From: Christian themes in Baha'i literature
One's conduct must be like the conduct of Paul, and one's
faith similar to that of Peter. (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha)
May 31, 2013
May 30, 2013
May 29, 2013
I Have Found Baha'u'llah
From: Baha'i Songs & Poems
Words by Baha'is of Botswana
Arrangement by Conrad Lambert
Arrangement by Conrad Lambert
I have found Baha’u’llah
In the early days of my life
I will keep Him in my heart
And stay with Him for ever
Re-monye Baha’u’llah
Mo molatsing a ho hola
Retla sala naye
Allah’u’Abha, Allah’u’Abha
Allah’u’Abha, Allah’u’Abha
May 28, 2013
Ascension of Baha’u’llah – recounted by two believers
From: Baha'i Stories
The ascension of Baha’u’llah took place in the Mansion of Bahji, and it caused indescribable consternation among His followers. Nabil-i-Az’am [the author of Dawn-Breakers], a true lover of the Blessed Beauty and one of His devoted Apostles, has left to posterity a moving description of this calamitous event. The following is a summary translation of his account:
On the eve of Sunday, the eleventh of the month of Shavval 1309 AH (8 May 1892), fifty days after Naw-Ruz, He contracted a fever, though He did not mention it to anyone. The following morning a number of the friends attained His presence. Late in the afternoon the fever was intensified. In the evening only one of the companions who had an urgent demand was admitted to His presence. On Monday (the second day of His illness) only one of the friends was admitted. On Tuesday this helpless servant [Nabil-i-‘Az’am] was given the honour of an audience with His blessed Person. At noon He summoned me to His presence alone and spoke to me for about half an hour sometimes seated and sometimes pacing up and down. He vouchsafed unto me His infinite bounties and His exalted utterances reached the acme of perfection.
Read more …
May 27, 2013
Hand of the Cause: Mulla Sadiq-i-Muqaddas-i-Khurasani, surnamed Ismu’lláhu’l-Asdaq
From: Baha'is to Remember ...
Among the Hands of the Cause of God who have departed this life and ascended to the Supreme Horizon was Jináb-i-Ismu’lláhu’l-Asdaq. Another was Jináb-i-Nabíl-i-Akbar. Still others were Jináb-i-Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar and Jináb-i-Shaykh Muhammad-Ridáy-i-Yazdí. Again, among others, was the revered martyr, Áqá Mírzá Varqá.
Ismu’lláhu’l-Asdaq was truly a servant of the Lord from the beginning of life till his last breath. When young, he joined the circle of the late Siyyid Kázim and became one of his disciples. He was known in Persia for his purity of life, winning fame as Mullá Sádiq the saintly. He was a blessed individual, a man accomplished, learned, and much honored. The people of Khurásán were strongly attached to him, for he was a great scholar and among the most renowned of matchless and unique divines. As a teacher of the Faith, he spoke with such eloquence, such extraordinary power, that his hearers were won over with great ease.
After he had come to Baghdád and attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, he was seated one day in the courtyard of the men’s apartments, by the little garden. I was in one of the rooms just above, that gave onto the courtyard. At that moment a Persian prince, a grandson of Fath-‘Alí Sháh, arrived at the house. The prince said to him, “Who are you?” Ismu’lláh answered, “I am a servant of this Threshhold. I am one of the keepers of this door.” And as I listened from above, he began to teach the Faith. The prince at first objected violently; and yet, in a quarter of an hour, gently and benignly, Jináb-i-Ismu’lláh had quieted him down. After the prince had so sharply denied what was said, and his face had so clearly reflected his fury, now his wrath was changed to smiles and he expressed the greatest satisfaction at having encountered Ismu’lláh and heard what he had to say.
Read more »
Among the Hands of the Cause of God who have departed this life and ascended to the Supreme Horizon was Jináb-i-Ismu’lláhu’l-Asdaq. Another was Jináb-i-Nabíl-i-Akbar. Still others were Jináb-i-Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar and Jináb-i-Shaykh Muhammad-Ridáy-i-Yazdí. Again, among others, was the revered martyr, Áqá Mírzá Varqá.
Ismu’lláhu’l-Asdaq was truly a servant of the Lord from the beginning of life till his last breath. When young, he joined the circle of the late Siyyid Kázim and became one of his disciples. He was known in Persia for his purity of life, winning fame as Mullá Sádiq the saintly. He was a blessed individual, a man accomplished, learned, and much honored. The people of Khurásán were strongly attached to him, for he was a great scholar and among the most renowned of matchless and unique divines. As a teacher of the Faith, he spoke with such eloquence, such extraordinary power, that his hearers were won over with great ease.
