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LAWH-I-DUNYÁ (Tablet of the World)
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In My Name, calling aloud in the Kingdom
of Utterance
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PRAISE and thanksgiving beseem the Lord of
manifest dominion Who hath adorned the
mighty prison with the presence of their honours
`Alí-Akbar and Amín, and hath illumined it
with the light of certitude, constancy and assurance.
[The two Hands of the Cause of God, Hájí Mullá `Alí-Akbar Sháhmírzádí and Hájí Abu'l-Hasan Ardakaní, Amín-i-Iláhí (Trustee of Huqúqu'lláh), were originally arrested in Tihrán, imprisoned in Qazvín in the year 1891, and then transferred to prison in Tihrán.]
The
glory of God and the glory of all that are in the heavens
and on the earth be upon them.
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Light and glory, greeting and praise be upon the Hands
of His Cause, through whom the light of fortitude hath
shone forth and the truth hath been established that the
authority to choose rests with God, the Powerful, the
Mighty, the Unconstrained, through whom the ocean of
bounty hath surged and the fragrance of the gracious
favours of God, the Lord of mankind, hath been diffused.
We beseech Him--exalted is He--to shield them through
the power of His hosts, to protect them through the
potency of His dominion and to aid them through His
indomitable strength which prevaileth over all created
things. Sovereignty is God's, the Creator of the heavens
and the Lord of the Kingdom of Names.
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The Great Announcement proclaimeth: O people of
Persia! In former times ye have been the symbols of mercy
and the embodiments of affection and kindliness. The
regions of the world were illumined and embellished by the
brightness of the light of your knowledge and by the blaze
of your erudition. How is it that you have arisen to destroy
yourselves and your friends with your own hands?
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O Afnán, O thou that has branched from Mine ancient
Stock! My glory and My loving-kindness rest upon thee.
How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of God! It hath
overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and
will, ere long, gather together the whole of mankind
beneath its shelter. Thy day of service is now come.
Countless Tablets bear the testimony of the bounties vouchsafed
unto thee. Arise for the triumph of My Cause, and,
through the power of thine utterance, subdue the hearts of
men. Thou must show forth that which will ensure the
peace and the well-being of the miserable and the downtrodden.
Gird up the loins of thine endeavour, that
perchance thou mayest release the captive from his chains,
and enable him to attain unto true liberty.
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Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity
groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds
of tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and
enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen
of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent
Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and
instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things
proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration.
This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by
the Pen of this Wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear
ye, O My well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay
you? A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened
clay out of which this perverse generation is moulded. The
mere act of your gathering together is enough to scatter the
forces of these vain and worthless people.
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Strife and conflict befit the beasts of the wild. It was
through the grace of God and with the aid of seemly words
and praiseworthy deeds that the unsheathed swords of the
Bábí community were returned to their scabbards. Indeed
through the power of good words, the righteous have
always succeeded in winning command over the meads of
the hearts of men. Say, O ye loved ones! Do not forsake
prudence. Incline your hearts to the counsels given by the
Most Exalted Pen and beware lest your hands or tongues
cause harm unto anyone among mankind.
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Referring to the land of Tá (Tihrán) We have revealed
in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas that which will admonish mankind.
They that perpetrate tyranny in the world have usurped the
rights of the peoples and kindreds of the earth and are
sedulously pursuing their selfish inclinations. The tyrant
[Prince Mahmúd Mírzá, the Jalálu'd'Dawlih, Governor of Yazd, Persia.]
of
the land of Yá (Yazd), committed that which hath caused
the Concourse on High to shed tears of blood.
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O thou who hast quaffed from the wine of Mine utterance
and hast fixed thy gaze upon the horizon of My
Revelation! How strange that the people of Persia, who
were unrivalled in sciences and arts, should have sunk to the
lowest level of degradation among the kindreds of the
earth. O people! In this blessed, this glorious Day, deprive
not yourselves of the liberal effusions of bounty which the
Lord of abounding grace hath vouchsafed unto you. In this
Day showers of wisdom and utterance are pouring down
from the clouds of divine mercy. Well is it with them who
judge His Cause with fairness, and woe betide the unjust.
