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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. IX Elm 1,74 (October 16, 1918) No. 12
Talks by Abdul-Baha in the Holy Land—Concluded
TRANSLATED BY DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI
The following compilation of some of the utterances of Abdul-Baha after his return to the Holy Land from America, Europe and Egypt, is the fifth published under this heading—the first appeared in issue No. 2, the second in No. 3, the third in No. 10, the fourth in No. 11.
(Continued from page 128)
"While I was away, the people of discord (enemies and nakazeen) endeavored constantly to unite themselves with a group of people here, working secretly with some and openly with others. After my return they gathered again, and, as in the time of Abdul-Hamid, wrote reports and made calumnies and sent them to the Turkish government in Constantinople with the hope that they might cause me to go to prison, to be killed or to be exiled. This was their aim.
"The purpose is that the friends of God must not regard me. This Cause is a great Cause; it is the Cause of the Blessed Beauty. A thousand souls like me come and go; it is the same whether they exist or not. The importance is in the Blessed Cause. The friends of God must be firm, growing and steadfast. It is evident that I was and am constantly in danger, and, moreover, I am not always going to be in this world. The day is coming when I shall long to be in the neighborhood of the Great Mercy!
"The friends of God must be in the utmost uprightness; in their sight there must not be any differences, no wavering should occur. Nay, rather, day by day, their firmness and steadfastness must be increased. Consider the servants of His Holiness Jesus Christ, when all of them departed from this world after his martyrdom, others greater than they arose in service. They showed greater power until the light of guidance illumined the horizons. You, too, must be likewise, and know this as a certainty that the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty will come. By God!—There is no God but Him!—if today one of the weakest creatures begins to serve the Truth, divine confirmations and assistance will surround him. . . .
"May you be under the protection of the Blessed Beauty, confirmed and assisted, living in His holy fragrances, and may every one of you become a holy banner in His path. The purpose is that you should not look at me, whether I am present or absent, existing or lost. Be engaged in serving the Cause. Turn to the Blessed Beauty. He will make you independent of any soul. From Him ask reinforcement; be the servants at His door; be supplied from His bestowals; he illumined with His light. May you be protected, guarded and preserved, and rest assured under His shelter. BAHA'O'LLAH says, 'We shall help whosoever arises to assist My Cause with a host from the Supreme Concourse and a contingent from the near angels.' This is the real foundation. Consider Agha Mirza Abul-Fazl, how much he assisted
the Cause. In every time and place he was confirmed. By God!—There is no God but Him!—should man become the king of the East and the West, it would not be a particle of benefit to him. The result is nothing but loss. Where is Nassir-el-Din Shah? Where is Mohammed Shah? Where is Abdul-Hamid? Where is Bonapart? Where is Wilhelm? No trace, no fruit! Although these were kings and in the utmost power, their end was manifest loss. This is what we see clearly, therefore strive that we may be upright in the servitude of the Holy Threshold. This is eternal glory, this is everlasting bounty. This is the cause of the illumination of existence of the Kingdom of Abha! This is the cause of progress to infinite sublimity! Upon you be El-Baha-el-Abha! (the Glory of God)"
In the morning Abdul-Baha gave the following advice and encouragement to those in his presence: "Today, the friends of God are the illumined candles of the world of humanity; unless the candle burns it will not bestow light. Man must endure if he would obtain treasure. Unless the friends are self-sacrificing, wonderful signs will not become manifest; unless the seed is planted it will not become a fruitful tree; unless the water flows gardens will not become verdant. These are the days of service and not the days of self-concealment. This day is for calling to the Kingdom of God and not for silence. This is the day of firmness and steadfastness, the day of loyalty, not disloyalty. The Blessed Beauty, BAHA'O'LLAH, was fifty years in hardships and afflictions. He quaffed from every cup of calamity and suffered every pain. Then it is evident what the friends should endure and in what manner they should raise the victorious banner of the Cause of God. Easy living is conducive to coldness, and tranquillity and comfort causes the light to be extinguished. Every one of the Bahais must be like unto a globe of fire, and as a blaze of light—dispell the darkness of ignorance with the lights of service, adorn the horizon of the world with brilliant stars, become the sweet-voiced nightingales of the Paradise of Abha and the holy doves of the Supreme Heaven. Today, the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty are with the soul who utterly forgets himself, constantly investigates his own faults and defects, loosens his tongue in mentioning the good qualities and sublime susceptibilities of others, does not see or hear or speak evil. Goodness personified shines as a sun and wafts as the morning breeze upon the earth. . . .
"We are fond of the light of justice from any horizon, and lovers of the beauty of the rose from any garden. His Holiness, BAHA'O'LLAH, has admonished the Bahais, in many tablets, that they should not have religious differences and racial or patriotic prejudices, that they must gather under the banner of the world of humanity. Addressing the world of humanity, BAHA'O'LLAH said, 'O, people of the world! Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch. Glory is not for the one who loves his country, but for the one who loves the world.' If thou desirest the gloom of the world of nature to pass away, thou shouldst illumine the candle of guidance, and if thou seekest a ripe harvest then plant thou a pure seed. If thou wouldst have delicious fruits, plant thou a blessed slip; that is, illumine the heart with the light of the love of God and act according to the exhortations of the Blessed Beauty."
Tablet revealed by Abdul-Baha to the friends in Khorassan, Persia.*
HE IS GOD!
"O fragrances of God, waft with perfume! O breezes of God, pass with aroma and seek the valley of the Merciful, the assembly of knowledge, the Sahara
*Translated by Dr. Bagdadi, July 9, 1918, at Chicago, Ill.
of Khorassan! Become diffused before the friends of God and His faithful ones. Perfume the nostrils of His chosen ones—those whose faces shone forth, whose stars became brilliant, whose feet stood firm, whose banners unfurled, whose hearts grew strong, whose roots and branches flourished, whose breasts dilated in the day of meeting, and who became loyal to the Covenant of God in the world of eternity. Then convey thou to the dwellers of those regions and hills, the greetings of thy Lord, the Supreme, and announce to them the glad tidings of the days of God.
"By my Lord! This is a bounty that was desired in the past centuries by the dawning points of lights and stars, and the recipients of the inspiration of thy Lord, the Dear, the Selfsubsisting. Their eyes were flooded, their tears flowed, their lamentations arose in yearning and longing for it. May you enjoy this table that has descended from the heaven of the favor of your Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate!
"O breezes of longing and fragrances from the flowers of faithfulness! Stand in the courtyard of the friends, the rose-garden of whose hearts thrived by the flooding clouds of the love of God, and their faces shone with the light of the knowledge of God. Convey to them my longing, yearning and attachment; declare and announce to them my devotion, affection and fondness in their mention. Say to them:—
"Upon ye be BAHA'O'LLAH (The Glory of God) and His peace, His greeting and His praise! In your faces are His light and His effulgence. In your hearts are His Spirit and His faithfulness. In your bosoms are His love and His cure. O ye friends of the Merciful! Loosen your tongues in His thanks and praise, for He has confirmed you by the Cause, in the mention of which the Supreme Concourse warbled and the herald of glad tidings proclaimed in the books and tablets.
"Blessed are ye for this great bounty. Glad tidings be unto ye for this wondrous gift which is the full bestowal of God and the manifest light of God. May God make ye torches of His mention, centers of His secrets, dawning-points of His lights and rising points of His signs. Blind are the eyes that do not see the lights or His baha (splendor) and are not consoled by witnessing His marvelous signs, in the day of His Manifestation and His brilliant light. Deaf are the ears that do not hear His call and are not cheered by His Wondrous utterances. Dumb are the tongues that are not loosened in His mention and His praise. Lost are the hearts that are portionless of His love and devotion. Cast away are the souls that do not walk in His good pleasure and quench their thirst at the fountain of His knowledge.
"O thou dove of faithfulness! Speak to the weak if thou findest that difficulties are intensifying, hardships extending, the earth quaking, the mountains shaking, the hurricanes of afflictions encircling, the sea of calamities surging, the winds of suffering blowing and the flood of tests surrounding the contingent beings. Have beautiful patience in the path of thy Glorious Lord. Beware! O servants of the Merciful, lest ye arouse the tumult when the blaze of the fire of trials become intense, and its crackling arises. Beware of crying and wailing in the path of your Glorious Lord. When the ocean of ordeals becomes stormy and its affairs become serious by the oppression of the rebellious people (this refers to the enemies, the nakezeen), do not consider them in a place free from torment, and do not fear their strength and their numbers. Verily, their likes passed before them. Read to them from the book (Koran), 'A Certain Army of the People is Fleeing.' Verily, those in past centuries were much stronger than these, their possessions were greater and their armies mightier.
