increase of divorce amongst the Western Baha'is

As I started to say, the House of Justice is extremely concerned over the increase of divorce amongst the Western Baháʼís. We often talk about it in Haifa and it's a source of great worry to the members of the House, the House as a body, the Baháʼís in Haifa, the ITC, and so on. But in addition to being a source of worries, it's a downright scandal. How on earth can we Baháʼís lift up our heads and talk about marriage to the people of the world with the extraordinary attitude toward sex and marriage and divorce in the world today if we can't be, say 10% better in our western countries than the ordinary population? The Baháʼí rate of divorce I understand, I don't know about Canada, but I know in the United States it's as high as the national rate of divorce. We should hang our heads in shame. What kind of Baháʼís are we? Are we being affected by that world out there? Corrupt to the bone and falling apart. Or are we reflecting the power and light of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh which we have access to in our personal lives?

(On Marriage and Family, address at the ABS Annual Conference, 1982 by Ruhiyyih Khanum)

https://bahai.works/Transcript:Ruhiyyih_Khanum/On_marriage_and_family,_1982

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Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum entered the Congo

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

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

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Good quality Baha’is

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

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

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

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

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

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Guardianist perspective: Shoghi Effendi did appoint his successor before he died.

Shoghi Effendi did appoint his successor before he died. The successor of Shoghi was the IBC (International Baha’i Council) that he created which was eventually dismantled by Ruhiyyih & the hands

The IBC that Shoghi created was not only supposed to be the embryonic Universal house of Justice (UHJ), it was also the symbolic child of Shoghi Effendi. Let me carefully explain.

When Shoghi first created the IBC, he himself didn’t communicate directly with each member face to face nor would he allow them to meet with each other. He would send messages to each member of the IBC by using Ruhiyyih as a liaison. There was a symbolic reason for this.

You see, each member of the IBC represented the different body parts of a child that’s in it’s mother’s womb, with Shoghi representing the mother or head, & Ruhiyyih representing the umbilical cord that passes messages from the head to the different parts.

When Shoghi died, it represented his child or successor being born, which was the IBC that he created. From the moment, the entire Baha’i world was supposed to turn to the IBC for divine guidance while it went through its successive stages from a child (the international Baha’i council & the International Baha’i court) to an adult (the Universal House of Justice)

If Mason Remy (the president of the IBC) were still alive once the IBC completed all its formative stages, then he would automatically become the second guardian. If not, then his successor would become the second guardian once the IBC completed all its formative stages to the Universal House of Justice.

But, as we all know, these divine transformative stages were not allowed to happen when Ruhiyyih & the hands dismantled the IBC, which effectively killed the child & rightful successor of Shoghi Effendi.

You see, Ruhiyyih purposely orchestrated this evil plan to dismantle the IBC once Shoghi died. She knew in advance that the IBC was supposed to be the rightful successor of Shoghi because remember, she was the liaison or umbilical cord of Shoghi that carried all the messages. So, she had direct knowledge of the entire, intended plan.

The reason why she did this because she knew once Shoghi died, she would no longer have a high position in the Baha’i world & would effectively become a regular Baha’i. Think about it. Once a child is born, the umbilical cord is cut off & thrown away because it is no longer needed.

This eventual circumstance was painful for her to accept which she was determined not to allow. So, in order to maintain a high position within the Baha’i world once Shoghi died, she along with the hands dismantled the IBC that Shoghi created & appointed themselves as the custodians of the Baha’i faith.

When this happened, which led to every Baha’i accepting this development, it effectively caused the entire Baha’i world to become covenant breakers. The Universal House of Justice that exists today is not the real, divine Universe House of Justice that was intended by Bahaullah & Abdul-Baha.

It is a empty shell without a head (the guardian). So, it does not possess the divine guidance of Bahaullah.

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Tribute to Shoghi Effendi by Ruhiyyih Khanum

How many mosquitoes does it take to give you malaria or yellow fever? When we compromise our Faith, it is like taking a glass of pure water, and putting one drop of ink in it—it does not become A glass of ink, but the purity of the water is gone‘ We all know that there is no compromise with people who were Covenant-Breakers, if they had not changed in their hearts, because the heart is the measure. When they were repentant in their hearts, Shoghi Effendi forgave them,...

You see, the Guardian had so many sides to his nature, and you have seen how strong he was when it came to defending the Faith. He never compromised on principle. Now, I would like to show you another aspect of his nature. He had a tremendous capacity for love and for loyalty for those whom he loved, but when they became Covenant-Breakers it evaporated, they ceased to exist and the bounties ceased to flow.

