Say: We have made
each one of Our Names a wellspring from which We have caused the streams of
divine wisdom and understanding to gush forth and flow in the garden of Our
Cause—streams whose number none can reckon save Thy Lord, the Most Holy, the
Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the All-Wise. Say: We have generated all
Letters from the Point and have caused them to return unto It, and We have sent
It down again in the form of a human temple. All glory be unto the Author of this incomparable and wondrous
handiwork! Erelong shall We unfold and
expound It again, in Our name, the All-Glorious. This is indeed a token of Our grace, and I,
truly, am the Most Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. (Baha'u'llah,
Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
November 29
There is no doubt that the Almighty hath sent down these
verses unto Him [the Báb], even as He sent down unto the Apostle of God. Indeed
no less than a hundred thousand verses similar to these have already been
disseminated among the people, not to mention His Epistles, His Prayers or His
learned and philosophical treatises. He revealeth no less than a thousand
verses within the space of five hours. He reciteth verses at a speed consonant
with the capacity of His amanuensis to set them down. Thus, it may well be
considered that if from the inception of this Revelation until now He had been
left unhindered, how vast then would have been the volume of writings
disseminated from His pen. (The Báb, from the Persian Bayán, ‘Selections from
the Writings of the Báb)
November 28
I magnify Thy Name, O my God, and offer thanksgiving unto
Thee, O my Desire, inasmuch as Thou hast enabled me to clearly perceive Thy
straight Path, hast unveiled Thy Great Announcement before mine eyes and hast
aided me to set my face towards the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the
Fountainhead of Thy Cause, whilst Thy servants and Thy people turned away from
Thee. I entreat Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom of eternity, by the shrill voice of
the Pen of Glory, and by the Burning Fire which calleth aloud from the verdant
Tree, and by the Ark which Thou hast specially chosen for the people of Bahá, to grant that I may remain steadfast in my love for Thee,
be well pleased with whatsoever Thou hast prescribed for me in Thy Book and may
stand firm in Thy service and in the service of Thy loved ones. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets
of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 27
It beseemeth all men in this Day to take firm hold on the
Most Great Name, and to establish the unity of all mankind. There is no place
to flee to, no refuge that any one can seek, except Him. (Baha’u’llah, quoted
by Shoghi Effend in ‘The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters’)
November 26
Consider these days in which the Ancient Beauty, He Who is
the Most Great Name, hath been sent down to regenerate and unify mankind.
Behold how with drawn swords they rose against Him, and committed that which
caused the Faithful Spirit to tremble. And whenever We said unto them: `Lo, the
World Reformer is come,' they made reply: `He, in truth, is one of the stirrers
of mischief'.... (Baha’u’llah, Extracts from the Tablet to Queen Victoria,
cited in Shoghi Effendi, ‘The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters’; The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Peace)
November 25
O Czar of Russia! Incline thine ear unto the voice of God,
the King, the Holy, and turn thou unto Paradise, the Spot wherein abideth He
Who, among the Concourse on high, beareth the most excellent titles, and Who,
in the kingdom of creation, is called by the name of God, the Effulgent, the
All-Glorious. Beware that nothing deter thee from setting thy face towards thy
Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We, verily, have heard the thing
for which thou didst supplicate thy Lord, whilst secretly communing with Him.
Wherefore, the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted forth, and the sea of My
mercy surged, and We answered thee in truth. Thy Lord, verily, is the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Whilst I lay, chained and fettered, in the prison of
Tihrán, one of thy ministers extended Me his aid. Wherefore hath God ordained
for thee a station which the knowledge of none can comprehend except His
knowledge. Beware lest thou barter away this sublime station. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
November 24
Bestir yourselves, O people in anticipation of the days of
Divine Justice, for the promised hour is now come. (Baha’u’llah, quoted by
Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Promised Day Is Come’)
November 23
Arise, O wayfarer in the path of the Love of God, and aid
thou His Cause. Say: Barter not away this Youth, O people, for the vanities of
this world or the delights of heaven. By the righteousness of the one true God!
