Online version provided by Robert Stauffer, 1998
Excerpts From the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá
from
Selections from the Writings of the Báb
Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice
and translated by Habib Taherzadeh
with the assistance of a Committee at the Bahá'í World Center
Bahá'í World Centre, Haifa (c)1976
Copyright under the Berne Convention
ISBN 0 85398 066 7
[page 41]
Excerpts from Súra I
All praise be to God Who hath, through the power of Truth, sent down this Book
unto His servant, that it may serve as a shining light for all mankind...
Verily this is none other than the sovereign Truth; it is the Path which God
hath laid out for all that are in heaven and on earth. Let him then who will,
take for himself the right path unto his Lord. Verily this is the true Faith of
God, and sufficient witness are God and such as are endowed with the knowledge
of the Book. This is indeed the eternal Truth which God, the Ancient of Days,
hath revealed unto His omnipotent Word -- He Who hath been raised up from the
midst of the Burning Bush. This is the Mystery which hath been hidden from all
that are in heaven and on earth, and in this wondrous Revelation it hath, in
very truth, been set forth in the Mother Book by the hand of God, the
Exalted...
O concourse of kings and of the sons of kings! Lay aside, one and all, your
dominion which belongeth unto God.
Let not thy sovereignty deceive thee, O Sháh, for `every soul shall
taste of death,' [Qur'án 3:182] and this, in very truth, hath been
written down as a decree of God.
O King of Islám! Aid thou, with the truth, after having aided the Book,
Him Who is Our Most Great Remembrance, for God hath, in very truth, destined
for thee, and for such as circle round thee, on the Day of Judgement, a
responsible position in His Path. I swear by God, O Sháh!
[page 42]
If thou showest enmity unto Him Who is His Remembrance, God will, on the Day of
Resurrection, condemn thee, before the kings, unto hell-fire, and thou shalt
not, in very truth, find on that Day any helper except God, the Exalted. Purge
thou, O Sháh, the Sacred Land [Tihrán] from such as have
repudiated the Book, ere the day whereon the Remembrance of God cometh,
terribly and of a sudden, with His potent Cause, by the leave of God, the Most
High. God, verily, hath prescribed to thee to submit unto Him Who is His
Remembrance, and unto His Cause, and to subdue, with the truth and by His
leave, the countries, for in this world thou hast been mercifully invested with
sovereignty, and wilt, in the next, dwell, nigh unto the Seat of Holiness, with
the inmates of the Paradise of His good-pleasure.
By God! If ye do well, to your own behoof will ye do well; and if ye deny God
and His signs, We, in very truth, having God, can well dispense with all
creatures and all earthly dominion.
Be thou content with the commandment of God, the True One, inasmuch as
sovereignty, as recorded in the Mother Book by the hand of God, is surely
invested in Him Who is His Remembrance...
O Minister of the Sháh! Fear thou God, besides Whom there is none other
God but Him, the Sovereign Truth, the Just, and lay aside thy dominion, for We,
by the leave of God, the All-Wise, inherit the earth and all who are upon it,
[cf. Qur'án 19:41] and He shall rightfully be a witness unto thee and
unto
[page 43]
the Sháh. Were ye to obey the Remembrance of God with absolute
sincerity, We guarantee, by the leave of God, that on the Day of Resurrection,
a vast dominion shall be yours in His eternal Paradise.
Vain indeed is your dominion, for God hath set aside earthly possessions for
such as have denied Him; for unto Him Who is your Lord shall be the most
excellent abode, He Who is, in truth, the Ancient of Days...
O concourse of kings! Deliver with truth and in all haste the verses sent down
by Us to the peoples of Turkey and of India, and beyond them, withpower and
with truth, to lands in both the East and the West...And know that if ye aid
God, He will, on the Day of Resurrection, graciously aid you, upon the Bridge,
through Him Who is His Most Great Remembrance...
O people of the earth! Whoso obeyeth the Remembrance of God and His Book hath
in truth obeyed God and His chosen ones and he will, in the life to come, be
reckoned in the presence of God among the inmates of the Paradise of His
good-pleasure.
Excerpts from Súra II
Verily We made the revelation of verses to be a testimony for Our message unto
you. Can ye produce a single letter to match these verses? Bring forth, then,
your proofs, if ye be of those who can discern the one true God. I solemnly
affirm before God, should all men and spirits combine to compose the like of
one
chapter of this Book, they would surely fail, even though they were to assist
one another. [cf. Qur'án 17:90]
[page 44]
O concourse of divines! Fear God from this day onwards in the views ye advance,
for He Who is Our Remembrance in your midst, and Who cometh from Us, is, in
very truth, the Judge and Witness. Turn away from that which ye lay hold of,
and which the Book of God, the True One, hath not sanctioned, for on the Day of
Resurrection ye shall, upon the Bridge, be, in very truth, held answerable for
the position ye occupied....And unto you We have sent down this Book which
truly none can mistake.
O concourse of the people of the Book! Fear ye God and pride not yourselves in
your learning. Follow ye the Book which His Remembrance hath revealed in praise
of God, the True One. He Who is the Eternal Truth beareth me witness, whoso
followeth this Book hath indeed followed all the past Scriptures which have
been sent down from heaven by God, the Sovereign Truth. Verily, He is well
informed of what ye do...Such as are the true followers of Islám would
say: `O Lord our God! We have hearkened to the call of Thy Remembrance and
obeyed Him. Forgive us our sins. Thou art, verily, the Eternal Truth, and unto
Thee, our infallible Retreat, must we all return.' [cf. Qur'án 2:285]
Excerpts from Súra III
As to those who deny Him Who is the Sublime Gate of God, for them We have
prepared, as justly decreed by God, a sore torment. And He, God, is the Mighty,
the Wise.
