I

O my God! O my God!
This, Thy servant, hath advanced toward Thee, is passionately wandering in the desert of Thy love, walking in the path of Thy service, anticipating Thy favors, hoping for Thy bounty, relying upon Thy Kingdom, and being exhilarated with the wine of Thy gift. O my God! Increase his fervor in Thy passion, his constancy in Thy praise and his ardor in Thy love. Verily, Thou art the Beneficent and endowed with great bounty! There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful!

II

O Lord, I have turned my face unto thy Kingdom of Oneness and am drowned in the sea of Thy mercy! O Lord, enlighten my sight by beholding Thy lights in this dark night, and make me happy by the wine of Thy love in this wonderful age! O Lord, make me hear Thy call, and open before my face the doors of Thy heaven, so that I may see the light of Thy glory and become attracted to Thy beauty!
Verily, thou art the Giver, the Generous, the Merciful, the Forgiving!

III

O my God! O my God! Glory be unto Thee for that Thou hast confirmed me to the confession of Thy Oneness, attracted me unto the word of Thy Singleness, enkindled me by the fire of Thy love, and occupied me with Thy mention and the service of Thy friends and maid-servants.
O Lord, help me to be meek and lowly and strengthen me in severing myself from all things and in holding to the hem of the garment of Thy Glory, so that my heart may be filled with Thy love and leave no space for the love of the world and the attachment to its qualities.
O God! Sanctify me from all else save Thee, purge me from the dross of sins and transgressions and cause me to possess a spiritual heart and conscience.
Verily Thou art merciful and verily Thou art the Generous, the Helper.

IV

I arise in Thy Shelter, and it behooveth him who seeketh Thy protection to be under the shield of Thy Guard, and in the Fortress of Thy Defence. O my Lord, enlighten me inwardly by the Lights of the Day-break of Thy Manifestation, as Thou hast enlightened me outwardly by the Light of the dawn of Thy Favour.

V

Praise be unto Thee, Oh my God, that Thou hast awakened me after my sleep, caused me to appear after my absence, and raised me from my insensibility. I arose facing the Lights of the Dawn of Thine Appearance, by which the horizons of the Heavens of Thy Power and Thy Majesty were enlightened, confessing Thy Signs, assured in Thy Book, and holding to Thy Rope.
I beg of Thee, by the Power of Thy Will, and by the Penetration of Thy Purpose, to ordain that which Thou hast showed me in my vision, as the most solid foundation for the dwelling place of Thy love in the hearts of Thy Friends, and the best cause for the appearance of Thy Favour and Thy Grace.
Oh my Lord, ordain to me, by Thy Supreme Pen, the blessings of the world to come, and the present one. I bear witness, that verily the reins of affairs are in Thy Grasp, and that Thou changest them as Thou desirest. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful and the Faithful.
Thou art the One whose Command changeth lowliness into might; weakness into strength; humility to authority; confusion to tranquility, and doubt to conviction. There is no God but Thee, The Glorious, The Generous. Disappoint not whosoever entreateth Thee, and forbid not whosoever desireth Thee. Ordain that which befitteth the Heaven of Thy Bounty, and the Ocean of Thy Generosity. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty.

VI

O Thou most kind Lord, this reverent assembly is calling on Thy name. These souls are seeking Thy good pleasure. They are seeking the prosperity of the world of humanity. O Lord, confer upon their souls life evermore. O Lord, forgive their sins and keep them in Thy protecting shade in both worlds. O Lord, confer upon them Thy great pleasure. All are servants of international peace, all are servants of humanity. Thou art the Merciful, the Generous, the Forgiver, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy!.

VII

Thou are the Praiser and the Praised One. O my God, and my Master and my Desire. This, thy servant desireth to sleep in the shelter of Thy Mercy, and to rest under the shadow of the Dome of Thy Favour, assisted by Thy Protection and Thy Guard. O my Lord, I invoke Thee, by Thine Eye which sleepeth not, to protect mine eye from beholding aught beside Thee. Then increase its light by witnessing Thy Signs, and by looking towards the Horizon of Thy Manifestation. Thou art He before whose Appearances of Might, the existence of power is subdued.
There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the Conqueror, the Chosen One.

VIII

O my God! my God! Thanks be to Thee for guiding me unto Thy Kingdom, for opening before my face the door of Thy guidance, enlightening my eyes with beholding Thy signs, and filling my heart with the feelings of Thy love.
O Lord! O Lord! Make me severed from the world and void of its conditions, attracted by the fragrances of Thy holiness among Thy maid-servants, free in heart, happy in soul, cheerful in mind, longing for the Kingdom of Thy Beauty, and glowing with the fire of Thy love in the world. Thus may I enkindle the light of guidance in the hearts of Thy servants.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Bestower, the Precious, the Mighty!

