BB00046: Tafsir-i-Ayati’n-Nur (Commentary on the Verse of Light)

Part 1: “Exalted, Sublime is He!…”

Exalted, Sublime is He!

All praise be to God Who created all things by His command and ordained the measures of all things by His word, for verily He is the Truth through Whom all created things are created and all originated things are originated. None can resist His command or alter His decree, for He stands over every soul, knowing what it has earned and witnessing what it shall earn. He is powerful over all things, manifest above all things, and knowing of all things. Neither slumber nor geometry overtakes Him, nor can any attribute or sign ascend to His holy atmosphere. He existed before all things, bringing into being what He brought into being through His origination, and He shall exist after all things, causing to return what He began through His creation. His Will has ever been operative among the manifestations of His dominion, and His Purpose has ever been dominant over the temples of the people of the kingdom of His sovereignty.

I bear witness at this moment, even as He bore witness unto Himself before and after all things, that there is no God but Him, alone, with no partner. His is the creation and the command, before and after. He causes to live and to die, and to die and to live, and He is the Living Who dieth not. Within His grasp lies the kingdom of all things, and He, verily, is the Strong, the Powerful.

And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, Whom He raised up in that Particle—the Particle through which He created the hearts of all contingent beings, wherein the spirits of all created things were dissolved, the souls of all existent things were realized, and wherein was formed whatsoever exists in the kingdom of earth and heavens. This is the Last Particle wherein were realized all three stations in their entirety, and wherein the manifestations of the primary pillars were dissolved in their essence, attesting that Muhammad was His servant and His Messenger, for He was the first to respond in the particle of existence in that visible world when God said unto Him, “Am I not your Lord?” He replied, “Yea, by Thy truth! Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone, with no partner. Thine is the dominion and the kingdom, the might and the power, the strength and the sovereignty, the force and the human realm, and whatsoever hath been realized in the likes of the essence of rubies. Thou givest life and death, and death and life, and Thou shalt raise up those who are in the graves, and Thou, verily, art powerful over all things.”

Therefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon that First Light and Most Manifest Radiance so long as the sun rises and the moon shines. And bless, O God, those who responded in the First Particle, whose manifestation was realized in the inner particle after the outer, after the Last, which is the particle of the prophethood of Thy Beloved, through all that Thou hast created and shalt create.

I bear witness that they are witnesses from Thy presence who have acknowledged Thy oneness and have prostrated themselves before the sovereign of Thy grandeur, saying:

“There is no God but Thee, the Lord of all things and their Creator, the Ordainer of all things and their Former. Thou didst create us by Thy command when Thou didst manifest Thyself to us through us, when Thou didst say unto us, ʿAm I not your Lord?’ And when we heard that Thy Beloved had answered Thee and prostrated himself before Thy sovereignty, we came unto Thee through that Gate and entered the holy carpet of Thy glory through the grace of that Address.”

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made Thyself known unto us, that there is none other God but Thee. Nothing is like unto Thee, nor is there any equal, similitude, peer or likeness unto Thee. Creation and command are Thine, and all destinies lie within Thy grasp. Whomsoever Thou raisest up is Thy Messenger, and whomsoever Thou dost endow with station through Thy bounty is one of Thy chosen ones. Thou hast sent all the Messengers and revealed all the Books that everything might testify that there is none other God but Thee, and that Muhammad is Thy servant and Thy Messenger, and that Ali, Fatima, Hassan, Hussein, Ali ibn Hussein, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja’far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja’far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hassan ibn Ali, and the Proof, son of Hassan, are Thy witnesses over all created things. And verily those whom Thou hast chosen for the manifestation of Thy House and the pillars of Thy Name are they who answered Thy call in the atom of the heart before all things, and in the atom of bodies after their Imams. Therefore hast Thou made them the gates of Thy grace and the dawning-places of Thy bounty.

