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STAR OF THE WEST
PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR
In the Interest of the BAHAI MOVEMENT
By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
Publishers: ALBERT R. WINDUST—GERTRUDE BUIKEMA—DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the postoffice at Chicago, Ill., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
TERMS: $3.00 per year; 20 cents per copy.
Two copies to same name and address, $5.00 per year.
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.
"Great importance must be given to the development of the STAR OF THE WEST. The circle of its discussion must be widened; in its columns must be published the essential problems pertaining to the Bahai life in all its phases. Its contents must be so universal that even the strangers may subscribe to it. Articles must be published, dealing with the universal principles of the Cause, the writers proving that this Cause takes a vital interest in all the social and religious movements of the age and is conducive to the progress of the world and its inhabitants. In short, the STAR OF THE WEST must promote the aspirations and the ideals that will gather little by little around these general Tablets, bringing into the light of day all the historical, religious and racial knowledge which will be of the utmost value to the Bahai teachers all over the world."
| Vol. 12 | CONTENTS | No. 14 |
| PAGE | |
The Center of the Covenant, The Greatest Branch, Abdul-Baha Abbas | 226 |
The Center of the Covenant | 227 |
| —Words of ABDUL-BAHA. | |
| Unity Through Firmness in The Covenant | |
—The Only Path to Bahai Unity | 228 |
"O ye beloved ones, Guard the Cause of God" | 229 |
| —Recent Tablet from ABDUL-BAHA. | |
Recent Cablegrams from Abdul-Baha | 232 |
Latest Tablet to Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi | 232 |
"Protect ye yourselves from the poison of the treacherous souls" | 233 |
| —Recent Tablet from ABDUL-BAHA. | |
"The Candle of the Testament has illumined all horizons in spite of the people of discord" | 235 |
| —Tablet to one of the Persian Bahais. | |
"The subject of the Covenant is a very important one" | 237 |
| —Words of ABDUL-BAHA. | |
PERSIAN SECTION—Written by Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi | 240-238 |
--PHOTO--
THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT, THE GREATEST BRANCH: ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
"The one who hath turned unto him hath turned to My Face and is illumined through the Lights of My Beauty, hath acknowledged My Oneness and confessed My Singleness."— Words of Baha'Ullah.
"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 'ULLAH.
| Vol. 12 | Kowl 1, 77 (November 23, 1921) | No. 14 |
As the twenty-sixth of November is known among the Bahais as the "Feast of the Appointment of the Center of the Covenant," the STAR OF THE WEST, following its usual custom, devotes this issue to a presentation of this important subject.
During Abdul-Baha's sojourn in America in 1912, he awakened the friends to a realization of the greatness of the matter and the necessity of understanding it and turning to the appointed Center and remaining firm therein, saying:
TODAY the most important affair is firmness in the Covenant, because firmness in the Covenant wards off differences.
In former cycles no distinct Covenant was made in writing by the Supreme Pen; no distinct personage was appointed to be the Standard differentiating falsehood from truth, so that whatsoever he said was to stand as truth and that which he repudiated was to be known as falsehood. At most, His Holiness Jesus Christ gave only an intimation, a symbol, and that was but an indication of the solidity of Peter's faith. When he mentioned his faith His Holiness said: "Thou art Peter"—which means rock—"and upon this rock will I build my Church." This was a sanction of Peter's faith; it was not indicative of his (Peter) being the expounder of the Book, but was a confirmation of Peter's faith.
But in this Dispensation of the Blessed Beauty (BAHA 'ULLAH) among its distinctions is that He did not leave people in perplexity. He entered into a Covenant and Testament with the people. He appointed a CENTER OF THE COVENANT. He wrote with His own pen and revealed it in the Kitab-El-Akdas, the Book of Laws, and Kitab-El-Ah'd, the Book of the Covenant, appointing him (Abdul-Baha) the Expounder of the Book. You must ask him (Abdul-Baha) regarding the meanings of the texts of the verses. Whatsoever he says is correct. Outside of this in numerous tablets, He (BAHA 'ULLAH) has explicitly recorded it, with clear, sufficient, valid and forceful statements. In the Tablet of The Branch He explicitly states: "Whatsoever the Branch says is right, or correct, and every person must obey the Branch with his life, with his heart, with his tongue. Without his will, not a word shall anyone utter." This is an explicit text of the Blessed Beauty. So there is no excuse left for anybody. No soul shall, of himself, speak anything. Whatsoever his (Abdul-Baha's) tongue utters, whatsoever his pen records, that is correct; according to the explicit text of BAHA 'ULLAH in the Tablet of The Branch.
