BB00035: Lawh-i-Haykalu’d-Din

The first Vahid

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the King, the Lord of the two kingdoms.

It hath been ordained in the first Gate—the mention of His own Self—that there is none other God but Him. His are the sovereign Names: all who are in the heavens and on the earth and whatsoever lieth between them glorify Him; and all who are in the kingdom of command and of creation, and whatsoever is beneath them, prostrate themselves before Him. All are His servants, and all bow down before Him for ever—an eternity like unto eternity [al-abad, = 7].

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the second Gate the mention of Him Who appeared in that Revelation, and then of Him Who shall appear in the later Revelation; for He is His servant and His Proof, and all, by the command of God, are from Him brought into being.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the third Gate that whatsoever is sent down in the Bayan of verses—each single verse thereof—constituteth His proof against all who are in the heavens and on the earth and whatsoever lieth between them. And should all who are in the heavens and on the earth and whatsoever lieth between them gather together to produce the like thereof, they shall not be able, neither shall they have power—by their very nature. Thereby is the proof made manifest unto every soul at the moment he heareth; and thereby is established all that hath been ordained in that religion—its first and its last, its outward and its inward. And we all believe therein, and are assured.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate the mention of the Return of the One of the Furqan by their names, and then of all the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, the believers, and whatsoever hath been created from the beginning that hath no beginning, out of every good thing; and then the shadow of all, as the like of them—according to that which Nabil, after ʿAli, hath spoken from God. And we all in all believe, and are assured.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifth Gate the mention of that wherewith every soul is charged in the Bayan—according to that which is mentioned as ordained in the first One—then thereafter, after eleven full years of its life have passed. Say: All shall speak that which God hath decreed. And whosoever uttereth the two testimonies, it is forbidden unto all in the Bayan to slay him. This is God’s command—no change therein—sent down from the Lord of the worlds; that haply, O people of the Bayan, ye may fear God.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixth Gate that God be remembered with the mention of His oneness nineteen times, from the beginning of your night unto the end of your day. And if, after ye have known, ye neglect it, there shall cleave unto you the number of the One—one mithqal of the most glorious diamond. And if ye forget, there is no making-up upon you, nor any penalty; that haply, in the kingdom of Names, in the later Resurrection, ye may believe in God your Lord.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventh Gate that ye remember the Point of the Bayan even as it hath been ordained in the mention of Unity—in remembrance, in number, and in limit. And if, after knowledge, ye neglect it, and are unable to offer diamond, then is it permitted you to render the like thereof in gold; that haply ye may watch over your own selves, and—concerning Him Whom God shall make manifest in the later Resurrection—may hold in reverence the weight of a heart, and not be veiled.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighth Gate the mention of Muhammad, in the number of the Living, by night and by day—according to the number of the letter ha’ as ordained aforetime—then according to the number of al-Jawad as it was sent down at that hour. And if, after knowledge, ye neglect it, there shall cleave unto you five mithqals of diamond or of red ruby; and if ye forget, ye shall not be questioned.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the ninth Gate the mention of the Return of ʿAli: mention ye him according to the number of ha’. And if ye be veiled, there shall cleave unto you five mithqals of yellow pearls; and if ye forget—concerning him who ascended from ba’ unto qaf—then shall ye not be questioned.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the tenth Gate the mention of the Word al-Abha: remember ye it even as it hath been ordained in the ninth Gate; and ye, within the limit, shall reckon with emerald.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eleventh Gate the mention of the name of al-Hasan (peace be upon Him): even as hath been ordained for ʿAli, so shall ye know.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the twelfth Gate that ye mention that which was decreed for the first One; and then, concerning him who writeth the verses of God in His presence, ye shall ask what We have taught of the exposition of knowledge. Then, after the number of wrath hath been accomplished concerning the Bayan, the King of the Living shall, by his own hands, bestow upon his offspring—according to the number of the Temple of the Second—gold, that they may reckon it from God. Verily, He is the Most Bountiful of the bountiful.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the thirteenth Gate the mention of the name of the Return of al-Husayn (peace be upon Him), then Ali and Muhammad and Hadi and Mahdi and Ali and Muhammad and ʿAli and al-Hasan—according to that which hath been ordained aforetime shall ye know; and within the limit shall ye judge with ruby.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourteenth Gate the mention of the appearance of that whereunto all were promised; then the Return of the Gates of Guidance—according to the number of the One shall ye remember; and within the limit, each one—according to the number of the One—shall be adjudged in diamond.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifteenth Gate that which was inscribed: ye shall learn the decree of the knowledge of the One in the tenth Gate.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixteenth Gate that the Cause of God be renewed in whatsoever thing He willeth: if He so will, He decreeth above one; and if He will, He decreeth until the Day of Resurrection, from the thrones of the Living. And if He will, He commandeth you through Him Whose knowledge encompasseth the bounds of the Bayan. After the sun draweth nigh, and after there have passed from the Bayan six hundred and sixty-two years, ye shall, before your King, within eleven years, present yourselves; then shall ye magnify God—haply, in like manner, before Him Whom God shall make manifest, ye may be present.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventeenth Gate that ye reckon every one who ariseth in the Bayan with innate knowledge as the mention of the first in the name of the Unique; that haply, concerning Him Whom God shall make manifest in the Day of Resurrection, ye may not be veiled.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighteenth Gate that ye be created with the attributes of your Originator; and that ye read the verse of the One from the Gate of the One—it shall suffice you beyond remembrances and opposites—O ye of every thing, give thanks. God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the King, the Lord of the twin kingdoms; and that ʿAli—before Nabil—is the Self of God and His inmost Being; and that ye are the guides of the Living, in the Book of God, the first of the believers.