(Tribute to Shoghi Effendi by Ruhiyyih Khanum published in Bahá’í News, Issue 327, May 1958)

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no one in Israel can marry a non-Baháʼí

I can remember an example of a girl in Haifa who I was very fond of. She was a child of a local person and she wanted to marry a non-Baháʼí, and the Guardian had had a great deal of difficulty with marrying non-Baháʼís and finally said no one in Israel can marry a non-Baháʼí because it never works out, all it does is to bring infinite headaches to the World Center of the Faith. So she came and she said she wanted to marry this non-Baháʼí and I went and asked the Guardian. And he said, "No. That is absolutely impossible." If she wants to marry him, she must go away from Israel. She must migrate. It was Palestine in those days. And I went and conveyed this message and she promised that she would do it. But when I told Shoghi Effendi, he said she will not, she will disobey. Oh, I said, "Shoghi Effendi, she's such a good girl and I know her, I see her all the time in the feasts. And she chants so beautifully. And she has such a nice spirit and I assure you, believe me, she will obey. It will be alright. I'm sure it'll be alright." He said, "Alright, I accept. Let her go away from this country and marry him abroad. But you will see in the end she will disobey. She will come back and she will have to be put out of the Cause." Well, I was distressed but I thought, "I'm sure that she will be alright." So I went downstairs and I told her this. And she went away and she married. And she stayed away for some months, I don't remember how long. And then one fine day the maid came and told me so and so is sitting downstairs in the tea room and my heart just turned over and I thought, "Now, you see? God help you. There she is and what Shoghi Effendi said is just coming true." So I went downstairs and saw her and I said, "You know, you can't stay here. You promised that you would go and stay away. And now you're back again." Well, of course, to make a long story short, there was more assurances and promises and she said, "No, we're only here for a visit" and so on and they were there for good and they became covenant breakers and that took care of that.

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the closing session of the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963

https://bahai.works/Transcript:Ruhiyyih_Khanum/Speech_at_close_to_Bahá’í_World_Congress,_1963

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Threatening Baha'is

One other example of Shoghi Effendi was when one of the Baháʼís died in America and left a will. And his wife wanted to contest the will. She considered it very unfair. And Shoghi Effendi told the National Assembly, "Tell her she will be put out of the Cause if she did contest the will." Because he had intervened, you see. He told her she must not contest the will, so if she'd have disobeyed the Guardian she would have been put out of the Cause. But he said the will of a Baháʼí is sacred. Bahá’u’lláh says make your will. And when a Baháʼí makes their will, which they are free to do, it is sacred and it must be obeyed and it must be upheld. These things were great illumination to me about the way this Faith protects and preserves the rights of individuals as well as the right of society, the right of the community.

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the closing session of the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963

https://bahai.works/Transcript:Ruhiyyih_Khanum/Speech_at_close_to_Bahá’í_World_Congress,_1963

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because they are deadly poison, the lepers, the covenant breakers.

There is room for practically everybody in the Baháʼí Faith. Some of them may need spanking, and some of them have got to be kept out because they are deadly poison, the lepers, the covenant breakers. But that is another thing. But really the children of men, this Faith is their home. And there is room for all of them in it.

(Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the closing session of the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963)

https://bahai.works/Transcript:Ruhiyyih_Khanum/Speech_at_close_to_Bahá’í_World_Congress,_1963

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Ruhiyyih purposely orchestrated this evil plan to dismantle the IBC once Shoghi died

Shoghi Effendi did appoint his successor before he died. The successor of Shoghi was the IBC (International Baha’i Council) that he created which was eventually dismantled by Ruhiyyih & the hands.

The IBC that Shoghi created was not only supposed to be the embryonic Universal house of Justice (UHJ), it was also the symbolic child of Shoghi Effendi. Let me carefully explain.

When Shoghi first created the IBC, he himself didn’t communicate directly with each member face to face nor would he allow them to meet with each other. He would send messages to each member of the IBC by using Ruhiyyih as a liaison. There was a symbolic reason for this.

You see, each member of the IBC represented the different body parts of a child that’s in it’s mother’s womb, with Shoghi representing the mother or head, & Ruhiyyih representing the umbilical cord that passes messages from the head to the different parts.

When Shoghi died, it represented his child or successor being born, which was the IBC that he created. From the moment, the entire Baha’i world was supposed to turn to the IBC for divine guidance while it went through its successive stages from a child (the international Baha’i council & the International Baha’i court) to an adult (the Universal House of Justice).

If Mason Remey (the president of the IBC) were still alive once the IBC completed all its formative stages, then he would automatically become the second guardian. If not, then his successor would become the second guardian once the IBC completed all its formative stages to the Universal House of Justice.

But, as we all know, these divine transformative stages were not allowed to happen when Ruhiyyih & the hands dismantled the IBC, which effectively killed the child & rightful successor of Shoghi Effendi.

You see, Ruhiyyih purposely orchestrated this evil plan to dismantle the IBC once Shoghi died. She knew in advance that the IBC was supposed to be the rightful successor of Shoghi because remember, she was the liaison or umbilical cord of Shoghi that carried all the messages. So, she had direct knowledge of the entire, intended plan.

The reason why she did this because she knew once Shoghi died, she would no longer have a high position in the Baha’i world & would effectively become a regular Baha’i. Think about it. Once a child is born, the umbilical cord is cut off & thrown away because it is no longer needed.

This eventual circumstance was painful for her to accept which she was determined not to allow. So, in order to maintain a high position within the Baha’i world once Shoghi died, she along with the hands dismantled the IBC that Shoghi created & appointed themselves as the custodians of the Baha’i faith.

When this happened, which led to every Baha’i accepting this development, it effectively caused the entire Baha’i world to become covenant-breakers. The Universal House of Justice that exists today is not the real, divine Universe House of Justice that was intended by Baha'u'llah & Abdul-Baha.

It is a empty shell without a head (the guardian). So, it does not possess the divine guidance of Baha'u'llah.

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Should we carry on mass-teaching or pay attention to consolidation ?

Q.2 “Should we carry on mass-teaching or pay attention to consolidation ?”

A. “Now I would like to say what I feel about what you asked me regarding the question of mass conversion and consolidation : the value of stopping teaching to consolidate, or to go on with the teaching work. I do not see any reason why I should not say to the Baha’is — because we are, after all, all one, whether we are National Spiritual Assembly members, or Local Assembly members, or nothing official, we are all Baha’is together and it is our joint religion, we all love it — therefore, why shouldn’t I say to you what I said to your National Assembly ? I said I would not be a bit surprised if the National spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of India did not feel sometimes as if it had got hold of a crocodile by the tail, a big one, and did not quite know what to do with it. Now, this mass conversion or mass teaching that you have — and I don’t like personally any of these terms, I like the term of ‘entering the cause in troops’ which is a term of the Master and is a wonderful, wonderful term — but this entering the Cause of Baha’u’llah in troops, which is now taking place in India, of course poses tremendous problems — any one can understand that. You have people coming in by the thousands who are not in a position, at the present time, with a few exceptions, to do anything directly for the Faith. You see what I mean: they do not support the Fund yet, because they either haven’t learnt to or they haven’t got enough money to give any thing. They don’t go out and circulate because they are villagers, they are living, in their own small communities. It is all very new to them. They want to hear more and understand more and learn more and that means somebody has to go and teach them and they have yet not reached a point where they are beginning to give back great returns to your community. Many of the people in this room, I suppose, are businessmen with experience, merchants perhaps, or some kind of businessmen or may be students of Economics. Now you all know that when you invest something, I am not talking about something that is already a going concern, but when you want to develop something that is entirely new, like a gold mine, a diamond mine or an oil well, the capital expenditure is tremendous. You have to put in a great deal of capital before you get any dividends back before you get any return on your investment, because you have to set up machinery, you have to send out people to exploit the situation, you have to get the thing out of the ground, you have to refine it and then you start to market it, then you get very heavy returns on your investment.

‘The speed with which the Cause is spreading here shows that the capacity of the villagers in India is your oil field. The people that are exploiting it at the present time, let us say, are the Indian Baha’is. All this honour goes to you. In time the immense riches from this spiritual investment will flow back into your community.

