ever, 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.

Give 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.

Pause for but a little while and reflect, O Minister, and be fair in thy
judgment. 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 Imam Husayn was being commemorated. On those
occasions no one could have 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?
Hast thou not heard what God, exalted be His glory, hath said: "Say not to
every one who meeteth you with a greeting, 'Thou art not a believer'."
"Thrust not away those who cry to their Lord at morn and even, craving to
behold His face." Thou hast indeed forsaken what the Book of God hath
prescribed, and yet thou deemest thyself to be a believer!

Despite what thou hast done I entertain--and to this God is My witness--no
ill-will against thee, nor against any one, 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 neighbor. 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 the abode of the wicked doers!

By God! W