Transcript:Ali Nakhjavani/Scholarship, Understanding and Service
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[0:00]Alláh-u-Abhá.
It is such a joy and honor for me to be standing here before you under the shadow of the Temple for Europe to address a subject which is so important. And I'm so grateful, actually, to the Association for Baháʼí studies for deciding on this subject in consultation, as I understand, with the National Spiritual Assembly. Can you hear my voice? I thought that the first thing I would like to do is to tell the German Baháʼí or the German citizens - whether your Baháʼís or not, it doesn't matter - what Shoghi Effendi has written about this community. I think it's very important for all of us to realize the way that Shoghi Effendi has described you. That's very important in my view. I'll read to you a few passages from his letters:
[1:25]The "brave and valiant lovers" of Bahá’u’lláh, their "generous and spontaneous" attitude to help others, their arduous, devoted, and efficient services - this is all from Shoghi Effendi, nothing from me - their heroic fortitude, their unflinching faith, their undaunted courage. As prophesized by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Germany will emerge in the not far distant future, mighty, united, and glorious to take her destined place in the council of the nations. This has happened already. Their ardent devotion, their unquestioned sincerity, their unrivaled capacity, their ability, their ardor, their thoroughness, their sagacity, their constancy, their magnificent endeavors, their tenacity of purpose, their firmness of faith, their ardor in their love, their grasp of the Divine Teachings, their ability, their patience - maybe you are surprised, but this is what Shoghi Effendi has written about you. Their open-mindedness, their capacity to weather the fiercest storms and overcome formidable obstacles, their worthiness to rank as the standard-bearers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. This virile, steadfast, and dearly loved community, this highly promising and richly endowed community - maybe you don't believe it, but it's true. Believe me, I have not finished, I have still half a page. I have rarely seen such praise from the pen of Shoghi Effendi about other communities.
[5:10]Maybe the American Baháʼí community has had a little bit more. Maybe the Persian community, because of their sufferings, of their martyrdom, they have deserved the praise of Shoghi Effendi. But apart from the United States and apart from Iran, I have not seen such praise as this. Believe me. You should be proud that you belong in this community, that you are German. If you're not German, you are Germanized. Their high-minded and great-hearted believers, their long-oppressed, indefatigable, and much-admired community, their particular and in many ways unique reinforcement of the work connected with Baháʼí research and scholarship, in view of the characteristic qualities, of painstaking thoroughness, of scientific exactitude, and dispassionate criticism distinguishing the race to which they belong. And this is the last one. Their task of implanting the banner of the rising order of their faith in the neighboring sovereign states and dependencies of the European continent, and beyond - even beyond its borders, as far as the heart of Asia. That is your destiny. This is your competence. This is the expectations of Shoghi Effendi. The Sign of God on earth has written over His signature these statements that are ???.
[7:41]Now we come to our subject. I have told the German to raise his hand whenever the time comes and I will shut up. Now, the subject of scholarship. You know in Persian, in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, he has not used terms that have been used in the past by other religions. He has used new words. For example, for scholarship, for those of you who speak Persian or understand Persian, he used the word "???" and for the term for the scholar, he used the word, "???". In Iran, we have for "???" and so on. Then Bahá’u’lláh gives the title to one of these wonderful scholars of Faith and he said, "You are the ???". I'm sure you must have heard his name. He is the most outstanding scholar of our Faith. He spoke, of course, Persian, he wrote Persian, and he has perfect, perfect Arabic. He was a historian. He had deep, deep knowledge about world affairs. He always read the newspapers, always get abreast of what was going on. Bahá’u’lláh gave him the title of Abu’l-Fażl, the father of scholars. And he devoted or dedicated one of the rooms of the mansion of Bahá’u’lláh in the name of Mírzá Abu’l-Fażl.
