Significance of the remains and relics of the Manifestations of God

There is no special physical significance in the remains of the Prophets or relics of Their Persons. But there is a profound spiritual significance in the sense that Their dust was the physical mirror of the greatness of God. In other words we know God through His Prophets, Who have bodies; these bodies -- Their very dust -- are precious through association. It is natural for people to be touched by a lock of hair or some token of one they loved; how much more should we treasure and feel moved by a relic of the Beloved of God? …

The atoms of the Prophets are just atoms, like all others, but the association of this great spiritual power with them leaves in the place they are laid to rest a spiritual atmosphere, if one can use this expression. They are, no doubt, endowed with a tremendous spiritual influence and far-reaching power. But the physical character of their atoms are not different from other people's, any more than their bodies and physical functions are different. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; ‘Directives from the Guardian’)

Khadijih Bagum & Asiyih Khanum were born in the same year

The wife of the Báb, Khadijih Bagum and the wife of Bahá’u’lláh, Asiyih Khanum (Navváb), both were born in the same year – the year 1820. Bahá’u’lláh was 2 years older than the Báb. 

(A Basic Baha’i Chronology, by Glenn Cameron and Wendi Momen)

Florence Evelyn Schopflocher: - she undertook travel teaching trips to Far East in 1920's

Landing in Bengazi, Africa, in the Libyan desert. Florence is fourth from right.

A young dervish recognizes Bahá’u’lláh’s station in 1844

While Bahá’u’lláh was spreading the Divine Message of the Báb in the district of Nur in northern Iran in 1844, an amazing incident took place which Nabil recorded:

One day, in the course of one of His riding excursions into the country, Bahá’u’lláh, accompanied by His companions, saw, 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, Bahá’u’lláh most lovingly enquired: “Tell Me, dervish, what is it 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 Bahá’u’lláh extremely. He smiled at his remark and began to converse with him with unrestrained tenderness and freedom. Within a short space of time, Bahá’u’lláh 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 recognised the Light which that loving Stranger had so unexpectedly brought him. That dervish, whose name was Mustafá, became so enamoured with the teachings which had been instilled into his mind that, leaving his cooking utensils behind, he straightway arose and followed Bahá’u’lláh. On foot, behind His horse, and inflamed with the fire of His love, he chanted merrily 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 the Truth.” Although, in later years, that poem obtained wide circulation among his people, and it became known that a certain dervish, surnamed Majdhúb, and whose name was Mustafá Big-i-Sanandají, 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 Bahá’u’lláh was still veiled from the eyes of men, that this dervish alone had recognised His station and discovered His glory. 

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

[1] Poor one, Religious mendicant, Islamic mystic

The “maturity” “stage…in the collective life of mankind”

That mystic, all-pervasive, yet indefinable change, which we associate with the stage of maturity inevitable in the life of the individual and the development of the fruit must, if we would correctly apprehend the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh, have its counterpart in the evolution of the organization of human society. A similar stage must sooner or later be attained in the collective life of mankind, producing an even more striking phenomenon in world relations, and endowing the whole human race with such potentialities of well-being as shall provide, throughout the succeeding ages, the chief incentive required for the eventual fulfillment of its high destiny. Such a stage of maturity in the process of human government must, for all time, if we would faithfully recognize the tremendous claim advanced by Bahá’u’lláh, remain identified with the Revelation of which He was the Bearer. 

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

Inside of the dome of the Local Bahá'í House of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia

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. 

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

'Abdu'l-Baha riding on a donkey in Akka-Haifa area

Ruhiyyih Khanum’s links with Africa

The first time she touched African soil was in July 1923, when she accompanied her mother, May Maxwell, on pilgrimage. During that summer, when she was just thirteen, they spent a few months in Egypt in the north of Africa. But the first time Amatu'l-Baha actually travelled in this continent was in 1940 with Shoghi Effendi himself and with her father. Mr. Maxwell had been invited by the beloved Guardian to live in Haifa after the passing of his wife, but soon after he joined them in Rome they were cut off from the Holy Land by the events of World War II. The Mediterranean Sea was closed to the Allies and Shoghi Effendi decided to sail to South Africa; from here he and Ruhiyyih Khanum drove overland most of the way from Cape Town to Cairo and so on to the Holy Land. It was this historic journey, in the company of the beloved Guardian himself, which was her first real introduction to Africa.

circa 1925: Martha Root with Aziz Yazdi and some other Baha'is of Cairo, Egypt

“consciously strive to be more loving, more united, more dedicated and prayerful than ever before”

We all know how often the Master and the beloved Guardian called upon the friends to consciously strive to be more loving, more united, more dedicated and prayerful than ever before in order to overcome the atmosphere of present-day society which is unloving, disunited, careless of right and wrong and heedless of God. "... when we see the increasing darkness in the world today," the Guardian's secretary wrote on his behalf, "we can fully realize that unless the Message of Bahá'u'lláh reaches into the hearts of men and transforms them, there can be no peace and no spiritual progress in the future." 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a message to the Baha’is of the world dated 16 November 1969; Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986)

circa 1910: Commemorating the annual Declaration of the Báb - 'Abdu'l-Baha serving those in attendance

[Utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Baha on the day of the annual celebration of the Báb's Declaration, held on Mount Carmel, when representatives of all different religions, such as Jewish, Zoroastrian, Christian and Mohammedan Baha’is were seated around the table and ‘Abdu’l-Baha was serving them all personally:]

"There are different gatherings and various meetings held in the world which apparently are in the utmost degree of arrangement and order; in the palaces of the kings many feasts and banquets are held which are incomparable and peerless; also, in the castles of the opulent ones great entertainments are presented and various kinds of foods and victuals are served; the singing of melodious tunes and playing of musical instruments exhilarate and deeply affect the concourse. Associations for political affairs are formed and convivial banquets for pleasure and gratification are offered; assemblages for exhibition of arts and sciences, literature and acquirements are established; meetings for the promotion of industry and commercial matters are being held; extraordinary conventions and religious congresses are arranged.

