Friday, December 27, 2024

Shoghi Effendi, the great grand-son of Baha'u'llah, the first Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, the head of the World Super-State Government.

Guardianship, New World Order (NWO), Shoghi Effendi No comments

Shoghi Effendie, the great grand-son of Baha'u'llah, the first Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, the living Spiritual Leader to whom millions of Bahai's of the world are devoted to and are bound together in his centre, the future and first Head or Chairman of the International House of Justice or World Super-State Government, writes that "The Humanitarian and Spiritual Principles enunciated decades ago (1863 A.D.) in the darkest East (Persia), by Baha'u'llah and moulded by Him into a coherent scheme are one after another being taken up by the world unconscious of their source as the marks of progressive civilization. And the sense that mankind has broken with the past and that the old guidance will not carry it through the emergencies of the present has filled with uncertainty and dismay all thoughtful men save those who have learned to find, in the story of Baha'u'llah, the meaning of all the prodigies and portents of our time".

(Letters dated August 1st, 1944 Written by Mr. Mani H. Mehta To Messrs. Gandhi and Jinnah, page 10)

The teachings of the Bab were a mixture of Western European thoughts and some Persian nonsense

Bab, Christians No comments

Russian consul F.A. Bakulin summed up the teachings of the Bab: “Western European utopias of equality, brotherhood and fair distribution of goods with a touch of some Persian nonsense formed the essence of the teachings of the Bab.” This was not an objective opinion, although it cannot be denied that the teachings proclaimed were characterized by great religious syncretism and were undoubtedly inspired by European thought. As Talipov wrote: "...although the teachings of the Bab are based entirely on Islam and its dogmas, they are original in the sense that many elements of Babism originate from Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism and – what is particularly important – from the new European social thought, and at the same time "the simplification of rituals in religion and asceticism bring the Babis closer to the Christian reformers – the founders of Lutheranism and Protestantism".

Abassy, Małgorzata. 2010. Irańska inteligencja w XIX wieku i Rewolucja Konstytucyjna (1905–1911). Kraków: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, page 90

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Ira%C5%84ska+inteligencja+w+XIX+wieku+i+Rewolucja+Konstytucyjna+(1905%E2%80%931911)&author=Abassy,+Ma%C5%82gorzata&publication_year=2010

The Bab's teachings bore the marks of fanaticism.

Azali, Bab, Personal Observations No comments

In the context of considerations about the intelligentsia, it should be noted that the Bab was a charismatic leader, but he did not have a thorough education, and the nature of his beliefs and the way they were spread bore the marks of fanaticism. After 1863, two groups emerged that can be associated with two streams of the intelligentsia: radical and prone to immediate action, and motivated by hatred of the Qajars – the Azalis, and more moderate and associating people who were thoroughly educated, for whom the driving force of action was logical conclusions and who were inclined to gradual changes – the Baha'is.

Abassy, Małgorzata. 2010. Irańska inteligencja w XIX wieku i Rewolucja Konstytucyjna (1905–1911). Kraków: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, page 92

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Ira%C5%84ska+inteligencja+w+XIX+wieku+i+Rewolucja+Konstytucyjna+(1905%E2%80%931911)&author=Abassy,+Ma%C5%82gorzata&publication_year=2010

Baha'u'llah was impacted by Christian ideas and contacts with European missionaries

Baha'u'llah, Christians No comments

Impacted by Christian ideas and contacts with European missionaries, Bahá’u’lláh became increasingly charmed by Western conceptions (Abassy 2010, pp. 90–91; MacEoin 1983, p. 227). While staying in Edirne, Bahá began to create the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Arabic: الکِتَاب الأقدَس; the Most Holy Book). This, the Bahá’í Faith’s most important scripture, was an amalgamation of modified Báb postulations filled by the new doctrines from Bahá’u’lláh.

(Transition, Emulation and Dispute over Authority in the Bábí/Bahá’í Faith by Siarhei A. Anoshka)

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/5/577

Why was Baha'u'llah imprisoned in Iran and why he went to Baghdad?

Baha'u'llah, Iran, Punishment, Subh-i-Azal No comments

In August 1852, a small group of Babis in Tehran unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate the Shah—an event that was reported in several European newspapers and in diplomatic reports. Many Babis, including Baha’u’llah, were arrested, and about fifty of them were executed, some after cruel torture. Baha’u’llah, who clearly was not involved in the assassination attempt, avoided execution, however, and was instead put into a subterranean prison cell in Tehran. According to Baha’u’llah’s late writings, it was during this imprisonment in 1852 in Tehran that he had his first vision of his divine mission.

At the time of the assassination attempt on the Shah, Subh-i-Azal was involved in an abortive attempt to create a rebellion in his home province of Nur. Subh-i-Azal avoided arrest and succeeded in escaping from Iran to Baghdad. Many Babis chose to follow suit, left Iran and joined Subh-i-Azal in Baghdad, and before long, there was a sizeable Babi community in this city.

After four months of imprisonment, Baha’u’llah was released at the intervention of the Russian ambassador, whose legation secretary was Baha’u’llah’s brother in-law. Refusing an offer of exile in Russia, he went to Baghdad, and in January 1853, he joined the Babi exile community there.

(Citizens of the World - A History and Sociology of the Baha’is from a Globalisation Perspective by Margit Warburg)

‘Abdu’l-Baha indicated to him that the Shah would be assassinated

Abdul-Baha, Prophecy No comments

When Mirza Mahmud-i-Furughi, an outstanding teacher of the Faith, was on pilgrimage, ‘Abdu’l-Baha indicated to him that the Shah would be assassinated and told him to warn the believers to be on their guard.

In 1896 Nasiri’d-Din Shah was indeed struck down by an assassin on the very eve of his jubilee celebrations. The Baha'is had nothing whatever to do with this deed but memories of the assassination attempt made by three deranged Babis in 1852 were still powerful. In its report the London Times supposed that the murderer was a 'Babi'. Only gradually was it realized that the Baha'is were not responsible.

(Servant of the Glory - The Life of 'Abdu'l-Baha by Mary Perkins)

attempts to kill ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Abdul-Baha, Covenant-Breakers No comments

In these years the Covenant-breakers gave up demanding that the Master pay for their upkeep but at the same time two attempts were made by them to kill ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Poison was twice placed by one individual in a jug of drinking water used by Him but on both occasions it was discovered in time. Another individual concealed a dagger under his clothes with the intention of using it to kill ‘Abdu'l-Baha but the attempt was not successful.

(Servant of the Glory - The Life of 'Abdu'l-Baha by Mary Perkins)

large tract of land was purchased and registered in the name of Mirza Husayn-‘Ali (Baha’u’llah

Baha'u'llah, Israel, Money, Palestine No comments

When Baha’u’llah and the Master set afoot the movement of the exiles from the immediate environs of ‘Akka, land was purchased in the Jordan Valley near the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret). At four sites Baha’is settled, making their homes.

South of the hamlet called Nugayb, on the eastern shore of the lake below the Golan heights, Mirza Muhammad-Quli and his family occupied rich farmlands. The original large tract of land was purchased for an endowment of the Faith and registered in the name of Mirza Husayn-‘Ali (Baha’u’llah). Later, portions were disposed of by the Master.

(Door of hope - a century of the Baháʻí faith in the Holy Land - Ruhe, David S (David Sieger), 1914-2005 George Ronald)

Feeding the British army in 1918.

Abdul-Baha, Loyalty No comments

‘Abdu’l-Baha had given the Baha’i farmers specific guidance in their agricultural development, and His instructions on the storage of grains allowed the accumulations which permitted Him to feed the population of ‘Akka during the deprivation of World War I and even-to aid the British army in meeting its needs in 1918.

(Door of hope - a century of the Baháʻí faith in the Holy Land - Ruhe, David S (David Sieger), 1914-2005 George Ronald)

Shoghi Effendi expelled his brothers, sisters and aunts from the Faith.

Covenant-Breakers, Shoghi Effendi No comments

Shoghi Effendi... expel[led] his brothers, sisters and aunts from the Faith.

(Adib Taherzadeh, The Child of the Covenant)

Severe laws and harsh measures against nonbelievers in the Persian Bayan

Bayan No comments

…among those ordinances (of the Persian Bayán) are a significant number of… severe laws, which… prescribe harsh measures against nonbelievers, similar to the Islamic “law of the sword,” including holy war. The Bayán’s gate 5 of the fifth unity ordains that all lands must be conquered by the Bayán and the property of unbelievers must be seized unless those unbelievers enter the Faith. Gate 6 specifies the distribution of the spoils of such a conquest: objects that are matchless belong to the Point, and the rest are to be used for propagating the Bayán, paying soldiers, building places of worship, and aiding the poor and the community. Gate 4 of the sixth unity extols the five lands that were the first to receive the Cause of the Báb—Fárs (Shiraz), Iraq, Azerbaijan, Khurásán, and Mázandarán. Since these lands represent the Letter Há’, the five aspects of the human temple, the five layers of the name of the Báb, and the five levels of the affirmation of Divine Unity, God does not wish to behold anything in those lands except that which is most perfect and refined; thus it is not suitable for unbelievers to reside there. Gate 16 of the seventh unity orders Bábí rulers to expel all unbelievers from their lands except those who engage in wholesale trade that is useful to the believers. The same gate prohibits the Bábís from having unbelievers in their homes. Gate 6 of the sixth unity calls for the destruction of books other than those written by Bábís. Finally, gate 15 of the eighth unity ordains marriage among the faithful to bring into the world one who will sing the praise of God. Marriage with unbelievers is not permitted, and upon acceptance of the Faith by one spouse and its rejection by the other, the marriage becomes null, while the unbelieving spouse forfeits any claim to his or her property.

(Gate of the Heart, Nader Saiedi, page 340)

Impressive writings!?

Baha'u'llah No comments

This is what I believed as a Baha'i, that his writings were superhuman. This is what the writings themselves put forward as the greatest proof after his person (for those who didn't get to meet him).

Combined with the reportedly prolific pace with which he wrote, it felt incredibly compelling.

What's interesting is that after several years of leaving the Baha'i Faith, re-reading those same works is far less impressive. It really is incredibly subjective.

Baha'u'llah had a suite of literary motifs he'd reuse and they get tiresome.

For example he over-relied on imagery of veils, foliage, the sun, birds singing, etc. It would go something like this: thus doth the all-knowing inform thee, that verily my writings are my proof. Yea, to this doth attest the warbling of every bird, could ye but hear it! Lift the veil that haply the sun of reality might dawn in this Day of Days, and ye become accounted among those whose names are inscribed in the Book of Life. Verily this is better for you than that which ye possess, could ye but perceive it!

You also realise he'd use far more words than is necessary to say simple things. And we also know he plagiarised some works verbatim without citing them, including incorrect facts (e.g. the years of birth of famous Greek philosophers).

Another way of challenging this idea is to ask people today if they have heard of Baha'u'llah or the Bab? And ask them if they have heard of Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, etc. All contemporaries of the Bab/Baha'u'llah but far more widely appreciated. That shouldn't be the case even with the mitigating circumstances -- we are after all talking about the claim that these works were supposedly produced by God when he manifested himself twice during that same period -- it shouldn't even be a competition! Yet here we are showing how unimpressive they are..

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/1gcj8xx/make_love_not_war_why_was_bahaullah_unable_to/

He should ask his mother why he is this way.

