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WORLD
ORDER
THE BAHÁ’Í MAGAZINE
September, 1942
• Tablet, Protection of the Covenant . . . . . ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 181
• The Covenant Unfolds in the Kingdom of God, Compilation 194
• Rainbow of Promise, Editorial . . . . . . . . . Alice S. Cox 203
• Buenos Aires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philip G. Sprague 205
• Bahá’í Lessons . . . . 213 • With Our Readers . . . . 215
FIFTEEN CENTS
GOD’S PURPOSE IS NONE OTHER THAN TO USHER IN, IN WAYS HE ALONE CAN BRING ABOUT, AND THE FULL SIGNIFICANCE OF WHICH HE ALONE CAN FATHOM, THE GREAT, THE GOLDEN AGE OF A LONG-DIVIDED, A LONG-AFFLICTED HUMANITY. ITS PRESENT STATE, INDEED EVEN ITS IMMEDIATE FUTURE, IS DARK, DISTRESSINGLY DARK. ITS DISTANT FUTURE, HOWEVER, IS RADIANT, GLORIOUSLY RADIANT—SO RADIANT THAT NO EYE CAN VISUALIZE IT.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE REPORTED
ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE
WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, Ill., by the Publishing Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, Stanwood Cobb, Alice Simmons Cox, Horace Holley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick. CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Marcia Steward Atwater, Hasan M. Balyusi, Dale S. Cole, Genevieve L. Coy, Mae Dyer, Shirin Fozdar, Marzieh Gail, Inez Greeven, Annamarie Honnold, G. A. Shook.
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SEPTEMBER, 1942, VOLUME VIII, NUMBER 6
WORLD ORDER
THE BAHÁ’Í MAGAZINE
VOLUME VIII SEPTEMBER, 1942 NUMBER 6
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Call for
Protection of the Covenant
of God rest upon Them! He is God!
O YE FRIENDS OF GOD!
‘Abdu’l-Bahá is day and night thinking of you and mentioning you, for the friends of God are dear to Him. Every morning at dawn I supplicate the Kingdom of God and ask that you may be filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit, so that you may become brilliant candles, shine with the light of guidance and dispel the darkness of error. Rest assured that the confirmations of the Abhá Kingdom will continuously reach you.
Through the power of the Divine Springtime, the downpour of the Celestial Clouds and the heat of the Sun of Reality, the Tree of Life is just beginning to grow. Before long, it will produce buds, bring forth leaves and fruits, and cast its shade over the East and the West. This Tree of Life is the Book of the Covenant.
[Page 182]
In America[1], in these days, severe winds have surrounded
the Lamp of the Covenant, hoping that this brilliant Light
may be extinguished, and this Tree of Life may be uprooted.
Certain weak, capricious, malicious and ignorant souls have
been shaken by the earthquake of hatred, of animosity, have
striven to efface the Divine Covenant and Testament, and
render the clear water muddy so that in it they might fish.[2]
They have arisen against the Center of the Covenant like the
people of Bayán who attacked the Blessed Beauty and every
moment uttered a calumny. Every day they seek a pretext
and secretly arouse doubts, so that the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh
may be completely annihilated in America.
O friends of God! Be awake, be awake; be vigilant, be
vigilant! His Holiness, the Báb, made a Covenant for
Bahá’u’lláh with all the people of the Bayán, so that on the
Day of the appearance of “Him Whom God shall manifest”—
and of the radiation of the Light of Bahá’u’lláh, they might
believe and be assured, arise in service and promulgate the
Word of God. Later the people of the Bayán, like Mirzá
Yaḥyá and many others, arose against the Blessed Beauty, invented
every sort of calumny, aroused doubt in the minds of
the people, and from the Books of His Holiness the Báb—
that were full of references to “Him Whom God shall manifest”
—tried to prove Bahá’u’lláh false. Every day they wrote
and spread a pamphlet opposing Bahá’u’lláh, caused trouble
and perplexity among the people , they inflicted the greatest
injury and cruelty, yet counted themselves firm in the Covenant
of His Holiness, the Báb. However, when the light of
the Covenant of His Holiness, the Báb, lighted the universe,
[Page 183]
then all the faithful and sincere souls were freed from the
darkness of the violation of the people of the Bayán and shone
like brilliant candles.
Bahá’u’lláh, in all the Tablets and Epistles, forbade the true and firm friends from associating and meeting the violators of the Covenant of His Holiness, the Báb, saying that no one should go near them because their breath is like the poison of the snake that kills instantly.
In the Hidden Words, He says: “Esteem the friendship of the just, but withhold both mind and hand from the company of the wicked.”
Addressing one of the friends, He says: “It is clear to your honor that before long Satan, in the garb of man, will reach that land and will try to mislead the friends of the Divine Beauty through temptations which arouse the desires of self, and will cause them to follow the footsteps of Satan away from the right and glorious path, and prevent them from attaining the Blessed Shore of the King of Oneness. This is a hidden information of which we have informed the chosen ones lest they may be deprived of their praiseworthy station by associating with the embodiments of hatred. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all the friends of God to shun any person in whom they perceive the emanation of hatred for the Glorious Beauty of Abhá, though he may quote all the heavenly Utterances and cling to all the Books.” He continues—Glorious be His Name!—“Protect yourselves with utmost vigilance, lest you be entrapped in the snare of deception and fraud.” This is the advice of the Pen of Destiny.
In another Address, He says: “Therefore, to avoid these people will be the nearest path by which to attain the Divine good pleasure; because their breath is infectious, like unto poison.”
[Page 184]
In another Tablet, He says: “O Káẓim, close thine eye to
the people of the world; drink the water of knowledge from
the heavenly Cup Bearers, and listen not to the nonsensical
utterances of the manifestations of Satan, because the manifestations
of Satan are occupying today the observation posts
of the glorious Path of God, and preventing the people by
every means of deception and ruse [from following the Path].
Before long you will witness the turning away of the people
of Bayán from the Manifestation of the Merciful.”
In another Tablet, He says: “Endeavor to your utmost to protect yourselves, because Satan appears in different robes and appeals to everyone according to each person’s own way, until he becomes like unto him [Satan]—then he will leave him alone.”
In another Tablet, He says: “Shun any man in whom you perceive enmity for this Servant, though he may appear in the garb of piety of the former and later people, or may arise to the worship of the two worlds.”
In another Tablet, He says: “O Mahdi! Be informed by these Utterances and shun the manifestations of the people of hell, the rising place of Nimrods [King who cast Abraham into the fire], the rising place of Pharaohs, the fountain of Tagut [any object worshipped except God], and the soothsayers.”
Again He says: “Say, O my friend and my pure ones! Listen to the Voice of this Beloved Prisoner in this Great Prison. If you detect in any man the least perceptible breath of violation, shun him and keep away from him.” Then He says: “Verily, they are manifestations of Satan.”
In another Tablet, He says: “And turn your faces to the Great Countenance for before long the foul odors of the wicked persons will pass over these regions. God willing, you may remain protected during these days.”
[Page 185]
In the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, sixth
to ninth verses, His Holiness Christ says: “But whosoever
shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it
were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his
neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe
unto the world because of offenses, for it must needs be that
offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense
cometh. Wherefore if thy hand or thy feet offend thee, cut
them off and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter
into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two
feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend
thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee.”