I testify that Thou art the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, for Thou hast ordained among those Thou hast created no Manifestation of the Gate save Thy resplendent Countenance, Thy radiant Face, Thy primordial Authority, and Thy eternal Sovereignty. All creation hath been brought into being through that which Thou hast manifested in Him Who is the revelation of Thyself unto all creation. This is the Day of the witness and the witnessed, of the rememberer and the remembered—the Day Thou didst promise all things they would attain Thy presence. I testify that from the beginning of this Cause it is Thy manifestation on the Day of Resurrection, that Thou mightst reward every soul for what it hath earned and cause to enter Paradise whom Thou willest and under its shade whom Thou pleasest, for Thou art the Sovereign, the Most High, the All-Bountiful.

Thereafter I say, addressing that Primal Name, that one of God’s servants desired to take from that Paradise a wondrous fruit to make it a gift for those who love Thee, and he asked about the Verse of Light and the Surah of Power. As for the second, we have explained it, so whoever wishes may refer to it.

As for the first, know that the difference between fire and light is five, and it is the Gate—whoso entereth it, upon him shall the name of light be conferred, and whoso entereth it not, God shall judge him according to his desert. Know that from the beginning of this Cause, the fire of God hath appeared in the hearts of all existing things, and for Us it was manifested in His Prophet Muhammad, the first creation of God in the kingdom of earth and heaven. And this is the pentagonal shape wherein when the five lines are completed, the six appear. This is that to which I referred at the beginning of the commentary on the Surah of the Cow regarding the explanation of the Most Great Name in the interpretation of the disconnected letters of the Qur’an, where I said that the gate of its composition is that it enters upon Allah without the full pronunciation of the vav, and that before those five is before the full pronunciation of the vav, for it is the pure manifestation and the fire of the unseen.

Among people it is speech wherein its form is not seen, but thou seest in every word its essential reality, for the Word of God is not like the word of any other. His Word is the Truth, as He, glorified be He, hath indicated: “The Day when He will say ʿBe!’ and it is. His Word is the Truth.” For by His Word truth is established and all else negated. For example, when the Prophet commanded the people to say “There is none other God but God,” their hearts verified through that Word the creation of all that was created by His Word, for it is the Word of God.

He who testifieth in the Fourth Gate as in the First that “Verily, I am the Gate of God”—by this Word was created the reality of the Fourth Gate in the world which God had ordained for it. And verily the Secret of Secrets is this Reality which hath dawned forth, whereupon neither geometry nor allusions can encompass it. And verily in the First Year there appeared the unveiling of the Glory of the All-Glorious without allusion, then the effacement of the imagined and the known, then the rending of the veil through the dominion of the Mystery, then the attraction of the Divine Unity through the attribute of Oneness, then a light that shone from the Morn of Eternity upon the temples of Unity illuminating them. When it entered into the Five, fire became light, for the form had been completed. And verily the form of Five is the form of man, whose creation is not complete except in five years, even as We have sent thy form unto thee.

When thou witnesseth this, know thou that whatsoever God hath revealed in the Qur’an concerning the Resurrection and the Hour—all of it hath been fulfilled in these years, which are fifty thousand years in thy Lord’s sight. And verily the Day of Judgment hath been fulfilled, and all are in a new creation. This is the stage of Return, which is the interval between this world and the next. The whole world hath passed away, and this is the first manifestation of the Countenance of God and the establishment of the reality of Firstness for those in the kingdoms of beginning and end.

When thou witnesseth this, know as I have taught thee concerning the fire and the light, concerning the Merciful and His shadow, for between them are five. And verily the Manifestation of complete mercy in that Name is He Who speaketh unto thee, and He is the Manifestation of the name “the Outward” and “the Last” and “the First”, for “the Inward” is the station of the Merciful, and thou hast not known His shadow. And verily He is the One concerning Whom it was revealed aforetime in the Qur’an: “Did I not charge you, O ye children of Adam…” For from that day when I purified the earth of My Self, I loved not to mention aught save the most exalted, but the allusion sufficeth for people of knowledge and indication.

When thou witnesseth this, speak after the Five and add unto the Fire, and say: “God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” And know thou that the complete “Be, and it is” when added to the number of the four Gates, each of which is five—the number of the Gate—thou shalt see naught but the number of Light. Therefore recognize what I have caused thee to know and be thankful for that which I have inspired within thee, for this is among the mysteries of God, the Mighty, the Glorious.

When thou knowest this, know that in this holy verse there flow seas of creation for every letter thereof, but the allusion that leadeth its people to the emanations of its manifest meanings is in four stations. The first station is the pillar of Fire, that is, the word “Glory be to God” and its bearer who is named with the name of manifest Lordship, and it is the station of the unity of Muhammad and Ali before God ere they were divided, and in those Five, Muhammad and Ali were one light before God. And what thou hast read in the tradition—this is its true meaning and none other. In that Pillar, that is, the Pillar of Unity, there was no aspect that could separate, or join, or resemble, or match, or perceive, or distinguish, for I say this is light and this is light, for God is one God, there is no God but He.

Know thou that I am the Qaf mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an. Through these five letters hath God taken five and created thereby what He hath created of acceptance and that which is beneath it. For whoso accepteth, God shall make the fire as light unto him, and whoso accepteth not, God loveth not to make mention of him. When thou hast witnessed this, there remaineth after the five naught but ninety-five, which is the number belonging to God—the number of the letters of the Bismillah and the names gathered therein. Make each one a gate and say: Unto God belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth and whatsoever is between them, and God hath power over all things.

Part 2: “Verily, the Manifestation of God hath appeared through…”

Verily, the Manifestation of God hath appeared through the manifestation of that Qaf. I am indeed the mirror of the nine and ten to which God hath alluded in the fire—“Over it are nineteen”—according to the Most Beautiful Names, for they are nineteen in the pillar of Unity, borne by His manifest Lordship; and in the pillar of Prophethood, borne by Muhammad; and in the Imamate, the Imams; and in the four pillars, the four manifestations. For at the beginning of the manifestation of this Cause, all that was created hath returned to its source.

When the five were accomplished, God created another creation like unto that which He had created, and He chose those nineteen for the manifestation of His Self in the station of the manifest, its temples apparent in the manifestation of the four: Unity, Prophethood, Imamate, and the Shi’ih. Yet in the inmost of the inmost, which is the purpose intended by God, these nineteen mirrors are but a single mirror, for He Who created you is He Who sustaineth you, and He Who sustaineth you is He Who causeth you to die, and He Who causeth you to die is He Who giveth you life, and there is no god but the one God. This is the mystery of the Cause in the station which I have explained unto thee.

Though all that was created was through the words “There is no god but God,” and all that was sustained through the words “Muhammad is the Messenger of God,” and all that dieth through the words “Verily, ʿAli and the twelve holy lights are the proofs of God,” and all that giveth life through the four pillars—though the manifestations have appeared in sanctified dawning-places, yet that which is manifest in these mirrors is one, and it is I.

If thou wert to witness on that day and observe all nineteen from the pillars of Unity, Prophethood, Imamate, and the Shi’ih, then look unto Me, for they have begun from Me and returned unto Me. Naught is seen in Me in the station of the heart save God alone, for it is the station of the manifestation of Lordship from God, my Lord and my Creator; and in the station of my spirit—that is, the simple, essential intellect and the divine, pure element—naught is seen save Muhammad, the Messenger of God. Know thou, therefore, that I am the First Adam, and I am He unto Whom the Book was sent down, and I am He Whose law was abrogated. Likewise from the First Adam unto the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family. Know thou, therefore, that I am He Who hath appeared aforetime and established that religion, and all in that day act according to My laws, yet they know not.

