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The Branch
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Isaiah 11:1-5.
See Zechariah 6:12, 13. Zechariah 3:8-10. Isaiah 4:2.
--PHOTOGRAPH--
THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT, THE GREATEST BRANCH: ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
"This person is the Expounder of My Book and all must turn to him."— Words of Baha'o'llah.
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of ]esse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:"— Isaiah 11:1.
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 Kudrat 1, 74 (November 4, 1918) No. 13
[Following its usual custom at this time of the year, the STAR OF THE WEST emphasizes the "Center of the Covenant" in the person and function of ABDUL-BAHA, inasmuch as the Twenty-sixth of November is known and celebrated as the "Feast of the Appointment of the Center of the Covenant"—The Editors]
The Center of the Covenant, The Greatest Branch: Abdul-Baha Abbas.
IN ORDER to preserve the unity of the Cause and to spread the religion of God, BAHA'O'LLAH has established this Covenant and Testament. Were it not for the power of the Covenant you would have witnessed the dispersion of the believers and the total disappearance of the Cause of God. When I say the Covenant, I mean the power and authority of BAHA'O'LLAH given to me.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Extract from Diary Letter of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, to Miss Magee, Paris, May 10, 1913.)
Today, the most important affair is firmness in the Covenant, because firmness in the Covenant wards off differences.
In former cycles no distinct covenant was made in writing by the Supreme Pen; no distinct personage was appointed to be the standard of differentiating falsehood from truth, so that whatsoever he said was to stand as truth and that which he repudiated was to be known as falsehood. At most, His Holiness Jesus Christ gave only an intimation, a symbol, and that was but an indication of the solidity of Peter's faith. When he mentioned his faith, His Holiness said, "Thou art Peter"—which means rock—"and upon this rock will I build my church." This was a sanction of Peter's faith; it was not indicative of his [Peter] being the expounder of the Book, but was a confirmation of Peter's faith.
But in this dispensation of the Blessed Beauty [BAHA'O'LLAH] among its distinctions is that He did not leave people in perplexity. He entered into a Covenant and Testament with the people. He appointed a Center of the Covenant. He wrote with His own pen and revealed it in the Kitab-el-Akdas, the Book of Laws, and Kitab-el-Ah'd,* the Book of the Covenant, appointing him [Abdul-Baha] the Expounder of the Book. You must ask him [Abdul-Baha] regarding the meanings of the texts of the verses. Whatsoever he says is correct. Outside of this, in numerous Tablets He [BAHA'O'LLAH] has explicitly recorded it with clear, sufficient, valid and forceful statements. In the Tablet of The Branch✝ He explicitly states: Whatsoever The Branch says is right, or correct; and every person must obey The Branch with his life, with his heart, with his tongue. Without his will, not a word shall anyone utter. This is an explicit text of the Blessed Beauty. So there is no excuse left for anybody. No soul shall, of himself, speak anything. Whatsoever his [Abdul-Baha's] tongue utters, whatsoever his pen records, that is correct; according to the explicit text of BAHA'O'LLAH in the Tablet of The Branch.
(Continued on page 147)
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. 13
Doors of the Holy Land open—Recent letters from Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
LETTER TO THE BAHAIS IN AMERICA
Haifa, Palestine,
September 27, 1918.
Through the STAR OF THE WEST, to the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful in America.
My dear Bahai brothers and sisters:
The dark heaven of Haifa—praise be to God—is at last cleared from the gloomy clouds of international contention and the brilliant orbs of the love of the friends may shine again upon our lives through the dawn of the STAR OF THE WEST. For years we have been deprived of its warm rays and its penetrating heat and thus we were left in cold indifference, falling step by step into a frozen state of forgetfulness.
Abdul-Baha and the members of the holy family, whose health is quite well, desire to hear about its progress.
The STAR OF THE WEST was a clear mirror which reflected to us the advanced activities of the believers of God in America and other parts of the world. It brought to us the fragrances of the flowers of love and stirred our hearts with the soft breezes of real affection. It was indeed a great affliction to all of us to be deprived of all these heavenly favors. You cannot realize how we have missed all along the dear messenger of truth which brought to us the glad tidings of the promulgation of the Cause and the promotion of the word of God. You were and are indeed most privileged to be so situated as to avail yourselves of the glad opportunities of service and mutual association, but how unhappy we were to be deprived of all these blessings during the past years of misery, monotony, tyranny and oppression.
Often we have expressed our utter weariness of the length of the war and the peculiar direction which it took in secluding us from the news of the friends and their meetings. How soul-harrowing and unbearable all this dreadful monotony was. No pen can describe it. No tongue can explain it. Only God knows what we have gone through. Weeks, months and years succeeded each other like so many white pages of a blank book without receiving a word
from the believers either in the East or in the West and thus we were totally cut off from communicating with them. Even our hopes failed us and, like unto a mirage, would tantalize us to keep on hoping against hope without ever realizing them. We had begun to think that our condition was fixed and eternally unchangeable and thus to hope for a change or improvement of our environment was utter folly.
