Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 65

When thou reachest this station there shall remain no obstacles and no veil shall intervene, and all that is thy highest wish shall be realized.

Send my greeting to Miss ........ . I hope she may be wholly attracted to the Kingdom of G.o.d.

As to the book that thou intendest to write: When thou hast written it (or if you write it), send it to the Holy Land (i.e., Acca) to be seen (or examined) so that thou mayest publish it afterward.

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

O thou dear maid-servant of G.o.d!

Thy letter was received. Thy faith and certainty became evident. Happy is thy condition, that in such a day thou hast opened thine eyes and beheld the light of the Sun of Reality.

Convey reverential greetings to the believing maid-servant of G.o.d ........

and say: "Be not grieved and bear the ordeal from thy husband. The meeting of the beloved of G.o.d and the maid-servants of the Merciful take the place of his ignorance. I hope that they may be the cause of joy and happiness to thee."

"O thou who art advancing to the Kingdom of G.o.d!..."

O thou who art advancing to the Kingdom of G.o.d!

What thou hast written became evident and what thou hast heard from Mirza ........ regarding the necessity of many teachers in America, is true. I have said so. Indeed, there is need of a thousand teachers, each one severed from the world, attracted by the Holy Spirit in the Supreme Concourse and joyful through the Kingdom of G.o.d and in perfect sanct.i.ty, holiness and sufficiency.

This matter of teachers requires the greatest condition; that is, they should never stain themselves with the world, they should not look for the least pecuniary reward from any soul; nay, rather they should bear the utmost poverty and with the perfect wealth of nature(156), through the bounty of G.o.d, may they a.s.sociate with the people. They should seek no reward nor recompense. Freely have they received, freely should they give.

His Holiness Christ sayeth: "When ye leave the city, clean off from your shoes the dust thereof." The holiness of the teachers must reach this degree. Thus may they utter with eloquence, while in ecstasy and great joy, and guide the people to the manifest light.

If this be the endeavor, strive with life and heart and guide the people to he Kingdom of G.o.d, lead them to the straight pathway, inform them of the greatness and magnitude of this Cause and give them the glad-tidings through the bounty of divine providence and the revelation of the Sun of Truth in this great age.

Convey my greeting to the advancing maid-servant of G.o.d [thy wife], and say to her: "O maid-servant of G.o.d! Seek whilst thou canst the life eternal and wish for everlasting glory in the divine world."

Embrace twice thy children, and give my greeting to the maid-servant of G.o.d, thy mother.

thy name is Joseph. Let thy t.i.tle be Bahai.

"O thou child of the Kingdom and firm in the Covenant!..."

O thou child of the Kingdom and firm in the Covenant!

Thy letter, through his honor Mirza ........, was received and thy former letters also became acceptable and through the contents of those writings utmost joy and fragrance was produced, for they all evinced faith, a.s.surance and firmness in the Covenant.

In this day the most vital and momentous matter is steadfastness in the love of the Manifestor of Light on the Mount of Sinai and endurance of ordeals and unaccountable calamities in this Cause.

Ere long the seditious people shall arise in that country to deride the righteous ones and to ridicule the holy ones. Every day they will cast ignominy and at every moment they will present great persecution. They shall revile the friends for the sake of the love of Baha; and bring down upon them contempt and sarcasm; neither do they fall short in creating torture.

This is the custom and sentence of the people of bygone ages. Undoubtedly these things must transpire in these days even with a greater intensity.

That is why His Holiness the Christ sayeth: "Everything which hath happened in the cycles of the former prophets will certainly occur again in these days." Consider ye! What calumny, slander, cruelty and oppression were brought down upon the apostles by the Israelites for the sake of faith and a.s.surance! They unlocked the hands of pillage, persecuted and tortured those sanctified souls. Therefore, there is no doubt but that you will become afflicted with trial, calamity and oppression in the path of the Beauty of Abha. These trials are the essence of bestowal and pure bounty and the proofs of your acceptance in the Threshold of Oneness.

Consequently, when the fire of trials is ignited, celebrate ye in joy, dance with overflowing emotions and be ye happy that-praise be to G.o.d!-ye have become the target of contempt in the path of the Beauty of Abha and are hated by the people of pa.s.sion and desire.

Thy services in the highway of the Kingdom are accepted, thy toleration of the troubles is known and manifest and thy eloquent speeches in the a.s.semblies of believers are heard and appreciated. I hope that through these services thou mayest become the manifestor of the favors of the Lord of the Kingdom and recipient of the merciful glances of His Highness the Magnificent and the Compa.s.sionate.

"O thou speaker in the remembrance of G.o.d!..."

O thou speaker in the remembrance of G.o.d!

Verily I say unto thee, O servant of G.o.d! The earth and what is therein are imaginations or reflections in mirrors or shades; but the bounty of the Kingdom and the gifts of the invisible world are the thoughts of the Merciful One, and the lordly radiances are immortal and constant and unending. Thou must depend upon these! Thou must depend unto these! Thou must depend upon these!

Be a.s.sured with the true a.s.surance that, verily, dependence upon the Covenant of G.o.d is surrounded from all directions by those gifts and the angel hosts a.s.sist it on the right hand and on the left hand, and the power of the Holy spirit strengthens it in all circ.u.mstances and meets it with signs of splendor in the horizons.

Therefore, confirm the wavering minds in the path of G.o.d, and the feeble souls with the love of G.o.d.

"O thou pure soul who art kindled by the fire of the love..."

O thou pure soul who art kindled by the fire of the love of Baha'!

By G.o.d, the True One! thy letter created joy and happiness within hearts, because it was speaking the praise of Baha' and contained words which showed thy attraction to the light of the Beauty of El-Baha.

Blessed art thou and blessed is thy heart which is longing for the Kingdom of El-Baha, and that thou art hoping to serve Baha' in His great vineyard and in His wonderful garden!

I beg of G.o.d to favor thee with a power which may encourage thee to promulgate the Truth and guide the father and sister to the right path. I beg Him to make thee a herald, in His name, in those regions.

Have resignation and devotion and attraction and make thy heart empty of aught else save the love of Baha'. This is the state which was coveted by the near ones and this is a position which was longed for by the holy souls.

"O thou who hast turned thy face toward the Kingdom..."

O thou who hast turned thy face toward the Kingdom of G.o.d!

I supplicate G.o.d that thou mayest become like unto Peter, the "Rock"-unshaken, immovable and strong; be a.s.sisted by heavenly confirmation; be helped to the service of the Cause of G.o.d, opening thy tongue to teach the divine instructions, and living and walking according to the laws of the Book of Akdas(157) .