Go to Copyright, Description and Index / Go to Verses 51-100
This writeup contains verses 1-50 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 51-100
Verses 101-150
Verses 151-190
The Tablet of Ishraqat The Eighth Ishraq: Considered part of the Kitab-I-Aqdas
IN THE NAME OF HIM WHO
IS THE SUPREME RULER
OVER ALL THAT HATH BEEN
AND ALL THAT IS TO BE
1 The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is
the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of
His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who
representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His
Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this
duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived
thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of
every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who
reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of
transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him
Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are
inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other.
Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of
Divine inspiration.
2 They whom God hath endued with insight will
readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God
constitute the highest means for the maintenance of
order in the world and the security of its peoples. He
that turneth away from them is accounted among the
abject and foolish. We, verily, have commanded you to
refuse the dictates of your evil passions and corrupt desires, and not to transgress the bounds which the Pen
of the Most High hath fixed, for these are the breath of
life unto all created things. The seas of Divine wisdom
and Divine utterance have risen under the breath of the
breeze of the All-Merciful. Hasten to drink your fill, O
men of understanding! They that have violated the
Covenant of God by breaking His commandments, and
have turned back on their heels, these have erred
grievously in the sight of God, the All-Possessing, the
Most High.
3 O ye peoples of the world! Know assuredly that
My commandments are the lamps of My loving
providence among My servants, and the keys of My
mercy for My creatures. Thus hath it been sent down
from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Lord of
Revelation. Were any man to taste the sweetness of the
words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to
utter, he would, though the treasures of the earth be in
his possession, renounce them one and all, that he
might vindicate the truth of even one of His
commandments, shining above the Dayspring of His
bountiful care and loving-kindness.
4 Say: From My laws the sweet-smelling savour of
My garment can be smelled, and by their aid the
standards of Victory will be planted upon the highest
peaks. The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven
of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation
these words: "Observe My commandments, for the love
of My beauty." Happy is the lover that hath inhaled the
divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words,
laden with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe. By My life! He who hath drunk the choice
wine of fairness from the hands of My bountiful favour
will circle around My commandments that shine above
the Dayspring of My creation.
5
Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere
code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice
Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this
beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath
revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!
6
We have enjoined obligatory prayer upon you,
with nine rak'ahs, to be offered at noon and in the
morning and the evening unto God, the Revealer of
Verses. We have relieved you of a greater number, as a
command in the Book of God. He, verily, is the
Ordainer, the Omnipotent, the Unrestrained. When ye
desire to perform this prayer, turn ye towards the Court
of My Most Holy Presence, this Hallowed Spot that
God hath made the Centre round which circle the
Concourse on High, and which He hath decreed to be
the Point of Adoration for the denizens of the Cities of
Eternity, and the Source of Command unto all that are
in heaven and on earth; and when the Sun of Truth and
Utterance shall set, turn your faces towards the Spot
that We have ordained for you. He, verily, is Almighty
and Omniscient.
7
Everything that is hath come to be through His
irresistible decree. Whenever My laws appear like the
sun in the heaven of Mine utterance, they must be
faithfully obeyed by all, though My decree be such as to
cause the heaven of every religion to be cleft asunder.
He doeth what He pleaseth. He chooseth, and none may question His choice. Whatsoever He, the Well-Beloved,
ordaineth, the same is, verily, beloved. To
this He Who is the Lord of all creation beareth Me
witness. Whoso hath inhaled the sweet fragrance of the
All-Merciful, and recognized the Source of this
utterance, will welcome with his own eyes the shafts of
the enemy, that he may establish the truth of the laws
of God amongst men. Well is it with him that hath
turned thereunto, and apprehended the meaning of His
decisive decree.
8
We have set forth the details of obligatory prayer
in another Tablet. Blessed is he who observeth that
whereunto he hath been bidden by Him Who ruleth
over all mankind. In the Prayer for the Dead six specific
passages have been sent down by God, the Revealer of
Verses. Let one who is able to read recite that which
hath been revealed to precede these passages; and as for
him who is unable, God hath relieved him of this
requirement. He, of a truth, is the Mighty, the
Pardoner.
