|
|
Abstract: An early collection of Tablets by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Notes: |
Tablets Revealed by Abdul Baha Abbas to the East and West
by Abdu'l-Bahá
translated by Mirza Ahmad EsphahaniBahai Assembly of Washington, D. C., 1908
- To the beloved of God in the East and in the West, especially in Persia
- To the Believers of God and the Maid-servants of the Merciful throughout the World
- To the Zoroastrian Bahais
- To His Honor, Mr. Fugito, of Japan [Sachiro Fujita]
- To the Israelitish Believers, the Children of His Holiness, Abraham, the Friend of God: Hamadan, Persia
- To the Beloved of God in Washington, D. C.
- Tablet Revealed to a Believer in Persia
- To the Beloved of God in Sangsar, Semnan, and Shahmirzad, Persia
- To the Beloved of God in Zenjan, Persia
- To the Believers of God and the Maid-servants of the Merciful in Persia
Translated by
MIRZA AHMAD ESPHAHANI.
Published by
THE BAHAI ASSEMBLY OF WASHINGTON, D. C.
1908
9
To the beloved of God in the East and in the West, especially in Persia.
(Upon them be Baha'o'llah El Abha!)
HE IS GOD!
O ye beloved of God! O ye maid-servants of the Merciful!
Many wise men and thinkers agree that the diversity of thoughts and minds is the result of diversity of education, environment, and the cultivation of morality: that is, minds in their essences are equal; but different training and instruction in ethics are the causes of their diversity; that this diversity does not exist in the nature of the mind, but it develops later in life through education and training; and as there is no fundamental privilege for any soul, therefore, mankind, generally, has the capacity for attainment to the highest station. Furthermore, they (the wise men) bring forth this argument: The inhabitants of a country like Africa are, like ferocious animals and wild beasts of the wilderness, devoid of intelligence and understanding; all are savages and barbarians, and no wise and cultivated soul exists among them. On the other hand, the inhabitants of a civilized country generally live in accord with the laws of morality, manifest excellent deeds, and with keenness of intellect and soundness of mind help and compete in good deeds with each other. Therefore it has become evident that superiority or inferiority of intelligence and understanding is due to education and instruction, or to the lack of these.
Through training, a crooked branch becomes straight; the wild fruit of the forest becomes the cultivated fruit of the garden. Through education, an ignorant man becomes sagacious. Through the favor of wise educators, the world of savagery becomes
the universe of civilization. By administering the right medicine, the sick become whole. Through the study of the methods of commerce the poor become rich. Through the acquisition of excellences and perfection the dependent become great leaders, and through the instruction of the teacher the lowly ascend from the nadir of oblivion to the zenith of celebrity. These are the proofs offered by the wise men.
The prophets, while acknowledging that education is a great factor in the betterment and advancement of mankind, assert that the individual minds in their nature and essence are different. This is a self-evident fact which cannot be refuted by any argument. For we may observe that when children of the same age, the same country, the same race, nay, even of the same family, are entrusted to the tutorship of one teacher, nevertheless, their minds and thoughts run in different channels. One of them advances rapidly, the second catches the rays of instruction more slowly, while the third remains in the lowest degree of dullness.
By polish and refinement the crockery will never be changed into scintillating pearls; the dark stone will never become the resplendent gem, nor by training and attention will the bitter plant (Cucumis calocynthis) or the thorny cactus ever become the blessed tree. That is, education does not change the nature of man, but it has an all-powerful influence, and through this comprehensive power whatever of perfection, capacity or accomplishments may be latent in the nature of the man, will become manifest. Through the cultivation of the farmer, the grain becomes the harvest; the endeavor of the gardener makes of an acorn a stately tree; the kindness of the teacher causes the ascension of the children of the school to the exalted station of nobility, and the care of the educator assists the child when grown to manhood to rise to the apex of intellectual attainment (literally: be seated upon the throne of ether).
Therefore, it is evident that minds are different from each other in nature and essence, while education displays a wonderful and eminent effect in the formation of the character of man. Were there not any educator, all souls would become like unto savages, and were there no teachers all the children would be like unto the animals. In this glorious age, the instruction and
education of children is revealed in the book of God as an obligatory and not an optional law; that it is the most indispensable duty of the parents to instruct the boy and the girl with the utmost exertion, to nurse them from the breast of knowledge and nurture them in the bosom of the sciences and arts. Should parents show the least neglect regarding this matter, they will be responsible before Almighty God and blamed and rebuked by Him; for this neglect is an unpardonable sin. When they become the cause of the wandering of a helpless child in the desert of ignorance, they make him unfortunate, a slave and tormented, throughout all his life a prisoner of ignorance, pride, haughtiness, illiteracy and blindness; and undoubtedly, if he should pass from this life at the age of childhood, it would be better and more pleasant for him. In such a state, death is better than life; deprivation is better than possession; non-existence better than existence; the tomb is better than the palace, and the narrowness of the ruined sepulchre is better than the luxury of a royal house. For the child grown in ignorance to manhood is humiliated and abject before the people; sick and impotent before the True One; ashamed and confounded before every one, and overcome and defeated in the examination for ideal worth before the high and low. What a misfortune! What an eternal abjection!
Therefore, the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful must with all their hearts and souls educate the children and teach them systematically in the colleges of arts and sciences. They must not display the slightest shortcoming or neglect regarding this matter. Unquestionably, if one should kill a child, it would be far better than to leave him growing in ignorance; for later in life the innocent child becomes afflicted with manifold and complex imperfections, and those who were the cause of this occurrence are responsible and rebuked, for the child is despised and repulsed by the people. What a sin! What a transgression!