After he had come to Baghdád and attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, he was seated one day in the courtyard of the men’s apartments, by the little garden. I was in one of the rooms just above, that gave onto the courtyard. At that moment a Persian prince, a grandson of Fath-‘Alí Sháh, arrived at the house. The prince said to him, “Who are you?” Ismu’lláh answered, “I am a servant of this Threshhold. I am one of the keepers of this door.” And as I listened from above, he began to teach the Faith. The prince at first objected violently; and yet, in a quarter of an hour, gently and benignly, Jináb-i-Ismu’lláh had quieted him down. After the prince had so sharply denied what was said, and his face had so clearly reflected his fury, now his wrath was changed to smiles and he expressed the greatest satisfaction at having encountered Ismu’lláh and heard what he had to say.
Read more »
May 26, 2013
October 1963: To the Followers of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the World
From: Messages to the Baha'i World Community -- by the Universal House of Justice
Fellow believers in the Cause of God,
Six years ago when nearing the midway point of the Ten Year Crusade, the Bahá'í World found itself abruptly deprived of the guiding hand of its beloved Guardian. The anguish which then seized our hearts, far from paralyzing the progress of the Cause, stiffened our resolve and fired our zeal to complete the tasks which God, through His Chosen Branch, had laid upon us. The august institution of the Hands of the Cause of God which he had, but recently, in compliance with the instructions of the Master's Will, raised up, kept the people of this Cause faithfully to the path which had been shown to us by the pen of divine guidance, and brought us not only to the triumphal conclusion of that Crusade but to the culminating point of the construction of the framework of Bahá'u'lláh's World Order.
Read more …
Fellow believers in the Cause of God,
Six years ago when nearing the midway point of the Ten Year Crusade, the Bahá'í World found itself abruptly deprived of the guiding hand of its beloved Guardian. The anguish which then seized our hearts, far from paralyzing the progress of the Cause, stiffened our resolve and fired our zeal to complete the tasks which God, through His Chosen Branch, had laid upon us. The august institution of the Hands of the Cause of God which he had, but recently, in compliance with the instructions of the Master's Will, raised up, kept the people of this Cause faithfully to the path which had been shown to us by the pen of divine guidance, and brought us not only to the triumphal conclusion of that Crusade but to the culminating point of the construction of the framework of Bahá'u'lláh's World Order.
Read more …
May 25, 2013
Tablet of the Bell (Lawh-i-Náqús) - by Baha’u’llah
From: Baha'i Tablets -- provisionsl translations
--- Translation by Stephen Lambden
He is the Almighty.
This [Tablet] is the Meadow of Paradise wherein the melody of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath been exalted. Therein hath Houris [Maidens] of Eternity (huriyyát al-khuld) been empowered whom none hath touched save God, the Almighty, the Sanctified. Therein doth the Nightingale of Eternal Subsistence warble upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of the Extremity (sidrat al-muntahá) with such a melody as hath bedazzled discerning souls (al-‘uqúl). Therein is that through which the poor and needy (al-fuqará’) are made to approach the shore of independent self-sufficiency (shatí al-ghaná’) and the people obtain guidance unto the Word of God (kalimát Alláh). Such, indeed, is the certain Truth!
In Thy Name “He” for Thou, verily, art “He,” O “He”!
O Monk of the Divine Unicity! (ráhib al-ahadiyya) Strike the Bell! (al-náqús) for the Day of God hath been realized and the Beauty of the Divine Might (jamál al-‘izz) been enthroned upon a Throne of Luminous Holiness. So Praised be Thou O “He”! O Thou Who art “He” Who is “He”! O Thou besides Whom there is none other than “He.”
Read more ...
--- Translation by Stephen Lambden
He is the Almighty.
This [Tablet] is the Meadow of Paradise wherein the melody of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath been exalted. Therein hath Houris [Maidens] of Eternity (huriyyát al-khuld) been empowered whom none hath touched save God, the Almighty, the Sanctified. Therein doth the Nightingale of Eternal Subsistence warble upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of the Extremity (sidrat al-muntahá) with such a melody as hath bedazzled discerning souls (al-‘uqúl). Therein is that through which the poor and needy (al-fuqará’) are made to approach the shore of independent self-sufficiency (shatí al-ghaná’) and the people obtain guidance unto the Word of God (kalimát Alláh). Such, indeed, is the certain Truth!
In Thy Name “He” for Thou, verily, art “He,” O “He”!
O Monk of the Divine Unicity! (ráhib al-ahadiyya) Strike the Bell! (al-náqús) for the Day of God hath been realized and the Beauty of the Divine Might (jamál al-‘izz) been enthroned upon a Throne of Luminous Holiness. So Praised be Thou O “He”! O Thou Who art “He” Who is “He”! O Thou besides Whom there is none other than “He.”
Read more ...
