...no Bahá'í institution should serve alcoholic drinks under any circumstances, and we also feel that it would be inappropriate for a Bahá'í to serve such beverages at a function given by him.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 19 December 1968 to two believers; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Prohibition on Drinking Alcohol)
Thou must live in such a spiritual condition that thy very presence in the meetings may transform the audiences into the congregations of the elect and set aglow in their hearts the fire of the Love of God. Exalt thy ambition! Universalize thy ideals! Spread thy wings of compassion over all the regions of the globe.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha addressed to a travel teacher; Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 1, March 21, 1914)
Know assuredly that just as thou firmly believest that the Word of God, exalted be His glory, endureth for ever, thou must, likewise, believe with undoubting faith that its meaning can never be exhausted. They who are its appointed interpreters, they whose hearts are the repositories of its secrets, are, however, the only ones who can comprehend its manifold wisdom.
- Baha'u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
I think it is something like this … The Will of God and the will of individual man . . . may, nay must, become identified, become identical. . . . ‘Abdu'l-Baha speaks of losing the self in the Self of God. We must accustom ourselves to the actual doing of this. . . . We cannot think of God's Will as a passive thing any more than we can think of our own will as passive, inert. God's Will is evidenced in nature, in power, in action. To identify our will with His Will is partake of His activity, His Power, His effectiveness. To submit my will to His Will then, carries an implication of marching – wearing -- overcoming. But not marching alone; we march in step with Him. We throw our feeble wills in with His and so become all-conquering as He says we shall. How can the result be other than victory?
- Howard Colby Ives ('The Baha’i World 1940-1944')
Jessie Revell was once addressed by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in these words:
Jessie Revell in 1964
“O thou who art firm in the Covenant! ... Notwithstanding the lack of time, I write thee this letter that thou mayest know how dear thou art to me. As thou art brilliant and pure and hast no wish but to serve the Cause of God and promulgate the divine teachings, I pray and entreat at the threshold of God and beg for thee limitless assistance and bounty. ... Thou must engage in those regions, day and night, in service. ... As to the children with whom thou art speaking, thy pure breath will undoubtedly exert its influence upon them. ...” (‘Abdu’l-Baha, Star of the West, vol. X, p. 317)
Jessie Revell’s brilliant record of service to the Cause of Baha’u’llah, extending from early in the century, came to an end with her passing in Haifa on April 14, 1966. Her story is best told in the words of her devoted sister, Ethel Revell.
In the Book of the Zend-Avesta the Zoroastrians are awaiting the Coming of two Manifestations. Also, in the Old Testament Scriptures there is the promise of Elijah and Messiah. In the Gospel of the New Testament they are expecting the Father and the Second Coming of Christ. Likewise, in the Qur'án the Muhammadans have the promise of the Imám Mihdí and Christ. In brief, all the Holy Scriptures announce the Coming of two Manifestations, and these two Manifestations are the Báb and the Blessed Perfection. If you look into the Bible, it is Elias and Christ; in the Qur'án it is the Mihdí and Christ. These tidings are the same in all the Holy Books, only expressed in different ways -- two successive Manifestations. And all the Universe is promised these two. We must not search for the outer word in Elijah and Christ but look for the Reality. The Blessed Perfection said in His Tablets that once He was Abraham, once Moses, once Jesus, once Muhammad, and once the Báb. This is explained clearly in the 'Book of Íqán,' that is, the meanings and perfection of qualities which were once hidden are now revealed in Bahá‘u’lláh. Therefore, we can consider Bahá‘u’lláh to be all the Prophets, no matter by what Name He chooses to call Himself; for all their meanings, perfection, and qualities are manifest in Him. Bahá‘u’lláh is the center of all their perfections. For instance, in Moses the world received the Revelation of material laws, in Jesus spiritual laws, while in Bahá‘u’lláh we have received both material and spiritual laws. The Laws of Moses would cover but few pages, and the Teachings of Jesus could be gathered into a small pamphlet. The Old Testament contains nothing but material laws; no mention is in it of spiritual laws such as we find in the New Testament. In the New Testament there are no material laws except the laws of divorce and of the Sabbath. The New Testament contains no answers to questions of science. But all knowledge has been revealed by the Blessed Perfection in books which if gathered together would make many volumes. He has revealed demonstrations in sciences, and He is the epitome of all previous Revelations.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talk recorded by Julia M. Grundy in 1905, ‘Ten Days In the Light of ‘Akka’, Baha’i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill., 1979)
I felt as if he were like a great powerful locomotive, pulling behind him a long, long string of cars, laden - not with dead-weight exactly - but sometimes pretty dead! This weight is the believers who have to be pushed, or pulled, or cajoled, or praised at every moment to get them into action. The beloved Guardian sees far in advance the needs, the lack of time, the obstacles and problems. He is actually hauling us all along behind his guiding and powerful light. Like a locomotive too - he can go straight ahead, fast or slow down, but he CANNOT deviate his course, he MUST follow the track which is his divine Guidance.
