April 26
I know of a certainty, by virtue of my
love for Thee, that Thou wilt never cause tribulations to befall any soul
unless Thou desirest to exalt his station in Thy celestial Paradise and to
buttress his heart in this earthly life with the bulwark of Thine all-compelling
power, that it may not become inclined toward the vanities of this world.
Indeed Thou art well aware that under all conditions I would cherish the
remembrance of Thee far more than the ownership of all that is in the heavens
and on the earth. (The Báb, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
April 25
God hath in truth testified in His Book and so also have testified the company of His angels, His Messengers and those endued with divine knowledge, that thou hast believed in God and in His signs and that everyone is guided aright by virtue of thy guidance. This is indeed a boundless grace which God, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, hath graciously conferred upon thee aforetime and will confer hereafter. And since thou didst believe in God before the creation, He hath in truth, at His own behest, raised thee up in every Revelation. There is no God but Him, the Sovereign Protector, the All-Glorious. (The Báb, from a Tablet to the First Letter of the Living , ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
April 24
That these divine Luminaries seem to be confined at times to
specific designations and attributes, as you have
observed and are now observing, is due solely to the imperfect and limited
comprehension of certain minds. Otherwise, they have been at all times, and
will through eternity continue to be, exalted above every praising name, and
sanctified from every descriptive attribute. The quintessence of every name can
hope for no access unto their court of holiness, and the highest and purest of
all attributes can never approach their kingdom of glory. Immeasurably high are
the Prophets of God exalted above the comprehension of men, who can never know
them except by their own Selves. Far be it from His glory that His chosen Ones
should be magnified by any other than their own persons. Glorified are they
above the praise of men; exalted are they above human understanding! (Baha’u’llah,
‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
April 23
Alas, alas, for that which befell Him Who was the
Manifestation of the Self of God, and for that which He and His loved ones were
made to suffer! The people inflicted upon them what no soul hath ever inflicted
upon another, and what no infidel hath wrought against a believer or suffered
at his hand. Alas, alas! That immortal Being sat upon the darksome dust, the
Holy Spirit lamented in the retreats of glory, the pillars of the Throne
crumbled in the exalted dominion, the joy of the world was changed into sorrow
in the crimson land, and the voice of the Nightingale was silenced in the
golden realm. Woe betide them for what their hands have wrought and for what
they have committed!
Hearken then unto that which the Bird of Heaven uttered, in the sweetest and most wondrous accents, and in the most perfect and exalted melodies, concerning them—an utterance that shall fill them with remorse from now unto “the day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds”: “Although they had before prayed for victory over those who believed not, yet when there came unto them He of Whom they had knowledge, they disbelieved in Him. The curse of God on the infidels!” [Qur’án 83:6; 2:89] Such indeed are their condition and attainments in their vain and empty life. Erelong shall they be cast into the fire of affliction and find none to help or succour them. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
Hearken then unto that which the Bird of Heaven uttered, in the sweetest and most wondrous accents, and in the most perfect and exalted melodies, concerning them—an utterance that shall fill them with remorse from now unto “the day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds”: “Although they had before prayed for victory over those who believed not, yet when there came unto them He of Whom they had knowledge, they disbelieved in Him. The curse of God on the infidels!” [Qur’án 83:6; 2:89] Such indeed are their condition and attainments in their vain and empty life. Erelong shall they be cast into the fire of affliction and find none to help or succour them. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
April 22
This is the Day whereon the unseen world crieth out: “Great
is thy blessedness, O earth, for thou hast been made the foot-stool of thy God,
and been chosen as the seat of His mighty throne.” The realm of glory
exclaimeth: “Would that my life could be sacrificed for thee, for He Who is the
Beloved of the All-Merciful hath established His sovereignty upon thee, through
the power of His Name that hath been promised unto all things, whether of the
past or of the future.” This is the Day whereon every sweet smelling thing hath
derived its fragrance from the smell of My garment—a garment that hath shed its
perfume upon the whole of creation. This is the Day whereon the rushing waters
of everlasting life have gushed out of the Will of the All-Merciful. Haste ye,
with your hearts and souls, and quaff your fill, O Concourse of the realms
above! (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
April 21
The time fore-ordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the
earth is now come. The promises of God, as recorded in the holy Scriptures,
have all been fulfilled. Out of Zion hath gone forth the Law of God, and
Jerusalem, and the hills and land thereof, are filled with the glory of His
Revelation. Happy is the man that pondereth in his heart that which hath been
revealed in the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Meditate
upon this, O ye beloved of God, and let your ears be attentive unto His Word,
so that ye may, by His grace and mercy, drink your fill from the crystal waters
of constancy, and become as steadfast and immovable as the mountain in His
Cause.
In the Book of Isaiah it is written: "Enter into the
rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His
majesty." No man that meditateth upon this verse can fail to recognize the
greatness of this Cause, or doubt the exalted character of this Day -- the Day
of God Himself. This same verse is followed by these words: "And the Lord
alone shall be exalted in that Day." This is the Day which the Pen of the
Most High hath glorified in all the holy Scriptures. There is no verse in them
that doth not declare the glory of His holy Name, and no Book that doth not
testify unto the loftiness of this most exalted theme. Were We to make mention
of all that hath been revealed in these heavenly Books and holy Scriptures
concerning this Revelation, this Tablet would assume impossible dimensions. It
is incumbent, in this Day, upon every man to place his whole trust in the
manifold bounties of God, and arise to disseminate, with the utmost wisdom, the
verities of His Cause. Then, and only then, will the whole earth be enveloped
with the morning light of His Revelation. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Baha'i World Faith’;
compilation ‘Inspiring the Heart’, prepared by the Research department of the
Universal House of Justice)
In the Book of Isaiah it is written: "Enter into the
rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His
majesty." No man that meditateth upon this verse can fail to recognize the
greatness of this Cause, or doubt the exalted character of this Day -- the Day
of God Himself. This same verse is followed by these words: "And the Lord
alone shall be exalted in that Day." This is the Day which the Pen of the
Most High hath glorified in all the holy Scriptures. There is no verse in them
that doth not declare the glory of His holy Name, and no Book that doth not
testify unto the loftiness of this most exalted theme. Were We to make mention
of all that hath been revealed in these heavenly Books and holy Scriptures
concerning this Revelation, this Tablet would assume impossible dimensions. It
is incumbent, in this Day, upon every man to place his whole trust in the
manifold bounties of God, and arise to disseminate, with the utmost wisdom, the
verities of His Cause. Then, and only then, will the whole earth be enveloped
with the morning light of His Revelation. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Baha'i World Faith’;
compilation ‘Inspiring the Heart’, prepared by the Research department of the
Universal House of Justice)
April 20
This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have
been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been
infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the
world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide
beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behoveth
them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation
of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. Happy are
those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to remember, and blessed are those
men whose names, by virtue of Our inscrutable decree, We have preferred to
conceal. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
April 19
The glory of Him Whom God shall make manifest is
immeasurably above every other glory, and His majesty is far above every other
majesty. His beauty excelleth every other embodiment of
beauty, and His grandeur immensely exceedeth every other manifestation of
grandeur. Every light paleth before the radiance of His light, and every other
exponent of mercy falleth short before the tokens of His mercy. Every other
perfection is as naught in face of His consummate perfection, and every other
display of might is as nothing before His absolute might. His names are
superior to all other names. His good-pleasure taketh precedence over any other
expression of good-pleasure. His pre-eminent exaltation is far above the reach
of every other symbol of exaltation. The splendour of His appearance far
surpasseth that of any other appearance. His divine concealment is far more
profound than any other concealment. His loftiness is immeasurably above every
other loftiness. His gracious favour is unequalled by any other evidence of
favour. His power transcendeth every power. His sovereignty is invincible in
the face of every other sovereignty. His celestial dominion is exalted far
above every other dominion. His knowledge pervadeth all created things, and His
consummate power extendeth over all beings. (The Báb, ‘Selections from the
Writings of the Báb)
April 18
O people! I swear by the one true God! This is the Ocean out
of which all seas have proceeded, and with which every one of them will
ultimately be united. From Him all the Suns have been generated, and unto Him
they will all return. Through His potency the Trees of Divine Revelation have
yielded their fruits, every one of which hath been sent down in the form of a
Prophet, bearing a Message to God’s creatures in each of the worlds whose
number God, alone, in His all-encompassing Knowledge, can reckon. This He hath
accomplished through the agency of but one Letter of His Word, revealed by His
Pen—a Pen moved by His directing Finger—His Finger itself sustained by the
power of God’s Truth. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
April 17
As to thy question regarding the sayings of the leaders of
past religions. Every wise and praiseworthy man will no doubt eschew such vain
and profitless talk. The incomparable Creator hath created all men from one
same substance, and hath exalted their reality above the rest of His creatures.