And in the twenty-first chapter and thirty-eighth verse of the Gospel of Matthew, He says: “But when the husbandman saw the son, they said among themselves, this is the heir, come let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard and slew him.”
Also in the twenty-second chapter and the fourteenth verse of the Gospel of Matthew, He says “But many are called and few are chosen.”
In the holy Writings of His Holiness, Bahá’u’lláh, in a thousand places at least, the violators of the Covenant are execrated and condemned. Some of the heavenly passages will be mentioned.
In short, all the friends in America know that the founders of this sedition—namely, the violators of the Covenant—are people whose aims are known to all the friends. Yet, O Glorious God, they are deceived by them!
Praise be to God, you know with perfect clearness that
His Holiness Christ was extremely kind and loving, yet there
were people like Judas Iscariot who, by their own deeds,
separated themselves from Christ. Therefore, what fault of
[Page 186]
Christ’s could that be? Now the Nakazene [violators] say
that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is despotic, drives some people out and
excommunicates like the Pope. This is not so at all! Any
person who has left [the Cause], did so because of his own
actions, intrigues and evil plots. If this objection be raised
against ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, they must also object to the Blessed
Beauty who, with distinct and conclusive command, forbids
the friends from companionship and familiarity with the violators
of the people of Bayán.
SUPPLICATION:
O Lord of the Covenant! O luminous Star of the world! The persecuted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has fallen into the hands of persons who appear as sheep and in reality are ferocious wolves; they exercise every sort of oppression, endeavor to destroy the foundation of the Covenant, and claim to be Bahá’ís. They strike at the root of the Tree of the Covenant and count themselves persecuted, just as did the people of Bayán who broke the Covenant of His Holiness, the Báb, and from six directions shot arrows of reproach and calumny at Thy blessed body. Notwithstanding this great oppression, they call themselves oppressed. Now this Servant of Thy Threshold has also fallen into the hands of oppressors. Every hour they contrive new intrigues and fraud, and bring forth new calumny.
Yá Bahá u’l-Abhá! Protect the stronghold of Thy Cause from these thieves, and safeguard the lamps of the Kingdom from these malevolent winds!
Yá Bahá u’l-Abhá! ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not rest a moment
until He had raised Thy Cause and the standard of the Kingdom
of Abhá waved over the world. Now some people have
arisen with intrigues and evil aspirations to trample this flag
in America, but My hope is in Thy confirmations. Leave Me
not single, alone and oppressed! As Thou didst promise,
[Page 187]
verbally and in writing, that Thou wouldst protect this Deer
of the pasture of Thy love from the attacks of the hounds
of hatred and animosity, and that Thou wouldst safeguard this
persecuted Sheep from the claws and teeth of the ferocious
wolves,—now do I await the appearance of Thy bounties and
the realization of Thy definite Promise. Thou art the true
Protector, and Thou art the Lord of the Covenant! There
fore, protect this Lamp which Thou hast lighted, from the
severe winds.
Yá Bahá u’l-Abhá! I have forsaken the world and its people, am heartbroken because of the unfaithful, and am weary. In the cage of this world I flutter like a frightened bird and long for the flight to Thy Kingdom.
Yá Bahá u’l-Abhá! Make Me to drink the cup of sacrifice, and free Me! Relieve Me from these difficulties, hardships, afflictions and troubles! Thou art the Assister, the Helper, the Protector and the Supporter!
Now some of the writings, prayers and verses of the Blessed Beauty will be mentioned in which association with the violators is forbidden. In the Persian Commune, He says:
“Protect this Servant from the doubts of the persons who have turned away from Thee and are deprived of the Sea of thy knowledge. O God! O God! Protect this Servant through Thy bounty and generosity from the evil of Thine enemies who have broken Thy Covenant and Testament.”
In another place He says: “O My God and the aim of My life! Protect this weak one with Thy mighty hand from the voice of the Naegh.”[3]
Also He says: “Ye have taken one whom I hate to be thy beloved, and My enemy to be thy friend.”
[Page 188]
Also He says: “The company of the wicked ones increaseth
sorrow, and the association with the pious ones removes rust
from the heart. The one who desires to associate with God,
let him associate with His friends, the one who wishes to hear
the Words of God, let him hear the words of His chosen ones.”
Also He says: “Do not associate with the wicked, because the company of the wicked changeth the light of life into the fire of remorse. If thou asketh for the bounties of the Holy Spirit, associate with the pure ones, because they have quaffed the eternal chalice from the hands of the Cupbearer of eternity.”
Also He says: “The greatest of degradation is to leave the Shadow of God and enter under the shadow of Satan.”
Also He says: “O ye servants! There is nothing in this heart save the effulgences of the splendor of the Morn of Meeting (with God), and it does not speak but the absolute truth from your Lord. Therefore, do not follow self; break not God’s Covenant and violate not His Testament. Proceed with perfect steadfastness, and with heart, soul and tongue, turn unto Him, and be not of the thoughtless.”
And still He says: “You have forgotten God’s Covenant and violated His Testament.”
And again He says: “If anyone comes to you with the book of the wicked, put him behind you.”
“Among the people are those who have broken the Covenant, and among them are those who have followed what was ordained by the All-Knower, the All-Wise. My affliction is not from My imprisonment and persecution, or from what comes to Me from My rebellious servants,—but from the actions of those who attribute themselves to this persecuted One and commit among the people that which is degrading to the honor of God. Verily, they are of the seditious.”
[Page 189]
Likewise speaking for the violators, He says: “Thou hast
made the pulpits for Thy mention, the proclamation of Thy
Word and the manifestation of Thy Cause, and we have
ascended them to proclaim the breaking of Thy Covenant and
Testament.”
Likewise, He says: “Take what has been ordained for you and follow not those who have broken God’s Covenant and Testament, for lo! they are the people of error.”
Again He says: “Those who have broken the Covenant of God, notwithstanding His commands, and have turned away, they are the people of error before the Most Opulent, the Exalted.”
And He says: “Those who have been faithful to God’s Covenant are of the highest ones in the sight of the exalted Lord. Those who have become negligent are of the people of fire in the sight of Thy Lord, the Beloved, the Independent.”
Likewise He says: “Blessed is the servant or maid-servant who believes, and woe to the polytheists who have violated the Covenant of God and His Testament, and deviated from My right Path.”
Likewise He says: “I implore of Thee not to deprive me of what Thou possessest or what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have not broken Thy Covenant and Testament. Say! Die with your hatred! Verily, He is come by Whom the pillars of the world have been shaken and because of Whom the feet have stumbled, save those who have not broken the Covenant, but have followed what God revealed in His Book.”
Likewise He says: “The Supreme Concourse will pray for
the one who is adorned with the garment of faithfulness between
[Page 190]
heaven and earth; but he who breaks the Covenant is
cursed by heaven and earth.”
Likewise He says: “Take hold of what has been revealed unto you, with a power superior to that of the hands of the unbelievers who have violated the Covenant of God and His Testament, and have turned from the Face.”
Also He says: “O Yaḥyá! Verily the Book has come! Take it with a power from Us and do not follow those who have broken the Covenant of God and His Testament, and have denied what has been revealed from the Powerful, the All-Knower.”
Likewise He says: “I awoke this morning, O My God, under the shadow of Thy great bounty and have taken, with Thy power, the pen to mention Thee with such mention as shall be a light unto the pure, and fire unto the wicked who have violated Thy Covenant, denied Thy Verses and put aside the Kawthar of Life which appeared by Thy command and was revealed by the Finger of Thy will.”
Here, in a Tablet to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, He says also: “O God!
This is a Branch which has sprung forth from the Tree of
Oneness, the Sadrat of Thy unity. O God! Thou seest Him
[the Branch] looking to Thee and clinging to the Rope of Thy
bounties. Protect Him in the Shelter of Thy mercy! Thou
knowest, O My God, that I do not desire Him save for what
Thou dost desire Him, and I do not choose Him save for
what Thou dost choose Him. Assist Him with the hosts of
Thy earth and Thy heaven. Assist, O God, those who assist
Him, and choose those who choose Him. Confirm those who
draw nigh unto Him, and debase those who deny Him and
do not want Him. O God, Thou seest that at this moment
of Revelation My Pen shakes and My Being trembles. I
ask Thee, by My impatience in Thy love and My willingness
[Page 191]
to proclaim Thy Cause, to ordain for Him and His
friends, what Thou hast ordained for Thy Messengers and
the faithful ones of Thy Revelation. Verily, Thou art
the Powerful and the Omnipotent! By God, O people, My
eye weeps, and the eye of ‘Alí weeps in the Supreme Concourse;
My heart throbs, and the heart of Muḥammad throbs
in the Courts of Abhá; My heart and the hearts of the Prophets
lament with the people of knowledge, if you are those who
are possessed with sight. My sorrow is not for Myself, but
for the One Who comes after Me in the shadow of the Cause
with a clear, undeniable reign, because these will not acknowledge
His Manifestation and will deny His evidences and verses,
will dispute His power, will antagonize Him and will be
traitors to His Cause, as they did to His Person in those days,—
and ye were witnesses.”
Again in a Tablet to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, He says: “O Greatest Branch! Verily, Thy illness caused Me sorrow, but God will cure Thee, and He is the Most Generous and Best Helper. Glory be upon Thee and upon those who serve Thee and encircle Thee! Woe and torment be upon him who opposes and torments Thee! Blessed is he who befriends Thee, and hell be for him who opposes Thee!”
Likewise He says: “Is it possible that after the dawning
of the Sun of Thy Testament from the horizon of Thy Greatest
Tablet, that any feet shall slip away from the right Path?
We said, O My Supreme Pen, it behooves Thee to do as Thou
hast been bidden by God, the Exalted and the Great. Do
not ask about that which melts Thy heart and those of the
denizens of Paradise who encompass Thy wonderful Cause.
Thou shouldst not know what We have hidden from Thee.
Thy Lord is the Veiler and the Knower. Turn Thy Most
Luminous Face to the Greatest Aspect and say: O My Merciful
[Page 192]
God! Decorate the heaven of Bayán with the stars of
steadfastness, trust and truth. Verily, Thou art the Powerful
over what Thou willest. There is no God save Thee, the Wise
and the Generous.”
In short, from these holy Utterances and those of His Holiness Christ, it becomes clear, evident and proved, that man should associate with people who are firm in the Covenant and Testament, and befriend the pure ones; because bad associates bring about infection of bad qualities. It is like leprosy, it is impossible for a man to associate and befriend a leper and not be infected. This command is for the sake of protection and to safeguard.
Consider this text of the New Testament: the brothers of His Holiness Christ, came to Him and they said: “These are your brothers.” He answered that His brothers were those who believed in God, and refused to associate with His own brothers.
Likewise Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, who is celebrated in all the world, when she believed in God and was attracted to the divine breaths, she forsook her two eldest sons, although they were her two oldest children, because they did not become believers, and thereafter did not meet them. She said: “All the friends of God are my children, but these two are not. I will have nothing to do with them.”
Consider! The Divine Gardener cuts off the dry or weak
branch from the good tree and grafts to it [the tree], a branch
from another tree. He both separates and unites. This is that
which His Holiness Christ says: that from all the world they
come and enter the Kingdom, and the children of the Kingdom
shall be cast out. (Matt. 8:11, 12). Noah’s grandson,
Canaan, was detested in the sight of Noah and others were
accepted. The brothers of the Blessed Beauty detached themselves
[Page 193]
from Him, and the Blessed Beauty never met them.
He said: “This is an eternal separation between you and Me.”
All this was not because the Blessed Beauty was despotic; but
because these persons, through their own actions and words
deprived themselves from the bounties and bestowals of the
Blessed Beauty. His Holiness Christ did not exercise
despotism in the case of Judas Iscariot and His own brothers,—
but they separated themselves.
In short, the point is this: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is extremely kind, but when the disease is leprosy, what am I to do? Just as in bodily diseases we must prevent intermingling and infection and put into effect sanitary laws, because the infectious physical diseases uproot the foundation of humanity, likewise one must protect and safeguard the blessed souls from the breaths and fatal spiritual diseases; otherwise violation, like the plague, will become a contagion and all will perish. In the early days, after the Ascension of the Blessed Beauty, the center of violation was alone, little by little the infection spread; and this was due to companionship and association.
This has been translated after the Ascension of the dear Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Three Seals have been aflixed to the original Text after Him. (Signed) Shoghi 23,1,22.
Translated by Mrs. Emogene Hoagg, Ali Mohammed Baku and Rouhi, after the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
This Tablet was published in The Star of the West, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 19-25. (March 21, 1922.)
The Covenant Unfolds in
the Kingdom of God
A Compilation
HIS HOLINESS ABRAHAM, on Him be peace, made a Covenant
concerning His Holiness Moses and gave the glad tidings of
His coming. His Holiness Moses made a Covenant concerning
the Promised One, i.e., His Holiness Christ, and announced
the good news of His Manifestation to the world. His Holiness
Christ made a Covenant concerning [the] Paraclete and
gave the tidings of His coming. His Holiness the Prophet
Muḥammad [the Paraclete] made a Covenant concerning His
Holiness the Báb, and the Báb was the One promised by
Muḥammad, for Muḥammad gave tidings of His coming. The
Báb made a Covenant concerning the Blessed Beauty,
Bahá’u’lláh, and gave the tidings of His coming, for the
Blessed Beauty was the One promised by His Holiness, the
Báb. Bahá’u’lláh made a Covenant concerning the Promised
One who will become manifest after one thousand, or thousands,
of years.
He likewise, with His Supreme Pen, entered into a great Covenant and Testament with all the Bahá’ís whereby they were all commanded to follow the Center of the Covenant after His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] departure, and turn not away even to a hair’s breadth from obeying Him.
In the Book of Aqdas, He [Bahá’u’lláh] has given positive
command in two clear instances and has explicitly appointed
the Interpreter of the Book. Also in all the Divine Tablets,
especially in the Chapter [Tablet] of the Branch, all the meanings
[Page 195]
of which signify the Servitude of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [i.e.,
designate ‘Abdu’l-Bahá], all that was needed to explain the
Center of the Covenant and the Interpreter of the Book has
been revealed from the Supreme Pen. Now, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
is the Interpreter of the Book, He says that the “Chapter of
the Branch” means ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, that is, the Servitude of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and none other.
In brief, one of the specific features of this cycle of His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh which has not been manifest during the former cycles is that His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh left no occasion for difference. For in His blessed Day He made a Covenant and Testament with the traces [movement] of the Supreme Pen and explained the One to whom all should turn; and He explicitly pointed to the Interpreter of the Book, and thus closed all doors to interpretations. We must all offer thanks to God for He gave us rest [peace] in this blessed cycle, and left no occasion for any one to hesitate [doubt]. All must therefore obey and be submissive and wholly turn themselves to the One appointed by Him [Bahá’u’lláh]. (—Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Charles Mason Remey, received 8/3/12.)
THE BAHÁ’Í UNITY
Inasmuch as great differences and divergencies of denominational
belief had arisen throughout the past, every man
with a new idea attributing it to God, His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh
desired that there should not be any ground or reason for
disagreement among the Bahá’ís. Therefore with His own
Pen He wrote the Book of His Covenant, addressing His relations
and all the people of the world, saying: “Verily, I have
appointed One Who is the Center of My Covenant. All must
obey Him; all must turn to Him; He is the expounder of My
Book and He is informed of My purpose. All must turn to
Him. Whatsoever He says is correct, for verily He knoweth
[Page 196]
the texts of My Book. Other than He, no one doth know
My Book.” The purpose of this statement is that there should
never be discord and disagreement among the Bahá’ís but that
they should always be unified and agreed. . . . Therefore
whosoever obeys the Center of the Covenant appointed by
Bahá’u’lláh has obeyed Bahá’u’lláh, and whosoever disobeys
Him has disobeyed Bahá’u’lláh. Beware! Beware! lest any
one should speak from the authority of his own thoughts or
create a new thing out of himself. . . . His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh
shuns such souls. (—‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of
Universal Peace, p. 317.)
APPOINTMENT OF CENTER OF COVENANT
It is incumbent upon the Aghṣán, the Afnán and My kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book [Kitáb-i-Aqdas]: “When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.” The object of this sacred verse is none except the Most Mighty Branch [‘Abdu’l-Bahá]. Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful. —Bahá’u’lláh, (in Kitáb-i-‘Ahd [Book of the Covenant].)
There hath branched from the Sadratu’l-Muntahá this sacred and glorious Being, this Branch of Holiness; well is it with him that hath sought His shelter and abideth beneath His shadow. Verily the Limb of the Law of God hath sprung forth from this Root which God hath firmly implanted in the Ground of His Will, and Whose Branch hath been so uplifted as to encompass the whole of creation. (—Bahá’u’lláh, in Súriy-i-Ghuṣn, [Tablet of the Branch].)
CHARTER FOR A NEW WORLD ORDER
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who incarnates an institution for which we can find no parallel whatsoever in any of the world’s recognized religious systems, may be said to have closed the Age to which He Himself belonged and opened the one in which we are now laboring. His Will and Testament should thus be regarded as the perpetual, the indissoluble link which the mind of Him Who is the Mystery of God has conceived in order to insure the continuity of the three ages that constitute the component parts of the Bahá’í Dispensation. . . .
The creative energies released by the Law of Bahá’u’lláh, permeating and evolving within the mind of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, have, by their very impact and close interaction, given birth to an Instrument which may be viewed as the Charter of the New World Order which is at once the glory and the promise of this most great Dispensation. The Will may thus be acclaimed as the inevitable offspring resulting from that mystic intercourse between Him Who communicated the generating influence of His divine Purpose and the One Who was its vehicle and chosen recipient. Being the Child of the Covenant —the Heir of both the Originator and the Interpreter of the Law of God—the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá can no more be divorced from Him Who supplied the original and motivating impulse than from the One Who ultimately conceived it. Bahá’u’lláh’s inscrutable purpose, we must ever bear in mind, has been so thoroughly infused into the conduct of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and their motives have been so closely wedded together, that the mere attempt to dissociate the teachings of the former from any system which the ideal Exemplar of those same teachings has established would amount to a repudiation of one of the most sacred and basic truths of the Faith.
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The Administrative Order, which ever since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
ascension has evolved and is taking shape under our very eyes
in no fewer than forty countries of the world, may be considered
as the framework of the Will itself, the inviolable
stronghold wherein this new-born child is being nurtured and
develops. This Administrative Order, as it expands and consolidates
itself, will no doubt manifest the potentialities and
reveal the full implications of this momentous Document—
this most remarkable expression of the Will of One of the
most remarkable Figures of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh.
It will, as its component parts, its organic institutions, begin
to function with efficiency and vigor, assert its claim and demonstrate
its capacity to be regarded not only as the nucleus but
the very pattern of the New World Order destined to embrace
in the fulness of time the whole of mankind. (—Shoghi
Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 143-144.)
ESTABLISHMENT OF GUARDIANSHIP
Salutation and praise, blessing and glory rest upon that primal branch of the Divine and Sacred Lote-Tree, grown out, blest, tender, verdant and flourishing from the Twin Holy Trees; the most wondrous, unique and priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the twin surging seas . . . upon them that have believed, rested assured, stood steadfast in His Covenant and followed the Light that after my passing shineth from the Dayspring of Divine Guidance—for behold! he is the blest and sacred bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees. Well is it with him that seeketh the shelter of his shade that shadoweth all mankind. . . .
O my loving friends! After the passing away of this
wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Aghṣán (Branches),
the Afnán (Twigs) of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands
(pillars) of the Cause of God and the loved ones of the Abhá
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Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi—the youthful branch
branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Tree and
the fruit grown from the union of the two offshoots of the
Tree of Holiness,—as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch,
the guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all the
Aghṣán, the Afnán, the Hands of the Cause of God and His
loved ones must turn. He is the expounder of the words of
God and after him will succeed the first-born of his lineal
descendants. . . .
O ye the faithful loved ones of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá! It is incumbent upon you to take the greatest care of Shoghi Effendi, the twig that hath branched from and the fruit given forth by the two hallowed and Divine Lote-Trees, that no dust of despondency and sorrow may stain his radiant nature, that day by day he may wax greater in happiness, in joy and spirituality, and may grow to become even as a fruitful tree.
For he is, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the guardian of the Cause of God, the Afnán, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto him. He that obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed God; he that turneth away from him, hath turned away from God and he that denieth him, hath denied the True One. Beware lest anyone falsely interpret these words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant after the Day of Ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh) advance a pretext, raise the standard of revolt, wax stubborn and open wide the door of false interpretation. To none is given the right to put forth his own opinion or express his particular convictions. All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error.
The Glory of Glories rest upon you!
(—‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament)
AND—UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice, to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against him and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God, whoso disputeth with him hath disputed with God; whoso denieth him hath denied God; whoso disbelieveth in him hath disbelieved in God; Whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him hath in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God. May the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon him! The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the guardian of the Cause of God. It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the Aghṣán, the Afnán, the Hands of the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him. He that opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will make a breach in the Cause of God, will subvert His word and will become a manifestation of the Center of Sedition. Beware, beware, lest the days after the ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh) be repeated when the Center of Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious and with Divine Unity for his excuse deprived himself and perturbed and poisoned others. —‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament)
THE BAHÁ’Í COVENANT
As regards the meaning of the Bahá’í Covenant: The Guardian considers the existence of two forms of Covenant both of which are explicitly mentioned in the literature of the Cause. First is the Covenant that every prophet makes with humanity, or more definitely, with His people that they accept and follow the coming Manifestation who will be the reappearance of His reality. The second form of Covenant is such as the one Bahá’u’lláh made with His people that they should accept the Master. This is merely to establish and strengthen the succession of Lights that appear after every Manifestation. Under the same category falls the Covenant the Master made with the Bahá’ís that they should accept His administration after Him. (—Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í News, 80:5, Jan., 1934.)
THE COVENANT FULFILLED
Let no one, while this system is still in its infancy, misconceive
its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent
its purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order
[as now functioning under the guidance of Shoghi Effendi]
is founded is God’s immutable Purpose for mankind in this
day. The Source from which it derives its inspiration is no
less than Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Its shield and defender are
the embattled hosts of the Abhá Kingdom. Its seed is the
blood of no less than twenty thousand martyrs who have offered
up their lives that it may be born and flourish. The
axis round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions
of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Its guiding
principles are the truths which He Who is the unerring
Interpreter of the teachings of our Faith has so clearly
enunciated in His public addresses throughout the West. The
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laws that govern its operation and limit its functions are those
which have been expressly ordained in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The
seat round which its spiritual, its humanitarian and administrative
activities will cluster are the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
and its Dependencies. The pillars that sustain its authority
and buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the Guardianship
and of the Universal House of Justice. The central,
the underlying aim which animates it is the establishment of
the New World Order as adumbrated by Bahá’u’lláh. The
methods it employs, the standard it inculcates, incline it to
neither East nor West, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither rich
nor poor, neither white nor colored. Its watchword is the
unification of the human race; its standard the “Most Great
Peace”; its consummation the advent of that golden millennium
—the Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have
become the Kingdom of God Himself, the Kingdom of
Bahá’u’lláh. (—Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá’u’lláh,
pp. 156-7.)
This Covenant is the Ancient Covenant, the Illuminator of the horizons. . . . It is the Testament and the Covenant and it is mentioned in all the early Books and in the later tablets. . . . It is the holy fragrance of His Holiness, the Creator, and the Breaths of Life of the Garden of the Creator. It is the strong fortress; therefore it is a sure shelter for all created beings, and in brief, it is the sum of all sacred writings, ancient and modern!
(—‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablet to a Ṭihrán believer, Star of the West, Vol. 8. No. 16. pp. 213-214.)
Rainbow of Promise
IN DAYS such as these when agony, bewilderment and remorse afflict
the human race, as if the vials of God were pouring out all the divine
wrath upon this tumultuous era, many a heart is struggling with the
inner problem of the meaning of our time. It is not enough to live
from moment to moment fearing the unknown, enduring stoically the
present, or thinking with regret of the past. What assurance is there
for the future? This is the cry that now is coming from countless
human souls. Whether it be a cry for refuge—or a call for understanding
—may it not be the expression of a deepening desire for fulfillment
of man’s true needs?
There have been other, though lesser, periods of spiritual as well as physical oppression in the history of this planet, when the sunlight of guidance was obscured, and man, through providential punishment as a result of his breaking of all moral and spiritual laws, came to know how far he had separated himself from God. The children of Adam could not inherit the Garden of Eden. Through misuse of the God-given gift of free-will, the children of Abraham sank into unillumined drudgery for a Pharoah in a foreign land. The Christ walked the way of Galilee and the cross to renew life for the backsliding loved ones of Moses; and Muḥammad sounded a trumpet blast of warning and of promise—to quicken and restore a world lost in immortality, disunity and corruption.
Each time a new Prophet appeared to reveal God’s love and knowledge to a stricken people, He renewed therewith God’s Covenant with humanity—the divine Promise that God would send a succeeding Messenger to renew His law in fuller glory—a Messenger whose divine authority must be accepted and obeyed for men to find more abundant life, both in earth and heaven. For, the laws of God as revealed by His Prophets are designed for man’s individual evolution and his social progress. Each time a Prophet came in the storm that closed a decadent age, He fulfilled the Covenant of His Predecessors and likewise set in the heavens of spiritual knowledge the renewed rainbow of Promise.
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Not until this culminating age, when the whole world is engulfed
in the flood, and when from all its parts is arising the cry for assurance
and for refuge, was time mature for the complete fulfillment
of the Covenant. Mankind hitherto was not ready to obey the laws
of a Kingdom of God upon earth. Through many preparatory Dispensations
peoples were learning to be submissive to the Will of God
—acquiring faith in His enduring law and His bountiful, blessed love.
Through many preparatory cycles they ascended toward the station of
birth into spiritual consciousness, unfolding, the while, through the
guidance of the Prophets, the capacity of the human soul to know
and love God and to live in the free and joyous way He has planned.
The Covenant as renewed and adorned by Bahá’u’lláh, in this Day of Days, is the Covenant in all its radiance. For mankind, after the purifying and tempering fires of the present ordeal, will have both the desire awakened and the capacity unveiled to be faithful to the full Orb of Promise. Obedience to the new Revelation, a Revelation foreshadowed by the Covenants of all preceding Prophets, demands of mankind therefore, not only remembrance of the promise to accept the authority of a future Prophet of God, but also acceptance of the laws of the fulfilled Kingdom of God in this Dispensation. No longer must the human race await the fulfillment of the ancient Promise. That fulfillment is at hand. Obedience to the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh in its renewed call for reflection of divine attributes in individual lives, and in its unprecedented and moving summons for loyalty to divinely ordained world institutions, is now, in this period of turmoil, re-creating human hearts and establishing the foundations of a New World Order of unity, peace and justice throughout the earth. This is the Light that is streaming this Day from the Covenant of God. Here is the sign “of the removal of the wrath of God from all the people and the sign of prosperity, tranquillity, universal peace, the oneness of humanity, and unity of the world of man.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá).
In the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh we hear the call of the King: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World.”—A. S. C.
Buenos Aires
Philip G. Sprague
“THOUGH the obstacles confronting the followers of Bahá’u’lláh
in the American Continent . . . be in the main unsurmountable,
such impediments cannot as yet be said to exist that
can frustrate their efforts to fully discharge the second duty
now incumbent upon them in the inter-continental sphere of
Bahá’í teaching. The field in all its vastness and fertility, is
wide open and near at hand. The harvest is ripe. The hour is
overdue. The signal has been given. The spiritual forces, mysteriously
released, are already operating with increasing momentum,
unchallenged and unchecked. Victory, speedy and unquestioned,
is assured to whosoever will arise and respond to
this second, this urgent and vital call. In this field, as in no
other, the American believers can most easily evince the full
force of their latent energies, can exercise in their plenitude
their conspicuous talents, and can rise to the highest level of
their God-given opportunities.”
It was this clarion call of our Beloved Guardian that May Maxwell answered, and on Wednesday, January 24, 1940, a cold, gray, misty afternoon, I saw her off on the steamship Brazil. The night before her sailing we had dined together. She remarked about the frailness of her health and the rigors of travel, but she said that she felt that Shoghi Effendi’s wish was so urgent for teaching work in South America that she must arise to service and respond to his call.
Then on March 3, 1940, the American community received
a shock which shook it to its very depths. May Maxwell had
passed away in Buenos Aires. A cable had come from our Beloved
Guardian telling us that “her earthly life, so rich, eventful,
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incomparably blessed, was worthily ended, and that to the
sacred tie her signal services had forged, the priceless honor of a
martyr’s crown was now added—a double crown deservedly
won.” To those of us who had been privileged to know her intimately,
this was a cruel blow to the Cause she loved and
served so well for so long a period of time—an irreparable
loss.
My first recollection of May Maxwell was in the house of my mother. She was telling a group of friends about her coming into the Cause in Paris. I was a little boy then but still vividly remember how she spoke of the Master—her burning love for Him, her faculty of bringing His Presence to you in such a way that you wanted to die for Him—for His Cause. It was this faculty—the faculty of the love of God—that was the most dominant quality of her nature. And when that Blessed One passed away and His Will and Testament was read, her obedience to the Guardian, her understanding of him, her recognition of him as the Sign of God amongst us and her realization that there was no surer approach to the Covenant of God than through Him, were the motivating force in her life.
Upon hearing of her death I immediately wrote to the Guardian, expressing my sympathy in our great loss and begging that I might follow her footsteps in South America—that I might pick up the torch where she had dropped it. On April 20, 1940, I received a letter from the Guardian welcoming my offer to go to South America and suggesting that I concentrate on Buenos Aires, which city blessed by the remains of our beloved May Maxwell, should prove the most spiritually fertile soil for the Message. Then he said that under separate cover he was sending me some flowers gathered from the Sacred Threshold which he wished me to place on his behalf on Mrs. Maxwell’s grave.
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So on September 21, I sailed for Buenos Aires on the
steamship Argentina. Many of the friends saw me off, and as
that big boat pulled out of the pier, fear entered my heart and
a prayer was on my lips—a prayer that I should not fail him.
The trip down was uneventful. After four or five days out we stopped at Barbados for a few hours. During this time I had had the opportunity of speaking of the Faith to only two or three people. When we arrived at Rio, much to my surprise, I saw Jeanne Bolles on the pier. She was staying in Rio for an indefinite period and I heard through her that Leonora Holsapple was to arrive that very afternoon having come all the way from Bahia to meet me. What joy fills one’s heart when one sees believers in a far country. The Words of the Master come to mind—“These are your real family.”
The day and a half that we stayed in Rio were spent in visiting those whom Mrs. Maxwell had met on her way to Buenos Aires, in interviewing the press and in holding a small meeting and luncheon in the Gloria Hotel.
Our next stop was Santos. Jeanne had given me the address of friends there, and when I telephoned, they invited me to their house which was some distance outside of the city. They were a charming couple—she a native Brazilian and he an Englishman. Some friends of theirs stopped in and the conversation veered to religion. I had the opportunity of telling them of the Faith and they asked questions until about one-thirty that night.
The next stop was Montevideo where we arrived in the
morning. My friend, Boise Nourse, met me here and took me
to his house. We lunched at the Jockey Club which is the most
important club there and I had the opportunity of meeting the
head of the largest Uruguayan newspaper and the heads of all
the important companies representing North American industries.
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I was invited back after I got settled in Buenos Aires
to speak at one of their luncheons on any subject I chose. In
Montevideo I met Wilfred Barton, a North American pioneering
in Uruguay, and Simon Rosenschweig, the first Uruguayan
believer.
On Monday, October 8, I arrived in Buenos Aires. It was a cold rainy day and the boat docked at seven in the morning. In spite of the inclemency of the weather all of the Local Spiritual Assembly were at the pier. It was wonderful to see their shining faces.
The chairman of the Assembly, Mr. Tormo, and Mr. Barros, secretary, did everything possible to clear my baggage.
Buenos Aires is a wonderful place, a strong, beautiful, modern city and an interesting combination of South and North America. The people are warm, hospitable and open-minded, the climate is delightful.
Friday night at the invitation of the Spiritual Assembly, I spoke at the home of Senora Bordigoni. The house was packed and the people eager to know of the Cause. Sunday I went to the house of Senor Tormo in Ezeiza. Here in ideal surroundings many of the friends gather on Sundays and speak of the Cause. The first Sunday I went out, there were fifty to dinner and they asked questions from nine in the morning until nine that night. I never have known a group of people who are so eager to learn of the Faith and its Teachings.
The morning after I arrived I felt the first thing I should do was to go to Quilmes. Fortunately I got a cab driver who spoke French, and we had no trouble finding the cemetery. Spring was just budding, and the country was fresh and lovely. On the way out, there was a misty rain with occasional showers. I went alone—I wanted to make that pilgrimage alone.
Quilmes is like a small gem. It is the most beautiful cemetery
I have ever seen. It stands alone on a plain surrounded by
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a wall. The wall is a gray and red brick which has been washed
by the elements, a lovely gray and terra cotta color. In the
cemetery many trees are in bloom, some tropical, some orange
and lemon trees, some gardenias. There is a tall gate at the
entrance with a bell which rings as the gate is opened, and, as
you enter, on the left there stands a small cottage where the
keeper of the cemetery lives. Here are sweet peasant people
with kind and luminous faces. I had difficulty finding the grave,
and finally the keeper let me look at his books and I found
the number.
That memorable Visit was fraught with mixed feelings of joy and sadness. I said the Tablet of Visitation and the Tablet of Aḥmad at Mrs. Maxwell’s grave. I prayed for all of us that we might achieve, just as she had achieved, for she was our first martyr to give her life on South American soil. As I prayed alone I could not help but hear the birds which sang in the trees, and much ran through my mind. I thought of what the Báb had said at the grave of Mullá Ḥusayn—that the very earth which enveloped him had a healing power, and I realized that she, too, had attained that station. The words of the Master to her came to my mind—these are His own:
- Blessed thou art, for thou hast severed thyself from aught else save God;
- Blessed thou art, for thou hast been kindled by the fire of the love of God;
- Blessed thou art, for thou hast been drawn by the perfumed breezes of God;
- Blessed thou art, for the service thou hast rendered the Word of God;
- Blessed thou art, for the supplications thou has offered God;
- Blessed thou art, for the exertion thou hast exercised in propagating the Cause of God.
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In a small box which the Guardian had sent me there was a
large Persian handkerchief. In this handkerchief was a letter
and a note. The note read—“For Mrs. Maxwell’s grave from
Shoghi”; the envelope read—“For Mother’s grave from her
Mary.” I put the Guardian’s flowers on the grave first—they
were still fragrant. In the little envelope was a small design of
flowers, rose petals, jasmine and many others. I laid this in the
center on top of the grave. All this was a strange experience,
one I had hoped I should never have. Perhaps our only help in
losing those we love is His Promise that “In the unity of the
hearts there am I,” and that this separation is only temporary.
On the following night I met with the Spiritual Assembly and offered my services to them. They suggested that I immediately form a class, beginning with the most elementary teachings, and carrying on up to our present day Administrative Order. This made me very happy because it gave me an opportunity not only to teach new friends, but also to review the whole Faith with the declared believers.
I never shall forget with what enthusiasm they sought to know His Cause. The first meeting I had was in my apartment at the Continental Hotel, and nineteen were present. In about three weeks, due to the size of the crowds which came, I had to take an apartment. The attendance of these meetings, twice a week, ranged between fifty and eighty-five.
At one of the meetings a very fine man, whose name was Court Foos, came up to me and said, “I want you to meet my son, and may I bring my family to the next meeting?” He brought fifteen people. His son was a young man about twenty-two years of age. He used to come to my apartment daily after work and ask about the Teachings. He would have a long list of questions written in Spanish which I endeavored to answer with the aid of a dictionary.
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Then there was Mary Poghaharian, a Syrian by birth,
whose family had settled in Buenos Aires about two years ago.
Her brother, Arsene, was like a figure out of The Dawn-Breakers,
and she that rare combination of the East and the
West. She and Carlos Foos were the first young people to accept
the Cause. What a memorable night it was when they
testified to their faith before that newly-born Spiritual Assembly.
There was a rarified atmosphere in that room, and
everyone was deeply conscious of the great step that these two
young people were taking—the step of acknowledging their
Faith in the Lord of the Universe. Many wept.
Shortly after this Carlos Foos asked me what we do in America about young people. He said that he would like to start a Youth Group, and he and Mary and the two young Kevorkians, who are wonderful believers, started a group on Tuesday and Friday afternoons at five o’clock. Hardly a week passed when there were not between twenty-five and thirty young people coming to these meetings, eager to know of the Faith.
By this time I had covered about three months of intensive teaching, two nights a week with the large class. One night I said to them, “The time has come now when I want to segregate those of you who wish to become members of the Buenos Aires Bahá’í Community and tell you something of the deeper aspects of this great Faith. How many wish to take this course?” Of that group of eighty-five people, approximately forty raised their hands, and so on two other nights each week we started classes for those who wished to become members of the Bahá’í Community.
All this work was made possible only through the self-sacrificing
efforts of the Buenos Aires friends, of Senor Tormo
and his wife, of Mr. Barros, and of Lillian McRae who translated.
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Such devotion to the Faith I have never seen before.
Sixteen of that group declared their Faith before I left Buenos Aires, and what a difficult parting this was. It seemed as though my very heart was being torn, and that I could not leave them. About thirty-five came down to the pier to see me off, bringing flowers and gifts. The Assembly gave me a beautiful hand-carved replica of the Temple with a scroll which was signed by all of the believers. As I sailed away and left that small band waving on the shore in the distance, the words of the Guardian came to my mind:—
“And now . . . there befell the American Bahá’í Community, through the dramatic and sudden death of May Maxwell, yet another loss, which viewed in retrospect will come to be regarded as a potent blessing conferred upon the campaign now being so diligently conducted by its members. Laden with the fruits garnered through well-nigh half a century of toilsome service to the Cause she so greatly loved, heedless of the warnings of age and ill health and afire with the longing to worthily demonstrate her gratitude in her overwhelming awareness of the bounties of her Lord and Master, she set her face towards the southern outpost of the Faith in the New World, and laid down her life in such a spirit of consecration and self-sacrifice as has truly merited the crown of martyrdom. To Keith Ransom Kehler, whose dust sleeps in far-off Iṣfáhán; to Martha Root, fallen in her tracks on an island in the midmost heart of the ocean; and to May Maxwell, lying in solitary glory in the southern outpost of the Western hemisphere—to these three heroines of the Formative Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, they who now labor so assiduously for its expansion and establishment, owe a debt of gratitude which future generations will not fail to adequately recognize.”
BAHA’I LESSONS
The Covenant
I. Meaning and purpose of the Bahá’í Covenant.
- 1. Forms of, Bahá’í News 80:5 (Jan. 1934.)
- (see p. 201 of this magazine.)
- 2. Center of Covenant, B-NEra 158-160, PUP 379-380, 317.
- 3. Established by Bahá’u’lláh, WOB 134-6; Star of West 8:14 pp. 183 ff. BP 108-113.
- 4. Covenant of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with Bahá’ís: (WOB 144-151, B-NE 160.)
- to accept Guardianship, Will # 2, 10, 11, 29.
- to accept Hands, # 13-16.
- to accept Universal House of Justice, # 19, 22-23.
- to accept National Houses of Justice, # 19.
- 5. Shield (of purity and unity) of the Cause, Will and Testament, # (par.) 1 (page 9 of Excerpts); PUP 317, 375, 451; ASM 23-24; B-NE 160-1.
- 6. Unique and distinguishing characteristic, B-NE 158; S of W 8:17 p. 227; PUP 380; WOB 136, 145-6.
- 7. Other references for reading:
- Channel for truth, BP 108-110.
- Sum of sacred writings, S of W 8:16 pp. 213-14.
- And: S of W 8:14 pp. 186-7, 188-9; 8:17 pp. 223, 227. S of W 12:14 pp. 227-8; 11:14 p. 239; 14:8 p. 232; 3:15 p. 7.
II. Firmness in the Covenant.
- 1. Meaning of firmness (steadfastness).
- Star of West, 8:17 p. 227-8; 8:14 p. 189; 11:14 p. 239.
- PUP 379-380.
- 2. Blessings of firmness.
- Star of West, 6:12 pp. 94, 96; 6:14 p. 112; 8:14 p. 187; 8:16 pp. 215-217, 219, 220; 10:12 pp. 233, 235.
- TAB I 36, 161; II 60, 343, 362; III 672.
- 3. Essential to protection and success of Cause.
- S of W, 8:17 p. 223; TAB II 343; Will # 11, 22.
- 4. Command to be steadfast (in obedience to authority).
- Gl 330-3, 289, 290, 339, 253; PUP 380; TAB II 372-3, 442, 268; I 36, 162.
- 5. How to attain firmness, TAB II pp. 372-3; Will # 6.
- 6. Requirement of apostles of Bahá’u’lláh, ASM 22-23.
- 7. Obligations of the steadfast souls.
- To guard the Cause, TAB I 36; II 372-3; III 613; PUP 452; Will # 3, 25; S of W 8:17 p. 223; 12:14 p. 231.
- To obey the Guardian and House of Justice, Will # 10-11, 22-23, 29.
- To teach the Cause, Will # 7-8, 16, 27; TAB II 372; Gl. 278.
- To attain divine attributes, Will # 4, 6, 17-18; TAB II 373-4; S of W 8:17 p. 228; S of W 6:14 p. 112.
- To serve and obey just sovereigns, Will # 4, 20.
- To take greatest care of Shoghi Effendi, Will # 28.
- To shun Covenant-breakers, Will # 24; PUP 376-7.
III. Victory of the Covenant.
- 1. Dangers of Covenant-breaking.
- a. Nature of Covenant-breaking, B-NE 160-1; Will # 1, 5-6, 11, 22, 29; S of W 4 pp. 173-4; 8:14 p. 189; 8:16 p. 219; 10:5 p. 96; 10:12 pp. 235-6; 10:12 p. 265; 11:14 pp. 240-1; 12:13 pp. 230-1.
- b. Effects of on soul, TAB II 351; III 708 (Judas); S of W 8: 16 pp. 215, 219-220; 6:12 pp. 94, 96; WOB 135.
