e forth above the
horizon of the Will of thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High, and recall
how the divines of that age turned away from Him, and the learned
contended with Him, that haply thou mayest apprehend that which, in this
day, remaineth concealed behind the veils of glory. So grievous became His
plight on every side that He instructed His companions to disperse. Thus
was the decree made manifest from the heaven of divine glory. Remember,
furthermore, how, when one of these same companions came before the King
of Ethiopia and recited unto him a Surih of the Qur'an, he declared to his
attendants: "This, truly, hath been revealed by One Who is All-Knowing and
All-Wise. Whoso acknowledgeth the truth, and believeth in the teachings of
Jesus, can in no wise deny what hath been recited. We, verily, bear
witness to its truth, even as we bear witness to the truth of that which
we possess of the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."

199 I swear by God, O King! Wert thou to incline thine ear to the melodies
of that Nightingale which warbleth in manifold accents upon the mystic
bough as bidden by thy Lord, the All-Merciful, thou wouldst cast away thy
sovereignty and set thy face towards this Scene of transcendent glory,
above whose horizon shineth the Book of the Dawntide,(25) and wouldst
expend all that thou possessest in thine eagerness to obtain the things of
God. Then wouldst thou find thyself raised up to the summit of exaltation
and glory, and elevated to the pinnacle of majesty and independence. Thus
hath the decree been recorded in the Mother Book by the Pen of the
All-Merciful. Of what avail are the things which are yours today and which
tomorrow others shall possess? Choose for thyself that which God hath
chosen for His elect, and God shall grant thee a mighty sovereignty in His
Kingdom. We beseech God to aid thy Majesty to hearken unto that Word whose
radiance hath enveloped the whole world, and to protect thee from such as
have strayed far from the court of His presence.

200 Glory be to Thee, O Lord My God! How many the heads which were raised
aloft on spears in Thy path, and how many the breasts which were made the
target of arrows for the sake of Thy good pleasure! How many the hearts
that have been lacerated for the exaltation of Thy Word and the promotion
of Thy Cause, and how many the eyes that have wept sore for love of Thee!
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the King of kings and the Pitier