But God destined it otherwise. Our bonds had to be broken some day. Our limitations had to be done away with. Our misery and monotony had to be replaced by joy and new scenes and the cycles of sleep, which had passed over Palestine, had to be followed by years of civilization and culture. The prophecies of the Old Testament had to become fulfilled and they could not be possibly fulfilled under the old corrupt regime of the Turks.
In short, dear friends, we are all free. . . . . . The years of silence have passed—the sun of a better day is dawning from the horizon of Palestine. All the people are rejoicing and praying for the speedy arrival of a general peace between all the nations of the world and the establishment of a closer bond of union among all the races. This is the wish of all the God-fearing men and women wherever they may be found.
Hoping to hear from you very soon so that we may know what you have been doing during the past three years, I am
Your faithful brother,
Ahmad Sohrab.
EXTRACT FROM LETTER TO MR. ALFRED E. LUNT
To the STAR OF THE WEST:
. . . . The enclosed words are from a letter just received by me from Mirza Ahmad Sohrab. These are the words of Abdul-Baha expressed, as Mirza Ahmad says, many times during the last months. Certainly they are full of significance. . . . Faithfully yours, Alfred E. Lunt.
Recent Words of Abdul-Baha
The darkness of this gloomy night shall pass away. Again the Sun of Reality will dawn from the horizon of the hearts. Have patience—wait, but do not sit idle; work while you are waiting; smile while you are wearied with monotony; be firm while everything around you is being shaken; be joyous while the ugly face of despair grins at you; speak aloud while the malevolent forces of the nether world try to crush your mind; be valiant and courageous while men all around you are cringing with fear and cowardice. Do not yield to the overwhelming power of tyranny and despotism. Serve the cause of democracy and freedom. Continue your journey to the end. The bright day is coming. The nucleus of the new race is forming. The harbinger of the new ideals of international justice is appearing. The trees of hope will become verdant; the copper of scorn and derision will be transmuted into the gold of honor and praise; the arid desert of ignorance will be transformed into the luxuriant garden of knowledge, the threatening clouds shall be dispelled and the stars of faith and charity will again twinkle in the clear heaven of human consciousness.
LETTER TO MR. JOSEPH H. HANNEN.
Haifa, Palestine,
September 26, 1918.
To Mr. Joseph H. Hannen, Washington, D. C., U. S. A.
My very dear brother in the holy Cause: The most glorious news that I can just now impart to you is the perfect health of the beloved Abdul-Baha and his dear family. Details I can give you in future, but just now my heart is overflowing with a multitude of sentiments and a host of feelings, that I do not know
where to begin and how to end. The last four years, the best of my life, were spent under the worst conditions imaginable, the Turkish rule, which was more venomous than a serpent and more deadly than a scorpion; but, praise be to God, a hundred-thousand times praise be to God, that we are at last free; all Palestine is free; the people are free to think as they like, to write as they like and to speak as they like. Palestine from now on is on the road to national life, virtuous achievements and unlimited progress.
The victorious British army came down from Nazareth like unto a mighty irresistible whirlwind on September 23, and at 3 p. m. took possession of our town, after a battle of twenty-four hours, the picture of which shall never be effaced from the page of my memory. The army that captured Haifa, were all English and Indian cavalrymen, and they showed courage, invincibility and heroism in the very jaws of death.
You have surely read the good news of the British victory in the papers, and your letters, newspapers, and magazines are on the way. We are yearning for the news of your health and the Cause. Surely there must have been many changes during this long interval that we could not communicate with each other. Personally, I had become like a man deaf, blind, and speechless. All the fair realities of my past happy life in America, England, and France had become like faint dreams, and these dreams also had begun to fade away from the page of my memory, when all of a sudden, as though out of the clear, blue sky, the booming of the cannons was heard across the mountains, heralding the glad news of the approach of our liberators and presaging the coming days of reunion, happiness and mutual association of the friends. Now again the world is mine. My happiness is boundless. I can breathe the fresh air of friendship. I am planning to leave for the United States as soon as possible. What joy, what real intoxication to see again the friends face to face!
Today I am sending the copy of a telegram to Ahmed Yazdi, to be cabled to you from Port Said.
As soon as I heard this morning that our new postal authorities would receive letters for the outside world, I was beside myself with joy and hastened to write you this note, so that you and the friends may know that we are all well, awaiting anxiously to receive your news of how things are going with you and the friends. . . .
Your sincere brother,
Ahmad Sohrab.
LETTER AND TABLET TO MRS. GEORGIE RALSTON.
Haifa, Palestine,
October 8, 1918.
To Mrs. Georgie Ralston.
My dear sister in the holy Cause:
This letter was written to you nearly two years ago, but returned to me from Constantinople because war was declared between the United States and Germany. Because it contains the words of Abdul-Baha as well as the translation of his Tablet to you, I only change the envelope, add these few words of greeting and mail it again, hoping that this time it may reach you safely. During this long period of silence we have been waiting for this day, so that we might correspond with each other with the utmost freedom. Praise be to God, Abdul-Baha, and all the friends are well and are longing to look on the faces of the believers. Please remember me to each and all.
I am your faithful brother,
Ahmad Sohrab.
January 10, 1917.
My dear sister in the Cause:
This afternoon I spent, for more than
two hours, in the presence of Abdul-Baha and quaffed the clear water of his holy words. He mentioned your name and Mr. Ralston's, and brought to mind when you used to take him in your electric car to the Golden Gate Park. He praised your devoted nature and your loyal disposition, and prayed for your success and prosperity, both in this world and in the Kingdom. The news about the progress of the Cause and the awakening of hearts in the United States has imparted to us life and happiness. Referring to this question, Abdul-Baha said today:
Words of Abdul-Baha
"I am like a man who has lost the most priceless jewel. He is seeking here and searching there, perchance he might find it and regain his old happiness and assurance in its possession. The Blessed Perfection knows that, day and night—nay rather, every hour—I am looking toward the East and toward the West, toward the North and toward the South, to see whether severed and attracted souls have arisen to teach the Cause of God, to behold whether divine beings, who are the jewels of the treasury of the Spirit, are living in accordance with the principles of this Revelation, to discern whether enkindled hearts are raising their clarion voices in the assemblages of mankind, calling them to the Dawning-place of Truth and the Fountain of Reality. These souls are my lost jewels. Whenever I find a trace of them or someone gives me a clue about them, I become infinitely happy and, adding to my zeal, I continue my indefatigable search. I pray to God that He may give me many such jewels in America. My hope is that every one of the believers may become a brilliant jewel of the mine of guidance and a shining star of the heaven of virtue. Whenever I hear that such a soul is found, I praise the Blessed Beauty for His favor and bounty and beg Him to encircle him with the angels of protection and the seraphs of preservation."
Your kind and welcome letter of June 25, 1916, enclosing a petition for Abdul-Baha, reached me, and I read to him the contents of both. He was most glad to receive the good news of your health and spirituality and that you have been in California, associating with dear Mrs. Goodall and her daughter. No doubt you are now back again in New York, co-operating with the friends in that city in the service of the Kingdom. The following is the translation of a Tablet dictated in your name:
'Tablet from Abdul-Baha to Mrs. Ralston
O thou my daughter of the Kingdom!
Thy letter full of significances imparted spiritual joy and stirred the hearts into cheerfulness. It was an indication of thy inward illumination and a brilliant proof of the fact that thou art drawing the rays of Truth from the fount of Mercy. From the time of our separation up to this hour thou wert and art ever in my mind. I have not forgotten thee even for one day, similarly Mr. Ralston; for both of you are most dear to me. Praise be to God, that your eyes are seeing and your ears hearing and your hearts illumined with the Light of the Most Great Guidance. Your trip to New York was most seasonable and the means of the tranquillity of heart and soul. I hope that during this winter you may spend your time with the utmost rejoicing, but you must be present in the meetings of the believers and become the means of love and affinity of one toward another. Soul-cheering news reaches us from New York, that good-fellowship is realized amongst the friends and union and accord is perfect. I hope that Mr. Ralston and thyself may become the means of holding such meetings, the harvests of which may be abundant, day by day the believers may become
more loving and kind toward each other and always good news may arrive from New York, granting joy and happiness to the hearts of the yearning ones. Convey on my behalf kindness and greeting to each and all the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful.
Upon thee be greeting and praise!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
The Mashrekol-azkar
LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE BOARD OF BAHAI TEMPLE UNITY.
November 1, 1918.
Beloved friends in the Covenant of El-Abha:
In these hours, when the map of the whole world suffers transformation, and the political and geographic divisions of humanity are recreated, let us who have been informed of these events before their occurrence by the Pen of the Center of the Covenant, turn the realities of our spirits to Him of whom it is written, "In that Day, the heavens and the earth shall be but His handful."
These vast outer changes are among His signs and the outward preparation for the indwelling of the Kingdom. But the veritable sign of the Kingdom, as he says, "that which is to be in the inception of the organization of the Kingdom" is the founding of the Mashrekol-azkar. This heavenly edifice, Abdul-Baha says, "is an expression of the upraising of the evident Standard which is waving in the center of that continent, the results and effects of which will become manifest in the hearts and spirits"; "it will have a tremendous effect upon civilization"; "it contains divine wisdoms"; "this Mashrekol-azkar is the first Divine Institute in America"; "a place of spiritual gathering and of the manifestation of divine mysteries"; "though outwardly a material foundation is possessed of spiritual effect." These are the definitions of the Center of the Covenant. Read them as we will, are they not conclusive as to the present clear responsibility of the Bahais to establish this Point which must precede the organization of the Kingdom? Abdul-Baha said in a Tablet translated Sept. 23, 1911, "God said in the Koran, 'It is those who believed in God and the Last Day shall build the Temple of God'". That Day is here and now. Where are those who believe, who "shall build the Temple"? Praise be to God, the pure hearts, the sincere believers have already given an earnest that from the Sea of Recognition they have drunk a cup whose living water melted away the veils, enabling them to become conscious that, veritably, "He is God," that this is the "Last Day", even His Day, and that it is they whom He now calls to build the greatest symbol of His Day, the Temple of God.
The Mashrekol-azkar treasury bears witness today to the genuine effort already made by the beloved of God, to fulfill the command. But there remains a further step before the goal is reached. We are as one, pausing after a great exertion, just without the Promised Land.
But he says, "Hasten! Hasten unto the great bounty! Press! Press forward unto the abundant mercy! Speed! Speed unto the manifest light! Be urgent! Be urgent for the great attainment!" And with what tender mercies hath he recently encouraged us to take this final step so that we may announce to him the glad tidings of full obedience that the sum required is at hand, nay running over.
Consider that within a few weeks the outer communication with Abdul-Baha has been restored. Even as he has in his wisdom and favor chosen this freedom for himself, so also is the world in this hour attaining to freedom. Likewise may we attain to the spiritual freedom of service through full obedience. Vast events are impending; "for every
hour there is a fate", for the Bahais there is an unfulfilled destiny, if these non-existent ones are perchance of that army of the Kingdom, and that destiny "to build the Temple of God". With what thanksgiving for the newly opened door in Haifa, can we now gird up our loins for the final effort!
Today, the treasury holds in bank and in certificates of deposit $105,322.68; in bonds $24,000; and in intangible or other securities or articles of value, of estimated value of $7,000; totalling $136,322.68. There are, besides, unpaid pledges in the vicinity of $30,000. To pass the $200,000 mark required, we need (counting the unpaid pledges) $33,677.32. Without unpaid pledges, we need approximately $63,677.32.* Any pledgors, with outstanding instalments thus far unpaid can readily see the situation. We know something of the spiritual difficulties and real reasons for the delay on some of these. Let us supplicate for the removal of these barriers and the glorious fulfillment of these promises.
But the great attainment lies a step beyond the pledges thus far made. We are now squarely facing the brilliant possibility of the laying of the cornerstone, God willing, by the hand of Abdul-Baha. A few thousand dollars stretch between us and that colossal event. In the face of perhaps the greatest material barriers yet confronting us, only the divine guidance and the heavenly confirmations can clear the path. But our action is nevertheless essential.
At its August meeting, the Executive Board of Bahai Temple Unity, after earnest supplication and consultation, voted to issue a letter to each one of the friends in the Cause, suggesting the use
*NOTE.—The above amounts are approximate. The correct statement is given on the following page over the signature of the Treasurer whose books were audited to date.—The Editors.
of the following prayer revealed by His Holiness The Bab,—during the period of Nov. 8-Nov. 26 inclusive—and that on the final day, the blessed anniversary of the Day of the Covenant, Nov. 26, each soul make his offering for the Mashrekol-Azkar, for the completion of the fund and as a means of assisting in the establishment of the Most Great Peace. All such offerings should be sent to Corinne True, the new Treasurer of the Building Fund Committee, and Financial Secretary of the Unity.
This blessed prayer, which was translated by Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi at Green Acre, Eliot, Maine, August 18, 1918, is as follows:
- "Say! God sufficeth everything above everything and nothing in the heavens or in the earth besides God sufficeth! Verily, He is in Himself, the Knower, the Sustainer, the Omnipotent."
Dr. Bagdadi stated that this prayer was revealed by His Holiness The Bab for the removal of great sufferings, to be said 314 times every morning for nineteen days.
In the over-shadowing spirit of this prayer may we bring this letter to a close, confident in His promise and bestowal, confident in you, the sincere servants of His Beauty, that the certainty of the establishment of the great Mashrekol-azkar is at hand, even in this hour.
Let us recall these glorious words of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH (in Lawh-el-Akdas):
- "Blessed is he who fulfilled My Covenant, and whom the world prevented not from entering the Court of My Holiness."
- "Blessed is he who was attracted by My Melodies, and rent the veils asunder by My Power."
In His love,
Charles Mason Remey, for the Executive Board.
Alfred E. Lunt, for the Building Fund Committee.
