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Vol. IV
Chicago, February 7, 1914
No. 18
| PAGE | |
Introductory Words of the Kitab-el-Akdas, "The Most Holy Book" | 298 |
Faith — Knowledge — Prayer — Obedience | 299 |
The Mystery of Prayer | 300 |
"Why Pray?" | 303 |
The Mystery of Fasting | 303 |
"He is the Worshipped One of All!" | 304 |
The Divine Wisdom in Fasting | 305 |
Persian Section | 307-312 |
KITAB-EL-AKDAS— "THE MOST HOLY BOOK"
REVEALED BY BAHA'O'LLAH
In His Name, the Ruler over what was and is!
VERILY, the first thing which GOD hath ordained unto the servants is the knowledge of the Dawning-Place of His Command, which was the Station of Himself in the World of Command and Creation!—[that is, the knowledge of Baha,* who is the Manifestation of GOD in the world].
Whosoever attaineth thereunto hath attained unto all good; and he who is deprived thereof is indeed of the people of error—even though he bringeth all good actions.
And when this Most Glorious Station, and this Most Lofty Horizon, hath been attained, it behooveth every one to follow that whereunto he is commanded on the part of the Supreme Object, because these two things are inseparable: one of them will not be accepted without the other. This is what the Day-Spring of Inspiration hath decreed! Verily those who are given vision from GOD will regard the Ordinances of GOD as the greatest means to the order of the world and the preservation of the nations—and those who are careless, are of the vile and worthless.
Verily, We have Commanded you to restrain the desires of passion and lust, and not violate that which was written by the Supreme Pen;* for it is indeed the Spirit of Life to whomsoever is in the realm of creation. The Seas of Wisdom [inspired utterances] and Beyan [Revelation] have moved, because the breath of the Merciful hath breathed.
Avail yourselves of this opportunity, O people of intelligence! Verily, those who have violated The Covenant of GOD in His Commandments, and turned backwards [became backsliders] are of the people of error before GOD, the Independent, the Exalted!
O people of the earth! Know that My Commandments are assuredly the lamps of My Grace amongst My servants, and the keys of My Mercy for the creatures.
Thus hath the matter been recalled from the Heaven of the Primal Will of your LORD, the Ruler of all Religions.
Should any one come in contact with the delight of Beyan [Revelation]—which hath come from the Mouth of The Will of The Merciful—he would expend all that he possesses, even should it be all the treasures of the earth, for the sake of establishing one Command of His Commandments, that shine from the Horizon of Grace and Goodness.
Say! From My Ordinances emanateth the scent of My Garment, and by them the standards of victory will be hoisted on the tops of mountains and hills. The Tongue of My Might, in the realm of My Greatness, hath addressed My creatures, saying: "FOLLOW MY ORDINANCES FOR THE LOVE OF MY PERFECTION!"
*Baha'o'llah.
"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. IV | No. 18 |
FAITH in God is not intellectual yielding to argument through being convinced that certain statements are correct, but it is rather from a hunger of the soul, a knowledge of personal helplessness and the perception of a possible Mighty Helpfulness. Faith cannot rely on any man, but in God only; the required help must come from a higher power than man. The soul is craving that which does not pertain to humanity in itself. The
Blessed is a lover who findeth the scent of the Beloved from this WORD, wherefrom emanateth the Fragrance of Grace, in such wise that to describe them is beyond the power of mind. . . .
Think ye not that We have revealed the Ordinances unto you; rather We have opened the Seal of the Sealed Wine, with the Fingers of Might and Potency, whereunto will bear witness that which was revealed by the Pen of Inspiration. Reflect on this, O people of ideas! . . .
Prayer and fasting are incumbent upon you after maturity—as a Command on the part of your LORD, and the LORD of your forefathers. The sick, the aged, and the infirm are excused, as a favor on His part. Verily, He is The Pardoner, The Bounteous!
—BAHA'O'LLAH.
latent spark of divine longing is awaking to seek its promise, and it turns heavenward for the dawn of hope. It is looking for its Father, God.
Therefore, it is necessary that man shall have some knowledge of God, and for this he must turn toward the "Face" of God. "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice; have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst: 'Seek ye my face'; my heart said unto thee, 'Thy face, Lord, will I seek.'" (Ps. 27:8.) His "Face" is the revelation of Himself in the realm of existence, where man dwells. All the existence declares God and teaches of Him, but the heart-knowledge, the living knowledge, comes through His Incarnate Word, the human Manifestation of His Will. Therefore, man must seek and find the Manifestation of God, believe in Him, accept His Word, obey His Commands, and follow Him in the pathway of sacrifice. The Manifestation of God may be always known, because He provides the kind of help which the seeking soul requires, heart-help, spirit-help, creating help.
Man is a praying creature. When he finds
himself in need, as he does from the moment of his birth, he strives by all means at his command to "pray" for help. All through his life he seeks aid from others; he is always in need, always begging for assistance. When he is awakened through any means to the hunger and helplessness of his soul, he hesitates not to pray to God, and, whatever may be thought of the action and working of prayer, it causes man to turn toward God and make it possible for God to answer him. Prayer changes his attitude from self-ward to God-ward.
If he prays for things that pertain to his
worldly affairs, his spirit is not turned toward
God, but toward himself. His prayer must[Page 300]
be "in the Name of God," that is, in accord
with the divine Word. The Name of the
Manifestation of God signifies divine attributes;
therefore, to ask "in His Name" means
according to his nature and instructions, which
are the nature and instructions of God. No
prayer is prayer to God unless it be in God's
way, according to His Word, and with a sincere
desire for His Will to be done regardless
of the personal will. Prayer, in its essence,
is the abandonment of the personal will
in favor of the Will of God. And such prayer
God answers, because it is in agreement with
His law and can be answered.
God asks man to pray to Him. He has given freely everything for the necessities of human life. He has filled the lands and waters with foods and taught man how to cultivate and use them; He has given the forests and all materials for shelter, the cotton and the wool, and enabled man to mould them for his comfort; He has given the reasoning faculties that man may progress in material welfare and exercise the ethical and moral knowledges offered to him; He has given conceptions of beauty that man may seek for more than the physical dimensions of existence; and He has implanted the perception of higher possibilities and a desire for eternal destinies, that man may turn his face toward the Infinite.
All of these have been without the asking, but for the greater, spiritual things, God tells man to pray that in so doing he may recognize his need, prove the reality of his desire, and put himself into the only attitude in which he can receive. One must face forward and hold out his hand if he would have the gift; he must meet the donor part way; otherwise there is no real gift. He who is in need will pray. He who hesitates to supplicate God for His most valuable treasures is standing in the station of pride, or has not awakened to their worth and his own need. . . . .
God demands obedience. It is not for man to question God's commands. A little thought shows that all the ordinances of God, expressed by His Manifestation, are for the uplifting and good of man; how then can he question the methods revealed from the same Source? The Scriptures throughout lay stress upon obedience as of the utmost importance in the sight of God, and he who would attain the higher blessings should welcome the opportunities to obey. Everything in existence is under law, and all things obey freely, except man, who has been granted ability to disobey even God, and to obey himself. Man is always a servant; he obeys something; how much better for him to serve the Wise One, the True One, the Beautiful One, instead of his own ignorance and greed! "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16.)
The whole sin and consequent degradation of the Jewish people was their disobedience to God. He called them again and again to be His people. "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you." (Jer. 7:23.) "Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee; so shall it be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live." (Jer. 38:20.) . . . .
Obedience, then, is to the Manifestation of God, in whatever age he may appear.
The Voice of God, speaking through BAHA'O'LLAH [in this Millennial Age], says: "O Son of Existence! Keep My Commands for love of Me, and deny thyself thine own desires if thou wishest My Pleasure." "O Son of Man! Neglect not My Laws if thou lovest My Beauty, and forget not My Counsels if thou art hopeful to attain My Will."
ONE of the commandments which exists in every religion is prayer.
What is the benefit of prayer, that man should stand or kneel three or five times a day and read or chant certain words?
We answer, there is no doubt that the ordinances and precepts of God are for the purpose of promoting humanity to a higher station. Therefore, the benefit of praying must be something which elevates man to a lofty and spiritual station, and to set him free from the prison of this immortal world of nature.
In explaining this subject, we cannot but hold to the Utterances of God, which descended through the tongues of His Mouthpieces and Prophets:
God says: "The act of praying is a pillar
of religion." That is, religion is likened[Page 301]
unto a tent, and the act of prayer unto the
pillar thereof. If the pillar falls down, the
whole tent will drop! In another place, He
says, "Prayer is like the sight of the eyes in
the Cause of God." Also, "If the prayer of
the sincere believer is accepted and answered,
THE OBLIGATORY DAILY PRAYER
- While washing the hands, say:
O MY GOD! Strengthen my hands to take Thy Book with such firmness that the hosts of the world shall not prevent them! Then protect them from claiming that which is not their own. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty!
- While washing the face, say:
O LORD! I have turned my face unto Thee: Enlighten it with the Lights of Thy Face: Then protect it from turning to any but Thee.
- Stand, facing the East, and say:
GOD hath testified that there is no GOD but Him. The Command and the Creation are His. He hath manifested the Dawning-Point of Revelation, and the Speaker of the Mount, through whom the Supreme Horizon shone, the Sadrat-el-Montaha* spoke, and the Voice proclaimed between earth and Heaven: "THE KING HATH COME! THE KINGDOM AND POWER AND GLORY AND MAJESTY ARE TO HIM, THE LORD OF MANKIND, THE RULER OF THE THRONE AND OF THE DUST!"**
- Bowing down, with hands upon the knees, say:
Thou art glorified above my praise and that of others: Holy above my mention and that of all in the Heavens and earth!
- Standing, with hands outstretched forward and upward, say:
O my GOD! Disappoint him not, who by the fingers of hope held to the train of Thy Mercy and Bounty. O Thou, who art most merciful of the merciful!
- Sitting down, say:
I confess Thy Oneness and Singleness and that Thou art GOD: There is no GOD but Thee! Thou hast manifested Thy Command, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened the gate of Thy Bounty to all who are in the Heavens and upon the earth. Prayer and peace, praise and glory be upon Thy beloved, who were not prevented by the deeds of the people from turning unto Thee, and who offered what they had for the hope of what Thou hast. Verily, Thou art the Merciful, the Forgiving!
*Sadrat-el-Montaha (the furthermost Tree) refers to a tree, planted by the Arabs in ancient times at the end of a road, to serve as a guide. Here it refers to the Manifestation of God.
**See St. Matt. 6:9-13. The promise of the coming of the Kingdom contained in the "Lord's Prayer," is here declared by BAHA'O'LLAH to be fulfilled. —The Editors.
verily, all the rest of his acts and deeds will be accepted; and if his prayers are not accepted, verily, all the rest of his acts will be disapproved and rejected."
These Divine ordinances are like the remedies and medicines which the skillful doctor gives to the patient (the sick). Consequently, it is better for the patient to simply obey the physician, use the medicine, in order to recover from his sickness.
Now, the Divine Doctor, God, knows the sicknesses of the spirit of humanity, which is imprisoned in this material body. The ordinances
and precepts [given through His Mouthpieces and Prophets] are the remedies for the sicknesses and one of the ordinances is—"to pray."
God says: "Prayer prevents the human being
from disapproved and foul actions." That
is to say, the remedy, which delivers the man[Page 302]
from the foul acts disapproved by the human
intellect and caused by passion and satanic
desires, is—praying to God. That is, if he
continues to pray, he will overcome these evil
habits!
That is why His Holiness, the Blessed Perfection [BAHA'O'LLAH], in the Kitab-el-Akdas, commands everyone to pray.
Therefore, it is made evident that the first benefit is derived by the one who offers the prayer. This will save him from committing foul acts and from pursuing lustful desires. And it is certain that by leaving or abandoning the disapproved habits, the human soul is elevated to a holy and lofty station, and it is saved from the prison of the world of nature.
Another question: When praying, is it necessary to follow forms and customs laid down, or will it suffice to turn the attention of only the heart toward God?
Let it be known, first, that the commands for prayer are those of God, therefore, no one has authority to object or question why these forms are commanded, because God alone is cognizant of the mysteries contained within the ordinances; and, second, that the precepts and commands appearing in the Heavenly Books ought to be followed exactly as they are given, inasmuch as they are for certain purposes in accord with wisdom.
To illustrate: A physician gives medicine to his patient and prescribes that he shall take the medicine at certain fixed hours. If the patient should take that medicine all at once it would undoubtedly harm him, and perhaps cause other illnesses. This would be the fault of the patient, as he had not strictly followed the orders of the doctor. The Divine Commandments are likened to those of a physician, as they are for the healing of spiritual sicknesses. The servants of God should follow the Commandments as they are written in the Book, so that they may gain the desired result and be protected from injuries.
There is no doubt that the essence of prayer is the turning one's heart under all circumstances toward God. The great importance of turning the heart toward God, being understood, why should special material actions be necessary? If prayer in its essence consists of the approaching God with the heart, why should it be needful to mention Him with the tongue?
The answer is as follows: The aim, the intention of turning the heart, the tongue, the limbs, the members of the body toward God in worship is this: that the prayer of the man to God shall be with his whole being, and that all of his members shall take part in the act of worship. His heart should turn to God; his tongue should mention His Name; his limbs should bend in humbleness and his whole body should show obedience and servitude. Thus, the light of prayer may shine through the lamp of his whole soul, spirit, intellect and body; not that the heart alone shall be enlightened with the light of prayer but that every part of the man shall share in that illumination.
If the spirit approaches the Presence of God and the body is not partaker therein, it is as though one should worship in dreams while his body were asleep. If, however, the body acts in prayer, while the spirit is directed elsewhere, it would be like the movements of a child without thought, and thus aimless. But when the spirit, heart, tongue and all the members unite in worshipping God, then it will be as a perfect man performing an important act with reason and intellect.
Consequently, the first principle of prayer is the turning of one's heart to God. Second—the united and harmonious action of all the parts and members.
Let it be known that, in each cycle, the Holy Being of the Manifestation is the reality of prayer, inasmuch as he is the clear Mirror reflecting the Supreme God. The "First Point," the BAB (May my soul be a sacrifice to him!) said: "Prayer, in its prime reality, is a name for the Manifestation of God." For example: In the cycle of his holiness, Jesus Christ, he was the real prayer: In the time of Mohammed, he was the reality of prayer: In the great Day of "Him-whom-God-Shall-Manifest," the Blessed Perfection is the perfection of prayer.*
Therefore, it is seen that one of the doors, through which one may enter the Kingdom, and attain the meeting of God, is prayer, but it should be offered exactly according to the rules laid down in the heavenly Books. Today the firm ones in the Cause of God and His Covenant must thank God and give glory to Him that they have been awakened from the sleep of negligence. They have heard the call to the Real Prayer from the blessed tongue of ABDUL-BAHA, have arisen to render service
*See editorial, page 304.[Page 303]
to the Cause of God, and have endeavored
to promulgate his Verses widely.
Now, in thanksgiving for this great mercy, we must strive to offer the real prayer, rather than merely the literal one. We must realize the true meaning thereof; that is—we should clothe ourselves with the attributes of the Blessed Perfection and become adorned with the divine qualities of His Mystery and The Center of His Covenant, that we may be of the few who are "chosen," and not merely of the many who are "called."
KNOW thou verily these Divine Teachings are heavenly and spiritual. They penetrate in the heart as the penetration of the heat of the sun, the outpouring of clouds and the blowing of vernal winds at morning-time upon the trees. When the lights (of these Teachings) arose, they became spread, just as the shining dawn spreads upon the horizons. These wonderful traces shall surely appear throughout all regions and their lights will shine forth during centuries and ages forevermore.
As to thy question: "Why pray? What is the wisdom thereof? For God has established everything and executes the affairs after the best order, and He ordains everything according to a becoming measure and puts things in their (proper) places with the greatest propriety and perfection—therefore, what is the wisdom in beseeching and supplicating and in stating one's wants and seeking help?"
Know thou, verily, it is becoming of a weak one to supplicate to the Strong One, and it behooveth a seeker of bounty to beseech the Glorious Bountiful One. When one supplicates to his Lord, turns unto Him and seeks Bounty from His Ocean, this supplication is by itself a light to his heart, an illumination to his sight, a life to his soul and an exaltation for his being.
Therefore, during thy supplication to God and thy reciting, "Thy Name is my healing"—consider how thine heart is cheered up, thy soul delighted by the spirit of the Love of God, and thy mind becomes attracted to the Kingdom of God! By these attractions, one's ability and capacity increase. When the vessel is widened the water increaseth, and when the thirst grows the bounty of the cloud becomes agreeable to the taste of man. This is the mystery of supplication and the wisdom of stating one's wants (i. e., praying).
KNOW thou that Fasting is a command given in all the Holy Books in all times. The outward appearance thereof is restraining the self from that which is prohibited in the Books.
Special times are appointed and particular forms are ordained by every religion. The Zoroastrians have certain forms, the Jews have others; the Christians, the Mohammedans, each differ in their forms, and the Bahais have forms of fasting differing from all former religions. These apparent or outward differences were according to the exigencies of the times when given.
The outward fruit of fasting is the preservation of the material health through the purifying of the body once a year. The inward fruits pertain to the other states of existence.
In the world of soul its fruit is the sanctifying of the soul from the animal qualities and clothing it with the intellectual attributes, thereby releasing the soul from the lower human nature.
In the world of mind, it is the process of filtering, sifting out the dust and taints and dross of the self, and soaring to the Spiritual and Divine Kingdoms.
In the world of spirit, it is the longing, the aspiring to the stations of Divinity, and attaining to the meeting of God in both this world and those to come after death.
Thus one of the doors, through which one may attain to the meeting of God and entrance into His Kingdom, is fasting; but success depends upon following the forms prescribed in the Heavenly Book.
Another important point is this: Whoever, in this day, is firm and steadfast in The Covenant of the Blessed Perfection and keeps
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Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the post office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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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. 18 |
"Regarding the phrase 'HE IS GOD!' written above the Tablets. By this Word is intended that no one hath any access to the Invisible Essence. The way is barred and the road is impassable. In this world all men must turn their faces toward 'Him-whom-God-shall-Manifest.' He is the Dawning-place of Divinity and the Manifestation of Deity. He is the Ultimate Goal, the Adored One of all and the Worshipped One of all. Otherwise, whatever flashes through the mind is not that Essence of essences and Reality of realities; nay, rather it is pure imagination woven by man—consequently, it returns finally to the realm of suppositions and conjectures."
—ABDUL-BAHA.
THE Reality of the Divine Entity is holy above comprehension, beyond definition, and far from the reach of imagination, for that which is imagined is finite, of man; while the Divine Entity is Infinite.
It is evident, then, that what is imagined is a phantasm of the creature (i. e., mankind), and is not the Creator—for the Essence of Divinity is beyond human imagination. Therefore, people worship an imagination, for they have conceived a "God" in the realm of imagination and "Him" they worship.
If you ask a soul when he is praying, "Whom art thou worshipping?" he will say, "God." "Which God?" "The God of my conception"—when, in truth, what he imagines is not GOD. Hence, people are worshippers of imaginations and ideals.
Consequently, there is no pathway for man except the Holy Manifestation, for as has been said, the Essence of Divinity is pure, is holy, and cannot be brought into the world of ideas.
That which can be brought into the world of ideas is the Holy and Divine Manifestation, Further than this, MAN HAS NO OTHER POINT FOR CONCENTRATION. If he exceed that bound, it will be an imagination.
Therefore, in this world the Holy Being of the Manifestation is in reality the "Adored One of all and the Worshipped One of all." In a word: "HE IS GOD!"*
—The Editors.
*See definition of the phrase "HE IS GOD!" in Table
Talks by Abdul-Baha, compiled by Mrs Corinne True;
also, Tablets of Abdul-Baha, pages 485 and 562; also
editorial, "A Word to the Reader," in No. 14, Vol.
III, STAR OF THE WEST.[Page 305]
QUESTION: What Divine wisdom is there in fasting?
Answer: The Divine wisdom in fasting is manifold. Among them is this: As during those days [i. e. the period of fasting which the followers afterward observe] the Manifestation of the Sun of Reality, through Divine inspiration, is engaged in the descent [revealing] of Verses, the instituting of Divine Law and the arrangement of teachings, through excessive occupation and intense attraction there remains no condition or time for eating and drinking. For example, when his holiness Moses went to Mount Tur (Sinai) and there engaged in instituting the Law of God, he fasted forty days. For the purpose
20th, inclusive. The rules for fasting—in Kitab-el-Akdas—are as follows: Eating and drinking should cease before the rising of the sun until the setting thereof. The traveler, the sick, the aged, the infirm, pregnant
women, nursing mothers and children are free from this obligation.of awakening and admonishing the people of Israel, fasting was enjoined upon them.
Likewise, his holiness Christ, in the beginning of instituting the Spiritual Law, the systematizing of the teachings and the arrangement of counsels, for forty days abstained from eating and drinking. In the beginning the disciples and Christians fasted. Later the assemblages of the chief Christians changed fasting into lenten observances.
Likewise the Koran having descended in the month Ramazan, fasting during that month became a duty.
In like manner his holiness the Supreme [the BAB], in the beginning of the Manifestation, through the excessive effect of descending Verses, passed days in which his nourishment was reduced to tea only.
Likewise, the Blessed Beauty [BAHA'O'LLAH], when busy with instituting the Divine Teachings and during the days when the Verses [the Word of God] descended continuously, through the great effect of the Verses and the throbbing of the heart, took no food except the least amount.
The purpose is this: In order to follow the Divine Manifestations and for the purpose of admonition and the commemoration of their state, it became incumbent upon the people to fast during those days. For every sincere soul who has a beloved longs to experience that state in which his beloved is. If his beloved is in a state of sorrow, he desires sorrow; if in a state of joy, he desires joy; if in a state of rest, he desires rest; if in a state of trouble, he desires trouble.
Now, since in this Millennial Day, his holiness the Supreme [the BAB] fasted many days, and the Blessed Beauty [BAHA'O'LLAH] took but little food or drink, it becomes necessary that the friends should follow that example. For thus saith He in the Tablet of Visitation: "They, the believers, have followed that which
they were commanded, for love of Thee."
This is one wisdom of the wisdoms of fasting.
The second wisdom is this: Fasting is the cause of awakening man. The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases. This is produced by the fact that man's thoughts will be confined to the commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation surely ideal advancements follow.
Third wisdom: Fasting is of two kinds, material
and spiritual. The material fasting is
abstaining from food or drink, that is, from
the appetites of the body. But spiritual, ideal
fasting is this, that man abstain from selfish
passions, from negligence and from satanic animal
traits. Therefore, material fasting is a
token of the spiritual fasting. That is: "O
God! as I am fasting from the appetites of
the body and not occupied with eating and
drinking, even so purify and make holy my
heart and my life from aught else save Thy
Love, and protect and preserve my soul from
self-passions and animal traits. Thus may the
spirit associate with the Fragrances of Holiness
and fast from everything else save Thy
mention."[Page 306]
of the passionate lovers, the cry of the yearning ones, the loud voices of the near ones, the tender sigh of the sincere, and ordained the hope of the desiring ones and granted them what they desired by Thy Bounty and Benevolence, and by the Names by which the Sea of Forgiveness rolled before Thy Face and the Cloud of Generosity showered upon Thy sincere servants, to APPOINT FOR HIM WHO ADVANCES TOWARD THEE AND FASTS BY THINE ORDER, THE RECOMPENSE OF THOSE WHO SPEAK NOT SAVE BY THY PERMISSION AND WHO GIVE UP WHAT THEY HAVE IN THY CAUSE AND LOVE.
Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Holy, the Shining, the Precious, the Greatest, the Highest, the ABHA!—and clinging to the Train of Thy
Robe, which is being grasped by all those of the life to come and the present one!From the Prayer of the Dawn, revealed by BAHA'O'LLAH.
himself from turning to aught else save The Center of His Covenant, ABDUL-BAHA, is of those who fast. Therefore, it is incumbent that man shall adorn himself with the attributes of his highness, ABDUL-BAHA, and shall follow his example in dealing with the people of the world. He must consider the benefits of others rather than his own. He must consider the promotion of the Word of God, and the spreading of His Fragrances, even as the material gain of business, the cause of wealth and the capital of his prosperity.
Nothing, after prayer, will cause the development of the spirit, save fasting. The "First Point," the BAB, ordained for all the people to fast until they should reach the age of forty-two, but the Blessed Perfection [BAHA'O'LLAH] said: "We love fasting! Unless the people become old and weak, they should fast." Thus the limit for fasting was appointed. One should begin to observe the fast from the age of fifteen, and continue the observance of it until the body may become too weak to do so without injury. His Holiness, the Blessed Perfection, used to fast throughout the set time every year.
In the Kitab-el-Akdas the rules for fasting are as follows: Eating and drinking should cease before the rising of the sun and until the setting thereof. The traveler, the sick, pregnant women and nursing mothers are free from this obligation.
In Mark, 9:7-29, is related the story of the afflicted child who was brought to Jesus by the disciples after their vain efforts to cast out from him the spirit which tormented him and of his being healed by Jesus, who said, in reply to a question from the disciples, that: "This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting."
Thus Jesus taught that fasting and praying give strength to the spirit of man, so that it may become enabled to heal the different violent and strong sicknesses which possess him.
The results and fruits of these acts are innumerable, but the few that have been mentioned are the principal ones. We ask the Merciful Lord that this blessed act may become a cause of quenching the fires of lustfulness, animosity and hatred.
Peace be upon him who follows and carries out the Commands revealed in the Heavenly Books!
This issue contains: (1) Talk by Abdul-Baha, delivered to pilgrims at Haifa, Syria; (2) Tablet to Professor Cheyne, Oxford; (3) Delivering The Message of the Kingdom Attracts the Confirmations of God; (4) Delightful News from Haifa; (5) Good News from Chicago; (6) The Danesh School of Mesched, Persia.
VOICE RECORDS OF ABDUL-BAHA may be obtained from Mrs. Howard MacNutt, 935 Eastern Parkway,
Brooklyn, N. Y., at 85 cents each, including packing and shipment via parcel post. These are disc records and
can be used on various phonographs.[Page 307]
جلد 04 . شماره 18
نجم باختر 1329
از شیکاغو امریکا . شماره هشدهم ماه ربیع الاوّل
فهرست مندرجات
1 . نطق مبارک برای مسافرین در حیفا .
2 . لوح مبارک برای پروفسور چینی در اکسفرد .
3 . تبلیغ جاذب تأییدات .
4 . اخبارات خوش از حیفا .
5 . اخبارات خوش از شیکاغو .
6 . معلمّ خانۀ دانش در مشهد .
آدرس نجم باختر : صندوق پستی 283 . شیکاگو . ایلینوی . ایالات متّحدۀ امریکا .
Address: Najme Bakhtar, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
PAGE 1 VOL IV No 18
جلد چهارم . شماره هشدهم نجم باختر 1329 قیمت اشتراک سالی دوازده قران
فوریّه ماه ملک سنه 70
این جریده بر حسب تاریخ بهائی هر نوزده روز چاپ و توزیع میگردد و در نهایت آزادی در مسائل یگانگی بشر و وحدت ادیان و انتشار علوم و فنون این قرن و تربیت اطفال و پیشرفت امر حضرت بهاء الله در اطراف جهان و توضیح حقائق این دین عمومی خواهد نوشت و مقالات مفید که موافق سبک اداره است قبول و نشر خواهد گردید .
صفحه 1 - 1
نطق مبارک
نطق مبارک حضرت عبدالبهاء روح ما سواه فداه است در حیفا در وقتی که جمعی از مسافرین ایرانی به دو قسمت دو نوبت مشرّف شدند . شب سه شنبه 24 محرّم الحرام سنه 1332:
خوش آمدید احوال شما چطور است از بس از صبح تا بحال من حرف زده ام دیگر قوّت نمانده است بعضی وقت ها صحبت فرض میشود که اگرانسان نکند عندالله مسئول است امروز از آن روزها بود با وجود آنکه هیچ حال نداشتم مفصّلا صحبتها داشتم زیرا صحبت داشتن فرض بود . در این صفحات از القائاتی که بر نفوس شده بود در قلوب اینها این القائات استقرار داشت بعد هم این روایات شهرت یافته بود یکقدری از صحبتهائی که در اروپا و امریکا شده بود و در جرائد نشر یافته بود برای آنها بیان نمودم که این طور نیست که آنها فهمیده اند مثلا گمان مینمودند که ما دشمن حضرت رسول هستیم ولی این همه صحبتها که در کنائس و معابد یهود در اثبات حقانیّت حضرت رسول گردید بعضی از این سوء تفاهم ها را رفع نمود
صفحه 2 - 1
امروز مفتی میگفت که « فی الحقیقه این صحبتها که در جرائد بود خیلی اوهامات را زائل کرد » آخر چقدر بی انصافی است ! در کنیسه یهود بقول فیلسوف وامبری که در بوداپست بود و بهیچ یک از ادیان معتقد نبود و سالهای سال در اسلامبول و افغانستان و ترکستان و ایران سفر کرده بود و السن این ممالک را بخوبی میدانست بمن گفت « که از یک چیز خیلی متعجبّ و حیران شدم من که وامبری هستم جرئت نمی کنم و نمیتوانم در کلیسای یهود اسم مسیح را به احترام ببرم ولی شما با این شجاعت و با این قوّت در معبد یهود اثبات نمودید که مسیح کلمة الله و روح الله بود » .
در امریکا پاپازها بعضی اعلانها کردند که این شخص دشمن مسیح است و در وقت ورود به امریکا در جرائد چاپ نمودند که دشمن مسیح وارد شده حتّی در واشنگتون در کلیسائی که جمّ غفیری حاضر بودند و صحبت شد چون از کلیسا بیرون آمدیم رساله ئی نوشته بودند چند ورق که این بهائیان دشمن مسیح هستند بنیان او را خراب میکنند مسیحی که جانش را فدای ما کرد آیا جائز است که ما او را برای این شخص رها کنیم حتّی بسته ئی از این اوراق را در کالسکۀ من انداختند لیکن هیچکس گوش نمیداد و جمیع اظهار سرور و ممنونیّت مینمودند .
صفحه 1 - 2
بی انصافی است از مردمی که میگویند ما دشمن مسیح هستیم ما که جانمان را فدای او میکنیم دشمن هستیم و آنها دوست ؟ آنها که باسم مسیح در نهایت خوشی در نهایت فرح و سرور زندگانی میکنند و در دیرهای مانند قصور منزل دارند میگویند ما دوست هستیم در حالتی که مشغول خوردن شراب و کباب هستند ! یک شخصی بود میان نصاری از اعظم علماء از کاتولیکها که او را کاردینال میگویند و در میان ارتودوکسها پاتریک میگویند باری بعد از پاپا کاردینال است و این کاردینال در امریکا خیلی معتبر و بانفوذ است چون کاتولیکها در امریکا زیاد هستند و متعصّب خیلی پاپی من شدند که این شخص دشمن مسیح است و در محافل و مجالس میگفتند که دشمن مسیح آمده است هادم بنیان مسیح است مخرّب شریعت مسیح است من هیچ نمی گفتم هرچه می آمدند میگفتند که چنین و چنان میکویند ابدا گوش ندادم تا اینکه در شهردنور وارد شدم گفتند که دیروز پریروز یک مظاهره دینی شده است کاردینال آمده است تا کلیسای تازه ئی را که ساخته اند باز نماید در گشودن کلیسا خیلی با تنتنه و دبدبه آمده است و به عظمت و جلال داخل شده است !
تاجی مرصّع بر سر صولجان مرصّع در دست لباسهای حریر و زربفت در تن و جمیع کشیشها که همراه بودند مجللّ با کلاه ها و لباسهای طلاکاری آمدند باری این حشمت کاردینال و این اقتدار او خیلی در انظار جلوه کرده بود زیرا در وقتی که وارد کلیسا شده پانزده هزار نفر سجده نمودندبعضی این مطالب را ذکر میکردند که فی الحقیقه نمایش دینی بود من دیدم که از حدّتجاوز کرده گذشت جمعیّتی شد آنجا رفتم صحبت داشتم صحبت مفصّل شد گفتم حضرات اینجا آمدم از قرار مسموع نمایش دینی عظیمی در اینجا واقع شده است یک نمایشی که مثل و نظیری نداشته است این نمایش نظیر نمایشی است که حضرت مسیح در اورشلیم کرد و حضرت کاردینال در دنور اظهار نمود فقط یک فرق جزئی در میان در آن نمایش الهی آسمانی بر سر حضرت مسیح تاجی از خار بود لکن در این نمایش بر سر حضرت کاردینال تاجی مرصّع در آن نمایش البسۀ حضرت مسیح پاره پاره بود در این نمایش البسۀ حضرت
صفحه 2 - 2
کاردینال حریر و زربفت درآن نمایش کسانیکه همراه حضرت مسیح بودند همواره در مصیبت و بلایا در این نمایش نفوسی که با کاردینال بودند در کمال عزّت و افتخار در آن نمایش جمیع مردم سبّ و لعن میکردند و در این نمایش جمیع نفوس صلواة و تعریف و توصیف در آن نمایش خضوع و خشوع و تذللّ و انکسار و تبتّل و ابتهال بود در این نمایش عظمت و ثروت و اقتدار آن نمایش بر روی صلیب بود این نمایش بر روی محراب در نهایت تزیین فرق همین قدر بود . واقعا مردم چقدر نادان هستند تعریف میکردند که چقدر نمایش خوبی بود گفتم حضرت مسیح جمیع صدمات و رزایا و مصائب و بلایا را میکشید و لیل و نهار در توی این بیابانها تنها بی نوا خوراکش گیاه بر سرش خار چراغش ستاره های آسمان هر روزی در یک صحرائی سرگردان حالا حضرات در نهایت حشمت و عزّت در دیر های بزرگ که بهترین قصور است کیف میکنند و میگویند ما شاگردان مسیح هستیم شاگرد باید متابعت معلمّ بکند تا جمیع اطوار و رفتار او مطابق تعالیم استاد باشد ولی اینها دستگاهی دارند اوقاف و وارادات بسیار دارند و شب و روز منهمک در جمیع شهوات کو آن نفحات انقطاع حضرت مسیح ؟
کسانی که در امریکا با ما تعرّض نکردند یهود بودند حقیقتا محافل خوبی تشکیل کردند و مرا دعوت نمودند و من رفتم و صحبت کردم بسیار مسرور شدند و بی نهایت اظهار فرح نمودند در سانفرانسیسکو جمیعا اظهار سرور و فرح نمودند هیچ این ایرادها نبود بعد از این صحبتها خاخام گفت ما گمان میکردیم که شرق خواموش شده بود معلوم است که شرق شرق است این صحبتها که شنیدیم مثل صحبتهای انبیاء وو آیاء جلیله پیش ما است و بدرجۀ تأثیر کرد که کاغذی آمده است که این صحبتها که در معبد یهود شد تأثیرش باندازه ئی بود که چون کلیسای نصاری خراب شد خاخام آمده است پیش کشیش کلیسا و گفته است که کلیسای شما خراب شده است و چندی طول میکشد
صفحه 1 - 3
تا ساخته شود بیائید در معبد ما هر طوری که میل دارید نماز و دعا بخوانید شنبه مال ما و یکشنبه مال شما .
حین تشرّف دستۀ دوّم فرمودند : خوش آمدید صفا آوردید گفتم احبّا را دو قسمت کنیم ولکن باز جا کم است « اللهمّ زدّهم وبارک » بعضی وقتها در اروپ و امریکا شوخی میکردم چون میدیدم یک قدری سرگردان بودند و میگفتند این امر چطور ترقیّ خواهند کرد این ریش سفیدهای ایرانی این ایرانیها این خیالات را میکردند میدانستم که اینها میگویند دنیا دنیای دیگر شده است الآن زمانی که این نفوذ داشته باشد گذشته است لهذا در بین صحبت بیاناتی میکردم که وقتیکه مسیح را بر صلیب زدند دوازده نفر شاگرد داشت یکی او را سه دفعه انکار کرد و دیگری بجهت دراهم معدوده او را فروخت با وجود این حالا ببینید که چه اهمیّتی پیدا کرده است . امّا جمال مبارک در وقت صعود اقلا یک کرور نفوس بودند که جان خود را فدای او میکردند این فکر ها که شما دارید در همان اوقات بود حتّی بدرجه ئی بحضرت مسیح اهمیّت نمیدادند که معلوم نیست کجا او را دفن کرده اند این قدر بی اعتنائی بود بعد از سیصد سال سنت هلن رفت به این ارض مقدّس و بعضی نفوس بجهت منافع شخصیّه آمدند پیش او که ما اینجا را کندیم و صلیبی که حضرت مسیبح را به دار زدند پیدا کردیم این بود اساس قبر حضرت مسیح حتّی قبر مریم و حواریون هیچ معلوم نیست حضرات کاتولیکها میگویند که قبر پولس و پطرس در روما است و ارتودکسها میگویند در انطاکیه است بدرجه ئی بی اهمیّتی بود که یکی از فلاسفه آن زمان که کتابی بر ضدّ مسیح نوشته است میگوید که «این شخص مسیح ابدا وجود نداشته است و همچنین آدمی نبوده است این را پطرس و پولس درست کرده اند یک شخصی از مجرمین را در اورشلیم بدار زدند بعد اینجا بجهة منافع خود او را مسیح کردند » الحمدلله که در ایّام جمال مبارک امرش در آفاق شهرت یافت و جمیع آثار
صفحه 2 - 3
حتّی احبّای او ظاهر و هویداست
ایرانی ها میگفتند که ایران چه خواهد شد ؟ من گفتم که این تفاصیلی که الآن در میان است اسباب دمار است این اختلافات این احزاب مختلفه یکی دمکرات و یکی معتدل اینها روزبروز ایران را ویران میکنند شما قیاس کنید حالت حالیۀ ایران را با ده سال قبل این اختلافات ایران را ویران کرده است و روز بروز بیشتر میشود . میگفتند مستقبل چه نوع است ؟ گفتم مستقبل ایران را به یک مثل از برای شما میگویم بعد خودتان قیاس کنید این دلیل کافی وافی است . این مکه یک قطعه سنگستان است وادی غیر ذی زرع ابدا گیاهی در آن نمیروید آن صحرا صحرای شنزار است و در نهایت گرما قابل اینکه آباد شود نیست از سنگستان و شنزار بی آب چه خواهد روئید لکن بجهة اینکه وطن حضرت رسول بود این سنگستان این سنگلاخ قبلۀ آفاق شد جمیع آفاق رو باو سجده میکنند دیگر از این بفهمید که مستقبل ایران چه خواهد شد این نمونه است این سنگلاخ بجهة اینکه وطن حضرت رسول بود قبلۀ آفاق شد امّا ایران که سبز است خرّم است گلهای خوب دارد هوایش لطیف است مائش عذب است از این قیاس کنید که چه خواهد شد این میزان کافی است .
لوح مبارک
اکسفرد پروفسر چنی روحانی علیه بهاء الله الابهی :
هوالله
ای فیلسوف روحانی من نامۀ شما رسید فی الحقیقه مضمون بلیغ بود زیرا دلالت بر تحرّی حقیقت و انصاف داشت پروفسر در عالم بسیار موجود ولی اکثر از حقیقت
صفحه 1 - 4
ملکوت محروم امّا تو الحمدلله شمع پروفسرها گشتی و بجهان ملکوت پی بردی سیر در زمین نمینمائی پرواز داری علمای یهود بسیار بودند ولی زمینی بودند امّا سنت پولس آسمانی شد زیرا پرواز نداشت در زمانش کسی او را نشناخت بلکه در نهایت تحقیر و ابتلا ایّام بسر برد بعد معلوم شد که او مرغ زمینی نبود آسمانی بود فیلسوف طبیعی نبود فیلسوف الهی بود امید من نیز چنانست که در استقبال شرق و غرب آگاه کردند که تو فیلسوف الهی بودی و منادی به ملکوت الله سنت پولس هر چند عالم بود ولی چون خبر از مسیح گرفت بکلیّ فلسفه را فراموش کرد مملو از مسیح شد چنانچه در مکاتیبش ذکر مینماید و من نیز در حقّ تو چنین امیدوارم که مملو از بهاء الله گردی و اوّل منادی در آن خطهّ و دیار شوی تا از افق حقیقت الی الابد مانند ستاره بدرخشی حرم محترمه ات فی الحقیقه سزاوار نهایت رعایت است و در نزد من از جمیع راهبات عالم ممتاز فی الحقیقه کامل و عاقل و حقیقت پرست است او نیز الحمدلله در فضائل ملکوتی با تو شریک و سهیم و علیک التحیّة و الثّناء . عبدالبهاء عبّاس .
نجم باختر : عریضه پروفسر چینی در شماره شانزده چاپ شده است .
تبلیغ جاذب تأیید است
جناب آقا میرزا محمود زرقانی از ساحت اقدس مرقوم نمودند که : از وصایای مؤکدّه که این اوقات مکرّر از لسان مبارک صادر و نازل اهمیّت اشتغال احبّاست در تبلیغ امرالله که این جاذب تأییدات و جالب جمیع مناقب و فیوضات است و بدون این هیچ نفسی تأیید نیابد و در هیچ امری توفیق نجوید و همچنین میفرمایند نفوسی که بافکار شخصیّه و یا امور سیاسیّه خود را مشغول نمودند سبب ذلتّ و خسران ملتّ و امتّ چه که وظیفه روحانیان
صفحه 2 - 4
ترویج روحانیّت سعادت ابدیّه است نه دون آن
حیفا . سوریّه
الحمدلله صحّت مزاج دلبر پیمان در این ایّام بی نهایت خوب است و هر شب بیانات مفصّل بجهت مسافرین میفرمایند مسافرین دسته دسته از اطراف شرق چه از اسلام چه از نصاری چه از یهود و چه از زردشتی وارد می شوند و دلها را از دیدار جمال جانان رشک گلزار و چمن می نمایند جای همه خالی و نمایان است .
شیکاغو امریکا
در این ایّام مجلسی خصوصی در این شهراز برای اعضای لجنه اجرائیّه مشرق الاذکار تشکیل شد که در خصوص « کانقانشان » هفتم انجمن عمومی بهائیان امریک مشورت و مذاکره نمایند قرار بر این شد که کانقانشان امسال که در ایّام عید سعید رضوان واقع می شود در شیکاغو منعقد خواهد گردید . الحمدلله در جمیع ممالک آمریک احبّای الهی در نهایت سرور و فرح هستند همه مشتعل به نار محبّت الله و مشتعل به ترویج دین الله علی الخصوص در این شهر عظیم نفحات حبّ منتشر است و روح اتّحاد و یگانگی ظاهر و آشکار بعضی از مفسدین که سالهای سال مشغول فساد بودند الآن از قوّۀ عهد و پیمان معدوم صرف شدند نه اسمی نه رسمی و نه نتیجه ئی ! طوبی لقوم یفقهون
صفحه 5
معلمّخانه دانش . مشهد ، ایران
این عکس اطفال معلمّخانۀ دانش است هرکس بر حال مشهد اطلاع دارد میداند که تبدّل الارض غیر الارض امکان نداشت تا دو سنۀ قبل در محلیّ چهار نفر بهائی جمع شوند که هرگاه مطلعّ میشدند همه نوع اسباب فساد موجود بود و حال امنیّت بدرجۀ رسیده است که معلمّخانۀ بهائی باز کردیم از این پی برید که چه قدر ترقیّ کرده است مشهد و در 6 قوس در همان معلمّخانه جشن گرفتیم و اطفال را امتحان کرده سرودهای خوب تغنّی شد ناظر این معلمّخانه جناب آقا میرزا هدایت الله خان . احمدبن نبیل قائنی
نجم باختر : این است تأییدات ملأ اعلی . امیدواریم که در جمیع شهرهای ایران مدارس عظیمه تأسیس شود . آقا میرزا هدایت الله خان و حضرت فاضل قائنی را از صمیم فؤاد تهنیت مینمائیم و از برای عموم تلامذه ترقیّات ملکیّة و ملکوتیّه سائل و آملیم و در حقّشان این مناجات را با کمال تبّتل و تضرّع و ابتهال میخوانم .
الهی الهینحن اطفال رضعنا من ثدی محبّتک لبن العرفان و دخلنا فی ملکوتک متذنعومه الاطفار و تتضرّع الیک فی اللیل و النهار ربّ ثبّت قدامنا علی دینک و احفظنا فی حصن حفظک واطعمنا من مائدةالسّماء و اجعلنا آیات الهدی و سرج التقوی و اندذ بملائکة ملکوتک یا ربّ الجبروت و الکبریاء انّک انت الکریم الرّحمن الرّحیم . ع ع .
دکتر ضیاء بغدادی
Until the last two years the Bahais in Meshed, Persia, were so persecuted that it was impossible for a number of four persons to meet in one place. But now, they are so free that they have established a school for children.... (Edits.)
--PERSIAN TEXT--