One hair of Him excelleth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the
earth. Beware, O men, lest ye be tempted to part with Him in exchange for the
gold and silver ye possess. Let His love be a storehouse of treasure for your
souls, on the Day when naught else but Him shall profit you, the Day when every
pillar shall tremble, when the very skins of men shall creep, when all eyes
shall stare up with terror. Say: O people! Fear ye God, and turn not away
disdainfully from His Revelation. Fall prostrate on your faces before God, and
celebrate His praise in the daytime and in the night season. (Baha’u’llah,
‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
November 22
Whensoever the light of Manifestation of the King of Oneness
settleth upon the throne of the heart and soul, His shining becometh visible in
every limb and member. At that time the mystery of the famed tradition gleameth
out of the darkness: “A servant is drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him;
and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth....” For
thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars
of the dwelling are ashine with His light. And the action and effect of the
light are from the Light-Giver; so it is that all move through Him and arise by
His will. And this is that spring whereof the near ones drink, as it is said:
“A fount whereof the near unto God shall drink....” [Qur’án 83:28]
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven Valleys’)
November 21
O My Brother! A pure heart is as a mirror; cleanse it with
the burnish of love and severance from all save God, that the true sun may
shine within it and the eternal morning dawn. Then wilt thou clearly see the
meaning of “Neither doth My earth nor My heaven contain Me, but the heart of My
faithful servant containeth Me.” [Hadíth], … (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven
Valleys’)
November 20
Twelve hundred and seventy years have elapsed since the
declaration of Muhammad, and each year unnumbered people
have circumambulated the House of God [Mecca]. In the concluding year of this
period He Who is Himself the Founder of the House went on pilgrimage. Great
God! There was a vast concourse of pilgrims from every sect. Yet not one
recognized Him, though He recognized every one of them—souls tightly held in
the grasp of His former commandment. The only person who recognized Him and
performed pilgrimage with Him is the one round whom revolve eight Vahíds, [1]
in whom God hath gloried before the Concourse on high by virtue of his absolute
detachment and for his being wholly devoted to the Will of God. This doth not
mean that he was made the object of a special favour, nay, this is a favour
which God hath vouchsafed unto all men, yet they have suffered themselves to be
veiled from it. (The Báb, excerpts from the Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from
the Writings of the Báb)
[1] This is a reference to Quddús, ‘whom the Persian Bayán
extolled as that fellow-pilgrim round whom mirrors to the number of eight
Vahíds revolve’. (God Passes By)
November 19
Were men to meditate upon the lives of the Prophets of old,
so easily would they come to know and understand the ways of these Prophets
that they would cease to be veiled by such deeds and words as are contrary to
their own worldly desires, and thus consume every intervening veil with the
fire burning in the Bush of divine knowledge, and abide secure upon the throne
of peace and certitude. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan)
November 18
Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He
Who from everlasting hath been clothed with majesty, with authority and power,
and will continue unto everlasting to be arrayed with honor, with strength and
glory. The learned, one and all, stand aghast before the signs and tokens of
Thy handiwork, while the wise find themselves, without exception, impotent to
unravel the mystery of Them Who are the Manifestations of Thy might and power.
