BB00146: Answer to Shaykh ’Ali

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Verily God is Peace, and from Him is peace, and upon Him is peace, and unto Him is peace elevated. Glorified and exalted is He, there is no God but Him. Then peace in peace from peace unto peace—Muhammad, the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his family, the mystery of the letters of unity of God, Who there is no God but Him. Then peace with peace from peace upon peace—the family of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, trustees of the All-Merciful, Who there is no God but Him. Then peace by peace upon Ahmad before Kazim, peace be upon them both, the month of peace from peace upon the mine of peace unto the people of Islam, servants of the All-Merciful who say “Our Lord is God” and then stand firm in His command and strive in God’s path by His leave and fear not the blame of any blamer. Such is God’s bounty unto them, and God is the Lord of mighty bounty.

O thou who art sorrowful! I have read thy letter, and thy sorrow and weeping have saddened me. But when I am in the paradise of contentment, I follow the [decree of] the Book of God and say: “Praise be to God Who hath lifted sorrow from me!” Glorified and exalted is He above what they describe. And thou, like me, shouldst say: “Praise be to God Who hath lifted sorrow from me. Verily our Lord is All-Forgiving, All-Appreciative.”

O thou human being! Grieve not for anything, for thy grief causeth Me grief, and weep not for anything, for thy weeping causeth Me to weep. No word hath issued forth from Me regarding thy station, for I love thee. Therefore stand firm in what thou art commanded and fear not for thyself while thou art in love, and be patient in what befalleth thee. For the condition of the age is as thou seest thyself, and there is nothing beyond that in the Book of God—a name which no name of anything can be applied to. The people have associated with a folded name. Fie upon the age, then fie upon it! By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, the attribute of jealousy of all people compared to My jealousy is as nothing, and likewise in all attributes and conditions. Yet I have been patient for God’s good-pleasure, and what hath befallen Me of tribulation compared to thy tribulation is as a green sea compared to an inexhaustible drop of water.

Do not feel empty and do not complain, for God hath revealed His promise in the Qur’an: “It was incumbent upon Us to help the believers.” By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, if thou wert to witness the mystery of reality, thou wouldst be content to be cut to pieces by scissors in the path of this Cause. And if all who are on earth were to be slain by the pen for this Cause, their combined blood would not equal the beauty of a single verse that hath been revealed from [the Ancient Decree]. Magnify the Cause of God and think not that this Cause is like the dispensation of Ahmad before Kazim. Far, far from it! Such is not what We think of thee. Read the Book of Justice—seven hundred suras—then witness the light of God in its verses. Is it possible in the contingent world for anyone like Me to ascend in the chain of subjects without instruction while all are asleep and unaware? If anyone were to reflect, he would recognize the greatness of God and the majesty of His verses, and were anyone to cut him with the scissors of tyranny, he would not depart from his recognition of the signs of God.

Consider that the nineteen letters were in everyone’s possession, yet none could speak verses like Mine. Indeed, I have made all My verses a proof for all who dwell on earth. Have you heard, from the first wondrous day of Adam—peace be upon him—until now, of anyone writing a single page that would serve as proof for all in the heavens and earth? Nay, by my Lord, neither you nor any of God’s servants have heard of such.

This Cause is the fruit of creation and stands at the utmost heights of inaccessibility. Though the letters of the Baha are in everyone’s possession, even if all were to gather together, they could not produce the like of a single verse. This is not a matter of human creation, for people are as dead, knowing not the workings of the All-Merciful, supposing it to be of human origin. Those who deny this Cause after reading but a page of My Book are, in the sight of God and His loved ones, as beasts—nay, it is an insult to beasthood to compare them thus, for they are as donkeys, nay more astray than donkeys, for a donkey glorifies its Lord seventy times each day.

Turn away from them and grieve not for them, for when they die, God willing, they shall awaken. Be not saddened by your own abasement in that land, nor pay heed to their mockery and derision. For Islam has returned to the state of strangeness it knew in its beginning. By Him Who created Me, even Salman—peace be upon him—despite his exalted station, was more abased among the people of Medina than you are, when one day someone seized his beard—may my soul be a sacrifice for him—and said what he said.

