Bahá’í World/Volume 15/The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

←Previous

The Bahá’í World Volume 15

Next→

[Page 107]

III

THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

I. THE STATION AND TITLES OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

By SHOGHI EFFENDI

My name is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá'. My qualification is ‘Abdu’l—Balta’. My reality is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’. My praise is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’. Thraldom t0 the Blessed Perfection is my glorious and refulgent diadem, and servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion. . . No name, no title, no mention, no commendation have I, nor will ever have, except ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’. This is my longing. This is my greatest yearning. This is my eternal life. This is my everlasting glory.

AN attempt I strongly feel should now be made to clarify our minds regarding the station occupied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the significance of His position in this holy Dispensation. It would be indeed difficult for us, who stand so close to such a tremendous figure and are drawn by the mysterious power of so magnetic a personality, to obtain a clear and exact understanding of the role and character of One Who, not only in the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah but in the entire field of religious history, fulfills a unique function. Though moving in a sphere of His own and holding a rank radically different from that of the Author1 and the Forerunner2 of the Bahá’í Revelation, He, by virtue of the station ordained for Him through the Covenant of Baha’u’llah, forms together with them what may be termed the Three Central Figures of a Faith that stands unapproached in the world’s spiritual history. He towers, in conjunction with them, above the destinies ofthis infant Faith of God from a level to which no individual or body ministering to its needs after Him, and for no less a period than a full thousand years, can ever hope to rise. To degrade His lofty rank by identifying His station with or by regarding it as roughly equivalent to, the position of those on whom the mantle of His authority has fallen would be an act of impiety as grave as the no less heretical 1 Bahá’u’lláh. 2 The Báb.

belief that inclines to exalt Him to a state of absolute equality with either the central F igure or Forerunner of our Faith. For wide as is the gulf that separates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from Him Who is the Source of an independent Revelation, it can never be regarded as commensurate with the greater distance that stands between Him Who is the Centre of the Covenant and His ministers who are to carry on His work, whatever be their name, their rank, their functions or their future achievements. Let those who have known ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who through their contact with His magnetic personality have come to cherish for Him so fervent an admiration, reflect, in the light of this statement, on the greatness of One Who is so far above Him in station.

That ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is not a Manifestation of God, that, though the successor of His Father, He does not occupy a cognate station, that no one else except the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh can ever lay claim to such a station before the expiration of a full thousand years—are verities which lie embedded in the specific utterances of both the Founder of our Faith and the Interpreter of His teachings. . .

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own statements . . . are no less emphatic and binding: “ . . . My station is the station of servitude—a servitude which is complete, pure and real, firmly established, enduring, obvious, explicitly revealed and subject

107

[Page 108]108

to no interpretation whatever . . . I am the Interpreter of the Word afGoa’; such is my interpretation.”

. . . From such clear and formally laid down statements, incompatible as they are with any assertion ofa claim to Prophethood, we should not by any means infer that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is merely one of the servants of the Blessed Beauty, or at best one whose function is to be confined to that of an authorized interpreter of His Father’s teachings. Far be it from me to entertain such a notion or to wish to instill such sentiments. To regard Him in such a light is a manifest betrayal of the priceless heritage bequeathed by Bahá’u’lláh to mankind. Immeasurably exalted is the station conferred upon Him by the Supreme Pen above and beyond the implications of these, His own written statements. Whether in the Kitab-i-Aqa’as, the most weighty and sacred of all the works of Baha’u’llah, or in the Kita'b-i-‘Ahd, the Book of His Covenant, or in the Sziriy-i-Qhasn (Tablet of the Branch), such references as have been recorded by the pen of Bahá’u’lláh—references which the Tablets of His Father addressed to Him mightily reinforce—invest ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with a power, and surround Him with a halo, which the present generation can never adequately appreciate.

He is, and should for all time be regarded, first and foremost, as the Centre and Pivot of Baha’u’llah’s peerless and all-enfolding Covenant, His most exalted handiwork, the stainless Mirror of His light, the perfect Exemplar oins teachings, the unerring Interpreter oins Word, the embodiment of every Bahá’í ideal, the incarnation ofevery Bahá’í virtue, the Most Mighty Branch sprung from the Ancient Root, the Limb of the Law of God, the Being “round Whom all names revolve", the Mainspring of the Oneness of Humanity, the Ensign of the Most Great Peace, the Moon of the Central Orb ofthis most holy Dispensation—styles and titles that are implicit and find their truest, their highest and fairest expression in the magic name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He is, above and beyond these appellations, the “Mystery of God”—an expression by which Baha’u’llah Himself has chosen to designate Him, and which, while it does not by any means justify us to assign to him the station of Prophethood, indicates how in the person of‘Abdu’l-Bahá the incompatible characteristics of a human nature and super THE BAHA’J’ WORLD

human knowledge and perfection have been blended and are completely harmonized. . .

“O Thou Who art the apple of Mine eye!” Bahá’u’lláh, in His own handwriting, thus addresses ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “My glory, the ocean of M y la ving-kindness, the sun ofM y bounty, the heaven of My mercy rest upon Thee. We pray God to illumitze the world through Th y knowledge and wisdom, to ordain/br Thee that which will gladden Thine heart and impart consolation to Thine eyes.” “The glory of God rest upon Thee,” He writes in another Tablet, “and upon whosoever serveth Thee and circleth around Thee. Woe, great woe, betide him that opposeth and injureth Thee. Well is it with him that sweareth fealty to Thee; the fire ofhell torment him who is Thine enemy.” “We have made Thee a shelter for all mankind,” He, in yet another Tablet, affirms, “a shield unto all who are in heaven and an earth, a stronghold far whosoever hath believed in God, the Incomparable, the AllKnowing. God grant that through Thee He may protect them, may enrich and sustain them, that He may inspire Thee with that which shall be a wellspring of wealth imto all created things, an ocean ofboanty unto all men, and the dayspring ofmercy unto all peoples.”

“Thou knowest, O my God,” Bahá’u’lláh, in a prayer revealed in ‘Abdu’i-Baha’s honour, supplicates, “that I desire for Him naught except that which Thou didst desire, and have chosen Him for no purpose save that which Thou hadst intendedfor Him. Render Him victorious, therefore, through Thy hosts af'earth and heaven. . . Ordain, l beseech Thee, by the ardour of My love for Thee and My yearning to manifest Thy Cause, for Him, as well as far them that love Him, that which Thou hast (lestined/ar Thy Messengers and the Trustees of Thy Revelation. Verily, Thou art the A lmighty, the A ll-Powerful.” (The Dispensation a/‘Bahá’ít’llahj

He alone had been accorded the privilege of being called “the Master”, an honour from which His Father had strictly excluded all His other sons. Upon Him that loving and unerring Father had chosen to confer the unique title of “Sirru‘lla’h” (the Mystery of God), a designation so appropriate to One Who, though essentially human and holding a station radically and fundamentally different from that occupied by Baha’u’llah and His Forerunner, could still claim to be the perfect Exemplar of His Faith, to be endowed with superhuman

[Page 109]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

109

/, - ' . 5»;ny

' .1 ,/ 44422;! W) \I’».

,W

C

j)?

é

“3 ’I

.r }/ ._;- f b I.“ r 1]) 1.3-]J°_ 12¢.

5/13

A Tablet in the handwriting of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’ revealedfor Shay1c_b Kdzim, surnamed“Samandar”, one of the nineteen Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh and the father of the Hand of the Cause Tardzu’lla’h Samandari.

[Page 110]llO

knowledge, and to be regarded as the stainless mirror reflecting His light. To Him, whilst in Adrianople, that same Father had, in the Stiriy-i-flugn (Tablet of the Branch), referred as “this sacred and glorious Being, this Branch ofHoliness”, as “the Limb of the Law ofGoa'”, as His “most great favour” unto men, as His “most perfect bounty” conferred upon them, as One through Whom “every mouldering bone is quickened,” declaring that “whoso turneth to wards Him hath turned towards God,” and that “they who deprive themselves of the shadow of the Branch are lost in the wilderness of error.” To Him He, whilst still in the city, had alluded (in a Tablet addressed to Hajl’ Muhammad lbréhim-i-flalil) as the one amongst His sons “from Whose tongue God will cause the signs of His power to stream forth”, and as the one Whom “God hath specially chosen for His Cause”. On Him, at a later period, the Author of the Kitdb-i—Aqdas, in a celebrated passage, subsequently elucidated in the “Book of My Covenant", had bestowed the function ofinterpreting His Holy Writ, proclaiming Him, at the same time, to be the One “Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root”. To Him in a Tablet, revealed during that same period and addressed to Mirza Muhammad Quliy—i-Sabzivari, He had referred as “the Gulf that hath branched out of this Ocean that hath encompassed all created things”, and bidden His followers to turn their faces towards it. To Him, on the occasion of His visit to Beirut, His Father had, furthermore, in a communication which He dictated to His amanuensis, paid a glowing tribute, glorifying Him as the One “round Wham all names revolve”, as “the Maxt Mighty Branch of God”, and as “His ancient and immutable Mystery”. He it was Who, in several Tablets which Baha’u’llah Himself had penned, had been personally addressed as “the Apple o/‘Mine eye”, and been referred to as “a shield unto all who are in heaven and on earth”, as “a shelterfor all mankind” and “a stronghold for whosoever hath believed in God”. It was on His behalf that His Father, in a prayer revealed in His honour, had supplicated God to “render Him victorious”, and to “ordain . . . for Him, as well as for them that love Him”, the things destined by the Almighty for His “Messengers" and the “Trustees” of His Revelation. And finally in yet another Tablet these weighty words had been recorded: “The glory of God

THEBAHA’I'WORLD

rest upon Thee, and upon whosoever serveth Thet' and circletlz around Thee. Woe, great woe, be-tide him that opposeth and injureth Thee. Well i..‘ it with him that swearethfealty to Thee; the firt' ofhell torment him who is Thy enemy.”

And now to crown the inestimable honours, privileges and benefits showered upon Him, ir ever-increasing abundance, throughout the forty years of His Father’s ministry in Baghdad in Adrianople and in ‘Akká, He had been elevated to the high office of Centre of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant, and been made the successor of the Manifestation of God Himself—a posi-tion that was to empower Him to impart ar' extraordinary impetus to the international expansion of His Father’s Faith, to amplify its doctrine, to beat down every barrier that would obstruct its march, and to call into being, and delineate the features of, its Administrative Order, the Child of the Covenant, and the Harbinger of that World Order whose establishment must needs signalize the advent 01" the Golden Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

The immediate eHect of the ascension ol‘ Baha’u’llah had been . . . to spread grief and bewilderment among his followers and companions, and to inspire its vigilant and redoubtable adversaries with fresh hope and renewed determination. . .

Yet, as the appointed Centre of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant and the authorized Interpreter of His teaching had Himself later explained, the dissolution of the tabernacle wherein the soul ol the Manifestation of God had chosen temporarily to abide signalized its release from the restrictions which an earthly life had, of necessity, imposed upon it. Its influence no longer circumscribed by any physical limitations, its radiance no longer beclouded by its human temple, that soul could henceforth energize the whole world to a degree unapproached at any stage in the course ofits existence on this planet.

Baha’u’llah’s stupendous task on this earthly plane had, moreover, at the time of His passing, been brought to its final consummation. His mission, far from being in any way inconclusive, had, in every respect, been carried through to a full end. The Message with which He had been entrusted had been disclosed to the gaze of all mankind. The summons He had been commissioned to issue to its leaders and rulers had been fearlessly voiced. The fundamentals of the doctrine destined to recreate its life, heal its

[Page 111]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

111

WWW

“11,11,1L.

t dm‘d}

fiflLflJ/U/u” 0W” t/C/LJMQJJJC/ W 1 1fthivu’J/d’élbjww 1”)"

Mkftw

)L’Ji 1

1J5?”

~ L' " VVTLV

A calligraphic arrangement by Misjlki'n-Qalam of titles conferred upon ‘A bdu’l-Baha' or mentioned in various Tablets.

sickness and redeem it from bondage and degradation had been impregnably established. The tide of calamity that was to purge and fortify the sinews of His Faith had swept on with unstemmed fury. The blood which was to fertilize the soil out of which the institutions of His World Order were destined to spring had been profusely shed. Above all the Covenant that was to perpetuate the influence of that Faith, ensure its integrity, safeguard it from schism, and stimulate its world-wide expansion, had been fixed on an inviolable basis.

His Cause, precious beyond the dreams and hopes of men; enshrining within its shell that pearl of great price to which the world, since its foundation, had been looking forward; confronted with colossal tasks of unimaginable complexity and urgency, was beyond a peradventure in safe keeping. His own beloved Son, the apple of His eye, His vicegerent on earth, the Executive of His authority, the Pivot of His Covenant, the Shepherd of His flock, the Exemplar of His faith, the Image of His perfections, the Mystery of His Revelation, the Interpreter of His mind, the Architect of His World Order, the Ensign of His Most Great Peace, the Focal Point of His unerring guidance —in a word, the occupant of an office without peer or equal in the entire field of religious his tory—stood guard over it, alert, fearless and determined to enlarge its limits, blazon abroad its fame, champion its interests and consummate its purpose. . .

The cloud of despondency that had momentarily settled on the disconsolate lovers of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh was lifted. The continuity of that unerring guidance vouchsafed to it since its birth was now assured. The significance of the solemn affirmation that this is “the Day which shall not be followed by night” was now clearly apprehended. An orphan community had recognized in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in its hour of desperate need, its Solace, its Guide, its Mainstay and Champion. The Light that had glowed with such dazzling brightness in the heart of Asia, and had, in the lifetime of Bahá’u’lláh, spread to the Near East, and illuminated the fringes of both the European and African continents, was to travel, through the impelling influence of the newly proclaimed Covenant, and almost immediately after the death of its Author, as far West as the North American continent, and from thence diffuse itself to the countries of Europe, and subsequently shed its radiance over both the Far East and Australasia. (God Passes By, chapters XIV, xv.)

[Page 112]' a

[12 THEBAHA

iWORLD

The funeral procession leaving ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s home, No. 7 Persian (Haparsim) Street, Haifa, Tuesday, November 29, I 92 I.

The funeral of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, wrote Shoghi Effendi, was one “the like of which Haifa, nay Palestine itself, had sure] y never seen, so deep was the feeling that brought so many thousands of mourners together, representative ofso many religions, races and tongues.”

[Page 113]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

113

2. AN ACCOUNT OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHAI

Extracts from the account written by SHOGHI EFFENDI and LADY BLOMFIELD

IT is well known that the loved ones of‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in every part of the world, are anxiously waiting to receive some details of the closing events of His unique and wonderful life. For this reason the present account is being written.

We have now come to realize that the Master knew the day and hour when, His mission on earth being finished, He would return to the shelter ofheaven. He was, however, careful that His family should not have any premonition of the coming sorrow. It seemed as though their eyes were veiled by Him, with His ever—loving consideration for His dear ones, that they should not see the significance of certain dreams and other signs of the culminating event. This they now realize was His thought for them, in order that their strength might be preserved to face the great ordeal when it should arrive, that they should not be devitalized by anguish ofmind in its anticipation.

Out of the many signs of the approach of the hour when He could say of His work on earth, “It is finished,” the following two dreams seem remarkable. Less than eight weeks before His passing the Master related this to His family:

“I seemed to be standing within a great temple, in the inmost shrine, facing the east, in the place of the leader himself. I became aware that a large number of people were flocking into the temple; more and yet more crowded in, taking their places in rows behind me, until there was a vast multitude. As I stood, I raised loudlythe ‘Call to Prayer’. Suddenly the thought came to me to go forth from the temple.

“When I found myself outside I said within myself, ‘For what reason came I forth, not having led the prayer? But it matters not; now

1 An abridged version of the compilation The Passing of‘Abdu’l—Ba/m’ published privately in 1922 by Lady Blomfield with the approval ofShoghi Effendi and reprinted with emendations in Bahá’í Year Book (New York: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1926), I, l9~3l. Lady Blomfield (see “In Memoriam", The Bahá’í Wag-lrl, vol. vm, p. 651)‘ became a Bahá’í in Paris during the early years of this century and received ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London in 1911. In 1921, she accompanied Shoghi Effendi, then studying at Balliol College, Oxford, to Haifa after the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’. Lady Blomfield died in 1939.

that I have uttered the call to prayer, the vast multitude will ofthemselves chant the prayer.”

When the Master had passed away, His family pondered over this dream and interpreted it thus:

He had called that same vast multitudeall peoples, all religions, all races, all nations, and all kingdoms—to unity and peace, to universal love and brotherhood ; and, having called them, He returned to God the Beloved, at whose command He had raised the majestic call, had given the divine message. This same multitude—the peoples, religions, races, nations and kingdoms—would continue the work to which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had called them, and would of themselves press forward to its accomplishment.