BAHAI TEMPLE UNITY—TREASURER'S REPORT
| Receipts | W. S. Stamps | Liberty Bonds | Cash | Interest | Exchange |
| April,1918 | ..... | ......... | $1,006.98 | $20.79 | $.28 |
| May | ..... | ......... | 512.63 | 19.26 | 1.20 |
| June | ..... | 100.00 | 2,125.57 | 5.89 | .51 |
| July | ..... | ......... | 457.42 | 7.17 | .39 |
| August | ..... | ......... | 263.18 | 8.05 | .25 |
| September | ..... | 1,100.00 | 1,596.53 | 9.57 | .35 |
| October | $25.00 | 21,700.00 | 422.39 | 11.09 | .85 |
| $25.00 | $22,900.00 | $6,384.70 | $81.82 | $3.83 | |
| Add Interest | 81.82 | ||||
| Add Interest Certificate of Deposit | 16.55 | ||||
| Total | 6,483.07 | ||||
| Less Exchange | 3.83 | ||||
| Net Cash Receipts | 6,479.24 | ||||
| April 1st Balance | 101,084.72 | ||||
| Total Cash | $107,563.96 | ||||
| Payments as per Vouchers | |||||
| Expense $985.19 | |||||
| Taxes 813.64 | |||||
| Total | 1,798.83 | ||||
| Balance | 105,765.13 | ||||
| Less Error Deposit of 11-15-17 | .25 | ||||
| Balance Nov. 1, 1918 | 105,764.88 | ||||
| Liberty Bonds | 22,900.00 | ||||
| War Savings Stamps | 25.00 | ||||
| $128,689.88 |
| Proof. | |
| Certificate of Deposit dated May 24, 1918 | $35,666.05 |
| Certificate of Deposit dated June 15, 1918 | 61,998.22 |
| Bank Balance Nov. 1, 1918 | 8,100.61 |
| Total Cash | $105,764.88 |
W. H. Randall, Treasurer.
November 1, 1918.
LIBERTY BONDS ACCEPTABLE
During the strenuous days just passed through, the necessity of investing in Liberty Bonds seemed paramount. The great desire of Abdul-Baha, as expressed in a recent Tablet, is the speedy erection of the Mashrekol-azkar. He writes, "For the building of this Temple is a most great triumph." The friends
generally may not know that Liberty Bonds are an acceptable gift to the Building Fund. Many have already realized this and have sent Bonds to Bahai Temple Unity for the fund. May America arise with supernatural energy to achieve the "great triumph" of building the Temple and having Abdul-Baha come and lay its corner stone.
Corinne True,
Treasurer Building Fund Committee of Bahai Temple Unity.
The Center of the Covenant, The Greatest Branch—Continued
(Continued from page 139)
His Holiness Abraham covenanted with regard to Moses. His Holiness Moses was the promised One of Abraham, and he, Moses, covenanted with regard to His Holiness Christ, saying that Christ was the promised One. His Holiness Christ covenanted with regard to His Holiness The Paraclete—which means His Holiness Mohammed. His Holiness Mohammed covenanted as regards The Bab, whom he called "My promised One," His Holiness The Bab, in all his books, in all his epistles, explicitly covenanted with regard to the Blessed Beauty, BAHA'O'LLAH, that BAHA'O'LLAH was the promised One of His Holiness The Bab. His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH covenanted, not that I (Abdul-Baha) am the promised One, but that Abdul-Baha is the Expounder of the Book and the Center of His Covenant, and that the promised One of BAHA'O'LLAH will appear after one thousand or thousands of years. This is the Covenant which BAHA'O'LLAH made. If a person shall deviate, he is not acceptable at the Threshold of BAHA'O'LLAH. In case of difference, Abdul-Baha must be consulted. They must revolve around his good pleasure. After Abdul-Baha, whenever the Universal House of Justice is organized, it will ward off differences.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Star of the West, Vol. 3, No. 14, p. 9.)
After His Holiness Christ, there were many who appeared who were instrumental in creating factions, dissensions. It was not known which one was pursuing the right way. For example, there appeared one among them whose name was Nestor who said that Jesus Christ was not a prophet of God.
Another division was created when the Catholics declared Jesus Christ to be the Son of God; they even pronounced him to be Divinity Himself. The Protestants claimed that Jesus Christ was possessed of two elements, a human element and a divine element. Thus another division was created. In short, the religion of Christ was divided and it was not known who was pursuing the right pathway, because there was no appointed Center to whom Christ referred, whose word was to be a gateway. If His Holiness Christ had taken a covenant with any soul, summoning all to cling to His word as correct, then it would have been evident as to what was veracity.