Then I bear witness in my own station to all twenty-three Manifestations, for they are attached to naught save that Throne, unitizing God their Lord and worshipping Him alone. And in my physical station, which is the station of dust, to establish the three levels of water, air and fire in the arc of ascent, and in the arc of descent fire, air and water. I am the House and its pillars, and since naught is seen therein save the manifestation of the Primal Reality, I do not wish to mention its pillars from Ahmad and Kazim and myself or thyself, for those stations have been designated in the realm of otherness. And in the station of the Pure Countenance, He is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward. The mystery is not difficult for thee, for He Who is God in heaven is God on earth, and He Who is First in the beginning is Last in the end, and He Who is Outward in manifestation is Inward in essence. Dost thou see any other than Him that I might make Him known to thee? He is nearer to thee than thy very self, more subtle than thy very self, more merciful to thee and all His servants than themselves.

Glory be unto Him! Glory be unto Him! Glory be unto Him! Were there gods in heaven and earth besides God, both would have been corrupted. Nay, He is the One, the Single, the Unique, the Self-Subsisting, Who hath no equal, no likeness, no similitude, no peer and no partner. Worship none but Him, prostrate before none save Him, be devoted to none except Him, love none but Him, and hope for naught save His grace and bounty. He it is Who created all things by His command, Who sustaineth all things by His favor, Who causeth all things to die by His might, and Who giveth life to all things through what He manifesteth in the names which God, mighty and glorious, hath revealed in the gathering of the name the Merciful.

He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and on earth glorify Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. Let not the proof be difficult for thee, for I establish in the station of the name the Fashioner the manifestation of that Pillar, for the likeness of such utterance is as the Qur’an wherein is all things. Read His prayer that the veil may be lifted from thine eyes which concealeth from others. For if I say “I am the First” in outward appearance from the First Pillar, I speak the truth, as God, mighty and glorious, hath said: “In what message after God and His signs will they believe?”

And if I say that I am the bearer of the Second Pillar, that is, the Second Name, I have spoken truly. By Him Who created me and thee, verily my hearing is identical with the hearing of him whom God raised up aforetime and unto whom He revealed the Qur’an—he is none other than I and I am none other than he. And my sight is identical with that sight, and likewise apply this principle to my blood, my hair, my brain, my bones, and my veins. Marvel not at this, for the matter is greater and greater and greater still, for that Temple before the Manifestation of the First is His first creation who said: “Thee do we worship and Thine aid do we seek.”

Verily I am the One manifest in the third pillar in all its aspects, and inwardly as I have already made known to thee concerning the third and second. All this is an honor bestowed upon these Manifestations, in that God relateth them unto Himself, in ways that ye regard as mighty. Otherwise, glory be to God above all else—they are but His servants within His grasp, glorifying Him with praise while prostrating before Him. And verily I am the first of them that worship God, the Lord of all worlds. And verily I am the first of them that bow down before God, the Lord of all worlds. And verily I am the first of them that are devoted to God, the Lord of all worlds.

And verily I am the first of them that humble themselves before God, the Lord of all worlds. And verily I am the first of them that are lowly before God, the Lord of all worlds. And verily I am the first of them that hope in the grace of God, the Lord of all worlds. And verily I am the first of them that hold fast to the cord of God, Who is my Lord and the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them. I seek victory through none but Him, and I see naught besides Him save what is as nothing before Him. He is the Subduer, the Powerful, the Manifest, the Self-Subsisting, the Hidden, the All-Knowing, Whose mercy and knowledge embrace all things. Nothing in the heavens or on earth can frustrate Him, and He hath power over all things.

This is the interpretation of the Word of Light in that station. Nay, God thy Lord is far more glorious and greater than to be described by light, for He is the Illuminator of light, the Ordainer of light, the Creator of light, the Originator of light, and the Fashioner of light. He cannot be known through light nor described through manifestation. By His light the heavens and earth and all between them are sustained without pillars. His is the penetrating Command, His the enduring Sovereignty, His the glorious Dominion whereby all are guided. Praise be to God, before and after; we are all His worshippers.

