New Site: Passages about Bahá’u’lláh from Bahá’í Writings & Literature

Passages will be posted every other day.

The “wide embrace of the Plan’s framework”: - The “three simultaneous, overlapping, and coherent areas of action: [1] community-building efforts in clusters; [2] projects and activities for social action; and [3] involvement in the discourses of society”

The friends are called to three simultaneous, overlapping, and coherent areas of action: community-building efforts in clusters; projects and activities for social action; and involvement in the discourses of society, whether in neighborhoods or in personal or professional associations. As the House of Justice highlighted in its Ridván 2015 message to the Bahá’ís of the world, “ultimately, it is systematic, determined, and selfless action undertaken within the wide embrace of the Plan’s framework that is the most constructive response of every concerned believer to the multiplying ills of a disordered society.” In such a context, the friends can gradually address the problems that face them and their surrounding communities.

[social action]

In particular, social action is one means by which capacity can be built within a community to address the social and material needs of humanity, such as those related to agriculture, health, and education. In many instances across the globe, groups of like-minded individuals, having cultivated the habit of studying relevant materials together, including pertinent selections from the Bahá’í writings, come to carry out simple projects aimed at improving an aspect of their collective life. These endeavors can take place with varying degrees of complexity, from the grassroots of a community to the national and international levels, with progress in the area of social action supported by the recently established Bahá’í International Development Organization. The publication For the Betterment of the World… describes, among other things, examples of such initiatives. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 3 December 2020 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; US Baha’i National Administrative website)

The “nature of the Manifestation and His relationship to God”

The Bahá’í Writings contain many passages that elucidate the nature of the Manifestation and His relationship to God. Bahá’u’lláh underlines the unique and transcendent nature of the Godhead. He explains that “since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation” God ordains that “in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven”. This “mysterious and ethereal Being”, the Manifestation of God, has a human nature which pertains to “the world of matter” and a spiritual nature “born of the substance of God Himself”. He is also endowed with a “double station”:

The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself... The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: “I am but a man like you.” “Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?”

Bahá’u’lláh also affirms that, in the spiritual realm, there is an “essential unity” between all the Manifestations of God. They all reveal the “Beauty of God”, manifest His names and attributes, and give utterance to His Revelation. In this regard, He states:

Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: “I am God”, He, verily, speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His names and His attributes, are made manifest in the world...

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book)

…the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), that

• priceless treasury enshrining for all time the brightest emanations of the mind of Bahá’u’lláh,
• the Charter of His World Order,
• the chief repository of His laws,
• the Harbinger of His Covenant,
• the Pivotal Work containing
• some of His noblest exhortations,
• weightiest pronouncements, and
• portentous prophecies…

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Promised Day Is Come)

The “flight of the human spirit”

But the flight of the human spirit is through the glad-tidings of God. The flight of the human mind is through the increase of understanding and perception. The flight of the human heart is through the love of God. The divine teachings have been sent down that the human spirit may soar until it reacheth the heights of the most exalted kingdom, and that the human heart may fly through the love of God and attain nearness unto Him. Thus, for everything there is a flight, and whatsoever attaineth its highest degree hath flown in order to attain it. For example, this lamp, when it reacheth its highest degree, hath flown thereto. This flower, when it reacheth its highest degree, hath flown thereto. A human being, too, when attaining the highest station, hath flown to reach there.

• But human flight is through faith.
• Human flight is through the virtues of the world of humanity.
• Human flight is through the acquisition of perfections.
• Human flight is through adherence to the divine teachings.
• Human flight is through service to the oneness of the world of humanity.
• Human flight is through heedfulness to the verses of God.
• Human flight is to become the sign of guidance among the people.
• Human flight is to become a heavenly standard.
• Human flight is to become illumined with the light of truth.
• Human flight is to be detached from all save God.
• Human flight is to turn to the Abhá Kingdom.
• Human flight is to carry out the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh in their entirety.

