Asl-i hull al-khayr (`The Source of All Good').
("Words of Wisdom")
of Mirza Husayn `Ali Nuri Baha'-Allah (1817-1892 CE).
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The Authorized English Translation of the `Words of Wisdom' with Annotation, Select Transliteration and Commentary.
[0]
In the Name of God, the Exalted, the Most High
[1]
The source of all good
is trust in God, submission unto His command, and contentment with His holy will and pleasure.
[2]
The essence of wisdom
is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and punishment, and the apprehension of His justice and decree.
[3]
The essence of religion
is to testify unto that which the Lord hath revealed, and follow that which He hath ordained in His mighty Book.
[4]
The source of all glory
is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained.
[5]
The essence of love
is for man to turn his heart to the Beloved One, and sever himself from all else but Him, and desire naught save that which is the desire of his Lord.
[6]
True remembrance
is to make mention of the Lord, the All-Praised, and forget aught else beside Him.
[7]
True reliance
is for the servant to pursue his profession and calling in this world, to hold fast unto the Lord, to seek naught but His grace, inasmuch as in His Hands is the destiny of all His servants.
[8]
The essence of detachment
is for man to turn his face towards the courts of the Lord, to enter His Presence, behold His Countenance, and stand as witness before Him.
[9]
The essence of understanding
is to testify to one’s poverty, and submit to the Will of the Lord, the Sovereign, the Gracious, the All-Powerful.
[10]
The source of courage and power
is the promotion of the Word of God, and steadfastness in His Love.
[11]
The essence of charity
is for the servant to recount the blessings of his Lord, and to render thanks unto Him at all times and under all conditions.
[12]
The essence of faith
is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life.
[13]
The essence of true safety
is to observe silence, to look at the end of things and to renounce the world.
[14]
The beginning of magnanimity
is when man expendeth his wealth on himself, on his family and on the poor among his brethren in his Faith.
[15]
The essence of wealth
is love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all things, and he that loveth Me not is indeed of the poor and needy. This is that which the Finger of Glory and Splendor hath revealed.
[16]
The source of all evil
is for man to turn away from his Lord and set his heart on things ungodly. The most burning fire is to question the signs of God, to dispute idly that which He hath revealed, to deny Him and carry one’s self proudly before Him.
[17]
The source of all learning
is the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory, and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestation.
[18]
The essence of abasement
is to pass out from under the shadow of the Merciful and seek the shelter of the Evil One.
[19]
The source of error
is to disbelieve in the One true God, rely upon aught else but Him, and flee from His Decree.
[20]
True loss
is for him whose days have been spent in utter ignorance of his self.
[21]
The essence of all that We have revealed for thee
is Justice, is for man to free himself from idle fancy and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye.
[22]
Thus have We instructed thee, manifested unto thee Words of Wisdom, that thou mayest be thankful unto the Lord, thy God, and glory therein amidst all peoples.
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