1912: Miss Lillian Kapps with boys in a class that she taught at the Tarbiyat School in Tihran, Iran

High-level features of the second period of the first Baha’i century: -1853–1892

The second period (1853–1892) derives its inspiration from the august figure of Bahá’u’lláh, preeminent in holiness, awesome in the majesty of His strength and power, unapproachable in the transcendent brightness of His glory. It opens with the first stirrings, in the soul of Bahá’u’lláh while in the Síyáh-Chál of Tihrán, of the Revelation anticipated by the Báb, attains its plenitude in the proclamation of that Revelation to the kings and ecclesiastical leaders of the earth, and terminates in the ascension of its Author in the vicinity of the prison-town of ‘Akká. It extends over thirty-nine years of continuous, of unprecedented and overpowering Revelation, is marked by the propagation of the Faith to the neighboring territories of Turkey, of Russia, of ‘Iráq, of Syria, of Egypt and of India, and is distinguished by a corresponding aggravation of hostility, represented by the united attacks launched by the Sháh of Persia and the Sultán of Turkey, the two admittedly most powerful potentates of the East, as well as by the opposition of the twin sacerdotal orders of Shi‘ah and Sunní Islám. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Preface to ‘God Passes By’)

The Marriage Certificate of Baha'u'llah -- 1835

Reliance on Baha’u’llah – “With a look He granteth a hundred thousand hopes…”

O thou who art turning thy face towards God! Close thine eyes to all things else, and open them to the realm of the All-Glorious. Ask whatsoever thou wishest of Him alone; seek whatsoever thou seekest from Him alone. With a look He granteth a hundred thousand hopes, with a glance He healeth a hundred thousand incurable ills, with a nod He layeth balm on every wound, with a glimpse He freeth the hearts from the shackles of grief. He doeth as He doeth, and what recourse have we? He carrieth out His Will, He ordaineth what He pleaseth. Then better for thee to bow down thy head in submission, and put thy trust in the All-Merciful Lord. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

Book: Shoghi Effendi - Recollections - by Ugo Giachery

The author of these ‘Recollections’ has written, not a biography, but his personal experiences of Shoghi EEendi (1896-1957) who, on the death of his Grandfather, 'Abdu'l-Baha, in 1921, found himself Guardian of the Baha’i Faith.

For thirty-six years, Shoghi Effendi bore the daunting responsibilities of his office, guiding and encouraging the Baha’is to carry the Revelation of Baha’u’llah to every part of the globe. During the last nine years of his life he developed in Haifa, on Mt. Carmel and in neighhouring 'Akka, the spiritual and administrative institutions of the World Centre of the Faith. It was Dr. Giachery's privilege and fortune to participate in nearly every aspect of these mighty undertakings, and his account of the work done in Italy for the erection of the golden-domed superstructure of the Shrine of the Bab and the International Archives on Mt. Carmel is unique. His inspired and loyal support of these projects was highly valued and commended by Shoghi EfIendi.

Although, of necessity, he lived in Italy during those years, Dr. Giachery visited Haifa on several occasions and spent a number of months there. Thus, the account he gives us of Shoghi Effendi is at first hand. It is a perceptive, affectionate and intimate portrayal of the gallant and self-sacrificing Guardian. And because those who served him so closely were few and their stories mostly unpublished, these recollections, so precious now, will forever win the gratitude of posterity. In the words of his fellow Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land, 'Your recollections have made the Guardian "come alive" in all the majesty and greatness of his station and his accomplishments.'

In this age: Mashriqu’l-Adhkar is the “greatest divine institute”

The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar [Baha’i temple] is the most important matter and the greatest divine institute. Consider how the first institute of his holiness Moses, after his exodus from Egypt was the 'Tent of Martyrdom' which he raised and which was the traveling temple. It was a tent which they pitched in the desert wherever they abode, and worshipped in it. Likewise, after his holiness Christ - May the spirit of the world be a sacrifice to Him - the first institute by the disciples was a temple. They planned a church in every country. Consider the Gospel, (i.e., read it), and the importance of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar will become evident.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted in Baha’i Year Book 1925-1926)

Alcohol should not be served on all Baha’i sponsored occasions

...it is clear that on all occasions officially sponsored by Bahá'í Institutions or where the host is acting as a representative of the Cause alcohol should not be served. In private homes or in the course of business or professional activity it is left to the conscience of Bahá'ís themselves whether they serve alcoholic drinks to non-Bahá'ís but the obligation is very strong to observe the prohibition enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh.