“But all these assemblages and different gatherings are not to be compared with and equal to this, our meeting. Although from those gatherings and conferences certain results and effects are produced which render great service to the human world and make mankind progress and develop on the plane of civilization, promulgate the attributes and virtues of the world of humanity; yet the results are limited, the fruits thereof are finite and the signs are bounded; whereas the traces, the lights and the results of this gathering are unlimited, boundless and infinite, for it is held on the Supreme Spot (the Tomb of the Báb) and under the shadow of the Blessed Beauty.

The “vibrant personality of Abdu'l-Bahá, mysterious in His essence..."

The “vibrant personality of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, mysterious in His essence, unique in His station, astoundingly potent in both the charm and strength of His character.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

Casting the “seeds of faith and loving fellowship ... in the soil of hearts”

I have shared fully your news with those loving pilgrims and resident friends in the Holy Land whom I meet regularly in what was in the past the audience-chamber of the Master and who thirst after the tidings of the progress of the Cause in every land. They, and myself with them, will pray most fervently for every one of you that the seeds of faith and loving fellowship that you are casting in the soil of hearts may germinate and swell the ever increasing number of the valiant hosts of Bahá and enable them to attain glorious victory. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter addressed to the Baha’is of Australia, 20 December, 1922; Messages to Antipodes’)

Features of government administration and judicial procedure in 19th Century Persia

...Under a twofold governing system, such as that of which I have now completed the description—namely, an administration in which every actor is, in different aspects, both the briber and the bribed; and a judicial procedure, without either a law or a law court—it will readily be understood that confidence in the Government is not likely to exist, that there is no personal sense of duty or pride of honour, no mutual trust or co-operation (except in the service of ill-doing), no disgrace in exposure, no credit in virtue, above all no national spirit or patriotism.

- Lord Curzon (‘Persia and the Persian Question’, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in the ‘Introduction’ to ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

The “marked improvement in the conditions surrounding the pilgrimages” during 1844-1944

…we can even bear witness to the marked improvement in the conditions surrounding the pilgrimages performed by its devoted adherents to its consecrated shrines at its world center—pilgrimages originally arduous, perilous, tediously long, often made on foot, at times ending in disappointment, and confined to a handful of harassed Oriental followers, gradually attracting, under steadily improving circumstances of security and comfort, an ever swelling number of new converts converging from the four corners of the globe, and culminating in the widely publicized yet sadly frustrated visit of a noble Queen, who, at the very threshold of the city of her heart’s desire, was compelled, according to her own written testimony, to divert her steps, and forego the privilege of so priceless a benefit. 

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

circa 1800: Shimran Gate, Tehran

“the very purpose of marriage”

For Bahá’u’lláh explicitly reveals in His Book of Laws that the very purpose of marriage is the procreation of children who, when grown up, will be able to know God and to recognize and observe His Commandments and Laws as revealed through His Messengers. Marriage is thus, according to the Bahá’í Teachings, primarily a social and moral act. It has a purpose which transcends the immediate personal needs and interests of the parents. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 14 October 1935, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: Baha’i Family, online Baha’i Reference Library of the Universal House of Justice)

A Baha’i Teaching: Readjustment of social economy

… Bahá'u'lláh set forth principles of guidance and teaching for economic readjustment. Regulations were revealed by Him which ensure the welfare of the commonwealth. As the rich man enjoys his life surrounded by ease and luxuries, so the poor man must, likewise, have a home and be provided with sustenance and comforts commensurate with his needs. This readjustment of the social economy is of the greatest importance inasmuch as it ensures the stability of the world of humanity; and until it is effected, happiness and prosperity are impossible. 

- Abdu'l-Baha (From a talk: ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

Bahá’u’lláh estimates “the station ordained for the true believer”

Estimating the station of the true believer He remarks: “By the sorrows which afflict the beauty of the All-Glorious! Such is the station ordained for the true believer that if to an extent smaller than a needle’s eye the glory of that station were to be unveiled to mankind, every beholder would be consumed away in his longing to attain it. For this reason it hath been decreed that in this earthly life the full measure of the glory of his own station should remain concealed from the eyes of such a believer.” “If the veil be lifted,” He similarly affirms, “and the full glory of the station of those who have turned wholly towards God, and in their love for Him renounced the world, be made manifest, the entire creation would be dumbfounded.” 

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

Hands of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar Furutan and John Robarts

Hands of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar Furutan (left) and John Robarts embrace before addressing the International Youth Conference in Canada -- London, Ontario, August 25-27, 1984 (Baha'i News October 1984)

April 9, 2026 - The “the evidences of the treatment meted out by a generation sunk in self-content, careless of its God, and oblivious of the omens, prophecies, warnings and admonitions revealed by His Messengers”

Unmitigated indifference on the part of men of eminence and rank; unrelenting hatred shown by the ecclesiastical dignitaries of the Faith from which it had sprung; the scornful derision of the people among whom it was born; the utter contempt which most of those kings and rulers who had been addressed by its Author manifested towards it; the condemnations pronounced, the threats hurled, and the banishments decreed by those under whose sway it arose and first spread; the distortion to which its principles and laws were subjected by the envious and the malicious, in lands and among peoples far beyond the country of its origin—all these are but the evidences of the treatment meted out by a generation sunk in self-content, careless of its God, and oblivious of the omens, prophecies, warnings and admonitions revealed by His Messengers. 

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

Describing Shoghi Effendi as he appeared to the outer eye of a pilgrim

I will try to describe him [Shoghi Effendi] for you as he appears to the outer eye. Now I know why there have been no adequate descriptions of him by the Pilgrims. It is completely unimportant. It is describing a mirror when you can't behold the sun that shines in it. It is describing a symphony by saying it has four movements, when you can't express the exhilaration and joy that its music stirs in you. This is more true of the Guardian. His is a music unique to the planet. It is a spiritual language which transcends even a musical language. ‘Abdu'l-Bahá said there was a spiritual language as different from our language as ours is from the cries of animals. This is the language of the presence of the guardian. It cannot be expressed, it must be experienced; what is written here is but the shadow of the reality. Only a pilgrimage of your own will clothe it in flesh. If you have seen him, you will understand this.

