The “first obligation and the object of the constant endeavor of each” Baha’i: -> “To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation”

To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation must, it is my unalterable conviction, remain the first obligation and the object of the constant endeavor of each one of its loyal adherents. An exact and thorough comprehension of so vast a system, so sublime a revelation, so sacred a trust, is for obvious reasons beyond the reach and ken of our finite minds. We can, however, and it is our bounden duty to seek to derive fresh inspiration and added sustenance as we labor for the propagation of His Faith through a clearer apprehension of the truths it enshrines and the principles on which it is based. 

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

“the incomparable figure of Bahá’u’lláh, transcendental in His majesty, … the youthful glory of the Báb, infinite in His tenderness,… the magnetic personality of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá…”

Dominating the entire range of this fascinating spectacle [1] towers the incomparable figure of Bahá’u’lláh, transcendental in His majesty, serene, awe-inspiring, unapproachably glorious. Allied, though subordinate in rank, and invested with the authority of presiding with Him over the destinies of this supreme Dispensation, there shines upon this mental picture the youthful glory of the Báb, infinite in His tenderness, irresistible in His charm, unsurpassed in His heroism, matchless in the dramatic circumstances of His short yet eventful life. And finally there emerges, though on a plane of its own and in a category entirely apart from the one occupied by the twin Figures that preceded Him, the vibrant, the magnetic personality of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, reflecting to a degree that no man, however exalted his station, can hope to rival, the glory and power with which They who are the Manifestations of God are alone endowed. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’, written in 1934, included in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

[1] The 90th anniversary of the founding of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. 

Entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, 1940

(Baha'i Media Bank)

The “wisdom of burying the dead in the earth” – an explanation by ‘Abdu’l-Baha

He is God.

The handmaid of God, Miss Barney, had asked a question as to the wisdom of burying the dead in the earth. She said, too, that scientists in Europe and America, after prolonged and wide-ranging research and debate on this subject, have concluded that according to the dictates of reason, the benefits of cremation have been fully established—and wherein, then, lies the wisdom of the Holy Religions requiring burial in the earth?

As thou art aware, this servant doth not have the time for a detailed explanation, and therefore can write only a brief reply. Where universal phenomena are concerned, no matter how long and hard the human intellect may struggle to find the right procedures or the perfect system, it can never discover the like of the divine creation and its order of transferences and journeyings within the chain of life. For the transferences, the compositions, the gatherings and scatterings of elements and of constituent parts and substances proceed in a chain that is mighty and without flaw. Observe the effective universal laws and see to what a degree they are solidly established, secure, and strong.

And just as the composition, the formation, and growth and development of the physical body have come about by degrees, so too must its decomposition and dispersal be gradual. If the disintegration be rapid, this will cause an overleaping and a slackening in the chain of transferences, and this discontinuity will impair the universal relationships within the chain of created things.

How to face challenges - advice from Hand of the Cause Dorothy Baker

Three steps may be followed to achieve the desired results. First, be quiet; meditate on the problem from all angles, and turn to God with a sense of listening. If possible, use one of the beautiful prayers of Baha'u'llah for guidance. The second step is to take hold of a definite conclusion with the full help of reason, facts, and, above all, the sense of being assisted by God. Sometimes this step comes in a clear flash; sometimes not. I have often arisen from a prayer for guidance without a sense of having achieved the answer only to find that every door opened for the right fulfilment. The third step is to proceed courageously, knowing that it is answered. Banish all fear or anxiety and walk confidently; act as if the desired results have already been accomplished. If you fail to do this, your prayer is perhaps like a beautiful child still-born and therefore of no avail to this world. 

- Dorothy Baker  (From a radio script, ‘From Copper to Gold’ by Freeman)

Letter from Professor Cheyne, Oxford, England to ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Thomas Kelly Cheyne (1841-1915)

Oxford, Oct. 23. 1913

ALLAHO’ABHA!

To Abdu’l-Baha,

My Beloved Friend and Guide:

I cannot forget your tender embrace when you were with me in my study in the dear old house (which we have since left). It has been a constant source of strength in memory and I fully believe it was by the will of God. There was no need for me to be "converted," because I already lived by the truths which you are always insisting on. What I wanted, and what you gave, was the example of a life (yours was) devoted entirely to the Truth, and the sense of brotherly love, to which I may fitly add the extraordinary life of BAHA'O'LLAH.

Love is the secret of the universe, and in love I aspire to live. You help me constantly.

I thank you also, with all my heart, for empowering the admirable Mirza Ali Akbar to help me with my search for Truth. He has been, and is, of great service to me and I shall express my gratitude to him both in private and in public.

It is a great pleasure to have Hashmat'ullah so near.

My state of health does not allow me to go into "society," but I do see a few friends from time to time.

I fear that university circles ore not likely to be open-minded enough to receive the message of Bahaism. But who would have expected Saul to become a Paul?

St. Paul's teaching appeals to me by its "mysticism." He too had a "thorn in the flesh," but he heard a voice saying, "My strength is made perfect in weakness."

I trust - rather, I know - that your inward strength remains undiminished. But you have worked, our Brother, the body very hard of late.

With reverential love in El-ABHA, in which my dear wife joins, I am, beloved Friend and Guide.

(Signed) (Ruhani) T. K. CHEYNE

P.S.- I read with much sympathy your prayer for Thornton Chase, and from time to time I turn to the volume of American Tablets. You have indeed, like St. Paul, "the care of all the churches." May you be helped with that some help which you are empowered to convey to others!

(Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 17, January 19, 1914)

Decisions to be made by marriage partners when both husband and wife are pursuing career opportunities which appear to be leading them along divergent paths.

The issue you have raised is of vital importance to Bahá’í couples striving to address the various needs and opportunities with which they are confronted in present-day society.[1] As in so many other aspects of daily life, the resolution of this issue must be sought through the comprehension and application of the Teachings of the Faith. The believers should clearly understand and remain untroubled by the fact that the resulting solutions may well not be regarded as adequate by those not blessed with the bounty of acceptance of the Promised One and who are enmeshed in patterns of thought which are alien to the Bahá’í Teachings despite widespread acceptance of such patterns by the generality of humankind.

Central to the consideration of this matter must be the purpose in life of all faithful followers of Bahá’u’lláh: to know and worship God. This involves service to one’s fellow human beings and in the advancement of the Cause of God. In pursuing this purpose, they should strive to develop their talents and faculties to whatever extent is possible by exploring the avenues before them.

The early impact of the Báb on Shiraz – by French diplomat Comte de Gobineau (1784–1858)

“Be that as it may, the resultant impression was immense in Shíráz and all the learned and religious gathered around ‘Alí-Muhammad. As soon as he appeared in the Mosque, they surrounded him and, as soon as he was seated in the pulpit, everyone was silent in order to listen to him. His public talks never attacked the essentials of the Faith of Islám, they respected most of its ritual; in fact, the Kitman dominated. Nevertheless, they were daring discourses. The clergy was not spared; its vices were cruelly lashed. The sad and painful destiny of humanity was generally the theme. Here and there, certain allusions, the obscurity of which irritated the passions of some while it flattered the pride of others already initiated as a whole or only in part, gave to his prophecies such a bitter truth that the crowd was growing day by day and so, in all Persia, they were beginning to talk of ‘Alí-Muhammad.

“The Mullás of Shíráz had not waited for all this agitation to unite against this young detractor. From his first public appearances, they sent to him their most able Mullás to argue with him and confuse him, and these public debates were held either in the Mosques or in the colleges in the presence of the Governor, the military chiefs, the clergy, the people, in fact before everyone. But, instead of benefiting the clergy, they contributed quite a little to spread and exalt, at their own expense, the renown of this enthusiastic teacher. It is a fact that he defeated his adversaries, he condemned them—which was not very difficult—with the Qur’án in hand. It was an easy matter for him to show before all these crowds who knew the Mullás well, at which point their conduct, their precepts, and to what extent their beliefs, even their theology, were in flagrant contradiction with the Book, which they could not deny.

