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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. VII Jalal 1, 72 (April 9, 1916) No. 2
The Light of Truth
Address delivered by Mirza Ali Kuli Khan before the Bahai Assembly
of West Hoboken, N. J., September 28, 1902
(Continued from page 8, No. 1 issue, Vol. VII)
ACCORDING to my honorable teacher, Mirza Abul Fazl, the exponents of religion and prophecy have divided the cycles of the world into two long periods:
- The dark night of the age of darkness.
- The Day of Light, or the Shining Morn, the Latter Day, or the Time of the End.
According to the opinion universally agreed upon by all the religionists, and testified to by the prophecies of the founders of religions, the age of darkness began with history and ended in the fifth decade of the nineteenth century. The reason why the cycles of the world, which preceded the dawn of the Day of Light, were called "The dark night" lies in the lack of civilization and enlightenment and the barbarity which prevailed in those days. The world was darkened with the dust of discord, inharmony and injustice, and the gratification of carnal desires and racial preeminence was the highest summit toward which the footsteps of mankind were directed. Countries were so divided from each other that every nation considered the populous and civilized part of the world to be confined within the bounds and limits of its own land, and no man conceived the idea that other nations did really exist in other parts which were unknown to him, owing to the lack of communication and knowledge. Therefore, the Supreme Ordainer did not see fit to rule the disconnected chaotic world of humanity with one universal religion, for in those dark days the capacity of mankind was not developed enough to receive the Message of the kingdom of El-Abha, and the eye of benighted humanity would be blinded and dazzled by the world-illuminating Sun which was ordained to dawn at the time of the end and bring about the first millennium of the Day of Light. He sent forth different prophets to the different parts of the planet to deliver the people of various tastes, lands, nationalities and communities, the one message of Truth, and to raise a point of contact between man and his Maker.
The most ancient religion of the world, so far as the obscurity of the ancient history allows us to investigate, was Sabeanism, founded by Enoch, the seventh after Adam. This religion embodied the creed of the old Egypt, Roman paganism, Greek mythology, Chaldean star worship, Arabian heathen worship and idolatry, as well as the ancient religions of some of the other nations of the world. A remnant of this religious community is still extant in the southwestern part of Persia, called the Sabis, and another embodies the present Phetish worship in Africa.
Afterwards, the Creator sent Confucius in China, the Buddhist and Brahmin prophets in India, Zoroaster in Persia, Moses in Egypt, Jesus in Palestine and Mohammed in Arabia. Each of these men, assisted by the Invisible Power, worked in the amelioration of the characters and morals of their respective nations. They enacted laws and ordinances upon which the welfare and prosperity of every community is founded and bequeathed to them a Divine Book containing direction and enlightenment. Each of these prophets severally gave signs and tokens concerning the Appearance of God in the flesh, and prepared his people to look for the coming of that Great Day, which, as the dawn of Divinity, is the end of the long cycle of darkness and the beginning of the glorious Day of Light. Just as the Israelitish prophets prophesied that at the time of the end men shall see God upon the earth; just as the Gospels foreshadowed the appearance of the Father with the Son; just as Mohammed promised the Islam dispensation that they should see God and appointed the time of his appearance to be 1260 years after his own rise, so, also, the Chinese and Indian prophets, as well as Zoroaster, made the same kind of prophecies and gave the exact date and the country in which that Glorious Light should appear.
In fulfillment of the prophecies, about sixty years ago, the Bab—the precursor of the Lord—appeared in Persia, fulfilling the mission of the Elias of the Jews; the John of the Christians; the Mahdi of the Mohammedans; and prepared the people for the descent of the heavenly table which he said would appear nine years after his own rise. He proved the validity of his mission through his wondrous works, and laid the foundation of the millennial cycle upon the mutilated bodies of thousands who died martyrs for his sake, and cemented them together with the congealed blood of his blessed heart which was shed in the path of his beloved one, in the seventh year of his ministry.