May 24, 2013
'Abdu'l-Baha Abbas
"Thou knowest, O my God,
that I desire for Him naught except that which Thou didst desire, and have
chosen Him for no purpose save that which Thou hadst intended for Him. Render
Him victorious, therefore, through Thy hosts of earth and heaven... Ordain, I
beseech Thee, by the ardor of My love for Thee and My yearning to manifest Thy
Cause, for Him, as well as for them that love Him, that which Thou hast
destined for Thy Messengers and the Trustees of Thy Revelation. Verily, Thou
art the Almighty, the All-Powerful." (Baha'u'llah, quoted by Shoghi
Effendi in The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
'Abdu'l-Baha Abbas, portrait taken in Paris
May 23, 2013
January 1, 1929: To Baha’is throughout the West
From: Messages to the Baha'i World Community -- by Shoghi Effendi
The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the West.
Dearly-beloved co-workers:
Whilst the Bahá’ís of Persia, constituting the overwhelming majority of the adherents of the Bahá’í Faith in eastern lands, are tasting the first-fruits of their long-dreamed emancipation, a not inconsiderable section of Bahá’u’lláh’s following in the East, inhabiting the provinces of Caucasus and Turkistan, are being subjected to trials and tribulations not very dissimilar, though inferior in intensity, to the afflictions borne so long and so heroically by their Persian brethren.
In my last communication to you I have attempted to depict the nature and swiftness of those liberating forces which today are being released in Persia by an enlightened regime determined to shake off with unconcealed contempt the odious fetters of a long standing tyranny. And I feel that a description of the very perplexing situation with which our brethren in Russia find themselves confronted at present will serve to complete the picture which responsible believers in the West must bear in mind of the critical and swiftly moving changes that are transforming the face of the East.
The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the West.
Dearly-beloved co-workers:
Whilst the Bahá’ís of Persia, constituting the overwhelming majority of the adherents of the Bahá’í Faith in eastern lands, are tasting the first-fruits of their long-dreamed emancipation, a not inconsiderable section of Bahá’u’lláh’s following in the East, inhabiting the provinces of Caucasus and Turkistan, are being subjected to trials and tribulations not very dissimilar, though inferior in intensity, to the afflictions borne so long and so heroically by their Persian brethren.
In my last communication to you I have attempted to depict the nature and swiftness of those liberating forces which today are being released in Persia by an enlightened regime determined to shake off with unconcealed contempt the odious fetters of a long standing tyranny. And I feel that a description of the very perplexing situation with which our brethren in Russia find themselves confronted at present will serve to complete the picture which responsible believers in the West must bear in mind of the critical and swiftly moving changes that are transforming the face of the East.
May 22, 2013
Qualities to strive for while arising to serve ‘Abdu’l-Baha
From: Insights from Messages to the Baha'i World Community -- by Shoghi Effendi
Unity amongst the friends, selflessness in our labors in His [‘Abdu’l-Baha’s] Path, detachment from all worldly things, the greatest prudence and caution in every step we take, earnest endeavor to carry out only what is His Holy Will and Pleasure, the constant awareness of His Presence and of the example of His Life, the absolute shunning of whomsoever we feel to be an enemy of the Cause ... these, and foremost among them is the need for unity, appear to me as our most vital duties, should we dedicate our lives for His service. Should we in this spirit arise to serve Him, what surer and greater promise have we than the one His Glorious Father, Bahá'u'lláh, gives us in His Most Holy Book: -- "Verily, We behold you from Our Realm of Effulgent Glory, and shall graciously aid whosoever ariseth for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Celestial Concourse and a company of Our chosen angels." (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a message dated January 21st, 1922 in ‘Baha'i Administration’, p. 12) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)
Unity amongst the friends, selflessness in our labors in His [‘Abdu’l-Baha’s] Path, detachment from all worldly things, the greatest prudence and caution in every step we take, earnest endeavor to carry out only what is His Holy Will and Pleasure, the constant awareness of His Presence and of the example of His Life, the absolute shunning of whomsoever we feel to be an enemy of the Cause ... these, and foremost among them is the need for unity, appear to me as our most vital duties, should we dedicate our lives for His service. Should we in this spirit arise to serve Him, what surer and greater promise have we than the one His Glorious Father, Bahá'u'lláh, gives us in His Most Holy Book: -- "Verily, We behold you from Our Realm of Effulgent Glory, and shall graciously aid whosoever ariseth for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Celestial Concourse and a company of Our chosen angels." (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a message dated January 21st, 1922 in ‘Baha'i Administration’, p. 12) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)
May 21, 2013
The “central theme” of Baha’u’llah’s Dispensation
From: Counsels and Explanations by 'Abdu'l-Baha -- Daily Readings
In every Dispensation the light of Divine Guidance has been focussed upon one central theme.... In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God and the distinguishing feature of His Law is the consciousness of the Oneness of Mankind.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
In every Dispensation the light of Divine Guidance has been focussed upon one central theme.... In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God and the distinguishing feature of His Law is the consciousness of the Oneness of Mankind.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
May 20, 2013
Book: Stories of Baha'u'llah and Some Notable Believers, by Kiser Barnes
From: Introduction to Baha'i Books
A fascinating book about the life and ministry of Baha’u’llah, the latest Manifestation (Prophet) of God. All the stories are from Adib Taherzadeh’s four volumes of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah.