Because there was no appointed book, every one declared, saying: "We are the right pathway and the others are not." But the Blessed Perfection, BAHA'O'LLAH, to ward off dissensions, so that no interested person should create any division or belief, appointed a Central Personage, declaring him to be the Expounder of the Book. That is, people do not generally understand the meanings of the Book, but he does understand. "He is the Expounder of my Book and the Center of my Testament." In the last two verses of the Book are revealed explicit instructions, declaring that "after me, you should turn your attention to a distinct personage and whatsoever he says is correct." And in the Book of the Covenant, He said that by these two verses are meant such and such
a person. In all His Tablets and Books He has praised the firm ones in the Covenant and He has anathematized those who are not firm in the Covenant, and in all His Tablets He said: "Verily, shun those who are shaken in the Covenant. Verily, God is the confirmer of the firm ones." In His prayers He has said: "O God! Render those who are firm in the Covenant as dear. Degrade those who are not firm in the Covenant, O God! Be the protector of him who protecteth him and confirm him who confirms the Center of the Covenant." Many are the utterances regarding the violators of the Covenant, so that in the blessed Cause there should be no dissensions. No one should say: "My opinion is this," or, "My thought is this." That they may know who is the Expounder and that whatsoever he says is correct. He has not left any room for dissensions—not at all. Of course it is certain that in the world there are those who are antagonistic; there are those who are followers of passion; there are those who follow their own thoughts; there are those who like to create dissension in the Cause. For example: Judas Isoariot was one of the disciples, but he betrayed Jesus Christ. Such things have happened in the past, but now the Blessed Beauty has explicitly declared: "This person is the Expounder of my Book and all must turn to him." And this is to ward off dissension. The purpose of the Blessed One is that no differences shall be created.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Extract from a talk given in Chicago, October 31, 1912.)
The "Tablet of the Branch"—By BAHA'O'LLAH.
[This has been revealed in Adrianople for Mirza Ali Riza in order that he may be nourished by the Favors of God.]
He is Eternal in His Abha Horizon!
Verily, the Cause of God hath come upon the Clouds of Utterances and the polytheists are in this Day in great torment! Verily, the Hosts of Revelation have descended with Banners of Inspiration from the Heaven of the Tablet in the Name of God, the Powerful, the Mighty! At this time the monotheists all rejoice in the victory of God and His dominion and the deniers will then be in manifest perplexity.
O ye people! Do ye flee from the Mercy of God after It has encompassed the existent things created between the heavens and earths? Beware lest ye prefer your own selves before the Mercy of God, and deprive not yourselves thereof! Verily, whosoever turneth away therefrom will be in great loss. Verily, Mercy is like unto Verses which have descended from the one heaven, and from them the monotheists drink the choice Wine of Life, whilst the polytheists drink from the fiery water [hameen]; and when the Verses of God are read unto them, the fire of hatred is enkindled within their breasts. Thus have they preferred their own selves before the Mercy of God, and are of those who are heedless.
Enter, O people, beneath the shelter of the Word! Then drink therefrom the choice wine of Inner Significances and Utterances; for therein is hidden the Kawther of the Glorious One—and it hath appeared from the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the Merciful, with wonderful lights.
Say: Verily, the Ocean of Pre-Existence hath branched forth from this Most Great Ocean. Blessed, therefore, is he who abides upon Its shores, and is of those who are established thereon. Verily, this Most Sacred Temple of
Abha—the Branch of Holiness—hath branched forth from the Sadrat-et-Montaha. Blessed is whosoever sought shelter beneath It and is of those who rest therein.
Say: Verily, the Branch of Command hath sprung forth from this Root which God hath firmly planted in the ground of the Will, the Limb of which has been elevated to a station which encompasses all existence. Therefore, exalted be He for this Creation, the Lofty, the Blessed, the Inaccessible, the Mighty!
O ye people! Draw nigh unto It [The Branch referred to in this Tablet both as "It" and "His"], and taste the fruits of Its Knowledge and Wisdom on the part of the Mighty, the Knowing One. Whosoever will not taste thereof shall be deprived of the Bounty, even though he hath partaken of all that is in the earth—were ye of those who know.
Say: Verily, a Word hath gone forth in favor from the Most Great Tablet and God has adorned It with the Mantle of Himself, and made It Sovereign over all in the earth and a Sign of His Grandeur and Omnipotence among the creatures; in order that, through It, the people shall praise their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Wise; and that, through It, they shall glorify their Creator and sanctify the Self of God which standeth within all things. Verily, this is naught but a Revelation upon the part of the Wise, the Ancient One!
Say: O people, praise ye God, for Its Manifestation [the Branch], for verily It [the Branch] is the Most Great Favor upon you and the Most Perfect blessing upon you; and through Him every mouldering bone is quickened. Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned unto God, and whosoever turneth away from Him hath turned away from My Beauty, denied My Proof and is of those who transgress. Verily, He is the Remembrance of God amongst you and His Trust within you, and His Manifestation unto you and His Appearance among the servants who are nigh. Thus have I been commanded to convey to you the Message of God, your Creator; and I have delivered to you that of which I was commanded. Whereupon, thereunto testifieth God, then His Angels, then His Messengers, and then His Holy Servants.
