Copyright 1954, 1982, 1985, 1991 by the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States 1991 edition Paperback
version, 1993 printing
BAHÁ'Í PRAYERS A SELECTION OF PRAYERS REVEALED BY BAHÁ'U'LLÁH, THE BÁB, AND ABDU'L-BAHÁ
Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place, and the city,
and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the
valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where
mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified. --Bahá'u'lláh
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Intone, O My servants, the verses of God that have been received
by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the
sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the
hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the
verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall
scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and
shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at
first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace
vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence
upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been
decreed by virtue of the Will of Him Who is the Source of power and
wisdom. --Bahá'u'lláh
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OBLIGATORY PRAYERS
"The daily obligatory prayers are three in number.... The
believer is entirely free to choose any one of these three prayers, but
is under the obligation of reciting one of them, and in accordance with
any specific directions with which they may be accompanied." --from
a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
"By 'morning,' 'noon' and 'evening,' mentioned in connection
with the Obligatory Prayers, is meant respectively the intervals between
sunrise and noon, between noon and sunset, and from sunset till two
hours after sunset." --Synopsis
and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 36
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SHORT OBLIGATORY PRAYER
TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, AT NOON
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee
and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and
to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. --Bahá'u'lláh
MEDIUM OBLIGATORY PRAYER
TO BE RECITED DAILY, IN THE MORNING, AT NOON, AND IN THE EVENING
Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash his hands, and while he washeth, let him say:
Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of Thy Book
with such steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall have no
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power over it. Guard it,
then, from meddling with whatsoever doth not belong unto it. Thou art,
verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
And while washing his face, let him say:
I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord! Illumine it with the
light of Thy countenance. Protect it, then, from turning to anyone but
Thee.
Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih (Point of Adoration, i.e. Bahjí, 'Akká), let him say:
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the
kingdoms of Revelation and of creation. He, in truth, hath manifested
Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation, Who conversed on Sinai, through
Whom the Supreme Horizon hath been made to shine, and the Lote-Tree
beyond which there is no passing hath spoken, and through Whom the call
hath been proclaimed unto all who are in heaven and on earth: "Lo, the
All-Possessing is come. Earth and heaven, glory and dominion are God's,
the Lord of all men, and the Possessor of the Throne on high and of
earth below!"
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Let him, then, bend down, with hands resting on the knees, and say:
Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise of anyone beside
me, above my description and the description of all who are in heaven
and all who are on earth!
Then, standing with open hands, palms upward toward the face, let him say:
Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with beseeching
fingers, clung to the hem of Thy mercy and Thy grace, O Thou Who of
those who show mercy art the Most Merciful!
Let him, then, be seated and say:
I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art
God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily,
revealed thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door of
Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth. Blessing and peace,
salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and
chances of the world have
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not deterred from turning
unto Thee, and who have given their all, in the hope of obtaining that
which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the
All-Bountiful.
(If anyone choose to recite instead of the long verse these
words: "God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting," it would be sufficient. And likewise, it
would suffice were he, while seated, to choose to recite these words: "I
bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and
that there is none other God beside Thee.") --Bahá'u'lláh
LONG OBLIGATORY PRAYER
TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS
Whoso wisheth to recite this prayer, let him stand up and turn
unto God, and, as he standeth in his place, let him gaze to the right
and to the left, as if awaiting the mercy of his Lord, the Most
Merciful, the Compassionate. Then let him say:
O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and the Maker of the heavens! I beseech Thee
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by them Who are the
Daysprings of Thine invisible Essence, the Most Exalted, the
All-Glorious, to make of my prayer a fire that will burn away the veils
which have shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me
unto the ocean of Thy Presence.
Let him then raise his hands in supplication toward God--blessed and exalted be He--and say:
O Thou the Desire of the world and the Beloved of the nations!
Thou seest me turning toward Thee, and rid of all attachment to anyone
save Thee, and clinging to Thy cord, through whose movement the whole
creation hath been stirred up. I am Thy servant, O my Lord, and the son
of Thy servant. Behold me standing ready to do Thy will and Thy desire,
and wishing naught else except Thy good pleasure. I implore Thee by the
Ocean of Thy mercy and the Daystar of Thy grace to do with Thy servant
as Thou willest and pleasest. By Thy might which is far above all
mention and praise! Whatsoever is revealed by Thee is the desire of my
heart and the beloved of my soul. O God, my God! Look not upon my
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hopes and my doings, nay
rather look upon Thy will that hath encompassed the heavens and the
earth. By Thy Most Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I have
desired only what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love.
Let him then kneel, and bowing his forehead to the ground, let him say:
Exalted art Thou above the description of anyone save Thyself, and the comprehension of aught else except Thee.
Let him then stand and say:
Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living waters whereby I
may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth, and may make mention of
Thee in every world of Thy worlds.
Let him again raise his hands in supplication, and say:
O Thou in separation from Whom hearts and souls have melted, and
by the fire of Whose love the whole world hath been set aflame! I
implore Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast
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subdued the whole creation,
not to withhold from me that which is with Thee, O Thou Who rulest over
all men! Thou seest, O my Lord, this stranger hastening to his most
exalted home beneath the canopy of Thy majesty and within the precincts
of Thy mercy; and this transgressor seeking the ocean of Thy
forgiveness; and this lowly one the court of Thy glory; and this poor
creature the orient of Thy wealth. Thine is the authority to command
whatsoever Thou willest. I bear witness that Thou art to be praised in
Thy doings, and to be obeyed in Thy behests, and to remain unconstrained
in Thy bidding.
Let him then raise his hands, and repeat three times the
Greatest Name.+F1 Let him then bend down with hands resting on the knees
before God--blessed and exalted be He--and say:
Thou seest, O my God, how my spirit hath been stirred up within
my limbs and members, in its longing to worship Thee, and in its
yearning to remember Thee and extol Thee; how it testifieth to that
whereunto the Tongue of Thy Commandment
___________________ +F1. Allah-u-Abha
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hath testified in the
kingdom of Thine utterance and the heaven of Thy knowledge. I love, in
this state, O my Lord, to beg of Thee all that is with Thee, that I may
demonstrate my poverty, and magnify Thy bounty and Thy riches, and may
declare my powerlessness, and manifest Thy power and Thy might.
Let him then stand and raise his hands twice in supplication, and say:
There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. There
is no God but Thee, the Ordainer, both in the beginning and in the end.
O God, my God! Thy forgiveness hath emboldened me, and Thy mercy hath
strengthened me, and Thy call hath awakened me, and Thy grace hath
raised me up and led me unto Thee. Who, otherwise, am I that I should
dare to stand at the gate of the city of Thy nearness, or set my face
toward the lights that are shining from the heaven of Thy will? Thou
seest, O my Lord, this wretched creature knocking at the door of Thy
grace, and this evanescent soul seeking the river of everlasting life
from the hands of Thy bounty. Thine
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is the command at all
times, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names; and mine is resignation and
willing submission to Thy will, O Creator of the heavens!
Let him then raise his hands thrice, and say:
Greater is God than every great one!
Let him then kneel and, bowing his forehead to the ground, say:
Too high art Thou for the praise of those who are nigh unto Thee
to ascend unto the heaven of Thy nearness, or for the birds of the
hearts of them who are devoted to Thee to attain to the door of Thy
gate. I testify that Thou hast been sanctified above all attributes and
holy above all names. No God is there but Thee, the Most Exalted, the
All-Glorious.
Let him then seat himself and say:
I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things,
and the Concourse on high, and the inmates of the all-highest Paradise,
and beyond
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them the Tongue of Grandeur
itself from the all-glorious Horizon, that Thou art God, that there is
no God but Thee, and that He Who hath been manifested is the Hidden
Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, through Whom the letters B and E (Be)
have been joined and knit together. I testify that it is He Whose name
hath been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and Who hath been
mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of
earth below.
Let him then stand erect and say:
O Lord of all being and Possessor of all things visible and
invisible! Thou dost perceive my tears and the sighs I utter, and
hearest my groaning, and my wailing, and the lamentation of my heart. By
Thy might! My trespasses have kept me back from drawing nigh unto Thee;
and my sins have held me far from the court of Thy holiness. Thy love, O
my Lord, hath enriched me, and separation from Thee hath destroyed me,
and remoteness from Thee hath consumed me. I entreat Thee by Thy
footsteps in this wilderness, and by the words "Here am I. Here am I"
which Thy
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chosen Ones have uttered in
this immensity, and by the breaths of Thy Revelation, and the gentle
winds of the Dawn of Thy Manifestation, to ordain that I may gaze on Thy
beauty and observe whatsoever is in Thy Book.
Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and bend down with hands resting on the knees, and say:
Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast aided me to remember
Thee and to praise Thee, and hast made known unto me Him Who is the
Dayspring of Thy signs, and hast caused me to bow down before Thy
Lordship, and humble myself before Thy Godhead, and to acknowledge that
which hath been uttered by the Tongue of Thy grandeur.
Let him then rise and say:
O God, my God! My back is bowed by the burden of my sins, and my
heedlessness hath destroyed me. Whenever I ponder my evil doings and
Thy benevolence, my heart melteth within me, and my blood boileth in my
veins. By Thy
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Beauty, O Thou the Desire
of the world! I blush to lift up my face to Thee, and my longing hands
are ashamed to stretch forth toward the heaven of Thy bounty. Thou
seest, O my God, how my tears prevent me from remembering Thee and from
extolling Thy virtues, O Thou the Lord of the Throne on high and of
earth below! I implore Thee by the signs of Thy Kingdom and the
mysteries of Thy Dominion to do with Thy loved ones as becometh Thy
bounty, O Lord of all being, and is worthy of Thy grace, O King of the
seen and the unseen!
Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and kneel with his forehead to the ground, and say:
Praise be unto Thee, O our God, that Thou hast sent down unto us
that which draweth us nigh unto Thee, and supplieth us with every good
thing sent down by Thee in Thy Books and Thy Scriptures. Protect us, we
beseech Thee, O my Lord, from the hosts of idle fancies and vain
imaginations. Thou, in truth, art the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
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Let him then raise his head, and seat himself, and say:
I testify, O my God, to that whereunto Thy chosen Ones have
testified, and acknowledge that which the inmates of the all-highest
Paradise and those who have circled round Thy mighty Throne have
acknowledged. The kingdoms of earth and heaven are Thine, O Lord of the
worlds! --Bahá'u'lláh
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GENERAL PRAYERS
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AID AND ASSISTANCE
O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration, Whose beauty is
my sanctuary, Whose habitation is my goal, Whose praise is my hope,
Whose providence is my companion, Whose love is the cause of my being,
Whose mention is my solace, Whose nearness is my desire, Whose presence
is my dearest wish and highest aspiration, I entreat Thee not to
withhold from me the things Thou didst ordain for the chosen ones among
Thy servants. Supply me, then, with the good of this world and of the
next.
Thou, truly, art the King of all men. There is no God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous. --Bahá'u'lláh
My God, my Adored One, my King, my desire! What tongue can voice
my thanks to Thee? I was heedless, Thou didst awaken me. I had turned
back from Thee, Thou didst graciously
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aid me to turn towards
Thee. I was as one dead, Thou didst quicken me with the water of life. I
was withered, Thou didst revive me with the heavenly stream of Thine
utterance which hath flowed forth from the Pen of the All-Merciful.
O Divine Providence! All existence is begotten by Thy bounty;
deprive it not of the waters of Thy generosity, neither do Thou withhold
it from the ocean of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to aid and assist me at
all times and under all conditions, and seek from the heaven of Thy
grace Thine ancient favor. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of bounty, and
the Sovereign of the kingdom of eternity. --Bahá'u'lláh
Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord our God! Thou art in truth the Knower
of things unseen. Ordain for us such good as Thine all-embracing
knowledge can measure. Thou art the sovereign Lord, the Almighty, the
Best-Beloved.
All praise be unto Thee, O Lord! We shall seek Thy grace on the
appointed Day and shall put our whole reliance in Thee, Who art our
Lord.
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Glorified art Thou, O God!
Grant us that which is good and seemly that we may be able to dispense
with everything but Thee. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all worlds.
O God! Recompense those who endure patiently in Thy days, and
strengthen their hearts to walk undeviatingly in the path of Truth.
Grant then, O Lord, such goodly gifts as would enable them to gain
admitance into Thy blissful Paradise. Exalted art Thou, O Lord God. Let
Thy heavenly blessings descend upon homes whose inmates have believed in
Thee. Verily, unsurpassed art Thou in sending down divine blessings.
Send forth, O God, such hosts as would render Thy faithful servants
victorious. Thou dost fashion the created things through the power of
Thy decree as Thou pleasest. Thou art in truth the Sovereign, the
Creator, the All-Wise.
Say: God is indeed the Maker of all things. He giveth sustenance
in plenty to whomsoever He willeth. He is the Creator, the Source of
all beings, the Fashioner, the Almighty, the Maker, the All-Wise. He is
the Bearer of the most excellent titles throughout the heavens and the
earth and whatever lieth between them. All do His bidding, and
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all the dwellers of earth and heaven celebrate His praise, and unto Him shall all return. --The Báb
O my God, my Lord and my Master! I have detached myself from my
kindred and have sought through Thee to become independent of all that
dwell on earth and ever ready to receive that which is praiseworthy in
Thy sight. Bestow on me such good as will make me independent of aught
else but Thee, and grant me an ampler share of Thy boundless favors.
Verily, Thou art the Lord of grace abounding. --The Báb
Lord! Pitiful are we, grant us Thy favor; poor, bestow upon us a
share from the ocean of Thy wealth; needy, do Thou satisfy us; abased,
give us Thy glory. The fowls of the air and the beasts of the field
receive their meat each day from Thee, and all beings partake of Thy
care and loving-kindness.
Deprive not this feeble one of Thy wondrous grace and vouchsafe by Thy might unto this helpless soul Thy bounty.
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Give us our daily bread,
and grant Thine increase in the necessities of life, that we may be
dependent on none other but Thee, may commune wholly with Thee, may walk
in Thy ways and declare Thy mysteries. Thou art the Almighty and the
Loving and the Provider of all mankind. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou kind Lord! We are servants of Thy Threshold, taking
shelter at Thy holy Door. We seek no refuge save only this strong
pillar, turn nowhere for a haven but unto Thy safekeeping. Protect us,
bless us, support us, make us such that we shall love but Thy good
pleasure, utter only Thy praise, follow only the pathway of truth, that
we may become rich enough to dispense with all save Thee, and receive
our gifts from the sea of Thy beneficence, that we may ever strive to
exalt Thy Cause and to spread Thy sweet savors far and wide, that we may
become oblivious of self and occupied only with Thee, and disown all
else and be caught up in Thee.
O Thou Provider, O Thou Forgiver! Grant us Thy grace and
loving-kindness, Thy gifts and Thy bestowals, and sustain us, that we
may attain our
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goal. Thou art the
Powerful, the Able, the Knower, the Seer; and, verily, Thou art the
Generous, and, verily, Thou art the All-Merciful, and, verily, Thou art
the Ever-Forgiving, He to Whom repentance is due, He Who forgiveth even
the most grievous of sins. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
Remove not, O Lord, the festal board that hath been spread in
Thy Name, and extinguish not the burning flame that hath been kindled by
Thine unquenchable fire. Withhold not from flowing that living water of
Thine that murmureth with the melody of Thy glory and Thy remembrance,
and deprive not Thy servants from the fragrance of Thy sweet savors
breathing forth the perfume of Thy love.
Lord! Turn the distressing cares of Thy holy ones into ease,
their hardship into comfort, their abasement into glory, their sorrow
into blissful joy, O Thou that holdest in Thy grasp the reins of all
mankind!
Thou art, verily, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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PRAYER FOR AMERICA
O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee. These
hearts are radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are
exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings. O God! Let this American
democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired
to material degrees, and render this just government victorious. Confirm
this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity,
to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and
praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American
nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it
precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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ASSISTANCE WITH TESTS
Dispel my grief by Thy bounty and Thy generosity, O God, my God,
and banish mine anguish through Thy sovereignty and Thy might. Thou
seest me, O my god, with my face set towards Thee at a time when sorrows
have compassed me on every side. I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the
Lord of all being, and overshadowest all things visible and invisible,
by Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued the hearts and the souls of men,
and by the billows of the Ocean of Thy mercy and the splendors of the
Daystar of Thy bounty, to number me with them whom nothing whatsoever
hath deterred from setting their faces toward Thee, O Thou Lord of all
names and Maker of the heavens!
Thou beholdest, O my Lord, the things which have befallen me in
Thy days. I entreat Thee, by Him Who is the Dayspring of Thy names and
the Dawning-Place of Thine attributes, to ordain for me what will enable
me to arise to serve Thee and
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to extol Thy virtues. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, Who art wont to answer the prayers of all men!
And, finally, I beg of Thee by the light of Thy countenance to
bless my affairs, and redeem my debts, and satisfy my needs. Thou art He
to Whose power and to Whose dominion every tongue hath testified, and
Whose majesty and Whose sovereignty every understanding heart hath
acknowledged. No God is there but Thee, Who hearest and art ready to
answer. --Bahá'u'lláh
Lauded and glorified art thou, O my God! I entreat Thee by the
sighing of Thy lovers and by the tears shed by them that long to behold
Thee, not to withhold from me Thy tender mercies in Thy Day, nor to
deprive me of the melodies of the Dove that extolleth Thy oneness before
the light that shineth from thy face. I am the one who is in misery, O
God! Behold me cleaving fast to Thy Name, the All-Possessing. I am the
one who is sure to perish; behold me clinging
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to Thy Name, the
Imperishable. I implore Thee, therefore, by Thy Self, the Exalted, the
Most High, not to abandon me unto mine own self and unto the desires of a
corrupt inclination. Hold Thou my hand with the hand of Thy power, and
deliver me from the depths of my fancies and idle imaginings, and
cleanse me of all that is abhorrent unto Thee.
Cause me, then, to turn wholly unto Thee, to put my whole trust
in Thee, to seek Thee as my Refuge, and to flee unto Thy face. Thou art,
verily, He Who, through the power of His might, doeth whatsoever He
desireth, and commandeth, through the potency of His will, whatsoever He
chooseth. None can withstand the operation of Thy decree; none can
divert the course of Thine appointment. Thou art, in truth, the
Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. --Bahá'u'lláh
Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be
God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding! --The Báb
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Say: God sufficeth all
things above all things, and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but
God sufficeth. Verily, He is in Himself the Knower, the Sustainer, the
Omnipotent. --The Báb
I adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm beset me in
times of tests, and in moments of heedlessness guide my steps aright
through Thine inspiration. Thou art God, potent art Thou to do what Thou
desirest. No one can withstand Thy Will or thwart Thy Purpose. --The Báb
O Lord! Thou art the Remover of every anguish and the Dispeller
of every affliction. Thou art He Who banisheth every sorrow and setteth
free every slave, the Redeemer of every soul. O Lord! Grant deliverance
through Thy mercy, and reckon me among such servants of Thine as have
gained salvation. --The Báb
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O Lord, my God and my Haven
in my distress! My Shield and my Shelter in my woes! My Asylum and
Refuge in time of need and in my loneliness my Companion! In my anguish
my Solace, and in my solitude a loving Friend! The Remover of the pangs
of my sorrows and the Pardoner of my sins!
Wholly unto Thee do I turn, fervently imploring Thee with all my
heart, my mind and my tongue, to shield me from all that runs counter
to Thy will in this, the cycle of Thy divine unity, and to cleanse me of
all defilement that will hinder me from seeking, stainless and
unsullied, the shade of the tree of Thy grace.
Have mercy, O Lord, on the feeble, make whole the sick, and quench the burning thirst.
Gladden the bosom wherein the fire of Thy love doth smolder, and set it aglow with the flame of Thy celestial love and spirit.
Robe the tabernacles of divine unity with the vesture of holiness, and set upon my head the crown of Thy favor.
Illumine my face with the radiance of the orb of Thy bounty, and graciously aid me in ministering at Thy holy threshold.
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Make my heart overflow with
love for Thy creatures and grant that I may become the sign of Thy
mercy, the token of Thy grace, the promoter of concord amongst Thy loved
ones, devoted unto Thee, uttering Thy commemoration and forgetful of
self but ever mindful of what is Thine.
O God, my God! Stay not from me the gentle gales of Thy pardon
and grace, and deprive me not of the wellsprings of Thine aid and favor.
'Neath the shade of Thy protecting wings let me nestle, and cast upon me the glance of Thine all-protecting eye.
Loose my tongue to laud Thy name amidst Thy people, that my
voice may be raised in great assemblies and from my lips may stream the
flood of Thy praise.
Thou art, in all truth, the Gracious, the Glorified, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful! O God, my God! Thou seest me, Thou knowest me; Thou art my Haven and my Refuge.
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None have I sought nor any
will I seek save Thee; no path have I trodden nor any will I tread but
the path of Thy love. In the darksome night of despair, my eye turneth
expectant and full of hope to the morn of Thy boundless favor and at the
hour of dawn my drooping soul is refreshed and strengthened in
remembrance of Thy beauty and perfection. He whom the grace of Thy mercy
aideth, though he be but a drop, shall become the boundless ocean, and
the merest atom which the outpouring of Thy loving-kindness assisteth,
shall shine even as the radiant star.
Shelter under Thy protection, O Thou Spirit of purity, Thou Whom
art the All-Bountiful Provider, this enthralled, enkindled servant of
Thine. Aid him in this world of being to remain steadfast and firm in
Thy love and grant that this broken-winged bird attain a refuge and
shelter in Thy divine nest that abideth upon the celestial tree. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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
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devoted to Thy beauty.
Withdraw me from all else save Thee. Attract me through Thy fragrances
of holiness. Cause me to be associated in Thy Kingdom with those who are
severed from all else save Thee, who long to serve Thy sacred threshold
and who stand to work in Thy Cause. Enable me to be one of Thy
maidservants who have attained to Thy good pleasure. Verily, Thou art
the Gracious, the Generous. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Graciously grant that this
infant be fed from the breast of Thy tender mercy and loving providence
and be nourished with the fruit of Thy celestial trees. Suffer him not
to be committed to the care of anyone save Thee, inasmuch as Thou,
Thyself, through the potency of thy sovereign will and power, didst
create and call him into being. There is none other God but Thee, the
Almighty, the All-Knowing.
Lauded art Thou, O my Best Beloved, waft over him the sweet
savors of Thy transcendent bounty and the fragrances of Thy holy
bestowals. Enable him then to seek shelter beneath the shadow of Thy
most exalted Name, O Thou Who holdest in Thy grasp the kingdom of names
and attributes. Verily, Thou art potent to do what Thou willest, and
Thou art indeed the Mighty, the Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Gracious, the Generous, the Merciful. --Bahá'u'lláh
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O Thou peerless Lord! Let
this suckling babe be nursed from the breast of Thy loving-kindness,
guard it within the cradle of Thy safety and protection and grant that
it be reared in the arms of Thy tender affection. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O God! Rear this little babe in the bosom of Thy love, and give
it milk from the breast of Thy Providence. Cultivate this fresh plant in
the rose garden of Thy love and aid it to grow through the showers of
Thy bounty. Make it a child of the kingdom, and lead it to Thy heavenly
realm. Thou art powerful and kind, and Thou art the Bestower, the
Generous, the Lord of surpassing bounty. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of
Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let
Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy
love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained,
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grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Compassionate. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the
fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O God!
Protect these children, graciously assist them to be educated and enable
them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children
are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy
loving-kindness.
Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Lord! Make these children excellent plants. Let them grow and
develop in the Garden of Thy Covenant, and bestow freshness and beauty
through the outpourings of the clouds of the Abha Kingdom.
O Thou kind Lord! I am a little child, exalt me by admitting me
to the kingdom. I am earthly, make me heavenly; I am of the world below,
let
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me belong to the realm
above; gloomy, suffer me to become radiant; material, make me spiritual,
and grant that I may manifest Thine infinite bounties.
Thou art the Powerful, the All-Loving. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
He is God! O God my God! Bestow upon me a pure heart, like unto a pearl. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O My Lord! O my Lord!
I am a child of tender years. Nourish me from the breast of Thy
mercy, train me in the bosom of Thy love, educate me in the school of
Thy guidance and develop me under the shadow of Thy bounty. Deliver me
from darkness, make
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me a brilliant light; free
me from unhappiness, make me a flower of the rose garden; suffer me to
become a servant of Thy threshold and confer upon me the disposition and
nature of the righteous; make me a cause of bounty to the human world,
and crown my head with the diadem of eternal life.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Seer, the Hearer. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Peerless Lord! Be Thou a shelter for this poor child and a
kind and forgiving Master unto this erring and unhappy soul. O Lord!
Though we are but worthless plants, yet we belong to Thy garden of
roses. Though saplings without leaves and blossoms, yet we are a part of
Thine orchard. Nurture this plant then through the outpourings of the
clouds of Thy tender mercy and quicken and refresh this sapling through
the reviving breath of Thy spiritual springtime. Suffer him to become
heedful, discerning and noble, and grant that he may attain eternal life
and abide in Thy Kingdom for evermore. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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O Lord! Make this youth
radiant, and confer Thy bounty upon this poor creature. Bestow upon him
knowledge, grant him added strength at the break of every morn and guard
him within the shelter of Thy protection so that he may be freed from
error, may devote himself to the service of Thy Cause, may guide the
wayward, lead the hapless, free the captives and awaken the heedless,
that all may be blessed with Thy remembrance and praise. Thou art the
Mighty and the Powerful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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FOR THE DEPARTED
(The Prayer for the Dead is to be used for Bahá'ís over the age
of fifteen. "It is the only Bahá'í obligatory prayer which is to be
recited in congregation; it is to be recited by one believer while all
present stand. There is no requirement to face the Qiblih when reciting
this prayers." --A
Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas)
O my God! This is Thy servant and the son of Thy servant who
hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and set his face towards Thee,
wholly detached from all except Thee. Thou art, verily, of those who
show mercy the most merciful.
Deal with him, O Thou Who forgivest the sins of men and
concealest their faults, as beseemeth the heaven of Thy bounty and the
ocean of Thy grace. Grant him admission within the precincts of Thy
transcendent mercy that was before the
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foundation of earth and heaven. There is no God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
Let him, then, repeat six times the greeting "Allah-u-Abha," and then repeat nineteen times each of the following verses:
We all, verily, worship God. We all, verily, bow down before
God. We all, verily, are devoted unto God. We all, verily, give praise
unto God. We all, verily, yield thanks unto God. We all, verily, are
patient in God.
(If the dead be a woman, let him say: This is Thy handmaiden and the daughter of Thy handmaiden, etc. ...) --Bahá'u'lláh
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! Abase not him whom Thou hast
exalted through the power of Thine everlasting sovereignty, and remove
not far from Thee him whom Thou hast
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caused to enter the
tabernacle of Thine eternity. Wilt Thou cast away, O my God, him whom
thou hast overshadowed with Thy Lordship, and wilt Thou turn away from
Thee, O my Desire, him to whom Thou hast been a refuge? Canst Thou
degrade him whom Thou hast uplifted, or forget him whom Thou didst
enable to remember Thee?
Glorified, immensely glorified art Thou! Thou art He Who from
everlasting hath been the King of the entire creation and its Prime
Mover, and Thou wilt to everlasting remain the Lord of all created
things and their Ordainer. Glorified art Thou, O my God! If Thou ceasest
to be merciful unto Thy servants, who, then, will show mercy unto them;
and if Thou refusest to succor thy loved ones, who is there that can
succor them?
Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou! Thou art adored in
Thy truth, and Thee do we all, verily, worship; and Thou art manifest in
Thy justice, and to Thee do we all, verily, bear witness. Thou art, in
truth, beloved in Thy grace. No God is there but Thee, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting. --Bahá'u'lláh
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He is God, exalted is He, the Lord of loving-kindness and bounty!
Glory be unto Thee, O my God, the Lord Omnipotent. I testify to
Thine omnipotence and Thy might, Thy sovereignty and Thy
loving-kindness, Thy grace and Thy power, the oneness of Thy Being and
the unity of thine Essence, Thy sanctity and exaltation above the world
of being and all that is therein.
O my God! Thou seest me detached from all save Thee, holding
fast unto Thee and turning unto the ocean of Thy bounty, to the heaven
of Thy favor, to the Daystar of Thy grace.
Lord! I bear witness that in Thy servant Thou hast reposed Thy
Trust, and that is the Spirit wherewith Thou hast given life to the
world.
I ask of Thee by the splendor of the Orb of Thy Revelation,
mercifully to accept from him that which he hath achieved in Thy days.
Grant then that he may be invested with the glory of Thy good-pleasure
and adorned with Thine acceptance.
O my Lord! I myself and all created things bear witness unto Thy might, and I pray Thee not to
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turn away from Thyself this
spirit that hath ascended unto Thee, unto Thy heavenly place, Thine
exalted Paradise and Thy retreats of nearness, O Thou who art the Lord
of all men!
Grant, then, O my God, that Thy servant may consort with Thy
chosen ones, Thy saints and Thy Messengers in heavenly places that the
pen cannot tell nor the tongue recount.
O My Lord, the poor one hath verily hastened unto the Kingdom of
Thy wealth, the stranger unto his home within Thy precincts, he that is
sore athirst to the heavenly river of Thy bounty. Deprive him not, O
Lord, from his share of the banquet of Thy grace and from the favor of
Thy bounty. Thou art in truth the Almighty, the Gracious, the
All-Bountiful.
O my God, Thy Trust hath been returned unto Thee. It behooveth
Thy grace and Thy bounty that have compassed Thy dominions on earth and
in heaven, to vouchsafe unto Thy newly welcomed one Thy gifts and Thy
bestowals, and the fruits of the tree of Thy grace! Powerful art Thou to
do as Thou willest, there is none other God but Thee, the Gracious, the
Most Bountiful, the
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Compassionate, the Bestower, the Pardoner, the Precious, the All-Knowing.
I testify, O my Lord, that Thou hast enjoined upon men to honor
their guest, and he that hath ascended unto Thee hath verily reached
Thee and attained Thy Presence. Deal with him then according to Thy
grace and bounty! By Thy glory, I know of a certainly that Thou wilt not
withhold Thyself from that which Thou hast commanded Thy servants, nor
wilt Thou deprive him that hath clung to the cord of Thy bounty and hath
ascended to the Dayspring of Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the One, the Single, the Powerful, the Omniscient, the Bountiful. --Bahá'u'lláh
O my God! O Thou forgiver of sins, bestower of gifts, dispeller of afflictions!
Verily, I beseech Thee to forgive the sins of such as have
abandoned the physical garment and have ascended to the spiritual world.
O my Lord! Purify them from trepasses, dispel
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their sorrows, and change
their darkness into light. Cause them to enter the garden of happiness,
cleanse them with the most pure water, and grant them to behold Thy
splendors on the loftiest mount. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O my God! O my God! Verily, thy servant, humble before the
majesty of Thy divine supremacy, lowly at the door of Thy oneness, hath
believed in Thee and in Thy verses, hath testified to Thy word, hath
been enkindled with the fire of Thy love, hath been immersed in the
depths of the ocean of Thy knowledge, hath been attracted by Thy
breezes, hath relied upon Thee, hath turned his face to Thee, hath
offered his supplications to Thee, and hath been assured of Thy pardon
and forgiveness. He hath abandoned this mortal life and hath flown to
the kingdom of immortality, yearning for the favor of meeting Thee.
O Lord, glorify his station, shelter him under the pavilion of
Thy supreme mercy, cause him to enter Thy glorious paradise, and
perpetuate his
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existence in Thine exalted rose garden, that he may plunge into the sea of light in the world of mysteries.
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Powerful, the Forgiver and the Bestower. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou forgiving Lord!
Although some souls have spent the days of their lives in
ignorance, and became estranged and contumacious, yet, with one wave
from the ocean of Thy forgiveness, all those encompassed by sin will be
set free. Whomsoever Thou willest Thou makest a confidant, and whosoever
is not the object of Thy choice is accounted a transgressor. Shouldst
Thou deal with us with Thy justice, we are all naught but sinners and
deserving to be shut out from Thee, but shouldst Thou uphold mercy,
every sinner would be made pure and every stranger a friend. Bestow,
then, Thy forgiveness and pardon, and grant Thy mercy unto all.
Thou are the Forgiver, the Lightgiver and the Omnipotent. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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DETACHMENT
Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto Thee, and to abide within
the precincts of Thy court, for remoteness from Thee hath well-nigh
consumed me. Cause me to rest under the shadow of the wings of Thy
grace, for the flame of my separation from Thee hath melted my heart
within me. Draw me nearer unto the river that is life indeed, for my
soul burneth with thirst in its ceaseless search after Thee. My sighs, O
my God, proclaim the bitterness of mine anguish, and the tears I shed
attest my love for Thee.
I beseech Thee, by the praise wherewith Thou praisest Thyself
and the glory wherewith Thou glorifiest Thine own Essence, to grant that
we may be numbered among them that have recognized Thee and
acknowledged Thy sovereignty in Thy days. Help us then to quaff, O my
God, from the fingers of mercy the living waters of Thy loving-kindness,
that we may utterly forget all else except Thee, and be occupied only
with Thy
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Self. Powerful art Thou to
do what Thou willest. No God is there beside Thee, the Mighty, the Help
in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Glorified be Thy name, O Thou Who art the King of all Kings! --Bahá'u'lláh
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I yield Thee thanks that Thou hast
made known unto me Him Who is the Dayspring of Thy mercy, and the
Dawning-Place of Thy grace, and the Repository of Thy Cause. I beseech
Thee by Thy Name, through which the faces of them that are nigh unto
Thee have turned white, and the hearts of such as are devoted to Thee
have winged their flight towards Thee, to grant that I may, at all times
and under all conditions, lay hold on thy cord, and be rid of all
attachment to anyone except Thee, and may keep mine eyes directed
towards the horizon of Thy Revelation, and may carry out what Thou hast
prescribed unto me in Thy Tablets.
Attire, O my Lord, both my inner and outer being with the
raiment of Thy favors and Thy loving-kindness. Keep me safe, then, from
whatsoever
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may be abhorrent unto Thee,
and graciously assist me and my kindred to obey Thee, and to shun
whatsoever may stir up any evil or corrupt desire within me.
Thou, truly, art the Lord of all mankind, and the Possessor of
this world and of the next. No God is there save Thee, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I entreat Thee by the fragrances
of the Raiment of Thy grace which at Thy bidding and in conformity with
Thy desire were diffused throughout the entire creation, and by the
Daystar of Thy will that hath shone brightly, through the power of Thy
might and of Thy sovereignty, above the horizon of Thy mercy, to blot
out from my heart all idle fancies and vain imaginings, that with all my
affections I may turn unto Thee, O Thou Lord of all mankind!
I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, O my God! I have
laid hold on the handle of Thy grace, and clung to the cord of Thy
tender mercy. Ordain for me the good things that are with Thee,
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and nourish me from the Table Thou didst send down out of the clouds of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy favor.
Thou, in very truth, art the Lord of the worlds, and the God of all that are in heaven and all that are on earth. --Bahá'u'lláh
Many a chilled heart, O my God, hath been set ablaze with the
fire of Thy Cause, and many a slumberer hath been wakened by the
sweetness of Thy voice. How many are the strangers who have sought
shelter beneath the shadow of the tree of Thy oneness, and how numerous
the thirsty ones who have panted after the fountain of Thy living waters
in Thy days!
Blessed is he that hath set himself towards Thee, and hasted to
attain the Dayspring of the lights of Thy face. Blessed is he who with
all his affections hath turned to the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation
and the Fountainhead of Thine inspiration. Blessed is he that hath
expended in Thy path what Thou didst bestow upon him through Thy bounty
and favor. Blessed is he who, in his sore longing after Thee, hath cast
away all
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else except Thyself.
Blessed is he who hath enjoyed intimate communion with Thee, and rid
himself of all attachment to anyone save Thee.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Him Who is Thy Name, Who, through
the power of Thy sovereignty and might, hath risen above the horizon of
His prison, to ordain for everyone what becometh Thee and beseemeth
Thine exaltation.
Thy might, in truth, is equal to all things. --Bahá'u'lláh
I know not, O my God, what the Fire is which Thou didst kindle
in Thy land. Earth can never cloud its splendor, nor water quench its
flame. All the peoples of the world are powerless to resist its force.
Great is the blessedness of him that hath drawn nigh unto it, and heard
its roaring.
Some, O my God, Thou didst, through Thy strengthening grace,
enable to approach it, while others Thou didst keep back by reason of
what their hands have wrought in Thy days. Whoso hath hasted towards it
and attained unto it hath, in his eagerness to gaze on Thy beauty,
yielded his
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life in Thy path, and ascended unto Thee, wholly detached from aught else except Thyself.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by this Fire which blazeth and rageth
in the world of creation, to rend asunder the veils that have hindered
me from appearing before the throne of Thy majesty, and from standing at
the door of Thy gate. Do Thou ordain for me, O my Lord, every good
thing Thou didst send down in Thy Book, and suffer me not to be far
removed from the shelter of Thy mercy.
Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the Most Generous. --Bahá'u'lláh
Praise be unto Thee, O my God! I am one of Thy servants, who
hath believed on Thee and on Thy signs. Thou seest how I have set myself
towards the door of Thy mercy, and turned my face in the direction of
Thy loving-kindness. I beseech Thee, by Thy most excellent titles and
Thy most exalted attributes, to open to my face the portals of Thy
bestowals. Aid me, then, to do
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that which is good, O Thou Who art the Possessor of all names and attributes!
I am poor, O my Lord, and Thou art the Rich. I have set my face
towards Thee, and detached myself from all but Thee. Deprive me not, I
implore Thee, of the breezes of Thy tender mercy, and withhold not from
me what Thou didst ordain for the chosen among Thy servants.
Remove the veil from mine eyes, O my Lord, that I may recognize
what Thou hast desired for Thy creatures, and discover, in all the
manifestations of Thy handiwork, the revelations of Thine almighty
power. Enrapture my soul, O my Lord, with Thy most mighty signs, and
draw me out of the depths of my corrupt and evil desires. Write down,
then, for me the good of this world and of the world to come. Potent art
Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is there but Thee, the
All-Glorious, Who help is sought by all men.
I yield Thee thanks, O my Lord, that Thou hast wakened me from
my sleep, and stirred me up, and created in me the desire to perceive
what most of Thy servants have failed to apprehend. Make me able,
therefore, O my Lord, to behold, for love of Thee and for the Sake of
Thy pleasure,
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whatsoever Thou hast desired. Thou art He to the power of Whose might and sovereignty all things testify.
There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Beneficent. --Bahá'u'lláh
In the Name of Thy Lord, the Creator, the Sovereign, the All-Sufficing, the Most Exalted, He Whose help is implored by all men.
Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the heavens and of
the earth, O Lord of the Kingdom! Thou well knowest the secrets of my
heart, while Thy Being is inscrutable to all save Thyself. Thou seest
whatsoever is of me, while no one else can do this save Thee. Vouchsafe
unto me, through Thy grace, what will enable me to dispense with all
except Thee, and destine for me that which will make me independent of
everyone else besides Thee. Grant that I may reap the benefit of my life
in this world and in the next. Open to my face the portals of Thy
grace, and graciously confer upon me Thy tender mercy and bestowals.
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O Thou Who art the Lord of
grace abounding! Let Thy celestial aid surround those who love Thee, and
bestow upon us the gifts and the bounties Thou dost possess. Be Thou
sufficient unto us of all things, forgive our sins and have mercy upon
us. Thou art Our Lord and the Lord of all created things. No one else do
we invoke but Thee, and naught do we beseech but thy favors. Thou art
the Lord of bounty and grace, invincible in Thy power and the most
skilfull in Thy designs. No God is there but Thee, the All-Possessing,
the Most Exalted.
Confer Thy blessings, O my Lord, upon the Messengers, the holy
ones and the righteous. Verily, Thou art God, the Peerless, the
All-Compelling. --The Báb
O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and toward all Thy signs I set my heart.
O Lord! Whether traveling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work, I place my whole trust in Thee.
Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make
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me independent of all things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy!
Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be satisfied with whatsoever thou hast ordained for me.
Thine is the absolute authority to command. --The Báb
O God, my God! Thou art my Hope and my Beloved, my highest Aim
and Desire! With great humbleness and entire devotion I pray to Thee to
make me a minaret of Thy love in Thy land, a lamp of Thy knowledge among
Thy creatures, and a banner of divine bounty in Thy dominion.
Number me with such of Thy servants as have detached themselves
from everything but Thee, have sanctified themselves from the transitory
things of this world, and have freed themselves from the promptings of
the voicers of idle fancies.
Let my heart be dilated with joy through the spirit of
confirmation from Thy kingdom, and brighten my eyes by beholding the
hosts of divine assistance descending successively upon me
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from the kingdom of Thine omnipotent glory.
Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Powerful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of detachment from all
things, and in the assembly of Thy splendors and bestowals, rejoice me
with the wine of loving Thee. Free me from the assaults of passion and
desire, break off from me the shackles of this nether world, draw me
with rapture unto Thy supernal realm, and refresh me amongst the
handmaids with the breathings of Thy holiness.
O Lord, brighten Thou my face with the lights of Thy bestowals,
light Thou mine eyes with beholding the signs of Thine all-subduing
might; delight my heart with the glory of Thy knowledge that
encompasseth all things, gladden Thou my soul with Thy soul-reviving
tidings of great joy, O Thou King of this world and the Kingdom above, O
Thou Lord of dominion and might, that I may spread abroad Thy signs and
tokens, and proclaim Thy Cause, and promote Thy
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Teachings, and serve Thy Law and exalt Thy Word.
Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Ever-Giving, the Able, the Omnipotent. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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EVENING
O my God, my Master, the Goal of my desire! This, Thy servant,
seeketh to sleep in the shelter of Th y mercy, and to repose beneath the
canopy of Thy grace, imploring Thy care and Thy protection.
I beg of Thee, O my Lord, by Thine eye that sleepeth not, to
guard mine eyes from beholding aught beside Thee. Strengthen, then,
their vision that they may discern Thy signs, and behold the Horizon of
Thy Revelation. Thou art He before the revelations of Whose omnipotence
the quintessence of power hath trembled.
No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Subduing, the Unconditioned. --Bahá'u'lláh
How can I choose to sleep, O God, my God, when the eyes of them
that long for Thee are wakeful because of their separation from Thee;
and how can I lie down to rest whilst the
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souls of Thy lovers are sore vexed in their remoteness from Thy presence?
I have committed, O my Lord, my spirit and my entire being into
the right hand of Thy might and Thy protection, and I lay my head on my
pillow through Thy power, and lift it up according to Thy will and Thy
good pleasure. Thou art, in truth, the Preserver, the Keeper, the
Almighty, the Most Powerful.
By Thy might! I ask not, whether sleeping or waking, but that
which Thou dost desire. I am Thy servant and in Thy hands. Do Thou
graciously aid me to do what will shed forth the fragrance of Thy good
pleasure. This, truly, is my hope and the hope of them that enjoy near
access to Thee. Praised be Thou, O Lord of the worlds! --Bahá'u'lláh
O seeker of Truth! If thou desirest that God may open thine eye,
thou must supplicate unto God, pray to and commune with Him at midnight,
saying:
O Lord, I have turned my face unto Thy kingdom of oneness and am immersed in the sea of Thy mercy. O Lord, enlighten my sight by
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beholding Thy lights in
this dark night, and make me happy by the wine of Thy love in this
wonderful age. O Lord, make me hear Thy call, and open before my face
the doors of Thy heaven, so that I may see the light of Thy glory and
become attracted to Thy beauty.
Verily, Thou art the Giver, the Generous, the Merciful, the Forgiving. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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FAMILIES
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beg Thee to forgive me and
those who support Thy Faith. Verily, Thou art the sovereign Lord, the
Forgiver, the Most Generous. O my God! Enable such servants of Thine as
are deprived of knowledge to be admitted into Thy Cause; for once they
learn of Thee, they bear witness to the truth of the Day of Judgment and
do not dispute the revelations of Thy bounty. Send down upon them the
tokens of Thy grace, and grant them, wherever they reside, a liberal
share of that which Thou hast ordained for the pious among Thy servants.
Thou art in truth the Supreme Ruler, the All-Bounteous, the Most
Benevolent.
O my God! Let the outpourings of Thy bounty and blessings
descend upon homes whose inmates have embraced Thy Faith, as a token of
Thy grace and as a mark of loving-kindness from Thy presence. Verily,
unsurpassed art Thou in granting forgiveness. Should Thy bounty be
withheld
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from anyone, how could he be reckoned among the followers of the Faith in Thy Day?
Bless me, O my God, and those who will believe in Thy signs on
the appointed Day, and such as cherish my love in their hearts--a love
which Thou dost instill into Them. Verily, Thou art the Lord of
righteousness, the Most Exalted. --The Báb
I beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon after the
manner Thou wishest Thy servants to direct themselves to Thee. I beg of
Thee to wash away our sins as befitteth Thy Lordship, and to forgive me,
my parents, and those who in Thy estimation have entered the abode of
Thy love in a manner which is worthy of Thy transcendent sovereignty and
well beseemeth the glory of Thy celestial power.
O my God! Thou hast inspired my soul to offer its supplication
to Thee, and but for Thee, I would not call upon Thee. Lauded and
glorified art Thou; I yield Thee praise inasmuch as Thou didst reveal
Thyself unto me, and I beg Thee to forgive me, since I have fallen short
in my duty to
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know Thee and have failed to walk in the path of Thy love. --The Báb
O Lord! In this Most Great Dispensation Thou dost accept the
intercession of children in behalf of their parents. This is one of the
special infinite bestowals of this Dispensation. Therefore, O Thou kind
Lord, accept the request of this Thy servant at the threshold of Thy
singleness and submerge his father in the ocean of Thy grace, because
this son hath arisen to render Thee service and is exerting effort at
all times in the pathway of Thy love, Verily, Thou art the Giver, the
Forgiver and the Kind! --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O God, my God! This Thy handmaid is calling upon Thee, trusting
in Thee, turning her face unto Thee, imploring Thee to shed Thy heavenly
bounties upon her, and to disclose unto her Thy spiritual mysteries,
and to cast upon her the lights of Thy Godhead.
O my Lord! Make the eyes of my husband to see. Rejoice Thou his heart with the light of the
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knowledge of Thee, draw
Thou his mind unto Thy luminous beauty, cheer Thou his spirit by
revealing unto him Thy manifest splendors.
O my Lord! Lift Thou the veil from before his sight. Rain down
Thy plenteous bounties upon him, intoxicate him with the wine of love
for Thee, make him one of Thy angels whose feet walk upon this earth
even as their souls are soaring through the high heavens. Cause him to
become a brilliant lamp, shining out with the light of Thy wisdom in the
midst of Thy people.
Verily, Thou art the Precious, the Ever-Bestowing, the Open of Hand. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
My Lord! My Lord! I praise Thee and I thank Thee for that
whereby Thou hast favored Thine humble maidservant, Thy slave beseeching
and supplicating Thee, because Thou hast verily guided her unto Thine
obvious Kingdom and caused her to hear thine exalted Call in the
contingent world and to behold thy Signs which prove the appearance of
Thy victorious reign over all things.
O my Lord, I dedicate that which is in my
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womb unto Thee. Then cause
it to be a praiseworthy child in Thy Kingdom and a fortunate one by Thy
favor and Thy generosity; to develop and to grow up under the charge of
Thine education. Verily, Thou art the Gracious! Verily, Thou art the
Lord of Great Favor! --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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FIRMNESS IN THE COVENANT
Glory be to Thee, O King of eternity, and the Maker of nations,
and the Fashioner of every moldering bone! I pray Thee, by Thy Name
through which Thou didst call all mankind unto the horizon of Thy
majesty and glory, and didst guide Thy servants to the court of Thy
grace and favors, to number me with such as have rid themselves from
everything except Thyself, and have set themselves towards Thee, and
have not been kept back by such misfortunes as were decreed by Thee,
from turning in the direction of Thy gifts.
I have laid hold, O my Lord, on the handle of Thy bounty, and
clung steadfastly to the hem of the robe of Thy favor. Send down, then,
upon me, out of the clouds of Thy generosity, what will purge out from
me the remembrance of anyone except Thee, and make me able to turn unto
Him Who is the Object of the adoration of all mankind, against Whom have
been arrayed the stirrers of
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sedition, who have broken Thy covenant, and disbelieved in Thee and in Thy signs.
Deny me not, O my Lord, the fragrances of Thy raiment in Thy
days, and deprive me not of the breathings of Thy Revelation at the
appearance of the splendors of the light of Thy face. Powerful art Thou
to do what pleaseth Thee. Naught can resist Thy will, nor frustrate what
Thou hast purposed by Thy power.
No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
He is the Mighty, the Pardoner, the Compassionate!
O God, my God! Thou beholdest Thy servants in the abyss of
perdition and error; where is Thy light of divine guidance, O Thou the
Desire of the world? Thou knowest their helplessness and their
feebleness; where is Thy power, O Thou in Whose grasp lie the powers of
heaven and earth?
I ask Thee, O Lord my God, by the splendor of the lights of Thy
loving-kindness and the billows of the ocean of Thy knowledge and wisdom
and
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by Thy Word wherewith Thou
hast swayed the peoples of Thy dominion, to grant that I may be one of
them that have observed Thy bidding in Thy Book. And do Thou ordain for
me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy trusted ones, them that have
quaffed the wine of divine inspiration from the chalice of Thy bounty
and hastened to do Thy pleasure and observe Thy Covenant and Testament.
Powerful art Thou to do as Thou willest. There is none other God but
Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Decree for me, by Thy bounty, O Lord, that which shall prosper
me in this world and hereafter and shall draw me nigh unto Thee, O Thou
Who art the Lord of all men. There is none other God but Thee, the One,
the Mighty, the Glorified. --Bahá'u'lláh
Make firm our steps, O Lord, in Thy path and strengthen Thou our
hearts in Thine obedience. Turn our faces toward the beauty of Thy
oneness, and gladden our bosoms with the signs of Thy divine unity.
Adorn our bodies with the robe of Thy bounty, and remove from our
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eyes the veil of
sinfulness, and give us the chalice of Thy grace; that the essence of
all beings may sing Thy praise before the vision of Thy grandeur. Reveal
then Thyself, O Lord, by Thy merciful utterance and the mystery of Thy
divine being, that the holy ecstasy of prayer may fill our souls--a
prayer that shall rise above words and letters and transcend the murmur
of syllables and sounds--that all things may be merged into nothingness
before the revelation of Thy splendor.
