He is God.
O ye beloved and ideal friends of God!
The divine voice from the invisible Kingdom of Abha is reaching those who are asleep in the valley of unconsciousness with the call:— O ye heedless, awake! O ye drunken, be sober! O ye dead, arise! O ye wilted, be revived and full of vigor! O ye dumb, speak! O ye silent, cry out!
The voice is the melody of the Covenant, and the effulgences are from the Light of the bountiful bestowals of the horizons. It is the breeze of the meadows of singleness that is blowing and the effusion of the fragrances of the rose gardens that are wafting; it is the candle of the favor of the Ancient Beauty (Baha'u'llah) that is lighted in every assembly; it is the outpouring of the clouds of mercy that is bestowing freshness to every garden and lawn; it is the verse of oneness that is uttered in the glorious Book, and the tablets of the unique Lord of the Kingdom are unfolding the mysteries of "they are clothed by the new creation"; incline your ears in order that ye may hear the melody of joy, and open your eyes to see the lights.
The favor of the Truth is abundant and His ancient bestowal is uninterrupted. His cycle is all light. His century fulfills all the signs. Be not hopeless neither disappointed. It is the day of hope and the century of the Glorious God. It is the first resurrection and the dispensation of the Beauty of Abha!—May my soul be a ransom to His Blessed Threshold.
In every horizon His light is brilliant and in every region His bounty is manifest. His great fame has filled the east and the west. The song of His divinity has encompassed the south and the north, and caused a tumult among the pillars of the world, making the hearts of the sons of Adam to quake.
The people are vociferously discussing this Manifestation and all nations are investigating. The flame of this burning fire in all regions has reached the zenith of heaven, and the call of, "Verily, the evident Light is manifest!" has ascended from the earth to the inhabitants of the Supreme Kingdom. All are exuberant with joy and intoxicated with the wine of love!
Ye, who are dwelling in the native land of His Holiness (Baha'u'llah) and are in the place where the Blessed Tree hath grown: Why should ye sit quietly as in a corner? Ye must be so aflame that the heat of your fire may enkindle the adjacent districts; the fragrances of the rose-garden of your hearts may perfume the nostrils of the Supreme Concourse; the flood of bestowal may pour from those hills and mountains to all regions, and the rivers of knowledge may flow from that city to all the valleys and the desert.
Hasten ye to prosperity! Hasten ye to success! Hasten ye to the great favor! Hasten ye to evident light! Hasten ye to the glorious attainment! Hasten ye to the abundant share! Baha be upon ye!
O my Beloved, God! These are thy servants who have heard thy voice, responded to thy word and accepted thy call. They believed in thee; became assured in thy verses; acknowledged thy proofs; listened to thy evidences; walked in thy path and followed thy guidance; became informed of thy mysteries; comprehended the symbols of thy Book, the signs of thy Scriptures and the glad tidings of thy epistles and tablets; grasped the hem of thy garment and were held by the radiance of thy grandeur; their feet became firm in thy Covenant and their hearts strong in thy Testament.
O my Lord! Ignite the fire of attraction in their hearts; let the birds of knowledge soar in the rose-gardens of their breasts and sing in the meadows of their souls, songs of love with the most wonderful melodies and harmonies; make them strong verses, unfurled ensigns and perfect words; elevate thy Cause by them; raise thy banners, spread thy signs, assist thy Word and support thy friends by them; make them to utter in thy praise and inspire them to arise in thy good-pleasure; illumine their faces in the Kingdom of thy holiness, and complete their joy by confirming them in assisting thy Cause!
O my Lord! We are weak, strengthen us in spreading the fragrances of thy sanctity; we are poor, enrich us from the treasury of thy singleness; we are naked, clothe us from thy generous bounty; we are sinners, pardon our transgressions by thy favor, generosity and forgiveness.
Verily, thou are the Confirmer, the Helper, the Beloved, the Mighty, the Omnipotent!
Baha be upon those who are firm and steadfast!
‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas
(Star of the West, vol. 8, no. 15, December 12, 1917)