Abuse, Baha'u'llah No comments

When it comes to those who deny his (Baha's) claims. It’s just that the House isn’t keen to translate those bits of his letters. One of many passages:

تالله الحق من ينكر هذا الفضل الظاهر الباهر المتعالي المنير ينبغي له بان يسئل من امه حاله فسوف يرجع الی اسفل الجحیم

By God, the Truth! One who denies this luminous, exalted, dazzling, evident grace should ask his mother why he is this way. He will return to the nethermost fire. (Ma’idih, 4:355)

Spiritual aspects of the Faith cannot be separated from the administrative aspects

Personal Observations No comments

Any attempt to separate the purely spiritual aspects of the Faith from the administrative aspects “... can only result in the disintegration of its component parts, and the extinction of the Faith itself.”

Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh

https://bahai.works/The_American_Bahá’í/Volume_2/Issue_8/Text

NSAs are the generals of the Army of Light

NSA No comments

The standard-bearers of this Nine Year Plan are the Hands of the Cause of God. The responsibility for directing the work will rest upon the shoulders of the National Spiritual Assemblies, the generals of the Army of Light, under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice.

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/muhj-1963-1986/muhj-1963-1986.docx

In 1948, the Baha'is congratulated David Ben-Gurion on the establishment of the State of Israel.

Israel, Palestine No comments

In 1948, the Baha'is congratulated David Ben-Gurion on the establishment of the State of Israel, but also made sure to mention their neutrality (although they sometimes emphasized that the Jewish state was established in the Baha'i period, not the Christian or Muslim one). Israel approved the establishment of the Baha'i Temple in Haifa and its ongoing expansion. The Baha'is do not spread their religion in Israel and actually refrain from establishing a Baha'i community there. They avoid the concentration of believers in the world center of religion. There is no doubt that this approach suits the Israeli sensitivity to the activities of non-Jewish religions in the country.

The peak of this tolerance and partnership between Israel and the Baha'is was in the early 1950s. At that time, Israel faced the demands of the Palestinian refugees, the Arab world and various mediators such as the United States and the United Nations - to return to the refugees the property they abandoned in 1948. Israel did not return this property, and its actions, especially the establishment of new settlements on abandoned lands and the introduction of new immigrants into the refugee homes , established irreversible facts. However, the Israeli government acted consciously to return the Baha'is to their abandoned property.

https://www.haaretz.co.il/misc/2001-06-08/ty-article/0000017f-e091-d75c-a7ff-fc9d65530000

Baha'u'llah and Mirza Musa's properties in Palestine.

Abdul-Baha, Israel, Palestine No comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCBenVHiXVY

Baha'u'llah and Mirza Musa's properties in Palestine and Abdul Baha selling these lands to Jewish Colonization Association (JCA) in 1903 and to other Jewish organizations.

Starts from 15 mins 20 Sec.

America is a noble nation, the standard-bearer of peace throughout the world

Abdul-Baha, America (United States) No comments

America is a noble nation, the standard-bearer of peace throughout the world, shedding light to all regions. Foreign nations are not untrammeled and free from intrigues and complications like the United States; therefore, they are not able to bring about universal harmony. But America — praise be to God! — is at peace with all the world and is worthy of raising the flag of brotherhood and international agreement.

-Abdul Baha

https://centenary.bahai.us/talk/america-noble-nation-standard-bearer-peace

A large percentage of seekers who join study circles go on to accept the Faith.

Baha'i Activities, Converting People No comments

"The process of the Baha'i communities opening their activities has been slow but successful. About 70 to 80 per cent of the participants in Baha'i classes for children are from non-Baha'i families and 50 to 60 per cent of seekers participate in the devotional meetings. A large percentage of seekers who join study circles go on to accept the Faith."

(The Five Year Plan 2001-2006 - Summary of Achievements and Learning)

Governor-General Sir Stewart Symes

Palestine, Shoghi Effendi No comments

... the Governor-General Sir Stewart Symes was an old acquaintance and invited them [Shoghi Effendi and Ruhiyyih Khanum] to lunch at the Palace on 1 October [1929].

(Shoghi Effendi Through the Pilgrim's Eye, Volume 1, Building the Administrative Order, 1922-1952 by Earl Redman)

Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum entered the Congo

Ruhiyyih Khanum, Shoghi Effendi, Story No comments

Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum entered the Congo at Lubumbashi, a major copper mining centre, where the Guardian admired beautiful green malachite carved into various objects. While in the Congo, their car broke down on an isolated jungle track. While it was being repaired, Rúhíyyih Khánum asked Shoghi Effendi if she could stretch her legs a bit. With his assent and a caution about lions, she walked off down the lonesome road, 'drinking in the beauty of untouched nature', and completely oblivious of the passing time. All of a sudden, a man on a bicycle appeared and told her that 'the gentleman in the car was very worried over her'. That is when she realized that she had been gone for almost two hours. She borrowed the man's bicycle and raced back to her worried husband.

(Shoghi Effendi Through the Pilgrim's Eye, Volume 1, Building the Administrative Order, 1922-1952 by Earl Redman)

There is an artificial hill which the Guardian made from the houses of the covenant breakers who had been occupying the Mansion.

Covenant-Breakers, Punishment, Shoghi Effendi No comments

The gardens at Bahjí are places where pilgrims and others are to be found slowly walking and trying to absorb and retain that spiritual fragrance. There is an artificial hill which the Guardian made from the houses of the covenant breakers who had been occupying the Mansion. He destroyed those houses and then made them into a terraced hill of gardens. Those who try to resist the Will of God are thus reduced to dust. All that they strove so hard for is now beneath the believers' feet.

(The Baha'i Communities of Iran - 1851-1921 - Volume 1: The North of Iran by Moojan Momen)

Former Baha'i, Payam Aryan exposes Baha'i belief about Baha'u'llah

Baha'u'llah, Godhood No comments

https://www.youtube.com/live/osoVlbf3Uzk?si=i3G4GegNqHIGIOhp&t=941

Starts at 15:40

Baha'u'llah is the sender of the prophets.

https://www.youtube.com/live/osoVlbf3Uzk?si=i3G4GegNqHIGIOhp&t=3180

Starts at 58:00

You know, before 'Abdu'l-Bahá passing away, it was on a Friday, we went visit the mosque in Haifa, Friday morning.

Abdul-Baha, Dissimulation, Israel No comments

You know, before 'Abdu'l-Bahá passing away, it was on a Friday, we went visit the mosque in Haifa, Friday morning. That day return from mosque, He had to walk up the step. He says "I am tired," went into the room. Then Friday, Saturday, Sunday! Three days. Sunday night, He passed away. Those days we had many American pilgrims there. That Mr. and Mrs. Hoagg, Boschs were there. I heard the cry, deafening noise. So immediately I went up this gate, there's many collected and mourning, the Eastern believers very demonstrative, you know. I said "What is it?" "It's 'Abdu'l-Bahá has passed." So immediately I come back to Pilgrim House, informed them. And some of them come out, come now. That day. It's one o'clock, and all the family are all together there. Can't help. Doctor just left, Dr. Habib, that Christian Arab, that's their family doctor. Then from that room we had after few days, the day in Mount Carmel. I went there myself, making a place. ( ) called, ah, Ramatullah, he's very strong man, he carried casket way down. Ramatullah lived a long time ago, he was caretaker, gardener, very nice man. He had a big family, but years ago.

All the notables from Haifa and Jerusalem, all were collected here, ah, for funeral. Even Herbert Samuel, walked right up, passing Master.

(Interview of Sachiro Fujita by Sylvia Ioas, 1975)

Dr Mirza Muhammad-Mihdi Khan visited Baha'u'llah and his sons and followers at ‘Akka, and Subh-i-Azal at Famagusta in Cyprus

Edward Browne, Subh-i-Azal No comments

This is how Browne evaluates the work of Dr Mirza Muhammad-Mihdi Khan (the Persian journalist, the Za‘imu’d-Dawlih. He was the author of Miftahu Babi’l Abwab, or the Key to the Gate of Gates, a purported history of the Babi and Baha’i Faiths):

The author, though a determined antagonist of the Babis, writes with some appearance of moderation. Though often inaccurate, he adds fresh materials derived orally from his father Muhammad Taqi, who saw the Bab at Tabriz, and from other eyewitnesses, He also visited Baha'u'llah and his sons and followers at ‘Akka, and Subh-i-Azal at Famagusta in Cyprus, and made a collection of Babi and Baha'i books, from which he quotes lengthy extracts in this work, and which he subsequently deposited in the library of the Mosque and University of al-Azhar in Cairo. (Browne, Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion, p. 191.)

(Edward Granville Browne and the Baha'i Faith, by H. M. Balyuzi)

India will become a beautiful garden of believers.

Abdul-Baha, Hinduism, Prophecy No comments

Abdul-Baha has said that Bombay will surely advance and that India will become a beautiful garden of believers.

(Star of the West - Oct. 16, 1910)

The history of this Mulla is very interesting.

Converting People, Learning Arabic, Miracles, Story No comments

For the time being we have employed a Mulla, who has just accepted the Faith under somewhat mysterious circumstances, to teach Burmese and Arabic.

The history of this Mulla is very interesting. He was one of the staunchest Mullas prior to when the Message came to be delivered in the village of Kunjangoon, in which place, as you have seen, the Bahai movement is progressing wonderfully.

This Mulla, immediately after the advent of the Bahai spirit in the village, became dumb, and remained so for the last three years. But during the last week when our Brother Hazrat Syed Mustafa had been staying there and looking after the construction of the school building, this man in one night while he was by himself in his booth in the paddy field, saw a sudden glow of Light before himself and at once, most wonderfully, regained his lost power of speech―his first utterance being, "The Manifestation is a true one for it has enabled me to speak!" and for two or three days continuously was like one possessed, delivering talks in the praise of God. He embraced the Faith himself on the spot and induced his father, 70 years old, and his grandfather, aged about 90 years, to do the same. * * * Such is the history of this Mulla who is now a Bahai and whom our friend Syed Mustafa chose to teach the children there.

(THE BAHAI ASSEMBLY OF RANGOON)

https://bahai.works/index.php?title=File:SW_Vol1_No12.pdf&page=4

(Star of the West - Oct. 16, 1910)

Among mankind money is the greatest thing.

Jews, Money No comments

This tithe giving is a blessed privilege. Among mankind money is the greatest thing. This giving will confirm the people. With this money many great works will be done. In Hamadan in Persia, the Jewish believers raised much money in this way. At first I did not accept this money, but later on I directed that it should be used in their own town for the Bahai school. This giving was a great spiritual blessing to those believers. Everyone knows how the Jews love money.

-Abdul Baha

(Star of the West - Oct. 16, 1910)

https://bahai.works/index.php?title=File:SW_Vol1_No12.pdf&page=2

Baha'u'llah was not a descendant from the Prophet Zoroaster

Abdul-Baha, Baha'u'llah, Zoroaster No comments

Baha'u'llah was not a descendant from the Prophet Zoroaster.

-Abdul Baha

(Star of the West, Oct. 16, 1910)

https://bahai.works/index.php?title=File:SW_Vol1_No12.pdf&page=3

Baha'i Children Classes

Baha'i Activities, Converting People No comments

The increase in the number of children's classes worldwide during the Five Year Plan was dramatic. At the beginning of the Plan, there were some 3,800 children's classes worldwide serving 42,000 children, the vast majority of whom (87 per cent) came from Baha'i families. By April 2006, there were well over 10,000 classes serving more than 93,000 children, of which 56 per cent came from the wider community.

(THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, 2001-2006: Summary of Achievements and Learning - Prepared under the supervision of the International Teaching Centre)

Baha'i Education in State Schools (BESS) programme in Australia

Baha'i Activities, Converting People No comments

The largest, most systematic approach to providing Baha'i education for children was undoubtedly the Baha'i Education in State Schools (BESS) programme in Australia which, while initiated before 2001, expanded and improved significantly during the Five Year Plan. A number of school principals, as a means of attracting enrolments to their school, promoted the fact that they offered Baha'i classes. So great was the demand for this programme from school administrators and non-Baha'i parents that the community could not raise up a sufficient number of teachers. At the conclusion of the Plan, the BESS programme was serving more than 6,000 children throughout Australia, and more than 90 per cent of them were from non-Baha'i families.

(THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, 2001-2006: Summary of Achievements and Learning - Prepared under the supervision of the International Teaching Centre)

training and deploying human resources

Baha'i Activities, Converting People No comments

At the heart of this framework were "two complementary, reinforcing movements'', which guided and focused the efforts of the believers in systematically advancing the process of entry by troops. Through patient, sustained endeavour it became apparent that as more and more friends completed the sequence of courses and arose to carry out the tasks of expansion and consolidation, an impetus was given to the development of the cluster and its capacity to achieve and sustain growth. Concentrated attention to these two movements was seen as essential to the progress of the Plan and became the standard by which progress was assessed.

Training institutes grew progressively more able "to provide their communities with a constant stream of human resources to serve the process of entry by troops". By 2006, more than 36,000 tutors and nearly 75,000 children's class teachers had been trained. The number of core activities rose correspondingly, showing a sixfold increase in devotional meetings and a threefold increase in children's classes. The impact of the success in training and deploying human resources was reflected in a growing number of advanced clusters. After achieving a vigorous institute process, the multiplication of core activities, and an increase in the tempo of teaching, the conditions were favourable for launching intensive programmes of growth in these clusters. By the end of the Five Year Plan, 296 such programmes had been initiated.

(THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, 2001-2006: Summary of Achievements and Learning - Prepared under the supervision of the International Teaching Centre)

Baha'i schools

Baha'i Activities, Converting People, Education No comments

Many schools have gone beyond the initial stages of establishment, often fraught with difficult yet inevitable challenges, to infuse their programmes with elements that enhance their Bahá’í character. The presence of such a well-functioning school in a region redounds to the good name of the Faith and provides for the sound intellectual and moral development of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of young people. The following schools run by Bahá’í’s, only a fraction of the total number, are together serving more than 16,500 students:

School of the Nations in Brazil; Unidad de los Pueblos in Bolivia; Satara International School in Burkina; Maxwell International Bahá’í School and Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute in Canada; Ecole Les Etoiles Brillantes in Chad; Faizi and Muhájir Schools in Chile; Escuela Nuevo Jardin, Ruhi—Arbab School and Simmons School in Colombia; Louis Gregory School in the Congo Republic; Townshend International School in the Czech Republic; Ecole Internationale Enfants du Monde and Les Gouttelettes School in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Riḍván School in El Salvador; Raul Pavén Bahá’í School in Ecuador; Ani’s Zum’izr’ Bahá’í School in Haiti; School of the Nations in Guyana; Blossoms School, Brilliant Stars School, New Era High School, Rabbani School, Rúḥíyyih School, Splendour School, and Tadong Bahá’í School in India; William Foster Bahá’í Academy in Liberia; School of the Nations in Macau; Bambino Schools in Malawi; Abhá English School in Nepal; Ecole Prive’e Alliance and Lycée Enoch Olinga in Niger; New Day School in Pakistan; Badi’ School in Panama; Miki Rutan Bahá’í School in Paraguay; Bahá’í Schools in Swaziland; Ruaha Secondary School in Tanzania; Santitham Witthayakhom School in Thailand; Ecole Internationale Arc-en-ciel in Togo; Ocean of Light International School in Tonga; Auntie Claire’s Kindergarten and Louis Gregory Memorial Bahá’í Schools in Uganda; Rowhani School in Vanuatu; and Banani International School in Zambia.

(THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, 2001-2006: Summary of Achievements and Learning - Prepared under the supervision of the International Teaching Centre)

The Baha’i Faith as an organization does the complete opposite of what they teach ‘seekers’.

House of Justice (UHJ), Personal Observations, Punishment No comments

One exBahai says:

The Baha’i Faith as an organization does the complete opposite of what they teach ‘seekers’. They tell interested souls that it is a universal religion that accepts the validity of all religions, then goes around telling its own membership that the world is suffering because all of humanity hasn’t become Baha’is. It tells interested minds that the Baha’i Faith doesn’t demand or accept blind faith, unlike those ‘old religions’, but then tells skeptical believers that ‘there are some things you’re just going to have to accept, even if you can’t understand the wisdom of it at the moment’.

It tells open hearts that there is no clergy in the Baha’i Faith, that the consciences of human beings are sacred and should be protected, that every one has the right and obligation to independently investigate the truth, that every one has the right to express their concerns and opinions without fear; yet its top leadership disenrolls, excommunicates, and shuns those who ‘cross the line’. I don’t blame Baha’u’llah or ‘Abdu’l-Baha for this, though. I think it is the organization’s fault for missing the mark of their teachings drastically. Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha would have had to been total hypocrites or lost all memory of being prisoners of conscience in Iran and the Ottoman Empire, to then set up their own version of religion that scares people from speaking their true feelings and opinions by threatening them with the possibility of shunning and excommunication, or being subject to religious tribunals with different names, etc.

https://stetsonius.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/ridvan-2009-bahais-missing-the-point-of-their-own-religion/#comment-6

Revision, Censorship, and Suppression in Modern Baha’i Literature

Censorship, Personal Observations No comments

While Babi-Baha’i history suffers a kind of distortion at the hands of Baha’i authors which is rather subtle, a more direct approach is taken by the Baha’i Administration and publishers, through revision of previously printed materials and by a review process of future publications. This ongoing policy of updating earlier writings and regulating works by Baha’is, whether for publication in Baha’i organs or otherwise, is intended to preserve doctrinal purity and to “‘present a true picture of the Faith to the general public…'” Justification for such practices have generally centered on the need to correct minor errors and update statistics. Or, in the case of the review process, to ensure some standard of academic quality. However, the evidence suggests that the the primary concerns are the promotion of a consistent picture of Baha’i history and dogma, the blotting out of references to failed predictions and promises, and the diversion of readers from differing or hostile points of view.

(A Critical Examination of 20th Century Baha’i Literature by Vance Salisbury)

www.bosalisbury.com/interests/the-bahai-faith/a-critical-examination

One Christian ex-Baha'i about Baha'u'llah

Christians, Personal Observations No comments

One Christian ex-Baha'i says:

Baha'u'llah claimed to be God or a Manifestation of God depending on his mood at the time of dictating. He also is considered "Return of Christ" ... equal to Jesus.

I analyzed his life and see absolutely nothing that would lead me to conclude that he was anything like Jesus. I wish I'd been able to do that analysis when I was seventeen before I got into this religion, but I wasn't. It took 10+ years after leaving Baha'i to be able to look objectively at Baha'ullah's life.

I believe he hatched his plan to become "Him Who God Will Make Manifest" to fulfill the Bab's prophecy, maybe while he was in the Sulaymaniyah mountains for two years living alone, or maybe soon after. Maybe he had altruistic reasons.. disappointment with his brother's leadership abilities, and a desire to help the Babi community of Baghdad.

The first thing he had to do was write a respectable book to impress people with. The first book, The Hidden Words, is without a doubt the best. It is readable, concise, enjoyable even. Nothing after that was nearly as worth reading... it was just reams and reams of "revelation" - him dictating and someone else writing down what he said.

I don't believe Baha'u'llah was God's messenger. He was very intelligent, may have had charisma, and was also a great talker/writer. His sister wrote that he obsessively studied philosophy books when younger, so even if he didn't attend a school, he was very well educated.

I have forgiven him for the time I took out of my life in following this religion that he started.

The ridiculous mess of succession, and "covenant breaking" in his family serves to show that the religion was flawed from the beginning.

Just my opinion... I hope it helps explain my feelings about Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith.

https://old.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/2esca7/regarding_baháulláhs_actions/cmjk2zh/

One exBahai writes about Baha'u'llah being a "prolific writer" and the "biblical prophecy" of Baha'u'llah

Baha'u'llah, Personal Observations No comments

In response to Baha'u'llah being a prolific writer, if you look at other prolific writers you'll notice many of them have something in common, repetition. They find a formula that works and stick to it. I don't think Baha'u'llah is an exception to this. I find that he says the same things over and over.

I also do not put much stock in prophecy because they are so vague that it's not too hard to fulfill them, for example the entire book of Revelations. Or, right now I'm looking at The Half-Inch Prophecy by William Sears. The prophecy he's talking about is from the Bible. It reads, "In that day also he shall come even to thee from As-syr-i-a, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain." So all you have to do is find a guy who has been to all of these places and you've fulfilled a prophecy. To explain the Assyria part, William Sears says, "Baha'u'llah's enforced journey took Him to Baghdad which was once in the ancient kingdom of Assyria." He didn't even come from there, he was just there for a little while. I have a problem with this type of truth investigation. You pick your conclusion and then you go looking for supporting evidence. That doesn't make much logical sense to me.

https://old.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/2esca7/regarding_baháulláhs_actions/ck3ht6b/

Baha'i resembles a cult in many ways.

Personal Observations No comments

Baha'i resembles a cult in many ways. I've studied cults and their mind control techniques.

1) Information control - Baha'i is big on this. For example, making Baha'is afraid to listen to covenant breakers or read what they wrote. Baha'is are not trusted to make up their own minds and independent thinking is not allowed... plus there's the right of review for published materials.

2) Emotional control - Causing Baha'is to be afraid of breaking Baha'i law or any kind of disobedience.. and ostracizing them if they are imperfect, sanctioning them and excluding them.

3) Thought control - Use of Baha'i prayer-book prayers instead of encouraging people to communicate directly with God. I believe God loves us and wants to have a conversation with us - not just listen to us read from books.

I believe there are many elements of mind control in the Baha'i Faith. Even now, more than ten years after I left the religion, I still struggle to overcome the programming.

Baha'u'llah also threatened those who leave the religion - a common cult practice. At the end of the Kitab-i-Iqan you'll find this:

"We conclude Our argument with His words—exalted is He—'And whoso shall withdraw from the remembrance of the Merciful, We will chain a Satan unto him, and he shall be his fast companion.' 'And whoso turneth away from My remembrance, truly his shall be a life of misery.' " (you can Google the "Kitab-i-Iqan" ... look at the last page for that... he is quoting the prophet of Islam)

The Bab had assured his followers that he could not be put to death - bullets could have no power over him.

Bab No comments

At length some of the more restless spirits, contrary, it is said, to the counsel of the Bab, raised the standard of rebellion against the Persian Government. The suppression of this rebellion severely taxed the powers of the Government; but in the end it was suppressed, and its leaders put to death. The Bab also, though he had taken no part in the insurrection, was arrested, tried, and executed. He had, it is again said, assured his followers that he could not be put to death - bullets could have no power over him. The failure of these assurances did not, however, shake the faith of his adherents.

