The reality is that the modern Baha'i mentality is wholly rooted in America, because it originates from Abdul Baha, and Abdul Baha did nothing more than cater to early 20th century American liberal ideals, so the ultimate origin and root of the modern Baha'i mentality is early 20th century America. The pillars of the modern Baha'i mentality are really the so-called "12 principles", and most of the 12 principles such as the Equality of Men and Women, have no basis in Baha'u'llah's writings - they come from America.
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Friday, March 29, 2024
"Persepolis would be rebuilt in the future as a Baha'i House of Worship"
Mr. XXXX refers to a statement of 'Abdu'l-Baha which indicates that "Persepolis would be rebuilt in the future as a Baha'i House of Worship". He enquires about its source and whether it might possibly be a pilgrim's note.
A statement concerning Persepolis as a future site of a House of Worship is found in a talk delivered by 'Abdu'l-Baha on 18 July 1915. The talk, which deals generally with Iranian civilization prior to Islam and the prospect of its resurgence, has not, to date, been translated into English. It is published in the original language in Abdu'l Hamid Ishraq Khavari's Rahiq-i-Makhtum (Tihran: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 131 B.E.), volume 2, pages 499-503.
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/uhj/uhj_persepolis_psychic_husayn.pdf
A statement concerning Persepolis as a future site of a House of Worship is found in a talk delivered by 'Abdu'l-Baha on 18 July 1915. The talk, which deals generally with Iranian civilization prior to Islam and the prospect of its resurgence, has not, to date, been translated into English. It is published in the original language in Abdu'l Hamid Ishraq Khavari's Rahiq-i-Makhtum (Tihran: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 131 B.E.), volume 2, pages 499-503.
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/uhj/uhj_persepolis_psychic_husayn.pdf
The pressure of work at the Baha'i World Centre does not permit
Dear Baha'i Friend,
Your email letters of 13, 18 and 23 May 2007 have been received by the Universal House of Justice, which has asked us to respond as follows.
The pressure of work at the Baha'i World Centre does not permit it to continue to provide a detailed response to your questions. You are advised to tum to your Spiritual Assembly or a knowledgeable believer in your area for assistance in this regard.
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/uhj/uhj_persepolis_psychic_husayn.pdf
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/uhj/uhj_persepolis_psychic_husayn.pdf
Baha'u'llah's praise for Mirza Yahya's "verses"
During his ministry as head of the Babi movement, Mirza Yahya wrote a book called the Kitab-i Nur. Baha'u'llah wrote a letter in the Baghdad period urging Babis to copy it, describing it as verses from God:
Provisional translation:
"The Kitab-i Nur was not sent despite repeated insistence. Do not neglect it. It is very necessary for all the people of the Bayan. Janab-i Mulla Zayn al-Abidin, the blessings of God be upon him, must make a great effort to complete (copying) it. By the Lord of the heavens and earth! Verily, it is a noble and beloved book and the verses [ayat] of the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Copy it in the best of handwriting as perfectly as you can. Then read it with love if you desire to ascend to the heavens of attraction and rise to the lofty clouds of sanctity."
You can find the passage in the full text of Baha'u'llah's letter on the official Baha'i website (it's the last paragraph).
Provisional translation:
"The Kitab-i Nur was not sent despite repeated insistence. Do not neglect it. It is very necessary for all the people of the Bayan. Janab-i Mulla Zayn al-Abidin, the blessings of God be upon him, must make a great effort to complete (copying) it. By the Lord of the heavens and earth! Verily, it is a noble and beloved book and the verses [ayat] of the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Copy it in the best of handwriting as perfectly as you can. Then read it with love if you desire to ascend to the heavens of attraction and rise to the lofty clouds of sanctity."
You can find the passage in the full text of Baha'u'llah's letter on the official Baha'i website (it's the last paragraph).
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Sir Ronald Storrs and Abdul Baha
Sir Ronald Storrs was a British colonial administrator and diplomat who served as the first British governor of Jerusalem during the British Mandate period in Palestine. He was known for his pro-Zionist views and his close relationship with prominent Zionist leaders, including Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion.
Storrs was sympathetic to the Zionist cause and believed in the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. He played a key role in promoting Jewish immigration to Palestine and supporting the development of Jewish institutions and infrastructure in the region. He worked closely with them to advance their goals in Palestine during his time as governor of Jerusalem.
In his memoirs (page 337) he states:
He also mentions and writes about Ruhi (Husayn Ruhi) as "My Bahai Persian secret agent." in his other book "Lawrence of Arabia - Zionism and Palestine".
Storrs was sympathetic to the Zionist cause and believed in the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. He played a key role in promoting Jewish immigration to Palestine and supporting the development of Jewish institutions and infrastructure in the region. He worked closely with them to advance their goals in Palestine during his time as governor of Jerusalem.
In his memoirs (page 337) he states:
I renewed in Haifa my friendship with Abbas Effendi Abd al-Baha’ and his Bahai followers, whom I had last seen imprisoned in Acre on my visit in 1909. I found him sitting in spotless white, noble as a prophet of Michael Angelo. He placed at my disposal the training and talents of his community, one or two of whom I appointed to positions of confidence which they still continue to deserve.
at other place in the same book (page 328) he writes:
Many of the leading merchants, realizing how greatly the future prosperity of Jerusalem depended upon its preservation as Jerusalem (and not an inferior Kieff, Manchester or Baltimore), subscribed liberally to our funds; and in Egypt, England and America, Moslems, Christians and Jews, suspicious of any creed, culture or policy other than their own, gave gladly to a Jerusalem which represented all three. I realized then the power of the name of Jerusalem; I realized it even more afterwards when appealing for other countries or causes. I became, I am happy to believe, a convincing and successful Schnorrer. (Yiddish for a professional beggar.) My subscription list, of cheques ranging from £3 to £600, included from Cairo the names of Smouha and Btesh, the Syrian Community, and the editor of the Mokattam; in Jerusalem the Anglo-Egyptian Bank, Sir Abbas Effendi Abd al-Baha, the Mufti, several Jewish firms, the Imperial Ottoman Bank, the Crédit Lyonnais, the Anglo-Palestine Bank, the Banco di Roma, the 51st Sikh Regiment, the Zionist Commission, the Municipality, and the Administration; in Europe and America, Lord Milner, Sir Basil Zaharoff, Lord Northcliffe, Sir Alfred Mond, Mrs Holman Hunt, Mrs Carnegie, Messrs Pierpont Morgan, and Messrs Kuhn, Loeb. I found institutions more generous than individuals, and (especially in America) men than women.
Friday, March 22, 2024
pension money of the Turkish Government and the revenue of Baha's villages
Mrs. Templeton (previously Mrs. Laurence Oliphant), in "Facts for Behaists," tells of the unrighteousness of Abbas Effendi (Abdul Baha) in keeping from his brothers and stepmothers the pension money of the Turkish Government and the revenue of Baha's villages, and of his ostentatious charity in giving away part of these funds by distributing coins to a mixed crowd of beggars every Friday.
(Baha’ism and Its Claims, By Samuel Graham Wilson)
https://bahaismiran.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Bahaism-and-Its-Claims.pdf
(Baha’ism and Its Claims, By Samuel Graham Wilson)
https://bahaismiran.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Bahaism-and-Its-Claims.pdf
great success of the Persian Baha'is in teaching the Faith
House of Justice (UHJ), Persian-speaking Baha'is
No comments
Among the reasons offered by the Hands for the great success of the Persian Baha'is in teaching the Faith, in spite of the opposition to which they have always been subjected, were their diligent study of the Teachings and their uncompromising obedience to the spirit of the Baha'i administrative order, and to the majority decision.