[9:46]As you enter, the hall is on your right. One of those rooms is dedicated to the name of Mírzá Abu’l-Fażl, so important he is. We thank Shoghi Effendi that he did not use terms of other religions for ourselves. He used the word scholarship, for example. So wonderful. He did not use the word theologian or theology. Thank God. When He was referring to other religions, he mentioned the word theology and theologian, but not for the Baháʼís. We thank Him that he used these new terms to show the distinction of the Baháʼí Faith, that we are not a repetition of other religions. Bahá’u’lláh, when he's referring to scholars, with these "???". Now, on the one hand, see what Bahá’u’lláh does. On the one hand, he tells us, and, of course, whoever wants to be a scholar, he says that we should not exalt ourselves to others, prefer ourselves to others, consider ourselves better, consider ourselves more knowledgeable, more virtuous than others. We shouldn't do that. That we are better than others in knowledge or in learning, we shouldn't do that. So this is what he's telling us. Everyone sitting in this room, in this hall, At the same time, he tells his community. He says, if there are scholars among them, respect them, honor them, show deference to them. This is very important. They are stars of the community. This is very important.
[12:03]See how in two voices, how he speaks to the community generally and how he speaks to the individuals? To me he says, ??? Don't consider yourself to be any better and he tells you the same thing. But to the communities, if you find somebody who had understanding and knowledge and worked hard, respect them, show deference to them. Now, where is the problem? The problem is that when you hear somebody praising you, well, we have a problem. You think, "Maybe I am somebody. They are praising me. Maybe I'm really somebody." This is a thing. We fall in the same hole in the same well, that he's telling us, "Don't fall there." We should not be affected, neither by praise nor criticism nor blame. Someone asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, "I want to be detached. How can I know how I become detached?" The answer is very simple. He says, if you are affected when people praise you, you are not detached. If you are also disappointed when people blame you, you are not detached. If they blame you, okay, that's what he thinks or that's what she thinks. Never mind, whatever. Get it out of your system. Conceal, forgive. Be merciful. Be compassionate. I should not think, "People are crazy; therefore, I must be really something of a star." From the beginning he said, don't consider yourself to be better. So you see how Bahá’u’lláh is educating us.
[14:31]Now, I would like to read to you some quotations from the writings of Shoghi Effendi. Writing in 1924, only three years of his guardianship, "... both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have given a very high position to men of culture and knowledge and Bahá’u’lláh says in one of His Tablets that respect shown to such people is incumbent upon all Bahá’ís.
Another state, this one written in 1943:
"The Cause needs more Bahá’í scholars, people who not only are devoted to it and believe in it and are anxious to tell others about it, but also who have a deep grasp of the Teachings and their significance, and who can correlate its beliefs with the current thoughts and problems of the people of the world."
[15:44]This is a very important passage - a very, very important passage. Writing in 1949:
"It seems what we need now is a more profound and coordinated Bahá’í scholarship in order to attract such men as you are contacting."
And finally a writing in 1949 again, "We need Bahá’í scholars, not only people far, far more deeply aware of what our teachings really are, but also well-read and well-educated people, capable of correlating our teachings to the current thoughts of the leaders of society." These quotations that I read to you are all from Shoghi Effendi written in English.
[16:52]They are really based on certain statements made by Bahá’u’lláh. And I will read to you those passages. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas:
"Happy are ye, O ye the learned ones in Bahá." - the learned ones is another term for scholars - "By the Lord! Ye are the billows of the Most Mighty Ocean, the stars of the firmament of Glory, the standards of triumph waving betwixt" - betwixt means between - "earth and heaven."
This is from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Then we read in the Lawḥ-i-Dunyá, Tablet of the World.
"Oh, people of God" - he is referring to us Baháʼís - "Righteous men of learning who dedicate themselves to the guidance of others and are freed and well guarded from the promptings of a base and covetous nature are, in the sight of Him Who is the Desire of the world, stars of the heaven of true knowledge. It is essential to treat them with deference."
[18:35]As I told you, on the one hand, he says to the individuals be careful and don't fall into the well. Second, he tells us if you see somebody with good knowledge and understanding, show your deference. Honor him. Two different voices depending on who is being addressed. At the same time, when you read the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, you see that he has also given certain exhortations at this advice, sometimes even warnings to those who have been shown deference because of their knowledge and understanding. Just be careful because, as I told you when we hear praise, we think we are important. He is giving us warnings. First - this is very important - there are four points I want to mention. If you only mention this one, it's enough. It is one of the distinctions of our faith. Authority does not rest in individuals. ???. Authority is vested in institutions. That's one of the distinctions of the Baháʼí Faith. All past religions vested authority in individuals. A rabbi, a sheik, a priest, individuals. However, in the faith, an individual has no authority, friends. This is one of our distinctions - no one. If we say ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was an individual, he was an institution. He was not just an individual. Shoghi Effendi was an institution, as well as being an individual. But you and I, we are not an institution. We are individuals. We are human beings. We make mistakes. We have no authority. No one has authority. Institutions - appointed institutions even do not have authority. Hands of the Cause of God do not have authority. Counselors do not have authority. Auxiliary board members have no authority. They are advisors, not authority, administrative authority. Administrative authority is vested in elected institutions - democratically elected institutions. This is one of the distinctions of our faith. If we only understand this, it is enough. I can go back and sit down.
[21:53]The second thing is that these scholars, whatever you want to call them, should not try to have a group of followers of their own. If they're like, "I'm like your mentor. I'm teaching you. You are my group." There is no such thing. But in other religions that exist, of course. The third point, there should be no argumentation, there should be no disputation, there should be no contention between one scholar and another scholar. Even if one of the two is saying the correct, is having the correct understanding and answer, even if. You remember the story of Colby Ives. Colby Ives was the minister of the Unitarian Church in the United States. He met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in the United States. He wrote the book "Portals to Freedom". Beautiful book. He was, of course, a minister of the church. So the discussion was about the trinity. So he gave his opinion. Three God and each one of them is God, et cetera, et cetera. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says no it is not so. The Baháʼí position is that there is a Sun, the rays of the Sun, and there is a mirror. God is like the Sun. The rays, the Holy Spirit, the mirror is the manifestation of God. That is the truth. He says, "Oh no, it's not like this, it's like this" - starting an argument. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, "My dear, you have your opinion and I have my opinion. Finita la musica. Finished. You want to feel that way? I feel this way, finished. No arguments. No discussion in this way. Heated discussion." So this is a very important thing that Bahá’u’lláh says even if you are right, but if you start argumentation, you and your friends are doing this argumentation, both of you are not accepted in the sight of God. Very strong language.
[24:36]And the last point is that there are no spiritual ranks, just as I told you about authority. There are no special ranks, stations, spiritual stations, than what you see on the outside. For example, somebody is the council. That's a position. That's a rank. Somebody is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly. That's a rank. That's a position. Somebody is an auxiliary board member. That's a rank. That's a position. Now these, according to Bahá’u’lláh, this is only for this world. It's not in the next world. True ranks, true stations are only known in the next world by God, not here. This is for the order of things. Things have to be organized. Like an army, you have a general, you have a soldier, you have a lieutenant. This is for an organization. It is not true ranks in the sight of God. No. Our Universal House of Justice has written. It is a very important passage.
"The [Universal] House of Justice hopes that all the friends will remember that the ultimate aim in life of every soul should be to attain spiritual excellence—to win the good pleasure of God. The true spiritual station of any soul is known only to God."
[26:32]May I repeat this sentence: "The true spiritual station of any soul is known only to God." Not to you and me. It is quite a different thing from the ranks and stations that men and women occupy in the various sections of society. Are you tired? Yes or no? I'm not tired, either. But I'm thirsty. And you tell me when it is time, yes? So you see how important it is for all of us to not only concentrate on Baháʼí teachings only - this is essential, but we should have a broad knowledge of the problems of the world. We should know everything. I spent so much time - I don't say I am a model, but I spent so much time on my computer every day trying to keep abreast with the situation in the world today. Politically, economically, scientifically, I try to keep myself informed of what's going on in the world. This is important not only for those scholars who call themselves scholars but for you and me. We have to be like that. Every one of us should be like that.
[28:33]Dear friends, the other point I want to discuss with you is the difference between knowledge and understanding - I repeat, knowledge and understanding. Sometimes, we use these two terms interchangeably as if they were synonymous and they were the same thing. And sometimes we choose in the writing, knowledge. In Persian we say, ???. Almost synonymous. But when you read the writings carefully, you see that it is not so. Take, for example, this letter addressed to the friends in Germany. He says, "He feels-" Shoghi Effendi - "He feels, indeed, that the time has come for the German believers to acquire a thorough knowledge as well as" - as well as means and also (towards something more than knowledge) - "a full understanding". So understanding is not the same. You can use it interchangeably, but it's different. Knowledge is one thing. I'll give you certain examples to help you understand. "...as well as a full understanding of such important Tablets as Bahá'u'lláh's "Book of My Covenant" and `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament." Understanding is not the same as knowledge.
