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STAR OF THE WEST
"We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened, that diversity of religion shall cease and differences of race be annulled. So it shall be; these fruitless strifes; these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come."—BAHA'O'LLAH.
Vol. 10 Jamal 1, 75 (April 28, 1919) No. 3
From the Helena Daily Independent, Sunday, Feb. 2, 1919.
The Bahai Movement—Is it the coming Universal Religion?
By JEAN MASSON.
[The Bahai Movement has a number of converts throughout Montana, of whom there is a small group in Helena. It is a world movement, which is spreading rapidly in Asia and in parts of eastern Europe. Whatever the religious viewpoint of the reader, it will not be denied that the prophecies of the leaders of the Bahais have been fulfilled in marvelous manner.—Editor.]
THE Holy Land had just been released from the grip of the Turk. Communication was made possible between Palestine and the West after many months of interrupted intercourse. And then through the British embassy came the message over the cable to America:
"I have much pleasure in informing you that I have received a telegram from my government stating that His Eminence Abdul-Baha Abbas is in Haifa and that he is in good health and is well cared for."
Press notices in early October were sent out over the country, through the British Bureau of Information, that British troops came upon Abdul-Baha in Haifa.
Who is Abdul-Baha, that he should be the subject of telegraphic and press information immediately upon the complete defeat of the Turks and the establishment of communication?
At Leland Stanford university, in October, 1912, this same Abdul-Baha predicted the great war:
"We are on the eve of the battle of Armageddon, referred to in the 16th chapter of Revelation. The time is two years hence, when only a spark will set aflame the whole of Europe.
"The social unrest in all countries, the growing religious skepticism, antecedent to the millennium, are already here. Only a spark will set aflame the whole of Europe, as prophesied in the verses of Daniel and in the Book of John.
"Before 1917 kingdoms will be annihilated, cataclysms will rock the earth. Then all nations shall be as one faith and all men as brothers and these fruitless strifes and ruinous wars shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come, and man shall not glory in this, that he loves his country, but rather in that he loves his kind."
On Sunday, May 12, 1912, in Grace Methodist Episcopal church, New York city, this same Abdul-Baha gave utterance to this momentous warning:
"Just now you can say Europe is a battlefield; like ammunition ready for a spark. And one spark can set aflame the whole world.
"Before these complications and colossal events happen, take a step and prevent it."
Who is this Abdul-Baha, with the
vision of the seer, who so unerringly could prophesy world events?
Fifty years ago his father before him, the great BAHA'O'LLAH, out of a prison in the Holy Land, sent letters to the kings of Europe, calling upon them to establish universal peace and righteousness among men. He warned them of approaching calamity. He predicted the downfall of Napoleon III, then at the zenith of his power; of the emperor of Austria; of the sultan of Turkey.
To the emperor of Germany he wrote:
"O banks of the river Rhine! We have seen you drenched in gore, because the swords of retribution were drawn against you; and ye shall have another trouble. And we hear the lamentation of Berlin, though it be today in manifest glory."
Neither England, nor Russia, nor Persia, nor America was ignored by the prophetic and mandatory pen of BAHA'O'LLAH.
To England he wrote through England's queen, Victoria:
"Verily, we see you increasing your expenditures every year and placing the burden thereof upon your subjects. This is naught but manifest injustice. Fear the sighs of the oppressed and his tears and do not burden your subjects above that which they can bear, neither ruin them to build your palaces. Choose for them that which ye choose for yourselves. Thus do we expound unto you that which will profit you, if ye are of those who enquire. They are your treasurers. Beware lest ye exercise over them that which God hath never done, and entrust such treasuries into the hands of thieves. By them ye eat, rule and conquer, and still you make yourselves great against them. Verily, this is naught but an astonishment. .. . .
"O assembly of rulers! Improve the accordance among you; then you will need neither many soldiers, nor their accoutrements, but to a certain degree, whereby ye will protect your empires and countries."
To America this authoritative pen wrote:
"Assist with the hands of justice the broken-hearted (oppressed) and crush the great oppressors with the scourges of the commands of your Lord, the powerful, the wise."
And the rulers—some of them responded to BAHA'O'LLAH, and some of them have fallen, in unerring fulfilment, apparently, of the utterances of BAHA'O'LLAH.
BAHA'O'LLAH and Abdul-Baha?
You will hear their names around the world today, if your ear is sensitive to spiritual verities. To know them you must first know the Bahai Movement, of which they and the great Báb are the central vivid figures.
And you cannot investigate the Bahai Movement without immediate association with the Mashrekol-azkar, the great Bahai temple, that shall rival in beauty and perfection all other temples of historical import.
Recently there has been on exhibition at the National Museum in Washington a series of architectural designs of the Mashrekol-azkar, executed by Charles Mason Remey.
Other architects from the east and middle west, from Canada, have submitted designs embodying their conception of this great institution, the Mashrekol-azkar—an institution unparalleled in religious and architectural history.
