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| No. 474 | BAHA’I YEAR 127 | SEPTEMBER, 1970 |
Relationship Between Continental Board of Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies[edit]
| To: | The Continental Boards of Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies |
|---|---|
| Dear Bahá’í Friends: | |
A number of questions have been raised concerning
the work of the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members, and it has been suggested that Auxiliary Board
members be permitted to work regularly with National
Spiritual Assemblies and national committees. We have
carefully considered again the various factors involved
and have decided that we must uphold the principle
that such direct consultations should be exceptional
rather than the rule.
It is the responsibility of Spiritual Assemblies, assisted by their committees, to organize and direct the teaching work, and in doing so they must, naturally, also do all they can to stimulate and inspire the friends. It is, however, inevitable that the Assemblies and committees, being burdened with the administration of the teaching work as well as with all other aspects of Bahá’í community life, will be unable to spend as much time as they would wish on stimulating the believers.
Authority and direction flow from the Assemblies, whereas the power to accomplish the tasks resides primarily in the entire body of believers. It is the principal task of the Auxiliary Boards to assist in arousing and releasing this power. This is a vital activity, and if they are to be able to perform it adequately they must avoid becoming involved in the work of administration. For example, when Auxiliary Board members arouse believers to pioneer, any believer who expresses his desire to do so should be referred to the appropriate committee which will then organize the project. Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members should not, themselves, organize pioneering or travel teaching projects. Thus it is seen that the Auxiliary Boards should work closely with the grass roots of the community: the individual believers, groups and Local Spiritual Assemblies, advising, stimulating and assisting them. The Counsellors are responsible for stimulating, counselling and assisting National Spiritual Assemblies, and also work with individuals, groups and Local Assemblies.
It is always possible, of course, for Counsellors to depute an Auxiliary Board member to meet with a National Spiritual Assembly for a particular purpose, but this should not become a regular practice. Similarly, if the National Spiritual Assembly agrees, it may be advisable for an Auxiliary Board member to meet occasionally with a national committee to clarify the situation in the area and share information and ideas thoroughly. But this also should not become regular. Were it to do so there would be grave danger of inhibiting the proper working of these two institutions, vitiating and undermining the collaboration that must essentially exist between the Continental Boards of Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies. It would diffuse the energies and time of the Auxiliary Board members through their becoming involved in the administration of teaching. It could lead to the Auxiliary Board member’s gradually taking over the direction of the national committee, usurping the function of the National Assembly, or to his becoming merely a travelling teacher sent hither and thither at the direction of the committee or National Assembly.
It is, of course, vital that information be shared fully and promptly, as has been explained in the compilation on the work of Auxiliary Board members that was circulated on March 25, 1969. The ways of ensuring this should be worked out by the Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies and methods may vary from area to area.
Reports and recommendations for action, however, are quite different. Auxiliary Board members should send theirs to the Counsellors and not to National Assemblies or national committees directly. It is possible that the Counsellors may reject or modify the recommendation; or, if they accept it and pass it on to the National Spiritual Assembly, the National Assembly may decide to refuse it. For an Auxiliary Board member to make recommendations directly to a national committee would lose the benefit of knowledge and experience in a wider field than that of which the Auxiliary Board member is aware, and would short-circuit and undermine the authority of both the Counsellors and the National Assembly.
Similarly, although an Auxiliary Board member can and should receive information from the National Assemblies
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and national committees, his primary source
of information about the community should be his own
direct contacts with Local Spiritual Assemblies, groups
and individual believers. In this way the Counsellors as
well as the National Spiritual Assemblies have the
benefit of two independent sources of information about
the community, through the Auxiliary Board members
on the one hand, and through the national committees
on the other.
Assemblies sometimes misunderstand what is meant by the statement that Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members are concerned with the teaching work and not with administration. It is taken to mean that they may not give advice on administrative matters. This is quite wrong. One of the things that Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members should watch and report on is the proper working of administrative institutions. The statement that they do not have anything to do with administration means, simply, that they do not administer. They do not direct or organize the teaching work nor do they adjudicate in matters of personal conflict or personal problems. All these activities fall within the sphere of responsibility of the Spiritual Assemblies. But if an Auxiliary Board member finds a Local Spiritual Assembly functioning incorrectly he should call its attention to the appropriate Texts; likewise if, in his work with the community, an Auxiliary Board member finds that the teaching work is being held up by inefficiency of national committees, he should report this in detail to the Counsellors who will then decide whether to refer it to the National Spiritual Assembly concerned. Similarly, if the Counsellors find that a National Spiritual Assembly is not functioning properly, they should not hesitate to consult with the National Spiritual Assembly about this in a frank and loving way.
It is the Spiritual Assemblies who plan and direct the work, but these plans should be well known to the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members, because one of the ways in which they can assist the Assemblies is by urging the believers continually to support the plans of the Assemblies. If a National Spiritual Assembly has adopted one goal as preeminent in a year, the Auxiliary Board members should bear this in mind in all their contacts with the believers and should direct their attention to the plans of the National Assembly, and stimulate them to enthusiastically support them.
The Counsellors in each continental zone have wide latitude in the carrying out of their work. Likewise they should give to each Auxiliary Board member considerable freedom of action within his own allocated area. Although the Counsellors should regularly direct the work of the Auxiliary Board members, the latter should realize that they need not wait for direction; the nature of their work is such that they should be continually engaged in it according to their own best judgment, even if they are given no specific tasks to perform. Above all the Auxiliary Board members should build up a warm and loving relationship between themselves and the believers in their area so that the Local Spiritual Assemblies will spontaneously turn to them for advice and assistance.
We assure you all of our fervent prayers in the Holy Shrines for the blessings of Bahá’u’lláh upon the strenuous and highly meritorious services that you are performing with such devotion in His path.
October 1, 1969
Haifa, Israel
Hand of Cause Visits Nicaragua[edit]
The national community was highly honored and blessed with the presence in Nicaragua of our beloved Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, who has been traveling in South America recently. His visit was from the thirteenth to the fifteenth of July.
In Managua, he gave a very interesting public talk in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds about the necessity of putting into practice the teachings of the Manifestation; living according to the spiritual teachings of our Faith, not a mere acceptance only, but a firm belief and faith in action. At the end of the Conference, there were questions which were answered with wisdom. The friends were elevated by his talk.
The following day he spoke for about twenty-five minutes through Radio Cultural Carazo in Jinotepe about “Progressive Revelation.” In the evening, Mr. Olinga went to the Regional Center of the National University in Carazo. His theme for this meeting was, “The Necessity of Universal Education.” The theme was presented in such an academic way that he got applause and praise, both from the students and from the professors. The salon was filled to capacity, over seventy. The director was so pleased that, at the end of the Conference, we were treated with refreshments in the Directory. The director told Mr. Olinga that any time he should return to Nicaragua the University and his heart are open to receive him. Mr. Olinga then gave him an African hug and a kiss on the forehead as an expression of gratitude.
On Wednesday he visited Granada, where he could share with the friends and they could feel his warm love and the pleasant smile that captures the hearts of all the young believers. In the evening, at the Institute of Granada before an audience of more than two hundred students, professors, and Bahá’ís, he again spoke about education and the importance of it to gain the goals most necessary for future society.
We are sure that all those who came in contact with the Hand of the Cause in these different events were influenced and elevated by his words, and with hearts filled with joy, at the same time, they will inspire, with the same spirit, the rest of the Community.
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Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga with the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia.
The Visit, in Bolivia, of Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga[edit]
Bolivia had the priceless privilege of a visit from the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga during the first two weeks of June. The friends felt his great gifts of love, wisdom, and understanding of the conditions in a mass-conversion country.
