THE HIDDEN WORDS
Part I.--From the Arabic
HE IS THE GLORY OF GLORIES
This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue
of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the
inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of
grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God,
may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem
of Divine virtue.
1. O SON OF SPIRIT!
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine
may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.
2. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom
if thou desirest
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Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see
with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine
own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy
heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the
sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.
3. O SON OF MAN!
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew
My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and
revealed to thee My beauty.
4. O SON OF MAN!
I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I
may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.
5. O SON OF BEING!
Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise
reach thee. Know this, O servant.
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6. O SON OF BEING!
Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me. Enter therein and
tarry not. This is that which hath been destined for thee in Our kingdom above
and Our exalted dominion.
7. O SON OF MAN!
If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure,
regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in
thee.
8. O SON OF SPIRIT!
There is no peace for thee save by renouncing thyself and turning unto Me; for
it behooveth thee to glory in My name, not in thine own; to put thy trust in Me
and not in thyself, since I desire to be loved alone and above all that is.
9. O SON OF BEING!
My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he
that turneth away shall surely stray and perish.
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10. O SON OF UTTERANCE!
Thou art My stronghold; enter therein that thou mayest abide in safety. My love
is in thee, know it, that thou mayest find Me near unto thee.
11. O SON OF BEING!
Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek
none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My
favor upon thee.
12. O SON OF BEING!
With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created
thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content
with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding.
Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.
13. O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made
thee, wherewith
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dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why
seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I
molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto
thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and
self-subsisting.
14. O SON OF MAN!
Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy
perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost
thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My
robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that
thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory.
15. O SON OF UTTERANCE!
Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth
and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou
searchest the universe for evermore, thy quest will be in vain.
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16. O SON OF LIGHT!
Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit. This is of the essence of My
command, therefore turn unto it.
17. O SON OF MAN!
Be thou content with Me and seek no other helper. For none but Me can ever
suffice thee.
18. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Ask not of Me that which We desire not for thee, then be content with what We
have ordained for thy sake, for this is that which profiteth thee, if therewith
thou dost content thyself.
19. O SON OF THE WONDROUS VISION!
I have breathed within thee a breath of My own Spirit, that thou mayest be My
lover. Why hast thou forsaken Me and sought a beloved other than Me?
20. O SON OF SPIRIT!
My claim on thee is great, it cannot be forgotten. My grace to thee is
plenteous, it cannot be veiled. My love has made in thee its home,
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it cannot be concealed. My light is manifest to thee, it cannot be obscured.
21. O SON OF MAN!
Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the choicest fruits,
wherefore hast thou turned away and contented thyself with that which is less
good? Return then unto that which is better for thee in the realm on high.
22. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for
which thou wast created.
23. O SON OF THE SUPREME!
To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that which perisheth. What hath
made thee turn away from Our desire and seek thine own?
24. O SON OF MAN!
Transgress not thy limits, nor claim that which beseemeth thee not. Prostrate
thyself before the countenance of thy God, the Lord of might and power.
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25. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Vaunt not thyself over the poor, for I lead him on his way and behold thee in
thy evil plight and confound thee for evermore.
26. O SON OF BEING!
How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of
others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me.
27. O SON OF MAN!
Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. Shouldst
thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to this I bear
witness.
28. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Know thou of a truth: He that biddeth men be just and himself committeth
iniquity is not of Me, even though he bear My name.
29. O SON OF BEING!
Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and
say not that which thou doest not. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe
it.
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30. O SON OF MAN!
Deny not My servant should he ask anything from thee, for his face is My face;
be then abashed before Me.
31. O SON OF BEING!
Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for
death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account
for thy deeds.
32. O SON OF THE SUPREME!
I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made
the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?
33. O SON OF SPIRIT!
With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee: rejoice! To the court of holiness
I summon thee; abide therein that thou mayest live in peace for evermore.
34. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee the joyful tidings of reunion;
wherefore dost thou
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grieve? The spirit of power confirmeth thee in His cause; why dost thou veil
thyself? The light of His countenance doth lead thee; how canst thou go astray?
35. O SON OF MAN!
Sorrow not save that thou art far from Us. Rejoice not save that thou art
drawing near and returning unto Us.
36. O SON OF MAN!
Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou mayest be worthy to meet Me
and to mirror forth My beauty.
37. O SON OF MAN!
Divest not thyself of My beauteous robe, and forfeit not thy portion from My
wondrous fountain, lest thou shouldst thirst for evermore.
38. O SON OF BEING!
Walk in My statutes for love of Me and deny thyself that which thou desirest if
thou seekest My pleasure.
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39. O SON OF MAN!
Neglect not My commandments if thou lovest My beauty, and forget not My counsels
if thou wouldst attain My good pleasure.
40. O SON OF MAN!
Wert thou to speed through the immensity of space and traverse the expanse of
heaven, yet thou wouldst find no rest save in submission to Our command and
humbleness before Our Face.
41. O SON OF MAN!
Magnify My cause that I may reveal unto thee the mysteries of My greatness and
shine upon thee with the light of eternity.
42. O SON OF MAN!
Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously visit thee. Arise for the
triumph of My cause, that while yet on earth thou mayest obtain the victory.
43. O SON OF BEING!
Make mention of Me on My earth, that in My heaven I may remember thee, thus
shall Mine eyes and thine be solaced.