The Guardian, as I remember him, is short in stature. His hair is dark, greying on the sides. He is of medium to dark complexion. He has dark eyes that seem to become a shade of the reality. He is of medium to dark complexion. He has dark eyes that seem to become a shade lighter when they are most animated, as though they burned with some inner fire. His features are regular. He is smooth shaven except for a dark moustache. There is an energetic quality about his person, even when at rest. He is very sturdy. I judge this by the firmness I felt when he embraced me. He has very small, slender hands which are shapely and expressive. All of his gestures are extremely graceful. He wore a rust colored topcoat over his inner clothes all during the time I was there. His tie was always brown. He wears a slender gold Bahá'í ring on the second finger of his right hand. He wears a black fez with a black button in the center of the top. Almost every evening he brought some new cable, drawing, or document with him to the table. Frequently he discusses the work of the Faith with the Hands and the members of the International Council. The dinner table is long and narrow. It seats ten comfortably. The latest pilgrim used to sit at the head of the table. Now Mason Remey sits there. The Guardian sits on his right, and the latest pilgrim on Mason's left, opposite Shoghi Effendi. Ruhiyyih Khanum sits on the Guardian's immediate right. The pilgrim is only three feet away, yet a world away from him. 

- Bill Sears  (‘Pilgrimage to Haifa’, 1954)

'Abdu'l-Baha at Green Acre August 16-23, 1912

Baha’u’llah’s sufferings and “the voice of the lamentation” of His followers

Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Thou beholdest me in the clutches of my oppressors. Every time I turn to my right, I hear the voice of the lamentation of them that are dear to Thee, whom the infidels have made captives for having believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and for having set their faces towards the horizon of Thy grace and of Thy loving-kindness. And when I turn to my left, I hear the clamor of the wicked doers who have disbelieved in Thee and in Thy signs, and persistently striven to put out the light of Thy lamp which sheddeth the radiance of Thine own Self over all that are in Thy heaven and all that are on Thy earth.  

- Baha’u’llah (‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)

How to express one's opinion when consulting

… consultation must have for its object the investigation of truth. He who expresses an opinion should not voice it as correct and right but set it forth as a contribution to the consensus of opinion, for the light of reality becomes apparent when two opinions coincide. A spark is produced when flint and steel come together. Man should weigh his opinions with the utmost serenity, calmness and composure. Before expressing his own views he should carefully consider the views already advanced by others. If he finds that a previously expressed opinion is more true and worthy, he should accept it immediately and not willfully hold to an opinion of his own. By this excellent method he endeavors to arrive at unity and truth. Opposition and division are deplorable. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (From a talk; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

1925: Mrs. Foujdar, (nee Shirin Irani): - First Eastern woman to be able to speak in public in the East

Dr. and Mrs. K. M. Foujdar of Bombay, India, 1925. 

Bahá’u’lláh embodies God’s attributes of “Maker of the heavens and Lord of all names”

The hearts of Thy chosen ones, O my Lord, have melted because of their separation from Thee, and the souls of Thy loved ones are burnt up by the fire of their yearning after Thee in Thy days. I implore Thee, O Thou Maker of the heavens and Lord of all names, by Thy most effulgent Self and Thy most exalted and all-glorious Remembrance, to send down upon Thy loved ones that which will draw them nearer unto Thee, and enable them to hearken unto Thine utterances. 

- Baha’u’llah (‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)

“whether after a few children it would be permissible to have a surgical operation on the wife to prevent further conception”

As to your desire and that of your husband to avoid any action which would permanently prevent you from bearing children, the only text we have so far found on the subject is in a letter to an individual believer from the beloved Guardian. The question asked was whether after a few children it would be permissible to have a surgical operation on the wife to prevent further conception. His reply was that such an act was inacceptable and unworthy, and those who commit the act were responsible before God.

When the Guardian was asked whether the exercise of birth control constitutes a sin in a case where the number of children would prevent the father from fulfilling his obligation to educate his children, he stated that it is the duty of Baha'is to uphold moderation in all things, and avoid illegal methods.  

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter to an individual believer, July 31, 1970; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’) 

November 1964: The Universal House of Justice arrives at two decisions concerning the Hands of the Cause

“after study of the sacred texts and hearing the views of the Hands of the Cause themselves, has arrived at the following decisions:

There is no way to appoint, or to legislate to make it possible to appoint, Hands of the Cause of God.

Responsibility for decisions on matters of general policy affecting the Institution of the Hands of the Cause, which was formerly exercised by the beloved Guardian, now devolves upon the Universal House of Justice as the supreme and central institution of the Faith to which all must turn. 

- The Universal House of Justice (‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963 to 1986’)

The belief in the possibilities of miracles

The belief in the possibilities of miracles, on the contrary, implies that God's power is beyond any limitation whatsoever. For it is only logical to believe that the Creator, Who is the sole Author of all the laws operating in the universe, is above them and can, therefore, if He deems it necessary, alter them at His Own Will. We, as humans, cannot possibly attempt to read His Mind, and to fully grasp His Wisdom. Mystery is therefore an inseparable part of true religion, and as such, should be recognized by the believers. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, October 1, 1935; Canadian Bahá'í News, February 1968; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

1956: First Regional National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of North West Africa

(Baha'i News August 1956)

A prayer for individual: - assistance with "means of livelihood"

O God! O God! Cause me to drink from the cup of Thy bestowal. Illumine my face with the light of guidance. Make me firm in faithfulness and steadfastness in Thine Ancient Covenant. Suffer me to become one of Thy sincere servants. Open before my face the doors of prosperity. Prepare for me the means of livelihood. Give me my bread through channels over which I have no control, Thy heavenly treasures. Grant me the power to turn my face toward Thy merciful Countenance, to be faithful to Thy Cause.

O Thou Clement and Compassionate One! Verily, Thou art gracious to those who are firm and steadfast in Thy strong and impregnable Covenant. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. 14, no. 6, Sept. 1923)

The second Tablet of the Divine Plan

Abdu'l-Baha in the garden
surrounding the Shrine of
Baha'u'llah May1 1921

It was revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Baha on Monday morning, March 27th 1916, in the garden adjacent to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, addressed to the Bahá'ís of sixteen Southern States of the United States: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas Oklahoma, and Texas. 

