Morning
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.
- Baha’u’llah (From the Tablet of Ahmad; ‘Baha'i Prayers)
Morning
From all that We have stated it hath become clear and manifest that before the revelation of each of the Mirrors reflecting the divine Essence, the signs heralding their advent must needs be revealed in the visible heaven as well as in the invisible, wherein is the seat of the sun of knowledge, of the moon of wisdom, and of the stars of understanding and utterance. The sign of the invisible heaven must needs be revealed in the person of that perfect man who, before each Manifestation appeareth, educateth, and prepareth the souls of men for the advent of the divine Luminary, the Light of the unity of God amongst men.
- Baha'u'llah ('The Kitab-i-Iqan')
Morning
O My friend! Listen with heart and soul to the songs of the spirit, and treasure them as thine own eyes; for heavenly wisdoms, even as vernal showers, will not rain forever upon the earth of men’s hearts, and though the grace of the All-Bounteous One is never ceasing and never stilled, yet to every time and era a portion is allotted and a bounty assigned, which is vouchsafed in a given measure. “And no one thing is there, but with Us are its storehouses; and We send it not down but in settled measure.” Indeed, the clouds of the Loved One’s mercy rain only on the garden of the spirit, and bestow this bounty only in the season of spring. Other seasons have no share in this supernal grace, and barren lands hold no portion of this bounteous favour.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Seven Valleys’, revised translation by the Baha’i World Center included in ‘The Call of the Divine Beloved’)
Morning
O people! Dispute not concerning My Cause, for ye shall never fathom the manifold wisdom of your Lord, nor shall ye ever gauge the knowledge of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the All-Pervading. Whosoever layeth claim to have known His Essence is without doubt among the most ignorant of all people. Every atom in the universe would charge such a man with imposture, and to this beareth witness My tongue which speaketh naught but the truth. Magnify My Cause and promulgate My teachings and commandments, for none other course beside this shall beseem you, and no other path shall ever lead unto Him. Would that ye might heed Our counsel!
- Baha'u'llah (Suriy-i-Haykal, 'The Summons of the Lord of Hosts')
Morning
All that thou hast heard regarding Muhammad the son of
Hasan [1] -- may the souls of all that
are immersed in the oceans of the spirit be offered up for His sake—is true
beyond the shadow of a doubt, and we all verily bear allegiance unto Him. But
the Imáms of the Faith have fixed His abode in the city of Jábulqá, [2] which
they have depicted in strange and marvellous signs. To interpret this city
according to the literal meaning of the tradition would indeed prove
impossible, nor can such a city ever be found. Wert thou to search the
uttermost corners of the earth, nay probe its length and breadth for as long as
God’s eternity hath lasted and His sovereignty will endure, thou wouldst never
find a city such as they have described, for the entirety of the earth could
neither contain nor encompass it. If thou wouldst lead Me unto this city, I
could assuredly lead thee unto this holy Being, Whom the people have conceived
according to what they possess and not to that which pertaineth unto Him! Since
this is not in thy power, thou hast no recourse but to interpret symbolically
the accounts and traditions that have been reported from these luminous souls.
And, as such an interpretation is needed for the traditions pertaining to the
aforementioned city, so too is it required for this holy Being. When thou hast
understood this interpretation, thou shalt no longer stand in need of
“transformation” or aught else.
Know then that, inasmuch as all the Prophets are but one and the same soul, spirit, name, and attribute, thou must likewise see them all as bearing the name Muhammad and as being the son of Hasan, as having appeared from the Jábulqá of God’s power and from the Jábulsá of His mercy. For by Jábulqá is meant none other than the treasure-houses of eternity in the all-highest heaven and the cities of the unseen in the supernal realm. We bear witness that Muhammad, the son of Hasan, was indeed in Jábulqá and appeared therefrom. Likewise, He Whom God shall make manifest abideth in that city until such time as God will have established Him upon the seat of His sovereignty. We, verily, acknowledge this truth and bear allegiance unto each and every one of them. We have chosen here to be brief in our elucidation of the meanings of Jábulqá, but if thou be of them that truly believe, thou shalt indeed comprehend all the true meanings of the mysteries enshrined within these Tablets.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
[1]The twelfth Imám, Muhammad al-Mahdí, the son of Hasan
al-‘Askarí.
