“Spirit, mind, soul, and the powers of sight and hearing are but one single reality…”

O Pen of the Most High! Recount unto him who hath turned unto Thy Lord, the All-Glorious, that which shall enable him to dispense with the sayings of men. Say: Spirit, mind, soul, and the powers of sight and hearing are but one single reality which hath manifold expressions owing to the diversity of its instruments. As thou dost observe, man’s power to comprehend, move, speak, hear, and see all derive from this sign of his Lord within him. It is single in its essence, yet manifold through the diversity of its instruments. This, verily, is a certain truth. For example, if it directeth its attention to the means of hearing, then hearing and its attributes become manifest. Likewise, if it directeth itself to the means of vision, a different effect and attribute appear. Reflect upon this subject that thou mayest comprehend the true meaning of what hath been intended, find thyself independent of the sayings of the people, and be of them that are well assured.  In like manner, when this sign of God turneth towards the brain, the head, and such means, the powers of the mind and the soul are manifested. Thy Lord, verily, is potent to do whatsoever He pleaseth. 

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

References to Baha’u’llah in the New Testament – identified by Shoghi Effendi

To Him Jesus Christ had referred as the “Prince of this world,” as the “Comforter” Who will “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment,” as the “Spirit of Truth” Who “will guide you into all truth,” Who “shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak,” as the “Lord of the Vineyard,” and as the “Son of Man” Who “shall come in the glory of His Father” “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,” with “all the holy angels” about Him, and “all nations” gathered before His throne. To Him the Author of the Apocalypse had alluded as the “Glory of God,” as “Alpha and Omega,” “the Beginning and the End,” “the First and the Last.” Identifying His Revelation with the “third woe,” he, moreover, had extolled His Law as “a new heaven and a new earth,” as the “Tabernacle of God,” as the “Holy City,” as the “New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” To His Day Jesus Christ Himself had referred as “the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory.” To the hour of His advent St. Paul had alluded as the hour of the “last trump,” the “trump of God,” whilst St. Peter had spoken of it as the “Day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” His Day he, furthermore, had described as “the times of refreshing,” “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy Prophets since the world began.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

The “attributes of the Bahá'ís”

O army of God! Through the protection and help vouchsafed by the Blessed Beauty — may my life be a sacrifice to His loved ones — ye must conduct yourselves in such a manner that ye may stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls. Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a centre of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: "This man is unquestionably a Bahá'í, for his manners, his behaviour, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá'ís." Not until ye attain this station can ye be said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God.... 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Excellence in All Things)

Baha’i Temples: “outward expression of the illumination of hearts and minds by the Revelation of Baha'u'llah”; their dependencies: “institutions of social service as shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant.”

The new Temple of light is the outward expression of the illumination of hearts and minds by the Revelation of Baha'u'llah, that process initiated in these islands at the turn of the century and now reaching a mighty crescendo. The effulgent light of His Teachings has aroused stirrings in the friends, impelling them to apply these heavenly principles in their personal lives and in the daily activities of their communities. Just as the spiritual illumination of the Baha'is is symbolized in the Temple, so the development of local community life in all its aspects, whether administrative or social, which flow from the fountainhead of faith in God's Revelation, will reach a fuller expression in the form of various dependencies around this edifice -- dependencies which the Guardian described as "institutions of social service as shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant." 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated August 1984 to the friends gathered in Apia, Western Samoa on the occasion of the dedication of the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

How Baha’is should associate with stranger and friend

Wherefore must the loved ones of God associate in affectionate fellowship with stranger and friend alike, showing forth to all the utmost loving-kindness, disregarding the degree of their capacity, never asking whether they deserve to be loved. In every instance let the friends be considerate and infinitely kind. Let them never be defeated by the malice of the people, by their aggression and their hate, no matter how intense. If others hurl their darts against you, offer them milk and honey in return; if they poison your lives, sweeten their souls; if they injure you, teach them how to be comforted; if they inflict a wound upon you, be a balm to their sores; if they sting you, hold to their lips a refreshing cup. 