Lord! These are servants that have remained fast and firm in Thy
Covenant and Thy Testament, that have held fast unto the cord of
constancy in Thy Cause and clung unto the hem of the robe of Thy
grandeur. Assist them, O Lord, with Thy grace, confirm with Thy power
and strengthen their loins in obedience to Thee.
Thou art the Pardoner, the Gracious. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O compassionate God! Thanks be to Thee for Thou hast awakened
and made me conscious. Thou hast given me a seeing eye and favored me
with a hearing ear, hast led me to Thy
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kingdom and guided me to
Thy path. Thou hast shown me the right way and caused me to enter the
ark of deliverance. O God! Keep me steadfast and make me firm and
staunch. Protect me from violent tests, and preserve and shelter me in
the strongly fortified fortress of Thy Covenant and Testament. Thou art
the Powerful. Thou art the Seeing. Thou art the Hearing.
O Thou the the Compassionate God. Bestow upon me a heart which,
like unto glass, may be illumined with the light of Thy love, and confer
upon me thoughts which may change this world into a rose garden through
the outpourings of heavenly grace.
Thou art the Compassionate, the Merciful. Thou art the Great Beneficent God. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy loved ones to be steadfast
in Thy mighty Covenant, to remain faithful to Thy manifest Cause, and to
carry out the commandments Thou didst set down for them in Thy Book of
Splendors; that they may become banners of guidance
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and lamps of the Company
above, wellsprings of Thine infinite wisdom, and stars that lead aright,
as they shine down from the supernal sky.
Verily, Thou art the Invincible the Almighty, the All-Powerful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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FORGIVENESS
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Chosen
Ones, and by the Bearers of Thy Trust, and by Him Whom Thou hast
ordained to be the Seal of Thy Prophets and of Thy Messengers, to let
Thy remembrance be my companion, and Thy love my aim, and Thy face my
goal, and Thy name my lamp, and Thy wish my desire, and Thy pleasure my
delight.
I am a sinner, O my Lord, and Thou art the Ever-Forgiving. As
soon as I recognized Thee, I hastened to attain the exalted court of Thy
loving-kindness. Forgive me, O my Lord, my sins which have hindered me
from walking in the ways of Thy good pleasure, and from attaining the
shores of the ocean of Thy oneness.
There is no one, O my Lord, who can deal bountifully with me to
whom I can turn my face, and none who can have compassion on me that I
may crave his mercy. Cast me not out, I implore Thee, of the presence of
Thy grace, neither do
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Thou withhold from me the
outpourings of Thy generosity and bounty. Ordain for me, O my Lord, what
Thou hast ordained for them that love Thee, and write down for me what
Thou hast written down for Thy chosen ones. My gaze hath, at all times,
been fixed on the horizon of Thy gracious providence, and mine eyes bent
upon the court of Thy tender mercies. Do with me as beseemeth Thee. No
God is there but Thee, the God of power, the God of glory, Whose help is
implored by all men. --Bahá'u'lláh
I am He, O my Lord, that hath set his face towards Thee, and
fixed his hope on the wonders of Thy grace and the revelations of Thy
bounty. I pray Thee that thou wilt not suffer me to turn away
disappointed from the door of Thy mercy, nor abandon me to such of Thy
creatures as have repudiated Thy Cause.
I am, O my God, Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have
recognized Thy truth in Thy days, and have directed my steps towards the
shores of Thy oneness, confessing Thy singleness, acknowledging Thy
unity, and hoping for Thy
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forgiveness and pardon.
Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest; no God is there beside Thee,
the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving. --Bahá'u'lláh
Thou seest me, O my Lord, with my face turned towards the heaven
of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy favor, withdrawn from all else
beside Thee. I ask of Thee, by the splendors of the Sun of Thy
revelation on Sinai, and the effulgences of the Orb of Thy grace which
shineth from the horizon of Thy Name, the Ever-Forgiving, to grant me
Thy pardon and to have mercy upon me. Write down, then, for me with Thy
pen of glory that which will exalt me through Thy Name in the world of
creation. Aid me, O my Lord, to set myself towards Thee, and to hearken
unto the voice of Thy loved ones, whom the powers of the earth have
failed to weaken, and the dominion of the nations has been powerless to
withhold from Thee, and who, advancing towards Thee, have said: "God is
our Lord, the Lord of all who are in heaven and all who are on earth!" --Bahá'u'lláh
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Glorified art Thou, O Lord
my God! Every time I venture to make mention of Thee, I am held back by
my mighty sins and grievous trepasses against Thee, and find myself
wholly deprived of Thy grace, and utterly powerless to celebrate Thy
praise. My great confidence in Thy bounty, however, reviveth my hope in
Thee, and my certitude that Thou wilt bountifully deal with me
emboldeneth me to extol Thee, and to ask of Thee the things Thou dost
possess.
I implore Thee, O my God, by Thy mercy that hath surpassed all
created things, and to which all that are immersed beneath the oceans of
Thy names bear witness, not to abandon me unto my self, for my heart is
prone to evil. Guard me, then, within the stronghold of Thy protection
and the shelter of Thy care. I am he, O my God, whose only wish is what
Thou hast determined by the power of Thy might. All I have chosen for
myself is to be assisted by Thy gracious appointments and the ruling of
Thy will, and to be aided with the tokens of Thy decree and judgment.
I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of the hearts which
long for Thee, by the Manifestations of Thy Cause and the Daysprings of
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Thine inspiration, and the
Exponents of Thy majesty, and the Treasuries of Thy knowledge, not to
suffer me to be deprived of Thy holy Habitation, Thy Fane and Thy
Tabernacle. Aid me, O my Lord, to attain His hallowed court, and to
circle round His person, and to stand humbly at His door.
Thou art He Whose power is from everlasting to everlasting.
Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge. Thou art, verily, the God of power, the
God of glory and wisdom.
Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds! --Bahá'u'lláh
Lauded be Thy name, O my God and the God of all things, my Glory
and the Glory of all things, my Desire and the Desire of all things, my
Strength and the Strength of all things, my King and the King of all
things, my Possessor and the Possessor of all things, my Aim and the Aim
of all things, my Mover and the Mover of all things! Suffer me not, I
implore Thee, to be kept back from the ocean of Thy tender mercies, nor
to be far removed from the shores of nearness to Thee.
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Aught else except Thee, O
my Lord, profiteth me not, and near access to anyone save Thyself
availeth me nothing. I entreat Thee by the plenteousness of Thy riches,
whereby Thou didst dispense with all else except Thyself, to number me
with such as have set their faces towards Thee, and arisen to serve
Thee.
Forgive, then, O my Lord, Thy servants and Thy handmaidens. Thou, truly, art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. --Bahá'u'lláh
O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from whatsoever my
be repugnant unto Thee, and vouchsafe unto us that which well beseemeth
Thee. Give us more out of Thy bounty, and bless us. Pardon us for the
things we have done, and wash away our sins, and forgive us with Thy
gracious forgiveness. Verily, Thou art the Most Exalted, the
Self-Subsisting.
Thy loving providence hath encompassed all created things in the
heavens and on the earth, and Thy forgiveness hath surpassed the whole
creation. Thine is sovereignty; in Thy hand are the
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Kingdoms of Creation and
Revelation; in Thy right hand Thou holdest all created things, and
within Thy grasp are the assigned measures of forgiveness. Thou
forgivest whomsoever among Thy servants Thou pleasest. Verily, Thou art
the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Loving. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy
knowledge, and naught is there which is hidden from Thee.
O God our Lord! Protect us through the potency of Thy might,
enable us to enter Thy wondrous surging ocean, and grant us that which
well befitteth Thee.
Thou art the Sovereign Ruler, the Mighty Doer, the Exalted, the All-Loving. --The Báb
Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, have mercy
upon us and enable us to return unto Thee. Suffer us not to rely on
aught else besides Thee, and vouchsafe unto us, through Thy bounty, that
which Thou lovest and desirest and well beseemeth Thee. Exalt the
station of them that have truly believed, and forgive them with Thy
gracious forgiveness. Verily, Thou art the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. --The Báb
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I beg Thee to forgive me, O
my Lord, for every mention but the mention of Thee, and for every
praise but the praise of Thee, and for every delight but delight in Thy
nearness, and for every pleasure but the pleasure of communion with
Thee, and for every joy but the joy of Thy love and of Thy
good-pleasure, and for all things pertaining unto me which bear no
relationship unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of lords, He Who
provideth the means and unlocketh the doors. --The Báb
Glory be unto Thee, O God. How can I make mention of Thee while
Thou art sanctified from the praise of all mankind. Magnified be Thy
Name, O God, Thou art the King, the Eternal Truth; Thou knowest what is
in the heavens and on the earth, and unto Thee must all return. Thou
hast sent down Thy divinely ordained Revelation according to a clear
measure. Praised art Thou, O Lord! At Thy behest Thou dost render
victorious whomsoever Thou willest, through the hosts of heaven and
earth and whatsoever existeth
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between them. Thou art the Sovereign, the Eternal Truth, the Lord of invincible might.
Glorified art Thou, O Lord, Thou forgivest at all times the sins
of such among Thy servants as implore Thy pardon. Wash away my sins and
the sins of those who seek Thy forgiveness at dawn, who pray to Thee in
the daytime and in the night season, who yearn after naught save God,
who offer up whatsoever God hath graciously bestowed upon them, who
celebrate Thy praise at morn and eventide, and who are not remiss in
their duties. --The Báb
O Thou forgiving Lord! Thou art the shelter of all these Thy
servants. Thou knowest the secrets and art aware of all things. We are
all helpless, and Thou art the Mighty, the Omnipotent. We are all
sinners, and Thou art the Forgiver of sins, the Merciful, the
Compassionate. O Lord! Look not at our shortcomings. Deal with us
according to Thy grace and bounty. Our shortcomings are many, but the
ocean of Thy forgiveness is boundless. Our weakness is grievous, but the
evidences of Thine aid and assistance are clear.
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Therefore, confirm and
strengthen us. Enable us to do that which is worthy of Thy holy
Threshold. Illumine our hearts, grant us discerning eyes and attentive
ears. Resuscitate the dead and heal the sick. Bestow wealth upon the
poor and give peace and security to the fearful. Accept us in Thy
kingdom and illumine us with the light of guidance. Thou are the
Powerful and the Omnipotent. Thou art the Generous. Thou art the
Clement. Thou art the Kind. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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THE FUND
All the friends of God...should contribute to the extent
possible, however modest their offering may be. God doth not burden a
soul beyond its capacity. Such contributions must come from all centers
and all believers. ...O Friends of God! Be ye assured that in place of
these contributions, your agriculture, your industry, and your commerce
will be blessed by manifold increases, with goodly gifts and bestowals.
He who cometh with one goodly deed will receive a tenfold reward. There
is no doubt that the living Lord will abundantly confirm those who
expend their wealth in His path.
O God, my God! Illumine the brows of Thy true lovers, and
support them with angelic hosts of certain triumph. Set firm their feet
on Thy straight path, and out of Thine ancient bounty open before them
the portals of Thy blessings; for they are expending on Thy pathway what
Thou hast bestowed upon them, safeguarding Thy Faith, putting their
trust in their remembrance
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of Thee, offering up their
hearts for love of Thee, and withholding not what they possess in
adoration for Thy Beauty and in their search for ways to please Thee.
O my Lord! Ordain for them a plenteous share, a destined recompense and sure reward.
Verily, Thou art the Sustainer, the Helper, the Generous, the Bountiful, the Ever-Bestowing. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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HEALING
O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the ocean of Thy healing, and by
the splendors of the Daystar of Thy grace, and by Thy Name through
which Thou didst subdue Thy servants, and by the pervasive power of Thy
most exalted Word and the potency of Thy most august Pen, and by Thy
mercy that hath preceded the creation of all who are in heaven and on
earth, to purge me with the waters of Thy bounty from every affliction
and disorder, and from all weakness and feebleness.
Thou seest, O my Lord, Thy suppliant waiting at the door of Thy
bounty, and him who hath set his hopes on Thee clinging to the cord of
Thy generosity. Deny him not, I beseech Thee, the things he seeketh from
the ocean of Thy grace and the Daystar of Thy loving-kindness.
Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. There is none other God save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous. --Bahá'u'lláh
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Thy name is my healing, O
my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my
hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing
and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily,
art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by Thy Name,
through which Thou didst lift up the ensigns of Thy guidance, and didst
shed the radiance of the loving-kindness, and didst reveal the
sovereignty of Thy Lordship; through which the lamp of Thy names hath
appeared within the niche of Thine attributes, and He Who is the
Tabernacle of Thy unity and the Manifestation of detachment hath shone
forth; through which the ways of Thy guidance were made known, and the
paths of Thy good pleasure were marked out; through which the
foundations of error have been made to tremble, and the signs of
wickedness have been abolished; through which the fountains of wisdom
have burst forth, and the heavenly table hath been sent down;
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through which Thou didst
preserve Thy servants and didst vouchsafe Thy healing; through which
Thou didst show forth Thy tender mercies unto Thy servants and
revealedst Thy forgiveness amidst Thy creatures--I implore Thee to keep
safe him who hath held fast and returned unto Thee, and clung to Thy
mercy, and seized the hem of Thy loving providence. Send down, then,
upon him Thy healing, and make him whole, and endue him with a constancy vouchsafed by Thee, and a tranquillity
bestowed by Thy highness.
Thou art, verily, the Healer, the Preserver, the Helper, the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing. --Bahá'u'lláh
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee, by Thy Most
Great Name through which Thou didst stir up Thy servants and build up
Thy cities, and by Thy most excellent titles, and Thy most august
attributes, to assist Thy people to turn in the direction of Thy
manifold bounties, and set their faces towards the Tabernacle
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of Thy wisdom. Heal Thou
the sicknesses that have assailed the souls on every side, and have
deterred them from directing their gaze towards the Paradise that lieth
in the shelter of Thy shadowing Name, which Thou didst ordain to be the
King of all names unto all who are in heaven and all who are on earth.
Potent art Thou to do as pleaseth Thee. In Thy hands is the empire of
all names. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.
I am but a poor creature, O my Lord; I have clung to the hem of
Thy riches. I am sore sick; I have held fast the cord of Thy healing.
Deliver me from the ills that have encircled me, and wash me thoroughly
with the waters of Thy graciousness and mercy, and attire me with the
raiment of wholesomeness, through Thy forgiveness and bounty. Fix, then,
mine eyes upon Thee, and rid me of all attachment to aught else except
Thyself. Aid me to do what Thou desirest, and to fulfill what Thou
pleasest.
Thou art truly the Lord of this life and of the next. Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. --Bahá'u'lláh
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Glory be to Thee, O Lord my
God! I beg of Thee by Thy Name through which He Who is Thy Beauty hath
been stablished upon the throne of Thy Cause, and by Thy Name through
which Thou changest all things, and gatherest together all things, and
callest to account all things, and rewardest all things, and preservest
all things, and sustainest all things--I beg of Thee to guard this
handmaiden who hath fled for refuge to Thee, and hath sought the shelter
of Him in Whom Thou Thyself art manifest, and hath put her whole trust
and confidence in Thee.
She is sick, O my God, and hath entered beneath the shadow of
the Tree of Thy healing; afflicted, and hath fled to the City of Thy
protection; diseased, and hath sought the Fountainhead of Thy favors;
sorely vexed, and hath hasted to attain the Wellspring of Thy
tranquillity; burdened with sin, and hath set her face toward the court
of Thy forgiveness.
Attire her, by Thy sovereignty and Thy loving-kindness, O my God
and my Beloved, with the raiment of Thy balm and Thy healing, and make
her quaff of the cup of Thy mercy and Thy favors. Protect her, moreover,
from every affliction and
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ailment, from all pain and sickness, and from whatsoever may be abhorrent unto Thee.
Thou, in truth, art immensely exalted above all else except
Thyself. Thou art, verily, the Healer, the All-Sufficing, the Preserver,
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. --Bahá'u'lláh
He is the Healer, the Sufficer, the Helper, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
I call on Thee O Exalted One, O Faithful One, O Glorious One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!
I call on Thee O Sovereign, O Upraiser, O Judge! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Peerless One, O Eternal One, O Single One! Thou
the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Most Praised One, O Holy One, O Helping One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!
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I call on Thee O
Omniscient, O Most Wise, O Most Great One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the
Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Clement One, O Majestic One, O Ordaining One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!
I call on Thee O Beloved One, O Cherished One, O Enraptured One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!
I call on Thee O Mightiest One, O Sustaining One, O Potent One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!
I call on Thee O Ruling One, O Self-Subsisting, O All-Knowing
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Spirit, O Light, O Most Manifest One! Thou the
Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Thou Frequented by all, O Thou Known to all, O Thou Hidden from all!
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Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Concealed One, O Triumphant One, O Bestowing
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Almighty, O Succoring One, O Concealing One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!
I call on Thee O Fashioner, O Satisfier, O Uprooter! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Rising One, O Gathering One, O Exalting One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!
I call on Thee O Perfecting One, O Unfettered One, O Bountiful
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Beneficent One, O Withholding One, O Creating
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!
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I call on Thee O Most
Sublime One, O Beauteous One, O Bounteous One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou
the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Just One, O Gracious One, O Generous One! Thou
the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O All-Compelling, O Ever-Abiding, O Most Knowing
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Magnificent One, O Ancient of Days, O
Magnanimous One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding,
O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Well-guarded One, O Lord of Joy, O Desired One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Healing, O Thou Abiding
One!
I call on Thee O Thou Kind to all, O Thou Compassionate with
all, O Most Benevolent One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou
the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
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I call on Thee O Haven for
all, O Shelter to all, O All-Preserving One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou
the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Thou Succorer of all, O Thou Invoked by all, O
Quickening One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O
Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Unfolder, O Ravager, O Most Clement One! Thou
the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Thou my Soul, O Thou my Beloved, O Thou my
Faith! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Quencher of thirsts, O Transcendent Lord, O
Most Precious One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Greatest Remembrance, O Noblest Name, O Most
Ancient Way! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O
Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Most Lauded, O Most Holy,
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O Sanctified One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Unfastener, O Counselor, O Deliverer! Thou the
Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Friend, O Physician, O Captivating One! Thou
the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Glory, O Beauty, O Bountiful One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O the Most Trusted, O the Best Lover, O Lord of
the Dawn! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Enkindler, O Brightener, O Bringer of Delight!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!
I call on Thee O Lord of Bounty, O Most Compassionate, O Most
Merciful One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O
Thou Abiding One!
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I call on Thee O Constant
One, O Life-giving One, O Source of all Being! Thou the Sufficing, Thou
the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Thou Who penetratest all things, O All-Seeing
God, O Lord of Utterance! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Manifest yet Hidden, O Unseen yet Renowned, O
Onlooker sought by all! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
I call on Thee O Thou Who slayest the Lovers, O God of Grace to
the wicked! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O
Thou Abiding One!
O Sufficer, I call on Thee, O Sufficer!
O Healer, I call on Thee, O Healer!
O Abider, I call on Thee, O Abider!
Thou the Ever-Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!
Sanctified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy generosity,
whereby the portals of Thy bounty and grace were opened wide, whereby
the Temple of Thy Holiness was established upon the throne of eternity;
and by Thy mercy whereby Thou didst invite all created things unto the
table of Thy bounties and bestowals; and by Thy grace whereby Thou didst
respond, in thine own Self
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with Thy word "Yea!" on
behalf of all in heaven and earth, at the hour when Thy sovereignty and
Thy grandeur stood revealed, at the dawn-time when the might of Thy
dominion was made manifest. And again do I beseech Thee, by these most
beauteous names, by these most noble and sublime attributes, and by Thy
most Exalted Remembrance, and by Thy pure and spotless Beauty, and by
Thy hidden Light in the most hidden pavilion, and by Thy Name, cloaked
with the garment of affliction every morn and eve, to protect the bearer
of this blessed Tablet, and whoso reciteth it, and whoso cometh upon
it, and whoso passeth around the house wherein it is. Heal Thou, then,
by it every sick, diseased and poor one, from every tribulation and
distress, from every loathsome affliction and sorrow, and guide Thou by
it whosoever desireth to enter upon the paths of Thy guidance, and the
ways of Thy forgiveness and grace.
Thou art verily the Powerful, the All-Sufficing, the Healing,
the Protector, the Giving, the Compassionate, the All-Generous, the
All-Merciful. --Bahá'u'lláh
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MANKIND
My God, Whom I worship and adore! I bear witness unto Thy unity
and Thy oneness, and acknowledge Thy gifts, both in the past and in the
present. Thou art the All-Bountiful, the overflowing showers of Whose
mercy have rained down upon high and low alike, and the splendors of
Whose grace have been shed over both the obedient and the rebellious.
O God of mercy, before Whose door the quintessence of mercy hath
bowed down, and round the sanctuary of Whose Cause loving-kindness, in
its inmost spirit, hath circled, we beseech Thee, entreating Thine
ancient grace, and seeking Thy present favor, that Thou mayest have
mercy upon all who are the manifestations of the world of being, and
deny them not the outpourings of Thy grace in Thy days.
All are but poor and needy, and Thou, verily, art the All-Possessing, the All-Subduing, the All-Powerful. --Bahá'u'lláh
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O Thou compassionate
Lord, Thou Who art generous and able! We are servants of Thine sheltered
beneath Thy providence. Cast Thy glance of favor upon us. Give light to
our eyes, hearing to our ears, and understanding and love to our
hearts. Render our souls joyous and happy through Thy glad tidings. O
Lord! Point out to us the pathway of Thy kingdom and resuscitate all of
us through the breaths of the Holy Spirit. Bestow upon us life
everlasting and confer upon us never-ending honor. Unify mankind and
illumine the world of humanity. May we all follow Thy pathway, long for
Thy good pleasure and seek the mysteries of Thy kingdom. O God! Unite us
and connect our hearts with Thy indissoluble bond. Verily, Thou art the
Giver, Thou art the Kind One and Thou art the Almighty. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou kind Lord! O Thou Who art generous and merciful! We are
servants of Thy threshold and are gathered beneath the sheltering shadow
of Thy divine unity. The sun of Thy mercy is shining upon all, and the
clouds of Thy bounty shower upon all. Thy gifts encompass all,
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Thy loving providence
sustains all, Thy protection overshadows all, and the glances of Thy
favor are cast upon all. O Lord! Grant Thine infinite bestowals, and let
the light of Thy guidance shine. Illumine the eyes, gladden the hearts
with abiding joy. Confer a new spirit upon all people and bestow upon
them eternal life. Unlock the gates of true understanding and let the
light of faith shine resplendent. Gather all people beneath the shadow
of Thy bounty and cause them to unite in harmony, so that they may
become as the rays of one sun, as the waves of one ocean, and as the
fruit of one tree. May they drink from the same fountain. May they be
refreshed by the same breeze. May they receive illumination from the
same source of light. Thou art the Giver, the Merciful, the Omnipotent. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same
stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household. In
Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are
sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at
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Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.
O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost
shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all
with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy
Mercy.
O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make
the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the
whole earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony.
O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.
O God! Establish the Most Great Peace.
Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.
O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the
fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy
Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us
all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.
Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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O God, O Thou Who hast
cast Thy splendor over the luminous realities of men, shedding upon them
the resplendent lights of knowledge and guidance, and hast chosen them
out of all created things for this supernal grace, and hast caused them
to encompass all things, to understand their inmost essence, and to
disclose their mysteries, bringing them forth out of darkness into the
visible world! "He verily showeth His special mercy to whomsoever He
will."+F1
O Lord, help Thou Thy loved ones to acquire knowledge and the
sciences and arts, and to unravel the secrets that are treasured up in
the inmost reality of all created beings. Make them to hear the hidden
truths that are written and embedded in the heart of all that is. Make
them to be ensigns of guidance amongst all creatures, and piercing rays
of the mind shedding forth their light in this, the "first life."+F2
Make them to be leaders unto Thee, guides unto Thy path, runners urging
men on to Thy Kingdom.
Thou verily art the Powerful, the Protector, the Potent, the Defender, the Mighty, the Most Generous. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
"Bahá'í marriage is union and cordial affection between the two
parties. They must, however, exercise the utmost care and become
acquainted with each other's character. This eternal bond should be made
secure by a firm covenant, and the intention should be to foster
harmony, fellowship and unity and to attain everlasting life." --'Abdu'l-Bahá
The pledge of marriage, the verse to be spoken individually by
the bride and the bridegroom in the presence of at least two witnesses
acceptable to the Spiritual Assembly is, as stipulated in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book):
"We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God."
He is the Bestower, the Bounteous!
Praise be to God, the Ancient, the Ever-Abiding, the Changeless,
the Eternal! He Who hath testified in His Own Being that verily He is
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the One, the Single, the
Untrammelled, the Exalted. We bear witness that verily there is no God
but Him, acknowledging His oneness, confessing His singleness. He hath
ever dwelt in unapproachable heights, in the summits of His loftiness,
sanctified from the mention of aught save Himself, free from the
description of aught but Him.
And when He desired to manifest grace and beneficence to men,
and to set the world in order, He revealed observances and created laws;
among them He established the law of marriage, made it as a fortress
for well-being and salvation, and enjoined it upon us in that which was
sent down out of the heaven of sanctity in His Most Holy Book. He saith,
great is His glory: "Marry, O people, that from you may appear he who
will remember Me amongst My servants; this is one of My commandments
unto you; obey it as an assistance to yourselves." --Bahá'u'lláh
He is God!
