O Bahá’u’lláh what hast Thou done!

Baha’u’llah estimates “the station ordained for the true believer”

Estimating the station of the true believer He [Baha'u'llah] remarks: “By the sorrows which afflict the beauty of the All-Glorious! Such is the station ordained for the true believer that if to an extent smaller than a needle’s eye the glory of that station were to be unveiled to mankind, every beholder would be consumed away in his longing to attain it. For this reason it hath been decreed that in this earthly life the full measure of the glory of his own station should remain concealed from the eyes of such a believer.” “If the veil be lifted,” He similarly affirms, “and the full glory of the station of those who have turned wholly towards God, and in their love for Him renounced the world, be made manifest, the entire creation would be dumbfounded.” 

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

Baha’u’llah cites examples of the amazingly great “forces latent in His Revelation”

Expatiating on the forces latent in His Revelation Bahá’u’lláh reveals the following:

• “Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration.” “This is,” He adds, “the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the pen of this wronged One to mankind.”
• “How great,” He in another passage exclaims, “is the Cause! How staggering the weight of its message! This is the Day of which it hath been said: ‘O my son! verily God will bring everything to light though it were but the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and hidden in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth; for God is subtile, informed of all.’”
• “By the righteousness of the one true God! If one speck of a jewel be lost and buried beneath a mountain of stones, and lie hidden beyond the seven seas, the Hand of Omnipotence will assuredly reveal it in this day, pure and cleansed from dross.”
• “He that partaketh of the waters of My Revelation will taste all the incorruptible delights ordained by God from the beginning that hath no beginning to the end that hath no end.”
• “Every single letter proceeding from Our mouth is endowed with such regenerative power as to enable it to bring into existence a new creation—a creation the magnitude of which is inscrutable to all save God. He verily hath knowledge of all things.”
• “It is in Our power, should We wish it, to enable a speck of floating dust to generate, in less than the twinkling of an eye, suns of infinite, of unimaginable splendor, to cause a dewdrop to develop into vast and numberless oceans, to infuse into every letter such a force as to empower it to unfold all the knowledge of past and future ages.”
• “We are possessed of such power which, if brought to light, will transmute the most deadly of poisons into a panacea of unfailing efficacy.”

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

‘Abdu’lBaha’s Message to the American People - published in San Francisco Chronicle, October 4, 1912

Praise be to God: The United States has in reality made extraordinary progress; day by day they are advancing toward the ultimate goal. The material virtues of the people are many; now they must think of the ideal virtues, so that the highest of the perfections of humanity may illumine the regions of America. Among the highest virtues is universal peace, the oneness of humanity. The chief ailment of humanity today is international strife; this militates against the advancement of the material and ideal virtues.

The continent of America is isolated so far as other countries are concerned; the government is not thinking of making conquests, of enlarging the circle of colonization. They are not thinking to contend with other nations so far as financial, commercial and political supremacy is concerned. They are not the rival of any other nation. Their utmost desire is this: That the continent of America be protected.

They are engaged in the amelioration of internal conditions; they are not engaged in warfare with any nation. Therefore, they have the time and ability to raise the standard of universal peace and spread the doctrine of the oneness of God. May their influence spread and permeate to all parts of the world.

Other peoples of the world have to contend with international difficulties. First, the nations are rivals with each other so far as commercial advantages are concerned. Second, they are thinking of the national self-aggrandizement. Third, they are thinking of planting new colonies. Therefore, it is difficult for them to step into this field, to uphold international peace, because they are contending, warlike, victory-loving people. They cannot be instrumental in promulgating international peace.

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s conversation with a Jewish rabbi

This morning, ‘Abdu’l-Baha went down stairs, and for nearly an hour He was walking in front of the hotel, watching the crowds of Jews who were selling cucumbers. Then a Jewish Rabbi, noted for His learning, called on Him, and he invited Him to come up and sit on the veranda.