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

Not to “transgress the bounds of moderation“ or to “overstep the limits” that Baha’u’llah has set

Praise be to God that whatever is essential for the believers in this Revelation to be told has been revealed. Their duties have been clearly defined, and the deeds they are expected to perform have been plainly set forth in Our Book. Now is the time for them to arise and fulfil their duty. Let them translate into deeds the exhortations We have given them. Let them beware lest the love they bear God, a love that glows so brightly in their hearts, cause them to transgress the bounds of moderation, and to overstep the limits We have set for them.

- Baha'u'llah  (Words of Baha’u’llah to some pilgrims and a few resident believers who were admitted into His presence on January 8, 1889, quoted by Nabil in the ‘Dawn-Breakers, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Station of the Letters of the Living

• These “first Letters generated from the Primal Point,”
• this “company of angels arrayed before God on the Day of His coming,”
• these “Repositories of His Mystery,”
• these “Springs that have welled out from the Source of His Revelation,”
• these first companions who, in the words of the Persian Bayán, “enjoy nearest access to God,”
• these “Luminaries that have, from everlasting, bowed down, and will everlastingly continue to bow down, before the Celestial Throne,” and lastly
• these “elders” mentioned in the Book of Revelation as “sitting before God on their seats,” “clothed in white raiment” and wearing on their heads “crowns of gold”— ...

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By)

New Site: Baha'i Knowledge Wave

Exploring the rich literature of the Baha’i Faith throughrandom access to various documents available at 70+ sites of Baha’i Multimedia Resources

1979: National Convention of the Baha'is of Canada

Delegates to the thirty-first National Convention held in Guelph, Ontario. Seen also are special guests of the convention: Hand of the Cause John Robarts and wife Audrey, Continental Counsellor Angus Cowan, and Auxiliary Board Members serving in Canada. 
(Baha'i Canada, vol. 2, no. 3, July/August 1979)

1979: Continental Board of Counsellors for North America with Hand of the Cause William Sears

Left to right: Sarah Pereira, William Sears, Edna True, Lloyd Gardner, Velma Sherrill, and Angus Cowan 
(Baha'i Canada, May 1979, vol, 2, no. 1)

Prayer by Baha’u’llah for protection from “every calamity and pestilence, and…”

In His Name, the Exalted, the All-Highest, the Most Sublime!

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! O Thou Who art my God, and my Master, and my Lord, and my Support, and my Hope, and my Refuge, and my Light. I ask of Thee, by Thy Hidden and Treasured Name, which none knoweth save Thine own Self, to protect the bearer of this Tablet from every calamity and pestilence, and from every wicked man and woman; from the evil of the evil-doers, and from the scheming of the unbelievers. Preserve him, moreover, O my God, from every pain and vexation, O Thou Who holdest in Thy hand the empire of all things. Thou, truly, art powerful over all things. Thou doest as Thou willest, and ordainest as Thou pleasest.

O Thou King of Kings! O Thou kind Lord! O Thou Source of ancient bounty, of grace, of generosity and bestowal! O Thou Healer of sicknesses! O Thou Sufficer of needs! O Thou Light of Light! O Thou Light above all Lights! O Thou Revealer of every Manifestation! O Thou the Compassionate! O Thou the Merciful! Do Thou have mercy upon the bearer of this Tablet, through Thy most great mercy and Thine abundant grace, O Thou the Gracious, Thou the Bounteous. Guard him, moreover, through Thy protection, from whatsoever his heart and mind may find repugnant. Of those endued with power, Thou, verily, art the most powerful. The Glory of God rest upon thee, O thou rising sun! Do thou testify unto that which God hath testified of His own Self, that there is none other God besides Him, the Almighty, the Best-Beloved.