- Hand of the Cause Balyuzi (‘Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant’)

1925: Some Baha'is of Port Said, Egypt

New Site: Compilations by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice

Visit regularly for new additions.

“Every person must have an occupation, a trade or a craft”

Every person must have an occupation, a trade or a craft, so that he may carry other people's burdens, and not himself be a burden to others. 

- 'Abdu'l-Bahá (From a Tablet; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, The Arts and Crafts)

Penalties and prisons in 19th Century Persia

“Before I quit the subject of the Persian law and its administration, let me add a few words upon the subject of penalties and prisons. Nothing is more shocking to the European reader, in pursuing his way through the crime-stained and bloody pages of Persian history during the last and, in a happily less degree, during the present century, than the record of savage punishments and abominable tortures, testifying alternately to the callousness of the brute and the ingenuity of the fiend. The Persian character has ever been fertile in device and indifferent to suffering; and in the field of judicial executions it has found ample scope for the exercise of both attainments. Up till quite a recent period, well within the borders of the present reign, condemned criminals have been crucified, blown from guns, buried alive, impaled, shod like horses, torn asunder by being bound to the heads of two trees bent together and then allowed to spring back to their natural position, converted into human torches, flayed while living.”

- Lord Curzon  (‘Persia and the Persian Question’, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in the ‘Introduction’ to ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Spiritual fasting assists the soul “to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent” in it

Shoghi Effendi indicates that the fasting period, which involves complete abstention from food and drink from sunrise till sunset, is ‘...essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires.’ 

- The Universal House of Justice (The ‘Notes’ section of the ‘Kitab-i-Aqdas’)

1934: First National Convention of the Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand

An agricultural convention versus a convention organized by Bahá'u'lláh

When I entered this city, I saw there was quite a stir. I asked the reason and was told that an agricultural convention was being held. I remarked that Bahá'u'lláh, too, organized a convention in Persia. The difference is that your congress is of this world but Bahá'u'lláh's is divine. Great persons have come to the congress but their motive is earthly as they have assembled to consider questions concerning agriculture. But in that other congress holy ones have gathered who irrigate the field of hearts with the water of eternal life, as their motive is heavenly. This congress is decorated with earthly lamps while that is embellished with heavenly lights. The music of this is terrestrial while the strains of that are celestial. This convention meets in a private hall while that gathering is held under the tent of the unity of mankind and international peace. The queen of this congress is a lady bedecked with ornaments and embellishments of this mortal world but the king of that congress is the King of the Throne of Eternity, Whose sovereignty is divine. When I compared these two congresses I became extremely glad and prayed that God may bless your farming and bestow upon you spiritual strength and capacity for life everlasting. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, September 29, 1912, Salt Lake City, USA, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

Naw-Ruz: - its historical beginning

According to the ancient customs everyone of the nations have general holidays when all the people become happy and enjoy themselves. That is, they choose the day of the year wherein a great event or a glorious matter occurred. On that day, they manifest great joy and happiness. They visit one another. If there are any feelings of bitterness among them they become reconciled on that day, hard hearted feelings pass away and they unite and love each other. As great events occurred on the day of Naw-Ruz for the Persians, therefore, that nation made it a national feast and considered it as a holiday.

This is indeed a blessed day because it is the beginning of the temperate season and the commencement of springtime in the northern hemisphere. All earthly things whether trees, animals or human become refreshed; they receive power from the life-giving breeze and obtain a new life; a resurrection takes place, and because it is the season of springtime there is a general marvellous activity in all contingent beings.

There was a time when the Persian dynasty became extinct and no trace remained thereof. On such a day(Naw-Ruz) it became renewed. Jamsheed ascended the throne [about 3000 B.C.]. Persia became happily settled. Its power, which had been dissipated, once more returned. The hearts and souls became possessed with wonderful susceptibilities, to such a degree that Persia became more advanced than it was in former days, under the sovereignty of Kayomrth and Hoshang. The glory and greatness of the government and nation of Persia took a higher station. Likewise, a great many events occurred upon the day of Naw-Ruz that brought honour and glory to Persia and to the Persians. Therefore, the Persian nation, for the last five or six thousand years, has always considered the Feast ofNaw-Ruz as a day of national happiness and until now it is sanctified and recognized as a blessed day. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Star of the West, Vol. IX, No.1, March 21, 1918’)

News of the birth of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s first grandson and His successor

Since 'Abdu’l-Baha didn’t have any surviving sons so apparently when the news of His first grandson being born reached the West “a believer in America had written to Him that in the Bible is mentioned that after 'Abdu'l-Bahá ‘a little child shall lead them’ (Isaiah 11:6) and does this mean a real, live child who exists?” (Ruhiyyih Khanum, ‘The Priceless Pearl’) This question was answered by the Master in the following Tablet that was sent to this believer:

“O Maidservant of God! Verily, that child is born and is alive and from him will appear wondrous things that thou wilt hear of in the future. Thou shalt behold him endowed with the most perfect appearance, supreme capacity, absolute perfection, consummate power and unsurpassed might. His face will shine with a radiance that illumines all the horizons of the world; therefore forget this not as long as thou dost live inasmuch as ages and centuries will bear traces of him. Upon thee be greetings and praise. Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas” (Ruhiyyih Khanum, ‘The Priceless Pearl’)

Since “there was practically no contact between the Bahá'ís of the West and East in those days and Tablets were circulated among the American friends by copy or word of mouth” (ibid), the existence of such an important Tablet was not known to the believers in the East. It should also be noted that, as Ruhiyyih Khanum explains: “Many years before His passing, in answer to a question from some Persian believers as to whether there would be one person to whom all should turn after His death, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had written:

"...Know verily that this is a well-guarded secret. It is even as a gem concealed within its shell. That it will be revealed is predestined. The time will come when its light will appear, when its evidences will be made manifest, and its secrets unravelled." (Ruhiyyih Khanum, ‘The Priceless Pearl’)

March 18, 2026 - Relation of Jesus to other Manifestations of God

In the Word of God there is still another unity, the oneness of the Manifestations of God, His Holiness Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. This is a unity divine, heavenly, radiant, merciful; the one reality appearing in its successive manifestations. For instance, the sun is one and the same but its points of dawning are various. During the summer season it rises from the northern point of the ecliptic; in winter it appears from the southern point of rising. Each month between it appears from a certain zodiacal position. Although these dawning-points are different, the sun is the same sun which has appeared from them all. The significance is the reality of prophethood which is symbolized by the sun, and the holy Manifestations are the dawning-places or zodiacal points.