Then the Word of the Almighty became incarnate in the Temple of BAHA'O'LLAH, the Glory of God; the heavenly Father appeared, the sun of the final salvation dawned, and the deliverer arose from the land of Persia to emancipate the children of man from the fetters of oppression, and to bring about the universal and practical unification of the world and nations, which task has been ever beyond the power of any man of learning, affluence, influence and temporal authority. Although the blessed person of BAHA'O'LLAH was, from the beginning, subject to fetters and oppression and exiled from city to city, owing to the hatred and jealousy of the antagonistic fanatical clergy of Persia, yet he occupied all of his blessed days in enacting laws and ordinances for the reformation of the world, and opened the seal of the prophecies of old, which were ordained to be unlocked and unfolded to mankind at the time of the end, through the supreme pen of the glorious Lord.
Day by day the penetration of his Word increased and his followers grew in number until finally the people of tyranny determined to exile him to the desolate land of Acca, located within a few miles of Mt. Carmel which was prophesied by the prophets to be the footstool upon which the Lord shall stand at the time of the end. Thus the prophecies of old were fulfilled and the Holy Land became the land of the Lord, toward which all mankind shall look for light and guidance. The Father came to gather his children together from all parts of the world and to remove racial differences and religious fanaticism which had for long periods marred the prosperity of mankind and had darkened the mirror of brotherhood with the dust of clerical narrowness and national prejudice. This human development ceased to be controlled by human action, and God, himself* came to appoint the criterion through which truth and righteousness are distinguished from false-hood
*St. Mark XII:1-9.
and inadvertence. He revealed the message of God to all the crowned heads of the world and reminded them of the appearance of the King of the divine kingdom to whom kings and subjects should equally bear allegiance, and from whom all races should seek light and guidance.
Thus, in a short space of time, his great cause was spread throughout the world and thousands out of all nations and religious communities acknowledged his Word and saw the beauty of their Lord in the temple of man. His life-imparting breath diffused the breeze of regeneration throughout the graveyards of humanity and resurrected the spiritually dead from the tombs of heedlessness and desire. When his blessed person desired to return to his invisible kingdom and to ascend to the heaven of the unseen realm, he bade farewell to the court of phenomena and in the year 1892 he repaired to the supreme horizon. Before his departure, he wrote his blessed book of his covenant with his own hand and sealed it with his own seal, in which book he entered into a Covenant with all the people of the world, including his own household and "branches," that after his ascension, they should unanimously bear allegiance to and obey his eldest son, the Greatest Branch, the Mystery of God, the Center of the Covenant, Abdul-Baha.
Thus, in fulfillment of the prophecies, the beauty of the son appeared in the temple of servitude to teach humanity how to serve the beauty of El-Abha, and how, through meekness and humility, to attain to his good pleasure. He stood firm under all kinds of trials and tribulations, and notwithstanding myriads of arrows of oppression are flying toward his blessed person, from all sides and directions, he is constantly teaching humanity to love their fellow creatures and to co-operate in raising the banner of Universal Peace, even at the risk of their lives and property. He is the exponent of the Words of BAHA'O'LLAH; he is the preacher of the sermon of love; he is the lover of mankind; he is the one who was appointed to direct the whole world to the fountain head of peace and harmony.
When we carefully investigate the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH, we will find that the subject matter of his scriptures is the unification of mankind and the removal of religious prejudices. In one of the tablets he has said: "O people of the world, the pavilion of unity is raised, do not gaze upon each other with the eye of foreignness! Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch." Likewise, "Let him not glory who loves his own country but let him glory who loves the whole world." He has likewise demonstrated that the essential parts of the religion of God are faith and obedience; that these two are inseparable; faith without obedience, or obedience without faith is not sufficient to work out man's salvation. Love is the mother of faith. Faith signifies obedience to the commands of God and compliance with His laws and ordinances and is conducive to a pure life, which is the only and greatest fruit that can be gathered from the garden of faith.
Man should prove his faith through deeds and actions, not through words and claims. If the edifice of faith could be secured upon mere words, every living creature would be accounted of the faithful; even those who fought against the hosts of God and shed the blood of His prophets professed faith by word of mouth. Faith is the tree, and the fruit thereof is good deeds and actions and pure living. Faith without deeds is a tree without fruit, which is not worth mentioning. In this connection it is said by the pen of El-Baha: "In this dispensation the conquering hosts are good qualities and deeds, and the leader of this army is the fear of God. This is a commander and possessor of all things." Likewise, in the Tablet of the World,
(Continued on page 15)
STAR OF THE WEST
PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR
By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the 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: $1.50 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.
