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STAR OF THE WEST
"We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened; that diversity of religion shall cease and differences of race be annulled. So it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come."—BAHA'O'LLAH.
Vol. VI Jalal 1, 71 (April 9, 1915) No. 2
Talk by Abdul-Baha
At the home of Mrs. Parsons, Washington, D. C., November 9, 1912
From stenographic notes by Mr. Joseph H. Hannen
THE address which was delivered last evening in the Jewish synagogue evidently disturbed some of the people, including the revered Rabbi, who, however, called on me this afternoon and I went over the ground with him, which I shall review for your benefit.
It was not possible to make the matter very plain to the Rabbi last night, because he was very much pressed for time; but today opportunity was sufficient for a reconsideration of the matter in detail. The quintessence of the subject is as follows—I wish you to understand this thoroughly and have it well memorized, in order that you may discourse with the Jews—thus perchance you may be instrumental in leading them aright.
The quintessence of the subject, I repeat, was this: The question may well be asked first, "What is the mission of the prophet? What is the object of a divine law?" There is no doubt that the object is the education of the human race. It is for the training of humanity. All human beings may be considered as pupils or children, and they are in need of a divine educator. They are in need of a real teacher. In order that he may teach these children he must be qualified, and the qualification of prophethood is as follows: To guide people. Hence we shall notice first, the efficacy of their teaching. The question that must be asked is, "Have they taught men or not? Have they proved themselves efficient tutors or not?" Amongst them, I remarked, was your teacher or instructor, his holiness Moses. Did his holiness Moses educate or did he not? Let us find out whether or not he taught the men of his time: We find his holiness Moses was appointed as the educator of the Children of Israel. It was during a period when the Children of Israel were in captivity, were in a state of humiliation and ignorance, in the utmost of inadvertence, living in a very mean or lowly manner in Egypt, a sort of life which was worse than death. Imagine an ignorant people, downtrodden, thoughtless and most senseless and ignorant; so low as to be considered the very lowest. His holiness Moses was appointed for them, he guided them, he saved them from bondage, he took them into the Holy Land, he rescued them from ignorance, he rescued them from inadvertence, he trained them in such wise as to change a condition of lowliness into one of honor and elevation, he suffered them to reach the utmost degree of perfection. They learned the sciences and arts, they were civilized to a superlative degree, they
became honorable and well thought of, whereas previous to that they were lowly and disrespected, whereas before that they were ignorant, later they became wise—reaching at last to that plane of competency when the Solomonic sovereignty was established by them. Their name was widespread throughout the world, and they became famous for distinct virtues. Even the philosophers of Greece went to Palestine to learn from them lessons of wisdom. All of these facts prove that his holiness Moses was a prophet, was a teacher.
As to his holiness Christ, he was a single, unique and lowly individual, who appeared at a time when the Children of Israel were in the lowest state of bondage, subject to the tyranny of the Roman Empire and to the severe yoke of ignorance, utterly negligent of God. The historical information of the holy Book bears this statement out. Refer thereto and find it as it is. His holiness Christ—this single and unique individual—appeared from amongst this lowly and degraded people with power Divine and the potency of the Holy Spirit, and unified the various peoples and nations of the World. He gathered them together, he caused them to agree and brought them together beneath the overshadowing efficacy of one Word. His mention was not confined to the Children of Israel only, for that was a limited people then. But his holiness Christ united the numerous nations who were then hostile and inimical, such as: The Roman people, the Greek people, the Egyptian people, the Chaldeans, the Syrians and the Assyrian people. He rescued them from their former state of continuous warfare. He made them a united people, and the utmost of love was created by his Word amongst them. At last these people advanced extraordinarily along the degrees of human perfection and edification, and thereby achieved the glory never-ending. The Jews had undergone a great dispersion. This single and unique individual overcame all the world then, founding a sovereignty everlasting, a nation mighty indeed. The results of such an education proved him to be a great man of the world, the first educator of his time, the first teacher of his period. What proof could there be greater than these? What evidence could there be greater than that a single individual should have resuscitated so many peoples and nations, should have unified so many tribes and sects, should have removed so much warfare and sedition? Undoubtedly such a work is wrought through the Power of God, because the power of a human being fails in the accomplishment of such facts.
When his holiness Christ appeared, the Jews then living pronounced him to be the enemy of Moses. Pharisaical rabbis of the time declared him to be the very destroyer of the law of Moses, the very destroyer of the institutes of the Torah; he would bring a great misfortune to the people of Israel, for he was considered to be the breaker of the Sabbath and destroyer of the Temple of Solomon. Hence they turned away from him. We must investigate this. We must see whether this was reality or a libel. When we investigate the facts we find that his holiness Christ caused the name of Moses to be widespread, the fame of Moses to be spread broadcast and the book of Moses, the Bible, through him was published everywhere. In 1500 years the Jews had been unable to have more than one translation of the Old Testament or Torah, which translation was from the Hebrew into the Greek language. But his holiness Christ was instrumental—that is to say, his teachings were instrumental—in having the Old Testament, the Torah, translated into 600 tongues, and in these various languages they were spread in every part of the world. All the kings of Israel, with all the prophets of Israel, were unable to further the movement of Judaism and the name of Moses even
beyond the confines of Palestine. They were unable to have the Torah even spread in any other part, only Palestine; but his holiness Christ caused the name of Moses to be spread throughout the world. In Asia and in Africa and Europe, in most parts of the world, Judaism became an established religion amongst the people. Amongst these continents Asia, which was the center of Judaism, in all the cities of Asia the name of Moses was spread. His holiness Moses was pronounced to be a prophet of God. His book was pronounced to be the book of God. And now this personage is to be considered as a friend or an enemy of Moses!
Fairness is needed; one must judge it aright. Had he been an enemy, he would not have allowed the name of Moses to be so wide-spread. He would not virtually have promulgated the Torah. Would there have been any mention of Moses in America? Who was instrumental in even the name of Judaism having come to this part of the world? It was through the blessing of Christianity, undoubtedly. His holiness Moses had no better friend than his holiness Christ, and no greater sympathizer than his holiness Christ. Regard how they conceal reality and how the illiterate amongst the Israelites still continue in the delusion that Christ was an enemy of Moses. Just now all the Christians do believe in Moses. They declare that Moses was the interlocutor of God; he was a prophet of God, a man of God, that his book was the book of God and that the prophets of Israel were all valid and true, that the people of Israel were the people of God. They offer such unlimited praises, unlimited eulogy, such unlimited love. What harm comes from this? And what if the Jews should say that Christ was also the Word of God; that he was the Spirit of God? What harm could there be in this? Just a few words. These few words will be the cause of reconciling the Christians and the Jews. The Christians do believe in Moses. They believe in the book of Moses. What harm have they received from that belief? Have they lost anything by it?
In answer to all these questions, the Rabbi answered, "No."
Then I said: What harm comes from an attitude of the Jews similar to that of the Christians, if they shall declare that Christ was the Word of God, that the Gospel is the Word of God? By such an attitude as this the enmity of many, many centuries will pass away. I declare that verily Moses was the prophet of God; that his book was the book of God. Does that harm my religious standpoint? Not at all. No harm comes to your religious standpoint if you declare that Christ was the Word of God. Furthermore, every nation in the world is proud of its great men and heroes. They, the heroes or great men, might have been atheists or agnostics. Today France glories in Napoleon Bonaparte, saying: "He was a French military genius," whereas he was a tyrant; "Voltaire was ours," whereas he was an atheist; "Rousseau was a great man of ours," whereas he was an irreligious man. They are proud of them, and they have feasts commemorating them; they have adorned special days or places for them. They have music in their honor. They have commemorations in their behalf. They are proud of them: "Rousseau was ours!" And now, do you consider such great men, these great men of France—I asked of this Rabbi—to be greater than the person of Nazareth, Jesus Christ? It is self-evident that in comparison with Jesus Christ they are as nothing. Consider the grandeur and majesty of Jesus, and that of such men as were mentioned. Consider him from the standpoint of fame and name, and consider the others from the same standpoint. Where is the station of Christ, and where is theirs? What relation is there? Incomparable! What harm
(Continued on page sixteen)
STAR OF THE WEST
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TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA.
HE IS GOD!
O thou Star of the West!
Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere long, thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unshakable, become the object of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto the waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend upon firmness, firmness, firmness!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Vol. VI
No. 2
"Hasten ye toward love and prosperity! Hasten ye toward peace and reconciliation!"
Tablet from Abdul-Baha addressed,"To the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful throughout the world"
(Revealed several years ago; reprinted from the STAR OF THE WEST, No. 1. Vol. IV)
HE IS GOD!
O ye spiritual friends of Abdul-Baha!
"Perfume Thou the East! Illumine Thou the West! Bestow Thou light to the North! Grant Thou life to the South!"
This verse hath been revealed from the lips of the Center of the Covenant one year after the departure of Baha'o'llah. But the nakazeen (not understanding its spiritual purport) wondered and derided. Praise be to God! that now its signs have become manifest, its powers evident, and its proofs plain. Thanks be unto Him! that the East and the West are stirred into cheerfulness, and through the holy fragrances all directions are perfumed.
The Blessed Perfection, in a clear text, hath promised us in the Book: "Verily, I behold you from the horizon of Abha and will make victorious whomsoever will arise in the service of my Cause with the hosts of the supreme concourse and the cohorts of the favored angels." Praise be to God! that this victory and confirmation became visible and manifest and hath shone forth from the horizon of the world like unto the sun.
Therefore, O ye friends of God! Show ye forth an earnest endeavor and display ye a resolute effort, so that ye may become assisted in the adoration of the Ancient Beauty and the manifest light; to be the cause of spreading the light of the sun of Truth; to infuse into the dead, antiquated body of the world a new spirit; to cast in the fields of the hearts pure seeds; to arise in the service
of the Cause; to speak with eloquent tongues to become candles of guidance in the assemblage of the World; to become shining stars in the firmament of the existent beings; to become merciful birds in the rose garden of oneness; to sing the melodies of realities and significances; to spend every breath of your existence in the service of this conspicuous light; so that in the end ye may be freed from loss and failure and attain to the inexhaustible treasury of the kingdom. For the life of man is wholly subject to danger and impermanency. A person cannot put his assurance even in one moment's continuity. Notwithstanding this, the nations of the world, deceived by the mirage of superstition, imagine themselves secure in the heavenly way. Alas! Alas! Former communities in bygone ages entertained the same perishing thoughts; but by one of those periodical fluctuations they were all hidden under the ground, and afflicted with deprivation and loss, except those souls who had become pure evanescence and had arisen with a great self-abnegation in the path of God. Such souls shine forth as brilliant stars from the horizon of the Ancient Glory, and the results which emanated from their lives in succeeding ages and cycles are the proofs of this statement. Therefore, do not ye rest, neither day nor night; seek not ye for composure; talk ye of the mystery of servitude, and seek ye the path of thralldom; so that through the promised confirmation ye may receive assistance from the kingdom of oneness.
O ye friends! Dense and gloomy clouds have covered the horizon of the world, and the darkness of hatred, malignity, persecution, tyranny and the greatest cruelty is spreading. All the people are drunk with the wine of heedlessness; and bloodthirstiness and rapaciousness are considered the noblest excellencies of the world of men.
His Highness the Almighty hath chosen the friends from among the concourse of men and hath especialized them with the most eminent guidance and the highest gift; so that we may with our souls and hearts exert ourselves, sacrifice our lives, be engaged in the guidance of the people and the training of souls; so that the wild beasts may become the gazelles of the meadows of unity; the wolves the sheep of God the bloodthirsty ones the heavenly angels; the fire of malice be extinguished and the flame of safety in the blessed tabernacle bestow illumination; the odor of the nether realm of infidelity be dispelled and the fragrances of the rose garden of faithfulness be diffused in all parts; the weak draw light from the Universal Reason and evil souls seek to be purified with the holy and divine breath. There are needed manifestors for this gift; farmers for this field; gardeners for this rose garden; fishers for this sea; luminous stars for this heaven; spiritual physicians for these ill ones, and loving guides for these wanderers; so that they may bestow a share on those who are deprived, grant a portion to those who are shareless, give unmeasured treasure to the indigent ones, and show forth the power of proof to the seekers.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I supplicate unto Thee, O Thou my Helper! I invoke Thee, O Thou my Refuge! I utter to Thee my agonies, O Thou my Physician, and entreat Thee with all my heart, my soul and my spirit, saying: O my God! O my God! Verily, the gloomy night hath fallen upon all regions and the clouds of ignorance have extended in all directions; the people are immersed in the darkness of surmise and the tyrants are sunk in the depths of brutality and lawlessness. The red glare of the burning fire is flashing forth from the nether world, roaring, ominous voices are rising from the cruel, destructive and terrible armaments; every region is crying out with its dumb secret tongue: "Nothing that I possess hath benefited me and power and strength are taken away from me!" Verily, O my God, the lamps of guidance are extinguished; the fire of animosity is enkindled; wrath and antipathy are spread abroad and
provocation and maliciousness are disseminated upon the face of the earth. Yet I see only Thy wronged followers who are crying at the tops of their voices and summoning the people:
Hasten ye toward affinity!
Hasten ye toward faithfulness!
Hasten ye toward generosity!
Hasten ye toward guidance!
Hasten ye toward union!
Hasten ye to behold the Light of the World!
Hasten ye toward love and prosperity!
Hasten ye toward peace and reconciliation!
Hasten ye toward the law of disarmament!
Hasten ye toward harmony and success!
Hasten ye toward co-operation and mutual help in the path of guidance!
Verily, these wronged ones do sacrifice themselves with infinite joy and happiness for the sake of the people, with all their souls and spirits throughout all regions. Verily, Thou beholdest them weeping at the misfortunes of every one of Thy creatures and becoming grieved at the distress of Thy children; they are kind to all the people and pained at the sight of the calamities of the inhabitants of the world. O my Lord! make the wings of prosperity to grow upon their shoulders, so that they may ever soar toward the apex of their aspirations; strengthen their loins in the service of Thy people, and confirm them in the thralldom and adoration of the threshold of Thy Holiness.
Verily, Thou art the Merciful! Thou art the Clement, and there is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the Compassionate, and the Ancient!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Talk by Abdul-Baha
(Continued from page thirteen)
comes from your declaring that Jesus of Nazareth was a great man who issued from Israel, and we love him? A great man indeed did we give to the world. Such a mighty personage, whose Word has spread throughout the world, was an Israelite, who has conquered the East and the West. Such a person was born of this race. You should be proud of him! When you express your glory and honor in the recollection of Christ, rest assured that the Christians will shake your hands in fellowship. There will be no trouble therein; there will be no hesitancy; there will be no restraint. Consider, for this fanaticism what a lot of trouble and what persecutions have been heaped upon you in Russia. And you must not think that this is all ended! This humiliation will continue forever! The times may come when in Europe itself they will arise against the Jews. But if you should declare Christ to be the Word of God, then you will rid yourself of all the trouble. What harm comes to your religion if you believe in Christ? Jesus was a Hebrew. My advice is this, that your future may be assured and secure, that you may become honorable, that the Christians may love you, and all this depends upon two words: "Christ, the Word of God!" Finished! Nothing more! Is it not a thoughtless state? Is it not ignorance? Is it not folly? Is it not stupidity? Get thee hence, O prejudice! Say, "Verily the Word of God was realized!" and all will be right.
At last, he said: "I guess that is so. I believe that it is perfectly so! But I ask one thing more of you. Cannot you tell the Christians to love us a little bit more?"
I said: Very well. I have done so, and I will continue to do so.
Prophecies of Baha'o'llah concerning Adrianople, Constantinople and Roumelia
Talk by Abdul-Baha at the home of Mrs. Parsons, Washington, D. C., November 7, 1912
From stenographic notes by Mr. Joseph H. Hannen
ALTHOUGH this evening I feel quite fatigued, yet now that I am face to face with you I suddenly feel animated; therefore I shall speak to you.
Consider events in the Balkans today, where a great conflagration is furiously raging and so much blood is being shed. You can say the whole world of humanity is virtually lamenting and mourning because of the revival of this warfare. Governments are in the process of change and transformation. The sovereignty of the Orient at large is tottering; it is subject to the greatest uncertainty. I desire, therefore, to touch upon this subject.
Most especially do I wish to touch upon the phases of this war which Baha'o'llah prophesied forty years ago fully and completely. He addressed a letter to the sultan of Turkey during his exile and while he was under surveillance in the prison of Akka. He likewise addressed epistles to Napoleon III and to the shah of Persia. All these letters which he sent to the crowned heads of the earth were compiled in a book which was published thirty-five years ago in Bombay, India. It was published years ago. There are several editions of the book. The first edition was about thirty-five years ago, and another twenty-two years ago. I have with me a copy of the edition of twenty-two years ago. Professor E. G. Browne, of Cambridge University, wrote a book detailing therein his visit to Akka. He followed that first work by another wherein he quoted extracts from these tablets or letters, some of which have been translated into English and are to be found in the libraries. You can look them up in your library here. I thought some of the friends possessed copies of these. Some had copies, but they have passed them on from hand to hand until no one knows where these copies are. Inasmuch as they are published in London you can all secure copies. When you get copies, carefully peruse these extracts, in order that you may see the remarkable statements of these tablets. In brief, in his words addressed to the sultan of Turkey he says: "Verily, because of your oppression against the subjects who dwell in your land, and because of your great tyranny in governing, ere long your government will undergo change, and soon you shall be dethroned and Roumelia, will be taken out of Turkey or conquered. It will be occupied by others. And in Constantinople there shall come a reign of terror, to such a degree that women will be mourning and wailing, children will be crying, men lamenting, and the cries of these will reach unto heaven." I wish therefore to read certain parts of this book, citing the very words which Baha'o'llah uttered in that connection. They will be translated to you. The third edition was published in Bombay twenty-two years ago. The date is 1308 A. H., about twenty-two years according to your calendar. The Western calendar is different from the east.
