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Vol. IV
Chicago, November 23, 1913
No. 14
| PAGE | |
Portrait: Abdul-Baha Abbas | 234 |
"This is The Branch" | 235 |
From the Tablet of The Branch | 236 |
"The Covenant" and "The Center of The Covenant" | 237 |
Extracts from the Writings of BAHA'O'LLAH | 238-239 |
"Bring them together again"—Tablet to Roy C. Wilhelm | 240 |
Service in the Kingdom | 242 |
Persian Section | 243-248 |
THE GREATEST BRANCH
ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS --PERSIAN TEXT--
"When the ocean of My Presence hath disappeared and the Book of Origin is achieved to the end, turn your faces toward Him Whom God Hath Purposed, who hath branched from this Pre-Existent Root." —Words of BAHA'O'LLAH.
THIS is THE BRANCH that hath extended from the Bower of Thy Oneness and from the TREE of Thy Unity. Thou beholdest Him, O My GOD, gazing unto Thee and holding fast to the Rope of Thy Providence. Preserve Him in the neighborhood of Thy Mercy!
Thou knowest, O My GOD that, verily, I have chosen Him only because Thou hast chosen Him; I have elected Him only because Thou hast elected Him. Therefore, assist Him by the Hosts of Thy Heaven and earth. Help Thou, O My GOD, whosoever may help Him; choose whosoever may choose Him; strengthen whosoever may advance toward Him; and reject whosoever may deny Him and desire Him not!
O My LORD! Thou beholdest My Pen moving and My Limbs trembling in this moment of Revelation. I beg of Thee by My craving in Thy Love, and My yearning for the declaration of Thy Command, to ordain for Him and His lovers that which Thou hast ordained for Thy messengers and the trusted ones of Thy Revelation.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty!
Say: Verily the Ocean of Pre-existence hath branched forth from this Most Great Ocean. Blessed, therefore, is he who abides upon its shores (THE BRANCH), and is of those who are established thereon. Verily this Most Sacred Temple of ABHA—the BRANCH OF HOLINESS—hath branched forth from the Sadrat-el-Muntaha; Blessed is whosoever has sought shelter beneath it* and is of those who rest therein!
Say: Verily the BRANCH OF COMMAND hath sprung forth from this ROOT which GOD hath firmly planted in the ground of the Will, the LIMB of which hath been elevated to a station which encompasses all existence. Therefore, exalted be He for this Creation, the Lofty, the Blessed, the Inaccessible, the Mighty!
O ye people! draw nigh unto it and taste the fruits of its Knowledge and Wisdom on the part of the Mighty, the Knowing One. Whosoever will not taste thereof shall be deprived of the Bounty, even though he hath partaken of all that is in the earth—were ye of those who know.
Say: Verily a Word hath gone forth in favor from the Most Great Tablet and GOD hath adorned it with the Mantle of Himself and made it Sovereign over all in the earth and a Sign of His Grandeur and Omnipotence among the creatures; in order that, through it, the people shall praise their Lord the Mighty, the Powerful, the Wise; and that, through it, they shall glorify their Creator and sanctify the Self of GOD which standeth within all things. Verily this is naught but a Revelation upon the part of the Wise, the Ancient One! Say: O people, praise ye GOD for its Manifestation (THE BRANCH), for verily it (THE BRANCH) is the Most Great Favor upon you and the Most Perfect Blessing upon you; and through him every mouldering bone is quickened. Whosoever turns to him hath surely turned unto GOD and whosoever turneth away from him hath turned away from My Beauty, denied My Proof and is of those who transgress. Verily, he is the Remembrance of GOD amongst you and His Trust within you and His Manifestation unto you and His Appearance among the servants who are nigh. Thus have I been commanded to convey to you the Message of GOD, your Creator; and I have delivered to you that of which I was commanded. Whereupon, thereunto testifieth GOD, then His Angels, then His Messengers, and then His Holy Servants.
Inhale the fragrances of the Rizwan from his roses and be not of those who are deprived. Appreciate the Bounty of GOD upon you and be not veiled therefrom—and verily We have sent him forth in the temple of man. Thus praise ye the Lord, the Originator of whatsoever He willeth through His wise and inviolable command!
Verily those who withhold themselves from the Shelter of THE BRANCH are indeed lost in the wilderness of perplexity,—and are consumed by the heat of self-desire,—and are of those who perish.
Hasten, O people, unto the Shelter of GOD, in order that He may protect you from the heat of the Day whereon none shall find for himself any refuge or shelter except beneath the Shelter of His Name, the Clement, the Forgiving. Clothe yourselves, O people, with the Garment of Assurance, in order that He may protect you from the dart of doubts and superstitions, and that ye may be of those who are assured in those days wherein none shall ever be assured and none shall be firmly established in the Cause except by severing himself from all that is possessed by the people and turning unto the Holy and Radiant Outlook.
*The Branch referred to in this Tablet as "it."[Page 237]
"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.
9
GREETING!
THE FEAST OF THE APPOINTMENT OF
THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT
IN THE TWENTY SECOND YEAR OF
THE MINISTRY OF ABDUL-BAHA.
"THE COVENANT" AND "THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT"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 procedure of last year—devotes this issue to a presentation of the important subject of THE COVENANT and THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT.
During Abdul-Baha's sojourn in America, he awakened the friends to a realization of the greatness of this matter and the necessity of 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'O'LLAH) among its distinctions
is that He did not leave people in perplexity. He entered into a Covenant and Testament[Page 238]
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'O'LLAH) 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 [i. e., "the
words must be according to what has proceeded from the Mouth of the Will of God and is
recorded in Tablets"] Whatsoever his (Abdul-Baha's) tongue utters, whatsoever his pen
records, that is correct; according to the explicit text of BAHA'O'LLAH in the Tablet of THE
BRANCH.
"His Holiness Abraham covenanted in regard to Moses. His Holiness Moses was the Promised One of Abraham, and He, Moses, covenanted in regard to His Holiness Christ, saying that Christ was the Promised One. His Holiness Christ covenanted in 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 in regard to the Blessed Beauty, BAHA'O'LLAH, that BAHA'O'LLAH was the Promised One of His Holiness The Bab. His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH covenanted, not that I (Abdul-Baha) am the Promised One, but that Abdul-Baha is the Expounder of the Book and the CENTRE OF HIS COVENANT, and that the Promised One of BAHA'O'LLAH will appear after one thousand or thousands of years. This is the Covenant which BAHA'O'LLAH made. If a person shall deviate, he is not acceptable at the Threshold of BAHA'O'LLAH. 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'O'LLAH in these countries, and that the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH 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!"
The Editors.
It is revealed in the Kitab-el-Akdas concerning this, that which from the Horizons of its Words, the Lights of the Divine Bounties gleam, rise and glitter:—
O My Branches! In this Existent Being the greatest strength and the most perfect
power is hidden and concealed; look towards it and gaze in the direction of its union and
not at its seeming differences. This is the TESTAMENT OF GOD, that the Branches
(Aghsan), Twigs (Afnan), and Relations (Muntessabeen), must each and every one
look to the Greatest Branch (Ghusn Azam). Reflect upon that which is revealed in
My Book, The Akdas:—"When the Ocean of My Presence hath disappeared and the
Book of Origin is achieved to the end, turn your faces towards Him whom GOD hath
purposed, Who hath branched from this Pre-Existent Root." The aim of this blessed
verse hath been the Greatest Branch. We have likewise elucidated the Command as a
favor from before Us; and I am the Generous, the All-Dispenser![Page 239]
O Thou MY GREATEST BRANCH!
Thy letter was surely presented before this Oppressed One, and I heard that which Thou hast communed with GOD, the Lord of the worlds.
Verily, We have ordained Thee the Guardian of all the creatures, and a Protection to all those in the heavens and earths, and a Fortress to those who believe in GOD, the One, the Omniscient!
I beg of God to protect them by Thee; to enrich them by Thee; to nourish them by Thee; and to reveal to Thee that which is the Dawning-point of riches to the people of Creation, and the Ocean of Generosity to those in the world, and the Rising-point of Favor to all nations. Verily, He is the Powerful, the All-Knowing, and the Wise!
I beg of Him to water the earth and all that is in it by Thee, that there may spring up from it the Flowers of Wisdom and Revelation and the Hyacinths of science and knowledge.
Verily, He is the Friend to those who love Him, and an Assistant to those who commune with Him!
There is no GOD but He, the Mighty and the Magnified!
Praise be unto Him! who honored the land of Beyrout with the feet of Him around whom all the Names revolve. Therefore, all the (created) atoms have announced good tidings unto all the contingent beings, that the Sun of the Beauty of the Greatest and Majestic BRANCH of GOD, the Most Weighty and Well Made Mystery of GOD, hath arisen, dawned, appeared, gleamed and shone forth from the Door of the Prison (Acca) and its Horizon, and advanced to the former place (Beyrout). Therefore, the prison land is darkened, while the former is rejoiced.
Exalted! Exalted! is our Lord GOD, the Creator of all things and the Maker of Heaven, by whose Power the Gate of the Prison is opened,—the opening of which fulfilled that which was formerly revealed in the Tablets.
Verily, He is Powerful to do that which He pleases; the Kingdom of Emanation is within His Grasp! He is the Powerful, the Knowing, the Wise!
Blessed is the land which is honored with His footsteps!
Blessed is the eye which is illuminated by His Beauty; the ear which is favored with hearing His Voice; the heart which has tasted the sweetness of His Love; the breast which is dilated by commemorating Him; the pen which moves in praising Him; and the Tablet which bears His Signs!
I beg of GOD, the Exalted, the Most High, to cause us to attain His visit ere long.
Verily, He is the Hearer, the Powerful, the Answerer![Page 240]
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 post office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Editorial Staff: ALBERT R. WINDUST — GERTRUDE BUIKEMA — DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI
Honorary Member: MIRZA AHMAD SOHRAB
Terms: $1.00 per year; 10 cents per copy.
Note—Until further notice, distribution in the Orient is through Agents.
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.
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. IV | No. 14 |
Bring them together again, O Lord, by the power of Thy Covenant, and gather their dispersion by the might of Thy Promise, and unite their hearts by the dominion of Thy Love; and make them love each other so that they may sacrifice their spirits, expend their money, and scatter themselves for the love of one another. O Lord, cause to descend upon them quietness and tranquillity! Shower upon them the Clouds of Thy Mercy in great abundance, and make them to characterize themselves with the characteristics of the Spiritual! O Lord, make us firm in Thy noble command, and bestow upon us Thy Gifts through Thy Bounty, Grace and Munificence.
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful, and the Benevolent.
—ABDUL-BAHA.
Upon whom be BAHA'O'LLAH-EL-ABHA!
HE IS GOD!O thou, my dear son!
Thy letter, dated July 3, 1913, was received. Its contents indicated the firmness and steadfastness of the believers of God and told of the holding of a divine meeting in your radiant, charming country place. Praise be to God, that that day was spent in the utmost joy and happiness. That annual memorial meeting will be the souvenir of Abdul-Baha, especially when it is passed with infinite delight and gladness.*
The confirmation of the Kingdom of ABHA
*Refers to a Feast given at West Englewood, N. J., June 29, 1913, by the Bahais of New York city and vicinity, in commemoration of the Feast given by Abdul-Baha on the same date in 1912—see the STAR OF THE WEST, No. 8, Vol. III.—The Editors.
shall descend uninterruptedly upon those souls
who are firm in The Covenant. Thou hast
well observed that every firm one is assisted
and aided and every violator is degraded,
humiliated and lost. It is very astonishing
that people are not admonished. They have
observed how Mirza Mohammed Ali, on account
of the violation of The Covenant, descended
to the lowest degree of humiliation
and yet they do not become mindful. They
have seen how others through disobedience to
the Testament have fallen into a well of degradation,
and yet they are not awakened.
This Covenant is The Covenant of His Holiness
BAHA'O'LLAH. Now its importance is not[Page 241]
known befittingly, but in the future it shall
attain to such a degree of importance that if
a king violates to the extent of one atom, he
shall be cut off immediately.
Consider that during the life of Christ—
THE confirmation of the Kingdom of ABHA shall descend uninterruptedly upon those souls who are firm in THE COVENANT. Thou hast well observed that every firm one is assisted and aided and every violator is degraded, humiliated and lost. It is very astonishing that people are not admonished. They have observed how Mirza Mohammed Ali, on account of the violation of THE COVENANT, descended to the lowest degree of humiliation and yet they do not become mindful. They have seen how others through disobedience to the Testament, have fallen into a well of degradation, and yet they are not awakened.
This Covenant is THE COVENANT of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH. Now, its importance is not known befittingly, but in the future it shall attain to such a degree of importance that if a king violates to the extent of one atom, he shall be cut off immediately.
(may my life be a sacrifice to Him!)—His Cause had no importance whatsoever; nay, rather the people scoffed and ridiculed Him and according to the Text of the Gospel, they called Him, Beezlebub. Now you can see the importance which it had later. In short, thank thou God, that—praise be to Him!—in the garden of The Covenant thou art like a fragrant hyacinth and in the congregation of the love of God like an ignited candle.
Convey the wonderful ABHA greeting to his
honor Mr. Harris and his honor Mr. Hoar and all the believers in God.***
- Upon thee be Baha-el-ABHA!
- (Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, August 2, 1913, Ramleh, Egypt.
OUR PERSIAN SECTION this issue contains: (1)
new photograph of Abdul-Baha; (2) address by Abdul-Baha,
"The Return of the Divine Springtime," delivered
in New York city; (3) talk by Abdul-Baha
given to some American Bahais at Ramleh, Egypt;
(4) article by Charles Mason Remey, "Service in the
Kingdom"; (5) glad-tidings from Egypt, by M. Abul
Kassim Gulestaneh; (6) news from the Bahai assembly
of Mandalay, Burma, by Seyed Moustafa; (7)
celebration of the Birthday of BAHA'O'LLAH.[Page 242]
This article was approved by The Center of the Covenant, and some copies in both
English and Persian were spread in 1906.IN the teachings of Abdul-Baha is found recurring and recurring the command to SERVE; to go forth and teach and spread the glad tidings of the coming of the Kingdom*; and together with this command is his promise to all, that through doing this, his bidding, they will receive Divine confirmation and spiritual strength.
In physical man the heart is the center of the life of the body, and from it is sent forth the blood which feeds and nourishes every part of the body. In like manner is Abdul-Baha the heart and center of the body of believers in the world.
The Bahai Faith is THE COVENANT which is in this day established upon the earth, and Abdul-Baha is The Center of this COVENANT. From him all members of it receive spiritual force and sustenance.
As the organs which make up the physical body of man are dependent upon connection with the heart in order that they may receive life force, so are the believers—composing the spiritual body of The Faith—dependent upon their connection with Abdul-Baha; for through Him and through Him only, can they receive the spiritual force and sustenance necessary for their growth and development in The Kingdom.
Regarding the organs of the physical body, one sees two factors in their various workings, namely, a receiving of energy and force, and a giving off of the same. The organs receive the life force from the heart and give it off according to their various functions; however, as soon as the supply of blood is cut off, the organ ceases to function and to give off energy; and, again, as soon as an organ ceases to do its work properly, the supply of life force from the heart is diminished. This is a law of nature in the physical realm which governs the healthy action of every member of the physical body.
Now consider the body of the faithful believers: If any one member severs his connection with The Center of THE COVENANT—from whom all receive their spiritual force—he ceases to be a living and active member of the body; and, again, if he be not working and performing his function in The Kingdom, the supply of spiritual sustenance flowing to him from The Center of THE COVENANT will be diminished in proportion as he fails to perform his work.
The well-being of any organ of the human body depends upon its continued action, and upon this also depends the well-being of the human body as a whole. So it is also with the body of believers. Each one has a special and a necessary work to perform, and his own salvation, as well as the general welfare of the body as a whole, depends upon his performing this duty.
In this day the believers are being tested and tried. There are great forces in the world working against them, and only the strong and steadfast ones will be able to stand. The only way by which one can obtain spiritual force and vitality to arise above all conditions and to attain to divine development of soul is through carrying out most minutely this command of Abdul-Baha, to work and to go forth to teach and to spread The Kingdom.
All are standing in the "eleventh hour" of this Great Day, and no one knows when the great world tests, of which Abdul-Baha has so often spoken, will be upon "the faithful." When these calamities descend, there will no longer be any time to consider ways and means for carrying out his commands.
So, now, while there is yet time, let all arise with steadfastness of purpose to carry out the Holy Command to SERVE, in order to establish themselves as faithful servants in The Lord's Vineyard.
CHARLES MASON REMEY.
Washington, D. C., January, 1906.
*i. e., that the Kingdom has come.[Page 243]
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Address: Najme Bakhtar, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.[Page 244]
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