Tablets of `Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas

Volume II

pp. 239-484

Published by BAHÁ'Í PUBLISHING SOCIETY
P. O. Box 283
CHICAGO, U.S.A.

First edition: Published at Chicago, May 1915
Second edition: Published at Chicago, February 1919

It is hoped that wonderful effects will be displayed in the future, that the friends of God may live and act in accord with the heavenly teachings, in order that the region of America may become the Paradise of Abha, that desert and wilderness become the rose-garden of human perfections, the verses of guidance be read, the melody of "Ya Baha El-Abha!" reach the Kingdom of Beauty; warfare and bloodshed be removed from among the people, affinity and love hoist their tent upon the apex of the world, and all mankind become real friends with one another and each soul respect the other. Whenever these signs appear, then it will become manifest that the Tablets have had their effect.
`Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas

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O thou who art attracted by a Breath that passed upon thee from the Holy Garden, the Blessed Spot— the Paradise of El-Abha! I have read thy brilliant letter, which although short in words yet [is] loquacious, and shows thy firmness in the Covenant of God, thy steadfastness in the religion of God, thy adherence to the laws of God, and thine energy which thou hast shown towards the doctrines of God. Thou has done well. Thou has done well, O thou shining star in the Horizon of El-Abha! Well done! Well done! O thou burning candle in the glass of that remote country! It hath been reported by ..... that thou hast rendered valuable services to the vineyard of God and His beloved servants, that thou art encouraging the shaking hearts and making them more firm and solid, and about the facilitations thou hast made for the promotion of the utterances of God amongst the people. By the Life of God! the angels of heaven magnify thee, the Supreme Concourse praise thee, the party of the Kingdom of El-Abha announce to thee the glad-tidings and the hosts of the unseen assist thee and render thee victorious through the banners of Baha. I have answered the two supplications sent through thee by two newly guided servants.

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O thou honorable lady! Verily, I received thy excellent letter and read it and my heart was gladdened with its content, which shows thy guidance. Thou hast—praise be unto God!— entered under the shadow of the Kingdom of God and become one of the sheep of God; [entered] under the education of the Holy Shepherd, who hath sacrificed His soul and body, as well as His grades, to His subjects. As to the letters which thou hast sent, I forward to thee their answers through this letter and thou wilt send them to the owners; thereby thou wilt be rewarded in the Kingdom of God, since thou hast guided those souls unto the Right Path, and caused them to enter the Kingdom of God. El-Baha be upon thee! O thou who art advancing towards God! I have already read thy letter sent to his honor, ..... May God confirm and strengthen thee to serve His Cause and to enable thee to speak His praise among the maid-servants of the Merciful, and to call out in His name in those regions and climes; so that thou mayest work in the vineyard of God with thy heart severed from aught else save God, and overflowing with the waters of the knowledge of God. We have herewith written answers to the three supplications which thou hast sent. Rejoice at the glad-tidings of God, in this day wherein the fragrances of holiness have perfumed the nostrils of all in the universe!

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O thou maid-servant of God! I was informed of the contents of thy letter and rejoiced with the fragrances which are being diffused from the garden of its texts. It showed that thou art inebriated with the wine of the love of God and moved by the breezes of acceptance which are blowing from the point of the favor of God. By my life, I was rejoiced at thy humility, submissiveness, lowliness and meekness in the Cause of God, inasmuch as rendering service to the maid-servants of God is a mighty crown, which all the greatest queens among women will glory to wear. O maid-servant of God! thou oughtest to pray; thou oughtest to be suppliant; thou oughtest to be humble in every time and moment. I beg of God to enable thee to serve Him in His glorious vineyard, and in His garden, by the holy fragrances of which all regions are perfumed in this great day. As to thy coming to this land, there is no harm in that. Thou art permitted to come and this is an ample reward unto thee. O thou believer in God! Thy letter was received and from its contents happiness was realized. It was a proof of faith and assurance and of firmness in the Covenant and Testament. Desire thou through the bounty and mercy of the Lord of Might that He make thee a cause of spreading

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the fragrances of God and confirm thee in the service of the Kingdom of God. The letter of Mrs. ........ was considered and for thy sake a letter was written her. It is enclosed. I pray God and supplicate the Threshold of Mercy for both of you that you may attain to that which is the will of God and may be aided and strengthened (while) in this mortal world. There is much work and I have not the leisure to write more than this. O thou who has turned towards the Lights of the Alliance! Verily, I greet thee from the White Place, the bright, blessed Holy Land, and say: "Greeting and praise and blessings and glory be upon thee, O thou believer in God, and (O thou) enkindled by the fire of the love of God! "Verily, the Lord of Hosts shall watch thee with the gaze of the eye of favor and shall assist thee in a matter whereby thy breast shall rejoice and thine eye shall brighten and thine affairs shall be arranged and composed from all directions." Therefore, thou wilt call and say: "Blessing be upon me for this great favor and for this manifest success!" O thou who art directed unto God! Verily, I saw thy photograph and was rejoiced by perceiving thy illumined likeness, which proved the purity of thy heart and thy being well directed unto God.

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Strive with thy power to paint thy likeness on the pages of the hearts with such beauty as to brighten the minds. That beauty is the splendor of the Merciful and the glad-tidings of thy Lord, the Clement, whereby the faces shine with an eternal light in the course of ages and centuries. O thou maid-servant of God! In these times thanksgiving for the bounty of the Merciful One consists in the illumination of the heart and the feeling of the soul. This is the reality of thanksgiving. But, although offering thanks through speech or writings is approvable, yet, in comparison with that, it is but unreal, for the foundation is spiritual feelings and merciful sentiments. I hope that you may be favored therewith. But the lack of capacity and merit in the Day of Judgment does not prevent one from bounty and generosity, for it is the day of grace and not justice, and to give every one his due is justice. Consequently, do not look upon thy capacity, nay, rather, look upon the infinite grace of the Bounty of Abha who grace is comprehending and whose bounty is perfect. I beg of God through the confirmation and assistance of the True One thou mayest show the utmost eloquence, fluency, ability and skill in teaching the real significances of the Bible. Turn toward the Kingdom of Abha and seek the bounty of the Holy Spirit. Loosen the tongue and the confirmation of the Spirit shall reach thee. As to that great Sun which thou sawest in a dream: That is His Holiness the Promised One and the lights

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thereof are His bounties. The surface of the water is transparent body—that is, pure hearts. Its waves are the moving of the hearts, the cheering of the souls— that is, spiritual feelings and merciful sentiments. Thank tho God for that thou hast had such a revelation in the world of dreams. As to the fact that man must entirely forget himself, by this is meant that he should arise in the mystery of sacrifice and that is the disappearance of mortal sentiments and extinction of blamable morals which constitute the temporal gloom, and not that the physical health should be changed into weakness and debility. I humbly supplicate to the Threshold of Oneness that heavenly blessings and merciful forgiveness may overtake thy dear mother, sisters and loving relations, especially thy betrothed who suddenly departed from this world to the next one. O thou seeker of the Kingdom! Thou hast forwarded thy photograph and it was considered. In thy face a brilliant light is apparent and that sparkling light is the love of God. All faces are dark except the face which is a mirror of the light of the love of divinity. This light is not accidental— it is eternal. It is not temporal but real. When the heart hath become clear and pure then the face will become illuminated, because the face is the mirror of the heart. I was indeed very happy to look at thy picture and pray God that thy face may become shining. Be happy and joyful and in this Age be it illuminated and full of light.

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O thou kind maid-servant of God! Truly, I say, thou art worthy of the service in the Kingdom and art meriting to be a maid-servant in the threshold of the love of the realm of Might. Rest thou assured upon the bounty and favors of the Lord of Hosts, who will undoubtedly confirm thee. Restrict all thy time to the spreading of the fragrances of God and be thou engaged in the guidance of souls. I associate with thee in spirit at all times and am thy friend and helper. Ere long thou shalt behold that innumerable centers are going to be organised in America¹ for the purpose of the promotion of the Cause of God and hearing the speeches of the maid-servants of the Merciful and the believers of God. Consider thou the days of Christ, how they were a very few, yet in a short space of time they caused a clamor and acclamation throughout all regions. Convey my greetings to Mrs. ........ and say: "These seeds which are scattered here and there are spreading strong roots in the bosom of the earth and these will develop and grow until many harvests are gathered. Rest thou assured." O thou maid-servant of God! Show thou the utmost affection and love toward Mrs. ........ Truly, I say, his honor Mirza ........ is beloved and kind. Ere long he shall behold the universal confirmation descending upon him. O thou maid-servant of God! Strive thou in Buffalo (N.Y.) so that perfect and lasting spiritual assemblies

1. in 1906.

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may be established and the souls be trained and progress spiritually. Convey my respectful greetings to Mr. and Mrs. ........ and say: "A most great gift is prepared and made ready for you in the universe of the Kingdom and the invisible realm. Display ye an endeavor and show ye an effort, so that ye may attain to it and become eternal and everlasting." Exercise the utmost affection on my part to Miss ........ and say: "If thou art seeking a heavenly palace, make thy house the gathering-place of the friends of God." O thou maid-servant of God! Praise be to God that thou has become famous throughout the regions as a Bahá'í. This favor is worthy of the utmost thanks and praise. O thou maid-servant of God! Whenever thou art intending to deliver a speech, turn thy face toward the Kingdom of Abha and, with a heart detached, begin to talk. The breaths of the Holy Spirit will assist thee. Assist thou Dr. ........ and help her all the time. Perchance, God willing, she may attain to guidance. Exercise the utmost kindness to ........ and say: "Whatsoever is thy desire is found in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. If thou art asking confirmation and assistance, be thou faithful, firm and steadfast." O thou who art advancing unto the Kingdom of God! Verily, I read thy letter which was sent to us, and I noted its contents, wherein thou prayest for confirmation to serve thy Lord. I pray God to bless thee and

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aid thee to receive His trusts, so that thou mayest receive the greatest favor in the world of humanity. O maid-servant of God! Forget all else save God, be in communion with Him, supplicate and pray to Him to make thee conqueror over the material things, impressed by the bounties of the Kingdom, commemorating the name of thy Lord, pure from all else save Him, and imbued with the spiritual attributes of those who are holy (and high); then shall thy breaths have effect upon the hearts, and attract the hearts of thy son and husband unto the Kingdom of God. I pray god to confirm thee in this, to make firm thy heart in faith, and give thee a spiritual power, effective in hearts and spirits. O thou who art set aglow with the Fire burning in the Tree of Sinai! Verily, I read thy letter, which speaks of the throbbing of thy heart by the thoughts of the love of God and indicates the unity of the maid-servants of the Merciful, their harmony in the word of God, and their attraction by the fragrances of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the leaves of one tree, and the flowers of one garden. By these tidings the heart of `Abdu'l-Bahá was made happy and he attained thereby fragrance and spirituality. For the Greatest Name and the Ancient Beauty¹ — may my soul be a sacrifice to His beloved—endured all difficulty and ordeals for the purpose of uniting the hearts of the beloved of God; that they might be exhilarated

1. Bahá'u'lláh

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through the wine of unity and proclaim with one voice: "Hasten to love, to love, O peoples of the world! Hasten to harmony, to harmony, O creatures of the universe! Hasten to peace, to peace, O mankind! Hasten to safety, to safety, O concourse of the Divine! Hasten to concord, to concord, O hosts of the Merciful! Hasten to oneness, to oneness, O people of El-Baha, among the people!" I ask God to aid you in spreading these fragrances, and in reading these words in the supreme assemblages and great meetings. Convey my spiritual greeting to thy honored sister. I ask God to confirm the weak and to make them mighty in the kingdom of His Majesty. I pray God to guide thy honorable husband to the Path of the Kingdom, the sublime, and to aid thee in the service of His Cause in His glorious vineyard.*** O thou who has advanced towards Baha'! Truly, I say unto thee, wert thou to spend all that is on earth, thou couldst not obtain this gift which God hath strengthened thee to take freely. Lo! it is the guidance of God and it is being attracted to the Beauty of El-Baha! Thank God for this gift, which is the most wonderful jewel which is glittering on the crown of great glory and honorable position.