An institution that commands the attention of noted American architects; that has inspired one of them to make nine different studies of the same subject; an institution known in the orient as well as the occident; that shall take visible material form on Lake Michigan, in the very heart of the continent—the Mashrekol-azkar—what is its significance? What does it mean today to a world searching, searching as never before
for the reality of life; seeking after God, if haply we may find Him?
Mashrekol-azkar, translated from the Arabic into English, means the dawning point of praises (to God). It is a creational idea that marks the beginning of a new historical era—an era of mutuality of service to God and man, of cooperation, the end of destructive competition, the beginning of the realization of the Christ teachings.
No appreciation of the Mashrekol-azkar can be had without knowledge first of the Bahai Movement, for its history is inextricably interwoven in the development of the great structure. You will hear today of the Bahai Movement in every part of the world. Representatives of all races and nations are its adherents. If you are a Bahai, the name is open sesame around the world, even to the jungles of India. You will hear of the Movement, not only in every civilized country of the world, but in the outlying posts of civilization, in unexpected islands of the sea, up in Alaska, down in uttermost Africa, so universal is its diffusion—a dynamic movement that penetrates, by virtue of its tremendous truth and vitalness, silently, ceaselessly, resistlessly, into the great heart of humanity.
The Bahai Movement had its origin in 1844, when, on the 23d day of May, a Persian youth, calling himself the Bab or Gate, arose among his countrymen and proclaimed the coming of the universal Teacher of Men, the Great One, whose appearance had been anticipated and prophesied by all the Scriptures of the world, who would lead humanity into all truth. He called men to prepare themselves by self-purification for the recognition of the Great One, when He should appear among them.
It was a skeptical Moslem world that greeted the proclamation of the Bab, for his teachings meant assuredly the overthrow of ancient Islamic institutions. And so, after a mission of six years, having lived a blameless, unsullied life, the Báb was martyred in the public square of Tabriz. To the end he held tenaciously to his faith in his own personal mission as herald of the Mighty One, soon to stand forth, revealed to the world as the Manifestation of God. His very name, indicatory of His station, the Báb announced BAHA'O'LLAH, Arabic for the Glory of God.
In 1852, Mirza Husein Ali of Nur, a man of ancient, distinguished Persian lineage, began an exile of forty years from his native land. Persecution and imprisonment had been his portion at the hands of his government. For, where the Báb ended his work, Mirza Husein Ali assumed the responsibility for the spiritual guidance of humanity. Today, throughout the world, he is known as BAHA'O'LLAH, "Him Whom God should manifest," in fulfilment of the prophetic utterances of the Bab. And the message he has given to the world, out of the deeps of his spiritual consciousness, is known as the Bahai Revelation.
The Holy Land was the scene of the last exile and imprisonment of BAHA'O'LLAH. At the instigation of the merciless Islamic government, with his family and a few followers, he had been ruthlessly sent forth, divested of all his estates, first to Bagdad, then to Constantinople and Adrianople, and, finally, in 1868, to the Turkish penal colony of Acca, nine miles north of Mt. Carmel, on the Mediterranean coast—"the most desolate of the cities of the world."
The horrors of the Turkish prison, the tragic sufferings of the exiles are historical facts—horrors and sufferings that would have dissuaded ordinary men from pursuing their spiritual mission to the world. Yet, in the midst of it all, as throughout the life of the brilliant protagonists of the Bahai Movement, those marvelous souls manifested only
(Continued on page 45)
STAR OF THE WEST
PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR
By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the postoffice at Chicago, Ill., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Editorial Staff: ALBERT R. WINDUST — GERTRUDE BUIKEMA — DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI
Honorary Member: MIRZA AHMAD SOHRAB
Terms: $1.50 per year; 10 cents per copy
Make Money Orders payable to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
To personal checks please add sufficient to cover the bank exchange.
Address all communications to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA.
HE IS GOD!
O thou Star of the West!
Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere long, thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unshakable, become the object of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto the waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend upon firmness, firmness, firmness!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Vol. 10
No. 3
News from the Holy Land
LETTER FROM SHOGHI RABBANI
Haifa, Palestine,
March 17, 1919.
Mrs. Corinne True, Chicago.
My dear sister in El-Abha:
Although the recollection of your face and of your visit to the Holy Land is thoroughly effaced from my memory, yet what enkindles the fire of interest within me and impels me to drop you these lines is the glorious mention I hear of your services at the Threshold of Abha. Your supplications, your keen interest in the Bahai Temple and the remarks and comments of the Beloved upon your work offer ample justification. I am so glad to correspond with you and write to you on a card, trusting it will reach you sooner.
Your kind letter, dated January 27, 1919, was received and imparted intense joy. Your supplication since the last Tablet (the first revealed for you since the liberation of Haifa), dated February 7th, has been received and will soon secure for you another Tablet. I hope you will soon receive your Tablet of February 7th.
The members of the household ever remember you and pray for you and convey to you their most wonderful Abha greeting.