It is my hope that ye will all take flight; that your spirits, your hearts, and your minds will soar; and all your conditions will fly upwards. Such is my hope. God willing ye will be aided therein. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’, Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

The reported testimony of the man who shot Mulla Husayn at Fort Tabarsi

“The truth of the matter,” is the answer which ‘Abbás-Qulí Khán-i-Láríjání, whose bullet was responsible for the death of Mullá Husayn, is reported to have given to a query addressed to him by Prince Ahmad Mírzá in the presence of several witnesses, “is that any one who had not seen Karbilá would, if he had seen Tabarsí, not only have comprehended what there took place, but would have ceased to consider it; and had he seen Mullá Husayn of Bushrúyih, he would have been convinced that the Chief of Martyrs (Imám Husayn) had returned to earth; and had he witnessed my deeds, he would assuredly have said: ‘This is Shimr come back with sword and lance…’ In truth, I know not what had been shown to these people, or what they had seen, that they came forth to battle with such alacrity and joy.… The imagination of man cannot conceive the vehemence of their courage and valor.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

New Site: Messages from the Universal House of Justice to Individual Believers

A collection of messages to individual believers in chronological order.

“in these we can discern the faint glimmerings and discover the earliest intimation of the nature and working of the Administrative Order”

• In the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh where the institutions of the International and Local Houses of Justice are specifically designated and formally established;
• in the institution of the Hands of the Cause of God which first Bahá’u’lláh and then ‘Abdu’l Bahá brought into being;
• in the institution of both local and national Assemblies which in their embryonic stage were already functioning in the days preceding ‘Abdu’l Bahá’s ascension;
• in the authority with which the Author of our Faith and the Center of His Covenant have in their Tablets chosen to confer upon them;
• in the institution of the Local Fund which operated according to ‘Abdu’l Bahá’s specific injunctions addressed to certain Assemblies in Persia;
• in the verses of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas the implications of which clearly anticipate the institution of the Guardianship;
• in the explanation which ‘Abdu’l Bahá, in one of His Tablets, has given to, and the emphasis He has placed upon, the hereditary principle and the law of primogeniture as having been upheld by the Prophets of the past—

in these we can discern the faint glimmerings and discover the earliest intimation of the nature and working of the Administrative Order which the Will of ‘Abdu’l Bahá was at a later time destined to proclaim and formally establish. 

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

Utterances of the Báb to Governor of Isfahán, Manuchihr Khán, as he expressed concerns about the safety of the Báb after he has passed away

Fear not I have committed Myself into the hands of God. My trust is in Him. Such is the power which He has bestowed upon Me that if it be My wish, I can convert these very stones into gems of inestimable value, and can instil into the heart of the most wicked criminal the loftiest conceptions of uprightness and duty. Of My own will have I chosen to be afflicted by My enemies, ‘that God might accomplish the thing destined to be done.’ 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga

 

“We have elevated thee to the rank of one of the most distinguished among thy sex, and granted thee, in My court, a station such as none other woman hath surpassed.”

Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf

Let these exalted words be thy love-song on the tree of Bahá, O thou most holy and resplendent Leaf: 'God, besides Whom is none other God, the Lord of this world and the next!' Verily, We have elevated thee to the rank of one of the most distinguished among thy sex, and granted thee, in My court, a station such as none other woman hath surpassed. Thus have We preferred thee and raised thee above the rest, as a sign of grace from Him Who is the Lord of the throne on high and earth below. We have created thine eyes to behold the light of My countenance, thine ears to hearken unto the melody of My words, thy body to pay homage before My throne. Do thou render thanks unto God, thy Lord, the Lord of all the world.

How high is the testimony of the Sadratu'l-Muntahá for its leaf; how exalted the witness of the Tree of Life unto its fruit! Through My remembrance of her a fragrance laden with the perfume of musk hath been diffused; well is it with him that hath inhaled it and exclaimed: 'All praise be to Thee, O God, my Lord the most glorious!' How sweet thy presence before Me; how sweet to gaze upon thy face, to bestow upon thee My loving-kindness, to favour thee with My tender care, to make mention of thee in this, My Tablet—a Tablet which I have ordained as a token of My hidden and manifest grace unto thee. 

- Baha’u’llah  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf’, prepared by the Research Department of the Baha’i World Center) 

“The law of consultation”

The law of consultation, as revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, is a fundamental teaching of the Faith. He tells us that through consultation the “maturity of the gift of understanding” is made manifest. “It is and will always be”, He states, “a cause of awareness and of awakening and a source of good and well-being.” “Consultation bestoweth greater awareness and transmuteth conjecture into certitude”, He further asserts. “It is a shining light which, in a dark world, leadeth the way and guideth.” Consultation paves the path of individual and collective endeavour. The growth, progress, and enduring unity of the community are ensured by its practice. It is indispensable for the ordering of human affairs. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá refers to consultation as “the cause of great victories”, assuring us that “it attracteth the aid and bestowal of God.”