We have, of a truth, sent down this divinely-inspired Book unto Our
Servant...Ask ye then Him Who is Our Remembrance of its interpretation,
inasmuch as He, as
[page 45]
divinely-ordained and through the grace of God, is invested with the knowledge
of its verses...
O children of men! If ye believe in the one True God, follow Me, this Most
Great Remembrance of God sent forth by your Lord, that He may graciously
forgive you your sins. Verily He is forgiving and compassionate toward the
concourse of the faithful. We, of a truth, choose the Messengers through the
potency of Our Word, and We exalt Their offspring, some over others, through
the Great Remembrance of God as decreed in the Book and concealed therein...
Some of the people of the city have declared: `We are the helpers of God', but
when this Remembrance came suddenly upon them, they turned aside from helping
Us. Verily God is My Lord and your true Lord, therefore worship Him, while this
Path from 'Alí [the Báb] is none but the straight Path [cf.
Qur'án 3:50] in the estimation of your Lord.
Excerpts from Súra IV
Unto every people We have sent down the Book in their own language. [cf. ibid.
14:4] This Book We have, verily, revealed in the language of Our Remembrance
and it is in truth a wondrous language. He is, verily, the eternal Truth come
from God, and according to the divine judgement given in the Mother Book, He is
the most distinguished among the writers of Arabic and most eloquent in His
utterance. He is in truth the Supreme Talisman and is endowed with supernatural
powers, as set forth in the Mother Book...
[page 46]
O people of the city! Ye have disbelieved your Lord. If ye are truly faithful
to Muhammad, the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets, and if ye follow
His Book, the Qur'án, which is free from error, then here is the like of
it -- this Book, which We have, in truth and by the leave of God, sent down
unto Our Servant. If ye fail to believe in Him, then your faith in Muhammad and
His Book which was revealed in the past will indeed be treated as false in the
estimation of God. If ye deny Him, the fact of your having denied Muhammad and
His Book will, in very truth and with absolute certainty, become evident unto
yourselves.
Excerpts from Súra V
Fear ye God and breathe not a word concerning His Most Great Remembrance other
than what hath been ordained by God, inasmuch as We have established a separate
covenant regarding Him with every Prophet and His followers. Indeed, We have
not sent any Messenger without this binding covenant and We do not, of a truth,
pass judgement upon anything except after the covenant of Him Who is the
Supreme Gate hath been established. Ere long the veil shall be lifted from your
eyes at the appointed time. Ye shall then behold the sublime Remembrance of
God, unclouded and vivid.
Excerpts from Súra VII
Do men imagine that We are far distant from the people of the world? Nay, the
day We cause them to be assailed
[page 47]
by the pangs of death [cf. Qur'án 68:42] they shall, upon the plain of
Resurrection, behold how the Lord of Mercy and His Remembrance were near.
Thereupon they shall exclaim: `Would that we had followed the path of the
Báb! Would that we had sought refuge only with Him, and not with men of
perversity and error! For verily the Remembrance of God appeared before us,
[cf. ibid. 7:63, 69] behind us, and on all sides, yet we were, in very truth,
shut out as by a veil from Him.'
Excerpts from Súra IX
Do not say, `How can He speak of God while in truth His age is no more than
twenty-five?' Give ye ear unto Me. I swear by the Lord of the heavens and of
the earth: I am verily a servant of God. I have been made the Bearer of
irrefutable proofs from the presence of Him Who is the long-expected Remnant of
God. Here is My Book before your eyes, as indeed inscribed in the presence of
God in the Mother Book. God hath indeed made Me blessed, wheresoever I may be,
and hath enjoined upon Me to observe prayer and fortitude so long as I shall
live on earth amongst you.
Excerpts from Súra XIII
Glorified is He besides Whom there is none other God. In His grasp He holdeth
the source of authority, and verily God is powerful over all things. We have
decreed
[page 48]
that every long life shall in truth suffer decline [cf. Qur'án 36:68]
and that every hardship shall be followed by ease, [cf. ibid. 65:7; 94:5] that
perchance men may recognise the Gate of God as He Who is the eternal Truth, and
verily God shall stand as witness unto those that have believed.
Excerpts from Súra XVII
O ye servants of God! Verily, be not grieved if a thing ye asked of Him
remaineth unanswered, inasmuch as He hath been commanded by God to observe
silence, a silence which is in truth praiseworthy. We have indeed enabled Thee
to truly see in Thy dream a measure of Our Cause, but wert Thou to acquaint
them with the hidden Mystery, they would dispute its truth among themselves.
Verily Thy Lord, the God of truth, knoweth the very secrets of hearts [cf.
ibid. 8:45]...
O peoples of the world! Whatsoever ye have offered up in the way of the One
True God, ye shall indeed find preserved by God, the Preserver, intact at God's
Holy Gate. O peoples of the earth! Bear ye allegiance unto this resplendent
light wherewith God hath graciously invested Me through the power of infallible
Truth, and walk not in the footsteps of the Evil One, [cf. ibid. 2:204]
inasmuch as he prompteth you to disbelieve in God, your Lord, and verily God
will not forgive disbelief in Himself, though He will forgive other sins to
whomsoever He pleaseth. [cf. ibid. 4:51] Indeed His knowledge embraceth all
things...