"Even though, O lambs of God, ye
(Continued on page 133)
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
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. IX
No. 12
--PHOTOGRAPH--
| CLASS OF SERVICE | SYMBOL |
| Telegram | |
| Day Letter | Blue |
| Night Message | Nite |
| Night Letter | N L |
| If none of these three symbols appears after the check (number of words) this is a telegram. Otherwise its character is indicated by the symbol appearing after the check. | |
| Telegram Western Union and Cable Western Union Telegram NEWCOMB CARLTON, PRESIDENT GEORGE W. E. ATKINS, FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT |
{| border="1"
|- | CLASS OF SERVICE || SYMBOL |- | Telegram || |- | Day Letter || Blue |- | Night Message || Nite |- | Night Letter || N L |- | colspan="2" | If none of these three symbols appears after the check (number of words) this is a telegram. Otherwise its character is indicated by the symbol appearing after the check. |}
RECEIVED AT
1623 W. 12th St. Phone Wab. 4321 Local 2
A 12 CH F RK 19
BN BOSTON MASS 1106/AM Oct 4 1918
GERTRUDE BUIKEMA
OR STAR OF THE WEST 1827 W 12 STR CHGO ILL
JUST RECEIVED CABLE FROM LONDON SAYING OFFICIAL CABLE RECEIVED
THERE STATES MASTER WELL AND PROTECTED NOTIFY FRIENDS ABHA GREETINGS
W H RANDALL
1108/AM
(Reproduction of telegram to the STAR OF THE WEST)
ALLAH'O'ABHA!
Momentous changes are taking place in the Holy Land.
The doors of communication between Abdul-Baha and the outer world, are opening. A few days ago the above telegram was received by the STAR OF THE WEST.
The full significance of these events cannot be grasped at this moment; only the future will reveal them. It is likened unto the appearance of the sun after long obscurity.
The dark clouds seem to be scattering.
A tumult of happiness and expectation reverberates in the hearts of the Bahais. "Ya-Baha-El-Abha!"
It is indeed a remarkable co-incidence that the "Talks by Abdul-Baha in the Holy Land", given when the doors of communication were closing, appear in this issue of the STAR OF THE WEST.
We are glad to send them forth at this time.
—The Editors.
Talks by Abdul-Baha in the Holy Land—Continued
(Continued from page 131)
are between the claws of ferocious beasts and the nails of the carnivorous of the earth, do not be discouraged of the Spirit of God. The veil will be removed from the cause of the command of God. This ray will radiate in the horizons of the cities, the signals of oneness will be elevated, the banners of the signs (verses) of your Glorious Lord will wave upon the firm edifice, the structure of doubts will be shaken, the curtain of darkness will be torn asunder; the mom of proofs will dawn and the kingdoms of earth and heaven will shine with the lights of signs.
"You will see the banners of the sects lowered, and their flags reversed, their faces erased and transfixed, their eyes staring and sunken, their hearts palpitating and failing, their homes empty and vacant, their bodies weak and decayed, and the souls falling into hell!
"By the Life of God! Verily, in the people of Noah, Lot, Thamood (one of the first Arabian tribes) the Jews, the Tobbaas of Seba, (ancient kings of Yemen in Hedjaz, Arabia), the heroes of Bat-ha (Mecca), the kaisers of Fayhaa (Bassra), the Cyruses of Zora (Bagdad), and in the fables of the ancient centuries, there is an exhortation to the mindful, and persons of innersight who unfold the end of affairs by the beginning of signs. Verily, their planets were scattered, their processions have perished, their faces became dusty, their stars darkened, their roots torn up, their seed crushed, their thrones wrecked, their armies routed, their pillars quivered, their edifices in ruins, their palaces forsaken, their backs broken, their tombs collapsed, their faces ugly, their skin chilled, their shelter swept away and their traces effaced. Look thou at their towns and villages in the desert. When the might of thy Lord came it made them extinguished, arid and devastated. No voice or whisper could he heard. But those who took the neighborhood of the mercy of thy Lord El-Abha (the Most Glorious) as shelter, refuge, asylum and protection, are like the birds who take the twigs of the Sadrat-el-Montaha (the most distant tree in Paradise, according to the Mohammedan traditions, no angel or prophet can go beyond the limits of this Tree) as a nest and haunt. God established them in the earth. He made them good leaders, caused their signs to be famous and brought them from the horizon of singleness with lights radiating from their faces."