Inhale the fragrances of the Rizwan from His roses and be not of those who are deprived. Appreciate the Bounty of God upon you and be not veiled therefrom—and, verily, We have sent Him forth in the temple of man. Thus praise ye the Lord, the Originator of whatsoever He willeth through His Wise and inviolable Command!
Verily, those who withhold themselves from the Shelter of the Branch are indeed lost in the wilderness of perplexity; and are consumed by the heat of self-desire, and are of those who perish.
Hasten, O people, unto the Shelter of God, in order that He may protect you from the heat of the Day whereon none shall find for himself any refuge or shelter except beneath the Shelter of His Name, the Clement, the Forgiving! Clothe yourselves, O people, with the garment of Assurance, in order that He may protect you from the dart of doubts and superstitions, and that ye may be of those who are assured in those days wherein none shall ever be assured and none shall be firmly established in the Cause, except by severing himself from all that is possessed by the people and turning unto the Holy and Radiant Outlook.
O ye people! Do ye take unto yourselves the Jebt* as a helper other than God, and do ye seek the Taghoot✝ as a Lord besides your Lord the Almighty,
*An idol worshipped by the ancient Egyptians from which name Egypt was derived. ✝Another idol.
the Omnipotent? Forsake, O people, their mention, then hold the Chalice of Life in the Name of your Lord the Merciful. Verily, by God, the existent world is quickened through a drop thereof, were ye of those who know.
Say: In that Day there is no refuge for any one save the Command of God, and no salvation for any soul but God. Verily, this is the truth and there is naught after truth but manifest error.
Verily, God hath made it incumbent upon every soul to deliver His Cause [the Message] according to his ability. Thus hath the Command been recorded by the Finger of Might and Power upon the Tablet of Majesty and Greatness.
Whosoever quickens one soul in this Cause is like unto one quickening all the servants and the Lord shall bring him forth in the Day of Resurrection into the Rizwan of Oneness, adorned with the Mantle of Himself, the Protector, the Mighty, the Generous! Thus will ye assist your Lord, and naught else save this shall ever be mentioned in this Day before God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.
As to thee, O servant, hearken unto the admonition given unto thee in the Tablet; then seek the Grace of thy Lord at all times. Then spread the Tablet among those who believe in God and in His Verses; so that they may follow that which is contained therein, and be of those who are praiseworthy.
Say: O people, cause no corruption in the earth and dispute not with men; for, verily, this is not worthy of those who have chosen in the shelter of their Lord a station which shall indeed remain secure.
If ye find one athirst, give him to drink from the Chalice of Kawtha and Tasneen; and if ye find one endowed with an attentive ear, read unto him the Verses of God, the Mighty, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Unloose the tongue with excellent utterance, then admonish the people if ye find them advancing unto the sanctuary of God; otherwise abandon them unto themselves and forsake them in the abyss of hell. Beware lest ye scatter the pearls of Inner Significance before every barren, dumb one. Verily, the blind are deprived of witnessing the Lights and are unable to distinguish between the stone and the holy, precious pearl.
Verily, wert thou to read the most mighty, wonderful Verses to the stone for a thousand years, will it understand, or will they take any effect therein? No! By thy Lord the Merciful, the Clement! If thou readest all the Verses of God unto the deaf, will he hear a single letter’? No! Verily, by the Beauty, the Mighty, the Ancient!
Thus have We delivered unto thee some of the jewels of Wisdom and Utterance, in order that thou mayest gaze unto the direction of thy Lord and be severed from all the creatures. May the Spirit and Glory rest upon thee, and upon those who dwell upon the plain of Holiness and who remain in the Cause of their Lord in manifest steadfastness!
Kitab-el-Ah'd—The Book of the Covenant
The Will and Testament of BAHA'O'LLAH.
Although the Supreme Horizon is devoid of the vanities of the world, yet in the Treasury of Trust and Resignation, We have placed a priceless and unequalled inheritance for the heirs. We have not placed (therein) a treasure, neither have We added to the pain.
By God! In wealth fear is concealed and peril is hidden. Behold and then reflect upon that which the Merciful One hath revealed in The Koran: "Woe unto every maligner and backbiter who heapeth up riches and counteth them over." There is no continuance in the riches of this world. That which is subject to mortality and undergoeth a change hath never been and is not worth regarding. But as is well known, the purpose of this Oppressed One in enduring these adversities and calamities, the revelation of the Verses and the manifestation of the Proofs, has been to quench the fire of hatred and animosity, so that perchance the horizons of the minds of the people of this world may shine with the light of concord and attain the real tranquillity. The sun of this explanation is shining and arising from the horizon of the Divine Tablet; all must look toward it.
O people of the world! I enjoin ye to that which is the means of the elevation of your station. Hold to the virtue of God and grasp the hem of that which is just. Verily, I say, the tongue is for mentioning that which is good; pollute it not with evil speech. God hath forgiven ye that which is past; hereafter ye must all speak that which is befitting. Avoid execration, reviling and that which is aggravating to man.