After a few preliminary questions about his own health and that of his relatives, ‘Abdu’l-Baha asked him point-blank: "How long are you Jews going to wait for the coming of the Messiah? Day and night you are praying in your Synagogues to hasten His coming. Is He deaf that He does not hear your invocations? Do you imagine that His hands are tied? He came two thousand years ago, but you were then sound asleep and are yet afflicted with the same disease. Why do ye not open your eyes?"

The Rabbi replied: "The Christians claim that Jesus was the Son of God. Now if that was really so, would we have crucified Him?"

Then ‘Abdu’l-Baha answered:

"The title of sonship is first claimed by the Israelites. There are many references in the Old Testament as to their being the sons of God. In the Psalms the title of the Son is given to David. Nay, rather, if you read Exodus, Chapter 4, v. 16, Chapter 32, v. 1-23, Chapter 7, v. 1, you will realize that the appellation of 'God' is given to persons and things. In the Book of Job you will read also that 'there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord.'

Some examples of “dazzling initiatives the followers of Bahá’u’lláh undertook for the sake of the development and progress of Iran” over more than a hundred years

Consider what trailblazing actions and what dazzling initiatives the followers of Bahá’u’lláh undertook for the sake of the development and progress of Iran and in the discharge of the commitment to the good of humanity that He nurtured in them. See what a range of educational, medical, industrial, and agricultural establishments and what material, spiritual, intellectual, and cultural advancements were brought about as a result of the profound faith that generation after generation of those followers placed in the truth that success and prosperity, spiritual salvation and the good pleasure of God are made possible through service, love, and goodwill towards one’s fellow beings. A few examples suffice to attest this truth.

• In some of the remotest corners of the country, more than a hundred years ago, the Bahá’ís of Iran established modern schools that they might impart knowledge to girls and boys and eradicate ignorance.
• By teaching literacy to adults, whether men or women, they swiftly eliminated illiteracy in their communities.
• Courageously and persistently, from the earliest days of the Cause, they have striven to promote the freedom of women and the equality of women and men and have endeavoured to ensure that this important principle—which is an inseparable aspect of Bahá’u’lláh’s fundamental principle of the oneness of humanity—is not only implemented in their personal and family lives, but is also institutionalized in their social and administrative affairs as well as in their educational programmes.
• They established hospitals and dispensaries, so that with the aid of modern medical science and new inventions they might contribute to the health and well-being of their fellow citizens and heal physical ailments too.
• They have exerted great effort to contribute to the development and prosperity of cities and villages, to further industry and agriculture, and to exalt and celebrate the arts and crafts of Iran.
• They have endeavoured to remove ethnic and religious prejudices and have taught their children the lesson of the oneness of humanity from their earliest years.
• They have raised the banner of truthfulness, honesty, and moral conduct in such manner that, throughout the history of this blessed Cause, even its sworn enemies have confessed to their honesty and truthfulness and been astonished and dumbfounded to see that they refuse to deny the truth for the sake of worldly benefit, material advantage, or the preservation of their lives and possessions.
• A hundred years ago they instituted the culture of freedom of choice and the election of representatives in every town and village in which they lived, and they have learned and practised consultation as a principle essential for the creation of harmony and unity together with variety and diversity.
• And above all, they have placed great value on education and have made every effort to ensure that, by means of educational programmes that train human character, the divine principles and teachings are translated into reality.

- The Universal House of Justice  (Naw-Ruz 2023 message to the Baha’is of Iran)

The Greatest Name

Concerning the Greatest Name; this term refers both to “Alláh-u-Abhá” and to “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá”. The first is the form of Bahá’í greeting and should be used, while the other is an invocation, meaning “O Thou Glory of Glories”. These two words are both referred to as the Greatest Name. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 23 September 1936 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of Australia and New Zealand; “Messages to the Antipodes’)

1958: Hands of the Cause and Auxiliary Board Members attending the Intercontinental Conference in Kampala, Uganda