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Baha’i Prayers', online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

The institution of marriage – physical aspects, moral and spiritual purposes and functions

The institution of marriage, as established by Bahá'u'lláh, while giving due importance to the physical aspect of marital union, considers it as subordinate to the moral and spiritual purposes and functions with which it has been invested by an all-wise and loving Providence. Only when these different values are given each their due importance, and only on the basis of the subordination of the physical to the moral, and the carnal to the spiritual can such excesses and laxity in marital relations as our decadent age is so sadly witnessing be avoided, and family life be restored to its original purity, and fulfil the true function for which it has been instituted by God. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi dated 8 May 1939 to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Divorce)

The station of the Báb – proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh

Magnify Thou, O Lord my God, Him Who is the Primal Point, the Divine Mystery, the Unseen Essence, the Day-Spring of Divinity, and the Manifestation of Thy Lordship, through Whom all the knowledge of the past and all the knowledge of the future were made plain, through Whom the pearls of Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and the mystery of Thy treasured name disclosed, Whom Thou hast appointed as the Announcer of the One through Whose name the letter B and the letter E have been joined and united, through Whom Thy majesty, Thy sovereignty and Thy might were made known, through Whom Thy words have been sent down, and Thy laws set forth with clearness, and Thy signs spread abroad, and Thy Word established, through Whom the hearts of Thy chosen ones were laid bare, and all that were in the heavens and all that were on the earth were gathered together, Whom Thou hast called ‘Alí-Muhammad in the kingdom of Thy names, and the Spirit of Spirits in the Tablets of Thine irrevocable decree, Whom Thou hast invested with Thine own title, unto Whose name all other names have, at Thy bidding and through the power of Thy might, been made to return, and in Whom Thou hast caused all Thine attributes and titles to attain their final consummation. To Him also belong such names as lay hid within Thy stainless tabernacles, in Thine invisible world and Thy sanctified cities. 

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

Baha’i Multimedia Resources

Baha’i Multimedia Resources is comprised of 74 sites. It contains Baha'i resources in the following categories:

• Central Figures
• Writings of the Faith
• Photos
• Vignettes, Stories and Songs
• Teachings, Human Soul, and Insights from the Writings
• Christianity
• History, Points of Interest, Pilgrim Notes, Martyrs, Believers, Science
• Talks, Articles, Insights, and Reflections
• Books, Periodicals, Glossary and Knowledge Games

As of January 2020, 21,000 documents have been uploaded to these sites, resulting in 3 1/2 million pageviews by visitors. Currently there are 2800 email subscribers.

Public and private feasts hosted by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in ‘Akka - described by one of His secretaries

Two types of feasts were held in ‘Akka. One was the public feast, which was held in either the Garden of Ridvan or the Mansion of Bahji. The other was a special feast observed for the pilgrims at the House of ‘Abdu'l-Baha.

At the public feasts it was typical for one type of food to be served, such as Chinese kebab or pot kebab, [1] the selection and preparation of which was under the direction of the Master. In such cases He would appear for just a few minutes to supervise the service. The absolute simplicity and cleanliness of the dinner table created an atmosphere of love and spirituality. This type of feast was normally held on Holy Days.

The special or private feasts for the pilgrims were distinctive and beautiful events. The table was wonderfully decorated with flowers of assorted colours which not only revived the spirit but also stimulated the appetite. This feast was, in all its details, conducted and supervised by the Master. He would summon the friends to the table, seat each one individually, moving fluidly around the table and serving each guest with His own hand. Then He would leave the room briefly, allowing the friends to concentrate on the food. He would then return, and while speaking of happy things, replenish any plate in need of another helping. Here, there were multiple types of food, all Persian dishes but placed on the table in European style, [2] which looked very appetizing. Since the number of guests usually exceeded the table placements and chairs, the food was served in two sittings.

1920: Shoghi Effendi at Oxford, England

The class of 1920, Balliol College, Oxford. Shoghi Effendi is standing behind the third man in the second row, counting from left to right (to the left of the man with striped tie) (The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

Source of evil thoughts

Question: What is the source of evil thoughts that disturb those who do not wish to entertain them?

Answer [by 'Abdu'l-Baha]: “They come from other minds; they are reflected. One should not become a mirror for them - to reflect them; neither should one try to control them, for this is impossible; it only aggravates the difficulty, causing more to appear.

One should constantly turn the mirror of his heart squarely toward God so that the Light of the Sun of Truth may be reflected there.

This is the only cure for attacks of evil thoughts. The face of the mirror should be turned toward God, and the back of the mirror toward the evil thoughts.”

