Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas

The first light which shone forth from the horizon of Eternity, the first radiance which was cast forth from the Morn of Guidance, and the first mercy which descended from the Kingdom of Heaven, be upon thee,1 O thou manifest light, thou “strong rope,” and the beloved one of the denizens of the exalted heaven, who hast suffered martyrdom in the path of the Lord of the Creatures, and who art submerged in the sea of favors, through the grace of thy Lord, the Clement! the Merciful! El-Baha be upon thee! Praise be upon thee!

By God, the True One! The angels of mercy bless thee in the Kingdom of El-Baha, and the nostrils of the chosen ones are perfumed with the sweet odor which is wafting from the garden of the Supreme Concourse upon thy sepulchre; and hearts are burning, tears are being shed, the power of endurance is cut off by the grievous disaster and great martyrdom, whereby all hearts are consumed!

1 For recitation when visiting the tomb of his honor Aka-Zaman, of Isfand-Abad, Persia, who suffered martyrdom in 1901. He was delivered into the hands of a mob, who brought him out of prison, made him ride an ox and paraded him through the streets. Many struck him with stones and clubs, and wounded him. While he was surrounded by this general assault and uproar and the people danced and clapped their hands in joy, Aka-Zaman himself also clapped his hands with them, and evinced great joy on account of his approaching martyrdom. Then a wretch from behind cut off his ear and stuffed it into the martyr’s mouth, but he did not even turn nor move. Finally they put him to death with all kinds of wounds and with the severest persecutions, and stoned him. Then they dragged away his body from under the heaps of stones and burned it along with the body of his honor Aka-Seyed-Jaffar.