As you know, Bahá’í consultation is to be undertaken with the utmost love, sincerity, and unity. Its participants must come together in a prayerful attitude, seeking assistance from the Realm of Glory, expressing their thoughts freely, surrendering all attachment to their individual opinions, and giving fair-minded and careful consideration to the views of others, in an effort to reach consensus. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá advises us that should it be found, in the course of coming to a decision, that discussion has become prolonged or given rise to disputation, consultation should be deferred and taken up at a more propitious time…. Of course, it must be remembered that the purpose of consultation need not always be to arrive at a particular or final decision. Often the aim may simply be to engage in an exchange of views so as to help clarify a certain matter and bring about unity of vision. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 19 May 2009 addressed to the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

People who were addressed in the Súriy-i-Mulúk (Súrih of Kings)

In a memorable Tablet, designated as the Súriy-i-Mulúk (Súrih of Kings) in which

• the Sultán himself and
• his ministers, and the kings of Christendom, and
• the French and Persian Ambassadors accredited to the Sublime Porte, and
• the Muslim ecclesiastical leaders in Constantinople, and
• its wise men and its inhabitants, and
• the people of Persia, and
• the philosophers of the world

have been specifically addressed and admonished, He thus directs His words to the entire company of the monarchs of East and West: 

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

How to “to effectively teach the Faith”

The beloved Guardian has stressed over and over again, that to effectively teach the Faith, the individual must study deeply the Divine Word, imbibe its life-giving waters, and feast upon its glorious teachings. He should then meditate on the import of the Word, and finding its spiritual depths, pray for guidance and assistance. But most important, after prayer is action. After one has prayed and meditated, he must arise, relying fully on the guidance and confirmation of Bahá’u’lláh, to teach His Faith. Perseverance in action is essential, just as wisdom and audacity are necessary for effective teaching. The individual must sacrifice all things to this great goal, and then the victories will be won. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 30 May 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Hands of the Cause in the United States; compilation: ‘Prayer and Devotional Life’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, February 2019)

Requirements for strengthening each Baha’i community

A number of you have raised questions in your letters that revolve around the theme of strengthening the community. This, indeed, is a matter of fundamental importance, and every believer would do well to bear its requirements in mind. Already you have seen in the unity of thought and action achieved among the believers, in their enthusiasm and fellowship, the effect that performing your individual spiritual responsibilities has on the life of the community. There are a host of other factors that enhance the vitality of community life as well. Chief among them are the spiritual education provided to children and youth, opportunities created to deepen understanding of the teachings, gatherings held to celebrate the Nineteen Day Feast and to mark other occasions, efforts made to foster and maintain unity in all matters, assistance offered to young people and families in need, and the time spent visiting with friends and neighbours in their homes, engaging in meaningful conversation and weaving bonds of affection and solidarity.

To the degree that the principles and spirit of the Faith are reflected in the character of the community, its vitality will show forth and its individual and collective endeavours increase in efficacy. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 19 May 2009 addressed to the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

2023: Contemplating “the century of achievement” since 1921 that ‘Abdu’l-Baha “had set in motion”

This community—the people of Bahá, ardent lovers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—now millions strong, has today spread to some one hundred thousand localities in 235 countries and territories. It has emerged from obscurity to occupy its place on the world stage. It has raised a network of thousands of institutions, from the grassroots to the international level, uniting divers peoples in the common purpose of giving expression to Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings for spiritual transformation and social progress. In many a region, its pattern of building vibrant local communities has embraced thousands—and in some, tens of thousands—of souls. In such settings, a new way of life is taking shape, distinguished by its devotional character; the commitment of youth to education and service; purposeful conversation among families, friends, and acquaintances on themes of spiritual and social import; and collective endeavours for material and social progress. The Sacred Writings of the Faith have been translated into more than eight hundred languages. The raising of national and local Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs heralds the appearance of thousands of future centres dedicated to worship and service. The world spiritual and administrative centre of the Faith has been established across the twin holy cities of ‘Akká and Haifa. And despite the community’s current, all too obvious limitations when viewed in relation to its ideals and highest aspirations—as well as the distance separating it from the attainment of its ultimate objective, the realization of the oneness of humankind—its resources, its institutional capacity, its ability to sustain systematic growth and development, its engagement with like-minded institutions, and its involvement in and constructive influence on society stand at an unprecedented height of historical achievement. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 28 November 2023 to the Bahá’ís of the World; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

October 2008-April 2009: “nearly eighty-thousand participants…attended” the “forty-one regional conferences across the globe!”: - “the emergence on the historical scene of an individual believer supremely confident in the efficacy of the Plan’s methods and instruments and remarkably deft at wielding them.”