-' Abdu'l-Baha  (From a table talk by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Daily Lessons Received at Akka January 1908”, by Helen Goodall and Ella Goodall Cooper)

1984: Delegates to Canadian National Baha'i Convention

(Baha'i Canada, June-Sept. 1984)

Baha’u’llah explains how during His time “most of the peoples of the earth would have… been adorned with the ornament of His guidance”

The Pen of Revelation, O Dhabíh, hath, in most of the divinely-revealed Tablets, recorded these words: We have admonished all the loved ones of God to take heed lest the hem of Our sacred vesture be smirched with the mire of unlawful deeds, or be stained with the dust of reprehensible conduct. We have, moreover, exhorted them to fix their gaze upon whatsoever hath been revealed in Our Tablets. Had their inner ears been attentive to the Divine counsels which have shone forth from the Day Spring of the Pen of the All-Merciful, and hearkened unto His Voice, most of the peoples of the earth would have by now been adorned with the ornament of His guidance. What had been pre-ordained, however, hath come to pass. 

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

1953: The nine terraces below the Shrine of the Bab

Scene from the terrace immediately in front of the Shrine of the Bab, looking down the nine terraces and Carmel Ave in the Bay of Haifa (Baha'i News April 1953)

The remarkable “interview” that became the start of the Baha’i Era

The opening scene of the initial act of this great drama was laid in the upper chamber of the modest residence of the son of a mercer of Shíráz, in an obscure corner of that city. The time was the hour before sunset, on the 22nd day of May, 1844. The participants were the Báb, a twenty-five year old siyyid, of pure and holy lineage, and the young Mullá Husayn, the first to believe in Him. Their meeting immediately before that interview seemed to be purely fortuitous. The interview itself was protracted till the hour of dawn. The Host remained closeted alone with His guest, nor was the sleeping city remotely aware of the import of the conversation they held with each other. No record has passed to posterity of that unique night save the fragmentary but highly illuminating account that fell from the lips of Mullá Husayn. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

“no less than half” of Nabil’s narrative is devoted to the first nine years of Baha’i Era

Little wonder that the immortal chronicler of the events associated with the birth and rise of the Bahá’í Revelation has seen fit to devote no less than half of his moving narrative to the description of those happenings that have during such a brief space of time so greatly enriched, through their tragedy and heroism, the religious annals of mankind.

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

A rich person: - is one who possesses the love of God and His Chosen Ones

…it is related that on a certain day, one of the companions of Sádiq [the sixth of the Shi’ih Imams] complained of his poverty before him. Whereupon, Sádiq, that immortal beauty, made reply: “Verily thou art rich, and hast drunk the draught of wealth.” That poverty-stricken soul was perplexed at the words uttered by that luminous countenance, and said: “Where are my riches, I who stand in need of a single coin?” Sádiq thereupon observed: “Dost thou not possess our love?” He replied: “Yea, I possess it, O thou scion of the Prophet of God!” And Sádiq asked him saying: “Exchangest thou this love for one thousand dinars?” He answered: “Nay, never will I exchange it, though the world and all that is therein be given me!” Then Sádiq remarked: “How can he who possesses such a treasure be called poor?”

- Baha’u’llah  (‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)

The awesome attributes of the “Letters of the Living, and their companions”

The heroes whose deeds shine upon the record of this fierce spiritual contest, involving at once people, clergy, monarch and government, were the Báb’s chosen disciples, the Letters of the Living, and their companions, the trail-breakers of the New Day, who to so much intrigue, ignorance, depravity, cruelty, superstition and cowardice opposed a spirit exalted, unquenchable and awe-inspiring, a knowledge surprisingly profound, an eloquence sweeping in its force, a piety unexcelled in fervor, a courage leonine in its fierceness, a self-abnegation saintly in its purity, a resolve granite-like in its firmness, a vision stupendous in its range, a veneration for the Prophet and His Imáms disconcerting to their adversaries, a power of persuasion alarming to their antagonists, a standard of faith and a code of conduct that challenged and revolutionized the lives of their countrymen. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

The Baha’i Faith and the “the flowering of the arts”

The beloved Guardian made it clear that the flowering of the arts which is the result of a divine revelation comes only after a number of centuries. The Bahá'í Faith offers the world the complete rebuilding of human society -- a rebuilding of such far-reaching effect that it has been looked forward to in all the revelations of the past and has been called the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. The new architecture to which this revelation will give birth will blossom many generations hence. We are now merely at the beginning of this great process.

