"I seek thy nearness, more desired than heaven in mine eyes; I see thy visage, fairer than the bowers of Paradise."

 

Chet © 2020 Chuck Egerton

"I undertook to write this epistle some time ago in thy remembrance, and, since thy letter had not reached Me yet, I began with a few words of grievance and reproach. Now, thy new missive hath dispelled that feeling and hath caused Me to send thee this letter. To speak of My love for thine eminence is needless. “Sufficient witness is God unto us.”¹³⁶

As for his eminence Shaykh Muḥammad—may God, the Exalted, bless him!—I shall confine Myself to the two following lines, which I request be delivered to him: 

I seek thy nearness, more desired than heaven in mine eyes; 

I see thy visage, fairer than the bowers of Paradise."

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/538359564

136 Qur’án 4:166.

“O My servant! Obey Me, that I may make thee like unto Myself. For I say ‘Be’, and it is, and thou shalt say ‘Be’, and it shall be.”

 

"The first is His statement “O My servant! Obey Me, that I may make thee like unto Myself. For I say ‘Be’, and it is, and thou shalt say ‘Be’, and it shall be.” And the second: “O son of Adam! Seek fellowship with none until thou hast found Me, and whensoever thou shalt long for Me, thou shalt find Me nigh unto thee.” 
Whatever high proofs and wondrous allusions are recounted herein concern but a single letter and a single point. For such is God’s method, and no change canst thou find in His mode of dealing." ¹³⁵

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/259243560

 135 Cf. Qur’án 35:43, 48:23.

“God hath a people beneath the canopy of grandeur, whom He hath concealed in the garment of poverty to exalt in rank.”

 

Eliot Porter

"Astonishment here is highly prized, and utter poverty greatly cherished. Wherefore hath He said, “Poverty is My pride.”¹³² And again: “God hath a people beneath the canopy of grandeur, whom He hath concealed in the garment of poverty to exalt in rank.”¹³³ These are they who see with His eyes and hear with His ears, as hath been recorded in the well-known tradition.¹³⁴

Concerning this realm there is many a tradition and many a verse, whether of general or specific import, but two of these will suffice, that they may serve as a light for knowing hearts and bring delight to longing souls."

~Baha'u'llah

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/090752371

132 From a Ḥadíth.
133 From a Ḥadíth.
134 See the Seven Valleys, ¶ 44.

"No more than this will I impart to thee: The riverbed can never hold the sea."

 

"How clear this crystal water that the enraptured Cup-Bearer passeth round! How exquisite this pure wine that the intoxicated Beauty doth proffer! How pleasing this draught of joy that floweth from the Heavenly Cup! Well is it with him who drinketh thereof, and tasteth of its sweetness, and attaineth unto its knowledge. 

No more than this will I impart to thee:

The riverbed can never hold the sea.¹³¹

For its mystery lieth hid in the storehouses of His inviolable protection and is laid up in the treasuries of His power. It is exalted above the highest essence of utterance and sanctified beyond the subtlest mode of explanation."

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/102640023

131 Rúmí.

“I have turned my face to Him Who hath created the heavens and the earth, following the right religion and submissive before God. I am not one of those who add gods to God.”

 

"This is the food whose savour changeth not and whose colour altereth not. Wert thou to partake thereof, thou wouldst assuredly recite the verse “I have turned my face to Him Who hath created the heavens and the earth, following the right religion and submissive before God. I am not one of those who add gods to God.”¹²⁹ “And thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth, that he might be stablished in knowledge.”¹³⁰ Wherefore, put thy hand into thy bosom, then stretch it forth with power, and behold, thou shalt find it a light unto all the world."

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/276170266

129 Qur’án 6:79.
130 Qur’án 6:75.

"These are they that “know neither sun nor piercing cold”."

 

"Abiding in the court of rapture, the dwellers of this mansion wield with utmost joy and gladness the sceptres of divinity and lordship; and, established upon the lofty seats of justice, they exert their rule and bestow upon every soul its due. Those who drink of this cup abide beneath the canopy of glory, above the throne of the Ancient of Days, and dwell upon the seat of grandeur beneath the tabernacle of majesty. These are they that “know neither sun nor piercing cold”.¹²⁶

On this plane the highest heavens are neither opposed to, nor distinguished from, the lowly earth, for this is the realm of divine favours, not the arena of worldly contraries. Albeit at every moment a new condition be displayed, yet that condition is ever the same. Wherefore He saith in one instance, “Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him from being occupied with any other thing.”¹²⁷And in another He saith, “Verily, His ways differ every day.”¹²⁸

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/376933620

126 Qur’án 76:13.
127 A famous adage cited in many Islamic sources.
128 Qur’án 55:29.

“Love is a veil betwixt the lover and the beloved.”

