Requirements for Mashriqu'l-Adhkar sites

A site for a future Mashriqu'l-Adhkar can be as small as 8,000 square metres in area if a larger property would be too expensive. It should, if possible, be situated within the city designated or, if this is not feasible, within 25 kilometres from the city. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated Naw-Ruz 1974 to all National Spiritual Assemblies; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s objectives for going to North America

…he [‘Abdu’l-Baha] has returned to Egypt and hopes that during the next spring no obstacle may arise, so that with infinite joy and fragrance he may hasten to America 

• to meet the friends,
• to unfurl the banner of rejoicing,
• to spread the Glad Tidings of the Kingdom of Abha,
• to illumine the meetings and gatherings with the Rays of the Sun of Truth,
• to perfume the nostrils with the Fragrances of Holiness,
• to impart gladness and delight to the hearts,
• to attract the souls to the Realms of Might,
• to grant the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that in this nether world the congregation of the Righteous Ones may be firmly established.

Glad Tidings! Glad Tidings! The bounties of the Most Great Name are descending.

Glad Tidings! Glad Tidings! The Lights of the Kingdom of Abha are shining.

Glad Tidings! Glad Tidings! The Doors of Heaven are opened and the call of the Kingdom is raised. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 16, December 31, 1911)

1911: First Persian Baha'i woman to travel to the West to continue education

Ghodsieh (Qudsiyyih) Khanum Ashraf 

(22 Nov. 1889 Tehran - 16 April 1976 Tehran)  

She saw 'Abdu'l-Baha several times in Chicago and Washington during 1912. She is the first Persian Baha'i woman to travel to the West in 1911 for the purpose of obtaining an education. She studied at the Lewis Institute in Chicago. In 1918 she graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Education. She returned to Persia in 1919 and became involved in women's movements and in education. Her brother, Ashraf Ashraf, studied in Paris during 1911-1915, and met 'Abdu'l-Baha on several occasions at 4, avenue de Camoens in 1911 and 1913. In Iran he apparently held several government positions and emigrated to Switzerland in 1953. 

(Adapted from “Abdu’l-Baha in the West, A biographical guide of the people associated with His travels”, by Jan Teofil Jasion)

“There are two kinds of cooperation: material and spiritual”

There are two kinds of cooperation: material and spiritual. Cooperation in the material world will insure happiness and fellowship, and will facilitate the progress of humankind; but the ideal, the most real and virtuous cooperation is spiritual. That is realized when people gather together to investigate and discuss principles impartially, to talk over the divine and philosophic principles of the age and to assist each other in pursuit of divine knowledge and wisdom. This real cooperation and mutual assistance is the foundation on which the super-structure of material reciprocity is based. Through this spiritual inter-assistance the prosperity of the world of man is unveiled. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha at a Nineteen-Day Feast in London, December 29, 1912; Baha’i News no. 33, July 1929)

How the “grace of God” becomes “revealed” in “the human heart”

…love of God and spiritual attraction do cleanse and purify the human heart and dress and adorn it with the spotless garment of holiness; and once the heart is entirely attached to the Lord, and bound over to the Blessed Perfection, then will the grace of God be revealed. 

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

2020: - Attitude to maintain during current state of world conditions

For the present hour, we urge you to recommit your energies, keeping your focus on the mission immediately before you. We are immensely gratified to see the assured composure with which the community of the Greatest Name has sought to offer the divine remedy under all conditions, especially during this period when society’s established patterns of life have been disrupted and risks of different kinds are being faced by so many. Withal, the friends must guard against being drawn into the ultimately futile conflict and strife that characterizes so much of the discussion of the affairs of society, or—heaven forbid—allowing interaction of this type to permeate, even fleetingly, the conversations of the community. Yet such vigilance on your part in avoiding discord and in not becoming entangled in society’s controversies should under no circumstances be construed as aloofness from the many pressing concerns of this time. Far from it. You are among the most active and earnest of humanity’s well-wishers. But, whether through deeds or words, the merit of your every contribution to social well-being lies, first, in your resolute commitment to discover that precious point of unity where contrasting perspectives overlap and around which contending peoples can coalesce. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message to the Baha’is of the World dated 25 November 2020)

New Site: Kindling Our Spirits - Zoom sessions: - Exploring Baha’i Writings on various themes

Downloadable compilations from the Baha’i Writings used in various zoom sessions:

