Go to Verses 51-100 / Go to Index, Copyright and Explanation / Go to Verses 151-190
This writeup contains verses 101-150 of the official translation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
The Kitab-I-Aqdas (or 'Most Holy Book') is the central law book of the Baha'i faith. Revealed by Baha’u’llah around 1873, it is seen by the Baha'i as expressing God's will for humanity. For more information on the Kitab-i-Aqdas see here. The rest of the Kitab-I-Aqdas is available by the following links.
Verses 1-50
Verses 51-100
Verses 151-190
The Tablet of Ishraqat The Eighth Ishraq: Considered part of the Kitab-I-Aqdas
101
O ye leaders of religion! Who is the man amongst
you that can rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he
to be found that dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by My Lord, the All-Merciful!
All on the earth shall pass away; and this is
the face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-Beloved.
102
We have decreed, O people, that the highest and
last end of all learning be the recognition of Him Who
is the Object of all knowledge; and yet, behold how ye
have allowed your learning to shut you out, as by a veil,
from Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light, through
Whom every hidden thing hath been revealed. Could
ye but discover the source whence the splendour of this
utterance is diffused, ye would cast away the peoples of
the world and all that they possess, and would draw
nigh unto this most blessed Seat of glory.
103
Say: This, verily, is the heaven in which the
Mother Book is treasured, could ye but comprehend it.
He it is Who hath caused the Rock to shout, and the
Burning Bush to lift up its voice, upon the Mount
rising above the Holy Land, and proclaim: "The
Kingdom is God's, the sovereign Lord of all, the All-Powerful,
the Loving!"
104
We have not entered any school, nor read any of
your dissertations. Incline your ears to the words of this
unlettered One, wherewith He summoneth you unto
God, the Ever-Abiding. Better is this for you than all
the treasures of the earth, could ye but comprehend it.
105
Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down
from the heaven of
Revelation, and altereth its evident
meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the
Sublime
Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the
Lucid Book.
106
It hath been enjoined upon you to pare your nails to bathe yourselves each week in water that covereth
your bodies, and to clean yourselves with whatsoever ye
have formerly employed. Take heed lest through
negligence ye fail to observe that which hath been
prescribed unto you by Him Who is the Incomparable,
the Gracious. Immerse yourselves in clean water; it is
not permissible to bathe yourselves in water that hath
already been used. See that ye approach not the public
pools of Persian baths; whoso maketh his way toward
such baths will smell their fetid odour ere he entereth
therein. Shun them, O people, and be not of those who
ignominiously accept such vileness. In truth, they are
as sinks of foulness and contamination, if ye be of them
that apprehend. Avoid ye likewise the malodorous
pools in the courtyards of Persian homes, and be ye of
the pure and sanctified. Truly, We desire to behold you
as manifestations of paradise on earth, that there may
be diffused from you such fragrance as shall rejoice the
hearts of the favoured of God. If the bather, instead of
entering the water, wash himself by pouring it upon
his body, it shall be better for him and shall absolve
him of the need for bodily immersion. The Lord,
verily, hath willed, as a bounty from His presence, to
make life easier for you that ye may be of those who are
truly thankful.
107
It is forbidden you to wed your fathers' wives. We
shrink, for very shame, from treating of the subject of
boys. Fear ye the Merciful, O peoples of the world!
Commit not that which is forbidden you in Our Holy
Tablet, and be not of those who rove distractedly in the
wilderness of their desires.
108
To none is it permitted to mutter sacred verses
before the public gaze as he walketh in the street or marketplace; nay rather, if he wish to magnify the
Lord, it behoveth him to do so in such places as have
been erected for this purpose, or in his own home. This
is more in keeping with sincerity and godliness. Thus
hath the sun of Our commandment shone forth above
the horizon of Our utterance. Blessed, then, be those
who do Our bidding.
109
Unto everyone hath been enjoined the writing of a
will. The testator should head this document with the
adornment of the Most Great Name, bear witness
therein unto the oneness of God in the Dayspring of
His Revelation, and make mention, as he may wish, of
that which is praiseworthy, so that it may be a
testimony for him in the kingdoms of Revelation and
Creation and a treasure with his Lord, the Supreme
Protector, the Faithful.
110
All Feasts have attained their consummation in
the two Most Great Festivals, and in the two other
Festivals that fall on the twin days--the first of the
Most Great Festivals being those days whereon the All-Merciful
shed upon the whole of creation the effulgent
glory of His most excellent Names and His most
exalted Attributes, and the second being that day on
which We raised up the One Who announced unto
mankind the glad tidings of this Name, through which
the dead have been resurrected and all who are in the
heavens and on earth have been gathered together.
Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the
Ordainer, the Omniscient.
111
Happy the one who entereth upon the first day of
the month of Baha, the day which God hath
consecrated to this Great Name. And blessed be he who
evidenceth on this day the bounties that God hath
bestowed upon him; he, verily, is of those who show
forth thanks to God through actions betokening the
Lord's munificence which hath encompassed all the
worlds. Say: This day, verily, is the crown of all the
months and the source thereof, the day on which the
breath of life is wafted over all created things. Great is
the blessedness of him who greeteth it with radiance
and joy. We testify that he is, in truth, among those
who are blissful.
112
Say: The Most Great Festival is, indeed, the King
of Festivals. Call ye to mind, O people, the bounty
which God hath conferred upon you. Ye were sunk in
slumber, and lo! He aroused you by the reviving
breezes of His Revelation, and made known unto you
His manifest and undeviating Path.
113
Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent
physicians; We have not set aside the use of material
means, rather have We confirmed it through this Pen,
which God hath made to be the Dawning-place of His
shining and glorious Cause.
114
God had formerly laid upon each one of the
believers the duty of offering before Our throne
priceless gifts from among his possessions. Now, in
token of Our gracious favour, We have absolved them
of this obligation. He, of a truth, is the Most
Generous, the All-Bountiful.
115
Blessed is he who, at the hour of dawn, centring
his thoughts on God, occupied with His remembrance,
and supplicating His forgiveness, directeth his steps to
the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and, entering therein, seateth
himself in silence to listen to the verses of God, the
Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Say: The
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is each and every building which
hath been erected in cities and villages for the
celebration of My praise. Such is the name by which it
hath been designated before the throne of glory, were
ye of those who understand.
116
They who recite the verses of the All-Merciful in
the most melodious of tones will perceive in them that
with which the sovereignty of earth and heaven can
never be compared. From them they will inhale the
divine fragrance of My worlds--worlds which today
none can discern save those who have been endowed
with vision through this sublime, this beauteous
Revelation. Say: These verses draw hearts that are pure
unto those spiritual worlds that can neither be
expressed in words nor intimated by allusion. Blessed
be those who hearken.
117
Assist ye, O My people, My chosen servants who
have arisen to make mention of Me among My creatures
and to exalt My Word throughout My realm. These,
truly, are the stars of the heaven of My loving
providence and the lamps of My guidance unto all
mankind. But he whose words conflict with that which
hath been sent down in My Holy Tablets is not of Me.
Beware lest ye follow any impious pretender. These
Tablets are embellished with the seal of Him Who causeth the dawn to appear, Who lifteth up His voice
between the heavens and the earth. Lay hold on this
Sure Handle and on the Cord of My mighty and
unassailable Cause.
118
The Lord hath granted leave to whosoever desireth
it that he be instructed in the divers tongues of the
world that he may deliver the Message of the Cause of
God throughout the East and throughout the West,
that he make mention of Him amidst the kindreds and
peoples of the world in such wise that hearts may revive
and the mouldering bone be quickened.
119
It is inadmissible that man, who hath been
endowed with reason, should consume that which
stealeth it away. Nay, rather it behoveth him to
comport himself in a manner worthy of the human
station, and not in accordance with the misdeeds of
every heedless and wavering soul.