(Recorded by a pilgrim in 1956; quoted by Ruhiyyih Khanum in ‘The Priceless Pearl’)
Say: Human utterance is an essence which aspireth to exert its influence and needeth moderation. As to its influence, this is conditional upon refinement which in turn is dependent upon hearts which are detached and pure. As to its moderation, this hath to be combined with tact and wisdom as prescribed in the Holy Scriptures and Tablets. Meditate upon that which hath streamed forth from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, He Who is the Source of all grace, that thou mayest grasp the intended meaning which is enshrined in the sacred depths of the Holy Writings.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
The body is like the crystal and the spirit is like the light. Though the crystal be extremely transparent, its brilliancy and splendor belong to the brightness of the light. To be luminous, the light does not need the crystal, but the crystal to be bright needs the light. Even so the spirit does not live by the body, but the body lives by the spirit.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (From ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s address to the Alliance Spiritualiste of Paris, November 9th, 1911; Star of the West, vol. II, no. 17)
An evidence of the immortality of the human spirit is the fact that it is not affected by changes in the body. The body is subject to various conditions. At one time it may be healthy; at another time it may be susceptible to some pathology. At one time it may be weak or ill; at another time it may be well and strong; or a member may become lost. However, the reality within the body -- the human spirit or mind -- is the same. If the body should become lean the spirit would not become lean. If the body should become corpulent the spirit would not become corpulent. If the body should be dismembered the spirit would not be affected. In brief, the spirit is independent of the body, and the disintegrations that take place in the body do not affect the soul, for the human reality or spirit is ever the same.
Another indication that the spirit is distinct from the body is the fact that though the body be slumbering the spirit of man is awake. When man is asleep the body is as dead; the eye does not see, the ear does not hear, the tongue does not speak; all the physical forces are quiescent, are as dead. Notwithstanding this, the spirit sees, hears, converses, discovers realities and latent mysteries. Though the physical functions of the body be impaired the spirit is not affected. Though the body become incapacitated the spirit remains intact. Though the body be paralyzed the spirit is not paralyzed.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk at Theosophical Society, San Francisco, October 11, 1912; Unpublished Manuscript by Ella Cooper)
- Shoghi Effendi (‘Introduction to ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)
Europe: Thonon-les-Bains, Switzerland; Paris, France; Stuttgart, Germany; Budapest, Hungary; London, England; Clifton, England; Byfleet, England; Oxford, England; Edinburgh, Scotland
USA: New York, N.Y.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Md.; Chicago, Illinois; Kenosha, Wis.; Cleveland, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Montclair, N. J.; West Englewood, N.J.; Jersey City, N.J.; Cambridge, Mass.; Boston, Mass.; Malden, Mass.; Medford, Mass.; Fanwood, N.J.; Morristown, N.J.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Dublin, N.H.; Green Acre, Eliot, Maine; Minneapolis, Minn.; St. Paul, Minn.; Denver, Colo.; Oakland, Calif.; Palo Alto, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Sacramento, Calif.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah.; Pasadena, Calif.
Canada: Montreal, Quebec
(‘Baha’i Year Book 1925-1926’)
If ye become aware of a sin committed by another, conceal it, that God may conceal your own sin. He, verily, is the Concealer, the Lord of grace abounding.
- Baha'u'llah (From a Tablet addressed to Napoleon III, ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
Give me to drink of the river that is life indeed, whose waters have streamed forth from the Paradise (Ridvan) in which the throne of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, was established…
- Baha'u'llah (‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)
- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)
Strain every nerve to acquire both inner and outer perfections, for the fruit of the human tree hath ever been and will ever be perfections both within and without. It is not desirable that a man be left without knowledge or skills, for he is then but a barren tree. Then, so much as capacity and capability allow, ye needs must deck the tree of being with fruits such as knowledge, wisdom, spiritual perception and eloquent speech.
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, Excellence in All Things)
… known… by the same title as that of her illustrious mother, and whose services until the ripe old age of four score years and six, no less than her exalted parentage, entitle her to the distinction of ranking as the outstanding heroine of the Bahá'í Dispensation… 
Bahiyyih Khaum, from a drawing by
Juliet Thompson, 1926
- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)
The resourcefulness which the national representatives of the American believers have, in recent months, so strikingly demonstrated, as evidenced by the successive measures they have adopted, has been matched by the loyal, the unquestioning and generous support accorded them by all those whom they represent, at every critical stage, and with every fresh advance, in the discharge of their sacred duties. Such close interaction, such complete cohesion, such continual harmony and fellowship between the various agencies that contribute to the organic life, and constitute the basic framework, of every properly functioning Bahá’í community, is a phenomenon which offers a striking contrast to the disruptive tendencies which the discordant elements of present-day society so tragically manifest. Whereas every apparent trial with which the unfathomable wisdom of the Almighty deems it necessary to afflict His chosen community serves only to demonstrate afresh its essential solidarity and to consolidate its inward strength, each of the successive crises in the fortunes of a decadent age exposes more convincingly than the one preceding it the corrosive influences that are fast sapping the vitality and undermining the basis of its declining institutions.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
As to the terminology I used in my letter, bidding thee to consecrate thyself to service in the Cause of God, the meaning of it is this: limit thy thoughts to teaching the Faith. Act by day and night according to the teachings and counsels and admonitions of Bahá'u'lláh. This doth not preclude marriage. Thou canst take unto thyself a husband and at the same time serve the Cause of God; the one doth not preclude the other. Know thou the value of these days; let not this chance escape thee. Beg thou God to make thee a lighted candle, so that thou mayest guide a great multitude through this darksome world.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, Family Life)
Dearly-beloved friends! I feel it incumbent upon me, by virtue of the obligations and responsibilities which as Guardian of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh I am called upon to discharge, to lay special stress, at a time when the light of publicity is being increasingly focussed upon us, upon certain truths which lie at the basis of our Faith and the integrity of which it is our first duty to safeguard. These verities, if valiantly upheld and properly assimilated, will, I am convinced, powerfully reinforce the vigor of our spiritual life and greatly assist in counteracting the machinations of an implacable and vigilant enemy.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’ included in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)
But would you believe it? He found many who would not listen. You know it does no good to try to tell something to one who does not wish to hear. Not only that, but they were sometimes very cruel to Siyyid Kázim and his friends.
