Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 4

I trust in Him to make your faces s.h.i.+ne forth with glorious lights in that clime, glistening as the face of heaven by the light of the early dawn, unto the horizons.

Verily I herald unto you the confirmations which will sustain you by the mercy of your Lord. For ye have arisen with all your power to serve G.o.d's Cause in that vast region. Ponder over this great bounty and manifest attainment!

I send you the glad-tidings of the erection of the Temple of wors.h.i.+p (Mashrak-el-Azcar) in Ishkabad [Russia], with all joy and great happiness.

The friends of G.o.d a.s.sembled together with rejoicing and conveyed the stones themselves, upon their backs, while attracted by the love of G.o.d and for the glory of G.o.d. Soon that great Temple will be completed and the voice of prayer and praise shall ascend to the sublime Kingdom.

I was rejoiced through your endeavors in this glorious cause, made with joy and good interest. I pray G.o.d to aid you in exalting His Word and in establis.h.i.+ng the Temple of Wors.h.i.+p, through His grace and ancient mercy.

Verily you are the first to arise for this glorious cause in that vast region. Soon will ye see the spread of this enterprise in the world and its resounding voice shall go through the ears of the people in all parts.

Exert your energy in accomplis.h.i.+ng what you have undertaken, so that this glorious Temple may be built, that the beloved of G.o.d may a.s.semble therein and that they may pray and offer glory to G.o.d for guiding them to His Kingdom.

Convey my greeting and praise to the beloved of G.o.d in that city.

"Your three reports, together with the public..."

(18) Your three reports, together with the public announcement(19), were received. Praise be to G.o.d! all the contents indicated firmness, spirituality and goodness. The friends of the Spiritual Meeting are indeed manifesting efforts in the Cause of G.o.d. Soon the unseen strength of heaven will become evident, and such zeal and earnestness will become manifest in that country that it will affect all parts of the world.

Souls are like unto mirrors, and the bounty of G.o.d is like unto the sun.

When the mirrors pa.s.s beyond all coloring and attain purity and polish, and are confronted with the sun, they will reflect in full perfection its light and glory. In this condition one should not consider the mirror, but the power of the light of the sun, which hath penetrated the mirror, making it a reflector of the heavenly glory.

I hope that the House of Spirituality will become a heavenly mirror and the lights of the Sun of Truth will so penetrate it that all parts will be illuminated through it.

Your public announcement was carefully considered, and in some places slight corrections were made, and it was returned to you. This announcement should be given forth with wisdom, and not in haste, for it would be a cause of stirring up. When ye find a soul manifesting a demand for Truth, then ye may give this to him, that he may be informed of the rudiments of the Cause.

But my name should be confined to Abdul-Baha in all writings. This is the collective name which will gather all the people, and it is the strong fortress and protection of the Cause of G.o.d. The beloved ones must limit themselves to this. However, ye may mention me as the Light of the Love of G.o.d, the Flame of the Guidance of G.o.d and the Banner of Peace and Harmony.

I trust in G.o.d that ye may ever be confirmed through the Holy Spirit.

"O ye spiritual friends of Abdul-Baha!..."

O ye spiritual friends of Abdul-Baha!

Your long letter was considered and its contents were a source of happiness. Thank G.o.d that ye, western friends, have become dawning-points of the love of G.o.d and stars of knowledge leading to Him; night and day are ye thinking of imparting life to souls and of educating people of discernment.

Regarding the blessed word, the Greatest Name: Its writing or spelling is according to its p.r.o.nunciation (i.e., it is spelled as it is p.r.o.nounced) in the Persian language. Baha is correct; Beha is incorrect. However this question must not cause inharmony and grief among the friends. This truth shall become manifest.

Should ye attribute a mistake to a person, it will be a cause of offense and grief to him-how much greater would this be if it is attributed to a number of people! How often it hath occurred that a slight difference hath caused a great dissension and hath been made a reason for division. Now, you write Baha'u'llah,(20) but do not object to any person. All will eventually follow the correct spelling.

O ye beloved ones of G.o.d! The manifestation of the Light of Unity is for binding together the people of the world. If this unity is not attained, the tree of life is made fruitless, the heavenly bounty is not utilized.