“The destiny of the human race is to accept Baha’u’llah, we know that as Baha’is. Now, it has to start sometime and it is a little late in starting, because this Cause is over 120 years old and we are only beginning to get the entrance of people by troops into the Faith. We must not say that this is too soon, we must say this is too late. We are in a hurry. We have lost a hundred years of the Baha’i cycle. We want it to go faster every day, no matter what kind of problems arise from its going faster. Everything in the world goes by its own time. This evidently is the time for a spiritual harvest in India. No one of you, no one in Haifa, no one on this planet can tell you how long this time is going to last. You see what I mean? It may last long enough for India’s 450 million Indians to become Baha’is, it may stop tomorrow like that. (Ruhiyyih Khanum snapped her fingers). You don’t know. You don’t know whether we are going to find that the political development of India goes forward so fast that the people in villages become politically minded and instead of being interested in the Teachings of Baha’u’llah, which we know are the Solution to the world’s problems, they are going to be interested in whatever the local politician says who comes and sits under a tree and talks to them. For one reason or another you have no way of knowing whether it is going on for one year, ten years, a hundred years or a thousand years. All you now know here in India is that you have this extraordinary opportunity. You and Africa are leading the whole world, so far, in this field of teaching, but you don’t know how long the opportunity will last. I only know one case in the whole Baha’i teachings where it says, you must not teach, and that is when it is forbidden by the Government, because we must be loyal to our Government; but if you can show me one single place in the Teachings where there is any other excuse for not teaching, I would like to know what it is. And Baha'u'llah certainly does not say anywhere that you must stop teaching in order to consolidate. You must do the two together. You cannot say that ‘the crocodile is getting too big and I am not going to do anything more about it.’ I think there is a story —I don’t remember from which country it comes — that the dragon swallowed the world. Perhaps it is a nice dragon that you have by the tail that will go on getting bigger and bigger and bigger and swallow the world with the teachings of Baha’u’llah. How do you know? You don’t have to be afraid of it. All you have to do is to hang on to its tail. Let it pull you ahead, and have confidence in Baha’u’llah. If anything goes wrong with this system, then you say to Baha’u’llah: “Look, You are the One who said to teach, all I did was to obey You.”

(Amatul-Baha Visits India, by Violette Nakhjavani, Baha’i Publishing Trust - India)

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Shoghi said "This work is killing me!" when he was in London during the last days of his life and ill due to Influenza.

While he was working, he repeated once again the words I had so often heard him say during the last years of his life: “This work is killing me! How can I go on with this? I shall have to stop it. It is too much. Look at the number of places I have to write down. Look how exact I have to be!” He was tired when it was finally done and went back to his bed, where he sat and read reports.

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

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Where is the "Home for the Aged"?

It was during this second phase of the World Crusade that the American National Assembly purchased the land for its first Temple dependency. The Guardian had advised that Assembly that he did not consider a library—the first proposal—sufficiently demonstrative of the purpose and significance of the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Bahá’í society and it was therefore decided to build a Home for the Aged. One of his last letters was to urge that Assembly to commence work on the Home, as it would impress on the public that one of the chief functions of our Faith is to serve humanity, regardless of creed, race or denomination, and be sure to attract attention and publicity.

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

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How a cult leader collects money from his followers?

A bare week before this event [the death of Dr Esslemont] Shoghi Effendi had sent messages to the Bahá’í world which reflected another keen point of anxiety occupying his mind at this time. Rumours had been bruited about that the remains of a certain prominent leader of Zionism might be brought to the Holy Land to be buried befittingly on Mt Carmel. In view of this Shoghi Effendi appealed to the believers to contribute funds for the immediate purchase of land in the vicinity of the Báb’s Tomb, particularly overlooking it, in order to safeguard this Holy Spot. So overwhelming was their response that a little over a month later he could inform them that their generous and splendid support had achieved its purpose, ...

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

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the real reason was not only religious but on grounds of political affiliations and so on.

I told him all about Monib’s marriage to Jamal Husseini’s daughter, etc. He was very surprised and wrote down his and Hassan’s name. I also told him about Ruhi being out and that as he might have wondered at the dissension in our own family the real reason was not only religious but on grounds of political affiliations and so on.

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

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A Spiritual Assembly in Mecca was formed during the lifetime of Shoghi Effendi himself

His banner was planted in Islam’s very heart through the establishment of a Spiritual Assembly in Mecca; ...

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

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Properties purchased by Shoghi Effendi

Before he passed away he had succeeded in creating great protective rings of land around the holiest of all Shrines, Bahá’u’lláh’s Tomb, and around the resting-places of the Báb, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His mother, sister and brother. In addition to this he had chosen and directed the purchase of the land on Mt Carmel which would serve as the site of the future Bahá’í Temple to be erected in the Holy Land. If we consider that at the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing the area of Bahá’í properties on Mt Carmel probably did not exceed 10,000 square metres, and that Shoghi Effendi had, by 1957, raised this to 230,000 square metres, and that in Bahjí the comparable figures would be 1,000 square metres for 1921 and 257,000 square metres for 1957, we get an idea of his accomplishments in this one field alone. Through the generosity of individual Bahá’ís, through their bequests, through their response to his appeals in times of crisis, through the use of funds he held at the World Centre, Shoghi Effendi succeeded in purchasing land on the scale reflected by these figures and thus metamorphosed the situation of the Faith at its World Centre.