Siyyid Kázim and a few who were his close friends went on teaching just the same, for there were always some who were glad to listen. He read to them from the Qur'an the words which told that there would be two great Teachers. The One they were expecting would be the first, but there would be another soon after. And this last One would bring His Light to the whole world, not just to the country in which He lived.
One day at noon Siyyid Kázim was standing in the shade of a palm tree, waiting for the people to come from the noon-day prayer. Suddenly an Arab rushed up and threw his arms around him. An Arab, you know, is one who lives in or near the great Arabian Desert. And it was to the Arabs that Muhammad had come many years before and had given them the Qur'an.
Here is the strange story the Arab told Siyyid Kázim.
Nine is the highest digit, hence symbolizes comprehensiveness, culminations; also, the reason it is used in the Temple's form is because 9 has exact numerical value of ' Baha' (in the numerology connected with the Arabic alphabet) and ' Baha' is the name of the Revealer of our Faith, Bahá'u'lláh.The 9-pointed star is not a part of the teachings of our Faith, but only used as an emblem representing '9'. In telling people of the 9 religions of the world, that is existing religions, we should not give this as the reason the Temple has nine sides. This may have been an idea of the architect, and a very pleasing idea, which can be mentioned in passing, but the Temple has 9 sides because of the association of 9 with perfection, unity and ' Baha'.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; ‘Directives from the Guardian’)
Women in nineteenth-century Iran were regarded as being much inferior to men, both in regard to their intellectual capacity and their spiritual worth. The religiously devout men looked on them with suspicion and disdain as a potential cause of the loss of their religious purity; women were regarded as having been placed on earth to lead men astray. The less religious would merely think of women as a source of sexual pleasure and domestic management. They were not much above chattels and slaves, certainly not worthy of being consulted about family affairs or entrusted with making any decisions for themselves. Indeed, a woman's temperament was felt to be totally unsuitable for any serious deliberation or rational thought.
As a result, few women received any education, and there were almost no opportunities to make any meaningful contribution to society outside of domestic commitments. A woman's social contacts were limited to her own husband, her immediate male relatives, and a circle of other women. She was strictly and jealously guarded from contacts with other men. She might be killed by her husband with impunity on the mere suspicion of infidelity. Although Islam granted women certain strictly defined rights, few of them were able to exercise these rights, since there was no mechanism whereby they could act in society independently of men. Nor did wealth lead to any improvement in a woman's lot; the women of the upper classes were caged in the vacuous monotony of harem life. Thus for most women, the only way to exert any influence over their own lives was to dominate their husbands by teasing, cajoling, and intriguing. Many women achieved a degree of power in this way -- but this provoked more distrust and disdain on the part of men and, not suprisingly, often led to divorce.
This mountain [Carmel] is where Israel's prophets passed their nights in prayer. Every step of it has been blessed by the footsteps of the prophets... This land will be the envy of the world, the center of arts and sciences. 'Akka and Haifa will be connected and all the vacant lands will be cultivated. All these caves that you see have been the abode of the prophets, step by step. [1] Every atom of this soil is holy. All the prophets, while praying, longed to reach this day and give the glad tidings of the coming of the Lord. They prophesied that the Lord of Hosts would come and the tent of the Lord would be pitched on Mount Carmel... in all these mountains and caves the prophets of God prayed at night, shed tears, and longed to be with us in these days of the Blessed Beauty. Since I am a prisoner and cannot move, you make a pilgrimage on My behalf. My utmost desire is to go and visit in freedom, but I cannot. You go on behalf of 'Abdu'l-Baha and make a pilgrimage to all of the Holy Places... and beseech God's bouncy. I cannot go. I am a prisoner. I am re-incarcerated, and I have no permission to go out. The government prohibits me.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to some pilgrims around the end of 1907; from ‘Memoirs of Dr. Habib Mu’ayyad’, pp. 19, 21, 22, 53; quoted by Hand of the Cause Zikrullah Khadem in ‘Carmel: The Mountain of God and the Tablet of Carmel’ published in ‘Zikrullah Khadem, The Itinerant Hand of the Cause of God’, by Javidukht Khadem)
[1] Including the Lower Cave of Elijah, known also as Maqam-i-Khidr, blessed by the footsteps of Baha'u'llah for three days (according to Memoirs of Dr. Mu'ayyad, 2:258) and of 'Abdu'l-Baha for about two months (according to an unpublished manuscript). See also David S. Ruhe, ‘Door of Hope: A Century of the Baha', Faith in the Holy Land", pp. 186-88)
Women of the Holy Household with some western visitors
Standing left to right: unknown, unknown, unknown, Julia Culver, Emogene Hoagg, Maryam, unknown, Zaynat (wife of Dr. Zia Baghdadi), Mihranghiz, unknown. Seated: Suraya, Munirih Khanum (wife of 'Abdu'l-Baha), Bahiyyih Khanum (the Greatest Holy Leaf), and (the daughters of 'Abdu'l-Baha) Diya'iyyih Khanum, Tuba Khanum, and Ruha Khanum. Children seated on the carpet: Hasan, Zahra, Riyal, unknown, Parvin (daughter of Dr. Baghdadi), and Fu'ad.
The believers, as we all know, should endeavour to set such an example in their personal lives and conduct that others will feel impelled to embrace a Faith which reforms human character. However, unfortunately, not everyone achieves easily and rapidly the victory over self. What every believer, new or old, should realize is that the Cause has the spiritual power to re-create us if we make the effort to let that power influence us, and the greatest help in this respect is prayer. We must supplicate Bahá'u'lláh to assist us to overcome the failings in our own characters, and also exert our own will-power in mastering ourselves.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 27 February 1945 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to two believers; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional Attitude)
From our doors nobody was ever turned away; the hospitable board was spread for all comers …
Whilst the people called my Father 'The Father of the poor', they spoke of my mother as 'The Mother of Consolation', though, naturally, only the women and little children ever looked upon her face unveiled…
One day I remember very well, though I was only six years old at the time. It seemed that an attempt had been made on the life of the Shah by a half-crazy young Babi.
My father was away at his country house in the viliage of Niyavaran, which was his property, the villagers of which were all and individually cared for by him.
Suddenly and hurriedly a servant came rushing in great distress to my mother.
'The master, the master, he is arrested - I have seen him! He has walked many miles! Oh, they have beaten him. They say he has suffered the torture of the bastinado! His feet are bleeding! He has no shoes on! His turban has gone! His clothes are torn! There are chains upon his neck!’'
My poor mother’s face grew whiter and whiter.
We children were terribly frightened and could only weep bitterly.
Immediately everybody, all our relations, and friends, and servants fled from our house in terror, only one man servant, Isfandiyar, remained, and one woman. Our palace, and the smaller houses belonging to it were very soon stripped of everything; furniture, treasures all were stolen by the people.
Baha’u’llah’s brother, Mirza Musa., who remained faithful throughout his life, helped the distraught mother and her three children to escape and found them a small house near the prison where they could remain in hiding. Asiyih Khanum [Baha’u’llah’s wife] gathered what small treasures she could, such as the gold buttons on her wedding dress, and sold everything to provide money to pay the gaolers to take food to Baha’u’llah and to keep the family alive.
- Bahiyyih Khanum (Quoted by lady Blomfield in 'The Chosen Highway'; David Hofman, 'Baha’u’llah the Prince of Peace')
Attendance at the gatherings of the friends is specifically to keep them alert, vigilant, loving and attracted to the divine Kingdom.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha’)
"He ['Abdu'l-Baha] alone had been accorded the privilege of being called 'the Master,' an honor from which His Father had strictly excluded all His other sons. Upon Him that loving and unerring Father had chosen to confer the unique title of 'Sirru'llah' (the Mystery of God), a designation so appropriate to One Who, though essentially human and holding a station radically and fundamentally different from that occupied by Bahá'u'lláh and His Forerunner, could still claim to be the perfect Exemplar of His Faith, to be endowed with super-human knowledge, and to be regarded as the stainless mirror reflecting His light."
- Shoghi Effendi (God Passes By)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
It must be realized that people who are mostly illiterate cannot have the benefit of reading for themselves the written word and of deriving directly from it the spiritual sustenance they need for the enrichment of their Bahá'í lives. They become dependent, therefore, to a large extent on their contacts with visiting teachers. The spiritual calibre or moral quality of these teachers assumes, therefore, great importance. The National Spiritual Assembly or the Teaching Committees responsible for the selection of these teachers should bear in mind that their choice must depend, not only on the knowledge or grasp of the teachings on the part of the teachers, but primarily upon their pure spirit and their true love for the Cause, and their capacity to convey that spirit and love to others. ...What wonderful results will soon be witnessed in the areas under your jurisdiction if you devise ways and means to ensure, as far as circumstances permit, that the travelling teachers you are encouraging to circulate among the friends will all be of the standard called for in these quotations -- pure and sanctified souls, with nothing but true devotion and self-sacrifice motivating them in their services to God's Holy Cause....
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 26 October 1967 written by the Universal House of Justice to National Spiritual Assemblies engaged in mass teaching; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Teaching the Masses)
Martha committed her thoughts to paper as easily as most humans breathe and frequently sent them off to 'Abdu'l-Baha in Haifa. On 7 November 1918 she wrote to Him of her desire to travel the world on behalf of the Faith. This was a source of joy to 'Abdu'l-Baha. In His response He replied, "My hope from the blessings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah is that thou mayest forget rest and composure and like unto a swift-flying bird, thou mayest reproduce the melody of the Kingdom and engage in songs and music in the best of tunes." If Martha needed incitement or additional stimulus for her already strong desires to travel and teach, the Master provided it with His colorful directives. It was like a clarion call, a trumpet blast, for He added: "All ears are alert for the summons to the Most Great Peace. It is therefore better for thee to travel now around the world, if this is conveniently possible, and roar out the call of the Divine Kingdom. Thou shalt witness great results and extraordinary confirmations."