(The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

List of requests included in this prayer for the Fast revealed by Baha’u’llah

Prayer

“I beseech Thee, O my God…

• to cast me not away from the gate of the city of Thy presence, and to disappoint not the hopes I have set on the manifestations of Thy grace amidst Thy creatures.
• to draw me ever nearer to the threshold of Thy door, and to suffer me not to be far removed from the shadow of Thy mercy and the canopy of Thy bounty.
• to attract me by the fragrance of Thy raiment, and make me drink of the choice wine of Thine utterance.
• so to raise me up to serve Thy Cause that I shall not fall back, nor be hindered by the suggestions of them who have caviled at Thy signs and turned away from Thy face.
• to enable me to gaze on the Day-Star of Thy Beauty, and to supply me with the wine of Thine utterance.
• to graciously aid me to do what Thy will hath desired and Thy purpose hath manifested.
• to grant that I may die to all that I possess and live to whatsoever belongeth unto Thee.
• to aid me to remember Thee amongst Thy creatures, and to extol Thee amidst Thy people.
• to remove me far from whatsoever Thy will abhorreth, and draw me nigh unto the station wherein He Who is the Day-Spring of Thy signs hath shone forth.
• to make known unto me what lay hid in the treasuries of Thy knowledge and concealed within the repositories of Thy wisdom.
• to number me with such as have attained unto that which Thou hast sent down in Thy Book and manifested through Thy will.
• to write down for me with Thy most exalted Pen what Thou hast written down for Thy trusted ones and Thy chosen ones.
• to write down for every one who hath turned unto Thee, and observed the fast prescribed by Thee, the recompense decreed for such as speak not except by Thy leave, and who forsook all that they possessed in Thy path and for love of Thee.
• to cancel the trespasses of those who have held fast to Thy laws, and have observed what Thou hast prescribed unto them in Thy Book.”

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

1962: National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Spain

(The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

Naw-Ruz: Persian historical background; Social and religious significance; Occasion for initiation of “philanthropic undertakings…for all humanity” – ‘Abdu’l-Baha explains in a Tablet

According to ancient custom, every nation has general holidays when all the people rejoice and are glad. That is, they choose the day of the year whereon a great or glorious event had occurred. On that day they manifest great joy and happiness. They visit one another; if they have any feelings of bitterness towards one another, they become reconciled on that day; hard feelings pass away and they unite in love for each other. As great events occurred on the day of Naw-Rúz for the Persians, that nation therefore made it a national feast and considered it a national holiday.

This is, indeed, a blessed day because it is the beginning of the temperate season and the commencement of springtime in the Northern Hemisphere. All earthly things, whether trees, animals, or humans, become refreshed; they receive power from the life-giving breeze and obtain new life; a resurrection takes place and, because it is the season of springtime, there is a general marvellous activity in all contingent beings.

There was a time when the Persian dynasty died out and no trace remained thereof. On such a day [Naw-Rúz] a new one was founded. Jamshíd [1] ascended the throne. Persia became happy and at peace. Its power, which had been dissipated, once more returned. Hearts and souls became possessed of wonderful susceptibilities, to such a degree that Persia became more advanced than it had been in former days under the sovereignty of Kayumars and Húshang. [2] The glory and greatness of the government and the nation of Persia rose higher. Likewise, a great many events occurred upon the day of Naw-Rúz that brought honour and glory to Persia and to the Persians. Therefore, the Persian nation, for the last five or six thousand years, has always considered the Feast of Naw-Rúz as a day of national happiness, and until now it is sanctified and recognized as a blessed day.

1956: First Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Kwangpu, Hollanamdo, Korea

(The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

Baha’u’llah’s amazing promise to every human being

O my Lord, my Master, and the Goal of my Desire! I have heard that Thou hast declared this to be a Day whereon if anyone, with complete sincerity, were to ask but once, “Show Thyself to me”, then from the heaven of Divine Utterance he would hear: “Look, and thou shalt behold Me!” From this blessed and exalted utterance the station of this Day is made clear and evident. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Sufferings of Baha’u’llah – summarized by ‘Abdu’l-Baha

He is God.

