The amazing way Shoghi Effendi wrote 'God Passes By' - the touching history of the first century of the Cause

The method of Shoghi Effendi in writing God Passes By was to sit down for a year and read every book of the Bahá'í Writings in Persian and English, and every book written about the Faith by Bahá'ís, whether in manuscript form or published, and everything written by non-Bahá'ís that contained significant references to it. I think, in all, this must have covered the equivalent of at least two hundred books. As he read he made notes and compiled and marshalled his facts. Anyone who has ever tackled a work of an historical nature knows how much research is involved, how often one has to decided, in the light of relevant material, between this date given in one place and that date given in another, how back-breaking the whole work is. How much more so then was such a work for the Guardian who had, at the same time, to prepare for the forthcoming Centenary of the Faith and make decisions regarding the design of the superstructure of the Báb's Shrine. When all the ingredients of his book had been assembled Shoghi Effendi commenced weaving them into the fabric of his picture of the significance of the first century of the Bahá'í Dispensation. It was not his purpose, he said, to write a detailed history of those hundred years, but rather to review the salient features of the birth and rise of the Faith, the establishment of its administrative institutions, and the series of crises which had propelled it forward in a mysterious manner, through the release of the Divine power within it, from victory to victory. He revealed to us the panorama of events which, he wrote, "the revolution of a hundred years...has unrolled before our eyes" and lifted the curtain on the opening acts of what he asserted was one "indivisible, stupendous and sublime drama, whose mystery no intellect can fathom, whose climax no eye can even dimly perceive, whose conclusion no mind can adequately foreshadow."

“Americans are a noble nation, with capacity to acquire every virtue and investigate every truth”

For nine months I have been touring America, calling the people to the oneness of humanity. I have delivered addresses in churches and large assemblies in many cities, inviting the people to the oneness of mankind and to love and unity. The people of America extended a cordial welcome to me. In fact, Americans are a noble nation, with capacity to acquire every virtue and investigate every truth.

Since I shall leave your shores tomorrow, I bid you farewell. I pray that divine confirmations, heavenly glory and eternal life may be granted to you, so that you may reach the highest pinnacles of the world of man. I am most grateful to you and shall never forget you. I shall ever supplicate at the court of the Almighty and beg divine assistance and heavenly bounty for you. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, December 4, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His a secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

The Greatest Holy Leaf, Munirih Khanum and her four daughters

The Middle row, those sitting on chairs, left to right: Munawar and Touba (daughters of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Munirih Khanum), the Greatest Holy Leaf, Munirih Khanum (wife of ‘Abdu’l-Baha), Diya’iyyih (daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Munirih Khanum, mother of Shoghi Effendi), and Ruha (daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Munirih Khanum). The other ladies in the picture are pilgrims and believers from Haifa-Akka area.

God “knoweth all things and is known of none”

Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou art He Whom all things worship and Who worshipeth no one, Who is the Lord of all things and is the vassal of none, Who knoweth all things and is known of none.

- Baha’u’llah (Prayes and Meditations by Baha’u’llah)

“Whenever I remember thee my heart swelleth with sadness and my regret groweth more intense”

A colorized picture of Bahiyyih Khanum,
the Greatest Holy Leaf

O my well-beloved, deeply spiritual sister! [the Greatest Holy Leaf] Day and night thou livest in my memory. Whenever I remember thee my heart swelleth with sadness and my regret groweth more intense. Grieve not, for I am thy true, thy unfailing comforter. Let neither despondency nor despair becloud the serenity of thy life or restrain thy freedom. These days shall pass away. We will, please God, in the Abhá Kingdom and beneath the sheltering shadow of the Blessed Beauty, forget all these our earthly cares and will find each one of these base calumnies amply compensated by His expressions of praise and favour. From the beginning of time sorrow and anxiety, regret and tribulation, have always been the lot of every loyal servant of God. Ponder this in thine heart and consider how very true it is. Wherefore, set thine heart on the tender mercies of the Ancient Beauty and be thou filled with abiding joy and intense gladness.... 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Bahiyyih Khanum: The Greatest Holy Leaf’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 1982)

The “apparent evolution in the scope” of the teachings of the Faith during 1844-1944

We perceive a no less apparent evolution in the scope of its teachings, at first designedly rigid, complex and severe, subsequently recast, expanded, and liberalized under the succeeding Dispensation, later expounded, reaffirmed and amplified by an appointed Interpreter, and lastly systematized and universally applied to both individuals and institutions.

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

“Vaffa” and “Saffa” Kinney of New York city

Carrie and Edward Kinney of New York. 'Abdu'l-Baha gave Edward the name Saffa (serenity) and Carrie, Vaffa which means certitude.

How to attract people to the Faith – ‘Abdu’l-Baha explains

In my talks with the reverend doctors of religion and men of the peace societies I have spoken the Glad-tidings of Baha’u’llah, but always according to their varying need and capacity. As capacities differ, the purpose must be to satisfy the degree of hunger, destroy all possible antagonism and establish a point of agreement. We cannot induce men to lay down their arms by fighting with them. War intensifies the spirit of strife. War begets war. We are peacemakers, not destroyers of peace. Therefore ‘Abdu’l-Baha finds the note of harmony which vibrates in every human heart. This is our subtle basis. Build upon it. Follow no other method. Talk about things upon which we agree and say nothing about things upon which we differ. We must disorganize humanism in order to construct a spiritual edifice in the world of humanity. This edifice is heavenly but its foundations are planted in the unity of human hearts. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Howard MacNutt, Star of the West, vol. IV, no. 1, 1913)

“the magnetism of the Word of God is sincerity of intention”

You must give up all differences among you – differences of opinion – and all work for the same aim. You must be qualified with divine attributes, so that the Word of God may assist you, so that the bounties of God may descend upon you. And know that without the help of the Holy Spirit you will not be able to do this. And the magnetism of the Word of God is sincerity of intention. And until you are entirely severed from yourself and emptied of yourself, you will never be sincere enough.