Happiness

Forgiveness

Love & Compassion

Humility

Patience

Praiseworthy Character

Connecting our hearts to Baha'u'llah

1955: National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South America

 

(Baha'i News, July 1955)

1930: Louhelen Baha'i School, USA

 

(Baha'i News, September 1947)

The incredibly awesome significance of this “Day” and the exceptional priviledge of those who have ecognized God’s latest Manifestation

This is the Day whereon the Most Great Spirit was embodied in the most comely of forms, and, proceeding from the Realm on high, approached the Scene of transcendent glory with such radiance as to delight the Maid of Heaven, until she paused, suspended in the air before Our presence, with such an adorning as to seize with longing the hearts of the Messengers of God. Blessed, then, be God, Who hath created this noble angel!

Thereupon the inmates of Paradise, and beyond them the inhabitants of the retreats of holiness and the realms of communion, and beyond them they that dwell within the habitations of heaven and they that abide beneath the tabernacle of concealment, stepped forth one and all from their lofty mansions, and, conversing in hushed tones, apprised one another of that which had come to pass upon the earth. It was as though the Ancient King had revealed Himself unto Himself, and then, with undisputed sovereignty, unto His servants and His creatures in the realm of creation. Blessed, then, be God, Who bringeth forth whatsoever He pleaseth through the potency of His all-compelling command!

Then the Most Great Spirit raised a call that resounded through the entire creation, saying: “Solaced be your eyes, O ye inhabitants of earth and heaven, O ye manifestations of the divine names and attributes, and O ye who are immersed beneath the oceans of grandeur that lie beyond the worlds of intimation and allusion! This is the Day whereon God Himself, the Most Exalted, the Most High, through His own sacred and glorious Self, beareth round unto every soul, high and low alike, the cup of nearness and reunion.” Blessed, then, be God, Who hath revealed Himself in all His manifold grace on this greatest of all days! 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Days of remembrance’)

The results of the Báb’s isolation and incarceration in Ádhirbáyján

Mah-Ku, circa 1935 

And yet, the foolish and short-sighted Hájí Mírzá Áqásí [Persia’s Prime Minister] fondly imagined that by confounding the plan of the Báb to meet the Sháh face to face in the capital, and by relegating Him to the farthest corner of the realm, he had stifled the Movement at its birth, and would soon conclusively triumph over its Founder. Little did he imagine that the very isolation he was forcing upon his Prisoner would enable Him to evolve the System designed to incarnate the soul of His Faith, and would afford Him the opportunity of safeguarding it from disintegration and schism, and of proclaiming formally and unreservedly His mission. Little did he imagine that this very confinement would induce that Prisoner’s exasperated disciples and companions to cast off the shackles of an antiquated theology, and precipitate happenings that would call forth from them a prowess, a courage, a self-renunciation unexampled in their country’s history. Little did he imagine that by this very act he would be instrumental in fulfilling the authentic tradition ascribed to the Prophet of Islám regarding the inevitability of that which should come to pass in Ádhirbáyján. Untaught by the example of the governor of Shíráz, who, with fear and trembling, had, at the first taste of God’s avenging wrath, fled ignominiously and relaxed his hold on his Captive, the Grand Vizir of Muhammad Sháh was, in his turn, through the orders he had issued, storing up for himself severe and inevitable disappointment, and paving the way for his own ultimate downfall. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

Some references to the Báb in previous religions

He the “Qá’im” (He Who ariseth) promised to the Shí’ahs, the “Mihdí” (One Who is guided) awaited by the Sunnís, the “Return of John the Baptist” expected by the Christians, the “Ushídar-Máh” referred to in the Zoroastrian scriptures, the “Return of Elijah” anticipated by the Jews, Whose Revelation was to show forth “the signs and tokens of all the Prophets”, Who was to “manifest the perfection of Moses, the radiance of Jesus and the patience of Job” had appeared, proclaimed His Cause, been mercilessly persecuted and died gloriously. The “Second Woe,” spoken of in the Apocalypse of St. John the Divine, had, at long last, appeared, and the first of the two “Messengers,” Whose appearance had been prophesied in the Qur’án, had been sent down. The first “Trumpet-Blast”, destined to smite the earth with extermination, announced in the latter Book, had finally been sounded. “The Inevitable,” “The Catastrophe,” “The Resurrection,” “The Earthquake of the Last Hour,” foretold by that same Book, had all come to pass. The “clear tokens” had been “sent down,” and the “Spirit” had “breathed,” and the “souls” had “waked up,” and the “heaven” had been “cleft,” and the “angels” had “ranged in order,” and the “stars” had been “blotted out,” and the “earth” had “cast forth her burden,” and “Paradise” had been “brought near,” and “hell” had been “made to blaze,” and the “Book” had been “set,” and the “Bridge” had been “laid out,” and the “Balance” had been “set up,” and the “mountains scattered in dust.”

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

Baha’u’llah’s “best counsel”

Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things ye would not desire for yourselves. This is My best counsel unto you, did ye but observe it. 

- Baha'u'llah  (Suriy-i-Muluk [Tablet to the Kings], The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)

Birth of Baha’u’llah

O concourse of ardent lovers! By the righteousness of God, this is a night the like of which hath never been witnessed in the world of creation. And this, verily, is from the grace of God, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

This is the night wherein the Spirit intoned such a melody as to throw into commotion the inner realities of all men, proclaiming: “Rejoice, O Concourse on high, within your retreats of Paradise!”

Whereupon did the Voice of God call out from within the Tabernacle of holiness and bounty: “This, indeed, is the night wherein He Who is the reality of the All-Merciful hath been born, the night wherein every eternal command hath been expounded by the Pen of the All-Glorious. Rejoice, then, with exceeding gladness, O concourse of the Bayán!”

This is the night wherein the Mystic Dove raised its call upon the branches and boughs of heaven, saying: “Rejoice, O denizens of Paradise!”

Say: This is the night wherein the veils of glory were parted before the eyes of the people of certitude, and the Bird of Heaven warbled its melody in the midmost heart of the celestial realm. Rejoice, then, O embodiments of sanctity in the Everlasting City!

This is the night wherein God shed abroad the splendour of all His most excellent names and established Himself upon the throne of every pure and radiant heart. Rejoice, then, O concourse of the Bayán!

This is the night wherein the oceans of forgiveness surged and the breezes of providence were wafted abroad. Rejoice, then, O companions of the All-Merciful!

 This is the night wherein the trespasses of all that dwell on earth were forgiven. This, verily, is a joyful tiding unto all who have been created in the contingent realm!

 Say: This is the night wherein the assigned measures of bounty and grace were inscribed upon the scrolls of might and assurance, that every trace of sorrow might thereby be banished forever from all things. Rejoice, then, O ye that have stepped forth into the realm of being! 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Days of Remembrance’)

1946: National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada

Left to right: William Kenneth Christian, Amelia Collins, Edna True, Horace Holley, Paul Haney, Philip Sprague, Dorothy Baker, Elsie Austin, and George Latimer 

(Baha'i News, July 1946)

1943-November: -Amelia Collins with Baha'is of Buenos Aires at their Nineteen Day Feast

(Baha'i News, November 1943)

“The fruits of the human tree”: - “upright character, virtuous deeds and a goodly utterance”

Man is like unto a tree. If he be adorned with fruit, he hath been and will ever be worthy of praise and commendation. Otherwise a fruitless tree is but fit for fire. The fruits of the human tree are exquisite, highly desired and dearly cherished. Among them are upright character, virtuous deeds and a goodly utterance. The springtime for earthly trees occurreth once every year, while the one for human trees appeareth in the Days of God—exalted be His glory. Were the trees of men’s lives to be adorned in this divine Springtime with the fruits that have been mentioned, the effulgence of the light of Justice would, of a certainty, illumine all the dwellers of the earth and everyone would abide in tranquillity and contentment beneath the sheltering shadow of Him Who is the Object of all mankind. The Water for these trees is the living water of the sacred Words uttered by the Beloved of the world. In one instant are such trees planted and in the next their branches shall, through the outpourings of the showers of divine mercy, have reached the skies. A dried-up tree, however, hath never been nor will be worthy of any mention. 

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

1945 & 1946: Baha'i Children Class Teachers, Tihran

(Baha'i News, August 1946)

Canada 1941: Regional Summer Conference, Rice Lake, Ontario

 (Baha'i News, January 1942)

Canada 1971: An Auxiliary Board Team Deepening Conference

(Canadian Baha’i News, no. 256, February-March 1972)

 On July 2, 3, and 4, 1971, an Auxiliary Board Team Deepening Conference was held in Brandon, Manitoba, supported by the local Spiritual Assembly of that city and by the Baha 'is of Cornwallis. Friends from six different countries and from many areas of Canada were among the 100 plus attending. 

