Suriy-i-Muluk/Page1

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Paragraph Arabic Authorized GPT4_
1
هُوَ العَزِيزُ (edit)
 HE IS THE ALMIGHTY! (edit) He is the Almighty. (edit)
2
هَذَا كِتَابٌ مِنْ هذَا العَبْدِ الَّذِي سُمِّيَ بِالْحُسَيْنِ فِي مَلَكُوتِ الأَسْمَاءِ إِلَى مُلُوكِ الأَرْضِ كُلِّهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ، لَعَلَّ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيهِ بِنَظْرَةِ الشَّفَقَةِ وَيَطَّلِعُونَ بِما فِيهِ مِنْ أَسْرارِ القَضاءِ وَيَكُونُنَّ مِنَ العارِفينَ، وَلعَلّ يَنْقَطِعُونَ عَمَّا عِنْدَهُمْ وَيَتَوَجَّهُونَ إِلى مَوَاطِنِ القُدْسِ وَيُقَرَّبُونَ إِلَى اللهِ الْعَزِيزِ الجَمِيلِ. (edit)
 THIS is a Tablet from this Servant, who is called Ḥusayn in the kingdom of names, to the concourse of the kings of the earth. Haply they may approach it in a spirit of open-mindedness, discover from its message the mysteries of divine providence, and be of those that comprehend its meaning, and perchance they may forsake all they possess, turn towards the retreats of holiness, and draw nigh unto God, the All-Glorious, the Incomparable. (edit) This is a Book from this servant, who has been named Husayn in the Kingdom of Names, to all the kings of the earth collectively, so that they may look upon it with an eye of compassion and delve into its contents to discover the mysteries of destiny and be among those who know. And perhaps they will detach themselves from what they possess and turn towards the sanctified realms, drawing nearer to God, the Almighty, the Beautiful. (edit)
3
أَنْ يَا مُلُوكَ الأَرْضِ اسْمَعُوا نِدَاءَ اللهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ المُثْمِرَةِ المَرْفُوعَةِ الَّتِي نَبَتَتْ عَلَى أَرْضِ كَثِيبِ الحَمْرَاءِ بَرِّيَّةِ القُدْسِ وَتَغَنُّ بِأَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزيزُ المُقْتَدِرُ الحَكِيمُ، هَذِهِ بُقْعَةٌ الَّتِي باَرَكَهَا اللهُ لِوارِدِيْهَا وَفِيهَا يُسْمَعُ نِدَاءُ اللهِ مِن سِدْرَةِ قُدْسٍ رَفِيعٍ، اتَّقُوا اللهَ يا مَعْشَرَ المُلُوكِ وَلا تَحْرِمُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ عَنْ هذَا الفَضْلِ الأَكْبَرِ فَأَلْقُوا ما فِي أَيْدِيكُم فَتَمَسَّكُوا بِعُرْوَةِ اللهِ العَلِيِّ العَظِيمِ وَتَوَجَّهُوا بِقُلُوبِكُم إِلى وَجْهِ اللهِ ثُمَّ اتْرُكُوا ما أَمَرَكُمْ بِهِ هَوَاكُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الخَاسِرينَ. (edit)
 O kings of the earth! Give ear unto the Voice of God, calling from this sublime, this fruit-laden Tree, that hath sprung out of the Crimson Hill, upon the holy Plain, intoning the words: “There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.” This is a Spot which hath been sanctified by God for those who approach it, a Spot wherein His Voice may be heard from the celestial Tree of Holiness. Fear God, O concourse of kings, and suffer not yourselves to be deprived of this most sublime grace. Fling away, then, the things ye possess, and take fast hold on the Handle of God, the Exalted, the Great. Set your hearts towards the Face of God, and abandon that which your desires have bidden you to follow, and be not of those who perish. (edit) O kings of the earth! Hearken to the call of God from this fruit-bearing, exalted tree which has sprung up on the soil of the crimson dune, the wilderness of the Holy Land, and proclaim that there is no god but Him, the Almighty, the Omnipotent, the Wise. This is the spot which God has blessed for its visitors, and from it the call of God is heard from the lofty, sacred Lote-Tree. Fear God, O assembly of kings, and do not deprive yourselves of this greatest bounty. Cast aside what you hold in your hands, and cling to the handle of God, the Most High, the Supreme. Turn your hearts towards the countenance of God, then abandon what your desires have commanded you to do, and be not among the losers. (edit)
4
أَنْ يَا عَبْدُ فَاذْكُرْ لَهُمْ نَبَأَ عَلِيٍّ إِذْ جَاءَهُم بِالحَقِّ وَمَعَهُ كِتابُ عِزٍّ حَكِيمٍ، وَفِي يَدَيْهِ حُجَّةٌ مِنَ اللهِ وَبُرهانُهُ وَدَلائِلُ قُدْسٍ كَريمٍ، وَأَنْتُم يَا أَيُّها المُلُوكُ ما تَذَكَّرْتُم بِذِكْرِ اللهِ في أَيَّامِهِ وَمَا اهْتَدَيْتُم بِأَنْوارِ الَّتِي ظَهَرَتْ وَلاحَتْ عَنْ أُفُقِ سَماءٍ مُنِيرٍ، وَمَا تَجَسَّسْتُم في أَمْرِهِ بَعْدَ الّذِي كَانَ هذا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عَمَّا تَطْلُعُ الشَّمْسُ عَلَيْها إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ الْعَالِمينَ، وَكُنْتُمْ في غَفْلَةٍ عَنْ ذلِكَ إِلَى أَنْ أَفْتَوْا عَلَيْهِ عُلَمَاءُ العَجَمِ وَقَتَلُوهُ بِالظُّلْمِ هؤُلاءِ الظَّالِمينَ، وَاستَرْقَى رُوحُهُ إِلى اللهِ وَبَكَتْ مِنْ هذا الظُّلْمِ عُيونُ أَهْلِ الفِرْدَوْسِ ثُمَّ مَلئِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ، إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ لا تَغْفَلُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ كَما غَفَلْتُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَارْجِعُوا إِلَى اللهِ بارِئِكُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الْغافِلينَ، قُلْ قَدْ أَشْرَقَتْ شَمْسُ الوَلايَةِ وَفُصِّلَتْ نُقْطَةُ العِلْمِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ وَظَهَرَتْ حُجَّةُ اللهِ العَزِيزِ الحَكِيمِ، قُلْ قَدْ لاحَ قَمَرُ البَقاءِ في قُطْبِ السَّماءِ وَاستَضاءَتْ مِنهُ أَهْلُ مَلأ العَالينَ، وَقَدْ ظَهَرَ الوَجْهُ عَنْ خَلْفِ الحُجُباتِ وَاسْتَنارَ مِنْهُ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرَضِينَ، وَأَنْتُمْ ما تَوَجَّهْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ بَعدَ الَّذِي خُلِقْتُمْ لَهُ يا مَعْشَرَ السَّلاطِين، إِذاً اَتَّبِعُوا قَوْلِي ثُمَّ اسْمَعُوهِ بِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُعْرِضِينَ لأَنَّ افْتِخَارَكُمْ لَمْ يَكُنْ في سَلْطَنَتِكُمْ بَلْ بِقُرْبِكُمْ إِلى اللهِ وَاتِّباعِكُمْ أَمْرَهُ فِي ما نُزِّلَ عَلَى أَلْواحِ قُدْسٍ حَفِيظٍ، وَلَوْ أَنَّ واحِداً مِنْكُمْ يَحْكُمُ عَلَى الأَرْضِ كُلِّهَا وَكُلِّ ما فِيهَا وَعَلَيْهَا مِنْ بَحْرِها وَبَرِّها وَجَبَلِها وَسَهَلِها وَلَنْ يُذْكَرَ عِنْدَ اللهِ ما يَنْفَعُهُ شَيْءٌ مِنْ ذلِكَ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ الْعارِفِينَ، وَاعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّ شَرافَةَ الْعَبْدِ في قُرْبِهِ إِلى اللهِ وَمِنْ دُونِ ذلِكَ لَنْ يَنْفَعَهُ أَبَداً وَلَوْ يَحْكُمُ عَلى الخَلائِقِ أَجْمَعِينَ، قُلْ قَدْ هَبَّتْ عَلَيْكُمْ نَسَائِمُ اللهِ عَنْ شَطْرِ الفِرْدَوسِ وَأَنْتُمْ في غَفْلَةٍ عَنْها وَكُنْتُمْ مِنَ الْغافِلينَ، وَقَدْ جَاءَتْكُمُ الهِدَايَةُ مِنَ اللهِ وَأَنْتُمْ ما اسْتَهْدَيْتُم بِها وَكُنْتُمْ مِنَ الْمُعرِضينَ، وَقَدْ أَضَاءَ سِراجُ اللهِ في مِشْكَوةِ الأَمْرِ وَأَنْتُمْ ما اَسْتَنْوَرْتُم بِهِ وَما تَقَرَّبْتُم إِلَيْهِ وَكُنْتُم عَلَى فِراشِ الغَفْلَةِ لِمَنَ الرَّاقِدينَ، إِذاً قُومُوا بِرِجلِ الاسْتِقامَةِ وَتَدارَكُوا مَا فَاتَ عَنْكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْبِلُوا إِلى ساحَةِ القُدْسِ في شاطِئِ بَحْرٍ عَظيمٍ لِيَظْهَرَ لَكُمْ لَئَالِئُ العِلْمِ وَالحِكْمَةِ الَّتِي كَنَزَهَا اللهُ في صَدَفِ صَدْرٍ مُنيرٍ، هذا خَيْرُ النُّصْحِ لَكُمْ فاجْعَلُوهُ بِضَاعَةً لأَنْفُسِكُم لِتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُهْتَدينَ، إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ لا تَمْنَعُوا عَنْ قُلُوبِكُم نَسْمَةَ اللهِ الَّتِي بِهَا تَحْيَى قُلُوبُ المُقبِلينَ، فَاسْتَمِعُوا ما أنْصَحْناكُمْ بِهِ في هذا اللَّوْحِ لَيَسْمَعَ اللهُ عَنْكُمْ وَيَفْتَحَ عَلى وُجُوهِكُم أَبْوابَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَإِنَّهُ لَهُوَ الرَّحْمنُ الرَّحِيمُ، اتَّقُوا اللهَ يَا أَيُّهاَ المُلُوكُ وَلا تَتَجاوَزُوا عَنْ حُدُودِ اللهِ ثُمَّ اتَّبِعُوا بِمَا أُمِرْتُمْ بِهِ في الكِتابِ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُتَجاوِزينَ، إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ لا تَظْلِمُوا عَلى أَحَدٍ قَدْرَ خَرْدَلٍ وَاسْلُكُوا سَبيلَ العَدلِ وَإِنَّهُ لَسَبيلٌ مُسْتَقيمٌ، ثُمّ أَصْلِحوُا ذَاتَ بَيْنَكُم وَقَلِّلُوا فِي العَسَاكِرِ لِيَقِلَّ مَصارِفُكُمْ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُسْتَريحينَ، وَإِنْ تَرتَفِعُوا الاخْتِلافَ بَيْنَكُمْ لَنْ تَحْتَاجُوا إِلى كَثْرَةِ الجُيُوشِ إِلَّا عَلَى قَدْرٍ الّذي تَحرُسُونَ بِها بُلدَانَكُمْ وَمَمالِكَكُمْ اتّقُوا اللهَ وَلا تُسْرِفُوا في شَيءٍ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُسْرِفينَ، وَعَلِمْنا بِأَنَّكُم تَزْدَادوُنَ مَصارِفَكُمْ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَتُحَمِّلُونَها عَلَى الرَّعِيَّةِ وَهذا فَوْقَ طاقَتِهِمْ وَإِنَّ هذا لَظُلْمٌ عَظيمٌ، اعْدِلُوا يَا أَيُها المُلُوكُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَكُونُوا مَظاهِرَ العَدلِ في الأَرْضِ وَهذا يَنْبَغي لَكُمْ وَيَليقُ لِشَأنِكُم لَوْ أَنْتُم مِنَ المُنْصِفينَ، إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ لا تَظلِمُوا عَلَى الّذينَ هُمْ هاجَرُوا إِلَيْكُمْ وَدَخَلُوا في ظِلِّكُمْ اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَكُونُوا مِنَ المُتَّقينَ، لا تَطْمَئِنُّوا بِقُدْرَتِكُم وَعَسَاكِرِكُمْ وَخَزائِنِكُم فَاطمَئِنُّوا بِاللهِ بارِئِكُمْ ثُمَّ اسْتَنْصِرُوا بِهِ في أُمُورِكُمْ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ بِجُنُودِ السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرَضينَ، ثُمَّ اعلَمُوا بِأَنَّ الفُقَراءَ أَمَانَاتُ اللهِ بَيْنَكُم إِيَّاكُم أَنْ لا تَخانُوا في أَمَانَاتِهِ وَلا تَظْلِمُوهُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الخَائِنينَ، ستُسْئَلُونَ عَنْ أَمَانتِهِ في يَوْمِ الَّذِي تُنْصَبُ فِيهِ مِيزانُ العَدْلِ وَيُؤْتَى كُلُّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ وَيُوزَنُ فيهِ كُلُّ الأَعْمالِ مِنْ كُلِّ غَنِيٍّ وَفَقيرٍ، وَإِنْ لَنْ تَسْتَنْصِحُوا بِما أَنْصَحْناكُمْ في هذا الكِتابِ بِلِسانِ بِدْعٍ مُبينٍ يَأخُذُكُمُ العَذَابُ مِنْ كُلِّ الجِهاتِ وَيَأتِيكُمُ اللهُ بعَدْلِهِ إذاً لا تَقْدِرُونَ أَنْ تَقُومُوا مَعَهُ وَتَكُونُنُّ مِنَ العَاجِزينَ، فَارْحَموُا عَلى أنفُسِكُمْ وَأنْفُسِ العِبادِ ثُمَّ احْكُمُوا بَيْنهُم بِمَا حَكَمَ اللهُ في لَوْحِ قُدْسٍ مَنيعٍ الَّذي قُدِّرَ فيهِ مَقادِيرُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَفُصِّلَ فِيهِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ تَفْصِيلاً وَذِكْرَى لِعِبادِهِ المُوقنينَ، ثُمَّ اسْتَبصِرُوا في أمْرِنا وَتَبَيَّنُوا فِي ما وَرَدَ عَلَيْنا ثُمَّ احْكُمُوا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ أعْدائِنا بِالعَدْلِ وَكُونُوا مِنَ العادِلينَ، وَإِنْ لَنْ تَمْنَعُوا الظَّالِمَ عَنْ ظُلْمِهِ وَلَنْ تَأْخُذُوا حَقَّ المَظلُومِ فَبِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ تَفْتَخِرُونَ بَيْنَ العِبادِ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُفْتَخِرينَ، أَيَكُونُ افْتِخَارُكُمْ بِأَنْ تَأكُلُوا وَتَشْرَبوُا وَتَجْتَمِعُوا الزَّخَارِفَ في خَزَائِنِكُم أَوِ ٱلتَّزَيُّنَ بِأَحْجارِ الحُمرِ وَالصُّفْرِ أَوْ لُؤْلُؤٍ بيضٍ ثَمِينٍ وَلَوْ كانَ الافتِخارُ بِهذِهِ الاَشْياءِ الفَانِيةِ فَينْبَغِي لِلتُّرابِ أَنْ يفْتَخِرَ عَلَيْكُم لأَنَّهُ يَبْذُلُ وَيُنفِقُ عَلَيْكُمْ كُلَّ ذلِكَ مِنْ مُقَدِّرٍ قَديرٍ وَقَدَّرَ اللهُ كُلَّ ذلِكَ في بَطْنِهِ وَيُخْرِجُ لَكُمْ مِنْ فَضلِهِ إِذاً فانْظُرُوا في شَأْنِكُمْ وَما تَفْتَخِرُونَ بِهِ إِنْ أَنْتُم مِنَ النَّاظِرينَ، لا فَوَ الَّذي في قَبْضَتِهِ جَبرُوتُ المُمْكِناتِ لَمْ يَكُنِ الفَخْرُ لَكُمْ إِلَّا بِأَنْ تَتَّبِعُوا سُنَنَ اللهِ في أَنفُسِكُم وَلا تَدَعُوا أَحْكَامَ اللهِ بَينَكُمْ مَهجُورًا وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الرّاشِدينَ. (edit)
 3Relate unto them, O Servant, the story of ‘Alí,1 when He came unto them with truth, bearing His glorious and weighty Book, and holding in His hands a testimony and proof from God, and holy and blessed tokens from Him. Ye, however, O kings, have failed to heed the Remembrance of God in His days and to be guided by the lights which arose and shone forth above the horizon of a resplendent Heaven. Ye examined not His Cause when so to do would have been better for you than all that the sun shineth upon, could ye but perceive it. Ye remained careless until the divines of Persia—those cruel ones—pronounced judgement against Him, and unjustly slew Him. His spirit ascended unto God, and the eyes of the inmates of Paradise and the angels that are nigh unto Him wept sore by reason of this cruelty. Beware that ye be not careless henceforth as ye have been careless aforetime. Return, then, unto God, your Maker, and be not of the heedless.

4Say: The Sun of vicegerency hath dawned, the Point of knowledge and wisdom hath been made plain, and the Testimony of God, the Almighty, the All-Wise, hath been made manifest. Say: The Moon of eternity hath risen in the midmost heaven, and its light hath illumined the dwellers of the realms above. My face hath come forth from the veils, and shed its radiance upon all that is in heaven and on earth; and yet, ye turned not towards Him, notwithstanding that ye were created for Him, O concourse of kings! Follow, therefore, that which I speak unto you, and hearken unto it with your hearts, and be not of such as have turned aside. For your glory consisteth not in your sovereignty, but rather in your nearness unto God and your observance of His command as sent down in His holy and preserved Tablets. Should any one of you rule over the whole earth, and over all that lieth within it and upon it, its seas, its lands, its mountains, and its plains, and yet be not remembered by God, all these would profit him not, could ye but know it.

5Know ye that a servant’s glory resideth in his nearness unto God, and that, unless he draweth nigh unto Him, naught else can ever profit him, even should he hold sway over the entire creation. Say: The breeze of God hath wafted over you from the retreats of Paradise, but ye have neglected it and chosen to persist in your waywardness. Guidance hath been given unto you from God, but ye have failed to follow it and preferred to reject its truth. The Lamp of God hath been lit within the niche of His Cause, but ye have neglected to seek the radiance of its glory and to draw nigh unto its light. And still ye slumber upon the couch of heedlessness!

6Arise, then, and make steadfast your feet, and make ye amends for that which hath escaped you, and set then yourselves towards His holy Court, on the shore of His mighty Ocean, so that the pearls of knowledge and wisdom, which God hath stored up within the shell of His radiant heart, may be revealed unto you. Such is the counsel that shall profit you most; make of it your provision, that ye may be of those who are guided aright. Beware lest ye hinder the breeze of God from blowing over your hearts, the breeze through which the hearts of such as have turned unto Him can be quickened. Hearken unto the clear admonitions that We have revealed for you in this Tablet, that God, in turn, may hearken unto you, and may open before your faces the portals of His mercy. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Merciful.

7Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of the earth, and beware that ye transgress not the bounds which the Almighty hath fixed. Observe the injunctions laid upon you in His Book, and take good heed not to overstep their limits. Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the straight path.

8Compose your differences and reduce your armaments, that the burden of your expenditures may be lightened, and that your minds and hearts may be tranquillized. Heal the dissensions that divide you, and ye will no longer be in need of any armaments except what the protection of your cities and territories demandeth. Fear ye God, and take heed not to outstrip the bounds of moderation and be numbered among the extravagant.

9We have learned that ye are increasing your outlay every year, and are laying the burden thereof on your subjects. This, verily, is more than they can bear, and is a grievous injustice. Decide justly between men, O kings, and be ye the emblems of justice amongst them. This, if ye judge fairly, is the thing that behoveth you, and beseemeth your station.

10Beware not to deal unjustly with anyone that appealeth to you and entereth beneath your shadow. Walk ye in the fear of God, and be ye of them that lead a godly life. Rest not on your power, your armies, and treasures. Put your whole trust and confidence in God, Who hath created you, and seek ye His help in all your affairs. Succour cometh from Him alone. He succoureth whom He willeth with the hosts of the heavens and of the earth.

11Know ye that the poor are the trust of God in your midst. Watch that ye betray not His trust, that ye deal not unjustly with them and that ye walk not in the ways of the treacherous. Ye will most certainly be called upon to answer for His trust on the day when the Balance of Justice shall be set, the day when unto everyone shall be rendered his due, when the doings of all men, be they rich or poor, shall be weighed.

12If ye pay no heed unto the counsels which, in peerless and unequivocal language, We have revealed in this Tablet, Divine chastisement shall assail you from every direction, and the sentence of His justice shall be pronounced against you. On that day ye shall have no power to resist Him, and shall recognize your own impotence. Have mercy on yourselves and on those beneath you, and judge ye between them according to the precepts prescribed by God in His most holy and exalted Tablet, a Tablet wherein He hath assigned to each and every thing its settled measure, in which He hath given, with distinctness, an explanation of all things, and which is in itself a monition unto them that believe in Him.

13Examine Our Cause, inquire into the things that have befallen Us, and decide justly between Us and Our enemies, and be ye of them that act equitably towards their neighbour. If ye stay not the hand of the oppressor, if ye fail to safeguard the rights of the downtrodden, what right have ye then to vaunt yourselves among men? What is it of which ye can rightly boast? Is it on your food and your drink that ye pride yourselves, on the riches ye lay up in your treasuries, on the diversity and the cost of the ornaments with which ye deck yourselves? If true glory were to consist in the possession of such perishable things, then the earth on which ye walk must needs vaunt itself over you, because it supplieth you, and bestoweth upon you, these very things, by the decree of the Almighty. In its bowels are contained, according to what God hath ordained, all that ye possess. From it, as a sign of His mercy, ye derive your riches. Behold then your state, the thing in which ye glory! Would that ye could perceive it!

14Nay, by Him Who holdeth in His grasp the kingdom of the entire creation! Nowhere doth your true and abiding glory reside except in your firm adherence unto the precepts of God, your wholehearted observance of His laws, your resolution to see that they do not remain unenforced, and to pursue steadfastly the right course. (edit)

O servant, recount to them the story of Ali, who came to them with the truth and a book of honor and wisdom. He held the proof of God, His evidence, and noble signs in his hands. You, O kings, did not remember the remembrance of God in His days, nor were you guided by the lights that appeared and shone from the horizon of an illuminating sky. You did not investigate His affair after what had happened. That would have been better for you than what the sun shines upon if you were among the knowledgeable.

You were in heedlessness of this until the scholars of the foreigners issued a fatwa against him and killed him unjustly, these wrongdoers. His soul ascended to God, and the eyes of the inhabitants of paradise wept for this injustice, followed by the angels of the near ones. Beware, do not neglect as you have neglected before. Return to God, your creator, and be not among the heedless.

Say, the sun of guardianship has risen, and the point of knowledge and wisdom has been distinguished. The proof of God, the Almighty, the Wise, has appeared. Say, the moon of eternity has shone in the pole of the sky, and from it, the people of the high assembly have been illuminated. The face has appeared from behind the veils, and from it, all in the heavens and the earths have been illuminated. Yet you, O kings, have not turned towards Him after what you were created for.

Follow my word, then listen to it with your hearts, and be not among those who turn away. Your pride is not in your sovereignty but in your nearness to God and your following of His command in what was revealed on the guarded Tablets. Even if one of you ruled the entire earth and all that is on it - its seas, lands, mountains, and plains - it would not benefit him in the sight of God if you were among the knowledgeable.

Know that the honor of a servant is in his proximity to God, and nothing else will benefit him, even if he rules over all creation. Say, the breezes of God have blown upon you from the direction of paradise, and you are heedless of it and were among the heedless. Guidance has come to you from God, yet you have not been guided by it and were among those who turn away.

The lamp of God has been lit in the niche of the command, yet you have not been enlightened by it, nor have you approached it, and you were on the bed of heedlessness among those who are asleep. Thus, stand up with the leg of uprightness, make up for what you have missed, then turn towards the holy court on the shore of a great sea so that the pearls of knowledge and wisdom, which God has stored in the luminous chest, may appear to you. This is the best advice for you, so make it a merchandise for yourselves that you may be among the guided.

Beware, do not deprive your hearts of the breath of God, by which the hearts of those who turn towards Him live. Listen to what we have advised you in this Tablet, so that God may hear of you and open the doors of mercy upon your faces. Indeed, He is the Merciful, the Compassionate. Fear God, O kings, and do not transgress the limits of God. Then follow what you have been commanded in the Book, and be not among the transgressors.

Beware, do not wrong anyone, even to the extent of a mustard seed, and follow the path of justice, for it is a straight path. Then, reconcile among yourselves and reduce your armies, so that your expenses decrease, and you may be among those at ease. If you resolve your differences among yourselves, you will not need large armies, except to the extent necessary to protect your lands and kingdoms. Fear God, and do not be extravagant in anything, and be not among the extravagant.

We know that you increase your expenses every day and impose them on the subjects, and this is beyond their capacity, and indeed, this is a great injustice. Be just, O kings, among the people, and be manifestations of justice on the earth. This befits you and is appropriate for your status if you are among the fair. Beware, do not wrong those who have migrated to you and sought refuge under your protection. Fear God, and be among the God-fearing.

Do not be reassured by your power, your armies, and your treasures, but be reassured by God, your creator. Then seek help from Him in your affairs, for victory comes only from Him. He gives victory to whom He wills with the armies of the heavens and the earths. Then know that the poor are the trusts of God among you. Beware, do not betray His trusts, do not wrong them, and be not among the treacherous.

You will be asked about His trust on the day when the balance of justice is set up, and every possessor of rights is given his due, and all actions of every rich and poor are weighed. If you do not heed what we have advised you in this Book with a clear, expressive language, you will be seized by a punishment from all sides, and God will come to you with His justice, and then you will not be able to stand against Him and will be among the incapable. Have mercy on yourselves and the souls of the servants, then judge among them with what God has decreed in the impregnable Tablet of Holiness, in which the measures of all things were determined, detailed for everything, and a reminder for His assured servants.

Then perceive our matter and discern in what has been revealed to us, then judge between us and our enemies with justice, and be among the just. If you do not prevent the oppressor from his oppression and do not secure the rights of the oppressed, with what then will you take pride among the servants and be among the proud? Is your pride in eating and drinking, gathering ornaments in your treasuries, or adorning yourselves with red and yellow stones or precious white pearls? If pride were in these perishable things, then the earth should take pride over you, for it provides and spends all that upon you from the Determiner, the Powerful. God has decreed all that in its belly and brings forth for you from His grace. Therefore, look at your condition and what you take pride in if you are among those who see.

By He in Whose hand is the dominion of all possibilities, your pride should be only in following the ways of God within yourselves and not abandoning the judgments of God among you, left unheeded, and be among the guided. (edit)

5
أَنْ يا مُلُوكَ المَسِيحيَّةِ أَمَا سَمِعتُم ما نَطَقَ بِه الرُّوحُ بِأَنَّي ذَاهِبٌ وَآتٍ فَلَمّا أَتَى في ظُلَلٍ مِنَ الغَمامِ لِمَ ما تَقَرَّبْتُم بِهِ لِتَفُوزُوا بِلِقائِهِ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الفائِزينَ، وَفِي مَقَامٍ آخَرَ يَقُولُ فإِذَا جَاءَ رُوحُ الحَقِّ الآتي فَهُو يُرْشِدُكُمْ وَإِذَا جَاءَكُمْ بِالحَقِّ ما تَوَجَّهْتُمْ إِلَيهِ وَكُنْتُم بِلَعْبِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ لَمِنَ اللَّاعِبينَ، وَما استَقْبَلْتُم إِلَيهِ وَمَا حَضَرْتُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ لِتَسْمَعُوا آياتِ اللهِ مِنْ لِسانهِ وَتَطَّلِعُوا بِحِكْمَةِ اللهِ العَزيزِ الحَكيمِ، وَبِذلِكَ مُنِعَتْ نَسَمَاتُ اللهِ عَنْ قُلُوبِكُم وَنَفَحَاتُ الله عَنْ فُؤادِكُمْ وَكُنْتُمْ في وَادِي الشَّهَوَاتِ لَمِنَ المُحبَرينَ، فَوَاللهِ أَنتُمْ وَما عِنْدَكُمْ سَتَفْنَى وَتُرْجَعُونَ إِلَى اللهِ وَتُسْئَلُون عَمَّا اكْتَسَبْتُمْ فِي أَيَّامِكُمْ فِي مَقَرِّ الّذي تُحْشَرُ فِيهِ الخَلائِقُ أَجْمَعينَ، أَما سَمِعْتُمْ ما ذُكِرَ فِي الإِنْجِيلِ إِنَّ الَّذينَ لَيْسُوا بِدَمٍ وَلا بِإِرَادَةِ لَحْمٍ وَلا بِمَشِيَّةِ رَجُلٍ وَلكِنْ وُلِدُوا مِنَ اللهِ أَيْ ظَهَرُوا مِنْ قُدْرَةِ اللهِ وَبذلِكَ يَثْبُتُ بِأَنْ يُمْكِنُ في الإِبْداعِ أَنْ يَظْهَرَ مَنْ يَكُونُ عَلَى حَقٍّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ المُقْتَدِرِ العَلِيمِ الحَكِيمِ، فَكَيْفَ إِذاً سَمِعْتُمْ أَمْرَنا مَا اسْتَفْسَرْتُمْ مِنّا لِيَظْهَرَ لَكُمُ الحَقُّ عَنِ البَاطِلِ وَتَطَّلِعُوا بِمَا كُنَّا عَلَيهِ وَتَعْرِفُوا مَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنا مِنْ قَوْمِ سَوْءٍ أَخْسَرِينَ. (edit)
 15 O kings of Christendom! Heard ye not the saying of Jesus, the Spirit of God, “I go away, and come again unto you”?[65] Wherefore, then, did ye fail, when He did come again unto you in the clouds of heaven, to draw nigh unto Him, that ye might behold His face, and be of them that attained His Presence? In another passage He saith: “When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.”[66] And yet behold how, when He did bring the truth, ye refused to turn your faces towards Him, and persisted in disporting yourselves with your pastimes and fancies. Ye welcomed Him not, neither did ye seek His Presence, that ye might hear the verses of God from His own mouth, and partake of the manifold wisdom of the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise. Ye have, by reason of your failure, hindered the breath of God from being wafted over you, and have withheld from your souls the sweetness of its fragrance. Ye continue roving with delight in the valley of your corrupt desires. By God! Ye, and all ye possess, shall pass away. Ye shall, most certainly, return to God, and shall be called to account for your doings in the presence of Him Who shall gather together the entire creation.

16 Again, heard ye not that which hath been recorded in the Gospel concerning those “which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”[67]—that is, those who have been made manifest through the power of God? Wherefore it becometh evident that one may well be manifested in the world of creation who is truly of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. How is it then that when word reached you of Our Cause, ye failed to inquire from Our own lips, that ye might distinguish truth from falsehood, discover Our aim and purpose, and learn of the afflictions which We have suffered at the hands of an evil and wayward generation? (edit)

O kings of Christianity, have you not heard what the Spirit has spoken, that 'I am going and will come'? So when He came in shades of clouds, why did you not draw near to Him to rejoice in meeting Him and be among the successful? Elsewhere it says, 'When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you.' Yet, when He came to you with the truth, why did you not turn towards Him, and instead, you were preoccupied with your own amusements, among the playful?

You did not welcome Him, nor did you present yourselves before Him to hear the verses of God from His tongue and to witness the wisdom of God, the Almighty, the Wise. Thus, the breezes of God were withheld from your hearts, and the fragrances of God from your spirits, and you remained in the valley of desires, among those deeply immersed. By God, you and what you possess will perish, and you will be returned to God and questioned about what you have earned during your days, in the gathering place where all creation is assembled.

Have you not heard what is mentioned in the Gospel, that those who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, meaning they emerged from the power of God? This establishes that it is possible in creation for one who is truly from God, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the Wise, to appear. So, how then, when you heard Our command, did you not seek clarification from Us, to distinguish the truth from falsehood, to understand what We were upon, and to recognize what befell Us from a people of loss and degradation? (edit)

6
أَنْ يا سَفِيرَ مَلِكِ البَارِيسِ أَنَسِيتَ حُكْمَ الكَلمةِ وَمَظَاهِرَها الَّتِي سُطِرَ في الإِنْجِيلِ الَّذِي يُنسَبُ بِيُوحَنَّا وَغَفَلْتَ عَمَّا وَصَّاكَ بِهِ الرُّوُح فِي مَظاهِرِ الكَلِمةِ وَكُنْتَ مِنَ الغَافِلِينَ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ كَذَلِكَ كَيْفَ اتَّفَقْتَ مَعَ سَفِيرِ العَجَمِ فِي أَمْرِنا إِلى أَنْ وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا ما احْتَرَقَتْ عَنْهُ أَكْبَادُ العَارِفِينَ، وَجَرَتِ الدُّموعُ عَلَى خُدُودِ أَهْلِ البَقاءِ وَضَجَّتْ أَفْئِدَةُ المُقرَّبِينَ، وَفَعَلْتَ ذلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَسْتَفْسِرَ فِي أَمْرِنَا وَتَكُونَ مِنَ المُسْتَبْصِرينَ بَعْدَ الَّذي يَنْبَغِي لَكَ بِأَنْ تَفْحَصَ فِي هَذا الأمْرِ وَتطَّلِعَ بِمَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا وَتَحْكُمَ بِالعَدْلِ وَتَكُونَ مَنَ العَادِلينَ، سَتَمْضِي أَيَّامُكَ وَيَفْنَى سِفَارَتُكَ وَيَقْضِي كُلُّ مَا عِنْدَكَ وَتُسْئَلُ عَمَّا اكْتَسَبَتْ أَيْدَاكَ فِي مَحْضَرِ سُلْطَانٍ عَظِيمٍ، وَكَمْ مِنْ سُفَراءَ سَبَقُوكَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَكَانُوا أَعْظَمَ مِنْكَ شَأْنًا وَأَكْبَرَ مِنْكَ مَقَامًا وَأَكْثَرَ مِنْكَ مَالاً وَرَجَعُوا إِلى التُّرَابِ وَمَا بَقِيَ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الأرْضِ لا مِنْ اسْمٍ وَلا مِنْ رَسْمٍ وَهُمْ حينَئِذٍ عَلَى حَسْرَةٍ عَظيمٍ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَفْرَطَ فِي جَنْبِ اللهِ وَاتَّبَعَ الشَّهَواتِ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَكَانَ فِي سُبُلِ الْبَغْيِ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ لَمِنَ السَّالِكينَ، وَمِنْهُم مَنِ اتَّبَعَ آياتِ اللهِ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَحَكَمَ بِالْعَدْلِ لِمَا سَبَقَتْهُ الهِدايَةُ مِنَ اللهِ وَكَانَ مِنَ الَّذينَ هُمْ كَانُوا فِي رَحْمَةِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمِنَ الدَّاخِلينَ، أُوصِيكَ وَالَّذينَ هُم كَانُوا أَمْثالَكَ إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ لا تَفْعَلُوا بأَحَدٍ كَمَا فَعَلْتُمْ بِنَا وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطانِ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ، خُذُوا مِنَ الدُّنْيا عَلَى قَدْرِ الكِفَايَةِ وَدَعُوا ما زَادَ عَلَيْكُمْ ثُمَّ انْصِفُوا في الأُمُورِ وَلا تَعْدِلُوا عَنْ حُكْمِ الْعَدْلِ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ العَادِلِينَ. (edit)
 17 O Minister of the King of Paris![68] Hast thou forgotten the pronouncement recorded in the Gospel according to John concerning the Word and those who are its Manifestations? And hast thou ignored the counsels of the Spirit2 concerning the Manifestations of the Word, and been numbered with the heedless? If not, wherefore then didst thou conspire with the Minister of Persia[69] to inflict upon Us that which hath caused the hearts of men of insight and understanding to melt, the tears of the denizens of the Realm of eternity to flow, and the souls of them who are nigh unto God to mourn? And all this thou didst commit without seeking to examine Our Cause or to discern its truth. For is it not thy clear duty to investigate this Cause, to inform thyself of the things that have befallen Us, to judge with equity, and to cleave unto justice?

18 Thy days shall pass away, thy ministry shall come to an end, and thy possessions shall vanish and be no more. Then, in the presence of the almighty King, thou shalt be called to answer for that which thy hands have wrought. How many the ministers who came before thee into this world, men who exceeded thee in power, excelled thee in station, and surpassed thee in wealth, and yet returned to dust, leaving upon the face of the earth neither name nor trace, and are now plunged in grievous remorse. Amongst them were those who failed in their duty towards God, followed their own desires, and trod the path of lust and wickedness. And amongst them were those who observed that which hath been prescribed in the verses of God, judged with fairness by the divine guidance that overshadowed them, and entered beneath the shelter of the mercy of their Lord.

19 I admonish thee, and those who are like thee, to deal not with anyone as ye have dealt with Us. Beware lest ye follow in the footsteps of the Evil One and walk in the ways of the unjust. Take from this world only to the measure of your needs, and forgo that which exceedeth them. Observe equity in all your judgements, and transgress not the bounds of justice, nor be of them that stray from its path. (edit)

O ambassador of the King of Paris, have you forgotten the decree of the Word and its manifestations, as inscribed in the Gospel attributed to John, and neglected what the Spirit has enjoined upon you regarding the manifestations of the Word, being among the heedless? If this is not the case, how then did you agree with the ambassador of the Persians regarding Our affair, leading to what has befallen Us, which has scorched the livers of the knowing, caused tears to flow on the cheeks of the inhabitants of eternity, and made the hearts of the near ones cry out? You did this without inquiring into Our matter to be among those who see clearly after what behooved you to examine this affair, to be aware of what has come upon Us, to judge with justice, and to be among the just.

Your days will pass, your ambassadorship will perish, and all that you have will come to an end. You will be questioned about what your hands have earned in the presence of a great Sovereign. How many ambassadors before you have walked the earth, who were greater in status, higher in position, and wealthier than you, yet they returned to dust, leaving no name or trace on the face of the earth, then they were in great regret. Among them were those who transgressed against God, followed their desires, and walked in the paths of tyranny and indecency. And among them were those who followed the signs of God, judged justly because they were preceded by guidance from God, and were among those who entered the mercy of their Lord.

I advise you and those like you: beware of doing to anyone what you have done to Us. Do not follow the footsteps of Satan within yourselves, and be not among the wrongdoers. Take from the world only as much as is sufficient, leave what is excessive, then be fair in matters, do not deviate from the rule of justice, and be among the just. (edit)

7
أَنْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُلُوكُ قَدْ قَضَتْ عِشْرينَ مِنَ السِّنِينَ وَكُنّا فِي كُلِّ يَوُمٍ مِنْها فِي بَلاءٍ جَديدٍ وَوَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا مَا لا وَرَدَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ قَبلَنا إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ السَّامِعِينَ، بِحَيْثُ قَتَلُونا وَسَفَكُوا دِمَاءَنا وَأَخَذُوا أَمْوَالَنَا وَهَتَكُوا حُرْمَتَنَا وَأَنْتُمْ سَمِعْتُمْ أَكْثَرَهَا وَمَا كُنْتُمْ مِنَ المَانِعِينَ، بَعدَ الَّذي يَنْبَغِي لَكُمْ بِأَنْ تَمْنَعُوا الظّالِمَ عَنْ ظُلْمِهِ وَتَحْكُمُوا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالعَدْلِ لِيَظْهَرَ عَدالَتُكُمْ بَيْنَ الخَلائِقِ أَجْمَعِينَ، إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ أَوَدَعَ زِمَامَ الخَلْقِ بأَيْديكُمْ لِتَحْكُمُوا بَيْنَهُمْ بِالحَقِّ وَتَأْخُذُوا حَقَّ الْمَظْلُوُمِ عَنْ هَؤُلاءِ الظَّالِمينَ، وَإِنْ لَنْ تَفْعَلُوا بِمَا أُمِرْتُمْ فِي كِتابِ اللهِ لَنْ يُذْكَر أَسْماؤُكُمْ عِندَهُ بِالعَدْلِ وَإِنَّ هذا لَغَبْنٌ عَظِيمٌ، أَتَأْخُذُونَ حُكْمَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَتَدَعُونَ حُكْمَ اللهِ العَلِيِّ المُتَعَالِي القَادِرِ الْقَدِيرِ، دَعُوا ما عِنْدَكُمْ وَخُذُوا مَا أَمَرَكُمُ اللهُ بِهِ ثُمَّ ابْتَغُوا الفَضْلَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَإِنَّ هذا لَسَبيلٌ مُستَقيمٌ ثُمَّ التَفِتُوا إِلَيْنَا وَبِمَا مَسَّتْنَا الْبَأَسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَلا تَغْفَلُوا عَنَّا فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ آنٍ ثُمَّ اَحْكُمُوا بَيْنَنا وَبَيْنَ أَعْدائِنا بِالْعَدْلِ وَإِنَّ هذا لَخَيْرٌ مُبينٌ، كَذلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ قِصَصِنَا وَبِما قَضَى عَلَيْنَا لِتَكْشِفُوا عَنَّا السُّوءَ فَمَنْ شاءَ فَلْيَكْشِفْ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَشَأْ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَخَيرُ ناصِرٍ وَمُعينٍ. (edit)
 20Twenty years have passed, O kings, during which We have, each day, tasted the agony of a fresh tribulation. No one of them that were before Us hath endured the things We have endured. Would that ye could perceive it! They that rose up against Us have put us to death, have shed our blood, have plundered our property, and violated our honour. Though aware of most of our afflictions, ye, nevertheless, have failed to stay the hand of the aggressor. For is it not your clear duty to restrain the tyranny of the oppressor, and to deal equitably with your subjects, that your high sense of justice may be fully demonstrated to all mankind?

21God hath committed into your hands the reins of the government of the people, that ye may rule with justice over them, safeguard the rights of the downtrodden, and punish the wrongdoers. If ye neglect the duty prescribed unto you by God in His Book, your names shall be numbered with those of the unjust in His sight. Grievous, indeed, will be your error. Cleave ye to that which your imaginations have devised, and cast behind your backs the commandments of God, the Most Exalted, the Inaccessible, the All-Compelling, the Almighty? Cast away the things ye possess, and cling to that which God hath bidden you observe. Seek ye His grace, for he that seeketh it treadeth His straight Path.

22Consider the state in which We are, and behold ye the ills and troubles that have tried Us. Neglect Us not, though it be for a moment, and judge ye between Us and Our enemies with equity. This will, surely, be a manifest advantage unto you. Thus do We relate to you Our tale, and recount the things that have befallen Us, that ye might take off Our ills and ease Our burden. Let him who will, relieve Us from Our trouble; and as to him that willeth not, My Lord is assuredly the best of helpers. (edit)

O kings, twenty years have passed, and in each day thereof, we have faced a new affliction. We have endured what no one before us has endured, if you are among those who listen. Wherein they killed us, shed our blood, seized our wealth, violated our sanctity, and you have heard most of it yet did not prevent it. It behooved you to stop the oppressor from his oppression and to judge among the people with justice, so that your justice would be apparent to all creation. Indeed, God has entrusted you with the reins of creation, to rule among them with truth and to secure the rights of the oppressed from these oppressors. If you do not act according to what you have been commanded in the Book of God, your names will not be mentioned with justice in His presence, and indeed, this is a great loss.

Do you follow your own laws and abandon the decree of God, the Most High, the Exalted, the Capable, the All-Powerful? Leave what you have and take what God has commanded you, then seek grace from Him, for this is the straight path. Then turn to us, who have been touched by adversity and hardship, and do not neglect us for even a moment. Then judge between us and our enemies with justice, for this is clearly the better way.

Thus, we relate to you our stories and what has been decreed upon us, so that you may unveil the adversity we face. Let whoever wishes uncover it, and whoever does not, indeed, my Lord is the best of helpers and supporters. (edit)

8
أَنْ يَا عَبْدُ ذَكِّرِ العِبَادَ بِمَا أَلقَيناكَ وَلَا تَخَفْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ وَلَا تَكُنْ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرينَ، فَسَوْفَ يَرْفَعُ اللهُ أَمْرَهُ وَيَعْلُو بُرهانُهُ بَيْنَ السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرَضينَ، فَتَوَكَّلْ في كُلِّ الأُمُورِ عَلى رَبِّكَ وَتَوجَّهْ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ المُنْكِرينَ، فَاكْفِ بِاللهِ رَبِّكَ ناصِرًا وَمُعين إِنّا كَتَبْنا عَلَى نَفسِنا نَصْرَكَ في المُلكِ وَارتِفاعَ أَمْرِنا وَلَوْ لَنْ يَتَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْكَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ السَّلاطِينِ، ثُمَّ ذَكِّرْ حِينَ الَّذِي وَرَدْتَ فِي الْمَدينَةِ وَظَنُّوا وُكَلاءُ السُّلْطانِ بِأَنَّكَ لَنْ تَعْرِفَ أُصُولَهُمْ وَتَكُونُ مِنَ الجَاهِلينَ، قُلْ أَيْ وَرَبِّي لا أَعْلَمُ حَرْفًا إلاّ ما عَلَّمني اللهُ بِجُودِهِ وَإِنَّا نُقِّرُ بِذلِكَ وَنَكُونُ مِنَ الْمُقِرِّينَ، قُلْ إِنْ كانَ أُصُولُكُم مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِكُم لَنْ نَتَّبِعَها أَبَدًا وَبذلِكَ أُمِرْتُ مِنْ لَدُنْ حَكيمٍ خَبيرٍ وَكَذلِكَ كُنْتُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَنَكُونُ مِن بَعْدُ بحَوُلِ اللهِ وَقُوَّتهِ وَإِنَّ هذا لَصِرَاطُ حَقٍّ مُستقيمٍ، وَإِنْ كانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ فَأتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ، قُلْ إِنَّا أَثْبَتْنَا كُلَّ مَا ظَنُّوا فِيكَ وَعَمِلُوا بِكَ في كِتابٍ الَّذِي لَنْ يُغادَرَ فِيهِ حَرْفٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ العَامِلينَ. (edit)
 23Warn and acquaint the people, O Servant, with the things We have sent down unto Thee, and let the fear of no one dismay Thee, and be Thou not of them that waver. The day is approaching when God will have exalted His Cause and magnified His testimony in the eyes of all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. Place, in all circumstances, Thy whole trust in Thy Lord, and fix Thy gaze upon Him, and turn away from all them that repudiate His truth. Let God, Thy Lord, be Thy sufficing succourer and helper. We have pledged Ourself to secure Thy triumph upon earth and to exalt Our Cause above all men, though no king be found who would turn his face towards Thee.

24Call Thou to remembrance Thine arrival in the City, how the Ministers of the Sulṭán thought Thee to be unacquainted with their laws and regulations, and believed Thee to be one of the ignorant. Say: Yea, by My Lord! I am ignorant of all things except what God hath, through His bountiful favour, been pleased to teach Me. To this We assuredly testify, and unhesitatingly confess it.

25Say: If the laws and regulations to which ye cleave be of your own making, We will, in no wise, follow them. Thus have I been instructed by Him Who is the All-Wise, the All-Informed. Such hath been My way in the past, and such will it remain in the future, through the power of God and His might. This, indeed, is the true and right way. If they be ordained by God, bring forth, then, your proofs, if ye be of them that speak the truth. Say: We have written down in a Book which leaveth not unrecorded the work of any man, however insignificant, all that they have imputed to Thee, and all that they have done unto Thee. (edit)

O servant, remind the servants of what We have revealed to you, and fear not anyone, nor be among the doubters. For God will surely elevate His cause, and His proof will rise between the heavens and the earth. Rely in all matters upon your Lord, turn towards Him, and then disregard the deniers. Take God, your Lord, as your helper and supporter. We have written upon Ourselves to aid you in sovereignty and the elevation of Our cause, even if none of the sovereigns turn towards you.

Then remember the time when you entered the city, and the agents of the Sultan thought you would not know their origins and would be among the ignorant. Say, "By my Lord, I know not a letter except what God has taught me in His generosity, and we acknowledge this and are among those who admit it." Say, "If your origins are from yourselves, we will never follow them, for so I have been commanded by the All-Wise, the All-Aware. So it was before, and so it shall be thereafter, by the power and strength of God. Indeed, this is a path of truth and straightness."

If it is from God, then bring forth your proof if you are among the truthful. Say, "We have affirmed all that they have suspected and done to you in a book in which not a letter of the deeds of the doers will be omitted." (edit)

9
قُلْ يَا أَيُّها الوُكَلاءُ يَنْبَغِي لَكُمْ بِأَنْ تَتَّبِعُوا أُصوُلَ اللهِ في أَنفُسِكُم وَتَدَعُوا أُصُولَكُمْ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُهْتَدِينَ، وَهذا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عَمَّا عِنْدَكُمْ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ العَارِفِينَ، وَإِنْ لَنْ تَتَّبِعُوا اللهَ فِي أَمْرِهِ لَنْ يُقْبَلَ أَعْمالُكُمْ عَلَى قَدْرِ نَقِيرٍ وَقَطْمِيرٍ، فَسَوْفَ تَجِدُونَ مَا اكْتَسَبْتُمْ فِي الحَيَوةِ البَاطِلَةِ وَتُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا عَمِلْتُمْ فِيهَا وَإِنَّ هذا لَصِدْقٌ يَقِينٌ، فَكَمْ مِنْ عِبَادٍ عَمِلُوا كَمَا عَمِلْتُم وَكَانُوا أَعْظَمَ مِنْكُمْ وَرَجَعُوا كُلُّهُمْ إِلى التُّرَابِ وَقُضِيَ عَلَيْهِمْ ما قُضِيَ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ فِي أَمْرِ اللهِ لَمِنَ المُتَفَكِرينَ، وَسَتَلْحَقُونَ بِهم وَتَدْخُلُونَ بَيْتَ الَّتِي لَنْ تَجِدُوا فِيهَا لأَنْفُسِكُمْ لا مِنْ نَصِيرٍ وَلا مِنْ حَمِيمٍ، وَتُسْئَلُونَ عَمَّا فَعَلْتُم فِي أَيَّامِكُم وَفَرَّطْتُمْ في أَمْرِ اللهِ وَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ عَلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِ بَعْدَ الَّذي وَرَدُوا عَلَيْكُمْ بِصِدْقٍ مُبينٍ، وَأَنْتُمْ شَاوَرْتُمْ فِي أَمْرِهِمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ حُكْمَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَتَرَكْتُمْ حُكْمَ الله الْمُهَيْمِنِ القَدِيرِ، قُلْ أَتَأْخُذُونَ أُصُولَكُمْ وَتَضَعُونَ أُصُولَ اللهِ وَراءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ وَإِنَّ هذا لَظُلْمٌ عَلى أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِ الْعِبَادِ لَوْ تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ العَارِفينَ، قُلْ إِنْ كَانَ أُصُولُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَدْلِ فَكَيْفَ تَأخُذُونَ مِنْها ما تَهْوى بِهِ هَواكُمْ وَتَدَعُونَ ما كَانَ مُخَالِفًا لأَنْفُسِكُمْ مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الْحَاكِمينَ، أَكَانَ مِنْ أُصُولِكُمْ بِأَنْ تُعَذِّبُوا الّذي جَاءَكُمْ بِأَمْرِكُمْ وَتخْذُلُوهُ وَتُؤْذُوهُ فِي كُلِّ يَومٍ بِعْدَ الّذي مَا عَصَاكُمْ فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ آنٍ وَيَشْهَدُ بِذَلِكَ كُلُّ مَنْ سَكَنَ في الْعِرَاقِ وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِ كُلُّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيْمٍ، فَأنْصِفُوا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْوُكَلاءُ بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ أَطْرَدْتُمُونا وَبأَيِّ جُرْمٍ أَخْرَجْتُمُونَا بَعْدَ الَّذي اسْتَجَرْنَاكُم وَمَا أَجَرْتُمُونَا فَوَاللهِ هذا لظُلْمٌ عَظيمٌ الّذي لَنْ يُقاسَ بِظُلْمٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلى ما أَقُولُ شَهِيد، هَلْ خَالَفْتُكُم فِي أَمْرِكُمْ أَوْ بِالْوُزَرَاءِ الّذيْنَ كَانُوا أَنْ يَحْكُمُوا فِي العِرَاقِ فَاسْئَلُوا عَنْهُمْ لِتَكُونُنَّ عَلَى بَصِيرةٍ فِينَا وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ العَالِمينَ، هَلْ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَحَدٌ بِشِكَايَةٍ مِنَّا أَوْ سَمِعَ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ مِنْهُم غَيْرَ مَا أَنْزَلَهُ اللهُ فِي الْكِتَابِ فَأتُوا بِهِ لِنُصَدِّقَكُمْ في أَفْعَالِكُمْ وَنَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُذْعِنينَ، وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ أَنْ تَعْمَلُوا بِنَا بِأُصُولِكُمْ فَيَنْبَغِي لَكُمْ بِأَنْ تُوَقِّرُونَا وَتُعَزِّرُوا الّذي سَمِعَ أَمْرَكُمْ وَاتَّبَعَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْ عِنْدِكُمْ ثُمَّ تُؤَدُّوا دُيُونَ الَّتِي تَدَيَّنَّا بِهَا فِي العِرَاقِ وَصَرَفْنَاها في هَذا السَّبِيلِ ثُمَّ اسْتَمِعُوا مِنَّا مَطَالِبَنَا وَكُلَّ مَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا وَتحْكُمُونَ بِالْعَدْلِ كَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُم وَلَنْ تَرْضَوْا لَنَا مَا لا تَرْضَوْنَهُ لَكُمْ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُحْسِنينَ، فَوَالله مَا عَامَلْتُمْ بِنَا لا بِأُصُولِكُمْ وَلا بِأُصُولِ أَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ بَلْ بِمَا سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنْفُسُكُمْ وَهَواكُمْ يا مَلأَ الْمُعْرِضينَ وَالمُستَكْبِرينَ. (edit)
 26Say: It behoveth you, O Ministers of State, to keep the precepts of God, and to forsake your own laws and regulations, and to be of them who are guided aright. Better is this for you than all ye possess, did ye but know it. If ye transgress the commandment of God, not one jot or one tittle of all your works shall be acceptable in His sight. Ye shall, erelong, discover the consequences of that which ye shall have done in this vain life, and shall be repaid for them. This, verily, is the truth, the undoubted truth.

27How great the number of those who, in bygone ages, have committed the things ye have committed, and who, though superior to you in rank, have, in the end, returned unto dust, and been consigned to their inevitable doom! Would that ye might ponder the Cause of God in your hearts! Ye shall follow in their wake, and shall be made to enter a habitation wherein none shall be found to befriend or help you. Ye shall, of a truth, be asked of your doings, shall be called to account for your failure in duty with regard to the Cause of God, and for having disdainfully rejected His loved ones who, with manifest sincerity, have come unto you.

28It is ye who have taken counsel together regarding them, ye that have preferred to follow the promptings of your own desires, and forsaken the commandment of God, the Help in Peril, the Almighty.

29Say: What! Cleave ye to your own devices, and cast behind your backs the precepts of God? Ye, indeed, have wronged your own selves and others. Would that ye could perceive it! Say: If your rules and principles be founded on justice, why is it, then, that ye follow those which accord with your corrupt inclinations and reject such as conflict with your desires? By what right claim ye, then, to judge fairly between men? Are your rules and principles such as to justify your persecution of Him Who, at your bidding, hath presented Himself before you, your rejection of Him, and your infliction on Him every day of grievous injury? Hath He ever, though it be for one short moment, disobeyed you? All the inhabitants of ‘Iráq, and beyond them every discerning observer, will bear witness to the truth of My words.

30Be fair in your judgement, O ye Ministers of State! What is it that We have committed that could justify Our banishment? What is the offence that hath warranted Our expulsion? It is We Who have sought you, and yet, behold how ye refused to receive Us! By God! This is a sore injustice that ye have perpetrated—an injustice with which no earthly injustice can measure. To this the Almighty is Himself a witness.

31Have I at any time transgressed your laws, or disobeyed any of your ministers in ‘Iráq? Inquire of them, that ye may act with discernment towards Us and be numbered with those who are well-informed. Hath anyone ever brought before them a plaint against Us? Hath anyone amongst them ever heard from Us a word contrary to that which God hath revealed in His Book? Bring forth, then, your evidence, that We may approve your actions and acknowledge your claims!

32Had ye wished to deal with Us in accordance with your principles and standards, it would have behoved you to respect and honour Us for complying with your commands and following that which ye have pleased to ordain. Likewise, it would have beseemed you to repay the debts which We incurred in ‘Iráq in the execution of your wishes. Ye should have given ear then unto Us, heard the account of Our woes, and judged with equity, as ye would judge your own selves. Ye should not have wished for Us that which ye have not wished for yourselves, but rather chosen to act with generosity. By God! Ye dealt with Us neither in accordance with your own principles and standards, nor with those of any man living, but in accordance with the promptings of your evil and wayward passions, O ye concourse of the froward and the arrogant! (edit)

Say, O agents, it behooves you to follow the principles of God within yourselves and to abandon your own principles, and thus be among the guided. This is better for you than what you currently hold, if you are among those who know. If you do not follow God in His command, your deeds will not be accepted, even to the amount of a speck or a thin strand. You will find what you have earned in the false life, and you will be recompensed for what you did therein, and indeed, this is a certain truth.

How many servants have acted as you have and were greater than you, yet they all returned to dust, and what was decreed for them was executed. If you are contemplating the command of God, you will follow them and enter a house where you will find neither a helper nor a friend for yourselves. You will be questioned about what you did in your days, how you neglected the command of God, and how you were arrogant towards His friends, after what they brought to you with clear truth. And you consulted among yourselves about their affair, followed your own judgment, and abandoned the judgment of God, the Guardian, the Capable.

Say, do you follow your own principles and put aside the principles of God, casting them behind your backs? Indeed, this is an injustice to yourselves and to the servants, if only you were among those who know. Say, if your principles are just, how do you follow what your desires incline towards and abandon what opposes your selves? How can you then be among the rulers? Was it among your principles to punish those who came to you with your command, to let them down, and to harm them every day, when they did not disobey you for even a moment? Everyone in Iraq and beyond, every knowledgeable person, can testify to this.

O agents, be fair to yourselves: for what crime did you expel us, and for what guilt did you expel us after we sought your protection and you did not grant it? By God, this is a great injustice that cannot be compared with any injustice on earth, and God is a witness to what I say. Have I ever opposed your command or the governors who ruled in Iraq? Ask about them to be enlightened about us and to be among the knowledgeable. Has anyone complained about us, or has anyone heard from us anything other than what God has revealed in the Book? Bring it forth so we may acknowledge your actions and be among those who concede.

If you are to treat us according to your principles, then you ought to respect us and honor those who heard your command and followed what appeared from you. Then pay the debts we incurred in Iraq and spent in this path. Listen to our demands and all that has befallen us, and judge justly as you would judge yourselves. You would not be pleased for us what you would not be pleased for yourselves, and be among the benefactors. By God, you have not treated us with your principles or with the principles of any people but according to what your selves and desires inclined you towards, O assembly of the averters and the arrogant. (edit)

10
أَنْ يَا طَيرَ القُدسِ طِرْ فِي فَضاءِ الأُنْسِ ثُمَّ ذَكِّرِ العِبَادَ بِما أَرَيْنَاكَ في لُجَجِ البَقَاءِ وَرَاءَ جَبَلِ الْعِزِّ وَلا تَخَفْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللهِ الْعَزيزِ الْجَميلِ، إِنَّا نَحْرُسُكَ عَنِ اَلّذينَ هُم ظَلَمُوكَ مِنْ دُونِ بَيِّنَةٍ مِنَ اللهِ وَلا كِتابٍ مُنيرٍ، قُلْ تَاللهِ يا مَلأَ الغُفَلاءِ مَا جِئْنَاكُمْ لِنُفْسِدَ في أَرْضِكُمْ وَنَكُونَ فِيها لَمِنَ المُفْسِدينَ، بَلْ جِئْنَاكُمْ لِنَتَّبِعَ أَمْرَ السُّلْطَانِ وَنَرْفَعَ أَمْرَكُمْ وَنُعَلِّمَكُمُ الْحِكْمَةَ وَنُذَكِّرَكُمْ في ما نَسِيتُمْ بِقَوْلِهِ الْحَقِّ فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنْفَعُ المُؤْمِنينَ، وَأَنْتُمْ ما سَمِعْتُمْ نَغَمَاتِ الرُّوحِ وَسَمِعْتُمْ غَيْرَ مَسْمَعٍ عَنْ أَعدائِنا الّذينَ لا يتَكلَّمُونَ إِلَّا بِمَا يؤَيِّدُهُمْ هَواهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَهُمْ أَعْمالَهُمْ وَكَانُوا مِنَ الْمُفْتَرينَ، أَمَا سَمِعْتُمْ ما نُزِّلَ فِي كِتابِ عِزٍّ مُبِينٍ فَإِنْ جاءَكُمْ فاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنوُا فَلِمَ نَبَذْتُم حُكْمَ اللهِ وَرَاءَكُمْ وَاتَّبَعْتُمْ سُبُلَ المُفْسِدينَ، وَسَمِعْنَا بِأَنَّ مِنَ المُفْتَرينَ مَنْ قَالَ بِأَنَّ هذَا العَبْدَ كانَ أَنْ يَأْكُلُ الرِّبوا فِي العِراقِ وَيَجْمَعُ الزّخارِفَ لِنَفسِهِ قُلْ ما لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ فِي ما لَيسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ وَتَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى العِبَادِ وَتَظُنُّونَ ظَنَّ الشَّياطِينِ، وَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ ذلِكَ بَعْدَ الَّذي أَنْهَى الله عَنْهُ عِبادَهُ فِي كِتابِ قُدْسٍ حَفيظٍ الّذي نُزِّلَ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ الله وَخَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَجَعَلَهُ حُجَّةً بَاقِيةً مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَهُدَى وَذِكْرى لِلْعَالَمِينَ، وَهذِهِ واحِدَةٌ مِنْ الْمَسَائِلِ الَّتِي خالَفْنَا فِيهَا عُلَمَاءَ العَجَمِ وَنَهَيْنَا العِبَادَ عَنْ ذلِك بِحُكْمِ الْكِتَابِ وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلَى مَا أَقُولُ شَهيد، وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ وَلكِنْ نُلْقِي عَلَيْكُمُ الحَقَّ لِتَطَّلِعُوا بِهِ وَتَكُونُنَّ فِيهَا لَمِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ، إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ لا تَسْمَعُوا أَقْوالَ الَّذِينَ تَجِدُونَ مِنْهُمْ رَوائِحَ الْغِلِّ وَالنِّفَاقِ وَلا تَلْتَفِتُوا إِلى هؤلاءِ وَكُونُوا مِنَ الزَّاهِدينَ، فَاعْلُموا بِأَنَّ الدُّنْيا وَزينَتَها وَزُخْرُفَهَا سَيَفْنَى وَيَبْقَى المُلْكُ للهِ المَلِكِ المُهَيمِنِ العَزيزِ القَدِيرِ، سَتَمضي أَيَّامُكُمْ وَكُلُّ ما اَنْتُم تَشتَغِلُونَ بِهِ وَبِهِ تَفْتَخِرُونَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَحْضُرُكُمْ مَلائكَةُ الأَمْرِ عَلَى مَقَرِّ الّذي تَرْجُفُ فِيهِ أَرْكَانُ الخَلائِقِ وَتَقْشَعِرُّ فيهِ جُلُودُ الظَّالِمِينَ، وَتُسْئَلُونَ عَمَّا اكْتَسَبْتُمْ في الحَيَاةِ الباطِلَةِ وَتُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا فَعَلْتُمْ وَهَذا مِنْ يَوْمِ الّذي يَأْتِيكُمْ وَالسَّاعَةِ الَّتِي لا مَرَدَّ لَهَا وَشَهِدَ بِذلِك لِسَانُ صِدْقٍ عَلِيمٍ. (edit)
 33O Bird of Holiness! Soar in the heaven of communion with Me, and acquaint the people with that which We disclosed unto Thee in the billowing oceans of immortality beyond the mount of glory. Let the fear of no one dismay Thee, and put Thy trust in God, the Almighty, the Beneficent. We, verily, shall protect Thee from those who, without a clear token from God or an enlightening Book, have grievously wronged Thee.

34Say: God is My witness, O concourse of the negligent! We came not unto you to spread disorder in your lands or to sow dissension amongst your peoples. Nay rather, We came in obedience to the command of the sovereign, and in order to exalt your authority, to instruct you in the ways of Our wisdom, and to remind you of that which ye had forgotten—even as He saith in truth: “Warn them, for, in truth, Thy warning will profit the believers.”[70] But ye hearkened not unto the sweet melodies of the Spirit, and gave ear unwittingly unto Our enemies, they who follow the promptings of their corrupt inclinations, whose deeds the Evil One hath made fair-seeming in their own eyes, and whose tongues utter calumnies against Us. Heard ye not that which hath been revealed in His all-glorious and unerring Book: “If a wicked man come to you with news, clear it up at once”?[71] Wherefore have ye then cast the command of God behind your backs, and followed in the footsteps of them that are bent on mischief?

35We have heard that one of these calumniators hath alleged that this Servant practised usury whilst residing in ‘Iráq, and was engaged in amassing riches for Himself. Say: How can ye judge a matter whereof ye have no knowledge? How can ye hurl calumnies against the servants of God, and entertain such evil suspicions? And how could this accusation be true, when God hath forbidden this practice unto His servants in that most holy and well-guarded Book revealed unto Muḥammad, the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets, a Book which He hath ordained to be His abiding testimony, and His guidance and monition unto all mankind? This is but one of the matters in which We have opposed the divines of Persia, inasmuch as We have, according to the text of the Book, forbidden unto all men the practice of usury. God Himself beareth witness to the truth of My words. “Yet I hold not myself clear, for the soul is prone to evil.”[72] We intend only to impart unto you the truth, that ye might be informed thereof and be of them that lead a godly life. Beware lest ye give ear to the words of those from whom the foul smell of malice and envy can be discerned; pay no heed to them, and stand ye for righteousness.

36Know ye that the world and its vanities and its embellishments shall pass away. Nothing will endure except God’s Kingdom which pertaineth to none but Him, the Sovereign Lord of all, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Almighty. The days of your life shall roll away, and all the things with which ye are occupied and of which ye boast yourselves shall perish, and ye shall, most certainly, be summoned by a company of His angels to appear at the spot where the limbs of the entire creation shall be made to tremble, and the flesh of every oppressor to creep. Ye shall be asked of the things your hands have wrought in this, your vain life, and shall be repaid for your doings. This is the day that shall inevitably come upon you, the hour that none can put back. To this the Tongue of Him that speaketh the truth and is the Knower of all things hath testified. (edit)

Say, O Bird of Holiness, fly in the expanse of intimacy and then remind the servants of what We showed you in the depths of eternity, behind the Mountain of Might. And fear not anyone; place your trust in God, the Almighty, the Beautiful. Indeed, We shall protect you from those who wronged you without any clear proof from God or an enlightening scripture.

Swear by God, O assembly of the heedless, we did not come to you to cause corruption in your land, nor to be among the corrupters. Rather, we came to follow the command of the Sultan, to elevate your status, to teach you wisdom, and to remind you of what you have forgotten in His true words. So remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers. And you have not heard the melodies of the Spirit, but have heard differently from our enemies, who speak only to satisfy their desires, and Satan has adorned their deeds for them, and they are among the fabricators.

Have you not heard what was revealed in the clear Book of Glory, that if a wicked person brings you news, verify it, so why have you discarded God's judgment and followed the paths of the corrupt? We have heard that among the fabricators are those who said that this servant engaged in usury in Iraq and gathered ornaments for himself. Say, how do you judge without knowledge and fabricate against the servants, thinking the thoughts of devils?

How could this be, after God forbade it to His servants in the guarded Book that was revealed to Muhammad, the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets, and made it an enduring proof from Him, a guidance, and a remembrance for the worlds? This is one of the issues wherein we have differed from the scholars of Persia, and we have forbidden the servants from it by the judgment of the Book, and God is a witness to what I say. I do not absolve myself; indeed, the self is inclined to evil, but we present the truth to you so that you may be aware of it and be among the God-fearing.

Beware of listening to those whose words reek of malice and hypocrisy. Do not turn to these people, and be among those who renounce. Know that the world, its adornment, and its allure will perish, and sovereignty will remain with God, the King, the Guardian, the Almighty, the Capable. Your days will pass, and all that you are occupied with and boast about to people will end. The angels of the command will attend you at the place where the foundations of creation tremble, and the skins of the wrongdoers shudder. You will be questioned about what you have earned in the false life and will be recompensed for what you have done. This is from the day that will come to you and the Hour which cannot be averted, testified by a tongue of truthful knowledge. (edit)

11
أَنْ يا مَلأَ المَدِينَةِ اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَلا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الأَرْضِ وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا الشَّيْطَانَ ثُمَّ اتَّبِعُوا الحَقَّ فِي هذِهِ الأَيَّامِ القَلِيلِ، سَتَمْضِي أيَّامُكُم كَمَا مَضَتْ عَلَى الَّذينَ هُم كانُوا قَبْلَكُمْ وَتُرْجَعُونَ عَلَى التُّرابِ كَمَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيهِ آباؤُكُمْ وَكَانُوا مِنَ الرَّاجِعِينَ، ثُمَّ اعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّا مَا نَخَافُ مِنْ أحَدٍ إِلَّا اللهَ وَحْدَهُ وَمَا تَوَكُلِي إِلَّا عَلَيْهِ وَمَا اعْتِصَامِي إِلَّا بِهِ وَمَا نُرِيدُ إِلَّا مَا أَرَادَ لَنَا وَإِنَّ هذا لَهُوَ المُرادُ لَوْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ العَارِفِينَ، إِنِّي أَنْفَقْتُ رُوحِي وَجَسَدِي للهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، مَنْ عَرَفَ اللهَ لَنْ يَعْرِفَ دُونَهُ وَمَنْ خافَ اللهَ لَنْ يَخَافَ سِوَاهُ وَلَوْ يَجْتَمِعُ عَلَيْهِ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَمَا نَقُولُ إِلَّا بِمَا أُمِرْتُ وَمَا نَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا الحَقَّ بِحَوْلِ اللهِ وَقُوَّتهِ وَإِنَّهُ يَجْزِي الصَّادِقِينَ، ثُمَّ اذْكُرْ يا عَبْدُ مَا رَأَيْتَ فِي المَدينَةِ حِينَ وُرُودِكَ لِيَبْقَى ذِكْرُهَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَيَكُونَ ذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنينَ، فَلَمَّا وَرَدْنَا المَدِينَةَ وَجَدْنَا رُؤَسَاءَهَا كَالأَطْفَالِ الَّذينَ يَجْتَمِعُونَ عَلَى الطِّينِ لِيَلْعَبوا بِهِ وَمَا وَجَدْنَا مِنهُمْ مِنْ بالغٍ لِنُعَلِّمَهُ مَا عَلَّمَنِي اللهُ وَنُلْقِي عَلَيْهِ مِنْ كَلِمَاتِ حِكْمَةٍ مَنِيعٍ، وَلِذَا بَكَيْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بِعُيُونِ السِّرِّ لارْتِكَابِهِمْ بِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِغْفَالِهِم عَمَّا خُلِقُوا لَهُ وَهذا مَا أَشْهَدْنَاهُ فِي المَدِينَةِ وَأَثْبَتْنَاهُ فِي الكِتَابِ لِيَكُونَ تَذْكِرَةً لَهُمْ وَذِكْرَى لِلآخَرِين، قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُرِيدُونَ الدُّنْيَا وَزُخْرُفَهَا يَنْبَغِي لَكُمْ بِأَنْ تَطْلُبُوهَا فِي الأَيَّامِ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لأَنَّ فِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ فِي كُلِّ آنٍ تَقَرَّبْتُمْ إِلى الدُّنْيَا وَتَبَعَّدْتُمْ عَنْهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مِنَ العَاقِلينَ، فَلَمَّا وُلِدْتُمْ وَبَلَغَ أَشُدَّكُمْ إِذًا تَبَعَّدْتُمْ عَنِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَقَرَّبْتُمْ إِلى التُّرَابِ فَكَيْفَ تَحْرِصُونَ فِي جَمْعِ الزَّخَارِفِ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ بَعْدَ الَّذي فَاتَ الوَقْتُ عَنْكُم وَمَضَتِ الفُرْصَةُ فَتَنَبَّهُوا يَا مَلأَ الغَافِلِينَ، اسْمَعُوا مَا يَنْصَحُكُمْ بِهِ هذَا العَبْدُ لِوَجْهِ اللهِ وَمَا يُرِيدُ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَرَضِيَ بِمَا قَضَى اللهُّ لَهُ وَيَكُونُ مِنَ الرَّاضِينَ، يَا قَوْمُ قَدْ مَضَتْ مِنْ أَيَّامِكُمْ أكْثَرُهَا وَمَا بَقَتْ إلاّ أَيَّامٌ مَعْدُودَةٌ إِذًا دَعُوا مَا أَخَذْتُمْ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ ثُمَّ خُذُوا أَحْكَامَ اللهِ بِقُوَّةٍ لَعَلَّ تَصِلُونَ إِلَى مَا أَرَادَ اللهُ لَكُمْ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الرَّاشِدِينَ، وَلا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنْ زِينَةِ الأَرْضِ وَلا تَعْتَمِدُوا عَلَيْهَا فَاعْتَمِدُوا بِذِكْرِ اللهِ العَلِيِّ العَظِيمِ فَسَوْفَ يُفْنِي اللهُ مَا عِنْدَكُمْ اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَلا تَنَسَوْا عَهْدَ اللهِ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الْمُحْتَجِبينَ، إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ لا تَسْتَكْبِرُوا عَلَى اللهِ وَأَحِبَّائِهِ ثُمَّ اخْفِضُوا جَناحَكُمْ لِلمُؤْمِنِينَ الّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللهِ وَآياتِهِ وَتَشْهَدُ قُلُوبُهُم بِوَحْدانِيَّتِهِ وَأَلْسِنَتُهُمْ بِفَرْدَانِيَّتِهِ وَلا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا بَعْدَ إِذْنِهِ كَذلِكَ نَنْصَحُكُمْ بِالْعَدلِ وَنُذَكِّرُكُمْ بِالحَقِّ لَعَلَّ تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُتَذَكِرينَ، وَلا تَحْمِلُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ مَا لا تَحْمِلُوهُ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُم وَلَنْ تَرْضَوا لأَحَدٍ مَا لا تَرْضَوْنَهُ لَكُمْ وَهَذا خَيْرُ النُّصْحِ لَوْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ السَّامِعِينَ، ثُمَّ احْتَرِمُوا العُلَمَاءِ بَيْنَكُمُ الَّذينَ يَفْعَلُونَ مَا عَلِمُوا وَيَتَّبِعُونَ حُدُودَ اللهِ وَيَحْكُمُونَ بِمَا حَكَمَ اللهُ فِي الكِتَابِ فَاعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّهُمْ سُرُجُ الهِدَايَةِ بَيْنَ السَّمواتِ وَالأَرَضِينَ، إِنَّ الّذينَ لَنْ تَجِدُوا لِلْعُلَمَاءِ بَيْنَهُمْ مِنْ شَأْنٍ وَلا مِنْ قَدْرٍ أُولئِكَ غَيَّرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللهِ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ قُلْ فَارْتَقِبُوا حَتّى يُغَيِّرَ اللهُ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ لا يَعْزُبُ عَنْ عِلْمِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ يَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَإِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ، وَلا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا فَعَلْتُمْ أَوْ تَفْعَلُونَ وَلا بِمَا وَرَدْتُمْ عَلَيْنَا لأَنَّ بِذَلِكَ لَنْ يَزْدَادَ شَأْنُكُمْ لَوْ أَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ فِي أَعْمَالِكُمْ بِعَيْنِ اليَقِينِ، وَكَذلِكَ لَنْ يَنْقُصَ عَنّا مِنْ شَيْءٍ بَلْ يَزِيدُ اللهُ أَجْرَنَا بِمَا صَبَرْنَا فِي البَلايَا وَإِنَّهُ يَزِيدُ أَجْرَ الصَّابِرينَ، فَاعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّ البَلايَا وَالمِحَنَ لَمْ يَزَلْ كَانَتْ مُوكَلَةً لأَصْفِيَاءِ اللهِ وَأَحِبَّائِهِ ثُمَّ لِعِبَادِهِ المُنْقَطِعِينَ الَّذِينَ لا تُلهِيهِمُ التِّجَارَةُ وَلا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللهِ وَلا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ لَمِنَ العَامِلِينَ، كَذَلِكَ جَرَتْ سُنَّةُ اللهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَيَجْرِي مِنْ بَعْدُ فَطُوبَى لِلصَّابِرينَ الَّذِينَ يَصْبِرُونَ فِي البَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَلَنْ يَجْزَعُوا مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَكَانُوا عَلَى مَنَاهِجِ الصَّبْرِ لَمِنَ السَّالِكينَ، وَلَيْسَ مَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا أَوَّلَ قَارُورَةٍ كُسِرَتْ فِي الإِسْلامِ وَلَيْسَ هذا أَوَّلَ مَا مَكَرُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَحِبَّاءِ اللهِ هَؤُلاءِ المَاكِرينَ، وَوَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا بِمِثْلِ مَا وَرَدَ عَلَى الحُسَيْن مِنْ قَبْلُ إِذْ جَاءَهُ المُرْسَلُونَ مِنْ لَدَى المَاكِرِينَ الَّذينَ كَانَ فِي قُلُوبِهمُ الغِلُّ وَالبَغْضَاءُ وَطَلَبُوهُ عَنِ المَدِينَةِ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ بِأَهْلِهِ قَامُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ إِلَى أَنْ قَتَلُوهُ وَقَتَلُوا أَوْلادَهُ وَإِخْوَتَهُ وَأَسَارُوا أَهْلَهُ وَكَذَلِكَ قُضِيَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَاللهُ عَلَى مَا أَقُولُ شَهِيدٌ، وَمَا بَقَتْ مِنْ ذُرِّيَتِهِ لا مِنْ صَغِيرٍ وَلا مِنْ كَبِيرٍ إِلَّا الَّذِي سُمِّيَ بِعَلِيٍّ الأوسَطِ وَلُقِّبَ بِزَيْنِ العَابِدِينَ، فَانْظُرُوا يَا مَلأَ الغُفَلاءِ كَيْفَ اشْتَعَلَتْ نَارُ مَحَبَّةِ اللهِ فِي صَدْرِ الحُسَيْنِ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ المُتَفَرِّسِينَ، وَزَادَتْ هَذهِ النَّارُ إِلَى أَنْ أَخَذَ الشَّوْقُ وَالاشْتِيَاقُ عَنْهُ زِمَامَ الاصْطِبارِ وَأَخَذَهُ جَذْبُ الجَبَّارِ وَبَلَّغَهُ إِلَى مَقَامِ الَّذِي أَنْفَقَ رُوحَهُ وَنَفْسَهُ وَكُلَّ مَا لَهُ وَمَعَهُ للّهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ، فَوَاللهِ هَذَا المَقَامُ عِنْدَهُ لأَحْلَى عِنْ مُلْكِ السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرَضِينَ، لأَنَّ العَاشِقَ لَنْ يُرِيدَ إِلَّا مَعْشُوقَهُ وَكَذلِكَ الطَّالِبُ مَطْلُوبَهُ وَالحَبِيبُ مَحْبُوبَهُ وَاشْتِياقُهُمْ إِلَى اللِّقَاءِ كَاشْتِيَاقِ الجَسَدِ إِلَى الرُّوحِ بَلْ أَزْيَدُ مِنْ ذَلك إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ العَارِفِينَ، قُلْ حِينَئِذٍ اشْتَعَلَتِ النَّارُ فِي صَدْرِي وَيُرِيدُ أَنْ يَفْدِيَ هَذَا الحُسَيْنُ نَفْسَهُ كَمَا فَدَى الحُسَيْنُ رَجَاءً لِهَذَا المَقَامِ المُتَعَالِي العَظِيمِ، وَهَذَا مَقَامُ فَنَاءِ العَبْدِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَبَقَائِهِ بِاللهِ المُقْتَدِرِ العَلِيِّ الكَبِيرِ، وَإِنِّي لَوْ أُلْقِي عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ أَسْرَارِ الَّتِي أَوْدَعَهَا اللهُ فِي هَذَا المَقَامِ لَتَفْدُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَتَنْقَطِعُونَ عَنْ أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَكُلِّ مَا عِنْدَكُمْ لِتَصِلُوا إِلَى هَذَا المَقَامِ الأَعَزِّ الكَرِيمِ، وَلكِنْ ضَرَبَ اللهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ أَكِنَّةً وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِكُمْ غِشَاوَةً لِئَلاَّ تَعْرِفونَ أَسْرَارَ اللهِ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ بِهَا لَمِنَ المُطَّلِعِينَ، قُلْ إِنَّ اشْتِيَاقَ المُخْلِصِينَ إِلَى جِوَارِ اللهِ كَاشْتِيَاقِ الرَّضِيعِ إِلَى ثَدْيِ أُمِّهِ بَلْ أَزْيَدُ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ العَارِفِينَ، أَوْ كَاشْتِيَاقِ الظَّمْآنِ إِلَى فُرَاتِ العِنَايَةِ أَوِ العَاصِي إِلَى الغُفْرانِ كَذَلِكَ نُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ أَسْرَارَ الأَمْرِ وَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكُم مَا يُغْنِيكُمْ عَمَّا اشْتَغَلْتُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّ أَنْتُم إِلَى شَطْرِ القُدْسِ فِي هَذَا الرِّضْوانِ لِتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الدَّاخِلِينَ، فَوَاللهِ مَنْ دَخَلَ فِيهِ لَنْ يَخْرُجَ عَنْهُ وَمَنِ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ لَنْ يُحَوِّلَ الوَجْهَ عَنْ تِلْقَائِهِ وَلَوْ يُضْرَبُ بِسُيُوفِ المُنْكِرِينَ وَالمُشْرِكِينَ، كَذَلِكَ أَلْقَيْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُضِيَ عَلَى الحُسَيْنِ وَنَسْئَلُ اللهَ بِأَنْ يَقْضِيَ عَلَيْنَا كَمَا قَضَى عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَجَوَّادٌ كَرِيمٌ، تَاللهِ هَبَّتْ مِنْ فِعْلِهِ رَوَايحُ القُدْسِ عَلَى العَالَمِينَ، وَتَمَّتْ حُجَّةُ اللهِ وَظَهَر بُرْهَانُهُ عَلَى الخَلائِقِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَبَعَثَ اللهُ بَعْدَهُ قَوْمًا أَخَذُوا ثَأْرَهُ وَقَتَلُوا أَعْدَاءَهُ وَبَكَوْا عَلَيْهِ فِي كلِّ بُكُورٍ وَأَصِيلٍ، قُلْ إِنَّ اللهَ قَدَّرَ فِي الكِتَابِ بِأَنْ يَأْخُذَ الظَّالِمينَ بِظُلْمِهِمْ وَيَقْطَعَ دابِرَ المُفْسِدينَ، فَاعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّ لِمِثْلِ هذِهِ الأَفْعَالِ بِنَفْسِهَا أَثَرًا فِي المُلْكِ وَلَنْ يَعْرِفَهُ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا مَنْ فَتَحَ اللهُ عَيْنَهُ وَكَشَفَ السُّبُحَاتِ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَهُ مِنَ المُهْتَدِينَ، فَسَوْفَ يُظْهِرُ اللهُ قَوْمًا يَذْكُرُونَ أَيَّامَنا وَكُلَّ مَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَطْلُبُونَ حَقَّنَا عَنِ الّذينَ هُمْ ظَلَمُونَا بِغَيْرِ جُرْمٍ وَلا ذَنْبٍ مُبِينٍ وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ كَانَ اللهُ قَائِمًا عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْهَدُ مَا فَعَلُوا وَيَأْخُذُهُمْ بِذَنْبِهِمْ وَإِنَّهُ أَشَدُّ المُنْتَقِمِينَ، وَكَذلِكَ قَصَصْنا لَكُمْ مِنْ قِصَصِ الحَقِّ وَأَلْقَيْنَاكُمْ مَا قَضَى اللهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ لَعَلَّ تَتُوبُونَ إِلَيْهِ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَتَرْجِعُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الرَّاجِعِينَ، وَتَتَنَبَّهُونَ فِي أَفْعَالِكُمْ وَتَسْتَيْقِظُونَ عَنْ نَوْمِكُمْ وَغَفْلَتِكُمْ وَتَدَّارَكُونَ مَا فَاتَ عَنْكُمْ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المَحْسِنينَ، فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَقْبَلْ قَوْلِي وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُعْرِضْ وَمَا عَلَيَّ إِلَّا بِأَنْ أُذَكِّرَكُمْ فِيمَا فَرَّطتُمْ فِي أَمْرِ اللهِ لَعَلَّ تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُتَذَكِّرِينَ، إِذًا فَاسْمَعُوا قَوْلِي ثُمَّ ارْجِعُوا إِلَى اللهِ وَتُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ لِيَرْحَمَكُمُ اللهُ بِفَضْلِهِ وَيَغْفِرَ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَيَعْفُوَ جَرِيرَاتِكُمْ وَإِنَّهُ سَبَقَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ غَضَبَهُ وَأَحَاطَ فَضْلُهُ كُلَّ مَنْ دَخَلَ فِي قُمُصِ الوُجُودِ مِنَ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ. 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 37Fear God, ye inhabitants of the City, and sow not the seeds of dissension amongst men. Walk not in the paths of the Evil One. Walk ye, during the few remaining days of your life, in the ways of the one true God. Your days shall pass away as have the days of them who were before you. To dust shall ye return, even as your fathers of old did return.

