What follows is my provisional translation (in other words, not official or authorized; see here for more) of a Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh, the original text of which has been published in La’áli’u’l-Ḥikmat, vol. 1, pp. 180–82.
‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd Ishráq-Khávarí has written (in Má’idiy-i-Ásmání, vol. 8, p. 69) that this Tablet was revealed for Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín during his protracted detainment in Mosul, which according to H.M. Balyuzi (see Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 275–76) would date it to sometime between 1870 and 1885. For more historical context, refer to endnote 7 of this translation. I am grateful to Khazeh Fananapazir for pointing me to some of the sources that inform the endnotes below.
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In the Name of the Lord of creation
Praise be to the Best-Beloved of all things, that through His abounding grace and plenteous mercies, He hath made His loved ones firm in their love of Him, in such wise that the seditious acts of the fomenters of discord have failed to hinder them from the Path of the All-Merciful. Indeed, on the Path of God have they suffered many a hardship, and yet neither the onslaught of vassals nor the veils interposed by their rulers have shut them out from the King of all sovereigns. If, however, the seekers of the celestial sanctuary would hearken to the counsel of God with the ear of the spirit, they would not be afflicted with these calamities that have befallen them. Though adversity in His Path be loved by the heart and desired by the soul, this rank hath been reserved for them that are wholly devoted to God, whereas the weak are seen to be disturbed and shaken in times of trial and tribulation. Consequently, all have been enjoined to observe wisdom, that through divine providence they might elevate the undeveloped realities of humankind to the heights of maturity, in order that all may become occupied with the mention of God.
In this Day, none should be neglectful of wisdom. For example, it is observed that, when a person uttereth an expression of acceptance,[1] some souls become so assured thereof that they recount every affair without the slightest restraint. This is done out of carelessness. Ye must in no wise rest assured of any one, nor should ye tell him any more than is appropriate to his station and capacity. Many are those who have been and continue to be appointed by evil souls to inquire and investigate, that in the guise of friendship they might become privy to the secrets of the believers, just as in some cities such people have pretended to be friendly, learned the details of certain matters, and conveyed them to their ilk. Hearken ye to the voice of the Supreme Pen, and deviate not from the bounds of wisdom. Leave hath not been granted unto anyone to visit this Court without permission.
The friends of God in every city must act unitedly, such that the odors of dissension will cease to linger in their midst. They are neither from the land of Ṣád,[2] nor that of Káf,[3] nor any other place of this sort;[4] rather, they are the dwellers of the tabernacle of faithfulness and inmates of the Most Glorious Paradise. Let them obliterate these differing letters[5] and soar in the spiritual heaven of oneness, drinking their fill from the River of Ṣád[6] that streameth from the right hand of the Throne of love.
The bestowals of God have been with you, and so shall they remain. Erelong will rejecting souls who have oppressed the people of Bahá be seen in the utmost remorse. Verily, the All-Merciful is with you, while loss shall befall and overtake them. Ye are the captives of God in that land.[7] This distinction is a great one; deem it not a thing of little significance. The mention of you and the other friends of God will be spread to every region of the earth, just as all your names are mentioned now in the Kingdom of God.
O My friends! Ye are the foundation of the houses of this Cause; should foundations not be firm, their houses will not remain stable. And ye are the wellsprings of the fountains flowing in the land of recognition; if the wellspring be polluted with mud, this defilement will spread throughout all its branching rivers, and every one of them will grow murky as a result. My Son[8] hath previously said to His companions, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”[9] Your devotion, detachment, and allegiance must attract the peoples of the world and draw them to the court of everlasting life.
As to those who have, in the course of this grievous mischief, become agitated and perturbed, treat them all with the utmost favor and kindness. Furthermore, with goodly counsels, guide them back to the Faith of God, for He hath never wished that any soul should remain deprived thereof, in particular those who have been subjected to vilification and humiliation in His Path, even if only for a short while. He is, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. Souls that are well-assured, strong, and steadfast have been and will continue to be scarcer than the philosopher’s stone. Such souls as they must not leave those weak ones to themselves, rather must they, with the exquisite utterances of God, bring them once again to eternal life. Blessed are the people who have, as their object, the service and care of the friends of the True One, just as some have already attained to this station, in that they have shown as much love as possible to them that have forsaken their countries, as well as other friends. God grant that all may achieve this lofty rank. No reward for any deed shall be lost. He, verily, knoweth what His loved ones do; He is the All-Wise, the All-Informed.
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[1] Which is to say that the person in question has professed to accept the Bahá’í Faith.
[2] Isfahan.
[3] Kashan.
[4] In a footnote to this Tablet, ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd Ishráq-Khávarí writes, “Certain shortsighted people in those days would talk about how they came from Jewish and Muslim backgrounds, and hailed from Ṣád or Káf, meaning Isfahan and Kashan, thereby creating dissension. This utterance of Bahá’u’lláh was revealed to make those people heedful” (Má’idiy-i-Ásmání, vol. 8, p. 70).
[5] A reference to the aforementioned Arabic letters ṣád and káf, used here as abbreviations for the names of cities in Iran.
[6] A play on the previous reference to the terrestrial city of Isfahan through the use of this letter, Bahá’u’lláh is using ṣád here by contrast in a celestial sense. Regarding this term, “the River of Ṣád” (nahr-i-ṣád), ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd Ishráq-Khávarí has written the following in a footnote to this Tablet: “In Islamic parlance, this is a river in paradise signifying the love of God and also, in another sense, the divine verses” (Má’idiy-i-Ásmání, vol. 8, p. 70).
[7] Iraq, specifically the city of Mosul, as mentioned in my introduction to this translation. H.M. Balyuzi has written, “In 1870 the Bahá’ís in Baghdád [where Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín was living at the time] were rounded up and exiled to Mosul. The Bahá’ís in Mosul, under the leadership and guidance of Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín, soon became a model Bahá’í community reflecting something of the spirit of the ‘Akká community” (Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 275). With regard to this period, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has also said, “When the believers were taken prisoner in Iraq and banished to Mosul, Jináb-i-Zayn became their chief. He remained for some time in Mosul, a consolation to the rest, working to solve their many problems. He would kindle love in people’s hearts, and make them kind to one another” (Memorials of the Faithful; see here). Additional details on the condition of Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín and other Bahá’ís banished to Mosul have been provided by Adib Taherzadeh and compiled by Kiser Barnes in Stories of Bahá’u’lláh and Some Notable Believers; see here.
[8] Jesus Christ. Notably, Bahá’u’lláh is implying here that He is “The everlasting Father” of Isaiah 9:6 (KJV), a messianic, eschatological title, as Bahá’u’lláh also alludes to in His “Tablet to Pope Pius IX” (Lawḥ-i-Páp) and “The Most Holy Tablet” (Lawḥ-i-Aqdas, also known as the “Tablet to the Christians”). I am grateful to Christopher Buck for writing this description for use in this endnote.
[9] Matthew 5:13.
A typescript of the original Persian and Arabic text of this Tablet appears below (punctuation and vowel marks not mine).
Adib Masumian 