IX

O Thou Heavenly Father!
Thou hast the hosts of the Kingdom and the spiritual angels. We, indigent souls are broken-winged birds; yet we yearn to soar toward the immensity of the Kingdom. We are thirsty fish; we seek the Sea of the Water of Life. We are the butterflies of the nether world; we long for the Lamp of the Realm on High. We are in the utmost weakness and feebleness; yet we are fighting against the armies of the world. Therefore, O Lord of Hosts! Confirm us so that the army of Light may become victorious and the legions of the darkness be defeated. Assist us in the service of the Kingdom and acquaint us with the Divine Mysteries. Rejoice us with the glad-tidings of the everlasting sovereignty and bestow upon us a portion and a share of the Life Eternal. Suffer the tongues to be unloosed and grant sight to the eyes; so that we may behold the world of the Kingdom and may praise with an eloquent speech Thy Beauty and Thy Perfection.
Verily, Thou art the Bestower and the Kind!

X

Cover the sins of the weak ones with the hem of the garment of Thy Mercy! Change the indifference of the heedless ones into the essence of fidelity, wisdom and understanding! Grant the souls a loftier effort and arouse a spiritual tumult in the minds so that they may sing the melody of the Supreme Realm, seek for a Glory Everlasting, long for the delicacies of the New World, soar toward the Brightest Horizon, enter the congregation of the Almighty and become the recipients of the bestowals of the Kingdom! Thus will the dark world become luminous, the satanic field transformed into the courts of the Merciful, the mound of earth become the mound of Heaven and the terrestrial globe the Eternal Rose-garden. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Hearer, the Seer!

XI

O my God, my God!
I am a servant attracted to Thee, humbly coming to the door of Thy Oneness and addressing the kingdom of Thy mercy.
O my God, permit that I should be entirely Thine, occupied in thinking of Thee, inflamed by the fire of Thy love and separated from all except Thee, so that I may work in Thy Cause, spread Thy wisdom, transmit Thy knowledge and the joy of knowing Thee.
O my God, I am a flame lighted by the hand of Thy power. Do not permit that it be extinguished by the winds of trials. Increase my love for Thee, my ardor for the Beauty of Thy Oneness, the fire that burneth in me in the Sinai of Thy Singleness, and the eternal life in me, through Thy bounty and grace; for Thou art the Protector, the Watcher, the Pitiful and the Merciful!

XII

O my God, O my God! How can I choose to sleep whilst the eyes of the yearning ones are awaken because of separation from Thee, and how can I rest on the bed whilst the minds of Thy lovers are troubled by Thine Absence. O my Lord, I confide my spirit and my essence in the right hand of Thy Authority and Thy Security, and I lay my head on the bed by Thy Power; then raise it therefrom by Thy Will and Thy Desire. Verily Thou art the Protector, the Guardian, the Powerful and the Mighty.
By Thy Might, naught I desire from sleep, neither from waking, but that which Thou desirest. I am Thy servant, and in Thy Grasp. Confirm me to that whereby the scent of Thy Satisfaction is diffused. This is my hope, and the hope of those who are near to Thy Presence. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the creatures.

XIII

My Lord! My Lord! I praise Thee and I thank Thee for that whereby Thou hast favored Thine humble maid-servant, Thy slave beseeching and supplicating Thee, because Thou hast verily guided her unto Thine obvious Kingdom and caused her to hear Thine exalted Call in the contingent world and to behold Thy Signs which prove the appearance of Thy victorious reign over all things.
O my Lord, I dedicate that which is in my womb unto Thee. Then cause it to be a praiseworthy child in Thy Kingdom and a fortunate one by Thy favor and Thy generosity; to develop and to grow up under the charge of Thine education. Verily Thou art the Gracious! Verily Thou art the Lord of Great Favor!

XIV

O Thou Pure God! I am a little child; make Thou the bosom of Thy Gift a dear resting-place of comfort, suffer me to grow and be nurtured with the honey and the milk of Thy love and train me under the breast of Thy knowledge; bestow Thou freedom while in a state of childhood and grant Thou excellence!
O Thou Incomparable One! Make me the confident of the Kingdom of the Unseen! Verily, Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful!

XV

O loving God! I am a young child, a suppliant, a captive. Be Thou my refuge, my support, my protector. I am in distress: give me the means of tranquillity. I am needy: bestow upon me the treasure of the Kingdom. I am dead: give me the Spirit of Life. I am weak: favor me with power and strength, so that I may be a maid-servant in Thy Threshold, with perfect purity and sanctity; sacrifice myself unto Thee, be quit of myself and seek Thee, walk in the path of Thy good pleasure, speak Thy secret and witness the signs of Thy Oneness wherever I look. O God! Make me ablaze, like unto the fire of Thy love, and make me free from attachment to this mortal world, until I find the peace of soul and the rest of conscience.
Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty! Thou art the Hearer, the Seer!