You must entirely sacrifice yourself. You must close your eyes to all rest. You must give up even your happiness and your enjoyment so that you may be able to do this. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, recorded by Juliet Thompson during her visit in Akka, ‘The Diary of Juliet Thompson’)

Bahá’u’lláh “admonishes His followers”

“Seize your chance,” He admonishes His followers, “inasmuch as a fleeting moment in this Day excelleth centuries of a bygone age… Neither sun nor moon hath witnessed a day such as this… It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation of God hath lived is divinely ordained and may, in a sense, be characterized as God’s appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it. The designation ‘Seal of the Prophets’ fully reveals and demonstrates its high station.”  

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

“Plurality in race is an unfounded belief.”; “All are servants of one God.”

As to racial prejudice: all humanity is one progeny. All are servants of one God. All are of one essence. There is no plurality in race because all are the sons of Adam. Plurality in race is an unfounded belief. Before God there is no England, France, Turkey or Persia. All these people are regarded as one before God. God did not made these divisions. They are made by man; hence, they are false and contrary to reality. Everyone has two eyes, two ears, one head and two feet. There is no racial prejudice among animals, no such prejudice among pigeons. A pigeon of the East will mingle with a pigeon of the West harmoniously. A sheep of the West will not say to a sheep of the East: `You are of the East and I am of the West.' Instead they mix together. If a pigeon comes from the East, it will mix with the pigeons of the West. It will not say, `I am of the East while you are of the West.' Is it worthy of man to entertain an attitude which animals do not allow? 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, first public talk in Canada, September 1, 1912, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, a secretary for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His travels in the West; published in ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

“Prayer verily bestoweth life”

Praise be to God, thy heart is engaged in the commemoration of God, thy soul is gladdened by the glad tidings of God and thou art absorbed in prayer. The state of prayer is the best of conditions, for man is then associating with God. Prayer verily bestoweth life, particularly when offered in private and at times, such as midnight, when freed from daily cares. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional Attitude)

1927 Persia: First time delegates from nine leading provinces convened a conference

With their traditional fidelity and characteristic vigor, notwithstanding the unimaginable hindrances they have to face, they have convened their first historic representative conference of various delegates from the nine leading provinces of Persia, have evolved plans for holding every year as fully representative a convention of Bahá'í delegates in Persia as circumstances permit, and modelled after the method pursued by their brethren in the United States and Canada.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 18, 1927; 'Baha'i Administration')

Baha’u’llah testifies that He accomplished “to deliver that whereunto I was bidden by God”

“We verily,” He [Baha'u'llah] Himself has testified, “have not fallen short of Our duty to exhort men, and to deliver that whereunto I was bidden by God, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Had they hearkened unto Me, they would have beheld the earth another earth.” And again: “Is there any excuse left for anyone in this Revelation? No, by God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne! My signs have encompassed the earth, and My power enveloped all mankind, and yet the people are wrapped in a strange sleep!” 

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

19th century Persia: All major and many minor leadership posts were given to descendants of the Sháh

Descendants of the Sháhs were thrust into the most lucrative posts throughout the country, and as the generations went by they filled innumerable minor posts too, far and wide, till the land was burdened with this race of royal drones who owed their position to nothing better than their blood and who gave rise to the Persian saying that “camels, fleas, and princes exist everywhere.”

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

Bahá’u’lláh’s first journey for the Báb

The first journey Bahá’u’lláh undertook for the purpose of promoting the Revelation announced by the Báb was to His ancestral home in Núr, in the province of Mázindarán. He set out for the village of Tákúr, the personal estate of His father, where He owned a vast mansion, royally furnished and superbly situated… Bahá’u’lláh had already, prior to the declaration of the Báb, visited the district of Núr, at a time when the celebrated mujtahid Mírzá Muhammad Taqíy-i-Núrí was at the height of his authority and influence. Such was the eminence of his position, that they who sat at his feet regarded themselves each as the authorised exponent of the Faith and Law of Islám…

When, in the year ’60, Bahá’u’lláh arrived in Núr, He discovered that the celebrated mujtahid who on His previous visit had wielded such immense power had passed away. The vast number of his devotees had shrunk into a mere handful of dejected disciples who, under the leadership of his successor, Mullá Muḥammad, were striving to uphold the traditions of their departed leader. The enthusiasm which greeted Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival sharply contrasted with the gloom that had settled upon the remnants of that once flourishing community. A large number of the officials and notables in that neighbourhood called upon Him and, with every mark of affection and respect, accorded Him a befitting welcome. They were eager, in view of the social position He occupied, to learn from Him all the news regarding the life of the Sháh, the activities of his ministers, and the affairs of his government. To their enquiries Bahá’u’lláh replied with extreme indifference, and seemed to reveal very little interest or concern. With persuasive eloquence He pleaded the cause of the new Revelation, and directed their attention to the immeasurable benefits which it was destined to confer upon their country.  Those who heard Him marvelled at the keen interest which a man of His position and age evinced for truths which primarily concerned the divines and theologians of Islám. They felt powerless to challenge the soundness of His arguments or to belittle the Cause which He so ably expounded. They admired the loftiness of His enthusiasm and the profundity of His thoughts, and were deeply impressed by His detachment and self-effacement. 

- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Prayer for Children

He is God

O my God! O my God! Thou seest these children, branches of the Tree of Life, birds of the Garden of Safety, pearls of the shells of the ocean of Thy Mercy and roses of the rose-garden of Thy Guidance.

O Lord! Verily we glorify in Thy praise, sanctify Thee and supplicate to the Kingdom of Thy Mercifulness to make us candles of guidance, stars of the horizon of the Eternal Majesty among the creatures; and teach us from Thy Knowledge, O Glory of the Most Glorious!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Star of the West, vol.1, no. 19, March 2, 1911)

National Spiritual Assembly’s responsibility concerning delegates to National Convention

...we agree that it is the task of your Assembly to see that the delegates are lovingly made aware of their sacred responsibilities to attend, to consult and to vote. Admittedly, it is preferable that the delegates attend the sessions of the Convention in person so they may take an active part in all of its proceedings and acquaint their fellow-workers on their return with an account of the accomplishments, decisions and plans of their national community. You should bear in mind, however, that some of the delegates may be unable to attend the Convention due to illness and yet others for quite legitimate reasons may well find it impossible to undertake a journey to the seat of the Bahá'í Convention. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 9 April 1970 to a National Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, The National Convention)

Tablet from Baha'u'llah concerning the Purest Branch

Tablet revealed by Baha'u'llah at the time when in His presence the Purest Branch was being prepared for burial.