9
Hair doth not invalidate your prayer, nor aught
from which the spirit hath departed, such as bones and
the like. Ye are free to wear the fur of the sable as ye
would that of the beaver, the squirrel, and other
animals; the prohibition of its use hath stemmed, not
from the Qur'an, but from the misconceptions of the
divines. He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing.
10
We have commanded you to pray and fast from
the beginning of maturity; this is ordained by God,
your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. He hath exempted from this those who are weak from illness or
age, as a bounty from His Presence, and He is the
Forgiving, the Generous. God hath granted you leave
to prostrate yourselves on any surface that is clean, for
We have removed in this regard the limitation that had
been laid down in the Book; God, indeed, hath
knowledge of that whereof ye know naught. Let him
that findeth no water for ablution repeat five times the
words "In the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most
Pure", and then proceed to his devotions. Such is the
command of the Lord of all worlds. In regions where
the days and nights grow long, let times of prayer be
gauged by clocks and other instruments that mark the
passage of the hours. He, verily, is the Expounder, the
Wise.
11
We have absolved you from the requirement of
performing the Prayer of the Signs. On the appearance
of fearful natural events call ye to mind the might and
majesty of your Lord, He Who heareth and seeth all,
and say "Dominion is God's, the Lord of the seen and
the unseen, the Lord of creation".
12
It hath been ordained that obligatory prayer is to
be performed by each of you individually. Save in the
Prayer for the Dead, the practice of congregational
prayer hath been annulled. He, of a truth, is the
Ordainer, the All-Wise.
13
God hath exempted women who are in their
courses from obligatory prayer and fasting. Let them,
instead, after performance of their ablutions, give
praise unto God, repeating ninety-five times between
the noon of one day and the next "Glorified be God, the Lord of Splendour and Beauty". Thus hath it been
decreed in the Book, if ye be of them that comprehend.
14
When travelling, if ye should stop and rest in
some safe spot, perform ye--men and women alike--a
single prostration in place of each unsaid Obligatory
Prayer, and while prostrating say "Glorified be God,
the Lord of Might and Majesty, of Grace and Bounty".
Whoso is unable to do this, let him say only "Glorified
be God"; this shall assuredly suffice him. He is, of a
truth, the all-sufficing, the ever-abiding, the forgiving,
compassionate God. Upon completing your
prostrations, seat yourselves cross-legged--men and
women alike--and eighteen times repeat "Glorified be
God, the Lord of the kingdoms of earth and heaven".
Thus doth the Lord make plain the ways of truth and
guidance, ways that lead to one way, which is this
Straight Path. Render thanks unto God for this most
gracious favour; offer praise unto Him for this bounty
that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth; extol
Him for this mercy that hath pervaded all creation.
15
Say: God hath made My hidden love the key to the
Treasure; would that ye might perceive it! But for the
key, the Treasure would to all eternity have remained
concealed; would that ye might believe it! Say: This
is the Source of Revelation, the Dawning-place
of Splendour, Whose brightness hath illumined the
horizons of the world. Would that ye might understand!
This is, verily, that fixed Decree through which
every irrevocable decree hath been established.
16
O Pen of the Most High! Say: O people of the
world! We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period, and at its close have designated for you
Naw-Ruz as a feast. Thus hath the Day-Star of
Utterance shone forth above the horizon of the Book as
decreed by Him Who is the Lord of the beginning and
the end. Let the days in excess of the months be placed
before the month of fasting. We have ordained that
these, amid all nights and days, shall be the manifestations
of the letter Ha, and thus they have not been
bounded by the limits of the year and its months. It
behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to
provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and,
beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and
exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His
praise and magnify His Name; and when they end
--these days of giving that precede the season of
restraint--let them enter upon the Fast. Thus hath it
been ordained by Him Who is the Lord of all mankind.
