Iranian National Plan

He [Mas’ud Khamsi] once was a Director of the first television station in Iran established by Mr Sabet, his brother-in-law. Within the Bahá’í environment he was actively occupied with others gaining the goals of Shoghi Effendi’s first 45-month Iranian National Plan which consisted of the consolidation of all Bahá’í local communities, the reestablishment of 62 dissolved Spiritual Assembles, the formation of 22 new groups and the creation of 13 new centres throughout Iran.

(The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold by Boris Handal)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/h/handal_khamsis_cradle_gold.pdf

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Baha'i villages in Iran

Sayyid Nasru’llah Khan Báqirof owned a group of six or seven villages south of Tehran in the area known as Ghar. These included Hasanabad (pop. 380 in 1951), Ja’farabad (5 km southwest of Rayy on the main Tehran to Qumm road, pop. 20 in 1951) and ‘Alíyabad (9 km south of Rayy, 1 km west of the Tehran to Qumm road, pop. 150 in 1951). A former resident of Báqirabad states that in 1950s Báqirabad consisted of a population of 110, of whom 65 were Bahá’ís. From about 1910 Báqirof encouraged Bahá’í villagers to move to these villages, especially from the villages of the Kashan area, which was being ravaged by Na’ib Husayn Kashani and the Sultanabad area. They farmed the area, growing grains and sugar beet and herding livestock. In 1918 ‘Abbas Mahmúdi moved to these villages and began to teach the Bahá’í children there. The Bahá’í villagers often talked about the Bahá’í Faith with the Muslims in these villages and in the surrounding villages such as Sayyid-abad, Khalazir (6 km northwest of Rayy, pop. 395 in 1951) and Pala’in (8 km west of Rayy, pop. 176 in 1951). Among those who tried to spread the Bahá’í Faith in this way were Mírzá Husayn Jawshqani Masiha’i and his son Mírzá Amanu’llah Mudir Masiha’i; Mírzá Hatim Khan (of Ahl-Haqq origin), the clerk at the mill in Hasanabad; Ustad Habibu’llah Vadqani, the master miller; and Haji Ulya. These individuals would invite those Muslims who showed interest to meetings at which ‘Abbas Mahmúdi spoke.

(The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold by Boris Handal)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/h/handal_khamsis_cradle_gold.pdf

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In those days, the Persians cannot meet Rúhíyyih Khánum

In the afternoon when I was coming to the gardens I saw Shoghi Effendi. And I saw Rúhíyyih Khánum from the car. In those days, the Persians cannot meet Rúhíyyih Khánum according to the Persian custom, the man could not see unchadored women. So Shoghi Effendi respected Islam and the Persians could not see Rúhíyyih Khánum. But I saw Rúhíyyih Khánum. I went to Dr Hakim’s room which is in the gardens and saw Rúhíyyih Khánum for the first time but not face to face. The first time I saw Rúhíyyih Khánum in America was at the opening of a conference. So Rúhíyyih Khánum invited for lunch [both] Jane and me to have lunch with her. So that was the first time.

(The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold by Boris Handal)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/h/handal_khamsis_cradle_gold.pdf

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The Nownahálán company

The Nownahálán company (literally “saplings”) was a Bahá’í children’s thrift fund created under ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s approval and blessing in 1917. Established as a non-profit and charitable institution, in 1967 it was composed by 9,000 shareholders with assets amounted to $1,700,000 which were all confiscated by the Islamic revolution. Many Iranian pioneers living overseas relied on the income generated by their savings.

(The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold by Boris Handal)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/h/handal_khamsis_cradle_gold.pdf

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"I will not step in Iran"

I remember that once when speaking about the Iranian government, he mentioned that Shoghi Effendi had said that as long as the current cowardly king is ruling, he would not go to Iran. He said that for a while there was speculation in Iran that Shoghi Effendi had come there to see the country and that he was hiding somewhere in the country. Mr Khamsi said that this was only a rumour as Shoghi Effendi had said that, “until this cowardly king is no longer ruling, I will not step in Iran”.

(The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold by Boris Handal)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/h/handal_khamsis_cradle_gold.pdf

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Events in the life of Shoghi Rabbani and Mary Maxwell from 1937 to 1945

Marriage to Mary Maxwell (1937)

Shoghi Effendi married Mary Maxwell (who was given the title Amatu'l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum) on March 25, 1937.

• The Ceremony: The marriage was a simple, private ceremony held in the room of the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahíyyih Khánum.
• Significance: Shoghi Effendi described the union as a cementing of the "Union of East and West" and a reinforcement of the Institution of the Guardianship through direct association with the American believers.
• Privacy: The marriage was kept secret from the public and even from the local Bahá'ís until after it had taken place, to avoid the "trouble" that major events often stirred up among his enemies.