The doors of communication with Persia and India are open and supplications are constantly pouring in. The Beloved from morn till eve, even at midnight is engaged in revealing Tablets, in sending forth his constructive, dynamic thoughts of love and principles to a sad and distracted world. In most of the Tablets he lays great stress upon unity, love and firmness in the Covenant.
Awaiting your good news,
Yours in El-Abha,
Shoghi.
LETTER FROM MAJOR W. TUDOR-POLE
Cairo, Egypt,
April 8, 1919.
Dear Mrs. True:
I was pleased to receive your kind note of March 6, 1919, and I am only too glad to have been of service to the Master during trying and critical times. You will have seen an account of my February visit to Haifa, since when I
spent a few days there on my return from Damascus, and am pleased to report that all is well.
I issued passes for Mons. and Mme. Dreyfus-Barney to visit Haifa and they are there now for a few weeks.
I am going to Haifa on a British cruiser with Lord Inchcape next week and expect that this will be my last visit before returning to Paris and London.
The Master is in splendid health and spirits and he looks beyond the present gloom and chaos to the New Dawn now so fast approaching. The Master looks to America. Let your people hold to the true vision in complete serenity of faith and joy!
With best wishes, I am,
Very sincerely yours,
W. Tudor-Pole.
News from Persia
Portion of a letter written from Teheran Persia by Miss Elizabeth H. Stewart to Mrs. Isabella D. Brittingham, Santa Barbara, California.
Dated November 25, 1918.
FOR many months no post in or out of Persia, and since August, 1917, no word direct from you. In September (1918) the way was open for a few letters to sift through, bearing dates of March and April previous. I am now sending this letter by Mr. de Lambert, brother of the wife of the American Minister who is soon returning to America.
We are now in a state of rejoicing over news of peace, and seeing the fulfilment of the Words of BAHA'O'LLAH and Abdul-Baha, from day to day, witnessing the new order of things. O, what a mercy that we are alive and awakened and trying to serve in the Kingdom of Abha!
We have had some wonderfully beautiful meetings lately, of both men and women, many of them meetings for teaching. We have one of men, for teaching, every Saturday night, and on every Tuesday afternoon one for women. Dr. Clock has one for men every Monday night. Several different sections have opened in the city, until now on every night there is a meeting for teaching.
We have been enjoying meeting with The American Commission sent here for the purpose of investigating everything about the conditions in Persia. Dr. Judson of the University of Chicago, Dr. Jackson of Columbia, University (and his wife) and several others compose it. They are all staying up at the American Legation.
Dr. Jackson said he saw Abdul-Baha when he was in America. Dr. Jackson was himself at the Hotel Ansonia making an address at the time Abdul-Baha was there.
Bahman Mirza, a Bahai and a Persian prince, gave the Commission a lunch at his house and it was made a freedom meeting where every Persian man brought his wife. A long table was arranged. About twenty sat around it—Persian men and women Bahais, we four Americans, Mr. Caldwell the Minister (his wife could not be present), Mr. Bader the Consul, Mr. de Lambert and the members of the Commission.
This was the very first time such a thing had ever occurred and we felt so happy to be there, helping to carry forward the work of freeing the women. Of course it was not possible to have servants coming into the room, so, real Persian style, the host, Bahman Mirza, waited on the table, and I asked him to give me the privilege of helping him, which he did. I was very happy to be able to serve at such a notable gathering. Dr. Moody wrote a speech in English, which one of the Persian ladies committed to memory and gave, stating how our beloved Abdul-Baha had said the
time would come when many Americans would come to Persia, and many Persians would go to America, and today we had seen these words being fulfilled.
It was a most beautiful meeting. After lunch many more couples of men and women came, and for the first time in history a photograph was taken of all who were there. The hearts of all of us were so happy.
Today a men's committee from the Mahfal Rouhani (Spiritual Assembly) went to make a call on the Commission and appointed Dr. Moody to go with them. We expect to meet them tomorrow at the home of another Bahai. They have also made addresses at the Parliament, Chamber of Commerce, State University and other places.
Their talks have been published in the Persian papers and have been much commented upon. It cannot be otherwise than that they are doing the will of the most supreme BAHA'O'LLAH!
We are longing for the way to be opened to receive letters and goods and medicines and every thing from America. We are nearly at the end of everything. Dr. Moody wishes me to tell you that since America entered the war the schools have received no financial help from America, and are feeling the straitened condition; that they have dropped many pupils and are struggling to keep others on, free of charge. All things are very high in price, as they are with you.
Those who could afford it have had to pay sixty and seventy cents for as quarter of a pound of butter (we have not had any for a long time); eggs have been six cents apiece, bread very poor and so high that I have made it for a long time, under very difficult conditions. The ways of cooking are so primitive that I do not see how so many delicious things to eat are turned out.
Tablets of Abdul-Baha recently revealed
AGNES PARSONS
To the maid-servant of God, Mrs. Agnes Parsons, Washington, D. C.—Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He is God!
O thou beloved daughter!
Formerly a cable through the British Government was received from you but it was misrepresented and vague. Although it could not be understood yet an answer was dispatched through the same Government. Your letter dated October 21, 1918, has just been received. Infinite gratitude have I tendered for the blessings of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH and have laid my head on His Sanctified Threshold and have offered my praise and thanks that, praise be to God, that beloved daughter has remained firm and steadfast throughout this violent storm and has wished and purposed nothing save service to His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH and the promulgation of Divine Teachings. Rest thou assured that assistance and confirmations shall encompass thee.
Thou hast written concerning organization. The divine teachings and the admonitions and exhortations of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH are manifestly evident. These constitute the organization of the Kingdom and their enforcement is obligatory. The least deviation from them is absolute error.
Thou has written concerning my travel to America. If thou couldst see how the waves of constant occupation are surging thou wouldst have considered that time for travel is absolutely lacking; in times of fixed residence partial
rest is even impossible. God willing, I trust, through the bounty of BAHA'O'LLAH that as soon as means for the composure of mind and of heart are provided, I shall determine to journey and shall inform thee about it.
Convey on my behalf utmost kindness to thy beloved son and in perfect love kiss thou his two cheeks. My prayer to God is that he may grow to be the cause of thy happiness and satisfaction.
The maid-servant of God, Edna Ballora, has been struck with a great affliction. She is deeply grieved and sad. Assuredly extend thou thy care upon her and be thou her stay and solace.
Convey to the two enlightened souls, Leona Barnitz and Mrs. Finch, my love and kindness, and tell them: "Praise ye God, that assistance has been extended and ye have turned your faces to the Supreme Horizon:—the bounty and guidance of which the mass of people are unaware, ye have found, and have adorned your head with a crown of supreme guidance, the glittering gems of which gleam and glisten throughout ages and generations. Do not look at the present condition, contemplate the future. The Apostles of Christ were fishermen, were destitute of fame and position and enjoyed no grade and rank. They were, as it is intimated in the Gospel, insignificant persons, yea, they were low in the sight of the people. At present consider ye, what change has taken place—how great they have become! Nay rather, they have been the sovereigns of the Kingdom. The bounties of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH to His servants shall in the future be made evident and manifest."
Upon thee be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, January 8, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
ALICE IVES BREED
To the maid-servant of God, Mrs. Alice Ives Breed, New York.—Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He is God!
O thou respected maid-servant of God!
Thy letter dated November 17th, 1918, was received. Its contents was an exposition of truth.
Indeed, had the world of women wielded sufficient prestige, the conflagration of this war would not have set the world aflame.
If the mass of women in Europe and all those of America had been enfranchised throughout all the states, undoubtedly they would not agree to war. At present, this war has made millions of children fatherless and millions of fathers and mothers destitute of sons; this war has snatched from pitiable sisters their brethren; this war has turned millions of women widows and destitute of husbands; this war has made cities desolate; this war has brought confusion and chaos in millions of villages; this war has made the very foundations of mankind quake and quiver.
If, in the future, women like unto men are given the franchise, assuredly they shall prevent the occurrence of war, whereas otherwise the matter will be difficult. Man is sanguinary and even worse than devouring beasts. Of what use is exhortation and to what amounts admonition? A mighty power is necessary in order to make an effective opposition—otherwise it will be exceedingly
difficult. I pray God that the world of women may be assisted and confirmed for their purpose is Universal Peace.
At present the friends of God must lay aside all thoughts and preoccupations and concentrate their energies upon the proclamation of the Cause of God and the divine teachings which lay the foundation of Universal Peace.
I supplicate and pray to the Divine Kingdom and beg for the friends of New York assistance and confirmation that they may, day by day, fortify the bonds of amity and union and may become the cause of the spreading of the Word of God.
Upon thee be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, January 9, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
SARAH GERTRUDE HARRIS
To the maid-servant of God, Sarah Gertrude Harris, New York City.—Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He Is God!
O thou my beloved daughter!
Your letter dated November 13th was received. Its contents occasioned infinite grief, for it spoke of the ascension of that illumined youth. Indeed in the rose garden of God that young man was like unto a shrub in its utmost freshness and promising good fruits. Whoever has seen him or heard him has undoubtedly been shocked and grieved at the news of his passing away.
However, although that peerless shrub has sought separation from the woods of the nether world, yet, it has appeared fully adorned and resplendent in the rose garden of the world on-high in the Abha Paradise. That divine bird has flown away from this mortal and earthly nest. has ascended to the Kingdom of God and has been engaged in singing the sweet melodies of praise and thanksgiving on the lordly branches in the rose-garden of the Merciful. Happy is he and blessed in his abode! He has reaped the result of life and has become a fruitful tree. Grieve not therefore for his death and be not depressed.
With regard to his life insurance, act in accordance with his will. I have perused his letter and have supplicated for him, from the threshold of Oneness, an exalted station.
As to my presence in America for the laying of the corner-stone of the Mashrekol-azkar, this depends upon the unity and harmony among all the friends of God. For their union is like unto a lodestone which draws me to their shores.
I have been gladdened by the news you have conveyed of the gathering of the friends and their union and affiliation.
Convey the utmost kindness on my behalf to Bahaya. I hope that Mr. Harris will fully recover, and engage as it ought to be in the service of the Lord.
The relatives who are here all convey to you their longing greeting.
Upon thee be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, January 28, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
ISABELLA D. BRITTINGHAM
To the maid-servant of God, Isabella D. Brittingham, San Francisco, California.—Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He Is God!
O dear maid-servant of God!
Indeed, what thou hadst written is true. Communication and connection between the sons and daughters of the Kingdom are not conditioned upon material links. Spiritual means have ever existed and will continue to exist. As, for instance, throughout all these years of commotion, when ways were barred and the doors of communication closed, notwithstanding this, hearts were attracted and gladdened by the fragrances of God.
This was because the bond of connection was firm and the link of association was strong.
The letters which thou hadst enclosed in thy letter have been received. Praise be to God, thou hast acquired a long and spiritual lineage, and this is by far the most blessed of all lines. For material lines of descent may either be greatly praiseworthy or mean in character, while spiritual lineage is the offspring of heart and of soul and is in every respect praiseworthy.
Ye had celebrated the Feast of the Covenant. It was very proper. Mr. and Mrs. Zim have served the Kingdom of God and on that day called a meeting in their home and celebrated the Feast.
I have been very pleased with the service of Mr. Milton who has supported the government, for according to the explicit command of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH, all Bahais are ordered to serve, to obey and to be faithful to their government. Convey my greetings to Mr. Herbert.
The respected maid-servant of God Mrs. Goodall and the attracted maid-servant of God Mrs. Cooper are indeed two candles illumined by the light of the love of God.
Thou shalt in future reap the fruits of thy tour to the southern states.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
All the family and the Holy Leaves convey to you their salutation and their longing.
Upon thee be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, January 28, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
VITULA EDITH WHITTON
To Mrs. Vitula Edith Whitton, Geyersville, California.—Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He Is God!
O thou maid-servant of God!
The letter thou hadst written November 23, 1918, was received. Its context indicated that—praise be to God!—thou art intoxicated with the wine of the Covenant and art aloof and away from all else save God; that thou hast a truthful heart and a firm step.
Although thou hast a small meeting, yet, as thou art firm and resolute, in future this gathering shall greatly expand and shall become elaborate, for the souls that are firm in the Covenant are ever assisted and confirmed. Rest
assured of the divine confirmation which strengthens all who are feeble and energizes all who are frail.
Convey on my behalf the utmost love and kindness to the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful.
Upon thee be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, February 3, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
ELIZABETH P. HACKLEY
To the maid-servant of God, Elizabeth P. Hackley, Urbana, Ill.—Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He Is God!
O thou daughter of the Kingdom!
Thy letter was received. Its contents indicated the turning of thy face to the Kingdom of God, thy freedom from the obscurity of the world of nature, thy illumination with the light of guidance, thy acquisition of spirituality and thy seeking to draw nearer to God.
My prayer to the Almighty God is that, day unto day, thou mayst increase in spirituality and attain to an ideal advancement.
Upon thee be greeting and praise!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, February 1, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
DAVID BUCHANAN
To his honor, David Buchanan, Portland, Oregon.—Upon him be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He Is God!
O thou who art turning thy face to the Kingdom of God!
Thy letter dated December 2nd, 1918, was received. Although the representatives of various governments are assembled in Paris in order to lay the foundations of Universal Peace and thus bestow rest and comfort upon the world of humanity, yet misunderstanding among some individuals is still predominant and self-interest still prevails. In such an atmosphere, Universal Peace will not be practicable, nay rather, fresh difficulties will arise. This is because interests are conflicting and aims are at variance.
We pray and beseech at the divine Kingdom and beg for the world of humanity rest and composure. For Universal Peace will not be brought about through human power and shall not shine in full splendor unless this weighty and important matter will be realized through the Word of God and be made to shine forth through the influence of the Kingdom of God.
Eventually it shall be thoroughly established through the power of BAHA'O'LLAH!
Verily, His Honor President Wilson is self-sacrificing in this path and is striving with heart and soul, with perfect good-will, in the world of humanity. Similarly the equitable government of Great Britain is expending a great deal of effort. Undoubtedly the general condition of the people and the state of small
oppressed nationalities will not remain as before. Justice and Right shall be fortified but the establishment of Universal Peace will be realized fully through the power of the Word of God.
Upon thee be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, January 10, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
CLAUDIA STUART COLES
To the maid-servant of God, Claudia Stuart Coles, Washington, D. C.
He Is God!
O thou beloved maid-servant of God!
Thy letter dated October 4, 1918, was received. It was not a letter but rather a bouquet of flowers diffusing the sweet scent of firmness and steadfastness and so it gave pleasure to the nostrils of the soul.
Praise be to God, the test proved to be the cause of the firmness and the steadfastness of the people of faith.