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Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that
the counsels which the Pen of this Wronged One hath
revealed constitute the supreme animating power for the
advancement of the world and the exaltation of its peoples.
Arise, O people, and, by the power of God's might,
resolve to gain the victory over your own selves, that haply
the whole earth may be freed and sanctified from its
servitude to the gods of its idle fancies--gods that have
inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for the misery
of their wretched worshippers. These idols form the
obstacle that impedeth man in his efforts to advance in the
path of perfection. We cherish the hope that the Hand of
divine power may lend its assistance to mankind and
deliver it from its state of grievous abasement.
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In one of the Tablets these words have been revealed: O
people of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns;
let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will
rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts
and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure
and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly
behaviour. Valiant acts will ensure the triumph of this
Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce its power.
Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Bahá! This, verily,
is the commandment which this Wronged One hath given
unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained Will for
every one of you.
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O friends! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your
souls through the gracious favours which in this Divine,
this soul-stirring Springtime are being showered upon you.
The Day-Star of His great glory hath shed its radiance upon
you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed
you. How high the reward of him that hath not
deprived himself of so great a bounty, nor failed to
recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this, His new
attire. Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in
wait, ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his
wicked devices, and, led by the light of the name of the
All-Seeing God, make your escape from the darkness that
surroundeth you. Let your vision be world-embracing,
rather than confined to your own self. The Evil One is he
that hindereth the rise and obstructeth the spiritual progress
of the children of men.
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It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast
unto whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the
station, of all nations and just governments. Through each
and every one of the verses which the Pen of the Most High
hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked
and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile
declared--and Our Word is the truth--: `Consort
with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness
and fellowship.' Whatsoever hath led the children of men
to shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and
divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation of
these words, been nullified and abolished. From the heaven
of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world
of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath
been sent down that which is the most effective instrument
for the education of the whole human race. The highest
essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever the
peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this
most potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven
of the Will of the All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God.
Of old it hath been revealed: `Love of one's country is an
element of the Faith of God.' The Tongue of Grandeur
hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed:
`It is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his
who loveth the world.' Through the power released by
these exalted words He hath lent a fresh impulse and set a
new direction to the birds of men's hearts, and hath obliterated
every trace of restriction and limitation from God's
holy Book.
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This Wronged One hath forbidden the people of God to
engage in contention or conflict and hath exhorted them to
righteous deeds and praiseworthy character. In this day the
hosts that can ensure the victory of the Cause are those of
goodly conduct and saintly character. Blessed are they who
firmly adhere unto them and woe betide such as turn away
therefrom.
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O people of God! I admonish you to observe courtesy,
for above all else it is the prince of virtues. Well is it with
him who is illumined with the light of courtesy and is
attired with the vesture of uprightness. Whoso is endued
with courtesy hath indeed attained a sublime station. It is
hoped that this Wronged One and everyone else may be
enabled to acquire it, hold fast unto it, observe it, and fix
our gaze upon it. This is a binding command which hath
streamed forth from the Pen of the Most Great Name.
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This is the day when the gems of constancy that lie hid
in the mine of men's inner selves should be made manifest.
O people of Justice! Be as brilliant as the light and as
splendid as the fire that blazed in the Burning Bush. The
brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse and
unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth,
whilst the fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred
cannot but result in strife and ruin. We beseech God that
He may shield His creatures from the evil designs of His
enemies. He verily hath power over all things.
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All praise be to the one true God--exalted be His glory
--inasmuch as He hath, through the Pen of the Most High,
unlocked the doors of men's hearts. Every verse which this
Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining portal that discloseth
the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure and
stainless deeds. The summons and the message which We
gave were never intended to reach or to benefit one land or
one people only. Mankind in its entirety must firmly
adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and vouchsafed
unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true liberty.
The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent glory
of God's Revelation. In the year sixty He Who heralded
the light of Divine Guidance--may all creation be a sacrifice
unto Him--arose to announce a fresh revelation of the
Divine Spirit, and was followed, twenty years later, by
Him through Whose coming the world was made the
recipient of this promised glory, this wondrous favour.
Behold how the generality of mankind hath been endued
with the capacity to hearken unto God's most exalted
Word--the Word upon which must depend the gathering
together and spiritual resurrection of all men.
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Whilst in the Prison of Akká, We revealed in the
Crimson Book that which is conducive to the advancement
of mankind and to the reconstruction of the world. The
utterances set forth therein by the Pen of the Lord of
creation include the following which constitute the fundamental
principles for the administration of the affairs of men:
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First: It is incumbent upon the ministers of the House of
Justice to promote the Lesser Peace so that the people of the
earth may be relieved from the burden of exorbitant
expenditures. This matter is imperative and absolutely
essential, inasmuch as hostilities and conflict lie at the root
of affliction and calamity.
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Second: Languages must be reduced to one common
language to be taught in all the schools of the world.
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Third: It behoveth man to adhere tenaciously unto that
which will promote fellowship, kindliness and unity.
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Fourth: Everyone, whether man or woman, should hand
over to a trusted person a portion of what he or she earneth
through trade, agriculture or other occupation, for the
training and education of children, to be spent for this
purpose with the knowledge of the Trustees of the House
of Justice.
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Fifth: Special regard must be paid to agriculture.
Although it hath been mentioned in the fifth place, unquestionably
it precedeth the others. Agriculture is highly
developed in foreign lands, however in Persia it hath so far
been grievously neglected. It is hoped that His Majesty the
Sháh--may God assist him by His grace--will turn his
attention to this vital and important matter.
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Were men to strictly observe that which the Pen of the
Most High hath revealed in the Crimson Book, they could
then well afford to dispense with the regulations which
prevail in the world. Certain exhortations have repeatedly
streamed forth from the Pen of the Most High that perchance
the manifestations of power and the dawning-places
of might may, sometime, be enabled to enforce them.
Indeed, were sincere seekers to be found, every emanation
of God's pervasive and irresistible Will would, for the sake
of His love, be revealed. But where are to be found earnest
seekers and inquiring minds? Whither are gone the equitable
and the fair-minded? At present no day passeth without
the fire of a fresh tyranny blazing fiercely, or the sword of
a new aggression being unsheathed. Gracious God! The
great and the noble in Persia glory in acts of such savagery
that one is lost in amazement at the tales thereof.
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Day and night this Wronged One yieldeth thanks and
praise unto the Lord of men, for it is witnessed that the
words of counsel and exhortation We uttered have proved
effective and that this people hath evinced such character
and conduct as are acceptable in Our sight. This is affirmed
by virtue of the event which hath truly cheered the eye of
the world, and is none other than the intercession of the
friends with the high authorities in favour of their enemies.
Indeed one's righteous deeds testify to the truth of one's
words. We cherish the hope that men of piety may
illumine the world through the radiant light of their
conduct, and We entreat the Almighty--glorified and
exalted is He--to grant that everyone may in this Day
remain steadfast in His love and stand firm in His Cause. He
is, in truth, the Protector of those who are wholly devoted
to Him and observe His precepts.
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O people of God! Countless are the realms which Our
Pen of Glory hath revealed and manifold the eyes to which
it hath imparted true enlightenment. Yet most of the
people in Persia continue to be deprived of the benefits of
profitable counsels and remain sorely lacking in useful
sciences and arts. Formerly these sublime words were
especially revealed by the Pen of Glory in honour of one
of the faithful, that perchance those that have gone astray
may embrace the Truth and become acquainted with the
subtleties of the Law of God.
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The unbelievers and the faithless have set their minds on
four things: first, the shedding of blood; second, the burning
of books; third, the shunning of the followers of other
religions; fourth, the extermination of other communities
and groups. Now however, through the strengthening
grace and potency of the Word of God these four barriers
have been demolished, these clear injunctions have been
obliterated from the Tablet and brutal dispositions have
been transmuted into spiritual attributes. Exalted is His
purpose; glorified is His power; magnified is His dominion!