Excommunication of His Family (1941–1945)

• 1941–1942 (The Major Wave): A series of cablegrams sent between November 1941 and January 1942 announced the excommunication of the majority of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's descendants. This included:
  • His cousin Ruhi Effendi Afnan and his immediate family (November 1941).
  • His own younger sister, Mehr-Angiz Khánum (January 1, 1942).
• "Year of Disgrace" (1942): The year 1942 is referred to in the sources as a "year of disgrace" because Shoghi Effendi’s own parents were forced to publicly denounce and repudiate their daughter, Mehr-Angiz, following her excommunication. (Mirza Ahmad Sohrab in Abdul Baha's Grandson: Story of a Twentieth Century Excommunication)
• Total Isolation (1945): By 1945, the family of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, as well as Shoghi Effendi's own immediate family, had been "hopelessly lost to him." He described himself as having no one left but his wife, Rúḥíyyih Khánum, and her father, Sutherland Maxwell.

This period of purging was described by the Guardian as a necessary "process of purification" to protect the Administrative Order from the "virus" of violation and disloyalty within the Holy Family. (The Priceless Pearl by Rúḥíyyih Rabbani)

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Abdul Baha warned young Shoghi Effendi against drinking coffee in the homes of any of the Baha'is.

From his early years, Shoghi Effendi was introduced to the world of suffering and danger which his grandfather had inherited as the Centre of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant...., the treachery of the Covenant-breakers in the Holy Land reached a point where the Master felt compelled to warn his young grandson against drinking coffee in the homes of any of the Bahá'ís in the fear that he would be poisoned. At the age of fifteen, however, Shoghi Effendi was forced to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow which the machinations of Covenant-breakers would continue to fill for the rest of his life.

(The Life of Shoghi Effendi by Helen Danesh, John Danesh, Amelia Danesh published in Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi ed. M. Bergsmo - Oxford: George Ronald, 1991)

https://bahai-library.com/danesh_life_shoghi_effendi

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What is the Covenant in the Baha'i religious sense?

A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement between God and man, whereby God requires of man certain behaviour in return for which He guarantees certain blessings, or whereby He gives man certain bounties in return for which He takes from those who accept them an undertaking to behave in a certain way. There is, for example, the Greater Covenant which every Manifestation of God makes with His followers, promising that in the fulness of time a new Manifestation will be sent, and taking from them the undertaking to accept Him when this occurs. There is also the Lesser Covenant that a Manifestation of God makes with His followers that they will accept His appointed successor after Him. If they do so, the Faith can remain united and pure. If not, the Faith becomes divided and its force spent. It is a Covenant of this kind that Bahá’u’lláh made with His followers regarding ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá perpetuated through the Administrative Order that Bahá’u’lláh had already created.

(From a letter dated 23 March 1975 written by the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/compilations/universal-house-of-justice-compilation/5#692131014

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UHJ has no right at all to change any law that Bahá’u’lláh has specifically revealed.

Although the Universal House of Justice has to apply and supplement the laws of the Aqdas it has no right at all to change any law that Bahá’u’lláh has specifically revealed. As clearly stated by the Guardian, the provisions of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas “remain inviolate” during the entire Dispensation.

(From a letter dated 28 April 1974 written by the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/compilations/universal-house-of-justice-compilation/5#692131014

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Baha'i efforts to punish Iran

UHJ asks Baha'is to identify companies, in their countries, interested in doing Business with Iran.

https://archive.org/details/UHJ_LETTERS/2%20May%202016%20UHJ%20letter%20Doing%20Business%20With%20Iran/

UHJ asks Offices of External Affairs (in different countries) to contact government officials / business people visiting Iran.

https://archive.org/details/UHJ_LETTERS/5%20february%202016%20UHJ%20letter%20speaking%20with%20officials%20travelling%20to%20Iran/

UHJ asks Baha'is to lobby against Iran through their Offices of External Affairs, to meet with their government contacts, non-governmental organizations and individuals of influence.

https://archive.org/details/UHJ_LETTERS/24May2016LobbyingAgainstIran/

NSA of the US asks Baha'is across the country to join in a congressional "call-in"... to ensure that House Resolution 220 passes with the same strong bipartisan support.

https://archive.org/details/UHJ_LETTERS/20160502NsaOnMay13CongressionalCall-inCampaign/

Baha'i Comedian Omid Djalili speaks about "change" in Iran

https://youtu.be/os5kzKlqer8

Israeli Channel 12 interviews a Baha'i woman

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/1lowhw1/israeli_channel_12_interviews_a_bahai_woman/

18 Year old Baha'i, Borna Dehghani, takes part in anti-government protests in Iran, loses his life.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTid3BXkdee/?igsh=MWc4ajM5ZjhpZm9mOQ==

But Baha'i Administration warns Hamid Taheri for being in contact with a Muslim from Iran.

https://taherifiles.blogspot.com/2009/09/april-2002-letter-of-australian-nsa.html

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What is Bada?