(Adapted from ‘Martha Root Lioness at the Threshold’, by Garis)
In reply to your letter of November 8th we feel that all friends, whatever their circumstances, should be encouraged to observe the Nineteen Day Feast. Obviously it can only be an official administrative occasion where there is a Local Spiritual Assembly to take charge of it, present reports to the friends, and receive their recommendations. But groups, spontaneous gatherings of friends, and even isolated believers should certainly remember the day and say prayers together. In the case of a group it may well hold the Feast in the manner in which a Local Spiritual Assembly would do so, recognizing of course that it has no official administrative standing.
As to visitors to a Nineteen Day Feast, Bahá'ís from anywhere in the world should of course be warmly welcomed, and may take part in consultation. However, only members of the local community can vote on recommendations to the Local Spiritual Assembly.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 1 December 1968 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, The Nineteen Day Feast)
I need hardly tell you how grateful and gratified I felt when I heard the news of the actual formation of a National Council whose main object is to guide, co-ordinate and harmonise the various activities of the friends, and when I learned of its satisfactory composition, its harmonious procedure and the splendid work it is achieving.
My earnest prayer is that the blessing of the Almighty may rest upon all its deliberations, that it may be divinely guided, inspired in its work, may smooth speedily and definitely all differences that may arise, may promote the all-important work of Teaching, may widen the sphere of its correspondence and exchange of news with the distant parts of the Bahá'í world, may secure through its publications a dignified and proper presentation of the Cause to the enlightened public, and may in every other respect prove itself capable of distinct and worthy achievements.
- Shoghi Effendi (Excerpt from a letter dated 16 December 1922 to Baha’is in Great Britain; 'The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha’i Community')
[1] Dr. Esselmont and E. T. Hall were "chosen" to represent Bournemouth and Manchester respectively and they met with seven others representing "The London Groups" to form the first "All-England Bahá'í Council" which met at the London home of Mrs. Thornburgh-Cropper 6 June, 1922. Mr. G. P. Simpson was elected Chairman.
Mirza Aqa Jan embraced the religion of the Báb when he was about sixteen years old and became instantly “aflame with devotion.” He was neither learned nor rich and made his living in his hometown of Kashan making and selling soap. Soap-making was a humble trade in those days, often carried out at home by people who were not well educated.
Mirza Aqa jan was also a seeker of truth who had seen the Báb in his dreams and believed in Him. He had also read the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and felt the urge to attain His presence. He left his home in Kashan unexpectedly and traveled to Iraq.
When he reached Baghdad, he learned that Bahá’u’lláh was visiting the Babís in the neighboring town of Karbila, and there He was the guest of one of the resident Bábis. This was before Baha’u’llah’s Declaration in the Garden of Ridvan. Mirza Aqa Jan followed Baha’u’llah to Karbila.
Bahá’u’lláh liked to spend the hot summer nights on the flat roof of the house, as people often did. There He chanted His prayers under a canopy of stars and slept in the fresh night air.
One night Bahá’u’lláh invited Mirza Aqa Jan who had just arrived in Karbala to join Him on the roof. Bahá’u’lláh was already sleeping when Mirza Aqa jan spread out his bedding nearby on a carpet and lay down for a brief rest.
Many years later, Mirza Aqa jan related the following amazing account to the great Baha’i historian, Nabil:
Among other evidences of the immortality of the spirit is the fact that there can be no effect without a cause. It is impossible for a non-existent cause to produce existent effects. For instance, if we suppose the sun to be non-existent, it would logically follow that its rays and heat would be non-existent. However, we know that the solar energy does exist, because its rays and heat are continuous. The sun being the cause, and the rays and heat the effects, how could the cause be non-existent when the effects are continuous? Likewise, the effects of the Sun of Reality are continuous in the world of reality, for, inasmuch as the influence of the manifestations of God who lived thousands of years ago continues to be felt in the world of to-day, surely the divine manifestations themselves must somewhere be still existent. For example, His Holiness Christ lived upon the earth nineteen hundred years ago, yet the effects of his presence at that time are evident in human minds and hearts to-day. Then how could he be non-existent when his lights are still shining, his praises still sung? He is existent and immortal. The Christ is everlasting, even as its traces are everlasting.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk at Theosophical Society, San Francisco, October 11, 1912; Unpublished Manuscript by Ella Cooper)
The assistance of the Blessed Beauty brings about extraordinary things. Every act of the Blessed Beauty constitutes in itself a consummate proof. In one of my early writings I wrote that in the eyes of the possessors of insight the doings of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth have no equal. For instance, if the Blessed Beauty asked after someone's health, although outwardly a common expression, it could give to a person who was perceptive hints as to the wisdom and mystery hidden in the words spoken on that occasion. Thus it is that God in all His actions is distinct from all others, just as a wise man displays in all his actions the signs of wisdom.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Mahmud’s Diary chronicling ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s journey to America, entry August 4, 1912)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; also in ‘The Compilation of Compilations vol II’)
… when the holy breaths of the Spirit of God (Jesus) were shedding their sweetness over Palestine and Galilee, over the shores of Jordan and the regions around Jerusalem, and the wondrous melodies of the Gospel were sounding in the ears of the spiritually illumined, all the peoples of Asia and Europe, of Africa and America, of Oceania, which comprises the islands and archipelagoes of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, were fire-worshipers and pagans, ignorant of the Divine Voice that spoke out on the Day of the Covenant. Alone the Jews believed in the divinity and oneness of God. Following the declaration of Jesus, the pure and reviving breath of His mouth conferred eternal life on the inhabitants of those regions for a period of three years, and through Divine Revelation the Law of Christ, at that time the vital remedy for the ailing body of the world, was established.