The first and essential duty of the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful is this: That they must, in every manner possible, exert themselves in educating and instructing the children, both male and female; there does not exist any difference between them. The ignorance of either is
reprehensible, and the illiteracy of either is hated by people of intelligence; the verse: "Is there any equality between those who know and those who do not know," is an irrefutable command, applicable to all of them, whether male or female. Should one consider with the impartial eye of truth, he would immediately realize that the proper and careful training and instruction of the girls is more necessary than of the boys. For a time comes when the girls become mothers, and the moulders of the lives of the children. Besides, the first educator of the child is the mother. For a child is like unto a green and delicate branch; he will grow and develop as he is nursed and trained. If the training is straightforward, the child also will become straightforward; but if it is crooked, the child will adopt the same attitude, and until the end of his life will walk in that road. Therefore, it is obvious that an uneducated and uncultivated girl, when she becomes a mother, is the primal cause of deprivation, ignorance, illiteracy, and the lack of education of the children.
O ye beloved of God! O ye maid-servants of the Merciful! Training and education of every one—boys and girls—is the adamantine command of the Blessed Perfection. Should any one neglect it, he is deprived from the most great bestowal!
Beware! Beware!! That ye fall not short in this matter! Endeavor with all your souls to teach and educate your children, especially the girls, and no excuse will be acceptable on this point: Fail not, so that the everlasting Glory and the eternal Excellency may shine forth and gleam like unto the luminous sun in mid-day upon the assemblage of the people of Baha, and the heart of Abdul Baha may become thereby glad and grateful!
Upon ye be Baha El Abha!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
9
To the Believers of God and the Maid-servants of the Merciful throughout the World:
(Upon them be Baha'o'llah El Abha!)
HE IS GOD!
O ye spiritual friends of Abdul Baha!
"Perfume Thou the East! Illumine Thou the West! Bestow Thou light to the North! Grant Thou life to the South!"
This verse hath been revealed from the lips of the Center of the Covenant one year after the departure of Baha'o'llah. But the Nakazeen (not understanding its spiritual purport) wondered and derided. Praise be to God! that now its signs have become manifest, its power evident, and its proof plain. Thanks be unto Him that the East and the West are stirred into cheerfulness, and through the Holy Fragrances all directions are perfumed.
The Blessed Perfection, in a clear text, hath promised us in the Book: "Verily I behold you from the horizon of Abha and will make victorious whomsoever will arise in the service of my cause with the hosts of the Supreme Concourse and the cohorts of the favored angels." Praise be to God that this victory and confirmation became visible and manifest and hath shone forth from the horizon of the world like unto the sun.
Therefore, O ye friends of God! Show ye forth an earnest endeavor and display ye a resolute effort, so that ye may become assisted in the adoration of the Ancient Beauty and the Manifest Light; to be the cause of spreading the light of the Sun of Truth; to infuse into the dead, antiquated body of the world a new spirit; to cast in the fields of the hearts pure seeds; to arise in the service of the cause; to speak with eloquent tongues; to become candles of guidance in the assemblage
of the world; to become shining stars in the horizon of the existent being; to become merciful birds in the rose garden of oneness; to sing the melodies of realities and significances; to spend every breath of your lives in the most great cause; and to devote the period of your existence to the service of this conspicuous light; so that in the end ye may be freed from loss and failure and attain to the inexhaustible treasury of the Kingdom. For the life of man is wholly subject to danger and impermanency. A person cannot put his assurance even in one moment's continuity. Notwithstanding this, the nations of the world, deceived by the mirage of superstition, imagine themselves secure in the heavenly way. Alas! Alas! Former communities in bygone ages entertained the same perishing thoughts; but by one of those periodical fluctuations they were all hidden under the ground, and afflicted with deprivation and loss, except those souls who had become pure evanescence and had arisen with a great self-abnegation in the path of God. Such souls shine forth as brilliant stars from the horizon of the Ancient Glory, and the results which emanated from their lives in succeeding ages and cycles are the proofs of this statement. Therefore, do not ye rest, neither day nor night; seek not ye for composure; talk ye of the mystery of servitude, and seek ye the path of thralldom; so that through the promised confirmations ye may become assisted from the Kingdom of Oneness.
O ye friends! Dense and gloomy clouds have covered the horizon of the world, and the darkness of hatred, malignity, persecution, tyranny, and the greatest cruelty is spreading. All the people are drunk with the wine of heedlessness; and bloodthirstiness and rapaciousness are considered the noblest excellencies of the world of men.
His Highness the Almighty hath chosen the friends from among the concourse of men and hath especialized them with the most eminent guidance and the highest gift; so that we may with our souls and hearts exert ourselves, sacrifice our lives, be engaged in the guidance of the people and the training of souls; so that the wild beasts may become the gazelles of the meadows of unity; the wolves the sheep of God; the bloodthirsty ones the heavenly angels; the fire of malice be extinguished
and the flame of safety in the blessed tabernacle bestow illumination; the odor of the nether realm of infidelity be dispelled and the fragrances of the rose garden of faithfulness be diffused in all parts; the weak draw light from the Universal Reason and evil souls seek to be purified with the holy and divine Breath. There are needed manifestors for this gift; farmers for this field; gardeners for this rose garden; fishers for this sea; luminous stars for this heaven; spiritual physicians for these ill ones, and loving guides for these wanderers; so that they may bestow a share to those who are deprived, grant a portion to those who are shareless, give unmeasured treasure to the indigent ones, and show forth the power of proof to the seekers.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I supplicate unto Thee, O Thou my Helper! I invoke Thee, O Thou my Refuge! I utter to Thee my agonies, O Thou my Physician, and entreat Thee with all my heart, my soul and my spirit, saying: O my God! O my God! Verily, the gloomy night hath fallen upon all regions and the clouds of ignorance have extended in all directions; the people are immersed in the darkness of surmise and the tyrants are sunk in the depths of brutality and lawlessness. The red glare of the burning fire is flashing forth from the nether world, roaring, omnious voices are rising from the cruel, destructive and terrible armaments; every region is crying out with its dumb secret tongue: "Nothing that I possess hath benefitted me and power and strength are taken away from me." Verily, O my God, the lamps of guidance are extinguished; the fire of animosity is enkindled; wrath and antipathy are spread abroad and provocation and maliciousness are disseminated upon the face of the earth. Yet I see only Thy wronged followers who are crying at the tops of their voices and summoning the people:
Hasten ye toward affinity!