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  ('Baha'i World Faith')

Women of Iran

The Guardian spoke of the women of Iran, who had recently been given relative freedom, the chador [veil] having been abandoned by government order. He wished that "the Baha'i women would take advantage of their freedom and prepare to teach and also engage in various Baha'i activities. Before long their Western brothers and sisters would visit Iran in troops; they must be welcomed and given hospitality, and the Baha'i women of Iran must share equally in their services." He urged us to emphasize that they should follow the examples of Martha Root, May Maxwell, Keith Ransom-Kehler, and others like them. He testified to the fact that Mrs. Ransom-Kehler had sacrificed herself for the Baha'is of Iran.

- Ali-Akbar Furutan  (Notes of pilgrimage in 1941; ‘Hand of the Cause of God Furutan’, by Iran Furutan Muhajir)

Pauline and Joseph Hannen

Pauline and Joseph Hannen, early Baha'is of Washington, D.C. They natured Louis Gregory's interest in the Baha'i Faith.

The “impulse to prayer is a natural one, springing from man's love to God.”

If one friend feels love for another, he will wish to say so. Though he knows that the friend is aware that he loves him, he will still wish to say so.... God knows the wishes of all hearts. But the impulse to prayer is a natural one, springing from man's love to God.

Prayer need not be in words, but rather in thought and attitude. But if this love and this desire are lacking, it is useless to try to force them. Words without love mean nothing. If a person talks to you as an unpleasant duty, with no love or pleasure in his meeting with you, do you wish to converse with him? 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá quoted in J. E. Esslemont, "Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional Attitude)

circa 1938, Ishqabad, Russian Turkistan: “Temple, though still used for purposes of Bahá’í worship, has been expropriated, its Assemblies and committees disbanded, its teaching activities crippled, its chief promoters deported, and not a few of its most enthusiastic supporters, both men and women, imprisoned”

In central Asia, in the city enjoying the unique distinction of having been chosen by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the home of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Bahá’í world, as well as in the towns and villages of the province to which it belongs, the sore-pressed Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, as a result of the extraordinary and unique vitality which, in the course of several decades, it has consistently manifested, finds itself at the mercy of forces which, alarmed at its rising power, are now bent on reducing it to utter impotence. Its Temple, though still used for purposes of Bahá’í worship, has been expropriated, its Assemblies and committees disbanded, its teaching activities crippled, its chief promoters deported, and not a few of its most enthusiastic supporters, both men and women, imprisoned. 

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

Bahá’u’lláh paid a visit to the chief divine of Nur, in northern Iran, “to enlighten… [him] regarding a new and wondrous Message, divinely inspired…”

…Bahá’u’lláh, accompanied by a number of His companions, proceeded immediately to the village of Mullá Muhammad, the chief divine of Nur, whose two trusted envoys had already become followers of Bahá’u’lláh. Mullá Muhammad most ceremoniously received Him. “I have not come to this place,” Bahá’u’lláh observed, “to pay you an official or formal visit. My purpose is to enlighten you regarding a new and wondrous Message, divinely inspired and fulfilling the promise given to Islám. Whosoever has inclined his ear to this Message has felt its irresistible power, and has been transformed by the potency of its grace. Tell Me whatsoever perplexes your mind, or hinders you from recognising the Truth.”

Mullá Muhammad disparagingly remarked: “I undertake no action unless I first consult the Qur’án. I have invariably, on such occasions, followed the practice of invoking the aid of God and His blessings; of opening at random His sacred Book, and of consulting the first verse of the particular page upon which my eyes chance to fall. From the nature of that verse I can judge the wisdom and the advisability of my contemplated course of action.” Finding that Bahá’u’lláh was not inclined to refuse him his request, the mujtahid called for a copy of the Qur’án, opened and closed it again, refusing to reveal the nature of the verse to those who were present. All he said was this: “I have consulted the Book of God, and deem it inadvisable to proceed further with this matter.” A few agreed with him; the rest, for the most part, did not fail to recognise the fear which those words implied. Bahá’u’lláh, disinclined to cause him further embarrassment, arose and, asking to be excused, bade him a cordial farewell. 

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

“the initial stages in the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Bahá’í Era”: - “the furthermost limits in the organization of human society”

• The emergence of a world community,
• the consciousness of world citizenship,
• the founding of a world civilization and culture—

all of which must synchronize with the initial stages in the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Bahá’í Era—should, by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress and develop. 

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

What is Religion?

… religion is the channel of love unto all peoples. ('Abdu'l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha’)

... religion [is] the guarantor of mankind's great advances, the very means of attaining everlasting life, the fosterer of infinite excellence, the light of both worlds .. ('Abdu'l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha’)

Religion, moreover, is not a series of beliefs, a set of customs; religion is the teachings of the Lord God, teachings which constitute the very life of humankind, which urge high thoughts upon the mind, refine the character, and lay the groundwork for man's everlasting honour. (Abdu'l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha’)

… by religion is meant that which is ascertained by investigation and not that which is based on mere imitation, the foundations of Divine Religions and not human imitations. (Abdu'l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha’)

