Chapter 14

Every man of perception who hath scaled the noble heights of detachment, and every man of eloquence who hath attained the most sublime station, beareth witness that Thou art God, the Incomparable, and that Thou hast assigned no associate unto Thyself in the kingdom of creation, nor is there anyone to compare with Thee in the realm of invention. Men of wisdom, who had but a notion of the revelation of Thy glory, conceived a likeness of Thee according to their own understanding, and men of erudition, who had gained but a glimpse of the manifold evidences of Thy loving-kindness and glory, have contrived peers for Thee in conformity with their own imaginations.

Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O Lord! Every man of insight is far astray in his attempt to recognize Thee, and every man of consummate learning is sore perplexed in his search after Thee. Every evidence falleth short of Thine unknowable Essence and every light retreateth and sinketh below the horizon when confronted with but a glimmer of the dazzling splendour of Thy might.

Bestow on me, O my Lord, Thy gracious bounty and benevolent gifts and grant me that which beseemeth the sublimity of Thy glory. Aid me, O my Lord, to achieve a singular victory. Open Thou the door of unfailing success before me and grant that the things Thou hast promised may be close at hand. Thou art in truth potent over all things. Refresh my heart, O my God, with the living waters of Thy love and give me a draught, O my Master, from the chalice of Thy tender mercy. Let me abide, O my Lord, within the habitation of Thy glory, and suffer me, O my God, to emerge from the darkness in which Thy divine obscurity is shrouded. Enable me to partake of every good Thou hast vouchsafed unto Him Who is the Point and unto such as are the exponents of His Cause, and ordain for me that which beseemeth Thee and well becometh Thy station. Do Thou graciously forgive me for the things that I have wrought in Thy holy presence, and look not upon me with the glance of justice, but rather deliver me through Thy grace, treat me with Thy mercy and deal with me according to Thy bountiful favours, as is worthy of Thy glory.

Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Glorious, the Bestower of favours and gifts, the Lord of grace abounding. Verily no God is there but Thee. Thou art the All-Possessing, the Most High.

Sanctified art Thou, O Lord, Thou unto Whom all render thanksgiving. Whatever I may affirm of Thee would be but a wanton crime before Thee, and whatever mention I may choose to make of Thee would be the essence of transgression, and whatever the praise whereby I may glorify Thee, it would amount to sheer blasphemy. No one else besides Thee hath been or will ever be able to fathom Thy mystery, neither hath any one succeeded nor will anyone succeed at any time in discovering Thine Essence.

Magnified art Thou! No God is there but Thee. Thou art in truth the Supreme Ruler, the Help in Peril, the Most High, the Incomparable, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. Verily Thou art mighty in Thy prowess, the Lord of transcendent glory and majesty.

Protect Thou, O God, whosoever learneth this prayer by heart and reciteth it in the day-time and in the night season. Verily Thou art God, the Lord of creation, the All-Sufficing. Thou art faithful to Thy promise and doest whatsoever Thou pleasest. Thou art the One Who holdeth in His hands the dominions of earth and heaven. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Inaccessible, the Help in Peril, the All-Compelling.

"O My God, my Lord and my Master! I have detached ..."

O My God, my Lord and my Master! I have detached myself from my kindred and have sought through Thee to become independent of all that dwell on earth and ever ready to receive that which is praiseworthy in Thy sight. Bestow on me such good as will make me independent of aught else but Thee, and grant me an ampler share of Thy boundless favours. Verily Thou art the Lord of grace abounding.

"I Adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm ..."

I Adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm beset me in times of tests, and in moments of heedlessness guide my steps aright through Thine inspiration. Thou art God, potent art Thou to do what Thou desirest. No one can withstand Thy Will or thwart Thy Purpose.

"I Beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon ..."

I Beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon after the manner Thou wishest Thy servants to direct themselves to Thee. I beg of Thee to wash away our sins as befitteth Thy Lordship, and to forgive me, my parents, and those who in Thy estimation have entered the abode of Thy love in a manner which is worthy of Thy transcendent sovereignty and well beseemeth the glory of Thy celestial power.

