References to Bahá’u’lláh from Isaiah, “the greatest of Jewish prophets”

To Him [ Bahá’u’lláh] Isaiah, the greatest of the Jewish prophets, had alluded as 

• the “Glory of the Lord,” 
• the “Everlasting Father,” 
• the “Prince of Peace,” 
• the “Wonderful,” 
• the “Counsellor,” 
• the “Rod come forth out of the stem of Jesse” and 
• the “Branch grown out of His roots,” 
• Who “shall be established upon the throne of David,” 
• Who “will come with strong hand,” 
• Who “shall judge among the nations,” 
• Who “shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips slay the wicked,” and 
• Who “shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  ('God Passes By')

The amazingly high station of the Greatest Holy Leaf

O thou Greatest Holy Leaf! If I cry at every moment out of a hundred mouths, and from each of these mouths I speak with a hundred thousand tongues, yet I could never describe nor celebrate thy heavenly qualities, which are known to none save only the Lord God; nor could I befittingly tell of even the transient foam from out the ocean of thine endless favour and grace.

Except for a very few, whose habitation is in the highest retreats of holiness, and who circle, in the furthermost Sanctuary, by day and by night about the throne of God, and are fed at the hand of the Abhá Beauty on purest milk—except for these, no soul of this nether world has known or recognized thine immaculate, thy most sacred essence, nor has any befittingly perceived that ambergris fragrance of thy noble qualities, which richly anoints thy brow, and which issues from the divine wellspring of mystic musk; nor has any caught its sweetness.

To this bear witness the Company on High, and beyond them God Himself, the Supreme Lord of all the heavens and the earths: that during all thy days, from thine earliest years until the close of thy life, thou didst personify the attributes of thy Father, the Matchless, the Mighty. Thou wert the fruit of His Tree, thou wert the lamp of His love, thou wert the symbol of His serenity, and of His meekness, the pathway of His guidance, the channel of His blessings, the sweet scent of His robe, the refuge of His loved ones and His handmaidens, the mantle of His generosity and grace. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘Bahíyyih Khánum, The Greatest Holy Leaf’, a compilation by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 1982)

Visit: The Greatest Holy Leaf: The "archetype of the people of Bahá"

Rúhíyyih Khánum’s systematic travels around the globe: 185 countries, dependencies, major islands, and 154 territories

Rúhíyyih Khánum’s systematic travels around the globe began in the year 1964. Many times, she talked about the genesis of these unique trips, recounting an incident in the lifetime of Shoghi Effendi. One day, as he was passing by her desk, he stopped and looked at her and said, “What will become of you after I die?” She was shattered by this unexpected remark and began to weep, saying, “Oh, Shoghi Effendi, don’t say such terrible things. I don’t want to live without you.” He paid no attention, however, and after a pause continued, “I suppose you will travel and encourage the friends.” She said that this was the only remark he ever made about what she should do with her life after his passing. And so it was that, when she was somewhat freed from her arduous administrative duties and the affairs of the Cause were placed under the infallible guidance of the Universal House of Justice, she took these words as his last instructions to her and did her utmost to fulfil his hopes.

In the course of her long life she travelled to 185 countries, dependencies and major islands of the globe. While she visited just 31 countries in her first 54 years, she travelled in all the rest between 1964 and 1997. When I tried to count the number of territories she visited in these 34 years, I came up with the astounding figure of 154. Many of these countries were visited more than once, and some, like India, were honoured by her presence as many as nine times. 

- Violette Nakhjavání  (‘A Tribute to Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum’; The Baha’i World, https://bahaiworld.bahai.org/)

Bahá’u’lláh tells Pope Pius IX that “The Word which the Son concealed is made manifest…in the form of the human temple”; “The Father is come”

The Word which the Son concealed is made manifest. It hath been sent down in the form of the human temple in this day. Blessed be the Lord Who is the Father! He, verily, is come unto the nations in His most great majesty. Turn your faces towards Him, O concourse of the righteous! ...This is the day whereon the Rock [Peter] crieth out and shouteth, and celebrateth the praise of its Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most High, saying: ‘Lo! The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled!...’ My body longeth for the cross, and Mine head waiteth the thrust of the spear, in the path of the All-Merciful, that the world may be purged from its transgressions....

