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.’

The Guardian’s depiction of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá

…the vibrant personality of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, mysterious in His essence, unique in His station, astoundingly potent in both the charm and strength of His character. 

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

The “Maxwell Home in Montreal”: - “should be viewed in the nature of a national Shrine, because of its association with the beloved Master”

The purchase of your national headquarters, he feels, was an important milestone in the history of the Faith in Canada, and he hopes that it will be put to good use, during the coming years, by your Assembly. To this institution you will soon be adding the Maxwell Home in Montreal, which should be viewed in the nature of a national Shrine, because of its association with the beloved Master, during His visit to Montreal. He sees no objection to having one room in the house being used as a little museum associated with Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 20 June 1953, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly’ ‘Messages to Canada’)

The Guardian’s depiction of the Báb and Baha’u’llah

… the gentle, the youthful and irresistible person of the Báb, matchless in His meekness, imperturbable in His serenity, magnetic in His utterance, unrivaled in the dramatic episodes of His swift and tragic ministry… the august figure of Bahá’u’lláh, preeminent in holiness, awesome in the majesty of His strength and power, unapproachable in the transcendent brightness of His glory. 

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

The Báb’s assurance to Mullá Husayn as He sent him to diffuse His Cause: - “Until you have consummated your work, if all the darts of an unbelieving world be directed against you, they will be powerless to hurt a single hair of your head.”

Mullá Husayn, who anticipated being the chosen companion of the Báb during His pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, was, as soon as the latter decided to depart from Shíráz, summoned to the presence of his Master, who gave him the following instructions:

“The days of our companionship are approaching their end. My Covenant with you is now accomplished. Gird up the loins of endeavour, and arise to diffuse My Cause. Be not dismayed at the sight of the degeneracy and perversity of this generation, for the Lord of the Covenant shall assuredly assist you. Verily, He shall surround you with His loving protection, and shall lead you from victory to victory. Even as the cloud that rains its bounty upon the earth, traverse the land from end to end, and shower upon its people the blessings which the Almighty, in His mercy, has deigned to confer upon you. Forbear with the ‘ulamás, and resign yourself to the will of God. Raise the cry: ‘Awake, awake, for, lo! the Gate of God is open, and the morning Light is shedding its radiance upon all mankind! The promised One is made manifest; prepare the way for Him, O people of the earth! Deprive not yourselves of its redeeming grace, nor close your eyes to its effulgent glory.’ Those whom you find receptive to your call, share with them the epistles and tablets We have revealed for you, that, perchance, these wondrous words may cause them to turn away from the slough of heedlessness, and soar into the realm of the Divine presence. In this pilgrimage upon which We are soon to embark, We have chosen Quddús as Our companion. We have left you behind to face the onslaught of a fierce and relentless enemy. Rest assured, however, that a bounty unspeakably glorious shall be conferred upon you. Follow the course of your journey towards the north, and visit on your way Isfáhán, Káshán, Qum, and Tihrán. Beseech almighty Providence that He may graciously enable you to attain, in that capital, the seat of true sovereignty, and to enter the mansion of the Beloved. A secret lies hidden in that city. When made manifest, it shall turn the earth into paradise. My hope is that you may partake of its grace and recognise its splendour. From Tihrán proceed to Khurásán, and there proclaim anew the Call. From thence return to Najaf and Karbilá, and there await the summons of your Lord. Be assured that the high mission for which you have been created will, in its entirety, be accomplished by you. Until you have consummated your work, if all the darts of an unbelieving world be directed against you, they will be powerless to hurt a single hair of your head. All things are imprisoned within His mighty grasp. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Subduing.” 

(Chapter 3, of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Táhirih attracted attention from childhood – by A. L. M. Nicolas (1864-1939), French historian and orientalist