Hasten ye toward faithfulness!
Hasten ye toward generosity!
Hasten ye toward guidance!
Hasten ye toward union!
Hasten ye to behold the Light of the World!
Hasten ye toward love and prosperity!
Hasten ye toward peace and reconciliation!
Hasten ye toward the law of disarmament!
Hasten ye toward harmony and success!
Hasten ye toward co-operation and mutual help in the path of guidance!
Verily, these wronged ones do sacrifice themselves with infinite joy and happiness for the sake of the people, with all their souls and spirits throughout all regions. Verily, Thou beholdest them weeping at the misfortunes of every one of Thy creatures and becoming grieved at the distress of Thy children; they are kind to all the people and pained at the sight of the calamities of the inhabitants of the world. O my Lord! make the wings of prosperity to grow upon their shoulders, so that they may ever soar toward the apex of their aspirations; strengthen their loins in the service of Thy people, and confirm them in the thralldom and adoration of the threshold of Thy Holiness.
Verily, Thou art the Merciful! Thou art the Clement, and there is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the Compassionate, and the Ancient!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
9
To the Zoroastrian Bahais:
(Upon them be Baha'o'llah El Abha!)
HE IS GOD!
O ye servants of God!
Praise be to God that ye have been guided by the Light of Guidance, have become attracted by the fragrances of holiness from the Supreme Concourse, have rent asunder the veil of superstition, have rolled up the carpet of ignorance and blindness, have perfumed your nostrils with the musk-diffusing fragrances of the rose garden of mysteries, have cut yourselves from Ahrimans (Satan) and become attracted to Yazdan (God), and have worshiped His Highness the Clement! After the deprivation of thousands of years ye have become the confidants of mysteries, and after long wandering ye have been led to the pathway of guidance. This was of the guidance of Providence and pure bestowal! This is from the mercy of God! He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth; He chooseth for His gift whomsoever He desireth, and He guideth to the right road whomsoever He approveth!
Man may acquire every accomplishment and endowment through his endeavor and action, but the gift of guidance is the pure mercy of God. Therefore, day and night ye must praise and give thanks at the Threshold of Oneness, that, praise be to God, ye have entered the delectable paradise, have drunk from the fountain of immortality, have taken a share from the Inexhaustible Treasury and have become enlisted in the ranks of "Verily the righteous ones shall drink from the wine mixed with camphire."
Now, in order to thank the Unique Creator, ye must adorn yourselves with good deeds, become kind friends to all the inhabitants
of the world, be engaged in the service of humanity, and show forth love toward all the children of men. Regard ye the stranger as your relative, the unknown as known, the ill-wisher as the well-wisher, the sinner as pure, the inveterate enemy as a kind beloved, and suffer the obstinate and unjust to ascend to the apex of acceptance. That is: Receive ye the enemy as your friend, retaliate not, harm no one, and offend not any person. Be ye a remedy for every pain, a healing dressing for every wound. Be ye the manifestors of the mercy of God and the dawning-places of the light of the bounty of the Almighty.
Upon ye be greeting and praise!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
9
To His Honor, Mr. Fugito, of Japan:
(Upon him be Baha'o'llah El Abha!)
HE IS GOD!
O thou spiritual youth!
Japan hath made wonderful progress in material civilization, but she will become perfect when she also makes spiritual development, and when the power of the Kingdom shall become manifest in her.
One will encounter some difficulty in the beginning of the establishment of the cause of God in that country, but later it will become very easy, for the inhabitants of Japan are intelligent, sagacious and have the power of rapid assimilation. At the present time a perfect youth like thee is favored by the bounty of the Kingdom and hath attained to the knowledge of the Lord of the Kingdom. Show thou forth an effort that thou mayest finish that which is necessary in the acquisition and study of science and art; then travel thou toward the country of Japan, so that thou mayest hoist the ensign of truth which is waving upon the apex of the Supreme Concourse. Look thou not upon thine own capacity. The invisible divine confirmations are great, and the protection and providence of the Beauty of Abha is the helper and assistant. When a drop draws help from the ocean, it becomes an ocean in itself, and a little seed through the outpouring of rain, the favor of the sun, and the soul-refreshing breeze, will become a tree with the utmost freshness, full of leaves, blossoms and fruit. Therefore, do not consider thy capacity or merit, but rely upon the Infinite Bounty and trust to His Highness the Almighty. Do not delay. Undertake soon that which thou art intending.
There are prophecies concerning this manifestation in the Buddhistic Book, but they are in symbols and metaphors; and
some spiritual conditions are mentioned therein, but the leaders of religion do not understand. They think these prophecies are of material things, but they foreshadow only spiritual occurrences.
Upon thee be Baha El Abha!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
Revealed in Acca, May 29, 1907.
9
To the Israelitish Believers, the Children of His Holiness, Abraham, the Friend of God: Hamadan, Persia:
(Upon them be greeting and praise!)
HE IS GOD!
