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/
Sunday, December 7, 2025
In Lawh-i-Sarraj Bahá’u’lláh uses strong and explicit curses when addressing his opponents
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)
When the laws He has instituted are carried out, there will be no millionaires possible in the community and likewise no extremely poor.
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)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 301–303)
Thursday, December 4, 2025
"the Israeli War of Independence"
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
[...]
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
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
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Ruhiyyih Khanum and Ahmad Sohrab shares the stage in New York
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)
(A TRIBUTE TO AMATU'L-BAHÁ RÚHÍYYIH KHÁNUM by Violette Nakhjavani)
Monday, December 1, 2025
Monirih Khanum asks for money to build a school on Mt. Carmel
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.
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)
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Each path will lead to a center such as an orphanage, a hospital, a school, a university
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
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
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Abdul Baha's soul is going to be in distress forever.
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
-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
Friday, November 28, 2025
Laws of the Bab pertaining to number Nineteen in the Bayan (Arabic)
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.
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/
Thursday, November 27, 2025
A Baha’i Center, which had an orphanage, a school, a home for elderly women and a fund for the sick and unemployed.
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)
(A Love Which Does Not Wait by Janet Ruhe-Schoen)
Before they could begin to speak, the Blessed Beauty said
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)
(Memoirs of Badi Bushrui, Persian edition, p. 649, 650)
His shameless half-brother Muhammad-‘Ali was turned away.
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)
(Ethel Jenner Rosenberg: The Life and Times of England's Outstanding Bahá'ı́ Pioneer Worker
by Robert Weinberg, p. 188)
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Baha'u'llah declared all humanity purified and equal in the sight of God.
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)
(The Báb and the Bábí Community of Iran, edited by Fereydun Vahman, Oneworld Academic, London, 2020)
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
The Bab attended now and then the classes of Haji Siyyid Kazim Rashti
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
(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
THE BAHAI CENTER IN ISRAEL
By IDIT LUZIAUnlike 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)
Baha'i lands in Israel and the reason Baha'i community in Palestine never expanded
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)
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)
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Abdul Baha's Will and Testament is no less weighty a Book than the Kitáb-i Aqdas
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
(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!
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)
Ṭáhirih in the words of Qajari Historians
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:
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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.
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She urged her followers to share their partners and property with each other, promising that there would be no punishment for doing so.
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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:
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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
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)
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Women are commanded to engrave word Allāhum on their breasts with Henna
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:
Friday, November 21, 2025
Consequences of Withholding Ḥuqúqu’lláh
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.
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
https://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/ridvan-messages/20220421_001
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Baha'i Sect Pledges Loyalty to Israel
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)
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)
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
What do ex-bahais have to say about the Baha'i faith?
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/
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.
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/
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
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/
https://adibmasumian.com/translations/ab00009_excerpt_gog_magog/
‘Abdu’l-Bahá Defines the Concourse on High
... the dwellers of the City of Eternity and the members of the Concourse on High are those who are firm in the Covenant ...
Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the original text of which has been published in Makátíb-i-Ḥaḍrat-i-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, vol. 8, p. 54.
https://adibmasumian.com/translations/ab06698_concourse_on_high_excerpt/
Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the original text of which has been published in Makátíb-i-Ḥaḍrat-i-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, vol. 8, p. 54.
https://adibmasumian.com/translations/ab06698_concourse_on_high_excerpt/
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablet of Visitation for Manúchihr Khán
O holder of the loftiest rank! Thou art elated amidst the Concourse on High, and thou art glorious in the Kingdom of Abhá. Thou art lauded by the tongues of the godly, and thou art praised by the mouths of the rightly guided. Well is it with whosoever hath visited thy radiant resting-place! Well is it with whosoever hath kissed thy sanctified tomb! Well is it with whosoever hath clung to thy fragrant grave! Well is it with whosoever hath inhaled the sweet scent of thy burial ground! Well is it with whosoever hath served at thy sepulcher, more redolent than the most potent musk! Well is it with whosoever kindleth a light in thine exalted courtyard!* Well is it with whosoever adorneth thy wondrous site of eternal repose! I swear by God that such a one is of them that have attained, one who shall forever abide in Paradise.