A few weeks after the preceding dream the Master came in from the solitary room in the garden, which He had occupied oflate, and said:

“I dreamed a dream and behold the Blessed Beauty [Baha’u’llah] came and said unto me, ‘Destroy this room !’ ”

The family, who had been wishing that He would come and sleep in the house, not being happy that He should be alone at night, exclaimed, “Yes, Master, we think Your dream means that You should leave that room and come into the house.” When He heard this from us, He smiled meaningly as though not agreeing with our interpretation. Afterwards we understood that by the “room” was meant the temple of His body. . .

In the same week He revealed a Tablet to America, in which is the following prayer: “ Ya’ Bahd’u’l—Abhti/ [O Thou the Glory of Glories] l have renounced the world and the people thereof, and am heartbroken and sorely afflicted because afrhe unfaithful. 1n the cage of this warld [flutter even as afrightened bird, and yearn every da y to take my flighr unto T 11 y kingdam.

“ Ya’ Balid’u’I—Ablid/ Make me to drink offhe cup afsacrifice and set mefi'ee. Relieve me from these woes and trials, from these afiiciions and

[Page 114]ll4

troubles. Thou artHe thataideth, that succoureth, that protecteth, that stretcheth forth the hand of help.” . . .

After lunch l-Ie dictated some Tablets, His last ones, to Ruhi Effendi. When He had rested He walked in the garden. He seemed to be in a deep reverie.

His good and faithful servant Isma‘il Aqa, relates the following:

“Some time, about twenty days before my Master passed away, I was near the garden when I heard Him summon an old believer saying:

“‘Come with me that we may admire together the beauty of the garden. Behold, what the spirit of devotion is able to achieve! This flourishing place was, a few years ago, but a heap of stones, and now it is verdant with foliage and flowers. My desire is that after I am gone the loved ones may all arise to serve the divine cause and, please God, so it shall be. Ere long men will arise who shall bring life to the world.’ . ..

“Three days before His ascension, whilst seated in the garden, He called me and said, ‘I am sick with fatigue. Bring two ofyour oranges for me that I may eat them for your sake.’ This I did, and He, having eaten them, turned to me, saying, ‘Have you any of your sweet lemons ?’ He bade me fetch a few. . .Whilst I was plucking them, He came over to the tree, saying, ‘Nay, but I must gather them with my own hands.’ Having eaten of the fruit, He turned to me and asked ‘Do you desire anything more ‘?’ Then with a pathetic gesture of His hands, He touchingly, emphatically, and deliberately said, ‘Now it is finished, it is finished l’

“These significant words penetrated my very soul. I felt each time He uttered them as if a knife were struck into my heart. I understood His meaning but never dreamed His end was so nigh.”

It was Isma‘il Aqa who had been the Master’s gardener for well nigh thirty years and who, in the first week after his bereavement, driven by hopeless grief, quietly disposed of all his belongings, made his will, went to the Master‘s sister, and craved her pardon for any misdeeds he had committed. He then delivered the key of the garden to a trusted servant of the household and, taking with him means whereby to end his life at his beloved Master’s tomb, walked up the mountain to that sacred place, three times

THE Bahá’í WORLD

circled round it, and would have succeeded in taking his life had it not been for the opportune arrival of a friend who reached him in time to prevent the accomplishment of his tragic intention. . .

During the evening ‘Abdu’l-Bahá attended the usual meeting of the friends in His own audience chamber.

In the morning of Saturday, November 26, He arose early, came to the tea-room, and had some tea. He asked for the fur-lined coat which had belonged to Baha’u’llah. He often put on this coat when He was cold or did not feel well , He so loved it. He then withdrew to His room, lay down on His bed, and said, “Cover me up. I am very cold. Last night I did not sleep well, I felt cold. This is serious, it is the beginning."

After more blankets had been put on, He asked for the fur coat He had taken off to be placed over Him. That day He was rather feverish. In the evening His temperature rose still higher, but during the night the fever lef': Him. After midnight He asked for some tea.

On Sunday morning, November 27, He said “I am quite well and will get up as usual and have tea with you in the tea-room.” After He had dressed, He was persuaded to remain on the sofa in His room.

In the afternoon He sent all the friends to the tomb of the Báb, where on the occasion of the anniversary of the declaration of the Covenant a feast was being held, offered by a Parsi pilgrim who had lately arrived from India.

At four in the afternoon, being on the sofa in His room, He said, “Ask my sister and all the family to come and have tea with me.”

His four sons-in—law and Rubi Effendi came to Him after returning from the gathering on the mountain. They said to Him, “The giver of the feast was unhappy because You were not there”. He said unto them:

“But I was there, though my body was absent, my spirit was there in your midst. l was present with the friends at the tomb. The friends must not attach any importance to the absence of my body. In spirit I am, and shall always be, with the friends, even though I be far away.”

The same evening He asked after the health of every member of the household, of the pilgrims, and of the friends in Haifa. “Very good, very good,” He said when told that none were ill. This was His very last utterance concerning His friends.

[Page 115]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING 0F ‘ABDU‘L-BAHA

v

115

The room occupied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’ and in which He passed away in the early morning hours of November 28, 192/.

At eight in the evening He retired to bed after taking a little nourishment, saying, “I am quite well.”

He told all the family to go to bed and rest. Two of His daughters, however, stayed with Him. That night the Master had gone to sleep very calmly, quite free from fever. He awoke about 1.15 am, got up, and walked across to a table where He drank some water. He took off an outer night garment, saying, “I am too warm.” He went back to bed; and, when His daughter Rana Khánum, later on, approached, she found Him lying peacefully; and, as He looked into her face, He asked her to lift up the net curtains saying:

“I have difficulty in breathing, give me more air.” Some rose water was brought of which He drank, sitting up in bed to do so, without any help. He again lay down, and as some food was offered Him, He remarked in a clear and distinct voice:

“You wish me to take some food, and I am going?” He gave them a beautiful look. His face was so calm, His expression so serene, they thought Him asleep.

He had gone from the gaze of His loved ones!

The eyes that had always looked out with

loving-kindness upon humanity, whether friends or foes, were now closed. The hands that had ever been stretched forth to give alms to the poor and the needy, the halt and the maimed, the blind, the orphan and the widow, had now finished their labour. The feet that, with untiring zeal, had gone upon the ceaseless errands of the Lord of Compassion were now at rest. The lips that had so eloquently championed the cause of the sufi’ering sons of men, were now hushed in silence. The heart that had so powerfully throbbed with wondrous love for the children of God was now stilled. His glorious spirit had passed from the life of earth, from the persecutions of the enemies of righteousness, from the storm and stress of well nigh eighty years of indefatigable toil for the good of others.

His long martyrdom was ended!

Early on Monday morning, November 28, the news of this sudden calamity had spread over the city, causing an unprecedented stir and tumult, and filling all hearts with unutterable grief.

The next morning, Tuesday, November 29, the funeral took place, a funeral the like of which Haifa, nay Palestine itself, had surely never seen, so deep was the feeling that brought

[Page 116]116

so many thousands of mourners together, representative of so many religions, races and tongues.

The High Commissioner of Palestine, Sir Herbert Samuel, the Governor of Jerusalem, the Governor of Phoenicia, the chief officials of the government, the consuls Of the various countries, resident in Haifa, the heads of the various religious communities, the notables of Palestine, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druses, Egyptians, Greeks, Turks, Kurds, and a host of his American, European and native friends, men, women and children, both of high and low degree, all, about ten thousand in number, mourning the loss of their beloved One.

This impressive, triumphal procession was headed by a guard of honour, consisting of the City Constabulary Force, followed by the Boy Scouts of the Muslim and Christian communities holding aloft their banners, a company of Muslim choristers chanting their verses from the Qur’án, the chiefs of the Muslim community headed by the Mufti, a number of Christian priests, Latin, Greek, and Anglican, all preceding the sacred cofl‘in, upraised on the shoulders of His loved ones. Immediately be

1,;

THE BAHA I WORLD

hind it came the members of His family, next to them walked the British High Commissioner, the Governor of Jerusalem, and the Governor of Phoenicia. After them came the consuls ard the notables of the land, followed by the vast multitude of those who reverenced and loved Him.

On this day there was no cloud in the sky, nor any sound in all the town and surrounding country through which they went, save only the soft, slow, rhythmic chanting of Islam in the call to prayer, or the convulsed sobbing moan ofthose helpless ones, bewailing the loss of their one Friend, Who had protected them in all their difficulties and sorrows, Whose generous bounty had saved them and their little ones from starvation through the terrible years of the “Great Woe.”

“O God, my God!” the people wailed with one accord, “Our father has left us, our father has left us!”

0 the wonder of that great throng! People; of every religion and race and colour, united in heart through the manifestation of servitude in the lifelong work of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!

As they slowly wended their way up Moun:

Funeral cortége ascending Mt. C armcl.

[Page 117]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

Carmel, the Vineyard of God, the casket appeared in the distance to be borne aloft by invisible hands, so high above the heads of the people was it carried. After two hours walking, they reached the garden of the tomb of the Báb. Tenderly was the sacred coffin placed upon a plain table covered with a fair white linen cloth. As the vast concourse pressed around the tabernacle of His body, waiting to be laid in its resting place, within the vault, next to that of the Báb, representatives of the various denominations, Muslims, Christians, and Jews, all hearts being ablaze with fervent love of‘Abdu’l-Bahá, some on the impulse of the moment, others prepared, raised their voices in eulogy and regret, paying their last homage of farewell to their loved one. So united were they in their acclamation of Him, as the wise educator and reconciler of the human race in this perplexed and sorrowful age, that there seemed to be nothing left for the Bahá’ís to say.

The following are extracts from some of the speeches delivered on that memorable occasion.

The Muslim voicing the sentiments of his coreligionists spoke as follows:

“O concourse of Arabians and Persians! Whom are ye bewailing? Is it He who but yesterday was great in this life and is today in His death greater still? Shed no tears for the one that hath departed to the world of eternity, but weep over the passing of Virtue and wisdom, of knowledge and generosity. Lament for yourselves, for yours is the loss, whilst He, your lost one, is but a revered wayfarer, stepping from your mortal world into the everlasting home. Weep one hour for the sake of Him who, for well nigh eighty years, hath wept for you! Look to your right, look to your left, look East and look West and behold, what glory and greatness have vanished! What a pillar of peace hath crumbled ! What eloquent lips are hushed ! Alas! In this tribulation there is no heart but aches with anguish, no eye but is filled with tears. Woe unto the poor, for lo! goodness hath departed from them, woe unto the orphans, for their loving father is no more with them! Could the life of Sir ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbas have been redeemed by the sacrifices of many a precious soul, they of a certainty would gladly have offered up their lives for His life. But fate hath otherwise ordained. Every destiny is predetermined and none can change the divine decree. What am I to set forth the achievements ofthis

ll7

leader of mankind ? They are too glorious to be praised, too many to recount. Suffice it to say, that He hath left in every heart the most profound impression, on every tongue most wondrous praise. And He that leaveth a memory so lovely, so imperishable, He, indeed, is not dead. Be solaced then, O ye people of Bahz'tl Endure and be patient; for no man, be he of the East or of the West, can ever comfort you, nay he himself is even in greater need of consolation.”

The Christian then came forward and thus spoke:

“I weep for the world, in that my Lord hath died; others there are who, like unto me, weep the death of their Lord. . . O bitter is the anguish caused by this heart-rending calamity! It is not only our country’s loss but a world affliction. . . He hath lived for weIl-nigh eighty years the life of the messengers and apostles of God. He hath educated the souls of men, hath been benevolent unto them, hath led them to the way of Truth. Thus He raised His people to the pinnacle of glory, and great shall be His reward from God, the reward of the righteous! Hear me O people! ‘Abbas is not dead, neither hath the light of Baha been extinguished! Nay, nay! this light shall shine with everlasting splendour. The Lamp of Baha, “Abbas, hath lived a goodly life, hath manifested in Himself the true life of the Spirit. And now He is gathered to glory, a pure angel, richly robed in benevolent deeds, noble in His precious Virtues. Fellow Christians! Truly ye are bearing the mortal remains of this ever lamented One to His last resting place, yet know of a certainty that your ‘Abbés will live forever in spirit amongst you, through His deeds, His words, His virtues, and all the essence of His life. We say farewell to the material body of our ‘Abbés and His material body vanisheth from our gaze, but His reality, our spiritual ‘Abbas, will never leave our minds, our thoughts, our hearts, our tongues.

“0 great revered Sleeper! Thou hast been good to us, Thou hast guided us, Thou hast taught us, Thou hast lived amongst us greatly, with the full meaning of greatness, Thou hast made us proud of Thy deeds and ofThy words. Thou hast raised the Orient to the summit of glory, hast shown loving kindness to the people, trained them in righteousness, and hast striven t0 the end, till Thou hast won the crown of

[Page 118]118

glory. Rest Thou happily under the shadow of the mercy of the Lord Thy God, and He, verily, shall well reward Thee.”

Yet another Muslim, the Mufti of Haifa, spoke as follows:

“I do not wish to exaggerate in my eulogy of this great One, for His ready and helping hand in the service of mankind and the beautiful and wondrous story of His life, spent in doing that which is right and good, none can deny, save him, whose heart is blinded. . .

“O Thou revered voyager! Thou hast lived greatly and hast died greatly! This great funeral procession is but a glorious proof of Thy greatness in Thy life and in Thy death. But 0, Thou whom we have lost! Thou leader of men, generous and benevolent! To whom shall the poor now look? Who shall care for the hungry? And the desolate, the widow and the orphan?

“May the Lord inspire all Thy household and Thy kindred with patience in this grievous calamity, and immerse Thee in the ocean of His grace and mercy! He, verily, is the prayerhearing, prayer-answering God.”

The Jew when his turn came, paid his tribute in these words:

“Dans un Siecle de positivisme exagéré et de matérialisme efiréné, il est étonnant et rare de trouver un philosophe de grande envergure tel que le regretté ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbas parler a notre coeur, £1 nos sentiments et surtout chercher a éduquer notrc éme en nous inculquant les principes les plus beaux, reconnus comme étant la base de toute religion et de toute morale pure. Par ses écrits, par sa parole, par ses entretiens familiers comme par ses colloques célebres avec les plus cultivés et les fervents adeptes des théories sectaires, il a su persuader, 1 In a century of exaggerated positivism and unbridled

materialism it is astonishing and rare to find a philosopher of great scope, such as the lamented Abdu lBaha Abbas speak to our heart to our feelings and especially seek to educate our soul by inculcating in us the most beautiful principles, which are recognized as being the basis of all religion and of all pure morality. By His Writings by His spoken Word, by His intimate conversations as well as by His famous dialogues with the most cultivated and the most fervent adepts of sectarian theories, He knew how to persuade; He was always able to win our minds. Living examples have a special power. His private and public life was an exampleofdevotion and offorgetfulness of self for the happiness ofothers.

His philosophy IS simple you will say, but it is great by that very simplicity, since it is in conformity with human character, which loses some ofits beauty when it allows itselfto be distorted by prejudices and

superstitions” Abbas died in Haifa Palestine, the Holy Land which produced the prophets. Sterile and

THE Bahá’í WORLD

il a pu toujours convaincre. Les exemples vivants sont d’un autre pouvoir. Sa vie privée et publique était un exemple de dévouement et d’oubli de soi pour le bonheur des autres. . . “Sa philosophic est simple, direz-vous, mais elle est grande par cette méme simplicité, étant conforme au caractere humain qui perd de sa beauté lorsqu’il se trouve faussé par les préjugés et les superstitions. . . ‘Abbas est mort a Caifia, en Palestine, la Terre Sacrée qui a produit les proph‘etes. Devenue stérile et abandonnée depuis tant de siecles elle resuscite de nouveau et commence a reprendre son rang et sa renommée primitive. Nous ne sommes pas les seuls a pleurer ce prophete, nous ne sommes pas les seuls a le glorifier. En Europe, en Amérique, que dis-je, dans tous pays habité par des hommes conscients de leur mission dans ce bas monde assoifié de justice sociale, de fraternité, on le pleurera aussi. Il est mort aprés avoir souffert du despotisme, du fanatisme et de l’intolérance. Acre, la Bastille turque, lui a servi de prison pendant des dizaines d‘années. Bagdad la capitale Abbasside a été aussi sa prison et celle de son pere. La Perse, ancien berceau de la philosophie douce et divine, a chassé ses enfants qui ont concu leurs idées chez elle. Ne voit-on pas le‘i une volonté divine et une preference marque’e pour la Terre Promise qui était et sera le berceau de toutes les idées généreuses et nobles? Celui qui laisse apres lui un passé aussi glorieux n’est pas mort. Celui qui a écrit d’aussi beaux principes a agrandi sa famille parmi tous ses lecteurs et a passé a la postérité, couronné par l’immortalite’."1 The nine speakers having delivered their funeral orations, then came the moment when the casket which held the Pearl of loving serviabandoned for so many centuries, it is coming back to life and is beginning to recover its rank and_ its original renown. We are not the only ones to grieve for this prophet: we are not the only ones to testify to His glory. In Europe, in America, yea, in every land inhabited by men conscious of their misSIon In this base world, athirst for social justice, for brotherhood, He will be mourned as well. He Is dead after suffering from despotism, fanaticism, and intolerance. Akká, the Turkish Bastille, was His prison for decades. Baghdad the Abbassid capital, has also been His prison, andthat of His Father. Persia, the ancient cradle of gentle and divine philosophy, lias driven out her children, who brought forth their ideas within her. May one not see herein a divine will and a marked preference for the Promised Land which was and will be the Cradle of all generous and noble ideas? He who leaves after Him so glorious a past is notdead He who has written such beautiful principles has increased

His family among all His readers and has passed to posterity, crowned with immortality.

