To the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada.
Dearly-beloved co-workers:
I have been acquainted by the perusal of your latest communications with the nature of the doubts that have been publicly expressed, by one who is wholly misinformed as to the true precepts of the Cause, regarding the validity of institutions that stand inextricably interwoven with the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Not that I for a moment view such faint misgivings in the light of an open challenge to the structure that embodies the Faith, nor is it because I question in the least the unyielding tenacity of the faith of the American believers, if I venture to dwell upon what seems to me appropriate observations at the present stage of the evolution of our beloved Cause. I am indeed inclined to welcome these expressed apprehensions inasmuch as they afford me an opportunity to familiarize the elected representatives of the believers with the origin and the character of the institutions which stand at the very basis of the World Order ushered in by Bahá’u’lláh. We should feel truly thankful for such futile attempts to undermine our beloved Faith— attempts that protrude their ugly face from time to time, seem for a while able to create a breach in the ranks of the faithful, recede finally into the obscurity of oblivion, and are thought of no more. Such incidents we should regard as the interpositions of Providence, designed to fortify our faith, to clarify our vision, and to deepen our understanding of the essentials of His Divine Revelation.
It would, however, be helpful and instructive to bear in mind certain basic principles with reference to the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which, together with the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, constitutes the chief depository wherein are enshrined those priceless elements of that Divine Civilization, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá’í Faith. A study of the provisions of these sacred documents will reveal the close relationship that exists between them, as well as the identity of purpose and method which they inculcate. Far from regarding their specific provisions as incompatible and contradictory in spirit, every fair-minded inquirer will readily admit that they are not only complementary, but that they mutually confirm one another, and are inseparable parts of one complete unit. A comparison of their contents with the rest of Bahá’í sacred Writings will similarly establish the conformity of whatever they contain with the spirit as well as the letter of the authenticated writings and sayings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In fact, he who reads the Aqdas with care and diligence will not find it hard to discover that the Most Holy Book itself anticipates in a number of passages the institutions which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ordains in His Will. By leaving certain matters unspecified and unregulated in His Book of Laws, Bahá’u’lláh seems to have deliberately left a gap in the general scheme of Bahá’í Dispensation, which the unequivocal provisions of the Master’s Will have filled. To attempt to divorce the one from the other, to insinuate that the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh have not been upheld, in their entirety and with absolute integrity, by what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has revealed in His Will, is an unpardonable affront to the unswerving fidelity that has characterized the life and labors of our beloved Master.
I will not attempt in the least to assert or demonstrate the authenticity of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for that in itself would betray an apprehension on my part as to the unanimous confidence of the believers in the genuineness of the last written wishes of our departed Master. I will only confine my observations to those issues which may assist them to appreciate the essential unity that underlies the spiritual, the humanitarian, and the administrative principles enunciated by the Author and the Interpreter of the Bahá’í Faith.
I am at a loss to explain that strange mentality that inclines to uphold as the sole criterion of the truth of the Bahá’í Teachings what is admittedly only an obscure and unauthenticated translation of an oral statement made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in defiance and total disregard of the available text of all of His universally recognized writings. I truly deplore the unfortunate distortions that have resulted in days past from the incapacity of the interpreter to grasp the meaning of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and from his incompetence to render adequately such truths as have been revealed to him by the Master’s statements. Much of the confusion that has obscured the understanding of the believers should be attributed to this double error involved in the inexact rendering of an only partially understood statement. Not infrequently has the interpreter even failed to convey the exact purport of the inquirer’s specific questions, and, by his deficiency of understanding and expression in conveying the answer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, has been responsible for reports wholly at variance with the true spirit and purpose of the Cause. It was chiefly in view of the misleading nature of the reports of the informal conversations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with visiting pilgrims, that I have insistently urged the believers of the West to regard such statements as merely personal impressions of the sayings of their Master, and to quote and consider as authentic only such translations as are based upon the authenticated text of His recorded utterances in the original tongue.
It should be remembered by every follower of the Cause that the system of Bahá’í administration is not an innovation imposed arbitrarily upon the Bahá’ís of the world since the Master’s passing, but derives its authority from the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is specifically prescribed in unnumbered Tablets, and rests in some of its essential features upon the explicit provisions of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It thus unifies and correlates the principles separately laid down by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and is indissolubly bound with the essential verities of the Faith. To dissociate the administrative principles of the Cause from the purely spiritual and humanitarian teachings would be tantamount to a mutilation of the body of the Cause, a separation that can only result in the disintegration of its component parts, and the extinction of the Faith itself.
It should be carefully borne in mind that the local as well as the international Houses of Justice have been expressly enjoined by the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; that the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly, as an intermediary body, and referred to in the Master’s Will as the “Secondary House of Justice,” has the express sanction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; and that the method to be pursued for the election of the International and National Houses of Justice has been set forth by Him in His Will, as well as in a number of His Tablets. Moreover, the institutions of the local and national Funds, that are now the necessary adjuncts to all local and national spiritual assemblies, have not only been established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets He revealed to the Bahá’ís of the Orient, but their importance and necessity have been repeatedly emphasized by Him in His utterances and writings. The concentration of authority in the hands of the elected representatives of the believers; the necessity of the submission of every adherent of the Faith to the considered judgment of Bahá’í Assemblies; His preference for unanimity in decision; the decisive character of the majority vote; and even the desirability for the exercise of close supervision over all Bahá’í publications, have been sedulously instilled by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as evidenced by His authenticated and widely-scattered Tablets. To accept His broad and humanitarian Teachings on one hand, and to reject and dismiss with neglectful indifference His more challenging and distinguishing precepts, would be an act of manifest disloyalty to that which He has cherished most in His life.
That the Spiritual Assemblies of today will be replaced in time by the Houses of Justice, and are to all intents and purposes identical and not separate bodies, is abundantly confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself. He has in fact in a Tablet addressed to the members of the first Chicago Spiritual Assembly, the first elected Bahá’í body instituted in the United States, referred to them as the members of the “House of Justice” for that city, and has thus with His own pen established beyond any doubt the identity of the present Bahá’í Spiritual Assemblies with the Houses of Justice referred to by Bahá’u’lláh. For reasons which are not difficult to discover, it has been found advisable to bestow upon the elected representatives of Bahá’í communities throughout the world the temporary appellation of Spiritual Assemblies, a term which, as the position and aims of the Bahá’í Faith are better understood and more fully recognized, will gradually be superseded by the permanent and more appropriate designation of House of Justice. Not only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in future, but they will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power. And as the Bahá’í Faith permeates the masses of the peoples of East and West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the Universal House of Justice attain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Bahá’í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world’s future super-state.
It must be pointed out, however, in this connection that, contrary to what has been confidently asserted, the establishment of the Supreme House of Justice is in no way dependent upon the adoption of the Bahá’í Faith by the mass of the peoples of the world, nor does it presuppose its acceptance by the majority of the inhabitants of any one country. In fact, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Himself, in one of His earliest Tablets, contemplated the possibility of the formation of the Universal House of Justice in His own lifetime, and but for the unfavorable circumstances prevailing under the Turkish régime, would have, in all probability, taken the preliminary steps for its establishment. It will be evident, therefore, that given favorable circumstances, under which the Bahá’ís of Persia and of the adjoining countries under Soviet rule, may be enabled to elect their national representatives, in accordance with the guiding principles laid down in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s writings, the only remaining obstacle in the way of the definite formation of the International House of Justice will have been removed. For upon the National Houses of Justice of the East and the West devolves the task, in conformity with the explicit provisions of the Will, of electing directly the members of the International House of Justice. Not until they are themselves fully representative of the rank and file of the believers in their respective countries, not until they have acquired the weight and the experience that will enable them to function vigorously in the organic life of the Cause, can they approach their sacred task, and provide the spiritual basis for the constitution of so august a body in the Bahá’í world.
It must be also clearly understood by every believer that the institution of Guardianship does not under any circumstances abrogate, or even in the slightest degree detract from, the powers granted to the Universal House of Justice by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and repeatedly and solemnly confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will. It does not constitute in any manner a contradiction to the Will and Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, nor does it nullify any of His revealed instructions. It enhances the prestige of that exalted assembly, stabilizes its supreme position, safeguards its unity, assures the continuity of its labors, without presuming in the slightest to infringe upon the inviolability of its clearly-defined sphere of jurisdiction. We stand indeed too close to so monumental a document to claim for ourselves a complete understanding of all its implications, or to presume to have grasped the manifold mysteries it undoubtedly contains. Only future generations can comprehend the value and the significance attached to this Divine Masterpiece, which the hand of the Master-builder of the world has designed for the unification and the triumph of the world-wide Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Only those who come after us will be in a position to realize the value of the surprisingly strong emphasis that has been placed on the institution of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship. They only will appreciate the significance of the vigorous language employed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with reference to the band of Covenant-breakers that has opposed Him in His days. To them alone will be revealed the suitability of the institutions initiated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the character of the future society which is to emerge out of the chaos and confusion of the present age. In this connection, I cannot but feel amused at the preposterous and fantastic idea that Muḥammad-‘Alí, the prime mover and the focal center of unyielding hostility to the person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, should have freely associated himself with the members of the family of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the forging of a will which in the words of the writer herself, is but a “recital of the plottings” in which for thirty years Muḥammad-‘Alí has been busily engaged. To such a hopeless victim of confused ideas, I feel I can best reply by a genuine expression of compassion and pity, mingled with my hopes for her deliverance from so profound a delusion. It was in view of the aforesaid observations, that I have, after the unfortunate and unavoidable delay occasioned by my ill health and absence from the Holy Land during the Master’s passing, hesitated to resort to the indiscriminate circulation of the Will, realizing full well that it was primarily directed to the recognized believers, and only indirectly concerned the larger body of the friends and sympathizers of the Cause.
And now, it behooves us to reflect on the animating purpose and the primary functions of these divinely-established institutions, the sacred character and the universal efficacy of which can be demonstrated only by the spirit they diffuse and the work they actually achieve. I need not dwell upon what I have already reiterated and emphasized that the administration of the Cause is to be conceived as an instrument and not a substitute for the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, that it should be regarded as a channel through which His promised blessings may flow, that it should guard against such rigidity as would clog and fetter the liberating forces released by His Revelation. I need not enlarge at the present moment upon what I have stated in the past, that contributions to the local and national Funds are of a purely voluntary character; that no coercion or solicitation of funds is to be tolerated in the Cause; that general appeals addressed to the communities as a body should be the only form in which the financial requirements of the Faith are to be met; that the financial support accorded to a very few workers in the teaching and administrative fields is of a temporary nature; that the present restrictions imposed on the publication of Bahá’í literature will be definitely abolished; that the World Unity activity is being carried out as an experiment to test the efficacy of the indirect method of teaching; that the whole machinery of assemblies, of committees and conventions is to be regarded as a means, and not an end in itself; that they will rise or fall according to their capacity to further the interests, to coördinate the activities, to apply the principles, to embody the ideals and execute the purpose of the Bahá’í Faith. Who, I may ask, when viewing the international character of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications, the increasing complexity of its affairs, the diversity of its adherents, and the state of confusion that assails on every side the infant Faith of God, can for a moment question the necessity of some sort of administrative machinery that will insure, amid the storm and stress of a struggling civilization, the unity of the Faith, the preservation of its identity, and the protection of its interests? To repudiate the validity of the assemblies of the elected ministers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh would be to reject those countless Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wherein They have extolled the station of the “trustees of the Merciful,” enumerated their privileges and duties, emphasized the glory of their mission, revealed the immensity of their task, and warned them of the attacks they must needs expect from the unwisdom of their friends as well as from the malice of their enemies. It is surely for those to whose hands so priceless a heritage has been committed to prayerfully watch lest the tool should supersede the Faith itself, lest undue concern for the minute details arising from the administration of the Cause obscure the vision of its promoters, lest partiality, ambition, and worldliness tend in the course of time to becloud the radiance, stain the purity, and impair the effectiveness of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
I have already referred in my previous communications of January 10, 1926, and February 12, 1927, to the perplexing yet highly significant situation that has arisen in Egypt as a result of the final judgment of the Muslim ecclesiastical court in that country pronounced against our Egyptian brethren, denouncing them as heretics, expelling them from their midst, and refusing them the application and benefits of the Muslim Law. I have also acquainted you with the difficulties with which they are faced, and the plans which they have conceived, in order to obtain from the Egyptian civil authorities a recognition of the independent status of their Faith. It must be explained, however, that in the Muslim countries of the Near and Middle East, with the exception of Turkey which has lately abolished all ecclesiastical courts under its rule, every recognized religious community has, in matters of personal status such as marriage, divorce and inheritance, its own ecclesiastical court, totally independent of the civil and criminal tribunals, there being in such instances no civil code promulgated by the government and embracing all the different religious communities. Hitherto regarded as a sect of Islám, the Bahá’ís of Egypt, who for the most part are of Muslim origin, and unable therefore to refer for purposes of marriage and divorce to the recognized religious tribunals of any other denomination, find themselves in consequence in a delicate and anomalous position. They have naturally resolved to refer their case to the Egyptian Government, and have prepared for this purpose a petition to be addressed to the head of the Egyptian Cabinet. In this document they have set forth the motives compelling them to seek recognition from their rulers, have asserted their readiness and their qualifications to exercise the functions of an independent Bahá’í court, have assured them of their implicit obedience and loyalty to the State, and of their abstinence from interference in the politics of their country. They have also decided to accompany the text of their petition with a copy of the judgment of the Court, with selections from Bahá’í writings, and with the document that sets forth the principles of their national constitution which, with few exceptions, is identical with the Declaration and By-laws promulgated by your Assembly.
I have insisted that the provisions of their constitution should, in all its details, conform to the text of the Declaration of Trust and By-laws which you have established, endeavoring thereby to preserve the uniformity which I feel is essential in all Bahá’í National Constitutions. I would like, therefore, in this connection to request of you what I have already intimated to them, that whatever amendments you may decide to introduce in the text of the Declaration and By-laws should be duly communicated to me, that I may take the necessary steps for the introduction of similar changes in the text of all other National Bahá’í Constitutions.
It will be readily admitted that in view of the peculiar privileges granted to recognized religious Communities in the Islámic countries of the Near and Middle East, the request which is to be submitted by the Bahá’í Egyptian National Assembly to the Government of Egypt is more substantial and far-reaching than what has already been granted by the Federal Authorities to your Assembly. For their petition is chiefly concerned with a formal request for recognition by the highest civil authorities in Egypt of the Egyptian National Spiritual Assembly as a recognized and independent Bahá’í court, free and able to execute and apply in all matters of personal status such laws and ordinances as have been promulgated by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
I have asked them to approach informally the authorities concerned, and to make the fullest possible inquiry as a preliminary measure to the formal presentation of their historic petition. Any assistance which your Assembly, after careful deliberation, may find it advisable to offer to the valiant promoters of the Faith in that land will be deeply appreciated, and will serve to confirm the solidarity that characterizes the Bahá’í Communities of East and West. Whatever the outcome of this mighty issue— and none can fail to appreciate the incalculable possibilities of the present situation— we can rest assured that the guiding Hand that has released these forces will, in His inscrutable wisdom and by His omnipotent power, continue to shape and direct their course for the glory, the ultimate emancipation, and the unqualified recognition of His Faith.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
Haifa, Palestine.
February 27, 1929.
To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the West.
Dearly-beloved co-workers:
Amid the reports that have of late reached the Holy Land, most of which witness to the triumphant march of the Cause, a few seem to betray a certain apprehension regarding the validity of the institutions which stand inseparably associated with the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. These expressed misgivings appear to be actuated by certain whisperings which have emanated from quarters which are either wholly misinformed regarding the fundamentals of the Bahá’í Revelation, or which deliberately contrive to sow the seeds of dissension in the hearts of the faithful.
Viewed in the light of past experience, the inevitable result of such futile attempts, however persistent and malicious they may be, is to contribute to a wider and deeper recognition by believers and unbelievers alike of the distinguishing features of the Faith proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh. These challenging criticisms, whether or not dictated by malice, cannot but serve to galvanize the souls of its ardent supporters, and to consolidate the ranks of its faithful promoters. They will purge the Faith from those pernicious elements whose continued association with the believers tends to discredit the fair name of the Cause, and to tarnish the purity of its spirit. We should welcome, therefore, not only the open attacks which its avowed enemies persistently launch against it, but should also view as a blessing in disguise every storm of mischief with which they who apostatize their faith or claim to be its faithful exponents assail it from time to time. Instead of undermining the Faith, such assaults, both from within and from without, reinforce its foundations, and excite the intensity of its flame. Designed to becloud its radiance, they proclaim to all the world the exalted character of its precepts, the completeness of its unity, the uniqueness of its position, and the pervasiveness of its influence.
I do not feel for one moment that such clamor, mostly attributable to impotent rage against the resistless march of the Cause of God, can ever distress the valiant warriors of the Faith. For these heroic souls, whether they be contending in America’s impregnable stronghold, or struggling in the heart of Europe, and across the seas as far as the continent of Australasia, have already abundantly demonstrated the tenacity of their Faith and the abiding value of their conviction.
I feel it, however, incumbent upon me by virtue of the responsibility attached to the Guardianship of the Faith, to dwell more fully upon the essential character and the distinguishing features of that world order as conceived and proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh. I feel impelled, at the present stage of the evolution of the Bahá’í Revelation, to state candidly and without any reservation, whatever I regard may tend to insure the preservation of the integrity of the nascent institutions of the Faith. I strongly feel the urge to elucidate certain facts, which would at once reveal to every fair-minded observer the unique character of that Divine Civilization the foundations of which the unerring hand of Bahá’u’lláh has laid, and the essential elements of which the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has disclosed. I consider it my duty to warn every beginner in the Faith that the promised glories of the Sovereignty which the Bahá’í teachings foreshadow, can be revealed only in the fullness of time, that the implications of the Aqdas and the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as the twin repositories of the constituent elements of that Sovereignty, are too far-reaching for this generation to grasp and fully appreciate. I cannot refrain from appealing to them who stand identified with the Faith to disregard the prevailing notions and the fleeting fashions of the day, and to realize as never before that the exploded theories and the tottering institutions of present-day civilization must needs appear in sharp contrast with those God-given institutions which are destined to arise upon their ruin. I pray that they may realize with all their heart and soul the ineffable glory of their calling, the overwhelming responsibility of their mission, and the astounding immensity of their task.
For let every earnest upholder of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh realize that the storms which this struggling Faith of God must needs encounter, as the process of the disintegration of society advances, shall be fiercer than any which it has already experienced. Let him be aware that so soon as the full measure of the stupendous claim of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh comes to be recognized by those time-honored and powerful strongholds of orthodoxy, whose deliberate aim is to maintain their stranglehold over the thoughts and consciences of men, this infant Faith will have to contend with enemies more powerful and more insidious than the cruellest torture-mongers and the most fanatical clerics who have afflicted it in the past. What foes may not in the course of the convulsions that shall seize a dying civilization be brought into existence, who will reinforce the indignities which have already been heaped upon it!
We have only to refer to the warnings uttered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in order to realize the extent and character of the forces that are destined to contest with God’s holy Faith. In the darkest moments of His life, under ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd’s régime, when He stood ready to be deported to the most inhospitable regions of Northern Africa, and at a time when the auspicious light of the Bahá’í Revelation had only begun to break upon the West, He, in His parting message to the cousin of the Báb, uttered these prophetic and ominous words: “How
great,
how
very
great
is
the
Cause!
How
very
fierce
the
onslaught
of
all
the
peoples
and
kindreds
of
the
earth.
Ere
long
shall
the
clamor
of
the
multitude
throughout
Africa,
throughout
America,
the
cry
of
the
European
and
of
the
Turk,
the
groaning
of
India
and
China,
be
heard
from
far
and
near.
One
and
all,
they
shall
arise
with
all
their
power
to
resist
His
Cause.
Then
shall
the
knights
of
the
Lord,
assisted
by
His
grace
from
on
high,
strengthened
by
faith,
aided
by
the
power
of
understanding,
and
reinforced
by
the
legions
of
the
Covenant,
arise
and
make
manifest
the
truth
of
the
verse:
‘Behold
the
confusion
that
hath
befallen
the
tribes
of
the
defeated!’”
Stupendous as is the struggle which His words foreshadow, they also testify to the complete victory which the upholders of the Greatest Name are destined eventually to achieve. Peoples, nations, adherents of divers faiths, will jointly and successively arise to shatter its unity, to sap its force, and to degrade its holy name. They will assail not only the spirit which it inculcates, but the administration which is the channel, the instrument, the embodiment of that spirit. For as the authority with which Bahá’u’lláh has invested the future Bahá’í Commonwealth becomes more and more apparent, the fiercer shall be the challenge which from every quarter will be thrown at the verities it enshrines.
It behooves us, dear friends, to endeavor not only to familiarize ourselves with the essential features of this supreme Handiwork of Bahá’u’lláh, but also to grasp the fundamental difference existing between this world-embracing, divinely-appointed Order and the chief ecclesiastical organizations of the world, whether they pertain to the Church of Christ, or to the ordinances of the Muḥammadan Dispensation.
For those whose priceless privilege is to guard over, administer the affairs, and advance the interests of these Bahá’í institutions will have, sooner or later, to face this searching question: “Where and how does this Order established by Bahá’u’lláh, which to outward seeming is but a replica of the institutions established in Christianity and Islám, differ from them? Are not the twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship, the institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, the institution of the national and local Assemblies, the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, but different names for the institutions of the Papacy and the Caliphate, with all their attending ecclesiastical orders which the Christians and Moslems uphold and advocate? What can possibly be the agency that can safeguard these Bahá’í institutions, so strikingly resemblant, in some of their features, to those which have been reared by the Fathers of the Church and the Apostles of Muḥammad, from witnessing the deterioration in character, the breach of unity, and the extinction of influence, which have befallen all organized religious hierarchies? Why should they not eventually suffer the self-same fate that has overtaken the institutions which the successors of Christ and Muḥammad have reared?”
Upon the answer given to these challenging questions will, in a great measure, depend the success of the efforts which believers in every land are now exerting for the establishment of God’s kingdom upon the earth. Few will fail to recognize that the Spirit breathed by Bahá’u’lláh upon the world, and which is manifesting itself with varying degrees of intensity through the efforts consciously displayed by His avowed supporters and indirectly through certain humanitarian organizations, can never permeate and exercise an abiding influence upon mankind unless and until it incarnates itself in a visible Order, which would bear His name, wholly identify itself with His principles, and function in conformity with His laws. That Bahá’u’lláh in His Book of Aqdas, and later ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will— a document which confirms, supplements, and correlates the provisions of the Aqdas— have set forth in their entirety those essential elements for the constitution of the world Bahá’í Commonwealth, no one who has read them will deny. According to these divinely-ordained administrative principles, the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh— the Ark of human salvation— must needs be modeled. From them, all future blessings must flow, and upon them its inviolable authority must ultimately rest.
For Bahá’u’lláh, we should readily recognize, has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after Him, has, unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and justice upon the earth. Not only have they revealed all the directions required for the practical realization of those ideals which the Prophets of God have visualized, and which from time immemorial have inflamed the imagination of seers and poets in every age. They have also, in unequivocal and emphatic language, appointed those twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship as their chosen Successors, destined to apply the principles, promulgate the laws, protect the institutions, adapt loyally and intelligently the Faith to the requirements of progressive society, and consummate the incorruptible inheritance which the Founders of the Faith have bequeathed to the world.