38Know ye that I am afraid of none except God. In none but Him have I placed My trust; to none will I cleave but Him, and wish for naught except the thing He hath wished for Me. This, indeed, is My heart’s desire, did ye but know it. I have offered up My soul and My body as a sacrifice for God, the Lord of all worlds. Whoso hath known God shall know none but Him, and he that feareth God shall be afraid of no one except Him, though the powers of the whole earth rise up and be arrayed against him. I speak naught except at His bidding, and follow naught, through the power of God and His might, except His truth. He, verily, shall recompense the truthful.

39Narrate, O Servant, the things Thou didst behold at the time of Thine arrival in the City, that Thy testimony may endure amongst men, and serve as a warning unto them that believe. We found, upon Our arrival in the City, its governors and elders as children gathered about and disporting themselves with clay. We perceived no one sufficiently mature to acquire from Us the truths which God hath taught Us, nor ripe for Our wondrous words of wisdom. Our inner eye wept sore over them, and over their transgressions and their total disregard of the thing for which they were created. This is what We observed in that city, and which We have chosen to note down in Our Book, that it may serve as a warning unto them, and unto the rest of mankind.

40Say: If ye be seekers after this life and the vanities thereof, ye should have sought them while ye were still enclosed in your mothers’ wombs, for at that time ye were continually approaching them, could ye but perceive it. Ye have, on the other hand, ever since ye were born and attained maturity, been all the while receding from the world and drawing closer to dust. Why, then, exhibit such greed in amassing the treasures of the earth, when your days are numbered and your chance is well-nigh lost? Will ye not, then, O heedless ones, shake off your slumber?

41Incline your ears to the counsels which this Servant giveth you for the sake of God. He, verily, asketh no recompense from you and is resigned to what God hath ordained for Him, and is entirely submissive to God’s Will.

42The days of your life are far spent, O people, and your end is fast approaching. Put away, therefore, the things ye have devised and to which ye cleave, and take firm hold on the precepts of God, that haply ye may attain that which He hath purposed for you, and be of them that pursue a right course. Delight not yourselves in the things of the world and its vain ornaments, neither set your hopes on them. Let your reliance be on the remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. He will, erelong, bring to naught all the things ye possess. Let Him be your fear, and forget not His covenant with you, and be not of them that are shut out as by a veil from Him.

43Beware that ye swell not with pride before God, and disdainfully reject His loved ones. Defer ye humbly to the faithful, they that have believed in God and in His signs, whose hearts witness to His unity, whose tongues proclaim His oneness, and who speak not except by His leave. Thus do We exhort you with justice, and warn you with truth, that perchance ye may be awakened.

44Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things ye would not desire for yourselves. This is My best counsel unto you, did ye but observe it.

45Respect ye the divines and learned amongst you, they whose conduct accords with their professions, who transgress not the bounds which God hath fixed, whose judgements are in conformity with His behests as revealed in His Book. Know ye that they are the lamps of guidance unto them that are in the heavens and on the earth. They who disregard and neglect the divines and learned that live amongst them—these have truly changed the favour with which God hath favoured them.

46Say: Wait ye till God will have changed His favour unto you. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Him. He knoweth the secrets both of the heavens and of the earth. His knowledge embraceth all things. Rejoice not in what ye have done, or will do in the future, nor delight in the tribulation with which ye have afflicted Us, for ye are unable by such means as these to exalt your stations, were ye to examine your works with acute discernment. Neither will ye be capable of detracting from the loftiness of Our state. Nay, God will add unto the recompense with which He shall reward Us, for having sustained with persevering patience the tribulations We have suffered. He, verily, shall increase the reward of them that endure with patience.

47Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of His servants as are detached from all else but Him, they whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the Almighty, they that speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment. Such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain in the future. Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient under ills and hardships, who lament not over anything that befalleth them, and who tread the path of resignation.

48That which hath befallen Us hath been witnessed before. Ours is not the first goblet dashed to the ground in the lands of Islám, nor is this the first time that such schemers have intrigued against the beloved of the Lord. The tribulations We have sustained are like unto the trials endured aforetime by Imám Ḥusayn. For he was approached by messengers from malicious and evil-hearted plotters, inviting him to come forth from the city; yet when he came unto them, accompanied by his kindred, they rose up against him with all their might, until at last they slew him, slaughtered his sons and his brothers, and took captive the remainder of his family. So did it come to pass in an earlier age, and God, verily, is a witness unto My words. Of his lineage there survived none, whether young or old, save his son ‘Alí al-Awsat, known as Zaynu’l-‘Ábidín.

49Behold then, O heedless ones, how brightly the fire of the love of God blazed aforetime in the heart of Ḥusayn, if ye be of them that ponder! So intense grew its flame that fervour and longing at last seized the reins of patience from his grasp, and the love of Him Who is the All-Compelling so enraptured his heart that he surrendered his soul, his spirit, his substance, and his all in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. By God! Sweeter was this in his sight than the empire of earth and heaven. For the true lover desireth naught save reunion with his beloved and the seeker hath no goal but to attain unto the object of his quest. Their hearts long for reunion even as the body yearneth for the spirit, nay greater indeed is their longing, could ye but perceive it!

50Say: That same fire now blazeth in Mine own breast, and My wish is that this Ḥusayn may lay down His life in like manner, in the hope of attaining unto so august and sublime a station, that station wherein the servant dieth to himself and liveth in God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Great. Were I to disclose unto you the mysteries which God hath enshrined therein, ye would, of a truth, offer up your lives in His path, renounce your riches, and forsake all that ye possess, that ye might attain this transcendent and all-glorious station. God, however, hath veiled your hearts and obscured your eyes, lest ye should apprehend His mysteries and be made aware of their meaning.

51Say: The sincere soul longeth for nearness to God even as the suckling babe yearneth for its mother’s breast, nay more ardent is his longing, could ye but know it! Again, his longing is even as the panting of one sore athirst after the living waters of grace, or the yearning of the sinner for forgiveness and mercy. Thus do We expound unto you the mysteries of the Cause, and impart unto you what shall render you independent of all that hath so far occupied you, that perchance ye may enter the Court of Holiness within this exalted Paradise. I swear by God! Whoso entereth therein shall never abandon its precincts, and whoso gazeth thereon shall never turn away therefrom, even should the swords of infidels and deniers rain blows upon him. Thus have We related unto you that which befell Ḥusayn, and We beseech God that He may destine for Us that which He had decreed for him. He, verily, is the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful.

52By the righteousness of God! Through his deed the fragrances of holiness were wafted over all things, the proof of God was perfected, and His testimony made manifest to all men. And after him God raised up a people who avenged his death, who slew his enemies, and who wept over him at dawn and at eventide. Say: God hath pledged in His Book to lay hold upon every oppressor for his tyranny, and to uproot the stirrers of mischief. Know ye that such holy deeds exert, in themselves, a great influence upon the world of being—an influence which is, however, inscrutable to all save those whose eyes have been opened by God, whose hearts He hath freed from obscuring veils, and whose souls He hath guided aright.

53The day is approaching when God will have raised up a people who will call to remembrance Our days, who will tell the tale of Our trials, who will demand the restitution of Our rights from them that, without a tittle of evidence, have treated Us with manifest injustice. God, assuredly, dominateth the lives of them that wronged Us, and is well aware of their doings. He will, most certainly, lay hold on them for their sins. He, verily, is the fiercest of avengers.

54Thus have We recounted unto you the tales of the one true God, and sent down unto you the things He had preordained, that haply ye may ask forgiveness of Him, may return unto Him, may truly repent, may realize your misdeeds, may shake off your slumber, may be roused from your heedlessness, may atone for the things that have escaped you, and be of them that do good. Let him who will, acknowledge the truth of My words; and as to him that willeth not, let him turn aside. My sole duty is to remind you of your failure in duty towards the Cause of God, if perchance ye may be of them that heed My warning. Wherefore, hearken ye unto My speech, and return ye to God and repent, that He, through His grace, may have mercy upon you, may wash away your sins, and forgive your trespasses. The greatness of His mercy surpasseth the fury of His wrath, and His grace encompasseth all who have been called into being and been clothed with the robe of life, be they of the past or of the future. (edit)

O assembly of the city, fear God and do not cause corruption on the earth, and do not follow Satan. Then follow the truth in these few days. Your days will pass just as those before you have passed, and you will return to dust as your forefathers have returned, being among those who return. Then know that we fear none but God alone, and my trust is in Him alone, and my clinging is only to Him. We desire only what He has willed for us, and indeed, this is the desired outcome if you are among those who know. I have devoted my soul and body to God, Lord of the worlds. Whoever knows God will not know anything less, and whoever fears God will not fear anyone else, even if all those on earth were to gather against him. And we say nothing but what we have been commanded, and we follow only the truth with the help of God and His strength, and indeed, He rewards the truthful.

Then, O servant, remember what you saw in the city when you arrived, so that its memory remains on the earth and serves as a reminder for the believers. When we arrived in the city, we found its leaders like children who gather around clay to play with it. We found none among them mature enough to teach what God had taught me and to impart unto them words of impregnable wisdom. Therefore, we wept for them with the eyes of the secret, lamenting their indulgence in what they were forbidden and their obliviousness to their purpose of creation. This is what we witnessed in the city, and we have recorded it in the Book as a reminder for them and others.

Say, if you seek the world and its adornment, it would have been better for you to seek it in the days when you were in your mothers' wombs. For in those days, you approached the world and distanced from it if you are among those who understand. But when you were born and reached maturity, you distanced from the world and drew nearer to dust. So why are you eager to gather ornaments for yourselves after the time has passed and the opportunity has gone? Wake up, O assembly of the heedless. Listen to what this servant advises you for the sake of God, seeking nothing from you, content with what God has decreed, and be among the contented.

O people, most of your days have passed, and only a few remain. So abandon what you have taken for yourselves and take hold of God's commands with strength, so that you may reach what God has willed for you and be among the rightly guided. Do not rejoice in what you have been given of the earth's adornment, and do not rely on it. Rely instead on the remembrance of God, the Most High, the Great. God will destroy what you have; fear God and do not forget God's covenant within yourselves, and do not be among those who are veiled.

Beware of being arrogant towards God and His beloved ones, then lower your wings to the believers who believe in God and His signs, and whose hearts testify to His unity and tongues to His singularity, and who speak only after His permission. Thus, we advise you with justice and remind you of the truth, that you may be among those who remember. Do not impose on others what you cannot bear yourselves, and do not be pleased for others what you would not be pleased for yourselves. This is the best advice if you are among those who listen.

Then respect the scholars among you who act according to their knowledge, follow the limits set by God, and judge according to what God has decreed in the Book. Know that they are the lamps of guidance between the heavens and the earth. Those who do not regard the scholars among them with any status or value have altered God's favor upon themselves. Wait then until God changes your condition, for nothing escapes His knowledge; He knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and He is knowledgeable of everything.

Do not rejoice in what you have done or will do, or in what you have imposed on us, for by doing so, your status will not increase if you look at your actions with certainty. Likewise, nothing will decrease from us; rather, God will increase our reward for our patience in tribulations, and He increases the reward of the patient. Know that tribulations and trials have always been entrusted to God's chosen ones and His beloved, then to His servants who are not distracted by trade or sale from the remembrance of God and do not precede Him in speech, and they are among those who act upon His command. Thus, God's tradition has always been and will continue to be. Blessed are the patient who endure hardship and adversity and do not despair of anything, and who follow the paths of patience.

What befell us was not the first calamity in Islam, nor was this the first plot against God's beloved ones by these schemers. What happened to us was similar to what happened to Hus

ayn before us. When the messengers from the schemers, whose hearts were filled with malice and hatred, sought him out from the city, and when he came to them with his family, they rose against him with what was in their hearts until they killed him, his sons, his brothers, and took his family as captives. Thus, it was decreed before, and God is a witness to what I say. None of his descendants remained, neither small nor great, except he who was named Ali al-Awsat and was known as Zain al-Abidin.

Look, O assembly of the heedless, at how the fire of love for God burned in Husayn's heart before, if you are among those who perceive. This fire grew until longing and yearning took hold of him, and the pull of the Almighty led him to the station where he devoted his soul, his self, and all he had and was with to God, Lord of the worlds. By God, this station is sweeter than the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, for the lover wants nothing but his beloved, the seeker his sought, the friend his friend, and their longing for the meeting is like the body's longing for the soul, or even more, if you are among those who know.

Say, then, the fire ignited in my heart, and it wants to sacrifice itself for Husayn, just as Husayn sacrificed himself in hope of this exalted and great station. This is the station of the servant's annihilation in himself and his survival by God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Great. If I were to reveal to you the secrets that God has placed in this station, you would sacrifice yourselves in the path of God and detach yourselves from your wealth and all you have to reach this noble and exalted station. But God has placed veils over your hearts and coverings over your eyes, so you do not recognize the secrets of God and are not among those who see.

Say, the longing of the sincere for the vicinity of God is like the infant's longing for its mother's breast, or even more, if you are among those who know. Or like the thirsty for the stream of care, or the sinner for forgiveness. Thus, we explain to you the mysteries of the matter and cast upon you what suffices you from what you are preoccupied with, that you may turn to the side of holiness in this pleasure, and be among those who enter. By God, whoever enters it will not leave, and whoever turns to it will not turn his face away from it, even if he is struck by the swords of the deniers and the polytheists. Thus, we have cast upon you what was decreed for Husayn, and we ask God to decree for us as He decreed for him, for He is Generous and Noble.

By God, the fragrances of holiness have wafted from His action upon the worlds, and God's argument has been completed, and His proof has appeared to all creation. God then raised a people who avenged him, killed his enemies, and wept for him every morning and evening. Say, God has decreed in the Book to seize the wrongdoers for their wrongs and to cut off the path of the corrupt. Know that actions like these have an impact in sovereignty, and no one will recognize it except for those whose eyes God has opened and whose hearts He has unveiled, making them among the rightly guided. God will raise a people who will remember our days and all that befell us and seek our right from those who wronged us without any clear crime or sin, and behind them, God will stand, witnessing what they do and seizing them for their sin, for He is the most severe of avengers.

Thus, we relate to you from the stories of the truth and cast upon you what God decreed before, that you may repent to Him within yourselves, return to Him, and be among those who return. And you become aware of your actions, wake up from your sleep and heedlessness, and catch up with what you have missed, and be among the benefactors. Whoever wishes, let him accept my word, and whoever wishes, let him turn away, and my duty is only to remind you of what you have neglected in the command of God, that you may be among those who remember. Then listen to my word, return to God, and repent to Him so that God may have mercy on you by His grace, forgive your sins, and overlook your wrongdoings. His mercy precedes His wrath, and His favor encompasses everyone who has entered the garment of existence, from the first to the last. (edit)

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يَا مَلأَ الوُكَلاءِ أَظَنَنْتُمْ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ بِأَنَّا جِئْنَاكُمْ لِنَأْخُذَ مَا عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ زَخَارِفِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَاعِهَا لا فَوَالّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ بَلْ لِتَعْلَمُوا بِأَنّا مَا نُخَالِفُ السُّلْطَانَ فِي أَمْرِهِ وَمَا نَكُونُ مِنَ العَاصِينَ، فَاعْلَمُوا وَأَيْقِنُوا بِأَنَّ كُلَّ خَزَائِنِ الأَرْضِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالفِضَّةِ وَمَا كَانَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ جَوَاهِرِ عِزٍّ ثَمِينٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَ اللهِ وَأَوْلِيائِهِ وَأَحِبَّائِهِ إِلَّا كَكَفٍّ مِنَ الطِّينِ، لأَنَّ كُلَّ مَا عَلَيْهَا سَيَفْنَى وَيَبْقَى المُلْكُ للهِ المُقْتَدِرِ الجَمِيلِ، وَمَا يَفْنَى لَنْ يَنْفَعَنَا وَلا إِيَّاكُمْ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ المُتَفَكِّرِينَ، فَوَاللهِ مَا نَكْذِبُ فِي القَوْلِ وَمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ إِلَّا بِمَا أُمِرْتُ وَيَشْهَدُ بِذَلِكَ هذَا الكِتَابُ بِنَفْسِهِ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ بِمَا ذُكِرَ فِيه لَمِنَ المُتَذَكِّرِينَ، وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَتَّبِعُوا هَواكُمْ وَلا بِمَا أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ فَاَتَّبِعُوا أَمْرَ اللهِ فِي ظَاهِرِكُمْ وَبَاطِنِكُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الغَافِلِينَ، هَذا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا اجْتَمَعْتُمُوهُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ وَتَطْلُبُونَهُ فِي كُلِّ بُكُورٍ وَعَشِيٍّ، سَتَفْنَى الدُّنْيَا وَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِهِ تُسَرُّونَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَتَفْتَخِرونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الخَلائِقِ أَجْمَعِينَ، طَهِّرُوا مِرْآةَ قُلُوبِكُمْ عَنِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا لِتَنْطَبِعَ فِيهَا أَنْوَارُ تَجَلِّي اللهِ وَهذا مَا يُغْنِيكُمْ عَمّا سِوَى اللهِ وَيُدْخِلُكُمْ فِي رِضَى اللهِ الكَرِيمِ العَالِمِ الحَكِيمِ، وَقَدْ أَلْقَيْنَاكُمْ مَا يَنْفَعُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا وَيهْدِيكُمْ سُبُلَ النَّجَاةِ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ المُقْبِلِينَ. (edit)
 55O concourse of Ministers of State! Do ye believe in your hearts that We have come to divest you of your earthly possessions and vanities? Nay, by the One in Whose hand is My soul! Our intention hath been to make clear that We oppose not the commands of the sovereign, nor are We to be numbered with the rebellious. Know ye of a certainty that all the treasures of the earth, all the gold, the silver, and the rare and precious gems they contain, are, in the sight of God, of His chosen ones and His loved ones, as worthless as a handful of clay. For erelong all that is on earth shall perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, the All-Powerful, the Incomparable. That which perisheth can never profit Us, nor can it profit you, were ye but to reflect.

56By the righteousness of God! I speak not falsely, and utter naught save that which God hath bidden Me. To this bear witness the very words of this Tablet, if ye but reflect upon its contents. Follow not the promptings of your own desires, nor the whisperings of the Evil One in your souls. Follow rather the Cause of God, both in your outward and your inner lives, and be not of the heedless. Better is this for you than all that ye have laid up in your houses, and all that ye have sought by day and night.

57The world will pass away, and so will all the things whereat your hearts rejoice, or wherein ye pride yourselves before men. Cleanse the mirrors of your hearts from the dross of the world and all that is therein, that they may reflect the resplendent light of God. This, indeed, shall enable you to dispense with all save God, and to attain unto the good pleasure of your Lord, the Most Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We, verily, have unfolded before your eyes that which shall profit you both in this world and in the realm of faith, and which will lead you to the path of salvation. Would that ye might turn thereunto! (edit)

O assembly of agents, did you think within yourselves that we came to you to take what you possess of the world's ornaments and its pleasures? No, by the One in whose hand is my soul, rather it is for you to know that we do not oppose the Sultan in his command, and we are not among the disobedient. Know and be certain that all the treasures of the earth, of gold and silver, and all the precious jewels upon it, are in the sight of God, His allies, and His beloved, nothing more than a handful of clay. For everything on it will perish, and the sovereignty will remain with God, the Almighty, the Beautiful. What perishes will not benefit us or you if you are among those who think.

By God, we do not lie in speech, and we speak only what we have been commanded, and this book itself testifies to that if you are among those who remember what is mentioned in it. Do not follow your desires or what Satan has cast into your souls. Follow the command of God in both your outward and inward actions, and do not be among the heedless. This is better for you than everything you have gathered in your homes and seek every morning and evening. The world will perish, and what you rejoice in your hearts and boast about among all creation will also perish.

Purify the mirror of your hearts from the world and what is in it, so that the lights of God's manifestation may be imprinted in it. This will suffice you from all but God and bring you into the pleasure of God, the Generous, the All-Knowing, the Wise. We have cast upon you what will benefit you in religion and the world and guide you to the paths of salvation if you are among those who turn towards it. (edit)

