Sections 1 and 2 are the Tablet of the Branch and the Book of the Covenant.
Sections 3 - 19 show over a dozen parallels in the station of Abdu'l-Baha and the stations of Imam Ali, Imam Sadiq and Imam Rida.
1)
THE MYSTERY OF GOD
TABLET OF THE BRANCH
He is Eternal in His Abha Horizon!
Verily, the Cause of God hath come upon the clouds of utterances and
the polytheists are in this day in great torment! Verily, the hosts of
revelation have descended with banners of inspiration from the heaven
of the Tablet in the name of God, the powerful, the mighty! At this
time the monotheists all rejoice in the victory of God and His
dominion, and the deniers will then be in manifest perplexity.
O ye people! Do ye flee from the mercy of God after it has encompassed
the existent things created between the heavens and earths? Beware lest
ye prefer your own selves before the mercy of God, and deprive not
yourselves thereof! Verily, whosoever turneth away therefrom will be in
great loss. Verily, mercy is like unto verses which have descended from
the one heaven, and from them the monotheists drink the choice wine of
life, whilst the polytheists drink from the fiery water; and when the
verses of God are read unto them, the fire of hatred is enkindled
within their breasts. Thus have they preferred their own selves before
the mercy of God, and are of those who are heedless.
Enter, O people, beneath the shelter of the Word! Then drink therefrom
the choice wine of inner significances and utterances; for therein is
hidden the kawther of the glorious One and it hath appeared from the
horizon of the Will of your Lord, the merciful, with wonderful lights.
Say: Verily, the ocean of pre-existence [Abdu'l-Baha] hath branched forth from this
most great Ocean [Baha'u'llah]. Blessed, therefore, is he who abides upon Its shores,
and is of those who are established thereon. Verily, this most sacred
temple of Abha -- the Branch of Holiness hath branched forth from the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha. Blessed is whosoever sought shelter beneath it and
is of those who rest therein.
Say: Verily, the branch of command hath sprung forth from this root
which God hath firmly planted in the ground of the will, the limb of
which has been elevated to a station which encompasses all existence.
Therefore, exalted be He for this creation, the lofty, the blessed, the
inaccessible, the mighty!
O ye people! Draw nigh unto It, and taste the fruits of its knowledge
and wisdom on the part of the mighty, the knowing One. Whosoever will
not taste thereof shall be deprived of the bounty, even though he hath
partaken of all that is in the earth -- were ye of those who know.
Say: Verily a word hath gone forth in favor from the most great Tablet
and God has adorned It with the mantle of Himself, and made it
sovereign over all in the earth and a sign of His grandeur and
omnipotence among the creatures; in order that through it, the people
shall praise their Lord, the mighty, the powerful, the wise; and that,
through it, they shall glorify their creator and sanctify the self of
God which standeth within all things. Verily, this is naught but a
Revelation upon the part of the wise, the ancient One!
Say: O people, praise ye God, for its Manifestation, for verily it is
the most great favor upon you and the most perfect blessing upon you;
and through Him every moldering bone is quickened Whosoever turns to
Him hath surely turned unto God, and who soever turneth away from Him
hath turned away from My beauty denied My proof and is of those who
transgress. Verily, He is the remembrance of God amongst you and His
trust within you, and His manifestation unto you and His appearance
among the servants who are nigh. Thus have I been commanded to convey
to you the message of God, your Creator; and I have delivered to you
that of which I was commanded. Whereupon, thereunto testifieth God,
then His angels, then His messengers, and then His holy servants.
Inhale the fragrances of the Ridvan from His roses and be not of those
who are deprived. Appreciate the bounty of God upon you and be not
veiled therefrom -- and, verily, We have sent Him forth in the temple
of man. Thus praise ye the Lord, the Originator of whatsoever He
willeth through His wise and inviolable Command!
Verily, those who withhold themselves from the shelter of the Branch
are indeed lost in the wilderness of perplexity and are consumed by the
heat of self-desire, and are of those who perish.
Hasten, O people, unto the shelter of God, in order that He may protect
you from the heat of the Day whereon none shall find for himself any
refuge or shelter except beneath the shelter of His Name, the clement,
the forgiving! Clothe yourselves, O people, with the garment of
assurance, in order that He may protect you from the dart of doubts and
superstitions, and that ye may be of those who are assured in those
days wherein none shall ever be assured and none shall be firmly
established in the Cause, except by severing himself from all that is
possessed by the people and turning unto the holy and radiant Outlook.