Should we look back upon the past, were we to search out the Gospel and the Qur’án, we will readily recognize that neither the Christian nor the Islámic Dispensations can offer a parallel either to the system of Divine Economy so thoroughly established by Bahá’u’lláh, or to the safeguards which He has provided for its preservation and advancement. Therein, I am profoundly convinced, lies the answer to those questions to which I have already referred.
None, I feel, will question the fact that the fundamental reason why the unity of the Church of Christ was irretrievably shattered, and its influence was in the course of time undermined, was that the Edifice which the Fathers of the Church reared after the passing of His First Apostle was an Edifice that rested in nowise upon the explicit directions of Christ Himself. The authority and features of their administration were wholly inferred, and indirectly derived, with more or less justification, from certain vague and fragmentary references which they found scattered amongst His utterances as recorded in the Gospel. Not one of the sacraments of the Church; not one of the rites and ceremonies which the Christian Fathers have elaborately devised and ostentatiously observed; not one of the elements of the severe discipline they rigorously imposed upon the primitive Christians; none of these reposed on the direct authority of Christ, or emanated from His specific utterances. Not one of these did Christ conceive, none did He specifically invest with sufficient authority to either interpret His Word, or to add to what He had not specifically enjoined.
For this reason, in later generations, voices were raised in protest against the self-appointed Authority which arrogated to itself privileges and powers which did not emanate from the clear text of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and which constituted a grave departure from the spirit which that Gospel did inculcate. They argued with force and justification that the canons promulgated by the Councils of the Church were not divinely-appointed laws, but were merely human devices which did not even rest upon the actual utterances of Jesus. Their contention centered around the fact that the vague and inconclusive words, addressed by Christ to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,” could never justify the extreme measures, the elaborate ceremonials, the fettering creeds and dogmas, with which His successors have gradually burdened and obscured His Faith. Had it been possible for the Church Fathers, whose unwarranted authority was thus fiercely assailed from every side, to refute the denunciations heaped upon them by quoting specific utterances of Christ regarding the future administration of His Church, or the nature of the authority of His Successors, they would surely have been capable of quenching the flame of controversy, and preserving the unity of Christendom. The Gospel, however, the only repository of the utterances of Christ, afforded no such shelter to these harassed leaders of the Church, who found themselves helpless in the face of the pitiless onslaught of their enemy, and who eventually had to submit to the forces of schism which invaded their ranks.
In the Muḥammadan Revelation, however, although His Faith as compared with that of Christ was, so far as the administration of His Dispensation is concerned, more complete and more specific in its provisions, yet in the matter of succession, it gave no written, no binding and conclusive instructions to those whose mission was to propagate His Cause. For the text of the Qur’án, the ordinances of which regarding prayer, fasting, marriage, divorce, inheritance, pilgrimage, and the like, have after the revolution of thirteen hundred years remained intact and operative, gives no definite guidance regarding the Law of Succession, the source of all the dissensions, the controversies, and schisms which have dismembered and discredited Islám.
Not so with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. Unlike the Dispensation of Christ, unlike the Dispensation of Muḥammad, unlike all the Dispensations of the past, the apostles of Bahá’u’lláh in every land, wherever they labor and toil, have before them in clear, in unequivocal and emphatic language, all the laws, the regulations, the principles, the institutions, the guidance, they require for the prosecution and consummation of their task. Both in the administrative provisions of the Bahá’í Dispensation, and in the matter of succession, as embodied in the twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship, the followers of Bahá’u’lláh can summon to their aid such irrefutable evidences of Divine Guidance that none can resist, that none can belittle or ignore. Therein lies the distinguishing feature of the Bahá’í Revelation. Therein lies the strength of the unity of the Faith, of the validity of a Revelation that claims not to destroy or belittle previous Revelations, but to connect, unify, and fulfill them. This is the reason why Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have both revealed and even insisted upon certain details in connection with the Divine Economy which they have bequeathed to us, their followers. This is why such an emphasis has been placed in their Will and Testament upon the powers and prerogatives of the ministers of their Faith.
For nothing short of the explicit directions of their Book, and the surprisingly emphatic language with which they have clothed the provisions of their Will, could possibly safeguard the Faith for which they have both so gloriously labored all their lives. Nothing short of this could protect it from the heresies and calumnies with which denominations, peoples, and governments have endeavored, and will, with increasing vigor, endeavor to assail it in future.
We should also bear in mind that the distinguishing character of the Bahá’í Revelation does not solely consist in the completeness and unquestionable validity of the Dispensation which the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have established. Its excellence lies also in the fact that those elements which in past Dispensations have, without the least authority from their Founders, been a source of corruption and of incalculable harm to the Faith of God, have been strictly excluded by the clear text of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings. Those unwarranted practices, in connection with the sacrament of baptism, of communion, of confession of sins, of asceticism, of priestly domination, of elaborate ceremonials, of holy war and of polygamy, have one and all been rigidly suppressed by the Pen of Bahá’u’lláh; whilst the rigidity and rigor of certain observances, such as fasting, which are necessary to the devotional life of the individual, have been considerably abated.
It should also be borne in mind that the machinery of the Cause has been so fashioned, that whatever is deemed necessary to incorporate into it in order to keep it in the forefront of all progressive movements, can, according to the provisions made by Bahá’u’lláh, be safely embodied therein. To this testify the words of Bahá’u’lláh, as recorded in the Eighth Leaf of the exalted Paradise: “It
is
incumbent
upon
the
Trustees
of
the
House
of
Justice
to
take
counsel
together
regarding
those
things
which
have
not
outwardly
been
revealed
in
the
Book,
and
to
enforce
that
which
is
agreeable
to
them.
God
will
verily
inspire
them
with
whatsoever
He
willeth,
and
He,
verily,
is
the
Provider,
the
Omniscient
.” Not only has the House of Justice been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with the authority to legislate whatsoever has not been explicitly and outwardly recorded in His holy Writ, upon it has also been conferred by the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the right and power to abrogate, according to the changes and requirements of the time, whatever has been already enacted and enforced by a preceding House of Justice. In this connection, He revealed the following in His Will: “And
inasmuch
as
the
House
of
Justice
hath
power
to
enact
laws
that
are
not
expressly
recorded
in
the
Book
and
bear
upon
daily
transactions,
so
also
it
hath
power
to
repeal
the
same.
Thus
for
example,
the
House
of
Justice
enacteth
today
a
certain
law
and
enforceth
it,
and
a
hundred
years
hence,
circumstances
having
profoundly
changed
and
the
conditions
having
altered,
another
House
of
Justice
will
then
have
power,
according
to
the
exigencies
of
the
time,
to
alter
that
law.
This
it
can
do
because
that
law
formeth
no
part
of
the
divine
explicit
text.
The
House
of
Justice
is
both
the
initiator
and
the
abrogator
of
its
own
laws.
” Such is the immutability of His revealed Word. Such is the elasticity which characterizes the functions of His appointed ministers. The first preserves the identity of His Faith, and guards the integrity of His law. The second enables it, even as a living organism, to expand and adapt itself to the needs and requirements of an ever-changing society.
Dear friends! Feeble though our Faith may now appear in the eyes of men, who either denounce it as an offshoot of Islám, or contemptuously ignore it as one more of those obscure sects that abound in the West, this priceless gem of Divine Revelation, now still in its embryonic state, shall evolve within the shell of His law, and shall forge ahead, undivided and unimpaired, till it embraces the whole of mankind. Only those who have already recognized the supreme station of Bahá’u’lláh, only those whose hearts have been touched by His love, and have become familiar with the potency of His spirit, can adequately appreciate the value of this Divine Economy— His inestimable gift to mankind.
Leaders of religion, exponents of political theories, governors of human institutions, who at present are witnessing with perplexity and dismay the bankruptcy of their ideas, and the disintegration of their handiwork, would do well to turn their gaze to the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, and to meditate upon the World Order which, lying enshrined in His teachings, is slowly and imperceptibly rising amid the welter and chaos of present-day civilization. They need have no doubt or anxiety regarding the nature, the origin or validity of the institutions which the adherents of the Faith are building up throughout the world. For these lie embedded in the teachings themselves, unadulterated and unobscured by unwarrantable inferences, or unauthorized interpretations of His Word.
How pressing and sacred the responsibility that now weighs upon those who are already acquainted with these teachings! How glorious the task of those who are called upon to vindicate their truth, and demonstrate their practicability to an unbelieving world! Nothing short of an immovable conviction in their divine origin, and their uniqueness in the annals of religion; nothing short of an unwavering purpose to execute and apply them to the administrative machinery of the Cause, can be sufficient to establish their reality, and insure their success. How vast is the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh! How great the magnitude of His blessings showered upon humanity in this day! And yet, how poor, how inadequate our conception of their significance and glory! This generation stands too close to so colossal a Revelation to appreciate, in their full measure, the infinite possibilities of His Faith, the unprecedented character of His Cause, and the mysterious dispensations of His Providence.
In the Íqán, Bahá’u’lláh, wishing to emphasize the transcendent character of this new Day of God, reinforces the strength of His argument by His reference to the text of a correct and authorized tradition, which reveals the following: “Knowledge
is
twenty
and
seven
letters.
All
that
the
Prophets
have
revealed
are
two
letters
thereof.
No
man
thus
far
hath
known
more
than
these
two
letters.
But
when
the
Qá’im
shall
arise,
He
will
cause
the
remaining
twenty
and
five
letters
to
be
made
manifest.
” And then immediately follow these confirming and illuminating words of Bahá’u’lláh: “Consider:
He
hath
declared
knowledge
to
consist
of
twenty
and
seven
letters,
and
regarded
all
the
prophets,
from
Adam
even
unto
Muḥammad,
the
‘seal,’
as
expounders
of
only
two
letters
thereof.
He
also
saith
that
the
Qá’im
will
reveal
all
the
remaining
twenty
and
five
letters.
Behold
from
this
utterance
how
great
and
lofty
is
His
station!
His
rank
excelleth
that
of
all
the
prophets,
and
His
revelation
transcendeth
the
comprehension
and
understanding
of
all
their
chosen
ones.
A
revelation,
of
which
the
prophets
of
God,
His
saints
and
chosen
ones
have
either
not
been
informed
or
which,
in
pursuance
of
God’s
inscrutable
decree,
they
have
not
disclosed—
such
a
revelation,
these
vile
and
villainous
people
have
sought
to
measure
with
their
own
deficient
minds,
their
own
deficient
learning
and
understanding.”
In another passage of the same Book, Bahá’u’lláh, referring to the transformation effected by every Revelation in the ways, thoughts and manners of the people, reveals these words: “Is
not
the
object
of
every
Revelation
to
effect
a
transformation
in
the
whole
character
of
mankind,
a
transformation
that
shall
manifest
itself,
both
outwardly
and
inwardly,
that
shall
affect
both
its
inner
life
and
external
conditions?
For
if
the
character
of
mankind
be
not
changed,
the
futility
of
God’s
universal
Manifestations
would
be
apparent.”
Did not Christ Himself, addressing His disciples, utter these words: “I
have
yet
many
things
to
say
unto
you,
but
ye
cannot
bear
them
now.
Howbeit
when
He,
the
Spirit
of
Truth,
is
come,
He
will
guide
you
into
all
truth”?
From the text of this recognized tradition, as well as from the words of Christ, as attested by the Gospel, every unprejudiced observer will readily apprehend the magnitude of the Faith which Bahá’u’lláh has revealed, and recognize the staggering weight of the claim He has advanced. No wonder if ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has portrayed in such lurid colors the fierceness of the agitation that shall center in the days to come round the nascent institutions of the Faith. We can now but faintly discern the beginnings of that turmoil which the rise and ascendancy of the Cause of God is destined to cast in the world.
Whether in the ferocious and insidious campaign of repression and cruelty which the rulers of Russia have launched against the upholders of the Faith under their rule; whether in the unyielding animosity with which the Shiites of Islám are trampling upon the sacred rights of the adherents of the Cause in connection with Bahá’u’lláh’s house in Baghdád; whether in the impotent rage which has impelled the ecclesiastical leaders of the Sunnite sect of Islám to expel our Egyptian brethren from their midst— in all of these we can perceive the manifestations of the relentless hate which peoples, religions, and governments entertain for so pure, so innocent, so glorious a Faith.
Ours is the duty to ponder these things in our heart, to strive to widen our vision, and to deepen our comprehension of this Cause, and to arise, resolutely and unreservedly, to play our part, however small, in this greatest drama of the world’s spiritual history.
Your brother and co-worker,
Shoghi.
Haifa, Palestine.
March 21, 1930.
Fellow-believers in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh:
The inexorable march of recent events has carried humanity so near to the goal foreshadowed by Bahá’u’lláh that no responsible follower of His Faith, viewing on all sides the distressing evidences of the world’s travail, can remain unmoved at the thought of its approaching deliverance.
It would not seem inappropriate, at a time when we are commemorating the world over the termination of the first decade since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sudden removal from our midst, to ponder, in the light of the teachings bequeathed by Him to the world, such events as have tended to hasten the gradual emergence of the World Order anticipated by Bahá’u’lláh.
Ten years ago, this very day, there flashed upon the world the news of the passing of Him Who alone, through the ennobling influence of His love, strength and wisdom, could have proved its stay and solace in the many afflictions it was destined to suffer.
How well we, the little band of His avowed supporters who lay claim to have recognized the Light that shone within Him, can still remember His repeated allusions, in the evening of His earthly life, to the tribulation and turmoil with which an unregenerate humanity was to be increasingly afflicted. How poignantly some of us can recall His pregnant remarks, in the presence of the pilgrims and visitors who thronged His doors on the morrow of the jubilant celebrations that greeted the termination of the World War— a war, which by the horrors it evoked, the losses it entailed and the complications it engendered, was destined to exert so far-reaching an influence on the fortunes of mankind. How serenely, yet how powerfully, He stressed the cruel deception which a Pact, hailed by peoples and nations as the embodiment of triumphant justice and the unfailing instrument of an abiding peace, held in store for an unrepented humanity. Peace, Peace, how often we heard Him remark, the lips of potentates and peoples unceasingly proclaim, whereas the fire of unquenched hatreds still smoulders in their hearts. How often we heard Him raise His voice, whilst the tumult of triumphant enthusiasm was still at its height and long before the faintest misgivings could have been felt or expressed, confidently declaring that the Document, extolled as the Charter of a liberated humanity, contained within itself seeds of such bitter deception as would further enslave the world. How abundant are now the evidences that attest the perspicacity of His unerring judgment!
Ten years of unceasing turmoil, so laden with anguish, so fraught with incalculable consequences to the future of civilization, have brought the world to the verge of a calamity too awful to contemplate. Sad indeed is the contrast between the manifestations of confident enthusiasm in which the Plenipotentiaries at Versailles so freely indulged and the cry of unconcealed distress which victors and vanquished alike are now raising in the hour of bitter delusion.
Neither the force which the framers and guarantors of the Peace Treaties have mustered, nor the lofty ideals which originally animated the author of the Covenant of the League of Nations, have proved a sufficient bulwark against the forces of internal disruption with which a structure so laboriously contrived had been consistently assailed. Neither the provisions of the so-called Settlement which the victorious Powers have sought to impose, nor the machinery of an institution which America’s illustrious and far-seeing President had conceived, have proved, either in conception or practice, adequate instruments to ensure the integrity of the Order they had striven to establish. “The
ills
from
which
the
world
now
suffers,”
wrote
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
in
January,
1920,
“will
multiply;
the
gloom
which
envelops
it
will
deepen.
The
Balkans
will
remain
discontented.
Its
restlessness
will
increase.
The
vanquished
Powers
will
continue
to
agitate.
They
will
resort
to
every
measure
that
may
rekindle
the
flame
of
war.
Movements,
newly-born
and
world-wide
in
their
range,
will
exert
their
utmost
effort
for
the
advancement
of
their
designs.
The
Movement
of
the
Left
will
acquire
great
importance.
Its
influence
will
spread.”
Economic distress, since those words were written, together with political confusion, financial upheavals, religious restlessness and racial animosities, seem to have conspired to add immeasurably to the burdens under which an impoverished, a war-weary world is groaning. Such has been the cumulative effect of these successive crises, following one another with such bewildering rapidity, that the very foundations of society are trembling. The world, to whichever continent we turn our gaze, to however remote a region our survey may extend, is everywhere assailed by forces it can neither explain nor control.
Europe, hitherto regarded as the cradle of a highly-vaunted civilization, as the torch-bearer of liberty and the mainspring of the forces of world industry and commerce, stands bewildered and paralyzed at the sight of so tremendous an upheaval. Long-cherished ideals in the political no less than in the economic sphere of human activity are being severely tested under the pressure of reactionary forces on one hand and of an insidious and persistent radicalism on the other. From the heart of Asia distant rumblings, ominous and insistent, portend the steady onslaught of a creed which, by its negation of God, His Laws and Principles, threatens to disrupt the foundations of human society. The clamor of a nascent nationalism, coupled with a recrudescence of skepticism and unbelief, come as added misfortunes to a continent hitherto regarded as the symbol of age-long stability and undisturbed resignation. From darkest Africa the first stirrings of a conscious and determined revolt against the aims and methods of political and economic imperialism can be increasingly discerned, adding their share to the growing vicissitudes of a troubled age. Not even America, which until very recently prided itself on its traditional policy of aloofness and the self-contained character of its economy, the invulnerability of its institutions and the evidences of its growing prosperity and prestige, has been able to resist the impelling forces that have swept her into the vortex of an economic hurricane that now threatens to impair the basis of her own industrial and economic life. Even far-away Australia, which, owing to its remoteness from the storm-centers of Europe, would have been expected to be immune from the trials and torments of an ailing continent, has been caught in this whirlpool of passion and strife, impotent to extricate herself from their ensnaring influence.
Never indeed have there been such widespread and basic upheavals, whether in the social, economic or political spheres of human activity as those now going on in different parts of the world. Never have there been so many and varied sources of danger as those that now threaten the structure of society. The following words of Bahá’u’lláh are indeed significant as we pause to reflect upon the present state of a strangely disordered world: “How
long
will
humanity
persist
in
its
waywardness?
How
long
will
injustice
continue?
How
long
is
chaos
and
confusion
to
reign
amongst
men?
How
long
will
discord
agitate
the
face
of
society?
The
winds
of
despair
are,
alas,
blowing
from
every
direction,
and
the
strife
that
divides
and
afflicts
the
human
race
is
daily
increasing.
The
signs
of
impending
convulsions
and
chaos
can
now
be
discerned,
inasmuch
as
the
prevailing
order
appears
to
be
lamentably
defective.”
The disquieting influence of over thirty million souls living under minority conditions throughout the continent of Europe; the vast and ever-swelling army of the unemployed with its crushing burden and demoralizing influence on governments and peoples; the wicked, unbridled race of armaments swallowing an ever-increasing share of the substance of already impoverished nations; the utter demoralization from which the international financial markets are now increasingly suffering; the onslaught of secularism invading what has hitherto been regarded as the impregnable strongholds of Christian and Muslim orthodoxy— these stand out as the gravest symptoms that bode ill for the future stability of the structure of modern civilization. Little wonder if one of Europe’s preëminent thinkers, honored for his wisdom and restraint, should have been forced to make so bold an assertion: “The world is passing through the gravest crisis in the history of civilization.” “We stand,” writes another, “before either a world catastrophe, or perhaps before the dawn of a greater era of truth and wisdom.” “It is in such times,” he adds, “that religions have perished and are born.”
Might we not already discern, as we scan the political horizon, the alignment of those forces that are dividing afresh the continent of Europe into camps of potential combatants, determined upon a contest that may mark, unlike the last war, the end of an epoch, a vast epoch, in the history of human evolution? Are we, the privileged custodians of a priceless Faith, called upon to witness a cataclysmical change, politically as fundamental and spiritually as beneficent as that which precipitated the fall of the Roman Empire in the West? Might it not happen— every vigilant adherent of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh might well pause to reflect— that out of this world eruption there may stream forces of such spiritual energy as shall recall, nay eclipse, the splendor of those signs and wonders that accompanied the establishment of the Faith of Jesus Christ? Might there not emerge out of the agony of a shaken world a religious revival of such scope and power as to even transcend the potency of those world-directing forces with which the Religions of the Past have, at fixed intervals and according to an inscrutable Wisdom, revived the fortunes of declining ages and peoples? Might not the bankruptcy of this present, this highly-vaunted materialistic civilization, in itself clear away the choking weeds that now hinder the unfoldment and future efflorescence of God’s struggling Faith?
Let Bahá’u’lláh Himself shed the illumination of His words upon our path as we steer our course amid the pitfalls and miseries of this troubled age. More than fifty years ago, in a world far removed from the ills and trials that now torment it, there flowed from His Pen these prophetic words: “The
world
is
in
travail
and
its
agitation
waxeth
day
by
day.
Its
face
is
turned
towards
waywardness
and
unbelief.
Such
shall
be
its
plight
that
to
disclose
it
now
would
not
be
meet
and
seemly.
Its
perversity
will
long
continue.
And
when
the
appointed
hour
is
come,
there
shall
suddenly
appear
that
which
shall
cause
the
limbs
of
mankind
to
quake.
Then
and
only
then
will
the
Divine
Standard
be
unfurled
and
the
Nightingale
of
Paradise
warble
its
melody.”
Dearly-beloved friends! Humanity, whether viewed in the light of man’s individual conduct or in the existing relationships between organized communities and nations, has, alas, strayed too far and suffered too great a decline to be redeemed through the unaided efforts of the best among its recognized rulers and statesmen— however disinterested their motives, however concerted their action, however unsparing in their zeal and devotion to its cause. No scheme which the calculations of the highest statesmanship may yet devise; no doctrine which the most distinguished exponents of economic theory may hope to advance; no principle which the most ardent of moralists may strive to inculcate, can provide, in the last resort, adequate foundations upon which the future of a distracted world can be built. No appeal for mutual tolerance which the worldly-wise might raise, however compelling and insistent, can calm its passions or help restore its vigor. Nor would any general scheme of mere organized international coöperation, in whatever sphere of human activity, however ingenious in conception, or extensive in scope, succeed in removing the root cause of the evil that has so rudely upset the equilibrium of present-day society. Not even, I venture to assert, would the very act of devising the machinery required for the political and economic unification of the world— a principle that has been increasingly advocated in recent times— provide in itself the antidote against the poison that is steadily undermining the vigor of organized peoples and nations. What else, might we not confidently affirm, but the unreserved acceptance of the Divine Program enunciated, with such simplicity and force as far back as sixty years ago, by Bahá’u’lláh, embodying in its essentials God’s divinely appointed scheme for the unification of mankind in this age, coupled with an indomitable conviction in the unfailing efficacy of each and all of its provisions, is eventually capable of withstanding the forces of internal disintegration which, if unchecked, must needs continue to eat into the vitals of a despairing society. It is towards this goal— the goal of a new World Order, Divine in origin, all-embracing in scope, equitable in principle, challenging in its features— that a harassed humanity must strive.
To claim to have grasped all the implications of Bahá’u’lláh’s prodigious scheme for world-wide human solidarity, or to have fathomed its import, would be presumptuous on the part of even the declared supporters of His Faith. To attempt to visualize it in all its possibilities, to estimate its future benefits, to picture its glory, would be premature at even so advanced a stage in the evolution of mankind.