Every man of insight hath confessed his powerlessness to scale the heights of
Thy knowledge, and every man of learning hath acknowledged his failure to
fathom the nature of Thine Essence. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by
Baha’u’llah’)
November 17
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. (The Báb, excerpts
from the Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
November 16
O SON OF SPIRIT! Ask not of Me that which We desire not for
thee, then be content with what We have ordained for thy sake, for this is that
which profiteth thee, if therewith thou dost content thyself. (Baha’u’llah,
‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
November 15
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. Qur’án 3:172] and
verily God will not deal unjustly with anyone, even to the extent of a speck on
a date-stone. (The Báb, excerpts from the Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from the
Writings of the Báb)
November 14
O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My
witness that streams of fresh and soft-flowing waters have gushed from the
rocks through the sweetness of the words uttered by your Lord, the
Unconstrained; and still ye slumber. Cast away that which ye possess, and, on
the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the
Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized the soul of
mankind. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 13
How often hath it been observed that certain human minds, far
from being a source of guidance, have become as fetters upon the feet of the
wayfarers and prevented them from treading the straight Path! The lesser
intellect being thus circumscribed, one must search after Him Who is the
ultimate Source of knowledge and strive to recognize Him. And should one come
to acknowledge that Source round Whom every mind doth revolve, then whatsoever
He should ordain is the expression of the dictates of a consummate wisdom. His
very Being, even as the sun, is distinct from all else beside Him. The whole
duty of man is to recognize Him; once this hath been achieved, then whatsoever
He may please to ordain is binding and in full accordance with the requirements
of divine wisdom. Thus have ordinances and prohibitions of every kind been laid
down by the Prophets of the past, even unto the earliest times. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The
Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other
Writings’)
November 12
Say: This is the Paradise on whose foliage the wine of
utterance hath imprinted the testimony: “He that was hidden from the eyes of
men is revealed, girded with sovereignty and power!” This is the Paradise, the
rustling of whose leaves proclaims: “O ye that inhabit the heavens and the
earth! There hath appeared what hath never previously appeared. He Who, from
everlasting, had concealed His Face from the sight of creation is now come.”
From the whispering breeze that wafteth amidst its branches there cometh the
cry: “He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is made manifest. The Kingdom is
God’s,” while from its streaming waters can be heard the murmur: “All eyes are
gladdened, for He Whom none hath beheld, Whose secret no one hath discovered,
hath lifted the veil of glory, and uncovered the countenance of Beauty.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
November 11
Know ye from what heights your Lord, the All-Glorious, is
calling? Think ye that ye have recognized the Pen wherewith your Lord, the Lord
of all names, commandeth you? Nay, by My life! Did ye but know it, ye would
renounce the world, and would hasten with your whole hearts to the presence of
the Well-Beloved. Your spirits would be so transported by His Word as to throw
into commotion the Greater World—how much more this small and petty one! Thus
have the showers of My bounty been poured down from the heaven of My
loving-kindness, as a token of My grace, that ye may be of the thankful. (Baha’u’llah,
‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 10
Should differences arise amongst you over any matter, refer
it to God while the Sun still shineth above the horizon of this Heaven and,
when it hath set, refer ye to whatsoever hath been sent down by Him. This,
verily, is sufficient unto the peoples of the world. Say: Let not your hearts
be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the
ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom,
and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the
Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory,
and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts
of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The
Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 9
We have heard the voice of thy pleading, O Pen, and excuse
thy silence. What is it that hath so sorely bewildered thee?
The inebriation of Thy presence, O Well-Beloved of all
worlds, hath seized and possessed me.
Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings
that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Ridván and
entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath
made the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty
Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind. .” (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
November 8
It hath been decreed by Us that the Word of God, and all the
potentialities thereof, shall be manifested unto men in strict conformity with
such conditions as have been foreordained by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise.... Should the Word be allowed to release suddenly all the energies
latent within it, no man could sustain the weight of so mighty a Revelation.
(Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Promised Day Is Come’)
November 7
I am come to thee[1], O land of the heart’s desire, with
tidings from God, and announce to thee His gracious
favor and mercy, and greet and magnify thee in His name. He, in truth, is of
immense bounteousness and goodness. Blessed be the man that turneth his face
towards thee, that perceiveth from thee the fragrance of God’s Presence, the
Lord of all worlds. His glory be on thee, and the brightness of His light
envelop thee, inasmuch as God hath made thee a paradise unto His servants, and
proclaimed thee to be the blest and sacred land of which He, Himself, hath made
mention in the Books which His Prophets and Messengers have revealed.
