February 28, 2017

The training of girls – a broad outline by the Master

Praised be God, the women believers have organized meetings where they will learn how to teach the Faith, will spread the sweet savours of the Teachings and make plans for training the children.

This gathering must be completely spiritual. That is, the discussions must be confined to marshalling clear and conclusive proofs that the Sun of Truth hath indeed arisen. And further, those present should concern themselves with every means of training the girl children; with
  • teaching the various branches of knowledge,
  • good behaviour,
  • a proper way of life,
  • the cultivation of a good character,
  • chastity and constancy,
  • perseverance, strength,
  • determination,
  • firmness of purpose;
  • with household management,
  • the education of children, and
  • whatever especially applieth to the needs of girls—to the end that these girls, reared in the stronghold of all perfections, and with the protection of a goodly character, will, when they themselves become mothers, bring up their children from earliest infancy to have a good character and conduct themselves well.
  • Let them also study
    • whatever will nurture the health of the body and its physical soundness,
    • and how to guard their children from disease.
When matters are thus well arranged, every child will become a peerless plant in the gardens of the Abhá Paradise. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

February 22, 2017

Relationship of Spiritual Assembly to individual believers

In its relationship to the individual believer, the Assembly should
  • continuously invite and encourage him to study the Faith,
  • to deliver its glorious message,
  • to live in accordance with its teachings,
  • to contribute freely and regularly to the Fund,
  • to participate in community activities, and
  • to seek refuge in the Assembly for advice and help, when needed.
- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia, July 30, 1972; compilation: Lights of Guidance)

February 19, 2017

An ode from Rúmí Baha’u’llah wrote for one of the believers – ‘Abdu’l-Baha narrates

When Bahá’u’lláh departed from Baghdád, and traveled to Rumelia, the friends remained behind. The inhabitants of Baghdád then rose up against those helpless believers, sending them away as captives to Mosul. Ustád [Ismá’íl] was old and feeble, but he left on foot, with no provisions for his journey, crossed over mountains and deserts, valleys and hills, and in the end arrived at the Most Great Prison. At one time, Bahá’u’lláh had written down an ode of Rúmí’s [a famous Persian poet] for him, and had told him to turn his face toward the Báb and sing the words, set to a melody. And so, as he wandered through the long dark nights, Ustád would sing these lines:

I am lost, O Love, possessed and dazed,
Love’s fool am I, in all the earth.
They call me first among the crazed,
Though I once came first for wit and worth.

O Love, who sellest me this wine, [1]
O Love, for whom I burn and bleed,
Love, for whom I cry and pine—
Thou the Piper, I the reed.

If Thou wishest me to live,
Through me blow Thy holy breath.
The touch of Jesus Thou wilt give
To me, who’ve lain an age in death.

Thou, both End and Origin,
Thou without and Thou within—
From every eye Thou hidest well,
And yet in every eye dost dwell.

February 16, 2017

Baha’u’llah’s faithful brother describes his first impression of Mulla Husayn

When Mulla Husayn arrived in Tihran [circa 1848] he was visited by many believers. Nabil, the great Baha’i historian recorded what he himself heard from Áqáy-i-Kalím, Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful brother, about Mulla Husayn:

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

February 13, 2017

Courtesy – “the prince of virtues”

O people of God! I admonish you to observe courtesy, for above all else it is the prince of virtues. Well is it with him who is illumined with the light of courtesy and is attired with the vesture of uprightness. Whoso is endued with courtesy hath indeed attained a sublime station. It is hoped that this Wronged One and everyone else may be enabled to acquire it, hold fast unto it, observe it, and fix our gaze upon it. This is a binding command which hath streamed forth from the Pen of the Most Great Name. 
- Baha’u’llah  (Lawh-i-Dunya [Tablet of the World]; ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)

February 10, 2017

Designer of the House of Worship in 'Ishqabád

Mr. ... refers to statements concerning the designer of the House of Worship in 'Ishqabad, which are contained in "The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh", vol. 4, p. 122, by Mr. Taherzadeh and in Mr. Balyuzi's "'Abdu'l-Bahá: The Centre of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant", pp. 109-110. In the former, mention is made of the fact that 'Abdu'l-Bahá conceived a plan for a nine-sided building and that the main features of the design were prepared by Ustad 'All-Akbar-i-Banna, while in the second book, the general design is attributed to the Master. Mr. ... enquires whether both 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Ustad 'Ali-Akbar-i-Banna can be described as the authors of the general design of this House of Worship.

'Abdu'l-Bahá defined the essential architectural character of the Bahá'í House of Worship as consisting of a nine-sided, circular building. All Houses of Worship, therefore, incorporate these design features and the Master's instructions guide the architects in the preparation of their unique, individual designs. The design of the first 'Ishqábád Temple, prepared by Ustád 'Ali-Akbar-i-Banná, was likewise influenced and inspired by 'Abdu'l-Bahá's archetypal design. Shoghi Effendi, in "God Passes By", p. 300, refers to the Master's intense personal interest in the construction of the 'Ishqábád House of Worship. He affirms that it was "fostered by Him at every stage in its development". 
(Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice dated 23 May, 1991, on ‘The Secret of Divine Civilization’, accompanied a letter dated 20 June 1991 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

February 8, 2017

Some human attributes that are “immortal”...

‘Progress’ is the expression of spirit in the world of matter. The intelligence of man, his reasoning powers, his knowledge, his scientific achievements, all these being manifestations of the spirit, partake of the inevitable law of spiritual progress and are, therefore, of necessity, immortal. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, 'Paris Talks’)

February 7, 2017

circa 1960’s: Saying farewell to a Baha’i family leaving Holy Land

A going-away party for a Baha’i family leaving Israel. It was held next to the woods near the family’s home in Nazareth. Some of the believers seen in the picture are:  Ali Nakhjavani, Houshmand Fatheazam, Mrs. Lutfulla Hakim, Maleha Bahai, Fujita, Hand of the Cause Mr. Ali Akbar Furutan, Malakeh Tehrani, Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi, Mona Tehrani, Nuha Tehrani, Charles Wolcott, Mrs. Faizi, Mrs. Furutan, and Mama Bahai.

February 2, 2017

Some “salient objectives to be attained by the local Spiritual Assembly” in its relationship with the community

“Among the more salient objectives to be attained by the local Spiritual Assembly in its process of development to full maturity are
  • to act as a loving shepherd to the Bahá'í flock,
  • promote unity and concord among the friends,
  • direct the teaching work,
  • protect the Cause of God,
  • arrange for Feasts, Anniversaries and regular meetings of the community,
  • familiarize the Bahá'ís with its plans,
  • invite the community to offer its recommendations,
  • promote the welfare of youth and children, and
  • participate, as circumstances permit, in humanitarian activities.”
- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia, July 30, 1972; compilation: Lights of Guidance)