Baha'i Writings / **Baha'u'llah** # **Excerpt from Lawh-i-Times (Tablet to The Times of London)**\[1] #### **Baha'u'llah** ##### 1891 *** *Much of the early history of the Faith is one of getting the message out to the world. This Tablet has been referred to as being sort of an early press release. Sadly an unrealized one. The events in Yazd that pre-date this Tablet were horrific. See [[Glad-Tidings]].* *We only have this provisional partial translation of this tablet. See the Endnotes for an additional comment.* *** O 'Times', O thou endowed with the power of utterance! O dawning place of news! Spend an hour with the oppressed of Iran, and witness how the exemplars of justice and equity are sorely tried beneath the sword of tyrants. Infants have been deprived of milk, and women and children have fallen captive to the lawless. The blood of God's lovers hath dyed the earth red, and the sighs of His near ones have set the universe ablaze. O assemblage of rulers, ye are the manifestations of power and might, and the fountainheads of the glory, greatness and authority of God Himself. Gaze upon the plight of the wronged ones. O daysprings of justice, the fierce gales of rancour and hatred have extinguished the lamps of virtue and piety. At dawn, the gentle breeze of divine compassion hath wafted over charred and cast-out bodies, whispering these exalted words: 'Woe, woe unto you, O people of Iran! Ye have spilled the blood of your own friends and yet remain in ignorance of what ye have done. Should ye become aware of the deeds ye have perpetrated, ye would flee to the desert and bewail your crimes and tyranny.' O misguided ones, what sin have the little children committed? Hath anyone, in these days, had pity on the dependants of the oppressed? A report hath reached Us that the followers of the Spirit (Christ) — may the peace of God and His mercy be upon Him — secretly sent them provisions and befriended them out of utmost sympathy. We beseech God the Eternal Truth, to confirm all in accomplishing that which is pleasing to Him. O newspapers published throughout the cities and countries of the world! Have ye heard the groan of the downtrodden, and have their cries of anguish reached your ears? Or have these remained concealed? It is hoped that ye will investigate the truth of what hath occurred and vindicate it. (Baha'u'llah, \[_Tablet to The Times of London_], in Habib Taherzadeh, [_The Revelation of Baha'u'llah_](https://d9263461.github.io/cl/Baha'i/Others/ROB/V4/p329-350Ch22.html#p348), vol. 4 \[Oxford: George Ronald, 1987], 348–50.) *** **See Also** **[[Glad-Tidings]]** — Baha'u'llah states "kingship is one of the signs of God" and "a republican form of government profiteth all the peoples of the world." **[[Tablet of the World]]** — Baha'u'llah comments concerning "kingship and of the consultation of the people." *** **Endnotes** **1.** The details on this tablet are slim but according to one source; >The Tablet was not delivered to The Times (nor perhaps was intended to be), but in the following excerpt \[the first paragraph of the translation] that newspaper is singled out, it would seem, as representative of the rational spirit of enquiry, of all that is true, praiseworthy and humane in Western thought … > > (Roger White, “Baha'u'llah and the Fourth Estate,” _The Baha'i World_, April 21, 1983, accessed December 30, 2025, https://bahaiworld.bahai.org/library/bahaullah-and-the-fourth-estate.) *** [Site Guide](site%20guide.md)  |   [Sitemap](sitemap.md)  |   [Downloads](downloads.md)  |  [Contact Us](contact%20us.md) **Dr. Leland Jensen**: Teachings and Commentaries Archive © 2026 Baha'i Council of Dane County, all rights reserved.  [Copyright & Usage Policy](copyright.md) ***