O ye people! Do ye take unto yourselves the Jebt as a helper other than
God, and do ye seek the Taghoot as a Lord besides your Lord the
almighty, the omnipotent? Forsake, O people, their mention, then hold
the chalice of life in the Name of your Lord, the merciful. Verily, by
God, the existent world is quickened through a drop thereof, were ye of
those who know.
Say: In that Day there is no refuge for any one save the command of
God, and no salvation for any soul but God. Verily, this is the truth
and there is naught after truth but manifest error.
Verily, God hath made it incumbent upon every soul to deliver His Cause
according to his ability. Thus hath the command been recorded by the
finger of might and power upon the Tablet of majesty and greatness.
Whosoever quickens one soul in this Cause is like unto one quickening
all the servants and the Lard shall bring him forth in the day of
resurrection into the Ridvan of oneness, adorned with the Mantle of
Himself, the protector, the mighty, the generous! Thus will ye assist
your Lord, and naught else save this shall ever be mentioned in this
day before God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.
As to thee. O servant, hearken unto the admonition given unto thee in
the Tablet; then seek the grace of thy Lord at all times. Then spread
the Tablet among those who believe in God and in His verses; so that
they may follow that which is contained therein, and be of those who
are praiseworthy.
Say: O people, cause no corruption in the earth and dispute not with
men; for, verily, this is not worthy of those who have chosen in the
shelter of their Lord a station which shall indeed remain secure.
If ye find one athirst, give him to drink from the chalice of Kawtha
and Tasneen; and if ye find one endowed with an attentive ear, read
unto him the verses of God, the mighty, the merciful, the
compassionate! Unloose the tongue with excellent utterance, then
admonish the people if ye find them advancing unto the sanctuary of
God; otherwise abandon them unto themselves and forsake them in the
abyss of hell. Beware lest ye scatter the pearls of inner significance
before every barren, dumb one. Verily, the blind are deprived of
witnessing the lights and are unable to distinguish between the stone
and the holy, precious pearl.
Verily, wert thou to read the most mighty, wonderful verses to the
stone for a thousand years, will it understand, or will they take any
effect therein? No! by thy Lord, the merciful, the clement! If thou
readest all the verses of God unto the deaf, will he hear a single
letter? No! Verily, by the beauty, the mighty, the ancient!
Thus have We delivered unto thee some of the jewels of wisdom and
utterance, in order that thou mayest gaze unto the direction of thy
Lord and be severed from all the creatures. May the spirit and glory
rest upon thee, and upon those who dwell upon the plain of holiness and
who remain in the Cause of their Lord in manifest steadfastness!
-- Baha'u'llah, The Tablet of the Branch - from Bahá'í World Faith, Pages: 204-207
Tablet of the Branch in Arabic.
2)
KITAB-I-'AHD [Book of the Covenant]
Although the Most High Horizon is devoid of trivial possessions of the
earth, we have nevertheless bequeathed unto our heirs a noble and
peerless heritage within the treasure-house of trust and resignation.
We have left no treasure nor have we added to man's pains.
By the Life of God! In earthly riches fear is hidden and peril is
concealed. Consider, then take warning by what the God of Mercy hath
revealed in the Qur'án: --
"Woe unto those who malign and speak evil of their fellows; who hoard earthly goods and count their riches."
Earthly possessions are unstable; wherefore whatsoever passeth or
suffereth vicissitudes is unworthy of regard except to a limited
measure.
In bearing hardships and tribulations and in revealing verses and
expounding proofs, it has been the purpose of this oppressed One to
extinguish the fire of hate and animosity, that, haply, the horizons of
the hearts of mankind be illumined with the light of concord and attain
real tranquillity.
The light of the following utterance shineth from the horizon of the
Divine Tablet, which should be observed by all: Oh people of the world!
I counsel you to act in a manner which shall tend to elevate your
stations. Cling to divine virtue and obey the divine law. Truly I say,
the tongue is for mentioning that which is good; do not defile it by
evil speech. "God hath forgiven your past ways." You must henceforth
speak that which is worthy. Shun reviling, maligning, and whatsoever
will offend your fellowmen.
Man's station is great. Ere this, the following exalted words have flowed forth from the Pen of Abha:
This is a Day great and blessed. Whatsoever was hidden in man is today
being revealed. The station of man is great, were he to cling to truth
and righteousness and be firm and steadfast in the Cause. Before the
God of Mercy, a true man appears like unto heaven. The sun and the moon
of that heaven are his sight and hearing and its stars are his shining
attributes. His station is the highest and his signs are the educator
of the world.
In this Day, every believer who discovered the fragrance of the garment
and turned with a pure heart unto the most high horizon is indeed
recorded in the Crimson Tablet as of the people of Baha
Hold the chalice of My grace in My name. Then drain it in My mention, the mighty, the wonderful!
Oh people of the world! The religion of God is to create love and
unity; do not make it the Cause of enmity and discord. All that is
regarded by men of insight and the people of the most lofty outlook as
the means for safeguarding and effecting the peace and tranquillity of
man, has flowed from the Supreme Pen. But the ignorant ones who are the
victim of self and desire, are heedless of the consummate wisdom of the
truly wise One, and their words and deeds are prompted by fancy and
superstition.
Oh ye chosen of God and His trusted ones! Kings are the manifestors of
God's power and the source of His majesty and affluence. Pray ye in
their behalf. The government of the earth has been vouchsafed unto
them. But the hearts of men He decreed unto Himself. He forbade
conflict and strife -- a rigid prohibition in the Book. This is the
Decree of God in this most great Manifestation; and God hath preserved
it from annulment and clothed it with the broidered garment of
confirmation. Verily, He is the all- knowing, the all-wise!
It is incumbent upon all to support those rulers and chiefs of state
who are adorned with the raiment of justice and equity. Blessed are the
rulers and the learned in el-Baha! They verily are My trustees amongst
My servants, and the sources of My Decrees amongst My people. Upon them
rest My Baha, My mercy, and My grace which hath encircled the world!
Anent this matter, we have revealed in the Book of Aqdas the following words which radiate the light of divine mercy:
Oh my Branches! A mighty power and supreme potency is hidden and
concealed in the world of being. Focus your gaze upon it and upon the
direction of its unity, not upon the differences which are apparent
therein.
God's Will and Testament enjoins upon the branches, the twigs, and the
kinsfolk, one and all, to gaze unto the most great Branch Consider what
we have revealed in my Book of Aqdas, to Wit:
"When the sea of My Presence is exhausted and the Book of Origin hath
reached its end, turn you unto him ('Abdu'l-Bahá) who is desired by God
-- he who is issued from this ancient Root."
The purpose of this sacred verse is the most great Branch. Thus have we
declared the matter as a favor on our part, and we are the gracious,
the beneficent!
God hath, verily, decreed the station of the great Branch next to that
of the most great Branch. Verily He is the wise ordainer. We have
chosen el-Akbar after the el'A'sam, as a command on the part of God,
the all-knowing, the omniscient.
All must regard the other Branches with affection, but God hath not decreed unto them any right to the people's property.
Oh my branches, my twigs, and my kinsfolk! I counsel you to manifest
divine virtue, and to act in accord with the Law, and with whatsoever
is befitting and will elevate your stations.
Truly I say, virtue is the greatest commander which leads the Cause of
God to victory, and the legions which deserve this commander are pure,
sanctified and praiseworthy deeds and attributes.
Say: Oh servants! Do not make the cause of order a cause for disorder,
nor the means of unity a means for disunity. It is hoped that the
people of Baha will observe the sacred verse: "Say, all are created by
God." This lofty utterance is like unto water for quenching the fire of
hate and hostility which is hidden and stored in men's hearts and
minds. This single utterance will cause the various sects and creeds to
attain the light of true unity. Verily He speaketh truth and guideth to
the right path; and He is the mighty, the glorious, the omnipotent.
For the honor of the Cause and the promotion of the Word -- it is
necessary that all shall respect and have regard for the Branches. This
command has been recorded once and again in the divine Book. Blessed is
he who obeys whatsoever hath been ordained on the part of God, the
ancient ruler. All shall also have respect for the women-members of Our
household and for the afnan and kinsfolk. We likewise counsel you to
serve mankind and bring peace to the world.
All that leads to the quickening of the peoples and the salvation of
the world hath been revealed from the kingdom of utterance by the Lord
of mankind. Hearken to the exhortations of the Supreme Pen with ideal
ears. These are preferable unto you above all that is on the earth.
Whereunto beareth witness my Book, the blessed, the glorious!
-- Compilations, Baha'i World Faith, p. 210
3)
Abdu'l-Baha is a Branch , like Imam Ali.
And in the Book of the Covenant He explicitly saith that the object of this verse 'Who hath branched from this Ancient Root'
is the Most Mighty Branch. And He commandeth all the Aghsan, the Afnan,
the kindred and the Bahá'ís to turn toward Him. Now, either one must
say that the Blessed Beauty hath made a mistake, or He must be obeyed.
'Abdu'l-Bahá hath no command for the people to obey save the diffusion
of the fragrances of God, the exaltation of His Word, the promulgation
of the oneness of the world of humanity, the establishment of universal
peace, and other of the commands of God. These are divine commands and
have nothing to do with 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Whoever wisheth may accept them,
and anyone who rejecteth them may do as he pleaseth.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 213
And narrated Sad that the Prophet [Muhammad] said to 'Ali [Imam Ali], "Will you not be pleased from this that you are to me like Aaron [Branch] was to Moses [Root]?"