 

"This is the realm of pure awareness and utter self-effacement. Not even love can find a way to this plane, nor doth affection have a place therein. Wherefore is it said: “Love is a veil betwixt the lover and the beloved.” Here love becometh but an obstructing veil, and aught save the Friend but a curtain. Thus the wise Saná’í hath written: 

None may approach that well-belov’d
Who harboreth his own desire;
None may embrace that beauteous form
Who’s burdened with his own attire.

For this is the realm of God and is sanctified above every allusion of His creatures."

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/794820335

"My soul doth sense the fragrant breath - Of a well-beloved soul: The fragrance of that kindly friend - Who’s my heart’s desire and goal."

"And were it not contrary to the commandment of the Book, I would surely have bestowed a part of My possessions upon My would-be murderer, and given him to inherit Mine earthly goods, and rendered him a myriad thanks, and solaced Mine own eyes with the touch of his hand. But what can I do? Neither have I any wealth, nor hath the Lord of destiny so decreed. 

Methinks at this moment I perceive the musk-scented fragrance of the garment of Há’ from the Joseph of Bahá; verily He seemeth near at hand, though ye may think Him far away.¹²⁴

My soul doth sense the fragrant breath

Of a well-beloved soul:

The fragrance of that kindly friend

Who’s my heart’s desire and goal.

The duty of long years of love obey,

And tell the tale of blissful days gone by,

That land and sky may laugh aloud today,

And it may gladden mind and heart and eye."¹²⁵

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/331888757

124. An intimation of Bahá’u’lláh’s imminent Manifestation.
125. Rúmí.

“And he that feareth not God, God shall make him to fear all things; whereas all things fear him who feareth God.”

 

Eliot Porter

"In truth, the wayfarer who journeyeth unto God, who treadeth the snow-white Path and turneth towards the Crimson Pillar, will never reach his heavenly home unless his hands are empty of such worldly things as are cherished by men. “And he that feareth not God, God shall make him to fear all things; whereas all things fear him who feareth God.” 

Speak the Persian tongue, though the Arabian pleaseth more: Love indeed doth have a hundred other tongues in store.¹²³

How sweet in this connection is the following couplet:

Our hearts will be as open shells

Should He the pearls of grace bestow;

Our lives will ready targets be

Were He to hurl the darts of woe."

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/932934309

123. Rúmí

“Love is a distinction never conferred upon a heart possessed by fear and dread.”

 

Reza Mostmand "So High A Calling"

"Whoso comprehendeth this station will assuredly conceal it, and were he to reveal but the faintest trace thereof, they would assuredly hang him from the gallows. And yet, by God, were a true seeker to be found, I would divulge it to him; for He saith: “Love is a distinction never conferred upon a heart possessed by fear and dread.”¹²²

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/956516480

122. From a Ḥadíth.

"This is the seat of the mystery “He doeth what He willeth, and ordaineth what He pleaseth."

 

O'Keeffe

"If the mystic knowers be among them that have attained the beauty of the Beloved, this station is the throne of the inmost heart and the secret of divine guidance. This is the seat of the mystery “He doeth what He willeth, and ordaineth what He pleaseth.” Should all that are in heaven and on earth attempt to unravel this exalted allusion and subtle mystery, from now until the Day whereon the Trumpet shall sound, yet would they fail to comprehend even a letter thereof, for this is the station of God’s immutable decree and His foreordained mystery. Hence, when asked regarding this matter, He made reply: “It is a bottomless sea that none shall ever fathom.” And when the question was repeated, He answered: “It is the blackest of nights through which none can find his way.”¹²¹

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/191856609

121. From a Ḥadíth.

"The lovers’ teacher is the Loved One’s beauty, His face their lesson and their only book."

 

"In this station, both instruction and apprenticeship are assuredly of no avail: 

   The lovers’ teacher is the Loved One’s beauty, 

   His face their lesson and their only book. 

   Learning of wonderment, of longing love their duty; 

   Not on learned chapters and dull themes they look. 

   The chains that bind them are His musky hair; 

   The Cyclic Scheme, to them, is but to Him a stair.¹¹⁹

Here followeth a supplication to God—blessed and glorified be He: 

   O Lord, O Thou Whose grace fulfilleth every need!