Bahá’u’lláh’s words concerning changes that the world will go through

“Soon,” proclaim it, “will the present day Order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth and is the Knower of things unseen.” “By Myself,” He solemnly asserts, “the day is approaching when We will have rolled up the world and all that is therein, and spread out a new Order in its stead. He, verily, is powerful over all things.” “The world’s equilibrium,” He explains, “hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this Most Great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System, the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.” “The signs of impending convulsions and chaos,” He warns the peoples of the world, “can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing Order appeareth to be lamentably defective.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (Quoting Baha’u’lláh in ‘The Unfoldment of World Civilization’, included in ‘The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh)

1920: Baha'i delegates and friends attending the twelfth annual Mashriqu'l-Adhkar convention in New York city

 

The reason for the appearance of a Manifestation of God in a given place

The reason for the appearance of a Manifestation of God in a given place is not to honor a particular people or nation. Shoghi Effendi indicates a quite different reason in The Advent of Divine Justice and, more concisely, in a letter to an individual written on his behalf on 23 January 1944:

“The ever-recurring miracle in the establishment of every religion is that such poor instruments accomplish the work of God. It is to demonstrate the fact that God is the power that overcomes every obstacle, and that Revelations are divine in origin, that leads Him to always choose the worst people among whom to manifest His Messenger and the most obscure and helpless of the population -- relatively speaking -- to establish the foundations of His Faith. The Baha'i Dispensation is no exception to this rule, as you yourself have observed.”

Beyond these points is the fact that God, the Almighty Creator, does not have to justify His choice of a race or nationality from which to raise up a Manifestation. As all sacred scriptures tell us, He does as He wills and shall not be asked of His doing, and we bow in humility before Him. Besides, as you must know, conceptions of race, nation, oriental, occidental, and the like reflect earthly limitations and are not qualifications attached to the reality of the soul in the limitless realms of God. 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual Baha’i, dated 27, October, 1986; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)

A requirement for seeker after Truth: To “cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein”

O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must … so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.

- Baha'u'llah  ('Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah')

“It is God's will that the differences between nations should disappear.”

It is God's will that the differences between nations should disappear. Those who help the Cause of Unity on, are doing God's work. Unity is the Divine Bounty of this brilliant century. Praise be to God, there are many societies and many meetings held for Unity. Hatred is not so much the cause of separation now as it used to be; the cause of disunion now is mostly prejudice. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha from discourses given in London and Paris; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 19, March 2, 1912)

An example of Baha’u’llah guiding the Guardian

One evening during their [Mr. and Mrs. Featherstone’s] pilgrimage, the Guardian had sent a message to the pilgrims to begin dinner and he would join them a little later. They did so and during the meal, the Guardian came in, sat down and, before commencing to eat, as though he could not hold back the news any longer, burst out with an announcement of a series of changes he was planning to make to the administration of the Faith, including an extension of the institution of the Hands of the Cause who would have ‘deputies' (the Auxiliary Board members) and other developments. Suddenly the Guardian paused, and Rúhíyyih Khánum said, "But, Shoghi Effendi, you didn't say anything about this before." Perhaps realising the impact these sudden and far-reaching announcements were having on the pilgrims and the others at the dinner table, the Guardian bowed his head and replied, very softly: "I did not know before this evening – I am under the guidance of Bahá'u'lláh." All these new developments had come into his mind as a ready-made plan, through the guidance he was promised by the Master. This seems to be the way the Guardian operated. 

(Related by Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone about his pilgrimage in 1953, quoted by Bill Washington concerning his own pilgrimage in 1957: ‘Recollections of Pilgrimage: Nine Days with the Guardian in 1957’)

One of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s secretaries describes the Master’s recollection of time in the prison of Akka

'Abdul Baha spoke on happiness, saying that the soul of man must be happy, no matter where he is. He must attain to that condition of inward beatitude and peace, where outward circumstances can not alter his spiritual calm and joyousness. No one can imagine a worse place than the barracks of Acca. The climate was bad, the water no better, the surroundings filthy and dirty, and the deportment of the officials unbearable, while he and his family were looked upon as enemies of religion and destroyers of morals. The Government had given orders that no one should address them during their stay in Acca and that they should not be allowed to converse with each other.

Upon their arrival, the officials found that there were not enough rooms in the barracks to imprison them separately, so all were put into two bare rooms. The court had a most gloomy aspect. It contained three or four fig trees, in the branches of which several ominous owls screeched all night. Everyone became ill and there were neither provisions nor medicines.

At the entrance to the barrack there was an undertaker's room. It was a horrible looking place, yet Abdu’l-Baha lived there for two years with the utmost happiness. Up to that period he had had no opportunity to read the Koran from cover to cover, but here he found ample time and used to study this Holy Book with fervor and enthusiasm, going over the incidents and events of the lives of former prophets and finding how parallel they were with the events of these latter days. Thus he was consoled and encouraged. He would read, for instance, the following verse:

"How thoughtless are the people ! Whenever a prophet is sent unto them they either ridicule him or persecute him."

And then he read this verse:

"Verily our host is victorious over them."

He was very happy, because he was a free man. Shut off in that room his spirit traveled throughout the immensity of space. At night he went up on the roof and communed with the countless brilliant stars. What a divine feast! What a heavenly procession! What spiritual freedom! What beatific bliss! What celestial Sovereignty! 