A fascinating book about the life and ministry of Baha’u’llah, the latest Manifestation (Prophet) of God. All the stories are from Adib Taherzadeh’s four volumes of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah.
“Here also are stirrings presentations of believers who stood before the world with the spirit of a new era that Baha’u’llah had awakened in them. Discover in these pages how some Apostles of Baha’u’llah, the four Hands of the Cause of God He appointed, the first Jewish believer, the first Zoroastrian believer, the first Christian believer, and other fortunate men and women, daringly recognized that a new religion has once again come into the world. Like the narratives of the world religions gone before, these precious stories fill the heart with wonder” (from the cover of the book)
May 18, 2013
Jamal Effendi - The spiritual father of India and Burma -- the first Baha'i teacher sent to India and Burma by Baha'u'llah in 1875
From: We are Baha'is
Sulayman Khan Ilyas, Jamal Effendi
The man whom Providence had destined to become the spiritual
father of the subcontinent of India and of Burma was a nobleman of the same
province of Iran which had been the home of the ancestors of Bahá'u'lláh. His
name was Sulayman Khan and he was a native of Tunukabun. But when he set out in
the world to serve the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, he left behind the garb of a
nobleman and attired in the garment of a humble man of the cloister travelled
far and wide. 'Abdu'l-Bahá says that he 'was given the title of Jamali'd-Din'.
He became known as Jamal Effendi. Sulayman Khan was the son of 'Isa Khan-i-Tunukabuni. 'Isa Khan was a man of substance and influence in his area of Mazindaran. But his son decided to try his luck in Tihran. It was in the capital city of Iran, the city in which Bahá'u'lláh was born, that Sulayman Khan had his tryst with fate. There he met his destiny, which was not to rise to high position in the temporal realm, but to scale spiritual heights. He gave his allegiance to Bahá'u'lláh, donned the garb of a dervish and took to the road. Forsaking his wealth, his earthly attachments, his position and station in life, and possessing an Ottoman passport, he roamed for a long time over the Ottoman domains, making his way to the Holy Land.
Read more …
May 17, 2013
Adrianople
From: Baha'i Glossary
Present-day Edirne, a city in European Turkey about 130 miles northwest of Constantinople (Istanbul) to which Baha’u’llah was exiled from 12 December 1863 to 12 August 1868; It was designated by Baha’u’llah as the ''remote prison”. It was the furthest point from His homeland that He reached and the first time in known history that a Messenger of God lived on the European continent. During the exile Baha’u’llah suffered an attempt on His life by Mirza Yahya that, together with subsequent acts of treachery, forced Him to sever ties with His half-brother. After this "most great separation" Baha'u'llah’s ministry reached its zenith with the revelation of the Suriy-i-Mulk (Tablet of the Kings) and Tablet to individual kings and leaders. In August 1868 Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Aziz banished Baha’u’llah from Adrianople to ‘Akka.
Present-day Edirne, a city in European Turkey about 130 miles northwest of Constantinople (Istanbul) to which Baha’u’llah was exiled from 12 December 1863 to 12 August 1868; It was designated by Baha’u’llah as the ''remote prison”. It was the furthest point from His homeland that He reached and the first time in known history that a Messenger of God lived on the European continent. During the exile Baha’u’llah suffered an attempt on His life by Mirza Yahya that, together with subsequent acts of treachery, forced Him to sever ties with His half-brother. After this "most great separation" Baha'u'llah’s ministry reached its zenith with the revelation of the Suriy-i-Mulk (Tablet of the Kings) and Tablet to individual kings and leaders. In August 1868 Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Aziz banished Baha’u’llah from Adrianople to ‘Akka.
May 16, 2013
“… the real purpose of …Summer Schools is to deepen the knowledge of the friends.”
From: Daily Spiritual Food for Thought
Shoghi Effendi feels that the real purpose of these Summer Schools is to deepen the knowledge of the friends. Lectures are very essential for they give a wonderful picture of the subject-matter. But it is not sufficient to have a picture; the friends should deepen their knowledge and this can be achieved if together with the lectures there are study classes and seminar work carried on by the same lecturer.
The world is undoubtedly facing a great crisis and the social, economic and political conditions are becoming daily more complex. Should the friends desire to take the lead in reforming the world, they should start by educating themselves and understand what the troubles and problems really are which baffle the mind of man. It is in these Summer Schools that this training should be provided for the friends.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 27 January 1932 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, published in ‘Bahá'í News’ 63, June 1932; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1, Centers of Baha’i Learning)
Shoghi Effendi feels that the real purpose of these Summer Schools is to deepen the knowledge of the friends. Lectures are very essential for they give a wonderful picture of the subject-matter. But it is not sufficient to have a picture; the friends should deepen their knowledge and this can be achieved if together with the lectures there are study classes and seminar work carried on by the same lecturer.
The world is undoubtedly facing a great crisis and the social, economic and political conditions are becoming daily more complex. Should the friends desire to take the lead in reforming the world, they should start by educating themselves and understand what the troubles and problems really are which baffle the mind of man. It is in these Summer Schools that this training should be provided for the friends.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 27 January 1932 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, published in ‘Bahá'í News’ 63, June 1932; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1, Centers of Baha’i Learning)
May 15, 2013
Attributes of the Spiritual World
From: Gems of Insight from 'Abdu'l-Baha
… the spiritual world … is the Kingdom of complete attraction and affinity. It is the Kingdom of the One Divine Spirit, the Kingdom of God.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk,'The Promulgation of Universal Peace')
… the spiritual world … is the Kingdom of complete attraction and affinity. It is the Kingdom of the One Divine Spirit, the Kingdom of God.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk,'The Promulgation of Universal Peace')
May 14, 2013
First Photograph of the Master after World War I
This photograph was taken by Lieut. H. E. Eckersley in the Garden of Bahji in the latter part of the month of October, 1918. It is the first photograph of the Master after the war.
May 13, 2013
Sufferings of Mary - the Mother of Christ
From: Baha'i Scared Scriptures concerning Jesus & Christianity
Likewise, reflect upon the state and condition of Mary. So deep was the perplexity of that most beauteous countenance, so grievous her case, that she bitterly regretted she had ever been born. To this beareth witness the text of the sacred verse wherein it is mentioned that after Mary had given birth to Jesus, she bemoaned her plight and cried out: “O would that I had died ere this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!” I swear by God! Such lamenting consumeth the heart and shaketh the being. Such consternation of soul, such despondency, could have been caused by no other than the censure of the enemy and the cavilings of the infidel and perverse. Reflect, what answer could Mary have given to the people around her? How could she claim that a Babe Whose father was unknown had been conceived of the Holy Ghost? Therefore did Mary, that veiled and immortal Countenance, take up her Child and return unto her home. No sooner had the eyes of the people fallen upon her than they raised their voice saying: “O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother.” (Baha’u’llah, The Book of Certitude)
Likewise, reflect upon the state and condition of Mary. So deep was the perplexity of that most beauteous countenance, so grievous her case, that she bitterly regretted she had ever been born. To this beareth witness the text of the sacred verse wherein it is mentioned that after Mary had given birth to Jesus, she bemoaned her plight and cried out: “O would that I had died ere this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!” I swear by God! Such lamenting consumeth the heart and shaketh the being. Such consternation of soul, such despondency, could have been caused by no other than the censure of the enemy and the cavilings of the infidel and perverse. Reflect, what answer could Mary have given to the people around her? How could she claim that a Babe Whose father was unknown had been conceived of the Holy Ghost? Therefore did Mary, that veiled and immortal Countenance, take up her Child and return unto her home. No sooner had the eyes of the people fallen upon her than they raised their voice saying: “O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother.” (Baha’u’llah, The Book of Certitude)
May 12, 2013
Insights from a prayer: Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God!
From: Insights from Baha'i Prayers ...
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every man of insight confesseth Thy sovereignty and Thy dominion, and every discerning eye perceiveth the greatness of Thy majesty and the compelling power of Thy might. The winds of tests are powerless to hold back them that enjoy near access to Thee from setting their faces towards the horizon of Thy glory, and the tempests of trials must fail to draw away and hinder such as are wholly devoted to Thy will from approaching Thy court.
Methinks, the lamp of Thy love is burning in their hearts, and the light of Thy tenderness is lit within their breasts. Adversities are incapable of estranging them from Thy Cause, and the vicissitudes of fortune can never cause them to stray from Thy pleasure.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by them and by the sighs which their hearts utter in their separation from Thee, to keep them safe from the mischief of Thine adversaries, and to nourish their souls with what Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones on whom shall come no fear and who shall not be put to grief. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’
Some reflections and insights …
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every man of insight confesseth Thy sovereignty and Thy dominion, and every discerning eye perceiveth the greatness of Thy majesty and the compelling power of Thy might. The winds of tests are powerless to hold back them that enjoy near access to Thee from setting their faces towards the horizon of Thy glory, and the tempests of trials must fail to draw away and hinder such as are wholly devoted to Thy will from approaching Thy court.
