may learn the share of its being through Thy glorification and sanctification; that every soul may know Thy oneness and magnify Thee; and that all things may recognize Thy independence and that which befitteth the horizon of the holiness of Thy majesty and the marvels of the might of Thine unapproachableness. Otherwise, as Thou wast, O my God, from before, with none beside Thee, so shalt Thou remain thereafter even as Thou wast, with none beside Thee. Nay, all things besides Thee are within the bounds of their existence, turning unto Thee in their reality and in need of Thee in their very selves, even as they were in need at the beginning of their existence and … before their appearance.

Therefore, glorified art Thou, O my God! I bear witness unto Thee, and unto all things, that Thou hast created me only that I might delight in Thy bounties and behold within my own self the wondrous things of Thy creative power. Thou hast not imposed upon any soul that which is hard for its being, nor laid upon any spirit that which it cannot bear at the rising of Thy will. Nay, the paths of the way of Thy love for Thy loved ones are but from the vastness of Thy bounty and the all-encompassing reach of Thy generosity. For none laboureth for Thee that he may enter the stations of Thy love; nor is any saddened save for his ignorance of the paths of Thy guardianship. Otherwise, what profit is there to Thee in the obedience of all who obey Thee, or what benefit to Thee in the disobedience of all who disobey Thee?

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy knowledge—wherefrom nothing escapeth, and which penetrateth all things; whose existence was before all things and after all things and above all things, and to the right of all things and to the left of all things and on every side of all things—that Thou mayest teach me, in every state, the stations of Thy love and Thy good-pleasure. For I, O my God, behold with mine own eyes that Thy good-pleasure, before that Day, is not as the good-pleasure in Thy presence; otherwise religions would not have been glorified, nor would the measures have been revealed in the Furqan.

Bestow upon me, O my God, Thy good-pleasure in every state, and protect me that I be not veiled by aught besides Thy good-pleasure in any condition; for this cometh only by Thy command and appeareth only by Thy power. How many are the servants for whom Thou hast established a path, and they have followed the ways of Thy good-pleasure; then hast Thou lifted up that path and established another path, even as Thou didst will—while they, until that time, in their remoteness, imagine they seek Thy good-pleasure.

Therefore do I beseech Thee, O my God, that Thou mayest cause to appear, in every one of Thy Revelations, the earth and whatsoever is upon it; that Thou mayest cause the former revelation to perish with true perishing, and establish Thy Revelation in every state with true establishment from Thy presence. For the stations of Thy command in every condition are only according to what Thou seest to be meet for the hearts of Thy servants, that Thy Cause and Thy loftiness may be made manifest. Thou hast not permitted a child of but two years to drink of Thy sustenance in the first year of his life. Even so, O my God, are the provisions of the hearts of them that proclaim Thy oneness, within the paths of Thy wondrous creation: Thou dost raise up in every cycle that which Thou didst send down before, and dost cause to grow that which Thou dost reveal thereafter. There is no end to Thy affairs, nor exhaustion to Thy Manifestation.

Therefore do I beseech Thee, O my God, by the Point of the Bayan, that Thou mayest establish the love of him who hath known … among … His loved ones; that Thou mayest plant the love of that Branch within the hearts of Thy saints; and that Thou mayest protect all Thy creatures from that which perisheth at the appearance of its establishment, in the stations of Thy command and Thy creation—through Thy bounty and that which beseemeth the loftiness of Thy generosity, Thy favour, Thy munificence, and Thy bestowals. Verily Thou art powerful, mighty, and able to do this; there is no power and no might save through Thee; and Thou art, of all things, All-Knowing.

In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge in the heavens or on earth, and nothing can frustrate Thee in the kingdom of creation and command. From everlasting Thou hast been alone in the sovereignty of might and independence, and unto everlasting Thou wilt continue to be sanctified in the dominion of glory and majesty. All that is in the kingdom of earth and heaven boweth down in adoration unto Thee, and all that is in the realm of creation and invention is sanctified unto Thee. Thou art He Who existeth before all things through Thy Being, and art the King of all things through the essence of Thy Self, and art the One Who remaineth after all things through the sublimity of Thine eternity.

Nothing existeth for anyone save through what Thou hast ordained, decreed, or permitted when Thou didst give leave. Glory be unto Thee! How can I soar unto the heaven of Thy holy Lordship, and ascend to the atmosphere of Thine eternity, and rise unto the carpet of Thy holy Oneness, and stand before the throne of Thy glorious Lordship, and range myself in the presence of the sanctuary of Thy Self-Subsistence? Thou art He Whom none of Thy servants can comprehend, and Thou art He Whom none of those whom Thou hast created through Thy creative power can describe according to the reality of Thy Being. Thou art the One Who is sanctified in the sovereignty of holiness and independence, and Thou art the Exalted One in the kingdom of glory and majesty. The oceans of Thy love have ever been surging with the wondrous favors of Thy Self-Subsistence, and the rain-clouds of the heaven of Thy Lordship have ever been pouring upon the realities of those whose clay Thou hast kneaded with the water of Thy love. Thou art the Exalted One Whose exaltation knoweth no decline, and the Most High One Whose sublimity knoweth no end.

Through the measures of Thine eternal creation, O my God, Thou hast ever been bringing into being that which Thou hast loved through the sovereignty of Thy creative power, and Thou wilt ever raise whom Thou willest from among the dwellers of the heaven of Thine eternity unto the horizon of the holy kingdom of Thy Divinity. Thou art the One Who hath brought all things into being through Thy Will, and Thou art the One Who hath created everything through Thy Purpose, and Thou art the Almighty Who hath ordained the measures of all things through Thy power, and Thou art the Manifest One Who hath decreed the measures of all things through Thy decree, and Thou art the Exalted One Who hath permitted in Thy Book those whom Thou hast created in the likeness of Thy glory to that which Thou hast loved from the Daysprings of the Sun of Thy unity and eternity. Thou art He Who is elevated above what Thou hast manifested and sanctified above what Thou hast written.

Is there anyone besides Thee, O my God, through whose mention I may mention Thee? Is there anyone other than Thee, O my Beloved, through whose praise I may praise Thee? Is there anything besides Thee whereby I may turn unto Thee? Is there anything other than Thee whereby I may be guided unto Thee? Glory be unto Thee above that, and glory be unto Thee beyond that, and glory be unto Thee beneath that, and glory be unto Thee to the right of that, and glory be unto Thee to the left of that … Who hath manifested Thyself unto the dwellers of Thy earth and heaven. O My God! Thou art He Who hath brought forth the manifestations of Thy dominion through the breezes of the sanctity of Thy unity, and Thou art He Who hath created the manifestations of Thy Will at the dawning-places of the command of Thy dominion.

Thou art He Who hath ordained the measures of all things in the Bayan by Thy command, that whomsoever Thou willest might follow Thy good-pleasure and that Thy loved ones might obey Thee in whatsoever Thou hast decreed by Thy sanction. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Should every soul be clothed with the garment of Thy love and obedience, how could the fire be mentioned or have any reality? Nay, by Thy glory! Thou hast not singled out for Thy love and obedience any save the people of Thy Paradise and those whom Thou hast aided through Thy guidance. Were anyone to desire to expend all that is on earth, he would have no way to attain unto this except by Thy leave, for every soul within itself desires the good-pleasure of its Lord.

Yet despite this, how many souls have veiled themselves from meeting Thee, and how many eyes have turned away from the glances of Thy nearness and Thy glory! To this I bear witness, and all things bear witness, that this hath not come to pass except by Thy leave, and as a bounty from Thee unto whomsoever Thou hast singled out through Thy guidance and drawn unto Thyself through the sanctity of Thy dominion.

Thine is the most sublime exaltation, O my God, for having guided me unto the Point of the Bayan and preserved me through Thy power from every fire that believeth not in Him in the realm of possibilities. This indeed is Thy grace in the divine decree. Whoso adhereth unto it is among those in Paradise, and whoso adhereth not unto it—Thou hast ordained the fire for him, for the exaltation of Thy power and the invincibility of Thy divine sovereignty, O Thou Who art the Lord of glory and invincibility, the Lord of might and exaltation, the Lord of grandeur and invincibility, the Lord of sovereignty and joy, the Lord of loftiness and power, the Lord of bounty and majesty, the Lord of mercy and grace!

Part 3: “Sanctified is Thy Being from the ascent unto…”

Sanctified is Thy Being from the ascent unto it of the most exalted bird of all created things, and exalted is Thy Self from the soaring unto it of the most elevated essences of all realities. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy power in the creation of the Bayan and the spirits of its letters, whereby Thou didst bring forth from the Furqan the bodies of those spirits and their hearts, through Thy power which none besides Thee can match and Thy sovereignty which none besides Thee can attain—for were all on earth to gather together to alter a single letter of Thy Book, they would be powerless, let alone to remove it. Glory be unto Thee, O God! There is no doubt that this is not of the station of creation, rather this is of Thy praise through the King of the handiwork of His dominion and the Numberer of all things through the sovereignty of His might and His divine sovereignty.

I beseech Thee, O God, by the spirits which Thou hast sent forth in the Letters of the One from among Thy near ones who bear witness and the knowing humans, then those who encompass, then those who stand in ranks, that Thou send blessings upon that Branch from the Tree of Thy love and plant His love in the hearts of all who dwell in Thy earth and heaven of dominion, and preserve everyone who hath acknowledged Thy oneness and believed in the signs of Thine eternity and […] through His being the Primary Letters of Thy Book from every fire that loveth not that Letter. For none hath power over this save Thee—the fire and the light are in Thy grasp. Should this one accept, it becometh light, and should this one turn away, it becometh fire by Thy leave. Thou art exalted above this and above that. Rather, through turning unto Thee, Thou createst Paradise and its people, and without this Thou createst the fire and those who dwell therein.

Therefore preserve me, O my God, through Thy might, from whatsoever veils me from Thy good-pleasure in every condition, and aid me in whatsoever elevateth me in every condition through Thy being well-pleased with me at all times. For verily Thou art powerful over this through the power of the King of Thy eternal sanctity and the exaltation of the love of the Sovereign of Thy dominion. And there is no power except through Thee, before and after.