- Mirza Ahmad Sohrab (“‘Abdu’l-Baha in Egypt”)

November 1902: The cornerstone of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar (House of Worship) of Ishqabad was laid

“O people of the world! Build ye houses of worship throughout the lands in the name of Him Who is the Lord of all religions. Make them as perfect as is possible in the world of being, and adorn them with that which befitteth them, not with images and effigies. Then, with radiance and joy, celebrate therein the praise of your Lord, the Most Compassionate. Verily, by His remembrance the eye is cheered and the heart is filled with light.” (Baha’u’llah, the Kitab-i-Aqdas)

During the lifetime of Baha'u'llah, obeying this command was impossible because the Middle Eastern Baha'is were persecuted. In order to escape oppression, many Persian Baha'is fled north, to the lands that formed part of the Russian Empire. Situated twenty-five miles from the border of Iran was the town of 'Ishqabad, in the modern Turkmenistan. By the turn of the century a large and prosperous Baha'i community had developed there, protected by the tsarist government from persecution. In the autumn of 1902 the 'Ishqabad Baha'is set out to build the first House of Worship in the Baha'i world.

On 28 November 1902 they laid the cornerstone of the building.  The 'Ishqabad Baha'is were in regular contact with the Chicago House of spirituality and on 29 November wrote a letter to them, mentioning the event. A second letter with more details followed on 10 December:

There is a “spiritual connection” between “the spirit of man and the world of existence”

It is obvious that a very deep relationship exists between the spirit of man and the world of existence. It often happens that what we see in a dream comes to pass in wakefulness; indeed, even in wakefulness when the soul is unfettered, matters come to mind which later appear in visible form. This shows that between the reasoning power of man and that visible appearance there is a spiritual connection. Furthermore, the spirit of man has the power of discovering facts. When this power is realized, problems become easily resolved. Amusingly, while materialists are engaged in making discoveries concerning the strata of the earth, they are immersed in the very spiritual power whose potency and influence they deny. They also claim to forecast coming events. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, June 10, 1912, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, a secretary for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His travels in the West; published in ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

Jesus founded sacred law on the basis of moral character and complete spirituality

In the fifth chapter of Matthew beginning with the thirty-seventh verse He counsels: “Resist not evil and injury with its like; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” And further, from the forty-third verse: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and thou shalt not vex thine enemy with enmity.’ But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth down the rain of His mercy on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?”

Many were the counsels of this kind that were uttered by that Dayspring of Divine wisdom, and souls who have become characterized with such attributes of holiness are the distilled essence of creation and the sources of true civilization.

Jesus, then, founded the sacred Law on a basis of moral character and complete spirituality, and for those who believed in Him He delineated a special way of life which constitutes the highest type of action on earth. And while those emblems of redemption were to outward seeming abandoned to the malevolence and persecution of their tormentors, in reality they had been delivered out of the hopeless darkness which encompassed the Jews and they shone forth in everlasting glory at the dawn of that new day.

Wisdom of Fasting - from a table talk by 'Abdu'l-Baha

Question: What Divine wisdom is there in fasting?

Answer: The Divine wisdom in fasting is manifold. Among them is this: As during those days [i.e., the period of fasting which the followers afterward observe] the Manifestation of the Sun of Reality, through Divine inspiration, is engaged in the descent [revealing] of Verses, the instituting of Divine Law and the arrangement of teachings, through excessive occupation and intense attraction there remains no condition or time for eating and drinking. For example, when his holiness Moses went to Mount Tur (Sinai) and there engaged in instituting thee Law of God, he fasted forty days. For the purpose of awakening and admonishing the people of Israel, fasting was enjoined upon them.

Likewise ,His Holiness Christ, in the beginning of instituting the Spiritual Law, the systematizing of the teachings and the arrangement of counsels, for forty days abstained from eating and drinking. In the beginning the disciples and Christians fasted. Later the assemblages of the chief Christians changed fasting into Lenten observances.

Likewise the Qur'an having descended in the month Ramazan, fasting during that month became a duty.

In like manner his holiness the Supreme [the Báb], in the beginning of the Manifestation, through the excessive effect of descending Verses, passed days in which his nourishment was reduced to tea only.

Likewise, the Blessed Beauty [Bahá’u’lláh], when busy with instituting the Divine Teachings and during the days when the Verses [the Word of God] descended continuously, through the great effect of the Verses and the throbbing of the heart, took no food except the least amount.

First Baha'i of the Totonaco tribe in Veracruz, Mexica

Antonio Cruz wearing traditional dress

(The Baha'i World 1979-1983)

A Church-State Country – “The right to take life was vested” in the Shah “alone”; “and so were all the functions of government, legislative, executive, and judicial”

At the time when the Báb declared His Mission, the government of the country was, in Lord Curzon’s phrase, “a Church-State.” Venal, cruel, and immoral as it was, it was formally religious. Muslim orthodoxy was its basis and permeated to the core both it and the social lives of the people. But otherwise there were no laws, statutes, or charters to guide the direction of public affairs. There was no House of Lords nor Privy Council, no synod, no Parliament. The Sháh was despot, and his arbitrary rule was reflected all down the official scale through every minister and governor to the lowliest clerk or remotest headman. No civil tribunal existed to check or modify the power of the monarch or the authority which he might choose to delegate to his subordinates. If there was a law, it was his word. He could do as he pleased. It was his to appoint or to dismiss all ministers, officials, officers, and judges. He had power of life and death without appeal over all members of his household and of his court, whether civil or military. The right to take life was vested in him alone; and so were all the functions of government, legislative, executive, and judicial. His royal prerogative was limited by no written restraint whatever.

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

Designated as a "Baha'i Shrine", Montreal, Canada

'Abdu’l-Bahá stayed at the home of the Maxwells shown here during His six-day visit to Montréal. It is known as a “Baha’i Shrine” in Canada.

Story for Children: The Horse Show

Carrie Willis stood at the wooden fence surrounding the pasture, and brushed the flowing blonde mane of her palomino mare, Lady. Her large eyes filled with tears as she said good bye to the horse she had raised from a colt. "Oh, Lady, I'm going to miss you so much. Any minute someone will come and take you away and I may never see you again." 