[2] According to Shí’ih traditions, the twin cities of Jábulqá and Jábulsá are the dwelling place of the Hidden Imám (the Promised One), whence He will appear on the Day of Resurrection.
Morning
O people of the Bayán! If ye believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest, to your own behoof do ye believe. He hath been and ever will remain independent of all men. For instance, were ye to place unnumbered mirrors before the sun, they would all reflect the sun and produce impressions thereof, whereas the sun is in itself wholly independent of the existence of the mirrors and of the suns which they reproduce. Such are the bounds of the contingent beings in their relation to the manifestation of the Eternal Being...
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
Morning
I shall restate here My theme, that perchance this may
assist thee in recognizing thy Creator. Know thou that God—exalted and
glorified be He—doth in no wise manifest His inmost Essence and Reality. From
time immemorial He hath been veiled in the eternity of His Essence and
concealed in the infinitude of His own Being. And when He purposed to manifest
His beauty in the kingdom of names and to reveal His glory in the realm of
attributes, He brought forth His Prophets from the invisible plane to the visible,
that His name “the Manifest” might be distinguished from “the Hidden” and His
name “the Last” might be discerned from “the First”, and that there may be
fulfilled the words: “He is the First and the Last; the Seen and the Hidden;
and He knoweth all things!” [Qur’án 57:3] Thus hath He revealed these most
excellent names and most exalted words in the Manifestations of His Self and
the Mirrors of His Being.
It is therefore established that all names and attributes return unto these sublime and sanctified Luminaries. Indeed, all names are to be found in their names, and all attributes can be seen in their attributes. Viewed in this light, if thou wert to call them by all the names of God, this would be true, as all these names are one and the same as their own Being. Comprehend then the intent of these words, and guard it within the tabernacle of thy heart, that thou mayest recognize the implications of thine inquiry, fulfil them according to that which God hath ordained for thee, and thus be numbered with those who have attained unto His purpose.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
Morning
Adorn yourselves with the raiment of goodly deeds. He whose deeds attain unto God’s good pleasure is assuredly of the people of Bahá and is remembered before His throne. Assist ye the Lord of all creation with works of righteousness, and also through wisdom and utterance. Thus, indeed, have ye been commanded in most of the Tablets by Him Who is the All-Merciful. He, truly, is cognizant of what I say. Let none contend with another, and let no soul slay another; this, verily, is that which was forbidden you in a Book that hath lain concealed within the Tabernacle of glory. What! Would ye kill him whom God hath quickened, whom He hath endowed with spirit through a breath from Him? Grievous then would be your trespass before His throne! Fear God, and lift not the hand of injustice and oppression to destroy what He hath Himself raised up; nay, walk ye in the way of God, the True One. No sooner did the hosts of true knowledge appear, bearing the standards of Divine utterance, than the tribes of the religions were put to flight, save only those who willed to drink from the stream of everlasting life in a Paradise created by the breath of the All-Glorious.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
Morning
O ‘Alí-Akbar! Consider how abject is the state of the disbelievers. They all give utterance to the words: ‘Verily He is to be praised in His deeds and is to be obeyed in His behest.’ Nevertheless if We reveal aught which, even to the extent of a needle’s eye, runneth counter to their selfish ways and desires, they will disdainfully reject it. Say, none can ever fathom the manifold exigencies of God’s consummate wisdom. In truth, were He to pronounce the earth to be heaven, no one hath the right to question His authority. This is that whereunto the Point of the Bayán hath testified in all that was sent down unto Him with truth at the behest of God, He Who hath caused the Dawn to break.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
Morning
The One true God may be compared unto the sun and the believer unto a mirror. No sooner is the mirror placed before the sun than it reflects its light. The unbeliever may be likened unto a stone. No matter how long it is exposed to the sunshine, it cannot reflect the sun. Thus the former layeth down his life as a sacrifice, while the latter doeth against God what he committeth. Indeed, if God willeth, He is potent to turn the stone into a mirror, but the person himself remaineth reconciled to his state. Had he wished to become a crystal, God would have made him to assume crystal form. For on that Day whatever cause prompteth the believer to believe in Him, the same will also be available to the unbeliever. But when the latter suffereth himself to be wrapt in veils, the same cause shutteth him out as by a veil. Thus, as is clearly evident today, those who have set their faces toward God, the True One, have believed in Him because of the Bayán, while such as are veiled have been deprived because of it.