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O thou who art anticipating the descent of the Gift of God! The sweetness of the expressions contained in thy words reached the taste of my perception and I was informed of the glorious aim embodied in thy sentences. No doubt the breeze of God hath awakened thee from thy sleep, until thou hast become conscious of the bounties of the Kingdom which are descending at this time. As to thy desire to be severed from this mortal life and thy great attraction to the eternal life: This is becoming to every discerning human being who hath a lofty character. I pray God to ordain for thee this pure life and make thy heart attracted unto exalted grades, favored in His Supreme Kingdom, humble and meek before every penitent servant and diffusing the fragrance of God in this new age. O thou shining ray! Verily, the ray, being transmitted from the etheric sphere, rends the space and reaches the surface of the earth and dispels the gloomy darkness. Verily, be thou one of the rays of the Sun of Truth and then thou wilt cause the darkness of error to disappear and wilt change its intense obscurity into a discovering light which will guide (the people) unto the Kingdom of God. O thou effulgence of the Kingdom! I read thy letter and was informed of thy speech, the contents of which were full of the feelings within thy consciousness, and of thy spiritual sympathies. The light is divided into two kinds, material and spiritual.

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The material light is a vanishing matter and is known by etheric vibrations. But the spiritual light is the divine, eternal and never-ending quality and is a truth of the Kingdom. Blessed is thy face for that it hath taken a portion and a radiance from that Light. O thou candle of the Love of God! The light of man depends on the light of the love of God. Thank thou God, for thou hast illuminated thy face with this light and hast partaken of the bounty of the Kingdom of El-Abha, chanted the verses of unity and worn the crown of guidance of the Glorious Lord on thy head. This is the real Kingdom! O thou who art desirous of the Kingdom of God! Thy letter was the cause of happiness and its contents were the proof of thy turning to the Shining Beauty. In this blessed period, when the light of the endless bounties is illuminating the dark world, some souls, like the butterfly, circled round the Divine Lamp and with perfect yearning sacrificed their lives. I ask of God that thou mayest be one of those souls, so that the rays of knowledge will shine forth from thy face to those regions and will be the cause of guiding the seekers of Reality. Though thou wert obliged to leave Baltimore, I hope that thou wilt be the cause of guidance in Washington (D.C.). Receive proofs and evidence from Mirza Abul Fazl¹ so that thou wilt be armed with convincing proofs and sufficient argument to break down the ranks of denial, pride and ignorance.

1. Abul Fazl—a renowned &Baha'i teacher who visited America during 1902-1904

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O tho dear friend! The maid-servant of God ........ hath remembered thee in her letter and hath thus made my heart busy with thy thought. Consider how much she must care for thee to have remembered thee in such a place. Indeed, this is great love and I am hopeful that this may be a confirmation to thee, so that thou mayest become a personage of the Kingdom, heavenly, illumined and spiritual and a means of spreading and exemplifying the qualities and attributes of God. O thou who art advancing toward God! The letter of that divine maid-servant was received and contents were apprehended. The morn of guidance is beaming forth from the supreme horizon and the light of oneness is shining on the supreme apex. The verses of unity are being chanted and the evidences of the Glorious Lord are in themselves the greatest witness and proof. I beg of God that thou mayest be so replenished with the spirit of the love of God that there may not remain (in thee) any place or access for the winds of tests. For what can dark doubts do with the light of guidance, or clouds with the shining moon? Tests and trials only cause agitation to weak hearts. But the pure souls, a hundred thousand tests are but to them like mirage, imagination and shadow. The shadow cannot withstand the rays of the sun and pure fragrances of holiness will not be concealed through the doubts of the beetle. The headache of wavering (or hesitancy) will not affect those exhilarated with the wine of the love of God.

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In sooth, there will be found in those regions certain persons like the Pharisees of the time of Christ, who, night and day, will exert themselves with all heart and soul to cast forth doubts, in order that they may deprive the souls of the glad-tidings of the Holy Spirit. They will disseminate false rumors and utter many a calumny and will publish and announce (false) stories. They will undertake all these only for the sake of earthly vanities. And some Pharisees among the missionaries of the Gospel will hasten thither from Persia and say, "We are aware of the secret of the matter." All they may say is sheer slander. Now know you these [things], that in its time you may dispel and annihilate the darkness of those suspicions, like unto a manifest light. I beg of God that He may grant thee a power that thou mayest resist all in the earth—how much more these weak, hired individuals who receive salary and bribe for spreading such calumnies! Be ye admonished, O possessors of understanding! O thou dear maid-servant of God! Your letter was received. Its contents were a glorious proof that thy heart and soul are attracted to the fragrances of the Merciful One. Thank thou God for that thou art awakened by such a Breeze and quickened by such a Spirit and hast found joy and fragrance. Those souls who have attained to faith, if they be protected and preserved from tests and keep firm and steadfast, the divine confirmations will surround them from all directions.***

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I beg of God that thou wilt be confirmed with the love of God in all conditions. I beg of God that thou mayest be so assisted in serving the Holy Threshold that all thy family will be astonished and amazed, and will glory and honor. O ye shining Assembly!¹ The meeting that you organized hath attracted the divine gaze and the subject of your conversation was the divine commemoration. A ray from the Kingdom of Abha fell upon that assemblage and that meeting was adorned, and a number of souls, supplicants to God, were gathered in that meeting. If this assembly continues as it is befitting and behooving, great results will thereby appear and conduce to the illumination of those parts, spiritual progress will ensue, the lights of the Sun of Truth will shine, hearts will be illumined, eyes will become seeing, ears become hearing, the lukewarm (or withdrawn ones) become aflame, the inanimate (or numbed ones) will be enkindled in soul and an ecstasy will come to all by which those present will be astonished. I supplicate to and invoke before the Threshold of Oneness, saying: "O Thou Creator! Preserve and protect Thou that assembly from grave (or general) tests and keep them firm and constant in the Covenant and Testament. Confer upon them such steadfastness as will enable them to withstand doubts and root our the foundation of calumnious rumors; for some person hath appeared

1. the Cleveland (O.) assembly.

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(or arisen) with the utmost falsehood, in those parts, and publisheth false reports in some newspapers." O ye members of the shining assembly! Each one of you must resist doubts (or false rumors) in those parts like unto a great barrier, until the invisible confirmations may appear and merciful assistance may become manifest. May your souls be cheered! O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God! Verily, I read thy letter of thanksgiving to God, for He hath illumined thy heart with the light of the Mightiest Guidance, dilated thy breast through the fragrance of the garden of His Kingdom, the Abha, caused thee to speak His praise in that remote and extensive country, and hath enabled thee to guide souls who are attracted to the beauty of God and enkindled by the fire of His Love at this moment. By the Lord of Hosts, God hath ordained for no one greater good than this, or any spirit more brilliance than this, or any spirit more activity than this. Were the dominions of the whole, entire earth to be thine, it would not equal this great dominion which is no other than spreading the guidance of God. Forasmuch as the earthly dominion is like unto the kingdom of Edward VII, king of England, his coronation day became unto him the day of griefs, the day of sorrows, and the days of moaning; his joy was changed into abundant sorrow, and the light of happiness was transformed into the darkness of a gloomy night. This is the condition of the world, its honor, its dominion, its glory and affluence.

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But as to thee—O thou who art attracted unto God! —thou hast established an eternal and everlasting throne through the guidance of God, and hast become crowned with a diadem, the gems of which scintillate throughout centuries and ages; nay, rather, for cycles and periods! This throne cannot be shaken by the powers of the earth and its calamities; nor can incidental obstacles, worldly impediments, or all the diseases and ailments prevent or delay this coronation. For this is under the protection of God and His preservation, defended by His guard and in the stronghold of His patronage, and is watched over by the eye of His mercifulness. therefore, thank thou God forevermore! Deliver my greetings to the attracted maid-servant of God thy honorable wife, and bear unto her the glad-tidings of the graces of her Lord. O thou whom I mention with my heart and tongue! Though I do not see thee with mine eyes, I do see thee with my heart, and mention thee with the fullness of love, clemency, yearning and attraction, supplicating my Lord that we may meet together at the meeting of His Kingdom and the pavilion of His might, where we shall chant the verses of thanks for His bounty, generosity and gifts, the lights of which have shone upon all horizons and their effulgences have become intense upon the hearts of the people of harmony. O thou my dearly beloved! Hasten! Hasten! to the gifts of thy Lord, the Merciful! Come to the Benefactor;

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avail thyself of this opportunity and take thy portion of this Greatest Treasure in this promised day! O thou spiritual youth and merciful young man! Consider the grace of thy Master; how He hath directed thee to the fountain of salvation, until thou hast drunk from the salsabil (i.e., clear water of life) of the guidance of God, in this holy and rich garden. Cling to this firm handle and make thy feet steady in this path, so that the bounties of thy Supreme Lord may successively pour upon thee and make thee a sign of His mighty knowledge. O thou who art directed to the Light of Guidance! Thank thou God, for tho hast chanted the verses of the Mighty guidance in the assemblage of knowledge and hast unfurled the banner of attraction in those most extensive places. Therefore, appreciate this with due appreciation and know thou that this guidance is a gift, greater than which cannot be imagined. Forasmuch as it is a bounty from the Glorious Lord, a success to every sincere servant, a light for the faces of devoted ones and a bestowal from the Lord, the Clement, the Merciful. O ye¹ who are advancing towards the Kingdom of God! Mr. ........ hath praised you that, verily, ye have rent the veil asunder, removed the covering, become informed of the mysteries of God and of the symbols of the Holy Bible, have understood the interpretations of its verses, discovered the truth of its evidences and been

1. and wife.

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guided to the Path of His Kingdom; are imploring for His heavenly gifts and are engaged in His commemoration among seekers. Verily, I thank God, for He hath guided you and ordained for you this great success and manifest bounty. Kiss, on my behalf, the faces of your august children who are nurtured from the breast of the guidance of God. O My God! O My God! This thy servant hath abandoned superstitions, emerged from darkness and hath entered into Thy Light which hath shone forth to the world! Praise be unto Thee, O My God! for thou hast removed the covering from his insight, caused the reality of Guidance to appear unto him and hath ordained for him a gift which is not followed by destruction! O Lord! O Lord! Send unto him a gentle breeze from the garden of Thy sanctity in Thy Kingdom of Abha, so that he may be refreshed and developed as a flourishing branch in that adorned and thickly planted grove; cause his tongue to speak Thy praise among mankind and confirm him through the breath of Thy Holy Spirit at the time of prayer, so that he may become a soul unto bodies, a light unto every eye, a joy to every heart, a consolation to every depressed one, a happiness to every grieved one, and a proof to every gazer! Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Potent, the Bestower, the Merciful, the Giver! O thou who art advancing unto God! Thy precious and beloved letter came to hand and all contents noted. Consider how the bounty of God

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hath surrounded thee until it brought thee to the shore of the sea of the endless and boundless gift of God! I supplicate the benevolence of God and His providence to make thee a dazzling light and a merciful and bounteous gift to His creatures; and to enable thee to be firm and steadfast in the Cause of the Truth and to appoint thee as a means for the exaltation of His Word. O thou confirmed by an inspiration from the Kingdom! Blessed thou art, for thou hast delivered the Word of thy Lord to ........, the maid-servant of God! Glad-tidings unto thee for that by reason of which the spring of knowledge hath flowed out in the garden of thy heart, inundated thy tongue and made thee utter the name of thy Lord and call the people to the Kingdom of thy God! I supplicate God, my Lord and thy Lord, to illumine thy forehead with the light of success and victory, strengthen thy spirit by the breath of god, quicken thee by the spirit of God and make thee a pillar of guidance set up in the firmament of the Kingdom of God. Grieve not because of my imprisonment and calamity; for this prison is my beautiful garden, my mansioned paradise and my throne of dominion among mankind. My calamity in my prison is a crown to me in which I glory among the righteous. Thou shalt hear greater than this. I ask God to assist whosoever is related to thee to receive guidance in the future days, and to bless Mrs. and Miss ........., Miss ........ and Miss ........, and make them the signs of His gift among the people of the world.