-- Volume 5, Book 57, Number 57: (Hadith, Bukhari Vol 5).
4)
Abdu'l-Baha is the firm handle, like Imam Ali.
O thou spiritual youth and merciful young man!
Consider the grace of thy Master; how He hath directed thee to the
fountain of salvation, until thou hast drunk from the salsabil (i.e.,
clear water of life) of the guidance of God, in this holy and rich
garden.
Cling to this firm handle and make thy feet steady in this path, so
that the bounties of thy Supreme Lord may successively pour upon thee
and make thee a sign of His mighty knowledge.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 256
"O Lord, I ask of Thee by the Supreme Word, whereat whosoever is in the
earth and the heaven feareth save him who taketh hold of the 'Most Firm Handle,'*
that Thou wilt not abandon Me amongst Thy creatures: lift Me up unto
Thee, and make Me to enter in under the shadow of Thy mercy, and give
Me to drink of the pure wine of Thy grace, that I may dwell under the
canopy of Thy glory and the domes of Thy favors: verily Thou art
powerful unto that Thou wishest, and verily Thou art the Protecting,
the Self-Sufficing.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, A Traveller's Narrative, p. 75
5)
Abdu'l-Baha is a Moon, like Imam Ali.
Assist Thou Thy servants, O my Lord, to recognize Thy unity and to declare Thy oneness, that all may gather together around what Thou didst desire in this Day whereon the sun of Thine essence [Baha'u'llah] hath shone forth above the horizon of Thy will, and the moon of Thine own being
[Abdu'l-Baha] hath risen from the Day-Spring of Thy behest. Thou art He, O my Lord,
from Whose knowledge nothing whatsoever escapeth, and Whom no one can
frustrate. Thou doest Thy pleasure, by Thy sovereignty that
overshadoweth the worlds.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 57
Amongst the proofs demonstrating the truth of this Revelation is this, that in every age and Dispensation, whenever the invisible Essence was revealed in the person of His Manifestation, certain souls, obscure and detached from all worldly entanglements, would seek illumination from the Sun of Prophethood and Moon of divine guidance, and would attain unto the divine Presence.
For this reason, the divines of the age and those possessed of wealth,
would scorn and scoff at these people. Even as He hath revealed
concerning them that erred: "Then said the chiefs of His people who
believed not, 'We see in Thee but a man like ourselves; and we see not
any who have followed Thee except our meanest ones of hasty judgment,
nor see we any excellence in you above ourselves: nay, we deem you
liars.'"[1] They caviled at those holy Manifestations,
and protested saying: "None hath followed you except the abject amongst
us, those who are worthy of no attention." Their aim was to show that
no one amongst the learned, the wealthy, and the renowned believed in
them. By this and similar proofs they sought to demonstrate the falsity
of Him that speaketh naught but the truth.
[1 Qur'án 11:27.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 221
6)
Abdu'l-Baha is the Mystery of God, like Imam Ali.
He [Abdu'l-Baha] alone had been accorded the privilege of being called "the Master,"
an honor from which His Father had strictly excluded all His other
sons. Upon Him that loving and unerring Father had chosen to confer the
unique title of "Sirru'llah" (the Mystery of God),
...
-- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 241
7)
Abdu'l-Baha sounds the trumpet, like Imam Ali.
O thou fragrant rose blooming in the Garden of Guidance!
Thank thou God for that He hath removed from off thine eye the
covering, made thee to see the signs of the Kingdom of thy Lord, the
Supreme, filled for thee the cup of bounty and gave thee to drink the
pure wine of fidelity which He hath promised to the sincere in the holy
Books and Tablets.
O thou my dear! The cup of knowledge is overflowing; blessed are they
who partake in draughts! The fountain of life is issuing forth; blessed
are they who drink! The doors of the Kingdom are opened; O what good
news to those who advance! The garden of paradise is drawn near; O what
a pleasure to those who enter! The dove of holiness
is cooing; O what a happiness to those who hear! The gates of Heaven
are open; blessed are they who see! The hosts of angels are standing in
battle order; what a joy to those who gain the victory! The trumpet of life is sounding; how good it is to those who are awake!
As to thee: Realize the bounty of thy Lord as it is, and thank thou thy
Lord and praise Him for that He hath directed thee to the right path.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 620
Know then that "life" hath a twofold meaning. The first pertaineth to
the appearance of man in an elemental body, and is as manifest to thine
eminence and to others as the midday sun. This life cometh to an end
with physical death, which is a God-ordained and inescapable reality.
