Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 72

Convey my greetings and praise to thy respected wife and to thy mother, who believed in her G.o.d; cheer her heart and comfort her spirit through the Kingdom of G.o.d.

"O thou who art turning thy heart unto the Kingdom of..."

O thou who art turning thy heart unto the Kingdom of G.o.d!

Verily, I read thy recent letter and praised G.o.d for having blessed thee with two babes, as a mercy on His part. He is indeed the Merciful, the Generous!

Give to them the names Leah and Rachel, which are the names of the two wives of Jacob, for they were two sisters, beloved of G.o.d. Perchance G.o.d hath destined profound wisdom in this.

Then thank G.o.d that He hath guided thy honorable wife to the Manifestation of Light, the Revealer of Signs and the Source of Mysteries. Verily, this is the great favor.

Then know verily, that the doors of tests will be opened in that town, but it is inc.u.mbent on thee to be steadfast in the love of G.o.d and firm in His great Cause. He who remaineth firm, grows; and he who is steadfast will be confirmed by G.o.d with great power in this glorious century.

"O thou who art baptized by the Spirit of the Love of..."

O thou who art baptized by the Spirit of the Love of G.o.d!

Be rejoiced with this great bounty and gladdened by this mighty gift!

Verily, thou art from the West and we are from the East, the distance between is great. Nevertheless, it is as if we were from one native land, one city, one house and one household. The love of G.o.d gathered us all under the shade of one tent, beneath one banner.

This is from the power of the command of G.o.d and His dominion, which encompa.s.seth all contingent beings and affects the hearts of all existing things.

"O maid-servant of G.o.d!..."

O maid-servant of G.o.d!

Verily, the Lord of Hosts calleth thee from the absence of existence (or non-existence) and sayeth:

"Come, O My maid-servant, to My Kingdom!

Come, O My attracted one, unto My Great Paradise!

Come, O My maid-servant, unto My Sublime Heaven!

Come, O My attracted one, unto the place of My Glorious Throne."

Therefore turn, with a heart throbbing and tears flowing, unto the Beauty of El-Abha, so that thou obtaineth the great favor and drinketh from that wine, and tasteth the fruits of the Paradise of El-Abha.

"O thou faithful and confident!..."

O thou faithful and confident!

Thanks be to G.o.d that thou hast obtained that which was sought by all prophets and holy souls; namely, the knowledge of G.o.d and the love of G.o.d.

First, the knowledge; and, second, His unfathomable love. Also the different members of thy family, who followed thee and who obtained that which thou didst obtain.

This is a great gift from G.o.d and hath no equal; although in this physical world its greatness is not perceivable, nor its nature clearly known, yet in the spiritual world it s.h.i.+neth like the sun.

So long as the pearl remaineth hidden at the bottom of the sea, its value is not known nor its brilliancy and fineness seen, it is only when in the hands of the expert jeweler that its great beauty becomes revealed.

Thou shouldst be at the utmost height of joy and satisfaction, for thou art surrounded by the bounties of the Merciful and hast become the object of the appearance of divine guidance.

In order to give thanks for this great and glorious gift, thou shouldst do all thou canst to guide His creatures, to give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, life to the dead, and endeavor to turn those who are still attached to material things in the way which leads to spiritual heights; to help them to travel in the way of the Kingdom and to walk in the path that leads to the King of Kings.

Servant and believer in G.o.d! Present the greetings of Abdul-Baha to the faithful maid-servant of G.o.d [thy wife] and to thy two revered daughters.

"O thou my dear friend, my a.s.sociate and companion!..."

O thou my dear friend, my a.s.sociate and companion!

The times of (our) meeting(189) are still remembered and the sweetness of thy company is lastingly established in the recess of (my) life.

I pray and implore the threshold of the Lord of the Kingdom always, and seek for thee His strength and confirmation, saying:

"O Lord of Hosts! Confirm Thine affectionate ........ in Thy servitude, aid him in the service of Thy Word, open to his face the door of knowledge, reveal to his heart the realities and significances, and grant him the ecstasy of the cup of reality, gladden him through the melody of Thy love, make his night, day, and day, happy!"

In sooth, O dear one! thy services are evident, thy endurance of ordeals and difficulties well known.

In the organization of the Mashrak-el-Azcar, thou art indeed well striving. I hope thou wilt attain a great reward, open an eloquent tongue, raise a wonderful melody in every meeting, draw and paint the images and forms of the Kingdom in the material world.

Rest a.s.sured in the grace of the Lord and be dilated by His infinite favors.

Convey greetings of reverence to the maid-servant of G.o.d [thy wife], likewise thy revered daughter. I am ever thoughtful of them and will never forget them.

"O thou spiritual friend!..."