Wisdom of opposition

Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Darkness hath fallen upon every land, and the forces of mischief have encompassed all the nations. Through them, however, I perceive the splendors of Thy wisdom, and discern the brightness of the light of Thy providence.

They that are shut out as by a veil from Thee have imagined that they have the power to put out Thy light, and to quench Thy fire, and to still the winds of Thy grace. Nay, and to this Thy might beareth me witness! Had not every tribulation been made the bearer of Thy wisdom, and every ordeal the vehicle of Thy providence, no one would have dared oppose us, though the powers of earth and heaven were to be leagued against us. Were I to unravel the wondrous mysteries of Thy wisdom which are laid bare before me, the reins of Thine enemies would be cleft asunder.

Glorified be Thou, then, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to assemble them that love Thee around the Law that streameth from the good-pleasure of Thy will, and to send down upon them what will assure their hearts.

Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. 

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

Ridvan 1961: Newly Elected International Baha'i Council Holds First Meeting

Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land meeting with the International Baha'i Council. From left: A. Furutan, Charles Wolcott, William Sears, Leroy Ioas,  Sylvia loas, lan Semple, John Ferraby, PauI E. Haney, Lotfullah Hakim, A. Q. Faizi, Ruhiyyih Khanum, Jessie Revell, 'Ali Nakhjavani, Ethel Revell, Mildred Mottahedeh, H. Borrah Kavelin, Jalal Khazeh.

International Baha'i Council

An institution created by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 as the forerunner of the Universal House of Justice. It was invested with three functions: to forge links with the authorities in the State of Israel, to assist Shoghi Effendi in the erection of the superstructure of the Shrine of the Bab, and to conduct negotiations related to matters of personal status with the civil authorities. To these were added further functions as the Council developed. The members of the first Council were appointed by Shoghi Effendi: its President was Charles Mason Remey and its Vice-President Amelia Collins. The Council was enlarged to eight members in 1952 and to nine in 1955. Following the passing of Shoghi Effendi the Council continued to perform its duties at the World Centre under the direction of the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land. At Ridvan 1961 the Council was elected for the first time. Its nine members were elected by the members of all the national and regional spiritual assemblies in the Baha'iworld by postal ballot. The Hands of the Cause ruled that they themselves were not eligible for election to this body. The following people were elected: Jessie Revell, 'Ali Nakhjavani, Lutfu'llah Hakim, Ethel Revell, Charles Wolcott, Sylvia Ioas, Mildred Mottahedeh, Ian Semple and H. Borrah Kavelin. These members served until the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963. (Baha’i Dictionary by Wendi Momen)

Advice from ‘Abdu’l-Baha to keep in mind when one feels he/she is “in the right in a case in dispute, and his minority prevents him from establishing this rightful matter”

Blessed are they who are the means of making unity among the friends, and pity on those who in the right or wrong are the cause of discord. For instance: When one is in the right in a case in dispute, and his minority prevents him from establishing this rightful matter, instead of agitating the subject, if he will humbly submit to sacrifice his position for the sake of unity and peace, God will accept that sacrifice and ere long the rightful matter will be established without any further dispute, by the Divine assistance; whereas without such sacrifice and submissiveness great harm might ensue.

The friends must be prepared to efface themselves at all times. Seeking the approval of men is many times the cause of imperiling the approval of God. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Star of the West, Vol. VI, no. 6, June 24, 1915)

Holy Land: 'Abdu'l-Baha conversing with some friends

Successorship to Prophet Muhammad according to the Sunni sect of Islam

The Sunnís, [as compared to the Shi’ah sect of Islam], …take a less exalted view of the office of those who have succeeded the High Prophet. They regard the vicegerency less as a spiritual than as a practical matter. The Khalíf is, in their eyes, the Defender of the Faith, and he owes his appointment to the choice and approval of the People. 

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

A prayer for believers – Teaching; Service

O my God! O my God! Favor belongs to Thee, Generosity belongs to Thee, Praise belongs to Thee and Glorification is Thine, for that which Thou hast bestowed upon these indigent ones, granted a refuge and asylum to these weak ones in the cave of Thy protection and preservation, assist them in the service of Thy Cause and confirm them in the worship of Thy Exalted Threshold.

O Lord! They have sacrificed their belongings and souls in Thy path, contributed for love of Thee and missed no chance or opportunity in spreading Thy Signs, diffusing Thy Word, promulgating Thy Name among Thy servants and proclaiming Thy wonders among Thy creatures.

Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Most High, the Omnipresent and verily Thou art the Clement and the Most Merciful!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Star of the West, Vol. 1, No. 4, May 17, 1910)

1953: Some Baha’is of Addis Ababa with a few visitors following their attendance at the Intercontinental Baha'i Conference at Kampala, Uganda, Africa

“the blessed community of the followers of the Most Great Name in the North American continent”

The one chief remaining citadel, the mighty arm which still raises aloft the standard of an unconquerable Faith, is none other than the blessed community of the followers of the Most Great Name in the North American continent. By its works, and through the unfailing protection vouchsafed to it by an almighty Providence, this distinguished member of the body of the constantly interacting Bahá’í communities of East and West, bids fair to be universally regarded as the cradle, as well as the stronghold, of that future New World Order, which is at once the promise and the glory of the Dispensation associated with the name of Bahá’u’lláh. 

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

“The future of the Dominion of Canada...is very great, and the events connected with it infinitely glorious”

In the Qur'án, God says: "Thou shalt see no difference in the creatures of God." [ Qur'án 67:3] In other words, He says: From the ideal standpoint, there is no variation between the creatures of God, because they are all created by Him. From the above premise, a conclusion is drawn, that there is no difference between countries. The future of the Dominion of Canada, however, is very great, and the events connected with it infinitely glorious. It shall become the object of the glance of providence, and shall show forth the bounties of the All-Glorious. 

- ‘Abdu'l-Baha ('Tablets of the Divine Plan')

circa 1848: Mulla Husayn was ushered into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihran

In about 1848 Mulla Husayn left the city of Mashhad, in the province of Khurasan, north-east of Tihran, where he had been since 1844. Desiring to see his Lord Who was imprisoned in the castle of Mah-Ku in the province of Adhirbayjan, north-west of Tihran, he told his friends: “I have vowed to walk the whole distance that separates me from my Beloved. I shall not relax in my resolve until I shall have reached my destination.” – a distance of about 900 miles. His friends, however, offered assistance with a more conventional and comfortable mode of travel for his long and arduous journey, but Mulla Husayn declined their help. Upon the insistence of one of his friends, Mulla Husayn finally allowed him to act as his servant throughout his pilgrimage to Ádhirbayján. On his way to Tihran, Mulla Husayn was enthusiastically greeted by the believers in the different towns through which he passed. They addressed to him the same request and received from him the same reply.