That life, however, which is mentioned in the Books of the Prophets and
the Chosen Ones of God is the life of knowledge; that is to say, the
servant's recognition of the sign of the splendours wherewith He Who is
the Source of all splendour hath Himself invested him, and his
certitude of attaining unto the presence of God through the
Manifestations of His Cause. This is that blessed and everlasting life
that perisheth not: whosoever is quickened thereby shall never die, but
will endure as long as His Lord and Creator will endure.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 48
8)
Abdu'l-Baha is the Cord of God, like Imam Ali.
... glorified by Him, in other passages of His writings, as the "Ark of Salvation" and as "the Cord stretched betwixt the earth and the Abha Kingdom,"
-- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 238
9)
Salvation is attained through recognition of Abdu'l-Baha, Imam Ali and Imam Rida.
Consider the grace of thy Master; how He hath directed thee to the
fountain of salvation, until thou hast drunk from the salsabil (i.e.,
clear water of life) of the guidance of God, in this holy and rich
garden.
Cling to this firm handle and make thy feet steady in this path, so
that the bounties of thy Supreme Lord may successively pour upon thee
and make thee a sign of His mighty knowledge.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 256
People! turn ye repentantly unto My faction (shi'ah) and adhere to a
pledge of fealty to Me. Remain steadfast and persevering in the Faith
with the best certainty. Adhere steadfastly to the Successor of your Prophet [Muhammad] in Whom resides your salvation
and in Whose love on the Day of Resurrection is your safe haven! In Me
resides the Hope and I am the One to be hoped for. I am the One that
standeth upon the Two Gulfs! (tutunj) I am the One that looketh unto
the Twin Rising-Places [or "Orients"] and the Twin Setting Places [or
"Occidents"]. I truly did see with My own eyes [the Bounty of] God and
the Paradise! And this was as the seventh Heaven was moving in its
orbit and there in the great surging seas were the stars and their own
orbits. I saw also the earth rolled up as a short garment would be
rolled up and it was within a shell on the right sided Gulf which faces
the East and the Twin Gulfs.
-- Imam Ali, The Sermon of the Twin Gulfs. Translation by K. Fananapazir.
When the Chief of the Exile [1] came into the presence of that Luminary of divine wisdom, of salvation and certitude, the Imam Rida
-- had the Imam, that mine of knowledge, failed in the course of their
interview to base his arguments on authority appropriate and familiar
to the Exilarch, the latter would never have acknowledged the greatness
of His Holiness. [1 The Resh Galuta, a prince or ruler of the exiles in
Babylon, +F22 to whom Jews, wherever they were, paid tribute.]
The state is, moreover, based upon two potent forces, the legislative
and the executive. The focal center of the executive power is the
government, while that of the legislative is the learned -- and if this
latter great support and pillar should prove defective, how is it
conceivable that the state should stand?
-- Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 36
10)
Abdu'l-Baha is God's Trust, like God's Chosen Ones, which includes the Holy Imams.
Verily, He [Abdu'l-Baha] is the remembrance of God amongst you and His
trust within you, and His manifestation unto you and His appearance
among the servants who are nigh.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Tablet of the Branch - from Bahá'í World Faith, Pages: 204-207
I beseech Thee by Thy Chosen Ones [the Prophets], and by the Bearers of Thy Trust,
and by Him Whom Thou hast ordained to be the Seal of Thy Prophets and
of Thy Messengers, to let Thy remembrance be my companion, and Thy love
my aim, and Thy face my goal, and Thy name my lamp, and Thy wish my
desire, and Thy pleasure my delight.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 71
Lord! I bear witness that in Thy servant [the Prophet] Thou hast reposed Thy Trust, and that is the Spirit wherewith Thou hast given life to the world.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 41
11)
Abdu'l-Baha and Imam Ali are Angels.
12)
Abdu'l-Baha is the "Center of the Covenant" and Imam Ali is the "Object of the Covenant".
13)
Abdu'l-Baha and Imam Ali are Temples.
14)
Abdu'l-Baha and Imam Ali are the grace of God.
15)
Abdu'l-Baha and Imam Ali are the Proof of God.
16)
Abdu'l-Baha and Imam Ali are pre-existent.
17)
Abdu'l-Baha and Imam Ali are Manifestations of God (Dependent/Lesser Prophets, one of the Two Classes of Prophets).
18)
Abdu'l-Baha and Imam Ali are Stars.
19)
Abdu'l-Baha and Imam Sadiq are Luminous Beings.
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