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"O THOU who bearest My Name, Júd [Bounty]! Upon..."
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O THOU who bearest My Name, Júd
[Muhammad Javád-i-Qazvíní, upon whom Bahá'u'lláh bestowed the title Ismu'lláhi'l-Júd (The Name of God, Bounty). He transcribed numerous Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh during His Ministry, but subsequently broke the Covenant. (See God Passes By pages 247 and 319.)]
[Bounty]! Upon
thee be My Glory. Give ear unto that which thou didst
hear aforetime when the Day-Star of testimony was
shining resplendent above the horizon of `Iráq, when
Baghdád served as the Seat of the Throne of thy Lord, the
Exalted, the Mighty.
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I bear witness that thou hast hearkened unto the melody
of God and His sweet accents, inclined thine ear to the cooing
of the Dove of divine Revelation and hast heard the
Nightingale of fidelity pouring forth its notes upon the
Branch of Glory: Verily there is none other God but Me,
the Incomparable, the All-Informed.
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O thou who bearest My Name! The glances of the
loving-kindness of God have been and continue to be
directed towards thee. While in His presence, thou hast
heard the Voice of the One true God--exalted be His glory
--and hast beheld the unveiled splendour of the Light of
divine knowledge. Ponder a while! How sublime is the
Utterance of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth and how
abject are the idle contentions of the people! The accumulations
of vain fancy have obstructed men's ears and stopped
them from hearing the Voice of God, and the veils of
human learning and false imaginings have prevented their
eyes from beholding the splendour of the light of His
countenance. With the arm of might and power We have
rescued a number of souls from the slough of impending
extinction and enabled them to attain the Dayspring of
glory. Moreover We have laid bare the divine mysteries
and in most explicit language foretold future events, that
neither the doubts of the faithless, nor the denials of the
froward, nor the whisperings of the heedless may keep
back the seekers of truth from the Source of the light of the
One true God. Nevertheless some people seem to have
been seized with epilepsy, others are torn up even as
hollow tree-stumps. They abandon God, the Most Exalted
--He before Whose revelation of a single verse, all the
Scriptures of the past and of more recent times pale into
lowliness and insignificance--and set their hearts on lying
tales and follow empty words.
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Thou hast surely quaffed from the ocean of Mine utterance
and hast witnessed the effulgent splendour of the orb
of My wisdom. Thou hast also heard the sayings of the
infidels who neither are acquainted with the fundamentals
of the Faith, nor have tasted this choice Wine whose seal
hath been broken through the power of My Name, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Beseech thou God that
the believers who are endued with true understanding may
be graciously enabled to do that which is pleasing unto
Him.
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How strange that despite this ringing Call, despite the
appearance of this most wondrous Revelation, We notice
that men, for the most part, have fixed their hearts on the
vanities of the world and are sorely dismayed and troubled
by reason of prevailing doubts and evil suggestions. Say:
This is the Day of God Himself; fear ye God and be not of
them that have disbelieved in Him. Cast the idle tales behind
your backs and behold My Revelation through Mine
eyes. Unto this have ye been exhorted in heavenly Books
and Scriptures, in the Scrolls and Tablets.
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Arise thou to serve the Cause of thy Lord; then give
the people the joyful tidings concerning this resplendent
Light whose revelation hath been announced by God
through His Prophets and Messengers. Admonish everyone
moreover to observe prudence as ordained by Him, and in
the Name of God advise them, saying: It behoveth every
one in this Day of God to dedicate himself to the teaching
of the Cause with utmost prudence and steadfastness.
Should he discover a pure soil, let him sow the seed of the
Word of God, otherwise it would be preferable to observe
silence.
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Not long ago this most sublime Word was revealed in
the Crimson Book by the All-Glorious Pen: `The heaven
of divine wisdom is illumined with two luminaries: consultation
and compassion'. Please God, everyone may be
enabled to observe this weighty and blessed word.
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Certain people seem to be entirely bereft of understanding.
By clinging to the cord of idle fancy they have debarred
themselves from the Sure Handle. I swear by My
life! Were they to reflect a while with fairness on that
which the All-Merciful hath sent down, they would, one
and all, spontaneously give utterance to these words,
`Verily Thou art the Truth, the manifest Truth.'
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It behoveth thee to turn thy gaze in all circumstances
unto the One true God, and seek diligently to serve His
Cause. Call thou to mind when thou wert in My company,
within the Tabernacle of Glory, and didst hear from Me
that which He Who conversed with God [Moses] heard
upon the Sinai of divine knowledge. Thus did We
graciously aid thee, enabled thee to recognize the truth and
cautioned thee, that thou mightest render thanks unto thy
bountiful Lord. Thou shouldst safeguard this sublime
station through the potency of My Name, the Omnipotent,
the Faithful.
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Convey greetings on My behalf to My loved ones and
suffer them to hearken unto My sweet Voice. Thus biddeth
thee the One Who hath bidden thee in the past; I am in
truth the Ordainer, the All-Informed. Glory be upon thee
and upon those who give ear to thy words concerning this
momentous Cause and who love thee for the sake of God,
the Lord of the worlds.
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