The traveller, the ailing, those who are with child or
giving suck, are not bound by the Fast; they have been
exempted by God as a token of His grace. He, verily, is
the Almighty, the Most Generous.
17
These are the ordinances of God that have been set
down in the Books and Tablets by His Most Exalted
Pen. Hold ye fast unto His statutes and commandments,
and be not of those who, following their idle
fancies and vain imaginings, have clung to the
standards fixed by their own selves, and cast behind
their backs the standards laid down by God. Abstain
from food and drink from sunrise to sundown, and
beware lest desire deprive you of this grace that is
appointed in the Book.
18
It hath been ordained that every believer in God,
the Lord of Judgement, shall, each day, having washed
his hands and then his face, seat himself and, turning
unto God, repeat "Allah-u-Abha" ninety-five times.
Such was the decree of the Maker of the Heavens when,
with majesty and power, He established Himself upon
the thrones of His Names. Perform ye, likewise,
ablutions for the Obligatory Prayer; this is the
command of God, the Incomparable, the Unrestrained.
19
Ye have been forbidden to commit murder or
adultery, or to engage in backbiting or calumny; shun
ye, then, what hath been prohibited in the holy Books
and Tablets.
20
We have divided inheritance into seven categories:
to the children, We have allotted nine parts comprising
five hundred and forty shares; to the wife, eight parts
comprising four hundred and eighty shares; to the
father, seven parts comprising four hundred and twenty
shares; to the mother, six parts comprising three
hundred and sixty shares; to the brothers, five parts or
three hundred shares; to the sisters, four parts or two
hundred and forty shares; and to the teachers, three
parts or one hundred and eighty shares. Such was the
ordinance of My Forerunner, He Who extolleth My
Name in the night season and at the break of day.
When We heard the clamour of the children as yet
unborn, We doubled their share and decreased those of
the rest. He, of a truth, hath power to ordain
whatsoever He desireth, and He doeth as He pleaseth
by virtue of His sovereign might.
21
Should the deceased leave no offspring, their share shall revert to the House of Justice, to be expended by
the Trustees of the All-Merciful on the orphaned and
widowed, and on whatsoever will bring benefit to the
generality of the people, that all may give thanks unto
their Lord, the All-Gracious, the Pardoner.
22
Should the deceased leave offspring, but none of
the other categories of heirs that have been specified in
the Book, they shall receive two thirds of the
inheritance and the remaining third shall revert to the
House of Justice. Such is the command which hath
been given, in majesty and glory, by Him Who is the
All-Possessing, the Most High.
23
If the deceased should leave none of the specified
heirs, but have among his relatives nephews and nieces,
whether on his brother's or his sister's side, two thirds
of the inheritance shall pass to them; or, lacking these,
to his uncles and aunts on both his father's and his
mother's side, and after them to their sons and
daughters. The remaining third of the inheritance
shall, in any case, revert to the Seat of Justice. Thus
hath it been laid down in the Book by Him Who ruleth
over all men.
24
Should the deceased be survived by none of those
whose names have been recorded by the Pen of the Most
High, his estate shall, in its entirety, revert to the
aforementioned Seat that it may be expended on that
which is prescribed by God. He, verily, is the
Ordainer, the Omnipotent.
25
We have assigned the residence and personal
clothing of the deceased to the male, not female, offspring, nor to the other heirs. He, verily, is the
Munificent, the All-Bountiful.
26
Should the son of the deceased have passed away in
the days of his father and have left children, they will
inherit their father's share, as prescribed in the Book of
God. Divide ye their share amongst them with perfect
justice. Thus have the billows of the Ocean of
Utterance surged, casting forth the pearls of the laws
decreed by the Lord of all mankind.
27
If the deceased should leave children who are
under age, their share of the inheritance must be
entrusted to a reliable individual, or to a company, that
it may be invested on their behalf in trade and business
until they come of age. The trustee should be assigned
a due share of the profit that hath accrued to it from
being thus employed.