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

1955: Half the total number of Japanese Baha’is

Seventeen of the nineteen Japanese Baha’is who attended the Asia Teaching Conference in Nikko, Japan, September 23-25, 1955. This represents about half the total number of Japanese Baha’is. (Baha’i News, December 1955)

1955-1956: National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Italy and Switzerland

Seated, left to right: Miss Elsa Steinmetz, Dr. Ugo R. Giachery, Miss Honor Kempton, Prof. Mario Fiorentini, Mrs. Marion Little. Standing, left to right: Dr. Walter Ott, Mrs. Anna Kunz, Dr. Alessandro Bausani, Mr. Fritz Schar. (Baha’i News, August 1955)

1951: Terraces leading to the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel

The recently built two additional terraces can be seen at the top of the avenue; there is now a direct access from the Shrine to the city. (Baha’i News, August 1951)

1953: Panoramic view of newly developed garden of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí

(Baha'i News, August 1953)

The first person to recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God

Mr. ... refers to several sources in the literature of the Bahá'í Faith where the first person to recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God is identified. Those named include 'Abdu'l-Bahá (see Balyuzi's book "'Abdu'l-Bahá The Centre of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh" (Oxford: George Ronald, 1987, p. 13), Mírzá Áqá Ján and Shaykh Hasán-i-Zunúzi (see "Bahá'u'lláh: The King of Glory" (Oxford: George Ronald, 1980, p. 109 and pp. 67-68). He asks how this apparent contradiction is to be resolved.

It is evident that the term "the first" to recognize Bahá'u'lláh had different meanings according to the context of its use. For example, given 'Abdu'l-Bahá's designation as "the Mystery of God" and His unique relationship with His Father, it is possible that the reference is to the spiritual realm, a realm which transcends time. While, in the case of Mírzá Áqá Ján and Shaykh Hasán-i-Zunúzi, the application of the term is necessarily in the context of the human plane of existence.

In relation to Mírzá Áqá Ján, Shoghi Effendi in "God Passes By", p. 115, clearly affirms that Mírzá Áqá Ján was "the first to believe" in Bahá'u'lláh, and that to him, Bahá'u'lláh, more than to anyone else, was moved to disclose, at this critical juncture, a glimpse of the as yet unrevealed glory of His station.

Hence, one possible distinction between Mírzá Áqá Ján and Shaykh Hasán-i-Zunúzi could well relate to the degree or extent of their recognition, with primacy being accorded to Mírzá Áqá Ján. 

(Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice dated 23 May 1991, attached to a letter dated 20 June 1991, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Baha’i Online Library)

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The Greatest Holy Leaf: The "archetype of the people of Bahá"

Who Bahá’u’lláh is

He Who in such dramatic circumstances was made to sustain the overpowering weight of so glorious a Mission was none other than the One Whom posterity will acclaim, and Whom innumerable followers already recognize, as

• the Judge,
• the Lawgiver and Redeemer of all mankind, as
• the Organizer of the entire planet, as
• the Unifier of the children of men, as
• the Inaugurator of the long-awaited millennium, as
• the Originator of a new “Universal Cycle,” as
• the Establisher of the Most Great Peace, as
• the Fountain of the Most Great Justice, as
• the Proclaimer of the coming of age of the entire human race,
• as the Creator of a new World Order, and as
• the Inspirer and Founder of a world civilization.

- Shoghi Effendi  ('God Passes By')

Teaching the Cause of God: - “an indispensable feature of Bahá’í life”

In recent messages we have expressed joy at witnessing the steady increase in the tempo of teaching across the globe. The discharge of this fundamental spiritual obligation by the individual believer has always been, and continues to be, an indispensable feature of Bahá’í life. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Ridvan 2010 message; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

“self and ego”: - “a central theme of the Manifestation”

Your concern about the overemphasis upon the self and ego echoes a central theme of the Manifestation Himself, and it is the subject of many allusions in His Writings wherein, for example, He speaks of

• "the evil of egotism" and of
• those who are "captives of egotism."