All we can reasonably venture to attempt is to strive to obtain a glimpse of the first streaks of the promised Dawn that must, in the fullness of time, chase away the gloom that has encircled humanity. All we can do is to point out, in their broadest outlines, what appear to us to be the guiding principles underlying the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, as amplified and enunciated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of His Covenant with all mankind and the appointed Interpreter and Expounder of His Word.
That the unrest and suffering afflicting the mass of mankind are in no small measure the direct consequences of the World War and are attributable to the unwisdom and shortsightedness of the framers of the Peace Treaties only a biased mind can refuse to admit. That the financial obligations contracted in the course of the war, as well as the imposition of a staggering burden of reparations upon the vanquished, have, to a very great extent, been responsible for the maldistribution and consequent shortage of the world’s monetary gold supply, which in turn has, to a very great measure, accentuated the phenomenal fall in prices and thereby relentlessly increased the burdens of impoverished countries, no impartial mind would question. That inter-governmental debts have imposed a severe strain on the masses of the people in Europe, have upset the equilibrium of national budgets, have crippled national industries, and led to an increase in the number of the unemployed, is no less apparent to an unprejudiced observer. That the spirit of vindictiveness, of suspicion, of fear and rivalry, engendered by the war, and which the provisions of the Peace Treaties have served to perpetuate and foster, has led to an enormous increase of national competitive armaments, involving during the last year the aggregate expenditure of no less than a thousand million pounds, which in turn has accentuated the effects of the world-wide depression, is a truth that even the most superficial observer will readily admit. That a narrow and brutal nationalism, which the post-war theory of self-determination has served to reinforce, has been chiefly responsible for the policy of high and prohibitive tariffs, so injurious to the healthy flow of international trade and to the mechanism of international finance, is a fact which few would venture to dispute.
It would be idle, however, to contend that the war, with all the losses it involved, the passions it aroused and the grievances it left behind, has solely been responsible for the unprecedented confusion into which almost every section of the civilized world is plunged at present. Is it not a fact— and this is the central idea I desire to emphasize— that the fundamental cause of this world unrest is attributable, not so much to the consequences of what must sooner or later come to be regarded as a transitory dislocation in the affairs of a continually changing world, but rather to the failure of those into whose hands the immediate destinies of peoples and nations have been committed, to adjust their system of economic and political institutions to the imperative needs of a rapidly evolving age? Are not these intermittent crises that convulse present-day society due primarily to the lamentable inability of the world’s recognized leaders to read aright the signs of the times, to rid themselves once for all of their preconceived ideas and fettering creeds, and to reshape the machinery of their respective governments according to those standards that are implicit in Bahá’u’lláh’s supreme declaration of the Oneness of Mankind— the chief and distinguishing feature of the Faith He proclaimed? For the principle of the Oneness of Mankind, the cornerstone of Bahá’u’lláh’s world-embracing dominion, implies nothing more nor less than the enforcement of His scheme for the unification of the world— the scheme to which we have already referred. “In
every
Dispensation,”
writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “the
light
of
Divine
Guidance
has
been
focussed
upon
one
central
theme.…
In
this
wondrous
Revelation,
this
glorious
century,
the
foundation
of
the
Faith
of
God
and
the
distinguishing
feature
of
His
Law
is
the
consciousness
of
the
Oneness
of
Mankind.”
How pathetic indeed are the efforts of those leaders of human institutions who, in utter disregard of the spirit of the age, are striving to adjust national processes, suited to the ancient days of self-contained nations, to an age which must either achieve the unity of the world, as adumbrated by Bahá’u’lláh, or perish. At so critical an hour in the history of civilization it behooves the leaders of all the nations of the world, great and small, whether in the East or in the West, whether victors or vanquished, to give heed to the clarion call of Bahá’u’lláh and, thoroughly imbued with a sense of world solidarity, the sine quâ non of loyalty to His Cause, arise manfully to carry out in its entirety the one remedial scheme He, the Divine Physician, has prescribed for an ailing humanity. Let them discard, once for all, every preconceived idea, every national prejudice, and give heed to the sublime counsel of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the authorized Expounder of His teachings. You can best serve your country, was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s rejoinder to a high official in the service of the federal government of the United States of America, who had questioned Him as to the best manner in which he could promote the interests of his government and people, if you strive, in your capacity as a citizen of the world, to assist in the eventual application of the principle of federalism underlying the government of your own country to the relationships now existing between the peoples and nations of the world.
In “The Secret of Divine Civilization” (“The Mysterious Forces of Civilization”), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s outstanding contribution to the future reorganization of the world, we read the following:
“True
civilization
will
unfurl
its
banner
in
the
midmost
heart
of
the
world
whenever
a
certain
number
of
its
distinguished
and
high-minded
sovereigns—
the
shining
exemplars
of
devotion
and
determination—
shall,
for
the
good
and
happiness
of
all
mankind,
arise,
with
firm
resolve
and
clear
vision,
to
establish
the
Cause
of
Universal
Peace.
They
must
make
the
Cause
of
Peace
the
object
of
general
consultation,
and
seek
by
every
means
in
their
power
to
establish
a
Union
of
the
nations
of
the
world.
They
must
conclude
a
binding
treaty
and
establish
a
covenant,
the
provisions
of
which
shall
be
sound,
inviolable
and
definite.
They
must
proclaim
it
to
all
the
world
and
obtain
for
it
the
sanction
of
all
the
human
race.
This
supreme
and
noble
undertaking—
the
real
source
of
the
peace
and
well-being
of
all
the
world—
should
be
regarded
as
sacred
by
all
that
dwell
on
earth.
All
the
forces
of
humanity
must
be
mobilized
to
ensure
the
stability
and
permanence
of
this
Most
Great
Covenant.
In
this
all-embracing
Pact
the
limits
and
frontiers
of
each
and
every
nation
should
be
clearly
fixed,
the
principles
underlying
the
relations
of
governments
towards
one
another
definitely
laid
down,
and
all
international
agreements
and
obligations
ascertained.
In
like
manner,
the
size
of
the
armaments
of
every
government
should
be
strictly
limited,
for
if
the
preparations
for
war
and
the
military
forces
of
any
nation
should
be
allowed
to
increase,
they
will
arouse
the
suspicion
of
others.
The
fundamental
principle
underlying
this
solemn
Pact
should
be
so
fixed
that
if
any
government
later
violate
any
one
of
its
provisions,
all
the
governments
on
earth
should
arise
to
reduce
it
to
utter
submission,
nay
the
human
race
as
a
whole
should
resolve,
with
every
power
at
its
disposal,
to
destroy
that
government.
Should
this
greatest
of
all
remedies
be
applied
to
the
sick
body
of
the
world,
it
will
assuredly
recover
from
its
ills
and
will
remain
eternally
safe
and
secure.”
“A
few,”
He further adds, “unaware
of
the
power
latent
in
human
endeavor,
consider
this
matter
as
highly
impracticable,
nay
even
beyond
the
scope
of
man’s
utmost
efforts.
Such
is
not
the
case,
however.
On
the
contrary,
thanks
to
the
unfailing
grace
of
God,
the
loving-kindness
of
His
favored
ones,
the
unrivaled
endeavors
of
wise
and
capable
souls,
and
the
thoughts
and
ideas
of
the
peerless
leaders
of
this
age,
nothing
whatsoever
can
be
regarded
as
unattainable.
Endeavor,
ceaseless
endeavor,
is
required.
Nothing
short
of
an
indomitable
determination
can
possibly
achieve
it.
Many
a
cause
which
past
ages
have
regarded
as
purely
visionary,
yet
in
this
day
has
become
most
easy
and
practicable.
Why
should
this
most
great
and
lofty
Cause—
the
day-star
of
the
firmament
of
true
civilization
and
the
cause
of
the
glory,
the
advancement,
the
well-being
and
the
success
of
all
humanity—
be
regarded
as
impossible
of
achievement?
Surely
the
day
will
come
when
its
beauteous
light
shall
shed
illumination
upon
the
assemblage
of
man.”
In one of His Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, elucidating further His noble theme, reveals the following:
“I
n
cycles
gone
by,
though
harmony
was
established,
yet,
owing
to
the
absence
of
means,
the
unity
of
all
mankind
could
not
have
been
achieved.
Continents
remained
widely
divided,
nay
even
among
the
peoples
of
one
and
the
same
continent
association
and
interchange
of
thought
were
well
nigh
impossible.
Consequently
intercourse,
understanding
and
unity
amongst
all
the
peoples
and
kindreds
of
the
earth
were
unattainable.
In
this
day,
however,
means
of
communication
have
multiplied,
and
the
five
continents
of
the
earth
have
virtually
merged
into
one.…
In
like
manner
all
the
members
of
the
human
family,
whether
peoples
or
governments,
cities
or
villages,
have
become
increasingly
interdependent.
For
none
is
self-sufficiency
any
longer
possible,
inasmuch
as
political
ties
unite
all
peoples
and
nations,
and
the
bonds
of
trade
and
industry,
of
agriculture
and
education,
are
being
strengthened
every
day.
Hence
the
unity
of
all
mankind
can
in
this
day
be
achieved.
Verily
this
is
none
other
but
one
of
the
wonders
of
this
wondrous
age,
this
glorious
century.
Of
this
past
ages
have
been
deprived,
for
this
century—
the
century
of
light—
has
been
endowed
with
unique
and
unprecedented
glory,
power
and
illumination.
Hence
the
miraculous
unfolding
of
a
fresh
marvel
every
day.
Eventually
it
will
be
seen
how
bright
its
candles
will
burn
in
the
assemblage
of
man.
“Behold
how
its
light
is
now
dawning
upon
the
world’s
darkened
horizon.
The
first
candle
is
unity
in
the
political
realm,
the
early
glimmerings
of
which
can
now
be
discerned.
The
second
candle
is
unity
of
thought
in
world
undertakings,
the
consummation
of
which
will
ere
long
be
witnessed.
The
third
candle
is
unity
in
freedom
which
will
surely
come
to
pass.
The
fourth
candle
is
unity
in
religion
which
is
the
corner-stone
of
the
foundation
itself,
and
which,
by
the
power
of
God,
will
be
revealed
in
all
its
splendor.
The
fifth
candle
is
the
unity
of
nations—
a
unity
which
in
this
century
will
be
securely
established,
causing
all
the
peoples
of
the
world
to
regard
themselves
as
citizens
of
one
common
fatherland.
The
sixth
candle
is
unity
of
races,
making
of
all
that
dwell
on
earth
peoples
and
kindreds
of
one
race.
The
seventh
candle
is
unity
of
language,
i.e.,
the
choice
of
a
universal
tongue
in
which
all
peoples
will
be
instructed
and
converse.
Each
and
every
one
of
these
will
inevitably
come
to
pass,
inasmuch
as
the
power
of
the
Kingdom
of
God
will
aid
and
assist
in
their
realization.”
Over sixty years ago, in His Tablet to Queen Victoria, Bahá’u’lláh, addressing “the concourse of the rulers of the earth,” revealed the following:
“Take
ye
counsel
together,
and
let
your
concern
be
only
for
that
which
profiteth
mankind
and
bettereth
the
condition
thereof….
Regard
the
world
as
the
human
body
which,
though
created
whole
and
perfect,
has
been
afflicted,
through
divers
causes,
with
grave
ills
and
maladies.
Not
for
one
day
did
it
rest,
nay
its
sicknesses
waxed
more
severe,
as
it
fell
under
the
treatment
of
unskilled
physicians
who
have
spurred
on
the
steed
of
their
worldly
desires
and
have
erred
grievously.
And
if
at
one
time,
through
the
care
of
an
able
physician,
a
member
of
that
body
was
healed,
the
rest
remained
afflicted
as
before.
Thus
informeth
you
the
All-Knowing,
the
All-Wise.…
That
which
the
Lord
hath
ordained
as
the
sovereign
remedy
and
mightiest
instrument
for
the
healing
of
all
the
world
is
the
union
of
all
its
peoples
in
one
universal
Cause,
one
common
Faith.
This
can
in
no
wise
be
achieved
except
through
the
power
of
a
skilled,
an
all-powerful
and
inspired
Physician.
This
verily
is
the
truth,
and
all
else
naught
but
error.”
In a further passage Bahá’u’lláh adds these words: “We
see
you
adding
every
year
unto
your
expenditures
and
laying
the
burden
thereof
on
the
people
whom
ye
rule;
this
verily
is
naught
but
grievous
injustice.
Fear
the
sighs
and
tears
of
this
Wronged
One,
and
burden
not
your
peoples
beyond
that
which
they
can
endure.…
Be
reconciled
among
yourselves,
that
ye
may
need
armaments
no
more
save
in
a
measure
to
safeguard
your
territories
and
dominions.
Be
united,
O
concourse
of
the
sovereigns
of
the
world,
for
thereby
will
the
tempest
of
discord
be
stilled
amongst
you
and
your
peoples
find
rest.
Should
any
one
among
you
take
up
arms
against
another,
rise
ye
all
against
him,
for
this
is
naught
but
manifest
justice.”
What else could these weighty words signify if they did not point to the inevitable curtailment of unfettered national sovereignty as an indispensable preliminary to the formation of the future Commonwealth of all the nations of the world? Some form of a world super-state must needs be evolved, in whose favor all the nations of the world will have willingly ceded every claim to make war, certain rights to impose taxation and all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions. Such a state will have to include within its orbit an international executive adequate to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant member of the commonwealth; a world parliament whose members shall be elected by the people in their respective countries and whose election shall be confirmed by their respective governments; and a supreme tribunal whose judgment will have a binding effect even in such cases where the parties concerned did not voluntarily agree to submit their case to its consideration. A world community in which all economic barriers will have been permanently demolished and the interdependence of Capital and Labor definitely recognized; in which the clamor of religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled; in which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally extinguished; in which a single code of international law— the product of the considered judgment of the world’s federated representatives— shall have as its sanction the instant and coercive intervention of the combined forces of the federated units; and finally a world community in which the fury of a capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship— such indeed, appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated by Bahá’u’lláh, an Order that shall come to be regarded as the fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age.
“The
Tabernacle
of
Unity,”
Bahá’u’lláh proclaims in His message to all mankind, “has
been
raised;
regard
ye
not
one
another
as
strangers.…
Of
one
tree
are
all
ye
the
fruit
and
of
one
bough
the
leaves.…
The
world
is
but
one
country
and
mankind
its
citizens.…
Let
not
a
man
glory
in
that
he
loves
his
country;
let
him
rather
glory
in
this,
that
he
loves
his
kind.”
Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the world-wide Law of Bahá’u’lláh. Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an ever-changing world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men’s hearts, nor to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity such as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself has explained:
“Consider
the
flowers
of
a
garden.
Though
differing
in
kind,
color,
form
and
shape,
yet,
inasmuch
as
they
are
refreshed
by
the
waters
of
one
spring,
revived
by
the
breath
of
one
wind,
invigorated
by
the
rays
of
one
sun,
this
diversity
increaseth
their
charm
and
addeth
unto
their
beauty.
How
unpleasing
to
the
eye
if
all
the
flowers
and
plants,
the
leaves
and
blossoms,
the
fruit,
the
branches
and
the
trees
of
that
garden
were
all
of
the
same
shape
and
color!
Diversity
of
hues,
form
and
shape
enricheth
and
adorneth
the
garden,
and
heighteneth
the
effect
thereof.
In
like
manner,
when
divers
shades
of
thought,
temperament
and
character,
are
brought
together
under
the
power
and
influence
of
one
central
agency,
the
beauty
and
glory
of
human
perfection
will
be
revealed
and
made
manifest.
Naught
but
the
celestial
potency
of
the
Word
of
God,
which
ruleth
and
transcendeth
the
realities
of
all
things,
is
capable
of
harmonizing
the
divergent
thoughts,
sentiments,
ideas
and
convictions
of
the
children
of
men.”
The call of Bahá’u’lláh is primarily directed against all forms of provincialism, all insularities and prejudices. If long-cherished ideals and time-honored institutions, if certain social assumptions and religious formulae have ceased to promote the welfare of the generality of mankind, if they no longer minister to the needs of a continually evolving humanity, let them be swept away and relegated to the limbo of obsolescent and forgotten doctrines. Why should these, in a world subject to the immutable law of change and decay, be exempt from the deterioration that must needs overtake every human institution? For legal standards, political and economic theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine.
Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of Mankind— the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve— is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and good-will among men, nor does it aim solely at the fostering of harmonious cöoperation among individual peoples and nations. Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence. It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced. It constitutes a challenge, at once bold and universal, to outworn shibboleths of national creeds— creeds that have had their day and which must, in the ordinary course of events as shaped and controlled by Providence, give way to a new gospel, fundamentally different from, and infinitely superior to, what the world has already conceived. It calls for no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world— a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units.
It represents the consummation of human evolution— an evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the city-state, and expanding later into the institution of independent and sovereign nations.
The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, carries with it no more and no less than a solemn assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short of a power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it.
So marvellous a conception finds its earliest manifestations in the efforts consciously exerted and the modest beginnings already achieved by the declared adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh who, conscious of the sublimity of their calling and initiated into the ennobling principles of His Administration, are forging ahead to establish His Kingdom on this earth. It has its indirect manifestations in the gradual diffusion of the spirit of world solidarity which is spontaneously arising out of the welter of a disorganized society.
It would be stimulating to follow the history of the growth and development of this lofty conception which must increasingly engage the attention of the responsible custodians of the destinies of peoples and nations. To the states and principalities just emerging from the welter of the great Napoleonic upheaval, whose chief preoccupation was either to recover their rights to an independent existence or to achieve their national unity, the conception of world solidarity seemed not only remote but inconceivable. It was not until the forces of nationalism had succeeded in overthrowing the foundations of the Holy Alliance that had sought to curb their rising power, that the possibility of a world order, transcending in its range the political institutions these nations had established, came to be seriously entertained. It was not until after the World War that these exponents of arrogant nationalism came to regard such an order as the object of a pernicious doctrine tending to sap that essential loyalty upon which the continued existence of their national life depended. With a vigor that recalled the energy with which the members of the Holy Alliance sought to stifle the spirit of a rising nationalism among the peoples liberated from the Napoleonic yoke, these champions of an unfettered national sovereignty, in their turn, have labored and are still laboring to discredit principles upon which their own salvation must ultimately depend.
The fierce opposition which greeted the abortive scheme of the Geneva Protocol; the ridicule poured upon the proposal for a United States of Europe which was subsequently advanced, and the failure of the general scheme for the economic union of Europe, may appear as setbacks to the efforts which a handful of foresighted people are earnestly exerting to advance this noble ideal. And yet, are we not justified in deriving fresh encouragement when we observe that the very consideration of such proposals is in itself an evidence of their steady growth in the minds and hearts of men? In the organized attempts that are being made to discredit so exalted a conception are we not witnessing the repetition, on a larger scale, of those stirring struggles and fierce controversies that preceded the birth, and assisted in the reconstruction, of the unified nations of the West?
To take but one instance. How confident were the assertions made in the days preceding the unification of the states of the North American continent regarding the insuperable barriers that stood in the way of their ultimate federation! Was it not widely and emphatically declared that the conflicting interests, the mutual distrust, the differences of government and habit that divided the states were such as no force, whether spiritual or temporal, could ever hope to harmonize or control? And yet how different were the conditions prevailing a hundred and fifty years ago from those that characterize present-day society! It would indeed be no exaggeration to say that the absence of those facilities which modern scientific progress has placed at the service of humanity in our time made of the problem of welding the American states into a single federation, similar though they were in certain traditions, a task infinitely more complex than that which confronts a divided humanity in its efforts to achieve the unification of all mankind.
Who knows that for so exalted a conception to take shape a suffering more intense than any it has yet experienced will have to be inflicted upon humanity? Could anything less than the fire of a civil war with all its violence and vicissitudes— a war that nearly rent the great American Republic— have welded the states, not only into a Union of independent units, but into a Nation, in spite of all the ethnic differences that characterized its component parts? That so fundamental a revolution, involving such far-reaching changes in the structure of society, can be achieved through the ordinary processes of diplomacy and education seems highly improbable. We have but to turn our gaze to humanity’s blood-stained history to realize that nothing short of intense mental as well as physical agony has been able to precipitate those epoch-making changes that constitute the greatest landmarks in the history of human civilization.
Great and far-reaching as have been those changes in the past, they cannot appear, when viewed in their proper perspective, except as subsidiary adjustments preluding that transformation of unparalleled majesty and scope which humanity is in this age bound to undergo. That the forces of a world catastrophe can alone precipitate such a new phase of human thought is, alas, becoming increasingly apparent. That nothing short of the fire of a severe ordeal, unparalleled in its intensity, can fuse and weld the discordant entities that constitute the elements of present-day civilization, into the integral components of the world commonwealth of the future, is a truth which future events will increasingly demonstrate.
The prophetic voice of Bahá’u’lláh warning, in the concluding passages of the Hidden Words, “the
peoples
of
the
world”
that “an
unforeseen
calamity
is
following
them
and
that
grievous
retribution
awaiteth
them”
throws indeed a lurid light upon the immediate fortunes of sorrowing humanity. Nothing but a fiery ordeal, out of which humanity will emerge, chastened and prepared, can succeed in implanting that sense of responsibility which the leaders of a new-born age must arise to shoulder.
I would again direct your attention to those ominous words of Bahá’u’lláh which I have already quoted: “And
when
the
appointed
hour
is
come,
there
shall
suddenly
appear
that
which
shall
cause
the
limbs
of
mankind
to
quake.”
Has not ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself asserted in unequivocal language that “another
war,
fiercer
than
the
last,
will
assuredly
break
out”?
Upon the consummation of this colossal, this unspeakably glorious enterprise— an enterprise that baffled the resources of Roman statesmanship and which Napoleon’s desperate efforts failed to achieve— will depend the ultimate realization of that millennium of which poets of all ages have sung and seers have long dreamed. Upon it will depend the fulfillment of the prophecies uttered by the Prophets of old when swords shall be beaten into ploughshares and the lion and the lamb lie down together. It alone can usher in the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father as anticipated by the Faith of Jesus Christ. It alone can lay the foundation for the New World Order visualized by Bahá’u’lláh— a World Order that shall reflect, however dimly, upon this earthly plane, the ineffable splendors of the Abhá Kingdom.
One word more in conclusion. The proclamation of the Oneness of Mankind— the head corner-stone of Bahá’u’lláh’s all-embracing dominion— can under no circumstances be compared with such expressions of pious hope as have been uttered in the past. His is not merely a call which He raised, alone and unaided, in the face of the relentless and combined opposition of two of the most powerful Oriental potentates of His day— while Himself an exile and prisoner in their hands. It implies at once a warning and a promise— a warning that in it lies the sole means for the salvation of a greatly suffering world, a promise that its realization is at hand.
Uttered at a time when its possibility had not yet been seriously envisaged in any part of the world, it has, by virtue of that celestial potency which the Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh has breathed into it, come at last to be regarded, by an increasing number of thoughtful men, not only as an approaching possibility, but as the necessary outcome of the forces now operating in the world.
Surely the world, contracted and transformed into a single highly complex organism by the marvellous progress achieved in the realm of physical science, by the world-wide expansion of commerce and industry, and struggling, under the pressure of world economic forces, amidst the pitfalls of a materialistic civilization, stands in dire need of a restatement of the Truth underlying all the Revelations of the past in a language suited to its essential requirements. And what voice other than that of Bahá’u’lláh— the Mouthpiece of God for this age— is capable of effecting a transformation of society as radical as that which He has already accomplished in the hearts of those men and women, so diversified and seemingly irreconcilable, who constitute the body of His declared followers throughout the world?