O peerless Lord! In Thine almighty wisdom Thou hast enjoined marriage upon the peoples,
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that the generations of
men may succeed one another in this contingent world, and that ever, so
long as the world shall last, they may busy themselves at the Threshold
of Thy oneness with servitude and worship, with salutation, adoration
and praise. "I have not created spirits and men, but that they should
worship me."+F1 Wherefore, wed Thou in the heaven of Thy mercy these two
birds of the nest of Thy love, and make them the means of attracting
perpetual grace; that from the union of these two seas of love a wave of
tenderness may surge and cast the pearls of pure and goodly issue on
the shore of life. "He hath let loose the two seas, that they meet each
other: Between them is a barrier which they overpass not. Which then of
the bounties of your Lord will ye deny? From each He bringeth up greater
and lesser pearls."+F2
O Thou kind Lord! Make Thou this marriage to bring forth coral
and pearls. Thou art verily the All-Powerful, the Most Great, the
Ever-Forgiving. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
Glory be unto Thee, O my
God! Verily, this thy servant and this Thy maidservant have gathered
under the shadow of Thy mercy and they are united through Thy favor and
generosity. O Lord! Assist them in this Thy world and Thy kingdom and
destine for them every good through Thy bounty and grace. O Lord!
Confirm them in Thy servitude and assist them in Thy service. Suffer
them to become the signs of Thy Name in Thy world and protect them
through Thy bestowals which are inexhaustible in this world and the
world to come. O Lord! They are supplicating the kingdom of Thy
mercifulness and invoking the realm of Thy singleness. Verily, they are
married in obedience to Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of
harmony and unity until the end of time. Verily, Thou art the
Omnipotent, the Omnipresent and the Almighty! --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright moons are wedded in Thy
love, conjoined in servitude to Thy Holy Threshold, united in
ministering to thy Cause. Make Thou this marriage
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to be as threading lights
of Thine abounding grace, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, and luminous
rays of Thy bestowals, O Thou the Beneficent, the Ever-Giving, that
there may branch out from this great tree boughs that will grown green
and flourishing through the gifts that rain down from Thy clouds of
grace.
Verily, Thou art the Generous. Verily, Thou art the Compassionate, the All-Merciful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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MEETINGS
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by the
onrushing winds of Thy grace, and by them Who are the Daysprings of Thy
purpose and the Dawning-Places of Thine inspiration, to send down upon
me and upon all that have sought Thy face that which beseemeth thy
generosity and bountiful grace, and is worthy of Thy bestowals and
favors. Poor and desolate I am, O my Lord! Immerse me in the ocean of
Thy Wealth; athirst, suffer me to drink from the living waters of Thy
loving-kindness.
I beseech Thee, by Thine own Self and by Him Whom Thou hast
appointed as the Manifestation of Thine own Being and Thy discriminating
Word unto all that are in heaven and on earth, to gather together Thy
servants beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy gracious providence. Help
them, then, to partake of its fruits, to incline their ears to the
rustling of its leaves, and to the sweetness of the voice of the Bird
that chanteth upon its
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branches. Thou art, verily, the Help in Peril, the Inaccessible, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful. --Bahá'u'lláh
O Thou merciful God! O Thou Who art mighty and powerful! O Thou
most kind Father! These servants have gathered together, turning to
Thee, supplicating Thy threshold, desiring Thine endless bounties from
Thy great assurance. They have no purpose save Thy good pleasure. They
have no intention save service to the world of humanity.
O God! Make this assemblage radiant. Make the hearts merciful.
Confer the bounties of the Holy Spirit. Endow them with a power from
heaven. Bless them with heavenly minds. Increase their sincerity, so
that with all humility and contrition they may turn to Thy kingdom and
be occupied with service to the world of humanity. May each one become a
radiant candle. May each one become a brilliant star. May each one
become beautiful in color and redolent of fragrance in the kingdom of
God.
O kind Father! Confer Thy blessings. Consider
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not our shortcomings.
Shelter us under Thy protection. Remember not our sins. Heal us with Thy
mercy. We are sick; Thou art mighty. We are poor; Thou art rich. We are
sick; Thou art the Physician. We are needy; Thou art most generous.
O God! Endow us with Thy providence. Thou art the Powerful. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Beneficent. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou kind Lord! These are Thy servants who have gathered in
this meeting, have turned unto Thy kingdom and are in need of Thy
bestowal and blessing. O Thou God! Manifest and make evident the signs
of Thy oneness which have been deposited in all the realities of life.
Reveal and unfold the virtues which Thou hast made latent and concealed
in these human realities.
O God! We are as plants, and Thy bounty is as the rain; refresh
and cause these plants to grow through Thy bestowal. We are Thy
servants; free us from the fetters of material existence. We are
ignorant; make us wise. We are dead; make us alive. We are material;
endow us with spirit. We
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are deprived; make us the
intimates of Thy mysteries. We are needy; enrich and bless us from Thy
boundless treasury. O God! Resuscitate us; give us sight; give us
hearing; familiarize us with the mysteries of life, so that the secrets
of Thy kingdom may become revealed to us in this world of existence and
we may confess Thy oneness. Every bestowal emanates from Thee; every
benediction is Thine.
Thou art mighty. Thou art powerful. Thou art the Giver, and Thou art the Ever-Bounteous. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O my God! O my God! Verily, these servants are turning to Thee,
supplicating Thy kingdom of mercy. Verily, they are attracted by Thy
holiness and set aglow with the fire of Thy love, seeking confirmation
from Thy wondrous kingdom, and hoping for attainment in Thy heavenly
realm. Verily, they long for the descent of Thy bestowal, desiring
illumination from the Sun of Reality. O Lord! Make them radiant lamps,
merciful signs, fruitful trees and shining stars. May they come forth in
Thy service and be connected
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with Thee by the bonds
and ties of Thy love, longing for the lights of Thy favor. O Lord! Make
them signs of guidance, standards of Thine immortal kingdom, waves of
the sea of Thy mercy, mirrors of the light of Thy majesty.
Verily, Thou art the Generous. Verily, Thou art the Merciful. Verily, Thou art the Precious, the Beloved. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou forgiving God! These servants are turning to Thy kingdom
and seeking Thy grace and bounty. O God! Make their hearts good and pure
in order that they may become worthy of Thy love. Purify and sanctify
the spirits that the light of the Sun of Reality may shine upon them.
Purify and sanctify the eyes that they may perceive Thy light. Purify
and sanctify the ears in order that they may hear the call of Thy
kingdom.
O Lord! Verily, we are weak, but Thou art mighty. Verily, we are
poor, but Thou art rich. We are seekers, and Thou art the One sought. O
Lord! Have compassion upon us and forgive us; bestow upon us such
capacity and receptiveness that we may be worthy of Thy favors and
become
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attracted to Thy kingdom,
that we may drink deep of the water of life, may be enkindled by the
fire of Thy love, and be resuscitated through the breaths of the Holy
Spirit in this radiant century.
O God, my God! Cast upon this gathering the glances of Thy
loving-kindness. Keep safe each and all in Thy custody and under Thy
protection. Send down upon these souls Thy heavenly blessings. Immerse
them in the ocean of Thy mercy, and quicken them through the breaths of
the Holy Spirit.
O Lord! Bestow Thy gracious aid and confirmation upon this just
government. This country lieth beneath the sheltering shadow of Thy
protection, and this people is in Thy service. O Lord! Confer upon them
Thy heavenly bounty and render the outpourings of Thy grace and favor
copious and abundant. Suffer this esteemed nation to be held in honor,
and enable it to be admitted into Thy kingdom.
Thou art the Powerful the Omnipotent, the Merciful, and Thou art the Generous, the Beneficent, the Lord of grace abounding. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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O Divine Providence! This
assemblage is composed of Thy friends who are attracted to Thy beauty
and are set ablaze by the fire of Thy love. Turn these souls into
heavenly angels, resuscitate them through the breath of Thy Holy Spirit,
grant them eloquent tongues and resolute hearts, bestow upon them
heavenly power and merciful susceptibilities, cause them to become the
promulgators of the oneness of mankind and the cause of love and concord
in the world of humanity, so that the perilous darkness of ignorant
prejudice may vanish through the light of the Sun of Truth, this dreary
world may become illumined, this material realm may absorb the rays of
the world of spirit, these different colors may merge into one color and
the melody of praise may rise to the kingdom of Thy sanctity.
Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, and the Almighty! --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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MORNING
O my God and my Master! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy
servant. I have risen from my couch at this dawntide when the Daystar of
Thy oneness hath shone forth from the Dayspring of Thy will, and hath
shed its radiance upon the whole world, according to what had been
ordained in the Books of Thy Decree.
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, that we have wakened to the
splendors of the light of Thy knowledge. Send down, then, upon us, O my
Lord, what will enable us to dispense with anyone but Thee, and will rid
us of all attachment to aught except Thyself. Write down, moreover, for
me, and for such as are dear to me, and for my kindred, man and woman
alike, the good of this world and the world to come. Keep us safe, then,
through Thine unfailing protection, O Thou the Beloved of the entire
creation and the Desire of the whole universe, from them whom Thou hast
made to be the manifestations of the Evil Whisperer, who
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whisper in men's breasts.
Potent art Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Bless Thou, O Lord my God, Him Whom Thou hast set over Thy most
excellent Titles, and through Whom Thou hast divided between the godly
and the wicked, and graciously aid us to do what Thou lovest and
desirest. Bless Thou, moreover, O my God, them Who are Thy Words and Thy
Letters, and them who have set their faces towards Thee, and turned
unto Thy face, and hearkened to Thy Call.
Thou art, verily, the Lord and King of all men, and art potent over all things. --Bahá'u'lláh
I have wakened in Thy shelter, O my God, and it becometh him
that seeketh that shelter to abide within the Sanctuary of Thy
protection and the Stronghold of Thy defense. Illumine my inner being, O
my Lord, with the splendors of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, even as
Thou didst illumine my outer being with the morning light of Thy favor.
--Bahá'u'lláh
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I have risen this morning
by Thy grace, O my God, and left my home trusting wholly in Thee, and
committing myself to Thy care. Send down, then, upon me, out of the
heaven of Thy mercy, a blessing from Thy side, and enable me to return
home in safety even as Thou didst enable me to set out under Thy
protection with my thoughts fixed steadfastly upon Thee.
There is none other God but Thee, the One, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
I give praise to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast awakened me out
of my sleep, and brought me forth after my disappearance, and raised me
up from my slumber. I have wakened this morning with my face set toward
the splendors of the Daystar of thy Revelation, through Which the
heavens of Thy power and Thy majesty have been illumined, acknowledging
Thy signs, believing in Thy Book, and holding fast unto Thy Cord.
I beseech Thee, by the potency of Thy will and the compelling
power of Thy purpose, to make of what Thou didst reveal unto me in my
sleep the
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surest foundation for the
mansions of Thy love that are within the hearts of Thy loved ones, and
the best instrument for the revelation of the tokens of Thy grace and
Thy loving-kindness.
Do Thou ordain for me through Thy most exalted Pen, O my Lord,
the good of this world and of the next. I testify that within Thy grasp
are held the reins of all things. Thou changest them as Thou pleasest.
No God is there save Thee, the Strong, the Faithful.
Thou art He Who changeth through His bidding abasement into
glory, and weakness into strength, and powerlessness into might, and
fear into calm, and doubt into certainty. No God is there but Thee, the
Mighty, the Beneficent.
Thou disappointest no one who hath sought Thee, nor dost Thou
keep back from Thee anyone who hath desired Thee. Ordain Thou for me
what becometh the heaven of Thy generosity, and the ocean of Thy bounty.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful. --Bahá'u'lláh
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PRAISE AND GRATITUDE
All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the Source of all glory
and majesty, of greatness and honor, of sovereignty and dominion, of
loftiness and grace, of awe and power. Whomsoever Thou willest Thou
causest to draw nigh unto the Most Great Ocean, and on whomsoever Thou
desirest Thou conferrest the honor of recognizing Thy Most Ancient Name.
Of all who are in heaven and on earth, none can withstand the operation
of Thy sovereign Will. From all eternity Thou didst rule the entire
creation, and Thou wilt continue for evermore to exercise Thy dominion
over all created things. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty,
The Most Exalted, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.
Illumine, O Lord, the faces of Thy servants, that they may
behold Thee; and cleanse their hearts that they may turn unto the court
of Thy heavenly favors, and recognize Him Who is the Manifestation of
Thy Self and the Dayspring of
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Thine Essence. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all worlds. There is no God but Thee, the Unconstrained, the All-Subduing. --Bahá'u'lláh
In the Name of God, the Most High! Lauded and glorified art
Thou, Lord, God Omnipotent! Thou before Whose wisdom the wise falleth
short and faileth, before Whose knowledge the learned confesseth his
ignorance, before Whose might the strong waxeth weak, before Whose
wealth the rich testifieth to his poverty, before Whose light the
enlightened is lost in darkness, toward the shrine of Whose knowledge
turneth the essence of all understanding and around the sanctuary of
Whose presence circle the souls of all mankind.
How then can I sing and tell of Thine Essence, which the wisdom
of the wise and the learning of the learned have failed to comprehend,
inasmuch as no man can sing that which he understandeth not, nor recount
that unto which he cannot attain, whilst thou hast been from
everlasting the Inaccessible, the Unsearchable. Powerless though I be to
rise to the heavens of Thy glory and soar in
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the realms of Thy knowledge, I can but recount Thy tokens that tell of Thy glorious handiwork.
By Thy Glory! O Beloved of all hearts, Thou that alone canst
still the pangs of yearning for Thee! Though all the dwellers of heaven
and earth unite to glorify the least of Thy signs, wherein and whereby
Thou hast revealed Thyself, yet would they fail, how much more to praise
Thy holy Word, the creator of all Thy tokens.
All praise and gory be to Thee, Thou of Whom all things have
testified that Thou art one and there is none other God but thee, Who
hast been from everlasting exalted above all peer or likeness and to
everlasting shalt remain the same. All kings are but Thy servants and
all beings, visible and invisible, as naught before Thee. There is none
other God but Thee, the Gracious, the Powerful, the Most High. --Bahá'u'lláh
Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou art He Whom all
things worship and Who worshipeth no one, Who is the Lord of all things
and is the vassal of none, Who knoweth all things and is known of none.
Thou didst wish
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to make Thyself known
unto men; therefore, Thou didst, through a word of Thy mouth, bring
creation into being and fashion the universe. There is none other God
except Thee, the Fashioner, the Creator, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful.
I implore Thee, by this very word that hath shone forth above
the horizon of Thy will, to enable me to drink deep of the living waters
through which Thou hast vivified the hearts of Thy chosen ones and
quickened the souls of them that love Thee, that I may, at all times and
under all conditions, turn my face wholly towards Thee.
Thou art the God of power, of glory and bounty. No God is there
beside Thee, the Supreme Ruler, the All-Glorious, the Omniscient. --Bahá'u'lláh
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I yield Thee thanks for
having enabled me to recognize the Manifestation of Thyself, and for
having severed me from Thine enemies, and laid bare before mine eyes
their misdeeds and wicked works in Thy days, and for having rid me of
all
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attachment to them, and
caused me to turn wholly towards Thy grace and bountiful favors. I give
Thee thanks, also, for having sent down upon me from the clouds of Thy
will that which hath so sanctified me from the hints of the infidels and
the allusions of the misbelievers that I have fixed my heart firmly on
Thee, and fled from such as have denied the light of Thy countenance.
Again I thank Thee for having empowered me to be steadfast in Thy love,
and to speak forth Thy praise and to extol Thy virtues, and for having
given me to drink of the cup of Thy mercy that hath surpassed all things
visible and invisible.
Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving. --Bahá'u'lláh
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I attempt to make
mention of Thee, I am hindered by the sublimity of Thy station and the
overpowering greatness of Thy might. For were I to praise Thee
throughout the length of Thy dominion and the duration of Thy
sovereignty, I would find that my praise of Thee can befit only
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such as are like unto me,
who are themselves Thy creatures, and who have been generated through
the power of Thy decree and been fashioned through the potency of Thy
will. And at whatever time my pen ascribeth glory to any one of Thy
names, methinks I can hear the voice of its lamentation in its
remoteness from Thee, and can recognize its cry because of its
separation from Thy Self. I testify that everything other than Thee is
but Thy creation and is held in the hollow of Thy hand. To have accepted
any act or praise from Thy creatures is but an evidence of the wonders
of Thy grace and bountiful favors, and a manifestation of Thy generosity
and providence.
I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Most Great Name whereby Thou
didst separate light from fire, and truth from denial, to send down upon
me and upon such of my loved ones as are in my company the good of this
world and of the next. Supply us, then, with Thy wondrous gifts that
are hid from the eyes of men. Thou art, verily, the Fashioner of all
creation. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the
Most High. --Bahá'u'lláh
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All majesty and glory, O
my God, and all dominion and light and grandeur and splendor be unto
Thee. Thou bestowest sovereignty on whom Thou willest and dost withhold
it from whom Thou desirest. No God is there but Thee, the
All-Possessing, the Most Exalted. Thou art He Who createth from naught
the universe and all that dwell therein. There is nothing worthy of Thee
except Thyself, while all else but Thee are as outcasts in Thy holy
presence and are as nothing when compared to the glory of Thine Own
Being.
Far be it from me to extol Thy virtues save by what Thou hast
extolled Thyself in Thy weighty Book where Thou sayest, "No vision
taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision. He is the Subtile, the
All-Perceiving."+F1 Glory be unto Thee, O my God, indeed no mind or
vision, however keen or discriminating, can ever grasp the nature of the
most insignificant of Thy signs. Verily, Thou art God, no God is there
besides Thee. I bear witness that Thou Thyself alone art the sole
expression of Thine attributes, that the praise of no one besides Thee
can ever attain to Thy holy court nor can
___________________ +F1. Qur'án 6:103
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Thine attributes ever be fathomed by anyone other than Thyself.
Glory be unto Thee, Thou art exalted above the description of
anyone save Thyself, since it is beyond human conception to befittingly
magnify Thy virtues or to comprehend the inmost reality of Thine
Essence. Far be it from Thy glory that Thy creatures should describe
Thee or that anyone besides Thyself should ever know Thee. I have known
Thee, O my God, by reason of Thy making Thyself known unto me, for hadst
Thou not revealed Thyself unto me, I would not have known Thee. I
worship Thee by virtue of Thy summoning me unto Thee, for had it not
been for Thy summons I would not have worship Thee. --The Báb
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PROTECTION
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou seest and knowest that I
have called upon Thy servants to turn nowhere except in the direction of
Thy bestowals, and have bidden them observe naught save the things Thou
didst prescribe in Thy Perspicuous Book, the Book which hath been sent
down according to Thine inscrutable decree and irrevocable purpose.
I can utter no word, O my God, unless I be permitted by Thee,
and can move in no direction until I obtain Thy sanction. It is Thou, O
my God, Who hast called me into being through the power of Thy might,
and hast endured me with Thy grace to manifest Thy Cause. Wherefore I
have been subjected to such adversities that my tongue hath been
hindered from extolling Thee and from magnifying Thy glory.
All praise be to Thee, O my God, for the things Thou didst
ordain for me through Thy decree and by the power of Thy sovereignty. I
beseech
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Thee that thou wilt
fortify both myself and them that love me in our love for Thee, and wilt
keep us firm in Thy Cause. I swear by Thy might! O my God! Thy
servant's shame is to be shut out as by a veil from Thee, and his glory
is to know Thee. Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt
me, and with Thy love in my heart all the world's afflictions can in no
wise alarm me.
Send down, therefore, O my Lord, upon me and upon my loved ones
that which will protect us from the mischief of those that have
repudiated Thy truth and disbelieved in Thy signs.
Thou art, verily, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. --Bahá'u'lláh
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! This is Thy servant who hath
quaffed from the hands of Thy grace the wine of Thy tender mercy, and
tasted of the savor of Thy love in Thy days. I beseech Thee, by the
embodiments of Thy names whom no grief can hinder from rejoicing in Thy
love or from gazing on Thy face, and whom all the hosts of the heedless
are powerless to cause to turn aside from the path of Thy pleasure, to
supply
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him with the good things
Thou dost possess, and to raise him up to such heights that he will
regard the world even as a shadow that vanisheth swifter than the
twinkling of an eye.
Keep him safe also, O my God, by the power of Thine immeasurable
majesty, from all that Thou abhorrest. Thou art, verily, his Lord and
the Lord of all worlds. --Bahá'u'lláh
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I entreat Thee by Thy Name
through which the Hour hath struck, and the Resurrection came to pass,
and fear and trembling seized all that are in heaven and all that are on
earth, to rain down, out of the heaven of Thy mercy and the clouds of
Thy tender compassion, what will gladden the hearts of Thy servants, who
have turned towards Thee and helped Thy Cause.
Keep safe Thy servants and Thy handmaidens, O my Lord, from the
darts of idle fancy and vain imaginings, and give them from the hands of
thy grace a draught of the soft-flowing waters of Thy knowledge.
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Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous. --Bahá'u'lláh
O God, my God! I have set out from my home, holding fast unto
the cord of Thy love, and I have committed myself wholly to Thy care and
Thy protection. I entreat Thee by Thy power through which Thou didst
protect Thy loved ones from the wayward and the perverse, and from every
contumacious oppressor, and every wicked doer who hath strayed far from
Thee, to keep me safe by Thy bounty and thy grace. Enable me, then, to
return to my home by Thy power and Thy might. Thou art, truly, the
Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. --Bahá'u'lláh
Ordain for me, O my Lord, and for those who believe in Thee that
which is deemed best for us in Thine estimation, as set forth in the
Mother Book, for within the grasp of Thy hand Thou holdest the
determined measures of all things.
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Thy goodly gifts are
unceasingly showered upon such as cherish Thy love, and the wondrous
tokens of Thy heavenly bounties are amply bestowed on those who
recognize Thy divine Unity. We commit unto Thy care whatsoever Thou hast
destined for us, and implore Thee to grant us all the good that Thy
knowledge embraceth.
Protect me, O my Lord, from every evil that Thine omniscience
perceiveth, inasmuch as there is no power nor strength but in Thee, no
triumph is forthcoming save from Thy presence, and it is Thine alone to
command. Whatever God hath willed hath been, and that which He hath not
willed shall not be.
There is no power nor strength except in God, the Most Exalted, the Most Mighty. --The Báb
Glory be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God Who hath existed
before all things, Who will exist after all things and will last beyond
all things. Thou art the God Who knoweth all things, and is supreme over
all things. Thou art the God Who dealeth mercifully with all things,
Who judgeth between all things and Whose vision embraceth
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all things. Thou art God my Lord, Thou art aware of my position, Thou dost witness my inner and outer being.
Grant Thy forgiveness unto me and unto the believers who
responded to Thy Call. Be Thou my sufficing helper against the mischief
of whosoever may desire to inflict sorrow upon me or wish me ill.
Verily, Thou art the Lord of all created things. Thou dost suffice
everyone, while no one can be self-suffficient without Thee. --The Báb
In the Name of God, the Lord of overpowering majesty, and All-Compelling.
Hallowed be the Lord in Whose hand is the source of dominion. He
createth whatsoever He willeth by His Word of command "Be," and it is.
His hath been the power of authority heretofore, and it shall remain His
hereafter. He maketh victorious whomsoever He pleaseth, through the
potency of His behest. He is in truth the Powerful, the Almighty. Unto
Him pertaineth all glory and majesty in the kingdoms of Revelation and
Creation and whatever lieth between them. Verily, He
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is the Potent, the
All-Glorious. From everlasting He hath been the Source of indomitable
strength and shall remain so unto everlasting. He is indeed the Lord of
might and power. All the kingdoms of heaven and earth and whatever is
between them are God's, and His power is supreme over all things. All
the treasures of earth and heaven and everything between them are His,
and His protection extendeth over all things. He is the Creator of the
heavens and the earth and whatever lieth between them, and He truly is a
witness over all things. He is the Lord of Reckoning for all that dwell
in the heavens and on earth and whatever lieth between them, and truly
God is swift to reckon. He setteth the measure assigned to all who are
in the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. Verily, He is
the Supreme Protector. He holdeth in His grasp the keys of heaven and
earth and of everything between them. At His Own pleasure doth He bestow
gifts, through the power of His command. Indeed His grace encompasseth
all, and He is the All-Knowing.
Say: God sufficeth unto me; He is the One Who holdeth in His grasp the kingdom of all things.
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Through the power of His
hosts of heaven and earth and whatever lieth between them, He protecteth
whomsoever among His servants He willeth. God, in truth, keepeth watch
over all things.
Immeasurably exalted art Thou, O Lord! Protect us from what
lieth in front of us and behind us, above our heads, on our right, on
our left, below our feet and every other side to which we are exposed.
Verily, Thy protection over all things is unfailing.+F1 --The Báb
O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants from the evils of
self and passion, protect them with the watchful eye of thy
loving-kindness from all rancor, hate and envy, shelter them in the
impregnable stronghold of Thy care and, safe from the darts of
doubtfulness, make them the manifestations of Thy glorious signs,
illumine their faces with the effulgent rays shed from the Dayspring of
Thy divine unity, gladden their hearts with the verses revealed from Thy
holy
___________________ +F1. The original of this prayer for protection is written in The Báb's own hand, in the form of a pentacle.