[page 49]
Excerpts from Súra XXI
O peoples of the East and the West! Be ye fearful of God concerning the Cause
of the true Joseph and barter Him not for a paltry price [cf. Qur'án
12:20] established by yourselves, or for a trifle of your earthly possessions,
that ye may, in very truth, be praised by Him as those who are reckoned among
the pious who stand nigh unto this Gate. Verily God hath deprived of His grace
him who martyred Husayn, Our forefather, lonely and forsaken as He was upon the
land of Táff [Kárbilá]. Yazíd, the son of
Mu'áviyih, out of corrupt desire, bartered away the head of the true
Joseph to the fiendish people for a trifling price and a petty sum from his
property. Verily they repudiated God by committing a grievous error. Erelong
will God wreak His vengeance upon them, at the time of Our Return, and He hath,
in very truth, prepared for them, in the world to come, a severe torment.
O Qurratu'l-`Ayn! [In these passages of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá the
name Qurratu'l-`Ayn (Solace of the Eyes) refers to the Báb Himself.] We
have, verily, dilated Thine heart in this Revelation, which stands truly unique
from all created things, and have exalted Thy name through the manifestation of
the Báb, so that men may become aware of Our transcendent power, and
recognize that God is immeasurably sanctified above the praise of all men. He
is verily independent of the whole of creation.
[page 50]
Excerpts from Súra XXIV
The angels and the spirits, arrayed rank upon rank, descend, by the leave of
God, upon this Gate [cf. Qur'án 78:38] and circle round this Focal Point
in a far-stretching line. Greet them with salutations, O Qurratu'l-`Ayn, for
the dawn hath indeed broken; then proclaim unto the concourse of the faithful:
`Is not the rising of the Morn, foreshadowed in the Mother Book, to be near at
hand? [cf. ibid. 11:83]...'
O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Turn Thou eagerly unto God in Thy Cause, for the peoples of
the world have risen in iniquity, and but for the outpouring of the grace of
God and Thy mercy unto them, no one could purge even a single soul for
evermore. [cf. ibid. 24:21] O Qurratu'l-`Ayn! The life to come is indeed far
more advantageous unto Thee and unto such as follow Thy Cause than this earthly
life and its pleasures. This is what hath been foreordained according to the
dispensations of Providence...
O Qurratu'l-` Ayn! Say: Verily I am the `Gate of God' and I give you to drink,
by the leave of God, the sovereign Truth, of the crystal-pure waters of His
Revelation which are gushing out from the incorruptible Fountain situate upon
the Holy Mount. And those who earnestly strive after the One True God, let them
then strive to attain this Gate. [cf. ibid. 83:25-26] Verily God is potent over
all things...
O peoples of the earth! Give ear unto God's holy Voice proclaimed by this
Arabian Youth Whom the Almighty hath graciously chosen for His Own Self. He is
indeed none other than the True One, Whom God hath entrusted with this Mission
from the midst of the Burning Bush. O Qurratu'l-` Ayn! Unravel what Thou
pleasest from the
[page 51]
secrets of the All-Glorious, for the ocean is surging high [Qur'án 52:6]
at the behest of the incomparable Lord.
Excerpts from Súra XXV
Are ye wickedly scheming, according to your selfish fancies, an evil plot
against Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance of God? By the righteousness of
God, all who are in the heaven and on earth and whatsoever lieth between them
are regarded in My sight even as a spider's web, [cf. ibid. 29:40] and verily
God beareth witness unto all things. Indeed they will not lay plots but against
themselves. God hath caused this Remembrance to be, in very truth, independent
of all the dwellers of earth and heaven.
Excerpts from Súra XXVII
O YE peoples of the earth! During the time of My absence I sent down the Gates
unto you. However the believers, except for a handful, obeyed them not.
Formerly I sent forth unto you Ahmad and more recently Kázim, but apart
from the pure in heart amongst you no one followed them. What hath befallen
you, O people of the Book? Will ye not fear the One true God, He Who is your
Lord, the Ancient of Days?...O ye who profess belief in God! I adjure you by
Him Who is the Eternal Truth, have ye discerned among the precepts of these
Gates anything inconsistent with the commandments of God as set forth
[page 52]
in this Book? Hath your learning deluded you by reason of your impiety? Take ye
heed then, for verily your God, the Lord of Eternal Truth, is with you and in
very truth is watchful over you...
Excerpts from Súra XXVIII
O YE kinsmen of the Most Great Remembrance! This Tree of Holiness, dyed crimson
with the oil of servitude, hath verily sprung forth out of your own soil in the
midst of the Burning Bush, yet ye comprehend nothing whatever thereof, neither
of His true, heavenly attributes, nor of the actual circumstances of His
earthly life, nor of the evidences of His powerful and unblemished behaviour.
Actuated by your own fancies, you consider Him to be alien to the sovereign
Truth, while in the estimation of God He is none other than the Promised One
Himself, invested with the power of the sovereign Truth, and verily He is, as
decreed in the Mother Book, held answerable in the midst of the Burning
Bush...
O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Deliver the summons of the most exalted Word unto the
handmaids among Thy kindred, caution them against the Most Great Fire and
announce unto them the joyful tidings that following this mighty Covenant there
shall be everlasting reunion with God in the Paradise of His good-pleasure,
nigh unto the Seat of Holiness. Verily God, the Lord of creation, is potent
over all things.