That such a mighty conception is fast budding out in the minds of men, that voices are being raised in its support, that its salient features must fast crystallize in the consciousness of those who are in authority, few indeed can doubt. That its modest beginnings have already taken shape in the world-wide Administration with which the adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh stand associated only those whose hearts are tainted by prejudice can fail to perceive.
Ours, dearly-beloved co-workers, is the paramount duty to continue, with undimmed vision and unabated zeal, to assist in the final erection of that Edifice the foundations of which Bahá’u’lláh has laid in our hearts, to derive added hope and strength from the general trend of recent events, however dark their immediate effects, and to pray with unremitting fervor that He may hasten the approach of the realization of that Wondrous Vision which constitutes the brightest emanation of His Mind and the fairest fruit of the fairest civilization the world has yet seen.
Might not the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh mark the inauguration of so vast an era in human history?
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
Haifa, Palestine.
November 28, 1931.
To the beloved of God and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the United States and Canada.
Friends and fellow-defenders of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh:
Significant as have been the changes that have lately overtaken a swiftly awakening humanity at this transitional phase of its checkered history, the steady consolidation of the institutions which the administrators of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh are, in every land, toiling to establish should appear no less remarkable to even those who are as yet imperfectly acquainted with the obstacles they have had to surmount or the meagre resources on which they could rely.
That a Faith which, ten years ago, was severely shaken by the sudden removal of an incomparable Master should have, in the face of tremendous obstacles, maintained its unity, resisted the malignant onslaught of its ill-wishers, silenced its calumniators, broadened the basis of its far-flung administration, and raised upon it institutions symbolizing its ideals of worship and service, should be deemed sufficient evidence of the invincible power with which the Almighty has chosen to invest it from the moment of its inception.
That the Cause associated with the name of Bahá’u’lláh feeds itself upon those hidden springs of celestial strength which no force of human personality, whatever its glamour, can replace; that its reliance is solely upon that mystic Source with which no worldly advantage, be it wealth, fame, or learning can compare; that it propagates itself by ways mysterious and utterly at variance with the standards accepted by the generality of mankind, will, if not already apparent, become increasingly manifest as it forges ahead towards fresh conquests in its struggle for the spiritual regeneration of mankind.
Indeed, how could it, unsupported as it has ever been by the counsels and the resources of the wise, the rich, and the learned in the land of its birth, have succeeded in breaking asunder the shackles that weighed upon it at the hour of its birth, in emerging unscathed from the storms that agitated its infancy, had not its animating breath been quickened by that spirit which is born of God, and on which all success, wherever and however it be sought, must ultimately depend?
It is not necessary for me to recall, even in their briefest outline, the heart-rending details of that appalling tragedy which marked the birth-pangs of our beloved Faith, enacted in a land notorious for its unrestrained fanaticisms, its crass ignorance, its unbridled cruelty. Nor do I need to expatiate on the valor, the sublime fortitude, that defied the cruel torture-mongers of that race, or stress the number, or emphasize the purity of the lives, of those who died willingly that their Cause might live and prosper. Nor is it necessary to dwell upon the indignation which those atrocities evoked, and the feelings of unqualified admiration that surged, in the breasts of countless men and women, in regions remote from the scene of those indescribable cruelties. Suffice it to say that upon these heroes of Bahá’u’lláh’s native land was bestowed the inestimable privilege of sealing with their life-blood the early triumphs of their cherished Faith, and of paving the way for its approaching victory. In the blood of the unnumbered martyrs of Persia lay the seed of the Divinely-appointed Administration which, though transplanted from its native soil, is now budding out, under your loving care, into a new order, destined to overshadow all mankind.
For great as have been the attainments and unforgettable the services of the pioneers of the heroic age of the Cause in Persia, the contribution which their spiritual descendants, the American believers, the champion-builders of the organic structure of the Cause, are now making towards the fulfillment of the Plan which must usher in the golden age of the Cause is no less meritorious in this strenuous period of its history. Few, if any, I venture to assert, among these privileged framers and custodians of the constitution of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh are even dimly aware of the preponderating rôle which the North American continent is destined to play in the future orientation of their world-embracing Cause. Nor does any appreciable number among them seem sufficiently conscious of the decisive influence which they already exercise in the direction and management of its affairs.
“The
continent
of
America,”
wrote ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in February, 1917, “is,
in
the
eyes
of
the
one
true
God,
the
land
wherein
the
splendors
of
His
light
shall
be
revealed,
where
the
mysteries
of
His
Faith
shall
be
unveiled,
where
the
righteous
will
abide,
and
the
free
assemble.”
That the supporters of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, throughout the United States and Canada, are increasingly demonstrating the truth of this solemn affirmation is evident to even a casual observer of the record of their manifold services, whether in their individual capacities or through their concerted endeavors. The manifestations of spontaneous loyalty which marked their response to the expressed wishes of a departed Master; the generosity with which they have, on more than one occasion, arisen to lend a helping hand to the needy and harassed among their brethren in Persia; the vigor with which they have resisted the shameless attacks which unrelenting enemies, both from within and without, have, with increasing frequency, launched against them; the example which the body of their national representatives have set to their sister Assemblies in fashioning the instruments essential to the effective discharge of their collective duties; their successful intervention on behalf of their persecuted fellow-workers in Russia; the moral support they have extended to their Egyptian fellow-disciples at a most critical stage in their struggle for emancipation from the fetters of Islámic orthodoxy; the historic services rendered by those intrepid pioneers who, faithful to the call of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, forsook their homes to plant, in the uttermost corners of the globe, the standard of His Faith; and, last but not least, the magnificence of their self-sacrifice, culminating in the completion of the super-structure of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár — these stand out each as an eloquent testimony to the indomitable character of the faith Bahá’u’lláh has kindled in their hearts.
Who, contemplating so splendid a record of service, can doubt that these faithful stewards of the redeeming grace of God have preserved, undivided and unimpaired, the priceless heritage entrusted to their charge? Have they not, one might well reflect, in ways which only future historians will indicate, approached the high standard that characterized those deeds of imperishable renown accomplished by those that have gone before them?
Not by the material resources which the members of this infant community can now summon to their aid; not by the numerical strength of its present-day supporters; nor by any direct tangible benefits its votaries can as yet confer upon the multitude of the needy and the disconsolate among their countrymen, should its potentialities be tested or its worth determined. Nowhere but in the purity of its precepts, the sublimity of its standards, the integrity of its laws, the reasonableness of its claims, the comprehensiveness of its scope, the universality of its program, the flexibility of its institutions, the lives of its founders, the heroism of its martyrs, and the transforming power of its influence, should the unprejudiced observer seek to obtain the true criterion that can enable him to fathom its mysteries or to estimate its virtue.
How unfair, how irrelevant, to venture any comparison between the slow and gradual consolidation of the Faith proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh and those man-created movements which, having their origin in human desires and with their hopes centered on mortal dominion, must inevitably decline and perish! Springing from a finite mind, begotten of human fancy, and oftentimes the product of ill-conceived designs, such movements succeed, by reason of their novelty, their appeal to man’s baser instincts and their dependence upon the resources of a sordid world, in dazzling for a time the eyes of men, only to plunge finally from the heights of their meteoric career into the darkness of oblivion, dissolved by the very forces that had assisted in their creation.
Not so with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. Born in an environment of appalling degradation, springing from a soil steeped in age-long corruptions, hatreds and prejudice, inculcating principles irreconcilable with the accepted standards of the times, and faced from the beginning with the relentless enmity of government, church and people, this nascent Faith of God has, by virtue of the celestial potency with which it has been endowed, succeeded, in less than four score years and ten, in emancipating itself from the galling chains of Islámic domination, in proclaiming the self-sufficiency of its ideals and the independent integrity of its laws, in planting its banner in no less than forty of the most advanced countries of the world, in establishing its outposts in lands beyond the farthest seas, in consecrating its religious edifices in the midmost heart of the Asiatic and American continents, in inducing two of the most powerful governments of the West to ratify the instruments essential to its administrative activities, in obtaining from royalty befitting tributes to the excellence of its teachings, and, finally, in forcing its grievances upon the attention of the representatives of the highest Tribunal in the civilized world, and in securing from its members written affirmations that are tantamount to a tacit recognition of its religious status and to an express declaration of the justice of its cause.
Circumscribed though its power as a social force may as yet appear, and however obvious may seem the present ineffectiveness of its world-embracing program, we, who stand identified with its blessed name, cannot but marvel at the measure of its achievements if we but compare them with the modest accomplishments that have marked the rise of the Dispensations of the past. Where else, if not in the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, can the unbiased student of comparative religion cite instances of a claim as stupendous as that which the Author of that Faith advanced, foes as relentless as those which He faced, a devotion more sublime than that which He kindled, a life as eventful and as enthralling as that which He led? Has Christianity or Islám, has any Dispensation that preceded them, offered instances of such combinations of courage and restraint, of magnanimity and power, of broad-mindedness and loyalty, as those which characterized the conduct of the heroes of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh? Where else do we find evidences of a transformation as swift, as complete, and as sudden, as those effected in the lives of the apostles of the Báb? Few, indeed, are the instances recorded in any of the authenticated annals of the religions of the past of a self-abnegation as complete, a constancy as firm, a magnanimity as sublime, a loyalty as uncompromising, as those which bore witness to the character of that immortal band which stands identified with this Divine Revelation— this latest and most compelling manifestation of the love and the omnipotence of the Almighty!
We may vainly search in the records of the earliest beginnings of any of the recognized religions of the past for episodes as thrilling in their details, or as far-reaching in their consequences, as those that illumine the pages of the history of this Faith. The almost incredible circumstances attending the martyrdom of that youthful Prince of Glory; the forces of barbaric repression which this tragedy subsequently released; the manifestations of unsurpassed heroism to which it gave rise; the exhortations and warnings which have streamed from the pen of the Divine Prisoner in His Epistles to the potentates of the Church and the monarchs and rulers of the world; the undaunted loyalty with which our brethren are battling in Muslim countries with the forces of religious orthodoxy— these may be reckoned as the most outstanding features of what the world will come to recognize as the greatest drama in the world’s spiritual history.
I need not recall, in this connection, the unfortunate episodes that have, admittedly, and to a very great extent, marred the early history of both Judaism and Islám. Nor is it necessary to stress the damaging effect of the excesses, the rivalries and divisions, the fanatical outbursts and acts of ingratitude that are associated with the early development of the people of Israel and with the militant career of the ruthless pioneers of the Faith of Muḥammad.
It would be sufficient for my purpose to call attention to the great number of those who, in the first two centuries of the Christian era, “purchased an ignominious life by betraying the holy Scriptures into the hands of the infidels,” the scandalous conduct of those bishops who were thereby branded as traitors, the discord of the African Church, the gradual infiltration into Christian doctrine of the principles of the Mithraic cult, of the Alexandrian school of thought, of the precepts of Zoroastrianism and of Grecian philosophy, and the adoption by the churches of Greece and of Asia of the institutions of provincial synods of a model which they borrowed from the representative councils of their respective countries.
How great was the obstinacy with which the Jewish converts among the early Christians adhered to the ceremonies of their ancestors, and how fervent their eagerness to impose them on the Gentiles! Were not the first fifteen bishops of Jerusalem all circumcised Jews, and had not the congregation over which they presided united the laws of Moses with the doctrine of Christ? Is it not a fact that no more than a twentieth part of the subjects of the Roman Empire had enlisted themselves under the standard of Christ before the conversion of Constantine? Was not the ruin of the Temple, in the city of Jerusalem, and of the public religion of the Jews, severely felt by the so-called Nazarenes, who persevered, above a century, in the practice of the Mosaic Law?
How striking the contrast when we remember, in the light of the afore-mentioned facts, the number of those followers of Bahá’u’lláh who, in Persia and the adjoining countries, had enlisted at the time of His Ascension as the convinced supporters of His Faith! How encouraging to observe the undeviating loyalty with which His valiant followers are guarding the purity and integrity of His clear and unequivocal teachings! How edifying the spectacle of those who are battling with the forces of a firmly intrenched orthodoxy in their struggle to emancipate themselves from the fetters of an outworn creed! How inspiring the conduct of those Muslim followers of Bahá’u’lláh who view, not with regret or apathy, but with feelings of unconcealed satisfaction, the deserved chastisement which the Almighty has inflicted upon those twin institutions of the Sultanate and the Caliphate, those engines of despotism and sworn enemies of the Cause of God!
Let no one, however, mistake my purpose. The Revelation, of which Bahá’u’lláh is the source and center, abrogates none of the religions that have preceded it, nor does it attempt, in the slightest degree, to distort their features or to belittle their value. It disclaims any intention of dwarfing any of the Prophets of the past, or of whittling down the eternal verity of their teachings. It can, in no wise, conflict with the spirit that animates their claims, nor does it seek to undermine the basis of any man’s allegiance to their cause. Its declared, its primary purpose is to enable every adherent of these Faiths to obtain a fuller understanding of the religion with which he stands identified, and to acquire a clearer apprehension of its purpose. It is neither eclectic in the presentation of its truths, nor arrogant in the affirmation of its claims. Its teachings revolve around the fundamental principle that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is progressive, not final. Unequivocally and without the least reservation it proclaims all established religions to be divine in origin, identical in their aims, complementary in their functions, continuous in their purpose, indispensable in their value to mankind.
“All
the
Prophets
of
God,”
asserts Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, “abide
in
the
same
tabernacle,
soar
in
the
same
heaven,
are
seated
upon
the
same
throne,
utter
the
same
speech,
and
proclaim
the
same
Faith.”
From the “beginning
that
hath
no
beginning,”
these Exponents of the Unity of God and Channels of His incessant utterance have shed the light of the invisible Beauty upon mankind, and will continue, to the “end
that
hath
no
end,”
to vouchsafe fresh revelations of His might and additional experiences of His inconceivable glory. To contend that any particular religion is final, that “all
Revelation
is
ended,
that
the
portals
of
Divine
mercy
are
closed,
that
from
the
daysprings
of
eternal
holiness
no
sun
shall
rise
again,
that
the
ocean
of
everlasting
bounty
is
forever
stilled,
and
that
out
of
the
Tabernacle
of
ancient
glory
the
Messengers
of
God
have
ceased
to
be
made
manifest”
would indeed be nothing less than sheer blasphemy.
“They
differ,”
explains Bahá’u’lláh in that same epistle, “only
in
the
intensity
of
their
revelation
and
the
comparative
potency
of
their
light.”
And this, not by reason of any inherent incapacity of any one of them to reveal in a fuller measure the glory of the Message with which He has been entrusted, but rather because of the immaturity and unpreparedness of the age He lived in to apprehend and absorb the full potentialities latent in that Faith.
“Know
of
a
certainty,”
explains Bahá’u’lláh, “that
in
every
Dispensation
the
light
of
Divine
Revelation
has
been
vouchsafed
to
men
in
direct
proportion
to
their
spiritual
capacity.
Consider
the
sun.
How
feeble
its
rays
the
moment
it
appears
above
the
horizon.
How
gradually
its
warmth
and
potency
increase
as
it
approaches
its
zenith,
enabling
meanwhile
all
created
things
to
adapt
themselves
to
the
growing
intensity
of
its
light.
How
steadily
it
declines
until
it
reaches
its
setting
point.
Were
it,
all
of
a
sudden,
to
manifest
the
energies
latent
within
it,
it
would,
no
doubt,
cause
injury
to
all
created
things.…
In
like
manner,
if
the
Sun
of
Truth
were
suddenly
to
reveal,
at
the
earliest
stages
of
its
manifestation,
the
full
measure
of
the
potencies
which
the
providence
of
the
Almighty
has
bestowed
upon
it,
the
earth
of
human
understanding
would
waste
away
and
be
consumed;
for
men’s
hearts
would
neither
sustain
the
intensity
of
its
revelation,
nor
be
able
to
mirror
forth
the
radiance
of
its
light.
Dismayed
and
overpowered,
they
would
cease
to
exist.”
It is for this reason, and this reason only, that those who have recognized the Light of God in this age, claim no finality for the Revelation with which they stand identified, nor arrogate to the Faith they have embraced powers and attributes intrinsically superior to, or essentially different from, those which have characterized any of the religious systems that preceded it.
Does not Bahá’u’lláh Himself allude to the progressiveness of Divine Revelation and to the limitations which an inscrutable Wisdom has chosen to impose upon Him? What else can this passage of the Hidden Words imply, if not that He Who revealed it disclaimed finality for the Revelation entrusted to Him by the Almighty? “O
Son
of
Justice!
In
the
night-season
the
beauty
of
the
immortal
Being
hath
repaired
from
the
emerald
height
of
fidelity
unto
the
Sadratu’l-Muntahá,
and
wept
with
such
a
weeping
that
the
concourse
on
high
and
the
dwellers
of
the
realms
above
wailed
at
His
lamenting.
Whereupon
there
was
asked,
Why
the
wailing
and
weeping?
He
made
reply:
As
bidden
I
waited
expectant
upon
the
hill
of
faithfulness,
yet
inhaled
not
from
them
that
dwell
on
earth
the
fragrance
of
fidelity.
Then
summoned
to
return
I
beheld,
and
lo!
certain
doves
of
holiness
were
sore
tried
within
the
claws
of
the
dogs
of
earth.
Thereupon
the
Maid
of
Heaven
hastened
forth,
unveiled,
and
resplendent,
from
Her
mystic
mansion,
and
asked
of
their
names,
and
all
were
told
but
one.
And
when
urged,
the
first
Letter
thereof
was
uttered,
whereupon
the
dwellers
of
the
celestial
chambers
rushed
forth
out
of
their
habitation
of
glory.
And
whilst
the
second
letter
was
pronounced
they
fell
down,
one
and
all,
upon
the
dust.
At
that
moment
a
Voice
was
heard
from
the
inmost
shrine:
‘Thus
far
and
no
farther.’
Verily
we
bear
witness
to
that
which
they
have
done
and
now
are
doing.”
“The
Revelation
of
which
I
am
the
bearer,”
Bahá’u’lláh explicitly declares, “is
adapted
to
humanity’s
spiritual
receptiveness
and
capacity;
otherwise,
the
Light
that
shines
within
me
can
neither
wax
nor
wane.
Whatever
I
manifest
is
nothing
more
or
less
than
the
measure
of
the
Divine
glory
which
God
has
bidden
me
reveal.”
If the Light that is now streaming forth upon an increasingly responsive humanity with a radiance that bids fair to eclipse the splendor of such triumphs as the forces of religion have achieved in days past; if the signs and tokens which proclaimed its advent have been, in many respects, unique in the annals of past Revelations; if its votaries have evinced traits and qualities unexampled in the spiritual history of mankind; these should be attributed not to a superior merit which the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, as a Revelation isolated and alien from any previous Dispensation, might possess, but rather should be viewed and explained as the inevitable outcome of the forces that have made of this present age an age infinitely more advanced, more receptive, and more insistent to receive an ampler measure of Divine Guidance than has hitherto been vouchsafed to mankind.
Dearly beloved friends: Who, contemplating the helplessness, the fears and miseries of humanity in this day, can any longer question the necessity for a fresh revelation of the quickening power of God’s redemptive love and guidance? Who, witnessing on one hand the stupendous advance achieved in the realm of human knowledge, of power, of skill and inventiveness, and viewing on the other the unprecedented character of the sufferings that afflict, and the dangers that beset, present-day society, can be so blind as to doubt that the hour has at last struck for the advent of a new Revelation, for a re-statement of the Divine Purpose, and for the consequent revival of those spiritual forces that have, at fixed intervals, rehabilitated the fortunes of human society? Does not the very operation of the world-unifying forces that are at work in this age necessitate that He Who is the Bearer of the Message of God in this day should not only reaffirm that self-same exalted standard of individual conduct inculcated by the Prophets gone before Him, but embody in His appeal, to all governments and peoples, the essentials of that social code, that Divine Economy, which must guide humanity’s concerted efforts in establishing that all-embracing federation which is to signalize the advent of the Kingdom of God on this earth?
May we not, therefore, recognizing as we do the necessity for such a revelation of God’s redeeming power, meditate upon the supreme grandeur of the System unfolded by the hand of Bahá’u’lláh in this day? May we not pause, pressed though we be by the daily preoccupations which the ever-widening range of the administrative activities of His Faith must involve, to reflect upon the sanctity of the responsibilities it is our privilege to shoulder?
Not only in the character of the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, however stupendous be His claim, does the greatness of this Dispensation reside. For among the distinguishing features of His Faith ranks, as a further evidence of its uniqueness, the fundamental truth that in the person of its Forerunner, the Báb, every follower of Bahá’u’lláh recognizes not merely an inspired annunciator but a direct Manifestation of God. It is their firm belief that, no matter how short the duration of His Dispensation, and however brief the period of the operation of His laws, the Báb had been endowed with a potency such as no founder of any of the past religions was, in the providence of the Almighty, allowed to possess. That He was not merely the precursor of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, that He was more than a divinely-inspired personage, that His was the station of an independent, self-sufficient Manifestation of God, is abundantly demonstrated by Himself, is affirmed in unmistakable terms by Bahá’u’lláh, and is finally attested by the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Nowhere but in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, Bahá’u’lláh’s masterly exposition of the one unifying truth underlying all the Revelations of the past, can we obtain a clearer apprehension of the potency of those forces inherent in that Preliminary Manifestation with which His own Faith stands indissolubly associated. Expatiating upon the unfathomed import of the signs and tokens that have accompanied the Revelation proclaimed by the Báb, the promised Qá’im, He recalls these prophetic words: “Knowledge
is
twenty
and
seven
letters.
All
that
the
Prophets
have
revealed
are
two
letters
thereof.
No
man
thus
far
hath
known
more
than
these
two
letters.
But
when
the
Qá’im
shall
arise,
He
will
cause
the
remaining
twenty
and
five
letters
to
be
made
manifest.”
“Behold,”
adds Bahá’u’lláh, “how
great
and
lofty
is
His
station!”
“Of
His
Revelation,”
He further adds, “the
Prophets
of
God,
His
saints
and
chosen
ones,
have
either
not
been
informed,
or
in
pursuance
of
God’s
inscrutable
Decree,
they
have
not
disclosed.”
And yet, immeasurably exalted as is the station of the Báb, and marvellous as have been the happenings that have signalized the advent of His Cause, so wondrous a Revelation cannot but pale before the effulgence of that Orb of unsurpassed splendor Whose rise He foretold and whose superiority He readily acknowledged. We have but to turn to the writings of the Báb Himself in order to estimate the significance of that Quintessence of Light of which He, with all the majesty of His power, was but its humble and chosen Precursor.
Again and again the Báb admits, in glowing and unequivocal language, the preëminent character of a Faith destined to be made manifest after Him and to supersede His Cause. “The
germ,”
He asserts in the Persian Bayán, the chief and best-preserved repository of His laws, “that
holds
within
itself
the
potentialities
of
the
Revelation
that
is
to
come
is
endowed
with
a
potency
superior
to
the
combined
forces
of
all
those
who
follow
me.”
“Of
all
the
tributes,”
the Báb repeatedly proclaims in His writings, “I
have
paid
to
Him
Who
is
to
come
after
Me,
the
greatest
is
this,
My
written
confession,
that
no
words
of
Mine
can
adequately
describe
Him,
nor
can
any
reference
to
Him
in
my
Book,
the
Bayán,
do
justice
to
His
Cause.”