[Page 119]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

‘,;’ Q

15; “- ~. ’5' '

.,"

Some of those attending the funeral of ‘Abdu'l—Bahd. “A great throng had gathered together,

sorrowingfor His death, but rejoicing also for His life,” was the testimon y of the High C ommissioner, Sir Herbert Samuel.

tude passed slowly and triumphantly into its simple, hallowed resting place.

0 the infinite pathos! that the beloved feet should no longer tread this earth! that the presence which inspired such devotion and reverence should be withdrawn!

Of the many and diverse journals that throughout the East and West have given in their columns accounts of this momentous event, the following stand as foremost among them:

Le Temps, the leading French paper, in its issue of December 19, 1921, under the title ‘Un Conciliateur’ (A Peacemaker), portrays graphically the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. . .

The London Morning Post, two days after His passing, among other highly favourable comments, concluded its report of the movement in the following words:

“The venerated Baha’u’llah died in 1892 and the mantle of his religious insight fell on his son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, when, after forty years of prison life, Turkish constitutional changes permitted him to visit England, France and America. His persistent messages as to the divine origin and unity of mankind were as impressive as the Messenger himself. He possessed singular courtesy. At his table Buddhist and

Mohammedan, Hindu and Zoroastrian, Jew and Christian, sat in amity. ‘Creatures’, he said, ‘were created through love; let them live in peace and amity.”’

The New York World of December 1, 1921, published the following:

“Never before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did the leader of an Oriental religious movement visit the United States. . . As recently as June of this year a special correspondent of the World who visited this seer thus described him: ‘Having once looked upon ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, his personality is indelibly impressed upon the mind: the majestic venerable figure clad in the flowing ‘abé, his head crowned with a turban white as his head and hair; the piercing deep set eyes whose glances shake the heart; the smile that pours its sweetness over all.’ . . .

“Even in the twilight of his life ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took the liveliest interest in world affairs. When General Allenby swept up the coast from Egypt he went for counsel first to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. When Zionists arrived in their Promised Land they sought ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for advice. For Palestine he had the brightest hopes. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá believed that Bolshevism would prove an admonition to the irreligious world. He taught the equality ofman and woman, saying: ‘The world

[Page 120]120

of humanity has two wings, man and woman. Ifonewingisweak,then the bird cannotfly.’. . .”

Nearly all representative American newspapers devoted attention to the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Evening Telegram, New York, December 4, 192], found in the international peace movement a complete vindication for the Bahá’í ideals. “In all countries of the world today can be found mourners of the prophet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. . . Churches of all denominations in New York City and Chicago were thrown open to him for, unlike the leaders of many cults, he preached not the errors of present religions but their sameness.” The New York Tribune on December 2 carried an editorial entitled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. “A prophet, as his followers believe, and the son ofa prophet, was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who is now at rest with all prophetic souls bygone. He lived to see a remarkable expansion of the quietist cult of which he was the head. . . Bahá’u’lláh over sixty years ago set forth a peace plan not dissimilar to the aspirations oftoday.”

The magazine Unity, published in Chicago, included an article on the Master in its issue of December 22. “‘Abdu’l-Bahá voiced and made eloquent the sacred aspiration that yearns dumbly in the hearts of men. He embodied in glorious, triumphant maturity that ideal which in others lies imprisoned behind the veil. Men and women of every race, creed, class, and colour are united in devotion to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá because ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has been a pure, selfless mirror reflecting only the noblest qualities of each.”

The Sphinx, ofCairo, Egypt, on December 17 described ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as a great leader of men. “In his personality and influence ‘Abdu’l-Bahá embodied all that is highest and most striking in both the Christian and Moslem faiths: living a life ofpure altruism, he preached and worked for inter-racial and inter-religious unity. . . When in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá thoughtful inquirers soon realized that they were speaking to a man of unique personality, one endowed with a love and wisdom that had in it the divine quality.”

The Times o/‘lndia, in its issue of January 1922, opens one of its editorial articles as follows:

“In more normal times than the present the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which was sorrowfully referred to at the Bahá’í Conference in Bom THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

bay, would have stirred the feelings of many who, without belonging to the Bahá’í brotherhood, sympathize with its tenets and admire the life-work of those who founded it. As it is we have learned almost by chance of this great religious leader’s death, but that fact need not prevent our turning aside from politics and the turmoil of current events to consider what this man did and what he aimed at.”

Sketching then in brief an account of the history of the movement it concludes as follows:

“It is not for us now to judge whether the purity, the mysticism and the exalted ideas of Bahá’ísm will continue unchanged after the loss of the great leader, or to speculate on whether Bahá’ísm will some day become a force in the world as great or greater than Christianity or Islam; but we would pay a tribute to the memory of a man who wielded a vast influence for good, and who, if he was destined to see many of his ideas seemingly shattered in the world war, remained true to his convictions and to his belief in the possibility of a reign of peace and love, and who, far more effectively than Tolstoy, showed the West that religion is a vital force that can never be disregarded.”

Out of the vast number of telegrams and cables of condolence that have poured in, these may be mentioned:

His Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Winston Churchill, telegraphing to His Excellency the High Commissioner for Palestine, desires him “to convey to the Bahá’í community, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, their sympathy and condolence on the death of Sir ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbas, K.B.E.”

On behalf of the Executive Board of the Bahá’í American Convention, this message of condolence has been received:

“He doeth whatsoever He willeth. Hearts weep at most great tribulation. American friends send through Unity Board radiant love, boundless sympathy, devotion. Standing steadfast, conscious of His unceasing presence and nearness.”

Viscount Allenby, the High Commissioner for Egypt, has wired the following message, through the intermediary of His Excellency the High Commissioner for Palestine, dated November 29, 1921:

“Please convey to the relatives of the late Sir ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbas Effendi and to the Bahá’í

[Page 121]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

community my sincere sympathy in the loss of their revered leader.”

The loved ones in Germany assure the Greatest Holy Leaf of their fidelity in these terms:

“All believers deeply moved by irrevocable loss of our Master’s precious life. We pray for heavenly protection of Holy Cause and promise faithfulness and obedience to Centre of Covenant.”

An official message forwarded by the Council of Ministers in Baghdad, and dated December 8, 1921, reads as follows:

“His Highness Sayed Abdurrahman, the Prime Minister, desires to extend his sympathy to the family of His Holiness ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in their bereavement.”

The Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force sent through His Excellency the High Commissioner for Palestine these words of sympathy:

“General Congreve begs that you will convey his deepest sympathy to the family of the late Sir ‘Abbés al-Bahá’í’.”

The Theosophical Society in London communicated as follows with one of the followers of the Faith in Haifa:

121

“For the Holy Family Theosophical Society send affectionate thoughts.”

The thousands of Bahá’ís in Tihran, the capital of Persia, remembering their Western brethren and sisters in London and New York assure them of their steadfast faith in these words:

“Light of Covenant transferred from eye to heart. Day of teaching, of union, of self sacrifice.”

And lastly, one of the distinguished figures in the academic life of the University of Oxford, a renowned professor and an accomplished scholar, whose knowledge of the Cause stands foremost among that of his colleagues, in the message of condolence written on behalf of himself and wife, expresses himself as follows:

“The passing beyond the veil into fuller life must be specially wonderful and blessed for One Who has always fixed His thoughts on high and striven to lead an exalted life here below.”

On the seventh day after the passing of the Master, corn was distributed in His name to about a thousand poor of Haifa, irrespective of race or religion, to whom He had always been a friend and a protector. Their grief at losing the

A view of the long train ofmourners attending the funeral of ‘Abdu’l—Ba/zd.

[Page 122]THE BAHA’iWORLD

k .

Corn being distributed to the poor in the garden of the home of 'Abdu’l—Bahd, N0. 7 Persian (Haparsim) Street, Haifa, December 4, 1921.

“Father of the Poor” was extremely pathetic. In the first seven days also from fifty toa hundred poor were daily fed at the Master’s house, in the very place where it had been His custom to give alms to them.

On the fortieth day there was a memorial feast, given to over six hundred of the people of Haifa, ‘Akká and the surrounding parts of Palestine and Syria, people of various religions, races and colours. More than a hundred of the poor were also fed on this day. The Governor of Phoenicia, many other officials and some Europeans were present.

The feast was entirely arranged by the members of the Master’s household. The long tables were decorated with trailing branches of bougainvillea. Its lovely purple blooms mingled with the white narcissus, and with the large dishes of golden oranges out of the beloved Master’s garden, made a picture of love. liness in those spacious lofty rooms, whose only other decoration was the gorgeous yet subdued colouring of rare Persian rugs. No useless trivial ornaments marred the extreme dignity of simplicity.

The guests received, each and all, the same welcome. There were no “chief places”. Here, as always in the Master’s home, there was no respecting of persons.

After the luncheon the guests came into the large central hall, this also bare of ornament, save only for the portrait of Him they had assembled to honour and some antique Persian tapestries hung upon one wall. Before this was placed a platform from which the speeches were made to the rapt and silent throng, whose very hearts were listening.

The Governor of Phoenicia, in the course of his address, spoke the following:

“Most of us here have, I think, a clear picture of Sir ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbés, of His dignified figure walking thoughtfully in our streets, of His courteous and gracious manner, of His kindness, of His love for little children and flowers, of His generosity and care for the poor and suffering. So gentle was He, and so simple that, in His presence, one almost forgot that He was also a great teacher and that His writings and His conversations have been a solace and an inspiration to hundreds and thousands of people in the East and in the West.”

His [‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s] detailed and powerfully written Will and Testament reveals the following words of general counsel to all His friends:

O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensatian, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of

[Page 123]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

God’s grace. it is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangers. So intense must be the spiri t of love and loving-kindness, that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no diflerence whatsoever existing between them. For universality is of God and all limitations are earthly. Thus man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and perfections. the light whereof may shine upon every one. The light of the sun shineth upon all the world and the merciful showers of Divine Provideneefall upon all peoples. The vivifying breeze reviveth every living creature and all beings endued with life obtain their share and portion at His heavenly board. In like manner, the afl'ections and loving-kindness of the servants of the One True God must be bountifully and universally extended to all mankind. Regarding this, restrictions and limitations are in no wise permitted.

Wherefore, O my lovingfriena's! C onsort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, goodwill and friendliness, that all the world ofbeing may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Bahd, that ignorance, enmity, hate and raneour may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you show your fidelity unto them, should they be unjust to ward you show justice towards them, should they keep alooffrom you attract them to yourselves, should they show their enmity befriendly towards them, should they poison your lives, sweeten their souls, should they inflict a wound upon you, be a salve to their sores. Such are the attributes of'the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful!

O ye beloved of the Lord! Strive with all your heart to shield the Cause of God from the onslaught of the insincere, for souls such as these cause the straight to become crooked and all benevolent efforts to produce contrary results.

He prays for the protection of His friends:

0 Lord, my God! Assist Thy loved ones to be firm in Thy Faith, to walk in Thy ways, to be steadfast in Thy Cause. Give them Thy grace to withstand the onslaught of self and passion, to follow the light of Divine Guidance. Thou art the Powerful, the Gracious, the Self-Subsisting,

123

the Bestower, the C ompassionate, the Almighty, the AIl-Bountifull

For His enemies this is His prayer:

I call upon Thee, OLord, my God! with my tongue and with all my heart, not to require them for their cruelty and their wrong-doings, their craft and their mischief, for they are foolish and ignoble and know not what they do. They discern not good from evil, neither do they distinguish right from wrong, nor justice from injustice. They follow their own desires and walk in the footsteps of the most imperfect and foolish amongst them. O my Lord! Have mercy upon them, shield them from all afi‘lictions in these troubled times and grant that all trials and hardships may be the lot of this Thy servant, that hath fallen into this darksome pit. Single me out for every woe and make me a sacrifice for all Thy loved ones! 0 Lord, Most High! May my soul, my life, my being, my spirit, my all be oflered upfor them! O God, my God/Lowly, suppliant and fallen upon my face, I beseech Thee with all the ardour of my invocation to pardon whosoever hath hurt me, to forgive him that hath conspired against me and oflended me, and to wash away the misdeeds of them that have wrought injustice upon me. Vouchsafe unto them Thy goodly gifts, give them joy, relieve them from sorrow, grant them peace and prosperity, give them Thy bliss and pour upon them Thy bounty.

Thou art the Powerful, the Gracious, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

And now, what appeal more direct, more moving, with which to close this sad yet stirring account of His last days, than these His most touching, most inspiring words?

Friends! The time is coming when I shall be no longer with you. I have done all that could be done. I have served the C ause ofBaha’u’llah to the utmost of my ability. I have laboured night and day, all the years of my life. 0 how I long to see the lo ved ones taking upon themselves the responsibilities of the Cause! Now is the time to proclaim the Kingdom of Bahti! Now is the hour aflove and union! This is the day of the spiritual harmony of the loved ones of God! All the resources of my physical strength [ have exhausted, and the spirit ofmy life is the welcome tidings of the unity of the people of Bahá'. 1 am straining my ears toward the East and toward the West, toward the North and toward the South that haply I may hear the songs of love and fella wship

[Page 124]124

chanted in the meetings of the faithful. My days are numbered, and, but for this, there is no joy left unto me. 0 how I yearn to see the friends united even as a string ofgleaming pearls, as the brilliant Pleiaa'es, as the rays of the sun, as the gazelles of one meadow!

The mystic nightingale is warbling for them all; will they not listen .7 The bird of paradise is singing; will they not heed .7 The angel of Abhd is calling to them; will they not hearken .7 The herald

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Of the C ovenant is pleading; will they not obey .7 Ah me, I am waiting, waiting, to hear the joyful tidings that the believers are the very embodiment of sincerity and truthfulness, the incarnation of love and amity, the living symbols of unity and concord. Will they not gladden my heart? Will they not satisfy my yearning .7 Will they not manifest my wish .7 Will they not fulfil my heart’s desire .7 Will they not give ear to my call ? 1am waiting, I am patiently waiting.

The inner Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’.

[Page 125]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L—BAHA

125

3. THE COMMEMORATION OF THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

IN its message to the Bahá’ís of the world at Riḍván, 1971, the Universal House of Justice said:

On November 28, 1971, the Bahá’í World will commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Centre of the Covenant, the Ensign of the Oneness of Mankind, the Mystery of God, an event which signalized at once the end of the Heroic Age ofour Faith, the opening of the Formative Age and the birth of the Administrative Order, the nucleus and pattern of the World Order of Baha’u’llah. As we contemplate the fruits of the Master’s ministry harvested during the first fifty years of the Formative Age, a period dominated by the dynamic and beloved figure of Shoghi Effendi, whose life was dedicated to the systematic implementation of the provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Of the Tablets of the Divine Plan—the two charters provided by the Master for the administration and the teaching of the Cause of Godwe may well experience a sense of awe at the prospect of the next fifty years. That first halfcentury of the Formative Age has seen the Bahá’í Community grow from a few hundred centres in thirty-five countries in 1921, to over 46,000 centres in 135 independent states and 182 significant territories and islands at the present day, has been marked by the raising throughout the world of the framework of the Administrative Order, which in its turn has brought recognition of the Faith by many governments and civil authorities and accreditation in consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and has witnessed the spread to many parts of the world of that “entry by troops” promised by the Master and so long and so eagerly anticipated by the friends.

A new horizon, bright with intimations of thrilling developments in the unfolding life of the Cause of God, is now discernible. The approach to it is complete victory in the Nine Year Plan. For we should never forget that the

beloved Guardian’s Ten Year Crusade, the current Nine Year Plan, other plans to follow throughout successive epochs of the Formative Age of the Faith, are all phases in the implementation of the Divine Plan of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, set out in fourteen of His Tablets to North America.

The Universal House of Justice wrote to all national communities in July, 1971:

We have noted with deep satisfaction that some National Spiritual Assemblies have already initiated plans to befittingly commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the inception of the Formative Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

We feel it would be highly fitting for the three days, November 26 to 28, during which the Day of the Covenant and the anniversary of the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá occur, to be set aside this year by all National Spiritual Assemblies for specially arranged gatherings and conferences, convened either nationally or locally or both, on the three following main themes: The Bahá’í Covenant, The Formative Age and The Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

We hope that these gatherings will serve to intensify the consecration of the workers in the Divine Vineyard in every land, and provide them with the opportunity, especially in the watches of the night of that ascension, when they will be commemorating the passing hour of our Beloved Master, to renew their pledge to Bahá’u’lláh and to re-dedicate themselves to the accomplishment of the as yet unfulfilled goals Ofthe Nine Year Plan.

The Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land, the members of the Universal House of Justice, and all resident and visiting believers at the World Centre will, on that memory-laden night, Visit the Shrine of that Mystery of God on behalf of the entire community of the Blessed Beauty and will supplicate for the stalwart champions of the Faith labouring in the forefront of so many fields of service and winning

[Page 126]126

fresh triumphs in His Name, for the self-sacrificing believers without whose support and sustained assistance most of these victories could not be achieved, and for those who will be inspired to join the ranks of the active and dedicated promoters of His glorious Cause at this crucial stage in the development of the Plan, that we may all meet our obligations and discharge our sacred trust, thus making it possible in the latter months of the Plan for our entire resources to be devoted to an even greater expansion of the Faith in its onward march towards the spiritual conquest of the planet.

At the World Centre the Hands of the Cause, the members of the Universal House of Justice, Bahá’í pilgrims from the Malagasy Republic, Swaziland, Panama, the Philippine Islands, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, England, Alaska, Norway, the Hawaiian Islands, the United States and Persia, with members of the World Centre staff, enjoyed the privilege of visiting the room in which the Master ascended in His home at No. 7 Haparsim Street, Haifa. The friends gathered in a reverent atmosphere for prayers at His bedside and then made their way to the Pilgrim House where a service was held and prayers were offered in unison with the believers all over the world.

Following the readings and a visit to the Shrine of the Báb, the friends went quietly into the Shrine of the Master and in that sacred spot the Tablet 0/" Visitation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was chanted at 1 am.

The Jerusalem Post, an English-language newspaper read throughout Israel, devoted two pages of its issue of November 26, 1971, to a review of the newly published book ‘Abdu’lBuha’, by the Hand of the Cause H. M. Balyuzi (London, George Ronald, 1971), part of his splendid trilogy of the lives of the Central Figures of the Faith.1 This work, the publication of which was timed to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, “owes its inception to a gracious remark by Shoghi Effendi”, the author states in his foreword and represents the completion of a task begun in 1939.

The review carried in The Jerusalem Post was written by a Bahá’í youth, Mrs. Bahíyyih

1 See Bahd'u'llah, by H. M. Balyuzi, abridged in The Bahá’í World, vol. XIV, pp. 587—61 1.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Adams and embellished with excellent photographs. Accompanying the review was an article about the Faith written in most sympathetic terms by a prominent Israeli journalist. Some of the Hebrew-language newspapers in the Holy Land also carried brief accounts of the life and passing of the Master.

In the days that followed the commemoration, the World Centre was flooded with cablegrams, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, letters and reports describing the worldwide observance of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Whose “magic name”2—today no less than during His lifetime—evokes in the heart of every Bahá’í a wave of love and tenderness and stirs within them a resolve to gladden His soul in the immortal realm by befittingly discharging the divine mandate He established among them to plant the banner of His Father’s Faith in every corner ofa sore—tried world.

The following is a diminutive summary of representative activities and features of the commemoration Observances held throughout the world, gleaned from reports received at the World Centre:

Canada: The Hand of the Cause John Robarts addressed a gathering of approximately four hundred friends who gathered in the Maxwell home, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had stayed during His visit in 1912. The friends were able to visit the bedroom occupied by the Master, and there pray and meditate. For the first time the entire proceedings of a national meeting were in French and English—of symbolic significance because of the importance attached by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the establishment of the Cause among French»speaking Canadians. “Elsewhere in the country,” the report states, “the friends gathered in homes and in halls, in open country, on Indian Reservations, in cities and in towns, filled anew with love for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and gratitude for the life of our beloved Exemplar."

Colombia: Almost four thousand believers, some in remote and distant areas, were visited in this period and presented with a small booklet about the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Fiji Islands: “At 1 a.m.,” one community writes, “we gathered quietly together for our service of commemoration. A large spotlight

'3 Shoghi Effendi, The Dispe/uarian ofBa/zd‘u‘lld/I.

[Page 127]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

/,

‘7

'lfll'lllll ., 7.) Q .zfiiiiim l

‘ s : a

-.

4, ,4

‘”‘¥Tf'f"”‘

Three glimpses of‘Abdu’l—Bahd. The small room shown in the upper right—hand photograph, known as “The Master’s workshop”, is adjacent to N0. 7 Persian Street, Haiflz. Some of the Tablets of the Divine Plan were revealed in this room.

had been fixed on a large and beautiful baka tree and there, under God’s sky, as vast as the Master’s love for us, prayers were read for our rededication. . The Fiji Times carried a lengthy article on the Master’s life.

Germany: The entire October issue of Bahá’í Briefe was dedicated to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and contained reproductions of His photograph, and extracts from His Tablets.

Guyana: The Continental Board ofCounsellors sponsored a three-day deepening conference dedicated to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and related to a study of the Covenant of Baha’u’llah.

Hawaiian Islands: A commemorative newspaper was produced, bearing the headline: “‘Abdu’l-Bahá Heralds World Peace”. The

127

special issue contained many photographs, articles about the Master, an outline of His life and service and a résumé of the Bahá’í Teachings.

India: In addition to countless meetings held through the country the Illustrated Weekly devoted one full page to the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The well-written article was accompanied by photographs. The Publishing Trust of India produced an exquisite, handsomely designed compilation entitled The Mystery of God containing Writings of the Master and passages from Tablets of Baha’u’llah about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Malaysia: Regional conferences were held in three languages throughout the area of the jurisdiction of this National Spiritual Assembly and

[Page 128]128

an attractive souvenir publication on the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was printed and widely distributed.

Panama: A three-day Institute was held and on the evening of the anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing the friends gathered for readings and talks to prepare themselves for the sacred hour of the Master’s ascension.

Papua and New Guinea: The November issue of Bahá’í Kundu, a journal printed in Papuan Pidgin, had a supplement with photographs of the Master and the story of His life, which was distributed throughout all centres.

South Africa: The National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa commemorated the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá through the publication of an Afrikaans translation of ‘Abdu’lBalm, the Perfect Exemplar. In addition, meetings and conferences were held throughout the territories under the jurisdiction of the Assembly. The Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga was the source of happiness of the believers through his participation in a conference held at Umgababa, Natal.

Sri Lanka: A special presentation booklet, tastefully designed and attractively printed, was made available to the friends. The compilation consisted of thirty pages and was enhanced by a photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

United Kingdom: The British Publishing Trust commemorated the anniversary by reprinting The Passing of ‘Abdu’l—Bahzi, by Shoghi Effendi and Lady Blomfield (published privately in 1922 by Lady Blomfield with the approval of the Guardian).1

1 See p. 113 for extracts.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Special selections of books by or about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were sent to the places He visited while He was in the British Isles, to be made available at the commemorative functions in those places‘

“All over the country people gathered for commemorative meetings,” a Bahá’í youth reported. “The Oxford community held theirs in the actual college at which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke. We visited the college library in which the Master gave His address, as well as the library of Dr. Carpenter who had arranged for the Master to speak there. This library contains many Bahá’í books.”

A characteristic observance was that held by the friends of the Liverpool and Kirkby communities where roses, a universal symbol of love forever associated with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, were distributed to the friends.

Unized States: The entire Fall 1971 issue of World Order magazine was devoted to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in commemoration of the anniversary of His passing.

The believers in New York were privileged to tour some of the major sites visited by the Master during His stay in that city. A motorcade carried more than two hundred believers to the Church of the Ascension where He made His first public address in America; the Bowery Mission, where he addressed a large group of outcasts; two hotels where He stayed while in that city and a Harlem church where He had spoken. The pilgrimage continued the following day and brought publicity in newspapers throughout the city.

In addition, services were held in Bahá’í centres throughout the entire country, in a spirit of reverence and dedication.

[Page 129]ANNlVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

129

4. THE CLOSE OF THE HEROIC AGE

BY SHOGHI EFFENDI

AS the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá drew to a close signs multiplied of the resistless and manifold unfoldment Of the Faith both in the East and in the West, both in the shaping and consolidation of its institutions and in the widening range of its activities and its influence. In the city of ‘Iflqabad the construction of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, which He Himself had initiated, was successfully consummated. In Wilmette the excavations for the Mother Temple of the West were carried out and the contract placed for the construction of the basement of the building. In Baghdad the initial steps were taken, according to His special instructions, to reinforce the foundations and restore the Most Great House associated with the memory of His Father. In the Holy Land an extensive property east of the Báb’s Sepulchre was purchased through the initiative of the Holy Mother with the support of contributions from Bahá’ís in both the East and the West to serve as a site for the future erection of the first Bahá’í school at the world Administrative Centre of the Faith. The site for a Western Pilgrim House was acquired in the neighbourhood of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s residence, and the building was erected soon after His passing by American believers. The Oriental Pilgrim House, erected on Mt. Carmel by a believer from ‘I$qébad, soon after the entombment of the Báb’s remains, for the convenience of visiting pilgrims, was granted tax exemption by the civil authorities (the first time such a privilege had been conceded since the establishment of the Faith in the Holy Land). The famous scientist and entomologist, Dr. Auguste Forel, was converted to the Faith through the influence of a Tablet sent him by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—one of the most weighty the Master ever wrote. Another Tablet of farreaching importance was His reply to a communication addressed to Him by the Executive Committee of the “Central Organization for a Durable Peace”, which He dispatched to them at The Hague by the hands of a special delegation.1 A new continent was opened to the Cause when, in response to the Tablets of the

1 The texts ofthese two Tablets appear on pp. 29—43.

Divine Plan unveiled at the first Convention after the war, the great-hearted and heroic Hyde Dunn, at the advanced age of sixty-two, promptly forsook his home in California, and, seconded and accompanied by his wife, settled as a pioneer in Australia, where he was able to carry the Message to no less than seven hundred towns throughout that Commonwealth. A new episode began when, in quick response to those same Tablets and their summons, that star-servant of Baha’u’llah, the indomitable and immortal Martha Root, designated by her Master “herald of the Kingdom” and “harbinger of the Covenant”, embarked on the first of her historic journeys which were to extend over a period of twenty years, and to carry her several times around the globe, and which ended only with her death far from home and in the active service of the Cause she loved so greatly. These events mark the closing stage of a ministry which sealed the triumph of the Heroic Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation, and which will go down in history as one of the most glorious and fruitful periods of the first Bahá’í century.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s great work was now ended. The historic Mission with which His Father had, twenty—nine years previously, invested Him had been gloriously consummated. A memorable chapter in the history of the first Bahá’í century had been written. The Heroic Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation, in which He had participated since its inception, and played so unique :1 réle, had drawn to a close. He had suffered as no disciple of the Faith, who had drained the cup of martyrdom, had suffered, He had laboured as none of its greatest heroes had laboured. He had witnessed triumphs such as neither the Herald of the Faith nor its Author had ever witnessed. . .

Thus was brought to a close the ministry of One Who was the incarnation, by virtue of the rank bestowed upon Him by His Father, of an institution that has no parallel in the entire field of religious history, a ministry that marks the final stage in the Apostolic, the Heroic and most glorious Age of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah.

Through Him the Covenant, that “excellent

[Page 130]130

and priceless Heritage” bequeathed by the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation, had been proclaimed, championed and vindicated. Through the power which that Divine Instrument had conferred upon Him the light of God’s infant Faith had penetrated the West, had diffused itself as far as the islands of the Pacific, and illumined the fringes of the Australian continent. Through His personal intervention the Message, Whose Bearer had tasted the bitterness of a life-long captivity, had been noised abroad, and its character and purpose disclosed, for the first time in its history, before enthusiastic and representative audiences in the Chief cities of Europe and Of the North American continent. Through His uni'elaxing vigilance the holy remains of the Báb, brought forth at long last from their fifty-year concealment, had been safely transported to the Holy Land and permanently and befittingly enshrined in the very spot which Baha’u’llah Himself had designated for them and had blessed with His presence. Through His bold initiative the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Bahá’í world had been reared in Central Asia, in Russian Turkistan, whilst through His unfailing encouragement a similar enterprise, of still vaster proportions, had been undertaken, and its land dedicated by Himself in the heart of the North American continent. Through the sustaining grace over-shadowing Him since the inception oins ministry His royal adversary had been humbled t0 the dust, the arch—breaker of His Father’s Covenant had been utterly routed. and the danger which, ever since Bahá’u’lláh had been banished to Turkish soil, had been threatening the heart of the Faith, definitely removed. In pursuance of His instructions, and in conformity with the principles enunciated and the laws ordained by His Father, the rudimentary institutions, heralding the formal inauguration of the Administrative Order to be founded after His passing, had taken shape and been established. Through His unremitting labours, as reflected in the treatises He composed, the thousands of Tablets He revealed, the discourses He delivered, the prayers, poems and commentaries He left to posterity, mostly in Persian, some in Arabic and a few in Turkish, the laws and principles, constituting the warp and woof of His Father’s Revelation, had been elucidated, its fundamentals restated and interpreted, its tenets given detailed application and

THE Bahá’í WORLD

the validity and indispensability of its verities fully and publicly demonstrated. Through the warnings He sounded, an unheeding humanity, steeped in materialism and forgetful of its God, had been apprised of the perils threatening to disrupt its ordered life, and made, in consequence of its persistent perversity, to sustain the initial shocks of that world upheaval which continues, until the present day, to rock the foundations of human society. And lastly, through the mandate He had issued to a valiant community, the concerted achievements of whose members had shed so great a lustre on the annals of His own ministry, He had set in motion a Plan which, soon after its formal inauguration, achieved the opening of the Australian continent, which, in a later period, was to be instrumental in winning over the heart of a royal convert1 to His Father’s Cause, and which, today,2 through the irresistible unfoldment of its potentialities, is so marvellously quickening the spiritual life of all the Republics of Latin America as to constitute a befitting conclusion to the records of an entire century.

Nor should a survey of the outstanding features of so blessed and fruitful a ministry omit mention of the prophecies which the unerring pen of the appointed Centre of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant has recorded. These foreshadow the fierceness of the onslaught that the resistless march of the Faith must provoke in the West, in India and in the Far East when it meets the time-honoured sacerdotal orders of the Christian, the Buddhist and Hindu religions. They foreshadow the turmoil which its emancipation from the fetters of religious orthodoxy will cast in the American, the European, the Asiatic and African continents. They foreshadow the gathering of the Children of Israel in their ancient homeland; the erection of the banner of Bahá’u’lláh in the Egyptian Citadel of Sunni Islam; the extinction of the powerful influence wielded by the fli‘ah ecclesiastics in Persia; the load ofmisery which must needs oppress the pitiful remnants of the breakers of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant at the world centre of His Faith; the splendour of the institutions which that triumphant Faith must erect on the slopes of a mountain, destined to be so linked

‘ Dowager Queen Marie of Rumania: see The Bn/id‘l' WorI(/,vol.v1. 3 Written in 1944.

[Page 131]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

with the city of‘Akká that a single grand metropolis will be formed to enshrine the spiritual as well as the administrative seats of the future Bahá’í Commonwealth; the conspicuous honour which the inhabitants of Baha’u’llah’s native land in general, and its government in particular, must enjoy in a distant future; the unique and enviable position which the community of the Most Great Name in the North American continent must occupy, as a direct consequence Ofthe execution of the world mission which He entrusted to them: finally they foreshadow, as the sum and summit of all, the “hoisting Of the standard of God among all nations” and the unification of the entire human race, when “all men will adhere to one religion

. will be blended ima one race, and become a single people.”

Nor can the revolutionary changes in the great world which that ministry has witnessed be allowed to pass unnoticed—most of them flowing directly from the warnings which were uttered by the Báb, in the first chapter of His Qayyzimu’l—Asmd’, on the very night of the Declaration of His Mission in Shíráz,ll and which were later reinforced by the pregnant passages addressed by Baha’u’llah to the kings of the earth and the world’s religious leaders, in both the Suriy—i-Mulzlk and the Kirdb—iAqdas. The conversion of the Portuguese monarchy and the Chinese empire into republics; the collapse of the Russian, the German and Austrian empires, and the ignominious fate which befell their rulers; the assassination of Nasiri’d-Din flab, the fall of Sultan ‘Abdu’lHamid—these may be said to have marked further stages in the operation of that catastrophic process the inception of which was signalized in the lifetime of Baha’u’llah by the murder of Sultan ‘Abdu’l-‘Aziz, by the dramatic downfall of Napoleon Ill, and the extinction of the Third Empire, and by the selfimposed imprisonment and virtual termination of the temporal sovereignty of the Pope himself. Later, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, the same process was to be accelerated by the demise of the Qajér dynasty in Persia, by the overthrow of the Spanish monarchy, by the collapse of both the Sultanate and the Caliphate in Turkey, by a swift decline in the fortunes of

1 May 23, 1844. The “auspicious birth” of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá occurred that same night. See Gad Passes By, Shoghi Effendi, p. 240, Wilmette ed.

131

fli‘ah Islam and of the Christian Missions in the East, and by the cruel fate that is now overtaking so many of the crowned heads ofEurope.

Nor can this subject be dismissed without special reference to the names of those men of eminence and learning who were moved, at various stages of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ministry, to pay tribute not only to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself but also to the Faith of Baha’u’llah. Such names as Count Leo Tolstoy, Prof. Arminius Vambery, Prof. Auguste Forel, Dr. David Starr Jordan, the Venerable Archdeacon Wilberforce, Prof. Jowett of Balliol, Dr. T. K. Cheyne, Dr. Estlin Carpenter of Oxford University, Viscount Samuel of Carmel, Lord Lamington, Sir Valentine Chirol, Rabbi Stephen Wise, Prince Muhammad-‘All of Egypt, fiayfl Muhammad ‘Abdu, Midhat Paflé, and flurflid Pésha attest, by virtue of the tributes associated with them, the great progress made by the Faith of Baha’u’llah under the brilliant leadership of His exalted Sontributes whose impressiveness was, in later years, to be heightened by the historic, the repeated and written testimonies which a famous Queen, a grand-daughter of Queen Victoria, was impelled to bequeath to posterity as a witness of her recognition of the prophetic mission of Baha’u’llah.

As for those enemies who have sedulously sought to extinguish the light of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant, the condign punishment they have been made to suffer is no less conspicuous than the doom which overtook those who, in an earlier period, had so basely endeavoured to crush the hopes of a rising Faith and destroy its foundations. . .

With the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the first century of the Bahá’í era, whose inception had synchronized with His birth, had run more than three quarters of its course. . . Behind the walls of the prison—fortress of ‘Akká the Bearer of God’s newborn Revelation had ordained the laws and formulated the principles that were to constitute the warp and woof of His World Order. He had, moreover, prior to His ascension, instituted the Covenant that was to guide and assist in the laying of its foundations and to safeguard the unity of its builders. Armed with that peerless and potent Instrument, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His eldest Son and Centre of His Covenant, had erected the standard of His

[Page 132]132

Father’s Faith in the North American continent, and established an impregnable basis for its institutions in Western Europe, in the Far East and in Australia. He had, in His works, Tablets and addresses, elucidated its principles, interpreted its laws, amplified its doctrine, and erected the rudimentary institutions ofits future Administrative Order. In Russia He had raised its first House of Worship, whilst on the slopes of Mt. Carmel He had reared a befitting mausoleum for its Herald, and deposited His remains therein with His Own hands. Through His visits to several cities in Europe and the North American continent He had broadcast Baha’u’llah’s Message to the peoples of the West, and heightened the prestige of the Cause of God to a degree it had never previously experienced. And lastly, in the evening of His life, He had through the revelation of the Tablets Of the Divine Plan issued His mandate to the community which He Himself had raised up, trained and nurtured, a Plan that must in the years to come enable its members to difiuse t the light, and erect the administrative fabric, of the Faith throughout the five continents Of the globe.

The moment had now arrived for that undying, that world—Vitalizing Spirit that was born in Shíráz, that had been rekindled in Tihran, that had been fanned into flame in Baghdad and Adrianople, that had been carried to the West, and was now illuminating the fringes of five continents, t0 incarnate itselfin institutions designed to canalize its outspreading energies and stimulate its growth. The Age that had witnessed the birth and rise of the Faith had now closed. The Heroic, the Apostolic Age Of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah, that primitive period in which its Founders had lived, in which its life had been generated, in which its greatest heroes had struggled and quafied the cup of martyrdom, and its pristine foundations been established—a period whose splendours n0 Victories in this or any future age, however brilliant, can rivalflhad now terminated with the passing of One Whose mission may be regarded as the link binding the Age in which the

THE Bahá’í WORLD

seed of the newborn Message had been incubating and those which are destined to witness its efliorescence and ultimate fruition.

The Formative Period, the Iron Age, of that Dispensation was now beginning, the Age in which the institutions, local, national and international, of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh were to take shape, develop and become fully consolidated, in anticipation of the third, the last, the Golden Age destined to witness the emergence of a world-embracing Order enshrining the ultimate fruit of God’s latest Revelation to mankind, a fruit whose maturity must signalize the establishment of a world civilization and the formal inauguration of the Kingdom of the Father upon earth as promised by Jesus Christ Himself.

To this World Order the Báb Himself had, whilst a prisoner in the mountain fastnesses of A_d_hirbayjan, explicitly referred in His Persian Bayan, the Mother-Book of the Bábi Dispensation, had announced its advent, and associated it with the name of Bahá’u’lláh, Whose Mission He Himself had heralded. “Well is it with Him,” is His remarkable statement in the sixteenth chapter of the third Véhid, “who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of Bahd’zz’lla’h, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord! For He will assuredly be made manifest. . .” To this same Order Bahá’u’lláh Who, in a later period, revealed the laws and principles that must govern the operation of that Order, had thus referred in the Kitcib-i—Aqdas, the Mother-Book of His Dispensation: “The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of'this Most Great Order. Mankind’s‘ ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous S ystem, the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.” Its features ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, its great Architect, delineated in His Will and Testament, whilst the foundations of its rudimentary institutions are now being laid after Him by His Followers in the East and in the West in this, the Formative Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation. (God Passes By,ch.xx,xx1, XXII.)

[Page 133]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

133

5. THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

A. By SHOGHI EFFENDI

THE last twenty-three years of the first Bahá’í century may thus be regarded as the initial stage of the Formative Period of the Faith, an Age of Transition to be identified with the rise and establishment of the Administrative Order, upon which the institutions of the future Bahá’í World Commonwealth must needs be ultimately erected in the Golden Age that must witness the consummation of the Bahá’í Dispensation. The Charter which called into being, outlined the features and set in motion the processes of, this Administrative Order is none other than the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His greatest legacy to posterity, the brightest emanation of His mind and the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages which constitute the component parts of His Father’s Dispensation. The Covenant of Baha’u’llah had been instituted solely through the direct operation of His Will and purpose. The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, on the other hand, may be regarded as the offspring resulting from that mystic intercourse between Him Who had generated the forces of a God-given Faith and the One Who had been made its sole Interpreter and was recognized as its perfect Exemplar. The creative energies unleashed by the Originator of the Law of God in this age gave birth, through their impact upon the mind of Him Who had been chosen as its unerring Expounder, to that Instrument, the vast implications of which the present generation, even after the lapse of twenty-three years,1 is still incapable of fully apprehending. This Instrument can, if we would correctly appraise it, no more be divorced from the One Who provided the motivating impulse for its creation than from Him Who directly conceived it. The purpose of the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation had, as already observed, been so thoroughly infused into the mind of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and His Spirit had so profoundly impregnated His being, and their aims and motives been so completely blended, that to dissociate the doctrine laid down by the former from the supreme act associated with the mission of the latter would

1 Writtenin 1944.

be tantamount to a repudiation of one of the most fundamental verities of the Faith.

The Administrative Order which this historic Document has established, it should be noted, is, by virtue of its origin and character, unique in the annals of the world’s religious systems. No Prophet before Baha’u’llah, it can be confidently asserted, not even Muhammad Whose Book clearly lays down the laws and ordinances of the Islamic Dispensation, has established, authoritatively and in writing, anything comparable to the Administrative Order which the authorized Interpreter of Baha’u’llah’s teachings has instituted, an Order which, by virtue of the administrative principles which its Author has formulated, the institutions He has established, and the right of interpretation with which He has invested its Guardian, must and will, in a manner unparalleled in any previous religion, safeguard from schism the Faith from which it has sprung. Nor is the principle governing its operation similar to that which underlies any system, whether theocratic or otherwise, which the minds of men have devised for the government of human institutions. Neither in theory nor in practice can the Administrative Order of the Faith of Baha’u’llah be said to conform to any type of democratic government, to any system of autocracy, to any purely aristocratic order, or to any of the various theocracies, whether Jewish, Christian or Islamic which mankind has witnessed in the past. It incorporates within its structure certain elements which are to be found in each of the three recognized forms of secular government, is devoid of the defects which each of them inherently possesses, and blends the salutary truths which each undoubtedly contains without vitiating in any way the integrity of the Divine verities on which it is essentially founded. The hereditary authority which the Guardian of the Administrative Order is called upon to exercise, and the right of the interpretation of the Holy Writ solely conferred upon him; the powers and prerogatives of the Universal House of J ustice, possessing the exclusive right to legislate on matters not explicitly revealed in the Most Holy Book; the ordinance

[Page 134]134

exempting its members from any responsibility to those whom they represent, and from the obligation to conform to their views, convictions, or sentiments; the specific provisions requiring the free and democratic election by the mass of the faithful of the Body that constitutes the sole legislative organ in the worldwide Bahá’í community—these are among the features which combine to set apart the Order identified with the Revelation of Baha’u’llah from any of the existing systems of human government. . .

The Document establishing that Order, the Charter of a future world civilization, which may be regarded in some of its features as supplementary to no less weighty a Book than the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; signed and sealed by‘Abdu’l-Bahá; entirely written with His own hand; its first section composed during one of the darkest periods of His incarceration in the prisonfortress of ‘Akká, proclaims, categorically and unequivocally, the fundamental beliefs of the followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh; reveals, in unmistakable language, the twofold character of the Mission of the Báb; discloses the full station of the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation; asserts that “all others are servants unto Him and do His bidding” ; stresses the importance of the Kitáb-i—Aqdas; establishes the institution of the Guardianship as a hereditary office and outlines its essential functions; provides the measures for the election of the International House of Justice, defines its scope and sets forth its relationship to that Institution; prescribes the obligations, and emphasizes the responsibilities, of the Hands of the Cause of God; and extolls the virtues of the indestructible Covenant established by Bahá’u’lláh. That Document, furthermore, lauds the courage and constancy of the supporters of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant; expatiates on the sufferings endured by its appointed Centre; recalls the infamous conduct of Mirzá Yaḥyá and his failure to heed the warnings of the Báb; exposes, in a series of indictments, the perfidy and rebellion of Mirza

THE BAHA’J’ WORLD

Muhammad-‘Ali, and the complicity of his son Shu‘é‘u’lláh and of his brother Mirza Badi‘u’lláh; reaffirms their excommunication, and predicts the frustration of all their hopes; summons the Afnan (the Báb’s kindred), the Hands of the Cause and the entire company of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh to arise unitedly to propagate His Faith, to disperse far and wide, to labour tirelessly and to follow the heroic example of the Apostles of Jesus Christ; warns them against the dangers of association with the Covenant-breakers, and bids them shield the Cause from the assaults of the insincere and the hypocrite; and counsels them to demonstrate by their conduct the universality of the Faith they have espoused, and vindicate its high principles. In that same Document its Author reveals the significance and purpose of the Huqt'lqu’lláh (Right of God), already instituted in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; enjoins submission and fidelity towards all monarchs who are just; expresses His longing for martyrdom, and voices His prayers for the repentance as well as the forgiveness of His enemies.

Obedient to the summons issued by the Author of so momentous a Document; conscious of their high calling; galvanized into action by the shock sustained through the unexpected and sudden removal of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; guided by the Plan which He, the Architect of the Administrative Order, had entrusted to their hands; undeterred by the attacks directed against it by betrayers and enemies, jealous of its gathering strength and blind to its unique significance, the members of the widely-scattered Bahá’í communities, in both the East and the West, arose with clear vision and inflexible determination to inaugurate the Formative Period of their Faith by laying the foundations of that world—embracing Administrative system designed to evolve into a World Order which posterity must acclaim as the promise and crowning glory of all the Dispensations of the past. (God Passes By, ch. XXII.)

[Page 135]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

135

THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA B. By H. M. BALYUZI

‘ABDU’L-BAHA wrote His Will and Testament, which is in three parts, at different times during the seven-year period (1901—1908) of His incarceration within the city walls of‘Akká. Characterized by the Guardian of the Faith as ‘this supreme, this infallible Organ for the accomplishment of a Divine Purpose’, and as ‘an Instrument which may be viewed as the Charter of the New World Order which is at once the glory and the promise of this most great Dispensation’, the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is manifestly a document of momentous and incalculable significance.

It is not proposed here to scrutinize it closely. Much has been, much will be written in an effort to elucidate its far-reaching implications, for it is the founding Charter of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh—the ‘nucleus’ and ‘very pattern’ of the Order ‘destined to embrace in the fullness of time the whole of mankind’. In this document ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘unveiled’ the character of the Administrative Order of the Faith, ‘reafiirmed its basis, supplemented its principles, asserted its indispensability, and enumerated its chief institutions’.

But there are three provisions of the Will which must be mentioned here, for through them ‘Abdu’l-Bahá created infallible protection for the Cause of Baha’u’llah after His passing. Briefly, He appointed His successor, defended him from any possible challenge, and defined the means by which the Universal House of Justice, the supreme body instituted by Baha’u’llah, should come into being.

The Will opens with this majestic passage:

All praise to Him Who, by the Shield of His C o venant, hath guarded the Temple o/‘H is C ause ft'om the darts Of doubtfulness, Who by the Hosts of'His Testament hath preserved the Sanctuary of H is Most Beneficent Law and protected His Straight and Luminous Path, staying thereby the onslaught of the company of Covenant-breakers, that have threatened to subvert His Divine Edifice; Who hath watched over His Mighty Stronghold and All-glorious Faith, through the aid ofmen whom the slander Of the slanderer affect not, whom no earthly calling,

glory, and power can turn aside from the C ovenant of God and His Testament, established firmly by H is clear and manifest words, writ and revealed by His All-Glorious Pen and recorded in the Preserved Tablet.

Salutation and praise, blessing and glory rest upon that primal branch of the Divine and Sacred Lote-Tree, grown out, blest, tender, verdant, and flourishing from the Twin Holy frees,“ the most wondrous, unique, and priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the Twin surging seas; upon the oflshoots Ofthe Tree of Holiness, the twigs of the C elestial Tree, they that in the Day of the Great Dividing have stood fast and firm in the C o venant; upon the Hands ( pillars) of the C ause ofGoa' that have difl'usea’ widely the Divine Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proclaimed His Faith, published abroad His Law, detached themselves from all things but Him, stoadfbr righteousness in this world, and kindled the Fire of the Love of God in the very hearts and souls of His servants; upon them that have believed, rested assured, stood steadfast in His Covenant, and fbllowed the Light that after my passing shineth from the Dayspring of Divine Guidancefor behold! he is the blest and sacred bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees.l Well is it with him that seeketh the shelter ofhis shade that shadoweth all mankind.

Thus, at the very outset a succession was established and Bahá’ís knew to whom they had to turn. Later, in the first section of the Will and Testament, the successor was specifically named and his authority was elevated above that of all others:

O my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Agfisan (Branches),2 the A/han (Twigs)3 of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God, and the loved ones of the Abhd Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Bahá’í—the youthful branch branched from the Two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees and the fruit grown from the union Ofthe T we ofishoots Of the Tree of'Holiness 1 A reference to Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, from both of

Whom Shoghi Effendi was descended. 2 Relatives of Bahá’u’lláh. 3 Relativesofthe Báb.

[Page 136]136

——as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the guardian of the C ause of God, he unto whom all the Ag_hsatt, the Afna'n, the Hands of the C ause of God, and His [0 ved ones must turn. . .

The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the C ause of God as well as the Universal House of Justice, to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abhd Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my ltfe be aflerea' up for them both).1 Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God. . . It is incumbent upon the House ofJustiee, upon all the members of the Agfisan, the Afna'n, the Hands of the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness, and subordination unto the guardian of the C ause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him. . .

It should be pondered that if the despotic ruler of the Ottoman Empire or any other adversary had terminated the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during the period in which the Will was written, the Head of the Faith would have been a child of about ten years of age. Shoghi Effendi was born in 1896.

Before specifically naming Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Cause of God, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá related the story of Mirzá Yaḥyá’s rebellion against Bahá’í’u’lléth,2 and then showed how and why His own half—brother Mirzá Muhammad-‘Ali, designated by Bahá’u’lláh in His Book of Testament as the Greater Branch, had forfeited his station and could not be the Head of the Faith:

O ye that stand fast and firm in the C ovenam! The C entre of Sedition, the Prime Mover of mischief, Mirza' Muhammad—‘Ali, hath passed out from under the shadow of the C ause, hath broken the C ovenant, hath falsified the Holy Text, hath inflicted a grievous loss upon the true Faith of God, hath scattered His people, hath with bitter rancour endeavoured to hurt ‘Abdu’l—Bahd, and hath assailed with the utmost enmity this servant of the Sacred Threshold. Every dart he seized and hurled to pierce the breast of this wronged servant, n0 wound did he neglect to grievously in ict upon me, no venom did he spare but he poisoned therewith the life of this hapless one.

1 These terms refer to Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, respectively.

2 Sec H. M. Balyuzi, Edward Granville Browne and The Bahá’í Faith, for a full account.

I

THE BAHA

9

I'WORLD

I swear by the most holy Abhd Beauty and by the Light shining from His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my soul be a sacrifice for their lowly servants), that because of this iniquity the dwell»ers in the Pavilion Of the Abhd Kingdom haw bewailea', the C elestial C oncourse is lamenting. . So grievous the deeds of this iniquitous person became that he struck with his axe at the root 0," the Blessed Tree, dealta heavy blow at the Temple of the C ause of God, deluged with tears afblaod the eyes of the loved ones of the Blessed Beauty. cheered and encouraged the enemies of the One True God, by his repudiation of the C ovenan: turned many a seeker after Truth aside from the Cause of God. revived the blighted hopes of Yahyd’sfollo wing, made himselfdetested, caused the enemies of the Greatest Name to become audacious and arrogant, put aside the firm am.’ conclusive verses, and sowed the seeds ofdoubt. Had not the promised aid of the Ancient Beaut) been graciously vouchsafed at every moment to this one, unworthy though he be, he surely woula have destroyed, nay exterminated, the C ause of God and utterly subverted the Divine Edifice. Bat, praised be the Lord, the triumphant assistance of the Abhá Kingdom was received, the hosts of the Realm above hastened to bestow victory. . . Now, that the true Faith oj’God may be shielded and protected, His Law guarded and preserved, and H is C ause remain safe and secure, it is incumbent upon everyone to holdfast unto the Text of the clear and firmly established blessed verse, revealed about him. . . He (Baha’u’lltih) sayeth, glorious and holy is His Ward: “M y fbolish loved ones have regarded him even as my partner, have kindled sedition in the lana and they verily are of the mischie/Lmakers.” C onsider, how fbolish are the people! They that have been in His (Bahá’u’lláh’s) Presence aha beheld His C ountenanee, have nevertheless noised abroadsueh idle talk, until, exalted be H is explici t words, He said: “Should he for a moment pass out from under the shadow of the C ause, he surely shall be brought to naught." Reflect! What stress He layeth upon one moment’s deviation: that is, were he to incline a hair’s breadth t0 the right or to the left, his deviation would be clearly established and his utter nothingness made manifest. . .

What deviation can be greater than breaking the C ovenant of God.’ What deviation can be greater than interpolating and falsifying the words and verses of the Sacred Text, even as testi [Page 137]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING 0F ‘ABDU’L—BAHA

fied and declared by Mirzd Badi‘u’lla’h! What deviation can be greater than calumniating the Centre of the Covenant himself! What deviation can be more glaring than spreading broadcast false and foolish reports touching the Temple of God’s Testament! What deviation can be more grievous than decreeing the death Ofthe Centre Ofthe Covenant. . .

‘Abdu’l-Bahá mentioned next the details of the intrigues Of Mirzá Muhammad-‘Ali and his associates, intrigues which had led to the dispatch of a Commission of Enquiry from Istanbul, and concluded:

The Committee of Investigation hath approved and confirmed these calumnies of my brother and ilI-wishers and submitted them to the presence of His Majesty the Sovereign. Now at this moment a fierce storm is raging around this prisoner who awaiteth, be it favourable or unfavourable, the gracious will of His Majesty, may the Lord aidhim by His grace to bejust. In whatsoever condition he may be, with absolute calm and quietness, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’ is ready for self sacrifice and is wholly resigned and submitted to His Will. What transgression can be more abominable, more odious, more wicked than this!

In like manner, the focal Centre ofhate, hath purposed to put ‘Abdu’l—Bahti to death and this is supported by the testimony written by Mirza' Shu‘a"u’lláh himselfand is here enclosed. . .

In short, O ye belo ved Of the Lord! The C entre ofSedition, Mirza Muhammad—‘Ali, in accordance with the decisive words of God and by reason of his boundless transgression, hath grievously fallen and been cut oflfrom the Holy Tree. Verily, we wronged them not, but they have wronged themselves!

Despite a thorough exposition of the evil deeds of the violators Of the Covenant, in the second part of the Will and Testament, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offered a prayer for them. “The breakers of the Covenant are consigned to the wrath of God, but for these same people, the contemptible enemies of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, there is only this’:

I call upon Thee, 0 Lord my God/ with my tongue and with all my heart, not to requite them for their cruelty and their wrong-doings, their craft and their mischief; for they are foolish and ignoble and know not what they do. They discern

137

not good from evil, neither do they distinguish rightfrom wrong, nor justice from injustice. They follow their own desires and walk 1n the footsteps of the most imperfect and foolish amongst them. O my Lord! Have mercy upon them, shield them from all afflictions in these troubled times and grant that all trials and hardships may be the lot of this Thy servant that hath fallen into this darksome pit. Single me out for every woe and make me a sacrifice for all Thy loved ones. 0 Lord, Most High! May my soul, my life, my being, my spirit, my all be oflered up for them. O God, my God! Lowly, suppliant, and fallen upon my face, I beseech Thee with all the ardour of my invocation to pardon whosoever hath hurt me, forgive him that hath conspired against me and offended me, and wash away the misdeeds of them that have wrought injustice upon me. Vouchsafe unto them Thy goodly gifts, give them joy, relieve them from sorrow, grant them peace and prosperity, give them Thy bliss and pour upon them Thy bounty.

T hou art the Powerful, the Gracious, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting/

And that prayer is immediately followed by these words:

0 dearly beloved friends! I am now in very great danger and the hope of even an hour’s life is lost to me. I am thus constrained to write these lines for the protection of the Cause of God, the preservation of His Law, the safeguarding of His Word and the safety of His Teachings. By the Ancient Beauty! This wronged one hath in no wise borne nor doth he bear a grudge against any one; towara's none doth he entertain any illfeeling and uttereth no word save for the good of the world. My supreme obligation, however, of necessity, prompteth me to guard and preserve the Cause ofGoa'. . .

And this is the conclusion of the second part of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will, written, as the above words testify, at the height of crisis both for Himself and for the Cause of God:

O God, my God! I call Thee, Thy Prophets and Th y Messengers, Thy Saints and Thy Holy Ones, to witness that I have declared conclusively Thy Proofs unto Thy loved ones and set forth clearly all things unto them, that they may watch over Thy Faith, guard Thy Straight Path, and protect Thy Resplendent Law. Thou art, verily, the AllKno wing, the All— Wise!

[Page 138]138

It should be noted that the authority of the Universal House of Justice is not derived from the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. That authority was conferred by Bahá’u’lláh. But the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá clarified its station and instituted the electorate which would choose its members.

And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be elected by universal suflrage, that is, by the believers. Its members must be manifestations of the fear of God and day-springs of knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God’s faith and the well—wishers of all mankind. By this House is meant the Universal House of Justice, that is, in all countries, a secondary House of Justice must be instituted, and these secondary Houses of Justice must elect the members of the Universal one. Unto this body all things must be referred. It enacteth all ordinances and regulations that are not to be found in the explicit Holy Text. By this body all the dtficultproblems are to be resolved...

Just as provisions concerning the Guardian of the Faith are included in the three sections of the Will, so, too, the authority of the Universal House of J ustice is, in each part, asserted and underlined. The extract just quoted comes from the first part; here are extracts from parts two and three:

. . . Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of God himself. . .

. . . All must seek guidance and turn unto the Centre of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error.

The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá constitutes the “indissoluble link” between the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and the universal Order which it is the purpose of that Revelation to promote. It is the very Charter of that Order and compels the most persistent and earnest study of all who seek to understand the destiny of mankind in this age. In the words of the Guardian of the Faith, the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is “His greatest legacy to pos THEBAHA’iWORLD

59

terity mind”.

The counsel contained in these lines, from the first part of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Testament, illumines the way through centuries unborn:

and “the brightest emanation of His

O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God’s grace. It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness, and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds Of the world, be they friends or strangers. S0 intense must be the spirit of love and loving kindness, that the stranger may find himselfa friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them. For universality is of God and all limitations earthly. Thus man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone. The light of the sun shineth upon all the world and the merciful showers of Divine Providence fall upon all peoples. The vivifying breeze reviveth every living creature and all beings endued with life obtain their share and portion at His heavenly board. In like manner, the affections and loving kindness of the servants of the One True God must be bountifully and universally extended to all mankind. Regarding this, restrictions and limitations are in no wise permitted.

Wherefore, O my Iovingfriends/ Consort with all the peoples, kindreds, and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprighmess, faithfulness, kindliness, goodwill, and friendliness; that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Baha, that ignorance, enmity, hate, and rancour may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds Of the world may give way to the Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you show your fidelity unto them, should they be unjust toward you show justice towards them, should they keep aloof from you attract them to yourself; should they show their enmity be friendly towards them, should they poison your lives sweeten their souls, should they inflict a wound upon you be a salve to their sores. Such are the attributes of the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful! (From ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ch. 25; see p. 149.)

[Page 139]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA;

139

6. SIX BOOKS ABOUT ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

Reviewed by KAZEM KAZEMZADEH and FIRUZ KAZEMZADEH

NOT until fifty years after the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did there exist a work dealing fully, or even adequately, with His life. The reasons for this are easy to discern. The necessary documentary materials were not yet available, much research remained to be done in the sources preserved in the various archives on at least three continents. The available material is in several languages, including Persian and Arabic, which limits their use to a relatively small number of potential biographers. Moreover, the basic concern of Bahá’í writers over the years has been in spreading the Teachings of which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the Perfect Exemplar. Above all, it was the lack of perspective that doomed any attempt to write about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to greater or lesser failure. Shoghi Effendi has written that:

It would be indeed difficult for us, who stand so close to such a tremendous figure and are drawn by the mysterious power of so magnetic a personality, to obtain a clear and exact understanding of the role and character of One Who, not only in the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah but in the entire field of religious history, fulfils a unique function.1

The first attempt to write a full-length study of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. in English was made in 1903 by a New York lawyer, Myron H. Phelps, who had early become attracted to the Faith, visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Palestine, and studied the meagre literature then available in Western languages. Phelps lacked knowledge of Islam and knew neither Persian nor Arabic, as was pointed out in the rather ungracious preface to Phelps’ book written by the eminent Orientalist Edward G. Browne. Insufficient knowledge of the Faith and of its historical background led Phelps into a number of major and minor errors both of fact and of interpretation. However, his Life and Teachings of Abbas Effendi retains some interest to this day.

Phelps, like so many others, fell in love with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Even when understanding failed him, his heart saw the truth, and he reported it

1 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 111., 1965, p. 131.

as best he could. He gives us brief but memorable sketches of the Master:

A door opens and a man comes out. He is of middle stature, strongly built. He wears flowing light-coloured robes. On his head is a light bufi" fez with a white cloth wound about it. He is perhaps sixty years of age. His long grey hair rests on his shoulders. His forehead is broad, full, and high, his nose slightly aquiline, his moustaches and heard, the latter full though not heavy, nearly white. His eyes are grey and blue, large, and both soft and penetrating. His bearing is simple, but there is a grace, dignity, and even majesty about his movements. He passes through the crowd, and as he goes utters words of salutation, We do not understand them, but we see the benignity and the kindliness of his countenance.2

Phelps tells of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s love of mankind, of His charity, of His tolerance, generosity, and unfailing kindness. We read of a poor Afghan who for years accepted without thanks food and clothing given by the Master until one day he came to the Master’s door and cried: “For twenty-four years I have done evil to you, for twenty-four years you have done good to me. Now I know that I have been in the wrong.”3 We read of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s refusing to take a private carriage and riding to Haifa in a stage-coach to the surprise of the driver. Upon arrival, while the Master was still in the coach, he was approached by a fisherwoman who had caught nothing that day and had to go home to a hungry family. “He gave her five francs, and turning to the stage-driver said: ‘You now see the reason why I would not take a private carriage. Why should I ride in luxury when so many are starving ?’ ”4

The most valuable portion of the book is the story of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s life told by His sister, Bahíyyih Khánum, known to the Bahá’ís as the Greatest Holy Leaf. Those eighty odd pages of narrative are the book’s marrow and its justification. Bahíyyih Khánum is simple and direct:

2 Myron H. Phelps, Life and Teachings of Abbas Effendi, Putnam’s, New York, 1904, p. 3. 3 ibid., p. 10. ‘ lbid.,pp. 10l—102.

[Page 140]140

“My brother, Abbas Effendi, now our Lord, was born in Teheran in the spring of 1844, at midnight following the day upon which, in the evening, the Báb made his declaration. I was born three years later. He was therefore eight and I five, when in August, 1852, the attempt was made upon the life of the Shah of Persia by a young Babi, who through ungoverned enthusiasm had lost his mental balance. The events following this attempt are vividly impressed upon my mind. My mother, Abbas Effendi, myself, and my younger brother, then a babe, were at the time in Teheran. My father was temporarily in the country.”1

When Phelps reports his own observations and impressions, they ring true. As a guide to the Teachings, however, he is quite unreliable. He claims, for instance, that “The body of doctrine which Beha’ism teaches, is not put forward in any sense or particular as new, but as a unification and synthesis of what is best and highest in all other religions.”2 Though the Bahá’í Faith unifies and fulfils the great religions of the past, it does not synthesize. Moreover, the very basis on which its openness to and its acceptance of other religions rests—the concepts of progressive revelation and of the relativity of religious truth—is strikingly novel. Today one would not read Phelps to understand the Bahá’í Faith, but one is still moved by the record of his encounter with the Master.

Howard Colby Ives, a onetime pastor of a Unitarian church in New Jersey, set himself a more modest task than Phelps and achieved a much greater success. Ives did not attempt a biography of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá or a detailed exposition of the Teachings. His is a tale of a personal search. A “modern” Christian, Howard Colby Ives had lost faith in many of the old certainties of his religion. He was not even certain that anyone could know the meaning of the words of Christ. In the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney on Riverside Drive in New York he heard ‘Abdu’l-Bahá interpret those words in a way which differed sharply from accepted doctrine. Sceptical and impatient with the Master’s assurance, he cried out, “That I cannot believe.” Ives expected a rebuke. Instead,

He looked at me a long moment before He spoke. His calm, beautiful eyes searched my soul with such love and understanding that all

1ibid., pp. 12—13. 2 ibid.,p. 144.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

my momentary heat evaporated. He smiled as winningly as a lover smiles upon his beloved, and the arms of His spirit seemed to embrace me as He said softly that I should try my wa) and He would try His.

It was as though a cool hand had been laid upon a fevered brow; as though a cup of nectar had been held to parched lips; as though a key had unlocked my hard-bolted, crusted and rusted heart. The tears started and my voice trembled, “I’m sorry,” I murmured.3

Ives understood then that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to the soul. His logic was not the logic: of the schoolman, “. . . His slightest association with a soul was shot through with an illuminating radiance which lifted the hearer to a higher plane of consciousness.”4

Daily ‘Abdu’l-Bahá demonstrated to this new-found disciple the all-encompassing nature. of His love. The Master lived among men, yet He transcended their limitations and rose far above their prejudices. In America where the rot of racism had eaten deep even into man’s subconscious, He taught lessons of unity. A group of boys from the Bowery came to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The last youngster to enter the room was about thirteen years old.

He was quite dark and, being the only boy of his race among them, he evidently feared that he might not be welcome. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. saw him His face lighted up with a heavenly smile. He raised His hand with a gesture of princely welcome and exclaimed in a loud voice so that none could fail to hear; that here was a black rose.

This significant incident had given to the whole occasion a new complexion. The atmosphere of the room seemed now charged with subtle vibrations felt by every soul. . . To the few of the friends in the room the scene brought visions of a new world in which every soul would be recognized and treated as a child 01 God.5

Gradually Ives himself underwent a transformation. The Master challenged him to rise above his limitations and to follow Him in the service of God and humanity. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá a1 a wedding, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá speaking of peace in a Unitarian Church, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá travelling: coast to coast, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá patiently listening

3 Howard Colby Ives, Portals to Freedom, George Ronald, London, 1962, p. 37. 4 ibid., p. 39. 5 ibid., pp. 65—66.

[Page 141]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

to others—and in His every word, His every gesture a profound lesson. Ives was beginning to reflect the spirit of love and servitude. He discovered in himself a strength of which he had not even been aware.

When one sees with his own eyes human souls awakened, hearts touched with a divine afliatus, lives deeply affected . . . by the Words taken from the prayers and explanations of these Divine Ones, and applied like a soothing ointment to the wounds of the soul, to doubt the Spirit from which they emanated would have been to doubt all the prophets of the past; would have been to cast discredit on the Sermon on the Mount. . . “Ifthis is not of God,” I said to myself, “then there is no foundation for faith in God. I would rather be wrong with this great Faith than seemingly right with all the doubters and cavillers in the world.” From the very depths of my being there came the cry as uttered by the firm believers of old: “My Lord and my God !”1

Portals to Freedom “covers” a minute segment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s life. It recounts some fascinating stories and anecdotes of the days the Master spent on the East coast. The value of the book, however, lies not in what it chronicles but in what it points to: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, emerging from forty years of prison and exile, a victim of bigotry and despotism, opening to a Unitarian minister from New Jersey the portals to freedom.