   To mention aught before Thee would be sin indeed.

   Allow this mote of knowledge hidden in my soul

   To free itself of lowly clay and reach its goal.

   And grant this drop of wisdom that

   Thou gavest me To be at last united with Thy mighty sea.¹²⁰

Thus do I say: There is no power nor strength except in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/646035598

119 Rúmí. A reference to the Cyclic Theory of Avicenna (Abu-‘Alí Síná [980–1037]).
120 Rúmí

"They find all words of sense to be meaningless, and senseless words to be full of meaning."

 

"The dwellers of this abode know not the destination, yet they spur on their chargers. They see naught in the Beloved but His very Self. They find all words of sense to be meaningless, and senseless words to be full of meaning. They cannot distinguish head from foot or one limb from another. To them the mirage is water itself and departure is the mystery of return. Wherefore hath it been said: 

The story of Thy beauty reached the hermit’s dell; 

Crazed, he sought the Tavern where the wine they buy and sell. 

The love of Thee hath levelled down the fort of patience; 

The pain of Thee hath firmly barred the gate of hope as well." ¹¹⁸

~Baha'u'llah

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/940875560

118. Sa'dí

"Love shunneth this world and that world too; In him are lunacies seventy-and-two. The minstrel of love harpeth this lay: Servitude enslaveth, lordship doth betray."

 

"If the lovers be among them that abide within the precincts of the abode of the Lodestone of hearts, no soul may dwell on this kingly throne save the countenance of love. I am powerless to describe this station or to depict it in words. 

Love shunneth this world and that world too; In him are lunacies seventy-and-two. The minstrel of love harpeth this lay: Servitude enslaveth, lordship doth betray.¹¹⁶

This plane demandeth pure love and unalloyed affection. In describing these companions He saith: “They speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment.”¹¹⁷

In this station, neither the reign of the intellect is sufficient nor the rule of self. Thus one of the Prophets of God asked, “O my Lord, how shall I reach Thee?” And the answer came: “Leave thy self behind, and then approach Me.” 

In the estimation of such souls, to be seated amidst the sandals by the door is the same as to abide at the place of honour, and in the path of the Beloved the retreats of earthly beauty differ not from the field of a battle waged."

~Baha'u'llah

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)

www.bahai.org/r/741438210

116 Rúmí. 
117 Qur’án 21:27

“Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.”

"This station is that of the true standard of knowledge and the final end of tests and trials. Nor is it needed, in this realm, to seek after knowledge, for He hath said concerning the guidance of wayfarers on this plane, “Fear ye God; God will teach you”,¹¹² and again, “Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.”¹¹³

 Wherefore, one must make ready the receptacle and become worthy of the descent of heavenly bestowals, that the all-sufficing Cup-Bearer may give one to drink of the wine of bounty from the crystal chalice of mercy. “For this let the striving strive!”¹¹⁴ And now do I say, “Verily, we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.”¹¹⁵

~Bahá'u'lláh

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/259966900

112. Qur’án 2:282. 
113. From a Ḥadíth. 
114. Qur’án 83:26.
115.  Qur’án 2:156

"On this plane, the traveller meeteth with many a trial and reverse. Now is he lifted up to heaven, now is he cast into the depths."

 
"On this plane, the traveller meeteth with many a trial and reverse. Now is he lifted up to heaven, now is he cast into the depths. As it hath been said: “Now Thou drawest me to the throne of the realms above, again Thou scorchest me in the fire of hell.” The hidden mystery of this station is divulged in the following blessed verse from the Súrih of the Cave: “And thou mightest have seen the sun when it arose, pass on the right of their cave, and when it set, leave them on the left, while they were in its spacious chamber. This is one of the signs of God. Guided indeed is he whom God guideth; but for him whom He misleadeth, thou shalt by no means find a guardian and guide.”¹¹⁰

If a soul could grasp the allusions that lie hid in this single verse, it would suffice him. Such indeed are those whom He hath extolled as “men whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of God”.¹¹¹

~Bahá'u'lláh 

(The Call of the Divine Beloved)
www.bahai.org/r/176338424

110. Qur’án 18:17.

111. Qur’án 24:37.

"As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well-nigh a century, has bitten into the fiber, and attacked the whole social structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Bahá’í community at the present stage of its evolution."

