1. Rejoice with exceeding gladness, O people of Baha, as ye
call to remembrance the Day of supreme felicity, the Day
whereon the Tongue of the Ancient of Days hath spoken, as He
departed from His House, proceeding to the Spot from which
He shed upon the whole of creation the splendors of His
name, the All-Merciful. God is Our witness. Were We to
reveal the hidden secrets of that Day, all they that dwell
on earth and in the heavens would swoon away and die, except
such as will be preserved by God, the Almighty, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Such is the
inebriating effect of the words of God upon Him Who is the
Revealer of His undoubted proofs, that His Pen can move no
longer. With these words He concludeth His Tablet: "No God is
there but Me, the Most Exalted, the Most Powerful, the Most
Excellent, the All-Knowing."
(Baha'u'llah,
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 34)
2. Say: Rejoice
not in the things ye possess; tonight they are yours, tomorrow
others will possess them. Thus warneth you He Who is the
All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye
own is lasting or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful. The
days of your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your
pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and glory of
those gone before you. Reflect, O people! What hath become of
your bygone days, your lost centuries? Happy the days that have
been consecrated to the remembrance of God, and blessed the
hours which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the
All-Wise. By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor the
wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the ungodly will
endure. All will perish, at a word from Him. He, verily, is the
All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. What advantage
is there in the earthly things which men possess? That which
shall profit them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they
will awake from their slumber, and find themselves unable to
obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of their Lord,
the Almighty, the All-Praised. Did they but know it, they would
renounce their all, that their names may be mentioned before His
throne. They, verily, are accounted among the dead.
(Baha'u'llah,
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 137)
3. Know verily
that the essence of justice and the source thereof are both
embodied in the ordinances prescribed by Him Who is the
Manifestation of the Self of God amongst men, if ye be of them
that recognize this truth. He doth verily incarnate the highest,
the infallible standard of justice unto all creation. Were His
law to be such as to strike terror into the hearts of all that
are in heaven and on earth, that law is naught but manifest
justice. The fears and agitation which the revelation of this
law provokes in men's hearts should indeed be likened to the
cries of the suckling babe weaned from his mother's milk, if ye
be of them that perceive. Were men to discover the motivating
purpose of God's Revelation, they would assuredly cast away
their fears, and, with hearts filled with gratitude, rejoice
with exceeding gladness.
(Baha'u'llah,
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 174)
4. It is Our
wish and desire that every one of you may become a source of all
goodness unto men, and an example of uprightness to mankind.
Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbors. Fix your
gaze upon Him Who is the Temple of God amongst men. He, in
truth, hath offered up His life as a ransom for the redemption
of the world. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Gracious,
the Most High. If any differences arise amongst you, behold Me
standing before your face, and overlook the faults of one
another for My name's sake and as a token of your love for My
manifest and resplendent Cause. We love to see you at all times
consorting in amity and concord within the paradise of My
good-pleasure, and to inhale from your acts the fragrance of
friendliness and unity, of loving-kindness and fellowship. Thus
counselleth you the All-Knowing, the Faithful. We shall always
be with you; if We inhale the perfume of your fellowship, Our
heart will assuredly rejoice, for naught else can satisfy Us. To
this beareth witness every man of true understanding.
(Baha'u'llah,
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 315)
5. Release
yourselves, O nightingales of God, from the thorns and brambles
of wretchedness and misery, and wing your flight to the
rose-garden of unfading splendor. O My friends that dwell upon
the dust! Haste forth unto your celestial habitation. Announce
unto yourselves the joyful tidings: "He Who is the Best-Beloved
is come! He hath crowned Himself with the glory of God's
Revelation, and hath unlocked to the face of men the doors of
His ancient Paradise." Let all eyes rejoice, and let every ear
be gladdened, for now is the time to gaze on His beauty, now is
the fit time to hearken to His voice. Proclaim unto every
longing lover: "Behold, your Well-Beloved hath come among men!"
and to the messengers of the Monarch of love impart the tidings:
"Lo, the Adored One hath appeared arrayed in the fullness of His
glory!" O lovers of His beauty! Turn the anguish of your
separation from Him into the joy of an everlasting reunion, and
let the sweetness of His presence dissolve the bitterness of
your remoteness from His court.
(Baha'u'llah,
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 319)
6. O ye beloved
of God! O ye children of His Kingdom! Verily, verily, the new
heaven and the new earth are come. The holy City, new Jerusalem,
hath come down from on high in the form of a maid of heaven,
veiled, beauteous, and unique, and prepared for reunion with her
lovers on earth. The angelic company of the Celestial Concourse
hath joined in a call that hath run throughout the universe, all
loudly and mightily acclaiming: 'This is the City of God and His
abode, wherein shall dwell the pure and holy among His servants.
He shall live with them, for they are His people and He is their
Lord.' He hath wiped away their tears, kindled their light,
rejoiced their hearts and enraptured their souls. Death shall no
more overtake them neither shall sorrow, weeping or tribulation
afflict them. The Lord God Omnipotent hath been enthroned in His
Kingdom and hath made all things new. This is the truth and what
truth can be greater than that announced by the Revelation of
St. John the Divine? He is Alpha and Omega. He is the One that
will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water
of life and bestow upon the sick the remedy of true salvation.
He whom such grace aideth is verily he that receiveth the most
glorious heritage from the Prophets of God and His holy ones.
The Lord will be his God, and he His dearly-beloved son.
Rejoice, then, O ye beloved of the Lord and His chosen ones, and
ye the children of God and His people, raise your voices to laud
and magnify the Lord, the Most High; for His light hath beamed
forth, His signs have appeared and the billows of His rising
ocean have scattered on every shore many a precious pearl.
(Abdu'l-Baha,
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 12)
7. So far as ye
are able, ignite a candle of love in every meeting, and with
tenderness rejoice and cheer ye every heart. Care for the
stranger as for one of your own; show to alien souls the same
loving kindness ye bestow upon your faithful friends. Should any
come to blows with you, seek to be friends with him; should any
stab you to the heart, be ye a healing salve unto his sores;
should any taunt and mock at you, meet him with love. Should any
heap his blame upon you, praise ye him; should he offer you a
deadly poison, give him the choicest honey in exchange; and
should he threaten your life, grant him a remedy that will heal
him evermore. Should he be pain itself, be ye his medicine;
should he be thorns, be ye his roses and sweet herbs. Perchance
such ways and words from you will make this darksome world turn
bright at last; will make this dusty earth turn heavenly, this
devilish prison place become a royal palace of the Lord -- so
that war and strife will pass and be no more, and love and trust
will pitch their tents on the summits of the world. Such is the
essence of God's admonitions; such in sum are the teachings for
the Dispensation of Baha.
(Abdu'l-Baha,
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 34)
8. If only thou
couldst know what a high station is destined for those souls who
are severed from the world, are powerfully attracted to the
Faith, and are teaching, under the sheltering shadow of
Bahá'u'lláh! How thou wouldst rejoice, how thou wouldst, in
exultation and rapture, spread thy wings and soar heavenward --
for being a follower of such a way, and a traveller toward such
a Kingdom.
(Abdu'l-Baha,
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 100)
9 . O SON OF
MAN! Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou mayest be
worthy to meet Me and to mirror forth My beauty.
(Baha'u'llah,
The Arabic Hidden Words)