- 'Abdu’l-Baha ('Secret of Divine Civilization')
He is completely simple and direct. He himself does not demand all this deference, but just to be in his presence makes one fell absolutely 'weak and lowly'. The Guardian is ever courteous and does not lose patience with questions of the immature. However, he is not reticent about letting people know which questions are important, and which are not, and which will be answered later by the International House of Justice...
(Recorded by a pilgrim in 1956; quoted by Ruhiyyih Khanum in ‘The Priceless Pearl’)
As war's inferno was engulfing the world, 'Abdu'l-Bahá turned His attention to the one great task remaining in His ministry, that of ensuring the proclamation to the remotest corners of the Earth of the message which had been neglected -- or opposed -- in Islamic and Western society alike. The instrument He devised for this purpose was the Divine Plan laid out in fourteen great Tablets, four of them addressed to the Bahá'í community of North America and ten subsidiary ones addressed to five specific segments of that community. Together with Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet of Carmel and the Master's Will and Testament, the Tablets of the Divine Plan were described by Shoghi Effendi as three of the "Charters" of the Cause. Revealed during the darkest days of the war, in 1916 and 1917, the Divine Plan summoned the small body of American and Canadian believers to assume the role of leadership in establishing the Cause of God throughout the planet. The implications of the trust were awe-inspiring.
(‘Century of Light’, a document prepared under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice and published in 2001)
O My beloved Lord, how long wilt Thou abandon Me to them? Lift Me up unto Thee, shelter Me close to Thee, make Me a dwelling by Thy throne of glory. Verily art Thou the Answerer of prayers, and Thou art the Clement, the Merciful. O My Lord! Verily this world with all its vastness can no longer contain Me, and I love this cross, out of love for Thy beauty, and yearning for Thy realm on high, and because of this fire, fanned by the gusts of Thy holiness, aflame within My heart. Help me, O Lord, to ascend unto Thee, sustain Me that I may reach unto Thy sacred Threshold, O My loving Lord! Verily Thou art the Merciful, the Possessor of great bounty! Verily Thou art the Generous! Verily Thou art the Compassionate! Verily Thou art the All-Knowing! There is none other God save Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful!
- Jesus Christ (Quoted by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in 'Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Baha')
This love the Guardian had for the Greatest Holy Leaf, who had watched over him for thirty-five years as far more than a mother, continued to be demonstrated for the remainder of his life. When the news of her death [15 July 1932 at the age of 86] reached him in Switzerland his first act was to plan for her grave a suitable memorial which he hastened to Italy to order. No one could possibly call this exquisitely proportioned monument, built of shining white Carrara marble, anything but what it appears - a love temple, the embodiment of Shoghi Effendi's love, he had undoubtedly conceived its design from buildings of a similar style and, under his supervision, an artist now incorporated his concept in the monument he planned to erect on her resting-place. Shoghi Effendi used to compare the stages in the Administrative Order of the Faith to this monument, saying the platform of three steps was like the local Assemblies, the pillars like the National Assemblies, and the dome that crowned them and held them together like the Universal House of Justice, which could not be placed in position until the foundations and pillars were first firmly erected. After the Greatest Holy Leaf's monument had been completed in all its beauty he had a photograph of it sent to many different Assemblies, as well as to a special list of individuals to whom he wished to present so tender a memento. 
Shrine of Greatest Holy Leaf
- Ruhiyyih Khanum ('The Priceless Pearl')
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘The Secret of Divine Civilization’; Ruhi Book 5)
Leroy was born in Wilmington, Illinois, in the heartland of America, soon after Baha'u'llah's Message first reached the West in 1893. His father, Charles loas, was of Lutheran background and had come from Munich to the United States in 1880. He accepted the Faith in 1898 and served it faithfully until his death in 1917, as a member and secretary of the House of Spirituality in Chicago, the first Local Spiritual Assembly. To him 'Abdu'l-Baha made a remarkable promise: “… thou wilt behold thyself in a lofty station, having all that is in earth under its shadow…" He was "that wonderful man loas", whose seed, like Abraham's, scattered around the globe in succeeding generations, to carry the news of the New Day.
Leroy's mother, Maria, born a German Catholic, accepted Baha'u'llah with her husband. For her son, she was "one of the angels of the American Baha'i community", and lived to hear of his elevation to the rank of Hand of the Cause and to participate in the dedication of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in Wilmette in 1953, to the erection of which both husband and children had greatly contributed.
