Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Shoghi Effendi drank wine during his youth!

Sobhi, who served as a scribe for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá before leaving the Bahá’í Faith, provides the following details:

He states that he was personally acquainted with Shoghi Effendi and was aware of the weaknesses of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s family members,. He specifically recounts an incident involving Shoghi Effendi and Dr. Zia Baghdadi. Sobhi describes a time when they were together making jokes typical of young men. He claims that after briefly leaving the room and returning, he witnessed them drinking wine. When Sobhi questioned Dr. Baghdadi about what they were doing, he reports that Shoghi Effendi turned to him and said, "If you want some too, come and drink".

(The Memoirs of Fadlullah Mohtadi Sobhi)

https://archive.org/details/payam-i-pedar-sobhi/payam%20i%20pedar%20sobhi/

Baha'i Temple on Mount Carmel

Israel, Personal Observations, Temple No comments

"Design for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (Bahai Temple) on Mount Carmel prepared according to the instruction of Abdul Baha , during the Guardianship of the first guardian Shoghi Effendi “Preliminary steps taken in preparation of final design for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár on Mount Carmel by President of the International Bahá'í Council, specifically appointed by `Abdu'l-Bahá to be its architect.”

(Shoghi Effendi, [Cablegram, April 25, 1951] Messages to the Bahá'í World -1950-1957, p. 12)

“eighteen plots, a twenty-two thousand square meter area, have been added to the International Bahá’í endowments on the slopes of Carmel. Government survey concluded paving the way for the acquisition of over one hundred forty thousand square meters of property in the precincts of the Most Holy Tomb at Bahjí. The design for the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár on Carmel, conceived by the President of the International Bahá’í Council, completed.”

(Shoghi Cablegram, April 23, 1952, Messages to the Bahá’í World: 1950–1957, p26)

This is what the Heterodox Bahá'í leaders on Mt Carmel did:

"The raising of the obelisk, marking the site of the future Mashriqu'l-Adhkár on Mount Carmel, completes a project initiated by the beloved Guardian."

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1968-1973, p. 119)

Instead of building the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár and despite several warnings, the Heterodox Bahá'í leaders on Mt. Carmel are continuing their plan to disturb and remove the physical remains of Abdu’l Baha from the existing shrine in a sacred place adjoining the holy shrine of the Bab and move to another place which its construction site caught on fire on 8 April 2022 but they did not wake up.

I hope those who call themselves Baha’i investigate the truth and do not blindly imitate what they are telling them.

https://old.reddit.com/r/orthodoxbahai/comments/1pp6b9j/last_warning/

How Baha'u'llah saved Mishkín-Qalam?!

Abuse, History, Miracles, Subh-i-Azal No comments

9. When the Ottoman government banished Bahá’u’lláh and His companions to ‘Akká, several of the believers, including Mishkín-Qalam, were exiled together with Azal to Cyprus. This group was greatly distressed and constantly longed to go to ‘Akká and to be released from Cyprus. During this period, Azal was in continual correspondence with various places, and he would place some of his papers and letters in a basket. He fixed a nail into the ceiling and, using a rope and pulley, suspended the basket containing his papers and writings from the ceiling of the room.

By chance, that year there had been no rain in Cyprus for a long time, and everyone—especially the farmers—was troubled. Whenever Jináb-i Mishkín-Qalam went out of the house and encountered ordinary people, he would say that the reason rain was not falling was that Azal was practicing sorcery and magic, and that he had hung all the papers of his magic and spells in a basket from the ceiling of the room. Gradually this rumor spread through the town, and people passed it from mouth to mouth. After some time, everyone came to believe that the cause of the drought was the sorcery and magic that Azal was performing.

One day they decided that, in Azal’s absence, they would go to his house, find the basket, and burn whatever was inside—and they did exactly that. That night, when Mishkín-Qalam returned home and learned of what had happened, he cast himself at the threshold and began to weep and lament, crying out: “O Bahá’u’lláh, what have I done… If it does not rain tomorrow, my situation will be ruined.” For a long time he remained in supplication and bitter weeping, and with a sorrowful heart he implored Bahá’u’lláh to send rain. Toward dawn he fell asleep, and early in the morning he was awakened by noise and commotion. He saw that a heavy downpour had begun, and, overjoyed, he danced out of the room… and the people’s affection for him increased. As a result of this incident, he and several others were able to leave the island of Cyprus and were delivered.

(Ruzgār-i Mahbūb (The Beloved’s Times), Compiled by Fouad Peymání Zavareh, page 7)

https://bahai-library.com/bahailib/1735.pdf

son of adultery

Abuse, Baha'u'llah, Covenant-Breakers, Subh-i-Azal No comments

And You know, O My Beloved, that for the sake of God I desired authorization, since patience, on account of My love for the unveiled beauty of God, had departed from Me. And You know that a son of adultery [Mirza Yahya, or Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani] willfully desired to shed My blood.

The Tablet of All Food And the Nature of Reality by Karl Weaver, 2016)

https://bahai-library.com/weaver_tablet_food_reality

Morals of some Babis had deteriorated to an alarming degree.

Abuse, Bab No comments

The Bab and most of the leaders of His Faith had been martyred, and the remaining disciples were a dispirited lot. Morals among some of them had deteriorated to an alarming degree.

(The Tablet of All Food And the Nature of Reality by Karl Weaver, 2016)

https://bahai-library.com/weaver_tablet_food_reality

Quddus was a Qiblih and Kabih for the Babis

Bab, History, Rituals No comments

Turning to Quddús

It is reported that on more than one occasion and as a sign of reverence, the companions would turn to Quddús as a Qiblih (Arabic Qibla) when they said their obligatory prayers:

One day they decided to determine the total number of companions. It was four hundred and forty-four individuals. During the festivities of Qurbán [F November VG5G], and Ghadı́r [VJ November]. as per the specific instruction of his eminence the Báb [Mullá Ḥusayn], all companions gathered for the mass prayer. Then, a sermon from his writings [Quddús] was read. A Tablet of Visitation was read by the honourable Mı́rzá Muḥammad-Báqir, the junior. His holiness Quddús commanded that the night prayer is obligatory, which needs to be observed. All the companions performed the nafl prayer [supererogatory prayer].

In days to follow, a number of imáms (prayer leaders) were determined to lead the congregation in congregational prayer. The companions formed two lines of prayer behind them and to follow them in prayers. Ḥájı́ Mı́rzá Ḥasan, Jináb-i-Mullá Muḥammad-Ṣádiq, Mı́rzá Muḥammad Mahalátı́ and Mullá Zaynu’l-’Abidı́n Miyámaı́ were appointed imáms. While we were standing together in rows to offer prayers in congregation [facing the prayer leaders who in turn would be looking toward Mecca, the Islamic point of direction for prayers], Mı́rzá Amı́n instead turned towards his holiness [Quddús]. Mullá Jalı́l also turned towards Quddús in prayer…

Circumabulating his chamber

The believers used to circumambulate around the abode of Quddús: On the night of the festival of Qurbán, Mullá Ḥusayn circumambulated the house that was the residence of His Holiness Quddús. Other believers in obedience to the Bábu’l-Báb (Mullá Ḥusayn) also circumambulated the house of Quddús. This respect was repeated every night, and each night Mullá Ḥusayn circumambulated around the house of Quddús. Each time that Quddús appeared out of his residence or rode his horse, Mullá Ḥusayn circumambulated his Holiness [Quddús].

(Quddús - The First in Rank by Boris Handal)

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

Mirza Yahya pretended to be the re-incarnation of Quddús, claimed prophethood

Subh-i-Azal No comments

It is in Adrianople that Mı́rzá Yaḥyá, Bahá’u’lláh’s half-brother and the one who pretended to be the re-incarnation of Quddús, openly unleashed his rebellion against Bahá’u’lláh after years of covert work sowing discord among the community of Bábı́s—now Bahá’ı́s. Mı́rzá Yaḥyá also claimed the station of prophethood and to be the successor of the Báb. He was summoned to appear in a mosque and to raise his allegations in front of Bahá’u’lláh in public, but he failed to appear. As a result of his rebellion and claims, Bahá’u’lláh severed all ties and communication with this impostor and moved His residence to another location in Adrianople.

(Quddús - The First in Rank by Boris Handal)

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

Mírzá Ja‘far will come alive

Baha'u'llah, Miracles No comments

Mírzá Ja‘far was patient and long-suffering, a faithful attendant at the Holy Threshold. He was a servant to all the friends, working day and night. A quiet man, sparing of speech, in all things relying entirely upon God. He continued to serve in Adrianople until the banishment to ‘Akká was brought about and he too was made a prisoner. He was grateful for this, continually offering thanks, and saying, “Praise be to God! I am in the fully-laden Ark!”

The Prison was a garden of roses to him, and his narrow cell a wide and fragrant place. At the time when we were in the barracks he fell dangerously ill and was confined to his bed. He suffered many complications, until finally the doctor gave him up and would visit him no more. Then the sick man breathed his last. Mírzá Áqá Ján ran to Bahá’u’lláh, with word of the death. Not only had the patient ceased to breathe, but his body was already going limp. His family were gathered about him, mourning him, shedding bitter tears. The Blessed Beauty said, “Go; chant the prayer of Yá Sháfí—O Thou, the Healer—and Mírzá Ja‘far will come alive. Very rapidly, he will be as well as ever.” I reached his bedside. His body was cold and all the signs of death were present. Slowly, he began to stir; soon he could move his limbs, and before an hour had passed he lifted his head, sat up, and proceeded to laugh and tell jokes.

He lived for a long time after that, occupied as ever with serving the friends. This giving service was a point of pride with him: to all, he was a servant. He was always modest and humble, calling God to mind, and to the highest degree full of hope and faith. Finally, while in the Most Great Prison, he abandoned this earthly life and winged his way to the life beyond.

Greetings and praise be unto him; upon him be the glory of the All-Glorious, and the favoring glances of the Lord. His luminous grave is in ‘Akká.

(Memorials Of The Faithful by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, Translated from the original Persian text and annotated by Marzieh Gail)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/memorials-faithful/5#615094144

How did Shoghi Effendi obtain the Mansion of Bahji from the Covenant-breakers?

Covenant-Breakers, Muhammed Ali (Ghusn), Ruhiyyih Khanum, Shoghi Effendi No comments

This is how Ruhiyyih Khanum starts her summary of the steps which Shoghi Effendi took to accomplish this goal:

...From the time Bahá'u'lláh passed away in 1892 until 1929 Muhammad 'Ali and his relatives [who were Covenant-breakers] had been in possession of this home ... which had been purchased for Bahá'u'lláh towards the end of His life. This Mansion was now falling into a serious and pitiful state of disrepair, stained, rain-worn its roof caving in, its once lovely rooms abandoned or used as store rooms. (pp. 231)

The Covenant-breakers demanded of Shoghi Effendi that he repair the building, but the Guardian told them he would not go ahead with repairs until they moved out of the building. Ruhiyyih Khanum tells the rest of the story:

...Eventually it seems the situation of the Mansion reached a point where the Covenant-breakers had no alternative and were forced to comply with Shoghi Effendi's demand. On 27 November 1929, the day before the eighth anniversary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing, Shoghi Effendi cabled a relative: ...Qasr evacuated. Restoration commenced, and on 5 December he wrote to one of the friends: ...the Mansion of Bahá'u'lláh, occupied for about 40 years by Muhammad 'Ali and his followers, has at last been evacuated and the enclosed photograph will indicate in what a state they have left it! Restorative work has commenced and the pilgrims are already visiting the room where Bahá'u'lláh passed away and where He passed the most peaceful and happiest days of His. life. Two years later the work was completed. Shoghi Effendi had had the building renovated and refurbished in all its original beauty...

...I remember how, in spite of the fact that Shoghi Effendi had possession of the Mansion, he was constantly irked, until the very end of his life, by the fact that Covenant-breakers still occupied the adjacent house. (pp 232)

(Our Beloved Guardian: An Introduction to the Life and Work of Shoghi Effendi by Lowell Johnson)

https://bahai-library.com/johnson_beloved_guardian

'Abdu’l-Bahá used to drink castor oil to clear his bowels.

Abdul-Baha, Censorship No comments

'Abdu’l-Bahá used to drink castor oil to relieve constipation. This detail appears in the original Persian edition of the book but was left untranslated by Ahang Rabbani in the English version.

Go to page 113 of the translation here,

https://bahai-library.com/rabbani_reminiscences_khalil_shahidi

Check Footnote No. 131

It says:

A small paragraph pertaining to the private life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is left untranslated.

In the original Persian edition the omitted paragraph states:

حضرت عبدالبهاء گاهی اوقات محض تخلیه ی از فضول و اعتدال مزاج، فقط روغن کرچک را اختیار می فرمودند با پرهیز.

Which means,

'Abdu’l-Bahá would sometimes take only castor oil, along with dietary restraint, to relieve constipation and keep his body in balance.

Some of the most prominent instances of violence by the Babis

Bab, History, Punishment, War No comments

Some of the most prominent instances of violence by the Bábís include:

Rescue Operations: In Mashhad, Bábís launched a violent rescue of a detained companion named Ḥasan, which resulted in the death of several government guards.
The Clash at Bárfurúsh: Upon entering Bárfurúsh (modern Babol), the Bábís were attacked by a fanatical mob. In a famous display of strength, Mullá Ḥusayn cleaved an attacker, his musket, and a tree in half with a single sword stroke! Later, Bábís charged out of a caravanserai to repel besiegers, resulting in more fatalities among the attackers.
Military Sorties at Shaykh Ṭabarsí:
- In the first major battle, Bábís "mistakenly" attacked the village of Qáḍı́-Kalá, destroying houses and "accidentally" killing the mother of a tribal leader.
- In December 1848, a small band of Bábís surprised the regional army at dawn, killing 430 soldiers, including the commander.
- In January 1849, during a night raid on the royal camp at Vás-Kas, Bábís killed three royal princes and roughly 70 soldiers.
Retaliatory Acts: Following reports that the royalist army had decapitated and burned Bábí corpses, the Bábís beheaded slain Muslim soldiers and impaled their heads on pikes around the fort's ramparts as a deterrent.
Individual Acts of Resistance: During the final executions, a prisoner named Mı́rzá Muḥammad-Báqir-i-Qá’inı́ broke his bonds, snatched a sword from an executioner, and killed him on the spot before being shot by soldiers.

(Quddús - The First in Rank by Boris Handal)

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

Monib married into the Al-Husseini family, which got him expelled as a Covenant-breaker.

Covenant-Breakers No comments

Jamal Husseini was a relative of the Mufti of Jerusalem, an ardent enemy of the Faith. Monib was, I believe, one of the Guardian's cousins, and a grandchild of the Master, who had married into the Al-Husseini family, which got him expelled as a Covenant-breaker. Brent [Poirier]

"On the 23rd, the day after the battle for Haifa, Dr. Weinshall [the Guardian's lawyer] phoned me and asked how we were? I said we were all well and keeping at home. He said 'I hope you are not leaving?' I said of course not, we have no intention of leaving, why should we leave? He said no reason on earth, he was glad to hear it. Then I said, we know the Jews and the Jews know us, we have nothing to fear from them. He said that was certainly true and that all had the greatest respect for us. He also asked if any of our servants were leaving and I said no, of course not. Then after a little mutual exchange of thought on how foolish the mass exodus of the Arabs was he asked me to give his very kindest regards to Shoghi Effendi. When the Guardian heard this he told me to go and thank him and tell him he felt he wanted him to know something for his own information and then I told him all about Monib's marriage to Jamal Husseini's daughter, etc. He was very surprised and wrote down his and Hassan's name." (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Priceless Pearl, p. 169)

https://groups.io/g/Bahai/topic/excerpt_from_ruhiyyih/49500437

Shirkat-i Umana affair

Iran, Money, Personal Observations, Shoghi Effendi No comments

When Shoghi Effendi, passed away in 1957 without a will or a successor, it caused a major crisis regarding his massive estate in Iran, valued at nearly $287 million. A conflict arose between Baha'i religious rules, which stated the property belonged to the faith, and Iranian civil law, which stated it belonged to Shoghi's relatives. This was complicated because Shoghi had previously excommunicated his siblings, labeling them as covenant-breakers and enemies of the faith. To prevent losing total control of the assets, the Baha'i leadership made a controversial decision to negotiate with these relatives and pay them a significant portion of the fortune. This move upset many followers, who viewed it as a hypocritical betrayal of Shoghi's own decrees to strictly avoid those family members.

To secure the remaining assets, the leadership established a corporation known as the Umana Company. According to a legal complaint filed by Colonel Yadu'llah Thabet Rasekh, a former member of the community, this company was actually a tool used to commit fraud and evade millions of dollars in taxes. Baha'i leaders (Hands of the Cause) illegally transferred the property titles to a specific individual and then to the company to hide the real value of the land. These actions were not only illegal under Iranian law but also a violation of Baha'i principles.

For more details check:

https://historydocuments.ir/?page=post&id=3077

https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2025/12/what-happened-to-shoghi-effendis-vast.html

Baha'u'llah had a total of four wives

Baha'u'llah, Marriage, Mirza Aqa Jan No comments

Baha'u'llah had a total of four wives. His fourth marriage was to a woman named Jamālīyyih.

This marriage took place late in his life. Jamālīyyih was related to one of Baha'u'llah's followers, as she was the niece of his loyal follower Khadimullah.

Persons familiar with Baha'u'llah's affairs confirm that prior to marrying Jamālīyyih, he had married a woman named Gawhar in 1867, who bore him a daughter named Furúghiyyih. His other wives included Navvab, the mother of 'Abbas Efendi, and his cousin Mahd-i 'Ulya, whose eldest son was Mīrzā Muḥammad 'Alī.

(Extracted from Der Bahaismus: Weltreligion der Zukunft? : Geschichte, Lehre und Organisation in kritischer Anfrage (Studienbücher im Gespräch mit der Zeit) - Francesco-ficicchia)

...in his old age he married Jamaliyya, the niece of his faithful follower, Khadim Allah. It is said that all his wives survived him.

(Earl Elder's Notes published in his translation of Kitab-i-Aqdas)

https://bahai-library.com/provisionals/aqdas/aqdas147.notes.html

Also here,

An Historical Analysis of Critical Transformations in the Evolution of the Baha’i World Faith by Vernon Elvin Johnson

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/j/johnson_transformations_evolution_bahai.pdf

The Religion Of The Bayan And The Claims Of The Baha'is by Jalal S. Azal

https://archive.org/details/TheReligionOfTheBayanAndTheClaimsOfTheBahais

Some discussion here,
https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/1gvx6th/help_further_sources_on_the_topic_of_bahaullahs/

Sobhi and Avarih have also mentioned Jamaliyyih in their books.

Result of multiple marriages:

The sad story of the events that followed the death of Baha’u’llah are related thus by Mirza Jawad, who had come with Baha’u’llah from Edirne, and had remained a faithful follower all through the years at Akka: “Alas, alas for what we see today! All these spiritual virtues and humane practices have undergone a complete change. Concord has been replaced by dissension, constancy by cruelty, and affection by enmity. Dissent and mutual avoidance have appeared in this community.....antagonism and separation arose between father and son, brother and sister, husband and wife, and so forth; nay, God be our refuge! even envy and hatred.” The cause of this dissension was, according to Mirza Jawad, “the love of self and seeking after supremacy” of Abbas Efendi.

(The Baha'i Faith: Its History and Teachings by William McElwee Miller)

https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/K-O/M/miller/Bahaism_Miller_1931.pdf

The first differences which happened after the death of Baha'u'llah

Abdul-Baha, Baha'u'llah, Censorship, Covenant, Edward Browne, History, Infallibility, Mirza Aqa Jan No comments

Mirza Jawad continues, “The first differences which happened after the death of His Great Holiness our Master within this community was that Abbas Efendi concealed some part of the book of [Baha’u’llah’s] Testament entitled “the Book of my Testament,” which book was given to him by Baha’u’llah in his own holy writing. The detail of this is that on the ninth day after the Ascension [i.e., the death of Baha’u’llah] Abbas Efendi chose nine persons from amongst the Companions, one of whom was the author (of this book) and disclosed to them this document, concealing, however, a portion of it with a blue leaf [of paper], without any reason or justification, and gave it to them that they might enjoy the blessing of its perusal. One of them...read,...to the place concealed by the blue leaf, whereupon Abbas Efendi said to the persons above mentioned, ’Verily a portion of this book is concealed for a good reason, because the time doth not admit of its full disclosure’.” Later on the same day it was read to a number of other relatives and believers, down to the concealed portion.

”Let it not be hidden,” concludes Mirza Jawad, “...that the injunctions set forth in the above-mentioned book all refer to this community generally; haw then could it be right for Abbas Efendi to disclose what he wished and conceal a portion thereof? For there is no doubt that if what was concealed had not been suitable [for general publication] His Holiness Baha’u’llah would not have written it in his august writing.”

There is no question that Baha’u’llah appointed Abbas Efendi as his successor. But what authority was he to have? The Bab had indicated that his successor Subh-i-Azal had the same rank that he had, and was one with him. But Baha’u’llah made it very clear that anyone who succeeded him could never claim to share his rank as a Great Manifestation. For before his death he had stated in the Kitab-i-Aqdas that anyone who claims “Command,” that is, claims to have the rank of a Manifestation, before a thousand years is a false liar. Hence, Abbas Efendi was not authorized to take his father’s place, and be a continuation of his Manifestation, But very soon it began to appear that this was what he wanted to do. He called himself Abdu’l-Baha (the slave of Baha), and professed perfect submission to his father’s will. But he also assumed the title, “the Center” of the Covenant,” a title which many Baha’is thought belonged only to God. “Abbas Efendi,” writes Mirza Jawad, “after he had attained to supremacy..... claimed such lofty stations and high degrees as belong exclusively to Divine Theophanies.” And he quotes several pages of sayings of the new leader which show how high his aspirations were.

One of Abbas Efendi’s claims was that he alone had the right to interpret the writings of Baha’u’llah. “This servant is the expositor of the Perspicuous Book, and whatever of God’s writings is not confirmed by this servant is not worthy of credence.” In another place he says, “You must ask him [Abdu’l– Baha] regarding the meaning of the texts of the verses. Whatsoever he says is correct. Without his will not a word shall anyone utter.” Though he never called himself a new Manifestation, by claiming to be the sole infallible interpreter of the Ward of God, and by asserting that his writings were equally authoritative with those of his father, he assumed a station of which Baha’u’llah would most probably have warmly disapproved. Modern Baha’is, however, fully agree to these claims. For instance, the volume entitled Bahai Scriptures, to which frequent reference has been made, has two parts. Part I comprises the verses of Baha’u’llah, and Part II (larger than Part I), the writings and addresses of Abdu’l-Baha. Both are considered equally authoritative. “The words of Abdu’l-Baha..... have equal rank and spiritual validity with those of the Manifestation.”

(The Baha'i Faith: Its History and Teachings by William McElwee Miller)

https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/K-O/M/miller/Bahaism_Miller_1931.pdf

Mirza Muhammad Ali garnered substantial support, winning over nearly all of Baha'u'llah's family

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

Mīrzā Muḥammad 'Alī garnered substantial support, winning over nearly all of Bahā’ullāh's family members, including the two surviving wives, two of his younger brothers (Mīrzā Badī'ullāh and Mīrzā Diyā'ullāh), and Bahā’ullāh’s secretary. The conflict shook communities throughout the East and West for years.

(Der Bahaismus: Weltreligion der Zukunft? : Geschichte, Lehre und Organisation in kritischer Anfrage (Studienbücher im Gespräch mit der Zeit) - Francesco-ficicchia)

the succession to the Báb was not an open question but a settled matter that was later overturned. A.-L.-M. Nicolas

Bab, Personal Observations, Subh-i-Azal No comments

Synthesizing the historical evidence compiled during his decades of research, A.-L.-M. Nicolas presents a clear and unambiguous conclusion: the succession to the Báb was not an open question but a settled matter that was later overturned.

The primary points of his analysis are compelling. Subh-i-Azal was the Báb's explicitly named and publicly acknowledged successor, a fact confirmed by the near-unanimous allegiance of the early Babi community. In stark contrast, Baha'u'llah's claim to leadership was constructed upon a professed ignorance of the Báb's most sacred texts and required a systematic demotion of the Báb's prophetic station from that of a law-giving prophet to a simple herald. The evidence of their respective actions—Subh-i-Azal's quiet obedience and Baha'u'llah's open ambition—further reinforces this conclusion.

Ultimately, Nicolas's research portrays the Babi movement as having been fundamentally and deliberately transformed into the Baha'i Faith through what Nicolas's evidence portrays as a calculated and successful usurpation of leadership, an act that permanently severed the Baha'i Faith from the historical trajectory of the Báb's original revelation.

https://archive.org/details/nicolas-qui-est-le-successeur-du-bab-1933

Hernia and dysentery.

Abdul-Baha, Baha'u'llah No comments

I sweated it out, thinking of the sufferings of Baha'u'llah and how the early Baha’is died of dysentery when they arrived in ‘Akka.

(Every Foreign Land: The Story of a Baha'i Pioneer by John Warner)

During this time, the wife of the Báb became severely depressed due to her disappointment over not being able to visit Bahá'u'lláh. Shortly after, as a result of contracting dysentery, she passed on to the Abha Kingdom,...

(Memories of My Life - Translation of Mírzá Habíbu’lláh Afnán’s Khátirát-i-Hayát)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/r/rabbani_afnan_khatirat.pdf

During this time, the wife of the Báb became severely depressed due to her disappointment over not being able to visit Bahá’u’lláh. Shortly after, as a result of contracting dysentery, she passed on to the Abha Kingdom, thus depriving us of her infinite loving-kindness and unsurpassed spiritual qualities. After the ritual washing [of her body] at the Hammam-i-Khayri (otherwise known as Guldastih), her earthly remains were interred in a sacred shrine.

Addressing my late father, Áqá Mírzá Áqá, Bahá’u’lláh revealed a special Tablet of Visitation in the ever-brilliant memory of Khadíjih Bagum, which extols her exalted station and bestows the grace of God upon her. (At this point, Mírzá Habíb quotes portions of this Tablet of Visitation. However, the Bahá’í World Centre has indicated that they will publish a translation of this Tablet in due course.)

(Memories of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and `Abdu’l-Bahá by Mírzá Habíbu’lláh Afnán, p 18)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/r/rabbani_habibullah_afnan_memories.pdf

The others soon recovered, but 'Abbas Effendi was taken with dysentery, and long remained in a dangerous condition. By his heroic exertions he had won the regard of one of the officers, and when this man saw my brother in this state he went to the governor and pleaded that 'Abbas Effendi might have a physician. This was permitted, and under the care of the physician my brother recovered.

(The Master in 'Akka by Myron H Phelps)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/p/phelps_master_akka_scan.pdf

Baha'u'llah was very ill. All had severe malaria. Master and Aqa Riza had slight malaria, afterwards very severe dysentery for 1 month...

(Pilgrim's Notes - Saichiro Fujita, 1919)

https://bahai-library.com/fujita_pilgrims_notes

Baha'u'llah died in the year 1892 at Acre. The cause of his death was dysentery, following an illness that lasted for twenty-two days.

(The Religion of Bayan And The Bahai Claims By Jalal S. Azal)

https://archive.org/details/TheReligionOfTheBayanAndTheClaimsOfTheBahais

Izziyyih Khanum writes in Tanbih al-Na’imin that her brother suffered from specific physical ailments for years. She reports that Baha'u'llah was afflicted with a hernia disease and a constant tremor. Drawing on these two specific conditions, she argued that Baha'u'llah was unable to cure or dispel these maladies, questioning how he could then claim to heal the chronic psychological diseases of others.

https://bayanic.com/lib/fwd/tanbih/Tanbih-FWD.html?id=tanbih
https://archive.org/details/tanbih-al-naimeen-a-babi-polemic-ocred

Bahá’u’lláh’s sent his son Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí to Bombay

Bab, Muhammed Ali (Ghusn) No comments

In accordance with Bahá’u’lláh’s instructions, in 1308 A.H. [1891], Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí [Bahá’u’lláh’s son] went to Bombay to publish some of the Holy Tablets. As the Blessed Beauty instructed, he purchased a gravestone for the resting place of the wife of the Báb.

(Memories of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and `Abdu’l-Bahá by Mírzá Habíbu’lláh Afnán, p 18)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/r/rabbani_habibullah_afnan_memories.pdf

For twenty years, Baha'u'llah trained and protected Subh-i-Azal

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

For twenty years, Baha'u'llah exerted intense "effort" in teaching, discipline, cultivation, and preservation of his brother, Subh-i-Azal. He describes nurturing this soul by teaching him the "words of the Merciful One", comparing this detailed effort to how the people of India teach their birds. Baha'u'llah explained that this guidance was so basic that it was like teaching children the alphabet. Furthermore, Baha'u'llah affirmed that for twenty years, He tried to protect and preserve this individual, despite having full knowledge of what was hidden within his heart. However, Baha'u'llah notes that despite this extensive nurturing, this individual turned against Him and became an active adversary.

(Extracted from Lawh-i-Sarraj of Baha'u'llah)

https://oceanoflights.org/bahaullah-st-201-fa/

In Lawh-i-Sarraj Bahá’u’lláh uses strong and explicit curses when addressing his opponents

Abuse, Baha'u'llah, Provisional Translation No comments

In Lawh-i-Sarraj Bahá’u’lláh uses strong, condemnatory language, and explicit curses when addressing his opponents, particularly those who arose from the Bábí community (the People of the Bayán) who rejected his claims.

Here are the terms, abuse, and curses given by Bahá’u’lláh to his opponents:

Designations of Disbelief and Immorality:

Polytheists/Associators (المشرکین): Those who disbelieved in God and His power, who turned away from His Beauty and fought against His Self, meaning Bahá’u’lláh.
Wrongdoers/Oppressors (الظالمین): Those who wronged the Self of God [Bahá’u’lláh] and will soon know to what place they will return.
Disbeliever (کفر بالله): One who questioned God's power or fought His sovereignty.
Rejecters/Averse Ones (المعرضین): Those who are counted among the rejecters before God, affiliated with the "letters of negation".
Deluded/Fanciful (المتوهمین): Those who are intoxicated by the "wine of delusions" (خمر اوهام).
Owners of Hatred/Malice (صاحبان بغضا): Those afflicted by "rancor and malice" (غل و بغضاء).
Heedless Polytheist (المشرک الغافل): An individual who claims faith but rejects the Manifestation.
Ignorant/Senseless (جاهل/بی خردان): Those whose words are contemptible (أحقر).

Spiritual Condemnation and Metaphorical Abuse:

People of the Fire/Hell (اهل نار): Those counted among the people of the Fire and who have returned to the "Sijjín of annihilation" (سجیین فنا).
Dead (الموتی): Those who disbelieved are considered dead, not alive, hearing, or understanding.
Wolf/Wolves (ذئب/ذئاب): Opponents are likened to wolves, whose previous followers are now counted among the people of the Fire.
Satan (شیطان): The chief opponent (implicitly Mirza Yahya) is referred to as having returned to his abode "in the lowest Hell" (أسفل الجحیم).
Wolf and Serpent/Dragon (ثعبان): The opponents’ harmful acts are likened to a serpent/dragon, and their actions in the past are compared to that of a wolf.
Worthless: Their words are considered worthless, "not even the size of the black of a dead ant's eye" (سواد عین نملة میتة).

Explicit Curses and Severe Warnings:

Woe and Shame (فَأُفٍّ لکم / ویل لکم): Used as exclamations of reproach.
Accursed (ملعون): Explicitly used to address the heedless polytheist.
Curse of the Bayán: "How many a reciter of the Bayán there is, and the Bayán curses him" (رب تالی البیان و البیان یلعنه).
Divine Curse: "May God curse the first wrongdoer who wronged the Primal Point in His later Manifestation...".
Tree destined for Fire: The opponent is called "the tree that deserves to fall and be thrown into the Fire" (شجره التی ینبغی لها أن تقع و تلقی فی النار).
Historical Parallels: Warned against becoming like Balaam (بلعام) or Judas Iscariot (یهودای اسخر یوطی), and the oppressors are referred to as Nimrod of oppression and Pharaoh of ignorance (نمرود الظلم و فرعون الجهل).
Bloodshed: Accused of killing Bahá’u’lláh with the "sword of turning away" and shedding his blood, and that their hearts will not be calmed "except by drinking My blood".

(Baha'u'llah, Lawh-i-Sarraj)

https://oceanoflights.org/bahaullah-st-201-fa/

When the laws He has instituted are carried out, there will be no millionaires possible in the community and likewise no extremely poor.

New World Order (NWO) No comments

When the laws He has instituted are carried out, there will be no millionaires possible in the community and likewise no extremely poor. This will be effected and regulated by adjusting the different degrees of human capacity. The fundamental basis of the community is agriculture, tillage of the soil. All must be producers. Each person in the community whose need is equal to his individual producing capacity shall be exempt from taxation. But if his income is greater than his needs, he must pay a tax until an adjustment is effected. That is to say, a man’s capacity for production and his needs will be equalized and reconciled through taxation. If his production exceeds, he will pay a tax; if his necessities exceed his production, he shall receive an amount sufficient to equalize or adjust. Therefore, taxation will be proportionate to capacity and production, and there will be no poor in the community.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 301–303)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/compilations/social-action/5#163186040

"the Israeli War of Independence"

Israel, Ruhiyyih Khanum No comments

At the end of World War II, the factional fighting between the Arabs and Jews began and the British Mandate came to an end with the Israeli War of Independence.
[...]
After the formation of the State of Israel, Rúhíyyih Khánum enjoyed a degree of freedom in Haifa that had not been possible for her before. Her social life became more varied and lively. She was a close friend of the Mayor of Haifa, Mr. Abba Khoushy, and his wife Hanna, and began to give wonderful dinner parties and soirees for the dignitaries of Haifa. She used to say Shoghi Effendi allowed her to entertain as long as it did not interfere with her work and she did not expect him to attend!

(A TRIBUTE TO AMATU'L-BAHÁ RÚHÍYYIH KHÁNUM by Violette Nakhjavani)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/n/nakhjavani_tribute_ruhiyyih_khanum.pdf

Why didn't Shoghi Effendi write a will? by Ali Nakhjavani (Video)

Personal Observations, Shoghi Effendi, Will & Testament No comments

Why did Shoghi Effendi not write the Will & Testament? Did Shoghi Effendi know that he was going to pass away? Did his death come suddenly upon him? And he did not know? He did not write anything? He did not appoint anyone? Now, Violette has written a book. It is called "A Tribute to Amatul Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum". If you read this, it's a small book.

And I'm sure we have it in the library. There are two very important points in this little book. That Violette writes about.

I'm sure many of you may have heard this even from Ruhiyyih Khanum herself when she was in New Zealand. Because this question was always asked of her. It is this.

Ruhiyyih Khanum says, I was sitting at my desk, working. Shoghi Effendi came to me. He looks at me and he says, this is towards the latter years of his life.

What will become of you after I'm gone? Ruhiyyih Khanum, poor Ruhiyyih Khanum. I don't expect to live after you. Please don't say these things.

Shoghi Effendi takes no notice. He carries on. He says, I assume that you will travel and encourage the friends.

Every time the friends ask, why are you traveling so much? Shoghi Effendi says, because Shoghi Effendi told me that after him I must travel and encourage the friends. It was in this context that you may have even heard this from Ruhiyyih Khanum's own lips. Another event that Violette refers to is when he was in London the last few days of his life Shoghi Effendi turns to her and says, I don't want to go back to Haifa.

You go alone. And you know what to do. Ruhiyyih Khanum understood this because he had just come out of a bout of Asian flu and he was very, very weak and Shoghi Effendi was discouraged that he was saying these things.

She did not realize that it had a special meaning. 24 hours later he passed away. Now, I ask you this question.

Someone who in the first instance someone who is concerned about the welfare of his wife and is advising her what to do after his death such a person who is the guardian of the Baha'i faith who is the protector of the faith of Baha'u'llah does not think about the welfare of the faith? He thinks about only his wife? It's impossible. It's inconceivable. The only answer is, I think that of course he knew that he did not want to write a will.

When someone asked the House of Justice why Shoghi Effendi did not write his will the answer is this is something that the friends should accept that there was a wisdom in everything that Shoghi Effendi did or did not do, his silence on the subject is itself divine guidance and the friends should accept that. Shoghi Effendi was sure about the future of the cause was absolutely sure one of the hands of the cause, Mr. Samandari, used to say after the death of Shoghi Effendi he used to say friends if Shoghi Effendi was not sure about the security of the faith after his death he would not have passed away. That's what Mr. Samandari used to say.

What a perception what a deep spiritual insight that this man had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7YxVoyYYEg

Ruhiyyih Khanum and Ahmad Sohrab shares the stage in New York

Covenant-Breakers, Ruhiyyih Khanum No comments

One of the most wonderful events of her life, at the age of 20, was a lecture she delivered in New York City at the Friends' Meeting House. Her subject, "Mysticism in the Bahá'í Religion", was daunting and all the other speakers at this Congress were seasoned lecturers and famous orators. One of these, Syud Hossain, was described as an "incomparable lecturer on the Orient, world peace and international relations", and was the editor of "The New Orient". Several wellknown university professors, bishops and canons of different churches also addressed the Congress, and at the end of the programme, there was also to be a talk given by the conceited enemy of the Bahá'í Faith, Ahmad Sohrab. After her lecture she received a standing ovation, and on that same day was given the following cable: "HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BEAUTIFUL CONSCIENTIOUS AND ABLE PRESENTATION OF A GREAT AND DIFFICULT THEME I AM HAPPY AND PROUD OF YOU--SYUD HOSSAIN".

(A TRIBUTE TO AMATU'L-BAHÁ RÚHÍYYIH KHÁNUM by Violette Nakhjavani)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/n/nakhjavani_tribute_ruhiyyih_khanum.pdf

Monirih Khanum asks for money to build a school on Mt. Carmel

Money No comments

Letter from Monereh Khanum, the Wife of Abdul-Baha Addressed to Edith R. Sanderson

Haifa, Palestine,

Sept. 22, 1920.

My dear spiritual daughter:

I sincerely hope and supplicate to God that you may always be confirmed in your undertakings. Your letters have regularly arrived and have aroused great joy. We never fail to present to the Master your humble love and greetings.

Two days ago I wrote you a letter in Persian about the school we have been thinking of establishing on Mt. Carmel. That is surely a lofty idea and if taken up it will undoubtedly help the education of the Bahai girls and serve the uplift of the world of humanity.

We agreed that I should give the land and you procure the other expenses. The ground is ready. It is according to the wish of the Master and is situated on an elevated and most beautiful spot, near the Tomb of the Bab. Now, I have done my share, the rest remains upon your help and energy.

We have mentioned our plan to the Master and he approves of it. When speaking about procuring the funds, the Master expressed a desire that this work be done by the Bahai women.

The Greatest Holy Leaf (Abdul-Baha's sister) as well as the other members of the family send you their love.

Hoping that you will be confirmed and assisted by His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH in accomplishing this helpful undertaking, I will ever remain,

Yours in His Name,

MONEREH.

-------------------

Haifa, Palestine, March 26, 1921.

Roohieh Khanum (Miss Sanderson).

My dear spiritual daughter:

It is a long time since I have written you. It is not because you are forgotten. No, God forbid! You are ever present in our heart and we are always eager to hear from you. The real cause was that we had not yet settled the affairs pertaining to the school. Mr. Remey was busy with the plan and the necessary tract of land was not quite prepared. Now, however, as we have made considerable progress, I would like to inform yon about the things done and ask what you have been able to accomplish. The plan has been completed and the governmental permission granted. The land is about nine thousand cubits and three hundred and fifty pounds have been gathered.

Now, I would like to show what you have been able to collect and what sum you are ready to contribute. The plan is such that we can begin by building nine rooms and build the rest when more money will be obtained.

The Master is at present in Tiberius. He needed a change after the severe indisposition he had some time ago. He has recovered and his health is improving daily. The pilgrims are not so numerous and he can obtain some rest.

The other members of the family are in good health and extend to you their best regards.

Yours sincerely,

MONEREH.

(Star of the West)

Each path will lead to a center such as an orphanage, a hospital, a school, a university

Temple No comments

Several people visited the Master on the second floor of the house, among them some engineers who wanted His comments about the House of Worship. The Master answered:

The Mashriqu’l-Adhkar is circular in shape. It has nine paths, nine gardens, nine pools with fountains and nine gates. Each path will lead to a center such as an orphanage, a hospital, a school, a university and other buildings that are dependencies of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar.

(Mahmud's Diary, November 3, 1912 Chicago, IL)

https://centenary.bahai.us/vignette/responding-some-engineers-about-baha-i-house-worship

Abdul Baha's soul is going to be in distress forever.

Abdul-Baha No comments

This is My Will [Testament] that I share with you, all: If something should happen to me and I should pass away, bury me under the sand between Haifa and ‘Akka for it is the pathway trodden by the loved ones and the pilgrims. No marker should be built; no stone [placed], no tree should be raised there, so that it may be traceless. Otherwise, my soul will be in distress.

-Abdul Baha

https://amanatarchitect.com/project/shrine/

After my departure there will be a short time of quiet in the Baha'i Cause. Then the flame of love and activity... bury me between Haifa and Akka in the sands there, for it is the pathway of the loved ones and pilgrims. Build nothing over it.

-Abdul Baha

https://bahai-library.com/inventory/AB*&sort=authorized-asc&start=14750

Laws of the Bab pertaining to number Nineteen in the Bayan (Arabic)

Bab, Bayan No comments

Structure and Divinity

The doors (gates/Babs) of the religion were fixed at the number nineteen.
The total number of units (wahid) in the Bayan should ideally be nineteen, though only eleven units were revealed by the Báb.
Each of the revealed Units of the Bayan contains nineteen doors.
The Letters of the Living (Huruf Hayy) are nineteen in number (comprising the Point/Báb and the eighteen Letters).
The complete daily prayer (Salat) consists of nineteen rak'ahs (cycles of prayer) performed from noon to noon, single rak'ah by single rak'ah.

Time and Annual Cycles

The year is fixed at nineteen months.
A teacher's wife is forbidden to him for nineteen days if he strikes beyond the prescribed limit of five blows. If the teacher does not have a wife, the penalty is a financial fine: he must pay nineteen mithqals of gold to the individual he struck.
A murderer's wives are forbidden to him for nineteen years.
If someone orders another's expulsion from his home or land, his wife is forbidden to him for nineteen months.
The mandatory purification ritual for those residing near the site (up to 66 farsakhs) where the Báb was struck must last nineteen days.
After divorce, reconciliation is permitted up to nineteen times, following a one-month delay.
One must consider replacing household utensils and furnishings (asbáb) every nineteen years.

Rituals and Practices

At a child's birth, after saying Allahu Akbar five times while standing, statements of faith/contentment/creation by God are repeated nineteen times.
When praying for the deceased, various glorifications are recited nineteen times after each of the six takbirs (glorifications).
In formal gatherings, room must be left for the equivalent of nineteen people.
Every nineteen days, one must invite nineteen people or at least offer them water.
The Azan (call to prayer) ritual is divided into five parts throughout the day, and in each part, the phrase "There is no god but God" and a divine attribute are repeated nineteen times.

Financial Obligations and Penalties

The minimum standard coin weight (mithqal) is fixed at nineteen nakhuds (chickpeas).
The Bayani Sultan must fix the price of nineteen nakhuds of gold at 10,000 dinars and nineteen nakhuds of silver at 1,000 dinars.
The dowry (mahr) can be reduced to nineteen mithqals (gold or silver), but the reduction must be made in increments of nineteen.
The pilgrim tax requires giving four mithqals of gold to the nineteen guardians of the House of God.
If a believer possesses more than nineteen books/volumes (excluding the authorized 19 volumes), they must pay nineteen mithqals of gold.
If someone violates the ban on sitting in the center of a gathering, they must pay nineteen mithqals of gold.
If someone railles (mocks) at a believer, they must pay nineteen mithqals of gold (or silver).
If someone writes a word to Him Whom God shall make manifest that is other than what is revealed in the Bayan before His manifestation, it is obligatory for him to pay a fine of nineteen mithqals of gold.
A mute person unable to say the Azan must compensate with nineteen mithqals of white sugar. The sugar is given to someone who will be responsible for saying the Azan for him.
The 20% tax must be made to reach Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest. HWGSMM is commanded to distribute this fund to the nineteen Letters of Living.

The Bab, Arabic Bayan, Typed Version (2-21 of PDF)
https://bahai-library.com/inba/_typed_pdf/مجموعه%20کتابهای%20سبز-ج43.pdf

The Bab, Arabic Bayan, pp. 1-68 of Ms (3-70 of PDF)
https://afnanlibrary.org/inba-volume-43/

A Baha’i Center, which had an orphanage, a school, a home for elderly women and a fund for the sick and unemployed.

Education, Money No comments

From India she (Martha Root) went to Mandalay, Burma (in 1915), where she was able to visit the Baha’i Center, which had an orphanage, a school, a home for elderly women and a fund for the sick and unemployed.

(A Love Which Does Not Wait by Janet Ruhe-Schoen)

Before they could begin to speak, the Blessed Beauty said

Baha'u'llah, Miracles No comments

One day, Colonel Ahmad (Jarrah) and his brother Khálid came into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh to complain about their superior officer. Before they could begin to speak, the Blessed Beauty said: “Praise be to God, you have been freed from that man’s oppression.” Upon returning, they discovered that a telegram had arrived announcing the dismissal of their superior. Both brothers eventually entered the ranks of the believers.

(Memoirs of Badi Bushrui, Persian edition, p. 649, 650)

https://shop.ketab.com/book-detail.aspx?item=101875

His shameless half-brother Muhammad-‘Ali was turned away.

Muhammed Ali (Ghusn) No comments

On the ninth day after ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s ascension, which was the final official day of mourning,... Not all of the people who arrived to pay their respects to the grieving family were welcomed through the door of the Master’s home. His shameless half-brother Muhammad-‘Ali was turned away.

(Ethel Jenner Rosenberg: The Life and Times of England's Outstanding Bahá'ı́ Pioneer Worker
by Robert Weinberg, p. 188)

Baha'u'llah declared all humanity purified and equal in the sight of God.

Bab, Baha'i Law, Covenant-Breakers No comments

Though defensive jihad was sanctioned and anticipated in the writings of the Bab, it was hardly realized and is only dimly reflected in the Babi upheavals of the mid-1840s and later. The first thing that Baha’u’llah did in instituting his post-Babi, Baha’i religion in mid-1863, it may be recalled here, was to abolish militaristic jihad and declare all humanity purified and equal in the sight of God.

(The Báb and the Bábí Community of Iran, edited by Fereydun Vahman, Oneworld Academic, London, 2020)

https://bahai-library.com/vahman_bab_babi_community

Why can’t we trust official Bahá’í translations? Video by Payam Aryan

Personal Observations No comments

https://youtu.be/ZHYHSgd2pyI

The Bab attended now and then the classes of Haji Siyyid Kazim Rashti

Bab, Education No comments

During his seclusion in Karbala, he attended now and then the classes of Haji Siyyid Kasem, with a shining and luminous countenance. Whenever he entered the class, Haji Siyyid Kasem would show him the greatest respect and honor. When these classes closed, and the period of the pilgrimage was over, the Bab returned to Bu-Shihr and Shiraz and Haji Siyyid Kasem departed to the higher world.

(Episodes in the Life of Munirih Khanum, translated by Ahmad Sohrab, Los Angeles: Persian American Publishing Company, 1924)

https://bahai-library.com/khanum_episodes_life

Purchase of huge parcels of lands and properties in Palestine

Israel, Money, Palestine No comments

THE BAHAI CENTER IN ISRAEL

By IDIT LUZIA

Unlike other religious movements, the Bahais reached Palestine as a result of external coercion. They exploited the religious connotations of the environment in order to entrench themselves and expand the movement. Baha’u’llah arrived in Palestine in August 1868, and was imprisoned in the Acre Citadel along with eighty of his disciples. The same citadel was used as the headquarters for the Turkish army stationed in the area, and in 1870, following an overall redeployment of Turkish troops, the army needed additional room in the citadel and released some of the prisoners, including Baha’u’llah and his followers.

Nevertheless, they were forbidden to leave the city, and so they moved into Khan el-O’mdan and into homes rented from Muslims in Acre’s Crusader Quarter.

It is noteworthy that the Babis conducted business with the Muslims despite the animosity that the latter displayed toward them. Being the owners of nearly all of the property in the city, the Muslims evidently consented to rent homes to the Babis out of purely economic considerations.

It was at this stage that Baha’u’llah composed the book of religious tenets that became the cornerstone of the new faith. During this same period his son, Abbas Effendi, who was the administrative director of the sect, began to form ties with members of the upper class having close connections to the Ottoman administration. In parallel the Babis started to settle outside the city, even though they had yet to receive official permission to do so. In 1875 Abbas Effendi rented from the descendants of Abdullah Pasha, who had been the governor of Acre from 1819 to 1831, three estates east of the city, through which the Ne’eman River flowed. The eastern area was Ridvan Park, designed as a resort for Baha’u’llah and a pilgrimage site for his disciples. This was the first park in Palestine planned by the Babis. It was designed by a gardener brought from Persia especially for this purpose, and patterned after the Persian parks. The other two estates were used for agriculture. The Babis purchased all three in 1881. The western estate — the Paradise Garden — was cultivated by the Babi brothers Jimshad and Hassan, while the northern one (Ashraf Garden) was acquired by Mullah Abu-Talib, who later bequeathed the land to the Bahai faith.

In 1877 the governor of Acre declared Baha’u’llah’s prison term to be over, and the Babi leader was thus free to move at will. Abbas searched for a place of residence for his father in the rural areas adjacent to Acre. In his writings Abbas noted that Baha’u’llah longed for rural life, but apparently there were additional factors favoring a move in this direction. For instance, Baha’u’llah could operate more freely if he were far removed from the eye of the authorities. Abbas Effendi rented the Mazra’ah estate north of Acre from the wealthy Sawfat family, and the home on this estate had been built by Abdullah Pasha’s father. The Babis did not plan the park around the home even though the leader of the sect resided there, and it seems that it was clear from the outset that the stay at Mazra’ah would be brief, since the place was too small for all the members of the family. The Babis had yet to undertake independent construction. They began to buy land upon moving beyond the city limits. Throughout the history of the Bahais in Palestine, never was the process of land acquisition as rapid and intensive as in the days of Baha’u’llah. The spiritual leader was probably seeking to ensure the status and position of the sect, which was still in its formative stage.

Land was purchased in two areas: 1) the Zebulun Valley and 2) the Jordan Valley and the area east of the Sea of Galilee. Around 550 dunams were acquired at Jidru in the Zebulun Valley, and on a private basis members of the sect purchased another 120 dunams in Junaynih, cultivated them for agriculture and landscaped parks, and later transferred them to the sect. Probably because favorable geographical conditions prevailed and there was no problem of water supply, the cultivation of these tracts was performed from the start by members of the sect rather than by local land tenants. The area selected by the Babis in the Jordan Valley was not contiguous with the Zebulun Valley settlements, and it is probable that because of the small demand for these lands the price was attractively low. The area had been neglected for a protracted period, and its residents suffered attacks by Bedouin tribes lodging in the vicinity. This location offered the additional advantage of being located near the town of Tiberias and not far from the sect’s center in Acre, while at the same time lying far enough away from other cities to avoid harassment by the authorities. Four sites were located in this area: Nuqaib, Samara, Umm Juni and Adassiya. Around 13,000 dunams were purchased in Nuqaib, 12,500 in Samara, 5,600 in Umm Juni, and 1,100 in Adassiya (which was settled at a later stage) — a total of some 32,200 dunams. According to sources from this period, the villages were undeveloped, and the lands worked by fallah land tenants, who had resided on the site prior to the arrival of the Babis.

In 1879 Baha’u’llah moved from Mazra’ah to Bahji (Persian for park or pleasure), which like Mazra’ah was a rural estate. Bahji had been built by Sulayman Pasha (governor of the Acre District from 1805 to 1819), and had become the summer resort of his successor Abdullah Pasha. It included a large one-storey home encompassed by a number of structures and a garden. In 1840 the home was sold to Udi Khammar, a merchant from Acre who expanded the building and added a storey to it. The renovations ended in 1870 but by 1878 the Khammar family had already abandoned the site because of a cholera epidemic. Abbas Effendi took advantage of the panic, rented the estate and immediately afterwards purchased it. At this time it included five dunams, and descriptions by travelers who visited the site indicate that the Babis cultivated the grounds diligently. Baha’u’llah died and was buried in Bahji in 1892.

Land Purchase on Mount Carmel

Personnel of the Bahai World Center relate that Baha’u’llah had, in his will, declared his son Abbas as his successor. In fact, a struggle broke out over the leadership, primarily between Abbas Effendi and his brother Muhammad Quli. It ended in victory for Abbas, and his triumph was to have far-reaching repercussions for the sect and its property in Palestine.

Abbas Effendi changed the name of the sect from the Babis to the Bahais (after their prophet Baha’u’llah), and began to adapt the sect s ideas to Western modes of thinking. He forged ties with diverse influential circles outside the sect, thus greatly facilitating its efforts to entrench itself in Palestine. In 1898 the first Bahai pilgrims from the West began to arrive, which greatly helped to propagate the faith in several continents and to attract a flow of financial contributions from disciples in the West.

In that same year Abbas Effendi ordered the remains of the Bab, Mirza Ali Muhammad, to be disinterred and brought from Persia to Palestine. He inquired into the possibility of purchasing a burial site on Mount Carmel, with the intention of turning it into a world center. According to Bahai tradition, this decision had been made by Baha’u’llah himself, and it was he who selected the exact location.

The question that arises is why Haifa was chosen. The selection of Palestine is more easily understood, since Baha’u’llah resided in the land in the latter part of his life, when his standing reached a peak. Moreover, this was the Holy Land for the three monotheistic faiths, which imbued the land with a strong religious character.

Ostensibly it was only natural that Jerusalem, the center of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, be selected by the Bahais. On the other hand, the fact that the large faiths had already entrenched themselves in this city posed potential difficulties for the new sect. Furthermore, Jerusalem would have been distant and isolated from the existing center in Acre, unlike Haifa, which belonged to the same administrative district as Acre. Furthermore, the Bahais were already familiar to the populace of the Haifa area, and despite its limitations it was clear that this area would continue to serve as a focal point for pilgrimages after the death of Baha’u’llah.

The selection of Haifa in preference to Acre also stemmed from the changes that had been occurring in the two cities. Acre had begun to deteriorate, and Haifa to develop. At the beginning of the nineteenth century Acre had been the capital of the Northern District, but at mid-century the center of the Ottoman administration had been moved to Sidon, and during the 1860’s to Beirut. The volume of goods passing through the Acre port — which had been the hub of economic activity — began to dwindle from mid-century onward, as it was not a deep-water port, nor was it sufficiently protected to provide safe anchorage for the steamships that had started to sail in the Mediterranean.

In Haifa, by contrast, several attractive elements had emerged. In 1858 construction was undertaken outside of the walls; in 1859 the Russians built a quay in the port; in 1868 the Templers arrived, bringing with them a new style of building; and in the 1880’s the Jews appeared on the scene, also contributing to the construction of the city. Apart from these factors, Haifa possessed a religious attraction for the Bahais as well - according to various traditions the cave of Elijah, who was accepted by the Bahais as one of their prophets, was located near the city.

Abbas Effendi attempted to purchase the cave site from a Muslim, who was reluctant to sell property to the Bahais. This endeavor on his part, and the ties that he had managed to forge with the governor of Acre, aroused the suspicion of the authorities and in 1901 he was arrested and imprisoned. While his sentence was drawing to a close in 1908, Abbas Effendi succeeded through his disciples in acquiring around ten dunams of land on Mount Carmel. The Bahais specifically selected a locality near the Templer colony. The Templers had reached the area in the early 1860’s, and had stressed the aesthetic appearance of the neighborhood they established — which attracted the Bahais, for whom aesthetics were a central spiritual theme.

The first Bahai construction on the Carmel — and in fact the first building they erected in all of Palestine — was Abbas Effendi’s home, into which he moved in 1910. A year before, in 1909, the bones of the Bab were reinterred on the Carmel. Above the tomb a square structure was erected, which served as a place for meetings and communion. In this same year a hospice was built in Templer style for pilgrims from the East, and another one for those from the West. The latter construction was completed only after Abbas Effendi’s death. This separation between East and West constituted a contradiction to the Bahai precepts of unity and equality among all humans, but it was maintained, evidently because the differences were so substantial and Abbas Effendi understood that the ideals of the faith could be realized only in stages.

At the same time there were changes in the property that the Bahais had acquired before Abbas Effendi became their leader. Bahji turned into a stronghold of his opponents, although he continued to pay occasional visits to the place in the company of pilgrims, and to lodge in the teahouse that he had been renting. Contemporary sources attest to the fact that the place was largely neglected and run-down. In Paradise Garden Abbas Effendi added a room on the top floor of the gardener’s home, where he himself resided every so often. In the Jordan Valley the Bahais began to sell land to Jews, evidently for both economic reasons — the land was still worked by tenant farmers, who had introduced no improvements in their techniques — and security reasons — the Bedouin tribes persisted in their raids. In addition, the Jews had begun to take an interest in the area, and made attractive offers. Contemporary accounts note the difficulties inherent in cultivating the land, and the unenviable plight of the fellaheen victimized by the Bedouin incursions.

Umm Juni and Samara were sold during the first decade of the twentieth century. Adassiya was retained, and in 1909 Abbas sent thirty Bahai families to settle there.

The establishment of the village of Adassiya was exceptional in the process of land settlement in Palestine, as it was the first and only attempt by the Bahais to found a village of their own and to cultivate the soil by themselves. This enterprise seems perplexing in light of the opposite trend that was unfolding simultaneously: the sale of land by the Bahais. It is probable that Adassiya, which was located at some distance from the other cultivated lands in the area, aroused no interest among the Jewish institutions, and Abbas Effendi, finding no way to sell it, opted to develop the site. Furthermore, this settlement provided an additional source of income for the Bahais concentrated around Haifa and Acre. Another explanation for Abbas’ reluctance to forfeit this land was its location — on the Yarmuk River and near the Hejaz railroad track. Because this was a strategic location it could be exploited as a bargaining card to attain administrative advantages for the sect. If indeed this was Abbas’ primary motivation, then the plan went awry with the signing of the Sykes-Picot treaty in 1916, which fixed the Jordan River as the boundary between the British Mandate in Palestine and the Hashemite kingdom. Abbas’ decision to have the Bahais themselves perform the labor probably stemmed from the fact that they were more likely to employ the methods he had instituted for cultivating the land than were the land tenants who, having little motivation, used antiquated methods.

Between 1910 and 1913 Abbas toured Egypt and Europe on a preaching mission. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Bahais — like the other minorities — feared being drafted into the Turkish army. They were also wary of the possibility that animosity toward them would be augmented by war tensions. Abbas exploited his ties with the Druze and moved his people to the village of Abu Sinan. Later in that year, as the intensity of the initial pandemonium waned, they returned to their homes.

The British conquest of Palestine greatly ameliorated the Bahais’ position and in 1919 a new wave of pilgrims arrived. Abbas Effendi died in his home in November 1912, and was buried in an alcove dug near the grave of the Bab.

Building the Carmel Center

The period of Shogi Effendi’s leadership got under way amid turmoil in the Bahai world. Even though Abbas Effendi had appointed him as his successor, Shogi had studied outside of Palestine for a long period (in the American University of Beirut and in London), and he was only twenty-five when his grandfather died. His Western education and young age aroused skepticism as to his ability to lead the sect. In 1922 a struggle over the ownership of Bahji was waged between Shogi Effendi, his uncle Muhammad Ali, and Baha’u’llah’s grandson Hussain Afnan. The matter was brought before a British court, which ruled in favor of Shogi. In the wake of this affair he had many of his opponents, branded “violators of the faith,” deported from Palestine.

In 1929 the British officially recognized the Bahai faith as independent, which facilitated Shogi Effendi’s operations. From then on he concentrated on turning the property in Palestine into an impressive Bahai World Center, without settlement. He also introduced a form of democratic leadership, which was exceptional in religious frameworks. This initiative was apparently inspired by liberal Western ideas he had absorbed in the course of his studies.

During this period most of the remaining Bahai lands in the Jordan Valley were sold to Jews. Not included in these deals were around 200 dunams in Nuqaib, where the Bahais continued to reside until 1948, and Adassiya, which could not be sold because of the partition plan. In contrast to the situation in the Jordan Valley, the holdings in the Zebulun Valley and Haifa underwent development. The land at Jidru and the remaining tracts in Nuqaib were transferred in 1953 to the government of Israel in exchange for land in Bahji. Ridvan Park, Paradise Garden and Ashraf Garden have been cultivated up to the present day. The British general McNeill took up residence in Mazra’ah in 1931, and his wife described the place as “old and neglected.” The McNeill family renovated the home without altering its structure. General McNeill left Mazra’ah in 1947 following his wife’s death. In 1950 Shogi Effendi appealed to the prime minister at the time, David Ben-Gurion, to recognize the right of the Bahais to the site, and he received approval to lease it. In deals taking place in 1980 and 1983, the site was purchased by the legatees of Abdullah Pasha, along with additional land that had been acquired in 1980 by the Bahai community.

It was also Shogi Effendi who planned the circular garden with a home in its center in Bahji. This garden integrated Eastern and Western elements. There were Persian symbols, such as eagles, the symbol of strength, and peacocks, the bird of paradise. The circle was divided into quadrants, in the tradition of the Persian garden. On the other hand, there were amphoras and pillars with Corinthian capitals, which originated in classical Greece but which were also very characteristic of the English garden.

Along the Carmel land purchase continued in the framework of the development of the World Center, and Shogi Effendi also expanded the structure above the graves of the Bab and Abbas Effendi. Between 1949 and 1953 the edifice that exists today was erected. Here too, diverse styles were incorporated: marble pillars from the West and a dome from the East, Oriental interior design, and a garden containing the same elements as the other Bahai gardens. The erection of this large building constituted a turning point in the nature of Bahai construction, as it represented a considerable financial investment. The funds were gathered through contributions by members of the sect throughout the world, and from land sales.

The hospice for Bahai pilgrims from the West was completed in 1923. Between 1951 and 1963 the World Bahai Council resided there, and from 1963 to 1983 members of the Universal House of Justice lodged in the building.

In the years 1953-1975 the Bahai Archive was built, and Shogi Effendi ordered it to be designed like the Parthenon. Greek architecture was regarded in the West as the epitome of culture, and the selection of the Parthenon as a model reflected Shogi’s esteem for classical civilization and his desire for integration on a world scale.

The Universal House of Justice was built from 1975 to 1982. The idea had been suggested earlier by Shogi Effendi, but the execution was postponed until after his death, evidently due to a lack of funds. This structure is located next to the archive, and it too was built in classical Greek style so that the two buildings would be congruous. Nevertheless, the Universal House of Justice was built with a dome — once again, in order to blend diverse styles. The garden containing these buildings is a continuation of the one around the tomb of the Bab, and it strongly resembles the garden in Bahji. Here too, a circle is divided by boulevards into quadrants, the novelty being a hanging garden in the tradition of ancient Persia. Today the lands held by the Bahais on the Carmel total approximately 300 dunams.

(The Land that became Israel : studies in historical geography by Ruth Kark - 1990)

https://archive.org/details/landthatbecameis0000unse

Baha'i lands in Israel and the reason Baha'i community in Palestine never expanded

Israel, Palestine No comments

The lands were bought during the first period. Although the geographical conditions were not favorable, the scope of the purchase was large, which indicates that political considerations and economic contingencies were the dominant factors behind the decision to acquire realty in this area.

Settlement was agricultural in nature, and the land was initially cultivated by tenant farmers. In the second period land sales were initiated, and in parallel an attempt was made to settle Bahai families on the tracts that were retained. During the last period nearly all of these lands were sold. One striking feature of the Bahai community throughout its history in Palestine was its small size, which never exceeded several hundred members. There were a number of reasons why the community in Palestine never expanded: historical events not directly related to the sect, a hostile administration, internal struggles within the sect, and a leadership that consciously limited demographic development.

(The Land that became Israel : studies in historical geography by Ruth Kark - 1990)

https://archive.org/details/landthatbecameis0000unse

Abdul Baha's Will and Testament is no less weighty a Book than the Kitáb-i Aqdas

Will & Testament No comments

Shoghi Effendi writes that Bahá’u’lláh’s Most Holy Book was ‘the brightest emanation of the mind of Bahá’u’lláh’. He used identical words to describe ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and Testament as ‘the brightest emanation of His mind’, and as ‘supplementary to no less weighty a Book than the Kitáb-i Aqdas’.

(The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Covenant by Brent Poirier, Bahá’í Studies Review (2025), Published: 06 May 2025 | © 2025 Association for Bahá’í Studies UK)

www.abs.bahai.org.uk/bsr-e20250506

sacrificed himself by his own hand in Bagdad!

Suicide No comments

Immediately afterward, my father bought a house in another quarter of the city called "Shah-Shahan." Here, in company with His Honor, Zein-el-Mogarrabeen and Siyyid Ismail, (who in later years, sacrificed himself by his own hand in Bagdad) they spent their time in promulgating the Cause of God.

(Episodes in the Life of Munirih Khanum, translated by Ahmad Sohrab, Los Angeles: Persian American Publishing Company, 1924)

https://bahai-library.com/khanum_episodes_life

Ṭáhirih in the words of Qajari Historians

History, Tahirih, Women No comments

In Nasikh al-Tawarikh, Qurratu’l-ʿAyn (Zarrín Táj, later titled Ṭáhirih) is mentioned as acting in opposition to the Islamic law and the social customs of Iran of that period.

Qurratu’l-ʻAyn was the daughter of Ḥájí Mullá Sáliḥ of Qazvín, a well-known jurist. She was admired for her beauty, knowledge, and expertise in Arabic sciences. After becoming a follower of Mírzá Muḥammad ‘Alí, the Báb, she carried out the following actions:

Public Appearance and Removing the Veil:
She was famous for her beauty and hair scented like musk. She believed that the veil (hijab) for women was a source of suffering. She would prepare herself and her gatherings and then appear unveiled in front of Bábí followers.
Abolishing Islamic Law and Encouraging Immoral Practices:
She declared that the era of the Báb was a time of suspension (fitrah) in which all religious duties—such as prayer and fasting—were cancelled.
- She taught that one woman marrying nine men was encouraged in the Bábí laws.
- She urged her followers to share their partners and property with each other, promising that there would be no punishment for doing so.
Inciting Murder:
Her uncle, Mullá Muḥammad Taqí, a Mujtahid, opposed this behavior. Qurratu’l-ʻAyn issued a religious ruling (fatwá) calling for his killing. As a result, her followers murdered her uncle in the mosque at dawn during prayer.
Immoral Conduct at Badasht and Hezar Jarib:
While traveling in Mázandarán with Ḥájí Muḥammad ‘Alí of Bárfurúsh, she developed affection for him. The camel driver who carried them in one litter sang verses comparing their union to “the conjunction of the sun and moon.” It is reported that she and Ḥájí Muḥammad ‘Alí went to a bathhouse together and cohabited in the village of Hezar Jarib. When the villagers discovered this and learned of their beliefs, they attacked them and looted their belongings.
Blasphemous Claims and Behavior:
She sat on a throne and delivered sermons, saying that anyone who touched her (or smelled her) would be protected from the fire of hell. Those present kissed her breasts and lips—features she herself described as “ruby-like.”

In addition to these specific actions, the sources also describe the general behavior of Bábí women in their gatherings:

Participation in Immoral Assemblies:
Bábí followers held gatherings where they drank wine and performed acts forbidden by Islamic law.
Serving Wine and Appearing Unveiled:
Women were instructed to enter gatherings of unrelated men without a veil and to serve wine to them.
Encouraging Violence:
Before the attempted assassination of the Shah in Niyávarán, Ḥájí Sulaymán Khán held gatherings with women—including his sister and daughters—where wine was drunk. These meetings ended with the decision to attack the Shah.

Qurratu’l-ʻAyn’s extreme actions—abolishing Islamic law, promoting polyandry and cohabitation, appearing unveiled publicly, and calling for the killing of her cleric uncle—were an assault on the core principles of Islamic Shariah. According to these accounts, she acted like a “wrecking ball,” not merely modifying religious norms but attacking fundamental pillars of society such as modesty, marriage, and the authority of religious scholars, which led to social disorder and violence.

(Extracted from Nasikh al-Tawarikh by Sepehr. He was a court historian during the reigns of two Qajar kings).

About Nasikh al-Tawarikh, check Bijan Masumian's introduction, here:

https://bijanmasumian.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/nasikh-al-tawarikh-introduction.pdf

The Bahá’í Faith: From Its Origins to Its Succession Disputes by Ahmad Kasravi

Covenant, History, Personal Observations No comments

The Baha'i Faith originates from a foundational movement within 19th-century Shi‘a Islam known as Shaykhism, which itself was deeply rooted in the concept of Mahdiism, or the expectation of the return of the Hidden Imam. For centuries, Shi‘a belief held that the twelfth Imam was in occultation and would eventually appear to fill the world with justice. Shaykhism emerged when Shaykh Aḥmad al-Aḥsa'ī introduced novel concepts by blending traditional Shi‘a theology with Greek philosophy. Shaykh Aḥmad’s successor, Sayyid Kāẓim Rashtī, maintained this movement and stressed the imminent appearance of the Mahdi.

The first major schism arose following the death of Sayyid Kāẓim Rashtī, as he had not explicitly named a successor. This vacuum of leadership resulted in the fracturing of the Shaykhí movement into several factions, notably those who followed Ḥājī Karīm Khān Qājār, establishing Karimkhani Shaykhism, and those who followed Mírzá Shafī‘ of Tabriz. Crucially, it was among this climate of division and expectation that Sayyid ‘Alī Muḥammad of Shiraz, a student of Sayyid Kāẓim Rashtī, stepped forward with his own claim. He first adopted the title of the Bāb (the Door or Gate), signifying his role as the intermediary to the awaited Imam Mahdi. His teachings led to the formation of the Bábí movement, but his claims soon escalated to Mahdiism and ultimately, prophethood. Following the Báb’s execution in 1850, the first succession dispute began. About a year before his death, the Báb had designated Mírzá Yaḥyá Núrī, a young man whom he had given the title Azal, as his successor. After a brief period of discussion, the Bábís accepted Azal as their leader, who, being fearful of the government, went into hiding.

The leadership of the Bábís was, in practice, handled by Azal's elder paternal half-brother, Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alī, who later adopted the title Baháʼu'lláh. Following an attempt on the life of Naser al-Din Shah in 1852, Baháʼu'lláh was imprisoned and later exiled, eventually arriving in Baghdad. Baghdad became a major center for the Bábís. The second and most defining succession dispute unfolded years later in Edirne (Adrianople), where the Bábís had been transferred by the Ottoman government. Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alī Bahá openly declared himself to be "He Whom God Shall Make Manifest" (Man Yuẓhiruhu'lláh), the figure the Báb had foretold. This declaration was fiercely resisted by Mírzá Yaḥyá Núrī (Subh-i-Azal), leading to a bitter period of conflict wherein the two brothers and their followers publicly defamed one another. The turmoil prompted the Ottoman authorities to intervene and separate the two factions. Azal and his followers, known as Azalīs, were sent to Cyprus, while Baháʼu'lláh and his followers, who came to be known as Baháʼís, were exiled to Acre (Akka). Baháʼu'lláh would later broaden his claims to not merely be the promised figure of the Bábí movement, but also an independent Manifestation of God.

The third succession dispute began upon Baháʼu'lláh’s death in 1892. Baháʼu'lláh had appointed his eldest son, Mírzá ‘Abbás, known as ‘Abdul-Bahá, as his successor. However, this appointment was immediately contested by his younger brother, Mírzá Muhammad ‘Alí, who disagreed with how ‘Abdul-Bahá was leading the Bahá'ís. This resulted in a fresh and bitter conflict between the two. In this dispute, the brothers engaged in intense rivalry, with each trying to damage the other's reputation as much as possible.

The fourth and final succession issue in this sequence arose following the death of ‘Abdul-Bahá in 1921. ‘Abdul-Bahá had appointed his maternal grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as the next leader, or the Guardian of the Cause. Despite ‘Abdul-Bahá’s explicit designation, the dispute continued. Mírzá Muhammad ‘Alí and some other Baha'is questioned the succession based on interpretations of Baháʼu'lláh's writings regarding the line of succession.

(Extracted from Ahmad Kasravi's book Bahaigiri. Ahmad Kasravi was a pre-eminent Iranian historian, jurist, linguist, theologian, a staunch secularist and intellectual from Iran, died in 1946)

https://kasravi.info/ketabs/bahaigari/BAHAYIGARI%20b1.pdf

Women are commanded to engrave word Allāhum on their breasts with Henna

Azali, Bab, Women No comments

Women are commanded to engrave/tattoo (naghsh) the word Allāhum (اللهم) on their breasts. This engraving is to be performed using dyes (khidabāt) such as Henna (ḥinnāʾ) and similar substances. The overall practice of using these substances is permitted as a form of adornment (zīnāt).

(The Bab quoted in Hasht Bishisht. This book written by Shaykh Ahmad Ruhi & Mirza Aqa Khan of Kerman, the son-in-laws of Subh-i-Azal)

Check Page 57 of the PDF, here:

https://bayanic.com/showItem.php?id=hasht

Consequences of Withholding Ḥuqúqu’lláh

Huququ'llah, Punishment No comments

Payment of Ḥuqúqu’lláh is considered one of the essential spiritual obligations laid down by Bahá’u’lláh, similar to prayer and fasting. It is also a unique test used to distinguish the friend from the stranger.

Spiritual and Bountiful Deprivation: Individuals who fail to honor the obligation of Ḥuqúqu’lláh deprive yourselves of so great a bounty. Bahá’u’lláh states that whoso faileth to observe this law bringeth loss upon himself. The bounties received from paying Ḥuqúqu’lláh—prosperity, blessing, honor, and divine protection—are consequently withheld.
Divine Retribution for Dishonesty: Bahá’u’lláh warns against dealing faithlessly or treacherously with the Right of God. If one is eligible but does not pay, or is not trustworthy and honest in calculating the amount, God will punish them. Furthermore, "He who dealeth faithlessly with God shall in justice meet with faithlessness himself". If one acts treacherously, God will expose them and they will not receive God’s bounties.
Wealth Becomes a Source of Affliction: Regarding those who are ignorant of the significance of Ḥuqúq and continuously endeavor to amass riches, Bahá’u’lláh notes that their life is wasted, troubles are endured, and wealth becometh a source of affliction. Woe betide the rich that hold back Ḥuqúqu’lláh and fail to observe the injunctions upon them.
Societal Hardship: Bahá’u’lláh warns that withholding payment of Ḥuqúq can contribute to collective hardship, promising that had the friends observed this payment, the people of that region would have enjoyed ease and comfort and would not have experienced any hardship.
Debt Upon Death: Believers are encouraged to pay their Ḥuqúqu’lláh before they pass on so that they go to the next worlds without a debt to God. If the debt is not cleared, the administrator of the estate should pay it after funeral expenses and debts are paid.

It is also important to note that if Ḥuqúqu’lláh is offered, but not paid willingly, with eagerness, love, and "with the utmost joy and radiance," it will not be accepted in the sight of God.

(Extracted from Ḥuqúqu’lláh - The Right of God by Firaydoun Javaheri, 2015)

it is anticipated that the number of clusters where the third milestone has been passed will rise above 5,000 by 2031.

Converting People, Entry by Troops No comments

Since we addressed our 30 December 2021 message to the Counsellors’ Conference, National Spiritual Assemblies and Regional Bahá’í Councils have been earnestly assessing the possibilities for intensifying the process of growth in the clusters within their jurisdiction during the Nine Year Plan. We feel it would be helpful, for the purpose of gauging the progress made over time, to view the Plan as unfolding in two phases of four and five years’ duration, and National Assemblies were invited to consider the advances they expect to see in their respective communities by Riḍván 2026 and then by Riḍván 2031. This exercise also involved a re-evaluation of cluster boundaries, and the outcome of these adjustments is that the total number of clusters in the world has risen by a quarter and now stands at over 22,000. Judging by the forecasts received, it is estimated that, by the end of the Plan, a programme of growth at some level of development will exist in around 14,000 of these clusters. From among them, the number where the programme of growth could be considered intensive is projected to climb to 11,000 over the same time period. And of these, it is anticipated that the number of clusters where the third milestone has been passed will rise above 5,000 by 2031.

(The Universal House of Justice, Riḍván 2022)

https://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/ridvan-messages/20220421_001

Baha'i Sect Pledges Loyalty to Israel

Israel, Loyalty, Shoghi Effendi No comments

Jaffa (ZOA) According to an item in the Jaffa Arabic daily, "El Yom," the Bahai Sect in Israel has pledged its allegiance to the Government.

In a letter to Prime Minister Ben Gurion, the leader of the Bahais, Shogy Rabani, stated that the establishment of the Jewish State was foretold in the Bahai scriptures.

(Inside Palestine, Volumes 7-8, p. 16 (1947) by Zionist Organization of America)

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Inside_Palestine/6arLLFlFyqQC

In fact, on the day before the relocation of Haifa’s Muslim and Christian Arab population, Shoghi Rabbani wrote directly to Prime Minister Ben Gurion praising the reestablishment of the Jewish state and the ingathering of the Jewish exiles.

(The Baha’i minority in the State of Israel, 1948–1957 by Randall S. Geller, 2018)

https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2018.1520100

What do ex-bahais have to say about the Baha'i faith?

Personal Observations No comments

Many people on reddit/r/exbahai mentioned they wasted years of their youth in this religion. One major point is that they exert strong pressure to convert others, members are motivated to spend large amounts of time proselytizing and trying to turn everyday conversations into spiritual ones! There is also great pressure to donate money, especially for building temples and shrines, which happens instead of funding practical help for communities, like soup kitchens or disaster relief. Baha'i faith is sexist, despite its abundant teachings on equality, women are banned from serving on the faith's highest governing body, the Universal House of Justice, and Baha'i law gives sons greater inheritance than daughters.

Some exbahais described the religion as a "well disguised doomsday cult" or a "full-blown cult". This view comes from the belief that only the Baha'i faith can save humanity from a coming "great calamity," after which the faith's administration would become a one-world government. Although the religion promotes independent investigation of truth, the central leaders censor publications and discourage members from reading unfiltered scriptures. People who question the highest leaders risk being labeled a "Covenant Breaker" and shunned, a rule which is often kept hidden from newcomers. The central governing body claims to be neutral in politics, but historically the leaders had ties to colonial governments and Israel, and chooses not to help mediate conflicts or deliver humanitarian aid, while simultaneously spending millions on fancy buildings.

https://old.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/1ozzc6k/questions_about_the_bahai_faith/

Baha'u'llah visited a Baha'i home and found it dirty. He revealed a tablet.

Baha'u'llah, History, Opium No comments

O My handmaid! Know thou that We have raised up bounty itself in the form of this Tablet and sent it unto thee, that thou mayest glory therein amidst creation. We entered thine abode whilst thou wert oblivious thereof, and We perceived not from it the sweet savour of holiness. Thus doth the All-Informed apprise thee.

Cleanse ye, O people, your homes, and purify your attire from whatsoever is abhorrent unto God. Thus doth the All-Knowing admonish you. We, verily, love cleanliness in all circumstances. Beware lest ye transgress the bounds of that whereunto ye have been bidden in the Book of God, the Almighty, the All-Praised.

Áthár-i-Qalam-i-A‘lá, vol. 1 (2006 ed.), p. 404 (selection no. 151).

https://adibmasumian.com/translations/bh05195/

Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) according to Baha'u'llah

Azali, Covenant-Breakers, Subh-i-Azal No comments

In the Bahá’í Faith, they also appear with the meaning of those who embody corruption. Among these references, in a metaphorical context, it is stated: “Ya’júj signifieth self and passion” (Bahá’u’lláh, quoted in Áthár-i-Qalam-i-A‘lá, vol. 7, p. 136) and “Ya’júj and Ma’júj, who are the two disbelieving souls” (Bahá’u’lláh, quoted in Má’idiy-i-Ásmání, vol. 4, p. 99), alluding to Mírzá Yaḥyá and Siyyid Muḥammad-i-Iṣfahání.

https://adibmasumian.com/translations/ab00009_excerpt_gog_magog/

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