-Abiding, the Omniscient, the
All-Wise. The station of absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will
ever remain exalted above, every other station.

It behoveth thee to consecrate thyself to the Will of God. Whatsoever hath
been revealed in His Tablets is but a reflection of His Will. So complete
must be thy consecration, that every trace of worldly desire will be
washed from thine heart. This is the meaning of true unity.

Do thou beseech God to enable thee to remain steadfast in this path, and
to aid thee to guide the peoples of the world to Him Who is the manifest
and sovereign Ruler, Who hath revealed Himself in a distinct attire, Who
giveth utterance to a Divine and specific Message. This is the essence of
faith and certitude. They that are the worshipers of the idol which their
imaginations have carved, and who call it Inner Reality, such men are in
truth accounted among the heathen. To this hath the All-Merciful borne
witness in His Tablets. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

CLXI: GIRD UP THE LOINS OF THINE ENDEAVOR, THAT...

Gird up the loins of thine endeavor, that haply thou mayest guide thy
neighbor to the law of God, the Most Merciful. Such an act, verily,
excelleth all other acts in the sight of God, the All-Possessing, the Most
High. Such must be thy steadfastness in the Cause of God, that no earthly
thing whatsoever will have the power to deter thee from thy duty. Though
the powers of earth be leagued against thee, though all men dispute with
thee, thou must remain unshaken.

Be unrestrained as the wind, while carrying the Message of Him Who hath
caused the Dawn of Divine Guidance to break. Consider, how the wind,
faithful to that which God hath ordained, bloweth upon all the regions of
the earth, be they inhabited or desolate. Neither the sight of desolation,
nor the evidences of prosperity, can either pain or please it. It bloweth
in every direction, as bidden by its Creator. So should be every one that
claimeth to be a lover of the one true God. It behoveth him to fix his
gaze upon the fundamentals of His Faith, and to labor diligently for its
propagation. Wholly for the sake of God he should proclaim His Message,
and with that same spirit accept whatever response his words may evoke in
his hearer. He who shall accept and believe, shall receive his reward; and
he who shall turn away, shall receive none other than his own punishment.

On the eve of Our departure from 'Iraq,