Transcript:Abu'l-Qasim Faizi/Closing talk at Bahá’í World Congress, 1963
| Transcript of: Giving the closing talk at the Bahá’í World Congress in London (1963) by |
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[0:00] Alláh-u-Abhá. [Audience echos] We heard so much about the Guardian, but Rúhíyyih Khánum did not tell us what a beautiful taste the Guardian has had. [Clapping] One day when Bahá’u’lláh was in Baghdad a Muslim divine went to Him and being proud of his knowledge and erudition he boasted and said, "I am the last of all the divines." And Bahá’u’lláh said God willing. Now beloved friends, I am the last one to speak. You will rejoice, all of you. And you know I came the last one to the conference yesterday and all these days in Haifa I was thinking and I was extremely happy that the whole conference will work on plans about mass conversion so that many people throughout the world will embrace the cause. And I'm glad when I entered yesterday here, I found in the corridors mass embracing, you started. And we hope it will go on forever.
[1:55] One hundred years ago when Bahá’u’lláh was in Baghdad one day he was pacing up and down in front of His house and rows of people were standing near Him. Some were Persian princess and some were from Arab noble families. Bahá’u’lláh asked them, what are the news of the town? What are the news of the market? And one of the Persian princess said, how is it that when you are with your own people, you speak to them of such exalted subjects, but when you are with us you only ask us about the news of the town and the market? Bahá’u’lláh paced up and down and said, people who turn here, my words are not yet created. He again paced up and down and started to tell them something. One of the things which He said at that time was this, He said if there are pearls beneath seven seas, I will bring them out. If there are jewels hidden beyond seven mountains, by the power of the attraction of the word of God, I will bring them out. Who could ever realize in that hour what these words meant? But today we see with our own eyes the fulfillment of these words. Bahá’u’lláh brought out pearls from seven seas, and brought out jewels from beyond seven mountains and gathered them all here from Pacific, Atlantic, the mountains of Bolivia, all countries of the world. These are the pearls and jewels which Bahá’u’lláh desired to have.
[4:41] When Bahá’u’lláh entered the city of ‘Akká as an exile and a prisoner, He said, all things laugh scornfully at the people who has caused this prison for me. I accepted this chain on my neck so that all chains will be broken up into pieces. And I accepted to live in this dilapidated city of ‘Akká so that the citadels of hearts will be prosperous in future. Now, dear friends look around and see how many chains had been broken up into pieces, and how many thousands of veils have been torn asunder so that we could gather here in such love, peace and harmony in the love of Bahá’u’lláh under he's tabernacle. One of the greatest prophecies about the manifestation of Bahá’u’lláh ever mentioned in the Quran is this, he said on that day, the friends will be sitting on benches facing each other. Here is the fulfillment of that great prophecy. All of you are sitting in absolute love and perfect harmony under the tabernacle of Bahá’u’lláh on benches facing each other. I don't know why today, all through the day and even before I came here my mind went back to many years when I was a student in the Bahá’í of Tehran. One of the winter days when it was snowing and it was extremely cold we had our first lesson, French dictation with the greatest promoter of the faith, as was described by the beloved Guardian, [?]. As the greatest poet of Persia in these days, he came to the class and felt that we could not write anything. Therefore, he said, he would read to us some stories from the French literature and explain for us. I remember vividly the words he uttered with such love in that day, he said there was a juggler, a magician who used to make many magic games in the square of the city, and people from all parts of the city came and surrounded him, they stood in four walls around him. People watching these games were shouting, clamoring, applauding, clapping and roaring with laughter for him. There came a father who had the hand of his little boy in his hand. The boy stretched himself many times, could not see anything. The father could not see anything. The father in his compassion, put this child on his shoulders, and the child from the shoulders of the father could see everything and participated in the applaud and clapping and roaring with laughter when he saw the games. And at the same time he was stepping on the shoulder of his father and said, father, why don't you laugh? Why don't you applaud? Father still was kind to him and didn't say anything. Then a wise man who was standing there took the child in his arm and said, my dear boy, you can see all these things because you are on the shoulders of your father. Don't be ungrateful to your father. In this glorious day when we rejoice in the love of Bahá’u’lláh for seeing all these people coming from all around the world, dear friends let's not forget our early believers, who in the dark dungeons in fetters, under swords, in the fields of martyrdom, held the torch of Bahá’u’lláh burning for us. Please let's remember them always and forever. Let us show their photographs to our children. Tell them their stories, keep them alive in our hearts and our lives, because we are standing on their shoulders when we see all these glorious spectacles of the victories of Bahá’u’lláh's faith. Our humble gratitude and homage to our early believers, our gratitude to our beloved pioneers who went throughout the world in the forest, in the islands, in the mountains and kept this torch burning so that the moth would gather around it to burn themselves in the love of Bahá’u’lláh.