XVI

O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will not be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

XVII

O Unequalled Lord!
For this helpless child be a Protector; for this weak and sinful one be kind and forgiving.
O Creator! Although we are but useless grass, still we are of Thy garden; though we are but young trees, bare of leaves and blossoms, still we are of Thy orchard; therefore, nourish this grass with the rain of Thy bounty; refresh and vivify these young, languishing trees with the breeze of Thy spiritual springtime.
Awaken us, enlighten us, sustain us, give us eternal life and accept us into Thy Kingdom!

XVIII

O God, O God! We are Thy humble and submissive servants, leaves of Thine exalted and verdant paradise, drops from the basins of Thine abundant mercy, and scattered particles flying about in Thy shining rays.
O Lord, O Lord, render us successful through Thy conquering power, in that which Thou lovest and approvest, so that we may become standards of guidance, signs of Thy Kingdom, the El-Abha, adore Thee, supplicate before the Kingdom of Thy mercy, beseech Thy realm of might, be submissive to Thy servants, humble before Thy maid-servants, severed from aught else save Thee, sincerely turned unto Thy face, aflame with the fire of Thy love, diffusing Thy fragrances, united in Thy Cause, of one accord in Thy religion, and firm in Thy Covenant. O God, strengthen us through the fragrances of Thy sanctity, that we may become sanctified from the stain of egotism and lust, baptized with Thy Holy Spirit, with the fire of Thy love and the water of Thy bounty.
Verily, Thou art the Bestower, the Assister, the Confirmer, the Beneficent, the Merciful!

XIX

O my Lord! O my Lord!
Verily, I am one of Thy maid-servants, supplicating humbly before the Door of Thy Singleness, beseeching and humbling myself to Thee! O my Lord! Thanks be unto Thee for Thy greatest guidance and Thy greatest favor, which Thou hast assigned unto me and unto Thy worshiping maid-servants, whom Thou hast chosen to enter Thine exalted Kingdom and abide in Thy Paradise of El-Abha. O my Lord! Sanctify me from every worldly station in this primal life and purify me from all else save Thee, O Thou Great Giver! Exhilarate me with the wine of Thy love, O Thou Brilliant Countenance! Intoxicate me with the wine of sanctity, purity, unity and singleness, O Thou who attractest the hearts of the righteous by the magnet of favors, unto the Kingdom of El-Abha! O my Lord! Cause me to speak Thy praise, illumine my sight through the light of Thy knowledge, cause me to hear Thy Call, and quicken me with the spirit of Thy grace. Make me rejoiced at the melodies of the birds of Thy holiness, and make me a servant to Thy maid-servants. Cause my soul to be tranquilized, my heart attached, and my mind drawn to the light of thy guidance, which is shining unto all regions; so that I may walk in the path of Thy good pleasure, yield to Thy decree and be rejoiced at the most violent calamities, and that my breast may become dilated during every tribulation, even though the suffering is beyond endurance. Verily, thou art the Holy, the Pure, the Potent, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Great!

XX

O my God! O my God!
This, thy servant, is turning unto Thee, relying upon Thee and is believing in Thee and in Thy great signs. He hath indeed traversed lands and seas, desiring to reach Thy brilliant Holy Land and Thy perfuming dust, and hath advanced toward the lofty court of Thy mercy to worship Thine Exalted Word. O my God! Assist him, through the One Mighty in Power, to obey Thy command, to walk in the path of Thy good pleasure to supplicate before the Kingdom of Thy Oneness, to become severed from all else save Thee, to beseech Thy might, to be consumed by Thy love and to spread Thy commemoration, O Thou who grantest the wishes of every supplicant! Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty!

XXI

My Lord! My Lord!
Thou hast caused me to hear the Call, guided me unto the sea of favor, awakened me through Thy fragrant breeze, and quickened me by the spirit of Thy greatest guidance. I thank and praise Thee for this. O my Lord! O my Lord! Verily, I am athirst; do cause me to drink from the fountain of Thy grace. O my Lord! O my Lord! Verily, I am ill; do heal me by the antidote of Thy mercy. O my Lord! O my Lord! Verily, I am sick; do cure me through Thy favor. O my Lord! O my Lord! I am needy; do enrich me through Thy compassion. And I am poor; render me prosperous by the treasury of Thy Kingdom. O my Lord! O my Lord! Increase my hope in the court of Thy holiness, and grant my wishes by thy favor and grace. Confirm me to deliver Thy Cause, enable me to call in Thy Name, and cause me to show forth the proofs of Thy Manifestation. Strengthen me to promote Thy Word, dilate my breast by serving Thy maid-servants and being humble and submissive before Thy beloved ones. O my Lord! Verily, I am impotent; do strengthen me by Thy power. I am lost in indigence; do confer on me Thy greatest favor. Make me as one of the maid-servants who diffuse Thy fragrances, who worship Thy Kingdom, who bow down in the worshiping-places of Thy unity, who kneel down on every dust which is related to the threshold of Thy beloved ones, and who serve in Thy vineyard, speak Thy praise and are attracted to Thy love. Verily, Thou are the Giver, the Powerful, the Mighty!

XXII

O my Lord! O my Lord!
This is a lamp lighted by the fire of Thy love and ablaze with the flame which is ignited in the tree of Thy mercy. O my Lord! Increase his enkindlement, heat and flame, with the fire which is kindled in the Sinai of Thy Manifestation. Verily, Thou art the Confirmer, the Assister, the Powerful, the Generous, the Loving!

 

XXIII

O my Lord, my Beloved, my Desire!
Befriend me in my loneliness and accompany me in my exile; remove my sorrow, cause me to be devoted to Thy Beauty, withdraw me from all else save Thee, attract me through Thy fragrances of holiness, cause me to be associated in Thy Kingdom with those who are severed from all else save Thee and who long to serve Thy Sacred Threshold and who stand to work in Thy Cause, and enable me to be one of Thy maid-servants who have attained to Thy good pleasure. Verily, Thou art the Gracious, the Generous!

XXIV

O my Lord!
Thou knowest that the people are encircled with pain and calamities and are environed with hardships and trouble. Every trial doth attack man and every dire adversity doth assail him like unto the assault of a serpent. There is no shelter and asylum for him except under the wing of Thy protection, preservation, guard and custody.
O Thou the Merciful One! O my Lord! Make Thy protection my armory, Thy preservation my shield, humbleness before the door of Thy Oneness my guard, and Thy custody and defense my fortress and abode. Preserve me from the suggestions of myself and desire, and guard me from every sickness, trial, difficulty and ordeal.
Verily, Thou art the Protector, the Guardian, the Preserver, the Sufficer, and verily, Thou art the Merciful of the Most Merciful!

XXV

O Compassionate God! Thanks be to Thee for Thou hast awakened and made me conscious. Thou hast given me a seeing eye and favored me with a hearing ear; hast led me to Thy Kingdom and guided me to Thy Path. Thou hast shown me the right way and caused me to enter the Ark of Deliverance. O God! Keep me steadfast and make me firm and stanch. Protect me from violent tests and preserve and shelter me in the strongly fortified fortress of Thy Covenant and Testament. Thou art the Powerful! Thou art the Seeing! Thou art the Hearing! O Thou the Compassionate God! Bestow upon me a heart which, like unto glass, may be illumined with the light of Thy love, and confer upon me a thought which may change this world into a rose-garden through the spiritual bounty. Thou art the Compassionate, the Merciful! Thou art the Great Beneficent God!

XXVI

He is the Protector and the Self-Subsistent.
I arose by Thy Favour, oh my God, and left the house depending upon Thee, and confiding my affairs unto Thee. Then send down upon me a blessing from before Thee, from the Heaven of Thy Mercy. Then make me to return to the house in safety, as Thou didst cause me to leave it in safety and steadfastness. There is no God but Thee, The Single, The One, The Knowing and the Wise.

XXVII

O thou kind God! In the utmost state of humility and submission do we entreat and supplicate at Thy threshold, seeking Thine endless confirmations and illimitable assistance.
O Thou Lord! Regenerate these souls and confer upon them a new life. Animate the spirits, inform the hearts, open the eyes and make the ears attentive. From Thine ancient treasury confer a new being and animus and from Thy pre-existent abode assist them to attain to new confirmations.
O God! Verily, the world is in need of reformation. Bestow upon it a new existence. Give it newness of thought and reveal unto it heavenly sciences. Breathe into it a fresh spirit and grant unto it a holier and higher purpose.
O God! Verily, Thou hast made this century radiant and in it Thou hast manifested Thy merciful effulgence. Thou hast effaced the darkness of superstitions and permitted the light of assurance to shine.
O God ! Grant that these servants may be acceptable at Thy threshold. Reveal a new heaven and spread out a new earth for habitation. Let a new Jerusalem descend from on high. Bestow new thoughts, new life upon mankind. Endow souls with new perceptions and confer upon them new virtues. Verily, Thou art the almighty, the powerful! Thou are the giver, the generous!

XXVIII

He is God!
O Thou Forgiving Lord! Although certain souls finished the days of their life in ignorance, were estranged and selfish, yet the Ocean of Thy Forgiveness is verily able to redeem and make free the sinners by one of its Waves. Thou redeemest whomsoever Thou willest and deprivest whomsoever Thou willest. Shouldst Thou deal justly, we all are sinners and deserve to be deprived; but shouldst Thou observe mercy, every sinner shall be made pure and every stranger shall become a friend. Therefore forgive, pardon and grant Thy Mercy unto all. Thou art the Forgiver, the Light-Giver, and the Compassionate!