The Marriage of ‘Abdu’l-Baha

It was in the summer of 1873 that 'Abdu'l-Baha [then 29 years old] was married to Munirih Khanum, the niece of two brothers who were devoted followers of Baha'u'llah in Isfahan [six years later they became King and Beloved of the martyrs] She had been brought to 'Akka by Baha'u'llah in early 1873, at a time when the situation was very difficult due to the murder of the Azalis and all other Baha'i pilgrims had been told to stay away. 'Abdu'l-Baha himself had been reluctant to marry, although a number of spouses had been proposed to him over the years. He felt he could serve his father better if he remained single, as indeed did his sister Bahiyyih Khanum who never married. Although he had turned down the other spouses who had been proposed to him, he was attracted to Munirih Khanum and agreed to marry her. The marriage was put off for a few months however because the tight accommodation in their place of residence meant that the couple could not have a room to themselves. llyas 'Abbud, their neighbor who lived in the other half of the same building and who had been so fearful of the Baha’is earlier, had by this time been won over by 'Abdu'l-Baha. Bahiyyih Khanum [‘Abdu’l-Baha’s sister] went to the wife of Ilyas 'Abbud and told her of the problem. When he was informed, 'Abbud immediately opened up a doorway between his residence and Baha'u'llah's and gave ‘Abdu'l-Baha a room in his house for his use. Once this happened the marriage was able to proceed.

Story for Children: ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s temporary separation from Baha’u’llah

‘Abdu’l-Baha was with His Father, Baha’u’llah, all the time and they loved each other very, very much. But one day Baha'u'llah had to go away into the mountains and did not come back for two long years. ‘Abdu’l-Baha was about nine years old.

Missing His Father so much, ‘Abdu’l-Baha sometimes cried. He read the books of the Báb and prayed and helped the Family as much as He could.

There was a bad uncle who was living in their house. So afraid of being arrested as a Bábí, he would lock the main gate of the house and would not let the children go out to play. During this sad time many of the Bábís in Baghdad forgot the good teachings of the Báb and began to quarrel among themselves.

Then one day Baha'u'llah returned! His clothes were made of rough cloth, His hair and beard were long and His face was brown from being so many months outside in the wind and sun. ‘Abdu’l-Baha fell to the ground and kissed His Father's feet, and tears fell from Baha'u'llah's eyes as He looked at His beloved Son.

After Baha'u'llah's return there was much happiness among the people of Baghdad and many came to visit Him. Some came because they wanted to ask questions and others came just to see what was going on.

Baha'u'llah was very busy with all these people so ‘Abdu’l-Baha decided to help Him. Whenever anyone came to the house He asked them what they wanted, and if they really wanted to learn the truth then He would take them to Baha'u'llah.

(Adapted from ‘Stories of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’, by Jacqueline Nehrabi)

One of the first handwritings of Shoghi Effendi in English

Facsimile of Shoghi Effendi's handwriting in 1919. The attached Tablet was published in the Star of the West magazine, Vol. 10, No. 2, April 1919

“Fasting and obligatory prayer are as two wings to man's life.”

One who performeth neither good deeds nor acts of worship is like unto a tree which beareth no fruit, and an action which leaveth no trace. Whosoever experienceth the holy ecstasy of worship will refuse to barter such an act or any praise of God for all that existeth in the world. Fasting and obligatory prayer are as two wings to man's life. Blessed be the one who soareth with their aid in the heaven of the love of God, the Lord of all worlds. 

- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice’)

Humanity “has entered its long-predicted phase of maturity”

All created things have their degree or stage of maturity. The period of maturity in the life of a tree is the time of its fruit-bearing.... The animal attains a stage of full growth and completeness, and in the human kingdom man reaches his maturity when the light of his intelligence attains its greatest power and development. ...Similarly there are periods and stages in the collective life of humanity. At one time it was passing through its stage of childhood, at another its period of youth, but now it has entered its long-predicted phase of maturity, the evidences of which are everywhere apparent.... That which was applicable to human needs during the early history of the race can neither meet nor satisfy the demands of this day, this period of newness and consummation. Humanity has emerged from its former state of limitation and preliminary training. Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities. New bounties, perfect bestowals, are awaiting and already descending upon him. The gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although timely and sufficient during the adolescence of mankind, are now incapable of meeting the requirements of its maturity. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in The Promised Day is Come)

The “Trustees of the House of Justice”: - “God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth”

It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of Justice to take counsel together regarding those things which have not outwardly been revealed in the Book, and to enforce that which is agreeable to them. God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the Provider, the Omniscient. 

- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, The Establishment of the Universal House of Justice)

1924: Tea House and Fellowship House at Green Acre, USA

Tea House, Green Acre, Maine, USA, 1924

Fellowship House, Green Acre, Maine, USA, 1924

A Baha’i Teaching: A House of Justice to be established in every city

The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counselors to the number of Baha [9], and should it exceed this number it doth not matter. They should consider themselves as entering the Court of the presence of God, the Exalted, the Most High, and as beholding Him Who is the Unseen. It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive. 

- Baha'u'llah (The Kitab-i-Aqdas')

[The House of Justice referred to in this verse is currently known as the Local Spiritual Assembly]

A person will eventually realize the love of the Creator

One day He said to me: 

“The child does not realize the love of the parent, but when it becomes mature, it knows.” 

“Can the creature,” I asked, “ever realize the love of the Creator 

“Yes, if not in this world, then in the next -- as a sleeping one awakens.” 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Quoted by Juliet Thompson, Star of the West, vol. II, no.14, November 1911)