When Mulla Husayn arrived in Tihran he was visited by many believers. Nabil, the great Baha’i historian recorded what he himself heard from Áqáy-i-Kalím, Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful brother, about Mulla Husayn:

“When Mulla Husayn arrived at Tihran, I, together with a large number of believers, went to visit him. He seemed to us the very embodiment of constancy, of piety and virtue. He inspired us with his rectitude of conduct and passionate loyalty. Such were the force of his character and the ardour of his faith that we felt convinced that he, unaided and alone, would be capable of achieving the triumph of the Faith of God.”

Because of Mulla Husayn’s popularity, arrangements were made to usher him secretly into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. Soon after his interview, Mulla Husayn proceeded to Adhirbayjan.  

(Adapted from the Dawn-Breakers, by Nabil, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Humanity “has entered its long-predicted phase of maturity”: - “Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities.”

'Abdu’l Bahá, elucidating this fundamental verity, has written:

“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.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (Quoting ‘Abdu’l-Baha in ‘The Unfoldment of World Civilization’)

Universal Manifestations

Question: We have been taught that Bahá’u’lláh was the Seventh of a series of great World (Universal) Manifestations of this present cycle, Christ being the sixth, Melchizedek the fifth, while the first four were before the compilation of our present world history, and of them we have no records; that their teachings were applicable to all mankind under all conditions; while upon the other hand the Manifestations, such as Zoroaster, Abraham, Moses, Muhammad and the Báb were sent each to a certain people, bringing teachings which were applicable to those certain conditions and people only, while the teachings of the World Manifestations were not limited in their application to peoples. Is this teaching correct?

‘Abdu’l-Baha: Yes, it is correct. 

(Notes of questions by one of the believers during his pilgrimage, Haifa, 1910; Star of the West, vol. 1, no. 12, Oct. 16, 1910)

1911: Elizabeth Stewart - American Baha'i nurse resident in Tihran, Persia, for many years

Elizabeth first heard of the Baha'i Movement in 1899 from her aunt M Isabella D. Brittingham, a Baha'i teacher. It is significant that the only question she asked was, "Are there any martyrs in this Cause?',' She possessed the spirit of the martyr, and lived the life of a humble maidservant, never aggressive, but always and sacrificing as a true Baha'i.

She was graduated from the Medico- Chirurgical hospital in Philadelphia in 1899 and in 1911 went to Tihran, Persia, to become the assistant to Dr. Susan I. Moody, who had preceded her by two years. Undoubtedly these two women saved hundreds of lives. Nursing patients with typhoid fever and other contagious diseases, Elizabeth succumbed to typhoid and later to amoebic dysentery, recovering her strength each time sufficiently to resume her professional services.

Dr. Moody has written intimately of their life in Tihran, from which we quote the following: "We had visions of a hospital and a training school for nurses, but social conditions proved unfavorable; our practice was largely confined to the homes. . . . Miss Stewart was a skillful assistant, a fine anesthetist . . . . Naturally her work was heavy and often exhausting. Sometimes while I was on a case, another urgent call would come and it was necessary for her to take it and work it out alone, and she never failed. One year she gave instructions in "First Aid" to teachers and the graduating class at the Tarbiyat School for Girls. How many days, months, years, were filled with varied services: out on cases, assisting in office work, directing houshold affairs, trips to the bazaars, supplementing the efforts of our one boy servant.

We need God’s assistance to “enable” us to “cleave steadfastly” to His “Love” and “remembrance”

I entreat Thee to enable me to cleave steadfastly to Thy Love and Thy remembrance. This is, verily, within my power, and Thou art the One that knoweth all that is in me. Thou, in truth, art knowing, apprised of all. 

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

Baha’i elections: not to allow practices such as “intrigues, party politics and propaganda” “ever reach the Bahá'í community, exert any influence whatsoever upon the friends, and thus bring all spirituality to naught.

Beware, beware lest the foul odour of the parties and peoples of foreign lands in the West, and their pernicious methods, such as intrigues, party politics and propaganda--practices which are abhorrent even in name -- should ever reach the Bahá'í community, exert any influence whatsoever upon the friends, and thus bring all spirituality to naught. The friends should, through their devotion, love, loyalty and altruism, abolish these evil practices, not imitate them. It is only after the friends completely ignore and sanctify themselves from these evils, that the spirit of God can penetrate and operate in the body of humanity, and in the Bahá'í community. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 30 January 1923 to the Central Spiritual Assembly of Iran, translated from the Persian; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Baha’i Elections)

The “awakening of compassion and understanding in the hearts of all men and women”

At the very core of the aims of the Faith are the establishment of justice and unity in the world, the removal of prejudice and enmity from among all people, the awakening of compassion and understanding in the hearts of all men and women, and the raising of all souls to a new level of spirituality and behavior through the vitalizing influence of divine Revelation. The course set forth by Baha'u'llah for the attainment of these aims is the double task of simultaneously building an ideal society and perfecting the behavior of individuals. For this dual and reciprocal transformation He has not only revealed laws, principles and truths attuned to the needs of this age, but has established the very nucleus and pattern of those institutions which are to evolve into the structure of the divinely purposed world society. 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 2 July 1996 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

December 1898: First North American Baha’is to visit ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the Holy Land

Lua and Edward Getsinger arrived in Akka on 10 December 1898 and became the first North American Baha'is to visit 'Abdu'l-Baha. 

(Adapted from ‘The Baha’i Faith in America, vol. 1’, by Robert Stockman)

Shoghi Effendi was a humble, gentle person and generally spoke in a soft voice, but when he explained the Administration, he spoke with a firm tone and great authority

Each evening at dinner Shoghi Effendi wore a light tan camel's hair overcoat, a white shirt, and a black tie. His complexion was a soft tan and his large brown eyes expressed his every emotion. From under his black fez, on each side, a few white hairs were mingled with the black. He was not a large man, but his presence filled the room. When the Guardian spoke of the accomplishments of the Bahá'ís the world over, he never included himself. He was a humble, gentle person and generally spoke in a soft voice; but when he explained the Administration, he spoke with a firm tone and great authority. When he was not speaking in a serious vein, he often made us laugh as he related some funny incident or experience that he or someone else had had, and then his eyes twinkled as he laughed. Nothing made Shoghi Effendi happier than news of the unity among the believers. During dinner he often spoke of what was occurring in many parts of the world. some evenings he would stay after dinner was over and tell us of good news he had received or explain some special Teaching.