“I want you to paint My Servitude to God."

The Master was seated in a dark corner, His black 'aba melting into the background - and again I saw Him as the Face of God - and quailed. How could I paint the Face of God?

"I want you," He said, "to paint My Servitude to God."

"Oh my Lord," I cried, "only the Holy Spirit could paint Your Servitude to God. No human hand could do it. Pray for me, or I am lost. I implore You, inspire me."

"I will pray," He answered, "and as you are doing this only for the sake of God, you will be inspired."

And then something amazing happened. All fear fell away from me, and it was as though Someone Else saw through my eyes, worked through my hand.

All the points, all the planes in that matchless Face were so clear to me that my hand couldn't put them down quickly enough - couldn't keep pace with the clarity of my vision. I painted in ecstasy - free as I had never been before. At the end of the half hour the foundation of the head was perfect. 

- Juliet Thompson  (World Order magazine, Fall 1971)

The “true meaning of the three Persons of the Trinity”

…the reality of Christ was a clear mirror wherein the Sun of Truth—that is, the divine Essence—appeared and shone forth with infinite perfections and attributes. It is not that the Sun, which is the Essence of the Divinity, was ever divided or multiplied—for it remains one—but it became manifest in the mirror. That is why Christ said, “The Father is in the Son”, meaning that that Sun is manifest and visible in this mirror.

The Holy Spirit is the outpouring grace of God which was revealed and manifested in the reality of Christ. Prophethood is the station of the heart of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the station of His spirit. It is thus evident and established that the Essence of the Divinity is absolute oneness and has no peer, equal, or likeness.

This is the true meaning of the three Persons of the Trinity. Otherwise, the foundations of the religion of God would rest upon an illogical proposition which no mind could ever conceive, and how could the mind be required to believe a thing which it cannot conceive? Such a thing could not be grasped by human reason—how much less be clothed in an intelligible form—but would remain sheer fancy. 

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

“True consolidation”

True consolidation is to ensure that the love of Bahá'u'lláh and devotion to His Faith are firmly rooted in the hearts of the believers; this is the essential foundation for the subsequent addition of increased knowledge of the teachings and the development of the Bahá'í way of life. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated November 3, 1974 to a National Spiritual Assembly, in an unpublished compilation prepared by the International Teaching Center: ‘Teaching and Commitment’; compilation: Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies [Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities], NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

1934: Twenty-Sixth Annual Convention of Baha'is of the United States and Canada

(Star of the West (The Baha'i Magazine], vol. 25, no. 4, July 1934)

A prayer for America: - Nation, Government, People

O God! bless this nation. Confirm this government. Reveal Thy glory unto this people and confer upon them life eternal. O God! illumine the faces, render the hearts radiant, exhilarate the breasts, crown the heads with the diadem of Thy Providence, cause them to soar in Thy pure atmosphere so they may reach the highest pinnacles of Thy splendor. Assist them in order that this world may ever find the light and effulgence of Thy Presence. O God! shelter this congregation and admonish this nation. Render them progressive in all degrees. May they become leaders in the world of humanity. May they be Thy examples among humankind. May they be manifestations of Thy grace. May they be filled with the inspiration of Thy Word. 

Thou art the Powerful! Thou art the Mighty! Thou art the Giver and Thou art the Omniscient!   

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (The prayer ‘Abdu’l-Baha recited at the close of His talk at Plymouth Congregational Church, Chicago, 1912: Star of the West [The Baha’i Magazine] vol. 15, no. 11, February 1925)

Baha’i Prayers and Meditations

1924- London: Delegates and friends attending the Conference of Living Religions within the British Empire

 A reception given by Lady Blomfield 
(Star of the West [The Baha'i Magazine]. vol. 14, no. 9, December 1924)

Haziratu'l-Quds in Tehran prior to 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, Angus Cowan. 