O my Lord! my Hope! my Helper and my Refuge! Verily, Thy pure beloved ones and Thy aspiring wooers, the children of Thy noble friend, and the descendants of Thy beloved Abraham, have rent asunder the veils, become informed of the mysteries, removed the coverings, beheld the manifest signs, walked in the footsteps of that sanctified soul and turned their faces toward Thee, O my Lord, the Merciful! Verily, they were not prevented by imaginations nor withheld by the objections of the people from advancing toward the East of the light of Thy mercifulness, the dawning-place of the verses of Thy singleness, and the temple of Thy manifestation in this conspicuous day!
O my Lord! Assist them to remain firm, confirm them to be steadfast, strengthen their feet while walking in this road, suffer them to become the leaders of the tribes, choose them for Thy bounty and generosity, and cast upon them the glances of the eyes of Thy mercifulness among Thy creatures; so that they may voice Thy Name, guide the people in the straight road and direct path, and hasten toward the temple of worship in the middle of the night, supplicating to Thee with hearts overflowing with Thy commemoration! Verily, Thou art the Bestower, the Powerful, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Beloved, and verily there is no God but Thee, the Benevolent, the Generous!
O ye descendants of His Highness Abraham! Truly I declare that in this time of the manifestation of the Most Great Message ye have preceded many nations of the world in acceptance, faith, knowledge and assurance. With willing hearts ye have hastened toward the heavenly Jerusalem, found a way to
the holy of holies in the house of the Lord, become confidants of the mysteries, are enlisted in the ranks of the believers, have heard the celestial glad tidings, have found freshness, delicacy and beauty like unto the trees of the orchard through the descent of the rain of providence, are refreshed by the breezes of guidance, your souls and hearts illumined and brightened through the radiant light of the Sun of Truth. This bounty and favor is due to pure mercy; otherwise what merit have we that we should become the manifestors of the bounties of the Orb of Regions, and what capacity have we, that we should discover the divine light, walk in the path of the kingdom, and enter under the shade of the Lord of Hosts! It is due to His pure generosity and gift, that in this manifest day He hath granted to us the "paiseworthy station," although we are entirely non-existent, and hath guided us to the beauty of the Promised One.
Therefore, O ye kind friends! in order to render thanks for these bounties from His Highness the Clement, rest not one moment, exert yourselves night and day with heart and soul, so that ye may enkindle the fire of love, cause a great reverberation, shake by the power of earthquake (the Word of God) the pillars of the earth, hoist the ensign of the Most Great Glad Tidings, and summon all the tribes of the earth to the original Oneness, real Unity, everlasting Love, and eternal Affinity. Look ye not upon the imperfections of the people; see them with the eye of perfection. Although they may be weak, ignorant and vacillating in the covenant and testament, yet treat ye them with a noble consideration, receive them with agreeable and pleasing manners, show them respect and preference, be kind to them, and serve all of them. Consider yourselves as servants and all the people as masters. Count yourselves as imperfect and the inhabitants of the world as perfect: that is, treat ye the people in the way an imperfect person should treat a perfect soul, and a follower a leader. These are the exhortations of the Blessed Perfection, and this is the advice of the Most Great Name (May my life be a sacrifice to His beloved ones!)
Upon ye be greeting and praise!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
9
To the Beloved of God in Washington, D. C.:
(Upon them be Baha'o'llah El Abha!)
HE IS GOD!
O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom of God!
The blessed letter that ye have forwarded was received. Its contents indicate the establishment of an illumined assembly for the purpose of spreading the fragrances of the Holy Spirit. Such assemblies are heavenly, celestial, divine and merciful. If they are continued and remain unshakable, they will become springs of merciful emotions, centers of divine manifestations, conducive to the development of the world of humanity and the cause of the propagation of the teachings of the Almighty. Therefore, firmness and steadfastness are required from all. If such assemblies are continued for a little while and are then dispersed and scattered, no results whatsoever will be produced. However, by reading your letter I have found spiritual happiness, and it became the cause of my hope that ere long praiseworthy results will become manifest and the candle of the confirmation of the Holy Spirit will be lighted in that assembly.
O ye friends! O ye maid-servants of the Merciful!
Devote your thoughts as much as possible to the acquirement of the excellent virtues of the world of humanity and the spiritual characteristics of the Merciful One; come ye together in the merciful assembly with the utmost joy and fragrance, and discuss every subject, so that that assembly may become the cause of the affinity, love, and union of the realm of man.
The Kingdom of God is like unto a garden which is adorned with various kinds of trees with their different leaves and flowers. As it is under the training of one gardener, refreshed by the downpouring of one cloud, expanded by the heat of one sun, revived by the breath of one breeze and growing from one
soil, these differences of color, composition, form and kind, taste and perfume produce harmony and the adornment of each other.
Wherefore, be ye engaged with full enthusiasm in diffusing the spirit of love, affinity and oneness, and exert yourselves, so that ye may make that region a delectable paradise; bestow everlasting life; hoist the ensign of peace and reconciliation; manifest real love for human kind; choose the heavenly gift; and make apparent the illumination of the Kingdom.
This is the advice of Abdul Baha! This is the ultimate hope of this one yearning for the altar of sacrifice!
Should ye realize how much ye are beloved by me, undoubtedly ye would not rest day nor night, but would arise to do that which would profit the world of humanity in this day.
Upon ye be Baha El Abha!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
9
Tablet Revealed to a Believer in Persia.
HE IS GOD!
I cry to Thee, O Thou Lord of Verses, Manifestor of Evidences and Revealer of the Consummate Word, to behold this servant with the eye of Thy mercifulness, help him under all circumstances with the power of Thy realm of might and the dominion of Thy singleness; straighten before him the path, make clear unto him Thy proof, allay his thirst by Thy salubrious water, confirm him in the commemoration of Thy Beautiful Name, and reveal to him the mysteries of Thy glorious cause; so that he may drink the water of life from the fountain of assurance and look upon all things with a spiritual eye in this new age and this Thy wonderful Kingdom.