"As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well-nigh a century, has bitten into the fiber, and attacked the whole social structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Bahá’í community at the present stage of its evolution. The ceaseless exertions which this issue of paramount importance calls for, the sacrifices it must impose, the care and vigilance it demands, the moral courage and fortitude it requires, the tact and sympathy it necessitates, invest this problem, which the American believers are still far from having satisfactorily resolved, with an urgency and importance that cannot be overestimated. White and Negro, high and low, young and old, whether newly converted to the Faith or not, all who stand identified with it must participate in, and lend their assistance, each according to his or her capacity, experience, and opportunities, to the common task of fulfilling the instructions, realizing the hopes, and following the example, of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá. Whether colored or noncolored, neither race has the right, or can conscientiously claim, to be regarded as absolved from such an obligation, as having realized such hopes, or having faithfully followed such an example. A long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls, still remains untraveled, both by the white and the Negro exponents of the redeeming Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. On the distance they cover, and the manner in which they travel that road, must depend, to an extent which few among them can imagine, the operation of those intangible influences which are indispensable to the spiritual triumph of the American believers and the material success of their newly launched enterprise."

Shoghi Effendi 

(The Advent of Divine Justice) 1937
www.bahai.org/r/720204804

"Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful.”

 

"It must be remembered, however, that the maintenance of such a high standard of moral conduct is not to be associated or confused with any form of asceticism, or of excessive and bigoted puritanism. The standard inculcated by Bahá’u’lláh seeks, under no circumstances, to deny anyone the legitimate right and privilege to derive the fullest advantage and benefit from the manifold joys, beauties, and pleasures with which the world has been so plentifully enriched by an All-Loving Creator. “Should a man,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself reassures us, “wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in Him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful.”

Bahá'u'lláh cited by Shoghi Effendi

(The Advent of Divine Justice)
www.bahai.org/r/114138899

“It behooveth the people of Bahá,” He also has written, “to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity.…"

“They that follow their lusts and corrupt inclinations,” is yet another warning, “have erred and dissipated their efforts. They indeed are of the lost.” “It behooveth the people of Bahá,” He also has written, “to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity.… They that have tarnished the fair name of the Cause of God by following the things of the flesh—these are in palpable error!” “Purity and chastity,” He particularly admonishes, “have been, and still are, the most great ornaments for the handmaidens of God. God is My Witness! The brightness of the light of chastity sheddeth its illumination upon the worlds of the spirit, and its fragrance is wafted even unto the Most Exalted Paradise.” “God,” He again affirms, “hath verily made chastity to be a crown for the heads of His handmaidens. Great is the blessedness of that handmaiden that hath attained unto this great station.” “We, verily, have decreed in Our Book,” is His assurance, “a goodly and bountiful reward to whosoever will turn away from wickedness, and lead a chaste and godly life. He, in truth, is the Great Giver, the All-Bountiful.” “We have sustained the weight of all calamities,” He testifies, “to sanctify you from all earthly corruption and ye are yet indifferent.… We, verily, behold your actions. If We perceive from them the sweet smelling savor of purity and holiness, We will most certainly bless you. Then will the tongues of the inmates of Paradise utter your praise and magnify your names amidst them who have drawn nigh unto God.”

Bahá'u'llláh cited by Shoghi Effendi

(The Advent of Divine Justice)
www.bahai.org/r/870655891

“The civilization,” is His grave warning, “so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences, will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon men.… If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation.”

 

“A race of men,” is His written promise, “incomparable in character, shall be raised up which, with the feet of detachment, will tread under all who are in heaven and on earth, and will cast the sleeve of holiness over all that hath been created from water and clay.” “The civilization,” is His grave warning, “so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences, will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon men.… If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation.” “He hath chosen out of the whole world the hearts of His servants,” He explains, “and made them each a seat for the revelation of His glory. Wherefore, sanctify them from every defilement, that the things for which they were created may be engraven upon them. This indeed is a token of God’s bountiful favor.” “Say,” He proclaims, “He is not to be numbered with the people of Bahá who followeth his mundane desires, or fixeth his heart on things of the earth. He is My true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause. Such a man is assuredly of Me. From his garment the Concourse on high can inhale the fragrance of sanctity.… And if he met the fairest and most comely of women, he would not feel his heart seduced by the least shadow of desire for her beauty. Such an one indeed is the creation of spotless chastity. Thus instructeth you the Pen of the Ancient of Days, as bidden by your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.”

Bahá'u'lláh cited by Shoghi Effendi

(The Advent of Divine Justice)
www.bahai.org/r/870655891