BB00043: Answer to a letter from Dayyan

Part 1: “Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I…”

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

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I testify, and all things testify, that Thou art God, and that there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thine is the Kingdom and the Dominion, Thine the Might and the Omnipotence, Thine the Power and the Divinity, Thine the Strength and the Sovereignty, Thine the Majesty and the Glory, Thine the Direction and the Perfection, Thine the Countenance and the Beauty, Thine the Mercy and the Bounty, Thine the Authority and Justice, Thine the Similitude and Examples, Thine the Stations and Exaltation, Thine the Power and Action, Thine the Similitude and Examples, Thine the Grandeur and Pride, Thine the Might and Elevation, Thine the Glory and Invincibility, Thine the Loftiness and Ascendancy, Thine the Joy and Gladness, Thine the Blessings and Favors, and Thine is whatsoever Thou hast loved from the treasuries of Thy Command and the repositories of Thy Knowledge.

Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee. Thou hast ever been One God, Single, 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 protector in what Thou hast fashioned. Thou hast ordained all things by Thy Will and formed all things by Thy Purpose. Thou hast ever been omnipotent over all souls, doing as Thou willest. Thou givest life and causest death, then causest death and givest life, and verily Thou art the Ever-Living Who dieth not, the Sovereign Who passeth not away, the Just Who wrongeth not, the Ruler Who changeth not, and the Single One from Whose grasp nothing escapeth, neither in the heavens nor on the earth nor between them. Thou createst what Thou willest by Thy Command. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things.

How can I glorify Thee when all stand by Thy Command, and how can I sanctify Thee when all speak Thy praise, by virtue of the sublimity of Thy majesty, the exaltation of Thy might, the elevation of Thy radiance, and the transcendence of Thy glory? Thine are the Most Beautiful Names in their essence and the Most Exalted Examples in their abstraction. I testify concerning that which hath been revealed from Him Whose name, when the doubled lam is not counted, equateth to a word of God, and Who hath ascended unto Thee with the emotions of His heart as best He could, mentioning before Thee such of Thy Most Beautiful Names as were revealed aforetime. I testify, and all Thy creation testifieth, that unto Thee belong all the Most Beautiful Names—their first and their last, their manifest and their hidden—and the Most Exalted Examples in their essence, their pristine nature, their simplicity and their abstraction.

There is no doubt that Thou hast sent the Messengers to manifest Thy grace and bounty, and revealed the Books to exalt Thy Word and Thy sovereignty in Thy most exalted heights, where all that is lofty boweth down before Thy Countenance. How wondrous is Thy transcendence, where all that is sublime submitteth to Thee through what Thou hast revealed unto it within itself. I shall glorify Thee beyond all that hath glorified Thee or shall glorify Thee, and I shall sanctify Thee beyond all that hath sanctified Thee or shall sanctify Thee. According to what hath been revealed in His Book, it behooveth that mention be made in the names of the Bayan, and that I be gathered unto the most exalted heights of Paradise. He hath mentioned from His tongue what they asked of Him—conditions which Thou hadst detailed aforetime—and Thou hast closed the doors against those who sought Thee through what Thou hadst made clear from Thy presence. Verily, that which He hath mentioned was revealed in the words of Thy martyrs aforetime, where they declared that Thy Proof would appear from Mecca in such wise as was mentioned.

Glory be unto Thee and exalted art Thou! I have loved all that was or will be through a single word which Thou didst reveal aforetime, that there is no doubt that the Qur’an is Thy Book, whereby it is proven that this is Thy Book, confirming what Thou hast revealed unto me of Thy verses. Thus by this is it proven unto him who is certain that it is Thy Book that this is indeed Thy Book and there is no God but Thee, and it was proven aforetime in the Qur’an that none other than Thee could reveal a single verse.

Since thou hast established this for everyone who hath followed it, when thou speakest in the manner thou hast spoken, no one can imagine that it is from other than thee, until, when thou sayest unto him “Am I not thy Lord?”, he can but answer “Yea.”

Thus is established what thou didst intend, for in those days the people derived the proofs of their religion from what their rightful divines referred back to their Imams, and their traditions, if they conflicted not with the Book of their Prophet, were permitted to be acted upon in their religion; otherwise they needs must return it to its source.

And concerning that which was asked of me, I wish to answer it with drops from the oceans, that they may become true manifestations unto him. For the Sacred House standeth through the word of Thy Beloved of old, and its existence was solely by Thy command. Thus, when Thy Cause is made manifest, the like thereof shall appear, even though the essence of the Sacred House returneth to mere clay. This progresseth even as Thy House was once the Holy Temple, then when Thou didst exalt it, Thou madest it the Sacred House, then when Thou didst further exalt it, Thou madest it whatsoever Thou didst will by Thy command. And this is true of all limitations, for though the honor of the earth lieth in what resteth upon it, it hath in itself no elevation save through that which is upon it. Therefore, I bear witness, and all Thy creation beareth witness, that in every Revelation the Seat of the Manifestation of Thy Self is the most exalted of all the seats of Thy good-pleasure and the most resplendent of all the degrees of Thy Paradise.

Glory be unto Thee! How little do Thy creatures know Thee when they desire to circumambulate around the Sacred House instead of the Manifestation of Thy Self. For if the Sacred House were to circumambulate around the Manifestation of Thy Self—since their standing was solely through Thy word of old—then wherever the Manifestation of Thy Self is, that is the seat of Thy glory, not what was the seat of Thy glory aforetime which was the repository of Thy mystery; nay, wherever the Manifestation of Thy Self is, the seat of Thy glory revolveth around Him.

Glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee! And this pertaineth to the realm of limitations, else Thy Cause was not in the first nor in the last, but rather by that which establisheth the Prophethood of Thy Prophet is established the Manifestation of Thy Self. When He doeth what He willeth from His presence, that which was revealed aforetime returneth not unto Him, for what was revealed before was revealed according to what was ordained. This is a new creation and a fresh world, built from the beginning with a subtle structure and raised up from the moment of its mention with a lofty elevation.

And thus hast Thou mentioned that in every land wherein the Manifestation of Thy Self appeareth on the Day of Resurrection, this is the seat of Thy glory and the exaltation of Thy house, even though before the appearance of the Manifestation of Thy Self, that which was raised up from the lands was truth wherein there is no doubt. But when Thou dost manifest the Dawning-Place of Thy mystery, then that which Thou didst choose is what Thou choosest, and that which Thou didst select is what Thou selectest.

Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee; all stand by Thy command, and there is nothing from anything except through Thee. When His proof is established, that utterance is not that by which one would seek to prove, and after its verification, whosoever presenteth it to the Book shall find it in conformity therewith. And after the establishment of both, then it behooveth one to ask, but before that it is an utterance without proof and a mention without a way.

It beseemeth not the wise knower and the steadfast scholar to ask about something whose religion is not established with him. In every Manifestation, all that was ordained before is raised up anew. How then can particular affairs flow in particular instances? Verily, what Thou didst answer concerning that tradition was naught but a grace from Thy presence and a bounty from Thy side. And verily, like unto that which was mentioned after that word concerning creation, I found not the spirit of animality for one who seeketh the mystery of reality.

Hath man been lost that he should present animals before God? Glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee, above the imaginings of those who imagine concerning Thy proof! Nay, on the day when Thy proof spoke, He desired to manifest the mention of the animality of primary spirits, and He desired naught else, for the appearance of Thy proof was naught but the manifestation of Thy Self. Therefore, the essences of Thy creation must appear before Thee, and Thou hast not created anything closer than the praiseworthy manifestations of His self to appear before Thee. And he was not inexperienced in the affairs of sovereignty nor of knowledge, except when compared with knowledge of Thee and obedience unto Thee, for knowledge of Thee sufficeth the servant above all else, while all else sufficeth not in place of knowledge of Thee.

And as for what has been mentioned concerning the white bird, according to their various accounts, the first to pledge allegiance must be either Muhammad or Gabriel, and both of these are one and the same in the eyes of the people of truth. Therefore, O God, inspire him to consider the numerical value of the bird, for the number of the first to pledge allegiance is from Thy pure Name, reduced by one, so that those who seek proof may deduce that after the letter Ba stands in the station of Sin, and that it descends from Lordship through the oneness of the Primal Point. And the mention of whiteness is because it is mentioned in the pillar of glorification, and all this is mention of grace and exposition of bounty.

Otherwise, the essences of truth return to the essences of the gates of guidance, and the essences of the gates of guidance return to the Most Exalted Gates, and the essences of the Most Exalted Gates return to the essences of the Most Glorious Gates, and these return to the Manifestation of the Point, beyond which contingent beings cannot reach, where return unto Him is return unto God and beginning from Him is beginning from God. And when the decree of the essences of names is thus with thee, how then would their sayings be mentioned?

Therefore, O God, inspire all Thy creation with that to which all their evidence returns, for otherwise none shall be saved on the Day of Resurrection before Thee. And verily, I shall cite the example of creation as mirrors facing the sun: he who sees the sun in the fifth mirror deduces the sun’s radiance according to its appearance therein, but when he looks at the sun itself, he finds that its existence depends on it, let alone its radiance.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! He who recognizes Thee on the day of Thy manifestation needs no such proof, much less what was created by Thy word in Thy manifestation, for what was created before in that manifestation by the word of Thy Beloved shall not be accepted with Thee except through what is created in the manifestation of Thy innovation. Glory be unto Thee! There is no God but Thee! From the first manifestation of the Manifestation of Thy Self until the Day of Resurrection, Thou callest out in all regions of the heavens and earth and what lies between them that truth is with Thy proof.

And I do not wish to mention the call of those beneath its shade, for the heaven with Thee is naught but the heaven of knowledge in the hearts of Thy loved ones, and the caller is none other than the temples of those who seek proof, and less than that which hath no reality with Thee and to which the possessors of knowledge among Thy creation pay no heed, for Thou shalt manifest all things that God hath ordained from Thy presence. And on the day when Thou didst manifest Thy Beloved aforetime, the first to proclaim His truth was Ali, Thy friend, until his call was raised up and every matter was exalted, such that it became hidden beyond the mention of truth where no mention remained with him. Thus is Thy command in every manifestation and Thy mystery in every concealment, for Thou hast not wished that any of Thy creation should believe in something imaginary, but rather see all things manifest and elevated.

And verily, concerning what hath been mentioned regarding the inheritance of the Prophets—if one were to reflect upon who the Prophet is, that His inheritance should be considered an inheritance—he would assuredly realize within himself that all the Messengers and their Books are, in their stations, prostrate before Thy face and worshipping Thy Being. And concerning all that Thou willest thereof, by Thy Word Thou createst what Thou desirest. Thy proof hath not been constrained by anything aforetime, for all that was created before was but evidence of His Manifestation, and likewise what they possessed was but evidence of what He possesseth. Beyond this there is no true meaning for what hath been revealed that could be verified by Thy witnesses of old. Otherwise, Thou createst what Thou pleasest by Thy Word and ordainest what Thou willest. Even as those who were mentioned in the Book before Muhammad were veiled by their belief in what their divines had ordained, so too are they who desire Thee not veiled now, though all that was revealed unto Thy spirit before Thy Beloved was, compared to what was revealed unto Thy Beloved, but as a drop compared to the ocean. Yet after this they became veiled by that drop from the vast, surging, and mighty sea.

Similarly, with respect to Thy Manifestation on the Day of Resurrection, that which was revealed over twenty-three years Thou canst, if Thou wishest, reveal in two days and nights if no interval separateth them. This is the revelation of Thy bounty, Thy bounty in the Hereafter, and the independence of Thy exaltation in the Manifestation of Truth.

Part 2: “There is no doubt that all…”

There is no doubt that all that is revealed from the Manifestation of Thy Self is that which is revealed from Thee. Thou didst reveal aforetime the word:

“Pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto God for all who are able to make the journey thereto.”

In every year, seventy thousand souls take shelter beneath the shade of that word, and this is due to the remoteness of creation; otherwise it behooveth all who are on earth to take shelter beneath its shade. Nay, this is but the limit of possibility; indeed, wert Thou to create the like of all that is on earth multiplied by all things, it would behoove them to take shelter beneath its shade, for Thy Cause deserveth this. But this hath not been made manifest due to the veils of Thy creation and the remoteness of Thy servants. Otherwise, verily Thy Cause hath dominion over all things, Thy knowledge encompasseth all things, and Thy power extendeth over all things.

The Messengers are but Thy servants, and the Books are but Thy signs. Thou hast made the essences of all Books to be that which was revealed from Thee, and the glory of all whom Thou hast sent to be him upon whom Thou didst reveal Thy Word, for this is in the view of reality. Otherwise, glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee! Verily, the deeds of Thy creation are within Thy grasp, and all abide by Thy command.