- Baha’u’llah (compilation: ‘Bahiyyih Khanum, The Greatest Holy Leaf’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 1982)
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Quoted by J.E. Esslemont in "Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era"; The Compilation of Compilations vol. II, The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional Attitude)
… in the religion of God eating meat is permissible. Man can live without meat. To kill an animal and eat his flesh seems to be cruelty, but today it is almost impossible for the people not to eat the flesh of animals. It is difficult to tell people not to eat pork, mutton, beef, fish. Supposing that they do not eat these, what are they going to do about drinking water: for in this glass there are thousands of living animalcule which cannot be seen under the microscope, swimming in the water. They are dancing in the air that man breathes… They enter the body of man and die. This cheese is full of them. If you put it under the microscope you will see them moving. When you consider this with a broader view, you see it is not possible not 'to eat animals. Why is it permissible?
We must observe that these animals which are in the cheese represent animal life without intelligence, but you are eating them. This transfers them from the animal kingdom to the human kingdom. They were without intelligence and now they find intelligence; they were knowledge zand now they attain knowledge. Their sensibilities were primitive now they become developed, they receive a portion in thinking and reasoning. Then these animals which you are eating evolve from a low stage to a higher stage of existence. Therefore it is permissible to eat animals.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, October 29, 1920, recorded by Mrs. H.E. Hoagg)
The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them.... The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion, a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise, a majority of voices must prevail.
- `Abdu'l-Bahá (cited in a letter dated 5 March 1922 written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, published in ‘Bahá'í Administration: Selected Messages 1922-1932’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, Consultation)
“The whole earth,” Bahá’u’lláh, on the other hand, forecasting the bright future in store for a world now wrapt in darkness, emphatically asserts, “is now in a state of pregnancy. The day is approaching when it will have yielded its noblest fruits, when from it will have sprung forth the loftiest trees, the most enchanting blossoms, the most heavenly blessings.” “The time is approaching when every created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or unseen!” “These great oppressions,” He, moreover, foreshadowing humanity’s golden age, has written, “are preparing it for the advent of the Most Great Justice.” This Most Great Justice is indeed the Justice upon which the structure of the Most Great Peace can alone, and must eventually, rest, while the Most Great Peace will, in turn, usher in that Most Great, that World Civilization which shall remain forever associated with Him Who beareth the Most Great Name.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)
The Bahá’í Movement is now well known throughout the world, and the time has come when Nabíl’s unique narrative of its beginnings in darkest Persia will interest many readers. The record which he sets down with such devoted care is in many respects extraordinary. It has its thrilling passages, and the splendour of the central theme gives to the chronicle not only great historical value but high moral power. Its lights are strong; and this effect is more intense because they seem like a sunburst at midnight. The tale is one of struggle and martyrdom; its poignant scenes, its tragic incidents are many. Corruption, fanaticisms and cruelty gather against the cause of reformation to destroy it, and the present volume closes at the point where a riot of hate seems to have accomplished its purpose and to have driven into exile or put to death every man, woman, and child in Persia who dared to profess a leaning towards the teaching of the Báb.
- Shoghi Effendi
(‘Introduction to ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)
Always amazing was his inexhaustible memory and the ease with which he recalled episodes, placing personages in their proper positions, with all their particulars of names, backgrounds and degrees of relationship. It was like reliving the spellbound days of my childhood when my aged and learned tutor would narrate the legendary feats of Greek mythology, with gods and people brought alive by his fascinating word pictures.
- Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery (‘Shoghi Effendi – Recollections’)
- Shoghi Effendi
(‘Preface to God Passes By’)
O thou seeker of the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. Thou hast written of the severe calamity that hath befallen thee—the death of thy respected husband. That honourable man hath been so subjected to the stress and strain of this world that his greatest wish was for deliverance from it. Such is this mortal abode: a storehouse of afflictions and suffering. It is ignorance that binds man to it, for no comfort can be secured by any soul in this world, from monarch down to the most humble commoner. If once this life should offer a man a sweet cup, a hundred bitter ones will follow; such is the condition of this world. The wise man, therefore, doth not attach himself to this mortal life and doth not depend upon it; at some moments, even, he eagerly wisheth for death that he may thereby be freed from these sorrows and afflictions.
As to thy husband, rest assured. He will be immersed in the ocean of pardon and forgiveness and will become the recipient of bounty and favour. Strive thine utmost to give his child a Bahá’í training so that when he attaineth maturity he may be merciful, illumined and heavenly.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
A year (1931) after his return to Iran he married Ata'iyyih Aziz-Khurasani. Together they settled in the remote village of Saysan and established a Baha'i school for girls and another for boys; this was the first access to modem education available to these children (eventually the schools had an attendance of about 700 students). In 1933 he was offered the position of principal of the Tarbiyat School for boys in Tihran but declined in order to remain in Saysan.
In 1934 he was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran and served as its secretary. He was also elected to the local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran and served on both simultaneously often as secretary of both bodies -- for a great many years. Also in 1934, at the request of the Guardian, he accepted the position of principal of the Tarbiyat School. A few months after he took on this role, Reza Shah Pahlavi issued an order to close all the Baha'i schools in Iran.