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O thou who art attracted unto the Beauty of El-Abha! Verily I read thy recent letter***, and noted its beautiful contents and meanings which proved thy firmness in the straight Path. O friend! Be set aglow with the fire of the love of God, so that the hearts of the people will become enlightened by the light of thy love. Supplicate to God, pray to Him and invoke Him at midnight and at dawn. Be humble and submissive to God and chant the verses of thanksgiving at morn and eve, for that He guided thee unto the Manifest Light and showed to thee the straight Path and destined to thee the station of nearness in His wonderful Kingdom. Verily I ask God to augment for thee, every day, the light of guidance and His gift of virtue, comfort and ease. Thus thou mayest set a good example in that region; that He may lift up the veil from before the eyes of thy mother and father, so that they may witness the lights of the Kingdom of God, which have encompassed all regions. O thou who hast spread the Fragrance of God!—may God confirm thee! Since thou hast reached America, we have not received any message announcing to us thy safe and sound arrival there, but Mr. ........, in a letter to us, hath endeavored to explain in detail that thy return was like showers of rain to that country and like the attack of a lion upon those valleys and mountains. He also informed us that thou hadst been received there with honors by the best men; by those whose breasts were dilated

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by the gentle breeze coming from the gardens of the Kingdom of God. O thou who warmest thyself by the fire of the love of God, spreading from the Tree of the Covenant! Let thy soul be at ease and thy heart in peace concerning the perfect success and progress which the pen is not able to express, for in a short time thou shalt see the flag of the Kingdom waving in those far and wide regions, and the lights of the Truth shining brilliantly in its dawn above those horizons, and thou shalt know that thou art the center of the circle of the love of God, the axis around which souls revolve in their way and supplication to God. Therefore, thou must widen thy heart, dilate thy breast, have patience in plenty, calmness of soul and cut thyself from everything but God! By God, the truth is, if thou goest according to the teachings of El-Abd¹ and followest the steps of Him who is annihilated in God, thou shalt see that the cohorts of the Kingdom of God will come to thy help, one after another, and that the hosts of the Might of God will be in thy presence in steady succession, the gates of the great victory opened and the rays of the brilliant morning diffused! By thy life, O my beloved! if thou didst know what God hath ordained for thee, thou wouldst fly with delight and thy happiness, gladness and joy would increase every hour! El-Baha be upon thee! Present to the beloved people of God there my longings for them. Preach to them the glad-tidings of God.*** Present my best greetings to the honorable and spiritual

1. Servant, meaning `Abdu'l-Bahá.

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women, to those who are very much attracted toward God, and particularly to that one who have proved that it is possible for a camel to pass through a needle's eye. May God keep them in joy and happiness and burning with His love. O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God! Be rejoiced for my mentioning thee and gladden thine eyes by the bounty of thy Lord. Know, verily, that His favor unto thee is great, great; for He guided thee unto the Merciful Light, confirmed thee in bearing calamities and hardships in the path of God, on the part of the neglectful ones. There is no harm in any affliction which befalleth thee in the love of El-Baha, for this affliction is a gem which glistens and shines on the crown of guidance which adorns thy head among the maid-servants. Remember the hardships of the disciples, and what Mary, the Virgin; Mary, the Magdalene; and Mary, the mother of Jesus, bore in the path of God; especially Barbara, until she was martyred in the love of Christ; and she being attracted unto the Kingdom of God, her spirit soared unto the summits of holiness in the paradise of eternal life, in the place of Meeting. O thou whose nostrils are perfumed with the Fragrances of God! Verily, I read thy letter which contained graceful expressions and was of a well made foundation, and I inhaled the odor of the love of God from the garden of its meanings and witness the lights of sincerity in

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the Cause of God from the dawning-place of its mysteries. Blessed art thou, O maid-servant of God, for thou art attracted to the Word of god, and thy heart is illuminated with the lights of the guidance of God, and thy soul is cheered by the gentle breeze blowing from the direction of the favor of God. Verily thy Lord is gracious toward thee. Thank thou God for this great bounty and praise Him for He hath caused thee to enter His New Kingdom; and glorify Him for He hath chosen thee from among those men and women "who were called". Preach the Kingdom of God to every man and maid-servant who is waiting the appearance of His Glorious Kingdom. The lights of guidance shall surely be spread, even as the morning light spreads over all the regions of the earth; all the regions of the earth shall be refreshed by the Word of God. Deliver my longings and greetings to the consolation of thine eye¹, ......, and to thy younger son, ....... Verily I love them both even as a compassionate father loveth his dear children. As to thee, have for them an abundant love and exert thine utmost in training them, so that their being may grow through the milk of the love of God, forasmuch as it is the duty of parents to perfectly and thoroughly train their children. There are also certain sacred duties on children toward parents, which duties are written in the Book of God, as belonging to God. The (children's) prosperity in this world and the Kingdom depends upon the

1. of the eye"—idiomatic Persian expression meaning "son."

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good pleasure of parents, and without this they will be in manifest loss. Send my greetings to ........¹, who is free in this world, but a slave of God in His Great Kingdom. O dear servant of God! The tests of God are surrounding you from all directions and many afflictions have occurred; but thanks be to God that you and your honorable husband are patient, thankful and constant. The necessity and the particularity of the assured and believing ones is to be firm in the Cause of God and withstand the hidden and evident tests. Thanks be to God that you are distinguished and made eminent by this blessing. Anybody can be happy in the state of comfort, ease, health, success, pleasure and joy; but if one will be happy and contented in the time of trouble, hardship and prevailing disease, it is the proof of nobility. Thanks be to God that that dear servant of God is extremely patient under the disastrous circumstances, and in the place of complaining gives thanks. Verily I am pleased with both you and [your husband], and I ask God that you may find pleasure and ease in another world—for this earthly world is narrow, dark and frightful, rest cannot be imagined and happiness really is non-existent, everyone is captured in the net of sorrow, and is day and night enslaved by the chain of calamity; there is no one who is at all free or at rest from grief and affliction. Still, as the believers of God are turning to the limitless world, they

1. a man who was born a slave and freed by the emancipation proclamation.

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do not become very depressed and sad by disastrous calamities—there is something to console them; but the others in no way have anything to comfort them at the time of calamity. Whenever a calamity and a hardship occurs, they become sad and disappointed, and hopeless of the bounty and the mercy of the Glorious Lord. Give especial greetings of Abha to all the friends of God and the divine servants, and give them deep love from `Abdu'l-Bahá. O dear servant of God! Give my greeting and love to your boys. I ask God that each one of them become a shining lamp. O thou dear maid-servant of God! In reality thou art faithful and assured, thoughtful and mentioning the name of thy Lord. All the inhabitants of the Kingdom are satisfied with thy service, and the approximate angels are opening their tongues in thy praise. These angels are spiritual and merciful powers, and in one sense the angels are those sanctified souls who have disentangled themselves from the world of possession and are confirmed with the powers of the Kingdom. However, be thou not sad. Rejoice and delight in the divine glad-tidings! I know that thou art in difficulty, but this difficulty is conducive to the everlasting felicity and this weakness is followed by the supreme strength. Consider thou how the faithful women in the time of Christ, and after the departure of His Highness, underwent hardships! What difficulties did they not bear; and what calamities did they not endure! But that adversity and trial,

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misfortune and derision, became the cause of imperishable and deathless glory and rest. Do ye not look upon the beginning of the affairs; attach your hearts to the ends and results. The present period is like unto the sowing time. Undoubtedly it is impregnated with perils and difficulties, but in the future many a harvest shall be gathered and benefits and results will come apparent. When one considers the issue and the end, exhaustless joy and happiness will dawn. Live thou as far as thou art able according to the divine commands and advices, because they are conducive to eternal life. Caress and kiss on my behalf, with utmost love and yearning, thy two dear children. I supplicate God that they may come the servants of the Cause of God as their father and mother have, and be trained according to Bahá'í education, so that they may become two great signs of the love of God. O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God! Verily, I read thy interesting letter, understood from it an excellent meaning and pray to God to augment thy love, knowledge, certainty and confidence. O maid-servant of God! Everything of importance in this world demands the close attention of its seeker. The one in pursuit of anything must undergo difficulties and hardships until the object in view is attained and the great success is obtained. This is the case of things pertaining to the world. How much higher is that which concerns the Supreme Concourse! That Cause involves every favor, glory and eternal bliss in the world

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of God. The seeker after the great guidance and eternal happiness necessarily will encounter difficulties. He must be patient under such circumstances. The chosen believers of the past quaffed the chalice of suffering and sank deep in the ocean of trials until they attained to that blessed station and sublime beatitude. Verily, I pray to God to aid thy children in the service of the Word of God, the furtherance of His Covenant and the spread of His fragrances, for this is the great happiness of this life and that to come. I ask God to confirm the maid-servants of God, Mrs. ........ and Mrs. ........, in spirituality and to make them firm in turning unto the Center of Mercy and to make them sincere unto His glorious Face. Convey my greetings to Madam ......... and say to her: "Be not sorrowful on account of separation; verily, thy Lord is of more good to thee than anything in the material world. He is the best companion and the best friend and will accompany three under all aspects." Convey my regards to the maid-servant of God, ........., and say to her: "Be rejoiced, O maid-servant of God, through the fragrances which have perfumed the world. Seek an abundant share from this table which hath descended from heaven." O maid-servant of God! It is necessary for every sould who believeth in her Lord to send `Abdu'l-Bahá a letter of acknowledgement in the Oneness of God. O thou maid-servant of God! Glad-tidings unto thee because of my address and answer to thee! God hath purified thee from iniquities

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when He hath drowned thee in the sea of His mercy and made thee drink the cup of faith and the pure wine of knowledge. Well done! Well done! because thou hast desired the evanescence of thy will for the will of God, sought the augmentation of the love of God, the enlargement of the knowledge of God and straightforwardness in the path of God. I ask God to assist thee under all conditions and to enable thee to attain the utmost of hopes. O thou who art calling in the Name of God and heralding unto the Kingdom of God! Verily I considered the contents of thy recent letter, thy beautiful writing and I observed thy heartfelt thanks. Verily my heart is filled with love and affection; overflowing with spiritual attractions. Verily I know that the Tablets (Book) of `Abdu'l-Bahá and his address is a hidden mystery and concealed fact. No one is informed of its greatness and importance at these times, but in the course of time and future centuries the signs thereof will be manifested, the lights thereof will dawn forth, the fragrances thereof will be diffused and the greatness, the importance thereof will be known. The truth I say unto thee, that each leaflet from `Abdu'l-Bahá will be a wide-spread book, nay, rather, a glistening gem on the Glorious Crown. Know tho its value and hold great its station. Then praise God for that He chose thee to love Him and elected thee to spread His fragrances. He selected thee from among the women of the world, so that thou become a flame to the fire of His love, a sign of the Kingdom of His Grace and a summoner to His Name,

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in humbleness and meekness, invocation and supplication to God. Verily I ask God to protect thee from the waves of tests and storms of trial until thou becomest firm in the Cause of thy Lord—a firmness whereby thou be enabled to withstand all nations and peoples. When thou art thus confirmed by God, with firmness and solidity in His Covenant among the people, thou wilt see the hosts of the Kingdom shelter thee from all sides with banners whereunto all heads bow. O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to be firm! It is incumbent upon thee to be steadfast! It is incumbent upon thee to be steadfast! It is incumbent upon thee to be steadfast in the Cause of the Light which hath shone forth unto the world with great brilliancy! O maid-servant of God! Verily, Mary, the Magdalene, was a villager, but she kept firm in the Cause of Christ and confirmed the apostles at the time she declared to them (thus): "Verily, Christ is alive and eternal and death did not overtake Him; and verily, the foundation of His religion is not shaken by His crucifixion at the hand of the oppressors!" By this her face is eternally shining from the horizon of guidance. O maid-servant of God! The circumstances will be severe for every thankful servant (i.e., believer in the Teachings) in those boundaries and countries. The people shall arise against you with the most bitter hatred, opposition and envy. Swords of persecution and curses shall be thrown at you by all the nations. The wind of tests and trials shall fiercely blow and thereby the weak trees, which are not firmly rooted in

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this wonderful vineyard, shall be uprooted. But the trees which are strong, thriving and green will be strengthened, their branches extended, their leaves opened, their appearance beautified and their blossoms and fruits increased. I ask God to make thee one of those firmly rooted trees and an extended branch in this most great vineyard, and to make thy heart like unto a cup overflowing with His love in every assemblage. Verily He is the Powerful, the Generous! Supplicate to God to guide Mrs. ........, so that she may become thy partner and partaker of this great bounty, and to confirm the family of Mr. ........, so that they may be blest with blessings and successive aids and with the appearance of the manifest signs. Thus all ye may become spreaders of the banner of union, love, harmony and peace upon plains and deserts, hills and mountains. O thou who art firm in the love of God! Verily I read thy recent letter*** and I praised God for His glorious mercy and His blessings which are successively poured into the pure hearts. I have written a reply to the letter of ........ and have enclosed it with this letter. I ask God to make him a sign of guidance and to guide, through him, souls (people) of his native land and of other people. Verily, my God chooses whomsoever He willeth, by His mercy and generosity, for entrance into the Kingdom of Glory and shineth the lights of (His) Beauty upon them. Blessed is he who keeps firm in the Path and stands for the Cause of thy Merciful Lord—a firmness like unto the lofty mountains.