Conferences throughout Togo

What a purposeful and confident community it was that celebrated its accomplishments at the midway point of the current Plan in forty-one regional conferences across the globe! What an extraordinary contrast did its coherence and energy provide to the bewilderment and confusion of a world caught in a spiral of crisis! This, indeed, was the community of the blissful to which the Guardian had referred. This was a community aware of the vast potentialities with which it has been endowed and conscious of the role it is destined to play in rebuilding a broken world. This was a community in the ascendant, subject to severe repression in one part of the globe, yet rising up undeterred and undismayed as a united whole and strengthening its capacity to achieve Bahá’u’lláh’s purpose to liberate humankind from the yoke of the most grievous oppression. And in the nearly eighty-thousand participants who attended the conferences we saw the emergence on the historical scene of an individual believer supremely confident in the efficacy of the Plan’s methods and instruments and remarkably deft at wielding them. Each and every soul of this mighty sea stood as testimony to the transforming potency of the Faith. Each and every one was evidence of Bahá’u’lláh’s promise to assist all those who arise with detachment and sincerity to serve Him. Each and every one offered a glimpse of that race of beings, consecrated and courageous, pure and sanctified, destined to evolve over generations under the direct influence of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. In them we saw the first signs of the fulfilment of our hope expressed at the outset of the Plan that the edifying influence of the Faith would be extended to hundreds of thousands through the institute process. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Ridván 2009 message to the Bahá’ís of the World; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

Some early tributes to Táhirih

Indeed the wondrous story of her life propagated itself as far and as fast as that of the Báb Himself, the direct Source of her inspiration.

• “Prodige de science, mais aussi prodige de beauté” is the tribute paid her by a noted commentator on the life of the Báb and His disciples.
• “The Persian Joan of Arc, the leader of emancipation for women of the Orient … who bore resemblance both to the mediaeval Heloise and the neo-platonic Hypatia,” thus was she acclaimed by a noted playwright whom Sarah Bernhardt had specifically requested to write a dramatized version of her life.
• “The heroism of the lovely but ill-fated poetess of Qazvín, Zarrín-Táj (Crown of Gold) …” testifies Lord Curzon of Kedleston, “is one of the most affecting episodes in modern history.”
• “The appearance of such a woman as Qurratu’l-‘Ayn,” wrote the well-known British Orientalist, Prof. E. G. Browne, “is, in any country and any age, a rare phenomenon, but in such a country as Persia it is a prodigy—nay, almost a miracle.… Had the Bábí religion no other claim to greatness, this were sufficient … that it produced a heroine like Qurratu’l-‘Ayn.”
• “The harvest sown in Islamic lands by Qurratu’l-‘Ayn,” significantly affirms the renowned English divine, Dr. T. K. Cheyne, in one of his books, “is now beginning to appear … this noble woman … has the credit of opening the catalogue of social reforms in Persia…”

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s meeting with children in Esslingen, Germany, April 4th, 1913

 

The believers had secured a very pretty hall, which was most beautifully decorated with greens, plants and flowers, with large and small tables near the walls and round tables in the center. About fifty children and eighty adults were present. In a smaller room adjoining the hall the children had been assembled holding flowers in their hands, forming two lines for ‘Abdu’l-Baha to pass through. It looked most beautiful as ‘Abdu’l-Baha came upstairs. He passed through a short hall and looked so pleased and delighted to see the dear children.

One of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Eastern attendants was overcome with feelings: "I was overcome with surprise, emotion and joy, and could not contain myself; the tears filled my eyes. It was the most beautiful, the most heavenly, the most artistic picture that I have ever seen in all my life. It was so beautiful! I cannot describe these things; one must feel them, see them. It was a glorious day for these believers, in a far-away town in Germany, to see with their own eyes the Beloved of all nations. What love! What attraction! What enkindlement these German believers have!”