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kingdom, strengthen their
loins by Thine all-swaying power that cometh from Thy realm of glory.
Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Protector, the Almighty, the Gracious. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O my Lord! Thou knowest that the people are encircled with pain
and calamities and are environed with hardships and trouble. Every trial
doth attack man and every dire adversity doth assail him like unto the
assault of a serpent. There is no shelter and asylum for him except
under the wing of Thy protection, preservation, guard and custody.
O Thou the Merciful One! O my Lord! Make Thy protection my
armor, Thy preservation my shield, humbleness before the door of Thy
oneness my guard, and Thy custody and defense my fortress and my abode.
Preserve me from the suggestions of self and desire, and guard me from
every sickness, trial, difficulty and ordeal.
Verily, Thou art the Protector, the Guardian, the Preserver, the
Sufficer, and verify, Thou art the Merciful of the Most Merciful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Whenever ye enter the council-chamber, recite this prayer with a
heart throbbing with the love of God and a tongue purified from all but
His remembrance, that the All-Powerful may graciously aid you to
achieve supreme victory.
O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with
devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all besides
Thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this Spiritual Assembly,
united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized to exalt
Thy Word amidst mankind. O Lord, our God! Make us the signs of Thy
Divine Guidance, the Standards of Thine exalted Faith amongst men,
servants to Thy mighty Covenant, O Thou our Lord Most High,
manifestations of Thy Divine Unity in Thine Abha Kingdom, and
resplendent stars shining upon all regions. Lord! Aid us to become seas
surging with the billows of Thy wondrous Grace, streams flowing from
Thine
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all-glorious Heights,
goodly fruits upon the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause, trees waving through
the breezes of Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard. O God! Make our
souls dependent upon the Verses of Thy Divine Unity, our hearts cheered
with the outpourings of Thy Grace, that we may unite even as the waves
of one sea and become merged together as the rays of Thine effulgent
Light; that our thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one
reality, manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art
the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful,
the Compassionate. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
Come ye together in gladness unalloyed, and at the beginning of the meeting, recite ye this prayer:
O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! Though our bodies be gathered here
together, yet our spellbound hearts are carried away by Thy love, and
yet are we transported by the rays of Thy resplendent face. Weak though
we be, we await the revelations of Thy might and power. Poor though we
be, with neither goods nor means, still take
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we riches from the
treasures of Thy Kingdom. Drops though we be, still do we draw from out
Thy ocean deeps. Motes though we be, still do we gleam in the glory of
Thy splendid Sun.
O Thou our Provider! Send down Thine aid, that each one gathered
here may become a lighted candle, each one a center of attraction, each
one a summoner to Thy heavenly realms, till at last we make this nether
world the mirror image of Thy Paradise. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
Prayer to be said at the close of the meeting of the Spiritual Assembly.
O God! O God! From the unseen kingdom of Thy oneness behold us
assembled in this spiritual meeting, believing in Thee, confident in Thy
signs, firm in Thy Covenant and Testament, attracted to Thee, set aglow
with the fire of Thy love and sincere in Thy Cause. We are servants in
Thy vineyard, spreaders of Thy religion, devoted worshipers of Thy
countenance, humble towards Thy loved ones, submissive before Thy door,
and imploring Thee to confirm us in serving Thy
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chosen ones, to support
us with Thine unseen hosts, to strengthen our loins in Thy servitude and
to make us submissive and adoring subjects communing with Thee.
O our Lord! We are weak, and Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful.
We are lifeless, and Thou art the great life-giving Spirit. We are
needy, and Thou art the Sustainer, the Powerful.
O our Lord! Turn our faces unto Thy merciful countenance, feed
us from Thy heavenly table with Thine abundant grace, assist us with the
hosts of Thy supreme angels and confirm us through the holy ones of the
Kingdom of Abha.
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful. Thou art the
Possessor of great bounty, and, verily, Thou art the Clement and the
Gracious. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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SPIRITUAL QUALITIES
From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity give me to
drink, O my God, and of the fruits of the tree of Thy being enable me to
taste, O my Hope! From the crystal springs of Thy love suffer me to
quaff, O my Glory, and beneath the shadow of Thine everlasting
providence let me abide, O my Light! Within the meadows of Thy nearness,
before Thy presence, make me able to roam, O my Beloved, and at the
right hand of the throne of Thy mercy, seat me, O my Desire! From the
fragrant breezes of Thy joy let a breath pass over me, O my Goal, and
into the heights of the paradise of Thy reality let me gain admission, O
my Adored One! To the melodies of the dove of Thy oneness suffer me to
hearken, O Resplendent One, and through the spirit of Thy power and Thy
might quicken me, O my Provider! In the spirit of Thy love keep me
steadfast, O my Succorer, and in the path of Thy good pleasure set firm
my steps, O my Maker! Within
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the garden of Thine
immortality, before Thy countenance, let me abide for ever, O Thou Who
art merciful unto me, and upon the seat of Thy glory stablish me, O Thou
Who art my Possessor! To the heaven of Thy loving-kindness lift me up, O
my Quickener, and unto the Daystar of Thy guidance lead me, O Thou my
Attractor! Before the revelations of Thine invisible spirit summon me to
be present, O Thou Who art my Origin and my Highest Wish, and unto the
essence of the fragrance of Thy beauty, which Thou wilt manifest, cause
me to return, O Thou Who art my God!
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the All-Highest. --Bahá'u'lláh
Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil
conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm
Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory
reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power
of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O
Source of my being,
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and by the breezes of
Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! Let Thine everlasting
melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches
of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my
Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible
Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest
and the most hidden of the hidden! --Bahá'u'lláh
He is the Gracious, the All-Bountiful!
O God, my God! Thy call hath attracted me, and the voice of Thy
Pen of Glory awakened me. The stream of Thy holy utterance hath
enraptured me, and the wine of Thine inspiration entranced me. Thou
seest me, O Lord, detached from all things but Thee, clinging to the
cord of Thy bounty and craving the wonders of Thy grace. I ask Thee, by
the eternal billows of Thy loving-kindness and the shining lights of Thy
tender care and favor, to grant that which shall draw me nigh unto thee
and make me rich in Thy wealth. My tongue, my pen, my whole being,
testify to Thy
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power, Thy might, Thy grace and Thy bounty, that Thou art God and there is none other God but Thee, the Powerful, the Mighty.
I bear witness at this moment, O my God, to my helplessness and
Thy sovereignty, my feebleness and Thy power. I know not that which
profiteth me or harmeth me; Thou art, verily, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise. Do Thou decree for me, O Lord, my God, and my Master, that
which will make me feel content with Thine eternal decree and will
prosper me in every world of Thine. Thou art in truth the Gracious, the
Bountiful.
Lord! Turn me not away from the ocean of Thy wealth and the
heaven of Thy mercy, and ordain for me the good of this world and
hereafter. Verily, Thou art the Lord of the mercy-seat, enthroned in the
highest; there is none other God but Thee, the One, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and Thy presence my
drink, and Thy pleasure my hope, and praise of Thee my action, and
remembrance of Thee my companion, and
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the power of Thy
sovereignty my succorer, and Thy habitation my home, and my
dwelling-place the seat Thou hast sanctified from the limitations
imposed upon them who are shut out as by a veil from Thee.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful. --Bahá'u'lláh
Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I am Thy servant who hath
laid hold on the cord of Thy tender mercies, and clung to the hem of thy
bounteousness. I entreat Thee by Thy name whereby Thou hast subjected
all created things, both visible and invisible, and through which the
breath that is life indeed was wafted over the entire creation, to
strengthen me by Thy power which hath encompassed the heavens and the
earth, and to guard me from all sickness and tribulation. I bear witness
that Thou art the Lord of all names, and the Ordainer of all that may
please Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Do Thou ordain for me, O my Lord, what will profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Supply
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me, then, with what Thou
hast written down for the chosen ones among Thy creatures, whom neither
the blame of the blamer, nor the clamor of the infidel, nor the
estrangement of such as have withdrawn from Thee, hath deterred from
turning towards Thee.
Thou, truly, art the Help in Peril through the power of Thy
sovereignty. No God is there save Thee, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
--Bahá'u'lláh
O my God, the God of bounty and mercy!
Thou art that King by Whose commanding word the whole creation
hath been called into being; and Thou art that All-Bountiful One the
doings of Whose servants have never hindered Him from showing forth His
grace, nor have they frustrated the revelations of His bounty.
Suffer this servant, I beseech Thee, to attain unto that which
is the cause of his salvation in every world of Thy worlds. Thou art,
verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
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He is the prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God!
By Thy glory, O Beloved One, Thou giver of light to the world!
The flames of separation have consumed me, and my waywardness hath
melted my heart within me. I ask of Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, O Thou
the Desire of the world and the Well-Beloved of mankind, to grant that
the breeze of Thine inspiration may sustain my soul, that Thy wondrous
voice may reach my ear, that my eyes may behold Thy signs and Thy light
as revealed in the manifestations of Thy names and Thine attributes, O
Thou within Whose grasp are all things!
Thou seest, O Lord my God, the tears of Thy favored ones, shed
because of their separation from Thee, and the fears of Thy devoted ones
in their remoteness from Thy Holy Court. By Thy power, that swayeth all
things, visible and invisible! It behooveth Thy loved ones to shed
tears of blood for that which hath befallen the faithful at the hands of
the wicked and the oppressors on the earth. Thou beholdest, O my God,
how the ungodly have compassed Thy cities and Thy realms!
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I ask Thee by Thy
Messengers and Thy chosen ones and by Him whereby the standard of Thy
divine unity hath been implanted amidst Thy servants, to shield them by
Thy bounty. Thou art, verily, the Gracious, the All-Bountiful.
And, again, I ask Thee by the sweet showers of Thy grace and the
billows of the ocean of Thy favor, to ordain for Thy saints that which
shall solace their eyes and comfort their hearts. Lord! Thou seest him
that kneeleth yearning to arise and serve Thee, the dead calling for
eternal life from the ocean of Thy favor and craving to soar to the
heavens of Thy wealth, the stranger longing for his home of glory 'neath
the canopy of Thy grace, the seeker hastening by Thy mercy to Thy door
of bounty, the sinful turning to the ocean of forgiveness and pardon.
By Thy sovereignty, O Thou Who art glorified in the hearts of
men! I have turned to Thee, forsaking mine own will and desire, that Thy
holy will and pleasure may rule within me and direct me according to
that which the pen of Thy eternal decree hath destined for me. This
servant, O Lord, though helpless turneth to the Orb of Thy Power, though
abased hasteneth unto the Dayspring
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of Glory, though needy craveth the Ocean of Thy Grace. I beseech Thee by Thy favor and bounty, cast him not away.
Thou art verily the Almighty, the Pardoner, the Compassionate. --Bahá'u'lláh
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I give Thee thanks inasmuch
as Thou hast called me into being in Thy days, and infused into me Thy
love and Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee, by Thy name whereby the goodly
pearls of Thy wisdom and Thine utterance were brought forth out of the
treasuries of the hearts of such of Thy servants as are nigh unto Thee,
and through which the Daystar of Thy name, the Compassionate, hath shed
its radiance upon all that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to supply
me, by Thy grace and bounty, with Thy wondrous and hidden bounties.
These are the earliest days of my life, O my God, which Thou
hast linked with Thine own days. Now that Thou hast conferred upon me so
great an honor, withhold not from me the things Thou hast ordained for
Thy chosen ones.
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I am, O my God, but a
tiny seed which Thou hast sown in the soil of Thy love, and caused to
spring forth by the hand of Thy bounty. This seed craveth, therefore, in
its inmost being, for the waters of Thy mercy and the living fountain
of Thy grace. Send down upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness,
that which will enable it to flourish beneath Thy shadow and within the
borders of Thy court. Thou art He Who watereth the hearts of all that
have recognized Thee from Thy plenteous stream and the fountain of Thy
living waters.
Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds. --Bahá'u'lláh
Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure of Thy love and
Thy good-pleasure, and through the attractions of Thy resplendent light
enrapture our hearts, O Thou Who art the Supreme Evidence and the
All-Glorified. Send down upon me, as a token of Thy grace, Thy
vitalizing breezes, throughout the daytime and in the night season, O
Lord of bounty.
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No deed have I done, O my
God, to merit beholding Thy face, and I know of a certainty that were I
to live as long as the world lasts I would fail to accomplish any deed
such as to deserve this favor, inasmuch as the station of a servant
shall ever fall short of access to Thy holy precincts, unless Thy bounty
should reach me and Thy tender mercy pervade me and Thy loving-kindness
encompass me.
All praise be unto Thee, O Thou besides Whom there is none other
God. Graciously enable me to ascend unto Thee, to be granted the honor
of dwelling in Thy nearness and to have communion with Thee alone. No
God is there but Thee.
Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant
Thou wouldst blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or
disposition except Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a
servant by reason of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before
Thy face, Thou wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of
the next that he might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy
remembrance. --The Báb
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O God! Refresh and
gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my
affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer
be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I
will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I
will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O my God! O my God! Glory be unto Thee for that Thou hast
confirmed me to the confession of Thy oneness, attracted me unto the
word of Thy singleness, enkindled me by the fire of Thy love, and
occupied me with Thy mention and the service of Thy friends and
maidservants.
O Lord, help me to be meek and lowly, and strengthen me in
severing myself from all things and in holding to the hem of the garment
of Thy glory, so that my heart may be filled with Thy love and leave no
space for love of the world and attachment to its qualities.
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O God! Sanctify me from
all else save Thee, purge me from the dross of sins and transgressions,
and cause me to possess a spiritual heart and conscience.
Verily, Thou art merciful and, verily, Thou art the Most Generous, Whose help is sought by all men. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O my Lord! O my Lord! This a 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 Assister, the Powerful, the Generous, the Loving.
--'Abdu'l-Bahá
O my God! O my God! This, Thy servant, hath advanced towards
Thee, is passionately wandering in the desert of Thy love, walking in
the path of Thy service, anticipating Thy favors, hoping for Thy bounty,
relying upon Thy kingdom, and intoxicated by the wine of Thy gift.
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O my God! Increase the
fervor of his affection for Thee, the constancy of his praise of Thee,
and the ardor of his love for Thee.
Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding. There is no other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O God, my God! This is thy radiant servant Thy spiritual thrall,
who hath drawn nigh unto Thee and approached Thy presence. He hath
turned his face unto Thine, acknowledging Thy oneness, confessing Thy
singleness, and he hath called out in Thy name among the nations, and
led the people to the streaming waters of Thy mercy, O Thou Most
generous Lord! To those who asked He hath given to drink from the cup of
guidance that brimmeth over with the wine of Thy measureless grace.
O Lord, assist him under all conditions, cause him to learn Thy
well-guarded mysteries, and shower down upon him Thy hidden pearls. Make
of him a banner rippling from castle summits in
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the winds of Thy heavenly aid, make of him a wellspring of crystal waters.
O my forgiving Lord! Light up the hearts with the rays of a lamp
that sheddeth abroad its beams, disclosing to those among Thy people
whom Thou hast bounteously favored, the realities of all things.
Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Protector, the Strong, the Beneficent! Verily, Thou art the Lord of all mercies! --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O God, my God! These are Thy feeble servants; they are Thy loyal
bondsmen and Thy handmaidens, who have bowed themselves down before
Thine exalted Utterance and humbled themselves at Thy Threshold of
light, and borne witness to Thy oneness through which the Sun hath been
made to shine in midday splendor. They have listened to the summons Thou
didst raise from out Thy hidden Realm, and with hearts quivering with
love and rapture, they have responded to Thy call.
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O Lord, shower upon them
all the outpourings of Thy mercy, rain down upon them all the waters of
Thy grace. Make them to grow as beauteous plants in the garden of
heaven, and from the full and brimming clouds of Thy bestowals and out
of the deep pools of Thine abounding grace make Thou this garden to
flower, and keep it ever green and lustrous, ever fresh and shimmering
and fair.
Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Powerful, He Who
alone, in the heavens and on the earth, abideth unchanged. There is none
other God save Thee, the Lord of manifest tokens and signs. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
He is God!
O God, my God! These are servants attracted in Thy days by the
fragrances of Thy holiness, enkindled with the flame burning in Thy holy
tree, responding to Thy voice, uttering Thy praise, awakened by Thy
breeze, stirred by Thy sweet savors, beholding Thy signs, understanding
Thy verses, hearkening to Thy words, believing Thy Revelation and
assured of Thy loving-kindness. Their eyes, O Lord, are fixed upon Thy
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kingdom of effulgent
glory and their faces turned toward Thy dominion on high, their hearts
beating with the love of Thy radiant and glorious beauty, their souls
consumed with the flame of Thy love, O Lord of this world and the world
hereafter, their lives seething with the ardor of their longing for
Thee, and their tears poured forth for Thy sake.
Shield them within the stronghold of Thy protection and safety,
preserve them in Thy watchful care, look upon them with the eyes of Thy
providence and mercy, make them the signs of Thy divine unity that are
manifest throughout all regions, the standards of Thy might that wave
above Thy mansions of grandeur, the shining lamps that burn with the oil
of Thy wisdom in the globes of Thy guidance, the birds of the garden of
Thy knowledge that warble upon the topmost boughs in Thy sheltering
paradise, and the leviathans of the ocean of Thy bounty that plunge by
Thy supreme mercy in the fathomless deeps.
O Lord, my God! Lowly are these servants of Thine, exalt them in
Thy kingdom on high; feeble, strengthen them by Thy supreme power;
abased, bestow upon them Thy glory in Thine all-highest
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realm; poor, enrich them
in Thy great dominion. Do Thou then ordain for them all the good Thou
hast destined in Thy worlds, visible and invisible, prosper them in this
world below, gladden their hearts with Thine inspiration, O Lord of all
beings! Illumine their hearts with Thy joyful tidings diffused from
Thine all-glorious Station, make firm their steps in Thy Most-Great
Covenant and strengthen their loins in Thy firm Testament, by Thy bounty
and promised grace, O Gracious and Merciful One! Thou art, verily, the
Gracious, the All-Bountiful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou Provider! Thou hast breathed over the friends in the West
the sweet fragrance of the Holy Spirit, and with the light of divine
guidance Thou hast lit up the western sky. Thou hast made those who were
once remote to draw near unto Thyself; Thou hast turned strangers into
loving friends; Thou hast awakened those who slept; Thou hast made the
heedless mindful.
O Thou Provider! Assist Thou these noble friends to win Thy good pleasure, and make
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them well wishers of
stranger and friend alike. Bring them into the world that abideth
forever; grant them a portion of heavenly grace; cause them to be true
Bahá'ís, sincerely of God; save them from outward semblances, and
establish them firmly in the truth. Make them signs and tokens of the
Kingdom, luminous stars above the horizons of this nether life. Make
them to be a comfort and a solace to humankind and servants to the peace
of the world. Exhilarate them with the wine of Thy counsel, and grant
that all of them may tread the path of Thy commandments.
O Thou Provider! The dearest wish of this servant of Thy
Threshold is to behold the friends of East and West in close embrace; to
see all the members of human society gathered with love in a single
great assemblage, even as individual drops of water collected in one
mighty sea; to behold them all as birds in one garden of roses, as
pearls of one ocean, as leaves of one tree, as rays of one sun.
Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, and Thou art the God of strength, the Omnipotent, the All-Seeing. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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STEADFASTNESS
Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy
power that hath encompassed all created things, and by Thy Sovereignty
that hath transcended the entire creation, and by Thy Word which was
hidden in Thy wisdom and whereby Thou didst create Thy heaven and Thy
earth, both to enable us to be steadfast in our love for Thee and in our
obedience to Thy pleasure, and to fix our gaze upon Thy face, and
celebrate Thy glory. Empower us, then, O my God, to spread abroad Thy
signs among Thy creatures, and to guard Thy Faith in Thy realm. Thou
hast ever existed independently of the mention of any of Thy creatures,
and wilt remain as Thou hast been for ever and ever.
In Thee I have placed my whole confidence, unto Thee I have
turned my face, to the cord of Thy loving providence I have clung, and
towards the shadow of Thy mercy I have hastened. Cast me not as one
disappointed out of Thy door, O
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my God, and withhold not
from me Thy grace, for Thee alone do I seek. No God is there beside
Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.
Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of them that have known thee! --Bahá'u'lláh
O Thou Whose nearness is my wish, Whose presence is my hope,
Whose remembrance is my desire, Whose court of glory is my goal, Whose
abode is my aim, Whose name is my healing, Whose love is the radiance of
my heart, Whose service is my highest aspiration! I beseech Thee by Thy
Name, through which Thou hast enabled them that have recognized Thee to
soar to the sublimest heights of the knowledge of Thee and empowered
such as devoutly worship Thee to ascend into the precincts of the court
of Thy holy favors, to aid me to turn my face towards Thy face, to fix
mine eyes upon Thee, and to speak of Thy glory.
I am the one, O my Lord, who hath forgotten all else but Thee,
and turned towards the Dayspring of Thy grace, who hath forsaken all
save Thyself in the hope of drawing nigh unto Thy
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court. Behold me, then,
with mine eyes lifted up towards the Seat that shineth with the
splendors of the light of Thy Face. Send down, then, upon me, O my
Beloved, that which will enable me to be steadfast in Thy Cause, so that
the doubts of the infidels may not hinder me from turning towards Thee.
Thou art, verily, the God of Power, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Almighty. --Bahá'u'lláh
O God, my God! I have turned in repentance unto Thee, and verily Thou art the Pardoner, the Compassionate.
O God, my God! I have returned to Thee, and verily Thou art the the Ever-Forgiving, the Gracious.
O God, my God! I have clung to the cord of Thy bounty, and with Thee is the storehouse of all that is in heaven and earth.
O God, my God! I have hastened toward Thee, and verily Thou art the Forgiver, the Lord of grace abounding.
O God, my God! I thirst for the celestial wine
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of Thy grace, and verily Thou art the Giver, the Bountiful, the Gracious, the Almighty.
O God, my God! I testify that Thou hast revealed Thy Cause,
fulfilled Thy promise and sent down from the heaven of Thy grace that
which hath drawn unto Thee the hearts of Thy favored ones. Well is it
with him that hath held fast unto Thy firm cord and clung to the hem of
Thy resplendent robe!
I ask Thee, O Lord of all being and King of the seen and unseen,
by Thy power, Thy majesty and Thy sovereignty, to grant that my name my
be recorded by Thy pen of glory among Thy devoted ones, them whom the
scrolls of the sinful hindered not from turning to the light of Thy
countenance, O prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God! --Bahá'u'lláh
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Him Who is
Thy Most Great Name, Who hath been sorely afflicted by such of Thy
creatures as have repudiated Thy truth, and Who hath been hemmed in by
sorrows which no
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tongue can describe, to
grant that I may remember Thee and celebrate Thy praise, in these days
when all have turned away from Thy beauty, have disputed with Thee, and
turned away disdainfully from Him Who is the Revealer of Thy Cause. None
is there, O my Lord, to help Thee except Thine own Self, and no power
to succor Thee save Thine own power.
I entreat Thee to enable me to cleave steadfastly to Thy love
and Thy remembrance. This is, verily, within my power, and Thou art the
One that knoweth all that is in me. Thou, in truth, art knowing,
apprised of all. Deprive me not, O my Lord, of the splendors of the
light of Thy face, whose brightness hath illuminated the whole world. No
God is there beside Thee, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the
Ever-Forgiving. --Bahá'u'lláh
Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved! Make me steadfast in
Thy Cause, and grant that I may be reckoned among those who have not
violated Thy Covenant nor followed the gods of their own idle fancy.
Enable me, then, to obtain
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a seat of truth in Thy
presence, bestow upon me a token of Thy mercy and let me join with such
of Thy servants as shall have no fear nor shall they be put to grief.
Abandon me not to myself, O my Lord, nor deprive me to recognizing Him
Who is the Manifestation of Thine Own Self, nor account me with such as
have turned away from Thy holy presence. Number me, O my God, with those
who are privileged to fix their gaze upon Thy Beauty and who take such
delight therein that they would not exchange a single moment thereof
with the sovereignty of the kingdom of heavens and earth or with the
entire realm of creation. Have mercy on me, O Lord, in these days when
the peoples of Thine earth have erred grievously; supply me then, O my
God, with that which is good and seemly in Thine estimation. Thou art,
verily, the All-Powerful, the Gracious, the Bountiful, the
Ever-Forgiving.
Grant, O my God, that I may not be reckoned among those whose
ears are deaf, whose eyes are blind, whose tongues are speechless and
whose hearts have failed to comprehend. Deliver me, O Lord, from the
fire of ignorance and of selfish desire, suffer me to be admitted into
the precincts
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of Thy transcendent mercy
and send down upon me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen
ones. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest. Verily, Thou art the Help
in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. --The Báb
Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! Grant that the day of
attaining Thy holy presence may be fast approaching. Cheer our hearts
through the potency of Thy love and good-pleasure, and bestow upon us
steadfastness that we may willingly submit to Thy Will and Thy Decree.
Verily, Thy knowledge embraceth all the things Thou hast created or wilt
create, and Thy celestial might transcendeth whatsoever Thou hast
called or wilt call into being. There is none to be worshiped but Thee,
there is none to be desired except Thee, there is none to be adored
besides Thee and there is naught to be loved save Thy good-pleasure.
