Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 85

O my Lord! O my Lord! a.s.sign for him every bounty and suffer him to become the sign of Thy gifts amid Thy people. Then have pity upon me, forgive me, show me Thy mercy and make me a sharer in his services, a partner in his adversities and a companion in his loneliness.

Verily Thou art the Confirmer, the a.s.sister, the Mighty, the Generous, the Compa.s.sionate and the Merciful!

"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

"Your letters have been received. G.o.d willing, answer..."

Your letters have been received. G.o.d willing, answer will be given very soon, but as a matter of great importance is on foot (afloat), therefore I write it to you in brief and it is this, that his honor Mr. ... must compose a letter of thanks on behalf of the believers of America in general and that letter of thanks should be addressed to a very eminent and lofty personage. (The contents of that letter must be of this nature:) "That excellent news hath reached American countries that His Royal Highness, the n.o.ble Prince, hath dealt with utmost justice with the subjects and the people and hath treated all the subjects with perfect equality. He hath protected the rights of all and forbidden the extortions of the tyrants. He is dealing with utmost kindness and affinity and is an asylum for every oppressed one and an open treasury to every indigent one.

He decides with justice the case of every pleader and is a refuge and protection to the helpless. Consequently, we in general, who are the well-wishers of the government and Persian nation, with utmost gratification are praising and commending the justice of His Royal Highness, the Prince, and are content and glad; and in order to manifest our thanks we present this pet.i.tion; and whatever in the line of service is commanded us, we are ready to comply with the most extreme diligence.

We ask earnestly from G.o.d that the Imperial Government become everlasting, His Imperial Majesty, the just Shah, remain and live long, and His Royal Highness, the Prince, become to every subject a divine gift and that he may become confirmed and helped in all affairs."

Let there be two copies of this pet.i.tion and the ore the believers sign each of these two copies, the better it is. Each person must sign personally. Then (when they are finished) you forward them here. We will write on them the address and forward to their destination. Wisdom does not permit the mentioning of the name of these two distinguished personages; therefore, it is better to be left unknown.

His honor Mr. ... must compose these two pet.i.tions in English with utmost eloquence and perfect style. You, likewise, must translate them and forward them here with the translations.

Upon thee be greeting and praise!

"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

Now I have found the opportunity to answer the pet.i.tions recently received and forward them to you in this mail.

Regarding the subject of Persia: Praise be to G.o.d! she became the East of the Sun of Truth in this age. The Light of Eternity dawned, the Everlasting Glory unveiled her countenance and the Reality of the Mercifulness became manifest. This is the prosperity of Persia.

Undoubtedly she will progress day by day under the shade of the Blessed Tree until her illumination shall penetrate throughout the wide expanse of the earth.

Regarding the question of the establishment of the National a.s.sembly: This National a.s.sembly(224) will not bring any rapid results. Now some of the agitators are harboring evil intentions and do not let agreement and union be realized between the nations and the government. They are instigating the hopeless ones at every moment and sending them to the British Legation, while on the other hand they ask private a.s.sistance and protection from the government so that they may procure wealth. Each and all of the clergy are thinking in this line.

However, we have nothing to do with these proceedings and counter-proceedings. We are commanded to quicken the souls, to train the characters, to illumine the realm of man, to guide all the inhabitants of the earth, to create concord and unity among all men and to lead the world of humanity to the Fountain of the Everlasting Glory. The reformation of one empire is not our aim; nay, rather we invoke from G.o.d that all the regions of the world be reformed and cultivated; the republic of men become the manifestors of the bounty of the most glorious Lord; the East and the West be brought nearer together; and that Turk and Tajik, Iran and America, India and Arabia, j.a.pan and Persia, China and Germany; in brief, all the nations and peoples of the world become as one soul and one spirit, in order that strife and warfare be entirely removed and the rancor and hostility disappear so that all become as the waves of one ocean, the drops of one sea, the flowers of one rose-garden, the trees of one orchard, the grains of one harvest and the plants of one meadow.

Regarding the statement that hath been given out as the saying of His Majesty the Shah: This hath no connection whatever with the Bahais; nay, rather it hath meant the Babis. Mirza Yahya, the son of Mirza Hadi of Doulet Abad, and a few souls of Ezelis(225) who are living in Teheran and were at one time secret friends of Jamal-ed-Din of Afghan, have allied themselves with the party, which is working against the government, and is engaged in the work of instigating and inciting the people. His Imperial Majesty did mean these souls, that is, the Babis, not the Bahais. But it is an established facts that the Bahais are the well-wishers of the nation and the government; are showing forth obedience and displaying good intentions; are not interfering in political matters; are engaged in the education and spiritualization of characters and are occupied with the training of the ignorant ones.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant! The general historical report about the Cause of G.o.d in that country,(226) that thou hast forwarded to Menshadi,(227) became very acceptable. Undoubtedly you must, every few months, write a report about the general conditions and att.i.tudes of the Cause of G.o.d in America and forward it to Acca, so that we may send it to Persia to be printed and spread among the people.

