BB00053: Ziyarat

Part 1: “Glorified art Thou, O my God! I possess…”

In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I possess not a heart wherewith to remember Thee, nor a soul to praise Thee, nor a spirit to sanctify Thee, nor a being to unite with Thee. All of me hath melted away through what Thou hast decreed. Thine is the command and the creation in what Thou hast decreed and wilt decree. From time immemorial Thou hast been one God, single, unique, eternal, self-subsisting. Thou hast taken neither consort nor offspring, nor hath Thine Essence been joined with aught that Thou hast created out of nothing through Thy creation.

Glorified and exalted art Thou! Thou dost ever cause to die and give life, and verily Thou art the Ever-Living Who dieth not, the Single One from Whose grasp nothing can escape, whether in the heavens or on the earth or between them. Thou hast distinguished Thyself through might and immortality, and hast exalted Thyself through grandeur and glory. Thou hast existed before all things without mention of anything, and Thou wilt continue to exist after all things without the presence of anything.

Glorified art Thou beyond being known by any of Thy creatures, or being unified by any of Thy servants, or being praised by any dwellers of Thy earth and heaven, or being acknowledged as one by aught that Thou hast numbered in the kingdom of Thy creation. Thou art the Exalted above all things and the Most Exalted above all things. Thou hast ever been praised in Thy decrees and thanked in all Thy glorification, for nothing can frustrate Thee in the heavens or on the earth, nor can anything escape Thy knowledge in the kingdoms of command and creation.

That Thou shouldst carry out a decree for the people of Thy love is not due to any impotence on Thy part, nor is Thy respite to Thine enemy due to any restraint. Rather, it hath ever been and will ever be Thy way to raise Thy loved ones to the horizon of what is possible in creation and to abase Thine enemies to what is possible in invention. Thou proceedest through the dominion of Thy decree after Thy power over all else, and Thou sendest down from the treasuries of Thy Command after Thy ability over all else.

Glorified and exalted art Thou! I shall remember Thee according to what Thou hast decreed for me, and I shall weep over that, and I shall mention unto Thee that which Thou indeed knowest. Glorified and exalted art Thou! These are hearts that have praised none but Thee, and these are spirits that have glorified none but Thee, and these are souls that have united with none but Thee, and these are bodies that have worshipped none but Thee.

Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee. How can I remember Thee in Thy presence or complain to Thee of my sorrow and grief? Glorified art Thou, O Thou Who ordaineth what He pleaseth and doeth what He willeth! I beseech Thee to send down upon those who have ascended unto Thee the measures of Thy glory and the dawning-places of Thy majesty, for through them hast Thou created that and wilt create and create again.

Glorified art Thou! Verily Thy might is more elevated and Thy power, O Mighty One, is greater than that I should ask Thee to destroy those who have grown proud before Thee and worshipped other than Thee, for Thou art more severe in might and greater in power. Nothing can escape Thy grasp and nothing can frustrate Thee.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thyself—for nothing with Thee is greater than Thee, nor more mighty, nor more exalted, nor more glorious—to punish those who have slain Thy proofs, grown proud before Thy loved ones, and worshipped other than Thee, with every chastisement Thou art capable of in creation, and to seize them and what their right hands possess with what Thy knowledge encompasseth of the measures of Thy seizure and the occurrences of Thy severity. For there is no glory for whom Thou hast forsaken, and nothing for whom Thou hast annihilated, and no life for whom Thou hast tormented, and nothing for who hath worshipped other than Thee and been deluded by what Thou hast given him.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Send down that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy grasp, the sublimity of Thy might, and the elevation of Thy power upon those who have waxed proud against the Manifestations of Thy Countenance and have slain those who worship none but Thee. For Thou didst speak—and Thy word is the truth in the Qur’an—“whoso killeth a soul, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind.” Thou, O my God, dost number what their hands have wrought. Such was the decree of one of those who believed in Thee; how much more so with those by whom and for whom Thou didst create the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them, and didst ordain their authority over all things, and didst send down the Bayan in exaltation of their mention and elevation of their glory. Unto Thee all things return, and there is no power except through Thee.

I make mention of Thee at this moment with what Thou lovest to be mentioned, that Thou mayest send down upon the Manifestations of Thy obedience and the Dawning-places of Thy glory what Thou hast recorded in the Mother Book of all prayers—the most magnificent thereof—and of all salutations—the most noble thereof that Thou hast created. And do Thou, O God, manifest the measures of Thy glory and send down upon them from the angels on high what is decreed by Thee, for verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest and art mighty over whatsoever Thou desirest. Thy Will is supreme in all that Thou hast willed or wilt will, and Thy Purpose prevaileth in all that Thou hast purposed or wilt purpose.

Send down, O my God, from the heights of Thy bounty and the elevation of Thy glory, upon the Letters of the First, that which befitteth the sublimity of Thy grandeur and the inaccessibility of Thy oneness. Then upon those who have sought shelter beneath the shadow of those possessed of Thy authority, from the gems of verses and the ornaments of clear proofs, that which Thou alone art worthy of, for none is worthy of that which Thou art worthy of, and that which others are worthy of—Thou art far exalted above being mentioned thereby.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the Manifestations of His Self, and the Gates of Thy Countenance, and upon those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, according to what Thou hast numbered in Thy knowledge, for there is no escape for Thy creation and no limit to what returneth of the wonders of the Cause unto Thee. Send down, O my God, upon those holy spirits, those sanctified souls, and those impregnable bodies, that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy glory and the elevation of Thy majesty. And ordain, O my God, for those who were against them and acted wrongfully towards them that which Thou art worthy of, for Thou art the Most Great among the mighty in the realm of grandeur and glory, and the Most Severe of avengers in the station of chastisement and retribution.

Curse, O God, whosoever hath cut from the tree of Thy love whether root, branch, or twig, with every curse encompassed by Thy knowledge. For Thou art the Almighty from Whose grasp nothing escapeth, and the All-Compelling from Whose will nothing can withhold. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which the Dawning-places of Thy unity are established and there is negated from Thee whatsoever Thou lovest not in the kingdom of Thy sanctity—the Name which Thou hast placed after the letter B before all Thy names, and through which Thou hast created all things, sustained them, caused them to die, given them life, and raised them up—to send blessings upon those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, who have ascended to the horizon of Thy good-pleasure, who have detached themselves unto the horizon of Thy grandeur, who have risen to the court of Thy glory, and have drunk from the cup of Thy mercy that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy grace and the power of Thy might. For Thy giving hath no equal, and what Thou hast ordained in the Mother Book for those who have ascended unto Thee hath no limit.

Thou dost ever reveal unto those whom Thou hast caused to dwell in Thy paradise and hast raised to the horizon of Thy glory that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy Countenance. Glorified art Thou, O my God! How can I mention that which my heart hath witnessed? This is beyond my capacity and the capacity of any of Thy creatures. The heavens are well-nigh cleft asunder and the earth rent asunder.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! How great is such a calamity in the kingdom of Thy creation, and how grievous is such an affliction in the realm of Thy heaven and earth! Glory be unto Thee, O God! How canst Thou decree for those hidden gems and treasured essences that which Thou hast decreed, while I am powerless even to witness it? Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I shall entrust my affair unto Thee and rely upon Thee in all my concerns. I shall beseech of Thee that which Thou lovest and with which Thou art well-pleased, from the most exalted horizon to the lowest depths. I shall remember Thee, O my God, with a grief before Thee that hath no beginning, and my sorrow in Thy path shall never cease, nor shall my lamentations about the measures of Thy power be cut short.

I beseech Thee, O Lord my God, by that which Thou lovest to be beseeched by, to raise me up unto Thee in a manner that Thou lovest and approvest, and to unite me with those who have attained unto Thy good-pleasure in this earthly life, who have ascended unto Thee and have attained Thy presence. For that which is with Thee, O my God, is better than that which is with men, and what Thou hast ordained in the hereafter for Thy God-fearing servants is better than what Thou hast decreed in the first life.