The second Vahid

The Eternal. It hath been decreed in the first Gate that you raise the mosque, the seat of what was born upon it, then the mosque beside the House in the House you raise eternally.

The Eternal. Then the Second: It hath been ordained in the second Gate that ye raise aloft the mosques of the Living, and know that whatsoever is upon the earth resteth upon one of them; and ye are the lamp therein—whatsoever ye may choose within it—then, seated in your places, shall ye reckon and number.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the third Gate that ye reckon your year as nineteen months, and from the first day of the Manifestation, in the year of Eternity, ye shall write.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate that ye be not called save by names that are attributed unto God or enter into the ocean of names, that perchance on the Day of Resurrection ye shall not be veiled from your designation.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifth Gate that ye cause all that is upon the earth to enter into the Bayan, and accept not from any one the fullness of the earth in substance to be expended unless it enter into the Bayan. And take from them all that they have possessed without right. But if they believe in God Who hath created you and sustained you and caused you to die and given you life, then by the number of the Ra and the Ba, then by that which hath been revealed in the Bayan, then shall ye return unto them that which sufficeth them. Otherwise it is lawful for you from the Book of God, and fear ye the day when ye shall be judged by their like if ye believe not.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixth Gate that ye bear witness, when any land is opened, that whatsoever had no like or equal shall be returned unto Him Whom God shall make manifest. Then shall the Eye flow through your hands that ye may preserve it; otherwise will ye surely alter it. Therewith shall ye traffic and take your due: of every thousand that ye sell, and of every hundred that ye buy, there shall be taken according to the measure—first the mim and the ha’ for the first letters, then the waw for the witnesses, then the jim for the poor, by the leave of him that openeth. And ye, by the permission of their King, shall apportion it; and if aught remain over and above them, it is ordained for the believers. And though ye be in the East of the earth or in the West thereof, ye shall assuredly convey it.

The Eternal. Wherefore, read ye the Bayan, in the seventh Gate, with your very souls; and let it look thereon. And if ye learn it not, then say ye: “The number of the One—Glorified be God, the King, the Almighty!”

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighth Gate that ye purchase from those who have not entered into the Bayan that which ye love. For when ye possess that which ye possess, it is purified. O all things, therefore be grateful.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the ninth Gate that ye remember God. All things [exist] by the letters of His Name, the Name of your Lord, once, even though ye follow your hearts.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the tenth Gate that ye inscribe the Bayan upon the pentacles [hayakil] and the circles [dawa’ir] in such wise that ye are able to read with justice.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eleventh Gate that ye magnify God over the newborn five times, then in every time nineteen verses ye remember God as hath been decreed that ye should say. Then over the dead six times as hath been decreed that ye should say in remembrance of God. Then in crystal or stone if ye are able shall ye bury, otherwise in places of clay shall ye cover. Then [a ring] in the right hand: “Verily we are all God’s and verily we are all from God” shall ye begin. Then in the left: “Verily we are all from Him and verily we are all unto Him” shall ye return.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the twelfth Gate, that ye place with your dead some clay from [the shrines of] the first and the last [Mulla Husayn and Quddus] that ye may enter Paradise with them, and ye on the day when ye shall be presented with them unto Him Whom God shall make manifest.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the thirteenth Gate that ye write unto Him Whom God shall make manifest from the Book of the Testament [kitab-i-wisaya], that perchance you may, on the Day of Resurrection, believe in God and His signs.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourteenth Gate that you should bear witness to that which purifies you, for it is the Name of God, the number of Vav and Sin, while you say “God is Most Pure”. Then whatsoever has been revealed in the Bayan, you are certain thereof. Then whosoever enters into the religion, his being does not change. Then the sun and moon and stars, then from fire and air, then water and earth—verily, all things fear you.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifteenth Gate that you should judge by the purity of water with which you are created, but you cleanse your bodies and your garments therefrom.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixteenth Gate that you should make all things that have no equal for Him Whom God shall make manifest at the time of His appearance. And you, after the sun sets, shall possess your souls from My right. Then on the Day of Resurrection you shall attain unto Him Whom God shall make manifest in the number of the Unity.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventeenth Gate that you should remember God ninety-five times each day while you say “God is Most Manifest” [Allahu Azhar].

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighteenth Gate that whensoever consent hath been ascertained between you, whether of the small among you or of the great, then are ye free to buy and to sell.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the nineteenth Gate: Make the mithqal nineteen chickpeas, according to what ye witness among the mint-masters at that time. Then in the dominion of the Bayan, go not forth save with gold and silver. O sovereigns of the Bayan, make the value of a mithqal of gold ten thousand dinars, then a mithqal of silver a thousand dinars. And you shall not decrease below the chickpea in diminishment. And when a year has passed over the gold and silver, and the amount of each of them has reached the number of the Proud One per mithqal, then you shall deliver unto the sovereign of your land the right: from each mithqal of gold five hundred dinars and of silver five dinars. This shall fall upon the essence of gold and silver. You, O Sultan of the Justice of the Bayan, all the earth belongs to God that you may employ it and be independent of the creation through God. You shall not transgress any limit of God’s bounds, nor command your armies to ask this of anyone, for We have commanded that you reckon their words from the time of their affairs until the time when you receive from the sovereignty of God sovereignty, and by the truth you are sent.