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. VII
No. 2
Eighth Annual Mashrak-El-Azkar Convention and International Bahai Congress
April 29th to May 2d, inclusive, at Auditorium Hotel, Chicago
PROGRAM
First Session: Saturday, April 29, at 8:00 p. m.
Subject: THE BAHAI MOVEMENT.
- Investigation of Truth.
- Fundamental Unity of all Religions.
- Harmony Between Religion and Science.
- Demonstration of Divinity and Inspiration—The Word.
- The Bahai Revelation.
The Bab—BAHA'O'LLAH—Abdul-Baha.
Second Session: Sunday, April 30, at 3:30 p. m.
Subject: UNIVERSAL PEACE.
- Religion Must be the Cause of Unity Amongst Mankind.
- The Abandonment of all Religious, Denominational, Racial and Patriotic Prejudices.
- The Education of the Children of all Countries, Races and Religions under a Universal Standard of Instruction and a Common Curriculum.
- A Universal Tribunal for the Maintenance of International Justice and for the Enforcement of Peace Between Nations.
- The New Spiritual Day.
Third Session: Monday, May 1, at 8:00 p. m.
Subject: THE ONENESS OF THE WORLD OF HUMANITY.
- The Interdependence of Individuals, Nations and Races.
- The Solution of Economic Difficulties.
- The Equality of Men and Women.
- A Universal Language.
- The Coming of The Great Master, the Source of the Real Oneness of Humanity.
Fourth Session: Tuesday, May 2, at 8:00 p. m.
Subject: THE MASHRAK-EL-AZKAR.
- The Mashrak-El-Azkar, the Divine Institution of BAHA'O'LLAH.
- The Mashrak-El-Azkar of Eshkabad, Russia, and the Mashrak-El-Azkar Work in America.
- The Philanthropic Aspect of the Mashrak-El-Azkar.
- The Essential Necessity for the Confirmation of the Holy Spirit as Embodied in the Mashrak-El-Azkar.
- The Importance of Erecting the Mashrak-El-Azkar Now, During the Days of The Covenant.
EIGHTH ANNUAL MASHRAK-EL-AZKAR CONVENTION
Celebration of the Feast of Rizwan, Auditorium Hotel, Saturday, April 29, at 6 p. m.
Meeting upon the Site of the Mashrak-El-Azkar, Wilmette, Sunday, April 30, at 11:00 a. m.
Monday and Tuesday, May 1 and 2, Morning and Afternoon Business Sessions.
Latest News of Abdul-Baha
Letter from Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Syria,
February 16, 1916.
Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi, Chicago, Ill.
My beloved brother Zia:
Your kind and affectionate letter of October 21st as well as the one to Abdul-Baha and the third for the family of your dear wife were all duly received and their contents imparted joy and happiness. Praise be to God, that you are assisted to hold aloft in that far distant country the torch of the Covenant of God and to remind the people that firmness in the testament of the Lord is the corner-stone of faith and assurance. It is a fire that will consume the thorns of self and the thistles of petty ideas. Through this unbreakable chain we are guided safely to the ultimate goal of Truth. Through this white light the darkness of doubt and superstition is dispersed. It is the breath of life that quickens the dead; the power of God that strengthens the weak; the water of immortality that allays the thirst of those who are wandering in the desert of heedlessness. It is the voice of the angel of reality that will throw a mighty reverberation through the pillars of the earth. I delivered your petition to Abdul-Baha the other afternoon when he was sitting in the garden, he read it and was pleased to know that Zeenat Khanom and your dear self were well and in good health. Mohammed and Ata (Zeenat Khanom's brothers) are in Damascus. They have found work there and are quite happy. Hobour (Zeenat's sister) is in the house of Abdul-Baha and the other day I heard her voice. All the
friends are well and pray that the day will come when they will have the pleasure of seeing you in this Holy Land. Will that day soon come ?
Concerning the fund that our brother, Dr. Getsinger brought with him, Abdul-Baha did not accept it and after his departure a cable was forwarded to America on this subject.
Abdul-Baha expected to go to Tiberias the other day with a number of the holy family, but he postponed it till after tomorrow. He is going to take me with him. I am very happy over it as I will have another privilege to be included in the divine society of Abdul-Baha.
Please give my sincere greetings to all.
Ahmad Sohrab.
"If all souls' thoughts were entirely given to holy thoughts of God, what would become of the world from a commercial standpoint?"
Mirza Abul Fazl's Answer to the above Question
LOVE, faith and being filled with the will of God are not contradictory to the temporal affairs that man has to attend to (that is, we can be filled with the love of God and at the same time look after our worldly life and pursuits which are necessary to guarantee our social welfare and prosperity, etc.), though in the beginning it is difficult for us to realize this state in ourselves, yet this can become feasible and practical, if we obey the laws and ordinances of God. For instance, consider David: While he was attentive and watchful over his temporal affairs and worldly dominion to such an extent that he looked after each one of his soldiers, computed their number, arranged their sustenance and means of living, and while he was so alert in arranging administrative affairs that he was not at all heedless of the neighboring kings and their thoughts—even through outward means—even in such wise that through warfare and battles he strengthened that weak kingdom of the Israelites and glorified his people before the eyes of the great kings of Egypt and Assyria—nevertheless, could it be thought that he was meanwhile separated from the love of God? Or could it be said he was so carried away by temporal occupations and cares as to make him heedless of the commemoration of God? And could we and you, as some people, bring ourselves to believe that David did sin?
Likewise, consider His Holiness Abraham: He was a man who led a nomadic life, and possessed large herds and flocks in the desert, and he gained his living by rearing sheep and cattle. He was so watchful and attentive in the administration of the affairs pertaining to temporal pursuits that nothing escaped his notice. Although when single and alone, he migrated from the Ur of the Chaldeans, he exercised the utmost care in his worldly affairs, and thus became accounted among the highest men of affluence in Syrian lands; and notwithstanding he contributed personal watchfulness and attention over every single sheep in case of sickness, yet he was not for a single moment heedless of the commemoration of God; so much so, that among all the inhabitants of the world, at that time, he alone was chosen by God as His friend.
Consequently, we and you must likewise exert ourselves, in order to reach such a point in the love of God that the world and its occupations, no matter
how involving they may be, may not prevent us from the praise of God, nor make us heedless of His commemoration.
Mohammed, the Prophet, has said: "Man in this world must be so attentive to his worldly affairs and temporal necessary pursuits, that it may seem as though he thinks he is going to live forever in this world, and he must, at the same time, be so submerged in the love of God and occupied with the thoughts of the hereafter, that it may seem as though he is going to die and leave this earth at the very moment."
Moreover, one of the great elements in the laws of every religion, deals with the rules concerning the orderly arrangement and preservation of human society. One of their solid commands is this: That man should be engaged in a trade or profession, and should by this means be a cause of tranquillity and peace to others. BAHA'O'LLAH has so emphatically laid down rules concerning the orderly management of mercantile pursuits and professions that he has accounted occupation in such professions as an act of worship on the part of a believer (i. e., according to BAHA'O'LLAH, to be engaged in an honorable art, trade or profession, by which ourselves and humanity can be benefited, is an act of worship).
O my dear sister: Endeavor that man may reach such a point that nothing of this world can prevent him from the love of God, to such an extent that if he goes to sleep, he may have God in his thoughts; if he engages in trade or temporal occupation, he may do it for the purpose of benefiting his fellow-men; and if he walks, he may walk to perform that which is best for the people of the world, and that the more he increases in spirituality, the more he may learn about the well-management of his affairs. Man must love the world and all the people therein for the sake of its Maker. Even as the Persian poet sung six hundred years ago:
"In this world I am rejoiced over the One
Through whom the world is rejoiced;
I am in love with all the people of the world,
For all the world belongs to Him."
