BB00011: Kitab-i-Si Du’a (Book of 30 prayers)

Introduction

(The Wondrous Traces of the Point—exalted and glorified be the Bayan—concerning the manners of supplications, from the Book of God, mighty is His state. This is the first prayer of the Letters; before it is the Prayer of the Qur’an; and before that, a prayer revealed in the first month of Sad.)

Prayer for the First Year

A prayer of the Point for the first year of the life of [the Primal Will]—exalted be His state and great be His proof.

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

In the Name of God, the Unique, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I would ascend unto Thee through the essence of the camphor of my inner being and whatsoever Thou hast ordained in my outward manifestation. I would rise unto Thy presence through what Thou hast ordained in the purity of my reality and the camphor-like nature of my outer being, and through whatsoever Thy knowledge hath encompassed of my beginning and my end. There would I cast myself before Thee in hope of what Thou art. I would speak before Thee in praise of Thyself and bear witness to Thy oneness even as Thou hast borne witness to Thine own Reality. I would praise Thee in truth for what Thou hast ordained in the kingdom of Thy earth and Thy heaven.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! First, I praise Thee for what Thou art, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thine is the creation and the command, both before and after. Thou art in truth the One worthy of worship and the One worthy of praise through certitude. Thou hast never been and will never be known as Thou deservest to be known, nor worshipped as Thou deservest to be worshipped, nor described by what Thou hast created in existence, nor characterized by what Thou hast brought into being in the realities of contingent things. For Thy Reality, as it is in itself, severs all created things from the paths of knowledge and recognition, and Thy pure Essence, as it is in itself, separates all existent things from mention of nearness and expression.

Glorified art Thou, O God! Thou art the Manifest One in the kingdom of Thy earth and Thy heaven, and Thou art the Dominant One in all the manifestations of Thy creation over the sources of Thy mighty invention. Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest, the Knower of all things before their existence in creation, and the Guardian over all things after their realization through origination.

Glorified art Thou, O God! Every mention is unworthy to be uttered in the presence of the splendor of Thy countenance’s light, and every abstract manifestation is unworthy to be described before the radiance of Thy face. The highest essences of creation acknowledge their nothingness before the court of Thy nearness, and the loftiest heights of invention confess their severance from the station of the manifestation of Thy creation.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou art He Who hath never been known, neither before nor after, and Thou art He Who hath never been worshipped, neither in the kingdom of heaven nor on earth, and Thou art He who cannot be praised, neither in the kingdoms of creation nor in the realms of invention, by anything to which the name of a thing can be applied, from the heights of transcendence to the mention of nearness. Thou art He who cannot be truly described, neither in the summit of detachment nor in the midst of the glory of abstraction. Thou art He who cannot be characterized, neither in the dominion of origination nor in the heaven of glory. Thou art He who cannot be glorified by any praise from Thy loved ones. Thou art He who cannot be lauded by any tribute from Thy chosen ones. Thou art He who cannot be found through any expression of unity from Thy pure ones. Thou art He who cannot be magnified by any exaltation from Thy trusted ones. Thou art He who cannot be sanctified by any mention of holiness and glory from all the dwellers of Thy heaven and from those Thou hast created on Thy earth.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Every object of worship acknowledgeth before Thee its servitude, and every beloved one is severed from all save Thee through the essence of Thy transcendence. All that Thou hast created in Thy dominion and exempted from the mention of similitude draweth nigh unto Thee through effacement before Thee and arrival at Thy presence. Everything that Thou hast stripped of the mention of abstraction and made a mirror wherein naught is seen except the appearance of Thy countenance—it is what it is in its essence and upon it and before it and after it and in its outward and inward aspects and on its right and its left and above it and beneath it and in its manifest and hidden dimensions and in its beginning and its end and in the height of its commencement and the ultimate manifestation of its consummation, in its journey to itself and in its circling around its own sphere and in its establishment upon the throne of its revelation and in its settling upon the seat of its joy and in the loftiness of its essential nature and the transcendence of its pristine state and the elevation of its reality and the abstraction of its pure being, and in what Thou hast ordained therein of the likeness of its essence and the names of its identity and the manifestations of its being and the conditions of its nature, and what Thou hast numbered in it and upon it and through it and from it and unto it and before it, and that which no one’s knowledge can encompass within it.

For Thou hast created therein what Thou hast created, and originated therein what Thou hast originated, and brought into being therein what Thou hast brought into being, and invented therein what Thou hast invented, and caused therein what Thou hast caused, and ordained therein what Thou hast ordained, and decreed therein what Thou hast decreed, and executed therein what Thou hast executed, and formed therein what Thou hast formed, and adorned therein what Thou hast adorned, and preferred therein what Thou hast preferred, and honored therein what Thou hast honored, and glorified therein what Thou hast glorified, and magnified therein what Thou hast magnified, and subjected therein what Thou hast subjected, and manifested therein what Thou hast manifested, and forgiven therein what Thou hast forgiven, and sent down therein what Thou hast sent down, and determined therein what Thou hast determined, and caused to flow therein what Thou hast caused to flow, and inscribed therein what Thou hast inscribed, and numbered therein what Thou hast numbered, and preserved therein what Thou hast preserved, ascending unto Thee through what Thou bestowest of Thy grace, and whereby Thou hast filled the kingdom of Thy names and Thy earth with what Thou hast originated therein of the likeness of Thy countenance, until everything hath testified by its very essence that there is no God but Thee. Glory be unto Thee! I am indeed of those who remember.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! How can I mention Thee and thank Thee for having created me and made me the Point before the Letters, and numbered within it all that Thou hast numbered in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them, for by it were created the letters and were sent down all that was sent down in the written scrolls which Thou didst send down unto Thy trusted ones, and wherein Thou didst detail all that Thou didst desire from the people of Thy creation, until the matter reached unto the Qur’an wherein Thou didst expound in most excellent utterance all that Thou didst create in the realm of possibility until the Day when Thou didst establish the Hour and sent down the creative Word to distinguish between the letters and differentiate between their people, that Thou mightest cause the exalted ones to enter their appointed seats and those beneath them to their destined place.

Therefore, O my God, I flee unto Thee from letters that befit Thee not, nay rather I beseech Thee by the totality of Thy grace, and the repositories of Thy bounty, and the treasuries of Thy favor, and the keys of Thy mercy, and the measures of Thy gifts, and by what Thou possessest of Thy most exalted similitudes and Thy most beauteous names, that Thou make every Point, in itself and in its manifestations, twenty-eight letters, and in the Book of the Gathering mention their primacy and the degrees of their specification in twenty-eight forms, and make the temple of their totality in the thirty, all of them mirrors reflecting, speaking forth Thy praise, content with what proceedeth from Thy decree, enamored of Thy remembrance and Thy glory, prostrate before the sublimity of Thy grandeur and Thy proof, abiding within Thy grasp, drawing near unto Thee through what Thou hast cast into it of Thy Will, befitting the majesty of the holy exaltation of Thy sovereignty and the beauty of the splendor of the might of Thy divine self-subsistence.

For naught besides Thee, O my God, even if Thou didst create it through the Point, sufficeth me, O my God, for all are, like myself, poor before Thee and slaves in Thy presence. Should the servant look to aught besides Thee, it beseemeth him not to be mentioned before Thee, for the turning of one who is poor unto another who is poor is poverty without justice, and the independence of the servant from aught besides Thee is poverty without riches. Through Thee, O my God, have I become independent of all created things, and through Thee, O my Lord, have I become well-pleased with all contingent beings, and through Thee, O my Beloved, have I become lowly before all manifestations of existence, and through Thee have I found stability with Thee, O my Desire, in all mirrors of creation, and through Thee have I become independent of all else besides Thee in all that the names and attributes have encompassed.

Therefore, O my God, my first hope from Thee is that Thou make me a mirror of Thy countenance wherein none shall see aught but Thee. Then preserve these mirrors through what Thou possesseth of Thy power, might, grandeur, self-subsistence, exaltation, everlastingness, eternality, glorification, oneness, and holiness, and through what I have witnessed with Thee of Thy most beautiful names and Thy most exalted examples. For Thou hast no beginning and Thy bounty hath no end. Thou hast ever sustained me through myself, as Thou didst create me from naught through Thy grace and mercy, without Thy Essence being associated with anything or transcending the Point beyond the limits of its contingency from the plane of its boundaries.

Glorified art Thou, O God, my God! Make me in myself a door for the arrival unto Thee and a mirror for turning toward Thee, whereby Thy unity is established and whatsoever Thou lovest not in the kingdom of Thy holiness and uniqueness is negated, where it hath become manifest in all things that there is no God but He, the Lord of the Hereafter and the Former times. For verily Thou art the First and the Last, and the Manifest in the Letters and the Hidden in them. None besides Thee hath remembrance or loftiness, nor is there any sovereignty or sublimity other than Thee.

Therefore, O God, make me in all manifestations of the Letters mirrors wherein none shall see aught but Thee in the station of the Fruit before Thee, and in the station of the mystic He which circleth round itself, and the Gate which in all its conditions pointeth unto Thee. Then, O my God, in the twenty-eight Letters, I am well-pleased that Thou make me Muhammad and Ali and Fatima and Hasan and Husayn and Ali ibn Husayn and Muhammad ibn Ali and Jafar ibn Muhammad and Musa ibn Jafar and Ali ibn Musa and Muhammad ibn Ali and Ali ibn Muhammad and Hasan ibn Ali and Muhammad ibn Hasan in fourteen letters of the Letters—that in the world of the Unseen, then in the visible world like the Unseen in fourteen letters until the Command terminateth in the Point at thirty, just as it began in the first mention of the Identity in the Point before the Letters.

Glorified art Thou, O God, my God! I am well-pleased with utmost pleasure that Thou make all the Letters like unto Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the kingdom of the Unseen and the visible, and in the dominion of Command and Creation, for they desire none but Thee, love naught but Thy love, will naught but by Thy will, and judge not save by Thy command. They have no remembrance except for the exaltation of Thy Word, no purpose save in proving Thy oneness and eternity, no pleasure but in Thy good-pleasure, no love but Thy love, no obedience but obedience to Thee, and naught is attributed to them save what is attributed to Thee. Therefore, O my God, I have placed the Point around the First in what has passed of my life, at the time when Thou didst cause the water of my reality to descend from the heaven of Thy grace and mercy upon the earth of Thy generosity and bounty.

Confirm me then, O Lord, in what Thou hast mentioned in the Book of the Most High, and bear witness to this, O Lord, and let the angels drawn nigh, the sincere prophets, and the assured trustees from among Thy chosen ones and all Thy creation bear witness to it, O my God. When all are sheltered beneath the shade of that Tree, nothing diminishes from its shadows, and if none seek shelter beneath it, nothing diminishes from its glory, for its glory exists only through its indication of Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, for Thou art sufficient for it apart from all else, and all else is not sufficient for it in any way. Verily Thou art, O my God, sufficient unto me.

Guard me, O Lord, in my journey from Thee unto all the manifestations of Thy creative power, until I return again unto Thee. Protect me from before me and from behind me, from my right and from my left, from above my head and beneath my feet, and from every side and all that pertaineth unto me, even as Thou hast safeguarded the Tree of the Bayan in Thy presence, and hast preserved the Qur’an through that Name of Dominion which Thou hast created therein—a Name mighty over all things, exalted above all things, established over all things, manifest over all things, triumphant over all things, powerful over all things, supreme over all things, witness over all things, knowing of all things, and encompassing all things.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thyself, to ordain for the Point, through Thee and unto Thee, since there is none like Thee, nor any peer unto Thee, nor any equal unto Thee, nor any comparable unto Thee, nor any associate with Thee; and by the right of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad; and by the Name through which Thou didst bring the universe into being; and by the Name that vibrateth between the Kaf and the Nun; and by the hidden Name through which the universe is brought into being; and by the Name that existed before every created thing was created. All these names, O my God, were I to mention them, would be numberless. Unto Thee belong the heavens and whatsoever is therein, and the earth and whatsoever is thereon, and whatsoever is between them and whatsoever is beneath them. Thou hast taken account of all this and encompassed it with Thy knowledge, and Thou hast established all this by Thy command, not from anything. Glorified art Thou, O my God!

Purify all that Thou hast created through the Point from aught else but the indication of Thee, and from taking up its abode save with Thee, and from drawing nigh save through that which is beloved by Thee, and from being content save with what Thou hast ordained in Thy wisdom, and from following aught but what Thou hast sent down of the ways of Thy religion, and what Thou hast ordained of the stations of Thy Cause, and what Thou hast revealed of the places of Thy prohibition. For all things, verily Thou art their Creator and Thou art their Expositor. None hath anything save through what Thou hast made it to be, nor any religion save what Thou hast prescribed, nor any decree save what Thou hast decreed, nor any execution save what Thou hast executed, nor any that is lawful save what Thou hast made lawful, nor anything besides that save what Thou hast forbidden. For all things with Thee are by measure.

No vision can grasp Thee, O Beloved One, Single, All-Compelling, but Thou graspest all vision, O Intended One, Almighty, All-Subduing. Through Thy remembrance I have become independent of my seeking, and through Thy knowledge and what Thou art of Thy grace, I have become content beyond my desire and what my passion yearneth after. For unto Thee belong the highest heavens and whatsoever is therein, and the lowest earths and whatsoever is thereon, and whatsoever is between them, all within Thy grasp.

Grant me, O my God, from what Thou hast loved therein, and ordain for me, O my God, what Thou art pleased with thereof, and bestow upon me, O my God, from all Thy grace its most excellent, and from all Thy mercy its most vast, and from all Thy sovereignty its most potent, and from all Thy might its most mighty, and from all Thy grandeur its most grand, and from all Thy light its most luminous, and from all Thy majesty its most majestic, and from all Thy beauty its most beautiful, and from all Thy glory its most glorious, and from all Thy words their most perfect, and from all Thy signs their most impregnable, and from all Thy names their most great, and from all Thy examples their most holy, and from all Thy knowledge its most penetrating, and from all Thy power its most powerful, and from all Thy strength its most strong, and from all Thy utterance its most pleasing, and from all Thy questions their most beloved, and from all Thy favors their most enduring, and from all Thy loftiness its most exalted, and from all Thy manifestations their most manifest, and from all Thy revelations their most upright, and from all the subtleties of the kingdom of Thy oneness their most subtle, and from all the wonders of the heaven of Thy singleness their most enduring and most wonderful, and from all that hath no equal in Thy knowledge, for naught else beseemeth Thee, and verily Thou art powerful over all things and knowest all things.

Not an atom escapeth Thy knowledge, nor can aught elude Thy grasp. Write down, then, O my God, every point revolving around the First, from what Thou hast ordained of my life, and be Thou well-pleased with me, and pardon what I have wrought for Thee from the time of conception and thereafter in the first revolution. I have indeed witnessed against mine own self all possibilities that could exist, yet I desire not to mention before Thee what Thou lovest not to hear. Here am I, assured of what I am, and acknowledging that which I deserve. Do Thou with me, O my God, as befitteth Thee, not as befitteth me, for verily Thou art my Lord. In Thee have I placed my trust, and unto Thee is the return.

By Thee do I seek protection and refuge, through Thee do I seek help and concealment, by Thee do I seek elevation and shelter, through Thee do I seek triumph and victory, by Thee do I seek dominion and assistance, and through Thee do I attain every good. There is no bounty save from Thee, no power except through Thy sovereignty. All are within Thy grasp, Thou turnest them as Thou pleasest, how Thou pleasest. All are in Thy right hand, Thou ordainest them as Thou pleasest, how Thou pleasest. Make me then, O my God, according to what beseemeth Thee, and deal with me according to what Thou deservest, for verily Thou art the Lord of righteousness and the Lord of forgiveness.

Thou hast said—and Thy word is the truth—“Or shall man have what he wisheth in both the latter and the former life?” Glory be to Thee, O my God! I have naught, nor hath anyone aught, save through Thy grace, Thy generosity, Thy bounty and Thy loving-kindness. Send down, then, O my God, upon the Point and those who circle round it that which shall enable them to attain the good of the latter and the former life, and cause them to reach the most exalted degrees of nearness in the All-Highest Paradise. May there descend upon those who dwell in its precincts—luminous shadows and holy manifestations—that which befitteth the majesty of Thy sanctified glory and the splendor of Thy sovereign might; for within Thy grasp is all mercy and in Thy right hand all bounty, which Thou dost bestow upon whomsoever Thou pleasest and vouchsafe unto whomsoever Thou willest.

Verily I am, O my God, the first of them that worship, and verily I am, O my Lord, the first of them that bow down, and verily I am, O my Beloved, the first of them that are devoted, and verily I am, O my Desire, the first of them that are humble, and verily I am, O my Adored One, the first of them that are lowly, and verily I am, O my King, the last of them that implore Thy grace, and verily I am, O my Master, the last of them that are impassioned by Thy love, and verily I am, O my Sovereign, the last of them that long for Thy countenance, and verily I am, O my Ordainer, the last of them that are blessed by Thy favor, and verily I am, O my Fashioner, the last of them that are detached unto Thee.

Verily Thou art the Originator of the first and no first was before Thee, and verily Thou art the Creator of the last and no last was after Thee. All within Thy grasp are poor before Thee, and all within Thy right hand are servants in Thy presence, O Thou the Most Mighty on high, and O Thou the All-Compelling in surpassing beauty.

Send down, then, upon me the wonders of Thy mercy and ordain for me that which befitteth the majesty of Thy holy bounty and sovereignty, for verily Thou art my Creator and I have witnessed none other besides Thee, and unto Thee shall return the affairs of my transformation and my abode, and I have known none save Thee. Here am I, wholly, and what Thou hast witnessed in me, casting myself before Thee in hope of Thy sustenance and Thy grace, Thy generosity and Thy favors, and what Thou possesseth of Thy names and attributes, Thy likenesses and conditions.

Wherefore, O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad at all times, and before time, and after time—blessings that have no equal in the kingdom on high, nor any likeness in the empire of surpassing beauty, nor in what lieth between them from the loftiest heights to the lowest depths. For through Muhammad and the family of Muhammad hath appeared the splendor of the Point in the kingdom of earth and heaven, and its praise in the manifestations of the dawning-places of names and attributes, and its radiance in all contingent beings, and its light in all atomic realities and what they contain in all manifestations of creation, and what God hath enumerated therein in all existences of beings.

Therefore, O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad with true blessings, and send down upon them, O God, wondrous revelations with true revelations, and new conditions with true conditions, and sublime wonders with the truth of Thy bounty in the depths of origins, and sublime traces with the truth of Thy creation in the seas of ends. For were it not for them, none would have professed Thy unity, and none would have acknowledged Thine eternity, and were it not for them the word of Thy oneness would not have been established, and were it not for them the manifestations of Thy sanctity would not have been raised up, and were it not for them the signs of Thy sovereignty would not have been realized in the kingdom of Thy might and Thy sanctification.

For through them hath been made manifest in the height of manifestation that there is no God but Thee, the Ever-Living Who dieth not, and in the depth of concealment that there is no God but Thee, the Single One from Whose grasp nothing escapeth. Thine is the creation and the command, before and after. Thou hast never ceased to create what Thou pleasest how Thou pleasest, and to ordain what Thou willest how Thou willest. None hath anything save through Thy will, nor any bounty except what Thou hast sent down in the Mother Book through Thy mercy. Therefore, O God, send down upon Muhammad and His family all Thy bounty until no bounty remains, and all mercy until no mercy remains, and all generosity until no generosity remains, and all divine gifts until no gift remains, and all light until no light remains, and all glory until no glory remains, and all radiance until no radiance remains, and all dominion until no dominion remains, and all might until no might remains, and all that Thou lovest in the kingdom of the heavens and earth until nothing remains with Thee.

For hadst Thou not created Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, none would have known Thy truth, or acknowledged Thy oneness, or been assured of Thy eternality, or proven the signs of Thy divinity, or realized the manifestations of Thy power. I beseech Thee by Thyself, O my God, and by Thy truth, O my Lord, to grant unto Muhammad and the family of Muhammad until their hearts are well-pleased—yea, beyond well-pleased—through Thy bounty and Thy mercy. For verily Thou didst say, and Thy word is the truth:

“And soon will thy Lord give thee so that thou shalt be well-pleased.”

Therefore, O God, fulfill what Thou hast promised, and send down upon me what Thou hast ordained, for I am the most submissive of servants at Thy gate, and the poorest of the poor at Thy threshold. Wherefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and upon all the Manifestations of Thy creation and the expressions of Thy handiwork, and send down upon the Point, through the seven Manifestations, in the four complete pillars of Thy Sacred House, that which befitteth the majesty of Thy bounty, O Thou the Lord of grace and bounty, and O Thou the Lord of mercy and favor! Verily, Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful ones, verily Thou art the Most Generous of the generous, and verily Thou art the Most Bountiful of the bountiful, and verily Thou art the Greatest of bestowers, and verily Thou art the Most Excellent of the excellent, and verily Thou art the Most Magnificent of givers, and verily Thou art the Most Manifest of the manifest. Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in every time, and before time, and after time.

Glory be to Thy Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe, and peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Prayer of Unity for the Second Year of the Life of [His Scribe]

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

O God! I beseech Thee by Thy grace and mercy to grant me success in praising Thee with true praise and in remembering Thee throughout the watches of the night and the ends of the day with true remembrance, for Thou art, O my God, my Lord and there is no Lord for me but Thee, and Thou art my Beloved and there is no beloved for me besides Thee. Through Thee have I known Thee—there is no God but Thee. Through Thy Lordship have I recognized Thy oneness—there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I sanctified Thee—there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I worshipped Thee—there is no God but Thee. And through Thee have I prostrated myself before the majesty of Thy countenance, not through anything besides Thee, for all things besides Thee are Thy creation and within Thy grasp.

Thou art He Who cannot be worshipped with true worship, neither in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth nor in what lieth between them. Thou art He Who cannot be remembered with true remembrance, neither in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth nor in what lieth beneath them. Thou art He Who cannot be known with true knowledge, neither from before nor from after. Thou art He Who cannot be described with true description, neither in the heaven of invention nor at the apex of creation. Thou art He Who cannot be characterized with true characterization, neither in the heights of detachment nor in the summit of abstraction, for Thy essence, as it is in itself, hath severed all created things from the paths of ascent unto Thee, of attaining Thy presence, of abiding before Thee, and of delighting in what Thou art. And verily Thy reality, as it is in itself, hath separated all created things from every remembrance and utterance, from every description that could be realized in contingent existence, and from every mention that could be tasted in expression.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Whenever I ascend to the atmosphere of Thy holiness, rise to the seat of Thy intimacy, soar to the station of Thy revelation and light, and settle near the manifestations of Thy countenance and remembrance, I witness naught but what Thou hast caused me to witness in the camphor of my essence and the purity of my reality: that Thou art Thou and I am I. No mention have I that I should say I am I, for Thou, O my God, art the One manifest in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what lieth between them. Thou art the One omnipotent over all the manifestations of Command and Creation and what lieth beneath them. Thou art the One powerful over whatsoever Thou willest through what Thou createst by origination. Thou art the One dominant over whatsoever Thou desirest through what Thou inventest by innovation.

Thou hast ever been, existing before all things when naught was with Thee, and Thou wilt ever be, existing after all things when naught shall be beside Thee. Thou art the Creator of all things. All those near to Thee delight in Thy vicinity, all the sincere ones stand before Thy sovereignty, all those who have attained completion are exalted through Thy remembrance, all those who are detached find intimacy in Thy love, and all Thy servants act according to what Thou hast ordained for them of the stations of command and prohibition by Thy leave. Glorified art Thou, O God! Verily Thou art in the Most Exalted Perspective and the Most Impregnable, Most Glorious Realm. Thou seest and art not seen. Verily, Thou hearest every whispered secret. Thou ordainest whatsoever Thou willest without any will besides Thine own, and Thou sendest down mighty signs, and bringest to pass whatsoever Thou desirest through the wondrous tokens of Thy Lordship in the kingdom on high, until the matter reacheth down to the lowest atom.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou beholdest the station of those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and Thou witnesseth their abode, and in Thy grasp lieth their final return. Send down, therefore, O my God, upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in Thy most exalted gardens and in the most holy, most glorious chambers of Thy good-pleasure that which will bring solace to their eyes. For verily Thou, O my God, art at every moment engaged in a wondrous work, with fresh manifestations and sublime revelations. Thine is the creation and the command. Thou singlest out for Thy mercy whomsoever Thou willest and bestowest Thy bounty upon whomsoever Thou desirest. All Thy servants are within Thy grasp, and all Thy bondsmen are in Thy right hand, and all Thy poor ones stand before the sovereignty of Thy grace and the dominion of Thy transcendent power.

Heal then, O my God, our brokenness through Thy riches and might, and transform our condition through Thy nearness and the permanence of Thy sovereignty. Ordain for us from Thy presence the most exalted station in Thy most glorious gardens and the most impregnable realm in the loftiest chambers of Thy good-pleasure, for within Thy grasp lies the kingdom of grace and bounty, and in Thy right hand are the measures of glory and delight. Thou ordainest as Thou pleaseth for whatsoever Thou pleaseth through whatsoever Thou pleaseth. Nothing exists for anyone save through Thy will, nor anything save what Thou hast established through Thy purpose.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou hast created the Alif and made it to be with Thee before it reached ten in the form of the letter Hamza, and Thou didst prepare it as an Alif that the people of Thy love might recognize it in the station of the Alif and that the people of Thy creation might bear witness unto Thee in the station of its manifestation. Then from the first mention of the tens unto one hundred and eleven thousand, thou hast indeed ordained that the degrees of His Manifestation, within the very essence of manifestation itself, should be fourteen in number. And thou hast decreed that the numbers of the thousand, within those same degrees, should be thirty and one in count.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy uniqueness, Thy creativity, Thy might, Thy dominion, Thy radiance, Thy concealment, Thy aid, Thy bestowal, Thy forgiveness, Thy creation, Thy eternality, Thy oneness, Thy self-subsistence, and Thy sanctity, that Thou mayest cause to descend upon all the stages of the “alif”—from the beginning of its mention after the Point until the matter endeth at the Point—that which befitteth the majesty of Thy holy exaltation and the sovereign might of Thy glorious rapture. For all bounty, O my God, lieth within Thy grasp; Thou dost specially favor with it whomsoever Thou willest among Thy servants. And all mercy lieth within Thy Book; Thou dost graciously bestow it upon whomsoever Thou pleasest among the people who love Thee.

Here am I, O my God, beseeching Thee by the hamza of the first alif, that Thou mayest cause to descend upon me the most manifest seats of Thy revelation, the most enduring treasuries of Thy divine manifestation, the most perfect keys to the wondrous effects of Thy Lordship, the most glorious stations of the sovereignty of Thy uniqueness, the nearest tokens of the King of Thy oneness, the most generous of Thy signs, the most excellent of Thy favors, the most perfect of Thy mercies, the most enduring of Thy blessings, the most resplendent of Thy prayers, the nearest of Thy most beautiful Names, the most subtle of Thy most exalted similitudes, the greatest of Thy supreme Kingdom, the most impregnable of Thy most exalted Dominion, and that which Thou art in the highest heavens in accordance with what Thou lovest to be praised by and art pleased with, and in Thy nearest dominion in accordance with what Thou lovest to be witnessed and then reckoned.

For unto Thee belongeth creation and command, O my God, in the Last and in the First. Through Thee do I seek protection and shelter, through Thee do I seek refuge and guidance, through Thee do I seek concealment and victory, through Thee do I seek conquest and stability, through Thee do I seek help and satisfaction, and upon Thee do I rely in every condition. Verily, Thou art sufficient unto me in the station of the Point through what Thou hast created therein and reckoned upon it, then in the station of the alif through what Thou hast ordained therein and caused to descend upon it. For Thou hast made its outward appearance the station of ones, its end the station of thousands, and its middle the station of hundreds—all of this Thou hast created in the form of the alif, for Thou hast made its meaning to be the alif, and the number of its letters to be the number of Thy Most Exalted Name.