- The Universal House of Justice  (From  a letter written to a National Spiritual Assembly dated 8 February 1968; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Prohibition on Drinking Alcohol)

1920: 'Abdu'l-Baha being Knighted

 

The Guardian’s intent for writing the weighty treatise known as The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh

It is not my purpose, as I look back upon these crowded years of heroic deeds, to attempt even a cursory review of the mighty events that have transpired since 1844 until the present day. Nor have I any intention to undertake an analysis of the forces that have precipitated them, or to evaluate their influence upon peoples and institutions in almost every continent of the globe. The authentic record of the lives of the first believers of the primitive period of our Faith, together with the assiduous research which competent Bahá’í historians will in the future undertake, will combine to transmit to posterity such masterly exposition of the history of that age as my own efforts can never hope to accomplish. My chief concern at this challenging period of Bahá’í history is rather to call the attention of those who are destined to be the champion-builders of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh to certain fundamental verities the elucidation of which must tremendously assist them in the effective prosecution of their mighty enterprise. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’ included in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

The Guardian prepared the genealogy of the Báb – included in the American edition of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’

In addition, one finds in his [Shoghi Effendi] own handwriting the genealogy of the Báb, showing connection with Bahá'u'lláh's descendants, and presented on a fivefold sheet of paper twenty-six inches long. [1] The genealogy is prepared with scrupulous care, and shows the ramifications of the families, including names known to every Bahá'í as well as names unknown to the average believer, but which Shoghi Effendi brought to mind with great facility. [2] 

- Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery  (‘Shoghi Effendi – Recollections’)

[1] The genealogy appears only in the American edition.

[2] The genealogy of the Bab is also to be found in The Bahá'í World, vol. IV, facing p.234, and in vol. V, facing p. 203. An even greater labour, the genealogy of Bahá'u'lláh, also in Shoghi Effendi's handwriting, is included in The Bahá'í World, vol. V, facing p. 205. It is printed on a sheet of paper forty-six inches long, folded eight times.

“Wherever you find the attributes of God love that person”

When you love a member of your family or a compatriot, let it be with a ray of the Infinite Love! Let it be in God, and for God! Wherever you find the attributes of God love that person, whether he be of your family or of another.... 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912"; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, Family Life)

A Baha’i Teaching: We should worship God only for His sake – “without fear of fire or hope of paradise”

Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God's creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men.

Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without fear of fire, or hope of paradise. Although when true worship is offered, the worshipper is delivered from the fire, and entereth the paradise of God's good-pleasure, yet such should not be the motive of his act. However, God's favour and grace ever flow in accordance with the exigencies of His inscrutable wisdom.

The most acceptable prayer is the one offered with the utmost spirituality and radiance; its prolongation hath not been and is not beloved by God. The more detached and the purer the prayer, the more acceptable is it in the presence of God. 

- The Báb  (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’)

Shoghi Effendi’s “intense objectiveness”

[1939]: "I sometimes feel that this intense objectiveness of Shoghi Effendi is one of the factors God has endowed him with. He is an absolutely unselfconscious instrument. His impulses are violent and no one (I mean no disinterested observer) could doubt the tremendous achievements of his for the Cause, all carried out on these unhesitating impulses. That is all his decisions -- but of course he revolves things for weeks, sometimes years in his mind before acting. All the thought in the world is there but when he feels the urge he never waits five seconds!"

- Ruhiyyih Khanum  (Entry from her diary, ‘The Priceless Pearl’)

Story for Children: Faithful Isfandiyar

Before Baha'u'llah became a follower of the Báb, he had a home in the country, surrounded by many acres of land, and a palace in the city of Tihran which had beautiful gardens around it. To take care of all of this, many servants were needed, and one of these was an African by the name of Isfandiyar. He was very happy to work for Baha'u'llah and His family, and he did everything he could to please them. He was very fond of the children -- 'Abdu'l-Baha, who was then about eight years old; Bahiyyih Khanum, who was six; and the baby, Mirza Mihdi, who was only two. He was also devoted to Asiyih Khanum, the children's beautiful young mother.

When Baha’u’llah became known as a follower of the Báb, many people who had pretended to be His friends, but who really envied Him, turned against Him. They told the Shah that Baha’u’llah was his enemy, and that He was secretly planning to become King Himself. Other people were against Baha’u’llah because they thought that the teachings of the Báb were against their religion.