Addressing Siyyid Yaḥyáy-i-Dárábí, surnamed Vaḥíd, the most learned and influential among his followers, He says: “By
the
righteousness
of
Him
Whose
power
causeth
the
seed
to
germinate
and
Who
breatheth
the
spirit
of
life
into
all
things,
were
I
to
be
assured
that
in
the
day
of
His
Manifestation
thou
wilt
deny
Him,
I
would
unhesitatingly
disown
thee
and
repudiate
thy
faith.…
If,
on
the
other
hand,
I
be
told
that
a
Christian,
who
beareth
no
allegiance
to
My
Faith,
will
believe
in
Him,
the
same
will
I
regard
as
the
apple
of
Mine
eye.”
“If
all
the
peoples
of
the
world,”
Bahá’u’lláh Himself affirms, “be
invested
with
the
powers
and
attributes
destined
for
the
Letters
of
the
Living,
the
chosen
disciples
of
the
Báb,
whose
station
is
ten
thousand
times
more
glorious
than
any
which
the
apostles
of
old
have
attained,
and
if
they,
one
and
all,
should,
swift
as
the
twinkling
of
an
eye,
hesitate
to
recognize
the
Light
of
my
Revelation,
their
faith
shall
be
of
no
avail,
and
they
shall
be
accounted
among
the
infidels.”
“So
tremendous,”
He writes, “is
the
outpouring
of
Divine
grace
in
this
Dispensation
that
if
mortal
hands
could
be
swift
enough
to
record
them,
within
the
space
of
a
single
day
and
night,
there
would
stream
verses
of
such
number
as
to
be
equivalent
to
the
whole
of
the
Persian
Bayán.”
Such, dearly-beloved friends, is the effusion of celestial grace vouchsafed by the Almighty to this age, this most illumined century! We stand too close to so colossal a Revelation to expect in this, the first century of its era, to arrive at a just estimate of its towering grandeur, its infinite possibilities, its transcendent beauty. Small though our present numbers may be, however limited our capacities, or circumscribed our influence, we, into whose hands so pure, so tender, so precious a heritage has been entrusted, should at all times strive, with unrelaxing vigilance, to abstain from any thoughts, words, or deeds, that might tend to dim its brilliance, or injure its growth. How tremendous our responsibility; how delicate and laborious our task!
Dear friends: Clear and emphatic as are the instructions which our departed Master has reiterated in countless Tablets bequeathed by Him to His followers throughout the world, a few, owing to the restricted influence of the Cause in the West, have been purposely withheld from the body of His occidental disciples, who, despite their numerical inferiority, are now exercising such a preponderating influence in the direction and administration of its affairs. I feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me to stress, now that the time is ripe, the importance of an instruction which, at the present stage of the evolution of our Faith, should be increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its application to the East or to the West. And this principle is no other than that which involves the non-participation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, whether in their individual capacities or collectively as local or national Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government. Whether it be in the publications which they initiate and supervise; or in their official and public deliberations; or in the posts they occupy and the services they render; or in the communications they address to their fellow-disciples; or in their dealings with men of eminence and authority; or in their affiliations with kindred societies and organizations, it is, I am firmly convinced, their first and sacred obligation to abstain from any word or deed that might be construed as a violation of this vital principle. Theirs is the duty to demonstrate, on one hand, the nonpolitical character of their Faith, and to assert, on the other, their unqualified loyalty and obedience to whatever is the considered judgment of their respective governments.
Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions. In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that world-wide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster. Let them beware lest they allow themselves to become the tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be entrapped by the treacherous devices of the plotters and the perfidious among their countrymen. Let them so shape their lives and regulate their conduct that no charge of secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidation may, however ill-founded, be brought against them. Let them rise above all particularism and partisanship, above the vain disputes, the petty calculations, the transient passions that agitate the face, and engage the attention, of a changing world. It is their duty to strive to distinguish, as clearly as they possibly can, and if needed with the aid of their elected representatives, such posts and functions as are either diplomatic or political from those that are purely administrative in character, and which under no circumstances are affected by the changes and chances that political activities and party government, in every land, must necessarily involve. Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá’u’lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of the politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates God’s immutable Purpose for all men.
It should be made unmistakably clear that such an attitude implies neither the slightest indifference to the cause and interests of their own country, nor involves any insubordination on their part to the authority of recognized and established governments. Nor does it constitute a repudiation of their sacred obligation to promote, in the most effective manner, the best interests of their government and people. It indicates the desire cherished by every true and loyal follower of Bahá’u’lláh to serve, in an unselfish, unostentatious and patriotic fashion, the highest interests of the country to which he belongs, and in a way that would entail no departure from the high standards of integrity and truthfulness associated with the teachings of his Faith.
As the number of the Bahá’í communities in various parts of the world multiplies and their power, as a social force, becomes increasingly apparent, they will no doubt find themselves increasingly subjected to the pressure which men of authority and influence, in the political domain, will exercise in the hope of obtaining the support they require for the advancement of their aims. These communities will, moreover, feel a growing need of the good-will and the assistance of their respective governments in their efforts to widen the scope, and to consolidate the foundations, of the institutions committed to their charge. Let them beware lest, in their eagerness to further the aims of their beloved Cause, they should be led unwittingly to bargain with their Faith, to compromise with their essential principles, or to sacrifice, in return for any material advantage which their institutions may derive, the integrity of their spiritual ideals. Let them proclaim that in whatever country they reside, and however advanced their institutions, or profound their desire to enforce the laws, and apply the principles, enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh, they will, unhesitatingly, subordinate the operation of such laws and the application of such principles to the requirements and legal enactments of their respective governments. Theirs is not the purpose, while endeavoring to conduct and perfect the administrative affairs of their Faith, to violate, under any circumstances, the provisions of their country’s constitution, much less to allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries.
It should also be borne in mind that the very extension of the activities in which we are engaged, and the variety of the communities which labor under divers forms of government, so essentially different in their standards, policies, and methods, make it absolutely essential for all those who are the declared members of any one of these communities to avoid any action that might, by arousing the suspicion or exciting the antagonism of any one government, involve their brethren in fresh persecutions or complicate the nature of their task. How else, might I ask, could such a far-flung Faith, which transcends political and social boundaries, which includes within its pale so great a variety of races and nations, which will have to rely increasingly, as it forges ahead, on the good-will and support of the diversified and contending governments of the earth— how else could such a Faith succeed in preserving its unity, in safeguarding its interests, and in ensuring the steady and peaceful development of its institutions?
Such an attitude, however, is not dictated by considerations of selfish expediency, but is actuated, first and foremost, by the broad principle that the followers of Bahá’u’lláh will, under no circumstances, suffer themselves to be involved, whether as individuals or in their collective capacities, in matters that would entail the slightest departure from the fundamental verities and ideals of their Faith. Neither the charges which the uninformed and the malicious may be led to bring against them, nor the allurements of honors and rewards, will ever induce them to surrender their trust or to deviate from their path. Let their words proclaim, and their conduct testify, that they who follow Bahá’u’lláh, in whatever land they reside, are actuated by no selfish ambition, that they neither thirst for power, nor mind any wave of unpopularity, of distrust or criticism, which a strict adherence to their standards might provoke.
Difficult and delicate though be our task, the sustaining power of Bahá’u’lláh and of His Divine guidance will assuredly assist us if we follow steadfastly in His way, and strive to uphold the integrity of His laws. The light of His redeeming grace, which no earthly power can obscure, will if we persevere, illuminate our path, as we steer our course amid the snares and pitfalls of a troubled age, and will enable us to discharge our duties in a manner that would redound to the glory and the honor of His blessed Name.
And finally, dearly-beloved brethren, let me once more direct your attention to the pressing claims of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, our beloved Temple. Need I remind you of the imperative necessity of carrying out to a successful conclusion, while there is yet time, the great enterprise to which, before the eyes of a watching world, we stand committed? Need I stress the great damage which further delay in the prosecution of this divinely-appointed task must, even in these critical and unforeseen circumstances, inflict upon the prestige of our beloved Cause? I am, I can assure you, acutely conscious of the stringency of the circumstances with which you are faced, the embarrassments under which you labor, the cares with which you are burdened, the pressing urgency of the demands that are being incessantly made upon your depleted resources. I am, however, still more profoundly aware of the unprecedented character of the opportunity which it is your privilege to seize and utilize. I am aware of the incalculable blessings that must await the termination of a collective enterprise which, by the range and quality of the sacrifices it entailed, deserves to be ranked among the most outstanding examples of Bahá’í solidarity ever since those deeds of brilliant heroism immortalized the memory of the heroes of Nayríz, of Zanján, and of Ṭabarsí. I appeal to you, therefore, friends and fellow-disciples of Bahá’u’lláh, for a more abundant measure of self-sacrifice, for a higher standard of concerted effort, for a still more compelling evidence of the reality of the faith that glows within you.
And in this fervent plea, my voice is once more reinforced by the passionate, and perhaps, the last, entreaty, of the Greatest Holy Leaf, whose spirit, now hovering on the edge of the Great Beyond, longs to carry on its flight to the Abhá Kingdom, and into the presence of a Divine, an almighty Father, an assurance of the joyous consummation of an enterprise, the progress of which has so greatly brightened the closing days of her earthly life. That the American believers, those stout-hearted pioneers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, will unanimously respond, with that same spontaneous generosity, that same measure of self-sacrifice, as have characterized their response to her appeals in the past, no one who is familiar with the vitality of their faith can possibly question.
Would to God that by the end of the spring of the year 1933 the multitudes who, from the remote corners of the globe, will throng the grounds of the Great Fair to be held in the neighborhood of that hallowed shrine may, as a result of your sustained spirit of self-sacrifice, be privileged to gaze on the arrayed splendor of its dome— a dome that shall stand as a flaming beacon and a symbol of hope amidst the gloom of a despairing world.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
Haifa, Palestine.
March 21, 1932.
To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the United States and Canada.
Friends and fellow-promoters of the Faith of God:
Forty years will have elapsed ere the close of this coming summer since the name of Bahá’u’lláh was first mentioned on the American continent. Strange indeed must appear to every observer, pondering in his heart the significance of so great a landmark in the spiritual history of the great American Republic, the circumstances which have attended this first public reference to the Author of our beloved Faith. Stranger still must seem the associations which the brief words uttered on that historic occasion must have evoked in the minds of those who heard them.
Of pomp and circumstance, of any manifestations of public rejoicing or of popular applause, there were none to greet this first intimation to America’s citizens of the existence and purpose of the Revelation proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh. Nor did he who was its chosen instrument profess himself a believer in the indwelling potency of the tidings he conveyed, or suspect the magnitude of the forces which so cursory a mention was destined to release.
Announced through the mouth of an avowed supporter of that narrow ecclesiasticism which the Faith itself has challenged and seeks to extirpate, characterized at the moment of its birth as an obscure offshoot of a contemptible creed, the Message of the Most Great Name, fed by streams of unceasing trial and warmed by the sunshine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s tender care, has succeeded in driving its roots deep into America’s genial soil, has in less than half a century sent out its shoots and tendrils as far as the remotest corners of the globe, and now stands, clothed in the majesty of the consecrated Edifice it has reared in the heart of that continent, determined to proclaim its right and vindicate its capacity to redeem a stricken people. Unsupported by any of the advantages which talent, rank and riches can confer, the community of the American believers, despite its tender age, its numerical strength, its limited experience, has by virtue of the inspired wisdom, the united will, the incorruptible loyalty of its administrators and teachers achieved the distinction of an undisputed leadership among its sister communities of East and West in hastening the advent of the Golden Age anticipated by Bahá’u’lláh.
And yet how grave the crises which this infant, this blessed, community has weathered in the course of its checkered history! How slow and painful the process that gradually brought it forth from the obscurity of unmitigated neglect to the broad daylight of public recognition! How severe the shocks which the ranks of its devoted adherents have sustained through the defection of the faint in heart, the malice of the mischief-maker, the treachery of the proud and the ambitious! What storms of ridicule, of abuse and of calumny its representatives have had to face in their staunch support of the integrity, and their valiant defense of the fair name, of the Faith they had espoused! How persistent the vicissitudes and disconcerting the reverses with which its privileged members, young and old alike, individually and collectively, have had to contend in their heroic endeavors to scale the heights which a loving Master had summoned them to attain!
Many and powerful have been its enemies who, as soon as they discovered the evidences of the growing ascendancy of its declared supporters, have vied with one another in hurling at its face the vilest imputations and in pouring out upon the Object of its devotion the vials of their fiercest wrath. How often have these sneered at the scantiness of its resources and the seeming stagnation of its life! How bitterly they ridiculed its origins and, misconceiving its purpose, dismissed it as a useless appendage of an expiring creed! Have they not in their written attacks stigmatized the heroic person of the Forerunner of so holy a Revelation as a coward recanter, a perverted apostate, and denounced the entire range of His voluminous writings as the idle chatter of a thoughtless man? Have they not chosen to ascribe to its divine Founder the basest motives which an unscrupulous plotter and usurper can conceive, and regarded the Center of His Covenant as the embodiment of ruthless tyranny, a stirrer of mischief, and a notorious exponent of expediency and fraud? Its world-unifying principles these impotent enemies of a steadily-rising Faith have time and again denounced as fundamentally defective; have pronounced its all-embracing program as utterly fantastic, and regarded its vision of the future as chimerical and positively deceitful. The fundamental verities that constitute its doctrine its foolish ill-wishers have represented as a cloak of idle dogma, its administrative machinery they have refused to differentiate from the soul of the Faith itself, and the mysteries it reveres and upholds they have identified with sheer superstition. The principle of unification which it advocates and with which it stands identified they have misconceived as a shallow attempt at uniformity, its repeated assertions of the reality of supernatural agencies they have condemned as a vain belief in magic, and the glory of its idealism they have rejected as mere utopia. Every process of purification whereby an inscrutable Wisdom chose from time to time to purge the body of His chosen followers of the defilement of the undesirable and the unworthy, these victims of an unrelenting jealousy have hailed as a symptom of the invading forces of schism which were soon to sap its strength, vitiate its vitality, and complete its ruin.
Dearly-beloved friends! It is not for me, nor does it seem within the competence of any one of the present generation, to trace the exact and full history of the rise and gradual consolidation of this invincible arm, this mighty organ, of a continually advancing Cause. It would be premature at this early stage of its evolution, to attempt an exhaustive analysis, or to arrive at a just estimate, of the impelling forces that have urged it forward to occupy so exalted a place among the various instruments which the Hand of Omnipotence has fashioned, and is now perfecting, for the execution of His divine Purpose. Future historians of this mighty Revelation, endowed with pens abler than any which its present-day supporters can claim to possess, will no doubt transmit to posterity a masterly exposition of the origins of those forces which, through a remarkable swing of the pendulum, have caused the administrative center of the Faith to gravitate, away from its cradle, to the shores of the American continent and towards its very heart— the present mainspring and chief bulwark of its fast evolving institutions. On them will devolve the task of recording the history, and of estimating the significance, of so radical a revolution in the fortunes of a slowly maturing Faith. Theirs will be the opportunity to extol the virtues and to immortalize the memory of those men and women who have participated in its accomplishment. Theirs will be the privilege of evaluating the share which each of these champion-builders of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh has had in ushering in that golden Millennium, the promise of which lies enshrined in His teachings.
Does not the history of primitive Christianity and of the rise of Islám, each in its own way, offer a striking parallel to this strange phenomenon the beginnings of which we are now witnessing in this, the first century of the Bahá’í Era? Has not the Divine Impulse which gave birth to each of these great religious systems been driven, through the operation of those forces which the irresistible growth of the Faith itself had released, to seek away from the land of its birth and in more propitious climes a ready field and a more adequate medium for the incarnation of its spirit and the propagation of its cause? Have not the Asiatic churches of Jerusalem, of Antioch and of Alexandria, consisting chiefly of those Jewish converts, whose character and temperament inclined them to sympathize with the traditional ceremonies of the Mosaic Dispensation, been forced as they steadily declined to recognize the growing ascendancy of their Greek and Roman brethren? Have they not been compelled to acknowledge the superior valor and the trained efficiency which have enabled these standard-bearers of the Cause of Jesus Christ to erect the symbols of His world-wide dominion on the ruins of a collapsing Empire? Has not the animating spirit of Islám been constrained, under the pressure of similar circumstances, to abandon the inhospitable wastes of its Arabian Home, the theatre of its greatest sufferings and exploits, to yield in a distant land the fairest fruit of its slowly maturing civilization?
“From
the
beginning
of
time
until
the
present
day,”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself affirms, “the
light
of
Divine
Revelation
hath
risen
in
the
East
and
shed
its
radiance
upon
the
West.
The
illumination
thus
shed
hath,
however,
acquired
in
the
West
an
extraordinary
brilliancy.
Consider
the
Faith
proclaimed
by
Jesus.
Though
it
first
appeared
in
the
East,
yet
not
until
its
light
had
been
shed
upon
the
West
did
the
full
measure
of
its
potentialities
become
manifest.”
“The
day
is
approaching,”
He, in another passage, assures us, “when
ye
shall
witness
how,
through
the
splendor
of
the
Faith
of
Bahá’u’lláh,
the
West
will
have
replaced
the
East,
radiating
the
light
of
Divine
Guidance.”
“In
the
books
of
the
Prophets,”
He again asserts, “certain
glad-tidings
are
recorded
which
are
absolutely
true
and
free
from
doubt.
The
East
hath
ever
been
the
dawning-place
of
the
Sun
of
Truth.
In
the
East
all
the
Prophets
of
God
have
appeared…The
West
hath
acquired
illumination
from
the
East
but
in
some
respects
the
reflection
of
the
light
hath
been
greater
in
the
Occident.
This
is
specially
true
of
Christianity.
Jesus
Christ
appeared
in
Palestine
and
His
teachings
were
founded
in
that
country.
Although
the
doors
of
the
Kingdom
were
first
opened
in
that
land
and
the
bestowals
of
God
were
spread
broadcast
from
its
center,
the
people
of
the
West
have
embraced
and
promulgated
Christianity
more
fully
than
the
people
of
the
East.”
Little wonder that from the same unerring pen there should have flowed, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s memorable visit to the West, these often-quoted words, the significance of which it would be impossible for me to overrate: “The
continent
of
America,”
He announced in a Tablet unveiling His Divine Plan to the believers residing in the North-Eastern States of the American Republic, “is
in
the
eyes
of
the
one
true
God
the
land
wherein
the
splendors
of
His
light
shall
be
revealed,
where
the
mysteries
of
His
Faith
shall
be
unveiled,
where
the
righteous
will
abide
and
the
free
assemble.”
“May
this
American
democracy,”
He Himself, while in America, was heard to remark, “be
the
first
nation
to
establish
the
foundation
of
international
agreement.
May
it
be
the
first
nation
to
proclaim
the
unity
of
mankind.
May
it
be
the
first
to
unfurl
the
standard
of
the
‘Most
Great
Peace’…
The
American
people
are
indeed
worthy
of
being
the
first
to
build
the
tabernacle
of
the
great
peace
and
proclaim
the
oneness
of
mankind…
May
America
become
the
distributing
center
of
spiritual
enlightenment
and
all
the
world
receive
this
heavenly
blessing.
For
America
has
developed
powers
and
capacities
greater
and
more
wonderful
than
other
nations…
May
the
inhabitants
of
this
country
become
like
angels
of
heaven
with
faces
turned
continually
toward
God.
May
all
of
them
become
servants
of
the
omnipotent
One.
May
they
rise
from
their
present
material
attainments
to
such
a
height
that
heavenly
illumination
may
stream
from
this
center
to
all
the
peoples
of
the
world…
This
American
nation
is
equipped
and
empowered
to
accomplish
that
which
will
adorn
the
pages
of
history,
to
become
the
envy
of
the
world
and
be
blest
in
both
the
East
and
the
West
for
the
triumph
of
its
people…
The
American
continent
gives
signs
and
evidences
of
very
great
advancement.
Its
future
is
even
more
promising,
for
its
influence
and
illumination
are
far-reaching.
It
will
lead
all
nations
spiritually.”
Would it seem extravagant, in the light of so sublime an utterance, to expect that in the midst of so enviable a region of the earth and out of the agony and wreckage of an unprecedented crisis there should burst forth a spiritual renaissance which, as it propagates itself through the instrumentality of the American believers, will rehabilitate the fortunes of a decadent age? It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself, His most intimate associates testify, Who, on more than one occasion, intimated that the establishment of His Father’s Faith in the North American continent ranked as the most outstanding among the threefold aims which, as He conceived it, constituted the principal objective of His ministry. It was He Who, in the heyday of His life and almost immediately after His Father’s ascension, conceived the idea of inaugurating His mission by enlisting the inhabitants of so promising a country under the banner of Bahá’u’lláh. He it was Who in His unerring wisdom and out of the abundance of His heart chose to bestow on His favored disciples, to the very last day of His life, the tokens of His unfailing solicitude and to overwhelm them with the marks of His special favor. It was He Who, in His declining years, as soon as delivered from the shackles of a long and cruel incarceration, decided to visit the land which had remained for so many years the object of His infinite care and love. It was He Who, through the power of His presence and the charm of His utterance, infused into the entire body of His followers those sentiments and principles which could alone sustain them amidst the trials which the very prosecution of their task would inevitably engender. Was He not, through the several functions which He exercised whilst He dwelt amongst them, whether in the laying of the corner-stone of their House of Worship, or in the Feast which He offered them and at which He chose to serve them in person, or in the emphasis which He on a more solemn occasion placed on the implications of His spiritual station— was He not, thereby, deliberately bequeathing to them all the essentials of that spiritual heritage which He knew they would ably safeguard and by their deeds continually enrich? And finally who can doubt that in the Divine Plan which, in the evening of His life, He unveiled to their eyes He was investing them with that spiritual primacy on which they could rely in the fulfillment of their high destiny?
“O
ye
apostles
of
Bahá’u’lláh!”
He thus addresses them in one of His Tablets, “May
my
life
be
sacrificed
for
you!…
Behold
the
portals
which
Bahá’u’lláh
hath
opened
before
you!
Consider
how
exalted
and
lofty
is
the
station
you
are
destined
to
attain;
how
unique
the
favors
with
which
you
have
been
endowed.”
“My
thoughts,”
He tells them in another passage, “are
turned
towards
you,
and
my
heart
leaps
within
me
at
your
mention.
Could
ye
know
how
my
soul
glows
with
your
love,
so
great
a
happiness
would
flood
your
hearts
as
to
cause
you
to
become
enamored
with
each
other.”
“The
full
measure
of
your
success,”
He declares in another Tablet, “is
as
yet
unrevealed,
its
significance
still
unapprehended.
Ere
long
ye
will,
with
your
own
eyes,
witness
how
brilliantly
every
one
of
you,
even
as
a
shining
star,
will
radiate
in
the
firmament
of
your
country
the
light
of
Divine
Guidance
and
will
bestow
upon
its
people
the
glory
of
an
everlasting
life.”
“The
range
of
your
future
achievements,”
He once more affirms, “still
remains
undisclosed.
I
fervently
hope
that
in
the
near
future
the
whole
earth
may
be
stirred
and
shaken
by
the
results
of
your
achievements.”
“The
Almighty,”
He assures them, “will
no
doubt
grant
you
the
help
of
His
grace,
will
invest
you
with
the
tokens
of
His
might,
and
will
endue
your
souls
with
the
sustaining
power
of
His
holy
Spirit.”
“Be
not
concerned,”
He admonishes them, “with
the
smallness
of
your
numbers,
neither
be
oppressed
by
the
multitude
of
an
unbelieving
world…
Exert
yourselves;
your
mission
is
unspeakably
glorious.
Should
success
crown
your
enterprise,
America
will
assuredly
evolve
into
a
center
from
which
waves
of
spiritual
power
will
emanate,
and
the
throne
of
the
Kingdom
of
God
will,
in
the
plentitude
of
its
majesty
and
glory,
be
firmly
established.”
“The
hope
which
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
cherishes
for
you,”
He thus urges them, “is
that
the
same
success
which
has
attended
your
efforts
in
America
may
crown
your
endeavors
in
other
parts
of
the
world,
that
through
you
the
fame
of
the
Cause
of
God
may
be
diffused
throughout
the
East
and
the
West
and
the
advent
of
the
Kingdom
of
the
Lord
of
Hosts
be
proclaimed
in
all
the
five
continents
of
the
globe…
Thus
far
ye
have
been
untiring
in
your
labors.
Let
your
exertions,
henceforth,
increase
a
thousandfold.
Summon
the
people
in
these
countries,
capitals,
islands,
assemblies
and
churches
to
enter
the
Abhá
Kingdom.
The
scope
of
your
exertions
must
needs
be
extended.
The
wider
its
range,
the
more
striking
will
be
the
evidences
of
Divine
assistance…
Oh!
that
I
could
travel,
even
though
on
foot
and
in
the
utmost
poverty,
to
these
regions
and,
raising
the
call
of
Yá
Bahá’u’l-Abhá
in
cities,
villages,
mountains,
deserts
and
oceans,
promote
the
Divine
teachings!
This,
alas,
I
cannot
do!
How
intensely
I
deplore
it!
Please
God,
ye
may
achieve
it.”
And finally, as if to crown all His previous utterances, is this solemn affirmation embodying His Vision of America’s spiritual destiny: “The
moment
this
Divine
Message
is
carried
forward
by
the
American
believers
from
the
shores
of
America
and
is
propagated
through
the
continents
of
Europe,
of
Asia,
of
Africa
and
of
Australasia,
and
as
far
as
the
islands
of
the
Pacific,
this
community
will
find
itself
securely
established
upon
the
throne
of
an
everlasting
dominion.
Then
will
all
the
peoples
of
the
world
witness
that
this
community
is
spiritually
illumined
and
divinely
guided.
Then
will
the
whole
earth
resound
with
the
praises
of
its
majesty
and
greatness.”
It is in the light of these above-quoted words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that every thoughtful and conscientious believer should ponder the significance of this momentous utterance of Bahá’u’lláh: “In
the
East
the
light
of
His
Revelation
hath
broken;
in
the
West
have
appeared
the
signs
of
His
dominion.
Ponder
this
in
your
hearts,
O
people,
and
be
not
of
those
who
have
turned
a
deaf
ear
to
the
admonitions
of
Him
Who
is
the
Almighty,
the
All-Praised…
Should
they
attempt
to
conceal
its
light
on
the
continent,
it
will
assuredly
rear
its
head
in
the
midmost
heart
of
the
ocean,
and,
raising
its
voice,
proclaim:
‘I
am
the
life-giver
of
the
world!’”
Dearly-beloved friends! Can our eyes be so dim as to fail to recognize in the anguish and turmoil which, greater than in any other country and in a manner unprecedented in its history, are now afflicting the American nation, evidences of the beginnings of that spiritual renaissance which these pregnant words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá so clearly foreshadow? The throes and twinges of agony which the soul of a nation in travail is now beginning to experience abundantly proclaim it. Contrast the sad plight of the nations of the earth, and in particular this great Republic of the West, with the rising fortunes of that handful of its citizens, whose mission, if they be faithful to their trust, is to heal its wounds, restore its confidence and revive its shattered hopes. Contrast the dreadful convulsions, the internecine conflicts, the petty disputes, the outworn controversies, the interminable revolutions that agitate the masses, with the calm new light of Peace and of Truth which envelops, guides and sustains those valiant inheritors of the law and love of Bahá’u’lláh. Compare the disintegrating institutions, the discredited statesmanship, the exploded theories, the appalling degradation, the follies and furies, the shifts, shams and compromises that characterize the present age, with the steady consolidation, the holy discipline, the unity and cohesiveness, the assured conviction, the uncompromising loyalty, the heroic self-sacrifice that constitute the hallmark of these faithful stewards and harbingers of the golden age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
Small wonder that these prophetic words should have been revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “The
East,”
He assures us, “hath
verily
been
illumined
with
the
light
of
the
Kingdom.
Ere
long
will
this
same
light
shed
a
still
greater
illumination
upon
the
West.
Then
will
the
hearts
of
its
people
be
vivified
through
the
potency
of
the
teachings
of
God
and
their
souls
be
set
aglow
by
the
undying
fire
of
His
love.”
“The
prestige
of
the
Faith
of
God,”
He asserts, “has
immensely
increased.
Its
greatness
is
now
manifest.
The
day
is
approaching
when
it
will
have
cast
a
tremendous
tumult
in
men’s
hearts.
Rejoice,
therefore,
O
denizens
of
America,
rejoice
with
exceeding
gladness!”
Most prized and best-beloved brethren! As we look back upon the forty years which have passed since the auspicious rays of the Bahá’í Revelation first warmed and illuminated the American continent we find that they may well fall into four distinct periods, each culminating in an event of such significance as to constitute a milestone along the road leading the American believers towards their promised victory. The first of these four decades (1893–1903), characterized by a process of slow and steady fermentation, may be said to have culminated in the historic pilgrimages undertaken by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s American disciples to the shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. The ten years which followed (1903–1913), so full of the tests and trials which agitated, cleansed and energized the body of the earliest pioneers of the Faith in that land, had as their happy climax ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s memorable visit to America. The third period (1913–1923), a period of quiet and uninterrupted consolidation, had as its inevitable result the birth of that divinely-appointed Administration, the foundations of which the Will of a departed Master had unmistakably established. The remaining ten years (1923–1933), distinguished throughout by further internal development, as well as by a notable expansion of the international activities of a growing community, witnessed the completion of the superstructure of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár — the Administration’s mighty bulwark, the symbol of its strength and the sign of its future glory.
Each of these successive periods would seem to have contributed its distinct share in enriching the spiritual life of that community, and in preparing its members for the discharge of the tremendous responsibilities of their unique mission. The pilgrimages which its foremost representatives were moved to undertake in that earliest period of its history fired the souls of its members with a love and zeal which no amount of adversity could quench. The tests and tribulations it subsequently suffered enabled those who survived them to obtain a grasp of the implications of their faith that no opposition, however determined and well-organized, could ever hope to weaken. The institutions which its tried and tested adherents later on established furnished their promoters with that poise and stability which the increase of their numbers and the ceaseless extension of their activities urgently demanded. And finally the Temple which the exponents of an already firmly established Administration were inspired to erect gave them the vision which neither the storms of internal disorder nor the whirlwinds of international commotion could possibly obscure.
It would take me too long to attempt even a brief description of the first stirrings which the introduction of the Bahá’í Revelation into the New World, as conceived, initiated and directed by our beloved Master, immediately created. Nor does space permit me to narrate the circumstances attending the epoch-making visit of the first American pilgrims to Bahá’u’lláh’s hallowed shrine, to relate the deeds which signalized the return of these bearers of a new-born Gospel to their native country, or to assess the immediate consequences of their achievements. No word of mine would suffice to express how instantly the revelation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s hopes, expectations and purpose for an awakened continent, electrified the minds and hearts of those who were privileged to hear Him, who were made the recipients of His inestimable blessings and the chosen repositories of His confidence and trust. I can never hope to interpret adequately the feelings that surged within those heroic hearts as they sat at their Master’s feet, beneath the shelter of His prison-house, eager to absorb and intent to preserve the effusions of His divine Wisdom. I can never pay sufficient tribute to that spirit of unyielding determination which the impact of a magnetic personality and the spell of a mighty utterance kindled in the entire company of these returning pilgrims, these consecrated heralds of the Covenant of God, at so decisive an epoch of their history. The memory of such names as Lua, Chase, MacNutt, Dealy, Goodall, Dodge, Farmer and Brittingham— to mention only a few of that immortal galaxy now gathered to the glory of Bahá’u’lláh— will for ever remain associated with the rise and establishment of His Faith in the American continent, and will continue to shed on its annals a lustre that time can never dim.
It was through these pilgrimages, as they succeeded one another in the years immediately following the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, that the splendor of the Covenant, beclouded for a time by the apparent ascendancy of its Arch-Breaker, emerged triumphant amidst the vicissitudes which had afflicted it. It was through the arrival of these pilgrims, and these alone, that the gloom which had enveloped the disconsolate members of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s family was finally dispelled. Through the agency of these successive visitors the Greatest Holy Leaf, who alone with her Brother among the members of her Father’s household had to confront the rebellion of almost the entire company of her relatives and associates, found that consolation which so powerfully sustained her till the very close of her life. By the forces which this little band of returning pilgrims was able to release in the heart of that continent the death-knell of every scheme initiated by the would-be wrecker of the Cause of God was sounded.
The Tablets which were subsequently revealed by the untiring pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, embodying in passionate and unequivocal language His instructions and counsels, His appeals and comments, His hopes and wishes, His fears and warnings, soon began to be translated, published and circulated throughout the length and breadth of the North American continent, providing the ever-widening circle of the first believers with that spiritual sustenance which could alone enable them to survive the severe trials they were soon to experience.
The hour of an unprecedented crisis was, however, inexorably approaching. Evidences of dissension, actuated by pride and ambition, were beginning to obscure the radiance and retard the growth of the newly-born community which the apostolic teachers of that continent had labored to establish. He who had been instrumental in inaugurating so splendid an era in the history of the Faith, on whom the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant had conferred the titles of “Bahá’s Peter,” of the “Shepherd of God’s Flocks,” of the “Conqueror of America,” upon whom had been bestowed the unique privilege of helping ‘Abdu’l-Bahá lay the foundation-stone of the Báb’s Mausoleum on Mt. Carmel— such a man, blinded by his extraordinary success and aspiring after an uncontrolled domination over the beliefs and activities of his fellow-disciples, insolently raised the standard of revolt. Seceding from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and allying himself with the Arch-Enemy of the Faith of God, this deluded apostate sought, by perverting the teachings and directing a campaign of unrelenting vilification against the person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to undermine the faith of those believers whom he had during no less than eight years, so strenuously toiled to convert. By the tracts he published, through the active collaboration of the emissaries of his chief Ally, and reinforced by the efforts which the Christian ecclesiastical enemies of the Bahá’í Revelation were beginning to exert, he succeeded in dealing the nascent Faith of God a blow from which it could only slowly and painfully recover.
I need not dwell on the immediate effects of this serious yet transitory cleavage in the ranks of the American adherents of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. Nor do I need to expatiate on the character of the defamatory writings that poured upon them. Nor does it seem necessary to recount the measures to which an ever-vigilant Master resorted in order to assuage and eventually to dissipate their apprehensions. It is for the future historian to appraise the value of the mission of each of the four chosen messengers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who, in rapid succession, were dispatched by Him to pacify and reinvigorate that troubled community. His will be the task of tracing, in the work which these deputies of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were commissioned to undertake, the beginnings of that vast Administration, the corner-stone of which these messengers were instructed to lay— an Administration whose symbolic Edifice He, at a later time, was to found in person and whose basis and scope the provisions of His Will were destined to widen.
Suffice it to say that at this stage of its evolution the activities of an invincible Faith had assumed such dimensions as to force on the one hand its enemies to devise fresh weapons for their projected assaults, and on the other to encourage its supreme Promoter to instruct its followers, through qualified representatives and teachers, in the rudiments of an Administration which, as it evolved, would at once incarnate, safeguard and foster its spirit. The works of such stubborn assailants as those of Vatralsky, Wilson, Jessup and Richardson vie with one another in their futile attempts to stain its purity, to arrest its march and compel its surrender. To the charges of Nihilism, of heresy, of Muḥammadan Gnosticism, of immorality, of Occultism and Communism so freely leveled against them, the undismayed victims of such outrageous denunciations, acting under the instructions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, retorted by initiating a series of activities which by their very nature were to be the precursors of permanent, officially recognized administrative institutions. The inauguration of Chicago’s first House of Spirituality designated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as that city’s “House of Justice”; the establishment of the Bahá’í Publishing Society; the founding of the Green Acre Fellowship; the publication of the Star of the West; the holding of the first Bahá’í National Convention, synchronizing with the transference of the sacred remains of the Báb to its final resting-place on Mt. Carmel; the incorporation of the Bahá’í Temple Unity and the formation of the Executive Committee of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár — these stand out as the most conspicuous accomplishments of the American believers which have immortalized the memory of the most turbulent period of their history. Launched through these very acts into the troublesome seas of ceaseless tribulation, piloted by the mighty arm of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and manned by the bold initiative and abundant vitality of a band of sorely-tried disciples, the Ark of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant has, ever since those days, been steadily pursuing its course contemptuous of the storms of bitter misfortune that have raged, and which must continue to assail it, as it forges ahead towards the promised haven of undisturbed security and peace.
Unsatisfied with the achievements which crowned the concerted efforts of their elected representatives within the American continent, and emboldened by the initial success of their pioneer teachers, beyond its confines, in Great Britain, France and Germany, the community of the American believers resolved to win in distant climes fresh recruits to the advancing army of Bahá’u’lláh. Setting out from the western shores of their native land and impelled by the indomitable energy of a new-born faith, these itinerant teachers of the Gospel of Bahá’u’lláh pushed on towards the islands of the Pacific, and as far as China and Japan, determined to establish beyond the farthest seas the outposts of their beloved Faith. Both at home and abroad this community had by that time demonstrated its capacity to widen the range and consolidate the foundations of its vast endeavors. The angry voices that had been raised in protest against its rise were being drowned amid the acclamations with which the East greeted its recent victories. Those ugly features that had loomed so threateningly were gradually receding into the distance, furnishing a still wider field to these noble warriors for the exercise of their latent energies.
The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the continent of America had indeed been resuscitated. Phoenix-like it had risen in all its freshness, vigor and beauty and was now, through the voice of its triumphant exponents, insistingly calling to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, imploring Him to undertake a journey to its shores. The first fruits of the mission entrusted to its worthy upholders had lent such poignancy to their call that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who had just been delivered from the fetters of a galling tyranny, found Himself unable to resist. His great, His incomparable, love for His own favored children impelled Him to respond. Their passionate entreaty had, moreover, been reinforced by the numerous invitations which representatives of various interested organizations, whether religious, educational or humanitarian, had extended to Him, expressing their eagerness to receive from His own mouth an exposition of His Father’s teachings.
Though bent with age, though suffering from ailments resulting from the accumulated cares of fifty years of exile and captivity, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá set out on His memorable journey across the seas to the land where He might bless by His presence, and sanctify through His deeds, the mighty acts His spirit had led His disciples to perform. The circumstances that have attended His triumphal progress through the chief cities of the United States and Canada my pen is utterly incapable of describing. The joys which the announcement of His arrival evoked, the publicity which His activities created, the forces which His utterances released, the opposition which the implications of His teachings excited, the significant episodes to which His words and deeds continually gave rise— these future generations will, no doubt, minutely and befittingly register. They will carefully delineate their features, will cherish and preserve their memory, and will transmit unimpaired the record of their minutest details to their descendants. It would indeed be presumptuous on our part to attempt, at the present time, to sketch even the bare outline of so vast, so enthralling a theme. Contemplating after the lapse of above twenty years this notable landmark in America’s spiritual history we still find ourselves compelled to confess our inability to grasp its import or to fathom its mystery. I have alluded in the preceding pages to a few of the more salient features of that never-to-be-forgotten visit. These incidents, as we look back upon them, eloquently proclaim ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s specific purpose to confer through these symbolic functions upon the first-born of the communities of the West that spiritual primacy which was to be the birthright of the American believers.
The seeds which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ceaseless activities so lavishly scattered had endowed the United States and Canada, nay the entire continent, with potentialities such as it had never known in its history. On the small band of His trained and beloved disciples, and through them on their descendants, He, through that visit, had bequeathed a priceless heritage— a heritage which carried with it the sacred and primary obligation to arise and carry on in that fertile field the work He had so gloriously initiated. We can dimly picture to ourselves the wishes that must have welled from His eager heart as He bade His last farewell to that promising country. An inscrutable Wisdom, we can well imagine Him remark to His disciples on the eve of His departure, has, in His infinite bounty singled out your native land for the execution of a mighty purpose. Through the agency of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant I, as the ploughman, have been called upon since the beginning of my ministry to turn up and break its ground. The mighty confirmations that have, in the opening days of your career, rained upon you have prepared and invigorated its soil. The tribulations you subsequently were made to suffer have driven deep furrows into the field which my hands had prepared. The seeds with which I have been entrusted I have now scattered far and wide before you. Under your loving care, by your ceaseless exertions, every one of these seeds must germinate, every one must yield its destined fruit. A winter of unprecedented severity will soon be upon you. Its storm-clouds are fast gathering on the horizon. Tempestuous winds will assail you from every side. The Light of the Covenant will be obscured through my departure. These mighty blasts, this wintry desolation, shall however pass away. The dormant seed will burst into fresh activity. It shall put forth its buds, shall reveal, in mighty institutions, its leaves and blossoms. The vernal showers which the tender mercies of my heavenly Father will cause to descend upon you will enable this tender plant to spread out its branches to regions far beyond the confines of your native land. And finally the steadily mounting sun of His Revelation, shining in its meridian splendor, will enable this mighty Tree of His Faith to yield, in the fullness of time and on your soil, its golden fruit.
The implications of such a parting message could not long remain unrevealed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s initiated disciples. No sooner had He concluded His long and arduous journey across the American and European continents than the tremendous happenings to which He had alluded began to be made manifest. A conflict, such as He had predicted, severed for a time all means of communication with those on whom He had come to place such implicit trust and from whom He was expecting so much in return. The wintry desolation, with all its havoc and carnage, pursued during four years its relentless course, while He, repairing to the quiet solitude of His residence in the close neighborhood of Bahá’u’lláh’s hallowed shrine, continued to communicate His thoughts and wishes to those whom He had left behind and on whom He had conferred the unique tokens of His favor. In the immortal Tablets which, in the long hours of His communion with His dearly-beloved friends He was moved to reveal, He unfolded to their eyes His conception of their spiritual destiny, His Plan for the mission He wished them to undertake. The seeds His hands had sown He was now watering with that same care, that same love and patience, which had characterized His previous endeavors whilst He was laboring in their midst.
The clarion call which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had raised was the signal for an outburst of renewed activity which, alike in the motives it inspired and the forces it set in motion, America had scarcely experienced. Lending an unprecedented impetus to the work which the enterprising ambassadors of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh had initiated in distant lands, this mighty movement has continued to spread until the present day, has gathered momentum as it extended its ramifications over the surface of the globe, and will continue to accelerate its march until the last wishes of its original Promoter are completely fulfilled.
Forsaking home, kindred, friends and position a handful of men and women, fired with a zeal and confidence which no human agency can kindle, arose to carry out the mandate which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had issued. Sailing northward as far as Alaska, pushing on to the West Indies, penetrating the South American continent to the banks of the Amazon and across the Andes to the southernmost ends of the Argentine Republic, pressing on westward into the island of Tahiti and beyond it to the Australian continent and still beyond it as far as New Zealand and Tasmania, these intrepid heralds of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh have succeeded by their very acts in setting to the present generation of their fellow-believers throughout the East an example which they may well emulate. Headed by their illustrious representative, who ever since the call of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was raised has been twice round the world and is still, with marvellous courage and fortitude, enriching the matchless record of her services, these men and women have been instrumental in extending, to a degree as yet unsurpassed in Bahá’í history, the sway of Bahá’u’lláh’s universal dominion. In the face of almost insurmountable obstacles they have succeeded in most of the countries through which they have passed or in which they have resided, in proclaiming the teachings of their Faith, in circulating its literature, in defending its cause, in laying the basis of its institutions and in reinforcing the number of its declared supporters. It would be impossible for me to unfold in this short compass the tale of such heroic actions. Nor can any tribute of mine do justice to the spirit which has enabled these standard-bearers of the Religion of God to win such laurels and to confer such distinction on the generation to which they belong.
The Cause of Bahá’u’lláh had by that time encircled the globe. Its light, born in darkest Persia, had been carried successively to the European, the African and the American continents, and was now penetrating the heart of Australia, encompassing thereby the whole earth with a girdle of shining glory. The share which such worthy, such stout-hearted, disciples have had in brightening the last days of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s earthly life He alone has truly recognized and can sufficiently estimate. The unique and eternal significance of such accomplishments the labors of the rising generation will assuredly reveal, their memory its works will befittingly preserve and extol. How deep a satisfaction ‘Abdu’l-Bahá must have felt, while conscious of the approaching hour of His departure, as He witnessed the first fruits of the international services of these heroes of His Father’s Faith! To their keeping He had committed a great and goodly heritage. In the twilight of His earthly life He could rest content in the serene assurance that such able hands could be relied upon to preserve its integrity and exalt its virtue.
The passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, so sudden in the circumstances which caused it, so dramatic in its consequences, could neither impede the operation of such a dynamic force nor obscure its purpose. Those fervid appeals, embodied in the Will and Testament of a departed Master, could not but confirm its aim, define its character and reinforce the promise of its ultimate success.
Out of the pangs of anguish which His bereaved followers have suffered, amid the heat and dust which the attacks launched by a sleepless enemy had precipitated, the Administration of Bahá’u’lláh’s invincible Faith was born. The potent energies released through the ascension of the Center of His Covenant crystallized into this supreme, this infallible Organ for the accomplishment of a Divine Purpose. The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá unveiled its character, reaffirmed its basis, supplemented its principles, asserted its indispensability, and enumerated its chief institutions. With that self-same spontaneity which had characterized her response to the Message proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh America had now arisen to espouse the cause of the Administration which the Will and Testament of His Son had unmistakably established. It was given to her, and to her alone, in the turbulent years following the revelation of so momentous a Document, to become the fearless champion of that Administration, the pivot of its new-born institutions and the leading promoter of its influence. To their Persian brethren, who in the heroic age of the Faith had won the crown of martyrdom, the American believers, forerunners of its golden age, were now worthily succeeding, bearing in their turn the palm of a hard-won victory. The unbroken record of their illustrious deeds had established beyond the shadow of a doubt their preponderating share in shaping the destinies of their Faith. In a world writhing with pain and declining into chaos this community— the vanguard of the liberating forces of Bahá’u’lláh— succeeded in the years following ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing in raising high above the institutions established by its sister communities in East and West what may well constitute the chief pillar of that future House— a House which posterity will regard as the last refuge of a tottering civilization.