[30:33]Take these words of Bahá’u’lláh:
"Ponder this in thine heart, that the sweet gales" - gales means breezes, winds - "of divine knowledge, blowing from the meads" - meads means meadows - "of mercy, may waft upon thee the fragrance of the Beloved’s utterance, and cause thy soul to attain the Ridván of understanding."
[31:09]So the gale itself is knowledge. The wind, the breeze is knowledge. The fragrance is understanding. See the difference, the distinction Bahá’u’lláh is making between the breeze - you feel the breeze on your face and you like it, but then in addition to that, there is something else: fragrance, Ridván. Ridván here means paradise. Ridván is another word for paradise. If you leave this world, then you enter paradise. Now, every knowledge according to the Islamic tradition, has 70 meanings of which one only is known among the people. Seventy meanings - that's understanding. The outward knowledge is the Ḥadīth itself. The words, you know them. You even memorized, you know it. That's knowledge, but the meanings, the implications - 70 meanings - that's understanding. That's the beginning of understanding.
[32:34]See how Bahá’u’lláh helps us. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, he says, "Read ye the Tablets that ye may know what hath been purposed in the Books of God..." So there is a difference - two things, not one thing. First, read and study are two different things. You read. You read the newspaper. Are you studying the newspaper? He says read the writings in such a way that you understand the purpose I have in mind, whatever I have written. This is work in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. He makes a clear distinction between knowledge - read and memorize. They have tests - they have international tournaments for the Bible. Who can memorize the Bible? There are tournaments for the Quran. And children come and they win prizes. But do they understand? No, they know. They have knowledge but they don't have understanding. They know the whole book. They have memorized the whole book, but they don't understand it. See the difference between the two?
[34:14]And this is addressed not to scholars only. This is addressed to you and to me. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, it is "all people", "my people", "all people". Read in such a way so that you understand "what I have in mind", "what is my purpose". Two different things. I got another one. Immerse yourselves. Go deep. Immerse yourself. Drown yourself. "Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths." First of all, don't go to the sea and wet your feet and say I have come to the sea. That is obvious. Don't go in a little bit and just look and see. You'll see dark things, you don't know what it is. Go deep down. There are pearls inside. The knowledge that you have come to the sea is not enough. Deep, go there. "I have secrets, I have mysteries, I have pearls in these shells." Find the shells. Open the shells. Find pearls. The pearls are yours. This is the difference between knowledge and understanding.
[36:09]Shoghi Effendi, in one of his writings, not in several writings, Bahá’u’lláh speaks about not only understanding. He says true understanding. He has the word true: knowledge and true understanding. Knowledge as well as understanding, both of them, are not end in themselves. They are preliminaries, preliminaries for something else. First of all, for Baháʼí life, how to live a Baháʼí life. My knowledge and my understanding are fine. Look, I have to live the life. Among the things I have to live the life is to teach the Cause. I have to have this knowledge of the world, of the teachings, world knowledge, understanding. So that I can teach the Cause, or be an effective teacher or promote the teaching work. So this is one of the things. The other thing is to defend the Cause. There's a difference between teaching the Cause and defending the Cause.
[37:32]My dear friends, please understand that the Faith of God is going to go from strength to strength. This is destined. This is God's fate. It's not a human fate. It's not a human creation. Bahá’u’lláh has created this, Messenger of God manifestation. He has guaranteed the triumph of His cause, the victory of His cause. There will be resistance. There will be resistance against the growth of the Faith, the development of the Faith, the triumph of the Faith. We have to get ready for that. We speak a little bit more in history's time or speak more about the defense. Now I'll give you this statement made by Shoghi Effendi, which I think is very important, which he makes a distinction between intellectual understanding and true understanding.
[38:35]"The thing the German believers must do is to deepen themselves in the Covenants of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá." Look at this sentence. "Mere intellectual understanding of the teachings is not enough." May I repeat this sentence? "Mere" - mere means simple - simply to have "mere intellectual understanding of the teachings is not enough. Deep spirituality is essential, and the foundation of true spirituality is steadfastness in the Covenant."
