Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 111

the friends of the Beauty of El-Baha neve seek any recompense or reward except the meeting and the visit (of G.o.d) in the Kingdom of El-Baha; and they never walk but in the valley of desire to attain the Supreme Height.

They only wish the immortal blessing and the eternal gift, which are sanctified above the worldly understanding.

Because, when thou lookest with the iron sight, thou wilt find that all mankind is suffering in this earthly world; there is no one in such tranquility that this (state) might have been a reward for his good deeds in a former life and there is no soul so happy that this might be the fruit of his past pain! Had the life of a man in his spiritual being been only confined to his life in this world, the creation would have proved useless; the divine qualities would have no result and effect; nay, all things, created beings and the world of creation would have proved abortive. I ask pardon of G.o.d for such false imaginations and for such errors!

As the usefulness and powers of the life (of a child) were not seen in that dark and narrow world (of the womb), but when it is brought into this vast world, all the use of its growth and development becometh manifest and obvious in it, so likewise, reward and punishment, paradise and h.e.l.l, and the requital of deeds and actions done by it in the present life become manifest and evident when it is transferred to the world to come-which is far from this world! Had the life and growth of the child in the womb been confined to that condition, then the existence of the child in the womb would have proved utterly abortive and unintelligible; as would the life of this world, were its deeds, actions and their results not to appear in the world to come.

Therefore, know thou that the True One possesseth invisible worlds which human meditation is unable to comprehend and the intellect of man hath no power to imagine. When thou wilt purify and clarify thy spiritual; nostrils from every worldly moisture, then thou wilt inhale the holy fragrances diffusing from the merciful gardens of these worlds.

El-Abha be upon thee and upon all those who are gazing and turning unto the Kingdom of El-Baha, which G.o.d hath sanctified above the understanding of the heedless souls and from being perceived by the eye of those who deny!

"O my spiritual friends!..."

O my spiritual friends!(291)

What you have written is perused, all of which was an entreaty and invocation unto G.o.d and a desire for devotion unto the Most High. I hope through the bounty of G.o.d, day by day, your a.s.surance, belief and faith will increase; moment by moment the flame of the love of G.o.d will be intensified; louder and louder will the proclamation of the Word of G.o.d be heard in that country; the breeze of sanct.i.ty will begin to blow; the attraction of the inner consciousness will cause these districts to be animated; the mercy and aid of G.o.d will be your a.s.sociates and the a.s.sistance from the Kingdom of compa.s.sion will be momentarily bestowed.

Now is the time for those spiritual friends, (i.e., yourselves,) to adorn the divine meetings, endeavor to spread the Cause of G.o.d, arise to diffuse His breaths and stand for the promotion of His Word; that the breath of the Holy Spirit may bestow life to the hearts, causing the spirits to attain the Beloved.

The letter you have previously written is not yet received; if it were you may be sure it would be answered, because this servant hath great love and attachment for the believers in that city and will always communicate with them.

O Thou pitiful G.o.d! These friends are perfectly infatuated with Thy nearness; they have given their hearts for the beauty of Thy face; are devoted to Thy Kingdom and are intoxicated by the wine of belief. In the meeting of the covenant they are bearing in their hands the cup of anxiety, needing Thy benevolence and yearning for the heavenly blessings.

O Mighty Creator! Cause these souls to be the receptacle of Thy mercy, regarded by divine attention, and render each one as a lighted candle, that they may illuminate that region with the light of righteousness. Make them the companions of and partaker with this servant [Abdul-Baha] in the devotion of Thy Threshold. O my G.o.d! Strengthen the weak ones and open the eyes of those who are anxious to behold the beauty of the Kingdom, that they may arise with divine strength, heavenly bounty, spiritual blessing, ethereal breaths and mighty a.s.sistance for Thy service, dispelling the superst.i.tions of the doubters, elucidating the proofs and evidences before all seekers, healing the sick, being kind to the poor, a refuge and home for the helpless and a light for the hopeless.

Thou art the Powerful and the Able, the Pitiful and Compa.s.sionate G.o.d!

O my friends! Endeavor to your utmost ability that, day by day, unity and harmony will increase and the love of G.o.d will so firmly capture the hearts that they will forget all save Him and be engrossed, night and day, in mentioning the Kingdom, the heavenly signs and the divine verses. If love, friends.h.i.+p, a.s.sociation and unity be established among the believers, the door of all significances will be opened and each believer of G.o.d will be able to explain and interpret all of the holy Books.

O believers! The tests of G.o.d are very severe; you should beseech and cry unto Him that you may be firm and steadfast during all temptations.

"As to [what thou hast heard concerning] the child..."

(292) As to [what thou hast heard concerning] the child born from Russian parentage, this is pure imagination. Yea, certain persons shall in this divine dispensation produce heavenly children and such children shall promulgate the teachings of the Beauty of Abha and serve His great Cause.