The Master refers to

• "the rust of egotism"
• and tells of ". . . the subtlety of the ego of man. It is the Tempter (the subtle serpent of the mind) and the poor soul not entirely emancipated from its suggestions is deceived until entirely severed from all save God."
• In another passage He says: "As long as the ego is subjected to carnal desires, sin and error continue."
• And He promised that with assiduous effort "Man will become free from egotism; he will be released from the material world . . . ". 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 4 August 1977 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Psychology and Knowledge of Self’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, attached to a letter dated 23 October 1994, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Baha’i Online Library)

The Administrative Order “constitutes the very pattern of that divine civilization which the almighty Law of Bahá’u’lláh is designed to establish upon earth”

A word should now be said regarding the theory on which this Administrative Order is based and the principle that must govern the operation of its chief institutions. It would be utterly misleading to attempt a comparison between this unique, this divinely-conceived Order and any of the diverse systems which the minds of men, at various periods of their history, have contrived for the government of human institutions. Such an attempt would in itself betray a lack of complete appreciation of the excellence of the handiwork of its great Author. How could it be otherwise when we remember that this Order constitutes the very pattern of that divine civilization which the almighty Law of Bahá’u’lláh is designed to establish upon earth? The divers and ever-shifting systems of human polity, whether past or present, whether originating in the East or in the West, offer no adequate criterion wherewith to estimate the potency of its hidden virtues or to appraise the solidity of its foundations. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah'; included in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

“Bahá’u’lláh addressed these words” to the French Emperor, Napoleon III

To the French Emperor, Napoleon III, Bahá’u’lláh addressed these words: “O King of Paris! Tell the priest to ring the bells no longer. By God, the True One! The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the Most Great Name, and the fingers of the will of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, toll it out in the heaven of Immortality, in His Name, the All-Glorious. Thus have the mighty verses of thy Lord been again sent down unto thee, that thou mayest arise to remember God, the Creator of earth and heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the earth have mourned, and the foundations of the cities have trembled, and the dust of irreligion hath enwrapped all men, except such as thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, was pleased to spare.... Give ear, O King, unto the Voice that calleth from the Fire which burneth in this Verdant Tree, upon this Sinai which hath been raised above the hallowed and snow-white Spot, beyond the Everlasting City: ‘Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful!’ We, in truth, have sent Him Whom We aided with the Holy Spirit [Jesus], that He may announce unto you this Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and Whose signs have been revealed in the West, that ye may set your faces towards Him [Bahá’u’lláh], on this Day which God hath exalted above all other days, and whereon the All-Merciful hath shed the splendor of His effulgent glory upon all who are in heaven and all who are on earth. Arise thou to serve God and help His Cause. He, verily, will assist thee with the hosts of the seen and unseen, and will set thee king over all that whereon the sun riseth. Thy Lord, in truth, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.... Attire thy temple with the ornament of My Name, and thy tongue with remembrance of Me, and thine heart with love for Me, the Almighty, the Most High. We have desired for thee naught except that which is better for thee than what thou dost possess and all the treasures of the earth. Thy Lord, verily, is knowing, informed of all...." 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

An example of how the Báb’s “alluring charm, combined with a compelling dignity and unfailing benevolence… completely disarmed and transformed His guards” as they approached the city of Qum on their way to Tihran

His [the Báb’s] alluring charm, combined with a compelling dignity and unfailing benevolence, had, by this time, [when they left Kashan for Tihran]completely disarmed and transformed His guards. They seemed to have abdicated all their rights and duties and to have resigned themselves to His will and pleasure. In their eagerness to serve and please Him, they, one day, remarked: “We are strictly forbidden by the government to allow You to enter the city of Qum [1], and have been ordered to proceed by an unfrequented route directly to Tihrán. We have been particularly directed to keep away from the Haram-i-Ma’súmih, [2] that inviolable sanctuary under whose shelter the most notorious criminals are immune from arrest. We are ready, however, to ignore utterly for Your sake whatever instructions we have received. If it be Your wish, we shall unhesitatingly conduct You through the streets of Qum and enable You to visit its holy shrine.” “‘The heart of the true believer is the throne of God,’” observed the Báb. “He who is the ark of salvation and the Almighty’s impregnable stronghold is now journeying with you through this wilderness. I prefer the way of the country rather than to enter this unholy city. The immaculate one whose remains are interred within this shrine, her brother, and her illustrious ancestors no doubt bewail the plight of this wicked people. With their lips they pay homage to her; by their acts they heap dishonour upon her name. Outwardly they serve and reverence her shrine; inwardly they disgrace her dignity.”

Such lofty sentiments had instilled such confidence in the hearts of those who accompanied the Báb that had He at any time chosen to turn away suddenly and leave them, no one among His guards would have felt in the least perturbed or would have attempted to pursue Him. 

