The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure
and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct. 
God, the True One, beareth Me witness, and every atom in
existence is moved to testify that such means as lead to the elevation, the
advancement, the education, the protection and the regeneration of the peoples
of the earth have been clearly set forth by Us and are revealed in the Holy
Books and Tablets by the Pen of Glory.
Know verily that the essence of justice and the source
thereof are both embodied in the ordinances prescribed by Him Who is the
Manifestation of the Self of God amongst men, if ye be of them that recognize
this truth. He doth verily incarnate the highest, the infallible standard of
justice unto all creation. Were His law to be such as to strike terror into the
hearts of all that are in heaven and on earth, that law is naught but manifest
justice. The fears and agitation which the revelation of this law provokes in
men’s hearts should indeed be likened to the cries of the suckling babe weaned
from his mother’s milk, if ye be of them that perceive. Were men to discover
the motivating purpose of God’s Revelation, they would assuredly cast away
their fears, and, with hearts filled with gratitude, rejoice with exceeding gladness.
By the glory of Thy might, O my God! Wert Thou to set me
king over Thy realms, and to establish me upon the throne of Thy sovereignty,
and to deliver, through Thy power, the reins of the entire creation into my
hands, and wert Thou to cause me, though it be for less than a moment, to be
occupied with these things and be oblivious of the wondrous memories associated
with Thy most mighty, most perfect, and most exalted Name, my soul would still
remain unsatisfied, and the pangs of my heart unstilled. Nay, I would, in that
very state, recognize myself as the poorest of the poor, and the most wretched
of the wretched.
Say: This is the Dawn whereat the cohorts of the concourse
of Paradise and the hosts of the angels of holiness descended from heaven,
amongst whom was the One Who was lifted up on the breezes of the Beauty of God,
the Most Glorious, unto the ranks of the most exalted Concourse. Borne on these
same breezes, yet another company of angels descended, each bearing aloft a
chalice of everlasting life and proffering it unto them that circle in
adoration round the Spot wherein the Ancient Being hath established Himself
upon the throne of His all-glorious and most bounteous Name. All joy to such as
have attained His presence, gazed upon His beauty, hearkened unto His melodies,
and been quickened by the Word that hath issued forth from His sacred and
exalted, His glorious and resplendent lips!
This is the Dawn whereat was born He [Baha’u’llah] Who
begetteth not and Who is not begotten. Well is it with him that immerseth
himself beneath the ocean of inner meaning that surgeth within this utterance
and discovereth the pearls of knowledge and wisdom that lie hid in the words of
God, the King, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Powerful. All glory to him who
apprehendeth the truth and is reckoned with them that are endued with
discernment!
Say: O source of iniquity! Bewail thy woeful plight; and O
fountainhead of oppression! Repair to thine abode in the nethermost fire, for
the beauty of the All-Merciful hath shone forth above the horizon of existence
with such radiance as to illumine all that dwell in His realms with the
splendour of its light, and hath called into being the Spirit of God, the
Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. Through its revelation the hand
of His Will hath stretched forth from the sleeve of grandeur and rent asunder
the veils of the world by the power of His supreme, His peerless, His
all-compelling and exalted sovereignty. All glory, then, to this Dawn whereat
the Ancient Beauty hath been established upon the throne of His Name, the
Almighty, the Most Great!
…dumbfounded, the Pen of the Most High cried out: “O Thou
Who art exalted above all names! I adjure Thee by Thy might that encompasseth
the heavens and the earth to exempt me from mentioning Thee, for I myself have
been called into being by virtue of Thy creative power. How, then, can I depict
that which all created things are powerless to describe? And yet, I swear by
Thy glory, were I to proclaim that wherewith Thou hast inspired me, the entire
creation would pass away from joy and ecstasy, how much more then would it be
overwhelmed before the billows of the ocean of Thine utterance in this most
luminous, most exalted and transcendent Spot! Absolve, O Lord, this faltering
Pen from magnifying so august a station, and deal mercifully with me, O my
Possessor and my King. Overlook then my trespasses in Thy presence. Thou,
verily, art the Lord of bounty, the All-Powerful, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Generous.”
Immeasurably exalted is God, the Maker of the heavens, Who
hath caused this Day [“the Day of God”] to speak forth that Name whereby the
veils of idle fancy have been rent asunder, the mists of vain imaginings have
been dispelled, and His name “the Self-Subsisting” hath dawned above the
horizon of certitude. Through Thee [the Báb] the choice wine of everlasting
life hath been unsealed, the doors of knowledge and utterance have been
unlocked before the peoples of the earth, and the breezes of the All-Merciful
have been wafted over every region. All glory be to that hour wherein the
Treasure of God, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath
appeared!
