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)