XXIX

O God, dispel all those elements which are the cause of discord and prepare for us all those things which are the cause of unity and accord.
O God! Descend upon us heavenly fragrance and change this gathering into a gathering of heaven.
Grant to us every benefit and every food. Prepare for us the food of love. Give to us the food of knowledge. Bestow upon us the food of heavenly illumination.

XXX

O my Lord, my Hope!
Praise be unto Thee, for Thou hast sent down unto us this spiritual table, supreme benefit and heavenly blessing. O our Lord! Strengthen us to partake of this heavenly food, so that its fine essence may run through the pillars of our spiritual being and that we may thereby obtain a celestial power for serving Thy Cause, promulgating Thy signs and adorning Thy vineyard with lofty trees, the fruits whereof shall be near to gather and of perfuming fragrances. Verily Thou art the Possessor of great bounty! Verily Thou are the Clement, the Merciful!

 

XXXI

O my Lord, my Hope!
Thanks be unto Thee for these foods and benefits. O Lord! Suffer us to ascend to Thy Kingdom and to sit at the tables of thy divine world. Nourish us with the food of Thy meeting and cause us to attain to the sweetness of beholding Thy beauty, forasmuch as this is the utmost wish, the mightiest gift and the greatest bestowal. O Lord, O Lord! Make this feasible unto us. Verily Thou art the Beneficent, the Giver! Verily Thou art the Bestower, the Mighty, the Merciful.

XXXII

O God, O God, I glorify thee, O my Lord, my Hope, my beloved and the object of my life. Verily Thou knowest my humility, my evanescence, my poverty, my agitation and my shortcomings. I call on Thee with a heart overflowing with Thy love, a spirit rejoiced by the outpourings of Thy oneness, and a soul resting in Thy commemoration and praise.
O Lord, O Lord, verily these are souls who are attracted to the kingdom of Thy Holiness, hearts enkindled with the fire of Thy love and spirits soaring toward the atmosphere of Thy grace.
O Lord, O Lord, illumine our eyes with the rays of the sun of Thy reality, suffer our ears to hear, under all circumstances, the call of Thy kingdom—El-Abha.
O Lord, O Lord, make us firm in Thy Cause, humble before Thy majesty, acknowledging Thy dominion, arising in Thy service and being engaged in Thy adoration.
Verily Thou art the clement; verily Thou art the omnipotent; verily Thou art the merciful of the most merciful.

XXXIII

O God, O my Lord, I supplicate to Thee and implore in Thy presence and invoke Thee with the tongue of my conscience, my soul, my spirit, my mind, to shower down Thy merciful bestowals upon these holy souls who have gathered in this great assembly.
I beg of Thee, O my Lord, to favor them with the glances of Thy power. I entreat Thee, O my beloved, to pour upon them the rain of Thy favor from the clouds of Thy mercy. Verily these are Thy servants and Thy maidservants. Deprive them not of the sunbeams of reality; make them like waves of Thy ocean and leave them not to the darkness of themselves.
O Lord, enlighten their hearts with the Light of unity; cheer their spirits with the mystic traces of Thy knowledge; illumine their eyes with beholding Thy signs; purify their souls with the wonders of Thy majesty; inspire their consciences with the Word of Thy singleness; encircle them with Thy heavenly graces. Verily Thou art the omnipotent, the mighty. O Lord! Thou seest the hearts of humbleness before Thy dominions, the spirits attracted by Thy Holy Fragrances.
O Lord, confirm us in Thy good pleasure, assist us in Thy adoration and cause us to become worthy servants turning our faces toward the horizon of Thy singleness illumined with the rays of the sun of Thy reality.
Verily Thou art the clement, the bounteous, and verily Thou art the most merciful of the merciful!

XXXIV

Bring them together again, O Lord, by the power of Thy Covenant, and gather their dispersion by the might of Thy Promise, and unite their hearts by the dominion of Thy Love; and make them love each other so that they may sacrifice their spirits, expend their money, and give up their lives for the love of one another.
O Lord, cause to descend upon them quietness and tranquillity! Shower upon them the Clouds of Thy Mercy in great abundance, and make them to adorn themselves with the attributes of the Spiritual!
O Lord, make us firm in Thy noble command and bestow upon us Thy Gifts through Thy Bounty, Grace and Munificence. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful and the Benevolent!

XXXV

O my God! O my God! We are servants who have sincerely turned our faces unto Thy grand face, severed ourselves from all else save Thee in this great day and are assembled together in this glorious meeting, of one accord and desire, and unanimous in thought to promulgate Thy Word amid Thy creatures.
O my Lord! O my Lord! Suffer us to be signs of guidance, standards of Thy manifest Religion throughout the world, servants of Thy Great Covenant—O our exalted Lord!—appearances of Thy oneness in Thy Kingdom, the El-Abha, and stars which dawn forth unto all regions.
O Lord! Make us as seas rolling with the waves of Thy great abundance, rivers flowing from the mountains of Thy glorious Kingdom, pure fruits on the tree of Thy illustrious Cause, plants refreshed and moved by the breeze of Thy gift in Thy wonderful vineyard.
O Lord! Cause our souls to depend upon the signs of Thy Oneness, our hearts to be dilated with the bounties of Thy Singleness, so that we may become united as are ripples on a waving sea; become harmonized as are the rays which shine forth from a brilliant light; so that our thoughts, opinions and feelings become as one reality from which the spirit of accord may be diffused throughout all regions.
Verily Thou art the Beneficent, the Bestower! Verily Thou art the Giver, the Mighty, the Loving, the Merciful!

XXXVI

O kind God! Hearken to the cry of these hapless nations! O pure Lord, show Thy pity to these orphaned children! O incomparable Almighty, stop this destructive torrent! O Creator of the world and the inhabitants thereof, cause the extinction of this burning fire! O Listener to our cries, come to the rescue of the orphans! O Ideal Comforter, console the mothers whose hearts are torn and whose souls are filled with the blood of irremediable loss! O Clement and Merciful, grant the blessing of Thy grace to the weeping eyes and burning hearts of the fathers. Restore calmness to this surging tempest and change this world-encircling war into Peace and Conciliation.
Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent and the Powerful and, verily, Thou art the Seer and the Hearer!

XXXVII

O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee. The hearts are radiant through Thy Love. The thoughts and spirits are exhilarated through Thy glad-tidings.
O God! Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to the material degrees, and render this just government victorious.
Confirm this revered nation to hoist the standard of the oneness of humanity; to promulgate the Most Great Peace; to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy.
Make it near, dear to Thee, through Thy bounty and bestowal!

XXXVIII

O God! O Thou Who art the confirmer of every just power and equitable empire in eternal glory, the everlasting power, continuance, steadfastness, firmness and greatness! Strengthen by the abundance of Thy mercy every government which acts rightly towards its subjects and every dominion, given by Thee, that protects the poor and weak by its flags.
I ask Thee by the abundance of Thy holiness and that of Thy bounty, to assist this just government which hath stretched out the ropes of its tent to far and wide countries; the justice of which hath manifest its proofs throughout the well inhabited, cultivated and flourishing regions belonging to such government.
O God, strengthen its soldiers and flag, give authority and influence to its word and utterance, perfect its territories and dominions, guard its reputation, make its renown widely spread, diffuse its traces and exalt its flag by Thy conquering power and wonderful might in the Kingdom of creation.
Thou art the confirmer of whomsoever Thou willest. Verily, Thou art the powerful and the Almighty.

XXXIX

O Thou Almighty Lord! Strengthen all mankind that they may do according to the instructions and teachings recorded in these writings, so that wars and strifes may be eliminated from the world of man; that the roots of enmity may be destroyed and the foundations of love and affection be established; that the hearts may be filled with love and the souls be attracted; that wisdom may advance and the faces become brightened and illumined; and that reconciliation and peace appear; that the unity of the world of man may pitch its tent on the “apex of the horizons,” so that peoples and parties become as one nation; that different continents become as one continent and the whole earth as one land; that the sects of antagonizing and dogmatic religions be unified; that the world of creation be adorned and all the people of the earth abide in unity and peace.
Verily, Thou art the giver, the bestower, the beholder!

XL

O my God! O my God!
These are servants who have turned to Thy Kingdom and hearkened unto Thy voice. Their hearts were dilated by Thy call, responded unto Thy summons, were attracted unto Thy beauty, acknowledged Thy proofs, believed in Thy signs, confessed Thy Oneness and arose for the service of Thy Cause and the promotion of Thy Word.
O Lord! O Lord! Make them lamps of guidance, lights glistening in the supreme apex, sparkling stars in heaven, holy angels moving on earth and thriving trees bearing delicious and fragrant fruits.
O Lord! O Lord! Purify their qualities, clarify their consciousness, cleanse their hearts and illumine their faces. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Precious, the Protecting!

XLI

O Lord! O Lord! Bless this Spiritual Gathering, strengthen them by Thy power for the spreading of Thy divine fragrances, cause them to follow Thy will which is effective in the realities of all things, and aid them by a confirmation such as never hath preceded to any one in former centuries. For these are servants of Thy servants and Thou hast crowned them with this diadem, the most luminous gems of which will shine unto all the horizons.
Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Giver!