And verily, before anyone asketh Me concerning the Table, I shall assuredly answer all Thy creation that none sent it down aforetime save one of Thine angels by Thy leave, and whoso deriveth pleasure from that which hath been sent down from Thy presence, this is most exalted, for in His eternal Paradise Thou hast made its waters—which never become stale—to be its verses, and its milk to be its words, and its wine to be its allusions, and its honey to be its wisdom. And verily these rivers flow from that Paradise until they reach the final stage of existence, whereupon all that appeareth in its measure. Such is what Thou hast ordained in this life, and that which is in the life to come is more exalted and greater for the God-fearing.

As to what hath been mentioned concerning the appointment of him who is appointed in Mecca, verily the Command is in God’s hands; should God wish, He will make it manifest. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Gracious. Do Thou inspire him, O my God, to look not upon the words that were sent down aforetime except when he findeth them in accordance with the Book; then let him consider that whereby the Book is established; then let them choose Thy Cause through that which is proven before Thee, for other than this hath never been the way of the monotheists nor the mark of the sincere ones. All that is known of the manifestation of Thy Beloved shall be known in Thy Manifestation. In every Revelation Thou dost manifest the causes of all things according to what Thou hast ordained. Verily, what is with Thee is that Thou shouldst raise up from a soul such a proof as would render all the worlds powerless, and whereby their religion was established aforetime when they were unable to turn aside. And upon Thy servants is that which fulfilleth Thy Cause, then they submit to what hath been sent down from Thy presence, for Thou art the Knower of the worlds.

And as for what hath been asked concerning the mention of him who believed not in God and in Him, that is the second letter of negation, for when God desireth on the Day of Resurrection to admit the people of Paradise to their stations, He will make them know guidance and explanation, and thereby have they known God and are assured of His signs. And whomsoever God desireth to admit to less than Paradise, He causeth them to enter into love for the letters of negation and obedience to them, whereupon they shall abide forever in the fire. And concerning what Thou didst decree aforetime in the Qur’an, O my God, that Thou wouldst fill it with jinn and men all together—Thou hast filled it save for those who place their trust in Thee, for there is no command from His presence upon them; they know Thee, then believe in Thy signs.

And as for what hath been mentioned concerning that remembrance in the traditions, were it not for this, none in Islam would have turned aside from Thy Cause, even though he himself would enter himself therein and paid no heed after Thou didst send down unto him Thy verses or perfect Thy proof upon him and upon all Thy creation.

Glorified art Thou! How lofty is Thy sublimity and how resplendent is Thy transcendence, whereby Thou causest Thy sincere servants to enter Paradise and into the Fire those who believe not in Thee and Thy signs. Verily, Thou art the All-Compelling, the Inaccessible. And what hath been mentioned of the pure soul—had it not been raised unto Thee, I would not have known myself—all this shall be made manifest. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. As both have been raised unto Thee, and whoso followeth them shall abide beneath their shade until the Day of Resurrection. Thou shalt manifest whatsoever Thou willest of Thy creation for the exaltation of Thy Cause and the ascendancy of Thy Word. Verily, Thou art the Helper, the Almighty.

I desired not to mention their names, but whoso holdeth fast to Thy firm handle findeth shelter only in the shade of Thy good-pleasure and Thy Paradise. And whoso hath aught within him must needs be refined until the fruit of his being becometh manifest or be rendered void on the Day of Resurrection. This is a true path from Thy presence: whoso is Thine, such a one is among the dwellers of Thy Paradise, and whoso is not Thine, such a one remaineth outside Thy Paradise. By Thy glory! I shall surely behold all who are in Thy Paradise delighting in Thy remembrance and praise, while all who are in Thy fire shall destroy themselves by their own hands, and know not.

I testify before Thee that on the Day of Resurrection there shall be no lineage among Thy servants, and no glory on that Day save through obedience unto Thee, and no command save Thine alone—there is no God but Thee. The first to turn unto Thee, Thou didst attire in the garments of primacy and didst send down in mention thereof all virtuous names. Then whoso was veiled from recognizing Thee and believing in Thy signs, Thou didst attire in the garment of remoteness and ordained beneath its shadow that which Thou lovest not. Then Thou didst multiply the first of goodness until Thou didst fill Thy heaven and earth with the words “There is no God but Thee.” And this is Thy proof which Thou hast distinguished through Thy signs, and Thou hast filled with those who turned not unto Thee the veils of fire bereft of Thy recognition.

