Tablet to “the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful in the Western States”

To the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful in the Western States

O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom!

Day and night I have no other occupation than the remembrance of the friends, praying from the depth of my heart in their behalf, begging for them confirmation from the Kingdom of God and supplicating the direct effect of the breaths of the Holy Spirit. I am hopeful from the favors of His Highness the Lord of bestowals, that the friends of God during such a time may become the secret cause of the illumination of the hearts of humanity, breathing the breath of life upon the spirits—whose praiseworthy results may become conducive to the glory and exaltation of humankind throughout all eternity. Although in some of the western states, like California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, the fragrances of holiness are diffused, numerous souls have taken a share and a portion from the Fountain of Everlasting Life, they have obtained heavenly benediction, have drunk an overflowing cup from the wine of the love of God and have hearkened to the melody of the Supreme Concourse—yet in the states of New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Nevada, the lamp of the love of God is not ignited in a befitting and behooving manner, and the call of the Kingdom of God has not been raised. Now, if it is possible, show ye an effort in this direction. Either travel yourselves, personally, throughout those states or choose others and send them, so that they may teach the souls. For the present those states are like unto dead bodies; they must breathe into them the breath of life and bestow upon them a heavenly spirit. Like unto the stars they must shine in that horizon and thus the rays of the Sun of Reality may also illumine those states.

God says in the great Koran: "Verily God is the helper of those who have believed. He will lead them from darkness into light." This means God loves the believers, consequently He will deliver them from darkness and bring them into the world of light.

Tablet to “the friends and maidservants of God in the Northeastern States”

To the friends and maidservants of God in the Northeastern States

Upon them be greeting and praise!

O ye heavenly heralds!

These are the days of Naw-Ruz. I am always thinking of those kind friends! I beg for each and all of you confirmations and assistance from the threshold of Oneness, so that those gatherings may become ignited like unto candles in the Republics of America, enkindling the light of the love of God in the hearts; thus the rays of the heavenly teachings may begem and brighten the states of America like the infinitude of immensity with the stars of the most great guidance.

The northeastern states on the shores of the Atlantic—Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York—in some of these states believers are found, but in some of the cities of these states up to this date people are not yet illumined with the lights of the Kingdom and are not aware of the heavenly teachings; therefore, whenever it is possible for each one of you, hasten ye to those cities and shine forth like unto the stars with the light of the most great guidance.

God says in the glorious Koran: "The soil was black and dried. Then we caused the rain to descend upon it and immediately it became green, verdant, and every kind of plant sprouted up luxuriantly." In other words, He says the earth and the soil is black, but when the spring showers descend upon it that black soil is quickened, and variegated flowers are pushed forth. This means the souls of humanity belonging to the world of nature are black like unto the soil. But when the heavenly outpourings descend and the radiant effulgences appear, the hearts are resuscitated, are liberated from the darkness of nature and the flowers of divine mysteries grow and become luxuriant. Consequently man must become the cause of the illumination of the world of humanity and propagate the holy teachings revealed in the sacred books through divine inspiration. It is stated in the blessed Gospel: Travel ye toward the East and toward the West and enlighten the people with the light of the most great guidance, so that they may take a portion and share of the eternal life.

"O ye who are turned to the Supreme Appearance!"

He is Abha!

O ye who are turned to the Supreme Appearance!

Day and night, morn and eve, at sunrise and at sunset we are remembering, with all our hearts and souls, the friends of the Merciful One, asking God's help and confirmation that the believers of the pure territory, the Holy Land, may become excellent in all conditions of morality, characteristics, behavior, manners, conduct and actions, that they may appear with ecstasy, enthusiasm, love, consciousness, assurance, steadfastness, firmness, concord and harmony, with bright faces and splendid beauty in the community of the world.

O ye friends of God! Today is the day of union and this age is the age of harmony in the world of existence. "Verily, God loveth those who are working in His path in groups, for they are a solid foundation." Consider ye that He says "in groups," united and bound together, supporting one another. "To work," mentioned in this holy verse, does not mean, in this greatest age, to perform it with swords, spears, shafts and arrows, but rather with sincere intentions, good designs, useful advices, divine moralities, beautiful actions, spiritual qualities, educating the public, guiding the souls of mankind, diffusing spiritual fragrances, explaining divine illustrations, showing convincing proofs and doing charitable deeds. When the holy souls, through the angelic power, will arise to show forth these celestial characteristics, establishing a band of harmony, each of these souls shall be regarded as one thousand persons and the waves of this greatest ocean shall be considered as the army of the hosts of the Supreme Concourse.

What a great blessing it is that when the torrents, streams, currents, tides and drops are all gathered in one place, they will form a great ocean and the real harmony shall overcome and reign in such a manner that all the rules, laws, distinctions and differences of the imaginations of these souls shall disappear and vanish like little drops and shall be submerged in the ocean of spiritual unity. By the Ancient Beauty, in this case and condition, the blessings of the great ocean will overflow and canals shall become as spacious as an endless ocean and each drop shall become as a boundless sea!

To the maid-servant of God, Miss Agnes Alexander

Upon her be Baha’u’llah!

He is God!

O thou my dear daughter! Thy letter was received. It imparted great happiness. Praise be to God, that that dear daughter is sacrificing herself in the path of Baha’u’llah and enduring every difficulty.

It is now more advisable for thee to depart directly to Japan and while there be engaged in the diffusion of the fragrances of God. . . .

Today the greatest of all divine bestowals is teaching the cause or God, for it is fraught with confirmations. Every teacher is confirmed and is favored at the divine threshold. In the estimation of the Ideal King, the army which is in front of the battlefield is encircled with the glances of His mercifulness and in the sight of the Divine Farmer, the sower of the seed is accepted and favored.

I hope that thou mayest be like unto a realm-conquering army and a farmer. Therefore, thy voyage to Japan is preferred to everything else. Still thou art perfectly free.

Upon thee be Baha’u’l-Abha!

(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas

(Star of the West, vol. 7, no. 5, June 5, 1916)

To Mr. Bannerjee, the founder of the Devalaya Society in Calcutta, India

O thou wooer of Reality!

His Highness the Merciful One hath caused the appearance of the splendors of love and affinity in the world of humanity, so that the individuals of mankind might be perfectly united and the rays of unity be revealed amongst the children of man. Hence He sent forth the holy Manifestations, inspired Their hearts with the contexts of the heavenly books and instituted divine religions, in order that These sanctified Personages, these revealed books, these religions of God might become the means of unity and accord, love and good fellowship in the human world.

Should we study the divine religions with the perception of truth, we would then conclude that their underlying principle is the One Reality. All the religions of God are the reality. Reality does not accept multiplicity and division. But alas! that the fundamental reality is laid aside and forgotten and a catalogue of creeds, dogmas and rites have taken its place which are the basis of difference, the cause of hatred and prejudice and the establishment of the religion of God is totally forgotten and quite neglected.

When this impenetrable gloom—that is, the gloom of the traditions of forefathers and ancestors—surrounded the world and the pristine, primal light of the divine religions was changed into the darkness of the ideas of men, then the true morn dawned and the Sun of Reality (Baha’u’llah) arose from the horizon of Persia, reflecting in the mirror of the world of humanity the effulgence of the heavenly unity. Thus He destroyed the foundations of the structure of blind dogmas, and man-made creeds and rituals which are the results of ignorant prejudices. It is owing to this fact that this Light is spreading with the greatest rapidity in all the countries of the world. The influence of these divine teachings in the heart of the world is like the influence of the spirit over the bodies.