Throughout these years of disturbance and commotion, when the world of humanity was physically and spiritually afflicted, the friends of God passed the day in rest, ease and comfort. In the western countries only a few shared in the hardship and affliction of other souls while the mass of the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful, of whom Mrs. Coles is one, have been living quietly and peacefully. In the orient every nation became distracted and every gathering dispersed save the friends of God who remained all protected and sheltered from every trouble and calamity in the fort of BAHA'O'LLAH'S protection. Verily, this is a divine miracle—that we helpless, friendless, unprotected, unsupported wanderers in these regions should be saved amidst the fire of oppression and tyranny. This is God's miracle.
In fine, praise be to God, yourself and the friends of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful have, like unto an immovable rock, remained firm and resolute in the Cause of God.
Organize ye meetings and strive day and night that ye may be the cause of the diffusion of divine fragrances and the exaltation of the Word of God.
Concerning the book* that thou hadst written about; it has been written on political affairs so that justice and equity may be promoted and the comfort of the world of mankind may be realized.
Upon thee be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, January 28, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
JEAN MASSON
To her honor, Miss Jean Masson—Upon her be El-Abha!
He is God!
O thou herald of the Kingdom!
The detailed letter thou hadst written was perused. Its text was conducive to joy and it embodied refreshing news. Praise thou the Lord, that thou hast become the means of the promulgation of heavenly teachings and hast
* Refers to Mysterious Forces of Civilization.
served the oneness of the world of humanity that all denominational, sectarian, racial, political, economic and even patriotic prejudices may be removed and the illumination of the love of God may enlighten the courtyard of hearts.
My hope is that day by day thou mayest be more confirmed and may serve to the best the world of humanity; that thou mayest adore mankind and ignite in every heart the lamp of guidance, may serve the world of morality so that human realities may be freed from the gloom of the world of nature which, in essence, is purely animal in character, and may be illumined with the light of the divine realm.
What service is there nobler than this and what gift more precious than this; what exaltation is higher than this and what sovereignty mightier than this? I hope that therein thou mayest be confirmed.
As to Margaret Nelson, she has been emancipated from this gloomy dungeon of the world of dust and has hastened to the sanctified realm. I pray on her behalf and beg for her the forgiveness and the pardon of the Lord of Creation, that she may secure rest and comfort in the realm of the Kingdom.
The article that thou hadst edited in the Helena Daily Independent* was received and was perused. Happy art thou that the Lord hath assisted thee in such a distinguished service.
Upon thee be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, March 17, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
DOROTHY NELSON
To the maid-servant of God, Dorothy Nelson.—Upon her be Baha-el-Abha!
He is God!
O dear maid-servant of God!
At the divine threshold address this prayer and beg forgiveness for thy sister. That prayer is the following:—
"O forgiving and kind God! My beloved sister Margaret has hastened from this world to Thy realm and has abandoned the nether world to soar in the realm on high. She was like unto a shelterless bird but has yearned for a rest and shelter in the celestial realm. She was a thirsty fish and longed to be immersed in the sea of light.
"O God! We are captives to innumerable sins, but need Thy pardon and Thy forgiveness. We have lost the way but have hastened to Thee. We suffer deprivation, but seek Thy rich treasury. We are disabled and broken-winged, but are treading Thy path. O God! Forgive us and bestow upon us Thy pardon.
"Verily, Thou art the Refuge and Shelter of sinners and Thou art the Bestower, the Radiant One in the realm of heaven!"
Upon thee be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, March 17, 1919. Home of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
* See page 33.
The Bahai Movement—Is it the coming Universal Religion?
(Continued from page 35)
an amazing patience and sweetness of spirit. No resentment against their keepers! No resentment against their government!
Two years of imprisonment in the barracks of Acca were followed by nine years of close confinement for BAHA'O'LLAH, within the town in an abode, the threshold of which the great prisoner was not permitted to cross. This was the external life of him whom today multitudes of people believe to have been the most extraordinary figure of any age.
Before his death, in 1892, there were a few years of somewhat greater freedom, within a radius of fifteen miles, which included Carmel and the village of Behje, his final resting-place.
No less extraordinary a figure than BAHA'O'LLAH is his son, Abbas Effendi, known to the world as Abdul-Baha, Arabic again for the Servant of Baha. He was born on the very day of the Bab's proclamation. And, at the age of eight, he began, with the exile of BAHA'O'LLAH, his long, remarkable career of persecution, banishment, imprisonment, which ended only in 1908, when, by the overthrow of the Turkish government, he was granted his freedom. Fifty-six years an exile from his native land! Forty years a prisoner in the "most great prison" of Acca!
By the death of BAHA'O'LLAH, Abdul-Baha became the leader of the Bahai Movement. To this station he had been accredited by his father, both verbally and by written document. His peculiar function in the movement is interpreter of the Revelation of BAHA'O'LLAH and exemplar for the world of the Bahai life.
In 1911-1912, you will remember, Abdul-Baha, at the age of sixty-eight, journeyed to Europe and America, to spread the message of BAHA'O'LLAH in the occident—that tremendous message of internationalism and religious unity, a basic principle of the Mashrekol-azkar. Statesmen, scholars, people of every degree of intellectual and spiritual attainment recognized his greatness and power.
Back in 1892, before the passing of BAHA'O'LLAH, wrote Edward Granville Browne of Cambridge university, concerning Abdul-Baha: "About the greatness of this man no one who had seen him could entertain a doubt."
And since that date Abdul-Baha has been the subject of many interviews and many articles. But no journalistic analysis has been able to penetrate the mystery of a life martyrdom for a spiritual ideal, a conscious spiritual mission to all the world.
When, in 1914, the European war burst forth in all its fury, friends of Abdul-Baha, anxious for his safety, urged him to leave his home on Mt. Carmel and accept the greater security of America—a hospitality which he refused to accept, for the people of Palestine had need of him. And there, on the mountain of God, in a war-ravaged land, he dwells, sending forth dynamic thoughts of love to a suffering humanity and a devastated world.
It is difficult to write dispassionately of BAHA'O'LLAH and Abdul-Baha, who sacrificed their lives, political and social freedom, all physical comfort, for the propagation of ideals, the establishment of principles, which are the common talk of men today. Easily do we inherit them from these great souls. Our statesmen today are interpreting government and social reconstruction in terms of the universal. In the middle of the last century, BAHA'O'LLAH gave the creative impulse to the new order of civilization that should include all humanity,
and the new order is upon us. The old is swiftly passing.
BAHA'O'LLAH from the prison of Acca, proclaimed his great revolutionary principles of world government and social readjustment to the crowned heads of Europe and to the common people.
These principles the oneness of the religions of the world; the oneness of humanity; the universal brotherhood of man; universal peace; the harmony of religion and science; the search for truth and the abolition of all prejudices, religious, national, racial, social; the equality of the sexes; equal educational advantages for both; equalization of the means of livelihood; social, industrial, economic reorganization; the establishment of justice among men. He urged the creation of a universal language. He emphasized the necessity of a parliament of man, a universal tribunal of justice or arbitration to adjust international affairs.
He taught purity of life, selflessness, personal sacrifice and service to humanity.
There is inherent in the utterances of BAHA'O'LLAH, as there is in the words Abdul-Baha, a vitality, a power that compels attention, a creative quality that somehow makes them the effective, dominating influence in human hearts. Tyrannical, mediaeval efforts of enemies to suppress the Cause, to destroy its leaders, have been futile. And we have, today, millions of Bahais who believe, with an indissuadable faith, that in the Bahai Movement only will the world find relief from its tragedy. Has it not recreated them, transformed their individual lives? Does it not make of every Bahai Assembly of the world an international group in itself—people of all races and nations? The extension of such a group to include the world, how easy a matter, how logical a consummation.
Of this supreme unity of nations and races, this oneness of humanity and religion, the Mashrekol-azkar is symbolic. It is the Bahai Movement in action, in service.
Commanded BAHA'O'LLAH, in his book of laws for the world, the Kitab-el-Akdas
"O concourse of creation! O people! Construct homes (or houses) in the most beautiful fashion possible in every city, in every land, in the name of the Lord of Religions. Adorn them with that which beseemeth them—not with pictures or paintings. Then commemorate the Lord, the Merciful, the Clement, in spirit and fragrance. Verily, by this mention, by this commemoration, the breasts shall be dilated, the eyes illuminated, the hearts gladdened, and thus shall you pray the Orient of Praises, in the Mashrekol-azkar. (i. e., the Source of Praises).
"Teach your children what hath been revealed through the Supreme Pen. Instruct them in what hath descended from the heaven of Greatness and Power. Let them memorize the Tablets of the Merciful, and chant them with the most melodious voices in the galleries built in the Temple of the Mashrekol-azkar. The prayers of the Lord shall be chanted in a manner to attract the hearts and souls.
"Blessed is he who listens unto the River of Life!"
In response to this command, the first Mashrekol-azkar of the world was built in Ishkabad, Russian Turkestan. The second will be established on the shores of Lake Michigan, just north of Chicago. And every Mashrekol-azkar convention has for its impelling motive the construction of this great, impressive institution.
It is not a local, not a national, but a world proposition, this building of the first Mashrekol-azkar of the occident. Bahais of every race and nation have
contributed to the purchase of the site and the creation of the initial fund for the erection of the central building, the House of Worship, the Bahai Temple.
A significant place, in the history of the Bahai Movement, the first Mashrekol-azkar of America will hold. Says Abdul-Baha:
"This organization of the Mashrekol-azkar will be a type for the coming centuries, and will hold the station of the mother."
Several years ago, the Bahais of Chicago set up a sign on the Temple grounds explanatory of the institution, whose walls would soon begin to rise upon the site. Wayfarers read and wayfarers understood somewhat of the exalted purpose of the Mashrekol-azkar:
"These grounds are the site of an edifice to be erected as an 'evident standard' in America of the oneness of humanity.
"Its doors will be open to all nations, races and religions.
"Its charities will be dispensed without regard to race or color. 'Prejudice toward none—love for all.'
"Here, for the first time in history, religion and science will become harmonious, each the handmaid of the other, both showering their spiritual gifts on all humanity.
"Until the erection of this great edifice, all are welcome to this beautiful spot and, in its enjoyment, we ask you to keep it pure and sacred."
Service to humanity, hospitality—slogans of the Bahai Movement. Hospitality which, as to the Temple grounds, has been overwhelmingly accepted.
When, in the future, the Mashrekol-azkar stands before the world, in all its completeness, it will comprise the Temple of Worship with numerous accessories for service—the externalization of the great principles, so emphatically, so insistently proclaimed by BAHA'O'LLAH—a college for the higher scientific education, a school for orphan children and the poor, a hospital and medical dispensary, a home for cripples, a hospice, and other institutions, where art and music and science and truth shall find their highest, most brilliant, freest, most perfect expression.
The Mashrekol-azkar will be more than a university, more than an institution conceived by men, established by men. From it shall emanate the most advanced scientific knowledge, which shall harmonize in its entirety with our developing religious consciousness, our heritage from the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH and Abdul-Baha. Theirs is not empirical knowledge.
The Mashrekol-azkar shall be the standard for human achievement. Here art and music and literature shall have their beginning and their glorious fruition. And, under its powerful influence, life shall be forever changed, forever glorified.
"When the Mashrekol-azkar, with its accessories, is established in the world, aside from its religious, or spiritual, influence, it shall have a tremendous effect upon civilization." (Abdul-Baha.)
The building of the Mashrekol-azkar is a colossal undertaking. The central house of worship is concentrating the attention and the energies today of the followers of Abdul-Baha. No decision as yet has been reached as to architectural design. The ultimate may be a composite, achieved by the spiritual consecretion of the architects of the orient and of the occident. The Taj Mahal of India has been suggested as a model for the Mashrekol-azkar, because of its beauty and perfection of architecture.
Whatever architectural plan will be chosen for the Bahai Temple, it will emphasize, in its structure, essential features of the Bahai Faith. Great beauty of design, the expression of nine, the perfect number, throughout the structure. Nine entrances will distinguish
the Bahai Temple from all other temples of the world, symbolic of the religious paths by which the Bahais of the world have come into the realization that religion is one, that humanity is one, that God is One, Father of all. Beautiful flower gardens shall adorn the grounds and fountains of pure water. Beauty and majesty of outward expression. The whole surmounted by a towering dome, it, too, a symbol of the great unity, as conceived by BAHA'O'LLAH.
The Bahai Temple will carry its message far. Far up and down the shore of Lake Michigan, far out upon the lake, its dome will be visible, the first landmark sighted by sailors coming into port, the last seen by them forthfaring. And from afar, inland, will rise upon the vision this lofty monument to the greatness and glory of God, manifested through BAHA'O'LLAH.
Into the Bahai Temple, this Holy of Holies, this Sanctuary of the living God, the Bahai will go for prayer, for worship, for spiritual refreshment. This is the first requirement. He comes forth renewed and strengthened, and stimulated to greater service for humanity, through the various accessories of the Mashrekol-azkar.
"The Mashrekol-azkar of Chicago is of the greatest importance. This is a Bahai Temple, a supreme house of worship, a place of spiritual gathering, and the manifestation of divine mysteries." (Abdul-Baha.)
The relentless forces of freedom and justice and truth are at work in the world. The spiritual currents of the new cycle submerge us. Political and religious formulas of the past have failed of effectiveness. Out of the old the virtue has gone. We demand a new interpretation of life, of God, of service; a new religious statement, that shall demolish antiquated dogmas and superstition. In the perpetual presence of God would we dwell, face to face with the great Reality.
Heretofore, in our quest for light and truth, we have stumbled and groped blindly. Today the scales have fallen from our eyes. We are clear of vision, dauntless of soul. Destruction all about us. Yet do we feel the infusion of new vivid life blood into the dead body of the world.
Destruction all about us—to make way for the brilliant era of reconstruction before us.
"A new era of divine consciousness is upon us. The world of humanity is going through a process of transformation. A new race is being developed. The thoughts of human brotherhood are permeating the depths of hearts and a new spirit of universal consciousness is being profoundly felt by all men." (Abdul-Baha).
The new statement of truth and life, the new interpretation, is made with tremendous, overwhelming, irrefutable power by BAHA'O'LLAH and Abdul-Baha.
In the Bahai Movement lies the hope of the future. "It is the essence of all the highest ideals of this century." (Abdul-Baha). Ideals that are not mere abstractions, but the impelling force of dynamic action in human life.
The Mashkerol-azkar, the first institution of the new age, is the expression of Reality—reality of worship, reality of service, reality of brotherhood, reality of internationalism.
"Just as the external world is a place where various peoples of different hues and colors, of various faiths and denominations, meet; just as they are submerged in the same sea of favors, likewise all may meet under the dome of the Mashrekol-azkar and adore the one God in the same spirit of truth, for the ages of darkness have passed away and the century of light has arrived." (Abdul-Baha).