---------------------
Note: Following his death in 1847, Manúchihr Khán was interred at the Fáṭimih Ma‘ṣúmih Shrine in Qum and may still be buried there. In a Tablet to the Bahá’ís of Qum, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “From time to time, in a spirit of the utmost supplication, and with your faces turned toward God, visit the radiant grave of the Shamsu’l-Vuzará’ [Manúchihr Khán] on behalf of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and light a few candles at that sanctified tomb, inasmuch as this act resulteth in nearness to the threshold of divine grandeur” (provisional rendering mine; original Persian text published in Má’idiy-i-Ásmání, vol. 5, p. 227).
---------------------
Note: Following his death in 1847, Manúchihr Khán was interred at the Fáṭimih Ma‘ṣúmih Shrine in Qum and may still be buried there. In a Tablet to the Bahá’ís of Qum, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “From time to time, in a spirit of the utmost supplication, and with your faces turned toward God, visit the radiant grave of the Shamsu’l-Vuzará’ [Manúchihr Khán] on behalf of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and light a few candles at that sanctified tomb, inasmuch as this act resulteth in nearness to the threshold of divine grandeur” (provisional rendering mine; original Persian text published in Má’idiy-i-Ásmání, vol. 5, p. 227).
Sunday, November 16, 2025
Abdul Baha introduces as an obligatory practice ziyara to the shrine of Baha'u'llah
With the death of Baha' Allah in 1892, his tomb at Bahji near Acre was designated by 'Abd al-Baha' as a place of ziyara ranking in importance with the houses in Shiraz and Baghdad. In one letter, he writes that "there is no obligation for everyone to visit such places [holy sites in general], other than the three, namely: the Most Holy Shrine, the Blessed House in Baghdad and the venerated House of the Bab in Shiraz. To visit these is obligatory if one can afford it and is able to do so, and if no obstacle stands in one's way ... These three Holy Places are consecrated to pilgrimage." It should, however, be made clear that what 'Abd al-Baha' is here referring to is ziyara; hajj as such, with its connected rites, may only be performed to the two houses, even though this cannot be done in practice. 'Abd al-Baha's statement is interesting in that it permits ziyara as well as hajj to the houses, and introduces as an obligatory practice ziyara to the shrine of Baha' Allah.
(Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)
https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism
(Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)
https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism
"cleansing" the haram by the expulsion of the family of Baha' Allah, demolishing and razing their houses.
The tomb of Baha' Allah as such was, as we have noted, designated as the qibla of the Baha'i world and is regarded by Baha'is as the most holy spot on earth. In this respect, its importance as a focus for pilgrimage far outweighs in the minds of most Baha'is that of the Shiraz and Baghdad houses. The area around the tomb itself is termed, in an echo of the sacred enclosure at Mecca, the haram, and considerable emphasis was placed by Shoghi Effendi on the ritual "cleansing" of this region by the expulsion from it of renegade members of the family of Baha' Allah, termed "Covenant-Breakers" (naqidun). In later years, the very houses in which these individuals had lived were demolished and their sites razed. The haram area has been widely landscaped, the shrine now standing at the centre of a vast circle of gardens, with paths converging on it. The original mansion of Bahji, in which Baha' Allah lived for some 20 years, stands to the side of the shrine proper.
(Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)
https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism
(Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)
https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism
Baha'u'llah's recommended prayer from the Quran
A number of prayers and invocations exist which may be used on a daily basis. Thus, in one place, Baha' Allah recommends that his followers read each day the following verses of the Qur'an: "And he that fears God, God shall make for him a passage out, and He shall provide for him in a manner that he reckoned not; and he that relies upon God, God shall be a sufficiency unto him. God shall bring His cause to maturity, for He has appointed a measure for everything" (Qur'an 65:2-3). This passage is, he says, "the source of grace and bounty, and the dawning-place of compassion. Through it, if God wills, the door that is closed shall be opened and affairs that have been delayed shall be put into motion." (In lshraq Khavari, Ma'ida, VIII, p.100).
(Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)
Specific Prayers of Baha'u'llah requesting that God reveal matters in sleep
Specific prayers and practices exist concerning sleep and dreams within the Baha'i writings, notably those authored by Baha' Allah. A Prayer of Baha' Allah requesting that God reveal matters in sleep states that whoever reads it with love of the Lord in their heart "shall behold in his sleep whatsoever he desireth of the meeting with God". Separately, Baha' Allah provided a prayer "to be said after disturbed dreams" for individuals who are "grieved and saddened," which may also be recited upon waking generally, even after undisturbed dreams. Furthermore, there are two descriptive texts prescribing rituals explicitly "for the purpose of being shown visions in sleep," though MacEoin indicates the authenticity of the original texts is unknown; these rituals require the seeker to practice physical purity (washing hands/face or the entire body, wearing clean/pure robes/gowns) and spiritual devotion (turning toward the Divine, offering prayer, and supplicating God) before sleep to ensure that the "doors of revelation shall be opened" and that they "will have visions which will cause the door of doubts to be closed," leading to "comprehend[ing] realities and meanings".
(Extracted from Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)
Saturday, November 15, 2025
The Báb prescribed specific ways of performing ritual mention of God (Dhikr) involving celestial bodies
- Rising Sun: Believers were instructed to stand facing the sun as it rises on Friday and recite a specific verse that proclaimed God's glory and had the sun bear witness to God's unity.
- Moon: The believer was decreed to stand each month facing the moon and recite a specific verse 142 times (the numerical equivalent of the name al-Qāʼim).
- Daily Mention: Separately, performing Dhikr 95 times each day using different divine names (such as Allāhu Abhā on the first day of the month) was obligatory.
https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism
This invocation also appears in a recent compilation by Fadil-i-Yazdi, Manaij al-ahkam (Tehran: n.p., 1980), vol. 1, p. 107. Here there is a tablet of Bahá'u'lláh's commenting on the Báb's invocation to the sun, which states that by the sun the Báb intended no one else but Bahá'u'lláh, hidden behind clouds during the Báb's ministry.
(The Remembrance of God: An Invocation Technique in Sufism and the Writings of The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh by Steven Scholl, published in Bahá'í Studies Bulletin, 2:3, pp. 73-106, 1983-12)
The Bab's successor is Satan according to Baha'u'llah.
Mírzá Yaḥyá is scarcely spoken of, but when he is mentioned he is called Satan.
(E.G. Browne, Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion, p. 117)
(E.G. Browne, Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion, p. 117)
Beha was God Himself.
According to this doctor, Beha was God Himself. He teaches that God did not manifest through the personality of Beha, as in the case of Jesus, but that He really was God, and that He will not come again during this cycle. We are all called upon to believe this, or else forever lose our chance of salvation.
(E.G. Browne, Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion, p. 117)
(E.G. Browne, Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion, p. 117)
Baha'u'llah was God??
Explicit Claims and Interpretations of Divinity:
- Dr. I. G. Khayru'llah, an early Baha'i propagandist in America, made the most direct assertions concerning Baha'u'llah's divinity in his classes and teachings.
- Khayru'llah taught that Baha'u'llah was God Himself.
- He insisted that God did not manifest through the personality of Baha'u'llah (as in the case of Jesus), but that He really was God.
- Khayru'llah stated that Baha'u'llah declared himself God to the world in 1866.
- In the context of the Incarnation, Khayru'llah claimed that the Incarnation of God (Baha) appeared in 1852-1853.
- Khayru'llah also taught that Baha'u'llah manifested himself for five days as the Lord of Hosts.
- He asserted that Baha'u'llah explicitly declared that He was the Visage and Very Self of the Eternal Essence.
- Khayru'llah also claimed Baha'u'llah was the Enunciator (mubayyin), that is, God.
- The fundamental belief required for salvation, as taught by Khayru'llah, was that Baha'u'llah himself was God, the Almighty.
- In one of Baha'u'llah's letters, a passage asks: "O thou who circlest round my Throne and art present before my Face, dost thou weep for God's own self working for His purpose, or do I weep with mine eyes for it?".
- A Babi poem (ascribed to Nabil) contains an address to the Manifestation, suggesting divine claim and affirmation: "Then speak the word, 'Am I not your Lord?' and 'Thou art, Thou art' we will all reply".
Claims to Supreme Divine Authority and Status:
- Baha'u'llah is referenced using titles that denote supreme spiritual authority:
- He is called the Beauty of Eternity and the Sovereign One.
- In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the recognition of the Dawning-place of His Revelation and the Day-spring of His Dispensation is stated as "the first thing which God [Baha'u'llah] hath prescribed unto His servants".
- He addressed letters to rulers, calling upon them to throw their kingdoms at his feet and worship him.
- Baha'u'llah's brother, Musa, was entitled Kalim ("Talker"), because, like Moses, he conversed with God, i.e., Baha'u'llah.
- Baha'u'llah offered proof of his divinity to the Ottoman Sultan by writing a book larger than the Koran in six hours.
https://ia601303.us.archive.org/30/items/materialsforstud00browuoft/materialsforstud00browuoft.pdf
Abdul Baha beat Mírzá Áqá Ján as much as he could endure to such an extent that he became bedridden.
Abdul-Baha, Abuse, Covenant-Breakers, Mirza Aqa Jan
No comments
Mírzá Áqá Ján
Friday, 4 Jaddí 1298 [26 December 1919], Haifa
One of those in attendance inquired about the Tablets revealed in the tongue of Mírzá Áqá Ján. 'Abdu'l-Bahá responded:
All of those Tablets were revealed by the lips of the Blessed Beauty. During the final blessed days [of Bahá'u'lláh], one of the friends asked [the same question] of Mírzá Áqá Ján, but did not receive an affirmative response. For this reason, a number of the friends rose against him. This took place during the period of illness of the Blessed Person. I realized that the friends were divided into two camps. One group was led by Nabíl Zarandí, and the other was led by the wife of Mírzá Siyyid 'Alí Afnán, and they were bitterly fighting each other. I sternly admonished them, saying, "Have you no shame for creating two factions at this time of His blessed illness?" I dispersed them all.
Then the mother of Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí came and said, "Mírzá Áqá Ján has become presumptuous before His Blessed Person and has said, 'I have labored more for You than His Holiness the Exalted One [the Báb], and You do not appreciate my labors.' The Blessed Beauty has become deeply grieved."
I went into Mírzá Áqá Ján's room and said, "How wretched and ignorant you are!" I beat him as much as he could endure to such an extent that he became bedridden.
Then three times I went into the Sacred Presence [of Bahá'u'lláh] to intercede [on behalf of Mírzá Áqá Ján] and threw Myself at His blessed feet. He said, "Rise!"
Then the Ascension occurred and he [Mírzá Áqá Ján] was residing in My home. I left him to his own self.
At last, he wrote in his own hand to Iran, "Whatever I have written in Tablets are utterances of the Blessed Beauty."
One of the friends inquired, "What was the wisdom of revealing verses through the tongue of Mírzá Áqá Ján? It was possible that on his own accord, he would have written things to various places that were untrue and would have caused differences." 'Abdu'l-Bahá stated:
In those days, the practice was that whenever someone wanted to send a letter to Iran, he would bring that writing to the presence [of Bahá'u'lláh], and after it was considered he would send it.
At first, Mírzá Áqá Ján harbored deep animosity towards Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí. Gradually, however, they became friends. He would put his writings in a cooking pot and on the pretext of buying cheese would go out and mail them, thinking that I did not know what he was doing. When he returned, he would bring the cheese he had bought and show it to Me.
Some time passed. One day he came and said, "I want to leave Your house." Since I was not happy with his conduct, I said, "Fí aminu'lláh." He went and became friends with the illustrious personages [i.e. Covenant-breakers].
For a while, he was engaged in confusing thoughts. Afterwards, he threw burial shrouds over his neck and raised the standard of meekness. However, he noticed that I was not paying him any attention.
At last, one day I was at a carpentry shop. He came and said, "The Covenant-breakers say that they are able to prevent You from building the Shrine of the Exalted One [the Báb]. However, I told them that You will succeed in building the Shrine since it is mentioned in the stories of prophets that "The Branch of God shall build the House of the Lord." I said nothing.
A while later he left and chose seclusion. He would say that he had written a letter of repentance and sent it to Mírzá Siyyid 'Alí [Afnán], so that after his death it would be given to Me. After his death, I asked for the letter, but they said, "He has not given us anything."
Tonight, the blessed utterances were most moving. At the end, He turned to Hájí Siyyid 'Alí [Afnán] who had previously been with the Covenant-breakers and asked, "I adjure you to the Blessed Beauty! Was what I said not exactly how it happened?" He said, "Yes, it was the exact occurrence."
Friday, 4 Jaddí 1298 [26 December 1919], Haifa
One of those in attendance inquired about the Tablets revealed in the tongue of Mírzá Áqá Ján. 'Abdu'l-Bahá responded:
All of those Tablets were revealed by the lips of the Blessed Beauty. During the final blessed days [of Bahá'u'lláh], one of the friends asked [the same question] of Mírzá Áqá Ján, but did not receive an affirmative response. For this reason, a number of the friends rose against him. This took place during the period of illness of the Blessed Person. I realized that the friends were divided into two camps. One group was led by Nabíl Zarandí, and the other was led by the wife of Mírzá Siyyid 'Alí Afnán, and they were bitterly fighting each other. I sternly admonished them, saying, "Have you no shame for creating two factions at this time of His blessed illness?" I dispersed them all.
Then the mother of Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí came and said, "Mírzá Áqá Ján has become presumptuous before His Blessed Person and has said, 'I have labored more for You than His Holiness the Exalted One [the Báb], and You do not appreciate my labors.' The Blessed Beauty has become deeply grieved."
I went into Mírzá Áqá Ján's room and said, "How wretched and ignorant you are!" I beat him as much as he could endure to such an extent that he became bedridden.
Then three times I went into the Sacred Presence [of Bahá'u'lláh] to intercede [on behalf of Mírzá Áqá Ján] and threw Myself at His blessed feet. He said, "Rise!"
Then the Ascension occurred and he [Mírzá Áqá Ján] was residing in My home. I left him to his own self.
At last, he wrote in his own hand to Iran, "Whatever I have written in Tablets are utterances of the Blessed Beauty."
One of the friends inquired, "What was the wisdom of revealing verses through the tongue of Mírzá Áqá Ján? It was possible that on his own accord, he would have written things to various places that were untrue and would have caused differences." 'Abdu'l-Bahá stated:
In those days, the practice was that whenever someone wanted to send a letter to Iran, he would bring that writing to the presence [of Bahá'u'lláh], and after it was considered he would send it.
At first, Mírzá Áqá Ján harbored deep animosity towards Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí. Gradually, however, they became friends. He would put his writings in a cooking pot and on the pretext of buying cheese would go out and mail them, thinking that I did not know what he was doing. When he returned, he would bring the cheese he had bought and show it to Me.
Some time passed. One day he came and said, "I want to leave Your house." Since I was not happy with his conduct, I said, "Fí aminu'lláh." He went and became friends with the illustrious personages [i.e. Covenant-breakers].
For a while, he was engaged in confusing thoughts. Afterwards, he threw burial shrouds over his neck and raised the standard of meekness. However, he noticed that I was not paying him any attention.
At last, one day I was at a carpentry shop. He came and said, "The Covenant-breakers say that they are able to prevent You from building the Shrine of the Exalted One [the Báb]. However, I told them that You will succeed in building the Shrine since it is mentioned in the stories of prophets that "The Branch of God shall build the House of the Lord." I said nothing.
A while later he left and chose seclusion. He would say that he had written a letter of repentance and sent it to Mírzá Siyyid 'Alí [Afnán], so that after his death it would be given to Me. After his death, I asked for the letter, but they said, "He has not given us anything."
Tonight, the blessed utterances were most moving. At the end, He turned to Hájí Siyyid 'Alí [Afnán] who had previously been with the Covenant-breakers and asked, "I adjure you to the Blessed Beauty! Was what I said not exactly how it happened?" He said, "Yes, it was the exact occurrence."
(With Abdu'l-Bahá: The Diary of Mirza 'Isa Khan Isfahani, Translated by Ahang Rabbani, published in Witnesses to Babi and Bahá'í History, vol. 11, 2008-03)
Friday, November 14, 2025
the rituals observed by the Báb himself, particularly during the early, pietistic phase of Bábism
Bab, Denis MacEoin, Imam Husayn, Rituals, Shi'ih
No comments
- Pious Observances (Early Phase):
- Writings: He observed the custom of writing texts and documents in red ink before the composition of the Persian Bayān.
- Talismans: He was known to have fashioned amulets (hayākil), charms (aḥrāz), and talismans (ṭilismāt).
- Ritual Prayer (Salāt):
- He held it obligatory to use four tablets (muhr) of soil from the shrine of the Imām Ḥusayn at Karbalā upon which to place the hands, forehead, and nose during the prostration (salat).
- He taught his followers (and implicitly observed) the importance of performing prostration during salat on the grave of the Imām Ḥusayn so that the worshipper’s nose would touch the grave.
- He specifically proclaimed the obligation of the Friday prayer (which the Shí‘a generally regarded as suspended during the occultation of the Imām).
- Fasting:
- He introduced a structured schedule for ritual fasting (ṣawm), which included: 10 days each month until age 30, 15 days each month from age 30 to 40, three days from age 40 to 50, and Ramadān only from age 50. Note that many early Bábís (his companions) practiced an even stricter regimen, performing a fast of three consecutive months (Rajab, Sha‘bān, and Ramaḍān).
- Pilgrimage and Visitation (Ḥajj and Ziyāra):
- He considered the pilgrimage of ‘Āshūra a duty.
- He provided instructions for pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Ḥusayn.
- Devotional Practices:
- He laid down specific prayers (ad‘īa) and supererogatory observances (ta‘qībāt) for use.
- He provided prayers for major Islamic festivals ('Id al-Ghadīr, 'Id al-Fiṭr, 'Id al-Aḍḥā).
- He introduced the ritual observance of prayers for the celebration of the day on which he declared himself the vice-regent of the Imām (5 Jumādā I).
- He instructed his followers (and implicitly followed himself as a sālik or spiritual seeker) in a strenuous daily routine that included dedicated practices like supererogatory devotions (nawāfil) and the diligent reading of scriptural texts.
https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism
The Baha’i Practice of Moving Graves
Baha'i Activities, History, Personal Observations
No comments
The following list details individuals whose remains were transferred, disinterred, reinterred, reburied, or planned to be reburied, based on Baha'i sources:
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The Báb: His sacred remains were transferred from Persia. The remains had been secretly hidden for ten years in ‘Akká in the room of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Instructions for their transfer to the Holy Land were issued by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and they arrived on January 31, 1899. They were subsequently transferred to Mount Carmel in Haifa and ceremoniously deposited (reinterred) on Naw-Rúz 1909 in the sacred sarcophagus within the exalted Shrine on Mount Carmel. Prior to their final resting place, the remains had been moved from one location to another for sixty years.
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Mírzá Mihdí (The Purest Branch): The martyred son of Bahá’u’lláh, he died in ‘Akká in 1870. His remains were originally buried outside the city walls in an Arab cemetery. He was reunited with his mother and sister. Shoghi Effendi personally carried his coffin and transferred the blessed remains to the hallowed precincts of the Shrines on Mount Carmel, where they were reinterred near the Greatest Holy Leaf on Christmas Day, December 25, 1939.
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Ásíyih Khánum (Navváb / Most Exalted Leaf / Master’s Mother): The wife of Bahá’u’lláh. She was originally buried in a Muslim cemetery near ‘Akká. After suffering the humiliation of an alien burial-ground for over half a century, Shoghi Effendi engineered the transfer of her body. Her remains were temporarily laid in state in the Báb’s Holy Tomb before being reinterred alongside her son, Mírzá Mihdí, near the resting place of the Greatest Holy Leaf on Christmas Day, December 25, 1939, on Mount Carmel.
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Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí: Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful half-brother and companion in exile. He passed away in 1910, and his remains were buried on his land at Nuqayb on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, as instructed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Due to land expropriation by the Israeli government, negotiations led to the designation of a new Bahá’í cemetery. His remains, along with eleven members of his family, were ceremoniously conveyed and reinterred in the new Bahá’í cemetery on Tel Susita on Friday, October 18, 1985.
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Eleven Members of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí’s Family: This group included his two wives, his son Dhikr'u'llah, and other relatives. Their remains were reinterred alongside Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí on October 18, 1985, in the new Bahá’í cemetery near the Sea of Galilee.
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Mírzá Ḍíyáʼu'lláh Effendi: The younger brother of Mírzá Muḥammad ‘Alí, labelled a Covenant-breaker. He was initially buried next to his father at the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh at the Mansion of Bahjí. His remains were later disinterred and removed from the immediate precincts of the Holy Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, a process announced in November 1965 as the final step in the purification of sacred endowments at Bahjí from past contamination.
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Mírzá Buzurg (Father of Bahá’u’lláh): He died in 1839 and was interred in Najaf, Iraq. In 1957, his remains were located and transferred or reinterred in a Bahai cemetery in Baghdad.
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Keith Ransom-Kehler, Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan (King of Martyrs), and the Beloved of Martyrs: These three martyrs were buried in a cemetery in Isfahan, Iran, which was planned for demolition. Forough Maghzi hid their remains until they could be safely reinterred at a new location.
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Baháʼuʼlláh (Planned Transfer/Reburial): A misunderstanding existed among many Bahá’ís, including Corinne True, in late 1911 that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá intended to bring His sacred remains to be reburied beneath the Chicago Temple.
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Discussed Transfer/Reburial): During the construction of the Shrine of the Báb, Shoghi Effendi noted that it was nearly impossible to transfer His remains to another place. If a transfer were necessary, the place where His remains would be temporarily reburied had to be worthy. Furthermore, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had expressed a wish to be buried under the sand between Haifa and ‘Akka, the pathway trodden by loved ones, with no marker. But, the UHJ is making a brand new shrine for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, near the Riḍván Garden in Israel with an estimated budget of $75 to $77 million, funded by donations from Bahá’ís.
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Shoghi Effendi (Planned Future Transfer): The beloved Guardian passed away in London in 1957. Although he was interred in the Great Northern Cemetery at New Southgate, the Hands of the Cause deliberately chose a specialized casket (a hermetically sealed lead coffin within a bronze casket) so that it would be possible to convey his sacred remains to the Holy Land in the future, when quick transport became available.
(Multiple sources available on bahai.works)
As to the matter of buying land to serve as the burial-place of Jináb-i-Manshádí, a definite arrangement hath been made with Áqá Aḥmad that he must purchase the land, in order that the grave of that one who hath ascended unto God may be constructed and adorned as it ought to be. Likewise did this servant, during this sojourn in Egypt, purchase a plot of land in Cairo for the late Jibrán Ṣáṣí [Gabriel Sacy], and with great difficulty bring out the coffin of that departed soul from among the deceased Christians—who were all buried in one corridor—whereafter I interred it in that most refined and immaculate plot. Áqá Aḥmad hath promised that, upon his return, he will accomplish this task.
-Abdul Baha
In the Baha’i Faith, there is a clear tension between its universal message of unity and its dogmatic and theocratic institutional claims.
Covenant-Breakers, New World Order (NWO), Personal Observations
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I. The Absolute Claim of the Baha’i Faith
The Baha’i Faith presents itself as a universal world religion, claiming to complete and fulfill all previous historical faiths.
Scope and Fulfillment
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Universal Scope: The claim is explicitly universal, envisioning the eventual inclusion of all humanity within the Baha’i system.
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Superseding Revelation: Baha’is regard Baha’u’llah as a new Manifestation of God with a revelation intended for the entire world. This revelation fulfills and supersedes all previous religious dispensations—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others—rendering their laws and rites no longer binding.