Methinks, the lamp of Thy love is burning in their hearts, and the light of Thy tenderness is lit within their breasts. Adversities are incapable of estranging them from Thy Cause, and the vicissitudes of fortune can never cause them to stray from Thy pleasure.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by them and by the sighs which their hearts utter in their separation from Thee, to keep them safe from the mischief of Thine adversaries, and to nourish their souls with what Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones on whom shall come no fear and who shall not be put to grief. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’
Some reflections and insights …
May 11, 2013
Quiz 2
From: Baha'i Knowledge Hunt
• He spent more than 40 years as a prisoner with his father. Answer
• This book is viewed as a companion to ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’ and was translated by the Guardian in 1936-7. Answer
• When Abdu’l-Baha visited this city He referred to it as “Truly.. a wonderful city.” He commented that it had made great “progress in material civilization”. He hoped that “it may also advance spiritually in the Kingdom and Covenant of God” and that the friends there “may become the cause of the illumination of America..” Answer
• He passed away on November 22, 1925. The Guardian referred to him as his “warmest of friends, a trusted counsellor, an indefatigable collaborator, lovable companion.” Answer
• His father was amazed at his son’s extraordinary qualities when he was just a young child. Answer
• He spent more than 40 years as a prisoner with his father. Answer
• This book is viewed as a companion to ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’ and was translated by the Guardian in 1936-7. Answer
• When Abdu’l-Baha visited this city He referred to it as “Truly.. a wonderful city.” He commented that it had made great “progress in material civilization”. He hoped that “it may also advance spiritually in the Kingdom and Covenant of God” and that the friends there “may become the cause of the illumination of America..” Answer
• He passed away on November 22, 1925. The Guardian referred to him as his “warmest of friends, a trusted counsellor, an indefatigable collaborator, lovable companion.” Answer
• His father was amazed at his son’s extraordinary qualities when he was just a young child. Answer
May 10, 2013
Reflections on the Ridvan 2009 Message - by Dr. Peter Khan
The Ridvan Message
I’m very very pleased to have the opportunity to speak about a document as significant and of such far reaching importance as the Ridván 2009 Message.
As you know it was and is unique, as far as I can tell, among the various messages of the Universal House of Justice in its brevity and in its tone. It comes hard on the heels of a remarkable event, unprecedented in the history of the Cause, or indeed in the history of the religion throughout the world; and that was the convening, at the instruction of the Universal House of Justice, and with the invaluable assistance of the Members of the International Teaching Centre, of a series of 41 Conferences held throughout the length and breadth of the planet, attended by some eighty thousand people.
As you are, I am sure, aware, that series of conferences had a galvanizing effect on the Bahá’í Community throughout the world and ultimately on the larger society. It was a tangible demonstration of the global spread of the Faith and it created a most welcome surge toward the goal of 1500 Intensive Programs of Growth by the end of the present plan.
This Ridván Message can be regarded as celebratory in term: celebrating the fact that we have achieved an important milestone in reaching some 1000 Intensive Programs of Growth by Ridván 2009, and expressing the confidence of the Universal House of Justice that the goal of the Five Year Plan would be accomplished.
My purpose tonight is not to dwell specifically on those details, but rather to share with you my thoughts about what I see to be two underlying issues, the exploration of which I believe to be crucial to a deeper understanding of this Ridván Message and indeed of the direction in which the faith is now going.
Read more …
May 9, 2013
Ethel Rosenberg - England’s Outstanding Baha’i Pioneer-Worker
From: Baha'i Heroes and Heroines
She was born in Bath England, and spent her early childhood
there and came to London to study art under Legros at the Slade School. Her
specialty was portrait painting, and her red chalk heads were quite remarkable,
of which several were in academy; also portraits in the style of Dowman.
Although she had painted many beautiful landscapes she practically abandomed
this side of her art when she specialized particularly in miniatures. She came
into the movement [the Baha’i Faith] in the summer of 1899 and went to ‘Akka
soon after.
Miss Ethel J. Rosenberg was one of the pioneers of the Baha’i Faith in the western world in the early days of the Cause. ‘Abdu’l-Baha knew and loved so well this devoted servant of His and had often paid priceless tribute by voice and pen concerning her devotion and untiring labours.