For a believer, even his worldly and professional pursuit is an act of worship; for an unbeliever, even his activity in the acts of worship is no other than entire occupation with the world and worldly things. This you have realized in the church, and in the spirit in which many in the church, performed their acts of worship.
The Light of Truth
(continued from page 11)
He has said, the gist of which is the following: "Say, O friends: The tent of the Cause of God is great and it will soon overshadow all the nations of the world. The day is yours, and a thousand tablets are your evidence. Arise to assist the Cause, and gird up the loins of endeavor and conquer the hearts and souls of men with the sword of good deeds. The assister of the Cause is good deeds and their meaning is good morals." Likewise, "Blessed are those who are adorned with the garment of good deeds."
So in this day Abdul-Baha is teaching the same lesson. His everyday life proves that his only aim is the unification of the world, and his only purpose is to emancipate all mankind from bondage and link them together with the chain of brotherhood. His favorite teaching to young and old, high and low, is the severance from all else save God, and the reliance upon Him which is the only source of goodness, the axis around whom mercy and bounty revolve. His greatest hope is to sacrifice his life for the sake of the Father, and to be a target
for thousands of arrows in love for humanity. Through his endeavor the Word of BAHA'O'LLAH is spread broadcast in the world and the voice of the Lord's Manifestation has reached all nations and communities. The words of Abdul-Baha impart the spirit of life and develop the barren soil of hearts into a delectable paradise of faith and knowledge.
O my brothers, sisters and spiritual friends: The day is yours. Avail yourselves of the opportunity and exert yourselves to spread the spirit of love and peace among your fellow creatures, and assist the Cause of your Lord with the hosts of harmony. A Glorious Sun is shining and the vernal shower is pouring. The breeze of God is wafting by and the Ocean of Divine Bounty is rolling. The Ark of Deliverance is sailing upon the Sea of Truth and thousands are reaching the cheerful haven of assurance. This is a day which was longed for by the holy souls and chosen ones in former cycles, and thousands of kings and queens died in expectation of its appearance. The same Word which became incarnate thirty-five hundred years ago and quickened the mouldering bones of the Israelites with the spirit of eternal life, is again in this day manifest in the temple of man, ready to fill the men of capacity with the bounty of regeneration. The same Sun which appeared nineteen hundred years ago from the horizon of the Man of Nazareth and made an humble fisherman the custodian of the Unseen Treasury, is again shining and illuminating the whole world with the light of salvation.
In order to thank God for His great bounty, we must co-operate night and day in union and harmony to raise the tent of this Truth among mankind and to plant the banner of Universal Peace upon the summit of the contingent world. We must cast every enmity and discord into the pit of oblivion and purify our hearts and souls from the least trace of hatred or animosity. We must see only good in our fellow men, and withstand the hosts of denial with the sword of indifference and kindness. We must beg of God to endow us with a discerning sight, so that we may see and appreciate the greatness of this day, and thank Him for having mentioned our names in His Book. We must pray night and day to endure unto the end and be protected from the shock of tests and trials. Prayer is the wing whereby the soul of man soars upward to the heaven of nearness. I beg of God to overshadow this great country and its inhabitants under the tent of His mercy, and to protect them from all that is contrary to His good pleasure. I beg of God to assist them through the angels of His supreme kingdom and enable them to transmit the light of the beauty of El-Baha to all parts of the world.
O God! O God! Suffer us to live in perfect peace and harmony, to turn our hearts and souls unto the face of Abdul-Baha, and to enjoy his presence in the kingdom.
Grant that we may serve our fellow men and remove discord and religious fanaticism from among nations. We are humble; confirm us with the power of Thy Spirit. We are weak; strengthen us through Thy might, and protect us against that which is contrary to Thy good pleasure. Quicken us with the spirit of regeneration and deliver us from the pitfall of superstition.
Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beneficent, the Source of Great Bounty. Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Merciful!
We rely upon Thy beneficence and trust in Abdul-Baha!
Blessed are those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
The servant of Abdul-Baha,
(Signed) ALI KULI KHAN.
Read before the Bahai Assembly of West Hoboken, N. J., September 28, 1902.