{{t|39:40}I'll give you an example. For example, if you opened the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book, there is a supposition that Bahá’u’lláh makes in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas - a very interesting supposition. He says supposing now we have two parties. Man and woman want to get married. Before marriage, they have an agreement, a certain agreement. It should be like this, if it's not like this, the marriage will be dissolved, will be canceled. They enter the marriage. They find that one of those conditions or the main condition has not been observed. It has been broken. It has been breached. What is the duty of a Baháʼí? Bahá’u’lláh says to forgive. Don't make it into an issue. Don't break the marriage. Forgive. Your party did not comply. Never mind. Forgive. Why? Because it is more pleasing to God. An intellectual, how does he look at this? He looks at this, "This is very simple." He's a secular intellectual. This is very good. Bahá’u’lláh says that he has come for unity. You have made a mistake, you hope that you will be forgiven or forgive others. This is the golden rule. Do unto others what you like others to do unto you. This is a secular approach, an intellectual approach. This is very good. But Shoghi Effendi said this is not enough. This is intellectual acceptance. This is not enough.
[42:06]Intellectual understanding is something else. It is the last part. It is more pleasing unto God. That's why Shoghi Effendi says speak about the Covenant. What is the Covenant? The Covenant is - this Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has a covenant. There is a Lord of the Covenant. He's Bahá’u’lláh. He presides over the destinies of his Faith. He looks after the destinies of his Faith. He's present. He sees. He oversees. He conducts. He directs. The Divine Providence, the invisible hand of God is at work. A secular intellectual will not accept this. He looks at it from a truly practical point of view, "This is for unity." But an intellectual approach is not enough to the spiritual approach. The spiritual approach comes from the Covenant because the Covenant is in charge. Bahá’u’lláh is the Lord of the Covenant. He appoints Bahá’u’lláh. I have to accept ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá appoints Shoghi Effendi; I have to accept Shoghi Effendi. The Universal House of Justice - it is clearly stated in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas that I have to accept the Universal House of Justice. This is the Covenant.
[43:49]My dear friends, the Covenant is not only the law of succession. There is another component to the Covenant and that is there is God. He is in charge. At ease. There is a love of God. There is accountability. When I die, I will be responsible before God. Everything I do, I'm accountable and answerable to God. It's different. A new dimension has been added. This is the important thing which changes intellectual understanding to spiritual, true heavenly understanding. You have not raised your finger yet. Now Shoghi Effendi. But there is a statement made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that I must quote for you here: "When the friends do not endeavor to spread the message, they fail to remember God befittingly, and will not witness the tokens of assistance and confirmation from the Bahá Kingdom. If he had stopped here, it's very clear. He has said this many times. He said that "You teach the Cause, you will see with your own eyes how God will help you." He will interfere. He would intervene. He will come to your assistance and you will feel that He's there, that He has helped you. So far, so good. No problem. But then, in this particular tablet, He continues, "...and will comprehend the divine mysteries." So divine mysteries, the secrets, the pearls.
[45:56]‘Abdu’l-Bahá in essence is saying that there are two ways - this is my way of understanding what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is saying. There are two ways to discover all the mysteries, divine mysteries, the 70 meanings we don't know. Mystery is out there. The pearls are out there. Now, two ways. One is for you to think, to reflect, to pray, to read, to study, to think again until you get this understanding. This is one way. You are in your study, you are in your house. You pray about it today, you pray about it tomorrow. You think, "What is this? Where is this mystery?" You get it through prayer. This is one way. But there is a second way. A much simpler way. Teach the Cause. Deliver the message. Become a teacher, a proclaimer of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Have courage, teach. You will not only receive divine assistance, but you will also discover and comprehend the mysteries which are hidden in my words. Because he will help you. We don't have just to reflect all the time and pray all the time, and look at this, and quote this. This isn't all you can do. This is one way. But there's a second way, simpler way. And if we understand this, see how we can grow spiritually, how teaching helps us to grow spiritually, to discover the mysteries, how we will become instruments in His hand, how He can assist us, how He can help us so that we can help His Cause.
