...offered up, by his own hand, his life.

Consider his honor Siyyid Ismá’íl—upon him be the peace of God, and His loving-kindness—how, before daybreak he was wont to dust, with his own turban, the doorstep of My house, and in the end, whilst standing on the banks of the river, with his eyes fixed on that same house, offered up, by his own hand, his life.

-Baha'u'llah

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/ESW/esw-4.html

One day, they brought the news of the death of Siyyid Ismá‘íl of Zavárih. Bahá’u’lláh said: ‘No one has killed him. Behind many myriad veils of light, we showed him a glimmer of our glory; he could not endure it and so he sacrificed himself.’ Some of us then went to the bank of the river and found the body of Siyyid Ismá‘íl lying there. He had cut his own throat with a razor which was still held in his hand. We removed the body and buried it.

(Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Vol 2, p. 112)

Read More

God reveals Himself in the person of His Manifestation

Every time God the True One—exalted be His glory—revealed Himself in the person of His Manifestation, He came unto men with the standard of “He doeth what He willeth, and ordaineth what He pleaseth.” None hath the right to ask why or wherefore, and he that doth so, hath indeed turned aside from God, the Lord of Lords.

-Baha'u'llah

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/ESW/esw-4.html

Read More

By My life! This is the truth, and all else naught but error.

By My life! This is the truth, and all else naught but error.

-Baha'u'llah

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/ESW/esw-4.html

Read More

Man’s actions are acceptable after his having recognized Baha'u'llah

Man’s actions are acceptable after his having recognized (the Manifestation). He that turneth aside from the True One is indeed the most veiled amongst His creatures.

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/ESW/esw-4.html

Read More

The first Baha'i temple in Ashkabad was expropriated by the government and converted into an art gallery in 1938.

The structural design of the first Bahai temple in Ashkhabad was prepared by Ostād ʿAlī-Akbar Bannāʾ and work, which was started in 1902 and supervised by Ḥājī Mīrzā Moḥammad-Taqī, the Wakīl-al-Dawla, was completed in 1919. The temple, which served the community for two decades was expropriated by the government and converted into an art gallery in 1938. Ten years later, violent earthquakes seriously damaged the building and the heavy rains of the following years weakened the structure to the point that the Soviet authorities decided to demolish the remaining edifice and convert the site into a public park.

http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/bahaism-ix

Read More

Baha'u'llah is the Lord of Lords

O Pope! Rend the veils asunder. He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds, and the decree hath been fulfilled by God, the Almighty, the Unrestrained.

-Baha'u'llah (The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)

Read More

Baha'u'llah's commandments for his creatures!

He describes His commandments as “the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures.”5 He avers:

“The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words:‘Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.’ Happy is the lover that hath inhaled the divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words, laden with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe.​”6

https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/character-conduct/divine-law 

Read More

I am sure the Master told him about His departure from this world and that because of it he threw himself into the sea.

That morning [after the cold] Mirza Abul Hassan Afnan dismissed his servant and said he was going away. He wrote a supplication to the Beloved. Then the Afnan went to the seashore, about two hours walk, and threw himself into the sea. Some fisherman nearby took him out and notified the authorities. Abdul-Baha sent his automobile. I went with the Afnans and Dr. Lotfullah and helped to bring his body home. The next day when we carried the body from his house, the Beloved approached and assisted in carrying the casket to the carriage. I am sure the Master told him about His departure from this world and that because of it he threw himself into the sea.

Mirza Abu'l Hasan Afnán (a noble gentleman from the family of the Báb, for many years living near Abdu'l-Baha), realizing the approach of the most great calamity - the Master's ascension - could not wait to see it, and therefore he drowned himself here, in the sea.

http://bahai-library.com/pdf/m/merrick_abdulbaha_ascension_1921.pdf

Read More

King of England's special love for Abdul Baha

Abdul-Baha had a supreme station in the estimation of the kings of the earth. General Allenby, at the time of his occupation of Haifa on September 23, 1918, received a special order from the King of England to call and inquire about the health of Abdul-Baha. The king also knighted Abdul-Baha, giving him his highest medal and the title of "Sir." But Abdul-Baha accepted it only for the sake of pleasing the king, and not because he cared for anything of that kind.

http://starofthewest.info/viewer.erb?vol=12&page=260

Read More