The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys

by Bahá'u'lláh

"The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys" by Bahá'u'lláh is a Persian mystical work written around 1857-1858. Written for a Sufi judge, it maps the soul's spiritual journey through seven ascending stages toward God, following the structure of a classical Persian poem. Each valley represents a transformation—from search and love through knowledge and unity, to final annihilation of self. Highly poetic and rich with Sufi references, the text explores how seekers progress from earthly attachment to divine understanding, achieving what may take lifetimes in mere breaths.