XLII

O God! O God!
Thou dost look upon us from Thine unseen Kingdom of Oneness, beholding that we have assembled in this Spiritual Meeting, believing in Thee, confident in Thy signs, firm in Thy Covenant and Testament, attracted unto Thee, set aglow with the fire of Thy love, sincere in Thy Cause, servants in Thy vineyard, spreaders of They Religion, worshipers of Thy Countenance, humble to Thy beloved, submissive at Thy door and imploring Thee to confirm us in the service of Thy chosen ones. Support us with Thine unseen hosts, strengthen our loins in Thy servitude and make us submissive and worshiping servants, communing with Thee.
O our Lord! We are weak and Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful! We are mortals and Thou art the great life-giving Spirit! We are needy and Thou art the Powerful and Sustainer!
O our Lord! Turn our faces unto Thy divine face; feed us from Thy heavenly table by Thy godly grace; help us through the hosts of Thy supreme angels and confirm us by the holy ones of the Kingdom of Abha.
Verily Thou art the Generous, the Merciful! Thou art possessor of great bounty and verily Thou art the Clement and Gracious!

XLIII

O Thou kind Lord!
These souls are Thy friends and this gathering is longing for Thee. They are captives of the lights of Thy Beauty and ecstatic by Thy musk-scented locks. Their hearts are Thine; they are Thy poor, humble and homeless; they have severed themselves from relative and stranger and have established the relationship of unity with Thee. They have adored Thee. They were sons of earth; Thou hast made them new fruits of the Kingdom. They were plants of the desert of bereavement; Thou hast made them trees of the rose-garden of knowledge. They were silent; Thou hast made them speak. They were extinct; Thou hast lighted them. They were sterile soil; Thou hast made them the rose-garden of significances. They were the children of the world of humanity; Thou hast caused them to attain development and the maturity of the Kingdom!
O kind One! Grant them shelter and security under Thy protection, preserve them from tests and trials, send them invisible help and confer upon them the doubtless bounty, O Thou kind Beloved!
They are the body and Thou art the Life. The body is dependent for its life and freshness upon the Spirit—therefore they are in need of confirmation and long for the Breaths of the Holy Spirit in this new Cause!
Thou art the Able! Thou art the Giver, the Educator, the Forgiver, the Pardoner and the Light shining from the Invisible Realm!

XLIV

O my Lord! O my Lord! These are the chosen ones whose faces are illumined with the light of guidance, who found the heavenly table pleasing to their tastes, who submitted willingly to every matter which happened in the land and sought help from the hosts of the Supreme Concourse. Their feet are indeed made firm, their banners hoisted, their deeds righteous and their actions just. O Lord! Make them fragrant plants of Thy paradise, flowers of the garden of nearness, verses of Thy glorious book, words of Thy “Published Tablet” unto the people of the world and as falcons soaring on the loftiest summit. Verily Thou art the Beneficent, the Merciful, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower!

XLV

O my God! O my God! Verily I am Thy humble servant and Thy meek slave. I beseech Thee with all my heart and soul, in the middle of nights, and declare: O my Lord! O my Lord! Enlighten the eyes by the outpouring of lights; purify the souls by the fragrances of Paradise; dilate the hearts by the wafting of the breeze whereby the sorrows are dispelled, and exhilarate the spirits by the cups of the wine which is gleaming and sparkling like unto a lamp!
Then intoxicate me with the wine of Thy love, so that I may attain to success and prosperity in this dawn of Light; may speak Thy praises, call upon Thy Name, be engaged in Thy commemoration in this vast country and spacious continent and be inebriated with the pure Wine which is glowing in the excellent Cup. Then suffer me to become the sign of guidance among Thy creatures and to become a supreme example among the believers, in order that I may lead others to Thy Word, spread Thy truth, promulgate Thy knowledge and deliver Thy teachings.
Verily, Thou art the Confirmer, the Assister, the Mighty, the Powerful and the Beneficent!”

XLVI

O Thou Pure God!
Thou art the Seer and the Hearer! Thou art the Powerful and the Mighty! The fame of Thy Most Great Cause hath traveled forth and radiated from all the horizons! The believers have the utmost joy and fragrance, and the friends are attracted to the Face of that Brilliant Orb. The tongues are engaged in Thy Commemoration and the hearts are at all times dilated with the Fragrances of Thy Holiness. The faces are all turned toward Thee; the hearts are captive of Thy Abode, and the souls are athirst for the Salubrious Water of Thy River. The call of Thy Greatest Name hath caused a mighty reverberation throughout all the kingdoms, and the Power of Thy Consummate Word hath unfurled Thy Ensign to the East and to the West! The favored ones supplicate with the utmost humility, and the righteous ones are in an attitude of soulful invocation to the Kingdom of Beauty.
O my God! Assist Thou all of them and pour upon them the showers of Thy Supreme Confirmations; so that they may become the cause of the tranquility of the world of creation; to be the servants of the human race; to become, with all their hearts and souls, the real friends of all nations; to become with the utmost joy and fragrance, the spiritual companions of the adherents of all religions; to dispel the darkness of strangeness and to spread the lights of friendship in this transitory world!
O God! Grant Thou to all of them an Asylum in Thy Neighborhood and gladden their hearts and impart to them rejoicing through Thine Incomparable Bounties! Thou are the Omnipotent and the Mighty! Thou art the Seer and the Hearer!