ABDUL-BAHA DISMISSES ALL PILGRIMS
The 29th day of June, 1914, was a day of great sorrow in Haifa because Abdul-Baha dismissed all of the pilgrims and bade them return to their countries.* In the morning he spoke to the visitors from Ishkabad, Turkestan, Russia: "Ishkabad
- It is worthy of note that one month later the great pandemic war began,
"the war unparalleled in history."—The Editors.
is now a good center. In the past, Merv was the center of Khorassan, which is such a vast country including the provinces of Afghanistan, Sistan and Belkh. Ishkabad also is near Merv. The Blessed Beauty often spoke of Khorassan in the tablets, saying that from this country would arise the first mention of God, which amazed the people. When Ishkabad came into existence and the Mashrekol-azkar was built, the hope of the Blessed Beauty became manifest, and this, the first temple of the Bahai world, has become a shelter and refuge to the friends of God. They are drawn hither from all directions and when in difficulty they go to Ishkabad. The friends made a tremendous effort to build this great edifice, they strove with heart and soul. At first it seemed impossible of accomplishment, but, thanks be to God, they were confirmed and assisted. Now, through this inspiration, the friends in all places are planning to build likewise, when it is possible. By founding the Mashrekol-azkar in the world the wonderful signs of God become manifest and evident. One must be built in every place, even though it be only a house or one rented room, if necessary, under the earth.
"It is very important to establish the Mashrekol-azkar of God, so that the friends may gather and become engaged in the commemoration of God. This has great importance. The confirmations of God will arrive, as to the friends in Ishkabad. It has dear young men, also old important souls. His honor Afnan (cousin of the Bab) and Agha Mirza Mahmood (son of Afnan) are there. My heart is exceedingly attached to them. I love Agha Mirza Abdul-Karim very much. He served constantly. His illness has a wisdom, later it will be manifest. I am hopeful that the districts of Turkestan, Russia, will become illumined, the cry of 'Ya-Baha-el-Abha! (O thou Glorious of the Most Glorious!) will reach the Supreme Zone, and the melody of 'Ya-Rabb-el-Aala!' (O my Lord, the Supreme!) will be carried to all horizons. The school of Ishkabad has great importance. You who are going there, strive that it may become orderly, so that the children may progress. May they reach such a degree in knowledge and sciences that the fame of this school may reach to the horizons. Great effort is necessary to accomplish this. Convey my greeting to every friend of God and become an evident book to everyone."
In the afternoon Abdul-Baha, gave the following talk:
"This is the day of farewell and the time of leave-taking is very hard. The Arabian poet says, 'The days of my union with the beloved were so few that the greeting was the farewell.' Indeed, I am deeply grieved, but I do not say good-bye to you because there is a complete connection among the hearts, and among the souls there is unity and agreement. We never have a separation from one another. This nearness and remoteness concerns the world of bodies. In the world of spirits and souls there is union, never separation. The heart feels the union. The eye sees and carries the sight to the heart which becomes affected. When the heart is engaged with the friends there is no separation, especially if you go in service to the Cause of God. When a soldier leaves headquarters to battle and to conquer, though far away in person, his remoteness is conducive to the protection of the country. He cannot receive the glances of favor of the king, yet he is nearer and dearer than the soldier who dwells at headquarters.
"Just so the friends of God who go to far regions to serve the Cause are always holy friends and receive the manifestations of the favors of God. There is a special bounty from the Blessed Beauty surrounding them. Convey my greetings and longings to all of the friends. I am in the utmost longing and have the desire of meeting every one of them. I am engaged in thinking of every
one. From the Blessed Beauty, I seek confirmation and assistance that all may be protected in His Kingdom, and under the shadow of His bounty. May He gather them and shelter them in His shelter, and in the assembly of splendor submerge them in the sea of light."
Thus all of the visitors returned to their own countries. From this it is evident that Abdul-Baha knows that which no one knows. Undoubtedly, he knew that the world war was nearing, therefore he dismissed the people.
June 30, 1914.
In the morning a young German from Stuttgart arrived (see STAR OF THE WEST, Vol. VII, No. 3, page 20), and in the evening Abdul-Baha made the following statement: "When I leave the world I want my heart to be assured that the Blessed Beauty has self-sacrificing servants who, in the utmost reverence, arose to serve the Cause of God. This is the cause of quieting my agitated heart."
July 1st, 1914, Abdul-Baha went from Haifa to Acca.
July 2, 1914.
Today, Abdul-Baha revealed the following tablet to a philosopher in India:
HE IS GOD!
