Selections From the Writings of the Bab Part 1

Selections From the Writings of the Bab.

by the Bab.

1: TABLETS AND ADDRESSES

A Tablet Addressed To 'Him Who Will Be Made Manifest'

This is an epistle from this lowly servant to the All-Glorious Lord-He Who hath been aforetime and will be hereafter made manifest. Verily He is the Most Manifest, the Almighty.

In the name of the Sovereign Lord, the Lord of Power.

Glorified is He before Whom all the dwellers of earth and heaven bow down in adoration and unto Whom all men turn in supplication. He is the One Who holdeth in His grasp the mighty kingdom of all created things and unto Him shall all return. He is the One Who revealeth whatsoever He willeth and by His injunction 'Be Thou' all things have come into being.

This is an epistle from the letter '_Th_a'(1) unto Him Who will be made manifest through the power of Truth-He Who is the All-Glorious, the Best Beloved-to affirm that all created things as well as myself bear witness for all time that there is none other G.o.d but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Self-Subsisting; that Thou art G.o.d, there is no G.o.d besides Thee and that all men shall be raised up to life through Thee.

Lauded and glorified be Thy name, O Lord, my G.o.d!

From all eternity I have indeed recognized Thee and unto all eternity will ever do so through Thine Own Self and not through any one else besides Thee. Verily Thou art the Source of all knowledge, the Omniscient. From everlasting I have besought and unto everlasting will beseech forgiveness for my limited understanding of Thee, aware as I am that there is no G.o.d but Thee, the All-Glorious, the Almighty.

I beg of Thee, O my Best Beloved, to pardon me and those who earnestly seek to promote Thy Cause; Thou art indeed the One Who forgiveth the sins of all mankind. And in this second year of my Revelation-a Revelation which took place at Thy behest-I bear witness that Thou art the Most Manifest, the Omnipotent, the Ever-Abiding; that of all things that exist on earth and in the heavens nothing whatsoever can frustrate Thy purpose and that Thou art the Knower of all things and the Lord of might and majesty.

Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy signs ere the dawn of Thy Manifestation, and in Thee are we all well-a.s.sured. Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy signs after the fulfilment of Thy Manifestation, and in Thee do we all believe. Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy signs at the hour of Thy Manifestation and bear witness that through Thine injunction 'Be Thou' all things have been created.

Every Manifestation is but a revelation of Thine Own Self, with each of Whom we have truly appeared and we bow down in adoration before Thee. Thou hast been, O my Best Beloved, and shalt ever be my witness throughout bygone times and in the days to come. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Ever-Faithful, the Omnipotent.

I have testified to Thy oneness through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that, verily, Thou art the All-Glorious, the Best Beloved. I have attained the recognition of Thee through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that Thou art in truth the Almighty, the All-Praised. I have glorified Thy Name through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that Thou art indeed the Lord of power, He Who is the Most Manifest. I have exalted Thy holiness through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that in truth Thou art the Most Sanctified, the Most Holy. I have praised Thy sanct.i.ty through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that Thou art indeed the Indescribable, the Inaccessible, the Immeasurably Glorified. I have extolled Thine overpowering majesty through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that, verily, Thou and Thou alone art the Lord of might, the Eternal One, the Ancient of Days.

Hallowed and glorified art Thou; there is none other G.o.d but Thee and in truth unto Thee do we all return.

As to those who have put the kindred of 'Ali to death, ere long they shall realize to what depths of perdition they have descended.

A Second Tablet Addressed To 'Him Who Will Be Made Manifest'

May the glances of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest illumine this letter at the primary school.(2)

He is the Most Glorious.

He is G.o.d, no G.o.d is there but Him, the Almighty, the Best Beloved. All that are in the heavens and on the earth and whatever lieth between them are His. Verily He is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

This is a letter from G.o.d, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, unto G.o.d, the Almighty, the Best Beloved, to affirm that the Bayan and such as bear allegiance to it are but a present from me unto Thee and to express my undoubting faith that there is no G.o.d but Thee, that the kingdoms of Creation and Revelation are Thine, that no one can attain anything save by Thy power and that He Whom Thou hast raised up is but Thy servant and Thy Testimony. I, indeed, beg to address Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest, by Thy leave in these words: 'Shouldst Thou dismiss the entire company of the followers of the Bayan in the Day of the Latter Resurrection by a mere sign of Thy finger even while still a suckling babe, Thou wouldst indeed be praised in Thy indication. And though no doubt is there about it, do Thou grant a respite of nineteen years as a token of Thy favour so that those who have embraced this Cause may be graciously rewarded by Thee.

Thou art verily the Lord of grace abounding. Thou dost indeed suffice every created thing and causest it to be independent of all things, while nothing in the heavens or on the earth or that which lieth between them can ever suffice Thee.'

Verily Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the All-Knowing; Thou art indeed potent over all things.

Tablet To The First Letter Of The Living

This is that which We have revealed for the First Believer in Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest, that it may serve as an admonition from Our presence unto all mankind.

In the Name of the Almighty, the Best Beloved.

Lauded and glorified is He Who is the sovereign Lord of the kingdoms of heaven and earth and whatever is between them. Say, verily unto Him shall all return, and He is the One Who guideth at His Own behest whomsoever He pleaseth. Say, all men beseech His blessings and He is supreme over all created things. He is indeed the All-Glorious, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved.

This is an epistle from the letter '_Th_a' unto him who is the First Believer. Bear thou witness that verily He is I, Myself, the Sovereign, the Omnipotent. He is the One Who ordaineth life and death and unto Him shall all return. Indeed there is none other G.o.d but Him and all men bow down in adoration before Him. Verily Thy Lord, G.o.d, shall presently recompense every one as He ordaineth, even swifter than uttering the words 'Be thou, and it is'.

G.o.d hath in truth testified in His Book and so also have testified the company of His angels, His Messengers and those endued with divine knowledge, that thou hast believed in G.o.d and in His signs and that everyone is guided aright by virtue of thy guidance. This is indeed a boundless grace which G.o.d, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, hath graciously conferred upon thee aforetime and will confer hereafter. And since thou didst believe in G.o.d before the creation, He hath in truth, at His own behest, raised thee up in every Revelation. There is no G.o.d but Him, the Sovereign Protector, the All-Glorious.

It behooveth you to proclaim the Cause of G.o.d unto all created things as a token of grace from His presence; no G.o.d is there but Him, the Most Generous, the All-Compelling.

Say: All matters must be referred to the Book of G.o.d; I am indeed the First to believe in G.o.d and in His signs; I am the One Who divulgeth and proclaimeth the Truth and I have been invested with every excellent t.i.tle of G.o.d, the Mighty, the Incomparable. Verily I have attained the Day of the First Manifestation and by the bidding of the Lord and as a token of His grace, I shall attain the Day of the Latter Manifestation. There is no G.o.d but Him and at the appointed hour everyone shall bow down unto Him in adoration.

I render thanks and yield praise unto G.o.d for having been chosen by Him as the Exponent of His Cause in bygone days and in the days to come; there is none other G.o.d save Him, the Glorified, the All-Praised, the Ever-Abiding.

Whatever is in the heavens and on the earth is His and through Him are we guided aright.

O people of the Bayan! Those who embrace the Truth must turn unto Me, as ordained in the Book and divine guidance will be vouchsafed to whosoever attaineth My presence.

Extracts From An Epistle To Mu?ammad Shah

The substance wherewith G.o.d hath created Me is not the clay out of which others have been formed. He hath conferred upon Me that which the worldly-wise can never comprehend, nor the faithful discover ... I am one of the sustaining pillars of the Primal Word of G.o.d. Whosoever hath recognized Me, hath known all that is true and right, and hath attained all that is good and seemly; and whosoever hath failed to recognize Me, hath turned away from all that is true and right and hath succ.u.mbed to everything evil and unseemly.

I swear by the righteousness of Thy Lord, the Lord of all created things, the Lord of all the worlds! Were a man to rear in this world as many edifices as possible and wors.h.i.+p G.o.d through every virtuous deed which G.o.d's knowledge embraceth, and attain the presence of the Lord, and were he, even to a measure less than that which is accountable before G.o.d, to bear in his heart a trace of malice towards Me, all his deeds would be reduced to naught and he would be deprived of the glances of G.o.d's favour, become the object of His wrath and a.s.suredly perish. For G.o.d hath ordained that all the good things which lie in the treasury of His knowledge shall be attained through obedience unto Me, and every fire recorded in His Book, through disobedience unto Me. Methinks in this day and from this station I behold all those who cherish My love and follow My behest abiding within the mansions of Paradise, and the entire company of Mine adversaries consigned to the lowest depths of h.e.l.l-fire.

By My life! But for the obligation to acknowledge the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of G.o.d ... I would not have announced this unto thee... All the keys of heaven G.o.d hath chosen to place on My right hand, and all the keys of h.e.l.l on My left...

I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I am the Countenance of G.o.d Whose splendour can never be obscured, the Light of G.o.d Whose radiance can never fade. Whoso recognizeth Me, a.s.surance and all good are in store for him, and whoso faileth to recognize Me, infernal fire and all evil await him...

I swear by G.o.d, the Peerless, the Incomparable, the True One: for no other reason hath He-the supreme Testimony of G.o.d-invested Me with clear signs and tokens than that all men may be enabled to submit to His Cause.

By the righteousness of Him Who is the Absolute Truth, were the veil to be lifted, thou wouldst witness on this earthly plane all men sorely afflicted with the fire of the wrath of G.o.d, a fire fiercer and greater than the fire of h.e.l.l, with the exception of those who have sought shelter beneath the shade of the tree of My love. For they in very truth are the blissful...

G.o.d beareth Me witness, I was not a man of learning, for I was trained as a merchant. In the year sixty(3) G.o.d graciously infused my soul with the conclusive evidences and weighty knowledge which characterize Him Who is the Testimony of G.o.d-may peace be upon Him-until finally in that year I proclaimed G.o.d's hidden Cause and unveiled its well-guarded Pillar, in such wise that no one could refute it. 'That he who should perish might perish with a clear proof before him and he who should live might live by clear proof.'(4)

In that same year [year 60] I despatched a messenger and a book unto thee, that thou mightest act towards the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of G.o.d as befitteth the station of thy sovereignty. But inasmuch as dark, dreadful and dire calamity had been irrevocably ordained by the Will of G.o.d, the book was not submitted to thy presence, through the intervention of such as regard themselves the well-wishers of the government. Up to the present, when nearly four years have pa.s.sed, they have not duly presented it to Your Majesty. However, now that the fateful hour is drawing nigh, and because it is a matter of faith, not a worldly concern, therefore I have given thee a glimpse of what hath transpired.

I swear by G.o.d! Shouldst thou know the things which in the s.p.a.ce of these four years have befallen Me at the hands of thy people and thine army, thou wouldst hold thy breath from fear of G.o.d, unless thou wouldst rise to obey the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of G.o.d and make amends for thy shortcomings and failure.