120
Adorn your heads with the garlands of trustworthiness
and fidelity, your hearts with the attire of
the fear of God, your tongues with absolute truthfulness,
your bodies with the vesture of courtesy. These
are in truth seemly adornings unto the temple of man,
if ye be of them that reflect. Cling, O ye people of
Baha, to the cord of servitude unto God, the True One,
for thereby your stations shall be made manifest, your
names written and preserved, your ranks raised and
your memory exalted in the Preserved Tablet. Beware
lest the dwellers on earth hinder you from this glorious
and exalted station. Thus have We exhorted you in
most of Our Epistles and now in this, Our Holy
Tablet, above which hath beamed the Day-Star of the Laws of the Lord, your God, the Powerful, the All-Wise.
121
When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and
the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces
toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath
branched from this Ancient Root.
122
Consider the pettiness of men's minds. They ask
for that which injureth them, and cast away the thing
that profiteth them. They are, indeed, of those that are
far astray. We find some men desiring liberty, and
priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths
of ignorance.
123
Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose
flames none can quench. Thus warneth you He Who is
the Reckoner, the All-Knowing. Know ye that the
embodiment of liberty and its symbol is the animal.
That which beseemeth man is submission unto such
restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance,
and guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker.
Liberty causeth man to overstep the bounds of
propriety, and to infringe on the dignity of his station.
It debaseth him to the level of extreme depravity and
wickedness.
124
Regard men as a flock of sheep that need a
shepherd for their protection. This, verily, is the truth,
the certain truth. We approve of liberty in certain
circumstances, and refuse to sanction it in others. We,
verily, are the All-Knowing.
125
Say: True liberty consisteth in man's submission
unto My commandments, little as ye know it. Were
men to observe that which We have sent down unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a
certainty, attain unto perfect liberty. Happy is the man
that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever
He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will that
pervadeth all created things. Say: The liberty that
profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete
servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth. Whoso hath
tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all the
dominion of earth and heaven.
126
In the Bayan it had been forbidden you to ask Us
questions. The Lord hath now relieved you of this
prohibition, that ye may be free to ask what you need
to ask, but not such idle questions as those on which
the men of former times were wont to dwell. Fear God,
and be ye of the righteous! Ask ye that which shall be of
profit to you in the Cause of God and His dominion, for
the portals of His tender compassion have been opened
before all who dwell in heaven and on earth.
127
The number of months in a year, appointed in the
Book of God, is nineteen. Of these the first hath been
adorned with this Name which overshadoweth the
whole of creation.
128
The Lord hath decreed that the dead should be
interred in coffins made of crystal, of hard, resistant
stone, or of wood that is both fine and durable, and that
graven rings should be placed upon their fingers. He,
verily, is the Supreme Ordainer, the One apprised of
all.
129
The inscription on these rings should read, for
men: "Unto God belongeth all that is in the heavens
and on the earth and whatsoever is between them, and He, in truth, hath knowledge of all things"; and for
women: "Unto God belongeth the dominion of the
heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them,
and He, in truth, is potent over all things". These are
the verses that were revealed aforetime, but lo, the
Point of the Bayan now calleth out, exclaiming, "O
Best-Beloved of the worlds! Reveal Thou in their stead
such words as will waft the fragrance of Thy gracious
favours over all mankind. We have announced unto
everyone that one single word from Thee excelleth all
that hath been sent down in the Bayan. Thou, indeed,
hast power to do what pleaseth Thee. Deprive not Thy
servants of the overflowing bounties of the ocean of Thy
mercy! Thou, in truth, art He Whose grace is infinite."
Behold, We have hearkened to His call, and now fulfil
His wish. He, verily, is the Best-Beloved, the
Answerer of prayers. If the following verse, which hath
at this moment been sent down by God, be engraved
upon the burial-rings of both men and women, it shall
be better for them; We, of a certainty, are the Supreme
Ordainer: "I came forth from God, and return unto
Him, detached from all save Him, holding fast to His
Name, the Merciful, the Compassionate." Thus doth
the Lord single out whomsoever He desireth for a
bounty from His presence. He is, in very truth, the
God of might and power.
130
The Lord hath decreed, moreover, that the
deceased should be enfolded in five sheets of silk or
cotton. For those whose means are limited a single
sheet of either fabric will suffice. Thus hath it been
ordained by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. It is forbidden you to transport the body of
the deceased a greater distance than one hour's journey
from the city; rather should it be interred, with
radiance and serenity, in a nearby place.
131
God hath removed the restrictions on travel that
had been imposed in the Bayan. He, verily, is the
Unconstrained; He doeth as He pleaseth and ordaineth
whatsoever He willeth.
132
O peoples of the world! Give ear unto the call of
Him Who is the Lord of Names, Who proclaimeth
unto you from His habitation in the Most Great Prison:
"Verily, no God is there but Me, the Powerful, the
Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Most Exalted, the
Omniscient, the All-Wise." In truth, there is no God
but Him, the Omnipotent Ruler of the worlds. Were it
His Will, He would, through but a single word
proceeding from His presence, lay hold on all
mankind. Beware lest ye hesitate in your acceptance of
this Cause--a Cause before which the Concourse on
high and the dwellers of the Cities of Names have
bowed down. Fear God, and be not of those who are
shut out as by a veil. Burn ye away the veils with the
fire of My love, and dispel ye the mists of vain
imaginings by the power of this Name through which
We have subdued the entire creation.
133
Raise up and exalt the two Houses in the Twin
Hallowed Spots, and the other sites wherein the throne
of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been established.
Thus commandeth you the Lord of every understanding
heart.
134
Be watchful lest the concerns and preoccupations of this world prevent you from observing that which
hath been enjoined upon you by Him Who is the
Mighty, the Faithful. Be ye the embodiments of such
steadfastness amidst mankind that ye will not be kept
back from God by the doubts of those who disbelieved
in Him when He manifested Himself, invested with a
mighty sovereignty. Take heed lest ye be prevented by
aught that hath been recorded in the Book from
hearkening unto this, the Living Book, Who proclaimeth
the truth: "Verily, there is no God but Me,
the Most Excellent, the All-Praised." Look ye with the
eye of equity upon Him Who hath descended from the
heaven of Divine will and power, and be not of those
who act unjustly.
135
Call then to mind these words which have
streamed forth, in tribute to this Revelation, from the
Pen of Him Who was My Herald, and consider what
the hands of the oppressors have wrought throughout
My days. Truly they are numbered with the lost. He
said: "Should ye attain the presence of Him Whom We
shall make manifest, beseech ye God, in His bounty, to
grant that He might deign to seat Himself upon your
couches, for that act in itself would confer upon you
matchless and surpassing honour. Should He drink a
cup of water in your homes, this would be of greater
consequence for you than your proffering unto every
soul, nay unto every created thing, the water of its very
life. Know this, O ye My servants!"
136
Such are the words with which My Forerunner
hath extolled My Being, could ye but understand.
Whoso reflecteth upon these verses, and realizeth what hidden pearls have been enshrined within them, will,
by the righteousness of God, perceive the fragrance of
the All-Merciful wafting from the direction of this
Prison and will, with his whole heart, hasten unto Him
with such ardent longing that the hosts of earth and
heaven would be powerless to deter him. Say: This is a
Revelation around which every proof and testimony
doth circle. Thus hath it been sent down by your Lord,
the God of Mercy, if ye be of them that judge aright.
Say: This is the very soul of all Scriptures which hath
been breathed into the Pen of the Most High, causing
all created beings to be dumbfounded, save only those
who have been enraptured by the gentle breezes of My
loving-kindness and the sweet savours of My bounties
which have pervaded the whole of creation.
137
O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the Most Merciful
and consider what He hath revealed in another passage.