In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O Lord! Verily, Thou art the Upholder of the heavens and earth and whatsoever is between them, and the Creator of all things visible and invisible. From time immemorial Thou hast been alone in Thy Being above all things, and wilt forever remain exalted in Thine eternity above the loftiness of all things. Thou art He Whom none of Thy creation can comprehend in the reality of Thy Being, and Thou art He Whom none of Thy servants can unify in the truth of Thine eternity. All are poor before Thee, and all are evidence of the sublimity of Thy sovereignty. Nothing exists except through the decree of Thy judgment, and nothing subsists save through the power of Thy command.

Thou hast sanctified Thyself in Thy Being above all things, magnified Thyself in Thine Essence above the loftiness of all things, transcended in Thy Self-Subsistence above all things, and glorified Thyself in Thy grandeur above the elevation of all things. Thou hast ever been one God, Single, Unique, Eternal, Self-Subsisting, Ever-Living, Self-Sustaining. Thou hast taken neither consort nor son, and Thou hast had no partner in Thy creation nor any associate in Thy invention. Thou hast ordained all things by Thy Will and fashioned all things by Thy Purpose.

To Thee be all praise, O my God, as befitteth Thy Being, and to Thee be all glory, O my Beloved, as beseemeth the loftiness of Thy sacred Unity. Can any possess aught except through Thy bestowal? Can anything exist save through Thy manifestation thereof in the kingdom of creation and command, according to what Thou hast ordained in similitudes? Thou art He Who hath possessed the essences of hearts in their reality, made spirits to worship in their pure abstraction, defined souls in their crystal nature, brought bodies into being in their simplicity, and caused all things to be realized according to the wondrous manifestations of Thy power and the domains of Thy eternal glory.

Thou art He Who, at every moment, bringest into being whatsoever Thou willest, and in every state ordainest whatsoever Thou desirest. Perfect is Thy proof, O my God, over all things; exalted is Thy Word above the height of all things; firmly established is the dominion of Thy Lordship above the independence of all things; irresistible is the sovereignty of Thy might above the might of all things; and all-compelling is the kingship of Thy subduing power above the loftiness of all things. None can will in Thy names, nor can any resemble Thee in Thy similitudes. Should any one know aught, it is of the knowledge Thou hast created; and should any one encompass aught, it is of the encompassing power Thou hast bestowed; and should any one be able to do aught, it is of the power Thou hast conferred; and should any one possess aught, it is of that which Thou hast brought into being.

Thine, therefore, are creation and command, O my God; and Thine, O my Beloved, are things seen and unseen. Glorified art Thou above my remembering Thee by the remembrance of any thing, or my praising Thee with the praise of any thing. Is there any mark besides Thee whereby I might infer Thee? Or is there any might apart from Thee wherewith I might seek refuge with Thee? Thine are the Kingdom and the dominion from before and from after; Thine are might and the realm of omnipotence in heaven and on earth; Thine are power and divinity on the right hand and on the left; Thine are strength and the ruby of glory in the first and the last.

Thou art He Who hath taken possession of all things through Thy power; Who hath made souls and spirits subservient through Thy might; Who hath subdued rulers through Thy all-compelling force; Who hath constrained kings through Thy sovereignty; Who hath established justice among Thy creatures through the gracious workmanship of Thy Lordship; and Who hath preferred among Thy servants, through the affairs of the wondrous things of Thine eternity. Glorified art Thou, O my God, above my remembering Thee with the remembrance of association, or describing Thee by the mention of association! For Thou art the First before all things—yet not by the “firstness” which any beside Thee can name; and Thou art the Last after all things—yet not by the “lastness” which any save Thee can comprehend; and Thou art the Manifest above all things—yet not by the outwardness which any of Thy creatures can know; and Thou art the Hidden beneath all things—yet not by the inwardness which any of Thy servants can find. Thou art He Who hath ever been the Being before all things, and Thou shalt ever abide above all things. Thy independence of all things is a truth unassailable and without doubt; and the need of all things for Thee is a truth unassailable and without doubt.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hast created me, sustained me, … and quickened me, and hast made me to possess whatsoever Thou hast made me to possess. Should I withhold from Thee aught of that which Thou hast given me, and should my heart incline unto any thing of that wherewith Thou hast endowed me—would I have any fair path unto the path of the knowledge of Thee, or any guide unto the guides of thanksgiving and gratitude? Nay, by Thy might! This is not of the attribute of them that turn toward Thee, nor of the description of them that bear witness before Thee; for Thou hast created the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them for them that proclaim Thy unity, and hast established the path of Thy Lordship for them that have believed in Thy signs.

How many are the servants whom Thou hast made to possess … of what Thou hast created on the earth, yet at that time they have had no remembrance in the kingdom of command and creation! And I too have been made to possess even as they. Then, when it is decreed—according as bones are changed into dust—who shall remember me, that Thy servant may be remembered, until I ascend unto Thee? Nay rather do night and day turn, as Thou dost ordain and will: one hour a man possesseth a thing, and another hour he possesseth it not.