Mullá Sálih had among his children a daughter, Zarrín-Táj (Crown of Gold), [later known as Táhirih] who had attracted attention from early childhood. Instead of taking part in games and amusements like her companions, she passed hours at a time listening to her parents discuss religious matters. Her keen intelligence quickly perceived the fallacies of Islámic science without succumbing to it and soon she was able to discuss points which were most obscure and confusing. The Hadíths (traditions) held no secrets for her. Her reputation soon became widely known in the city and her fellow-citizens considered her a prodigy, and justly so. A prodigy in science, also a prodigy of beauty, for the child, as she grew to girlhood, possessed a face which shone with such radiant beauty that they named her ‘Qurratu’l-’Ayn’, which M. de Gobineau translates as ‘The Consolation of the Eyes.’ Her brother ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb-i-Qazvíní who inherited the learning and reputation of his father, himself relates, in spite of the fact that he remained, at least in appearance, a Muhammadan: ‘None of us, her brothers or her cousins dared to speak in her presence, her learning so intimidated us, and if we ventured to express some hypothesis upon a disputed point of doctrine, she demonstrated in such a clear, precise and conclusive manner that we were going astray, that we instantly withdrew confused.’

She was present at her father’s and uncle’s classes, in the same room with two or three hundred students, but always concealed behind a curtain, and more than once she refuted the explanation that these two elderly men offered upon such and such a question. Her reputation became universal throughout all Persia, and the most haughty ‘Ulamás consented to adopt some of her hypotheses and opinions. This fact is all the more extraordinary because the Shí’ite Muḥammadan religion relegates the woman almost to the level of the animal. They consider that she has no soul and exists merely for reproduction.

New Site: Excerpts from the Baha'i Writings in Persian

Excerpts from the Baha'i Writings in Persian

Also included are authorized English translations where available.

Not to impose one's views and interpretations of the Scriptures on others

I feel that regarding such interpretations (of verses from the Scriptures) no one has the right to impose his view or opinion and require his listeners to believe in his particular interpretation of the sacred and prophetic writings. I have no objection to your interpretations and inferences so long as they are represented as your own personal observations and reflections. It would be unnecessary and confusing to state authoritatively and officially a dogmatic Bahá’í interpretation to be universally accepted and taught by believers. Such matters I feel should be left to the personal judgement and insight of individual teachers....

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a message dated 6 April 1928 to an individual believer; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)

New Site: Insights from God Passes By

Sequential excerpts from the book: ‘God Passes By’, written in 1944 by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith

“love amongst the believers is the magnet which will, above all else, attract the hearts and bring new souls into the Cause”

He was very happy to hear from you, and to learn that Green Acre this year was pervaded with a love and harmony that was instrumental in confirming many new souls in the Faith. This love amongst the believers is the magnet which will, above all else, attract the hearts and bring new souls into the Cause. Because obviously the teachings - however wonderful - cannot change the world unless the Spirit of Bahá'u'lláh's love is mirrored in the Bahá'í Communities.

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 27 October 1944 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Living the Life)

Facsimile of Tahirih's handwriting

(The Dawn-Breakers)

Baha’i requirements for a “chase and holy life”

Such a chaste and holy life, with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean-mindedness, involves

• no less than the exercise of moderation in all that pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary avocations.
• It demands daily vigilance in the control of one's carnal desires and corrupt inclinations·        
• It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to
• trivial and often
• misdirected pleasures.
• It requires total abstinence from all alcoholic drinks, from opium, and from similar habit-forming drugs.
• It condemns
• the prostitution of art and of literature,
• the practices of nudism and of
• companionate marriage,
• infidelity in marital relationships, and
• all manner of promiscuity,
• of easy familiarity, and
• of sexual vices.
• It can tolerate no compromise with
• the theories,
• the standards,
• the habits, and
• the excesses of a decadent age.
• Nay rather it seeks to demonstrate, through the dynamic force of its example,
• the pernicious character of such theories,
• the falsity of such standards,
• the hollowness of such claims,
• the perversity of such habits, and
• the sacrilegious character of such excesses.

-Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)

The effect of meeting the Manifestation of God...

Adib Taherzadeh explains the effect Baha'u'llah had on those believers who came into His presence.