He said: "The Qiblih is indeed He Whom God will
make manifest; whenever He moveth, it moveth, until
He shall come to rest." Thus was it set down by the
Supreme Ordainer when He desired to make mention
of this Most Great Beauty. Meditate on this, O people,
and be not of them that wander distraught in the
wilderness of error. If ye reject Him at the bidding of
your idle fancies, where then is the Qiblih to which ye
will turn, O assemblage of the heedless? Ponder ye this
verse, and judge equitably before God, that haply ye
may glean the pearls of mysteries from the ocean that
surgeth in My Name, the All-Glorious, the Most
High.
138
Let none, in this Day, hold fast to aught save that which hath been manifested in this Revelation. Such is
the decree of God, aforetime and hereafter--a decree
wherewith the Scriptures of the Messengers of old have
been adorned. Such is the admonition of the Lord,
aforetime and hereafter--an admonition wherewith the
preamble to the Book of Life hath been embellished,
did ye but perceive it. Such is the commandment of the
Lord, aforetime and hereafter; beware lest ye choose
instead the part of ignominy and abasement. Naught
shall avail you in this Day but God, nor is there any
refuge to flee to save Him, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.
Whoso hath known Me hath known the Goal of
all desire, and whoso hath turned unto Me hath turned
unto the Object of all adoration. Thus hath it been set
forth in the Book, and thus hath it been decreed by
God, the Lord of all worlds. To read but one of the
verses of My Revelation is better than to peruse the
Scriptures of both the former and latter generations.
This is the Utterance of the All-Merciful, would that ye
had ears to hear! Say: This is the essence of knowledge,
did ye but understand.
139
And now consider what hath been revealed in yet
another passage, that perchance ye may forsake your
own concepts and set your faces towards God, the Lord
of being. He hath said: "It is unlawful to enter into
marriage save with a believer in the Bayan. Should only
one party to a marriage embrace this Cause, his or her
possessions will become unlawful to the other, until
such time as the latter hath converted. This law, however, will only take effect after the exaltation of the
Cause of Him Whom We shall manifest in truth, or of
that which hath already been made manifest in justice.
Ere this, ye are at liberty to enter into wedlock as ye
wish, that haply by this means ye may exalt the Cause
of God." Thus hath the Nightingale sung with sweet
melody upon the celestial bough, in praise of its Lord,
the All-Merciful. Well is it with them that hearken.
140
O people of the Bayan, I adjure you by your Lord,
the God of mercy, to look with the eye of fairness upon
this utterance which hath been sent down through the
power of truth, and not to be of those who see the
testimony of God yet reject and deny it. They, in
truth, are of those who will assuredly perish. The Point
of the Bayan hath explicitly made mention in this verse
of the exaltation of My Cause before His own Cause;
unto this will testify every just and understanding
mind. As ye can readily witness in this day, its
exaltation is such as none can deny save those whose
eyes are drunken in this mortal life and whom a
humiliating chastisement awaiteth in the life to come.
141
Say: By the righteousness of God! I, verily, am
His Best-Beloved; and at this moment He listeneth to
these verses descending from the Heaven of Revelation
and bewaileth the wrongs ye have committed in these
days. Fear God, and join not with the aggressor. Say: O
people, should ye choose to disbelieve in Him, refrain at least from rising up against Him. By God! Sufficient
are the hosts of tyranny that are leagued against Him!
142
Verily, He revealed certain laws so that, in this
Dispensation, the Pen of the Most High might have no
need to move in aught but the glorification of His own
transcendent Station and His most effulgent Beauty.
Since, however, We have wished to evidence Our
bounty unto you, We have, through the power of
truth, set forth these laws with clarity and mitigated
what We desire you to observe. He, verily, is the
Munificent, the Generous. 143
He hath previously made known unto you that
which would be uttered by this Dayspring of Divine
wisdom. He said, and He speaketh the truth: "He is
the One Who will under all conditions proclaim:
`Verily, there is none other God besides Me, the
One, the Incomparable, the Omniscient, the All-Informed.'"