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O maid-servant of God! Verily, I pray God to sanctify thee from the material and thus clothe thee with the garment of holiness and the mantle of purity and send through thee the glad-tidings of thy Lord from the Kingdom of Heaven. O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to be firm and steadfast, for by it man attains the greatest hope. Bear every difficulty and be content with any ordeal for the love of thy Lord, so that thou mayest obtain that favor, the lights of which shine throughout the horizons. ***O ye¹ shining faces and spiritual beings! Verily, I was rejoiced at beholding those merciful faces in whose brows the lights of guidance shine on account of their turning unto the Kingdom of El-Abha! O ye beloved of God and His chosen Ones! Blessed are your ears, for they have heard the Call! Blessed are your eyes, for they have beheld the signs of their Mighty Lord! Blessed are your tongues, for they have uttered the praise of my Lord, the Supreme! Blessed are your nostrils, for they have inhaled the odor of faithfulness from the people of guidance! Blessed are your hearts, for they are attracted to the Beauty of El-Abha! Blessed are your breasts, for they are dilated by the knowledge of God!

1. the Counsel Board of West Hoboken (N. J.).

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Blessed are your souls, for they have partaken of the spirit of life from the fragrances of sanctity in the Paradise of El-Abha! Thank ye God! for He hath guided you unto His Kingdom and hath chosen you from among the called ones of nations! Your Lord hath indeed crowned you with the diadem of eternal glory (which will continue) throughout cycles and ages! Truly I say unto you, verily, the angels of heaven repeatedly bless you, for ye have advanced toward God and turned unto His Great Kingdom. Ye shall surely see in this effulgence a flash which will pervade all regions. At that time, all nations and communities will arise to praise and glorify you, and they will bless themselves with your commemoration in gatherings, temples of worship and in exalted assemblies. Is there any gift greater than this? It is incumbent upon you to have union and harmony and love and uprightness, and to be characterized with the morals of your Lord, the Clement; to walk in the highway of equity and beneficence. Be ye manifestations of the mercy of God, dawning-places of the light of His great bounty, and arise with all steadfastness, truthfulness, trustworthiness, compassion, modesty, love and accord with the people of the world, no matter of what community they may be; inasmuch as it behooveth the light to shine even upon the rocks in the field, and the soul is qualified for quickening individuals, even though they be of the ugliest and most disagreeable form, and a pure tree is adapted to bestow a blessed fruit even upon those who throw stones at it.

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O ye¹ who are attracted! O ye who are united! O ye who are believers and assured! Glad-tidings unto you for that ye believed in God, were attracted to the Beauty of God, were directed unto the Kingdom of God and were kindled by the fire of the love of God! Therefore, I say unto you that, verily, the angels of the Kingdom pray for the maid-servants of the Merciful; the possessors of brilliant hearts, spiritual susceptibilities, godlike feelings, heavenly attributes, holy characteristics, confident souls, perfection of humanity and sanctified and pure souls who are striving to spread the spirit of harmony—holy above qualities (pertaining to) nature and passion—spreaders of the fragrances of God severed from all else save God, banners of union and peace—signs of love and accord! Blessed are ye for organizing the assembly of unity! I ask God to confirm you by the divine aid and strengthen you by the heavenly strength so that every one of you may become a shining star by the light of the love of God in the world, and banners moving by the breezes of love and peace on the heights of glory among mankind; and lamps brilliant by the lights of eternal majesty on the assemblies of men. If ye keep firm in this path, ye will see by the eyes of joy signs wherefore ye will thank your Forgiving Lord, and will be confirmed by the hosts from the Supreme Concourse and angels from the Kingdom of El-Abha.

1. the West Hoboken assembly.

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O ye¹ longing ones! O ye cheered ones! O ye attracted ones! O ye who are beseeching the Kingdom of God! Blessed are ye, for ye have removed the covering; witnessed the lights of the Sun of Truth which is shining from the horizon of bestowal; are attracted by the fragrances sent forth from the garden of the Kingdom; have arisen to praise the Lord of Grandeur and Might, and have resolved to disseminate the teachings of God in those vast and extensive regions! Truly I say unto you! Verily, ye have cast away superstitions; have partaken an abundant portion from that Reality which is shining upon all regions; have perceived the manifest signs, have entered the ark of salvation and attained unto eternal life, under the shadow of the Lord of Hosts, gazing unto the Most Honorable Station, enkindled with the fire ablaze in the tree of existence, in the spot of Sinai; responding to the call of the Clement One, severed from the world, and yearning for the place of sacrifice in the path of Baha'. You will surely hear from this call a ringing voice in the regions. Then the nations will awake to this effulgence and hasten unto the fountain of the Covenant; so that they may drink fresh and salutary water from the grace of your Lord, the Clement. At that time, the faithful shall be cheered, the sincere shall rejoice and the yearning ones shall be drawn unto the unseen world, the Kingdom of your Lord, the Merciful! O ye beloved of God and His chosen ones! Trust

1. the West Hoboken assembly.

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ye in the divine confirmation, the merciful bounty and the supreme bestowal. Verily, He will confirm your hearts, dilate your breasts, make your tongues fluent and will rejoice your souls by a grace from the Compassionate Merciful One! O ye beloved of Baha'! Do not look at your weakness, nay, rely upon the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Verily, It maketh the weak strong, the lowly mighty, the child grown, the infant mature and the small great. I beg of God that He may make you diffusers of His fragrances, servants of His Cause, gazers unto His Face, speakers in His praise, and that He may protect you against tests and trials, so that ye may become shining lights, beaming stars, gleaming lamps and lofty trees. Verily, this is not difficult with God! Verily, I hope from God that ye may become my associates in servitude to His Holy Threshold and my partners at the entrance of the Door of His Oneness; so that ye may equally serve in His great vineyard. Then thank ye your Lord, for He hath favored you with this manifest success. By God, the True One! this cannot be equalled either by the dominion of the world or by the gift of ruling over all regions with pomp, glory and power! Reflect ye upon the chosen ones of God in the earlier ages! How their worth was unknown during their days; how they were known by people as but ordinary individuals and unimportant persons! Afterwards, their arguments appeared, their lights scintillated, their stars beamed, their trees became lofty, their mysteries gleamed forth, their fruits were praised, their reservoirs became overflowing, their gardens

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adorned, their birds warbled and their joy became perfect in the Kingdom of their Beneficent Lord. O my God! O my God! These are souls who have advanced toward Thy Kingdom; their breasts dilated by supplicating to Thy Realm of Might; their eyes anticipating the descent of Thy mercy; and their spirits rejoiced at Thy grace and gift! O my God! O my God! Guard them by the eye of Thy protection, preserve them in the cave of Thy defence, deliver them from the grade of the contingent world, protect them during the violence of tests and trials, and assist them by a power from the breath of Thy Holy Spirit, in the world of existence! Verily, Thou art the Beneficent, the Mighty, the Clement! O thou who art kindled by the Fire of Guidance which blazed and burnt in the Tree of Sinai! By the life of God, I am moved with joy by the mention of the beloved and delighted in the love of the elect! And now, with a heart clear from aught else save God and overflowing with the love of God, I mention thee, supplicating God to make thee a lamp of guidance in those districts, that out of thee the spirit of knowledge may be spread upon the hearts and spirits until thou becomest a spring of fresh and sweet water whereto the thirsty and earnest desirers will come to drink, and thus be satisfied with the sweetness thereof. Rejoice at this address which I hope from God will have a great effect on thy heart and spirit and accordingly become the banner of the Supreme Concourse in that distant and extensive spot¹ through which certain

1. America.

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nations and tribes would be directed with bright faces, rejoiced hearts and speaking tongues uttering the praise of God. O thou who art advancing toward God! Verily I read thy letter which thou hast sent through Mrs. ........ and was rejoiced at its contents, which indicated thy excessive love and thy great passion for the Kingdom of God! O my friend! Thank thou God for He hath illumined thy sight with a radiance which is shining forth from the Sun of Truth; hath quickened thee, and baptized thee with the water of life and with the fire of the love of god. I beg God to bless thee so that thou mayest diffuse the fragrances of God in those countries and purify hearts from the filth of ignorance and to make thy revered wife and honored daughters signs of His love among the maid-servants of God, and to ordain for thee a reward befitting one who hath attained (the visit of) the Holy Threshold in this Cause. Verily, I bestowed every kindness upon the maid-servant of God, Mrs. ........, because she hath been the cause of thy guidance, and hath given thee to drink the cup of knowledge. O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Supplicate God that thou mayest be confirmed to what is worthy and fit for the Most Mighty Cycle. Deliver my respectful greeting to Mr. ........ and refresh him with regards and affection. Convey my longing greeting to [Messrs.] ........., ........

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and ........ and say [to them] to engage with Mr. ........ in the service of the Word of God with the utmost love and affinity, in order that they may behold the confirmation of the Supreme Kingdom and observe the protection and preservation of His Highness the Almighty. Truly their hearts are like unto a cup, overflowing with the wine of the love of God and at all times I expect to hear good news of them. O thou dear friend! Thou hast said the truth! Last year¹ was the time of test for all the friends. Trials for the faithful believers are like unto divine bestowal and everlasting gifts. The firmness and steadfastness of the person will become evident and manifest. How could the disciples of His Holiness (Christ) attain to any spiritual development if they did not undergo trials and tests! O friend! Although we are weak, yet the confirmations of the Merciful Lord are inexhaustible. Pray thou that the ill-natured become good-natured and the weak become strong. The dream thou hast seen is in accord with thy interpretation. I hope that Mr. ........ may become the light of the Merciful One and be confirmed and assisted to spread the Cause of God. My God! My God! Elohim² . To this Thy servant give the understanding of the Old Testament and the New and enable her to speak forth with mighty voice and to sing with power the holy songs and to discover the real meaning and the

1. 1905.
2. Written by `Abdu'l-Bahá on the flyleaf of a Bible.