Now let us beseech God--praised be His glory--to
graciously guide aright the followers of the Shí'ih sect and
to purge them of unseemly conduct. From the lips of the
members of this sect foul imprecations fall unceasingly,
while they invoke the word `Mal'ún' (accursed)--uttered
with a guttural sound of the letter `ayn--as their daily
relish.
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O God my God! Thou hearest the sighing of Him Who
is Thy Light (Bahá), hearkenest unto His lamentations in
the daytime and in the night season and knowest that He
desireth naught for Himself but rather seeketh to sanctify
the souls of Thy servants and to deliver them from the fire
with which they are beset at all times. O Lord! The hands
of Thy well-favoured servants are raised towards the
heaven of Thy bounty and those of Thy sincere lovers are
lifted up to the sublime heights of Thy generosity. Disappoint
them not, I entreat Thee, in that which they seek
from the ocean of Thy favour and from the heaven of Thy
grace and the day-star of Thy bounty. Aid them, O Lord,
to acquire such virtues as will exalt their stations among the
peoples of the world. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the
Mighty, the Most Generous.
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O people of God! Give ear unto that which, if heeded,
will ensure the freedom, well-being, tranquillity, exaltation
and advancement of all men. Certain laws and principles
are necessary and indispensable for Persia. However, it is
fitting that these measures should be adopted in conformity
with the considered views of His Majesty--may God aid
him through His grace--and of the learned divines and of
the high-ranking rulers. Subject to their approval a place
should be fixed where they would meet. There they should
hold fast to the cord of consultation and adopt and enforce
that which is conducive to the security, prosperity, wealth
and tranquillity of the people. For were any measure other
than this to be adopted, it could not but result in chaos and
commotion.
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According to the fundamental laws which We have
formerly revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and other Tablets,
all affairs are committed to the care of just kings and
presidents and of the Trustees of the House of Justice.
Having pondered on that which We have enunciated,
every man of equity and discernment will readily perceive,
with his inner and outer eyes, the splendours of the day-star
of justice which radiate therefrom.
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The system of government which the British people
have adopted in London appeareth to be good, for it is
adorned with the light of both kingship and of the consultation
of the people.
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In formulating the principles and laws a part hath been
devoted to penalties which form an effective instrument
for the security and protection of men. However, dread
of the penalties maketh people desist only outwardly from
committing vile and contemptible deeds, while that which
guardeth and restraineth man both outwardly and inwardly
hath been and still is the fear of God. It is man's true
protector and his spiritual guardian. It behoveth him to
cleave tenaciously unto that which will lead to the appearance
of this supreme bounty. Well is it with him who
giveth ear unto whatsoever My Pen of Glory hath proclaimed
and observeth that whereunto he is bidden by the
Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.
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Incline your hearts, O people of God, unto the counsels
of your true, your incomparable Friend. The Word of God
may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted
in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to
foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of
sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become
firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as high as the
heavens and beyond.
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O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that
marketh the pre-eminent character of this Supreme Revelation
consisteth in that We have, on the one hand, blotted
out from the pages of God's holy Book whatsoever hath
been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst the
children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the
essential prerequisites of concord, of understanding, of
complete and enduring unity. Well is it with them that
keep My statutes.
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Time and again have We admonished Our beloved ones
to avoid, nay to flee from, anything whatsoever from which
the odour of mischief can be detected. The world is in great
turmoil, and the minds of its people are in a state of utter
confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may graciously
illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable
them to discover that which will be profitable unto them
at all times and under all conditions. He, verily is the All-Possessing,
the Most High.
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We have ere this uttered these sublime words: Let them
that bear allegiance to this Wronged One be even as a
raining cloud in moments of charity and benevolence and
as a blazing fire in restraining their base and appetitive
natures.
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Gracious God! A thing hath recently happened which
caused great astonishment. It is reported that a certain
person
[Jamálu'd-Dín-i-Afghání. (See God Passes By pp. 296, 317.)]
went to the seat of the imperial throne in Persia and
succeeded in winning the good graces of some of the
nobility by his ingratiating behaviour. How pitiful indeed,
how deplorable! One wondereth why those who have
been the symbols of highest glory should now stoop to
boundless shame. What is become of their high resolve?