[10:28] Beloved friends, as we are promised by Bahá’u’lláh new doors will be opened through which people will come into the Cause troop by troop. New powers will be released from the Kingdom of Abhá. Spring season of the world will come when all these dry trees will be decorated with beautiful flowers, blossoms and fruits. The Guardian has promised that the mysteries of the intuitive knowledge of God will be revealed to mankind in future. When all these things happen, please let's not forget even for one minute, that we are again standing on their shoulders. Let us not say why didn't the people of the early days do this or say this? Let's be grateful to them, to each and all of them. Our thanks and gratitude to the pioneers, the NSA's and the friends who made all these victories possible. I am sure that the pioneers will stand on their posts knowing the greatness of today, it is so great that Bahá’u’lláh has said if you give a drop in His path, in the mirror of the knowledge of the of God it will be seen as oceans. If you give one particle, it will be estimated as mountains. If you say a word, it will be valued as books. Let's not evade and leave all these great opportunities which Bahá’u’lláh has left for us. Let us estimate, let us know the greatness of teaching. Bahá’u’lláh has said a breath in teaching is worth worshiping God in the two worlds. The moment you start to teach the Cause of God, each breath that you take it will be estimated as the worship of God in the two worlds.
[12:49] Beloved friends just ponder upon this words of Bahá’u’lláh when He said two things are beloved by God. One is the tears of the lovers of God when they showed it in the love of God, and one is the drops of the blood of the martyred. But as the second one is not available Bahá’u’lláh says, we have replaced it with the teaching. Teaching has the value of martyrdom in the Bahá’í faith.
[13:40] About a year ago I started on a world tour. Before going I was very much afraid of taking this responsibility. But one of the friends knowing my incapacity, said go to Latin America and just love them. I have just returned from that trip and I love them tremendously. I am in love with all of them and I can't tell you how much. There was one question which was repeatedly asked me there. I want to repeat it here and the answer that I have given. In many places the friends having heard the news of India, the news of Africa of Indonesia and all parts of the world are really getting discouraged and say what is wrong with us? We are living here five years and there are only 10 Bahá’ís. Is our method wrong? Aren't we as spiritual as those people of India? Is there anything wrong with us? I want to assure everybody there is nothing wrong with the pioneers. Nothing wrong with the method of their teaching. But there is this little understanding which is missing. They think that India got all these results only this year, or Africa or Indonesia. No beloved friends, this is the work of at least 90 years suffering. Bahá’u’lláh himself sent Jamal Effendi during his lifetime to India. Jamal Effendi went to all the provinces of India and spoke about the cause and returned to Bahá’u’lláh empty handed. Apparently Bahá’u’lláh told him, go back. So the seeds. This is your function. The next time Jamal Effendi went to India, went to all the provinces, went to Burma, to Singapore, to Indonesia, to Java, to Philippine and some islands of the Pacific and this poor old teacher of the Cause, the most capable, the most daring teacher of the Course died without having seen a single result of his activities. Well, I think this sufficient, please. Thank you. That also is sufficient, please. Because we don't need this clapping, of course you have clapped for all the speakers. I would feel if you didn't for me but I beg you not to do it.
[16:55] Now after Jamal Effendi died, the beloved Master sent many teachers to India. The beloved Guardian sent many teachers to India. The result of the sufferings of all these people did not appear all of a sudden. It is a gradual movement in the soils of the hearts of the people. But please listen to the words of the Master at the time when there had been only about 15 or 20 believers in the whole of India, and very weak believers. He wrote to them that mass conversion will definitely take place in India. From one end of the country to the other end will become the resting place of this divine caravan. The Indian friends will rise to serve in such a way that they will be example of service to all neighboring countries. India will rise to serve in such a way that the Indian friends will make China a paradise and will revive Japan. These are the things which kept the believers going on with their work. And then after 80 or 90 years, all of a sudden all the seeds started to sprout. The same thing is true of Africa. The African work is not the result of this year's work or last year's work. Again Bahá’u’lláh himself sent his first teacher Haji Mirza Hadar Ali[?] to Africa. But because of the instigation of the Persian consul in Egypt, he was sent on exile to Tunisia and he was kept in prison, for a very long time he was imprisoned there. And when he came out, his eyes could not see properly. Something extremely interesting took place at the time when Haji was delivered, released from prison. At that time, Bahá’u’lláh summoned the father of Aziz Yazdi[?] and said go to Jeddah[?] Airport in Arabia. And this man being strictly obedience to the words of Bahá’u’lláh gave the keys of his shop to a friend, said go and close my shop and inform my family that I am gone. He did not fail, waste a minute to go to the house and prepare things. He went on board the ship. After some days, he reached Jeddah at the time when Haji was brought to Jeddah mooneyless and penniless on homeless. And then Yazdi took care of him and brought him back to Haifa. The result of sacrifices of all these people are manifested now. Therefore, the pioneers who had been for five years or 10 years in some places should never complain. These are the results of 80 years work, 90 years work, 90 years suffering. Work day and night til such time as the harvest will be ready.
