Baha\'u\'llah - Tablets of Baha\'u\'llah Revealed after the Kitab i Aqdas

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by Baha'u'llah

Edition 1, (October 28, 2005)

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CONTENTS

Baha'i Terms of Use
References to the Qur'an
LAWH-I-KARMIL (Tablet of Carmel)
LAWH-I-AQDAS (The Most Holy Tablet)
BISHARAT (Glad-Tidings)
TARAZAT (Ornaments)
TAJALLIYAT (Effulgences)
KALIMAT-I-FIRDAWSIYYIH (Words of Paradise)
LAWH-I-DUNYA (Tablet of the World)
ISHRAQAT (Splendours)
LAWH-I-HIKMAT (Tablet of Wisdom)
ASL-I-KULLU'L-KHAYR (Words of Wisdom)
LAWH-I-MAQSUD (Tablet of Maqsud)
SURIY-I-VAFA (Tablet to Vafa)
LAWH-I-SIYYID-I-MIHDIY-I-DAHAJI (Tablet to Siyyid Mihdiy-i-Dahaji)
LAWH-I-BURHAN (Tablet of the Proof)
KITAB-I-'AHD (Book of the Covenant)
LAWH-I-ARD-I-BA (Tablet of the Land of Ba)
EXCERPTS FROM OTHER TABLETS
"GOD testifieth that there is none other God but..."
"ALL praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou..."
"O HUSAYN! God grant thou shalt ever be bright and..."
"THIS is a Tablet which the Lord of all being hath sent..."
"O FRIEND! In the Bayan We directed everyone in this..."
"O JAVAD! Such is the greatness of this Day that the Hour..."
"WE make mention of him who hath been attracted by Our..."
"O THOU who bearest My Name, Jud [Bounty]! Upon..."
"O HAYDAR! This Wronged One hath heard thy voice..."
"BY the righteousness of God! The Mother Book is made..."
"O MUHAMMAD HUSAYN! Be thou prepared to receive the..."
"O MY handmaiden and My leaf! Rejoice with great joy..."
"AT one time this sublime Word was heard from the..."
"THIS is a Tablet sent down by the All-Merciful from the..."
"O MY handmaiden, O My leaf! Render thou thanks unto..."
"O HANDMAID of God! Hearken unto the Voice of the..."
"FIX your gaze upon wisdom in all things, for it is an..."
"THIS Wronged One doth mention him who hath set his..."
"HE Who leadeth to true victory is come. By the righteousness..."
"THIS is a Tablet sent down by the Lord of mercy that the..."
"WE desire to mention him who hath set his face towards..."
"GIVE ear unto that which the Spirit imparteth unto thee from..."
"THIS Wronged One hath perused thy letter in the Most..."

REFERENCES TO THE QUR'AN

In footnotes referring to the Qur'an the surihs have been numbered
according to the original, whereas the verse numbers are those in
Rodwell's translation which differ sometimes from those of the Arabic.

LAWH-I-KARMIL (TABLET OF CARMEL)

ALL glory be to this Day, the Day in which the fragrances of mercy have
been wafted over all created things, a Day so blest that past ages and
centuries can never hope to rival it, a Day in which the countenance of
the Ancient of Days hath turned towards His holy seat. Thereupon the
voices of all created things, and beyond them those of the Concourse on
High, were heard calling aloud: 'Haste thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light
of the countenance of God, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner
of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee.'

Seized with transports of joy, and raising high her voice, she thus
exclaimed: 'May my life be a sacrifice to Thee, inasmuch as Thou hast
fixed Thy gaze upon me, hast bestowed upon me Thy bounty, and hast
directed towards me Thy steps. Separation from Thee, O Thou Source of
everlasting life, hath well nigh consumed me, and my remoteness from Thy
presence hath burned away my soul. All praise be to Thee for having
enabled me to hearken to Thy call, for having honoured me with Thy
footsteps, and for having quickened my soul through the vitalizing
fragrance of Thy Day and the shrilling voice of Thy Pen, a voice Thou
didst ordain as Thy trumpet-call amidst Thy people. And when the hour at
which Thy resistless Faith was to be made manifest did strike, Thou didst
breathe a breath of Thy spirit into Thy Pen, and lo, the entire creation
shook to its very foundations, unveiling to mankind such mysteries as lay
hidden within the treasuries of Him Who is the Possessor of all created
things.'

