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)