The blessed blood (of the saints) was shed for bringing about unity and harmony. These souls gave their lives as sacrifice in order to produce the love that bindeth the hearts of all the people. Therefore, ye should all spend your efforts in uniting and reconciling (the people), so that the light of G.o.d's love may permeate the universe.

The Spiritual Meeting of men (House of Spirituality) and the Spiritual Meeting of women (a.s.sembly of Teaching) in Chicago are indeed endeavoring to serve. If they unite, as they should, they will produce great results.

Especially, if the Spiritual Meetings of Chicago unite with those of New York and become bound together, in a short while the fragrance of the divine garden, which giveth life, will perfume all regions.

"O ye spiritual friends of Abdul-Baha!..."

O ye spiritual friends of Abdul-Baha!

Your letter was considered; its contents were a source of satisfaction to the heart and its meaning indicative of firmness and steadfastness in the Cause of G.o.d.

That gathering is under the shelter and protection of the mighty Lord. I hope that, as it should be, ye may be confirmed by the fragrance of the Holy Spirit and day by day may grow in love for G.o.d and attraction to the eternal beauty of the Sun of the horizons.

The spiritual love of G.o.d maketh man pure and holy and clotheth him with the garment of virtue and purity. And when man attacheth his heart wholly to G.o.d and becometh related to the Blessed Perfection, the divine bounty will dawn. This love is not physical, nay, rather, it is absolutely spiritual.

The souls whose consciences are enlightened through the light of the love of G.o.d, they are like unto s.h.i.+ning lights and resemble stars of holiness in the heaven of purity.

The real and great love is the love of G.o.d. That is holy above the imaginations and thoughts of men.

The beloved of G.o.d must each be the essence of purity and holiness; so may they be known by their purity, freedom and meekness in every land; they may drink from the eternal chalice of the love of G.o.d, enjoy its ecstasy, and through meeting the Beauty of Abha, they should be joyful, active, aglow with zeal and wonderful. This is the station of the sincere. This is the quality of those who are firm. This is the illumination of the faces of those who are near.

Therefore, O ye friends of G.o.d, ye must in perfect purity attain spiritual unity and agreement to a degree that ye may express one spirit and one life.

In this condition physical bodies play no part: the command and authority are in the hand of the spirit. When the spirit becometh all inclusive, the Spiritual union shall be attained. Night and day endeavor to attain perfect harmony; be thoughtful concerning your own spiritual developments and close your eyes to the shortcomings of one another.

By good deeds, pure lives, humility and meekness be a lesson for others.

Abdul-Baha wisheth no one's heart to feel hurt, nor will he be a source of grief to any one; for there is no greater satisfaction than being a source of joy to the hearts.

I ask G.o.d that ye may become like angels of heaven, sources of happiness to souls.

"O ye dear friends of Abdul-Baha!..."

O ye dear friends of Abdul-Baha!

The blessed letter indicating the election of the Spiritual Meeting was received and proved a source of joy. Thank G.o.d, the beloved of that city, in perfect unity, love and oneness, held the new election and were confirmed and strengthened to elect such holy souls as are near the divine Threshold and known by the republic of the beloved to be firm and steadfast in the Covenant.

Now they (the members of Spiritual Meeting) must, in perfect spirit and fragrance, in sincerity of heart, in attraction by the fragrances of G.o.d and by the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, engage in service; in the promotion of the Word of G.o.d; the diffusion of the fragrances of G.o.d; the training of the souls; the promulgation of the most great peace. They must raise the Banner of Guidance and become the host of the Supreme Concourse.

Indeed, blessed souls have been elected. When I read their names, spiritual joy was immediately realized, for, praise be to G.o.d! certain souls have appeared in that continent who are servants of the kingdom, self-sacrificing ones of the Peerless Majesty.

O ye friends of mine! Illuminate the meeting with the light of the love of G.o.d, make it joyful and happy through the melody of the Kingdom of holiness, and with heavenly food and through the "Lord's Supper"(21) confer life.

Congregate in the utmost of joy and happiness and commence with this commune: