y
sever myself from all beside Thee, lay hold of the hem of the mantle of
Thy majesty, forget aught else save Thee, be associated with the fragrance
of Thy days, be enabled to continue faithful in the threshold of Thy
sanctity and stand up in the service of Thy Cause, be submissive and lowly
before Thy beloved ones and to account myself as nothing in the presence
of Thy chosen ones. Verily, Thou art the Helper, the Assister, the
Exalted, the Generous!

O my God, O my God, I beg of Thee, by the effulgence of the light of Thy
countenance, whereby all the regions of the world are illumined; by the
glances of the eye of Thy mercy, which comprehends all things; by the
billows of the sea of Thy favor, wherewith all parts are overflowing; by
the rains from the clouds of Thy gift, which are falling upon the essence
of the created beings; by the radiance of Thy mercy, which overpowers
existence--to strengthen Thy chosen ones to faithfulness, to enable Thy
beloved ones to serve Thine exalted Threshold, to encircle them through
the hosts of Thy power, which have encompassed all things, and to assist
them through Thy numerous armies from the Supreme Concourse.

O my God, these are lowly souls in Thy doorway and poor ones before Thy
court, humbly seeking Thy grace and in need of Thy confirmation, turning
toward the Kingdom of Thy Singleness, and yearning for the bounties of Thy
gift. O my Lord, refine their consciences through the lights of Thy
sanctity, and purify their hearts through the gift of Thy confirmation,
dilate their breasts through the fragrances of joy and happiness, which
are being diffused from Thy Supreme Concourse, and illumine their sight by
witnessing Thy chief signs. Make them signs of sanctity and standards of
purity waving on the apex of the contingent world, unto all creatures; so
that their words may take effect in the hearts though they are even as
flint. May they stand up to serve Thee, to devote themselves unto the
Kingdom of Thy divinity, to turn unto the realm of the might of Thy
self-subsistence, to spread Thy signs, to become illumined through Thy
lights, to unfold Thy mysteries, to direct Th servants unto the running
water, and the fountain of Tassnime(159) which is gushing and springing
out in the midst of the paradise of Thy singleness; to unfold the sail of
devotion on board the Ark of Deliverance and sail on the sea of Thy
knowledge, to spread the wings of unity and soar up towards the kingdom of