Carrie still remembered the pain she felt when her father first told her they had to sell Lady. "Winter will be coming soon," he had said, "and we cannot afford to buy hay and grain this year. I wish there was some other way, Carrie. But I am afraid we must sell her."

She tried talking her father out of it. She even offered to get a job after school to help buy Lady's feed. But her father would not hear of it. So the next week, Lady was sold to the Lion's Club. They were going to give her away as a prize at the annual Labor Day horse show.

So, engrossed in her thoughts, Carrie did not hear the truck and trailer pull into the driveway. Only when the doors of the truck slammed shut did she awaken to see two men walking toward her. 

"Hello there, miss," said the tallest man. "Is this the horse that is going to the fair grounds?" 

Carried nodded. 

"She sure is a beauty," said the other man, busily tying a rope into a lasso. "I would like to win her myself." 

When the lasso was finished, it was stretched around Lady's neck and used to lead her through the pasture. Carrie watched as the golden mare tossed her white-blazed face and reared on her front legs to escape the trailer's imprisonment. But the two men were experts with horses. And in only minutes, they had Lady inside. While Carrie watched the truck and trailer drive away, she was left feeling an emptiness she had never known before.

Teaching children “communes and prayers” each morning

Every day at first light, ye gather the Bahá'í children together and teach them the communes and prayers. This is a most praiseworthy act, and bringeth joy to the children's hearts: that they should, at every morn, turn their faces toward the Kingdom and make mention of the Lord and praise His Name, and in the sweetest of voices, chant and recite.

These children are even as young plants, and teaching them the prayers is as letting the rain pour down upon them, that they may wax tender and fresh, and the soft breezes of the love of God may blow over them, making them to tremble with joy. 

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

1920: A famous Persian travel teacher meets the Baha'is in Washington DC

Jinab-i-Fazel Mazandarani meets Baha'i friends in Washington, DC. Also seen in the picture is Manucher Khan sitting next to Jenab-i-Fazel.

God is “immensely high and sanctified”; “immeasurably exalted above such praise as the dwellers of the dominions of creation and invention may render unto” Him

He is God, the Sovereign Ruler, the Ever-Living, He Whose help all men implore.

Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord! Both the world of existence and the souls of men bear witness that Thou art transcendent above the revelations of Thy handiwork, and the bearers of Thy names and attributes proclaim that Thou art immeasurably exalted above such praise as the dwellers of the dominions of creation and invention may render unto Thee. All appearances and realities indicate the oneness of Thine Essence, and all evidences and signs reflect the truth that Thou art God and there is no peer or partner for Thee throughout the kingdoms of heaven and earth.

Immensely high and sanctified art Thou, O Lord! Thy divine Being testifieth that Thou art inscrutable to all that dwell in Thy realm of existence, and Thine inmost Essence proclaimeth that Thou art far above the description of those who reveal Thy glory.

The signs which the sanctified essences reveal and the words which the exalted realities express and the allusions manifested by the ethereal entities all proclaim that Thou art immeasurably exalted above the reach of the embodiments of the realm of being, and all solemnly affirm that Thou art immensely high above the description of such as are wrapt in the veils of fancy.

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord! Thy divine Being is a sure testimony of the oneness of Thine inmost Essence and Thy supreme divinity beareth witness to the unity of Thy Self, and the realities of all created things testify that no tie of intercourse bindeth Thee to anything in the kingdom of creation which Thou hast fashioned.

“the Order now stirring in the womb of a travailing age”

…they, and those who will labor after them, must press forward until the processes now set in motion will have each spent its force and contributed its share towards the birth of the Order now stirring in the womb of a travailing age. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

"payment of the Huqúq will enable the donors to become firm and steadfast and will exert a great influence on their hearts and souls”

O my heavenly friends! It is certain and evident that the Incomparable One is always praised for His absolute wealth, distinguished for His all-embracing mercy, characterized by His eternal grace, and known for His gifts to the world of existence. Nonetheless, in accordance with His inscrutable wisdom and in order to apply a unique test to distinguish the friend from the stranger, He hath enjoined the Huqúq upon His servants and made it obligatory.

Those who have observed this weighty ordinance have received heavenly blessings and in both worlds their faces have shone radiantly and their nostrils perfumed by the sweet savours of God's tender mercy. One of the tokens of His consummate wisdom is that the payment of the Huqúq will enable the donors to become firm and steadfast and will exert a great influence on their hearts and souls. Furthermore the Huqúq will be used to charitable purposes.

- 'Abdu'l-Bahá  (From a Tablet, The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Huququ’llah)

The Guardian admires the spiritual qualities and activities of German believers

The news of your most spiritual gatherings, since the Great Plan of the Master as revealed in His Testament has been unfolded to our eyes; the formation and functioning of the National Body with efficiency and harmony; the extension of your activities; the widening of your correspondence; the generous and spontaneous help you have extended us in connection with our difficulties in the Holy Land and above all the spirit of ready devotion and ever-increasing zeal which is back of it all - these are sweet thoughts that cheer the bereaved Ladies of the Holy Household and encourage here and abroad the many friends who look forward to the hour when all the Master has promised His friends in Germany will come to be fulfilled. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 17 December 1922 to the Baha’is of Germany;’ The Light of Divine Guidance vol. 1’)

A suggested quote to memorize: A characteristic of the “people of God”

They who are the people of God have no ambition except to revive the world, to ennoble its life, and regenerate its peoples.

- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah'; Ruhi Book 5)

Bahá'u'lláh acknowledges that the Báb “hath been sent down by the Will of the one true God”

We, verily, believe in Him Who, in the person of the Báb, hath been sent down by the Will of the one true God, the King of Kings, the All-Praised. We, moreover, swear fealty to the One Who, in the time of Mustaghath, [1] is destined to be made manifest, as well as to those Who shall come after Him till the end that hath no end. We recognize in the manifestation of each one of them, whether outwardly or inwardly, the manifestation of none but God Himself, if ye be of those that comprehend. Every one of them is a mirror of God, reflecting naught else but His Self, His Beauty, His Might and Glory, if ye will understand. All else besides them are to be regarded as mirrors capable of reflecting the glory of these Manifestations Who are themselves the Primary Mirrors of the Divine Being, if ye be not devoid of understanding. No one hath ever escaped them, neither are they to be hindered from achieving their purpose. These Mirrors will everlastingly succeed each other, and will continue to reflect the light of the Ancient of Days. They that reflect their glory will, in like manner, continue to exist for evermore, for the Grace of God can never cease from flowing. This is a truth that none can disprove.