O Thou Mother of the Remembrance! May the peace and salutation of God rest upon
thee. Indeed thou hast endured patiently in Him Who is the sublime Self of God
Recognize then the station of thy Son Who is none other
[page 53]
than the mighty Word of God. He hath verily pledged Himself to be answerable
for thee both in thy grave and on the Judgement Day, while thou hast, in the
Preserved Tablet of God, been immortalized as the 'Mother of the Faithful' by
the Pen of His Remembrance.
O QURRATU'L-'AYN! Stretch not Thy hands wide open in the Cause, inasmuch as the
people would find themselves in a state of stupor by reason of the Mystery, and
I swear by the true, Almighty God that there is yet for Thee another turn after
this Dispensation. And when the appointed hour hath struck, do Thou, by the
leave of God, the All-Wise, reveal from the heights of the Most Lofty and
Mystic Mount a faint, an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy impenetrable Mystery,
that they who have recognized the radiance of the Sinaic Splendour may faint
away and die as they catch a lightning glimpse of the fierce and crimson Light
that envelops Thy Revelation. And God is, in very truth, Thine unfailing
Protector.
Excerpts from Súra XXIX
O PEOPLE of Persia! Are ye not satisfied with this glorious honour which the
supreme Remembrance of God hath conferred upon you? Verily ye have been
especially favoured by God through this mighty Word Then do not withdraw from
the sanctuary of His presence, for, by the righteousness of the One true God,
He is none other than the sovereign Truth from God; He is the most exalted
One
[page 54]
and the Source of all wisdom, as decreed in the Mother Book...
O peoples of the earth! Cleave ye tenaciously to the Cord of the All-Highest
God, which is but this Arabian Youth, Our Remembrance--He Who standeth
concealed at the point of ice amidst the ocean of fire.
O PEOPLE of the earth! By the righteousness of the One true God, I am the Maid
of Heaven begotten by the Spirit of Bahá, abiding within the Mansion
hewn out of a mass of ruby, tender and vibrant; and in this mighty Paradise
naught have I ever witnessed save that which proclaimeth the Remembrance of God
by extolling the virtues of this Arabian Youth. Verily there is none other God
but your Lord, the All-Merciful. Magnify ye, then, His station, for behold, He
is poised in the midmost heart of the All-Highest Paradise as the embodiment of
the praise of God in the Tabernacle wherein His glorification is intoned.
At one time I hear His Voice as He acclaimeth Him Who is the Ever-Living, the
Ancient of Days, and at another time as He speaketh of the mystery of His most
august Name. And when He intoneth the anthems of the greatness of God all
Paradise waileth in its longing to gaze on His Beauty, and when He chanteth
words of praise and glorification of God all Paradise becomes motionless like
unto ice locked in the heart of a frost-bound mountain. Methinks I visioned Him
moving along a straight middle path wherein every paradise was His Own
paradise, every heaven His Own heaven, while the whole earth and all that is
therein appeared but as a ring upon the finger
[page 55]
of His servants. Glorified be God, His Creator, the Lord of everlasting
sovereignty. Verily He is none other but the servant of God, the Gate of the
Remnant of God your Lord, the Sovereign Truth.
Excerpts from Súra XXXI
O THOU the Supreme Word of God! Fear not, nor be Thou grieved, for indeed unto
such as have responded to Thy Call, whether men or women, We have assured
forgiveness of sins, as known in the presence of the Best Beloved and in
conformity with what Thou desirest. Verily His knowledge embraceth all things.
I adjure Thee by My life, set Thy face towards Me and be not apprehensive.
Verily Thou art the Exalted One among the Celestial Concourse, and Thy hidden
Mystery hath, of a truth, been recorded upon the Tablet of creation in the
midst of the Burning Bush. Ere long God will bestow upon Thee rulership over
all men, inasmuch as His rule transcendeth the whole of creation.
Excerpts from Súra XL
O CONCOURSE of Shí'ihs! Fear ye God and Our Cause which concerneth Him
Who is the Most Great Remembrance of God. For great is its fire, as decreed in
the Mother Book.
Excerpts from Súra XLI
RECITE ye as much as convenient from this Qur'án both
[page 56]
at morn and at eventide, and chant the verses of this Book, by the leave of the
eternal God, in the sweet accents of this Bird which warbleth its melody in the
vault of heaven.
Excerpts from Súra XLVI
ISSUE forth from your cities, O peoples of the West and aid God ere the Day
when the Lord of mercy shall come down unto you in the shadow of the clouds
with the angels circling around Him, [cf. Qur'án 2:206] exalting His
praise and seeking forgiveness for such as have truly believed in Our signs.
Verily His decree hath been issued, and the command of God, as given in the
Mother Book, hath indeed been revealed...
Become as true brethren in the one and indivisible religion of God, free from
distinction, for verily God desireth that your hearts should become mirrors
unto your brethren in the Faith, so that ye find yourselves reflected in them,
and they in you. This is the true Path of God, the Almighty, and He is indeed
watchful over your actions.
Excerpts from Súra LI
O YE peoples of the earth! Hearken unto My call, ringing forth from the
precincts of this sacred Tree--a Tree set ablaze by the pre-existent Fire:
There is no God but Him; He is the Exalted, the All-Wise. O ye the servants of
the Merciful One! Enter ye, one and all, through this Gate
[page 57]
and follow not the steps of the Evil One, for he prompteth you to walk in the
ways of impiety and wickedness; he is, in truth, your declared enemy. [cf.