Twenty years have now passed since this death of the founder of the sect, but in the mean time, the number of its adherents, as they claim, is continually increasing.

(Bliss, Rev. Edwin. E. "Bab and Babism" Missionary Herald (Cambridge, Mass.), vol. 65, May, 1869 146-148)

https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/index/diglib/articles.htm

Altogether, more than 200,000 worldwide have completed Book 1 of the Ruhi Institute

Converting People, House of Justice (UHJ) No comments

While inadequate to express the full significance of the developments taking place, the statistics suggest something of the scope of what is being achieved. The human resources of the Faith have steadily multiplied. Altogether, more than 200,000 worldwide have completed Book 1 of the Ruhi Institute, and many thousands have reached the level where they can effectively act as tutors of the study circles that, with increasing frequency, are held in every part of the globe, over 10,000 at the last count. The number of seekers engaged in the core activities has continued to climb, crossing the 100,000 mark several months ago. Meanwhile, some 150 clusters have developed to the point that intensive programs of growth either have been launched or stand ready to be initiated. There is every indication that this number will be substantially surpassed by the end of the Plan.

(The Universal House of Justice, Riḍván 2005)

Rashid Ridá's encounter with the Baha'i faith in Egypt

Godhood, Juan Cole, Sunni No comments

Rashid Ridá, then a student in Tripoli, read the al-Muqtataf article and with a group of friends wrote a letter to Gulpáygání protesting its contents. This was the beginning of Ridá's antipathy to the Bahá'í Faith. Later, when he arrived in Cairo, he met with Gulpáygání and was unhappy with the latter's exposition of the divinity of Bahá'u'lláh. As a strict Sunní Muslim, Ridá was unable or unwilling to understand the doctrine of theophany (zuhuru'lláh) preached by the Bahá'ís. It smacked to him of incarnationism and seemed to make the Bahá'í Faith far more similar to Christianity than to the transcendalist faith of Islám.

Juan R.I. Cole. "Muhammad `Abduh and Rashid Rida: A Dialogue on the Baha'i Faith." World Order Vol. 15, nos. 3-4 (Spring/Summer 1981):7-16.

https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/articles/A-E/cole/abduh/abduh.htm

Abdul Baha would attend Muhammad 'Abduh's study sessions

Abdul-Baha, Education, Islam, Juan Cole, Sunni No comments

He [Rashid Ridá] says that when 'Abduh [one of the key figures of Islamic Modernism and the Salafi movement, also an opponent of the Ottoman ulama] was living in Beirut (presumably in the late 1880s) 'Abdu'l-Bahá more than once came to Beirut from Haifa and would make a point of attending some of Muḥammad 'Abduh's study sessions. Bahá'í sources, however, speak of only one encounter between 'Abdu'l-Bahá and 'Abduh, and the matter of how intimate the two men were bears more investigation. After 'Abduh returned to Cairo, he continued to correspond with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Ridá said that he had in his possession some of the latter's letters to 'Abduh.

Juan R.I. Cole. "Muhammad `Abduh and Rashid Rida: A Dialogue on the Baha'i Faith." World Order Vol. 15, nos. 3-4 (Spring/Summer 1981):7-16.

https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/articles/A-E/cole/abduh/abduh.htm

"it is impossible to treat multiple wives equally."

Abdul-Baha, Marriage No comments

"Prior to the Revelation of the Prophet Muhammad, the Apostle of God (may the blessings of God rest upon Him), the practice of polygamy was so prevalent among the Arabs that it would not have been possible to enjoin monogamy on them all of a sudden. This notwithstanding, the Prophet Muhammad declared that if a man was incapable of treating all four of his wives equally, he would need to choose just one of them to be his wife." It is clear from this verse that, in reality, it is the practice of monogamy which is allowable and acceptable in the sight of God, since it is impossible to treat multiple wives equally."

(Mirza Mahmud Zarqani, Mahmud's Diary, volume two, Abdu'l-Baha in Europe, 1912-1913, translated by Adib Masumian, George Ronald, Oxford, 2024, footnote, p. 246)

Baha'u'llah's influence

Baha'u'llah, Loyalty, Story No comments

"Among 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visitors that morning, according to Sohrab, was the Intizamu's-Saltanih, for whom He related this story:

"There was a Mirza Fadlu'lláh who was looking for a government appointment. He came one day to the Blessed Perfection and begged Him to use His influence before the secretary of one of the departments so that he may become appointed as a clerk. As he was a good and able man this was done and the next day the man took his position as a clerk. Now it so happened that the name of the chief clerk was also Mírzá Fadlu'lláh and as he was an old man he soon died. By sheer audacity the first man took on his own initiative the place of the chief clerk because of the identity of the names, he signed all the documents and were taken to His Majesty for royal approval. Without noticing the change, the Sháh approved the papers and after that the man filled this important position for many years and few knew of the change of personality."

(Mirza Mahmud Zarqani, Mahmud's Diary, volume two, Abdu'l-Baha in Europe, 1912-1913, translated by Adib Masumian, George Ronald, Oxford, 2024, footnote, p. 656)

Shoghi Effendi created the IBC to succeed him as his successor!

Guardianship, Shoghi Effendi No comments

The mystery of Shoghi creating the IBC as his successor as I claimed in my previous statement is found within the last Will & Testament of Abdul-Baha himself. Let me carefully explain. First, if you notice, Abdul-Baha’s last Will & Testament is primarily written in the Persian language. But, there are times where he switches up & writes certain words in Arabic. There’s a divine wisdom & reason for this.

You see, the Persian language in comparison with Arabic is more simple, straightforward & less multi-faceted. Thus, by a person choosing to write a certain word in Arabic, it could mean several things. When Abdul-Baha is speaking about the guardian appointing his successor in his Will, he says & I quote:

“It is incumbent upon the guardian of the cause of God to appoint in his lifetime “him” that shall become his successor, that differences shall not arise after his passing.”

The Arabic equivalent of the word “Him” is HOVA. This word can mean different things such as “he that” or “him” or “that which.” In other words, it can refer to a person or an institution, which is exactly what the IBC was that Shoghi created. By Shoghi being the appointed divine interpreter of the Bahai Holy writ, he knew that both Bahaullah & Abdul-Baha were instructing him to appoint an institution rather than a person as his successor in order to set up the test that was to immediately go into effect after his passing. If you recall, Shoghi himself warned on multiple occasions in his cablegrams that a severe test would soon encompass the entire Baha’i world. He gave these warnings just two years before his death after he established the IBC with all 9 members.

This test was a test of faith to prove if the Baha’i’s really believed in the words of their Holy writ, especially where it states that the guardian is infallible & that everything that he says & does is of God & that there will always be successive guardians throughout the entire Baha’i dispensation.

In fact, to clearly prove that Shoghi was well aware of this duty of selecting a successor during his lifetime & that he clearly fulfilled that duty by creating the IBC, he states in his cablegram, dated January 9th, 1951, that the creation of the IBC was the greatest event, shedding luster upon the second epoch of the formative age of the Bahai dispensation, & was unsurpassed by any enterprise undertaken.

He also stated that its creation ranked second only to the events associated with the ministries of the Bab, Abdul-Baha & Bahaullah. Think about that. It ranked “SECOND ONLY.” So, by him stating that, the IBC he created was obviously very important & wasn’t supposed to be dissolved by Ruhiyyih & the hands. So, when you compare their actions against Shoghi’s words, it clearly proves that what they did was clearly against God.

Also, in his book “God Passes By” on page 324, Shoghi clearly states that the same spirit that was in the Bab, Bahaullah & Abdul-Baha, incarnated itself in Bahai institutions. Was not the IBC that Shoghi created a Bahai institution? So, if Shoghi said that the same spirit that was in the Bab, Bahaullah & Abdul incarnated itself in that institution, then that obviously means that that same institution can serve as his successor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_LbwjGKXKc&lc=UgykXDPQIIUA28XMWhV4AaABAg.99Ln_S9FNGaA7JAoH2afuF

if a king violates to the extent of one atom he shall be cut off immediately.

Abdul-Baha, Covenant, Covenant-Breakers No comments

The confirmation of the Kingdom of Abhá' shall descend uninterruptedly upon those souls who are firm in the Covenant. Thou hast well observed that every firm one is assisted and aided and every violator is degraded, humiliated and lost... This Covenant is the Covenant of His Holiness Baha'u'llah. Now its importance is not known befittingly, but in the future it shall attain to such a degree of importance that if a king violates to the extent of one atom he shall be cut off immediately.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablet, Star of West, Vol. IV, p. 240)

Abdul Baha "revealing" Tablets!

Abdul-Baha, Covenant, Infallibility No comments

“Once ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was freed from His many daily engagements, He would call Aqa Mirza Nuru’d-Diin and begin dictating divine verses. At the same time, previously revealed Tablets were presented to ‘Abdu’l-Baha for His review, correction and signature. Here, He wrote in His own hand while simultaneously dictating verses, for He was the essential reality of the phrase ‘One task does not distract Him from another’; mental confusion had no meaning at that threshold.

However, it was also necessary at this hour for the many pilgrims – who were scattered all over ‘Akká, some at the pilgrim house, some in the reception room downstairs and yet others in the streets and bazaars, all longingly waiting – to be given the opportunity of attaining the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In this way, while relishing the joys of reunion they could also benefit from the wisdom of His words revealed in response to various complex questions.

Having been summoned to His presence, they would arrive and take their seats. After bestowing on each His expressions of love and greeting, He would again begin to reveal divine verses, at times uttering the words simply and distinctly in a powerful and commanding voice, at other times chanting the verses in that same melodious and heavenly tone which He used to chant Baha’u’llah’s Tablet of Visitation.

“ . . . this warm and tender gathering, this retreat of love, was often disrupted by the arrival of non-Baha’is, for the door of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s house was open to all: no doorkeeper or watchman blocked the way to any guest.

Suddenly two or more guests would enter. If they were not enemies of the Cause, they would be received warmly by the Master with the words, ‘Welcome, welcome. How are you?’ After imparting His expressions of love and greeting to each, the revelation of verses would begin again and that spiritual state would return. However, if they were not worthy, or if the number of people exceeded the capacity of the room, then with the words, ‘Go in the care of God,’ ‘Abdu’l-Baha would give permission for the friends to leave and would then return to His work. This is how Tablets were revealed when dictated to a secretary.

https://bahai-library.com/afroukhteh_velasco_portrait_abdul-baha

More Ahmadiyah Muslims than Baha'is

Converting People, Personal Observations No comments

In 125 years since their inception the Ahmadiyah claim to have spread to over 200 countries worldwide with millions of adherents. They claim to run over 15000 mosques and 1000 schools from one end of the earth to the other providing secular education to children of all backgrounds. They say they have founded over 300 hospitals open to people of every creed and persuasion, and they often do not charge a single penny to those who cannot afford it. They are providing social services to humanity and are actually serving humanity. What have the Baha'is ever done of similar scope?

I don't like the Ahmadiyah doctrine and consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani to have been a false claimant. But I give the Ahmadiyah Muslims all the kudos in the world for walking their talk and providing social services around the world to needy people. This is how they have grown and spread, and not by building meglomanical architecture to themselves on colonized land.

And this is why when Bahaism is finally flushed down the toilet of history in all of its iterations, the Ahmadiyah will continue to thrive and grow.

So Baha'is can rant and rave all they want about their f-ed up "covenant" and its founder. They can delusionally congratulate themselves for falsely believing they are the greatest thing since sliced bread until the cows come home (which they aren't). Words are cheap! The Ahmadiyah Muslims have let deeds and not empty words be their adorning, and the people of Hot Air (Baha) have got nothing - f*ck all! - here to compete against them for recruitment.

-Wahid Azal

https://old.reddit.com/r/FreeSpeechBahai/comments/1esklcq/more_ahmadiyah_muslims_than_bahais/

This law is binding on Persian believers

Baha'i Law, Marriage No comments

"…the Universal House of Justice instructs us to say that according to its ruling, the law of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas that the lapse of time between engagement and marriage should not exceed ninety-five days, is binding on Persian believers wherever they reside, if both parties are Persian. This law is not applicable, however, if one of the parties is a western believer."

-Lights of Guidance (second part)

https://bahai-library.com/hornby_lights_guidance_2&chapter=3/

Baha'u'llah laments being surrounded by the Jews of Israel

Israel No comments

"This Holy Land hath been mentioned and extolled in all the sacred Scriptures. In it have appeared the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones. This is the wilderness in which all the Messengers of God have wandered, from which their cry, "Here am I, here am I, O my God" was raised. This is the promised Land in which He Who is the Revelation of God was destined to be made manifest. This is the Vale of God's unsearchable decree, the snow-white Spot, the Land of unfading splendor. Whatever hath come to pass in this Day hath been foretold in the Scriptures of old. These same Scriptures, however, unanimously condemn the people that inhabit this land. They have, at one time, been stigmatized as the "generation of vipers." Behold how this wronged One is now, whilst surrounded by a "generation of vipers," calling aloud and summoning all men to Him Who is the world's Ultimate Desire, the Summit and Day Spring of Glory. Happy is the man that hath hearkened to the voice of Him Who is the Lord of the Kingdom of Utterance, and woe betide the heedless, they that have strayed far from His truth."

https://bahai-library.com/writings/bahaullah/gwb/164.html

"generation of vipers" is a reference to Bible verses such as this:

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

-Matthew 3:7

Clearly the generation of vipers is the Jews.

Bahá’u’lláh says ‘Soon will a foul odor be spread; shun it...

Baha'u'llah, Covenant-Breakers No comments

“O thou dear maid-servant of God!

“Thy letter was received and the contents became known. Thou hast asked some questions; that why the blessed and spiritual souls who are firm and steadfast, shun the company of degenerate persons. This is because that just as the bodily diseases, like consumption and cancer, are contagious, likewise, the spiritual diseases are also infectious. If a consumptive should associate with a thousand safe and healthy persons, the safety and health of these thousand persons would not affect the consumptive and would not cure him of his consumption. But when the consumptive associates with those thousand souls, in a short time the disease of consumption will infect a number of those healthy persons. This is a clear and self—evident question.

“Likewise, if a thousand magnanimous persons associate with a degraded one, the perfection of those souls will not affect this debased person. On the contrary, this mean person will be the cause of their going astray. Therefore, His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh says in the Tablets: ‘Soon will a foul odor be spread; shun it, so commandeth the Omniscient and the Wise. That is, in that city a stinking odor will soon be spread. You should avoid it. So are ye commanded by His Holiness, the Knower and the Wise.’ That foul odor is that of violation. Also in the Tablet of Advice He says: ‘Now, do not neglect your Sower, Protector and Educator; and do not choose and prefer others to Him, lest foul and poisonous Winds should pass over you.’

“His Holiness Christ says that the owner of the garden does not leave the dried tree, but certainly cuts it and throws it into the fire, because the dried Wood is Worthy and deserving of fire. Again, His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh says: ‘Then, O ye trees of the blessed garden of My bestowal, protect ye yourselves from the poison of the treacherous souls and stinking Winds, which are the association of the polytheist and the negligent ones, so that the trees of existence, through the bounty of the Worshipped [One] be not deprived of the blessed breaths and breezes of love.’ ”

- Star of the West, Vol. XII, pp. 233, 234..

https://bahai.works/index.php?title=File:World_Order_Vol8_Issue8.pdf&page=28

Abdul Baha's prayer for the Baha'is - shield them from the doubts of the violators and the evil suggestions of the waverers

Abdul-Baha, Covenant-Breakers No comments

O my Lord! O my Lord! Intoxicate them with the wine of knowledge; sweeten their tastes with the delicacies of prayer in the early morn and eve; gather them together in one congregation; confer upon them a shelter; protect them in the cave of thy Covenant and thy Testament; shield them from the doubts of the violators and the evil suggestions of the waverers; make them mines of knowledge, wisdom and assurance; cause their feet to be firm and steadfast in the straight pathway and grant unto them prosperity in whatever country they call the people to thy Name! Verily, thou art the Lord of the Cause, and thou are powerful to do whatsoever thou desirest!

(Words of Abdul-Baha: From Diary of Mirza Sohrab, July 18, 1913.)

https://bahai.works/Star_of_the_West/Volume_8/Issue_16/Text

most terrible of all punishments

Covenant-Breakers, Punishment, Will & Testament No comments

... most terrible of all punishments described by the Master in His Will when He wrote:

‘Should any, within or without the company of the Hands of the Cause of God disobey and seek division, the wrath of God and His vengeance will be upon him, for he will have caused a breach in the true Faith of God.’

(“Guard Ye the Cause of God” A Message from the Hands of the Faith Residing in the Holy Land)

https://bahai.works/Bahá’í_News/Issue_353/Text

Undoubtedly the unworthy souls must be shunned

Abdul-Baha, Covenant-Breakers No comments

“O thou who are firm in the Covenant:

“Your letter was received. You have Written that some of the waverers had written to me and that I had written answers to them; [and] that some have taken this as a proof that association with the waverers is permissible. This is the essence of error! For ‘Abdu’l-Bahá corresponds with all the people, even with the enemies. This emanates from his mercy and not from their merit.

“One of the Women of Chicago has written me a letter . . . an answer has been written and enclosed. . . . Read this to the Spiritual Assembly . . . then give it to her and know this is the standard. Undoubtedly the unworthy souls must be shunned, otherwise the morals will be entirely corrupted.”

- Star of the West, vol. XII, pp. 232, 234.

https://bahai.works/World_Order/Volume_8/Issue_8/Text

These few nakazeen cannot accomplish anything worth while.

Abdul-Baha, America (United States), Covenant-Breakers No comments

“O thou divine servant! ...

“Convey the wonderful Abhá greeting to the believers. Chicago, in comparison with the cities of America, was in advance and numerically contained more Bahá’í's. But when the stench (vile odor) of the nakazeen [violators of the Covenant] was spread in that city there was stagnation. The Cause in other cities of America is progressing day unto day, but Chicago is stationary. Therefore, strive that the sweet fragrance of the Testament and Covenant may become diffused, the nostrils of the spiritual ones become perfumed, the banner of ‘Ya—Baha’u’l—Abhá!’ be unfurled, and the tent of the oneness of the world of humanity be pitched. Then ye shall observe that Chicago will become the Paradise of Abhá. These few nakazeen cannot accomplish anything worth while. The utmost is this that they will be the means of the drooping of the believers of God in that city. A person deprived of the spirit of the Covenant is [judged and] sentenced as dead. Therefore, breathe the spirit of the Covenant and Testament as much as ye can in the hearts so that the souls may progress day unto day and obtain a new exhilaration.”

-Star of the West, vol. XI, p. 319

https://bahai.works/World_Order/Volume_8/Issue_8/Text

They must suffer to awaken.

America (United States), Pilgrims' Notes, Punishment, Shoghi Effendi No comments

After the coming calamity the United States will fulfill the prophecy that the United States will suffer, then it will lead all the nations spiritually. He said that he has given up warning the friends, as they paid no heed to either the warnings of Abdu'l-Bahá nor to Shoghi Effendi. They must suffer to awaken.

https://bahai-library.com/moffett_pilgrims_notes

Mirza 'Ali-Akbar saved the Cause!

Covenant-Breakers, Mirza Aqa Jan No comments

This person was none other than Mirza 'Ali-Akbar, the son of Mishkin Qalam. It was he who had saved the day by informing 'Abdu'l-Bahá of Mirza Aqa Jan's intention to announce a claim as Guardian of the Faith. Had he been able to do so, there would have followed-as the Covenant-breakers hoped-a major confrontation between them and the believers, and this would have necessitated the intervention of Tabur Aqasi, 'Akka's Chief of Police, who had been monitoring events from the upper window of the Mansion and along with his cohorts was prepared to charge and make arrests-and in so doing inflict irreparable damage on the reputation of the Faith. This would have brought about the ultimate realization of the well-laid plans of the Covenant-breakers, of which more will be said in a future chapter.

Another reason for Mirza 'Ali-Akbar's happy mood was his discovery and appropriation of the Covenant-breaker materials found on the person of Mirza Aqa Jan. When he had pursued Mirza Aqa Jan into the Shrine and heard him shouting and cursing, he had grabbed him. But at that very moment, 'Abdu'l-Bahá arrived on the scene and prevented him from continuing the confrontation. However, while they wrestled, some papers fell out from under Mirza Aqa Jan's 'aba; these were quickly recovered by Mirza 'Ali-Akbar and shown to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The Master in turn ordered a thorough search of all his pockets; during this a bundle of Covenant-breaker materials were discovered, and now lay on the table in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's biruni. The Master opened the papers. There were about one to two man of crumpled, torn and twisted papers, all bearing writing either in pencil or ink and most of them signed and sealed. Each sheet was addressed to a renowned devoted believer in a style similar to that of the Tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, except in an indignant and angry tone and containing among other things insulting references to the Master. A few of the papers were read; these gave an idea of the nature and intent of the rest of the batch. After that, the meeting ended, the gathering dispersed and we returned to the pilgrim house.

(Memories of Nine Years in Akka by Youness Khan Afroukhteh, Oxford: George Ronald, 1952/2003)

https://bahai-library.com/afroukhteh_nine_years_akka

Mirza Aqa Jan was induced to lay an independent claim to divine inspiration.

Abdul-Baha, Covenant-Breakers, Mirza Aqa Jan No comments

And so they [the CBs] secretly established communication with him and encouraged him to rebel. As previously mentioned, having deceived him, the Covenant-breakers instructed and trained him, fed his ego and on the strength of his eminent position as the recorder of the verses of revelation received by Bahá'u'lláh, induced him to lay an independent claim to divine inspiration. Their purpose, of course, was provocation-to create chaos in the hope that it would lead to a full-scale rebellion against the Faith.

The foolish Mirza Aqa Jan then spent a great deal of time preparing letters containing a description of the dream he had concocted, in which he claimed to have been admitted into the presence of Bahá'u'lláh and through divine revelation and inspiration to have received and written down words expressing God's indignation and outrage. It was these messages that he had planned to send to various devoted believers. In one case he claimed that he had received directly from heaven a Tablet inscribed in green ink commanding him to rescue the Faith from the clutches of the infidels. The writings contained the same accusations and insults hurled at 'Abdu'l-Bahá by the Covenant-breakers, except in much harsher and more venomous language.

He had planned to hand over these papers to the Covenant-breakers on the day of the anticipated revolt. Their intention was to copy the contents in the hand of Mirza Majdu'd-Din, who had been Bahá'u'lláh's amanuensis during the latter part of His life, and then disseminate them among the friends. That is why, on this day, he was carrying the papers under his 'aba, fastened around his waist.

(Memories of Nine Years in Akka by Youness Khan Afroukhteh, Oxford: George Ronald, 1952/2003)

https://bahai-library.com/afroukhteh_nine_years_akka

At the time of the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, Mirza Aqa Jan had already been expelled

Covenant-Breakers, Mirza Aqa Jan No comments

At the time of the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, Mirza Aqa Jan had already been expelled from the Faith and was unwelcome in Bahá'í circles. He lived a life of general misery and disgrace.

(Memories of Nine Years in Akka by Youness Khan Afroukhteh, Oxford: George Ronald, 1952/2003)

https://bahai-library.com/afroukhteh_nine_years_akka

Africans are all like wild savages and land-dwelling animals

Abdul-Baha, Africa, Racism No comments

"Also, observe that if the human species is deprived of education and training, it becomes poisonous. For what is the difference between African natives and American natives? These [African natives] are like cows that God has created in the form of humans, uncivilized and without intelligence and culture, while even in this journey, in the gatherings, schools, and churches of the blacks in Washington, detailed conversations like those of European intellectuals were taking place. So what is the difference between these two types of blacks except for one being in the lowest depths of ignorance and the other at the height of civilization?"

(Khiṭábát-i-Ḥaḍrat-i-ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, vol. 3, p. 48.)

"The inhabitants of a land like Africa are all like wild savages and land-dwelling animals that lack common-sense and knowledge. There is not a single wise and civilized person among them."

(Makatib-e Abdu’l-Bahá, volume 1, page 331 (published in Egypt))

Both quotes translated from Persian to English by ChatGPT.

dependent upon their connection with Abdul-Baha; for through Him and through Him only, can they receive the spiritual force

Abdul-Baha, Covenant, Infallibility No comments

The Bahai Faith is THE COVENANT which is in this day established upon the earth, and Abdul-Baha is The Center of this COVENANT. From him all members of it receive spiritual force and sustenance.

As the organs which make up the physical body of man are dependent upon connection with the heart in order that they may receive life force, so are the believers—composing the spiritual body of The Faith—dependent upon their connection with Abdul-Baha; for through Him and through Him only, can they receive the spiritual force and sustenance necessary for their growth and development in The Kingdom.

(SERVICE IN THE KINGDOM, This article was approved by The Center of the Covenant, and some copies in both English and Persian were spread in 1906.)

https://bahai.works/Star_of_the_West/Volume_4/Issue_14/Text

The National Assembly is the guardian of the welfare of the Faith

Covenant, NSA, Punishment No comments

The National Assembly is the guardian of the welfare of the Faith, a most sacred and heavy responsibility and one which is inescapable. They must be ever vigilant, ever on the look-out, ever ready to take action, and, on all matters of fundamental principle, refuse to compromise for an instant. Only in this way can the body of the Faith be free of disease.

(From a letter dated 14 August 1957 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/compilations/national-spiritual-assembly/national-spiritual-assembly.xhtml

full equality between men and women

House of Justice (UHJ), Women No comments

In the 1995 statement The Prosperity of Humankind the Bahá’í International Community identified “a commitment to the establishment of full equality between men and women, in all departments of life and at every level of society” as “central to the success of efforts to conceive and implement a strategy of global development.”

(Bahá’í World, v. 27, p. 241)

According to the Unitarian Baha'is, this text was fabricated by Abdul Baha

Abdul-Baha, Covenant, Muhammed Ali (Ghusn), Personal Observations No comments

Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh by Bahá’u’lláh
Lawḥ-i-Arḍ-i-Bá (Tablet of the Land of Bá)
https://bahai.works/Tablets_of_Bahá’u’lláh/Tablet_of_the_Land_of_Bá

According to the Unitarian Baha'is, this text was fabricated by Abdul Baha:

Abbas Effendi himself made alterations in one of the Servant’s letters to Muhammad Mustafa of Baghdad in Beirut, that is to say added to it and diminished from it, saying that it was a tablet which the Lord had revealed to him.

-Mirza Jawad Gazvini

Abbas Effendi’s family produced a paper which at first they claimed was written by the servant of Baha’u’llah, Khadimu’llah, and sent to the Greatest Branch when he was at Beirut. Later they claimed it to be one of the utterances of Baha’u’llah and called it the “Tablet of Beirut.” But Khadimu’llah, the servant of Baha’u’llah, denies that it ever was written by him and says that it is not one of the utterances of Baha’u’llah. Abbas Effendi does his utmost to impress his followers with a belief in the authenticity of this document.

-Ibrahim Kheiralla

Whoso awaiteth a Revelation after Me is of the lost. After Me, O people, cleave ye to the Aghṣán. After the Aghṣán, a lofty station hath been ordained for Mírzá Áqá Ján

Baha'u'llah, Covenant, Loyalty, Mirza Aqa Jan, Muhammed Ali (Ghusn), Provisional Translation No comments

Whoso awaiteth a Revelation after Me is of the lost. He who will appear after a thousand [years] shall speak in My Name, and in Mustagháth will come unto you Him Who shall bear witness to Me that I am God, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. None can comprehend this Revelation except to a certain degree. His knowledge embraceth all things.

After Me, O people, cleave ye to the Aghṣán that have branched out from this Ancient Root. Through them shall the fragrances of My garment waft throughout the world, yet none shall discover them save every steadfast believer. It behoveth you, O people of Bahá, to remain firm in the Cause of God under all circumstances. Take heed that ye not follow every wicked fool.

After the Aghṣán, a lofty station hath been ordained for the servant who attendeth the Throne. [Mírzá Áqá Ján] It befitteth you to show respect to the people in Whose midst appeared the Best-Beloved of the worlds [The Bab] from among them that have believed in God, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Thus hath it been revealed in the Bayán and also in this luminous Tablet. He who turneth away from them is of those who are in grevious misbelief. Such a one would indeed be of them that are utterly lost, unless he repenteth. He is, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

(A Tablet of Baha’u’llah that Mentions the Next Manifestation of God)

https://adibmasumian.com/translations/bh03560/

Thornton Chase's poem for Abdul Baha

Abdul-Baha No comments

Thornton Chase, the first American convert to the Bahá'í Faith to remain in the religion, wrote a poem to 'Abdu'l-Bahá.

From Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 11, pp. 187–8.

TO THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT: ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.

May the Souls of all Mankind be a Sacrifice to Him!

O THOU David of the Promised Kingdom of GOD!

Thou Princely Leader of all Humanity!

Thou Warrior against the Tribes of Infidelity!

Thou Conqueror of Darkness and Radiator of Light!

Thou Bearer of the Banner of Divine Peace and Prosperity to the Nations!

Thou First Born in the Kingdom of Baha! Beloved of GOD and Men!

Thou First Citizen of the Royal and Holy City!

Thou Branch of the LORD, Beautiful and Glorious!

Thou Greatest Branch from the Ancient Root!

Thou Fruit-bearing Branch of the Divine Tree!

Thou Host of the Divine Table!

Thou Cup-Bearer of the Divine Knowledge!

Thou Diffuser of the Holy Fragrances!

Thou Interpreter of the Revealed Word!

Thou Liver of the Bahai Law!

Thou Establisher of the New Jerusalem descended from the Heaven of the Will of God!

Thou Builder of the Temple of the LORD!

Thou Light of the City of GOD!

Thou Brilliant Moon reflecting the Sun's full Disc of Splendor!

Thou Enlightener of the Spirits of Men!

Thou Heart of the World, sending the Blood of Truth through the arteries of Humanity!

Thou Physician of Souls, raising the dead to Life by the Elixir of the Word!

Thou Possessor of the Philosopher's Stone!

Thou Master of Transmutation!

Thou Kindler of Love and Life in the Heart of Humanity!

Thou Ambassador of Heaven and the Manifestation of Righteousness!

Thou King of servitude and Defender of the Faith!

Thou Temple of the Divine Testimony!

Thou Witness and Aim of THE COVENANT!

Thou Prince of Peace and Ensign of United Humanity!

Thou Guide of mortals to Immortality!

Thou Pathfinder of the Right Way, and Conductor of man from Earth to Heaven!

Thou Lover of GOD and Man; Exemplar of the New Humanity!

Thou Shepherd of the Sheep, and Shelter of the Birds of the Air!

Thou Keeper of the Vineyard, and Trainer of the Children of GOD!

Thou Servant of the Highest, declared by Isaiah!

Thou Right Arm of the Mighty, proclaimed by Israel!

Thou Holy One in the Hand of GOD!

Thou Lord of the Sabbath of Ages!

Thou Unique One of the Millennial Age!

Thou Lion of the Tribe of Judah!

Thou Lamb of the sacrificial Love!

Thou Baptizer of Evanescence!

Thou Sum of Spiritual and Human Perfections!

Thou MYSTERY OF GOD!

Reveal Thyself to those who can bear the Knowledge!

This grain of human dust, stirred by the Breath of the Spirit, longs for Thy

Presence, for the Life-giving touch of Thy Glorious Love. These captives of

Love yearn for Thy Nearness! These ignorant ones seek Thy instruction. These isolated ones hope for the Unity of Thy Meeting. These helpless ones trust in Thine Attraction to awaken the hearts of their friends and relatives.

O my Beloved! What can we say but to praise Thee; to thank GOD for Thee, His Greatest Gift to man; to implore Thee to pray for His Mercy upon these impotent ones, His Strength for these powerless ones, His Guidance for those erring ones, His Guard to protect us from ourselves!

Teach us to serve. Guide us in the paths of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Unite us in mutual purpose and aim, and grant us the favor of Thy personal Presence and Voice.

(SIGNED) THORNTON CHASE.

August 9, 1912, San Francisco, California.

How Abdul Baha became the greatest example in the Bahá'í Faith?

Abdul-Baha, Covenant-Breakers, Money No comments

You will remember that `Abdu'l-Bahá had been surrounded by Covenant-breakers.

Whatever material benefit would come to `Abdu'l-Bahá he would feed these Covenant-breaker with these things, and still they wanted more.

He fed them so perhaps they would keep quiet and no longer be dangerous for the Cause of God, and would not display themselves more than they had done in His time.

Because of this great nature that `Abdu'l-Bahá had, He became the greatest example in the Bahá'í Faith in the history of this Cause of God.

(Talks given by Hand of the Cause of God ‘Abu-l-Qasim Faizí, Excerpt from: "Conqueror of Hearts ")

Peter Khan warns the believers in North America

House of Justice (UHJ), Personal Observations No comments

The first sort of fear which Peter Khan inspires in his speech is a fear of people, a sense of danger posed by flesh and blood human beings. In his address, Peter Khan warns the believers in North America that we are threatened by men and women within our own communities. He says that "dangerous forces" and "insidious influences" are at work within society at large. But the greatest danger comes not from outside the faith, he explains, but from Baha’is themselves. He tells us that "nefarious elements" menace the faith and "seek to undermine it from within." He quotes Shoghi Effendi warning of "the far more dangerous attacks, the insidious attacks of... people inside the Faith who have no real attachment to the Cause."

(Brendan Cook)

https://bahaisonline.net/entries-by-category/26-brendan-cooks-column/312-response-to-peter-khans-talk-qthe-tests-of-the-westq

Reality magazine

America (United States), Censorship, Denis MacEoin, Shoghi Effendi No comments

'Reality' was a Baha'i magazine produced in New York between 1919 and 1929. During the ten years of its existence, it changed its style and contents dramatically, serving first as an organ for articles on Baha'ism and related topics, then (1923-1926) as a vehicle for attacks on the new Baha'i organization being built up by Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, and finally becoming a general magazine with little reference to Baha'i matters.

-Denis MacEoin

Source: Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 13, No. 1 (1986), pp. 85- 91
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/194982

The first Baha'i missionary in the USA

America (United States), Converting People, Denis MacEoin No comments

Ibrahim Kheiralla, was the first Baha'i missionary to travel to the West, arriving in Chicago in 1893 and winning his first converts in the following year. Something of an eccentric, Kheiralla -- a Syrian who was a member of the first graduating class of the American University in Beirut (then the Syrian Protestant College) in 1870 -- presented a curiously garbled version of Baha'ism to his growing circle of American devotees, and it was his often idiosyncratic views that dominated the early years of the religion in the United States. In due course, he clashed with more orthodox Baha'i teachers and finally with 'Abd al-Baha' 'Abbas, the head of the movement, thereby precipitating a major split in the early American community.

-Denis MacEoin

Source: Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 13, No. 1 (1986), pp. 85- 91
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/194982

The Bábí movement developed out of a school of Twelver Shiism known as Shaykhism, Mírzá Husayn 'Alí took as his Bábí title the divine name Bahá' (Splendor).

Baha'u'llah, Shaykh Ahmad, Shi'ih, Tahirih, War No comments

The Bábí movement developed out of a school of Twelver Shiism known as Shaykhism, so called after its founder Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsá'í (d. 1826), which contained millenarian emphases. Many prominent Bábís were converts from Shaykhism which came under the leadership of Sayyid Kázim Rashtí, al-Ahsá'í's successor….

Mírzá Husayn 'Alí quickly became a prominent figure in the Bábí movement, and increasingly played a low-key leadership role after the government's incarceration of the Báb in Azerbaijan in 1847. When the Báb declared himself the Qá'im, the messianic return of the Twelth Imám, Bahá'u'lláh organized a conference of Bábí leaders in the hamlet of Badasht to publicize this claim and obtain a consensus about it. There, the Bábí disciple and poetess, Țáhirah Qurratu'l-'Ayn, scandalized some of the faithful by casting aside her veil to symbolize the advent of a new dispensation. At this conference, Mírzá Husayn 'Alí took as his Bábí title the divine name Bahá' (Splendor). In the late 1840s, fighting broke out between Bábís and Shí'ís in Mazandaran, Zanján and Nayríz. Bahá'u'lláh was not present when government troops besieged the shrine of Shaykh Ṭabarsí in Mazandaran, where hundreds of Bábís had gathered, because Shí'í adversaries imprisoned him in the town of Amul. They at length released him, but they stripped him of at least some of his property.

(From Iran East and West, edited by Juan Ricardo Cole, Moojan Momen)

https://books.google.com/books?id=7xbzoJ5wFG4C&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3

MacEoin's opinion about Baha'u'llah's sufi-style writings

Baha'u'llah, Denis MacEoin No comments

I enjoyed the first part of Dr Cole's essay, in which he discusses the development of the Mujaddidi and Khalidi branches of the Naqshbandi tariqa as 'neo-orthodox Sufi movements' as a prelude to discussing Baha' Allah's involvement with the Khalidis of Sulaymaniyya. I was less happy with the following section dealing with the contents of a Sufi poem entitled al-qasida al-warqa'iyya, penned by Baha' Allah in imitation of Ibn al-Farid's Nazm al-suluk while residing in the Khalidi khanqah there. Cole's interpretation of this somewhat obscure poem, in which he claims to find evidence that 'conclusively demonstrates' an early date for Baha' Allah's belief in his own mission as a prophet seems to me rather tendentious, as does his reading of a shorter and earlier poem entitled Rashh-i 'ama'. These interpretations seem to me to owe as much to a knowledge of later developments as to a direct reading of the texts. The author reads much into the poems about Baha' Allah's messianic awareness that may not really be there at all, except to the eye of faith. I wonder if his interpretation would have been the same had he not known the poems were the work of Baha' Allah and written at the period in question, thinking them instead that of an anonymous Sufi. I suspect he would have seen very little in them out of the ordinary. The Sufis in Sulaymaniyya to whom the Qasida al-warqa'iyya was first read are not recorded as having found anything unusual in the poem, and Baha' Allah himself states in a commentary on the work that various Ottoman 'ulama' to whom it was shown found nothing remarkable or objectionable in it. Most or all of the extreme language in the poem can be paralleled in other Sufi writings, and when Dr Cole sees foreshadowings in it of Baha' Allah's later claims, I rather feel he is simply reading those claims back into an earlier text. I am not convinced, on the plain evidence of the text itself, that these foreshadowings are there at all and suspect that knowledge of later developments seriously distorts the reading of it. If such foreshadowings are present, that must be demonstrated by providing sharper contrasts with traditional Sufi writing on the one hand and with contemporary Babi usage on the other.

-Denis MacEoin

Source: Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 13, No. 1 (1986), pp. 85- 91

Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/194982

Sufi influence on Baha'u'llah's writings

Baha'u'llah, Censorship, Denis MacEoin No comments

Mirza Husayn 'Ali Nuri Baha' Allah [spent some time with] some Naqshbandi Sufis during a period of self-imposed exile in Iraqi Kurdistan from 1854 to 1856. Many of Baha' Allah's writings from the period of his Baghdad exile (1853-1863) show profound Sufi influence, but until now this issue has been little studied because of the prevailing doctrine that, as a divinely-inspired prophet, he could not have fallen under any external influence at all.

-Denis MacEoin

Source: Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 13, No. 1 (1986), pp. 85- 91

Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/194982

if this is a sign of the direction in which Baha'i studies may be moving, it does not augur all that well for the future.

Censorship, Denis MacEoin No comments

Since the 1950s or so, however, the situation in the West has changed somewhat, largely with the advent of a new generation of better-educated converts eager to study their religion in a more systematic and academic manner than has hitherto been the case. Such an approach is encouraged by doctrinal approval for 'the harmony of science and religion' and 'an unfettered search after truth'. In spite of the very real difficulties of pursuing such principles within the context of a movement that also places a high premium on a belief in infallible knowledge enshrined in scriptural texts guarded by 'divinely-ordained' institutions possessed of considerable coercive powers, some younger Baha'i scholars have succeeded in pioneering fresh academic work in the subject. Since the completion of M.Zabih's doctoral dissertation entitled Die Losung der sozialen Frage auf Grund der Baha'i-Lehren at Stuttgart in 1949, over 30 doctoral and master's theses have appeared dealing with Babi and Baha'i topics (for details up to 1982, see bibliographies by P.Smith, BRISMES Bulletin, 6:2 [1979], pp.129-30 and 9:1 [1982], pp.98-90). With only a few exceptions, these studies have been carried out by members of the sect, and at the moment the present writer is the only non-adherent engaged in full-scale research or writing on the subject. That, clearly, is an unhealthy situation and one that must be remedied before long.

[…] I am aware that Baha'i authors have problems in getting their materials past official 'reviewing committees' and that the publishers are in the difficult position of trying to promote academic scholarship in face of opposition from powerful fundamentalist elements within the Baha'i ranks; but if this is a sign of the direction in which Baha'i studies may be moving, it does not augur all that well for the future. … for example, … Peggy Caton's article entitled 'Baha'i Influences on Mirza 'Abdu'llah, Qajar Court Musician and Master of the Radif'…. It is an excellent, illuminating, and scholarly piece of writing by a Westerner with a rare knowledge of Persian music, but, for all it tells us about Mirza Abd Allah Farahani and his role as a court musician under Nasir al-Din Shah, or about Persian music in general, or Qajar court life in particular, it is rather forced in its attempt to relate any of this to the fact that the subject of the article was a Baha'i convert. He seems to have done nothing conspicuous within the movement, nor does his conversion appear to have had any clearly discernible effect on his music.

-Denis MacEoin

Source: Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 13, No. 1 (1986), pp. 85- 91
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/194982

Denis MacEoin about Ishraq Khavari

Censorship, Denis MacEoin No comments

Ishraq Khavari's many editions of Baha'i texts, for example, useful as they are in the absence of anything else, betray great carelessness and a lack of the most elementary knowledge of editorial methods.

-Denis MacEoin

Source: Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 13, No. 1 (1986), pp. 85- 91

Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/194982

In the West, Baha'ism had established itself as a moderately-successful middle-class cult, but it remained too peripheral to attract serious attention within the academic world.

Censorship, Denis MacEoin, Independent Investigation of Truth No comments

In the West, Baha'ism had established itself as a moderately-successful middle-class cult, but it remained too peripheral to attract serious attention within the academic world. It had become far too Westernized in its modern phase to hold much appeal for orientalists; its pretensions to the status of a 'new world religion' carried little weight with scholars in religious studies working within the major traditions; and sociologists of religion had not yet developed a serious interest in non-Christian sects or what are now termed 'new religious movements'. The religion's adherents wrote plenty of books and pamphlets, of course, but these contributed next to nothing to a real understanding of the subject, being directed almost exclusively to apologetic, devotional, didactic, or organizational ends.

-Denis MacEoin

Source: Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 13, No. 1 (1986), pp. 85- 91
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/194982

Who was Baha'u'llah and how he reached Israel? -Encyclopedia Britannica

Baha'u'llah, History No comments

Bahāʾ Allāh (born November 12, 1817, Tehrān, Iran—died May 29, 1892, Acre, Palestine [now ʿAkko, Israel]) was the founder of the Bahāʾī Faith upon his claim to be the manifestation of the unknowable God.

Mīrzā Ḥosayn was a member of the Shīʿite branch of Islam. He subsequently allied himself with Mīrzā ʿAlī Moḥammad of Shīrāz, who was known as the Bāb (Arabic: “Gateway”) and was the head of the Bābī, a Muslim sect professing a privileged access to final truth. After the Bāb’s execution by the Iranian government for treason (1850), Mīrzā Ḥosayn joined Mīrzā Yaḥyā (also called Ṣobḥ-e Azal), his own half brother and the Bāb’s spiritual heir, in directing the Bābī movement. Mīrzā Yaḥyā later was discredited, and Mīrzā Ḥosayn was exiled by orthodox Sunnī Muslims successively to Baghdad, Kurdistan, and Constantinople (Istanbul). There, in 1863, he publicly declared himself to be the divinely chosen imām-mahdī (“rightly guided leader”), whom the Bāb had foretold. The resulting factional violence caused the Ottoman government to banish Mīrzā Ḥosayn to Acre.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Baha-Allah

Baha'i belief about Imam Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam of the Shi'ih

Personal Observations, Shaykh Ahmad, Shi'ih No comments

One Baha'i says:

We do not believe that the Imam Mahdi is the Twelfth Imam or that the Twelfth Imam remained alive and in physical occultation for 1000 years waiting for the time to suddenly appear and make Himself known. We do not believe that the Imam Mahdi will do some of the fantastical and improbable things like leading an army to conquer the world in the name of Islam.

We believe that the promised Imam Mahdi was a spiritual reality and ideal which the Bab manifested. Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim both rejected the Orthodox position in Shi'ih Islam by teaching a spiritual occultation and that the Qa'im/Mahdi would be born and then declare Himself. The Bab was born into this world and is the Imam Mahdi and Qa'im according to the Baha'i Faith. That is one reason the Bab was opppsed by many fanatics in Shi'ih Islam.

