Whoso ariseth to teach Our Cause must needs detach himself
from all earthly things, and regard, at all times, the triumph of Our Faith as
his supreme objective. This hath, verily, been decreed in the Guarded Tablet.
And when he determineth to leave his home, for the sake of the Cause of his
Lord, let him put his whole trust in God, as the best provision for his
journey, and array himself with the robe of virtue. Thus
hath it been decreed by God, the Almighty, the All-Praised.
If he be kindled with the fire of His love, if he forgoeth
all created things, the words he uttereth shall set on fire them that hear him.
Verily, thy Lord is the Omniscient, the All-Informed. Happy is the man that
hath heard Our voice, and answered Our call. He, in truth, is of them that
shall be brought nigh unto Us. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
May 15
We arose before the peoples of earth and heaven at a time
when all had determined to slay us. While dwelling in their midst, We continually made mention of the Lord,
celebrated His praise, and stood firm in His Cause, until at last the Word of
God was vindicated amongst His creatures, His signs were spread abroad, His
power exalted, and His sovereignty revealed in its full splendour. To this bear witness all His honoured
servants. Yet when My brother beheld the
rising fame of the Cause, he became filled with arrogance and pride. Thereupon he emerged from behind the veil of
concealment, rose up against Me, disputed My verses, denied My testimony, and
repudiated My signs. Nor would his
hunger be appeased unless he were to devour My flesh and drink My blood. To this testify such of God’s servants as
have accompanied Him in His exile, and they that enjoy near access unto Him. (Baha’u’llah,
Súriy-i-Haykal, ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
May 14
Heed not your weaknesses and frailty;
fix your gaze upon the invincible power of the Lord, your God, the Almighty.
Has He not, in past days, caused Abraham, in spite of His seeming helplessness,
to triumph over the forces of Nimrod? Has He not enabled Moses, whose staff was
His only companion, to vanquish Pharaoh and his hosts? Has He not established
the ascendancy of Jesus, poor and lowly as He was in the eyes of men, over the
combined forces of the Jewish people? Has He not subjected the barbarous and
militant tribes of Arabia to the holy and transforming discipline of Muhammad,
His Prophet? Arise in His name, put your trust wholly in Him, and be assured of
ultimate victory. (The Báb, Addressed to the Letters of the Living, quoted in
The Dawn-Breakers; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. II, The Power of Divine Assistance)
May 13
True knowledge, therefore, is the knowledge of God, and this
is none other than the recognition of His Manifestation in each Dispensation.
Nor is there any wealth save in poverty in all save God and sanctity from aught
else but Him—a state that can be realized only when demonstrated towards Him
Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation. This doth not mean, however, that one
ought not to yield praise unto former Revelations. On no account is this
acceptable, inasmuch as it behooveth man, upon reaching the age of nineteen, to
render thanksgiving for the day of his conception as an embryo. For had the
embryo not existed, how could he have reached his present state? Likewise had
the religion taught by Adam not existed, this Faith would not have attained its
present stage. Thus consider thou the development of God’s Faith until the end
that hath no end. (The Báb, excerpt from the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from
the Writings of the Báb)
May 12
Blessed art thou and blessed is the mother that hath nursed
thee. Appreciate the value of this station and arise to serve His Cause in such
wise that the idle fancies and insinuations of the doubters withhold thee not from
this high resolve. The Day-Star of certitude is shining resplendent but the
people of the world are holding fast unto vain imaginings. The Ocean of divine
knowledge hath risen high whilst the children of men are clinging to the hem of
the foolish. But for the unfailing grace of God—exalted be His glory—no
antidote could ever cure these inveterate diseases. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of
Baha’u’llah revealed after the kitab-i-Aqdas’)
May 11
Since Thou hast revealed Thy grace, O my God, deter not Thy
servants from directing their eyes towards it. Consider not, O my God, their
estate, and their concerns and their works. Consider the greatness of Thy
glory, and the plenteousness of Thy gifts, and the power of Thy might, and the
excellence of Thy favors. I swear by Thy glory! Wert Thou to look upon them
with the eye of justice, all would deserve Thy wrath and the rod of Thine
anger. Hold Thou Thy creatures, O my God, with the hands of Thy grace, and make
Thou known unto them what is best for them of all the things that have been
created in the kingdom of Thine invention. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and
Meditations by Baha’u’llah)
May 10
Our grace assuredly pervadeth all that dwell in the kingdoms
of earth and heaven and in whatever lieth between them, and beyond them all
mankind. However, souls that have shut themselves out as by a veil can never
partake of the outpourings of the grace of God. (The Báb, ‘Selections from the
Writings of the Báb)
May 9
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. (The Báb, excerpts from the
Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
May 8
It is evident and manifest unto every discerning observer
that even as the light of the star fadeth before the effulgent splendour of the
sun, so doth the luminary of earthly knowledge, of wisdom, and understanding
vanish into nothingness when brought face to face with the resplendent glories
of the Sun of Truth, the Day-star of divine enlightenment. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The
Kitab-i-Iqan’)
May 7
Gird up the loins of your endeavor, O people of Bahá, that
haply the tumult of religious dissension and strife that agitateth the peoples
of the earth may be stilled, that every trace of it may be completely
obliterated. For the love of God, and them that serve Him, arise to aid this
sublime and momentous Revelation. Religious fanaticism and hatred are a
world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power
can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf’)
May 6
The story is told of a mystic knower, who went on a journey with a learned grammarian as his companion. They came to the shore of the Sea of Grandeur. The knower straightway flung himself into the waves, but the grammarian stood lost in his reasonings, which were as words that are written on water. The knower called out to him, “Why dost thou not follow?” The grammarian answered, “O Brother, I dare not advance. I must needs go back again.” Then the knower cried, “Forget what thou didst read in the books [of certain famed writers on grammar and rhetoric] … and cross the water.”