Baha'i Shrine - The Maxwell Home in Montreal, Canada

The Maxwell Home (the building on the left) where 'Abdu'l-Baha was a guest in 1912, was presented to the Canadian Baha'is in 1953. Hands of the Cause, Amelia Collins (left) and Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum (right) are shown in front of the building. (The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

circa 1960: Hands of the Cause at Bahji

From left to right: William Sears, Zikrullah Khadem, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan, General Shu'a'u'llah 'Ala'i, Rahmatu'llah Muhajir, Tarazu'llah Samandari, Collis Featherstone, Abul-Qasim Faizi, Dr Hermann Grossmann, Jalal Khazeh

A new site: - Baha’i Meditations

 Excerpts from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

To “distinguish between partisan political activity and the discourse and action intended to bring about constructive social change”

The term “politics” can have a broad meaning, and therefore it is important to distinguish between partisan political activity and the discourse and action intended to bring about constructive social change. While the former is proscribed, the latter is enjoined; indeed, a central purpose of the Bahá’í community is social transformation. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s treatise The Secret of Divine Civilization amply demonstrates the Faith’s commitment to promoting social change without entering into the arena of partisan politics. So too, innumerable passages in the Bahá’í Writings encourage the believers to contribute to the betterment of the world. “Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in,” Bahá’u’lláh states, “and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá urges the friends to “become distinguished in all the virtues of the human world—for faithfulness and sincerity, for justice and fidelity, for firmness and steadfastness, for philanthropic deeds and service to the human world, for love toward every human being, for unity and accord with all people, for removing prejudices and promoting international peace.” Further, in a letter written on his behalf, Shoghi Effendi explains that “much as the friends must guard against in any way seeming to identify themselves or the Cause with any political party, they must also guard against the other extreme of never taking part, with other progressive groups, in conferences or committees designed to promote some activity in entire accord with our teachings”. In another letter written on his behalf in 1948, when racial inequality was enshrined in the laws of many states in the United States, he indicates that there is “no objection at all to the students taking part in something so obviously akin to the spirit of our teachings as a campus demonstration against race prejudice.” Bahá’ís must, therefore, be tireless in addressing, through word and deed, a range of social issues. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 23 December 2008 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Social Action’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020)

The “seven qualities” we are called upon to develop

As regards the seven qualities which thou hadst requested be enumerated, they are as follows:

First is knowledge: man must attain to the knowledge of God.

Second is faith.

Third is steadfastness.

Fourth is truthfulness, for truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of the human world, and without it prosperity and salvation are unattainable to any soul in all the worlds of God. Whensoever this holy attribute becometh securely established in one’s being, the acquisition of all heavenly virtues will be realized.

Fifth is trustworthiness, a quality which ranketh among the greatest of all divine bestowals.

Sixth is faithfulness, another quality which ranketh among the finest attributes of a spiritual man.

Seventh is utter self-effacement, by which is meant that man should so surrender his will to God, and become so oblivious of his own pursuits, that he may attain unto the station of living sacrifice: Thus, if he sleepeth, it should not be for the sake of bodily repose, but solely to recuperate his strength in order that his discourse may be clearer, his utterance more pleasing, and that he may serve God’s creatures and expound His proofs; and if he waketh, he should remain alert, engage in service to the Cause of God, and utterly submerge his own desires and inclinations in the will of God. When he attaineth unto this station, the confirmations of the Holy Spirit shall surround him, and, armed with such a power, he shall be capable of withstanding all the peoples of the earth. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Extract from a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’; Online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)

Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha – those authenticated & those not yet

The original of "Some Answered Questions" in Persian is preserved in the Holy Land; its text was read in full and corrected by ‘Abdu'l-Bahá Himself. Unfortunately, Abdu'l-Bahá did not read and authenticate all transcripts of His other talks, some of which have been translated into various languages and published. For many of His addresses included in "The Promulgation of Universal Peace" and "Paris Talks", for example, no original authenticated text has yet been found. However, the Guardian allowed such compilations to continue to be used by the friends. In the future each talk will have to be identified and those which are unauthenticated will have to be clearly distinguished from those which form a part of Bahá'í Scripture. This does not mean that the unauthenticated talks will have to cease to be used -- merely that the degree of authenticity of every document will have to be known and understood. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 23 March 1987 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice included in a Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, dated 28 March 1996 attached to a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, dated 22 October, 1996)

‘Abdu’l-Baha describes the circumstances pertaining to the martyrdom of ‘Alí-Asghar: “O my Lord! Make Thou this martyr a hero of Thy Kingdom, make him a mighty pillar in Thy supernal realms, a blazing star in Thy resplendent heaven.”

He is the All-Glorious.

