O Son of Spirit! Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the
phoenix of love soar into the firmament of holiness. Renounce thyself and,
filled with the spirit of mercy, abide in the realm of celestial sanctity.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words’)
June 5
O Son of Spirit! Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the
phoenix of love soar into the firmament of holiness. Renounce thyself and,
filled with the spirit of mercy, abide in the realm of celestial sanctity. 
June 4
O Javád! The manifold bounties of God have ever been and
will continue to be vouchsafed unto thee. Praised be God! Thou hast been
shielded from the most great terror and hast succeeded in drawing nigh unto the
Most Great Bounty at a time when all men were prevented from recognizing the
eternal King by the interposition of the veils of outward glory, namely the
divines of this day. Cherish thou as dearly as thine own life this testimony
pronounced by the All-Glorious Pen and strive with all thy might to preserve it
by the potency of the Name of Him Who is the Beloved One of the entire
creation, that this sublime honour may be proof against the eyes and the hands
of robbers. Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the All-Knowing.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
June 3
One must judge of search by the standard of the Majnún of
love.[1] It is related that one day they came upon Majnún sifting the dust, his
tears flowing down. They asked, “What doest thou?” He said, “I seek for Laylí.”
“Alas for thee!” they cried, “Laylí is of pure spirit, yet thou seekest her in
the dust!” He said, “I seek her everywhere; haply somewhere I shall find her.”Yea, though to the wise it be shameful to seek the Lord of Lords in the dust, yet this betokeneth intense ardour in searching. “Whoso seeketh out a thing and persisteth with zeal shall find it.”[2]
- Baha’u’llah’ (‘The
Seven Valleys’, 2019 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre; ‘The Call
of the Divine Beloved’)
[1] Majnún means “madman”. This is the title of the
celebrated lover of ancient Persian and Arabian lore whose beloved was Laylí.
Symbolizing true human love bordering on the divine, the story has been the
theme of many Persian romantic poems, most famously that of Nizámí, written in
1188.
[2] Arabic proverb.
June 2
This is a Tablet from this Servant, who is called Husayn in
the kingdom of names, to the concourse of the kings of the earth. Haply they
may approach it in a spirit of open-mindedness, discover from its message the
mysteries of divine providence, and be of those that comprehend its meaning,
and perchance they may forsake all they possess, turn towards the retreats of
holiness, and draw nigh unto God, the All-Glorious, the Incomparable.
O kings of the earth! Give ear unto the Voice of God,
calling from this sublime, this fruit-laden Tree, that hath sprung out of the
Crimson Hill, upon the holy Plain, intoning the words: “There is none other God
but He, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.” This is a Spot which hath
been sanctified by God for those who approach it, a Spot wherein His Voice may
be heard from the celestial Tree of Holiness. Fear God, O concourse of kings,
and suffer not yourselves to be deprived of this most sublime grace. Fling
away, then, the things ye possess, and take fast hold on the Handle of God, the
Exalted, the Great. Set your hearts towards the Face of God, and abandon that
which your desires have bidden you to follow, and be not of those who perish.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
June 1
Pause for but a little while and reflect, O Minister, [1]
and be fair in thy judgment. What is it that We have committed that could
justify thee in having slandered Us unto the King’s Ministers, in following thy
desires, in perverting the truth, and in uttering thy calumnies against Us? We
have never met each other except when We met thee in thy father’s house, in the
days when the martyrdom of Imám Ḥusayn was being commemorated. On those
occasions no one could have the chance of making known to others his views and
beliefs in conversation or in discourse. Thou wilt bear witness to the truth of
My words, if thou be of the truthful. I have frequented no other gatherings in
which thou couldst have learned My mind or in which any other could have done
so. How, then, didst thou pronounce thy verdict against Me, when thou hadst not
heard My testimony from Mine own lips? Hast thou not heard what God, exalted be
His glory, hath said: “Say not to every one who meeteth you with a greeting,
‘Thou art not a believer’.” “Thrust not away those who cry to their Lord at
morn and even, craving to behold His face.” Thou hast indeed forsaken what the
Book of God hath prescribed, and yet thou deemest thyself to be a believer!
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet to a Minister of the Shah; ‘Gleanings from the
Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
[1] a Minister of the Shah
May 31
“This Day is different from other days, and this Cause
different from other causes. Entreat ye the one true God that He may deprive
not the eyes of men from beholding His signs, nor their ears from hearkening
unto the shrill voice of the Pen of Glory.” “These days are God’s days, a
moment of which ages and centuries can never rival. An atom, in these days, is
as the sun, a drop as the ocean. One single breath exhaled in the love of God
and for His service is written down by the Pen of Glory as a princely deed.
Were the virtues of this Day to be recounted, all would be thunderstruck,
except those whom thy Lord hath exempted.”
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi
Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
May 30
Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all
the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every
Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day.
All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it.
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
May 29
Verily, I am the One Who abideth disconsolate beneath the
canopy of this world.
O Rasúl! Shouldst thou ask concerning the Sun of the heaven
of inner meaning, know that it hath been eclipsed by the clouds of envy; and shouldst
thou enquire regarding the Moon of the realm of everlasting holiness, be
apprised that it hath been obscured by the shrouds of hatred; and shouldst thou
search after the Star of the firmament of unseen reality, be informed that it
hath sunk below the horizon of malice. Behold, a lone Husayn assailed by a
hundred thousand deadly foes! Behold, a solitary Abraham compassed by a myriad
tyrant kings![1] Behold, one stainless Soul that vast multitudes aim to seize!
Behold, one single Throat that countless daggers seek to pierce!
Not a single night in Mine earthly life did I find rest; not
a single day was I granted repose. At one time My severed head was sent as a
trophy from land to land; at another I was suspended in the air. At one time I
had for a boon companion him who dealt Me a fatal blow; at another I had for a
close associate him who profaned My remains. Every morn, as I arose from My
bed, a fresh affliction awaited Me; and every eve, as I repaired to the
solitude of My chamber, a sore trial was in store. In the succession of My woes
there was no reprieve, and in the onslaught of My sorrows there was no respite.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of Remembrance’)
[1] “Deadly foes” (lit., “Shimrs”) and “tyrant kings” (lit.,
“Nimrods”): Shimr dealt the blow that killed Imám Husayn, and Nimrod was the
persecutor of Abraham.
May 28
A Word hath, as a token of Our grace, gone forth from the
Most Great Tablet—a Word which God hath adorned with the ornament of His own
Self, and made it sovereign over the earth and all that is therein, and a sign
of His greatness and power among its people, that all may glorify thereby their
Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise, and extol the praise of
their Creator and the sanctity of the Soul of God that holdeth sway over all
created things. This, verily, is none other than a Word sent down by Him Who is
the All-Knowing, the Ancient of Days.
Render thanks unto God, O people, for His appearance; for
verily He is the most great Favour unto you, the most perfect bounty upon you;
and through Him every mouldering bone is quickened. Whoso turneth towards Him
hath turned towards God, and whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from
My Beauty, hath repudiated My Proof, and transgressed against Me. He is the Trust
of God amongst you, His charge within you, His manifestation unto you and His
appearance among His favoured servants.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of Remembrance’)
May 27
Strive, O people, to enter beneath the sheltering shadow of
the Word of God. Quaff, then, from it the choice wine of inner meaning and
explanation, for it is the repository of the living waters of the All-Glorious
and hath appeared from the horizon of the Will of the All-Merciful with
matchless splendour. Say: Out of this Most Great Ocean there hath branched the
Pre-existent Sea; blessed the one that hath attained and found repose upon its
shores.
There hath branched from the Sadratu’l-Muntahá this sacred and
glorious Being, this Branch of Holiness; well is it with him that hath sought
His shelter and abideth beneath His shadow. Verily the Limb of the Law of God
hath sprung forth from this Root which God hath firmly implanted in the Ground
of His Will, and Whose Branch hath been so uplifted as to encompass the whole
of creation. Magnified be He, therefore, for this sublime, this blessed, this
mighty, this exalted Handiwork! Draw nigh unto Him, O people, and taste the
fruits of wisdom and knowledge that have proceeded from Him Who is the
Almighty, the All-Knowing. Whoso hath failed to taste thereof is deprived of
God’s bounty, though he partake of all that the earth can produce, could ye but
perceive it!
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of Remembrance’)
May 26
Considering this most mighty enterprise, it beseemeth them
that love Him to gird up the loins of their endeavor, and to fix their thoughts
on whatever will ensure the victory of the cause of God, rather than commit
vile and contemptible deeds. Wert thou to consider, for but a little while, the
outward works and doings of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, thou wouldst fall
down upon the ground, and exclaim: O Thou Who art the Lord of Lords! I testify
that Thou art the Lord of all creation, and the Educator of all beings, visible
and invisible. I bear witness that Thy power hath encompassed the entire
universe, and that the hosts of the earth can never dismay Thee, nor can the
dominion of all peoples and nations deter Thee from executing Thy purpose. I
confess that Thou hast no desire except the regeneration of the whole world,
and the establishment of the unity of its peoples, and the salvation of all
them that dwell therein.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
May 25
Say: He, verily, is the most perfect Balance established
amongst the nations, through Whom the measures of all things are made manifest
by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He it is Who hath intoxicated
every understanding heart with the wine of His utterance, and Who hath torn
asunder the veils through the power of My Name that overshadoweth the worlds.
He, verily, hath ordained the Bayán to be a leaf of this Garden and adorned it
with the mention of this incomparable Remembrance. He hath admonished all men
not to withhold themselves from the Dayspring of ancient glory, nor to cling,
at the time of His manifestation, to such tales and traditions as are current
amongst them. Thus hath it been decreed in accordance with that which He hath
revealed, and unto this beareth witness He Who speaketh the truth. No God is
there beside Me, the Almighty, the Most Generous.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of
Remembrance’)
May 24
This is the eve of that Day from whose horizon the ancient
Morn hath dawned forth with the splendour of the light beaming from that effulgent
horizon. Say: This is the Day whereon God established the Covenant concerning
Him Who is the voice of Truth [1] by sending forth the One [2] Who imparted
unto humankind the glad-tidings of this Great Announcement. This is the Day
whereon the Most Great Sign appeared and proclaimed this mighty Name,
captivating thereby all created things with the reviving breezes of the verses
of God. Happy the one that hath recognized his Lord and is numbered with them
that have attained His presence.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of Remembrance’)
[1] Bahá’u’lláh
[2] The Báb
May 23
O Pen of Glory! Intone the anthems of grandeur, for We have
inhaled the fragrance of reunion at the approach of that Day whereon the
kingdom of names was adorned with the ornament of Our Name, the Exalted, the
Most High. No sooner was this Day mentioned before the Throne than the Maids of
Heaven chanted a wondrous melody, the Nightingale pealed out its heavenly song,
and the All-Merciful gave voice to that which enraptured the souls of the Messengers
of God, His chosen ones, and those who enjoy near access to Him.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of Remembrance’)
May 22
He is the Ever-Abiding, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.
Lo, the Tongue of Glory hath called aloud and the Word of
God hath cried out, proclaiming: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Creator of the
heavens and the Lord of all names!” And yet the people, for the most part, are
heedless. The entire creation resoundeth with the melodies of the All-Merciful,
the realms of sanctity are redolent with the fragrance of His raiment, and the
Most Great Name hath shed the splendour of His glory upon all who dwell on
earth, and yet the people are wrapped in a palpable veil.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days
of Remembrance’)
May 21
This is a remembrance of that which was revealed in the year
sixty in the days of God, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious,
the All-Knowing.
Lo, the gates of Paradise were unlocked, and the hallowed
Youth came forth…Upon His shoulders there fell the locks of the spirit, like
unto black musk upon white and lustrous pearls. Rejoice! This is the immortal
Youth, come with a transcendent cause.
On His right hand was a ring adorned with a pure and blessed
gem. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty spirit.
Upon it was graven, in a secret and ancient script: “By God!
A most noble Angel is this.” [1] And the hearts of the inmates of the eternal
realm cried out: “Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with an ancient
light.”
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of Remembrance’)
[1] Cf. Qur’án 12:31
May 20
This is a remembrance of that which was revealed in the year
sixty in the days of God, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious,
the All-Knowing.
Lo, the gates of Paradise were unlocked, and the hallowed
Youth came forth bearing a serpent plain.[1] Rejoice! This is the immortal
Youth, come with crystal waters.
Upon His face was a veil woven by the fingers of might and
power. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty name.
Upon His brow there shone a beauteous crown, which cast its splendour
upon all who are in heaven and all who are on earth. Rejoice! This is the
immortal Youth, come with a mighty cause.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of Remembrance’)
[1] See Qur’án 7:107
May 19
O Monk of the Divine Unity! Ring out the bell, for the Day
of the Lord is come and the Beauty of the All-Glorious hath ascended His
blessed and resplendent throne. Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art “He”, O Thou
besides Whom there is none but “He”! [1]
O Húd, Prophet of the Divine Decree! Sound the clarion in
the name of God, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful, for the Temple of
holiness hath been established upon the seat of supernal glory. Praise be to
Thee, O Thou Who art “He”, O Thou besides Whom there is none but “He”!
O Countenance of immortality! Pluck with the fingers of the
spirit the sacred and wondrous strings, for the Beauty of the Divine Essence hath
appeared, arrayed in a silken vesture of light. Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who
art “He”, O Thou besides Whom there is none but “He”!