For Thou hast not created any paradise more glorious than Thy recognition, nor any fire more severe than being veiled from Thyself on the day of Thy manifestation. All worship Thee according to the paths Thou hast ordained for them, and all prostrate themselves before Thee according to the stations Thou hast determined for them, and all are in fire and veils save those who have recognized Thee in the manifestation of Thyself and followed Thy signs from Thy proof. These are they who are the denizens of the All-Highest Paradise, and these are they who shall triumph.

And concerning what hath been mentioned of the embodiment of Thy Proof aforetime—glory be unto Thee and exalted art Thou—when Thou didst desire to manifest that embodiment according to what had been ordained of years in the letters Lam or Mim, it was not possible save in the manner Thou didst manifest it, and verily it is this very same one. And were the servant to know the mystery of each Manifestation, he would not be veiled from the seats of Thy Cause.

Thou hast ever ordained the likeness of Thy Manifestation in every Revelation as the likeness of the sun—wert Thou to cause it to rise unto infinity, it would still be but one sun, though in each rising it appeareth with a name and in a manner from among the wonders of Thy power. For the Sun of Reality, the Primal Will, createth by itself in every Manifestation whatsoever it willeth and howsoever it willeth, then through it createth whatsoever it pleaseth. Thus in one Manifestation it is mentioned by the name of Jesus, then in another Manifestation by the name of Muhammad, Thy Beloved, then in another Manifestation by what Thou hast ordained from Thy presence, then in another Manifestation by what Thou hast created for that Manifestation. For verily it is the Hereafter in relation to this first life.

And concerning what hath been mentioned of the name of Thy Beloved, that he would be made manifest through the word of Him Whom Thou didst manifest in that Revelation, Thou didst create each Revelation before for what Thou wouldst manifest thereafter, even as Thou didst create Jesus for Muhammad and didst send down the Gospel for the Furqan of Thy Beloved aforetime. Thus the first fruit that appeared from the Gospel in that Day was none other than ʿAli, as all truth upon the earth was confined to those who followed the Gospel. Therefore all that Thy Beloved ordained from Thy presence was what was ordained after the manifestation of His Self, not what was ordained before Him.

And what was revealed before was in the Manifestation of Muhammad, where he was superior to Ali, and Ali was superior to his two sons, then his two sons were superior to the Qa’im in that Manifestation, then after him the Imams—all this establishing the authority of that Speaker, and this was not established save through the word of Thy Beloved, and this was not established save through Thy Proof which was sent down upon him. All this appeared in the Revelation of the Furqan in its sublimity and transcendence. Then when the Tree of Thy Beloved was raised aforetime to the utmost height, Thou didst make him the first to pledge allegiance to the Manifestation of Thyself, that all might witness that whatsoever was created before was naught but what would be created after, for that Bayan, when it riseth to the supreme height and ascendeth to the utmost transcendence.

When You send it down with reproach from Him Whom You shall make manifest on the Day of Resurrection, and thereafter for what You will create subsequently—and there is no limit to Your love, no end to the manifestation of Your Will, and no doubt that Your Beloved from before the first creation has ever been and ever shall be, then the Manifestations of Your Self in every Dispensation with names from those Most Beautiful Names, where naught is seen in each except You, and none points to any but You. You are the First and there is nothing before You, You are the Last and there is nothing after You, You are the Manifest and there is nothing above You, You are the Hidden and there is nothing beyond You, and verily You have power over all things.

So glory be unto You, O my God! All that You have commanded Your creation to know You by You, not by Your creation. For when Your creation desires to know You through the traces of what You have created—those essences of those traces—the Manifestation of Your Self from before declares that You now desire to bring down all that was exalted before under the shadow of knowing You. For other than You is known through You, so how could You be known through other than You? Were anyone to reflect upon the traditions of the appearance of Your Proof, they would not be able to comprehend them, much less reconcile any two of them, even though tradition has decreed they be measured against Your Book. And there is no doubt that Your Speaking Book is more worthy to be followed than the Silent One, as both do not differ and truth is with them both.

