"Then shall the whole sublime and holy company of the Maids of Heaven come forth to greet you and inhale from you the sweet savours of the love of God."

 

Photo of Bahá'í Women by Effie Baker

He is the Peerless!

O maidservant of God! Render thanks unto the one true Beloved for having guided thee to recognize His own Self. Many are the daughters of kings and other notables who, through having been veiled from recognizing the beauty of the All-Merciful, are not remembered by the Lord. Thou, however, hast been remembered by Him, and thy name set down by the Pen of His Command. Regard not this, that in these days, to outward seeming, they live in luxury and honour. For I swear by Him Who hath made true honour the exclusive portion of His loved ones, that though they repose on jewelled couches, in the eyes of God they dwell upon the dust, and soon shall they all return, in the utmost poverty and abasement, to that place wherein is neither lamp nor couch, neither friend nor comforter.

Thou, however, and other maidservants of God like unto thee, though ye be seated on the dust, are, in the eyes of God, established upon the seats of honour; and when finally ye return unto your Lord, ye shall ascend with matchless glory unto the realms above. Then shall the whole sublime and holy company of the Maids of Heaven come forth to greet you and inhale from you the sweet savours of the love of God. Ever hast thou had both wealth and honour, for the love of God hath been with thee, and—God willing—shall remain with thee for evermore; and naught that hath been created in the heaven or the earth is equal to a single atom of this love. Dirhams and dínárs are not the measure of true wealth; its measure, rather, is the love of Him Who is the Beauteous, the Unconstrained.

How many are they who, though rich in dínárs, are yet the poorest of God’s creatures; for, even as is witnessed, each day their greed for gain increaseth and their avarice waxeth more intense.

O maidservant of God! Hold not cheap the precious gem of love, and remain thou steadfast in His love. Such is Our perspicuous and mighty counsel unto thee. The Glory of God rest upon thee and upon all His devoted maidservants.

—Bahá’u’lláh

(Additional Tablets and Extracts from Tablets Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh)
www.bahai.org/r/628243009