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Days of
Remembrance’)
[1] In the Tafsír-i-Hú Bahá’u’lláh explains that the name “He” (or Huva, consisting of the letters Há’ and Váv) is God’s Most Great Name, for it is a mirror in which all of God’s names and attributes are reflected together.
May 18
He is the All-Glorious.
This is the garden of Paradise, wherein arise the anthems of
God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; wherein ascend the soul-entrancing
melodies warbled by the Nightingale of Eternity upon the twigs of the Divine
Lote-Tree; wherein abide the Maids of Heaven whom none hath touched save God,
the All-Glorious, the Most Holy; and wherein lieth enshrined that which draweth
the needy to the shores of the ocean of true wealth and guideth the people to
the Word of God. And this, verily, is naught but the manifest truth.
By Thy name “He”! Verily Thou art “He”, O Thou Who art “He”!
[1]
- Baha’u’llah (‘Days of Remembrance’)
[1] In the Tafsír-i-Hú Bahá’u’lláh explains that the name
“He” (or Huva, consisting of the letters Há’ and Váv) is God’s Most Great Name,
for it is a mirror in which all of God’s names and attributes are reflected
together.
May 17
That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to
the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy
is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of
the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride
himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole
world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
May 16
The day is approaching when all the peoples of the world
will have adopted one universal language and one common script. When this is
achieved, to whatsoever city a man may journey, it shall be as if he were
entering his own home. These things are obligatory and absolutely essential. It
is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate
that which hath been written into reality and action....
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
May 15
Though afflicted with countless tribulations, which We have
suffered at the hands of Our enemies, We have proclaimed unto all the rulers of
the earth what God hath willed to proclaim, that all nations may know that no
manner of affliction can deter the Pen of the Ancient of Days from achieving
its purpose. His Pen moveth by the leave of God, Who fashioneth the crumbling
and rotten bones.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
May 14
Twenty years have passed, O kings [“of Christendom”], during
which We have, each day, tasted the agony of a fresh tribulation. No one of
them that were before Us hath endured the things We have endured. Would that ye
could perceive it! They that rose up against Us have put us to death, have shed
our blood, have plundered our property, and violated our honor. Though aware of
most of our afflictions, ye, nevertheless, have failed to stay the hand of the
aggressor. For is it not your clear duty to restrain the tyranny of the
oppressor, and to deal equitably with your subjects, that your high sense of
justice may be fully demonstrated to all mankind?
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from
the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
May 13
Ye [1] perpetrate every day a fresh injustice, and treat Me
as ye treated Me in times past, though I never attempted to meddle with your
affairs. At no time have I opposed you, neither have I rebelled against your
laws. Behold how ye have, at the last, made Me a prisoner in this far-off land!
Know for a certainty, however, that whatever your hands or the hands of the
infidels have wrought will never, as they never did of old, change the Cause of
God or alter His ways.
Give heed to My warning, ye people of Persia! If I be slain
at your hands, God will assuredly raise up one who will fill the seat made
vacant through My death, for such is God’s method carried into effect of old,
and no change can ye find in God’s method of dealing. Seek ye to put out God’s
light that shineth upon His earth? Averse is God from what ye desire. He shall
perfect His light, albeit ye abhor it in the secret of your hearts.
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet to a Minister of the Shah; ‘Gleanings from the Writings
of Baha’u’llah’)
[1] a Minister of the Shah
May 12
O MY handmaiden, O My leaf! Render thou thanks unto the
Best-Beloved of the world for having attained this boundless grace at a time
when the world's learned and most distinguished men have remained deprived
thereof. We have designated thee 'a leaf' that thou mayest, like unto leaves,
be stirred by the gentle wind of the Will of God -- exalted be His glory --
even as the leaves of the trees are stirred by onrushing winds. Yield thou
thanks unto thy Lord by virtue of this brilliant utterance. Wert thou to
perceive the sweetness of the title 'O My handmaiden' thou wouldst find thyself
detached from all mankind, devoutly engaged day and night in communion with Him
Who is the sole Desire of the world.
In words of incomparable beauty We have made fitting mention
of such leaves and handmaidens as have quaffed from the living waters of
heavenly grace and have kept their eyes directed towards God. Happy and blessed
are they indeed. Ere long shall God reveal their station whose loftiness no
word can befittingly express nor any description adequately describe.
We admonish thee to do that which will serve to promote the
interests of the Cause of God amongst men and women. He doth hear the call of
the friends and beholdeth their actions. Verily, He is the Hearing and the
Seeing.
Upon thee and upon them be the glory of God, the Powerful,
the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed
after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
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