His Holiness Abraham convenanted with regard to Moses. His Holiness Moses was the Promised One of Abraham;
and He, Moses, convenanted with regard to His Holiness Christ, saying that Christ was the Promised One. His Holiness Christ convenanted with regard to His Holiness "The Paraclete," which means His Holiness Mohammed. His Holiness Mohammed covenanted in regard to the Bab, whom He called, "My Promised One"; His Holiness the Bab, in all His books, in all His epistles, explicitly covenanted with regard to the Blessed Beauty, BAHA 'ULLAH that BAHA 'ULLAH was the Promised One of His Holiness the Bab.
His Holiness BAHA 'ULLAH covenanted, not that I (Abdul-Baha) am the Promised One, but that Abdul-Baha is the Expounder of the Book and the CENTER OF THE COVENANT, and that the Promised One of BAHA 'ULLAH will appear after one thousand or thousands of years. This is the Covenant which BAHA 'ULLAH made. If a person shall deviate, he is not acceptable at the Threshold of BAHA 'ULLAH. In case of difference, Abdul-Baha must be consulted.
They must revolve around his good pleasure. After Abdul-Baha, whenever the Universal House of Justice is organized it will ward off differences.
Now, I pray for you that God may aid you, may confirm you, may appoint you for His service; that He may suffer you to be as radiant candles; that He may accept you in His Kingdom; that He may make you the cause of the spread of the light of BAHA 'ULLAH in these countries, and that the teaching of BAHA 'ULLAH may be spread broadcast.
I pray for you, and I am pleased with all of you, each one, one by one; and I pray that God may aid and confirm you. . . . At present, farewell to you!
Path to Bahai Unity.
From the Glorious Teaching Tablets in the "Unveiling of the Divine Plan."O ye apostles of BAHA 'ULLAH—May my life be a ransom to you!
The blessed person of the Promised One is interpreted in the Holy Book as the Lord of Hosts, i. e., of the heavenly armies. By heavenly armies those souls are intended who are entirely freed from the human world, transformed into celestial spirits and have become divine angels. Such souls are the rays of the Sun of Reality who will illumine all the continents. Each one is holding in his hand a trumpet, blowing the breath of life over all the regions. . . . These souls are the armies of God and the conquerors of the East and the West. Should one of them turn his face toward some direction and summon the people to the Kingdom of God all the ideal forces and lordly confirmations will rush to his support and reinforcement. . . . Any soul from among the believers of BAHA 'ULLAH who attains to this station will become known as the apostle of BAHA 'ULLAH.
To attain to this supreme station is, however, dependent on the realization of certain conditions:
The first condition is firmness in the Covenant of God. For the power of the Covenant will protect the Cause of BAHA 'ULLAH from the doubts of the people of error. It is the fortified fortress of the Cause of God and the firm pillar of the religion of God. Today no power can conserve the oneness of the Bahai world save the Covenant of God; otherwise differences like unto a most great tempest will encompass the Bahai world. It is evident that the axis of the oneness of the world of humanity is the power of the Covenant and nothing else. . . . Therefore,
(Continued on page 236)
RECENT TABLET FROM HIS HOLINESS ABDUL-BAHA
Revealed during The Rizwan, 1921.
Translated out of the Original Tongue by Shoghi Rabbani,
Balliol, Oxford, England.To the beloved of the Lord, the Friends in Truth and the signs of the All-Merciful throughout the East, throughout the West—May the Glory of the Lord All-Glorious rest upon them all!
O ye faithful friends! O ye sincere servants of BAHA 'ULLAH! Now—in the mid-watches of the night, when eyes are closed in slumber, and men upon the couch of rest have laid their heads upon their pillows and are fast asleep—is Abdul-Baha, within the precincts of the Hallowed Shrine wakeful, and, in the ardor of his invocation utters this, his prayer: O Thou kind and loving Providence!
Astir is the East, and the West surgeth even as the eternal billows of the sea. The gentle gales of holiness are diffused and, from the unseen Kingdom the rays of the Orb of Truth shine forth resplendent. The anthems of Divine Unity are chanted and the ensigns of Celestial Might are waving. The angelic Voice is raised and, even as a leviathan's roaring is the call to selflessness and evanescence, the triumphal cry, "O Thou the Glory of Glories," resounds on every side, and the call, "O Thou Most High," rings throughout all regions. No stir but the Glory of the One Heart-Ravisher is raised in the world and no tumult is there save the surging of the love of Him, the Incomparable, the Well-Beloved!
The beloved of the Lord, with their musk-scented breath, burn brightly as a candle in every clime, and the friends of Him, the All-Merciful, are in all regions even as the unfolding bloom. Not for a moment do they rest; breathe not but in remembrance of Thee, and crave not but to serve Thy Cause. In the meadows of Truth they are as the nightingales of sweet melodies and in the flower garden of Guidance even as the brightly colored bloom. With mystic flowers they adorn the garden walks of Reality and bedeck, as the swaying cypress, the river-banks of Divine Direction. Above the horizon of being they twinkle as radiant stars and in the firmament of the world they
shine as resplendent orbs. The manifestations are they of celestial grace and day-springs of the light of Divine Assistance.
Grant, O Thou Loving Lord, that all may stand firm and steadfast and may shine with everlasting splendor that thereby the gentle gales at every breath may blow from the bowers of Thy loving-kindness, and from the ocean of Thy Grace an emanation may arise, that the kindly showers of Thy Love may bestow freshness and the zephyr may waft to us its perfume from the rose-garden of Divine Unity.
Vouchsafe, O Best-Beloved of the world, a ray from Thy Splendor and, O Well-Beloved of mankind, shed upon us the light of Thy Countenance!
O God Omnipotent, do Thou shield us and be our refuge, and, O Lord of Being, show forth Thy Might and Thy Dominion!
O Thou Loving Lord!
The movers of sedition are, in some regions, astir and active and are, by night and day, inflicting a grievous wrong. Even as wolves, despots are lying in wait and the wronged, innocent fold has neither help nor succor, bloodhounds are on the trail of the gazelles of the fields of Divine Unity, and the pheasant in the mounts of Heavenly Guidance is pursued by the ravens of envy.
O Thou Divine Providence!
Preserve Thou and protect us! O Thou who art our Shield, save us and defend us! Keep us 'neath Thy shelter and by Thy aid save us from all ills. Thou art indeed the True Protector and the Unseen Guardian, the Celestial Watcher and the Heavenly Loving Lord!
O ye beloved of the Lord!
On the one side is the standard of the One True God unfurled, and the voice of the Kingdom raised, the Cause of God is spreading and manifest in splendor are the wonders from on high; illumined is the East and perfumed is the West, fragrant with ambergris is the North and musk-scented is the South. . . . On the other side, they that are faithless wax in their hate and rancor and ever stir grievous sedition and mischief. No day passeth but some man raiseth the standard of revolt and spurs on his charger into the arena of discord. At every hour the vile adder bareth its fangs and scattereth its deadly venom.
The beloved of the Lord are wrapped in utter sincerity and devotion, unmindful of this rancor and malice. Smooth and insidious are these snakes, these whisperers of evil, artful in their craft and guile. Be ye on your guard and ever wakeful! Quick-witted and keen of intellect are the faithful and firm and steadfast are the assured! Act ye with all circumspection. "Fear ye the sagacity of the faithful, for he seeth with the Light Divine!" (Koran.) Beware lest any soul should privily cause disruption or stir up strife. In the Cause of the Impregnable Stronghold be ye brave warriors, and for the goodly mansion a valiant host. Exercise the utmost care and day and night be on your guard that thereby the tyrant may not inflict an injury. Study the Tablet of The Holy Mariner that ye may know the truth and consider that the Blessed Beauty hath fully foretold future events. Let them that perceive take warning!
Dust-like, Abdul-Baha, at the sacred Threshold, and in the daytime and the night season, in utter humility and lowliness, is engaged in the promulgation of His Signs and, whensoever findeth he time, prayeth ardently and inspireth, saying: "O Thou Divine Providence! Pitiful are we—grant us Thy succor; homeless and wanderers—give us Thy shelter; scattered—do Thou unite us; astray—join us to the fold; bereft—do Thou bestow upon us a portion and a share; athirst—lead us to the Well-Spring of Life; frail—strengthen us that we may arise to exalt Thy Cause and present ourselves a living sacrifice in the pathway of Guidance!"
The faithless, however, by day and night, openly and privily strive to their utmost to shake the foundations of the Cause, to root out the Blessed Tree, to deprive this servant from serving, to kindle secretly sedition and strife and to annihilate Abdul-Baha! Outwardly they appear as sheep, yet inwardly are naught but ravening wolves. Sweet in words, yet at heart a deadly poison.
O ye beloved ones! Guard the Cause of God! Let no sweetness of tongue beguile you; nay, rather, consider the motive of every soul and ponder over the thought he cherisheth. Be ye straightway mindful and on your guard. Avoid, yet be not aggressive! Turn away from censure and from slander! Leave him in the Hand of God!
Upon ye rest the Glory of Glories!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
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!
O ye apostles of BAHA 'ULLAH—May my life be a ransom to you!
. . . . Similarly, the Magazine, the STAR OF THE WEST, must be edited in the utmost regularity, but its contents must be the promulgator of the Cause of God—so that both in the East and the West, they may become informed of the most important events.
Editorial Staff: ALBERT R. WINDUST—GERTRUDE BUIKEMA—DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI Honorary Member: MIRZA AHMAD SOHRAB
| Vol. 12 | (Kowl 1, 77 (November 23, 1921) | No. 14 |
Cable to Roy Wilhelm, November 8, 1921:
| "How is situation and health of friends?" | (Signed) ABBAS. |
Mr. Wilhelm cabled in reply, November 9, 1921: "Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia agitating violation. Centering Fernald, Dyer, Watson. New York, Boston refused join, standing solidly constructive policy."
"He who sits with leper catches leprosy. He who is with Christ shuns Pharisees and abhors Judas Iscariots. Certainly shun violators. Inform Goodall, True and Parsons telegraphically."
Second Cable to Roy Wilhelm, November 12, 1921:
"I implore health from divine bounty."
To his honor Dr. Zia Effendi Bagdadi—Upon him be BAHA 'ULLAH El-Abha!
He Is God!
O thou who art firm in the Covenant:
Your letter has been received. You have written that some of the waverers had written to me letters and that I had written answers to them; that some have taken this as a proof that association with the waverers is permissible. This is the essence of error! For Abdul-Baha corresponds with all the people, even with the enemies. This emanates from his mercy and not for their merit.
One of the women of Chicago has written me a letter. In the first sentence she asked, "Why do the friends associate with a person who is wicked?" In the second sentence she asked, "Why should the blessed souls shun the wicked souls?" In the first sentence she wrote this and in
(Continued on page 234)
treacherous souls."
RECENT TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHAThe maid-servant of God, Mrs. Mary Hall, Chicago—Upon her be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious!
O thou dear maid-servant of God!
Thy letter was received and the contents became known. I ask God to confer upon you new life. Thou hadst asked some questions; that why the blessed and spiritual souls, who are firm and steadfast, shun the company of
--PHOTO--
| CLASS OF SERVICE | SYMBOL |
| Telegram | |
| Day Letter | Blue |
| Night Message | Nite |
| Night Letter | N L |
| If none of these three symbols appears after the check (number of words) this is a telegram. Otherwise its character is indicated by the symbol appearing after the check. | |
WESTERN UNION WESTERN UNION AND CABLE TELEGRAM
| NEWCOMB CARLTON, President | GEORGE W. E. ATKINS, FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT |
| CLASS OF SERVICE | SYMBOL |
| Telegram | |
| Day Letter | Blue |
| Night Message | Nite |
| Night Letter | N L |
| If none of these three symbols appears after the check (number of words) this is a telegram. Otherwise its character is indicated by the symbol appearing after the check. | |
RECEIVED AT
Duplicate of Telephoned Telegram
J19NY 33 BLUE
RS NEWYORK NY 1043A 14
MRS CORINNE TRUE
5338 KENMORE AVE CHICAGO ILL
HAIFA WILHELMITE HE WHO SITS WITH LEPER CATCHES LEPROCY HE WHO IS WITH CHRIST SHUNS PHARISEES AND ABHORS JUDAS ISCARIOTS CERTAINLY SHUN VIOLATORS INFORM GOODALL TRUE AND PARSONS TELEGRAPHICALLY SIGNED ABBAS ABHA GREETINGS
ROY.
Inspect 45 Chicago
Reduced fac-simile of telegram received by Mrs. Corinne True.
degenerate persons. This is because, that just as the bodily diseases like consumption and cancer are contagious, likewise the spiritual diseases are also infectious. If a consumptive should associate with a thousand safe and healthy persons, the safety and health of these thousand persons would not affect the consumptive and would not cure him of his consumption. But when this consumptive associates with those thousand souls, in a short time the disease of consumption will infect a number of those healthy persons. This is a clear and self-evident question.
Likewise, if a thousand magnanimous persons associate with a degraded one, the perfection of those souls will not affect this debased person. On the contrary, this mean person will become the cause of their going astray. Therefore His Holiness BAHA 'ULLAH says in the Tablets: "Soon will a foul odor be spread, shun it, so commandeth the Omniscient and the Wise. That is, in that
city a stinking odor will soon be spread. You should avoid it. So are ye commanded by His Holiness the Knower and the Wise." That foul odor is that of Violation. Also in the Tablet of Advice He says: "Now do not neglect your Sower, Protector and Educator; and do not choose and prefer others to Him, lest foul and poisonous winds should pass over you."
His Holiness Christ says that the owner of the garden does not leave the dried tree, but certainly cuts it and throws it into the fire, because the dried wood is worthy and deserving of fire.
Again His Holiness BAHA 'ULLAH says: "Then, O ye trees of the blessed garden of my bestowal, protect ye yourselves from the poison of the treacherous souls and the stinking winds, which are the association of the poletheist and the negligent ones. So that the trees of existence, through the bounty of the Worshipped (God) be not deprived of the blessed breaths and breezes of love."
In the Persian Hidden Words He says: "O my son! The company of the wicked increaseth sorrow and the fellowship of the righteous removeth the rust of the mind." And also He says: "Beware O Son of Dust! Walk not with the wicked and confederate not with him, for the companionship of the wicked changeth the light of Life into the fire of remorse." This is the admonishment of His Holiness Christ and the advisements of His Holiness BAHA 'ULLAH.
But your other questions are the proofs of this statement, and there is no need of answering. I pray for thee that thou mayest reach to such a condition that it may become the cause of attaining greatest bestowals. Read thou carefully thy first question. Thou seest that it is this same desire—that is why the friends associate with a reproachable person, and do not expel him.
Upon thee be the Glory of the Most Glorious!
(Translated October 7, 1921, Haifa, Palestine.)
the second she wrote that. In short, an answer has been written and is enclosed in your letter. Read this to the Spiritual Assembly—the House of Spirituality—then give it to her and know this as the standard. Undoubtedly the unworthy souls must be shunned otherwise the morals will be entirely corrupted.
Upon thee be El-Baha El-Abha!
(Revealed October 7th, 1921. Translated by Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi, Chicago, November, 1921)
The following is a quotation from a short letter written by Rouhi Afnan (grandson of Abdul-Baha) to Mr. Roy Wilhelm:
"Today I will enclose you two Tablets. One to Doctor Zia Bagdadi and another to Mrs. Mary Hall through Dr. Bagdadi. They are rather important and I think they need to be very much circulated among the friends.
According to the Master's wish and order, I will send you three copies. One is in the envelope together with the Persian, to be sent to Mrs. Hall through Dr. Zia. A second to be sent to Mrs. Parsons, and a third to Reality (Magazine) to be published in the coming number. I hope this Tablet will put an end to the foolish ideas some of the friends have that if they are firm in the Cause and Covenant they should not shun the violators or other mean fellows, but mingle with them."
in spite of the people of discord."
TABLET TO ONE OF THE PERSIAN BAHAIS.He Is Abha!
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
The radiance of servitude shining from the Candle of the Testament has illumined all horizons in spite of the people of discord; and the renown of the Grandeur of the Blessed Perfection hath caused such an outcry throughout the world that it hath made the limbs of all nations quiver.
All the religions of the world have the loud cry of "Woe unto us" on their lips, and the cry of "Woe to our Faith," which is raised by the ignorant, is heard in the East and West. The Power of the Blessed Cause has such effulgence that it has become apparent to all peoples, and all the nations and creeds have acknowledged and confessed the greatness of the Cause of God.
Had it not been for the injuries inflicted by the party of conceit (the Nakazeen), the world of existence would have been in this day an exalted garden. But the people of conceit, being heedless of this Cup of Wine mixed with Kafur (a fountain intended to be drunk by the true and firm believers), have imagined that they can upset the Standard of the Testament, and that they can disappoint the delivered nations. They have poured forth seditious rumors on the lips and tongues of all people, and they have made calumniating statements, hoping by this means to darken the Light of the Sun of the Divine Covenant, and to mingle the contents of the Pre-Existent Cup of the Testament with the bitterness of Violation.
Far, far distant be it from them to do this!
Jesus Christ—May my soul be a sacrifice to Him!—had only a few followers at the time of His departure. Then, after His departure, all the kings of the world, philosophers of all nations, learned men of all races and wise men of all creeds, arose to suppress and degrade His Cause; but, finally, all the standards hoisted by those numerous nations were upset, and the Banner of Jesus Christ was fluttering on the loftiest mountain.
Now, praise be to God! that hundreds of thousands of souls have, assembled under the Standard of the Covenant through the assistance of the Blessed Perfection. I declare by the Educator of the visible and invisible, it will be evidently witnessed that the descendants of the violators will think their descent as a disgrace, and will disown their fathers and forefathers, just as Akrama, the son of Abudjahl, kept clear of his father; and Kaled, the son of Valid, left his father.
As these darkened souls (Nakazeen) have imagined that the Power of the Divine Testament is but a power of man, and that the Edifice of the Covenant is as one of the baseless foundations of the material world, they are plotting to destroy this Divine Edifice with all intrigues and machinations.
Praise be to God! that the power of Nero, the great Roman emperor, proved impotent to withstand the Cause of Christ; while these weak souls are plotting to resist the Power of the Covenant of God. "Wherefore, take example from them, O ye who have eyes."
The final result of all the influence, insolence, deception, intrigue and machinations planned by the people of conceit (Nakazeen) will be this: to cause the few drops of Abdul-Baha's blood to be shed, and thus be delivered from this narrow and degraded world, to soar up to the Court of the Greatest Mercy in the Shadow of the Kingdom of El-Abha!
O my God! Let this draw nigh unto me and give me to drink from this cup
which is overflowing with Thine Ancient Choice Wine; cause me to taste of the sweetness of this manifest prosperity, and crown me with the diadem of this great Favor. I yearn for this state! I thirst after this Fountain of Life! And "they who act unjustly shall know hereafter with what treatment they shall be treated." They desire to cause my death, although the endurance of the material body of Abdul-Baha is a strongly fortified fortress for their protection, and every knowing man testifies of this.
(Translated 1905)
Path to Bahai Unity
(Continued from page 228)in the beginning one must make his steps firm in the Covenant—so that the Confirmation of BAHA 'ULLAH may encircle from all sides, the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse may become the supporters and the helpers, and the exhortations and advices of Abdul-Baha, like unto the pictures engraved on the stone, may remain permanent and ineffaceable in the tablets of the hearts.
"The Second Condition: Fellowship and love amongst the believers. The divine friends must be attracted to and enamored of each other and ever be ready and willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other. Should one soul from amongst the believers meet another it must be as though a thirsty one with parched lips has reached to the fountain of the Water of Life, or a lover has met his true beloved. For one of the greatest Divine wisdoms regarding the appearance of the Holy Manifestations is this: The souls may come to know each other and become intimate with each other; the power of the love of God may make all of them the waves of one sea, the flowers of one rose-garden, and the stars of one heaven."
From Notes taken at Acca, February 26, 1899, by Miss Pearson:
"One thing I ask of you for your own good, and that you must do if you wish to gain the blessing. It is this: To stand firm in the faith, without any wavering. Whatever troubles may come to you or to any of the believers, do not let your faith be affected by them in the slightest degree, but stand as firm as a rock. Be like Mary Magdalene, whose faith was so strong that it was never shaken, even for a moment, when Christ was put to death; but with steadfast faith in him she went to his discouraged disciples and renewed and rekindled in their hearts the wavering light of their faith by reminding them of the promise their Lord had made to them of his constant presence, and showing them that it was really of little consequence whether he was with them in the body or not. She so encouraged and strengthened them by her words that their faith was confirmed; they became strong as lions and went out teaching in all directions, and by the power of God working through them, the knowledge of God spread all over the earth. Now in the eternal Kingdom their names shine as the most brilliant stars. Even here on this earth their names are remembered with love and reverence by millions. So the best thing I can desire of you is to stand firm in the faith, even if you hear of the most great troubles and sorrows—even if you were to hear that I had been killed or crucified, as Christ was 1900 years ago, let not your faith be in any wise troubled or shaken. Arise for the work of God and His Cause, and you shall see His mighty power working in you, and you will conquer all things; and remember, whether I am on earth or not, my presence will be with you always. But work as if you were all but one soul and one spirit living in different bodies."
Verily, the Lord hath manifested Himself in this new and wonderful age with the greatest bounty and mercy, which hath never been preceded and whereof the eye of existence hath never seen the like; and it is His Great Covenant and New Testament, as appointed by the trace of His Supreme Pen, through which, and according to clear ordinances and explicit statements, the matter was plainly shown and the branches (sons), twigs (relations), kinsmen and beloved were commanded to obey the "appointed Center of the Covenant." But the Covenant of God and His Testament is a bounty to the righteous and a curse to the wicked. (P. 438.)
Strive so that the odor of violation cease and all come under the protection of the Covenant. (P. 150.)
(From the Tablets of Abdul-Baha.)
The subject of the Covenant is a very important one. It is referred to in all the Holy Books; in the Brahmanist, in the Zoroastrian, and more clearly found in the Old and New Testament of the Gospels and of the Koran.
These Covenants referred to in the Holy Books, focalize in the great Covenant of the Bahai dispensation, namely, the Covenant witnessed by BAHA 'ULLAH in His day.
How have the Covenants become manifest in the days of BAHA 'ULLAH?
To illustrate this we will say that just as a certain tree, even before it bears its particular fruit, is known by its former fruit that it is an apple or a pear, or some other fruit, and when that special fruit appears on its branch, it witnesses thereto. Likewise the Covenants taken in former ages were identified by the one established in the great day of BAHA 'ULLAH. Hence BAHA 'ULLAH was the witness of the Covenants given in former ages by the Lord. The Center of these Covenants entered into by the people of former ages with the God of Might and Power and witnessed by BAHA 'ULLAH is the beloved Abdul-Baha. Therefore all the former statements pertaining to the Covenant including the emphatic utterances of the blessed witness, refer to the Center, namely Abdul-Baha. All references to the Testament or Covenant mean especially the Book of the Covenant.
In this His last book, the blessed BAHA 'ULLAH has covenanted with his branches (aghsan), twigs (afnan), and the relatives, as well as all the Bahais in the world, that they must turn to the One "Whom God has willed," that is the Center of the Covenant, Abdul-Baha.
This is the meaning of the Mystery of God, according to the terminology of the One who has given the Mystery of God, or he whom God has willed; but who, according to himself, is known as Abdul-Baha (the servant of God).
He whom God has willed is the fruit of the tree. Hence BAHA 'ULLAH is the trunk, the branches, the root, all except the fruit, which is Abdul-Baha. The coloring, the shape, the form, taste and all the attributes of the tree are in the fruit.
"Hence in the teachings of BAHA 'ULLAH the bounties of BAHA 'ULLAH, the manifestation of His power, His words, have been spread throughout the world by this great soul. The effects of His words have been realized from this great life. This is the meaning of the statement of Jesus Christ—"I shall come in the glory of my Father!"
(From Flowers from the Rose Garden of Acca, pp. 31-32.)
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