O my Lord! O my Lord! Illumine his face with the light of guidance; administer to him the cup of hope; dilate his heart with the spirit of faithfulness; perfume his soul with the fragrance of mercifulness, and gladden his spirit by the breeze from Thy Kingdom, El Abha!
O my Lord, change his difficulties into facilities; assist him into the path of "praiseworthy endeavor;" open to him the doors of the "hidden mystery," and envelop him with Thy inexhaustible outpouring! Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Forgiver, and verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the Merciful!
O thou pure soul! The proof of this most great dispensation and wonderful century is manifest; its evidence is as sunlight; its argument invulnerable; its dominion overwhelming and its grandeur obvious; its power hath quickened the East and the West, and its effulgence hath attracted the North and the South. In every region it hath appeared with a reason, and in every clime it hath triumphed with an argument. For people in
the East are seeking after the mysteries of the Word, and in the West are laboring to attain to experimental demonstrations and tangible evidences.
Consider thou! that the Dawning-Place of Manifestation and the Revelator of the Mount of Sinai hath spread His Most Great Cause and exalted the station of His ancient friends while living in the ruined prison and under chains and shackles! He hath hoisted the manifest Ensign and hath caused great reverberation throughout the Occident and the Orient. Is there any similarity or parallel to this power? Was there any likeness and semblance to this potency in bygone ages? No! As God liveth!
Manifestations of God in former centuries, while living in the world, have propagated the Word of God through the flash of the sword and the strength of the army; or It hath spread by itself after three hundred years. But while the Most Great Name hath been held under chain and sword, He arose in the conquest of the East and the West; His cause found penetration, His name became known, His voice filled the whole expanse of the earth, and His fame hath reached to the Kingdom of Heaven. In prison He established the court of heavenly sovereignty, and while in the pit He ascended to the apex of the moon. What might is greater than this, and what authority is more perfect? All the philosophers of the West have acknowledged this superior power and have become astonished at its workings:—that the Most Great Name, while in the dungeon and surrounded by oppression, could manifest such consummate power and such all-encircling knowledge!
Verily, this is a sign from His signs and an evidence from His evidences! Blessed are those who know!
Upon thee be Baha El Abha!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
9
Through His Honor Sar Reshte'Dar,
To the Beloved of God in Sangsar, Semnan, and Shahmirzad, Persia:
(Upon them be Baha'o'llah El Abha!)
HE IS GOD!
O ye friends of God and maid-servants of the Merciful!
His honor Sar Reshte'Dar gave you the example so that the beloved of God may exert themselves with resistless might like unto a tumultuous sea. Such praise hath he spoken of the friends in those regions that in this prison the heart of Abdul Baha is rejoiced. Praise be to God that the friends in Sangsar have devoted their souls and minds to the cause of that Beloved, and the believers of Semnan have become the slaves of those Bounteous Tresses and surrendered their hearts and spirits to that refulgent Moon. Day and night are they learning the lessons of sacrifice, and night and day are they seeking after the good pleasure of God. They are the confidants and intimate companions of each other, and are singing and chanting in perfect harmony.
The happiness of this imprisoned one in this ephemeral world is in the guidance of the human world toward God. Happiness other than this I do not desire. Rest other than this I do not seek. Bounty other than this I do not ask. For gift other than this I do not hope. In the divine realm I desire to attain to supreme mercy and merciful bestowal. I hope that in these aims the friends and the maid-servants of God may become my partners, in order that we may devote all our time in the divine servitude and be occupied with the promulgation of the Word of God.
O ye companions of my life and spirit! All regions of the world are illuminated by the rays of the Sun of Truth to such a degree that the melody of the Kingdom of Abha hath encircled the terrestrial globe, and the fame of the sanctity and purity of the believers of God hath traveled throughout the East and the West. Now every one of you must move swiftly in the arena and strive for the prize of competition and precedence. Praise be to God that the doors of guidance are open; the Beloved of Truth is manifest and apparent; the divine confirmations are continuous and uninterrupted, and the hosts of the Supreme Concourse triumphant and victorious. What time is more opportune than this? What period is more favorable? Beware lest ye should let this opportunity slip from your hand and not avail yourselves of the gifts of this glorious age. Display an effort, so that your region may become a delectable paradise and your province become illumined.
Familiarize yourselves with the people; live ye with good manners and morals; show ye the utmost friendship, good will and honesty to all the members of the human family; consider ye the stranger as a friend; the blind as seeing; the deaf as hearing; the dead as living; the enemy as a companion; the hateful as the lover. Do not ye become grieved and sad. Should any one persecute or oppose you, show ye kindness; exercise ye love. Give ye advice and exhortation; perchance some may be warned, become mindful, turn back, then regret the past and enter within the circle of the welldoers.
O ye friends and maid-servants of the Merciful!
According to the clear text of God, ye must obey the government; arise to perform that which leads to the well-being of your fellow-men; be occupied in service; be sincere stewards of His Majesty the Shah and obedient subjects to the Imperial Throne; strive for the general welfare of all; and be ye the cause of the tranquillity of the sons of men; reconcile ye with each other all the communities of the world, so that hatred and animosity be entirely dispelled. Do not ye interfere at all with political affairs; be ye engaged in your own occupations, and follow your own work.
O my God! O my God! Verily these are the servants whose eyes are brightened by beholding Thy beauty; whose ears are
charmed by listening to the melody of the Kingdom of Glory; whose souls are purified through the attainment of their hopes, and whose spirits are exhilarated by the cup of the Wine which is passing around in the Assemblage of Grandeur. Verily they are humbled before Thy Word; submissive before Thy cause; their voices are hushed before Thy greatness, and their faces are cast down before Thy sovereignty, O Thou, the Living, the Self-subsistent. Verily they have acknowledged Thy oneness; they are immersed in the ocean of Thy mercifulness; drawn near to the Kingdom of Thy singleness; attracted to the fragrances of Thy holiness, and enkindled with the fire of Thy love.