The third Vahid

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the first Gate that ye should bear witness that all besides God is His creation, and that whatsoever Him Whom God shall make manifest possesses, that is what God, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting, possesses.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the second Gate that ye should know that whatsoever Him Whom God shall make manifest speaks of negation and affirmation creates for both of them creation in His religion. Ye shall cleave to affirmation over negation.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the third Gate that Him Whom God shall make manifest, in the latter Resurrection, when He gives permission, shall abrogate what has been previously ordained. And if He gives not permission after the number of Unity of years [19] passes, it remains free for those who are the people of the Bayan, that perchance in the years of Unity ye may attain the fruits of every Manifestation in the presence of God with truth and sincerity.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate concerning the mention of the hereafter. Verily, the excellence of that which God shall reveal unto the Manifestation of His Self in the latter days is as the excellence of that which was revealed in the Bayan over that which was revealed aforetime. O all things, ye shall comprehend the Book of God in the hereafter.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifth Gate that all beneath God was created for Him, and there was naught between them as a third. All were created through Him Whom God shall make manifest, then unto Him shall all of you return. O all things, unto Him shall ye return.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixth Gate that ye should exalt the seats of the Unity when He Whom God shall make manifest giveth permission therefor. And if He giveth not permission and ye give permission unto the Unity within the Unity, ye shall be veiled by might and glory.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventh Gate that God thy Lord shall never be seen. All that is revealed concerning the mention of meeting with God, that is the meeting with Him Whom God shall make manifest for you to behold. And if ye be veiled after ye have the power, then there shall be incumbent upon you five mithqals of emerald. O all things, ye shall comprehend the Most Great Bounty of God with might and guidance.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighth Gate. O all things, it hath been decreed and is decreed in the Bayan that ye are the gems of the Most Glorious [Abha] in that ocean from which ye emerge.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the ninth Gate: That which was revealed in the Bayan in eternity save the names of the number of the Unity, ye behold in the temples through the guidance of God. Eternity hath been decreed in the Gate of Baha that all that is in the names in the first verse is the mention of the Point. Ye cleave unto Him Whom God shall make manifest.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the tenth Gate concerning the mention of the Bismillah. Verily, the likeness of the temples of the Living One is as the likeness of mirrors before the sun of the Point which mentioneth itself from before its Lord: “There is no God but Me, the Sovereign, the Mighty.”

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eleventh Gate that no man should possess dominion save one over himself, then alive by His command. And in no city save five, and in no villages save two—a ruler and a learned one. And in no chamber nor house save a man and a woman, that perchance ye may give thanks through unity.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the twelfth Gate that ye ask not concerning Him Whom God shall make manifest save in a Book, nor some of you concerning others in your religion, nor in the affairs of your lives, nor in your reasonings, that perchance ye may partake, then answer in the Book.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the thirteenth Gate that ye preserve all that was revealed in the Bayan like embroidered brocade. And if there be with anyone a letter less than what is seemly without beauty, his work shall be made vain. O people of the Bayan, fear ye God.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourteenth Gate that whoso believeth in Him Whom God shall make manifest, it is as though he believed in God, then for all His good pleasure which hath ever been. And the like of that in the shadow do ye fear.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifteenth Gate that ye read naught save the verses of God in the Bayan, and ye shall make the books in His presence as a mirror. Then when God manifesteth Himself unto you through that which hath been revealed in the Bayan, ye shall manifest forever.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixteenth Gate that ye shall not inscribe the verses of the Point, nor the verses of Him Whom God shall make manifest, nor any true book, save in the most beautiful script whereof ye are capable. Then ye shall not forbid your little ones when ye are being disciplined, whilst ye are in the elevation of their script and the excellence of their knowledge and their reckoning to the extent that ye are able, that they may hearken. For among you is He Whom God shall make manifest, then His guides, and were it not for them ye would be in a state whereof mention is not made.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventeenth Gate that ye shall not bring forth that which ye create with anyone save when ye possess for yourselves the most protected script.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighteenth Gate that ye should spend of that which God hath written in the adornment of the Bayan and its splendour, that ye may, with your souls on the Day of Resurrection, be among them that believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest, and that, as far as ye are able, ye may act with excellence.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the nineteenth Gate that ye make mention of Him Whom God shall make manifest through that which returneth unto Him, for this is that which profiteth you, and short of this ye cause your own selves to doubt. Then make ye mention of [him].

