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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The history of this Mulla is very interesting.

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

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

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

(THE BAHAI ASSEMBLY OF RANGOON)

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

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

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Baha'u'llah's influence

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

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

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

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Abdul Baha: 'Go, and eat this candy...'

The Master said:

‘Marḥabá! Marḥabá! (Welcome, welcome), Jináb-i-Khán. You have suffered much on your wanderings, but welcome! Praise be to God, you have reached here in safety.

‘The Blessed Perfection, Bahá’u’lláh, has promised to raise up souls who would hasten to the service of the Covenant, and would assist me in spreading His Faith. His Cause has now reached America and many in the Western world are being attracted to His Teachings. You, with your knowledge of English, are one of those souls promised me by Bahá’u’lláh. You have come to assist me by translating His Sacred Writings as well as my letters to the friends in America and elsewhere in the West.’

The room seemed charged with His words. They resounded ever after in Khan’s mind and heart.

Then He said, ‘You must reside with me and assist me in my work.’

He stretched out His hand to the table and took up a pack of folded papers, the sort He used for Tablets, and passed them over to Khan.

‘These are the answers’, He said, ‘that I have written to some of the American Bahá’ís. Go and translate them into English.’

Khan unfolded the top ones. They were Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had written in His own hand. They were in Arabic.

‘But my Master,’ he cried, ‘these are not in Persian! These are Arabic! In my college I studied European languages, but not Arabic!’

No one had ever in his life looked at Khan with such loving eyes and such a smile. Still smiling, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reached for His rock candy on the table. Filling both His hands He told Khan to cup his palms for the candy. Then, His eyes mysteriously solemn, and His voice taking on a new, strange tone, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: ‘Go, and eat this candy. Rest assured, the Blessed Perfection will enable you to translate the Arabic into English. Rest assured that as time goes on you will be assisted to translate from the Arabic much more easily than from the Persian.’

(Summon Up Remembrance by Marzieh Gail)

https://bahai-library.com/gail_summon_up_remembrance/

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Abdul Baha narrates history of his father and Subh-i-Azal

“Subh-i Azal continued to be one of our company after we came to Baghdad in 1853. With his family he now occupied in Adrianople a house separate from ours though near it. The relations between the two families, which for a time while we were in Baghdad had been strained, had become again harmonious. The food of Subh-i Azal’s family was usually prepared in our house, under my supervision, and sent to Subh-i Azal’s house. The reason for this was that his wives were not properly attentive to their household affairs and prepared his food so badly that it was not suitable for him to eat. We saw this, and, in order to enable him to live comfortably, offered to cook his food and send it to him.

“There was a bath in our house, but none in Subh-i Azal’s, and he was accustomed to use our bath. The same servant prepared the bath and acted as bath attendant for both my father and Subh-i Azal.

“Up to this time the declaration which the Blessed Perfection had made to five of his disciples in Baghdad had not been formally communicated to Subh-i Azal, or, indeed, to any one else, and we do not know that he was aware of it: though his conduct suggests that he suspected it, and that this suspicion furnished the incentive which prompted him in doing what I am about to relate. As you no doubt know, Subh-i Azal claimed to have been appointed by the Bab as his successor, and therefore to be, after the Bab’s death, the head of the Babi Church.

“The events which I am about to relate occurred about one year after he had moved into the city from the quarters which he had at first occupied in Adrianople. One day while in the bath Subh-i Azal remarked to the servant (who was a believer) that the Blessed Perfection had enemies and that in the bath he was much exposed, and asked whether it would not be easy for an attendant who was not faithful to the Blessed Perfection to make away with him while shaving him. The servant replied that this was certainly the case. Subh-i Azal then asked him whether, if God should lay upon him the command to do this, he would obey it. The servant understood this question, coming from Subh-i Azal, to be a suggestion of such a command, and was so terrified by it that he rushed screaming from the room. He first met ‘Abbas Effendi and repeated to him Subh-i Azal’s words. My brother endeavored to quiet him, and commanded his silence. This the servant refused unless he was taken at once to the Blessed Perfection. ‘Abbas Effendi accordingly accompanied him to my father, who listened to his story and then enjoined absolute silence upon him.

“This occurrence was ignored by my father and brother, and our relations with Subh-i Azal continued to be cordial. The Blessed Perfection was indeed several times warned to beware of Subh-i Azal, by persons who claimed to have overheard conversations between him and his intimates, but no attention was paid to these warnings.

“Some time afterwards, to celebrate a family festival day, Subh-i Azal invited us all to his house. At this time, also, my father was warned not to take food there, but replied that he must treat Subh-i Azal with kindness and could not refuse it.

“This entertainment was looked upon as cementing the family reconciliation, and it is usual on such occasions among Persians for the heads of the two family factions which have been alienated to eat from the same plate. So, now, rice for both my father and Subh-i Azal was served to them on one plate. This rice, as well as all the other food used for the meal, had been prepared in Subh-i Azal’s house, contrary to the usual custom. Now my father and Subh-i Azal had these well-known peculiarities of taste—that the former was very fond of onions, while the latter could not endure them. The portion of rice intended for my father was accordingly flavored with onions, while that intended for Subh-i Azal was differently prepared. The servant bringing in the plate placed it, at the direction of Subh-i Azal, with the side upon which was the rice flavored with onions toward the Blessed Perfection. While he did so Subh-i Azal smilingly remarked, ‘Here is rice cooked as you like it!’ My father ate some of the rice prepared for him, but fortunately not very much, as for some reason it did not please him. He preferred the rice prepared for Subh-i Azal, and ate of it, and also of the dishes which the others at the table were eating.”

“Soon after eating the rice my father became ill and went home. About midnight he was seized with severe vomiting and passing of blood from the bowels. A physician was summoned, and declared that he had been poisoned.

“My father was desperately ill for twenty-two days; during all this time he took no food. On the eighteenth day the physician said that he could not live. The death sentence terribly moved ‘Abbas Effendi. He placed his head on the pillow beside his father’s in the utmost agony of grief. He implored him to live for the sake of the world, for his family, and for him. My father was too feeble to speak, and could only place his hand on my brother’s head. The physician was deeply moved by the sight. He had learned to love ‘Abbas Effendi,—as did every one who came in contact with him,—and declared he would give his life to save the father for the boy. Thrice he repeated, ‘I will give my life—I will give my life—I will give my life,’ walking as he spoke several times around the bed. At length, utterly despairing of the case, he left. The next morning he sent word that he was ill, and advised that another physician be summoned. Nine days later he died. We then recalled his singular words.

“Meanwhile we did not summon another physician for my father, feeling that the case was hopeless; but to our surprise his condition soon showed marked improvement, and on the third day he asked for food, which gave us much hope. From this time he grew stronger continuously, but very slowly, and at length recovered.

“After the recovery of my father from this illness, ‘Abbas Effendi strongly urged him to declare himself to Subh-i Azal. My father, however, persisted in replying that so long as Subh-i Azal did not effect other harm than he was able to do to him personally, that is, so long as he did not injure the Cause, he would not assert himself against him.

“Subh-i Azal made no further attempts upon the life of the Blessed Perfection, but he began to endeavor to arouse dissensions among the believers, making various false accusations against the Blessed Perfection. At this time, of course, the Babis in general did not know that my father had said that he was the Divine Manifestation, but he was regarded by most of them as their leader, and very much beloved. Subh-i Azal was looked upon as a leader, however, by some of the Babis.

“Thus matters went, becoming worse and worse, until it was plainly evident that the Cause was suffering. Then the Blessed Perfection summoned ‘Abbas Effendi and said to him that the time had come for a public declaration. ‘Not for myself would I do it,’ he said, “but because the welfare of the Cause demands it.’ He then wrote a tablet, longer than any he had before written and of great power,—it has been said that men trembled as they read it, —addressed to the Babis generally, and setting forth his declaration.

“This tablet he directed to be read to every Babi, but first of all to Subh-i Azal. He assigned to one of his followers the duty of taking it to Subh-i Azal, reading it to him, and returning with Subh-i Azal’s reply. When Subh-i Azal had heard the tablet, he did not attempt to refute it; on the contrary he accepted it, and said that it was true. But he went on to maintain that he himself was co-equal with the Blessed Perfection, affirming that he had had a vision on the previous night in which he had received this assurance.

“When this statement of Subh-i Azal was reported to the Blessed Perfection, the latter directed that every Babi should be informed of it at the time when he heard his own tablet read. This was done, and much uncertainty resulted among the believers. They generally applied to the Blessed Perfection for advice, which, however, he declined to give. At length he told them that he would seclude himself from them for four months, and that during this time they must decide the question for themselves.

“This he did. None of the believers other than his own family had access to him, or communication with him, for four months. At the end of that period all the Babis in Adrianople, with the exception of Subh-i Azal and five or six others, came to the Blessed Perfection and declared that they accepted him as the Divine Manifestation, whose coming the Bab had foretold. The Babis of Persia, Syria, Egypt, and other countries, also, in due time accepted the Blessed Perfection with substantial unanimity.

(The Master in Akka by Myron H. Phelps)

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One exBaha'i shares his experience.

One God known by many names beyond human understanding - Yes

Unity- By eliminating racial inequality? Yes

By eliminating social inequality? Yes…and No. The presented idea is that, in the future when the world is mostly Baha’i, that there will be social strata, but without the extremes of social injustice.

By equalizing men & women? Yes…and No. Women aren’t allowed on the international governing body. Some Baha’is are very modern in their ideas of men & women and some are not. This depends of what community you are in, who you are talking to, and what writings you cherry pick. Some Baha’i writings that were advanced for their time a century ago seem dated in 2023. Modern Baha’is are supportive of the equality of women in careers, although the station of Motherhood is considered exalted, if not supported by any practical means.

Unity of science & religion - Yes. As long as the Baha’i Faith has the final authority. Evolution is ok, for instance, but humans cannot be descended from a shared primate ancestor according to Abdul-Baha: We were always a separate sentient species from other mammals according to the son of the prophet, for example.

One big happy family- it did seem that way before I became a Baha’i. It May depend on what community you are in also, but there are the usual class distinctions among Baha’is that you will see in other religions. Some Baha’is are very accepting while others are snobs. Opinions are ok as long as they do not conflict with the Baha’i writings or cause disunity. Once you become a Baha’i, you are expected to obey local, National, and international institutions and authorities and not disagree with them.

The Baha’i Faith does want their members to police their thoughts and feelings to live in harmony with Baha’i institutions and be positive.

Baha’is who do these things may have a very strong community experience, and I can understand the attraction. Baha’is who leave may be shunned. Baha’is who openly disagree with institutions are seen as a threat to unity and may be declared ‘Covenant Breakers’, whom other Baha’is are forbidden to talk to including spouses, parents, and siblings. Those who consort with Covenant Breakers are themselves considered Covenant Breakers and lose their community.

I left the Baha’i Faith over 10 years ago and now considered an apostate. Some Baha’is that I run into are kind and will talk to me. Others look daggers at me & then look away, not saying a word. So the unity applies to other Baha’is, but not to everyone. The small Baha’i community I joined was very egalitarian in terms of social class. The larger Baha’i community I later moved to had strong class distinctions.

Like many religions, it varies by community, and there is a difference between the ideal presented to the recruits and the lived reality of members.

I hope this perspective is helpful. Good luck with your essay!

https://www.reddit.com/r/religion/comments/12zqru3/what_exactly_is_bahai/

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Converting primitive people to the Baha'i faith in Indonesia

Dr. Muhájir had pioneered in Mentawai Island, located in the Indian Ocean on the west side of Indonesia. From Djakarta, the capital of Indonesia, it took about a week to get there. The people were very primitive and wore no clothes. The Indonesian government was Muslim and employed Iranian medical doctors to help keep their people healthy. As a doctor Dr. Muhájir was employed and sent to Mentawai Island where he remained for a number of years and was able to enroll thousands of Bahá’ís on the island. I heard him say that as he traveled by canoe among the islands he could hear people in another canoe on the other side of the river chanting, "Who is The Bab?" Someone would reply, "The Bab is the Forerunner." Another would ask, "Who is Bahá’u’lláh?" and the reply would be: "He is the Prophet for today." Of course this made Dr. Muhájir very happy.

(Servants of the Glory: A Chronicle of Forty Years of Pioneering, Morgan, Adrienne and Dempsey)

https://afnanlibrary.org/servants-of-the-glory-40-years-of-pioneering/

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Covenant-breakers are like the cow of Imam Hasan

This claim of vain glory reminded me of the story that beloved Mr. Bakhtavar told us regarding the misconceptions of the Covenant Breakers about their station: In the early period of Islamic Era, when the grandson of Muhammad and the second Imam of Shi’at, Imam Hassan was reigning the Shi’at Community, he lived a simple life and did not have many worldly possessions. The believers presented a cow to the Imam as a gift. The cow of Imam Hassan developed the habit of roaming in the neighborhood yards and gorging on what it could find. The Moslems tolerated the cow's transgressions because of their love and respect for their Imam.

Hard times fell on the Shei'at community, and Imam Hassan decided to sell his cow. The next day the cow, ignorant of changes in its fate, set off in its usual round, but anywhere it went, was faced with hostile owners, who mercilessly shooed it off. The cow did not comprehend that the bestowal of love and privileges that it had received was because of its connection to Imam Hassan. When that relationship ceased to exist, so did the status of that cow. Mr. Bakhtovar’s humorous metaphor was an analogy of the station of the believers who broke the Covenant.

(Footprints in the Sands of Time, Memoire of a Maidservant, Shahla Behroozi Gillbanks, 2019)

https://afnanlibrary.org/d/footprints-in-the-sands-of-time-revised-sept-2020-ed/?page=1

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Making ablution, praying and opening the letters from Shoghi Effendi

Dhikrullah Khadem, Hand of the Cause of God says:

Friends, the beloved Shoghi Effendi gave me many assignments, One of the assignments that I had was to be as errand for the God, a peon to send His, to announce His cables or to deliver to the National Assembly, to the individuals, to different countries and that was, that continued for over 22-23 years all the time. And that was the most joyful times of my life. When I went home and I asked, “Was there any cable?” Yes. [‘’counting’’] One, two, three, four, five. Sometimes five cables a day and I simply acknowledge by cable. I made ablution. I prayed and opened these gates and sent and delivered to whoever it was addressed. This was one of the assignments that I had and until the time that he passed, the beloved Shoghi Effendi passed.

https://bahai.works/Transcript:Dhikrullah_Khadem/Address_from_the_Hand_of_the_Cause

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The grandson of the bitterest enemy of the Faith becomes Baha'i. This is the miracle of the Faith!

Dhikrullah Khadem, Hand of the Cause of God says:

We had another Baháʼí, [?] who was very learned and descendant of Sheikh [?]. This is the miracle of the Faith. Sheikh [?] , who was responsible for the exile of Bahá’u’lláh from Baghdad, the bitterest enemy of the Faith. From his family, his grandson became a wonderful Baháʼí [?] and a prominent Baháʼí teacher. And when he read this Tablet of the Guardian and the style, he cried and he said, “So far we knew the Guardian through the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. But from now on, I know him because of his writing.” Where did he learn his Persian and English and Arabic? He’d never been in Persia.

https://bahai.works/Transcript:Dhikrullah_Khadem/Address_from_the_Hand_of_the_Cause

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Denis MacEoin did not withdraw from the faith, he was chased out by powerful Baha'i fundamentalists

Denis MacEoin did not withdraw from the faith, he was chased out by powerful Baha'i fundamentalists who were deeply threatened by the implications of his historical work. Denis became a Baha'i in North Ireland around 1965 and quickly emerged as a Baha'i youth leader. He was chosen to come to Haifa to commemorate the 1968 anniversary of Baha'u'llah's Letters to the Kings.

He then wrote the House saying he did not know whether to serve the Faith by becoming an academic scholar of the Middle East or by going pioneering. They wrote back that either path would be praiseworthy. (They later stabbed him in the back about this). He therefore entered graduate school at Edinburgh in Middle East Studies, then went on to Cambridge University for his Ph.D. He was the first academic to study the Babi movement with all the tools of modern scholarship, and his findings were groundbreaking.

Denis made the mistake of continuing to be an active Baha'i. Since the community is so heavily dominated by aggressive fundamentalist fanatics, if a genuine academic wants to be a Baha'i s/he has to keep a low profile. Denis did not. He gave summer school talks. He was once viciously attacked by Abu al-Qasim Faizi. His new ideas were upsetting the conservative British community. He objected when the Baha'i authorities supported dictators like Pinochet and Bokassa. He corresponded with the Los Angeles Study Class and some of his letters were published in their newsletter (a newsletter that the Baha'i authorities later closed down, for all the world like Tehran ayatollahs pulling a publishing license).

Around 1980, fundamentalist UHJ members Ian Semple and David Hoffman called Denis to a meeting and told him he would have to fall silent (rather as the Vatican did to Leonardo Boff). Hoffman was especially harsh. Denis declined to fall silent, and ultimately withdrew from the Faith. He was pushed out by anti-intellectual bigots who had risen high in the Baha'i hierarchy and become Infallible. Denis's works on the Babi and Baha'i movements are some of the few pieces of solid scholarship that exist. Instead of being grateful to him for sacrificing all those years living in penury as a graduate student, studying Arabic and Persian, traveling to a dangerous Middle East, all for the service of Baha'u'llah, the community could think of nothing better to do than viciously attack him and throw him in the gutter of infamy.

Denis's story is the story of most thinking people who have anything serious to do with the Baha'i faith. Either they adopt a cult-like mindset of true believers and covenant breakers, in which case they gradually cease being thinking persons, or they get chased out by the wild-eyed. A few people manage to avoid either fate by not drawing attention to themselves. The Baha'i Extreme Orthodox are like the Borg in Star Trek. They want to assimilate you, but might leave you alone if you stay quiet.

cheers

Juan Cole

Source : https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/MacEoin.htm

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Abdul Baha's miracles

There was a certain inhabitant of ‘Akká whose name was ‘Abdu’l-Mutallib, a son of a certain Mustafa-Dallál. He was devoted to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He acquired intense hiccups and no remedy was working. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went to visit him in his home and to inquire of his health. He noticed that hiccups would not let the man speak a word. He asked, “Are there any apples here?” He was told, “It is not the season for apples.” He said, “Someone should go to the House and search for one.” An apple was found [in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s House] and brought to His blessed presence. A corner of this apple had gone bad. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá instructed, “Eat the apple.” He ate a piece of the apple and his hiccup subsided some. He continued eating the apple and his hiccup was completely cured. He even started eating the apple core, but ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said to him, “There is no need to eat these.” However, he ate it anyway, perhaps thinking that his cure was due to the apple. In short, he was rescued from this intense ailment.

Such incidents would occur very often, each evidence of the might and influence of His blessed Person. The Guardian of the Cause of God used to say, “Whatever we have willed has occurred.” It is certain that whatever the divine manifestations will, will occur since their will is God’s will.

(A Lifetime with 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Reminiscences of Khalíl Shahídí - translated and edited by Ahang Rabbani. Vol. 9, 2008)

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"Extraordinary moment of spiritual force flowing through the Master."

 Mrs. Gibbons, a Bahá’í, had written the Master before his coming to the United States, requesting that her own daughter be allowed to paint his portrait. In his reply he consented to this request and added, according to Mrs. Gibbons, that Juliet Thompson would paint a portrait of him. Juliet Thompson had long dreamed that she would paint the face of Christ.

During the month of June, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá allowed Juliet Thompson to paint his portrait telling her to paint his “Servitude to God”. She completed it over the course of six sittings which took place over multiple days in different rooms. Juliet remembered that fourth sitting on June 19th because of an extraordinary experience she and Lua Getsinger had on that day. As the Master prepared to sit for the portrait, he turned to Lua Getsinger who was also in the room and told her in Persian that these sittings made him sleepy. He sat down and closed his eyes. Juliet studied him but found that she could not begin painting because ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s countenance reflected the dignity and peace of the Divine Realm.

Then, as though awakened by the Holy Spirit, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá opened his eyes and with great power said: 

I appoint you, Lua, the Herald of the Covenant. And I AM THE COVENANT, appointed by Bahá’u’lláh. And no one can refute His Word. This is the Testament of Bahá’u’lláh. You will find it in the Holy Book of Aqdas. Go forth and proclaim, ‘This is THE COVENANT OF GOD in your midst.’

A great joy seemed to fill Lua while Juliet wept at witnessing this extraordinary moment of spiritual force flowing through the Master. Then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá became quiet again. The Holy Spirit receded, and  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the man re-emerged. He smiled at Juliet and told her that she must stop crying since she would not be able to paint through tears.

In the afternoon of that same day He sent Lua Getsinger downstairs to speak about the Covenant to the visitors waiting there. When he went down later, he read from Bahá’u’lláh’s ‘Tablet of the Branch’ and spoke with great power on the Covenant.

-'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York By Hussein Ahdieh and Hillary Chapman

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/a/ahdieh_chapman_abdulbaha_new-york_published.pdf

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"Fatimih will appear unveiled as the sign of his return"

One of the major Shi'ite beliefs concerning Fátimih is that with the reappearance of the Twelfth or Hidden Imám, the Imám Mihdí, Fátimih will appear unveiled as the sign of his return and the day of resurrection. Her unveiling will be as the removing of the seal, identified with Muhammad as the seal of the prophets. With this unveiling, Fátimih will become as the bride at the marriage feast, described by Bahá’u’lláh in one of his Tablets as the unsealing of the wine of reunion.

-Marion Woodman, Published in the Journal of Bahá’í Studies Vol. 2, number 1 (1989) © Association for Bahá’í Studies 1989

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/w/woodman_role_feminine_era.pdf

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Baha'u'llah is omnipresent & omniscient!

In Isfahan there was a believer, a prominent man who accepted Baha'u'llah with his brain as the right prophet for today. He was a new believer and tried hard to overcome his shortcomings, like all of us, but had no success with his drinking habit, and friends could smell alcohol on his breath. In defense, he would state that his addiction was too difficult, and besides that, he was harming no one, and he was too lowly a servant for Baha'u'llah to be concerned about his private life. Then he had the bounty of attaining the presence of Baha'u'llah. One day when he was among other believers and Baha'u'llah was pacing back and forth, a thought occurred to him that it is true that Baha'u'llah is a great Messenger of God, but he wondered what Baha'u'llah meant when He stated, "I am the Sender of the Messengers and the Revealer of the Books.'' He had not finished his thought when suddenly Baha'u'llah walked to him, put His blessed hand on his shoulder, and said, ''It is true, We are the Sender of the Messengers and the Revealer of the heavenly Books." (Stories of Baha'u'llah, by Hand of the Cause A. A. Furutan, p. 74-5)

How do you like that for confirmation? Well, he was spellbound, all right. He was zapped in his head with which he had accepted Baha'u'llah. Now, he became a true believer, and accepted Him with his heart and every fiber of his being. After his return from pilgrimage believers could no longer smell alcohol on his breath, and upon their inquiry he said, "If Baha'u'llah could read my mind, He surely can see my actions." He is everywhere, omnipresent; and knows everything, omniscient.

https://bahai-library.com/wttp/PDF/A%20Glimpse%20of%20Glory.pdf

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"The Sender of the Messengers and the Revealer of the Books is Our station."

This description by Aqa Siyyid Mihdi Gulpaygani has been heard by the compiler on several occasions in 'Ishqabad:

An influential resident of the city of Isfahan embraced the Cause of God ...

Eventually, he had the opportunity of travelling to the Holy Land and attaining the presence of Baha'u'llah. ...

'During the pilgrims' very first visit,' he continued, 'we stood while the Ancient Beauty paced to and fro as He addressed us. I was entranced by His graceful bearing, and thought to myself: 'It is readily acknowledged that He is the Manifestation of God and the Promised One of all nations, but what does it mean when He describes His station in some of His Tablets as "The Sender of the Messengers and the Revealer of the Books"? [Mursil-i-Rusul va Munzil-i-Kutub]

'No sooner had this thought occurred to me than the Blessed Beauty, in the midst of His pacing, came towards me, placed His blessed hands on my shoulders and majestically stated: "It is so! The Sender of the Messengers and the Revealer of the Books is Our station."

-Stories of Baha'u'llah, Compiled by Ali-Akbar Furutan, George Ronald, Oxford, 1986, pp. 74–5:

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Mirza Abul Fadl was a chain smoker.

The following story recounted by a certain believer, Husayn-i-Rúhí Effendi, who knew Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl, illustrates this point clearly.

When I was in 'Akká, I procured a copy of a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá known as Lawh-i-Dukhán which is written in honour of Muhammad-Husayn-i-Vakíl...When I arrived in Egypt I shared the contents of this Tablet which disapproved of smoking with Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl.

I had not yet finished the reading of the Tablet for him when he took his cigar case, threw it out in the street and said that this was the end of smoking for him, although he was a chain-smoker. He used to roll his own cigarettes by hand, light a new one with the old, and smoke non-stop from morning till evening. He said to me: 'O Rúhí Effendi, I have been smoking for fifty-five years and I am addicted to it. And, soon you will see that because of the effect of nicotine a member of my body will be paralysed.

It did not take very long until one of his arms was paralysed and he could not move it. This lasted for two years. The doctors strongly urged him to resume smoking but he refused, saying, 'I prefer to die than to disobey 'Abdu'l-Bahá.'