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

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small wooden box containing the remains of the Bab

It took more than one hundred years for Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi to finally discharge the sacred trust which the Báb’s remains represented for them, a trust which lasted from the day of His martyrdom in 1850 until the final completion of His Shrine in 1953. From the moment when He was apprised of the execution of the Báb until He ascended in 1892 Bahá’u’lláh had watched over that Sacred Dust, supervising its removal from one place of concealment to another. During a visit to Mt Carmel He had pointed out to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with His own hand where the Báb’s body was to rest forever, instructing Him to purchase this piece of land and bring the hidden remains from Persia and inter them there. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Himself a prisoner, succeeded in having the small wooden box containing the remains of the Báb and His martyred companion conveyed, by caravan and boat, from Persia to Akka. When the first group of western pilgrims visited the prison-city in the winter of 1898–9, this precious casket was already concealed in the Master’s home [also under the bed of Bahiyyih Khanum], its presence a carefully guarded secret.

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

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buy this land and bring the body of the Báb and inter Him here.

One day Bahá’u’lláh rested on Mt Carmel. He pointed out a spot to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and said buy this land and bring the body of the Báb and inter Him here.

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

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Shoghi Effendi's cars, gold gift, trips to Swiss Alps and Cameras

Shoghi and Abdul Baha's Cars

Shoghi Effendi for many years had had a private automobile and chauffeur (like ‘Abdu’l-Bahá before him) ...

I remember the Guardian telling me of how (I believe it must have been in early 1920) one of the old American Bahá’ís had sent a gift to the Master of a Cunningham automobile; notice of its arrival at the quayside in port came just as the weekend commenced and the Master gave Shoghi Effendi instructions to see that it was cleared and delivered to the house.

Shoghi's Swiss trip and his camera

A very happy young Guardian on top of a Swiss Alp with his guide; Shoghi Effendi carried his own camera with him, ...

Gold ring

“I have received the gold ring which you sent me ... and have offered it, after wearing it myself, to the Greatest Holy Leaf ...

Shoghi Effendi's new big lovely Buick car is stolen.

[4-5-48] “Today the car was stolen! [A gift to Shoghi Effendi from Roy Wilhelm. The Guardian had had no car for years as the old one was sold during the war owing to no spare parts.] ... I phoned Dr. Weinshall, who advised us to go to the Hadar Hacarmel Police Station. Shoghi Effendi was calmer than anyone else, and only said ‘How it will rejoice my enemies!’ I guess none of us hoped to really see the car again—but how sad it was to have our big lovely Buick, just received after so long a time, gone! ... Then our nice taxi driver took us to another Haganah place and we again reported. Then a strange thing happened! We were walking home tired and dispirited, and in the window of a cosmetic shop on Herzl Street she saw a hand lotion I had tried several times to get. I thought I would not bother, but then I decided to get it and went in. The proprietor has known Dad and me for years so he asked about Daddy and I enquired about his old father, etc. I was not going to say anything about the car as I felt humiliated about it but after paying for my things I started out without them. That looked so foolish that I apologized and said ‘I am very upset because our car has just been stolen!’ The man said ‘But I saw your car today at about 2:15 in the new Business Center! And I was surprised because I wondered how you could sell such a beautiful new car!’ It seems he had seen Gladys and me driving by the day before and remembered the car vividly and the U.S. license plates! He said Jews had been in it and a Jew driving it and it was just around the corner from the Savoy Hotel. He also said please not to give his name as a witness, but I said then it won’t help us, so he weakened and said we could. ... Of course we rushed back to the police station and reported what he had said and when I got home I found Mr. Friedman had left his number for me so I called him and told him and he said ‘That’s all I need to know. Now I know they brought it into our part of town I can get them!’ Some time later the Hadar Police Station called and said ‘Your car has been located and you will get it back tomorrow so don’t worry.’ 

(The Priceless Pearl, Rúhíyyih Rabbani)

Driving the big car, though, was a challenge in Haifa's narrow streets. Ben noted that the car needed 'a hinge in the middle'. But Ben was really happy to drive because Shoghi Effendi had great enjoyment from it.

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

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