Its beginning is the temple of unity in all the manifestations of reality, indicating that there is no God but Thee. For Thou knowest, O my God, what Thou hast created thereby in Thy most beautiful Names, Thy most exalted similitudes, the highest heavens, the supreme horizon, the most exalted Paradise, the Furthest Mosque, the Tree of Tuba, the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost Boundary, and what Thou hast ordained within the space of two bow-lengths or closer, and what Thou hast sent down in Thy greatest signs, and what Thou hast reckoned in Thy mightiest manifestations, and what Thou hast witnessed in Thy ultimate revelations, and what Thou hast known from the highest heights to the lowest atom. For there is nothing except that within it is an aspect of the alif, whether in its manifestation or its concealment, its beginning or its end.

Therefore, O God, make all of this a light for whosoever seeketh Thy good-pleasure, and a door of guidance for whosoever seeketh Thy guidance. For verily, Thou dost create whatsoever Thou willest through whatsoever means Thou willest. Wherefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad in the station of tens, then upon Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, Ali son of Husayn, Muhammad son of Ali, Ja’far son of Muhammad, Musa son of Ja’far, Ali son of Musa, Muhammad son of Ali, Ali son of Muhammad, Hasan son of Ali, and Muhammad son of Hasan—the final stages of the alif in the number of Thy Name, manifest in manifestation and hidden in concealment, the First in all beginnings and the Last in all endings. No limit is there to Thy bounties, no end to Thy gifts, no diminution and no decrease. The abundance of giving increaseth Thee only in generosity and grace.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Do Thou ordain at this moment, through every thousand which Thou hast numbered in the kingdom of the heavens and earth and all that lieth between them, that which shall purify them for the establishment of Thy Cause, the victory of Thy Faith, the exaltation of Thy Word, the rejoicing of the measures of Thy gladness, the ascendancy of the appearance of Thy divine sovereignty, and the impregnable, wondrous exaltation of Thy Lordship. For Thou art the Ordainer of all things through what Thou hast ordained in them of Thy manifestations, and the Essence of all essences through what Thou hast created in them of Thy revelations. For every thing, O my God, Thou art its Originator, and there is no glory save in Thy good-pleasure, no honor save in obedience unto Thee and in what Thou hast ordained in Thy decree.

Do Thou preserve me, O my God, from all that would remove me from Thy nearness, and send down upon me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee. For verily the servant’s attention to aught else but Thee is his veil, and the needy one’s satisfaction with other than Thee is the limit of his extinction. Glorified art Thou, O my God! Here am I, Thy servant, in Thy grasp. Through Thee have I become independent of all else but Thee, and I desire naught save Thy good-pleasure. Do Thou assist me, O my God, through Thy power, over all the kingdoms of Thy earth and heaven, and ordain for me from Thy presence that which is best for me in Thy Book. For in Thy hands are all means. Thou hast named Thyself the All-Bountiful. How exalted art Thou in generosity, O Lord of Lords!

I said—and Thy word is the truth, and God provides for whomsoever He willeth without measure—O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Divinity through which Thou hast manifested Thyself to all contingent beings, and hast exercised dominion over all atoms, and hast shown Thy power over all created things, and hast shown Thy might in the kingdom of names and attributes; and by Thy Firstness, for Thou wert before all things and after them, and above all things and to the right and to the left of all things, encompassing them, transforming them as Thou willest and how Thou willest; and by Thy Eternality, O Thou Beloved One; and by Thy Lastness through which Thou hast possessed all that is in the heavens and earth through Thy power, and hast risen above all the people of Thy kingdom through what Thou hast ordained in the centers of Thy Cause and decreed in the sources of Thy might; then by Thy Most Exalted, Most Glorious, Most Manifest, Most Beautiful, Most Great, Most Luminous, Most Merciful, Most Supreme, Most Perfect, Most Complete, [Most Treasured], Most Mighty, Most Impregnable, Most Enduring, Most Eternal, Most Knowing, Most Powerful, Most Truthful, Most Loving, Most Noble, Most Sovereign, Most Elevated, Most Generous, Most Bountiful, Most Near, Most Subtle, Most Compassionate, Most Kind, Most Manifest, Most Powerful, Most Unifying Nature, and by all that Thou hast numbered in the degrees from the letter Hamza until it reaches nine, which none can encompass in knowledge.

Verily, Thine is the dominion and the kingdom and the might and the power and the strength and the divinity, and whatsoever Thou hast loved in the manifestations of beginnings, and attributed to Thyself in the depths of endings, and revealed its names in the manifestations of souls and horizons, and ordained that Thou wouldst raise them unto Thyself in the realities of essences and abstract beings and primordial substances and camphor-like entities, and whatsoever Thou hast numbered in Thy knowledge in the kingdom of earth and heavens, and attributed to Thyself in the dominion of names and attributes. For verily, O my God, Thou canst not be comprehended by any manifestation of Thy creation, nor praised by any appearance of Thy invention, nor known by any marvel of Thy formation.

For Thou art the Originator of the First, Who cannot be known through firstness; and the Creator of the Last, Who cannot be described through lastness; and the Ordainer of Oneness, Who cannot be worshipped through it; and the Essence of Eternity, Who cannot be remembered through it. But when Thou hast elevated these realities to the ultimate station of Thine eternality, wherein naught is seen save Thy countenance and naught is told save of the glory of Thy face, therefore hast Thou named Thyself the First and the Last and the One and the Eternal, and whatsoever Thou hast loved of the manifestations of the Alif at the beginning of names and in all its degrees before every letter and after it, and to the right of every letter and to its left, and above every letter and below it, and from the direction of every letter and its encompassment.

For verily I, O my God, do acknowledge that the reality of the Alif, which Thou hast made the mirror of Thy Name the First, is the highest degree of the Alif, and it cannot be mentioned by the Alif which Thou hast made in the station of Thy creation, for Thou art the Originator of creation and the Inventor of invention and the Creator of formation. Thou hast ordained for all things a measure and a limit, but Thou hast been and wilt ever be. Vision comprehendeth Thee not. Thou hast manifested Thyself to the Point through it, and through it Thou hast made Thyself inaccessible to it, and Thou hast cast in it Thine image; therefore Thy deeds appear through it. Then Thou didst manifest Thyself to the letters through them and unto them, ruling over them.

Glory be unto Thee, O God! Even as Thou hast caused these letters to ascend unto Thee, there is no doubt that Thou wilt cause me to return unto Thee through them. Therefore, O God, preserve me from looking unto them, or relying upon them, or depending on them, or finding rest in them, for they are all mirrors Thou hast purified for the glory of Thy countenance, and manifestations Thou hast sanctified for the beauty of the majesty of Thy face, even though through them I may enter into Thy presence and make mention of Thee and establish Thy unity and abide with Thee through Thy remembrance and glorification. I would assuredly return, through Thy might and power, by means of it unto Thee, without regarding it or relying upon it, for verily it is but a creation with Thee which Thou hast subjected for the manifestation of Thy signs and hast invested with all the tokens of Thy creation.

How exalted is Thy handiwork, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast fashioned it by the hand of Thy power in the most excellent form and ordained it through the measures of Thy glory in the most excellent measure. How exalted is Thy bounty, O my God, in the realities of the Alif and its manifestations and its effulgences and its conditions and its symbols and its meanings and its stations and its signs and whatsoever is attributed unto it, for there is no end to Thy bestowal and no cessation to Thy favors. Every day Thou art engaged in a fresh creation. I beseech Thee, O God, by the Alif and the Lam in Thy Name of Divinity, and by the Ha which appeareth from Thy Countenance whereby the Hamza is realized, for when Thou didst send down the Ha and ordained for it five aspects, then verily was realized the Vav, and it hath appeared in the Kingdom of origination and creation, and in the depths of the oceans of ultimates and invention, that there is no God but Him.

Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thyself and by Thy Name of Divinity through which Thou hast prevailed over all things minute and great, and hast risen above all things small and large, that Thou send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad—such blessings as befit none among Thy creation and which none among Thy trusted ones deserve. For verily Thou hast ordained for him and for those who are witnesses from Thy presence a station in the Letters that none other than they deserve, and it is the station of the Alif in its manifestation in four ranks after ten, where nothing can be realized above or below it. Therefore hast Thou sanctified them from all likeness, purified them from all similarity, and sent down upon them the Letter Ha on the Night of Power, making it better than a thousand months, where Thou didst say—and Thy Word is the Truth—in what Thou didst reveal in the Qur’an. So here am I, O my God, testifying that Thy Name of Divinity is the greatest of all Names with Thee and the mightiest of attributes before Thee, for through it is Thy unity realized and all that Thou lovest not is negated from Thee in the kingdom of Thy might and sanctity.

Glorified art Thou, O God! I beseech Thee by how Thou hast divided all the Points and made them five, then through it manifested Thy Creator-ship after Thy Oneness, when Thou didst take from it the Vav, and through it appeared in the five ranks Thy Name the Living, whereby was realized among Thy six Names, Thy Name the Truth. By Thy truth upon Thyself, O my God, there is no truth like unto it, and by Thy truth upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad there is no truth resembling it, and by their truth in Thy Book—for there is no truth equal to it—that Thou ordain through all the ranks of the Alif in the highest degrees of the Supreme Concourse what befitteth the majesty of Thy sanctity and exaltation, and in the shade of the Supreme Concourse that which purifieth it and maketh it a light before Thee for Thy loved ones, and according to what Thou lovest, as Thou lovest, for what Thou lovest. For verily Thou art the Compeller possessed of severe might, and the Subduer possessed of swift bounty.

If Thou hadst not brought forth manifestations for the Alif in the shade of Paradise, from where would Thy compelling power appear and upon what thing would Thy subduing force be realized? Glorified, glorified art Thou! Verily Thou art just in what Thou hast decreed and a righteous Judge in what Thou decreest. Therefore, O God, make all the ranks of the Supreme Concourse for the people of Thy love, and what is beneath them for what Thou lovest for the people of Thy Cause, that their inhabitants and those within them may bow down before the Manifestations of Thy sovereignty and the signs of Thy Self-Subsistence. For verily Thou, O my God, hast ever been and wilt ever be a Sovereign possessed of dominion and majesty, possessed of awe and beauty, prevailing over all that Thou hast brought into being through creation, supreme over all that Thou hast given existence through invention, and manifest over all that Thou hast realized through origination.

Glorified art Thou, O God! My heart findeth no rest save in Thee alone, no partner hast Thou; and my spirit findeth no peace save in Thee alone, no partner hast Thou; and my inner being findeth no tranquility save in Thee alone, no partner hast Thou; and my soul findeth no satisfaction save in Thee alone, no partner hast Thou; and my body findeth no repose save in Thee alone, no partner hast Thou. For verily Thou, O my God, dost suffice me against all things, while nothing sufficeth me against Thee, neither before nor after. Through Thee, O my God, have I become independent of all created things, and through Thee have I drawn strength to prevail over all atoms, and through Thee have I sought help against all beings, and through Thee have I triumphed over all existence, and through Thee have I grown mighty over all upon which names and attributes have fallen.

For Thou, verily, hast ever been and shall forever remain the All-Subduing Who cannot be subdued, the All-Manifest Who cannot be compelled, the All-Powerful Who cannot be rendered powerless, the Ever-Vigilant Who neither slumbers nor sleeps, the All-Knowing from Whose knowledge nothing escapes, the Guardian over all things, and the Exalted One Whom nothing can comprehend. All seek union with Thee and Thy presence, all beseech Thy grace and bounty, all stand before Thy might and grandeur, all seek refuge in Thy protection and sufficiency, all draw victory from Thy power and stability.

Therefore, by that Name through which Thou didst establish Thyself upon the throne of Thy Self-Subsistence, and through which Thou didst seat Thyself upon the chair of Thy Glorification, and through which Thou didst exalt Thyself upon the seat of Thy Holiness, and through which Thou didst assume dominion upon the throne of Thy Eternity, and through which Thou didst elevate Thyself to the source of Thy glorious Beauty—do Thou send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and ordain for me, O my God, through Thy grace and mercy, that which befitteth Thee. For verily, I have reached the station of the first letter in the second cycle of my life to seek Thy forgiveness for what Thou hast witnessed in me, and to turn in repentance unto Thee for what Thou hast reckoned from me. For on that day I do acknowledge Thy supreme decree and confess Thy greatest judgment, since at the time of my existence with Thee is realized through me that which Thou hast ordained in the greater world.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord! As Thou art what Thou art, I beseech Thee, and as I am what I am, I implore Thy forgiveness, and I cast myself before Thy mercy, O my God and my Lord, which Thou canst transform through Thy bounty, Thy mercy, Thy generosity, Thy munificence, and the sovereignty of Thy favor. Verily, I do not wish to make mention of that which I deserve. O God, transform all mention of the Point into Thy mention and Thy dominion over all contingent beings, and transform mention of the Alif into Thy mention and Thy sovereignty over all created things, through Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, through the Manifestations of Thy names and Thy likenesses in the kingdom of earth and heaven, in every time, before time, and after time. O God of gods! O Lord of lords! Glorified be Thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, above what they describe, and peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Prayer of the Letter Ba for the Third Year

Prayer of the Letter Ba for the Third Year of the Age of its Founder, exalted be His mention:

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

O God! I beseech Thee by Thy transcendence, O Thou besides Whom there is no God, for there is no God but Thee. From time immemorial Thou hast been the One Who praiseth Thy Essence through Thy Essence, Who sanctifieth Thy Being through Thy Being, Who uniteth Thy Identity through Thy Identity, Who magnifieth Thy Self through Thy Self. Thou lovest not to be praised except by what Thou art through Thy power, Thy sovereignty, Thy loftiness, and the signs of Thy subsistence. For verily Thou, O my God, hast ever been my Beloved and my Hope, and Thou wilt ever be my Goal and the Object of my desire. I have witnessed from Thee naught but what befitteth the majesty of Thy holy glory and Thy favor, and I shall never witness aught save what I have witnessed of the truth of Thy bestowal, Thy grace, Thy generosity, Thy beneficence, Thy munificence, and Thy favor.

By Thy glory, O God, my God! I have desired naught at any time save Thy love and reunion with Thee, and I have intended naught in any state save Thy glory and Thy favor. Nay, I beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, for all of that. Thou, Thou art my quest and my desire, not any of the manifestations of Thy most beautiful names. Thou, Thou art my goal and my hope, not any of Thy most exalted examples. Rather, through them shall I ascend unto Thee, yearning for what Thou art; shall I rise up before Thee, yearning for what Thou art; shall I be elevated unto Thee, yearning for what Thou art; shall I be established before Thee, yearning for what Thou art; shall I find delight in Thee through what Thou art; shall I seek reunion with Thee through what Thou art; shall I take pleasure in Thy remembrance through what Thou art; shall I find tranquility in Thy love through what Thou art; shall I triumph over all things besides Thee through what Thou art; shall I attain unto all that Thou lovest through what Thou art, O my God and my Lord, O my Beloved and my King, O my Goal and my Sovereign, O my Worshipped One and my Companion!

Therefore, glory be unto Thee, O God, my God! Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be. I beseech Thee to clothe me in a garment wherewith Thou hast clothed none among Thy creation, to attire me in a robe wherewith Thou hast attired none among Thy servants, to distinguish me with wonders of Thy power wherewith Thou hast distinguished none among Thy chosen ones, and to send down upon me from the gardens of Thy singleness, Thy self-subsistence, Thy oneness, Thy subsistence, and what Thou art upon the throne of glory and bestowal, the seat of grandeur and exaltation, the couch of holiness and elevation, the seat of might and joy, and the source of grace and exaltation, that which Thou hast not sent down upon any among Thy loved ones. For just as I have declared Thy unity and have not associated anything with Thee, I would not love that Thou associate anyone with me in Thy bestowal.

Therefore, by Thee, upon Thee, O my God! As Thou hast sanctified Thyself from having any like, grant me a sign that hath no likeness; and as Thou hast exalted Thyself above having any resemblance, grant me a sovereignty that hath no semblance; and as I have magnified Thee through Thine Own magnification, grant me all the signs of Thy generosity, such as have no equal in Thy earth and heaven. And as Thou hast glorified Thy Self-Sufficiency, glorify me in all the manifestations of Thy Cause and creation, after Thou hast shown me mine own abasement before Thee and my poverty in relation to Thee, for that indeed is the most glorious honor of my reality and the most exalted pride of my being. Through my poverty before Thee have I gloried above all things possible, through my powerlessness before Thee have I triumphed over all things possible, through my abasement before Thee have I been exalted above all atoms, and through my annihilation in Thy holy court have I endured throughout all the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Through my confession that I am I and Thou art Thou, I shall seek aid through Thee from all created things.

Glorified art Thou, O God! How lofty is Thy transcendence and elevation! How impregnable is Thy sublimity and joy! How exalted are the manifestations of Thy holiness and splendor! How subtle are the wondrous expressions of the kingdom of Thy Self-Subsistence and might! How resplendent are the dawning-places of the sun of Thy oneness and power! How magnificent are the signs of Thy holy Self-Subsistence and dominion! How glorious are the mines of might of Thy oneness and majesty! How beauteous is the loveliness of Thy countenance and attraction! Were it not that Thou drawest me unto Thee, who would draw me to Thee? And were it not that Thou settlest me near Thee, who would settle me near Him?

Nay, by Thy might! Were all that is in Thy kingdom to turn toward me, from the Most High to the lowest atom, I stand before Thee in prostration, beseeching the loftiness of Thy majesty in my behalf, and petitioning from the heights of Thy grace and bounty concerning my station. My heart shall not be content, for all this was created by Thy command and existed not with Thee save through Thy word “Be!” and it is. And were I to possess naught of this and were I alone with Thee, my heart would be content therewith, and nothing would diminish from Thy bounty toward me, for Thou dost suffice me against all Thy creation. But Thou, O my God, art powerful over all things.

Gather unto me, O my God, all of this and whatsoever Thou art powerful over through Thy grace and mercy, for I am the most abject of the abject at Thy gate, and the poorest of the poor before Thy presence. Clothe me, O my God, with the robe of Thy sovereign grandeur, and grant me, O my God, the blessings of the paradise of Thy Self-Subsistence, and bestow upon me, O my God, that which befitteth the glory of Thy holy grace and the favor of Thy Self-Sufficiency. Give me to drink, O my God, of the cool waters of Thy mercy and that which befitteth the glory of Thy holy bountifulness, for verily Thou art at every moment in a wondrous state, in sublime creation, in new bestowal, in impregnable dominion, and in fresh favor.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Make me one who is exposed to Thy loving-kindness at every moment, and who seeks assistance from the manifestations of Thy Self-Sufficiency in every matter. For Thou, O my God and my Lord, hast been One God, Single, Self-Subsistent, Alone, Ever-Living, Self-Sufficient, Independent. Thou hast taken neither consort nor son. To Thee belong all sovereignty and dominion, all might and power in their entirety, all force and divinity in their essence.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Verily, Thou art the Fashioner of the universe through its essence, the Endower of all beings with their reality, the Upholder of the heavens and earth and all that is between them through what Thou hast ordained therein of Thy power.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by the splendor of “There is no God but Thee,” and the majesty of “There is no God but Thee,” and the beauty of “There is no God but Thee,” and the grandeur of “There is no God but Thee,” and the light of “There is no God but Thee,” and the mercy of “There is no God but Thee,” and the words of “There is no God but Thee,” and the perfection of “There is no God but Thee,” and the names of “There is no God but Thee,” and the glory of “There is no God but Thee,” and the will of “There is no God but Thee,” and the knowledge of “There is no God but Thee,” and the power of “There is no God but Thee,” and the utterance of “There is no God but Thee,” and the questions of “There is no God but Thee,” and the examples of “There is no God but Thee,” and the sovereignty of “There is no God but Thee,” and the dominion of “There is no God but Thee,” and the exaltation of “There is no God but Thee,” and the signs of “There is no God but Thee,” and the traditions of “There is no God but Thee,” and the generosity of “There is no God but Thee,” and the grace of “There is no God but Thee,” and the loftiness of “There is no God but Thee,” and the dawning-place of “There is no God but Thee,” and the direction of “There is no God but Thee,” and the kingdom of “There is no God but Thee,” and the might of “There is no God but Thee,” and whatsoever Thou lovest, O “There is no God but Thee,” by “There is no God but Thee,” that Thou wilt bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad upon the throne of grandeur, and that Thou wilt bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad upon the Throne of Awe, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad upon the Seat of Exaltation, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad upon the Carpet of Glory, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad upon the holy and sovereign Seats, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Seat of Dominion, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad at the Summit of Honor, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Cloud of Guidance unto Thee, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Heaven of Holiness, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the midst of intimate communion, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the chambers of Paradise, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the degrees of Heaven, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the lights of Thy holiness among the spiritual realities of the houris and youth of Paradise, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad among the fruits of the Garden of Refuge, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad at the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad at the descent of Thy greatest verses, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad at Thy mightiest manifestations, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad at Thy most glorious revelations, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Most Remote Mosque, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and upon whosoever seeketh the good-pleasure of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad at the distance of two bow-lengths or closer, and bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and upon whosoever seeketh love for Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in all the manifestations of Thy mercy in the Hereafter and in this world.

For verily, O my God, within Thy grasp are all grace and mercy, and in Thy right hand are all munificence and honor. Thou hast ever bestowed Thy favors upon all the manifestations of Thy creation through Thy loftiness and Thy glory, and shown Thy loving-kindness unto all the sources of Thy invention through Thy generosity and Thy bounty.

Here am I, then, O my God, imploring Thee, seeking Thy presence, descending upon Thee, abiding before Thee, and being enriched through Thee, independent of all else but Thee. Grant me, O Lord, that which will draw me nigh unto Thee, and ordain for me from Thy presence that which will glorify Thee in Thy presence, for verily I have witnessed, during the time I was with Thee, the manifestation of the letter Ba in all Thy grace, Thy generosity, Thy mercy and Thy favors. How can I ever thank Thee, O my God, for any of Thy bounties, or prostrate myself before Thee in gratitude for any of Thy blessings? I am utterly powerless to fathom even a single trace of Thy mercy and Thy bounties, and all things render me helpless to grasp anything of the praise due to Thy generosity, and that which befitteth the sanctified glory of Thy exaltation.

Thou art indeed, O my God, my witness that in the moment of remembering Thee, I have remembered none but Thee, and by Thy might and power, I shall never remember anyone besides Thee, nor seek any but Thee, nor turn to any except Thee, nor hope for aught save Thy grace, nor fear anything but Thy justice. Therefore, by Thee and upon Thee, treat me with Thy grace and reckon not with me through Thy justice, for neither I nor anyone in Thy heavens and earth hath the strength to bear it.

O my God, Thou knowest my secret and my manifest self, and witnessest the essence of my pure nature and the absolute simplicity of my being in the heights of my essence and the depths of my identity, that I have been content with what Thou hast named in the manifestation of the third letter Ba, and with what Thou hast clothed with the garment of Thy transcendence in all the manifestations of creation and Thy creative power in all the mirrors of invention.

However, O my God, I have loved to mention naught but Thy remembrance of Thyself, and if Thou witnesseth in me anything else, then forgive me, O Lord, through Thy mercy, for from the first mention of the Point to its final course, I have intended none but Thee alone, there is no God but Thou. Transform, O Lord, all that indicates other than this into that which indicates Thee alone, Who hath no partner, O Thou Who art the Possessor of sovereignty and the kingdom, of might and dominion, of power and divinity.

I beseech Thee, O Lord, O Ever-Living, O Self-Subsisting, by what Thou hast ordained in the ranks of the Ba, and by what Thou hast created through the letters Kaf and Nun in Thy word “Be! and it is,” for Thou art the Wise One in the heavens and earth, and the Just One in the kingdom of command and creation. Therefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the seven ranks of the manifestations of Ba, wherein Thou hast distinguished it after the Alif and joined it thereto, making it the most primary of letters before the Waw, Mim, and Fa, as a grace from Thee and a mercy from Thy presence.

By this Thou hast created the spirits of the sanctified ones, the souls of the exalted ones, and the hearts of the cherubim, and by this Thou hast created those who glorify Thee night and day, who celebrate Thy praise in the kingdom of earth and heaven, and who magnify Thee at all times through the supreme evidence of Thee, wherein Thou hast distinguished it with what Thou hast not distinguished any other letter, revealing it at the beginning of the Qur’an and specifying for it what Thou hast not ordained for any other letter.

Thou hast chosen from among the letters the letter Ra, then joined it with Ba, for their form in geometry is one shape, befitting none but itself and itself befitting none but it. Thou hast established between them affection, mercy, love, and gift, and that which befitteth the sanctified glory of Thy might from the bounties of Thy Lordship’s bestowal, the sacred mines of Thy grace, the wondrous measures of Thy oneness, and the mighty treasuries of Thy unity. For verily, O my God, Thou hast ever been and will ever be, standing over all things, ruling over all things, manifest over all things, powerful over all things, dominant over all things, transcendent above all things, knowing all things, and extending over all things through Thy bounties which none can reckon and Thy favors which none can count. For Thou, O my God, art at all times engaged in a wondrous work.

Therefore, O Lord, make the Point a sign of Thy handiwork through Thy uniqueness, Thy creative power, Thy luminosity, Thy might, Thy dominion, Thy righteousness, Thy aid, Thy sovereignty, Thy manifestation, Thy forgiveness, and the thousand names among Thy names, and make it the locus of light from Thy revelations. For Thou art the Living One when there was no life, and the Living One before all life, and the Living One after all life, and the Living One when no life existed beside Thee, and the Living One when none but Thee was living, and the Living One Who hath possessed all living things through Thy power and Who causeth the living to die as Thou willest, through what Thou willest, by Thy might.

And it behooveth the glory of the sanctity of the splendor of Thy sovereignty and the splendor of the exaltation of the Sovereign of Thy Self-Subsistence that Thou shouldst make me the Letter Ba, as one of Thy most beautiful examples in the kingdom of Thy earth and heaven. For Thou, O my God, hast created within Him all that Thou hast created in the Kingdom of the Most High, down to the lowest atom. Thou hast encompassed all these with Thy knowledge, and numbered them according to what Thou hast decreed therein of Thy command, a measure; and of Thy will, a condition; and of Thy judgment, a decree; and of Thy behest, a command; and of Thy bounty, a favor; and of Thy knowledge, a knowledge; and of Thy light, a light; and of Thy might, a power; and of Thy strength, an army; and of Thy greatness, a sovereignty; and of that which Thou art, through Thy grace, a bestowal.

For there is no limit to Thy bounty, nor any cessation to Thy beneficence. The wondrous signs of Thy Lordship have ever descended upon the dwellers of Thy Kingdom, and the outpourings of the sovereignty of Thy Self-Subsistence have ever shone resplendent upon all the manifestations of Thy creation.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Whenever I claim knowledge, it is no knowledge before Thee; whenever I make request, it betokens no poverty before Thee; and whenever I persist in showing need and weakness, it falls short of what my soul deserves in its weakness and evanescence. But Thou, O my God, to the utmost extent of my capacity and the ultimate limit of my strength, and the final purpose for which Thou hast created my essence—I would verily seek Thy good-pleasure, and circle round Thy contentment, and perform pure and sincere deeds for Thee at all times, and praise Thee as Thou hast praised Thyself, and remember Thee at all times, having no occupation save Thy remembrance, no life except through intimacy with Thee, no death save through Thy spirit and nearness, no movement except in obedience to Thee, no rest except in Thy service, no stability except before Thee, no delight except in the beauty of Thy countenance and in gazing upon the veils of Thy face, and no shelter except beneath the shade of the tree of Thy grace and care and the dominion of Thy power and Self-Subsistence.

I testify that in every instant of my existence, in all that can be called a thing, I have witnessed all Thy bounty and favors, all Thy generosity and gifts. Were I not to witness this, I would not be certain of Thy knowledge nor acknowledge Thy power.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge and Thou givest unto each his due right. Nothing is beyond Thy power and Thou grantest unto everything its reality. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, before and after, and thanks be unto Thee, O my Lord, in the kingdom of the heavens and earth. Though my glorification of Thy Self, my praise of Thy Essence, my unity with Thy Being, my magnification of Thy Reality, my prostration before the light of Thy countenance, and all that is attributed to me in relation to Thee, is less than an ant’s recognition of Thy grandeur—nay, I ask Thy forgiveness, O my God, for this comparison, for its magnitude is greater than all that is in the heavens and earth and what lieth between them, and its greatness exceedeth all that Thou hast created in the kingdom of Command and Creation and what lieth beneath them.