O my God! Thou hast inspired my soul to offer its supplication to Thee, and but for Thee, I would not call upon Thee. Lauded and glorified art Thou; I yield Thee praise inasmuch as Thou didst reveal Thyself unto me, and I beg Thee to forgive me, since I have fallen short in my duty to know Thee and have failed to walk in the path of Thy love.

"Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord our God! Thou art in ..."

Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord our God! Thou art in truth the Knower of things unseen. Ordain for us such good as Thine all-embracing knowledge can measure. Thou art the sovereign Lord, the Almighty, the Best Beloved.

All praise be unto Thee, O Lord! We shall seek Thy grace on the appointed Day and shall put our whole reliance in Thee, Who art our Lord. Glorified art Thou, O God! Grant us that which is good and seemly that we may be able to dispense with everything but Thee. Verily Thou art the Lord of all worlds.

O God! Recompense those who endure patiently in Thy days and strengthen their hearts to walk undeviatingly in the path of Truth. Grant then, O Lord, such goodly gifts as would enable them to gain admittance into Thy blissful Paradise. Exalted art Thou, O Lord God. Let Thy heavenly blessings descend upon homes whose inmates have believed in Thee. Verily, unsurpassed art Thou in sending down divine blessings. Send forth, O God, such hosts as would render Thy faithful servants victorious. Thou dost fashion the created things through the power of Thy decree as Thou pleasest. Thou art in truth the Sovereign, the Creator, the All-Wise.

Say: God is indeed the Maker of all things. He giveth sustenance in plenty to whomsoever He willeth. He is the Creator, the Source of all beings, the Fashioner, the Almighty, the Maker, the All-Wise. He is the Bearer of the most excellent titles throughout the heavens and the earth and whatever lieth between them. All do His bidding, and all the dwellers of earth and heaven celebrate His praise, and unto Him shall all return.

"Through Thy revelation, O my God, Thou hast enabled ..."

Through Thy revelation, O my God, Thou hast enabled me to know Thee, and through the radiance of Thine effulgent splendour Thou hast inspired me with Thy remembrance. Thou art the One nearest to me with naught else between Thee and me, and Thou art the One Whose power nothing whatsoever can frustrate. Far be it then from Thine Essence that the mightiest birds of the souls of men or of human imaginings should ever scale its heights, and too exalted is Thy holy Being for the loftiest sentiments of men of understanding to attain unto Thee. From everlasting no one hath comprehended Thine Own Self, and unto everlasting Thou shalt remain what Thou hast been since time immemorial with no one else besides Thee.

Magnified be Thy Name, Thou art the Best Beloved Who hast enabled me to know Thee and Thou art that All-Renowned One Who hast graciously favoured me with Thy love. Thou art the Ancient of Days Whom none can ever describe through the evidences of Thy glory and majesty, and Thou art the mighty One Whom none can ever comprehend through the revelations of Thy greatness and beauty, inasmuch as the expressions of majesty and grandeur and the attributes of dominion and beauty are but the tokens of Thy divine Will and the effulgent reflections of Thy sovereignty which, by reason of their very essence and nature, proclaim that the way is barred and bear witness that the pathway is inaccessibly beyond the reach of men.

"Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the ..."

In the Name of Thy Lord, the Creator, the Sovereign, the All-Sufficing, the Most Exalted, He Whose help is implored by all men.

Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the heavens and of the earth, O Lord of the Kingdom! Thou well knowest the secrets of my heart, while Thy Being is inscrutable to all save Thyself. Thou seest whatsoever is of me, while no one else can do this save Thee. Vouchsafe unto me, through Thy grace, what will enable me to dispense with all except Thee, and destine for me that which will make me independent of everyone else besides Thee. Grant that I may reap the benefit of my life in this world and in the next. Open to my face the portals of Thy grace and graciously confer upon me Thy tender mercy and bestowals.