XLVII

O God! Thou who art kind. Verily certain souls have gathered in this meeting turning to Thee with their hearts and spirits. They are seeking the Bounty Everlasting. They are in need of Thy Mercy Infinite.
O Lord! Remove the veils from their eyes and dispel the darkness of ignorance. Confer upon them the Light of Knowledge and Wisdom. Illumine these contrite hearts with the radiance of the Sun of Reality. Make these eyes perceptive through witnessing the Lights of Thy Sovereignty. Suffer these spirits to rejoice through the great Glad Tidings and receive these souls into Thy Supreme Kingdom.
O Lord! Verily we are weak; make us mighty. We are poor; assist us from the Treasury of Thy Munificence. We are dead; resuscitate us through the breath of the Holy Spirit. We lack patience in tests and in long-suffering; permit us to attain the Lights of Oneness.
O Lord! Make this assemblage the cause of upraising the standard of the oneness of the world of humanity and confirm these souls so that they may become the promoters of international peace.
O Lord! Verily the people are veiled and in a state of contention with each other, shedding the blood and destroying the possessions of each other. Throughout the world there is war and conflict. In every direction there is strife, bloodshed and ferocity.
O Lord! Guide human souls in order that they may become loving and kind to each other; that they may enter into affiliation and serve the oneness and solidarity of humanity.
O Lord! The horizons of the world are darkened by this dissension. O God! Illumine them and through the Lights of Thy Love let the hearts become radiant. Through the blessing of Thy Bestowal resuscitate the Spirits until every soul shall perceive and act in accordance with Thy Teachings. Thou art the Almighty! Thou are the Omniscient! Thou are the Seer! O Lord be compassionate to all!

XLVIII

O my God! O my God!
This is a servant who hath ascended to the Kingdom of Thy Mercifulness; supplicated to the realm of Thy Might and Singleness; is rejoiced at the appearance of Thy Kingdom; the effulgence of Thy lights and the spread of Thy signs. He hath believed in Thy Verses, been overtaken with the ecstasy of Thy love and with the cheer of Thy affection, until his soul craved to behold Thy Beauty—and could not or was unable to endure the grief and violence of the fire of separation, hastened unto the Supreme Friend and betook himself to Thy Threshold of Holiness at the visiting places of grandeur!
O my Lord! Suffer him to abide in a blessed abode and cause him to enter into a retreat of faithfulness and favor him to everlastingly dwell in the heavenly paradise, the precinct of meeting in the shelter of Thy great mercy!
Verily, thou art the Beneficent, the Merciful, the Powerful, the Forgiving, the Mighty, the Bestower!

XLIX

O kind Lord, verily this assemblage is longing for Thee and loving Thy beauty. Verily, these friends are set aglow with the fire of Thy love and are joyful because of Thy presence. They have turned to Thy kingdom, seeking naught but Thy good pleasure, desiring naught but to pursue Thy pathway, and seeking naught save Thy good will. Not a day passes but they are occupied with Thy commemoration and are ever ready to serve Thee.
O God, illumine these hearts. O God, make joyous these lives. O Lord, suffer these souls to attain to the superlative degree of spirituality in the world of humanity. O Lord, suffer these souls to become truly distinguished, and make them the manifestors of Thy favor and the recipients of Thy good gifts. Shine upon them with Thy radiant splendor, waft over them the breeze of Thy providence, and pour upon them the rain of bestowals from the clouds of Thy generosity. Thus these souls, like the flowers of the rose garden, shall grow in verdure and freshness, and among all mankind shall they be redolent of delightful fragrance.
O Lord, confirm them all in Thy service, and aid them in guiding others to Thee. Brighten the eyes through witnessing Thy great sign; fill the ears with harmonies through Thy melodies; and refresh the nostrils through the fragrances of Thy Kingdom. Confer upon these souls the life everlasting, gathering them all together beneath the tabernacle of the oneness of the world of humanity.
Verily, Thou art the Almighty! Verily, Thou art the Powerful! Verily, Thou art the Giver of good gifts!

 

From The Universal Principles of the Reform Bahai Faith. 2008. Baha'u'llah & Abdul-Baha. Available from the Reform Bahai Press.