Thus all that has been presented to me, I found no fixed reality for it except what is outwardly evident according to what all Your creation comprehends. Such is that tradition when I see it as it actually occurred—for example what was revealed in the Tablet of Fatima, and what was revealed in the interpretation of the verse “And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,” which was said to refer to the appearance of the Qa’im, peace be upon Him, and similar examples in sermons and elsewhere too numerous to count. And this is as I see it as a barrier worth mentioning, otherwise I would not have mentioned it. Perhaps this may bring peace to the heart of one of Your loved ones, though Your Cause is more exalted and Your proof is greater than that I should argue through this, since all proofs are established by what has been sent down from You. So how could You be proven by what was revealed before, when it all returns to You three times?

What has been mentioned that he did not answer those who asked him about those words, it was so that it would be revealed from Your Proof, for that is from You. And had he answered them, that too would have been with Your good pleasure, as You have given the keys of knowledge and wisdom to whomsoever You wished among Your guides. And whoever makes his proof what is outwardly apparent in his religion without an inner meaning, then let all that give life and let what He wills be established by what has been sent down from God, for He is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

And as for what has been mentioned regarding Your servants who have ascended unto You—You are more glorious and greater than to attribute to anyone, after reaching that station, any word You would not love. For whoever has dedicated himself to You—You are indeed more glorious and more exalted than not to accept him, though Thou hast not granted permission, yet their love for Thy good-pleasure beareth witness to their lofty station, and their hearts’ attraction to meeting Thee proclaimeth the elevation of their ranks before Thee. Therefore, O my God, send down upon them that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy holiness and the sublimity of Thy glory. And inspire Thy loved ones to speak naught concerning them except the truth from Thee and that which pleaseth Thee, for verily Thou hast ever been Most Bountiful, All-Wise, and verily Thou hast ever been All-Knowing, All-Encompassing.

Part 3: “And concerning what hath been mentioned of his…”

And concerning what hath been mentioned of his love for Thee and his devotion to Thy Cause—verily the exaltation of his knowledge of Thee is such that the most sublime of spiritual birds cannot soar in the atmosphere of his nearness, nor can the most resplendent glory of allusions attain unto the impregnable fortress of his love. Therefore, O my God, elevate him through the manifestations of Thy knowledge whereby he may dispense with all Thy creation.

And he hath made mention of the testing of Thy creatures through the letter Ha’. Therefore, O my God, manifest what he desireth through Thy grace, and inspire him not to make the means of that creation other than what Thou hast created it for, since Thy command to everything is “Be” and it is, along with what Thou hast ordained and decreed similar to what Thou hast manifested or wilt manifest. Verily Thou art too exalted and glorious to withhold from Thy servants the treasuries of Thy grace or the repositories of Thy generosity. And all that is possible in Thy knowledge, Thou wilt surely manifest through Thy power.

There is no doubt that the creation of all things with Thee is like the creation of man—until the nine months are completed, he appeareth not from his hidden realm, until Thou perfect him through Thy power so that he may attain unto the summit of perfection and the height of deeds. Therefore, O my God, cause him to attain unto what he hath desired of Thy grace, for Thou hast spoken, and Thy word is the truth: “Obey Me, and I shall make thee like unto Me. I say to a thing Be!’ and it is. Thou shalt say to a thing Be!’ and it is.” And Thou shalt certainly cause him to know, O My God, that his word “Be!” and it is, is even as Thy word “Be!” and it is, and is naught save that which Thy Beloved hath aforetime spoken.

For He spake through Thy word “Observe ye prayer.” And when there was a long interval between His word “Be” and the complete manifestation of “and it is” according to what Thou hadst ordained from the inception of His Revelation until the end of the Religion from Thy presence. And had all who are on earth prayed at the moment He spake, the perfection of “and it is” would have been made manifest at “Be.” But since capacities were veiled, the reality of the Cause was not made manifest save through their preparation to receive it in accordance with their station upon meeting the Cause.

And verily that which Thou hast bestowed upon him, O my God, of Thy knowledge is better for him than all things. For wert Thou to grant him dominion over all that is on earth, perchance he would be veiled from Thy knowledge and Thy presence, and naught would suffice him in place of Thee. But that which Thou hast bestowed upon him sufficeth him in place of all things. And hadst Thou not revealed unto him the means of that which he desired from Thy presence—yea, by Thy glory! Thou sufficest all things, and naught in the heavens or on earth or between them sufficeth in place of Thee. Verily Thou art powerful over all things.

And as for that which he hath mentioned regarding that for which he seeketh permission—Thou art too exalted and glorious to turn away anyone from the door of Thy bounty. Yet I know that this will not make the servant independent of Thee nor of that which Thou hast willed to manifest of Thy religion. For if the servant were given all things but knew Thee not, or failed to manifest Thy religion, it would profit him not. And were he to know but fail to manifest it for the establishment of Thy religion, no bounty would be withheld from him, for this was the way of Thy Beloved aforetime, and the way of Thy martyrs thereafter. After Thou didst create all that is in the heavens and earth and between them for them, they desired to possess only what Thou hadst ordained for them.

Therefore inspire, O my God, all Thy loved ones to champion Thy Cause, that they may possess all that Thou hast created for Thy loved ones, for without this Thy good-pleasure would not be attained, nor the ways of Thy loved ones. It would not suffice them, for if this knowledge were to appear in someone who perchance possessed not his own being, how much less that which proceeds from its effects. And after this, if any of Thy loved ones have a share in this, Thou hast indeed permitted it, for this is of that which Thou hast willed for the tranquility of their souls in the affairs of their lives. Otherwise, he who knoweth Thee is made independent through Thy love from all things, for this sufficeth him who hath naught in place of all things. But he who possesseth all that is on earth yet knoweth Thee not, or comprehendeth not the knowledge of Thy good-pleasure, it sufficeth him not. Through Thee, O my God, have I become independent of all Thy creation, and through Thee have I become content with all Thy servants. I desire naught save Thee, and I seek none but Thee.

O my God! Indeed, what he hath sought from all knowledge is its key, which is the servant’s knowledge of Thee. For were he to know every branch of knowledge possible within Thy knowledge, yet his knowledge encompassed Thee not, it would be as though he knew nothing. And if he knoweth nothing, yet knoweth Thee and maketh his knowledge of Thee to be in the shadow of that knowledge, then within it is the splendor and essence of all things. Therefore, O my God, make him to be of those who believe in Him Whom Thou shalt manifest on the Day of Resurrection, for that is the key to all knowledge.

Then inspire him, O my God, with all that he seeketh from every science, that he may mention the letters of that knowledge, for the point of every science lieth within its own letters and not in aught else, when they encompass the knowledge of letters according to what hath been ordained in its art. For that is the most splendid and noble of sciences, whereby the servant can discover the manifestation of Thine Own Self on the Day of Resurrection, even as one discovered through those verses. For naught profiteth from that knowledge save attaining unto the truth, and naught else. For the ʿya’ which hath been ordained for the servant in his joy and his sorrow floweth upon him, whether he knoweth or knoweth not. And what hath been ordained as obligatory for the servant to know is his recognition of Thee and his knowledge of the stations of Thy command and Thy prohibition, and this is manifest from Thee in Thy Book.

Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee! Glorified art Thou! I am of those who remember Thee. And what he hath sought is the encounter with His revelation in his vision and wakefulness, so inspire him, O my God, to recite that verse, for it shall suffice him in what he seeketh of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing.

Say: God sufficeth all things above all things, and nothing in the heavens or on the earth, or in whatever lieth between them, but God, thy Lord, sufficeth. And God hath not created anything, nor will He create it, except they who are certain of the encounter with Him Whom God shall make manifest on the Day of Resurrection. I bear witness, O my God, that to meet Him is to meet Thee, for Thou canst not be comprehended in Thine Essence nor seen in Thy Reality, and there existeth not in Thy creation any mirror Thou mightest choose for Thine Essence wherein naught can be seen save Thee and which pointeth to none other than Thee. Thus I know only the Throne of Thy Reality through the Primal Reality, and in its shadow are its proofs, each according to its degree, from Adam, the marvel of Thy creation, unto this Day.