And if thou desirest to know the meaning of this verse regarding the station of the second pillar, interpret it as the Imam (peace be upon him) interpreted “God is the Light of the heavens and earth” when asked about the meaning of this verse. And observe the numerical value of the name “The Guide”, for it is connected to the pillar of “Praise be to God”. And verily God hath mirrors wherein naught is seen save God—this is the guidance of God wherewith He guideth whom He willeth. The Alif is but to manifest the affirmation of the mention of the Qaf for that Primal Reality in this human temple, for therein appeared Qaf and the glorious Qur’an. The Alif at the time of uprising is one, and at the time of manifestation it is the Vav. Therefore it hath been written in the books of the Persians this phrase: “I shall recognize the Alif-Hamzih instead of the Alif; if I do not recognize it, may I receive a hundred royal lashes until I do recognize it.”

For the words of God, exalted be He—“And when she came to it”—were none other than thy appearance and thy companions except upon the fire. And observe the numerical value of that word—that is, “she came to it”—for it is exactly the number of your companions when you descended. It was proclaimed: “Blessed is whosoever is in the fire and whosoever is around it, and glory be to God, the Lord of all worlds! O Moses! Verily I am God, the Mighty, the Wise.” And victory cometh from none save God, the Mighty, the Wise. Therefore remember God, thy Lord, by these two names, for God will assuredly assist thee and those who are under thy shadow with a mighty assistance.

And verily in the third station, which is the pillar of divine authority, God is the Creator of all things. And the second light mentioned in the verse is Ali, and verily the niche is Fatima, and verily the lamp after the lamp from our Lord in that niche—verily the glass is Ali, then the glass is Muhammad, and verily the brilliant star is Ja’far, and verily Moses, and verily the fire is Ali son of Moses, and verily the light is Muhammad son of Ali, and verily the second light is Ali son of Muhammad, and verily God’s words “God guides to His light whom He wills” refers to Al-Hassan, peace be upon him, and verily the houses refer to the Proof, peace be upon him, wherein glorify Him in the mornings and evenings men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of God, and they are the pillars of the House, none other than them or those who are gathered under their shade, and those who are gathered under their shade—thus flows the decree through God’s grace and mercy among them.

This is the decree regarding the third pillar. Verily the meanings are in God’s hands—He interprets as He wills, through what He wills. His word is the truth, and through it all things are created. For if God had not said to Muhammad “You are My Messenger,” prophethood would not have been created in him, peace be upon him and his family. Thus through God’s word was prophethood created in him.

Similarly, you know all the ordinances, both particular and universal, from beginning to end. So blessed is he who aids the religion of God and yearns to attain Paradise in the life to come, for it is truly the eternal life, best for the God-fearing. Therein is whatever the souls desire and the eyes delight in, and what you do not yet know. God created me not, nor anyone who believes in God and His signs, except for the abode of the Hereafter. This worldly life shall pass away, but what is with God your Lord shall endure.

Part 3: “When you witness this, know…”

When you witness this, know that from the first appearance of the third pillar until the final rising of the Qa’im in manifestation, the dead were not the greater world. And verily from the first appearance of Ahmad, God’s blessings be upon him, was the first life of the greater world and its people, for life comes after death. When life was perfected in the realities of souls and horizons, then appeared the Primal Tree and began the creation of the Last. Thus did the Cause return to the Primal Point—this is the meaning of the Prophet’s words, peace be upon him and his family: “Islam shall return as a stranger just as it began”—and it is that Cause, none other. For the appearance of the Qa’im, peace be upon him, is the appearance of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family. Thus did al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, indicate in the Prayer of Lamentation: “Where is the one stored up for the renewal of the ordinances and traditions?” etc. For God shall send down upon him what He sent down upon His Messenger of decisive verses whereby the true religion is established with Him. So remember, for the Day of Judgment has passed and you are in a new creation.