Baha'i News, No. 270, Baha'i Year 110, August, 1953
https://file.bahai.media/0/08/Baha%27i_News_270.pdf
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Titles of Baha'u'llah
The Ancient Beauty
The Blessed Beauty
The Veilless Beauty
The Divine Essence
The One Being
The Truth
The Unconstrained
The Father
The Word
The Vision
The Youth
The Wonderful
The Fashioner
The Counsellor
The Comforter
The Crier
The Trumpet
The Bugle
The Balance
The Judge
The Law
The Lawgiver
The All-Glorious
The All-Knowing
The All-Compelling
The Supreme Goal
The Wronged One
The Gem
The Pen
The Blissful
The Promised One
The Eternal Truth
The Spirit of Truth
The Sun of Truth
The Divine Presence
The Lord of Lords
The Lord of all things
The Lord of Names
The Supreme Sovereign
The Hidden Secret
The Hidden Name
The Hidden Gift
The Unseen Treasure
The Impenetrable Mystery
The Divine Ordainer
The Most Great Spirit
The Glory of God
The Source of everlasting life
The Sun of Righteousness
The Everlasting Father
The Lord of Hosts
The King of Kings
The King of Glory
The King of Revelation
The Lord of all men
The Son of Man
The Lord of the Vineyard
The Prince of Peace
The Prince of this world
The Alpha and the Omega
God’s Unerring Balance
The Pre-Existent Root
The Voice of God
The Speaker on Sinai
The Testimony of God
The Buddha of Universal Fellowship
The Immaculate Manifestation of Krishna
The Great Announcement
The Lord of the Day of Reckoning
The Remnant of God
The Sifter of Men
The choice sealed Wine
The Cup-Bearer
The Preserved Tablet
The Sealed Book
The Divine Expounder
The Lord of the Covenant
The Omnipotent Master
The Supreme Mediator
The Supreme Heaven
The Most Great Infallibility
The Sublime Appearance
The Most Great Name
The Most Ancient Name
The All-Glorious Name
The Hidden Name
The Treasured Name
The Merciful
The Most Compassionate
The Forgiving
The Protector
The Haven of the needy
The Refuge of the fearful
The Pitier of the downtrodden
The Help in Peril
The Preserver
The Concealer
The Benevolent
The Supreme Helper
The Generous
The Great Giver
The Most Sublime Horizon
The All-Highest Horizon
The All-Glorious Horizon
The Horizon of Revelation
The Horizon of Certitude
The Horizon of Mercy
The Most Ancient Name
The Most Effulgent Name
The Most Great Name
The Most Great Sign
The Most Great Law
The Most Great Light
The Most Great Remembrance
The Most Great Mystery
The Most Great Ocean
The Most Great Bell
The Most Exalted Pen
The Most Exalted Word
The Most Mighty Instrument
The Most Sublime Summit
The Educator of all beings
The All-Knowing Counsellor
The Best Informed
The True Physician
The Countenance of Glory
The Hand of Omnipotence
The Day-Spring of Certitude
The well-guarded Name
The manifest and hidden Secret
The Pen of Revelation
The Tongue of the Ancient of Days
The Divine Voice
The Tabernacle of Immortality
The Lifegiver,of the world
The Loving
The Best-Beloved
The Best-Beloved of every understanding heart
The Beloved of the world
The Well-Beloved of all worlds
The Beloved of the All-Merciful
The Desire of the world
The Desire of all nations
The Incomparable Friend
The Adored One
The Divine Lote-Tree
The Bird of the Throne
The Mystic Dove
The Dove of Eternity
The Object of the adoration of the world
Note : A few are from Baha’i sources but not Baha’u’llah’s own words.
(Names and Numbers, A Baha’i History Reference Guide By Elias Zohoori)
The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha is the charter for the World Order of Baha’u’llah.
...the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, written by His own hand during a period in which He was under great personal danger, is the charter for the World Order of Baha’u’llah. It is a document that had both immediate and future application. Shoghi Effendi wrote of it: ‘“We must trust to time, and the guidance of God’s Universal House of Justice, to obtain a clearer and fuller understanding of its provisions and implications.’’ It gave immediate authority for the development of the administrative institutions of the Faith. This document, ‘‘unique in the annals of the world’s religious systems,’’ assured the continuing unity and integrity of the Faith through the appointment of Shoghi Effendi, eldest grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, as Guardian of the Faith of Baha’u’llah. It described how The Universal House of Justice ordained by Baha’u’llah would be elected and the relationship this supreme institution would have to the Guardianship and to the secondary Houses of Justice (National Spiritual Assemblies). It called for the appointment and outlined the duties of the Hands of the Cause of God, stressed the supreme authority of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and warned of the danger and evil of Covenant-breaking. It made teaching the Cause the chief cornerstone of faith.
(From Strength to Strength, The First Half Century of the Formative Age of the Baha’i Era by Eunice Braun)
(From Strength to Strength, The First Half Century of the Formative Age of the Baha’i Era by Eunice Braun)
the Most Great Infallibility... station of Baha'u'llah
However the Most Great Infallibility is confined to the One Whose station is immeasurably exalted beyond ordinances or prohibitions and is sanctified from errors or omissions [Manifestations of God]. Indeed He is a Light which is not followed by darkness and a Truth not overtaken by error. Were He to pronounce water to be win or heaven to be earth or light to be fire, He speaketh the truth and no doubt would there be about it; and unto no one is given the right to question His authority or to say why or wherefore. Whosoever raiseth objections will be numbered with the froward in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. 'Verily He shall not be asked of His doings but all others shall be asked of their doings.' (cf. Qur'an 21:3) He is come from the invisible heaven, bearing the banner 'He doeth whatsoever He willeth' and is accompanied by hosts of power and authority while it is the duty of all besides Him to strictly observe whatever laws and ordinances have been enjoined upon them, and should anyone deviate therefrom, even to the extent of a hair's breadth, his work would be brought to naught.
http://bahai-library.com/maneck_infallibility_essay
http://bahai-library.com/maneck_infallibility_essay
Baha'u'llah is the Self of God
The most great infallibility as a doctrine, Bahá'u'lláh says, acts to protect his religion. He reiterates that no one can share in it other than the Self of God. This phrase refers to the universal manifestation of God, who is the manifestation of the Self of God,...
(The Concept of Manifestation in the Bahá'í Writings by Juan Cole published in Bahá'í Studies, 9 Ottawa, ON: Bahá'í Studies Publications, 1982)
https://bahai-library.com/cole_concept_manifestation/
(The Concept of Manifestation in the Bahá'í Writings by Juan Cole published in Bahá'í Studies, 9 Ottawa, ON: Bahá'í Studies Publications, 1982)
https://bahai-library.com/cole_concept_manifestation/
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Muhammad's covenant
Muhammad named ‘Ali, His cousin and son-in-law, to succeed Him. A few months before His passing in June, 632, whilst on the road to Medina from His last pilgrimage to Mecca, He halted at an oasis and had a pulpit raised with saddles. This He ascended and had ‘Ali up so that he could be seen by the multitudes. To them He said in plain terms that whosoever had recognized and accepted Him as their Master, should recognize and accept ‘Ali likewise. But no sooner had He left this world than controversy broke out as to who should succeed Him. ‘Ali and the immediate members of the Prophet’s family were left to attend to His funeral, while the people gathered at the Prophet’s mosque to wrangle over the succession. Those who were from Mecca, who first gave their allegiance to Muhammad, had suffered greatly for their faith and had migrated from their city, becoming known as the Muhajirin (the Emigrants). In a country of tribal divisions and intense loyalty to the clan, the Muhajirin felt that they were entitled to distinction, because they were chiefly of the Quraysh, Muhammad’s own people, and the traditional custodians of the holy sanctuary of Ka‘bih, venerated in the days of idolatry, and sanctified as well in Islam. On the other hand there were the Ansar (the Helpers), inhabitants of Medina who had accepted Islam when its fortunes were at a very low ebb, had given refuge to the Prophet and His Meccan followers, thus endangering their own security and that of their wives and children and property by inviting the enmity of the ferocious, irate and revenge-seeking idolaters of Mecca, as well as that of the hostile tribes and clans around them. They now claimed the chieftainship of Islam.
The veterans amongst the Muhajirin, of whom the most outstanding was the aged Abu-Bakr—the third person to believe in Muhammad, His father-in-law, and His companion in the flight from Mecca to Medina—were greatly perturbed, because they thought that should a man of Medina be put at the head of Islam the proud Meccans would refuse to submit, and the unity forged by the Prophet would be irreparably impaired. They all ignored the fact that Muhammad had already named His successor. But ‘Ali was young. These men were rich in years, renowned and honoured. The body of the Prophet lay unburied whilst they argued and argued in His mosque about His successor. Finally ‘Umar presented the venerable Abu-Bakr to the multitude as the viceregent of the Prophet, and he himself was the first to pay homage and declare his allegiance to Abu-Bakr. Others followed suit. Only a handful refrained. But they too eventually submitted when ‘Ali bowed to the inevitable and swore fealty to the Caliph.
Arabia was once again ablaze. Tribe after tribe was reverting to idolatry. ‘Ali would not countenance any contention at the very heart of Islam at such a perilous time. Abu-Bakr was a man of piety and integrity, but the seat which he occupied truly belonged to ‘Ali by the Prophet’s prescription. But ‘Ali would not assert his rightful claim when Islam was compelled to fight desperately for its very life, assailed as it was on all sides by dark forces of reaction, as well as by the rise of false prophets (amongst whom incidentally was a woman). Islam triumphed over the faithless hordes who would have reverted back to barbarism, and soon Arabia was once more united under the banner of Islam, ready and poised to challenge the might of the Byzantine and the Persian Sassanid empires.
But the expressed wish and command of the Prophet had been discarded, His Covenant lay in the dust. By the time that ‘Ali, the true successor, was acclaimed Caliph, after Abu-Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman, the unity of Islam had been irretrievably shattered and the way paved for the disastrous and irreligious rule of the Umayyids, Muhammad’s traditional enemies. ‘Ali the righteous, of incorruptible nature, high virtue, sound governance, soaring eloquence, profound learning, the Prophet’s Own appointee, was compelled to spend the three short years of his rule containing rebellion and the vaulting ambitions of powerful men who cared nothing for the divine commonwealth founded by Muhammad, but only for their own assumption of power.
(Baha'u'llah - a brief life by H. M. Balyuzi, Page 120)
The veterans amongst the Muhajirin, of whom the most outstanding was the aged Abu-Bakr—the third person to believe in Muhammad, His father-in-law, and His companion in the flight from Mecca to Medina—were greatly perturbed, because they thought that should a man of Medina be put at the head of Islam the proud Meccans would refuse to submit, and the unity forged by the Prophet would be irreparably impaired. They all ignored the fact that Muhammad had already named His successor. But ‘Ali was young. These men were rich in years, renowned and honoured. The body of the Prophet lay unburied whilst they argued and argued in His mosque about His successor. Finally ‘Umar presented the venerable Abu-Bakr to the multitude as the viceregent of the Prophet, and he himself was the first to pay homage and declare his allegiance to Abu-Bakr. Others followed suit. Only a handful refrained. But they too eventually submitted when ‘Ali bowed to the inevitable and swore fealty to the Caliph.
Arabia was once again ablaze. Tribe after tribe was reverting to idolatry. ‘Ali would not countenance any contention at the very heart of Islam at such a perilous time. Abu-Bakr was a man of piety and integrity, but the seat which he occupied truly belonged to ‘Ali by the Prophet’s prescription. But ‘Ali would not assert his rightful claim when Islam was compelled to fight desperately for its very life, assailed as it was on all sides by dark forces of reaction, as well as by the rise of false prophets (amongst whom incidentally was a woman). Islam triumphed over the faithless hordes who would have reverted back to barbarism, and soon Arabia was once more united under the banner of Islam, ready and poised to challenge the might of the Byzantine and the Persian Sassanid empires.
But the expressed wish and command of the Prophet had been discarded, His Covenant lay in the dust. By the time that ‘Ali, the true successor, was acclaimed Caliph, after Abu-Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman, the unity of Islam had been irretrievably shattered and the way paved for the disastrous and irreligious rule of the Umayyids, Muhammad’s traditional enemies. ‘Ali the righteous, of incorruptible nature, high virtue, sound governance, soaring eloquence, profound learning, the Prophet’s Own appointee, was compelled to spend the three short years of his rule containing rebellion and the vaulting ambitions of powerful men who cared nothing for the divine commonwealth founded by Muhammad, but only for their own assumption of power.
(Baha'u'llah - a brief life by H. M. Balyuzi, Page 120)
The Tablet of Wrath by Wahid Azal
And know that in the initial Days of this Manifestation, with the Permission of God and Its Authorization and with Its Command, We took a copy of the book of the Most Great Cage (kitāb al-aqfas) [i.e. the kitāb-i-aqdas] of your demonic founder, and We urinated upon it with intense urination until We saturated it in Our urine! Then was poured upon it lighter fluid and We lit it up, and it burned to ashes; and there was with us a witness to this Event, because with God such is its true worth, the true worth of all his writings and all of the writings of his successors from first to last!
https://wahidazal303.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-tablet-of-wrath-qadabiya.html?m=1
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Principles of the Glad-Tidings of Baha'u'llah
1. Holy war is abolished.
2. (a) Peoples and (b) Religions should unite in friendship.
3. A world language and script should be chosen.
4. Baha’is must serve and support any king who protects the Faith.
5. (a) Baha’is must obey their governments. (b) Peoples of the world should aid the Baha’i cause. (c) Weapons of destruction should be converted into instruments of reconstruction.
6. World peace is promised.
7. Freedom of dress is permitted, within the bounds of decency.
8. Priestly celibacy is discouraged.
9. Confession of sins is abolished.
10. Destruction of books is banned.
11. Sciences and arts are commended, provided they are useful.
12. (a) All must learn and earn a livelihood. (b) Work is worship.
13. Affairs of state are entrusted to the House of Justice.
14. Pilgrimages to the shrines of the dead are no longer obligatory and funds for doing so should be contributed to the House of Justice.
15. Republican democracy and kingship are recommended and should ideally be combined.
The Bishárát was a public announcement of the new Bahá’í teachings. Its function was analogous (albeit anachronistically) to a press release, serving not only as a public proclamation but to rectify the inaccuracies and gross misrepresentations that had previously circulated in print.
(Baha’u’llah’s Bishárát (Glad-Tidings): A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen, Presented By Christopher Buck & Nahzy Abadi Buck at Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference, Dec. 24, 2012.)
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/b/buck_tablet_glad-tidings_grand-canyon.pdf
2. (a) Peoples and (b) Religions should unite in friendship.
3. A world language and script should be chosen.
4. Baha’is must serve and support any king who protects the Faith.
5. (a) Baha’is must obey their governments. (b) Peoples of the world should aid the Baha’i cause. (c) Weapons of destruction should be converted into instruments of reconstruction.
6. World peace is promised.
7. Freedom of dress is permitted, within the bounds of decency.
8. Priestly celibacy is discouraged.
9. Confession of sins is abolished.
10. Destruction of books is banned.
11. Sciences and arts are commended, provided they are useful.
12. (a) All must learn and earn a livelihood. (b) Work is worship.
13. Affairs of state are entrusted to the House of Justice.
14. Pilgrimages to the shrines of the dead are no longer obligatory and funds for doing so should be contributed to the House of Justice.
15. Republican democracy and kingship are recommended and should ideally be combined.
The Bishárát was a public announcement of the new Bahá’í teachings. Its function was analogous (albeit anachronistically) to a press release, serving not only as a public proclamation but to rectify the inaccuracies and gross misrepresentations that had previously circulated in print.
(Baha’u’llah’s Bishárát (Glad-Tidings): A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen, Presented By Christopher Buck & Nahzy Abadi Buck at Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference, Dec. 24, 2012.)
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/b/buck_tablet_glad-tidings_grand-canyon.pdf
Mirza Badi‘u’llah was a very learned man - Edward Browne
In the year 1890, ... Mr Browne arrived in ‘Akka. Ghusn-i Akbar (the Great Branch, Mirza Muhammad-‘Ali) had gone to India for publication of some holy texts. Ghusn-i A‘zam (the Most Great Branch, ‘Abdu’l-Baha) was residing in ‘Akka. This writer [Mirza Badi‘u’llah] ... was hosting this dear guest [Browne] ... He was a very learned man. He spoke eloquently well in the sweet Persian language ...
(Baha’u’llah’s Bishárát (Glad-Tidings): A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen, Presented By Christopher Buck & Nahzy Abadi Buck at Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference, Dec. 24, 2012.)
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/b/buck_tablet_glad-tidings_grand-canyon.pdf
(Baha’u’llah’s Bishárát (Glad-Tidings): A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen, Presented By Christopher Buck & Nahzy Abadi Buck at Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference, Dec. 24, 2012.)
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/b/buck_tablet_glad-tidings_grand-canyon.pdf
Friday, March 15, 2024
Muslim and Jewish messianic pretenders who attracted followers from both the Islamic and Jewish community
Later Muslim and Jewish messianic pretenders who attracted followers from both the Islamic and Jewish community appeared in Yemen (partly Ottoman), around the time when the Bab appeared as the Mahdi and Baha'u'llah claimed to be the Messiah. Two of the Yemenites claimants, Faqih Sa'id (1840) and Sharif Isma'il (1846), were Muslims and proclaimed that they were 'mahdis' who would restore Islam, drive out the 'infidel' British from Aden and hasten the decline of the Ottoman Empire in an apocalyptic process. In the middle of the nineteenth century Yemen was tense with messianic anticipations that included the Jews. It culminated in the appearance of two claimants to a Jewish messiahship, Shukr Kuhayl I (Shukr ben Salim Kuhayl, 1861-1865), the 'resurrected' Shukr Kuhayl II (Yehuda bar Shalom, 1868 - 1875), and the messianic herald Yosef 'Abdallah (1888 - 1895). The first two appeared in 'one of the most politically unstable periods in the history of Yemen, one in which chaos and insecurity prevailed and the central government was unable to function' and the third was active under a more stable Ottoman government. All three preached the 'End of Time ' and near redemption from the enemies. Shukr Kuhayl II was the most organised and had the greatest success.
Although not Shi'i, one of the best known among the Muslim 'mahdis' is the Sudanese popular religious leader Muhammad Ahmad (1844 - 1885). Having travelled in areas neighbouring Sudan, he realised that people were discontent with the rule of the Ottoman-Egyptians and the British. He also sensed a messianic expectation among the masses demonstrated by the wish that the awaited Mahdi would save them. In 1881 Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself as the Mahdi and defied the usurpers. He died in 1885 after the fall of Khartoum in that same year but his Mahdist regime ruled Sudan until the Anglo-Egyptian rule was re-established in 1898. This was a national revolution and an Islamic revivalist movement that challenged not only the West but at the same time the authority of the Ottoman Sultan and probably had the potential to unify the Arab Muslims under the Ottomans against the established order.
(Dissent and Heterodoxy in the Late Ottoman Empire - Reformers, Babis and Baha'is by Necati Alkan, Page 39)
Although not Shi'i, one of the best known among the Muslim 'mahdis' is the Sudanese popular religious leader Muhammad Ahmad (1844 - 1885). Having travelled in areas neighbouring Sudan, he realised that people were discontent with the rule of the Ottoman-Egyptians and the British. He also sensed a messianic expectation among the masses demonstrated by the wish that the awaited Mahdi would save them. In 1881 Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself as the Mahdi and defied the usurpers. He died in 1885 after the fall of Khartoum in that same year but his Mahdist regime ruled Sudan until the Anglo-Egyptian rule was re-established in 1898. This was a national revolution and an Islamic revivalist movement that challenged not only the West but at the same time the authority of the Ottoman Sultan and probably had the potential to unify the Arab Muslims under the Ottomans against the established order.
(Dissent and Heterodoxy in the Late Ottoman Empire - Reformers, Babis and Baha'is by Necati Alkan, Page 39)
Ahmed Effendi returned to Haymana to spread the Baha'i faith but at the same time remained in his position as imam.
According to the information from one of his grandchildren, he was born towards the end of the 1850s in the town of Sanandaj in Northern Iraq (Kurdistan). After his education in Halab (Syria) and his marriage he moved to Haymana, near Ankara, where he was an imam. In 1913 he left for Egypt where he heard about the Baha'i faith. Later he visited 'Abdu'l-Baha in Haifa. At the orders of 'Abdu'I-Baha, Ahmed Effendi returned to Haymana to spread the Baha'i faith but at the same time remained in his position as imam.
(Dissent and Heterodoxy in the Late Ottoman Empire - Reformers, Babis and Baha'is by Necati Alkan, Page 207)
(Dissent and Heterodoxy in the Late Ottoman Empire - Reformers, Babis and Baha'is by Necati Alkan, Page 207)
the Bahá’í system of covenant, a system of institutional relationships, from the local level to the global,
... the Bahá’í system of covenant, a system of institutional relationships, from the local level to the global, ... required that ... Bahá’ís adhere to the guidance of a succession of supranational institutions—‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of the Covenant, from 1892 to 1921; Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian, and his appointed deputies, the Hands of the Cause, from 1921 to 1963; and, from its first election in 1963, the Universal House of Justice—all believed to derive their inspiration and authority from Bahá’u’lláh himself. Charged with protecting the unity and integrity of the worldwide movement as well as with setting the direction of its growth and development...
(No Jim Crow Church, The Origins of South Carolina’s Bahá’í Community, by Louis Venters)
(No Jim Crow Church, The Origins of South Carolina’s Bahá’í Community, by Louis Venters)
But be vigilant awake lest one there should be a follower of Ezelis or a covenant-breaker!
But be vigilant awake lest one there should be a follower of Ezelis or a covenant-breaker! The instant that you feel that a person among these Persians is an Ezeli or a covenant-breaker, assuredly and immediately avoid his company for he is the essence of evil.
(Aflame with Devotion by Judy Hannen Moe, p 151)
Thursday, March 14, 2024
one of the most astonishing events which human prejudice has ever created in the world
According to Mirza Abul-Fadl, “. . . the violation by the nakazeen (Covenant-breakers)... is one of the most astonishing events which human prejudice has ever created in the world...”
(Champions of Oneness - Louis Gregory and His Shining Circle, by Janet Ruhe-Schoen, p 87)
(Champions of Oneness - Louis Gregory and His Shining Circle, by Janet Ruhe-Schoen, p 87)
the Faith and its institutions had been banned by special order of the Reichsfuhrer Himmler in Germany.
In 1936, Nazism, so inimical to everything the Baha’i Faith stands for, gripped Germany in its hideous fist, and by the next year the Faith and its institutions had been banned by special order of the Reichsfuhrer Himmler. Baha’i books were confiscated, including those in personal libraries, and some meetings were proscribed. The Gestapo made so-called domiciliary visits to Baha’i homes, questioning Baha’is for hours, menacing them with pistols. A Dresden Baha’i spent six months in prison because a Baha’i prayer was found in his possession. Bulgaria allied itself with the Nazis and was a center of German espionage. Nevertheless, at the Guardian’s suggestion, Marion visited the German Baha’is in 1937. It was the last time she ever left Bulgaria.
(A Love Which Does Not Wait, by Janet Ruhe-Schoen, p 276)
he went to his beloved Switzerland
At this period, the Guardian confronted dark crises of Covenant-breaking within ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s own family. During May’s pilgrimage, one of these crises occurred. Shoghi Effendi, a singularly confiding soul with people he trusted, called May [Maxwell] and her daughter to his bedroom, where he lay prostrated by nerves and grief, and told them he could not stand it, he was going away. He went to his beloved Switzerland where he hiked and bicycled over the Alps from dawn till nightfall, day after day for weeks at a time, trying to heal himself of the pain of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s death, seeking strength for his strenuous tasks as the shield and defender of his Faith.
(A Love Which Does Not Wait, by Janet Ruhe-Schoen, p 57 – 58)
(A Love Which Does Not Wait, by Janet Ruhe-Schoen, p 57 – 58)
Ruhiyyih purposely orchestrated this evil plan to dismantle the IBC once Shoghi died
Guardianship, House of Justice (UHJ), Personal Observations, Ruhiyyih Khanum, Shoghi Effendi
No comments
Shoghi Effendi did appoint his successor before he died. The successor of Shoghi was the IBC (International Baha’i Council) that he created which was eventually dismantled by Ruhiyyih & the hands.
The IBC that Shoghi created was not only supposed to be the embryonic Universal house of Justice (UHJ), it was also the symbolic child of Shoghi Effendi. Let me carefully explain.
When Shoghi first created the IBC, he himself didn’t communicate directly with each member face to face nor would he allow them to meet with each other. He would send messages to each member of the IBC by using Ruhiyyih as a liaison. There was a symbolic reason for this.
You see, each member of the IBC represented the different body parts of a child that’s in it’s mother’s womb, with Shoghi representing the mother or head, & Ruhiyyih representing the umbilical cord that passes messages from the head to the different parts.
When Shoghi died, it represented his child or successor being born, which was the IBC that he created. From the moment, the entire Baha’i world was supposed to turn to the IBC for divine guidance while it went through its successive stages from a child (the international Baha’i council & the International Baha’i court) to an adult (the Universal House of Justice).
If Mason Remey (the president of the IBC) were still alive once the IBC completed all its formative stages, then he would automatically become the second guardian. If not, then his successor would become the second guardian once the IBC completed all its formative stages to the Universal House of Justice.
But, as we all know, these divine transformative stages were not allowed to happen when Ruhiyyih & the hands dismantled the IBC, which effectively killed the child & rightful successor of Shoghi Effendi.
You see, Ruhiyyih purposely orchestrated this evil plan to dismantle the IBC once Shoghi died. She knew in advance that the IBC was supposed to be the rightful successor of Shoghi because remember, she was the liaison or umbilical cord of Shoghi that carried all the messages. So, she had direct knowledge of the entire, intended plan.
The reason why she did this because she knew once Shoghi died, she would no longer have a high position in the Baha’i world & would effectively become a regular Baha’i. Think about it. Once a child is born, the umbilical cord is cut off & thrown away because it is no longer needed.
This eventual circumstance was painful for her to accept which she was determined not to allow. So, in order to maintain a high position within the Baha’i world once Shoghi died, she along with the hands dismantled the IBC that Shoghi created & appointed themselves as the custodians of the Baha’i faith.
When this happened, which led to every Baha’i accepting this development, it effectively caused the entire Baha’i world to become covenant-breakers. The Universal House of Justice that exists today is not the real, divine Universe House of Justice that was intended by Baha'u'llah & Abdul-Baha.
It is a empty shell without a head (the guardian). So, it does not possess the divine guidance of Baha'u'llah.
The IBC that Shoghi created was not only supposed to be the embryonic Universal house of Justice (UHJ), it was also the symbolic child of Shoghi Effendi. Let me carefully explain.
When Shoghi first created the IBC, he himself didn’t communicate directly with each member face to face nor would he allow them to meet with each other. He would send messages to each member of the IBC by using Ruhiyyih as a liaison. There was a symbolic reason for this.
You see, each member of the IBC represented the different body parts of a child that’s in it’s mother’s womb, with Shoghi representing the mother or head, & Ruhiyyih representing the umbilical cord that passes messages from the head to the different parts.
When Shoghi died, it represented his child or successor being born, which was the IBC that he created. From the moment, the entire Baha’i world was supposed to turn to the IBC for divine guidance while it went through its successive stages from a child (the international Baha’i council & the International Baha’i court) to an adult (the Universal House of Justice).
If Mason Remey (the president of the IBC) were still alive once the IBC completed all its formative stages, then he would automatically become the second guardian. If not, then his successor would become the second guardian once the IBC completed all its formative stages to the Universal House of Justice.
But, as we all know, these divine transformative stages were not allowed to happen when Ruhiyyih & the hands dismantled the IBC, which effectively killed the child & rightful successor of Shoghi Effendi.
You see, Ruhiyyih purposely orchestrated this evil plan to dismantle the IBC once Shoghi died. She knew in advance that the IBC was supposed to be the rightful successor of Shoghi because remember, she was the liaison or umbilical cord of Shoghi that carried all the messages. So, she had direct knowledge of the entire, intended plan.
The reason why she did this because she knew once Shoghi died, she would no longer have a high position in the Baha’i world & would effectively become a regular Baha’i. Think about it. Once a child is born, the umbilical cord is cut off & thrown away because it is no longer needed.
This eventual circumstance was painful for her to accept which she was determined not to allow. So, in order to maintain a high position within the Baha’i world once Shoghi died, she along with the hands dismantled the IBC that Shoghi created & appointed themselves as the custodians of the Baha’i faith.
When this happened, which led to every Baha’i accepting this development, it effectively caused the entire Baha’i world to become covenant-breakers. The Universal House of Justice that exists today is not the real, divine Universe House of Justice that was intended by Baha'u'llah & Abdul-Baha.
It is a empty shell without a head (the guardian). So, it does not possess the divine guidance of Baha'u'llah.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Badri-Jan, the sister of the murdered Mirza Rida-Quli, sought an interview with Ahmad Big Tawfiq and there accused Baha’u’llah of instigating the murders
A year after the murder of the Azalis, the Governor of ‘Akka, who had remained ill-disposed towards the exiles, was dismissed from office and replaced by Ahmad Big Tawfiq, a wise and compassionate man: Soon after his installation as Governor, Badri-Jan, the sister of the murdered Mirza Rida-Quli, sought an interview with Ahmad Big Tawfiq and there accused Baha’u’llah of instigating the murders and of plotting to rule over all, the kings of the world included. To back up her allegations, she left with the Governor a copy of the Suriy-i-Muluk and some other writings of Baha’u’llah.
Badri-Jan’s efforts backfired. The Governor was so impressed by these writings that he sought out ‘Abdu’l-Baha in order to learn more.
[...]
It was as a result of the repeated requests made by Ilyas ‘Abbud that Baha’u’llah consented to receive Ahmad Big Tawfiq. In this interview Baha’u’llah requested the Governor to review the cases of the Baha’is who were held in captivity. The Governor agreed and carefully reviewed each case. All those except the seven responsible for the murders were released in July of 1873.
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 157)
Badri-Jan’s efforts backfired. The Governor was so impressed by these writings that he sought out ‘Abdu’l-Baha in order to learn more.
[...]
It was as a result of the repeated requests made by Ilyas ‘Abbud that Baha’u’llah consented to receive Ahmad Big Tawfiq. In this interview Baha’u’llah requested the Governor to review the cases of the Baha’is who were held in captivity. The Governor agreed and carefully reviewed each case. All those except the seven responsible for the murders were released in July of 1873.
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 157)
That which can harm Me is the conduct of those who love Me, who claim to be related to Me, and yet perpetrate what causeth My heart and My pen to groan.
In the Siyah-Chal in Tihran and in His exile from His homeland, Baha’u’llah had endured the onslaughts of external enemies. In Adrianople the severest test ever to befall the infant Faith had been an internal one. This time, in ‘Akka, the assault was threefold, from the Ottoman authorities, from the Azalis and from the misguided followers of Baha’u’llah Himself.
It was the latter group, His own disobedient followers, who caused Baha’u’llah the most anguish. “My captivity’, He wrote, ‘cannot harm Me. That which can harm Me is the conduct of those who love Me, who claim to be related to Me, and yet perpetrate what causeth My heart and My pen to groan.’
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 154)
It was the latter group, His own disobedient followers, who caused Baha’u’llah the most anguish. “My captivity’, He wrote, ‘cannot harm Me. That which can harm Me is the conduct of those who love Me, who claim to be related to Me, and yet perpetrate what causeth My heart and My pen to groan.’
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 154)
a picture of the mosque in which Bahá’u’lláh prayed in Adrianople
Dr. Grossmann presented many beautiful and precious gifts that had been received by the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria for the Temple: Persian rugs, a picture of the mosque in which Bahá’u’lláh prayed in Adrianople, a piece of plaster from the room in which Bahá’u’lláh lived there, as well as roses from Bahá’u’lláh’s House which He Himself had planted when a prisoner in Adrianople, table covers, silver vases, a plaque carrying the Greatest Name, a shirt of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and many other gifts too numerous to mention.
(Baha'i News, No. 332, Baha'i Year 115, October, 1958)
(Baha'i News, No. 332, Baha'i Year 115, October, 1958)
the entire planet would be Baha’i in only 10 years!
Another question often raised concerns the ‘methods’ of teaching that are advocated by the National Spiritual Assembly.
The answer to that question, simply, is that all forms of teaching are acceptable, so long as the dignity and principles of the Faith are upheld.
“Teaching by example,” “fireside teaching,” “door-to-door teaching,” “mass teaching,” “public proclamation,” “indirect teaching,” “direct teaching” —though we describe it in many ways, it is all teaching. In fact, the terms are quite irrelevant.
It isn’t important what we call it, or what “method” we choose; what is important is that we do it, and do it continually.
Each Baha'i must assess his or her own abilities, and then arise wholeheartedly to support the teaching work, locally and nationally.
If the Baha'is in this country today were to fulfill the duty given to us by ‘Abdu'l-Baha (to bring one soul into the Faith each year), in only 10 years the Faith would expand in such a manner that the entire planet would be Baha’i in only 10 years!
“There are innumerable ways of teaching the Cause. You can choose the one that suits best your nature and capacity.”
-Shoghi Effendi
The answer to that question, simply, is that all forms of teaching are acceptable, so long as the dignity and principles of the Faith are upheld.
“Teaching by example,” “fireside teaching,” “door-to-door teaching,” “mass teaching,” “public proclamation,” “indirect teaching,” “direct teaching” —though we describe it in many ways, it is all teaching. In fact, the terms are quite irrelevant.
It isn’t important what we call it, or what “method” we choose; what is important is that we do it, and do it continually.
Each Baha'i must assess his or her own abilities, and then arise wholeheartedly to support the teaching work, locally and nationally.
If the Baha'is in this country today were to fulfill the duty given to us by ‘Abdu'l-Baha (to bring one soul into the Faith each year), in only 10 years the Faith would expand in such a manner that the entire planet would be Baha’i in only 10 years!
“There are innumerable ways of teaching the Cause. You can choose the one that suits best your nature and capacity.”
-Shoghi Effendi
we found Baha'u'llah, it being the month of Ramadan, engaged in reading the Qur'an
On my return, I received from Mirza Ahmad the joyful tidings of the arrival of Baha'u'llah in Kirmanshah. As we were being ushered into His presence, we found Him, it being the month of Ramadan, engaged in reading the Qur'an, and were blessed by hearing Him read verses of that sacred Book.
(The Dawn-Breakers & Nabil's Narrative, Of The Early Days Of The Baha'i Revelation, Translated From The Original Persian And Edited By Shoghi Effendi, Chapter XXV)
http://www.bahai-library.com/books/dawnbreakers/chapters/25.html
(The Dawn-Breakers & Nabil's Narrative, Of The Early Days Of The Baha'i Revelation, Translated From The Original Persian And Edited By Shoghi Effendi, Chapter XXV)
http://www.bahai-library.com/books/dawnbreakers/chapters/25.html
Nineteenth Ramadan is the day the Imám Ḥusayn was wounded on the battlefield of Karbilá, and the twenty-first, which commemorates his death!
The fifteenth day of the month of Sha‘bán is believed to be the birthday of the Twelfth and Hidden Imám, who, according to, the teachings of Shí‘ah Islam, was the last in the series of successors to the Prophet Muḥammad. There are two holy days during Ramaḍán, the Muslim month of fasting-the nineteenth, which commemorates the day the Imám Ḥusayn was wounded on the battlefield of Karbilá, and the twenty-first, which commemorates his death.
https://bahai-library.com/uhj_messages_1963-86_full&chapter=all/
I immediately threw myself at His feet, held the hem of His robe and entreated Him tearfully saying: ‘O my Beloved! Do not leave me to myself
One day when all the pilgrims from Nayriz were in the House of the Master, Mirza Dhikru’llah gave me the awaited news. He told me that ‘Abdu’l-Baha was alone in the house of Mirza Jalal, His son-in-law, and had called me into His presence. I took the items which I wanted ‘Abdu’l-Baha to bless and with exceeding gladness accompanied Aqa Mirza Dhikru’llah to the appointed place. With extreme excitement and in a state of utter humility and lowliness I entered the vestibule of the house. Mirza Dhikru’llah went in and sought permission for me to enter. Permission was granted. I left the wrapper, which contained several items to be blessed, in the corridor. I then opened the door and saw ‘Abdu’l-Baha seated at a desk. I bowed and said ‘Allah’u’Abha’. He gave me permission to enter.
I immediately threw myself at His feet, held the hem of His robe and entreated Him tearfully saying: ‘O my Beloved! Do not leave me to myself, cause me to move in accordance with Thy Will, and confirm me in my servitude and obedience to Thee.’
‘Abdu’l-Baha bountifully lifted me up with the hand of His power and with a penetrating voice said, ‘God hath confirmed thee in serving His Cause, in elevating His Word, and in spreading His fragrances.’
I immediately threw myself at His feet, held the hem of His robe and entreated Him tearfully saying: ‘O my Beloved! Do not leave me to myself, cause me to move in accordance with Thy Will, and confirm me in my servitude and obedience to Thee.’
‘Abdu’l-Baha bountifully lifted me up with the hand of His power and with a penetrating voice said, ‘God hath confirmed thee in serving His Cause, in elevating His Word, and in spreading His fragrances.’
(Baha'i World, vol. 19, p 752)
https://bahai.works/index.php?title=File:BW_Volume19.pdf&page=776
Abdu’l-Baha said, ‘Because they have not understood the significance of the fast, they have abandoned the primary purpose and have clung to a secondary matter,
On the first day of Ramadan we were in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Baha together with a group of pilgrims and resident Baha’is, such as Haji ‘Ali-i-Yazdi, the brother of Haji Muhammad Tahir-i-Malmiri. Because of the difference in the lunar calendar, some of the Muslims had observed the first day of Ramadan the previous day. ‘Abdu’l-Baha asked Haji ‘Ali whether the people in the market had observed the fast yesterday or today. He replied that some started the fast as from yesterday and some from today.
‘Abdu’l-Baha said, ‘Because they have not understood the significance of the fast, they have abandoned the primary purpose and have clung to a secondary matter, thus they have become the cause of division. In the early days of Islam this was not so, it has gradually become like this.’ Then He continued, ‘Fasting means abstinence from that which increases the appetite for lust and passion. This has been the wisdom of the fast. Just as people abstain from indulging in food, they should likewise abstain from the promptings of the baser self and protect themselves from their evil effects. However, as it can be seen,’ He said, ‘they dispute with each other over the basic principle and instead of spending their extra time in meditating and pondering upon the Writings, in performing good and charitable deeds, and in suppressing their evil promptings, they are engaged in advancing their personal interests and improving their business.’
(Baha'i World, vol. 19, p 753)
‘Abdu’l-Baha said, ‘Because they have not understood the significance of the fast, they have abandoned the primary purpose and have clung to a secondary matter, thus they have become the cause of division. In the early days of Islam this was not so, it has gradually become like this.’ Then He continued, ‘Fasting means abstinence from that which increases the appetite for lust and passion. This has been the wisdom of the fast. Just as people abstain from indulging in food, they should likewise abstain from the promptings of the baser self and protect themselves from their evil effects. However, as it can be seen,’ He said, ‘they dispute with each other over the basic principle and instead of spending their extra time in meditating and pondering upon the Writings, in performing good and charitable deeds, and in suppressing their evil promptings, they are engaged in advancing their personal interests and improving their business.’
(Baha'i World, vol. 19, p 753)
https://bahai.works/Bahá’í_World/Volume_19/Essays_and_Reviews
I am He Who feareth no one, though all who are in heaven and all who are on earth rise up against me.…
“Were all the divines, all the wise men, all the kings and rulers on earth to gather together, I, in very truth, would confront them, and would proclaim the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the All-Wise. I am He Who feareth no one, though all who are in heaven and all who are on earth rise up against me.… This is Mine hand which God hath turned white for all the worlds to behold. This is My staff; were We to cast it down, it would, of a truth, swallow up all created things.”
(Baha'u'llah quoted by Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By)
https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/shoghi-effendi/god-passes-by/11#419071060
(Baha'u'llah quoted by Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By)
https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/shoghi-effendi/god-passes-by/11#419071060
‘Praise be to God that you have remained in Karbila, and have beheld with your own eyes the countenance of the promised Husayn.”
Shaykh Hasan had lived quietly in Karbila for two years when, in early October of 1851, as he later recounted to Nabil-i-A‘zam,
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 35)
... while I was passing by the gate of the inner courtyard of the shrine of the Imam Husayn, my eyes, for the first time, fell upon Baha’u’llah. What shall I recount regarding the countenance which I beheld! The beauty of that face, those exquisite features which no pen or brush dare describe, His penetrating glance, His kindly face, the majesty of His bearing, the sweetness of His smile, the luxuriance of His jet-black flowing locks, left an indelible impression upon my soul. I was then an old man, bowed with age. How lovingly He advanced towards me! He took me by the hand and, in a tone which at once betrayed power and beauty, addressed me in these words: ‘This very day I have purposed to make you known as a Babi throughout Karbila.’ Still holding my hand in His, He continued to converse with me. He walked with me all along the market-street, and in the end He said: ‘Praise be to God that you have remained in Karbila, and have beheld with your own eyes the countenance of the promised Husayn.”
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 35)
The Bab agreed the proposal of Baha'u'llah and appointed Mirza Yahya
Earlier, during the time that the Bab had been imprisoned at Chihriq, Baha’u’llah and one other Babi had suggested to the Bab that Mirza Yahya, Baha’u’llah’s young stepbrother, be known as the appointed nominee of the Bab until such time as ‘He Whom God shall make manifest’ would appear. The Bab had agreed to this proposal. Now, from Kirmanshah, Baha’u’llah sent Nabil-i-A‘zam to Tihran with instructions to escort Mirza Yahya, who had reached there from Mazindaran, away from the dangers of the capital. Baha’u’llah asked Nabil to remain with Mirza Yahya until such time as He could get back to Persia Himself.
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 32)
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 32)
none of the Baha’is would teach their Faith to anyone in ‘Akka
Baha’u’llah had undertaken that none of the Baha’is would teach their Faith to anyone in ‘Akka or the surrounding countryside while they were exiles and prisoners.
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 133)
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 133)
After the three deaths, Baha’u’llah revealed for the remainder of the party a short healing prayer
Soon all but two of the exiles were sick and nine of the ten guards set to watch over them also fell ill. No doctor was summoned. Malaria and dysentery added to their discomfort and distress. Three of the exiles died, two of them brothers who died in the same night, locked in each other’s arms. There was no money available to pay for their burial and the guards demanded money in advance before they would agree to move the bodies. Baha’u’llah gave to the guards a small carpet on which He Himself slept, His only remaining article of luxury, to pay for the burial expenses. These guards sold the carpet but kept the money for themselves. The corpses were buried without ceremony, unwashed and unshrouded, outside the Muslim cemetery even though the money obtained from the sale of the carpet was twice the amount necessary to pay for a decent burial.
After the three deaths, Baha’u’llah revealed for the remainder of the party a short healing prayer and asked them to chant it repeatedly with the utmost sincerity. Soon all recovered.
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 133)
After the three deaths, Baha’u’llah revealed for the remainder of the party a short healing prayer and asked them to chant it repeatedly with the utmost sincerity. Soon all recovered.
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 133)
Abdu’l-Baha promptly slapped him on the face and ordered him to return to his room at once.
The next night Baha’u’llah and His family were consigned to the upper floor of the north-west wing. The south-west room of that wing, the unglazed windows of which looked towards the sea, was assigned to Baha’u’llah. The floor was of mud, there was no furniture and what plaster still remained on the ceiling was falling onto the floor.
Soon after their arrival the Governor of ‘Akka called at the barracks on a tour of inspection. His manner was discourteous in the extreme. He threatened to cut off the bread supply altogether if any of the prisoners attempted to escape. So insulting and provocative were his remarks that the young Husayn-i-Ashchi flung back, in Turkish, an equally ‘insolent reply. ‘Abdu’l-Baha promptly slapped him on the face and ordered him to return to his room at once. At that moment the Governor began to realize that he was not dealing’ with common criminals. He soon consented to change the inedible black bread for a small allowance and permitted four of the prisoners to go out each day, under guard, to buy provisions for the whole party.
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 131)
Soon after their arrival the Governor of ‘Akka called at the barracks on a tour of inspection. His manner was discourteous in the extreme. He threatened to cut off the bread supply altogether if any of the prisoners attempted to escape. So insulting and provocative were his remarks that the young Husayn-i-Ashchi flung back, in Turkish, an equally ‘insolent reply. ‘Abdu’l-Baha promptly slapped him on the face and ordered him to return to his room at once. At that moment the Governor began to realize that he was not dealing’ with common criminals. He soon consented to change the inedible black bread for a small allowance and permitted four of the prisoners to go out each day, under guard, to buy provisions for the whole party.