- Baha'u'llah  (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)

[1] Literally, He Who is Invoked for Help. A term the Báb used to refer to the advent of the Promised One (Baha’u’llah) (Footnote in ‘Call to Remembrance’)

The Mashriqu’l-Adhkar (the Baha’i Temple) in Chicago “marks the inception of the Kingdom of God on earth."

"A most wonderful and thrilling motion will appear in the world of existence," are 'Abdu'l-Bahá's own words, predicting the release of spiritual forces that must accompany the completion of this most hallowed House of Worship. "From that point of light," He, further glorifying that edifice, has written, "the spirit of teaching ... will permeate to all parts of the world." And again: "Out of this Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, without doubt, thousands of Mashriqu'l-Adhkars will be born." "It marks the inception of the Kingdom of God on earth."

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘Citadel of Faith’)

Man needs the grace of the Holy Spirit to “free himself from the onslaught of vain and selfish desires”

Man cannot free himself from the onslaught of vain and selfish desires save through the confirming grace of the Holy Spirit. That is why it is said that baptism must be with the spirit, with water, and with fire—that is, with the spirit of divine grace, the water of knowledge and life, and the fire of the love of God. It is with this spirit, this water, and this fire that man must be baptized, that he may partake of everlasting grace. For otherwise, of what avail is it to be baptized with material water? No, this baptism with water was a symbol of repentance and of seeking remission of sins.

But in the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh this symbol is no longer required, for its reality, which is to be baptized with the spirit and the love of God, has been established and realized. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)

Nov. 27, 1924 -- The Guardian approved suggestion by Horace Holley to create Baha’i Year Books

The suggestion made by my dear and able friend, Mr. Horace Holley, as to the compilation of an annual " Bahá'í Year Book" is extremely valuable and timely. I am much impressed by it,  and feel that an immediate start should be made. I believe it can best be now undertaken under the direction and supervision of your Assembly until the time should come for the friends in the East and particularly Persia to participate effectually in its development. I trust you will send me a copy of the skeleton of the material you propose to include, and I shall here attempt to fill up any gap and render any assistance I can to make it as comprehensive, as attractive, and as authoritative as possible. 

- Shoghi Effendi ('Baha'i Administration')

Louis Bourgeois: Famous architect of the Mother Temple of the West

 

“that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul”

Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men....

- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, Music)

“Divine Manifestations are a different creation”

A man of Sufi inclinations… said, `All are from God.' The Master replied:

Yes, this is true, but one man is so exalted that others bow down before Him and He is adored by them like Christ or Moses, who called people to the oneness of divinity and who became the cause of the education of a nation, while another is so degraded that he bows down before dust and worships ants and serpents. Are these two one and the same? No, certainly not! Divine Manifestations are a different creation. All humanity is created by God but how they differ in intelligence. One is the wisest of the wise and the founder of the laws of happiness and prosperity, while the other is the most ignorant of the ignorant and a destroyer of the edifice of peace and honor.

Prophets, therefore, have a station of their own. Many people crossed the desert of Sinai but it was Moses who heard the voice of God because the divine Manifestations have a spiritual power peculiar to themselves. Mighty nations existed at the time of the appearance of the divine Manifestations but they were degraded and became obliterated. But observe what a banner of unique being Christ unfurled without friend or helper. All are from God but all have different stations. Both men and animals are from God but what a difference there is between them. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, on the train, October 30, en route from Denver to Chicago, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, a secretary for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His travels in the West; published in ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

‘Abdu’l-Baha compares Persia’s glorious past to her darkened condition in the nineteenth century

To a student of history the degeneracy of a nation once so powerful and so illustrious seems pitiful in the extreme. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who in spite of the cruelties heaped on Bahá’u’lláh, on the Báb, and on Himself, yet loved His country, called their degradation “the tragedy of a people”; and in that work, “The Mysterious Forces of Civilisation,” in which He sought to stir the hearts of His compatriots to undertake radical reforms, He uttered a poignant lament over the present fate of a people who once had extended their conquests east and west and had led the civilisation of mankind. “In former times,” he writes, “Persia was verily the heart of the world and shone among the nations like a lighted taper. Her glory and prosperity broke from the horizon of humanity like the true dawn disseminating the light of knowledge and illumining the nations of the East and West. The fame of her victorious kings reached the ears of the dwellers at the poles of the earth. The majesty of her king of kings humbled the monarchs of Greece and Rome Her governing wisdom filled the sages with awe, and the rulers of the continents fashioned their laws upon her polity. The Persians being distinguished among the nations of the earth as a people of conquerors, and justly admired for their civilisation and learning, their country became the glorious centre of all the sciences and arts, the mine of culture and a fount of virtues. ...How is it that this excellent country now, by reason of our sloth, vanity, and indifference, from the lack of knowledge and organisation, from the poverty of the zeal and ambition of her people, has suffered the rays of her prosperity to be darkened and well-nigh extinguished?”

Other writers describe fully those unhappy conditions to which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refers. 

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

1920: Some Believers from West and East in Tehran, Persia

Standing, left to right: Elizabeth H Stewart, Muhammad Labib (just returned from Haifa), Dr. Sarah Clock, Mirza Nur'd-Din. Seated, left to right, Lillian Kappes, Mahboobe (niece of Muhammad Labib), Dr. Susan Moody, Monavar (orphan from Qazwin in Tarbiat School), and Ghodsieh Ashraf (just returned from America)

Jesus was an Educator of humanity

His Holiness Jesus Christ was an educator of humanity. His teachings were altruistic; His bestowal universal. He taught mankind by the power of the Holy Spirit and not through human agency, for the human power is limited whereas the divine power is illimitable and infinite. The influence and accomplishment of Christ will attest this. Galen the Greek physician and philosopher who lived in the second century A.D., wrote a treatise upon the civilization of nations. He was not a Christian but he has borne testimony that religious beliefs exercise an extraordinary effect upon the problems of civilization. In substance he says: "There are certain people among us, followers of Jesus the Nazarene who was killed in Jerusalem. These people are truly imbued with moral principles which are the envy of philosophers. They believe in God and fear Him. They have hopes in His favors, therefore they shun all unworthy deeds and actions and incline to praiseworthy ethics and morals. Day and night they strive that their deeds may be commendable and that they may contribute to the welfare of humanity; therefore each one of them is virtually a philosopher, for these people have attained unto that which is the essence and purport of philosophy. These people have praiseworthy morals even though they may be illiterate."

- 'Abdu'l-Baha ('Baha'i World Faith')

Our love and interest for everyone should be truly universal

I wish you to study the works of the Blessed Beauty and to live according to His teaching. The basis of the teaching of Baha’u’llah is as follows: Bear in your heart great love to all races on earth, to the end that unity may be established between them. Take an interest in everyone and find out how you can help them, so that all may see that your love is truly universal. Do the will of God, do not only speak about it; the elect of God do this. People do much speaking to advance their own glory and to make themselves appear superior to their neighbors. But if you do the will of God and do not blazon it abroad, then you will change the whole world. They who do most speak least.

Man must be ever thinking of drawing nearer to God…

I hope you will be able to make all hearts pure and tender, all efforts sincere, so that everyone may work for the good of humanity. This is my prayer and desire.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk in Paris, France, October 17, 1911; Star of the West, vol. II, no. 6)

1999: Baha'i Faith on Singapore stamps

In commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of Singapore's Inter-Religious Organization, a body formed to promote peace, understanding and good will among people of different faiths, three specially-designed stamps were issued in January 1999, depicting nine of the major religions in Singapore. The Baha'i Faith was honored through its inclusion. 

(The Baha'i World, 1998-99)

God may forgive the sins of those who recognize His Manifestation when He appears

As to those who truly believe in God and are well assured in the signs revealed by Him, perchance He will graciously forgive them the things their hands have committed, and will grant them admission into the precincts of His mercy. He, in truth, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Compassionate. But the verdict of divine chastisement is pronounced against those who have turned away disdainfully from Me and have repudiated the conclusive proofs and the unerring Book with which God hath invested Me, and on the Day of Severing they shall find no protector or helper. 

- The Báb  (From a Tablet to Muhammad Shah; ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)

“the signs and tokens which, in a mysterious manner, are heralding the birth of that World Order, the establishment of which must signalize the Golden Age of the Cause of God, are growing and multiplying day by day.”

Both within and outside the Bahá’í world the signs and tokens which, in a mysterious manner, are heralding the birth of that World Order, the establishment of which must signalize the Golden Age of the Cause of God, are growing and multiplying day by day. No fair-minded observer can any longer fail to discern them. He cannot be misled by the painful slowness characterizing the unfoldment of the civilization which the followers of Bahá’u’lláh are laboring to establish. Nor can he be deluded by the ephemeral manifestations of returning prosperity which at times appear to be capable of checking the disruptive influence of the chronic ills afflicting the institutions of a decaying age. The signs of the times are too numerous and compelling to allow him to mistake their character or to belittle their significance. He can, if he be fair in his judgment, recognize in the chain of events which proclaim on the one hand the irresistible march of the institutions directly associated with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and foreshadow on the other the downfall of those powers and principalities that have either ignored or opposed it—he can recognize in them all evidences of the operation of God’s all-pervasive Will, the shaping of His perfectly ordered and world-embracing Plan. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Unfoldment of World Civilization’, included in ‘The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh)

“the splendors of the light of” our Lord have “illuminated the whole world”

Deprive me not, O my Lord, of the splendors of the light of Thy face, whose brightness hath illuminated the whole world. 

- Bahá’u’lláh (‘Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh')

Range of Baha’u’llah’s suffering

Forsaking fame and fortune, accepting imprisonment and exile, careless of ostracism and obloquy, submitting to physical indignities and cruel deprivations, He, the Vicegerent of God on earth, suffered Himself to be banished from place to place and from country to country, till at length He, in the Most Great Prison, offered up His martyred son as a ransom for the redemption and unification of all mankind. 

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

"Religion and science are intertwined with each other and cannot be separated."

Religion and science are intertwined with each other and cannot be separated. These are the two wings with which humanity must fly. One wing is not enough. Every religion which does not concern itself with science is mere tradition, and that is not the essential. Therefore science, education and civilization are most important necessities for the full religious life. 

- Abdu'l-Baha (From a talk; “‘Abdu’l-Baha in London”)

'Abdu'l-Baha in front yard of a house in Haifa

circa May 1922 – Shoghi Effendi left for a time the affairs of the Cause both at home and abroad in the hands of Bahiyyih Khanum

In the Name of God

This servant, after that grievous event and great calamity, the ascension of His Holiness 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the Abha Kingdom, has been so stricken with grief and pain and so entangled in the troubles (created) by the enemies of the Cause of God, that I consider that my presence here, at such a time and in such an atmosphere, is not in accordance with the fulfilment of my important and sacred duties.

For this reason, unable to do otherwise, I have left for a time the affairs of the Cause both at home and abroad, under the supervision of the Holy Family and the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf [Bahiyyih Khanum, sister of 'Abdu'l-Bahá] until, by the Grace of God, having gained health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy, and having taken into my hands, in accordance with my aim and desire, entirely and regularly the work of service I shall attain to my utmost spiritual hope and aspiration.

The servant of His Threshold,

Shoghi

Haifa, Palestine.

circa May, 1922 (undated).

 - Shoghi Effendi ('Baha'i Administration')

The "existence of spirit” in mineral and vegetable

As to the existence of spirit in the mineral: it is indubitable that minerals are endowed with a spirit and life according to the requirements of that stage. This unknown secret, too, hath become known unto the materialists who now maintain that all beings are endowed with life, even as He saith in the Qur’án, ‘All things are living’.