Known and loved by all the members of the Holy family in Haifa and Akka where she had visited for months at a time in the earlier stages of the outpouring of the Baha’i spirit from the East to Europe and America (January 1901 and 1905-6), Miss Rosenberg played no small part in the adaptation of the Baha’i Message to the western mind. Ever modest and unassuming the full value of her work in this capacity seldom appeared on the surface but those who knew her well and were in close touch with her activities were and are well aware of the great assistance she gave to the Master and how valuable was the help she rendered in the translation and transcribing of some of the outstanding works through which the truths of the Baha’i Message were made known to the peoples of the western hemisphere.
Read more …
She was born in Bath England, and spent her early childhood
there and came to London to study art under Legros at the Slade School. Her
specialty was portrait painting, and her red chalk heads were quite remarkable,
of which several were in academy; also portraits in the style of Dowman.
Although she had painted many beautiful landscapes she practically abandomed
this side of her art when she specialized particularly in miniatures. She came
into the movement [the Baha’i Faith] in the summer of 1899 and went to ‘Akka
soon after.Miss Ethel J. Rosenberg was one of the pioneers of the Baha’i Faith in the western world in the early days of the Cause. ‘Abdu’l-Baha knew and loved so well this devoted servant of His and had often paid priceless tribute by voice and pen concerning her devotion and untiring labours.
Known and loved by all the members of the Holy family in Haifa and Akka where she had visited for months at a time in the earlier stages of the outpouring of the Baha’i spirit from the East to Europe and America (January 1901 and 1905-6), Miss Rosenberg played no small part in the adaptation of the Baha’i Message to the western mind. Ever modest and unassuming the full value of her work in this capacity seldom appeared on the surface but those who knew her well and were in close touch with her activities were and are well aware of the great assistance she gave to the Master and how valuable was the help she rendered in the translation and transcribing of some of the outstanding works through which the truths of the Baha’i Message were made known to the peoples of the western hemisphere.
Read more …
May 8, 2013
Introductory notes concerning Baha'u'llah's Suriy-i-Haykal (the Surih of the Temple)
From: Reflecting on Baha'i Writings: The Summons of the Lord of Hosts
Let’s get an overall understanding of the first Tablet, namely the Suriy-i-Haykal, or the Surih of the Temple. The word Súrah, is Arabic. It means chapter. It is used for chapters of the Qur'an. Baha’u’llah also employed this term for many of His Arabic Writings, especially those written in the style of the Qur'an.
In the introductory section of the book “The Summons of the Lord of Hosts”, the Universal House of Justice explains that this Tablet is “one of Bahá'u'lláh's most challenging works.” They further indicate that this Tablet “ .. was originally revealed during His banishment to Adrianople and later recast after His arrival in 'Akká.” In the version included in “The Summons of the Lord of Hosts” they explain that Baha’u’llah “ .. incorporated His messages addressed to individual potentates -- Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, and Násiri'd-Dín Sháh.”
The House of Justice further indicate that “It was this composite work which, shortly after its completion, Bahá'u'lláh instructed be written in the form of a pentacle, symbolizing the human temple. To it He added, as a conclusion, what Shoghi Effendi has described as "words which reveal the importance He attached to those Messages, and indicate their direct association with the prophecies of the Old Testament":
Read more …
Let’s get an overall understanding of the first Tablet, namely the Suriy-i-Haykal, or the Surih of the Temple. The word Súrah, is Arabic. It means chapter. It is used for chapters of the Qur'an. Baha’u’llah also employed this term for many of His Arabic Writings, especially those written in the style of the Qur'an.
In the introductory section of the book “The Summons of the Lord of Hosts”, the Universal House of Justice explains that this Tablet is “one of Bahá'u'lláh's most challenging works.” They further indicate that this Tablet “ .. was originally revealed during His banishment to Adrianople and later recast after His arrival in 'Akká.” In the version included in “The Summons of the Lord of Hosts” they explain that Baha’u’llah “ .. incorporated His messages addressed to individual potentates -- Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, and Násiri'd-Dín Sháh.”
The House of Justice further indicate that “It was this composite work which, shortly after its completion, Bahá'u'lláh instructed be written in the form of a pentacle, symbolizing the human temple. To it He added, as a conclusion, what Shoghi Effendi has described as "words which reveal the importance He attached to those Messages, and indicate their direct association with the prophecies of the Old Testament":
Read more …
May 7, 2013
Aqa Husayn-i-Isfahani -- surnamed Mishkin-Qalam
From: Baha'i Biographical Notes
A distinguished calligraphist, and
companion-in-exile of Baha’u’llah, surnamed “Mishkin-Qalam”: “Musk-scented
pen”, a name by which he as a calligrapher of the first rank was known. He
first heard of the Faith in Isfahan, but it was in Baghdad that he learned more
about it. In Adrianople he met Baha'u'llah and became His follower. When
Baha'u'llah and His companions were exiled to 'Akka, Mishkin-Qalam was sent to
Cyprus. He was eventually freed and came to the Holy Land in 1886. After
travelling in Egypt, Damascus and India, 'Abdu'l-Baha asked him to come back to
the Holy Land, where he passed away in about 1912. It is Mishkin-Qalam's
calligraphic rendering of the Greatest Name which Baha'is most commonly use as
its symbol.