This is a station which God hath assigned
exclusively to this sublime, this unique and wondrous
Revelation. This is a token of His bounteous favour, if
ye be of them who comprehend, and a sign of His
irresistible decree. This is His Most Great Name, His
Most Exalted Word, and the Dayspring of His Most
Excellent Titles, if ye could understand. Nay more,
through Him every Fountainhead, every Dawning-place
of Divine guidance is made manifest. Reflect, O
people, on that which hath been sent down in truth; Baha'u'llah
144
Consort with all religions with amity and concord, that they may inhale from you the sweet fragrance of
God. Beware lest amidst men the flame of foolish
ignorance overpower you. All things proceed from God
and unto Him they return. He is the source of all
things and in Him all things are ended.
145
Take heed that ye enter no house in the absence
of its owner, except with his permission. Comport
yourselves with propriety under all conditions, and be
not numbered with the wayward.
146
It hath been enjoined upon you to purify your
means of sustenance and other such things through
payment of Zakat. Thus hath it been prescribed in this
exalted Tablet by Him Who is the Revealer of verses.
We shall, if it be God's will and purpose, set forth
erelong the measure of its assessment. He, verily,
expoundeth whatsoever He desireth by virtue of His
own knowledge, and He, of a truth, is Omniscient and
All-Wise.
147
It is unlawful to beg, and it is forbidden to give to
him who beggeth. All have been enjoined to earn a
living, and as for those who are incapable of doing so, it
is incumbent on the Deputies of God and on the
wealthy to make adequate provision for them. Keep ye
the statutes and commandments of God; nay, guard
them as ye would your very eyes, and be not of those
who suffer grievous loss.
148
Ye have been forbidden in the Book of God to
engage in contention and conflict, to strike another, or
to commit similar acts whereby hearts and souls may be saddened. A fine of nineteen mithqals of gold had
formerly been prescribed by Him Who is the Lord of all
mankind for anyone who was the cause of sadness to
another; in this Dispensation, however, He hath
absolved you thereof and exhorteth you to show forth
righteousness and piety. Such is the commandment
which He hath enjoined upon you in this resplendent
Tablet. Wish not for others what ye wish not for
yourselves; fear God, and be not of the prideful. Ye are
all created out of water, and unto dust shall ye return.
Reflect upon the end that awaiteth you, and walk not
in the ways of the oppressor. Give ear unto the verses of
God which He Who is the sacred Lote-Tree reciteth
unto you. They are assuredly the infallible balance,
established by God, the Lord of this world and the
next. Through them the soul of man is caused to wing
its flight towards the Dayspring of Revelation, and the
heart of every true believer is suffused with light. Such
are the laws which God hath enjoined upon you, such
His commandments prescribed unto you in His Holy
Tablet; obey them with joy and gladness, for this is
best for you, did ye but know.
149
Recite ye the verses of God every morn and
eventide. Whoso faileth to recite them hath not been
faithful to the Covenant of God and His Testament,
and whoso turneth away from these holy verses in this
Day is of those who throughout eternity have turned
away from God. Fear ye God, O My servants, one and
all. Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses
or on a multitude of pious acts by night and day; for
were a man to read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for him than to read with lassitude
all the Holy Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Read ye the sacred verses in such measure
that ye be not overcome by languor and despondency.
Lay not upon your souls that which will weary them
and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten
and uplift them, so that they may soar on the wings of
the Divine verses towards the Dawning-place of His
manifest signs; this will draw you nearer to God, did ye
but comprehend.
150
Teach your children the verses revealed from the
heaven of majesty and power, so that, in most
melodious tones, they may recite the Tablets of the All-Merciful
in the alcoves within the Mashriqu'l-Adhkars.
Whoever hath been transported by the rapture born of
adoration for My Name, the Most Compassionate, will
recite the verses of God in such wise as to captivate the
hearts of those yet wrapped in slumber. Well is it with
him who hath quaffed the Mystic Wine of everlasting
life from the utterance of his merciful Lord in My
Name--a Name through which every lofty and
majestic mountain hath been reduced to dust.
Go to Verses 101-150 / Go to Index, Copyright and Explanation / Go to Verses 151-190