O people of God!  Countless are the realms which Our Pen of Glory hath revealed and manifold the eyes to which it hath imparted true enlightenment.  Yet most of the people in Persia continue to be deprived of the benefits of profitable counsels and remain sorely lacking in useful sciences and arts.  Formerly these sublime words were especially revealed by the Pen of Glory in honour of one of the faithful, that perchance those that have gone astray may embrace the Truth and become acquainted with the subtleties of the Law of God.

The unbelievers and the faithless have set their minds on four things:  first, the shedding of blood; second, the burning of books; third, the shunning of the followers of other religions; fourth, the extermination of other communities and groups.  Now however, through the strengthening grace and potency of the Word of God these four barriers have been demolished, these clear injunctions have been obliterated from the Tablet and brutal dispositions have been transmuted into spiritual attributes.  Exalted is His purpose; glorified is His power; magnified is His dominion!  Now let us beseech God—­praised be His glory—­to graciously guide aright the followers of the Shi’ih sect and to purge them of unseemly conduct.  From the lips of the members of this sect foul imprecations fall unceasingly, while they invoke the word ‘Mal’un’ (accursed)—­uttered with a guttural sound of the letter ’ayn—­as their daily relish.

O God my God!  Thou hearest the sighing of Him Who is Thy Light (Baha), hearkenest unto His lamentations in the daytime and in the night season and knowest that He desireth naught for Himself but rather seeketh to sanctify the souls of Thy servants and to deliver them from the fire with which they are beset at all times.  O Lord!  The hands of Thy well-favoured servants are raised towards the heaven of Thy bounty and those of Thy sincere lovers are lifted up to the sublime heights of Thy generosity.  Disappoint them not, I entreat Thee, in that which they seek from the ocean of Thy favour and from the heaven of Thy grace and the day-star of Thy bounty.  Aid them, O Lord, to acquire such virtues as will exalt their stations among the peoples of the world.  Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Most Generous.

O people of God!  Give ear unto that which, if heeded, will ensure the freedom, well-being, tranquillity, exaltation and advancement of all men.  Certain laws and principles are necessary and indispensable for Persia.  However, it is fitting that these measures should be adopted in conformity with the considered views of His Majesty—­may God aid him through His grace—­and of the learned divines and of the high-ranking rulers.  Subject to their approval a place should be fixed where they would meet.  There they should hold fast to the cord of consultation and adopt and enforce that which is conducive to the security, prosperity, wealth and tranquillity of the people.  For were any measure other than this to be adopted, it could not but result in chaos and commotion.