No sooner had her voice reached that most exalted Spot than We made reply:
'Render thanks unto thy Lord, O Carmel. The fire of thy separation from Me
was fast consuming thee, when the ocean of My presence surged before thy
face, cheering thine eyes and those of all creation, and filling with
delight all things visible and invisible. Rejoice, for God hath in this
Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of
His signs and the dayspring of the evidences of His Revelation. Well is it
with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of thy
glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath
showered upon thee. Seize thou the Chalice of Immortality in the name of
thy Lord, the All-Glorious, and give thanks unto Him, inasmuch as He, in
token of His mercy unto thee, hath turned thy sorrow into gladness, and
transmuted thy grief into blissful joy. He, verily, loveth the spot which
hath been made the seat of His throne, which His footsteps have trodden,
which hath been honoured by His presence, from which He raised His call,
and upon which He shed His tears.

'Call out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was
hidden from mortal eyes is come! His all-conquering sovereignty is
manifest; His all-encompassing splendour is revealed. Beware lest thou
hesitate or halt. Hasten forth and circumambulate the City of God that
hath descended from heaven, the celestial Kaaba round which have circled
in adoration the favoured of God, the pure in heart, and the company of
the most exalted angels. Oh, how I long to announce unto every spot on the
surface of the earth, and to carry to each one of its cities, the
glad-tidings of this Revelation--a Revelation to which the heart of Sinai
hath been attracted, and in whose name the Burning Bush is calling: "Unto
God, the Lord of Lords, belong the kingdoms of earth and heaven." Verily
this is the Day in which both land and sea rejoice at this announcement,
the Day for which have been laid up those things which God, through a
bounty beyond the ken of mortal mind or heart, hath destined for
revelation. Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee, and will manifest
the people of Baha who have been mentioned in the Book of Names.'

Sanctified be the Lord of all mankind, at the mention of Whose name all
the atoms of the earth have been made to vibrate, and the Tongue of
Grandeur hath been moved to disclose that which had been wrapt in His
knowledge and lay concealed within the treasury of His might. He, verily,
through the potency of His name, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Most
High, is the ruler of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.

LAWH-I-AQDAS (THE MOST HOLY TABLET)(1)

This is the Most Holy Tablet sent down from the holy kingdom unto the one
who hath set his face towards the Object of the adoration of the world, He
Who hath come from the heaven of eternity, invested with transcendent
glory

In the name of the Lord, the Lord of great glory.

THIS is an Epistle from Our presence unto him whom the veils of names have
failed to keep back from God, the Creator of earth and heaven, that his
eyes may be cheered in the days of his Lord, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.

Say, O followers of the Son!(2) Have ye shut out yourselves from Me by
reason of My Name? Wherefore ponder ye not in your hearts? Day and night
ye have been calling upon your Lord, the Omnipotent, but when He came from
the heaven of eternity in His great glory, ye turned aside from Him and
remained sunk in heedlessness.

Consider those who rejected the Spirit(3) when He came unto them with
manifest dominion. How numerous the Pharisees who had secluded themselves
in synagogues in His name, lamenting over their separation from Him, and
yet when the portals of reunion were flung open and the divine Luminary
shone resplendent from the Dayspring of Beauty, they disbelieved in God,
the Exalted, the Mighty. They failed to attain His presence,
notwithstanding that His advent had been promised them in the Book of
Isaiah as well as in the Books of the Prophets and the Messengers. No one
from among them turned his face towards the Dayspring of divine bounty
except such as were destitute of any power amongst men. And yet, today,
every man endowed with power and invested with sovereignty prideth himself
on His Name. Moreover, call thou to mind the one who sentenced Jesus to
death. He was the most learned of his age in his own country, whilst he
who was only a fisherman believed in Him. Take good heed and be of them
that observe the warning.

Consider likewise, how numerous at this time are the monks who have
secluded themselves in their churches, calling upon the Spirit, but when
He appeared through the power of Truth, they failed to draw nigh unto Him
and are numbered with those that have gone far astray. Happy are they that
have abandoned them and set their faces towards Him Who is the Desire of
all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth.