The fourth Vahid

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the first Gate that ye bear witness in all the ordinances that they have been revealed in the Book, that mention of a Prophet after Ali, and this is that which the time hath ordained. The word of Unity for the Eternal Essence is established, and there have been ordained for the Eternal Sun two manifestations in His exaltation, that He shall point to naught save God, and whosoever speaketh saying there is no God but Me, and that all besides Me is creation, and of this am I the first of the worshippers. And whosoever believeth in one and is veiled from the other, let him be bound to nineteen mithqals of ruby. Ye are the ocean of creation through the ocean of Names that ye may observe.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the second Gate that ye refer all your deeds unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, if ye desire to return unto God your Lord.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the third Gate that ye bear witness to the beginning of God through that which appeareth from the Manifestation of His Self, and that there shall be no equal nor peer nor likeness for Him Whom God shall make manifest. And the like thereof in all the Suns of Reality. And all creation sufficeth not for Him Whom God shall make manifest, and His pleasure sufficeth for all things instead of all things. O all things, through Him shall ye be made sufficient.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate that ye bear witness that the spirit of all things is in man, and all, by the command of God, stand before His Dayspring.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifth Gate that ye bear witness that every male and female are possessed by God and by Him Whom God shall make manifest. O ye kings of the Day of Resurrection, from all that is on earth, a third and thirty circles and the like thereof in temples, if ye deal not justly with them and with them from the Dayspring, ye shall be sent to your Sovereign to serve God their Lord even as they serve the Manifestation of His Self. And if ye are veiled, that which ye have acquired shall not profit you. O ye kings of bounty, be not veiled.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixth Gate that ye bear witness that God is not to be questioned concerning that which He hath done and doeth, and all shall be questioned concerning all things. Say not of the Suns of Truth “how” or “wherefore,” for ye be believers in this.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventh Gate that ye should begin with the appearance of the First and return unto God with the appearance of the Last. Verily, all your existence dependeth upon this. Should ye hide yourselves, it is as though ye comprehend not your beginning.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighth Gate that ye should bear witness that all are created and sustained and caused to die and made alive by the verses of God.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the ninth Gate that ye should establish a remembrance of Him Who shall be made manifest after the Bayan with dominion, for He is the Manifestation of God’s wrath Who shall leave none upon the earth, should He be able, save the Babis. And it is meet for Him Who shall appear on the Day of Resurrection to command that none should witness the Sun of Truth at the time of its appearance save in joy, for all make mention of Him thereby.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the tenth Gate that ye transgress not the bounds of the Bayan ever, if ye be believers in the Cause of God.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eleventh Gate that ye should visit all the places of the earth, and visit them not while ye spend in one what is equal to what is spent in the Living Point. Then ye should visit when ye possess abundance, that the spirit may bear witness in your path.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the twelfth Gate that ye should raise the places of the Living One according to your capacity.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the thirteenth Gate that whosoever seeketh refuge in the places of the One and the mosques of the One, ye have no power over him.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourteenth Gate that should anyone seek refuge with Him Whom God shall make manifest, then the first living one from His presence—approach him not on the Day of Resurrection. And should anyone seek refuge with anyone to be slain in His path, it is better for him than that he should turn him away. O people of the Bayan, let all your zeal in the path of Him Whom God shall make manifest be manifested.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifteenth Gate that ye should aid Him Whom God shall make manifest, O kings of the earth. If ye aid Him, then shall ye rule your kingdoms in truth by His leave, and ye shall visit Him from the First Point.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixteenth Gate that ye should ascend to the House of God according to your capacity in spirit and ease, and around that House do that wherein ye were able. Ye should raise it and hide it not. And the like of that is the Sacred Mosque—that wherein ye were born—according to your capacity ye should raise both. And the seat of Ahmad—My mention—entereth into the Mosque, and that which is buried around it ye should build upon thrice, then in the House of God ye should there make mention.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventeenth Gate that ye should raise, O people of power, the House, then the Mosque, then establish in every land that which shall bear your tidings within nineteen days, that perchance on the Day of Resurrection it may be written that it is from the Manifestation of His Self, that ye may attain.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighteenth Gate that pilgrimage to the House be performed by those who are able with honor and ease. When ye make pilgrimage, each one shall give to the House four mithqals of gold if ye are able, that ye may expand, and exemption is granted to those who possess or serve or are afflicted with aught, that perchance ye may give thanks. And We have not commanded you to make pilgrimage save that ye may learn the knowledge of the inmost of the inward in the night, and of the outermost of the outward in truth ye may attain.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the nineteenth Gate that women shall not ascend, nor those for whom the path to the House is difficult, nor hath God forbidden them upon the land of the House or the lands of other places, for they are like their men—permission is given unto them and grieve them not in aught, that perchance ye and they may be well-pleased, and beyond what pleaseth you.

The fifth Vahid

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the first Gate mention of the power of thy Lord in the verses, that they are greater than all that He hath created from the verses from the beginning which hath no beginning, and were it not the greatest, God would not have abrogated what was revealed aforetime. And whosoever believeth or transmitteth other than this, let there be incumbent upon him five mithqals of ruby from the Book of God, and if he cannot afford it, five and one of gold. And there is naught save mention of the Infinite, that perchance ye may give thanks in the paradise of your faith from the beginning which hath no beginning, then from the shadow ye may beware.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the second Gate that none can encompass the knowledge of the Books of God save Him, and that none can attain the knowledge of the Bayan save Thee, then whosoever He whom God shall make manifest raiseth up, from Him ye inquire concerning the essence of meanings.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the third Gate that ye interpret not the Bayan save by that which the Point of the Bayan hath interpreted. Say: Every good mention that hath been revealed therein is for Him Whom God shall make manifest, then below that for those who are veiled from Him in the Bayan—from all things do ye fear.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate that ye believe not in what hath been revealed in the Bayan of every ordinance, for that is what hath no permission in the Book, and the ordinance of all things hath been revealed therein from the beginning which hath no beginning unto the end which hath no end, that ye may attain unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, and then ye shall attain unto every ordinance.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifth Gate that naught hath been revealed in the Bayan of any letter save that it hath a living spirit through negation and affirmation—by the latter from the former ye are preserved.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixth Gate that ye interpret every good mention revealed in the Bayan for those who believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest at the time of His appearance, and below that for those who believe not in Him, and ye hear these after Him reciting the verses of God and His proofs from Him Whom God shall make manifest, that ye may not manifest faith to the extent that ye are able, lest ye be tried.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventh Gate that the Day of Resurrection, from the first rising of the Sun of Truth unto the last of its setting, is nine times nine plus a tenth of the ninth parts of the minutes of the hours of night, whereof one is better in the sight of God than from the first which hath no first unto the last which hath no last. And all have been created for that Day wherein one may attain the presence of God and His good pleasure manifestly. And whosoever attaineth it, even so the Day, and whosoever attaineth not the presence of Him Whom God shall make manifest, then His good pleasure to the extent that he is able, then there shall be incumbent upon him in every minute five mithqals of diamond, and all his works shall be made vain. O creatures of the Day of Resurrection, fear ye!

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighth Gate, death, without the good pleasure of Him Whom God shall make manifest—all of you shall die.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the ninth Gate the mention of the repository of the mystery, and verily that is truth in the Book of God. All of them—Him Whom God shall make manifest remembereth not the dead among the living ye comprehend.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the tenth Gate that ye answer the first who believeth in Him Whom God shall make manifest in your faith in God your Lord. Then when ye are in the station of your veiling, the King of Bounty ye answer.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eleventh Gate the mention of the resurrection. God shall raise on the Day of Resurrection all the dead from among the living. Ye are all affirmation in whosoever believeth in Him first, and all negation from whosoever is veiled from Him first—know ye! Then from it unto the last of the stations ye shall be separated.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the twelfth Gate the mention of the Bridge. That is Him Whom God shall make manifest. If ye be veiled from an atom, it is as though from the Bridge of Light ye pass not.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the thirteenth Gate the Balance. That is the command of Him Whom God shall make manifest, then its beginning. And before His manifestation, the Bayan and the religion—ye on the Day of Resurrection shall not be veiled.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourteenth Gate that believe ye in that wherewith God shall take account of you from the Manifestation of His Self on the Day of Resurrection. And if ye reckon not, then there shall be incumbent upon you five mithqals of ruby. O all things, fear ye!

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifteenth Gate that bear ye witness to the Book of God from the Manifestation of His Self. And if ye make mention in the book of Him Whom God shall make manifest other than the truth, your wives shall be forbidden unto you, nor shall anything be lawful unto you save that He forgive you, if ye be in the land of His abode. Otherwise seek ye His forgiveness nineteen times, then after nineteen days ye shall draw nigh.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixteenth Gate the mention of Paradise. That is the recognition of the Sun of Truth, then its good pleasure in every manifestation. O all things, ye shall enter!

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventeenth Gate the mention of the Fire. Ye without the good pleasure of Him Whom God shall make manifest, beware!

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighteenth Gate the mention of the Hour. Ye by Him Whom God shall make manifest in every manifestation shall be interpreted.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the nineteenth Gate by that which hath been revealed, that the Bayan is a garden from that Manifestation unto Him Whom God shall make manifest.

The sixth Vahid

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the first Gate: Know ye the right of the Bayan; for within it is that for which there is no equal, no match, no likeness, no peer, no exemplar. Ye look upon the concerns of the Five; and the true witness is he who, in every matter, taketh the verses as his proof in justice, then, as a grace, considereth the concerns of the Dal. And ye are the ramparts that transgress not the verses of the Number of al-Mustaghath. Leave is given you to be, with every soul, of the very substance of the Bayan—like unto that Temple within which every ordinance is contained—that haply ye all may come to know the pathways of your religion. And ye are the House of thirty letters; and if ye parse it in Arabic, ye will reckon the value of the letter Mim.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the second Gate that ye should build in every land a goodly house of freedom, then make gentle your bodies and all things according to your capacity.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the third Gate that ye should place in the land of the Five none save the God-fearing servants of God.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate that ye should greet one another with the remembrance “God is Most Great,” then with the remembrance “God is Most Manifest,” that ye may respond thereto, then “God is Most Beautiful” for women, then whatsoever ye respond “God is Most Mighty,” that haply ye may be sanctified.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate that water is pure, purifying, purifier. Ye bear witness in the part as in the whole.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifth Gate that ye should efface all books save what is composed in the shadow of the Bayan concerning the exposition of knowledge and the source of wisdom. And ye shall seek assistance through the splendor of the essences and naught else.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixth Gate that ye should bring together the Alif and the Ba after there passeth of their age the number of Delight [bahaj, 11], when permission is granted unto him and the essence of Splendor through their good-pleasure, and the Alif becometh capable through its sustenance from its own self. And verily its dowry is ninety-five mithqals of gold in the cities and of silver in the villages. And permission is granted for reduction one by one until it reacheth unity. And whosoever cannot afford it in the cities, let it be discharged with unity. And ye shall continue to elevate and beware of cessation. And let the woman say first: “We will all, verily, abide by the will of God,” then let her be dowered.

Then let the man say: “We will all, verily, abide by the will of God,” then let him be dowered. When ye bear witness upon the tablet of the man concerning what they dower—sixty-six dowries in the shadow of the man’s dower, then women are dowered ninety-five dowries in the shadow of the woman’s dower, then unto God do they go. And God hath made all the gems of creation the most splendid dowries of the spouses of the Suns of Truth, glory be to God for them and for these women, that perchance they may rejoice and they may rejoice.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventh Gate that ye rely not save upon the verses, for verily they suffice you above all other matters whereat all the learned are powerless. And whosoever is not content therewith and desireth to witness aught else, he hath no faith. Say: Ye are enabled by the Most High above the most low.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighth Gate that ye don the silk in the night of living if ye are able, and ye are your means in secret if ye are able to possess gold and silver, and permission is given unto you for silk if ye are able.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the ninth Gate that ye place upon your right hand a ring whereon ye bear witness. Glory be to God, the Sovereign, the Mighty! Glory be to God, the Knowledge, the Inaccessible! That perchance on the Day of Resurrection with Him Whom God shall make manifest, the meaning of all your names with those who guide with Him, ye may be assured.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the tenth Gate that ye strike not the children before five years, nor after that save to the number of Ha above doubt. And whosoever transgresseth the bounds of God in this matter, his wife shall be forbidden unto him for nineteen days, and if he forget, and if he have no wife, then let there be incumbent upon him nineteen mithqals of gold to be given, verily it hath been prescribed, that perchance ye may not grieve Him Whom God shall make manifest. And ye shall seat the children upon the throne, and with that which delighteth them they shall walk, and ye, before the joy [=11] is perfected in them, shall do good unto them. Then knowledge and the shikastih script shall ye teach them, and ye shall never, never make your children alone for ever.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the twelfth Gate that ye approach not Ta and Qaf [divorce], and if ye are compelled, ye shall endure for a month, that perchance ye may be united with the One. And when ye are compelled, permission is given unto you and unto them, and if ye desire return, then endure ye for a month, that perchance ye may be purified from the affairs of negation for ever.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the thirteenth Gate that ye make not the doors of the House of the Point above ninety-five doors, and the doors of the seat of the Point shall be but ninety-five doors, and the seats of the Living One shall be but five doors. And ye are witnesses of the jewels of knowledge in this for ever.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourteenth Gate that ye remember God on the Most Great Day to the number of all things, saying:

“Verily I am God, there is no god but Me, the Sovereign, the Mighty.”

And ye shall count in the night to the number of the One from the bounties and favors before you, and the angels to the number of the Besought One shall ye count for ever.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifteenth Gate that ye arise when ye hear the name of the Qaim mentioned and commemorated. And ye shall witness all good between the letters of the Qaim and the Self-Subsistent in number during nine years for ever.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixteenth Gate that ye travel not save for God, and ye shall journey unto Him Whom God shall make manifest and unto those who believe in Him. And ye shall take and eat the leaves of the trees at your command, and walk with your feet upon the earth. And naught is prescribed for you save the House, then the seat of the Point if ye are enabled by might and wealth, then the seats of the Living One and the mosques, if ye attain unto favor from God. And when you desire to engage in trade, then let your spouse accompany you if you are able. And when two years have passed on land and then five years at sea, then there shall be incumbent upon you two hundred mithqals of gold if you are able, and if not, then of silver, that you may return to your spouse, perchance you may follow one in the Bayan and grieve not.

And whosoever compels anyone with foot or enters into anyone’s house before permission is granted, or desires to expel him from his house or seat, or seeks him without right, his wife is forbidden unto him for nineteen months. And it is incumbent upon the witnesses of the Bayan to take from him, if he is able, ninety-five mithqals of gold. And whosoever compels anyone even to the extent of an atom, then it is incumbent upon those who are able to be present and prevent it, even if he disobeys for numbered years. And whosoever conceals himself from this, his wives are forbidden unto him for nineteen months, and it shall not be lawful for him save that he spend nineteen mithqals of gold.

And whosoever manifests in his conduct a hue that is not seemly, then there shall be incumbent upon him one mithqal of gold. And there is nothing for him who forgets. All this consists of clear verses, perchance you may not grieve anyone forever.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventeenth Gate that you shall reckon from the first day of birth, and you, until two years are completed from what issues forth from him, shall not abstain save when you desire to cleanse yourselves with the like of that which issues from animals, and you shall cleanse yourselves as much as you are able.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighteenth Gate that none of you shall look upon the book of another save when you seek permission outwardly from its owner, or are certain in your knowledge that you shall not be questioned.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the nineteenth Gate that you answer everyone who speaks to you with word or writing. And if you deliberately conceal yourselves, then no mention shall be raised from you, and there shall be incumbent upon you five mithqals of silver. And if you are able to convey a letter to someone and you conceal yourselves, then you distance yourselves from the good pleasure of God, and the like thereof shall be incumbent upon you, save when they repent, for then you shall not be questioned.

