The Maid of Heaven A personal compilation (2020) Contents From the Writings of Shoghi Effendi ...................................................................................... 2 From the Universal House of Justice ..................................................................................... 2 From the Writings of the Báb ................................................................................................. 3 Qayyumu'l-Asmá' ................................................................................................................ 3 From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh ............................................................................................ 4 Rashh-i-'Amá (The Clouds of the Realms Above) ............................................................. 4 Qaṣídiy-i-Izz-iVarqá’íyyih (Ode of the Dove) ..................................................................... 5 Kalimát-i-Maknúnih (The Hidden Words) .......................................................................... 6 Lawh-i-Ghulámu’l-Khuld (Tablet of the Immortal Youth) ................................................... 7 Ḥúr-i-‘Ujáb (Tablet of the Wondrous Maiden) .................................................................. 11 Lawh-i-Malláhu'l-Quds (Tablet of the Holy Mariner) ........................................................ 13 Súriy-i-Qalam (Súrih of the Pen) ..................................................................................... 17 Súriy-i-Bayán (Tablet of Utterance) ................................................................................. 20 Lawḥi-Ru’yá (Tablet of the Vision) ................................................................................... 22 Súriy-i-Haykal (Súriy of the Temple) ................................................................................ 23 Further reading ..................................................................................................................... 24 Note: ‘RB’ in the introductory notes above most of the following texts refer to Adib Taherzadeh’s ‘The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh’ (4 volumes). 1 of 24 From the Writings of Shoghi Effendi … the “Most Great Spirit,” as designated by Himself, and symbolized in the Zoroastrian, the Mosaic, the Christian, and Muḥammadan Dispensations by the Sacred Fire, the Burning Bush, the Dove and the Angel Gabriel respectively, descended upon, and revealed itself, personated by a “Maiden,” to the agonized soul of Bahá’u’lláh. — God Passes By, p. 100 [Bahá’u’lláh] sang the praises of that Maiden that personified the Spirit of God within Him… — God Passes By, p. 121 From the Universal House of Justice In the past, as you are well aware, it has not been uncommon to use human love, passion and longing as an allegory of the divine love between God and His creatures. One has only to think of the Song of Songs in the Old Testament, the writings of some of the Christian saints and much of Persian mystical poetry. The tradition represented by such literature was used by Bahá’u’lláh in aspects of His Revelation. — Letter dated 27 August 1998 2 of 24 From the Writings of the Báb Qayyumu'l-Asmá' 1844 Extracts [Characterized by Bahá’u’lláh as “the first, the greatest, and mightiest of all books” in the Bábí Dispensation — paraphrased from: Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 23] … Let the Maid of Heaven, the inmate of the Exalted Paradise, drape Herself in a coarse vesture and put on a veil of the most beautiful silk. Then let her step out of Her mansion, appearing by Herself, upon the earth, in the beauty of the black-eyed damsel. Let Her listen to the sweet praise out of Thy holy breaths upon the Seat of the Throne and in the celestial spheres, that haply those intoxicated and bewildered amongst the dwellers on earth may be awakened by Thy Cause, to an ... extent less than a single hair from the back of Her head, as ordained by God. God ... verily knoweth all things.... "O people of the earth! By the righteousness of the One true God, I am the Maid of Heaven begotten by the Spirit of Bahá, abiding within the Mansion hewn out of a mass of ruby, tender and vibrant; and in this mighty Paradise naught have I ever witnessed save that which proclaimeth the Remembrance of God by extolling the virtues of this Arabian Youth. Verily there is none other God but your Lord, the All-Merciful. Magnify ye, then, His station, for behold, He is poised in the midmost heart of the All-Highest Paradise as the embodiment of the [glorification] of God in the Tabernacle wherein [exaltation of His unity] is intoned...." … Permit Her to divest Herself of Her coarse robe, put on the garment She donneth in Her reserved Chamber. For verily the dwellers of heaven have wailed out of their yearning for Her hair, arrayed beneath Her veil. God is verily merciful unto His believing servants. Return, O Thou Immortal Maid of Heaven, unto the holy Sanctuary within Thy Mansion. Thou wouldst receive Thy reward solely from Me, written down, verily, by Mine own hand in this Book through a single letter of My Command that hath been inscribed around the Fire. — Provisional translation by Nader Saiedi, in Gate of the Heart, pp. 153-4. 3 of 24 From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh Tihrán, Persia Rashh-i-'Amá (The Clouds of the Realms Above) 1852 [Bahá'u'lláh's first Tablet was a poem in Persian, Rashh-i-'Amá, revealed in the Síyáh- Chál of Tihrán soon after the descent of the Most Great Spirit upon His radiant soul. It is a song of victory and joy. Although its language is allusive, His divine experience is clearly proclaimed… Although consisting of only nineteen lines, this poem in itself constitutes a mighty book. Within it are contained the potentialities, the character, the power and the glory of forty years of Divine Revelation to come. It announces the glad-tidings of the release of spiritual energies which are described by Bahá'u'lláh in such terms as the wafting of the divine musk-laden Breeze, the appearance of the Ocean of the Cause of God, the sounding of the Trumpet Blast, the flow of the Living Waters, the warbling of the Nightingale of Paradise and the appearance of the Maid of Heaven … — RB1:45-46] 1. ’Tis from Our rapture that the clouds of realms above are raining down; ’Tis from Our anthem that the mysteries of faith are raining down. 2. Upon the Eastern wind Cathay’s entrancing musk doth waft; This sweetly scented breeze from Our curling locks is raining down. 3. The day-star of adornment hath dawned forth above the face of God; Behold that mystic truth which from His Countenance is raining down. 4. The sea of purity hath from the wave of true reunion surged; This precious, rare bestowal from Our rapture is raining down. 5. The treasuries of love lay hid within the very heart of Fárs; From out this treasure trove the pearls of faithfulness are raining down. 6. The splendour of the rose doth bring the ecstasy of choicest wine; This subtle music from the ringing tones of Lordship is raining down. 7. The trumpet-blast of Judgement Day, the joyful bliss of heaven’s call— Both at a single breath are from the firmament now raining down. 8. The Day of “I am He” is made to shine resplendent from Our face; The Age of “He is He” from out Our flowing cup is raining down. 9. From out the fountain of Our heart hath God’s celestial river flowed; This cup of honeyed nectar from Our ruby lips is raining down. 10. The Day of God hath been fulfilled, for lo, the Lord hath been unveiled; This wondrous message from the melody of Ṭá’ is raining down. 4 of 24 11. Behold Bahá’s outpouring grace, the bounty of the clouds above, Which, merged into a single song, in God’s own voice is raining down. 12. Behold the Lord’s leviathan, behold His sacred countenance; Behold the blessings of the heart that from His throne are raining down. 13. Behold the Palm of Paradise, behold the warbling of the Dove; Behold the glorious hymns that in the purest light are raining down. 14. Behold the soul-entrancing song, behold the beating of the drum, Behold the sacred rhythms that from Our hand are raining down. 15. Behold the Countenance Divine! Behold the Maid of Paradise! Behold the grace upon the world from Our own presence raining down. 16. Behold the everlasting Face! Behold the chalice-bearer’s charm! Behold the crystal draught that from Our brimming cup is raining down. 17. Behold the fire of Moses, see His hand that shineth white; Behold the heart of Sinai—from Our hand all raining down. 18. Hear ye the sotted lovers’ sighs, behold the garden blooming fair; Behold the bliss that from His presence in your midst is raining down. 19. Behold the radiant face of Há’, behold the beauteous robe of Bá’; Behold the Lordly grace that from Our Pen is raining down. 20. The vessel of the Advent this, the clouds of limpid waters these; The trill of songbirds this, from Our fleeting Wellspring raining down. Sulaymaniyyih period (1854-1856) Qaṣídiy-i-Izz-iVarqá’íyyih (Ode of the Dove) [The theme of the Qasídiy-i-Varqá'íyyih is the praise and glorification of the Most Great Spirit which had descended upon Him in the symbolic form of the 'Maid of Heaven'. There is a dialogue between Himself as the Bearer of God's Message and the Holy Spirit personified as the Maid of Heaven, whose attributes and splendours He glorifies. For His own part, He dwells on His past sufferings, recounts the cruel fashion in which His enemies had imprisoned Him with chains and fetters, speaks of His grief and loneliness and resolutely affirms His determination to arise and face, with steadfastness and joy, any calamity which might in the future descend upon Him in the path of God. — RB1:63] Provisional translation at: https://bahaistudies.ca/uploads/2019/11/29.3-OdeoftheDove.pdf 5 of 24 Baghdad period (1856-1863) Kalimát-i-Maknúnih (The Hidden Words) 1858 ['Sadratu'l-Muntahá' in this passage literally means the tree beyond which there is no passing. The Arabs used to plant trees along certain roads and the last tree indicating the end of the road was known as 'Sadratu'l-Muntahá'. This term which has been used by Bahá'u'lláh in many of His Writings is, in one sense, the symbol of the station of the Manifestation of God, a station which is beyond the reach and understanding of men.