O Thou Who art the Lord of grace abounding! Let Thy celestial aid surround those who love Thee and bestow upon us the gifts and the bounties Thou dost possess. Be Thou sufficient unto us of all things, forgive our sins and have mercy upon us. Thou art Our Lord and the Lord of all created things. No one else do we invoke but Thee and naught do we beseech but Thy favours. Thou art the Lord of bounty and grace, invincible in Thy power and the most skilful in Thy designs. No God is there but Thee, the All-Possessing, the Most Exalted.

Confer Thy blessings, O my Lord, upon the Messengers, the holy ones and the righteous. Verily Thou art God, the Peerless, the All-Compelling.

"Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art in truth ..."

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art in truth the King of kings. Thou dost confer sovereignty upon whomsoever Thou willest and dost seize it from whomsoever Thou willest. Thou dost exalt whomsoever Thou willest and dost abase whomsoever Thou willest. Thou dost render victorious whomsoever Thou willest and dost bring humiliation upon whomsoever Thou willest. Thou dost bestow wealth upon whomsoever Thou willest and dost reduce to poverty whomsoever Thou willest. Thou dost cause whomsoever Thou willest to prevail over whomsoever Thou willest. Within Thy grasp Thou dost hold the empire of all created things and through the potency of Thy sovereign behest Thou dost call into being whomsoever Thou willest. Verily Thou art the Omniscient, the Omnipotent, the Lord of power.

"Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! Grant that the ..."

Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! Grant that the day of attaining Thy holy presence may be fast approaching. Cheer our hearts through the potency of Thy love and good-pleasure and bestow upon us steadfastness that we may willingly submit to Thy Will and Thy Decree. Verily Thy knowledge embraceth all the things Thou hast created or wilt create and Thy celestial might transcendeth whatsoever Thou hast called or wilt call into being. There is none to be worshipped but Thee, there is none to be desired except Thee, there is none to be adored besides Thee and there is naught to be loved save Thy good-pleasure.

Verily Thou art the supreme Ruler, the Sovereign Truth, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

"Thou knowest full well, O my God, that tribulations ..."

Thou knowest full well, O my God, that tribulations have showered upon me from all directions and that no one can dispel or transmute them except Thee. 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.

Strengthen my heart, O my God, in Thine obedience and in Thy love and grant that I may be clear of the entire company of Thine adversaries. Verily I swear by Thy glory that I yearn for naught besides Thyself, nor do I desire anything except Thy mercy, nor am I apprehensive of aught save Thy justice. I beg Thee to forgive me as well as those whom Thou lovest, howsoever Thou pleasest. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Bountiful.

Immensely exalted art Thou, O Lord of the heavens and earth, above the praise of all men, and may peace be upon Thy faithful servants and glory be unto God, the Lord of all the worlds.

"Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved! Make me ..."

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved! Make me steadfast in Thy Cause and grant that I may be reckoned among those who have not violated Thy Covenant nor followed the gods of their own idle fancy. Enable me, then, to obtain a seat of truth in Thy presence, bestow upon me a token of Thy mercy and let me join with such of Thy servants as shall have no fear nor shall they be put to grief. Abandon me not to myself, O my Lord, nor deprive me of recognizing Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine Own Self, nor account me with such as have turned away from Thy holy presence. Number me, O my God, with those who are privileged to fix their gaze upon Thy Beauty and who take such delight therein that they would not exchange a single moment thereof with the sovereignty of the kingdom of heavens and earth or with the entire realm of creation. Have mercy on me, O Lord, in these days when the peoples of Thine earth have erred grievously; supply me then, O my God, with that which is good and seemly in Thine estimation. Thou art verily the All-Powerful, the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Ever-Forgiving.

Grant, O my God, that I may not be reckoned among those whose ears are deaf, whose eyes are blind, whose tongues are speechless and whose hearts have failed to comprehend. Deliver me, O Lord, from the fire of ignorance and of selfish desire, suffer me to be admitted into the precincts of Thy transcendent mercy and send down upon me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest. Verily Thou art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

"O My God, O my Lord, O my Master! I beg Thee to ..."