28
Division of the estate should take place only after
the Huququ'llah hath been paid, any debts have been
settled, the expenses of the funeral and burial defrayed,
and such provision made that the deceased may be
carried to his resting-place with dignity and honour.
Thus hath it been ordained by Him Who is Lord of the
beginning and the end.
29
Say: This is that hidden knowledge which shall
never change, since its beginning is with nine, the
symbol that betokeneth the concealed and manifest,
the inviolable and unapproachably exalted Name. As
for what We have appropriated to the children, this is a
bounty conferred on them by God, that they may
render thanks unto their Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful. These, verily, are the Laws of God; transgress
them not at the prompting of your base and selfish
desires. Observe ye the injunctions laid upon you by
Him Who is the Dawning-place of Utterance. The
sincere among His servants will regard the precepts set
forth by God as the Water of Life to the followers of
every faith, and the Lamp of wisdom and loving
providence to all the denizens of earth and heaven.
30
The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House
of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors
to the number of Baha, and should it exceed this
number it doth not matter. They should consider
themselves as entering the Court of the presence of
God, the Exalted, the Most High, and as beholding
Him Who is the Unseen. It behoveth them to be the
trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard
themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all
that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take
counsel together and to have regard for the interests of
the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard
their own interests, and to choose that which is meet
and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded
you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly
revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive.
31
O people of the world! Build ye houses of worship
throughout the lands in the name of Him Who is the
Lord of all religions. Make them as perfect as is possible
in the world of being, and adorn them with that which
befitteth them, not with images and effigies. Then,
with radiance and joy, celebrate therein the praise of
your Lord, the Most Compassionate. Verily, by His remembrance the eye is cheered and the heart is filled
with light.
32
The Lord hath ordained that those of you who are
able shall make pilgrimage to the sacred House, and
from this He hath exempted women as a mercy on His
part. He, of a truth, is the All-Bountiful, the Most
Generous.
33
O people of Baha! It is incumbent upon each one
of you to engage in some occupation--such as a craft, a
trade or the like. We have exalted your engagement in
such work to the rank of worship of the one true God.
Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of your
Lord, and yield Him thanks at eventide and dawn.
Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupy
yourselves with what will profit you and others. Thus
hath it been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon
hath shone the day-star of wisdom and utterance. The
most despised of men in the sight of God are they who
sit and beg. Hold ye fast unto the cord of means and
place your trust in God, the Provider of all means.
34
The kissing of hands hath been forbidden in the
Book. This practice is prohibited by God, the Lord of
glory and command. To none is it permitted to seek
absolution from another soul; let repentance be between
yourselves and God. He, verily, is the Pardoner, the
Bounteous, the Gracious, the One Who absolveth the
repentant.
35
O ye servants of the Merciful One! Arise to serve
the Cause of God, in such wise that the cares and
sorrows caused by them that have disbelieved in the
Dayspring of the Signs of God may not afflict you. At the time when the Promise was fulfilled and the
Promised One made manifest, differences have
appeared amongst the kindreds of the earth and each
people hath followed its own fancy and idle imaginings.
36
Amongst the people is he who seateth himself
amid the sandals by the door whilst coveting in his
heart the seat of honour. Say: What manner of man art
thou, O vain and heedless one, who wouldst appear as
other than thou art? And among the people is he who
layeth claim to inner knowledge, and still deeper
knowledge concealed within this knowledge. Say:
Thou speakest false! By God! What thou dost possess is
naught but husks which We have left to thee as bones
are left to dogs. By the righteousness of the one true
God! Were anyone to wash the feet of all mankind, and
were he to worship God in the forests, valleys, and
mountains, upon high hills and lofty peaks, to leave no
rock or tree, no clod of earth, but was a witness to his
worship--yet, should the fragrance of My good
pleasure not be inhaled from him, his works would
never be acceptable unto God. Thus hath it been
decreed by Him Who is the Lord of all. How many a
man hath secluded himself in the climes of India,
denied himself the things that God hath decreed as
lawful, imposed upon himself austerities and mortifications,
and hath not been remembered by God, the
Revealer of Verses. Make not your deeds as snares
wherewith to entrap the object of your aspiration, and
deprive not yourselves of this Ultimate Objective for
which have ever yearned all such as have drawn nigh unto God. Say: The very life of all deeds is My good
pleasure, and all things depend upon Mine acceptance.