The death of self is needed here, not rhetoric:
Be nothing, then, and walk upon the waves. [The Mathnaví, by Rumi, a Persian poet]
Likewise is it written, “And be ye not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to forget their own selves. These are the wicked doers.” [Qur’án 59:19] (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Four Valleys’)
The death of self is needed here, not rhetoric:
Be nothing, then, and walk upon the waves. [The Mathnaví, by Rumi, a Persian poet]
Likewise is it written, “And be ye not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to forget their own selves. These are the wicked doers.” [Qur’án 59:19] (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Four Valleys’)
May 5
O thou who art mentioned in this outspread roll and who,
amidst the gloomy darkness that now prevaileth, hast been illumined by the
splendours of the sacred Mount in the Sinai of divine Revelation! Cleanse thy
heart from every blasphemous whispering and evil allusion thou hast heard in
the past, that thou mayest inhale the sweet savours of eternity from the Joseph
of faithfulness, gain admittance into the celestial Egypt, and perceive the
fragrances of enlightenment from this resplendent and luminous Tablet, a Tablet
wherein the Pen hath inscribed the ancient mysteries of the names of His Lord,
the Exalted, the Most High. Perchance thou mayest be recorded in the holy
Tablets among them that are well assured. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine
Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
May 4
O Beauty of the All-Glorious! Shouldst Thou chance upon this
people and enter their presence, recount unto them that which this Youth hath
related unto Thee concerning Himself and the things that have befallen Him,
that they may come to know what hath been inscribed upon the Preserved Tablet. Acquaint
them with the tidings of this Youth, and with the trials and tribulations He
hath suffered, that they may become mindful of Mine afflictions, and be of them
that understand. Recount, then, unto them how We singled out for Our favour one
of Our brothers, [Mirza Yahyá] how We imparted unto him a dewdrop from the
fathomless ocean of knowledge, clothed him with the garment of one of Our
Names, and exalted him to such a station that all were moved to extol him, and
how We so protected him from the harm of the malevolent as to disarm even the
mightiest amongst them. (Baha’u’llah, Súriy-i-Haykal, ‘The Summons of the Lord
of Hosts’)
May 3
It is permissible to study sciences and arts, but such
sciences as are useful and would redound to the progress and advancement of the
people. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
(Baha'u'llah, 'Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas'; The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Scholarship)
May 2
He (God) it was, Who enabled Me to depart out of the city
(Baghdád), clothed with such majesty as none, except the denier and the
malicious, can fail to acknowledge. (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in
‘God Passes By’)
May 1
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 Ridvan 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)
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 Ridvan 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)
April 30
This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the
splendors of the Light that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious,
the Most Bountiful. Verily, We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of
Our irresistible and all-subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into being
a new creation, as a token of Our grace unto men. I am, verily, the
All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings
of Baha’u’llah’)
April 29
I saw [in a dream] the Prophets and the Messengers gather
and seat themselves around Me, moaning, weeping and loudly lamenting. Amazed, I
inquired of them the reason, whereupon their lamentation and weeping waxed
greater, and they said unto me: ‘We weep for Thee, O Most Great Mystery, O
Tabernacle of Immortality!’ They wept with such a weeping that I too wept with
them. Thereupon the Concourse on high addressed Me saying: ‘...Erelong shalt
Thou behold with Thine own eyes what no Prophet hath beheld.... Be patient, be
patient.’... They continued addressing Me the whole night until the approach of
dawn. (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘God Passes By’) (See theGuardian’s reference to this quote)
April 28
Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time
immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of
His servants as are detached from all else but Him, they whom neither
merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the Almighty, they that
speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment. Such is
God’s method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain in the future.
Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient under ills and hardships,
who lament not over anything that befalleth them, and who tread the path of
resignation.... (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
April 27
All-praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God! I know not how to
sing Thy praise, how to describe Thy glory, how to call upon Thy Name. If I
call upon Thee by Thy Name, the All-Possessing, I am compelled to recognize
that He Who holdeth in His hand the immediate destinies of all created things
is but a vassal dependent upon Thee, and is the creation of but a word
proceeding from Thy mouth. And if I proclaim Thee by the name of Him Who is the
All-Compelling, I readily discover that He is but a suppliant fallen upon the
dust, awe-stricken by Thy dreadful might, Thy sovereignty and power. And if I
attempt to describe Thee by glorifying the oneness of Thy Being, I soon realize
that such a conception is but a notion which mine own fancy hath woven, and
that Thou hast ever been immeasurably exalted above the vain imaginations which
the hearts of men have devised. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)
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