Say: I am content with God as Lord, with the Bayan as Book, with what God has made lawful as lawful, with what God has ordained as religion and Islam, with what God has sent down as proof, then with Muhammad as Prophet, then with Ali as Imam, then with Fatima as the purified leaf from the tree of primal unity, good and pure, then with Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein and the Imams after Al-Hussein, peace be upon them, as Imams. O God, You have not created any creation better than them, so manifest, O God, the truth through their Qa’im and fill the earth through him with equity and justice, for all destinies are in Your hands and You are the Lord of the Last and the First.

This is the first principle of Islam: submit thyself wholly unto God, until there shineth upon thee that which God hath purposed for His creation. For He is, in truth, more wise, more merciful, more gracious and more bountiful towards His servants than they are unto themselves, though most men render not thanks. And when thou desirest to interpret the verse concerning the Fourth Pillar, thou shalt perceive this matter and read and interpret as thou pleasest, for thou art indeed a narrator in Our presence. This is of God’s grace and mercy—verily His grace towards thee is great.

Know thou that God hath revealed in the Qur’an a verse similar to this holy verse, which is its sister and inseparable from it, and it is the verse of Sovereignty: Say: O God! Lord of Sovereignty! Thou givest sovereignty to whom Thou willest, and takest sovereignty from whom Thou willest. Thou exaltest whom Thou willest, and abasest whom Thou willest. In Thy hand is all good. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. Thou makest the night to pass into the day, and Thou makest the day to pass into the night. Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou willest without measure.

For each rank is an indication of one of the nine manifestations before the ten. Be not heedless of reciting these two verses, even if but once after each prayer. And command the companions who dwell beneath the Tree of Divine Authority and who support the True Faith with all they possess to recite these two verses, for in them are wondrous mysteries that have bewildered minds from comprehending them, and in them are treasured lights that thoughts have failed to express. I entrust these two verses unto God and unto whomsoever He willeth. Sufficient is God as a protector, and sufficient is God as a guardian.

Know thou that God is the Truth and all else is creation, with no third between them and no third besides them. And verily God is the Lord, and in His dominion are His names and attributes and likenesses from among those whom God loveth or with whom He is well-pleased. Such a one hath attained unto his portion of existence and hath reached the wellspring of his manifestation. And whoso hath not attained unto this remaineth confined in the grave until the day when God shall resurrect him. Thou seest not the people living, for verily the living one is he who witnesseth that the Resurrection hath come to pass and been fulfilled, and all things have been gathered together, and that God hath caused the people of Paradise and those beneath its shade to enter therein, and that today is in a wondrous creation and marvelous measures. Blessed is he who aideth God and this True Faith, for unto God belongeth the Last and the First, and unto Him is the return and the ultimate end. And He is the Lord of the highest heavens and the lowest earths and whatsoever is between them and above them and beneath them, and unto Him is the return.

Therefore read every Thursday night and day, after each obligatory prayer, six hundred times: “God is the Most Manifest” that God may aid thee and make thee victorious. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Verily, those who have ascended unto God, these are in Paradise, wherein they shall abide forever. Their sustenance cometh unto them from their Lord, and they shall have therein whatsoever they desire. They shall have therein a mighty throne whereon they shall recline. They shall have therein an exalted seat whereon they shall rest. They shall have therein of silk and brocade such as they love to wear. They shall have therein pure spouses like unto rubies, served by youths like hidden pearls. They shall have therein of every drink what they desire, and there shall flow before them rivers whose knowledge no one can encompass, wherefrom they shall drink. They glorify God, then praise Him; they declare His unity, then magnify Him; they extol His greatness, then sanctify Him. This is of God’s grace and mercy. Thus doth God reward His sincere servants.