They read the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the All-Glorious Lord,
notwithstanding that He hath come through the potency of His exalted, His
mighty and gracious dominion. We, verily, have come for your sakes, and
have borne the misfortunes of the world for your salvation. Flee ye the
One Who hath sacrificed His life that ye may be quickened? Fear God, O
followers of the Spirit, and walk not in the footsteps of every divine
that hath gone far astray. Do ye imagine that He seeketh His own
interests, when He hath, at all times, been threatened by the swords of
the enemies; or that He seeketh the vanities of the world, after He hath
been imprisoned in the most desolate of cities? Be fair in your judgement
and follow not the footsteps of the unjust.

Open the doors of your hearts. He Who is the Spirit verily standeth before
them. Wherefore keep ye afar from Him Who hath purposed to draw you nigh
unto a Resplendent Spot? Say: We, in truth, have opened unto you the gates
of the Kingdom. Will ye bar the doors of your houses in My face? This
indeed is naught but a grievous error. He, verily, hath again come down
from heaven, even as He came down from it the first time. Beware lest ye
dispute that which He proclaimeth, even as the people before you disputed
His utterances. Thus instructeth you the True One, could ye but perceive
it.

The river Jordan is joined to the Most Great Ocean, and the Son, in the
holy vale, crieth out: 'Here am I, here am I O Lord, my God!', whilst
Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: 'He
Who is the Desired One is come in His transcendent majesty.' Say, Lo! The
Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is
fulfilled! This is the Word which the Son concealed, when to those around
Him He said: 'Ye cannot bear it now.' And when the appointed time was
fulfilled and the Hour had struck, the Word shone forth above the horizon
of the Will of God. Beware, O followers of the Son, that ye cast it not
behind your backs. Take ye fast hold of it. Better is this for you than
all that ye possess. Verily He is nigh unto them that do good. The Hour
which We had concealed from the knowledge of the peoples of the earth and
of the favoured angels hath come to pass. Say, verily, He hath testified
of Me, and I do testify of Him. Indeed, He hath purposed no one other than
Me. Unto this beareth witness every fair-minded and understanding soul.

Though beset with countless afflictions, We summon the people unto God,
the Lord of names. Say, strive ye to attain that which ye have been
promised in the Books of God, and walk not in the way of the ignorant. My
body hath endured imprisonment that ye may be released from the bondage of
self. Set your faces then towards His countenance and follow not the
footsteps of every hostile oppressor. Verily, He hath consented to be
sorely abased that ye may attain unto glory, and yet, ye are disporting
yourselves in the vale of heedlessness. He, in truth, liveth in the most
desolate of abodes for your sakes, whilst ye dwell in your palaces.

Say, did ye not hearken to the Voice of the Crier, calling aloud in the
wilderness of the Bayan, bearing unto you the glad-tidings of the coming
of your Lord, the All-Merciful? Lo! He is come in the sheltering shadow of
Testimony, invested with conclusive proof and evidence, and those who
truly believe in Him regard His presence as the embodiment of the Kingdom
of God. Blessed is the man who turneth towards Him, and woe betide such as
deny or doubt Him.

Announce thou unto the priests: Lo! He Who is the Ruler is come. Step out
from behind the veil in the name of thy Lord, He Who layeth low the necks
of all men. Proclaim then unto all mankind the glad-tidings of this
mighty, this glorious Revelation. Verily, He Who is the Spirit of Truth is
come to guide you unto all truth. He speaketh not as prompted by His own
self, but as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Say, this is the One Who hath glorified the Son and hath exalted His
Cause. Cast away, O peoples of the earth, that which ye have and take fast
hold of that which ye are bidden by the All-Powerful, He Who is the Bearer
of the Trust of God. Purge ye your ears and set your hearts towards Him
that ye may hearken to the most wondrous Call which hath been raised from
Sinai, the habitation of your Lord, the Most Glorious. It will, in truth,
draw you nigh unto the Spot wherein ye will perceive the splendour of the
light of His countenance which shineth above this luminous Horizon.