O thou yearning servant of the Beauty of Abha! In the time that all the ulemas and sages, leaders, merchants and traders, nay, even the public itself from the highest to the lowest have taken refuge in the British Legation and began to complain and clamor that they are oppressed, His Royal Highness Shoa-Us-Saltanah, the son of the Shah, cried in the a.s.sembly of n.o.bles: "These ulemas and Sheite leaders were always stigmatizing the Bahais, saying, 'They are the ill-wishers of the government and the corruptors of nations!' Now consider ye with the eye of justice! Sixty years have rolled by and the Bahais have been the object of the sword of affliction and the target of the arrows of oppression.

Thousands of houses have been destroyed, children became captives, women became prisoners, property was pillaged and not even a small children remained safe; yet, notwithstanding all of this, not one single Bahai took refuge under the flag of a foreign power! Now these Sheites, though they have always been treated with the utmost favor and benefit by the government, yet without the slightest reason they went under the protection of a foreign power and brought down such humiliation and dishonor upon the nation and the government! If they presented primarily their pet.i.tions to the government, their wishes would be complied with in a better and more effective way. This is the difference between the Sheites and the Bahais!"

"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

I have received the eloquent article which thou hast written at the moment of the arrival of the most great glad-tidings regarding the establishment of the National a.s.sembly and the organization of the const.i.tutional and judicial government of Persia according to the evident command of the Book of Akdas, and the spontaneous joy and the genuine sympathy demonstrated by the people of science and discernment in America at hearing this soul-refreshing news, and the utmost happiness to the members of the Legation. I read it and it became the cause of the utmost joy and fragrance.

The Const.i.tutional Government, according to the irrefutable text of the Religion of G.o.d, is the cause of the glory and prosperity of the nation and the civilization and freedom of the people. However, according to what is known, the hands of the selfish leaders from among the ulemas (Mohammedan clergy) are in this affair. Outwardly they are desiring the establishment of the National a.s.sembly and at every moment they are crying and clamoring (for its immediate realization), but inwardly they are sowing the seeds of corruption and agitation and try to put at naught the n.o.ble intention of the government. In the secret of their hearts and souls they do not favor the upbuilding of the National a.s.sembly, the civilization of Persia, the awakening of the people, the advancement of the age, the spreading of knowledge and public instruction. Thieves like to lurk in darkness; fishers desire disturbed water; the bat shuns the rays of the sun; the black beetle dislikes the fragrance of the rose-garden; the ferocious wolf is in expectation of the sleet and snow; and the wine seller sees his advantage in the inebriate, irrational drinker. These leaders of religion also desire to behold the nation thrown into a weltering chaos of ignorance so that the rein of affairs remain in the hands of the arrogant ulemas. They know that if the nation began to adore wisdom, truthfulness, progression and fidelity, it would bring about their (the ulemas) degradation.

However, rest ye a.s.sured upon the favor and bounty of His Highness the Almighty; for the Imperial throne of Persia is confirmed and the Crown of the Sovereignty of the East is protected,. Undoubtedly the n.o.ble purpose of His Imperial Majesty will play an important role in the development of Persia. May G.o.d help and send victory from the Supreme Kingdom, the heavenly powers become supporters and the mercy and bestowal of His Highness the Merciful One become the Helpers! Be ye engaged in prayer that with the utmost good-pleasure the nation obey the government, comply with the wise counsels of the attendants of the central dominion, give no attention to the hearsay of the agitators and rise not to quarrel with and to protest against the government like unto the Russian Douma, so as to throw the whole empire, the nation and the kingdom into a sea of anarchy and lawlessness. Much prayer is needed so that G.o.d may help and protect.

The marks of kindness that thou hast shown to his honor Mr. ... became highly acceptable. You must treat the strangers, at all times, in this manner and help, as far as possible, all the nations of the world.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Truly, I say, thou art firm and have arisen to perform the conditions of firmness. This very matter of his honor Mr. ... is a sign of wonder to all men and the greatest proof of the power of the Word of G.o.d and the penetration of the servitude of Abdul-Baha. As thou art walking in this road and art steadfast in this path, know thou of a certainty that the a.s.sistance of Providence with descend upon thee and the confirmation of the Kingdom unveil herself to thee.