Verily, Thou art the supreme Ruler, the Sovereign Truth, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. --The Báb
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O Lord my God! Assist Thy
loved ones to be firm in Thy Faith, to walk in Thy ways, to be
steadfast in Thy Cause. Give them Thy grace to withstand the onslaught
of self and passion, to follow the light of divine guidance. Thou art
the Powerful, the Gracious, the Self-Subsisting, the Bestower, the
Compassionate, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou, my God! Who guidest the seeker to the pathway that
leadeth aright, Who deliverest the lost and blinded soul out of the
wastes of perdition, Thou Who bestowest upon the sincere great bounties
and favors, Who guardest the frightened within Thine impregnable refuge,
Who answerest, from Thine all-highest horizon, the cry of those who cry
out unto Thee. Praised be Thou, O my Lord! Thou hast guided the
distracted out of the death of unbelief, and hast brought those who draw
nigh unto Thee to the journey's goal, and hast rejoiced the assured
among Thy servants by granting them their most cherished desires, and
hast, from Thy Kingdom of beauty, opened
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before the faces of those
who yearn after Thee the gates of reunion, and hast rescued them from
the fire of deprivation and loss--so that they hastened unto Thee and
gained Thy presence, and arrived at Thy welcoming door, and received of
gifts an abundant share.
O my Lord, they thirsted, Thou didst lift to their parched lips
the waters of reunion. O Tender One, Bestowing One, Thou didst calm
their pain with the balm of Thy bounty and grace, and didst heal their
ailments with the sovereign medicine of Thy compassion. O Lord, make
firm their feet on Thy straight path, make wide for them the needle's
eye, and cause them, dressed in royal robes, to walk in glory for ever
and ever.
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Ever-Forgiving, the Precious,
the Most Bountiful. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the
Powerful, the Exalted, the Victorious. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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TEACHING
GENERAL PRAYERS FOR TEACHING
Magnified be Thy name, O my God, for that Thou hast manifested
the Day which is the King of Days, the Day which Thou didst announce
unto Thy chosen Ones and Thy Prophets in Thy most excellent Tablets, the
Day whereon Thou didst shed the splendor of the glory of all Thy names
upon all created things. Great is his blessedness whosoever hath set
himself towards Thee, and entered Thy presence, and caught the accents
of Thy voice.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the name of Him round Whom
circleth in adoration the kingdom of Thy names, that Thou wilt
graciously assist them that are dear to Thee to glorify Thy word among
Thy servants, and to shed abroad Thy praise amidst Thy creatures, so
that the ecstasies of Thy revelation may fill the souls of all the
dwellers of Thine earth.
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Since Thou hast guided
them, O my Lord, unto the living waters of Thy grace, grant, by Thy
bounty, that they may not be kept back from Thee; and since Thou hast
summoned them to the habitation of Thy throne, drive them not out from
Thy presence, through Thy loving-kindness. Send down upon them what
shall wholly detach them from aught else except Thee, and make them able
to soar in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, in such wise that neither
the ascendancy of the oppressor nor the suggestions of them that have
disbelieved in Thy most august and most mighty Self shall be capable of
keeping them back from Thee. --Bahá'u'lláh
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee, by Thy Name
which none hath befittingly recognized, and whose import no soul hath
fathomed; I beseech Thee, by Him Who is the Fountainhead of Thy
Revelation and the Dayspring of Thy signs, to make my heart to be a
receptacle of Thy love and of remembrance of Thee. Knit it, then, to Thy
most great Ocean, that from it may flow out the loving waters of Thy
wisdom
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and the crystal streams of Thy glorification and praise.
The limbs of my body testify to Thy unity, and the hair of my
head declareth the power of Thy sovereignty and might. I have stood at
the door of Thy grace with utter self-effacement and complete
abnegation, and clung to the hem of Thy bounty, and fixed mine eyes upon
the horizon of Thy gifts.
Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what becometh the greatness of
Thy majesty, and assist me, by Thy strengthening grace, so to teach Thy
Cause that the dead may speed out of their sepulchers, and rush forth
towards Thee, trusting wholly in Thee, and fixing their gaze upon the
orient of Thy Cause, and the dawning-place of Thy Revelation.
Thou, verily, art the Most Powerful, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of the world and Desire of the nations, O Thou Who hast become manifest in the Greatest Name, whereby
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the pearls of wisdom and
utterance have appeared from the shells of the great sea of Thy
knowledge, and the heavens of divine revelation have been adorned with
the light of the appearance of the sun of Thy countenance.
I beg of Thee, by that Word through which Thy proof was
perfected among Thy creatures and Thy testimony was fulfilled amidst Thy
servants, to strengthen Thy people in that whereby the face of the
Cause will radiate in Thy dominion, the standards of Thy power will be
planted among Thy servants, and the banners of Thy guidance will be
raised throughout Thy dominions.
O my Lord! Thou beholdest them clinging to the rope of Thy grace
and holding fast unto the hem of the mantle of Thy beneficence. Ordain
for them that which may draw them nearer unto Thee, and withhold them
from all else save Thee.
I beg of Thee, O Thou King of existence and Protector of the
seen and the unseen, to make whosoever arises to serve Thy Cause as a
sea moving by Thy desire, as one ablaze with the fire of Thy Sacred
Thee, shining from the horizon of the heaven of Thy will. Verily, Thou
art the mighty One, Whom neither the power of all the
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world nor the strength of
nations can weaken. There is no God but Thee, the One, the
Incomparable, the Protector, the Self-Subsistent. --Bahá'u'lláh
O God, Who art the Author of all Manifestations, the Source of
all Sources, the Fountainhead of all Revelations, and the Wellspring of
all Lights! I testify that by Thy Name the heaven of understanding hath
been adorned, and the ocean of utterance hath surged, and the
dispensations of Thy providence have been promulgated unto the followers
of all religions.
I beseech Thee so to enrich me as to dispense with all save
Thee, and be made independent of anyone except Thyself. Rain down, then,
upon me out of the clouds of Thy bounty that which shall profit me in
every world of Thy worlds. Assist me, then, through Thy strengthening
grace, so to serve Thy Cause amidst Thy servants that I may show forth
what will cause me to be remembered as long as Thine own kingdom
endureth and Thy dominion will last.
This is Thy servant, O my Lord, who with his
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whole being hath turned
unto the horizon of Thy bounty, and the ocean of Thy grace, and the
heaven of Thy gifts. Do with me then as becometh Thy majesty, and Thy
glory, and Thy bounteousness, and Thy grace.
Thou, in truth, art the God of strength and power, Who art meet
to answer them that pray Thee. There is no God save Thee, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
O my God, aid Thou Thy servant to raise up the Word, and to
refute what is vain and false, to establish the truth, to spread the
sacred verses abroad, reveal the splendors, and make the morning's light
to dawn in the hearts of the righteous.
Thou art, verily, the Generous, the Forgiving. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants to have loving and
tender hearts. Help them to spread, amongst all the nations of the
earth, the light of guidance that cometh from
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the Company on high.
Verily, Thou art the Strong, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Subduing,
the Ever-Giving. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Gentle, the Tender,
the Most Bountiful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
Thou seest me, O my God, bowed down in lowliness, humbling
myself before Thy commandments, submitting to Thy sovereignty, trembling
at the might of Thy dominion, fleeing from Thy wrath, entreating Thy
grace, relying upon Thy forgiveness, shaking with awe at Thy fury. I
implore Thee with a throbbing heart, with streaming tears and a yearning
soul, and in complete detachment from all things, to make Thy lovers as
rays of light across Thy realms, and to aid Thy chosen servants to
exalt Thy Word, that their faces may turn beauteous and bright with
splendor, that their hearts may be filled with mysteries, and that every
soul may lay down its burden of sin. Guard them then from the
aggressor, from him who hath become a shameless and blasphemous doer of
wrong.
Verily, Thy lovers thirst, O my Lord; lead them
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to the wellspring of
bounty and grace. Verily, they hunger; send down unto them Thy heavenly
table. Verily, they are naked; robe them in the garments of learning and
knowledge.
Heroes are the, O my Lord, lead them to the field of battle.
Guides are they, make them to speak out with arguments and proofs.
Ministering servants are they, cause them to pass round the cup that
brimmeth with the wine of certitude. O my God, make them to be songsters
that carol in fair gardens, make them lions that couch in the thickets,
whales that plunge in the vasty deep.
Verily, Thou art He of abounding grace. There is none other God save Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Ever-Bestowing. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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PRAYERS FOR TEACHING FROM THE TABLETS OF THE DIVINE PLAN
REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
O Thou incomparable God! O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! These souls
are Thy heavenly army. Assist them and, with the cohorts of the Supreme
Concourse, make them victorious, so that each one of them may become
like unto a regiment and conquer these countries through the love of God
and the illumination of divine teachings.
O God! Be Thou their supporter and their helper, and in the
wilderness, the mountain, the valley, the forests, the prairies and the
seas, be Thou their confidant--so that they may cry out through the
power of the Kingdom and the breath of the Holy Spirit.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the Omnipotent, and Thou art the Wise, the Hearing and the Seeing. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
Whoever sets out on a teaching journey to any place, let him
recite this prayer day and night during his travels in foreign lands.
O God, my God! Thou seest me enraptured and attracted toward Thy
glorious kingdom, enkindled with the fire of Thy love amongst mankind, a
herald of Thy kingdom in these vast and spacious lands, severed from
aught else save Thee, relying on Thee, abandoning rest and comfort,
remote from my native home, a wanderer in these regions, a stranger
fallen upon the ground, humble before Thine exalted Threshold,
submissive toward the heaven of Thine omnipotent glory, supplicating
Thee in the dead of night and at the break of dawn, entreating and
invoking Thee at morn and at eventide to graciously aid me to serve Thy
Cause, to spread abroad Thy Teachings and to exalt Thy Word throughout
the East and the West.
O Lord! Strengthen my back, enable me to serve Thee with the utmost endeavor, and leave
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me not to myself, lonely and helpless in these regions.
O Lord! Grant me communion with Thee in my loneliness, and be my companion in these foreign lands.
Verily, Thou art the Confirmer of whomsoever Thou willest in
that which Thou desirest, and, verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the
Omnipotent. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
Let whosoever travels to different parts to teach, peruse over mountain, desert, land and sea this supplication.
O God! O God! Thou seest my weakness, lowliness and humility
before Thy creatures; nevertheless, I have trusted in Thee and have
arisen in the promotion of Thy teachings among Thy strong servants,
relying on Thy power and might.
O Lord! I am a broken-winged bird and desire to soar in Thy limitless space. How is it possible
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for me to do this save through Thy providence and grace, Thy confirmation and assistance.
O Lord! Have pity on my weakness, and strengthen me with Thy
power. O Lord! Have pity on my impotence, and assist me with Thy might
and majesty.
O Lord! Should the breath of the Holy Spirit confirm the weakest
of creatures, he would attain all to which he aspireth and would
possess anything he desireth. Indeed, Thou hast assisted Thy servants in
the past and, though they were the weakest of Thy creatures, the
lowliest of Thy servants and the most insignificant of those who lived
upon the earth, through Thy sanction and potency they took precedence
over the most glorious of Thy people and the most noble of mankind.
Whereas formerly they were as moths, they became as royal falcons, and
whereas before they were as brooks, they became as seas, through Thy
bestowal and Thy mercy. They became, through Thy most great favor, stars
shining on the horizon of guidance, birds singing in the rose gardens
of immortality, lions roaring in the forests of knowledge and wisdom,
and whales swimming in the oceans of life.
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Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Powerful, the Mighty, and the Most Merciful of the merciful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
O God, my God! Thou seest how black darkness is enshrouding all
regions, how all countries are burning with the flame of dissension, and
the fire of war and carnage is blazing throughout the East and the
West. Blood is flowing, corpses bestrew the ground, and severed heads
are fallen on the dust of the battlefield.
O Lord! Have pity on these ignorant ones, and look upon them
with the eye of forgiveness and pardon. Extinguish this fire, so that
these dense clouds which obscure the horizon may be scattered, the Sun
of Reality shine forth with the rays of conciliation, this intense gloom
be dispelled and the resplendent light of peace shed its radiance upon
all countries.
O Lord! Draw up the people from the abyss of the ocean of hatred and enmity, and deliver them
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from the impenetrable
darkness. Unite their hearts, and brighten their eyes with the light of
peace and reconciliation. Deliver them from the depths of war and
bloodshed, and free them from the darkness of error. Remove the veil
from their eyes, and enlighten their hearts with the light of guidance.
Treat them with Thy tender mercy and compassion, and deal not with them
according to Thy justice and wrath which cause the limbs of the mighty
to quake.
O Lord! Wars have persisted. Distress and anxiety have waxed great, and every flourishing region is laid waste.
O Lord! Hearts are heavy, and souls are in anguish. Have mercy
on these poor souls, and do not leave them to the excesses of their own
desires.
O Lord! Make manifest in Thy lands humble and submissive souls,
their faces illumined with the rays of guidance, severed from the world,
extolling Thy Name, uttering Thy praise, and diffusing the fragrance of
Thy holiness amongst mankind.
O Lord! Strengthen their backs, gird up their
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loins, and enrapture their hearts with the most mighty signs of Thy love.
O Lord! Verily, they are weak, and Thou art the Powerful and the
Mighty; they are impotent, and Thou art the Helper and the Merciful.
O Lord! The ocean of rebellion is surging, and these tempests
will not be stilled save through Thy boundless grace which hath embraced
all regions.
O Lord! Verily, the people are in the abyss of passion, and naught can save them but Thine infinite bounties.
O Lord! Dispel the darkness of these corrupt desires, and
illumine the hearts with the lamp of Thy love through which all
countries will erelong be enlightened. Confirm, moreover, Thy loved
ones, those who, leaving their homelands, their families and their
children, have, for the love of Thy Beauty, traveled to foreign
countries to diffuse Thy fragrances and promulgate Thy Teachings. Be
Thou their companion in their loneliness, their helper in a strange
land, the remover of their sorrows, their comforter in calamity. Be Thou
a refreshing draught for their thirst,
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a healing medicine for their ills and a balm for the burning ardor of their hearts.
Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding, and, verily, Thou art the Compassionate and the Merciful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE NORTHEASTERN STATES
The following supplication is to be read by the teachers and friends daily:
O Thou kind Lord! Praise be unto Thee that Thou hast shown us
the highway of guidance, opened the doors of the kingdom and manifested
Thyself through the Sun of Reality. To the blind Thou hast given sight;
to the deaf Thou hast granted hearing; Thou hast resuscitated the dead;
Thou hast enriched the poor; Thou hast shown the way to those who have
gone astray; Thou hast led those with parched lips to the fountain of
guidance;
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Thou hast suffered the
thirsty fish to reach the ocean of reality; and Thou hast invited the
wandering birds to the rose garden of grace.
O Thou Almighty We are Thy servants and Thy poor ones; we are
remote and yearn for Thy presence, are athirst for the water of Thy
fountain, are ill, longing for Thy healing. We are walking in Thy path
and have no aim or hope save the diffusion of Thy fragrance, so that all
souls may raise the cry of "O God, guide us to the straight path." May
their eyes be opened to behold the light, and may they be freed from the
darkness of ignorance. May they gather around the lamp of Thy guidance.
May every portionless one receive a share. May the deprived become the
confidants of Thy mysteries.
O Almighty! Look upon us with the glance of mercifulness. Grant
us heavenly confirmation. Bestow upon us the breath of the Holy Spirit,
so that we may be assisted in Thy service and, like unto brilliant
stars, shine in these regions with the light of Thy guidance.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise and the Seeing. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE SOUTHERN STATES
Every soul who travels through the cities, villages and hamlets
of these States and is engaged in the diffusion of the fragrances of
God, should peruse this commune every morning:
O my God! O my God! Thou seest me in my lowliness and weakness,
occupied with the greatest undertaking, determined to raise Thy word
among the masses and to spread Thy teachings among Thy peoples. How can I
succeed unless Thou assist me with the breath of the Holy Spirit, help
me to triumph by the hosts of Thy glorious kingdom, and shower upon me
Thy confirmations, which alone can change a gnat into an eagle, a drop
of water into rivers and seas, and an atom into lights and suns? O my
Lord! Assist me with Thy triumphant and effective might, so that my
tongue may utter Thy praises and attributes among all people and my soul
overflow with the wine of Thy love and knowledge.
Thou art the Omnipotent and the Doer of whatsoever Thou willest. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE CENTRAL STATES
Let the spreaders of the fragrances of God recite this prayer every morning:
O Lord, my God! Praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee for Thou
hast guided me to the highway of the kingdom, suffered me to walk in
this straight and far-stretching path, illumined my eye by beholding the
splendors of Thy light, inclined my ear to the melodies of the birds of
holiness from the kingdom of mysteries and attracted my heart with Thy
love among the righteous.
O Lord! Confirm me with the Holy Spirit, so that I may call in
Thy Name amongst the nations and give the glad tidings of the
manifestation of Thy kingdom amongst mankind.
O Lord! I am weak, strengthen me with Thy power and potency. My
tongue falters, suffer me to utter Thy commemoration and praise. I am
lowly, honor me through admitting me into Thy kingdom. I am remote,
cause me to approach the threshold of Thy mercifulness. O Lord! Make me
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a brilliant lamp, a
shining star and a bless tree, adorned with fruit, its branches
overshadowing all these regions. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the
Powerful and Unconstrained. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE WESTERN STATES
The following commune is to be read ... every day:
O God! O God! This is a broken-winged bird and his flight is
very slow--assist him so that he may fly toward the apex of prosperity
and salvation, wing his way with the utmost joy and happiness throughout
the illimitable space, raise his melody in Thy Supreme Name in all the
regions, exhilarate the ears with this call, and brighten the eyes by
beholding the signs of guidance.
O Lord! I am single, alone and lowly. For me there is no support
save Thee, no helper except Thee and no sustainer beside Thee. Confirm
me in Thy service, assist me with the cohorts of Thy angels, make me
victorious in the promotion of Thy Word and suffer me to speak out Thy
wisdom
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amongst Thy creatures.
Verily, Thou art the helper of the weak and the defender of the little
ones, and verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the
Unconstrained. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF CANADA
Praise be to Thee, O my God! These are Thy servants who are
attracted by the fragrances of Thy mercifulness, are enkindled by the
fire burning in the tree of Thy singleness, and whose eyes are
brightened by beholding the splendors of the light shining in the Sinai
of Thy oneness.
O Lord! Loose their tongues to make mention of Thee amongst Thy
people, suffer them to speak forth Thy praise through Thy grace and
loving-kindness, assist them with the cohorts of Thine angels,
strengthen their loins in Thy service, and make them the signs of Thy
guidance amongst Thy creatures.
Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF CANADA
The spreaders of the fragrances of God should recite this prayer every morning:
O God, my God! Thou beholdest this weak one begging for
celestial strength, this poor one craving Thy heavenly treasures, this
thirsty one longing for the fountain of eternal life, this afflicted one
yearning for Thy promised healing through Thy boundless mercy which
Thou hast destined for Thy chosen servants in Thy kingdom on high.
O Lord! I have no helper save Thee, no shelter besides Thee, and
no sustainer except Thee. Assist me with Thine angels to diffuse Thy
holy fragrances and to spread abroad Thy teachings amongst the choicest
of Thy people.
O my Lord! Suffer me to be detached from aught else save Thee,
to hold fast to the hem of Thy bounty, to be wholly devoted to Thy
Faith, to remain fast and firm in Thy love and to observe what Thou hast
prescribed in Thy Book.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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TESTS AND DIFFICULTIES
O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such as are nigh
unto Thee, Whose sword is the ardent desire of all them that love Thee,
Whose dart is the dearest wish of those hearts that yearn after Thee,
Whose decree is the sole hope of them that have recognized Thy truth! I
implore Thee, by Thy divine sweetness and by the splendors of the glory
of Thy face, to send down upon us from Thy retreats on high that which
will enable us to draw nigh unto Thee. Set, then, our feet firm, O my
God, in Thy Cause, and enlighten our hearts with the effulgence of Thy
knowledge, and illumine our breasts with the brightness of Thy names. --Bahá'u'lláh
Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized; and
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were it not for the
trials which are borne for love of Thee, how could the station of such
as yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy might beareth me witness! The
companions of all who adore Thee are the tears they shed, and the
comforters of such as seek Thee are the groans they utter, and the food
of them who haste to meet Thee is the fragments of their broken hearts.
How sweet to my taste is the bitterness of death suffered in Thy
path, and how precious in my estimation are the shafts of Thine enemies
when encountered for the sake of the exaltation of Thy word! Let me
quaff in Thy Cause, O my God, whatsoever Thou didst desire, and send
down upon me in Thy love all Thou didst ordain. By Thy glory! I wish
only what Thou wishest, and cherish what Thou cherishest. In Thee have
I, at all times, placed my whole trust and confidence.
Raise up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers to this
Revelation such as shall be counted worthy of Thy name and of Thy
sovereignty, that they may remember me among Thy cretures, and hoist the
ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No
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God is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. --Bahá'u'lláh
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every man of insight
confesseth Thy sovereignty and Thy dominion, and every discerning eye
perceiveth the greatness of Thy majesty and the compelling power of Thy
might. The winds of tests are powerless to hold back them that enjoy
near access to Thee from setting their faces towards the horizon of Thy
glory, and the tempests of trials must fail to draw away and hinder such
as are wholly devoted to Thy will from approaching Thy court.
Methinks, the lamp of Thy love is burning in their hearts, and
the light of Thy tenderness is lit within their breasts. Adversities are
incapable of estranging them from Thy Cause, and the vicissitudes of
fortune can never cause them to stray from Thy pleasure.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by them and by the sighs which their
hearts utter in their separation from Thee, to keep them safe from the
mischief of
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Thine adversaries, and to
nourish their souls with what Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones on
whom shall come no fear and who shall not be put to grief. --Bahá'u'lláh
Thou knowest full well, O my God, that tribulations have
showered upon me from all directions and that no one can dispel or
transmute them except Thee. I know of a certainty, by virtue of my love
for Thee, that Thou wilt never cause tribulations to befall any soul
unless Thou desirest to exalt his station in Thy celestial Paradise and
to buttress his heart in this earthly life with the bulwark of Thine
all-compelling power, that it may not become inclined toward the
vanities of this world. Indeed Thou art well aware that under all
conditions I would cherish the remembrance of Thee far more than the
ownership of all that is in the heavens and on the earth.
Strengthen my heart, O my God, in Thine obedience and in Thy
love, and grant that I may be clear of the entire company of Thine
adversaries. Verily, I swear by Thy glory that I yearn for naught
besides Thyself, nor do I desire anything
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except Thy mercy, nor am I
apprehensive of aught save Thy justice. I beg Thee to forgive me as
well as those whom Thou lovest, howsoever Thou pleasest. Verily, Thou
art the Almighty, the Bountiful.
Immensely exalted art Thou, O Lord of the heavens and earth,
above the praise of all men, and may peace be upon Thy faithful servants
and glory be unto God, the Lord of all the worlds. --The Báb
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TRIUMPH OF THE CAUSE
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Darkness hath fallen upon
every land, and the forces of mischief have encompassed all the nations.
Through them, however, I perceive the splendors of Thy wisdom, and
discern the brightness of the light of Thy providence.
They that are shut out as by a veil from Thee have imagined that
they have the power to put out Thy light, and to quench Thy fire, and
to still the winds of Thy grace. Nay, and to this Thy might beareth me
witness! Had not every tribulation been made the bearer of Thy wisdom,
and every ordeal the vehicle of Thy providence, no one would have dared
oppose us, though the powers of earth and heaven were to be leagued
against us. Were I to unravel the wondrous mysteries of Thy wisdom which
are laid bare before me, the reins of Thine enemies would be cleft
asunder.
Glorified be Thou, then, O my God! I beseech
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Thee by thy Most Great
Name to assemble them that love Thee around the Law that streameth from
the good pleasure of Thy will, and to send down upon them what will
assure their hearts.
Potent art thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. --Bahá'u'lláh
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord, Thou Who hast brought into being all created things, through the power of Thy behest.
O Lord! Assist those who have renounced all else but Thee, and
grant them a mighty victory. Send down upon the, O Lord, the concourse
of the angels in the heaven and earth and all that is between, to aid
Thy servants, to succor and strengthen them, to enable them to achieve
success, to sustain them, to invest them with glory, to confer upon them
honor and exaltation, to enrich them and to make them triumphant with a
wondrous triumph.
Thou art their Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the
Lord of all the worlds. Strengthen this Faith, O Lord, through the power
of these
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servants, and cause them
to prevail over all the peoples of the world; for they, of a truth, are
thy servants who have detached themselves from aught else but Thee, and
Thou, verily, art the protector of true believers.
Grant Thou, O Lord, that their hearts may, through allegiance to
this, thine inviolable Faith, grow stronger than anything else in the
heavens and on earth and in whatsoever is between them; and strengthen, O
Lord, their hands with the tokens of Thy wondrous power that they may
manifest Thy power before the gaze of all mankind. --The Báb
O Lord! Provide for the speedy growth of the Tree of Thy divine
Unity; water it then, O Lord, with the flowing waters of Thy
good-pleasure, and cause it, before the revelations of Thy divine
assurance, to yield such fruits as Thou desirest for thy glorification
and exaltation, thy praise and thanksgiving, and to magnify thy Name, to
laud the oneness of Thine Essence and to offer adoration unto Thee,
inasmuch as all this lieth within Thy grasp and in that of none other.