By Thee, through Thee, and by the right of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad before Thee, deal not with the Point nor the Alif nor the Ba according to their desert before Thee, but deal with them according to Thy grace, generosity, mercy and bounty. I ask Thy forgiveness for mentioning them in Thy remembrance, I turn unto Thee from their existence through Thy existence, and I cast myself and all that is attributed to me unto Thee. Transform me then in the Point, the Alif and the Ba however Thou willest, through what Thou willest, for what Thou willest.

Verily Thou wilt not deal with me except with what is best for me in Thy knowledge of all things. There is no might nor power except through Thee, and no mercy save from Thee. Therefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and inscribe the letter Ba in the third cycle of my life, for I shall surely testify to Thy unity after my certitude in Thy glorification.

Write the letter Ba in the third circle of my life, for I verily testify to Thy unity after my certitude in Thy glorification and my acknowledgment of Thy praise, that there is no God but Thee. Glory be unto Thee! I have been among those who assert Thy unity. Glory be to Thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, above that which they attribute, and peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Prayer of the Letter Jim for the Fourth Year

This is the prayer of the letter Jim from the fourth circle of the life of its revealer, exalted be His light:

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

Praise be to God Who created all things by His command and ordained for all things the measures of creation from His presence, so that all things might testify in all things to the manifestation of His countenance, outwardly before all things, and to the concealment of His face, inwardly in all things, and to the exaltation of His self-subsistence, standing before all things, and to the inaccessibility of the manifestations of His sovereign unity after all things. For He is the Outward, there is no manifestation except through His manifestation, and He is the Inward, there is no concealment except through His concealment. He hath never been known through anything, nor will He ever be comprehended through anything. He hath brought into being the faculties of perception in His servants that all created things might testify to what He hath ordained therein from His presence, that there is no God but Him. And He hath realized the wondrous essences in the abstractions of beings that all things might speak His praise according to what hath been revealed in the Book.

Therefore, glory be unto Thee, O my God! How can I praise Thee after my knowledge that my praise, like my existence, is as nothing before Thee? And how can I remember Thee, O my Lord, after my certitude in what Thou art, that Thou canst not be known through other than Thyself, nor described save through Thyself, nor characterized except by Thyself, nor unified through Thy creation, nor worshipped through anything in Thy kingdom, nor praised through anything in Thy dominion? Thou hast brought things into being without thingness by Thy command, and hast given existence to beings without anything from Thy essence, save that Thy command is “Be” and it is, and Thy word is closer than saying to it “Be” and it is.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! How can I testify to Thy oneness at the moment when I was the letter Jim in Your presence, O Compeller of the heavens and earth and O Munificent One of the kingdom of command and creation and what lies between them through both commands! Nay, by Your glory, I desired naught there save what I desire now: Your love and good-pleasure, and that wherewith You are possessed of Your command and Your glory, and of the loftiness of Your sanctity and Your praise, and the exaltation of Your Word, and that wherewith You are described in the heights of the Throne of Inaccessibility and in the elevation of the Seat of Detachment. For all that my heart makes mention of is unworthy of the court of Your sanctity, cannot ascend to the atmosphere of Your companionship, cannot reach the shore of Your mercy, cannot rest before the glory of the garments of Your countenance, and cannot dwell in the presence of the revelations of the manifestation of Your oneness.

Therefore, glory be unto Thee, O my God! I know nothing and have no power over anything, except that I am certain of Your knowledge, Your power, Your self-subsistence, Your sovereignty, Your omnipotence, Your munificence, Your bountifulness, Your luminosity, Your subjugating power, Your aid-giving power, Your creative power, Your forgiving nature, Your originating power, and that which befits the majesty of the sanctity of the transcendence of Your sovereignty and the glory of the might of Your novel and wondrous Lordship.

I have desired naught but Thee, O my God, in any condition, and have intended naught but Thee, O my Lord, at any time. You are He Who created me through Your mercy after I was nothing, and You are He Who provided for me through Your grace after I drew near to You in a matter. How can I thank You that You have made me the manifestation of Your omnipotence and the focus of Your munificence? And indeed the Jim fell upon Paradise, and therein You created what You created, originated what You originated, brought into being what You brought into being, caused to happen what You caused to happen, and determined what You determined. For all Your gifts have no likeness, and all Your bestowals have no equal.

O my God! You know what You have created through me in the kingdom on high down to the lowest atom. Glory be unto Thee, O God! In Your grasp is the kingdom of command and creation, and in Your right hand are the places of might and victory. I love not to mention anything except through Your mention of it. Glory be unto Thee, O God! None can enumerate what You have created through me save You alone. And here am I, O my God, beseeching You to show me what You have created through the letter Jim in the highest heaven, that I may thank You according to the measure of my powerlessness, my nothingness, my poverty, and my extinction before the city of Your holiness and the place of the exaltation of Your glory.

I beseech You, O God, to place a barrier between me and what You have created through that letter in the shade of the highest heaven, through Your mercy, Your grace, Your generosity, Your bounty, and through what You possess of Your exalted names, Your subtle similitudes, Your ancient manifestations, Your wondrous revelations, Your noble signs, and what You are above the throne of might, the seat of sovereignty, the stations of awe, and the manifestations of loftiness and elevation. For none encompasses Your conditions save You. You have ever been and will ever be existing without the mention of anything, and You will never cease to be existing without the existence of anything before You. All in Your kingdom are slaves before You and destitute at Your gate.

Therefore, here am I, O my God, turning to You:

Through the glory of “There is no god but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the manifestations of “There is no god but Thee”;

Through the majesty of “There is no god but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the revelations of “There is no god but Thee.”

Through the beauty of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the signs of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the grandeur of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the stations of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the light of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the tokens of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the mercy of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the conditions of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the words of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the verses of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the perfection of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the kingdom of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the names of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the realm of might of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the glory of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the manifestations of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the will of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the inner meanings of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the power of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the beginnings of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the knowledge of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the endings of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the good-pleasure of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the names of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the questions of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the similitudes of “There is no God but Thee.”

Through the nobility of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art the One besides Whom there is no God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the seats of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the sovereignty of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Throne of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the dominion of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Seat of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the loftiness of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Couch of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the signs of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Remembrances of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the favors of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Lights of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the bounty of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the wondrous traces of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the grace of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Books of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the generosity of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Cloud of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the exaltation of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Praise of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the majesty of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Mysteries of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the countenance of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the heights of holiness of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the presence of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the mines of generosity of “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by the self-subsistence of “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in all that by which the name of anything is remembered that is attributed to “There is no God but Thee.”

Then, by what Thou lovest, that “There is no God but Thee,” O Thou Who art “There is no God but Thee,” to remember in the height of heights and the depth of depths, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in all of that, and before it, and beneath this, and after it, for nothing exists except through Thy remembrance of it, and nothing comes from anything except through what Thou hast ordained for it of Thy bounty and Thy glory. By the Name through which Thou hast created all things, and by which Thou hast raised Thyself above all things, and by which Thou hast manifested Thyself over all things, and gained ascendancy over all things, and obtained power over all things, and prevailed over all things, and dominated all things, and triumphed over all whom I have triumphed over, and overcome all whom I have overcome, and elevated all whom I have elevated.

And Thou, O my God, hast not enumerated all, for there is no end to Thy signs, as Thou hast said—and Thy word is the truth—in describing Thy words which are the oceans of creation and invention. Then Thou hast raised Thy signs through eternity and caused the oceans to pass away through Thy decree of origination.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I would fain glorify Thee, yet I find no way, for my words about Thee are naught but Thy creation, which Thou hast brought into being through Thy Will and established through Thy Purpose. How then can I glorify Thee with what is created by Thee and sustained in Thy kingdom, knowing that Thou art the Creator Who createth not, and the Sustainer Who sustaineth not, and the Living One Who causeth not the living to die by Thy power, and there is no decree except by Thy sanction, and no bounty except by Thy sovereignty?

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, with whatsoever Thou lovest to be glorified before all things and after them, and from the right of all things and their left, and from before all things and behind them, and above all things and beneath them, and from the direction of all things and their encompassment—a glorification wherewith none hath ever glorified Thee before, nor shall anyone glorify Thee hereafter with its like; a glorification whereby they who glorify Thee may ascend to the summit of detachment, and whereby the sincere ones may rise unto the heights of inaccessibility; a glorification which Thou hast sanctified from comparison and purified from similitude; a glorification befitting the majesty of Thy holiness and the exaltation of Thy glory and the loftiness of Thy sovereignty and the splendor of Thy light and grandeur and the elevation of Thy Word and grace.

A glorification that filleth the highest heavens through Thy bounty and the lowest earth through Thy mercy, and that filleth Paradise with the manifestations of the wondrous signs of Thy Self-Subsistence, and the fire with what Thou lovest in the kingdom of Thy might and the dominion of Thy power—that Thou mayest make it a light for those who believe in Thee and Thy signs, and glory for those who triumph through Thee and Thy sovereignty, and what Thou lovest, O my God, to be praised in the heaven of praise and the summit of glory. For this can only be according to my poverty and need and remoteness and powerlessness. How can the servant truly glorify Thee, or how can true sanctification of Thee be realized in creation? Nay, by Thy might! Should those who strive strive to know aught of the blessings of Thy kingdom, they would never attain knowledge thereof nor encompass it in remembrance. How then can they reach the heaven of Thy praise or arrive at the seat of Thy transcendence?

I bear witness, O my God, that according to the strength of my essential camphor-like nature and the might of my innate pristine being, I shall surely glorify Thee while confessing that I cannot truly glorify Thee, for that is less in Thy sight than what an ant hath known of Thy grandeur or hath witnessed of Thy sovereignty. Glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou! After confessing my poverty before Thee and my powerlessness to render that which is due unto Thee, I yet love to praise Thee. How could I hope to attain unto anything of the signs of Thy sovereignty or to exhaust a single blessing from among the blessings of the Sovereign of Thy oneness? And whenever I praise Thee, this very act obligeth me to praise my praise of Thee, and whenever I thank Thee, gratitude becometh incumbent upon me for my thanksgiving unto Thee. Glorified art Thou, O my God! None hath a way to render due praise unto Thee or offer fitting thanks. Nay, it is impossible that there should exist in the realm of possibility the true praise of Thee or the rendering of Thy glory.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! In that hour when I was in Thy presence, possessed of four aspects, I witnessed naught but Thy grace, Thy mercy, Thy generosity, Thy bounty, Thy gift, and what Thou art in the names of Thy oneness and the exemplars of Thy unity. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, with praise resplendent, gleaming, hallowed, radiant, transcendent, ascending in the company of the Sovereign of Thy oneness and the King of Thy self-subsistence—praise wherewith Thou art well-pleased with all created things, wherewith Thou sendest down mercy upon all atoms, wherewith Thou causest the essences of all substances to ascend to the horizon of the glory of their beginnings, and elevatest the essences of camphor to the horizon of the glory of Thy manifestation in the heaven of infinitude—praise that filleth all the heavens with Thy grace, and the earth and all that is thereon with the length of Thy bounty, and Paradise and whatsoever is therein with the wondrous signs of Thy mercy, and whatsoever lieth in its shade with that which beseemeth the sovereignty of Thy might and the dominion of Thy power, for those whom Thou lovest as Thou lovest, and for the people of Thy love as Thou lovest, in the way that Thou lovest.

For with Thee is a Name which, if Thou placest it upon fire, verily transmuteth it into light, and upon that which Thou lovest not into that which Thou lovest—and it is Thy Name, the Hidden, the Treasured, the Preserved, the Pure, the Cleansed, the Sanctified, the Lofty, the Exalted, the Most High, the Most Impregnable, the Most Elevated, the Most Wondrous, the Most Manifest, the Most Powerful, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious, the Most Beautiful, the Most Splendid, the Most High—which Thou hast preferred above all Thy names and made to be sovereign over all Thy examples, manifest in the kingdom of Thy earth and Thy heaven, and dominant over all the origins of Thy creation. And it is the Name whereby Thy unity is established and there is negated from Thee whatsoever Thou lovest not to be mentioned in the kingdom of Thy sanctity. And verily He is that He is.

I beseech Thee by it to ordain for me, in that hour when I was in Thy presence the manifestation of that Letter, that which beseemeth the majesty of Thy holy exaltation and the glory of Thy mighty inaccessibility. For I, O my God, am certain that my praise of Thee, coming from one such as I, is not worthy to be mentioned before Thee. But such is the condition of one in need that I have found no other way to approach Thee, O Thou Who art the Possessor of power and might! And this is the ultimate ascent of my praise unto the heaven of Thy glorification, and the final rising of my extolment unto the cloud of Thy magnification, whilst acknowledging that I have witnessed something of the signs of Thy Paradise yet have not thanked Thee for any of the blessings of Thy gardens. Therefore, O my God, send down upon those whom Thou hast placed in the orbit of that Letter that which pleaseth Thee and transcendeth pleasure.

Verily, Thou art the Lord of grace and majesty, of bounty and action, of mercy and light, of grandeur and invincible might, of power and independence. Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge, nothing eludes Thy grasp, nothing is withheld from Thee, nothing is impossible before Thy power, nothing is beyond Thy power, and naught can escape Thy dominion. Therefore, I beseech Thee, O my God, to ordain for me what pleaseth Thee, not what pleaseth me, for I know not what is good for me. In Thy hands lie my destiny and my abode. I testify, O Lord, with all my being that glorification befitteth none but Thee, and praise belongeth to none except Thee. I would fain extol Thy unity with an exalted love, and sanctify Thee with a sublime manifestation, and magnify Thee as befitteth Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of grandeur and greatness and swift bounty.

Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee—before every before, after every after, above every above, beneath every beneath, before all things, behind all things, and from every direction of all things—with a unity that hath no equal in Thy knowledge, no peer in Thy kingdom, no likeness in Thy dominion, no similitude in the affairs of Thy divinity, and no companion in all that which Thy holy and eternal names encompass. For the true understanding of Thine unity is impossible for Thy servants, and at the mention of aught else but Thee there ariseth the reality of the impossibility of truly understanding Thine unity, O Thou Who art the Lord of might and transcendence, the Lord of holiness and inaccessibility. All the great ones bow down in prostration before Thy grandeur, and all the mighty ones submit in humility before Thy greatness.

Therefore, glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! Whenever I would magnify Thee, I but diminish Thy power in relation to myself, for Thou canst not be described by grandeur. And whenever I would extol Thy greatness, I but belittle it in my own essence. For Thou shalt not be known through grandeur. All the most beautiful names are in Thy grasp; Thou dost turn them how Thou pleaseth, with what Thou pleaseth, for what Thou pleaseth. And all Thy sublime examples are in Thy right hand; Thou dost turn them how Thou pleaseth, with what Thou pleaseth, for what Thou pleaseth. By the Name through which Thou dost gather all things, O Gatherer of spirits, I beseech Thee to send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and to gather together all Thy loved ones, every one of them, and to send down upon them such measure of Thy help and mercy as shall suffice them. For verily I, O my God, through Thee have become independent of all else but Thee, and unto Thee have I cast the letter Jim, that Thou mayest do with it as befitteth Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of grace and bounty, and the Lord of generosity and beneficence.

Send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in every time, and before time, and after time, and in every moment. Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, far above what they describe.

Prayer of Dal for the Fifth Year

This is the prayer of Dal for the fifth year of the age of its Originator, exalted and mighty be He.

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

Glory be unto Thee, O God, my God, my Lord, my Beloved, my King, and my Sovereign! How can I make mention of Thee at this moment through my remembrance of Thee, when the very existence of remembrance itself prevents all from attaining the seats of Thy glory and from reaching the manifestations of Thy revelation and Thy command? Glory be unto Thee, O God, my God! I would fain praise Thee to the utmost of my power, though there is no might nor strength except through Thee, no grace save from Thee, no mercy save in Thy Book. Thou art He Who hath ever been, existing before all things, and Thou art He Who will never cease to be, existing after all things. Thou hast ever been one God, Single, Unique, Independent, Self-Subsisting, Self-Sufficient. Thou hast taken neither consort nor offspring, nor hath there been any partner with Thee, neither before nor after.

All are in Thy grasp, glorifying Thee with praise and prostrating themselves before Thee in hope of Thy grace, the beauty of Thy countenance, Thy glory, the lights of Thy face, and what Thou art in the kingdom of names and the dominion of attributes, for none besides Thee can comprehend Thy knowledge, O Lord of Lords and Creator of attributes. Thou art He Who can never be known in the eternity of eternities, and Thou art He Who can never be described in what Thou createst at every instant, and Thou art He Who can never be mentioned in what Thou hast created, nor characterized in what Thou bringest to pass, and Thou art He Who can never be worshipped, before or after, with the worship due unto Thee. For how could this be possible for the servant when the clay of his existence hath been kneaded with the water of limitation and need, and his essence hath been mixed with the signs of impotence and brokenness?

Glory be unto Thee, O God, my God! Thou art He Who cannot be described by what the servants describe, nor praised by what the people of creation praise. Thine is the most exalted transcendence above every transcendence, and the most glorious and resplendent majesty above every elevation. Every splendor compared to the splendor of the light of Thy countenance is but a fleeting shadow, and every magnificence compared to the holy majesty of Thy greatness is but a strange shade, and every beauty compared to the beauty of Thy face is as naught to mention, and every grandeur before the grandeur of Thy might boweth down in prostration before the glory of Thy countenance. Every luminous thing hath been illumined by the lights of the heavenly realm of Thy majestic oneness, and every mercy exists through that wherewith Thou hast shown mercy unto all created things and hast revealed in the verses.

For hadst Thou not created mercy and ordained love therein, there would exist naught among the chain of contingent beings and the depths of essential paths whereby one might find repose in another. Glorified art Thou, glorified art Thou! All are from Thee and within Thy grasp. Thine is the creation and the command. By Thy words, through which Thou hast raised up the heavens without pillars and spread out the earth upon the face of frozen water and created whatsoever is between them by Thy command without limit or number, cause me at all times, as Thy knowledge encompasseth me, to be exposed to Thy favors, Thy bounties, Thy grace, Thy kindnesses, Thy beneficence, Thy gifts, Thy generosity, Thy wonders, Thy munificence and Thy bestowals.

For the servant hath no portion save through knowing Thee, no tranquility save through beholding Thy presence, no delight save through drawing nigh unto Thee, no decree save what Thou hast decreed for him, no bounty save what Thou hast sent down upon him, and no generosity save what Thou hast ordained for him. Glorified art Thou, O God, with the true glorification above all wherewith I desire to glorify Thee, and with true sanctification above all wherewith I desire to sanctify Thee, and with true praise above all wherewith I desire to thank Thee, and with true worship above all wherewith I desire to worship Thee, and with true obedience above all wherewith I desire to obey Thee.

Glorified art Thou! All seek Thy good-pleasure and to attain the carpet of Thy nearness and Thy favors, and to delight in what lieth with Thee of the manifestations of Thy glory and Thy bounties and the signs of Thy holiness and Thy exaltation. None hath any way save through what Thou hast permitted, nor dost Thou enable anyone, for the poor one hath no power save through Thy strength, and the servant hath no way to anything from the channels of Thy will save through Thy commands which Thou hast commanded and Thy decrees which Thou hast ordained.

From Thee unto Thee, O my God, shall I ascend, and through Thee shall I find stability with Thee, and through what Thou possesseth of Thy grace and Thy mercy shall I surely take refuge in Thee, being certain that Thou art the Self-Sufficient above all created things and the Exalted above the praise of all existing things. Glorified art Thou, O God, O my God! Verily Thou art my Beloved before and after, and verily Thou art my Goal at all times. I testify to Thy independence of me and of all things, and I acknowledge Thy oneness before all things and after all things and above all things and beneath all things and to the right of all things and to the left of all things, that Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be free from the praise of any besides Thee and sanctified from that which Thy creation may acclaim.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! All seek Thy good pleasure and obedience, and none hath knowledge save that which Thou hast taught them. All desire to draw nigh unto Thee and attain Thy presence, and none hath any path except that which Thou hast guided them to follow. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, to the number of all things. I beseech Thy forgiveness, O my God, should anyone praise Thee by number or should I attempt to sanctify Thy glory through any manifestation of limitation in number.

Unto Thee, O my God, and Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, have I turned my face. Unto Thee, O my God, and Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, have I committed my affairs. Unto Thee, O my God, and Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, have I turned. Thee alone do I fear, there is no God but Thee. In Thee alone do I hope, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Thee alone do I watch, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Thee alone do I seek, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Thee alone do I desire, O my God, there is no God but Thee.

Thee alone do I worship, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Before Thee alone do I bow down, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Upon Thee alone do I rely, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee alone am I made great, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my life, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my death, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my night, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my day, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my submission, O my God, there is no God but Thee.

Unto Thee belongeth my humility, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my prayer, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my remembrance, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my glorification, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my exaltation, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my praise, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my testimony to Thy unity, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my sanctification, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my movement, O my God, there is no God but Thee.

Unto Thee belongeth my stillness, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my hearing, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my sight, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my heart, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth my tongue, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee belongeth the seat of glory, O my God, there is no God but Thee. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, the abode of intimacy. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth all that Thou hast given me possession of, O my God.

Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth my standing. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth my bowing down. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth my prostration, O my God. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth my sitting, O my God. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth my slumber, O my God. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth my wakefulness, O my God. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth my drink, O my God.

Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth my food, O my God. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth whatsoever delights Thou hast ordained for me, O my God. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever bounties Thou hast ordained. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever signs Thou hast bestowed upon me. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever words Thou hast taught me. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, all my conditions.

Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, all my manifestations. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, all my evidences. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, all my thoughts. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, all my stations. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, all my tokens. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever I have written.

Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever I have originated. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever I have preserved. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever I have spent. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever Thou hast willed. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever Thou hast desired. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever Thou hast ordained.

Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever Thou hast decreed. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever wherein Thou hast manifested change. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever wherein fate hath been sealed. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever Thou hast executed according to Thy good-pleasure. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever patience I have shown in the paths of Thy good-pleasure.

Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever Thou hast postponed. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and unto Thee belongeth, O my God, whatsoever Thou hast numbered. Thou art One, there is none other God but Thee, and unto Thee, O my God, belongeth whatsoever I have touched. Thou art One, there is none other God but Thee, and unto Thee, O my God, belongeth whatsoever I have accepted. Thou art One, there is none other God but Thee, and unto Thee, O my God, belongeth whatsoever I have worn. Thou art One, there is none other God but Thee, and unto Thee, O my God, belongeth whatsoever I have concealed.

Thou art One, there is none other God but Thee, and unto Thee, O my God, belongeth whatsoever I have inscribed. Thou art One, there is none other God but Thee, and unto Thee, O my God, belongeth my clay, my sperm, my clot, my flesh, my bones, my blood, my skin, my hair, my spirit, my body, my essence, my inner being, my beginning, my end, my outward self, my inward self, my reality, my identity, my being, my ego, my substance, my abstraction, my camphor-like purity, my pristine nature, my nearness, my remoteness, my loftiness, my lowliness, my right, my left, my front, my back, my above, my below, and every direction which Thou hast encompassed with knowledge from me.

My life is Thine, O my God, and what Thou hast witnessed thereof concerning me, for there is no limit to Thy bounty towards me, nor any cessation of Thy favors regarding my station. Thou dost ever increase what Thou bestowest upon me according to what Thou art, and Thou dost shower upon me according to what Thou art. The ultimate ends have made me understand that I cannot investigate even the least of the bounties of the Sovereign of Thy unity, and circumstances have rendered me powerless to enumerate any of the manifestations of forgiveness of the King of Thy holiness.

To Thee belong my wakefulness and my sleeplessness, my paradise and my world, my quest and my desire, my purpose and my hope in my return and my abode. To Thee, O my God, belong my refuge and my commerce, my selling and my buying, my days of solitude and abundance, my wealth and my independence, my delights and my strength, my sovereignty and my exaltation, and what Thou hast clothed me with from the garments of Thy lordship, for there is no end to the manifestations of Thy names regarding me, and what Thou hast arrayed me with from the mantle of Thy examples, for there is no limit thereto regarding my station.

I have made all of it for Thee, and all of all for Thee, and part of all for Thee, and above all for Thee, and below all for Thee, and right of all for Thee, and left of all for Thee, and from every direction all for Thee. Glorified art Thou, O God! How can I thank Thee for having created me and made me all of all before Thee? Send down, O God, my God, what is Thy good-pleasure, not what is my pleasure, and make, O God, my pleasure Thy pleasure, for I am not pleased except with Thy pleasure, and my will is Thy will, for I will not except what Thou willest, and my desire is Thy desire, for I desire not except what Thou hast desired, and my power is Thy power, for I do not act except by what Thou doest, nor do I create except by what Thou createst, nor am I able except by what Thou art able, and my decree is the essence of Thy decree, and my beginning is the essence of Thy beginning, and my execution is the essence of Thy execution, and my permission is the essence of Thy permission, and my term is the essence of Thy term, and my book is the essence of Thy Book.

Glorified art Thou, glorified art Thou! The sphere of veils burns me from beholding the countenance of Thy beauty through my clinging to the hem of Thy traces. Otherwise, what am I and the mention of Thy most exalted names, Thy greatest attributes, Thy most beautiful signs, Thy most sublime examples, and Thy most glorious conditions? For these are veils that have concealed Thy countenance behind them from those who take delight in them.

Nay, by Thy might! I have sought shelter only in Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, and I have sought satisfaction only in Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, and I have found stability only with Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, and I have wept only for Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, and I have found joy only in Thee alone, there is no God but Thee. My glory has been only in Thy glory, my majesty only in Thy majesty, my beauty only in Thy beauty, my grandeur only in Thy grandeur, my light only in Thy light, my mercy only in Thy mercy, my perfection only in Thy perfection, my greatness only in Thy greatness, my might only in Thy might, my will only in Thy will, and my knowledge only in Thy knowledge.

I have no power save in Thy power, no contentment save in Thy good-pleasure, no love save in Thy love, no honor save in Thy honor, no sovereignty save in Thy sovereignty, no dominion save in Thy dominion, no exaltation save in Thy exaltation, no bounty save in Thy bounty, no signs save in Thy signs, no words save in Thy words, no names save in Thy names, no similitudes save in Thy similitudes, no mysteries save in Thy mysteries, no manifestations save in Thy manifestations, no effulgences save in Thy effulgences, no attributes save in Thy attributes, no might save in Thy might, no kingdom save in Thy kingdom, and no strength save in Thy strength alone. There is no God but Thee.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! O my God, whenever I make mention of the attributes of Thy kingdom and the manifestations of Thy might, I intend none but Thee, and if I should testify to aught else, then pardon me, O my God, forgive me, O my God, turn unto me, O my God, pass over my transgression, O my God, and transform it into that which befitteth the wondrous creation of Thy Lordship. O my God, verily that which is attributed unto me is that which is attributed unto Thee, not that which is attributed unto myself, for it beseemeth not that aught be attributed unto Thee. Therefore, O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy presence that Thou wouldst burn away between me and Thee the veils of names and similitudes, and the pavilions of sanctity and glory, that I may behold Thee at all times in Thine own condition of might and beauty, of sanctity and deeds, for I have desired none but Thee, O my God, at any time, nor do I desire aught else. Preserve me, O God, that I may desire none save Thee and seek none except Thee.

O my God! Thou knowest that in the time when I was with Thee as the letter Dal, I performed no deed to draw me nigh unto Thee save testifying with my being to Thy Identity, with my essence to Thy Divinity, with my soul to Thy Unity, and with my self to Thy Oneness, and bearing witness with all of me and all that pertaineth unto me to Thy Self-Subsistence. For verily Thou, O my God, hast ever been and wilt ever be the One God, Single, Self-Subsisting, Ever-Living, Self-Sustaining, Standing, Powerful, Manifest, All-Knowing, All-Subduing, Supreme, Mighty, Most High, Inaccessible, Glorious, Most Holy, Most Generous, Most Ancient, Most Pure, Most Great, Most Beautiful, Most Bountiful, All-Compelling, All-Subduing, All-Conquering, All-Vanquishing, All-Manifesting, Most Near, and whatsoever Names from Thy celestial Names and divine Attributes Thou lovest to be called by, for none can comprehend their knowledge save Thee, nor is it befitting that any should discover their essence besides Thee.

O my God and my Lord! Glory be unto Thee! Through Thee have I detached myself from all else but Thee, and through Thee have I sought help from all besides Thee. Never shall my heart be content with aught else but Thee, nor shall my being find rest in aught except Thee. Thine is the creation and the command, both before and after. Thou art nearer to me than my own self, more merciful to me than my own self, more compassionate to me than my own self, more kind to me than my own self, more generous to me than my own self, and more protective of my soul than my own self. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thine is the creation and the command, both before and after.

At that moment I bore witness before Thee to that which Thou didst cause me to witness then, that Thou hadst indeed borne witness to all that I had witnessed of my greatest trials and supreme ordeals, when Thou didst will at that time to judge me with justice while I was as nothing. Glory be unto Thee, O God! Thy forbearance was naught but what I ought not mention, Thy pardon naught but what I care not to recall, Thy concealment naught but what I love not to utter, Thy forgiveness naught but what I wish not to remember, and Thy acceptance of repentance like unto what I had witnessed of Thee aforetime, for these Names did not emerge from the precincts of Thy nearness save through that which I deserved.

Glory be unto Thee, O God, that I should testify before Thee to the manifestations of what beseemeth me! Rather, Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be, acting only in accordance with what Thou art worthy of. In the station of pardon and mercy, none is like unto Thee in kindness and generosity, and in the realms of might and grandeur, none is like unto Thee in loftiness and majesty.

Therefore, O God, write down for me at that moment in the scroll of my deeds what beseemeth the wondrous creation of Thy Lordship. For verily, O my God, I am well-pleased with Thee as my Lord, with Muhammad as Prophet, with Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, Ali ibn Husayn, Muhammad ibn Ali, Jafar ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Jafar, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, and Muhammad ibn Hasan as Imams, and with those who through their good-pleasure are my brethren in Thy religion, for I know of none besides them nearer to Thee in the world of Command and Creation, of the Unseen and the Visible. Therefore, I beseech Thee by Thyself, O my God, to shower Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Kingdom of Command and the Realm of Creation, through Thy grace and mercy.

And I implore Thee to bear witness to me in my fifth year that which befitteth the Sovereign of Thy generosity and the King of Thy grace. Verily, I am one who clingeth to the hem of Thy pardon and bounty, who standeth between Thy Will and Purpose, and who waiteth at the gate of Thy leave and favor. I have cast my all and whatsoever is attributed unto me towards Thee. Therefore, O Lord, send down upon my parents and those who have nurtured me from childhood and shown kindness to me in maturity until this day that which befitteth the majesty of Thy holy gifts and the wondrous sublimity of Thy glory and exaltation. Verily, Thou hast power over whatsoever Thou willest, Thou encompasseth all things, art independent of all things, and art the Guardian over all things, and the Observer of all things.

There is no might nor strength except through Thee. Thou art my Lord, in Thee do I place my trust, and Thou art the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Glorified be Thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, from that which they describe, etc.

Prayer of the Letter Ha for the Sixth Year

This is the prayer of the letter Ha for the sixth year of the life of its Revealer, may He be glorified and exalted. It was revealed on the sixth night of the month of Sad.

In the Name of God, the Most Great, the Most Glorious!

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thine is the creation and the command in every time, and before time, and after time. Thou hast never ceased to praise Thine Essence through Thine Essence, to glorify Thy Being through Thy Being, to unite Thy Spirit through Thy Spirit, to magnify Thy Reality through Thy Reality, to sanctify Thy Identity through Thy Identity, to exalt Thy Camphor-like Nature through Thy Camphor-like Nature, to extol Thy Pure Essence through Thy Pure Essence, to elevate Thy Abstract Nature through Thy Abstract Nature, and to laud Thy Substance through Thy Substance, inasmuch as no servant is worthy to praise Thee, nor any created being capable of extolling Thy glory—for the glory of Thine Own Self transcendeth the limitations of all things’ glory, and the glory of all things in themselves is severed from Thy Self—how then can I ascend thereby unto Thee, or mount up thereby into Thy presence, or raise myself thereby unto Thee, or cast myself before Thee, or make mention of Thee as Thou art, O my Beloved and my Goal, O my Adored One and my Desire!

Through Thee have I known Thee—there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I found Thee—there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I been guided to Thee—there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I drawn near unto Thee alone—there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I ascended to what lieth with Thee alone—there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I become independent of all save Thee alone—there is no God but Thee.

Through Thee have I journeyed from Thy presence to myself alone—there is no God but Thee; and from myself unto Thee alone—there is no God but Thee; and from Thy presence to Thy creation alone—there is no God but Thee; and from Thy creation unto Thee alone—there is no God but Thee. For the paths of journeying have no end through the manifestations of Thy Kingdom, and the ways of ascending unto Thee have no termination through the revelations of Thy Dominion. Yet Thou, through the wondrous workings of Thy wisdom and the exalted sovereignty of Thine eternal might, hast confined all journeying to two journeys: from Thee to creation and from creation to Thee, as there is no third between.

If I make mention of Thee, Thy remembrance transcendeth all else from the highest heights to the lowest depths. And if I make mention of Thy creation as being in Thy grasp—verily Thou didst create it, sustain it, cause it to die, give it life, and raise it up unto Thee. No partner hast Thou in Essence, nor in Attributes, nor in Acts, nor in worship, nor in the manifestation of every manifestation of Thine, nor in the concealment of every concealment of Thine, nor in the beginning of Thine exaltation, nor in the end of Thy transcendence, nor in the seat where all Thy manifestations gather, nor in the source where all Thy revelations rejoice, nor in the ocean leading to the fountainhead of Thy bounty and bestowal, nor in the surging seas of unity in the heights of Thy glory and the rising of the dawning-places of the lights of Thy Dominion.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! My mention of Thy Kingdom or Thy Dominion is, before Thee, but as a bird that alighteth for a moment upon one branch of Thy tree, then flieth from that branch to rest upon another. Glorified, glorified art Thou! Both branches are Thy creation, both kingdoms are Thy sign, both dominions are like unto Thy will. Glorified, glorified art Thou! How sublime is the sublimity of Thine exaltation and favor! How resplendent is the splendor of the glory of Thy glory and Thy transcendence!

By Thee and through Thee, O my God, join me to the place of Thy sanctity and Thy presence, and enable me to thank Thee for Thy favors and to speak of Thy bestowals according to the loftiness of Thy giving and Thy grace, not according to the way of Thy servants, for they have belittled Thy greatness and turned aside from Thy will, and their only concern hath been to acknowledge their powerlessness before Thy bounty and their shortcoming in rendering thanks for Thy favors.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! Far be it that such a thought should enter my heart or such words pass from my tongue! The oceans of Thy bestowal to the people of Thy Kingdom have ever been confined yet overflowing, and the surging seas of Thy giving to the people of Thy Dominion shall forever remain billowing and waving. Glorified art Thou! How transcendent is the loftiness of Thy bounty, which hath no equal in Thy knowledge, and how exalted is the sublimity of Thy favors and the like thereof, which have no peer in Thy kingdom.

By Thy might, and the sovereignty of Thy Self-Subsistence, and Thy generosity, and the dominion of Thy munificence, I have witnessed naught save that which befitteth the wondrous and inaccessible loftiness of Thy exaltation and Thy Self-Subsistence, and the sublime ascendancy of the eternity of Thy divinity and Thy sanctity. I bear witness unto this, and Thou sufficest as a witness over me, for the testimony of Thy creation is like unto the testimony of an ant before Thee. If they confirm it, it returneth unto themselves, and if not, nothing shall be diminished from the kingdom of Thy creation, nor shall aught be added unto the dominion of Thy favors. For verily Thou art the Creator of creation out of nothing, and the Fashioner of testimony from naught.

The testimony wherewith the servants bear witness unto Thee is but what Thou hast created within themselves as a sign of Thy power. Thus do they bear witness unto Thee thereby, and the existence of such testimony is naught but a sign from the Book which Thou hast made the source of their existence and the ultimate aim of their witness to the loftiness of Thy glory and the fulfillment of Thy right. Nay, by Thy might, I have not borne witness save unto Thyself, for I have wrought for none other than Thee, nor can any besides Thee profit me.

Verily, Thou art my Creator and my Provider, the One Who causeth me to die and giveth me life, my Fashioner and my Ordainer, my Beloved and my Goal, my King and my Object of worship, and my Sovereign. I have desired none other than Thee, nor shall I ever desire any, through Thy might and Thy power. And if Thou shouldst bear witness against me, O my God, contrary to this, it would not be from my love for it, but I do verily swear truthfully before Thee that this was not from me, for in my first remembrance of Thee unto the last I have witnessed concerning Thee—since there is no beginning to the first of Thy bestowals towards me, nor any end to the ultimate of Thy grace regarding my station—I have desired none but Thee and acted for naught but Thee.

Thus all that I have done was solely through Thy Will concerning me, and it is the essence of Thy Will in Thy Book. I have comprehended naught save through Thy knowledge in my heart, and it is the essence of Thy knowledge in Thy Book. How then could there be any path other than love from the lover to the Beloved, or any evidence of guidance to Thee other than from the servant who has wholly committed himself to Thee?

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Through Thee shall I ascend unto Thee at every moment, and through Thee shall I soar towards Thee in every condition, and through Thee shall I find repose in Thy presence, and through Thy grace and mercy shall I drink the water of life from the cup of Thy bounty, and through Thy grace and mercy shall I attain all that draweth me nigh unto Thee. For Thou didst not create the highest heavens and the lowest earth, nor what lieth between them, except for those who desire Thee or desire Thy love. And who can love Thee as I do, O my God? Who can be as vigilant of Thee as I am, O my Beloved? Who can find intimacy with Thee like unto me, O my Lord? Who can draw nigh unto Thee as I do? And who can find independence through Thee from all else as I do?

Nay, by Thy glory! There existeth not in Thy knowledge a servant like unto me, and were Thou to witness this in another, the sanctification of Thy Self from similitude and the unity of Thy Essence from likeness would not be established. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! As Thou hast sanctified Thyself from all things, I am certain of my own sanctification from all things, for if Thou shouldst create for me a likeness, I would not be able to deny similitude from Thee, as my nature with Thee was created upon the nature of Thy love, and my form before Thee was fashioned upon the form of Thy authority.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou art the Creator Who createth not, the Provider Who provideth not, the Living Who dieth not, the Sovereign Who perisheth not, the Eternal Who changeth not, the Subduer Who is not subdued, the Manifest Who manifesteth not, the All-Knowing from Whose knowledge nothing escapeth, the All-Powerful Whom nothing frustrateth, the Victorious from Whose grasp nothing fleeth, the All-Compelling from Whose dominion nothing departeth, and the King Who ruleth over all things.

O my God! All are Thy bondsmen in Thy Kingdom, and all, O my God, are Thy poor ones in Thy Dominion. And verily, I am the most abject of the abject in the kingdom of Thy heaven and Thy earth and what lieth between them, and the poorest of the poor unto Thee in the kingdoms of Command and Creation and what lieth beneath them. Through my bondage to Thee, I have possessed all loftiness and whatsoever Thou hast ordained in the heaven of glory and majesty, and through my poverty unto Thee, I shall enrich Thy servants through Thy paramount signs in the sanctified midst of glory and perfection. And verily, with these two wings shall I soar to the atmosphere of Thy glory, and shall ascend to the air of Thy grace, and shall glide in the cloud of Thy generosity and bounty, and shall move in the kingdom of Thy creation and favor, and shall dwell in the dominion of Thy holiness and might.

O my God! Thou knowest my resting-place and my transition, and what I have been and shall be, for all Thy decrees have been enacted concerning me. Therefore, O Lord, have mercy upon me at every moment through Thy mercy, and send down, O Lord, upon all the gardens the sublimity of Thy gifts and bounties, and in all the chambers the manifestations of Thy holiness and loving-kindness, and in every place of recognition are the lights of Thy sanctity and the might of Thy sovereignty, and in every station are the people of Thy holiness and honor, and in every place are the manifestations of Thy power and lordship, and in every mountain are the pathways of Thy generosity and bounty, and in every dwelling are the treasuries of Thy grace and Thy gift.

For verily, O my God, Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be praised in every time and worshipped in every age. Therefore, O my God, magnify me through Thy greatness in all the gardens of Paradise, and clothe me, O my God, with the robes of Thy honor in all the chambers of Ridvan, and establish me, O my God, upon the throne of Thy sovereignty and the seat of Thy self-subsistence and the station of Thy holy sanctity and the couch of intimate fellowship with Thy eternity and the seat of Thy glorious oneness and the pavilion of Thy holy unity and the sublime place of dwelling wherein Thy grandeur is manifested. For verily, O my God, Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be mighty in all Thy paradises and beloved in all Thy similitudes and sought after in all Thy names and thanked for all Thy bounties and praised in all Thy deeds and desired in all the manifestations of Thy similitudes and worshipped in all Thy earth and Thy heaven.

For beside Thee, O my God, every worshipped one is but a servant before Thee, and verily besides Thee every mighty one is abased before Thee, and verily all besides Thee from every great one is small before Thee.

Nay, I beseech forgiveness of Thee, O my God, for whatsoever hath been conjoined with Thy might—the abasement of the mighty; and with Thy wealth—the poverty of the saints; and with Thy greatness—the lowliness of the beloved; and with Thy majesty—the annihilation of whatsoever is in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Nay, by Thy glory! Thou art alone in all Thy names and attributes, and sanctified in all Thy manifestations and examples. The effect which proceedeth from the horizon of Thy tongue is verily creation itself—were all people to gather together to oppose it, they would all be routed by their own power, how much more Thy attributes which are treasured with Thee and cannot be drawn forth save by Thee.

And that which draweth this forth—its loftiness and exaltation, its sublimity and inaccessibility—is such that every possessor of power before it is powerless, every possessor of grandeur acknowledgeth it, every possessor of glory before it is humbled, every possessor of sovereignty before it is submissive, every possessor of knowledge before it is without mention of knowledge, and every eloquent one before it is struck dumb. Nay, when the mystics who have attained desire to adduce proof of anything, they adduce proof through Thy Word, and when the philosophers who have ascended desire to establish anything, they establish it through Thy verses.

How great, O my God, is Thy right! How immense, O my God, are Thy manifestations! How glorious, O my Beloved, are Thy revelations! Blind is the eye that seeth Thee not, though Thou hast never ceased nor wilt Thou ever cease to be the All-Seeing. Non-existent is the being that loveth Thee not, though Thou hast never ceased nor wilt Thou ever cease to remember it. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou alone dost fulfill Thy right, none besides Thee, and Thou alone dost witness the greatness of Thy signs, none but Thee. For through them the best of Thy creation hath been invested with the mantle of messengership unto all created things, and through Thy remembrance the successors of Thy Beloved have donned the robe of succession in the kingdoms of earth and heaven.

Through what Thou hast permitted in the Book, all existing things have placed around their necks the cord of obedience, and through what Thou hast forbidden in the Book, Thy sincere servants have fled from it in fear of Thy justice and dread of Thy decree, for Thou hast never ceased nor wilt Thou ever cease to watch over them and observe them. No obedient one hath any exaltation in following Thee apart from his obedience, for what Thou hast promised in Thy paradise is realized through his following; and for him who followeth not, there is no greater severity than that Thou shouldst not love to remember him or attribute his deed to Thyself, for what Thou hast promised in Thy justice is realized through his turning away from fulfilling Thy obligations or distancing himself from the sources of Thy prohibition.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! None hath any glory save in Thy good-pleasure and fear of Thee, nor any obedience save in following Thy obligations and laws. Thou ordainest as Thou pleasest through what Thou pleasest for what Thou pleasest, and none can say regarding Thy decree “how” or “that” or “when” or “where” or “whenever” or “why” or “if” or “whereby”, for all of these Thou hast not attributed even to those of Thy servants who are nigh unto Thee—how then could creation attribute them to Thee? Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thy decree is truth wherein there is no doubt, and Thy judgment is justice which cannot be reversed. Thou art He Who decreeth and none decreeth concerning Thee, and Thou art He Who judgeth and none judgeth concerning Thee.

Therefore, O my God, send down from Thy presence certainty into our hearts and fear of Thee into our breasts until we behold Paradise in obedience to Thee and Thy good-pleasure, and what Thou hast promised in its shade by its shade, for verily I, O my God, love not to mention aught save the letters of the most exalted ones, else would I lament over what I have done and grieve for what I have wrought, and seek forgiveness for all that I have committed, and turn in repentance unto Thee for all that Thou hast witnessed in me. And I shall cast myself down in my present state like one in whom there is naught that draweth nigh unto Thee, abased, broken, seeking aid, and ascending through Thy grace and mercy.

Glorified art Thou, O God! Thy way is grace and bounty, and Thy custom is munificence and majesty. Forgive me then, O Lord my God, for what Thou hast reckoned from me, for by Thy glory, I have done nothing that would draw me nigh unto Thee. Rather, my hope hath been but in Thy grace, my support but in Thy forgiveness, my covering but in Thy protection, and what I am able to mention but through Thy generosity, and what I cling to but through Thy mercy, and that through which I seek intercession with Thee is naught but Thyself, then Muhammad and the family of Muhammad before Thee, for these are the ways of grace from Thee, as Thou hast taught me in Thy Book and shown me in the kingdom of Thy earth and heaven. Therefore, O my God, unto Thee shall I detach myself, and through Thee shall I cast myself down before Thee.

Transform me then, O God, through Thy mercy, Thy grace, Thy generosity, Thy bounty, and what beseemeth the loftiness of the growth of the glory of the Everlasting, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Glorious, the Most Holy, the Sovereign of Thy Divine Unity, and the Inaccessible, the Wondrous, the Exalted, the Mighty King of Thy Divine Oneness. For verily I, O my God, do acknowledge what Thou lovest to hear from all created things, and do confess what Thou lovest to witness from all existing beings. By Thy might and Thy majesty, by the sovereignty of Thy Self-Subsistence, by the dominion of Thine Everlasting Kingdom, and by the exaltation of the might of the Kingdom of Thy wisdom, I desire naught but Thy love and the love of that which draweth me nigh unto Thee.

Aid me, O my God, to fulfill what is due unto Thee and to render thanks for Thy bestowals in a manner befitting the loftiness of Thy sovereignty, not according to my worthiness, for verily my desert and all that pertaineth unto me is as naught before Thee. Rather, it is according to what beseemeth Thy Lordship, and the effulgence of the splendor of Thy Self-Subsistence, and the exaltation of the glory of Thy sanctity, and the beauty of the light of Thy countenance, and the greatness of the sovereignty of Thy Self-Sufficiency, and the radiance of the lights of the face of the King of Thy oneness, and that wherewith Thou hast described Thyself from the highest Kingdom to the lowest atom.

For verily I, O my God, at the time when I was but the letter Ha in my sixth year of life, do testify to Thy oneness, acknowledging that there is no God but He before all things, and there is no God but He after all things, and there is no God but He above all things, and there is no God but He beneath all things, and there is no God but He in the height of all heights, and there is no God but He in the exaltation of all exaltations, and there is no God but He in the growth of all growth, and there is no God but He in the glory of all glory, and there is no God but He in the majesty of all majesty, and there is no God but He in the beauty of all beauty, and there is no God but He in the grandeur of all grandeur, and there is no God but He in the light of all light, and there is no God but He above all light, and there is no God but He from the direction of all light, and there is no God but He to the right of all light, and there is no God but He to the left of all light, and there is no God but He in all mercy, and there is no God but He in all words, and there is no God but He in all signs, and there is no God but He in all conditions, and there is no God but He in all manifestations, and there is no God but He in all stations, and there is no God but He in all evidences, and there is no God but He in all tokens, and there is no God but He in all camphor-like essences, and there is no God but He in all essentialities, and there is no God but He in all abstractions, and there is no God but He in all pristine things, and there is no God but He in all existences, and there is no God but He in all identities, and there is no God but He in all ego-related matters, and there is no God but He in all ipseities, and there is no God but He in all perfections, and there is no God but He in all written inscriptions, and there is no God but He in all books and psalms, and there is no God but He in all scriptures and signs, and there is no God but He in all mercy and might, and there is no God but He in all will and purpose, and there is no God but Him in every knowledge and power, and there is no God but Him in every contentment and awe, and there is no God but Him in every matter and honor, and there is no God but Him in every dominion and sovereignty, and there is no God but Him in every kingdom and might, and there is no God but Him in every divinity and precious gem, and there is no God but Him in all that God loveth to be attributed unto Him, of that which hath no equal in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them. None knoweth, O my God, the true essence of Thy unity besides Thee.

Therefore, I beseech Thee, O God, to inscribe for me the testimony that there is no God but Him in my heart, my spirit, my mind, my soul, and my body, and in all that possesseth me from the highest heights to the lowest depths. For Thou didst not create me save through the testimony that there is no God but Him, nor dost Thou sustain me save through the testimony that there is no God but Him, nor wilt Thou cause me to die save through the testimony that there is no God but Him, nor wilt Thou give me life save through the testimony that there is no God but Him, nor wilt Thou raise me unto Thee through Thy supreme bounties, Thy most excellent favors, Thy greatest gifts, Thy ultimate bestowals, and Thy most glorious blessings save through the testimony that there is no God but Him.

I bear witness, O my God, that I do call Thee to witness the testimony that there is no God but Him, the First of all first, the Last of all last, the Manifest of all manifest, the Hidden of all hidden, without number or limit—not to the number of ocean drops, nor glances of eyes, nor thoughts of minds, nor what alternates between night and day, nor what is created through ages, nor what occurs in cycles, nor what is named in the kingdom of the unseen and the manifest, and the realm of might and lights, and the heaven of mystery and secrets—or I would say according to the drops of rain or the number of leaves on trees, I would have limited what hath no limit set for it.

Glorified art Thou above this, and I turn unto Thee in repentance from this, and I seek Thy forgiveness from this, O Lord, before Thy chosen ones who have unified Thee beyond all number or absence thereof—for both number and its absence are as one number before Thee, and both finitude and infinitude befit not the majesty of Thy glory—I beseech Thee, O my God, by the right of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the quintessence of Thy creation and Thy witnesses in Thy earth and heaven, to record for me all that Thou hast witnessed concerning me or shalt witness, and all that Thou knowest of me, and to reckon my testimony that there is no God but Him.

For Thou hast decreed in the Mother Book concerning my station naught save the declaration of Thy unity, after I had effaced from myself all save the remembrance of Thine Identity. And I am content with this, O my God, above all names and attributes, and I testify that He hath no peer, nor equal, nor likeness, nor similitude, nor companion. Verily my skin, my blood, my marrow, my bones, my veins, my hair, my hearing, my sight, my heart, my motion, my stillness, and whatsoever may be ascribed or attributed unto me—all of these shall I make into remembrance of Thee, that there is no God but Him, even as God hath testified concerning Himself. And I call to witness thereof all that He hath created or shall create, that there is no God but Him, the Lord of the heavens and of the earth and of whatsoever lieth between them, the Lord of all worlds.

Write down, O my God, this testimony in the sixth year of my life, for I do seek Thy forgiveness for the letter Ha and I do turn in repentance unto Thee from whatsoever Thou didst witness concerning me on that day. Glory be unto Thee! There is no God but Thee, and there is no God save Thee, and verily my remembrance of Thee preceded my remembrance of it, for the unseen with Thee is the manifest. Glory be unto Thee! There is no God but Thee. Glory be unto Thee! Verily, I am of them that believe in Thy unity. Wherefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and his pure family in every time, and before time, and after time. And glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of glory, above all that they attribute unto Him.

Prayer of the Letter Waw for the Seventh Year

This is the prayer of the Letter Waw, revealed for the seventh year of the life of its Creator—exalted be His remembrance.

In the Name of God, the Inaccessible, the All-Protecting!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hast ever been and will ever be. Verily, Thou art far exalted above the praise of Thy creation and sanctified beyond the glory of Thy servants. I would fain praise Thee, O my God, in the most excellent way within my power and the loftiest manner within my grasp. Yet how can I attain unto Thee when I know that Thou art who Thou art, and I am who I am? Therefore, glory be unto Thee!

Thy Camphorlike Essence, in its reality, severs all camphorlike things from the paths of remembrance and utterance. Thy Pure Essence, in its reality, separates all pure things from the heights of praise and knowledge. Thy Beingness, in its reality, cuts off all being from what hath been revealed in the Furqan. Thy Identity, in its reality, makes all identities inaccessible to what Thou hast enumerated in the Furqan. Thy Selfhood, in its reality, renders all selfhoods as naught before what Thou hast brought into being in the realm of possibility. Thy Ipseity, as it is in itself, severs all ipseities from what Thou hast caused to exist in the universes. Thy Essential Nature, as it is in itself, cuts off all essential natures from what Thou hast created in the Ridvan. Thy Abstract Reality, as it is in itself, severs all abstract realities from what Thou hast brought into being in Paradise.

Thy Self-Subsistence, in its reality, severs all self-subsistent things from what Thou hast originated in existence. Thy Sanctity, as it is in itself, severs all holy things from what hath been witnessed in the Bayan. Thy Everlastingness, as it is in itself, severs all perpetual things from all that Thou hast invented in creation. Thy Glory, as it is in itself, severs all glorified things as Thou hast established in invention. Thy Belovedness, as it is in itself, severs all beloved things through that which Thou hast revealed unto them at the summit of inaccessibility. Thy Awesomeness, as it is in itself, severs all awesome things from what Thou hast brought into being in the midst of detachment. Thy Singleness, as it is in itself, severs all singular things from what Thou hast enumerated in the heights of exaltation. Thy Eternal Self-Sufficiency, as it is in itself, severs all self-sufficient things from what Thou hast known in the ultimate realities of creation.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thy Kingdom, as it is in itself, severs all kingdoms in the heaven of dominion and sovereignty. Thy Omnipotence, as it is in itself, severs all powers in the cloud of holiness and might. Thy Divinity, as it is in itself, severs all divine things in the thrones of power and divinity. Thy Ruby Essence, as it is in itself, severs all ruby-like things in the mysteries of sovereignty and the human realm.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! By what sign shall I ascend unto Thee? By what direction shall I be guided to Thee? By what countenance shall I recognize what Thou art? By what attribute shall I describe Thee? By what quality shall I characterize Thee? By what remembrance shall I remember Thee? How should I praise Thee, and on what wings shall I soar into the atmosphere of Thy holiness, and with what glorification shall I glorify Thee, and with what tribute shall I praise Thee, and for which of Thy bounties shall I thank Thee, and for which of Thy favors shall I acknowledge the abundance of Thy bestowals, and with what sanctification shall I sanctify Thee, and through which Manifestation of Thy oneness shall I assert Thy unity, and with what word of magnification shall I magnify Thee, and through which majestic countenance shall I exalt Thee, and for which of Thy favors shall I confess my inability to count and comprehend them, for they, O my God, are more numerous than can be numbered by those who count or fathomed by those who reckon.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thine are the drinks of Paradise and its roasted meats, Thine are the bounties of the Ridvan and its fruits, Thine are the holy manifestations and their conditions, Thine are the intimate revelations and their beginnings, Thine are the seats of command and their effulgences, Thine are the places of wisdom and their treasuries, Thine are the mines of grandeur and their heights, Thine are the keys of mercy and their vastness.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thine are the lawful and the forbidden, the sacred shrine and the station. Thou hast ever called Thyself the All-Bountiful, O Lord of Lords! Thou hast given Thy loved ones to drink and fed Thy chosen ones roasted meats by the rivers and beneath the shade of trees, in seats of verdure before Thee, O Almighty One, and in the innermost sanctuaries of honor before Thee, O All-Compelling One!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Praise be to Thee for all my eating and drinking, my sleep and wakefulness, my movement and stillness, my night and day, my speech and silence, my pen and writing, my trace and discourse, my ink and what Thou hast witnessed in its place and its manifestations, and what Thou hast ordained in its conditions, for none can comprehend Thy knowledge and none has access to knowing Thy essence. All seek Thy reunion and grace, yet none has a way; all desire Thy good-pleasure and meeting, yet none has any proof save what Thou hast revealed in the Book, O Beloved Majestic One, O Beautiful Intended One, O Trusted Worshipped One, O Guardian Beheld One!

Thou knowest what Thou hast ordained for me in my return and abode. In Thy grasp lie my glory and honor, in Thy right hand my victory and exaltation, and in Thy word all my desire and hope, for when Thou willest a thing, it becomes existent before Thee, prostrating before Thy countenance. Glory be to Thee! Glory be to Thee! All my poverty I cast upon the court of Thy riches, all my powerlessness I bring to the fountain of Thy power, all my lowliness I lay upon the sacred carpet of Thy might, all my wealth I dispatch before the sovereign of Thy grandeur.

For Thou, O my God, hast ever clothed and continue to clothe the people of Thy love with the garment of might and glory, and Thou arrayest Thy chosen ones in the robe of bounty and beauty. Glorified art Thou, O God, before all things and after all things, above all things and below all things, to the right of all things and to the left of all things. For Thou, O my God, hast ever raised and will continue to raise the people of Thy Kingdom to the summit of Thy love to establish Thy wealth and self-subsistence, and Thou wilt ever cause the people of Thy dominion to ascend to the wellspring of Thy might and power, manifesting the independence of Thy eternal sovereignty and the exaltation of Thy Kingdom.

How then can I mention Thee, O God, my Lord, when my remembrance befits not Thy gate nor is worthy to approach Thy presence? What am I and what is my station before Thee? What am I and what is my remembrance before Thee? What am I and what is my glory before Thy glory? What am I and what is my majesty before Thy majesty? What am I and what is my beauty before Thy beauty? What is my grandeur compared to Thy grandeur? What is my light compared to Thy light? What is my mercy compared to Thy mercy? What is my perfection compared to Thy perfection? What are my words compared to Thy words? What is my glory compared to Thy glory?

What is my will compared to Thy will? What is my knowledge compared to Thy knowledge? What is my power compared to Thy power? What is my contentment compared to Thy contentment? What are my questions compared to Thy questions? What is my honor compared to Thy honor? What is my sovereignty compared to Thy sovereignty? What is my dominion compared to Thy dominion? What is my exaltation compared to Thy exaltation? What are my favors compared to Thy favors? What are my utterances compared to Thy utterances? What are my manifestations compared to Thy manifestations? What are my revelations compared to Thy revelations? What are my proofs compared to Thy proofs? What are my signs compared to Thy signs?

What is my might compared to Thy might? What is my kingdom compared to Thy kingdom? What is my remembrance compared to Thy remembrance? What is my life compared to Thy life? Replace, through Thee and for Thy sake, all that is attributed to me with what is attributed to Thee. Make Thy radiance my radiance, Thy majesty my majesty, Thy beauty my beauty, Thy grandeur my grandeur, Thy light my light, Thy mercy my mercy, Thy words my words, Thy names my names, Thy glory my glory, Thy will my will, Thy power my power, Thy knowledge my knowledge, and Thy utterance my utterance. Your problems are My problems, Your nobility is My nobility, Your sovereignty is My sovereignty, Your dominion is My dominion, Your favor is My favor, Your exaltation is My exaltation, Your signs are My signs, Your manifestations are My manifestations, Your effulgences are My effulgences, Your tokens are My tokens, Your proofs are My proofs, Your camphor-like essence is My camphor-like essence, Your pristine nature is My pristine nature, Your abstractness is My abstractness, Your gems are My gems, for all these, like unto the Kaaba, Thy House, Thou hast attributed to Thyself for magnification, honor, exaltation, glory and grace.

And I, by Thy glory, am certain before Thee that I am less than any atom before Thee, and lower than the creation of clay in Thy presence. Yet through Thy generosity I beseech Thee, through Thy grace I approach Thee, through Thy mercy I seek Thy help, through Thy might I seek Thy protection, and through Thy sovereignty I face Thee.

Therefore, O my God, forgive my companionship, send down upon me my certitude and my petition, and ordain for me from Thy presence that which will gladden my inmost being and my outward self, for in Thy grasp are the means of the heavens and the earth and what lies between them, and in Thy right hand are the keys of the kingdom of creation and command and what lies between them. Thou hast said—and Thy word is the truth, and who is more truthful than Thee in speech—Say: O God! Master of sovereignty! Thou givest sovereignty to whom Thou willest and takest sovereignty from whom Thou willest. Thou exaltest whom Thou willest and abaseth whom Thou willest. In Thy hand is all good.

Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. Thou mergeth night into day and mergeth day into night. Thou bringeth forth the living from the dead and bringeth forth the dead from the living, and Thou giveth sustenance to whom Thou willest without measure. Grant me, O God, through Thy sovereignty and dominion and exaltation and favor and signs, and through Thy mastery alone over all affairs and might alone, and ordain for me from Thy presence a great kingdom. They shall wear fine silk and brocade, reclining therein upon thrones, seeing there neither sun nor bitter cold, its shade near above them and its fruits made easy to reach. They shall be given to drink of a cup whose mixture is of ginger, and there shall wait upon them immortal youths whom, when thou seest them, thou wouldst think them scattered pearls.

For all this, O my God, is in Thy grasp, and beyond that in Thy right hand. Thou createst in every moment whatsoever Thou willest, for whatsoever Thou willest, as Thou willest, for whom Thou willest, how Thou willest. Thou art He Who hath possessed the kings through Thy power, and owned the sovereigns through Thy might, and enslaved the hearts through Thy glory, and humbled the spirits through Thy awe, and subdued the souls to the light of Thy countenance, and prostrated the bodies before the majesty of Thy grandeur, and subjected all upon which anything hath fallen to Thy sovereignty and might and dominion and rule, and what Thou art in Thy signs, before which hearts are powerless to fully comprehend any of their meanings, and spirits fail to contemplate what Thou hast ordained therein of the origins of Thy will, and souls are unable to fathom what Thou hast created therein of the seas of the heavens and the earth and what lies between them in their encompassment, and bodies are incapable of producing a single letter of their outward forms, just as Thou art the One Who hath sent them down through Thy strength and power.

For verily Thou art, as Thou hast ever been, the Creator of all things through Thy power, that Thou mightest purify the letters through Thy grandeur and cause them to descend from above Thy highest heavens through the tongue of whomsoever Thou willest among Thy loved ones, by Thy glory. Glorified art Thou therefore,

O God, my God! I do indeed bear witness concerning Thee in the manifestation of the Point as befitteth the majesty of Thy holiness, for none possesseth it save Thee, neither any Prophet, nor successor, nor king, nor believer, nor truthful one, nor martyr, nor learned one, nor person of excellence, nor glorious one, for Thou hast reserved this unto Thyself, and through it Thou hast gained mastery over all things minute and great, and risen above all things mighty and grand, for verily Thou art the Outward One therein and the Inward One therein, and the First therein and the Last therein, without Thy Essence being joined thereto. Thou didst create it from no thing, by it, through itself, and Thou didst manifest Thyself unto it, through it, by casting therein its likeness. Thus it is a sanctified countenance, an illumined visage, a primal tree, an ultimate leaf, essential branches, abstract fruits, gleaming signs, radiant manifestations, resplendent revelations, transcendent tokens, holy emblems, mighty essences, exalted realities, dominating selves, supreme identities, camphor-like compelling powers, gracious pristine qualities, abstract essences, and praiseworthy abstractions, and whatsoever Thou hast numbered of the striking of such similitudes in the Kingdom of Glory and Majesty, and whatsoever Thou hast caused to be witnessed of such names in the pavilions of sanctity and perfection.

Then, O my God, after my certitude in the Manifestation of the Point as the revelation of Thine own Essence, I shall assuredly beseech Thee, in the manifestations of that same Point, within the eight and twenty letters—the mystery of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the testimony of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad—that Thou wouldst send down Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, in the splendor of the splendor of Thy Divine Identity, the majesty of the majesty of Thy Divinity, the beauty of the beauty of Thy Oneness, the grandeur of the grandeur of Thy Singleness, the lights of the light of Thy Self-Subsistence, the mercy of the mercy of Thy Mercifulness, the perfection of the perfection of Thy Sanctity, the words of the words of Thy Glorification, the names of the names of Thy Kingdom, the might of the might of Thy Dominion, the will of the will of Thy Divine Realm, the power of the power of Thy Sovereignty, the knowledge of the knowledge of Thy Essence, the utterance of the utterance of Thy Purity, the questions of the questions of Thy Substance, the nobility of the nobility of Thy Detachment, the sovereignty of the sovereignty of Thy Self-Subsistence, the dominion of the dominion of Thy Everlastingness, and the exaltation of the exaltation of the loftiness of Thy Unity.

Through the signs of the signs of the might of Thy sovereignty, through the favors of the favors of the manifestations of Thy Oneness, through what Thou art in the conditions of the conditions of Thy Singleness, and from the might of the might of Thy Self-Subsistence, and from the kingdom of the kingdom of Thy Omnipotence, and from the realm of the realm of Thy All-Subduing Power, and from the wonders of the manifestations of Thy Forgiveness, and from the holy traces of Thy Creation, and from the veils of the pavilions of the unseen of Thy Concealment, and from the wonders of the traces of Thy Lordship, and what Thou lovest to be described in the highest heights of Thy Light, and in the loftiest heights of Thy Generosity, and in the fullest growth of Thy Aid, and in the nearest nearness of Thy Forgiveness.

For unto Thee, O my God, belongeth creation, before and after, and unto Thee belongeth command in the kingdom of heaven and earth. Thou createst what Thou willest, how Thou willest, through what Thou willest; and Thou judgest how Thou willest, through what Thou willest; and Thou ordainest how Thou willest, through what Thou willest; and Thou permittest how Thou willest, through what Thou willest; and Thou sendest down how Thou willest, through what Thou willest. None hath anything save through Thy will, and none hath any power save through Thy might.

O God! Send down upon me, at the time when I was with Thee the letter Vav, and from my Lord on that day from Thy presence, whose name was blessed, that which befitteth the majesty of Thy holy exaltation and the wonders of the might of Thy manifestations. And what was fashioned there for me was the arrow and bow when I was occupied with what beseemeth Thee through Thy grace and mercy. Verily, Thou art my Lord and the Lord of my forefathers. The glances of the eyes of Thy tenderness have ever been fixed upon me, and the wonders of the traces of Thy forgiveness through Thy trustees have ever ascended unto me, and the robes of the sovereignty of Thy Singleness from Thy chosen ones have ever descended upon me, and the fruits of all Thy gardens at all times from Thy servants have been present before me.

Therefore, praise be unto Thee, O my God, at the time when seven years of my life have passed. O God! Bless me at all times and send down upon me the letters of my name from the Ayn, Lam, Ya, Mim, Ha, then Mim and Dal—seven letters that befit the loftiness of the sovereignty of Thy might and Thy exaltation, and the dominion of the holiness of Thy Self-Subsistence and Thy favor. As my vessel is empty of all things, fill it, O God, through Thy grace and mercy and generosity and bounty and gift and pardon and forgiveness, and through what Thou art, wherein none of Thy creation can comprehend Thy knowledge, through what beseemeth Thee, not what beseemeth me.

O Thou whose worthiness passeth not beyond Thyself to another, and my worthiness is not fit to be mentioned before Thy mercy! The evanescent hath no mention before the Everlasting, and the servant hath no station before the Lord. Thou wilt ever be the Lord and I the servant, and Thou wilt ever be the Sovereign and I the subject, and in every condition Thou art the King and I am Thy bondsman and slave. Transform, O my God, that which is attributed to me into that which is attributed to Thee, and send down upon us, O my God, all Thy grace and mercy that hath been encompassed by Thy knowledge. Verily Thou hast encompassed all things with knowledge and hast embraced all things with mercy and grace. Therefore, O my God, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad morning and evening. Glorified be Thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, above that which they describe.

Prayer for the Eighth Year

This is a prayer for the eighth year of the age of its writer, peace be upon himself from himself.

In the Name of God, the Compeller, the All-Subduing!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I would fain praise Thee to the highest degree that the bird of my heart can soar in the atmosphere of the heaven of Thy Divinity, and the essence of my thoughts can ascend in the atmosphere of the heaven of Thy Might. But when I look upon my being and its poverty, and my reality and its brokenness, I am veiled between myself and Thy countenance, and am kept far from the court of Thy nearness and Thy glory. Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be One God, Single, Alone, Self-Subsisting, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sufficient, the Self-Dependent, the outwardly and inwardly manifest, transcendent and inaccessible art Thou!

And Thou wilt ever remain as Thou hast been. Thou createst what Thou willest at every moment without intention or agency, and Thou bringest into being what Thou desirest in every condition without design or innovation. Glorified art Thou, O Lord! Thine is the might and the majesty, Thine the strength and the beauty, Thine the creation and the deed. Within Thy grasp lie all gifts and bounties. Thou clothest whom Thou willest with the garment of Thy glory and arrayest whom Thou desirest in the robe of Thy grandeur. Thou exaltest whom Thou willest through the signs of Thy power and Thou abasest whom Thou desirest through the manifestations of Thy Self-Subsistence. For within Thy grasp are the kingdom of earth and heaven, and in Thy right hand lie might and dominion.

None hath any knowledge save what Thou hast taught, nor any obedience save what Thou hast enjoined, nor any lawful thing save what Thou hast made lawful, nor any religion save what Thou hast ordained, nor any path save what Thou hast made clear, nor any book save what Thou hast revealed, nor any justice save what Thou hast decreed, nor any power save what Thou hast established, nor anything save that for which Thou hast sent down a decree. Let none say:

“Had God taught me the wisdom of that thing, I would have been among the guided ones.”

I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be. At no time can there be separated from Thee what befitteth Thy creation or beseemeth Thy handiwork. Thy dominion in Thy kingdom and the manifestations of Thy creation in Thy dominion have ever existed and will ever endure. Were I to say at any time that Thou art Thou and hadst no creation, I would negate my knowledge of Thy power and certainty of Thy Lordship. Glorified, glorified art Thou! Rather, my knowledge of Thee in Thy Essence is that Thou wert alone, there is no God but Thee. None was with Thee besides Thee, and Thou wilt ever remain as Thou hast been—none beside Thee save Thyself. Yet Thou hast brought into being all that can be created through Thy Will, from nothing, else my heart would be compelled to acknowledge a suspension of Thy Command and alteration in the manifestations of Thy creation.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! While I affirm Thy oneness and am certain of Thy creation and dominion, I associate nothing with Thee, for that would belong to the realm of limitations and creation, while Thou art in the heights of grandeur and Lordship. Glorified, glorified art Thou! As Thou hast caused me to witness Thy oneness and the sources of Thy power’s effects, I testify that in every condition Thou hast manifested to the people of Thy creation Thy unity and justice, and made known to the dwellers of Thy dominion and kingdom the manifestations of Thy deeds in every age by a name and in every era by a sign, from the beginning of Thy creation which hath no beginning.

In every cycle and age Thou hast ordained a religion for the people of that time and a path for those who desire to ascend unto Thee, until all religions were abrogated and all paths led to the time of Muhammad, Thy Beloved, may God’s blessings be upon him and his family. There didst Thou make all the Prophets as the self of Thy Beloved and all books as the Book of Thy Beloved. Thou didst call all from the most exalted heights to the lowest horizon to Thy unity, even as Thou hast unified Thine Essence in that there is no God but Thee. Thou didst send down the effect of that unity to whoever was called to Thy oneness in that there is no Prophet but Muhammad, Thy Beloved.

Then didst Thou manifest the effect of that unity in the Book which Thou didst reveal to Thy Beloved in that there is no Book but the Qur’an, and Thou didst make it the guardian over all books. From that day the signs of unity were established in the realities of multiplicity in all regions and souls, that there is no God but Thee, no Messenger of God but Muhammad, and no Book but the Qur’an. And Thou didst choose for the manifestation of Thy Beloved’s religion and the exaltation of Thy Book thirteen souls, whom Thou didst select for Thyself, and chose them for Thy remembrance, and appointed them for Thy revelation when Thou didst reveal in Thy Book, and Thou didst place them before all Thy creation and raised them above all the dwellers of Thy heaven and earth.

Until this day we have believed in this and have had faith in that which Thou didst take from us as a covenant: that there is no God but Thee, and that Muhammad is Thy Beloved, and that Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, Ali ibn Husayn, Muhammad ibn Ali, Jafar ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Jafar, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, and Muhammad ibn Hasan are the successors of Thy Beloved, and that verily the Book is the Qur’an wherein there is no doubt, which was revealed from Thy presence, containing the detailed explanation of all things, and wherein Thou hast revealed the decree of all things in its outward and inward meanings, its beginning and its end, its unseen and its manifest aspects. Were it not for this, Thy proof would not have been perfected upon Thy servants, and Thy Word would not have been exalted in all lands.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! In that moment I shall assuredly bear witness unto Thee with the same testimony wherewith the Tree of Primordial Reality once shone forth before, for I have beheld naught for myself save that Tree alone. And from the day when the waters of existence of Thy Beloved descended from the heaven of Thy Lordship until now, one thousand three hundred and fifteen years have elapsed since the point of Aries returned to Aries. All praise be unto Thee, O my God, from that day until this day, for Thou hast preserved me in the heights of the manifestations of Thy glory, given me to drink from the chalice of Thy Paradise, nourished me with the fruits and bounties of Thy Ridvan, and clothed me with the garments of Thy grace in their most exalted and lofty form.

From that day until now I have witnessed naught from Thee save Thy grace and mercy, and through Thy might and power I have witnessed naught but Thy bounty and generosity. I testify that there is none other God but Thee, alone with no partner, and that Thou hast no Messenger save Him upon Whom Thou didst send down the Bayan wherein Thou didst confirm all that was in the Qur’an, and that Thou hast no Messenger but this One and no Book but this Book. Even as we proclaim Thy oneness and that Thou hast no partner, we sanctify Thy Messenger as having no peer, and Thy Book as having no likeness, and those whom Thou hast specially chosen as the Successors of Thy Messenger as having no equal.

And whatsoever Thou hast ordained as truth from Thy presence cannot be altered. The lawful is what Thou hast made lawful, religion is what Thou hast ordained, the decree is what Thou hast decreed, the command is what Thou hast commanded, and the prohibition is what Thou hast forbidden, for all are Thy creation and within Thy grasp. Thou rulest as Thou pleasest through what Thou pleasest, and Thou decreest as Thou desirest through what Thou desirest. Thou art not questioned about what Thou doest, but all shall be questioned about what Thou hast revealed, all shall be questioned about what Thou hast decreed, all shall return unto Thee, all shall be brought before Thee, and all shall be resurrected unto Thee.

Therefore, O my God, I testify to Thy unity in the station of my heart, that there is no God but Thee; and to the effect of that unity in the station of my mind, that Thou hast no Book except the Bayan; and in the station of my soul, that Thou hast no Messenger except the First of Thy creation upon Whom Thou didst send down the Book; and in the station of my body, that Thou hast no witnesses on earth except the Successors of Thy Beloved, for Thou hast made the testimony like the unseen. Unto Thee belongeth creation and command, both before and after. Thus do I believe in this, and I call to witness my whole being and every part of me, and all the signs of my beginning and my end, my outward and my inward, my blood and my hair, my marrow and my veins and my bones, that Thou hast manifested the Primal Tree in its manifestation and its concealment, its beginning and its end, and Thou hast given life to the Qur’an through what Thou hast revealed in the Bayan.

There is nothing except by Thy Will and no decree except by Thy Purpose. I testify that they who are assured of Thee and Thy signs and Thy Messenger and the Successors of Thy Messenger—these are they who are nigh unto Thee and chosen by Thee.

And verily, O my God, I testify unto Thee that I have witnessed the Day of Resurrection, the Day whereon Thou didst establish the Hour and perfect Thy bounty and decree what Thou hadst revealed in guidance—that unto Thee belong all the Messengers together, and unto Thee belong all the Successors together, and unto Thee belong all the witnesses and the truthful ones together. And since it hath ever been and will ever be Thy way to show grace and mercy by causing Thy servants to ascend to the horizon of unity and to sever from their thoughts the veils of multiplicity, therefore Thou didst not ordain for mankind the recognition of any of Thy Messengers save through the recognition of Thy Messenger, nor of their successors save through His successors, nor of their paths save through His path, nor of their books save through the Book which Thou didst send down to Thy Messenger.

Through this the servants shall draw nigh unto the highest degrees of sanctity and glory, and every servant shall attain unto that which Thou hast ordained of grace and favor. For verily Thou, O my God and my Purpose, none other than Thee—when the Messenger calleth unto Thy unity, I shall surely obey Him, and when His successors call the people unto Thy justice and sanctification, I shall surely obey them. And as for the Book, inasmuch as it establisheth Thy proof and Thy power over all that Thou hast created and brought into being, I shall touch it only in purity and recite it night and day with utmost grace, and shall preserve it as the apple of mine eye, for therein are the manifestations of Thy glory, Thy holy names, the ordinances of Thy religion, the ways of Thy law, the gates of Thy grace and bounty, and all things wherein lieth Thy good-pleasure, which Thou hast sent down therein, wherein Thou hast said—and Thy word is the truth, and who is more truthful than Thee in speech:

“Is it not enough for you what God hath sent down unto you of the Book? Therein is the judgment of all things, that ye may be thankful.”

Yea, by Thy glory, Thy Book sufficeth me and those possessed of knowledge among Thy creatures, nor do I associate with it any proof or sign, for through the letters of the alphabet which all do utter, Thou hast revealed it in such wise that all mankind together are powerless to produce the like of a single verse thereof, or to comprehend its meanings, or that which Thou hast encompassed therein of knowledge and caused to flow through power, and within it the Divine Will took refuge, and in it every decree and purpose was confirmed. It is, O my God, Thy supreme testimony and Thy most great sign. Through Thy signs have I recognized that there is no God but Thee, and have testified to Thy oneness, and have followed Thy commandments and the paths of Thy law.

Through its blessings did Thy Beloved One don the garment of authority over all atoms, and by its grace did the successors of Thy Beloved One wear the robe of guardianship over all who dwell in the kingdom of earth and heaven. How exalted it is as a favor from Thee, O my God, how great it is as a proof from Thee, O my Sovereign, and how precious it is in Thy sight, O my King and my Ordainer! By Thy glory, O Lord, a single letter thereof is more precious to me and to those endowed with knowledge among Thy creation than all that Thou hast fashioned in the kingdom of Thy names and Thy earth. For hadst Thou not revealed it unto me, Thy will would not have been established over all contingent things, nor would Thy good-pleasure have been confirmed in the kingdom of earth and heaven.

Through it Thou hast glorified Thyself that all created things might glorify Thee, and through it Thou hast praised Thy Being that all contingent things might praise Thee, and through it Thou hast asserted Thy unity that all in the kingdom of earth and heaven might assert Thy unity, and through what Thou hast revealed therein of Thy glorification that all beings might glorify Thee, and through what Thou hast sanctified therein of Thy purity that all atoms might sanctify Thee.

Through it, O my God, have I become content and submitted myself to Thee, turned my face toward Thee, and committed my affairs unto Thee, trusting in Thee, clinging to Thy cord, seeking protection in Thy custody, seeking exaltation through Thy loftiness, seeking strength through Thy power, seeking glory through Thy majesty, seeking beauty through Thy beauty, seeking grandeur through Thy grandeur, seeking illumination through Thy light, seeking mercy through Thy mercy, seeking greatness through Thy greatness, seeking might through Thy might, seeking creation through Thy creation, seeking power through Thy power, seeking knowledge through Thy knowledge, seeking utterance through Thy justice, seeking satisfaction through Thy good-pleasure, seeking honor through Thy honor, seeking perpetuity through Thy sovereignty, seeking dominion through Thy dominion, seeking transcendence through Thy transcendence, seeking precedence through Thy eternity, seeking bounty through Thy generosity, seeking grace through Thy grace, seeking kindness through Thy kindness, seeking might through Thy might, seeking conquest through Thy conquest, seeking glory through Thy glory, seeking wealth through Thy wealth, seeking wisdom through Thy wisdom, seeking holiness through Thy sanctity, seeking strength through Thy self-subsistence.

I have not sought victory except through Thee, nor shall I seek it; I have not taken proof except through Thy signs, nor shall I take it; I have not become independent except through Thee, nor shall I become independent except through Thy grace; I have not feared except Thy justice, nor have I sought satisfaction except in Thy good-pleasure; I have not sought might except through Thy sovereignty, nor have I sought triumph except through Thy hosts and Thy proof; I have not sought conquest except through Thy kingdom and Thy signs, nor have I sought manifestation except through Thy dominion and Thy revelations; and I have not been drawn to anything except through Thy love and the holy splendors of the lights of Thy glory and beauty, and the manifestations of the dawning-places of Thy might and power.

Therefore, O my God, be Thou unto me a support, a refuge, a strength, a pillar, and a protection, and whatsoever Thou lovest to be attributed unto Thee of Thy most beautiful names and Thy most exalted attributes. For verily Thou art the support of him that hath no support, the refuge of him that hath no refuge, the protection of him that hath no protection, the strength of him that hath no strength, the sovereign of him that hath no sovereign, the glory of him that hath no glory, the majesty of him that hath no majesty, the beauty of him that hath no beauty, the grandeur of him that hath no grandeur, the light of him that hath no light, the mercy of him that hath no mercy, the names of him that hath no attribute, the qualities of him that hath no description, the might of him that hath no might, the support of him that hath no support, the knowledge of him that hath no knowledge, the power of him that hath no power, and the word of him that hath no word, and the questions of one who has no questions, and the nobility of one who has no nobility, and the sovereignty of one who has no helper, and the dominion of one who has no dominion, and the loftiness of one who has no loftiness, and the traditions of one who has no traditions, and the verses of one who has no verses, and the manifestations of one who has no manifestations.

For I, O my God, bear witness unto Thee that I have naught save Thee, for Thou didst create me alone and raised me up by Thy Command and revealed unto me Thy verses. Through Thee I gained ascendancy over all who dwell in the kingdom of Thy earth and heaven, and I found evidence of Thy oneness and that which Thou hast joined therewith of what Thou hast specially favored me with through Thy verses. Thou art the Perfecter of Thy favors and the Completer of Thy bounties and the Manifester of Thy clear proofs and the Establisher of Thy signs and the Inspirer of Thy chosen ones with the ways of Thy good-pleasure. None is more exalted than Thee in sovereignty, none mightier than Thee in hosts, none greater than Thee in proof, none nearer than Thee in bounty, none more elevated than Thee in beneficence, and none more glorious than Thee in honor.

And verily in the tradition which was with Thee concerning the letter Za, I have done nothing for Thee, therefore write down, O my God, in that place what befitteth the sublimity of Thy grace and bestowal, and the exaltation of Thy generosity and favor. For verily, I am the most abject of the abject at Thy gate, and the poorest of the poor at Thy threshold.

Bestow upon me, O my God—upon my parents, upon him who taught me Thy Book, upon him who nurtured me, and upon him who dealt kindly with me in the paths of Thy good-pleasure—that which beseemeth the majesty of the sanctity of Thy bounty, the exaltation of Thy grandeur, and the graciousness of Thy favor. For verily, all that is attributed to me, O my God, shall perish, and all that is attributed to Thee, O my Lord, shall endure. Therefore, O God, attribute my soul and all that pertaineth unto me unto Thyself, for Thou art better for me than I am to myself, and better than all that Thou hast created in the kingdom on high down to the lowest atom. And send Thy blessings, O God, upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Manifestations of Thy holiness in the hereafter and in the former times. Glorified be Thy Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.

Prayer of Ha for the Ninth Year

Written on the ninth night of the month of Safar 1260. This is the prayer of Ha for the ninth year of the age of its revealer, exalted be His holiness.

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

Glorified art Thou, O God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness, that there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thou hast ever been, and wilt ever be. Verily, Thou art without anything existing beside Thee, and Thou wilt forever remain with nothing mentioned alongside Thee. Thou hast ever been singular in the sovereignty of eternity, and sanctified in the dominion of antiquity, far above the most exalted birds of the camphor realms soaring into the atmosphere of Thy holiness, or the most subtle essences of pure spirits descending into the precincts of Thy intimacy.

Glorified art Thou, O God, my God! I would love to praise Thee as Thou art, but whenever I strive with my understanding and ascend through the power of my essence and my manifestations, I cannot comprehend anything of the expressions of Thy dominion or recognize anything of the signs of Thy divinity. How then could I possibly succeed in praising Thee or be capable of knowing Thee as Thou art? Nay, by Thy might! All paths are barred to me and to those who are certain of Thee, and all ways are forbidden to me and to those who are attracted by Thy love, save what Thou hast brought into being through Thy creation, originated through Thy origination, invented through Thy invention, caused through Thy causation, and created through Thy acts. Beyond this there is no way for anyone, nor any proof other than this.

Through Thee, O my God, I have known Thee, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have professed Thy unity, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have sanctified Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have found Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have magnified Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have glorified Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have exalted Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have beautified Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have extolled Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have illumined Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee. Through Thee I have honored Thee, O my God, that there is no God but Thee.

Through Thee I have known that nothing escapeth Thy knowledge, for hadst Thou not taught me in this Book, I would not have known anything of the manifestations of Thy kingdom. Through Thee I have become certain of Thy power, that nothing can frustrate Thee, neither in the kingdom of Thy earth nor of Thy heaven. And hadst Thou not shown me this, I would not have witnessed anything of the expressions of Thy might in the kingdom of Thy command and creation. And through Thee I have sought Thy good-pleasure, O my God, alone, there is no God but Thee, and through Thee do I glorify Thee. Thou alone, there is none other God but Thee, and I testify before Thee that the most noble are humbled and abased before Thy nobility, and the mystics are detached and withdrawn before the Dayspring of Thy light.

Through Thy sovereignty have I recognized Thy dominion, assured that all the monarchs prostrate themselves before Thy grandeur and stand in awe of Thy justice and might. Verily all kings are cut off from the seats of Thy glory, seeking shelter at the gate of Thy power. Through Thy kingdom have I become certain of Thy independence from all created things, for whatsoever beareth the name of a thing in Thy kingdom, Thou art powerful over it and mighty through it. Nothing escapeth Thy grasp, nor can anything elude Thy right hand. Thou hast ever been, and wilt ever be, bestowing as Thou pleaseth, whatsoever Thou pleaseth, upon whomsoever Thou pleaseth. The abundance of Thy giving increaseth naught in Thy kingdom save through Thy grace and bounty, nor doth anything diminish therefrom, for Thou hast deposited therein the example of Thy sovereignty.

Through Thy exaltation, O my God, have I testified to Thy oneness—there is none other God but Thee. Thine is the might and the majesty, Thine the strength and the beauty, Thine the deed and the action, Thine the stratagem and the unconquerable power. Thou hast ever been, and wilt ever be, the manifestations of Thy Will shining forth unto the people of Thy kingdom, and the evidences of Thy Purpose appearing unto the denizens of Thy dominion.

Praised be Thou, O my God, in the heights of exaltation, the summits of ascendancy, the pinnacle of growth, and the depths of nearness—praise resplendent, brilliant, holy, gleaming, manifest, luminous, majestic, beauteous, mighty, perfect, glorious, loving, powerful, merciful, compassionate, sovereign, commanding, transcendent, inaccessible, omnipotent, compelling, elevated, drawing near—by virtue of what Thou deserveth in the kingdom of exaltation and the dominion of transcendence. For Thou, O my God, hast ever been, and wilt ever be. Verily Thou art in wondrous creation and new manifestation, creating as Thou pleaseth, whatsoever Thou pleaseth. The gates of Thy mercy have ever been and shall ever remain open to them that love Thee, and the measures of Thy grace apportioned among them that are loyal to Thee.

Thou dost favor whomsoever Thou willest with whatsoever Thou willest as Thou willest. Thine is all creation and command. Thou dost ordain as Thou pleasest for the people of Thy dominion and might, as a token of Thy grace and mercy, that thereby all created things may ascend to the summit of Thy gifts and bounties, and all existing things may rise to the source of Thy bestowals and favors. Were Thou not to teach any of Thy creatures the ways of ascent unto Thee and of recognizing what Thou art, who then could sanctify Thee or bear witness to Thy unity as behooveth Thee? Glorified, glorified art Thou! All poverty shall I cause to be enriched through Thy wealth, all abasement exalted through Thy glory, all transience made everlasting through Thy eternity, and all sorrow gladdened through Thy spirit and fragrance.

For Thou hast ever clothed the people of Thy realm in the garment of Thy love and arrayed the denizens of Thy kingdom in the robe of Thy glory. How exalted is Thy bounty and grace, O my God! How near is Thy command, O my Lord! How supreme is Thy sovereignty, O my Master! How mighty is Thy dominion, O my King! How transcendent is Thy favor, O my Sovereign!

I beseech Thee by Thyself, O my God, to deprive me not in any way of the breezes of Thy holiness, the manifestations of Thy nearness, the attractions of Thy grace, the revelations of Thy creation, the signs of Thy divinity, the tokens of Thy kingdom, the evidences of Thy might, the aspects of Thy glory, and the stations wherein Thou hast manifested Thyself in the realm of Thy majesty. For all things belong to Thee, O my God, from the highest heaven to the lowliest atom. Fill then my heart, O Lord, with Thy love, my spirit with Thy spirit, my heart with fear of Thee, my soul with Thy tranquility, and my body with such trembling that I may ascend unto Thee and rise before Thee, speak through Thee, delight in Thy remembrance, repose on the couch of Thy security, drink from the chalice of Thy paradise, taste the fruits of Thy good-pleasure, be established upon the throne of Thy bounty, be raised unto the seat of Thy favors, be settled upon the chairs of Thy glory and generosity, be seated upon the couches of Thy grace and beneficence, recline upon carpets raised to the highest degrees of Thy gardens, and glorify Thee night and day with what Thou hast inspired me through Thy verses.

May I hear from Thy words that which shall sever me from all else save Thee and draw me through Thy grace to the horizon of Thy favor and bounty. May I gaze upon precious books whose revelations attract me to the wellspring of Thy union and generosity, and upon subtle manifestations in the kingdom of Thy Command and Creation that remind me of the beauty of Thy beauty and the sublimity of Thy creative artistry. May my heart bear witness to what Thou hast caused it to witness, that it may inhale naught but the sweet fragrances of Thy divinity and the breezes of Thy paradise and might, and the sweet scents of the gardens of Thine eternity and kingdom.

May my tongue speak naught but Thy praise, glorification, unity, exaltation, magnification, veneration, and whatsoever words draw me near unto Thee—words wherein Thou hast created attractive spirits and invested with jewel-like qualities, such that when I hear them, tears flow down my cheeks in rapture before Thee, in trembling from fear of Thee, in yearning to attain Thy presence, and in finding rest before the Sovereign of Thy holy oneness, as befitteth the exaltation of Thy sovereign eternal dominion. May I be seated upon subtle seats, raised to noble horizons, and elevated upon mighty manifestations, that my private and public self may dwell in the paths of Thy good-pleasure, and my outer and inner being may find solace in all the blessings Thou hast bestowed upon me from the Manifestations of Thy creation, and I shall surely treasure what Thou hast ordained for me until the Day when I shall lay it before Thy mercy.

I shall preserve all that Thou hast given me in trust for those Manifestations of Thy Kingdom and Revelations of Thy Divine Realm which Thou hast ordained for me, and that which no one but Thee can comprehend. And I shall surely cause the tender mercies of Thy glory to descend from the heaven of Thy holiness upon the hearts of Thy chosen ones and trusted servants. I shall spend what Thou hast given me and prescribed for me in Thy Book in ways that will exalt Thy remembrance and elevate Thy Word. I shall transcribe Thy words in the most excellent manner, and I shall surely partake of the fruits of Thy gardens which Thou hast created and wilt create in the heaven of the Kingdom and the earth of might.

I shall draw nigh unto Thee at all times—before and after—until the Day when Thou shalt manifest Thyself in Thy singleness upon the throne of the Point. On that Day I shall sacrifice myself and all I possess for love of Thee, not out of fear of Thee, for Thou art too glorious and exalted to deal with anything in a manner unbefitting the sovereignty of Thy justice and grace, and the dominion of Thy generosity and mercy. Verily by Thy justice, I was and shall ever be in fear and dread, while my reliance on Thy grace hath, at all times and before all time, been a source of tranquility through Thy mercy.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art the Subduer Who shall never be subdued, the Manifest Who shall never be manifested, the Vanquisher Who shall never be vanquished, the Established Who shall never decline, the Sovereign Who shall never pass away, and the Ruler Whom nothing can impede. Thou art the Almighty Whom nothing can frustrate, and the All-Knowing from Whose knowledge nothing is hidden. None can be Thy peer, nor Thy opponent, nor Thy like, nor Thy similitude, nor Thy equal, nor Thy partner. All Thy creation is within Thy grasp. Thou hast created them in such wise that were the veils to be rent asunder between Thee and them, they would all prostrate themselves before Thee and would beseech Thy favors. But since Thou hast placed between Thyself and Thy creation veils of Thy might, pavilions of Thy grandeur, hosts of Thy sovereignty, power from the kingdom of Thy mysteries, and barriers from the seats of Thy command and bounty, therefore none among the dwellers of Thy kingdom, from the highest heights to the lowliest atom, can attain to Thy presence, or ascend to the horizon of Thy holiness and bounty, or abide near Thee in sweet communion and recognition.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! All seek union with Thee and Thy favor, and all seek from Thee what Thou possessest of Thy glory. Grant unto me, O my God, and unto them that love Thee, that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy gifts and the sublimity of Thy favors, for we are all poor at Thy gate and slaves before Thy sovereignty. Send down, O my God, mighty strength into my hands and delicate lights into my vision, that I may write what I write with the utmost splendor, majesty, beauty, grandeur, light, mercy, perfection, glory, might, excellence, knowledge, power, good-pleasure, love, nobility, dominion, sovereignty, exaltation, proof, radiance, praise, elevation, grace, sublimity, honor, growth, and transcendence, and whatsoever befitteth Thy most excellent Names, Thy most exalted Attributes, Thy furthermost Manifestations, Thy greatest Revelations, Thy most mighty Signs, and the subtle craftsmanship of the wondrous, exalted, and lofty manifestations of Thy Unity in the most holy precincts of the most glorious and most sublime Paradise, and whatsoever befitteth Thee, O my Beloved, my God, my Lord, my Goal, my Adored One, my King, my Sovereign, my Creator, my Ordainer, my Fashioner, and my Strengthener, in the highest degrees of the most sublime heights.

For none besides Thee, O my God, can bestow anything. If Thou givest unto me, who can prevent me? And if Thou givest not unto me, who can grant unto me? Glorified, glorified art Thou! All are within Thy grasp and in Thy right hand. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. None can withhold save by Thy will, none can bestow save by Thy desire, none can decree save by Thy power, none can judge save by Thy judgment, none can originate save by what Thou art, for every day Thou art engaged in a wondrous work, and none can execute save what Thou hast executed, none can permit save what Thou hast ordained, none can postpone save what Thou hast postponed, and there is no book save what Thou hast revealed.

Enable me, O my God, to take possession of all that Thou hast sent down in a mighty Book, that not a single letter of Thy Book or Thy Words may escape me, and that nothing may diminish from Thy bounty towards me. Enable me, O my God, to expound Thy verses and interpret Thy words with the utmost power of my being and the glory of my essence, that I may glory therein in the kingdom of Thy heaven and earth amidst all Thy creation, for there is no excellence save in the knowledge of Thy Book, and no honor save in understanding Thy words, and no treasure like unto one who possesses all that Thou hast sent down.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou knowest my love for Thee and for Thy Messenger and for those who were witnesses after Thy Messenger, and those who are the pillars of Thy throne in the most exalted heights. Therefore, O my God, unite me with them in Thy lofty gardens and the sublime chambers of Thy paradise. Grant, O my God, between me and them affection, mercy, tranquility, glory, serenity, honor, bounty and care, for this can only come through Thy grace. Glorified art Thou, O my God! However much I remember Thee, my heart will not be satisfied except through Thy remembrance of me, for my remembrance, like myself, is not worthy to be offered before the Sovereign of Thy might and favor, nor to be brought down to the threshold of the King of Thy holiness and exaltation. Remember me, then, O my God, through Thy remembrance of me, for that is an impregnable glory and a sublime elevation. What is attributed to Thee endureth, and what is attributed to me perisheth.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the splendor of the radiance of the light of the Sinai of Thy glory, and by the majesty of the deeds of the bounties of Thy grandeur, and by the beauty of the garments of Thy countenance and Thy lights, and by the greatness of the awe of the appearance of Thy holiness and Thy exaltation, and by the illumination of the lights of the light of the countenance of Thy mercy and Thy favors which Thou hast ordained for such of Thy servants as are nigh unto Thee, and hast specially destined for the believers among Thy creation, and by the names whereby all Thy servants call upon Thee in the watches of the night and at the break of day, and by that Name which none knoweth save Thyself, and by that hidden Name through which the universe taketh shape ere Thou sayest unto it “Be!” and it is, and by that Name which Thou hast treasured in the pavilions of glory, and by that Name which Thou hast preserved within the tabernacles of grandeur, and by that Name through which Thou answerest those who call upon Thee, and by that Name which Thou lovest to remember at all times, and by that Name which, when placed upon fire, transformeth it into light, and when placed upon night, transformeth it into day—pray bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, through the sublimity of Thy names, the loftiness of Thy parables, the growth of Thy signs, the exaltation of Thy manifestations, and the greatness of Thy power, as befitteth Thee, O my God, for every matter is determined by Thy decree concerning Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, through whom Thou hast guided all servants and sent down Thy mercy upon all lands.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Send down upon him who seeketh Thee that which befitteth Thy grace. Verily Thou, O my God, knowest whatsoever is in the heavens and on earth and all that lieth between them. And verily, within the realm that is with Thee, concerning the letter Ha, I have performed no deed to draw me nigh unto Thee except that I was in that day assured of Thy oneness, acknowledging Thy unity, illumined by the lights of the effulgences of the kingdom of Thy glory, and submissive to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad—the Manifestations of Thy power in the kingdom of Thy Cause and sovereignty—and submissive to the command of those whom Thou hast appointed to authority, the trustees of the knowledge of Thy proofs, and the guardians of the religion of Thy trusted ones who, in the absence of Thy Friend, desire naught but Thee, have detached themselves wholly from all else but Thee, and have devoted their efforts to the exaltation of Thy Word and the establishment of Thine eternity over all created things.

Glory be unto Thee, O God, from the First that hath no first and the Last that hath no last, from one who seeketh Thee and loveth Thee and desireth naught but Thy good-pleasure, and hopeth for naught but Thy grace, and feareth naught but Thy justice, and findeth peace in naught but Thy transcendent station. Send down upon such a one that which befitteth the excellence of Thy mercy. Verily, Thou knowest all who seek Thee and follow Thy good-pleasure. How many are the servants who think they desire Thee, yet Thou dost not bear witness unto them. Make me, O God, of those unto whom Thou bearest witness of Thy love and good-pleasure, who have descended through Thy self-sufficiency and followed Thy good-pleasure, who have taken their stand before the throne of Thy holiness and favor, who have championed Thy Faith, sought to exalt Thy Word, become wholly detached unto Thee, and have spent what they possess in Thy path.

For verily, O my God, every day Thou art engaged in a fresh creation, and none hath knowledge of the stations of Thy Command nor of Thy wondrous purposes in Thy creation. Therefore inspire me, O God, at all times with Thy Will, and establish me, O God, at every moment through Thy Purpose, and place me, O God, in every condition beneath Thy Power, Thy Decree, Thy Leave, Thy Term, and Thy Book. For through these Thou createst what Thou willest and confirmest what Thou desirest. Let not my fear in obeying Thee, through my acknowledgment of Thy creativity, cause me to falter, nor let my deeds in any matter cause me to despair, through my acknowledgment of Thy forgiveness, Thy pardon, Thy mercy, Thy grace, and Thy favor.

Therefore make me, O God, one who is exposed to Thy bounties and favors, and who taketh shelter beneath the shade of the tree of Thy grace and mercy, and by that wherewith Thou hast named Thyself through Thine everlastingness, Thy self-subsistence, Thy sanctity, Thy glorification, Thy belovedness, Thy sovereignty, Thy dominion, Thy divinity, Thy sublimity, Thy quintessence, Thy essence, Thy radiance, Thy detachment, Thy being, Thy reality, Thy identity, Thy selfhood, and by that whereby Thou lovest to be mentioned in the heights of transcendence and the summit of nearness—for verily Thou art the Most High in Thy loftiness and there is none like unto Thee in elevation, and verily Thou art near in Thy loftiness and there is none like unto Thee in nearness to Thy creation.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Sever me from my will by Thy will, and from my desire by Thy desire, and from what is attributed to me by what is attributed to Thee. Raise me up at all times through the attraction of the glory of the lights of Thy countenance and what Thou inspirest within my inmost heart from the manifestations of Thy power, that I may act for Thee at every moment only through Thy inspiration and direction. For verily Thou art powerful over this and none beside Thee, and mighty unto this and none other than Thee. Send down then, O my God, through Thy mercy upon me in the ninth year of my life, and upon those who have shown kindness to me therein from among all who are near and far, for verily Thou art witness over all things. O God! Send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, who glorify and praise Thee at every moment, and before every moment, and after every moment.

Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, above what they describe. And peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

Prayer of Ta for the Tenth Year

This is the tenth prayer, the Prayer of Ta, for the tenth year in the life of its revealer, exalted be His glory.

In the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Impregnable!

Glory be to Thee, O my God! This is a night of Friday wherein are opened the gates of heaven to the people of Thy dominion, and wherein descend upon those who love Thee the breezes of Thy holiness and bounty and the effulgences of the light of Thy countenance and Thy divine lordship. We are all poor at Thy door and bondsmen before Thy presence. I would fain praise Thee with the praise wherewith Thou hast praised Thyself, not that I desire to praise Thee, for my praise is according to my measure, O my God, and my remembrance is according to my station, O my Beloved! Glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee, from my praising Thee with praise other than Thy Self’s Self, or from my remembering Thee with remembrance other than Thine Essence’s Essence. Glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee! Glorification befitteth none but Thee.

Grant me, O my God, that wherewith Thou hast glorified Thyself, and praised Thine Essence, and unified Thy Being, and magnified Thy Self, and exalted Thine Entity, and honored Thy Purity, and elevated Thy Pristine Nature, and that which beseemeth the majesty of Thy holy splendor, and that which Thou art in the heights of Thy favors and signs. Thou, verily, O my God, hast ever been and wilt ever be in a wondrous remembrance and a new creation. Thou createst as Thou pleasest what Thou pleasest, and Thou originatest as Thou desirest what Thou desirest.

Here am I, Thy supplicant, Thy guest, Thy poor one, Thy petitioner, Thy fugitive, and Thy refuge-seeker. Through Thee have I detached myself, through Thee have I become enriched in Thy presence, through Thee have I sought aid in all things, through Thee have I become mighty over all things, through Thee have I become honored above all things, through Thee have I become exalted above all things, through Thee have I become illumined over all things, through Thee have I become glorified above all things, through Thee have I become beautified above all things, through Thee have I become magnified above all things, through Thee have I become greater than all things, through Thee have I become merciful to all things, through Thee have I become powerful over all things, through Thee have I become knowledgeable of all things, through Thee have I encompassed all things, through Thee have I answered all things, through Thee have I become noble above all things, through Thee have I become sovereign over all things, through Thee have I become master over all things, through Thee have I become attracted to all things, through Thee have I become transcendent above all things, through Thee have I become generous to all things, through Thee have I become firm in all things, through Thee have I become victorious over all things, through Thee have I become mighty over all things, and through Thee have I found repose in every condition and at every moment.

I have no tranquility, O my God, except through Thee, and no strength, O my Beloved, except through Thee, and no glory, O my Beloved, except Thee, and no helper, O my God, other than Thee, and no refuge, O my God, besides Thee. I am indeed certain that whosoever trusteth in Thee, all seek his shade, and whosoever is enriched by Thee, all become poor unto him, and whosoever seeketh Thy good-pleasure, all become pleased with him, and whosoever ascendeth unto Thee, all rise towards him, and whosoever findeth rest with Thee, all soar unto him.

For Thou, O my God, didst create me by Thyself and didst make me with Thee the Manifestation of Thy Will and the Focal Point of the Tree of Thy Primal Oneness. Then didst Thou create through it all things. Glorified art Thou, O God! Unto Thee be praise—praise that is exalted through Thy exaltation, manifest through Thy manifestation, hidden through Thy concealment, first through Thy firstness, last through Thy lastness, pure through Thy purity, pristine through Thy pristine nature, essential through Thine essentiality, abstract through Thine abstraction, existing through Thine existence, sanctified through Thy sanctity, preceding through Thy precedence, self-subsisting through Thy self-subsistence, and transcendent through the transcendence of Thine eternity—praise that befitteth Thine Essence and deserveth Thy Reality and pleaseth Thy Self, and through which descend from Thy presence the treasuries of Thy mercy and the mines of Thy bounty, and that which beseemeth the sovereignty of Thy Will and the dominion of Thy self-subsistence. O my God, in Thy grasp is the kingdom of might and exaltation, and in Thy right hand the dominion of power and authority, and before Thee shine forth the lights of Thy sanctity amidst the depths of mystery, while from every quarter of Thy house there stream forth the signs of Thy bounty by night and by day.

How surpassing is Thy grace, O King of names and attributes! How surpassing is Thy generosity, O Lord of earth and heaven! O Thou Who art nearer to me than all else, and Who art sovereign over all things from beginning to end! I testify to Thy oneness with the trueness of testimony it behooveth Thee, and I render thanks to Thee at all times for Thy favors and bounties, Thy manifestations and revelations, Thy conditions and stations, Thy signs and Thy words, and for all that Thou hast associated with Thyself in the heights of the heights—the throne of grandeur and majesty—and in the depths of depths—the seat of glory and beauty—with the trueness of gratitude and the rendering of praise which befitteth Thee.

For verily, O my God, I was as nothing when Thou didst create me through Thy grace and mercy, and didst nurture me in Thy paradise with the most perfect of Thy favors and most gentle of Thy bounties, until there came to pass from Thee the command unto that most exalted seat and most glorious horizon. Wherefore unto Thee be praise through all the hours of my nights and their minutes, and all the hours of my days and their moments, for Thou hadst caused me to move among those who are nigh unto Thee from among Thy servants—the chosen ones among Thy friends, the sincere ones among Thy loved ones, those who are steadfast among Thy trusted ones, those who are detached unto Thee from among Thy intimates—and among those who glorify Thee in ranks: the sanctified prostrating ones, the sincere ones who profess Thy unity, the detached ones who magnify Thee, and the honored ones who extol Thy greatness—they who are in Thy grasp throughout the watches of the night and the hours of the day, and in Thy right hand in the kingdom of the manifest and the hidden.

Send down then, O my God, through Thy mercy upon the dead and the living, that which Thy knowledge hath encompassed in the kingdom of earth and heaven, as befitteth the majesty of Thy holy mercy and the sublimity of Thy grace and bounty. For verily Thou didst address Thy beloved Muhammad—peace be upon him and his family—in the Qur’an with what Thou didst reveal concerning movement among those who prostrate. Yea, that was from Thee: Thou didst cause me to move among those who are nigh unto Thee.

Preserve me, O my God, after Thou causest me to return unto Thee, within the veils of Thy bounty above the throne of Thy grandeur, and in the pavilions of the heaven of Thy power upon the seat of Thy favors and gifts, until the Day when Thou givest leave to the Point for what Thou hast ordained for it—when Thy loved ones shall delight in Thy paradise and find pleasure in Thy remembrance in the highest heavens. Thou dost not cause them to descend to earth except that Thou sendest down upon them at every moment the tokens of Thy mercy and the treasuries of Thy bounty.

I am indeed certain, O my God, that Thou hast appointed for those who believe in Thee and in Thy signs a seat of truth with Thee in Paradise, which Thou hast created in the heavens, not on earth, and wherein Thou hast created that which no one’s knowledge among all created things can encompass. For Thou hast described it for its people—and who is more truthful in speech than Thee?—saying they shall have therein all that they desire. Yea, by Thy truth, Thy promise is living and Thy word is truth, but I desire none except Thee, and I wish to find solace in none but Thee, to take pleasure in none save Thee, to find rest in none except with Thee, and to be enriched by none other than Thee.

How many bounties, O my God, have I witnessed in this worldly life, of which now no trace remains, and how many favors hast Thou specially conferred upon me, of which now no mention remains. Rather, my repose in all things is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my stability is with Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my glory is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my majesty is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my beauty is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my grandeur is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my light is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my loftiness is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my might is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my perfection is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee; and my independence is through Thee alone, O my God, there is no God but Thee.

I have no station, O my God, except through Thee alone, there is no God but Thee; and I have no dominion, O my God, except through Thee alone, there is no God but Thee; and I have no power, O my God, except through Thee alone. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, and there is no glory save through Thee, O my God. Thou art One besides Whom there is none other God, for all these names, O my God, with Thee are but like unto my existence, for the glory which is attributed to me is, like my existence before Thy glory, as nothing, even as my existence before Thee is as nothing.

Likewise, O my God, all my names and attributes—my power before Thee is sheer impotence, and my wealth before Thee is absolute poverty. How then, O my God, can I point to Thy names through my names, or to Thy likeness through my likeness? Thou hast ever been, and wilt ever be, known through none save Thyself and described by none save Thyself. Thou hast created all that Thou hast created through Thy Will, and brought into being all that Thou hast brought into being through Thy Purpose, and originated all that Thou hast originated through Thy Power, and invented all that Thou hast invented through Thy Sovereignty, and caused to exist all that Thou hast caused to exist through Thy Lordship.

Therefore unto Thee belongs all of me and whatsoever is attributed to me, assured that there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Verily all creation is Thy creation and within Thy grasp, and verily religion is what Thou dost ordain, and the path is what Thou dost make manifest to creation, and the permitted is what Thou dost permit, and the laws are what Thou dost decree, and the traditions are what Thou dost command—all are within Thy grasp. Thou dost rule as Thou pleasest, through what Thou pleasest, for what Thou pleasest, for whom Thou pleasest, over whom Thou pleasest.

Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be—Thy proof is manifest and cannot be hidden, and Thy sovereignty is triumphant and cannot be resisted. All Thy servants are but poor supplicants at the threshold of Thy mercy and grace, and all are servants before the revelations of Thy gift and bounty. Thou art the Creator Who hath never been created, the Provider Who hath never been provided for, the Quickener Whom nothing can frustrate, and the Giver of life from Whom naught can be withheld. Thou art the First in Thy lastness and the Last in Thy firstness, the Manifest in Thy hiddenness and the Hidden in Thy manifestness.

Thou art, O my God, nearer to me than my life-vein, and verily Thou, O my God, art the One, the Peerless, the All-Glorious. The mention of Thy nearness being closer than the life-vein, in the eyes of them that gaze upon Thy loftiness and exaltation, is naught but as the distance between heaven and earth. Glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou! This is according to my measure, as revealed in Thy Book, else Thou art He Whose nearness none can know but Thee, and Whose remoteness none can fathom but Thee. Thou art the Most Beloved on high, besides Whom there is no observer, and the Most Glorious Object of all desire, besides Whom there is no one present. Thou seest all things while nothing beholdeth Thee, and Thou dost witness all things while nothing beareth witness to Thee, for all have been created by Thy command out of nothingness, and Thou art He Who hath brought the universe into being from naught.

However much I might refine my vision, or sharpen my sight, or soar in the atmosphere of divine destiny, I shall witness naught save the limits of my nothingness, the extremity of my poverty, and my utter effacement. What am I to attain unto Thee, O my God and my Beloved? What am I to ascend unto Thy presence, O my Lord and my Heart’s Desire? What am I to know Thee, O my King and my Sovereign? What am I to proclaim Thy oneness, O my Adored One and my Ruler? Glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou! What am I to render due thanks unto Thee, O Ultimate Hope of my heart and Furthermost Object of my desire?

Nay, by Thy glory, I shall love Thee alone—there is no God but Thee—even though I may never attain to Thy knowledge. Yet what am I to do with myself? Verily it is poor in Thy dominion and powerless in Thy realm. Its knowledge before Thee is less than what an ant knoweth of Thy grandeur or perceiveth of Thy power. Nay, by Thy glory, I am less than it in what Thy knowledge encompasseth, and more lowly than it in what Thy Book recordeth. If Thou hadst not created me, would I have been anything? And if Thou hadst not nurtured me to this day, would I have chosen any path?

Glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou! Thou hast strengthened my weakness through Thy power, mended my brokenness through Thy might and sovereignty, elevated my abasement through Thy glory and oneness, empowered my helplessness through Thy power and self-subsistence, and calmed my heart through Thy grace and favor. For whomsoever Thou dost exalt, none can abase; whomsoever Thou dost raise up, none can bring low; whomsoever Thou dost quicken, none can cause to die; and whomsoever Thou dost cause to die, none can bring to life. Thine is the creation and the command, O my God. All are within Thy grasp, and all are prostrate before Thy will.

Verily I, O my God, beseech Thee on this night which Thou hast honored, magnified, glorified, sanctified and blessed, and which Thou hast made a festival night for Thy beloved Muhammad—Thy blessings be upon him and his family—by all Thy grace and mercy, and all Thy glory and majesty, and all Thy beauty and grandeur, and all Thy perfection and greatness, and all Thy words and might, and all Thy will and purpose, and all Thy knowledge and power, and all Thy utterance and attributes, and all Thy honor and sovereignty, and all Thy dominion and exaltation, and all Thy signs and favors, and all Thy bounty and bestowals, and all Thy generosity and blessings, and all Thy names and attributes, and all Thy examples and manifestations, and all Thy revelations and stations, all Thy loftiness and heights, and all Thy manifestations and signs, and all Thy stations and tokens, and all Thy divine dominion and exaltation, and all Thy celestial sovereignty and power, and all Thy heavenly might and grandeur, and all Thy ruby-like glory and majesty, and whatsoever Thou lovest in the realm of Thy mercy and perfection—for Thy bestowal, O my God, hath no equal, and Thy gift, O my God, hath no likeness.

Do Thou therefore send down at this moment all Thy grace and mercy, Thy favors and bounties, Thy blessings and bestowals, Thy beneficence and gifts, Thy glory and generosity, Thy tokens of honor, Thy manifestations, the evidences of Thy will and Thy revelations upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the best of Thy loved ones, and upon them who have believed in God and His signs and in what God hath revealed in the Bayan, and who desire none except Thee, O Lord of Lords and Ordainer of means, O Opener of doors, O Causer of causes, O Thou Who hast named Thyself the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, and the Wondrous, the Oft-Forgiving!

Send down, then, upon me and upon them who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and have testified to Thy Messenger and Thy trusted ones, and have followed Thy religion and Thy good-pleasure, and have sought Thy satisfaction and the exaltation of Thy sovereignty, that which beseemeth the wondrous nature of Thy mercy and the sublimity of Thy generosity. Send down, O my God, all Thy mercy and grace upon my parents and upon those who have nurtured me in Thy path and upon those who have shown kindness to me in Thy days, and send down, O my God, all Thy gifts, and tranquility, and glory, and forgiveness, and might, and bounty upon the houses whose occupants have believed and shown patience in Thy days!

Verily Thou, O my God, art the Most Generous of the generous, the Most Bountiful of the bountiful, the Greatest of bestowers, the Most Liberal of the liberal, the Most Merciful of the merciful, and the Nearest of the near ones. Write down then, O my God, for this day when ten years have passed from my life, that which befitteth the wonders of Thy mercy and the sublimity of Thy grace. For I have performed no deed for Thee on this day, and my hope hath been in naught save Thy grace, and my support in naught save Thy power, and my guardian in naught save Thy might, and my shelter in naught save Thy sovereignty, and naught befitteth me save that which befitteth Thee, for the station of the servant hath ever been one of impotence and poverty, while Thy station, O my God, hath been and shall ever be one of wealth and glory.

Transform then, O my God, my station into Thy station, and ordain my destiny according to Thy destiny. Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon Muhammad and Ali and Fatimih and Hasan and Husayn and upon the son of Husayn and Muhammad son of Ali and Ja’far son of Muhammad and Musa son of Ja’far and Ali son of Musa and Muhammad son of Ali and Ali son of Muhammad and Hasan son of Ali and Muhammad son of Hasan, Thy Friend, for whom Thou hast ordained a mighty occultation wherein Thou shalt bear witness unto Thy servants and distinguish Thy chosen ones from others than them, and perfect Thy favors, and establish Thy signs, and make manifest Thy words, until the day when Thou shalt permit Thy Friend to manifest that which Thou hast ordained for him of Thy grace and Thy glory and Thy mercy and Thy majesty and Thy sovereignty and Thy might, and that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy sanctity and Thy exaltation, that he may fill the earth with bounty and grace and generosity and favor.

Verily Thou art powerful over all things, and knowing of all things, and witness to all things, and independent of all things, and encompassing all things. There is no power nor strength save in Thee. In Thee do I place my trust, and unto Thee is the return. Glorified be Thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, from that which they describe!

Prayer of Supplication for the Eleventh Year

This is a prayer of supplication for the eleventh year of the life of its author—may his light be exalted!

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

O God, send down Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. Raise me up unto Thee and establish me before Thee and make me intimate with Thee and detach me from all else but Thee and grant me what is with Thee, for Thou, O my God, hast ever been and shalt ever be exalted above the praise of Thy creation and sanctified beyond the description of any but Thee. Thou shalt never be known through other than Thyself, nor described by aught save Thyself, nor characterized by any but Thee, nor worshipped through any manifestation of Thy dominion, nor praised by any sign of Thy kingdom. For whatsoever hath been designated by the name of a thing besides Thee is Thy creation, prostrate within Thy grasp, submissive before the majesty of Thy sovereignty, humble before the grandeur of Thy glory, yielding to Thy power, subject to Thy Will; and none hath aught save that which Thou hast ordained by Thy decree or permitted by Thy bounty.

O my God and my Beloved! Thou art manifest and naught is manifest save Thee, and O my King and my Master! Thou art hidden and there is no hidden one besides Thee, and all things are hidden in Thy concealment. Glorified art Thou, O my God, O my Worshipped One and my Goal! Thou art the First and there was nothing before Thee, and O my God and my Lord! Thou art the Last and there shall be nothing after Thee. All things are brought into being by Thy Will and are given existence by Thy Purpose.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy glory wherewith Thou hast illumined all things, and by Thy majesty wherewith Thou hast manifested Thyself to all things; by Thy beauty, with which Thou hast adorned all things; by Thy grandeur, with which Thou hast magnified all things; by the light of Thy countenance, which hath illumined all things; by Thy mercy, with which Thou hast shown compassion unto all things; by Thy words, through which Thou hast favored the denizens of the kingdoms of Thy heavens and earth as Thou willest, with what Thou willest, for what Thou willest; by Thy perfection, through which Thou hast perfected all things in the heights of height, the sublimity of sublimity, the growth of growth, and the nearness of nearness; by Thy names, with which Thou hast filled the pillars of all things; by Thy examples, through which Thou hast excelled all things; by Thy might, with which Thou hast shown Thy power in the kingdom of earth and heaven; by Thy knowledge, from which nothing escapeth; by Thy power, from which nothing is withheld; by Thy strength, which is swifter than saying “Be!” and it is; by Thy questions which Thou hast loved; by Thy nobility which Thou hast attributed to Thyself; by Thy sovereignty, through which Thy triumph hath been known throughout the ages of ages and by which all affairs are set aright; by Thy dominion which transcendeth all things and through which Thou hast gathered together the means of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them for whomsoever seeketh Thee and followeth Thy good-pleasure; by Thy loftiness which is exalted above every exaltation; by Thy signs through which Thou hast perfected Thy proof unto all who dwell in Thy heaven and on Thy earth; by Thy favors through which Thou hast shown grace unto the people of Thy dominion; by Thy grace, through which Thou causest whomsoever Thou willest of Thy creation to enter Paradise, and by Thy wondrous manifestations whereby Thou drawest unto Thee the spirits of those who are nigh unto Thee among Thy chosen ones, and by Thy revelations through which Thou teachest the ordinances of Thy Faith, and by Thy stations which know no cessation at any time or under any condition—through which the people of Thy realm recognize Thee—I testify that there is none other God but Thee.

Through what Thou hast created, O my God, where I have no knowledge of the spheres of Thy conditions, nor any judgment concerning the spheres of Thy decree and Thy hiddenness, Thou art ever engaged in a new creation and a wondrous crafting. Thou createst as Thou willest whatsoever Thou willest, and none among all created things possesseth aught except through Thy bounty, O Thou Who art the Lord of might and majesty, and the Lord of power and beauty. Thou hast ever been independent of all that Thou hast created and wilt create, and all are poor before Thee and servants in Thy presence. Wert Thou to withhold Thy sustaining grace from aught for less than a moment, it would cease to exist—how then could its qualities be proven?

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou hast created me and sustained me, Thou hast made excellent my creation and perfected my sustenance. Unto Thee be praise, O my God, in my turning and my resting place, and unto Thee be glory, O my Beloved, in my earthly life and my hereafter, until the end of what Thou beholdest in me of the ultimate of my desire and my hope. My heart findeth no rest save in Thee, nor my spirit without Thee, nor my soul apart from Thee, for all else besides Thee are poor at Thy gate and servants before Thy presence.

Therefore, O Lord, send down the holy fragrances of Thy divine realm upon the people of Thy love, and the manifestations of the glory of Thy Kingdom upon the people of Thy Cause, and the conditions of the King of Thy Self-Subsistence upon the people of Thy might, and the favors of the Sovereign of Thy generosity upon the people of Thy ruby, and the stations of the commands of the court of Thy holy eternity upon the people of Thy human realm. For verily, O my God, Thou hast assigned to all things a portion from Thee and a share from Thy presence. Therefore, O Lord, make my portion from Thee that which befitteth Thee, not that which I deserve, and my share from Thy presence that which Thou art worthy of, not that which I am worthy of.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! What have I to do with asking about Thy portion or seeking Thy share? For Thou art far too exalted and high to be questioned about anything, and too great and generous to be thanked for anything. Thy custom hath ever been to bestow favor and grace without mention of anyone or explanation, and Thy way shall ever be to grant favor and beneficence without anyone’s knowledge or recognition. Hadst Thou not revealed book after book since the Book of Adam, and hadst Thou not abrogated the religion which Thou hadst ordained, all would still be following that religion. Therefore, I am certain that the sources of Thy grace have never been from Thy creation.

In every condition Thou bestowest favor upon the people of Thy Kingdom through what Thou art worthy of, whether it be the elevation of a decree or the revelation of another decree, or the effacement of a command or the establishment of another command. And if Thou didst not do so, who could have power over that, O my God? And if Thou didst not command, who could have power to escape from Thy sovereignty, O my Beloved? By Thy might! It is not possible for anything to flee from Thy dominion, for all have around their necks the cord of attachment to Thee and certitude in what Thou hast ordained for them of Thy command.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Unto Thee be the most exalted sovereignty throughout all ages and times, and Thine the most resplendent dominion in every seat and place. From time immemorial Thou hast been and wilt ever remain beyond description through words or characterization by any souls in the realm of creation. How many are Thy attributes, O my God, which none of Thy creatures hath discovered, and how many manifestations whose knowledge none but Thee can encompass, and how many expressions of might which none but Thee should comprehend, and how many kingdoms to which no one hath found the way to know, and how many dawning-places of the unseen which Thou hast concealed behind veils of glory and which none in Thy realm hath perceived, and how many rising-places which Thou hast hidden in pavilions of grandeur and which none but Thee hath witnessed!

Unto Thee, O my God, belong my remembrance and my life; unto Thee, O my God, my praise and my death; unto Thee, O my God, my glory in this world; unto Thee, O my God, my radiance in my next life; unto Thee, O my God, my recognition at the ultimate heights of Thy creation and the furthest horizon of Thy bounty. Thou dost ever cause Thy chosen ones to ascend to the seats of Thy sanctity and honor, and Thou causest those who love Thee to rise unto the horizon of Thy glory and generosity, and Thou raisest those loyal to Thee to the depths of the apex of nearness to Thy singleness and Thy sovereignty.

Therefore, O my God, make me that which befitteth the sovereignty of Thy dominion and the kingdom of Thy glorification and the dawning-place of the might of Thy eternity and the exaltation of the inaccessibility of the signs of Thy sovereignty and the favors which none but Thee can comprehend. For Thy bestowals, O my God, have no equal, and Thy favors no likeness, and Thy bounties no parallel, and that which Thou sendest down hath no comparison with what is attributed to Thee of the manifestations through which essences gained their essence, and Thy revelations through which realities became real, and Thy stations through which the exalted were elevated, and Thy attributes through which the magnificent were magnified in the creation of Thy invention and the confines of Thy creation, for the needy one cannot transcend the bounds of Thy handiwork, nor can the helpless one ascend beyond the limits of Thy creation.

Exalted art Thou, O my God! Thou knowest what I was doing in that year when, in Thy presence, I was represented by the letter Ya, when eleven years of my life had passed. I bear witness before Thee and before all that Thou hast created and wilt create, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thine is the Kingdom and the Dominion, Thine the Glory and the Might, Thine the Power and the Divinity, Thine the Strength and the Ruby, Thine the Majesty and the jewels of the human realm. Thou givest life and causest death, causest death and givest life, then bringest forth as Thou pleasest. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things.

I testify that the Book which Thou hast revealed, the Religion which Thou hast ordained, the lawful which Thou hast made lawful, the decree which Thou hast decreed, the command which Thou hast commanded, the Messengers whom Thou hast sent, and the witnesses whom Thou hast raised up—in Thy grasp are the measures of all things. Thou judgest but none can judge Thee, Thou protectest but none can protect against Thee, Thou decreest but none can decree against Thee. Thou doest what Thou willest by Thy command. Thou art not questioned about what Thou doest, while all are questioned by Thy command.

I bear witness that Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, was the first of Thy creation in the midst of origination and the first of Thy light in the heaven of invention, when Thou didst say unto him “Am I not your Lord?” and he replied “Yea, by Thy truth, there is no God but Thee, Lord of the Last and the First.” And Thou didst call to witness Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, Ali son of Husayn, Muhammad son of Ali, Ja’far son of Muhammad, Musa son of Ja’far, Ali son of Musa, Muhammad son of Ali, Ali son of Muhammad, Hasan son of Ali, and Muhammad son of Hasan—they are the successors of Thy Messenger and Thy proofs unto all Thy creation.

Verily, O my God, unto Thee belong all the Most Beautiful Names and the Most Exalted Examples in their essence. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name that is hidden with Thee, and Thy Name that is preserved before Thee, and Thy mysterious attribute in Thy Book, and Thy manifest description in Thy heaven and earth, that Thou send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the highest heights with all Thy glory, and in the most exalted heaven with all Thy majesty, and on the throne of Thy grandeur with all Thy beauty, and on the seat of Thy honor with all Thy light and lights, and in the kingdom of Thy might with what befitteth Thy mercy, and with what is worthy of Thy praise of Thyself through Thy perfection, Thy greatness, Thy names, Thy might, Thy will, Thy knowledge, Thy power, Thy word, Thy questions, Thy nobility, Thy sovereignty, Thy dominion, Thy loftiness, Thy signs, Thy favors, Thy evidences, Thy manifestations, Thy conditions, Thy bounties, Thy examples, Thy gifts, Thy bestowals, and what belongeth unto Thy station alone in its essence, and unto majesty alone in its purity, and by every question Thou lovest to be asked, and by everyone who hath asked of Thee and Thou lovest to answer him—that Thou send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad through Thy sublime manifestations and wondrous revelations, through Thy lofty favors and exalted gifts, through Thy magnificent bestowals and what beseemeth the majesty of Thy holy exaltation and the court of Thy glorious favor.

For all that occureth to my heart is, before Thee, but as what occureth to the heart of an ant in its minuteness before Thy grandeur, and all that I know of Thy knowledge is but as the knowledge of an ant concerning Thy oneness and eternity, and all that I am certain of regarding Thy power is but as the ant’s creation within itself of its recognition of Thy power. Glorified, glorified art Thou! What have I to do with praising and mentioning Thee? What have I to do with Thy glory and describing Thee? And what deed have I that would draw me nigh unto Thee except through Thy grace? And verily it is attributed to Thee, not to me. Nay, even that which is attributed to me profiteth me not, as much as my very existence, for all besides Thee, O my God, are poor before Thee, and all except Thee are powerless in Thy presence.

Make me, O my God, the target of Thy address and manifestation, and the dayspring of my discourse and of that wherewith Thou hast described Thyself in the heights of heights, in the summits of summits, and in the growth of growth. For all wherewith I have praised Thee, O my God, are but examples of Thy dominion and the conditions of Thy sovereignty. Thou art the Subduer above all this, the Manifest above all this, and the Self-Sufficient beyond all this. Yet all these are poor before Thee at all times and circumstances, and are bondslaves before Thee in every place and season.

By Thy might, O my God, bestow upon me Thy good-pleasure and sever me from all else save Thee through union with Thee, O Lord of Lords, Ordainer of means, Master of earth and heaven, Sovereign of beginning and end, and King of the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Create then for me at this moment, O my God, in the Most Exalted Paradise and the Most Great All-Glorious Pavilion, from Thy glory its most glorious, from Thy majesty its most majestic, from Thy beauty its most beautiful, from Thy grandeur its most grand, from Thy light its most luminous, from Thy mercy its most vast, from Thy perfection its most perfect, from Thy names its greatest, from Thy might its most mighty, and from Thy bounty its most bountiful.

From Thy knowledge, cause it to penetrate; from Thy power, make it potent; from Thy word, establish it; from Thy questions, make it beloved; from Thy nobility, ennoble it; from Thy sovereignty, make it enduring; from Thy dominion, make it glorious; from Thy loftiness, exalt it; from Thy favors, make it preeminent; from Thy signs, make it noble; from Thy manifestations, make it manifest; from Thy revelations, make it sublime; from the fragrances of Thy holiness, make it most holy; from Thy stations, make it most impregnable; from Thy proofs, make it most just; from Thy tokens, make it most luminous; from Thy bounty, make it most bountiful; from Thy generosity, make it greatest; from Thy gift, make it most resplendent; from Thy good-pleasure, make it most pleasing; from the Throne whereon Thou art established, make it most mighty; from the Seat whereon Thou art settled, make it most impregnable; from the places wherein Thou art stationed, make them most exalted and above the most exalted; from the robe of Thy glory and majesty, make it most gracious and most holy; from the fruits of Thy paradise, make them most wondrous and fresh; from the rivers which Thou hast caused to flow before Thy chosen ones, that which flows with the water of life in every moment, before every moment and after every moment; from the houris and youths whom Thou hast formed in the most perfect fashion and perfected in the most perfect fashion; from written books, that which delights mine eyes; from beloved voices, that which causes my tears to flow upon my cheeks; from the fragrances of glory, that which revives my spirit and my manifest being; from Thy holy words, that which establishes the loftiness of Thy station and the sublimity of Thy rank; and from all things, that which calms my heart in seeking Thy good-pleasure and the ways of Thy favor, for there is no limit or number to Thy gifts, nor any impediment or end to what Thou dost bestow upon the people of Thy love.

I am certain, O my God, that at every moment Thou art engaged in a wondrous work and possessed of an impregnable sovereignty. Therefore, O God, make me part of Thy work and ordain, O Lord, what Thou hast ordained for me aforetime in such wise as Thou wilt create hereafter, for Thy wondrous favors are sweeter to them that are nigh unto Thee, and Thy new manifestations more delectable to the sincere ones. For if, on any day, Thou shouldst create what Thou hadst created before, through what means wouldst Thou reveal the wonders of Thy power and the varieties of the expressions of Thy will? Nay, by Thy might! There is no condition but that creation and command are Thine in a wondrous gathering and a new creation and a wondrous innovation and a new grace. Were it not for this, the people of slumber would not be drawn to the source of Thy glory, O Thou Who art adored, nor would the people of ascent soar unto the places of Thy bounty, O Thou Who art desired!

I beseech Thee then, O my God, by Thyself, to ordain for me at every moment that which is best for me in Thy sight, for Thou knowest the stations of every matter and all that pertains to every affair. Make me independent, O my God, of my independence through Thy independence, for it is sheer poverty, and make my power Thy power, for it is pure abasement. What Thou choosest for me is the most exalted glory, and what I choose for myself is naught—indeed, I say it is the lowest abasement. Unto Thee have I committed my cause, O my God, in my journey and my dwelling-place, and unto Thee have I entrusted my back, O my Beloved, in my world and my hereafter, and through Thee have I become independent of all else in my beginning and my end, my outward and my inward, my original and derivative states, my essence and my identity, my abstraction and my ego, and all that possesseth me, inasmuch as none other than Thee can comprehend the knowledge of my conditions, for unto Thee belong the most excellent similitudes wherewith Thou hast named Thyself, and unto Thee belong the Most Great Names which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy wondrous names, for they are the sweetest and most delectable, and by Thy new similitudes, for they are the nearest and most precious. Unto Thee belongs creation and command, O my God, before and after, and unto Thee belongs might and power in the kingdom of heaven and earth. Unto Thee have I cast myself and all that is attributed to me. Forgive then, O my God, what I have wrought for Thee in the manifestations of the letter Ya, for in the manifestations of the most exalted ones it hath no end. Cool it, O my God, beneath the manifestations of the most exalted ones, and make it, O my God, from among the manifestations of the most exalted ones, for Thou art powerful over that and none besides Thee hath power over it, for with Thee is the Mother Book—Thou dost efface what Thou willest and confirm what Thou desirest.

If Thou sayest to a thing “Truth,” then Thy decree is a name which transformeth its essence and causeth it to enter among the most exalted ones, and if Thou sayest to a thing other than that, then that is a name which causeth it to enter beneath the stations of the most exalted ones. Unto Thee belongs creation and command, and unto Thee belongs power and glory.

Send down upon me, O my God, at that time, what befitteth Thy bounty and Thy grace; and send down, likewise, upon him who reared me in my childhood, through Thy tenderness, Thy love, Thy compassion, and Thy generosity. And upon those who have dealt kindly with me—my parents and those beside them—recompense them, O my God, on my behalf with the most excellent recompense and the most perfect praise; for in Thy grasp are the measures of creation. Create, then, O my God, at that time, that whereby their hearts may be tranquillized and their souls may be well-pleased, within the degrees of nearness and honour, and in the seats of bounty and gift. Verily, O my God, in Thee have I put my trust, and in Thee let the believers put their trust. And send down, O my God, Thy mercy upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and upon those who cleave unto them. Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of might, above that which they ascribe… and so forth.

Prayer of Kaf for the Twelfth Year

This is the Prayer of Kaf for the twelfth year of the cycle of its Originator—exalted be His light.

In the Name of God, the Most Great, the Most Magnificent.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! To Thee belongeth creation and command. I bear witness at this moment to what Thou hast caused me to witness of Thy oneness and singleness, Thy Lordship and self-subsistence, Thy creative power and radiance, Thy might and omnipotence, Thy aid and generosity, Thy forgiveness and supremacy, Thy fashioning power and whatsoever Thou lovest to be mentioned by in the highest heaven and the lowest earth. None other than Thee is manifest, O my God, in the kingdom on high nor in the lowest realms below. Through Thy manifestation do they who profess Thy unity prove that there is no God but Thee, and through Thy concealment do they who seek proof demonstrate that there is no God but Thee.

Through Thee have I known Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I loved Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I glorified Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I praised Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I extolled Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I sanctified Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I exalted Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I magnified Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I declared Thy greatness, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee. Through Thee have I endeared Thee, O my God, Thou Who alone art, there is no God but Thee.

Through Thee, O my God, have I become independent of Thy creation. Through Thee, O my God, have I prevailed over Thy servants. Through Thee, O my God, have I sought help against all them that Thou hast brought into being. Through Thee, O my God, have I gained ascendancy over all who dwell in Thy earth and heaven. Through Thee, O my God, have I drawn all things to the court of Thy nearness and bounty. Through Thee, O my God, have I triumphed over all things through Thy hosts and victory and might. Through Thee, O my God, have I taken possession of what I desire from the treasuries of Thy grace and inspiration. Through Thee, O my God, have I found shelter beneath all the atoms of contingent being.

Through Thee, O my God, have I preserved my soul from what would grieve it in the hours of Thy night and the moments of Thy day, and from all that Thy knowledge encompasseth, even less than this. Through Thee, O my God, have I gazed upon the manifestations of Thy creation. Through Thee, O my God, have I called down the signs of Thy power and sovereignty. Through Thee, O my God, have I ascended to the horizon of Thy holiness and glory. Through Thee, O my God, have I mounted to the lowest point of the summit of Thy nearness and favor. Through Thee, O my God, have I drunk the living waters from the chalice of Thy loving-kindness and bounty.

Through Thee, O my God, have I guided all Thy servants. Through Thee, O my God, have I shown mercy to all Thy poor ones. Through Thee, O my God, have I freed all who are in bondage. Through Thee, O my God, have I gained honor over all Thy creation. Through Thee, O my God, shall I attract all good through Thy might and power and favor. Through Thee, O my God, have I attained unto the fullness of all grace and the measure of Thy mercy and resplendence.

By Thy glory and splendor, O my God, I beseech Thee not to abandon me to myself for the duration of a single eye’s twinkling, nor for less than that, for verily Thou art, O my God, the Light of the heavens and the earth, and the God of all things, the All-Merciful and All-Compassionate in this world and the next. Thou dost illumine whomsoever Thou willest, howsoever Thou willest, for Thou, O my God, hast been the Light in the kingdom of earth and heaven, and the Guardian in the realm of names and attributes, and the Lord of all who dwell in the kingdom of beginning and end, and God over all atoms, and the All-Merciful throughout all manifestations of humanity, and the All-Compassionate over all created things.

O Thou Who is known to none save Himself, O Thou Whose nature none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose whereabouts none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose existence none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose essence none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose time none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose glory none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose majesty none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose radiance none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose praise none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose beauty none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose perfection none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose grandeur none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose light none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose mercy none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose words none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose might none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose knowledge none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose power none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose utterance none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose matters none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose nobility none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose sovereignty none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose dominion none knoweth save Himself, O Thou Whose exaltation none knoweth besides Him!

O Thou the One Whom none knoweth His bounties save Him! O Thou the One Whom none knoweth His signs save Him! O Thou the One Whom none knoweth His manifestations save Him! O Thou the One Whom none knoweth His revelations save Him! O Thou the One Whom none knoweth His evidences save Him! O Thou the One Whom none knoweth His attributes save Him!

O Thou Who knoweth all things through His glory and majesty! O Thou Who knoweth all things through His radiance and effulgence! O Thou Who knoweth all things through His perfection and traces! O Thou Who knoweth all things through His grandeur and power! O Thou Who knoweth all things through His light and mercy! O Thou Who knoweth all things through His might and creation! O Thou Who knoweth all things through His knowledge and power! O Thou Who knoweth all things through His Word and His pronouncements! O Thou Who knoweth all things through His nobility and sovereignty! O Thou Who manifesteth His dominion and kingdom over all things! O Thou Who prevaileth over all things through His signs and manifestations!

O Thou Who proclaimeth over all things His bounties and grace! O Thou Who establisheth in the realities of all things the signs of His power and attributes! O Thou Who admitteth whom He willeth into His mercy! O Thou Who teacheth whom He willeth His knowledge and wisdom! O Thou Who is independent of the obedience of His creation! O Thou Who is the Helper of whomsoever doeth good works through His grace! O Thou Who inspireth whomsoever seeketh the glory of His good-pleasure within himself! O Thou Who is the Subduer over all His dominion! O Thou Who is manifest over all things through the sovereignty of His Self-Subsistence! O Thou Who standeth over every soul, knowing what it hath earned and witnessing what it shall earn! O Thou Who hath power over that which others are powerless! O Thou Who sustaineth all things that His sovereignty hath possessed!

O Thou Who createth at every instant through His creation! O Thou Who seizeth at every moment through His proof! O Thou Who causeth at every instant through His innovations! O Thou Who bestoweth at every moment through His gifts! O Thou Who hath no equal save Himself! O Thou Who hath no peer save Himself! O Thou Who hath no likeness save Himself! O Thou Who hath no similitude save Himself! O Thou Who hath no companion save Himself! O Thou Who created all things through His power! O Thou Who sustaineth all things through His mercy! O Thou Who causeth all things to die through His awe! O Thou Who giveth life to all things through His mercy!

O Thou Who raiseth all things through His wisdom! O Thou Who is near in His remoteness! O Thou Who is exalted in His nearness! O Thou Who is mighty throughout all His dominion! O Thou Who heareth throughout all the manifestations of His creation! O Thou Who seeth that which the hidden thoughts of His servants cannot perceive! O Thou Who is gracious unto all things! O Thou Who is aware of all things! O Thou Who is the Single One, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, Whom neither slumber seizeth, nor can the geometry of mortal minds ascend to His holy atmosphere, nor can any sign descend to His precincts, nor can any attribute comprehend Him, nor can any characteristic define Him!

O Thou Who ruleth over all things, and O Thou Who art Just in Thy decree as ordained by Thy command, and O Thou Who art the All-Glorious, the Most Holy, the Self-Subsisting, the Everlasting, the Beloved, Who draweth the realities of the sincere ones to the horizon of His intimacy and grace, and uplifteth the hearts of those who have attained unto the court of His glory and will! O Thou Who art the Dreaded One, possessed of might and power; O Thou Who art the Worshipped One, possessed of grandeur and majesty; O Thou Who art the Desired One, possessed of sovereignty and grace; O Thou Who art the Loving One in all the manifestations of Thy creation; O Thou Who art the Thanked One in all Thy deeds; O Thou Who art the Praised One in all Thy attributes; O Thou Who determineth the creation of all things by Thy will; O Thou Who eraseth what Thou willeth by Thy wisdom; O Thou Who confirmeth what Thou desirest by Thy power; O Thou Who art independent of all things in Thine essence; O Thou Who art powerful over all things through Thy sovereignty and might; O Thou Who art near unto whoso calleth Thee and answering unto whoso invoketh Thee; O Thou Who hast the most gracious names; O Thou Who hast the most exalted attributes in the kingdom of earth and heaven; O Thou Who hast the most sublime mention in all the manifestations of creation; O Thou Who art He, none knoweth but He; O Thou Whose right none knoweth save He; O Thou Who answereth whoso calleth upon Thee and none witnesseth what He witnesseth save He!

O God, Lord of the heavens and earth! O God, God of gods and Lord of lords, and Ordainer of attributes! I beseech Thee at this moment by the totality of Thy names and the stations of Thy symbols, for everything upon which the name of a thing falleth hath been brought into being by Thy will, realized through Thy purpose, and given essence through Thy power. I see naught, O my God, but Thee, outwardly and inwardly, standing, mighty, conquering, owning, creating, knowing, making, bountiful and perfect, for whatsoever is besides Thee, O my God, is Thy creation and within Thy grasp, destitute before Thee and enslaved unto Thee. And verily I, O my God, am the most enslaved of slaves before Thy presence and the most destitute of the destitute at Thy gate.

Therefore enrich me, O God, through Thy wealth, and uplift me, O God, through Thy glory and sovereignty, for unto Thee belong creation and command, and within Thy grasp lie the kingdoms of the heavens and earth. None can flee from Thy dominion nor can anyone escape Thy sovereignty, for in all things their very essence exists through Thy Will. This is true from the beginning of their existence. And in the manifestations of their limitations, there is nothing that hath not chosen for itself one of Thy commandments, and even if it entereth not into the second commandment, Thy first decree remaineth binding upon its neck. Therefore it worshippeth Thee and calleth upon Thee, standing before the Sovereign of Thy glory and entering beneath the extensive shade of Thy dominion.

O my God! Cause me to enter beneath a wondrous shade and into an exalted state, for verily Thou, O my God, art each day engaged in a fresh creation. Look not upon me, O my God, with the gaze of those who wear about their necks the cord of servitude to Thee from before. Grant me, O Lord, by Thy grace, a wondrous state and through Thy bounty an exalted might. Make me, O God, one of Thy wondrous creation and among those who enter beneath the shadow of Thy dominion with mighty sovereignty, for verily Thou art the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.

I have no servants before Thee save what I love not to mention, for whoso entereth not beneath the shadow of Thy wondrous conditions and Thy mighty manifestations, it behooveth me not to refer to him with any description, near or remote. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I am he who holdeth fast to the cord of obedience unto Thee and who cleaveth to the hem of the conditions of Thy Will. I shall verily glory before Thee in that I am the one who prostrated before all who prostrate, who worshipped before all who worship, who glorified before all who glorify, who praised before all who praise, who declared Thy unity before all who declare Thy unity, and who sanctified before all who sanctify. This was solely through Thy abundant grace upon me and Thy perfect favor toward me, else what am I to warrant entry upon the carpet of Thy holiness and to cleave to the conditions of Thy wondrous creation?

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou art the Worshipped One, there is none other besides Thee, and Thou art the Desired One, there is none other save Thee. And verily whatsoever is designated by the name of a thing other than Thee prostrateth before Thee and is brought to naught before the Sovereign of Thy power and dominion.

Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the Most Glorious Beauty as Thou lovest, and in the Most Exalted Majesty as Thou lovest, and in the Most Beauteous Beauty as Thou lovest, and in the Most Great Grandeur as Thou lovest, and in the Most Brilliant Light as Thou lovest, and in the All-Encompassing Mercy as Thou lovest, and in the Perfect Words as Thou lovest them, and in Thy Most Perfect Perfection as Thou lovest, and in Thy Most Great Names as Thou lovest, and in Thy Most Mighty Glory as Thou lovest, and in Thy Most Ancient Will as Thou lovest, and in Thy Most Penetrating Knowledge as Thou lovest, and in Thy Far-Reaching Power as Thou lovest, and in Thy Well-Pleasing Word as Thou lovest, and in Thy Beloved Matters as Thou lovest them, and in Thy Most Noble Honor as Thou lovest, and in Thy Most Enduring Sovereignty as Thou lovest, and in Thy Most Glorious Dominion as Thou lovest, and in Thy Most Exalted Loftiness as Thou lovest, and in Thy Most Elevated Favors as Thou lovest, and in Thy Greatest Signs as Thou lovest them, and in Thy Mightiest Manifestations as Thou lovest them, and in Thy Ultimate Conditions as Thou lovest them, and in Thy Countless Blessings as Thou lovest them, and in all that Thou hast created in the highest heavens as Thou lovest, and in all that Thou hast created in the lowest earths as Thou lovest, and in all that lieth between them as Thou lovest, for verily, O my God, whomsoever Thou hast loved Thou hast drawn nigh unto him, and whomsoever Thou hast drawn nigh unto Thou hast exalted, and whomsoever Thou hast exalted Thou hast caused to be detached from all else save Thee, and whomsoever Thou hast caused to be detached from all else save Thee Thou hast drawn to the atmosphere of Thy reunion, and whomsoever Thou hast drawn to the atmosphere of Thy reunion Thou hast removed all separation between him and Thee, except that he is Thy servant and Thy creation.

Therefore, by the right of him with whom Thou hast dealt thus, make me to be of the people of that most exalted Paradise and that most noble and lofty seat. For Thou, O my God, didst not create me except for Thy worship, as Thou hast said—and Thy word is the truth, and who is more truthful than Thee in speech—“I have not created the jinn and humans except that they may worship Me.” Therefore, O my God, I worship Thee in the watches of the night and the ends of the day, though I am certain that my worship befitteth not Thy holy court, nor is it possible that Thou shouldst be worshipped as Thou deservest to be worshipped through any of the manifestations of Thy creation.

Yet, despite my poverty and need, my powerlessness and lowliness, I shall surely worship Thee, and remember Thee, and glorify Thee, and thank Thee, and proclaim Thy oneness, and sanctify Thee, and magnify Thee at all times, before all times, and after all times. O my God, Thou knowest my station with Thee, that on the day when I was with Thee as the letter Kaf, all the addresses from all contingent beings and all the manifestations from among existing things were raised unto me. Yet, O my God, I was naught at that time save a mirror of Thy countenance and an expression of Thy Face, being certain and acknowledging that every object of worship besides Thee is false and evanescent.

I have worshipped none but Thee and will worship none but Thee, and I have not associated anyone from among Thy creation in my worship of Thee, for none deserveth worship except Thee alone, Who hast no partner.

O my God, Thou knowest that on that day when twelve years of my life had passed, I had not worshipped Thee as Thou deservest to be worshipped, nor had I obeyed Thee as is meet for Thine obedience. And verily, O my God, I do confess unto the gravest of my shortcomings and the greatest of my failings. To the extent of my knowledge have I worshipped Thee—how much more regarding that which I know not, for Thou art worthy of far more than that. I have not obeyed Thee according to what I have known—how much more regarding that which I know not, for Thou art worthy of far more than that. Therefore, glory be unto Thee, O my God! Transform, O Lord, what Thou hast witnessed in me into that which befits Thy grace, Thy generosity, Thy mercy and Thy bounty. For the condition of the servant has ever been and shall ever remain that which I would rather not mention, while Thy condition, O my God, is forgiveness and pardon, and Thy attribute, O my God, is grace and mercy.

Send Thy blessings, O Lord, upon Muhammad and his family through all Thy manifestations, for they are complete and perfect; and through all Thy revelations, for they are established and penetrating; and through all Thy glory, for it is more glorious than can be described by glory; and through all Thy majesty, for it is more majestic than can be described by majesty; and through all Thy beauty, for it is more beautiful than can be described by beauty; and through all Thy grandeur, for it is more grand than can be praised by grandeur and exaltation; and through all Thy light, for it is more luminous than can be described by light and transcendence.

By Thy mercy which embraceth all atoms, and by Thy signs which fill all created things, and by Thy perfections which permeate the realities of all essences, and by Thy might which hath become established upon the throne of the hearts of all beings, and by Thy Will which is triumphant and cannot be overcome, and by Thy Purpose which is fixed and cannot be repelled, and by Thy penetrating knowledge, and by Thy all-encompassing and all-pervading power over all things, and by Thy true Word, and by Thy just causes, and by the manifestations of Thy Command, and by the totality of Thy grace, and by the sovereignty of Thy dominion, and by the kingdom of Thy might, and by the sublimity of Thy grandeur, and by the signs of Thy divine unity, and by the wondrous favors of the sovereignty of Thy oneness, and by the possessor of all affairs, O my God, for none can comprehend their knowledge save Thee, and by the possessor of might, O my Beloved, for none can encompass their condition except Thee—do Thou ordain for me and for those who have shown kindness to me that which befitteth the wonders of Thy mercy and the exaltation of Thy generosity.

For Thou art the Most Generous of the generous, the Most Bountiful of the bountiful, the Most Liberal of the bestowers, the Greatest of all givers, and the Most Merciful of the merciful. Thy mercy and knowledge embrace all things.

Send Thy blessings, O Lord, upon Muhammad and his family, morning and evening. Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of might, above that which they describe.

Prayer of Lam for the Thirteenth Year

This is the Prayer of Lam for the thirteenth year of the age of its Revealer, may His glory be exalted.

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

Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! Verily Thou knowest what is in the heavens and what is on earth, and Thou ordainest the creation of all things through Thy command. Thou hast ever been without the existence of anything with Thee, and Thou wilt ever be, verily Thou art existent without the presence of anything before Thee.

Glory be unto Thee and exalted art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and magnificent art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and generous art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and majestic art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and beautiful art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and merciful art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and perfect art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and just art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and mighty art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and knowing art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and powerful art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and loving art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and noble art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and sovereign art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and kingly art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and loving art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and pre-existent art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and transcendent art Thou! Glory be unto Thee and mighty art Thou! All Thy creation is in Thy grasp, and verily my remembrance of Thee proceedeth only from the depths of my poverty and the utmost limit of my lowliness and contrition.

Therefore, glory be unto Thee, O Lord! I testify that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone without partner. Thine is the creation and the command. Thou art He Who createth what He pleaseth by Thy command, and Thou art He Who sustaineth whom Thou willest by Thy command, and Thou art He Who causeth to die whom Thou pleaseth by Thy power, and Thou art He Who giveth life to whom Thou willest by Thy mercy, and Thou art He Who raiseth whom Thou pleaseth by Thy will. Glorified and exalted art Thou! Thy Will is supreme and cannot be overcome, and Thy Purpose is penetrating and cannot be frustrated. I beseech Thee, O my God, at this moment, by that which Thou lovest to hear from the verses of the heaven of Thy glory, and the manifestations of the kingdom of Thy power, and the revelations of the lights of Thy creation, and what Thou hast created of the subtle wonders of the effects of Thy Lordship, and the comprehensive meanings of the spirits which Thou hast established in the essences of hearts through Thy camphor-like purity.

For Thou, O my God, hast ever been and wilt ever be the Hearer of every voice and the Answerer of every servant, and if an ant should call upon Thee in its heart beneath a rock in the depths of the sea, verily Thou wouldst hear its voice and answer it through Thy mercy. Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thou art the Just in Thy judgment and the Gracious in Thy bounty. Thy Essence, as it is in itself, hath ever been beyond the boundaries of mention and exposition, and verily Thy Reality, as it is in itself, transcendeth all limits of praise and knowledge.

How can I prove Thy existence when it is itself cut off from Thee by its very being? And how can I not prove Thy existence when it is in very truth the proof of the wondrous tokens of Thy Will, inasmuch as thy will hath encompassed all other wills at all times in ways none can fathom, and Thine are all decrees in every circumstance which no book can reckon.

Glorified and exalted art Thou! I would fain praise Thee, yet how can I attempt this when the utmost extent of my being betokens naught but sheer poverty, and the very source of my existence attesteth to nothing but utter evanescence? How then, with such limited means, could I soar into the atmosphere of Thy remembrance, wing my flight through the heavens of Thy wisdom, and ascend to the realm of Thy glorious might?

Nay, by Thy glory! I desire not to praise Thee, nor shall I ever desire it. I seek not Thy majesty, nor do I seek it. I wish not for Thy glory, nor do I wish it. I want not Thy beauty, nor do I want it. I desire not Thy grandeur, nor do I desire it. I crave not Thy light, nor do I crave it. I seek not Thy mercy, nor do I seek it. I desire not Thy words, nor do I desire them. I want not Thy perfection, nor do I want it. I seek not Thy will, nor do I seek it. I desire not Thy knowledge, nor do I desire it. I crave not Thy power, nor do I crave it.

I want not Thy utterance, nor do I want it. I seek not Thy questions, nor do I seek them. I desire not Thy honor, nor do I desire it. I want not Thy sovereignty, nor do I want it. I wish not for Thy dominion, nor do I wish it. I seek not Thy transcendence, nor do I seek it. I desire not Thy signs, nor do I desire them. I want not Thy words, nor do I want them. I crave not Thy manifestations, nor do I crave them. I seek not Thy revelations, nor do I seek them. I desire not what is attributed to Thee, nor do I desire it—for I am but a servant in desperate need of Thee.

How could I aspire to desire Thy glory when it is more glorious than any glory in all creation could attain? Thy majesty is more sublime than any being could comprehend. Thy beauty is more beauteous than any crystalline substance could behold. Thy grandeur is more magnificent than any essence could bow before. Thy light is more radiant than anything in the kingdoms of earth and heaven could be illumined by. Thy mercy is more vast than any created thing could be veiled from. Thy words are complete and Thy perfections are sanctified—minds cannot attain to the knowledge of even the least sign of their manifestation, nor can hearts comprehend aught that shineth forth from the horizon of Thy perfections in their revelation.

Thy might is more exalted and powerful than any among the mighty and honored could know of its expressions. Thy will is more sublime and glorious than anything could resist. Thy knowledge is more exalted than the existence of the known could comprehend or precede, for Thou wert, before Thou didst create creation, knowing all things and sovereign over all things. Thy power is all-pervading—nothing can escape it. Thy word is swifter than saying “Be!” and it is. Thy questions are beloved—no essence existeth that loveth them not. Thy honor is honor itself, more exalted than the honored could bow before. Thy sovereignty is more ancient than aught could escape its grasp in the kingdom of names and attributes. Thy dominion is supreme over all things, and Thy transcendence is elevated above all things. All that is attributed to Thee, O my God, is an essential and fundamental relationship that severeth all relationships from all things.

Therefore, glory be unto Thee, O my God! This remembrance of mine is according to my poverty and need, yet when I contemplate Thy generosity and bounty, my hope in Thee and in Thy mercy encourageth me, for Thy dealings with Thy servants have ever been naught but grace and beneficence, and Thy way with all created things hath never been aught but pardon and bestowal.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord! I am he who desired Thy splendor before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy splendor after all things. I am he who desired Thy majesty before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy majesty after all things. I am he who desired Thy beauty before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy beauty after all things. I am he who desired Thy grandeur before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy grandeur after all things. I am he who desired Thy light before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy light after all things. I am he who desired Thy mercy before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy mercy after all things.

I am he who desired Thy words before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy words after all things. I am he who desired Thy perfection before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy perfection after all things. I am he who desired Thy names before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy names after all things. I am he who desired Thy glory before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy glory after all things. I am he who desired Thy will before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy will after all things. I am he who desired Thy knowledge before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy knowledge after all things.

I am he who desired Thy power before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy power after all things. I am he who desireth Thy good-pleasure before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy good-pleasure after all things. I am he who desired Thy questions before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy questions after all things. I am he who desired Thy glory before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy glory after all things. I am he who desired Thy sovereignty before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy sovereignty after all things. I am he who desired Thy dominion before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy dominion after all things.

I am he who desired Thy loftiness before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy loftiness after all things. I am he who desired Thy signs before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy signs after all things. I am he who desired Thy favors before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy favors after all things. I am he who desired Thy gifts before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy gifts after all things. I am he who desired Thy bounties before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy bounties after all things. I am he who desired Thy blessings before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy blessings after all things.

I am he who desired Thy generosity before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy generosity after all things. I am he who desired Thy munificence before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy munificence after all things. I am he who desired Thy forgiveness before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy forgiveness after all things. I am he who desired Thy worship before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy worship after all things. I am he who desired Thy obedience before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy obedience after all things. I am he who desired Thy most beautiful examples before all things, and I am he who desireth Thy most exalted examples after all things.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! All these are manifestations whereby my heart findeth tranquility, and revelations whereby my inmost being findeth peace, and words which free me from that which Thou hast ordained that I should recite from Thee. Otherwise, what am I and what are these paths, and what am I and what are these ways? Far be it from him who hath known Thee to look upon aught else but Thee, and far be it from him who hath found Thee to fear anyone but Thee, and far be it from him who hath believed in Thee to hope for anyone save Thee.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! Through Thee have I become independent of all things—Thou alone, there is none other God but Thee. Through Thee have I triumphed over all things—Thou alone, there is none other God but Thee. Through Thee have I prevailed over all things—Thou alone, there is none other God but Thee. Through Thee have I been assisted against all things—Thou alone, there is none other God but Thee. Through Thee have I gained ascendancy over all things—Thou alone, there is none other God but Thee.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! I implore Thy forgiveness for my mention of anything, or before anything, or after anything, or to the right of anything, or to the left of anything, or in any direction of anything, for this is not the way of Thy love for him who hath found Thee, nor the proof of Thy knowledge for him who hath known Thee, since the mention of a thing in its thingness veileth me from Thee and from that which Thou art.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! These are the conditions of dominion whereby I would repel the people of Thy kingdom. Otherwise, what am I and what are these remembrances, and what am I and what are these manifestations? Thou art the Manifest One—Thou alone, there is none other God but Thee. Thou art the Omnipotent One—Thou alone, there is none other God but Thee. Thou art the Subduer in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Hidden in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Bountiful in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Creator in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Doer in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Perfect in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the First in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Last in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the All-Knowing in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the All-Gathering in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Gracious in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Just in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Ruler in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the One Who Reacheth in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art God in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the All-Merciful in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Ever-Merciful in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Sovereign in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Holy One in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Peace in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Faithful in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Guardian in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Mighty in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Almighty in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Most Great in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the All-Glorious in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the All-Wise in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Creator in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Maker in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; Thou art the Fashioner in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee.

Thine are the most beautiful names in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee; and Thine are the most exalted attributes in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee. All that is in the heavens and on the earth and whatsoever lieth between them bow down in adoration before Thee, and all that is in the kingdom of creation and command and beneath them praise Thee. Verily, Thou art the Mighty One in Thy singleness, there is no God but Thee. Thou art verily the All-Wise, there is no God but Thee, and verily Thou art He Who was before and after, alone, there is no God but Thee. Glorified art Thou, O my God! All are within Thy grasp, prostrate before Thy grandeur, humble before the sovereignty of Thy Self-Subsistence.

Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be manifest above Thy throne and steadfast in Thy service. Who can escape from Thy grasp or refuse to submit to Thy sovereignty? Thou hast placed upon the neck of every soul a collar of the ordinances of Thy Lordship, that they may prostrate themselves before Thee, glorify Thee, call upon Thee, and bow before Thee, from the beginning of endless time unto the creation of all things. All who do not acknowledge Thy Lordship in Thy wondrous manifestation bear in their necks Thy previous manifestation, such that Thou seest them prostrating before Thee, glorifying Thee, standing for Thee, bowing to Thee, and working for Thee, even if they perceive it not. Yet Thou witnesseth all things—all are within Thy grasp. Thou createst what Thou willest. Who can flee from the King of Thy unity or escape from beneath the banner of Thy Self-Subsistence?

Glorified, glorified art Thou! Nay, by Thy glory! Despite my poverty and need, I testify concerning all things that they prostrate before Thee and are humbled before Thy grandeur. How much more so given Thy power, might, glory and exaltation! Glorified, glorified art Thou! Thou seest what every thing does and witnesseth what every soul earns. Make me, O my God, among those whom Thou lovest and whose deeds Thou lovest to remember. For how many servants do I see prostrating before Thee night and day, yet Thou dost not love to remember them, much less their elevated selves and deeds. And how many who prostrate before Thee night and day from various religions and sects which none can count save Thee, yet Thou acceptest only from those whom Thou knowest.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! Thy Self is independent of Thy Self, how much more so the souls of Thy creation or the deeds of Thy servants! Glorified art Thou, O my God! I acknowledge and confess that Thou can never be worshipped as befits true worship, nor obeyed as befits true obedience, nor remembered as befits true devotion, nor praised as befits true glorification. Yet O my God, despite the uttermost depths of my poverty, need and lowliness before Thee, I would love to perform for Thee what Thou lovest to remember or to say “Yea, this is Mine.” For this is the ultimate attainment to the wellspring of Thy glory and the highest ascent to the horizon of Thy holiness.

I desire not Thy creation nor what their souls incline toward, but I desire Thee and what Thou lovest. Through Thee shall I be independent of all things, for Thou didst create me and there is no creator for me besides Thee, Thou didst provide for me and there is no provider for me other than Thee, Thou dost raise me to Thee through Thy favors and there is no uplifter for me but Thee. Thou givest me life, O my God, in the gardens of Thy mercy and the chambers of Thy eternity through Thy favor, mercy, generosity and bounty, and none possesses this save Thee.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I desire nothing besides Thee. If I cling to the hem of verses, words, remembrances, acts of obedience, or whatsoever devotions may occupy my heart night and day, it is only that Thou might accept my extinction and thereby perhaps draw me near and remember me with a remembrance from Thee. Otherwise, what am I to cling to the manifestations of Thy kingdom or dwell in the seats of Thy dominion, when what was decreed of my life has already passed, and in every matter I have witnessed what Thou didst ordain for me. All praise be unto Thee, O my God, in all conditions, for Thou dost not decree for me save that which is best for me in Thy sight, even though my essential nature be not known to Thee, nor my reality witnessed by Thee, nor my personality affirmed by Thee, nor my identity recognized by Thee.

For verily, O my God, I acknowledge before Thee that whatsoever revolves around my will and follows my desire—when my soul is content therewith—far be it from being among Thy decrees or among Thy ordinances. Rather, all that Thou lovest is attributed to Thee, and all that Thou lovest not exists for me only through Thy power. I intended by this naught but to manifest Thy justice and exalt Thy Self-Subsistence.

Here am I, O my God, fleeing from Thy justice unto Thee and beseeching Thy grace before Thee, certain that there is no path for me, O my God, except unto Thee, and acknowledging that there is no refuge for me save what Thou hast ordained. Therefore, by Thee and through Thee, O my God, make me content with Thy decree and destiny, and with the excellence of Thy grace and Thy dealings, for verily I possess nothing over myself.

Wherefore, O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and resurrect me on the Day Thou shalt resurrect me with faith in Thee and certitude in Thy justice, power, sovereignty, dominion, might and Self-Subsistence, and in what Thou hast prescribed for me in Thy Book concerning my certitude in the Message of Thy Beloved One and allegiance to the Imams after Thy Beloved One, and that I should desire naught save what Thou desirest. For this is the best of all objects, before and after, in attaining unto Thee and reaching Thy presence, O Best of all Beloved Ones and Ordainers, O Best of all Desired Ones and Fashioners!

Write down for me, at the time I am with Thee, in the letter Lam, that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy majesty, the eternity of Thy sovereignty, and the exaltation of Thy station. And write for me therein, in the letter Lam, and send down thereby upon me the subtle tokens of Thy bounty which Thou hast created by Thy command and dost create by Thy power. And ordain for my parents, and for those who reared me, and for those who showed kindness to me, that which is worthy of Thee. For verily Thou art the Lord of righteousness and the Lord of forgiveness. There is no power nor strength except through Thee. In Thee do I place my trust, and in Thee let those who trust place their trust.

Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, above that which they attribute unto Him. And peace be upon the Messengers. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds….

…

Thou art aware, O My God, that since the day Thou didst call Me into being out of the water of Thy love till I reached fifteen years of age I lived in the land which witnessed My birth [Shiraz]. Then Thou didst enable Me to go to the seaport [Bushihr] where for five years I was engaged in trading with the goodly gifts of Thy realm and was occupied in that with which Thou hast favored Me through the wondrous essence of Thy loving-kindness. I proceeded therefrom to the Holy Land [Karbila] where I sojourned for one year. Then I returned to the place of My birth. There I experienced the revelation of Thy sublime bestowals and the evidences of Thy boundless grace.

I yield Thee praise for all Thy goodly gifts and I render Thee thanksgiving for all Thy bounties. Then at the age of twenty-five I proceeded to thy sacred House [Mecca], and by the time I returned to the place where I was born, a year had elapsed. There I tarried patiently in the path of Thy love and beheld the evidences of Thy manifold bounties and of Thy loving-kindness until Thou didst ordain for Me to set out in Thy direction and to migrate to Thy presence. Thus I departed therefrom by Thy leave, spending six months in the land of Ṣad [Isfahan] and seven months in the First Mountain [Mah-Ku], where Thou didst rain down upon Me that which beseemeth the glory of Thy heavenly blessings and befitteth the sublimity of Thy gracious gifts and favors. Now, in My thirtieth year, Thou beholdest Me, O My God, in this Grievous Mountain [Chihriq] where I have dwelt for one whole year.

Praise be unto Thee, O My Lord, for all times, heretofore and hereafter; and thanks be unto Thee, O My God, under all conditions, whether of the past or the future. The gifts Thou hast bestowed upon Me have reached their fullest measure and the blessings Thou hast vouchsafed unto Me have attained their consummation. Naught do I now witness but the manifold evidences of Thy grace and loving-kindness, Thy bounty and gracious favors, Thy generosity and loftiness, Thy sovereignty and might, Thy splendor and Thy glory, and that which befitteth the holy court of Thy transcendent dominion and majesty and beseemeth the glorious precincts of Thine eternity and exaltation.