Template:T48:07Now what I would like to say now is - I hope I have the time. I have spoken about teaching. I have spoken about scholarship. I have spoken about a true understanding as distinct from knowledge. I want to tell you friends that unfortunately I have seen in the Baháʼí community in recent years things that have surprised me. I went to the United States. I saw the problem there. I went to Japan. I saw the problem there. I went to Canada. I saw the problem there. Recently, I have been traveling for three months. When I came back from my travels, I was so weak I could not eat. I have lost my appetite. What was the problem? The problem was that because the House of Justice has given us institute process, that is the only thing we have to do. That is wrong. That is where the mistake is. Dear friends. The House of Justice has never said that the core activities are the only things we have to do. There is no such thing in the writings that instead of having fire sites, we have study circles. The idea of fire sites is old stuff. This is the old method. The new method is study circles. This is wrong. There's no such thing in the writings of the House of Justice. Never.
[49:55]My dear friends, The Faith of God runs on two lines, just like a train. Two lines, not one line. One is institutional. One is individual. Both are meant to work together. They are not meant to cancel each other. They are meant to complement each other, not cancel each other, not nullify each other. There should be coherence. Coherence means one side should be coherent, considerate, consistent about the needs of the other and this one should also be consistent about the work of the other to work together. Bahá’u’lláh says that we have to teach the Cause. Every individual has to teach the Cause. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said you have to teach the Cause in such a way so that you bring one person every year to the Cause. So I do it. The Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá - the House of Justice has said to forget the Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá now, only core activities. That's what they have said. Shoghi Effendi praised the fire sites. Is there anything in the writings of the House of Justice to stop fire sites? Maybe an assistant to an auxiliary board member may have told you this. This does not make it a text. Tell the auxiliary board member, "Show me the text." No such thing. The House of Justice speaks about fire sites. It is necessary. If everything had to be bundled and forgotten, why do we have this association for Baháʼí studies? Why have they not stopped? Why? Why have they stopped summer school and winter school? Why? It's there. It's part of Baháʼí life. The House of Justice has never said anything like that. It may be this assistant of the auxiliary board member that said this.
[52:18]Please dear friends, understand. The two go together. As a community, we are supposed to do both. As an individual, maybe I cannot do both. The House of Justice has told me that if you cannot go and knock on doors and read the presentation, it doesn't matter. Don't do it. When they say, "Don't do it", does it mean go and sit at home and do nothing? No, they are not saying that. They say, "If you can't do this, don't do it." In other words, continue doing the other thing that you have been doing all your life. Instead, I go, "What do I do?" I sit down and say, "Thank God, there is a new method now. The old method is finished. I have nothing to do." Finished. If somebody tells me they have done this, I'm ready to applaud. I'm ready to clap. I'm ready to encourage, but I do nothing. That's wrong. Who has said this? The House of Justice certainly has not said this. There are two lines: institutional, individual. Both are important.
[53:30]The last part of my presentation is about the defense of the Cause. The defense of the Cause is so important that I must drink before I tell you. There is a passage from the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá - Shoghi Effendi has quoted this passage two-three times in his letters to remind us again and again, in Persian, in English, repeatedly. I don't remember that any passage has been so repeatedly mentioned by Shoghi Effendi, quoted by Shoghi Effendi, than this passage. I'll first read it, "How great" - I'm sure you all are familiar with this:
"How great, how very great is the Cause! How very fierce the onslaught of all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Ere long shall the clamor of the multitude throughout Africa, throughout America, the cry of the European and of the Turk, the groaning of India and China, be heard from far and near. One and all, they shall arise with all their power to resist His Cause. Then shall the knights of the Lord" - knights, small k, not capital k - "assisted by His grace from on high, strengthened by faith, aided by the power of understanding, and reinforced by the legions of the Covenant, arise and make manifest the truth of the verse: ‘Behold the confusion that hath befallen the tribes of the defeated!"