Success or failure, gain or loss, must, therefore, depend upon man’s own
exertions. The more he striveth, the greater will be his
progress. We fain would hope that the vernal showers of the bounty of God may
cause the flowers of true understanding to spring from the soil of men’s
hearts, and may wash them from all earthly defilements. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings
from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
April 16
As My tribulations multiplied, so did My love for God and
for His Cause increase, in such wise that all that befell Me from the hosts of the wayward was powerless to deter Me from My
purpose. Should they hide Me away in the depths of the earth, yet would they
find Me riding aloft on the clouds, and calling out unto God, the Lord of
strength and of might. I have offered Myself up in the way of God, and I yearn
after tribulations in My love for Him, and for the sake of His good pleasure.
Unto this bear witness the woes which now afflict Me, the like of which no
other man hath suffered. Every single hair of Mine head calleth out that which
the Burning Bush uttered on Sinai, and each vein of My body invoketh God and
saith: ‘O would I had been severed in Thy path, so that the world might be
quickened, and all its peoples be united!’ (Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet to Napoleon, ‘Epistle to the
Son of the Wolf’)
April 15
It is recorded in all the Books of the Gospel that He Who is
the Spirit [Jesus] spoke in words of pure light unto His disciples, saying:
“Know that heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall never pass away.”
[cf. Matt. 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33] As is clear and evident to thine
eminence, these words outwardly mean that the Books of the Gospel will remain
in the hands of people till the end of the world, that their laws shall not be
abrogated, that their testimony shall not be abolished, and that all that hath
been enjoined, prescribed, or ordained therein shall endure forever.
O My brother! Sanctify thy heart, illumine thy soul, and sharpen thy sight, that thou mayest perceive the sweet accents of the Birds of Heaven and the melodies of the Doves of Holiness warbling in the Kingdom of eternity, and perchance apprehend the inner meaning of these utterances and their hidden mysteries. For otherwise, wert thou to interpret these words according to their outward meaning, thou couldst never prove the truth of the Cause of Him Who came after Jesus, nor silence the opponents, nor prevail over the contending disbelievers. For the Christian divines use this verse to prove that the Gospel shall never be abrogated and that, even if all the signs recorded in their Books were fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, He would have no recourse but to rule the people according to the ordinances of the Gospel. They contend that if He were to manifest all the signs indicated in the Books, but decree aught besides that which Jesus had decreed, they would neither acknowledge nor follow Him, so clear and self-evident is this matter in their sight. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
O My brother! Sanctify thy heart, illumine thy soul, and sharpen thy sight, that thou mayest perceive the sweet accents of the Birds of Heaven and the melodies of the Doves of Holiness warbling in the Kingdom of eternity, and perchance apprehend the inner meaning of these utterances and their hidden mysteries. For otherwise, wert thou to interpret these words according to their outward meaning, thou couldst never prove the truth of the Cause of Him Who came after Jesus, nor silence the opponents, nor prevail over the contending disbelievers. For the Christian divines use this verse to prove that the Gospel shall never be abrogated and that, even if all the signs recorded in their Books were fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, He would have no recourse but to rule the people according to the ordinances of the Gospel. They contend that if He were to manifest all the signs indicated in the Books, but decree aught besides that which Jesus had decreed, they would neither acknowledge nor follow Him, so clear and self-evident is this matter in their sight. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
April 14
The fifteenth Glad-Tidings
Although a republican form of government profiteth all the peoples of the world, yet the majesty of kingship is one of the signs of God. We do not wish that the countries of the world should remain deprived thereof. If the sagacious combine the two forms into one, great will be their reward in the presence of God. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
Although a republican form of government profiteth all the peoples of the world, yet the majesty of kingship is one of the signs of God. We do not wish that the countries of the world should remain deprived thereof. If the sagacious combine the two forms into one, great will be their reward in the presence of God. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
April 13
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. Qur’án 8:45]... (The Báb, from the Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from
the Writings of the Báb)
April 12
O SON OF BEING! Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee.
Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have created
thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The
Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
April 11
“O King! We were in ‘Iráq, when the hour of parting arrived.
At the bidding of the King of Islám (Sultán of Turkey) We set Our steps in his
direction. Upon Our arrival, there befell Us at the hands
of the malicious that which the books of the world can never adequately
recount. Thereupon the inmates of Paradise, and they that dwell within the
retreats of holiness, lamented; and yet the people are wrapped in a thick
veil!”
