Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 105

also, know thou that the greatest spiritual and divine "chaplet" is the Word of G.o.d and the Sun of Truth which penetrateth the reality of the created things and attracteth the entire soul of man in the world of existence and s.h.i.+neth forth unto all horizons (or regions). Hast thou ever perceived a greater "chaplet" than this? No! by the Splendor of Baha'!

Verily, I yearn for the visit of those souls who are cheered, dilated and moved by and attracted to the Holy Spirit and the Word of G.o.d.

"O thou who art awakened to the Cause of G.o.d!..."

O thou who art awakened to the Cause of G.o.d!

Verily, I read thy letter and my heart was rejoiced at thine interesting words; and I thanked G.o.d for He hath favored those souls who earnestly desire to guard His strongly fortified fortress and His inaccessible cave and who love unity, affinity, harmony and accord and who agree on one opinion, one idea and one word. This behooveth the sincere souls! This behooveth such as believe in the divine unity! This behooveth such as are firm and steadfast in the Covenant, which is throbbing within the heart of the whole creation!

Be ye guardians of the throne of the Kingdom of G.o.d and armies of defense for the Religion of G.o.d. Whenever ye find someone desiring to separate himself from the flock, it is inc.u.mbent upon you to treat him with fragrance and kindness and persuade and encourage him, so that this secluded sheep may return to the flock.

Verily, thy Lord loveth union and hateth discord; for the appearance of the Holy Manifestations and divine laws is only for the sake of affinity, union and concord, so that the remote, contradictory and different nations and creeds may enter under the shadow of the Blessed Tree in unanimous love and agreement.

I bed of G.o.d to confirm all of His dearly beloved ones in one opinion, one belief, one movement, one path and one manner. This is that by which the station of the beloved ones will be elevated, the Word of G.o.d will be promoted, the fragrances of G.o.d will be diffused and the faces of the sincere ones will be illuminated in the path of G.o.d. It is inc.u.mbent upon you to practice these [instructions] under all aspects and circ.u.mstances.

As to the manifestation of the Greatest Name (Baha'o'llah): This was the Divine Manifestation which appeared upon the earthly world. This is He whom G.o.d promised in all His Books and Scriptures, such as the Bible, the gospels and the Koran. All of these Books indicate this fact, and the least doubt cannot possibly occur to the minds concerning this clear fact, as is recorded in detail in the heavenly Books, especially in the brilliant and holy Tablets. But notwithstanding this fact, if there is anyone who hesitates therein, do not dispute with him, nay rather prove this to him with all joy and fragrance, lest he may be obstinately compelled to rebellion.

"O my G.o.d! O my G.o.d!..."

O my G.o.d! O my G.o.d!

Praise be unto Thee! for Thou hast created me of the most excellent fabric, in the most honored form, and in the most exalted kind of Thy creation; didst nurture me from the breast of Thy favor, didst nurse me in the bosom of Thy mercy, until I grew up under the protection of Thy divinity, in the cradle of Thy training, and reached full growth through Thy favor and grace. Then Thou hast made me to experience various circ.u.mstances and suffer countless calamities, afflictions and troubles in myself and griefs in my soul. Thou hast (finally) guided me to the fountain of Thy favor and illumined my sight through the light of Thy guidance, quickened by spirit with Thy fragrances of holiness and moved my heart with the breeze of the garden of Thy favor. Then I became rejoiced at the appearance of Thy Beauty, the rising of Thy Lights and the dawning of the morn of Thy Oneness. Thou hast delivered me from the depths of sorrows, saved me from the darkness of griefs and dilated my breast by showing unto me Thy greatest Signs in the Day of Resurrection. O my Lord!

Engage me in Thy love, [enable me] to cut myself from aught else save Thee, to be consumed with the love of Thy Beauty, to burn with the fire of love for Thy Face, so that I may be entirely drawn unto Thee and become enkindled by the fire ablaze in the Sinaiatic Tree. O my Lord! Verily, with Thee I am free from all else, while turning unto Thy Glorious Kingdom. Deliver me from every gloomy sorrow; shelter me under the protection of Thy greatest favor; save me from my attachment to this inferior world. O my Lord! Verily, I am humble; elevate me through Thy greatest bounty! I am poor; enrich me by Thine abundant treasury! I am ill; heal me by Thy precious antidote and make me as a sign of Thy favor among Thy maid-servants! Verily, Thou art powerful to do that which Thou willest! Verily, Thou art Potent and Mighty!

"O my Lord! O my Lord!..."

O my Lord! O my Lord!

Verily, I am one of Thy maid-servants, supplicating humbly before the Door of Thy Singleness, beseeching and humbling myself to Thee! O my Lord!

Thanks be unto Thee for Thy greatest guidance and Thy greatest favor, which Thou hast a.s.signed unto me and unto Thy wors.h.i.+pping maid-servants, whom Thou hast chosen to enter Thine exalted Kingdom and abide in Thy Paradise of El-Abha. O my Lord! Sanctify me from every worldly station in this primal life and purify me from all else save Thee, O Thou Great Giver! Exhilarate me with the wine of Thy love, O Thou Brilliant Countenance! Intoxicate me with the wine of sanct.i.ty, purity, unity and singleness, O Thou who attractest the hearts of the righteous by the magnet of favors, unto the Kingdom of El-Abha! O my Lord! Cause me to speak Thy praise, illumine my sight through the light of Thy knowledge, cause me to hear Thy Call, and quicken me with the spirit of Thy grace.

Make me rejoiced at the melodies of the birds of Thy holiness, and make me a servant to Thy maid-servants. Cause my soul to be tranquilized, my heart attached, and my mind drawn to the light of thy guidance, which is s.h.i.+ning unto all regions; so that I may walk in the path of Thy good pleasure, yield to Thy decree and be rejoiced at the most violent calamities, and that my breast may become dilated during every tribulation, even though the suffering is beyond endurance. Verily, thou art the Holy, the Pure, the Potent, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Great!

"My Lord! My Lord!..."

My Lord! My Lord!

Thou hast caused me to hear the Call, guided me unto the sea of favor, awakened me through Thy fragrant breeze, and quickened me by the spirit of Thy greatest guidance. I thank and praise Thee for this. O my Lord! O my Lord! Verily, I am athirst; do cause me to drink from the fountain of Thy grace. O my Lord! O my Lord! Verily, I am ill; do heal me by the antidote of Thy mercy. O my Lord! O my Lord! Verily, I am sick; do Thou cure me through Thy favor. O my Lord! O my Lord! I am needy; do enrich me through Thy compa.s.sion. And I am poor; render me prosperous by the treasury of Thy Kingdom. O my Lord! O my Lord! Increase my hope in the court of Thy holiness, and grant my wishes by thy favor and grace. Confirm me to deliver Thy Cause, enable me to call in Thy Name, and cause me to show forth the proofs of Thy Manifestation. Strengthen me to promote Thy Word, dilate my breast by serving Thy maid-servants and being humble and submissive before Thy beloved ones. O my Lord! Verily, I am impotent; do strengthen me by Thy power. I am lost in indigence; do confer on me Thy greatest favor. Make me as one of the maid-servants who diffuse Thy fragrances, who wors.h.i.+p Thy Kingdom, who bow down in the wors.h.i.+pping-places of Thy unity, who kneel down on every dust which is related to the threshold of Thy beloved ones, and who serve in Thy vineyard, speak Thy praise and are attracted to Thy love. Verily, Thou are the Giver, the Powerful, the Mighty!

"O my G.o.d! O my G.o.d!..."

O my G.o.d! O my G.o.d!

This, thy servant, is turning unto Thee, relying upon Thee and is believing in Thee and in Thy great signs. He hath indeed traversed lands and seas, desiring to reach Thy brilliant Holy Land and Thy perfuming dust, and hath advanced toward the lofty court of Thy mercy to wors.h.i.+p Thine Exalted Word. O my G.o.d! a.s.sist him, through the One Mighty in Power, to obey Thy command, to walk in the path of Thy good pleasure to supplicate before the Kingdom of Thy Oneness, to become severed from all else save Thee, to beseech Thy might, to be consumed by Thy love and to spread Thy commemoration, O Thou who grantest the wishes of every supplicant! Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty!

"O my G.o.d! O my G.o.d!..."

O my G.o.d! O my G.o.d!

This, Thy servant, hath advanced toward Thee, is pa.s.sionately wandering in the desert of Thy love, walking in the path of Thy service, antic.i.p.ating Thy favors, hoping for Thy bounty, relying upon Thy Kingdom, and being exhilarated with the wine of Thy gift. O my G.o.d! Increase his fervor in Thy pa.s.sion, his constancy in Thy praise and his ardor in Thy love.

Verily, Thou art the Beneficient and endowed with great bounty! There is no G.o.d but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful!

"O my Lord! O my Lord!..."

O my Lord! O my Lord!

This is a lamp lighted by the fire of Thy love and ablaze with the flame which is ignited in the tree of Thy mercy. O my Lord! Increase his enkindlement, heat and flame, with the fire which is kindled in the Sinai of Thy Manifestation. Verily, Thou art the Confirmer, the a.s.sister, the Powerful, the Generous, the Loving!

"O my Lord, my Beloved, my Desire!..."

O my Lord, my Beloved, my Desire!

Befriend me in my loneliness and accompany me in my exile; remove my sorrow, cause me to be devoted to Thy Beauty, withdraw me from all else save Thee, attract me through Thy fragrances of holiness, cause me to be a.s.sociated in Thy Kingdom with those who are severed from all else save Thee and who long to serve Thy Sacred Threshold and who stand to work in Thy Cause, and enable me to be one of Thy maid-servants who have attained to Thy good pleasure. verily, Thou art the Gracious, the Generous!