While in Bolivia, Mr. Olinga spent much time with the Indian campesino friends, traveling through the Departmentos of La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Potosi, and Chuquisaca.
Newspapers which had not previously had articles on the Faith, responded. The Presencia of La Paz headlined an article, “Leader of Bahá’í Faith brings Message of Peace to Bolivia.” La Patria of Oruro, among several articles, headlined, “The Bahá’ís give the Plan for World Unity to be based on one single religion.”
Mr. Olinga gave well-attended conferences in the Club Aleman in La Paz and in the University in Oruro. The Bahá’ís of Oruro had given much advance publicity, distributing fifteen hundred invitations to attend the University public meeting throughout the city, and also held a banquet, with Mr. Olinga as honored guest, attended by the authorities of Oruro.
The heart response of the Indian campesino friends can be summed up in the words of one of these devoted souls: “Thou are a beautiful flower; thou art a great loaf of bread which has come to nourish us.”
In Tigeria, Departmento of Cochabamba.
With various friends in front of the Hotel Centenario in Potosí.
In Uncia, Potosí.
In the Bahá’í Center in Sucre.
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Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga serving the friends in Sucre, Bolivia.
View in the campo of the Departmento of La Paz. Continental
Board member Hooper Dunbar standing beside the Hand
of the Cause.
In the rural community of Palca, Chuquisaca, where 120
campesino friends gathered to be with the beloved Hand of
the Cause, having put up several arches of flowers for him
to pass under. The Chuquisaca Indian friends gave Mr. Olinga
letters of greetings for the Universal House of Justice.
Another view of the La Paz camp. Sitting in foreground,
Auxiliary Board member Manucher Shoai; National Spiritual
Assembly member Dr. Ouladi; Auxiliary Board member
Andres Jachakollo.
In Ichuraya, Departmento La Paz.
In Uncia, Potosí.
Three Momentous Years of the Heroic Age - 1868-70[edit]
At this particular juncture in the history of the
Formative Age of the Faith, when the followers of
Bahá’u’lláh in most parts of the world have, under the
unerring guidance of the Universal House of Justice,
embarked upon extensive programs of proclamation
activity designed to bring the Faith out of obscurity
into the notice of the generality of mankind, it is most
appropriate that we turn our hearts and souls to the
events of a century ago when the King of Kings was
issuing the remainder of His majestic summons to the
kings and rulers of the world from the prison of ‘Akká.
In the summer of 1868, through the intrigues of the Persian Ambassador in Turkey and the hostility of ‘Álí Páshá, Grand Vazír of the Sulṭán [of Turkey], Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned in the barracks of ‘Akká and confined to a small room which looked desolate and depressing. This room, the interior of which today is kept in good condition and is visited by innumerable pilgrims from all the world over, was, in the days of Bahá’u’lláh, uninhabitable and dilapidated. He Himself mentions in a Tablet that its floor was covered with thick dust, and what plaster remained on the ceiling was often falling down.
A number of officials, ill disposed, hateful, and unaccommodating, were commissioned to guard and isolate Him from the outside world. Thus Bahá’u’lláh, the Supreme Manifestation of God — He at Whose advent “the hearts of the entire company” of God’s “Messengers and Prophets were proved,” “Whose presence” Moses “hath longed to attain,” for “Whose love” the spirit of Jesus “ascended to heaven,” “the beauty of Whose countenance” Muḥammad “had yearned to behold,” and “for Whose sake” the Báb had “sacrificed” Himself — the Bearer of such a mighty Revelation, fallen into the hands of a perverse generation, being wronged and afflicted with calamities, was now secluded within the walls of a barracks designated by Him as the “Most Great Prison.”
Followers Reinvigorated, Strengthened[edit]
The Cause He revealed, however, had by then been well established in the land of His birth. His followers, after years of misfortune and uncertainty, were reinvigorated, their faith strengthened and their souls galvanized.
At the time of Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in the prison city of ‘Akká, well nigh six years had elapsed since the Most Great Festival had been ushered in through Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, when the whole creation was “immersed in the sea of purification” and the splendors of the light of His countenance broke upon the world.
The Cause of God had by then witnessed a prodigious outpouring of divine Revelation for five years in Adrianople, culminating in the historic proclamation of His Message in that land. The Súriy-i-Mulúk (Súrih of the Kings) had been revealed in a language of authority and power; through it the clarion call of a mighty King had been sounded and His claims fully asserted.
The Tablet described by Him as “the rumbling” of His proclamation, addressed to Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh of Persia, had been revealed, though not yet delivered.
His first Tablet to Napoleon III, in which the sincerity of that monarch concerning His statement in defense of the oppressed among the Turks was tested, had been dispatched and received. The Súriy-i-Ra’ís (Arabic), in which ‘Álí Páshá had been severely rebuked, and about which Bahá’u’lláh had testified that from the moment of its revelation “until the present day, neither hath the world been tranquilized, nor have the hearts of its people been at rest,” had been revealed and the prophecies it contained had been noted with awe and wonder.
Now in ‘Akká, though confined to a cell and cut off from the body of the believers, the outpourings of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation did not cease. The ocean of His utterance continued to surge, and the “Tongue of Grandeur” spoke with authority and might. The Pen of the Most High directed its warnings and exhortations first to His immediate persecutors and then to some of the more outstanding monarchs of the world at that time.
Bahá’u’lláh Warns ‘Álí Páshá[edit]
Soon after His confinement in the prison barracks in 1868, Bahá’u’lláh addressed another Tablet of tremendous importance to ‘Álí Páshá, who had been an implacable enemy and the prime instigator of His banishment to the prison of ‘Akká, and who previously had been addressed by Him as Ra’ís (i.e. Chief).
In this second Tablet (Persian), known as the Lawḥ-i-Ra’ís, Bahá’u’lláh recounts with much tenderness and resignation the hardships and sufferings to which He and His companions had been subjected on their arrival in ‘Akká; describes very movingly the cruelties perpetrated by the guards in the prison; reminds the Grand Vazír that the Manifestations of God in every age had suffered at the hands of the ungodly; narrates a story for him of His own childhood, portraying in a dramatic way the instability and futility of this earthly
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life; counsels him not to rely on his pomp and glory as
they would come to an end soon; reveals to him the
greatness of this Revelation; points out his impotence
to quench the fire of the Cause of God; admonishes him
for the iniquities he had perpetrated; emphatically
warns him that God’s chastisement would assail him
from every direction and confusion overtake his peoples and government; and affirms that the wrath of
God had so surrounded him that he would never be able
to repent or make amends.
On this last point Mírzá Áqá Ján, Bahá’u’lláh’s amanuensis, asked Bahá’u’lláh what would happen if ‘Álí Páshá changed his attitude and truly repented. Bahá’u’lláh’s emphatic response was that whatever had been revealed in the Lawḥ-i-Ra’ís would inevitably be fulfilled, and if the whole world were to join together in order to change one word of that Tablet they would be impotent to do so.
A majestic contrast took place one hundred years later when passages from this very Tablet, depicting the rigors and hardships of the Most Great Prison, were chanted in the vicinity of Bahá’u’lláh’s Most Holy Tomb, in the presence of over two thousand of His followers gathered from every corner of the world to commemorate the centenary of the arrival in ‘Akká of the One Whom the world had wronged.
The Tablet of Fu’ád[edit]
Another Tablet of great significance, the Tablet of Fu’ád, was revealed in 1869, soon after the premature death in Nice, France, of Fu’ád Páshá, the foreign minister of the Sulṭán and a faithful accomplice of the Prime Minister in bringing about the exile of Bahá’u’lláh to ‘Akká. It was revealed in honor of one of Bahá’u’lláh’s most devoted apostles, Shaykh Káẓim Samandar (father of the late Hand of the Cause of God Ṭaráẓu’lláh Samandarí). The following passage from it contains the clear prediction of the downfall of ‘Álí Páshá and the Sulṭán himself: “Soon will We dismiss the one who was like unto him (i.e. ‘Álí Páshá), and will lay hold on their Chief (i.e. the Sulṭán) who ruleth the land, and I, verily, am the Almighty, the All-Compelling.” Soon after the revelation of the Tablet, ‘Álí Páshá was dismissed from his post, and two years later he died.
In those days the believers in Persia often referred to Bahá’u’lláh’s newly revealed Tablets to the kings and rulers of the world, and many non-Bahá’ís made their acceptance of the Faith conditional upon the fulfillment of the warnings they contained.
Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl’s Search for Truth[edit]
A notable example is the case of Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl, the greatest of Bahá’í scholars. He was renowned for his knowledge and learning among the divines of Islám, and was the head of the Theological College in Ṭihrán. His first contact with the Faith was through meeting a blacksmith who was a Bahá’í at his shop in the outskirts of Ṭihrán. Never before had Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl been so humiliated as on this occasion, when, with all his knowledge, he was utterly confounded by the amazing force of the argument of this illiterate Bahá’í. The blacksmith immediately reported this whole episode to
Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl, the “learned apologist.”
a Bahá’í friend, ‘Abdu’l-Karím, who, although he did
not belong to the learned class, pursued Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl and eventually succeeded in bringing him to his
house to discuss the Faith.
At this meeting, and subsequent ones, Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl, confronted with some simple Bahá’ís who were not of his caliber, found himself over and over again incapable of refuting clear proofs and arguments put forward by his uneducated Bahá’í teachers. He marveled at these men who answered his difficult and abstruse questions so simply and so brilliantly. From there on he visited more often the house of ‘Abdu’l-Karím. He read many of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and met many learned Bahá’ís, but his immense knowledge was a barrier and a veil.
One day in 1876 he met Ḥájí Muḥammad Ismá’íl, surnamed Anís, in whose honor the Súriy-i-Ra’ís was revealed. Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl was handed the original copy of this Súrih in the very handwriting of Mírzá Áqá Ján, Bahá’u’lláh’s amanuensis; the Tablet wherein Bahá’u’lláh foretells that Adrianople will pass out of the Sulṭán’s hand and that confusion will overtake his kingdom. He was also given the Tablet of Fu’ád, in which the downfall of the Sulṭán is clearly prophesied. Upon seeing these two Tablets Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl made his acceptance of the Faith conditional upon the fulfillment of these prophecies.
His Bahá’í friends pursued him no longer. A few months passed and the news of the assassination of Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-Azíz reached Ṭihrán. On hearing the news Abu’l-Faḍl became very agitated. His soul was yearning for confirmation of the truth of this Cause, and yet his heart was not touched by the light of faith. He sat the whole night, read some Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, and prayed with absolute sincerity until his eyes were opened and he knew the truth of the Cause of God. At the hour of dawn he went to the house of that faithful
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friend ‘Abdu’l-Karím, and when the door was opened he
kissed the threshold of that house and prostrated himself at the feet of the man who, through perseverance
and love, had given him the gift of the Faith and led
him to the truth.
It is no exaggeration to say that among the apostles of Bahá’u’lláh there was no one who surpassed Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl in his knowledge, his humility and self-effacement. ‘Alí-Kulí Khán, a well-known and learned Bahá’í who was commissioned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to serve Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl in America and act as his interpreter, has described him so well in these few lines: “If I had never seen ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, I would consider Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl the greatest being I ever laid eyes on.”
The Downfall of a Monarch and a Pope[edit]
Let us turn our thoughts again to Bahá’u’lláh. Though captive in the hands of His enemies and cut off from the outside world, the Supreme Pen wrote many more Tablets in the prison of ‘Akká. In the year 1869 two important Tablets were revealed and delivered: one addressed to Napoleon III, in which Bahá’u’lláh explicitly foretells his extinction; the other to Pope Pius IX. Within almost a year’s time Napoleon, the most powerful monarch of his time in Europe, was driven into exile and suffered an ignominious death, while in the same year the supreme Pontiff’s temporal powers, which had existed for many centuries, were seized from him and his vast dominion was reduced to the tiny Vatican State.
Parallel with these events, and indeed ever since Bahá’u’lláh had been sent to the prison of ‘Akká, the believers in Persia were desperately trying to establish contact with Him. Many traveled on foot all the way, but could not gain admittance to that city. The officials had taken many precautions in order to prevent the Bahá’ís from entering. The few Azalís, headed by the notorious Siyyid Muḥammad Iṣfáhání, who is described by the beloved Guardian as the “embodiment of wickedness,” were housed in a certain room overlooking the gate. One of their functions was to watch for any Bahá’í who might wish to enter the city and to inform the guards. This they did with great zeal and enthusiasm. Many believers, even though they had disguised themselves, were recognized by these men and were not allowed in.
Every day a party consisting of a small number of Bahá’u’lláh’s companions, including ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was allowed out of the barracks in order to purchase food and other necessities in the markets of ‘Akká. The first time that the people of ‘Akká took notice of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in a butcher’s shop. While waiting to be served He noticed that a Christian and a Muslim were discussing their faiths, but the Muslim was being defeated. Thereupon, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá simply and eloquently proved the authenticity and truth of Islám for the Christian. The news of this spread and warmed the hearts of many people of ‘Akká towards the Master; this was the beginning of His immense popularity among the inhabitants of that city.
During these daily visits, the people of ‘Akká came in touch with the person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. They felt His
Áqá Buzurg of Khurásán, the “illustrious Badí‘”; shown here, a prisoner, in chains.
genuine love and compassion and were attracted to His
magnetic personality. Gradually their fear and animosity towards Bahá’u’lláh and His followers were removed, and many became sympathetic to the Faith
and its Founder. Some of these people who were attracted to the Faith tried, at times, to help the believers, who were refused entry, by lowering ropes and
pulling the believers up over the walls of the city — attempts which were foiled by the guards and proved to
be unsuccessful.
Believers Establish Contact[edit]
The first two believers who managed to get into the city were Ḥájí Sháh Muḥammad and Ḥájí Abu’l-Ḥasan, both from the province of Yazd. The former was the first Trustee of Bahá’u’lláh, and was martyred. The latter, known also as Ḥájí Amín who succeeded him, lived to an old age and continued to be the Trustee of the Ḥuqúqu’lláh during the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and part of that of the Guardian. The dominating factor in the lives of these two heroes of the Faith was a passionate love for Bahá’u’lláh. In order to enter the city they bought some camels and disguised themselves as Arabs. No one recognized them as Bahá’ís, and they were allowed in.
In the city they met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the news of their arrival was conveyed to Bahá’u’lláh. Arrangements were made for them to meet Bahá’u’lláh in the public bath, but with the strict instructions that they show no signs of recognition or emotion. However, on beholding the face of his Beloved, Ḥájí Amín was so overwhelmed that his body began to tremble. He fell to the ground and hit his head on a stone; was badly injured, and was hurriedly carried out by his friend.
The arrival in ‘Akká of these two souls, and a few others who managed to get in afterwards, established a vital link between the Community of the Most Great Name and its exalted Founder, from Whom they were so cruelly cut off. Letters from the believers began to pour in, and Tablets were sent out. This process, which called for acts of sacrifice and heroism on the part of
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the many believers who risked their lives m order to
maintain a two-way communication channel, continued
throughout Bahá’u’lláh’s life. Men like Shaykh Salmán,
honored by the appellation of “the Messenger of the
Merciful,” who in previous years had carried Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets from ‘Iráq and Adrianople, continued in
this arduous task, traveling on foot between ‘Akká and
Persia, and, in the utmost poverty, eating mostly bread
and onions for sustenance. This great hero of the Cause,
though illiterate, stands out among the disciples of
Bahá’u’lláh as one of the spiritual giants of this Dispensation.
Badí‘ — The Handful of Dust[edit]
About a year after Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in ‘Akká, a young Persian, aged seventeen, by the name of Áqá Buzurg, disguised himself as an Arab and entered the city. Although his father, a survivor of the upheaval of Shaykh Ṭabarsí, had been a devoted Bahá’í, Áqá Buzurg had shown no interest in the Faith until he met Nabíl in the city of Níshápúr, in northeast Persia, and was converted. He then decided to go and attain the presence of Bahá’u’lláh.
Upon his arrival in the city of ‘Akká in 1869 he began to roam around until he came to a mosque where he saw a few Persians and recognized the Master among them. He wrote a note, in which he declared his faith, and handed it to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who greeted him warmly and took him along with the party straight to the barracks, where he was ushered into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh.
In a Tablet Mírzá Áqá Ján mentions that Áqá Buzurg was summoned twice to meet Bahá’u’lláh alone. It was in the course of these momentous audiences that the hands of Bahá’u’lláh created a new being and bestowed upon him the title of Badí‘ (i.e. wonderful). For more than two years Bahá’u’lláh had been waiting for a devoted soul to arise and deliver His Tablet to Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh of Persia. While in Adrianople He had written some passages on the cover of the Tablet, anticipating that the Almighty would cause one of His servants to arise, detach himself from all earthly things, adorn his heart with the ornament of courage and strength, take the Tablet, walk all the way to the capital of Persia, hand it in the manner described by Him to the King, and in the end be prepared to give his life, if necessary, with great joy and thankfulness. “We took a handful of dust,” is Bahá’u’lláh’s own testimony referring to Badí‘, “mixed it with the waters of might and power and breathed into it the spirit of assurance.”
In a Tablet revealed in honor of the father of Badí‘, who was also martyred a few years later, the Pen of the Most High, with much detail, portrays the manner in which this new creation came into being. He describes that when the appointed time had arrived the Tongue of Grandeur uttered “one word” which caused his whole being to tremble, and that were it not for God’s protection he would have been dumfounded. Then the Hand of Omnipotence began creating the new creation, and “breathed into him the spirit of might and power.” So great had been the infusion of this might, as attested by Bahá’u’lláh, that, single and alone, Badí‘ could have conquered all that is on earth and in heaven. Bahá’u’lláh mentions that when this new creation came into being, Badí‘ had smiled in His presence and manifested such steadfastness that the Concourse on high was deeply moved and uplifted.
In the same Tablet, referring to the loftiness of the station of Badí‘, He states that no Tablet can carry its weight nor any pen describe its glory. Badí‘ left the Most Great Prison and went to Haifa. Bahá’u’lláh entrusted Ḥájí Sháh Muḥammad Amín (His Trustee) with a small case and a Tablet to be delivered into the hands of Badí‘ at Haifa. The following is the story as recounted by this Trustee to an eminent Bahá’í historian.
“I was given a small case and was instructed to hand it to Badí‘ at Haifa together with some money. I did not know anything about the contents of the case. I met him at Haifa and gave him the glad tidings that he had been honored with a trust ... we left the town and walked up Mount Carmel where I handed him the case. He took it into his hands, kissed it, and knelt with his forehead to the ground; he also took the sealed envelope, walked twenty to thirty paces away from me, sat down facing ‘Akká, read it, and again knelt with his forehead to the ground. The rays of ecstasy and the signs of gladness and joy appeared on his face.
“I asked him if I could read the Tablet also. He replied, ‘There is no time.’ I knew it was a confidential matter. But what it was I had no idea — I could not imagine such a mission.
“I mentioned that we had better go to Haifa, in order that, as instructed, I might give him some money. He declined to go with me, but suggested that I could go alone and bring it to him.
“When I returned, in spite of much searching, I could not find him. He had gone.... We had no news of him until we heard of his martyrdom in Ṭihrán. Then I knew that the case contained the Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh to the Sháh, and the sealed envelope, a holy Tablet containing the glad tidings of the future martyrdom of the one who was the essence of steadfastness and strength.”
The same chronicler has written the following account given by a certain believer who met Badí‘ on his way to Persia and for a certain distance traveled with him.
“... he was very happy and smiling, patient, thankful, gentle, and humble. All that we knew was that he had attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh and was now returning to his home in Khurásán. Many a time he could be seen to have walked about a hundred steps, leaving the road in either direction, turning his face towards ‘Akká, kneeling with his forehead to the ground and could be heard saying, ‘O God! Do not take back, through Thy justice, what Thou hast vouchsafed unto me through Thy bounty, and grant me the strength for its protection.’ ”
Thus Badí‘ traveled on foot all the way to Ṭihrán and did not meet with anyone there. On arrival he discovered that the King was staying at his summer residence. He made his way to that area and sat on the top of the hill overlooking the Sháh’s palace at Níyávarán. The King on three successive days, looking through his binoculars, saw the same man dressed in white, sitting in the same position on the hill. He ordered his men to find out who he was and what he wanted.
[Page 9]
Badí‘ told them that he had a letter from a very
important person for the Sháh and must hand it personally to him. They searched him first and then
brought him to the King.
Badí‘ — Heroic Martyr[edit]
Only those who are well versed in the history of Persia in the nineteenth century can appreciate the immense dangers which faced an ordinary person like Badí‘ wishing to meet a palace official, let alone the King. For at that time the King enjoyed absolute power and was surrounded by ruthless officials who would put to the sword anyone who would dare to utter one word, or raise a finger, against the established institutions of that oppressive regime. The loud voice of the “herald” who announced to the public in the streets the approach of the King’s carriage, shouting, “Everyone die! Everyone go blind!” would strike terror into the hearts of the citizens who, with eyes cast to the ground, stood lifeless and still as their King and his men passed by.
Being invested by Bahá’u’lláh with tremendous powers, this young man of seventeen, assured and confident, stood straight as an arrow, face to face with the King. Calmly and courteously he handed him the Tablet and in a loud voice called out the celebrated Arabic phrase: “O King! I have come to thee from Sheba with a weighty message.”
The King sent the Tablet to the divines of Ṭihrán and commanded them to write an answer to Bahá’u’lláh. Finding themselves incapable of doing so, they evaded the issue and put forward some excuses which displeased the King immensely.
Badí‘ was arrested, and for three successive days was brutally tortured. His endurance and fortitude amazed the executioner and other officials. They took a photograph of him as he sat in front of a brazier containing hot bars of iron with which he was branded. Eventually his head was beaten to a pulp with the butt of a rifle, and his body thrown into a pit. This was July 1870.
For three years after the martyrdom of Badí‘, Bahá’u’lláh referred in His Tablets to his steadfastness and sacrifice, extolled his station, and bestowed upon him the title of “Pride of Martyrs.”
The All-Important Tablet to the Sháh[edit]
For over two decades the people of Persia had witnessed memorable acts of heroism performed by a small band of God-intoxicated heroes, whose devotion and self-sacrifice had created a great conflagration throughout that country. The Message of the Báb, the accounts of His martyrdom, and the transforming power of His Cause had already reached to every corner of that land; and from there its reverberations had echoed to the Western world. And yet, as attested by Bahá’u’lláh, not until this Tablet of tremendous importance was delivered to the King had the nature of the Cause of God or the claims of its Founder, or its principles and teachings, been clearly enunciated to those who held the reins of power in their hands.
In the annals of the Faith, Badí‘ stands out as the first heroic soul to arise for the proclamation of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh and joyously sacrifice himself in His path.
This sacrifice was not in vain. The Cause of Bahá’u’lláh — which, from the time of its inception, had been suppressed; whose adherents in the land of its birth had been so cruelly persecuted and at times mowed down in thousands; whose very name, as anticipated by Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh and the divines of Persia, was to have been obliterated from the pages of history — has, in spite of much opposition, tremendously expanded during the last hundred years. Its light has been systematically diffused to all the continents of the world. The army of its pioneers and teachers, recruited from every race, class, and color, proclaiming to mankind the advent of the Lord of Hosts, has encircled the globe. The rising institutions of its divinely guided Administrative Order have been established; and within its World Center, in the vicinity of its holy Shrines, the crowning Edifice [The Universal House of Justice] of that same Order — the only refuge for the world’s tottering civilization — has been majestically erected.
This glorious unfoldment of the Cause in the Formative Age and its future sovereignty in the Golden Age are the direct consequences, on the one hand, of the outpourings of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation and, on the other, of the mysterious power generated by the sacrifice of countless martyrs, whose precious blood has flowed in great profusion during the Heroic Age of the Faith.
Continental Board of Counsellors members in Southern Africa with Hand of the Cause of God Paul Haney. Left to right: Mr. Haney, Seewoosumbur-Jeehoba Appa, Bahíyyih Ford, and Shidán Fatḥ-i-A‘ẓam.
Available[edit]
Bahá’í News Index, Vol. IV
Volume IV of Bahá’í News Index (Bahá’í News issues 394 to 453; January 1964 to December 1968) is now available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. Compiled by Amine DeMille, this a very complete and valuable reference to the messages from the Universal House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly, and to numerous other items. 8½ x 11.
Per copy | $2.00 |
Order through your local librarians from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Germany[edit]
Teaching course in Langenhain/Frankfurt, Germany, June 1970. The guest: Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí Akbar Furútan, standing, with arms crossed. Discussions were held about the goal of the New World Order, as it was intended by Shoghi Effendi.
Hand of the Cause of God Mr. Furútan discusses a point during the June teaching course.
The local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Cologne, April 1970.
France[edit]
Hand of the Cause of God William Sears
and Mrs. Sears with some friends near the
Tours d’Eifel (Eifel Tower), Paris, France,
near the spot which was blessed by the
presence of the Master about fifty-nine years
ago. Mr. and Mrs. Sears were in France for
the Annual Convention, May 1-3. Mr. Sears
is in the upper left corner of the picture.
Hand of the Cause William Sears and Mrs.
Sears with a group of friends and National
Convention delegates in the back yard of
the Bahá’í Center in Paris.
Uruguay[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
Uruguay. Left to right: (standing) Angel Toffolón,
recording secretary; Leopoldo Caraballo, chairman;
Gilbert Grasselly, treasurer; Juan Yiura; Diego
Rivero; Ramón Moreira, secretary; (seated)
Aminulláh Mandegari, Board of Counsellors member Athos Costas; Eva Moreira, librarian; Edward
Belcher.
7th National Convention Malaysia[edit]
The Seventh National Bahá’í Convention held at the third residential college, University of Malaya, Pantai Valley, Kuala Lumpur, was attended by over one hundred and fifty Bahá’í delegates and observers. Present were Dr. C. J. Sundram, representing the Continental Board of Counsellors, and Mr. Leong Tat Chee, Auxiliary Board member.
Highlights of the Convention included the National Assembly’s report of the dedication to pioneer by four couples and two other Bahá’ís to East Malaysia and South India.
Dr. Sundram commended the Malaysian Bahá’í Community on its efforts and zeal to complete the Nine Year Plan goals, giving the special example of “Uncle” Leon Tat Chee who, despite grave ill health, has shown deep devotion to the Cause, a person in love with the Faith.
Among the delegates and observers present were some twenty-five Aborigine Bahá’ís from the Malaysian jungle. Pledges and contributions for the Panama Temple and the National Fund were also made.
Laos[edit]
Our Bahá’í community is blessed with the recent appointment of Mr. Fereidoun Missaghian as a member of the Auxiliary Board of Southeast Asia, particularly in Laos. He lives in Luang Prabang, the royal capital of Laos, with his wife and baby girl.
The recently erected Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, for which the friends gave generously, attracts droves of believers to the weekly meetings.
A real spirit of sacrifice is being demonstrated by our pioneers. Mr. Fazlollah Faridian, one of our Iranian pioneers, left his position with an airline to devote his full time to intensive teaching activities in Laos and areas on Thailand’s border. Mr. Dawwod Saadati, on leaving his job in Vientiane, will cover the teaching post in Sayaboury, north of Laos. Mr. Firouz Aghdacy-Asl and his family will fill one of the vacant posts soon. Visas and meager incomes are but two of the many difficulties shared by the pioneers in Laos as they strive to forward the teaching effort.
The Publishing Trust has translated four Bahá’í English books, pamphlets, and a prayer book into the Lao language. And two new villages in the Vientiane area were opened to the Faith recently.
Switzerland[edit]
Some thirty parents and thirty children held an Intercalary Day meeting on March 1, gathering from most Bahá’í communities in Switzerland for the first all-Swiss Parents and Children’s Day at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
After a period of music and meditation, the children joined various age groups to discuss, or draw, different subjects, such as, “Beauty Through Diversity,” and “The Sun of Truth.”
The parents met under the chairmanship of Board of Counsellors member Erik Blumenthal. “The Bahá’í Education of Children” was presented in the light of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The parents also discussed the observance of Bahá’í Holy Days, the religious school instruction of children, etc.
The children and parents later met together, at which time the children presented the drawings they had made on the subjects studied during the day; and each recited a prayer or a verse revealed by Bahá’u’lláh.
Bahá’í children’s classes are held regularly in Geneva and in the region of Bern, with other classes, though less regularly, in Vevey, Lausanne, Basel, and Eastern Switzerland.
New Zealand[edit]
The Christchurch Bahá’í group hosted a South Island Proclamation Conference on June 18-21 which showed that New Zealand has become electrified by the force of the Cause of God over the past few months.
Highlights of the Conference were a fish and chip supper, lectures on the principles, the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, deepening, administration and the Universal House of Justice, and teaching methods. The Conference brought out exciting ideas, and through prayers and action we expect to reach, and surpass, our three local spiritual assembly goals by next Riḍván.
Previous to the Conference, the group had presented proclamation books to the mayor and church and civic leaders, and also sent out six hundred proclamation letters to public figures. National Spiritual Assembly member Mrs. Alexe Cookson gave support by giving the proclamation message at the public meeting.
On Saturday evening the Bahá’ís from Greymouth, on the rugged West Coast, Nelson Province, and Dunedin also assisted in the well-publicized public meeting, which was turned into a huge fireside with some lively discussions.
On Sunday evening a second public meeting was held at the University of Canterbury with over one hundred people receiving the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
The fire that has been carefully kindled is now burning brightly; the South Island is alive with the vibrating influence of this Most Great Cause.
[Page 13]
The Continental Board of Counsellors for Western Asia at a recent meeting of the members.
First local Spiritual Assembly of Warrensville Heights,
Ohio. Left to right: (standing) Dr. Justo Kuncaitis,
vice-chairman; Mrs. Winifred Sliker; Mrs. Yadwiga
Kuncaitis; Pleasant Montgomery, chairman; (seated)
Mrs. Mary Lou Jenkins, secretary; Mrs. Yukiko Hosoda; Dr. Yasuyuki Hosoda; Mrs. Bernice Montgomery,
recording secretary; Frank S. Jenkins, treasurer.
| Book Review | Hugh McKinley |
“Enter into the Joy Prepared for You ...”[edit]
“Humanity does not advance in wisdom, virtue and happiness through the inward urge of some anonymous force or the uplift of some original inborn power of its own. Far otherwise. For all that raises him above the level of a human animal man depends upon a new and special principle that is not found on the lower stages of being. This principle is a part of the creative process, and is the cause of all that is noble and gracious in life. It is active today as it has been active since the time of Adam, and men depend on it now for their well-being as completely as they have done throughout the past.
“This is the principle of God’s Self-Manifestation in the human degree of existence.
“The operation of this principle is the force that gives to history its direction and its continuity. The part that man’s will plays in the perfecting of civilization is a minor part. His dependence on the will of God is more complete than his ignorance realizes and more abject than his pride inclines him to admit.”1
A Scholar Visionary[edit]
When he wrote this passage in the year 1934, Hand of the Cause of God the late George Townshend was writing as the ordained minister of an established Church. His elevation to the ranks of the Chief Trustees of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant — like his public withdrawal from the Church of Ireland, and the extraordinary epistle he wrote to the leading Christian dignitaries of the world giving the reasons for this step — was shrouded in the future.
Yet no veils obscured his own spiritual vision, and this book, The Promise of All Ages*, reads even more vividly after thirty-five years; telling the story of our catastrophic epoch in terms that are more sharply comprehended by experience of a world cataclysm, the atomic threat under which we exist, and the tensions, prejudices, hatreds, and fears driving a humanity more closely interdependent than ever towards final disruption of what is termed modern civilization.
In his Introduction, the author — a classical scholar as well as a priest — speaks of his intention “to sketch in the form of a continuous and coherent argument the religious teaching of Bahá’u’lláh,”2 setting the scene for the historical chapters to follow, and showing how the reverent admiration of a number of Western thinkers and divines — including Tolstoy, Vambery, Jowett, and Dr. Cheyne — who had heard of the Báb and of Bahá’u’lláh largely through the writings of Count Gobineau and of Professor Browne, prepared the way for an attentive audience to welcome the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, when, released from His forty-year-long imprisonment, He made His successive missionary journeys to Europe and America.
“Many lay members of Christian Churches ... have been profoundly moved by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s presentation of Christian Truth.... His description of what constituted the real Christian was the one which at the present time no organized body would unreservedly accept; yet they realized it might prove the only basis on which a lasting union of all Christian Churches could ever be effected.”3
Transcending Faith and Creed[edit]
Mr. Townshend used both his scholarship and his religious discipline to do far more than give us either a Christian viewpoint upon the Bahá’í Faith, or a refutation of those doctrinal and dogmatic arguments that have been thought — for too many centuries — to constitute the whole of the religion of Jesus Christ.
His testimony to the truth and reality of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is uncompromising. It is counterpointed by his anxiety that the communion he served so long should not be debarred from a true insight into the meaning and purpose of their Founder’s message that “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
In this book we have an explanation of the teachings of Christ, and the history of His followers’ unintentional substitution — through the ages — of the letter for the spirit, only to be exceeded in commentative Bahá’í literature by the later work, Christ and Bahá’u’lláh, the author’s masterpiece, referred to by Shoghi Effendi as “his crowning achievement.”
After explaining the unity of world history and the fundamental importance this concept has for our understanding of the meaning and purpose of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, Mr. Townshend shows, with both quotation and commentary, how this has been a basic theme of all the Founders of the world’s religions, even though, being preparatory, They gave less emphasis to what could only be of fullest meaning with the establishment, rather than the promise, of God’s Kingdom on earth.
He points out the consistency of the Bible, no matter to what use its words may have been put, in holding to this unfoldment of human history in terms of spiritual history — not through the efforts of man, but through the specifically ordained revelation of the divine will through those whom he terms “Great Souls.” The chapters dealing with the unity of God, the nature of the Manifestation, and the unity and distinction of each and every one of the specific revelations, form a study in themselves, based as they are upon the Book of Certitude, The Kitáb-i-Íqán. They summarize and place in perspective the teachings and history of the Prophets with the Bahá’í concept of Their indivisible oneness, leading on into the particular mission of Jesus and the signs He was permitted to reveal about that Doomsday whose imminent commencement He had been empowered to announce.
Universal Expectation[edit]
Expectation of “the Second Coming” was a vivid feature of Christian belief for the first two centuries after the Crucifixion. It had the active support of some of the most eminent Fathers of the Church; it was carried on through medieval and Renaissance literature into the poetry of Henry Vaughan and Dryden, while fading to some indeterminate future, theologically.
Then, in the latter part of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth century, this feeling became active once more, and began to flame up amongst the religious. And this revival of Adventism was not confined to the Christian fold; other religionists too were suddenly reinterested in the promises of their Holy Books, that, in the fullness of time, a World-Savior would be made manifest.
Western understanding of the denial of the Jews — of the 2000-year-long affliction they have suffered because of that failure to recognize the Messenger they had been promised and were awaiting — must be brought to mind when considering the response to His summons evoked by Bahá’u’lláh — not alone from the hierarchy of Islám which was primarily responsible, but from the world’s secular and religious leaders as a body.
“Their minds,” writes Mr. Townshend, speaking of the Christian expectation, “were not set upon a re-manifestation in another human form of that eternal and unchanging Essence which Christ called ‘I’; but merely on a reappearance out of the sky of that very self-same being who previously had been born among them of the Virgin Mary.”4
He continues: “As in Christendom, so throughout the rest of the world. The universal expectation of an august theophany was vitiated by misunderstandings and led to no good result. A rigid traditionalism cramped the souls of men. No organized religion in any quarter of the globe seems to have believed that the coming Prophet would demand radical reforms and lift the people to a higher level of thought and conduct ... Every religion looked for a Vindicator who should be exclusively its own, who should justify its dogmas, reinforce its institutions and exalt it to a position of complete and unchallengeable supremacy over the erroneous faiths of the rest of mankind.
“... if the Holy Prophet should come (as all Holy Prophets had done before Him) ... bearing a new Name, bringing a new Book, He would be confronted by the denial of every section of every extant religion. His acceptance would be secured through the private judgment of independent individuals.”5
“Of Such Consummate Excellence”[edit]
This preliminary setting of the scene offers a course in the history of Western civilization to us all. It expounds the Bahá’í Teachings upon the nature and purpose of man and the way traced for him by an all-loving Creator. Understanding of this will enable us to correct the disordered picture of the meaning of life that both secular and religious instruction has bequeathed our generation. It will supply logical answers for the disillusioned minds of young people who have, so reasonably, discarded a tradition which only produces social decay.
For the remaining half of the book, the author sets before us (in extraordinary detail, considering the modest length of the work) the history of the three Central Figures, and of the Heroic Age, of the Bahá’í Faith, its Teachings, system, and goal. Great felicity of style and a command of the English language that is at once sensitive and absolute enable much to be said and still more to be implied — as when, for instance, referring to “those who were masters in Islám,”6 the author remarks, with a compassionate irony all the stronger because of his own life-involvement, “The forms of religion survived and the apparatus of worship was still treasured...”7
Never forgetting that he is writing for a general audience, Mr. Townshend, while never shirking facts, does not embark upon details that would confuse, but leaves them for other, more detailed studies. The Covenant-breakers are referred to but once, but in crushing terms: “The envy and malignity of His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] private enemies probably was intensified; certainly they continued to outjudas Judas.”8
Again, so as not to alienate interest with terms unfamiliar, the institution of the Hands of the Cause is termed a College of International Teachers; those nine members in attendance upon the Guardian, a Chapter.
Mention is made of all the major works Bahá’u’lláh revealed, and the plan and system of the Administrative Order given in sufficient detail for the reader to understand it will be effective in carrying out the intended aim. As he previously states:
“In this Day it is required by Bahá’u’lláh that the will of God be done by men; and men shall be judged by their deeds and by nothing else. Faith in the past has been shown by words. But it is not so now.”9
Coming the full circle to the point of unity: so, as one, all began; so, as one soul in many bodies, all is consummated—man is given a part in all that is by virtue of his own consciousness; expanded, through fulfillment of the Divine Promise, to regard the species as a whole that reflects in all the infinite variety of its parts the oneness of God.
Yet the step remaining to be accomplished, from the few to the many, will not be brought about merely by instruction, not solely by making the Cause known. It is the attractive power of the Word, the divine love, that alone can generate practical, lasting results:
“A religion springing from a common aspiration, animated by a common devotion, calling to a common obedience, bestowing upon all a common happiness, shall bind all nations and all lives into one whole by chains of a common awe and a common love.”10
And the book concludes with recollections of those who had the unspeakable bounty of seeing this love of God for man personified in the Person of the Manifestation—a bounty not denied to ourselves and to all future generations, who may gaze upon the face of their Lord from the photograph preserved at the World Center of the Faith—and in the Center of the Covenant.
This book is of immense value, not alone because it is written to a most exalted theme. It stands as a work of art that embodies in its own form the spirit of the message it contains. It is written in beautiful language, the emanation of a great mind.
In addition to being of special value to those reared, or living within, a Christian orbit, it includes many extracts and quotations not usually grouped so conveniently together. Of these, and perhaps worthy to rank with the enraptured narrations from Nabil’s immortal
[Page 16]
history, is the imperishable account of his first meeting
with the Center of the Covenant by Hand of the Cause of
God the late Horace Holley:
“ ‘A glory, as it were from the summits of human nature, poured into me, and I was conscious of a most intense impulse to admire. In ‘Abdu’l-Bahá I felt the awful presence of Bahá’u’lláh, and as my thoughts returned to activity, I realized that I had drawn as near as man now may to pure spirit and pure being.’ ”11
On the note of complete and absolute confidence, of the world triumph of the Faith already spiritually achieved, the author ends. His last sentence an appeal, once more, to the “religious leaders and thinkers of the West” to lead the followers of the Son into the Kingdom of the Father.
“This Is the Balance ...”[edit]
Yet no one may put the book down without realizing that, just as the fruits of human denial have been chaos and despair, the implications of such unreserved love poured out from God, extended to an almost totally heedless humanity by His Manifestation, are a reflected love on the part of the individual—a human love for God knowing no bounds, accepting no limits to the sacrifice it will make.
This hidden emphasis, so much the spirit of its illustrious author, raises The Promise of All Ages far above the level of a textbook or list of facts. Every page is instinct with not only the spirit of universal proclamation — “He Who is your Promised One is come!” — but with the spirit of unquenchable steadfastness, a steadfastness divorced from all fanaticism or pride: open-eyed, informed, and — above all this — replete with a joy and simplicity to which very few attain.
Quoted on page 174 of this edition is the “sacred adage which Nabil applies to the martyr Quddús,” and which the present writer had the privilege of being instructed in (only it was never apparent as instruction, then) by Mr. Townshend at a time when he was withstanding the entire hierarchy of the Church of Ireland; refuting their objections from the text of their own sacred Gospel.
He spoke of these lines as enshrining the price and the recompense of belief. They represent the way he himself followed unflinchingly to the end of his earthly life. Meditation upon their implications can do more than all that has been here written to recommend his book.
- “Whoso seeketh Me, shall find Me.
- Whoso findeth Me, shall be drawn to Me.
- Whoso draweth nigh unto Me, shall love Me.
- Whoso loveth Me, him shall I also love.
- He who is beloved of Me, him shall I slay.
- He who is slain by Me, I Myself shall be his ransom.”12
References: 1961 Talisman Edition — (1) p. 32; (2) p. 1; (3) pp. 16-17; (4) p. 80; (5) pp. 81-82; (6 & 7) p. 95; (8) p. 116; (9) pp. 134-135; (10) p. 155; (11) p. 172; (12) p. 174.
*The Promise of All Ages: George Townshend; George Ronald, England, 1961. Available through the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, or the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, London, England.
Italy[edit]
Seventh Youth Symposium[edit]
The Republic of San Marino was host for the second time to the Seventh Italian Youth Symposium held from June 1-3, with Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery and Mrs. Giachery present. The meetings were held in the Congress Palace, kindly put at the disposal of the Bahá’ís by the Tourism Center of San Marino.
The symposium theme was: Why youth today reject political, social, religious institutions, and what can be offered to them. Seminars were held, and on the last day each group presented part of the theme.
Mr. Alfred Speranza, a young pianist, who recently became a Bahá’í, organized a very pleasant evening together with three other musicians, presenting his own compositions, inspired by the Faith, and explaining briefly why he wrote them.
All those attending from San Marino and near-by towns were greatly impressed, and it was an opportunity for them to learn about the Faith.
World Religion Day[edit]
On January 18 — World Religion Day — the first round table was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy in Rome at the Accademia Tiberina, a cultural club. The theme was, “Religion as an instrument of peace and unity,” with speakers of different faiths. Many attended, and a lively discussion followed.
The Catholic speaker, a monk well known to all Italians, as he appears on a television program every night, was asked to repeat what was said on that occasion. He appeared on a TV program explaining that the meeting was sponsored by the Bahá’ís, and read the prayer for all humanity by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He told the Bahá’ís that this might bring many responses and that he would prepare a program on the Bahá’í Faith.
The interest aroused by this interreligious round table enabled the Bahá’ís to present the Book of the Proclamation to the vice-director of the Italian television, who seemed favorable to examining the possibility of presenting the Faith briefly on television, and to the vicariat of Pope Paul VI.
Bahá’í Faith in the Press[edit]
The following article appeared in the Giornale di Sicilia, the daily paper of Palermo: “Meeting with Dizzy Gillespie, one of the creators of modern jazz; the ‘Dizzy’ Negro musician is a fervent follower of the Bahá’í religion.”
The interview took place in Bergamo, and the reporter tells of his meeting with Mr. Gillespie, “the mystic with a trumpet” who, upon learning he came from Palermo, told him that if he had not been detained by his work, he would have gone to Palermo two years ago for the Bahá’í Congress. Mr. Gillespie pulled a prayer book out of his pocket and explained that it was his favorite reading, and if everyone meditated on these words there would be no more wars. The conversation continued, and Mr. Gillespie explained some of the principles of the Faith as well as how, to him, his music and his religion are one thing.
[Page 17]
National Italian Bahá’í Youth Symposium, San Marino, Italy, June 1-3. At center: Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery and Mrs. Giachery.
Proclamation Through Music[edit]
Mr. Alfredo Speranza, a Uruguayan musician living in Italy (see above), has done much to proclaim the Faith through his music. Before accepting the Faith he wrote a piece for the piano, “Bahá’í Poem,” which he would play during his regular concert tours all over Italy. Now, as a Bahá’í, he is still composing to express in his music what the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh mean to him. He is called to play in many cities in Italy, as well as abroad, and his audience is always responsive and an interest in the Faith is aroused.
Now Mr. Speranza is going to Uruguay where the Government will offer him a recognition for what he has done to spread Uruguayan music abroad.
A book display during a week of extensive teaching activities in Catania, Sicily, March 21-26.
Anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb, May 23, in Perugia, Italy, with Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery and Mrs. Giachery, and Bahá’ís from San Marino, Rimini, and Genoa, as well as other friends.
Finland[edit]
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of
the Bahá’ís of Finland, elected April 25. Left
to right: (standing) Mozaffar Namdar, recording secretary; Eino Kylliäinen, vice-chairman;
Matti Vesamaa; Donald Oja; Kullervo Huuskonen; (sitting) Miss Sirkka Salmi, secretary;
Valde Nyman; Dr. Habib’u’lláh Zabihian, chairman; Mrs. Ritva Zabihian, treasurer.
The National Convention of the Bahá’í Community of Finland, April 25-26.
Portugal[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of Portugal: Left to right: Hilda
Xavier Rodrigues; Jorge Santos, chairman; Manuel Freitas, secretary; Helder
Matos, assistant secretary; Maria Santos;
Celestino Silva; Mário Marques, foreign
secretary; José Marques, vice-chairman;
James S. Barbara, minutes secretary.
Brazil[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of Brazil. Left to right: (back
row) Robert Miessler; Djalal Eghrari,
treasurer; Shapoor Monadjem, chairman;
Rangvald Taetz; Rolf von Czékus, recording secretary; (front row) Muriel Miessler, foreign secretary; Guitty Milani;
Myriam Miessler, national secretary;
Nylza Taetz.
The Tenth Annual Convention of the
Bahá’ís of Brazil. Representing the Continental Board of Counsellors of South
America was Auxiliary Board member
Edmund Miessler, sixth from the left of
the middle row of adults.
Thailand[edit]
The 1970 National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Thailand.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Thailand.
Left to right: (standing) Prasanas Bankhaothong; Chalad
Bromawonchanonda, vice-chairman; Nuctra Yogachandra,
treasurer; Chavalit Manjikul, secretary; Sawai Thongsoot;
Theinthai Apijabutr; Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, chairman; Mrs.
Dhanya Apijabutr, assistant secretary; Sawang Thongsoot.
New Zealand[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of New Zealand. Left to right:
(front row) John Giffin, Miss P. Ringwood, secretary; Manuchir Ala’í, chairman; Mrs. M. Edwards; (back row) Hylton Grigor; Mrs. Jean Simmons; John
Milne; Howard Harwood, Continental
Board of Counsellors member; Mrs. Alexe
Cookson; John Carr.
South Island Proclamation Conference, sponsored by Christchurch Bahá’í group, New Zealand, June 18.
Group photo at National Convention in Auckland, New Zealand. April 1970.
14th Annual Convention[edit]
About seventy believers from all parts of New Zealand, a large portion of them youth, attended the Convention on April 24-26. Continental Board of Counsellors member Howard Harwood, representing the Hands of the Cause of God, was given a warm welcome on behalf of all those present by Mr. Manuchir Ala’í, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly.
After the reading of the Message from the Universal House of Justice, Mr. Harwood gave the Convention the heartening news that the Faith was indeed going ahead. In Australia alone, there were forty local assemblies, formed for the most part by young people. New Zealand would have to establish assemblies in another six provinces in order to accomplish the Nine Year Plan goals, and such was the spirit and enthusiasm of all present that no one doubted that all goals would be achieved. The message from the Continental Board of Counsellors was also appreciatively received.
Several constructive recommendations were passed, and concrete plans were put forward by youth members for travel teaching, to be put into effect without delay.
Members elected to the National Spiritual Assembly were: Manuchir Ala’í, John Giffin, Miss P. Ringwood, John Carr, Mrs. M. Edwards, Mrs. Jean Simmons, Mr. Hylton Grigor, John Milne, and Mrs. Elexe Cookson.
During the evening a clever and humorous play, “God Loves Laughter,” written by youth members and directed by Sue Keesing, was presented. Afterwards, there was community singing.
A fitting close to what was regarded as a most joyous and happy Convention was the warmth and encouragement displayed by Howard Harwood in his address. He assured the friends of the ever-present interest of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, and promised them that there would be visits from more Hands of the Cause during the year.
Ghana[edit]
The Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Accra, Ghana, acquired in 1969.
Honduras[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís
of Honduras. Left to right: (back row) Dale Sinclair, chairman; Carlos Vasquez, treasurer; Jere
McKinney; Parvis Rohani; Chris Ruhe, recording
secretary; (seated) Jose Lopez; Olinda Sierra,
secretary; Carmen Rohani; Rene Sanchez.
The 1970 National Bahá’í Convention for Honduras.
Peru[edit]
In the upper right corner, the delegates to the National Convention, with Continental Board of Counsellors member Mas’úd Khamsí and Auxiliary Board
member Mercedez Sanchez. Immediately above is a
picture of the Bahá’í Summer School in Peru; while
to the right is shown the Lima Bahá’í Community
and friends attending monthly deepening conferences
in Lima.
There is a new Bahá’í Community in Huama, Department of Cuzo, Peru. Two hundred and fifteen adults
entered the Faith there on June 17—“our first mass
conversion fruit.” They are pictured here at center
right.
[Page 23]
Bahá’ís and friends at National Convention in Lima, Peru, 1970.
The Spiritual Assembly of Huntsville, Alabama, at the time of its incorporation, July 7. Left to right: (standing) Stewart Waddell, vice-chairman; Lester Himes, treasurer; James Kelly, recording secretary; Stanley Bagley, chairman; Segurd Schmidt; (sitting) Mrs. Florence Bagley, secretary; Mrs. Tommie Kelly; Mrs. Marjorie Waddell: Miss Fannie Jude.
Correction: Page 9, August 1970, Bahá’í News — please change the word “Nine” in right column to “Niue.”
[Page 24]
The first local Spiritual Assembly of Moore,
Oklahoma. Left to right: (standing) Gary Hillaire, Mrs. Patricia Benson, treasurer: Mrs. Paula
Price; Paris Price; Lynn King, chairman; (seated) Fuad Akhtarkhavari, vice-chairman; Mrs.
Ann Hillaire, recording secretary; Edwin Anderson: Mrs. Lauretta King, secretary.
The Spiritual Assembly of Baltimore County, Maryland, at the time of its incorporation, April 1970. Left
to right: (back row) Vance E. R. Martin, Jr., Mary
K. Radpour. Dr. Frederick S. Lee, Shahrzad Radpour,
Albert E. Dorrida; (front row) Madge T. Palmer,
Clarke Langrall, Bettie Langrall, Iraj Radpour.
First local Spiritual Assembly of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania,
Left to right, from top: Barbara Drahus; Robert Buckler;
Joyce Perry, secretary; Rosemary Clossen, recording secretary;
Joan Khoshbin, treasurer; David Clossen, vice-chairman; Betty
Lygnell; Cynthia Macdonald; Charles Seeburger, chairman.
First local Spiritual Assembly of Northampton, Massachusetts. Left to right: (front) Stephen Waite, Mrs. Zlmarion
Walker, Mrs. Nancy Jordan, Gerard Baruch; (rear) Dalton
Garis, Mrs. Judith Bibb, Robert Walker, Jeannine Bitz, Philip
Christensen.
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