- Ramona Brown (Notes from pilgrimage in 1954; ‘Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: Recollections of the Early Days of the Baha’is of California’)

1900: The Board of Counsel of the Baha'i Assembly of New York City

Seated, left to right: Clement Woolson, Howard Mac Nutt, Arthur P. Dodge, Charles E. Sprague Standing, left to right: Anton F. Haddad (honorary), Frank E. Osborne, Hooper Harris, William H. Hoar, Andrew Hutchinson, Edwin A. Putnam

Payment of Huqúqu'lláh

In brief, payment of Huqúqu'lláh is one of the binding spiritual responsibilities of the followers of Bahá'u'lláh and the proceeds thereof revert to the Authority in the Cause to whom all must turn. Moreover, the Ancient Beauty — magnified be His praise — has affirmed that after the establishment of the Universal House of Justice necessary rulings would be enacted in this connection in conformity with that which God has purposed, and that no one, except the Authority to which all must turn, has the right to dispose of this Fund. In other words, whatever portion of one's wealth is due to the Huqúqu'lláh belongs to the World Centre of the Cause of God, not to the individuals concerned.

Thus the friends should not follow their own volition and judgement in using any of the funds set aside for Huqúqu'lláh for any other purpose, even for charitable contributions of the Faith.

We earnestly hope that everyone may be privileged to observe this sacred and blessed obligation which would ensure the attainment of true happiness and would serve to promote the execution of Bahá'í enterprises throughout the world.

Verily God is Self-Sufficient above the need of His creatures.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 25 October 1970 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, translated from the Persian; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Huququ’llah)

"In this day everyone must be tested" - "The 'first fruits' must be ripened in spirit, mellowed in love, and consumed by their self-sacrifice and severance."

In this day everyone must be tested, as the time of the "chosen ones" to prove their worth is indeed very short. The day of attainment is drawing to a close for them. The "first fruits" must be ripened in spirit, mellowed in love, and consumed by their self-sacrifice and severance. None others are acceptable as first fruits and all who fail to attain to the standard through the tests, are relegated to the "many who are called."

The more one is severed from the world, from desires, from human affairs and conditions, the more impervious does one become to the tests of God. Tests are a means by which a soul is measured as to its fitness, and proven out by its own acts. God knows its fitness beforehand, and also its unpreparedness, but man, with an ego, would not believe himself unfit unless proofs were given him. Consequently, his susceptibility to evil is proven to him when he falls into the tests, and the tests are continued until the soul realizes its own unfitness, then remorse and regret tend to root out the weakness.

The same test comes again in greater degree, until it is shown that a former weakness has become a strength, and the power to overcome has been established. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Dr. Getsinger during his pilgrimage in 1915; Star of the West, Vol. VI, no. 6, June 24, 1915)

Robes of Bahá'u'lláh

Brief description of Tablets revealed by Bahá’u’lláh during the Baghdad period (January 1852 – April 1863) – listed alphabetically: Part 1

[Source for the list of Tablets: Geoffry Marks, ‘Call for Remembrance, Connecting the Heart to Baha’u’llah’; Descriptions by Adib Taherzadeh, 'The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 1']

Az-Bágh-i-Iláhí (From the Garden of Holiness)

It is an ode revealed not long before the Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh. It is one of His most joyous odes, composed in an exalted style. Each Persian verse is followed by one in Arabic, and the combination of the two creates a rich melody of unsurpassed beauty and enchantment. Its theme is the advent of the Promised Day of God, but to describe its contents is not an easy task, especially in the absence of an English translation.

In each and every line Bahá'u'lláh alludes to Himself and extols His own attributes. He unveils the splendours of His exalted station and, among other designations, refers to Himself as the Lord of all mankind, the Day-star of Truth, the Promise of all ages, the Youth of Paradise, the Quickener of men and the Essence of the Spirit of Truth. This poem is an eloquent description of Bahá'u'lláh's stupendous station, the character of His Mission and the outpourings of His Revelation.

The chanting of this beautiful ode creates an atmosphere of ecstasy and joy. It moves the heart and evokes a feeling of awe and excitement within the soul. No wonder that the companions of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad, who chanted it in their gatherings, were carried away into the realms of spirit, completely oblivious of this world and all its peoples.

Proof of one’s “allegiance to the Faith of God?”

Say: O people, do ye imagine that, after rejecting the One through Whom the religions of the world have been made manifest, ye still bear allegiance to the Faith of God? By the righteousness of God! Ye are accounted among the inmates of the Fire. Thus hath the decree been recorded in the Tablets by the Pen of God. Say: Never will the barking of dogs deter the Nightingale from warbling its melodies.  Ponder awhile that perchance ye may discover a path leading to the Eternal Truth. 

- Baha’u’llah (‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)

1927: Baha'is of Burma

“…greed and envy becloudeth the radiance of the soul even as the clouds obstruct the light of the sun.”

O children of understanding! If the eyelid, however delicate, can deprive man’s outer eye from beholding the world and all that is therein, consider then what would be wrought if the veil of covetousness were to descend upon his inner eye. Say: O people! The darkness of greed and envy becloudeth the radiance of the soul even as the clouds obstruct the light of the sun. Should anyone hearken unto this utterance with a discerning ear, he will unfurl the wings of detachment and soar effortlessly in the atmosphere of true understanding. 

- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)

Tarázu’lláh Samandarí (1874-1968) – “Ornament of God”; “The Divine Adornment”; Hand of the Cause; a "strong pillar" and an outstanding example of “obedience and dedication”; "an Apostle of the Crimson Ark"; a "strong pillar of the luminous Faith of God"; a "Knight of the arena of detachment"; a "foremost exemplar for the righteous"; "a true herald of the Greatest Name"; "the most distinguished of friends"; "the shining lamp among Bahá’i teachers"; “exemplary service to the Lord of Hosts”; “precious remnant of the Heroic Age”

Tarázu’lláh (Ornament of God) was the name given by Bahá’u’lláh to the son of Samandar,[1] one of the nineteen Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh, and Ma’súmih Khánum Farhádí, both from families of early Bábís. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called him Mírza Taráz and bestowed upon him many honorifics including Taráz-i-Iláhí (The Divine Adornment). The beloved Guardian addressed him as Jináb-i-Samandarí and appointed him a Hand of the Cause, one of the twelve in the first contingent, on December 24, 1951.

Tarázu’lláh Samandarí was born in 1874, in Qazvín, Persia, and was brought up by his parents and his grandmother, who was one of the companions of that immortal early heroine of the Faith, Táhirih. His upbringing is described by ‘Abdu'l-Baha, in a prayer revealed for him:

“...I supplicate before the Throne of Thy mercifulness and the threshold of Thy oneness that Thou mayest rain down Thy manifold confirmations and favours upon this servant of Thine who was born in the cradle of Thy love, nourished from the breast of Thy knowledge, reared in the lap of Thy servitude, nurtured in the bosom of Thy life-giving Faith, until such time as he was fully developed through the outpourings of Thy bounty, attained maturity through Thy loving kindness and turned his face with devotion toward Thy countenance, with his heart wholly centred on Thee and his reliance completely placed in Thee ...”

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God admonishes the generation that mistreated the Báb: “All that is on earth hath been created for Him”

“How veiled are ye, O My creatures,” He [the Báb], speaking with the voice of God, has revealed in the Bayán, “...who, without any right, have consigned Him unto a mountain [Mákú], not one of whose inhabitants is worthy of mention.... With Him, which is with Me, there is no one except him who is one of the Letters of the Living of My Book. In His presence, which is My Presence, there is not at night even a lighted lamp! And yet, in places [of worship] which in varying degrees reach out unto Him, unnumbered lamps are shining! All that is on earth hath been created for Him, and all partake with delight of His benefits, and yet they are so veiled from Him as to refuse Him even a lamp!” 

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

The Greatest Holy Leaf: - In her teens she was “entrusted by the guiding hand of her Father with missions that no girl of her age could, or would be willing to, perform”

And when at a later time this revered and precious member of the Holy Family, then in her teens, came to be entrusted by the guiding hand of her Father with missions that no girl of her age could, or would be willing to, perform, with what spontaneous joy she seized her opportunity and acquitted herself of the task with which she had been entrusted! The delicacy and extreme gravity of such functions as she, from time to time, was called upon to fulfill, when the city of Baghdád was swept by the hurricane which the heedlessness and perversity of Mírzá Yaḥyá had unchained, as well as the tender solicitude which, at so early an age, she evinced during the period of Bahá’u’lláh’s enforced retirement to the mountains of Sulaymáníyyih, marked her as one who was both capable of sharing the burden, and willing to make the sacrifice, which her high birth demanded. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 17 July 1932; ‘Baha’i Administration’)

'Abdu'l-Baha at Bahji

Meaning of “hoisting of the Standard of God among all nations”

One of the great events which is to occur in the Day of the manifestation of that Incomparable Branch [Bahá’u’lláh] is the hoisting of the Standard of God among all nations. By this is meant that all nations and kindreds will be gathered together under the shadow of this Divine Banner, which is no other than the Lordly Branch itself, and will become a single nation. Religious and sectarian antagonism, the hostility of races and peoples, and differences among nations, will be eliminated. All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race, and become a single people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself. 

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

“every created thing is a sign of the revelation of God. Each, according to its capacity, is, and will ever remain, a token of the Almighty.”

Know thou that every created thing is a sign of the revelation of God. Each, according to its capacity, is, and will ever remain, a token of the Almighty. Inasmuch as He, the sovereign Lord of all, hath willed to reveal His sovereignty in the kingdom of names and attributes, each and every created thing hath, through the act of the Divine Will, been made a sign of His glory. So pervasive and general is this revelation that nothing whatsoever in the whole universe can be discovered that doth not reflect His splendor. Under such conditions every consideration of proximity and remoteness is obliterated.... Were the Hand of Divine power to divest of this high endowment all created things, the entire universe would become desolate and void.

Behold, how immeasurably exalted is the Lord your God above all created things! Witness the majesty of His sovereignty, His ascendancy, and supreme power. If the things which have been created by Him -- magnified be His glory -- and ordained to be the manifestations of His names and attributes, stand, by virtue of the grace with which they have been endowed, exalted beyond all proximity and remoteness, how much loftier must be that Divine Essence that hath called them into being?...

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

1847: While the Báb was in the hamlet of Kulayn, 10 miles south of Tihran, He received “a sealed letter together with certain gifts” from Bahá’u’lláh

While in the hamlet of Kulayn, the Báb received three believers from Tihran. One of them who had been closely associated with Bahá'u'lláh in Tihran, had been commissioned by Baha’u’llah to present to the Báb “a sealed letter together with certain gifts which, as soon as they were delivered into His hands, provoked in His soul sentiments of unusual delight. His face glowed with joy as He overwhelmed the bearer with marks of His gratitude and favour.”

“That message, received at an hour of uncertainty and suspense, imparted solace and strength to the Báb. It dispelled the gloom that had settled upon His heart, and imbued His soul with the certainty of victory. The sadness which had long lingered upon His face, and which the perils of His captivity had served to aggravate, visibly diminished. He no longer shed those tears of anguish which had streamed so profusely from His eyes ever since the days of His arrest and departure from Shiraz. The cry "Beloved, My Well-Beloved," which in His bitter grief and loneliness He was wont to utter, gave way to expressions of thanksgiving and praise, of hope and triumph. The exultation which glowed upon His face never forsook Him until the day when the news of the great disaster which befell the heroes of Shaykh Tabarsi again beclouded the radiance of His countenance and dimmed the joy of His heart.”

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

The Báb elaborates on His name: - Alí-Muhammad

In Qayyúmu’l-Asmá, Surih al-Qarabih [kinsmen], verse 14, tire Báb reveals:

“Verily, We have named this Remembrance by two Names from the divine Self, after two Beloved Ones among Our servants in the heavens.” 

(Provisional translation, Footnotes to ‘The Báb in Shiraz, An Account by Mírzá Habíbu’lláh Afnán’, provided by Ahang Rabbani)

“The darkness of error that has enveloped the East and the West is, in this most great cycle, battling with the light of Divine Guidance.”

How clearly and strikingly the following words of ‘Abdu’l Bahá are being demonstrated at this hour: “The darkness of error that has enveloped the East and the West is, in this most great cycle, battling with the light of Divine Guidance. Its swords and its spears are very sharp and pointed; its army keenly bloodthirsty.” “This day,” He, in another passage has written, “the powers of all the leaders of religion are directed towards the dispersion of the congregation of the All-Merciful, and the shattering of the Divine Edifice. The hosts of the world, whether material, cultural or political are from every side launching their assault, for the Cause is great, very great. Its greatness is, in this day, clear and manifest to men’s eyes.”

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

A Baha'i Teaching: We should “gather together in meetings” and “read the verses of God”

The friends of God, one and all, are remembered by the Supreme Pen: The bounties of the Source of Bounty are at every moment visibly descending. It behooveth the friends in whatever land they be, to gather together in meetings, and therein to speak wisely and with eloquence, and to read the verses of God, for it is God's Words that kindle love's fire and set it ablaze." 

- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet; compilations: ‘Baha’i Meetings, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice; Baha’i Library Online)

'Abdu'l-Baha: - "I am the lamp and the love of God is my light"

I am the lamp and the love of God is my light. This light hath become reflected in the mirrors of hearts. Therefore turn thou unto thy heart, that is, when it is in the utmost freedom, and behold how the radiance of my love is manifest in that mirror, and thou art near unto me. Recite the Greatest Name at every morn, and turn thou unto the Kingdom of Abha, until thou mayest apprehend my mysteries.

-‘Abdu'l-Baha (Tablets of ‘Abdu'l-Baha vol. 3)

The relationship between God and nature

The Master went into another room where a young man with a striking personality and pleasing appearance asked Him in what school He had studied philosophy.

The Master answered: “In the same school where Christ studied.”