O concourse of priests! Leave the bells, and come forth, then, from your
churches. It behoveth you, in this day, to proclaim aloud the Most Great
Name among the nations. Prefer ye to be silent, whilst every stone and
every tree shouteth aloud: 'The Lord is come in His great glory!'? Well is
it with the man who hasteneth unto Him. Verily, he is numbered among them
whose names will be eternally recorded and who will be mentioned by the
Concourse on High. Thus hath it been decreed by the Spirit in this
wondrous Tablet. He that summoneth men in My name is, verily, of Me, and
he will show forth that which is beyond the power of all that are on
earth. Follow ye the Way of the Lord and walk not in the footsteps of them
that are sunk in heedlessness. Well is it with the slumberer who is
stirred by the Breeze of God and ariseth from amongst the dead, directing
his steps towards the Way of the Lord. Verily, such a man is regarded, in
the sight of God, the True One, as a jewel amongst men and is reckoned
with the blissful.

Say: In the East the light of His Revelation hath broken; in the West have
appeared the signs of His dominion. Ponder this in your hearts, O people,
and be not of those who have turned a deaf ear to the admonitions of Him
Who is the Almighty, the All-Praised. Let the Breeze of God awaken you.
Verily, it hath wafted over the world. Well is it with him that hath
discovered the fragrance thereof and been accounted among the
well-assured.

O concourse of bishops! Ye are the stars of the heaven of My knowledge. My
mercy desireth not that ye should fall upon the earth. My justice,
however, declareth: 'This is that which the Son hath decreed.' And
whatsoever hath proceeded out of His blameless, His truth-speaking,
trustworthy mouth, can never be altered. The bells, verily, peal out My
Name, and lament over Me, but My spirit rejoiceth with evident gladness.
The body of the Loved One yearneth for the cross, and His head is eager
for the spear, in the path of the All-Merciful. The ascendancy of the
oppressor can in no wise deter Him from His purpose. We have summoned all
created things to attain the presence of thy Lord, the King of all names.
Blessed is the man that hath set his face towards God, the Lord of the Day
of Reckoning.

O concourse of monks! If ye choose to follow Me, I will make you heirs of
My Kingdom; and if ye transgress against Me, I will, in My long-suffering,
endure it patiently, and I, verily, am the Ever-Forgiving, the
All-Merciful.

O land of Syria! What hath become of thy righteousness? Thou art, in
truth, ennobled by the footsteps of thy Lord. Hast thou perceived the
fragrance of heavenly reunion, or art thou to be accounted of the
heedless?

Bethlehem is astir with the Breeze of God. We hear her voice saying: 'O
most generous Lord! Where is Thy great glory established? The sweet
savours of Thy presence have quickened me, after I had melted in my
separation from Thee. Praised be Thou in that Thou hast raised the veils,
and come with power in evident glory.' We called unto her from behind the
Tabernacle of Majesty and Grandeur: 'O Bethlehem! This Light hath risen in
the orient, and travelled towards the occident, until it reached thee in
the evening of its life. Tell Me then: Do the sons recognize the Father,
and acknowledge Him, or do they deny Him, even as the people aforetime
denied Him (Jesus)?' Whereupon she cried out saying: 'Thou art, in truth,
the All-Knowing, the Best-Informed.' Verily, We behold all created things
moved to bear witness unto Us. Some know Us and bear witness, while the
majority bear witness, yet know Us not.

Mount Sinai is astir with the joy of beholding Our countenance. She hath
lifted her enthralling voice in glorification of her Lord, saying: 'O
Lord! I sense the fragrance of Thy garment. Methinks Thou art near,
invested with the signs of God. Thou hast ennobled these regions with Thy
footsteps. Great is the blessedness of Thy people, could they but know
Thee and inhale Thy sweet savours; and woe betide them that are fast
asleep.'

Happy art thou who hast turned thy face towards My countenance, inasmuch
as thou hast rent the veils asunder, hast shattered the idols and
recognized thine eternal Lord. The people of the Qur'an have risen up
against Us without any clear proof or evidence, tormenting Us at every
moment with a fresh torment. They idly imagine that tribulations can
frustrate Our Purpose. Vain indeed is that which they have imagined.
Verily, thy Lord is the One Who ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.

I never passed a tree but Mine heart addressed it saying: 'O would that
thou wert cut down in My name, and My body crucified upon thee.' We
revealed this passage in the Epistle to the Shah that it might serve as a
warning to the followers of religions. Verily, thy Lord is the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Let not the things they have perpetrated grieve thee. Truly they are even
as dead, and not living. Leave them unto the dead, then turn thy face
towards Him Who is the Life-Giver of the world. Beware lest the sayings of
the heedless sadden thee. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, and teach the
people with consummate wisdom. Thus enjoineth thee the Ruler of earth and
heaven. He is in truth the Almighty, the Most Generous. Ere long will God
exalt thy remembrance and will inscribe with the Pen of Glory that which
thou didst utter for the sake of His love. He is in truth the Protector of
the doers of good.

