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Spring 1999
World order
WHO IS WRITING THE FUTURE? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘ WENTIETH CENTURY L
GUEST EDITORIAL
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT—UNCLE OF THE BAB \
A HANG RA BEAN]
ALBERT C. KlLLIUS—PHOTOGRAPHER 0F ‘ABDU’L—BAHA ADEV]. LAUCHNER
World Order
VOLUME 30, NUMBER 3
WORLD ORDER IS INTENDED TO STIMULATE, INSPIRE, AND SERVE THINKING PEOPLE IN
THEIR SEARCH TO FIND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CONTEMPORARV LIFE AND CONTEMPORARY RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS AND PHILOSOPHY
EdIlar/‘al Board:
SETTV J. FISHER KEVIN A1 MOHHISON ARASH ABIZADEH ROBERT H. STDCKMAN IN THIS ISSUE MONIREH KAZEMZADEH JIM STOKES Consultant In Poetry: 1 W110 Is Writing (he‘liuru're? HERBERT woonwmm MARTIN Rcflcctions on the 'lwcnuerh Century Cunt Editorial WORLD ORDER is published quancrly by 12 Interchange: Letters from and (0 the Editor the National Spiritual Assembly of (he Bahá’ís . ofrhc United States, 536 Sheridan Road, Wlmenc, 17 1 1“: Race . IL 60091—1811. The views expressed herein are poem by William]? Collzm (host of the authors and do not necessarily XCHCCI V _ , {he opininns of {he publisher or ur the Edirorinl 19 TM Common 0* the GrcaI-Unclc Of the Báb Board by A/Izmg Rubbani Manuscripts and editorial cormspondcncc: Manu- 39 A Chinese Rcficclion
scripts can bc typewritten or computer gcncnrcd. '1'th should be doubl: spaced throughout, With (he Footnores at the end and nut atrachcd elco 41 Albert C‘ Killius—Phorographer of ‘Abdu’lvBahá Ironically [O the text. Thc contributor should b Ad / Laur/mn
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IN THIS ISSUE
1 Who Is Writing the Future? Reflections on the Twentieth Century Guest Editorial
12 Interchange: Letters from and to the Editor
17 The Race poem by William P. Collins
19 The Conversion of the Great-Uncle of the Báb by Ahang Rabbani
39 A Chinese Reflection poem by Joan Imig Taylor
41 Albert C. Killius—Photographer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by Aden J. Lauchner
Who Is Writing the Future? Reflections on the Twentieth Century
BAHA’l INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION, NEW YORK
O N May 28, 1992, Brazil's Chamber of Deputies met in special session to commemorate the centenary of the passing of Bahá’u’lláh, whose influence is becoming an increasingly familiar feature of the world's social and intellectual landscape. His message of unity had clearly struck a deep chord with the Brazilian legislators. During the course of the proceedings, speakers representing all parties in the Chamber paid tribute to a body of writings which one deputy described as “the most colossal religious work written by the pen of a single Man," and to a conception of our planet’s future which, “transcending material frontiers," in the words of another, “reached out to humanity as a whole, without petty differences of nationality, race, limits, or beliefs."'
The tribute was all the more striking because of the fact that, in the land of his birth, Bahá’u’lláh’s work continues to be bitterly condemned by the Muslim clergy who rule Iran. Their predecessors had been responsible for his banishment and imprisonment in the middle years of the nineteenth century, and for the massacre of thousands of those who shared his ideals for the transforming of human life and society. Even as the proceedings in Brasilia were under way, refusal to deny beliefs that have won high praise throughout most of the rest of the world was bringing the 300,000 Bahá’í’s living in Iran persecution, privation, and, in all too many cases, imprisonment and death.
Similar opposition characterized the attitudes of various totalitarian regimes over the past century.
What is the nature of the body of thought that has aroused such sharply divergent reactions?
1. Remarks by Deputy Luis Gushiken and Deputy Rita Camara. nSessio Selene da Cémara Federal em Homenngem ao Centenério da Ascenséo de Bahá’u’lláh,” Brasilia, 28 May 1992.
2 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
I
THE MAINSPRING of Bahá’u’lláh’s message is an exposition of reality as fundamentally spiritual in nature, and of the laws that govern that reality’s operation. It not only sees the individual as a spiritual being, a “rational soul,” but also insists that the entire enterprise that we call civilization is itself a spiritual process, one in which the human mind and heart have created progressively more complex and efficient means to express their inherent moral and intellectual capacities.
Rejecting the reigning dogmas of materialism, Bahá’u’lláh asserts an opposing interpretation of the historical process. Humanity, the arrowhead of the evolution of consciousness, passes through stages analogous to the periods of infancy, childhood, and adolescence in the lives of its individual members. The journey has brought us to the threshold of our long—awaited coming of age as a unified human race. The wars, exploitation, and prejudice that have marked immature stages in the process should not be a cause of despair but a stimulus to assuming the responsibilities of collective maturity.
Writing to the political and religious leaders of his own day, Bahá’u’lláh said that new capacities of incalculable power—beyond the conception of the generation then living—were awakening in the earth’s peoples, capacities which would soon transform the material life of the planet. It was essential, he said, to make of these coming material advances vehicles for moral and social development. If nationalistic and sectarian conflicts prevented this from happening, then material progress would produce not only benefits, but unimagined evils. Some of Bahá’u’lláh’s warnings awaken grim echoes in our own age: “Strange and astonishing things exist in the earth,” he cautioned. “These things are capable of changing the whole atmosphere of the earth and their contamination would prove lethal.”Z
II
THE CENTRAL spiritual issue facing all people, Bahá’u’lláh says, whatever their nation, religion, or ethnic origin, is that of laying the foundations of a global society that can reflect the oneness of human nature. The unification of the earth’s inhabitants is neither a remote utopian vision not, ultimately, a matter of choice. It constitutes the next, inescapable stage in the process of social evolution, a stage toward which all the experience of past and present is impelling us. Until this issue is acknowledged and addressed, none of the ills afflicting our planet will find solutions, because all the essential challenges of the age we have entered are global and universal, not particular or regional.
2i Bahá’u’lláh, kalm Of Bahá’u’lláh revealed afltr [lye Kita’lz-i-Aqdm. comp. Research Department of the Univetsal House of Justice, trans. Habib Taherzadeh et aL, lst ps ed. (Wilmette, 111.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1997) 69.
WHO IS WRITING THE FUTURE? 3
The many passages of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings dealing with humanity’s coming of age are permeated by his use of light as a metaphor to capture the transforming power of unity: uSo powerful is the light of unity,” they insist, “that it can illuminate the whole earth.”3 The assertion places current history in a perspective sharply different from the one that prevails at the end of the twentieth century. It urges us to find—within the suffering and breakdown of our times—the operation of forces that are liberating human consciousness for a new stage in its evolution. It calls on us to teexamine what has been happening over the past one hundred years and the elfect that these developments have had on the heterogenous mass of peoples, races, nations, and communities who have experienced them.
If, as Bahá’u’lláh asserts, “the well—being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established,"4 it is understandable why Bahá’ís view the twentieth century—with all its disasters—as “the century of light”5 For these one hundred years witnessed a transformation in both the way the earth’s inhabitants have begun to plan our collective future and in the way we are coming to regard one another; The hallmark of both has been a process of unification. Upheavals beyond the control of existing institutions compelled world leaders to begin putting in place new systems of global organization that would have been unthinkable at the century‘s beginning. As this was occurring, rapid erosion was overtaking habits and attitudes that had divided peoples and nations through unnumbered centuries of conflict and that had seemed likely to endure for ages to come.
At the midpoint of the century, these two developments produced a breakthrough whose historic significance only future generations will properly appreciate. In the stunned aftermath of World War II, farsighted leaders found it at last possible, through the United Nations organimtion, to begin consolidating the foundations of world order. Long dreamed of by progressive thinkers, the new system of international conventions and related agencies was now endowed With crucial powers that had tragically been denied to the abortive League of Nations. As the century advanced, the system’s primitive muscles of international peacekeeping were progressively exercised in such a way as to demonstrate persuasively what can be accomplished. With this came the steady expansion throughout the world of democratic
3. Bahá’u’lláh, Epittle m the Sun of the Walfi trans. Shoghi Effendi, [st [)5 ed. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing TmSt, 1988) 14‘
4. Bahá’u’lláh, Cleaning: from the Writing: tIfBaba'h ’lld/J, trans. Shoghi Effendi, lst ps ed. (\Vllmette, Il|.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1983) section C)O(XI.
5. ‘Abdu'l—Bahá, Th: I’mmulgation Of Universal Putz: 7711/2: Delivered h Hbdu’lBaluf during Hi: Virit m the UnittdSIates and Canada in 1912, rev. ed. (Wilmette, lll.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1982) 74, 126.
4 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
institutions of governance. If the practical effects are still disappointing, this in no way diminishes the historic and irreversible change of direction that has taken place in the organization of human affairs.
As with the cause of world order, so with the rights of the world’s people. Exposure of the appalling suffering visited on the victims of human perversity during the course of the war produced a worldwide sense of shock—and What can only be termed deep feelings of shame. Out of this trauma emerged a new kind of moral commitment that was formally institutionalized in the work of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and its associated agencies, a development inconceivable to the nineteenth—century rulers to whom Bahá’u’lláh had addressed himself on the subject. Thus empowered, a growing body of nongovernmental organizations have set out to ensure that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is established as the foundation of normative international standards and is enforced accordingly.
A parallel process took place with respect to economic life. During the first half of the century, as a consequence of the havoc wrought by the great depression, many governments adopted legislation that created social welfare programs and systems of financial control, reserve funds, and trade regulations that sought to protect their societies from a recurrence of such devastation. The period following World War II brought the establishment of institutions whose field of operation is global: the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and a network of development agencies devoted to rationalizing and advancing the material prosperity of the planet. At century’s end—whatever the intentions and however crude the present generation of tools—the masses of humanity have been shown that the use of the planet’s wealth can be fundamentally reorganized in response to entirely new conceptions of need.
The effect of these developments was enormously amplified by the accelerating extension of education to the masses. Apart from the willingness of national and local governments to allocate greatly increased resources to this field and the society’s ability to mobilize and train armies of professionally qualified teachers, two twentieth—eentury advances at the international level were particularly influential. The first was the series of development plans focussed on educational needs and massively financed by such bodies as the World Bank, government agencies, major foundations and several branches of the United Nations system. The second was the information technology explosion that has made all of the earth’s inhabitants potential beneficiaries of the whole of the race’s learning.
This process of structural reorganization on a planetary scale was animated and reinforced by a profound shift of consciousness. Entire populations found themselves abruptly compelled to face the costs of
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WHO IS WRITING THE FUTURE? S
ingrained habits of mind that breed conflict—and to do so in the full glare of worldwide censure of what were once considered acceptable practices and attitudes. The effect was to stimulate revolutionary change in the way that people regard one another.
Throughout history, for example, experience seemed to demonstrate—and religious teaching to confirm—that women are essentially inferior in nature to men. Overnight, in the historical scheme of things, this prevailing perception was suddenly everywhere in retreat. However long and painful may be the process of giving filll effect to Bahá’u’lláh’s assertion that women and men are in every sense equal, intellectual and moral support for any opposing view steadily disintegtates.
Yet another fixture of humanity’s view of itself tlu‘oughout past millennia was a celebration of ethnic distinctions which, in recent centuries, had hardened into various racist fantasies. With a swiftness that is breathtaking in the perspective of history, the twentieth century saw the unity of the human race establish itself as a guiding principle of international order, Today, the ethnic conflicts that continue to wreak havoc in many parts of the world are seen not as natural features of the relations among diverse peoples, but as willful aberrations that must be brought under effective international control.
Throughout humanity’s long childhood, it was also assumedagain with the full concurrence of organized teligion—that poverty was an enduring and inescapable feature of the social order. Now, however, this mind-set, an assumption that had shaped the priorities of every economic system the world had ever known, has been universally rejected. In theory at least, government has come to be everywhere regarded as essentially a trustee responsible to ensure the well-being of all of society’s members.
Particularly significant—because of its intimate relationship with the roots of human motivation—was the loosening of the grip of religious prejudice. Prefigured in the “Parliament of Religions” that attracted intense interest as the nineteenth century was drawing to a close, the process of interfaith dialogue and collaboration reinforced the effects of secularism in undermining the once impregnable walls of clerical authority. In the face of the transformation in religious conceptions that the past hundred years witnessed, even the current outburst of fundamentalist reaction may come, in retrospect, to be seen as little more than desperate teat—guard actions against an inevitable dissolution of sectarian control. In the words of Bahá’u’lláh, “There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and ate the subjects of one God.”6
6‘ Bahá’u’lláh, Gknningxfram the Writing: of Bahti'u’lbib section CG.
6 WORLD ORDER: spams 1999
During these critical decades the human mind was also experiencing fundamental changes in the way that it understood the physical universe. The first half of the century saw the new theories of relativity and quantum mechanics—both of them intimately related to the nature and operation of light—revolutionize the field of physics and alter the entire course of scientific development. It became apparent that classical physics could explain phenomena within only a limited range. A new door had suddenly opened into the study of both the minute constituents of the universe and its large cosmological systems, a change whose effects went far beyond physics, shaking the very foundations of a world view that had dominated scientific thinking for centuries. Gone forever were the images of a mechanical universe run like a clock and a presumed separation between observer and observed, between mind and matter. Against the background of the far—reaching studies thus made possible, theoretical science now begins to address the possibility that purpose and intelligence are indeed intrinsic to the nature and operation of the universe.
In the wake of these conceptual changes, humanity entered an era in which interaction among physical sciences—physics, chemistry, and biology, along with the nascent science of ecology—opened breathtaking possibilities for the enhancement of life. The benefits in such vital areas of concern as agriculture and medicine became dramatically apparent as did those brought about by success in tapping new sources of energy. Simultaneously, the new field of materials science began providing a wealth of specialized resources unknown when the century opened—plastics, optical fibers, carbon fibers‘
Such advances in science and technology were reciprocal in their effects. Grains of sand—the most humble and ostensibly worthless of materials—metamorphosed into silicon wafers and optically pure glass, making possible the creation of worldwide communications networks. This, together with the deployment of ever more sophisticated satellite systems, has begun providing access to the accumulated knowledge of the entire human race for people everywhere, without distinction. It is apparent that the decades immediately ahead will see the integration of telephone, television, and computer technologies into a single, unified system of communication and information, whose inexpensive appliances will be available on a mass scale. It would be difficult to exaggerate the psychological and social impact of the anticipated replacement of the jumble of existing monetary systems—for many, the ultimate fortress of nationalist pride—by a single world currency operating largely through electronic impulses.
Indeed, the unifying effect of the twentieth—century revolution is
nowhere more readily apparent than in the implications of the changes
that took place in scientific and technological life. At the most obvious
level, the human race is now endowed with the means needed to realize
the visionary goals summoned up by a steadily maturing conscious
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WHO IS WRITING THE FUTURE.> 7
ness. Viewed more deeply, this empowerment is potentially available to all of the earth’s inhabitants, without regard to race, culture, or nation. “A new life,” Bahá’u’lláh prophetically saw, ‘‘is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth; and yet none hath discovered its cause or perceived its motive.”7 Today, more than a century after these words were written, the implications of what has since taken place begin to be apparent to thoughtful minds everywhere.
III
T0 APPRECIATE the transformations brought about by the period of history new ending is not to deny the accompanying darkness that throws the achievements into sharp relief: the deliberate extermination of millions of helpless human beings, the invention and use of new weapons of destruction capable of annihilating whole populations, the rise of ideologies that suffocated the spiritual and intellectual life of entire nations, damage to the physical environment of the planet on a scale so massive that it may take centuries to heal, and the incalculably greater damage done to generations of children taught to believe that violence, indecency, and selfishness are triumphs of personal liberty. Such are only the more obvious of a catalogue of evils, unmatched in history, whose lessons our era will leave for the education of the chastened generations who will follow us.
Darkness, however, is not a phenomenon endowed with some form of existence, much less autonomy. It does not extinguish light nor diminish it, but marks out those areas that light has not reached or adequately illumined. So will twentieth—century civilization no doubt be assessed by the historians of a more mature and dispassionate age. The ferocities of animal nature, which raged out of control through these critical years and seemed at times to threaten society’s very survival, did not in fact prevent the steady unfoldment of the creative potentialities which human consciousness possesses. On the contrary. As the century advanced, growing numbers of people awakened to how empty were the allegiances and how insubstantial the fears that had held them captive only short years before.
“Peerless is this Day,” Bahá’u’lláh insists, “for it is as the eye to past ages and centuries, and as a light unto the darkness of the times.” In this perspective, the issue is not the darkness that slowed and obscured the progress achieved in the extraordinary hundred years now ending. It is, rather, how much more suffering and ruin must be experienced by our race before we wholeheartedly accept the spiritual nature that makes us a single people, and gather the courage to plan our Future in the light of what has been so painfully learned.
7. Bahá’u’lláh, Glamingxfram the Writing; OfBa/Id’14’lldl7 section XCVI. B. Bahá’u’lláh, quoted in Shoghi Effendi, Tbe Advmtquit/in: Justice, lst p5 ed. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990) 79.
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7i
8 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
IV
THE CONCEPTION of civilization’s future course laid out in Bahá’u’lláh’s writings challenges much that today imposes itself on our world as normative and unchangeable. The breakthroughs made during the century of light have opened the door to a new kind of world. If social and intellectual evolution is in fact responding to a moral intelligence inherent in existence, at great deal of the theory determining contemporary approaches to decision-making is fatally flawed. If human consciousness is essentially spiritual in nature—as the vast majority of ordinary people have always been intuitively aware—its development needs cannot be understood or served through an interpretation of reality that dogmatically insists otherwise.
N0 aspect of contemporary civilization is more directly challenged by Bahá’u’lláh’s conception of the future than is the prevailing cult of individualism, which has spread to most parts of the world. Nurtured by such cultural forces as political ideology, academic elitism, and a consumer economy, the “pursuit of happiness” has given rise to an aggressive and almost boundless sense of personal entitlement. The moral consequences have been corrosive for the individual and society alike—and devastating in terms of disease, drug addiction and other all—too-familiar blights of century’s end. The task of freeing humanity from an error so fundamental and pervasive will call into question some of the twentieth century‘s most deeply entrenched assumptions about tight and wrong.
What are some of these unexamined assumptions? The most obvious is the conviction that unity is a distant, almost unattainable ideal to be addressed only after a host of political conflicts have been somehow resolved, material needs somehow satisfied, and injustices somehow corrected. The opposite, Bahá’u’lláh asserts, is the case. The primary disease that afflicts society and generates the ills that cripple it, he says, is the disunity of a human race that is distinguished by its capacity for collaboration and whose progress to date has depended on the extent to which unified action has, at various times and in various societies, been achieved. To cling to the notion that conflict is an intrinsic feature of human nature, rather than a complex of learned habits and attitudes, is to impose on a new century an error which, more than any other single factor, has tragically handicapped humanity’s past. “Regard the world," Bahá’u’lláh advised elected leaders, “as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through Various causes, with grave disorders and maladies.“9
Intimately related to the issue of unity is a second moral challenge that the past century has posed with ever increasing urgency. In the
9. Bahá’u’lláh, Gleam'ngtfrnm the Wiring: OfBabd 'u'l/d/I section CXX.
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WHO IS WRITING THE FUTURE? 9
sight of God, Bahá’u’lláh insists, justice is the “best beloved of all things.”‘° It enables the individual to see reality through his or her own eyes rather than those of others and endows collective decision making with the authority that alone can ensure unity of thought and action. However gratifying is the system of international order that has emerged from the harrowing experiences of the twentieth century, its enduring influence will depend on aCceptance of the moral principle implicit in it. If the body of humankind is indeed one and indivisible, then the authority exercised by its governing institutions represents essentially a trusteeship. Each individual person comes into the world as a trust of the whole, and it is this feature of human existence that constitutes the real foundation of the social, economic, and cultural rights that the United Nations Charter and its related documents articulate. Justice and unity are reciprocal in their effect. “The purpose of justice," Bahá’u’lláh wrote, “is the appearance of unity among men. The ocean of divine wisdom surgeth within this exalted word, while the books of the world cannot contain its inner significance."“
As society commits itself—however hesitantly and fearfully—to these and related moral principles, the most meaningful role it will offer the individual will be that of service. One of the paradoxes of human life is that development of the self comes primarily through commitment to larger undertakings in which the self—even if only temporarily—is forgotten. In an age that opens up to people of every condition an opportunity to participate efieetively in the shaping of the social order itself, the ideal of service to others assumes entirely new significance. To exalt such goals as acquisition and self—assettion as the purpose of life is to promote chiefly the animal side of human nature. Nor can simplistic messages of personal salvation any longer address the yearnings of generations who have come to know, with deep certainty, that true fulfillment is as much a matter of this world as it is of the next. “Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in," is Bahá’u’lláh’s counsel, “and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.”‘2
Such perspectives have profound implications for the conduct of human affairs. It is obvious, for example, that, whatever its past contributions, the longer the nation state persists as the dominant influence in determining the fate of humankind, the longer will the achievement of world peace be delayed and the greater will be the suffering inflicted on the earth’s population. In humanity’s economic
10. Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Wards, trans. Shoghi Effendi (\Vllmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1939) no. 2 from the Arabic.
1]. Bahá’u’lláh, 71161“: ofBa/m’h’lld/J 67.
12. Bahá’u’lláh, Cleaning: from II): Writing! ofBahd'u'lldb section CVI.
10 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
life, no matter how great the blessings brought by globalization, it is apparent that this process has also created unparalleled concentrations of autocratic power that must be brought under international democratic control if they are not to produce poverty and despair for countless millions. Similarly, the historic breakthrough in information and communication technology, which represents so potent a means to promote social development and the deepening of people’s sense of their common humanity, can, with equal force, divert and coarsen impulses vital to the service of this very process.
V
WHAT Bahá’u’lláh is speaking of is a new relationship between God and humankind, one that is in harmony with the dawning maturity of the race. The ultimate Reality that has created and sustains the universe will forever remain beyond the reach of the human mind. Humanity’s conscious relationship with it, to the extent that one has been established, has been the result of the influence of the Founders of the great religions, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and earlier figures whose names are, For the most part, lost to memory. Through responding to these impulses of the Divine, the earth’s peoples have progressively developed the spiritual, intellectual, and moral capacities that have combined to civilize human character. This millennia—long, cumulative process has now reached the stage characteristic of all the decisive turning points in the evolutionary process, when previously unrealized possibilities suddenly emerge: uThis is the Day,” Bahá’u’lláh asserts, “in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things.”l3
Viewed through Bahá’u’lláh’s eyes, the history of tribes, peoples, and nations has effectively reached its conclusion. What we are Witnessing is the beginning of the history of humankind, the history of a human race conscious of its own oneness. To this turning point in the course of civilization, his writings bring a redefinition of the nature and processes of civilization and a reordering of its priorities. Their aim is to call us back to spiritual awareness and responsibility.
There is nothing in Bahá’u’lláh’s writings to encourage the illusion that the changes envisioned will come about easily. Far otherwise. As the events of the twentieth century have already demonstrated, patterns of habit and attitude which have taken root over thousands of years are not abandoned either spontaneously or in response simply to education or legislative action. Whether in the life of the individual or that of society, profound change occurs more often than not in
13. Bah ’u’lláh, Gleaningsfmm the Wiring: ofBabzi'u'l/a'}; section IV.
WHO IS WRITING THE FUTURE? 11
response to intense suffering and to unendurable difl'iculties that can be overcome in no other way Just so great a testing experience, Bahá’u’lláh warned, is needed to weld the earth’s diverse peoples into a single people.
Spiritual and materialistic conceptions of the nature of reality are irreconcilable with one another and lead in opposite directions. As a new century opens, the course set by the second of these two opposing views has already carried a hapless humanity far beyond the outermost point where an illusion of rationality, let alone of human well-being, could once be sustained. With every passing day, the signs multiply that great numbers of people everywhere are awakening to this realization.
Despite widely prevalent opinion to the contrary, the human race is not a blank tablet on which privileged arbiters of human affairs can freely inscribe their own wishes. The springs of the spirit rise up where they will, as they will. They will not indefinitely be suppressed by the detritus of contemporary society. It no longer requires prophetic insight to appreciate that the opening years of the new century will see the release of energies and aspirations infinitely more potent than the accumulated routines, falsities, and addictions that have so long blocked their expression.
However great the turmoil, the period into which humanity is moving will open to every individual, every institution, and every community on earth unprecedented opportunities to participate in the writing of the planet’s future. “Soon," is Bahá’u’lláh’s confident promise, “will the present—day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its Stead."”
14‘ Bahá’u’lláh, Gkaningtfram the Writing: of 3417113411471 section IV.
WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
InterChange LETTERS FROM AND TO THE EDITOR
LONG—TIME readers of World Order have come to expect the occasional appearance in these pages of articles that examine both the history of a topic and its implications for the present and future. This issue 03ers an array of studies, each different in approach and purpose, each covering a different moment in time, but each looking at its greater significance in the development of the Bahá’í Faith and in recent world history.
The guest editorial “Who is Writing the Future? Reflections on the Twentieth Century” was written by the Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information in New York. It looks back over a century of dramatic and powerful social change: transformations and upheavals in humanity’s collective life dominated not only by the rise of efficient new totalitarian systems and unprecedented capacities for self-destruction but by the crafting of international consultative mechanisms, the establishment of global agencies for coordinating a world economy, a revolution in attitudes toward women and their role in society, a new assault on racism and concepts of ethnic superiority, a recognition that poverty is not an inescapable feature of the social order but a failure of it, a loosening of religious prejudice, and a rise of interfaith efforts.
In short, the editorial looks at history
through the perspective of unity, examining the social and spiritual forces that are driving humanity Forward in its collective development. Rejecting a pessimistic analysis of the century now waning, the statement “places current history in a perspective shatply different From the one that prevails”; it “urges us to find—within the suffering and breakdown of out times—the operation of forces that are liberating human consciousness for a new stage in its evolution." It closes with the promise that “however great the turmoil, the period into which humanity is moving will open to every individual, every institution, and every community on earth unprecedented opportunities to participate in the writing of the planets future.”
Ahang Rabbani’s “The Conversion of the Gteat-Uncle of the Báb” takes us from issues confronting the twenty-first century back to the beginnings of the Bahá’í Faith in the mid-nineteenth century. A remarkable collection of translations, with commentary, the article offers details about Bahá’u’lláh and the Bib never before available in English. The Bab’s great—uncle, Hájí Mfrzé Sayyid Muhammad (1798—1876), known as Lhafl—i Akbar, was a witness to the birth of the Báb’s mission. In a series of letters to family members in 1845, KhaI—i Akbar wrote about his nephew’s spiritual greatness (even though he did not yet accept the Báb as a divine Mattifestation of God) and how important it was
A
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for the other family members to respect Him. Letters by other members of the great-uncle's family describe meetings with the Bib and the oppression they experienced (at one point they had to wash the ink of His writings off the paper on which it was written because the governor of Shíráz forbade anyone to possess copies of His revelation).
The article then turns to the circumstances that led Khél-i Akbar to meet Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad in 1861. One recollection describes a conversation between _Khéi-i Akbar and a family member in which the uncle was told his nephew claimed to be the Qa’ 'im, the Promised One of Islam. flél-i Akbar was so startled that he agreed to go to Baghdad where he asked Bahá’u’lláh a series of questions about the Báb’s claims. Bahá’u’lláh responded by revealing the Kitáb-i 1qén, one of his most important works. A summary of Bahá’u’lláh’s description of the events and translations of the questions the Báb’s greatuncie put to Bahá’u’lláh are included. The article also contains a letter the uncle wrote to his son on 17 January 1861, just a few days after the revelation of the Kitáb—i fqén, giving his reaction to meeting Bahá’u’lláh and providing (for the first time) a reliable date for the book’s revelation. As a result of these translations, Western readers now have access to crucial parts of the revelation history of the iqan. The article closes with an account of thl—i Akbar’s discovery in 1866
that Bahá’u’lláh Himself was a Manifestation of God (a claim He had not made in 1861), his acceptance of Bahá’u’lláh’s station, and his confession of faith.
Aden Lauchner’s “Albert Killius—Photographet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” a piece of historical biography, moves us back to the twentieth century. It offers the story of a humble photographer who took many pictures of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when He visited Chicago in 1912 and who was transformed by the experience. Killius (1872—1961) devoted the rest of his life to spreading the Bahá’í Faith, using his photography as a vehicle for moving from town to town, establishing or strengthening Bahá’í communities in Spokane, Washington; Anaconda, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula, Montana; Duluth, Minnesota; and finally his native Springfield, Illinois. Besides photographing thousands of clients, Kiliius constantly reproduced his photographs of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to give away to Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike, content to live on little so he could share much with others.
erd Order, as we hinted in the Interchange column in our Winter 1998—99 issue, is pleased to introduce you to three new members who have been added to the
14
WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
Editorial Board as it prepares for changes in its format and contents that will make it responsive [0 the new millennium almost upon us.
Arash Abimdeh is completing his doctoral dissertation on “Rhetoric, the Passions, and Difference in Deliberative Democracy” in the Department of Government at Harvard University. As a Rhodes Scholar, he completed a Master of Philosophy in Politics at Queen's College, Oxford University, in 1994. He earned a B.A. with a major in political science and economics from the University of Winnipeg in 1992.
In addition to research assistantships, teaching fellowships, and an instructorship at Harvard, Arash has received a number of honors and awards during his graduate work, including the Harvard Whiting Fellowship in the Humanities, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship, the Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship, and the Judith Shklar Prize Fellow in Government. He has published several articles.
Monireh Kazemzadeh brings to the Editorial Board a degree in history from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Before entering law school, she represented the Bahá’ís of the United States at the United Nations, acting as the liaison between the U.S. Bahá’í community, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and the nongovernmental organizations of the U.N. In 1985 she participated in the NGO Forum at the U.N. conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the end of the Decade for Women.
After completing law school, Monireh, who specialized in international project finance, joint ventures, and negotiated
mergers and acquisitions, worked for Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, and Hamilton, an international law firm with offices in New York and Paris. For the last several years she has been pursuing a life-Iong dream of owning an equestrian center and of editing and writing.
Kevin A. Morrison, who is currently the Assistant Director of the U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office in Evanston, Illinois, holds a BA. degree in political philosophy and theoretical sociology from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. His honors thesis, which explored the communicative ethics contw versy in social theory, received the Threshold Grant, awarded to a small number of graduates to develop their theses for publication.
Kevin has been involved in publishing for a number of years, serving on the editorial boards of Reckoning, The Hampxlyire College faurnal of Philosophy, and The Reader and as a member of the advisory boards of three journals of philosophy and literary criticism. Before entering college, he served for five years on various Bahá’í national advisory bodies for youth issues in the Hawaiian Islands and in New Zealand, where he also established the first Office of Youth Affairs. He is active in service and scholarly organizations including the American Lacanian Link.
Tb die Editor GILLIGAN, GENDER EQUALITY, AND THE BAHA’I FAITH I have iust recently had the opportunity to read your Fall 1995 issue, and while it is somewhat late to tespond, I wanted to commend the excellent article by Martha Leach Schweitz. “Of Webs and Ladders: Gender Equality in Bahá’í' Law." The application of Carol Gilligan's groundbteaking, ifoften misappropriated, work to Bahá’í' concepts of gender equality is one I found particularly enlightening and thought—pmvoking. Applying the concept of the validity of both the “ethic of care and the ethic of rights" and the need to equalize their influence on society sheds new light on ‘Abdu’l
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Bahá's statement about the new age being one in which the masculine and feminine qualities are more evenly balanced and puts the Master's ideas into a language and style more accessible to contemporary thoughtV
Our tendency (at least in Western society) to equate gender equality with women aCting like men may wcll be as much ofa barrier to true justice and equity as the more blatant abuses and prejudices that still prevail in much of the world, As a long-time feminist, this issue has been of concern to me for some time, and it is only recently that l have begun to acquire the perspective necessary to separate thc
concepts ofequality and sameness, to begin to pinpoint the flaws in reasoning and argumentation that havc characterized so many feminist treatises on the topic. Until we truly value, both psychologically and materially, that which has been traditionally labeled fcminine—and consequently undervalued and rejecmd hy sociery—wc will not begin to achieve true equality. And womcn, men, and children will conr tinue to suffer as a result,
My thanks to Ms‘ Schweitz on a most illuminat ing and interesting article.
LINDA LEEB DUPER Oakland, California
5. g g ?
17
The Race
Greeting his father,
a boy begs a race to the porch,
affectionate gift, child to man.
What compels the father’s breakneck speed to reach the goal before the tiny feet and turn with bare-toothed grimaee On the defeated?
The humiliated, alone, contemplate the puzzles of cruelty, draw inward to future defenses, oblivious of linked destinies.
Three decades’ knowledge remembers anew and knows the brutalized genealogy of—how many sons? No new knowledge can win that race and achieve a gift’s acceptance. Yet I know the race that was made for you, as you made mine for me.Mine ends differently.
(27 Dec. 1986) —\Villiam P. Collins
Co eru (9 199‘) h William P. Collins P. b V
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1:; N5“ 7”
7&1
t;
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The Conversion of the Great—Uncle of the Báb
BY AHANG RABBANI
NE OF THE most significant figures in
the nineteenth—century Iranian Bahá’í community was Hájí Mina Sayyid Muhammad (1798—1876), known as @dI—i Akbar (the greater uncle) because he was the oldest maternal uncle of the Báb, the Prophet—Forerunner of the Bahá’í Faith.1 When @514 Akbar’s nephew, Mfrza Sayyid ‘Ali—Muhammad of Shíráz, began His mission as a divine messenger in 1844, assuming the title of the Báb (the Gate), He announced His ministry gradually and in veiled language to avoid immediate opposition from Iran’s entrenched Islamic clerical establishment. @al—i—Akbat has long been portrayed in English—language histories of the Baht Faith as not being a believer, perhaps skeptical of his nephew’s
Copyright © 1999 by Ahang Rabbani. I wish to record my debt of gratitude to Abu‘l—Qasim Afnan, my fatherin-law, for his unceasing encouragement during this Study and to the editors of World Order and Dr. Manuchehr Derakhshani for making invaluable comments on the manuscripts
l. @514 Akbar was the firstborn of Hájí’ Mirzá Muhammad-Husayn, the son of Aqé Mitzi ‘Abid (known as Zaynu'l—‘Abidfm, the son of Aqa’ Mirza’ Sayyid Muhammad (see Muhammad-Ali Faizi, HairdriNliqfi/J-i Ula' [Tehran2 MMMA Publications, 1975] 64). flal—i Akbar): sister. Fatimih—Bagum, was the Báb's mother. The Báb would declare Himself to be an independent Manifestation of God in 1844 when flaili Akbar was forty-six years old.
2. See Abbas Amanat, Rrxun‘tm'an andRmtu/al: T/Ie MnkingafzizzBabi Mourmmt in Iran, 1844-1850([rhaca, N.Y.: Cornell UP, 1989) 212m Hasan Balyuzi, Bahá’í!th: Th: Kingaf Glory (Oxford: George Ronald, 1992) 165; Hasan Balyuzi, TI): Bdb: 777: Herald of the Day of Day: (Oxford: George Ronald, 1973) 33.
claims.Z But Q2114 Akhar’s private correspondence—only recently published in Persian, some of which is first translated into English in this article—reveals him to be a man with considerable sympathy toward the Báb, a man who recognized that his nephew was a temarkable spiritual teacher. The correspondence also brings the reader into the private discussions of the Báb’s family, showing their affection for Him and each other, their desire to share news about His movements, and their allegiance to His person.
In spite of that allegiance, however, @511i Akbar either did not immediately understand or accept the notion that the Báb was a Manifestation of God. Such recognition was delayed until 1861, almost a decade after his nephew’s execution by firing squad in 1850. It Was brought about by Mirza Husayn‘Ali’ (1817—92) known to the world as Bahá’í u’lla’ly (the Glory of God), the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith During the opening days of January 1861 flal-i Akbar visited Baghdad to discuss with Bahá’u’lláh his concerns about the claim and station of the Báb and acceded to Bahá’u’lláh’s request that he put his questions in writing (which are translated into English below). In reply Bahá’u’lláh revealed a treatise that He later called the Kitab-i 1qan. QaJ-i Akbar’s private correspondence about the trip (also translated into English below) provides valuable historical context for understanding Bahá’u’lláh’s second most significant work, as well as pinpointing the date of its revelation.
@2114 Akbar returned to Iran both a confirmed believer in the Báb and devoted to
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Bahá’u’lláh, Who had not yet announced His own claim to be a Manifestation of God. In 1866 flal—i Akbar came to understand and accept Bahá’u’lláh as a Manifestation of God, when Nabil-i A‘zam, a historian of the Bibi and Bahá’í faiths, visited Shíráz and proclaimed Bahá’u’lláh’s announcement to the Bábls. The Báb’s uncle (as the document translated below shows) quickly accepted Bahá’u’lláh as the One prophesied by the Bab. His will and testament (also given in this article in translation) demonstrates that ~Kfiél—i Akbar ended his earthly life as a devoted follower of Bahá’u’lláh.
flfl—i Akbar’s Earliest
Associations with the Báb
K_HAL—I Akbar’s family were among the best-known and the most trustworthy merchants in the province of Fats. @fil—i Akbar’s wife, Hájíyyih Bibi Fátimih—Séhib (a daughter of Hájí Muhammad—Muhsin) also came from a prominent merchant family of ‘Abdu’lHusayni, which traded in Shíráz and Bushire and eventually had commercial interests that extended from India to Europe.’ flal—i Akbar ran the family office in Bushire, where he and the Báb were partners during the first four
3. Haj! MINA Hasan Fasé'i, Flirt-rm’mi/J ngin' (Tehran: 1894)}; 76—77.
4. Miru' Abu'l-Fadl of Gulpéygfin (1844—1914), the foremost scholar of his generation, wrote exrensively, ptoving the validity of the Bahá’í Faith and defending it. One such book is his Kitdb-i Fani’ia’ (Cairn: n.d.) written in 1897 in response to polemics against Bah ’u’lláh's Kitab-i fqén.
5. According to A.<I.i-M. Nicolas (Styyéa' Ali Mohammtd Dir k 845 190 [Paris Dujarric & Cie., 1905]), the Báb, while in Bushite, wrote the Risaliy—i Fithyyih (treatise in jurisprudence), which augured well for “a brilliant future in the path of Shi’ite orthodoxy.” It is conceivable that the writing of this treatise, or perhaps others similar to it, provoked _K_hél-i Akbar’s concern.
years in which the Báb worked there as a merchant.
Although flél—i Akbar had no indication that the Báb would later declare Himself to be an independent Manifestation of God Whose purpose was to inaugurate a new religion and to prepare for the coming of “He Whom God shall make manifest” [Bahá’u’lláh], he grew increasingly concerned during those years about the Báb’s preoccupation with religious matters, fearing that such proclivities might cause problems for their prominent family.
Mirza Habib Afnán, the late custodian of the House of the Báb in Shíráz and a prominent member of the Báb’s family, reports that
One day in Egypt during the time when [Mirzá] Abu’l—Fadl was occupied with writing the I(ita’b—i Fam’ ’z'd, we began talking about the Báb’s early years, before His declaration, when He was engaged in trading.4 Mina Abu’l—Faell related the following to me:
“I myself heard the late Hájí Sayyid Javéd—i Karbilá’i’ relate that, when the Báb was pursuing a career as a merchant in Bushire, because of Hájí Sayyid Javéd’s friendship and close association with the uncles of the Báb, he used to stay with them whenever he visited either Shíráz 0r Bushire. One day Haji' Mirza’ Sayyid Muhammad came to him with a request, ‘Give some good counsel to my nephew. Tell him not to write or utter certain things that can only provoke the jealousy ofcertain people. These people cannot tolerate seeing a young merchant of little schooling showing such erudition and are, therefore. rendered envious and resentful.”5
Haj! Mina Muhammad was very insistent that Haj! Sayyid Javad should counsel the Báb [to desist from such activities]. Hájí Sayyid Javad, however, replied with these lines of verse: ‘The fair of face endureth not being veiled; shut him in, and out of a window will he show his
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT—UNCLE or THE 5A5 21
visage.’ He added: ‘We are earthbound,
and He is celestial. Our counsel is of no
use to Him.”’6
In the summer of 1844, after His stirring declaration on 23 May of His being a Manifestation of God, the Báb instructed Mullah ‘Aliy—i Bastami, the second to believe in Him, to journey to Bushire and to share the news of His proclamation with _I_(_hal—i Akbar. It appears that, in the course of this visit, the Báb’s uncle grew considerably in his understanding of his nephew’s claim.7
fldl—i Akbar’s Letter to His Mother and Sister A FEW months after Bastémi visited _K_.hal—i Akbar, the Bib visited His uncle while traveling to Mecca for His pilgrimage. On His return He again stayed with His uncle for some ten days, beginning on 15 May 1845.8 By the second visit fial-i Akbar had developed a deep sense of respect and devotion toward the Báb, warmly welcoming Him into his home and showing genuine interest in his nephew’s claim. During the Báb’s return visit, @éJ—i Akbar sent a letter to his mother and to his sister, Fátimih Bagum (the mother of the Báb): O the Best of the Protectors! To be conveyed to the iliumined presence of the exalted lady, my mother, and to my
6. “TérLkh-i Amry-i Fats va filth," ms. 21—23; this translation is from the forthcoming book by Ahang Rabhani and Maryam Afnan-Rabhani, “In the Land of Refuge." 145-46, [0 be published by Oneworld Press; the present translation has benefited from an earlier rendering appearing in Balyuzi. T/Ie Bib 39—40.
7. Abu'l-Qasim Afnan, A History af 1/1: 34b (London: Oneworld Press, 1999) 20 (forthcoming).
81 For a discussion of the dates associated with the Bab’s pilgrimage, see Denis Machin, Source: fir 1/]: Earl} Bdbl Deming and History (Leiden: Brill, 1992) 48.
9. A reference to fiadijih Bagum, the wife of the Bab.
10. A reference to £11414 Akbar's wife.
sister, upon them rest the contentment of God. He is.
To your sanctified presence it is respectfully submitted that first may your eyes and mine, and indeed all eyes, be illumined that, praised be God, in utmost health and well—being, the honored Hájí [the Báb] has arrived, and at present I stand in His service. It is deemed prudent for Him to tarry for a while in this place before proceeding [to Shíráz]i God willing, it will be soon that He will return to that city. Your blessed self [Lhal-i Akbar‘s mother] should be assured that He sent a letter from Muscat and a separate one that was addressed to my honored sister, though they arrived after His own arrival. When I first opened the envelope, I did not notice that it was addressed to my dear and honored sister and only noticed that there was a short letter addressed to the sister of Aqa Mirza Abu’l—Qasim, which was for warded.9 Now that I have determined it was meant separately for my sister, that one has been sent as well. Study them all.
All eyes be solaced. In truth, His gracebestowing Self brings light to the eyes of this world and of the next. He is the source of our pride. Praised be God, a thousand praises be upon God, the Gracious, the Benevolent. God willing, you have remained steadfast in His Cause and have not allowed the idle talk of the people to introduce doubt or uncertainty into your hearts. Permit no fear or anxiety about what you may hear. The Lord of creation is His protector and His support.
I have no other matter to present to you. With infinite longing, I stand eager to serve Him. I beseech your prayers. Peace, tranquility, and blessings of God rest upon you all. My children convey their warm greetings, saying, “May your eyes he solaced by His arrival.” The mother10 of my children, the lights of my eyes, also joins
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in conveying her greetings and further adds
her good wishes and informs my honored
sister, “Would that I could be there to tell the mother of Aqa erzé Abu'l-Qasim,
‘Praised be God that she has a son—in—law
[the Báb] Who is peerless in the world and
all the inhabitants of the earth must obey
His command.’”"
Q2114 Akbar’s letter clearly indicates the extent to which he had come to believe, in some fashion, in his nephew’s Cause (amr). By urging his mother and his sister, the Báb's mother, to remain firm in their belief of these claims as well, it can be inferred that at least some members of the Báb’s family had given their allegiance to Him and recognized Him as the instrument of a divine Cause, though they still perceived His station as being within the scope of lslam.
fldl—i Akbar’: Letter to Hi: Brother ABOUT the same time that @2114 Akbar wrote to his mother and his sister, he sent another dispatch to his second brother, Hajt' Mini
11. The original of this letter in the hand of Ha'jl Mitzi Sayyid Muhammad (@514 Akbar) is among the private papers of Abu'l-Qasim Afnan. The teXt can be found in Faizi, flm’na’a’n-i Afiia’n 25—27.
12. After the death of the Báb’s fathet, K_hal-i A‘aam had served as his nephew's guardian and had raised him until the age of fifteen, at which time the Báb moved to Bushite.
13‘ A brether—in-law of the Báb in Shíráz who shielded the Báb from the attacks of the governor and remained loyal to Him throughout his life. He is the paternal gteat-grandfathet of Shoghi Effendi, whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá appointed in His will and testament to be the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith after His death.
14. Hajl ‘Abdu'l—Husayn was the paternal grandfather of @1114 Akbat’s wife and an influential metchant in Fits.
15. Presumably a reference to Quddlls, whose full name was Haj! Mullah Muhammad-‘Ally-i Bétfutliihll flal—i Akbar is advising that both the Báb and Quddt'is be prevented from advancing the Báb’s claims.
16‘ Mullah Husayn-i Bu$tlTI was the first to believe in the Báb when He declared His mission on 22 May 1844.
Sayyid ‘All, known as flail—i A ‘zam (the most great uncle).‘2 From the content of this communication it is evident that the Báb’s claim had provoked considerable commotion. While many, including some of the 3513’s immediate family, were exerting pressure on Him to abandon His claims, the letter provides evidence that @2114 Akbar was by then a devoted follower of the Báb, though he was yet unaware of the full magnitude of the Báb’s revelation. . . . a letter was received about the Cause of the honored Sayyid and my Master [the Bab], may His station be exalted by the Almighty. Mitzé Abu’l-Qásim has written about it as well. '3 Also, Hajt’ ‘Abdu’l—Husayn has written, though his first letter did not arrive, but the second one did, and they contained the same.” From what has been received, it is apparent that they have not deemed this matter [the claim of the Báb] to be the truth and have suggested that we conceal these imaginings and prevent Hajl Mullah Muhammad from departing and spreading this claim of both.‘5 [Further, they have suggested that we] wait some time so that gradually this talk will be erased from people‘s memory, as they fear that because of this [claim] we would all suffer injuries or major losses.
My view, however, is that, if we were to consider the matter from the worldly point of view, it would be, indeed, as they have stated. After reading these missives, my Master, the honored Haji [the Báb] became greatly saddened over the infirmity [lack of steadfastness] of those who had penned these [letters]. Nevertheless, He stated, “Regarding the teaching of the Cause, what Aflund Mullah Husayn initially had spread to the King, the ulama, and the people should have sufficed, and this second time was only because of Out grace, as there was no need for it.‘6 Now that such reactions have been observed and will be discerned, for [the next] five
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT—UNCLE OF THE BAB 23
years I have forbidden unto Myself the revelation of verses. This, indeed, is the most grievous punishment for those who have denied, and they will comprehend its effect only after they have been left with no recourse. After My arrival in Shíráz, as had been My practice in the past, I will remain in My house and will not associate with anyone and will not allow others to attain unto My presence. I will have no dealings with anyone and will leave people to themselves. Meanwhile should anyone be found who seeks the truth and be willing to embrace it, I shall designate one to answer his questions. Once I decline to associate with others, others will not bother with Me as well. If it were not because of My esteemed mother and grandmother, I would never return to Shíráz and single and alone would establish My home in this very city [Bushire], or would go in a direction that none would know.”
If our honored mother desires to visit the sacred city of Mashhad, she can proceed with you. Accordingly, please arrange for her journey. And if by then the Héjl [the Báb] were to arrive [in Shíráz], they would be together for a few days, and she would depart afterwards. In any case, may they journey in peace.
In short, though they manifest His [the Báb’s] wishes, the above utterances indicate His honored Person’s sadness over the event. God willing, once He has arrived in Shíráz, He would not associate with anyone, and the same has been His practice while in this place. And should anyone ask of this matter, the answer is the
17. Mubd/Iilib is the practice of opponents challenging one another to mutual cursing, expecting the truthful one to be safe and the wicked to receive divine chastisement. For example, while in Edirne, Bahá’u’lláh invited MIrzA Yaḥyá, His rebellious half-brothet, to a public mubahilih, but Yaḥyá did not appear.
same, and it is incumbent upon him to show obedience and seek the explanation of what he does not understand of His laws from the one designated by Him. He Himself will not associate with anyone. The reason for designating another person is that, should people be found who in sincerity would recognize Him and seek to understand [His Revelation], they would make their inquires from this designate, who, otherwise, will not associate with anyone either, For five years it will thus continue, until He decrees what will occur.
He [the Báb] states, “We have nothing to do with anyone, and you are to continue with your business as before and fear no one. If you dislike My coming to Shíráz, I will not come.n Thus His affairs will unfold as described above.
However, about what you had written, "These writings are not proof,” and your inquiry as to how this servant attained certitude [in the Báb’s claims], I respond that, besides the fact that these writings are in themselves proof, consider how a Person like Him, Who is unschooled, now without consulting a book or referring to any text, is able to lift the pen and reveal such mighty verses. Is this not a proof? Moreover, your own self has written, and the esteemed mother of Hájí’ ‘Abdu'lHusayn wrote the same, that through ascetic practices, He [the Bib] has attained spiritual advancement. Should one be the recipient of divine favors and be blessed to receive such [heavenly] grace, surely God will protect Him from satanic delusions. His honored person [the Báb] has written in many places, "If anyone is certain in his own ways and denies My Cause, let him come forth and engage Me in muba’bi/i/J." ‘7 I take refuge in God! How could One Who is so self-assured, be not of truth? If you claim that He suffers from mental disturbance, I do not share your assess
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ment, as how could it be that a person is unlenered while he is sane, but then when he is mentally disturbed he becomes so erudite?
In short, that which must have been said has been repeatedly said. You know best how to act. Convey my greetings to our mother and our sister and kindly tell them of my condition. For me, no doubt remains. I have no proof, but my conscience directs me to see and perceive that this Cause is the truth. What they [my mother and my sister] Wish to believe is up to them. Further, they should be aware that when the honored Hájí [the Báb] arrives in the city [of Shíráz], He will dismount and walk to the house alone. Therefore, it is best not to inform the people, so that He may be left to Himself. Until now it had been incumbent upon Him to obey the wishes [of the Báb's grandmother and mother], but now it is the opposite, and they must strive to obey
18. The original of this letter, in Qél-i Akbat's hand, is in the private library of Abu’l-Qasim Afnan, while a typed version appears in Faizi, flann-iAfiidn 27~31. The first part Of the letter, which has not been ([anslated, deals with the family commercial business. Amanat, in his Resurrection and anua1355, n. 127, questions the atuibution of this letter to flél-i Akbar, suggesdng that it was penned by his brother, @414 A‘zam. However, not only the original text of the letter clearly indicates that @414 Akbar authored it, but the narrative of his son, Vakllu'd-Dawlih, quoted latet in this study, confirms that @514 Akbar was, indeed, in Bushire at this time
19. It seems likely that this petition paved the way, some days later, for Khal—i A'um to listen to Quddlis and enabled him to accept, unreservedly, the revelation of the Báb (see Nabfl-i A‘yim [Muhammad-i Zarandi). The Dawn—Brmkert' Nablli Narrative of the Early Dd]! Oftsza/147Rewbn‘un, trans. Shoghi Effendi [\Xfilmette. Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1921] 143). 511414 A'pim had been deeply impressed by the devotion of his nephew and through his Contacts with the Shaykhi community was already expecting the Manifestation of the Promised One.
A
His every command. Under no circum stance should they disobey Him.
I have no other matter to present to you. I have written a letter to Hájí ‘Abdu’lHusayn, which you will also see, and perchance some things said here will be repeated there as well. He requested the appearance of some extraordinary event, such as revealing people’s inner thoughts. Sanctified be God! Repeatedly we have beheld that people [fortune tellers], for a couple of small coins, reveal other people's thoughts, and that was nothing but satanic deeds. But if one’s heart does not attain certitude by [His] knowledge and erudition, of what use is conveying such stories?”
From @414 Akbar’s letter to his younger brother, flél—i Ajam, it is clear that the Báb was deeply affected by the lukewarm reception to His call. Although He had initially vowed to remain silent for five years and to cease revealing verses, He later reversed this decision while in Shíráz and continued to reveal many treatises, prayers, homilies, and books. It can readily be inferred that flaili Akbar counted himself among the Báb’s followers and was urging his younger brother to embrace the new Message.l9
However, one must ponder what 511.414 Akbar understood about the Báb’s claim and station in May 1845. The uncles of the Báb were able to occupy their professions as merchants by receiving the type of education—accounting and economics—and training readily available to the business class in Iran in the middle of the nineteenth century. Their education also exposed them to widely known poetic and literary works, particularly Hafez and Sadi. @514 Akbar himself was educated for a few years at the same school in the Masjid—i Naw (the New Mosque) that, years later, the Báb would attend. Although he had been given a rudimentary religious education (which consisted of reading the Koran and a general history of Islam and its
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT—UNCLE OF THE BAB 25
basic jurisprudence), __Kh_él—i Akbar did not receive the rigorous seminarian education that many early Babf converts had mastered through devoting years to acquiring incredibly detailed learning. While it is not clear, by the time flél-i Akbar wrote the letters above, whether he had seen any of the writings of the Báb, such as the Qayyfimu’lAsmá’ and the Commentary on the Surih of the Cow (which are filled with subtle and complex allusions to the Báb’s prophetic mission and employ very sophisticated symbolism), in all probability, he would have been unable to discern their significance. One might assert that the central claim of the Bab—to Qti’imtyyat (Messiah—hood) and Prophethood—had remained, therefore, essentially inaccessible to flél—i Akbar. This assertion is Further supported by two important documents written by K_hél—i Akbat’s son, which clearly show that those who knew about the Báb’s claim generally thought Him [0 be simply a saintly figure, perhaps the gate to the Hidden Imam, but no more. This misunderstanding stemmed from the inaccessibility of the Qayyfimu’l—Asmá’, in which the Báb advances a claim to be a Manifestation of God but in language decipherable only to those with substantial training and Shaykhi background. While the possibility remains that the Báb may have apprised His uncle of His mission orally, no such evidence is known. His instructing Quddfis to speak to flal-i A‘zam about His mission indicates
20. Hájí Muhammad—Taql was the architect of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Ishqábád.
21. AM. is the abbreviation f0! amw Htgirae (in the year of lMuhammad’s] Hegita); C,E. (of the common era) is the alternative designation equivalent to A.D. (4mm Domini, in the yeax of the Lord).
22 In the Tablet of Carmel, Bahá’u’lláh refers to the Shrine of the Báb as “the celestial Kaabat” (7115qu of Bahá’u’lláh revealed afitr the [thlz-i—Aqdar, comp. Research Department of the Universal House of Jus that He did not wish to introduce it to His family directly.
T 100 Documents Written by fldl—i Akbar? San ELIAL—I Akbar’s eldest son, Héjl Mlnfi Muhammad-Taql, known as Va/ellu ’d—Dzzwlz'b (the trustee of the government), was born in 1830 and by 1845 had joined his father’s trading business in Bushire, occupying the former office of the Bib.” He has written several important narratives, the first of which to be considered here was composed in July 1906: In J—2 [Jamfidiy’t_h-_T_hém’, a lunar month] A.H. 1324 [July 1906 C.E.]21
The honored and revered Aqé Mitzé ‘AlI—Altbat-i Rafsanjénl, who is numbered among the foremost teachers of the Cause, has come to ‘Ifiqébad accompanied by Aqfi Mimi Tarézu’lláh Qazvlni, the son of the illustrious Samandar, for the purpose of the Faith’s propagation. The former has asked that I write For him what I recall of the dawning of the Manifestation of the Bab and those kinsmen who have been named the Afnán by the Ancient Beauty [Bah ’u’lláh]. Although because of the passage of time, diminished memory, and advanced age, not all the details are recalled; however, to fulfill his wish, the following is noted:
What this servant remembers of the decreed events is that before His declaration, the deeds, manners, and associations of His Holiness [the Báb] differed from those of other people. In the proximity of Shíráz‘s Masjid-i Naw, Masjid—i Path [the Victory Mosque] and the Jewish neighborhood, His exalted mother, who was an aunt to this servant [Valtllu’d—Dawlih], resided in the blessed house on the Shamshirgathé Street, situated between Masjid-i Naw, near the Fath Mosque and the Jewish quarter of Shíráz—a house that is now the celestial Kaaba [Point of Adoration] of the Supreme Concourse.22 Her
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sole offspring was that Sanctified Effulgence [the Báb], Whose father, Aqfi Mina Muhammad-Rida, had passed away during His Childhood.
This servant was a mere child when I attained His blessed presence, and a little
rice, trans. Habib Tahenadeh et 21., [st ps ed. [Wlmette 111.: Bath“ Publishing Trust, 1988] 4) Many Bahá’í wtitets have adopted the same phrase to refer to the House of the Báb in Shíráz. It should be further noted that in Islam the Kaaba is the building in the court of the great Mosque in Mecca containing the sacred black stone and is the object of Islamic pilgrimage and the point toward which Muslims turn duting their daily prayers. The Bábl’s turned toward the House of the Báb in Shitza as their Kaaba and the focal point of their prayers.
23. Commonly known as al—Salilflzt al—Kalimdt a:Sajja'dljya, it is the collection of supplications of the Fourth Shia Imam, ‘Ali’ ibn Husayn, surnamed Zaynu’l‘Abidi’n, who is also known as Sayyid-i as-Sajidlnhence, the title of the book. The collection was translated into English by William C. Chittick and published under the title of The Psalm Of Islam In his introduction the translator netes that “al-Sahifat alSajjadiyya is the oldest prayer manual in Islamic sources and one of the most seminal works of Islamic spirituality of the early period . t t Shi’ite tradition considers the Sahifa a book worthy of the utmost veneration, tanking it behind only the Qur’án and ‘Ali's Nahj albalagha. . . . The Sahifa has been called by various honotifics, such as ‘SiStet of the Qur’án’, ‘Gospel of the Folk of the House’. and ‘Psalms of the Household of Muhammad.’ t . . According to Shi'ite tradition, Zayn aI-‘Abidin had colleCted his supplications and taught them to his children, especially [the fifth lmam] Muhammad-Baqir and Zayd. In later times the text became widely disseminated among Shi'ites of all persuasions. The specialists in the science of badit/I maintain that the text is mumwan'r; in other words, it was generally known from eatiiesr times and has been handed down by numerous chains of transmission, while its authenticity has never been questioned.” This Collection contains fifty»four supplications, which make up the main body of the text, and the additional supplications, which make up the fourteen addenda (including the prayers for the days of the week) and the fifteen mumijdt or “whispered prayers."
24, Shaykh Hasan is the brother of Shaykh Husayni ‘Usfl’ul, the gteat—grandfather of VahId-i Darébl. The Báb mentions Shaykh Hasan in chapter 27 of His Qayytimu’l-Asma’t
L
of that time I recall, though other details
have been forgotten. I remember that on
Sundays I would go into the presence of
my exalted aunt. It was in A.H. 1260 [1844
C.E.], but I cannot be certain which month,
that one morning I attained the presence
of the Báb. He was occupied with writing
prayers. Melon was placed before Him,
and with the tip of a knife, He graciously
offered me a piece. I ate it. He handed me
a page of a prayer, and, after I had read
it, He asked, “What manner of supplication do you perceive this to be?” I was
familiar with the Sabzfi/Jy-yi Sajjddtjyi/I,
recited each day of the week and, therefore, replied, “It is similar to the prayer of
Sablfihrm
I remember that at that time the majority of mystics and ascetics of Shíráz were anticipating the nearness of the Manifestation (Zu/nir). However, He had appeared but was concealed from all, except from the believers and devotees from the Shaykhi faction, who upon the passing of the late Hájí Sayyid Kfizim had dispersed in search of Him. It was rumored that a certain Person had appeared, claiming to be the representative of the imam (rm’yibi imam), and His command forbidding the use ofwater pipes was circulating among the populace. This servant asked Him [the Bab], “Is this true?” He replied, “Yes, it is indeed so, and the use of water pipes is forbidden.”
A few days later, He departed for Mecca and left us. My late father was in Bushite. In Bushire the Báb had ordered the reaching of Shaykh Hasan of the ‘Usfiir family. the Imamjum’i/y [chief imam] of that city. Shaykh Hasan had neither accepted nor rejected His claim.“
He boarded a sail boat, revealed a sermon, and then departed. In Muscat He won over the allegiance of that city’s imam and revealed homilies.
Some two months after His departure,
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT-UNCLE OF THE BB 27
this servant left Shíráz for Bushire as well and was living with my late father when the Báb returned from Mecca. In Shíráz news about Him was spreading exceedingly fast, but in accordance with His instructions His blessed name was not known. The muezzin [the one who sounds the Muslim call to prayer] who ranked as His believers, were instructed to change the afidn formula [Muslim call to prayer] to “I testify that ‘Alf [the Báb} is a servant of Baqz'xyatu’lláh [the Remnant of God; Bahá’u’lláh], as recorded in all the preserved Books.”15 Because of this, the ulama had issued a [71th [legal ruling] declaring the author of this command an infidel and had beaten and expelled from the city the prayer leaders—namely, the late Mullah Muhammad-Sadiq [@uréséni] and Mullah Muhammad-‘Ali’ [Quddús], may my spirit be a sacrifice unto them both.
When the news of His [the Báb’s] return from Mecca reached Shíráz, the governor sent ten soldiers to arrest His Holiness The period of His stay in Bushire was ten or twelve days, and my late father and this servant would regularly attain His presence. One afternoon He said to my father, “Arrange for a mount, as I must journey [to Shíráz]." My father pleaded with Him to stay longer, but it was to no avail. My late father arranged for a mount, and He left. En route from Burazjan He had arrived at [the village of ] Dalaki’, where the soldiers charged with His arrest had passed Him by. His Holiness sent His set 25. Nabil, Dawn-Bmzker: 144, gives the verse of the flasa’il-i Sab‘ih as, ”I bear witness that He whose name is ‘Ah’qabl-i Muhammad [‘Ali before Muhammad; the Báb] is the servant of Baqiyyatu’llah [the Remnant of God; Bahá’u’lláh]." Almost without exception, all the Báb’s writings are dedicated to extolling the station of Bahá’u’lláh; this verse is one such example,
26. A typed version of this passage appears in Faizi, flinddn-i Afluin 113—11
vant, Mubarak, to their chief, and he was
brought before the Báb, Who asked him,
“Why are you going to Bushire? State your
purpose so that your troubles may be less ened.” He had stated their charge and was told, “The Person that you seek is none other than 1.” Together they had left for
Shíráz, and were I to tell of the events of
the city, it would require a mighty book,
which is beyond the abilities of this servant.“
Several important points in Haji' Mirza Muhammad-Taqi’s recollections should be emphasized:
]. Abrogation of the use of water pipe: Within the Shiite system of jurisprudence, it is solely the mujta/aid [Islamic legal scholar] who is authorized to pronounce on matters of personal law, and all others must defer to him. Clearly, the Báb Was not certified as a mujtahid. Therefore, the fact that He had forbidden the use of such a commonly practiced habit as the water pipe illustrates that He had assumed the right of law—giving. In an important way this pronouncement was tantamount to innovation in matters of Islamic jurisprudence, signaling the abrogation of Shiite law.
2. The station of the Báb and how it was understood by his contemporaries: Even at the time of the 135155 explicit claim to be a Manifestation of God in such early writings as the Qayyumu’l-Asma’, such statements could initially be deciphered only by those sufficiently trained. It is of interest that Haj! Mirza Muhammad-Taqi reports that the Báb was known at that time as the Representative of the Imam. This suggests that the Báb had not yet Chosen to divulge completely the full implications of His station.
3. The presence of gala Akbar in Bushire when the Báb returned from pilgrimage: Haji Mirza Muhammad—Taqi’s recollections, written in 1906, clearly confirm that @2114 Akbar was in Bushire when the Báb returned from pilgrimage, providing further support to the
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notion that Lhal—i Akbar’s second letter was written from that city.
The following account by gala Akbat’s son was written some time after the one quoted above, possibly in 1906, and provides further insight into the early days of the Báb and the reaction of fial-i Akbar to the events of that period:
1_S_227
After confessing my inability to thank the Almighty for His ever—present favors, the illustrious MirzA ‘Ali—Akba: [Rafsanjém’] has recently come to ‘Iflqabad to propagate and spread the Cause of God and has asked this feeble servant to record all that is recalled of the days of the Primal Point and to present the same to him, Although due to infirmity and being seventy—nine years of age, my memory is no longer precise, but in order to have obeyed his wish, I pen the following brief account.
I remember that in the years [A.H.] 1259 until [12]60 [1843—44 C.E.] many ascetics and holy men were anticipating the Manifestation (Zu/m'r). [For example,] an unknown person had written on the pulpit
of the Masjid—i Ja’mi‘ before the year 60
that within three years the Q11’ ’im [He Who
Shall Arise; the title designating the Prom ised One of Islam] would appear. Also,
my esteemed uncle, the martyred Haji
Mirza Sayyid ‘All, who attained the su preme station of martyrdom in Tehran,
quit his trading some four years before the advent of the year 60 and secluded himself, expecting the Manifestation.28 Upon the appearance [of the Báb], he [my uncle] readily accepted, but I was in Bushire and did not witness the great sufferings that
27. The numbers 1—5-2 stand fot the three letters AH—B, which make up the word 1311M (lit., glory; the title of Bahá’u’lláh [the Glory of GodD.
28‘ Afnán family records clearly demonstrate that the second uncle of the Báb continued with his trading business well into 1845.
were inflicted upon him by the governorgeneral of Fats.
In the year 60, it was broadcast throughout Shíráz that a beloved Sayyid had advanced the claim to be the Representative of the [Hidden] Qa’im (Ndyilz—i Qa’i'm). However, His blessed name was not known
I remember that on Sundays I would attain the presence of my illustrious aunt, the mother of His Holiness [the Báb]. During such visits I gained admittance unto His presence as well. One Sunday during the month of Rajah, or perhaps it was fla‘bén [July or August 1844 C.E.] I attained such blessing, and He was sitting on the terrace of the House. After I received permission to sit, I noticed that melon was being sewed. With the tip of a knife, He offered me a piece. The Báb was occupied with writing certain verses and prayers. He showed me a page upon which a prayer for the days of the week was revealed and instructed me to read it. After I had recited that piece, He asked, “What manner of prayer do you perceive this to be?” I replied, “It is similar to the Saillfiy—yi Sa/jddtjlyi/a,” a prayer that was well known to me.
It was rumored that the Representative of the Imam (Na'yib—i [ma'm) had forbidden the use of water pipes. Therefore, I asked whether, indeed, this was true.
He replied, "Yes, that is correct.”
That week, or perhaps the next, He departed for Mecca and left by way of Bushire. Two or three months later, in accordance with the wishes of my father (who was in Bushite), I, too, left for that city. While in Bushire we heard that Shíráz was filled with commotion as the muezzins of two disciples of the late Hail Sayyid K&im [Rashti] who were the Imam Jum‘ihs had added this verse to the call for prayer: “I testify that ‘Ali is the servant of Baquam 714/) [the Remnant of God; Bahá’u’lláh] as has been sent down in every
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREA’FUNCLE OF THE BAB 29
hidden Tablet." The divines of the city had heard of this incident and gathered to issue a ruling against these two Imém Jum‘ihs—namely, the honored [Mullah Sadjq] Muqaddas and the honored Mullah Muhammad—‘Ali [Quddt’rs]. These two esteemed personages were seized by the authorities and subjected to punishment, including burning of their beards and expulsion from the city.
The officials were eager to seize the Representative of the Imam [the Báb]. When He returned from Mecca, I was in Bushire. Day and night I would attain His august presence. All His time was devoted to revelation of verses and prayers. One night it was the opportune moment for me to beseech Him fervently and tearfully to pray on my behalf that I would have a good end. He responded, “Your end is good.”
During this period in Bushire, my late mother observed two or three miracles from Him. During the days before His declaration, when He was engaged in trading in Bushite, He would frequently come to the home of my late father and would shower him with His favors.
His demeanor was very different from that of others. I do not recall Him smiling. I do not recall His exact utterances so that I could record them. In one of His tablets it is revealed: “All things will perish, except His countenance.” He also stated, “Our kinsmen have been reckoned among the ‘Letters of the Exalted.”29 But not because they were deserving, nay, because of Our love for them.” In the course of the next Manifestation, this
29~ The original speaks of “[Junif-i uajb," which literally means “the Letters turned to Him," or “the Letters exalted by Him”
30. This passage and the typed text appear in Faizi, fidnddn-i Afirdn 110—13.
matter was asked of His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] presence. He responded, “By ‘Afnan,’ it is meant the kinsmen of the Primal Point, may the spirit of all be a sacrifice unto Him.”3"
Repressive Actions Following the Declaration of the Báb WHEN Lhél-i Akbar returned from Bushire to Shíráz in 1846, he fell under the cloud of suspicion that had been cast over the members of the Bfib’s family. In fact, some time before his return and shortly after the Báb’s departure for Iṣfahán in 1846, the family felt the threat of the vengeful governor and was compelled to destroy a large quantity of the Báb’s writings. Mirzá Habib Afnan’s reports on this matter are based on stories told to him by an eyewitness—Zahta Bagum, the Bab’s sister-in—law:
He [Husayn flan, the governor of Fats] further issued a command that henceforth should any piece of paper he found in that city bearing the Báb’s handwriting or a verse revealed by Him, the members of that household would be punished by having their home demolished. Being a thoroughly ill—tempered person, he rounded up all the believers and devotees of His Holiness and, after administering severe beatings with sticks and causing them much injury, he extracted from the victims whatever sum they could muster. . . .
After the governor’s order was broadcast in the city, whoever had received such writings [revealed by the Báb] would bring them in bundles and deposit the packs in a long vestibule in the house of Hajf Mitzi Abu’l—Qasim. On one side of the courtyard all such writings were stacked high, all penned on large exquisite cashmere papers in the hand of His Holiness. Were even a page of those precious writings available today, it would surely be worth an immense fortune. Those papers all contained innumerable commentaries,
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prayers, homilies, and learned scientific treatises on diverse themes. The illustrious uncle of the Báb3| was asked in what manner we were to dispose of those writings, and he replied, “These are all revelations from God and as such cannot be treated disrespectfully. Wash the papers, and throw the water in the well of the courtyard.”
We placed four large wash tubs on the ground of the courtyard, and the four of us——that is, the mother [of the Báb];32 fladijih Bagum [the wife of the Báb]; the wife of Hájí Mirza Abu’l-Qaisim;33 and I began to place stacks of these papers in the tubs and wash them much as clothes are washed by hands. Page by page, the ink was washed away from all the sheets, and the wash water thrown down the well.34
Kjga’l—i Akbar? Visit with Bahá’u’lláh THE repressive environment Following the Bab’s declaration became more restrictive and arduous with the passage of time. The real difficulty must have been, however, in trying to determine the exact nature of the Báb’s newly founded religion. It is likely that the Báb’s uncle was never fully apprised of the exact claims of the Báb, which included the abrogation of the Islamic precepts and a new mission from God. Or, if he heard about the Bab’s claims, the full implication of the evidence remained, by virtue of his training, beyond his grasp. To understand the basis for this assertion one must consider a number of events.
With the martyrdom of the Bib and the systematic persecution of the Báb’s followers,
31. Presumably a reference to Haj! Mirzá Sayyid ‘Ali.
32. The text simply states ua’lin’ih (mother); it is interpreted to be the mother of the Báb.
33. Her name was Sultan Bagum; she was from Jahrum.
34‘ Mini Habib Afnfin, Tdrl/Lh-i Amry-i Flirt mz sh/Mzus—li
the family of the Báb and, indeed, the vast majority of the Babi community was overcome with disillusion and disappointment. By the late 1850s only one member of the Báb's family, His widow, _K_h_adijih Bagum, remained firm in her Convictions about the Bab’s mission. She kindled the faith of her nephew, the young Aqé Mirzá Aqay—i Nl’lti’dDin, who, in turn, taught his parents about the Báb’s claim. Afterward, Nuti’d-Din began urging K_hél-i Akbar to renew his commitment to the Babi Faith by visiting Bahá’u’lláh, the most prominent Babi, Who was in Baghdad educating the remnant of the Babi community and winning new converts to the Cause. Nuri’d—Din’s son, Mina Habibi Afnán, reports the following recollections spoken by his father:
At the beginning, when I broached the subject with @aH—i Akbar], he would persistently refuse, and yet I would put forth more evidences and proofs [in support of the Báb’s claim]. It proceeded in such wise for several meetings.
One day during our discussion, I was strenuously enumerating proofs, when, with amazement, @511 exclaimed, “Aqé Mina Aqé, are you saying that my nephew is the Qa’im of the house of Muhammad?”
uAnd what if He is?" I responded.
Thoroughly astounded, he said, “That would be most extraordinary.”
To which I replied, “There is nothing strange about it!”
After this comment, he became most reflective. Considering his condition, I smiled.
He asked, “Why do you smile?”
At first I refused to answer and replied, “It might not be polite on my part, and. therefore, it is best for me not to say)1
However, he insisted, “Do not be reticent. Say what you are thinking.”
“Since you wish,” I responded, “I Will comment. The objection that you have raised is the very same one that Abfi—Lahab
.Jfi—"fit 4
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT—UNCLE OF THE BAB 31
raised of old.35 He, too, exclaimed, ‘Is it possible for my nephew to be the Messenger of God?1 Yet it was. Therefore, you must also exert yourself and investigate this matter. Know, assuredly, that this Sun has risen From your house, and this Light has become manifest in your family. You should be proud! Do not be surprised, and do not separate yourself therefrom. The Almighty is well able to have appointed your nephew as the Qá’im of the house of Muhammad. ’The Hand of God is free.”
Then the honored uncle responded, “The light of mine eye! What an irrefutable answer! There is no further room for objection. What am I to do now?”
I said to him, “First, it is obligatory upon you to go on pilgrimage to the 24mth [Shiite shrines in present—day Iráq] and there to visit your exalted sister—namely, the mother of the Báb—just as she, after the news of the martyrdom, proceeded to that land. Second, [iuz’n [Bahá’u’lláh] now resides in Baghdad,36 and it behooves you to journey there for a few days and to inquire of your perplexities. You must endeavor to place your reliance in God. I hope that the veils will be lifted and certitude will be attained. ‘Nothing shall be
55‘ An Uncle of Muhammad who rejected and opposed His mission and participated in several armed battles agaimt the Prophet. See the Koran, sura 111.
36- lid", a formal pronoun meaning “They," is a term of respea used for an exalted personage. The Bábx’s and the Bahá’ís used it, as a precaution, to avoid mentioning Bahá’u’lláh's name.
31 The Koran, the Star (tm—Nnjm), 53:39.
38. A slightly different translation of the above four Pflagraphs appears in H. M. Balyuzi, Eminent 84/1er in the Tim: 1f Bahá’u’lláh with Some Hinariazl Barkground (Oxford: George Ronald, 1985) 220—21.
39. Haji ané Hasan-‘Ali, the youngest of the three maternal uncles of the Báb, was known as fldl-i AIME? (Kh: junior uncle) He resided in Yabd most of his life In the late—18605 he became a believer in the Bah and Bahá’u’lláh.
reckoned to a man but that for which he hath made efl’brts.’a7
After hearing these remarks, he responded, “Your words have penetrated my heart. I will do as you say.”38
He wrote his [youngest] brother, Héjf erzé Hasan—‘Ali, who was then 3 metchant in Yazd, of his intention to go to the ‘Atabét and visit their sister and invited him to come to Shíráz so they might journey together?9 On seeing this letter, the honored Haji Mfrzé Hasan—‘Ali wrote, “I stand ready to join you on this journey. Kindly remain in Shíráz until my arrival, and from there we will travel to the ‘Atabétf
Therefore, Q5514 Akbar began to prepare for the journey and awaited the arrival of his brother. A month later Hájí Mirzá Hasan—‘Ali arrived in Shíráz, and together they set out for Bushire and the ‘Atabfit. En route Hájí Mirza’t Sayyid Muhammad [flél-i Akbar] did not divulge the true object of this expedition and waited until they arrived at the Abode of Peace [Baghdad] when he informed his brother, “The principal purpose of this journey was to make a religious inquiry of capital importance, and only secondarily did I wish to visit our sister in the ‘Atabfit. With your consent, we will tarry for a while in Baghdad and meet with His Holiness [Bahá’u’lláh], and after completing our investigation we will then proceed to the ‘Atabétf’ Upon hearing these words, Hájí Mitzi Hasan—‘Ali was moved with great indignation and, notwithstanding his brother’s seniority, spoke harshly: “I will not stay for one moment and have no wish to heat of such discussions.” That very day, true to his word, he departed from Baghdad.
Hájí Mimi Sayyid Muhammad remained behind and tried to meet with Hajl Sayyid Javéd-i Karbilá’i a friend and business associate of the Báb’s uncles]. Upon their encounter, he informed the latter, “The
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purpose of my journey to Baghdad is to meet with His Holiness and make certain spiritual inquiries of Him. As you [regularly] attain His presence, kindly inform Him [of my request] and ask on my behalf for an appointment that I may gain the blessing of His presence.” In the light of their long friendship and association, Hájí Sayyid Javad was deeply moved with flaii Akbar’s stated purpose and expressed his profound joy and {elicitation over this matter.
Thereupon, Aqa Sayyid Javfid attained the presence of the Blessed Beauty [Bahá’u’lláh] and stated, “The honored uncle of the Báb, Haji’ Mirza Sayyid Muhammad, has come from Shíráz to Baghdad and wishes to gain the bliss of attendance. May permission be granted?” Out of divine favor, Bahá’u’lláh expressed His joy and fixed the hour for such a meeting‘
At the appointed time, @2114 Akbar together with Hájí Sayyid Javéd attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, at which time he [_K_h_al—i Akbar] expressed some of his understanding surrounding the issue of the appearance of the Qá’im, prophecies associated with this event, and certain other matters. In response Bahá’u’lláh addressed some of these difficulties, but then, as a grace upon all, the Blessed Perfection {Bahá’u’llém said, “Commit to paper all that you have in mind about such propositions so that sufficient response may be written as well.” On hearing this, the uncle
40. Mini Hablb-i Afnan, Ta’rlffi-i Amry-i Flirt w: shlrdz, ms. 157—64. The remarks represent what Ntiti'dDin recalled of his own comments.
41. See Faizi, fldndAn-i Afiufn unnumbered page after 41.
42. The Shiite orthodoxy holds that on the day of Resurrection people will pass over a bridge of judgment, which is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. The faithless will fall into hell, and the righteous will pass safety over the bridge to the gate of heaven.
of the Báb [5mm Akbar] was exceedingly happy and that night wrote in detail all the complex questions he had in mind regarding the appearance of the promised Qá’im and the proofs associated with such a Manifestation and sent forth these queries into the presence of the Blessed Petfection.“ The actual sheets of paper on which flaili Akbar wrote the questions that he presented to Bahá’u’lláh were found by Abu’l—Qasim Afnan, when he organized and classified the Afnán family papers in the 19505 and 196054 He gave a facsimile of the document to Muhammad-Ali Faizi, who published it in L(Izdna’dn—i Afim‘n.“ The following is a translation of Qal-i Akbar’s questions, which occasioned Bahá’u’lláh’s revealing the Kitábi fqén:
One: What previously was believed is that the promised resurrection will take place in another world. The raising of the dead, the Bridge, the reckoning of the deeds of all creatures, and the reward or punishment of those deeds will take place in that world.“2 However, if, [as the Babis claim], it is all in this world, and it has taken place, and, moreover, the days of the advent of every Manifestation of the Truth constitute the very Day of Resurrection for the period preceding it, in this new Revelation there has been no punishment for man’s deeds. Nay, the insurgence and corruption of the people of tyranny and oppression have increased. If the real meaning of reward and punishment is nearness or remoteness from the Divine Court [of God], this would be the same, regardless of which world it occurs in. The People of Truth [believers] in this world, since they exist in God’s good pleasure, are in a state of fortune; but they are outwardly caught in the grip of the people of oppression [the ungodly] and are persecuted by them. The people of oppression, although they are tormented by being fat
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT-UNCLE OF THE 3A3 33
from the threshold of God, are outwardly in a state of comfort and by reason of their ignorance are unaware of that torment. If the requital for people‘s deeds and the promised reward and punishment be as described above, and there be no other world than this one, where will the oppressed seek vengeance from the one who oppressed him and where will the people of punishment receive their justice? This is none but denial of the promised resurrection. I have not fathomed this subject fully, yet it is among the most important of matters to understand.
Two: From the inception of Islam until now it has been a belief of all the followers of the Shiite creed—a matter that no one has ever denied or even doubted, and concerning which traditions}3 prayers, and tablets of visitation have been revealed by the imams—that the Twelfth Imam was born from the womb of His glorious mother and that He was outwardly alive in this world and shall remain alive in it until He reappears. This is something that cannot be denied. Yet what we have now witnessed does not conform to this. I seek elucidation of this claim so that I may, God willing, attain complete certainty, nay the essence of certitude.
Three: The appearance of this new Cause is not in conformity or agreement with what has been understood from the accounts and traditions in the past nor with what all men have believed. We cannot
43. Hadilhs, or traditions, refer to the utterances of Muhammad ot the imams that have been transmitted to the posterity. The science of hadiths is concerned with the chain of transmission of these sayings and their accuncy.
44. A summary translation of flal-i Akbat's questions was published in H. M. Balyuzi, Bahá’u’lláh 16465. Denis Machin first attempted a full translation of the quesnons on the H-Bahai Internet discussion group. My present translation has benefited from Machin’s earlier effort
reject all traditions of the past nor interpret away what the imams have said, not will men's hearts believe in such a thing. The manner and custom of the sanctified imams is to guide and give directions to men. To interpret their words in such a way as to say they did not intend the outward meaning is without foundation, for it will not prove the cause of men’s guidance; rather, it will cause them bewilderment. In some cases a tradition has come down that is not to be taken literally; but to interpret all the traditions other than by their outward meaning is in contradiction to the way in which the imams guided humankind. I would ask You to favor me with a clear explanation of this topic in such a manner that it will create certainty in men’s hearts and so that no one will be able to open up a path of doubL
Four: According to those traditions that have come down to us from the sanctified imams concerning the time of the appearance of the Qá’im, such as: “An enemy will raise an army in Syria and will battle Him at a place Whose name They [the imams] have specified as being between Syria and Mecca”; “The ground shall be divided in two, and the army of eight hundred thousand shall disappear in the ground, except for two men, who shall remain behind”; “They shall go to the army of the Qá’im and give him tidings”; “and that He [the Qa’im] shall rule and shall make Kufa His capital”; “The size of His army shall be so great that they will demolish the mosque of Kfifa and shall build a new one with one thousand doors”; etc. There ate many such accounts in the reliable books of traditions. Yet not one of these things has happened. I beseech You to provide a full explanation of this matter that it may be a cause of certainty for my heart, and, God willing, lead me to petfect faidi.“
34 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
Bahá’u’lláh describes flal-i Akbar’s visit in a tablet dated 27 Muharram A.H. 1306 [3 October 1888 C.E.], revealed in honor of Aqa erzé ‘Abdu’l—Hamid-i Shírázi, a prominent Bahá’í in Fats:
The Kitfib-i Iqan was revealed in Iráq especially for the honored Afnán, the illustrious K_hé.l—i Akbar, upon him rest all My glory. The details are 50: After he had attained the ‘Atabat and completed his pilgrimage, he arrived in Baghdad. The exalted Haji Sayyid Javad, upon him be the Glory of God, came into Our presence and said, “Two of the uncles of the Bab, may the spirit of all be a sacrifice unto Him, at present have arrived in this city and soon will depart for Shíráz.”
We inquired, “Have you spoken with them about this Cause?”
He responded negatively.
Upon hearing this response, We were saddened and said unto him, “Go and convey the greetings of this Wronged One to them and say further, ‘Though We have not previously cherished meeting with others, We do desire meeting with you.m
The illustrious Javad completed the entrusted mission and that afternoon returned forthwith with the celebrated K_héli Akbar, who was able to attain Our presence. We said unto him, “It is hard for this Wronged One to see that you and the other members of the Afnán family have remained deprived of the sacred Tree that has appeared and flourished amongst you.”
He responded, “There are certain con 45. This is a provisional translation made from the text in Nuri’d-Dln's collection of Bahá’u’lláh's tablets, pp. 97—981 Faizi, flydnddn-i Afim’n, 35—37, quores a tablet of Bahá’u’lláh revealed in honor of the same Aqé Mirzá ‘Abdu’l—Iflamld-i flitfizl that closely correlates with the first half of the above quored tablet but differs drastically in the second halfi It is not known to the present writer why these two texts differ so markedly,
46. Saréy-i Khan was the business distriCt for the major merchants of Yazd.
sidetations that have prevented us from such acceptance.” We replied: “What are those things that have caused you to hold back from the Exalted Horizon and the recognition of the Sacred Tree? Present your questions“ Another day he @2114 Akbar] returned, and, single and alone We met with him in the inner quarters of the house, and at that time he spoke those questions that had prevented his recognition. In Our presence answers [the Kiteib-i Iqan] were revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will. That beloved and other friends of course know such details. On another day he came into Our presence and said, “Ill—fated is the one who would peruse this Book, and yet desist in his belief.”45 Fortunately, _K_hal—i Akbar's letter, dated 17 January 1861, to his son, Valdlu’d-Dawlih, and written only a few days after Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Kitáb-i Iqán, has survived. Based on the letter’s date, it is possible to place the time of the revelation of the Kitab-i Iqán in early January 1861:
O the best of the Protectors!
In the city of Yazd, Saréy-i flan, please deliver this letter to my esteemed son, Hájí Mina Muhammad—Taqi, the Shitazi merchant, may he ever be prosperous!“6
The loving light of mine eye, the one who is more precious to me than my soul [Q2114 Akbar’s son], may God preserve you! I hope that you continue to live under the care of Almighty God and to be protected from all ills and wickedness and succeed in attaining your desired goals. If you wonder over our state, praised be God and His grace, on the night of the first of Rajah [12 January 1861] we attained the threshold of the Shrines of the twin imams at Kazimayn, upon them be a thousand, thousand salutations and blessings. Your place was, indeed, emptyi On your behalf we offered pilgrimage and prayers. God
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT-UNCLE OF THE BAE 35
willing, the day after next—that is, on the
seventh of the month—we will depart
this location.
We had a pleasant journey en route, and snow did not come while we were traveling, except for one night, and it tained for two days. However, we stopped at an inn, and the cold was not intolerable and caused no harm. Praised be God. I do not have much to write. I attained unto the presence of His Holiness Balm’ [Bahá’u’lláh], upon Him be God’s peace. Your place was, indeed, empty. He showered us with utmost affection and kindness and asked that we stay for the night, and we remained in His presence. The evident truth is that to be deprived of the blessing of His presence is a mighty and evident loss. May God bestow His grace upon me so that I would everlastingly attain unto the blessing of His presence.
Kindly convey out greetings to the exalted Hájí Muhammad-Ibtahim;‘7 his place is, indeed, empty. Also convey our best wishes to all the honored friends. Peace be upon you!
5 Rajah AH. 1277 [17 January 1861 cal“
The Kitab—i Iqan, which Bahá’u’lláh revealed in the span of two days and nights, was initially known as the Risalih—yi Lhélawiyyih [the Treatise for the Uncle]. Later
47. A famous and untiring teacher titled Mubal/igfi/ (teacher) by Bahá’u’lláh, At a later time, mostly through Muballigh’s effom, the Afnans of Yazd became Bahá’íst
48. A copy of the original manuscript was published in Faizi, fianddn—i Afizdn 42—43.
49. Shoghi Effendi, God Paste; By, intro. George Townshend, new ed. (Wilmette, Ill., Bahá’í Publishing Trust» 1974) 133—39, See also Balyuzi, Babd'u’l/d/I: The King ”be7 165; Ugo Giachery, Shoghi Effendi.‘Recul[“50“ (Oxfoxd: George Ronald, 1973) 149—50; and Faizi, flandn’n-i Afim’n 49—56 for a discussion of the fate of the original copy of the Book of Certitucle.
Bahá’u’lláh changed the title to the Kitáb-i Iqán, or the Book of Certitude. Shoghi Effendi, in his history of the first one hundred years of the Bahá’í Faith, describes Bahá’u’lláh’s work as follows: “A model of Persian prose, of a style at once original, chaste and vigorous, and remarkably lucid, both cogent in argument and matchless in its irresistible eloquence, this Book, setting forth in outline the Grand Redemptive Scheme of God, occupies a position unequaled by any work in the entire range of Bahá’í literature, except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh’s Most Holy Book.” The copy of the Iqán given to flaii Akbar was in the hand of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of Bahá’u’lláh. In a few margins Bahá’u’lláh had added comments or made alterations. The Afna’n family presented that copy to Shoghi Effendi; it now on display at the Bahá’í International Archives Building in Haifa, Israel.“9
In weaving together several strands, it seems reasonable to conclude that the purpose of the Kitáb-i Iqán was not to convince flaili Akbar that the Báb was the originator of a “Cause,” for @514 Akbar had already accepted that He was the author of divinely inspired tablets, treatises, and homilies. Rather, its goal was to disclose to the Báb’s uncle the full station of the young Prophet, thereby effecting _K_hé.l—i Akbar’s complete conversion in which he would recognize the same power and majesty that was manifested by all the Prophets of old.
After meeting Bahá’u’lláh, @114 Akbar proceeded to the ‘Atabat and, after having met with his sister, returned to Shíráz. There the Babis came to meet him and to inquire about what had transpired in Baghdad. Having met with Ntiri’d-Dt’n, a nephew of the Báb, Khal-i Akbar asked him also to enlighten his sons about the true station of the Báb as an independent Manifestation of God. It continued in the same manner for several years, and the Babi’ community of Shíráz began to
flourish once again.
36 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
fig“ Akbar and the Bahá’í Faith EVENTUALLY, in the fall of 1866, Nabil—i A‘gam, an itinerant teacher of the Faith, was instructed to proclaim the new Cause of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the length and breadth of Iran. He came from Baghdad by way of Ardistan to Shíráz and established his residence in the house of Nuri’d—Din. Before anything else, as hidden by Bahá’u’lláh, Nabil made a pilgrimage to the House of the Báb. Afterward, the Babis were informed and with great enthusiasm gathered around Nabil. At first he spoke with great circumspection. Mina Habib Afnan, a son of Nuri’d—Din and a person knowledgeable about the early days of the Bahá’í Faith in Shíráz, reports the following recollection of Nuri’d—Din:
One morning, Nabil said to me, “Instruct all the believers to gather at a suitable location and to bring with them Whatever writings they possess. You bring all the writings in your possession as well, as I wish to divide them into separate groups. I have a particular charge that I must announce and desire to leave Shíráz shortly as I must travel to other areas."
Complying with Nabil’s request, I asked the friends to assemble in the home of Aqa Mitzi ‘Abdu’l-Kan’m [a prominent believer in Shíráz] and emphasized especially their bringing with them all the writings and tablets in their possession. At the appointed hour the friends gathered, bearing the tablets and sacred writings. After partaking of tea, Nabil gathered all the writings and read each with great care All the papers were separated into three groups and set apart each from the others. Having divided all the writings, Nabil announced, “The first group includes the tablets of the Exalted One [the Báb]. The second group includes the writings of ‘Him
50. Arabic Bayan. 51. Nabil may be referring to Azalf writings.
”2* ,
Whom God shall make manifest' [Bahá’u’lláh], the very Person Whose advent was promised by the Primal Point [the Báb] to the concourse of the Bayan and made the acceptance or rejection of all that He had revealed in the Bayan dependent upon His good pleasure. With great clarity the Báb said, ‘O people of the Bayan! The appearance of Him Whom God shall manifest is well nigh. Suffer not that the Bayan and all therein may deprive thee from His Manifestation.’ ‘The Bayan is like a leaf before Him. Were He to accept it, it is of His grace. And were He to reject it, it is a sign of His justice.’ In another passage the time of His appearance has been fixed with precision: ‘In the year nine, all good will be realized.’50 He has now proclaimed His Cause and invites all people and the followers of the Bayan to His divine recognition. Whosoever accepts Him is considered of those that dwell in paradise. And whosoever rejects Him is of the people of fire and through fire they shall perish. The third group consists of the polemical writings, which are unworthy of consideration.”51 Nabil then picked up the third group of papers and threw them into the stove where a fire was burning.
Upon such pronouncements, a tumult was precipitated among the friends. For example, greatly agitated, the honored Eali Akbar, Hail Mirza Sayyid Muhammad, protested vociferously, “What manner of scheme is this? What sort of talk is this? Do you take faith to be like a weed; you cut it in the daytime, and it grows again during the night?” He went on in the same vein.
It was then that I [intervened and] spoke calmly to flaH—i Akbar], stating, “Assuredly, we must investigate and determine the actual veracity of such a mighty claim as this [the fulfillment of the promise of the Bayén]. It surely must rest on reality as none except the True One [Bahá’u’lláh]
THE CONVERSION OF THE GREAT—UNCLE OF THE BAD 37
has the temerity to advance such an assertion. Consider the time when the Báb was in Shíráz and proclaimed His divine mission. Was He not the Truth, and was He not sent by the exalted God to guide humankind? How was it, then, that all people rejected Him, vast multitudes rose in opposition to Him, and you yourself denied Him until you investigated, determined the truth of His claim, and drank from the chalice of assurance? Further, you hastened unto the Abode of Peace and there met His Holiness @5111 [Bahá’u’lláh], and the sublime book of fla’lwlyyih [the Kitáb-i Iqan] was revealed specifically in honor of your good self. While in that city did you meet any person [worthy of such august claim] other than Ishan [Bahá’u’lláh]? Of a certainty, He, alone, is the essence of Truth. ‘Beyorid Truth, there is naught except waywardness.”’52
After hearing such reasoning, the uncle of the Báb grew reflective and responded, "We must investigate this matter thoroughly as the question of such a claim is not a trifling matter.”
In this manner the disputation among the believers subsided on that day, and the honored Nabll was able to proceed toward Iṣfahán.
Afterward, the friends in Fats, one and all, embraced the claim of Him Whom God will manifest—namely, the Blessed Beauty [Bahá’u’lláh]—and became firm and steadfast in their allegiance unto Him.53 One question remains: In addition to the
family’s claim as reported above, is there any
52. A different translation of this paragraph and the lb"! Preceding it appear in Balyuzi. Eminent Bali“: 226—27.
53. As Nabll explained Bahá’u’lláh's claim and sta(ion, fladliih Bagum listened behind a curtain separating the two rooms and immediately accepted Him as h“ Lord (see H. M. Balyuzi, fiddly}?! Bugum: T/It WI}? ”f’h‘34bloxfctd: George Ronald, 1981] 31).
evidence from flél-i Akbar himself to suggest that he actually believed in Bahá’u’lláh? And, if so, did he recognize Him as the one prophesied by the Báb? The answer can be found in the final will and testament of the uncle of the Báb:
In the Name of God, the Glorious, the
Most Glorious.
These few words are written as my will in the middle of D_hi’l-Qa‘dih AH. 1291 [circa 24 December 1874 C.E.]
First, I testify to the oneness and singleness of God. He is supreme and sanctified from having a partner. I further testify that the exalted and hallowed Person [the Bab] Who declared Himself in AH. 1260 [1844 C.E.] is, indeed, of truth and manifested the glory and ascendancy of the Almighty God. Whatsoever He decreed in His religion and all that He revealed of the divine spiritual stations are all martifest truth, and whosoever obeyed Him is among those that were saved, and those that opposed Him, indeed, rank as the ones who perished. Today the one true religion of God is that which His Holiness [the Báb] ordained. And further, today, the master of the Faith and the propagator of this luminous community is the exalted and elevated Bahá’í [Bahá’u’lláh], may my spirit and the spirit of the World be a sacrifice unto Him. His Manifestation is the same as the Báb’s Manifestation. Obedience unto Him is obedience unto God, and opposing Him is opposing God.
Immersed in an ocean of sin, because of infirmities of self, this servant concealed his convictions from all, even from his children and kinsmen. But now I have committed them to paper so that after my passing they may become aware of their condition and strive to understand the matter. God willing, they too will be numbered among those who believe.
I ask those who may come upon these pages, whether my children or kinsmen,
38
WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
or others, that, after my passing, in accordance with the laws of the Bayan, to prepare me for burial by washing [my body] and wrapping [it] in cloth, and, if I am in Shíráz, to bury my remains in the sacred shrine of . . . , which is the nearest cemetery to my house. And should those who claim to be Muslims but in truth have not benefitted from Islam keep you from burying me in a Muslim cemetery, it matters not; bury me anywhere possible, whether inside or outside the city And should I pass somewhere other than in Shíráz, wherever I have expired, bury me at that spot.
Of earthly possessions, let it be known that I have none that would require disposition through a will. For some time now I have been meeting expenses through the support of my children. I do not possess anything myself. I owe the equivalent of a sum of 750 tu'ma'm [discontinued unit of Iranian currency] that I cannot repay. However, my sons are aware of the details, and if they are able to meet this obligation to the creditor, I pray that the Lord of creation would recompense them through His benevolence. And if they are not able to do so, they know best.
At the time of writing of this page, God is aware that if I were to list the furniture of the house and other posses 54. Haji Mlmi Muhammad-‘Ah’ was a son of flaili Akbar and a well-known merchant in Tehran. He is best remembered for his many generous contributions to the Bahá’í endowments. 55. As printed in Faizi, flm’nda’rl—i Afim’n 43—46 56. Faizi, fla’nddn-i Afiuin unnumbered pages between 42—43.
sions, it would add up to about 40 tfimans, nay, 30. This residence was paid in full at first, but gradually the equivalent ofa third of its value has been spent on it [that house] by Haji' Mimi Muhammad-‘Ah'.54 Let this be known to all. Peace.
Some monies are owed me, but it remains beyond collection. The borrowers, much like myself, do not have the funds to repay me. And should they be able to repay, certainly my creditors must be paid first. However, even if all the debts were paid in full, they would still not meet the amount that I owe.55 fla'l-i Akbar, the great—uncle of the Báb,
died in Shíráz in 1876 and, in accordance with his will and testament, was buried where he wished. Bahá’u’lláh revealed a tablet of visitation in his honor, which forever will immortalize his radiant memory.56
Conclusion RELIGIOUS conversion is a process that often takes a lifetime of education and spiritualization. For @éJ-i Akbar, with all his advantages—being related to and a business partner of the Báb and having the special privilege of meeting Bahá’u’lláh and of having a major work revealed in his honor—the process was no less arduous and slow than that for anyone else who had not met the Twin Manifestarions of the Bahá’í era or who had lived in a different age. In the end, what proved beneficial for flal—i Akbar was his constancy of purpose in striving to learn the truth about the mission of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and the dedication with which he pursued this goal. His example in this regard will no doubt remain a shining beacon for all who thirst for certitude.
[Page 39]
A Chinese Reflection
(It 1} an old Chinese mtom to vixit the green forest in later year; to review your lifi.)
The green forest is a pleasant place to be
the years come togedler becoming one
there is a Hand to hold you a Robe to keep you warm
iF you hold it close enough the heart beats strong
dim eyes clear and the restless mind
finds God. ——Joan Imig Taylor
Copyright © 1999 by an National Spiritual Assembly or m: Bzhi'ls of me United Smcs
39
SPRIN 3 1999
WORLD ORDER
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Albert C. Killius
41
Photographer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
BY ADEN J. LAUCHNER
ALBERT C. Killius and his wife, Annie, two of the early Bahá’ís in North America, declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, in 1907. They soon became enamored With ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’u’lláh’s son and appointed succes /)I
set.1 In 1912 their commitment to the Bahai Faith was deepened by their meeting ‘Abdu’l Copyright © 1999 by Aden J. Lauchner. Photograph, opposite by Albert C. Killius: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in an artistic rendering taken from a group photograph, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, 1912.
1. Albert C. Killius, Bahá’í Historical Record Card, Bahá’í Archives, Springfield, Illinois (hereafter BASI). The Bahá’í Faith originated in Iran in 1844. Bahá’u’”ill (1817—92), its founder, encouraged the spread of the Bahá’í Faith to North America, but He did not live to see it. Under Bahá’u’lláh’s son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (18441921), Whom Bahá’u’lláh appointed to be the head of the Faith after His passing, the Bahá’í religion was taken to Europe and to the United States and Canada. When the Killiuses became Bahá’ís in 1907, there were Bahá’í communities in several dozen cities in the United States and Canada, and Bahá’í's resided in over half the United States.
2. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ThePromulgation ofUniversalPeace:
Talk: Delivered by Hbdu ’Z-Ba/uz’ during Hi5 Visit t0 the United State: and Canada in 1912, comp. Howard MacNutt, 2d ed. (Wilmette, 111.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1982) xv. ' 3. Early American Bahá’í's used the term “Assembly" InterChangeably with the term “community” before Slloghi Effendi, whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá designated in His Will and testament the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, aslted them in the 19205 to elect local spiritual assemblies (local governing bodies) of nine 13311515 to administer the affairs of the Faith.
Baha when He visited the United States and Canada to “‘set forth . . . the fundamental principles of the revelation and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh,’” principles He said it would then “‘become the duty of the Bahá’ís’” in America to give “‘unfoldment and application in the minds, hearts and lives of the people.”2
Albert Killius’ acceptance of the Bahá’í Faith was the culmination of a long process of personal growth and development. He was born in 1872 to German Lutheran parents in Springfield, Illinois. At an early age he developed an interest in photography and subsequently became a talented professional portrait artist, a profession that would have a profound effect on his life and would serve him nearly to the end of his life. On 10 June 1903, after his thirtieth birthday, he married Annie Belle Warner, also at Springfield native, who was born in 1873 to English Episcopalian parents. In 1905 Annie and Albert left Springfield and settled in Spokane, Washington, where, in 1907, they were introduced to the Bahá’í Faith by Isabella D. Brittingham, a charismatic Bahá’í teacher, lecturer, and writer from New Jersey who traveled for several months in the Pacific Northwest, holding meetings to discuss the Bahá’í Faith. On 4 May 1907 both Albert and Annie became Bahá’ís, and on 12 May 1907, Mrs. Brittingham formed the first Spokane Bahá’í “Assembly,” or Bahá’í community, in their home.3
Mrs. Brittingham stayed with the Killiuses while she was in Spokane. Annie invited a class of fifteen Vedantists to study the Bahá’í Faith with Mrs. Brittingham, eleven or twelve
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of whom became Baha is.4 The diversity of the Spokane Bahá’ís increased during the following ten years until its membership included individuals from Hindu, Jewish, and Christian backgrounds. Albert recalled in a 1946 letter that the early teaching work in Spokane became a “wonderful inspiration” and that many traveling Bahá’í teachers visited them during those years.5 Mrs. Brittingham, however, influenced the Spokane Bahá’í’s the most and left an impression on Albert that lasted to the end of his life. He never missed an opportunity to extol her virtues or
[3/
to praise her efforts as a Bahai teacher.
Photographing ‘Abdu’l—Babé IN April 1912 Annie and Albert journeyed from Spokane to Chicago, Illinois, to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and to attend, on 1 May, the placing of the foundation stone for the House of Worship that was to be erected in Wilmette, just north of Chicago.6 During ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s longest visit to Chicago (30 April through 5 May) He allowed Albert to photograph Him professionally, an honor accorded to only a
few American Bahá’ís. This honor changed
4. Albert C. Killius to National Spiritual Assembly [of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, Horace] Holley, secy., 31 Mar. 1946, National Bahá’í Archives, \Wilmette, Illinois (hereafter NBA). Vedantists believe in the Hindu philosophy, which reached its highest development around 800 CE. through the philosopher, Shankara. (C.E.—of the common era—is an alternative designation equivalent to A.D.—tzmw Domini, in the year of the Lord.)
5. Albert C. Killius to National Spiritual Assembly [of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, Horace] Holley, secy., 31 Mar. 1946, NBA, Wilmette, Illinois.
6. Bruce \W. Whitmore, The Dawning Place: The Building of a Temple, the Forging of the North American Baha’Y Community (Wilmette, 111.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1984) 263.
7. Ella Goodall Cooper and Ella M. Bailey, “AbdulBaha with the Children of the Friends in Chicago,” Star of the W513 3.7 (13 Jul. 1912): 7.
Albert’s life. Many years later he told this author that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was at his disposal for about two hours as he placed Him in various poses and positions while recording frame after frame of His magnificent face in a silence broken only by the sound of the shutter. In Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Albert also captured memorable group photographs of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with children and With the American and Iranian adult Bahá’í’s who gathered around Him wherever He went.7 The photograph taken of the Bahá’ís gathered at the Plaza Hotel and of ‘Abdu’l—Bahfs neatly made bed in that same hotel show Albert’s more intimate recording of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s historic visit to Chicago.
Although Albert was the photographer, Annie can often be seen standing or sitting with groups of Bahá’ís in her husband’s historic photographs. Many years later she related the following story about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the children in the Plaza Hotel, and the Lincoln Park photograph:
In the great Plaza Hotel, in Chicago, a group of little ones had gathered in the beautiful parlor to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. . . .
After some anxious waiting the Master appeared in the door-way carrying in His Hands two baskets of flowers—one containing roses and the other carnations, and sealed envelopes. It was nine o’clock in the morning, and the Children, coming in from all directions of the city, no one really knew how many there would be.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá entered He called each child to Him and to each of them He gave a rose, a carnation and an envelope. . . . ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s back was turned to the great entrance door and there were three more roses, three more carnations and three more envelopes resting in the baskets. The relator of this story [Annie Killius] watched these baskets wondering over the meaning of their contents, when three more little children rushed in and entered the circle. The Master whirled around and exclaimed
ALBERT C. KILLIUS—PHOTOGRAPHER OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA 43
ALBERT C. KILLIUS, 1872—1961 Photographer of ‘Abdu’l—Bahzi in Chicago in 1912
joyously: “Ah!” and hurrying towards them with outstretched arms He gave each the remaining gifts. . . .
Then, without warning the Master hurriedly left the room and the great hotel, and entered Lincoln Park, where the
relatofl’s husband, Albert Killius] was
\
8. Mrs. [Annie B.] Killius as told to Mrs. [Anna] JUrgens, “Glory Stories: Roses and Carnations,” World Ffl‘lowthip, 1.4 (Nov. 1923): 2. Bahá’ís frequently refer to Abdu’l'Bal‘lé as the Master.
. 9. Star of the Wm, 3.8 (1 Aug. 1912), Persian Sectlon, Photograph, 1.
ANNIE BELLE KILLIUS AND ISABELLA D. BRITTINGHAM Annie Killius (left), wife of Albert C. Killius, with Isabella D. Brittingham, who taught the Killiuses the Bahá’í Faith in Seattle in 1907 Photographer, Albert C. Killius
waiting to take the picture of the Greatest and Most Beloved of the world. No one knew a picture would be taken, yet all followed in His Footsteps, and a . . . magnificent photograph was taken, to gladden forever the hearts of the children of all nations for centuries to come!8 The most frequently printed photograph taken in Lincoln Park is the one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá holding a rose and accompanied by the Iranian Bahá’ís traveling With Him.9 When Albert returned to his studio in Spokane, he exercised his artistic talents as a portrait painter and removed everyone from the background
of that photograph leaving ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with
44 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
an added sunset painted behind Him. It has been reported that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá considered this photograph one of His favorites and gave it to Bahá’ís who visited Him in the Holy Land.10 Its importance as a major photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was established when it was selected as the frontispiece for the 1926—28 edition of The 311de World, a comprehensive and authoritative international record of the Bahá’í Faith’s expansion and activities.“ So dedicated was Albert to reproducing this particular photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that it can be found all over the world. Albert later wrote that he and his wife sent to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá “seven hundred photos and fifty paintings to be given free to Oriental believers visiting Abdu’l-Bahá while in Egypt.” Annie, in a 1919 letter, reiterated how busy distributing the photographs kept her husband and herself: We sent over seven [hundred] large photos of Abdu’l-Bahá and over fifty large beautiful paintings of Him . . . and they were given to the believers all over the Orient that came to see Abdu’l-Bahá. . . . The Bahai students of Beirut College in Syria had their pictures taken and sent to us as
10. Albert reported this to the author and to other Bahá’ís.
11. The Baku”! Wbrla' (Formerly: Balad’z'Yazr Boole): A Biennial International Record, Volume II, 1926—1928, frontispiece; see also Star of the Watt, 3.19 (2 Mar. 1913): frontispiece. In 1992 Bahá’ís who visited the ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Pavilion in the New York Hilton during the Second Bahá’í World Congress (a commemoration of the one—hundredth anniversary of the passing of Bahá’u’lláh) were treated to an historical and pictorial journey through the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Albert Killius’ photographs, which captured the essence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s 1912 visit to Chicago, brought tears to many eyes.
12. Albert C. Killius, Bahá’í Historical Record Card, BASI; Annie Belle Killius to [Mrs. Anna Jurgens and other Springfield Bahá’ís], 3 Dec. 1919, BASI. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sister, Bahíyyih Khánum, was given the title the Greatest Holy leaf by her Father, Bahá’u’lláh.
they all received one of the pictures we sent. Abdu’l-Bahá’s grandson is one of them[;] he is now doing the translating for Abdu’l-Bahá. . . . His name is Shoghie Effendi Raboni [sic]. . . . We have given hundreds of His pictures in America also. Two paintings we sent to Abdu’l-Bahá to give to who ever He Wished[;] he sent one to His wife and one to His sister [the Greatest Holy Leaf]. We also sent a painting to His wife, sister and four daughters each one.12 Albert printed copies of his photographs of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá throughout the remainder of his life, never charging for any of them even when, in later years, he had only enough money for bare necessities. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s allowing him to photograph Him was a privilege in itself. But, perhaps more important, Albert grasped something of the essence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s name, Which means “the servant of Baha,” and made servitude
the hallmark of his life.
Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’, 1912 WHEN Albert and Annie Killius settled back into daily life in Spokane, Washington, after their spring 1912 trip to Chicago, they were on fire with their love for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the blessings they had received by being in His presence. Annie conveyed her feelings in a letter to Him shortly after their return. He addressed a tablet, or letter, to her, to which she received a translation from New York in July 1912: To the maid servant of God Mrs. Annie Belle Killius. Spokane Wash.
Oh [sic] thou Who art advancing toward the kingdom of God[;] thy letter was received.
Thou hast expressed joy and happiness at the meeting. In reality meeting is the cause of rejoicing; if it is like unto the meeting of the candle and the fire, like unto the affiliation of the rain and the meadow, and like unto the breeze and the
[Page 45]
ALBERT C. KILLIUS—PHOTOGRAPHER OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA 45
‘ABDU’L—BAHA
photographed by Albert C. Killius with Children and adult Iranian and American Bahá’ís in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, 1912
trees wafting gently through the branches [fit]. I hope it will become as such.