Through thee, O land of resplendent glory, the ensign, “There is none other God but Him,” hath been unfurled, and the standard, “Verily I am the Truth, the Knower of things unseen,” been hoisted. It behoveth every one that visiteth thee to glory in thee and in them that inhabit thee, that have branched from My Tree, who are the leaves thereof, who are the signs of My glory, who follow Me and are My lovers, and who, with the most mighty determination, have turned their faces in the direction of My glorious station. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
[1] Preceding paragraph refers to Tihran
Through thee, O land of resplendent glory, the ensign, “There is none other God but Him,” hath been unfurled, and the standard, “Verily I am the Truth, the Knower of things unseen,” been hoisted. It behoveth every one that visiteth thee to glory in thee and in them that inhabit thee, that have branched from My Tree, who are the leaves thereof, who are the signs of My glory, who follow Me and are My lovers, and who, with the most mighty determination, have turned their faces in the direction of My glorious station. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
[1] Preceding paragraph refers to Tihran
November 6
Intellect hath various degrees. As a discussion of the
pronouncements made by the philosophers in this connection would pass beyond
the scope of our discourse, we have refrained from mentioning them. It is
nonetheless indisputably clear and evident that the minds of men have never
been, nor shall they ever be, of equal capacity. The Perfect Intellect alone
can provide true guidance and direction. Thus were these sublime words revealed
by the Pen of the Most High, exalted be His glory, in response to this
question: “The Tongue of Wisdom proclaimeth: He that hath Me not is bereft of
all things. Turn ye away from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me. I
am the Sun of Wisdom and the Ocean of Knowledge. I cheer the faint and revive
the dead. I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way. I am the royal Falcon
on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird
and start it on its flight.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity,
Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
November 5
Say: The measure of
all created things hath been appointed in this concealed and manifest Temple,
wherein lie enshrined the knowledge of the heavens and the earth, and of all
things past and future. The finger of
God’s handiwork hath inscribed upon this Tablet that which the wisest and most
learned of men are powerless to fathom, and hath created therein temples
inscrutable to all save His own Self, could ye but apprehend this truth. Blessed be the one who readeth it, who
pondereth its contents, and who is numbered with them that comprehend! (Baha'u'llah,
Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
November 4
It is Our wish to remember the Abode of supreme blissfulness
(Tihrán), the holy and shining city—the city wherein the fragrance of the
Well-Beloved hath been shed, wherein His signs have been diffused, wherein the
evidences of His glory have been revealed, wherein His standards have been
raised, wherein His tabernacle hath been pitched, wherein each of His wise
decrees hath been unfolded.
It is the city in which the sweet savors of reunion have
breathed, which have caused the sincere lovers of God to draw nigh unto Him,
and to gain access to the Habitation of holiness and beauty. Happy is the
wayfarer that directeth his steps towards this city, that gaineth admittance
into it, and quaffeth the wine of reunion, through the outpouring grace of his
Lord, the Gracious, the All-Praised. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings
of Baha’u’llah’)
November 3
O people of Bahá! Trustworthiness is in truth the best of
vestures for your temples and the most glorious crown for your heads. Take ye
fast hold of it at the behest of Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Informed.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 2
O thou whose face is turned towards Me! As soon as thine
eyes behold from afar My native city (Tihrán), stand thou and say: I am come to
thee out of the Prison, O Land of Tá, with tidings from God, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting. I announce unto thee, O mother of the world and fountain
of light unto all its peoples, the tender mercies of thy Lord, and greet thee
in the name of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, the Knower of things unseen. I
testify that within thee He Who is the Hidden Name was revealed, and the Unseen
Treasure uncovered. Through thee the secret of all things, be they of the past
or of the future, hath been unfolded.
O Land of Tá! He Who is the Lord of Names remembereth thee
in His glorious station. Thou wert the Day Spring of the Cause of God, the
fountain of His Revelation, the manifestation of His
Most Great Name—a Name that hath caused the hearts and souls of men to tremble.
How vast the number of those men and women, those victims of tyranny, that
have, within thy walls, laid down their lives in the path of God, and been
buried beneath thy dust with such cruelty as to cause every honored servant of
God to bemoan their plight. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
November 1
Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of
longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy,
is kindled within the seeker's heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is
wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of
doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude
envelop his being. At that hour will the mystic Herald, bearing the joyful
tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the
morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the
soul, and the spirit from the slumber of negligence. Then will the manifold
favours and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new
life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new
ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the
universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the
eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the
stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of
divine Revelation and the evidences of an everlasting manifestation. (Baha'u'llah,
The Kitab-i-Iqan)
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