Finally Baha’u’llah was thrown into prison, although He had done nothing to deserve it. His palace was broken into, and most of the valuable furniture, rugs, pictures, and things were stolen. When this happened, all the relatives of the family and all of the servants ran away, for fear they might be attacked by the robbers, or that they might even be put into prison. The only one who stayed to help Asiyih Khanum and the children was Baha’u’llah’s brother, Mlrza Musa. He helped Asiyih Khanum to find a small house to rent in a different part of the city, where Baha’u’llah’s enemies would not be likely to find them, and they moved to it at night.

A supplication from ‘Abdu’l-Baha for believers: - Spiritual transformation

O Lord! O Lord! These souls are righteous, their hearts attracted, their minds enkindled their ears opened, their eyes seeing, their spirits rejoiced, their breasts dilated, their realities contented, their identities satisfied and their hearts attentive. They are supplicating toward Thee, turning their faces to Thee, and begging for Thy Mercy.

O Lord! O Lord! Enkindle their lamps, ignite their torches, uplift their waves and open to them the Door of Bounty.

O Lord! Adorn their gardens, beautify their orchards, illumine their faces, confirm their words, hoist their ensigns, commemorate their names, perfect their morals, cleanse their hearts, purify their breasts and glorify their countenances; so that the manifest light may be seen upon their brow, and the Bloom of Paradise in their faces.

Verily, Thou art the Merciful, Thou art the Clement, the Compassionate and the Ancient!  

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Star of the West', vol. 1, no. 7, July 13, 1910)

1975: Bahamas National Haziratu'l-Quds

Negotiations for the acquisition of a building which is considered a landmark by Bahamian citizens were completed in Nassau at the end of January [1975], during a visit by Glenford Mitchell, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States. The structure, built by a former prime minister of the country, will serve as the National Haziratu'l-Quds of the Bahamas. Ideally located in the heart of downtown Nassau, the building is situated on a spacious lot which also includes a number of smaller buildings. It is well-landscaped and attractive, with a covered archway leading along the side of the building from the front to the back area. The visit of Mr. Mitchell also provided an opportunity for extensive proclamation of the Faith, with a half-hour program taped by Carl Bethel, program director of the government-owned radio station, WZNS, and an hour-long visit with Leon Turnquest, editor of the Nasseu Guardian. 

(Baha’i News, February, 1975)

Baha’u’llah’s marriage with Asiyih Khanum

In about 1832, Baha'u'llah's older sister Sarih married Mirza Mahmud, a son of a minister of the Shah of Persia for the town of Yalrud, which is located near Baha’u’llah’s ancestral place, Takur in the northern province of Mazindaran. Three years later in about October 1835, Baha'u'llah himself, at the age of eighteen, married the sister of Mirza Mahmud, Asiyih Khanum who was then about sixteen years old. She was reported to have been beautiful, kind and caring. Baha’u’llah’s older sister had an active and supporting role in her Brother’s wedding arrangements.

This is how Bahiyyih Khanum, Asiyih Khanum’s daughter, recalled her mother many years later during a conversation with lady Blomfield, a Baha’i from the West who had gone on pilgrimage to Holy Land:

‘I wish you could have seen her as I first remember her, tall, slender, graceful, eyes of a dark blue --a pearl, a flower amongst women . . .

I have been told that even when very young, her wisdom and intelligence were remarkable. I always think of her In those earliest days of my memory as queenly in her dignity and loveliness, full of consideration for everybody, gentle, of a marvellous unselfishness, no action of hers ever faded to show the loving- kindness of her pure heart; her very presence seemed to make an atmosphere of love and happiness whenever she came, enfolding all comers In the fragrance of gentle courtesy.'

After the fall from power and death of Baha'u'llah's father in 1839, the family lost their home and Baha'u'llah had to rent a house in the 'Udlajan Quarter of Tehran for His wife, mother and most of His step-mothers and their children. It was here that the couple's surviving children were born (they had seven children in all but only three survived to adulthood). Their eldest surviving son was born in 1844 and was named ‘Abbas after his grandfather but is better known by the title he took later in life as ‘Abdu'l-Baha (the servant of Baha'u'llah). Next in 1846 came a daughter, named Fatimih Sultan Khanum, who in later years was known by the titles Bahiyyih Khanum and the Greatest Holy Leaf, and then in 1850 a son, Mirza Mehdi, who was later given the title the Purest Branch by Baha’u’llah.

(Adapted from 'Baha’u’llah: A Short Biography' by Moojan Momen)

“purified and sanctified” souls enter the “Divine Realm” after death

The center of the Sun of Truth and of the Supreme World is the Divine Kingdom. Those souls who are purified and sanctified, after the disintegration of this elemental tabernacle, hasten to the Divine Realm, and that Realm is in this universe, but the people of this world have no knowledge of it, just as the mineral and vegetable kingdoms have no knowledge of the animal and human kingdoms. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet to Mr. and Mrs. Ostburg, Boston, Mass; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 5, June 5, 1911)

Rashḥ-i-‘Amá (The Clouds of the Realms Above): Possibly the first fruit of Baha’u’llah’s Divine Pen and the only preserved Tablet revealed in Iran

To our knowledge Bahá'u'lláh's first Tablet was a poem in Persian, Rashh-i-'Ama [The Clouds of the Realms Above] revealed in the Siyah-Chal of Tihran soon after the descent of the Most Great Spirit upon His radiant soul. It is a song of victory and joy. Although its language is allusive, His divine experience is clearly proclaimed. In every line He extols the glory of God of which He had become the embodiment, and in every phrase He unveils the spiritual worlds which were then manifested within His soul.

Although consisting of only twenty lines, this poem in itself constitutes a mighty book. Within it are contained the potentialities, the character, the power and the glory of forty years of Divine Revelation to come. It announces the glad-tidings of the release of spiritual energies which are described by Bahá'u'lláh in such terms as the wafting of the divine musk-laden Breeze, the appearance of the Ocean of the Cause of God, the sounding of the Trumpet Blast, the flow of the Living Waters, the warbling of the Nightingale of Paradise and the appearance of the Maid of Heaven. In language supremely beautiful and soul-stirring, He attributes these energies to Himself. His choice of words, and the beauty, power, depth and mystery of this poem and, indeed, of others which were revealed later, are such that they may well prove impossible to translate.

1909: A group of active Baha'i women in Chicago

Left to right: Shahnaz Waite, Christine Loeding, Luella Kirchner, Laura Jones, Ida Brush, and Jean Masson

Body is like a horse which carries the spirit

... you should not neglect your health, but consider it the means which enables you to serve. It - the body - is like a horse which carries the personality and spirit, and as such should be well cared for so it can do its work! You should certainly safeguard your nerves, and force yourself to take time, and not only for prayer and meditation, but for real rest and relaxation. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated November 23, 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; printed in Spiritual Foundations compilation)

You should always bear in mind Baha'u'llah’s counsel that we should take the utmost care of our health, surely not because it is an end in itself, but as a necessary means of serving His Cause. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated July 17, 1937 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; printed in "Selections from Baha'i Writings on Some Aspects of Health and Healing compilation prepared by the Universal House of Justice)

The tribulations sustained by the Báb: - “none of those gone before Me have suffered what I have suffered”

“I swear by God!” the Báb Himself in His Tablet to Muhammad Sháh has written, “Shouldst thou know the things which in the space of these four years have befallen Me at the hands of thy people and thine army, thou wouldst hold thy breath from fear of God.... Alas, alas, for the things which have touched Me!... I swear by the Most Great Lord! Wert thou to be told in what place I dwell, the first person to have mercy on Me would be thyself. In the heart of a mountain is a fortress [Mákú] ... the inmates of which are confined to two guards and four dogs. Picture, then, My plight.... In this mountain I have remained alone, and have come to such a pass that none of those gone before Me have suffered what I have suffered, nor any transgressor endured what I have endured!” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

Martyrdom of the Báb

To abstain from meat and be content with vegetables

If one should wholly abstain from meat and be contented with vegetables, it would be much better. And how difficult it is for a man to kill an animal and to prepare the food for himself. But as it is already killed and we find it in the market we buy it. As it is now killed, it is better to take and eat it than to leave it to become out of use. But it is very hard for a soul to take a lamb and kill it and to make of it a certain dish for a meal. If the people could bear it, the prophets would prohibit the eating of flesh. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, October 1909, Akka, recorded by Miss Wilson of Boston, Mass., Miss Engelhorn of Portland, Ore., Miss Stewart of Philadephia, Pa, and Mrs. Brittingham of Brooklyn, NY)

The Dawn-Breakers: - Nabil’s style of composition

He writes with ease, and when his emotions are strongly stirred his style becomes vigorous and trenchant. He does not present with any system the claims and teaching of Bahá’u’lláh and His Forerunner. His purpose is the simple one of rehearsing the beginnings of the Bahá’í Revelation and of preserving the remembrance of the deeds of its early champions. He relates a series of incidents, punctiliously quoting his authority for almost every item of information. His work in consequence, if less artistic and philosophic, gains in value as a literal account of what he knew or could from credible witnesses discover about the early history of the Cause.

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘Introduction to ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

High-level features of the first period of the first Baha’i century: -1844–1853

The first period (1844–1853), centers around the gentle, the youthful and irresistible person of the Báb, matchless in His meekness, imperturbable in His serenity, magnetic in His utterance, unrivaled in the dramatic episodes of His swift and tragic ministry. It begins with the Declaration of His Mission, culminates in His martyrdom, and ends in a veritable orgy of religious massacre revolting in its hideousness. It is characterized by nine years of fierce and relentless contest, whose theatre was the whole of Persia, in which above ten thousand heroes laid down their lives, in which two sovereigns of the Qájár dynasty and their wicked ministers participated, and which was supported by the entire Shi‘ah ecclesiastical hierarchy, by the military resources of the state, and by the implacable hostility of the masses. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Preface to ‘God Passes By’)

Teaching activities at Haziratu'l-Quds

Teaching Institutes activities may be carried on in the Haziratu'l-Quds as long as necessary, but you should keep in mind the goal of eventually acquiring a Teaching Institute elsewhere. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 22 January 1968 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Centers of Baha’i Learning)

Pondering the world of dreams

Indeed, O brother, if we ponder each created thing, we shall witness a myriad consummate wisdoms and learn a myriad new and wondrous truths. One of the created phenomena is the dream. Behold how many secrets have been deposited therein, how many wisdoms treasured up, how many worlds concealed. Observe how thou art asleep in a dwelling, and its doors are shut; on a sudden thou findest thyself in a far-off city, which thou enterest without moving thy feet or wearying thy body. Without taxing thine eyes, thou seest; without troubling thine ears, thou hearest; without a tongue, thou speakest. And perchance when ten years have passed, thou wilt witness in this temporal world the very things thou hast dreamt tonight.

Now there are many wisdoms to ponder in the dream, which none but the people of this valley can comprehend in their reality. First, what is this world where without eye or ear or hand or tongue one can put all these to use? Second, how is it that in the outer world thou seest today the effect of a dream which thou didst witness in the world of sleep some ten years past? Consider the difference between these two worlds, and the mysteries they conceal, that, attended by divine confirmations, thou mayest attain unto heavenly discoveries and enter the realms of holiness. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘The Seven Valleys’, revised translation by the Baha’i World Center included in ‘The Call of the Divine Beloved’)

An example of how Bahá'u'lláh during His youthful years chastised a famous religious leader for showing disrespect towards Christ

Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, a famous Baha’i scholar, relates in one of his works what he himself heard from a divine.

In a gathering where Bahá'u'lláh was present a famous high-ranking Sufi religious leader who was highly esteemed by Muhammad Shah, was holding forth on the station that a human being can attain. Referring to himself, he said, 'Should my servant come to me and say that Jesus the Christ was at the door, asking for me, my detachment is such that I would express no wish to see Him.' Some of those present kept silent, while others out of flattery murmured assent. Only Bahá'u'lláh spoke up. He turned to the boastful divine who had expressed such disrespect for a Manifestation of God, and said: 'You are very close to the person of the sovereign and he is very devoted to you, but if the chief executioner with ten of his men were to come to this door and tell you that the monarch wanted to see you, would you take it calmly or would you be perturbed?' The arrogant religious leader paused for a while before replying, 'In truth, I would feel anxious.' 'In that case,' said Bahá'u'lláh, 'you should not make such an assertion.'

Bahá'u'lláh's authoritative statement, according to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, left them all speechless.

(Adapted from “Baha’u’llah, the King of Glory’, by H.M. Balyuzi)

'Abdu'l-Baha with some western pilgrims on Mount Carmel

The appearance of “Divine Illumination” when the “world was environed with darkness”

When the world was environed with darkness, the Sea of Generosity was set in motion and Divine Illumination appeared so that the deeds were disclosed. This is the same illumination which is promised in the heavenly books. Should the Almighty desire the hearts of the people of the world, He will purify and sanctify them with the power of the Word, and will pour forth the Light of the Sun of Unity upon the souls to regenerate the world. 

- Baha’u’llah  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 1, no. 1, March 21, 1910)