In the vegetable world, too, there is the power of growth, and that power of growth is the spirit. In the animal world there is the sense of feeling, but in the human world there is an all-embracing power. In all the preceding stages the power of reason is absent, but the soul existeth and revealeth itself. The sense of feeling understandeth not the soul, whereas the reasoning power of the mind proveth the existence thereof.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablet to August Forel)

Holding Nineteen Day Feasts on Indian reserves

We have considered your letter of March 11, 1970 concerning the difficulties you are experiencing in getting the Indian believers on reservations to hold regular Nineteen Day Feasts.

In applying instructions about Nineteen Day Feasts, as well as other matters of administration, to indigenous believers it is important that the process of weaning them away from the old forms should be accomplished gradually so as not to destroy their spirit, and your Assembly should not be too rigid in these matters.

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 3 April 1970 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, The Nineteen Day Feast)

Qazvin, Persia 1919: Baha'i class of Mirza Muhammad Labib

Those marked 'x' are Esperanto students

The Gathering of Disciples after the Crucifixion of Christ

After the departure of His Holiness to the Supreme Paradise, the disciples who had followed His teachings met together in consultation upon the summit of a mountain near Jaffa. Such a consultation was never before held. They said to each other, "His Holiness Jesus Christ has been crucified. He offered His life in this way, gave up His rest and comfort, forfeited His happiness, renounced His possessions, family and life, and quaffed the chalice of martyrdom. He educated us in order that we might arise after Him in His Cause. He sacrificed His life that the oil in the lamps of our souls might become ignited and His Light shine forth from them. He suffered on the cross that we may irrigate the tree of His planting. He consented to a cruel death in order that the seed of His sowing might be cultivated and preserved by us. Now must we be loyal to His Holiness. If we wish to be loyal we must arise to carry out the duties of loyalty. Otherwise each of us will continue to seek after his own livelihood, rest and comfort; each, like other people, find repose, enjoy a family, have a household, provide food and strive to gain glory and power. Shall we do this?”

All said, "No! We must be loyal and faithful to His Holiness Jesus Christ. Therefore with our worldly attachments we cannot attend to His service in a true spirit of severance. We must either be occupied with ourselves or engaged in His service. This Cause is a very great Cause; a Cause that is weighty and important, not light and trivial; a Cause that is not easy to carry and serve.”

Summer School: - “carrying on the divine work of bringing forth jewels from the mine of humanity”

He was very happy to hear of the success of the school, especially that it has been the means of bringing to light hitherto unsuspected capacities among the friends.... The Summer School has been carrying on the divine work of bringing forth jewels from the mine of humanity and it is the hope of Shoghi Effendi and the friends here that those who have been trained in the Summer School will carry on the work in the various localities from which they come... 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 21 October 1925 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Green Acre Summer School, published in "Bahá'í News" no. 10 February 1926; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, Centers of Baha’i Learning)

November 1871: The birth of "The mother teacher of the West"

Louisa Aurora (Lua) Moore (Getsinger) was born on 1 November 1871. This was  same day on which her father had been born and her parents married. 

(Adapted from, The Flame’, by William Sears and Robert Quigley; and, ‘A Basic Baha’i Chronology’, by Glenn Cameron)

Nineteenth century Persia as seen by various Western observers

All observers agree in representing Persia as a feeble and backward nation divided against itself by corrupt practices and ferocious bigotries. Inefficiency and wretchedness, the fruit of moral decay, filled the land. From the highest to the lowest there appeared neither the capacity to carry out methods of reform nor even the will seriously to institute them National conceit preached a grandiose self-content. A pall of immobility lay over all things, and a general paralysis of mind made any development impossible. 

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

The Báb’s messenger finds Bahá'u'lláh in Tihran and delivers the Message

In accordance with the Báb’s singular instructions of great promise, and carrying precious scrolls, Mulla Husayn set off on this first mission for his Master with his characteristically high spirit and persuasiveness, seeking out the Shaykhis en route. Isfahan, Kashan and Qum were essentially obdurate: in Isfahan he found only a youth, a sifter of wheat, and some five others destined for great service in the new Cause; in Kashan a single to-be-distinguished convert; in fanatical Qum none. But there was much planting of seeds along his route through his challenging words on the new Teachings.

Arriving in Tihran in late July or early August to discover the “Mystery of transcendent holiness” that the Báb had promised him, Mulla Husayn settled into a room in a religious college not far from the Shimiran Gate where Baha’u’llah’s rented house was located. There Haji Mirza Muhammad of Khurasan, leader of the Shaykhis of Teheran, welcomed his distinguished associate, but was skeptical of the new Teachings which contained such disturbingly convincing contents and were presented so vehemently. He even went so far as to rebuke Mulla Husayn for his failure to fortify the Shaykhi community in its doctrines. But to a young Shaykhi, a favored disciple of the leader and a priest-tutor, Mulla Muhammad Mu'allim [teacher] of Nur district, fell the signal honor of becoming the courier of Mulla Husayn.

“Ultimately there is hope for every soul of progress and forgiveness.”

Bahá’u’lláh teaches that the Mercy of God exceeds His Justice. Ultimately there is hope for every soul of progress and forgiveness. But at the same time to turn aside from this Cause, once we have really contacted its spirit, is a grave error and one not to be minimized. But although we Bahá’ís know this, we cannot thrust such a statement on non-Bahá’ís. We must always teach constructively, and be very sure that none of us, through disagreement among ourselves or indiscretion, cool off the souls of the seekers. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 14 October 1947, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Messages to Canada’)

A Baha’i Teaching: “Man's merit lieth in service and virtue…”

Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches ... Guard against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind, whether young or old, whether high or low. Beware lest ye sow tares of dissension among men or plant thorns of doubt in pure and radiant hearts. 

- Baha'u'llah (‘Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)

‘Abdu’l-Baha in Cleveland, Ohio May 5, 1912

Edward and Lua Getsinger are at the center rear