The seventh Vahid

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the first Gate that you renew the script of the Bayan and all your books after sixty-six years have passed if you are able, and if not, then after two hundred years have passed, provided that what is renewed is better than the first, perchance you may perceive the affairs of the hereafter. And you shall embellish all your books from the first that you learn unto the last that you perceive.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the second Gate that you work only for God. And if you refer your works to Him Whom God shall make manifest and you work for Him, then you work for God your Lord. Otherwise, not even the weight of a mustard seed shall benefit you, even though you be seeking God.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the third Gate that you lend in your religion to him who owns you, lest all your works be rendered vain. And you shall return them as soon as you are able and delay not. And you shall write on the last day of each month and its first day a book of attestation, some of you for others and some of the women for others, writing with proof and demonstration and evidence and testimony and balance from the Bayan, perchance thereby on the Day of Resurrection you may believe in and be assured of the Manifestation of your Lord.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate that you, in every year in the second month, or as ye may desire, through the remembrance of God alone, be delivered.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifth Gate that ye should bear witness to the cessation of your work at the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest, save in that which He shall command from His presence. And were God to will, He would make all that He saith as prophets, but God hath not given permission save to whomsoever He willeth among His servants. Verily, He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixth Gate that ye shall not don any garment save the raiment of man in the Bayan, for aught less than this shall be in the fire. And ye are the instruments of war amongst yourselves; bear ye not arms, that perchance ye may not cause grief to any child.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventh Gate that if ye attain unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, ye shall yearn through bounty that ye may ennoble your souls with the foot of God. For the cup from which ye drink is better than that all creation that hath been created and shall be created should be given to drink of all things. Ye are that bounty that ye may attain thereunto. And whosoever veils himself, there shall be incumbent upon him nineteen mithqals, unless the Sovereign of your existence should pardon him. And ye are the might of God that ye may observe that ye slay not that which beseemeth not Him. Of all things shall ye be fearful.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighth Gate that ye shall possess naught save yourselves, in every month, one in one, through the remembrance of the name of God your Lord. God is most great, in the most excellent script, from the first formation of your sperm until the last of that which ye do gather according to what ye reckon. And ye, if it be lightened, shall take heed thereof, and if it pass from you, there shall discharge it on your behalf the youngest in years from among all your inheritors, that perchance on the Day of Resurrection ye may, through the First One, multiply the creation of Paradise. And some shall inherit from others. This is so, and none shall rule over it after he possesses it. Of all things, therefore, be ye thankful.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the ninth Gate that ye shall build, if all the angels possess a house upon ninety-five gates, then facing it upon ninety gates for Him Whom God shall make manifest, that the clay may bear witness that the sovereignty belongeth unto God. And whatsoever is God’s belongeth unto the Sun of Truth, that perchance according to the measure of the deeds of the clay ye may bear witness to that for which it bears witness and may know. And ye, before His appearance, yourselves, and He Who appeareth through the knowledge of nature alone, have been honored.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the tenth Gate that ye shall preserve your offspring through a talisman wherein shall be inscribed of the verses or the names the number of the name of the latter—the ninth talisman after the tenth—he is the one sought for help that ye may inscribe, that perchance through that talisman ye may believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eleventh Gate that ye shall deliver discourses on the day of Friday, then exhort and make mention of Him Whom God shall make manifest upon the chair and the throne, while ye sit in your seats above the chair.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the twelfth Gate that when ye labor for Him Whom God shall make manifest, nullify it not by taking aught therefrom, and ye shall obey Him through God’s deserving.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the thirteenth Gate that ye shall possess from Him Whom God shall make manifest nineteen verses in their entirety, for that is better for you than all good. But if ye veil yourselves, your wives shall be forbidden unto you, and it shall not be lawful save after your possessing and expending for each thing the number of one mithqal of gold, and you shall possess this through His good pleasure.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourteenth Gate that you repent before none save the Sun of Truth and whomsoever He may permit, whilst you seek forgiveness from God, your Lord, the Sovereign, then unto Him shall you turn in repentance.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifteenth Gate for all eternity that you prostrate yourselves at the gate of the city from which hath dawned the Sun of Truth, that haply you may conduct yourselves before Him like unto clay.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixteenth Gate that you bring forth, O chiefs of the Bayan, the divines of the Day of Resurrection, then command them with the Book of Him Whom God shall make manifest, that their powerlessness may be made manifest unto themselves, that haply they may be ashamed and then mock their own selves. And whosoever is able to demonstrate the powerlessness of a soul yet doth not demonstrate it, let him not be numbered among the believers.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventeenth Gate that you recite on Friday facing the sun:

“Bear witness that there is no God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting,”

that haply on the Day of Resurrection you may say this before the Sun of the Ancient.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighteenth Gate that whosoever imprisoneth anyone, his wives shall be forbidden unto him, and if it be made manifest before the witnesses, let them destroy him, and let there be taken from him each month nineteen mithqals of silver. And the same shall apply to him who commandeth or is pleased therewith. And whosoever grieveth a soul intentionally, upon him is incumbent to convey unto him nineteen mithqals of gold, and if he be not able, then of silver. And if he forgetteth, let him seek God’s forgiveness the number of Unity, verily unto all things you show piety.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the nineteenth Gate that all prayers are lifted from you save the number of Unity from decline to decline, and if you remember God in place thereof, this measure is lifted from you.