A distinguished calligraphist, and
companion-in-exile of Baha’u’llah, surnamed “Mishkin-Qalam”: “Musk-scented
pen”, a name by which he as a calligrapher of the first rank was known. He
first heard of the Faith in Isfahan, but it was in Baghdad that he learned more
about it. In Adrianople he met Baha'u'llah and became His follower. When
Baha'u'llah and His companions were exiled to 'Akka, Mishkin-Qalam was sent to
Cyprus. He was eventually freed and came to the Holy Land in 1886. After
travelling in Egypt, Damascus and India, 'Abdu'l-Baha asked him to come back to
the Holy Land, where he passed away in about 1912. It is Mishkin-Qalam's
calligraphic rendering of the Greatest Name which Baha'is most commonly use as
its symbol.
May 6, 2013
'Abdu'l-Baha with Agnes Parsons
'Abdu'l-Baha with Agnes Parsons
Mrs. Parsons was the Master's hostess during His stay in Washington DC
May 5, 2013
“ …the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples …”
From: Daily Verses of God
They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples....
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)
They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples....
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)
May 4, 2013
Hand of the Cause: Aqa Muhammad-i-Qa'ini, surnamed Nabíl-i-Akbar (1829-1892)
From: Baha'is to Remember...There was, in the city of Najaf, among the disciples of the widely known mujtahid, Shaykh Murtadá, a man without likeness or peer. His name was Áqá Muhammad-i-Qá’iní, and later on he would receive, from the Manifestation, the title of Nabíl-i-Akbar. [For the author of The Dawn-Breakers, see Nabíl-i-Zarandí] This eminent soul became the leading member of the mujtahid’s company of disciples. Singled out from among them all, he alone was given the rank of mujtahid — for the late Shaykh Murtadá was never wont to confer this degree.
He excelled not only in theology but in other branches of knowledge, such as the humanities, the philosophy of the Illuminati, the teachings of the mystics and of the Shaykhí School. He was a universal man, in himself alone a convincing proof. When his eyes were opened to the light of Divine guidance, and he breathed in the fragrances of Heaven, he became a flame of God. Then his heart leapt within him, and in an ecstasy of joy and love, he roared out like leviathan in the deep.
Read more …
May 3, 2013
May 2, 2013
May 1863: Baha’u’llah leaves the Garden of Ridvan
Mounted on His steed, a red roan stallion of the finest breed, the best His lovers could purchase for Him, and leaving behind Him a bowing multitude of fervent admirers, He rode forth on the first stage of a journey that was to carry Him to the city of Constantinople. "Numerous were the heads," Nabil himself a witness of that memorable scene, recounts, "which, on every side, bowed to the dust at the feet of His horse, and kissed its hoofs, and countless were those who pressed forward to embrace His stirrups." "How great the number of those embodiments of fidelity," testifies a fellow-traveler, "who, casting themselves before that charger, preferred death to separation from their Beloved! Methinks, that blessed steed trod upon the bodies of those pure-hearted souls." "He (God) it was," Bahá'u'lláh Himself declares, "Who enabled Me to depart out of the city (Baghdad), clothed with such majesty as none, except the denier and the malicious, can fail to acknowledge." These marks of homage and devotion continued to surround Him until He was installed in Constantinople.
- Shoghi Effendi (God Passes By)
May 1, 2013
Tablet of the Universe (Lawh-i-Aflákiyyih) – by ‘Abdu’l-Baha (provisional translation)
Praise be to God Who hath ever caused His Names and Attributes to penetrate the degrees of existence; Who hath made the effects of those Names and Attributes to shine resplendent and their signs to be firmly established in both the hidden and manifest worlds. By them He hath made the holy realities that are informed by His grace and are the recipients of His outpourings to be the sole revealers of all that pertaineth unto Him, and hath caused them to move through the firmament of perfection in arcs of descent and ascent. He hath ordained these Names and Attributes to be the first and foremost origin and cause of being in the world of creation and the source of the different grades of realities in the degrees of existence. When, through its power of attraction and propagation, the Day-Star of Names and Attributes shone upon the hidden realities in the heart of the unseen realm, they issued forth, were spread abroad, scattered about, set in order, became the recipients of the grace of God and His outpourings, and were made to be the sole manifestations of the Divine conditions and Eternal signs. Emerging from behind the veils, they appeared clothed in raiments of light, moving in the firmament of the unity of God, in orbits of sanctity and circles of glorification.
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