O My God, O my Lord, O my Master! I beg Thee to forgive me for seeking any pleasure save Thy love, or any comfort except Thy nearness, or any delight besides Thy good-pleasure, or any existence other than communion with Thee.

"Thou seest, O my Lord, my dwelling-place in the heart ..."

Thou seest, O my Lord, my dwelling-place in the heart of this mountain and Thou dost witness my forbearance. Verily I have desired naught else but Thy love and the love of those who love Thee. How can I extol the effulgent beauty of Thy Lordship, conscious as I am of my nothingness before the habitation of Thy glory? Yet the sorrow of solitude and loneliness prompteth me to invoke Thee through this prayer, perchance Thy trusted servants may become aware of my lamentations, may supplicate unto Thee on my behalf, and Thou wouldst graciously answer their prayers as a token of Thy grace and Thy favour. I bear witness that there is no God but Thee, inasmuch as Thou art invested with sovereignty, grandeur, glory and power which no one among Thy servants can visualize or comprehend. Indeed Thou shalt, by virtue of that which is inherent in Thine Essence, ever remain inscrutable unto all except Thyself.

"Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised ..."

Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants and all abide by His bidding!

FOOTNOTES

1 This is the first letter of '_Th_amarih' which means 'fruit'. Shoghi Effendi, in his writings, refers to the Bab as the '_Th_amarih' (fruit) of the Tree of God's successive Revelations. (See Shoghi Effendi's letter to the Baha'is of the East dated Naw-Ruz 110, page 5.)

2 In one of His Tablets 'Abdu'l-Baha explains that some were misled by this statement and thought that the school referred to was a physical school for the training of unlettered children, whereas it referred to a spiritual school sanctified from the limits of the contingent world. Baha'u'llah in the Kitab-i-Aqdas also refers to this Epistle of the Bab in the following words:

O Thou Supreme Pen! Move over the Tablet by the leave of Thy Lord, the Creator of the heavens. Call Thou then to mind the day when the Fountainhead of divine unity sought to attend the school which is sanctified of all save God, that perchance the righteous might become acquainted, to the extent of a needle's eye, with that which is concealed behind the veil of the inner mysteries of Thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Say, We, in truth, entered the school of inner meaning and exposition at a time when the minds of all that dwell on earth were wrapt in heedlessness. We beheld what the Merciful Lord had revealed, accepted the gift He [the Bab] had offered Me of the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and hearkened to that to which He had attested in the Tablet. We, verily, are the Witness. We responded to His call at Our Own behest, and We are, in truth, the Ordainer.

O people of the Bayan! We entered the School of God when ye were slumbering on your couches, and perused the Tablet when ye were fast asleep. By the righteousness of God, the True One, We had read it before it was revealed, and ye were utterly unaware. Indeed Our knowledge had encompassed the Book when ye were yet unborn.

These utterances are revealed according to your measure, not to God's, and unto this beareth witness that which is enshrined in the knowledge of God, did ye but know. Unto this testifieth He Who is the Mouthpiece of God, could ye but understand. By the righteousness of God! Were We to lift the veil ye would swoon away. Take heed lest ye dispute with Him and His Cause. He hath indeed appeared in such wise as to encompass all things, whether of the past or of the future. Were We to speak forth at this time in the language of the dwellers of the Kingdom, We would say that God raised up this School ere the earth and the heavens were brought into being, and We entered it before the letters 'B' and 'E' were joined and knit together.

3 1260 A.H. (1844 A.D.)

4 Qur'an 8:44

5 The numerical value of the letters of the word Hin is 68. The year 1268 A.H. (1851-1852 A.D.) is the year preceding the birth of the Baha'i Revelation.