The eighth Vahid

Say, verily unto God shall turn those who are witnesses from My presence at every time, and before time, and after time.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the first Gate that you bear witness that every deed of Him Whom God shall make manifest, when interpreted before God, doth abrogate whatsoever hath been created and createth that—such is the decree of the Essence, verily unto all things you are certain.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the second Gate that if you are able, then for yourselves the number of Unity from seal and the Most Glorious Parchment you shall possess, that haply on the Day of Resurrection you may remember.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the third Gate that when you hear on the Day of Resurrection the decree “All things perish save His Face,” then present yourselves before Him or before whomsoever He may command you, then seek forgiveness, otherwise seek forgiveness in your books, then convey unto Him Whom God shall make manifest—all this if you are able. Should you be veiled therefrom, your wives shall be forbidden unto you, and it shall not be lawful for you save by permission of Him Whom God shall make manifest, verily unto all things you show piety.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourth Gate that you bear witness that in every good is its splendor—unto God, then unto the Letters of Truth, then unto the Manifestations of creation, and you thereby do work.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifth Gate that you should not seek to prove the Sun of Truth save by its Book from its Lord from the beginning which hath no beginning unto the end which hath no end. For verily if you become veiled after your knowledge, then there shall be incumbent upon you ninety-five mithqals of gold, and if you forget the like thereof in number then seek forgiveness of God. And the decrees which come to pass in every Manifestation are by the command of God like the creation of all things wherein you reflect. And you after your capacity three diamonds and four pearls and six emeralds and six rubies in the ring unto the First One you shall attain, and the splendor of the One like the splendor of the Living One you shall make.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the sixth Gate that you should make gracious your bodies and your garments and your dwellings and your means and your food and your drink with that whereof you are capable.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the seventh Gate that you should establish prayer or the remembrance of your Lord in the cloak, and you should not forbid the women from the appearance of their hair.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eighth Gate that you should make your Qiblih the Sun of Truth in every Manifestation; whithersoever it turneth, you shall turn.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the ninth Gate from my Lord that for a group of male or female it is permissible for them to look and speak and sit that O all things you may fear.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the tenth Gate that you should sit upon the Temple of Unity during your eating, and you with one blessing and one water for your souls take enjoyment and in your guests multiply. And after you have finished, make gracious your mouths with toothsticks and sandalwood, then you lie down and leave not. And when during your ablution with water or perfumed water your faces and your hands from your palms outwardly and inwardly you wash, then with a colored silk handkerchief you wipe. And if you find not water or it be difficult, five times “In the Name of God” you shall say. And that which happeneth unto you after your sleep changeth not your ablution, and you upon the Temple of Unity perform ablution.

And He hath pardoned you what you find in dreams or for cause you witness. But if you find water, cleanse yourselves by your choice to perform ablution after you cleanse, then sit with your peers, then say: “Glory be unto Thee, O my God, there is no God but Thee, glory be unto Thee, verily I was of those who glorify.” And if you immerse in water it sufficeth you, and the like thereof that you wash your heads and your armpits and your hands and your feet after you perform ablution. And the women when they witness pregnancy or see blood, there is nothing incumbent upon them save the remembrance of God as they are content, and lifted from them is fasting and its fulfillment, then prayer and its fulfillment, save that they from sunset to sunset ninety-five times say: “Glory be unto God, Possessor of Countenance and Beauty.”

And they and you in journeys after you alight and rest, perform ablution, then say: “Glory be unto God, Possessor of Hands” that perchance on the Day of Resurrection by Him Whom God shall make manifest you may be delivered.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the eleventh Gate that you should shroud your dead with five silks or cottons after you wash them five times with honor in marble you conceal, that you may observe the honor of the believer after his death like his life with that whereof you are capable.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the twelfth Gate that you should bear witness at the time of striking away all sorrow, and after you complete twenty-nine years of your lives, in every year you shall descend and dwell nineteen days upon that earth, and from all its directions sixty-six parasangs shall be sanctuary for whoever dwells therein. And while you are in the place of striking, remember what God loves for you.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the thirteenth Gate that you shall recite the entire Bayan with spirit and contentment, and if you know not, then remember God from decline to decline seven hundred times with what you love. For if you attain Him Whom God shall make manifest, then you shall attain all the Bayan.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fourteenth Gate that you shall exalt God above the Point ninety-five times at its beginning and end, then in the prayer for the dead you shall stand together, yet you shall approach individually, and you shall lay the dead to rest with justice.

The Eternal. It hath been ordained in the fifteenth Gate that you shall make for yourselves enduring offspring, for whoever is veiled, his work is rendered vain, and whoever enters not into the Bayan, it is not lawful for one who hath entered to associate with him nor to take anything from his bounty, except before God’s Cause is raised up. For you are truly permitted by the Truth through favor. It is written upon fathers and mothers regarding the marriage of their offspring that they may be able after eleven years, and if they are not able, then upon whoever is able from among his relatives in the Book. And whoever prevents himself from the ordinance of his Lord, let him not be of the believers. And reckon from the first unit of the child’s age, and you reckon, and for their preservation do ye spend.