(Day of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah, by Mary Perkins, George Ronald, p 131)
Monday, March 11, 2024
when Baha'u'llah and his son and successor Abbas Effendi died, the Sunni clergy conducted their funeral services.
The Muslims of Akka were all Sunnites, and were quite intolerant of heretics such as the Baha'is. Therefore, in order to avoid trouble, Baha'u'llah and his followers took great pains to conceal their real beliefs, as they had done previously in Iran, Baghdad, and Edirne, and to profess and practice in public the faith of Islam. Accordingly, they went regularly to the Muslim mosques and recited the prayers after the manner of the Sunnites. They also kept the Muslim month of fasting. So successful were they in this effort that when Baha'u'llah and his son and successor Abbas Effendi died, the Sunnite clergy conducted their funeral services. This they would never have done had they realized that Baha'u'llah claimed to be a Manifestation of God, greater than Muhammad.
(The Baha'i Faith, William McElwee Miller, p 121-122)
(The Baha'i Faith, William McElwee Miller, p 121-122)
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Some earliest Baha'is were expelled from the Baha’i faith because they shared the desire for a more free-thinking, liberal Baha’i faith.
A few years ago I read some out-of-print books on the internet, and was fascinated to discover that the earliest “Covenant-breakers” were expelled from the Baha’i community precisely because they shared the desire for a more free-thinking, liberal Baha’i faith. It is not easy to learn this, because the evidence for this fact has been omitted from recently published histories of the religion; and even in the past, the reason for the rebellion of some early Baha’i insiders was glossed over as simply a stubborn refusal to obey legitimate Baha’i leaders. Although many Baha’is in recent times have left the Baha’i community or even the faith itself for the same basic reason they did—conscientious disagreement with Baha’i leaders’ claims to be the infallible representative of God— surprisingly little has been written by religious scholars or historians about the fact that this kind of dissent is nothing new, but is part of a long, rich tradition of liberal-minded “dissident” Baha’is led by members of Baha’u’llah’s own immediate family.
(A Lost History of the Baha’i Faith, preface)
(A Lost History of the Baha’i Faith, preface)
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-History-Bahai-Faith-Progressive/dp/0692331352
Friday, March 8, 2024
Abbas Effendi was a book burner. His father was too
Abuse, Censorship, Edward Browne, Personal Observations
No comments
Fadil Mazandarani quotes a litany of other letters from Abbas Effendi in his 4 volumes of Asrar al-Athar where Abbas Effendi said exactly the same thing about other books, not just those by Khayrullah. One, for example, is about Browne's edition of nuqtat'ul-kaf where he not only encouraged that it not be read but that the bahais acquire all existing copies so to it would go out of circulation. The only physical copy of it I found in Europe was at an obscure German university library and all the pictures in that copy had either been defaced or taken out altogether with a few pages ripped up. Throughout the European university library system, only two other libraries held a copy of it, and this is was an edition published by the Dutch E.J. Brill as part of their Gibb memorial series: the premier European academic publisher in Europe for the past nearly 200 years! Browne himself outright says that the bahais had destroyed as many copies of the manuscripts they could get their hands on, including the two at the Bibliotheque nationale in Paris that both Browne and Nicolas worked with.
Why do you people lie so much in the face of the undeniably obvious? Abbas Effendi was a book burner. His father was too despite what he is made to say in this quote.
(Wahid Azal)
https://old.reddit.com/r/FreeSpeechBahai/comments/1b4x6m9/bahaullah_says_unlike_previous_religions_his/ktdjzhi/
According to Abdul Baha, Baha'is are not allowed to own some books
"As to Khayru'llah's book: The blessing of God will be cut off from the house in which a copy of it is found, inasmuch as it is sheer slander. Should one compare his first book with his second, one would readily discover to what extent their texts are contradictory and how much he has lied. In fact the motive behind his second book was but to deceive and mislead the people. Hence God uprooted him, humbled him to dust and reduced him to utter perdition."
(From a letter dated 2 October 1906 to an individual believer)
(From a letter dated 2 October 1906 to an individual believer)
Thursday, March 7, 2024
fewer Bahais would get themselves in these intellectual tangles.
"...if the Bahai community was educated to distinguish strictly between Shoghi Effendi's own letters and those of his secretaries -- and especially those written to individuals with person advice -- fewer Bahais would get themselves in these intellectual tangles."
-Sen McGlinn
-Sen McGlinn
Institute of disenrollment
In addition to Covenant-breaking, there is the less-known institute of disenrollment, which means being expelled from the administrative order of the Faith. Several people were disenrolled for unclear reasons despite continuing to believe in Bahá'u'lláh and the institutions that are a part of the Covenant up to the Universal House of Justice. For reference, those include at least Sen McGlinn and Alison Elizabeth Marshall. The administration has the authority to declare someone non-Bahá'í without giving any further details (unlike with Covenant-breaking) and they are actively using it!
Infallible UHJ's learning experience
Converting People, House of Justice (UHJ), Infallibility
No comments
The second pattern took shape in those countries where the process of entry by troops began, resulting in an exponential increase in membership, new localities, and new institutions. In several countries the Bahá’í community grew to comprise more than one hundred thousand believers, while India reached some two million. Indeed, in a single two-year period in the late 1980s, more than one million souls embraced the Faith worldwide. Yet, in such places, despite the creative and sacrificial efforts that were made, the process of consolidation could not keep pace with expansion. Many became Bahá’ís, but the means did not exist for all these new believers to become sufficiently deepened in the fundamental verities of the Faith and for vibrant communities to develop. Classes for Bahá’í education could not be established in numbers large enough to serve an ever-increasing number of children and youth. Over thirty thousand Local Assemblies were formed, but only a fraction of them began to function. From this experience, it became apparent that occasional educational courses and informal community activities, though important, were not sufficient, for they resulted in raising up only a relatively small band of active supporters of the Cause who, no matter how dedicated, could not provide for the needs of thousands upon thousands of new believers.
(The Nine Year Plan: 2022–2031, Messages of the Universal House of Justice, 180 B.E. Edition, Paragraph 52)
(The Nine Year Plan: 2022–2031, Messages of the Universal House of Justice, 180 B.E. Edition, Paragraph 52)
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth
It is now evident and firmly established that Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant provides for two authoritative centres. The first is the Book: the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, along with the body of works of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi that constitute authoritative interpretation and explication of the Creative Word. With the passing of Shoghi Effendi, more than a century of the extension of that authoritative centre came to a close.
The second authoritative centre is the Universal House of Justice, which, as the Sacred Writings affirm, is under the care and unerring guidance of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb. “Let it not be imagined that the House of Justice will take any decision according to its own concepts and opinions”, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains. “God forbid! The Supreme House of Justice will take decisions and establish laws through the inspiration and confirmation of the Holy Spirit, because it is in the safekeeping and under the shelter and protection of the Ancient Beauty”. “God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth,” Bahá’u’lláh proclaims. “They, and not the body of those who either directly or indirectly elect them,” Shoghi Effendi states, “have thus been made the recipients of the divine guidance which is at once the life-blood and ultimate safeguard of this Revelation.
(The Nine Year Plan: 2022–2031, Messages of the Universal House of Justice, 180 B.E. Edition, Paragraph 22 and 23)
(The Nine Year Plan: 2022–2031, Messages of the Universal House of Justice, 180 B.E. Edition, Paragraph 22 and 23)