General Epistle to the Christians (Lawh-i-Aqdas)

  1. This is the Most Holy Tablet (Lawh-i-Aqdas) sent down from the Holy Kingdom unto the one who hath set his face towards the Object of the Adoration of the world, He Who hath come from the Heaven of Eternity, invested with Transcendental Glory.

  2. In the Name of the Lord, the Lord of Great Glory! This is an Epistle from before Our Presence to the one whom the veils of  names hath not kept from God, the Creator of the earth and heaven, whereby his eyes may be enlightened in the Days of his Lord, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

  3. Say: O Concourse of the Son! Are ye debarred from Myself because of My Name? What maketh ye to doubt? Ye have cried out for your Lord, the Saviour, night and day, and when He hath come from the Heaven of Pre-existence, in His Greatest Glory, ye have not approached Him, and were of the heedless. Consider those who turned away from Jesus the first time when He came to them with manifest power. How many of the Pharisees were abiding in the Temples in his Name, and were imploring God, supplicating, because of their separation from him! But when the gate of union was opened and the light shone forth from the Day-Spring of Beauty, they disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Great, and did not attain to His presence, after having been promised thereunto in the Book of Isaiah (Is. 7:13, 14 & ch. 53), as well as in the Books of the Prophets and the Messengers of God (Micah 5:2; Dan. 9:24ff; Psalm 22, etc) not one of them approached the Day-Spring of Divine Bounty except those who were of no account among the people, but in whose names now all the lords of evident honor boast at the present day. Remember, the most learned doctors of his country in his age condemned him to be killed, whilst one who was a catcher of fishes believed in him. Be astonished thereat and be of those who remember! 

  4. Likewise look at this time. How many monks and clerics are abiding in churches and are calling for Christ, and when He came in truth, they approached Him not, and were of those who are afar! Blessed is whosoever abandoned them and approached the Aim of all that is in the heavens and earth. They read the Bible, Gospel and New Testament and confess not in the King of Glory, after His coming in His Holy Mighty and Beautiful Kingdom.

  5. Say: Verily, We have come unto you and have endured the abominations of the world for your salvation. Do ye flee from Him who hath ransomed His soul to redeem your lives? Fear God, O concourse of Christians, and follow not all the supposed learned men who are afar. Do ye suppose that He hath preferred His own soul after being at every instant under the swords of the enemy? Or that He desired the world after being imprisoned in the most ruined of cities? Then judge thereupon and follow not the oppressors. Open the doors of your minds; verily, the Spirit standeth behind them.

  6. What maketh ye to keep afar from Him who hath desired to bring ye nigh to the shining abode? Say: Verily, We have opened unto you the gates of the Kingdom; are ye closing the door of your houses before My Face? Verily, this is naught but a great error.

  7. Say: Verily, He hath come down from Heaven even as he came down from heaven the first time (Jn. 3:13 KJV). Beware lest ye contradict that which he saith, as the nations before you contradicted that which he said. Thus do I make known to you the Truth, if you are of those who know.

  8. Surely, the River Jordan hath joined with the Most Great Ocean; the Son in the holy valley calleth “Labieck!” – “I am ready, O my God, I am ready!”); while Mt. Sinai circles around the House, and the Burning Bush calleth, “Surely the Desired One hath come in His Exalted Glory!” Say: Surely the Father hath come and hath fulfilled that whereunto you were promised in the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 9:6,7). This is the Word the Son concealed when He said to those around Him that at that time they could not bear it (Jn. 16:12-15); but when the stated time was ended (Dan. 8:13: 2300 years added to 457 BC = March 21, 1844 AD) and the Hour arrived, the Word shone forth from the horizon of the Will. Beware, O concourse of the Son, cast it not behind you, but hold thereunto! It is better for you than all that which is before you. Verily, He is near to the charitable.

  9. Surely the hour hath passed, the knowledge of which We had veiled from all that is in the earth, and from the angels of the Presence. Say: Verily, he beareth witness to Me and I bear witness to him. Verily, He desired naught but My Person, whereunto bear witness all those just ones who know. Verily, We are inviting all to God the Lord of the Names, in the midst of Manifest Afflictions. Say: Continue in that which is promised unto you in the Bible and all the Books of God, and walk not in the path of the ignorant.

  10. Surely My body is imprisoned for salvation that your souls should be set free. Then draw nigh to the Face (Rev. 6:16), and follow not all the obstinate proud ones. Verily, He hath accepted the greatest abasement for your honor, and ye are diverting yourselves in the valley of heedlessness. Verily, He is in the most ruined of houses for your sakes, and ye are sitting in palaces.

  11. Say: Have ye not heard the sound of the Voice of the living Crier who is crying in the wilderness of Explanation, proclaiming to your Merciful Lord? Know that surely He hath come in the truth, in the shadow of demonstration, with proofs and arguments, prophecy fulfilled, and the people of unity are beholding the Kingdom before their faces. Blessed is he who approacheth Him, and woe to all deniers and doubters!

  12. Say unto all the priests, clergy and clerics that He Who is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, hath surely come! Then emerge from behind the veil, in the name of thy Lord, Who layeth low the necks of men, and proclaim to the people this greatest and exalted Manifestation. Verily, the Spirit of Truth hath come to guide you unto all truth. Verily, He speaketh not unto you from Himself, nay rather from before the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: He is the One whom the Son hath glorified and hath upraised His command. Abandon that which is before you, O people of the earth, and take that which is commanded you from before the Powerful, the Faithful. Purify your ears and turn your minds to hear the sweet call which hath arisen from the direction of Sinai, the abode of your Lord in El-Abha. Verily, He attracts you unto a station wherein you will behold the Lights of the Face (1 Cor. 13:12), which hath shone forth from this brilliant Horizon.

  13. Say: O concourse of priests, ministers, pastors and such, leave the bells, then come out from the churches. In this Day, it behooveth you to proclaim this Most Great Name among the nations. Do you choose to be silent whilst all trees and stones are calling out with the loudest voice, “Surely the Lord hath come, the possessor of great glory!” Blessed is he who hasteneth unto Him. Verily, he is of those whose names will be established forever, and whom the Supreme Concourse will remember. The command is appointed from before the Spirit in this wondrous Epistle.

  14. He who summoneth the people in My Name is verily of Me, and from him will appear that which will be beyond the power of all that are on the earth. Then follow the path of the Lord, and follow not the heedless. Blessed is the sleeper who will awaken by these powers and will stand up among the dead, directing himself in the path of the Lord. Verily, he is as a jewel amongst the people in the sight of God, the True One, and verily, he is of those who have attained.

  15. Say: He hath surely shone forth from the direction of the Orient (Ez. 43:1-5) the East, and His Signs have appeared in the Occident (Is. 49:12), the West. Think thereupon, O people, and be not like unto those who neglected the Remembrancer when He came unto them from the Mighty, the Laudable. Awake by the breezes of God! Verily, they have blown in the world. Blessing to whosoever hath found their fragrance and is of the assured.

  16. Say: O concourse of bishops, learned and scholars! Ye are the stars of the heaven of My knowledge. My favor liketh it not that ye fall down upon the dust of the earth, but My Justice saith; “This is that which is appointed by the Son, and whatsoever hath issued from his pure, faithful and true mouth shall not change.” Verily, the bell is ringing in My Name and is mourning for My Soul, but the Spirit is manifest gladness.

  17. Say: The body of the Beloved is yearning after the Cross, and His head desireth the spear in the path of the Merciful. Verily, the assault of the oppressors keepeth Him not from that which He desireth. Surely, We have abandoned all things to the meeting of thy Lord the Possessor of Names. Blessed are those who draw nigh to God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

  18. O concourse of monks and academics! If ye follow Me, I will appoint you heirs of My Kingdom, and if ye disobey Me – in My forbearance, I will endure it patiently. Verily, I am the Forgiver and the Merciful.

  19. O land of Syria and Palestine! Where is thy righteousness? Surely, thou hast attained the honor of the feet of thy Lord. Have ye discovered the fragrance of Union, or are ye of the heedless? Bethlehem is even now stirred by the breeze of God. I hear its call, saying, “O generous Lord, where is Thy great glory established? The breaths of Thy union have already quickened me after being melted because of my separation. Praise be unto Thee, for Thou hast uncovered the veilings and hast come with power in manifest glory!” We called unto it from behind the canopy of majesty and greatness: “O Bethlehem! This Light hath already appeared from the Orient and hath journeyed toward the Occident until it came unto thee in Its latter days. Then tell Me: Do the children know the Father and confess Him or do they contradict Him now even as the people contradicted The Son before?” Thereupon its cry arose and said, “Thou art the Knowing, the All-informed!”

  20. Verily, We testify that all things bear witness to Us, whereof some know and bear witness, but the majority bear witness and do not know. Mount Sinai already shakes with the shock of meeting, and hath raised its sweet call to the remembrance of its Lord in El-Abha – the Brightest of Lights (Jn. 3:19-21) and saith: “O my Lord, I perceive the fragrance of Thy garment as Thou hast approached with signs and hast honored these countries by Thy feet. Blessing be unto Thy people if they know Thee and discover Thy fragrance, and woe unto those who sleep!”

  21. Blessing be unto thee, O thou who hast approached the Face (Rev. 22:4), for thou hast torn off the coverings, broken the idols and known thy Pre-Existent Lord. Surely the people of the Qur’án have stood against Us without any proof or argument, and have tortured Us at every instant with a new torment, supposing that calamities will prevent Us from that which We have desired. But what they suppose is false. Verily, thy Lord is powerful in that which He desireth.

  22. I passed not by any tree, except My mind addressed it: “Would that thou wert cut down in My name and that My body were crucified upon thee!” This is that which We have also revealed in the Epistle to the Shah of Persia, that it may be a remembrance of Me to the people of religions. Verily, thy Lord is the Knowing, the Wise.

  23. Verily, grieve thou not for all they have committed. Verily, they are dead and not living; leave them to the dead (Mt. 8:22) and turn thy face to the Reviver of all creatures. Beware lest thou art grieved by the sayings of those who have been negligent. Be steadfast in the Cause and teach the people with great wisdom. In such wise commandeth thee the Lord of the earth and heaven. Verily, He is the mighty, and the generous!

  24. God shall soon exalt thy remembrance and will establish whatsoever thou hast spoken in His love with the Supreme Pen. Verily, He is an assister to the charitable.

  25. Remember from My part he who is named Murád, and Say: