From: Messages to the Baha'i World Community - by the Universal House of Justice
April 1964
To the Bahá'ís of the world
Dearly loved friends,
The divinely propelled process, described in such
awe-inspiring words by our beloved Guardian, which began six thousand years ago
at the dawn of the Adamic cycle and which is destined to culminate in "the
stage at which the light of God's triumphant Faith shining in all its power and
glory will have suffused and enveloped the entire planet," is now entering
its tenth and last part.
The Ten Year Crusade, so recently consummated in a blaze of
victory and rejoicing, constituted the entire ninth part of this process. It
saw the Cause of God leap forward in one mighty decade-long effort to the point
at which the foundations of its Administrative Order were laid throughout the
world, thus preparing the way for that awakening of the masses which must
characterize the future progress of the Faith.
From the beginning of this Dispensation the most urgent
summons of the Word of God, voiced successively by the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, has
been to teach the Cause. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in His own words, "spent His days
and nights in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to service."
Shoghi Effendi, discharging the sacred mission laid upon him, raised the
Administrative Order of the Faith, already enshrined within the Sacred
Writings, and forged it into a teaching instrument to accomplish through a
succession of plans, national, international, and global, the entire Divine
Plan of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and he clearly foresaw in the "tremendously
long" tenth part of the process already referred to, a series of plans to
be launched by the Universal House of Justice, extending over 'successive
epochs of both the Formative and Golden Ages of the Faith."
Read more…
July 31, 2013
July 30, 2013
July 29, 2013
How to become “the favoured one at the Threshold of the Lord” in this age
From: Counsels and Explanations by 'Abdu'l-Baha - Daily Readings
In this day, the one favoured at the Threshold of the Lord is he who handeth round the cup of faithfulness; who bestoweth, even upon his enemies, the jewel of bounty, and lendeth, even to his fallen oppressor, a helping hand; it is he who will, even to the fiercest of his foes, be a loving friend. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Baha)
In this day, the one favoured at the Threshold of the Lord is he who handeth round the cup of faithfulness; who bestoweth, even upon his enemies, the jewel of bounty, and lendeth, even to his fallen oppressor, a helping hand; it is he who will, even to the fiercest of his foes, be a loving friend. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Baha)
July 28, 2013
Ages: Heroic, Formative, and Golden
From: Baha'i Glossary
The Baha'i Dispensation is divided into three Ages: the Heroic Age, the Formative Age, and the Golden Age-which correspond to stages in the development and growth of the Baha’i Faith. The Heroic Age or Apostolic Age began in 1844 with the Declaration of the Bab and spanned the ministries of the Bab (1844-53), Baha’u’llah (1853-92), and 'Abdu'l-Baha (1892-1321). The Formative Age began in 1921 when Shoghi Effendi became the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith. This second and current age is identified with the rise and establishment of the Baha’i Administrative Order. It is to be followed by the third and final age, the Golden Age, which is destined to witness the establishment of the Baha’i World Commonwealth.
The Baha'i Dispensation is divided into three Ages: the Heroic Age, the Formative Age, and the Golden Age-which correspond to stages in the development and growth of the Baha’i Faith. The Heroic Age or Apostolic Age began in 1844 with the Declaration of the Bab and spanned the ministries of the Bab (1844-53), Baha’u’llah (1853-92), and 'Abdu'l-Baha (1892-1321). The Formative Age began in 1921 when Shoghi Effendi became the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith. This second and current age is identified with the rise and establishment of the Baha’i Administrative Order. It is to be followed by the third and final age, the Golden Age, which is destined to witness the establishment of the Baha’i World Commonwealth.
July 27, 2013
Tablet of the Uncounfounded Reality (Lawh-i-Basit al-Haqiqa) – by Baha’u’llah
--- Provisional translation by Moojan Momen
He is God, exalted be He in Might and Greatness!
Concerning what the questioner has asked regarding the statement of the philosophers (hukamá) that "the uncompounded reality [1] is all things", say: know that what is intended by "things" in this context (lit. station, maqám) is none other than being (wujúd) and the perfections (kamalát) of being in so far as they are existent [and not privative] [2]; and by "all" is meant the obtainer (al-wájid). [3] This "all" contains no plurality and no part of it can be compared to the whole. The meaning is that the uncompounded reality, insofar as it is uncompounded in all respects, is the obtainer and gatherer of all the infinite and endless perfections. [4] As it has been said: "His works are limitless."
In the Persian language, it may be said that what the philosopher means by the word "things" in the afore-mentioned expression is the perfections of being in so far as these are existent [and not privative]; and by the word "all", is meant possession (dárá'í) that is to say obtaining -- the gathering together of all of the limitless perfections, in an uncompounded manner. They have mentioned similar things throughout their discourse on the Divine unity (tawhíd), power (quwwat), and intensity (shiddat) of existence.
The meaning of the philosopher was not that the Necessarily Existent [God] has become dispersed among (resolved into, lit. dissolved into, munhal) the innumerable existent things. No! Praised be He! Exalted is He above that! Even as the philosophers themselves have stated: "The uncompounded reality is all things, but is not any one thing." (Baha'u'llah)
Concerning what the questioner has asked regarding the statement of the philosophers (hukamá) that "the uncompounded reality [1] is all things", say: know that what is intended by "things" in this context (lit. station, maqám) is none other than being (wujúd) and the perfections (kamalát) of being in so far as they are existent [and not privative] [2]; and by "all" is meant the obtainer (al-wájid). [3] This "all" contains no plurality and no part of it can be compared to the whole. The meaning is that the uncompounded reality, insofar as it is uncompounded in all respects, is the obtainer and gatherer of all the infinite and endless perfections. [4] As it has been said: "His works are limitless."
In the Persian language, it may be said that what the philosopher means by the word "things" in the afore-mentioned expression is the perfections of being in so far as these are existent [and not privative]; and by the word "all", is meant possession (dárá'í) that is to say obtaining -- the gathering together of all of the limitless perfections, in an uncompounded manner. They have mentioned similar things throughout their discourse on the Divine unity (tawhíd), power (quwwat), and intensity (shiddat) of existence.
The meaning of the philosopher was not that the Necessarily Existent [God] has become dispersed among (resolved into, lit. dissolved into, munhal) the innumerable existent things. No! Praised be He! Exalted is He above that! Even as the philosophers themselves have stated: "The uncompounded reality is all things, but is not any one thing." (Baha'u'llah)
July 26, 2013
The Center of the Covenant
"When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book
of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed,
Who hath branched from this Ancient Root." (Baha'u'llah, The
Kitab-i-Aqdas)
'Abdu'l-Baha
July 25, 2013
Talks of 'Abdu'l-Baha: Love is the First Principle of Divine Teaching
From: Talks of 'Abdu'l-Baha
12 April 1912
Talk at Studio of Miss Phillips
39 West Sixty-seventh Street, New York
(Notes by John G. Grundy)
(Notes by John G. Grundy)
I give you greeting in love and unity. The affairs of this world are to be
accounted as nothing compared to the joy and heavenly happiness of meeting the
friends of God. It is to experience this great joy and blessing that I have
come here although weary from my long voyage upon the sea. Tonight I am in the
greatest happiness, looking upon this concourse of God. Your meeting here is
surely an evidence that you are upholding the Cause of God, that you are aiding
and assisting in establishing the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the culmination of
my happiness is to look upon your faces and realize that you have been brought
together by the power of the Blessed Perfection, Bahá'u'lláh. In this meeting
you are upholding His standard and assisting His Cause. Therefore, I behold in
you the making of a goodly tree upon which divine fruits will appear to give
sustenance to the world of humanity. (‘Abdu’l-Baha,
‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace’)
July 24, 2013
Every natural thing we see should remind us of God’s “signs, … tokens, and …testimonies.”
From: Daily Verses of God
… whatever I behold I readily discover that it maketh Thee known unto me, and it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens, and of Thy testimonies. By Thy glory! Every time I lift up mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Conservation of Earth’s Resources)
… whatever I behold I readily discover that it maketh Thee known unto me, and it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens, and of Thy testimonies. By Thy glory! Every time I lift up mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Conservation of Earth’s Resources)
July 23, 2013
Hand of the Cause: Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Shahmirzadi, known as Haji Akhund (1842-1910)
From: Baha'is to Remember...
Yet another Hand of the Cause was the revered Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, the All-Glorious. Early in life, this illustrious man attended institutions of higher learning and labored diligently, by day and night, until he became thoroughly conversant with the learning of the day, with secular studies, philosophy, and religious jurisprudence. He frequented the gatherings of philosophers, mystics, and Shaykhís, thoughtfully traversing those areas of knowledge, intuitive wisdom, and illumination; but he thirsted after the wellspring of truth, and hungered for the bread that comes down from Heaven. No matter how he strove to perfect himself in those regions of the mind, he was never satisfied; he never reached the goal of his desires; his lips stayed parched; he was confused, perplexed, and felt that he had wandered from his path. The reason was that in all those circles he had found no passion; no joy, no ecstasy; no faintest scent of love. And as he went deeper into the core of those manifold beliefs, he discovered that from the day of the Prophet Muhammad’s advent until our own times, innumerable sects have arisen: creeds differing among themselves; disparate opinions, divergent goals, uncounted roads and ways. And he found each one, under some plea or other, claiming to reveal spiritual truth; each one believing that it alone followed the true path—this although the Muhammedic sea could rise in one great tide, and carry all those sects away to the ocean floor. “No cry shalt thou hear from them, nor a whisper even.” [Qur’án 19:98] (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Memorials of the Faithful’)
Yet another Hand of the Cause was the revered Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, the All-Glorious. Early in life, this illustrious man attended institutions of higher learning and labored diligently, by day and night, until he became thoroughly conversant with the learning of the day, with secular studies, philosophy, and religious jurisprudence. He frequented the gatherings of philosophers, mystics, and Shaykhís, thoughtfully traversing those areas of knowledge, intuitive wisdom, and illumination; but he thirsted after the wellspring of truth, and hungered for the bread that comes down from Heaven. No matter how he strove to perfect himself in those regions of the mind, he was never satisfied; he never reached the goal of his desires; his lips stayed parched; he was confused, perplexed, and felt that he had wandered from his path. The reason was that in all those circles he had found no passion; no joy, no ecstasy; no faintest scent of love. And as he went deeper into the core of those manifold beliefs, he discovered that from the day of the Prophet Muhammad’s advent until our own times, innumerable sects have arisen: creeds differing among themselves; disparate opinions, divergent goals, uncounted roads and ways. And he found each one, under some plea or other, claiming to reveal spiritual truth; each one believing that it alone followed the true path—this although the Muhammedic sea could rise in one great tide, and carry all those sects away to the ocean floor. “No cry shalt thou hear from them, nor a whisper even.” [Qur’án 19:98] (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Memorials of the Faithful’)
July 22, 2013
Paragraph 1.1 of the Surih of Temple
From: Reflecting on Baha'i Writings - The Summons of the Lord of Hosts
“Glorified is He Who hath revealed His verses to those who understand. Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who perceive. Glorified is He Who guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His path. Say: I, verily, am the Path of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth; well is it with them that hasten thereunto!”
Comments:
This paragraph reminds us of some fundamental spiritual principles:
• It’s God/His Manifestation Who “sendeth” “His verses” – the Word of God – to “those” who can “perceive” – to see and apprehend spiritually, intuitively, mentally.
• It’s God/His Manifestation Who “guideth” to “His path” those whom He is pleased to guide.
• Manifestation of God is truly the “Path of God” for all of us who are “on earth” – that includes all of us – and all “who are in the heavens”!
So, with reference to this paragraph, we should pray to God to “guide” us to those that He wants us to teach – who at times might be different than the ones we may have in mind!
Question: What do you think is intended by the word “heavens” in the above paragraph? Is it a reference to all the celestial planets in the universe or is it a reference to the next world?
“Glorified is He Who hath revealed His verses to those who understand. Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who perceive. Glorified is He Who guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His path. Say: I, verily, am the Path of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth; well is it with them that hasten thereunto!”
Comments:
This paragraph reminds us of some fundamental spiritual principles:
• It’s God/His Manifestation Who “sendeth” “His verses” – the Word of God – to “those” who can “perceive” – to see and apprehend spiritually, intuitively, mentally.
• It’s God/His Manifestation Who “guideth” to “His path” those whom He is pleased to guide.
• Manifestation of God is truly the “Path of God” for all of us who are “on earth” – that includes all of us – and all “who are in the heavens”!
So, with reference to this paragraph, we should pray to God to “guide” us to those that He wants us to teach – who at times might be different than the ones we may have in mind!
Question: What do you think is intended by the word “heavens” in the above paragraph? Is it a reference to all the celestial planets in the universe or is it a reference to the next world?
July 21, 2013
How a meeting can attract divine bounties
From: Gems of insight from 'Abdu'l-Baha
… the affinity and love manifest in this meeting, the divine susceptibilities witnessed here are not of this world but of the world of the Kingdom. When the souls become separated and selfish, the divine bounties do not descend, and the lights of the Supreme Concourse are no longer reflected even though the bodies meet together. A mirror with its back turned to the sun has no power to reflect the sun's effulgence. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace’)
… the affinity and love manifest in this meeting, the divine susceptibilities witnessed here are not of this world but of the world of the Kingdom. When the souls become separated and selfish, the divine bounties do not descend, and the lights of the Supreme Concourse are no longer reflected even though the bodies meet together. A mirror with its back turned to the sun has no power to reflect the sun's effulgence. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace’)
July 20, 2013
'Abdu'l-Baha in Washington DC, 1912
'Abdu'l-Baha standing before Agnes Parson's house in
Washington DC
July 19, 2013
The reason number nine is considered by the Bahá'ís as being sacred
From: Daily Spiritual Food for Thought
The number nine, which in itself is the number of perfection, is considered by the Bahá'ís as sacred because it is symbolic of the perfection of the Bahá'í Revelation, which constitutes the ninth in the line of existing religions, the latest and fullest Revelation which mankind has ever known. The eighth is the Religion of the Báb, and the remaining seven are: Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the religion of the Sabaeans. These religions are not the only true religions that have appeared in the world, but are the only ones which are still existing. There have always been divine prophets and messengers, to many of whom the Qur'án refers. But the only ones existing are those mentioned above. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, dated 28 July 1936; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Extracts from the Baha’i Writings on Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, and related subjects)
The number nine, which in itself is the number of perfection, is considered by the Bahá'ís as sacred because it is symbolic of the perfection of the Bahá'í Revelation, which constitutes the ninth in the line of existing religions, the latest and fullest Revelation which mankind has ever known. The eighth is the Religion of the Báb, and the remaining seven are: Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the religion of the Sabaeans. These religions are not the only true religions that have appeared in the world, but are the only ones which are still existing. There have always been divine prophets and messengers, to many of whom the Qur'án refers. But the only ones existing are those mentioned above. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, dated 28 July 1936; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Extracts from the Baha’i Writings on Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, and related subjects)
July 18, 2013
December 15, 1922: To Baha’is of Japan
From: Messages to the Baha'i World Community - by Shoghi Effendi
To the believers in Japan care Agnes Alexander.
Refreshed and reassured I now stretch to you across the distant seas my hand of brotherly cooperation in the Cause of Baha.
Shoghi
(cable dated December 15, 1922)
(Shoghi Effendi, ‘Japan Will Turn Ablaze’, p. 59)
To the believers in Japan care Agnes Alexander.
Refreshed and reassured I now stretch to you across the distant seas my hand of brotherly cooperation in the Cause of Baha.
Shoghi
(cable dated December 15, 1922)
(Shoghi Effendi, ‘Japan Will Turn Ablaze’, p. 59)
July 17, 2013
Opposition from the Learned and Divines of Jesus’ Generation
From: Baha'i Scriptures concerning Jesus and Christianity
… call thou to mind the one who sentenced Jesus to death. He was the most learned of his age in his own country, whilst he who was only a fisherman believed in Him. Take good heed and be of them that observe the warning. (Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah Revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
… in the days of Jesus, it was those who were distinguished for their learning, the men of letters and religion, who denied Him, whilst humble fishermen made haste to gain admittance into the Kingdom. (Baha’u’llah, quoted in Notes section of Kitab-i-Aqdas)
Consider the Dispensation of Jesus Christ. Behold, how all the learned men of that generation, though eagerly anticipating the coming of the Promised One, have nevertheless denied Him. Both Annas, the most learned among the divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, denounced Him and pronounced the sentence of His death. (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah)
… call thou to mind the one who sentenced Jesus to death. He was the most learned of his age in his own country, whilst he who was only a fisherman believed in Him. Take good heed and be of them that observe the warning. (Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah Revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
… in the days of Jesus, it was those who were distinguished for their learning, the men of letters and religion, who denied Him, whilst humble fishermen made haste to gain admittance into the Kingdom. (Baha’u’llah, quoted in Notes section of Kitab-i-Aqdas)
Consider the Dispensation of Jesus Christ. Behold, how all the learned men of that generation, though eagerly anticipating the coming of the Promised One, have nevertheless denied Him. Both Annas, the most learned among the divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, denounced Him and pronounced the sentence of His death. (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah)
July 16, 2013
A book: The Báb -- by Hand of the Cause H.M. Balyuzi
From: Introduction to Baha'i Books
Here is a fascinating record of the life of the Bab,
Whom Baha’u’llah refers to as “the King of the Messengers”. In the inside cover
of the book we read:
"In the middle of the nineteenth century Iran, then remote from the West, was roused and convulsed by the appearance of the Marty-Prophet, the Bab, Whose brief Ministry of six years (1844-50) ended in His own martyrdom and that of thousands of His followers. The Bab was a youthful merchant Who fulfilled wide expectation in The East and West by His declaration that ‘He Whom God shall manifest” would soon arise to guide mankind into a new epoch of spiritual civilization.
The Bab and His religion were observed at first hand by Western diplomats – British, Russian, French, and Austrian, in particular – whose official reports and accounts in books provide unparalleled data for the study of the birth and rise of a faith which, in the words of a Cambridge scholar, Edward Grandville Brown, 'may not impossibly win a place amidst the great religions of the world'.
Mr. Balyuzi has made use of many official documents from governmental records, and also cites material gathered from family archives, accessible to him as a relative of the Bab. His illustrations include several items from these archives."
In the forward section of the book, Hand of the Cause of God Mr. Baluzi indicates that:
Read more ...
Here is a fascinating record of the life of the Bab,
Whom Baha’u’llah refers to as “the King of the Messengers”. In the inside cover
of the book we read:"In the middle of the nineteenth century Iran, then remote from the West, was roused and convulsed by the appearance of the Marty-Prophet, the Bab, Whose brief Ministry of six years (1844-50) ended in His own martyrdom and that of thousands of His followers. The Bab was a youthful merchant Who fulfilled wide expectation in The East and West by His declaration that ‘He Whom God shall manifest” would soon arise to guide mankind into a new epoch of spiritual civilization.
The Bab and His religion were observed at first hand by Western diplomats – British, Russian, French, and Austrian, in particular – whose official reports and accounts in books provide unparalleled data for the study of the birth and rise of a faith which, in the words of a Cambridge scholar, Edward Grandville Brown, 'may not impossibly win a place amidst the great religions of the world'.
Mr. Balyuzi has made use of many official documents from governmental records, and also cites material gathered from family archives, accessible to him as a relative of the Bab. His illustrations include several items from these archives."
In the forward section of the book, Hand of the Cause of God Mr. Baluzi indicates that:
Read more ...
July 15, 2013
“The personality and activity of the body are due to the individuality of the soul.”
From: Human Soul and Its Eternal Journey
The personality and activity of the body are due to the individuality of the soul. Thus the soul is the cause of the life of the body, and the body, with all its organs, is but the vehicle of its expression. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a talk, quoted by Lua Getsinger in her talk in San Francisco on December 17, 1911)(To see the transcript of the entire talk please visit Baha’i Talks, Messages and Articles)
The personality and activity of the body are due to the individuality of the soul. Thus the soul is the cause of the life of the body, and the body, with all its organs, is but the vehicle of its expression. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a talk, quoted by Lua Getsinger in her talk in San Francisco on December 17, 1911)(To see the transcript of the entire talk please visit Baha’i Talks, Messages and Articles)
July 14, 2013
July 13, 2013
The path to follow by each believer when encountering situations in a locality that could potentially be detrimental to the interests of the Faith
Does not 'Abdu'l-Bahá wish us, as He looks down upon us with
loving expectation from His glorious Station, to obliterate as much as possible
all traces of censure, of conflicting discussions, of cooling remarks, of petty
unnecessary observations that impede the onward march of the Cause, that damp
the zeal of the firm believer and detract from the sublimity of the Bahá'í
Cause in the eyes of the inquirer? In order, however, to insure fair and quick
and vigorous action whenever such an evil activity is revealed and has been
carefully ascertained, the best and only means would appear to be, for the
careful observer, once he is assured of such an evil action, and has grown hopeless
of the attitude of kindness and forbearance, to report it quietly to the
Spiritual Assembly representative of the friends in that locality and submit
the case to their earnest and full consideration. Should the majority of the
members of that Assembly be conscientiously convinced of the case -- and this
being a national issue affecting the body of the friends in America -- it
should, only through the intermediary of that Assembly, be cautiously
communicated to that greater body representing all the Assemblies in America,
which will in its turn obtain all the available data from the local Assembly in
question, study carefully the situation and reserve for itself the ultimate
decision. It may, if it decides so, refer to the Holy Land for further consideration
and consultation. (Extract from a letter by Shoghi Effendi, dated March 5,
1922; ‘Baha'i Administration’) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)
July 12, 2013
Early Christians – “their hearts were pure and attracted by the fires of the Divine Spirit..”
Jesus Christ gave His life upon the cross for the unity of
mankind. Those who believed in Him likewise sacrificed life, honor,
possessions, family, everything, that this human world might be released from
the hell of discord, enmity and strife. His foundation was the oneness of
humanity. Only a few were attracted to Him. They were not the kings and rulers
of His time. They were not rich and important people. Some of them were
catchers of fish. Most of them were ignorant men, not trained in the knowledge
of this world. One of the greatest of them, Peter, could not remember the days
of the week. All of them were men of the least consequence in the eyes of the
world. But their hearts were pure and attracted by the fires of the Divine
Spirit manifested in Christ. With this small army Christ conquered the world of
the East and the West. Kings and nations rose against Him. Philosophers and the
greatest men of learning assailed and blasphemed His Cause. All were defeated
and overcome, their tongues silenced, their lamps extinguished, their hatred
quenched; no trace of them now remains. They have become as nonexistent, while
His Kingdom is triumphant and eternal. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of
Universal Peace)
July 11, 2013
Quiz 4
From: Baha'i Knowledge Hunt
• Can you name three of the major Tablets that Baha’u’llah
revealed in Adrianople -- now included in the book called The Summons of the
Lord of Hosts? Answer
• In one of His Talks in the US, the Master explains that the purpose of man’s creation is the “attainment” of these virtues. What are they? Answer
• Other than love, what other teachings would you say make up the “the foundation principles of the teachings” of Christ? Answer
• How old was Nabil, the author of Dawn-Breakers, when he recognized the Bab? Answer
• What motivated Professor E.G. Brown to learn Persian and Arabic, leave Britain in the 1880’s, travel to the Middle East and live in that area for a while? Answer
• In one of His Talks in the US, the Master explains that the purpose of man’s creation is the “attainment” of these virtues. What are they? Answer
• Other than love, what other teachings would you say make up the “the foundation principles of the teachings” of Christ? Answer
• How old was Nabil, the author of Dawn-Breakers, when he recognized the Bab? Answer
• What motivated Professor E.G. Brown to learn Persian and Arabic, leave Britain in the 1880’s, travel to the Middle East and live in that area for a while? Answer
July 10, 2013
The father of the Báb describes the extraordinary qualities of his Son when He was just a young child
From: Baha'i Stories
The principal of the school that the Báb attended when He was almost five years old has left an account concerning the meeting that took place between the father of the Báb, Aqa Mirza Muhammad Rida and His teacher, Shaykh Anam, before the Bab started His first day at school.
“‘After forty years, the Exalted Lord has graced me with a Child who has caused me to wonder over His behavior.’ The Shaykh asked him to explain further, but he only replied. ‘It is hard to say.’ [The Shaykh] insisted, to which [the father] offered:
O venerable Shaykh! Which of His amazing conditions should I recount? Such peculiar characteristics are manifest in Him that the people are astonished. Now, when He is five years old, He sometimes raises His hands to the threshold of the One God, and recites prayers. He wakes in the middle of the night and stands to offer His obligatory prayers, in the midst of which He weeps. Sometimes He is sad, on other occasions He is happy, or immersed in rapture, or preoccupied with the imaginary world. My astonishment and bewilderment prevents me from describing further. Were I to recount all that I have observed from the time of His birth until the present, it would make a thick book.
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The principal of the school that the Báb attended when He was almost five years old has left an account concerning the meeting that took place between the father of the Báb, Aqa Mirza Muhammad Rida and His teacher, Shaykh Anam, before the Bab started His first day at school.
“‘After forty years, the Exalted Lord has graced me with a Child who has caused me to wonder over His behavior.’ The Shaykh asked him to explain further, but he only replied. ‘It is hard to say.’ [The Shaykh] insisted, to which [the father] offered:
O venerable Shaykh! Which of His amazing conditions should I recount? Such peculiar characteristics are manifest in Him that the people are astonished. Now, when He is five years old, He sometimes raises His hands to the threshold of the One God, and recites prayers. He wakes in the middle of the night and stands to offer His obligatory prayers, in the midst of which He weeps. Sometimes He is sad, on other occasions He is happy, or immersed in rapture, or preoccupied with the imaginary world. My astonishment and bewilderment prevents me from describing further. Were I to recount all that I have observed from the time of His birth until the present, it would make a thick book.
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July 9, 2013
July 8, 2013
July 7, 2013
Who is a "saint"?
From: Baha'i Points of Interest
We call people "saints" who have achieved the highest degree of mastery over their egos. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, ‘Unfolding Destiny’)
We call people "saints" who have achieved the highest degree of mastery over their egos. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, ‘Unfolding Destiny’)
July 6, 2013
Each human being is like a mine rich in gems of inestimable value
From: Teachings of the Baha'i Faith
The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)
The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)
July 5, 2013
A message from the Universal House of Justice: December 18, 1963
From: Messages to the Baha'i World Community - by the Universal House of Justice
To the Baha’is of East and West
Dear friends,
With the rapid approach of the launching of the Nine Year Plan, the Universal House of Justice feels that it is timely to lay clearly before the Bahá'ís of all countries, the needs of the Fund at all its levels: local, national, continental and international.
The continual expansion of the Faith and the diversification of the activities of Bahá'í communities make it more and more necessary for every believer to ponder carefully his responsibilities and contribute as much and as regularly as he or she can. Contributing to the Fund is a service that every believer can render, be he poor or wealthy; for this is a spiritual responsibility in which the amount given is not important. It is the degree of the sacrifice of the giver, the love with which he makes his gift, and the unity of all the friends in this service which bring spiritual confirmations. As the beloved Guardian wrote in August 1957: "All, no matter how modest their resources, must participate. Upon the degree of self-sacrifice involved in these individual contributions will directly depend the efficacy and the spiritual influence which these nascent administrative institutions, called into being through the power of Bahá'u'lláh, and by virtue of the Design conceived by the Centre of His Covenant, will exert
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To the Baha’is of East and West
Dear friends,
With the rapid approach of the launching of the Nine Year Plan, the Universal House of Justice feels that it is timely to lay clearly before the Bahá'ís of all countries, the needs of the Fund at all its levels: local, national, continental and international.
The continual expansion of the Faith and the diversification of the activities of Bahá'í communities make it more and more necessary for every believer to ponder carefully his responsibilities and contribute as much and as regularly as he or she can. Contributing to the Fund is a service that every believer can render, be he poor or wealthy; for this is a spiritual responsibility in which the amount given is not important. It is the degree of the sacrifice of the giver, the love with which he makes his gift, and the unity of all the friends in this service which bring spiritual confirmations. As the beloved Guardian wrote in August 1957: "All, no matter how modest their resources, must participate. Upon the degree of self-sacrifice involved in these individual contributions will directly depend the efficacy and the spiritual influence which these nascent administrative institutions, called into being through the power of Bahá'u'lláh, and by virtue of the Design conceived by the Centre of His Covenant, will exert
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July 4, 2013
Nabil - the Author of Dawn-Breakers
From: Baha’i Historical FactsHe was born on the 18th day of the month of Safar of the year 1247 A. H. in the village of Zarand in Persia. He was thirteen years old when the Báb declared Himself. Though still young he himself was preparing to leave for Shaykh Tabarsi and join the companions of Mulla Husayn when the news of the treachery and massacre of the besieged companions reached him. He met Bahá'u'lláh in Kirmanshah and Tihran before the latter's banishment to Iraq. He was a close companion of the Báb's amanuensis Mirza Ahmad. He subsequently met Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad, Adrianople and 'Akká and was commissioned by Bahá'u'lláh to journey several times to Persia in order to promote the Cause and encourage the scattered and persecuted believers. He was present in 'Akká when Bahá'u'lláh passed away in 1892 and soon after was so overcome with grief that he drowned himself in the sea. His body was found along the shore and was buried in the cemetery of 'Akká. 'Abdu'l-Bahá is reported to have been struck with deep sorrow at the manner of his death. He states in his narration that he met the maternal uncle of the Báb, Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali who had visited his nephew in the Castle of Chihriq and had recently returned to Tihran. He started writing his narrative in 1305 A.H. four years before the passing of Bahá'u'lláh. It took him about a year and half to write it. His chief informants were Mirza Ahmad the amanuensis of the Báb and Mirza Musa the brother of Bahá'u'lláh. Parts of his narrative were read in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh and approved by Him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá also went over sections of his narrative....(Shoghi Effendi, 'The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha'i Community')
July 3, 2013
Tablet to Corinne True - by 'Abdu'l-Baha
From: Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha in Star of the West
To the maid-servant of God who is firm in the Covenant, Mrs. Corinne True -- Upon her be Baha’u’l-Abha!
Chicago, Ill.
He is God!
O thou daughter of the Kingdom!
Thy letter, dated January 6, 1910, was received with the enclosed papers.
Regarding the appointment of the time for the opening of the general convention in Chicago, this matter is already written about. Undoubtedly you have received it by this time. It was suggested to postpone the 20th of March to the days of Ridvan, in which the climate is temperate.
You have written regarding the election of delegates from among the Oriental Baha'is. The season for this work has not yet come. God willing, in its opportune time they will be sent.
To the maid-servant of God who is firm in the Covenant, Mrs. Corinne True -- Upon her be Baha’u’l-Abha!
Chicago, Ill.
He is God!
O thou daughter of the Kingdom!
Thy letter, dated January 6, 1910, was received with the enclosed papers.
Regarding the appointment of the time for the opening of the general convention in Chicago, this matter is already written about. Undoubtedly you have received it by this time. It was suggested to postpone the 20th of March to the days of Ridvan, in which the climate is temperate.
You have written regarding the election of delegates from among the Oriental Baha'is. The season for this work has not yet come. God willing, in its opportune time they will be sent.
July 2, 2013
A message from Shoghi Effendi: March 5, 1922: To Baha'is Worldwide
From: Messages to the Baha'i World Community - by Shoghi Effendi
Dear fellow-workers in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh: -
It is with words of regret and disappointment that I desire to open this letter because of my inability, in view of my manifold and pressing duties, to respond individually and in writing to the many messages of love and sympathy and of hope that you have so affectionately sent me since our Beloved's passing from this World. I am sure I am voicing the sentiments of the bereaved ladies of the Household when I say that however desirous we may be to correspond separately with every one of you, the grave responsibilities and manifold duties now devolved upon us make it regrettably impossible to express in written messages to every friend what we constantly feel in our hearts, and pray for when visiting His sacred Shrine.
At this grave and momentous period through which the Cause of God in conformity with the Divine Wisdom is passing, it is the sacred duty of every one of us to endeavor to realize the full significance of this Hour of Transition, and then to make a supreme resolve to arise steadfastly for the fulfilment of our sacred obligations.
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Dear fellow-workers in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh: -
It is with words of regret and disappointment that I desire to open this letter because of my inability, in view of my manifold and pressing duties, to respond individually and in writing to the many messages of love and sympathy and of hope that you have so affectionately sent me since our Beloved's passing from this World. I am sure I am voicing the sentiments of the bereaved ladies of the Household when I say that however desirous we may be to correspond separately with every one of you, the grave responsibilities and manifold duties now devolved upon us make it regrettably impossible to express in written messages to every friend what we constantly feel in our hearts, and pray for when visiting His sacred Shrine.
At this grave and momentous period through which the Cause of God in conformity with the Divine Wisdom is passing, it is the sacred duty of every one of us to endeavor to realize the full significance of this Hour of Transition, and then to make a supreme resolve to arise steadfastly for the fulfilment of our sacred obligations.
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July 1, 2013
The Master arrives in America! Oh day of days! -- by Juliet Thompson
From: Vignettes about 'Abdu'l-Baha
I was wakened this morning [April 11, 1912] while it was yet dark by something shining into my eyes. It was a ray from the moon, its waning crescent framed low in my windowpane.
Symbol of the Covenant, was my first thought. How perfectly beautiful to be wakened today by it! But at once I remembered another time when I had seen the waning moon hanging, then, above palm trees. I was on the roof of the House in ‘Akká with the Master and Munavvar Khánum. The Master was pointing to the moon. “The East. The moon. No!” He said. “I am the Sun of the West.”
At dawn, kneeling at my window, I prayed in the swelling light for all this land, now sleeping, that it would wake to received its Lord; conscious, as I prayed, of an overshadowing Sacred Presence: a great, glorious, burning Presence—the Sun of Love rising. This fiery dawn was but a pale symbol of such a rising.
Between seven and eight I went to the pier with Marjorie Morten and Rhoda Nichols. The morning was crystal clear, sparkling. I had a sense of its being Easter: of lilies, almost seen, blooming at my feet.
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Symbol of the Covenant, was my first thought. How perfectly beautiful to be wakened today by it! But at once I remembered another time when I had seen the waning moon hanging, then, above palm trees. I was on the roof of the House in ‘Akká with the Master and Munavvar Khánum. The Master was pointing to the moon. “The East. The moon. No!” He said. “I am the Sun of the West.”
At dawn, kneeling at my window, I prayed in the swelling light for all this land, now sleeping, that it would wake to received its Lord; conscious, as I prayed, of an overshadowing Sacred Presence: a great, glorious, burning Presence—the Sun of Love rising. This fiery dawn was but a pale symbol of such a rising.
Between seven and eight I went to the pier with Marjorie Morten and Rhoda Nichols. The morning was crystal clear, sparkling. I had a sense of its being Easter: of lilies, almost seen, blooming at my feet.
Read more…
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