6 The Ka'bah in Mecca

7 cf. Qur'an 4:119

8 Qur'an 13

9 Qur'an 3:182

10 cf. Qur'an 19:41

11 cf. Qur'an 17:90

12 cf. Qur'an 2:285

13 cf. Qur'an 3:50

14 cf. Qur'an 14:4

15 cf. Qur'an 68:42

16 cf. Qur'an 7:63, 69

17 cf. Qur'an 36:68

18 cf. Qur'an 65:7; 94:5

19 cf. Qur'an 8:45

20 cf. Qur'an 2:204

21 cf. Qur'an 4:51

22 In these passages of the Qayyumu'l-Asma the name Qurratu'l-'Ayn (Solace of the Eyes) refers to the Bab Himself.

23 cf. Qur'an 12:20

24 cf. Qur'an 78:38

25 cf. Qur'an 11:83

26 cf. Qur'an 24:21

27 cf. Qur'an 83:25-26

28 Qur'an 52:6

29 cf. Qur'an 29:40

30 cf. Qur'an 2:206

31 cf. Qur'an 2:163-164

32 cf. Qur'an 17:88

33 cf. Qur'an 74:35-37

34 cf. Qur'an 21:40

35 cf. Qur'an 2:14

36 cf. Qur'an 4:149

37 cf. Qur'an 9:32

38 cf. Qur'an 4:169

39 Qur'an 5:77

40 cf. Qur'an 5:15-18

41 cf. Qur'an 5:22

42 cf. Qur'an 5:71

43 cf. Qur'an 2:32; 38:74-78

44 cf. Qur'an 7:69; 12:40

45 cf. Qur'an 7:146; 20:90

46 cf. Qur'an 7:186

47 cf. Qur'an 4:1

48 cf. Qur'an 10:50

49 cf. Qur'an 10:16

50 cf. Qur'an 10:33

51 cf. Qur'an 18:42

52 cf. Qur'an 11:120

53 cf. Qur'an 6:10

54 cf. Qur'an 3:172

55 cf. Qur'an 33:72

56 cf. Qur'an 6:93

57 cf. Qur'an 11:87

58 The Bayan is divided into vahids and chapters, to which these numbers refer.

59 Qur'an 8:47; 33:41; 62:10

60 Qur'an 29:50

61 Qur'an 57:21

62 In The Promised Day is Come on page 7 Shoghi Effendi affirms that this passage was revealed by the Bab speaking with the voice of God.

63 This is a reference to Quddus, 'whom the Persian Bayan extolled as that fellow-pilgrim round whom mirrors to the number of eight Vahids revolve'. (God Passes By, p. 49).

64 Qur'an 8:2

65 Qur'an 19:92

66 22 May 1844

67 From the Declaration of Muhammad; this occurred ten years before the Hijrah which marks the starting point of the Muslim calendar.

68 Qur'an 3:5

69 Qur'an 68:51

70 By 'night' is meant the period between two divine Revelations when the Sun of Truth is not manifest among men. In the Persian Bayan, II, 7, the Bab says, 'O people of the Bayan! Act not as the people of the Qur'an have acted, for if you do so the fruits of your night will come to naught'.

71 The Kitab-i-Asma' is divided into vahids and chapters, to which these numbers refer.

72 By 'night' is meant the period between two divine Revelations when the Sun of Truth is not manifest among men. In the Persian Bayan, II, 7, the Bab says, 'O people of the Bayan! Act not as the people of the Qur'an have acted, for if you do so the fruits of your night will come to naught'.

73 By 'night' is meant the period between two divine Revelations when the Sun of Truth is not manifest among men. In the Persian Bayan, II, 7, the Bab says, 'O people of the Bayan! Act not as the people of the Qur'an have acted, for if you do so the fruits of your night will come to naught'.

74 He Who ariseth (God Passes By, p. 57)

75 One Who is guided (God Passes By, p. 58)

76 The original of this prayer for protection is written in the Bab's own hand, in the form of a pentacle.

77 Refers to the Bab's birthday on the first day of the month of Muharram, 1235 A.H. (October 20, 1819).

78 Qur'an 37:180-182

79 Qur'an 6:103