Bada is defined as the failing of fulfilment of a prophetic announcement resulting from a change in Divine purpose, though the term literally translates to "appearing in the mind". This concept is illustrated through the story of the Prophet Noah, who repeatedly promised his followers victory at an appointed time; when these promises were not fulfilled as expected, they became "bada". Such occurrences serve as Divine tests to distinguish between those who possess true faith and those who are swayed by outward non-fulfilment, often causing the latter to turn away from the Prophet.

(Extracted from Kitáb-i-Íqán: The Book of Certitude, by Bahá'u'lláh, Translation of Ali Kuli Khan, 1904)

Shoghi Effendi translates "Bada" to "non-fulfillment of the divine promise"

https://bahai-library.com/pschaida_kitab-iqan_interlinear_translation

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Since the time of Bahá’u’lláh dissimulation has been forbidden for Bahá’ís but Abdu’l-Bahá attended the mosque in Akka!!!

It is important to note at this juncture that although Shoghi Effendi did not find it appropriate in his day, there had been great wisdom in Abdu’l-Bahá’s attendance at the mosque during His Ministry. At the time of Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival, the people of Akka considered a man who did not attend a mosque or a church to be an infidel. The Faith had neither formulated its teachings and laws, nor was its true identity known to the inhabitants of the Holy Land. It had been presented to the population as a misguided sect of unbelievers. In these circumstances, refusal to go to the mosque would have stigmatized Bahá’u’lláh and His companions as infidels. By attending the mosque they came to be regarded in the eyes of the public as believers in God. One of the useful by-products of attending the mosque was that Abdu’l-Bahá established a marvellous relationship with the people, and in time emerged, in the words of an admirer, as the ‘Master of Akka’.

(THE COVENANT OF BAHA'U'LLAH By Adib Taherzadeh)

https://holy-writings.com/?a=SHOWTEXT&d=%2F%2Fen%2FBahai+Faith%2F2+-+Bahai+Studies%2FAdib+Taherzadeh%2FThe+Covenant+of+Baha%27u%27llah.txt

Attending a mosque is exactly what a MUSLIM, not a Baha'i, would do. And yet less than a century later, the Universal House of Justice would teach this:

"...it was permissible in Shi’ih Islam for believers to deny their faith in order to escape persecution. since the time of Bahá’u’lláh such an action has been forbidden for Bahá’ís. We do not defend our Faith by the sword, as was permissible in Islam, but Bahá’ís have always held to the principle that when challenged they should `stand up and be counted’, as the modern expression is, and not purchase their safety by denying that which is most important to them in this world and the next. The principle is well known to the Iranian Bahá’ís and is upheld by the overwhelming majority of them when the penalty is martyrdom."

https://bahai-library.com/uhj_dissimulation_iran_emmigrants

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Shoghi Effendi about using AI ??

"The Bahá'ís should not always be the last to take up new and obviously excellent methods, but rather the first, as this agrees with the dynamic nature of the Faith..."

-Shoghi Effendi

https://bahai.works/Bahá’í_News/Issue_659/Text

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Baha'i leaders were ordinary human beings.

Baha'u'llah's Chronic Issues: He suffered from a hernia (fateq), a condition his own sister pointed out he was unable to heal despite claims of divine power. He also had visible hand tremors or shaking; while his followers claimed this was the result of being poisoned by his brother, Mirza Yahya Subh-i-Azal, Avarih suggests this was a convenient excuse for a physical infirmity. Additionally, a traveler who met him noted that his left eye was significantly weaker or more damaged than his right.

Intoxication and Physical Collapse: Mirza Hussain Jarullah (a close confident of Baha'u'llah in Baghdad), found Baha'u'llah unconscious and physically ill from drinking too much wine. He was so intoxicated that he was unable to move or maintain basic hygiene.

Shoghi Effendi's Skin Condition: As a young man, Shoghi Effendi suffered from a skin disease (described as gal or a type of mange/itch) that affected his hands, forcing him to wear gloves while he was a student.

Abdul Baha's Final Sickness: Despite his followers viewing him as a source of healing, Abdul Baha died from a sudden fever. He had to rely on standard medical treatments, such as injections, which ultimately failed to save him.

Baha'u'llah's Cause of Death: He passed away after being bedridden for 22 days with a severe stomach illness and diarrhea (zahir).

(Kashful Hiyal (The Discovery of Deceptions) by Abdol Husayn Ayati 'Avarih')

https://archive.org/details/kashful-heel-part-3/Kashful%20Heel%20-%20Part%201/

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When Friendship Becomes Strategy

And the believers increasingly appreciate the privilege of being able to acquaint a soul with the mission of Bahá’u’lláh—and, beyond this, to lovingly help a soul who stands at the doors of the Faith to step within. In 2021 we drew attention to this infinitely precious moment in a spiritual journey. We have noted with interest that, since then, the friends in many places have focused attention on how to recognize when the city of the heart is open, and on the conversations that lead to this moment and that follow it. Much remains to be learned in this regard, both about how to discern receptivity in different settings and how to acknowledge when it has already matured into faith.

(Message to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors by The Universal House of Justice 2025-12-31)

https://bahai-library.com/uhj_message_counsellors_2025

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