Bahá’í World/Volume 8/Present-Day Administration of the Bahá’í Faith
I
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
1.
PRESENT-DAY ADMINISTRATION OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
BY HORACE HOLLEY
IT HAS been the general characteristic of religion that organization marks the interruption of the true spiritual influence and serves to prevent the original impulse from being carried into the world. The organization has invariably become a substitute for religion rather than a method or an instrument used to give the religion effect. The separation of peoples into different traditions unbridged by any peaceful or constructive intercourse has made this inevitable. Up to the present time, in fact, no Founder of a revealed religion has explicitly laid down the principles that should guide the administrative machinery of the Faith He has established.
In the Bahá’í Cause, the principles of world administration were expressed by Bahá’u’lláh, and these principles were developed in the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, more especially in His Will and Testament.
The purpose of this organization is to make possible a true and lasting unity among peoples of different races, classes, interests, characters, and inherited creeds. A close and sympathetic study of this aspect of the Bahá’í Cause will show that the purpose and method of Bahá’í administration is so perfectly adapted to the fundamental spirit of the Revelation that it bears to it the same relationship as body to soul. In character, the principles of Bahá’í administration represent the science of cooperation; in application, they provide for a new and higher type of morality world-wide in scope. In the clash and confusion of sectarian prejudice, the Bahá’í religion is impartial and sympathetic, offering a foundation upon which reconciliation can be firmly based. Amid the complex interrelations of governments, the religion stands absolutely neutral as to political purposes and entirely obedient to all recognized authority. It will not be overlooked by the student that Bahá’u’lláh is the only religious teacher making obedience to just governments and rulers a definite spiritual command.
In this brief analysis of the several features of the Bahá’í system of administration the purpose is rather to place in the hands of the believers themselves a convenient summary of the available instructions than to clarify this aspect of the teachings to the non-Bahá’í. Until one has made contact with the spirit of the Bahá’í teachings and desires to cooperate whole-heartedly with their purpose, the administrative phase of the Faith can have little real meaning or appeal.
At the time of the passing of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the organization was
fully defined but
not yet established among His followers.
The responsibility for carrying out
the instructions was placed by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá upon His grandson, Shoghi
Effendi, to whom was
assigned the function of “Guardian of the
Cause.” Obedience to the authority of the
Guardian was definitely enjoined upon all
Bahá’ís by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but this authority
carries with it nothing of an arbitrary or
personal character, being limited as to
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purpose and method by
the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Guardian
unifies the efforts to bring into
complete application those principles
of world administration already
clearly defined.
To assist the Guardian in his manifold responsibilities and duties and particularly in the promotion of the teaching work, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá provided for the appointment of a group of co-workers to be known as “The Hands of the Cause of God.” The appointment of this body is a function of the Guardian, and these from their own number are to elect nine persons who will be closely associated with the Guardian in the discharge of his duties. It is the function of the Guardian also to appoint his own successor, this appointment to be ratified by the nine Hands of the Cause.
It is the genius of the Bahá’í Faith that the principle underlying the administration of its affairs aims to improve the life and upbuild the character of the individual believer in his own local community, wherever it may be, and not to enhance the prestige of those relatively few who, by election or appointment, hold positions of higher authority. Bahá’í authority is measured by self-sacrifice and not by arbitrary power. This fundamental aim can be seen clearly on studying the significant emphasis which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá placed upon the local Bahá’í community. The local group, involving as it does men and women in all the normal activities and relations of life, is the foundation upon which rests the entire evolution of the Cause. The local Bahá’í community is given official recognition only after its number of adult declared believers has become nine or more. Up to this point, the community exists as a voluntary group of workers and students of the Cause.
In this connection, the word “community” is not used in the sense of any locality, exclusively Bahá’í in membership, nor of any manner of living differing outwardly from the general environment, such as has been attempted by religionists and also members of philosophic and economic movements in the past. A Bahá’í community is a unity of minds and hearts, an association of people entirely voluntary in character, established upon a common experience of devotion to the universal aims of Bahá’u’lláh and agreement as to the methods by which these aims can be advanced.
A Bahá’í community differs from other voluntary gatherings in that its foundation is so deeply laid and broadly extended that it can include any sincere soul. Whereas other associations are exclusive, in effect if not in intention, and from method if not from ideal, Bahá’í association is inclusive, shutting the gates of fellowship to no sincere soul. In every gathering there is latent or developed some basis of selection. In religion this basis is a creed limited by the historical nature of its origin; in politics this is party or platform; in economics this is a mutual misfortune or mutual power; in the arts and sciences this basis consists of special training or activity or interest. In all these matters, the more exclusive the basis of selection, the stronger the movement—a condition diametrically opposed to that existing in the Bahá’í Cause. Hence the Cause, for all its spirit of growth and progress, develops slowly as regards the numbers of its active adherents. For people are accustomed to exclusiveness and division in all affairs. The important sanctions have ever been warrants and justifications of division. To enter the Bahá’í religion is to leave these sanctions behind—an experience which at first invariably exposes one to new trials and sufferings, as the human ego revolts against the supreme sanction of universal love. The scientific must associate with the simple and unlearned, the rich with the poor, the white with the colored, the mystic with the literalist, the Christian with the Jew, the Muslim with the Parsee: and on terms removing the advantage of long established presumptions and privileges.
But for this difficult experience there are
glorious compensations. Let us remember
that art grows sterile as it turns
away from the common humanity,
that philosophy likewise loses its
vision when developed in solitude,
and that politics and religion never
succeed apart from the general needs of
mankind. Human nature is not yet known,
for we have all lived in a state of mental,
moral, emotional or social defense, and the
psychology of defense is the psychology of
inhibition. But the love of God removes
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fear; the removal of
fear establishes the
latent powers, and association with others in
spiritual love. brings these powers into vital,
positive expression. A Bahá’í community
is a gathering where this process can take
place in this age, slowly at first, as the new
impetus gathers force, more rapidly as the
members become conscious of the powers
unfolding the flower of unity among men.
Where the community is small and insignificant, in comparison with the population of the city or town, the first condition of growth is understanding of the Manifestation of Bahá’u’lláh, and the next condition is that of true humility. If these two conditions exist, the weakest soul becomes endowed with effective power in service to the Cause. The result of unity, in fact, is to share the powers and faculties of all with each.
The responsibility for and supervision of local Bahá’í affairs is vested in a body known as the Spiritual Assembly. This body (limited to nine members) is elected annually on April 1, the first day of Riḍván (the Festival commemorating the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh) by the adult declared believers of the community, the voting list being drawn up by the outgoing Spiritual Assembly. Concerning the character and functions of this body, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written as follows:
"It is incumbent upon everyone (every believer) not to take any step (of Bahá’í activity) without consulting the Spiritual Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and soul its bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly ordered and well arranged. Otherwise every person will act independently and, after his own judgment, will follow his own desire, and do harm to the Cause.
“The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His divine fragrance, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day, Assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresses with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should anyone oppose, he must on no account feel hurt, for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise, the majority of voices must prevail.
“The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the Assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmohy of thought and absolute unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that Assembly be brought to naught.
“The second condition: They must when coming together turn their faces to the Kingdom on high and ask aid from the realm of Glory. . . . Discussions must all be confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the training of souls, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of His Holy Word. Should they endeavor to fulfill these conditions the grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them and that Assembly shall become the center of the divine blessings, and hosts of divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of spirit.”
The letters of Shoghi Effendi quote the fundamental instructions contained in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the character of Bahá administration, and give them definite application: "A careful study of Bahá’u’lláh’s and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets will reveal that other duties (besides teaching the Cause), no less vital to the
The Bahá’í Community of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The newly constituted Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Maywood, Illinois, in 1938.
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interests of the
Cause, devolve upon the elected
representatives of the friends
in every locality.
“They must endeavor to promote amity and concord amongst the friends and secure an active and whole-hearted cooperation for the service of the Cause.
"They must do their utmost to extend at all times the helping hand to the poor, the sick, the disabled, the orphan, the widow, irrespective of color, caste and creed.
“They must promote by every means in their power the material as well as spiritual enlightenment of youth, the means for the education of children; institute, whenever possible, Bahá’í educational institutions; organize and supervise their work, and provide the best means for their progress and development. . . .
“They must bend every effort to promote the interests of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (that is, House of Worship)1 and hasten the day when the work of this glorious Edifice2 will have been consummated.
“They must encourage and stimulate by every means at their command, through subscriptions, reports and articles, the development of the various Bahá’í magazines.
“They must undertake the arrangement of the regular meetings of the friends, the feasts and anniversaries, as well as the special gatherings designed to serve and promote the social, intellectual and spiritual interests of their fellowmen.
"They must supervise in these days when the Cause is still in its infancy all Bahá’í publications and translations, and provide in general for a dignified and accurate presentation of all Bahá’í literature and its distribution to the general public.
“These rank among the most outstanding obligations of the members of every Spiritual Assembly. In whatever locality the Cause has sufficiently expanded, and in order to insure efficiency and avoid confusion, each of these manifold functions will have to be referred to a special Committee, responsible to that Assembly, elected by it from among the friends in that locality, and upon whose work the Assembly will have to exercise constant and general supervision.
"In every locality, be it city or hamlet, where the number of adult declared believers exceed nine, a local Spiritual Assembly must be forthwith established.
"As the progress and extension of spirtual activities is dependent and conditioned upon material means, it is of absolute necessity that immediately after the establishment of local as well as national Spiritual Assemblies, a Bahá’í Fund be established, to be placed under the exclusive control of the Spiritual Assembly. All donations and contributions should be offered to the Treasurer of the Assembly, for the express purpose of promoting the interests of the Cause throughout that locality or country. It is the sacred obligation of every conscientious and faithful servant of Bahá’u’lláh, who desires to see His Cause advance, to contribute freely and generously for the increase of that Fund. The members of the Spiritual Assembly will at their own discretion expand it to promote the teaching campaign, to help the needy, to establish educational Bahá’í institutions, to extend in every way their sphere of service.
"Nothing whatever should be given to the public by any individual among the friends, unless fully considered and approved by the Spiritual Assembly in his locality; and, if this (as is undoubtedly the case) is a matter that pertains to the general interests of the Cause in that land, then it is incumbent upon the Spiritual Assembly to submit it to the consideration and approval of the National Body representing all the various local Assemblies. Not only with regard to publication, but all matters without any exception whatsoever, regarding the interests of the Cause in that locality, individually or collectively, should be referred exclusively to the Spirtual Assembly in that locality, which shall decide upon it, unless it be a matter of national interest, in which case it shall be referred to the National (Bahá’í) Body. With this National Body also will rest the decision whether a given question is of local or national interest. (By national affairs is not meant matters that are political in their character, for the friends of God the world over are strictly forbidden to meddle with political affairs in any way whatever, but rather things that affect the
————————
1Referring particularly to Spiritual Assemblies in America.
2On the shore of Lake Michigan.
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spiritual
activities of the body of the friends
in that land.)
“Full harmony, however, as well as cooperation among the various local Assemblies and the members themselves, and particularly between each Assembly and the National Body is of the utmost importance, for upon it depends the unity of the Cause of God, the solidarity of the friends, the full, speedy and efficient working of the spiritual activities of His loved ones.
“The various Assemblies, local and national, constitute today the bedrock upon the strength of which the Universal House (of Justice) is in future to be firmly established and raised. Not until these function vigorously and harmoniously can the hope for the termination of this period of transition be realized. . . . Bear in mind that the keynote of the Cause of God is not dictatorial authority, but humble fellowship; not arbitrary power, but the spirit of frank and loving consultation. Nothing short of the spirit of a true Bahá’í can hope to reconcile the principles of mercy and justice, of freedom and submission, of the sanctity of the right of the individual and of self-surrender, of vigilance, discretion and prudence on the one hand, and fellowship, candor, and courage on the other.”
Experience in the life of a Bahá’í community and participation in the details of its several activities impresses one with the fact that Bahá’í unity has in it new elements which work powerfully to expand one’s area of sympathy, deepen one’s insight, develop one’s character and bring order and stability into all of one’s affairs. There can be no higher privilege than the experience of attempting to serve faithfully upon a Spiritual Assembly, conscious as its members are of the unique standard upheld by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and bringing as it does the opportunity of dealing with a large range and diversity of human problems from an impersonal point of view. It is inevitable that the nine elected members shall exemplify diverse interests and types of character, with the result that unity of heart and conscience with the other eight members is a direct training to enter into spiritual unity with the larger body of mankind. No such schools of discipline and inspiration exist on earth today, for one must bear in mind that a Bahá’í community can never be an exclusive group nor a closed circle of interests, but, on the contrary, its fundamental purpose is to unify and cooperate with every possible element in the surrounding population.
The local Spiritual Assembly after election organizes by electing from its own number a chairman, corresponding secretary, recording secretary and treasurer. It should appoint from its own members or from the local Bahá’í community working committees responsible for the various permanent activities of the Cause.
Since a Spiritual Assembly is established upon a new and higher ideal, the character, knowledge and purity of its members is essential to success. Wherever personal ambition, narrowness or impurity enters a Spiritual Assembly, the results are invariably to check the growth of the Cause and, if these conditions are prolonged, to destroy the foundation already laid. The careful student of the teachings will accept this result as one more vindication of the all-surrounding spirit protecting this Faith. The elimination of an unworthy group from the Bahá’í Cause would be a bitter disappointment but not an evidence that the Cause had failed. On the contrary, the Cause could only be declared a failure if personal ambition, pride, narrowness and impurity should so prevail as to build a world-wide organization able to pervert the original purpose.
The local Spiritual Assemblies of a
country are linked together and coordinated
through another elected body of nine
members, the National Spiritual Assembly.
This body comes into being by means
of an annual election held by
elected delegates representing the
local Bahá’í communities. The
delegates are elected by all the
adult declared
believers of a community in which
a Spiritual Assembly exists. The
National Convention in which the
delegates are gathered
together is composed of an elective body
based upon the principle of proportional
representation. The total number
of delegates is fixed by Shoghi
Effendi for each
country, and this number is fulfilled by
assigning to each local community
the number of delegates called for
by its relative
numerical strength. These National
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Conventions are
preferably held during the
period of Riḍván, the twelve days
beginning April 21, which commemorate the
Declaration made by Bahá’u’lláh
in the Garden of Riḍván near Baghdád.
The recognition of delegates is
vested in the outgoing
National Spiritual Assembly.
A National Convention is an occasion for deepening one’s understanding of Bahá’í activities and of sharing reports of national and local activities for the period of the elapsed year. It has been the custom to hold a public Bahá’í Congress in connection with the Convention. The function of a Bahá’í delegate is limited to the duration of the National Convention and participation in the election of the new National Spiritual Assembly. While gathered together, the delegates are a consultative and advisory body whose recommendations are to be carefully considered by the members of the elected National Spiritual Assembly.
Delegates unable to attend the Convention in person are permitted to vote for the new National Spiritual Assembly by mail.
The relation of the National Spiritual Assembly to the local Spiritual Assemblies and to the body of the believers in the country is thus defined in the letters of the Guardian of the Cause:
"Regarding the establishment of National Assemblies, it is of vital importance that in every country, where the conditions are favorable and the number of the friends has grown and reached a considerable size—that a National Spiritual Assembly be immediately established, representative of the friends throughout that country.
“Its immediate purpose is to stimulate, unify and coordinate, by frequent personal consultations, the manifold activities of the friends as well as the local Assemblies; and by keeping in close and constant touch with the Holy Land, initiate measures, and direct in general the affairs of the Cause in that country.
“It serves also another purpose, no less essential than the first, as in the course of time it shall evolve into the National House of Justice (referred to in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will as the ‘Secondary House of Justice’) which according to the explicit text of the Testament will have, in conjunction with the other National Assemblies throughout the Bahá’í World, to elect directly the members of the International or Universal House of Justice, that Supreme Council that will guide, organize and unify the affairs of the Movement throughout the world.
"This National Spiritual Assembly which, pending the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, will have to be re-elected once a year, obviously assumes grave responsibilities for it has to exercise full authority over all the local Assemblies in its province, and will have to direct the activities of the friends, guard vigilantly the Cause of God, and control and supervise the affairs of the Movement in general.
"Vital issues, affecting the interests of the Cause in that country, such as the matter of translation and publication, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, the teaching work, and other similar matters that stand distinct from strictly local affairs, must be under the full jurisdiction of the National Assembly.
"It will have to refer each of these questions, even as the local Assemblies, to a special committee, to be elected by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly from among all the friends in that country, which will bear to it the same relations as the local committees bear to their respective local Assemblies.
“With it, too, rests the decision whether a certain point at issue is strictly local in its nature, and should be reserved for the consideration and decision of the local Assembly, or whether it should fall under its own province and be a matter which ought to receive its special attention.
“It is the bounden duty, in the interest of
the Cause we all love and serve, of the
members of the incoming National Assembly,
once elected by the delegates at Convention
time, to seek and have the utmost regard,
individually as well as collectively, for the
advice, the considered opinion and the true
sentiments of the assembled delegates.
Banishing every vestige of secrecy, of undue
reticence, of dictatorial aloofness from their
midst, they should radiantly and abundantly
unfold to the eyes of the delegates by whom
they were elected, their plans, their hopes
and their cares. They should familiarize the
delegates with the various matters that will
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have to be considered
in the current year,
and calmly and conscientiously study and
weigh the opinions and judgments of the
delegates. The newly elected National
Assembly, during the few days when
the Convention is in session, and
after the dispersion
of the delegates, should seek ways and means
to cultivate understanding, facilitate and
maintain the exchange of views,
deepen confidence, and vindicate by
every tangible evidence their one
desire to serve and advance
the common weal.
“The National Spiritual Assembly, however, in view of the unavoidable limitations imposed upon the convening of frequent and long-standing sessions of the Convention, will have to retain in its hands the final decision on all matters that affect the interests of the Cause—such as the right to decide whether any local Assembly is functioning in accordance with the principles laid down for the conduct and the advancement of the Cause.
"The seating of delegates to the Convention (that is, the right to decide upon the validity of the credentials of the delegates at a given Convention), is vested in the outgoing National Assembly, and the right to decide who has the voting privilege is also ultimately placed in the hands of the National Spiritual Assembly, either when a local Spiritual Assembly is for the first time being formed in a given locality, or when differences arise between a new applicant and an already established local Assembly.
“Were the National Spiritual Assembly to decide, after mature deliberation, to omit the holding of the Bahá’í Convention and Congress in a given year, then they could, only in such a case, devise ways and means to insure that the annual election of the National Spiritual Assembly should be held by mail, provided it can be conducted with sufficient thoroughness, efficiency and dispatch. It would also appear to me unobjectionable to enable and even to require in the last resort such delegates as cannot possibly undertake the journey to the seat of the Bahá’í Convention to send their votes, for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly only, by mail to the National Secretary.”
Concerning the matter of drawing up the voting list to be used at the annual local Bahá’í elections, the responsibility for this is placed upon each local Spiritual Assembly, and as a guidance in the matter the Guardian has written the following:
“To state very briefly and as adequately as present circumstances permit, the principal factors that must be taken into consideration before deciding whether a person may be regarded a true believer or not: Full recognition of the station of the Forerunner, the Author and the True Exemplar of the Bahá’í Cause, as set forth in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and Testament; unreserved acceptance of and submission to whatsoever has been revealed by their Pen; loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of our Beloved’s sacred Will; and close association with the spirit as well as the form of the present-day Bahá’í administration—these I conceive to be the fundamental and primary considerations that must be fairly, discreetly and thoughtfully ascertained before reaching such a vital decision.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s instructions provide for the further development of Bahá’í organization through an International Spiritual Assembly to be elected by the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies. This international body has not yet come into existence, but its special character has been clearly defined:
"And now, concerning the Assembly (Baytu’l-‘Ad’l: that is, House of Justice) which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be elected by universal suffrage, 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 Assembly is meant the Universal Assembly: that is, in each country a secondary Assembly must be instituted, and these secondary Assemblies 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 difficult
problems are to be resolved, and the
Guardian of the Cause is its sacred head and
the distinguished member, for life, of that
body. Should he not attend in person its
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deliberations, he
must appoint one to represent
him. . . . This assembly enacteth the laws
and the executive enforceth them. The
legislative body must reinforce the executive,
the executive must aid and assist the
legislative body, so that, through
the close union
and harmony of these two forces, the
foundation of fairness and justice may become
firm and strong, that all the regions of the
world may become even as Paradise itself.
“Unto the Most Holy Book everyone must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal Assembly. That which this body, either unanimously or by a majority, doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant.”
Even at the present time, the Bahá’ís in all parts of the world maintain an intimate and cordial association by means of regular correspondence and individual visits. This contact of members of different races, nationalities and religious traditions is concrete proof that the burden of prejudice and the historical factors of division can be entirely overcome through the spirit of oneness established by Bahá’u’lláh.
The general student of religion will not fail to note four essential characteristics of Bahá’í administration. The first is its completely successful reconciliation of the usually opposed claims of democratic freedom and unanswerable authority. The second is the entire absence from the Bahá’í Cause of anything approaching the institution of a salaried professional clergy. The Bahá’í conception of religion is one which combines mysticism, which is a sacred personal experience, with practical morality, which is a useful contact between the individual and his fellow man. In the nature of things, some souls are more advanced than others, and the function of spiritual teaching is given special importance in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Bahá’í teacher, however, has no authority over the individual conscience. The individual conscience must be subordinated to the decisions of a duly elected Spiritual Assembly, but this relationship is entirely different in character and results, from the relationship of an individual with minister or priest.
The third characteristic is the absence of internal factionalism, that bane of all organized effort, and the sure sign of the presence of spiritual disease. The predominant spirit of unity which distinguishes the Bahá’í Cause in its relation to the world, making its followers strive for reconciliation rather than partisan victory, creates an internal condition, unlike that which exists in movements which accept partisan victory, in one or another form, as their very reason for being. Such movements can but disintegrate from within; the Bahá’í Order can but grow.
Significant also is the fourth characteristic, namely, that the Bahá’í Cause has within it an inherent necessity operating slowly but surely to bring its administration into the hands of those truly fitted for the nature of the work. The lesser vision gives way invariably for the larger vision, itself replaced by the still larger vision in due time. The result is an inevitable improvement in the qualities placed at the service of the Cause, until the highest attributes of humanity will be enrolled. In the Bahá’í Cause we are actually witnessing the fulfillment of the strange and cryptic saying, “The meek shall inherit the earth.”
That the administrative machinery is not an end in itself but merely the means to spread everywhere the light of faith and brotherhood, is frequently expressed by the Guardian in his general letters, and this brief survey may well close with one of those passages:
"Not by the force of numbers, not by the mere exposition of a set of new and noble principles, not by an organized campaign of teaching—no matter how world-wide and elaborate in its character—not even by the staunchness of our faith or the exaltation of our enthusiasm, can we ultimately hope to vindicate in the eyes of a critical and skeptical age the supreme claim of the Abhá Revelation. One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.”
A PROCEDURE FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada
INTRODUCTION
A PERUSAL of some of the words of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the duties and functions of the Spiritual Assemblies in every land (later to be designated as the local Houses of Justice), emphatically reveals the sacredness of their nature, the wide scope of their activity, and the grave responsibility which rests upon them.”—SHOGHI EFFENDI, March 5, 1922.
“The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counselors to the number of Bahá. . . . It behooveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive.”—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.
“It is incumbent upon every one not to take any step without consulting the Spiritual Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and soul its bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly ordered and well arranged. Otherwise every person will act independently and after his own judgment, will follow his own desire, and do harm to the Cause.
“The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrance, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day, Assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If, after discussion, a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise a majority of voices must prevail. . . .
“The first condition is absolute love and
harmony amongst the members of the Assembly.
They must be wholly free from
estrangement and must manifest in
themselves the unity of God, for they are the
waves of one sea, the drops of one river,
the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun,
the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one
garden. Should harmony of thought and
absolute unity be non-existent, that
gathering shall be dispersed and
that Assembly be
brought to naught. The second condition:
They must when coming together turn their
faces to the Kingdom on High and ask aid
from the Realm of Glory. They must then
proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy,
dignity, care and moderation to express their
views. They must in every matter search
out the truth and not insist upon their own
opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in
one’s views will lead ultimately to discord
and wrangling and the truth will remain
hidden. The honored members must with
all freedom express their own thoughts, and
it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle
the thought of another, nay, he must with
moderation set forth the truth, and should
differences of opinion arise a majority of
voices must prevail, and all must obey and
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submit to the majority.
It is again not permitted that any
one of the honored members object
to or censure, whether in or out
of the meeting, any decision arrived
at previously, though that decision
be not right,
for such criticism would prevent
any decision from being enforced. In
short, whatsoever thing is arranged
in harmony and
with love and purity of motive,
its result is
light, and should the least trace
of estrangement prevail the result
shall be darkness
upon darkness. . . . If this be so regarded,
that Assembly shall be of God, but
otherwise it shall lead to coolness
and alienation
that proceed from the Evil One.
Discussions must all be confined
to spiritual matters that pertain
to the training of souls, the
instruction of children, the relief of the
poor, the help of the feeble throughout all
classes in the world, kindness to all peoples,
the diffusion of the fragrances of God and
the exaltation of His Holy Word. Should
they endeavor to fulfill these
conditions the
grace of the Holy Spirit shall be
vouchsafed unto them, and that Assembly shall
become the center of the Divine blessings,
the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come
to their aid and they shall day by
day receive at new effusion of Spirit.”—‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ.
"The importance, nay the absolute necessity, of these local Assemblies is manifest when we realize that in the days to come they will evolve into the local House of Justice, and at present provide the firm foundation on which the structure of the Master’s Will is to be reared in the future.
“In order to avoid division and disruption, that the Cause may not fall a prey to conflicting interpretations, and lose thereby its purity and pristine vigor, that its affairs may be conducted with efficiency and promptness, it is necessary that every one (that is, every member of the Bahá’í community) should conscientiously take an active part in the election of these Assemblies, abide by their decision, enforce their decree, and cooperate with them whole-heartedly in their task of stimulating the growth of the Movement throughout all regions. The members of these Assemblies, on their part, must disregard utterly their own likes and dislikes, their personal interests and inclinations, and concentrate their minds upon those measures that will conduce to the welfare and happiness of the Bahá’í community and promote the common weal.”—SHOGHI EFFENDI, March 12, 1923.