The station of man is high. A short while since, this exalted Word was revealed from the Repository of the Pen of ABHA: "This is a great and blessed Day, but that which has been hidden in man is and shall be disclosed (in this Day)." The station of man is great if he holds to Reality and Truth, and if he be firm and steadfast in the Commands. The true man appeareth before the Merciful One like unto the heavens; his sight and hearing are the sun and moon; his bright and shining qualities are the stars; his station is the highest one; his traces are the educators of the existence. Every believer who hath found the Perfume of the Garment in this Day and turneth with a pure heart toward the Supreme Horizon, he is mentioned as one of the followers of BAHA' upon the red Page.
Take the Chalice of My Favor in My Name; then drink from It to My Remembrance, the Dearest, the New!
O people of the world! The Creed of God is for love and union; make it not the cause of discord and disunion. In the sight of the men of discernment and those who are holding to the Manifestation, that which is the means of preservation and the cause of the ease and tranquillity of the servants is revealed from the Supreme Pen; but the ignorant of the earth who are fostered in ambition and lust are heedless of the matured Wisdom of the True Wise One and are speaking and working in imaginations and fancies.
O saints of God and His loyal ones! Kings are the appearances of power and the daysprings of the might and wealth of the True One. Pray in their behalf, for the government of the earth is ordained to those souls; but the hearts He hath appointed for Himself.
He hath forbidden dispute and strife with an absolute prohibition in the Book (Kitab-el-Akdas). This is the command of God in this Greatest Manifestation, and He hath preserved it from any order of annulment and hath adorned it with the ornament of confirmation. Verily, He is the All-Knowing and the All-Wise!
It is incumbent upon all to aid those souls who are the day-springs of authority and the drawing-points of command, and who are adorned with the ornament of equity and justice. Blessings be upon the princes and learned ones in BAHA.
These are My trusted ones amongst My servants; these are the rising-points of My commandments amongst My creatures. Upon them be My Glory, My Mercy and My Grace which have surrounded all existence!
It is revealed in the Kitab-el-Akdas concerning this, that which from the Horizons of its Words, the Lights of the Divine Bounties gleam, rise, and glitter.
O My Branches! In this Existent Being the greatest strength and the most perfect power is hidden and concealed; look towards It and gaze in the direction of Its union and not at Its seeming differences. This is the TESTAMENT OF GOD that the Branches [Aghsan], Twigs [Afnan], and Relations [Muntessabeen], must each and every one look to the Greatest Branch [Ghusn Azam]. Reflect upon that which is revealed in My Book, the Akdas: "When the Ocean of My Presence hath disappeared and the Book of Origin is achieved to the end, turn your faces towards Him whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Pre-Existent Root." The aim of this blessed verse hath been the Greatest Branch. We have likewise elucidated the Command as a favor from before Us; and I am the Generous, the All-Dispenser!
Verily, God hath ordained the station of the Greater Branch [Ghusn Akbar] after the station of the former. Verily, He is the Ordainer, the Wise. We have surely chosen the Greater [Akbar] after the Greatest [Azam] as a Command from the All-Knowing, the Omniscient!
The love of the Branches is incumbent upon all, but God hath not ordained to them any right from the properties of people.
O My Branches, My Twigs and My Relations! We enjoin ye to the virtue of God, to follow that which is just and benefiting, and that by which your station will be exalted. Truly I say, piety is the greatest commander for the assistance of the Divine Religion, and the hosts that befit this commander have been and are good, pure and pleasing qualities and deeds.
Say: O servants, make not the cause of order to be the cause of confusion, and make not the reason of union to be the occasion of discord! It is hoped that the people of BAHA' will look towards the blessed Word, "Say: All are from the Presence of GOD"—and this exalted Word resembles water for extinguishing the fire of hatred and animosity which is deposited in all minds and hearts. The different creeds will attain the light of real union through this simple Word. Verily, He sayeth the Truth and guideth in the Path, and He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and the Wonderful!
Respect and regard for the Branches is incumbent upon all for the honoring of the Religion and the exaltation of the Word; and this Command hath been both previously and afterwards recorded and mentioned in the Books of God. Blessed is he who attaineth to that which hath been commanded from the Presence of the Commander, the Pre-Existent!
Also respect (is enjoined) for the Ladies of the Household of God, and the Twigs and the Relations. I enjoin ye to the service of the nations and to the pacification of the world.
From the Kingdom of the Revelation of the Aim of the people of the world, is revealed that which is the Cause of the Life of the world and the Salvation of the nations. Hearken to the admonitions of the Supreme Pen with the true ear. Verily, they are better unto ye than all that which is upon earth. To this beareth witness My Book, the Mighty, the Wonderful!