You have written regarding your new home and the organization of the spiritual assembly. A home in Which the real friends are gathered together, the verses of unity
\
113. ‘Abdtx’l—Bahá to Annie Belle Killius, trans. 22 J“; 1912, Killius Collection (hereafter KC), BASI. An aF’PFOVed translation of this tablet does not yet exist;
co ~ . . “seqlfently, this translation cannot be considered authentic.
are read therein, the cause of God is conveyed to the people and the hearts are attracted toward the kingdom of Abhá; that home is a heavenly abode[;] it is the nest of the divine birds and a rose garden of the paradise of Abhá.
Convey to thy husband the utmost longing and the wonderful greeting of
Abhá.13 Again Annie wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and
again she received a letter that was translated for her on 15 August 1912:
O thou beloved maid servant of God! Thy letter was received and the details of your meetings became known. . . .
46 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
One package of the photographs which were sent by you was received. I hope the other package will also be received. Regarding my trip to those parts, it depends upon divine destiny and the firmness and steadfastness of the friends in the Testament and the Covenant of the Merciful!14 On 15 August 1912 Annie received a letter from one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s secretaries acknowledging receipt of two packages of photographs and conveying a request: “Our Beloved Abdu’l-Bahá likes very much the single photos of Himself and He told me to write you to send Him a number of these.”15
On 19 August 1912 Albert and Annie received from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a telegram from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who was possibly considering a visit to the Spokane Bahá’ís on His trip to the West: “Telegram of Assembly received. It imparted happiness, it expressed longing for meeting. I am likewise yearning to meet you. I beg of God to destine this meeting.”16 No further correspondence has been found in the Killius Papers in the Springfield, Illinois, Bahá’í Archives about the hoped-for meeting. Although many Bahá’ís in the Western states asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to visit them, He spent time only in Colorado and California.
Although the Killiuses never met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá again, He continued to have a lasting
14. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Annie Belle Killius, trans. 15 Aug. 1912, KC, BASI. An approved translation of this tablet does not yet exist; consequently, this translation cannot be considered authentic.
l5. Ahmad Sohrab to Annie Belle Killius, 15 Aug. 1912, copy, KC, BASI.
16. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Killius, telegram, 19 Aug. 1912, copy, KC, BASI.
l7. Mirza Mahmood to [Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Killius], 9 Dec. 1912, copy, KC, BASI.
18. Ahmad Sohrab to [Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Killius], 12 Dec. 1912, copy, KC, BASI.
impression on them. On Christmas morning 1912 Annie and Albert received two letters, one dated 9 December and the other 12 December, both written on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s behalf on board the 5.5. Celtic as He was returning to Europe. The first letter contained a brief thank you for the Killiuses’ kindness: Dear Friends.
In the midst of the Atlantic you are remembered. . . . The Master is feeling well and we are happy in his presence.
Thanking you for your past kindness and hoping to see you again if God wills.
17
The second letter, also written on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s behalf, thanked the Killiuses for Albert’s photographs:
Dear Bahai Brother and Sister:
This is the first chance that I have got to express to you my deep appreciation for all of the beautiful photos you sent to me and to other Persian brothers, as well as to our Beloved Abdu’l-Bahá. We have been now eight days crossing the Atlantic and have experienced all kinds of weather. For three days the storm was raging. Through it all the Master keeps well and none of us got sea sick. We will arrive Saturday morning in Liverpool.
Hoping to hear from you and thanking you again for all your kindness.18
Founding New Bahá’í Communities ALTHOUGH the small American Bahá’í community grieved at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s departure on 5 December 1912, it became charged, as He had hoped on His arrival 239 days earlier, with a new understanding of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings and a new determination to teach the Bahá’í Faith wherever they could.
Albert and Annie Killius, like many other Bahá’ís, developed a clear vision of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s mission for them through their association with Him in 1912. For the Killiuses this vision was enhanced by three letters ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent to Annie in the following
[Page 47]
ALBERT C. KILLIUS—PHOTOGRAPHER OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA 47
‘ABDU’L—BAHA photographed by Albert C. Killius with Iranian Bahá’ís in Lincoln Park,
Chicago, Illinois, 1912
48
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years, letters that cemented Albert’s and her determination to devote their lives to spreading the Bahá’í teachings. In a letter translated for Annie in September 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá noted her wish to be of service to the Bahá’í Faith:
Thy letter was like the mirror in which were reflected the pictures of Divine Confirmations. Thou hast a heart which is turned toward the kingdom of Abhá, a spirit rejoiced by the Glad—Tidings of GOD and eyes illumined by beholding the Lights of GOD.
Your aim is to render a service to the world of reality. Pure intention is the magnet of heavenly assistance and the means of attracting Great Power. I beg of GOD that you will become confirmed and assisted therein.”
The next year, in a letter translated in
April 1914, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá acknowledged Annie's services in the Spokane area and encouraged her further service:
Thy detailed letter was received. It contained the glad tidings of the promotion of the Cause of God in those parts. Therefore it produced infinite happiness that[,] praise be to GOD[,] you are quickened with the Breaths of the Holy Spirit and you are rejoiced and gladdened by the Melodies of the Supreme Concourse. You have radiant hearts and spirits exhilarated
19. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Annie Belle Killius, trans. 12 Sept. 1913, KC, BASI. An approved translation of this Tablet does nut yet exist; consequently, this translation cannot be considered authentic
20. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Annie Belle Killius, transl 16
Apr. 1914, KC, BASL An approved translation of this Tablet does not yet exist; consequently, this ttanslation cannot be considered authentic "3th 07111;!” is an older spelling of ”Balld'u’l/a'h, as are “Baku Ollah"and "Balm 071415."
with the good news of His Holiness the Merciful One.
Consequently with the utmost potency and assurance, arise ye in the diffusion of the Fragrances of God. Likewise all the believers and the maid servants of the Merciful who are living in those parts must with perfect accord and affiliation singly and collectively dedicate all the days of their lives to the Cause of His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh and engage in the promotion of the Blessed Teachings, in order that the human world may become illumined, the satanic hearts become mercifiil, the veil of superstition be rent asunder, and the light of Reality may shine forth, the basis of dogmas be destroyed and the truth of the Divine Religion may glow like unto the sun.
Rest ye assured in the Bounty and Favor of His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh; for He is the Supporter of the teachers of the Cause and the Defender of the sincere ones.20 A few months later Annie received yet
another letter, which had been translated in July 1914. In it ‘Abdu’l-Bahá congratulated her and the Bahá’í's in the area for their work in sharing the Bath“ teachings and with deepening the new Bahá’í’s:
Thy detailed letter was received. From its contents it became evident that[,] praise be to God[,] the Sun of Reality has cast the Splendor of Guidance over that region, blessed souls have entered in the Kingdom of God and unitedly they are inviting the people to take a share of the infinite Bestowals of the Almighty; they are awakening those who are asleep, making mindfiil those who ate heedless [,] granting a portion of the Graces of God upon those who are deprived, suffering the thirsty ones to drink from the Water of Life and bringing back the wandering sheep under the training of the Real Shepherd. Praise ye the Lord that ye are so confirmed in the accomplishment of this Most Great Af
[Page 49]
ALBERT C. KILLIUS—PHO'I'OGRAPHER OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA 49
fair—which is the Spirit of the regions
and the Light of this manifest century.”
In the following years nothing seemed impossible to Annie and Albert as they dedicated their lives to the service of the Bahá’í Faith. Although they often traveled and worked alone, they developed connections through correspondence that seemed to circle the planet. In many of their letters, which are deposited in the Springfield, Illinois, Bahá’í’ Archives, they tell stories of their successes, hardships, and experiences during the years between 1912 and 1928 as they moved to a
n succession of cities to establish the Bahar
Faith.
21. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Annie Belle Kjllius, trans‘ 12 Jul. 1914, KC, BASI. An approved translation of this Tablet does not yet exist; consequently, this translation cannot be considered authentic.
22. Annie B. Killius, Bahá’í Historical Record Card. BMI.
23. For the textaf ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s 1 April 1916 letter to the Wesrern States, see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Eblm 4f the DivimPhn:R:waled by Hbdu 'l-Ba/Id tn the Nnrtla AmerimnBaIzd'lx, lstpsed. (Wilmette, Illi: Bahá’í Publishing Tmst, 1993) 411-7.
24. Albert C. Killius to National Spiritual Assembly [of the Bahá’ís oi the United States and Canada, Horace] H0115» SEC}, 31 Matt. 1946, NBA. According to an amountAlbert recorded, in his 31 Match 1946 letter to the National Spiritual Assembly, of a conversation Annie had at the 1919 Bahá’í Convention in New York with Gm: Obcr, : Canadian and a well~known Bahá’í teacher Who lived for many years in New York, Grace told Aflnit tlnt the Killiuses "were the very first ones to insc' and leave their home to work in a “dead state": Grace went on to say that they "had been an inspiration 10 all of the Asemblies in America," The authorized translation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablet to the WeStem States refers to states in which no Bahá’ís resided in 1916 (California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado were “duded) as being like “dead bodies" (mm; pf (/7: [Xvint l’hrr 4.2)
25. TheBum Miner, 11 Feb. 1917, BASI.
26. Buttc-Silvet Bahá’í Assembly, Betty Bennett, “9"?“ SPititualAssembly of the Bahá’ís of Springfield, 1111mm. 7 Max, 1995, original, BASI In 1916 Albert and Annie went to Boston, Massachusetts, to share the Bethe“ message with their relatives on both sides of the fam11y.22 On their return to Spokane, they read the first Tablet of the Divine Plan to the Western states, which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had sent by postcard to Helen Goodall, an early San Francisco Bahá’í’ and the mother of the San Francisco Bay Area Bahá’í communities. This tablet, dated 1 April 1916, set forth a plan for teaching the Bahá’í Faith in the Western states?J As a result, Annie and Albert decided to sell most of their household belongings and move to Montana to open one of “the dark or dead states” mentioned in the tablet}4 During the next several years they lived in Missoula, Butte, Anaconda, Helena, and Great Falls.
An article in the 11 February 1917 Butte Miner, typical of others published in other Montana newspapers, suggests the methods Annie and Albert used to teach the Bahá’í Faith:
Baha O’llah, Noted Persian, Taught That
Universal Peace Could Be Secured—Ex ponents Are in Mining City.
Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Killius of Spokane are at Room 108, the Acoma hotel, and will instruct those interested in the work of Baha O’llah. Their hours are 1:00 to 5:00 o’clock. The object of their visit to Butte is to establish centers where the study of Baha O‘llah’s teachings can be pursued by those interested in a universal peace.25
Annie’s and Albert’s efforts met with success when Mrs. Elizabeth Symons became the first person living in Butte to become a Bahá’í.“ Their teaching success in Montana is confirmed in a 13 March 1917 letter from Alfred Lunt, the president of the Executive Board of the Bahai Temple Unity, to Albert, acknowledging “the much appreciated list of names” of the Butte Bahá’í’s and saying that “It is a wonderful thing to establish a center in a place like Butte, for in this way will grow
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the illumination of the entire State of Mon”27
tana.
Despite the severity of Montana’s climate, Annie and Albert persevered. The 9 June 1918 Helena Daily Independent contained an article announcing that Mr. and Mrs A. C. Killius would be speaking about the Bahá’í Faith on Sunday afternoon in the Helena Unitarian Church. It said that they profess to believe “‘that this is the beginning of that Golden Age upon earth of universal peace and love,m foretold by Christ.28
The year 1919 was a year of contrasts for the Killiuses. Although they suffered physical hardships and illness, it was also a time of spiritual elation. In April they traveled to New York City to attend the Eleventh Annual Bahá’í Convention and Bath.“ Congress, both of which were held between 26 and 30 April. Drawn by the call of IAbdu’l-Bahá, they joined with more than six hundred Bahá’ís
27. Bahai Temple Unity, Alfred Lunt, seey., to Albert Killius, 13 Mat 1917, BASI. Bahai Temple Unity was a national Bahá’í organization established to coordinate the building of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette.
281 The Helena Daily Independent, 9 June 1918, BASI.
29. Albert C Killius to National Spiritual Assembly [of the Bahá’í; of the United States and Canada, Hotace] Holley, secy., 31 Mar. 1946, NBA. Five of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s fourteen Tablets of the Divine Plan reached the United States and were published in Star oft!» Weston 8 September 1916 (7.10, 85—91) before World War I severed communications between Palestine and the United States.
30. Anna K.}urgens, Bahá’í Historical Record Card. BASL
311 Albert C. Killius to [Mr. and Mrs Rieke Jurgens], 23 Jun, 1919, Jurgens Collection, BASI, The Greatest Name is the name of Bahá’u’lláh, which means “the Glory of God" Bahá’u’lláh described his Hidden Words as a “treasury of divine rnysreries” containing the “inner essence" of the revelations of the Prophets of God (The Hidden WardJ. trans. Shoghi Effendi [W/ilmette, 111.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1939] 3).
from all parts of America and the world for the formal unveiling of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s fourteen Tablets of the Divine Plan, a plan that outlined the future spread of the Faith throughout the world and named the American Bahá’í community as its custodian.29 This event so inspired Annie and Albert that during their return trip to Montana they formed a number of new Bahá’í groups, including one in their home town of Springfield, Illinois.
The Springfield Bahá’í group was established on 23 May 1919 when five personsMrs. Emilie Loeb, Albert’s aunt; Mrs. Anna Jurgens, Mrsi Loeb’s oldest daughter and Albert’s cousin; Mr. Rieke Jurgens, Anna Jurgens’ husband; Mrs. Clara Ihlenfeldt, Mrs. Loeb’s second daughter and Albert’s cousin; and Russell Jurgens, Anna and Rieke Jurgens’ son—declated their Faith in Bahá’u’lláh in the home of Rieke and Anna Jurgens. All five remained steadfast and active Bahá’í’s throughout their lives, and the Springfield Bahá’í community has continued to grow since that historic evening.30
From Springfield, Annie and Albert traveled to York, Nebraska, and finally reached home in Helena, Montana, on 10 June 1919. To train and guide the small group of new Bahá’ís they had enrolled in Springfield, the Killiuses began a series of lengthy teaching letters, sent between 1919 and 1922, explaining the Bahá’í teachings. The letters were filled with challenges: “It looks to us that you two beloved ones will have to be the mother and father of the Bahai Cause in Springfield. Such is a blessed privilege . . . and of course with it also goes responsibility." They were also filled with counsel: “But my dear ones have no feat[;] you will be given the strength to do what you should do. Remember the Greatest Name. Read from the Hidden Words every day and it will help in your every day duties." Moreover, Annie and Albert showered the new Bahá’ís with love: “With love and Bahai greetings to you all and the friends from both Annie and I.”31
- . , .‘l ‘ —*I ,
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ALBER’I' C. KlLL]US—I’HO’I'OGRAPHER OF ‘ABDU’L—EAHA 51
Their teaching successes and sacrifices in the service of the Faith did not go unnoticed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In an October 1919 letter eddiessed to two California Bahá’ís, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent the following message:
meey to Mr. and Mrs. Kil/iux, Mrs. Charlotte Gillen and Mr. Hyde Dunn the utmoxt love and hindnexx on my behalf. On their behalf I address the fi/lowing suppliration. O thou Omnipotent Lom’.’ These soul: have given up their rest, their happiness, their jay, and their comfort, have lefi their (homes) in order to mite the call of Thy Kingdom upon the sew, the plain: and the mauntaimt They are giving the Glad ”ding: qf Thy Manifi’station, are bestowing Jight to the eyes, hearing to the earx. They are unlaw 32l ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Helen Goodall and Ella Cooper. quoted in “Charlotte Gillen 1869—1962," The Bahá’í World' An International Record, Vulume X1 V, 1963—1968. oomp. the Universal House of Justice (Haifa: The Univeml House of Justice, 1974).?141—42‘Charlotte Gillen,
- Springfield, Ohio, native who moved [0 Seattle in
1901, became a Bahá’í in the first decade of the cenrury; in 1919, in response to ‘Abdu'I-Baha'k Tablets of the Divine Plan, she traveled throughout Idaho, Monuna, and Wyoming, teaching the Bahai'l' Faith (“Charlotte Gillen 1869—1962," in Baha"! era', Val. XIV 341)‘ Hyde Dunn, who was born in London. became a Bahá’ín Smtdc in 1905; in 191‘), in response to ‘Abdu’lBahfs Tablets of the Divine Plan, he and his wife Clara decided to move to Australia, where they remained For the rest of theitlives. When Dunn died, Shoghi Effendiy the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, called him “Ausualia’s ‘P'I’lmfll conqueror,” adding that “The magnificent carter of this veteran warrior of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh "HMS the puresr luster of the world historic mission confcned upon the American community by ‘Abdu'lBah! (Menage; ta Ameriea: Seleetezl Letter: am! CahieQ‘W Addmsed ta the Bahá’í': of Narth America, 19321945 thimette, 11L: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1947145).
33' Annie Belle Killius (0 [Mrs. Anna JurgenS]. 11 Dec, 1919, BASL
ing the tongues, viuifjling the dead and purifying the une/ean. ODiuine Providente/ Be Thou their eampanion during their travels, for they are helpless and lonely and they are firm in Thy love. Thou art the Pawerfid and the Orrmilzwtentt32 Although the Killiuses had success in Montana, life was, indeed, hard for them. In a December 1919 letter Annie related that, on 9 December it was 43 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in Great Falls when the city ran out of coal. Families in the city were suffering and freezing. All the men of the City, even the bankers, traveled eighteen miles from the City to dig for coal.33 On 27 March 1920 Annie and Albert received what would be their last letter from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Although it was addressed to them in Montana, it also holds great significance for the Bahá’ís in Springfield, which is the only city mentioned in the five letters addressed to Annie and the one to Albert and Annie: To Mr[.] and Mrs[.] A. C. Killius of Montana. Upon them be the Glory of God the Most Glorious. HE IS GOD! O ye two who are firm in the Covenant. Your letter dated Jan. 28. 1920 has been received. Its contents were indicative of heart felt realities, which were conducive to firmness and steadfastness in the Covenant of God. Thou shouldst render thanksgiving unto God, that thou art able to travel throughout the states and regions, and like unto the breeze of spring, transmit new spirit to every city through which thou passeth. Praise be unto God that in Springfield Illinois the fragrances of the Love of God hath been diffused and the Call of the Kingdom hath been raised. . . . I am beseeching unto God that the
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friends of that city, may day by day attain
to heavenly progress.“
In preparation for the arrival of Mirza Asadu’lláh Fáḍil Mézindarani, an Iranian Bahá’í and a professor at the Shah’s University in Tehran whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent to assist the American Bahá’ís, Annie Killius began writing articles and placing them in the Montana newspapers. On Sunday, 26 December 1920, the Great ['11er Daily Tribune reported that Jenabe Fazel, as he was known to the American Bahá’ís, would be in Montana from 7 through 12 January, “delivering lectures on the Bahai movement, which is . . . ‘the Essence of the highest ideals of the century.” In an accompanying article Annie Killius explained that he “receives no remuneration for his lectures and appears here as a special representative of Abdu’l-Bahá, whose father, Baha Ollah, founded the Bahai movement. . . ."35
Jenabe Fazel arrived in Butte on 4 January 1912 at 5 P.M., three days ahead of the date reported in the Great Falls Tribune. He held his first meeting at 8:00 PM. in an African Methodist Episcopal Church, where he spoke to an interracial audience about the oneness of the world of humanity. The pastor of the
34. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Mr. and Mrs. A C. Killius, 27 Mar. 1920, KC, BASI, An approved translation of this tablet does not yet exist; consequently, this translation cannot be considered authentic.
35. “Persian Philosopher to Explain Bahai Movement in Montana,” Grmt Fall: Daily Tribune, 26 Dec. 1920, BASI.
36. National Bahá’í Teaching Committee, Bulletin “B"(ZI Fell 1921): 4,
37. National Baha'I Teaching Committee. Bulletin "B”(Zl Feb. 1921): 6—7.
38‘ Albert C, Killius to National Spiritual Assembly [of the Babe“: of the United States and Canada, Horace] Holley, secy, 31 Mar, 1946, NBA.
39. Annie Bl Killius, Bahá’í Historical Record Card, KC, BASI.
church, it was reported, was “overjoyed” with the message“
Albert’s and Annie’s advance publicity was only part of their contribution to the success of Jenabe Fazel’s trip. They “left their work” and, with another Montana Bahá’í, Fred Mortensen, accompanied him to “Butte, Anaconda, Helena and Great Falls, arranging meetings, interviewing newspaper men and doing everything possible to gather the people to listen to the talks of the great teacher.” On 9 January at 3:00 PM. in Great Falls, before a large audience in the Palace Theater, Albert introduced Jenabe Fazel, who was reported to have spoken “very beautifully” on the oneness of humanity and the elimination of prejudice. For Annie and Albert and the other Bahá’ís these “glorious meetings were the fulfillment of their prayers and hopes.” On 10 January Albert, Fred Mortensen, and two New Thought Friends were at the train station early in the morning to bid Fazel farewell as he left for Billings, Montana.37
Annie's and Albert’s years in Montana were drawing to a close. In a 1946 letter Albert described the Challenges and successes of his and his wife’s years in Montana:
The cities we visited and worked in were Missoula[,] Butte[,] Anaconda[,] Helena 81 Great Falls. Several groups were started in Butte and one in Helena“ also a small group in Great Falls. The news papers all gave a most welcome and generous co-operation. They spared us space 8L asked us to give them all we could on the Cause. Although Mrs[.] Killius’ health was not good most of the time while in the high altitude[,] we were confirmed at every step during the four years stay in Montana.38 On 3 April 1921 the Killiuses left Great
Falls and moved to Duluth, Minnesota, which would be their home for the next six years. In 1918, when Annie had visited Duluth to teach the Bahá’í Faith, Charles Hanson had become a Bahá’í.” After Annie returned to
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ALBER’I' c. KILLIUS—PHOTOGRAPHER OF ‘ABDU’L—BAHA 53
Montana, he corresponded with the Killiuses, urging them to come to Duluth and help with the Bahá’í work.
While Annie and Albert were settling in Duluth, they learned about the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. On 28 November 1921, the day ‘Abdu’l-Bahá died, Albert wrote about the loss to his Bahá’í cousin, Mrs. Anna Jutgens, in Springfield, Illinois:
No doubt you will have the very very sad news before getting this letter, that out dearly beloved . . . Abdu’l-Bahá has passed to the Great Kingdom of Abhá[,] the Heavenly Throne of God. . . .
. . . 1 am sure with this great sacrifice and loss God will open and extend greater and greater capacity and illumination, mercy and bountyt . 1 .
Annie feels so bad that she can not write.
The passing of Abdu’l-Bahá [0 the Kingdom of God marks a new Epoch.“0
40. Albert C. Killius to Mrs. Anna Jurgens, 28 Nnvi 1921, Jutgens Collection (hereafter JC), BASI. The Ahhi Kingdom (the Most Glorious Kingdom) is the spiritual world beyond this world,
41. On 5 December 1921 Annie wrete to Mrs. Anna Jutgens UC, BASI), saying: “But oh how sad we have all made Him, how much more we could have done and how much we failed to do that would have rejoiced His PrecioUS Hunt May God forgive us all. . . ."
42,Alhett C1 Killius to National Spiritual Assembly [of the Bahá’í: of the United States and Canada, Horace] H°119Yx Sccyq 31 Mars 1946, NBA. Martha Root was a Pittsburgh journalist who, from 1916 until her death in 1939, traveled the world in response to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan.
43‘ Springfield, Illinois, City Directory, 19281 The address listed for Albert Kjllius is 835 South Second Street.
441 When the apartment building was purChaSCd in 1993 to be converted into a Eutopean-style inn, it was described as follows: “With its hulking yellow brick facade and lovely, Georgian-sryle front door. the Bell Millet Apartment House looks much like the stately mansions that skirted the once fashionable neighborhOPd around Second Street" (Th: State [Springfield ”I‘W'L‘Uaumal-Regixter, 15 Feb. 1995, p. 1).
For Annie, the news of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's death contributed to her already poor health and marked the beginning of her physical decline, which ended with her death from cancer twenty—five years later.“1 Albert, however, dealt with change and adversity in a different way. In the letter he wrote on the day of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s death, Albert was clearly saddened by the news, but he was also looking forward to the release of “capacity and illumination” that would inevitably follow such a momentous event. He seems to have gained greater strength and spiritual capacity.
By January 1923 Albert and Annie had become established in Duluth and assisted Martha Root, a well—known Bahá’í teacher, during her trip to Duluth and to Superior, \Wisconsin.‘12 But 1923 proved also to be a year presaging another change in Annie’s and Albert’s lives. In that year Albert’s beloved aunt, Mrs. Emilie Loeb, one of the first five Bahá’ís in Springfield, Illinois, and the mother of Albert’s cousin, Mrs. Anna Jutgens, died. In 1926 Albert’s mother, Mary Killius, also died. The sister of Emilie Loeb, she had became a Bahá’í in the early 192051
Because ofAnna Jurgens’ loss of her mother and her aunt, and because of exhaustion from her intense Bahá’í activities, she begged her cousin Albert and his wife, Annie, to return to their home town of Springfield to help her with the teaching activities of the growing Bahá’í community. Since Duluth had grown large enough to become a stable, organized Community by 1928, the Killiuses left for Springfield and settled there in August of that year."3
Years in Springfield ALBERT Killius returned to Springfield :1 prosperous and successful photographer and portrait artist. He and Annie rented a large fitst—floor apartment in a prestigious neighborhood, only four blocks from the Illinois State Capitol.“ They held many Bahá’í meetings in their new home, where many
54 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
331151 traveling teachers, including Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler, who would later become the first American Bahá’í martyr in Iran, gave talks."S When the Great Depression hit, the need for photographers, and especially portrait painters, declined rapidly. Annie and Albert sulfered a financial decline from which they never fully recovered. By 1930 they had left their luxury apartment and begun a series of moves to more modest houses and apartments. At the time of Annie’s death in 1946 they were living in a rather large second-floor studio loft over a restaurant in a lower income neighborhood.“6 Because of their modest circumstances and to avoid having his more elite clientele come to his humble quarters, Albert concentrated on developing his business around photography in clients' homes. However, he always included his photographs of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in his portfolio to introduce his clients not only to the quality of his work but to the one Who was the center of his life. Springfield residents are only now beginning to find within their attics and family photographic collections the informal Killius poses composed in natural light and printed in sepia tones or highlighted with the stroke of the painter’s brush. Without the loyal patronage of several prominent
45. Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler, although in ill hwltl’], devoted the last year of her life to securing from the Iranian Government “a removal of the ban on entry and circulation of Bahá’í literature. as well as a final lifting of the heavy disabilities laid for so many years upon the Persian Bahá’íst" When she died in Persia in 1933, shortly after contracting smallpox, still in pursuit of her mission, Shoghi EFFendi gave her the title of the “first and distinguished martyr” from America. (See “Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler's Mission," Thth/yd 'IWur/d: A Biennial Internatiamz/ Record, Volume V. 1932—1934, comp. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bath“: of the United States and Canada [New York: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1936] 389, 398.)
46, Springfield, Illinois, City Direcwry, 1946. Albert Killius’ addless is listed as 1326 ‘A South 11th Street.
Springfield families who commissioned portrait paintings and the encouragement and appreciation expressed by the Bahá’ís, Alben might not have survived financially the austere Depression years.
The author, as a young boy, often visited the Killius studio with his Bahá’í grandmother, Katie Lauchner, to see a finished portrait or a collection of completed family photographs ready for delivery. During the Depression years, when the Killius finances were extremely limited, my grandmother helped Annie and Albert by bringing members of our family, including me, to the studio to be professionally photographed. Albert would place me in various poses and would always remind me that he had been given the great privilege of photographing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He would then give me a shy smile. I adored Albert‘s puckish sense of humor, and I loved his studio with its large camera, lights, backdrops, and artwork. Pictures of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were to be found everywhere. This place with its windowless walls, shielded skylights, theatrical lighting, and dark corners was where his creative magic took place. It was his sanctuary, which reflected love and devotion not only to his craft but also to his beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Because Albert never owned or drove an automobile, Katie Lauchner would drive Annie and Albert [0 and from Bahá’í meetings. She had become a close friend of Annie‘s and visited with her on the phone almost every day. When Annie’s health continued to de' Cline in the early 19405, Katie helped them by running errands and periodically preparing food for them. Albert, in turn, expressed his gratitude by giving her copies of tablets from and photographs of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
As Annie's cancer progressed, it became difficult for her to attend Bahá’í functions on a regular basis. Albert spent much of his time caring for her, becoming, in the process, the stronger of the two, both physically and emotionally. Finally, on 17 Match 1946, Annie
[Page 55]
ALBERT c. KILLIUS—PHOTOGRAPHER OF ‘ABDU‘L-BAHA 55
died, leaving Albert alone and bewildered. Annie’s was the first Bahá’í funeral in Springfield. It was conducted by Mrs. Mabel Hyde Paine and Mrs. Anna Kunz of Urbana, Illinois, both of whom had visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Holy Land many years earlier.“7 011 8 April 1946, Albert received a letter from Horace Holley, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, thanking him for a photograph and for his “interesting account of the Bahá’í history” of his "clear wife" and calling it "an important contribution to Bahá’í history." Again on 11 Decembet 1950, in response to a letter from Albert concerning Annie, Horace Holley wrote that “Mrs Killius tendered notable service to the Cause, and her memory is to be honored and cherished in the Bahá’í Community. . . 3"“
During the years following Annie’s death, Ioften met Albert on the bus on his way to take photographs in someone's home. If he found a rider on a bus who would listen to him talk about the Faith, he would open his laxge portfolio and show pictures of ‘Abdu’l
47. Mts. Mabel Hyde Paine (1877—1955) compiled
Tb: Dwin: Art of Living: Selenium from the Writing: of
MMWIJandHMu'I—BadeVilmette,111,:Bahá'fPublishing Trust, 1944). She was the mother oers. Sylvia
Parmalee. who traveled with her mother in 1920 to
Act: to meet ‘Abdu'l—Bahá. Mrs. Anna Kunz (18991973), for many years a member of the National Spiritual Assembly cf the Bahá’ís of Italy and Switzerland
and then of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of Swinetland, was the mother of Mrs. Margaret Ruhe, wife of Dr, David Ruhe, retired member of
the Universal Hausa of Justice, the supreme governing
Anti administrative body of the Bahá’í Faithi Born in
SWimi-land, Mrsi Kunz moved to Urbana, Illinois, in
1913 with her husband; after her husband's death she
returned to Switzerland in 1947 to help with the B3114”
teaching work.
48,.National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, Horace Holley, secy., to Albert Killius, 3 Apt. 1946, BASI; National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, Horace “°1'cyvsecy..roA1bm Killius, 11 Dec. 1950, BASI.
Bahá. Since his hearing was failing rapidly, his audience was held captive as he expounded on the Faith. Finally, he had to resort to using two hearing aids, each of which made noise out of phase with the other. He could not hear well with either of them. Also, as his eyes began to fail, one would often find him wearing two pairs of glasses, one on top of the other.
In addition to his two physical conditions, Albert wore false teeth, which never seemed to fit well. However, nothing stopped him from teaching. His prayers and readings were always accompanied by clicking and clacking and the buzz of his hearing aids, but his problems never deterred him From reading aloud, even in public. Albert was always immaculately clean and his appearance meticulous. He found humor in his physical contraptions and made his audience feel comfortable with his problems. His shy, impish smile made everything okay.
After Albert adjusted to Annie’s death, he decided to move into smaller quarters and began selling his and Annie’s possessions and donating the proceeds in her name to the completion of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, the foundation stone of which they had seen ‘Abdu’l-Bahá lay in 1912. Some of the Springfield Bahá’ís purchased many of these items to keep them in the Bahá’í family. Before his death Albert had sold everything but his Bahá’í books, papers, photographs, and the bare necessities to sustain his living in two sparsely furnished rooms. Because of his severe hearing loss and his inability to communicate with his clients, he had given up his photographic business several years earlier. As he needed funds, he painted portraits of Abraham Lincoln and sold them to Springfield residents. He kept himself in good health and his surroundings, immaculate.
On 24 May 1961, at the age of eightyeight, Albert became ill in the morning and was taken to the hospital, where he died two hours later. His brother and I cleared his tiny
56 WORLD ORDER: SPRING 1999
apartment in less than half a day. Albert’s funeral was conducted by the members of the Springfield Bahá’í community on 26 May 1961 at the Smith Funeral Chapel. He was buried beside Annie in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.“9
Albert is remembered as “a brisk little sparrow of a man. He was both short and slight with a mostly bald head and bright little eyes full of curiosity. Albert always wanted to know. He was interested in everyone because he saw each person as a potential Bahá’í. . . ."5" Even in death Albert’s wish seems to have been honored. When he died, the Springfield Bahá’í community had not had an enrollment since 1952. With his death, it was left with nine members, the exact number needed to maintain a local spiritual assembly, the local Bahá’í governing body, of which he had been a member. Yet Within two weeks after his funeral his cousin, Clara Ihlenfeldt, who had been prevented by her husband who was not a Bahá’í from attending Bahá’í functions for forty-two years, took
49. Two obituary notices in Tl]! [[linais State journal» Register, 25 May 1961, and records at the Smith Funeral Home, Springfield, Illinois (which also buried Abraham Lincoln), indicate that Albert was living at 1180 North Third Street when he died. He was survived by a brother, George \W. Killius, of Springfield: two sisters, Clara Killius and May Killius of Boston. Massachusetts; and several nieces. Bahá’í records show that May Killius attended Springfield Bahá’í functions in 1919 and 1920 (see Spiritual Assembly attendance records, JC, BASIL
50. Elizabeth Lower, "Memories of Albert C, Killius," 29 Jan 1991, BASI.
51. "A New Dawn Breaking,” Illinai: Times, 16—22 May 1991, BASI.
Albert’s place on the Assembly and became a full participating Bahá’í for the remainder of her life. The community then entered a period of growth that saw the enrollment of five new Bahá’ís within nine months ofAlbert’s death and continued to add at least that many new believers for the next few years.
On 20 May 1991, near the tomb of Abraham Lincoln, the Springfield Bahá’í’s, together with the press, stood in the rain in Oak Ridge Cemetery at the grave site of Albert and Annie Killius to dedicate an historical monument honoring them as the founders of the Springfield Bahá’í community seventy—two years earlier.“ Springfield, 3 city where the concepts of federal union and the oneness of humanity were advanced, will always be reminded in the years to come of the contributions Annie and Albert Killius made toward the establishment and advancement of the Bahá’í Faith in the city.
Although the contribution Annie and Albert Killius made to the Springfield Bahá’í community was significant, it was only one victory that these two remarkable souls achieved in their long years of service to the Bahá’í Faith. Albert’s unique role as photographer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1912 and his and Annie’s immediate response to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's challenge in the Tablets of the Divine Plan have won for them a special place in American Bahá’í history. In Albert and Annie Killius one sees ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s power to attract people by His love, His ability to transform the lives of those attracted to Him and to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Annie’s and Albert’s willingness to sacrifice their comfort and possessions enabled them to spread the Bahá’í teachings far and wide by words and deeds. The simple lives and radiant spirits they demonstrated will be an inspiration for get? erations to come.
Authors Sc Artists
WILLIAM P. COLLINS, whose articles appear frequently in World Orderand whose BiHingraphy 11f EninI/J—Language erJ an the BAH and Balm”! Faiths. 1844—1985 is a standard reference work, is Chief of the Cataloguing Division of the United States Copyright Office at the Library of Congress His interests included Mormonism, Judeo—ChriStian-Islamic history and doctrinc. and millennialist movements.
ADENJ. LAUCHNER, the founder and chairman of the board ofLauchner 5i Lauchner, 1nc., practices architecture in Illinois, Michigan. and Maryland. At the University of Illinois, where he received his degree in architecture, he has been the Allerton American Traveling Scholar in the History of Architecture, and he received honorable mention in the Ricker Prize Competition in the history of architecture. He is the archiviSt and historian for the Springfield, Illinois, Bahá’í community and has written an unpublished history of that community from 1919 through 1963. His unpublished genealogy of the Pinkerton family of Green County, Illinois, can be found in a number oflibtaries in the United States. Mr. Lauchner‘s interests include architecture, art, antiques, history, archival work, genealogy, music, and gardenmg,
AHANG RABBANI is a technical manager for DuPont and an associate editor of a mathematical-statisticsjournal. His translations of Persian and Arabic texts appeared in the Fall 1996 and 1998 issues of World Order. Dr. Rabbani has several books at pressa history of the Bábls of Nayrfz, a history of the Bábl’ and Bahá’í faiths in Shíráz, a history of the Bahá’í community of _K_hurésén, and a translation of Dr. Habib Mu’ayyad's diary. He is now completing a book in Persian on the life and writings
of Quddlis.
JOAN IMIG TAYLOR was a frequent contributor to World Order since its first poetry anthology in Spring 1971. She passed away on 10 July 1998 at the age of eightyfour.
ART CREDITS: Cover design by John Solan, cover photograph, Stan Philhps; p. 15, Stan Phillips; p. 16, Steve Gartigues; p. 18, Darius Himes; pp. 40, 43, 45, 47, Albert C. Killius, courtesy Springfield, Illinois, Bahá’í Archives.
