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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 Bayán, 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: âThe Lord is come in His great glory!â? 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: âThis is that which the Son hath decreed.â 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: âO |
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.â We called unto her from behind the |
Tabernacle of Majesty and Grandeur: âO 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)?â Whereupon she cried out saying: âThou art, in truth, |
the All-Knowing, the Best-Informed.â 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: âO |
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.â |
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 Qurâán have risen up |
against Us without any clear proof or evidence, tormenting Us at every |