The present time is a period of turmoil and change. Architecture, like all arts and sciences, is undergoing very rapid development; one has only to consider the changes that have taken place in the course of the last few decades to have some idea of what is likely to happen during the years immediately ahead. Some modern buildings have, no doubt, qualities of greatness and will endure, but very much of what is being constructed now may be outgrown and may appear ugly but a few generations hence. Modern architecture, in other words, may be considered a new development in its primitive stage. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 18 July 1974 to an individual; compilations: ‘The Importance of the Arts in Promoting the Faith’)

The first nine years of the Baha’i Era “may well rank as unique in the whole range of man’s religious experience”

In sheer dramatic power, in the rapidity with which events of momentous importance succeeded each other, in the holocaust which baptized its birth, in the miraculous circumstances attending the martyrdom of the One Who had ushered it in, in the potentialities with which it had been from the outset so thoroughly impregnated, in the forces to which it eventually gave birth, this nine-year period may well rank as unique in the whole range of man’s religious experience.

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

What Christ would have done if He had appeared among the lawless tribes of Arabia

You should likewise consider in fairness the following: If Christ Himself had been placed in similar circumstances [like Muhammad’s] and among such lawless and barbarous tribes; if for thirteen years He and His disciples had patiently endured every manner of cruelty at their hands; if they were forced through this oppression to forsake their homeland and take to the wilderness; and if these lawless tribes still persisted in pursuing them with the aim of slaughtering the men, pillaging their property, and seizing their women and children—how would Christ have dealt with them? If this oppression had been directed towards Him alone, He would have forgiven them, and such an act of forgiveness would have been most acceptable and praiseworthy; but had He seen that cruel and bloodthirsty murderers were intent upon killing, pillaging, and tormenting a number of defenceless souls and taking captive the women and children, it is certain that He would have defended the oppressed and stayed the hand of the oppressors.

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

July 1950: Pilgrimage to the Scenes of the Báb’s Captivity and Martyrdom – by Hand of the Cause Dhikru’llah Khadem, translated by Marzieh Gail

An insightful and heartwarming article concerning a pilgrimage undertaken by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Iran to the places of the Báb’s captivity and martyrdom – as part of the centenary commemoration of His passing.

“Love is the standard which must govern the conduct of one believer towards another.”

... If between the friends true love - based on the love of God - could become manifest, the Cause would spread very rapidly. Love is the standard which must govern the conduct of one believer towards another. The administrative order does not change this, but unfortunately sometimes the friends confuse the two, and try to be a whole spiritual assembly, - with the discipline and justice and impartiality that body must show, - to each other, instead of being forgiving, loving and patient to each other as individuals. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 18, 1950; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Baha’u’llah’s station: “the Hidden Secret, the Impenetrable Mystery, Whose advent hath been foretold in the Book of God and hath been heralded by His Prophets and Messengers”

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who hath come from the heaven of divine revelation is the Hidden Secret, the Impenetrable Mystery, Whose advent hath been foretold in the Book of God and hath been heralded by His Prophets and Messengers. Through Him the mysteries have been unravelled, the veils rent asunder and the signs and evidences disclosed. Lo! He hath now been made manifest. He bringeth to light whatsoever He willeth, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, invested with transcendent majesty and power.

Blessed is that strong one who will shatter the gods of vain imaginings through the potency of the Name of his Lord, He Who ruleth over all men. 

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

The Báb’s Words of assurance to Mulla Husayn: “The essence of power is now dwelling in you”

“The hosts of the invisible Kingdom, be assured, will sustain and reinforce your efforts. The essence of power is now dwelling in you, and the company of His chosen angels revolves around you. His almighty arms will surround you, and His unfailing Spirit will ever continue to guide your steps. He that loves you, loves God; and whoever opposes you, has opposed God. Whoso befriends you, him will God befriend; and whoso rejects you, him will God reject.” 