[55:49]You know, when Músá Banání was in prison as the hands of the Cause of God, again Shoghi Effendi quoted this for him. He knew it by heart as he was walking in the gardens. He would quote this. When I was in pilgrimage alone, he did the same thing. He was walking in the garden. The whole thing that I read, he read in Persian. He knew it by heart. And as he was reading, he would comment. And I would like you to understand that when he reached all - because the word all has been repeated twice in this passage ("All will arise", "One and all"), he told me, "Notice, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says all. There is no exception." It is true this is the pilgrim's note. He said there is no exception. My dear friends, this means that in Germany you're going to have opposition. You have to be prepared for it. You have to know how to defend the Cause. Not only to teach the Cause and proclaim the Cause but to defend the Cause. Everywhere it's going to be - it specifies Europe, particularly, everywhere. This is the Cause of God. It is progressing. It is developing. The other religions will be concerned. The House of Justice is telling us we are engaged in the process of entry by troops. When we have entry by troops, the others will be hoping, tell the Baháʼís "Bravo!". They won't say "Bravo!". They will oppose us. They will resist the growth of the Faith. They will try to stop the growth of the Faith. We have to be ready for this. We have to know how to defend the Cause.
[57:56]‘Abdu’l-Bahá gives us how this is going to happen at the end of this passage. He says, "First, divine assistance." Divine help. We are not alone. This is the Cause of God. Not the cause of Husayn Ali who was a Persian scholar in Iran. This is Bahá’u’lláh, the Blessed Perfection, the blessed duty, the Cause of God - he has brought this message, this dispensation, He is responsible. He's presiding over the destinies of his Cause. I have refuted this twice. He sees. He oversees. He knows. He loves his Cause. You think he will leave his Cause? No. You think he is going to leave us? No. He is waiting to see who will arise, who will arise with faith. Now, faith, my dear friends, was mentioned here. Faith is the beginning of something. It's not the whole thing. Just like knowledge is the beginning of understanding. Faith is the beginning of certitude. Two different Iman and Iqan. We must have faith alone as the recognition of Bahá’u’lláh. The Iqan is certitude. It's the difference between love and ardent love, love and intoxicated love. It's the difference. In Persian hope is love. Faith is ardent love. It's more than just love. It becomes an intoxicated lover of the Cause. Faith is like that . Faith is the beginning. It should flourish and blossom, and become certitude.
[1:00:10]When we arise, this is the first thing. When we arise with faith and certitude, we attract divine blessings. That's the first thing that becomes. We'd be helping and resisting and opposing and answering the attacks that we're going to receive ourselves. You and I, our faith, our love, our ardent love, our true certitude. That is first. Second, he says the power of understanding - he doesn't say the power of knowledge. You know the word power originally in the origin of the text is "warrior". It didn't use the word "warrior". The word is ???. ??? means soldier, warrior. ??? is the plural. That's the original. Shoghi Effendi stands waiting, he just puts "power", "power of understanding" because understanding has power. It's like a soldier, like a warrior. It helps, and that's why it's important for all of us friends not just to read the writings, but to study the writings. You understand the writings through understanding, deep understanding, deep grasp. Teaching the Cause and understanding the mysteries, strengthening ourselves, selflessly, devotedly, with dedication, with perseverance: that's how we grow. And that's how the Faith will be helped.
[1:01:04]And then, finally, the second, therefore, are scholars. I think, through understanding here is a reference to the scholars - all of us but more particularly the scholars. They will come. They have no authority, but they have to understand. Start explaining, Baháʼís understand. And finally, he says, it will be aided by the part of understanding, reinforced by the legions of the Covenant. The legions of the Covenant are the institutions, the elected institutions. "Legions" is a term. It's a military term. It's an army. The army of God are the elected institutions. They are the leaders. The individual believers cannot become leaders. The scholars cannot become leaders with authorities. They can't. They can encourage. They can advise. They can stimulate. But they don't have authority. The authority is now vested in the army, the generals. In fact, Shoghi Effendi called national assemblies the generals of the 10-year crusade. He used a military term. Here, "legions" is a military term. He organized the Administrative Order, the elected administrative order. They will come. And at the top of local assemblies, on top of national assemblies will be the Universal House of Justice. These are the legions of the Covenant.
[1:04:06]So to summarize, it's a tripod. It's a tripod, three legs. You and I, and our faith. Second, through understanding, the power of understanding, study the Faith. Be ready. Second leg and the third leg, the legions of God, the Administrative Order. Finita la musica.