13
أَنْ يَا أَيُّهَا السُّلْطَانُ اسْمَعْ قَوْلَ مَنْ يَنْطِقُ بِالحَقِّ وَلا يُرِيدُ مِنْكَ جَزَاءً عَمَّا أَعْطَاكَ اللهُ وَكَانَ عَلَى قِسْطَاسِ حَقٍّ مُسْتَقِيمٍ، وَيَدْعُوكَ إِلَى اللهِ رَبِّكَ وَيَهْدِيكَ سُبُلَ الرُّشْدِ وَالفَلاحِ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ المُفْلِحِينَ، إِيَّاكَ يَا أَيُّهَا المَلِكُ لا تَجْمَعْ فِي حَوْلِكَ مِنْ هؤُلاءِ الوُكَلاءِ الّذِينَ لا يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا هَواهُمْ وَنَبَذُوا أَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَكَانُوا عَلَى خِيَانَةٍ مُبِينٍ، فَأَحْسِنْ عَلَى العِبَادِ كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللهُ لَكَ وَلا تَدَعِ النَّاسَ وَأُمُورَهُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ هؤُلاءِ، اتَّقِ اللهَ وَكُنْ مِنَ المُتَّقِينَ، فَاجْتَمِعْ مِنَ الوُكَلاءِ الّذِينَ تَجِدُ مِنْهُمْ رَوَايِحَ الإِيمَانِ وَالعَدْلِ ثُمَّ شَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الأُمُورِ وَخُذْ أَحْسَنَهَا وَكُنْ مِنَ المُحْسِنِينَ، فَاعْلَمْ وَأَيْقِنْ بِأَنَّ الّذِي لَنْ تَجِدَ عِنْدَهُ الدِّيَانَةَ لَمْ تَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ الأَمَانَةُ وَالصِّدْقُ وَإِنَّ هذا لَحَقٌّ يَقِينٌ، وَمَنْ خَانَ اللهَ يَخَانُ السُّلْطَانَ وَلَنْ يَحْتَرِزَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ وَلَنْ يَتَّقِيَ فِي أُمُورِ النَّاسِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ المُتَّقِينَ، إِيَّاكَ أَنْ لا تَدَعْ زِمَامَ الأُمُورِ عَنْ كَفِّكَ وَلا تَطْمَئِنَّ بِهِمْ وَلا تَكُنْ مِنَ الغَافِلِينَ، وَإِنَّ الّذينَ تَجِدُ قُلُوبَهُمْ إِلَى غَيْرِكَ فَاحْتَرِزْ عَنْهُمْ وَلا تَأْمُنْهُمْ عَلَى أَمْرِكَ وَأُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ، وَلا تَجْعَلِ الذِّئْبَ رَاعِيَ أَغْنَامِ اللهِ وَلا تَدَعْ مُحِبِّيهِ تَحْتَ أَيْدِي المُبْغِضِينَ، إِنَّ الذّينَ يَخَانُونَ الله فِي أَمْرِهِ لَنْ تَطْمَعَ مِنْهُمُ الأَمَانةَ وَلا الدِّيَانَةَ وَتَجَنَّبْ عَنْهُمْ وَكُنْ فِي حِفْظٍ عَظِيمٍ، لِئَلاَّ يَرِدَ عَلَيْكَ مَكْرُهُمْ وَضُرُّهُمْ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْبِلْ إِلَى اللهِ رَبِّكَ العَزِيزِ الكَرِيمِ، مَنْ كَانَ للهِ كَانَ اللهُ لَهُ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ يَحْرُسُهُ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا يَضُرُّهُ وَعَنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ مَكَّارٍ لَئِيمٍ، وَإِنَّكَ لَوْ تَسمَعُ قَوْلِي وَتَسْتَنْصِحُ بِنُصْحِي يَرْفَعُكَ اللهُ إِلَى مَقَامٍ الّذي يَنْقَطِعُ عَنْكَ أَيْدِي كُلِّ مَنْ علَى الأَرْضِ أَجْمَعِينَ، أَنْ يَا مَلِكُ اتَّبِعْ سُنَنَ اللهِ فِي نَفْسِكَ وَبِأَرْكَانِكَ وَلا تَتَّبِعْ سُنَنَ الظَّالِمِينَ، خُذْ زِمَامَ أَمْرِكَ فِي كَفِّكَ وَقَبْضَةِ اقْتِدَارِكَ ثُمَّ اسْتَفْسِرْ عَنْ كُلِّ الأُمُورِ بِنَفْسِكَ وَلا تَغْفَلْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ وَإِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لَخَيْرٌ عَظِيمٌ، أَنِ اشْكُرِ اللهَ رَبَّكَ بِمَا اصْطَفَاكَ بَيْنَ بَرِيَّتِهِ وَجَعَلَكَ سُلْطَانًا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَيَنْبَغِي لَكَ بِأَنْ تَعْرِفَ قَدْرَ مَا وَهَبَكَ اللهُ مِنْ بَدَايِعِ جُودِهِ وَإِحْسَانِهِ وَتَشْكُرَهُ فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ، وَشُكْرُكَ رَبَّكَ هُوَ حُبُّكَ أَحِبَّاءَهُ وَحِفْظُكَ عِبَادَهُ وَصِيَانَتُهُمْ عَنْ هَؤُلاءِ الخَائِنِينَ، لئَلاَّ يَظْلِمَهُم أَحَدٌ ثُمَّ إِجْرَاءُ حُكْمِ اللهِ بَيْنَهُمْ لِتَكُونَ فِي شَرْعِ اللهِ لَمِنَ الرَّاسِخِينَ، وَإِنَّكَ لَوْ تُجْرِي أَنْهَارَ العَدْلِ بَيْنَ رَعْيَّتِكَ لَيَنْصُرُكَ اللهُ بِجُنُودِ الغَيْبِ وَالشِّهَادَةِ وَيُؤَيِّدُكَ عَلَى أَمْرِكَ وَإِنَّهُ مَا مِنْ إِلهٍ إِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الأَمْرُ وَالخَلْقُ وَإِنَّ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُ عَمَلُ المُخْلِصِينَ، وَلا تَطْمَئِنَّ بِخَزَائِنِكَ فَاطْمَئِنَّ بِفَضْلِ اللهِ رَبِّكَ ثُمَّ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ فِي أُمُورِكَ وَكُنْ مِنَ المُتَوَكِّلِينَ، فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْنِ مِنْ غَنَائِهِ وَعِنْدَهُ خَزَائِنُ السّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يُعْطِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَمْنَعُ عَمَّنْ يَشَاءُ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الغَنِيُّ الحَمِيدُ، كُلٌّ فُقَرَاءُ لَدَى بَابِ رَحْمَتِهِ وَضُعَفَاءُ لَدَى ظُهُورِ سُلْطَانِهِ وَكُلٌّ مِنْ جُودِهِ لَمِنَ السَّائِلِينَ، وَلا تُفَرِّطْ فِي الأُمُورِ فَاعْمَلْ بَيْنَ خُدَّامِكَ بِالعَدْلِ ثُمَّ أَنْفِقْ عَلَيْهِمْ عَلَى قَدْرِ مَا يَحْتاجُونَ بِهِ لا عَلَى قَدْرٍ الّذي يَكْنِزُونَهُ وَيجْعَلُونَهُ زِينَةً لأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَبُيوتِهِمْ وَيصْرِفُونَهُ فِي أُمُورِ الَّتِي لَنْ يحْتاجُوا بِهَا وَيكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُسْرِفِينَ، فَاعْدِلْ بَيْنَهُمْ عَلَى الخَطِّ الاسْتِوَاءِ بِحَيْثُ لَنْ يَحْتَاجَ بَعْضُهُمْ وَلَنْ يَكْنِزَ بَعْضُهُمْ وَإِنَّ هَذا لَعَدْلٌ مُبِينٌ، وَلا تَجَعَلِ الأَعِزَّةَ تَحْتَ أَيْدِي الأَذِلَّةِ وَلا تُسَلِّطِ الأَدْنَى عَلَى الأَعْلَى كَمَا شَهِدْنا فِي المَدِينَةِ وَكُنَّا مِنَ الشَّاهِدينَ، وَإِنَّا لَمَّا وَرَدْنَا المَدِينَةَ وَجَدنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فِي سَعَةٍ وَغَنَاءٍ عَظِيمٍ وَبَعْضَهُمْ فِي ذِلَّةٍ وَفَقْرٍ مُبِينٍ، وَهذا لا ينْبَغِي لِسَلْطَنَتِكَ وَلا يَلِيقُ لِشَأْنِكَ اسْمَعْ نُصْحِي ثُمَّ اعْدِلْ بَيْنَ الخَلْقِ لِيَرْفَعَ اللهُ اسْمَكَ بِالعَدْلِ بَيْنَ العَالَمِينَ، إِيَّاكَ أَنْ لا تُعَمِّرْ هؤُلاءِ الوُكَلاءَ وَلا تُخَرِّبِ الرَّعِيَّةَ اتَّقِ مِنْ ضَجِيجِ الفُقَرَاءِ وَالأَبْرَارِ فِي الأَسْحَارِ وَكُنْ لَهُمْ كَسُلْطَانٍ شَفِيقٍ، لأَنّهُمْ كَنْزُكَ فِي الأرضِ فَينْبَغِي لِحَضْرَتِكَ بِأَنْ تَحْفَظَ كَنْزَكَ مِنْ أَيْدِي هؤُلاءِ السَّارِقِينَ، ثُمَّ تَجَسَّسْ مِنْ أُمُورِهِمْ وَأَحْوالِهِمْ فِي كُلِّ حَوْلٍ بَلْ فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَلا تَكُنْ عَنْهُمْ لَمِنَ الغَافِلِينَ، ثُمَّ انْصِبْ مِيزَانَ اللهِ فِي مُقَابَلَةِ عَيْنِكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ نَفْسَكَ فِي مَقَامٍ الّذِي كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ ثُمَّ وَزِّنْ أَعْمالَكَ بِهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ بَلْ فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ، وَحَاسِبْ نَفْسَكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُحَاسَبَ فِي يَوْمٍ الّذِي لَنْ يَسْتَقِرَّ فِيهِ رِجْلُ أَحَدٍ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللهِ وَتَضْطَرِبُ فِيهِ أَفْئِدَةُ الغَافِلِينَ، وَيَنْبَغِي لِلسُّلْطَانِ بِأَنْ يَكُونَ فَيْضُهُ كَالشَّمْسِ يُرَبِّي كُلَّ شَيءٍ وَيُعْطِي كُلَّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ وَهذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْهَا بَلْ بِمَا قُدِّرَ مِنْ لَدُنْ مُقْتَدِرٍ قَدِيرٍ، وَيَكُونُ رَحْمَتُهُ كَالسَّحَابِ يُنْفِقُ عَلَى العِبَادِ كَمَا يُنْفِقُ السَّحَابُ أمْطَارَ الرَّحْمَةِ عَلَى كُلِّ أَرْضٍ بِأَمْرٍ مِنْ مُدَبِّرٍ عَلِيمٍ، إِيَّاكَ أَنْ لا تَطْمَئِنَّ مِنْ أَحَدٍ فِي أَمْرِكَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَكَ أَحَدٌ كَمِثْلِكَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ كَذلِكَ نُبَيِّنُ لَكَ كَلِمَاتِ الحِكْمَةِ وَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ مَا يُقَلِّبُكَ عَنْ شِمَالِ الظُّلْمِ إِلَى يَمِينِ العَدْلِ وَيَهْدِيكَ إِلَى شَاطِئِ قُرْبٍ مُنِيرٍ، كُلُّ ذلِكَ مِنْ سِيرَةِ المُلُوكِ الَّذِينَ سَبَقُوكَ فِي المُلْكِ وَكَانُوا أَنْ يَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَيَسْلُكُوا عَلى مَنَاهِجِ عَدْلٍ قَويمٍ، إِنَّكَ ظِلُّ اللهِ فِي الأَرْضِ فَافْعَلْ مَا يَلِيقُ لِهذَا الشَّأْنِ المُتَعَالِ العَظِيمِ، وَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تَخْرُجْ عَمَّا ألْقَيْنَاكَ وَعَلَّمْنَاكَ لَتَخْرُجْ عَنْ هذا الشَّأْنِ الأَعَزِّ الرَّفِيعِ، فَارْجِعْ إِلَى اللهِ بِقَلْبِكَ ثُمَّ طَهِّرْهُ عَنِ الدُّنْيا وَزُخْرُفِها وَلا تُدْخِلْ فِيهِ حُبَّ المُغَايِرِينَ، لأَنَّكَ لَوْ تُدْخِلُ فِيهِ حُبَّ الغَيْرِ لَنْ يَسْتَشْرِقَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْوَارُ تَجَلِّي اللهِ، (edit)
 58Hearken, O King,3 to the speech of Him that speaketh the truth, Him that doth not ask thee to recompense Him with the things God hath chosen to bestow upon thee, Him Who unerringly treadeth the straight Path. He it is Who summoneth thee unto God, thy Lord, Who showeth thee the right course, the way that leadeth to true felicity, that haply thou mayest be of them with whom it shall be well.

59Beware, O King, that thou gather not around thee such ministers as follow the desires of a corrupt inclination, as have cast behind their backs that which hath been committed into their hands and manifestly betrayed their trust. Be bounteous to others as God hath been bounteous to thee, and abandon not the interests of thy people to the mercy of such ministers as these. Lay not aside the fear of God, and be thou of them that act uprightly. Gather around thee those ministers from whom thou canst perceive the fragrance of faith and of justice, and take thou counsel with them, and choose whatever is best in thy sight, and be of them that act generously.

60Know thou for a certainty that whoso disbelieveth in God is neither trustworthy nor truthful. This, indeed, is the truth, the undoubted truth. He that acteth treacherously towards God will, also, act treacherously towards his king. Nothing whatever can deter such a man from evil, nothing can hinder him from betraying his neighbour, nothing can induce him to walk uprightly.

61Take heed that thou resign not the reins of the affairs of thy state into the hands of others, and repose not thy confidence in ministers unworthy of thy trust, and be not of them that live in heedlessness. Shun them whose hearts are turned away from thee, and place not thy confidence in them, and entrust them not with thine affairs and the affairs of such as profess thy faith. Beware that thou allow not the wolf to become the shepherd of God’s flock, and surrender not the fate of His loved ones to the mercy of the malicious. Expect not that they who violate the ordinances of God will be trustworthy or sincere in the faith they profess. Avoid them, and preserve strict guard over thyself, lest their devices and mischief hurt thee. Turn away from them, and fix thy gaze upon God, thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. He that giveth up himself wholly to God, God shall, assuredly, be with him; and he that placeth his complete trust in God, God shall, verily, protect him from whatsoever may harm him, and shield him from the wickedness of every evil plotter.

62Wert thou to incline thine ear unto My speech and observe My counsel, God would exalt thee to so eminent a position that the designs of no man on the whole earth can ever touch or hurt thee. Observe, O King, with thine inmost heart and with thy whole being, the precepts of God, and walk not in the paths of the oppressor. Seize thou, and hold firmly within the grasp of thy might, the reins of the affairs of thy people, and examine in person whatever pertaineth unto them. Let nothing escape thee, for therein lieth the highest good.

63Render thanks unto God for having chosen thee out of the whole world, and made thee king over them that profess thy faith. It well beseemeth thee to appreciate the wondrous favours with which God hath favoured thee, and to magnify continually His name. Thou canst best praise Him if thou lovest His loved ones, and dost safeguard and protect His servants from the mischief of the treacherous, that none may any longer oppress them. Thou shouldst, moreover, arise to enforce the law of God amongst them, that thou mayest be of those who are firmly established in His law.

64Shouldst thou cause rivers of justice to spread their waters amongst thy subjects, God would surely aid thee with the hosts of the unseen and of the seen, and would strengthen thee in thine affairs. No God is there but Him. All creation and its empire are His. Unto Him return the works of the faithful.

65Place not thy reliance on thy treasures. Put thy whole confidence in the grace of God, thy Lord. Let Him be thy trust in whatever thou doest, and be of them that have submitted themselves to His Will. Let Him be thy helper and enrich thyself with His treasures, for with Him are the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth. He bestoweth them upon whom He will, and from whom He will He withholdeth them. There is none other God but Him, the All-Possessing, the All-Praised. All are but paupers at the door of His mercy; all are helpless before the revelation of His sovereignty, and beseech His favours.

66Overstep not the bounds of moderation, and deal justly with them that serve thee. Bestow upon them according to their needs, and not to the extent that will enable them to lay up riches for themselves, to deck their persons, to embellish their homes, to acquire the things that are of no benefit unto them, and to be numbered with the extravagant. Deal with them with undeviating justice, so that none among them may either suffer want, or be pampered with luxuries. This is but manifest justice.

67Allow not the abject to rule over and dominate them who are noble and worthy of honour, and suffer not the high-minded to be at the mercy of the contemptible and worthless, for this is what We observed upon Our arrival in the City, and to it We bear witness. We found among its inhabitants some who were possessed of an affluent fortune and lived in the midst of excessive riches, while others were in dire want and abject poverty. This ill beseemeth thy sovereignty, and is unworthy of thy rank.

68Let My counsel be acceptable to thee, and strive thou to rule with equity among men, that God may exalt thy name and spread abroad the fame of thy justice in all the world. Beware lest thou aggrandize thy ministers at the expense of thy subjects. Fear the sighs of the poor and of the upright in heart who, at every break of day, bewail their plight, and be unto them a benignant sovereign. They, verily, are thy treasures on earth. It behoveth thee, therefore, to safeguard thy treasures from the assaults of them who wish to rob thee. Inquire into their affairs, and ascertain, every year, nay every month, their condition, and be not of them that are careless of their duty.

69Set before thine eyes God’s unerring Balance and, as one standing in His Presence, weigh in that Balance thine actions every day, every moment of thy life. Bring thyself to account ere thou art summoned to a reckoning, on the Day when no man shall have strength to stand for fear of God, the Day when the hearts of the heedless ones shall be made to tremble.

70It behoveth every king to be as bountiful as the sun, which fostereth the growth of all beings, and giveth to each its due, whose benefits are not inherent in itself, but are ordained by Him Who is the Most Powerful, the Almighty. The King should be as generous, as liberal in his mercy as the clouds, the outpourings of whose bounty are showered upon every land, by the behest of Him Who is the Supreme Ordainer, the All-Knowing.

71Have a care not to entrust thine affairs of state entirely into another’s hands. None can discharge thy functions better than thine own self. Thus do We make clear unto thee Our words of wisdom, and send down upon thee that which can enable thee to pass over from the left hand of oppression to the right hand of justice, and approach the resplendent ocean of His favours. Such is the path which the kings that were before thee have trodden, they that acted equitably towards their subjects, and walked in the ways of undeviating justice.

72Thou art God’s shadow on earth. Strive, therefore, to act in such a manner as befitteth so eminent, so august a station. If thou dost depart from following the things We have caused to descend upon thee and taught thee, thou wilt, assuredly, be derogating from that great and priceless honour. Return, then, and cleave wholly unto God, and cleanse thine heart from the world and all its vanities, and suffer not the love of any stranger to enter and dwell therein. Not until thou dost purify thine heart from every trace of such love can the brightness of the light of God shed its radiance upon it, for to none hath God given more than one heart. (edit)

O Sultan, listen to the words of one who speaks the truth and seeks no reward from you for what Allah has granted you, and who is on a straight and just balance. He calls you to Allah, your Lord, and guides you to the paths of righteousness and prosperity, so that you may be among the successful. Beware, O King, of gathering around you those agents who follow only their desires, abandoning their trusts and engaging in clear betrayal. Show kindness to your subjects as Allah has shown kindness to you, and do not leave their affairs in the hands of these treacherous agents. Fear Allah and be among the righteous.

Gather around you agents who exude the scent of faith and justice, consult with them in matters, and choose the best actions. Be among those who do good. Know and be certain that those who lack religion also lack honesty and trustworthiness; indeed, this is a certain truth. Whoever betrays Allah will also betray the ruler and will not refrain from anything, nor will they act piously in matters concerning the people, for they are not among the righteous. Ensure that you do not relinquish control of your affairs to others and do not become complacent; be not among the heedless.

Those whose hearts are inclined towards others besides you should be treated with caution; do not trust them with your affairs or the affairs of the Muslims. Do not appoint the wolf as the shepherd of Allah's sheep and do not leave His lovers under the control of His haters. Those who betray Allah in His command cannot be trusted with honesty or piety. Avoid them and be vigilant, lest their plots and harm affect you. Turn away from them and then turn to Allah, your Lord, the Mighty and Noble. Those who are for Allah, He is for them; those who rely on Him, He indeed protects them from all harm and from the deceit of contemptible schemers.

If you listen to my words and heed my advice, Allah will elevate you to a position where the hands of all on earth cannot reach you. O King, follow the laws of Allah in your own self and your domains, and do not follow the ways of the oppressors. Take control of your command and investigate all matters yourself; do not neglect anything, for there is great good in this. Be thankful to Allah, your Lord, for choosing you among His creation and making you a ruler of the Muslims. Recognize the wonders of His generosity and kindness, and thank Him at all times. Your gratitude to your Lord is manifested in your love for His beloved, in protecting His servants from these traitors, ensuring that no one oppresses them, and in implementing Allah's law among them so that you are firmly established in His command.

If you administer justice among your subjects like flowing rivers, Allah will support you with the armies of the unseen and the visible and strengthen you in your command. There is no deity but Him; to Him belongs the command and the creation, and to Him returns the work of the sincere. Do not be content with your treasures; rely on the bounty of Allah, your Lord, and trust in Him for your affairs, being among those who rely on Him. Seek help from Allah, then be independent with His wealth, for He owns the treasures of the heavens and the earth, giving to whom He wills and withholding from whom He wills. There is no deity but Him, the Rich, the Praiseworthy. Everyone is needy at the door of His mercy, weak in the face of His power, and everyone seeks from His bounty.

Do not neglect matters; treat your servants justly and spend on them according to their needs, not according to what they hoard and use for adornment. Be fair to them equally, so that none of them is in need or hoarding, for this is clear justice. Do not place the honorable under the control of the ignoble, nor the superior under the inferior, as we have witnessed in the city. When we entered the city, we found some in abundance and others in clear poverty and humiliation, which is not fitting for your kingdom or appropriate for your status. Listen to my advice, then be just among the people so that Allah may elevate your name with justice among the worlds.

Beware of favoring these agents and oppressing the people. Fear the outcry of the poor and the righteous at dawn and be to them as a compassionate ruler, for they are your treasure on earth. It befits you to protect your treasure from these thieves. Investigate their affairs and conditions every year, indeed every month, and be not among the heedless. Set up the scale of Allah before your eyes, place yourself as if you see Him, then weigh your actions by it every day, indeed every moment. Hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable on the day when no one's foot will remain firm for fear of Allah, and the hearts of the heedless will tremble. It befits the ruler to be like the sun, nourishing everything, giving everyone their due right, not from himself but by what has been decreed by an Almighty, Capable One. His mercy should be like the clouds, bestowing upon the servants as the clouds shower mercy's rain on every land by the command of an Omniscient Arranger.

Beware of being reassured by anyone in your matter, and no one should be to you like yourself. Thus, we elucidate to you words of wisdom and cast upon you what turns you from the left of injustice to the right of justice and guides you to a bright, near shore. All this is from the practices of the kings who preceded you in the kingdom and who were just among the people and followed the straight paths of justice. You are the shadow of Allah on earth, so do what befits this exalted and great status. If you deviate from what we have cast upon you and taught you, you will depart from this noble and exalted status.

Return to Allah with your heart, then purify it from the world and its adornments, and do not let the love of others enter it. For if you let in the love of others, the lights of Allah's manifestation will not shine upon it, for Allah has not given anyone two hearts. Since He has made it one, you should not let two loves enter it. So, hold on to the love of Allah and turn away from the love of others, that Allah may immerse you in the ocean of His Oneness and make you among the monotheists. By Allah, my purpose in what we have cast upon you is only to purify you from perishable things and immerse you in the dominion of the eternal, so that you may be among the rulers by Allah's permission. (edit)

14
لأَنَّ اللهَ مَا جَعَلَ لأَحَدٍ مِنْ قَلْبَيْنِ وَهذا مَا نُزِّلَ فِي كِتابٍ قَدِيمٍ، وَلَمَّا جَعَلَهُ اللهُ وَاحِدًا يَنْبَغِي لِحَضْرَتِكَ بِأَنْ لا تُدْخِلَ فِيهِ حُبَّيْنِ، إِذًا تَمَسَّكْ بِحُبِّ اللهِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنْ حُبِّ مَا سِوَاهُ لِيُدْخِلَكَ اللهُ فِي لُجَّةِ بَحْرِ أَحَدِيَّتِهِ وَيَجْعَلَكَ مِنَ المُوَحِّدِينَ، فَوَاللهِ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَقْصُودِي فِيمَا أَلْقَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا تَنْزِيهَكَ عَنِ الأَشْيَاءِ الفَانِيَةِ وَوُرُودَكَ فِي جَبَرُوتِ البَاقِيَةِ وَتَكُونَ فِيهِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ لَمِنَ الحَاكِمينَ، أَسَمِعْتَ يَا أَيُّهَا المَلِكُ مَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ وُكَلائِكَ وَمَا عَمِلُوا بِنَا أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الغَافِلينَ، وَإِنْ سَمِعْتَ وَعَلِمْتَ لِمَ مَا أَنَهَيْتَهُمْ عَنْ فِعْلِهِمْ وَرَضِيتَ لِمَنْ أَجَابَ أَمْرَكَ وَأَطَاعَكَ مَا لا يَرْضَى لأَهْلِ مَمْلَكَتِهِ أَحَدٌ مِنَ السَّلاطِينِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مُطَّلِعًا هذا أَعْظَمُ مِنَ الأُولَى إِنْ أَنْتَ مِنَ المُتَّقِينَ، إِذًا أَذْكُرُ لِحَضْرَتِكَ لِتَطَّلِعَ بِمَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ هؤُلاءِ الظَّالِمِينَ، فَاعْلَمْ بِأَنَّا جِئْنَاكَ بِأَمْرِكَ وَدَخَلْنَا مَدِينَتَكَ بِعِزٍّ مُبِينٍ، وَأَخْرَجُونَا عَنْها بِذِلَّةٍ الَّتِي لَنْ تُقَاسَ بِهِ ذِلّةٌ فِي الأَرْضِ إِنْ أَنْتَ مِنَ المُطَّلِعِينَ، وَأَذْهَبُونَا إِلَى أَنْ دَخَّلُونَا فِي مَدِينَةٍ الَّتِي لَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِيهَا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ هُم عَصَوْا أَمْرَكَ وَكَانُوا مِنَ العَاصِينَ، وَكَانَ ذلِكَ بَعْدَ الّذِي مَا عَصَيْنَاكَ فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ آنٍ فَلَمَّا سَمِعْنَا أَمْرَكَ أَطَعْنَاهُ وَكُنَّا مِنَ المُطِيعينَ، وَمَا رَاعَوْا فِينَا حَقَّ اللهِ وَحُكْمَهُ وَلا فِيمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَى الأَنْبِياءِ وَالمُرْسَلِينَ، وَمَا رَحَمُوا عَلَيْنَا وَفَعَلُوا بِنَا مَا لا فَعَلَ مُسْلِمٌ عَلَى مُسْلِمٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنٌ عَلَى كَافِرٍ وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلَى مَا أَقُولُ شَهِيدٌ وَعَلِيمٌ، وَحِينَ إِخْرَاجِنَا عَنْ مَدِينَتِكَ حَمَلُونَا عَلَى خُدُورِ الَّتِي تَحْمِلُ عَلَيْهَا العِبَادُ أَثْقَالَهُمْ وَأَوْزَارَهُمْ كَذلِكَ فَعَلُوا بِنَا إِنْ كَانَ حَضْرَتُكَ لَمِنَ المُسْتَخْبِرينَ، وَأَذْهَبُونَا إِلَى أَنْ وَرَّدُونا فِي بَلْدَةِ العُصاةِ عَلَى زَعْمِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا وَرَدْنا مَا وَجَدْنا فِيها مِنْ بَيْتٍ لِنَسْكُنَ فِيها لِذا نَزَلْنا فِي مَحَلٍّ الّذِي لَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِيهِ إِلَّا كُلُّ ذِي اضْطِرارٍ غَرِيبٍ، وَكُنَّا فِيهِ أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودةً وَاشْتَدَّ عَلَيْنَا الأَمْرُ لِضِيقِ المَكَانِ لِذَا اسْتَأْجَرْنا بُيوتَ الَّتِي تَرَكُوها أَهْلُها مِنْ شِدَّةِ بَرْدِها وَكَانُوا مِنَ التَّارِكِينَ، وَلَنْ يَسْكُنَ فِيها أَحَدٌ إِلَّا فِي الصَّيْفِ وَإِنَّا فِي الشِّتَاءِ كُنَّا فِيها لَمِنَ النَّازِلِينَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لأَهْلِي وَلِلّذِينَ هُمْ كَانُوا مَعِي مِنْ كِسْوَةٍ لِتَقِيهِمْ عَنْ البَرْدِ فِي هذَا الزَّمْهَريرِ، فَيا لَيْتَ عَامَلُوا بِنَا هؤُلاءِ الوُكَلاءُ بِالأُصُولِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَوَاللهِ مَا عَامَلُوا بِنَا لا بِحُكْمِ اللهِ وَلا بِالأُصُولِ الَّتِي يَدَّعُونَ بِها وَلا بِالقَواعِدِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلا بِقَوَاعِدِ أَرَامِلِ الأَرْضِ حِينَ الَّذِي يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنْ عَابِرِ السَّبِيلِ، كَذلِكَ وَرَدَ عَلَيْنا مِنْ هؤُلاءِ قَدْ أَذْكَرْناهُ لَكَ بِلِسَانِ صِدْقٍ مَنِيعٍ، كُلُّ ذلِكَ وَرَدَ عَلَيَّ بَعْدَ الَّذِي قَدْ جِئْتُهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِمْ وَمَا تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْ حُكْمِهِمْ لأَنَّ حُكْمَهُمْ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى حَضْرَتِكَ لِذَا أَجَبْناهُمْ فِيما أَمَرُوا وَكُنَّا مِنَ المُجِيبِينَ، كَأَنَّهُمْ نَسَوْا حُكْمَ اللهِ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَالَ وَقَوْلُهُ الحَقُّ "فَاخْفِضْ جَناحَكَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ" كَأَنَّهُمْ مَا أَرَادُوا شَيْئًا إِلَّا رَاحَةَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَنْ يَسْمَعُوا ضَجِيجَ الفُقَرَاءِ وَلَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِي آذانِهِم صَرِيخُ المَظْلُومِينَ، كَأَنَّهُمْ ظَنُّوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِم بِأَنَّهُمْ خُلِقُوا مِنَ النُّورِ وَدُونَهُمْ مِنَ التُّرَابِ فَبِئْسَ مَا ظَنُّوا كُلُّنَا خُلِقْنَا مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ، يَا أَيُّها المَلِكُ فَوَاللهِ مَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشْكُوَ مِنْهُمْ فِي حَضْرَتِكَ إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَنَا وَإِيَّاهُمْ وَكَانَ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَيْهِمْ لَشَاهِدٌ وَوَكِيلٌ بَلْ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُذَكِّرَهُمْ بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ لَعَلَّ لا يَفْعَلُوا بِأَحَدٍ كَمَا فَعَلُوا بِنَا وَلَعَلَّ يَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُتَذَكِّرِينَ، سَتَمْضِي بَلايانا وَاضْطِرارُنا وَالشِّدَّةُ الَّتِي أَحاطَتْنا مِنْ كُلِّ الجِهاتِ وَكَذلِكَ تَمْضِي رَاحَتُهُمْ وَالرَّخَاءُ الَّذِي كَانُوا فِيهِ وَهذا مِنْ حَقٍّ الَّذِي لَنْ يُنْكِرَهُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ العَالَمِينَ، وَسَيُقْضَى سُكُونُنا عَلَى التُّرابِ بِهذِهِ الذِّلَّةِ وَجُلُوسُهُمْ عَلَى سَرِيرِ العِزَّةِ وَيَحْكُمُ اللهُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الحَاكِمينَ وَنَشْكُرُ اللهَ فِي كُلِّ مَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا وَنَصْبِرُ فِيمَا قُضِيَ وَيَقْضِي وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ فَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي وَإِنَّهُ يُوفِي أُجُورَ الصَّابِرينَ وَالمُتَوَكِّلِينَ، لَهُ الأَمْرُ وَالخَلْقُ يُعِزُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُذِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَلا يُسْئَلْ عَمَّا شَاءَ وَإِنّهُ لَهُوَ العَزِيزُ القَدِيرُ، اسْمَعْ يَا سُلْطانُ مَا أَلْقَيْنا عَلَى حَضْرَتِكَ ثُمَّ امْنَعِ الظَّالِمينَ عَنْ ظُلْمِهِمْ ثُمَّ اقْطَعْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنْ رُؤُوسِ المُسْلِمِينَ، فَوَاللهِ وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا مَا لا يَجْرِي القَلَمُ عَلَى ذِكْرِهِ إِلَّا بِأَنْ يَحْزَنَ رَاقِمُهُ وَلَنْ تَقْدِرَ أَنْ تَسْمَعَهُ آذانُ المُوَحِّدِينَ، وَبَلَغَ أَمْرُنَا إِلَى مَقامٍ الَّذِي بَكَتْ عَلَيْنا عُيونُ أَعْدَائِنَا وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ كُلُّ ذِي بَصَرٍ بَصِيرٍ، بَعْدَ الَّذِي تَوَجَّهْنا إِلَى حَضْرتِكَ وَأَمَرْنَا النَّاسَ بِأَنْ يَدْخُلُوا فِي ظِلِّكَ لِتَكُونَ حِصْنًا لِلْمُوَحِّدِينَ، أَخَالَفْتُكَ يَا سَلْطَانُ فِي شَيْءٍ أَوْ عَصَيْتُكَ فِي أَمْرٍ أَوْ مَعَ وُزَرَائِكَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا أَنْ يَحْكُمُوا فِي العِرَاقِ بِإِذْنِكَ؟ لا فَوَرَبِّ العَالَمِينَ، مَا عَصَيْنَاكَ وَلا إِيَّاهُمْ فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ لَمْحِ البَصَرِ وَلا أَعْصِيكَ مِنْ بَعْدُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ وَأَرَادَ وَلَوْ يَرِدُ عَلَيْنَا أَعْظَمُ عَمَّا وَرَدَ وَنَدْعُوكَ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهارِ وَفِي كُلِّ بُكُورٍ وَأَصِيلٍ، لِيُوَفِّقَكَ اللهُ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ وَإِجْرَاءِ حُكْمِهِ وَيَحْفَظَكَ مِنْ جُنُودِ الشَّيَاطِينِ، إِذًا فَافْعَلْ مَا شِئْتَ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِحَضْرَتِكَ وَيَلِيقُ لِسَلْطَنَتِكَ وَلا تَنْسَ حُكْمَ اللهِ فِي كُلِّ مَا أَرَدْتَ أَوْ تُرِيدُ، وَقُلِ الحَمْدُ للهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ. (edit)
 This, verily, hath been decreed and written down in His ancient Book. And as the human heart, as fashioned by God, is one and undivided, it behoveth thee to take heed that its affections be, also, one and undivided. Cleave thou, therefore, with the whole affection of thine heart, unto His love, and withdraw it from the love of anyone besides Him, that He may aid thee to immerse thyself in the ocean of His unity, and enable thee to become a true upholder of His oneness. God is My witness. My sole purpose in revealing to thee these words is to sanctify thee from the transitory things of the earth, and aid thee to enter the realm of everlasting glory, that thou mayest, by the leave of God, be of them that abide and rule therein.