(Baha’i Canada, Vol. 2, No. 1, May 1979)

1927: Montreal - Nineteenth Annual Convention of the Baha'is of the United States and Canada

(Star of the West [The Baha'i Magazine], vol. 18. no. 3, June 1927)

July 2, 2020: Design unveiled for first Baha’i Temple in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The design of the national Baha'i House of Worship of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is inspired by traditional artworks structures and natural features of the DR. The House of Worship will embody the vibrant devotional spirit that has been fostered over the decades by the Baha'is of the DRC. 

(Baha’i World News Service)

Reflection by Hand of the Cause William Sears on the occasion of the dedication of the site for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice

The role that Mashriqu'l-Adhkar “as designed by Bahá'u'lláh, is destined to play in the organic life of the Bahá'í community” – “service to humanity”; “removing the ills that have so long and so grievously afflicted humanity”

House of Worship in Kenya under construction , June 2020
(Baha'i World News Service)

…however inspiring the conception of Bahá'í worship, as witnessed in the central Edifice of this exalted Temple, it cannot be regarded as the sole, nor even the essential, factor in the part which the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, as designed by Bahá'u'lláh, is destined to play in the organic life of the Bahá'í community. Divorced from the social, humanitarian, educational and scientific pursuits centering around the Dependencies of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, Bahá'í worship, however exalted in its conception, however passionate in fervor, can never hope to achieve beyond the meagre and often transitory results produced by the contemplations of the ascetic or the communion of the passive worshiper. It cannot afford lasting satisfaction and benefit to the worshiper himself, much less to humanity in general, unless and until translated and transfused into that dynamic and disinterested service to the cause of humanity which it is the supreme privilege of the Dependencies of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar to facilitate and promote. Nor will the exertions, no matter how disinterested and strenuous, of those who within the precincts of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar will be engaged in administering the affairs of the future Bahá'í Commonwealth, fructify and prosper unless they are brought into close and daily communion with those spiritual agencies centering in and radiating from the central Shrine of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.

“One soul can be the cause of the spiritual illumination of a continent.”

You must not make the great mistake of judging our Faith by one community which obviously needs to study and obey the Bahá'í teachings. Human frailties and peculiarities can be a great test. But the only way, or perhaps I should say the first and best way, to remedy such situations, is to oneself do what is right. One soul can be the cause of the spiritual illumination of a continent. Now that you have seen, and remedied, a great fault in your life, now that you see more clearly what is lacking in your own community, there is nothing to prevent you from arising and showing such an example, such a love and spirit of service, as to enkindle the hearts of your fellow Bahá'ís.

He urges you to study deeply the teachings, teach others, study with those Bahá'ís who are anxious to do so, the deeper teachings of our Faith, and through example, effort and prayer, bring about a change. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 30 September 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, The Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith)

Japan 1931: Baha'i Naw-Ruz Celebration

Baha’is and their friends, Tokyo, Japan, March 21, 1931, Feast of Naw-Ruz. Seated in the center is Dr. K. Masujima in whose garden the gathering was held; at his right Miss Agnes B. Alexander, Baha'i teacher. 
(Star of the West, vol. 22, no. 4, July 1931)

The Báb created a list of the first 361 believers – to be given to Baha’u’llah

As the Báb bade farewell to the Letters of the Living, He instructed them, each and all, to record separately the name of every believer who embraced the Faith and identified himself with its teachings. The list of these believers He bade them enclose in sealed letters, and address them to His maternal uncle, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, in Shíráz, who would in turn deliver them to Him. “I shall classify these lists,” He told them, “into eighteen sets of nineteen names each. Each set will constitute one váhid.[1] All these names, in these eighteen sets, will, together with the first váhid, consisting of My own name and those of the eighteen Letters of the Living, constitute the number of Kull-i-Shay’.[2]  Of all these believers I shall make mention in the Tablet of God, so that upon each one of them the Beloved of our hearts may, in the Day when He shall have ascended the throne of glory, confer His inestimable blessings, and declare them the dwellers of His Paradise.” 

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

[1] The numerical value of the word “váhid,” which means “unity,” is 19

[2] The numerical value of “Kull-i-Shay’,” which means “all things,” is 361, or 19 X 19.

