be praised for what He doeth; and if He forgive me, His behest shall be obeyed." Ponder, now, O _Sh_ay_kh_, the influence of the word of God, that haply thou mayest turn from the left hand of idle fancy unto the right hand of certitude. This Wronged One hath never acted hypocritically towards any one, in the Cause of God, and hath loudly proclaimed the Word of God before the face of His creatures. Let him who wisheth turn thereunto, and let him who wisheth turn aside. If these things, however, that are so clear, so manifest and indubitable, be denied, what else can be deemed acceptable and worthy of credence in the estimation of men of insight? We beseech God—blessed and glorified be He—to forgive the aforementioned person (Ḥájí _Sh_ay_kh_ Muḥammad-‘Alí), and change his evil deeds into good ones. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. Such things have appeared in this Revelation that there is no recourse for either the exponents of science and knowledge or the manifestations of justice and equity other than to recognize them. It is incumbent upon thee, in this day, to arise with celestial power and dissipate, with the aid of knowledge, the doubts of the peoples of the world, so that all men may be sanctified, and direct their steps towards the Most Great Ocean and cleave fast unto that which God hath purposed. Every one who hath turned aside from Me hath clung to his own idle words, and therewith voiced his objections to Him Who is the Truth. Gracious God! Such references as have been made to Divinity and Godhead by the holy ones and chosen ones of God have been made a cause for denial and repudiation. The Imám Ṣádiq hath said: "Servitude is a substance, the essence of which is Divinity." The Commander of the Faithful (Imám ‘Alí) answered an Arab, who had questioned him concerning the soul, as follows: "The third is the soul which is divine and celestial. It is a divine energy, a substance, simple, and self-subsistent." And further he—peace be upon him—said: "Therefore it is the Most Sublime Essence of God, the Tree of Blessedness, the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the Garden of Repose." The Imám Ṣádiq hath said: "When our Qá’im will arise, the earth will shine with the light of her Lord." Likewise, a lengthy tradition is attributed to Ábí-‘Abdi’lláh—peace be upon him—in which these sublime words are found: "Thereupon will He Who is the All-Compelling—exalted and glorified be He—descend from the clouds with the angels." And in the mighty Qur’án: "What can such expect but that God should come down to them overshadowed with clouds?" And in the tradition of Mufaddál it is said: "The Qá’im will lean His back against the Sanctuary, and will stretch forth His hand, and lo, it shall be snow-white but unhurt. And He shall say: ‘This is the hand of God, the right hand of God, that cometh from God, at the command of God!’" In whichever manner these traditions are interpreted, in that same