"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

An article in the Broadway Magazine of September, 1906, written by G. A.

Dobson and published in New York, was read. It is ent.i.tled, "The Strangest Religion in New York." Unquestionably, you get that magazine and read it.

The writer complains of the Ottoman government and its treatmet towards the Bahai community. There is no doubt that this article will be read by His Excellency the Turkish Minister or the members of the Legation. The truth is that His Imperial Majesty the Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan hath exercised the utmost justice toward Abdul-Baha. Although the internal and external enemies entered into an alliance, wrote reports full of pure calumnies and baseless impositions, became themslves the complainers and witnesses, a body of examiners came from Constantinople for the investigation of the true situation and that committee of commissioners became united with the outside and inside enemies, ratifying all the impositions and adding to those some more important matters, yet His Imperial Majesty Abdul Hamid Khan-may G.o.d a.s.sist him! -acted with delilberation until it became known and evident that all these calumnies were founded upon rancor and hositility. Therefore, he hath treated us, until the present time, with the utmost justice and because of this treatment we are exceedingly happy. If there were any other king beside His Imperial Majesty Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan, he would exercise his autority in another way in the face of these unjust imputations and the conspiracies of the external and internal foes. Nevertheless, the justice and equity of the Sultan prevented the attacks of the enemies and the reports of the people of oppositions and falsehood from producing any effect. Therefore, all the friends must pray from their hearts in behalf of their Imperial Majesties the Padeshah of the Ottomans and the Shah of Persia. As in these days His Imperial Majesty Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan is in a state of illness and indisposition, therefore the believers of G.o.d, in meetings and a.s.semblages, in private and public, but invoke from the Threshold of Oneness swift recovery for him. The friends and strangers must know and realize that all the believers of G.o.d have the utmost love for His Majesty the Padeshah of the Ottoman empire and that they are entreating for him protection and confirmation.

"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

The International Congress of Religions was organized this year(228) in the capital of j.a.pan. Many souls hastened to that empire from different parts of the world, in order that they might talk of and discuss the principles of their own religions, each one longing to convert that a.s.sembly to his own religion and establish the validity of his own particular belief. This congress had under discussion the politics of the religions., In truth, it is a political affair and not the attraction of the heart, faith, advancement toward G.o.d nor enkindlement with the fire of the love of G.o.d. This congress will not produce a lasting effect, for it is essentially politico-religious. What is effective and conducive to the penetration of the Word of G.o.d and the attraction of hearts is the fragrances of holiness and the divine glad-tidings, which the members of the congress do not in the least comprehend.

Consequently, if the believers of G.o.d go to that country-not to the congress-and through the power of the Word of G.o.d, the breath of the Holy Spirit, the reading of the verses of Oneness and a.s.sociating with the individual inhabitants of that kingdom, undoubtedly untold and tremendous results will be realized and the sweet fragrance of the rose-garden of mysteries will perfume the nostrils of the people of those regions. It is significantly useful if some of the friends of G.o.d put forth and effort and hasten from America to those parts (j.a.pan).

O thou servant of G.o.d! Unquestionably, through the manifestation of the Infinite Power in this glorious age, wonderful signs will appear in the world and great changes are seen in the present and promised in the future, for the Word of G.o.d is like unto the Spirit, and the contingent world like unto the embryo in the womb of the mother. Through the power of the Spirit such various changes and metamorphoses become apparent, transforming them from one form to another. Especially in Persia, through the power of the Word of G.o.d, wonderful signs will appear.

O thou servant of the True One! Though I had not the opportunity of reading one line of the paper * * * yet I read it with the utmost attention. Truly, I say, it was a superior paper and the details of the reception of the two great amba.s.sadors in the house of the favored and attracted maid-servant of G.o.d, Miss ..., became known. Such receptions are very acceptable and praiseworthy. You must all show forth the utmost consideration to these two amba.s.sadors, neither do ye fall short in serving them in whatever manner possible.

It is very acceptable for you to present to them the excellent praises which the Blessed Perfection hath made in behalf of these two governments, the exhortations which He hath delivered for obedience to them and the prayers He hath written for the confirmation and protection of His Imperial Majesty the Shah. Likewise, the advices and recommendations that this servant (Abdul-Baha, himself) hath written in Tablets to Persia and America; also the irrefutable command that the Blessed Perfection hath given in Tablets that the believers must obey the kings with the utmost sincerity and fidelity, and He hath forbidden them to interfere at all with political problems. He hath even prohibited the believers from discussing political affairs.