Mirza Mahmud-i-Zarqani, a learned Persian gentleman who accompanied ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on His historic travels in Europe and America, left posterity a precious record in two large volumes that constitute a full chronicle. Mirza Mahmud was well prepared for his task. He had travelled and taught in the company of one of the greatest teachers of the Faith, Haji Mirza Haydar ‘Ali. On ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s request he Visited India, learned Urdu, and was admired for his learning as Ḥakím Mahmud—iIréni. Later the Master invited him to join the small group of secretaries and interpreters who accompanied ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on His Western travels. Mirza Mahmud kept copious notes, recording everything he saw and heard. Upon returning to Haifa, he was urged by Haji

1ibid.,pp.23o—231.

141

Mirza Haydar ‘Ali to rework his notes into a book. The result was the Baddyi‘u’l-Afidr (The Wondrous Annals). The first volume was published in Bombay in 1914, the second in 1921.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá came to America on the invitation of the American Bahá’ís. Arriving in New York in April 1912, he visited Washington, DC, and many other cities, among them Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He sailed from New York aboard the C eltic on December 5. In Britain he visited Liverpool, London, Bristol. On the continent he stopped in Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Stuttgart, and Marseilles. Mirza Mahmud was present at most of the meetings, parties, interviews, dinners and private conversations. His notes contain the texts of entire speeches taken down verbatim and later read and approved by the Master. Thus the book has exceptional value. Having been authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself, it transcends the category of private memoirs and enters the realm of Bahá’í literature as a primary source of first importance.

Baddyi‘u’I-A’mr is a chronicle. (Some excerpts from it have long circulated among American Bahá’ís under the title of “Mahmfid’s Diary”.) It does not analyse—it reports, faithfully and in detail. The very nature of a chronicle makes a summary impossible. Every day brings a new episode, often seemingly unconnected with the previous ones, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His entourage travel the length and breadth of the continent.

In New Jersey a clergyman asked Him to write a few words in an album. He obliged and penned a beautiful prayer which Mirza Mahmtfid instantly copied. At Stanford University He spoke to nearly two thousand students and faculty and received a standing ovation. In Nebraska He visited the wife of William Jennings Bryan, the latter being absent, campaigning for Woodrow Wilson. On another occasion ‘Abdu’l-Bahá commented on presidential elections, saying that the man worthy of the presidency should have no ambition to surpass others but should rather feel that he has no strength to carry such a great burden. If the purpose of the office is the good of the public, the president ought to be an altruist; and, if he is an egoist, his election is harmful to the nation.

At Ella Cooper’s home in Oakland, He re [Page 142]142

minisced about the days of Baghdad and said that, when Bahá’u’lláh disappeared one day (retreating into the Kurdish mountains) a certain Aqa Abu’l-Qásim-i-Hamadéni, a fellow exile, also disappeared. Later he was robbed and killed by some horsemen on the road. The news reached Baghdad. When his will was read, it was discovered that he had bequeathed his worldly possessions to a Darvim Muhammad. Those who knew how close Abu’l-Qásim had been to Baha’u’llah concluded that Darvish Muhammad must be Bahá’u’lláh and that He must be somewhere in the area of Sulaymaniyyih. Friends were sent to seek out Baha’u’llah and beg Him to return to Baghdad.

Once, seeing a man selling college pennants, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked for the banner of universal peace so that the world could march under it.

Shortly before He departed from the United States, a number of Bahá’ís in New York brought ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gifts of jewels for His family. Previously He had refused all presents. Now, however, He expressed His gratitude. “You have brought presents for members of my household. These are most acceptable. But

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís ofPapua and New Guinea, Riḍván, 1969. Miss Violet Hohnke, Of

the Australasian Auxiliary Board, is

THE Bahá’í WORLD

better than these are the gifts of divine love which are preserved in the treasuries of the hearts.” Jewels, He continued, must be put in boxes on shelves and will eventually be scattered. The gifts of love will remain, and it is these that He will take back to His family. His household had no use for diamond rings and rubies. He had accepted the gifts but would leave the jewels in America to be sold and the money to be given for the construction of the temple in Chicago. When the friends continued to insist that He take the jewels to His family He said that He wanted a gift “that would remain in the world of the eternal and a jewel that has to do with the treasury of the hearts. It is better thus.”l

In Paris while speaking of world peace, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’. said that every good action must be motivated by a spiritual force. Mere knowledge of good and evil is insufficient. One may know the good but be dominated by passion or? self—interest and do evil. When the representatives of the various nations met at the Hague

1 Mahmi’id-i-Zarqani, Baddyi‘u'l-A'fia’r, 2 vols. (Bombay, 1914, 1921), I, 397.

National Spiritual Assembliesformed Ridvc'm 1969

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s ofBurundi and Rwanda, Riḍván, 1969.

[Page 143]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSlNG OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

and made speeches about peace, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá compared them to wine merchants who talk about the evils of drinking and go on selling wine.

Everywhere ‘Abdu’l-Bahá met numbers of famous people, including Theodore Roosevelt, Andrew Carnegie and Alexander Graham Bell. He also met three outstanding Orientalists, Edward G. Browne, Ignatius Goldziher and Arminius Vambery.

From Mirza Mahmud’s unhurried narrative there emerges the panorama of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's triumphal tour of the West. Here indeed is a rich record of that annus mirabilis when the Bahá’í Faith made its first impact upon the Christian world. No future historian will be able to ignore T/ze Wondrous Annals. One may only wish that they might appear in a good English translation before long.

Habib Mu’ayyad came to Haifa in 1907 and stayed there and in Beirut for several years. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent him to medical school and took personal interest in his progress. Living close to the Master, Dr. Mu’ayyad felt the daily rhythms of His life, noted down details of His activities, and recorded the comings and goings of pilgrims, visitors, and guests. More personal and less systematic than Mirza Mahmud’s great chronicle, Habib’s Memoirs are full of fascinating observations.

He describes the construction of the Eastern pilgrims’ house on Mt. Carmel and tells of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s solicitude for the comfort of the guests. He reports meeting the outstanding Bahá’í teachers, the scholarly Mirzá Abu’l Fadl, and the angelic Haji Mirzá Haydar 'Ali. He tells how food was prepared for the pi]grims and how the Master ate with them.

The pilgrims played an important role in the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, especially after the Turkish revolution of 1908, when restrictions were removed and the Bahá’í world gained a relatively free access to ‘Akká and Haifa. All pilgrims and visitors, Dr. Mu’ayyad writes, asked questions but no two questions were alike. Some visitors were materialists, others religious bigots. Some were aflame with patriotism, others were proponents of the brotherhood of man. Some were Asian, others European. Some spoke of women’s liberation, others defended female slavery and polygamy. Some spoke of the proletariat and communism, some

143

of literature and poetry, some of the hadith,l some of history and philosophy. Arabs talked of Arab independence. Jews talked of the future of Palestine. Hundreds of persons laid before Him their problems. All left satisfied, full of love and joy, their tongues praising Him.

The poor could always count on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s help. He gave even to professional beggars whom He knew by name. Frequently He left His house alone early in the morning to visit the poor in their homes. Dr. Mu’ayyad here repeated the story of the Afghan whom the Master befriended and who remained hostile for a long time but was finally won over.

Dr. Mu’ayyad reports ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s conversations with visitors and with His entourage. Long before World War I the Master told a group of pilgrims of Jewish background that the Jews would soon return to the Holy Land and would become a great people, envied by friend and foe alike. Such was the will of God and nothingcould prevent this from happening. Palestine would become a centre of science and industry, ‘Akká and Haifa would grow into a single metropolis, and the desert itself would bloom.a

As a medical doctor, Mu’ayyad was much interested in the Master‘s physical well-being, noting carefully His eating and working habits, and on one occasion giving ‘Abdu’l-Bahá a physical examination. The Master slept little and ate sparingly. His food consisting largely of bread, milk, cheese and herbs. Frequently He remained awake late at night, chanting in a low voice. Listening outside the Master’s room, the young doctor could make out only the words “O my God and my Beloved”, which were repeated again and again.“ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s health was exceptionally good for a man of His age and background. Years of prison, exile, and superhuman work had not sapped His strength, It is strange and thrillingtoread Dr. Mu’ayyad’s matter-of-fact clinical report and to learn that the Master’s hair was abundant and His eyes were so good that He seldom used eyeglasses. In spite of rather frequent head colds, His nose, throat, and ears were free of pathological changes‘ His teeth had no cavities, the heart and lungs were normal, as were His nervous reflexes. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá complained of occasional low 1 Muslimtraditions.

2 Habib-i-Mu’ayyad, [flta'lirdr-i-Hablb (Ṭihrán: ll8

B.E.), p. 53. 3 ibid.,p. 131.

[Page 144]144 THEBAHA’iWORLD

National Spiritual

Assembliesformed Ridvc'm 1970

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís ofBotswana (formerly Bechuanaland), Riḍván, 1970; one member absent.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s of Dahomey, Togo (1nd Niger, Riḍván, 1970. The Hand of the Cause Jaldl K_hdzelt is seen in the centre. Fourth from the right is Mr. Bahman deigza'dih of the Northwestern A friean Auxiliary Board.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís othana, Riḍván, 1970. The Hand of the C ause Jalcil Khdzeh is seen seated in the centre.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Guyana, Surinam and In French Guiana, Riḍván, 1970.

[Page 145]ANNIVERSARY or THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

fevers but believed that these were caused by news of troubles in the Bahá’í community. A bit of good news would quickly bring His temperature to normal.

However, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s physical strength and stamina were as nothing compared to the strength of His character and will. When the enemies plotted His downfall in 1908 and His life was in immediate danger, an opportunity presented itself to leave ‘Akká aboard an Italian ship. Such a course of action was advocated by a group of friends who had consulted on the subject. Having heard them out, the Master replied: “No. This would not be good for the Cause of God.” He refused to flee in the face of danger, thereby reaffirming His innocence of the wrongdoings of which His enemies had accused Him.1

Like Habib Mu’ayyad, Yunis Khan-iAfrufltih came to ‘Akká as a young man. The trip from Persia was long and the route circuitous, taking him through Baku in Russian Aflirbayjan, Batumi on the Black Sea in Georgia, Constantinople, and Alexandria. From 1900 to 1904 he served ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as a translator and then, again like Mu‘ayyad, was sent by the Master to study medicine in Beirut. Having become a doctor and travelled in Europe, he returned to Persia, his nine years of proximity to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá forever engraved on his memory.

His K_hdjirdt-i-Nulz-Sa'li/Iy—i—‘Akká (Memories of Nine Years in ‘Akká) are outstanding. Though not as rich a collection of facts as Mirza Mahmud’s annals, nor as personal as Howard Colby Ives’ confession, they surpass both in the power of observation, acuteness of analysis, and, most important, quality of expression. Yunis Khan was a born writer whose art was formed under the influence of the Persian classics. Snatches of Hafiz, echoes of Rumi, add a literary dimension and grace absent from the writings of the others. Yet his style is free of that bane of modern Persian literature—imitativeness. The voice is cultivated but

the song is fresh, the language almost collo— ’

quial and always vigorous and direct.

In YUnis Khan’s memoirs, as in Mu’ayyad’s, one reads of the coming of pilgrims, among them the distinguished French orientalist Hippolyte Dreyfus, Lua Getsinger, and Edith Sanderson. Yt'mis Khán was present when

1 ibid., p. 153.

145

‘Abdu’l-Bahá resolved a number of problems posed to Him by Laura Clifford Barney. The Master’s casual discourses were later published as Some Answered Questions, a book that has become a basic Bahá’í text.

The efiect of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the Visitors, Yl’mis flan writes, was related to their own personalities, and the degree of their own spiritual development. The Master was the Sea, and those who immersed themselves received the most. The Sea was never the same. At times It was agitated and full of waves, at other times It was tranquil. True believers did not have to press for answers. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered their unasked questions and solved their unstated problems. Finally there were those who had reached the station exemplified by an illumined soul in a story: They asked a gnostic (a'riI), “What do you desire of God ?” He replied, “I desire of God that I might desire nothing.”2 But whether asked or not, the Master constantly taught the virtues of tolerance, forbearance, and love. The Bahá’ís must not return evil for evil but must shower love on all.

With great evocative power Yunis Khan describes a mournful procession marching to the shrine of Baha’u’llah on a November day to commemorate the passing of God’s Messenger. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked at the head, followed by the Bahá’ís, each carrying a lighted candle and a vial of rose perfume. At the shrine they sprinkled the perfume among the flowers, set the candles in the ground, and stood still while ‘Abdu’l-Bahá chanted the Tablet Of Visitation.

As a medical doctor, Yunis K_hén, like Mu’ayyad, records his observations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s physical condition. His findings are almost identical with those of Mu’ayyad, who was to examine the Master several years later. Again like Mu’ayyad, Yunis Khán reports that the Master worked long hours, slept little, and ate sparingly (mostly bread, olives, cheese, and seldom meat).

Life at ‘Akká and Haifa in the reign of ‘Abdu’l—Hamid was full of tension and danger. Palestine was a tinder box. Tribes fought each other. Crime was rampant. The streets of ‘Akká were too narrow for bandits to roam free, but in Haifa they were a constant threat. Shots were heard every night but murderers were never apprehended. Whenever ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in

2 Yfinis khan-i—Afrukhtih, Kira'b-i—Lha’tirdt—i—NuhSa'lihy-i—‘Akká' (Ṭihrán: 109 B.E.), pp. 256—257.

[Page 146]146 THE BAHA’iWORLD

(Above) The inaugural Convention for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís ofMalawi, Riḍván, 1970. The Hand of the Cause Paul E. Haney is seen seated in the centre of the second row.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Near East, Riḍván, 1970.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Samoa, Riḍván, 1970.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s of Tonga and the Cook Islands, Riḍván, 1970.

[Page 147]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

Haifa, the Bahá’ís feared for His life and watched His movements. Frequently He went to visit the poor alone at night, refusing an escort or even a lantern-carrier. However, at a distance a Bahá’í would secretly watch His progress to the very door of His house.

One night it was Yt'mis K_hén’s turn to follow the Master. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was returning home past midnight when in the dark three shots rang out from a side street. Having become inured to the sound of gunfire, Yt’mis K__han paid no attention to the first shot. The flash of the second shot sent him running toward the Master. He had reached the intersection when the third shot was fired and saw two men running away. He was now no more than a step behind the Master. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked on without changing His pace or turning His head. His tread was firm and dignified. He had paid no attention to what had occurred but quietly murmured prayers as He walked. At the gate of His house He acknowledged Yt'lnis Qan’s presence, turning to him and bidding him goodbye (“ ama’ni’lláh”—under God’s protection).l

1ibid., p. 166.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í's OfZafre (formerly C ongol Kinshasa), Riḍván, 1970.

147

If ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s life was in danger, so were the lives of uncounted thousands of Baha’u’llah’s followers in Persia. In the years after the Persian revolution of 1906 both the Constitutionalists and the reactionaries courted and attacked the Bahá’ís simultaneously. Each realized that the Bahá’ís were potentially a significant force, yet each knew that religious fanaticism could be easily evoked against them. When the Bahá’ís refused to serve either, both groups turned against them. The reactionaries claimed that the Bahá’ís advocated the establishment of a republic, while the Constitutionalists accused them of favouring despotism. The massacre of 1903 in Yazd was still fresh in all memories. One can imagine how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá felt, contemplating the possibility of both sides uniting against the Bahá’ís and exterminating the entire community. It was under such circumstances, Yt’mis Khán reports, that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá insistently urged the Bahá’ís to stay out of politics, abstaining even from opening their lips on subjects that agitated the nation.2 His position may have been mis 2 ibid., pp. 532—533.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Upper West A frica, Riḍván,

' «A

[Page 148]148 THE Bahá’í WORLD

National Spiritual

Assembliesformed Ridvc’m 1971

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s of the Central African Republic, Riḍván, 1971.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chad, Riḍván, 1971.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon, Riḍván, 1971; one member absent. The Hand of the Cause

‘A Ii-Muhammad Varqd is seen seated second from the right. Seated third from the right is Mr. Olora Epyeru Of the Continental Board of C ounsellors in Central and East Africa.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Lesotho (formerly Basutoland), Riḍván, 1971 .

[Page 149]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

understood by E. G. Browne, who criticized the uninvolvement of the Bahá’ís in Persian politics, but it saved countless lives, and perhaps prolonged the life of the Constitutional movement by dissociating it from the Bahá’í Faith.

“How poor is the world’s workshop of words,” complained a Russian poet. "Where does one find the fitting ones ?” Myron Phelps, looking at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá across an ocean which stands for more than geographic distance; Howard Colby lves, finding personal rebirth in the service of the Servant; Mirzá Mahmud-iZarqani systematically recording the details of the Master’s journeys; Habib-i-Mu'ayyad and YL’lnis flan-i-Afrukjtih, young physicians privileged to listen to His heartbeat—they all tried their best to capture ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for posterity, but He would not be captured. In these profiles, in the long and short accounts, in chronicles and personal memoirs He remains forever the Mystery of God.

One can imagine few tasks as difficult as that of writing a biography of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. His life was long, active, varied, tense, dangerous, full of pain and joy. No one was closer to Baha’u’llah, and no one paid so high a price for his devotion. Paradox was part of His daily existence. He loved all men indiscriminately, yet had to suffer hatred and ingratitude. He travelled four continents, yet spent most of His life as a prisoner and an exile. He was the incarnation of kindness and humility, but also of majesty and power. His disciples called Him the Master, yet He wanted no other title than ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Servant of Baha) and prayed for grace to serve man, for selfiessness and for martyrdom in God’s path.

Now, fifty years after His passing, Mr. Hasan

M. Balyuzi in his ‘Abdu’l—Ba/zci: The Centre of

the Covenant of Bahti’u’llah (George Ronald, London, 1971) has achieved a large measure of success.

It must be stated at the outset that Mr. Balyuzi’s achievement is not unqualified. The writing is rather stiff and pale, with a number of stylistic infelicities that could have been eliminated by a good copy editor. The structure of the book is not fully satisfactory, for the first fifty years of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's life are covered in some fifty pages, while His eight months in America are allotted 168 pages. Indeed, the

149

book could have been subtitled “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. and the West”. There is little here about the progress of the Faith in the East and the Master‘s continuous involvement with Bahá’í communities in Burma, India, Persia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Ofcourse, the author is aware of the problem. He faces it squarely at the beginning as well as at the end of his book: “No description,” he writes, “can measure up to the theme of a life which transcended every barrier to its total fulfilment. It lies beyond the range of assessment because every event in the life of the Son of Bahá’u’lláh carries a major accent.”

Having registered one’s objections, one must admit immediately that they are minor, and the merits of Mr. Balyuzi’s book far outweigh its shortcomings. Despite the neglect of the first fifty years of His life, this is the most comprehensive, the richest, the most penetrating and the most scholarly life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá yet produced. N0 future biographer will be able to ignore it either as a source of factual information or of wise interpretation.

Mr. Balyuzi’s perceptions are clear, his judgements true, his love of the Master evident on every page. Shortsighted critics will cavil and accuse him of a lack of objectivity. If by objectivity is meant indifference, Mr. Balyuzi is guilty for he, as a Bahá’í, cannot be indifferent. If, however, objectivity is to be understood as honesty and fairness, he is scrupulously objective.

His work is not based on extensive research in archives and unpublished sources. It is rather a gathering and ordering of already available data. Mr. Balyuzi, however, deserves praise for the manner in which the data have been arranged. He uses several well known Persian sources inaccessible in the West. Those who read English will now learn many of the facts contained in the memoirs of Hájí Mirza Haydar ‘Ali’, Dr. YUnis Khan-i-Afrufltih, Dr. Habib-iMu’ayyad, and in the chronicle of Mirza Mahmud-i-Zarqani. In addition to these, Mr. Balyuzi uses extensively the Writings of‘Abdu’l-Bahá, themselves a veritable mine of biographical information, as well as the writings of Shoghi Effendi whose understanding and appreciation of the Master will never be equaled. Finally, he puts to excellent use the Star Ofthe West, the venerable predecessor of the American Bahá’í News.

[Page 150]150 THEBAHA’iWORLD

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’z'x of Ivory Coast, Mali and Upper Volta, Riḍván, 1971; one member absent. Seen seated in the centre is the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l—Bahd Ru’hz’yyih K_ha'num. Seated second from the left is Mr. Husayn Ardika'm’ Of the Continental Board of Counsellors in North—western A frica.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the ' Bahd’z's of the South West Paczfic ' Ocean, Riḍván, 1971.

\

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s of Trinidad and Tobago, Riḍván, 1971.

[Page 151]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING 0F ‘ABDU‘L-BAHA

The book consists of three parts, each subdivided into chapters. Part One, “Youth, Imprisonment, and Freedom”, is the most fascinating for it deals with the less known period of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s life. His greatness becomes palpable to the reader who observes the Master emerging from the shadow of Bahá’u’lláh after His passing in 1892. There follow the dark years of trial, embittered by conflict and betrayal within ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own family. Some Bahá’ís find the topic of the defection of Mirzá Muhammad-‘Ali, the brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, too painful for mention. Mr. Balyuzi does not shrink from recounting the latter’s malefactions. Painful as it may be, the existence of evil growing in the shadow of good must be exposed to view and allowed to teach its inexorable lessons.

The contents of Parts Two and Three, entitled respectively “America from Coast to Coast” and “Europe and the Closing Years”, are more familiar, though the chapters on the

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís Of the Arabian Peninsula, Riḍván, 1972; two members absent.

151

war years and the last years of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ministry contain some material unknown in the West.

It is impossible in a briefreview to convey the flavour of Mr. Balyuzi’s book. Absorbing from its first page, it holds one’s attention to the end. It tells many old stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. that the Bahá’ís love to hear again and again but adds several new ones. Whether familiar or not, each story provides a fresh insight into the character of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In some instances the author tantalizes the reader by referring to “another witness” and withholding the name. In other instances he records anecdotes he heard from the witnesses themselves, thus increasing the reader’s sense of the reality of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s presence.

Mr. Balyuzi’s book will be widely read and used as a text in Bahá’í study groups and summer schools and will occupy a place of honour in the growing literature on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

National Spiritual Assembliesformed Ridvc’m 1972

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís ofAfg/mnistan, Riḍván, 1972.

[Page 152]152

THE BAHA’iWORLD

7. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FORMATIVE AGE

BY SHOGHI EFFENDI

IN directing the attention of the Bahá’ís of the world 'to the significance of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá “an event which signalized at once the end of the Historic Age of our Faith, the opening of the Formative Age and the birth of the Administrative Order, the nucleus and pattern of the World Order of Bahát’u’llah”,1 the Universal House of Justice called upon all National Spiritual Assemblies “to formulate and implement plans designed to educate the friends everywhere in their understanding of the significance of the Formative Age of our Faith”, and “as an aid to this programme” distributed a compilation of extracts from the writings of Shoghi Effendi on this general theme, from which the following have been selected:

Out of the pangs of anguish which His bereaved followers have suffered, amid the heat and dust which the attacks launched by a sleepless enemy had precipitated, the Administration of Baha’u’llah’s invincible Faith was born. The potent energies released through the ascension of the Centre of His Covenant crystallized into this supreme, this infallible Organ for the accomplishment of a Divine Purpose. The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá unveiled its character, reaffirmed its basis, supplemented its principles, asserted its indispensability, and enumerated its chiefinstitutions.

“America and the Most Great Peace” —April 21, 1933 The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh—p. 89

With ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension, and more particularly with the passing of His wellbeloved and illustrious sister the Most Exalted Leaf—the last survivor of a glorious and heroic age—there draws to a close the first and most moving chapter of Bahá’í history, marking the conclusion of the Primitive, the Apostolic Age of the Faith of Baha’u’llah. It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Who, through the provisions of His weighty Willand Testament, has forged the vital link which must for ever connect the age that has just expired with the one we now live in 1 The Universal House of Justice, letter dated April 15, 1971.

the Transitional and Formative period of the Faith—a stage that must in the fullness of time reach its blossom and yield its fruit in the exploits and triumphs that are to herald the Golden Age of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. Dearly-beloved friends! The onrushing forces so miraculously released through the agency of two independent and swiftly successive Manifestations are now under our very eyes and through the care of the chosen stewards of a far-flung Faith being gradually mustered and disciplined. They are slowly crystallizing into institutions that will come to be regarded as the hall-mark and glory of the age we are called upon to establish and by our deeds immortalize. For upon our present-day efforts, and above all upon the extent to which we strive to remodel our lives after the pattern of sublime heroism associated with those gone before us, must depend the efficacy of the instruments we now fashion—instruments that must erect the structure of that blissful Commonwealth which must signalize the Golden Age of our Faith. “Dispensation of Baha’u’llah” —February 8, 1934 The World Order ofBahd’u’IIa'h—p. 98

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who incarnates an institution for which we can find no parallel whatsoever in any of the world’s recognized religious systems, may be said to have closed the Age to which He Himself belonged and opened the one in which we are now labouring. His Will and Testament should thus be regarded as the perpetual, the indissoluble link which the mind of Him Who is the Mystery of God has conceived in order to insure the continuity of the three ages that constitute the component parts of the Bahá’í Dispensation. The period in which the seed of the Faith had been slowly germinating is thus intertwined both with the one which must witness its effiorescence and the subsequent age in which that seed will have finally yielded its golden fruit.

I The creative energies released by the Law of Baha’u’llah, permeating and evolving within the mind of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, have, by their

[Page 153]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA 153

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), Riḍván, 1972.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iceland, Riḍván, 1972. The Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga is seen in the front row, centre.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahd’z's Of the Republic oflreland, Riḍván, 1972.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Malagasy Republic (Madagascar), Riḍván, 1972.

[Page 154]154

very impact and close interaction, given birth to an Instrument which may be viewed as the Charter of the New World Order which is at once the glory and the promise of this most great Dispensation. The Will may thus be acclaimed as the inevitable offspring resulting from that mystic intercourse between Him Who communicated the generating influence of His divine Purpose and the One Who was its vehicle and chosen recipient. Being the Child of the Covenant—the Heir of both the Originator and the Interpreter of the Law of God—the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá can no more be divorced from Him Who supplied the original and motivating impulse than from the One Who ultimately conceived it. Bahá’u’lláh’s inscrutable purpose, we must ever bear in mind, has been so thoroughly infused into the conduct of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and their motives have been so closely wedded together, that the mere attempt to dissociate the teachings of the former from any system which the ideal Exemplar of those same teachings has established would amount to a repudiation of one of the most sacred and basic truths of the Faith.

The Administrative Order, which ever since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension has evolved and is taking shape under our very eyes in no fewer than forty countries of the world, may be considered as the framework of the Will itself, the inviolable stronghold wherein this new-born child is being nurtured and developed. This Administrative Order, as it expands and consolidates itself, will no doubt manifest the potentialities and reveal the full implications of this momentous Document—this most remarkable expression of the Will of One of the most remarkable Figures of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh. It will, as its component parts, its organic institutions, begin to function with efficiency and vigour, assert its claim and demonstrate its capacity to be regarded not only as the nucleus but the very pattern of the New World Order destined to embrace in the fullness oftime the whole of mankind.

“Dispensation of Baha’u’llah" —February 8, 1934 The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh—pp. 143—144

Dearly—beloved friends: Though the Revelation of Baha’u’llah has been delivered, the World Order which such a Revelation must

THE Bahá’í WORLD

needs beget is as yet unborn. Though the Heroic Age of His Faith is passed, the creative energies which that Age has released have not as yet crystallized into that world society which, in the fullness of time, is to mirror forth the brightness of His glory. Though the framework of His Administrative Order has been erected, and the Formative Period of the Bahá’í Era has begun, yet the promised Kingdom into which the seed of His institutions must ripen remains as yet uninaugurated. . .

The heights, Baha’u’llah Himself testifies, which, through the most graciousfavour of God, mortal man can attain in this Day are as yet unrevealed to his sight. The world of'being hath never had, nor doth it yetpossess, the capacity for such a revelation. The day, however, is approaching when the potentialities of so great a favour will, by virtue oins behest, be manifested unto "78".

For the revelation of so great a favour a period of intense turmoil and wide-spread suffering would seem to be indispensable. Resplendent as has been the Age that has witnessed the inception of the Mission with which Baha’u’llah has been entrusted, the interval which must elapse ere that Age yields its choicest fruit must, it is becoming increasingly apparent, be overshadowed by such moral and social gloom as can alone prepare an unrepentant humanity for the prize she is destined to inherit.

As we view the world around us, we are compelled to observe the manifold evidences of that universal fermentation which, in every continent of the globe and in every department of human life, be it religious, social, economic or political, is purging and reshaping humanity in anticipation of the Day when the wholeness of the human race will have been recognized and its unity established. A two-fold process, however, can be distinguished, each tending, in its own way and with an accelerated momentum, to bring to a climax the forces that are transforming the face of our planet. The first is essentially an integrating process, while the second is fundamentally disruptive. The former, as it steadily evolves, unfolds a System which may well serve as a pattern for that world polity towards which a strangely-disordered world is continually advancing; while the latter, as its disintegrating influence deepens, tends to tear down, with increasing violence, the anti [Page 155]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA 155

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s of Nepal, Riḍván, 1972.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahd’z's Of the North West Paczfic Ocean, Riḍván, 1972. The Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone is seen in the back row, third from the left. A [so in the back row, first on the left, is the representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands, Mr. Katsugi Tamanaha.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Puerto Rico, Riḍván, 1972.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahd’z's ofRe'union, Riḍván, 1972.

[Page 156]156

quated barriers that seek to block humanity’s progress towards its destined goal. The constructive process stands associated with the nascent Faith of Baha’u’llah, and is the harbinger of the New World Order that Faith must erelong establish. The destructive forces that characterize the other should be identified with a civilization that has refused to answer to the expectation of a new age, and is consequently falling into chaos and decline.

A titanic, a spiritual struggle, unparalleled in its magnitude yet unspeakably glorious in its ultimate consequences, is being waged as a result of these opposing tendencies, in this age of transition through which the organized community of the followers ofBaha’u’llah and mankind as a whole are passing.

“The Unfoldment of World Civilization” —March 11, 1936 The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh—pp. 168—171

The first seventy—seven years of the preceding century, constituting the Apostolic and Heroic Age of our Faith, fell into three distinct epochs, of nine, of thirty-nine and of twenty-nine years’ duration, associated respectively with the Babi Dispensation and the ministries of Baha’u’llah and Of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This Primitive Age of the Bahá’í Era, unapproached in spiritual fecundity by any period associated with the mission of the Founder of any previous Dispensation, was impregnated, from its inception to its termination, with the creative energies generated through the advent of two independent Manifestations and the establishment of a Covenant unique in the spiritual annals of mankind.

The last twenty-three years of that same centurycoincided with the first epoch of the second, the Iron and FOrmative, Age of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah—the first of a series of

THE Bahá’í WORLD

epochs which must precede the inception of the last and Golden Age of that Dispensation—a Dispensation which, as the Author of the Faith has Himself categorically asserted, must extend over a period of no less than one thousand years, and which will constitute the first stage in a series of Dispensations, to be established by future Manifestations, all deriving their inspiration from the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation, and destined to last, in their aggregate, no less than five thousand centuries. . .

During this Formative Age of the Faith, and in the course of present and succeeding epochs, the last and crowning stage in the erection of the framework of the Administrative Order of the Faith of Baha’u’llah—the election of the Universal House of Justice—will have been completed, the Kitdb-i—Aqdas, the MotherBook of His Revelation, will have been codified and its laws promulgated, the Lesser Peace will have been established, the unity of mankind will have been achieved and its maturity attained, the Plan conceived by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will have been executed, the emancipation of the Faith from the fetters of religious orthodoxy will have been effected, and its independent religious status will have been universally recognized, whilst in the course of the Golden Age, destined to consummate the Dispensation itself, the banner of the Most Great Peace, promised by its Author, will have been unfurled, the World Bahá’í Commonwealth will have emerged in the plenitude of its power and splendour, and the birth and efflorescence of a world civilization, the child of that Peace, will have conferred its inestimable blessings upon all mankind.

“Challenging Requirements of the Present Hour”—June 5, 1947 Citadel ofFaith—pp. 5—6

[Page 157]ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA 157

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís owaanda, Riḍván, 1972. The Hand of the Cause Adelbert Mühlschlegel is seen in the front row, second from the right.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís ofSeychelles, Riḍván, 1972. The Hand Ofthe Cause Adelbert Mühlschlegel is seen seated in the centre. Mr. S. Appa Ofthe Continental Board of C ounsellors in Southern

A frica is seen to the right. In the back row, second from the left, is the representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Indian Ocean, Mr. P. Sauboorah.

DF SINGAPORE 23"

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í's ofSingapore, Riḍván, 1972. Seen seated in the front row, holding The Greatest Name, is the Hand of the Cause Jala’l K_hdzeh and (left to right) Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, A uxiliary Board member; Mr. K. Payman, Mr. Yan Kee Leong and Dr. Chellie Sundram, members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in South—eastem Asia.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís Of the Windward Islands, Riḍván, 1972.

[Page 158]158 THEBAHA’iWORLD

$133559? V ‘ 5W ?Uf‘iflmfifi‘zn‘mzxzai‘

5-27 '

lUAB-lB70

Bronze plaque marking the resting place ofMirza' Mihdi, the Puresr Branch, (5—27 of the Bahá’í Era, 1848—1870), in monument gardens, Mt. C armel, Haifa.