In the prosecution of their task neither the whisperings of the treacherous nor the virulent attacks of their avowed enemies were allowed to deflect them from their high purpose or to undermine their faith in the sublimity of their calling. The agitation provoked by him who in his incessant and sordid pursuit of earthly riches would have, but for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s warning, sullied the fair name of their Faith, had left them in the main undisturbed. Schooled by tribulation and secure within the stronghold of their fast evolving institutions they scorned his insinuations and by their unswerving loyalty were able to shatter his hopes. They refused to allow any consideration of the admitted prestige and past services of his father and of his associates to weaken their determination to ignore entirely the person whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had so emphatically condemned. The veiled attacks with which a handful of deluded enthusiasts subsequently sought in the pages of their periodical to check the growth and blight the prospects of an infant Administration had likewise failed to achieve their purpose. The attitude which a besotted woman later on assumed, her ludicrous assertions, her boldness in flouting the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and in challenging its authenticity and her attempts to subvert its principles were again powerless to produce the slightest breach in the ranks of its valiant upholders. The treacherous schemes which the ambition of a perfidious and still more recent enemy has devised and through which he is still striving to deface ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s noble handiwork and corrupt its administrative principles are being once more completely frustrated. These intermittent and abortive attempts on the part of its assailants to force the surrender of the newly built stronghold of the Faith its defenders have from the very beginning utterly disdained. No matter how fierce the assaults of the enemy or skillful his stratagem they have refused to yield one jot or one tittle of their cherished convictions. His insinuations and clamor they have consistently ignored. The motives which animated his actions, the methods he steadily pursued, the precarious privileges he seemed momentarily to enjoy they could not but despise. Thriving for a time through the devices which their scheming minds had conceived and supported by the ephemeral advantages which fame, ability or fortune can confer these notorious exponents of corruption and heresy have succeeded in protruding for a time their ugly features only to sink, as rapidly as they had risen, into the mire of an ignominious end.
From the midst of these afflictive trials, reminiscent in some of their aspects of the violent storm that had accompanied the birth of the Faith in their native land, the American believers had again triumphantly emerged, their course undeflected, their fame unsullied, their heritage unimpaired. A series of magnificent accomplishments, each more significant than the previous, were to shed increasing lustre on an already illustrious record. In the dark years immediately following ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension their deeds shone with a radiance that made them the object of the envy and the admiration of the less privileged among their brethren. The entire community, untrammeled and supremely confident, was rising to a great and glorious opportunity. The forces that had motivated its birth, that had assisted in its rise, were now accelerating its growth, in a manner and with such rapidity that neither the pangs of a world-wide sorrow nor the unceasing convulsions of a distracted age could paralyze its efforts or retard its march.
Internally the community had embarked in a number of enterprises that were to enable it on the one hand to extend still further the scope of its spiritual jurisdiction and on the other to fashion the essential instruments for the creation and consolidation of the institutions which such an extension imperatively demanded. Externally its undertakings were inspired by the twofold objective of prosecuting, even more intensely than before, the admirable work which in each of the five continents its international teachers had initiated, and of assuming an increasing share in the handling and solution of the delicate and complex problems with which a newly-emancipated Faith was being confronted. The birth of the Administration in that continent had signalized these praiseworthy exertions. Its gradual consolidation was destined to insure their continuance and to accentuate their effectiveness.
To enumerate only the most outstanding accomplishments which, in their own country and beyond its confines, have so greatly enhanced the prestige of the American believers and have redounded to the glory and honor of the Most Great Name is all I can presently undertake, leaving to future generations the task of explaining their import and of affixing a fitting estimate to their value. To the body of their elected representatives must be attributed the honor of having been the first among their sister Assemblies of East and West to devise, promulgate and legalize the essential instruments for the effective discharge of their collective duties— instruments which every properly constituted Bahá’í community must regard as a pattern worthy to be adopted and copied. To their efforts must likewise be ascribed the historic achievement of establishing their national endowments upon a permanent and unassailable basis and of creating the necessary agency for the formation of those subsidiary organs whose function is to administer on behalf of their trustees such possessions as these may acquire beyond the limits of their immediate jurisdiction. By the weight of their moral support so freely extended to their Egyptian brethren they were able to remove some of the most formidable obstacles which the Faith had to surmount in its struggle to enfranchise itself from the fetters of Muslim orthodoxy. Through the effective and timely intervention of these same elected representatives they were able to avert the woes and dangers which had menaced their persecuted fellow-workers in the Soviet Republics, and to ward off the rage which had threatened with immediate ruin one of the most precious and noblest of Bahá’í institutions. Nothing short of the whole-hearted assistance, whether moral or financial which the American believers, individually and collectively, were moved to extend on several occasions to the needy and harassed among their brethren in Persia could have saved these hapless victims of the consequences of the calamities that had visited them in the years following ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension. It was the publicity which the efforts of their American brethren had created, the protests they were led to make, the appeals and petitions they had submitted, which mitigated these sufferings and curbed the violence of the worst and most tyrannical opponents of the Faith in that land. Who else, if not one of their most distinguished representatives, has risen to force upon the attention of the highest Tribunal the world has yet seen the grievances which a Faith, robbed of one of its holiest sanctuaries, had suffered at the hand of the usurper? Who else has succeeded in securing, through patient and persistent effort, those written affirmations which proclaim the justice of a persecuted cause and tacitly recognize its right to an independent religious status? “The Commission,” is the resolution passed by the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations, “recommends that the Council should ask the British Government to make representations to the ‘Iráqí Government with a view to the immediate redress of the denial of justice from which the petitioners (the Bahá’í Spiritual Assembly of Baghdád) have suffered.” Has any one else except an American believer been led to obtain from royalty such remarkable and repeated testimonies to the regenerating power of the Faith of God, such striking references to the universality of its teachings and the sublimity of its mission. “The Bahá’í teaching,” such is the Queen’s written testimony, “brings peace and understanding. It is like a wide embrace gathering together all those who have long searched for words of hope. It accepts all great Prophets gone before, it destroys no other creeds and leaves all doors open. Saddened by the continual strife amongst believers of many confessions and wearied of their intolerance towards each other, I discovered in the Bahá’í teaching the real spirit of Christ so often denied and misunderstood: Unity instead of strife, Hope instead of condemnation, Love instead of hate, and a great reassurance for all men.” Have not the American adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, through the courage displayed by one of the most brilliant members of their community, been instrumental in paving the way for the removal of those barriers which have, for well-nigh a century, hampered the growth and crippled the energy of their fellow-believers in Persia? Is it not America who, ever mindful of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passionate entreaty, has sent out to the ends of the earth a steadily increasing number of its most consecrated citizens— men and women the one wish of whose lives is to consolidate the foundations of Bahá’u’lláh’s world-embracing dominion? In the northernmost capitals of Europe, in most of its central states, throughout the Balkan Peninsula, along the shores of the African, the Asiatic and South American continents are to be found this day a small band of women pioneers who, single-handed and with scanty resources, are toiling for the advent of the Day ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has foretold. Did not the attitude of the Greatest Holy Leaf, as she approached the close of her life, bear eloquent testimony to the incomparable share which her steadfast and self-sacrificing lovers in that continent have had in lightening the burden which had weighed so long and so heavily on her heart? And finally who can be so bold as to deny that the completion of the superstructure of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár — the crowning glory of America’s past and present achievements— has forged that mystic chain which is to link, more firmly than ever, the hearts of its champion-builders with Him Who is the Source and Center of their Faith and the Object of their truest adoration?
Fellow-believers in the American continent! Great indeed have been your past and present achievements! Immeasurably greater are the wonders which the future has in store for you! The Edifice your sacrifices have raised still remains to be clothed. The House which must needs be supported by the highest administrative institution your hands have reared, is as yet unbuilt. The provisions of the chief Repository of those laws that must govern its operation are thus far mostly undisclosed. The Standard which, if ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wishes are to be fulfilled, must be raised in your own country has yet to be unfurled. The Unity of which that standard is to be the symbol is far from being yet established. The machinery which must needs incarnate and preserve that unity is not even created. Will it be America, will it be one of the countries of Europe, who will arise to assume the leadership essential to the shaping of the destinies of this troubled age? Will America allow any of her sister communities in East or West to achieve such ascendancy as shall deprive her of that spiritual primacy with which she has been invested and which she has thus far so nobly retained? Will she not rather contribute, by a still further revelation of those inherent powers that motivate her life, to enhance the priceless heritage which the love and wisdom of a departed Master have conferred upon her?
Her past has been a testimony to the inexhaustible vitality of her faith. May not her future confirm it?
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
Haifa, Palestine.
April 21, 1933.
To the beloved of God and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the West. Fellow-laborers in the Divine Vineyard: On the 23rd of May of this auspicious year the Bahá’í world will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. We, who at this hour find ourselves standing on the threshold of the last decade of the first century of the Bahá’í era, might well pause to reflect upon the mysterious dispensations of so august, so momentous a Revelation. How vast, how entrancing the panorama which the revolution of four score years and ten unrolls before our eyes! Its towering grandeur well-nigh overwhelms us. To merely contemplate this unique spectacle, to visualize, however dimly, the circumstances attending the birth and gradual unfoldment of this supreme Theophany, to recall even in their barest outline the woeful struggles that proclaimed its rise and accelerated its march, will suffice to convince every unbiased observer of those eternal truths that motivate its life and which must continue to impel it forward until it achieves its destined ascendancy.
Dominating the entire range of this fascinating spectacle towers the incomparable figure of Bahá’u’lláh, transcendental in His majesty, serene, awe-inspiring, unapproachably glorious. Allied, though subordinate in rank, and invested with the authority of presiding with Him over the destinies of this supreme Dispensation, there shines upon this mental picture the youthful glory of the Báb, infinite in His tenderness, irresistible in His charm, unsurpassed in His heroism, matchless in the dramatic circumstances of His short yet eventful life. And finally there emerges, though on a plane of its own and in a category entirely apart from the one occupied by the twin Figures that preceded Him, the vibrant, the magnetic personality of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, reflecting to a degree that no man, however exalted his station, can hope to rival, the glory and power with which They who are the Manifestations of God are alone endowed.
With ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension, and more particularly with the passing of His well-beloved and illustrious sister the Most Exalted Leaf— the last survivor of a glorious and heroic age— there draws to a close the first and most moving chapter of Bahá’í history, marking the conclusion of the Primitive, the Apostolic Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Who, through the provisions of His weighty Will and Testament, has forged the vital link which must for ever connect the age that has just expired with the one we now live in— the Transitional and Formative period of the Faith— a stage that must in the fullness of time reach its blossom and yield its fruit in the exploits and triumphs that are to herald the Golden Age of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.
Dearly-beloved friends! The onrushing forces so miraculously released through the agency of two independent and swiftly successive Manifestations are now under our very eyes and through the care of the chosen stewards of a far-flung Faith being gradually mustered and disciplined. They are slowly crystallizing into institutions that will come to be regarded as the hall-mark and glory of the age we are called upon to establish and by our deeds immortalize. For upon our present-day efforts, and above all upon the extent to which we strive to remodel our lives after the pattern of sublime heroism associated with those gone before us, must depend the efficacy of the instruments we now fashion— instruments that must erect the structure of that blissful Commonwealth which must signalize the Golden Age of our Faith.
It is not my purpose, as I look back upon these crowded years of heroic deeds, to attempt even a cursory review of the mighty events that have transpired since 1844 until the present day. Nor have I any intention to undertake an analysis of the forces that have precipitated them, or to evaluate their influence upon peoples and institutions in almost every continent of the globe. The authentic record of the lives of the first believers of the primitive period of our Faith, together with the assiduous research which competent Bahá’í historians will in the future undertake, will combine to transmit to posterity such masterly exposition of the history of that age as my own efforts can never hope to accomplish. My chief concern at this challenging period of Bahá’í history is rather to call the attention of those who are destined to be the champion-builders of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh to certain fundamental verities the elucidation of which must tremendously assist them in the effective prosecution of their mighty enterprise.
The international status which the Religion of God has thus far achieved, moreover, imperatively demands that its root principles be now definitely clarified. The unprecedented impetus which the illustrious deeds of the American believers have lent to the onward march of the Faith; the intense interest which the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the West is fast awakening among divers races and nations; the rise and steady consolidation of Bahá’í institutions in no less than forty of the most advanced countries of the world; the dissemination of Bahá’í literature in no fewer than twenty-five of the most widely-spoken languages; the success that has recently attended the nation-wide efforts of the Persian believers in the preliminary steps they have taken for the establishment, in the outskirts of the capital-city of their native land, of the third Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Bahá’í world; the measures that are being taken for the immediate formation of their first National Spiritual Assembly representing the interests of the overwhelming majority of Bahá’í adherents; the projected erection of yet another pillar of the Universal House of Justice, the first of its kind, in the Southern Hemisphere; the testimonies, both verbal and written, that a struggling Faith has obtained from Royalty, from governmental institutions, international tribunals, and ecclesiastical dignitaries; the publicity it has received from the charges which unrelenting enemies, both new and old, have hurled against it; the formal enfranchisement of a section of its followers from the fetters of Muslim orthodoxy in a country that may be regarded as the most enlightened among Islámic nations— these afford ample proof of the growing momentum with which the invincible community of the Most Great Name is marching forward to ultimate victory.
Dearly-beloved friends! I feel it incumbent upon me, by virtue of the obligations and responsibilities which as Guardian of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh I am called upon to discharge, to lay special stress, at a time when the light of publicity is being increasingly focussed upon us, upon certain truths which lie at the basis of our Faith and the integrity of which it is our first duty to safeguard. These verities, if valiantly upheld and properly assimilated, will, I am convinced, powerfully reinforce the vigor of our spiritual life and greatly assist in counteracting the machinations of an implacable and vigilant enemy.
To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation must, it is my unalterable conviction, remain the first obligation and the object of the constant endeavor of each one of its loyal adherents. An exact and thorough comprehension of so vast a system, so sublime a revelation, so sacred a trust, is for obvious reasons beyond the reach and ken of our finite minds. We can, however, and it is our bounden duty to seek to derive fresh inspiration and added sustenance as we labor for the propagation of His Faith through a clearer apprehension of the truths it enshrines and the principles on which it is based.
In a communication addressed to the American believers I have in the course of my explanation of the station of the Báb made a passing reference to the incomparable greatness of the Revelation of which He considered Himself to be the humble Precursor. He Whom Bahá’u’lláh has acclaimed in the Kitáb-i-Íqán as that promised Qá’im Who has manifested no less than twenty-five out of the twenty-seven letters which all the Prophets were destined to reveal— so great a Revealer has Himself testified to the préeminence of that superior Revelation that was soon to supersede His own. “The
germ,”
the Báb asserts in the Persian Bayán, “that
holds
within
itself
the
potentialities
of
the
Revelation
that
is
to
come
is
endowed
with
a
potency
superior
to
the
combined
forces
of
all
those
who
follow
me.”
“Of
all
the
tributes,”
He again affirms, “I
have
paid
to
Him
Who
is
to
come
after
Me,
the
greatest
is
this,
My
written
confession,
that
no
words
of
Mine
can
adequately
describe
Him,
nor
can
any
reference
to
Him
in
My
Book,
the
Bayán,
do
justice
to
His
Cause.”
“The
Bayán,”
He in that same Book categorically declares, “and
whosoever
is
therein
revolve
round
the
saying
of
‘Him
Whom
God
shall
make
manifest,’
even
as
the
Alif
(the
Gospel)
and
whosoever
was
therein
revolved
round
the
saying
of
Muḥammad,
the
Apostle
of
God.”
“A
thousand
perusals
of
the
Bayán,”
He further remarks, “cannot
equal
the
perusal
of
a
single
verse
to
be
revealed
by
‘Him
Whom
God
shall
make
manifest.’…
Today
the
Bayán
is
in
the
stage
of
seed;
at
the
beginning
of
the
manifestation
of
‘Him
Whom
God
shall
make
manifest’
its
ultimate
perfection
will
become
apparent.…
The
Bayán
and
such
as
are
believers
therein
yearn
more
ardently
after
Him
than
the
yearning
of
any
lover
after
his
beloved.…
The
Bayán
deriveth
all
its
glory
from
‘Him
Whom
God
shall
make
manifest.’
All
blessing
be
upon
him
who
believeth
in
Him
and
woe
betide
him
that
rejecteth
His
truth.”
Addressing Siyyid Yaḥyáy-i-Dárábí surnamed Vaḥíd, the most learned, the most eloquent and influential among His followers, the Báb utters this warning: “By
the
righteousness
of
Him
Whose
power
causeth
the
seed
to
germinate
and
Who
breatheth
the
spirit
of
life
into
all
things,
were
I
to
be
assured
that
in
the
day
of
His
manifestation
thou
wilt
deny
Him,
I
would
unhesitatingly
disown
thee
and
repudiate
thy
faith.…
If,
on
the
other
hand,
I
be
told
that
a
Christian,
who
beareth
no
allegiance
to
My
Faith,
will
believe
in
Him,
the
same
will
I
regard
as
the
apple
of
Mine
Eye.”
In one of His prayers He thus communes with Bahá’u’lláh: “Exalted
art
Thou,
O
my
Lord
the
Omnipotent!
How
puny
and
contemptible
my
word
and
all
that
pertaineth
unto
me
appear
unless
they
be
related
to
Thy
great
glory.
Grant
that
through
the
assistance
of
Thy
grace
whatsoever
pertaineth
unto
me
may
be
acceptable
in
Thy
sight.”
In the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’— the Báb’s commentary on the Súrih of Joseph— characterized by the Author of the Íqán as “the first, the greatest and mightiest” of the books revealed by the Báb, we read the following references to Bahá’u’lláh: “Out
of
utter
nothingness,
O
great
and
omnipotent
Master,
Thou
hast,
through
the
celestial
potency
of
Thy
might,
brought
me
forth
and
raised
me
up
to
proclaim
this
Revelation.
I
have
made
none
other
but
Thee
my
trust;
I
have
clung
to
no
will
but
Thy
will…
O
Thou
Remnant
of
God!
I
have
sacrificed
myself
wholly
for
Thee:
I
have
accepted
curses
for
Thy
sake,
and
have
yearned
for
naught
but
martyrdom
in
the
path
of
Thy
love.
Sufficient
witness
unto
me
is
God,
the
Exalted,
the
Protector,
the
Ancient
of
Days.”
“And
when
the
appointed
hour
hath
struck,”
He again addresses Bahá’u’lláh in that same commentary, “do
Thou,
by
the
leave
of
God,
the
All-Wise,
reveal
from
the
heights
of
the
Most
Lofty
and
Mystic
Mount
a
faint,
an
infinitesimal
glimmer
of
Thy
impenetrable
Mystery,
that
they
who
have
recognized
the
radiance
of
the
Sinaic
Splendor
may
faint
away
and
die
as
they
catch
a
lightening
glimpse
of
the
fierce
and
crimson
Light
that
envelops
Thy
Revelation.”
As a further testimony to the greatness of the Revelation identified with Bahá’u’lláh may be cited the following extracts from a Tablet addressed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to an eminent Zoroastrian follower of the Faith: “Thou
hadst
written
that
in
the
sacred
books
of
the
followers
of
Zoroaster
it
is
written
that
in
the
latter
days,
in
three
separate
Dispensations,
the
sun
must
needs
be
brought
to
a
standstill.
In
the
first
Dispensation,
it
is
predicted,
the
sun
will
remain
motionless
for
ten
days;
in
the
second
for
twice
that
time;
in
the
third
for
no
less
than
one
whole
month.
The
interpretation
of
this
prophecy
is
this:
the
first
Dispensation
to
which
it
refers
is
the
Muḥammadan
Dispensation
during
which
the
Sun
of
Truth
stood
still
for
ten
days.
Each
day
is
reckoned
as
one
century.
The
Muḥammadan
Dispensation
must
have,
therefore,
lasted
no
less
than
one
thousand
years,
which
is
precisely
the
period
that
has
elapsed
from
the
setting
of
the
Star
of
the
Imámate
to
the
advent
of
the
Dispensation
proclaimed
by
the
Báb.
The
second
Dispensation
referred
to
in
this
prophecy
is
the
one
inaugurated
by
the
Báb
Himself,
which
began
in
the
year
1260
A.H.
and
was
brought
to
a
close
in
the
year
1280
A.H.
As
to
the
third
Dispensation—
the
Revelation
proclaimed
by
Bahá’u’lláh—
inasmuch
as
the
Sun
of
Truth
when
attaining
that
station
shineth
in
the
plenitude
of
its
meridian
splendor
its
duration
hath
been
fixed
for
a
period
of
one
whole
month,
which
is
the
maximum
time
taken
by
the
sun
to
pass
through
a
sign
of
the
Zodiac.
From
this
thou
canst
imagine
the
magnitude
of
the
Bahá’í
cycle—
a
cycle
that
must
extend
over
a
period
of
at
least
five
hundred
thousand
years.”
From the text of this explicit and authoritative interpretation of so ancient a prophecy it is evident how necessary it is for every faithful follower of the Faith to accept the divine origin and uphold the independent status of the Muḥammadan Dispensation. The validity of the Islámic is, moreover, implicitly recognized in these same passages— that divinely-appointed institution of whose most distinguished member the Báb Himself was a lineal descendant, and which continued for a period of no less than two hundred and sixty years to be the chosen recipient of the guidance of the Almighty and the repository of one of the two most precious legacies of Islám.
This same prophecy, we must furthermore recognize, attests the independent character of the Bábí Dispensation and corroborates indirectly the truth that in accordance with the principle of progressive revelation every Manifestation of God must needs vouchsafe to the peoples of His day a measure of divine guidance ampler than any which a preceding and less receptive age could have received or appreciated. For this reason, and not for any superior merit which the Bahá’í Faith may be said to inherently possess, does this prophecy bear witness to the unrivaled power and glory with which the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh has been invested— a Dispensation the potentialities of which we are but beginning to perceive and the full range of which we can never determine.
The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh should indeed be regarded, if we wish to be faithful to the tremendous implications of its message, as the culmination of a cycle, the final stage in a series of successive, of preliminary and progressive revelations. These, beginning with Adam and ending with the Báb, have paved the way and anticipated with an ever-increasing emphasis the advent of that Day of Days in which He Who is the Promise of All Ages should be made manifest.
To this truth the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh abundantly testify. A mere reference to the claims which, in vehement language and with compelling power, He Himself has repeatedly advanced cannot but fully demonstrate the character of the Revelation of which He was the chosen bearer. To the words that have streamed from His pen— the fountainhead of so impetuous a Revelation— we should, therefore, direct our attention if we wish to obtain a clearer understanding of its importance and meaning. Whether in His assertion of the unprecedented claim He has advanced, or in His allusions to the mysterious forces He has released, whether in such passages as extol the glories of His long-awaited Day, or magnify the station which they who have recognized its hidden virtues will attain, Bahá’u’lláh and, to an almost equal extent, the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, have bequeathed to posterity mines of such inestimable wealth as none of us who belong to this generation can befittingly estimate. Such testimonies bearing on this theme are impregnated with such power and reveal such beauty as only those who are versed in the languages in which they were originally revealed can claim to have sufficiently appreciated. So numerous are these testimonies that a whole volume would be required to be written in order to compile the most outstanding among them. All I can venture to attempt at present is to share with you only such passages as I have been able to glean from His voluminous writings.
“I
testify
before
God,”
proclaims Bahá’u’lláh, “to
the
greatness,
the
inconceivable
greatness
of
this
Revelation.
Again
and
again
have
We
in
most
of
Our
Tablets
borne
witness
to
this
truth,
that
mankind
may
be
roused
from
its
heedlessness.”
“In
this
most
mighty
Revelation,”
He unequivocally announces, “all
the
Dispensations
of
the
past
have
attained
their
highest,
their
final
consummation.
That
which
hath
been
made
manifest
in
this
preëminent,
this
most
exalted
Revelation,
stands
unparalleled
in
the
annals
of
the
past,
nor
will
future
ages
witness
its
like.”
