le member of their bodies intoned Thy praise
and vibrated to Thy remembrance, not to withhold from us the things Thou
hast irrevocably ordained in this Revelation--a Revelation the potency of
which hath caused every tree to cry out what the Burning Bush had
aforetime proclaimed unto Moses, Who conversed with Thee, a Revelation
that hath enabled every least pebble to resound again with Thy praise, as
the stones glorified Thee in the days of Muhammad, Thy Friend.

These are the ones, O my God, whom Thou hast graciously enabled to have
fellowship with Thee and to commune with Him Who is the Revealer of
Thyself. The winds of Thy will have scattered them abroad until Thou didst
gather them together beneath Thy shadow, and didst cause them to enter
into the precincts of Thy court. Now that Thou hast made them to abide
under the shade of the canopy of Thy mercy, do Thou assist them to attain
what must befit so august a station. Suffer them not, O my Lord, to be
numbered with them who, though enjoying near access to Thee, have been
kept back from recognizing Thy face, and who, though meeting with Thee,
are deprived of Thy presence.

These are Thy servants, O my Lord, who have entered with Thee in this, the
Most Great Prison, who have kept the fast within its walls according to
what Thou hast commanded them in the Tablets of Thy decree and the Books
of Thy behest. Send down, therefore, upon them what will thoroughly purge
them of all that Thou abhorrest, that they may be wholly devoted to Thee,
and may detach themselves entirely from all except Thyself.

Rain down, then, upon us, O my God, that which beseemeth Thy grace and
befitteth Thy bounty. Enable us, then, O my God, to live in remembrance of
Thee and to die in love of Thee, and supply us with the gift of Thy
presence in Thy worlds hereafter--worlds which are inscrutable to all
except Thee. Thou art our Lord and the Lord of all worlds, and the God of
all that are in heaven and all that are on earth.

Thou beholdest, O my God, what hath befallen Thy dear ones in Thy days.
Thy glory beareth me witness! The voice of the lamentation of Thy chosen
ones hath been lifted up throughout Thy realm. Some were ensnared by the
infidels in Thy land, and were hindered by them from having near access to
Thee and from attaining the court of Thy glory. Others were able to
approach Thee, but were kept back from beholding Thy face. Still others
were permitted, in their eagerness to look upon