Going through life we must look: “what we have made of our souls” – “becoming more spiritual, drawing nearer to God”

...as we suffer these misfortunes we must remember that the Prophets of God Themselves were not immune from these things which men suffer. They knew sorrow, illness and pain too. They rose above these things through Their spirits, and that is what we must try and do too, when afflicted. The troubles of this world pass, and what we have left is what we have made of our souls; so it is to this we must look--to becoming more spiritual, drawing nearer to God, no matter what our human minds and bodies go through. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 5 August 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Living the Life)

”the solution given to the world's problems by Bahá'u'lláh is the only solution”

…the solution given to the world's problems by Bahá'u'lláh is the only solution -- being Divine in origin -- and most desperately needed; therefore we, the few who have caught the vision, should not waste our energies beating up and down the paths pursued by humanity, and which are not solving its ghastly present-day problems. We should concentrate on the Cause, because it is what is needed to cure the world. This is a sound attitude, for if we don't devote ourselves to the Bahá'í work and teaching, who will?

On the other hand there is a big difference between this and learning. If the Bahá'ís want to be really effective in teaching the Cause they need to discuss intelligently, intellectually, the present condition of the world and its problems. We need Bahá'í scholars, not only people far, far more deeply aware of what our teachings really are, but also well-read and well-educated people, capable of correlating our teachings to the current thoughts of the leaders of society.

We Bahá'ís should, in other words, arm our minds with knowledge in order to better demonstrate to, especially, the educated classes, the truths enshrined in our Faith. What the Guardian, however, does not advise the friends to do is to dissipate their time and energies in serving movements that are akin to our principles but not, we believe, capable of solving the present spiritual crisis the world finds itself in. We can co-operate with such movements and their promoters to good effect, while at the same time openly standing forth as Bahá'ís with a specific programme to offer society. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 5 July, 1949, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Teaching Prominent People)

1967: Hands of the Cause Samandari and Roberts met with NSA of Canada

This picture was taken at the request of Hand of the Cause Samandari during his recent visit to Toronto at a time when the National Spiritual Assembly was meeting. Back Row — left to right: Suheil Bushrui, Angus Cowan, Lloyd Gardner, Douglas Martin, Michael Rochester, Donald Glen, Rowland Estall. Front Row — left to right: Dr. Medhi Samandari, Jameson Bond, Hand of the Cause Samandari, Hand of the Cause John Robarts, Ronald Parsons. 

(Canadian Baha’i News, no. 215, December 1967)

1967: Hand of the Cause John Robarts with Auxiliary Board Members Peggy Ross, Ted Anderson, Fred Graham and Jack McCants

(Canadian Baha’i News, no, 211, August 1967)

1848: Mulla Husayn's Journey on foot

('Mulla Husayn, Disciple at Dawn', by R. Mehrabkhani)

Introducing an existing site: Daily Verses of God – revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb

This site which has been in existence since 2010 contains, as of today, some 3449 excerpts from the Writings of God’s latest Twin Manifestations. The short passages are from all authorized translations of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb in published books, and also those that have become available at the Baha’i World Center’s site: the online Baha’i Reference Library. The selected passages also come from all compilations prepared by the Baha’i World Center and published in the three volumes of ‘The Compilation of Compilations’. A list of all such published compilations and books is also available at the site.There is also the option of receiving daily emails.

The invocation “Yá Iláha’l-Mustagháth” (“O Lord of the time of ‘Mustagháth’”), or Yá Alláhu’l-Mustagháth” (“O Thou God Who art invoked”)

As Mr. … is no doubt well aware, the phrase in question was revealed by the Báb and has been associated with a variety of instructions for its recitation. It seems to us that his questions are answered in a letter dated 25 November 1999 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, as follows:

Concerning the phrase “Yá Alláhu’l-Mustagháth”, this is an invocation revealed by the Báb. He prescribed it for recitation by His followers in times of trouble and difficulty. Shoghi Effendi has translated the word “Mustagháth” as “He Who is invoked for help”. This phrase can be correctly transliterated in two ways, as set out below:

“Yá Iláha’l-Mustagháth”, which has been translated as “O Lord of the time of ‘Mustagháth’”

“Yá Alláhu’l-Mustagháth”, which has been translated as “O Thou God Who art invoked”

With regard to the number of times these words are to be repeated, the repetition of this invocation is not definitely fixed, and there is a great deal of flexibility concerning the repetition of this and other prayers. While the invocation is prescribed in the Writings of the Báb to be repeated 2098 times during occasions of great need, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in one Tablet states that this verse is to be repeated 95 times and, in another Tablet, 81 times. Letters from the Guardian concerning this invocation, as well as other prayers, indicate that repetition is a matter of individual choice. In a postscript added in his own handwriting to a letter to an individual he stated:

There is no objection to saying “Yá Iláha’l-Mustagháth” any time you like and as often as you like.