Give My remembrance to the one named Murad and say: 'Blessed art thou, O
Murad, inasmuch as thou didst cast away the promptings of thine own desire
and hast followed Him Who is the Desire of all mankind.'

Say: Blessed the slumberer who is awakened by My Breeze. Blessed the
lifeless one who is quickened through My reviving breaths. Blessed the eye
that is solaced by gazing at My beauty. Blessed the wayfarer who directeth
his steps towards the Tabernacle of My glory and majesty. Blessed the
distressed one who seeketh refuge beneath the shadow of My canopy. Blessed
the sore athirst who hasteneth to the soft-flowing waters of My
loving-kindness. Blessed the insatiate soul who casteth away his selfish
desires for love of Me and taketh his place at the banquet table which I
have sent down from the heaven of divine bounty for My chosen ones.
Blessed the abased one who layeth fast hold on the cord of My glory; and
the needy one who entereth beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle of My
wealth. Blessed the ignorant one who seeketh the fountain of My knowledge;
and the heedless one who cleaveth to the cord of My remembrance. Blessed
the soul that hath been raised to life through My quickening breath and
hath gained admittance into My heavenly Kingdom. Blessed the man whom the
sweet savours of reunion with Me have stirred and caused to draw nigh unto
the Dayspring of My Revelation. Blessed the ear that hath heard and the
tongue that hath borne witness and the eye that hath seen and recognized
the Lord Himself, in His great glory and majesty, invested with grandeur
and dominion. Blessed are they that have attained His presence. Blessed
the man who hath sought enlightenment from the Day-Star of My Word.
Blessed he who hath attired his head with the diadem of My love. Blessed
is he who hath heard of My grief and hath arisen to aid Me among My
people. Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath
borne manifold hardships for the sake of My Name. Blessed the man who,
assured of My Word, hath arisen from among the dead to celebrate My
praise. Blessed is he that hath been enraptured by My wondrous melodies
and hath rent the veils asunder through the potency of My might. Blessed
is he who hath remained faithful to My Covenant, and whom the things of
the world have not kept back from attaining My Court of holiness. Blessed
is the man who hath detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in
the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My Kingdom, gazed
upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty, hath
drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted
himself with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the
treasury of My Words, and hath shone forth from the horizon of divine
knowledge engaged in My praise and glorification. Verily, he is of Me.
Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My glory.

BISHARAT (GLAD-TIDINGS)

This is the Call of the All-Glorious which is proclaimed from the Supreme
Horizon in the Prison of Akka

He is the Expounder, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

GOD, the True One, testifieth and the Revealers of His names and
attributes bear witness that Our sole purpose in raising the Call and in
proclaiming His sublime Word is that the ear of the entire creation may,
through the living waters of divine utterance, be purged from lying tales
and become attuned to the holy, the glorious and exalted Word which hath
issued forth from the repository of the knowledge of the Maker of the
Heavens and the Creator of Names. Happy are they that judge with fairness.

O people of the earth!

The first Glad-Tidings which the Mother Book hath, in this Most Great
Revelation, imparted unto all the peoples of the world is that the law of
holy war hath been blotted out from the Book. Glorified be the
All-Merciful, the Lord of grace abounding, through Whom the door of
heavenly bounty hath been flung open in the face of all that are in heaven
and on earth.

The second Glad-Tidings

It is permitted that the peoples and kindreds of the world associate with
one another with joy and radiance. O people! Consort with the followers of
all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. Thus hath the
day-star of His sanction and authority shone forth above the horizon of
the decree of God, the Lord of the worlds.

The third Glad-Tidings concerneth the study of divers languages. This
decree hath formerly streamed forth from the Pen of the Most High: It
behoveth the sovereigns of the world--may God assist them--or the ministers
of the earth to take counsel together and to adopt one of the existing
languages or a new one to be taught to children in schools throughout the
world, and likewise one script. Thus the whole earth will come to be
regarded as one country. Well is it with him who hearkeneth unto His Call
and observeth that whereunto he is bidden by God, the Lord of the Mighty
Throne.

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