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44. O SON OF THE THRONE!
Thy hearing is My hearing, hear thou therewith. Thy sight is My sight, do thou
see therewith, that in thine inmost soul thou mayest testify unto My exalted
sanctity, and I within Myself may bear witness unto an exalted station for thee.
45. O SON OF BEING!
Seek a martyr's death in My path, content with My pleasure and thankful for that
which I ordain, that thou mayest repose with Me beneath the canopy of majesty
behind the tabernacle of glory.
46. O SON OF MAN!
Ponder and reflect. Is it thy wish to die upon thy bed, or to shed thy
life-blood on the dust, a martyr in My path, and so become the manifestation of
My command and the revealer of My light in the highest paradise? Judge thou
aright, O servant!
47. O SON OF MAN!
By My beauty! To tinge thy hair with thy blood is greater in My sight than the
creation of the
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universe and the light of both worlds. Strive then to attain this, O servant!
48. O SON OF MAN!
For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitude under My decree
and patience under My trials.
49. O SON OF MAN!
The true lover yearneth for tribulation even as doth the rebel for forgiveness
and the sinful for mercy.
50. O SON OF MAN!
If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them
that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to
meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light in thy love for My beauty?
51. O SON OF MAN!
My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly
it is light and mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou mayest become an eternal light
and an immortal spirit. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe it.
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52. O SON OF MAN!
Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come upon thee,
grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more.
53. O SON OF BEING!
If poverty overtake thee, be not sad; for in time the Lord of wealth shall visit
thee. Fear not abasement, for glory shall one day rest on thee.
54. O SON OF BEING!
If thine heart be set upon this eternal, imperishable dominion, and this
ancient, everlasting life, forsake this mortal and fleeting sovereignty.
55. O SON OF BEING!
Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold
We test Our servants.
56. O SON OF MAN!
Thou dost wish for gold and I desire thy freedom from it. Thou thinkest thyself
rich in its possession, and I recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity
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therefrom. By My life! This is My knowledge, and that is thy fancy; how can My
way accord with thine?
57. O SON OF MAN!
Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven thou mayest draw from stores of
unfading splendor and treasures of imperishable glory. But by My life! To offer
up thy soul is a more glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine eye.
58. O SON OF MAN!
The temple of being is My throne; cleanse it of all things, that there I may be
established and there I may abide.
59. O SON OF BEING!
Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of
revelation; cleanse it for My manifestation.
60. O SON OF MAN!
Put thy hand into My bosom, that I may rise above thee, radiant and resplendent.
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61. O SON OF MAN!
Ascend unto My heaven, that thou mayest obtain the joy of reunion, and from the
chalice of imperishable glory quaff the peerless wine.
62. O SON OF MAN!
Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou hast busied thyself with thy
fancies and idle imaginings. How long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lift up
thy head from slumber, for the Sun hath risen to the zenith, haply it may shine
upon thee with the light of beauty.
63. O SON OF MAN!
The light hath shone on thee from the horizon of the sacred Mount and the spirit
of enlightenment hath breathed in the Sinai of thy heart. Wherefore, free
thyself from the veils of idle fancies and enter into My court, that thou mayest
be fit for everlasting life and worthy to meet Me. Thus may death not come upon
thee, neither weariness nor trouble.
64. O SON OF MAN!
My eternity is My creation, I have created it for thee. Make it the garment of
thy temple. My unity
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is My handiwork; I have wrought it for thee; clothe thyself therewith, that thou
mayest be to all eternity the revelation of My everlasting being.
65. O SON OF MAN!
My majesty is My gift to thee, and My grandeur the token of My mercy unto thee.
That which beseemeth Me none shall understand, nor can anyone recount. Verily, I
have preserved it in My hidden storehouses and in the treasuries of My command,
as a sign of My loving-kindness unto My servants and My mercy unto My people.
66. O CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE AND INVISIBLE
ESSENCE!
Ye shall be hindered from loving Me and souls shall be perturbed as they make
mention of Me. For minds cannot grasp Me nor hearts contain Me.
67. O SON OF BEAUTY!
By My spirit and by My favor! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I have
revealed unto thee with the tongue of power, and have written for
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thee with the pen of might, hath been in accordance with thy capacity and
understanding, not with My state and the melody of My voice.
68. O CHILDREN OF MEN!
Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt
himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created.
Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to
be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and
dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions,
the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is
My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain
the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.
69. O YE SONS OF SPIRIT!
Ye are My treasury, for in you I have treasured the pearls of My mysteries and
the gems of My knowledge. Guard them from the strangers amidst My servants and
from the ungodly amongst My people.
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70. O SON OF HIM THAT STOOD BY HIS OWN ENTITY IN
THE KINGDOM OF HIS SELF!
Know thou, that I have wafted unto thee all the fragrances of holiness, have
fully revealed to thee My word, have perfected through thee My bounty and have
desired for thee that which I have desired for My Self. Be then content with My
pleasure and thankful unto Me.
71. O SON OF MAN!
Write all that We have revealed unto thee with the ink of light upon the tablet
of thy spirit. Should this not be in thy power, then make thine ink of the
essence of thy heart. If this thou canst not do, then write with that crimson
ink that hath been shed in My path. Sweeter indeed is this to Me than all else,
that its light may endure for ever.
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