Hand of the Cause Mulla Abu'l-Hasan, surnamed Amin

Mulla Abu'l-Hasan-i-Ardikani, who is known as Haji Amin or Amin-i-Ilahi, was born in about the year AH 1232 (AD 21 November 1816 -- 10 November 1817) in Ardikan, a small town near Yazd. At seventeen years of age he married into a family of Bábís of the town. He was persuaded to investigate the new religion and eventually, shortly after the martyrdom of the Báb, he declared his belief. When news of the Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh came, he accepted immediately and travelled throughout Iran meeting other Bábís and teaching them of the advent of Bahá'u'lláh. After a time he became the assistant of Haji Shah-Muhammad Manshadi, Aminu'l-Bayan, who was the Trustee of the Huququ'lláh.[1] He would travel about the country, earning his living by trading and also by acting as a writer for those who could not write. At the same time he collected the Huququ'lláh and any letters that the believers wished to forward to Bahá'u'lláh, and also distributed Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh when these were received. He came to 'Akká while Bahá'u'lláh was still imprisoned in the citadel and succeeded in establishing contact with the exiles. He was the first Bahá'í from the outside world to be able to meet Bahá'u'lláh in 'Akká (in the Public Baths). He returned to 'Akká on several further occasions. When Haji Shah-Muhammad Manshadi was killed in 1880, Haji Abu'l-Hasan was appointed Trustee (Amin) of the Huququ'lláh. In 1891 he was imprisoned with Haji Akhund for three years in Tihran and Qazvin. In the time of 'Abdu'l-Bahá he continued his travels, visiting 'Akká and Haifa on several occasions. Towards the end of his life he resided in Tihran and Haji Ghulam-Rida, Amin-i-Amin, was appointed his assistant. He died in 1928 and was posthumously named a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi. 

- Balyuzi (‘Eminent Baha’is in the Time of Baha’u’llah')

[1]. The 'Right of God' -- a payment by believers instituted in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.

Mirza Abu'l-Fadl - an Apostle of Baha’u’llah

The unmerited charges levied against early believers

To the bodily agonies inflicted upon these sufferers, the charges, so unmerited, of Nihilism, occultism, anarchism, eclecticism, immorality, sectarianism, heresy, political partisanship—each conclusively disproved by the tenets of the Faith itself and by the conduct of its followers—were added, swelling thereby the number of those who, unwittingly or maliciously, were injuring its cause. 

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

“I can well inhale from thee the fragrance of My love”

O My leaf! [the Greatest Holy Leaf] Hearken thou unto My Voice: Verily there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise. I can well inhale from thee the fragrance of My love and the sweet-smelling savour wafting from the raiment of My Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous. Be astir upon God's Tree in conformity with thy pleasure and unloose thy tongue in praise of thy Lord amidst all mankind. Let not the things of the world grieve thee. Cling fast unto this divine Lote-Tree from which God hath graciously caused thee to spring forth. I swear by My life! It behoveth the lover to be closely joined to the loved one, and here indeed is the Best-Beloved of the world. 

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

1925 Haifa: Martha Root and other pilgrims

The effects of the appearance of the “Sun of Reality”

Praise be to God! The Sun of Reality has dawned, and its effulgences are shining from all horizons. The signs of God are resplendent, and the teachings of the heavenly Messengers are being spread. May the hearts be directed to the Kingdom of God and become illuminated by witnessing the lights of God in order that all created beings may obtain a portion of the divine bestowals. May the spirit of life be restored through the divine graces of the Almighty, and may the East and West be bound together. May oneness and harmony become manifest in all regions. May the people of the world become as one family and obtain the everlasting bounty. May the doors of the Kingdom be opened from all directions and the praise of the name Abhá be heard throughout the earth. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Revealed at the end of a talk at Sanatorium of Dr. C. M. Swingle, Cleveland, Ohio, ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

The story of creation in Genesis

… we read in Genesis, in the Old Testament, that the lifetime of creation is but six thousand years. Now this has a meaning. This is not to be taken literally. For instance, it is said in the Old Testament, in the first day such and such a thing was created -- in the first day! Then the narrative shows that the sun was not yet created! How could we conceive of a day if there were no sun created? For the day depends upon the existence of the sun. While no creation of the sun was yet made, how then was the first day realized? Therefore, these things have significance other than literal. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Fom an address given at the Theosophical Society, 2228 Broadway, New York City, December 4, 1912; Star of the West, vol. VII, no. 8, August 1, 1916)

Tablets of the Divine Plan collectively refers to 14 Tablets

Village of Afchih

Afchih is in Lavasan district, an orchard village, property of Baha’u’llah’s father. It is located at the end of the mountain track of Nur Valley and Takur. Riders came down the valley at upper right, passing through the village en route to Tehran 40 miles southwest. 

(Adapted from ‘Robe of Light’, by David Ruhe)

Understanding the station and functions of the Guardian – by Ruhiyyih Khanum, March 18, 1949

I doubt if there is a Baha'i living who has the proper concept of what the station and functions of our Guardian are. We are, for one type of mentality, too close to 'Abdu'l-Baha and for another type, not yet far enough from Him; sufficient historical perspective has not yet been gained, to see the true implications of the Guardianship. There are those who confuse the powers of the Guardian with those of the Manifestation of God, expecting him to be all-knowing. There are others who cannot reconcile themselves to the thought of all the power, the supreme power, vested in him. Those who endow him with an omnipresent knowledge are over-exaggerating, which is not rendering any service to one who seeks to properly grasp his function and position in the Baha'i Dispensation. On the other hand many people, preponderatingly in the West, where there is such an abnormal attitude towards personality, where there is such a jealousy and fear of leadership, greatly underrate the Guardianship's prerogatives which are in no way personal but rather functional. The first type demands that the Guardian pass on the correctness of a new astrophysical theory or foretell the date of the end of Indian-Pakistan troubles; the second type, reading the provisions of the Master's Will, seeing the unbelievable authority vested in the Guardianship, thinks of it in terms of a man, a leader, who will dispose of means, and endowed with functions no man has ever before had, and is consequently afraid of one human being exercising so much power and tries to minimize 'Abdu'l-Baha's statements. Both are utterly wrong. The Guardian is not the Manifestation of God who was the Heavenly Balance in which any knowledge could be weighed. Unless there is something in the Teachings to indicate an answer -- maybe something only a Guardian could detect or interpret, but something -- he will not pass on matters beyond his ken. Nor does he claim to know the end from the beginning. So much for those who exaggerate in one direction.

A suggested quote to memorize: How to "be a lesson for others"

By good deeds, pure lives, humility and meekness be a lesson for others.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’, vol. 1)

Baha’u’llah is the “lamp” that gives out the light of God’s “own Self” to all that are in heaven and all that are on earth

And when I turn to my left, I hear the clamor of the wicked doers who have disbelieved in Thee and in Thy signs, and persistently striven to put out the light of Thy lamp which sheddeth the radiance of Thine own Self over all that are in Thy heaven and all that are on Thy earth.