Read ye the Tablets that ye may know what hath been
purposed in the Books of God, the All-Glorious, the
Ever-Bounteous. He who attaineth to My love hath
title to a throne of gold, to sit thereon in honour over
all the world; he who is deprived thereof, though he sit
upon the dust, that dust would seek refuge with God,
the Lord of all Religions.
37
Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from
God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a
man is assuredly a lying impostor. We pray God that
He may graciously assist him to retract and repudiate
such claim. Should he repent, God will, no doubt,
forgive him. If, however, he persisteth in his error,
God will, assuredly, send down one who will deal
mercilessly with him. Terrible, indeed, is God in
punishing! Whosoever interpreteth this verse otherwise
than its obvious meaning is deprived of the Spirit of
God and of His mercy which encompasseth all created
things. Fear God, and follow not your idle fancies.
Nay, rather, follow the bidding of your Lord, the
Almighty, the All-Wise. Erelong shall clamorous
voices be raised in most lands. Shun them, O My
people, and follow not the iniquitous and evil-hearted.
This is that of which We gave you forewarning when
We were dwelling in Iraq, then later while in the Land
of Mystery, and now from this Resplendent Spot.
38
Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when
the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My
tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We
are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you
through the power of truth. We are truly almighty.
Whoso hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me
with such determination that the powers of earth and
heaven shall be unable to defeat his purpose.
39
The peoples of the world are fast asleep. Were they
to wake from their slumber, they would hasten with
eagerness unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
They would cast away everything they possess, be it all
the treasures of the earth, that their Lord may
remember them to the extent of addressing to them but
one word. Such is the instruction given you by Him
Who holdeth the knowledge of things hidden, in a
Tablet which the eye of creation hath not seen, and
which is revealed to none except His own Self, the
omnipotent Protector of all worlds. So bewildered are
they in the drunkenness of their evil desires, that they
are powerless to recognize the Lord of all being, Whose
voice calleth aloud from every direction: "There is none
other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Wise."
40
Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight
they are yours, tomorrow others will possess them.
Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is
lasting or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful, ye
cannot, if ye be of them who judge fairly. The days of
your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your
pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp
and glory of those gone before you. Reflect, O people!
What hath become of your bygone days, your lost centuries? Happy the days that have been consecrated
to the remembrance of God, and blessed the hours
which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the All-Wise.
By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor
the wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the
ungodly will endure. All will perish, at a word from
Him. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling,
the Almighty. What advantage is there in
the earthly things which men possess? That which shall
profit them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they
will awake from their slumber, and find themselves
unable to obtain that which hath escaped them in the
days of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Did
they but know it, they would renounce their all, that
their names may be mentioned before His throne.
They, verily, are accounted among the dead.
41
Amongst the people is he whose learning hath
made him proud, and who hath been debarred thereby
from recognizing My Name, the Self-Subsisting; who,
when he heareth the tread of sandals following behind
him, waxeth greater in his own esteem than Nimrod.
Say: O rejected one! Where now is his abode? By God,
it is the nethermost fire. Say: O concourse of divines!
Hear ye not the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen?
See ye not this Sun that shineth in refulgent splendour
above the All-Glorious Horizon? For how long will ye
worship the idols of your evil passions? Forsake your
vain imaginings, and turn yourselves unto God, your
Everlasting Lord.
42
Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God,
the Revealer of Signs. None hath the right to dispose of them without leave from Him Who is the Dawning-place
of Revelation. After Him, this authority shall
pass to the Aghsan, and after them to the House of
Justice--should it be established in the world by
then--that they may use these endowments for the
benefit of the Places which have been exalted in this
Cause, and for whatsoever hath been enjoined upon
them by Him Who is the God of might and power.