- The Bád  (Addressing Mullá Husayn; quoted by Nabil, Chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Who are the “Blessed”? – Baha’u’llah identifies

• Blessed the slumberer who is awakened by My Breeze.
•  Blessed the lifeless one who is quickened through My reviving breaths.
• Blessed the eye that is solaced by gazing at My beauty.
•  Blessed the wayfarer who directeth his steps towards the Tabernacle of My glory and majesty.
• Blessed the distressed one who seeketh refuge beneath the shadow of My canopy.
•  Blessed the sore athirst who hasteneth to the softflowing waters of My loving-kindness.
• Blessed the insatiate soul who casteth away his selfish desires for love of Me and taketh his place at the banquet table which I have sent down from the heaven of divine bounty for My chosen ones.
•  Blessed the abased one who layeth fast hold on the cord of My glory; and the needy one who entereth beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle of My wealth.
• Blessed the ignorant one who seeketh the fountain of My knowledge; and the heedless one who cleaveth to the cord of My remembrance.
• Blessed the soul that hath been raised to life through My quickening breath and hath gained admittance into My heavenly Kingdom.
• Blessed the man whom the sweet savours of reunion with Me have stirred and caused to draw nigh unto the Dayspring of My Revelation.
• Blessed the ear that hath heard and the tongue that hath borne witness and the eye that hath seen and recognized the Lord Himself, in His great glory and majesty, invested with grandeur and dominion.
• Blessed are they that have attained His presence.
• Blessed the man who hath sought enlightenment from the Day-Star of My Word.
•  Blessed he who hath attired his head with the diadem of My love.
• Blessed is he who hath heard of My grief and hath arisen to aid Me among My people.
• Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold hardships for the sake of My Name.
• Blessed the man who, assured of My Word, hath arisen from among the dead to celebrate My praise.
• Blessed is he that hath been enraptured by My wondrous melodies and hath rent the veils asunder through the potency of My might.
• Blessed is he who hath remained faithful to My Covenant, and whom the things of the world have not kept back from attaining My Court of holiness.
• Blessed is the man who hath detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My Kingdom, gazed upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty, hath drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted himself with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the treasury of My Words, and hath shone forth from the horizon of divine knowledge engaged in My praise and glorification. Verily, he is of Me. Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My glory. 

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

1952 India: Centenary Commemoration of Tahirih's Martyrdom

Dr. Sushil Nayya, Health Minister of Delhi State, on her way to preside over the Centenary Commemoration of Tahirih's Martyrdom. (The Baha'i World 1950-1954)

circa 1953: The Mayor of Haifa, Mr Aba Khoushy, being welcomed by members of the National Spiritual Assembly when he visited the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette, Illinois

(The Baha'i World 1950-1954)

1951: Fourth World Congress for World Federal Government held in Rome, Italy

The three Baha'i representatives appear in second row, far left (left to right): Prof. Mario Fiorentini, Dr. Giachery, Prof. Alessandro Bausani. (The Baha'i World 1950-1954)

How is one impressed by meeting ‘Abdu'l-Baha? – by Arthur Cuthbert *, London, 25 September, 1911

To see, hear, or meet Him can never, it seems to me, be a shock, a startling surprise, or an overwhelming impression. It is a perfectly natural and simple experience, and may even, at first seem rather disappointing; but ‘Abdu'l-Baha will ever grow upon yon, even if the meeting is only once. Gradually, you will realize, more and more, what it is you have been in the presence of and made contact with. Not a personality, nor a dazzling individual, but so wonderful a state of perfect detachment and consecration have you encountered that it seems as if you are being lovingly addressed by the Holy Spirit Itself. It is a great lesson to us of a man's perfect attainment. We see before our eyes the attitude towards God each one of its ought to assume, so that each one in his place may be fully enabled to love all mankind abundantly, and act with the greatest wisdom, always shedding round him joy and happiness.

For the remainder of the account please see Vignettes about 'Abdu'l-Baha

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s response to the news of the formation of the Spiritual Assembly of San Francisco

Through the maid servant of God, Mrs. Helen S. Goodall, to the Members of the Assembly of ‘Abdu'l-Baha, San Francisco, California.