"O thou lover of reality! His Highness, the Merciful, has manifested love and harmony to the world of humanity, so that all of the individuals may find a complete connection with each other and the lights of the Oneness of God may appear in the human world. For this He sent the Holy Manifestations; revealed the heavenly books; established the divine religions, so that these holy souls, these revealed books, and these divine religions may become the cause of unity, agreement, harmony and love in the world of humanity. When we consider the reality of divine religions, we see that reality is one because all of the divine religions are reality, and reality does not accept multiplicity or division. Alas, that the foundation of reality has disappeared and imitations, customs and ceremonies that are the foundation of dissension, the cause of obstinacy, the means of war and struggle have appeared. The original purpose of the appearance of the Holy Manifestations and the establishment of the divine teachings have passed away. When this black darkness, that is, the imitations of fathers and forefathers, surrounded the world and the original illumination of divine religions became obliterated, the Morn of Truth dawned and the Sun of Reality (Baha'o'llah) shone forth from the horizon of Persia and cast the rays of heavenly oneness upon the world of humanity. He brought down the edifice of the imitations of the ignorant, the human conduct and customs that emanate from the prejudices of the ancient. These divine teachings are established in the heart of the horizons like unto the penetration of the spirit in the bodies. Thus, at present in Persia, through the breathing of the Spirit of God, different people have torn asunder the curtain of superstitions, become free from the imitations of the ignorant, reached reality, and in the utmost harmony and love are associating with people of different religions. Great assemblies are being organized consisting of Moslems, Jews, Zoroastrians and sometimes Buddhists, including many races. Turks, Arabs, Persians, Kurds, English, French and Americans mingle together as kind and happy brothers. Like the lambs of God, they graze in the meadow of reality, under the shadow of the training of the heavenly Shepherd. When thou considerest truth or reality thou wilt see that these old and decayed limitations in religion become the cause of bloodshed among the people and the nations.
"As this age is a luminous age and this century the century of knowledge, new teachings are necessary, a new effulgence
is essential and a new life is needed. The souls cannot accept the ancient ideas, a new thought and new teachings are necessary that shall be the spirit of this age and the light of this century. Investigate, make a great effort so that the Center of the Light of Reality may be seen in the assembly of the world as a witness of love, and arise with such a power and confirmation that thou may'st shake that country. Upon thee be greetings and praise!"
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
July 3, 1914.
The German battleship Gaeben arrived at Haifa. Its admiral and officers were invited by the Persian consul to land and have dinner in the village Nahr (river), which is about two hours' distance from Acca; also to visit the holy tomb of BAHA'O'LLAH. It is said that they accepted the invitation chiefly to visit the holy tomb. They were accompanied by the Persian consul, the mayor of Acca and Turkish officers and statesmen. They entered the Holy Threshold and prayed with the utmost respect. The admiral remarked that he had been in many sacred places, but had never encountered one so filled with spirituality, or that had such a wonderfully beautiful site. As they went out they were served with tea, cakes, etc. While the military band played some of them also visited the Garden of Rizwan at Acca. They boarded the ship at Acca and sailed the same night.
July 4, 1914.
The following tablet was revealed by Abdul-Baha at Acca for a believer in America:
"According to the text of the Book of Akdas (the most Holy Book—BAHA'O'LLAH'S Book of Laws) and the explicit Book of Ahd (the Book of the Covenant), Abdul-Baha is the interpreter of all the words and books of the Blessed Beauty. This matter is evident and clear to those who are familiar with the epistle and the tablets. If it were not so each one would interpret according to his desire, prefer his interpretation to any other, and become the cause of dissension. However, if a soul explains one of the divine verses, and the sanction of Abdul-Baha is not upon it, it is discarded. This is not the time of interpretation, it is the time of teaching. All of the friends must employ their tongues in teaching, because teaching is the cause of guiding the ones of earth, of illumination of the world, of leading the world of humanity, of the confirmations of the breath of the Holy Spirit. This is the great Cause. However, if a soul attempts to give his own explanation of the blessed verses and it is not detrimental to the Cause, do not object to him if it is only verbal."
The following tablet was revealed for one of the Americans, an illumined minister who became a believer when Abdul-Baha visited America:
"O my revered! Thy letter that thou hast written in the utmost sincerity and love was the cause of perfect joy. Indeed, with soul and heart thou art striving in order that thou may'st be confirmed by the good pleasure of God. Undoubtedly, this blessed intention has a great effect. A good intention is like unto a brilliant candle, its light shines in all directions. Now, thanks be to God, thou hast risen with utmost effort to light a candle of guidance in that country, and to plant in the garden of the world of humanity a tree of love and gentleness, to herald to the Kingdom of God, to become the cause of awakening of the heedless, to give healing to the spiritually sick, to become the cause of broadening the thought, to train characters, to impart progress to the minds and souls, to bring the lost sheep to the shadow of the real Shepherd, and to guide the migrant birds of the rose-garden of reality. Rest thou assured that the confirmations of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH will come."