Whither is gone the sense of dignity and honour? The sun
of glory and wisdom hath unceasingly been shining above
the horizon of Persia, but nowadays it hath sunk to such a
low level that certain dignitaries have allowed themselves
to be treated as playthings in the hands of the foolish. The
aforesaid person hath written such things concerning this
people in the Egyptian press and in the Beirut Encyclopedia
that the well-informed and the learned were astonished.
He proceeded then to Paris where he published a newspaper
entitled Urvatu'l-Vuthqá [The Sure Handle] and sent
copies thereof to all parts of the world. He also sent a copy
to the Prison of Akká, and by so doing he meant to show
affection and to make amends for his past actions. In short,
this Wronged One hath observed silence in regard to him.
We entreat God, the True One, to protect him and to shed
upon him the light of justice and fairness. It behoveth him
to say:
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O God my God! Thou seest me standing before the door
of Thy forgiveness and benevolence, turning my gaze toward
the horizon of Thy bountiful favours and manifold
blessings. I beg of Thee by Thy sweet accents and by the
shrill voice of Thy Pen, O Lord of all mankind, to graciously
aid Thy servants as it befitteth Thy days and beseemeth
the glory of Thy manifestation and Thy majesty.
Verily potent art Thou to do whatsoever Thou willest. All
they that dwell in the heavens and on the earth bear witness
to Thy power and Thy might, to Thy glory and Thy
bounteousness. Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds
and the Well-Beloved of the heart of every man of understanding!
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Thou beholdest, O my God, the essence of poverty
seeking the ocean of Thy wealth and the substance of
iniquity yearning for the waters of Thy forgiveness and
Thy tender mercy. Grant Thou, O my God, that which
beseemeth Thy great glory and befitteth the loftiness of
Thy boundless grace. Thou art in truth the All-Bountiful,
the Lord of grace abounding, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
No God is there but Thee, the Most Powerful, the All-Compelling,
the Omnipotent.
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O people of God! In this day everyone should fix his
eyes upon the horizon of these blessed words: `Alone and
unaided He doeth whatsoever He pleaseth.' Whoso attaineth
this station hath verily attained the light of the
essential unity of God and is enlightened thereby, while all
others are reckoned in the Book of God among the followers
of idle fancy and vain imagination. Incline your
ears to the Voice of this Wronged One and safeguard the
integrity of your stations. It is highly necessary and
imperative that everyone should observe this matter.
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Unveiled and unconcealed, this Wronged One hath, at
all times, proclaimed before the face of all the peoples of
the world that which will serve as the key for unlocking
the doors of sciences, of arts, of knowledge, of well-being,
of prosperity and wealth. Neither have the wrongs
inflicted by the oppressors succeeded in silencing the shrill
voice of the Most Exalted Pen, nor have the doubts of the
perverse or of the seditious been able to hinder Him from
revealing the Most Sublime Word. I earnestly beseech God
that He may protect and purge the people of Bahá from the
idle fancies and corrupt imaginings of the followers of the
former Faith.
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O people of God! Righteous men of learning who
dedicate themselves to the guidance of others and are freed
and well guarded from the promptings of a base and
covetous nature are, in the sight of Him Who is the Desire
of the world, stars of the heaven of true knowledge. It is
essential to treat them with deference. They are indeed
fountains of soft-flowing water, stars that shine resplendent,
fruits of the blessed Tree, exponents of celestial power, and
oceans of heavenly wisdom. Happy is he that followeth
them. Verily such a soul is numbered in the Book of God,
the Lord of the mighty Throne, among those with whom it
shall be well.
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The glory which proceedeth from God, the Lord of the
Throne on High and of the earth below, rest upon you, O
people of Bahá, O ye the companions of the Crimson Ark,
and upon such as have inclined their ears to your sweet
voices and have observed that whereunto they are bidden
in this mighty and wondrous Tablet.
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