To a philosopher in India

He is God!

O thou lover of reality! His Highness, the Merciful, has manifested love and harmony to the world of humanity, so that all of the individuals may find a complete connection with each other and the lights of the Oneness of God may appear in the human world. For this He sent the Holy Manifestations, revealed the heavenly books, established the divine religions, so that these holy souls, these revealed books, and these divine religions may become the cause of unity, agreement, harmony and love in the world of humanity.

When we consider the reality of divine religions, we see that reality is one because all of the divine religions are reality, and reality does not accept multiplicity or division. Alas, that the foundation of reality has disappeared and imitations, customs and ceremonies that are the foundation of dissension, the cause of obstinacy, the means of war and struggle have appeared. The original purpose of the appearance of the Holy Manifestations and the establishment of the divine teachings have passed away.

When this black darkness, that is, the imitations of fathers and forefathers, surrounded the world and the original illumination of divine religions became obliterated, the Morn of Truth dawned and the Sun of Reality (Baha’u’llah) shone forth from the horizon of Persia and cast the rays of heavenly oneness upon the world of humanity. He brought down the edifice of the imitations of the ignorant, the human conduct and customs that emanate from the prejudices of the ancient. These divine teachings are established in the heart of the horizons like unto the penetration of the spirit in the bodies. Thus, at present in Persia, through the breathing of the Spirit of God, different people have torn asunder the curtain of superstitions, become free from the imitations of the ignorant, reached reality, and in the utmost harmony and love are associating with people of different religions. Great assemblies are being organized consisting of Muslims, Jews, Zoroastrians and sometimes Buddhists, including many races. Turks, Arabs, Persians, Kurds, English, French and Americans mingle together as kind and happy brothers. Like the lambs of God, they graze in the meadow of reality, under the shadow of the training of the heavenly Shepherd.

For a martyr in Ardakan, Persia

He is God!

Verily, those who quaffed the cup of the great martyrdom in the path of God, are favored from the bounty of Thy Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate. They are the ones whose hearts God has chosen for His love. Their faces are shining with the light of God in the paradise of the rose garden. The angels of mercy receive them and announce to them the glad tidings of holy resting places and of the canopy of sincerity in the Kingdom of their generous Lord. Their enemies will be repulsed and degraded to the lowest of the lowest as thou hast seen others in manifest loss. Verily, there is in this an example for those who are mindful. God shall do away with the helpers of the unjust.

O my Lord, confirm the relatives of these martyrs in serving Thy Cause, elevating Thy Word, spreading Thy Religion, igniting Thy Love in the hearts of Thy servants and guide those who are lost in the wilderness of error. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Dear, the Exalted!

(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas

(Star of the West, vol. 9, no. 10, September 8, 1918)

For the friends in the Orient

[for the friends in the Orient, at Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee]

He is God!

With regard to the assembly, there must be spiritual consultation therein; discourses about the manifestation of the Greatest Orb, the effulgence of the Sun of Reality, the greatness of the blessed Cause, the power and penetration of the Word of God, the might of the divine Covenant and Testament must be mentioned. This will be conducive to the spirituality and illumination of the hearts. Every discussion besides this, will not give complete results. Therefore, you must have no secrets in your assembly and no word should be spoken that, were it made public, might be the cause of depression or sorrow to any soul.

The utterances of all must be concentrated in consultations concerning teaching and the promulgation of the Cause of God. In this way, there will be no secrets that might be spread. We have nothing to conceal, thanks be to God. We are famous for our devotion and all of the creatures jeer at us for our love in the path of God. Besides this we have no aim. It is impossible to have a secret that will not spread. It has been tried many times, especially when among a number of souls. It is said that every secret going beyond two people will go farther, because every member of the assembly must have a confidant in whom he has perfect trust, and oneness of condition. That person also has a confidant and, unquestionably, will not keep it from him. Therefore, it is much better not to have among you privacy and secrecy. May all of our secrets be a sacrifice to the secret of Baha, and all of our confidentials be a ransom to Him. The secrets of Bahaare: The oneness of the world of humanity, universal love, mercy and compassion to the broken-hearted, sympathy to the suffering, peace and happiness to the world of humanity, merciful breath, attraction to the fragrance of God, severance of the heart from attachment to the transitory world, liberty, purity, relief from worries and anxieties of the earth, etc. Should such secrets spread they would become the cause of the life of the world.

(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas

(Star of the West, vol. 9, no. 10, September 8, 1918)