He then asked the Master, “What is the relationship between God and nature?”

The Master replied:

Some of the philosophers believe that God is the Supreme Reality and that every human being has a spark of this divine reality within him; that He Himself is in a state of utmost power and that all things manifest Him according to their different capacities. Therefore they hold that the Supreme Being is dispersed into infinite forms. This is the position of Plato. But we say that existence as conceived by man or comprehended through human reason or intellect is a characteristic of matter. Matter is like unto essence, while existence is its manifestation. The body of man is essence and existence is dependent upon it. This human body is matter while existence is a power conditioned on matter.

But it is not so with the Essential Self-Existent One. His existence is true existence which is self-subsistent, not an intellectually perceived and comprehended existence; it is an Existence by which all created things come into being. All things are like unto His handiwork and are dependent upon Him. We refer to Him as Self-Existent because we need to make use of a term but we do not mean that that Being can be contained within our comprehension. What is intended is the Reality from Whom all things emanate, the Reality through Whom all things exist. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, August 9, 1912, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

How to be a friend to many people

One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race. If, however, we look at people from the standpoint of their faults, then being a friend to them is a formidable task." 

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

May 1926: Delegates and friends attending the Eighteenth Annual Convention of the Baha'is of the United States and Canada at San Francisco

“The world of humanity has two wings… one is the female, the other is the male”

In proclaiming the oneness of mankind He [Bahá’u’lláh] taught that men and women are equal in the sight of God and that there is no distinction to be made between them. The only difference between them now is due to lack of education and training. If woman is given equal opportunity of education, distinction and estimate of inferiority will disappear. The world of humanity has two wings, as it were: One is the female; the other is the male. If one wing be defective, the strong perfect wing will not be capable of flight. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 9 June 1912; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

1910: Delegates and friends in attendance at the first annual conference of the Persian-American Educational Society

Bahá’u’lláh is God’s “Most Great Name”; “no tongue can describe” the extent of His sufferings

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Him Who is Thy Most Great Name, Who hath been sorely afflicted by such of Thy creatures as have repudiated Thy truth, and Who hath been hemmed in by sorrows which no tongue can describe…

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

Lydia Zamenhof, youngest daughter of Dr. Ludwig Zamenhof, creator of the Esperanto language

Why majority of Jews didn’t believe in Jesus as their Messiah

The Jews were expecting the appearance of the Messiah, looking forward to it with devotion of heart and soul but because they were submerged in imitations they did not believe in His Holiness Jesus Christ when he appeared. Finally they rose against Him even to the extreme of persecution and shedding His blood. Had they investigated reality they would have accepted their promised Messiah. These blind imitations and hereditary prejudices have invariably become the cause of bitterness and hatred and have filled the world with darkness and violence of war. Therefore we must seek the fundamental truth in order to extricate ourselves from such conditions and then with illumined faces find the pathway to the kingdom of God.

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Baha'i World Faith')

The obstacle which prevents the so-called religious man from accepting the teachings of God is literal interpretation. Moses announced the coming of Christ. The Israelites were awaiting him with the greatest impatience and anxiety, but when he came they called him Beelzebub. "The conditions laid down in the Bible for the coming of the expected one were not fulfilled," they said. They did not understand that the conditions were symbolical.

For instance, it is written -- "He will come from an unknown place." Jesus came from Nazareth. "How can this be the Messiah?" they reasoned. "It is written -- he will carry an iron scepter, that is to say, his shepherd's staff will be a sword. This man has no sword. It was prophesised -- he will be seated on the throne of David; behold this man has not so much as a mat whereon to sit. He was to spread the law of Moses; this man, on the contrary, seeks to destroy it. How can he be the promulgator of God's law?" they scornfully laughed.

'Abdu'l-Baha at Lincoln Park, Chicago, 1912

How a human soul can become nearer to God – ‘Abdu’l-Baha explains

Nearness to God is dependent upon purity of the heart and exhilaration of the spirit through the glad tidings of the Kingdom. Consider how a pure, well-polished mirror fully reflects the effulgence of the sun, no matter how distant the sun may be. As soon as the mirror is cleaned and purified, the sun will manifest itself. The more pure and sanctified the heart of man becomes, the nearer it draws to God, and the light of the Sun of Reality is revealed within it. This light sets hearts aglow with the fire of the love of God, opens in them the doors of knowledge and unseals the divine mysteries so that spiritual discoveries are made possible. All the Prophets have drawn near to God through severance. We must emulate those Holy Souls and renounce our own wishes and desires. We must purify ourselves from the mire and soil of earthly contact until our hearts become as mirrors in clearness and the light of the most great guidance reveals itself in them.

The Báb’s first visit to Tabriz created “an intense excitement on the part of the populace”

His [the Prime Minister’s] orders to ‘Alí Khán, the warden of the fortress of Máh-Kú, were stringent and explicit. On His way to that fortress the Báb passed a number of days in Tabríz, days that were marked by such an intense excitement on the part of the populace that, except for a few persons, neither the public nor His followers were allowed to meet Him. As He was escorted through the streets of the city the shout of “Alláh-u-Akbar” resounded on every side. So great, indeed, became the clamor that the town crier was ordered to warn the inhabitants that any one who ventured to seek the Báb’s presence would forfeit all his possessions and be imprisoned. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

1907: The Most Great Prison in Akka, Israel

Photo was taken by Hand of the Cause, Roy C. Wilhelm in 1907 

(Baha'i News, January 1965)

Story for Children: The little girl who saw ‘Abdu’l-Baha

There was once a little child who saw ‘Abdu’l-Baha. She lived in America, and her story is rather strange, for she knew about Him before she actually saw Him. He was far across the ocean when she said to her mother one day, “Mummy, if Jesus were here what would you do?”

Her mother answered, “I would go to Him as fast as I could!”

“Well, Mummy, He is here in the world somewhere,” she told her mother.

“Now Precious, what do you mean? How do you know?”

Her little girl then said," He told me so Himself, so He must be here."

The mother was puzzled because her daughter was so sure, and the mother prayed that she would know what it all meant.

The next day, the child asked her mother why she had not gone to see Lord Jesus." He's told me two times that He is here," she insisted.

December 1938: Shoghi Effendi writes a general letter to the Baha’is of North America which appears in 1939 under the title of ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’

Immediately after the publication of this diamond-mine of communion with God [Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh], unsurpassed in any religious literature of the world, Shoghi Effendi set to work on a longer general letter than he had ever before written, which appeared in 1939 under the title of The Advent of Divine Justice. With a kind but firm hand Shoghi Effendi held up before the face of the North American Community the mirror of the civilization by which they were surrounded and warned them, in terms that riveted the eye and chilled the heart against its evils, pointing out to them a truth few of them had ever pondered, namely, that the very evils of that civilization were the mystic reason for their homeland having been chosen by God as the cradle of His World Order in this day. As the warnings contained in The Advent of Divine Justice are an integral part of the vision and guidance Shoghi Effendi gave to the faithful throughout his ministry, they cannot be passed over in silence if we are to obtain any correct understanding of his own mission. In no uncertain terms he castigated the moral laxity, political corruption, racial prejudice and corrosive materialism of their society, contrasting it with the exalted standards inculcated by Bahá'u'lláh in His Teachings, and enjoined by Him upon His followers. It warned them of the war so soon to come and admonished them to stand fast, in spite of every trial that might in future afflict them and their nations, and discharge their sacred trust by prosecuting to a triumphal outcome the Plan they had so recently inaugurated throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

- Ruhiyyih Khanum (‘The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith’)

It is interesting to know that this document – the Advent of Divine Justice – became known among the early Baha’is in the West as “the Bible of Baha'i pioneers”. 

- Marzieh Gale (‘Arches of the Years’)

“strive to acquire the various branches of knowledge, and to increase his understanding of the mysteries of the Holy Books, and his skill in marshalling the divine proofs and evidences”

And from amongst all creatures He hath singled out man, to grant him His most wondrous gift, and hath made him to attain the bounties of the Company on High. That most precious of gifts is attainment unto His unfailing guidance, that the inner reality of humankind should become as a niche to hold this lamp; and when the scattering splendours of this light do beat against the bright glass of the heart, the heart's purity maketh the beams to blaze out even stronger than before, and to shine in glory on the minds and souls of men.

The attainment of the most great guidance is dependent upon knowledge and wisdom, and on being informed as to the mysteries of the Holy Words. Wherefore must the loved ones of God, be they young or old, be they men or women, each one according to his capabilities, strive to acquire the various branches of knowledge, and to increase his understanding of the mysteries of the Holy Books, and his skill in marshalling the divine proofs and evidences. 

- ‘Abdu'l-Bahá (From a Tablet; ‘compilation, Bahá'í Education’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, The Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith)

1910: Baha'is in Baku, Russia

Fall 1845: Quddús was admitted into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihran

Returning from his pilgrimage to Mecca with the Báb in the spring of 1845, and his subsequent expulsion from Shiraz by the order of its “villainous” governor, Quddus proceeded towards his native town of Barfurúsh (currently known as Babul) in the province of Mázindarán, in northern Iran. On his way he travelled through various town and cities, such as Kirmán, Yazd, Ardikán, Nayin, Ardistán, Isfáhán, Káshán, Qum, and Tihrán. In each of these cities, notwithstanding the obstacles that beset his path, he succeeded in instilling into the understanding of his hearers the principles which he had so bravely arisen to advocate. Nabil, the great Baha’i historian relates how he heard Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful brother, Áqáy-i-Kalím, describe his meeting with Quddus in Tihran:

“The charm of his person, his extreme affability, combined with a dignity of bearing, appealed to even the most careless observer. Whoever was intimately associated with him was seized with an insatiable admiration for the charm of that youth. We watched him one day perform his ablutions, and were struck by the gracefulness which distinguished him from the rest of the worshippers in the performance of so ordinary a rite. He seemed, in our eyes, to be the very incarnation of purity and grace.”

In Tihrán, Quddús was admitted into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh after which he proceeded to Mázindarán, where, in his native town of Barfurúsh, in the home of his father, he lived for about two years, during which time he was surrounded by the loving devotion of his family and kindred. 

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

We should close our eyes to “the deficiencies of other souls”

Let your thoughts dwell on your own spiritual development, and close your eyes to the deficiencies of other souls. Act ye in such wise, showing forth pure and goodly deeds, and modesty and humility, that ye will cause others to be awakened. 

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

A passage to memorize: - Virtues to cultivate

Adorn your heads with the garlands of trustworthiness and fidelity, your hearts with the attire of the Fear of God, your tongues with absolute truthfulness, your bodies with the vesture of courtesy.

- Baha'u'llah  ('The Kitab-i-Aqdas)

Dizzy Gillespie

Jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie shows his great pleasure during a tribute September 16, 1985, by the Baha'is of Los Angeles honoring his half-century in music. More than 500 people attended the gala event at the Los Angeles Baha'i Center. (Baha'i News December 1985)

“Regarding the use of liquors”

Regarding the use of liquors: According to the texts of the Book of Aqdas, both light and strong drinks are prohibited. The reason for this prohibition is that it leads the mind astray and is the cause of weakening the body. If alcohol were beneficial, it would have been brought into the world by the divine creation and not by the effort of man. Whatever is beneficial for man exists in creation. Now, it has been proved and is established medically and scientifically that liquors are harmful.

Therefore the meaning of that which is written in the Tablets: "I have chosen for thee whatsoever is in the heaven and earth," signifies those things which are according to the divine creation and not the things which are harmful. For instance, poison is one of the things: now, can we say that poisons are to be used habitually because God has created them for man? However, spirituous liquors, if prescribed by a physician for the patient and their use is necessary, then they may be used as directed.

In brief, I hope that thou mayest find eternal bliss and receive inexhaustible joy and happiness. The after effect of drinking is depression, but the wine of the Love of God bestows exaltation of the spirit. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a tablet to an induvial believer; Star of the West, vol. 1, no. 6, June 24, 1910)

God "perchance" will “graciously forgive” the sins of those “who truly believe in God and are well assured in the signs revealed by Him”

Verily in this Day all that dwell on earth are the servants of God. 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 an Epistle to Muhammad Shah of Persia, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)

“the Pen of the Most High hath lifted distinctions from between His servants and handmaidens”

Exalted, immensely exalted is He Who hath removed differences and established harmony. Glorified, infinitely glorified is He Who hath caused discord to cease, and decreed solidarity and unity. Praised be God, the Pen of the Most High hath lifted distinctions from between His servants and handmaidens, and, through His consummate favours and all-encompassing mercy, hath conferred upon all a station and rank of the same plane. He hath broken the back of vain imaginings with the sword of utterance and hath obliterated the perils of idle fancies through the pervasive power of His might. 

- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet; 'The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Women')

Baha'is of Ishqabad at the first Baha'i Temple in Ishqabad, Russia

Tahirih’s last day in Tehran

[in 1852] Tahirih, who was among the few remaining Letters of the Living, was … being held captive in Tehran. A delegation of religious leaders, in a series of seven conferences, had questioned her thoroughly about the Bab and His Cause. Tahrirh, in her own compelling style, presented clear proofs that the Bab was, indeed, the promised Qa’im.[1] She related verses from the Koran [Qur’an] that supported her arguments, but grew steadily more impatient with the mullas' insistence on a literal interpretation of the sacred scriptures. Finally, frustrated with their limited understanding, Tahirih spoke bluntly to her interrogators: "Your reasoning is that of an ignorant and stupid child; how long will you cling to these follies and lies? When will you lift your eyes toward the Sun of Truth?"

The delegation proceeded to formally denounce Tahirih and to recommend she be sentenced to death. Because she was a woman and of renowned family, she remained confined in a room at the house of the mayor of Tehran.

During her time there, the wife of the mayor -- though not a Babi Herself -- had come to hold Tahirih in great esteem and became her devoted friend. One night Tahirih sent for the mayor's wife, who found her dressed in a gown of snow-white silk as though she were a bride about to be wed. The rich fragrance of the choicest perfume scented the air about her. When the mayor's wife expressed surprise at this, Tahirih replied, "I am preparing to meet my Beloved. . . . the hour when I shall be arrested and condemned to suffer martyrdom is fast approaching."

God is “immeasurably exalted… above the mention of every soul and the understanding of every heart!”; God is “immeasurably exalted… above the description of anyone”; God is “immeasurably exalted… beyond every conception” of His creatures

Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of the world and the Ruler of the nations! I testify that Thou hast from eternity been sanctified above the mention of all created things and exalted beyond the loftiest descriptions of Thy creatures. Whensoever Thy devoted servants sought to ascend unto the station of Thy recognition, the hosts of Thy knowledge barred their way; and whensoever Thy near ones desired to gain admittance to the heaven of Thy nearness, the overpowering majesty of Thine utterance kept them back. We bear witness that the loftiest of the divine names are but servants at Thy door, and that their most glorious manifestations bow down before Thy countenance and are humbled in Thy presence. Thou art, in truth, He Who can neither be described in letters, nor evoked by words, nor even contained within the hidden meanings they conceal. For these are all circumscribed by the inherent limitations of speech which characterize all the utterances of the peoples of the world.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the mention of every soul and the understanding of every heart! Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the description of anyone save Thyself and beyond every conception of Thy creatures! Were Thine own Manifestations to soar upon the wings of the seen and the unseen, yet would they fail to attain unto the first effulgence shining from the horizon of Thy most exalted Countenance and the dawning-place of Thy most sublime Revelation. And were the Exponents of Thy Lordship enabled to ascend for as long as the kingdoms of earth and heaven endure, yet would they be forever powerless to draw nigh unto the Day-Star of Thy beauty.

How not to become “irritated by one another” when serving the Faith

Therefore, you must gird up your loins with unswerving determination, you must be united among yourselves and you must not be irritated by one another. Your eyes must be turned always to the kingdom of God and not to the world of man. You must love His creation for His sake and not for your own. When you love one another for the sake of God you shall never be perturbed. No human being is perfect, every person has some flaw. If you look to your fellowman you will always be upset; but if you look to God it shall not be so, because the world of God is a world of perfection and endless mercy; therefore, you will love and show kindness to all for His sake. You must not look to the faults of others; you must look with the eye of forgiveness and pardon. The eye that regards faults sees nothing but faults and the eye that overlooks faults is fixed on the Creator of the souls. It is He Who has created all, has nurtured all, has endowed all with life and spirit and has given to all eyes and ears. Thus all are the signs of His power and for His sake we must love all, and show kindness to all, assist the poor, render help to the weak, heal the sick and educate the ignorant. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Parting words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to Baha’is of Chicago, May 5, 1912; recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

Prophetic expectations of the Shi’ah sect of Islam

The two great Persian sects of Islám, the shí’ah and the sunnís, both attached vital importance to the ancient deposit of their faith but did not agree as to its contents or its import. The shí’ah, out of whose doctrines the Bábí Movement rose, held that after the ascension of the High Prophet Muhammad He was succeeded by a line of twelve Imáms. Each of these, they held, was specially endowed by God with spiritual gifts and powers, and was entitled to the whole-hearted obedience of the faithful. Each owed his appointment not to the popular choice but to his nomination by his predecessor in office. The twelfth and last of these inspired guides was Muhammad, called by the shí’ah “Imám-Mihdí, Hujjatu’lláh [the Proof of God], Bagíyyatu’lláh [the Remnant of God], and Qá’im-i-‘Alí-Muhammad [He who shall arise of the family of Muhammad].” He assumed the functions of the Imám in the year 260 of the Hegira, but at once disappeared from view and communicated with his followers only through a certain chosen intermediary known as a Gate. Four of these Gates followed one another in order, each appointed by his predecessor with the approval of the Imám. But when the fourth, Abu’l-Hasan-Alí, was asked by the faithful, before he died, to name his successor, he declined to do so. He said that God had another plan. On his death all communication between the Imám and his church therefore ceased. And though, surrounded by a band of followers, he still lives and waits in some mysterious retreat, he will not resume relations with his people until he comes forth in power to establish a millennium throughout the world. 

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

'Abdu'l-Bahá at the doorway of His House in Haifa, circa 1920

“Buddha also established a new religion and Confucius renewed the ancient conduct and morals”

Question: To which category do Buddha and Confucius belong?

Answer: Buddha also established a new religion and Confucius renewed the ancient conduct and morals, but the original precepts have been entirely changed and their followers no longer adhere to the original pattern of belief and worship. The founder of Buddhism was a precious Being Who established the oneness of God, but later His original precepts were gradually forgotten and displaced by primitive customs and rituals, until in the end it led to the worship of statues and images. 

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

A Baha’i Teaching: In everything one should see with one’s own eyes and know through one’s own knowledge

O Son of Spirit! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behoveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes. 

- Baha'u'llah (‘The Hidden Words’)

Shrine of the Bab, terraces, and adjoining buildings

The news of Bahá’u’lláh’s immediate response to the Divine Message [of the Báb], to the vigorous campaign which He had boldly initiated in Núr, and to the marvellous success which had attended His efforts, cheered and gladdened the Báb

Mullá Husayn, as soon as he had won to the Cause such able and devoted supporters, decided to address a written report concerning his activities to the Báb. In his communication he referred at length to his sojourn in Isfáhán and Káshán, described the account of his experience with Bahá’u’lláh, referred to the departure of the latter for Mázindarán, related the events of Núr, and informed Him of the success which had attended his own efforts in Khurásán. In it he enclosed a list of the names of those who had responded to his call, and of whose steadfastness and sincerity he was assured. He sent his letter by way of Yazd, through the trustworthy partners of the Báb’s maternal uncle who were at that time residing in Tabas. That letter reached the Báb on the night preceding the twenty-seventh day of Ramadán, [1] a night held in great reverence by all the sects of Islám and regarded by many as rivalling in sacredness the Laylatu’l-Qadr [2] itself, the night which, in the words of the Qur’án, “excelleth a thousand months.”  The only companion of the Báb, when that letter reached Him that night, was Quddús, with whom He shared a number of its passages.

I have heard Mírzá Ahmad relate the following: “The Báb’s maternal uncle himself described to me the circumstances attending the receipt of Mullá Husayn’s letter by the Báb: ‘That night I saw such evidences of joy and gladness on the faces of the Báb and of Quddús as I am unable to describe. I often heard the Báb, in those days, exultingly repeat the words, “How marvellous, how exceedingly marvellous, is that which has occurred between the months of Jamádi and Rajab!” As He was reading the communication addressed to Him by Mullá Husayn, He turned to Quddús and, showing him certain passages of that letter, explained the reason for His joyous expressions of surprise. I, for my part, remained completely unaware of the nature of that explanation.’”

Why Pharisees objected the claims of Jesus as their promised One

…the Pharisees in the time of Christ, who would obstinately deny the interpretations and utterances He and His Apostles made, and who would wilfully obscure the truth before the ignorant masses, saying, “These prophecies do not apply to Jesus, but to the Promised One Who will erelong appear according to the conditions mentioned in the Torah”—among which being that He would be a king, sit upon the throne of David, enforce the law of the Torah, inaugurate the most great justice, and cause the wolf and the lamb to gather at the same spring. And thus did they veil the people from recognizing Christ. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; published as ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)

It is evident that the body of Christ did not descend from heaven but came from the womb of Mary: What descended from the heaven of God was the spirit of Christ. The Jews, presuming that Christ was speaking of His body, objected, as is recorded in verse 42 of the same chapter [John 6]: “And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?” (‘Abdu’l-Baha, Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; published as ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)

“mental faculties .. are in truth of the inherent properties of the soul"

...Now concerning mental faculties, they are in truth of the inherent properties of the soul, even as the radiation of light is the essential property of the sun. The rays of the sun are renewed but the sun itself is ever the same and unchanged. Consider how the human intellect develops and weakens, and may at times come to naught, whereas the soul changeth not. For the mind to manifest itself, the human body must be whole; and a sound mind cannot be but in a sound body, whereas the soul dependeth not upon the body. It is through the power of the soul that the mind comprehendeth, imagineth and exerteth its influence, whilst the soul is a power that is free. The mind comprehendeth the abstract by the aid of the concrete, but the soul hath limitless manifestations of its own. The mind is circumscribed, the soul limitless. It is by the aid of such senses as those of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, that the mind comprehendeth, whereas the soul is free from all agencies. The soul as thou observest, whether it be in sleep or waking, is in motion and ever active. Possibly it may, whilst in a dream, unravel an intricate problem, incapable of solution in the waking state. The mind, moreover, understandeth not whilst the senses have ceased to function, and in the embryonic stage and in early infancy the reasoning power is totally absent, whereas the soul is ever endowed with full strength. In short, the proofs are many that go to show that despite the loss of reason, the power of the soul would still continue to exist. 

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

1960: Auxiliary Board Members in Africa

Hand of the Cause Musa Banani held a meeting for the Auxiliary Board members for Northeast and Central and East Africa at Nairobi from February 26 to 28, 1960. Front row, left to right: Gilbert Robert, Abdu'l-Rahim Yazdi, Musa Banani, and Jamshid Munajjim. Back row, left to right: Aziz Yazdi, Ali Nakhjavani, Max Kenyerezi, and Jalal Nakhjavani (Baha'i News, June 1960)

The results of the Báb’s isolation and incarceration in Ádhirbáyján

And yet, the foolish and short-sighted Hájí Mírzá Áqásí [Persia’s Prime Minister] fondly imagined that by confounding the plan of the Báb to meet the Sháh face to face in the capital, and by relegating Him to the farthest corner of the realm, he had stifled the Movement at its birth, and would soon conclusively triumph over its Founder. Little did he imagine that the very isolation he was forcing upon his Prisoner would enable Him to evolve the System designed to incarnate the soul of His Faith, and would afford Him the opportunity of safeguarding it from disintegration and schism, and of proclaiming formally and unreservedly His mission. Little did he imagine that this very confinement would induce that Prisoner’s exasperated disciples and companions to cast off the shackles of an antiquated theology, and precipitate happenings that would call forth from them a prowess, a courage, a self-renunciation unexampled in their country’s history. Little did he imagine that by this very act he would be instrumental in fulfilling the authentic tradition ascribed to the Prophet of Islám regarding the inevitability of that which should come to pass in Ádhirbáyján. Untaught by the example of the governor of Shíráz, who, with fear and trembling, had, at the first taste of God’s avenging wrath, fled ignominiously and relaxed his hold on his Captive, the Grand Vizir of Muhammad Sháh was, in his turn, through the orders he had issued, storing up for himself severe and inevitable disappointment, and paving the way for his own ultimate downfall. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

1983: Ruya Ishraghi and parents - three Baha'i martyrs

Twenty-two-year-old university student Ruya Ishraghi (right) with her father, Enayatu'llah Ishraghi, a retired oil company executive, and mother, Ezzat Janami Ishraghi. All three were executed in 1983 in Shiraz, Iran. (Baha'i News, April 1985)

1924: A Baha'i children class in Caucasus, Russia, receiving instructions in the principles of character building

Dr. Esslemont’s book, Baha’u’llah and the New Era, gives the “finest and most effective presentation of the various aspects of the Cause to the mind of the Oriental as well as to that of the Westerner.”

I am enclosing various suggestions of Mr. Dreyfus-Barney and of Mr. Roy Wilhelm made by them at my request, during their last sojourn in the Holy Land. I submit them to Dr. Esslemont's consideration as well as to that of the Spiritual Assembly. I very deeply regret my inability to give the attention I desire to this admirable work of his, but will assuredly do all in my power to aid him in the final stages of his work. I am certain however that the book as it now stands gives the finest and most effective presentation of the various aspects of the Cause to the mind of the Oriental as well as to that of the Westerner. May it arouse a genuine and widespread interest in the Cause throughout the world. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter to the Baha’is of Britain, dated 23 December, 1922; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)

Persecution in the West

"…the friends in the West will unquestionably have their share of the calamities befalling the friends in the East. It is inevitable that, walking the pathway of Baha’u’llah, they too will become targets for persecution by the oppressors.” ('Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Baha)

"It was not mere physical torture that the friends in Persia had to endure but also moral persecution for they were cursed and vilified by all the people, especially when they ceased to defend themselves... the Master used to say sometimes that the western friends will be severely persecuted but theirs will be primarily moral… (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, October 22, 1930; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)

"…how often we seem to forget the clear and repeated warnings of our beloved Master, who, in particular during the concluding years of His mission on earth, laid stress on the "severe mental tests that would inevitably sweep over His loved ones of the West -- tests that would purge and prepare them for their noble mission in life." (Shoghi Effendi, ‘Baha'i Administration’)

“…the Guardian feels sure that, whatever happens, and whatever attacks are made upon the Faith and its pioneers, the net result cannot but be good for us in the long run, and can only serve to hasten the spread of the Cause. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, June 4, 1953; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)