Qur'án 2:163-164]
Excerpts from Súra LIII
BE Thou patient, O Qurratu'l-'Ayn, for God hath indeed pledged to establish Thy
sovereignty throughout all countries and over the people that dwell therein. He
is God and verily He is powerful over all things.
Excerpts from Súra LVII
BY My glory! I will make the infidels to taste, with the hands of My power,
retributions unknown of any one except Me, and will waft over the faithful
those musk-scented breaths which I have nursed in the midmost heart of My
throne; and verily the knowledge of God embraceth all things.
O concourse of light! By the righteousness of God, We speak not according to
selfish desire, nor hath a single letter of this Book been revealed save by the
leave of God, the Sovereign Truth Fear ye God and entertain no doubts regarding
His Cause, for verily, the Mystery of this Gate is shrouded in the mystic
utterances of His Writ and hath been written beyond the impenetrable veil of
concealment by the hand of God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible.
Indeed God hath created everywhere around this Gate oceans of divine elixir,
tinged crimson with the essence of existence and vitalized through the
animating power of the
[page 58]
desired fruit; and for them God hath provided Arks of ruby, tender,
crimson-coloured, wherein none shall sail but the people of Bahá, by the
leave of God, the Most Exalted; and verily He is the All-Glorious, the
All-Wise.
Excerpts from Súra LVIII
THE Lord hath, in truth, inspired Me: Verily, verily, I am God, He besides Whom
there is none other God, and I am indeed the Ancient of Days...
O people of the Kingdom! By the righteousness of the true God, if ye remain
steadfast upon this line which standeth upright between the two lines, ye
shall, in very truth, quaff the living waters from the Fountain of this
wondrous Revelation as proffered by the hand of His Remembrance...
I swear by your true Lord, by Him Who is the Lord of the heavens and of the
earth, that the divine Promise concerning His Remembrance is naught but the
sovereign truth and, as decreed in the Mother Book, it shall come to pass...
Say, O peoples of the earth! Were ye to assemble together in order to produce
the like of a single letter of My Works, ye would never be able to do so, [cf.
Qur'án 17:88] and verily God is cognizant of all things...
O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Say: Behold! Verily the Moon hath faded; verily the night
hath retreated; verily the dawn hath brightened; [cf. ibid. 74:35-37] verily
the command of God, your true Lord, hath been accomplished...
[page 59]
Out of utter nothingness, O great and omnipotent Master, Thou hast, through the
celestial potency of Thy might, brought me forth and raised me up to proclaim
this Revelation. I have made none other but Thee my trust; I have clung to no
will but Thy Will. Thou art, in truth, the All-Sufficing and behind Thee
standeth the true God, He Who overshadoweth all things. Indeed sufficient unto
Me is God, the Exalted, the Powerful, the Sustainer.
O THOU Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; I have
accepted curses for Thy sake, and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in the
path of Thy love. Sufficient witness unto me is God, the Exalted, the
Protector, the Ancient of Days.
O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! The words Thou hast uttered in this momentous Call have
grieved Me bitterly. However, the irrevocable decision resteth with none but
God and the decree proceedeth from none save Him alone. By My life, Thou art
the Well-Beloved in the sight of God and His creation. Verily, there is no
power except in God, and sufficient witness unto Me is your Lord, Who is, in
very truth, the Omnipotent Avenger.
Excerpts from Súra LIX
O PEOPLES of the earth! By the righteousness of God, this Book hath, through
the potency of the sovereign Truth, pervaded the earth and the heaven with the
mighty Word
[page 60]
of God concerning Him Who is the supreme Testimony, the Expected Qá'im,
and verily God hath knowledge of all things. This divinely-inspired Book hath
firmly established His Proof for all those who are in the East and in the West,
hence beware lest ye utter aught but the truth regarding God, for I swear by
your Lord that this supreme Proof of Mine beareth witness unto all things...
O servants of God! Be ye patient, for, God grant, He Who is the sovereign Truth
will suddenly appear amongst you, invested with the power of the mighty Word,
and ye shall then be confounded by the Truth itself, and ye shall have no power
to ward it off; [cf. Qur'án 21:40] and verily I am a witness over all
mankind.
Excerpts from Súra LXI
VERILY such as ridicule the wondrous, divine Verses revealed through His
Remembrance, are but making themselves the objects of ridicule, and We, in
truth, aid them to wax in their iniquity. [cf. ibid. 2:14] Indeed God's
knowledge transcendeth all created things...
The infidels, of a truth, seek to separate God from His Remembrance,[cf. ibid.
4:149] but God hath determined to perfect His Light[cf. ibid. 9:32] through His
Remembrance, and indeed He is potent over all things...
Verily, Christ is Our Word which We communicated unto Mary;[cf. ibid. 4:169]
and let no one say what the Christians term
[page 61]
as 'the third of three',[Qur'án 5:77] inasmuch as it would amount to
slandering the Remembrance Who, as decreed in the Mother Book, is invested with
supreme authority. Indeed God is but one God, and far be it from His glory that
there should be aught else besides Him. All those who shall attain unto Him on
the Day of Resurrection are but His servants, and God is, of a truth, a
sufficient Protector. Verily I am none other but the servant of God and His
Word, and none but the first one to bow down in supplication before God, the
Most Exalted; and indeed God witnesseth all things.