73Hast thou heard, O King, what We have suffered at the hands of thy ministers and how We have been treated by them, or art thou of the negligent? If indeed thou hast heard and known, wherefore didst thou not forbid thy ministers to commit such deeds? How didst thou desire for Him Who hath complied with thy command, and been obedient to thy behest, that which no king would desire for any of his subjects? And if thou knowest not, this indeed is a more grievous error, wert thou of the God-fearing. Wherefore shall I recount to thee that which We have suffered at the hands of these oppressors.

74Know, then, that We came unto thy city at thine own behest, and entered therein with conspicuous honour. They expelled Us, however, from thy city with an abasement with which no abasement on earth can compare, if thou be of them that are well-informed. They made Us journey until We reached the place4 which none entereth except such as have rebelled against the authority of the sovereign, and as are numbered with the transgressors. All this, notwithstanding that We had never disobeyed thee, though it be for a single moment, for when We heard thy bidding We observed it and submitted to thy will. In dealing with Us, however, thy ministers neither honoured the standards of God and His commandments, nor heeded that which hath been revealed to the Prophets and Messengers. They showed Us no mercy and committed against Us that which no one among the faithful hath ever wrought against his fellow, nor any believer inflicted upon an infidel. God knoweth and is a witness unto the truth of Our words.

75When they expelled Us from thy city, they placed Us in such conveyances as the people use to carry baggage and the like. Such was the treatment We received at their hands, shouldst thou wish to know the truth. Thus were We sent away, and thus were We brought to the city which they regard as the abode of rebels. Upon our arrival, We could find no house in which to dwell, and perforce resided in a place where none would enter save the most indigent stranger. There We lodged for a time, after which, suffering increasingly from the confined space, We sought and rented houses which by reason of the extreme cold had been vacated by their occupants. Thus in the depth of winter we were constrained to make our abode in houses wherein none dwell except in the heat of summer. Neither My family, nor those who accompanied Me, had the necessary raiment to protect them from the cold in that freezing weather.

76Would that thy ministers had dealt with Us according to the principles they uphold amongst themselves! For, by God, they dealt with Us neither in accordance with the commandments of God, nor with the practices they uphold, nor with the standards current amongst men, nor even with the manner in which the destitute of the earth receive a wayfarer. Such is the account of what We suffered at their hands, and which We have related unto thee in a language of truthfulness and sincerity.

77All this befell Me, though I had come unto them at their own behest and did not oppose their authority, which deriveth from thine own. Thus did We accept and observe their bidding. They, however, appear to have forgotten that which God hath commanded. He saith, and His Word is the truth: “Act with humility towards the believers.”[73] Methinks that their only concern was their own comfort and repose, and that their ears were deaf to the sighs of the poor and the cries of the oppressed. They seem to imagine that they have been created from pure light, while others have been fashioned out of dust. How wretched are their imaginings! We have all been created from a sorry germ.[74]

78I swear by God, O King! It is not My wish to make My plaint to thee against them that persecute Me. I only plead My grief and My sorrow to God, Who hath created Me and them, Who well knoweth our state and Who watcheth over all things. My wish is to warn them of the consequences of their actions, if perchance they might desist from treating others as they have treated Me, and be of them that heed My warning.

79The tribulations that have touched Us, the destitution from which We suffer, the various troubles with which We are encompassed, shall all pass away, as shall pass away the pleasures in which they delight and the affluence they enjoy. This is the truth which no man on earth can reject. The days in which We have been compelled to dwell in the dust will soon be ended, as will the days in which they occupied the seats of honour. God shall, assuredly, judge with truth between Us and them, and He, verily, is the best of judges.

80We render thanks unto God for whatsoever hath befallen Us, and We patiently endure the things He hath ordained in the past or will ordain in the future. In Him have I placed My trust; and into His hands have I committed My Cause. He will, certainly, repay all them that endure with patience and put their confidence in Him. His is the creation and its empire. He exalteth whom He will, and whom He will He doth abase. He shall not be asked of His doings. He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Almighty.

81Let thine ear be attentive, O King, to the words We have addressed to thee. Let the oppressor desist from his tyranny, and cut off the perpetrators of injustice from among them that profess thy faith. By the righteousness of God! The tribulations We have sustained are such that any pen that recounteth them cannot but be overwhelmed with anguish. No one of them that truly believe and uphold the unity of God can bear the burden of their recital. So great have been Our sufferings that even the eyes of Our enemies have wept over Us, and beyond them those of every discerning person. And to all these trials have We been subjected, in spite of Our action in approaching thee, and in bidding the people to enter beneath thy shadow, that thou mightest be a stronghold unto them that believe in and uphold the unity of God.

82Have I, O King, ever disobeyed thee? Have I, at any time, transgressed any of thy laws? Can any of thy ministers that represented thee in ‘Iráq produce any proof that can establish My disloyalty to thee? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds! Not for one short moment did We rebel against thee, or against any of thy ministers. Never, God willing, shall We revolt against thee, though We be exposed to trials more severe than any We suffered in the past.

83In the daytime and in the night season, at even and at morn, We pray to God on thy behalf, that He may graciously aid thee to be obedient unto Him and to observe His commandment, that He may shield thee from the hosts of the evil ones. Do, therefore, as it pleaseth thee, and treat Us as befitteth thy station and beseemeth thy sovereignty. Be not forgetful of the law of God in whatever thou desirest to achieve, now or in the days to come. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds! (edit)

For indeed, God has not given any individual two hearts within their body, and this is a fact revealed in an ancient scripture. Given that God has created the heart singularly, it is proper for your eminence to not allow two loves to reside within it. Hence, cling to the love of God and disregard the love of all else, that God may immerse you in the profound depths of His Unique Essence, making you amongst those who affirm His Oneness. Truly, by God, my sole purpose in all that I have conveyed to you is but to purify you from the ephemeral things and to usher you into the realm of the everlasting, that you may be therein, by God’s will, among the rulers.

Have you heard, O King, of what has befallen us at the hands of your deputies and what they have perpetrated against us, or are you amongst the oblivious? If you have heard and are aware, then why did you not forbid them from their deeds, and how could you approve of actions from those who responded to your command and obeyed you, actions that no sovereign would tolerate for his subjects? And if you are uninformed, this ignorance is even more alarming, especially if you consider yourself among the God-fearing. Therefore, I remind you to become cognizant of the wrongs these tyrants have inflicted upon us.

Be aware that we came to you by your command, entering your city with manifest honor, and yet they expelled us from it with a disgrace unparalleled on Earth, should you be among those who are informed. They banished us to a city reserved only for those who defied your orders and were disobedient. This occurred despite us not having disobeyed you in the least; as soon as we heard your command, we complied and were among the obedient. They showed no regard for the rights of God over us, nor for His judgment, nor for what was revealed to the prophets and messengers. They showed no mercy towards us, treating us in ways unheard of between Muslims, or even between believers and non-believers. God is a witness to what I say and is All-Knowing.

When they expelled us from your city, they transported us on camels used by people to carry their burdens and sins – such was their treatment of us, if your eminence is to be informed. They took us to the town of the disobedient, as they claimed. Upon arrival, we found no home to dwell in, thus we settled in a place where only those in dire need and strangers would enter. We stayed there for a limited number of days, suffering due to the constriction of space. Therefore, we rented houses abandoned by their occupants due to their extreme cold, left empty by those who vacated them. No one would reside in these houses except during summer, yet in the winter we dwelled therein. Neither my family nor those with me had adequate clothing to protect them from the severe cold.

Oh, if only these deputies had treated us according to the principles they held among themselves. By God, they did not treat us according to God’s judgment, nor the principles they claim to uphold, nor the norms established among people, nor even the customs of the widows of the land when a traveler visits them. Such was the treatment we received from these people, which I have recounted to you in a language of impregnable truth. All this befell me after I had complied with their command, never deviating from their ruling, for their ruling is ultimately linked to your presence. Thus, we responded to their commands and were among those who answered.

It seems they have forgotten God’s commandment to themselves, His true word: 'Lower your wing [in humility] to the believers.' It appears they sought nothing but their own comfort, indifferent to the cries of the impoverished or the pleas of the oppressed. They presumed in their hearts that they were made of light and others of dirt – a terrible assumption indeed. We are all created from a contemptible fluid.

O King, by God, my intention is not to complain about them in your presence. Rather, I complain of my anguish and sorrow to God, who created us and them, and who is a witness and guardian over us and them. Rather, I wish to remind them of their deeds, that perhaps they will not do to others as they have done to us, and perhaps they will be among those who take heed. Our tribulations, our distress, and the severe conditions that have surrounded us from all sides will pass, as will their ease and comfort in which they have been. This is a truth that none in the world can deny. Our tranquility will end on this dust in humiliation, and their sitting on the throne of honor, and God will judge between us and them, for He is the best of judges. We thank God for all that has befallen us, and we remain patient in what has been and will be decreed, and upon Him, I rely and to Him, I entrust my affairs. He will surely reward the patient and those who rely on Him. To Him belongs the command and creation; He honors whom He wills and humiliates whom He wills, and He is not to be questioned about what He wills. Indeed, He is the Mighty, the Capable.

Hear, O Sultan, what we have cast upon your presence, then prevent the oppressors from their oppression, and sever their hands from the heads of the Muslims. By God, what has befallen us is such that the pen weeps in its recording, and ears of the monotheists cannot bear to hear. Our plight has reached a point where even our enemies’ eyes wept for us, and beyond them, every discerning eye. After directing ourselves to your presence and instructing the people to enter under your protection, to be a fortress for the monotheists, have I opposed you, O Sultan, in anything, disobeyed you in any matter, or with your ministers who governed Iraq by your permission? No, by the Lord of the Worlds, we have not disobeyed you or them in the slightest, nor will I disobey you henceforth, God willing and desiring, even if greater than what has befallen us should occur. We call upon you by night and day, every morning and evening, that God may grant you success in obeying Him, in enacting His judgment, and protect you from the forces of demons. Therefore, do as you wish and as befits your eminence and is appropriate for your sovereignty, and do not forget God’s judgment in all that you intend or wish to do, and say, 'Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.'" (edit)

15
أَنْ يَا سَفِيرَ العَجَمِ فِي المَدِينَةِ أَزَعَمْتَ بِأَنَّ الأَمْرَ كَانَ بِيَدِي أَوْ يُبَدَّلُ أَمْرُ اللهِ بِسِجْنِي وَذُلِّي أَوْ بِإِفْقَادِي وَإِفْنَائِي فَبِئْسَ مَا ظَنَنْتَ فِي نَفْسِكَ وَكُنْتَ مِنَ الظَّانِّينَ إِنَّهُ مَا مِنْ إِلهٍ إِلَّا هُوَ يَظْهَرُ أَمْرُهُ وَيَعْلُو بُرْهَانُهُ وَيُثْبِتُ مَا أَرَادَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ إِلَى مَقَامٍ الَّذِي يَنْقَطِعُ عَنْهُ أَيْدِيكَ وَأَيْدِي المُعْرِضِينَ، هَلْ تَظُنُّ بأَنَّكَ تُعْجِزُهُ فِي شَيْءٍ أَوْ تَمْنَعُهُ عَنْ حُكْمِهِ وَسُلْطَانِهِ أَوْ يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَقُومَ مَعَ أَمْرِهِ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمواتِ وَالأَرَضِينَ، لا فَوَ نَفْسِهِ الحَقِّ لا يُعْجِزُهُ شَيْءٌ عَمَّا خُلِقَ إِذًا فَارْجِعْ عنْ ظَنِّكَ إِنَّ الظَّنَّ لا يُغْنِي مِنَ الحَقِّ شَيْئًا وَكُنْ مِنَ الرَّاجِعِينَ إِلَى اللهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ وَرَزَقَكَ وَجَعَلَكَ سَفِيرَ المُسْلِمينَ، ثُمَّ اعْلَمْ بِأَنَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي السَّمواتِ وَالأَرْضِ بِكَلِمَةِ أَمْرِهِ وَمَا خُلِقَ بِحُكْمِهِ كَيْفَ يَقُومُ مَعَهُ فَسُبْحانَ اللهِ عَمَّا أَنْتُمْ تَظُنُّونَ يَا مَلأَ المُبْغِضِينَ، إِنْ كَانَ هذَا الأَمْرُ حَقٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ لَنْ يَقْدِرَ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَمْنَعَهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ يَكْفِيهِ عُلَمَاءُكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ اتَّبَعُوا هَواهُمْ وَكَانُوا مِنَ المُعْرِضِينَ، أَمَا سَمِعْتَ مَا قَالَ مُؤْمِنُ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَحَكَى اللهُ عَنْهُ لِنَبِيِّهِ الَّذِي اصْطَفاهُ بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ وَأَرْسَلَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَجَعَلَهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ، قَالَ وَقَوْلُهُ الحَقُّ: ﴿أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلاً أَنْ يَقُولَ رَبِّيَ اللهُ وَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بِالبَيِّناتِ وَإِنْ يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُ وَإِنْ يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ﴾ وَهَذا مَا نَزَّلَ اللهُ عَلَى حَبِيبِهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ الحَكِيمِ، وَأَنْتُمْ مَا سَمِعْتُمْ أَمْرَ اللهِ وَحُكْمَهُ وَمَا اسْتَنْصَحْتُمْ بِنُصْحِ الَّذِي نُزِّلَ فِي الكِتَابِ وَكُنْتُمْ مِنَ الغَافِلينَ، وَكَمْ مِنْ عِبَادٍ قَتَلْتُمُوهُم فِي كُلِّ شُهُورٍ وَسِنِينَ وَكَمْ مِنْ ظُلْمٍ ارْتَكَبْتُمُوهُ فِي أَيَّامِكُمْ وَلَمْ يَرَ شِبْهَها عَيْنُ الإِبْدَاعِ وَلَنْ يُخْبِرَ مِثْلَها أَحَدٌ مِنَ المُؤَرِّخِينَ، وَكَمْ مِنْ رَضِيعٍ بَقِيَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أُمٍّ وَوَالِدٍ وَكَمْ مِنْ أَبٍ قُتِلَ ابْنُهُ مِنْ ظُلْمِكُم يَا مَلأَ الظَّالِمِينَ، وَكَمْ مِنْ أُخْتٍ ضَجَّتْ فِي فِراقِ أَخِيهَا وَكَمْ مِنْ امْرَأَةٍ بَقَتْ بِغَيْرِ زَوْجٍ وَمُعِينٍ، وَارْتَقَيْتُمْ فِي الظُّلْمِ إِلَى مَقَامٍ الَّذِي قَتَلْتُمُ الَّذِي مَا تَحَرَّفَ وَجْهَهُ عَنْ وَجْهِ اللهِ العَلِيِّ العَظِيمِ، فَيَا لَيْتَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُ كَمَا يَقْتُلُ النَّاسُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا بَلْ قَتَلْتُمُوهُ بِقِسْمٍ الَّذِي مَا رَأَتْ بِمِثْلِهِ عُيُونُ النَّاسِ وَبَكَتْ عَلَيْهِ السَّمَاءُ وَضَجَّتْ أَفْئِدَةُ المُقَرَّبِينَ، أَما كَانَ ابْنَ نَبِيِّكُمْ وَأَمَا كَانَ نِسْبَتُهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ مُشْتَهِرًا بَيْنَكُمْ فَكَيْفَ فَعَلْتُمْ بِهِ مَا لا فَعَلَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الأَوَّلِينَ، فَوَاللهِ مَا شَهِدَ عَيْنُ الوُجُودِ بِمِثْلِكُمْ تَقْتُلُونَ ابْنَ نَبِيِّكُمْ ثُمَّ تَفْرَحُونَ عَلَى مَقَاعِدِكُمْ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الفَرِحِينَ، وَتَلْعَنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَفَعَلُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ ثُمَّ عَنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ لَمِنَ الغَافِلِينَ، إِذًا فَأَنْصِفْ فِي نَفْسِك إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَسُبُّونَهُمْ وَتَلْعَنُونَهُمْ هَلْ فَعَلُوا بِغَيْرِ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ، أُولئِكَ قَتَلُوا ابْنَ نَبِيِّهِمْ كَمَا قَتَلْتُمْ ابْنَ نَبِيِّكُمْ وَجَرَى مِنْكُمْ مَا جَرَى مِنْهُمْ فَمَا الفَرْقُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَا مَلأَ المُفْسِدينَ، فَلَمَّا قَتَلْتُمُوهُ قَامَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَحِبَّائِهِ عَلَى القِصَاصِ وَلَنْ يَعْرِفَهُ أَحَدٌ وَاخْتَفَى أَمْرُهُ عَنْ كُلِّ ذِي رُوحٍ وَقُضِيَ مِنْهُ مَا أُمْضِيَ إِذاً يَنْبَغِي بِأَنْ لا تَلُومُوا أَحَدَاً فِي ذلِكَ بَلْ لُومُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ فِيمَا فَعَلْتُمْ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ المُنْصِفِينَ، هَلْ فَعَلَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ بِمِثْلِ مَا فَعَلتُمْ لا فَوَرَبِّ العَالَمِينَ، كُلُّ المُلُوكِ وَالسَّلاطِينِ يُوَقِّرُونَ ذُرِّيَّةَ نَبِيِّهِمْ وَرَسُولِهِمْ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ وَأَنْتُمْ فَعَلْتُمْ ما لا فَعَلَ أَحَدٌ وَارْتَكَبْتُمْ مَا احْتَرَقَتْ عَنْهُ أَكْبَادُ العَارِفِينَ، وَمَعَ ذلِكَ ما تَنَبَّهْتُمْ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَما اسْتَشْعَرْتُمْ مِنْ فِعْلِكُمْ إِلَى أَنْ قُمْتُمْ عَلَيْنا مِنْ دُونِ ذَنْبٍ وَلا جُرْمٍ مُبِينٍ، أَما تَخَافُونَ عَنِ اللهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَسَوَّاكُمْ وَبَلَغَ أَشُدَّكُمْ وَجَعَلَكُمْ مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ، إِلَى مَتَى لا تَتَنَبَّهُونَ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَلا تَتَعقَّلُونَ فِي ذَواتِكُمْ وَلا تَقُومُونَ عَنْ نَوْمِكُمْ وَغَفْلَتِكُمْ وَما تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ المُتَنَبِّهِينَ، وَأَنْتَ فَكِّرْ فِي نَفْسِكَ مَعَ كُلِّ ما فَعَلْتُمْ وَعَمِلْتُمْ هَلِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ تُخْمِدُوا نارَ اللهِ أَوْ تُطْفِئُوا أَنْوَارَ تَجَلِّيهِ الَّتِي اسْتَضاءَتْ مِنْهَا أَهْلُ لُجَجِ البَقَاءِ وَاسْتَجْذَبَتْ عَنْهَا أَفْئِدَةُ المُوَحِّدِينَ، أَمَا سَمِعْتُمْ يَدُ اللهِ فَوْقَ أَيْديكُمْ وَتَقْدِيرهُ فَوْقَ تَدْبِيرِكُمْ وَإِنَّهُ لَهُوَ القَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَالغَالِبُ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ يَفْعَلُ ما يَشَاءُ وَلا يُسْئَلُ عَمَّا شَاءَ، وَيَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ وَهُوَ المُقْتَدِرُ القَدِيرُ، وَإِنْ تُوقِنُوا بِذلِكَ لِمَ لا تَنْتَهُونَ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ السَّاكِنِينَ، وَفِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ تُجَدِّدُونَ ظُلْمَكُمْ كَمَا قُمْتُمْ عَلَيَّ فِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ بَعْدَ الَّذِي مَا دَخَلَتْ نَفْسِي فِي هذِهِ الأُمُورِ وَمَا كُنْتُ مُخَالِفَاً لَكُمْ وَلا مُعَارِضَاً لأَمْرِكُمْ إِلَى أَنْ جَعَلْتُمُونِي مَسْجُوناً فِي هذِهِ الأَرْضِ البَعِيدِ، وَلكِنْ فَاعْلَمْ ثُمَّ أَيْقِنْ بِأَنَّ ذلِكَ لَنْ يُبَدِّلَ أَمْرَ اللهِ وَسُنَنَهُ كَمَا لَمْ يُبَدِّلْ مِنْ قَبْلُ عَنْ كُلِّ ما اكْتَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَيْدِي المُشْرِكِينَ، ثُمَّ اعْلَمُوا يا مَلأَ الأَعْجَامِ بِأَنَّكُمْ لَو تَقْتُلُونَنِي يَقُومُ للهِ أَحَدٌ مَقامِي وَهذِهِ مِنْ سُنَّةِ اللهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَلَنْ تَجِدُوا لِسُنَّتِهِ لا مِنْ تَبْدِيلٍ وَلا مِنْ تَحْويلٍ، أَتُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ أَبَى اللهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ أَنْتُمْ تَكرَهُوهُ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَتَكُوُنُنَّ مِنَ الكَارِهِينَ، وَأَنْتَ يَا سَفِيرُ تَفَكَّرْ فِي نَفْسِكَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ آنٍ ثُمَّ أَنْصِفْ فِي ذَاتِكَ بِأَيِّ جُرْمٍ افْتَرَيْتَ عَلَيْنا عِنْدَ هؤُلاءِ الوُكَلاءِ وَاتَّبَعْتَ هَواكَ وَأَعْرَضْتَ عَنِ الصِّدْقِ وَكُنْتَ مِنَ المُفْتَرِينَ، بَعْدَ الَّذِي مَا عَاشَرْتَنِي وَمَا عَاشَرْتُكَ وَمَا رَأَيْتَنِي إِلَّا فِي بَيْتِ أَبِيكَ أَيَّامَ الَّتِي فِيها يُذْكَرُ مَصَائِبُ الحُسَيْنِ وَفِي تِلْكَ المَجَالِسِ لَمْ يَجِدِ الفُرْصَةَ أَحَدٌ لِيَفْتَحَ اللِّسَانَ وَيَشْتَغِلَ بِالبَيانِ حَتَّى يُعْرَفَ مَطَالِبُهُ أَوْ عَقَائِدُهُ وَأَنْتَ تُصَدِّقُنِي فِي ذلِكَ لَوْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ، وَفِي غَيْر تِلْكَ المَجَالِسِ مَا دَخَلْتُ لِتَرَانِي أَنْتَ أَوْ يَرَانِي غَيْرُكَ مَعَ ذلِكَ كَيْفَ أَفْتَيْتَ عَلَيَّ مَا لا سَمِعْتَ مِنِّي، (edit)
 84Dost thou imagine, O Minister of the Sháh in the City, that I hold within My grasp the ultimate destiny of the Cause of God? Thinkest thou that My imprisonment, or the shame I have been made to suffer, or even My death and utter annihilation, can deflect its course? Wretched is what thou hast imagined in thine heart! Thou art indeed of them that walk after the vain imaginings which their hearts devise. No God is there but Him. Powerful is He to manifest His Cause, and to exalt His testimony, and to establish whatsoever is His Will, and to elevate it to so eminent a position that neither thine own hands, nor the hands of them that have turned away from Him, can ever touch or harm it.

85Dost thou believe thou hast the power to frustrate His Will, to hinder Him from executing His judgement, or to deter Him from exercising His sovereignty? Pretendest thou that aught in the heavens or in the earth can resist His Faith? Nay, by Him Who is the Eternal Truth! Nothing whatsoever in the whole of creation can thwart His Purpose. Cast away, therefore, the mere conceit thou dost follow, for mere conceit can never take the place of truth. Be thou of them that have truly repented and returned to God, the God Who hath created thee, Who hath nourished thee, and made thee a minister among them that profess thy faith.