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secret mysteries of those verses, for Thou art the Powerful Inspirer and the Mighty One! O maid-servant of God, thou who hast given up thy life to the service of the Kingdom of God! I have read the signs of thy thankfulness to God for guiding thee to the way of the Lord, to the path of salvation which leads to the Tent of the Testament behind the Tabernacle in the Capital of the Kingdom. Know in the reality of assurance that every true woman who is attracted by the fragrances of holiness in this most glorious age will surpass even the most developed men of previous centuries. It is incumbent upon thee to make thy greatest effort; to put forth thy full strength; to supplicate and to worship, and to be careful to put thy full trust in the Kingdom of the Lord Most High. Make ready thy soul that thou mayest be like the light which shineth forth from the loftiest heights on the coast, by means of which guidance may be given to the timid ships amid the darkness of fog and the heaving of the sea. Then gain the knowledge of godliness and learn the exact facts from the revered Abul Fazl¹, and, if it be possible, remain there a few months. With regard to thy friend, send her to the sea coast or accompany her to Marseilles and return to Cairo that thou mayest learn the necessary proofs. Then return to America—this is in case it is possible for thee. If anything happens otherwise, the way is open and it will be made convenient for thee—say

1. Abul Fazl—a renowned Bahá'í teacher, then in Cairo, Egypt.

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always in the name of God—and rely upon Him; but to understand the teachings regarding the Truth is absolutely required. And upon God let thy confidence rest. O thou who in truth art attracted through the Breaths of the Holy Spirit! I sent to thee a letter few in words and full in its meanings and its mysteries, showing signs of good-tidings. By my life, there are manifested meanings in the mysteries of the words! At present I address thee in plain language without being veiled, and I say to thee: "Stand up with all thy strength to guide the followers of negligence and blindness, and diffuse the breaths of God in those regions; and set off with all speed to New York and Chicago and call with the loudest voice in the assemblies of the beloved ones and invite them to the Alliance of God; and make them steadfast in the Covenant of God, and bear good-tidings to all the steadfast ones, and inspire all who waver to be firm in the religion of God and to resist all force with is against the Alliance of God. Verily I promise the confirmation of the Holy Spirit to thee in those great assemblies whenever ye argue upon the Covenant of God." O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom of God! I hope thou wilt ride thy steed in this field as much as thou canst and that thou mayest know nothing except praising, worshiping and extolling the Sun of the World of Creation. O maid-servant of God! The radiance of favor is

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(cast) upon thy head and thou art clad with the robe of gift. Praise be unto God, that the breeze of the divine spring maketh the soul thrive and the fragrances of holiness are quickening the heart of man. Favor is perfect and bounty is overflowing—the doors of prosperity are opened and hearts are expanded and dilated. The drops of the cloud of favor are continually (falling) and the lakes of graces are successively overflowing. The wine of the love of God is circulating, and the melodies of thankful birds are astonishing all people distant and near. The radiance of the Manifestor of the Mount is illuminating all hearts and breasts and the never-ending bounties are successively (flowing) from the divine Kingdom. I hope that, through the favor of the Blessed Perfection thou wilt become the lamp of the society of Green Acre (Me.), and wilt become the cup-bearer of the wine of the love of God, thou wilt invite a great number of people into the Kingdom of the Powerful Lord and wilt teach numerous souls, thou wilt put the crown of the exalted gift upon thy heard and wilt rule over the empire of the greatest spirituality, and thou wilt become the envy of the queens of all regions and wilt be the rival of all the celebrated people of the world. O thou who art wholly advancing unto God! Verily I have read thy letter in answer to mine and praised God—may glory and dignity be unto Him!— for by reason of which He hath kindled the lamp of guidance in the glass of thy heart, lighted in thy breast the fire of love and faithfulness, illumined thy face with the light of His knowledge among women and chosen

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thee for spreading His fragrances amid the maid-servants. Be happy and rejoice at this speech through which the sick will recover, the sad become cheered, the dumb speak and the deaf hear; rather, the decayed bones will be quickened and the rocks and stones be affected. Remember my spiritual favors which have uninterruptedly descended upon thee at the table which was spread under the abundant gifts of the Kingdom of God. Verily, I continue supplicating God to make to grow from the luxuriant garden of the heart the aromatic plants of His knowledge, through the abundant rain pouring froth from the clouds of His Kingdom, the Most Great; that thou mayest be a herald of the Covenant in those regions and a preacher of the Kingdom of God in those distant isles. Blessed thou art for this letter. Glad-tidings unto thee for this speech! O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God! By God the Truth, verily he angels of the Supreme Assembly pray for thee every morn and eve and announce to thee glad-tidings! O blessed art thou who hast devoted thyself to diffusing the fragrances of God! Know thou that, verily, thy Lord will surely strengthen thy hands and assist thee through the hosts which are hidden from the sight of the heedless ones, and will give the victory through a numerous army from the Supreme Assembly and will illuminate thy heart with the rays shining from the Kingdom of Abha, the Most Glorious! O maid-servants of God! Gird up thy loins, strengthen thy back, be not discouraged or grieved if

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people are pouring the arrows of scorn and blame thee, insomuch as in this thou wilt follow the example of those who have endured every tribulation and calamity. As to the young man and his revered wife, [as to] both of whom thou hast informed me: I beseech God to remove the veil from them and lift the covering from before their faces, so that they may witness the greatest signs of their Lord, the Great, in this day in which all the regions of heaven and earth are sparkling with the lights of their Lord. Tell him, "Verily the Kingdom hath appeared with the ornaments of sanctity on the apex of the world of being. Thou oughtest to enter therein, and this is glad-tidings unto thee and to all those who have been expecting the advent of the Kingdom of their Lord with true heart turned toward God." O thou who art attracted to the Word of God! Verily I read thy excellent letter, nay, rather thy brilliant, peerless pearls, which proved thy sincerity in the Cause of God, the enkindlement of thy heart with the fire of the love of God and the illumination of thy face through the light of the gift of God! O maid-servant of God! Know, verily, I was with you in spirit during your assemblage in the meeting of the commemoration of God, the House of Agreement, under the Standard of peace, and I perceived ye with my spirit on the Mount of Salvation and shared with ye in celebrating the praise of my Lord, and I smiled with all cheerfulness, joy and gladness when I found that ye were beseeching God and supplicating before the Kingdom of God. I beseech God to guide some of

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those who have given themselves to the Word of God, while they know not the Word. And I beg of God to give insight to every heedless one, so that he may witness the signs of his Mighty Lord in this great century wherein the Lord is glorified for the bounties and gifts which He hath bestowed on all the horizons [i.e., regions] through His Ancient Grace. Verily I wrote an answer to the letter of ........ and enclose it in this letter. O maid-servant of God! By God the True One, verily `Abdu'l-Bahá invokes God to strengthen thee through the mightiest power, so that thou mayest become a star of guidance in Green Acre, to diffuse the fragrances of God, to blow forth the spirit of God, to summon people to the Word of god, and may speeches pour forth from thy pure lips as a torrent which rapidly pours down from the loftiest mountains! O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of the Garden of the Covenant and art speaking the praise of the Orb of the Universe! Know thou, verily, I read thy letter which expressed the commemoration of thy Lord, the Great, and indicated that the fire of the love of god is ablaze in thy heart and in the soul of the sincere ones. Truly I say unto thee, verily thy magnificent letter was as one of the melodies of the birds of holiness in the wonderful garden. Verily the hearts of the Supreme Concourse are dilated with the songs which thou hast warbled on the Blessed Tree in the Exalted Paradise. O maid-servant of God! Verily `Abdu'l-Bahá was with you in Green Acre in his spirit, soul and in all

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of his spiritual grades, and he was your companion in your meetings and was bearing unto you, with his spiritual tongue, the glad-tidings of the divine splendors which shall be poured forth upon you from the Kingdom of God, in a short time. O maid-servant of God! Be rejoiced at this glad-tidings whereby the hearts of the people of the Kingdom of El-Abha are moved with joy. Verily I beseech God to make Green Acre as the paradise of El-Abha, so that the melodies of the nightingale of sanctity may be heard from it and that the chanting of the verses of unity may be raised therein; to cause the clouds of the great gift to pour upon it the rains falling from heaven; to make those countries become verdant with the myrtles of truth and inner significances and to plant therein blessed trees, with the hand of Providence, which may bring forth pure and excellent fruits wherefrom the fragrances of God may be diffused throughout all regions. These signs shall surely appear and these lights shall shine forth. O maid-servant of God, the Merciful! It is incumbent upon you to unveil the covering and to witness the Beauty of the Almighty! Ye shall surely see the lights rising in those parts, as ye have already seen them. Ye shall surely behold a Pillar of Fire extending upward to the Supreme Apex and it will call unto you with the most wonderful expression and will address you, saying: "I am the Ancient Light! I am the Lord of the Exalted Kingdom! I am the Star shining forth unto the horizon of the hearts of the people of Oneness!" O maid-servant of God! Be tranquil in heart and be enkindled with the fire ignited in the Blessed Tree—an

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> enkindlement which may cause a fire to blaze in the inanimate hearts in those regions. O maid-servant of God! Be not disheartened if thou hearest the murmuring of the deniers, the clamor of the hypocrites, the shouting of the contradictors, the barking of the furious, harmful dogs, in those climes. Remember the persecutions which consecutively befell the disciples of christ from the perverse Jews. Consequently, withstand their oppositions with all quiescence and dignity (patience) and their contradictions with all cheerfulness, gladness and dilation of heart (i.e., exaltation) by day and night. Resist their fighting with peace and reconciliation, their blows with kindness and perfection and their blame with joy and tranquillity. Do beseech God to direct them to the Path of Salvation and breathe into them the Spirit of Life. Be thou a light to every darkness, a dispeller of every sadness, a healer for every sick person, a quencher for every thirst, a shelter for every refugee, a refuge for every captive. If the Pharisees interfere with thee, it is incumbent upon thee to implore God to guide them to the road of salvation! And it is incumbent upon thee to be affable to them under all circumstances, to be patient in afflictions, to be courteous with the enemies and to pray for the hateful sinners! This is the nature of the faithful and convinced women believers whose hearts are dilated with the fragrances of God and who instruct (people) in the teachings of God! O maid-servant of God! Trust in the grace of thy Lord. He shall surely assist thee with a confirmation whereat minds will be amazed and the thoughts of the men of learning will be astonished. Consider the divine

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splendors in Green Acre: One of them is the tree of fire and another is what was witnessed by thy friend— a light shining forth unto all sides. This is through the grace of thy Lord unto thee! Consequently, be engaged in perusing St. John's Revelation; all these signs are spoken of in that vision. Thou shalt soon behold (things) still greater than this. O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to diffuse the fragrances of God and to be occupied in delivering (teaching) the Cause of God! Deliver my greeting to ........ and say unto them: "Trust ye in the grace of your Lord and thank your Master, for He hath directed you to the Path of the Kingdom of God. Verily He is the Assister, the Beneficent!" The coming of any one to these countries is, at this time, difficult and unallowable. I beg of God to facilitate it and then we will permit ........ to come. I beg of God to manifest His lights in the heart of ........ so that he may apprehend that which he never before apprehended and behold the mysteries of the Kingdom with real certainty in this glorious age. God willing, next year some of the teachers (of the Truth) will present themselves at Green Acre and will cause the voices of the people of the Kingdom to reach the Supreme Apex. O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God and enkindled with the Fire wherein Moses, the Speaker, found Guidance! May it be salutary to thee, the draught from this cup, which is overflowing with the wine of the love of God.

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Blessed art thou, that thy heart is connected with the callings of the Kingdom of El-Abha, so that thou hast dispensed with the telepathic wires of the world, because the terminal of the spiritual wire reached the center of thy heart and the other is placed in the Spiritual Center, vibrating informations constantly through the power of the Spirit and successively conveying the great glad-tidings. This is the station of (or for) every maid-servant whose heart is filled with the love of God and attracted to the Beauty of El-Abha. Thank God for showing unto thee and thy dear friend, the revered ........, the great power and might of the Kingdom personified in the body of humanity, and that thou didst worship Him with a brilliant heart, and He addressed thee (saying): "Peace be unto thee! Peace be unto thee!" His white vestment is the garment of the Manifestation and [His] brilliant color. Regarding the gems which appeared on His breast, they are peerless pearls of wisdom which shine unto the horizons with a godlike fame. As to His shining face, verily it hath illumined the earth and dispersed the darkness from the contingent world. Regarding thine entrance with thy friend into the gallery lighted with lamps, know thou that gallery is the world of humanity and the lamps His wonderful teaching, His all-wisdom, His perfect bounty and His clear manifestation. He is the Absent-Present in the world of humanity. O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to diffuse the fragrances, it is incumbent upon thee to

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promulgate the teachings of God and it is incumbent upon thee to breathe the spirit of life into the hearts of the people of those regions, so that thou be a lamp of guidance in the recess of Green Acre. Take the cup of the love of God in thy right hand and with thy left hand hoist the banner of universal peace, love and affection among the nations of the earth. Call out (saying): "Hasten! Hasten unto the Great Bounty! Press! Press forward unto the Abundant Mercy! Speed! Speed unto the Manifest Light! Be urgent! Be urgent for the Great Attainment! Verily, by God the Truth, the doors of the Kingdom are opened, the lights of god have shown forth and illumined the horizon of the earth! The Lord of Hosts hath descended with the army of lights and angels of heaven and depressed the armies of darkness! He sent His angels to all directions, with a call of the trumpet of realities and meanings, instructions and teachings! Therefore, O people of the earth, appreciate the opportunity, in this new century, wherein the lights have been revealed by the Glorious Lord!" In regard to the school which tho didst think of and its organization: I ask God that thou shouldst become confirmed in it with all order and command. But now it is necessary first to organize the Cause of God in those countries; then, order and preparation. Therefore arise, through a power from God, in organizing the Cause of God—that is, the diffusion of the fragrances of God, promotion of the Word of God and heralding unto the nations and peoples with a pre-existent power the appearance of the Most Great Sun.