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

[1] The site of the second most sacred shrine in Persia, and the burial-place of many of her kings, among them Fatḥ-‘Alí and Muhammad Sháh

[2] At Qum are deposited the remains of his [Imám Riḍá’s] sister, Fátimiy-i-Ma’súmih, i.e. the Immaculate, who, according to one account, lived and died here, having fled from Baghdád to escape the persecution of the Khalífs.

The ”so brief an interval” between the Revelations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh’: - “a secret that no man can unravel, and a mystery such as no mind can fathom”

During nine years, as foretold by the Báb Himself, swiftly, mysteriously and irresistibly the embryonic Faith conceived by Him had been developing until, at the fixed hour, the burden of the promised Cause of God was cast amidst the gloom and agony of the Síyáh-Chál of Ṭihrán. “Behold,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself, years later, testified, in refutation of the claims of those who had rejected the validity of His mission following so closely upon that of the Báb, “how immediately upon the completion of the ninth year of this wondrous, this most holy and merciful Dispensation, the requisite number of pure, of wholly consecrated and sanctified souls has been most secretly consummated.” “That so brief an interval,” He, moreover has asserted, “should have separated this most mighty and wondrous Revelation from Mine own previous Manifestation is a secret that no man can unravel, and a mystery such as no mind can fathom. Its duration had been foreordained.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (God Passes By')

The Persian Tablet of Ahmad

There are two Tablets each bearing the name of Ahmad: one in Persian and the other in Arabic. The latter is the one used throughout the Bahá'í world, which the beloved Guardian characterized as being imbued with a special potency.

The Persian Tablet [see a provisional translation] is quite a long one and is written to Ahmad of Kashan. Haji Mirza Jani, who was the first one to embrace the Báb's Faith in Kashan, in whose house the Báb sojourned some days and who was finally martyred in Tihran, had three brothers. One was never moved by his brother's faith, no matter how much the latter endeavoured to teach him. He remained a Muslim and died as such. The second was called Ismail, entitled by Bahá'u'lláh Dhabih (sacrificed) and also Anis (companion); the third one who went to Baghdad was called Ahmad. He remained with the Ancient Beauty and had the honor to be amongst those who were chosen by Him as one of the companions in His exile to Istanbul. But unfortunately in the storms of tests and trials this Ahmad departed from the right path and sided with Azal. He then caused much suffering for the Blessed Beauty, His family and friends. In order to warn this man against such evil deeds and the detrimental consequences for the nascent Faith, Bahá'u'lláh sent him this long Persian Tablet full of exhortations, elucidations of the divine power and advice as to how a true seeker should act and behave. Ahmad remained heedless, unmoved and unchanged, but when he found out that he could no more live in Turkey, he returned to Iraq where he found his old associates and resumed his iniquitous life with them. One of his worst habits was to insult people and curse them in the most bitter and vile language. In one of his disputes with his evil friends, he lashed them with his sharp tongue and the victims, to get rid of him, killed him one night.

Selections from this Persian Tablet appear in the Gleanings.

- Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qasim Faizi  ('A Flame of Fire’)

“Blessed is he who…”

Blessed is he who is charitable, for he shall inherit eternal life.

Blessed is he who overlooks the faults of others, for he shall enjoy divine beatitude.

Blessed is he who associates with all with joy and fragrance, for he has obeyed the commands of Baha’u’llah.

Blessed is he who loves mankind, for he has heeded the advice of Baha'u'llah.

Blessed is he who is kind to his enemies, for he has walked in the footsteps of Christ.

Blessed is he who proclaims the doctrine of spiritual brotherhood, for he shall be the child of light.

Blessed is he whose heart is tender and compassionate, for he will throw stones at no one.

Blessed is he who will speak evil of no one, for he hath attained to the good pleasure of the Lord.

Blessed is he who will not uncover the sins of others, for he will become favored at the threshold of the Almighty.

Blessed is he who hath a forgiving nature, for he will win the spiritual graces of God.

Blessed is he who diffuses only the sweet fragrance of the flowers of friendship and mutual association, for he will obtain a goodly portion of the bounties of the Merciful.

Blessed is he who teaches union and concord, for he will shine like unto a star in heaven.

Blessed is he who practices loving-kindness and co-operation, for he will be encircled with celestial benedictions.

Blessed is he who comforts the downtrodden, for he will be the friend of God.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to a believer; Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, May, 1913; Star of the West, vol. 7, no. 5, June 5, 1916)