BB00163: Du’ayi Layliy-i-thaniyyih

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

O my God! I beseech Thee by the splendor of the heaven of Thy good-pleasure, and by the majesty of the beauty of Thy holiness, and by the wonders of the measures of Thy mighty Self-Subsistence, and by the independence of Thy exalted grandeur, and by the elevation of the inaccessibility of Thy eternal joy, to ordain at this moment from the treasuries of Thy wonderful Will and the repositories of the mystery of Thy Desire that which befitteth the loftiness of Thy sanctity for one who hath recognized Thy unity and ascribeth no partner unto Thee, and for one who worshippeth Thee and is not veiled by aught from Thy worship.

For Thou hast ever been, O my God, exalted above Thy creation and elevated above all Thy servants. Thou dost shower in every state the wonderful tokens of Thy Lordship upon him who hath detached himself unto Thee in his inmost essence, and Thou wilt ever manifest the signs of Thy mighty Self-Subsistence unto him who seeth naught but Thee save as in the day of his nothingness and desireth none but Thee. For Thou hast ever been independent of all that Thou hast created or wilt create, sanctified above all that Thou hast brought into being or wilt bring into being, exalted above all that Thou hast fashioned or wilt fashion, and transcendent above all that Thou hast ordained or wilt ordain.

Were no soul to testify to Thy unity, Thou wouldst not have revealed Thyself to anyone as Thou wert, and there would be naught with Thee; and wert no soul to testify to worship of Thee, the signs of Thy sovereignty would still endure, for Thou wouldst be as Thou hast ever been, and there would be naught with Thee. Thou art He Who existeth through the existence of Thine Essence and abideth in the purity of Thine Own Being.

Can there be a heart wherein dwelleth not Thy love, or a thing whose very existence floweth not from Thy Will? Nay, by Thy glory! Were this not so, it would not have been created, and were it not for Thee, it would have no essence. Thou art He Who hath ever been independent of all things through the transcendent independence of Thine Essence, and Thou wilt ever remain independent of all things through the pristine independence of Thy Self.

Thou didst not create that creation save that all things might attain, to the extent possible, unto that which is manifested at the revelation of Thy power and the exaltation of Thy Will. Perished be the essence that glorifieth not Thy Being, and annihilated be the reality that praiseth not Thine Essence. Extinguished be the spirits that recognize not the Sovereign of Thy holy Oneness, and abolished be the bodies that prostrate not before the Monarch of Thy Unity.

These have no spirit nor worth with Thee, for worth belongeth unto him who knoweth Thee, recognizeth Thy unity, worshippeth Thee, and turneth unto Thee, as apart from these conditions I behold with mine own eyes those who are on earth. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee from my heart turning to any but Thee or to one whose heart turneth to aught else but Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee from my spirit being attached to any but Thee or to that which is veiled from meeting Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee from intending any save Thee, or seeking any besides Thee, or worshipping other than Thee, or recognizing any but Thee!

For those endued with power are all prostrate before Thee, and those possessed of grandeur are all fearful of Thy glory. Glory be unto Thee! How exalted is the loftiness of Thy station, and how elevated the summit of Thy majesty! Thou hast clothed the dwellers of Thy kingdom with the garments of might and independence that all things might be convinced that these are as nothing before Thee.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! How many servants hast Thou endowed with manifestations of Thy kingdom, yet they imagined they could possess something and were thereby veiled from Thy good-pleasure—that good-pleasure which, were all on earth to come seeking Thy satisfaction without prostrating before Thee, Thou wouldst never be pleased with them.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I shall surely detach myself from all Thy servants as from the state of everything Thou hast created, and I shall ascend unto Thee through attaining unto that which is with Thee in such wise as Thou didst desire to create anything.

And were all Thy creation to desire me while Thou desirest me not, would it profit me, O my God, even were I possessed of knowledge? Nay, by Thy glory! I am the one who knoweth Thee […] There is no God but Thee, detached from all else.

I am the one who prostrateth before Thee alone, Who hath no partner, turning unto Thee with the essence of my being, my pure reality, the camphor of my soul, and the simplicity of my self.

I shall thank Thee for what Thou hast bestowed upon me of Thy guidance, and I shall praise Thee for having caused me to know Thyself.

For if all the kingdoms of earth and whosoever dwelleth therein were to come unto me, but Thou hadst not caused me to know Thyself, I would be as one among those on earth who are possessed of the letters K and Sh.

No, by Thy glory! I have not sought from Thee aught save Thyself, nor have I desired from Thee aught besides Thee, though none can comprehend this save Thee, and none can know its measure except Thee.

For all else besides Thee, were Thou to send down unto them whatsoever their desires crave from the realms of Thy dominion, they would be content therewith and would be veiled from Thyself.

I, by Thy glory, desire not this, nor do I desire those who desire such things. I see them not except as on the day when Thou didst create them, and I perceive in them neither station nor worth, for they have been veiled by the affairs of Thy kingdom from the presence of Thy Self-Subsistence, and they seek to glorify Thee […] whom Thou hast created from the likes of […]

They thank Thee for what Thou sendest down unto them from the gifts of Thy paradise, yet when their pleasures are cut off from them, they become veiled from Thy countenance, and when Thou bestowest upon them that which giveth tranquility to their hearts, they turn unto Thee with Thy clear proof.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I have at this moment become detached from all things through my connection with Thee, and have become established before Thee in such wise that I find no rest in what Thou hast created or wilt create, for all these are but creatures before Thee and have no worth before Thy worth.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou art indeed far more exalted, more glorious, more sublime, more impregnable, and more sanctified than that the highest essences of all possible beings should attain unto Thy love, or that the realities of the abstract entities should be capable of rendering thanks unto Thee.

The mention of all created things befitteth not the sublimity of Thy station, nor is the carpet of Thy majesty worthy of the praise of Thy servants, even were they to turn wholly unto Thee and worship none besides Thee with the pure essence of their being—how much less when they are veiled by aught else!

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I shall cut myself off from my glorification and the glorification of all things through that wherewith Thou hast glorified Thyself. I shall cut myself off from my praise and the praise of all things through that wherewith Thou hast praised Thy Essence. I shall cut myself off from my unity and the unity of all things through that wherewith Thou hast unified Thine Own Being. I shall cut myself off from my magnification and the magnification of all things through that wherewith Thou hast magnified Thine Own Reality. I have become detached from my sanctification and the sanctification of all things through that wherewith Thou hast sanctified the Sovereign of Thy Self-Subsistence.

Should no one recognize Thy worth, verily Thou knowest Thine Own worth. Should no one be illumined by Thy signs, verily Thou art too exalted to send them down upon one who is not illumined at the appearance of Thy signs. Should no one be convinced of Thy oneness, verily Thou art convinced of Thine Own oneness. Should no one worship Thee as befitteth Thy Godhead, Thy Self knoweth that Thou art independent of all else, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thine is the creation and the command, before and after. Thou givest life and causest death, then causest death and givest life, and verily Thou art the Ever-Living Who dieth not. Within Thy grasp is the kingdom of all things. Thou createst what Thou willest by Thy command. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things […]

O My God! Far above comparison are the manifestations of Thy Lordship, and sanctified, O my Beloved, are the daysprings of Thy holiness, and exalted, O my Heart’s Desire, are the dawning-places of the Sun of Thy Self-Subsistence above being comprehended by any dwellers of Thy realm or having their rights fulfilled by the highest essence of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Thy sovereignty.

At this moment, I seek Thy forgiveness for all else but Thee, and I turn in repentance unto Thee from all except Thee, and I cast myself before Thy presence, O Thou Lord of might and majesty.

I shall find sufficiency in Thee apart from all others, O Thou Possessor of beauty and glory, and I shall find contentment in Thee apart from Thy creation, O Thou Lord of power and perfection, and I shall find satisfaction in Thee apart from all else, O Thou Lord of strength and action.

I desire naught but Thee in my remembrance, and I want none other than Thee. When wert Thou ever hidden, that anyone should be compelled to love aught else but Thee? And when wert Thou ever absent, that anyone should need to turn to other than Thee?

Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee. Thou hast ever been manifest above all things, present with all things, triumphant over all things, and powerful over whatsoever Thou willest with wondrous sovereignty, and mighty over whatsoever Thou desirest with swift dominion.

Grant me, O my God, a desire for Thee that is pure and sincere, free from all things through Thy power and the sublimity of Thy might.

I have indeed withheld my supplication from those who have worshipped other than Thee and turned to aught else but Thee, or who have been veiled by anything from Thy countenance, even though there be no self that hath found satisfaction in self apart from my supplication before Thee.

I associate no partners with Thee, for verily I call upon Thee purely and sincerely, attesting that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, and that all else besides Thee was nothing, even as before it was nothing, and verily Thou art the Strong, the Most High.