The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, Vol 3. Adib Taherzadeh.
https://d9263461.github.io/cl/Baha%27i/Others/ROB/V3/p433-441Apndx_II.html

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Miracles do happen

It was 1942. My father was a fairly new Baha'i. So when Shoghi Effendi sent His pioneering plan to the Baha'is of Iran encouraging them to spread throughout the Arab countries, he did not hesitate and agreed to go to Soleimanieh in the Kurdish region of Iraq together with our family. He sold his stuff very quickly, cancelled his rental agreement, resigned from his job, got his passport, and was ready to go.

There was one problem though! His mother (our grandma) who was a devout Muslim and a widow who lived with us and cried over his son's (my Dad) having become a Baha'i had no interest in such a venture. She did not budge and had no interest in coming with us to Iraq. Dad was desperate and did not know what to do with his mom!

In desperation, he sent a cable to the Guardian: "In obedience to your instructions, I have prepared myself and my family to go pioneering to Iraq. However, my mother who is a widow and lives with us is a Muslim and does not agree to come with us. I am desperate. Please help. What should we do?"

The next day, the Guardian sent a response/cable back to my father, "Tonight, I will pray in the Shrines for your mother, Masoumeh Etemad".... That morning, grandma woke up and immediately asked to see the photo of the "Baha'i prophet; Abdu'l-Baha" that my father was hiding in his drawer for the fear from his Mom!

Upon seeing the photo, she declared, "Last night, I saw Abdu'l-Baha in my dream on the other side of river Tigris while I was standing on the opposite side of the river where there was no bridge. He told me to cross the river and have no fear. I crossed the river, and I woke up.... I am now a Baha'i and will join you on your pioneering post".

We then went pioneering to Iraq, Soleimanieh, in the company of my Dad, grandma, my mother, my sister, and myself..... So miracles do happen!

-Roger K. Doost

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2209644753/permalink/10157509331179754/

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How a faithful Baha'i son treated his Covenant Breaker father?

Mr. Muhibat (Lutfullah Mohebat - son of Jamal-i-Burujerdi) repeatedly related the following event about his own father:

He said after his father was openly expelled from the Bahá'í community he completely cut off from his father. He had not seen his father for quite a long time. He said one day I was passing on Sepah Avenue near Meydan-i-Tupkhanih. Suddenly I noticed that an old beggar was sitting at the roadside asking for money from the passers by. I recognized that the beggar was my father. Muhibat said that his father also recognized him but they did not say anything to each other. Muhibat said that I could not believe my eyes that such an arrogant and highly distinguished figure had fallen from the climax of honor retrograded to such a pitiful perigee, the lowest point of dishonor.

https://bahai-library.com/cole_biography_jamal_burujirdi

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God has manifested Himself

After the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, Varqa, together with the same two children, went on pilgrimage to the presence of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. As in the past, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and His sister the Greatest Holy Leaf showed admiration and love for Ruhu'llah, and both enjoyed talking to him.

One day the Greatest Holy Leaf noticed that Ruhu'llah and his older brother 'Azizu'llah were playing in the garden. She called them in and they sat in her presence. Also present were Mirza Badi'u'llah and Mirza Diya'u'llah, the two sons of Bahá'u'lláh who later joined hands with Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, the Archbreaker of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh. The Greatest Holy Leaf, often referred to as 'Khanum', asked them what they said to people when teaching the Faith.

'We tell them', Ruhu'llah answered, 'that God has manifested Himself.'

Surprised at this remark, Khanum told them that surely they could not say such a thing straight away to people!

'We don't tell this to everybody,' responded Ruhu'llah, 'we only say it to those who have the capacity to hear such a statement. '

'How would you know such people?' asked Khanum.

'We look into their eyes and then know whether we can give them the Message,' replied Ruhu'llah.

Khanum laughed heartily and then beckoned Ruhu'llah to come close and look into her eyes to find out whether she had the capacity for hearing such words. In obedience to her request Ruhu'llah sat down opposite the Greatest Holy Leaf, looked intently into her eyes and then said, 'You already believe in these words. '

Then it was the turn of the two sons of Bahá'u'lláh. Ruhu'llah went close to them, looked searchingly into their eyes and sadly said to Khanum, 'They are not worth looking into!'

Truly, Ruhu'llah was no ordinary child.

(Revelation of Baha'u'llah volume four, by Adib Taherzadeh)

https://bahai-library.com/rev_bahaullah_4/taherzadeh_revelation_bahaullah_4.txt

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