the presence of His Majesty the
King; the repudiation of seditious persons and disavowal of the rebellious
party; the conditions of sincere belief in the verses of the Qur'an; the
needfulness of godly virtues, distinction from all other creatures in this
transitory abode, obedience to the commandments, and avoidance of things
prohibited; the evidence of divine support in the affair of the Bab; the
inability of whosoever is upon the earth to withstand a heavenly thing;
His own awakening at the divine afflux, and His falling thereby into
unbounded calamities; His acquisition of the divine gift, His
participation in spiritual God-given grace, and His illumination with
immediate knowledge without study; the excusableness of His [efforts for
the] admonition of mankind, their direction toward the attainment of human
perfections, and their enkindlement with the fire of divine love;
encouragements to the directing of energy towards the attainment of a
state greater than the degree of earthly sovereignty; eloquent prayers
[written] in the utmost self-abasement, devotion, and humility; and the
like of this. Afterwards He discussed [other] matters in the Persian
language. And the form of it is this:
"O God, this is a letter which I wish to send to the King; and Thou
knowest that I have not desired aught of him save the display of his
justice to Thy people, and the showing forth of his favors to the dwellers
in Thy Kingdom. And verily, by My soul, I have not desired aught save what
Thou hast desired, neither, by Thy Might, do I desire aught save what Thou
desirest. Perish that being which desireth of Thee aught save Thyself!
And, by Thy Glory, Thy good pleasure is the limit of My hope, and Thy Will
the extremity of My desire! Be merciful then, O God, to this poor [soul]
Who hath caught hold of the skirt of Thy richness, and to this humble
[suppliant] Who calleth on Thee, for Thou art indeed the Mighty, the
Great. Help, O God, His Majesty the King to execute Thy laws amongst Thy
servants and to show forth Thy justice amidst Thy creatures, that he may
rule over this sect as he ruleth over those who are beside them. Verily
Thou art the Potent, the Mighty, the Wise.
"Agreeably to the permission and consent of the King of the age, this
Servant turned from the place of the Royal Throne(28) toward
'Iraq-i-'Arab, and in that land abode twelve years. During the period of
[His] sojourn [there] no description of His condition was laid befor
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