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O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God! Verily I read thy excellent letter and was dilated through its excellent contents. Know thou that the distance of habitation doth not prevent the rising of the lights, and that time and place only control the bodies and not the spirits which are free from the contingent beings, not (do they control) the realities which are sanctified from the stains of the world. When the Spirit is breathed in the East, its signs immediately appear in the West and it hath a spiritual dominion which penetrates the pillars of the world. Then know thou that God hath not ordained any greater happiness and joy than the removing of the veils by witnessing the Kingdom of God and presenting oneself in an assembly which is radiant with merciful emotions which cannot be apprehended by minds and thoughts. O maid-servant of God! Verily opposition will wax fierce upon thee and denial and unbelief will day by day increase. People will arise to oppression and people will torment thee for thou hast believed in God, art attracted to the fragrances of God and hath spoken His praise among the maid-servants. They will execrate, revile, curse and oppress thee with acute tongues. Be not distressed at this; nay, rather continue with an increased firmness and stanchness in the Cause of God. For through calamity the heart of `Abdu'l-Bahá is attracted; through (suffering) oppression the breast of `Abdu'l-Bahá is dilated; through enduring afflictions the faithfulness of `Abdu'l-Bahá is proven; through imprisonment the soul of `Abdu'l-Bahá is

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cheered; at every moment he wishes to quaff the cup of sacrifice in the path of God. O maid-servant of God! Opposition shall surely pass away, the dark clouds in all regions will be dispelled and the lights of the Covenant shall shine forth. At that time your value shall appear among the nations of the world and tribes and people will arise to praise you. Take warning by the former cycles and the bygone Manifestations. O maid-servant of God! Verily the Cause is great and great! Regiments and regiments enter therein! Some people must necessarily turn their backs upon it, on account of their lack of sincerity in he Cause of god and for their selfishness and egotism. O maid-servant of God! A pure sea doth not accept a dead body, therefore the waves will necessarily throw the dead finally upon the shores. O maid-servant of God! When some souls turn away from the love of God, there is no harm therein. Did not Judas Iscariot, the chief of the apostles, turn away on account of jealousy for Peter the apostle? Likewise, some people must necessarily turn away on account of jealousy for others. As to thee: Consider the predecessors as a warning to posterity and purify thy heart from all else save God, under all circumstances. When thou was in Acca we pointed this out to thee. O maid-servant of God! Whenever sorrows and afflictions grow violent toward thee, remember that which we told thee during thy presence in these lands; then thy sorrows shall be removed and thy heart shall

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1 remember thee by night and day. Then know thou, verily the prison is my wonderful paradise in love for Baha'; it is my lofty stronghold, my impregnable mansion and glorious throne. Be not grieved thereat, nay, rather beg of God to make me quaff the cup of sacrifice in the path of Baha'. O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God! I am already informed of the import of thy wonderful letter and the meanings of thine excellent words. I was rejoiced to find how it expressed that thou art devoted to God, turning unto the Supreme Horizon,

1. Leaves—meaning the ladies of the Household at Acca—sister, wife and daughters of `Abdu'l-Bahá.

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enkindled with the fire of the love of God and attracted to the fragrances of God. I beg of God to increase thy separation from the world, thy supplication before the Kingdom of God and thy yearning for the Beauty of God. What thou hast said (in thy letter) concerning the servant of Baha', the "Mother of the Faithful," is but true. Verily she is purified in soul, enkindled by the fire of the love of God, hath sincerely turned unto her Master, hath completely faced toward the Kingdom of God and hath arisen to diffuse His fragrances in all parts and serve His friends with a sincerity and joy unto which the Supreme Concourse beareth witness. She shall surely have a firm and steady footing in the Cause of God, her face shall shine forth from the Horizon of Loftiness, her fame shall be spread in the Kingdom of God, and [she] shall have a ringing voice throughout regions, and the lights of her glorious deeds shall beam forth during cycles and ages. As to ........ and ........, verily the faces of these are as the pupil of the eye; although the pupil is created black, yet it is the source of light. I hope God will make these black ones the glory of the white ones and as the depositing of the lights of love of God. And I ask God to assist them in all circumstances, that they may be encompassed with the favors of their Loving Lord throughout centuries and ages. As to ........, verily God hath ordained for her a noble station. The lights of knowledge shall surely shine forth from her face upon the world. Verily she is attracted to the word of her Lord, was dilated by

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hearing the speech of `Abdu'l-Bahá at the time of meeting and her eyes became consoled by witnessing the signs of her Mighty Lord. As to the maid-servant of God ........: God hath indeed favored her with an excellent disposition which is like fragrance from a garden of the Merciful and she passeth her days in serving the Cause of God. I beg of God to confirm and assist her under all aspects and circumstances. As to the son of the "Mother of the Faithful": I beg of God to make his ears attentive, his eyes observing, his heart abounding with the lights of guidance and to make his soul as one of the signs of his Mighty Lord. Pray ye in his behalf night and day that God may strengthen him in a matter which may shine, beam and glow in the niche of the Kingdom of God and that He may cause him to arise and assist the pious ones, to seek bounty from the signs, to gain illumination from the lights, deliver the necks of all men from the chains of superstition, to feed the needy ones upon the food of the Kingdom of God and support the weak ones with a penetrative power from the Word of God. Verily thy Lord is the Confirmer! O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God! We have written a clear and efficient answer to ........ out of the love for thee and for her; otherwise `Abdu'l-Bahá is free from any other mention than that of God. As to thee, be not grieved at anything whatever. There is a right wisdom in whatever happens in this

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great Cause. Be not grieved if the trash of the world is decreased in thy hands, for thy brilliant heart is a great treasury, inasmuch as every heart which trusts in the grace of its Lord is illumined through the lights of its Creator and it is one of the treasuries of the Kingdom, filled with the wealth of His divine world and heavenly bounties. This is a great wealth! Deliver my greetings to ........ and announce to him the glad-tidings of God and say unto him: "This day is the day of soaring and the day of shining. This day is the day of the Ancient Honor, Abundant Wealth, Mighty Dominion and Great Gift. Appreciate thou its value and do not neglect it, so that thou mayest attain to that which was longed for by the holy ones in bygone ages and centuries." O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God! Verily I read thy letter which indicated thy knowledge of the significances of the Revelation of St. John. I ask God to enlighten thine eyes by witnessing His lights which have illumined the horizon of existence to eternity of eternities. Praise God that He manifested unto thee the brilliancy of the Sun of Truth which is shining from the Kingdom of El-Abha; and God made thee look with divine eyes at the reality of revelation. Rest assured the light of the love of God will envelope the world with great illumination. O maid-servant of God! May God increase thy glowing with the fire of His love and by a light from the rays of the Sun of the Universe. O maid-servant of God! Raise the call at Green

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Acre, summon all unto the Kingdom of God whose lights shone forth, fragrances wafted, clouds changed into tears (or drops of rain) and guardians smiled. O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God! Verily I read thy last letter and gathered from its meanings the mysteries of thy great love. I supplicate to my Lord that He may at every moment increase thy joy and fragrance, thy speech and utterance, thine attraction and enkindlement, and that He may heal thee from the infirmities which have affected thee and weakened thy feeble body, and strengthen thee to guide mankind into the Supreme Kingdom and quicken hearts by the fragrances of the Paradise of Abha, so that thou mayest become a bird warbling upon the twigs of the Tree of Life, with most wonderful melodies and most charming tunes. O thou artery pulsating in the body of the world! Verily I read thy recent letter which indicated conscious joy and abundant happiness from the glad-tidings of the Kingdom of El-Abha. Know, verily that the feast is the day wherein God opened thine insight through the Manifest Light, showed thee unto His Great Kingdom and granted to thee to drink from the chalice overflowing with the wine of divine guidance among the maid-servants. Is there a feast more happy and more noble than this? No, indeed, by the Lord of Heaven, it is a day wherein the thirsty one attaineth to the Spring from which gusheth forth cool and refreshing water, the lover meeteth his Loved One and the sick one is healed by the remedy of the Physician. Blessed art thou for attaining unto this!

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Verily, the people who rejoice in the day of the feast and enjoyed the tree¹ (which) was decorated, following the custom of ancient times, are the people of superstitions. By the Majesty of thy Lord! Were they in the time of Christ, they would turn their backs and would not behold His smiling, glorious face; but today they play in the shallow waters of their superstitions without discretion. Therefore, thank God for His having privileged thee to attain nearness to the Blessed Tree which is grown upon the highest Sinai and is set aglow with the fire of God's love, calling unto responsive listeners. I supplicate God to heal thee from all troubles and diseases and make thee a sign of guidance and a standard of the Supreme Concourse in those regions and particularly at Green Acre. O thou esteemed maid-servant of the Loving Lord! What thou hast written in recommendation of a number of Christians was perused. Although the presence of these persons will, in these times, cause the revolt of the heedless ones and increase the trouble, yet for your sake we will send them a telegram to Egypt and permit them to come and visit. This is but for thy sake, and `Abdu'l-Bahá cannot endure to meet but the people of the Merciful and does not wish to be in union except with the heavenly ones. O thou chosen maid-servant of God! It is time for thee to cry aloud and fervently, day and night, not to sit still a moment, not to rest for an instant, but to

1. tree.

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be always engaged in the commemoration of God and invite the people with the utmost longing and ecstasy unto the Kingdom of God. Raise thou such melodies and harmony in Green Acre that may reach unto the Kingdom of Abha and cause joy and exaltation in the angels of heaven! This matter needs a great enthusiasm (heat or exertion) and a sanctity and purity like unto a manifest light. Thou knowest what secrets doeth the spirit of `Abdu'l-Bahá communicate with thee and what glad-tidings he giveth unto thee! Show forth thy capacity and merit, for without capacity the Gift doth not become manifest. O thou dear maid-servant of God! Thy letter was excellent and its contents were perfect and complete. Happy is thy condition for that thou hast not forgotten the time of thy visit¹, nay, at every instant thou hast grown in this thought and art remembering the exhortations of `Abdu'l-Bahá and wishing in thy soul to put them thoroughly into practice. Praise be to God that thou hast kept steadfast with all firmness under the millstone of tests like unto a grain of diamond. Be not grieved; tests lead to the development of holy souls and the ardor of the flame of fire causeth the pure gold to shine and the violence of winds is conducive to the growth and thriving of a firm and well rooted tree. If the earthen house and mortal dwelling-place was burned² , yet I hope that thou mayest build thy nest and abode, like unto the birds of holiness, in the Tree of Life in the Divine Kingdom.***

1. Acca.
2. residence was destroyed by fire.

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All the members of the household, especially the Exalted Leaf¹, send most wonderful Abha greetings. The maid-servant of God, ........, is present here longing for you with the utmost joy and happiness. As to the catalogue of the book of which thou has written, convey (the following) to the author of that book: "Although thou hast exerted the utmost endeavors in compiling this book and hast written the life of His Kingdom Christ and His blessed sayings—and this service and labor deserve favor—yet these are events of former times and all that is past is of a different effect. If thou art a hero of the field and a melodious bird in the garden of the Merciful One, speak of the Beauty of Abha, for it is ready and present. consider that the last year's springtime is past and all that thou mayest say or hear (about it) is but a story (or narrative); but appreciate thou this New Year's Spring —which is this present time—hath pitched its tent with the utmost magnificence in the field and plain and hath made the mountain and desert verdant and fresh, hath made the trees to appear pure and fresh, blooming with flowers and blossoms through the vernal bounty and caused them to bring forth pure fruits. Nor all that thou mayest speak of the past springtime, be it even spoken with all excellence and eloquence and in accord with reality, all that will, nevertheless, be a past story. "Do thou not abandon that which is ready in the present time until thou mayest gain the result and gather fruits from the garden of thy hopes and wishes.