86Know thou, moreover, that He it is Who hath, by His own behest, created all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. How can, then, the thing that hath been created at His bidding prevail against Him? High is God exalted above what ye imagine about Him, ye people of malice! If this Cause be of God, no man can prevail against it; and if it be not of God, the divines amongst you, and they that follow their corrupt desires and such as have rebelled against Him will surely suffice to overpower it.

87Hast thou not heard what a man of the family of Pharaoh, a believer, hath said of old, and which God recounted unto His Apostle, Whom He hath chosen above all human beings, and entrusted with His Message, and made the source of His mercy unto all them that dwell on earth? He said, and He, verily, speaketh the truth: “Will ye slay a man because he saith my Lord is God, when he hath already come to you with proofs of his mission? And if he be a liar, on him will be his lie, but if he be a man of truth, part at least of what he threateneth will fall upon you.”[75] This is what God hath revealed unto His Well-Beloved One, in His unerring Book.

88And yet, ye have failed to incline your ears unto His bidding, have disregarded His law, have rejected His counsel as recorded in His Book, and have been of them that have strayed far from Him. How many those who, every year, and every month, have because of you been put to death! How manifold the injustices ye have perpetrated—injustices the like of which the eye of creation hath not seen, which no chronicler hath ever recorded! How numerous the babes and sucklings who were made orphans, and the fathers who lost their sons, because of your cruelty, O ye unjust doers! How oft hath a sister pined away and mourned over her brother, and how oft hath a wife lamented after her husband and sole sustainer!

89Your iniquity waxed greater and greater until ye slew Him Who had never taken His eyes away from the face of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.5 Would that ye had put Him to death after the manner men are wont to put one another to death! Ye slew Him, however, in such circumstances as no man hath ever witnessed. The heavens wept sore over Him, and the souls of them who are nigh unto God cried out for His affliction. Was He not a Scion of your Prophet’s ancient House? Had not His fame as a direct descendant of the Apostle been spread abroad amongst you? Why, then, did ye inflict upon Him what no man, however far ye may look back, hath inflicted upon another? By God! The eye of creation hath never beheld your like. Ye slay Him Who is a Scion of your Prophet’s House, and rejoice and make merry while seated on your seats of honour! Ye utter your imprecations against them who were before you, and who have perpetrated what ye have perpetrated, and remain yourselves all the time unaware of your enormities!

90Be fair in your judgement. Did they whom ye curse, upon whom ye invoke evil, act differently from yourselves? Have they not slain the descendant of their Prophet6 as ye have slain the descendant of your own? Is not your conduct similar to their conduct? Wherefore, then, claim ye to be different from them, O ye sowers of dissension amongst men?

91And when ye took away His life, one of His followers arose to avenge His death. He was unknown of men, and the design he had conceived was unnoticed by anyone. Eventually he committed what had been preordained. It behoveth you, therefore, to attach blame to no one except to yourselves, for the things ye have committed, if ye but judge fairly. Who is there on the whole earth who hath done what ye have done? None, by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds!

92All the rulers and kings of the earth honour and revere the descendants of their Prophets and holy men, could ye but perceive it. Ye, on the other hand, are responsible for such acts as no man hath, at any time, performed. Your misdeeds have caused every understanding heart to be consumed with grief. And yet, ye have remained sunk in your heedlessness, and failed to realize the wickedness of your actions.

93Ye have persisted in your waywardness until ye rose up against Us, though We had committed nothing to justify your enmity. Fear ye not God Who hath created you, and fashioned you, and caused you to attain your strength, and joined you with them that have resigned themselves to Him?7 How long will ye persist in your waywardness? How long will ye refuse to reflect? How long ere ye shake off your slumber and are roused from your heedlessness? How long will ye remain unaware of the truth?

94Ponder in thine heart. Did ye, notwithstanding your behaviour and the things your hands have wrought, succeed in quenching the fire of God or in putting out the light of His Revelation—a light that hath enveloped with its brightness them that are immersed in the billowing oceans of immortality, and hath attracted the souls of such as truly believe in and uphold His unity? Know ye not that the Hand of God is over your hands, that His irrevocable Decree transcendeth all your devices, that He is supreme over His servants, that He is equal to His Purpose, that He doth what He wisheth, that He shall not be asked of whatever He willeth, that He ordaineth what He pleaseth, that He is the Most Powerful, the Almighty? If ye believe this to be the truth, wherefore, then, will ye not cease from troubling and be at peace with yourselves?

95Ye perpetrate every day a fresh injustice, and treat Me as ye treated Me in times past, though I never attempted to meddle with your affairs. At no time have I opposed you, neither have I rebelled against your laws. Behold how ye have, at the last, made Me a prisoner in this far-off land! Know for a certainty, however, that whatever your hands or the hands of the infidels have wrought will never, as they never did of old, change the Cause of God or alter His ways.

96Give heed to My warning, ye people of Persia! If I be slain at your hands, God will assuredly raise up one who will fill the seat made vacant through My death, for such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and no change can ye find in God’s method of dealing. Seek ye to put out God’s light that shineth upon His earth? Averse is God from what ye desire. He shall perfect His light, albeit ye abhor it in the secret of your hearts.

97Pause for but a little while and reflect, O Minister, and be fair in thy judgement. What is it that We have committed that could justify thee in having slandered Us unto the King’s Ministers, in following thy desires, in perverting the truth, and in uttering thy calumnies against Us? We have never met each other except when We met thee in thy father’s house, in the days when the martyrdom of Imám Ḥusayn was being commemorated. On those occasions no one could have had the chance of making known to others his views and beliefs in conversation or in discourse. Thou wilt bear witness to the truth of My words, if thou be of the truthful. I have frequented no other gatherings in which thou couldst have learned My mind or in which any other could have done so. How, then, didst thou pronounce thy verdict against Me, when thou hadst not heard My testimony from Mine own lips? (edit)

O ambassador of the Persians in the city, you presumed that the matter was in my hands or that the command of God could be altered by my imprisonment and humiliation, or by my loss and annihilation. How wretched is the thought you have conceived in your mind, and you are among those who assume. Indeed, there is no god but He; His command becomes manifest, His proof ascends, He confirms what He wills and elevates it to a station beyond the reach of your hands and those who turn away. Do you think that you can incapacitate Him in anything, prevent His decree and dominion, or that anyone in the heavens and the earth can stand against His command? By His true self, nothing can incapacitate Him from what He has created. So, abandon your assumptions, for assumption avails not against the truth at all, and be among those who turn back to God who created you, provided for you, and made you the ambassador of the Muslims.

Then know that He created everyone in the heavens and the earth by the word of His command, and what was created by His decree, how can it stand with Him? So exalted is God above what you assume, O assembly of the haters. If this matter is true from God, no one can prevent it. And if it is not from Him, your scholars and those who follow their desires and turn away are sufficient. Have you not heard what the believer of the family of Pharaoh said before and what God narrated about him to His Prophet, whom He chose among His creation and sent as a mercy to the worlds? He said, and his saying is the truth: "Do you kill a man because he says, 'My Lord is Allah,' and he has come to you with clear signs, and if he is lying, then upon him is his lie, and if he is truthful, some of what he promises you will befall you." This is what God revealed to His beloved in His wise book. And you have not heard God's command and decree, nor have you heeded the advice revealed in the book, and you have been among the heedless.

How many servants have you killed in all the months and years, and how much injustice have you committed in your days that the eye of innovation has not seen, and no historian can recount? How many infants have remained without a mother and father, and how many fathers have had their sons killed by your injustice, O assembly of the wrongdoers? How many sisters have wailed at the separation of their brothers, and how many women have been left without a husband and supporter? You have ascended in oppression to a level where you killed the one whose face never turned away from the face of the Almighty, the Great God. Would that you had killed him as people kill each other, but you killed him in a manner that human eyes have never seen, and for which the heavens wept and the hearts of those near [to God] agonized.

Was he not the son of your Prophet, and was his kinship to the Prophet not well known among you? Then how did you do to him what none of the predecessors did? By God, the existence has not witnessed the likes of you killing the son of your Prophet and then rejoicing on your thrones and being among the joyful. And you curse those who came before and did the same as you did, yet you are heedless of yourselves. Then be just to yourself; those whom you curse and revile, did they do anything other than what you did? They killed the son of their Prophet, just as you killed the son of your Prophet, and what happened from you happened from them. So, what is the difference between you, O assembly of the corrupt?

When you killed him, one of his loved ones rose for retribution, and no one knew him, and his affair was hidden from every living soul, and what was decreed happened. So, you should not blame anyone for that, but blame yourselves for what you did if you are among the just. Has anyone on earth done what you have done? By the Lord of the worlds, no. All kings and sultans honor the offspring of their prophet and messenger if you are among the witnesses. And you have done what no one else has done and committed what has set the hearts of the knowers ablaze. And yet, you have not become aware in yourselves and have not felt your deeds, until you rose against us without any clear crime or sin.

Do you not fear God who created you, fashioned you, brought your strength to its peak, and made you among the Muslims? How long will you not become aware in yourselves, not understand in your beings, and not rise from your sleep and heedlessness, and not be among the aware? And you, think in yourself with all that you have done and acted; have you been able to extinguish the fire of God or put out the lights of His Theophany that have illuminated the people of the seas of permanence and attracted the hearts of the monotheists? Have you not heard that the hand of God is above your hands, and His decree is above your planning, and that He is the Compeller over His servants and the Victor over His affair, doing what He wills and not being questioned about what He wills, and He rules what He desires and He is the Powerful, the Capable?

If you are certain of that, why do you not cease your deeds and not be among those who are at rest? And every day you renew your oppression, as you rose against me in those days when my soul had not entered into these matters, and I was not contrary to you or opposed to your command until you made me a prisoner in this distant land. But know and be certain that this will not change the command of God and His ways, as it did not change before from all that your hands and the hands of the polytheists have earned. Then know, O assembly of the Persians, that if you kill me, someone will rise for God in my place, and this is from the way of God that has passed before, and you will find no change or alteration in His way. Do you wish to extinguish the light of God on His earth? God refuses but to complete His light, even though you dislike it in yourselves and be among the haters.

And you, O ambassador, think in yourself for less than a moment, then be fair in your own cause; with what crime did you accuse us before these deputies, following your desire, turning away from the truth, and being among the fabricators? After that, you never lived with me, nor did I live with you, nor did you see me except in your father's house during the days of mourning the calamities of Husayn, and in those gatherings no one had the opportunity to open his tongue and engage in speech until his demands or beliefs were known. And you would believe me in that if you were among the truthful. And in other than those gatherings, I never entered for you to see me, or for anyone else to see me. Despite that, how did you testify against me what you did not hear from me? (edit)

16
أَمَا سَمِعْتَ ما قَالَ عزَّ وَجَلَّ: ﴿لا تقُولُوا لِمَنْ أَلْقَى إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلامَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِنًا﴾ وَلا تَطْرُدِ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبِّهِمْ بِالغَدَاةِ وَالعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ وَأَنْتَ خَالَفْتَ حُكْمَ الكِتَابِ بَعْدَ الَّذِي حَسِبْتَ نَفْسَكَ مِنَ المُؤْمِنِينَ، وَمَعَ ذلِكَ فَوَاللهِ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي قَلْبِي بُغْضُكَ وَلا بُغْضُ أَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ وَرَدْتُمْ عَلَيْنَا مَا لا يُطْيقُهُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ المُوَحِّدِينَ، وَما أَمْرِي إِلَّا بِاللهِ وَتَوَكُّلِي إِلَّا عَلَيْهِ فَسَوْفَ يَمْضِي أَيَّامُكُمْ وَأَيَّامُ الَّذِينَ هُمْ كَانُوا اليَوْمَ عَلَى غُرورٍ مُبِينٍ، وَتَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي مَحْضَرِ اللهِ وَتُسْئَلُونَ عَمَّا اكْتَسَبتُمْ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَتُجْزَوْنَ بِها فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الظَّالِمِينَ، فَوَاللهِ لَوْ تَطَّلِعُ بِمَا فَعَلْتَ لَتَبْكِي عَلَى نَفْسِكَ وَتَفِرُّ إِلَى اللهِ وَتَضُجُّ فِي أَيَّامِكَ إِلَى أَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللهُ لَكَ وَإِنَّهُ لَجَوَّادٌ كَرِيمٌ، وَلكِنْ أَنْتَ لَنْ تُوَفَّقَ بِذلِكَ لِمَا اشْتَغَلْتَ بِذاتِكَ وَنَفْسِكَ وَجِسْمِكَ إِلَى زَخارِفِ الدُّنْيا إِلَى أَنْ يُفَارِقَ الرُّوُحُ عَنْكَ إِذاً تَعْرِفُ مَا أَلْقَيْنَاكَ وَتَجِدُ أَعْمالَكَ فِي كِتَابِ الَّذِي مَا تُرِكَ فِيهِ ذَرَّةٌ مِنْ أَعْمالِ الخَلائِقِ أَجْمَعِينَ، إِذاً فَاسْتَنْصِحْ بِنُصْحِي ثُمَّ اسْمَعْ قَوْلِي بِسَمْعِ فُؤَادِكَ وَلا تَغْفَلْ عَنْ كَلِمَاتِي وَلا تَكُنْ مِنَ المُعْرِضِينَ، وَلا تَفْتَخِرْ بِمَا أُوتِيتَ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى ما نُزِّلَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ المُهَيْمِنِ العَزِيزِ، فَلَمَّا نَسَوْا عَمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ كَمَا فُتِحَ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى أَمْثالِكَ أَبْوابُ الدُّنْيا وَزُخْرُفُها، إِذاً فَانْتَظِرْ ما نُزِّلَ فِي آخِرِ هذِهِ الآيَةِ المُبارَكَةِ وَهذَا وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ مِنْ مُقْتَدِرٍ حَكِيمٍ، وَلَمْ أَدْرِ بِأَيِّ صِراطٍ أَنْتُمْ تُقِيمُونَ وَعَلَيْهِ تَمْشُونَ يا مَلأَ المُبْغِضِينَ، إِنَّا نَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى اللهِ وَنُذَكِّرُكُمْ بِأَيَّامِهِ وَنُبَشِّرُكُمْ بِلِقَائِهِ وَنُقَرِّبُكُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَنُلْقِيكُمْ مِنْ بَدايِعِ حِكْمَتِهِ وَأَنْتُمْ تَطْرُدُونَنا وَتُكَفِّرُونَنا بِما صَفَتْ لَكُمْ أَلْسُنَتُكُم الكَذِبَةُ وَتَكُوُنُنَّ مِنَ المُدْبِرينَ، وَإِذا أَظْهَرْنا بَيْنَكُمْ ما أَعْطانَا اللهُ بِجُودِهِ تَقُولُونَ إِنْ هذا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ كَما قَالُوا أُمَمٌ أَمْثالُكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ مِنَ الشَّاعِرينَ، وَلِذا مَنَعْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ عَنْ فَيْضِ اللهِ وَفَضْلِهِ وَلَنْ تَجِدُوهُ مِنْ بَعْدُ إِلَى أَنْ يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنَنا وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَهُو أَحْكَمُ الحَاكِمِينَ، وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ قالَ إِنَّ هذا هُوَ الَّذِي ادَّعَى فِي نَفْسِهِ ما ادَّعَى فَوَاللهِ هذا لَبُهْتانٌ عَظِيمٌ، وَما أَنَا إِلَّا عَبْدٌ آمَنْتُ بِاللهِ وَآياتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَمَلئِكَتِهِ وَيَشْهَدُ حِينَئِذٍ لِسانِي وَقَلْبِي وَظاهِرِي وَباطِنِي بِأَنَّهُ هُوَ اللهُ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَما سِواهُ مَخْلُوقٌ بِأَمْرِهِ وَمُنْجَعِلٌ بِإِرادَتِهِ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الخالِقُ الباعِثُ المُحْيِي المُمِيتُ، وَلكِنْ إِنِّي حَدَّثْتُ نِعْمَةَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمَنِي اللهُ بِجُودِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ هذا جُرْمِي فأَنا أَوَّلُ المُجْرِمِينَ، وَأَكُونُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ مَعَ أَهْلِي فَافْعَلُوا ما شِئْتُمْ وَلا تَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الصَّابِرينَ، لَعَلَّ أَرْجِعُ إِلَى اللهِ رَبِّي فِي مَقامِ الَّذِي يَخْلُو فِيهِ عَنْ وُجُوهِكُمْ وَهذا مُنْتَهَى أَمَلِي وَبُغْيَتِي وَكَفَى بِاللهِ عَلَى نَفْسِي لَعَلِيمٌ وَخَبِيرٌ، أَنْ يَا سَفِيرُ فَاجْعَلْ مَحْضَرَكَ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللهِ إِنَّكَ إِنْ لَنْ تَراهُ إِنَّهُ يَراكَ ثُمَّ أَنْصِفْ فِي أَمْرِنَا بِأَيِّ جُرْمٍ قُمْتَ عَلَيْنا وَافْتَرَيْتَنا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ إِنْ تَكُونُ مِنَ المُنْصِفينَ، قَدْ خَرَجْتُ مِنَ الطِّهْرانِ بِأَمْرِ المَلِكِ وَتَوَجَّهْنا إِلَى العِرَاقِ بِإِذْنِهِ إِلَى أَنْ وَرَدْنا فِيهِ وَكُنَّا مِنَ الوَارِدينَ، إِنْ كُنْتُ مُقَصِّراً لِمَ أُطْلِقْنَا وَإِنْ لَمْ أَكُنْ مُقَصِّراً لِمَ أَوْرَدْتُمْ عَلَيْنا مَا لا أَوْرَدَ أَحَدٌ إِلَى أَحَدٍ مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ، وَبَعْدَ وَرُودِي فِي العِرَاقِ هَلْ ظَهَرَ مِنِّي ما يَفْسُدُ بِهِ أَمْرُ الدَّوْلَةِ وَهَلْ شَهِدَ أَحَدٌ مِنَّا مُغايِراً فَاسْئَلْ أَهْلَهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ المُسْتَبْصِرينَ، وَكُنَّا فِيهِ إِحْدَى عَشَرِ سَنِينَ إِلَى أَنْ جَاءَ سَفِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي لَنْ يُحِبَّ القَلَمُ أَنْ يَجْرِيَ عَلَى اسْمِهِ وَكَانَ أَنْ يَشْرَبُ الخَمْرَ وَيَرْتَكِبُ البَغْيَ وَالفَحْشَاءَ وَفَسَدَ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَأَفْسَدَ العِراقَ وَيَشْهَدُ بِذلِكَ أَكْثَرُ أَهْلِ الزَّوْرَاءِ لَوْ تَسْئَلُ عَنْهُمْ وَتَكُوُنُ مِنَ السَّائِلِينَ، وَكَانَ أَنْ يَأْخُذُ أَمْوالَ النَّاسِ بِالبَاطِلِ وَتَرَكَ كُلَّ ما أَمَرَهُ اللهُ بِهِ وَارْتَكَبَ كُلَّ ما نَهاهُ عَنْهُ إِلَى أَنْ قامَ عَلَيْنا بِمَا اتَّبَعَ نَفْسَهُ وَهَواهُ وَسَلَكَ مَنْهَجَ الظَّالِمِينَ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْكَ ما كَتَبَ فِي حَقِّنا وَأَنْتَ قَبِلْتَ مِنْهُ وَاتَّبَعْتَ هَواهُ مِنْ دُونِ بَيِّنَةٍ وَلا بُرْهَانٍ مُبِينٍ، وَما تَبَيَّنْتَ وَما تَفَحَّصْتَ وَما تَجَسَّسْتَ لِيَظْهَرَ لَكَ الصِّدْقُ عَنِ الكَذِبِ وَالحَقُّ عَنِ البَاطِلِ وَتَكُونَ عَلَى بَصِيرةٍ مُنِيرَةٍ فَاسْئَلْ عَنْهُ عَنِ السُّفَرَاءِ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا فِي العِرَاقِ وَعَنْ وَرَائِهِمْ عَنْ وَالِي البَلْدَةِ وَمُشِيرِها لِيُحَصْحِصَ لَكَ الحَقُّ وَتَكُونَ مِنَ المُطَّلِعِينَ، فَوَاللهِ ما خَالَفْناهُ فِي شَيْءٍ وَلا غَيْرَهُ وَاتَّبَعْنا أَحْكَامَ اللهِ فِي كُلِّ شَأْنٍ وَمَا كُنَّا مِنَ المُفْسِدِينَ، وَهُوَ بِنَفْسِهِ يَشْهَدُ بِذلِكَ وَلكِنْ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يِأْخُذَنا وَيُرْجِعَنا إِلَى العَجَمِ لارْتِفَاعِ اسْمِهِ كَمَا أَنْتَ ارْتَكَبْتَ هذا الذّنبَ لأَجْلِ ذلِكَ وَأَنْتَ وَهُوَ فِي حَدٍّ سَوَاءٍ عِنْدَ اللهِ المَلِكِ العَلِيمِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ هذَا الذِّكْرُ مِنِّي إِلَيْكَ لِتَكْشِفَ عَنِّي ضُرِّي أَوْ تَوَسَّطَ لِي عِنْدَ أَحَدٍ لا فَوَرَبِّ العَالَمِينَ، وَلكِنْ فَصَّلْنَا لَكَ الأُمُورَ لَعَلَّ تَتَنَبَّهُ فِي فِعْلِكَ وَلا تَرِدُ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِثْلَ مَا وَرَّدْتَ عَلَيْنَا وَتَكُونُ مِنَ التَّائِبِينَ إِلَى اللهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَتَكُونُ عَلَى بَصِيرةٍ مِنْ بَعْدُ وَهذا خَيْرٌ لَكَ عَمَّا عِنْدَكَ وَعَنْ سِفَارَتِكَ فِي هذِهِ الأَيَّامِ القَلِيلِ، إِيَّاكَ أَنْ لا تُغْمِضْ عَيْنَاكَ فِي مَوَاقِعِ الإِنْصَافِ وَتَوَجَّهْ إِلَى شَطْرِ العَدْلِ بِقَلْبِكَ وَلا تُبَدِّلْ أَمْرَ اللهِ وَكُنْ بِمَا نُزِّلَ فِي الكِتَابِ لَمِنَ النَّاظِرِينَ، أَنْ لا تَتَّبِعْ هَواكَ فِي أَمْرٍ وَاتَّبِعْ حُكْمَ اللهِ رَبِّكَ المَنَّانِ القَدِيمِ، سَتَرْجِعُ إِلَى التُّرَابِ وَلَنْ يَبْقَى نَفْسُكَ وَلا مَا تُسَرُّ بِهِ فِي أَيَّامِكَ وَهذا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْ لِسَانِ صِدْقٍ مَنِيعٍ، أَمَا تَذَكَّرْتَ بِذِكْرِ اللهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ المُتَذَكِّرِينَ، قَالَ وَقَوْلُهُ الحَقُّ "مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيها نُعِيدُكُم وَمِنْها نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى" وَهذَا مَا قَدَّرَهُ اللهُ لِمَنْ عَلَى الأَرْضِ مِنْ كُلِّ عَزِيزٍ وَذَلِيلٍ، وَمَنْ خُلِقَ مِنَ التُّرابِ وَيُعِيدُ فِيهَا وَيُخْرَجُ مِنْها لا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ بِأَنْ يَسْتَكْبِرَ عَلَى اللهِ وَأَوْلِيَائِهِ وَيَفْتَخِرَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَكُونَ عَلَى غُرُورٍ عَظِيمٍ بَلْ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ وَلأَمْثَالِكَ بِأَنْ تَبْخَعُوا لِمَظَاهِرِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَتَخْفِضُوا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ افْتَقَرُوا فِي اللهِ وَانْقَطَعُوا عَنْ كُلِّ مَا تَشْتَغِلُ بِهِ أَنْفُسُ العِبَادِ وَيُبْعِدُهُمْ عَنْ صِراطِ اللهِ العَزِيزِ الحَمِيدِ، وَكَذلِكَ نُلْقِي عَلَيْكُمْ مَا يَنْفَعُكُمْ وَيَنْفَعُ الَّذِينَ هُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ لَمِنَ المُتَوَكِّلِينَ، أَنْ يَا مَشَايِخَ المَدِينَةِ قَدْ جِئْنَاكُمْ بِالحَقِّ وَكُنْتُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ عَنْ ذلِكَ كَأَنَّكُمْ فِي غَشَواتِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ مَيِّتُونَ، وَمَا حَضَرْتُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْنا بَعْدَ الَّذِي كَانَ هذا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا أَنْتُمْ بِهِ تَعْمَلُونَ، فَاعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّ شَمْسَ الوِلايَةِ قَدْ أَشْرَقَتْ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ، وَأَنَّ قَمَرَ الهِدَايَةِ قَدِ ارْتَفَعَ فِي قُطْبِ السَّمَاءِ وَأَنْتُمْ عَنْهُ مُحْتَجِبُونَ، وَنَجْمَ العِنَايَةِ قَدْ بَزَغَ عَنْ أُفُقِ القُدْسِ وَأَنْتُمْ عَنْهُ مُبْعَدُونَ، فَاعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّ مَشَايِخَكُمُ الَّذِينَ أَنْتُمْ تَنْسِبُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ بِهِمْ تَفْتَخِرُونَ وَتَذْكُرُونَهُمْ بِالَّليْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ ثُمَّ بِآثَارِهِمْ تَهْتَدُونَ لَوْ كَانُوا فِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ لَيَطُوفُنَّ حَوْلِي وَلَنْ يُفَارِقُونِي فِي كُلِّ عَشِيٍّ وَبُكُورٍ، وَأَنْتُمْ مَا تَوَجَّهْتُمْ بِوَجْهِي فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ آنٍ وَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ أَو غَفَلْتُمْ عَنْ هذا المَظْلُومِ الّذي ابْتُلِيَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ بِحَيْثُ يَفْعَلُونَ بِهِ مَا يَشَاؤُونَ وَمَا تَفَحَّصْتُمْ عَنْ حَالِي وَمَا اسْتَفْسَرْتُمْ عَمَّا وَرَدَ عَلَيَّ وَبِذلِكَ مَنَعْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكمْ عَنْ أَرْيَاحِ القُدْسِ وَنَسَمَاتِ الفَضْلِ عَنْ هذا الشَّطْرِ المُنِيرِ المَشْهُودِ، كَأَنَّكُمْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِالظَّاهِرِ وَنَسِيْتُمْ حُكْمَ البَاطِنِ وَتَقُولُونَ بِالقَوْلِ مَا لا تَفْعَلُونَ، وَتُحِبُّونَ الأَسْمَاءَ كَأَنَّكُمْ اعْتَكَفْتُمْ عَلَيْها وَلِذَا تَذْكُرُونَ أَسْمَاءَ مَشَايِخِكُمْ وَلَوْ يَأْتِيكُمْ أَحَدٌ مِثْلُهُمْ أَوْ فَوْقَهُمْ إِذَاً أَنْتُمْ عَنْهُ تَفِرُّونَ، وَجَعَلْتُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ لأَنْفُسِكُمْ افْتِخَارَاً وَمَنَاصِبَاً ثُمَّ بِهَا تَعِيشُونَ وَتَتَنَعَّمُونَ، وَلَوْ يَأْتِيكُمْ مَشَايِخُكُمْ بِأَجْمَعِهِمْ لا تُخَلُّونَ أَيْدِيكُمْ عَنْ رِيَاسَاتِكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِمْ لا تُقْبِلُونَ وَلا تَتَوَجَّهُونَ، وَإِنَّا وَجَدْنَاكُمْ كَمَا وَجَدْنَا أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ عَبَدَةَ الأَسْمَاءِ يَذْكُرُونَهَا فِي أَيَّامِهِمْ وَبِهَا يَشْتَغِلُونَ، وَإِذَا ظَهَرَ مُسَمَّيَاتُها إِذَا هُمْ يُعْرِضُونَ وَعَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ يَنْقَلِبُونَ، كَذلِكَ عَرَفْنَاكُمْ وَأَحْصَيْنَا أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَأَشْهَدْنَا كُلَّمَا أَنْتُمْ اليَوْمَ بِهِ تَعْمَلْونَ، فَاعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّ اللهَ لَنْ يَقْبَلَ اليَوْمَ مِنْكُمْ فِكْرَكُمْ وَلا ذِكْرَكُمْ وَلا تَوَجُّهَكُم وَلا خَتْمَكُمْ وَلا مُرَاقَبَتَكُمْ إِلَّا بِأَنْ تُجَدِّدُوا عِنْدَ هذَا العَبْدِ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ تَشْعُرُونَ، تَاللهِ قَدْ غُرِسَتْ شَجَرَةُ الوِلايَةِ وَفُصِّلَتْ نُقْطَةُ العِلْمِيَّةِ وَظَهَرَتْ وِلايَةُ اللهِ المُهَيْمِنِ القَيُّومِ، اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَلا تَتَبِّعُوا هَواكُمْ وَاتَّبِعُوا حُكْمَ اللهِ فِي أَيَّامِكُمْ وَجَدِّدُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ آدَابِ الطَّرِيقِ لِتَهْتَدُوا بأَنْوَارِ الهِدَايَةِ وَتَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ إِلَى مَنَاهِجِ الحَقِّ يُسْرَعُونَ. 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 Hast thou not heard what God, exalted be His glory, hath said: “Say not to everyone who meeteth you with a greeting, ‘Thou art not a believer’.”[76] “Thrust not away those who cry to their Lord at morn and even, craving to behold His face.”[77] Thou hast indeed forsaken what the Book of God hath prescribed, and yet thou deemest thyself to be a believer!

