Transcript:Tarazu’llah Samandari/Speaking of experiences with Bahá’u’lláh
| Transcript of: Speaking of his experiences with Bahá’u’lláh (1963) by |
| Speaking of his experiences with Bahá’u’lláh, on the opening day of the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963, Marzieh Gail translating. Download: mp3, Source: © Gregory C. Dahl |
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Alláh-u-Abhá!
[Audience] Alláh-u-Abhá.
I greet all the dear believers men and women present here. This is the great aid, great festival of Riḍván. And this is the Most Great Jubilee of Bahá’u’lláh. Thank God! I have lived to see the fulfillment of the great prophecies in the holy writings. All the Baháʼí, all together in their souls and their spirits must rejoice this day. Thank God! Praise be to God. All the promises of the Báb, of Bahá’u’lláh, of Abdu'l-Baha, of our beloved Shoghi Effendi. All these we see fulfilled. [Applause] Glad tidings, glad tidings. And all the remaining prophecies will also be fulfilled. We are here in this netherworld celebrating but 20,000 martyrs are here with us sharing our celebration. [Applause] The Persian poet says this great disorder in the town is my beloved's tangled hair. And it's my darlings curving brow, this revolution everywhere. [Applause] All have mentioned the teachings to you because this is the festival. And we have repeated all the great teachings to you. They have left nothing for Samandari to say. [laughter] My teacher used to read this poem to me and I read it for you now:
The king, the king of all the loved ones is only one today.
Where there are thousand loved ones, there'd be only one today. [Applause]
Where is the minstrel who have spoken the name of my love?
Gladly, I'll lay down my life for this word from my dear.
At this news from his homeland, gladly, my heart lifts above.
While my soul dances, His jubilant message to here.
This has ready Bahá’u’lláh says this is a day which all the prophets of God and His messengers have prophesied on behalf of the Lord of Mankind. And in like manner, they have all foretold the advent of the speaker of the mount. The proof of Moses was his staff. The proof of Moses was his staff. The proof of this oppressed one is his pen. Now see what the pen of Bahá’u’lláh did from his prison. [Applause] The pen of Bahá’u’lláh has subdued the world. [Applause] For your pleasure, I will tell you how I went to Bahá’u’lláh without capacity at the age of 16. [Applause] It was in a room that you all know, those of you who have been to Bahjí and I, with four people, was in that room on the first day of Riḍván. And it is there that I saw Him. One of these was the late Nightingale. His name was the Nightingale. He had been a prisoner two years in the prison of Rasht and he was one of the very first of Bahá’u’lláh's disciples. And he had - he had many volumes of tablets from the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Another went in the ship with Bahá’u’lláh and the Mecca pilgrimage. And his name was Haji Abolhassan of the [?] family. I don't know who the others were, but we five were the first on the first day of Riḍván to come into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. He sat on a chair and we kneeled down before Him. There was only a straw mat on the floor. It was a prison. There were no beautiful carpets. For 20 minutes or perhaps half an hour, He read from the tablet on behalf of the Lord of Mankind.
And in like manner they have all foretold the advent of the speaker of the mount. The proof of Moses was his staff. The proof of Moses was his staff. The proof of this oppressed one is his pen. Now see what the pen of Bahá’u’lláh did from His prison. [Applause] The pen of Bahá’u’lláh has subdued the world. [Applause] For your pleasure, I will tell you how I went to Bahá’u’lláh without capacity at the age of 16. It was in a room that you all know, those of you who have been to Bahjí. And I, with four people, was in that room on the first day of Riḍván. And it is there that I saw Him. One of these was the late Nightingale. His name was the Nightingale. He had been a prisoner two years in the prison of Rasht and he was one of the very first of Bahá’u’lláh's disciples. And he had - he had many volumes of tablets from the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Another went in the ship with Bahá’u’lláh and the Mecca pilgrimage. And his name was Haji Abolhassan of the [?] family. I don't know who the others were, but we five were the first on the first day of Riḍván to come into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. He sat on a chair and we kneeled down before Him. There was only a straw mat on the floor. It was a prison. There were no beautiful carpets. For 20 minutes or perhaps half an hour, He read from the tablet which he had revealed for [?] in a heavenly voice.
And he was in two conditions as he read. One, the condition of divine might. One, that great meekness, that humility that you have felt as you read his words. Then he said, "[?]. Rise." There beside him were flowers, fragrant flowers. And he said to me, "Take these flowers and give one each to the friends who are present." To each one of those other four who were in the room, I gave a flower. And then in a very special way said, "And give me my share too." [Applause] Therefore, I offered him one of the flowers, too. I rose and he said, "And you take one, too." Then he dismissed us. He entrusted us to God. Well, this was one of my Riḍván days. This is how it began and that is how it ended. Because we haven't much time, I will tell you briefly that one of the days when I was in his presence was in the garden there called Giannini. This was on [?]. There were perhaps 20 or 30 settlers and visitors there that day. We ate lunch there that day, but the blessed beauty was not there in the dining room. And that day, too, he revealed tablets. And I was listening in the room where they served the coffee and where they took off their shoes. And I heard the tablets being chanted. There were poets there that day, and one of them was the historian, the great Nabil. He who wrote that history which the peoples of the world are now reading, The Dawn-Breakers. That day there were many poems chanted and recited in the praise of Bahá’u’lláh. When I was young, I could remember all those odes, but in these days, these latter days, I have forgotten them.
One was about the little garden where they were and it said that this day, you are the throne of the highest heaven. That day, in the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, I walked from that little garden, Giannini, to the palace of Bahjí, the mansion of Bahjí. And there was a little rain falling. And this was one of the great honors that came my way. But that day on [?], I could walk in His presence from the little garden to Bahjí. And another day was when apparently His health was not quite good. He was a little under the weather and He was in His bed. And it was only one week before he ascended. And he called to him the people then present in the mansion. And of those people, I was one. And in the six months this was the last time that I saw Him. And He was very weak that day and He was leaning back in the bed. And he was reading those verses of the most holy book which tell about His ascension. Be not perturbed when the sun of my beauty have set. Be not perturbed. Arise and be firm. And over and over, be firm and steadfast in the Cause of God. And the last of it was to shun discord and differences. And weak as he was, He spoke, He mentioned this many times: be one and be united. Unity, avoidance of all discord, steadfastness: those were the three words he emphasized that day.
Now I would like to speak briefly of this subject. You all know that from the very beginning until today, the thing which has served the Faith has been steadfastness and firmness in the Covenant. What is it that the Cause brought England in the West and America? What is it? What strength is it? It is the power of the blood of the martyrs of Persia. That is the power which has brought the Cause to the west. [Applause] It was their steadfastness. It was the endurance of men, women and children who, in obedience to the beloved Guardian, arose and went and spent the 10 years, whatever the difficulties. And it is the blessed earth of his Holiness, Shoghi Effendi here in London. It is these things which bring us here and make today possible. [Applause] It would take me days to tell you my seven months there in his presence 72 years ago. It would take me days to tell you about it. When the Guardian was 18 months old, when the Guardian was nine years old, when he was 14 years old, at these times I saw him, and it was also my honor, many times to be in the presence of His Holiness ‘Abdu’l-Bahá too. Each of these events is a book in itself. I tell you, I tell you this because ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a prayer that He revealed for me, told me to tell about the bounties I had received amongst the people. And that is why I have been bold to mention these things.
//Note to self: Listen to this again.//
To reassure and to gladden your heart, I want to read you something from the words of Bahá’u’lláh. Oh, present servant, we have seen lamps with only a single wick that all mankind could not put out. How then can they extinguish this blazing fire? Should they pour upon it all the seas of the world, the waters would be but oil to feed it. In a time of great trouble in the prison and in great danger, His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh revealed this. 'Ere long will God raise up a people endowed with terrible might and through them He will assist this youth as he assisted him the first time. These are they who are not shut out by the veils nor blinded by the illusions of men. And this is not difficult for God. These are they whose hearts are iron blocks in such ways that nothing of all that is on earth and in heaven can make them to fear. [Just that?] He by His bounty assist whomsoever He will it and to the faithful, His aide is ever close at hand. The word of God on the second leaf of the most exalted paradise, the Supreme Pen exhorted at this moment the day springs of power and authority, that is the kings and rulers, the chiefs and princes, the wise and learned and enjoined religion upon them and chargeth them to hold fast unto this, for religion is the great and universal means to world order and security of mind. It is the failing of pillars of religion that hath strengthened the ignorant and made them venturesome and bold. In truth, I say, whatever hath taken away from the high station of religion hath but added to the waywardness of the wicked. And the ultimate result is confusion and chaos. Take note of this, o, perceptive ones and be admonished, o ye who have eyes to see. //
It is good for us to look back at this time to the nights and days of agony and hardships and sorrows that Bahá’u’lláh endured. And at that very time, He promised us today. And He promised us the wonderful future which, God willing, you will live to see. I want you to live to see those future times unconditioned that in those times you will remember me. And you will pray for that mighty ocean to grant me forgiveness. [Applause] Glory be to God. His Eminence in [?] is showing forth the extreme of malevolence and spite. And the other end, the [?] doeth abet and support him and both to outward seeming are at the head of great armies and they dwell in a fortress of iron and this wronged one in a house whose walls are paper thin. All hope is cut off except the hope in God. Verily, if He will, He can turn the paper to steel more enduring than the hills and make their iron as tenuous as the lid of an eye. By the life of God, I invite them to the light and they summoned me to the fire. But truly the call of the oppressor only wandereth and is lost. For them, I desired glory. For me, they wish not, save abject abasement. Our youth, the armies of the kingdom must realize they who have set up set out across the world but now that the House of Justice, the Universal House of Justice, is established, it's only the beginning. And the famous rival, the glorious martyrs of the Faith, and this must be their thought that they must not rest. But this is not the end. It is only the beginning.
Please don't think that it is I who am asking them to give their all to Bahá’u’lláh. No. We all Remember what the beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote in His Will and Testament about the disciples of Christ and how they left everything and purged themselves of self and passion and abandoned all that they had and forsook their homes and went out across the world to serve His Cause. And how finally, after they had guided the people in various lands, they suffered glorious martyrdom. Let them that are men of action follow in their footsteps. Dear brothers and sisters, you know, history, you know that Jesus the Christ had only 12, and that one was a deserter. And then there were only 11. And you know that 11 subdued the world and that today the world is in the grasp of His Holiness Christ. His Holiness ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says that at the time of the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, He had 50,000 disciples. Now see, 70 years have passed since that time. Thank God, in India alone you have 100,000 Baháʼís. [Applause] In Africa, the Baháʼís are almost 100,000. [Applause] And many, many in the islands of the sea. It took many months for the Hands and particularly for Khanum to write down the statistics of the accomplishments of these days. [Applause] Of course, all the Hands shared in the work, but the main part of the work was done by Khanum. [Applause] And every Baháʼí household will want a copy of this book of statistics and achievements and victories that she has compiled about the Ten Year Plan and it's results. [Applause]
O, friends of God, make a great effort. O, friends of God, have a great pride in your work. Forget. Today we must forget ourselves and whatever is in the world that. And this army must go forward day by day, and the posts must not be deserted. I have much to tell you, but my breath fails me. It's old age. [Applause and laughter] You know that in the very early days at the first, His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh gave all the world an invitation. And what was His invitation? This was His invitation: if you seek in your heart to save your life, come not to our abode. If you long to offer your heart and soul then come with [air be tied???]. [Applause] If you would join Bahá’u’lláh, this is the rule of the road. If not, then cease from troubling. Turn aside. [Applause] In all His, tablets He invites the people of Baha to two great commandments. First, loyalty. Second, the most great endurance. O, people of Baha, there is a river named Loyalty. And who so drinketh of this river will attain to the most great steadfastness and endurance. I repeat, He says there is a river in the world and the name of the river is Loyalty and whoever drinketh thereof will attain to the most great steadfastness. Thirty years, His Holiness ‘Abdu’l-Bahá bemoaned the deeds of the disloyal. And our beloved Shoghi Effendi made moan at the deeds of the disloyal and his cry reached to the heavens.
This wronged one of the world, Shoghi Effendi, for 36 years, toiled in 'Akká and in Haifa. And brought out of nothingness all this into being. So that today thousands of tourists come daily and look and wonder and say, "Who was the architect of this shrine? In what university did he learn to do this?" And in spite of this peerless magnificence and this beauty that his hands built, he himself came alone. Alone, alone and died humble and not knowing in a room in London. Let us rise and remember him. I don't want you to be tired, and I'm afraid you have been weary. But you can be sure that I am not tired. [Applause] I say this to thank God for His bounties. The Guardian said to me, "Oh, Samandari, a hundred young men are amazed at what you do." [Applause and laughter] Don't think that this young man of 87 has stayed alive for nothing. There must be a reason because I have prayed many times but He has kept me here anyhow. [Applause and laughter] You know why I keep traveling? Because in at least 20 tablets, He says to me, "To your last breath, act and serve and endure." And so all of you must rise and go on and be faithful and serve and endure. I'm telling you this to make you smile a little more. I come from the city of Tahirih. I come from Qazvin. I've forgotten what I was going to tell you. And that's one of the symptoms of youth. [Applause and laughter]