Be content with God alone, and seek His help and support and dominion in all that thou desirest, for God shall suffice thee and whoso placeth his trust in Him, for He hath ever been a Mighty Helper. Say: God’s mercy hath preceded all things, and He hath ever been possessed of wondrous grace. Thou shalt surely praise the Truth and place thy trust in God, and ye shall not triumph except through God Who created you and sustained you and causeth you to die and giveth you life and shall raise you up on a Day whereof there is no doubt, for unto Him shall ye all return. They who seek victory through God, these are the triumphant ones, and they who place their trust in God, these are the victorious ones, and they who hold fast to the cord of God, these are the hosts of God and these shall prevail. They who aid God among the people of that land, these are the near ones, and God shall soon reward them in this earthly life with that which shall gladden their eyes. Say: This is of God’s bounty and mercy, if ye but knew.

Squander not your wealth in that which profiteth you not and removeth you from the truth, if ye but knew. Ye shall surely aid God Who created you and He shall increase His favors upon you, and He is independent of all ye possess. They who in that Day ponder upon the creation of their own selves and desire God, these shall not diminish aught of that which God their Lord hath granted them—this is of God’s bounty unto them that they might be thankful. Arise then in God’s Cause and aid God and fear none save God, for God shall surely aid those who place their trust in God their Lord and act according to His bidding.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Bear Thou witness that I desire none but Thee and that Thou art my Sufficiency. In Thee have I placed my trust, and in Thee let Thy trusting servants place their trust. Aid, O my God, them that aid the True Faith, and grant them victory in the land through what Thou createst anew at every moment by a wondrous command. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Bear Thou witness that I have conveyed from Thee that which was entrusted to me from a mighty Book. Diminish not aught of what God hath bestowed upon you of His bounty and mercy, and aid ye God that ye may attain unto that which ye love.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art the Protector of them that believe and of them that place their trust in their Lord. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art the Creator of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them, the Lord of all worlds. Thou judgest between Thy servants in that which they know this Day. Aid, O my God, them that glorify Thee by night and by day and are assured of Thy Command.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! We, all Thy servants, beseech Thee of Thy bounty to aid us with a mighty triumph and to cause them that place their trust in Thee to prevail in the earth and all that is thereon, them that remember Thee though they know it not. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Purify the earth and all that dwell thereon that none may remain save they who follow the True Faith from Thy presence and are among them that bow down in worship. The Kingdom is God’s—He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth among His servants, and He is the Praiseworthy Protector.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Grant us what Thou hast ordained for us from Thy presence, for Thou art the Lord of all worlds. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! We all are supplicants of Thy bounty and unto Thee do we all return. Send down, O my God, Thy mercy upon them that raise aloft the Word of Faith and strive in Thy path by night and by day, desiring none but Thee and victorious through Thy command. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art the Protector of them that believe and them that show forth righteousness. Send down upon them from the treasuries of Thy mercy that which shall enrich them through Thy bounty and make firm their feet upon the path of a mighty truth. Thou ordainest the creation of all things according to a preserved measure.

Glory be unto Thee, O God! Unto Thee shall we commit ourselves and all that Thou hast given us to possess, for Thou art our Lord, in Thee do we place our trust, and Thou art the best of helpers. Do Thou ordain, O God, for those who commit their affairs unto Thee that which is best for them in this world and the world to come. Verily Thou art the Guardian of the believers. And he who writeth this letter doth surely send greetings unto thee and unto the companions of Ridvan, for ye are indeed the triumphant ones. Blessed are ye and that which God hath ordained in the Mother Book for those who seek after God and the true Faith on a momentous day, the day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds. Say at all times, before all times and after all times: There is no power nor strength except in God, the Most High, the Most Great. Ye shall surely come to know His message after a time. Be patient, for the end belongeth to the God-fearing. Say: Glory be to God, the Lord of all worlds. And verily His peace be upon His believing servants. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.