Glorified art Thou, O my God, above my knowing the due of Thy Lordship, or my being veiled by any of the bounties of Thy realm, or my confessing Thine oneness for that Thou admit me into Thy paradise, or my sanctifying Thee for that Thou protect me from the Fire… For all these are the ways of such as behold not the ways of the self-subsistence of the reality of Thy being through itself, nor observe the hallowing of Thine eternity through Thine own Self. The loftiest that Thou hast created in paradise is, in the hearts of them that proclaim Thy unity, but the lowest; how much more, then, the bounties of that world beyond! Glorified art Thou, O my God, above my being veiled by aught of my knowledge, or relying on aught of my praise, or being satisfied with what Thou hast caused me to possess, or seeking strength in what Thou hast bestowed upon me; for Thine are affairs at every moment, and Thou mayest bring forth, above those affairs, other affairs. If Thou shouldst cause me to behold that Thou hast created me, then shall I not return unto…

…Therefore, glorified art Thou, O my God! By Thee shall I ascend unto Thee; by Thy power shall I draw nigh—turning from all that draweth me nigh unto Thee; and by Thy protection shall I go forth with Thee from all that veileth me from Thee. All this, O my God, is in Thy grasp and in the right hand of the might of Thine eternity: Thou spreadest it forth for whom Thou willest of Thy creatures, and withholdest it from whom Thou willest of Thy servants. None hath any portion of aught save by Thy gift. Thine are the Most Great Decrees in their essential reality, and Thine are the Most Great praises in their abstraction. Plant, then, O my God, … that letter in the hearts of all things by Thy power and Thy might, and that Branch of the Tree of Thy love by Thy sovereignty and Thy Lordship; and protect all things from the Fire of him who followeth not Thy command concerning Him, nor observeth Thy signs in His presence. Verily Thou art powerful over all things.

In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I bear witness unto Thee, and unto all things, that Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee, alone, without partner. Thine are creation and command. Thou givest life and Thou causest death, and verily Thou art the Living Who dieth not. In Thy grasp is the dominion of all things. Thou createst whatsoever Thou willest by Thy command. Verily Thou art powerful over all things.

O Thou Who art the Most Exalted above every exaltation and loftiness! O Thou Who art the Most Glorious above every sublimity and splendour! O Thou Who art the Most Unapproachable above every height of unapproachableness! O Thou Who art the Most Holy above every sublimity and exaltation!

And O Thou from Whose will all realities of being proceed; and O Thou from Whose purpose all essential natures are derived; and O Thou through Whose power is established whatsoever is in the kingdoms of earth and heaven; and O Thou from Whose manifestation is made known whatsoever is in the realm of names and attributes; and O Thou from Whose hiddenness is concealed whatsoever is in the domains of beginnings and endings! Thou art He Who hath been exalted above contingent beings, and He Who hath been sanctified above all atoms. Ever have the traces of the wonders of Thy power shone forth upon them that dwell in the kingdoms of Thine earth and heaven, and ever have the marvels of the effects of Thy Lordship been harmonized for them that abide in the depths of Thine unseen and Thy visible realms.

Thou art the Being, independent; Thou art the Creator, majestic; Thou art the Transcendent in the sovereignty of glory; Thou art the Exalted through the King of bounties; Thou art the Inaccessible through the dominion of … Thy handiwork… Thy servants… Thy act is without peer among the dwellers of Thine earth and heaven. Thou hast stood alone, in the reality of Thy being, beyond likeness and resemblance; and Thou hast sanctified Thine own Self above union and separation. Hearing itself is cut off from Thee in Thy reality; eyes are withheld from Thee in Thy essential nature. What Thou dost witness hath no equal; what Thou dost utter hath no peer; what Thou dost write hath no likeness. Thy decrees are exalted above all things, and Thy wondrous gifts shine upon the heights of all things. Thou art He from Whose knowledge nothing escapeth, and from Whose grasp nothing can elude.

Part 4: “Thou hast reared up the heavens…”

Thou hast reared up the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them by Thy word … and Thou hast brought command and creation into being by Thine ordinance—Be, and it is. Naught that Thou hast brought into existence is save at Thy will; nor aught that Thou hast originated save at Thy desire; nor aught that Thou hast caused to appear save by Thy measure; nor aught that Thou hast ordained save by Thy decree; nor aught that Thou hast devised save by Thy confirmation.

Hadst Thou not manifested Thyself, who could know Thee? Hadst Thou not sent down the signs of Thy power, who would bow down before Thee with assurance in Thy Lordship? And hadst Thou not established the path for the people of Thy guardianship, who could lighten from his back, even by the weight of a mustard-seed, the burdens of Thy judgments? … Thou didst cause me to witness, in that hour, that I might call Thee to witness concerning what Thou didst decree aforetime, even as in that hour, and concerning what shall come hereafter, even as in that hour. For none but Thee, O my God, possesseth power, and none beside Thee owneth a will. Thou art He Who hath stood alone in the dominion of might and majesty, and hast been made mighty in the sovereignty of greatness and beauty.