1. Sister of `Abdu'l-Bahá.

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Otherwise, thy book is a book of history—it will be concluded and forgotten. Harken unto me (i.e., take my advice): One single ready drop is better than a sea which is past. More especially, this New Cause is like unto a sea, while all those which are past were like unto rivers." O bird without a nest! It is reported thy home and shelter is burnt, thy resting place and habitation is become desolate. Though this news is greatly affecting, yet do not be sorrowful and disheartened, because the birds of the divine gardens have nests on the branches of the Tree of Life. The earthly abode is not worth the attachment of the heart, for this structure will surely be destroyed, but that which is of worth to freed ones (detached from all save God) is the heavenly palace and the court of Divine Majesty. Thanks be to God that for each one of the divine freed slaves and the heavenly and dear maid-servants, and indestructible mansion will be erected in the New Kingdom. This mansion will be an everlasting dwelling, an eternal abode and shelter. There is a hidden wisdom in the burning of the house which before long will be clearly known. Divine attractions and heavenly bounties alone cause happiness to the hearts. Use your utmost endeavors to dwell in the thought that in Green Acre this year the divine proclamation will be raised to the heavenly zenith and the lights of the supreme guidance will enlighten those regions. Be sure that heavenly assistance will be given and

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that the breeze of the Divine Garden will perfume the nostrils of the inhabitants of the earth. Some of the weak souls thought that this dear maid-servant of God was attached to this house and to this perishable world. Now the house is burnt, all will realize that thy attraction is increasing, thy steps are drawing near, thy flag is raised higher and thy condition more excellent. Show forth such happiness and joy that all will be astonished. O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of the Kingdom of El-Abha! I read thy letter which was beautifully composed and which indicated that thy delicate body hath gained rest. I send thee the answer spiritually so that the signs of the address may become manifest in thy heart. Verily thou art with me in spirit at all times. I ask God to make thee follow my example in establishing the Kingdom of Unity and Peace and building up the Dominion of Love and Faith which was founded by the Beauty of El-Abha. Rest and repose are necessary for thee in these days; be thou composed in all conditions. Thou art with me under all circumstances. Then thank God for His guidance unto thee. He hath made thee drink from a cup overflowing with the wine of His love in the world. I ask God to make thee the essence of holiness and purity among the maid-servants of the Merciful—thus thou mayest be a brilliant flame in the universe. All the Illumined Leaves, the maid-servants of God in this most great prison, convey to thee greeting and praise.

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¹ Inquire after the health of Miss .........., send her my greeting and say: "Many ideas rise up in the human mind; some of them concern truth and some untruth. Among such ideas those which owe their source to the Light of Truth will be realized in the outward world; while others of a different origin vanish, come and go like waves on the sea of imagination and find no realization in the world of existence. "Similarly, numerous, various meetings and assemblages have been organized during the past ages and bygone centuries. All these produced no result except those assemblages which rendered unmixed service to the Light of Truth; from such assemblages alone great results were realized in the world of existence. "For instance, consider how many a thousand assemblages— religious, political and literary—have been organized in India, Persia, Turkestan, Chinese countries and, in a word, in every part of Asia. All these gave no result except that assemblage of the disciples of Christ on the mount fifty days after Christ's ascension. all that hath since been effected along the line of diffusing the holy fragrances of Christ, uplifting the Word of God, spreading the Gospel, training souls and guiding the people, hath been wholly from the result of the effects produced by that assemblage of the disciples. Those effects are continual even in the present time. "Consequently, if one looks for praiseworthy results and wishes to produce eternal effects, let him make exceeding effort, in order that Green Acre may become

1. Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.

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an assemblage for the Word of God and a gathering place for the spiritual ones of the heavenly world. "The moldered, two-thousand-years-old superstitions of the heedless, ignorant peoples, whether of Asia or Europe, should not be spread in that revered gathering place; for, if such be the case, let it be known for certain that that assemblage will yield no result and will, before long, be forgotten and consigned to oblivion, similar to other meetings of bygone times. "I beg of God that that esteemed maid-servant of God shall be the cause of spreading the Cause of God, so that the Light of Truth may shine and the world be illumined. "When you reflect attentively, you will find that the Word is what we have hereby said and that all else save this is pure imagination, is of no stability and is evanescent. "The tree must have roots in order to yield fruit. The trees of the forest of Asia have yielded no fruit for thousands of years, except the blessed Trees of the Divine Manifestations, for each one of these Trees hath so developed and flourished that it hath trained and nourished the whole earth with fruits and yields." O thou beloved maid-servant of God! What thou hast written was considered. It indicated purity of heart and advancement toward God. O thou maid-servant of the Blessed Perfection! Be thou not sad, neither be thou unhappy, although the divine tests are violent, yet are they conducive to the life of the soul and the heart. The more often the pure

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gold is thrown into the furnace of test, the greater will become its purity and brilliancy and it will acquire a new splendor and brightness. I hope that thou art thyself in such a position. Consider thou the lives of the former sanctified souls; what tests have they not withstood and what persecutions have they not beheld; while they were surrounded with calamities they increased their firmness and while they were overwhelmed with tests they manifested more zeal and courage. Be thou also like unto them. The utmost favor is shown toward thee and the divine bounties are thy guide. endeavor thou, as far as thou canst, in order that thou mayest be like unto a chaste and clear mirror, cleansed and purified from every dust, so that the outpouring of the rays of the Sun of Truth may descend and thou mayest illumine those who are around thee. This is my counsel to thee. I pray always in thy behalf and supplicate for thy confirmation and assistance, in order that thou mayest become a sign of the Most Great Bounty and be the cause of the guidance of many souls. If thou art mindful, seek thou the favor everlasting and the illumination eternal. Do thou some work, that thou mayest become favored in the Threshold of the Almighty and a beloved maid-servant of the Blessed Perfection, in the Kingdom. His honor ........ hath delivered thy message. I entreat God that thine utmost hopes and desires may become realized. Every one in the Holy Household is engaged in thy remembrance and sends thee their longing greeting.

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Convey to ........ my respectful greeting and announce to him: "No matter how brilliant a receding star is, its light never reaches to this world. Worship thou the newly ascendant Shining Luminary whose lights are glittering and whose proof is self-evident. Become thou the cause of guidance of the person whom thou art respecting. No matter how much endeavor and effort is shown, a tree which hath been in existence for two thousand years or more will never bring new and fresh fruits. This is the truth and there is nothing beyond the truth but manifest error." O thou who art favored in the Kingdom of the almighty! The letter that thou hast written with the utmost eloquence, compassion, humility and submission of heart and spiritual emotions, hath been read. If the people live and act in accord with the General Tablets which are revealed to the beloved of the East and of the West, this universe will become another universe and the whole existence of this world will be clad in another garment. You must encourage and reinforce the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful that they may live and act in accord with the teachings in the General Tablets. Consider thou how vast is the arena of the Kingdom —it hath environed the whole world. The splendor of Providence hath encircled all races, nations, communities and religions; the foundation of foreignness is swept away and the basis of Oneness is established; love hath become universal and the spiritual ties are strengthened.***

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O thou favored maid-servant of God! The meeting which thou hast formed and therein assembled the faithful (or believers) together and engaged with them in the commemoration of God, caused the Supreme Concourse to praise and the angels of heaven to applaud. Be thou a cause of unifying hearts as much as thou canst and guide thou the heedless souls, and in this spiritual springtime perfume thou nostrils with the sweet fragrances of the rose-garden of the Kingdom. This is eternal life; this everlasting Glory! And this is a peace which is not followed by any trouble! All else save this is a plaything of children and is useless and nonsense! O thou who art advancing towards the Shining Orb of the Horizons! Verily, the East and West have already glittered through the light which is shining forth from the Horizon of the mercy of thy Lord, the Clement, the Merciful, but the blind are still in great error. The Call of God is already raised throughout all concourses of the earth; but the deaf are still muffled in thick veils. All things have already uttered the praise of God; but the dumb are still continuing in their astounding silence. As to thee: Listen to the Supreme Concourse and hear the call, "Glory be unto my Lord, the El-Baha!" O thou who art spreading the Cause of God! I hope thou wilt become as a rising light and obtain spiritual health—and spiritual health is conducive to

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physical health—so that thou mayest be enabled to liquidate thy debts and be strengthened to attain the blessing of the Forgiving Lord; that thou mayest become a mirror of truth and reveal the spiritual brilliancy of the heavenly universe to all eyes, direct large numbers of people under the shadow of the Powerful Lord and guide all thy family and relations unto the Greatest Guidance; and that thou mayest be honored with a visit to the Holy Threshold after having attained to all these gifts. O thou maid-servant of God! Acquire the Persian tongue, so as to learn of the meanings of the divine words and to know the divine mysteries, to develop an eloquent speech and to translate the blessed Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh. The Persian language shall become noteworthy in this cycle; nay, rather, the people shall study it in all the world. O thou rose of the Rose-Garden of the Love of God! His Holiness Christ—may my spirit be His sacrifice! —said in the Gospel, "Many are called, but few chosen." That is, many have been invited to faith, but few chosen for guidance. Praise be to God that thou wert of the chosen, realized the Day of the Lord, heard the divine Call and attained the Light of Reality! Endeavor and make an effort that certain souls may be trained, of whom His Holiness Christ said, "Ye shall know the tree by its fruits." That is to say, every soul is known by (his) conduct, manners, words and deeds. Therefore, we must strive with life and heart that, day by day, our deeds may be better, our conduct more

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beautiful and our forbearance greater. That is, to cultivate love for all the world; to attain beatific character. O maid-servant of God! Study Persian and acquire it more day by day, for by the study of this language great and boundless results are obtained. Convey greeting and praise to thy revered mother and also to all thy sisters. I hope that all may become bright as the candle through the light of the love of God. O thou maid-servant of God! Be happy for thou hast found guidance, witnessed the light of Truth and hearkened unto the exhortations of `Abdu'l-Bahá. Though the worth and value of this gift is not apparent and manifest in this world of mortality, in the divine world this gift is abundantly radiant and brilliant. Thou shall of course perceive (or behold) this. I have not forgotten thee nor will I do so, and I always beg of God that thou wilt day by day increase in love and that thy heart will become more illuminated. I was rejoiced with the kindness shown by the dear maid-servants ........ toward ......... For God hath guided the maid-servants of the Merciful in order for kindness (to appear) so that they may become a mercy to all mankind (or all the creatures) and a gift to the world of humanity. O thou maid-servant of God! The tongues have spoken of thy attraction to God and the pens testified of thy burning by the fire of the love of God. Indeed the heart of `Abdu'l-Bahá approveth

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of this, because it feeleth its heat from this distant and Blessed Spot. O maid-servant of God! By God, the Truth, the Spirit of Christ from the Supreme Concourse doth in every time and aspect announce to thee this great good news. Be, therefore, a divine bird, proceed to thy native country, spread the wings of sanctity over those spots and sing and chant and celebrate the name of thy Lord, that thou mayest gladden the Supreme Concourse and make the seeking souls hasten unto thee as the moths hasten to the lamp, and thus illumine that distant country by the light of God. O thou bird warbling in the Garden of the Love of God! Thank God that He hath illumined thine insight, led thee unto the Fire glowing in the Tree of Man, caused thee to utter His praise among the creatures and guided certain women to whom thou delivered the Word of God. O maid-servant of god! Verily thy Lord lighteth the lamp of love in the heart of whomsoever He chooseth. This is indeed the great happiness. He confirmeth him in the service of His Supreme Vineyard. I pray God to confirm the relatives in attaining to the Brilliant Light, to let the light of insight shine forth to the hearts and sights, to aid thy friends in being illumined by the light of El-Baha and [being] fed from the heavenly table, and to make thee empty, void from the thoughts of the life of this world and filled

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with the love of thy Lord, ready for His service, uttering His praise and demonstrating with proofs the appearance of the Kingdom of God. O thou who art conscious! At last thou didst learn of the path of salvation and didst find the straight way. Now remain firm that thou mayest attain confirmation and victory. The powers of the sympathetic nerve are neither entirely physical nor spiritual, but are between the two (systems).¹ The nerve is connected with both. Its phenomena shall be perfect when its spiritual and physical relations are normal. When the material world and the divine world are well co-related, when the hearts become heavenly and the aspirations grow pure and divine, perfect connection shall take place. Then shall this power produce a perfect manifestation. Physical and spiritual diseases will then receive absolute healing. The exposition is brief. Ponder and thou shalt understand the meaning. Although, on account of lack of time, the answer is short, by close reflection it shall be made long. O thou who art advancing to the Kingdom of God! On perusing the contents of thy brilliant letter, I became cognizant of the secrets of thy heart, which is illumined by the clear light. Verily, I supplicate my Lord to cause to descend upon thee an abundant grace of the spirit of His Holiness,

1. to question of a physician regarding the sympathetic nervous system of the human organism.

