Bahai Faith; Kings and rulers; Shoghi, Effendi, 1897-1957 -- Correspondence
“Thou art God’s shadow on earth. Strive, therefore, to act in such a
manner as befitteth so eminent, so august a station. If thou dost depart
from following the things We have caused to descend upon thee and taught
thee, thou wilt, assuredly, be derogating from that great and priceless
honor. Return, then, and cleave wholly unto God, and cleanse thine heart
from the world and all its vanities, and suffer not the love of any
stranger to enter and dwell therein. Not until thou dost purify thine
heart from every trace of such love can the brightness of the light of God
shed its radiance upon it, for to none hath God given more than one heart.
This, verily, hath been decreed and written down in His ancient Book. And
as the human heart, as fashioned by God, is one and undivided, it
behooveth thee to take heed that its affections be, also, one and
undivided. Cleave thou, therefore, with the whole affection of thine
heart, unto His love, and withdraw it from the love of anyone besides Him,
that He may aid thee to immerse thyself in the ocean of His unity, and
enable thee to become a true upholder of His oneness....
LET THE OPPRESSOR DESIST
“Let thine ear be attentive, O King, to the words We have addressed thee.
Let the oppressor desist from his tyranny, and cut off the perpetrators of
injustice from among them that profess thy faith. By the righteousness of
God! The tribulations We have sustained are such that any pen that
recounteth them cannot but be overwhelmed with anguish. No one of them
that truly believe and uphold the unity of God can bear the burden of
their recital. So great have been Our sufferings that even the eyes of our
enemies have wept over Us, and beyond those of every discerning person.
And to all these trials have We been subjected, in spite of Our action in
approaching thee, and in bidding the people to enter beneath thy shadow,
that thou mightest be a stronghold unto them that believe in and uphold
the unity of God.
“Have I, O King, ever disobeyed thee? Have I, at any time, transgressed
any of thy laws? Can any of thy ministers that represent thee in ‘Iráq
produce any proof that can establish My disloyalty to thee? No, by Him Who
is the Lord of all worlds! Not for one short moment did We rebel against
thee, or against any of thy ministers. Never, God willing, shall We revolt
against thee, though We be exposed to trials more severe than any We
suffered in the past. In the daytime and in the night season, at even and
at morn, We pray to God on thy behalf, that He may graciously aid thee to
be obedient unto Him and to observe His commandments, that He may shield
thee from the hosts of the evil ones. Do, therefore, as it pleaseth thee,
and treat Us as befitteth thy station and beseemeth thy sovereignty. Be
not forgetful of the law of God in whatever thou desirest to achieve, now
or in the days to come. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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