Nurturing “the roots which sustain the spiritual life of the community and ensure its sound development”

As the processed impelling a rapidly evolving Order on the highroad of its destiny multiply and gather momentum, attention should be increasingly directed to the vital need of ensuring, by every means possible, the deepening of the faith, the understanding and the spiritual life of the individuals who, as the privileged members of this community, are called upon to participate in this glorious unfoldment and are lending their assistance to this historic evolution.

• A profound study of the Faith which they have espoused, its history, its spiritual as well as administrative principles;
• a thorough understanding of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and of the Will of `Abdu'l-Bahá;
• a deeper realization of the implication of the claims advanced by the Founders of the Faith;
• strict adherence to the laws and principles which They have established;
• a greater dedication to the fundamentals and verities enshrined in Their teachings

- these constitute, I feel convinced, the urgent need of the members of this rapidly expanding community. For upon this spiritual foundation must depend the solidity of the institutions which they are now so painstakingly erecting. Every outward thrust into new fields, every multiplication of Bahá'í institutions, must be paralleled by a deeper thrust of the roots which sustain the spiritual life of the community and ensure its sound development. From this vital, this ever-present need attention must, at no time, be diverted; nor must it be, under any circumstances, neglected, or subordinated to the less vital and urgent task of ensuring the outer expansion of Bahá'í administrative institutions. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 30 December 1948 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, The Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith)

A prayer revealed by Baha’u’llah for His mother

[provisional translation approved by the Baha'i World Center]

The most honoured, esteemed and respected mother.

He is God! 

Praised be Thou O Lord, My God! This is My mother who hath acknowledged Thy oneness, confessed Thy unity, attained the honour of meeting Thy Manifestations in Thy days, reached the station of recognition and entered the tabernacle of Heaven, for she loved Thyself and Thy Servant and held fast to the cord of Thy love through the sanctified Temples of Thy Sovereignty. 

I beseech Thee, therefore, O My God, to grant her the honour of beholding Thy Beauty, and vouchsafe unto her the gift of Thy Presence. Give her to drink then from the ocean of Thy mercy and the chalice of Thy forgiveness. Make her to dwell, O My God, in the precincts of Thy mercy in the Heaven of eternity. Grant her to hear Thy holy melodies that she may cast the veil from her head in her eagerness to meet Thee and speed through the domains of Thy nearness and union.

Thou art verily powerful over all that Thou desirest, and Thou art verily the Mighty, the Most Luminous.

(Source: published in the book: ‘Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees’, by Baharieh Rouhani-Ma’ani; approved by the Baha’i World Center)

1980 Canada - Participants at a conference called by the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America for all Auxiliary Board members serving in Canada

Three Hands of the Cause were in attendance, John Robarts, William Sears and Dr. Varqa. On Sunday June 30, the National Spiritual Assembly was invited to consult along with the National Teaching Committee, members of the National Pioneer Committee as well as three members of the Hazfratu'l -Quds staff. 

(Baha’i Canada, vol. 2, no. 11, July/August 1980)

Building a bridge for the entire human race…

I would like you all to imagine a very deep 'V', like a deep abyss. On the one side of this abyss is the world of man: the darkness, the hatred, the wars and prejudices. On the other side is the world of God: the love of God, the illumination, the happiness, the joy and life of God.

Now, we Baha'is are building a bridge across this abyss because someday hundreds of millions of people are going to have to walk across that narrow bridge. In fact, the whole of mankind is going to have to pass across it. The bricks with which we are building the bridge are those of unity, of faith in God and devotion to Him, and love for mankind. The bridge is not yet completed. We have a long way to go to get it right across the abyss and to make it strong enough to carry the tremendous load which it will have to support.

Every one of us, every Baha'i in the world, without any exception, has his part to play in this great work."

- Hand of the Cause John Robarts (Address to Canadian National Convention, Vancouver, Canada, 1980; Baha’i Canada, vol. 2, no. 10, May/June 1980)

circa 1890: Adrianople - now Edirne

(https://www.bahaullah.org/)

November 1970: Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga on Blood Reserve, Alberta, Canada

(Baha'i Canada, vol. 2, no. 5, October 1970)

“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’)