- c. Effects on Cause, S of W 12:14 pp. 229-33, 235; 10:2 p. 19; TAB II 378, 439; S of W 10:12 pp. 233-4; 10:14 p. 265; WOB 15-16; Will # 24-25.
- 2. Power of the Covenant.
- All forces serve, S of W 11:14 p. 242.
- Naught can annul, TAB III 597-8.
- Glad-tidings of confirmation, TAB I 160-2; II 442-3; WOB 17, 86.
- Like unto arteries, S of W 10:12 pp. 233, 235.
- 3. Coming triumph, WOB 146; Will # 7, 16, 19; PD 128; S of W 12:14 p. 235; 8:16 pp. 213-219, 220, 221; TAB II 273; III 604; S of W 4 p. 170; 6:14 p. 107; 10:95, 96, 153, 263-70.
WITH OUR READERS
THIS issue of World Order
speaks for itself. At the request
of the National Spiritual Assembly
it is devoted to such original
sources, documents and commentaries
as will enable all to
understand the Covenant.
The excerpts from the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá cannot be read and pondered too often by Bahá’ís. We cannot obey unless we know. The Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, reprinted here from The Star of the West, vol. 13, and written by Him at a time when the Cause was suffering gravely from the hypocrisy and poison of Covenant-Breakers, will leave no doubt as to the importance of understanding the Covenant and obedience to it.
In October World Order the subject of the Covenant will be continued with the publication of material, including quotations and references, arranged by Albert Windust, one of the older and most experienced believers in this country who has made a great study of the Covenant. This material will run through several issues and is being prepared by Mr. Windust at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly. Mr. Windust knew ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, received training in firmness in the Covenant in the Master’s Presence, has visited Haifa, and is a thorough student of the Bible and the Bahá’í Sacred Writings. Among the numerous talks which he has given on the subject of the Covenant, is the long-to-be-remembered one at the 1942 Bahá’í Convention.
For many years Mr. Windust was an editor of the Bahá’í magazine, then known as The Star of the West. He is a member of the Chicago Bahá’í Community and very active on the Chicago Spiritual Assembly.
“The Covenant Unfolds in the Kingdom of God” is a compilation of some of the best Bahá’í material pertinent to the main theme of this issue. It is arranged to show simply and clearly the continuity of divine authority in the development of a spiritual humanity and a mature civilization upon earth.
Bahá’í Lessons provides references
for deeper study of The
Bahá’í Covenant in the weeks to
come. Introductory material on
[Page 216]
the general theme of God’s Everlasting
Covenant may be found
in Bahá’í Lessons of the April,
1942, issue of World Order.
“Buenos Aires”, by Philip Sprague, breathes of the fragrant, tender love that the writer felt for May Maxwell, the great teacher of the Cause who laid down her life in its closing years doing pioneer work in the promising field of South America. In his writing, Mr. Sprague also gives to us a vivid picture of the power of the Cause of God as it quickens and confirms our Latin-American friends for participation in the Kingdom to come on earth. His experience is one to inspire non-Bahá’í as well as Bahá’í reader. Now a young business man in New York City, Mr. Sprague has lived in the atmosphere of the Bahá’í teachings since childhood, and is serving as both teacher and administrator in the Cause.
* * *
A recent letter from one of our West Virginia pioneers, from which we can take only brief bits, tells of a long auto trip to attend a teaching conference and a Nineteen Day Feast. In reading it we are reminded that our pioneer is often, indeed usually, unable to share in the precious bounty of Bahá’í fellowship, a bounty so constant to some of us. Gratefully conscious of this bounty our correspondent writes: “Soon we were many and it was lovely to see the Bahá’ís going to and from each group of souls to exchange greetings.” With the reading of passages from The Promised Day Is Come “a spiritual power became noticeable, filling the room and it became so evident that while one could not define it yet it was felt by all.” “Leaving the grounds,” he continues, “I stopped to say a word to a pleasant looking couple who had come as guests of Mrs. Y, a Bahá’í. Mr. and Mrs. I., to whom I spoke, looked as though they might be Bahá’ís, but when I asked them they said ‘no, we came as guests of Mrs. Y.’ But as I was leaving one suddenly asked, ‘What is the relation of the Bahá’í Faith to the Faith of Christ?’ With but a moment left came an answer to this sincere question, ‘The same as the flower to the bud. This Faith is the flowering of the Christian teachings in a great World Order of Faith.’”
—THE EDITORS.
BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, selected and translated
by Shoghi Effendi. The Bahá’í teachings on the nature of religion,
the soul, the basis of civilization and the oneness of mankind. Bound
in fabrikoid. 360 pages. $2.00.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, translated by Shoghi Effendi. Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh toward the end of His earthly mission, this text is a majestic and deeply-moving exposition of His fundamental principles and laws and of the sufferings endured by the Manifestation for the sake of mankind. Bound in cloth. 186 pages. $1.50.
The Kitáb-i-Íqán, translated by Shoghi Effendi. This work (The Book of Certitude) unifies and coordinates the revealed Religions of the past, demonstrating their oneness in fulfillment of the purposes of Revelation. Bound in cloth. 198 pages. $2.50.
Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, selected and translated by Shoghi Effendi. The supreme expression of devotion to God; a spiritual flame which enkindles the heart and illumines the mind. 348 pages. Bound in fabrikoid. $2.00.
Some Answered Questions. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s explanation of questions concerning the relation of man to God, the nature of the Manifestation, human capacities, fulfillment of prophecy, etc. Bound in cloth. 350 pages. $1.50.
The Promulgation of Universal Peace. In this collection of His American talks, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laid the basis for a firm understanding of the attitudes, principles and spiritual laws which enter into the establishment of true Peace. 492 pages. Bound in cloth. $2.50.
Bahá’í Prayers, a selection of Prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, each Prayer translated by Shoghi Effendi. 72 pages. Bound in fabrikoid, $0.75. Paper cover, $0.35.
The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, by Shoghi Effendi. On the nature of the new social pattern revealed by Bahá’u’lláh for the attainment of divine justice in civilization. Bound in fabrikoid. 234 pages. $1.50.
BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING COMMITTEE
110 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILLINOIS
Words of Bahá’u’lláh
Inscribed Over the Nine Entrances of the House
of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois
- THE EARTH IS BUT ONE COUNTRY; AND MANKIND ITS CITIZENS.
- THE BEST BELOVED OF ALL THINGS IN MY SIGHT IS JUSTICE; TURN NOT AWAY THEREFROM IF THOU DESIREST ME.
- MY LOVE IS MY STRONGHOLD; HE THAT ENTERETH THEREIN IS SAFE AND SECURE.
- BREATHE NOT THE SINS OF OTHERS SO LONG AS THOU ART THYSELF A SINNER.
- THY HEART IS MY HOME; SANCTIFY IT FOR MY DESCENT.
- I HAVE MADE DEATH A MESSENGER OF JOY TO THEE; WHEREFORE DOST THOU GRIEVE?
- MAKE MENTION OF ME ON MY EARTH THAT IN MY HEAVEN I MAY REMEMBER THEE.
- O RICH ONES ON EARTH! THE POOR IN YOUR MIDST ARE MY TRUST; GUARD YE MY TRUST.
- THE SOURCE OF ALL LEARNING IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, EXALTED BE H1S GLORY.