[20:20] Bahá’u’lláh has definitely said, clearly said to all the friends, your function is to sow the seeds. God either will let them grow, or to burn them. Therefore, yours is only to stand at your posts and on to sow the seeds. The greatest requirement for the pioneers is patience. Patience is a thing which is described in the Quran as having reward unlimited. And this is the patience, the rewards of which is unlimited. Please have patience, God will work through you and even if it is not in your lifetime, in the lifetime of generations after you, all services will be rewarded. Be sure, rest assured and rest in your places of pioneering and service and be steadfast in the path of God and the post given to you at the time of the beloved Guardian. I especially said this to the beloved friends of Arabia who complain this morning and they say if there are so many good news in all parts of the world. Let's go out from Arabia to other parts of the world and serve. Well, Arabian friends also will have the rewards at the time appointed by Bahá’u’lláh. Let them be sure, let them be steadfast. If it was easy, the beloved Guardian would never say we need brave people in these states. If it was easy, everybody could do it. Therefore, you who are brave to accept this post, show your bravery to the end of your lives.
[22:17] Let's not think of our unworthiness in the path of service beloved friends. Once a group of pilgrims had been in the presence of the Master, when they were going, the beloved Master looked at one of them and said, when you go back to Persia, spend all your life in teaching. This man's job was only to make very small handkerchiefs. He was not a learned man. He could write with great many difficulties, but he had that requirement which beloved Master found in him. When the Master told him this, he really was offended in himself and said to himself, I'm not a learned man, and the beloved Master is telling me to go for teaching. Perhaps he's making fun of me. At this time, the Master told him sit down, I want to tell you something. When he sat down, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told him when we were in Iraq, a family wanted to go hunting. They were great friends of Bahá’u’lláh. They went to Him and ask permission so that I would go with them too. And Bahá’u’lláh granted me permission. Very early in the morning all of us were ready for this hunting trip. They belonged to a noble family and they were very wealthy. They all had horses. They were well equipped. They had provisions for two or three days and therefore we all mounted the horse and started to go out of the town. When we reached the outskirts of the town near the mountains, it was early moments of dawn. An Arab hardly clad in anything, had only a piece of cloth tied around his body, and a little piece of stick in his hands came forward. The master of hunting ordered all these horsemen to dismount the horses. They all dismounted and opened all the provisions in front of this Arab and said, please take whatever you want. He took coffee, tea, meat, anything he wanted. And he put all these provisions on his shoulder and took his way back.
[25:07] These young people who were proud of their nobility, of their power, of their guns and everything. Were really offended and went to the master of hunting and said, why did you put us into disgrace in front of this Arab? Why were you so obedient to him? Why did you give him anything he likes? He said, I am an old man, I know the rules of the desert. It is better for you to obey me in this hunting trip. This Arab is not alone. If we had not obeyed him and if we had not given him all that he required, he would only shout. And let's go to the top of the mountain and see with your own eyes. They went up and saw about more than 1000 Arabs well armed and equipped. He said he would shout and all these people would attack you and tore you into pieces. And then the Master looked into the face of this man, he said, my dear friend, you are that Arab. Go to the desert, go to the people and shout and the angels of the strength of Bahá’u’lláh will come to you. Be sure of that.
[26:35] We are unworthy servants of Bahá’u’lláh. We are not even worthy to have believed in Him. He has graciously bestowed this Faith on us. Careful, let's all think of ourselves as that Arab and go to the field of service, of teaching, of pioneering, of consolidation and just shout. And the angels of God and confirmation and strength will surely come to all of us.
[27:06] Dearly beloved friends. As we are sitting here, the sun is setting somewhere. This is one of the most mysterious sunsets. This is the sunset of the last day of the conference. It is the last day of the Ridvan feast and it is the sunset of the last day of the beloved Guardians crusade. At this hour, Bahá’u’lláh started his journey from Baghdad 100 years ago. If you draw a line from Baghdad to Constantinople to Adrianople and to the Holy Land, you will find that that line will form a curve, like the sunrise, go to the climate and sit[?]. Bahá’u’lláh started his upward movement towards the apex of His Manifestation on this evening. And let's all go out from this great conference which we held in the love of our beloved Guardian in a line which will took us higher and higher in the service of the beloved Guardian so that when we reach the climax of our life at the time when we will be summoned to the Abhá Kingdom, we will have fresh faces in front of our Beloved. All of us. I said that the beloved Guardian's crusade comes to an end today. This is his Ten Year Crusade, but we are always working for Him and forever we will live under his shadow and we will never let lose the hem of his mercy. Let's go out of the conference having his beautiful face in our hearts for ever. Alláh-u-Abhá. [Applause]
