The Words of Paradise

*A retelling based on **The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh**, Volume 4, by Adib Taherzadeh, chapter 15, "Kalimát-i-Firdawsíyyih." Words in quotation marks are quoted from the Tablet as published in **Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas**.*

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Adib Taherzadeh writes that Bahá'u'lláh revealed the **Kalimát-i-Firdawsíyyih**, the Words of Paradise, about two years before His ascension, in honour of His trusted disciple Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-'Alí. It is one of the Tablets of His last years in which He sets out the basic teachings of His Faith.

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Early in the Tablet Bahá'u'lláh addresses His followers: "It behoveth the people of Bahá to render the Lord victorious through the power of their utterance and to admonish the people by their goodly deeds and character, inasmuch as deeds exert greater influence than words." To Ḥaydar-'Alí He writes that "Honesty, virtue, wisdom and a saintly character redound to the exaltation of man," and that "Man's distinction lieth not in ornaments or wealth, but rather in virtuous behaviour and true understanding."

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The heart of the Tablet is a series of counsels, each introduced as "the word of God" recorded on a "leaf" of "the Most Exalted Paradise." On the first leaf Bahá'u'lláh writes: "The fear of God hath ever been a sure defence and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the world.

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It is the chief cause of the protection of mankind, and the supreme instrument for its preservation." On the second He calls on kings, rulers, divines and the wise "to uphold the cause of religion," for "Religion is verily the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world and of tranquillity amongst its peoples." The fifth leaf praises wisdom. The sixth begins: "The light of men is Justice.

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Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men."

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The seventh leaf is addressed to the "men of wisdom among nations": "This span of earth is but one homeland and one habitation." It adds that "man's glory lieth in his knowledge, his upright conduct, his praiseworthy character, his wisdom, and not in his nationality or rank." The eighth asks that schools "first train the children in the principles of religion," but not to such a degree that it leads to "ignorant fanaticism and bigotry," and it calls for the languages and scripts of the world to be reduced to one, "that men's lives may not be dissipated and wasted in learning divers languages."

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The ninth leaf begins, "In all matters moderation is desirable." It warns that the world's deep-rooted corruptions cannot be purged "unless the peoples of the world unite in pursuit of one common aim and embrace one universal faith," and it continues: "Incline your ears unto the Call of this Wronged One and adhere firmly to the Lesser Peace." On the tenth leaf Bahá'u'lláh declares that "Living in seclusion or practising asceticism is not acceptable in the presence of God." Earlier in the Tablet, speaking of mystics who indulge in "that which leadeth to idleness and seclusion," He had written: "Man must bring forth fruit."

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Taherzadeh notes that most of the teachings in this Tablet are also found in other Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh.

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*This is a retelling. For the fuller account, see **The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh**, Volume 4, by Adib Taherzadeh; the Tablet itself appears in **Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas**.*

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