BB00292: Li-Ismi’l-Akhir

In the name of God, the Last, the Last

Verily, I am God—there is no God but I—the Last, the Last. From everlasting I have been pre-existent, and unto everlasting I shall assuredly remain pre-existent. I created whatsoever I created from the First—of whom no first can be conceived—and We were, over what We had created, potent. And I shall create what is to be created unto the Last—of whom no last can be conceived—and We are, over what We create, all-subduing. In every Manifestation shall Our Self be made known unto all things to the extent that they turn to know Us; these are they who truly know, who verily know God, their Lord; these are the Names of ʿAli by which they infer the knowledge of God, their Lord. Then shall I make My creation to know Me by the Manifestation of Mine own Self: whoso knoweth Him is the first of My creation. These are My guides upon the Ocean of Ria¸van, ever exalted.

All the Manifestations that appeared aforetime were, in this Manifestation, made manifest; and whatsoever shall appear hereafter is likewise contained therein. In every advent after God ye await none; for, after God, what thing remaineth that ye should know? Nor, before God, was there aught that ye could have known. When, then, ye witness the Theophany of God within any appearance, ye come thereby to recognition. We indeed began the creation of this Manifestation with the Bayan, and We made Our Self known to them that are therein, that “there is no God but I, the All-Mighty, the Well-Beloved.” This is for those who are My Names—who, by Me, come to know Me.

And as for those whom, in the ocean of creation, I have already made to know Me by the Manifestation of My Self—the first (Sun)—whom by My Command I brought forth, bidding him, “Be!”, and he was—these know Me in the hiddenness of the First. Yet it is by My Names that they know Me, and in My Manifestation they are of them that are assured. My Names are not truly known in any appearing save at My Appearing; for then do they infer My Names in the Torah, even as their Lord Jesus made Himself known, and by Him they were guided. Thereafter, when Muhammad made Himself known unto them, they attained to recognition. And in every Manifestation—how should the heralds of Truth fail to herald in that Manifestation? Ye are the heralds of God; by this do ye know.

The likeness of every Manifestation is as a seed which God planteth that it may yield fruit for all the worlds. At the appearing of the Latter, ye partake of the fruits of the Former. Then, by the Furqan, ye regard every fruit ye love, and ye are empowered to pluck—from the Name “the King” even unto the Name “the Sower”—and between them are degrees which ye are able to reckon. I shall indeed bless thee, that the Name “the Last” may be witnessed upon thee, then upon those who preceded thee of the Letters of al-Abha, and upon those who follow thee of the Letters of al-Kubra. Verily We have ever been All-Knowing of all.

God shall ceaselessly bless thee, and those who have ascended unto Him through what He sendeth down from His presence of every wondrous good. Of My Splendour upon thee I confer the most resplendent, that My Splendour may be beheld among the people of Splendour; of My Majesty upon thee the most majestic, that My Majesty may be beheld among the people of Majesty; of My Beauty upon thee the most beauteous, that My Beauty may be beheld among the people of Beauty; of My Greatness upon thee the greatest, that My Greatness may be beheld among the mighty; of My Light upon thee the most luminous, that My Light may be beheld among the people of Light; of My Mercy upon thee the most merciful, that My Mercy may be beheld among the people of Mercy; of My Perfection-of-Completion upon thee the most complete, that My Completion may be beheld among the perfected; of My Perfection upon thee the most perfect, that My Perfection may be beheld among the people of Perfection; of My Supremacy upon thee the supremely supreme, that My Supremacy may be beheld among the exalted; of My Might upon thee the most mighty, that My Might may be beheld among the mighty; of My Knowledge upon thee the most knowing, that My Knowledge may be beheld among the knowing; of My Power upon thee the most powerful, that My Power may be beheld among the powerful; of My Love upon thee the most loving, that My Love may be beheld among the lovers; of My Honor upon thee the most honored, that My Honor may be beheld among the honored; of My Good-Pleasure upon thee the most well-pleasing, that My Good-Pleasure may be beheld among the people of acceptance; of My Sovereignty upon thee the most sovereign, that My Sovereignty may be beheld among the sovereigns; of My Dominion upon thee the most kingly, that My Dominion may be beheld among the possessors of dominion; of My Exaltation upon thee the most exalted, that My Exaltation may be beheld among the exalted ones; and of My Generosity upon thee the most generous, that My Generosity may be beheld among the generous.

Call to mind, then, the numbers of the Luminous One, each with those verses of unity—a remembrance from God, the Lord of all worlds. Whoso inscribeth the verses of God shall bless thee, and them that are thy guides, at all times, before time and after time. And when that Name descendeth, they shall say:

“Glorified art Thou, O God! There is no God but Thee. Thou art verily the Lord of all worlds. From Thy servant there hath been witnessed naught save Thy bounty entire. Verily Thou art the Best of the Best.”

And as for him who maketh mention of Me with Thy mention of Me—yea, everyone who remembereth Me—do Thou, for Thy part, remember him; for Thou art the Most Excellent of those who remember. I have sought Thy refuge from all things, for Thou art the Most Self-Sufficient of the self-sufficient. By Thee I have sought victory over all things, for Thou art the Most Victorious of the victors. By Thee I have sought ascendancy over all things, for Thou art the Best of those who make manifest. And all Thy bounties in Paradise shall commemorate Thee—unto the utmost—indeed I have remembered Thee, and Thou art the Best of those who hear. Do Thou, O God, uplift all unto the degrees of Thy paradise; Thou art the Best of those who uplift.