Create, then, O my God, at that time, that whereby the Manifestations of Thy names may draw nigh—Thy similitudes unto the horizon of Thy holiness and Thy majesty; and create, O my God, at that time, that whereby the hearts of them that proclaim Thy unity may find rest in Thy chosen ones, and the bodies of them that are wholly detached … For in Thy grasp is the King of holiness and majesty, and in Thy right hand are the measures of might and glory. Never cease the signs of Thy Lordship to shine upon all things, nor do the wonders of the King of Thine eternity cease to blaze upon the loftiness of all things. Thou art He Who hath created all things by Thy will, and hast upheld whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them by Thy desire.

Never hast Thou been known by any beside Thyself, nor shalt Thou ever be described by Thy creatures. Is there, for him who is veiled by aught from Thy good-pleasure, any portion? Or for him who seeketh proof of Thee through other than Thee any…? Or for him who would be independent of Thee any independence…? Or for him who would turn unto Thee without Thee any ascent? Nay, by Thy might! I seek refuge in Thee from those conditions which Thou hast not loved, and from those stations which Thou hast not established; and I beseech Thee, by the loftiness of Thy bounty and the abodes of Thy wondrous gifts, to clothe all atoms with the robe of the essence of Thy munificence and the pure raiment of Thy favour, that every soul may, thereby, apprehend what is due to it in worshipping Thee, and that all Thou hast created may arise to Thy right through the sovereignty of the might of Thy Lordship.

Thine, O my God, are creation from before and from after; and Thine, O my Beloved, is command in the kingdoms of heaven and earth. Send down, then, O my God, at that time, upon the Tree of Thy unity what beseemeth the loftiness of the holiness of Thy singleness, the sublimity of the joy of Thy self-subsistence, the might of the power of Thy all-subduing One, the unapproachableness of the exaltation of Thy manifestness, and the independence of the strength of the power of the King of the might of Thy protecting guardianship. In Thy grasp are the abodes of holiness and similitudes; in Thy right hand are the wonders of might and majesty. Thou ever bringest into being whatsoever Thou willest, as Thou willest; and Thou dost ever devise whatsoever Thou desirest, as Thou desirest. Thine are the essential decrees in their abstraction, and Thine are the camphor-sweet praises in their pristine simplicity.

Single out, then, O my God, that Letter through the bounty that is Thine; and ordain, O my God, for that Branch what beseemeth the dawning-place of Thy generosity; and plant, O my God, in all things the tree of his love; and protect, O my God, all things from the fire of aught that is other than Thy good-pleasure in him and obedience to Thy command in him. Verily Thou art powerful, exalted, and mighty to do whatsoever Thou willest; swift, unapproachable, and exalted to accomplish whatsoever Thou desirest; dominant, compelling, and firm to execute what Thou hast ordained; manifest, sublime, and invincible in what Thou hast brought into being.

Sanctified are Thy similitudes; exalted are Thy names; magnified are all Thy attributes; and consummate are all Thy signs. Thine be praise for what Thou hast created and wilt create; Thine be glory for what Thou hast originated and wilt originate. There is no power and no might save through Thee; no command save from Thy presence; no honour save in Thy good-pleasure; and no abasement save for him who is veiled from the dawning-place of Thy unity. Protect me, then, O my God—and all whom Thou hast created—from this; for verily Thou art powerful over all things.

In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge, neither in the heavens nor on the earth nor whatsoever lieth between them; nor can aught in the realm of command or of creation, or in whatsoever is beneath them, frustrate Thy power. From everlasting Thou hast been made mighty through the King of might and majesty, and unto everlasting Thou hast stood alone through the Sovereign of power and independence. All things worship Thee, prostrate themselves before Thee, proclaim Thine oneness, sanctify Thee, glorify Thee, magnify Thee, strengthen Thee, and address Thee with that which Thou hast revealed in a Book among Thy greatest signs and Thy most precious evidences.

Thy servants who ascend unto Thee find not delight in Thy signs, nor plunge into the sea thereof, even as they ponder Thy words; for Thou, O my God, hast ordained for every soul that which it loveth in Thy signs and in the gems of the wonders of Thy similitudes. Therefore do I beseech Thee, O my God, to teach me the mysteries of Thy words, to show me the stations of Thy signs, to make me to know the marvels of Thy manifestations, and to aid me that I may keep safe a verse from Thy Book, whereby I may shield myself by night and by day from them whom Thou hast created after Thy similitudes. For, O my God, Thou hast not created any negation save that Thou hast created a light over against it; nor hast Thou devised any night save that Thou hast devised a day over against it; nor hast Thou sent down any death save that Thou hast brought forth life.

And even thus, O my God, if the sovereignty and manifestation of the recognition of Thy unity be not established save through negation and affirmation, how could aught be essentialized without this? Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, by the glory of “There is none other God but Thee,” to make me as one of Thy names—“There is none other God but Thee.” Then I beseech Thee by the majesty of “There is none other God but Thee,” O God—“There is none other God but Thee,” to make me as one of Thy similitudes—“There is none other God but Thee.” Then I beseech Thee by the beauty of “There is none other God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is none other God but Thee,” to make me as one of Thy proofs—“There is none other God but Thee.” Then I beseech Thee by the greatness of “There is none other God but Thee,” to make me as one of the abodes of Thy favour and the wondrous things of the King of Thy perfection. Then I beseech Thee by the light of “There is none other God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is none other God but Thee,” to make me of the chosen of Thy similitudes and among the nearest of Thy saints.

Then I beseech Thee by the mercy of “There is none other God but Thee,” O God—“There is none other God but Thee,” to have mercy upon me and upon all who are in the Bayan. For there is none other God but Thee: none possesseth forgiveness save Thee, and none bestoweth mercy besides Thee. The forgiveness of all Thy creatures is in Thy word … and, apart from this, in Thy word … Therefore bestow upon us, O my God, that vastness, and cause us to enter the abodes of Thy mercy and the wonders of Thy forgiveness. In Thy grasp are … holiness and majesty, and in Thy right hand are the measures of might and glory. Ever dost Thou originate whatsoever Thou willest through the King of Thy Self-Subsisting Being, and ever dost Thou devise whatsoever Thou desirest through the wonders of the might of Thine eternity. Thy gifts, O my God, are prepared and exalted for the denizens of Thine earth in Thy names; and Thy bounties, for them whom Thou holdest fast beneath the heaven of the might of Thy Lordship, are ordained and unapproachable.

Thou art He Who hath brought all things into being out of nothing, and hath upheld all things with nothing; Who hath sent down the stations of all things through Thy power; Who hath made known all things through the risings of Thy power; and Who hath caused all things to witness the settings of Thine eternity—so that nothing may be veiled from Thy dawning-place. Thus doth every thing behold Thee manifest above all things, subduing all things, hidden beneath all things, powerful over all things, upholding whatsoever Thou willest of a matter that was not, governing whatsoever Thou desirest of a matter that is, exalted above what Thou hast originated, unapproachable above what Thou hast devised—First before all things, Last after all things, Self-Subsisting over all things, and Beloved of all things.

The measures of obedience to Thy Lordship have ever been kindled from the horizon of the holiness of Thine unseen realm, and the marvels of the traces of Thine eternity… the holiness of Thy oneness… No one among Thy creatures hath, in respect of Thy good-pleasure, any proof against Thee, nor any plea besides that; yet Thy proof, O my God, is complete over all things through that which Thou hast created in the heart: the fire of negation and the light of affirmation—whereby it may deny all beside Thee through the reality of its own self, and affirm Thee alone through the reality of its own being—without following what the Messengers proclaim, nor pondering what Thou hast sent down in the Scriptures.

Thus doth it attain unto what Thou hast created within it, become aware of what Thou hast deposited therein, rise to that which Thou hast willed for it, and ascend unto that which Thou hast decreed concerning it.

This is the first to attest Thy Messengers by the very reality of its heart and the knowledge of its own being; and to recite Thy Books through the essence of the abstraction of its self and the camphor-sweetness of its pristine simplicity. Glorified art Thou: there is none other God but Thee; there is no power save through Thee. Create me, then, O my God, in such wise that I may deny negation from Thee without my knowing it, and affirm affirmation without my knowing it, through the essence of my being—for this is the nature of God wherewith Thou hast created souls and endowed hearts; and it is that whereunto created things ascend, unto the heights of unapproachableness. This, verily, is the greatest of Thy bounties, O my God, and the most mighty of Thy favours, O my Beloved… upon any one thereby.

Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, to plant the love of that Letter of Thy Book and that Branch of the Tree of Thy love in all things, that they may follow Him on the Day of Resurrection at Thy manifestation, and be guided by His guidance at His hiddenness. Verily Thou art powerful over all things.

In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Verily Thou art the Creator of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them—the Fashioner of them, the Ordainer of them, the Originator of them, and the Bringer of them into being. From everlasting Thou hast been the Being before all things, through the reality of Thine own Self; and unto everlasting Thou art the Being after all things, through the reality of Thine own Essence. From everlasting Thou hast stood apart from likeness and resemblance, and unto everlasting Thou hast been exalted above whatsoever is in the kingdoms of earth and heaven.

Glorified art Thou above the worship of any of the contingent; exalted art Thou above the sanctification of any of the created; magnified art Thou above the confession of unity by any of the beings; and uplifted art Thou above the magnifying of any in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Ever dost Thou suffice unto Thyself by Thy glorification of Thine own Self, needing not the glorification of Thy servants; and ever dost Thou suffice unto Thyself by the praise of the reality of Thy being, needing not the praise of Thy servants. In every state Thou affirmest Thine essential reality by Thine essential reality, and at every moment Thou magnifiest Thine eternity by Thine eternity; for what appeareth from all possible beings in Thy presence is as nothing, and what is essentialized of all created things is unworthy of the majesty of Thy holiness.

Part 5: “Thou art He Who hath ever been God…”

Thou art He Who hath ever been God—One, Single, Incomparable, the Living, the Self-Subsisting—Who hath taken unto Himself neither consort nor son; Who hath no partner in the Kingdom and no guardian upon the earth save by Thy leave. Thou hast created all things through the loftiness of Thy power, and hast upheld the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them through the exaltation of Thy Self-Subsisting Being. Thou art He Whom nothing can …, Whom nothing can describe, and for Whose right nothing can arise; for whatsoever is apprehended besides Thee is a creation Thou hast created out of nothing by Thy command, and whatsoever appeareth from Thy servants is an affair Thou hast bestowed through Thy creative act.

Therefore glorified art Thou, O my God, above every name wherewith any thing is named, from … unto the Day of Resurrection; and I will glorify Thee above … for this is what Thou hast appointed unto the Day of Resurrection. Blessed art Thou, O my God! From everlasting I have yearned to glorify Thee with that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy glorification, and to sanctify Thee with that which Thy reality deserveth from the pavilion of the holiness of Thy singleness.

Thou hast created hearts within the essences of essential realities that they may glorify Thee thereby; Thou hast brought spirits into being in the abstraction of the immaterial that they may praise Thee thereby; Thou hast caused souls to arise in the pristine simplicity of souls that they may proclaim Thine oneness thereby; and Thou hast fashioned bodies in the camphor-sweetness of all Thy creation that they may magnify Thee thereby. Is there any who can withhold Thee from what Thou hast created in Thy presence, or any who can veil himself from that which Thou hast bestowed?Glorified art Thou: there is none other God but Thee. From everlasting Thou hast stood alone in the sovereignty of might and independence, and unto everlasting Thou hast been made mighty through the King of power and action.

Send down, then, O my God, at that time, from the oceans of Thy love that whereby all Thy servants may be made independent; and from the billowing sea of Thy mercy that whereby they who dwell in the kingdoms of Thine earth and heaven may be made independent. For in Thy grasp, O my God, are the measures of all things in their very reality, and in Thy right hand are the wondrous things of all things in their pristine simplicity. Thou art He Who hath clothed all things with the robe of existence and life, whereas before that nothing was mentioned in Thy presence, nor was anything existent in Thy dominion.

Send down, then, O my God, from the treasuries of the unseen of Thine eternity, from the abodes of the holiness of Thy singleness, and from the hidden stores of the unseen of Thy self-subsistence, that which shall draw all things nigh unto the share Thou hast ordained for them in existence, and enable every thing to attain unto that whereunto it can be brought from the limit of its appearance. For the relation of Thy active power unto all atoms is one and the same, and the wonders of the lights of Thine eternity are, toward all possible beings, according to the measure of creation. None hath any proof against Thee, neither from negation so much as a mustard-seed, nor from affirmation any less than that. Nay, Thy proof is complete and perfected over them that are in the kingdoms of Thine earth and heaven—for him who would worship Thee or proclaim Thy unity according to the rightful due of Thine eternity. And Thy will hath been exalted and raised above them that are in the realm of Thy wondrous creation and Thy similitudes. For hadst Thou not created fire and light, who could create them, O my God, in their very reality? … turning unto Thee and imploring Thee for that which they have in Thy presence.

Thou art He Who wast rich above all beside Thee, through the annihilation of Thine own Self in Thine own Self; and Thou art He Who art exalted above every thing by which any thing is named… by reason of the loftiness of Thine Essence above all mention. Therefore do I beseech Thee, O my God, at that time, by Thy mercy which hath encompassed all atoms, and by the sovereignty of the kingdom of Thy gift which hath surrounded all created things—for if any thing be named by a name, that is from Thy mercy upon it and Thy bestowal upon it. For all things are disposed by Thy will, created by Thy desire, exalted by Thy measure, made unapproachable by Thy decree, confirmed by Thy leave, gathered by Thy appointed term, and numbered by Thy Book. Thine, therefore, are creation and command, O my God, from before and from after.

Deal, then, O my God, with what Thou hast brought into being—even as it is brought into being—according to that which beseemeth the exaltation of Thy will and the unassailability of Thy desire; for Thy Self deserveth generosity and splendour, while my own self and all things deserve naught but non-being and extinction.

…O my God, grant me to be worthy through the worthiness of Thy Lordship; and send down, O my God, upon that Letter among the letters of the Book of Thine eternity, and upon that Branch among the branches of the Tree of Thy love, that which every soul shall remember and wherewith it shall invoke blessings upon him. And protect me, O my God, from him whom Thou lovest not. Verily Thou art powerful over all things.

In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Exalted is Thy Being above my … with the loftiest … of essential realities; sanctified is Thine Essence above my praising it with the highest pinnacles of the immaterial; singled out is Thy Soul above my proclaiming its oneness with the most adorned embroideries of the adorned; and uplifted is Thine “I-ness” above my magnifying it with the most soaring splendours of the camphor-sweet realities. Thou art He Who, from everlasting, doth glorify Thy Being by Thy Being, and praise Thine Essence by Thine Essence, and affirm the oneness of Thy Soul by Thy Soul, and magnify Thine “I-ness” by Thine “I-ness”; for the praise of any beside Thee befitteth not the loftiness of Thy station and Thine exaltation, nor can the splendour of Thy creation attain the pavilion of Thy might and majesty.

Thou art He Who hath stood alone, in the kingdom of might and glory, beyond semblance and likeness; and Thou art He Who hath sanctified, in the reality of Thine Essence, that aught—whether breath, or image—should be associated with Thee. Thou art the Being before all things, and the Sustainer above all things; and Thou hast made Thyself known unto all things, so that nothing is ignorant of Thee; and Thou hast subdued all things through the Sovereign of Thy power over all things. Thou art the Peerless in the dominion of glory, and Thou art the Most Exalted in the kingdom of holiness and beauty. Ever hath all Thy creation worshipped Thee, sanctified Thee, glorified Thee, affirmed Thine oneness, magnified Thee, strengthened Thee, and turned unto Thee through the names of Thy will, and entered by Thee through the similitudes of Thy Lordship. Thou art He Who hath raised up the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them by Thy command, and hast exalted Thyself above all things through the King of Thy might, and hast made Thyself unapproachable above all things through the unassailability of Thy holiness.

Who is able, O my God, to remember Thee—when the remembrance of all besides Thee is but sheer annihilation before the court of Thy holiness? And how can Thy creatures proclaim Thine oneness, when their very existence is severed from the knowledge of the inmost truth of Thy Being? Thou art He Who hath clothed all things with the robe of Thy bounty and Thy mercy, and … all things with the mantle of Thy generosity and Thy care. The worship of all who worship Thee profiteth Thee not, nor doth the neglect of them that worship Thee not harm Thee; for all, from the beginning of their existence unto the utmost Thou hast ordained for them, are but manifestations of the similitudes of Thy Lordship and mere shadows at the dawning of Thy power. Thou art the Most High, Whose loftiness suffereth no decline; and Thou art the Most Exalted, Whose exaltation knoweth no … . Thou art He Who hath taken possession of Thy creation through the wondrous things of the King of Thy Lordship, as a manifestation of Thine exaltation, Thy Self-Subsisting might, Thy independence, and Thine eternity.

Thine are, therefore, creation and command; Thine are splendour and glory; Thine are majesty and beauty; Thine are greatness and similitudes; Thine are wonders and lights; Thine are names and proofs; Thine are power and affairs; Thine are sovereignty and independence; Thine are dominion and majesty; and Thine are things seen and unseen—from the highest height unto the uttermost depth. Blessed is he who hath known Thee through Thyself, O my God, and is not veiled by Thy creation from Thine Essence. And no portion hath he who riseth not to Thy right, or boweth not down before the loftiness of Thy station; for Thou, O my God, hast ever made all things to know Thee through the wondrous traces of Thy manifestation and the abodes of the similitudes of Thy nurture, that none may be veiled from Thy countenance on the Day of Thy Manifestation, nor associate any partner in Thy worship at the hour of Thy concealment.

I will glorify Thee, O my God, in the exaltation of the Essence as becometh Thee; and I will praise Thee, O my God, in the exaltation of the attributes with that which is worthy of Thee; and I will affirm Thy unity, O my God, in the exaltation of the acts with that which is due to Thee; and I will magnify Thee, O my God, in the exaltation of worship with that which befitteth Thee. Thou art the Manifest, O my God, above all things; and Thou art the Hidden, O my Beloved, beneath all things; and Thou art the First, O my Desired One, before all things; and Thou art the Last, O my Vision, after all things. All names point unto the loftiness of Thy station and Thy power; and all similitudes bear witness unto the exaltation of Thy bounty and Thy favours. Thou art He Who hath mastered the tyrants through Thy power, and raised up whomsoever Thou wilt through the King of Thy care. Thine, O my God, are the wondrous beginnings from the highest horizon unto the lowest atom; and Thine, O my Beloved, are the decrees from the realm of the Most High unto the least mote.

I beseech Thee, O my God, that Thou … the Tree of Thy unity—its branches, its leaves, and its fruits—after … the negation with what is in it and upon it; for none but Thee can do this, and none besides Thee is able thereto. And I beseech Thee to plant, according to that Letter, in the hearts of all Thy loved ones, and the guardianship of that Branch in the hearts of all Thy trusted ones. There is no power save through Thee. Thou givest life and Thou causest death; then Thou causest death and givest life; and verily Thou art the Living Who dieth not, the Single One from Whose grasp nothing escapeth.

Thou hast taken unto Thyself neither consort nor son; Thou hast no partner in the Kingdom, and no guardian upon the earth save by Thy leave. Sanctified are all the affairs of Thy Lordship in their essential reality; magnified are the wonders of the traces of Thy Self-Subsisting Being in their camphor-sweetness. Thou art He Who hath no equal, no peer, no likeness, no companion, no example. Thou choosest from among Thy servants whom Thou wilt; and Thou wilt cause all the letters of the former to be brought into Thy presence with power and independence, then with might and majesty—for Thy will is all-compelling over all contingent beings, and Thy purpose is manifest over all created things. Thou art He for Whose words of might there is no alteration, and for the affairs of the wonders of Thy purpose there is no change.

Send down blessings, then, O my God, upon the letters—one and nineteen—before … in the Most Exalted Concourse, then in the greatest horizon, and in the lowest station, then in what hath been ordained by the decree. Verily, on the Day of Resurrection, Thou shalt question all things concerning this, and Thou art, of all things, a Witness. Thou createst whatsoever Thou willest by Thy command, and verily Thou art powerful over all things. There is no power and no might save through Thee, and Thou art the Best of the merciful. Succour me, then, O my God, and all who have believed in Thee, with all Thy mercies; verily Thou art the Bestower, the All-Encompassing, the Generous.