If you have read his visitation prayer from the Imam—peace be upon him—you would know his station. If not, I shall recite to you:

“Peace be upon you, O one who opposed Satan’s party! Peace be upon you, O one who spoke the truth and feared not the might of authority! Peace be upon you, O one who was truthful though peoples denied him! Peace be upon you, O one who migrated twice for the sake of God!”

And God boasts of this deed to the angels of heaven.

If people truly knew you, they would imprison you. They abuse none but themselves and mock none but themselves. So rest upon the reclining couches and consider the denial of all the earth’s people as like unto a dog’s panting in the fire, only to return to the fire again. Abasement lies only in disobeying your Lord, and glory only in obeying Him. So remain steadfast as you have been and fear not the assault of devils.

The people of that land must needs be thus, as al-Kazim—may my soul be sacrificed for him—indicated in his commentary on the Tutunjiyyih Sermon regarding the Holy Land and its people. The people of Medina persisted in hypocrisy, so God will punish them twice for their deeds. But I swear by none save by His love—if you love your homeland, you are free to choose, but as I love you, I inform you that all love you only for their own sakes, while I, if I desire you, it is only for your own sake.

God will reward you through those of your kindred who come after you, and will make beautiful your patience regarding those who have ascended to God in His path. Indeed, your presence in that land, along with your acknowledgment, is more intensely burning for your community than the fire of hell, for they know you while others know not your worth. Were the learned one of the land of Tus—and his peers among the leaders, that faction and others—truly to know what recompense awaiteth them, they would never part from Me until the soul were parted from their bodies. And upon all, once they have attained certitude regarding the tidings of safety, it is incumbent to order their lives about My precincts.

For if thou art established upon the seat of security, then, God willing, thou shalt witness all the divines like frightened asses fleeing from a lion. If thou seest benefit in departing, then depart and reform what thou canst, and increase My cause before thee and thy kinsmen, and convey My greetings to thy father. But forget not this land and My decree and the estrangement of this Cause and the multitude of satans among men and jinn. And if thou seest good in it, then settle in the land of Sad and establish this Cause with thy assured brethren—may God strengthen you all. For this Cause is greater in God’s sight than all acts of devotion.

Behold with the power of My heart and the intensity of My planning how in a land where no one believed in Kazim—may My spirit be sacrificed for him—this Cause hath appeared. And I protected Myself by concealing the Name, after I knew that the chiefs of that community had all raised their necks in opposition to this station. And I established this Cause through a book and a scroll and the gathering of a few souls. Then I departed for the Sacred House of God, and had no one revealed My name, none would have witnessed humiliation. But they disobeyed God’s command and what happened, happened.

And now be not heedless of wisdom, for among God’s servants are those who, upon hearing a verse, believe, just as ʿAli-Bastami—peace be upon him—believed upon hearing a single verse without seeking further proof. And convey My greetings to the first believer in the Book and inform him of what hath been decreed to pass. And I am saddened by the inaction of My teacher and his capacity for reform, yet they made him patient. Though I was initially among his disciples, I expected his support, but now devotion like prayer is prescribed for him, and that glory sufficeth him in this world and on the Day when witnesses shall stand forth.

Lord, hasten Thy victory, for Thou dost not fail Thy promise! Do what I have commanded thee regarding reform, for among My followers there is no hidden matter. And beware of sedition and observe prudent concealment except when thou fearest for thyself. And wert thou in that land and bear with thee the Kitab al-Ruh—for verily it is the greatest of books—then deliver it unto all the divines if thou departest, and be not heedless of this instruction. And command whoever seeketh prayer from thee to recite the Prayer of the Bestower; may God forgive him and grant his desire.

And convey greetings to thy loved ones and those with thee. And I wrote not in that book a word of His name. Send the book of the land of Sad which thou wrote in thy hand, then deliver his book as thou seest fit, and send to the land of Ya the Book of Excellence, and be not heedless of all the books. And from My permission is the man of Tehran and his words after three books from him. God willing, this answer shall descend from Me to thyself, that thou mayest glory in it in the kingdom of the heavens and earth. This sufficeth thee. Seek help from God and say: There is no power nor strength save in God; in Him do I trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.