Excerpts from Súra LXII
O PEOPLE of the Qur'án! Ye are as nothing unless ye submit unto the
Remembrance of God and unto this Book. If ye follow the Cause of God, We will
forgive you your sins, and if ye turn aside from Our command, We will, in
truth, condemn your souls in Our Book, unto the Most Great Fire We, verily, do
not deal unjustly with men, even to the extent of a speck on a date-stone.
O PEOPLES of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of God hath appeared in
your midst, invested with this unerring Book, that ye may be guided aright to
the ways of peace and, by the leave of God, step out of the darkness into the
light and onto this far-extended Path of Truth [cf. ibid. 5:15-18]...
[page 62]
God hath, out of sheer nothingness and through the potency of His command,
created the heavens and the earth and whatever lieth between them. He is single
and peerless in His eternal unity with none to join partner with His holy
Essence, nor is there any soul, except His Own Self, who can befittingly
comprehend Him...
O peoples of the earth! Verily His Remembrance is come to you from God after an
interval during which there were no Messengers,[cf. Qur'án 5:22] that He
may purge and purify you from uncleanliness in anticipation of the Day of the
One true God; therefore seek ye whole-heartedly divine blessings from Him,
inasmuch as We have, in truth, chosen Him to be the Witness and the Source of
wisdom unto all that dwell on earth...
O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Proclaim that which hath been sent down unto Thee as a token
of the grace of the merciful Lord, for if Thou do it not, Our secret will never
be made known to the people,[cf. ibid. 5:71] while the purpose of God in
creating man is but for him to know Him. Indeed God hath knowledge of all
things and is self-sufficient above the need of all mankind.
Excerpts from Súra LXIII
WHENEVER the faithful hear the verses of this Book being recited, their eyes
will overflow with tears and their hearts will be deeply touched by Him Who is
the Most Great Remembrance for the love they cherish for God, the All-Praised.
He is God, the All-Knowing, the Eternal. They are indeed the inmates of the
all-highest Paradise wherein
[page 63]
they will abide for ever. Verily they will see naught therein save that which
hath proceeded from God, nothing that will lie beyond the compass of their
understanding. There they will meet the believers in Paradise, who will address
them with the words 'Peace, Peace' lingering on their lips...
O concourse of the faithful! Incline your ears to My Voice, proclaimed by this
Remembrance of God. Verily God hath revealed unto Me that the Path of the
Remembrance which is set forth by Me is,invery truth, the straight Path of God,
and that whoever professeth any religion other than this uprightFaith, will,
when called to account on the Day of Judgement, discover that as recorded in
the Book no benefit hath he reaped out of God's Religion...
Fear ye God, O concourse of kings, lest ye remain afar from Him Who is His
Remembrance [the Báb], after the Truth hath come unto you with a Book
and signs from God, as spoken through the wondrous tongue of Him Who is His
Remembrance. Seek ye grace from God, for God hath ordained for you, after ye
have believed in Him, a Garden the vastness of which is as the vastness of the
whole of Paradise. Therein ye shall find naught save the gifts and favours
which the Almighty hath graciously bestowed by virtue of this momentous Cause,
as decreed in the Mother Book.
O SPIRIT of God! Call Thou to mind the bounty which I bestowed upon Thee when I
conversed with Thee in the midmost heart of My Sanctuary and aided Thee through
the potency of the Holy Spirit that Thou mightest, as the
[page 64]
peerless Mouthpiece of God, proclaim unto men the commandments of God which lie
enshrined within the divine Spirit.
Verily God hath inspired Thee with divine verses and wisdom while still a child
and hath graciously deigned to bestow His favour upon the peoples of the world
through the influence of Thy Most Great Name, for indeed men have not the least
knowledge of the Book.
Excerpts from Súra LXVII
O PEOPLE of the earth! To attain the ultimate retreat in God, the True One, are
we to seek a Gate other than this exalted Being?...When God created the
Remembrance He presented Him to the assemblage of all created beings upon the
altar of His Will. Thereupon the concourse of the angels bowed low in adoration
to God, the Peerless, the Incomparable; while Satan waxed proud, refusing to
submit to His Remembrance; hence he is identified in the Book of God as the
arrogant one and the accursed. [cf. Qur'án 2:32; 38:74-78]
Excerpts from Súra LXVIII
GOD, besides Whom there is none other true God, saith: Indeed, whoso visiteth
the Remembrance of God after His passing, it is as though he hath attained the
presence of the Lord, seated upon His mighty Throne. Verily this is the Way of
God, the Most Exalted, which hath been irrevocably decreed in the Mother
Book...
[page 65]
Say, O peoples of the world! Do ye dispute with Me about God by virtue of the
names which ye and your fathers have adopted for Him at the promptings of the
Evil One? [cf. Qur'án 7:69; 12:40] God hath indeed sent down this Book
unto Me with truth that ye may be enabled to recognize the true names of God,
inasmuch as ye have strayed in error far from the Truth. Verily We have taken a
covenant from every created thing upon its coming into being concerning the
Remembrance of God, and there shall be none to avert the binding command of God
for the purification of mankind, as ordained in the Book which is written by
the hand of the Báb.
Excerpts from Súra LXIX
THE people, during the absence of the Báb, re-enacted the episode of the
Calf by setting up a blaring figure which embodied animal features in human
form [cf. ibid. 7:146; 20:90]...
Whenever the people ask Thee of the appointed Hour say: Verily the knowledge of
it is only with My Lord, [cf. ibid. 7:186] Who is the Knower of the unseen.
There is none other God but Him -- He Who hath created you from a single soul,
[cf. ibid. 4:1] and I have no control over what profiteth Me or harmeth Me, but
as My Lord pleaseth. [cf. ibid. 10:50] Indeed God is Self-Sufficient and He, My
Lord, standeth supreme over all things.
[page 66]
Excerpts from Súra LXXI
DOTH it seem strange to the people that We should have revealed the Book to a
man from among themselves in order to purge them and give them the good tidings
that they shall be rewarded with a sure stance in the presence of their Lord?
He indeed beareth witness unto all things...
When the verses of this Book are recited to the infidels they say: 'Give us a
book like the Qur'án and make changes in the verses.' Say: 'God hath not
given Me that I should change them at My pleasure.' I follow only what is
revealed unto Me. Verily, I shall fear My Lord on the Day of Separation, whose
advent He hath, in very truth, irrevocably ordained. [cf. Qur'án 10:16]
Excerpts from Súra LXXII
O PEOPLES of the earth! Verily the true God calleth saying: He Who is the
Remembrance is indeed the sovereign Truth from God, and naught remaineth beyond
truth but error,[cf. ibid. 10:33] and naught is there beyond error save fire,
irrevocably ordained...
O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Point to Thy truthful breast through the power of truth and
exclaim: I swear by the One true God, herein lieth the vicegerency of God; I am
indeed the One Who is regarded as the Best Reward [cf. ibid. 18:42] and I am
indeed He Who is the Most Excellent Abode.
[page 67]
Excerpts from Súra LXXXI
O YE concourse of the believers! Utter not words of denial against Me once the
Truth is made manifest, for indeed the mandate of the Báb hath
befittingly been proclaimed unto you in the Qur'án aforetime. I swear by
your Lord, this Book is verily the same Qur'án which was sent down in
the past.
Excerpts from Súra LXXXV
O THOU cherished Fruit of the heart! Give ear to the melodies of this mystic
Bird warbling in the loftiest heights of heaven. The Lord hath, in truth,
inspired Me to proclaim: Verily, verily, I am God, He besides Whom there is
none other God. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
O My servants! Seek ye earnestly this highest reward, as I have indeed created
for the Remembrance of God gardens which remain inscrutable to anyone save
Myself, and naught therein hath been made lawful unto anyone except those whose
lives have been sacrificed in His Path. Hence beseech ye God, the Most Exalted,
that He may grant you this meritorious reward, and He is in truth the Most
High, the Most Great. Had it been Our wish, We would have brought all men into
one fold round Our Remembrance, yet they will not cease to differ,[cf.
Qur'án 11:120] unless God accomplish what He willeth through the power
of truth. In the estimation of the Remembrance this commandment hath, in very
truth, been
irrevocably ordained...
God hath indeed chosen Thee to warn the people, to guide the believers aright
and to elucidate the secrets of the Book.
[page 68]
Excerpts from Súra LXXXVII
SHOULD it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel, through the agency of but
one letter of Our Revelation, the world and all that is therein to recognize,
in less than the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause...
Truly other apostles have been laughed to scorn before Thee, [cf. Qur'án
6:10] and Thou art none other but the Servant of God, sustained by the power of
Truth. Ere long We shall prolong the days of such as have rejected the Truth by
reason of that which their hands have wrought, [cf. ibid. 3:172] and verily God
will not deal unjustly with anyone, even to the extent of a speck on a
date-stone.
Excerpts from Súra XCI
O YE peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God, the True One, the
testimony shown forth by His Remembrance is like unto a sun which the hand of
the merciful Lord hath raised high in the midmost heart of the heaven,
wherefrom it shineth in the plenitude of its meridian splendour...
With each and every Prophet Whom We have sent down in the past, We have
established a separate Covenant concerning the Remembrance of God and His Day.
Manifest, in the realm of glory and through the power of truth, are the
Remembrance of God and His Day before the eyes of the angels that circle His
mercy-seat.
[page 69]
Excerpts from Súra XCIV
O HOUR of the Dawn! Ere the resplendent glory of the divine Luminary sheddeth
its radiance from the Dayspring of this Gate, call thou to mind that the
appointed Day of God will indeed be at hand in less than the twinkling of an
eye. Thus hath the decree of God been issued in the Mother Book.
Excerpts from Súra XVII
O CONCOURSE of the faithful! Verily the object of each and every sign revealed
by God in the Scriptures or in the world at large or in the hearts of men is
but to make them fully realize that this Remembrance is indeed the True One
from God. Verily God is cognizant of all things through the power of eternal
Truth...
O ye that circle the throne of glory! Hearken unto My Call which is raised from
the midst of the Burning Bush, 'Verily I am God and there is none other God but
Me. Hence worship Me, and for the sake of Him Who is the Most Great
Remembrance, offer ye prayers, purged from the insinuations of the people, for
verily your Lord, the One true God, is none other than the Sovereign Truth.
Indeed such as invoke others besides Him are deservedly numbered among the
inmates of the fire, while He Who is the Remembrance of God verily abideth,
firm and undeviating, on the Path of Truth amidst the Burning Bush.'...
O peoples of the earth! Inflict not upon the Most Great Remembrance what the
Umayyads cruelly inflicted upon Husayn in the Holy Land. By the righteousness
of God, the True One, He is indeed the Eternal Truth, and unto Him God, verily,
is a witness.