Praise be unto Thee, O my Lord, O my Lord! I cry unto Thee from within the depths of my heart, within mine inmost being, the reality of mine essence, the very core of my life. I call Thee to mind from mine outward and mine inward self, from out my very bones and flesh and blood, from my soul and heart and tongue and pen—aflame with the fire of my love for Thy chosen ones, frenzied with yearning over Thy greatly favoured ones, those who have cast away their lives upon Thy pathway and given up their own selves for love of Thee, and their own blood for desire of Thee. They are the ones who have made themselves the arrow’s target, who have found sweet the lance-head’s biting steel, who craved that, for the upraising of Thy Word, their heads be raised upon the spear-point, and that their hearts be torn apart—out of adoration for Thy beauty, and yearning for Thy presence, and longing for Thy love, and in ardently seeking to extol Thy glory, to be drawn unto Thy heaven, and to be drowned in the sea of devotion unto Thee.

Among these was this youth, comely and sweet, he whom Thou didst call ‘Alí the Less [1] in the kingdom of names, he whom Thou hast made, in the kingdom of attributes, to be ‘Alí the Great.[2] For he, O my Lord, when he did drink from the cup of bestowals at the hands of the cupbearer of Thy grace, became drunken with the red wine of love for Thee, and there rose, over the horizon of his heart, the bright rays of knowing Thee. Then was he enraptured with the wine of desire for Thee, and out of longing for Thee he sped to the martyr’s field, and following Thy path, he quit the bridal chamber on his wedding night, he left his cushioned ease and joy for a place of affliction and pain, and from his rank of honour and esteem was cast down to the depths of humiliation and abasement.

1955: Festival of Faith - Celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, San Francisco, California

The Baha'i representative who participated by reading a Baha'i prayer is standing at the extreme right. 

(The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

The first radio broadcast mentioning the Faith in Canada - explained by Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum

 

“The power of God can entirely transmute our characters and make of us beings entirely unlike our previous selves.”

He wishes again to assure you he will pray for your spiritual advancement in the Holy Shrines.  The power of God can entirely transmute our characters and make of us beings entirely unlike our previous selves.  Through prayer and supplication, obedience to the divine laws Bahá’u’lláh has revealed, and ever-increasing service to His Faith, we can change ourselves.

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 22 November 1941 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: Prayer and Devotional Life, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 2019)

“the champion-builders of an Order which posterity will hail as the harbinger of a civilization to be regarded as the fairest fruit of the Revelation proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh”

The American Bahá'í Community -- the champion-builders of an Order which posterity will hail as the harbinger of a civilization to be regarded as the fairest fruit of the Revelation proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh; the principal trustees of a Plan which future generations will acclaim as one of the two greatest legacies left by the Center of His Covenant; marching in the van of a Crusade which history will recognize as the most momentous spiritual enterprise launched in modern times; beset by the same anxieties and perils by which the nation of which it forms a part finds itself, to an unprecedented degree, afflicted and surrounded -- such a community is, at this hour, experiencing the impact of a challenge unique in its sixty years of existence.

In its meteoric career its fortunes have risen so swiftly, its exploits have so greatly multiplied, its spirit in times of emergency has swelled and risen so high, it has earned on such occasions the applause and excited the admiration of its sister communities throughout both hemispheres to such a degree, that it cannot, at this critical hour in its destinies, suffer this golden opportunity to slip from its grasp, or this priceless privilege to be irretrievably forfeited.

This challenge, so severe and insistent, and yet so glorious, faces no doubt primarily the individual believer on whom, in the last resort, depends the fate of the entire community. He it is who constitutes the warp and woof on which the quality and pattern of the whole fabric must depend. He it is who acts as one of the countless links in the mighty chain that now girdles the globe. He it is who serves as one of the multitude of bricks which support the structure and insure the stability of the administrative edifice now being raised in every part of the world. Without his support, at once whole-hearted, continuous and generous, every measure adopted, and every plan formulated, by the body which acts as the national representative of the community to which he belongs, is foredoomed to failure. The World Center of the Faith itself is paralyzed if such a support on the part of the rank and file of the community is denied it. The Author of the Divine Plan Himself is impeded in His purpose if the proper instruments for the execution of His design are lacking. The sustaining strength of Bahá'u'lláh Himself, the Founder of the Faith, will be withheld from every and each individual who fails in the long run to arise and play his part. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a message dated 28 July 1954; ‘Citadel of Faith’)