O ye two handmaidens of Bahá! The Ancient Beauty, the Most Great Name—may my life, my soul, and mine inmost being be offered up for His sacred dust—was burdened with anguish at every breath. At one time, He was a captive to unyielding cruelty, and at another, a target to the darts of woe. At one time, He was a wanderer on the plain of Badasht, and at another He suffered the tribulations of Níyálá. At one point, He was bound with chains and shackles, and afflicted by grievous torment in Ámul; at another He had for associates His most despicable and cruel enemies. By day He was assailed by sorrow and grief in Karbilá; by night He lay within the embrace of afflictions in the camp of adversity. One day, He was conducted in chains, with bared head and bare feet, all the way from Shimírán to Tihrán. There He remained in confinement for four months, weighed down with fetters and irons and threatened at every breath by blades and arrows. At another time, He was exiled to Iraq, and at yet another He roamed the wilderness of Kurdistan, where the birds of the air and the beasts of the field were His only companions. For many a long year, He was beset from all sides by the onslaught of His foes in Baghdad, and was encompassed by the fiercest woes and troubles. Every day brought a fresh adversity, and every night season an arduous calamity. Not for a moment did He rest; not for a second did He find repose. He was then exiled to the Great City [Constantinople] and was pierced by the arrows of gross calumny. Men of high rank and stature arose, one and all, to denigrate Him, whilst the leaders of nations were intent upon His demise. Thereupon they banished Him to the Land of Mystery, where they submerged Him in dire adversities and woeful tribulations.

Increasing one’s love for God and for Baha’u’llah

25 May 1978

To an individual Baha'i

Dear Baha'i friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 21 March 1978 in which you express concern that you do not yet feel in your heart the degree of love for God and for Baha'u'llah that you wish to have and which you witness in others, and is touched by the depth of your longing and effort. We have been requested to convey the following.

One source of true joy and happiness which you would do well to concentrate upon is that you have been able to recognize and accept God's supreme Manifestation in the Day of His appearance. There is no greater bounty than this and the souls of all Baha'is should be filled with gratitude for this supreme gift.

The House of Justice encourages you to continue your reading of the Words of Baha'u'llah and the Master and adds that spiritual growth has been likened to organic growth. Everything living must change. Growth and change can be imperceptible or dramatic and rapid. It is stated in a letter dated 6 October 1954 written on behalf of the beloved Guardian to an individual believer:

Baha’u’llah found the “generality of mankind…still immature” and not having “acquired sufficient capacity” to receive a fuller measure of His Revelation

The generality of mankind is still immature. Had it acquired sufficient capacity We would have bestowed upon it so great a measure of Our knowledge that all who dwell on earth and in heaven would have found themselves, by virtue of the grace streaming from Our pen, completely independent of all knowledge save the knowledge of God, and would have been securely established upon the throne of abiding tranquillity. 

- Baha'u'llah  (From a Tablet, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah; included in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

Baha’i House of Worship in New Delhi, India and ancient village of Bahapur, (‘the Abode of Baha’ in Arabic)

During the Ten Year World Crusade, [1953-1963] twenty-two acres of land in New Delhi were acquired as a site for a House of Worship. In the process of demarcating the boundaries, it was discovered that the land was part of an ancient village named Bahapur, meaning "the Abode of Baha". In Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi, Baha means "a channel" or "a water course". By a happy coincidence, Baha is Arabic for "light", 'splendour", or "glory" and is a form of Baha'u'llah's name. Later the government requisitioned the property for use as a greenbelt area.  After several years of constant negotiation by the National Spiritual Assembly of India, and upon viewing the beautiful design for the Temple, the government agreed to release the entire twenty-two acres. 

(Footnote to a message from the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India dated 10 October 1977; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha recorded in Star of the West and The Pomulgation of Universal Peace

…extracts from talks of 'Abdu'l-Baha recorded in Star of the West and The Promulgation of Universal Peace. It is hoped that in future it will be possible to have such well-known addresses verified against authenticated transcripts of the talks in the original language, but until that time the friends may use them in their present form for their reference and study. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 31 August 1976 to all National Spiritual Assemblies regarding the new compilation on Baha’i education; Messages from the Universal House of Justice, ‘1963-1986’)

Introducing a new site: 'The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh'

Passages in sequential order from a weighty treatise by Shoghi Effendi known as ‘The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh’, 8 February, 1934.