Through a heavenly power and spiritual confirmation they shall be enabled to promote the Word of G.o.d and to diffuse the fragrances of G.o.d. These children are neither Oriental nor Occidental, neither Asiatic nor American, neither European nor African, but they are of the Kingdom; their native home is heaven and their resort is the Kingdom of Abha. This is but the truth and there is naught after truth save superst.i.tions (or fancy).

"O thou spiritual beloved!..."

O thou spiritual beloved!

I have carefully looked at thy picture and found that from thy face emanates the spiritual glad-tidings, the merciful complaisance and the heavenly brightness. Their traces shall appear and their lights shall s.h.i.+ne.

"O thou who art gazing toward the Kingdom of the..."

O thou who art gazing toward the Kingdom of the Testament!

I already received thy letter which announced thy receipt of the loving letter sent to thee by the pen of Abdul-Baha. By G.o.d the True One! Verily, those letters are as gifts of G.o.d to thee, to thy n.o.ble wife and to thine honorable daughter. I beg of G.o.d to enable thee to perfectly endeavor to practice according to their contents.

Yes, some of the intellectually cultured people in those countries exert themselves to reach the loftiest summits of prosperity in worldly affairs and most of them are desiring wealth and are making an effort to attain it somehow. But they are unmindful of the treasury of the Kingdom, the spiritual affluence and the wealth of mind; therefore, thou findest them subject to the rage of l.u.s.ts and under the influence of egotistic and selfish desires, sinking into intemperance and engaged in drinking the cup of l.u.s.t. Were they to become mindful of their heedlessness and awakened from the sleep of ignorance, they would become intoxicated by the cup of the love of G.o.d and exhilarated by the good cheer of the wine of the knowledge of G.o.d.

I beg of G.o.d to s.h.i.+ne forth unto you with the lights of His sanct.i.ty and send to you divine souls, that they may fully reveal to you the divine teachings.

The letters which I sent to you are as the fragrant breezes of the garden of the knowledge of G.o.d, which can be smelled by every one whose sense of smelling is clean and purified from any rheum, because they are glad-tidings proceeding from pure lips which are fluent in explaining the mysteries of G.o.d. I beg of G.o.d to ordain for us to meet one another.

"O thou who art a.s.suredly believing in G.o.d!..."

O thou who art a.s.suredly believing in G.o.d!

Verily, I read thy letter which showed how thou art believing in G.o.d, a.s.sured of the signs of G.o.d and art attracted by the love of G.o.d.

I thank G.o.d for that He hath ignited the fire of His love in thy heart, hath drawn thee by the magnet of His guidance, hath dilated thy heart through the light of His knowledge, hath a.s.sisted thee to be firm in His Testament, hath sent down His blessing upon thee, upon thy household and upon thy children, hath illuminated thy house by igniting therein the lamp of the praise of G.o.d, hath caused those souls who have drawn nigh unto the Kingdom to abide in thy house(293)-those who deliver the Cause of G.o.d, who speak the praise of G.o.d and explain the indisputable proofs of G.o.d unto the servants. It behooveth thee to thank G.o.d for this great gift and say:

"O my Lord! Confirm me to serve Thy beloved and to be submissive and humble before Thy chosen ones. Make me to know the meaning of Thy Words and inform me of the mysteries of Thy signs. Place me in the shadow of the standard of Thy Testament and preserve me from Thy tests which break backs and unveil the sins of the back-sliders and tend to disgrace the party of deception and the people of wickedness (i.e., the nakazeen). Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Pardoner!"

"O thou confident soul who art content and patient!..."

O thou confident soul who art content and patient!

Verily, I read thy welcome letter and was informed of its contents which gladdened the hearts of the unitarians (i.e., the believers at Acca) of thy desire for G.o.d's confirmation in the service of His Cause among the sincere servants. Do not consider the weakness of the people, but observe the power of attainment in this manifest day. Separate thyself from all thoughts, strip thyself from the unclean garment of attachment to this drossful (or earthly) world, arise for the service of thy Lord, the Clement, and be clothed with the robe of a.s.surance (or certainty), so that thou mayest behold the hosts of confirmation from thy Lord arising from all sides.

As to thy information concerning the services of Mirza a.s.sad Ullah to the holy and brilliant Threshold, verily, it gladdened Abdul-Baha and he thanked G.o.d for this great bounty unto him (Mirza a.s.sad Ullah) and the chosen of G.o.d. Verily, I hope, through the favor of my Lord, that He will confirm ye unto that which he (Mirza a.s.sad Ullah) was confirmed; because the treasury of the favors of thy Lord are full of bounties. Verily, he granteth to whomsoever He wisheth what He desireth, and, verily, He is the Generous, the Giver and the Forgiver!

"O thou spiritual person and heavenly man-may G.o.d..."