Indications of Baha’i “rectitude of conduct”

Such a rectitude of conduct must manifest itself, with ever-increasing potency,

• in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Bahá'í community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves, may be called upon to pronounce.
• It must be constantly reflected in the business dealings of all its members,
• in their domestic lives,
• in all manner of employment, and
• in any service they may, in the future, render their government or people.
• It must be exemplified in the conduct of all Bahá'í electors, when exercising their sacred rights and functions.
• It must characterize the attitude of every loyal believer towards
• nonacceptance of political posts,
• nonidentification with political parties,
• nonparticipation in political controversies, and
• nonmembership in political organizations and ecclesiastical institutions.
• It must reveal itself in the uncompromising adherence of all, whether young or old,
• to the clearly enunciated and fundamental principles laid down by `Abdu'l-Bahá in His addresses, and
• to the laws and ordinances revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in His Most Holy Book.
• It must be demonstrated in the impartiality of every defender of the Faith against its enemies,
• in his fair-mindedness
• in recognizing any merits that enemy may possess, and
• in his honesty in discharging any obligations he may have towards him.
• It must constitute the brightest ornament of the life, the pursuits, the exertions, and the utterances of every Bahá'í teacher,
• whether laboring at home or abroad,
• whether in the front ranks of the teaching force, or
• occupying a less active and responsible position.
• It must be made the hallmark of that numerically small, yet intensely dynamic and highly responsible body of the elected national representatives of every Bahá'í community, which constitutes the sustaining pillar, and the sole instrument for the election, in every community, of that Universal House whose very name and title, as ordained by Bahá'u'lláh, symbolizes that rectitude of conduct which is its highest mission to safeguard and enforce.

 - Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 25 December 1938 to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, published in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Excellence in All Things)

The Prisoner of 'Akka - video

'Abdu’l-Baha, The Center of the Covenant – by Juliet Thompson

A remarkable, inspiring, and heart-warming article by Juliet Thompson that rekindles one’s love and admiration for ‘Abdu’l-Baha.

Limitations of “the application of logical analysis” in individual interpretation of the Writings

As to the question of individual interpretation, while individual interpretation is the fruit of man's rational power and conducive to a better understanding of the teachings, the application of logical analysis has inherent limitations. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated:

Therefore, if the criterion of reason or intellect constituted a correct and infallible standard of judgment, those who tested and applied it should have arrived at the same conclusions. As they differ and are contradictory in conclusions, it is an evidence that the method and standard of test must have been faulty and insufficient. (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912, p. 254)

Understanding of the Writings requires belief in the Manifestation of God, for, as the Master states:

. . . the knowledge of God is the cause of spiritual progress and attraction, and through it the perception of truth, the exaltation of humanity, divine civilization, rightness of morals and illumination are obtained. (Some Answered Questions, p. 300)

Other important components in this process include an attitude of prayerful humility, acceptance of the statements of the Manifestation, confidence in the knowledge that understanding of their meaning will emerge with meditation, study of the texts and the passage of time, willingness to acknowledge that one's views may be erroneous, and, courage to follow in the direction defined by the authentic sacred texts. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 26 November 1986 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly; ‘Messages from the Universal House of justice 1986-2001’)

Shoghi Effendi’s humility and selflessness – a kind not yet known elsewhere

Colorized Photo of Shoghi Effendi

Humility of a kind not yet known elsewhere was one of Shoghi Effendi's many unique virtues, a humility which came from the conviction that man's faculties are not self-created but are a precious trust from God, not to be displayed or used overbearingly or with vanity. And yet he emanated true pride and dignity, such a regal dignity that raised him far above any man I have yet met or known.

When conversing with him, one could strongly sense this feeling of humility, while his ample brow and penetrating eyes reflected an inner light born of faith, courage and determination. One could feel an awareness that was amazing and rendered one speechless.

Shoghi Effendi's selflessness was not only outstanding but exemplary. He never placed his personal interests or desires ahead of his functions as Guardian. Those who were near to him inevitably felt that his life was something to be fully expended in the service of God and humanity, in a dedication unlike that of any other human being. When close to him I always felt the powerful process of his sublimation to the reality of the unseen world, while his body was there, near to me, like a visible, finely-tuned musical instrument whose melodies, imperceptible to the human ear, vibrated unseen through the ether.

He was always ready to give comfort, verbally or in writing, to encourage, to praise and to stimulate to such a degree that one felt the urge to place at his disposal life, time and possessions within the range of one's capacity and emotional exaltation. This was the essence of his detachment from worldly things. The less he thought of himself, the higher he soared in the sphere of spiritual authority and prestige. This was perhaps the secret of his tremendous attraction and influence upon those who came close to him.

- Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery  (‘Shoghi Effendi – Recollections’)

Four things we “must concentrate on”

We must concentrate

• on perfecting our characters as individual Bahá'ís, and
• on maturing our still embryonic, and as yet improperly understood, World Order;
• on spreading the Message, according to the provisions of the Divine Plan; and
• on building a tightly knit world-wide Bahá'í Community.

We are relatively few in numbers, and have such a precious, unique and responsible task to carry out. We must concentrate our full forces upon it.

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 9 May 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada) – The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Living the Life)

Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel, Israel: - Prophet and Herald of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh

The “double task of simultaneously building an ideal society and perfecting the behavior of individuals”

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

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

Prayer to be recited by visitors to the resting-place of Baha’u’llah’s wife, “the saintly Navváb”

O faithful ones! Should ye visit the resting-place of the Most Exalted Leaf, who hath ascended unto the Glorious Companion, stand ye and say: ‘Salutation and blessing and glory upon thee, O Holy Leaf that hath sprung from the Divine Lote-Tree! I bear witness that thou hast believed in God and in His signs, and answered His Call, and turned unto Him, and held fast unto His cord, and clung to the hem of His grace, and fled thy home in His path, and chosen to live as a stranger, out of love for His presence and in thy longing to serve Him. May God have mercy upon him that draweth nigh unto thee, and remembereth thee through the things which My Pen hath voiced in this, the most great station. We pray God that He may forgive us, and forgive them that have turned unto thee, and grant their desires, and bestow upon them, through His wondrous grace, whatever be their wish. He, verily, is the Bountiful, the Generous. Praise be to God, He Who is the Desire of all worlds; and the Beloved of all who recognize Him.

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated December 21, 1939; ‘Messages to America’)

The eulogy of Baha’u’llah by Quddús “assumed the dimensions of five hundred thousand verses”

…Quddús, although besieged within the fort of Shaykh Tabarsí by the battalions and fire of a relentless enemy, engaged, both in the daytime and in the night-season, in the completion of his eulogy of Bahá’u’lláh—that immortal commentary on the Sád of Samad which had already assumed the dimensions of five hundred thousand verses? 

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

Please note:

The combined number of verses in the Qur'an+New Testament+Old Testament is slightly more than 37,000. 

A New Site: Love...Compassion...Forgiveness

Excerpts from the Writings of the Baha’i Faith…

Shaykh Ahmad – a forerunner of the Báb

Descriptive list of sequential excerpts from chapter 1 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi

Traditions from Prophet Muhammad concerning the city of ‘Akka – quoted by Baha’u’llah

Recent aerial view of 'Akka

• “Akká is a city in Syria to which God hath shown His special mercy.”
• “Of all shores the best is the shore of Askelon, and Akká is, verily, better than Askelon, and the merit of Akká above that of Askelon and all other shores is as the merit of Muhammad above that of all other Prophets. I bring you tidings of a city betwixt two mountains in Syria, in the middle of a meadow, which is called Akká. Verily, he that entereth therein, longing for it and eager to visit it, God will forgive his sins, both of the past and of the future. And he that departeth from it, other than as a pilgrim, God will not bless his departure. In it is a spring called the Spring of the Cow. Whoso drinketh a draught therefrom, God will fill his heart with light, and will protect him from the most great terror on the Day of Resurrection.” 
• “By the shore of the sea is a city, suspended beneath the Throne, and named Akká. He that dwelleth therein, firm and expecting a reward from God—exalted be He—God will write down for him, until the Day of Resurrection, the recompense of such as have been patient, and have stood up, and knelt down, and prostrated themselves, before Him.”
• “I announce unto you a city, on the shores of the sea, white, whose whiteness is pleasing unto God—exalted be He! It is called Akká. He that hath been bitten by one of its fleas is better, in the estimation of God, than he who hath received a grievous blow in the path of God. And he that raiseth therein the call to prayer, his voice will be lifted up unto Paradise. And he that remaineth therein for seven days in the face of the enemy, God will gather him with Khidr—peace be upon Him—and God will protect him from the most great terror on the Day of Resurrection.”
• “There are kings and princes in Paradise. The poor of Akká are the kings of Paradise and the princes thereof. A month in Akká is better than a thousand years elsewhere.”