I beseech Thee, O Lord my God, my Beloved, my Creator, and my Desired One, to send Thy blessings at this moment upon Muhammad, then upon the Manifestations of Thy Self, then upon those who have followed what they followed of Thy unity, Thy sanctity, Thy oneness, and Thy glorification, and what Thou hast ordained at this noon-tide hour for the dwellers of Thy kingdom that befitteth the sublimity of Thy grace, O Thou Who art the Lord of mercy and bounty, and that which is worthy of the court of Thy generosity, O Thou Who art the Lord of munificence and favor!

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou art He Who begetteth not, nor wast begotten, and there is none like unto Thee, nor equal unto Thee, nor comparable unto Thee, nor peer unto Thee. Thou hast ever been supreme over all Thy servants and manifest above all that Thou hast created in the kingdom of Thy earth and heaven. I beseech Thee, O God, by that which is befitting to be beseeched by, to ordain at this moment from Thy presence that which is best for the people of Thy love, for Thou art the Sovereign of this world and the next, the Originator of their cause, the One Who causeth their means to flow, and the Mover of their destinies. Unto Thee do all return, and before Thee all are brought.

I beseech Thee, O God, by the grief which I have witnessed like unto which no grief hath been witnessed for the Manifestations of Thy countenance, to send Thy blessings upon them at this moment with all Thy glory, and to send down upon them from the most exalted horizon that which befitteth the sublimity of Thy bestowal. For verily, I have known and do know that this is not from Thee; rather, Thou hast ever done what Thou willest as Thou willest, and ordained what Thou desirest as Thou desirest. There is no power nor strength except through Thee, and unto Thee do we return.

And when thou desirest to enter that sacred land, purify thyself and make wholesome what is with thee to the best of thy ability. Know thou that there is the most exalted horizon of the Throne and the ultimate summit of Paradise, and that God doth ever behold thee, and the Manifestations of His Self do ever illumine thee.

When thou hast performed such ablutions as thou art able, lie down for a while until thy strength returneth unto thee. Then arise and pray two rak’ahs in thy house, then walk in silence until thou reachest the first gate.

There stand and say: “Glory be unto Thee, O God! Verily, Thou art the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. Nothing of Thy knowledge can be known, neither in the heavens nor on the earth, and nothing can frustrate Thee, neither in the kingdom of Command nor of Creation. Thou hast ever existed before all things through the existence of Thy Essence, and wilt ever exist after all things through the existence of Thine own Self. Creation is Thy creation and Command is from Thee, and no one hath aught save that which Thou hast ordained.

“I beseech Thee, O my God, by that Most Exalted Seat which Thou hast favored through those Manifestations of Thy Beauty and Repositories of Thy Glory who dwell therein, that Thou grant me leave to enter unto Thee through Thee and to witness before Thee that for which Thou hast created me. For Thou hast not created anything except that it may testify to Thy unity and reject those who deny Thy oneness.

“I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy generosity and grace, to permit me to enter the sanctuary of Thy grandeur and to abide before the sovereignty of Thy Self-Sufficiency, that I may praise Thee as befitteth the majesty of Thy glory and the exaltation of Thy greatness, for none but Thee can do this. Verily, I see no limit to my heart nor to what Thou hast given me that I should present myself before Thee without Thy leave, or claim for myself any station through my own merit. Glory be to Thee! Exalted art Thou! Thou art too high and glorious for any created thing to fulfill what is due unto Thee, or to enter the sanctuary of Thy glory through its own merit rather than through Thy grace and favor.

“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I have no remembrance save through Thy remembrance of me, and no permission save what Thou hast permitted me in the Mother Book. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thyself, to send down upon me from the Most Exalted Horizon that which will purify me when I stand before Thy glory and prepare me for the meeting with Thy countenance. Glory be unto Thee! Thou hast not created me save for this, nor provided for me save for that. Unto Thee be praise, true praise, for having granted me leave to that Most Exalted Seat and honored me with that Most Glorious Horizon. There is no power save in God, the Lord of the Hereafter and the Former Times.”

Part 2: “Enter thou, therefore, and glorify God within thyself…”

Enter thou, therefore, and glorify God within thyself without uttering with thy tongue. And if thou art unable to recite that prayer, then recite the Surih of Unity three times. Then walk as thou art able until thou reachest the second door.

There pause and say:

“There is no God but God, and God is Most Great. Glory be to God, and praise be to God, and there is no power save in God. He is my Lord and no one is partner unto Him in anything.”

Then enter and prostrate thyself there until thou reachest the door of the sanctuary.

There prostrate thyself before God and say: “God beareth witness that there is no God but Him. His are the creation and the command. He giveth life and causeth death, then causeth death and giveth life, and He is the Ever-Living Who dieth not. Within His grasp is the dominion of all things. He createth what He pleaseth by His command. He is, verily, powerful over all things.

“O God! Thou art the Lord of Glory and the Creator of Glory and the Bestower of Glory and the Ordainer of Glory and the Fashioner of Glory. Thine are the most beautiful names and the most exalted similitudes, and all that is seen and unseen, from the highest height to the lowest depth. I bear witness, and all things bear witness, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner, and that Muhammad—Thy blessings be upon him and upon the Manifestations of his self—was Thy servant and Thy Messenger whom Thou didst choose for Thy Cause and select for Thy Message and single out for what lieth with Thee, and upon whom Thou didst send down Thy verses and through whom Thou didst magnify Thy clear proofs and through whom Thou didst manifest all that Thou hadst created by Thy command.

“I beseech Thee, O my God, at this moment to send blessings upon him with every glory wherewith Thou hast glorified, and every majesty wherewith Thou hast exalted, and every beauty wherewith Thou hast beautified, and every grandeur wherewith Thou hast magnified, and every light wherewith Thou hast illumined, and every mercy wherewith Thou hast spread abroad, and every word which Thou hast sent down, and every might wherewith Thou hast strengthened, and every will hast Thou confirmed, and every knowledge hast Thou executed, and every power hast Thou decreed, and every exaltation hast Thou elevated, and every sovereignty hast Thou perpetuated, and every dominion hast Thou glorified, and every bounty hast Thou enumerated, for none possesseth any of these save Thee, and none hath power over these except Thee. Thou art the Ever-Existing, Who hath never ceased to be and will never cease to be, and the Creator of all things at all times as Thou willest.

“I beseech Thee, O my God, by every name wherewith Thou hast named Thyself, and by every attribute which Thou hast mentioned in Thy Book, to send down upon the heart of Muhammad, and the spirit of Muhammad, and the soul of Muhammad, and the body of Muhammad that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy bestowal and the sublimity of Thine exaltation. And do Thou specifically favor, O my God, the manifestations of His Self and those who have drunk the water of His love and have been given to drink the pure water of His authority. Verily, Thou art the Munificent, the Inaccessible, and verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.”

Then enter and witness with the eye of thy heart that thou art turned towards God and art present before His eyes, and that He, verily, nurtureth thee, heareth what thou sayest and witnesseth what thou earnest, and He is with thee to turn thee as He willeth and to inspire thee in the places of His Command as He desireth. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Then walk and say in thy walking “Allahu Akbar” seven times, and when thou reachest the gate of the sanctuary, stand there and enter not except thou waitest there seven days, for there it behooveth thee to enter and say: “O my God! Thou art the Possessor of all things and none besides Thee possesseth anything. I seek Thy leave by Thy grace, and by all that Thou hast loved of Thy near angels and Thy commissioned Prophets and Thy pure ones who stand in ranks and Thy God-fearing servants, that I may enter before Thy Beloved, Whom Thou hast chosen for Thyself and selected for Thy Remembrance and chosen for Thy Successor, and has linked His obedience to Thy obedience and His authority to Thy authority, for verily Thou art not associated with the mention of anything, and nothing comprehendeth Thee, neither in the heavens nor on earth nor what lieth between them, and Thou art the King, the Quickener, the Supreme, the Transcendent.”

Then turn towards Him Who is established upon the throne of His might and is seated upon the seat of His sovereignty, and say five times:

“There is no God but Thee, alone, alone, none is worshipped but Him, making our worship pure for Him, though the unbelievers be averse.”

Then say: “The most exalted glory and the most sublime praise from the King of creation and the Ordainer of all things be upon thee, O Essence of the Qur’an and Beauty of expression, O Thou Whom God hath distinguished with that wherewith He hath distinguished none other of His servants, for He hath manifested Himself through Thee to Thyself before all things, and made Thee know His Self, and made Thee witness His oneness before all things. Then through Thee hath He created all things, and through Thee hath He provided sustenance for all things, and through Thee hath He caused all things to die, and through Thee hath He given life to all things, and through Thee will He resurrect all things.

“I bear witness that Thou hast ascended unto God and hast been raised up unto Thy Lord, and all who lived in Thy days and ascended with Thee unto God, Thy Lord, are among those who shall inherit Paradise, wherein they shall abide forever, provided with what God hath given them of His grace, and wherein they shall have what they desire. May my soul and all that my Lord’s knowledge encompasseth be a sacrifice unto Thee! How can I make mention of Thee or praise Thee, when all that is seen and unseen is but a trace created through Thee and a form brought into being through Thee?

“Exalted is Thy remembrance above being conjoined with the remembrance of the foremost of them that make mention; and uplifted is Thy glory beyond being matched by the glory of the chiefs among men of thought. I bear witness that though Thou wert slain, yet Thou art alive with God. Through that which God hath created from the excellence of Thy life, the hearts of the sincere are quickened, and thereby they recognize the unity of God, Thy Lord, and glorify Him day and night without cease.

“How great is Thy right, how exalted is that which befitteth the wondrous nature of Thy station, the loftiness of Thy rank, and the sublimity of Thy manifestations! Thou didst detach Thyself from all things for the sake of God, Thy Lord, ascending to such heights as none before Thee attained nor any shall reach after Thee. Exalted is that which Thou hast attained, and blessed is that which Thou hast witnessed.

“I testify that Thou and those who ascended with Thee are in the most exalted horizon above the Throne and in the most glorious heights of the heaven of the Divine Seat. There they glorify God with the praise of their Lord and celebrate His unity. I bear witness before God, before Thyself, before the Manifestations of Thy countenance, and before all that God hath willed, that Thou didst call unto God, didst deliver that which was entrusted to Thee from the Book of God, and didst attain unto that which God, Thy Lord, had promised Thee from the most exalted martyrdom and the most sublime station of divine authority. None after Thee can reach Thy station. Nay, by Thy glory! All who are martyred shall be martyred through Thy martyrdom, and all who ascend shall ascend after the ascension of Thy glory.

“I testify that Thy calamity is the greatest of all calamities in creation, and Thy tribulation is more exalted than any tribulation in existence. Cursed be the people who knew not Thy right, who prostrated not themselves before the loftiness of Thy station, and who turned not through Thee to God, Thy Lord. These are they who are quit of God’s religion, and I am quit of them and of that whereunto their affair shall return in their place of return and abode. They worshipped not God for even the twinkling of an eye in creation, nor did they recognize His unity in the least degree in existence. They have naught from God, and they shall receive the recompense of that which their hands have wrought—the most severe fire and the most grievous punishment.

“Glory be unto Thee, O God! My Lord, multiply upon them that which they deserve, send down upon them that of which they are fearful, seize them as Thou didst seize those before them, and chastise them in the lowest depths of the fire for that which their hands have earned, for they have attributed themselves to Thy friend while slaying that whereby religion is established, without recognizing Him. O God! Double the punishment and torment upon those who have slain a soul without cause. Verily Thou art possessed of mighty vengeance and severe chastisement. How can any of Thy loved ones observe even an atom of the affairs of Thy justice, and how much more Thy vengeance! O God! Destroy those who were proud before Thee and slew him against whom Thou hadst witnessed naught save His love for Thee and Thy unity, who earned naught in Thy path save Thy good-pleasure and Thy sanctification, and who desired naught save the exaltation of Thy remembrance and Thy glorification.

“I therefore commit unto Thee, O my God, the judgment of these infidels who prostrated not themselves before Thee and worshipped Thee not in the least. Verily Thou art most severe in might and in punishment. How can I send greetings unto Thee, O Beloved of my heart, after having heard what befell Thee, whereby the heavens are well-nigh rent asunder, the earth cleft, and the mountains crumble to dust? Unto God do I complain, and unto Thee is the return. God shall unite me and those who believe in Him with Thee in the seat which He hath ordained for Thee and to which He hath brought Thee. Would that I had been with Thee that I might have ransomed myself for Thee, and that I might attain that which Thou didst attain through the mercy of my Lord!

“I bear witness that the angels of the heavens, the Throne, and the Divine Seat are, at all times, prostrate before the seat of Thy glory, that the hearts of the sincere are, in every state, enraptured with Thy love, and that the hearts of the mystics are directed towards the seat of Thy Divine Unity! Blessed is he who attaineth unto Thy presence, after God Himself hath testified to his presence before Him. How great a bounty is this in all existence, and how mighty a glory is this in all utterance!

“I testify that Thou hast ever been, and wilt ever be, alive with the life of Thy Lord, glorifying Him, praising Him, proclaiming His unity and magnifying Him, until the day when God shall return Thee to the primal life. Verily He alone was […] and unto […] I praise Thee, yet knowing that all praise before Thy reality is veiled, I fall short in utterance and find enlightenment in what God hath revealed concerning Thee. Were there naught else but this, all who dwell in the kingdoms of the heavens and earth and what lieth between them would bow down before it.

“I beseech Thee, by the loftiness of Thy grace and the sublimity of Thy mercy, to remember me before God, Thy Lord, and to remember those who are martyrs from Thy presence, then those who were martyred in the path of Thy love, who gave up their souls in ardent devotion to Thy Cause, who ascended unto God through their detachment in Thy love, and who attained what is with God through their attraction to obedience unto Thee. Nothing existeth save that it hath been realized through the manifestation of obedience unto Thee, and nothing existeth save that it hath withered away through the manifestation of Thy Will.

“I bear witness before God and those near unto Him that God shall seek vengeance for Thee as He pleaseth, through what He pleaseth, for unto Him belong all conditions both before and after, and unto Him belong all the seats of command in the heavens and earth which none comprehendeth save Him, and there is no command except from Him, and no glory except in His good-pleasure, and no abasement save for those upon whom God hath sent down His wrath. […] Indeed He is most severe in punishment and most mighty in retribution, most swift in power and most near in command concerning whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth. Verily, He hath power over all things.”

Then present thyself before the Manifestations […] from God through what God hath mentioned before or will reveal hereafter, then before those who have ascended unto God from among the embodiments of the Qur’an and the essences of the Bayan, and bear witness unto them through the mystery of the Bayan according to what God hath ordained for them in the Book.

Were the ocean to become ink wherewith to reckon the grace of but one of these near ones and pure souls, it would be exhausted ere that remembrance from God could be counted. If at that time thou art able to remember the Manifestations of His Remembrance with such remembrance, then remember them; otherwise, wait until God bringeth His Command.

And if thou art unable to enter that holy land, then visit the Proofs of God in thy home on Friday, according to what God hath revealed in the Book, for that is better in His sight than what people know. Verily we are God’s, and unto Him shall we return. There is no power nor strength except through God, the Most High, the Most Great.