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’)