Meaning of firmness in the Covenant

Firmness in the Covenant means obedience, so that no one may say, 'this is my opinion,' nay rather he must obey that which proceeds from the Pen and Tongue of the Covenant. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of West, Vol. 8, no. 17, January 19, 1918)

Moses alludes to the coming of Jesus and Muhammad: – two passages from the Old Testament

Deuteronomy 18: 15-19

15. The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

16. According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

17. And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (King James Old Testament)

Deuteronomy 33: 2

2: And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. (King James Bible, Old Testament)

Explanation by Hand of the Cause George Townshend:

Moses…Prophesied (Dent. xviii 15) to the Israelites that "the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me." This refers not only to the coming of Jesus Christ, as is usually thought, but more especially to Muhammad. Moses would have used the word "seed" if He had meant to refer to an Israelite, whereas the word "brethren" indicates that He alludes to Isaac's brother Ishmael. He connects Mount Paran explicitly with the Prophetic line when, in His final blessing before His death, He describes the Prophets who will follow Him: "The Lord came from Sinai" (meaning Himself, and rose up from Seir . . . (meaning Jesus Christ); he shined forth from mount Paran (meaning Muhammad), and he came with ten thousands of saints (meaning Bahá'u'lláh)." Deut. xxxiii 2.

On the other hand, Muhammad mentions in the Qur'án the prophecies of His coming made in the Bible (Sura 26 verses 192-199) and states that Abraham prayed for His coming (Sura 2 verses 118-144) and that He was foretold by Moses and described in the Law and the Evangel.

The Covenant of Baha’u’llah concerning ‘Abdu’l-Baha

To this same Covenant He ['Abdu'l-Baha] has in His writings referred as the “Conclusive Testimony,” the “Universal Balance,” the “Magnet of God’s grace,” the “Upraised Standard,” the “Irrefutable Testament,” “the all-mighty Covenant, the like of which the sacred Dispensations of the past have never witnessed” and “one of the distinctive features of this most mighty cycle.” 
- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By)

1984: Dedication of Baha'i Temple in Samoa

Sequential excerpts from the “Introduction” section of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’ - by Shoghi Effendi

Insights concerning: 

• Nabil, his chronicle, and his close association with Baha’u’llah; 
• Persia’s condition of church and state in the 19th Century; 
• Persia’s state of decadence in the middle of the 19th Century; 
• Features of government administration and judicial procedure, 
• Qajar kings; 
• Prophetic expectations of the Shi’ah and Sunni sects of Islam; 
• The cause of the rejection and persecution of the Báb; similar to what happened to Christ; 
• The only European who met the Báb; 
• Baha’u’llah’s Tribute to the Báb and His Chief Disciples; 
• and many more…

Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum

Courtyard of the House of the Báb in Shiraz

Mulla Husayn entered the House of the Promised One

‘The Dawn-Breakers’ book currently available contains the first half of Nabil’s chronicle – “parts of the manuscript were reviewed and approved, some by Bahá’u’lláh, and others by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá”

His [Nabil's] chronicle was begun in 1888, when he had the personal assistance of Mírzá Músá, the brother of Bahá’u’lláh. It was finished in about a year and a half, and parts of the manuscript were reviewed and approved, some by Bahá’u’lláh, and others by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

The complete work carries the history of the Movement up to the death of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892.

The first half of this narrative, closing with the expulsion of Bahá’u’lláh from Persia, is contained in the present volume. Its importance is evident. It will be read less for the few stirring passages of action which it contains, or even for its many pictures of heroism and unwavering faith, than for the abiding significance of those events of which it gives so unique a record.

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

1925: Esperanto students with Agnes Alexander, Tokyo, Japan

(Star of the West, vol. 15, no. 10, January 1925)

Baha’i Administrative Order

Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy, misconceive its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God’s immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which it derives its inspiration is no one less than Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Its shield and defender are the embattled hosts of the Abhá Kingdom. Its seed is the blood of no less than twenty thousand martyrs who have offered up their lives that it may be born and flourish. The axis round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Its guiding principles are the truths which He Who is the unerring Interpreter of the teachings of our Faith has so clearly enunciated in His public addresses throughout the West. The laws that govern its operation and limit its functions are those which have been expressly ordained in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The seat round which its spiritual, its humanitarian and administrative activities will cluster are the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár and its Dependencies. The pillars that sustain its authority and buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice. The central, the underlying aim which animates it is the establishment of the New World Order as adumbrated by Bahá’u’lláh. The methods it employs, the standard it inculcates, incline it to neither East nor West, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored. Its watchword is the unification of the human race; its standard the “Most Great Peace”; its consummation the advent of that golden millennium—the Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the Kingdom of God Himself, the Kingdom of Bahá’u’lláh. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated February 8, 1934, published in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