[page 70]
Excerpts from Súra XII
GOD had, in truth, proposed Our Mission unto the heavens and the earth and the
mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid thereof. However, Man,
this 'Alí, Who is none other but the Great Remembrance of God, undertook
to bear it. Hence God, the All-Encompassing, hath referred to Him in His
Preserved Book as the 'Wronged One', and by reason of His being undistinguished
before the eyes of men, He hath, according to the judgement of the Book, been
entitled 'the Unknown'...[cf. Qur'án 33:72]
Erelong We will, in very truth, torment such as waged war against Husayn
[Imám Husayn], in the Land of the Euphrates, with the most afflictive
torment, and the most dire and exemplary punishment...
God knoweth well the heart of Husayn, the heat of His burning thirst and His
long-suffering for the sake of God, the Incomparable, the Ancient of Days; and
unto Him God is verily a witness.
Excerpts from Súra XIX
HEARKEN unto the Voice of Thy Lord calling from Mount Sinai, 'Verily there is
no God but Him, and I am the Most Exalted One Who hath been veiled in the
Mother Book according to the dispensations of Providence.'
Excerpts from Súra LXVI
THIS Book which We have sent down is indeed abounding in blessings [cf. ibid.
6:93] and beareth witness to the Truth, so that
[page 71]
the people may realize that the conclusive Proof of God in favour of His
Remembrance is similar to the one wherewith Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets,
was invested, and verily great is the Cause as ordained in the Mother Book.
Excerpts from Súra LXXXIV
THIS Remembrance is indeed the glorious Remnant of the Light of God, and He
will be best for you, [cf. Qur'án 11:87] if ye in very truth remain
faithful to God, the Most Exalted...
We have in truth sent Thee forth unto all men, by the leave of God, invested
with Our signs and reinforced by Our unsurpassed sovereignty. He is indeed the
appointed Bearer of the Trust of God...
O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Persevere steadfastly as Thou art bidden and let not the
faithless amongst men nor their utterances grieve Thee, since Thy Lord shall,
by the righteousness of God, the Most Great, pass judgement upon them on the
Day of Resurrection, and surely God witnesseth all things.
Excerpts from Súra XLVIII
THIS Religion is indeed, in the sight of God, the essence of the Faith of
Muhammad; haste ye then to attain the celestial Paradise and the all-highest
Garden of His good-pleasure in the presence of the One True God, could ye but
be patient and thankful before the evidences of the signs of God.
[page 72]
Excerpts from Súra LXXXVII
O MY servants! This is God's appointed Day which the merciful Lord hath
promised you in His Book; wherefore, in very truth, glorify ye abundantly the
name of God while treading the Path of the Most Great Remembrance...
Verily God hath granted leave to His Remembrance to say whatsoever He willeth
in whatever manner He pleaseth. Indeed whatsoever He chooseth is none other
than what is chosen by Us. The Lord, in truth, witnesseth all things.
Excerpts from Súra LIII
INDEED We conversed with Moses by the leave of God from the midst of the
Burning Bush in the Sinai and revealed an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy Light
upon the Mystic Mount and its dwellers, whereupon the Mount shook to its
foundations and was crushed into dust...
O peoples of the earth! I swear by your Lord! Ye shall act as former
generations have acted. Warn ye, then, yourselves of the terrible, the most
grievous vengeance of God. For God is, verily, potent over all things.
page 72
Excerpts from Súra LXXXVIII
O QURRATU'L-'AYN! I recognize in Thee none other except the 'Great
Announcement'--the Announcement voiced by the Concourse on high. By this name,
I bear witness, they that circle the Throne of Glory have ever known Thee.
O concourse of the believers! Do ye harbour any doubt
[page 73]
as to that whereunto the Remembrance of God doth summon you? By the
righteousness of the One true God, He is none other than the sovereign Truth
Who hath been made manifest through the power of Truth. Are ye in doubt
concerning the Báb? Verily He is the One Who holdeth, by Our leave, the
kingdoms of earth and heaven in His grasp, and the Lord is in truth fully aware
of what ye are doing...
Indeed I am but a man like unto you. However, God bestoweth upon Me whatever
favours He willeth as He pleaseth, and that which your Lord hath decreed in the
Mother Book is unbounded.
Excerpts from Súra LXXIX
GOD, of a truth, revealed unto Me in the sacred house of the Ka'bah, 'Verily, I
am God, no God is there but Me. I have singled Thee out for Myself and have
chosen Thee as the Remembrance. Indeed, whosoever beareth allegiance unto Thee
by walking in the way of the Báb, for him the recompense of the next
world hath surely been prescribed...' It is ordained in the Book that upon the
realization of the Cause of the Remembrance, the Most Great Event will have
come to pass according to the dispensation of Providence, and God, truly, is
potent over all things.
[page 74]
Excerpts from Súra LXXVII
O QURRATU'L-'AYN! Say: Verily I am the One Who is hailed in the Mother Book as
the 'Great Announcement'. Say: The people have grievously differed over Me,
whereas in truth there is no difference between Me and the Báb; and God,
the Eternal Truth, is sufficient witness.
Excerpts from Súra XCIV
I AM the Mystic Fane which the Hand of Omnipotence hath reared. I am the Lamp
which the Finger of God hath lit within its niche and caused to shine with
deathless splendour. I am the Flame of that supernal Light that glowed upon
Sinai in the gladsome Spot, and lay concealed in the midst of the Burning
Bush.
Excerpts from Súra LXXXIII
AS a token of pure justice, We have indeed sent tidings unto every Prophet
concerning the Cause of Our Remembrance, and verily God is supreme over all the
peoples of the world.
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