Baha'u'llah taught that the 12th Imam died before his father and that the Shi'ih beliefs are in error regarding the occultation of the 12th Imam. See https://bahai-library.com/bahaullah_masumian_existence_qaim/

Source : https://old.reddit.com/r/bahai/comments/1e3k6t8/ahmadi_religion_of_peace_and_light/

Changing the meaning of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings by interpretation is explicitly forbidden

Baha'i Law, Baha'u'llah No comments

Changing the meaning of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings by interpretation is explicitly forbidden by Bahá'u'lláh, with no exception for 'Abdu'l-Bahá:

"Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book."

(Kitáb-i-Aqdas)

"I fully support a first strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities wherever they may be" - Ian Kluge, Canadian Baha'i scholar

Personal Observations, War No comments

...I fully support a first strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities wherever they may be hidden and by whatever means are needed to destroy them. If the Iranians deny us their oil, destroy their oil facilities – if we can’t have their oil, neither will they… Regime change (one way or another) is coming in the relatively near future and Baha’is must be there when a new regime is established to make their mark on the new government and help move it in genuinely new directions...

(Ian Kluge, Canadian Baha’i scholar, public list: talisman9@yahoogroups.com, April 15, 2006)

https://www.academia.edu/25534284/Behind_the_Politics_of_a_Current_Brouhaha_in_Iran_An_ex_President_Ayatollahs_Daughter_and_the_Bahais

Sunni Muslims are Covenant-breakers

Covenant-Breakers, Islam, Sunni No comments

In the Tablet of Salman Bahá'u'lláh explains one of the most interesting mysteries in the Qur'an, a mystery which had hitherto remained unnoticed. He refers to the well-known phrase, 'There is no God but Him'. This is the cardinal statement of faith which every Muslim must make, and which is the basis of the Islamic religion.

As we have previously written, the Word of God has many significances which are beyond the ken of men. There are inner meanings enshrined in the Word of God which only His Manifestation and those whom He guides understand. Bahá'u'lláh explains that in this phrase 'There is no God but Him', the letter of negation precedes that of affirmation. Therefore as a result of the creative influence of this phrase, ever since it was revealed, the violators of the Cause of God, representing the letter of negation, dominated over the faithful in the past. All the sufferings which the hands of the breakers of the Covenant of God inflicted upon the steadfast Muslims and their apparent superiority, were the fulfilment of the Words uttered by Muhammad. God had, through His wisdom, so destined that those who were impure and rebellious should dominate those who were true and sincere.

It is a Bahá'í belief that those who usurped the right of Imam Ali, the lawful successor of Muhammad and the interpreter of His Word, were acting against the expressed wishes of their Prophet. They disregarded the injunctions of Muhammad concerning His successor, became the primary cause of division within the Faith of Islam, brought about the death of the holy Imams and persecuted their followers. They were the letters of negation and till the end of the Dispensation of Muhammad, dominated His faithful followers.

History demonstrates that great differences arose among the followers of each religion soon after the death of its Founder. These differences led to schisms and divisions which have increased with the passage of time.

(Revelation of Baha'u'llah volume two: Adrianople, 1863-1868 by Adib Taherzadeh)

Nabíl’s Narrative - "Shoghi Effendi had fabricated the entire thing"

Censorship, Covenant-Breakers, Shoghi Effendi No comments

At the time when Shoghi Effendi produced Nabíl’s Narrative, the Covenant-breakers spread a rumour among their Arab friends that Shoghi Effendi had fabricated the entire thing and that only they possessed Nabíl’s narrative. Apart from that claim, as stated earlier, we also have a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in which He states that the revised edition of Nabíl’s narrative was among the documents stolen by the Covenant-breakers.

When Shoghi Effendi set out to translate Nabíl, he had the instructions of Bahá’u’lláh before him, and we can be sure that he tried his best to remove anything that he felt was overstated or based on assumption. He gave us everything that he thought was authentic, and in conformity with the spirit of Bahá’u’lláh’s wishes.

(‘Alí Nakhjávání in Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of his pen)

Covenant-breakers stole papers from the room of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. They stole two cases of papers that Bahá’u’lláh had given to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Covenant-Breakers, History, Muhammed Ali (Ghusn) No comments

I have already explained that after the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Covenant-breakers stole papers from the room of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. They stole two cases of papers that Bahá’u’lláh had given to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. They literally did this at a time when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was not in His room and was washing the body of Bahá’u’lláh. Those documents are probably still in the possession of the descendants of the Covenant-breakers. We do not know if we will ever recover them. Even if we did, they may not be reliable. Muḥammad-‘Alí is known to have corrupted texts. His brother, Badí‘u’lláh, wrote a confession that mentioned that he had seen his brother corrupt texts. In my own personal opinion, even if they were found, I don’t think we could trust them. However, the final decision, as I stated, rests with the House of Justice.

(‘Alí Nakhjávání in Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of his pen)

Baha'is enjoyed the pilau and roast meat in the feast hosted by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab

Animals No comments

Mirza Ahmad Sohrab and Shaykh Muhammad Husayn, both from Nayriz, hosted a feast on 16 April, a mid-day lunch at the Pilgrim House near the Shrine of the Bab. Few were given this privilege. More than 100 men were present to enjoy the pilau, roast meat and sour milk spread on the table. With so many present and only 28 able to sit at the table at one time, they had to eat in four shifts. ‘Abdu’l-Baha ate with the first group then retired to his room in the house of ‘Abbas-Quli.

(Visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Volume 2 by Earl Redman)

Abdul Baha's prophecy about Israel

Abdul-Baha, Israel, Prophecy No comments

In the afternoon of February 13th, the American pilgrims held a special memorial meeting, for the departure of Mirza Abul-Fazl, at the holy threshold of the Bab, on Mount Carmel. Abdul-Baha attended the meeting and spent that night at the home of Abbas Kuli, near the blessed tomb. In the morning of February 14th, Abdul-Baha went to the hospice (the home of the pilgrims) close to the tomb of the Báb and sat in the parlor, facing the tomb of Baha'o'llah. He said: "The view from this hospice is very beautiful, especially because it faces the tomb of the Blessed Beauty and Acca. In the future it will all be built up between Acca and Haifa. Acca and Haifa will be joined together and will take the first place in the world. Now, as I glance into the future, I see the greatest port in the world here. This semi-circular bay will be a large harbor for ships, so that the entering boats may be protected from the waves and winds of the storm. This harbor will be filled with ships of the nations. All of these regions will be decorated by buildings and lofty palaces. Many gardens and flower beds will be made. There will be electric lights and from here to Acca will be flooded with them. It will be a wonderful sight, especially at night, for those who come from the sea or who look from the summit of the mountains. From all of these regions, the cry of 'Ya-Baha-el-Abha!', (O Thou Glorious of the Most Glorious!) shall rise. All the souls will come in a state of supplication, imploring and chanting the communes. In every town, the melodies from the Mashrak-el-Azkar on this Mount Carmel, will be most pleasing to the ears.

"It is wonderful! Consider where this Cause was at first and where it is now! And where is Shiraz, Teheran, Bagdad, Roumelia, Constantinople and Acca! These events took place only for the fulfillment of the prophecies of the prophets. God's ways are wonderful. For 2,000 years, he has made the Cause travel here and there, until it reached the spot in which it would fulfill all the prophecies. God will, unquestionably, declare openly the Prince of Peace, of whom he spoke, through the prophets, and he will not erase a single letter."

(Star of the West, Volume 9 - Issue 3)

Good quality Baha’is

Converting People, Ruhiyyih Khanum No comments

I cannot understand, she said, why the friends show their concern and anxiety when simple-hearted people come into the Faith, who just say that they believe in Baha’u’llah, and who do not know much about the Faith. You want quality. But to get the quality, you need the quantity. Suppose we have 100 Baha’is and we find only 5 good Baha’is; let us calculate further and say that if we have 1,000 Baha’is, we will again have 50 good Baha’is and if we have 5,000 Baha’is, the number of good Baha’is will naturally increase. Go on multiplying the number of Baha’is and you will also get the quality Baha’is.

(Amatu’l-Baha Visits India by Violette Nakhjavani)

We can only stop teaching the Faith when the Government of the country asks us to stop

Converting People, Iran, Loyalty, Ruhiyyih Khanum No comments

She [Ruhiyyih Khanum] further remarked that we have 900 years more to consolidate but we do not know how many more years we will have to teach the Cause. We can only stop teaching the Faith when the Government of the country asks us to stop because, according to Baha’u’llah’s law, it is our Article of Faith to obey the Government of the country in which we reside.

(Amatu’l-Baha Visits India by Violette Nakhjavani)

It was not Baha'u'llah but Shoghi Effendi who established the institutional forms for dealing with Covenant-breaking

Covenant-Breakers, Punishment, Shoghi Effendi No comments

It is of interest that there has only been a gradual implementation of the sanctions against Covenant-breakers and those continuing to associate with them. Many of Bahá'u'lláh's writings contain passages instructing the Bahá'ís to avoid contacts with the Covenant-breakers (see passages quoted by `Abdu'l-Bahá in SoW 13:19-25). Despite this, Bahá'u'lláh seems to have made little effort to enforce such a teaching. During the whole of Bahá'u'lláh's ministry, there appear to have been extensive contacts between Bahá'ís and Azalís. In the first few years after Bahá'u'lláh put forward his claims, there was a series of open discussions between the two groups in various towns, each attempting to win the other over. Such meetings are known to have occurred in Baghdad, Tabriz, Qazvin, Shiraz, and Isfahan at least. There is some evidence that meetings were held and letters passed backwards and forwards between the two groups until a comparatively late date.

It was `Abdu'l-Bahá who moved the question of the Covenant to the forefront of the attention of the Bahá'ís and introduced the concept of Covenant-breaking. He expressed very strongly his wish that the Bahá'ís should break all contacts with the Covenant-breakers and sent envoys to try to encourage the Bahá'ís to do this. He rarely, however, imposed any sanctions upon those who maintained links.

The principal change that Shoghi Effendi introduced in the method of dealing with Covenant-breaking was to enforce the policy that whoever maintained links with Covenant-breakers himself or herself became a Covenant-breaker. It was also Shoghi Effendi who established the institutional forms for dealing with Covenant-breaking when he designated this as one of the responsibilities of the Hands of the Cause in conjunction with the National Spiritual Assemblies, although the final decision always lay with him (MBW 122-3).

(The Bahá'í Encyclopedia entry on "Covenant, The, and Covenant-breaker", by Moojan Momen)

https://bahai-library.com/momen\_encyclopedia\_covenant/

Mirza Hadi Dawlatabadi, converted many but

Azali, Converting People, Subh-i-Azal No comments

One of Azal’s main supporters in Isfahan, Mirza Hadi Dawlatabadi, converted many but, as in Naraq and Kashan, several of these, such as Aqa ‘Ali Nur (d. c. 1294/1877)’ and Aga Muhammad Kazim, went to Baghdad and returned as supporters of Baha’u'llah.

(Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851 to 1912, Vol. 2, by Dr. Moojan Momen)

Mírzá Hádí Dawlat-Ábádí, one of the divines of Iṣfahán, who became a follower of the Báb, later supported Mírzá Yaḥyá, and was appointed his representative in Írán and his successor. During the persecutions against the Bábís he recanted his faith.

(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh by Bahá’u’lláh - Kalímát-i-Firdawsíyyih - Words of Paradise)

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