On this night [the Birth of the Báb] the fragrance of
nearness was wafted, the portals of reunion at the end of days were flung open,
and all created things were moved to exclaim: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord
of all names, Who is come with world-embracing sovereignty!” On this night the
Concourse on high celebrated the praise of their Lord, the Exalted, the Most
Glorious, and the realities of the divine names extolled Him Who is the King of
the beginning and the end in this Revelation, a Revelation through whose
potency the mountains have hastened unto Him Who is the All-Sufficing, the Most
High, and the hearts have turned towards the countenance of their Best-Beloved,
and the leaves have been stirred into motion by the breezes of yearning, and
the trees have raised their voices in joyful reply to the call of Him Who is
the Unconstrained, and the entire earth hath trembled with longing in its
desire to attain reunion with the Eternal King, and all things have been made
new by that concealed Word which hath appeared in this mighty Name.
Say: This is the Dawn [Birth of Baha’u’llah’] whereat the
evil ones were debarred from approaching the realm of might and grandeur, and
wherein the hearts of such as have contended with God, the Almighty, the
All-Glorious, the Unconstrained, were lacerated. This is the Dawn whereat the
faces of the wicked were darkened, whilst the countenances of the righteous
shone forth with the light of this Beauty, a Beauty Whose advent all things
visible and invisible, and beyond them the company of the Concourse on high,
have eagerly awaited. All hail the appearance of this Spirit, through Whose
potency the dead have been stirred up in their tombs and every mouldering bone
brought to life!
All praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast
adorned the world with the splendour of the dawn following the night wherein
was born the One [the Báb] Who heralded the Manifestation of Thy transcendent
sovereignty, the Dayspring of Thy divine Essence and the Revelation of Thy
supreme Lordship. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the heavens and Fashioner of
names, to graciously aid those who have sheltered beneath the shadow of Thine
abounding mercy and have raised their voices amidst the peoples of the world
for the glorification of Thy Name.
And now regarding thy question, “How is it that no records
are to be found concerning the Prophets that have preceded Adam, the Father of
Mankind, or of the kings that lived in the days of those Prophets?” Know thou
that the absence of any reference to them is no proof that they did not
actually exist. That no records concerning them are now available, should be
attributed to their extreme remoteness, as well as to the vast changes which
the earth hath undergone since their time.
…should the loved ones of God sanctify their hearts and
their ears from the vain sayings that were uttered aforetime, and turn with
their inmost souls to Him Who is the Day Spring of His Revelation, and to
whatsoever things He hath manifested, such behavior would be regarded as highly
meritorious in the sight of God....
It is clear and evident that all men shall, after their
physical death, estimate the worth of their deeds, and realize all that their
hands have wrought. I swear by the Day Star that shineth above the horizon of
Divine power! They that are the followers of the one true God shall, the moment
they depart out of this life, experience such joy and gladness as would be
impossible to describe, while they that live in error shall be seized with such
fear and trembling, and shall be filled with such consternation, as nothing can
exceed. Well is it with him that hath quaffed the choice and incorruptible wine
of faith through the gracious favor and the manifold bounties of Him Who is the
Lord of all Faiths....
Say: O ye that are bereft of understanding! A severe trial pursueth
you, and will suddenly overtake you. Bestir yourselves, that haply it may pass
and inflict no harm upon you. Acknowledge the exalted character of the name of
the Lord, your God, Who hath come unto you in the greatness of His glory. He,
verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Possessing, the Supreme Protector.
O My servants! Whoso hath tasted of this Fountain hath
attained unto everlasting Life, and whoso hath refused to drink therefrom is
even as the dead. Say: O ye workers of iniquity! Covetousness hath hindered you
from giving a hearing ear unto the sweet voice of Him Who is the All-Sufficing.
Wash it away from your hearts, that His Divine secret may be made known unto
you. Behold Him manifest and resplendent as the sun in all its glory.
Although We did not intend to make mention of the traditions
of a bygone age [in support of the mission of the Báb], yet, because of Our
love for thee [the Báb’s uncle], We will cite a few which are applicable to Our
argument…
… man is unable to comprehend that which hath streamed forth
from the Pen of Glory and is recorded in His heavenly Books. Men at all times
and under all conditions stand in need of one to exhort them, guide them and to
instruct and teach them. Therefore He hath sent forth His Messengers, His
Prophets and chosen ones that they might acquaint the people with the divine
purpose underlying the revelation of Books and the raising up of Messengers,
and that everyone may become aware of the trust of God which is latent in the
reality of every soul.
It is evident how relentless was the hate, and how bitter
the malice and enmity entertained by all the peoples of the earth towards these
companions [followers of the Báb]. The persecution and pain they inflicted on
these holy and spiritual beings were regarded by them as means unto salvation,
prosperity, and everlasting success. Hath the world, since the days of Adam,
witnessed such tumult, such violent commotion? Notwithstanding all the torture
they suffered, and manifold the afflictions they endured, they became the
object of universal opprobrium and execration. Methinks patience was revealed
only by virtue of their fortitude, and faithfulness itself was begotten only by
their deeds.