(Reading:) "O thou king (literally president), verily thou hast committed that whereat the prophet Mohammed mourns and laments in his delectable paradise! Verily the glory of this earth hath made thee haughty because thou hast turned thy face toward the countenance wherefrom light radiates towards all the denizens of the earth. Ere long thou shalt find thyself in the most great loss. Thou has united with the king of Persia, the shah, in exercising oppression toward me; even after I cry towards ye
from the dawning-point of Majesty and Might with a Command which has illumined the eyes of the near ones. Verily this is the day wherein fire declares in all the things." (This is an Arabic text; you must know there are many such similies in Arabic. "Fire" refers here to the fire in the "bush" seen by Moses.) "Verily it declares that the Beloved of the world hath appeared, and in the estimation of all things there is a declaration that the Interlocutor of the wise hath appeared, and they are ready to hearken to the Word of the generous and wise. Hast thou imagined that thou canst extinguish a light ignited by God? No verily, by His might and power! By that which thou hast committed, that is to say the persecutions, its volume has been increased and its ignition has augmented, and ere long it will spread and set aglow the denizens of the earth. Even so hath the matter been accomplished, and nothing upon the earth nor in heaven can withstand the onward march of this command."
(This is the prophecy:) "Ere long there shall come a change of affairs; a revolution in the land of mystery, Adrianople, and in its environment (Roumelia), and it will go out of the hand of the king. There shall be a great quaking and bewailing, and revolution and corruption will be witnessed everywhere. In all parts of Roumelia affairs will undergo transformation because of that which hath befallen the captives. (Referring to Baha'o'llah and his party.) Verily that government will change, and things will be straightened, and there will be lamentation even of the infants; lamentation to the extent that stones and clay will lament in Constantinople, and even trees and inanimate objects will bemoan and lament. Blood will be spilled in that land, and thou shalt find the people in a great turmoil and trouble. Did the Pharoahs withstand the power of the sovereignty of God while they existed upon the earth and when they were of the oppressors? Verily we caused the Interlocutor (Moses) to appear from the house of Pharoah even to express the great power of God. And recall the time when Nimrod ignited the fire to burn the Friend of God (Abraham). Verily the oppressors have ever exercised at ferocity or oppression toward the wronged ones, endeavoring to exterminate the light of God and extinguish the flame of life. We have caused the command to be issued in the countries, and we have caused His mission to be proclaimed amongst the unitarians. Verily this youth hath come to unify the denizens of the earth; all of them. Ere long God, through His power, will conquer, and thou shalt find the earth a delectable paradise of Abha. Even so hath this matter been recorded upon a mighty tablet with the strong pen of God."
Many are the other prophecies in this book; especially to the shah of Persia, all of which prophecies have come to pass. They are lengthy and we have not time to quote them.
The purpose of this citation is that Baha'o'llah's great endeavor in the east was to unify these people, to cause them to agree, to reconcile them one with the other, thereby to manifest the oneness of the world of humanity, to prepare the way for international peace, and to have all enjoy composure and welfare. But they have not hearkened to the summons of Baha'o'llah. Nay rather, both the Persian and Turkish governments arose against his cause, and the result is that the governments of Persia and Turkey have both gone to pieces. Whereas had they heard his commands and received his admonitions, both of these countries would have been protected. They would have been in the utmost joy and happiness. They would have exercised fellowship together. They would have availed themselves of the wonderful power of love and unity. They would have been well pleased with each other. They would have dwelt in the delectable paradise. But alas! The commands and behests of the Blessed One have not been listened unto. Nay rather, day after day they have followed their own devices, until now this fire is raging most furiously.