“Let us recall His explicit and often-repeated assurance that every Assembly elected in that rarefied atmosphere of selflessness and detachment is, in truth, appointed of God, that its verdict is truly inspired, that one and all should submit to its decision unreservedly and with cheerfulness.” —SHOGHI EFFENDI, February 23, 1924.
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I. FUNCTIONS OF THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
The various functions of the local Spiritual Assembly, and its nature as a constitutional body, are duly set forth in Article VII of the By-Laws of the National Spiritual Assembly, and are more definitely defined in the By-Laws of a local Spiritual Assembly approved by the National Spiritual Assembly and recommended by the Guardian. Each local Spiritual Assembly, and all members of the local Bahá’í community, shall be guided and controlled by the provisions of those By-Laws.
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II. MEETINGS OF THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
In addition to its observance of the general functions vested in the institution of a Spiritual Assembly, each Spiritual Assembly has need of a procedure for the conduct of its meetings. The following items represent the outline of the parliamentary rules of procedure which the National Spiritual Assembly has adopted and recommends to each and every local Spiritual Assembly throughout the United States and Canada.
Calling of Meetings
A meeting of the Spiritual Assembly is valid only when it has been duly called, that is, when each and every member has been informed of the time and place. The general practice is for the Assembly to decide upon some regular time and place for its meetings throughout the Bahá’í year, and this decision when recorded in the minutes {{bwpage|8|296} is sufficient notice to the members. When the regular schedule cannot be followed, or the need arises for a special meeting, the secretary, on request by the chairman or any three members of the Spiritual Assembly, should send due notice to all the members.
Order of Business
Roll call by the Secretary (or Recording Secretary).
Prayer.
Reading and approval of minutes of previous meetings.
Report of Secretary (or Corresponding Secretary), including presentation of letters received by the Assembly since its last meeting, and of any and all recommendations duly adopted by the community at the last Nineteen Day Feast.
Report of Treasurer.
Report of Committees.
Unfinished business.
New business, including conferences with members of the community and with applicants for enrollment as members of the community.
Closing Prayer.
Conduct of Business
A Spiritual Assembly, in maintaining its threefold function of a body given (within the limits of its jurisdiction) an executive, a legislative and a judicial capacity, is charged with responsibility for initiating action and making decisions. Its meetings, therefore, revolve around various definite matters which require deliberation and collective decision, and it is incumbent upon the members, one and all, to address themselves to the subject under discussion and not engage in general speeches of an irrelevant character.
Every subject or problem before an Assembly is most efficiently handled when the following process is observed: first, ascertainment and agreement upon the facts; second, agreement upon the spiritual or administrative Teachings which the question involves; third, full and frank discussion of the matter, leading up to the offering of a resolution; and fourth, voting upon the resolution.
A resolution, or motion, is not subject to discussion or vote until duly made and seconded. It is preferable to have each resolution clear and complete in itself, but when an amendment is duly made and seconded, the chairman shall call for a vote on the amendment first and then on the original motion. An amendment must be relevant to, and not contravene, the subject matter of the motion.
The chairman, or other presiding officer, has the same power and responsibility for discussion and voting upon motions as other members of the Assembly.
Discussion of any matter before the Assembly may be terminated by a motion duly made, seconded and voted calling upon the chairman to put the matter to a vote or to proceed to the next matter on the agenda. The purpose of this procedure is to prevent any member or members from prolonging the discussion beyond the point at which full opportunity has been given all members to express their views.
When the Assembly has taken action upon any matter, the action is binding upon all members, whether present or absent from the meeting at which the action was taken. Individual views and opinions must be subordinated to the will of the Assembly when a decision has been made. A Spiritual Assembly is an administrative unit, as it is a spiritual unit, and therefore no distinction between “majority” and "minority” groups or factions can be recognized. Each member must give undivided loyalty to the institution to which he or she has been elected.
Any action taken by the Assembly can be reconsidered at a later meeting, on motion duly made, seconded and carried. This reconsideration, according to the result of the consultation, may lead to a revision or the annulment of the prior action. If a majority is unwilling to reconsider the prior action, further discussion of the matter by any member is improper.
The Assembly has a responsibility in filling
a vacancy caused by the inability of any
member to attend the meetings. "It is only
too obvious that unless a member can attend
regularly the meetings of his local Assembly,
it would be impossible for him to discharge
the duties incumbent upon him, and to
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fulfill
his responsibilities as a representative
of the community. Membership in a local
Spiritual Assembly carries with it, indeed,
the obligation and capacity to remain in
close touch with local Bahá’í activities, and
ability to attend regularly the sessions
of the Assembly.”—SHOGHI EFFENDI, January 27,
1935.
The Spiritual Assembly, as a permanent body, is responsible for maintaining all its records, including minutes of meetings, correspondence and financial records, throughout its existence as a Bahá’í institution. Each officer, therefore, on completing his or her term of office, shall turn over to the Assembly all records pertaining to the business of the Assembly.
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III. CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMUNITY
A. The institution of the Nineteen Day Feast provides the recognized and regular occasion for general consultation on the part of the community, and for consultation between the Spiritual Assembly and the members of the community. The conduct of the period of consultation at Nineteen Day Feasts is a vital function of each Spiritual Assembly.
From Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, "The Nineteen Day Feast was inaugurated by the Báb and ratified by Bahá’u’lláh, in His Holy Book, the ‘Aqdas,’ so that people may gather together and outwardly show fellowship and love, that the Divine mysteries may be disclosed. The object is concord, that through this fellowship hearts may become perfectly united, and reciprocity and mutual helpfulness be established. Because the members of the world of humanity are unable to exist without being banded together, cooperation and helpfulness is the basis of human society. Without the realization of these two great principles no great movement is pressed forward.” London, England, December 29, 1912. (Quoted in BAHÁ’Í NEWS No. 33.)
The Nineteen Day Feast has been described by the Guardian as the foundation of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. It is to be conducted according to the following program: the first part, entirely spiritual in character, is devoted to readings from Bahá’í Sacred Writings; the second part consists of general consultation on the affairs of the Cause. The third part is the material feast and social meeting of all the believers, and should maintain the spiritual nature of the Feast.
Bahá’ís should regard this Feast as the very heart of their spiritual activity, their participation in the mystery of the Holy Utterance, their steadfast unity one with another in a universality raised high above the limitations of race, class, nationality, sect, and personality, and their privilege of contributing to the power of the Cause in the realm of collective action.
Calendar of the Nineteen Day Feast
| March 21 | July 13 | November 23 |
| April 9 | August 1 | December 12 |
| April 28 | August 20 | December 31 |
| May 17 | September 8 | January 19 |
| June 5 | September 27 | February 7 |
| June 24 | October 16 | March 2 |
| November 4 |
The Spiritual Assembly is responsible for the holding of the Nineteen Day Feast. If the Bahá’í calendar for some adequate reason cannot be observed, the Assembly may arrange to hold a Feast at the nearest possible date.
Only members of the Bahá’í community, and visiting Bahá’ís from other communities, may attend these meetings, but young people of less than twenty-one years of age, who have studied the Teachings and declared their intention of joining the community on reaching the age of twenty—one, may also attend.
Regular attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is incumbent upon every Bahá’í, illness or absence from the city being the only justification for absence. Believers are expected to arrange their personal affairs so as to enable them to observe the Bahá’í calendar.
Order of Business for the Consultation Period
The chairman or other appointed representative of the Spiritual Assembly presides during the period of consultation.
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The Spiritual Assembly
reports to the
community whatever communications have
been received from the Guardian and the
National Spiritual Assembly, and provides
opportunity for general discussion.
The Assembly likewise reports its own activities and plans, including committee appointments that may have been made since the last Feast, the financial report, arrangements made for public meetings, and in general share with the community all matters that concern the Faith. These reports are to be followed by general consultation.
A matter of vital importance at this meeting is consideration of national and international Bahá’í affairs, to strengthen the capacity of the community to cooperate in promotion of the larger Bahá’í interests and to deepen the understanding of all believers concerning the relation of the local community to the Bahá’í World Community.
Individual Bahá’ís are to find in the Nineteen Day Feast the channel through which to make suggestions and recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly, These recommendations are offered first to the local community, and when adopted by the community come before the local Assembly, which then may in its discretion forward the recommendation to the National Spiritual Assembly accompanied by its own considered view.
Provision is to be made for reports from committees, with discussion of each report. Finally, the meeting is to be open for suggestions and recommendations from individual believers on any matter affecting the Cause.
The local Bahá’í community may adopt by majority vote any resolution which it wishes collectively to record as its advice and recommendation to the Spiritual Assembly.
Upon each member of the community lies the obligation to make his or her utmost contribution to the consultation, the ideal being a gathering of Bahá’ís inspired with one spirit and concentrating upon the one aim to further the interests of the Faith.
The Secretary of the Assembly records each resolution adopted by the community, as well as the various suggestions advanced during the meeting, in order to report these to the Spiritual Assembly for its consideration. Whatever action the Assembly takes is to be reported at a later Nineteen Day Feast.
Matters of a personal nature should be brought before the Spiritual Assembly and not to the community at the Nineteen Day Feast. Concerning the attitude with which believers should come to these Feasts, the Master has said, “You must free yourselves from everything that is in your hearts, before you enter.” (Bahá’í News Letter of the N. S. A. of Germany and Austria, December, 1934.)
B. The Annual Meeting on April 21, called for the election of the Spiritual Assembly, provides the occasion for the presentation of annual reports by the Assembly and by all its Committees.
The chairman of the outgoing Assembly presides at this meeting.
The order of business includes: Reading of the call of the meeting, reading of appropriate Bahá’í passages bearing upon the subject of the election, appointment of tellers, distribution of ballots, prayers for the spiritual guidance of the voters, the election, presentation of annual reports, tellers’ report of the election, approval of the tellers’ report.
C. The Annual Meeting for the election of Convention delegate (or delegates) is likewise presided over by the Assembly chairman, and except for the annual reports the order of business is similar to that observed at the meeting held each April 21. It is preferable for the Spiritual Assembly to arrange a special meeting for the election of delegates, and not to hold this election during the consultation period of a Nineteen Day Feast.
D. In addition to these occasions for general consultation, the Spiritual Assembly is to give consultation to individual believers whenever requested.
During such consultation with individual
believers, the Assembly should observe the
following principles: the impartiality of each
of its members with respect to all matters
under discussion; the freedom of the
individual Bahá’í to express his views, feelings
and recommendations on any matter
affecting the interests of the Cause,
the confidential
[Page 299]
character of this
consultation, and the
principle that the Spiritual Assembly does
not adopt any resolution or make any final
decision, until the party or parties have
withdrawn from the meeting.
Appeals from decisions of a local Spiritual Assembly are provided for in the By-Laws and the procedure fully described in a statement published in BAHÁ’Í NEWS, February, 1933.
When confronted with evidences of unhappiness, whether directed against the Assembly or against members of the community, the Spiritual Assembly should realize that its relationship to the believers is not merely that of a formal constitutional body but also that of a spiritual institution called upon to manifest the attributes of courtesy, patience and loving insight. Many conditions are not to be remedied by the exercise of power and authority but rather by a sympathetic understanding of the sources of the difficulty in the hearts of the friends. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has explained, some of the people are children and must be trained, some are ignorant and must be educated, some are sick and must be healed. Where, however, the problem is not of this order but represents flagrant disobedience and disloyalty to the Cause itself, in that case the Assembly should consult with the National Spiritual Assembly concerning the necessity for disciplinary action.
Members of the Bahá’í community, for their part, should do their utmost by prayer and meditation to remain always in a positive and joyous spiritual condition, bearing in mind the Tablets which call upon Bahá’ís to serve the world of humanity and not waste their precious energies in negative complaints.
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IV. BAHÁ’Í ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS AND DAYS OF FASTING
The Spiritual Assembly, among its various duties and responsibilities, will provide for the general observance by the local community of the following Holy Days:
Feast of Riḍván (Declaration of Baha’u’lláh) April 21-May 2, 1863.
Declaration of the Báb, May 23, 1844.
Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, May 29, 1892.
Martyrdom of the Báb, July 9, 1850.
Birth of the Báb, October 20, 1819.
Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, November 12, 1817.
Day of the Covenant, November 26.
Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, November 28, 1921.
Period of the Fast, nineteen days beginning March 2.
Feast of Naw-Rúz (Bahá’í New Year), March 21.
THE ANNUAL BAHA’I CONVENTION
A Statement by the National Spiritual Assembly
(Approved by the Guardian)
DESPITE the repeated explanations given by the Guardian on this subject, there seems to exist each year, prior to and also during the Convention period, some misunderstanding as to the nature of the Annual Meeting.
In order to establish a definite standard of Convention procedure, the following statement has been approved and adopted, and in accordance with the vote taken by the National Assembly, a copy of the statement is placed in the hands of the presiding officer of the Convention to control the Convention procedure, after being read to the delegates by the officer of the National Spiritual Assembly by whom the Convention is convened.1
“The delegates present at this Annual Bahá’í Convention are called upon to render a unique, a vital service to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Their collective functions and responsibilities are not a matter of arbitrary opinion, but have been clearly described by the Guardian of the Cause. If civil governments have found it necessary to adopt the doctrine that ‘ignorance of the law is no excuse,’ how much more essential it is for Bahá’ís, individually and collectively, to base their responsible actions upon thorough
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1This reference to “being read to the delegates” was in connection with the 1934 Convention only. The statement is here published for the general information of the believers.
[Page 300]
comprehension of the
fundamental principles
which underlie that Administrative Order
which in its maturity is destined to become
the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
“Considerable confusion would have been avoided at Conventions held during the past three years had the delegates, and all members of the National Spiritual Assembly itself, given sufficient consideration to the fact that BAHÁ’Í NEWS of February, 1930, contained an explanation of the Annual Convention which had been prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly, submitted to Shoghi Effendi, and definitely approved by him. It is because this statement of four years ago has gone unnoticed that successive Conventions, acting upon some matters as a law unto themselves, have inadvertently contravened the Guardian’s clear instructions.
"The National Spiritual Assembly now calls attention to two specific portions of the 1930 statement approved by the Guardian which have been neglected in subsequent Conventions: first, the ruling that non-delegates do not possess the right to participate in Convention proceedings; and, second, that the time of the election of members of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be fixed in the Agenda at such a time as to allow the outgoing Assembly full time to report to the delegates, and to allow the incoming Assembly to have full consultation with the assembled delegates. It is surely evident that a procedure or principle of action once authorized by the Guardian is not subject to alteration by any Bahá’í body or individual believer to whom the procedure directly applies.
"In order to remove other sources of misunderstanding, the National Spiritual Assembly now feels it advisable to point out that the Guardian’s letters on the subject of the Convention, received and published in BAHÁ’Í NEWS this year,1 do not, as some believers seem to feel, organically change the character and function of the Annual Meeting, but reaffirm and strengthen instructions and explanations previously given. In the light of all the Guardian’s references to this subject, compiled and published by the National Spiritual Assembly in BAHÁ’Í NEWS of November, 1933 and February, 1934, the following brief summary has been prepared and is now issued with the sole purpose of contributing to the spiritual unity of the chosen delegates here present:—
1. The Annual Bahá’í Convention has two unique functions to fulfill, discussion of current Bahá’í matters and the election of the National Spiritual Assembly. The discussion should be free and untrammeled, the election carried on in that spirit of prayer and meditation in which alone every delegate can render obedience to the Guardian’s expressed wish. After the Convention is convened by the Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, and after the roll call is read by the Secretary of the Assembly, the Convention proceeds to the election of its chairman and secretary by secret ballot and without advance nomination, according to the standard set for all Bahá’í elections.
“2. Non-delegates may not participate in Convention discussion. All members of the National Spiritual Assembly may participate in the discussion, but only those members who have been elected delegates may vote on any matter brought up for vote during the proceedings.
“3. The outgoing National Spiritual Assembly is responsible for rendering reports of its own activities and of those carried on by its committees during the past year. The annual election is to be held at a point midway during the Convention sessions, so that the incoming Assembly may consult with the delegates.
"4. The Convention is free to discuss any Bahá’í matter, in addition to those treated in the annual reports. The Convention is responsible for making its own rules of procedure controlling discussion; for example, concerning any limitations the delegates may find it necessary to impose upon the time allotted to or claimed by any one delegate. The National Assembly will maintain the rights of the delegates to confer freely and fully, free from any restricted pressure, in the exercise of their function.
"5. The Convention as an organic body is limited to the actual Convention period. It has no function to discharge after the
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1February. 1934.
[Page 301]
close of the sessions
except that of electing
a member or members to fill any vacancy
that might arise in the membership of the
National Spiritual Assembly during the
year.
“6. The Convention while in session has no independent legislative, executive or judicial function. Aside from its action in electing the National Spiritual Assembly, its discussions do not represent actions but recommendations which shall, according to the Guardian’s instructions, be given conscientious consideration by the National Assembly.
"7. The National Spiritual Assembly is the supreme Bahá’í administrative body within the American Bahá’í community, and its jurisdiction continues without interruption during the Convention period as during the remainder of the year, and independently of the individuals composing its membership. Any matter requiring action of legislative, executive or judicial nature, whether arising during the Convention period or at any other time, is to be referred to the National Spiritual Assembly. The National Assembly is responsible for upholding the administrative principles applying to the holding of the Annual Convention as it is for upholding all other administrative principles. If, therefore, a Convention departs from the principles laid down for Conventions by the Guardian, and exceeds the limitations of function conferred upon it, in that case, and in that case alone, the National Spiritual Assembly can and must intervene. It is the National Spiritual Assembly, and not the Convention, which is authorized to decide when and why such intervention is required.
“8. The National Spiritual Assembly feels that it owes a real duty to the delegates, and to the entire body of believers, in presenting any and all facts that may be required in order to clarify matters discussed at the Convention. There can be no true Bahá’í consultation at this important meeting if any incomplete or erroneous view should prevail.
“9. The National Assembly in adopting and issuing this statement does so in the sincere effort to assure the constitutional freedom of the Convention to fulfill its high mission. The path of true freedom lies in knowing and obeying the general principles given to all Bahá’ís for the proper conduct of their collective affairs. While the entire world plunges forward to destruction, it is the responsibility of the National Spiritual Assembly to uphold that Order on which peace and security solely depends.”
THE NON-POLITICAL CHARACTER OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH
A Statement Prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly in Response to the Request for Clarification of the Subject Voiced by the 1933 Annual Convention
It is the view of the National Spiritual Assembly that the Guardian’s references to the non-political character of the Bahá’í Faith, when studied as a whole, are so clear that they can be fully grasped by all believers and rightly applied by all Local Spiritual Assemblies to any problems they may encounter. Should special circumstances arise, however, the National Assembly will make every effort to assist any Local Assembly to arrive at fuller understanding of this important subject.
The first reference to consider is taken from the letter written by Shoghi Effendi on March 21, 1932, published under the title of “The Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.”
"I feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me to
stress, now that the time is ripe, the
importance of an instruction which, at the
present stage of the evolution of our Faith,
should be increasingly emphasized,
irrespective of its application to the
East or to the
West. And this principle is no other than
that which involves the non-participation by
the adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh,
whether in their individual capacities
or collectively as local or national
Assemblies, in
any form of activity that might
be interpreted, either directly or
indirectly, as an
[Page 302]
interference in
the political affairs of any
particular government.
"Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions. In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that worldwide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster. Let them beware lest they allow themselves to become the tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be entrapped by the treacherous devices of the plotters and the perfidious among their countrymen. Let them so shape their lives and regulate their conduct that no charge of secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidation may, however ill-founded, be brought against them. . . . It is their duty to strive to distinguish, as clearly as they possibly can, and if needed with the aid of their elected representatives, such posts and functions as are either diplomatic or political, from those that are purely administrative in character, and which under no circumstances are affected by the changes and chances that political activities and party government, in every land, must necessarily involve. Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá’u’lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of the politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates God’s immutable Purpose for all men. . . .
"Let them proclaim that in whatever country they reside, and however advanced their institutions, or profound their desire to enforce the laws and apply the principles enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh, they will, unhesitatingly, subordinate the operation of such laws and the application of such principles to the requirements and legal enactments of their respective governments. Theirs is not the purpose, while endeavoring to conduct and perfect the administrative affairs of their Faith, to violate, under any circumstances, the "provisions of their country’s constitution, much less to allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries.”
This instruction raised the question whether believers should vote in any public election. A Tablet revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Mr. Thornton Chase was sent to the Guardian, and the following reply was received, dated January 26, 1933:
“The Guardian fully recognizes the authenticity and controlling influence of this instruction from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá upon the question. He, however, feels under the responsibility of stating that the attitude taken by the Master (that is, that American citizens are in duty bound to vote in public elections) implies certain reservations. He, therefore, lays it upon the individual conscience to see that in following the Master’s instructions no Bahá’í vote for an officer nor Bahá’í participation in the affairs of the Republic shall involve acceptance by that individual of a program or policy that contravenes any vital principle, spiritual or social, of the Faith.” The Guardian added to this letter the following postscript: “I feel it incumbent upon me to clarify the above statement, written in my behalf, by stating that no vote cast, or office undertaken, by a Bahá’í should necessarily constitute acceptance, by the voter or office holder, of the entire program of any political party. No Bahá’í can be regarded as either a Republican or Democrat, as such. He is, above all else, the supporter of the principles enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh, with which, I am firmly convinced, the program of no political party is completely harmonious.”
In a letter dated March 16, 1933, the Guardian sent these further details:
"As regards the non-political character
of the Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi feels
that there is no contradiction whatsoever
between the Tablet (to Thornton Chase,
referred to above) and the reservations to
which he has referred. The Master surely
never desired the friends to use
their influence towards the realization
and promotion of policies contrary to
any of the principles
of the Faith. The friends may vote, if they
can do it, without identifying themselves
with one party or another. To enter the
arena of party politics is surely detrimental
to the best interests of the Faith and will
[Page 303]
harm the Cause. It
remains for the individuals to so
use their right to vote as to
keep aloof from party politics, and always
bear in mind that they are voting on the
merits of the individual, rather than because
he belongs to one party or another. The
matter must be made perfectly clear to the
individuals, who will be left free to exercise
their discretion and judgment. But if a
certain person does enter into party politics
and labors for the ascendancy of one party
over another, and continues to do it against
the expressed appeals, and warnings of the
Assembly, then the Assembly has the right
to refuse him the right to vote in Bahá’í
elections.”
CONCERNING MEMBERSHIP IN NON-BAHÁ’Í RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
The instruction written by Shoghi Effendi concerning membership in non-Bahá’í religious organizations, published in the July, 1935, number of BAHÁ’Í NEWS, has brought forth some interesting and important communications from local Spiritual Assemblies and also from individual believers, to all of which the National Spiritual Assembly has given careful and sympathetic attention.
The National Assembly itself, on receiving that instruction, made it the subject of extensive consultation, feeling exceedingly responsible for its own understanding of the Guardian’s words and anxious to contribute to the understanding of the friends.
In October, 1935, the Assembly sent in reply to some of these communications a general letter embodying its thoughts on the subject, and a copy of that letter was forwarded to Shoghi Effendi for his approval and comment. His references to its contents, made in letters addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly on November 29 and December 11, 1935, are appended to this statement.
Now that Shoghi Effendi’s approval has been received, the National Assembly feels it desirable to publish, for the information of all the American believers, the substance of the October letter.
While so fundamental an instruction is bound to raise different questions corresponding to the different conditions existing throughout the Bahá’í community, the most important consideration is our collective need to grasp the essential principle underlying the new instruction, and our capacity to perceive that the position which the Guardian wishes us to take in regard to church membership is a necessary and inevitable result of the steady development of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
This essential principle is made clear when we turn to Shoghi Effendi’s further reference to the subject as published in BAHÁ’Í NEWS for October, 1935—words written by the Guardian’s own hand.
In the light of these words, it seems fully evident that the way to approach this instruction is in realizing the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh as an ever-growing organism destined to become something new and greater than any of the revealed religions of the past. Whereas former Faiths inspired hearts and illumined souls, they eventuated in formal religions with an ecclesiastical organization, creeds, rituals and churches, while the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, likewise renewing man’s spiritual life, will gradually produce the institutions of an ordered society, fulfilling not merely the function of the churches of the past but also the function of the civil state. By this manifestation of the Divine Will in a higher degree than in former ages, humanity will emerge from that immature civilization in which church and state are separate and competitive institutions, and partake of a true civilization in which spiritual and social principles are at last reconciled as two aspects of one and the same Truth.
No Bahá’í can read the successive World
Order letters sent us by Shoghi Effendi
without perceiving that the Guardian, for many
years, has been preparing us to understand
and appreciate this fundamental purpose
and mission of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.
Even when the Master ascended, we were
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for the most part
still considering the
Bahá’í Faith as though it were only the
“return of Christ” and failing to perceive
the entirely new and larger elements latent
in the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
Thus, in the very first of the World Order letters, written February 27th, 1929, Shoghi Effendi said: “Who, I may ask, when viewing the international character of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications, the increasing complexity of its affairs, the diversity of its adherents, and the state of confusion that assails on every side the infant Faith of God, can for a moment question the necessity of some sort of administrative machinery that will insure, amid the storm and stress of a struggling civilization, the unity of the Faith, the preservation of its identity, and the protection of its interests?”
Although for five years the Guardian had been setting forth the principles of Bahá’í Administration in frequent letters, in 1927 he apparently felt it necessary to overcome some doubts here and there as to the validity of the institutions the Master bequeathed to the Bahá’ís in His Will and Testament. The series of World Order letters, however, goes far beyond the point of defending and explaining their validity as an essential element in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh—the Guardian vastly extended the horizon of our understanding by making it clear that the Administrative Order, in its full development, is to be the social structure of the future civilization.
Thus, in that same letter quoted above, he wrote: "Not only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in future, but will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power. And as the Bahá’í Faith permeates the masses of the peoples of East and West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the Universal House of Justice attain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Bahá’í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world’s future super-state.”
This passage stands as the keystone in the noble structure which Shoghi Effendi has raised in his function as interpreter of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. The Master developed the Cause to the point where this social Teaching, always existent in the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, could be explained to the believers and given its due significance as the fulfillment of Bahá’í evolution. As the Guardian expressed it: “That Divine Civilization, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá’í Faith.” (World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 3-4.)
For us these words mean that a Bahá’í is not merely a member of a revealed Religion, he is also a citizen in a World Order even though that Order today is still in its infancy and still obscured by the shadows thrown by the institutions, habits and attitudes derived from the past. But since the aim and end has been made known, our devotion and loyalty must surely express itself, not in clinging to views and thoughts emanating from the past, but in pressing forward in response to the needs of the new creation.
That true devotion, which consists in conscious knowledge of the “primary mission,” and unified action to assist in bringing about its complete triumph, recognizes that a Bahá’í today must have singleness of mind as of aim, without the division arising when we stand with one foot in the Cause and one foot in the world, attempting to reconcile diverse elements which the Manifestation of God Himself has declared to be irreconcilable.
The principle underlying the Guardian’s
instruction about membership in non-Bahá’í
religious bodies has already been emphasized
by Shoghi Effendi in another connection
the instruction about the non-political
character of the Faith which he incorporated in
his letter entitled "The Golden Age of the
Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.” For example: “I feel
it, therefore, incumbent upon me to stress,
now that the time is ripe, the importance of
an instruction which, at the present stage
of the evolution of our Faith, should be
increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its
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application to the
East or to the West. And
this principle is no other than that which
involves the non-participation
by the adherents of the Faith
of Bahá’u’lláh, whether
in their individual capacities or collectively
as local or national Assemblies, in any form
of activity that might be interpreted, either
directly or indirectly, as an interference in
the political affairs of any
particular government.”
Again, when the question was raised as to membership in certain non-Bahá’í organizations not directly religious or political in character, the Guardian replied: “Regarding association with the World Fellowship of Faiths and kindred Societies, Shoghi Effendi wishes to reaffirm and elucidate the general principle that Bahá’í elected representatives as well as individuals should refrain from any act or word that would imply a departure from the principles, whether spiritual, social or administrative, established by Bahá’u’lláh. Formal affiliation with and acceptance of membership in organizations whose programs or policies are not wholly reconcilable with the Techings is of course out of the question.” (BAHÁ’Í NEWS, August, 1933.)
Thus, not once but repeatedly the Guardian has upheld the vital principle underlying every type of relationship between Bahá’ís and other organizations, namely, that the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh is an ever-growing organism, and as we begin to realize its universality our responsibility is definitely established to cherish and defend that universality from all compromise, all admixture with worldly elements, whether emanating from our own habits rooted in the past or from the deliberate attacks imposed by enemies from without.
It will be noted that in the instruction published in July, 1935, BAHÁ’Í NEWS, the Guardian made it clear that the principle involved is not new and unexpected, but rather an application of an established principle to a new condition. "Concerning membership in non-Bahá’í religious associations, the Guardian wishes to re-emphasize the general principle already laid down in his communications to your Assembly and also to the individual believers that no Bahá’í who wishes to be a whole-hearted and sincere upholder of the distinguishing principles of the Cause can accept full membership in any non-Bahá’í ecclesiastical organization. . . . For it is only too obvious that in most of its fundamental assumptions the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh is completely at variance with outworn creeds, ceremonies and institutions. . . During the days of the Master the Cause was still in a stage that made such an open and sharp dissociation between it and other religious organizations, and particularly the Muslim Faith, not only inadvisable but practically impossible to establish. But since His passing events throughout the Bahá’í world, and particularly in Egypt where the Muslim religious courts have formally testified to the independent character of the Faith, have developed to a point that has made such an assertion of the independence of the Cause not only highly desirable but absolutely essential.”
To turn now to the Guardian’s words
published in October BAHÁ’Í NEWS: “The
separation that has set in between
the institutions of the Bahá’í Faith
and the Islámic
ecclesiastical organizations that oppose it
. . . imposes upon every loyal upholder of
the Cause the obligation of refraining from
any word or action that might prejudice
the position which our enemies have . . . of
their own accord proclaimed and established.
This historic development, the beginnings
of which could neither be recognized nor
even anticipated in the years immediately
preceding ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, may be
said to have signalized the Formative Period
of our Faith and to have paved the way
for the consolidation of its administrative
order. . . . Though our Cause unreservedly
recognizes the Divine origin of all
the religions that preceded it and upholds the
spiritual truths which lie at their very
core and are common to them all,
its institutions, whether administrative,
religious or humanitarian, must, if
their distinctive
character is to be maintained and
recognized, be increasingly divorced from the
outworn creeds, the meaningless ceremonials
and man-made institutions with which these
religions are at present identified.
Our adversaries in the East have
initiated the struggle. Our future
opponents in the West will,
[Page 306]
in their turn,
arise and carry it a stage further.
Ours is the duty, in anticipation
of this inevitable contest, to
uphold unequivocally and with
undivided loyalty the
integrity of our Faith and demonstrate the
distinguishing features of its
divinely appointed institutions.”
Nothing could be clearer or more emphatic. These words, asserting again the essential universality of the Cause, likewise repeat and renew the warning that the organized religions, even in America, will become bitterly hostile to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, denounce and oppose it, and seek its destruction in vain effort to maintain their own "outworn creeds” and material power. Informed of this inevitable development, can a Bahá’í any longer desire to retain a connection which, however liberal and pleasing it now seems, is a connection with a potential foe of the Cause of God? The Guardian’s instruction signifies that the time has come when all American believers must become fully conscious of the implications of such connections, and carry out their loyalty to its logical conclusion.
Shoghi Effendi’s latest words are not merely an approval of the foregoing statement, but a most helpful elucidation of some of the problems which arise when the friends turn to their local Assemblies for specific advice under various special circumstances.
“The explanatory statement in connection with membership in non-Bahá’í religious organizations is admirably conceived, convincing and in full conformity with the principles underlying and implied in the unfolding world order of Bahá’u’lláh.” (November 29, 1933.)
“The Guardian has carefully read the copy of the statement you had recently prepared concerning non-membership in non-Bahá’í religious organizations, and is pleased to realize that your comments and explanations are in full conformity with his views on the subject. He hopes that your letter will serve to clarify this issue in the minds of all the believers, and to further convince them of its vital character and importance in the present stage of the evolution of the Cause.
“. . . In this case,1 as also in that of suffering believers, the Assemblies, whether local or national, should act tactfully, patiently and in a friendly and kindly spirit. Knowing how painful and dangerous it is for such believers to repudiate their former allegiances and friendships, they should try to gradually persuade them of the wisdom and necessity of such an action, and instead of thrusting upon them a new principle, to make them accept it inwardly, and out of pure conviction and desire. Too severe and immediate action in such cases is not only fruitless but actually harmful. It alienates people instead of winning them to the Cause.
“The other point concerns the advisability of contributing to a church. In this case also the friends must realize that contributions to a church, especially when not regular, do not necessarily entail affiliation. The believers can make such offerings, occasionally, and provided they are certain that while doing so they are not connected as members of any church. There should be no confusion between the terms affiliation and association. While affiliation with ecclesiastical organizations is not permissible, association with them should not only be tolerated but even encouraged. There is no better way to demonstrate the universality of the Cause than this. Bahá’u’lláh, indeed, urges His followers to consort with all religions and nations with utmost friendliness and love. This constitutes the very spirit of His message to mankind.” (December 11, 1935.)
The National Spiritual Assembly trusts that the subject will receive the attention of local Assemblies and communities, and that in the light of the foregoing explanations the friends will find unity and agreement in applying the instruction to whatever situations may arise. In teaching new believers let us lay a proper foundation so that their obedience will be voluntary and assured from the beginning of their enrollment as Bahá’ís. In our attitude toward the older believers who are affected by the instruction let us act with the patience and kindliness the Guardian has urged.
————————
1A special case involving an aged believer, afflicted with illness, for whom severance of church relations might have been too great a shock.
BAHÁ’ÍS AND WAR
A Statement by the National Spiritual Assembly1
One of the chief responsibilities of Bahá’ís in this transitional era is to grasp the principle upon which rests their loyalty to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in relation to their duty toward their civil government. This problem arises in its most difficult form in connection with our individual and collective attitude toward war.
Nothing could be more powerful than the Bahá’í teachings on the subject of peace. Not only does Bahá’u’lláh confirm the teachings of all former Manifestations which uphold amity and fellowship between individual human beings, and the supremacy of love as the end and aim of mutual intercourse and association, but He likewise extends the divine law of peace to governments and rulers, declaring to them that they are called upon to establish peace and justice upon earth, and uproot forever the dire calamity of international war.
Despite His Revelation, a most agonizing and excruciating conflict raged in Europe for four years, and since that war many other wars and revolutions have dyed the earth, while at present the heaven of human hope is black with the approach of a final world-shaking catastrophe.
What wonder that faithful Bahá’ís, abhorring and detesting war as insane repudiation of divine law, as destroyer of life and ruin of civilization, should now, in these fateful days, ponder how they may save their loved ones from the calamity of the battlefield, and how they may contribute their utmost to any and every effort aimed at the attainment of universal peace?
Conscious of these heart-stirrings, and mindful of its responsibility toward all American believers, and particularly that radiant youth which would first of all be sacrificed in the event of a declaration of war by the government, the National Spiritual Assembly wishes to express its view upon the matter, in the hope that the result of its study of the Teachings and of the Guardian’s explanations will assist in bringing a unity of opinion and a clarification of thought among the friends.
Concerning the duty of Bahá’ís to their government, we have these words, written by Shoghi Effendi on January 1, 1929 (see “Bahá’í Administration,” page 152): “To all these (that is, restrictive measures of the Soviet régime) the followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh have with feelings of burning agony and heroic fortitude unanimously and unreservedly submitted, ever mindful of the guiding principle of Bahá’í conduct that in connection with their administrative activities, no matter how grievously interference with them might affect the course of the extension of the Movement, and the suspension of which does not constitute in itself a departure from the principle of loyalty to their Faith, the considered judgment and authoritative decrees issued by their responsible rulers must, if they be faithful to Bahá’u’lláh’s and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s express injunctions, be thoroughly respected and loyally obeyed. In matters, however, that vitally affect the integrity and honor of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and are tantamount to a recantation of their faith and repudiation of their innermost belief, they are convinced, and are unhesitatingly prepared to vindicate by their life-blood the sincerity of their conviction, that no power on earth, neither the arts of the most insidious adversary nor the bloody weapons of the most tyrannical oppressor, can ever succeed in extorting from them a word or deed that might tend to stifle the voice of their conscience or tarnish the purity of their faith.”
In view of the fact that early Christians were persecuted because they refused to render military service, the question might be raised whether the above statement means that the Guardian includes refusal to bear arms as one of those matters which "vitally affect the integrity and honor of the Faith . . . and are tantamount to a recantation of their faith and repudiation of their inner
————————
1“The Guardian has carefully read the N. S. A.’s statement on the Bahá’í attitude toward war, and approves of its circulation among the believers.”Shoghi Effendi, through his secretary, Haifa, January 10, 1936.
[Page 308]
most belief”—a
question the more important
in that the early Christians
preferred persecution to military service.
The answer to this question is that the Guardian instructs us that the obligation to render military duty placed by governments upon their citizens is a form of loyalty to one’s government which the Bahá’í must accept, but that the believers can, through their National Assembly, seek exemption from active army duty provided their government recognizes the right of members of religious bodies making peace a matter of conscience to serve in some non—combatant service rather than as part of the armed force.
The National Spiritual Assembly has investigated carefully this aspect of the situation, and has found that, whereas the government of the United States did, in the last war, provide exemption from military duty on religious grounds, nevertheless this exemption was part of the Statutes bearing directly upon that war, and with the cessation of hostilities the exemption lapsed. In other words, there is today no basis on which any Bahá’í may be exempted from military duty in a possible future conflict. The National Assembly, consequently, cannot at present make any petition for exemption of Bahá’ís from war service, for such petitions must be filed with reference to some specific Act or Statute under which exemption can be granted. The Assembly understands that, in the event of war, there will be some kind of provision for exemption enacted, but as far as Bahá’ís are concerned, no steps can be taken until this government declares itself in a state of war.
This explanation, it is hoped, will satisfy those who for some years have been urging that protection be secured for American Bahá’í youth.
On the other hand it must be pointed out that it is no part of our teaching program to attract young people to the Cause merely in order to take advantage of any exemption that may later on be officially obtained for duly enrolled Bahá’ís. The only justifiable reason for joining this Faith is because one realizes that it is a divine Cause and is ready and willing to accept whatever may befall a believer on the path of devotion. The persecutions which have been inflicted upon Bahá’ís so frequently make it clear that the path of devotion is one of sacrifice and not of ease or special privilege.
Another question encountered here and there among believers is what can Bahá’ís do to work for peace? Outside the Cause we see many organizations with peace programs, and believers occasionally feel that it is their duty to join such movements and thereby work for a vital Bahá’í principle.
It is the view of the National Spiritual Assembly that activity in and for the Cause itself is the supreme service to world peace. The Bahá’í community of the world is the true example of peace. The Bahá’í principles are the only ones upon which peace can be established. Therefore, by striving to enlarge the number of declared believers, and broadcasting the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, we are doing the utmost to rid humanity of the scourge of war. Of what use to spend time and money upon incomplete human programs when we have the universal program of the Manifestation of God? The firm union of the Bahá’ís in active devotion to the advancement of their own Faith—this is our service to peace, as it is our service to all other human needs—economic justice, race amity, religious unity, etc. Let non-believers agitate for disarmament and circulate petitions for this and that pacifist aim—a Bahá’í truly alive in this Faith will surely prefer to base his activities upon the foundation laid by Bahá’u’lláh, walk the path which the Master trod all His days, and heed the appeals which the Guardian has given us to initiate a new era in the public teaching of the Message.
THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
Excerpts Made by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, by Direction of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith
INTERPRETATIONS OF THE WILL AND TESTAMENT
WELL is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of Bahá’u’lláh and rendereth thanks unto his Lord! For He assuredly will be made manifest. God hath indeed ordained it in the Bayán.—THE BÁB. (The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, pages 54-55.)
The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System—the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. (The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, page 54.)
It is incumbent up-on the Aghsán, the Afnán and My kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book: “When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed. Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.” The object of this sacred verse is none except the Most Mighty Branch (‘Abdu’l-Bahá). Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful.—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. (The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, page 42.)
There hath branched from the Sadratu’l-Muntahá this sacred and glorious Being, this Branch of Holiness; well is it with him that hath sought His shelter and abideth beneath His shadow. Verily the Limb of the Law of God hath sprung forth from this Root which God hath firmly implanted in the Ground of His Will, and Whose Branch hath been so uplifted as to encompass the whole of creation.—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. (The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, page 43.)
In accordance with the explicit text of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh hath made the Center of the Covenant the Interpreter of His Word—a Covenant so firm and mighty that from the beginning of time until the present day no religious Dispensation hath produced its like.—‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ. (The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, page 44.)
‘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 laboring. 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 creative energies released by the Law
of Bahá’u’lláh, permeating and evolving
within the mind of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, have, by
their 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
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bear in mind, as
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 vigor, 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 of time the whole of mankind.—SHOGHI EFFENDI. (The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, pages 51-52.)
EXCERPTS FROM THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
All-praise to Him Who, by the Shield of His Covenant, hath guarded the Temple of His Cause from the darts of doubtfulness, Who by the Hosts of His Testament hath preserved the Sanctuary of His 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 of men whom the slander of the slanderer affects not, whom no earthly calling, glory and power can turn aside from the Covenant of God and His Testament, established firmly by His 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 Trees; the most wondrous, unique and priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the Twin Surging Seas; upon the offshoots of the Tree of Holiness, the twigs of the Celestial Tree, they that in the Day of the Great Dividing have stood fast and firm in the Covenant; upon the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God that have diffused widely the Divine Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proclaimed His Faith, published abroad His Law, detached themselves from all things but Him, stood for 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 followed the Light that after my passing shineth from the Dayspring of Divine Guidance—for behold! he is the blest and sacred bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees. Well is it with him that seeketh the shelter of his shade that shadoweth all mankind.
O ye beloved of the Lord! The greatest
of all things is the protection of the True
Faith of God, the preservation of His Law,
the safeguarding of His Cause and service
unto His Word. Ten thousand souls have
shed streams of their sacred blood in this
path, their precious lives they
offered in sacrifice unto Him,
hastened wrapt in holy
ecstasy unto the glorious field of martyrdom,
upraised the Standard of God’s Faith and
writ with their life-blood upon the Tablet of
the world the verses of His Divine Unity.
The sacred breast of His Holiness,
the Exalted One (may my life
be a sacrifice unto
Him), was made a target to many a dart of
woe, and in Mázindarán, the Blessed feet of
the Abhá Beauty (may my life be offered up
for His loved ones) were so grievously
scouraged as to bleed and be sore wounded.
His neck also was put into captive chains
[Page 311]
and His feet made fast
in the stocks. In every hour, for
a period of fifty years, a new
trial and calamity befell Him and
fresh afflictions and cares beset
Him. One of them:
after having suffered intense vicissitudes, He
was made homeless and a wanderer and fell a
victim to still new vexations and troubles.
In ‘Iráq, the Day-Star of the world was so
exposed to the wiles of the people of malice
as to be eclipsed in splendor. Later on He
was sent an exile to the Great City
(Constantinople) and thence to the Land of
Mystery (Adrianople), whence, grievously
wronged, He was eventually transferred to
the Most Great Prison (‘Akká). He Whom
the world hath wronged (may my life be
offered up for His loved ones) was four
times banished from city to city, till at last
condemned to perpetual confinement, He
was incarcerated in this Prison, the prison
of highway robbers, of brigands
and of manslayers. All this is but
one of the trials that
have afflicted the Blessed Beauty, the rest
being even as grievous as this.
According to the direct and sacred command of God we are forbidden to utter slander, are commanded to show forth peace and amity, are exhorted to rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and harmony with all the kindreds and peoples of the world. We must obey and be the well-wishers of the governments of the land, regard disloyalty unto a just king as disloyalty to God Himself and wishing evil to the government a transgression of the Cause of God.
O God, my God! Thou seest this wronged servant of Thine, held fast in the talons of ferocious lions, of ravening wolves, of bloodthirsty beasts. Graciously assist me, through my love for Thee, that I may drink deep of the chalice that brimmeth over with faithfulness to Thee and is filled with Thy bountiful Grace; so that, fallen upon the dust, I may sink prostrate and senseless whilst my vesture is dyed crimson with my blood. This is my wish, my heart’s desire, my hope, my pride, my glory. Grant, O Lord my God, and my Refuge, that in my last hour, my end, may even as musk shed its fragrance of glory! Is there a bounty greater than this? Nay, by Thy Glory! I call Thee to witness that no day passeth but that I quaff my fill from this cup, so grievous are the misdeeds wrought by them that have broken the Covenant, kindled discord, showed their malice, stirred sedition in the land and dishonored Thee amidst Thy servants. Lord! Shield Thou from these Covenant-breakers the mighty Stronghold of Thy Faith and protect Thy secret Sanctuary from the onslaught of the ungodly. Thou art in truth the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious, the Strong.
O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants from the evils of self and passion, protect them with the watchful eye of Thy loving kindness from all rancor, hate and envy, shelter them in the impregnable stronghold of Thy Cause and, safe from the darts of doubtfulness, make them the manifestations of Thy glorious Signs, illumine their faces with the effulgent rays shed from the Dayspring of Thy Divine Unity, gladden their hearts with the verses revealed from Thy Holy Kingdom, strengthen their loins by Thine all-swaying power that cometh from Thy Realm of Glory. Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Protector, the Almighty, the Gracious!
O ye that stand fast in the Covenant!
When the hour cometh that this wronged
and broken-winged bird will have taken
flight unto the celestial concourse, when it
will have hastened to the Realm of
the Unseen and its mortal frame will have been
either lost or hidden neath the dust, it is
incumbent upon the Afnán, that
are steadfast in the Covenant of God, and have
branched from the Tree of Holiness, the
Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God (the
glory of the Lord rest upon them), and all
the friends and loved ones, one and all to
bestir themselves and arise with heart and
soul and in one accord, to diffuse the sweet
savors of God, to teach His Cause and to
promote His Faith. It behooveth them not
to rest for a moment, neither to
seek repose. They must disperse
themselves in every
land, pass by every clime and travel
throughout all regions. Bestirred, without
rest and steadfast to the end they must
raise in every land the triumphal cry “O
Thou the Glory of Glories!”
(Ya-Bahá’u’l-Abhá), must achieve renown in the
world wherever they go, must burn brightly
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even as a candle
in every meeting and must
kindle the flame of Divine love
in every assembly; that the light
of truth may rise resplendent in
the midmost heart of the world,
that throughout the East and throughout
the West a vast concourse may gather under
the shadow of the Word of God, that the
sweet savors of holiness may be diffused, that
faces may shine radiantly, hearts be filled
with the Divine spirit and souls be made
heavenly.
In these days, the most important of all things is the guidance of the nations and peoples of the world. Teaching the Cause is of utmost importance for it is the head corner-stone of the foundation itself. This wronged servant has spent his days and nights in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to service. He rested not a moment, till the fame of the Cause of God was noised abroad in the world and the celestial strains from the Abhá Kingdom roused the East and the West. The beloved of God must also follow the same example. This is the secret of faithfulness, this is the requirement of servitude to the Threshold of Bahá!
The disciples of Christ forgot themselves and all earthly things, forsook all their cares and belongings, purged themselves of self and passion and with absolute detachment scattered far and wide and engaged in calling the peoples of the world to the Divine Guidance, till at last they made the world another world, illumined the surface of the earth and even to their last hour proved self-sacrificing in the pathway of that Beloved One of God. Finally in various lands they suffered glorious martyrdom. Let them that are men of action follow in their footsteps!
O my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Aghsán (Branches), the Afnán (Twigs) of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God and the loved ones of the Abhá Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi—the youthful branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees and the fruit grown from the union of the two offshoots of the Tree of Holiness—as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all the Aghsán, the Afnán, the Hands of the Cause of God and His loved ones must turn. He is the expounder of the words of God and after him will succeed the first-born of his lineal descendants.
The sacred and youthful branch, the
guardian of the Cause 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 Abhá Beauty,
under the shelter and unerring guidance of His
Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be
offered up for them both). Whatsoever they
decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not,
neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God;
whoso rebelleth against him and against
them hath rebelled against God; whoso
opposeth him hath opposed God;
whoso contendeth with them hath
contended with God; whoso disputeth
with him hath disputed with God;
whoso denieth him hath
denied God; whoso disbelieveth in him hath
disbelieved in God; whoso deviateth,
separateth himself and turneth aside from him
hath in truth deviated, separated himself and
turned aside from God. May the wrath, the
fierce indignation, the venegeance of God rest
upon him! The mighty stronghold
shall remain impregnable and safe
through obedience to him who is
the guardian of the Cause
of God. It is incumbent upon
the members of the House of
Justice, upon all the
Aghsán, the Afnán, the Hands of the Cause
of God to show their obedience,
submissiveness and subordination
unto the guardian
of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and
be lowly before him. He that opposeth him
hath opposed the True One, will make a
breach in the Cause of God, will subvert His
word and will become a manifestation of the
Center of Sedition. Beware, beware, lest the
days after the ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh) be
repeated when the Center of Sedition waxed
haughty and rebellious and with Divine
Unity for his excuse deprived himself and
perturbed and poisoned others. No doubt
every vainglorious one that
purposeth dissension and discord
will not openly declare
his evil purposes, nay rather, even as impure
gold, would he seize upon divers measures
and various pretexts that he may separate the
gathering of the people of Bahá. My object
is to show that the Hands of the Cause of
God must be ever watchful and so soon as
they find anyone beginning to oppose and
[Page 313]
protest against
the guardian of the Cause of
God cast him out from the congregation of
the people of Bahá and in no wise accept any
excuse from him. How often hath grievous
error been disguised in the garb of truth,
that it might sow the seeds of doubt in the
hearts of men!
O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life—time him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus, should the first-born of the guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words:—"The child is the secret essence of its sire,” that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he (the guardian of the Cause of God), choose another branch to succeed him.
The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number, nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may not be distinguished (secret ballot).
O friends! The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the guardian of the Cause of God. All must be under his shadow and obey his command. Should any, within or without the company of the Hands of the Cause of God, disobey and seek division, the wrath of God and His vengeance will be upon him, for he will have caused a breach in the true Faith of God.
The obligations of the Hands of the Cause of God are to diffuse the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all times and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from earthly things. They must manifest the fear of God by their conduct, their manners, their deeds and their words.
This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the direction of the guardian of the Cause of God. He must continually urge them to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to diffuse the sweet savors of God, and to guide all the peoples of the world, for it is the light of Divine Guidance that causeth all the universe to be illumined. To disregard, though it be for a moment, this absolute command which is binding upon everyone, is in no wise permitted, that the existent world may become even as the Abhá Paradise, that the surface of the earth may become heavenly, that contention and conflict amidst peoples, kindreds, nations and governments may disappear, that all the dwellers on earth may become one people and one race, that the world may become even as one home. Should differences arise they shall be amicably and conclusively settled by the Supreme Tribunal, that shall include members from all the governments and peoples of the world.
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. So intense must be the spirit of
love and loving-kindness, that the stranger
may find himself a 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
[Page 314]
True God must be
bountifully and universally extended
to all mankind. Regarding
this, restrictions and limitations are in no
wise permitted.
Wherefore, O my loving friends! Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and friendliness; that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Bahá, that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor 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.
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 suffrage, that is, by the believers. Its members must be manifestations of the fear of God and daysprings 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 difficult problems are to be resolved and the guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body. Should he not attend in person its deliberations, he must appoint one to represent him. Should any of the members commit a sin, injurious to the common weal, the guardian of the Cause of God hath at his own discretion the right to expel him, whereupon the people must elect another one in his stead. This House of Justice enacteth the laws and the government enforceth them. The legislative body must reinforce the executive, the executive must aid and assist the legislative body so that through the close union and harmony of these two forces, the foundation of fairness and justice may become firm and strong, that all the regions of the world may become even as Paradise itself.
O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon you to be submissive to all monarchs that are just and show your fidelity to every righteous king. Serve ye the sovereigns of the world with utmost truthfulness and loyalty. Show obedience unto them and be their well-wishers. Without their leave and permission do not meddle with political affairs, for disloyalty to the just sovereign is disloyalty to God himself.
This is my counsel and the commandment of God unto you. Well is it with them that act accordingly.
O 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; towards none doth he entertain
any ill-feeling 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 of God. Thus,
with the greatest regret, I counsel
you saying:—“Guard ye the Cause
of God, protect
His law and have the utmost
fear of discord. This is the
foundation of the belief of
the people of Bahá (may my life be offered
up for them).” “His Holiness, the Exalted
one (the Báb), is the Manifestation of the
Unity and Oneness of God and the
Forerunner of the Ancient Beauty.
His Holiness the
Abhá Beauty (may my life be a sacrifice for
His steadfast friends) is the
Supreme Manifestation of God and
the Dayspring of His
Most Divine Essence. All others are servants
unto Him and do His bidding.” Unto the
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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. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is
verily of them that love discord, hath shown
forth malice and turned away from the Lord
of the Covenant. By this House is meant
that Universal House of Justice which is to
be elected from all countries, that is, from
those parts in the East and West where the
loved ones are to be found, after the manner
of the customary elections in
Western countries such as those of England.
It is incumbent upon these members (of the Universal House of Justice) to gather in a certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever they decide has the same effect as the Text itself. And inasmuch as this House of Justice hath power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the Book and bear upon daily transactions, so also it hath power to repeal the same. Thus for example, the House of Justice enacteth today a certain law and enforceth it, and a hundred years hence, circumstances having profoundly changed and the conditions having altered, another House of Justice will then have power, according to the exigencies of the time, to alter that law. This it can do because that law formeth no part of the Divine Explicit Text. The House of Justice is both the Initiator and the Abrogator of its own laws.
And now, one of the greatest and most fundamental principles of the Cause of God is to shun and avoid entirely the Covenant-breakers, for they will utterly destroy the Cause of God, exterminate His Law and render of no account all efforts exerted in the past. O friends! It behooveth you to call to mind with tenderness the trials of His Holiness, the Exalted One and show your fidelity to the Ever-Blest Beauty. The utmost endeavor must be exerted lest all these woes, trials and afflictions, all this pure and sacred blood that hath been shed so profusely in the Path of God, may prove to be in vain.
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.
O God, my God! I call Thee, Thy Prophets and Thy 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 All-knowing, the All-wise!
Whosoever and whatsoever meeting becometh a hindrance to the diffusion of the Light of Faith, let the loved ones give them counsel and say: "Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching. It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves? Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a sacrifice for the Abhá Beauty and teach the Cause of God.” Caution and prudence, however, must be observed even as recorded in the Book. The veil must in no wise be suddenly rent asunder. The Glory of Glories rest upon you.
O ye the faithful loved ones of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá! It is incumbent upon you to take the greatest care of Shoghi Effendi, the twig that hath branched from and the fruit given forth by the two hallowed and Divine Lote-Trees, that no dust of despondency and sorrow may strain his radiant nature, that day by day he may wax greater in happiness, in joy and spirituality, and may grow to become even as a fruitful tree.
For he is, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the guardian
of the Cause of God, the Afnán, the Hands
(pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of
the Lord must obey him and turn unto him.
He that obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed
God; he that turneth away from him, hath
turned away from God and he that denieth
him, hath denied the True One. Beware
lest anyone falsely interpret these words,
and like unto them that have broken the
[Page 316]
Covenant after the
Day of Ascension (of
Bahá’u’lláh) advance a pretext, raise the
standard of revolt, wax stubborn and open
wide the door of false interpretation. To
none is given the right to put forth his own
opinion or express his particular convictions.
All must seek guidance and turn unto the
Center of the Cause and the House
of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever
else is indeed in grievous error.
The Glory of Glories rest upon you.
Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy, misconceive its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God’s immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which it derives its inspiration is no one less than Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Its shield and defender are the embattled hosts of the Abhá Kingdom. Its seed is the blood of no less than twenty thousand martyrs who have offered up their lives that it may be born and flourish. The axis round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions of the "Will and Testament” of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Its guiding principles are the truths which He Who is the unerring Interpreter of the teachings of our Faith has so clearly enunciated in His public addresses throughout the West. The laws that govern its operation and limit its functions are those which have been expressly ordained in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The seat round which its spiritual, its humanitarian and administrative activities will cluster are the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár and its Dependencies. The pillars that sustain its authority and buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice. The central, the underlying aim which animates it is the establishment of the New World Order as adumbrated by Bahá’u’lláh. The methods it employs, the standard it inculcates, incline it to neither East nor West, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored. Its watchword is the unification of the human race; its standard the "Most Great Peace”; its consummation the advent of that golden millenium—the Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the Kingdom of God Himself, the Kingdom of Bahá’u’lláh.—SHOGHI EFFENDI. (“The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh,” pages 64 and 65.)
EXCERPTS FROM THE LETTERS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI
I HAVE been acquainted by the perusal of your latest communications with the nature of the doubts that have been publicly expressed, by one who is wholly misinformed as to the true precepts of the Cause, regarding the validity of institutions that stand inextricably interwoven with the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Not that I for a moment view such faint ‘misgivings in the light of an open challenge to the structure that embodies the Faith, nor is it because I question in the least the unyielding tenacity of the faith of the American believers, if I venture to dwell upon what seems to me appropriate observations at the present stage of the evolution of our beloved Cause. I am indeed inclined to welcome these expressed apprehensions inasmuch as they afford me an opportunity to familiarize the elected representatives of the believers with the origin and character of the institutions which stand at the very basis of the world order ushered in by Bahá’u’lláh. We should feel truly thankful for such futile attempts to undermine our beloved Faith—attempts that protrude their ugly face from time to time, seem for a while able to create a breach in the ranks of the faithful, recede finally into the obscurity of oblivion, and are thought of no more. Such incidents we should regard as the interpositions of Providence, designed to fortify our faith, to clarify our vision, and to deepen our understanding of the essentials of His Divine Revelation.
It would, however, be helpful and
instructive to bear in mind certain basic
principles with reference to the
Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which
together with the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, constitutes
the chief depository wherein are enshrined
those priceless
elements of that Divine Civilization, the
establishment of which is the primary mission
[Page 317]
of the Bahá’í Faith. A study
of the provisions of these sacred documents
will reveal the close relationship that exists
between them, as well as the identity of purpose
and method which they inculcate. Far from regarding
their specific provisions as incompatible and
contradictory in spirit, every
fair-minded inquirer will readily admit that
they are not only complementary, but that
they mutually confirm one another, and are
inseparable parts of one complete unit. A
comparison of their contents with the rest
of Bahá’í Sacred Writings will similarly
establish the conformity of whatever they
contain with the spirit as well as the letter
of the authenticated writings and sayings of
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In fact, he
who reads the Aqdas with care and diligence
will not find it hard to discover that the
Most Holy Book [Aqdas] itself anticipates
in a number of passages the institutions
which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ordains in His Will. By
leaving certain matters unspecified and
unregulated in His Book of Laws [Aqdas],
Bahá’u’lláh seems to have deliberately left
a gap in the general scheme of Bahá’í Dispensation,
which the unequivocal provisions
of the Master’s Will has filled. To attempt
to divorce the one from the other, to insinuate
that the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh
have not been upheld, in their entirety and
with absolute integrity, by what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
has revealed in his Will, is an unpardonable
affront to the unswerving fidelity
that has characterized the life and labors of
our beloved Master.
I will not attempt in the least to assert or demonstrate the authenticity of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for that in itself would betray an apprehension on my part as to the unanimous confidence of the believers in the genuineness of the last written wishes of our departed Master. I will only confine my observations to those issues which may assist them to appreciate the essential unity that underlies the spiritual, the humanitarian, and the administrative principles enunciated by the Author and the Interpreter of the Bahá’í Faith.
I am at a loss to explain that strange mentality that inclines to uphold as the sole criterion of the truth of the Bahá’í Teachings what is admittedly only an obscure and unauthenticated translation of an oral statement made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in defiance and total disregard of the available text of all of His universally recognized writings. I truly deplore the unfortunate distortions that have resulted in days past from the incapacity of the interpreter to grasp the meaning of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and from his incompetence to render adequately such truths as have been revealed to him by the Master’s statements. Much of the confusion that has obscured the understanding of the believers should be attributed to this double error involved in the inexact rendering of an only partially understood statement. Not infrequently has the interpreter even failed to convey the exact purport of the inquirer’s specific questions, and, by his deficiency of understanding and expression in conveying the answer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, has been responsible for reports wholly at variance with the true spirit and purpose of the Cause. It was chiefly in view of this misleading nature of the reports of the informal conversations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with visiting pilgrims, that I have insistently urged the believers of the West to regard such statements as merely personal impressions of the sayings of their Master, and to quote and consider as authentic only such translations as are based upon the authenticated text of His recorded utterances in the original tongue.
It should be remembered by every follower of the Cause that the system of Bahá’í administration is not an innovation imposed arbitrarily upon the Bahá’ís of the world since the Master’s passing, but derives its authority from the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is specifically prescribed in unnumbered Tablets, and rests in some of its essential features upon the explicit provisions of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It thus unifies and correlates the principles separately laid down by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and is indissolubly bound with the essential verities of the Faith. To dissociate the administrative principles of the Cause from the purely spiritual and humanitarian teachings would be tantamount to a mutilation of the body of the Cause, a separation that can only result in the disintegration of its component parts, and the extinction of the Faith itself.
Spiritual Assembly of Helena, Montana, Newly Constituted, April 21, 1939.
Spiritual Assembly of East Cleveland, Ohio, Newly Constituted, April 21, 1939, with members of the Bahá’í Community.
LOCAL AND NATIONAL HOUSES OF JUSTICE
It should be carefully borne in mind that the local as well as the international Houses of Justice have been expressly enjoined by the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; that the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly, as an intermediary body, and referred to in the Master’s Will as the “Secondary House of Justice,” has the express sanction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; and that the method to be pursued for the election of the International and National Houses of Justice has been set forth by Him in His Will, as well as in a number of His Tablets. Moreover, the institutions of the local and national Funds, that are now the necessary adjuncts to all Local and National Spiritual Assemblies, have not only been established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets He revealed to the Bahá’ís of the Orient, but their importance and necessity have been repeatedly emphasized by Him in His utterances and writings. The concentration of authority in the hands of the elected representatives of the believers; the necessity of the submission of every adherent of the Faith to the considered judgment of Bahá’í Assemblies; His preference for unanimity in decision; the decisive character of the majority vote; and even the desirability for the exercise of close supervision over all Bahá’í publications, have been sedulously instilled by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as evidenced by His authenticated and widely-scattered Tablets. To accept His broad and humanitarian Teachings on one hand, and to reject and dismiss with neglectful indifference His more challenging and distinguishing precepts, would be an act of manifest disloyalty to that which He has cherished most in His life.
That the Spiritual Assemblies of today will be replaced in time by the Houses of Justice, and are to all intents and purposes identical and not separate bodies, is abundantly confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself. He has in fact in a Tablet addressed to the members of the first Chicago Spiritual Assembly, the first elected Bahá’í body instituted in the United States, referred to them as the members of the “House of Justice” for that city, and has thus with His own pen established beyond any doubt the identity of the present Bahá’í Spiritual Assemblies with the Houses of Justice referred to by Bahá’u’lláh. For reasons which are not difficult to discover, it has been found advisable to bestow upon the elected representatives of Bahá’í communities throughout the world the temporary appellation of Spiritual Assemblies, a term which, as the position and aims of the Bahá’í Faith are better understood and more fully recognized, will gradually be superseded by the permanent and more appropriate designation of House of Justice. Not only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in future, but will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power. And as the Bahá’í Faith permeates the masses of the peoples of East and West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the Universal House of Justice attain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Bahá’í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world’s future superstate.
It must be pointed out, however, in this
connection that, contrary to what has been
confidently asserted, the establishment of the
Supreme House of Justice is in no way dependent
upon the adoption of the Bahá’í
Faith by the mass of the peoples of the
world, nor does it presuppose its acceptance
by the majority of the inhabitants of any
one country. In fact, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Himself,
in one of His earliest Tablets, contemplated
the possibility of the formation of the Universal
House of Justice in His own lifetime,
and but for the unfavorable circumstances
prevailing under the Turkish régime, would
have, in all probability, taken the preliminary
steps for its establishment. It will be
evident, therefore, that given favorable
circumstances, under which the Bahá’ís of Írán
and of the adjoining countries under Soviet
Rule may be enabled to elect their national
representatives, in accordance with the guiding
principles laid down in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
writings, the only remaining obstacle in the
[Page 320]
way of the definite formation
of the International House of Justice will have
been removed. For upon the National Houses of
Justice of the East and West devolves the
task, in conformity with the explicit provisions
of the Will, of electing directly the
members of the International House of Justice.
Not until they are themselves fully
representative of the rank and file of the
believers in their respective countries, not
until they have acquired the weight and the
experience that will enable them to function
vigorously in the organic life of the Cause,
can they approach their sacred task, and provide
the spiritual basis for the constitution
of so august a body in the Bahá’í world.
THE INSTITUTION OF GUARDIANSHIP
It must be also clearly understood by every believer that the institution of Guardianship does not under any circumstances abrogate, or even in the slightest degree detract from, the powers granted to the Universal House of Justice by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and repeatedly and solemnly confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will. It does not constitute in any manner a contradiction to the Will and Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, nor does it nullify any of His revealed instructions. It enhances the prestige of that exalted assembly, stabilizes its supreme position, safeguards its unity, assures the continuity of its labors, without presuming in the slightest to infringe upon the inviolability of its clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction. We stand indeed too close to so monumental a document to claim for ourselves a complete understanding of all its implications, or to presume to have grasped the manifold mysteries it undoubtedly contains. Only future generations can comprehend the value and the significance attached to this Divine Masterpiece, which the hand of the Master-builder of the world has designed for the unification and the triumph of the worldwide Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Only those who come after us will be in a position to realize the value of the surprisingly strong emphasis that has been placed on the institution of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship. They only will appreciate the significance of the vigorous language employed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with reference to the band of Covenant-breakers that has opposed Him in His days. To them alone will be revealed the suitability of the institutions initiated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the character of the future society which is to emerge out of the chaos and confusion of the present age. . . .
THE ANIMATING PURPOSE OF BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTIONS
And now, it behooves us to reflect on the
animating purpose and the primary functions
of these divinely-established institutions,
the sacred character and the universal
efficacy of which can be demonstrated only
by the spirit they diffuse and the work they
actually achieve. I need not dwell upon
what I have already reiterated and emphasized
that the administration of the Cause is
to be conceived as an instrument and not a
substitute for the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, that
it should be regarded as a channel through
which His promised blessings may flow, that
it should guard against such rigidity as
would clog and fetter the liberating forces
released by His Revelation. . . . Who, I may
ask, when viewing the international character
of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications,
the increasing complexity of its affairs,
the diversity of its adherents, and the state
of confusion that assails on every side the
infant Faith of God, can for a moment
question the necessity of some sort of
administrative machinery that will insure, amid
the storm and stress of a struggling civilization,
the unity of the Faith, the preservation
of its identity, and the protection of its
interests? To repudiate the validity of the
assemblies of the elected ministers of the
Faith of Bahá’u’lláh would be to reject these
countless Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
wherein they have extolled their privileges and
duties, emphasized the glory of
their mission, revealed the immensity of their
task, and warned them of the attacks they
must needs expect from the unwisdom of
friends, as well as from the malice of their
enemies. It is surely for those to whose
hands so priceless a heritage has been committed
to prayerfully watch lest the tool
should supersede the Faith itself, lest undue
concern for the minute details arising from
the administration of the Cause obscure the
vision of its promoters, lest partiality,
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ambition, and worldliness
tend in the course
of time to becloud the radiance, stain the
purity, and impair the effectiveness of the
Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
(February 27, 1929.)
THE ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE
These recurrent crises which, with ominous frequency and resistless force, are afflicting an ever-increasing portion of the human race must of necessity continue, however impermanently, to exercise, in a certain measure, their baleful influence upon a world community which has spread its ramifications to the uttermost ends of the earth. How can the beginnings of a world upheaval, unleashing forces that are so gravely deranging the social, the religious, the political, and the economic equilibrium of organized society, throwing into chaos and confusion political systems, racial doctrines, social conceptions, cultural standards, religious associations, and trade relationships —how can such agitations, on a scale so vast, so unprecedented, fail to produce any repercussions on the institutions of a Faith of such tender age whose teachings have a direct and vital bearing on each of these spheres of human life and conduct?
Little wonder, therefore, if they who are holding aloft the banner of so pervasive a Faith, so challenging a Cause, find themselves affected by the impact of these world-shaking forces. Little wonder if they find that in the midst of this whirlpool of contending passions their freedom has been curtailed, their tenets contemned, their institutions assaulted, their motives maligned, their authority jeopardized, their claim rejected.
In the heart of the European continent a community which, as predicted by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is destined, by virtue of its spiritual potentialities and geographical situation, to radiate the splendor of the light of the Faith on the countries that surround it, has been momentarily eclipsed through the restrictions which a regime that has sorely misapprehended its purpose and function has chosen to impose upon it. Its voice, alas, is now silenced, its institutions dissolved, its literature banned, its archives confiscated, and its meetings suspended.
In central Asia, in the city enjoying the unique distinction of having been chosen by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the home of the First Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Bahá’í world, as well as in the towns and villages of the province to which it belongs, the sore-pressed Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, as a result of the extraordinary and unique vitality which, in the course of several decades, it has consistently manifested, finds itself at the mercy of forces which, alarmed at its rising power, are now bent on reducing it to utter impotence. Its Temple, though still used for purposes of Bahá’í worship, has been expropriated, its Assemblies and committees disbanded, its teaching activities crippled, its chief promoters deported, and not a few of its most enthusiastic supporters, both men and women, imprisoned.
In the land of its birth, wherein reside the immense majority of its followers—a country whose capital has been hailed by Bahá’u’lláh as the "mother of the world” and the "day-spring of the joy of mankind”—a civil authority, as yet undivorced officially from the paralyzing influences of an antiquated, a fanatical, and outrageously corrupt clergy, pursues relentlessly its campaign of repression against the adherents of a Faith which it has for well-nigh a century striven unsuccessfully to suppress. Indifferent to the truth that the members of this innocent and proscribed community can justly claim to rank as among the most disinterested, the most competent, and the most ardent lovers of their native land, contemptuous of their high sense of world citizenship which the advocates of an excessive and narrow nationalism can never hope to appreciate, such an authority refuses to grant to a Faith which extends its spiritual jurisdiction over well nigh six hundred local communities, and which numerically outnumbers the adherents of either the Christian, the Jewish, or the Zoroastrian Faiths in that land, the necessary legal right to enforce its laws, to administer its affairs, to conduct its schools, to celebrate its festivals, to circulate its literature, to solemnize its rites, to erect its edifices, and to safeguard its endowments.
And now recently in the Holy Land itself,
the heart and nerve-center of a world-embracing
Faith, the fires of racial animosity,
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of fraticidal strife,
of unabashed terrorism,
have lit a conflagration that gravely
interferes, on the one hand, with that flow of
pilgrims that constitutes the life—blood of
that center, and suspends, on the other, the
various projects that had been initiated in
connection with the preservation and
extension of the areas surrounding the sacred
Spots it enshrines. The safety of the small
community of resident believers, faced by
the rising tide of lawlessness, has been
imperiled, its status as a neutral and distinct
community indirectly challenged, and its
freedom to carry out certain of its
observances curtailed. A series of
murderous assaults, alternating with
outbursts of bitter
fanaticism, both racial and religious,
involving the leaders as well as the followers of
the three leading Faiths in that distracted
country, have, at times, threatened to sever
all normal communications both within its
confines as well as with the outside world.
Perilous though the situation has been, the
Bahá’í Holy Places, the object of the
adoration of a world-encircling Faith,
have, notwithstanding their number and
exposed position, and though to outward
seeming deprived of any means of protection,
been vouchsafed a preservation little short of
miraculous.
A world, torn with conflicting passions, and perilously disintegrating from within, finds itself confronted, at so crucial an epoch in its history, by the rising fortunes of an infant Faith, a Faith that, at times, seems to be drawn into its controversies, entangled by its conflicts, eclipsed by its gathering shadows, and overpowered by the mounting tide of its passions. In its very heart, within its cradle, at the seat of its first and venerable Temple, in one of its hitherto flourishing and potentially powerful centers, the as-yet unemancipated Faith of Bahá’u’lláh seems indeed to have retreated before the onrushing forces of violence and disorder to which humanity is steadily falling a victim. The strongholds of such a Faith, one by one and day after day, are to outward seeming being successively isolated, assaulted and captured. As the lights of liberty flicker and go out, as the din of discord grows louder and louder every day, as the fires of fanaticism flame with increasing fierceness in the breasts of men, as the chill of irreligion creeps relentlessly over the soul of mankind, the limbs and organs that constitute the body of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh appear, in varying measure, to have become afflicted with the crippling influences that now hold in their grip the whole of the civilized world.
How clearly and strikingly the following words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’; are being demonstrated at this hour: "The darkness of error that has enveloped the East and the West is, in this most great cycle, battling with the light of Divine Guidance. Its swords and its spears are very sharp and pointed; its army keenly bloodthirsty.” "This day,” He, in another passage has written, "the powers of all the leaders of religion are directed towards the dispersion of the congregation of the All-Merciful, and the shattering of the Divine Edifice. The hosts of the world, whether material, cultural or political are from every side launching their assault, for the Cause is great, very great. Its greatness is, in this day, clear and manifest to men’s eyes.”
CHIEF REMAINING CITADEL
The one chief remaining citadel, the mighty arm which still raises aloft the standard of an unconquerable Faith, is none other than the blessed community of the followers of the Most Great Name in the North American continent. By its works, and through the unfailing protection vouchsafed to it by an almighty Providence, this distinguished member of the body of the constantly interacting Bahá’í communities of East and West, bids fair to be universally regarded as the cradle, as well as the stronghold, of that future New World Order, which is at once the promise and the glory of the Dispensation associated with the name of Bahá’u’lláh.
Let any one inclined to either belittle the
unique station conferred upon this community,
or to question the role it will be
called upon to play in the days to come,
ponder the implication of these pregnant
and highly illuminating words uttered by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and addressed to it at a time
when the fortunes of a world groaning
beneath the burden of a devastating war had
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reached their lowest ebb.
"The continent of America,” He so significantly wrote,
"is, in the eyes of the one true God, the land wherein the splendors of His light shall he revealed, where the mysteries of His Faith shall be unveiled, where the righteous will abide, and the free assemble.” . . .
HIS UNFAILING LIGHT
Dearly-beloved friends! Though the task be long and arduous, yet the prize which the All-Bountiful Bestower has chosen to confer upon you is of such preciousness that neither tongue nor pen can befittingly appraise it. Though the goal towards which you are now so strenuously striving be distant, and as yet undisclosed to men’s eyes, yet its promise lies firmly embedded in the authoritative and unalterable utterances of Bahá’u’lláh. Though the course He has traced for you seems, at times, lost in the threatening shadows with which a striken humanity is now enveloped, yet the unfailing light He has caused to shine continually upon you is of such brightness that no earthly dusk can ever eclipse its splendor. Though small in numbers, and circumscribed as yet in your experiences, powers, and resources, yet the Force which energizes your mission is limitless in its range and incalculable in its potency. Though the enemies which every acceleration in the progress of your mission must raise up be fierce, numerous, and unrelenting, yet the invisible Hosts which, if you persevere, must, as promised, rush forth to your aid, will, in the end, enable you to vanquish their hopes and annihilate their forces. Though the ultimate blessings that must crown the consummation of your mission be undoubted, and the Divine promises given you firm and irrevocable, yet the measure of the goodly reward which every one of you is to reap must depend on the extent to which your daily exertions will have contributed to the expansion of that mission and the hastening of its triumph.
Dearly-beloved friends! Great as is my love and admiration for you, convinced as I am of the paramount share which you can, and will, undoubtedly have in both the continental and international spheres of future Bahá’í activity and service, I feel it nevertheless incumbent upon me to utter, at this juncture, a word of warning. The glowing tributes, so repeatedly and deservedly paid to the capacity, the spirit, the conduct, and the high rank, of the American believers, both individually and as an organic community, must, under no circumstances, be confounded with the characteristics and nature of the people from which God has raised them up. A sharp distinction between that community and that people must be made, and resolutely and fearlessly upheld, if we wish to give due recognition to the transmuting power of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, in its impact on the lives and standards of those who have chosen to enlist under His banner. Otherwise, the supreme and distinguishing function of His Revelation, which is none other than the calling into being of a new race of men, will remain wholly unrecognized and completely obscured.
THE SUPREME FUNCTION OF HIS REVELATION
How often have the Prophets of God, not
excepting Bahá’u’lláh Himself, chosen
to appear, and deliver their Message
in countries and amidst peoples and races,
at a time when they were either fast declining,
or had already touched the lowest depths
of moral and spiritual degradation. The appalling
misery and wretchedness to which the
Israelites had sunk, under the debasing
and tyrannical rule of the Pharaohs, in
the days
preceding their exodus from Egypt under
the leadership of Moses; the decline that had
set in in the religious, the spiritual,
the cultural, and the moral life
of the Jewish people,
at the time of the appearance of Jesus
Christ; the barbarous cruelty, the gross
idolatry and immorality, which had for so
long been the most distressing features of
the tribes of Arabia and brought such shame
upon them when Muḥammad arose to proclaim
His Message in their midst; the
indescribable state of decadence, with its
attendant corruption, confusion, intolerance,
and oppression, in both the civil and
religious life of Írán, so graphically
portrayed by the pen of a considerable number of
scholars, diplomats, and travelers, at the
hour of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh—all
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demonstrate this basic
and inescapable fact.
To contend that the innate worthiness, the
high moral standard, the political aptitude,
and social attainments of any race or nation
is the reason for the appearance in its midst
of any of these Divine Luminaries would be
an absolute perversion of historical facts,
and would amount to a complete repudiation
of the undoubted interpretation placed
upon them, so clearly and emphatically, by
both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
How great, then, must be the challenge to those who, belonging to such races and nations, and having responded to the call which these Prophets have raised, to unreservedly recognize and courageously testify to this indubitable truth, that not by reason of any racial superiority, political capacity, or spiritual virtue which a race or nation might possess, but rather as a direct consequence of its crying needs, its lamentable degeneracy, and irremediable perversity, has the Prophet of God chosen to appear in its midst, and with it as a lever has lifted the entire human race to a higher and nobler plane of life and conduct. For it is precisely under such circumstances, and by such means that the Prophets have, from time immemorial, chosen and were able to demonstrate their redemptive power to raise from the depths of abasement and of misery, the people of their own race and nation, empowering them to transmit in turn to other races and nations the saving grace and the energizing influence of their Revelation.
In the light of this fundamental principle it should always be borne in mind, nor can it be sufficiently emphasized, that the primary reason why the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh chose to appear in Írán, and to make it the first repository of their Revelation, was because, of all the peoples and nations of the civilized world, that race and nation had, as so often depicted by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, sunk to such ignominious depths, and manifested so great a perversity, as to find no parallel among its contemporaries. For no more convincing proof could be adduced demonstrating the regenerating spirit animating the Revelations proclaimed by the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh than their power to transform what can be truly regarded as one of the most backward, the most cowardly, and perverse of peoples into a race of heroes, fit to effect in turn a similar revolution in the life of mankind. To have appeared among a race or nation which by its intrinsic worth and high attainments seemed to warrant the inestimable privilege of being made the receptacle of such a Revelation would in the eyes of an unbelieving world greatly reduce the efficacy of that Message, and detract from the self—sufficiency of its omnipotent power. The contrast so strikingly presented in the pages of Nabil’s Narrative between the heroism that immortalized the life and deeds of the Dawn-Breakers and the degeneracy and cowardice of their defamers and persecutors is in itself a most impressive testimony to the truth of the Message of Him Who had instilled such a spirit into the breasts of His disciples. For any believer of that race to maintain that the excellence of his country and the innate nobility of its people were the fundamental reasons for its being singled out as the primary receptacle of the Revelations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh would be untenable in the face of the overwhelming evidence afforded so convincingly by that Narrative.
To a lesser degree this principle must of
necessity apply to the country which has
vindicated its right to be regarded as the
cradle of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
So great a function, so noble a role, can be
regarded as no less inferior to the part played
by those immortal souls who, through their
sublime renunciation and unparalleled deeds,
have been responsible for the birth of the
Faith itself. Let not, therefore, those who
are to participate so predominantly in the
birth of that world civilization, which is the
direct offspring of their Faith, imagine for
a moment that for some mysterious purpose
or by any reason of inherent excellence or
special merit Bahá’u’lláh has chosen to confer
upon their country and people so great
and lasting a distinction. It is precisely by
reason of the patent evils which, notwithstanding
its other admittedly great characteristics and
achievements, an excessive and
binding materialism has unfortunately engendered
within it that the Author of their
Faith and the Center of His Covenant have
singled it out to become the standard-bearer
of the New World Order envisaged in their
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writings. It is by such
means as this that
Bahá’u’lláh can best demonstrate to a heedless
generation His almighty power to raise
up from the very midst of a people, immersed
in a sea of materialism, a prey to one
of the most virulent and long-standing
forms of racial prejudice, and notorious for
its political corruption, lawlessness and laxity
in moral standards, men and women who, as
time goes by, will increasingly exemplify
those essential virtues of self-renunciation,
of moral rectitude, of chastity, of
indiscriminating fellowship, of holy
discipline, and of
spiritual insight that will fit them for the
preponderating share they will have in calling
into being that World Order and that
World Civilization of which their country,
no less than the entire human race, stands in
desperate need. Theirs will be the duty and
privilege, in their capacity first as the
establishers of one of the most powerful pillars
sustaining the edifice of the Universal House
of Justice, and then as the champion-builders
of that New World Order of which that
House is to be the nucleus and forerunner,
to inculcate, demonstrate, and apply those
twin and sorely-needed principles of Divine
justice and order—principles to which the
political corruption and the moral license,
increasingly staining the society to which
they belong, offer so sad and striking a
contrast.
Observations such as these, however distasteful and depressing they may be, should not, in the least, blind us to those virtues and qualities of high intelligence, of youthfulness, of unbounded initiative, and enterprise which the nation as a whole so conspicuously displays, and which are being increasingly reflected by the community of the believers within it. Upon these virtues and qualities, no less than upon the elimination of the evils referred to, must depend, to a very great extent, the ability of that community to lay a firm foundation for the country’s future role in ushering in the Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
HOW STAGGERING THE RESPONSIBILITY
How great, therefore, how staggering the responsibility that must weigh upon the present generation of the American believers, at this early stage in their spiritual and administrative evolution, to weed out, by every means in their power, those faults, habits, and tendencies which they have inherited from their own nation, and to cultivate, patiently and prayerfully, those distinctive qualities and characteristics that are so indispensable to their effective participation in the great redemptive work of their Faith. Incapable as yet, in view of the restricted size of their community and the limited influence it now wields, of producing any marked effect on the great mass of their countrymen, let them focus their attention, for the present, on their own selves, their own individual needs, their own personal deficiencies and weaknesses, ever mindful that every intensification of effort on their part will better equip them for the time when they will be called upon to eradicate in their turn such evil tendencies from the lives and the hearts of the entire body of their fellow-citizens. Nor must they overlook the fact that the World Order, whose basis they, as the advance guard of the future Bahá’í generations of their countrymen, are now laboring to establish, can never be reared unless and until the generality of the people to which they belong has been already purged from the divers ills, whether social or political, that now so severely afflict it.
Surveying as a whole the most pressing
needs of this community, attempting to
estimate the more serious deficiencies by which
it is being handicapped in the discharge of
its task, and ever bearing in mind the nature
of that still greater task with which it will
be forced to wrestle in the future, I feel it
my duty to lay special stress upon, and draw
the special and urgent attention of the entire
body of the American believers, be they
young or old, white or colored, teachers or
administrators, veterans or new-comers, to
what I firmly believe are the essential
requirements for the success of the tasks which
are now claiming their undivided attention.
Great as is the importance of fashioning the
outward instruments, and of perfecting the
administrative agencies, which they can
utilize for the prosecution of their dual task
under the Seven Year Plan; vital and urgent
as are the campaigns which they are initiating,
the schemes and projects which they
are devising, and the funds which they are
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raising, for the efficient
conduct of both the
Teaching and Temple work, the imponderable,
the spiritual, factors, which are bound
up with their own individual and inner lives,
and with which are associated their human
and social relationships, are no less urgent
and vital, and demand constant scrutiny,
continual self-examination and heart-searching
on their part, lest their value be impaired
or their vital necessity be obscured or forgotten.
SPIRITUAL PREREQUISITES
Of these spiritual prerequisites of success, which constitute the bedrock on which the security of all teaching plans, Temple projects, and financial schemes, must ultimately rest, the following stand out as preeminent and vital, which the members of the American Bahá’í community will do well to ponder. Upon the extent to which these basic requirements are met, and the manner in which the American believers fulfill them in their individual lives, administrative activities, and social relationships, must depend the measure of the manifold blessings which the All-Bountiful Possessor can vouchsafe to them all. These requirements are none other than a high sense of moral rectitude in their social and administrative activities, absolute chastity in their individual lives, and complete freedom from prejudice in their dealings with peoples of a different race, class, creed, or color.
The first is specially, though not exclusively, directed to their elected representatives, whether local, regional, or national, who, in their capacity as the custodians and members of the nascent institutions of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, are shouldering the chief responsibility in laying an unassailable foundation for that Universal House of Justice which, as its title implies, is to be the exponent and guardian of that Divine Justice which can alone insure the security of, and establish the reign of law and order in, a strangely disordered world. The second is mainly and directly concerned with the Bahá’í youth, who can contribute so decisively to the virility, the purity, and the driving force of the life of the Bahá’í community, and upon whom must depend the future orientation of its destiny, and the complete unfoldment of the potentialities with which God has endowed it. The third should be the immediate, the universal, and the chief concern of all and sundry members of the Bahá’í community, of whatever age, rank, experience, class, or color, as all, with no exception, must face its challenging implications, and none can claim, however much he may have progressed along this line, to have completely discharged the stern responsibilities which it inculcates.
A rectitude of conduct, an abiding sense of undeviating justice, unobscured by the demoralizing influences which a corruption-ridden political life so strikingly manifests; a chaste, pure, and holy life, unsullied and unclouded by the indecencies, the vices, the false standards, which an inherently deficient moral code tolerates, perpetuates, and fosters; a fraternity freed from that cancerous growth of racial prejudice, which is eating into the vitals of an already debilitated society—these are the ideals which the American believers must, from now on, individually and through concerted action, strive to promote, in both their private and public lives, ideals which are the chief propelling forces that can most effectively accelerate the march of their institutions, plans, and enterprises, that can guard the honor and integrity of their Faith, and subdue any obstacles that may confront it in the future.
This rectitude of conduct, with its
implications of justice, equity, truthfulness,
honesty, fair-mindedness, reliability, and
trustworthiness, must distinguish every phase
of the life of the Bahá’í community.
"The companions of God,”
Bahá’u’lláh Himself has declared,
"are, in this day, the lump that must show forth such trustworthiness, such truthfulness and perseverance, such deeds and character that all mankind may profit by their example.” "I swear by Him Who is the Most Great Ocean!”
He again affirms,
"Within the very breath of such souls as are pure and sanctified far-reaching potentialities are hidden. So great are these potentialities that they exercise their influence upon all created things.” "He is the true servant of God,”
He in another passage has written,
"who, in this day, were he to pass
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through cities of silver and gold, would not deign to look upon them, and whose heart would remain pure and undefiled from whatever things can be seen in this world, be they its goods or its treasures. I swear by the Sun of Truth! The breath of such a man is endowed with potency, and his words with attraction.” "By Him Who shineth above the Day-Spring of sanctity!”
He, still more emphatically, has revealed,
"If the whole earth were to be converted into silver and gold, no man who can be said to have truly ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude would deign to regard it, much less to seize and keep it. . . . They who dwell within the Tabernacle of God, and are established upon the seats of everlasting glory, will refuse, though they be dying of hunger, to stretch their hands, and seize unlawfully the property of their neighbor, however vile and worthless he may be. The purpose of the one true God in manifesting Himself is to summon all mankind to truthfulness and sincerity, to piety and trustworthiness, to resignation and submissiveness to the will of God, to forbearance and kindliness, to uprightness and wisdom. His object is to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character, and to adorn him with the ornament of holy and goodly deeds.” "We have admonished all the loved ones of God,”
He insists,
"to take heed lest the hem of Our sacred vesture be smirched with the mire of unlawful deeds, or be stained with the dust of reprehensible conduct.” "Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Bahá,”
He thus exhorts them,
"This, verily, is the commandment which this wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained will for every one of you.” "A good character,”
He explains,
"is, verily, the best mantle for men from God. With it He adorneth the temples of His loved ones. By My Life! The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun and the radiance thereof.” "One righteous act,”
He, again, has written,
"is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished. . . . Be pure, O people of God, be pure; be righteous, be righteous. . . . Say: O people of God! That which can insure the victory of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, His hosts and helpers on earth, have been set down in the sacred Books and Scriptures, and are as clear and manifest as the sun. These hosts are such righteous deeds, such conduct and character, as are acceptable in His sight. Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid Our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence from such an action will, most certainly, be diffused throughout the whole world.” "The betterment of the world,”
is yet another statement,
"can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.” "Be fair to yourselves and to others,”
He thus counseleth them,
"that the evidences of justice may be revealed through your deeds among Our faithful servants.” "Equity,”
He also has written,
"is the most fundamental among human virtues. The evaluation of all things must needs depend upon it.”
And again,
"Observe equity in your judgment, ye men of understanding heart! He that is unjust in his judgment is destitute of the characteristics that distinguish man’s station.” "Beautify your tongues, O people,”
He further admonishes them,
"with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherously with any one. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people.” "Let your eye be chaste,”
is yet another counsel,
"your hand faithful, your tongue truthful, and your heart enlightened.” "Be an ornament to the countenance of truth,”
is yet another admonition,
"a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue.” "Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning,”
is still another admonition,
"suffer not yourselves to be deprived of the robe of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest ye walk in the ways of
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them whose words differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth. Happy is the man that heedeth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
"O army of God!” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, "Through the protection and help vouchsafed by the Blessed Beauty—may my life be a sacrifice to His loved ones—ye must conduct yourselves in such a manner that ye may stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls. Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and lovingkindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: ‘This man is unquestionably a Bahá’í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá’ís.’ Not until ye attain this station can ye be said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God.” "The most vital duty, in this day,” He, moreover, has written, "is to purify your characters, to correct your manners, and improve your conduct. The beloved of the Merciful must show forth such character and conduct among His creatures, that the fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world, and may quicken the dead, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the dawning of the limitless lights of the Invisible is to educate the souls of men, and refine the character of every living man. . . .” "Truthfulness,” He asserts, "is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also be acquired.”
Such a rectitude of conduct must manifest itself, with ever-increasing potency, in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Bahá’í community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves, may be called upon to pronounce. It must be constantly reflected in the business dealings of all its members, in their domestic lives, in all manner of employment, and in any service they may, in the future, render their government or people. It must be exemplified in the conduct of all Bahá’í electors, when exercising their sacred rights and functions. It must characterize the attitude of every loyal believer towards nonacceptance of political posts, nonidentification with political parties, nonparticipation in political controversies, and non-membership in political organizations and ecclesiastical institutions. It must reveal itself in the uncompromising adherence of all, whether young or old, to the clearly enunciated and fundamental principles laid down by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His addresses, and to the laws and ordinances revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in His Most Holy Book. It must be demonstrated in the impartiality of every defender of the Faith against its enemies, in his fair-mindedness in recognizing any merits that enemy may possess, and in his honesty in discharging any obligations he may have towards him. It must constitute the brightest ornament of the life, the pursuits, the exertions, and the utterances of every Bahá’í teacher, whether laboring at home or abroad, whether in the front ranks of the teaching force, or occupying a less active and responsible position. It must be made the hall-mark of that numerically small, yet intensely dynamic and highly responsible body of the elected national representatives of every Bahá’í community, which constitutes the sustaining pillar, and the sole instrument for the election, in every community, of that Universal House whose very name and title, as ordained by Bahá’u’lláh, symbolizes that rectitude of conduct which is its highest mission to safeguard and enforce.
So great and transcendental is this principle
of Divine justice, a principle that
must be regarded as the crowning distinction
of all Local and National Assemblies,
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in their capacity as forerunners
of the Universal House of Justice, that Bahá’u’lláh
Himself subordinates His personal inclination
and wish to the all-compelling force of
its demands and implications.
"God is My witness!” He thus explains,
"were it not contrary to the Law of God, I would have kissed the hand of My would-be murderer, and would cause him to inherit My earthly goods. I am restrained, however, by the binding Law laid down in the Book, and am Myself bereft of all worldly possessions.”
"Know thou, of a truth,”
He significantly'Italic text' affirms,
"these great oppressions that have befallen the world are preparing it for the advent of the Most Great.” "Say,” He again asserts,
"He hath appeared with that Justice wherewith mankind hath been adorned, and yet the people are, for the most part, asleep.” "The light of men is Justice,”
He moreover states,
"Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men.” "No radiance”
He declares,
"can compare with that of justice. The organization of the world and the tranquillity of mankind depend upon it.” "O people of God!”
He exclaims,
"That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the world.” "Justice and equity,”
is yet another assertion,
"are two guardians for the protection of man. They have appeared arrayed in their mighty and sacred names to maintain the world in uprightness and protect the nations.” "Bestir yourselves, O people,”
is His emphatic warning,
"in anticipation of the days of Divine justice, for the promised hour is now come. Beware lest ye fail to apprehend its import, and be accounted among the erring.” "The day is approaching,”
He similarly has written,
"when the faithful will behold the day-star of justice shining in its full splendor from the dayspring of glory.” "The shame I was made to bear,”
He significantly remarks,
"hath uncovered the glory with which the whole of creation had been invested, and through the cruelties I have endured, the day-star of justice hath manifested itself, and shed its splendor upon men.” "The world,”
He again has written,
"is in great turmoil, and the minds of its people are in a state of utter confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may graciously illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable them to discover that which will be profitable unto them at all times and under all conditions.”
And again,
"There can be no doubt whatever that if the day-star of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.”
"God be praised!” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His turn, exclaims, "The sun of justice hath risen above the horizon of Bahá’u’lláh. For in His Tablets the foundations of such a justice have been laid as no mind hath, from the beginning of creation, conceived.” "The canopy of existence,” He further explains, "resteth upon the pole of justice, and not of forgiveness, and the life of mankind dependeth on justice and not on forgiveness.”
Small wonder, therefore, that the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation should have chosen to associate the name and title of that House, which is to be the crowning glory of His administrative institutions, not with forgiveness but with justice, to have made justice the only basis and the permanent foundation of His Most Great Peace, and to have proclaimed it in His Hidden Words as "the best beloved of all things” in His sight. It is to the American believers, particularly, that I feel urged to direct this fervent plea to ponder in their hearts the implications of this moral rectitude, and to uphold, with heart and soul and uncompromisingly, both individually and collectively, this sublime standard—a standard of which justice is so essential and potent an element.
As to a chaste and holy life it should be
regarded as no less essential a factor that
must contribute its proper share to the
strengthening and vitalization of the Bahá’í
community, upon which must in turn depend
the success of any Bahá’í plan or
enterprise. In these days when the forces
of irreligion are weakening the moral fibre,
and undermining the foundations of individual
morality, the obligation of chastity and
holiness must claim an increasing share of
the attention of the American believers, both
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in their individual capacities
and as the responsible custodians of the
interests of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. In
the discharge of
such an obligation, to which the special
circumstances resulting from an excessive
and enervating materialism now prevailing
in their country lend particular significance,
they must play a conspicuous and predominant
role. All of them, be they men or
women, must, at this threatening hour
when the lights of religion are fading out,
and its restraints are one by one being
abolished, pause to examine themselves,
scrutinize their conduct, and with characteristic
resolution arise to purge the life of their
community of every trace of moral laxity
that might stain the name, or impair the
integrity, of so holy and precious a Faith.
A chaste and holy life must be made the controlling principle in the behavior and conduct of all Bahá’ís, both in their social relations with the members of their own community, and in their contact with the world at large. It must adorn and reënforce the ceaseless labors and meritorious exertions of those whose enviable position is to propagate the Message, and to administer the affairs, of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. It must be upheld, in all its integrity and implications, in every phase of the life of those who fill the ranks of that Faith, whether in their homes, their travels, their clubs, their societies, their entertainments, their schools, and their universities. It must be accorded special consideration in the conduct of the social activities of every Bahá’í summer school and any other occasions on which Bahá’í community life is organized and fostered. It must be closely and continually identified With the mission of the Bahá’í Youth, both as an element in the life of the Bahá’í community, and as a factor in the future progress and orientation of the youth of their own country.
Such a chaste and holy life, with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean-mindedness, involves no less than the exercise of moderation in all that pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary avocations. It demands daily vigilance in the control of one’s carnal desires and corrupt inclinations. It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to trivial and often misdirected pleasures. It requires total abstinence from all alcoholic drinks, from opium, and from similar habit-forming drugs. It condemns the prostitution of art and of literature, the practices of nudism and of companionate marriage, infidelity in marital relationships, and all manner of promiscuity, of easy familiarity, and of sexual vices. It can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits, and the excess of a decadent age. Nay rather it seeks to demonstrate, through the dynamic force of its example, the pernicious character of such theories, the falsity of such standards, the hollowness of such claims, the perversity of such habits, and the sacrilegious character of such excesses.
"By the righteousness of God!”
writes Bahá’u’lláh,
"The world, its vanities and its glory, and whatever delights it can offer, are all, in the sight of God, as worthless as, nay even more contemptible than, dust and ashes. Would that the hearts of men could comprehend it. Wash yourselves thoroughly O people of Bahá, from the defilement of the world, and of all that pertaineth unto it. God Himself heareth Me witness! The things of the earth ill beseem you. Cast them away unto such as may desire them, and fasten your eyes upon this most holy and effulgent Vision.” “O ye My loved ones!”
He thus exhorts His followers,
"Suffer not the hem of My sacred vesture to be smirched and mired with the things of this world, and follow not the promptings of your evil and corrupt desires.”
And again,
"O ye the beloved of the one true God! Pass beyond the narrow retreats of your evil and corrupt desires, and advance into the vast immensity of the realm of God, and abide ye in the meads of sanctity and of detachment, that the fragrance of your deeds may lead the whole of mankind to the ocean of God’s unfading glory.” "Disencumber yourselves,”
He thus commands them,
"of all attachment to this world and the vanities thereof. Beware that ye approach them not, inasmuch as they prompt you to walk after your own lusts and covetous desires, and hinder you from entering the straight and glorious Path.”
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"Eschew all manner of wickedness,”
is His commandment,
"for such things are forbidden unto you in the Book which none touch except such as God hath cleansed from every taint of guilt, and numbered among the purified.” "A race of men,”
is His written promise,
"incomparable in character, shall be raised up which, with the feet of detachment, will tread under all who are in heaven and on earth, and will cast the sleeve of holiness over all that hath been created from water and clay.” "The civilization,”
is His grave warning,
"so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences, will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon men. . . . If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restrains of moderation.” "He hath chosen out of the whole world the hearts of His servants,”
He explains,
"and made them each a seat for the revelation of His glory. Wherefore, sanctify them from every defilement, that the things for which they were created may be engraven upon them. This indeed is a token of God’s bountiful favor.” "Say,”
He proclaims,
"He is not to be numbered with the people of Bahá who followeth his mundane desires, or fixeth his heart on things of the earth. He is my true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause. Such a man is assuredly of Me. From his garment the Concourse on high can inhale the fragrance of sanctity. . . . And if he met the fairest and most comely of women, he would not feel his heart seduced by the least shadow of desire for her beauty. Such a one indeed is the creation of spotless chastity. Thus instructeth you the Pen of the Ancient of Days, as bidden by your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.” "They that follow their lusts and corrupt inclinations,”
is yet another warning,
"have erred and dissipated their efforts. They indeed are of the lost.” "It behooveth the people of Bahá,”
He also has written,
"to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity. . . . They that have tarnished the fair name of the Cause of God by following the things of the flesh—these are in palpable error!” "Purity and chastity,”
He particularly admonishes,
"have been, and still are, the most great ornaments for the handmaidens of God. God is My Witness! The brightness of the light of chastity sheddeth its illumination upon the worlds of the spirit, and its fragrance is wafted even unto the Most Exalted Paradise.” "God,”
He again affirms,
"hath verily made chastity to be a crown for the heads of His handmaidens. Great is, the blessedness of that handmaiden that hath attained unto this great station.” "We verily, have decreed in Our Book,”
is His assurance,
"a goodly and bountiful reward to whosoever will turn away from wickedness, and lead a chaste and godly life. He, in truth, is the Great Giver, the All-Bountiful.” "We have sustained the weight of all calamities,”
He testifies,
"to sanctify you from all earthly corruption and ye are yet indifferent. . . . We, verily, behold your actions. If We perceive from them the sweet smelling savor of purity and holiness, We will most certainly bless you. Then will the tongues of the inmates of Paradise utter your praise and magnify your names amidst them who have drawn nigh unto God.”
"The drinking of wine,” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá "is, according to the text of the Most Holy Book, forbidden; for it is the cause of chronic diseases, weakeneth the nerves, and consumeth the mind.” "Drink ye, O handmaidens of God,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself has affirmed, "the Mystic Wine from the cup of My words. Cast away, then, from you that which your minds abhor, for it hath been forbidden unto you in His Tablets and His Scriptures. Beware lest ye barter away the River that is life indeed for that which the souls of the pure-hearted detest. Become ye intoxicated with the wine of the love of God, and not with that which deadeneth your minds, O ye that adore Him! Verily, it hath been forbidden unto every believer, whether man or woman. Thus hath the sun of My commandment shone forth above the horizon of My utterance, that the handmaidens who believe in Me may be illumined.”
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It must be remembered,
however, that
the maintenance of such a high standard of
moral conduct is not to be associated or
confused with any form of asceticism, or of
excessive and bigoted puritanism. The standard
inculated by Bahá’u’lláh, seeks, under
no circumstances, to deny any one the
legitimate right and privilege to derive the
fullest advantage and benefit from the
manifold joys, beauties, and pleasures with
which the world has been so plentifully
enriched by an All-Loving Creator.
"Should a man,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself reassures us, "wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in Him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful.”
THE MOST CHALLENGING ISSUE
As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well nigh a century, has bitten into the fibre, and attacked the whole social structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Bahá’í community at the present stage of its evolution. The ceaseless exertions which this issue of paramount importance calls for, the sacrifices it must impose, the care and vigilance it demands, the moral courage and fortitude it requires, the tact and sympathy it necessitates, invest this problem, which the American believers are still far from having satisfactorily resolved, with an urgency and importance that can not be overestimated. White and negro, high and low, young and old, whether newly converted to the Faith or not, all who stand identified with it must participate in, and lend their assistance, each according to his or her capacity, experience, and opportunities, to the common task of fulfilling the instructions, realizing the hopes, and following the example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Whether colored or noncolored, neither race has the right, or can conscientiously claim, to be regarded as absolved from such an obligation, as having realized such hopes, or having faithfully followed such an example. A long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls, still remains untraveled, both by the white and the negro exponents of the redeeming Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. On the distance they cover, and the manner in which they travel that road, must depend, to an extent which few among them can imagine, the operation of those intangible influences which are indispensable to the spiritual triumph of the American believers and the material success of their newly-launched enterprise.