O Lord! Confirm them in whatever Thou wiliest and desirest; spread over their heads the ensign of glorification in other kingdoms; register their names in the book of the righteous ones; crown them with luminous diadems which will shine through centuries and cycles; immerse them in the sea of light; suffer them to hear the melodies of the mysteries; let them enter into the fold of the faithful ones and enlist them among the hosts of the Supreme Concourse who are ever victorious on the plane of the Kingdom of Abha; so that they may open the city of hearts and the kingdom of spirits through the power of Thy commemoration, O Thou, the Breaker of Dawn! Verily Thou art the Clement, the Mighty, the Bestower, and Thou art the Forgiver and the Merciful. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful and the Generous!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
[BLANK]
9
To the Beloved of God in Zenjan, Persia:
(Upon them be Baha'o'llah El Abha!)
HE IS GOD!
O ye beloved servants of Abdul Baha and ye maid-servants of the Merciful One!
It is the early dawn and the soul-refreshing breeze of the paradise of Abha is blowing upon all the existent being, but it displays its effect only in pure hearts and perfumes only the healthy mind. A seeing eye can behold the splendors of the sun, and a hearing ear can listen to the melody of the Supreme Concourse. Although the mercy of the vernal shower and the heavenly outpouring descend upon all the earth, yet only from a fertile soil vegetation grows, while the brackish ground is deprived and unproductive. For the signs of the Outpouring are not of themselves evident and manifest. Now the holy fragrances of Abha are diffused in every clime, but only spiritual souls are attracted and receive benefit. It is hoped by this imprisoned one that, from the bounty of the Living Self-subsistent, through the dominating power of the Word of God, the nostrils of the heedless ones will become opened and partake of a share from the fragrances of the Rose Garden of Mystery.
O ye friends of God!
The real friends are skillful physicians; the divine instructions are the antidotes of the Merciful One and the remedies of the hearts. They heal the nostrils affected with cold, make mindful the negligent ones, give a share to the deprived ones and make hopeful the hopeless ones. In this day if any one lives in accord with the heavenly teachings and instructions he will become a spiritual physician to the world of humanity
and the trumpet of Israfel to quicken the dead. For the confirmations of the Kingdom of Abha are uninterrupted and the victory of the Supreme Concourse is the associate of every one who is pure in heart. The weak fledgling will become the strong royal falcon, and the small bird will be transformed into the eagle, soaring toward the apex of the Ancient Glory. Therefore, look ye not upon your capability or merit, nay, rather put your confidence in the bounty and protection, favor and grace of the Blessed Perfection (may my life be a sacrifice to His beloved ones) and, mounting upon the charger of magnanimity, rush ye into the arena of martyrdom, so that ye may win the guerdon of victory in this vast field of God.
O ye maid-servants of the Merciful One! The queens of the world have gone down to the tomb and disappeared; they have vanished from the face of the earth; there remains of them no fruit, no name, no trace, no fame, and no existence. But every one of the maid-servants in the Court of Oneness shone forth like unto brilliant stars from the glorious Ancient Horizon, and cast her rays upon centuries and cycles; they have attained to their utmost desires in the Kingdom of Abha and have drank from the wine of meeting in the Assembly of the Almighty. These souls have partaken of the Eternal Existence and their fame is everlasting.
O ye friends of this wronged one! Purify your eyes from beholding any as strangers. Do not ye recognize any foreignness; nay rather know all as friends. For while harboring the idea of strangeness the practice of love and unity becomes difficult. In this wonderful age according to the divine texts ye must befriend all nations and communities. Ye must not countenance violence, force, evil intentions, persecutions or hostility; nay rather ye must raise your eyes to the Horizon of Glory; know that each one of these creatures is a sign of the Lord of signs, and they step into the arena of existence through the supreme Energy and divine favor. Thus they are known and not unknown, are friends and not strangers. We must deal with all according to the above criterion. Therefore the beloved must with infinite kindness and love associate and sympathize with both friends and strangers and not look at all upon the merits or capabilities of persons. Under all circumstances
they must show forth genuine love, and be undefeated by the intensity of rancour, hatred, strife, malice, or the animosities of the people. Should the enemy shoot arrows, the friends must return milk and honey; if he give poison, the believers must bestow delicacies; if he cause pain, let the beloved furnish a remedy; if he strike a blow, let them apply a dressing; if he sting, let them administer the antidote.
O my God! O my God! Verily these are Thy weak servants, and Thy submissive faithful ones, and Thy sincere maid-servants who are humbled before Thy most high Word, evanescent before Thy illumined threshold, acknowledging Thy oneness, which hath appeared like unto the appearance of the sun in mid-day, listening to Thy call from Thy mysterious Kingdom, and uttering Thy prayers with hearts overflowing with Thy love and devotion.
O my Lord! let the rain of Thy mercy fall upon all of them; cause to descend upon every one the showers of Thy bounty from the clouds of Thy munificence; make them graceful plants in Thy divine rose garden, and suffer these myrtles to become verdant, green, and refreshed by the outpouring from the cloud of Thy singleness.
Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Most High, the Mighty, and the Omnipotent, the Creator of the earth and heavens, and verily there is no God but Thee, the Lord of the Manifest Sign.
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
[BLANK]
9
To the Believers of God and the Maid-servants of the Merciful in Persia:
(Upon them be Baha'o'llah!)
HE IS GOD!