Some Islamic traditions concerning the year of the Declaration of the Báb

As the year sixty, [1260 AH, 1844 AD] the year that witnessed the birth of the promised Revelation, had just dawned upon the world, it would not seem inappropriate, at this juncture, to digress from our theme, and to mention certain traditions of Muhammad and of the imáms of the Faith which bear specific reference to that year. Imám Ja’far, son of Muhammad, when questioned concerning the year in which the Qá’im was to be made manifest, replied as follows: “Verily, in the year sixty His Cause shall be revealed, and His name shall be noised abroad.” In the works of the learned and far-famed Muhyi’d-Dín-i-‘Arabí, many references are to be found regarding both the year of the advent and the name of the promised Manifestation. Among them are the following: “The ministers and upholders of His Faith shall be of the people of Persia.” “In His name, the name of the Guardian [‘Alí] precedeth that of the Prophet [Muhammad].” “The year of His Revelation is identical with half of that number which is divisible by nine [2520].” Mírzá Muhammad-i-Akhbarí, in his poems relating to the year of the Manifestation, makes the following prediction: “In the year Ghars [the numerical value of the letters of which is 1260] the earth shall be illumined by His light, and in Gharásih [1265] the world shall be suffused with its glory. If thou livest until the year Gharasí [1270], thou shalt witness how the nations, the rulers, the peoples, and the Faith of God shall all have been renewed.” In a tradition ascribed to the Imám ‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, it is likewise recorded: “In Ghars the Tree of Divine guidance shall be planted.” 

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

Persian letters, Transliteration, Pronunciation, and Abjad Numerical Values

(Baha'i Glossary by Marzieh Gail)

Shoghi Effendi - aged 22 years

The effects of a “shining” Spiritual Assembly

O ye shining Assembly![1] The meeting that you organized hath attracted the divine gaze and the subject of your conversation was the divine commemoration. A ray from the Kingdom of Abha fell upon that assemblage and that meeting was adorned, and a number of souls, supplicants to God, were gathered in that meeting. If this assembly continues as it is befitting and behooving, great results will thereby appear and conduce to the illumination of those parts, spiritual progress will ensue, the lights of the Sun of Truth will shine, hearts will be illumined, eyes will become seeing, ears become hearing, the lukewarm (or withdrawn ones) become aflame, the inanimate (or numbed ones) will be enkindled in soul and an ecstasy will come to all by which those present will be astonished. 

('Abdu'l-Baha, 'Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas, vol, 2')

[1] Cleveland, Ohio

circa 1930: Baha'is of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

A scribe of the Báb describes Baha’u’llah’s striking appearance

[On October 5, 1851 A.D.] …while I was passing by the gate of the inner courtyard of the shrine of the Imám Husayn, [in Karbilá] my eyes, for the first time, fell upon Bahá’u’lláh. What shall I recount regarding the countenance which I beheld! The beauty of that face, those exquisite features which no pen or brush dare describe, His penetrating glance, His kindly face, the majesty of His bearing, the sweetness of His smile, the luxuriance of His jet-black flowing locks, left an indelible impression upon my soul. 

- Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí  (Quoted by Nabil in Chapter 2 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

The Guardian highlights contributions made by some very distinguished Canadian believers: Louis Bourgeois, Marion Jack, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum Rabbani (Mary Maxwell), May Ellis Maxwell, and William Sutherland Maxwell