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

God has “endowed every soul with the capacity to recognize the signs of God”

He [God] hath endowed every soul with the capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have fulfilled His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause in their hearts. He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful. 

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

An illumined Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Baha in His handwriting

1800s Persia: The practice of the “balance of personal advantage” – “usually expressed in money form”: a system “so open, so shameless, or so universal” in the entire country in the nineteenth century Persia; “far from being limited to the sphere of domestic economy or to commercial transactions, it permeates every walk and inspires most of the actions of life.”

“...The ‘madakhil’ is a cherished national institution in Persia, the exaction of which, in a myriad different forms, whose ingenuity is only equalled by their multiplicity, is the crowning interest and delight of a Persian’s existence. This remarkable word, for which Mr. Watson says there is no precise English equivalent, may be variously translated as commission, perquisite, douceur, consideration, pickings and stealings, profit, according to the immediate context in which it is employed. Roughly speaking, it signifies that balance of personal advantage, usually expressed in money form, which can be squeezed out of any and every transaction. A negotiation, in which two parties are involved as donor and recipient, as superior and subordinate, or even as equal contracting agents, cannot take place in Persia without the party who can be represented as the author of the favour or service claiming and receiving a definite cash return for what he has done or given. It may of course be said that human nature is much the same all the world over; that a similar system exists under a different name in our own or other countries, and that the philosophic critic will welcome in the Persian a man and a brother. To some extent this is true. But in no country that I have ever seen or heard of in the world, is the system so open, so shameless, or so universal as in Persia. So far from being limited to the sphere of domestic economy or to commercial transactions, it permeates every walk and inspires most of the actions of life. By its operation, generosity or gratuitous service may be said to have been erased in Persia from the category of social virtues, and cupidity has been elevated into the guiding principle of human conduct.... Hereby is instituted an arithmetical progression of plunder from the sovereign to the subject, each unit in the descending scale remunerating himself from the unit next in rank below his, and the hapless peasant being the ultimate victim. It is not surprising, under these circumstances, that office is the common avenue to wealth, and that cases are frequent of men who, having started from nothing, are found residing in magnificent houses, surrounded by crowds of retainers and living in princely style. ‘Make what you can while you can’ is the rule that most men set before themselves in entering public life. Nor does popular spirit resent the act; the estimation of any one who, enjoying the opportunity, has failed to line his own pockets, being the reverse of complimentary to his sense. No one turns a thought to the sufferers from whom, in the last resort, the material for these successive ‘madakhils’ has been derived, and from the sweat of whose uncomplaining brow has been wrung the wealth that is dissipated in luxurious country houses, European curiosities and enormous retinues.”

- Lord Curzon (‘Persia and the Persian Question’  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in the ‘Introduction’ to ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

The “Spirit of Faith and Peace as revealed in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh” "will" eventually “fill the world and the darkness of strife” will “be no more”

Having returned to the Holy Land with a renewed vigour and a refreshed spirit, I shall not fail with the help of the Master to do my part in enabling you to carry on further and still further the Glorious Standard of Baha to the very heart and uttermost confines of Germany and thus hasten the Day when the Spirit of Faith and Peace as revealed in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh will fill the world and the darkness of strife be no more. 

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

'Abdu'l-Baha in 'Akka-Haifa area

“The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh”: “marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man’s collective life on this planet”

The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, whose supreme mission is none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the entire human race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man’s collective life on this planet. 

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

Dr. Susan Moody, Amatu’l-A’la (The Handmaid of the Most High), who “forged first link in (the) chain uniting (the) spiritual destinies” of Persia and the American Baha’i Community

Passing dearly beloved Susan Moody deprives Baha’i world (of the) far-famed pioneer who, through her indomitable spirit, ceaseless services, earned unique distinction. (She) forged first link in (the) chain uniting (the) spiritual destinies (of the) cradle of our Faith (i.e., Persia) and (the) community (of its) stalwart defenders in (the) great American Republic. (I am) instructing Persia rear monument perpetuating memory (of) her noble mission. (I) am gladly defraying whatever expense incurred as token (of) my admiration for community (i.e., America) to which she originally belonged and on which her consecrated life shed imperishable lustre. Advise hold befitting Memorial gathering (in) Temple Foundation Hall. 

- Shoghi Effendi (Cable dated October 31, 1934; Baha'i News, no. 88, November 1934)

An example of God’s wrath when followers of a religion become totally attached to dogmas and blind imitations and give up the essential foundation and reality of their religion

… when the Jews became fettered by empty forms and imitations, the wrath of God became manifest. When they forsook the foundations of the law of God, Nebuchadnezzar came and conquered the Holy Land. He killed and made captive the people of Israel, laid waste the country and populous cities and burned the villages. Seventy thousand Jews were carried away captive to Babylon. He destroyed Jerusalem, despoiled the great Temple, desecrated the Holy of Holies and burned the Torah, the heavenly book of Scriptures. Therefore, we learn that allegiance to the essential foundation of the divine religions is ever the cause of development and progress, whereas the abandonment and beclouding of that essential reality through blind imitations and adherence to dogmatic beliefs are the causes of a nation's debasement and degradation. After their conquest by the Babylonians the Jews were successively subjugated by the Greeks and Romans. Under the Roman general Titus in A.D. 70 the Holy Land was stripped and pillaged, Jerusalem razed to its foundations and the Israelites scattered broadcast throughout the world. So complete was their dispersion that they have continued without a country and government of their own to the present day [1912].

From this review of the history of the Jewish people we learn that the foundation of the religion of God laid by Moses was the cause of their eternal honor and national prestige, the animating impulse of their advancement and racial supremacy and the source of that excellence which will always command the respect and reverence of those who understand their peculiar destiny and outcome. The dogmas and blind imitations which gradually obscured the reality of the religion of God proved to be Israel's destructive influences, causing the expulsion of these chosen people from the Holy Land of their Covenant and promise. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (From a talk, ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace, Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)