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The Call of the Divine Beloved
Seven Tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh on mystical themes, including the poem Rashḥ-i-'Amá and new translations of the Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2018
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39 people want to read
About the author
Bahá'u'lláh
207 books106 followersPersian religious leader Bahaullah, originally Mirza Huseyn Ali, a follower of the Bab, founded the Baha'i in 1863.
Baha'i, the word, signifies a follower of Bahaullah, which means the "splendor of God" in Persian.
Bahá'u'lláh, a member of the great patrician family, endowed with wealth and vast estates, ably traced lineage to the ruling dynasties of imperial past. Bahá'u'lláh turned his back on the position at court, which these advantages offered; people knew his generosity and kindliness, which made him deeply loved among his countrymen.
The religious revolution caused much social upheaval, and Bahá'u'lláh announced support for the message, so his privileged position survived not long. After the execution, authorities unleashed the the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábis; Bahá'u'lláh, engulfed, suffered the loss of all his worldly endowments, and imprisonment, torture, and a series of banishment subjected him. In the first banishment to Baghdad, he in 1863 announced that God promised his coming as the one divine messenger.
From Baghdad, people sent Bahá'u'lláh to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and finally to Acre in the Holy Land, where he arrived as a prisoner in 1868. From Adrianople and later from Acre, Bahá'u'lláh addressed a series of letters among the most remarkable documents in religious history to the rulers of his day. They proclaimed the coming unification of humanity and the emergence of a world civilization. They called upon the monarchs, emperors, and presidents of the 19th century to reconcile their differences, to curtail their armaments, and to devote their energies to the establishment of universal peace.
Bahá'u'lláh passed away at Bahji, just north of Acre, and people buried his body. His teachings already began to spread beyond the confines of the Middle East and brought the world community, focused on the point of his shrine today.
Baha'i, the word, signifies a follower of Bahaullah, which means the "splendor of God" in Persian.
Bahá'u'lláh, a member of the great patrician family, endowed with wealth and vast estates, ably traced lineage to the ruling dynasties of imperial past. Bahá'u'lláh turned his back on the position at court, which these advantages offered; people knew his generosity and kindliness, which made him deeply loved among his countrymen.
The religious revolution caused much social upheaval, and Bahá'u'lláh announced support for the message, so his privileged position survived not long. After the execution, authorities unleashed the the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábis; Bahá'u'lláh, engulfed, suffered the loss of all his worldly endowments, and imprisonment, torture, and a series of banishment subjected him. In the first banishment to Baghdad, he in 1863 announced that God promised his coming as the one divine messenger.
From Baghdad, people sent Bahá'u'lláh to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and finally to Acre in the Holy Land, where he arrived as a prisoner in 1868. From Adrianople and later from Acre, Bahá'u'lláh addressed a series of letters among the most remarkable documents in religious history to the rulers of his day. They proclaimed the coming unification of humanity and the emergence of a world civilization. They called upon the monarchs, emperors, and presidents of the 19th century to reconcile their differences, to curtail their armaments, and to devote their energies to the establishment of universal peace.
Bahá'u'lláh passed away at Bahji, just north of Acre, and people buried his body. His teachings already began to spread beyond the confines of the Middle East and brought the world community, focused on the point of his shrine today.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 27, 2019
It was a delight to read the previous untranslated tablets and the new translation of the Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys.
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May 26, 2023Some things new to me, some things revisited. I always feel the limits of my intellect in these readings.
April 6, 2021
The quality of the translation of these writings is astounding. To witness the depth of mystery that is conveyed in the English here makes me long to read it in the original language.
I will be studying these Tablets for the rest of my life and hopefully drawing closer and closer to a profound depth of understanding.
I will be studying these Tablets for the rest of my life and hopefully drawing closer and closer to a profound depth of understanding.
August 29, 2019
The Call of the Divine Beloved is an interesting Bahá’í mystical text. I personally found it to be less impactful than other Bahá’í writings, but the language is beautiful and the messages are inspirational. There are quite a few quotes and passages from other works throughout - primarily the Qur'án and Rūmī - representing 138 references across 102 pages. So, there is a significant amount of text that is not in Bahá’u’lláh's own words. The brevity of this work makes it a good choice if you're ready to dig deeper into Bahá’í literature.
February 20, 2019
I was happy to read these long-awaited new translations and poems. Eager to re-read in the company of a little book club and try to understand these texts a little better.
September 26, 2020
Perfect and inspiring.
This is an utterly beautiful volume of spiritual poetry, including the deeply moving epic work "The Seven Valleys" which portrays the progress of the soul as a journey through the eponymous seven valleys.
I have read several of these poems many times before, often swiftly, enjoying the narrative, imagery and moral points. Other times I have read it slowly, contemplating each verse in depth. This time I worked my way through by reading a verse each morning and evening. If a text can withstand all these methods of consumption and still move and inspire each and every time the book is opened... I know of no way of expressing the extent of this book's perfection.
This is an utterly beautiful volume of spiritual poetry, including the deeply moving epic work "The Seven Valleys" which portrays the progress of the soul as a journey through the eponymous seven valleys.
I have read several of these poems many times before, often swiftly, enjoying the narrative, imagery and moral points. Other times I have read it slowly, contemplating each verse in depth. This time I worked my way through by reading a verse each morning and evening. If a text can withstand all these methods of consumption and still move and inspire each and every time the book is opened... I know of no way of expressing the extent of this book's perfection.
July 11, 2021
what a wonderful book, it has a poem at the start that i need to read again and again
November 23, 2025
Beautiful collection. Baha'u'lláh's mysticism.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews