The
Kitáb-i-Aqdas states: gWe have commanded you to pray and fast from the
beginning of maturity [15 years]; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the
Lord of your forefathers.... The traveler, the ailing, those who are with child
or giving suck, are not bound by the fast.... Abstain from food and drink, from
sunrise to sundown, and beware lest desire deprive you of this grace that is
appointed in the Book.h
The
period of the Fast is March 2 through March 20.
This is, O my God, the first of the days...
This
is, O my God, the first of the days on which Thou hast bidden Thy loved ones to
observe the Fast. I ask of Thee by Thy Self and by him who hath fasted
out of love for Thee and for Thy good-pleasure—and not out of self and desire,
nor out of fear of Thy wrath—and by Thy most excellent names and august
attributes, to purify Thy servants from the love of aught except Thee and to
draw them nigh unto the Dawning-Place of the lights of Thy countenance and the
Seat of the throne of Thy oneness. Illumine their hearts, O my God, with
the light of Thy knowledge and brighten their faces with the rays of the
Daystar that shineth from the horizon of Thy Will. Potent art Thou to do
what pleaseth Thee. No God is there but Thee, the All-Glorious, Whose
help is implored by all men.
Assist
them, O my God, to render Thee victorious and to exalt Thy Word. Suffer
them, then, to become as hands of Thy Cause amongst Thy servants, and make them
to be revealers of Thy religion and Thy signs amongst mankind, in such wise
that the whole world may be filled with Thy remembrance and praise and with Thy
proofs and evidences. Thou art, verily, the All-Bounteous, the Most
Exalted, the Powerful, the Mighty, and the Merciful.
In
the Name of Him Who hath been promised...
In
the Name of Him Who hath been promised in the Books of God, the All-Knowing,
the All-Informed! The days of fasting have arrived wherein those servants
who circle round Thy throne and have attained Thy presence have fasted.
Say: O God of names and creator of heaven and earth! I beg of Thee by Thy
Name, the All-Glorious, to accept the fast of those who have fasted for love of
Thee and for the sake of Thy good-pleasure and have carried out what Thou hast
bidden them in Thy Books and Tablets. I beseech Thee by them to assist me
in the promotion of Thy Cause and to make me steadfast in Thy love, that my
footsteps may not slip on account of the clamor of Thy creatures. Verily,
Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. No God is there but Thee,
the Quickener, the All-Powerful, the Most Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy mighty Sign, and by the revelation of Thy grace
amongst men, to cast me not away from the gate of the city of Thy presence, and
to disappoint not the hopes I have set on the manifestations of Thy grace
amidst Thy creatures. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most
Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the
Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy most sweet Voice and by Thy most exalted Word,
to draw me ever nearer to the threshold of Thy door, and to suffer me not to be
far removed from the shadow of Thy mercy and the canopy of Thy bounty. Thou
seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the
Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging
to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by the splendor of Thy luminous brow and the brightness
of the light of Thy countenance, which shineth from the all-highest horizon, to
attract me by the fragrance of Thy raiment, and make me drink of the choice
wine of Thine utterance. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most
Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the
Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in
this world and in the world to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy hair which moveth across
Thy face, even as Thy most exalted pen moveth across the pages of Thy Tablets,
shedding the musk of hidden meanings over the kingdom of Thy creation, so to
raise me up to serve Thy Cause that I shall not fall back, nor be hindered by
the suggestions of them who have caviled at Thy signs and turned away from Thy
face. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most
Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious,
and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and
in the world to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name which Thou hast made the King of Names, by
which all who are in heaven and all who are on earth have been enraptured, to
enable me to gaze on the Daystar of Thy Beauty, and to supply me with the wine
of Thine utterance. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most
Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the
Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in
this world and in the world to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by the Tabernacle of Thy majesty upon the loftiest
summits, and the Canopy of Thy Revelation on the highest hills, to graciously
aid me to do what Thy will hath desired and Thy purpose hath manifested. Thou
seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the
Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging
to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Beauty that shineth forth above the horizon of
eternity, a Beauty before which as soon as it revealeth itself the kingdom of
beauty boweth down in worship, magnifying it in ringing tones, to grant that I
may die to all that I possess and live to whatsoever belongeth unto Thee. Thou
seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the
Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging
to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by the Manifestation of Thy Name, the Well-Beloved,
through Whom the hearts of Thy lovers were consumed and
the souls of all that dwell on earth have soared aloft, to aid me to remember
Thee amongst Thy creatures, and to extol Thee amidst Thy people. Thou seest me,
O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to
the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to
come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the murmur
of the breezes of Thine utterance in the kingdom of Thy names, to remove me far
from whatsoever Thy will abhorreth, and draw me nigh unto the station wherein
He Who is the Dayspring of Thy signs hath shone forth. Thou seest me, O my God,
holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the
Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the
robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by that Letter which, as soon as it proceeded out of
the mouth of Thy will, hath caused the oceans to surge, and the winds to blow,
and the fruits to be revealed, and the trees to spring
forth, and all past traces to vanish, and all veils to be rent asunder, and
them who are devoted to Thee to hasten unto the light of the countenance of
their Lord, the Unconstrained, to make known unto me what lay hid in the
treasuries of Thy knowledge and concealed within the repositories of Thy
wisdom. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most
Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious,
and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and
in the world to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by the fire of Thy love which drove sleep from the eyes
of Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, and by their remembrance and praise of
Thee at the hour of dawn, to number me with such as have attained unto that
which Thou hast sent down in Thy Book and manifested through Thy will. Thou
seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the
Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging
to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world
to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by the light of Thy countenance
which impelled them who are nigh unto Thee to meet the darts of Thy decree, and
such as are devoted to Thee to face the swords of Thine enemies in Thy path, to
write down for me with Thy most exalted Pen what Thou hast written down for Thy
trusted ones and Thy chosen ones. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name,
the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted,
the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all
in this world and in the world to come.
I
beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast hearkened unto the
call of Thy lovers, and the sighs of them that long for Thee, and the cry of
them that enjoy near access to Thee, and the groaning of them that are devoted
to Thee, and through which Thou hast fulfilled the wishes of them that have set
their hopes on Thee, and hast granted them their desires, through Thy grace and
Thy favors, and by Thy Name through which the ocean of forgiveness surged
before Thy face, and the clouds of Thy generosity rained upon Thy servants, to
write down for everyone who hath turned unto Thee, and
observed the fast prescribed by Thee, the recompense decreed for such as speak
not except by Thy leave, and who forsook all that they possessed in Thy path
and for love of Thee.
I
beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thyself, and by Thy signs, and Thy clear tokens,
and the shining light of the Daystar of Thy Beauty, and Thy Branches, to cancel
the trespasses of those who have held fast to Thy laws, and have observed what
Thou hast prescribed unto them in Thy Book. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to
Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great,
the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.
Praise
be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this Revelation whereby darkness
hath been turned into light, through which the Frequented Fane hath been built,
and the Written Tablet revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered, to send down upon me and upon them who are in my company
that which will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy transcendent glory,
and will wash us from the stain of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious
from entering into the tabernacle of Thy unity.
I
am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy loving-kindness, and
clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors. Do Thou ordain for me and for my
loved ones the good of this world and of the world to come. Supply them, then,
with the Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain for the choicest among Thy creatures.
These
are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden Thy servants to observe the
fast. Blessed is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and with
absolute detachment from all things except Thee. Assist me and assist them, O
my Lord, to obey Thee and to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do
what Thou choosest.
There
is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All praise be to God, the
Lord of all worlds.
These are, O my God, the days whereon Thou didst enjoin
Thy servants to observe the fast. With it Thou didst adorn the preamble of the
Book of Thy Laws revealed unto Thy creatures, and didst deck forth the
Repositories of Thy commandments in the sight of all who are in Thy heaven and
all who are on Thy earth. Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a
special virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee, Whose knowledge embraceth all
created things. Thou hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this
virtue in accordance with the Tablet of Thy decree and the Scriptures of Thine
irrevocable judgment. Every leaf of these Books and Scriptures Thou hast,
moreover, allotted to each one of the peoples and kindreds of the earth.
For
Thine ardent lovers Thou hast, according to Thy decree, reserved, at each
daybreak, the cup of Thy remembrance, O Thou Who art the Ruler of rulers! These
are they who have been so inebriated with the wine of Thy manifold wisdom that
they forsake their couches in their longing to celebrate Thy praise and extol
Thy virtues, and flee from sleep in their eagerness to approach Thy presence and partake of Thy bounty. Their eyes have, at all
times, been bent upon the Dayspring of Thy loving-kindness, and their faces set
towards the Fountainhead of Thine inspiration. Rain down, then, upon us and
upon them from the clouds of Thy mercy what beseemeth the heaven of Thy
bounteousness and grace.
Lauded
be Thy name, O my God! This is the hour when Thou hast unlocked the doors of
Thy bounty before the faces of Thy creatures, and opened wide the portals of
Thy tender mercy unto all the dwellers of Thine earth. I beseech Thee, by all
them whose blood was shed in Thy path, who, in their yearning over Thee, rid
themselves from all attachment to any of Thy creatures, and who were so carried
away by the sweet savors of Thine inspiration that every single 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 Muḥammad, 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 Thee, to enter the precincts of Thy court, but they allowed the veils
of the imaginations of Thy creatures and the wrongs inflicted by the oppressors
among Thy people to come in between them and Thee.
This
is the hour, O my Lord, which Thou hast caused to excel every other hour, and
hast related to the choicest among Thy creatures. I beseech Thee, O my God, by
Thy Self and by them, to ordain in the course of this year what shall exalt Thy
loved ones. Do Thou, moreover, decree within this year what will enable the
Daystar of Thy power to shine brightly above the horizon of Thy glory, and to
illuminate by Thy sovereign might, the whole world.
Render
Thy Cause victorious, O my Lord, and abase Thou Thine enemies. Write down,
then, for us the good of this life and of the life to come. Thou art the Truth,
Who knoweth the secret things. No God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving,
the All-Bountiful.
Glory
be to Thee, O Lord my God! These are the days whereon Thou hast bidden all men to
observe the fast, that through it they may purify their souls and rid
themselves of all attachment to anyone but Thee, and
that out of their hearts may ascend that which will be worthy of the court of
Thy majesty and may well beseem the seat of the revelation of Thy oneness.
Grant, O my Lord, that this fast may become a river of life-giving waters and
may yield the virtue wherewith Thou hast endowed it. Cleanse Thou by its means
the hearts of Thy servants whom the evils of the world have failed to hinder
from turning towards Thine all-glorious Name, and who have remained unmoved by
the noise and tumult of such as have repudiated Thy most resplendent signs
which have accompanied the advent of Thy Manifestation Whom Thou hast invested
with Thy sovereignty, Thy power, Thy majesty and glory. These are the servants
who, as soon as Thy call reached them, hastened in the direction of Thy mercy
and were not kept back from Thee by the changes and chances of this world or by
any human limitations.
I
am he, O my God, who testifieth to Thy unity, who acknowledgeth Thy oneness,
who boweth humbly before the revelations of Thy majesty, and who recognizeth
with downcast countenance the splendors of the light of Thy transcendent
glory. I have believed in Thee after Thou didst enable me to know Thy Self,
Whom Thou hast revealed to menfs eyes through the power of Thy sovereignty and
might. Unto Him I have turned, wholly detached from all things, and cleaving
steadfastly unto the cord of Thy gifts and favors. I have embraced His truth,
and the truth of all the wondrous laws and precepts that have been sent down
unto Him. I have fasted for love of Thee and in pursuance of Thine injunction,
and have broken my fast with Thy praise on my tongue and in conformity with Thy
pleasure. Suffer me not, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them who have fasted
in the daytime, who in the night-season have prostrated themselves before Thy
face, and who have repudiated Thy truth, disbelieved in Thy signs, gainsaid Thy
testimony, and perverted Thine utterances.
Open
Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes of all them that have sought Thee, that
we may recognize Thee with Thine own eyes. This is Thy bidding given us in the
Book sent down by Thee unto Him Whom Thou hast chosen by Thy behest, Whom Thou
hast singled out for Thy favor above all Thy creatures, Whom Thou hast been pleased to invest with Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou
hast specially favored and entrusted with Thy Message unto Thy people. Praised
be Thou, therefore, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast graciously enabled us to
recognize Him and to acknowledge whatsoever hath been sent down unto Him, and
conferred upon us the honor of attaining the presence of the One Whom Thou
didst promise in Thy Book and in Thy Tablets.
Thou
seest me then, O my God, with my face turned towards Thee, cleaving steadfastly
to the cord of Thy gracious providence and generosity, and clinging to the hem
of Thy tender mercies and bountiful favors. Destroy not, I implore Thee, my
hopes of attaining unto that which Thou didst ordain for Thy servants who have
turned towards the precincts of Thy court and the sanctuary of Thy presence,
and have observed the fast for love of Thee. I confess, O my God, that whatever
proceedeth from me is wholly unworthy of Thy sovereignty and falleth short of
Thy majesty. And yet I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast
revealed Thy Self, in the glory of Thy most excellent titles, unto all created
things, in this Revelation whereby Thou hast, through Thy most
resplendent Name, manifested Thy beauty, to give me to drink of the wine of Thy
mercy and of the pure beverage of Thy favor, which have streamed forth from the
right hand of Thy will, that I may so fix my gaze upon Thee and be so detached
from all else but Thee, that the world and all that hath been created therein
may appear before me as a fleeting day which Thou hast not deigned to create.
I
moreover entreat Thee, O my God, to rain down, from the heaven of Thy will and
the clouds of Thy mercy, that which will cleanse us from the noisome savors of
our transgressions, O Thou Who hast called Thyself the God of Mercy! Thou art,
verily, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Beneficent.
Cast
not away, O my Lord, him that hath turned towards Thee, nor suffer him who hath
drawn nigh unto Thee to be removed far from Thy court. Dash not the hopes of
the suppliant who hath longingly stretched out his hands to seek Thy grace and
favors, and deprive not Thy sincere servants of the wonders of Thy tender
mercies and loving-kindness. Forgiving and Most Bountiful art Thou, O my Lord!
Power hast Thou to do what Thou pleasest. All else but
Thee are impotent before the revelations of Thy might, are as lost in the face
of the evidences of Thy wealth, are as nothing when compared with the
manifestations of Thy transcendent sovereignty, and are destitute of all
strength when face to face with the signs and tokens of Thy power. What refuge
is there beside Thee, O my Lord, to which I can flee, and where is there a
haven to which I can hasten? Nay, the power of Thy might beareth me witness! No
protector is there but Thee, no place to flee to except Thee, no refuge to seek
save Thee. Cause me to taste, O my Lord, the divine sweetness of Thy
remembrance and praise. I swear by Thy might! Whosoever tasteth of its
sweetness will rid himself of all attachment to the world and all that is
therein, and will set his face towards Thee, cleansed from the remembrance of
anyone except Thee.
Inspire
then my soul, O my God, with Thy wondrous remembrance, that I may glorify Thy
name. Number me not with them who read Thy words and fail to find Thy hidden
gift which, as decreed by Thee, is contained therein, and which quickeneth the
souls of Thy creatures and the hearts of Thy servants.
Cause me, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them who have been so stirred up by
the sweet savors that have been wafted in Thy days that they have laid down
their lives for Thee and hastened to the scene of their death in their longing
to gaze on Thy beauty and in their yearning to attain Thy presence. And were
anyone to say unto them on their way, gWhither go ye?h they would say, gUnto
God, the All-Possessing, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting!h
The
transgressions committed by such as have turned away from Thee and have borne
themselves haughtily towards Thee have not availed to hinder them from loving
Thee, and from setting their faces towards Thee, and from turning in the
direction of Thy mercy. These are they who are blessed by the Concourse on
high, who are glorified by the denizens of the everlasting Cities, and beyond
them by those on whose foreheads Thy most exalted pen hath written: gThese! The
people of Bahá. Through them have been shed the splendors of the light of
guidance.h Thus hath it been ordained, at Thy behest and by Thy will, in the
Tablet of Thine irrevocable decree.
Proclaim,
therefore, O my God, their greatness and the greatness
of those who while living or after death have circled round them. Supply them
with that which Thou hast ordained for the righteous among Thy creatures.
Potent art Thou to do all things. There is no God but Thee, the All-Powerful,
the Help in Peril, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful.
Do
not bring our fasts to an end with this fast, O my Lord, nor the covenants Thou
hast made with this covenant. Do Thou accept all that we have done for love of
Thee, and for the sake of Thy pleasure, and all that we have left undone as a
result of our subjection to our evil and corrupt desires. Enable us, then, to
cleave steadfastly to Thy love and Thy good pleasure, and preserve us from the
mischief of such as have denied Thee and repudiated Thy most resplendent signs.