And further We have said: “More grievous became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, until they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring injustice, enter the Most Great Prison. And if anyone ask them: ‘For what crime were they imprisoned?’ they would answer and say: ‘They, verily, sought to supplant the Faith with a new religion!’ If that which is ancient be what ye prefer, wherefore, then, have ye discarded that which hath been set down in the Torah and the Evangel? Clear it up, O men! By My life! There is no place for you to flee to in this day. If this be My crime, then Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and before Him He Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ), and yet earlier He Who conversed with God (Moses). And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.” (Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet to Napoleon, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
And further We have said: “More grievous became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, until they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring injustice, enter the Most Great Prison. And if anyone ask them: ‘For what crime were they imprisoned?’ they would answer and say: ‘They, verily, sought to supplant the Faith with a new religion!’ If that which is ancient be what ye prefer, wherefore, then, have ye discarded that which hath been set down in the Torah and the Evangel? Clear it up, O men! By My life! There is no place for you to flee to in this day. If this be My crime, then Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and before Him He Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ), and yet earlier He Who conversed with God (Moses). And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.” (Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet to Napoleon, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
April 10
Consider Moses! Armed with the rod of celestial dominion,
adorned with the white hand of Divine knowledge, and proceeding from the Párán
of the love of God, and wielding the serpent of power and everlasting majesty,
He shone forth from the Sinai of light upon the world. He summoned all the
peoples and kindreds of the earth to the kingdom of eternity, and invited them
to partake of the fruit of the tree of faithfulness. Surely you are aware of
the fierce opposition of Pharaoh and his people, and of the stones of idle
fancy which the hands of infidels cast upon that blessed Tree. So much so that
Pharaoh and his people finally arose and exerted their utmost endeavor to
extinguish with the waters of falsehood and denial the fire of that sacred
Tree, oblivious of the truth that no earthly water can quench the flames of
Divine wisdom, nor mortal blasts extinguish the lamp of everlasting dominion.
Nay, rather, such water cannot but intensify the burning of the flame, and such
blasts cannot but ensure the preservation of the lamp, were ye to observe with
the eye of discernment, and walk in the way of God’s holy will and pleasure....
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
April 9
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. Qur’án
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. Qur’án 4:51] Indeed His knowledge embraceth all
things... (The Báb, from the
Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
April 8
O thou whom We have outwardly never met, yet whom We
inwardly cherish in Our heart! Be fair in thy judgement and present thyself
before Him Who seeth and knoweth thee, even if thou seest and knowest Him not:
Can any soul be found to elucidate these words with such convincing arguments,
clear testimonies, and unmistakable allusions as to appease the heart of the
seeker and relieve the soul of the listener? Nay, by the One in Whose hand is
My soul! Unto none is given to quaff even a dewdrop thereof unless he entereth
within this city, a city whose foundations rest upon mountains of
crimson-coloured ruby, whose walls are hewn of the chrysolite of divine unity,
whose gates are made of the diamonds of immortality, and whose earth sheddeth
the fragrance of divine bounty. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’,
‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
April 7
Grieve not if none be found to accept the crimson wine
proffered by Thy snow-white hand and to seize it in the name of Thy Lord, the
Most Exalted, the Most High—He Who hath appeared again in His name, the Most
Glorious. Leave this people unto
themselves, and repair unto the Tabernacle of majesty and glory, wherein Thou
shalt encounter a people whose faces shine as brightly as the sun in its
noontide splendour, and who praise and extol their Lord in this Name that hath
arisen, in the plenitude of might and power, to assume the throne of
independent sovereignty. From their lips
Thou shalt hear naught but the strains of My glorification and praise; unto
this Thy Lord beareth Me witness. The
existence of these people, however, hath remained concealed from the eyes of
all who, from everlasting, have been created through the Word of God. Thus have We made plain Our meaning and set
forth Our verses, that perchance men may reflect upon the signs and tokens of
their Lord.
These are they who, in truth, were not enjoined to prostrate themselves before Adam. [Qur’an 2:30-34; 38:71-75] They have never turned away from the countenance of Thy Lord, and partake at every moment of the gifts and delights of holiness. Thus hath the Pen of the All-Merciful set forth the secrets of all things, be they of the past or of the future. Would that the world might understand! Erelong shall God make manifest this people upon the earth, and through them shall exalt His name, diffuse His signs, uphold His words, and proclaim His verses, in spite of those that have repudiated His truth, gainsaid His sovereignty, and cavilled at His signs. (Baha’u’llah, Súriy-i-Haykal, ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
These are they who, in truth, were not enjoined to prostrate themselves before Adam. [Qur’an 2:30-34; 38:71-75] They have never turned away from the countenance of Thy Lord, and partake at every moment of the gifts and delights of holiness. Thus hath the Pen of the All-Merciful set forth the secrets of all things, be they of the past or of the future. Would that the world might understand! Erelong shall God make manifest this people upon the earth, and through them shall exalt His name, diffuse His signs, uphold His words, and proclaim His verses, in spite of those that have repudiated His truth, gainsaid His sovereignty, and cavilled at His signs. (Baha’u’llah, Súriy-i-Haykal, ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
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