Let them call to mind, fearlessly and determinedly, the example and conduct of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá while in their midst. Let them remember His courage, His genuine love, His informal and indiscriminating fellowship, His contempt for and impatience of criticism, tempered by His tact and wisdom. Let them revive and perpetuate the memory of those unforgettable and historic episodes and occasions on which He so strikingly demonstrated His keen sense of justice, His spontaneous sympathy, for the down-trodden, His ever-abiding sense of the oneness of the human race, His overflowing love for its members, and His displeasure with those who dared to flout His wishes, to deride His methods, to challenge His principles, or to nullify His acts.
To discriminate against any race, on the
ground of its being socially backward,
politically immature, and numerically in a
minority, is a flagrant violation of the
spirit that animates the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
The consciousness of any division or cleavage
in its ranks is alien to its very purpose,
principles, and ideals. Once its members have fully
recognized the claim of its Author, and, by
identifying themselves with its Administrative
Order, accepted unreservedly the principles and
laws embodied in its teachings,
every differentiation of class, creed, or color
must automatically be obliterated, and never
be allowed, under any pretext, and however
great the pressure of events or of public
opinion, to reassert itself. If any
discrimination is at all to be tolerated,
it should be a
discrimination not against, but rather in
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favor of the minority, be it
racial or otherwise. Unlike the nations and
peoples of the
earth, be they of the East or of the West,
democratic or authoritarian, communist or
capitalist, whether belonging to the Old
World or the New, who either ignore,
trample upon, or extirpate, the racial, religious,
or political minorities within the
sphere of their jurisdiction, every organized
community, enlisted under the banner of
Bahá’u’lláh should feel it to be its first
and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage,
and safeguard every minority belonging to any
faith, race, class, or nation
within it. So great and vital is this principle
that in such circumstances, as when
an equal number of ballots have been cast
in an election, or where the qualifications for
any office are balanced as between the various
races, faiths or nationalities within the
community, priority should unhesitatingly
be accorded the party representing the minority,
and this for no other reason except
to stimulate and encourage it, and afford
it an opportunity to further the interests
of the community. In the light of this
principle, and bearing in mind the extreme
desirability of having the minority elements
participate and share responsibility in the
conduct of Bahá’í activity, it should be the
duty of every Bahá’í community so to arrange
its affairs that in cases where individuals
belonging to the divers minority elements
within it are already qualified and
fulfill the necessary requirements, Bahá’í
representative institutions, be they Assemblies,
conventions, conferences, or committees, may
have represented on them as many
of these divers elements, racial or otherwise,
as possible. The adoption of such a course,
and faithful adherence to it, would not only
be a source of inspiration and encouragement
to those elements that are numerically
small and inadequately represented, but
would demonstrate to the world at large the
universality and representative character of
the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and the freedom of
His followers from the taint of those prejudices
which have already wrought such
havoc in the domestic affairs, as well as the
foreign relationships, of the nations.
Freedom from racial prejudice, in any of its forms, should, at such a time as this when an increasingly large section of the human race is falling a victim to its devastating ferocity, be adopted as the watchword of the entire body of the American believers, in whichever state they reside, in whatever circles they move, whatever their age, traditions, tastes, and habits. It should be consistently demonstrated in every phase of their activity and life, whether in the Bahá’í community or outside it, in public or in private, formally as well as informally, individually as well as in their official capacity as organized groups, committees and Assemblies. It should be deliberately cultivated through the various and everyday opportunities, no matter how insignificant, that present themselves, whether in their homes, their business offices, their schools and colleges, their social parties and recreation grounds, their Bahá’í meetings, conferences, conventions, summer schools and Assemblies. It should, above all else, become the keynote of the policy of that august body which, in its capacity as the national representative, and the director and coordinator of the affairs of the community, must set the example, and facilitate the application of such a vital principle to the lives and activities of those whose interests it safeguards and represents.
"O ye discerning ones!”
Bahá’u’lláh has written,
"Verily, the words which have descended from the heaven of the Will of God are the source of unity and harmony for the world. Close your eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with the light of oneness.” "We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations,”
He proclaims,
". . . that all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled.”
"Bahá’u’lláh hath said,” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
"that the various races of human kind lend a composite harmony and beauty of color to the whole. Let all associate, therefore, in this great human garden even as flowers grow and blend together side by side without discord or disagreement between them.”
"Bahá’u’lláh,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá moreover has said,
"once compared the colored people to
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the black pupil of the eye surrounded by the white. In this black pupil is seen the reflection of that which is before it, and through it the light of the spirit shineth forth.”
"God,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself declares,
"maketh no distinction between the white and the black. If the hearts are pure both are acceptable unto Him. God is no respector of persons on account of either color or race. All colors are acceptable unto Him, be they white, black, or yellow. Inasmuch as all were created in the image of God, we must bring ourselves to realize that all embody divine possibilities.” "In the estimation of God,“
He states,
"all men are equal. There is no distinction or preference for any soul, in the realm of His justice and equity.” "God did not make these divisions;”
He affirms,
"these divisions have had their origin in man himself. Therefore, as they are against the plan and purpose of God they are false and imaginary.” "In the estimation of God,”
He again affirms,
"there is no distinction of color; all are one in the color and beauty of servitude to Him. Color is not important; the heart is all-important. It mattereth not what the exterior may be if the heart is pure and white within. God doth not behold differences of hue and complexion. He looketh at the hearts. He whose morals and virtues are praiseworthy is preferred in the presence of God; he who is devoted to the Kingdom is most beloved. In the realm of genesis and creation the question of color is of least importance.” "Throughout the animal kingdom,”
He explains,
"we do not find the creatures separated because of color. They recognize unity of species and oneness of kind. If we do not find color distinction drawn in a kingdom of lower intelligence and reason, how can it be justified among human beings, especially when we know that all have come from the same source and belong to the same household? In origin and intention of creation mankind is one. Distinctions of race and color have arisen afterward.” "Man is endowed with superior reasoning power and the faculty of perception”;
He further explains,
"he is the manifestation of divine bestowals. Shall racial ideas prevail and obscure the creative purpose of unity in his kingdom?” "One of the important questions,”
He significantly remarks,
"which affect the unity and the solidarity of mankind is the fellowship and equality of the white and colored races. Between these two races certain points of agreement and points of distinction exist which warrant just and mutual consideration. The points of contact are many. . . . In this country, the United States of America, patriotism is common to both races; all have equal rights to citizenship, speak one language, receive the blessings of the same civilization, and follow the precepts of the same religion. In fact numerous points of partnership and agreement exist between the two races; whereas the one point of distinction is that of color. Shall this, the least of all distinctions, be allowed to separate you as races and individuals?” "This variety in forms and coloring,”
He stresses,
"which is manifest in all the kingdoms is according to creative Wisdom and hath a divine purpose.” "The diversity in the human family,”
He claims,
"should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord.” "If you meet,”
is His admonition,
"those of a different race and color from yourself, do not mistrust them, and withdraw yourself into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness.” "In the world of being,”
He testifies,
"the meeting is blessed when the white and colored races meet together with infinite spiritual love and heavenly harmony. When such meetings are established, and the participants associate with each other with perfect love, unity and kindness, the angels of the Kingdom praise them, and the Beauty of Bahá’u’lláh addresseth them, ‘Blessed are ye! Blessed are ye!’” "When a gathering of these two races is brought about,”
He likewise asserts,
"that assemblage will become the magnet of the Concourse on high, and the confirmation of the Blessed Beauty will surround it.” "Strive earnestly,”
He again exhorts both races,
"and put forth your greatest endeavor toward the accomplishment of this fellowship and the cementing of this bond of brotherhood between you. Such an attainment is not possible without will and effort
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on the part of each; from one, expressions of gratitude and appreciation; from the other, kindliness and recognition of equality. Each one should endeavor to develop and assist the other toward mutual advancement. . . . Love and unity will be fostered between you, thereby bringing about the oneness of mankind. For the accomplishment of unity between the colored and white will be an assurance of the world’s peace.” "I hope,”
He thus addresses members of the white race,
"that ye may cause that downtrodden race to become glorious, and to be joined with the white race, to serve the world of man with the utmost sincerity, faithfulness, love, and purity. This opposition, enmity, and prejudice among the white race and the colored cannot be effaced except through faith, assurance, and the teachings of the Blessed Beauty.” "This question of the union of the white and the black is very important,”
He warns,
"for if it is not realized, erelong great difficulties will arise, and harmful results will follow.” "If this matter remaineth without change,”
is yet another warning,
"enmity will be increased day by day, and the final result will be hardship and may end in bloodshed.”
A tremendous effort is required by both races if their outlook, their manners, and conduct are to reflect, in this darkened age, the spirit and teachings of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Casting away once and for all the fallacious doctrine of racial superiority, with all its attendant evils, confusion, and miseries, and welcoming and encouraging the intermixture of races, and tearing down the barriers that now divide them, they should each endeavor, day and night, to fulfill their particular responsibilities in the common task which so urgently faces them. Let them, while each is attempting to contribute its share to the solution of this perplexing problem, call to mind the warnings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and visualize, while there is yet time, the dire consequences that must follow if this challenging and unhappy situation that faces the entire American nation is not definitely remedied.
Let the white make a supreme effort in their resolve to contribute their share to the solution of this problem, to abandon once for all their usually inherent and at times subconscious sense of superiority, to correct their tendency towards revealing a patronizing attitude towards the members of the other race, to persuade them through their intimate, spontaneous and informal association with them of the genuineness of their friendship and the sincerity of their intentions, and to master their impatience of any lack of responsiveness on the part of a people who have received, for so long a period, such grievous and slow-healing wounds. Let the negroes, through a corresponding effort on their part, show by every means in their power the warmth of their response, their readiness to forget the past, and their ability to wipe out every trace of suspicion that may still linger in their hearts and minds. Let neither think that the solution of so vast a problem is a matter that exclusively concerns the other. Let neither think that such a problem can either easily or immediately be resolved. Let neither think that they can wait confidently for the solution of this problem until the initiative has been taken, and the favorable circumstances created, by agencies that stand outside the orbit of their Faith. Let neither think that anything short of genuine love, extreme patience, true humility, consummate tact, sound initiative, mature wisdom, and deliberate, persistent, and prayerful effort, can succeed in blotting out the stain which this patent evil has left on the fair name of their common country. Let them rather believe, and be firmly convinced, that on their mutual understanding, their amity, and sustained cooperation, must depend, more than on any other force or organization operating outside the circle of their Faith, the deflection of that dangerous course so greatly feared by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the materialization of the hopes He cherished for their joint contribution to the fulfillment of that country’s glorious destiny. . . .
THE AWAKENING OF LATIN AMERICA
No sooner is this initial step taken,
involving as it does the formation
of at least one nucleus in each of these
virgin states and provinces in the North
American continent, than the machinery
for a tremendous
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intensification of
Bahá’í concerted effort
must be set in motion, the purpose of which
should be the reinforcement of the noble
exertions which only a few isolated believers
are now making for the awakening of
the nations of Latin America to the Call of
Bahá’u’lláh. Not until this second phase of
the teaching campaign, under the Seven Year
Plan, has been entered can the campaign be
regarded as fully launched, or the Plan itself
as having attained the most decisive stage in
its evolution. So powerful will be the
effusions of Divine grace that will be poured
forth upon a valiant community that has
already in the administrative sphere erected,
in all the glory of its exterior ornamentation,
its chief Edifice, and in the teaching
field raised aloft, in every state and province,
in the North American continent the banner
of its Faith—so great will be these effusions
that its members will find themselves
overpowered by the evidences of their
regenerative power.
The InterAmerica Committee must, at such a stage, nay even before it is entered, rise to the level of its opportunities, and display a vigor, a consecration, and enterprise as will be commensurate with the responsibilities it has shouldered. It should not, for a moment, be forgotten that Central and Southern America embrace no less than twenty independent nations, constituting approximately one-third of the entire number of the world’s sovereign states, and are destined to play an increasingly important part in the shaping of the world’s future destiny. With the world contracting into a neighborhood, and the fortunes of its races, nations and peoples becoming inextricably interwoven, the remoteness of these states of the Western Hemisphere is vanishing, and the latent possibilities in each of them are becoming increasingly apparent.
When this second stage in the progressive unfoldment of teaching activities and enterprises, under the Seven Year Plan, is reached, and the machinery required for its prosecution begins to operate, the American believers, the stout-hearted pioneers of this mighty movement, must, guided by the unfailing light of Bahá’u’lláh, and in strict accordance with the Plan laid out by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and acting under the direction of their National Spiritual Assembly, and assured of the aid of the InterAmerica Committee, launch an offensive against the powers of darkness, of corruption, and of ignorance, an offensive that must extend to the uttermost end of the Southern continent, and embrace within its scope each of the twenty nations that compose it.
Let some, at this very moment, gird up
the loins of their endeavor, flee their native
towns, cities, and states, forsake their
country, and,
"putting their whole trust in God as the best provision for their journey,”
set their faces, and direct their steps towards
those distant climes, those virgin fields, those
unsurrendered cities, and bend their energies
to capture the citadels of men’s hearts-hearts,
which, as Bahá’u’lláh has written,
"the hosts of Revelation and of utterance can subdue.”
Let them not tarry until such
time as their fellow-laborers will have passed
the first stage in their campaign of teaching,
but let them rather, from this very hour,
arise to usher in the opening phase of what
will come to be regarded as one of the most
glorious chapters in the international history
of their Faith. Let them, at the very outset,
"teach their own selves, that their speech may attract the hearts of their hearers.”
Let them regard the triumph of their Faith
as their "supreme objective.”
Let them not
"consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle”
that carries the measure of grace
that God poureth forth in this age. Let
them
"disencumber themselves of all attachment to this world and the vanities thereof,”
and, with that spirit of detachment which
‘Abdu’l-Bahá exemplified and wished them
to emulate, bring these diversified peoples
and countries to the remembrance of God
and His supreme Manifestation. Let His
love be a
"storehouse of treasure for their souls,”
on the day when
"every pillar shall tremble, when the very skins of men shall creep, when all eyes shall stare up with terror.”
Let their
"souls be aglow with the flame of the undying Fire that burneth in the midmost heart of the world, in such wise that the waters of the universe shall be powerless to cool down its ardor.”
Let them be "unrestrained as the wind”
which
"neither the sight of desolation nor the evidences of prosperity can either pain or please.”
Let
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them
"unloose their tongues and proclaim unceasingly His Cause.”
Let them
"proclaim that which the Most Great Spirit will inspire them to utter in the service of the Cause of their Lord.”
Let them
"beware lest they contend with any one, nay strive to make him aware of the truth with kindly manner and most convincing exhortation.”
Let them
"wholly for the sake of God proclaim His Message, and with that same spirit accept whatever response their words may evoke in their hearers.”
Let them not, for one moment, forget that the
"Faithful Spirit shall strengthen them through its power,”
and that
"a company of His chosen angels shall go forth with them, as hidden by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise.”
Let them ever bear in mind
"how great is the blessedness that awaiteth them that have attained the honor of serving the Almighty,”
and remember that
"such a service is indeed the prince of all goodly deeds, and the ornament of every goodly act.”
And, finally, let these soul-stirring words of Bahá’u’lláh, as they pursue their course throughout the length and breadth of the southern American continent, be ever ready on their lips, a solace to their hearts, a light on their path, a companion in their loneliness, and a daily sustenance in their journeys:
"O wayfarer in the path of God! Take thou thy portion of the ocean of His grace, and deprive not thyself of the things that lie hidden in its depths. . . . A dewdrop out of this ocean would, if shed upon all that are in the heavens and on earth, suffice to enrich them with the bounty of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. With the hands of renunciation draw forth from its life-giving waters, and sprinkle therewith all created things, that they may be cleansed from all man-made limitations, and may approach the mighty seat of God, this hallowed and resplendent Spot. Be not grieved if thou performest it thyself alone. Let God be all-sufficient for thee. . . . Proclaim the Cause of thy Lord unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth. Should any man respond to thy call, lay bare before him the pearls of the wisdom of the Lord, thy God, which His Spirit hath sent down upon thee, and be thou of them that truly believe. And should any one reject thy offer, turn thou away from him, and put thy trust and confidence in the Lord of all worlds. By the righteousness of God! Whoso openeth his lips in this day, and maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine inspiration shall descend upon him from the heaven of my name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse on high, each bearing aloft a chalice of pure light. Thus hath it been foreordained in the realm of God’s Revelation, by the behest of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful.”
Let these words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, gleaned from the Tablets of the Divine Plan, ring likewise in their ears, as they go forth, assured and unafraid, on His mission:
"O ye apostles of Bahá’u’lláh! May my life be sacrificed for you! . . Behold the portals which Bahá’u’lláh hath opened before you! Consider how exalted and lofty is the station you are destined to attain; how unique the favors with which you have been endowed.” "My thoughts are turned towards you, and my heart leaps within me at your mention. Could ye know how my soul gloweth with your love, so great a happiness would flood your hearts as to cause you to become enamored with each other.” "The full measure of your success is as yet unrevealed, its significance still unapprehended. Erelong ye will, with your own eyes, witness how brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate in the firmament of your country the light of Divine Guidance, and will bestow upon its people the glory of an everlasting life.” "I fervently hope that in the near future the whole earth may be stirred and shaken by the results of your achievements.” "The Almighty will no doubt grant you the help of His grace, will invest you with the tokens of His might, and will endue your souls with the sustaining power of His holy Spirit.” "Be not concerned with the smallness of your numbers, neither be oppressed by the multitude of an unbelieving world. . . . Exert yourselves; your mission is unspeakably glorious. Should success crown your enterprise, America will assuredly evolve into a center from which waves of spiritual power will emanate, and the throne of the Kingdom of God will, in the
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plenitude of its majesty
and glory, be firmly established.”
It should be remembered that the carrying out of the Seven Year Plan involves, in so far as the teaching work is concerned, no more than the formation of at least one center in each of the Central and South American Republics. The hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh should witness, if the Plan already launched is to meet with success, the laying, in each of these countries, of a foundation, however rudimentary, on which the rising generation of the American believers may, in the opening years of the second century of the Bahá’í era, be able to build. Theirs will be the task, in the course of successive decades, to extend and reinforce those foundations, and to supply the necessary guidance, assistance, and encouragement that will enable the widely-scattered groups of believers in those countries to establish independent and properly constituted local Assemblies, and thereby erect the framework of the Administrative Order of their Faith. The erection of such a framework is primarily the responsibility of those whom the community of the North American believers have converted to the Divine Message. It is a task which must involve, apart from the immediate obligation of enabling every group to evolve into a local Assembly, the setting up of the entire machinery of the Administrative Order in conformity with the spiritual and administrative principles governing the life and activities of every established Bahá’í community throughout the world. No departure from these cardinal and clearly enunciated principles, embodied and preserved in Bahá’í national and local constitutions, common to all Bahá’í communities, can under any circumstances be tolerated. This, however, is a task that concerns those who, at a later period, must arise to further a work which, to all intents and purposes, has not yet been effectively started.
THE SPECIAL POSITION OF PANAMA
Faithful to the provisions of the Charter
laid down by the pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, I
feel it my duty to draw the special attention
of those to whom it has been entrusted to
the urgent needs of, and the special position
enjoyed by, the Republic of Panama, both
in view of its relative proximity to the heart
and center of the Faith in North America,
and of its geographical position as the link
between two continents.
"All the above countries,”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, referring to the
Latin States in one of the Tablets of the
Divine Plan, has written,
"have importance, but especially the Republic of Panama, wherein the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans come together through the Panama Canal. It is a center for travel and passage from America to other continents of the world, and in the future it will gain most great importance.” "Likewise,”
He again has written,
"ye must give great attention to the Republic of Panama, for in that point the Occident and the Orient find each other united through the Panama Canal, and it is also situated between the two great oceans. That place will become very important in the future. The teachings, once established there, will unite the East and the West, the North and the South.”
So privileged a position surely demands the
special and prompt attention of the
American Bahá’í community. With the Republic
of Mexico already opened up to the Faith,
and with a Spiritual Assembly properly
constituted in its capital city, the southward
penetration of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh into
a neighboring country is but a natural and
logical step, and should, it is to be hoped,
prove to be not a difficult one. No efforts
should be spared, and no sacrifice be deemed
too great, to establish even though it be a
very small group in a Republic occupying,
both spiritually and geographically, so
strategic a position—a group which, in view
of the potency with which the words of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá have already endowed it,
cannot but draw to itself, as soon
as it is formed,
the outpouring grace of the Abba Kingdom,
and evolve with such marvelous swiftness
as to excite the wonder and the admiration
of even those who have already witnessed
such stirring evidences of the force and
power of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
Preference, no doubt, should be given by all
would-be pioneers, as well as by the
members of the InterAmerica Committee, to the
spiritual needs of this privileged Republic,
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though every effort
should, at the same
time, be exerted to introduce the Faith,
however tentatively, to the Republics of
Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador,
Nicaragua, and Costa Rica which
would link it, in
an unbroken chain, with its mother
Assemblies in the North American continent.
Obstacles, however formidable, should be
surmounted, the resources of the Bahá’í
treasury should be liberally expended on its
behalf, and the ablest and most precious
exertions should be consecrated to the cause
of its awakening. The erection of yet
another outpost of the Faith, in its heart, will
constitute, I firmly believe, a landmark in
the history of the Formative Period of the
Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the New World. It
will create limitless opportunities, galvanize
the efforts, and reinvigorate the life, of
those who will have accomplished this feat,
and infuse immense courage and boundless
joy into the hearts of the isolated groups
and individuals in the neighboring and
distant Republics, and exert intangible yet
powerful spiritual influences on the life
and future development of its people.
AN INSCRUTABLE WISDOM, AN ALL-COMPELLING WILL
Such, dearly-beloved friends, is the vista that stretches before the eyes, and challenges the resources, of the American Bahá’í community in these, the concluding years of the First Century of the Bahá’í Era. Such are the qualities and qualifications demanded of them for the proper discharge of their responsibilities and duties. Such are the requirements, the possibilities, and the objectives of the Plan that claims every ounce of their energy. Who knows but that these few remaining, fast-fleeting years, may not be pregnant with events of unimaginable magnitude, with ordeals more severe than any that humanity has as yet experienced, with conflicts more devasting than any which have preceded them. Dangers, however sinister, must, at no time, dim the radiance of their new-born faith. Strife and confusion, however bewildering, must never befog their vision. Tribulations, however afflictive, must never shatter their resolve. Denunciations, however clamorous, must never sap their loyalty. Upheavals, however cataclysmic, must never deflect their course. The present Plan, embodying the budding hopes of a departed Master, must be pursued, relentlessly pursued, whatever may befall them in the future, however distracting the crises that may agitate their country or the world. Far from yielding in their resolve, far from growing oblivious of their task, they should, at no time, however much buffeted by circumstances, forget that the synchronization of such world-shaking crises with the progressive unfoldment and fruition of their divinely appointed task is itself the work of Providence, the design of an inscrutable Wisdom, and the purpose of an all-compelling Will, a Will that directs and controls, in its own mysterious way, both the fortunes of the Faith and the destinies of men. Such simultaneous processes of rise and of fall, of integration and of disintegration, of order and chaos, with their continuous and reciprocal reactions on each other, are but aspects of a greater Plan, one and indivisible, whose Source is God, whose author is Bahá’u’lláh, the theatre of whose operations is the entire planet, and whose ultimate objectives are the unity of the human race and the peace of all mankind.
Reflections such as these should steel the resolve of the entire Bahá’í community, should dissipate their forebodings, and arouse them to rededicate themselves to every single provision of that Divine Charter whose outline has been delineated for them by the pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Seven Year Plan, as already stated, is but the initial stage, a stepping-stone to the unfoldment of the implications of this Charter. The impulse, originally generated through the movement of that pen, and which is now driving forward, with increasing momentum, the machinery of the Seven Year Plan, must, in the opening years of the next century, be further accelerated, and impel the American Bahá’í community to launch further stages in the unfoldment of the Divine Plan, stages that will carry it far beyond the shores of the Northern Hemisphere, into lands and among peoples where that community’s noblest acts of heroism are to be performed.
Sacramento, California
Members of the Spiritual Assembly newly established on April 21, 1938. Photograph shows tree under which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood in 1912.
Spiritual Assembly of Richmond Highlands, Washington, Newly Constituted April 21, 1939.
THE ADVENT OF THE KINGDOM
Let any one inclined to doubt the course which this enviable community is destined to follow, turn to and meditate upon these words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, enshrined, for all time, in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, and addressed to the entire community of the believers of the United States and Canada: "The full measure of your success,” He informs them, "is at yet unrevealed, its significance still unapprehended. Erelong, ye will, with your own eyes, witness how brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate, in the firmament of your country, the light of Divine Guidance, and will bestow upon its people the glory of an everlasting life. . . . The range of your future achievements still remains undisclosed. I fervently hope that in the near future the whole earth may be stirred and shaken by the results of your achievements. The hope, therefore, which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá cherishes for you is that the same success which has attended your efforts in America may crown your endeavors in other parts of the world, that through you the fame of the Cause of God may be diffused throughout the East and the West, and the advent of the Kingdom of the Lord of Hosts be proclaimed in all the five continents of the globe.” "The moment,” He most significantly adds, "this Divine Message is carried forward by the American believers from the shores of America, and is propagated throughout the continents of Europe, of Asia, of Africa, and of Australasia, and as far as the islands of the Pacific, this community will find itself securely established upon the throne of an everlasting dominion. Then will all the peoples of the world witness that this community is spiritually illumined and divinely guided. Then will the whole earth resound with the praises of its majesty and greatness.”
No reader of these words, so vibrant with promises that not even the triumphant consummation of the Seven Year Plan can fulfill, can expect a community that has been raised so high, and endowed so richly, to remain content with any laurels it may win in the immediate future. To rest upon such laurels would indeed be tantamount to a betrayal of the trust placed in that community by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. To cut short the chain of victories that must lead it on to that supreme triumph when, "the whole earth may be stirred and shaken” by the results of its achievements would shatter His hopes. To vacillate, and fail to "propagate through the continents of Europe, of Asia, of Africa, and of Australasia, and as far as the islands of the Pacific” a Message so magnificently proclaimed by it in the American continent would deprive it of the privilege of being "securely established upon the throne of an everlasting dominion.” To forfeit the honor of proclaiming "the advent of the Kingdom of the Lord of Hosts” in "all the five continents of the globe” would silence those "praises of its majesty and greatness” that otherwise would echo throughout "the whole earth.”
Such vacillation, failure, or neglect, the American believers, the ambassadors of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, will, I am firmly convinced, never permit. Such a trust will never be betrayed, such hopes can never be shattered, such a privilege will never be forfeited, nor will such praises remain unuttered. Nay rather the present generation of this blessed, this repeatedly blessed, community will go from strength to strength, and will hand on, as the first century draws to a close, to the generations that must succeed it in the second the torch of Divine Guidance, undimmed by the tempestuous winds that must blow upon it, that they in turn, faithful to the wish and mandate of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, may carry that torch, with that self-same vigor, fidelity, and enthusiasm, to the darkest and remotest corners of the earth. . . .
One more word in conclusion. Among
some of the most momentous and
thought-provoking pronouncements ever made by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in the course of His
epoch-making travels in the North American
continent, are the following:
"May this American Democracy be the first nation to establish the foundation of international agreement. May it be the first nation to proclaim the unity of mankind. May it be the first to unfurl the Standard of the Most Great Peace.”
And again:
"The American people are indeed worthy of being the first to build the Tabernacle of the Great Peace, and
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proclaim the oneness of mankind. . . . For America hath developed powers and
capacities greater and more wonderful than other nations. . . The American nation is equipped and empowered to accomplish that which will adorn the pages of history, to become the envy of the world, and be blest in both the East and the West for the triumph of its people. . . . The American continent gives signs and evidences of very great advancement. Its future is even more promising, for its influence and illumination are far-reaching. It will lead all nations spiritually.”
THE DESTINY OF AMERICA
The creative energies, mysteriously generated by the first stirrings of the embryonic World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, have, as soon as released within a nation destined to become its cradle and champion, endowed that nation with the worthiness, and invested it with the powers and capacities, and equipped it spiritually, to play the part foreshadowed in these prophetic words. The potencies which this God-given mission has infused into its people are, on the one hand, beginning to be manifested through the conscious efforts and the nation-wide accomplishments in both the teaching and administrative spheres of Bahá’í activity, of the organized community of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the North American continent. These same potencies, apart from, yet collateral with these efforts and accomplishments, are, on the other hand, insensibly shaping, under the impact of world political and economic forces, the destiny of that nation, and are influencing the lives and actions of both its government and its people.
To the efforts and accomplishments of those who, aware of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, are now laboring in that continent, to their present and future course of activity, I have, in the foregoing pages sufficiently referred. A word, if the destiny of the American people, in its entirety, is to be correctly apprehended, should now be said regarding the orientation of that nation as a whole, and the trend of the affairs of its people. For no matter how ignorant of the Source from which those directing energies proceed, and however slow and laborious the process, it is becoming increasingly evident that the nation as a whole, whether through the agency of its government or otherwise, is gravitating, under the influence of forces that it can neither comprehend nor control, towards such associations and policies, wherein, as indicated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, her true destiny must lie. Both the community of the American believers, who are aware of that Source, and the great mass of their countrymen, who have not as yet recognized the Hand that directs their destiny, are contributing, each in its own way, to the realization of the hopes, and the fulfillment of the promises, voiced in the above-quoted words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
The world is moving on. Its events are
unfolding ominously and with bewildering
rapidity. The whirlwind of its passions is
swift and alarmingly violent. The New
World is being insensibly drawn into its
vortex. The potential storm centers of the
earth are already casting their shadows upon
its shores. Dangers, undreamt of and
unpredictable, threaten it both from within
and from without. Its governments and
peoples are being gradually enmeshed in the
coils of the world’s recurrent crises and
fierce controversies. The Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans are, with every acceleration in
the march of science, steadily shrinking into
mere channels. The Great Republic of the
West finds itself particularly and increasingly
involved. Distant rumblings echo
menacingly in the ebullitions of its people.
On its flanks are ranged the potential storm
centers of the European continent and of
the Far East. On its southern horizon there
looms what might conceivably develop into
another center of agitation and danger. The
world is contracting into a neighborhood.
America, willingly or unwillingly, must
face and grapple with this new situation.
For purposes of national security, let alone
any "humanitarian motive, she must assume
the obligations imposed by this newly created
neighborhood. Paradoxical as it may
seem, her only hope of extricating herself
from the perils gathering around her is to
become entangled in that very web of
international association which the Hand of an
inscrutable Providence is weaving.
[Page 343]
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
counsel to a highly placed
official in its government comes to mind,
with peculiar appropriateness and force.
"You can best serve your country if you strive, in your capacity as a citizen of the world, to assist in the eventual application of the principle of federalism, underlying the government of your own country, to the relationships now existing between the peoples and nations of the world.”
The ideals that fired the
imagination of America’s tragically
unappreciated President, whose high endeavors,
however much nullified by a visionless
generation, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, through His own pen,
acclaimed as signalizing the dawn of the
Most Great Peace, though now lying in the
dust, bitterly reproach a heedless generation
for having so cruelly abandoned them.
That the world is beset with perils, that dangers are now accumulating and are actually threatening the American nation, no clear-eyed observer can possibly deny. The earth is now transformed into an armed camp. As much as fifty million men are either under arms or in reserve. No less than the sum of three billion pounds is being spent, in one year, on its armaments. The light of religion is dimmed and moral authority disintegrating. The nations of the world have, for the most part, fallen a prey to battling ideologies that threaten to disrupt the very foundations of their dearly-won political unity. Agitated multitudes in these countries see them with discontent, are armed to the teeth, are stampeded with fear, and groan beneath the yoke of tribulations engendered by political strife, racial fanaticism, national hatreds, and religious animosities. "The winds of despair,” Bahá’u’lláh has unmistakably affirmed, "are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divides and afflicts the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned . . .” "The ills,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, writing as far back as two decades ago, has prophesied, "from which the world now suffers will multiply; the gloom which envelops it will deepen. The Balkans will remain discontented. Its restlessness will increase. The vanquished Powers will continue to agitate. They will resort to every measure that may rekindle the flame of war. Movements, newly-born and world-wide in their range, will exert their utmost for the advancement of their designs. The Movement of the Left will acquire great importance. Its influence will spread.” As to the American nation itself, the voice of its own President, emphatic and clear, warns his people that a possible attack upon their country has been brought infinitely closer by the development of aircraft and by other factors. Its Secretary of State, addressing at a recent Conference the assembled representatives of all the American Republics, utters no less ominous a warning. “These resurgent forces loom threateningly throughout the world-their ominous shadow falls athwart our own Hemisphere.” As to its Press, the same note of warning and of alarm at an approaching danger is struck. “We must be prepared to defend ourselves both from within and without. . . . Our defensive frontier is long. It reaches from Alaska’s Point Barrow to Cape Horn, and ranges the Atlantic and the Pacific. When or where Europe’s and Asia’s aggressors may strike at us no one can say. It could be anywhere, any time. . . . We have no option save to go armed ourselves. . . . We must mount vigilant guard over the Western Hemisphere.”
The distance that the American nation has traveled since its formal and categoric repudiation of the Wilsonian ideal, the changes that have unexpectedly overtaken it in recent years, the direction in which world events are moving, with their inevitable impact on the policies and the economy of that nation, are to every Bahá’í observer, viewing the developments in the international situation, in the light of the prophecies of both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, most significant, and highly instructive and encouraging. To trace the exact course which, in these troubled times and pregnant years, this nation will follow would be impossible. We can only, judging from the direction its affairs are now taking, anticipate the course she will most likely choose to pursue in her relationships with both the Republics of America and the countries of the remaining continents.
A closer association with these Republics,
on the one hand, and an increased
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participation, in varying
degrees, on the other,
in the affairs of the whole world,
as a result of recurrent
international crises, appear as
the most likely developments
which the future
has in store for that country. Delays
must inevitably arise, setbacks
must be suffered,
in the course of that country’s
evolution towards
its ultimate destiny. Nothing,
however, can alter eventually that course,
ordained for it by the unerring pen of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Its federal unity
having already been achieved and
its internal institutions
consolidated—a stage that marked its
coming of age as a political
entity—its further
evolution, as a member of the family
of nations, must, under circumstances that
cannot at present be visualized,
steadily
continue. Such an evolution
must persist until
such time as that nation will,
through the
active and decisive part it
will have played
in the organization and the
peaceful settlement
of the affairs of mankind,
have attained the
plenitude of its powers and
functions as an
outstanding member, and
component part, of a
federated world.
The immediate future must, as a result of this steady, this gradual, and inevitable absorption in the manifold perplexities and problems afflicting humanity, be dark and oppressive for that nation. The world shaking ordeal which Bahá’u’lláh, as quoted in the foregoing pages, has so graphically prophesied, may find it swept, to an unprecedented degree, into its vortex. Out of it it will probably emerge, unlike its reactions to the last world conflict, consciously determined to seize its opportunity, to bring the full weight of its influence to bear upon the gigantic problems that such an ordeal must leave in its wake, and to exorcise forever, in conjunction with its sister nations of both the East and the West, the greatest curse which, from time immemorial, has afflicted and degraded the human race.
Then, and only then, will the American nation, molded and purified in the crucible of a common war, inured to its rigors, and disciplined by its lessons, be in a position to raise its voice in the councils of the nations, itself lay the cornerstone of a universal and enduring peace, proclaim the solidarity, the unity, and maturity of mankind, and assist in the establishment of the promised reign of righteousness on earth. Then, and only then, will the American nation, while the community of the American believers within its heart is consummating its divinely-appointed mission, be able to fulfill the unspeakably glorious destiny ordained for it by the Almighty, and immortally enshrined in the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Then, and only then, will the American nation accomplish "that which will adorn the pages of history,” "become the envy of the world and be blest in both the East and the West.”
December 25, 1938.
MESSAGES FROM THE GUARDIAN
Excerpts from Letters and Cablegrams Received by the American Bahá’ís from April, 1938 to April, 1940
MARCHING TOWARD THEIR GOAL
I wish to reaffirm in person my sense of
joy and gratitude, as expressed in my last
cable to your Assembly, at the new spirit of
alertness and determination which you have
so clearly demonstrated while yet on the
threshold of your year of stewardship in the
service of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. I am
filled with fresh hopes, and yearn to witness,
ere the present year draws to a close, not
only the fulfillment of an unexampled record
of service but the revelation of such
depths of consecration as will astonish, nay
thrill, both the members of your own
community and the rest of the Bahá’í world.
Pregnant indeed are the years looming ahead
of us all. The twin processes of internal
disintegration and external chaos are being
accelerated and every day are inexorably
moving towards a climax. The rumblings
that must precede the eruption of those
forces that must cause "the limbs of humanity
to quake” can already be heard.
"The time of the end,” “the latter years,”
[Page 345]
as foretold in the Scriptures,
are at long last upon us. The Pen of Bahá’u’lláh,
the voice of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, have time and again,
insistently and in terms unmistakable, warned
an unheeding humanity of impending disaster.
The Community of the Most Great
Name, the leaven that must leaven the
lump, the chosen remnant that must survive
the rolling up of the old, discredited,
tottering order, and assist in the unfoldment
of a new one in its stead, is standing
ready, alert, clear-visioned, and resolute.
The American believers, standard-bearers of
this world-wide community and torch-bearers
of an as yet unborn civilization, have
girt up their loins, unfurled their banners
and stepped into the arena of service. Their
Plan has been formulated. Their forces are
mobilized. They are steadfastly marching
towards their goal. The hosts of the Abhá
Kingdom are rushing forth, as promised, to
direct their steps and reinforce their power.
Through their initial victories they have
provided the impulse that must now surge
and, with relentless force sweep over their
sister-communities and eventually overpower
the entire human race. The generality of
mankind, blind and enslaved, is wholly
unaware of the healing power with which this
community has been endowed, nor can it as
yet suspect the role which this same community
is destined to play in its redemption.
Fierce and manifold will be the assaults with
which governments, races, classes and religions,
jealous of its rising prestige and
fearful of its consolidating strength, will
seek to silence its voice and sap its
foundations. Unmoved by the relative obscurity
that surrounds it at the present time, and
undaunted by the forces that will be arrayed
against it in the future, this community, I
cannot but feel confident, will,
no matter how afflictive the agonies of a
travailing age, pursue its destiny,
undeflected in its course, undimmed in
its serenity, unyielding in its resolve,
unshaken in its convictions.
UNBROKEN SOLIDARITY, UNQUENCHABLE ENTHUSIASM
I feel truly exhilarated as I witness the
ever-recurrent manifestations of unbroken
solidarity and unquenchable enthusiasm that
distinguish every stage in the progressive
development of the nation-wide enterprise
which is being so unflichingly pursued by
the whole American Bahá’í community.
The marked deterioration in world affairs,
the steadily deepening gloom that envelops
the storm-tossed peoples and nations of the
Old World, invest the Seven-year Plan, now
operating in both the northern and southern
American continents, with a significance
and urgency that cannot be overestimated.
Conceived as the supreme agency for the
establishment, in the opening century of
the Bahá’í Era, of what is but the initial
stage in the progressive realization of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Plan for the
American believers,
this enterprise, as it extends
its ramifications
throughout the entire New World,
is demonstrating its power to command all
the resources and utilize all the facilities
which the machinery of a laboriously
evolved Administrative Order can place at
its disposal. However we view its aspects, it
offers in its functioning a sharp contrast
to the workings of the moribund
and obsolescent
institutions to which a perverse generation
is desperately clinging. Tempestuous are
the winds that buffet and will, as
the days go by, fiercely assail the very
structure of the Order through the agency of
which this twofold task is being performed.
The potentialities with which an almighty
Providence has endowed it will no doubt
enable its promoters to achieve their
purpose. Much, however will depend upon the
spirit and manner in which that task will
be conducted. Through the clearness and
steadiness of their vision, through the
unvitiated vitality of their belief, through the
incorruptibility of their character, through
the adamantine force of their resolve, the
matchless superiority of their aims
and purpose,
and the unsurpassed range of their
accomplishments, they who labor for the
glory of the Most Great Name throughout
both Americas can best demonstrate to the
visionless, faithless and restless society to
which they belong their power to proffer a
haven of refuge to its members in the hour
of their realized doom. Then and only
then will this tender sapling, embedded in
the fertile soil of a Divinely appointed
[Page 346]
Administrative Order, and energized by the
dynamic processes of its institutions, yield
its richest and destined fruit. That the
community of the American believers, to
whose keeping so vast, so delicate and
precious a trust has been committed will,
severally and collectively prove themselves
worthy of their high calling, I for one, who
in my association with them have been
privileged to observe more closely than perhaps
any one else the nature of their reactions
to the momentous issues that have
confronted them in the past, will refuse to
doubt.
(September 10, 1938)
LOYALTY TO WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
Loyalty world order Bahá’u’lláh, security its basic institutions, both imperatively demand all its avowed supporters, particularly its champion builders American continent, in these days when sinister uncontrollable forces are deepening cleavage sundering peoples, nations, creeds, classes, resolve despite pressure fast crystallizing public opinion abstain individually collectively in word, action, informally as well as in all official utterances publications from assigning blame, taking sides, however indirectly, in recurring political crises now agitating, ultimately engulfing human society. Grave apprehension lest cumulative effect such compromises disintegrate fabric, clog channel grace that sustains system God’s essentially supra-national, supernatural order so laboriously evolved, so recently established.
(Cablegram September 24, 1938)
MY HEART BRIMS OVER WITH GRATITUDE
I had scarcely dispatched my cable expressing my approval of your written suggestion to enter into a contract as soon as one-third of the estimated cost of the First Story of the Temple is in hand when the most welcome news reached me of your readiness to place an immediate contract for the making of the models, thus effecting considerable saving of time and expense in connection with the ornamentation of the remaining unit. I am thrilled by the news, and my heart brims over with gratitude as I witness on the one hand the evidences of your resourcefulness and unrelaxing vigilance, and observe on the other the ready and generous response of the individual believers at every critical stage in the prosecution of this magnificent enterprise. I feel so happy and thankful to have been able to associate, at this juncture, through my recent offering to the Temple Construction Fund, the name of the Greatest Holy Leaf, with the noble exertions of those who, through their unstinted support, both moral and financial, are so valiantly acquitting themselves of their task under the Seven Year Plan.
The initial contract, proclaiming the opening of the final phase of a work that embodies the finest contribution ever made by the West to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, is now ready for your signature. The fourth of the successive steps outlined in my previous message is punctually being taken. The fond hopes cherished on the assumption of your exalted office are being amply fulfilled. The heroism displayed by the members of the American Bahá’í Community in the face of these recurring, constantly widening opportunities is growing more apparent every day. With every fresh crisis that plunges a hapless humanity deeper and deeper into the morass of despair and degradation, the pioneers of the nascent Faith of Bahá’u’lláh are elevated to nobler heights of triumph, evince a rarer spirit of self-abnegation and courage, and disclose more compelling evidences of their capacity and power.
Every operation, no matter how indirectly
connected with the dual responsibilities
assumed by the American believers, must
continue to be conducted and supported with
that self-same assuidity, sternness of
purpose and steadiness of vision that have
garnered them thus far so rich a harvest. A
work so auspiciously begun, so efficiently
organized, so rapidly extended, so uniquely
blessed, can never be allowed, however somber
the clouds looming on the international
horizon, to fall into abeyance or to even
appear to have sustained the least injury
from the world-shaking forces that now
batter on the tottering institutions of
[Page 347]
human society. The
adamant determination
of those who support it will enable it to
yield at the appointed time its destined
fruit.
(November 27, 1938)
THE RAREST PRIVILEGE EVER CONFERRED BY PROVIDENCE UPON THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY
I have, in a recent cable addressed to your Assembly, felt it necessary to stress the paramount need of maintaining the proper balance between the Temple construction work and the teaching activities which have been initiated and are being so energetically conducted under your direction in accordance with the Seven Year Plan. The twofold aim you are now pursuing should at no time become obscured, nor should either one of the dual responsibilities you have assumed be allowed to preponderate over the other. The urgency of the task connected with the ornamentation of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár has been rightly recognized, and its immediate needs have been generously and promptly met. A similar, nay a mightier effort should now be deliberately and persistently exerted in the field of pioneer teaching, in both the United States and Canada. Every facility and encouragement, moral and material, should be extended to the National Teaching Committee and its auxiliary agencies to insure the speedy termination of the first stage in the teaching campaign to which every American believer is now pledged.
Very soon we shall be entering the second half of the last decade of this, the first century of the Bahá’í Era. The five remaining years should essentially be consecrated to the imperative, the spiritual needs of the remaining Republics of both Central and South America, for whose entry into the fellowship of Bahá’u’lláh the Plan was primarily formulated. The prime requisite for the definite opening of what may come to be regarded as one of the most brilliant chapters in American Bahá’í history, is the completion of the initial task which American Bahá’í pioneers must perform in the nine remaining States and Provinces as yet unassociated with the organic structure of the Faith.
The period ahead is short, strenuous, fraught with mortal perils for human society, yet pregnant with possibilities of unsurpassed triumphs for the power of Bahá’u’lláh’s redemptive Cause. The occasion is propitious for a display, by the American Bahá’í Community, in its corporate capacity, of an effort which in its magnitude, character, and purpose must outshine its past endeavors. Failure to exploit these present, these golden opportunities would blast the hopes which the prosecution of the Plan has thus far aroused, and would signify the loss of the rarest privilege ever conferred by Providence upon the American Bahá’í Community. It is in view of the criticalness of the situation that I was led to place at the disposal of any pioneer willing to dedicate himself to the task of the present hour such modest resources as would facilitate the discharge of so enviable a duty.
The Bahá’í World, increasingly subjected to the rigors of suppression, in both the East and the West, watches with unconcealed astonishment, and derives hope and comfort from the rapid unfoldment of the successive stages of God’s Plan for so blest a community. Its eyes are fixed upon this community, eager to behold the manner in which its gallant members will break down, one after another, the barriers that obstruct their progress towards a divinely-appointed goal. On every daring adventurer in the service of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh the Concourse on high shall descend, "each hearing aloft a chalice of pure light.” Every one of these adventurers God Himself will sustain and inspire, and will "cause the pure waters of wisdom and utterance to gush out and flow copiously from his heart.” "The Kingdom of God,” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá “is possessed of limitless potency. Audacious must be the army of life if the confirming aid of that Kingdom is to be repeatedly vouchsafed unto it. . . . Vast is the arena, and the time ripe to spur on the charger within it. Now is the time to reveal the force of one’s strength, the stoutness of one’s heart and the might of one’s soul.”
Dearly-beloved friends! What better field
than the vast virgin territories, so near at
hand, and waiting to receive, at this very
[Page 348]
hour, their full share
of the onrushing tide
of Bahá’u’lláh’s redeeming grace? What
theatre more befitting than these
long-neglected nine remaining states and
provinces in which the true heroism of
the intrepid pioneers of His World Order can be
displayed? There is no time to lose. There
is no room left for vacillation. Multitudes
hunger for the Bread of Life. The stage is
set. The firm and irrevocable Promise is
given. God’s own Plan has been set in
motion. It is gathering momentum with every
passing day. The powers of heaven and
earth mysteriously assist in its execution.
Such an opportunity is irreplaceable. Let
the doubter arise and himself verify the
truth of such assertions. To try, to
persevere, is to insure ultimate and complete
victory.
(January 28, 1939)
MY PLEA, MY SUPREME ENTREATY
I have in two recent, successive messages, cabled to your Assembly, giving expression, as far as it lay in my power, to the feelings of overpowering gratitude which the response of so many pioneers to the call of teaching has evoked in my heart. I have moreover felt impelled to convey my congratulations to the members of your Assembly who, through their resource, unity and singlemindedness, have lent so needed and timely an impetus to the mighty work associated with the second year of the Seven Year Plan. There can be no doubt whatever that what the American believers, no less than their elected national representatives, have accomplished, the long and assiduous care of the former and the potent methods employed by the latter, have witnessed to the uprising of a new spirit on which the defamers of the Cause may well pause to reflect, and from which its lovers cannot but derive deep joy and solace. I again wish to thank with all my soul those whose acts have stirred the imagination of friend and foe alike.
In my desire not to omit anything that might help to spur on or reinforce the community of the American believers as they move on to their destiny, I feel it necessary to add a word of warning in connection with the work that has been so splendidly begun lest it should be jeopardized or frustrated. The initial phase of the teaching work operating under the Seven Year Plan has at long last been concluded. They who have pushed it forward have withstood the test gloriously. By their acts, whether as teachers or administrators, they have written a glorious page in the struggle for the laying of a continent-wide foundation for the administrative Order of their Faith. At this advanced stage in the fulfillment of the purpose to which they have set their hand there can be no turning back, no halting, no respite. To launch the bark of the Faith, to implant its banner, is not enough. Support, ample, organized and unremitting, should be lent, designed to direct the course of that work and to lay an unassailable foundation for the fort destined to stand guard over that banner.
The National Spiritual Assembly, the National Teaching Committee, the Regional and local teaching committees, no less than the itinerant teachers, should utilize every possible means calculated to fan the zeal, enrich the resources and insure the solidity and permanency of the work, of those who, actuated by so laudable and shining a spirit of self-sacrifice, have arisen to face the hazards and perils of so holy and historic an adventure. Indeed every believer, however humble and inexperienced, should sense the obligation to play his or her part in a mission that involves so very deeply the destinies not only of the American Bahá’í community but of the nation itself.
Whether through the frequency of their visits, the warmth of their correspondence, the liberality of their support, the wisdom of their counsels, the choice of the literature placed at the disposal of the pioneers, the members of the community should, at this hour when the sands of a moribund civilization are inexorably running out, and at a time when they are preparing themselves to launch yet another stage in their teaching activities, insure the security and provide for the steady expansion, of the work initiated in those territories so recently set alight from the torch of an inextinguishable Faith.
This is my plea, my supreme entreaty.
(April 17, 1939)
PROVE THEMSELVES . . . WORTHY OF THAT PRICELESS HERITAGE
The concerted activities of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the North American continent assume, as they multiply and develop, a dual aspect, and may be said to fall into two distinct categories, both equally vital and complementary to each other. The one aims at the safeguarding and consolidation of the work already achieved; the other is designed to enlarge the range of its operation. The former depends chiefly for its success upon the capacity, the experience and loyalty of wise, resourceful and judicious administrators, who, impelled by the very nature of their task, will be increasingly called upon to exercise the utmost care and vigilance in protecting the interests of the Faith, in resolving its problems, in regulating its life, in enriching its resources, and in preserving the pristine purity of its precepts. The latter is essentially pioneer in nature, demanding first and foremost those qualities of renunciation, tenacity, dauntlessness and passionate fervor that can alone brave the dangers and sweep away the obstacles with which an infant Faith, struggling against vested interests and face to face with the entrenched forces of prejudice, of ignorance and fanaticism, must needs contend. In both of these spheres of Bahá’í activity the community of the American believers, it is becoming increasingly evident, is evincing those characteristics which must be regarded as the essential foundation for the success of their dual task.
As to those whose function is essentially of an administrative character it can hardly be doubted that they are steadily and indefatigably perfecting the structural machinery of their Faith, are multiplying its administrative agencies, and are legalizing the status of the newly established institutions. Slowly and patiently they are canalizing the spirit that at once directs, energizes and safeguards its operation. They are exploiting its potentialities, broadcasting its message, publicizing its literature, fostering the aspirations of its youth, devising ways and means for the training of its children, guarding the integrity of its teachings, and paving the way for the ultimate codification of its laws. Through all the resources at their disposal, they are promoting the growth and consolidation of that pioneer movement for which the entire machinery of their Administrative Order has been primarily designed and erected. They are visibly and progressively contributing to the enrichment of their unique community life, and are insuring, with magnificent courage and characteristic promptitude, the completion of their consecrated Edifice—the embodiment of their hopes and the supreme symbol of their ideals.
As to those into whose valiant and trusted hands—and no believer, however humble is to think himself debarred from joining their ranks—the standards of a forward marching Faith have been entrusted, they too with no less zest and thoroughness are pushing farther and farther its frontiers, breaking new soil, establishing fresh outposts, winning more recruits, and contributing to the greater diversification and more harmonious blending of the elements comprised in the world-wide society of its followers.
The Edifice of this New World Order, which the Báb has heralded, which the mind of Bahá’u’lláh has envisioned, and whose features, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, its Architect, has delineated, we, whatever our capacities, opportunities or position, are now, at so precarious a period in the world’s history, summoned to found and erect. The community of the Most Great Name in the Western Hemisphere is, through the nature of its corporate life and the scope of its exertions, assuming, beyond the shadow of a doubt, a preponderating share in the laying of such a foundation and the erection of such a structure. The eyes of its sister communities are fixed upon it. Their prayers ascend on its behalf. Their hands are outstretched to lend whatever aid lies within their power. I, for my part, am determined to reinforce the impulse that impels its members forward to meet their destiny. The Founders of their Faith survey from the Kingdom on high the range of their achievements, acclaim their progress, and are ever ready to speed their eventual triumph.
Far be it from me to underrate the gigantic
proportions of their task, nor do I
[Page 350]
for one moment overlook
the urgency and
gravity of the times in which they are
laboring. Nor do I wish to minimize
the hazards
and trials that surround or lie ahead of them.
The grandeur of their task is indeed
commensurate with the mortal perils by which
their generation is hemmed in. As the dusk
creeps over a steadily sinking society the
radiant outlines of their redemptive mission
become sharper every day. The present
world unrest, symptom of a world-wide
malady, their world religion has already
afiirmed must needs culminate in that world
castastrophe out of which the consciousness
of world citizenship will be born, a
consciousness that can alone provide an
adequate basis for the organization of world
unity, on which a lasting world peace must
necessarily depend, the peace itself
inaugurating in turn that world
civilization which
will mark the coming of age of the entire
human race.
Fortified by such reflections, the American believers, in whichever section of the Western Hemisphere they find themselves laboring, whether at home or abroad, and however dire and distressing the processes involved in the disintegration of the structure of present-day civilization, will, I feel convinced, prove themselves, through their lives and deeds, worthy of that priceless heritage which it is their undoubted privilege to proclaim, preserve and perpetuate. (May 22, 1939)
OFFICIAL INAUGURATION OF WORLD MISSION
Newly-launched Central American campaign marks official inauguration (of) long-deferred World Mission constituting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s distinctive legacy (to the) Bahá’í Community (of) North America. Chosen Community broadening its basis, gaining (in) stature, deepening (in) consecration. Its vanguard now entering arena monopolized (by) entrenched forces (of) Christendom’s mightiest ecclesiastical institutions. Laboring amidst race foreign in language, custom, temperament embracing vast proportion (of) New World’s ethnic elements. American believers’ isolated oversea teaching enterprises hitherto tentative, intermittent, now at end. New epoch opening, demanding exertions incomparably more strenuous, unflinchingly sustained, centrally directed, systematically organized, efficiently conducted. Upon alacrity, tenacity, fearlessness (of) present prosecutors (of the) unfolding mission depend speedy (and) fullest revelation, in the First (and) Second Centuries, (of the) potentialities (of the) birthright conferred (upon) American believers. Convey (to) pioneers (in) North, Middle (and) South America my eagerness (to) maintain with each direct, personal contact. Assure Teaching (and) InterAmerica Committees (my) delight (at) successive testimonies (of) believers’ glowing spirit reflected (in) Minutes, letters (and) reports recently received. Entreat every section (of) community (to) labor unremittingly until every nation (in) Western Hemisphere (is) illumined (by) rays (and) woven (into) fabric (of) Bahá’u’lláh triumphant Administrative Order.
(Cablegram May 28, 1939)
FULFIL UNFLINCHINGLY THE REQUIREMENTS
The readiness of your Assembly, as expressed
in your recently cabled message, to
transfer the National Bahá’í Secretariat to
the vicinity of the Temple in Wilmette has
evoked within me the deepest feelings of
thankfulness and joy. Your historic decision,
so wise and timely, so surprising in its
suddenness, so far-reaching in
its consequences,
is one that I cannot but heartily and
unreservedly applaud. To each one of your
brethren in the Faith, throughout the
United States and Canada, who are witnessing,
from day to day and at an ever-hastening
speed, the approaching completion of
their National House of Worship, the great
Mother Temple of the West, your resolution
to establish within its hallowed precincts
and in the heart of the North
American continent the Administrative Seat
of their beloved Faith cannot but denote
henceforward a closer association, a more
constant communion, and a higher degree
of coordination between the two primary
agencies providentially ordained for the
enrichment of their spiritual life and for the
conduct and regulation of their
administrative affairs. To the far-flung Bahá’í
[Page 351]
communities of East and West,
most of which
are being increasingly proscribed and
ill-treated, and none of which can claim to
have had a share of the dual blessings which
a specially designed and constructed House
of Worship and a fully and efficiently
functioning Administrative Order invariably
confer, the concentration in a single locality
of what will come to be regarded as the
fountain-head of the community’s spiritual
life and what is already recognized as the
mainspring of the administrative activities,
signalizes the launching of yet another phase
in the slow and imperceptible emergence,
in these declining times, of the model
Bahá’í community—a community divinely
ordained, organically united, clear-visioned,
vibrant with life, and whose very purpose
is regulated by the twin directing principles
of the worship of God and of service to
one’s fellowmen.
The decision you have arrived at is an act that befittingly marks the commencement of your allotted term of stewardship in service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. Moreover, it significantly coincides with the inauguration of that world mission of which the settlement of Bahá’í pioneers in the virgin territories of the North American continent has been but a prelude. That such a decision may speedily and without the slightest hitch be carried into effect is the deepest longing of my heart. That those who have boldly carried so weighty a resolution may without pause or respite continue to labor and build up, as circumstances permit, around this administrative nucleus such accessories as the machinery of a fast evolving administrative order, functioning under the shadow of, and in such close proximity to, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, must demand, is the object of my incessant and fervent prayer. That such a step, momentous as it is, may prove the starting point for acts of still greater renown and richer possibilities that will leave their distinct mark on the third year of the Seven Year Plan is a hope which I, together with all those who are eagerly following its progress, fondly and confidently cherish.
The American believers, while straining to accomplish befittingly this particular task, must simultaneously brace themselves for another sublime effort to discharge, ere the present year draws to a close, their manifold responsibilities allotted to them under the Seven Year Plan. The placing of yet another contract for the casting of the ornamentation of the First Story of the Temple, the permanent settlement of the six remaining Republics of Central America, and the extension of continual support both material and moral, to those weaker States, Provinces and Republics that have been recently incorporated in the body of the Faith, combine to offer, at this hour when the fate of civilization trembles in the balance, the boldest and gravest challenge that has ever faced the community of the American believers both in the propagative and administrative spheres of Bahá’í activity. In the field of pioneer teaching, and particularly in connection with the opening of the Republics of Haiti, Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Dominica and Guatemala, the utmost encouragement should at all times be vouchsafed by the elected representatives of the community to those who, out of the abundance of their hearts, and in direct response to the call of their Faith and the dictates of their conscience, have renounced their comforts, fled their homes, and hazarded their fortunes for the sake of bringing into operation the majestic Plan of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, while special support should be extended to those who appear to be best qualified for the strenuous labors which pioneering under such exacting circumstances demands. Care should be exercised lest any hindrance, should, for any reason, be placed in the way of those who have, whether young or old, rich or poor, so spontaneously dedicated themselves to so urgent and holy a mission.
Towards this newly-appointed enterprise a more definite re-orientation is needed. To its purposes a more complete dedication is demanded. In its fortunes a more widespread concern is required. For its further consolidation and speedy fulfillment a larger number and a greater variety of participants are indispensable. For its success a more abundant flow of material resources should be assured.
Let the privileged few, the ambassadors
of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, bear in mind
[Page 352]
His words as they go forth
on their errands
of service to His Cause.
"It behoveth whosoever willeth to journey for the sake of God, and whose intention is to proclaim His Word and quicken the dead, to bathe himself with the waters of detachment, and to his temple with the ornaments of resignation and submission. Let trust in God be his shield, and reliance on God his provision, and the fear of God his raiment. Let patience be his helper, and praise—worthy conduct his succorer, and goodly deeds his army. Then will the concourse on high sustain him. Then will the denizens of the Kingdom of Names march forth with him, and the banners of Divine guidance and inspiration be unfurled on his right hand and before him.”
Faced with such a challenge, a community that has scaled thus far such peaks of enduring achievements can neither falter nor recoil. Confident in its destiny, reliant on its God-given power, fortified by the consciousness of its past victories, galvanized into action at the sight of a slowly disrupting civilization, it will—I can have no doubt—continue to fulfill unflinchingly the immediate requirements of its task, assured that with every step it takes and with each stage it traverses, a fresh revelation of Divine light and strength will guide and propel it forward until it consummates, in the fulness of time and in the plenitude of its power, the Plan inseparably bound up with its shining destiny.
(July 4, 1939)
THIS, THE MOST FATEFUL HOUR IN THEIR HISTORY
A triple call, clear-voiced, insistent and inescapable, summons to the challenge all members of the American Bahá’í community, at this, the most fateful hour in their history. The first is the voice, distant and piteous, of those sister communities which now, alas, are fettered by the falling chains of religious orthodoxy and isolated through the cruel barriers set up by a rampant nationalism. The second is the plea, no less vehement and equally urgent, of those peoples and nations of the New World, whose vast and unexplored territories await to be warmed by the light and swept into the orbit of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. The third, more universal and stirring than either of the others, is the call of humanity itself crying out for deliverance at a time when the tide of mounting evils has destroyed its equilibrium and is now strangling its very life.
These imperative calls of Bahá’í duty the American believers can immediately if only partially answer. Their present status, their circumscribed resources, debar them, however great their eagerness, from responding completely aand decisively to the full implications of this threefold obligation. They can, neither individually nor through their concerted efforts, impose directly their will upon those into whose hands the immediate destinies of their persecuted brethren are placed. Nor are they as yet capable of launching a campaign of such magnitude as could capture the imagination and arouse the conscience of mankind, and thereby insure the immediate and full redress of those grievances from which their helpless coreligionists in both the East and the West are suffering. They cannot moreover hope to wield at the present time in the councils of nations an influence commensurate with the stupendous claims advanced, or adequate to the greatness of the Cause proclaimed, by the Author of their Faith. Nor can they assume a position or exercise such responsibilities as would enable them by their acts and decisions to reverse the process which is urging so tragically the decline of human society and its institutions.
And yet, though their influence be at the present hour indecisive and their divinely-conferred authority unrecognized, the role they can play in both alleviating the hardships that afflict their brethren and in attenuating the ills that torment mankind is none the less considerable and far-reaching. By the range and liberality of their contributions to mitigate the distress of the bereaved, the exiled and the imprisoned; by the persistent, the wise and judicious intervention of their elected representatives through the authorities concerned; by a clear and convincing exposition, wherever circumstances are propitious, of the issues involved; by a vigorous defense of the rights and liberties denied; by an accurate and
Newly formed Spiritual Assembly of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1938.
dignified presentation of the events that have transpired; by every manner of encouragement which their sympathies may suggest, or their means permit, or their consciences dictate, to succor the outcast and the impoverished; and above all by their tenacious adherence to, and wide proclamation of, those principles, laws, ideals, and institutions which their disabled fellow-believers are unable to affirm or publicly espouse; and lastly, by the energetic prosecution of those tasks which their oppressed fellow-workers are forbidden to initiate or conduct, the privileged community of the American Bahá’ís can play a conspicuous part in the great drama involving so large a company of their unemancipated brethren in the Asiatic, the European and African continents.
Their duties towards mankind in general
are no less distinct and vital. Their
impotence to stem the tide of onrushing
calamities, their seeming helplessness
in face of
those cataclysmic forces that are to
convulse human society, do not in the least
detract from the urgency of their unique
mission, nor exonerate them from those
weighty responsibilities which they alone
can and must assume. Humanity, heedless
and impenitent, is admittedly hovering on
the edge of an awful abyss, ready to
precipitate itself into that titanic
struggle, that
crucible whose chastening fires alone can and
will weld its antagonistic elements of race,
class, religion and nation into one coherent
system, one world commonwealth.
"The hour is approaching”
is Bahá’u’lláh’s own testimony,
"when the most great convulsion will have appeared . . . I swear by God! The promised day is come, the day when tormenting trials will have surged above your heads, and beneath your feet, saying: ‘Taste ye, what your hands have wrought.’ ”
Not ours to question the
almighty wisdom or fathom the inscrutable
ways of Him in whose hands the ultimate
destiny of an unregenerate yet potentially
glorious race must lie. Ours rather is the
duty to believe that the world-wide
community of the Most Great Name, and in
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particular, at the present
time its vanguard
in North America, however buffeted by the
powerful currents of these troublous times,
and however keen their awareness of the
inevitability of the final eruption, can, if
they will, rise to the level of their calling
and discharge their functions, both in the
period which is witnessing the confusion and
breakdown of human institutions, and in
the ensuing epoch during which the shattered
basis of a dismembered society is to
be recast, and its forces reshaped, re-directed
and unified. With the age that is still unborn,
with its herculean tasks and unsuspected
glories,
we need not concern ourselves
at present. It is to the fierce struggle, the
imperious duties, the distinctive contributions
which the present generation of Bahá’ís
are summoned to undertake and render that
I feel we should, at this hour, direct our
immediate and anxious attention. Though
powerless to avert the impending contest
the followers of Bahá’u’lláh can, by the
spirit they evince and the efforts they exert
help to circumscribe its range, shorten its
duration, allay its hardships, proclaim its
salutary consequences, and demonstrate its
necessary and vital role in the shaping of
human destiny. Theirs is the duty to hold,
aloft and undimmed, the torch of Divine
Guidance, as the shades of night descend
upon, and ultimately envelop the entire
human race. Theirs is the function, amidst
its tumults, perils and agonies, to witness to
the vision, and proclaim the approach, of
that re-created society, that Christ-promised
Kingdom, that World Order whose generative
impulse is the spirit of none other than
Bahá’u’lláh Himself, whose dominion is the
entire planet, whose watchword is unity,
whose animating power is the force of
Justice, whose directive purpose is the reign
of righteousness and truth, and whose
supreme glory is the complete, the undisturbed,
and everlasting felicity of the whole of
human kind. By the sublimity and serenity
of their faith, by the steadiness and clarity
of their vision, the incorruptibility of their
character, the rigor of their discipline, the
sanctity of their morals, and the unique
example of their community life, they can
and indeed must in a world polluted with
its incurable corruptions, paralyzed by its
haunting fears, torn by its devastating
hatreds, and languishing under the weight of
its appalling miseries demonstrate the
validity of their claim to be regarded as the
sole repository of that grace upon whose
operation must depend the complete
deliverance, the fundamental reorganization and
the supreme felicity of all mankind.
Though the obstacles confronting the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the American continent in their efforts to completely emancipate their fellow-Bahá’ís on the one hand, and to speedily rehabilitate the fortunes of their fellow-men on the other, be in the main unsurmountable, such impediments cannot as yet be said to exist that can frustrate their efforts to fully discharge the second duty now incumbent upon them in the inter-continental sphere of Bahá’í teaching. The field, in all its vastness and fertility, is wide open and near at hand. The harvest is ripe. The hour is over-due. The signal has been given. The spiritual forces, mysteriously released, are already operating with increasing momentum, unchallenged and unchecked. Victory, speedy and unquestioned, is assured to whosoever will arise and respond to this second, this urgent and vital call. In this field, as in no other, the American believers can most easily evince the full force of their latent energies, can exercise in their plentitude their conspicuous talents, and can rise to the highest level of their God-given opportunities.
Fired by their zeal, their love for and
faith in Bahá’u’lláh; armed with that Holy
Charter, wherein ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s mandate
investing them with their world mission is
inscribed; piloted through the instrumentality
of those agencies which a divine, a
smoothly functioning administrative Order
has providentially placed at their disposal;
disciplined and invigorated by those
immutable verities, spiritual principles and
administrative regulations that distinguish
their religious beliefs, govern their
individual conduct and regulate their
community life; aspiring to emulate the example
of those heroes and martyrs, the narrative of
whose exploits they have admired and
pondered, it behooves all members of the
American Bahá’í community to gird themselves
as never before to the task of befittingly
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playing their part in
the enactment of the
opening scene of the First Act of that
superb Drama whose theme is no less than the
spiritual conquest of both the Eastern and
Western Hemispheres. Their immediate
task, under the Seven Year Plan, the object
of which is the establishment of a minimum
of one Bahá’í center in each of the Republics
of Middle and South America, has now been
gloriously ushered in through the settlement
of one pioneer in most of the Central
American Republics, and bids fair to be recognized by posterity as the original impulse
imparted to an enterprise that will go round
the world. That impulse must, as time goes
by, communicate itself to the farthest
extremities of Latin America, and must be
reinforced in every manner, by as many of
the American believers as possible. The
broader the basis of this campaign, the deeper
its roots, the finer the flower into which it
shall eventually blossom. That its call may
be heeded, that its implications may be
recognized and its potentialities progressively
unfold, is my earnest prayer, and the
supreme longing of my heart. (July 28, 1939)
THE SEAL OF COMPLETE TRIUMPH
The association of the First Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the West with the hallowed memories of the Purest Branch and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s mother, recently re-interred under the shadow of the Báb’s holy Shrine, inaugurates a new, and at long last the final phase of an enterprise which, thirty years ago, was providentially launched on the very day the remains of the Forerunner of our Faith were laid to rest by our beloved Master in the sepulchre specifically erected for that purpose on Mt. Carmel. The birth of this holy enterprise, pregnant with such rich, such infinite possibilities, synchronized with, and was consecrated through, this historic event which, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself has affirmed, constitutes the most signal act of the triple mission He had been prompted to perform. The site of the Temple itself was honored by the presence of Him Who, ever since this enterprise was initiated, had, through His messages and Tablets, bestowed upon it His special attention and care, and surrounded it with the marks of His unfailing solicitude. Its foundation-stone was laid by His own loving hands, on an occasion so moving that it has come to be regarded as one of the most stirring episodes of His historic visit to the North American continent. Its superstructure was raised as a direct consequence of the pent-up energies which surged from the breasts of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s lovers at a time when His sudden removal from their midst had plunged them into consternation, bewilderment and sorrow. Its external ornamentation was initiated and accelerated through the energizing influences which the rising and continually consolidating institutions of a divinely established Administrative Order had released in the midst of a community that had identified its vital interests with that Temple’s destiny. The measures devised to hasten its completion were incorporated in a Plan which derives its inspiration from those destiny-shaping Tablets wherein, in bold relief, stands outlined the world mission entrusted by their Author to the American Bahá’í community. And finally, the Fund, designed to receive and dispose of the resources amassed for its prosecution, was linked with the memory and bore the name of her whose ebbing life was brightened and cheered by those tidings that unmistakably revealed to her the depth of devotion and the tenacity of purpose which animate the American believers in the cause of their beloved Temple. And now, while the Bahá’í world vibrates with emotion at the news of the transfer of the precious remains of both the Purest Branch and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s mother to a spot which, watched over by the Twin Holy Shrines and in the close neighborhood of the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf, is to become the focus of the administrative institutions of the Faith at its world center, the mere act of linking the destiny of so far-reaching an undertaking with so significant an event in the Formative Period of our Faith will assuredly set the seal of complete triumph upon, and enhance the spiritual potentialities of, a work so significantly started and so magnificently executed by the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the North American continent. The Plan which your Assembly has suggested to raise the sum of fifty thousand
Recently constituted Spiritual Assembly of Glendale, Arizona.
dollars by next April, which will enable you to place the necessary contracts for the final completion of the entire First Story of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, meets with my unqualified approval. It was specially in order to initiate and encourage the progress of such a plan that I felt impelled to pledge the sum of one thousand pounds in the memory of these two glorious souls who, apart from the Founders of our Faith and its Exemplar, tower together with the Greatest Holy Leaf, above the rank and file of the faithful.
The interval separating us from that date is admittedly short. The explosive forces which lie dormant in the international field may, ere the expiry of these fleeting months, break out in an eruption that may prove the most fateful that mankind has experienced. It is within the power of the organized body of the American believers to further demonstrate the imperturbability of their faith, the serenity of their confidence and the unyielding tenacity of their resolve.
We stand at the threshold of the decade within which the centenary of the birth of our Faith is to be celebrated. Scarcely more than four years stand between us and that glorious consummation. No community, no individual, neither in the East nor in the West, however afflictive the circumstances that now prevail, can afford to hesitate or falter. The few years immediately ahead are endowed with potencies that we can but dimly appreciate. Ours is the duty and privilege to utilize to the full the opportunities which these fate-laden years offer us. The American Bahá’í community, already responsible, over such a long period, for such heroic acts, under such severe handicaps, cannot and will not hesitate or falter. The past is a witness of their splendid triumphs. The future will be no less a witness of their final victory.
(December 30, 1939)
THE AMERICAN BELIEVERS PURSUE THEIR GOD—GIVEN TASK
The fourth year of the Seven Year Plan enters upon its course in circumstances that are at once critical, challenging, and unprecedented in their significance. The year that has passed has in so far as the rise and establishment of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the Western Hemisphere is concerned, been one of the most eventful since the Plan began to operate and exercise its potent and beneficent influence. Both within and without the Community of the Most Great Name, the events which the last twelve months has unfolded have in some mysterious way, whether directly or indirectly, communicated their force to the Plan’s progressive unfoldment, contributed to the orientation of its policy and assisted in the consolidation of the diversified undertakings, both primary and subsidiary that fall within its orbit. Even the losses which the ranks of its stout-hearted upholders have sustained will, when viewed in their proper perspective, be regarded as gains of incalculable value, affecting both its immediate fortunes as well as its ultimate destiny.
The successive international crises which
agitated the opening months of the year that
has elapsed, culminating in the outbreak of
the war in Europe, far from drowning the
enthusiasm or daunting the spirit of the
prosecutors of God’s Plan, served by
deflecting their gaze from a storm-tossed
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continent, to focus
their minds and resources on
ministering to the urgent needs of that
hemisphere in which the first honors and the
initial successes of the heroes of the
Formative Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh
are to be scored and won.
The sudden extinction of the earthly life of that star-servant of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, Martha Root, who, while on the last lap of her fourth journey round the world —journeys that carried her to the humblest homes as well as the palaces of royalty—was hurrying homeward to lend her promised aid to her fellow-countrymen in their divinely-appointed task—such a death, though it frustrated this cherished resolution of her indomitable spirit, steeled the hearts of her bereaved lovers and admirers to carry on, more energetically than ever, the work which she herself had initiated, as far back as the year 1919 in every important city in the South American continent.
The subtle and contemptible machinations by which the puny adversaries of the Faith, jealous of its consolidating power and perturbed by the compelling evidences of its conspicuous victories, have sought to challenge the validity and misrepresent the character of the Administrative Order embedded in its teachings have galvanized the swelling army of its defenders to arise and arraign the usurpers of their sacred rights and to defend the long-standing strongholds of the institutions of their Faith in their home country.
And now as this year, so memorable in the annals of the Faith, was drawing to a close, there befell the American Bahá’í community, through the dramatic and sudden death of May Maxwell, yet another loss, which viewed in retrospect will come to be regarded as a potent blessing conferred upon the campaign now being so diligently conducted by its members. Laden with the fruits garnered through well-nigh half a century of toilsome service to the Cause she so greatly loved, heedless of the warnings of age and ill-health, and afire with the longing to worthily demonstrate her gratitude in her overwhelming awareness of the bounties of her Lord and Master, she set her face towards the southern outpost of the Faith in the New World, and laid down her life in such a spirit of consecration and self-sacrifice as has truly merited the crown of martyrdom.
To Keith Ransom-Kehler, whose dust sleeps in far-off Iṣfahán; to Martha Root, fallen in her tracks on an island in the midmost heart of the ocean; to May Maxwell, lying in solitary glory in the southern outpost of the Western Hemisphere—to these three heroines of the Formative Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, they who now labor so assiduously for its expansion and establishment, owe a debt of gratitude which future generations will not fail to adequately recognize.
I need not expatiate on other, though less prominent, events that have contributed their share to the furtherance of the Seven Year Plan, or marked its systematic development. The association of the Fund, specifically inaugurated for its prosecution, with the hallowed memories of both the Mother and Brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; the establishment of at least one pioneer in each of the Republics of Central and South America; the ushering in of the last phase of the external ornamentation of the Temple; the conjunction of the institutions of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in the heart of the North American continent; the founding of yet another institution designed as a training school for InterAmerica teaching work; the steady rise in the number of groups and Assemblies functioning within the Administrative Framework of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh—these stand out as further evidences of the animating Force that propels the Plan towards its final consummation.
Varied and abundant as have been the past manifestations of this driving, resistless Force, they cannot but pale before the brilliant victories which its progressive and systematic development must achieve in the future.
The American believers, standing on the threshold of the fourth year of the Seven Year Plan, pursue their God-given task with a radiance that no earthly gloom can dim, and will continue to shoulder its ever-growing duties and responsibilities with a vigor and loyalty that no earthly power can either sap or diminish.
(April 15, 1940)