If thou art sailing upon the sea of God's Names, which are reflected in all things, know thou that He is exalted and sanctified from being known through His creatures, or being described by His servants. Everything thou beholdest hath been called into being through the operation of His Will. How can such a created thing, therefore, be indicative of His essential oneness? God's existence in itself testifieth to His Own oneness, while every created thing, by its very nature, beareth evidence that it hath been fashioned by God. Such is the proof of consummate wisdom in the estimation of those who sail the ocean of divine Truth.
If, however, thou art sailing upon the sea of creation, know thou that the First Remembrance, which is the Primal Will of God, may be likened unto the sun. God hath created Him through the potency of His might, and He hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, caused Him to be manifested in every Dispensation through the compelling power of His behest, and God will, to the end that knoweth no end, continue to manifest Him according to the good-pleasure of His invincible Purpose.
And know thou that He indeed resembleth the sun. Were the risings of the sun to continue till the end that hath no end, yet there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun; and were its settings to endure for evermore, still there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun. It is this Primal Will which appeareth resplendent in every Prophet and speaketh forth in every revealed Book. It knoweth no beginning, inasmuch as the First deriveth its firstness from It; and knoweth no end, for the Last oweth its lastness unto It.
In the time of the First Manifestation the Primal Will appeared in Adam; in the day of Noah It became known in Noah; in the day of Abraham in Him; and so in the day of Moses; the day of Jesus; the day of Muhammad, the Apostle of God; the day of the 'Point of the Bayan'; the day of Him Whom God shall make manifest; and the day of the One Who will appear after Him Whom God shall make manifest. Hence the inner meaning of the words uttered by the Apostle of God, 'I am all the Prophets', inasmuch as what shineth resplendent in each one of Them hath been and will ever remain the one and the same sun.
- The Báb ('Selections from the Writings of the Báb')
Every morning it is the custom of the household to meet in the large sitting room, where tea is served, and the little children of the family come and chant for the Master while he drinks his tea. At this first meeting, at seven o'clock in the morning, how inexpressibly I was impressed by the absolute poise of the Master; his absolute naturalness; absolute freedom. There was an utter absence of any desire or effort to impress one with his greatness, which is majestic in its simplicity.
- Mary Lucas (‘A
Brief Account of my visit to Akka’, 1905)
If a person is registered as a member of a church or similar religious organization he should withdraw from it on becoming a Bahá'í.
In the case of new believers, it should be made clear to them in the course of teaching them the Faith that one cannot be a Bahá'í and also a member of another religious organization. This is simply a matter of straight-forwardness and honesty. A great part of the teaching of Jesus Christ concerned His Second Coming and the preparation of His followers to be ready for it. The Bahá'ís believe He has come. No Christian Church believes this; on the contrary, they either look for Him still, or have ceased to believe that He will come. For a Bahá'í to be a member of a community which holds such beliefs is disloyalty to Christ and hypocrisy towards the Christians.
You should not formalize the method by which the withdrawal from the church is to be made, and certainly nothing should be added to a declaration form, if you use one. It should be left to the Local Spiritual Assembly which is accepting the declaration to satisfy itself, as it deems best in each case, that the new believer has already resigned from the church, or does so within a reasonable time of his declaration.
In regard to the old believers, your Assembly should tactfully, and in a kindly way, make the Bahá'í position clear to them and gently persuade them to resign from their former churches. This is a matter for great tact and discretion. If such a believer remains adamant you will have to consider depriving him of his voting rights.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland, November 21, 1968: Canadian Bahá'í News Special Section, March 1973; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)
One day, in the course of one of His riding excursions into the country, Baha’u’llah accompanied by His companions seated by the roadside, a lonely youth. His hair was dishevelled, and he wore the dress of a dervish.[1] By the side of a brook he had kindled a fire, and was cooking his food and eating it. Approaching him, Baha’u’llah most lovingly inquired: 'Tell me. dervish, what is that you are doing'?" "I am engaged in eating God," he bluntly replied. "I am cooking God and am burning Him." The unaffected simplicity of his manners and the candour of his reply pleased Baha’u’llah extremely. He smiled al his remark and began to converse with him with unrestrained tenderness and freedom. Within a short space of time, Baha’u’llah had changed him completely. Enlightened as to the true nature of God, and with a mind purged from the idle fancy of his own people, he immediately recognized the Light which that loving Stranger had so unexpectedly brought him. That dervish, whose name was Mustafa became so enamoured with the teachings which had been instilled into his mind that, leaving his cooking utensils behind, he straightway rose and followed Baha’u’llah. On foot, behind His horse, and inflamed with the fire of His love, he chanted merrily the verses of a love-song which he had composed on the spur of the moment and had dedicated to his Beloved. "Thou art the Day-Star of guidance," ran its glad refrain. 'Thou art the Light of Truth. Unveil Thyself to men, O Revealer of Truth." Although, in later years, that poem obtained wide circulation among his people, and it became known that a certain dervish ... had, without premeditation, composed it in praise of his Beloved, none seemed to be aware to whom it actually referred, nor did anyone suspect, at a time when Baha’u’llah was still veiled from the eyes of men, that this dervish alone had recognized His station and discovered His glory.
- Nabil ('The Dawn-Breakers')
[1] Literally beggar, poor one: the name given to one of many orders of religious mendicants and Islamic mystics