He is God!

O ye faithful friends!

The maid servant of the Kingdom of Baha’u’llah has written the joyful news that the friends in that region have established an Assembly, have engaged in the spreading of the teachings of God and have arisen with the utmost endeavor, sincerity of intention, and enkindling with the fire of the Love of God so that that country may become a main spring of the signs, and that city become illumined, and a number of souls like stars of the Horizon of Holiness may shine in the assemblage of the Kingdom of man (humanity).

This Assembly was organized at the right time. It is my hope that it may become a magnet of confirmation. If it remains firm and steadfast this Assembly will become so illumined that it will be a full, refulgent moon in the Horizon of everlasting Glory.

Report and write to me the services which are accomplished by this Assembly so that they may become the cause of spiritual happiness and joy to the heart.

Upon thee be the Glory of God!

(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas

(Star of the West vol, 2, no. 10, September 8, 1911)

Consequences of humanity not “seeking out God’s Manifestation for this age and accepting Him”

It is quite natural for anyone, observing the present state of the world, to feel very depressed and apprehensive of the future. Any intelligent person must be wondering what you are wondering. It is indeed hard to see what lies ahead of us in the near future—but we, as Bahá’ís, unlike most people, have absolute assurance that the distant future is serene and bright. We do not know if there will be another Great War; what we do know is this: that unless people become spiritually awakened in time, great suffering, maybe in the form of war, will come upon them, for humanity must be unified, must be redeemed. If men refuse absolutely to take the easier road of faith, of seeking out God’s Manifestation for this age and accepting Him, then they will bring upon themselves a fresh crisis in human affairs and very great affliction. What we, as Bahá’ís, must do is our duty; we cannot do other people’s duty for them, alas, but we can fulfil our own sacred responsibilities by serving our fellow-men, living a Bahá’í life, teaching the Faith, and strengthening its budding world order.

He urges you, just as you have surmounted the crisis in your own life, through faith and courage, to now go out and serve the Cause with that same faith and courage. We must leave to God the final reckoning with His creatures today—but meantime we must give them His Message. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 20 September 1948 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)

The unfoldment of “a divinely-conceived Order”

We observe how the Báb, the Forerunner, announced the impending inception of a divinely-conceived Order, how Bahá’u’lláh, the Promised One, formulated its laws and ordinances, how ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, the appointed Center, delineated its features, and how the present generation of their followers have commenced to erect the framework of its institutions. 

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

The Báb’s parting words to the Letters of the Living

Having sent forth Mullá ‘Alí on his mission, the Báb summoned to His presence the remaining Letters of the Living, and to each severally He gave a special command and appointed a special task. He addressed to them these parting words:

“O My beloved friends! You are the bearers of the name of God in this Day. You have been chosen as the repositories of His mystery. It behoves each one of you to manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory. The very members of your body must bear witness to the loftiness of your purpose, the integrity of your life, the reality of your faith, and the exalted character of your devotion. For verily I say, this is the Day spoken of by God in His Book: [the Qur’an] ‘On that day will We set a seal upon their mouths yet shall their hands speak unto Us, and their feet shall bear witness to that which they shall have done.’ Ponder the words of Jesus addressed to His disciples, as He sent them forth to propagate the Cause of God. In words such as these, He bade them arise and fulfil their mission: ‘Ye are even as the fire which in the darkness of the night has been kindled upon the mountain-top. Let your light shine before the eyes of men. Such must be the purity of your character and the degree of your renunciation, that the people of the earth may through you recognise and be drawn closer to the heavenly Father who is the Source of purity and grace. For none has seen the Father who is in heaven. You who are His spiritual children must by your deeds exemplify His virtues, and witness to His glory. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? Such must be the degree of your detachment, that into whatever city you enter to proclaim and teach the Cause of God, you should in no wise expect either meat or reward from its people. Nay, when you depart out of that city, you should shake the dust from off your feet. As you have entered it pure and undefiled, so must you depart from that city. For verily I say, the heavenly Father is ever with you and keeps watch over you. If you be faithful to Him, He will assuredly deliver into your hands all the treasures of the earth, and will exalt you above all the rulers and kings of the world.’