Thou art, in truth, the Lord of this world and of the next. No God is there
beside Thee, the Exalted, the Most High.
Magnify
Thou, O Lord my God, Him Who is the Primal Point, the Divine Mystery, the
Unseen Essence, the Dayspring of Divinity, and the Manifestation of Thy
Lordship, through Whom all the knowledge of the past and all the knowledge of the future were made plain, through Whom the pearls of
Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and the mystery of Thy treasured name
disclosed, Whom Thou hast appointed as the Announcer of the One through Whose
name the letter B and the letter E have been joined and united, through Whom
Thy majesty, Thy sovereignty and Thy might were made known, through Whom Thy
words have been sent down, Thy laws set forth with clearness, and Thy signs
spread abroad, and Thy Word established, through Whom the hearts of Thy chosen
ones were laid bare, and all that were in the heavens and all that were on the
earth were gathered together, Whom Thou has called eAlí-Muhammad in the kingdom
of Thy names, and the Spirit of Spirits in the Tablets of Thine irrevocable
decree, Whom Thou hast invested with Thine own title, unto Whose name all other
names have, at Thy bidding and through the power of Thy might, been made to return,
and in Whom Thou hast caused all Thine attributes and titles to attain their
final consummation. To Him also belong such names as lay hid within Thy
stainless tabernacles, in Thine invisible world and Thy sanctified cities.
Magnify
Thou, moreover, such as have believed in Him and in His signs and have turned
towards Him, from among those that have acknowledged Thy unity in His Latter
Manifestation—a Manifestation whereof He hath made mention in His Tablets, and
in His Books, and in His Scriptures, and in all the wondrous verses and
gem-like utterances that have descended upon Him. It is this same Manifestation
Whose covenant Thou hast bidden Him establish ere He had established His own
covenant. He it is Whose praise the Bayán hath celebrated. In it His excellence
hath been extolled, and His truth established, and His sovereignty proclaimed,
and His Cause perfected. Blessed is the man that hath turned unto Him, and
fulfilled the things He hath commanded, O Thou Who art the Lord of the worlds
and the Desire of all them that have known Thee!
Praised
be Thou, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast aided us to recognize and love Him. I,
therefore, beseech Thee by Him and by Them who are the Daysprings of Thy
Divinity, and the Manifestations of Thy Lordship, and the Treasuries of Thy
Revelation, and the Depositories of Thine inspiration, to enable us to serve
and obey Him, and to empower us to become the helpers of
His Cause and the dispersers of His adversaries. Powerful art Thou to do all
that pleaseth Thee. No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the
All-Glorious, the One Whose help is sought by all men!
—Baháfuflláh
Praise be unto Thee, O Lord my God! We have observed...
Praise be unto Thee, O Lord my God! We have observed
the Fast in conformity with Thy bidding and break it now through Thy love and
Thy good-pleasure. Deign to accept, O my God, the deeds that we have
performed in Thy path wholly for the sake of Thy beauty with our faces set
towards Thy Cause, free from aught else but Thee. Bestow, then, Thy
forgiveness upon us, upon our forefathers, and upon all such as have believed
in Thee and in Thy mighty signs in this most great, this most glorious
Revelation. Potent art Thou to do what Thou choosest. Thou art,
verily, the Most Exalted, the Almighty, the Unconstrained.
Praised
be Thou, O God, my God!
Praised be Thou, O God, my God! These are the days
whereon Thou hast enjoined Thy chosen ones, Thy loved ones and Thy servants to
observe the Fast, which Thou hast made a light unto the people of Thy kingdom,
even as Thou didst make obligatory prayer a ladder of ascent unto those who
acknowledge Thy unity. I beg of Thee, O my God, by these two mighty
pillars, which Thou hast ordained as a glory and honor for all mankind, to keep
Thy religion safe from the mischief of the ungodly and the plotting of every
wicked doer. O Lord, conceal not the light which Thou hast revealed
through Thy strength and Thine omnipotence. Assist, then, those who truly
believe in Thee with the hosts of the seen and the unseen by Thy command and
Thy sovereignty. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful.
Abdufl-Bahá