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that thine eyes may become clear and thy mind rejoiced by the gift which hath shone over all regions. Know that the poor people hasten by parties to the Kingdom of God; the weak become mighty before thy Lord, and the slaves when entering the shadow of thy Lord attain the station of masters, lords and freed slaves in the presence of God. Grieve not because of my confinement, for it is a joy to my heart, a pleasure to my spirit, a good news to my soul, an utmost desire of my hope, an intended aim of my aspiration; because it is a confinement in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. O thou maid-servant of God! I have read thy letter which indicated thy straightforwardness in the love of God and thy desire in spreading this brilliant light among the offspring of the Africans. How good is the intention! And what an excellent aim this great aim is! Indeed the hearts of the Africans are as a blank scroll of paper upon which thou canst write any phrase; but thou must have patience and a heart as firm as a mountain, owing to the innumerable hardships that may intervene, which could be endured only by one who surrenders to grievous calamities. If thou art of the people of this field (race-course) let loose the reins and rely upon the Merciful, and He will indeed assist thee with the hosts of the unseen at all times. Use thy utmost power to affiliate the hearts and, with the whole of thy might, bring the scattered souls into union.***

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Look not unto thy weakness, but rely upon thy Lord, and He will then grant thee all thy desires and reveal to thee the answer without asking. O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God! Thou hast said aright, that verily, `Abdu'l-Bahá looketh to deeds and not to words. Even as it was said by Christ, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." Be not grieved if the affairs are made difficult and troubles have waxed intense upon thee from all sides! Verily thy Lord changeth the hardships into facility, troubles into ease and afflictions into greatest composure. Verily, thy Lord is on the right path! Tests and trials shall soon arise, blessed are those who endure patiently! Blessed are those who keep firm! Be patient, that thou mayest be rendered victorious in thy greatest wishes, and know thou that verily, thou art with me in the nearness of my Lord, the Supreme! Verily, this is a glad-tidings unto thee forevermore! O thou who art controlled by the attraction of the Fragrances of God! I perused thy letter which speaks of thy love to God and thine attraction to the Beauty of God, and I became cheered in heart by its beautiful contents. In my previous letter to thee it was my intention to point out to thee that in the way of exalting the Word of God there are tests and trials, and in His love there are at all times calamities and afflictions and sufferings. Therefore, it behooveth one to first ponder over these calamities

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and wistfully accept them, then undertake to spread the fragrances of God and exalt His Word. At that time, whatever may befall him in the love of God, of reproach, persecution, reviling, abuse, insult, beating, imprisonment or assassination, will not offend him; rather it will augment his attraction to the Beauty of God. This was what I intended previously. Otherwise, woe and misery to the soul which hunts after comfort, luxury, wealth and affluence, while it is remiss of the mention of God; because calamity in the path of God is a favor to `Abdu'l-Bahá. In one of the Tablets the Beauty of El-Abha sayeth, "I never passed by a tree that my heart did not address it, saying, `Would that thou was cut in My Name, that upon thee my body should be crucified!'" This is that which was uttered by the Greatest Name. This is His Path! This is the evidence of His Great Kingdom! O thou who art commemorating the Name of God! Verily, I read thy interesting letter and my heart was made happy by its beautiful contents. O maid-servant of God! Rest assured in the bounty of thy Lord and place thy confidence in Him, for He will confirm thee in all aspects and under all conditions. Know, verily, that the seed, however virile it may be, however strong the hand of the sower, however pure the water that watereth it, it is impossible for it to grow, blossom and bear fruit in a short time; nay a long period is needed for its development. So is the Kingdom of God. Consider the seed which

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was sown by Christ; verily, it did not blossom until after a long period. Thus it is incumbent upon thee to be patient in all affairs. Verily thy Lord is powerful, forgiving, precious and persevering! Depend upon the favor of thy LOrd. He shall bless thee and protect thee under the shadow of His generosity and mercy. O thou maid-servant of God! I supplicate and implore my Lord to strengthen thee by the Spirit of Life, make thee enter the Ark of Safety, and show thee the evident signs; that the veils of the people of suspicion may be rent asunder and the brilliant proof of God become manifest to all regions, and thy heart be made a clear mirror wherein are printed the Lights of the Kingdom of the earth and heaven. O thou who art remembered by `Abdu'l-Bahá! Thy letter which is couched in graceful words hath given me joy and happiness, for it showeth how thou art controlled by the attraction of the fragrances of God and how thou art kindled by the flame of fire that burneth in the Tree of Sinai. Blessed art thou because of this great bounty and manifest abundance! Verily, by day and by night I do mention thee and thy daughter who is the delight of thine eye, and supplicate God to make you both two burning lamps, shining at the meetings of the maid-servants of God, spreading the light of knowledge, burning the moth of imaginations and surmise and removing, through the light of manifest evidences and peremptory proofs, the darkness of suspicions.

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O thou whose heart is moved by a breeze blowing from the Garden of El-Abha! Thy elegant and terse letter, couched in graceful words, was read by me. I rejoiced at the fragrances of love, which being scented from the verdant gardens of the Paradise of El-Abha, have cheerfully moved thee. O maid-servant of God! Be submissive to thy Lord, humble to His servants and compliant to his maid-servants. Overcome passions and desires, purify the heart from remembrance of aught save that of thy Lord, the Precious, the Gracious, and be controlled by the attraction of the Beauty of God, that His remembrance may run as the spirit in thy blood veins and limbs, and thus fill thee with the thoughts of the love of God. O maid-servant of God! Ignite the fire of love in the hearts which are remiss of the mention of God that they may become awakened by the breath of God, and quickened by His Spirit in this Great Day. O thou attracted maid-servant of God! Verily, I bow my face to the dust of the Threshold of El-Baha and to Him who sitteth on the Throne, I petition as a supplicating captive, begging Him to make thee to behold His Glorious Face and to purify thine insight from aught else save Him among the people. Verily, He is the refuge of all and our Great Protection! We are all poor at His Door, weak before His Power, lowly at His Threshold, and we possess the power

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of neither good nor harm. He is indeed the Confirmer, the Strengthener, the Benevolent! Truly hath He opened before our faces the doors of the Kingdom, granted us the treasures of His mysteries through the divine bounty and He hath chosen us for His love, for attainment unto His lights, the study of His teachings, the spreading of His name, the guidance unto His path and service in His great vineyard. I pray for confirmation in thy behalf and thou shouldst pray for strength on my part. Thy prayers for me should be that I may attain martyrdom in His path, that my spirit may be His sacrifice, and that my blood may be shed for His love. O maid-servant of God! verily, I long for that cup, which is overflowing with the bounty of God, as a patient desiring to be healed, as a thirsty soul seeking water, as the poor in quest of wealth, and as one in separation yearning after the meeting of the beloved one night and day. O thou who art advancing to the Kingdom of God! Verily, I pray God to make thee the sign of guidance among the maid-servants of the Merciful, to enkindle in thy heart a spark of that fire which was ignited in the Sinaiatic Tree and to give thee to drink and overflowing cup from the choice wine of the love of God, until the intoxication of that wine may so prevail upon thee that thou mayest thereby forget all else save God, be attracted to the Beauty of God, glorify thy Lord and sanctify Him during morn and eve. O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to be severed from the desires of the world, and it is

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incumbent upon thee to be attracted to the Supreme Kingdom. At that time thou wilt become fluent in tongue and thou wilt speak in most eloquent words through the confimation of the Holy Spirit. This is that gift which the Lord of Heaven hath promised. O thou who dost believe in the Spirit of Christ, in the Kingdom of God! The body is composed, in truth, of corporeal elements and every composition is necessarily subject to decomposition; but the spirit is an essence, simple, pure, spiritual, eternal, perpetual and divine. He who seeketh Christ from the point of view of His body hath, in truth, debased Him and hath gone astray from Him; but he who seeketh Christ from the point of view of His Spirit will grow from day to day in joy, attraction, zeal, proximity, perception and vision. Thou hast then to seek the Spirit of Christ in this marvelous day. The heaven whither Christ ascended is not an infinite space. His heaven is much rather the kingdom of His Lord, the Munificent. As He said, "The Son of Man is in heaven." It is known then that His heaven is beyond the boundaries that surround existence and that He is elevated for the people who adore. Pray God to ascend to this heaven, to taste of its food—and know thou that the people have not understood to this day the mystery of the Holy Scriptures. They believe that Christ was deprived of His heaven when He was in this world, that He had fallen from the heights of His elevation and that later He ascended to this elevated pinnacle—that is to say, towards the heaven

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which doth not exist, for there is only space. They expect that He will descend from this heaven seated upon a cloud. They believe that there is in the heavens a cloud upon which He will be seated and by which He will descend; while, in reality, the clouds are vapors which rise from the earth and which do not descend from the heavens. The cloud mentioned in the Holy Scriptures is the human body, because it is a veil for them, like a cloud, which prevents them from seeing the Sun of Truth which is shining in the horizon of Christ. I pray God to open before your face the gates of revelation and of vision in such a way that thou shalt learn the mysteries of God in this known day.*** O ye who are considering the Kingdom of your august Savior! I know the ardor which enflames you both¹ with the desire to present yourselves in the Sacred Place and I desire, also, to see you both. But my Lord hath a supreme wisdom and His wisdom hath required the imprisonment of `Abdu'l-Bahá and the prevention of visits of impassioned friends. It is a temporary condition that will pass away in the future. In the meantime I shall remember you in my heart and I love you with a holy affection that is spiritual, divine, eternal and perpetual; that is founded on the surest base and on the most durable of foundations. I pray God to remove all the veils and to illumine your hearts with lights shining from the Supreme Horizon, in such a manner that the light of guidance shall move before you and that your hearts shall dilate in perceiving great

1. and wife.

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signs. Turn towards California with a luminous face, a joyous soul, an attracted heart, an enlightened spirit, an eloquent speech and a radiant expression. In those regions God will, through you, become the guide of many people. O ye two¹ singing birds in the Garden of Belief! I have read your letter in which you confess the Unity of God and the grandeur of His reign, and in which you make known that you have been attracted by the perfumes of God and that you have bathed in the sea of knowledge. Thank God for that! I pray God to strengthen your steps in the straight road, to preserve you from violent tests, in making of you two green and fruitful trees in His great vineyard, to the end that ye may arrive at a favor that shall make of you two elected ones in the court of the august Lord. Appreciate this favor and give thanks to your Savior that He hath heaped upon you this great kindness. O thou who art turning unto the Kingdom of God! Thy letter is received and perused. It afforded us joy and pleasure, gave us good news and is the token of the wealth of thy love. This period of time is the Promised Age, the assembling of the human race to the "Resurrection Day" and now is the great "Day of Judgment." Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the winter time is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand. The black earth is becoming a

1. and wife.

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verdant garden; the deserts and mountains are teeming with red flowers; from the borders of the wilderness the tall grasses are standing like advance guards before the cypress and jessamine trees; while the birds are singing among the rose branches like the angels in the highest heavens, announcing the glad-tidings of the approach of that spiritual spring, and the sweet music of their voices is causing the real essence of all things to move and quiver. O my spiritual friend! Dost thou know from what airs emanate the notes sung by those birds? They are from the melodies of peace and reconciliation, of love and unity, of justice and security, of concord and harmony. In a short time this heavenly singing will intoxicate all humanity; the foundations of enmity shall be destroyed; unity and affection shall be witnessed in every assembly; and the lovers of the love of God at these great festivals shall behold their splendor. Therefore, contemplate what a spirit of life God hath given that the the body of the whole earth may attain life everlasting! The Paradise of El-Abha will soon spread a pavilion from the pole-star of the world, under whose shelter the beloved shall rejoice and the pure hearts shall repose in peace. O ye two¹ pilgrims of the Holy Shrine! The news of your protected and safe arrival in Paris, France, reached here and made me glad and happy. The news expressed thelove and devotion of the beloved

1. and wife.

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Tablets of `Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas

Volume II

Published by BAHÁ'Í PUBLISHING SOCIETY P. O. Box 283 CHICAGO, U.S.A.

Published by BAHÁ'Í PUBLISHING SOCIETY
P. O. Box 283
CHICAGO, U.S.A.