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayán; ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’)
Morning
Say: The heavens have been folded together, and the earth is held within His grasp, and the corrupt doers have been held by their forelock, and still they understand not. They drink of the tainted water, and know it not. Say: The shout hath been raised, and the people have come forth from their graves, and arising, are gazing around them. Some have made haste to attain the court of the God of Mercy, others have fallen down on their faces in the fire of Hell, while still others are lost in bewilderment. The verses of God have been revealed, and yet they have turned away from them. His proof hath been manifested, and yet they are unaware of it. And when they behold the face of the All-Merciful, their own faces are saddened, while they are disporting themselves. They hasten forward to Hell Fire, and mistake it for light. Far from God be what they fondly imagine! Say: Whether ye rejoice or whether ye burst for fury, the heavens are cleft asunder, and God hath come down, invested with radiant sovereignty. All created things are heard exclaiming: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
Morning
After scaling the high summits of wonderment, the wayfarer
cometh to the Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness. This station is
that of dying to the self and living in God, of being poor in self and rich in
the Desired One. Poverty, as here referred to, signifieth being poor in that
which pertaineth to the world of creation and rich in what belongeth to the
realms of God. For when the true lover and devoted friend reacheth the presence
of the Beloved, the radiant beauty of the Loved One and the fire of the lover’s
heart will kindle a blaze and burn away all veils and wrappings. Yea, all that
he hath, from marrow to skin, will be set aflame, so that nothing will remain
save the Friend.
Of
Him Who is the ancient King,
All
mention Moses burned away
Of
every fleeting, transient thing. [Rúmi]
Whoso hath attained this station is sanctified from all that pertaineth to the world. Wherefore, if those who have reached the ocean of His presence are found to possess none of the limited things of this perishable world, whether earthly riches or worldly opinions, it mattereth not. For that which is with His creatures is circumscribed by their own limitations, whereas that which is with God is sanctified therefrom. This utterance must be deeply pondered, that its purport may be clear. “Verily the righteous shall drink of a cup tempered at the camphor fountain.” [Qur’an 76:5] If the true meaning of “camphor” become known, our true intent will become evident.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Seven Valleys’, revised translation by the Baha’i World Center included in ‘The Call of the Divine Beloved’)
Morning
Justice, which consisteth in rendering each his due, dependeth upon and is conditioned by two words: reward and punishment. From the standpoint of justice, every soul should receive the reward of his actions, inasmuch as the peace and prosperity of the world depend thereon, even as He saith, exalted be His glory: “The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment”. In brief, every circumstance requireth a different utterance and every occasion calleth for a different course of action. Blessed are they that have arisen to serve God, who speak forth wholly for His sake, and who return unto Him.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
Morning
That which God hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful, and inspired Physician. By My life! This is the truth, and all else naught but error. Each time that Most Mighty Instrument hath come, and that Light shone forth from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by ignorant physicians who, even as clouds, interposed themselves between Him and the world. It failed therefore, to recover, and its sickness hath persisted until this day. They indeed were powerless to protect it, or to effect a cure, whilst He Who hath been the Manifestation of Power amongst men was withheld from achieving His purpose, by reason of what the hands of the ignorant physicians have wrought.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
Morning
Say: It is in Our
power, should We wish it, to cause all created things to expire in an instant,
and, with the next, to endue them again with life. The knowledge thereof, however, is with God
alone, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
It is in Our power, should We wish it, to enable a speck of floating
dust to generate, in less than the twinkling of an eye, suns of infinite, of
unimaginable splendour, to cause a dewdrop to develop into vast and numberless
oceans, to infuse into every letter such a force as to empower it to unfold all
the knowledge of past and future ages.
