Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 20

"O thou who art made happy by the Fragrances of G.o.d!..."

O thou who art made happy by the Fragrances of G.o.d!

Verily, I have not forgotten thee and will never forget thee. I supplicate my Lord and thy Lord to make thee a sign of His love among the maid-servants of the Merciful and an overflowing chalice with the wine of His knowledge among the women, so that thou be filled with the love of thy Lord and be severed from aught else save Him. Verily thy Lord is the Generous and the Giver. He will give thee what will dilate thy breast, enlighten thine eyes and attract thee in all conditions and circ.u.mstances.

"Convey my love to the maid-servant of G.o.d, Mrs. ........,..."

(68) Convey my love to the maid-servant of G.o.d, Mrs. ........, and say: "Serve G.o.d all you can, for this service is eternal and lasting."

"O maid-servant of G.o.d!..."

O maid-servant of G.o.d!

Thank G.o.d for choosing thee, saving thee and granting thee of these great blessings and glorious attainments. Verily, thy Lord shall confirm thee in that which shall surprise the minds, through the glowing of its love and the manifestations of the signs of its favors. It is inc.u.mbent upon thee to be pure and holy. It is inc.u.mbent upon thee to be severed from all else save thy Lord. Confine thy attention and thoughts to the Cause of thy great Lord and to diffusing His fragrances in that country.

O maid-servant of G.o.d! Commune with thy Lord, saying:

O my G.o.d! my G.o.d! Thanks be to Thee for guiding me unto Thy Kingdom, for opening before my face the door of Thy guidance, enlightening my eyes with beholding Thy signs, and filling my heart with the feelings of Thy love.

O Lord! O Lord! Make me severed from the world and void of its conditions, attracted by the fragrances of Thy holiness among Thy maid-servants, free in heart, happy in soul, cheerful in mind, longing for the Kingdom of Thy Beauty, and glowing with the fire of Thy love in the world. Thus may I enkindle the light of guidance in the hearts of Thy servants.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Bestower, the Precious, the Mighty!

"O thou who art attracted by the Breath of G.o.d!..."

O thou who art attracted by the Breath of G.o.d!

With all joy I read thy brilliant letter and was informed of its expression and meanings, which showed thine abundant love in G.o.d, thy humility before the beloved of G.o.d, thine attraction to the fragrances of G.o.d and thy firmness in the Testament of G.o.d.

I beg of G.o.d to make thee promote perfect harmony among the believers of G.o.d and pure affection amid the chosen ones of G.o.d and make thee [to]

cause greatest tranquillity to all the creatures and [to] show kindness towards all the people on the earth, because the bounty of the Merciful G.o.d is but pure love, great prosperity and universal peace among the different people in all regions and laying the foundation of great happiness and felicity for all the creatures.

Consequently, O thou who art attracted by the fragrances of G.o.d, exert thyself and fail not to infuse affection throughout all hearts and souls; [fail not] to gather all the souls together in the a.s.semblage of union and cheerfulness, so that the beloved of G.o.d may become as a levied army of the Supreme Concourse and as a host of salvation descending from the Kingdom of ABHA and conquer the countries of hearts and the cities of souls with their tongues, similar to sharp swords whereby fortresses and castles are conquered.

By the Life of G.o.d! Verily I love thee with all my heart and pray for thee every eve and morn that the forgiving Lord may enable thee to serve in His excellent vineyard and make thee a sign of His signs, to cause thee to deliver His Cause, diffuse His breath (and I beg of Him) to strengthen thine honorable wife to that which behooveth these days. Verily He is the Giver of Confirmation in all circ.u.mstances!

"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 brilliant letter and thanked G.o.d for that He hath created a maid-servant for Baha', who prays for Abdul-Baha and beg the confirmation and a.s.sistance of G.o.d in his behalf, because I am earnestly fond of the prayer of the maid-servants of G.o.d in my behalf and of their asking the blessing of G.o.d for this servant!

I begged of G.o.d to ordain all good unto thee for thy praying for Abdul-Baha.

"O thou who art turning unto the Kingdom of G.o.d, and..."

O thou who art turning unto the Kingdom of G.o.d, and looking unto the Day-spring of the lights of G.o.d!

I, with the utmost joy and cheerfulness, have perused the contents of thy letter, which shows thy faith in G.o.d, thy a.s.surance in the Kingdom of G.o.d, the gladness of thy breast in hearing the voice of G.o.d and the adherence of thy heart to the word of G.o.d.

O servant of G.o.d! rejoice through the glad-tidings of G.o.d, be happy by the wafting of the fragrance of G.o.d, and cling to the Kingdom of G.o.d in such wise that it makes thee separate thyself from the world and kindle in thy heart the fire of the love of G.o.d to such an extent that any one who approaches thee will feel its warmth; and if thou desirest to attain to this station, thou shouldst turn thyself wholly unto G.o.d. Perhaps an illumination will descend upon thee by which the fragrances of G.o.d will be diffused throughout those regions and districts and thou wilt be a lamp of guidance from which the lights of knowledge will emanate and spread in those far countries and distant lands.

"O thou who art imploring G.o.d!..."

O thou who art imploring G.o.d!

I was indeed acquainted with the great misfortunes and afflictions which have befallen thee, but I hope that through the bounty of thy Lord, He may ordain unto thee heavenly fragrance and spirituality, attractive and internal perceptions and incorporeal susceptibilities; that He may grant thee strength after weakness, give thee rest after trouble, bring thee nigh to Him, and make thee a sign of His love among all His maid-servants, and forgive thy father, mother, brother and grandfather their sins.

Verily, He is the Pardoner, the Forgiver.

"O visitant of the Resort of spirits (who are) sincere in..."

O visitant of the Resort(69) of spirits (who are) sincere in the Religion of G.o.d!

Blessed is the mother who bore thee and the breast whose milk suckled thee and the bosom wherein thou wert nurtured, because thou hast apprehended the Day of the Lord, hast prepared thyself to enter in unto His kingdom, hast set thy face singly toward His Gracious Countenance, hast believed in the Manifest Light, hast rejoiced in the Abundant Grace, hast responded to the Voice of thy Lord with a sincere and beating heart and hast presented thyself from those regions at the Glorious Threshold and hast marked thy forehead with the pure, holy, fragrant Tomb(70), the breaths of whose sanct.i.ty are spread abroad throughout the lands as fragrant musk is diffused unto the distant place! Then thank thy Lord, the Merciful, the Clement, for this great salvation (or fruition, achievement, or attainment) and exceeding grace!

Now as to what thou askest concerning the spirit and its "return" to this world of humanity and this elemental s.p.a.ce: Know that spirit in general is divided into five sorts-the vegetable spirit, the animal spirit, the human spirit, the spirit of faith, and the divine spirit of sanct.i.ty.

The vegetable spirit is the virtue augmentative, or growing or vegetative faculty, which results from the admixture of the simple elements, with the co-operation of water, air and heat.