Glory be unto Thee, O Thou whose mercy hath encompassed all things; whose gift is made perfect; whose power hath encircled the world; whose proof is demonstrated; whose signs have become manifest, whose words are promulgated; whose arguments are established and whose ensigns are hoisted! Praise be unto Thee for that which Thou hast bestowed! Thanks be unto Thee for that which Thou hast granted! Glorification belongeth unto Thee for Thou hast manifested Thyself! Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! How inaccessible is Thy station! How manifest is Thy proof and how all-embracing is Thy munificence!
Verily the dark night hath been spreading its wings over all regions, and the face of heaven and earth was hidden behind the clouds of blackness and deep gloom. Wherefore all sights were veiled from beholding the most great signs and inner perceptions were blinded and unable to find the fire of divine guidance. Souls were wandering in the desert of error and heedlessness and the possessors of intelligence were lost in the wilderness of amazement and doubt, crying and weeping as a mother bereft of her babe, bewailing and lamenting like unto a thirsty one in the midst of a vast and boundless desert.
But through Thy greatest bounty the Glorious Dawn broke and the Light of Guidance flashed from the Supreme Horizon upon the face of heaven. Then the first Point (Bab) appeared among mankind with the glad tidings of Thy manifestation, the fragrances of Thy holiness and the verses of Thy
singleness; spreading Thy good news, and heralding Thy name; declaring and praising Thee in numerous epistles.
Thine is the favor for this gift which hath cheered the souls of the pure ones! Thine is the generosity, for Thou hast enabled every righteous and devoted one to adore Thee by causing the Sun of Truth to shine upon all the regions of existence!
Thine is excellence and glory!
Thine is beauty and power!
Thine is authority and sovereignty!
Thine is the dominion and the kingdom!
Thine is exaltation and omnipotence!
Thine is lordship and divinity!
For Thou hast manifested Thy bounty from the horizon of emanation, rent asunder the veil and raised the covering from Thy illumined countenance in the promised day and shone forth upon the world of being with the rays gleaming from the dawn of revelation.
Then the "resurrection" appeared, the "day of judgment" became manifest, the "earth" trembled and shook, the "mountains" became leveled, the "seas" boiled, the "sun" was eclipsed, the "moon" was darkened, the "stars" scattered, the "signs" became known, the "bridge" extended, the "conditions" were fulfilled, the "balance" was set up, the "fire" burned fiercely and the "paradise" became adorned. Therefore the faithful ones entered into delectable gardens with beatitude, and the veiled ones were left to occupy themselves with their own imaginations. The possessors of perception beheld the lights, but those whose eyes were weak saw only gloomy darkness in the appearance of the Mid-day Sun. Then those whose ears were unstopped and open rejoiced in listening to the Call while the deaf were astonished, crying out: "What is the cause of this acclamation and rejoicing!" Then the fluent speakers loosened their tongues in thanksgiving and glorification, while the dumb remained as hard and lifeless stones. Then souls were purified, hearts were attracted, breasts were dilated, characters were sanctified, secret thoughts became manifest, and realities stepped out into the arena of existence; souls sought illumination, were guided, became ablaze, enflamed and enkindled, calling forth and proclaiming, saying:
Glad tidings be unto the righteous ones!
Joy be unto the perceiving ones!
Happiness be unto the favored ones!
Gladness be unto the yearning ones!
Cheerfulness be unto the attracted ones!
Exhilaration be unto the weary ones!
Glory be unto Him who hath arisen from the brightest Dawn!
Glory be unto Him who hath shown forth the manifest Light!
Glory be unto Him who showereth glorious outpouring upon the existent beings!
Glory be unto Him who illumineth the supreme horizon with such a radiance that the gloom of the dark night is dispelled!
Glory be unto Him who causeth to descend the food from heaven!
Glory be unto Him who causeth the running spring to gush forth from the rugged cliff!
Glory be unto Him who poureth down the pure water from on high!
Glory be unto Him who allayeth the thirst of the devoted ones with the cup which is mixed with camphire!
Glory be unto Him who developeth the barren and sterile ground into fruitfulness!
Glory be unto Him who hath effected growth in the fields of the minds of men!
Glory be unto Him who irrigateth them with the same waters gushing forth from the eternal fountain!
Glory be unto Him who hath adorned the delectable gardens with all delicate and delicious fruits!
Glory be unto Him who hath ushered in the new creation!
Glory be unto Him who hath brought forth the day of judgment!
Glory be unto Him who hath granted life unto sentient beings!
Glory be unto Him who hath created the universe!
Glory be unto Him who hath laid out the path!
Glory be unto Him who hath made clear the way!
Glory be unto Him who hath appeared in this most wonderful age!
Glory be unto the Founder of this new epoch!
Then thanks be unto Thee, O my God, for these gifts, and praise be unto Thee, O my Beloved, for this eminent bounty! Verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the Merciful!
O ye compassionate friends of Abdul Baha! At this moment a letter hath been received from America containing the good news that that region of the Occident hath become the Orient. That is, in that region the rays of the Sun of Truth have appeared and shone forth with such penetration that the bright light of the Morn of Guidance hath dawned and every longing one hath attained to the desire of his heart; and that the melody of the Kingdom of Abha ascends continuously to the Supreme Concourse and the soul-refreshing strains of "Ya-Baha-el-Abha" reach the ears of the people and communities of that country.
According to what they have written, they have celebrated the day of the Birth Anniversary in twenty-four cities, by giving public feasts and delightful receptions. They have spent that day in the utmost joy and happiness; they have sent out general invitations, spread the table of gifts, engaged in the commemoration of the True One, and in imparting glad tidings to each other. Also, letters of congratulation and felicitation have been received from these twenty-four cities and assemblies. Consider ye what influence the penetrative power of the Word of God hath displayed in existence, and how the universe is stirred and moved through It; how in America, on the Birth Anniversary, such feasting and banqueting is prepared; how the remote ones have become the near ones, and how the customs and habits of the East are spread abroad! This is the penetrative power of the Word of God and this is the might of the impelling Will of God!
O ye friends of God and maid-servants of the Merciful! His honor Ameen has mentioned you with the highest praise and commendation, saying, that, thank God, the believers throughout the country are bestowers of bounties and the manifestors of justice and equity, are mindful, obedient, kindhearted and steadfast; are engaged in reading the verses and occupied in spreading the signs; are in the utmost ecstasy and exhilaration, and intoxicated with the pure wine of the Spirit; are active in praising and adoring the Most Great Name, and
in paying homage to the Holy Threshold; are living in accord with the divine teachings and exhortations and are endowed with all human excellencies and attributes; that they are in the utmost unity and agreement and exhibit great zeal and enthusiasm; are kind to every soul and act toward all the communities with exceeding joy and fragrance; they feel sympathy even for their enemies, and are faithful friends even to the unjust; they are kind to outsiders; are as a swift healing antidote instead of a poisonous sting; are the servants of the world of humanity, and manifestors of the attributes of the Merciful One! Blessed are they for this testimony, which is expressive of the beauty of their characters and the merit of their virtues! Truly, I say, his honor Ameen is the well-wisher of all. In the day of the Manifestation he was the Ameen (Faithful) of the Blessed Perfection, and in the days of the Covenant he is the confidant of this yearning one. Therefore his evidence is heard and accepted and his testimony is praised and beloved.
O ye beloved of God! According to what is heard, some of the Ulemas of the Shi-ite sect (Persian Moslem Mullahs), as well as some leaders of the Sheikhei school, are engaged constantly in instigating revolts, and have arisen against the government with enmity and opposition, more than ever confusing the affairs of the state.
Praise be unto God!(*) What heedlessness and ignorance, and what antagonism and insubordination! Verily the Persian Empire hath been at all times deprived of every bounty on account of the influence of the ritualistic Mullahs. Whenever that just government conceived a good intention to inaugurate reforms and the amelioration of conditions, these ignorant leaders have raised vehement opposition, have protested severely and prevented the introduction of measures which would better conditions and spread culture and progress. One must be just. The intention of His Imperial Majesty is higher and purer than that of all of the other leaders and chiefs, for the sole desire of the throne is the peace and security of the inhabitants, and the improvement and betterment of the empire. But, alas! they do not give a moment's rest to the kind Padeshah, that he may
*Used in Persian as an exclamation.
voluntarily introduce such reforms as may be warranted by circumstances.
However, the inhabitants of Persia are not the only ones who are afflicted with this ignorance and blindness. The people of the Imperial Ottoman Empire are also in a state of the utmost ignorance and blindness. Diversity of opinion and the ignorance of the factions do not allow one breath of tranquillity to the Imperial Government, that it may adjust internal affairs and rectify foreign relations. Yet under all these conditions His Imperial Majesty the Sultan is intelligently directing the affairs. The proof of this assertion is the protection afforded these exiled ones (in Acca) from the persecution of the enemies. If authority were in the people's hands, or in hands other than the government, the conspiracies and tyrannies of our enemies within and without would even have scattered the ashes of this imprisoned one to the winds. But the forbearance, intelligence, foresight, far-reaching wisdom and discernment of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan have so far protected these exiled ones, notwithstanding the attacks of the calumniators and the party of the slanderers. We are of those who pray for these two just kings and are grateful to these two equitable sovereigns.
Praise be to God! (*) One of the imputations of the enemies is this: That (we seek refuge in God!) we deny the validity and truth of the Sun of Guidance, the Lamp of the Supreme Concourse, the Messenger of the Almighty, His Highness Mohammed Mustafa (upon Him be greeting and praise!) and that (God forbid!) we have written books in His refutation. Woe unto those who have arisen to spread this great falsehood and calumny! All the friends of God who are informed of the mysteries know that this exiled and imprisoned one would readily sacrifice his life at the dust of the Prophet's feet. Furthermore, the Blessed Perfection (may my life be a sacrifice to His beloved ones!) in the Book of Ighan hath established with invincible proofs and clear arguments the Prophethood of His Highness the Messenger (may my life be a sacrifice to Him!) and also His Highness the Supreme (Bab) hath invoked Him (Mohammed) in many supplications. Nothwithstanding
* Used in Persian as an exclamation.
all these evidences, the unjust ones are proclaiming and secretly spreading the falsehood that we (God forbid!) are His deniers, while the unfaithful friends (Nakazene) acknowledge these erroneous imputations.
Praise be to God! (*) If we deny the Messengers and Prophets of God, what have we to say for ourselves? Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily this is a great calumny!
To be brief, the point is this: Through the interference of ignorant and fanatical leaders, the country of Persia is in a state of decadence, although the intention of His Imperial Majesty the crowned Shah is pure and for progress. Now, ye who are the well-wishers of the government and are sincere, obedient and kind toward it, be ye engaged always in service. Should any one of you enter into the employment of the government, he must live and act with the utmost truthfulness, righteousness, chastity, uprightness, purity, sanctity, justice and equity. But if (I seek refuge in God!) any one betray the least of trusts, or neglect and be remiss in the performance of any duties which are entrusted to him, or if by extortion he take one penny from any subject, or seek after his own personal or selfish aims and ends or the attainment of his own interests, he shall undoubtedly remain deprived of the outpourings of His Highness the Almighty. Beware! Beware!! Lest ye fall short of that which ye are commanded in this tablet!
Upon ye be greeting and praise!
(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbas.
*Used in Persian as an exclamation.
|
|