Otherwise, the endowments shall revert to the people
of Baha who speak not except by His leave and judge
not save in accordance with what God hath decreed in
this Tablet--lo, they are the champions of victory
betwixt heaven and earth--that they may use them in
the manner that hath been laid down in the Book by
God, the Mighty, the Bountiful.
43
Lament not in your hours of trial, neither rejoice
therein; seek ye the Middle Way which is the
remembrance of Me in your afflictions and reflection
over that which may befall you in future. Thus
informeth you He Who is the Omniscient, He Who is
aware.
44
Shave not your heads; God hath adorned them
with hair, and in this there are signs from the Lord of
creation to those who reflect upon the requirements of
nature. He, verily, is the God of strength and wisdom.
Notwithstanding, it is not seemly to let the hair pass
beyond the limit of the ears. Thus hath it been decreed
by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds.
45
Exile and imprisonment are decreed for the thief,
and, on the third offence, place ye a mark upon his brow so that, thus identified, he may not be accepted in
the cities of God and His countries. Beware lest,
through compassion, ye neglect to carry out the
statutes of the religion of God; do that which hath been
bidden you by Him Who is compassionate and
merciful. We school you with the rod of wisdom and
laws, like unto the father who educateth his son, and
this for naught but the protection of your own selves
and the elevation of your stations. By My life, were ye
to discover what We have desired for you in revealing
Our holy laws, ye would offer up your very souls for
this sacred, this mighty, and most exalted Faith.
46
Whoso wisheth to make use of vessels of silver and
gold is at liberty to do so. Take heed lest, when
partaking of food, ye plunge your hands into the
contents of bowls and platters. Adopt ye such usages as
are most in keeping with refinement. He, verily,
desireth to see in you the manners of the inmates of
Paradise in His mighty and most sublime Kingdom.
Hold ye fast unto refinement under all conditions, that
your eyes may be preserved from beholding what is
repugnant both to your own selves and to the dwellers
of Paradise. Should anyone depart therefrom, his deed
shall at that moment be rendered vain; yet should he
have good reason, God will excuse him. He, in truth,
is the Gracious, the Most Bountiful.
47
He Who is the Dawning-place of God's Cause
hath no partner in the Most Great Infallibility. He it is
Who, in the kingdom of creation, is the Manifestation
of "He doeth whatsoever He willeth". God hath
reserved this distinction unto His own Self, and ordained for none a share in so sublime and transcendent
a station. This is the Decree of God, concealed ere
now within the veil of impenetrable mystery. We have
disclosed it in this Revelation, and have thereby rent
asunder the veils of such as have failed to recognize that
which the Book of God set forth and who were
numbered with the heedless.
48
Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction
of his son and daughter in the art of reading and
writing and in all that hath been laid down in the Holy
Tablet. He that putteth away that which is commanded
unto him, the Trustees are then to take from
him that which is required for their instruction if he be
wealthy and, if not, the matter devolveth upon the
House of Justice. Verily have We made it a shelter for
the poor and needy. He that bringeth up his son or the
son of another, it is as though he hath brought up a son
of Mine; upon him rest My glory, My loving-kindness,
My mercy, that have compassed the world.
49
God hath imposed a fine on every adulterer and
adulteress, to be paid to the House of Justice: nine
mithqals of gold, to be doubled if they should repeat
the offence. Such is the penalty which He Who is the
Lord of Names hath assigned them in this world; and in
the world to come He hath ordained for them a
humiliating torment. Should anyone be afflicted by a
sin, it behoveth him to repent thereof and return unto
his Lord. He, verily, granteth forgiveness unto
whomsoever He willeth, and none may question that
which it pleaseth Him to ordain. He is, in truth, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Almighty, the All-Praised.
50
Beware lest ye be hindered by the veils of glory
from partaking of the crystal waters of this living
Fountain. Seize ye the chalice of salvation at this
dawntide in the name of Him Who causeth the day to
break, and drink your fill in praise of Him Who is the
All-Glorious, the Incomparable.
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