This, in truth, is a matter simple of accomplishment. Such have been the evidences of My power from
the beginning that hath no beginning until the end that hath no end. My creatures, however, have been oblivious of
My power, have repudiated My sovereignty, and contended with Mine own Self, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
- Baha'u'llah (Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
Morning
…when the hour of the Revelation of Jesus drew nigh, a few
of the Magi, aware that the star of Jesus had appeared in heaven, sought and
followed it, till they came unto the city which was the seat of the Kingdom of
Herod. The sway of his sovereignty in those days embraced the whole of that
land.
These Magi said: “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him!” [Matthew 2:2] When they had searched, they found out that in Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, the Child had been born. This was the sign that was manifested in the visible heaven. As to the sign in the invisible heaven—the heaven of divine knowledge and understanding—it was Yahyá, son of Zachariah, who gave unto the people the tidings of the Manifestation of Jesus. Even as He hath revealed: “God announceth Yahyá to thee, who shall bear witness unto the Word from God, and a great one and chaste.” [Qur’án 3:39] By the term “Word” is meant Jesus, Whose coming Yahyá foretold. Moreover, in the heavenly Scriptures it is written: “John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” [Matthew 3:1–2] By John is meant Yahyá.
- Baha'u'llah ('The Kitab-i-Iqan')
Morning
O concourse of priests! Leave the bells, and come forth, then, from your churches. It behoveth you, in this day, to proclaim aloud the Most Great Name among the nations. Prefer ye to be silent, whilst every stone and every tree shouteth aloud: ‘The Lord is come in His great glory!’? Well is it with the man who hasteneth unto Him. Verily, he is numbered among them whose names will be eternally recorded and who will be mentioned by the Concourse on High. Thus hath it been decreed by the Spirit in this wondrous Tablet. He that summoneth men in My name is, verily, of Me, and he will show forth that which is beyond the power of all that are on earth. Follow ye the Way of the Lord and walk not in the footsteps of them that are sunk in heedlessness. Well is it with the slumberer who is stirred by the Breeze of God and ariseth from amongst the dead, directing his steps towards the Way of the Lord. Verily, such a man is regarded, in the sight of God, the True One, as a jewel amongst men and is reckoned with the blissful.
- Baha’u’llah (From Lawh-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Tablet) [Sometimes referred to as Tablet to the Christians]; ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
Morning
The Pen of Holiness, I solemnly affirm before God, hath writ upon My snow-white brow and in characters of effulgent glory these glowing, these musk-scented and holy words: ‘Behold ye that dwell on earth, and ye denizens of heaven, bear witness, He in truth is your Well-Beloved. He it is Whose like the world of creation hath not seen, He Whose ravishing beauty hath delighted the eye of God, the Ordainer, the All-Powerful, the Incomparable!’
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’)
Morning
Among the Prophets was Abraham, the Friend of God. Ere He
manifested Himself, Nimrod dreamed a dream. Thereupon, he summoned the
soothsayers, who informed him of the rise of a star in the heaven. Likewise,
there appeared a herald who announced throughout the land the coming of
Abraham.
After Him came Moses, He Who held converse with God. The soothsayers of His time warned Pharaoh in these terms: “A star hath risen in the heaven, and lo! it foreshadoweth the conception of a Child Who holdeth your fate and the fate of your people in His hand.” In like manner, there appeared a sage who, in the darkness of the night, brought tidings of joy unto the people of Israel, imparting consolation to their souls, and assurance to their hearts. To this testify the records of the sacred books.