98Despite what thou hast done I entertain—and to this God is My witness—no ill will against thee, nor against anyone, though from thee and others We receive such hurt as no believer in the unity of God can sustain. My cause is in the hand of none except God, and My trust is in no one else but Him. Erelong shall your days pass away, as shall pass away the days of those who now, with flagrant pride, vaunt themselves over their neighbour. Soon shall ye be gathered together in the presence of God, and shall be asked of your doings, and shall be repaid for what your hands have wrought, and wretched is the abode of the wicked doers!

99By God! Wert thou to realize what thou hast done, thou wouldst surely weep sore over thyself, and wouldst flee for refuge to God, and wouldst pine away and mourn all the days of thy life, till God will have forgiven thee, for He, verily, is the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful. Thou wilt, however, persist, till the hour of thy death, in thy heedlessness, inasmuch as thou hast, with all thine heart, thy soul and inmost being, busied thyself with the vanities of the world. Thou shalt, after thy departure, discover what We have revealed unto thee, and shalt find all thy doings recorded in the Book wherein the works of all them that dwell on earth, be they greater or less than the weight of an atom, are noted down. Heed, therefore, My counsel, and hearken thou, with the hearing of thine heart, unto My speech, and be not careless of My words, nor be of them that reject My truth. Glory not in the things that have been given thee. Set before thine eyes what hath been revealed in the Book of God, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious: “And when they had forgotten their warnings, We set open to them the gates of all things,” even as We did set open to thee and to thy like the gates of this earth and the ornaments thereof. Wait thou, therefore, for what hath been promised in the latter part of this holy verse,[78] for this is a promise from Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise—a promise that will not prove untrue.

100I know not the path ye have chosen and which ye tread, O congregation of My ill-wishers! We summon you to God, We remind you of His Day, We announce unto you tidings of your reunion with Him, We draw you nigh unto His court, and send down upon you tokens of His wondrous wisdom, and yet lo, behold how ye reject Us, how ye condemn Us, through the things which your lying mouths have uttered, as an infidel, how ye devise your devices against Us! And when We manifest unto you what God hath, through His bountiful favour, bestowed upon Us, ye say, “It is but plain magic.” The same words were spoken by the generations that were before you and were what ye are, did ye but perceive it. Ye have thereby deprived yourselves of the bounty of God and of His grace, and shall never obtain them till the day when God will have judged between Us and you, and He, verily, is the best of judges.

101Certain ones among you have said: “He it is Who hath laid claim to be God.” By God! This is a gross calumny. I am but a servant of God Who hath believed in Him and in His signs, and in His Prophets and in His angels. My tongue, and My heart, and My inner and My outer being testify that there is no God but Him, that all others have been created by His behest, and been fashioned through the operation of His Will. There is none other God but Him, the Creator, the Raiser from the dead, the Quickener, the Slayer. I am He that telleth abroad the favours with which God hath, through His bounty, favoured Me. If this be My transgression, then I am truly the first of the transgressors. I and My kindred are at your mercy. Do ye as ye please, and be not of them that hesitate, that I might return to God My Lord, and reach the place where I can no longer behold your faces. This, indeed, is My dearest wish, My most ardent desire. Of My state God is, verily, sufficiently informed, observant.

102Imagine thyself to be under the eye of God, O Minister! If thou seest Him not, He, in truth, clearly seeth thee. Observe, and judge fairly Our Cause. What is it that We have committed that could have induced thee to rise up against Us, and to slander Us to the people, if thou be of them who are just? We departed out of Ṭihrán, at the bidding of the King,8 and, by his leave, transferred Our residence to ‘Iráq. If I had transgressed against him, why, then, did he release Me? And if I were innocent of guilt, wherefore did ye afflict Us with such tribulation as none among them that profess your faith hath suffered? Hath any of Mine acts, after Mine arrival in ‘Iráq, been such as to subvert the authority of the government? Who is it that can be said to have detected anything reprehensible in Our behaviour? Inquire for thyself of its people, that thou mayest be of them who have discerned the truth.

103For eleven years We dwelt in that land, until the Minister representing thy government arrived,[79] whose name Our pen is loth to mention, who was given to wine, who followed his lusts, and committed wickedness, and was corrupt and corrupted ‘Iráq. To this will bear witness most of the inhabitants of Baghdád, wert thou to inquire of them, and be of such as seek the truth. He it was who wrongfully seized the substance of his fellow-men, who forsook all the commandments of God, and perpetrated whatever God had forbidden. Eventually, he, following his desires, rose up against Us, and walked in the ways of the unjust. He accused Us, in his letter to thee, and thou didst believe him and followed in his way, without seeking any proof or trustworthy evidence from him. Thou didst ask for no explanation, nor didst thou attempt either to investigate or ascertain the matter, that the truth might be distinguished from falsehood in thy sight, and that thou mightest be clear in thy discernment. Find out for thyself the sort of man he was by asking those Ministers who were, at that time, in ‘Iráq, as well as the Governor of the City9 and its high Counsellor, that the truth may be revealed to thee, and that thou mayest be of the well-informed.

104God is Our witness! We have, under no circumstances, opposed either him, or others. We observed, under all conditions, the precepts of God, and were never one of those that wrought disorders. To this he himself doth testify. His intention was to lay hold on Us, and send Us back to Persia, that he might thereby exalt his fame and reputation. Thou hast committed the same crime, and for the self-same purpose. Ye both are of equal grade in the sight of God, the sovereign Lord of all, the All-Knowing.

105It is not Our purpose in addressing to thee these words to lighten the burden of Our woe, or to induce thee to intercede for Us with anyone. Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds! We have set forth the whole matter before thee, that perchance thou might realize what thou hast done, might desist from inflicting on others the hurt thou hast inflicted on Us, and might be of them that have truly repented to God, Who created thee and created all things, and might act with discernment in the future. Better is this for thee than all thou dost possess, than thy ministry whose days are numbered.

106Beware lest thou be led to connive at injustice. Set thy heart firmly upon justice, and alter not the Cause of God, and be of them whose eyes are directed towards the things that have been revealed in His Book. Follow not, under any condition, the promptings of thine evil desires. Keep thou the law of God, thy Lord, the Beneficent, the Ancient of Days. Thou shalt most certainly return to dust, and shalt perish like all the things in which thou takest delight. This is what the Tongue of truth and glory hath spoken.

107Rememberest thou not God’s warning uttered in times past, that thou mayest be of them that heed His warning? He said, and He, verily, speaketh the truth: “From it (earth) have We created you, and unto it will We return you, and out of it will We bring you forth a second time.”[80] This is what God ordained unto all them that dwell on earth, be they high or low. It behoveth not, therefore, him who was created from dust, who will return unto it, and will again be brought forth out of it, to swell with pride before God, and before His loved ones, to proudly scorn them, and be filled with disdainful arrogance. Nay, rather it behoveth thee and those like thee to submit yourselves to them Who are the Manifestations of the unity of God, and to defer humbly to the faithful, who have forsaken their all for the sake of God, and have detached themselves from the things which engross men’s attention, and lead them astray from the path of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Thus do We send down upon you that which shall profit you and profit them that have placed their whole trust and confidence in their Lord.

108O ye divines of the City! We came to you with the truth, whilst ye were heedless of it. Methinks ye are as dead, wrapt in the coverings of your own selves. Ye sought not Our presence, when so to do would have been better for you than all your doings. Know ye that the Sun of vicegerency hath dawned in all truth, and yet ye have turned away therefrom. The Moon of guidance hath risen high in the midmost heaven, and yet ye remain veiled therefrom. The Star of divine bounty hath shone forth above the horizon of eternal holiness, and yet ye have strayed far therefrom.

109Know ye, that had your leaders, to whom ye owe allegiance, and on whom ye pride yourselves, and whom ye mention by day and by night, and from whose traces ye seek guidance—had they lived in these days, they would have circled around Me, and would not have separated themselves from Me, whether at eventide or at morn. Ye, however, did not turn your faces towards My face, for even less than a moment, and waxed proud, and were careless of this Wronged One, Who hath been so afflicted by men that they dealt with Him as they pleased. Ye failed to inquire about My condition, nor did ye inform yourselves of the things which befell Me. Thereby have ye withheld from yourselves the winds of holiness, and the breezes of bounty, that blow from this luminous and perspicuous Spot.

110Methinks ye have clung to outward things, and forgotten the inner things, and say that which ye do not. Ye are lovers of names, and appear to have given yourselves up to them. For this reason make ye mention of the names of your leaders. And should anyone like them, or superior unto them, come unto you, ye would flee him. Through their names ye have exalted yourselves, and have secured your positions, and live and prosper. And were your leaders to reappear, ye would not renounce your leadership, nor would ye turn in their direction, nor set your faces towards them.

111We found you, as We found most men, worshipping names which they mention during the days of their life, and with which they occupy themselves. No sooner do the Bearers of these names appear, however, than they repudiate them, and turn upon their heels. Thus have We found you, and thus have We reckoned up your actions and borne witness to all your doings in this day. Know ye that God will not, in this day, accept your thoughts, nor your remembrance of Him, nor your turning towards Him, nor your devotions, nor your vigilance, unless ye be made new in the estimation of this Servant, could ye but perceive it.

112By God! The Tree of vicegerency hath been planted, the Point of knowledge hath been made plain, and the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath been established. Fear ye the Lord. Follow not the promptings of your evil desires, but keep the law of God all your days. Renew the rules of the ways ye follow, that ye may be led by the light of guidance and may hasten in the path of the True One. (edit)

Have you not heard what the Almighty and Majestic said: "Do not say to one who offers you peace, 'You are not a believer,'" and do not drive away those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His face. Yet you have opposed the decree of the Book, even though you consider yourself among the believers. Despite this, by God, there is no hatred in my heart for you or anyone among the people, even if you inflict upon us what no one among the monotheists can bear. My command is only by God, and my trust is only upon Him. Soon your days and the days of those who are today in clear delusion will pass, and you will be gathered in the presence of God and asked about what your hands have earned and be recompensed for it. What a terrible abode for the wrongdoers! By God, if you were aware of what you have done, you would weep over yourself, flee to God, and cry in your days until God forgives you, and indeed, He is Generous and Noble. But you will not be granted success in this because you are preoccupied with yourself, your soul, and your body with the adornments of the world until the soul departs from you. Then you will recognize what we have presented to you and find your deeds in the book in which not an atom of the deeds of all creation is left out.

So heed my advice, then listen to my words with the ears of your heart and do not be heedless of my words nor be among those who turn away. Do not boast about what you have been given; look at what has been revealed in the Book of God, the Guardian, the Mighty. When they forgot what they were reminded of, We opened to them the doors of everything, just as the doors of the world and its adornments have been opened for you and your likes. So wait for what was revealed at the end of this blessed verse, and this is a promise not to be denied from a Capable, Wise One. And I do not know by which path you are established and upon which you walk, O assembly of the haters. We call you to God, remind you of His days, give you glad tidings of meeting Him, bring you closer to Him, and present to you from the wonders of His wisdom, but you drive us away and disbelieve in us because of what your lying tongues have described, and you are among those who turn back.

When we reveal among you what God has given us by His generosity, you say, "This is nothing but clear magic," as nations like you said before, if you are among the poets. Therefore, you have deprived yourselves of the bounty of God and His grace, and you will not find it again until God judges between us and you, and He is the Best of Judges. Among you are those who said, "This is the one who claimed in himself what he claimed." By God, this is a great slander. I am but a servant who believes in God, His signs, His messengers, and His angels, and my tongue, heart, outward and inward testify that He is God, there is no god but He, and besides Him, everything is created by His command and determined by His will. There is no god but He, the Creator, the Reviver, the Life-Giver, the Bringer of Death. But I have narrated the favor which God has bestowed upon me by His generosity, and if this is my crime, then I am the first of the criminals.

And I stand before you with my family, so do what you will, and do not be among the patient. Perhaps I will return to God, my Lord, in a place where your faces are absent. This is the extent of my hope and desire, and God is sufficient for me as a Knower and Informer. O ambassador, then make your presence before God, for though you do not see Him, He sees you. Then be just in our matter, for what crime did you rise against us and fabricate against us among the people if you are among the just? I left Tehran by the king's command and headed to Iraq by his permission until we entered it, and we were among those who entered. If I was negligent, why were we released, and if I was not negligent, why did you inflict upon us what no one has inflicted on anyone among the Muslims?

And after my arrival in Iraq, did anything appear from me that would corrupt the state's affair, and did anyone from us witness anything contrary? Then ask its people to be among those who seek the truth. And we were in it for eleven years until your envoy came, whom the pen would not like to write his name, and he used to drink wine, commit lewdness and indecency, corrupt himself and Iraq, and most of the people of Baghdad testify to this if you ask them and seek information. He used to take people's money unjustly, abandoned all that God commanded him, and committed all that He forbade him until he rose against us, following his soul and desires, and followed the path of the wrongdoers. He wrote to you what he wrote about us, and you accepted it from him and followed his desire without any clear evidence or proof. You did not clarify, investigate, or probe to make the truth apparent from falsehood and right from wrong, and to be guided by an enlightening insight. So ask about him from the envoys who were in Iraq and behind them from the governor of the city and his advisor to make the truth clear to you and be among those who are informed.

By God, we did not oppose him in anything, nor anyone else, and we followed God's decrees in every matter and were not among the corrupt. He himself testifies to this, but he wants to take us and return us to Persia to elevate his name, just as you committed this sin for that reason, and you and he are equal in the sight of God, the All-Knowing King. This mention from me to you is not to uncover my harm or mediate for me with anyone, by the Lord of the worlds. But we detailed the matters for you, perhaps you become aware in your actions and do not return to anyone what you have returned to us, and you become among those who repent to God who created you and everything, and be guided thereafter, and this is better for you than what you have and your embassy in these few days.

Beware that you do not close your eyes at the places of justice and turn your heart towards the direction of justice, and do not change the command of God and be among those who consider what has been revealed in the Book. Do not follow your desire in any matter and follow the decree of God, your Lord, the Benevolent, the Ancient. You will return to the dust, and neither your soul nor what you are pleased with in your days will remain. This is what has appeared from a truthful, impregnable tongue. Have you not remembered the remembrance of God before to be among those who remember? He said, and His saying is the truth: "From it (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you forth once again." And this is what God has decreed for everyone on earth, whether noble or humble.

Those who were created from dust and will be returned to it and brought forth from it should not be arrogant towards God and His allies, nor should they boast over them and be in great delusion. Rather, you and your likes should humble yourselves to the manifestations of monotheism and lower the wing of humility to the believers who are in need of God and have cut off from everything that preoccupies the souls of the servants and distances them from the path of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thus, we present to you what benefits you and those who rely on their Lord. O scholars of the city, we have come to you with the truth, and you were in heedlessness of it as if you were dead in the illusions of your souls. And you have not attended before us after that which was better for you than all that you do.

So know that the sun of guardianship has risen with the truth, and you are turning away from it, and the moon of guidance has risen in the pole of the sky, and you are veiling yourselves from it, and the star of care has appeared on the horizon of sanctity, and you are distancing yourselves from it. Know that your scholars, to whom you attribute yourselves, then boast and mention them day and night, and follow their traces, if they were in those days, would have circled around me and would not have left me in every evening and morning. And you have not faced me for less than a moment and have been arrogant or heedless of this oppressed one who is tried among the people so that they do with him as they wish, and you have not investigated my situation or inquired about what has befallen me. Thus, you have deprived yourselves of the breezes of sanctity and the breezes of grace from this radiant, witnessed direction.

As if you have clung to the apparent and forgotten the rule of the inner and say what you do not do. And you love the names as if you have secluded yourselves with them. Therefore, you mention the names of your scholars, and if someone like them or above them comes to you, then you flee from him. You have made their names a source of pride and positions for yourselves, then you live and enjoy by them. If all your scholars come to you, you will not let go of your leadership positions and will not turn to them or face them. Indeed, we have found you, as we have found most people, worshippers of names, mentioning them in their days and preoccupied with them. And when their named entities appear, then they turn away and turn on their heels. Thus, we have recognized you and have recorded your deeds and witnessed all that you are doing today. So know that God will not accept your contemplation, remembrance, direction, seals, or vigilance today, except that you renew with this servant if you perceive.

By God, the tree of guardianship has been planted, the point of knowledge has been detailed, and the guardianship of God, the Guardian, the Sustainer, has appeared. Fear God and do not follow your desires, and follow God's decree in your days, and renew what you are upon from the manners of the path to be guided by the lights of guidance and be among those who hasten to the paths of truth. (edit)

17
أَنْ يَا حُكَمَاءَ المدِينةِ وَفَلاسِفَةَ الأَرْضِ لا تَغُرَّنّكُمُ الحِكْمَةُ بِاللهِ المُهَيْمِنِ القَيُّومِ، فَاعْلَمُوا بِأَنَّ الحِكْمَةَ هِيَ خَشْيَةُ اللهِ وَعِرْفَانُهُ وَعِرْفَانُ مَظَاهِرِ نَفْسِهِ وَهذِهِ لَحِكْمَةٌ الَّتِي لَنْ يَنَالَهَا إِلَّا اَلَّذِينَ هُمْ انْقَطَعُوا عَنِ الدُّنْيَا وَكَانُوا فِي رِضَى اللهِ هُمْ يَسْلُكُونَ، أَأَنْتُمْ أَعْظَمُ حِكْمَةً أَمِ الَّذِي صَنَعَ القَمَرَ وَكَانَ أَنْ يَطْلُعُ مِنْ بِئرٍ وَيَغْرُبُ فِي جُبٍّ أُخْرَى وَيَسْتَضِيءُ مِنْهُ ثَلثَةُ فَرَاسِخَ مِنَ الأَرْضِ وَمَحَى اللهُ آثَارَهُ وَرجَّعَهُ إِلَى التُّرَابِ وَأَنْتُمْ سَمِعْتُمْ نَبَأَهُ أَوْحِينَئِذٍ تَسْمَعُونَ، وَكَمْ مِنْ حُكَمَاءَ كَانوُا مِثْلَهُ أَوْ فَوْقَهُ وَمِثْلَكُمْ أَوْ فَوْقَكُمْ وَمِنْهُمْ آمَنُوا وَمِنْهُمْ أَعْرَضُوا وَأَشْرَكُوا وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا هُمْ فِي النَّارِ كَانُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُونَ، وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُمْ إِلَى رَحْمَةِ اللهِ كَانُوا أَنْ يَرْجِعُونَ، إِنَّ اللهَ لا يَسْئَلُكُمْ عَنْ صَنَائِعِكُمْ بَلْ عَنْ إِيمَانِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ تُسْئَلُونَ، أَأَنْتُمْ أَعْظَمُ حِكْمَةً أَمِ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَخَلَقَ السَّمَواتِ وَمَا فِيهَا وَالأَرْضَ وَمَنْ عَلَيْهَا؟ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ مَا مِنْ حَكِيمٍ إِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الخَلْقُ وَالأَمْرُ يُعْطِي الحِكْمَةَ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَيَمْنَعُ الحِكْمَةَ عَمَّنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَهُوَ المُعْطِي المَانِعُ الكَرِيمُ الحَكِيمُ، وَأَنْتُمْ يَا مَعْشَرَ الحُكَمَاءِ مَا حَضَرْتُمْ عِنْدَنَا لِتَسْمَعُوا نَغَمَاتِ الرُّوحِ وَتَعْرِفُوا مَا أَعْطَانِي اللهُ بِفَضْلِهِ وَإِنَّ هذَا فَاتَ عَنْكُمِ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ، وَلَوْ حَضَرْتُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْنَا لَعَلَّمْنَاكُمْ مِنْ حِكْمَةٍ الَّتِي تَغْنَوْنَ بِهَا عَنْ دُونِهَا وَمَا حَضَرْتُمْ وَقُضِيَ الأَمْرُ وَنُهِيتُ عَنْ إِظْهَارِهَا مِنْ بَعْدُ لِمَا نَسَبُونَا بِالسِّحْرِ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ وَكَذلِكَ قَالُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَقَضَى نَحْبَهُمْ وَهُمْ حِينَئِذٍ فِي النَّارِ يَصْرُخُونَ، وَيَقْضِي نَحْبَ هؤُلاءِ وَهذَا حَتْمٌ مِنْ لَدُنْ عَزِيزٍ قَيُّومٍ، أُوصِيكُمْ فِي آخِرِ القَوْلِ بِأَنْ لا تَتَجَاوَزُوا عَنْ حُدُودِ اللهِ وَلا تَلْتَفِتُوا إِلَى قَواعِدِ النَّاسِ وَعَادَاتِهِمْ لأَنَّهَا لا يُسْمِنُ وَلا يُغْنِيكُمْ بَلْ بِسُنَنِ اللهِ أَنْتُمْ فَانْظُرُونَ، وَمَنْ شاءَ فَلْيَتَّخِذْ هذَا النُّصْحَ لِنَفْسِهِ سَبِيلاً إِلَى اللهِ، فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَرْجِعْ إِلَى هَواهُ، إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَنِيٌّ عَنْ كُلِّ مَنْ فِي السَّمواتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَعَنْ كُلِّ مَا هُمْ يَقُولُونَ أَو يَعْمَلُونَ، وَأَخْتِمُ القَوْلَ بِمَا قَالَ اللهُ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ: ﴿لا تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ أَلْقَى إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلامَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِنًا﴾ وَالسَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا مَلأَ المُسْلِمِينَ وَالحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ. (edit)
 113O ye wise men of the City and philosophers of the world! Beware lest human learning and wisdom cause you to wax proud before God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Know ye that true wisdom is to fear God, to know Him, and to recognize His Manifestations. This wisdom, however, can be attained only by those who detach themselves from the world, and who walk in the ways of the good pleasure of their Lord. Are ye possessed of greater wisdom than the one who contrived a moon which would rise from one well and set in another, and whose light was visible at a distance of three leagues?[81] God, verily, blotted out every trace of his works and returned him unto dust, as ye have already heard or are now informed.

114How many the sages and philosophers who equalled or surpassed him in learning and wisdom! And how vast the number of those who equalled or surpassed yourselves! Some of them believed in God, while others disbelieved and joined partners with Him. The latter were at last cast into the Fire, there to take up their abode, while the former returned unto the mercy of their Lord, therein to abide. For God doth not ask you of your sciences, but of your faith and of your conduct. Are ye greater in wisdom than the One Who brought you into being, Who fashioned the heavens and all that they contain, the earth and all that dwell upon it? Gracious God! True wisdom is His. All creation and its empire are His. He bestoweth His wisdom upon whomsoever He chooseth amongst men, and withholdeth it from whomsoever He desireth. He, in truth, is the Bestower and the Withholder, and He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the All-Wise.

115O ye learned of the world! Ye failed to seek Our presence, that ye might hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Spirit and perceive that which God in His bounty hath pleased to bestow upon Me. Verily, this grace hath now escaped you, did ye but know. Had ye sought Our presence, We would have imparted unto you a knowledge that would have rendered you independent of all else. But this ye failed to do, and thus hath the decree of God been fulfilled. Now have I been forbidden to disclose it, since We stand accused of sorcery, if ye perceive Our meaning. The same words were uttered by the deniers of old, men whom death hath long since overtaken and who now dwell in the fire bewailing their plight. The deniers of this day shall likewise meet their doom. Such is the irrevocable decree of Him Who is the All-Powerful, the Self-Sufficient.

116I counsel you, in the end, not to overstep the bounds of God, nor to heed the ways and habits of men, for these can neither “fatten nor appease your hunger”. Fix, rather, your gaze upon the precepts of God. Whosoever desireth, let him accept this counsel as a path leading unto his Lord, and whosoever desireth, let him return to his own idle imaginings. My Lord, verily, is independent above all who are in the heavens and on the earth, and above all that they say and do.

117I close with these words uttered by God, exalted be His glory: “Say not to everyone who meeteth you with a greeting, ‘Thou art not a believer’.”[82]

118Peace be upon you, O concourse of the faithful, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. (edit)

O wise men of the city and philosophers of the earth, let not the wisdom of God, the Guardian, the Sustainer, deceive you. Know that wisdom is the fear of God, recognition of Him, and recognition of the manifestations of His essence. This wisdom is attained only by those who have detached themselves from the world and walk in the pleasure of God. Are you greater in wisdom, or He who made the moon, which used to rise from a well and set in another pit, and from which light shone for three leagues of the earth, but God erased its traces and returned it to dust? And you have heard its story or are you listening now? How many wise men were like it or above it, and like you or above you? Among them were those who believed and those who turned away and associated others with God, and those who associated are in the fire, destined to enter it. Those who believed are destined to return to the mercy of God. Indeed, God will not ask you about your craft but about your faith and your deeds.

Are you greater in wisdom, or He who created you, the heavens and what is in them, and the earth and who is upon it? Glory be to God, there is no wise but He, to Him belongs creation and command. He grants wisdom to whom He wills of His creation and withholds wisdom from whom He wills of His creatures. Indeed, He is the Giver, the Withholder, the Generous, the Wise. And you, O assembly of the wise, have not attended with us to hear the melodies of the spirit and to know what God has given me by His grace, and this has eluded you, if you know. Had you attended before us, we would have taught you of wisdom by which you would be enriched beyond anything else, but you did not attend, and the matter is decided, and I am forbidden to reveal it anymore, for they attribute us to magic if you are listening. Thus, they said before, and their fate passed, and they are now screaming in the fire. And the fate of these will pass, and this is a decree from the Mighty, the Sustainer.

I advise you in my last words not to transgress the limits of God and not to turn to the foundations of the people and their customs, for they neither nourish nor enrich you. Rather, look to the Sunnah of God. And whoever wishes, let him take this advice as a path to God, and whoever wishes, let him return to his desires. My Lord is indeed rich beyond everyone in the heavens and the earth and beyond everything they say or do. And I conclude my words with what God, the Exalted and the Mighty, said: "Do not say to one who offers you peace, 'You are not a believer,'" and peace be upon you, O assembly of the Muslims, and all praise is due to God, the Lord of the worlds. (edit)

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