It was a Canadian, [1] of French extraction, who through his vision and skill was instrumental in conceiving the design, and delineating the features, of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the West, marking the first attempt, however rudimentary, to express the beauty which Bahá’í art will, in its plenitude, unfold to the eyes of the world. It was a Canadian woman, [2] one of the noblest in the ranks of Bahá’í pioneers, who alone and single-handed, forsook her home, settled among an alien people, braved with a leonine spirit the risks and dangers of the world conflict that raged around her, and who now, at an advanced age and suffering from infirmities, is still holding the Fort and is setting an example, worthy of emulation by all her fellow pioneers of both the East and the West. It was a member [3] of that same community who won the immortal distinction of being called upon to be my helpmate, my shield in warding off the darts of Covenant-breakers and my tireless collaborator in the arduous tasks I shoulder. It was a Canadian subject, [4] the spiritual mother of that same community, who, though fully aware of the risks of the voyage she was undertaking, journeyed as far as the capital of Argentina to serve a Cause that had honoured her so uniquely, and there laid down her life and won the everlasting crown of martyrdom. It was, moreover, a Canadian [5] who more recently achieved the immortal renown of designing the exquisite shell destined to envelop, preserve and embellish the holy and priceless structure enshrining the dust of the Beloved Founder of our Faith. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 1 March 1951 to the Canadian National Spiritual; ‘Messages to Canada’)

The “last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet”

The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, whose supreme mission is none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the entire human race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet. The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture – all of which must synchronize with the initial stages in the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Bahá'í Era – should, by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress and develop. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 11 March 1936, in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity)

The amazing outcome of the sacrifices and imprisonments endured by Baha’u’llah

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by Thine Ancient Beauty and Most Great Name, Whom Thou hast sacrificed that all the dwellers of Thine earth and heaven may be born anew, and Whom Thou hast cast into prison that mankind may, as a token of Thy bounty and of Thy sovereign might, be released from the bondage of evil passions and corrupt desires… 

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

Haifa, 1957: Saichiro Fujita, Adelaide Sharp, and Anges Alexander

(Baha'i News, no. 630, December 1983)

circa 1950s:Baha'is of Sydney Australia with Hand of the Cause Clara Dunn

An example of how one’s faith and beliefs are tested when a new Manifestation of God appears

One of his disciples, one day, questioned Shaykh Ahmad [a forerunner to the Báb] concerning the Word which the promised One is expected to utter in the fulness of time, a Word so appallingly tremendous that the three hundred and thirteen chiefs and nobles of the earth would each and all flee in consternation as if overwhelmed by its stupendous weight. To him Shaykh Ahmad replied: “How can you presume to sustain the weight of the Word which the chieftains of the earth are incapable of bearing? Seek not to gratify an impossible desire. Cease asking me this question, and beseech forgiveness from God.” That presumptuous questioner again pressed him to disclose the nature of that Word. At last Shaykh Ahmad replied: “Were you to attain that Day, were you to be told to repudiate the guardianship of ‘Alí and to denounce its validity, what would you say?” “God forbid!” he exclaimed. “Such things can never be. That such words should proceed out of the mouth of the promised One is to me inconceivable.” How grievous the mistake he made, and how pitiful his plight! His faith was weighed in the balance, and was found wanting, inasmuch as he failed to recognise that He who must needs be made manifest is endowed with that sovereign power which no man dare question. His is the right “to command whatsoever He willeth, and to decree that which He pleaseth.” Whoever hesitates, whoever, though it be for the twinkling of an eye or less, questions His authority, is deprived of His grace and is accounted of the fallen. And yet few, if any, among those who listened to Shaykh Ahmad in that city, and heard him unfold the mysteries of the allusions in the sacred Scriptures, were able to appreciate the significance of his utterances or to apprehend their purpose. Siyyid Kázim, his able and distinguished lieutenant, alone, could claim to have understood his meaning. 

- Nabil  ('The Dawn-Breakers, chapter 1; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

The Cause of God is like a house

The Cause of God is like a house. As long as man has not entered therein he does not know what it contains. In the house there are many precious jewels, many rare objects the like of which cannot be found anywhere in this world. But the men in the street may pass by the house a 1000 times and know nothing about it. Only the one who has the key can enter. That key is the love of God. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha recorded by Ahmad Sohrab, ‘Abdu'l-Baha in Britain, 1913’)

To see more such pilgrim notes please visit: Baha’i Pilgrim Notes

Baha'i Buildings & Places

Photos & brief descriptions of Baha'i places and buildings - collection 1

An example of how a disciple of Shaykh Ahmad, though physically not in Tehran, recognized the Birth of Baha’u’llah, and told a friend about its significance, and his friend’s ability to “behold that Day of days”

See the brief account at Insights from “The Dawn-Breakers”