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Temporal Exclusivity: Baha’u’llah’s revelation inaugurates a new, all-encompassing cycle (the Baha’i Cycle). During the current thousand-year period, the Baha’i Faith is the sole divinely valid religion. The simultaneous validity of multiple independent religions is explicitly denied. The Baha’i law revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas is absolutely and universally binding.
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Prophetic Authority: The authority of Baha’u’llah is regarded as absolute and infallible. No criticism of his revealed knowledge is permitted.
The Theocratic Goal
The Absolute Claim extends into the social realm through the goal of establishing a theocratic world order.
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The envisioned system is a universal commonwealth governed exclusively by Baha’i law and principles.
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Baha’i social laws are intended to be binding even for non-Baha’is within this anticipated order.
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This system requires the overcoming of national sovereignty and the replacement of existing religious and political systems with a centralized Baha’i administration.
II. The Doctrine and Promotion of Tolerance
The Baha’i Faith publicly promotes significant ideals of tolerance, unity, and openness, especially in its ethical teachings and its appeals to Western audiences.
Principles of Unity and Brotherhood
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Global Unity: The Faith teaches the unity of humanity, nations, and religions, calling for the elimination of all religious, racial, and national prejudices. Loving the entire human race is presented as the highest virtue.
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Peace and Nonviolence: Baha’u’llah firmly rejected holy war and violence, marking a clear departure from elements of early Babism.
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Religious Dialogue: The Faith affirms the divine origin of the major scriptural religions and views them as different expressions of one eternal religious truth.
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Intellectual Freedom and Science: The human intellect is held in high regard, and the Faith teaches the harmony of science and religion: “Any religion not in accord with science is ignorance.” It also upholds the principle of the independent search for truth and states that no one should be coerced into belief.
Pragmatic Tolerance During the ‘Abdu’l-Baha Era
The period of ‘Abdu’l-Baha (1892–1921) was marked by an outward emphasis on tolerance and flexibility.
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‘Abdu’l-Baha minimized complex Persian theosophy and legal details when addressing Western audiences, presenting the Faith primarily as a religion of unity, love, and reason.
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He largely refrained from emphasizing the absolute doctrinal claims of Baha’u’llah and instead portrayed the Faith as an inclusive, ecumenical movement, easing Western concerns about the strict legal prescriptions of the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
III. The Contradiction: Intolerance and Dogmatism in Practice
Despite its public message of freedom, unity, and tolerance, the inner reality of the Baha’i Faith is one of dogmatic exclusivity and strict authoritarianism, especially within its administrative order.
Formal and Internal Intolerance
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Exclusion of Alternatives: The Faith is considered formally intolerant due to its goal of imposing a universal religious law upon all peoples, and internally intolerant because it rejects positive recognition of internal diversity.
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Infallible Authority: The Baha’i administrative order consists of two institutions endowed with infallibility: the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice. This structure combines the absolute spiritual authority of the Shi‘ite Imamate with the collective infallibility associated with Sunni consensus.
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Submission and Freedom: While publicly advocating freedom, the system teaches that real freedom lies only in complete obedience to divine law. Human autonomy is treated as merely formal, and deviation from divine ordinances is condemned.
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Rejection of Independent Thought: Although the “independent search for truth” is emphasized for seekers, the principle becomes limited after conversion. Individual believers are barred from independent interpretation or expressing dissenting theological views. This rigid uniformity risks intellectual stagnation.
Sanctions and Exclusion
Maintaining unity of the Faith is considered paramount and is strictly enforced.
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Covenant-breaking: Refusal to accept the authority or infallibility of the institutions, or criticism of their decisions, is labeled “Covenant-breaking,” understood as an attack on the divine order.
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Excommunication: Covenant-breakers are excommunicated and subjected to complete social shunning, dissolving all ties—including family relations—and rendering the individual a complete outcast.
(Extracted from Francesco Ficicchia's Der Baha'ismus: Weltreligion der Zukunft? Geschichte, Lehre und Organisation in kritischer Anfrage, Stuttgart: Quell Verlag, 1981)