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Great is the blessedness
of those whose blood Thou hast chosen wherewith to water the Tree of
Thine affirmation, and thus to exalt Thy holy and immutable Word. --The Báb
O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in Thy days by
granting them a befitting victory, inasmuch as they have sought
martyrdom in Thy path. Send down upon them that which will bring comfort
to their minds, will rejoice their inner beings, will impart assurance
to their hearts and tranquillity to their bodies and will enable their
souls to ascend to the presence of God, the Most Exalted, and to attain
the supreme Paradise and such retreats of glory as Thou hast destined
for men of true knowledge and virtue. Verily, Thou knowest all things,
while we are but Thy servants, Thy thralls, Thy bondsmen and Thy poor
ones. No Lord but Thee do we invoke, O God our Lord, nor do we implore
blessings or grace from anyone but Thee, O Thou Who art the God of mercy
unto this world and the next. We are but the embodiments of poverty, of
nothingness, of helplessness and of perdition, while Thy
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whole Being betokeneth wealth, independence, glory, majesty and boundless grace.
Turn our recompense, O Lord, into that which well beseemeth Thee
of the good of this world and of the next, and of the manifold bounties
which extend from on high down to the earth below.
Verily, Thou art our Lord and the Lord of all things. Into Thy
hands do we surrender ourselves, yearning for the things that pertain
unto Thee. --The Báb
O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to gain admittance
into the Paradise of thy Faith, so that no created being may remain
beyond the bounds of Thy good-pleasure.
From time immemorial Thou hast been potent to do what pleaseth thee and transcendent above whatsoever thou desirest. --The Báb
O God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for kindling the fire of
divine love in the Holy Tree on the summit of the loftiest mount; that
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Tree which is "neither of
the East nor of the West,"+F1 that fire which blazed out till the flame
of it soared upward to the Concourse on high, and from it those
realities caught the light of guidance, and cried out: "Verily have we
perceived a fire on the slope of Mount Sinai."+F2
O God, my God! Increase Thou this fire, as day followeth day,
till the blast of it setteth in motion all the earth. O Thou, my Lord!
Kindle the light of Thy love in every heart, breathe into men's souls
the spirit of Thy knowledge, gladden their breasts with the verses of
Thy oneness. Call Thou to life those who dwell in their tombs, warn Thou
the prideful, make happiness worldwide, send down Thy crystal waters,
and in the assemblage of manifest splendors, pass round that cup which
is "tempered at the camphor fountain."+F3
Verily, Thou art the Giving, the Forgiving, the Ever-Bestowing. Verily, Thou art the Merciful, the Compassionate. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Lord, my God, my Well-Beloved! These are servants of Thine
that have heard Thy Voice, given ear to Thy Word and hearkened to Thy
Call. They have believed in Thee, witnessed Thy wonders, acknowledged
thy proof and testified to Thine evidence. They have walked in Thy ways,
followed Thy guidance, discovered Thy mysteries, comprehended the
secrets of Thy Book, the verses of Thy Scrolls and the tidings of Thy
Epistles and Tablets. They have clung to the hem of Thy garment and held
fast unto the robe of Thy light and grandeur. Their footsteps have been
strengthened in Thy Covenant and their hearts made firm in Thy
Testament. Lord! Do Thou kindle in their hearts the flame of Thy divine
attraction and grant that the bird of love and understanding may sing
within their hearts. Grant that they may be even as potent signs,
resplendent standards, and perfect as Thy Word. Exalt by them thy Cause,
unfurl Thy banners and publish far and wide the wonders. Make by them
Thy Word triumphant, and strengthen the loins of Thy loved ones. Unloose
their tongues to laud Thy Name, and inspire them to do Thy holy will
and
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pleasure. Illumine their
faces in Thy Kingdom of holiness, and perfect their joy by aiding them
to arise for the triumph of Thy Cause.
Lord! Feeble are we, strengthen us to diffuse the fragrances of
Thy Holiness; poor, enrich us from the treasures of Thy Divine Unity;
naked, clothe us with the robe of Thy bounty; sinful, forgive us our
sins by Thy grace, Thy favor and Thy pardon. Thou art, verily, the
Aider, the Helper, the Gracious, the Mighty, the Powerful.
The glory of glories rest upon them that are fast and firm. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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UNITY
O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal
to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide
in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength
to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their
steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love.
Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord. --Bahá'u'lláh
O my God! O my God! Verily, I invoke Thee and supplicate before
Thy threshold, asking Thee that all Thy mercies may descend upon these
souls. Specialize them for Thy favor and Thy truth.
O Lord! Unite and bind together the hearts, join in accord all
the souls, and exhilarate the spirits through the signs of Thy sanctity
and oneness. O Lord! Make these faces radiant through the
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light of Thy oneness. Strengthen the loins of Thy servants in the service of Thy kingdom.
O Lord, Thou possessor of infinite mercy! O Lord of forgiveness
and pardon! Forgive our sins, pardon our shortcomings, and cause us to
turn to the kingdom of Thy clemency, invoking the kingdom of might and
power, humble at Thy shrine and submissive before the glory of Thine
evidences.
O Lord God! Make us as waves of the sea, as flowers of the
garden, united, agreed through the bounties of Thy love. O Lord! Dilate
the breasts through the signs of Thy oneness, and make all mankind as
stars shining from the same height of glory, as perfect fruits growing
upon Thy tree of life.
Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsistent, the Giver, the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Omniscient, the One Creator. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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OCCASIONAL PRAYERS
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TABLET OF AHMAD
"These daily obligatory prayers, together with a few other
specific ones, such as the Healing Prayer, the Tablet of Ahmad, have
been invested by Bahá'u'lláh with a special potency and significance,
and should therefore be accepted as such and be recited by the believers
with unquestioning faith and confidence, that through them they may
enter into a much closer communion with God, and identify themselves
more fully with His laws and precepts." --From
a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
He is the King, the All-Knowing, the Wise! Lo, the Nightingale
of Paradise singeth upon the twigs of the Trees of Eternity, with holy
and sweet melodies, proclaiming to the sincere ones the glad tidings of
the nearness of God, calling the believers in the Divine Unity to the
court of the Presence of the Generous One, informing the severed ones of
the message which hath been
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revealed by God, the
King, the Glorious, the Peerless, guiding the lovers to the seat of
sanctity and to this resplendent Beauty.
Verily this is that Most Great Beauty, foretold in the Books of
the Messengers, through Whom truth shall be distinguished from error and
the wisdom of every command shall be tested. Verily He is the Tree of
Life that bringeth forth the fruits of God, the Exalted, the Powerful,
the Great.
O Ahmad! Bear thou witness that verily He is God and there is no
God but Him, the King, the Protector, the Incomparable, the Omnipotent.
And that the One Whom He hath sent forth by the name of Ali+F1 was the
true One from God, to Whose commands we are all conforming.
Say: O people be obedient to the ordinances of God, which have
been enjoined in the Bayan by the Glorious, the Wise One. Verily He is
the King of the Messengers and His book is the Mother Book did ye but
know.
Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from this prison. He hath but to deliver this
___________________ +F1. The Báb
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clear message. Whosoever
desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth
let him choose the path to his Lord.
O people, if ye deny these verses, by what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, O assemblage of false ones.
Nay, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, they are not, and
never shall be able to do this, even should they combine to assist one
another.
O Ahmad! Forget not My bounties while I am absent. Remember My
days during thy days, and My distress and banishment in this remote
prison. And be thou so steadfast in My love that thy heart shall not
waver, even if the swords of the enemies rain blows upon thee and all
the heavens and the earth arise against thee.
Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones, and be not of those who doubt.
And if thou art overtaken by affliction in My path, or degradation for My sake, be not thou troubled thereby.
Rely upon God, thy God and the Lord of thy fathers. For the people are wandering in the paths
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of delusion, bereft of
discernment to see God with their own eyes, or hear His Melody with
their own ears. Thus have We found them, as thou also dost witness.
Thus have their superstitions become veils between them and
their own hearts and kept them from the path of God, the Exalted, the
Great.
Be thou assured in thyself that verily, he who turns away from
this Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers of the past and
showeth pride towards God from all eternity to all eternity.
Learn well this Tablet, O Ahmad. Chant it during thy days and
withhold not thyself therefrom. For verily, God hath ordained for the
one who chants it, the reward of a hundred martyrs and a service in both
worlds. These favors have We bestowed upon thee as a bounty on Our part
and a mercy from Our presence, that thou mayest be of those who are
grateful.
By God! Should one who is in affliction or grief read this
Tablet with absolute sincerity, God will dispel his sadness, solve his
difficulties and remove his afflictions.
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Verily, He is the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds. --Bahá'u'lláh
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FIRE TABLET
In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most Great.
Indeed the hearts of the sincere are consumed in the fire of
separation: Where is the gleaming of the light of Thy Countenance, O
Beloved of the worlds?
Those who are near unto Thee have been abandoned in the darkness
of desolation: Where is the shining of the morn of Thy reunion, O
Desire of the worlds?
The bodies of Thy chosen ones lie quivering on distant sands: Where is the ocean of Thy presence, O Enchanter of the worlds?
Longing hands are uplifted to the heaven of Thy grace and
generosity: Where are the rains of Thy bestowal, O Answerer of the
worlds?
The infidels have arisen in tyranny on every hand: Where is the
compelling power of Thine ordaining pen, O Conqueror of the worlds?
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The barking of dogs is loud on every side: Where is the lion of the forest of Thy might, O Chastiser of the worlds?
Coldness hath gripped all mankind: Where is the warmth of Thy love, O Fire of the worlds?
Calamity hath reached its height: Where are the signs of Thy succor, O Salvation of the worlds?
Darkness hath enveloped most of the peoples: Where is the brightness of Thy splendor, O Radiance of the worlds?
The necks of men are stretched out in malice: Where are the swords of Thy vengeance, O Destroyer of the worlds?
Abasement hath reached its lowest depth: Where are the emblems of Thy glory, O Glory of the worlds?
Sorrows have afflicted the Revealer of Thy Name, the
All-Merciful: Where is the joy of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, O
Delight of the worlds?
Anguish hath befallen all the peoples of the earth: Where are the ensigns of Thy gladness, O Joy of the worlds?
Thou seest the Dawning Place of Thy signs
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veiled by evil suggestions: Where are the fingers of Thy might, O Power of the worlds?
Sore thirst hath overcome all men: Where is the river of Thy bounty, O Mercy of the worlds?
Greed hath made captive all mankind: Where are the embodiments of detachment, O Lord of the worlds?
Thou seest this Wronged One lonely in exile: Where are the hosts of the heaven of Thy Command, O Sovereign of the worlds?
I have been forsaken in a foreign land: Where are the emblems of Thy faithfulness, O Trust of the worlds?
The agonies of death have laid hold on all men: Where is the surging of Thine ocean of eternal life, O Life of the worlds?
The whisperings of Satan have been breathed to every creature: Where is the meteor of Thy fire, O Light of the worlds?
The drunkenness of passion hath perverted most of mankind: Where are the daysprings of purity, O Desire of the worlds?
Thou seest this Wronged One veiled in tyranny among the Syrians: Where is the radiance of Thy
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dawning light, O Light of the worlds?
Thou seest Me forbidden to speak forth: Then from where will spring Thy melodies, O Nightingale of the worlds?
Most of the people are enwrapped in fancy and idle imaginings:
Where are the exponents of Thy certitude, O Assurance of the worlds?
Bahá is drowning in a sea of tribulation: Where is the Ark of Thy salvation, O Savior of the worlds?
Thou seest the Dayspring of Thine utterance in the darkness of
creation: Where is the sun of the heaven of Thy grace, O Lightgiver of
the worlds?
The lamps of truth and purity, of loyalty and honor, have been
put out: Where are the signs of Thine avenging wrath, O Mover of the
worlds?
Canst Thou see any who have championed Thy Self, or who ponder
on what hath befallen Him in the pathway of Thy love? Now doth My pen
halt, O Beloved of the worlds?
The branches of the Divine Lote-Tree lie broken by the onrushing
gales of destiny: Where are the banners of Thy succor, O Champion of
the worlds?
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This Face is hidden in the dust of slander: Where are the breezes of Thy compassion, O Mercy of the worlds?
The robe of sanctity is sullied by the people of deceit: Where is the vesture of Thy holiness, O Adorner of the worlds?
The sea of grace is stilled for what the hands of men have wrought: Where are the waves of Thy bounty, O Desire of the worlds?
The door leading to the Divine Presence is locked through the
tyranny of Thy foes: Where is the key of Thy bestowal, O Unlocker of the
worlds?
The leaves are yellowed by the poisoning winds of sedition:
Where is the downpour of the clouds of Thy bounty, O Giver of the
worlds?
The universe is darkened with the dust of sin: Where are the breezes of Thy forgiveness, O Forgiver of the worlds?
This Youth is lonely in a desolate land: Where is the rain of Thy heavenly grace, O Bestower of the worlds?
O Supreme Pen, We have heard Thy most sweet call in the eternal
realm: Give Thou ear unto what the Tongue of Grandeur uttereth, O
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Wronged One of the worlds?
Were it not for the cold, how would the heat of Thy words prevail, O Expounder of the worlds?
Were it not for calamity, how would the sun of Thy patience shine, O Light of the worlds?
Lament not because of the wicked. Thou wert created to bear and endure, O Patience of the worlds.
How sweet was Thy dawning on the horizon of the Covenant among
the stirrers of sedition, and Thy yearning after God, O Love of the
worlds.
By Thee the banner of independence was planted on the highest peaks, and the sea of bounty surged, O Rapture of the worlds.
By Thine aloneness the Sun of Oneness shone, and by Thy
banishment the land of Unity was adorned. Be patient, O Thou Exile of
the worlds.
We have made abasement the garment of glory, and affliction the adornment of Thy temple, O Pride of the worlds.
Thou seest the hearts are filled with hate, and to overlook is Thine, O Thou Concealer of the sins of the worlds.
When the swords flash, go forward! When the
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shafts fly, press onward! O Thou Sacrifice of the worlds.
Dost Thou wail, or shall I wail? Rather shall I weep at the
fewness of Thy champions, O Thou Who hast caused the wailing of the
worlds.
Verily, I have heard Thy call, O All-Glorious Beloved; and now
is the face of Bahá flaming with the heat of tribulation and with the
fire of Thy shining word, and He hath risen up in faithfulness at the
place of sacrifice, looking toward Thy pleasure, O Ordainer of the
worlds.
O Ali-Akbar, thank thy Lord for this Tablet whence thou canst
breathe the fragrances of My meekness, and know what hath beset Us in
the path of God, the Adored of all the worlds.
Should all the servants read and ponder this, there shall be kindled in their veins a fire that shall set aflame the worlds. --Bahá'u'lláh
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TABLET OF THE HOLY MARINER
"Study the Tablet of the Holy Mariner that ye may know the
truth, and consider that the Blessed Beauty hath fully foretold future
events. Let them who perceive, take warning!" --'Abdu'l-Bahá
He is the Gracious, the Well-Beloved!
O Holy Mariner!
Bid thine ark of eternity appear before the Celestial Concourse,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Launch it upon the ancient sea, in His Name, the Most Wondrous,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And let the angelic spirits enter, in the Name of God, the Most High.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Unmoor it, then, that it may sail upon the ocean of glory,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
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Haply the dwellers therein may attain the retreats of nearness in the everlasting realm.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Having reached the sacred strand, the shore of the crimson seas,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Bid them issue forth and attain this ethereal invisible station,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
A station wherein the Lord hath in the Flame of His Beauty appeared within the deathless tree;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Wherein the embodiments of His Cause cleansed themselves of self and passion;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Around which the Glory of Moses doth circle with the everlasting hosts;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Wherein the Hand of God was drawn forth from His bosom of Grandeur;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Wherein the ark of the Cause remaineth motionless even though to its dwellers be declared all divine attributes.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
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O Mariner! Teach them that are within the ark that which we have taught thee behind the mystic veil,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Perchance they may not tarry in the sacred snow-white spot,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
But may soar upon the wings of the spirit unto that station which the Lord hath exalted above all mention in the worlds below,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
May wing through space even as the favored birds in the realm of eternal reunion;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
May know the mysteries hidden in the Seas of light.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
They passed the grades of worldly limitations and reached that of the divine unity, the center of heavenly guidance.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
They have desired to ascend unto that state which the Lord hath ordained to be above their stations.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Whereupon the burning meteor cast them out
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from them that abide in the Kingdom of His Presence,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And they heard the Voice of Grandeur raised from behind the unseen pavilion upon the Height of Glory:
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"O guardian angels! Return them to their abode in the world below,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"Inasmuch as they have purposed to rise to that sphere which the wings of the celestial dove have never attained;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"Whereupon the ship of fancy standeth still which the minds of them that comprehend cannot grasp."
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Whereupon the maid of heaven looked out from her exalted chamber,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And with her brow signed to the Celestial Concourse,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
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Flooding with the light of her countenance the heaven and the earth,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And as the radiance of her beauty shone upon the people of dust,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
All beings were shaken in their mortal graves.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
She then raised the call which no ear through all eternity hath ever heard,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And thus proclaimed: "By the Lord! He whose heart hath not the fragrance of the love of the exalted and glorious Arabian Youth,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"Can in no wise ascend unto the glory of the highest heaven."
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Thereupon she summoned unto herself one maiden from her handmaidens,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And commanded her: "Descend into space from the mansions of eternity,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
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"And turn thou unto that which they have concealed in the inmost of their hearts.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"Shouldst thou inhale the perfume of the robe from the Youth
that hath been hidden within the tabernacle of light by reason of that
which the hands of the wicked have wrought,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"Raise a cry within thyself, that all the inmates of the
chambers of Paradise, that are the embodiments of the eternal wealth,
may understand and hearken;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"That they may all come down from their everlasting chambers and tremble,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"And kiss their hands and feet for having soared to the heights of faithfulness;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"Perchance they may find from their robes the fragrance of the Beloved One."
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Thereupon the countenance of the favored damsel beamed above the celestial chambers even as the
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light that shineth from the face of the Youth above His mortal temple;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
She then descended with such an adorning as to illumine the heavens and all that is therein.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
She bestirred herself and perfumed all things in the lands of holiness and grandeur.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
When she reached that place she rose to her full height in the midmost heart of creation,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And sought to inhale their fragrance at a time that knoweth neither beginning nor end.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
She found not in them that which she did desire, and this, verily, is but one of His wondrous tales.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
She then cried aloud, wailed and repaired to her own station within her most lofty mansion,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And then gave utterance to one mystic word, whispered privily by her honeyed tongue,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
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And raised the call amidst the Celestial Concourse and the immortal maids of heaven:
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"By the Lord! I found not from these idle claimants the breeze of Faithfulness!
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
"By the Lord! The Youth hath remained lone and forlorn in the land of exile in the hands of the ungodly."
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
She then uttered within herself such a cry that the Celestial Concourse did shriek and tremble,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And she fell upon the dust and gave up the spirit. It seemeth
she was called and hearkened unto Him that summoned her unto the Realm
on High.
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Glorified be He that created her out of the essence of love in the midmost heart of his exalted paradise!
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Thereupon the maids of heaven hastened forth from their chambers, upon whose countenances
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the eye of no dweller in the highest paradise had ever gazed.
Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!
They all gathered around her, and lo! they found her body fallen upon the dust;
Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!
And as they beheld her state and comprehended a word of the tale
told by the Youth, they bared their heads, rent their garments asunder,
beat upon their faces, forgot their joy, shed tears and smote with
their hands upon their cheeks, and this is verily one of the mysterious
grievous afflictions --
Glorified be our Lord, the Most High! --Bahá'u'lláh
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TABLETS OF VISITATION
(This Tablet is read at the Shrines of Bahá'u'lláh and The Báb.
It is also frequently used in commemorating Their anniversaries.)
The praise which hath dawned from Thy most august Self, and the
glory which hath shone forth from Thy most effulgent Beauty, rest upon
Thee, O Thou Who art the Manifestation of Grandeur, and the King of
Eternity, and the Lord of all who are in heaven and on earth! I testify
that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the
majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the Daystars of
ancient splendor have shed their radiance in the heaven of Thine
irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above
the horizon of creation. I testify, moreover, that with but a movement
of Thy Pen Thine injunction "Be Thou" hath been enforced, and God's
hidden Secret hath been divulged, and all created things
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have been called into being, and all the Revelations have been sent down.
I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of
the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the
Desired One hath shone forth, and that through a word from Thee Thou
hast decided between all created things, causing them who are devoted to
Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into
the lowest abyss.
I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and
he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence
of God. Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him who hath believed in
Thee, and in Thy signs, and hath humbled himself before Thy
sovereignty, and hath been honored with meeting Thee, and hath attained
the good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee, and stood before
Thy throne. Woe betide him that hath transgressed against Thee, and
hath denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and gainsaid Thy
sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud before Thy face,
and hath disputed Thy testimonies, and fled from Thy rule and Thy
dominion, and been numbered
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with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the fingers of Thy behest upon Thy holy Tablets.
Waft, then, unto me, O my God and my Beloved, from the right
hand of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness, the holy breaths of Thy
favors, that they may draw me away from myself and from the world unto
the courts of Thy nearness and Thy presence. Potent art Thou to do what
pleaseth Thee. Thou, truly, hast been supreme over all things.
The remembrance of God and His praise, and the glory of God and
His splendor, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art His Beauty! I bear witness
that the eye of creation hath never gazed upon one wronged like Thee.
Thou wast immersed all the days of Thy life beneath an ocean of
tribulations. At one time Thou wast in chains and fetters; at another
Thou wast threatened by the sword of Thine enemies. Yet despite all
this, Thou didst enjoin upon all men to observe what had been prescribed
unto Thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities
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Thou didst sustain. I
beseech God, by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with
the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of
Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden, to remove the veils
that have come in between Thee and Thy creatures, and to supply me with
the good of this world and the world to come. Thou art, in truth, the
Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Most Compassionate.
Bless Thou, O Lord my Lord, the Divine Lote-Tree and its leaves,
and its boughs, and its branches, and its stems, and its offshoots, as
long as Thy most excellent titles will endure and Thy most august
attributes will last. Protect it, then, from the mischief of the
aggressor and the hosts of tyranny. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty,
the Most Powerful. Bless Thou, also, O Lord my God, Thy servants and Thy
handmaidens who have attained unto Thee, Thou, truly, art the
All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. No God is there save Thee, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous. --Bahá'u'lláh
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(This prayer, revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, is read at His Shrine. It is also used in private prayer.)
Whoso reciteth this prayer with lowliness and fervor will bring
gladness and joy to the heart of this Servant; it will be even as
meeting Him face to face.
He is the All-Glorious!
O God, my God! Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant hands to
Thee and cover my face in the dust of that Threshold of Thine, exalted
above the knowledge of the learned, and the praise of all that glorify
Thee. Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and lowly at Thy door,
with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy, and immerse him in the Ocean
of Thine eternal grace.
Lord! He is a poor and lowly servant of Thine, enthralled and
imploring Thee, captive in Thy hand, praying fervently to Thee, trusting
in Thee, in tears before Thy face, calling to Thee and beseeching Thee,
saying:
O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones,
strengthen me in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with the light
of adoration in Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to
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Thy kingdom of grandeur.
Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me
to be detached from all things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me
to drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and
in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved
ones, and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by
the footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the
Highest.
With this prayer doth Thy servant call Thee, at dawntide and in
the night-season. Fulfill his heart's desire, O Lord! Illumine his
heart, gladden his bosom, kindle his light, that he may serve Thy Cause
and Thy-servants.
Thou art the Bestower, the Pitiful, the Most Bountiful, the Gracious, the Merciful, the Compassionate. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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INTERCALARY DAYS
(The Intercalary Days, February 26 to March 1, inclusive, should
be days of preparation for the Fast, days of hospitality, charity and
the giving of presents.)
My God, my Fire and my Light! The days which Thou hast named the
Ayyám-i-Há+F1 in Thy Book have begun, O Thou Who art the King of names,
and the fast which Thy most exalted Pen hath enjoined unto all who are
in the kingdom of Thy creation to observe is approaching. I entreat
Thee, O my Lord, by these days and by all such as have during that
period clung to the cord of Thy commandments, and laid hold on the
handle of Thy precepts, to grant that unto every soul may be assigned a
place within the precincts of Thy court, and a seat at the revelation of
the splendors of the light of Thy countenance.
These, O my Lord, are Thy servants whom no
___________________ +F1. The Days of Ha, Intercalary Days.
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corrupt inclination hath
kept back from what Thou didst send down in Thy Book. They have bowed
themselves before Thy Cause, and received Thy Book with such resolve as
is born of Thee, and observed what Thou hadst prescribed unto them, and
chosen to follow that which had been sent down by Thee.
Thou seest, O my Lord, how they have recognized and confessed
whatsoever Thou hast revealed in Thy Scriptures. Give them to drink, O
my Lord, from the hands of Thy graciousness the waters of Thine
eternity. Write down, then, for them the recompense ordained for him
that hath immersed himself in the ocean of Thy presence, and attained
unto the choice wine of Thy meeting.
I implore Thee, O Thou the King of kings and the Pitier of the
downtrodden, to ordain for them the good of this world and of the world
to come. Write down for them, moreover, what none of Thy creatures hath
discovered, and number them with those who have circled round Thee, and
who move about Thy throne in every world of Thy worlds.
Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. --Bahá'u'lláh
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THE FAST
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas states: "We have commanded you to pray and
fast from the beginning of maturity [15 years]; this is ordained by God,
your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.... The traveler, the
ailing, those who are with child or giving suck, are not bound by the
fast.... Abstain from food and drink, from sunrise to sundown, and
beware lest desire deprive you of this grace that is appointed in the
Book."
The period of the Fast is March 2 through March 20.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy mighty Sign, and by the
revelation of Thy grace amongst men, to cast me not away from the gate
of the city of Thy presence, and to disappoint not the hopes I have set
on the manifestations of Thy grace amidst Thy creatures. Thou seest me, O
my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
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clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy most sweet Voice and by Thy
most exalted Word, to draw me ever nearer to the threshold of Thy door,
and to suffer me not to be far removed from the shadow of Thy mercy and
the canopy of Thy bounty. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name,
the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the
Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the splendor of Thy luminous brow
and the brightness of the light of Thy countenance, which shineth from
the all-highest horizon, to attract me by the fragrance of Thy raiment,
and make me drink of the choice wine of Thine utterance. Thou seest me, O
my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy hair which
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moveth across Thy face,
even as Thy most exalted pen moveth across the Pages of Thy Tablets,
shedding the musk of hidden meanings over the kingdom of Thy creation,
so to raise me up to serve Thy Cause that I shall not fall back, nor be
hindered by the suggestions of them who have caviled at Thy signs and
turned away from Thy face. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name,
the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the
Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name which Thou hast made the
King if Names, by which all who are in heaven and all who are on earth
have been enraptured, to enable me to gaze on the Daystar of Thy Beauty,
and to supply me with the wine of Thine utterance. Thou seest me, O my
God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.
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I beseech Thee, O my God,
by the Tabernacle of Thy majesty upon the loftiest summits, and the
Canopy of Thy Revelation on the highest hills, to graciously aid me to
do what Thy will hath desired and Thy purpose hath manifested. Thou
seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most
Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most
Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in
this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Beauty that shineth forth above
the horizon of eternity, a Beauty before which as soon as it revealeth
itself the kingdom of beauty boweth down in worship, magnifying it in
ringing tones, to grant that I may die to all that I possess and live to
whatsoever belongeth unto Thee. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy
Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most
Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of
the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the Manifestation of Thy Name, the
Well-Beloved, through Whom the hearts of Thy lovers were consumed
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and the souls of all that
dwell on earth have soared aloft, to aid me to remember Thee amongst
Thy creatures, and to extol Thee amidst Thy people. Thou seest me, O my
God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the rustling of the Divine
Lote-Tree and the murmur of the breezes of Thine utterance in the
kingdom of Thy names, to remove me far from whatsoever Thy will
abhorreth, and draw me nigh unto the station wherein He Who is the
Dayspring of Thy signs hath shone forth. Thou seest me, O my God,
holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty,
the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the
hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by that Letter which, as soon as it
proceeded our of the mouth of Thy will, hath caused the oceans to surge,
and the winds to blow, and the fruits to be revealed, and
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the trees to spring
forth, and all past traces to vanish, and all veils to be rent asunder,
and them who are devoted to Thee to hasten unto the light of the
countenance of their Lord, the Unconstrained, to make known unto me what
lay hid in the treasuries of Thy knowledge and concealed within the
repositories of Thy wisdom. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy
Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great,
the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the
robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the fire of Thy love which drove
sleep from the eyes of Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, and by their
remembrance and praise of Thee at the hour of dawn, to number me with
such as have attained unto that which Thou hast sent down in Thy Book
and manifested through Thy will. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy
Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most
Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of
the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by the light of Thy
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countenance which
impelled them who are nigh unto Thee to meet the darts of Thy decree,
and such as are devoted to Thee to face the swords of Thine enemies in
Thy path, to write down for me with Thy most exalted Pen what Thou hast
written down for Thy trusted ones and Thy chosen ones. Thou seest me, O
my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast
hearkened unto the call of Thy lovers, and the sighs of them that long
for Thee, and the cry of them that enjoy near access to Thee, and the
groaning of Them that are devoted to Thee, and through which Thou hast
fulfilled the wishes of them that have set their hopes on Thee, and hast
granted them their desires, through Thy grace and Thy favors, and by
Thy Name through which the ocean of forgiveness surged before Thy face,
and the clouds of Thy generosity rained upon Thy servants, to write down
for everyone
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who hath turned unto
Thee, and observed the fast prescribed by Thee, the recompense decreed
for such as speak not except by Thy leave, and who forsook all that they
possessed in Thy path and for love of Thee.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thyself, and by Thy signs, and Thy
clear tokens, and the shining light of the Daystar of Thy Beauty, and
Thy Branches, to cancel the trespasses of those who have held fast to
Thy laws, and have observed what Thou hast prescribed unto them in Thy
Book. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the
Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the
Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung
all in this world and in the world to come. --Bahá'u'lláh
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this
Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light, through which
the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the Written Tablet revealed,
and the Outspread Roll uncovered,
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to send down upon me and
upon them who are in my company that which will enable us to soar into
the heavens of Thy transcendent glory, and will wash us from the stain
of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering into the
tabernacle of Thy unity.
I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy
loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors. Do Thou
ordain for me and for my loved ones the good of this world and of the
world to come. Supply them, then, with the Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain
for the choicest among Thy creatures.
These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden Thy
servants to observe the fast. Blessed is he that observeth the fast
wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things except
Thee. Assist me and assist them. O my Lord, to obey Thee and to keep Thy
precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou choosest.
There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds. --Bahá'u'lláh
Page 247
These are, O my God, the
days whereon Thou didst enjoin Thy servants to observe the fast. With it
Thou didst adorn the preamble of the Book of Thy Laws revealed unto Thy
creatures, and didst deck forth the Repositories of Thy commandments in
the sight of all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth.
Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue,
inscrutable to all except Thee, Whose knowledge embraceth all created
things. Thou hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this
virtue in accordance with the Tablet of Thy decree and the Scriptures of
Thine irrevocable judgment. Every leaf of these Books and Scriptures
Thou hast, moreover, allotted to each one of the peoples and kindreds of
the earth.
For Thine ardent lovers Thou hast, according to Thy decree,
reserved, at each daybreak, the cup of Thy remembrance, O Thou Who art
the Ruler of rulers! These are they who have been so inebriated with the
wine of Thy manifold wisdom that they forsake their couches in their
longing to celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy virtues, and flee from
sleep in their eagerness to approach Thy
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presence and partake of
Thy bounty. Their eyes have, at all times, been bent upon the Dayspring
of Thy loving-kindness, and their faces set towards the Fountainhead of
Thine inspiration. Rain down, then, upon us and upon them from the
clouds of Thy mercy what beseemeth the heaven of Thy bounteousness and
grace.
Lauded be Thy name, o My God! This is the hour when Thou hast
unlocked the doors of Thy bounty before the faces of Thy creatures, and
opened wide the portals of Thy tender mercy unto all the dwellers of
Thine earth. I beseech Thee, by all them whose blood was shed in Thy
path, who, in their yearning over Thee, rid themselves from all
attachment to any of Thy creatures, and who were so carried away by the
sweet savors of Thine inspiration that every single member of their
bodies intoned Thy praise and vibrated to Thy remembrance, not to
withhold from us the things Thou hast irrevocably ordained in this
Revelation--a Revelation the potency of which hath caused every tree to
cry out what the Burning Bush had aforetime proclaimed unto Moses, Who
conversed with Thee, a Revelation that hath enabled every least pebble
to resound again with
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Thy praise, as the stones glorified Thee in the days of Muhammad, Thy Friend.
These are the ones, O my God, whom Thou hast graciously enabled
to have fellowship with Thee and to commune with Him Who is the Revealer
of Thyself. The winds of Thy will have scattered them abroad until Thou
didst gather them together beneath Thy shadow, and didst cause them to
enter into the precincts of Thy court. Now that Thou hast made them to
abide under the shade of the canopy of Thy mercy, do Thou assist them to
attain what must befit so august a station. Suffer them not, O my Lord,
to be numbered with them who, though enjoying near access to Thee, have
been kept back from recognizing Thy face, and who, though meeting with
Thee, are deprived of Thy presence.
These are Thy servants, O my Lord, who have entered with Thee in
this, the Most Great Prison, who have kept the fast within its walls
according to what Thou hast commanded them in the Tablets of Thy decree
and the Books of Thy behest. Send down, therefore, upon them what will
thoroughly purge them of all that Thou abhorrest, that they may be
wholly devoted to Thee, and
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may detach themselves entirely from all except Thyself.
Rain down, then, upon us. O my God, that which beseemeth Thy
grace and befitteth Thy bounty. Enable us, then, O my God, to live in
remembrance of Thee and to die in love of Thee, and supply us with the
gift of Thy presence in Thy worlds hereafter--worlds which are
inscrutable to all except Thee. Thou art our Lord and the Lord of all
worlds, and the God of all that are in heaven and all that are on earth.
Thou beholdest, O my God, what hath befallen Thy dear ones in
Thy days. Thy glory beareth me witness! The voice of the lamentation of
Thy chosen ones hath been lifted up throughout Thy realm. Some were
ensnared by the infidels in Thy land, and were hindered by them from
having near access to Thee and from attaining the court of Thy glory.
Others were able to approach Thee, but were kept back from beholding Thy
face. Still others were permitted, in their eagerness to look upon
Thee, to enter the precincts of Thy court, but they allowed the veils of
the imaginations of Thy creatures and the wrongs inflicted by the
oppressors
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among Thy people to come in between them and Thee.
This is the hour, O my Lord, which Thou hast caused to excel
every other hour, and hast related to the choicest among Thy creatures. I
beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Self and by them, to ordain in the
course of this year what shall exalt Thy loved ones. Do Thou, moreover,
decree within this year what will enable the Daystar of Thy power to
shine brightly above the horizon of Thy glory, and to illuminate by Thy
sovereign might, the whole world.
Render Thy Cause victorious, O my Lord, and abase Thou Thine
enemies. Write down, then, for us the good of this life and of the life
to come. Thou art the Truth, Who knoweth the secret things. No God is
there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. --Bahá'u'lláh
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! These are the days whereon Thou
hast bidden all men to observe the fast, that through it they may
purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment
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to anyone but Thee, and
that out of their hearts may ascend that which will be worthy of the
court of Thy majesty and may well beseem the seat of the revelation of
Thy oneness. Grant, O my Lord, that this fast may become a river of
life-giving waters and may yield the virtue wherewith Thou hast endowed
it. Cleanse Thou by its means the hearts of Thy servants whom the evils
of the world have failed to hinder from turning towards Thee
all-glorious Name, and who have remained unmoved by the noise and tumult
of such as have repudiated Thy most resplendent signs which have
accompanied the advent of Thy Manifestation Whom Thou hast invested with
Thy sovereignty, Thy power, Thy majesty and glory. These are the
servants who, as soon as Thy call reached them, hastened in the
direction of Thy mercy and were not kept back from Thee by the changes
and chances of this world or by any human limitations.
I am he, O my God, who testifieth to Thy unity, who
acknowledgeth Thy oneness, who boweth humbly before the revelations of
Thy majesty, and who recognizeth with downcast countenance the splendors
of the light of Thy
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transcendent glory. I
have believed in Thee after Thou didst enable me to know Thy Self. Whom
Thou hast revealed to men's eyes through the power of Thy sovereignty
and might. Unto Him I have turned, wholly detached from all things, and
cleaving steadfastly unto the cord of Thy gifts and favors. I have
embraced His truth, and the truth of all the wondrous laws and precepts
that have been sent down unto Him. I have fasted for love of Thee and in
pursuance of Thine injunction, and have broken my fast with Thy praise
on my tongue and in conformity with Thy pleasure. Suffer me not, O my
Lord, to be reckoned among them who have fasted in the daytime, who in
the night-season have prostrated themselves before Thy face, and who
have repudiated Thy truth, disbelieved in Thy signs, gainsaid Thy
testimony, and perverted Thine utterances.
Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes of all them that
have sought Thee, that we may recognize Thee with Thine own eyes. This
is Thy bidding given us in the Book sent down by Thee unto Him Whom Thou
hast chosen by Thy behest, Whom Thou hast singled out for Thy favor
above all Thy creatures, Whom Thou hast
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been pleased to invest
with Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou hast specially favored and entrusted
with Thy Message unto Thy people. Praised be Thou, therefore, O my God,
inasmuch as Thou hast graciously enabled us to recognize Him and to
acknowledge whatsoever hath been sent down unto Him, and conferred upon
us the honor of attaining the presence of the One Whom Thou didst
promise in Thy Book and in Thy Tablets.
Thou seest me then, O my God, with my face turned towards Thee,
cleaving steadfastly to the cord of Thy gracious providence and
generosity, and clinging to the hem of Thy tender mercies and bountiful
favors. Destroy not, I implore Thee, my hopes of attaining unto that
which Thou didst ordain for Thy servants who have turned towards the
precincts of Thy court and the sanctuary of Thy presence, and have
observed the fast for love of Thee. I confess, O my God, that whatever
proceedeth from me is wholly unworthy of Thy sovereignty and falleth
short of Thy majesty. And yet I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which
Thou hast revealed Thy Self, in the glory of Thy most excellent titles,
unto all created things, in this Revelation whereby Thou hast, through
Thy
Page 255
most resplendent Name,
manifested Thy beauty, to give me to drink of the wine of Thy mercy and
of the pure beverage of Thy favor, which have streamed forth from the
right hand of Thy will, that I may so fix my gaze upon Thee and be so
detached from all else but Thee, that the world and all that hath been
created therein may appear before me as a fleeting day which Thou hast
not deigned to create.
I moreover entreat Thee, O my God, to rain down, from the heaven
of Thy will and the clouds of Thy mercy, that which will cleanse us
from the noisome savors of our transgressions, O Thou Who hast called
Thyself the God of Mercy! Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the
All-Glorious, the Beneficent.
Cast not away, O my Lord, him that hath turned towards Thee, nor
suffer him who hath drawn nigh unto Thee to be removed far from Thy
court. Dash not the hopes of the suppliant who hath longingly stretched
out his hands to seek Thy grace and favors, and deprive not Thy sincere
servants of the wonders of Thy tender mercies and loving-kindness.
Forgiving and Most Bountiful art Thou, O my Lord! Power has Thou
Page 256
to do what Thou pleasest.
All else but Thee are impotent before the revelations of Thy might, are
as lost in the face of the evidences of Thy wealth, are as nothing when
compared with the manifestations of Thy transcendent sovereignty, and
are destitute of all strength when face to face with the signs and
tokens of Thy power. What refuge is there beside Thee, O my Lord, to
which I can flee, and where is there a haven to which I can hasten? Nay,
the power of Thy might beareth me witness! No protector is there but
Thee, no place to flee to except Thee, no refuge to seek save Thee.
Cause me to taste, O my Lord, the divine sweetness of Thy remembrance
and praise. I swear by Thy might! Whosoever tasteth of its sweetness
will rid himself of all attachment to the world and all that is therein,
and will set his face towards Thee, cleansed from the remembrance of
anyone except Thee.
Inspire then my soul, O my God, with Thy wondrous remembrance,
that I may glorify Thy name. Number me not with them who read Thy words
and fail to find Thy hidden gift which, as decreed by Thee, is contained
therein, and which quickeneth the souls of Thy creatures and the
Page 257
hearts of Thy servants.
Cause me, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them who have been so stirred
up by the sweet savors that have been wafted in Thy days that they have
laid down their lives for Thee and hastened to the scene of their death
in their longing to gaze on Thy beauty and in their yearning to attain
Thy presence. And were anyone to say unto them on their way, "Whither go
ye?" they would say, "Unto God, the All-Possessing, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting!"
The transgressions committed by such as have turned away from
Thee and have borne themselves haughtily towards Thee have not availed
to hinder them from loving Thee, and from setting their faces towards
Thee, and from turning in the direction of Thy mercy. These are they who
are blessed by the Concourse on high, who are glorified by the denizens
of the everlasting Cities, and beyond them by those on whose foreheads
Thy most exalted pen hath written: "These! The people of Bahá. Through
them have been shed the splendors of the light of guidance." Thus hath
it been ordained, at Thy behest and by Thy will, in the Tablet of Thine
irrevocable decree.
Proclaim, therefore, O my God, their greatness
Page 258
and the greatness of
those who while living or after death have circled round them. Supply
them with that which Thou hast ordained for the righteous among Thy
creatures. Potent art Thou to do all things. There is no God but Thee,
the All-Powerful, the Help in Peril, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful.
Do not bring our fasts to an end with this fast, O my Lord, nor
the covenants Thou hast made with this covenant. Do Thou accept all that
we have done for love of Thee, and for the sake of Thy pleasure, and
all that we have left undone as a result of our subjection to our evil
and corrupt desires. Enable us, then, to cleave steadfastly to Thy love
and Thy good pleasure, and preserve us from the mischief of such as have
denied Thee and repudiated Thy most resplendent signs. Thou art, in
truth, the Lord of this world and of the next. No God is there beside
Thee, the Exalted, the Most High.
Magnify Thou, O Lord my God, Him Who is the Primal Point, the
Divine Mystery, the Unseen Essence, the Dayspring of Divinity, and the
Manifestation of Thy Lordship, through Whom all the knowledge of the
past and all the knowledge
Page 259
of the future were made
plain, through Whom the pearls of Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and
the mystery of Thy treasured name disclosed, Whom Thou hast appointed as
the Announcer of the One through Whose name the letter B and the letter
E have been joined and united, through Whom Thy majesty, Thy
sovereignty and Thy might were made known, through Whom Thy words have
been sent down, and Thy laws set forth with clearness, and Thy signs
spread abroad, and Thy Word established, through Whom the hearts of Thy
chosen ones were laid bare, and all that were in the heavens and all
that were on the earth were gathered together, Whom Thou has called
Ali-Muhammad in the kingdom of Thy names, and the Spirit of Spirits in
the Tablets of Thine irrevocable decree, Whom Thou hast invested with
Thine own title, unto Whose name all other names have, at Thy bidding
and through the power of Thy might, been made to return, and in Whom
Thou hast caused all Thine attributes and titles to attain their final
consummation. To Him also belong such names as lay hid within Thy
stainless tabernacles, in Thine invisible world and Thy sanctified
cities.
Page 260
Magnify Thou, moreover,
such as have believed in Him and in His signs and have turned towards
Him, from among those that have acknowledged Thy unity in His Latter
Manifestation - a Manifestation whereof He hath made mention in His
Tablets, and in His Books, and in His Scriptures, and in all the
wondrous verses and gem-like utterances that have descended upon Him. It
is this same Manifestation Whose covenant Thou hast bidden Him
establish ere He had established His own covenant. He it is Whose praise
the Bayan hath celebrated. In it His excellence hath been extolled, and
His truth established, and His sovereignty proclaimed, and His Cause
perfected. Blessed is the man that hath turned unto Him, and fulfilled
the things He hath commanded, O Thou Who art the Lord of the worlds and
the Desire of all them that have known Thee!
Praised be Thou, O my god, inasmuch as Thou hast aided us to
recognize and love Him. I, therefore, beseech Thee by Him and by Them
who are the Daysprings of Thy Divinity, and the Manifestations of Thy
Lordship, and the Treasuries of Thy Revelation, and the Depositories of
Thineinspiration, to enable us to serve and obey Him,
Page 261
and to empower us to
become the helpers of His Cause and the dispensers of His adversaries.
Powerful art Thou to do all that pleaseth Thee. No God is there beside
Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the One Whose help is sought by
all men! --Bahá'u'lláh
Page 262
NAW-RÚZ
(Naw-Rúz, March 21, is the first day of the Bahá'í year.)
Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Ruz as a
festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee and
abstained from all that is abhorrent unto thee. Grant, O my Lord, that
the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the fast enjoined by Thee
may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy
praise and with remembrance of Thee.
Since thou hast adorned them, O my Lord, with the ornament of
the fast prescribed by Thee, do Thou adorn them also with the ornament
of Thine acceptance, through Thy grace and bountiful favor. For the
doings of men are all dependent upon Thy good-pleasure, and are
conditioned by Thy behest. Shouldst Thou regard him who hath broken the
fast as one who hath observed it, such a man would be reckoned among
them who
Page 263
from eternity had been
keeping the fast. And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath observed the
fast hath broken it, that person would be numbered with such as have
caused the Robe of Thy Revelation to be stained with dust, and been far
removed from the crystal waters of this living Fountain.
Thou art He through Whom the ensign "Praise-worthy art Thou in
Thy works" hath been lifted up, and the standard "Obeyed art Thou in thy
behest" hath been unfurled. Make known this Thy station, O my God, unto
Thy servants, that they may be made aware that the excellence of all
things is dependent upon Thy bidding and Thy word, and the virtue of
every act is conditioned by Thy leave and the good pleasure of Thy will,
and my recognize that the reins of men's doings are within the grasp of
Thine acceptance and Thy commandment. Make this known unto them, that
nothing whatsoever may shut them out from Thy Beauty, in these days
whereon the Christ exclaimeth: "All dominion is Thine, O Thou the
Begetter of the Spirit (Jesus)"; and Thy Friend (Muhammad) crieth out:
"Glory be to Thee, O Thou the Best-Beloved, for that thou hast uncovered
Page 264
thy Beauty, and written
down for Thy chosen ones what will cause them to attain unto the seat of
the revelation of Thy Most Great Name, through which all the peoples
have lamented excepted such as have detached themselves from all else
except Thee, and set themselves towards Him Who is the Revealer of
Thyself and the Manifestation of Thine attributes."
He Who is Thy Branch and all Thy company, O my Lord, have broken
this day their fast, after having observed it within the precincts of
Thy court, and in their eagerness to please Thee. Do Thou ordain for
Him, and for them, and for all such as have entered Thy presence in
those days all the good Thou didst destine in Thy Book. Supply them,
then, with that which will profit them, in both this life and in the
life beyond.
Thou, in truth, art the the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. --Bahá'u'lláh
Page 265
MARTYRS AND THEIR FAMILIES
He is God!
O Lord my God! O Thou Helper of the feeble, Succorer of the poor and Deliverer of the helpless who turn unto Thee.
With utmost lowliness I raise my suppliant hands to Thy kingdom
of beauty and fervently call upon Thee with my inner tongue, saying: O
God, my God! Aid me to adore Thee, strengthen my loins to serve Thee;
assist me by Thy grace in my servitude to Thee; suffer me to remain
steadfast in my obedience to Thee; pour forth upon me the liberal
effusions of Thy bounty, let the glances of the eye of Thy
loving-kindness be directed towards me, and immerse me in the ocean of
Thy forgiveness. Grant that I may be confirmed in my allegiance to Thy
Faith, and bestow upon me a fuller measure of certitude and assurance,
that I may wholly dispense with the world, may turn my face with entire
devotion towards Thy face, be reinforced by the compelling power of
proofs and
Page 266
testimonies, and,
invested with majesty and power, may pass beyond every region of heaven
and earth. Verily Thou are the Merciful, the All-Glorious, the Kind, the
Compassionate.
O Lord! These are the survivors of the martyrs, that company of
blessed souls. They have sustained every tribulation and displayed
patience in the face of grievous injustice. They have forsaken all
comfort and prosperity, have willingly submitted to dire suffering and
adversity in the path of Thy love, and are still held captive in the
clutches of the their enemies who continually torment them with sore
torment, and oppress them because they walk steadfastly in the Thy
straight path. There is no one to help them, no one to befriend them.
Apart from the ignoble and the wicked, there is no one to associate and
consort with them.
O Lord! These souls have tasted bitter agony in this earthly
life and have, as a sign of their love for the shining beauty of Thy
countenance and in their eagerness to attain Thy celestial kingdom,
tolerated every gross indignity that the people of tyranny have
inflicted upon them.
O Lord! Fill their ears with the verses of divine assistance and of a speedy victory, and deliver
Page 267
them from the oppression
of such as wield terrible might. Withhold the hands of the wicked and
leave not these souls to be torn by the claws and teeth of fierce
beasts, for they are captivated by their love for Thee, entrusted with
the mysteries of Thy holiness, stand humbly at Thy door and have
attained to Thine exalted precinct.
O Lord! Graciously reinforce them with a new spirit; illumine
their eyes by enabling them to behold Thy wondrous evidences in the
gloom of night; destine for them all good that aboundeth in Thy Kingdom
of eternal mysteries; make them as brilliant stars shining over all
regions, luxuriant trees laden with fruit and branches moving in the
breezes of dawn.
Verily, Thou art the Bountiful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, the
Unconstrained. There is none other God but Thee, the God of love and
tender mercy, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
Page 268
MOTHER TEMPLE OF THE WEST
O God, my God! I implore Thee with a throbbing heart and
streaming tears to aid whosoever expendeth his energy for the erection
of this House, and the construction of this Building wherein Thy name is
mentioned every morn and every eve.
O God! Send down Thy divine increase on whosoever endeavoreth to
serve this edifice and exerteth himself to raise it amongst the
kindreds and religions of the world. Confirm him in every good deed in
promoting the welfare of mankind. Open Thou the doors of wealth and
abundance unto him and make him an heir to the treasures of the Kingdom,
which perish not. Make him a sign of Thy bestowals among the peoples
and reinforce him by the sea of Thy generosity and bounty, surging with
waves of Thy grace and favor. Verily, Thou are the Generous, the
Merciful and the Bountiful. --'Abdu'l-Bahá
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