- Baha'u'llah ('The Kitab-i-Iqan')
Morning
In this day a Luminary hath dawned above the horizon of
divine providence, upon whose brow the Pen of Glory hath inscribed these
exalted words: “We have called you into being to show forth love and fidelity,
not animosity and hatred”. Likewise, on another occasion, He—exalted and
glorified be His name—hath revealed the following words in the Persian tongue,
words through which the hearts of the well-favoured and the sincere amongst His
servants are consumed, the manifold pursuits of men are harmonized, and mankind
is illumined by the light of divine unity and enabled to turn towards the
Dayspring of divine knowledge: “The incomparable Friend saith: The path to
freedom hath been outstretched; hasten ye thereunto. The wellspring of wisdom
is overflowing; quaff ye therefrom. Say: O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of
unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the
fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.”
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
Morning
Say: All matters must be referred to the Book of God; I am indeed the First to believe in God and in His signs; I am the One Who divulgeth and proclaimeth the Truth and I have been invested with every excellent title of God, the Mighty, the Incomparable. Verily I have attained the Day of the First Manifestation and by the bidding of the Lord and as a token of His grace, I shall attain the Day of the Latter Manifestation. There is no God but Him and at the appointed hour everyone shall bow down unto Him in adoration.
- The Báb (From a Tablet to the First Letter of the Living, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
Morning
O friend, the heart is the dwelling-place of eternal mysteries: Make it not the home of fleeting fancies. Waste not the treasure of thy precious life occupied with this swiftly passing world. Thou comest from the world of holiness: Bind not thine heart to the earth. Thou art a dweller in the court of reunion: Choose not the homeland of the dust.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Seven Valleys’, revised translation by the Baha’i World Center included in ‘The Call of the Divine Beloved’)
Morning
By Him Who is the Great Announcement! The All-Merciful is come invested with undoubted sovereignty. The Balance hath been appointed, and all them that dwell on earth have been gathered together. The Trumpet hath been blown, and lo, all eyes have stared up with terror, and the hearts of all who are in the heavens and on the earth have trembled, except them whom the breath of the verses of God hath quickened, and who have detached themselves from all things.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
Morning
Among the infidels are those who have repudiated His Self and risen up against His Cause, and who claim that these divine verses are contrived. Such also were the objections of the deniers of old, who now implore deliverance from the Fire. Say: Woe betide you for the idle words that proceed from your mouths! If these verses be indeed contrived, then by what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, if ye be men of understanding! Whensoever We revealed Our clear verses unto such men, they rejected them, and whensoever they beheld that which the combined forces of the earth are powerless to produce, they pronounced it sorcery.
- Baha'u'llah (Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
Morning
Indeed, O brother, if we ponder each created thing, we shall
witness a myriad consummate wisdoms and learn a myriad new and wondrous truths.
One of the created phenomena is the dream. Behold how many secrets have been
deposited therein, how many wisdoms treasured up, how many worlds concealed.
Observe how thou art asleep in a dwelling, and its doors are shut; on a sudden
thou findest thyself in a far-off city, which thou enterest without moving thy
feet or wearying thy body. Without taxing thine eyes, thou seest; without
troubling thine ears, thou hearest; without a tongue, thou speakest. And
perchance when ten years have passed, thou wilt witness in this temporal world
the very things thou hast dreamt tonight.
Now there are many wisdoms to ponder in the dream, which none but the people of this valley can comprehend in their reality. First, what is this world where without eye or ear or hand or tongue one can put all these to use? Second, how is it that in the outer world thou seest today the effect of a dream which thou didst witness in the world of sleep some ten years past? Consider the difference between these two worlds, and the mysteries they conceal, that, attended by divine confirmations, thou mayest attain unto heavenly discoveries and enter the realms of holiness.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Seven Valleys’, revised translation by the Baha’i World Center included in ‘The Call of the Divine Beloved’)