Whosoever desireth to encounter the Manifestation of Thy Revelation must needs look upon Thy Countenance, though the manifestation of Thine own Self is too exalted to be compared with the manifestations of Thy Prophets, for he whose meeting Thou hast made identical with meeting Thee—how could he be content to have his meeting equated with meeting the manifestations of Thy Prophets? For the distinction lies in the servant’s knowledge of Thy Essence, though Thy manifestation appeareth only in the Daysprings of Thy Revelation in every dispensation, through what Thou hast revealed and chosen. And this is impossible except through what is manifest in Thy creation from the means Thou hast ordained. Whosoever desireth to meet Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest hath no way except to ascend unto Him and behold Him. Even were he to expend all that is on earth, he would find no way except through what Thou hast opened. And whosoever desireth to meet the Manifestation of Thy Self in his vision—this appeareth not through any condition from the servant except when facing that Mirror he beholdeth his Beloved, whether he intendeth it or not.

Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee. Whoso beholdeth the manifestations of Thy likeness who guide unto Thee, it is as though he beholdeth the Manifestation of Thy Self, and in this he seeth none but Him. And verily what was intended and mentioned concerning the lifting of the Pen—Thou, O my God, whatsoever Thou hast chosen from Thy religion for the Manifestation of Thy Self, Thou hast chosen for Thy loved ones, for these are the fruits of Thy paradise and the signs of Thy love and Thy providence and the manifestations of Thy glory and Thy guidance, whereby the servant delighteth in the lofty degrees of Thy paradise and the exalted stations of Thy joy. And were I to know that his heart would find tranquility thereby, I would surely send down upon him from Thy grace, for nothing decreaseth from Thy dominion, nor doth anything increase it.

And verily Thy paradise in this life consists in the measures of Thy wondrous works for Him Whom Thou hast made manifest in the Bayan from the beginning that hath no beginning until now, through his acceptance from Thee of Thy oneness and his certitude in Thy unity and his establishment beneath the shade of the manifestations of Thy providence. But from that beginning until the Day of Resurrection, Thou hast ordained its reckoning to be in the grasp of Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest. Thou hast not revealed the Tree of the Bayan except for Him, and the recompense of all who seek shelter beneath its shade rests with Thee, and the reckoning of all who are veiled from it rests with Thee. Nothing is more exalted than finding Thee, nor is there anything above knowing Thee. I have witnessed naught else for Him that I should turn away from Him, for all good lies in the shadow of this, and apart from this there is no good in its shadow.

O my God! Send down upon Him in the days which Thou hast ordained whatsoever Thou willest of Thy grace, for Thou knowest best Thy creation and what they seek to obtain from Thy bounty for themselves by their own selves. O my God! Inspire all Thy servants that they may witness nothing in the manifestation of Thy decrees except through the means Thou hast created, for without this there is no reality with Thee. O my God! Gather together all the means of Thy grace, Thy generosity, Thy munificence, Thy kindness, and Thy favor for Thy chosen ones, for Thou art the most powerful of the powerful.

Verily, what He hath desired from Thy grace is that Thou shouldst make Him a Name among Thy Names through His essence, which beareth witness to this, for the Name revealeth the Named One, and it revealeth none but Thee and indicateth none other than Thee. For when a thing pointeth to Thee, that is when Thou hast clothed it in the garments of Thy generosity and grace, for there is no greater glory for creation than when they become indicators of Thy Cause, names of Thy Self, and examples of Thy glory, for that is the portion of their hearts, not their bodies, since that changeth and altereth according to what Thou hast ordained in that world. The servant’s relationship to Thee and the indication of his essence to Thee abideth, for that is in the shadow of Thy eternity of eternities and shall never be drawn from Thee to another. Verily, what He hath desired is that whosoever is in Thy paradise must have whatsoever his soul desireth and witness no sorrow therein, for there is no turning back for those who dwell in Thy paradise.

O my God! Manifest the means of what Thou hast promised to Thy loved ones in paradise of everything that hath no equal, no peer, no partner, and no likeness. For I have taught him no paradise like the knowledge of Thee, and no rival like one who is veiled from Thee after Thou hast made Thyself known to him.

O my God! Make all that is on earth appear as one manifestation, that all may abide in their paradise according to what Thou hast created by Thy command. Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge, whether in the heavens or on the earth or between them, and nothing in the kingdom of command or creation or what lieth beneath them can frustrate Thee. Thou createst what Thou willest by Thy command. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. O my God! Send down upon Him and those who are with Him that wherein they find satisfaction from Thy generosity and grace. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing.