ing marvels and miracles of which they may hear. Gracious God! This is the day when the wise should seek the counsel of this wronged One and supplicate the Almighty to grant them that which is the cause of abiding tranquillity and glory. Yet behold! how on the contrary they have striven with all their power to extinguish this brilliant and shining light. . . . In the face of all they have spoken We have remained patient at all times. We have left them in the hands of God.
(Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of
Shaykh Báqir.)
The Luminary of true understanding adorns this day the firmament of knowledge; well is it with him that beholds and turns thereunto. All that hath been foretold is made manifest in this day. Say, O friends ! choose not to stay afar from the ocean of God’s forgiveness, for lo! He is so nigh unto you. He who was hidden from sight is come and now appears in all His glory. In one hand He bears the water of life, in the other He brings the message of true liberty. Lay down and hold fast: lay down all that pertains to this earth, hold fast unto that which His generous hand doth bestow. He, the like of whom the eyes of the world have not seen, is now come. O friends! hasten, hasten unto Him; hearken, hearken to His call. The doings of the divines have turned the people away from God, and in the place of pious devotion malice reigns. They have strayed from God’s holy way; they have erred grievously and still claim to lead the way. We have instructed those leaders, called upon them to bear witness unto this day, and lead the servants unto God, the Most Holy. Say, 0 ye divines! Awake from your slumber, shake off your heedlessness, and be straightway mindful.
(Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to Mihrabán)
The world is in turmoil and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned toward waywardness and irreligion. So grievous shall be its plight that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Many a day shall pass ere it be relieved from its sore travail. And in the fullness of time there shall appear all of a sudden that which will cast terror into the very heart of mankind; then and only then will the Divine Standard be unfurled, then will the Nightingale of Holiness warble its melody upon the Tree of Life.
(Bahá’u’lláh : Prophetic Utterance Revealed in 1878 A. D.)
O Son of Man ! If thou lovest Me turn away from thyself, and if thou seekest My pleasure regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I eternally live in thee.
O Son of Being ! My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish.
O Son of Spirit ! I created thee rich, why dost thou impoverish thyself? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I manifested thee, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Of the clay of love I moulded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself that thou mayest find Me abiding in thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.
O Son of Spirit! Vaunt not thyself over the poor for I lead him on his way and behold thee in thine evil plight and confound thee evermore.
O Son of Being! How couldest thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? Who doeth this is accursed of Me.
O Son of Man! Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art a sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command accursed art thou and to this I testify.
O Son of Man ! My calamity is My providence; outwardly it is fire and vengeance but inwardly it is light and mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou mayest become an eternal light and an immortal