“He
it
is,”
referring to Himself He further proclaims, “Who
in
the
Old
Testament
hath
been
named
Jehovah,
Who
in
the
Gospel
hath
been
designated
as
the
Spirit
of
Truth,
and
in
the
Qur’án
acclaimed
as
the
Great
Announcement.”
“But
for
Him
no
Divine
Messenger
would
have
been
invested
with
the
robe
of
prophethood,
nor
would
any
of
the
sacred
scriptures
have
been
revealed.
To
this
bear
witness
all
created
things.”
“The
word
which
the
one
true
God
uttereth
in
this
day,
though
that
word
be
the
most
familiar
and
commonplace
of
terms,
is
invested
with
supreme,
with
unique
distinction.”
“The
generality
of
mankind
is
still
immature.
Had
it
acquired
sufficient
capacity
We
would
have
bestowed
upon
it
so
great
a
measure
of
Our
knowledge
that
all
who
dwell
on
earth
and
in
heaven
would
have
found
themselves,
by
virtue
of
the
grace
streaming
from
Our
pen,
completely
independent
of
all
knowledge
save
the
knowledge
of
God,
and
would
have
been
securely
established
upon
the
throne
of
abiding
tranquillity.”
“The
Pen
of
Holiness,
I
solemnly
affirm
before
God,
hath
writ
upon
My
snow-white
brow
and
in
characters
of
effulgent
glory
these
glowing,
these
musk-scented
and
holy
words:
‘Behold
ye
that
dwell
on
earth,
and
ye
denizens
of
heaven,
bear
witness,
He
in
truth
is
your
Well-Beloved.
He
it
is
Whose
like
the
world
of
creation
hath
not
seen,
He
Whose
ravishing
beauty
hath
delighted
the
eye
of
God,
the
Ordainer,
the
All-Powerful,
the
Incomparable!’”
“Followers
of
the
Gospel,”
Bahá’u’lláh addressing the whole of Christendom exclaims, “behold the gates of heaven are flung open. He that had ascended unto it is now come. Give ear to His voice calling aloud over land and sea, announcing to all mankind the advent of this Revelation— a Revelation through the agency of which the Tongue of Grandeur is now proclaiming: ‘Lo, the sacred Pledge hath been fulfilled, for He, the Promised One, is come!’” “The voice of the Son of Man is calling aloud from the sacred vale: ‘Here am I, here am I, O God my God!’… whilst from the Burning Bush breaketh forth the cry: ‘Lo, the Desire of the world is made manifest in His transcendent glory!’ The Father hath come. That which ye were promised in the Kingdom of God is fulfilled. This is the Word which the Son veiled when He said to those around Him that at that time they could not bear it… Verily the Spirit of Truth is come to guide you unto all truth… He is the One Who glorified the Son and exalted His Cause…” “The Comforter Whose advent all the scriptures have promised is now come that He may reveal unto you all knowledge and wisdom. Seek Him over the entire surface of the earth, haply ye may find Him.”
“Call
out
to
Zion,
O
Carmel,”
writes Bahá’u’lláh, “and
announce
the
joyful
tidings:
‘He
that
was
hidden
from
mortal
eyes
is
come!
His
all-conquering
sovereignty
is
manifest;
His
all-encompassing
splendor
is
revealed…
Hasten
forth
and
circumambulate
the
City
of
God
that
hath
descended
from
heaven—
the
celestial
Kaaba
round
which
have
circled
in
adoration
the
favored
of
God,
the
pure
in
heart
and
the
company
of
the
most
exalted
angels.’”
“I
am
the
One,”
He in another connection affirms, “Whom
the
tongue
of
Isaiah
hath
extolled,
the
One
with
Whose
name
both
the
Torah
and
the
Evangel
were
adorned.”
“The
glory
of
Sinai
hath
hastened
to
circle
round
the
Day-Spring
of
this
Revelation,
while
from
the
heights
of
the
Kingdom
the
voice
of
the
Son
of
God
is
heard
proclaiming:
‘Bestir
yourselves,
ye
proud
ones
of
the
earth,
and
hasten
ye
towards
Him.’
Carmel
hath
in
this
day
hastened
in
longing
adoration
to
attain
His
court,
whilst
from
the
heart
of
Zion
there
cometh
the
cry:
‘The
promise
of
all
ages
is
now
fulfilled.
That
which
had
been
announced
in
the
holy
writ
of
God,
the
Beloved,
the
Most
High,
is
made
manifest.’”
“Ḥijáz
is
astir
by
the
breeze
announcing
the
tidings
of
joyous
reunion.
‘Praise
be
to
Thee,’
We
hear
her
exclaim,
‘O
my
Lord,
the
Most
High.
I
was
dead
through
my
separation
from
Thee;
the
breeze
laden
with
the
fragrance
of
Thy
presence
hath
brought
me
back
to
life.
Happy
is
he
that
turneth
unto
Thee,
and
woe
betide
the
erring.’”
“By
the
one
true
God,
Elijah
hath
hastened
unto
My
court
and
hath
circumambulated
in
the
day-time
and
in
the
night-season
My
throne
of
glory.”
“Solomon
in
all
his
majesty
circles
in
adoration
around
Me
in
this
day,
uttering
this
most
exalted
word:
‘I
have
turned
my
face
towards
Thy
face,
O
Thou
omnipotent
Ruler
of
the
world!
I
am
wholly
detached
from
all
things
pertaining
unto
me,
and
yearn
for
that
which
Thou
dost
possess.’”
“Had
Muḥammad,
the
Apostle
of
God,
attained
this
Day,”
Bahá’u’lláh writes in a Tablet revealed on the eve of His banishment to the penal colony of ‘Akká, “He
would
have
exclaimed:
‘I
have
truly
recognized
Thee,
O
Thou
the
Desire
of
the
Divine
Messengers!’
Had
Abraham
attained
it,
He
too,
falling
prostrate
upon
the
ground,
and
in
the
utmost
lowliness
before
the
Lord
thy
God,
would
have
cried:
‘Mine
heart
is
filled
with
peace,
O
Thou
Lord
of
all
that
is
in
heaven
and
on
earth!
I
testify
that
Thou
hast
unveiled
before
mine
eyes
all
the
glory
of
Thy
power
and
the
full
majesty
of
Thy
law!’…
Had
Moses
Himself
attained
it,
He,
likewise,
would
have
raised
His
voice
saying:
‘All
praise
be
to
Thee
for
having
lifted
upon
me
the
light
of
Thy
countenance
and
enrolled
me
among
them
that
have
been
privileged
to
behold
Thy
face!’”
“North
and
South
both
vibrate
to
the
call
announcing
the
advent
of
our
Revelation.
We
can
hear
the
voice
of
Mecca
acclaiming:
‘All
praise
be
to
Thee,
O
Lord
my
God,
the
All-Glorious,
for
having
wafted
over
me
the
breath
redolent
with
the
fragrance
of
Thy
presence!’
Jerusalem,
likewise,
is
calling
aloud:
‘Lauded
and
magnified
art
Thou,
O
Beloved
of
earth
and
heaven,
for
having
turned
the
agony
of
my
separation
from
Thee
into
the
joy
of
a
life-giving
reunion!’”
“By
the
righteousness
of
God,”
Bahá’u’lláh wishing to reveal the full potency of His invincible power asserts, “should a man, all alone, arise in the name of Bahá and put on the armor of His love, him will the Almighty cause to be victorious, though the forces of earth and heaven be arrayed against him.” “By God besides Whom is none other God! Should any one arise for the triumph of our Cause, him will God render victorious though tens of thousands of enemies be leagued against him. And if his love for Me wax stronger, God will establish his ascendancy over all the powers of earth and heaven. Thus have We breathed the spirit of power into all regions.”
“This
is
the
King
of
Days,”
He thus extols the age that has witnessed the advent of His Revelation, “the
Day
that
hath
seen
the
coming
of
the
Best-beloved,
Him
Who
through
all
eternity
hath
been
acclaimed
the
Desire
of
the
World.”
“The
world
of
being
shineth
in
this
Day
with
the
resplendency
of
this
Divine
Revelation.
All
created
things
extol
its
saving
grace
and
sing
its
praises.
The
universe
is
wrapt
in
an
ecstasy
of
joy
and
gladness.
The
Scriptures
of
past
Dispensations
celebrate
the
great
jubilee
that
must
needs
greet
this
most
great
Day
of
God.
Well
is
it
with
him
that
hath
lived
to
see
this
Day
and
hath
recognized
its
station.”
“Were
mankind
to
give
heed
in
a
befitting
manner
to
no
more
than
one
word
of
such
a
praise
it
would
be
so
filled
with
delight
as
to
be
overpowered
and
lost
in
wonder.
Entranced,
it
would
then
shine
forth
resplendent
above
the
horizon
of
true
understanding.”
“Be
fair,
ye
peoples
of
the
world;”
He thus appeals to mankind, “is
it
meet
and
seemly
for
you
to
question
the
authority
of
one
Whose
presence
‘He
Who
conversed
with
God’
(Moses)
hath
longed
to
attain,
the
beauty
of
Whose
countenance
‘God’s
Well-beloved’
(Muḥammad)
had
yearned
to
behold,
through
the
potency
of
Whose
love
the
‘Spirit
of
God’
(Jesus)
ascended
to
heaven,
for
Whose
sake
the
‘Primal
Point’
(the
Báb)
offered
up
His
life?”
He admonishes His followers, “Seize
your
chance,”
“inasmuch
as
a
fleeting
moment
in
this
Day
excelleth
centuries
of
a
bygone
age…
Neither
sun
nor
moon
hath
witnessed
a
day
such
as
this…
It
is
evident
that
every
age
in
which
a
Manifestation
of
God
hath
lived
is
divinely
ordained
and
may,
in
a
sense,
be
characterized
as
God’s
appointed
Day.
This
Day,
however,
is
unique
and
is
to
be
distinguished
from
those
that
have
preceded
it.
The
designation
‘Seal
of
the
Prophets’
fully
reveals
and
demonstrates
its
high
station.”
Expatiating on the forces latent in His Revelation Bahá’u’lláh reveals the following: “Through
the
movement
of
Our
Pen
of
glory
We
have,
at
the
bidding
of
the
omnipotent
Ordainer,
breathed
a
new
life
into
every
human
frame
and
instilled
into
every
word
a
fresh
potency.
All
created
things
proclaim
the
evidences
of
this
world-wide
regeneration.”
“This
is,”
He adds, “the
most
great,
the
most
joyful
tidings
imparted
by
the
pen
of
this
wronged
One
to
mankind.”
He in another passage exclaims, “How
great,”
“is
the
Cause!
How
staggering
the
weight
of
its
message!
This
is
the
Day
of
which
it
hath
been
said:
‘O
my
son!
verily
God
will
bring
everything
to
light
though
it
were
but
the
weight
of
a
grain
of
mustard
seed,
and
hidden
in
a
rock,
or
in
the
heavens
or
in
the
earth;
for
God
is
subtile,
informed
of
all.’”
“By
the
righteousness
of
the
one
true
God!
If
one
speck
of
a
jewel
be
lost
and
buried
beneath
a
mountain
of
stones,
and
lie
hidden
beyond
the
seven
seas,
the
Hand
of
Omnipotence
will
assuredly
reveal
it
in
this
day,
pure
and
cleansed
from
dross.”
“He
that
partaketh
of
the
waters
of
My
Revelation
will
taste
all
the
incorruptible
delights
ordained
by
God
from
the
beginning
that
hath
no
beginning
to
the
end
that
hath
no
end.”
“Every
single
letter
proceeding
from
Our
mouth
is
endowed
with
such
regenerative
power
as
to
enable
it
to
bring
into
existence
a
new
creation—
a
creation
the
magnitude
of
which
is
inscrutable
to
all
save
God.
He
verily
hath
knowledge
of
all
things.”
“It
is
in
Our
power,
should
We
wish
it,
to
enable
a
speck
of
floating
dust
to
generate,
in
less
than
the
twinkling
of
an
eye,
suns
of
infinite,
of
unimaginable
splendor,
to
cause
a
dewdrop
to
develop
into
vast
and
numberless
oceans,
to
infuse
into
every
letter
such
a
force
as
to
empower
it
to
unfold
all
the
knowledge
of
past
and
future
ages.”
“We
are
possessed
of
such
power
which,
if
brought
to
light,
will
transmute
the
most
deadly
of
poisons
into
a
panacea
of
unfailing
efficacy.”
Estimating the station of the true believer He remarks: “By the sorrows which afflict the beauty of the All-Glorious! Such is the station ordained for the true believer that if to an extent smaller than a needle’s eye the glory of that station were to be unveiled to mankind, every beholder would be consumed away in his longing to attain it. For this reason it hath been decreed that in this earthly life the full measure of the glory of his own station should remain concealed from the eyes of such a believer.” “If the veil be lifted,” He similarly affirms, “and the full glory of the station of those who have turned wholly towards God, and in their love for Him renounced the world, be made manifest, the entire creation would be dumbfounded.”
Stressing the superlative character of His Revelation as compared with the Dispensation preceding it, Bahá’u’lláh makes the following affirmation: “If
all
the
peoples
of
the
world
be
invested
with
the
powers
and
attributes
destined
for
the
Letters
of
the
Living,
the
Báb’s
chosen
disciples,
whose
station
is
ten
thousand
times
more
glorious
than
any
which
the
apostles
of
old
have
attained,
and
if
they,
one
and
all,
should,
swift
as
the
twinkling
of
an
eye,
hesitate
to
recognize
the
light
of
My
Revelation,
their
faith
shall
be
of
no
avail
and
they
shall
be
accounted
among
the
infidels.”
“So
tremendous
is
the
outpouring
of
Divine
grace
in
this
Dispensation
that
if
mortal
hands
could
be
swift
enough
to
record
them,
within
the
space
of
a
single
day
and
night
there
would
stream
verses
of
such
number
as
to
be
equivalent
to
the
whole
of
the
Persian
Bayán.”
“Give
heed
to
my
warning,
ye
people
of
Persia,”
He thus addresses His countrymen, “If
I
be
slain
at
your
hands,
God
will
assuredly
raise
up
one
who
will
fill
the
seat
made
vacant
through
my
death;
for
such
is
God’s
method
carried
into
effect
of
old,
and
no
change
can
ye
find
in
God’s
mode
of
dealing.”
“Should
they
attempt
to
conceal
His
light
on
the
continent,
He
will
assuredly
rear
His
head
in
the
midmost
heart
of
the
ocean
and,
raising
His
voice,
proclaim:
‘I
am
the
lifegiver
of
the
world!’…
And
if
they
cast
Him
into
a
darksome
pit,
they
will
find
Him
seated
on
earth’s
loftiest
heights
calling
aloud
to
all
mankind:
‘Lo,
the
Desire
of
the
world
is
come
in
His
majesty,
His
sovereignty,
His
transcendent
dominion!’
And
if
He
be
buried
beneath
the
depths
of
the
earth,
His
Spirit
soaring
to
the
apex
of
heaven
shall
peal
the
summons:
‘Behold
ye
the
coming
of
the
Glory;
witness
ye
the
Kingdom
of
God,
the
most
Holy,
the
Gracious,
the
All-Powerful!’”
is yet another astounding statement, “Within
the
throat
of
this
Youth,”
“there
lie
prisoned
accents
which,
if
revealed
to
mankind
to
an
extent
smaller
than
a
needle’s
eye,
would
suffice
to
cause
every
mountain
to
crumble,
the
leaves
of
the
trees
to
be
discolored
and
their
fruits
to
fall;
would
compel
every
head
to
bow
down
in
worship
and
every
face
to
turn
in
adoration
towards
this
omnipotent
Ruler
Who,
at
sundry
times
and
in
diverse
manners,
appeareth
as
a
devouring
flame,
as
a
billowing
ocean,
as
a
radiant
light,
as
the
tree
which,
rooted
in
the
soil
of
holiness,
lifteth
its
branches
and
spreadeth
out
its
limbs
as
far
as
and
beyond
the
throne
of
deathless
glory.”
Anticipating the System which the irresistible power of His Law was destined to unfold in a later age, He writes: “The
world’s
equilibrium
hath
been
upset
through
the
vibrating
influence
of
this
most
great,
this
new
World
Order.
Mankind’s
ordered
life
hath
been
revolutionized
through
the
agency
of
this
unique,
this
wondrous
System—
the
like
of
which
mortal
eyes
have
never
witnessed.”
“The
Hand
of
Omnipotence
hath
established
His
Revelation
upon
an
unassailable,
an
enduring
foundation.
Storms
of
human
strife
are
powerless
to
undermine
its
basis,
nor
will
men’s
fanciful
theories
succeed
in
damaging
its
structure.”
In the Súratu’l-Haykal, one of the most challenging works of Bahá’u’lláh, the following verses, each of which testifies to the resistless power infused into the Revelation proclaimed by its Author, have been recorded: “Naught
is
seen
in
My
temple
but
the
Temple
of
God,
and
in
My
beauty
but
His
Beauty,
and
in
My
being
but
His
Being,
and
in
My
self
but
His
Self,
and
in
My
movement
but
His
Movement,
and
in
My
acquiescence
but
His
Acquiescence,
and
in
My
pen
but
His
Pen,
the
Mighty,
the
All-Praised.
There
hath
not
been
in
My
soul
but
the
Truth,
and
in
Myself
naught
could
be
seen
but
God.”
“The
Holy
Spirit
Itself
hath
been
generated
through
the
agency
of
a
single
letter
revealed
by
this
Most
Great
Spirit,
if
ye
be
of
them
that
comprehend.”…
“Within
the
treasury
of
Our
Wisdom
there
lies
unrevealed
a
knowledge,
one
word
of
which,
if
we
chose
to
divulge
it
to
mankind,
would
cause
every
human
being
to
recognize
the
Manifestation
of
God
and
to
acknowledge
His
omniscience,
would
enable
every
one
to
discover
the
secrets
of
all
the
sciences,
and
to
attain
so
high
a
station
as
to
find
himself
wholly
independent
of
all
past
and
future
learning.
Other
knowledges
We
do
as
well
possess,
not
a
single
letter
of
which
We
can
disclose,
nor
do
We
find
humanity
able
to
hear
even
the
barest
reference
to
their
meaning.
Thus
have
We
informed
you
of
the
knowledge
of
God,
the
All-Knowing,
the
All-Wise.”
“The
day
is
approaching
when
God
will
have,
by
an
act
of
His
Will,
raised
up
a
race
of
men
the
nature
of
which
is
inscrutable
to
all
save
God,
the
All-Powerful,
the
Self-Subsisting.”
“He
will,
ere
long,
out
of
the
Bosom
of
Power
draw
forth
the
Hands
of
Ascendancy
and
Might—
Hands
who
will
arise
to
win
victory
for
this
Youth
and
who
will
purge
mankind
from
the
defilement
of
the
outcast
and
the
ungodly.
These
Hands
will
gird
up
their
loins
to
champion
the
Faith
of
God,
and
will,
in
My
name
the
self-subsistent,
the
mighty,
subdue
the
peoples
and
kindreds
of
the
earth.
They
will
enter
the
cities
and
will
inspire
with
fear
the
hearts
of
all
their
inhabitants.
Such
are
the
evidences
of
the
might
of
God;
how
fearful,
how
vehement
is
His
might!”
Such is, dearly-beloved friends, Bahá’u’lláh’s own written testimony to the nature of His Revelation. To the affirmations of the Báb, each of which reinforces the strength, and confirms the truth, of these remarkable statements, I have already referred. What remains for me to consider in this connection are such passages in the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the appointed Interpreter of these same utterances, as throw further light upon and amplify various features of this enthralling theme. The tone of His language is indeed as emphatic and His tribute no less glowing than that of either Bahá’u’lláh or the Báb.
“Centuries,
nay
ages,
must
pass
away,”
He affirms in one of His earliest Tablets, “ere
the
Day-Star
of
Truth
shineth
again
in
its
mid-summer
splendor,
or
appeareth
once
more
in
the
radiance
of
its
vernal
glory…
How
thankful
must
we
be
for
having
been
made
in
this
Day
the
recipients
of
so
overwhelming
a
favor!
Would
that
we
had
ten
thousand
lives
that
we
might
lay
them
down
in
thanksgiving
for
so
rare
a
privilege,
so
high
an
attainment,
so
priceless
a
bounty!”
“The
mere
contemplation,”
He adds, “of
the
Dispensation
inaugurated
by
the
Blessed
Beauty
would
have
sufficed
to
overwhelm
the
saints
of
bygone
ages—
saints
who
longed
to
partake
for
one
moment
of
its
great
glory.”
“The
holy
ones
of
past
ages
and
centuries
have,
each
and
all,
yearned
with
tearful
eyes
to
live,
though
for
one
moment,
in
the
Day
of
God.
Their
longings
unsatisfied,
they
repaired
to
the
Great
Beyond.
How
great,
therefore,
is
the
bounty
of
the
Abhá
Beauty
Who,
notwithstanding
our
utter
unworthiness,
hath
through
His
grace
and
mercy
breathed
into
us
in
this
divinely-illumined
century
the
spirit
of
life,
hath
gathered
us
beneath
the
standard
of
the
Beloved
of
the
world,
and
chosen
to
confer
upon
us
a
bounty
for
which
the
mighty
ones
of
bygone
ages
had
craved
in
vain.”
“The
souls
of
the
well-favored
among
the
concourse
on
high,”
He likewise affirms, “the
sacred
dwellers
of
the
most
exalted
Paradise,
are
in
this
day
filled
with
burning
desire
to
return
unto
this
world,
that
they
may
render
such
service
as
lieth
in
their
power
to
the
threshold
of
the
Abhá
Beauty.”
“The
effulgence
of
God’s
splendrous
mercy,”
He, in a passage alluding to the growth and future development of the Faith, declares, “hath
enveloped
the
peoples
and
kindreds
of
the
earth,
and
the
whole
world
is
bathed
in
its
shining
glory…
The
day
will
soon
come
when
the
light
of
Divine
unity
will
have
so
permeated
the
East
and
the
West
that
no
man
dare
any
longer
ignore
it.”
“Now
in
the
world
of
being
the
Hand
of
divine
power
hath
firmly
laid
the
foundations
of
this
all-highest
bounty
and
this
wondrous
gift.
Whatsoever
is
latent
in
the
innermost
of
this
holy
cycle
shall
gradually
appear
and
be
made
manifest,
for
now
is
but
the
beginning
of
its
growth
and
the
dayspring
of
the
revelation
of
its
signs.
Ere
the
close
of
this
century
and
of
this
age,
it
shall
be
made
clear
and
evident
how
wondrous
was
that
springtide
and
how
heavenly
was
that
gift!”
In confirmation of the exalted rank of the true believer, referred to by Bahá’u’lláh, He reveals the following: “The
station
which
he
who
hath
truly
recognized
this
Revelation
will
attain
is
the
same
as
the
one
ordained
for
such
prophets
of
the
house
of
Israel
as
are
not
regarded
as
Manifestations
‘endowed
with
constancy.’”
In connection with the Manifestations destined to follow the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá makes this definite and weighty declaration: “Concerning
the
Manifestations
that
will
come
down
in
the
future
‘in
the
shadows
of
the
clouds,’
know
verily
that
in
so
far
as
their
relation
to
the
source
of
their
inspiration
is
concerned
they
are
under
the
shadow
of
the
Ancient
Beauty.
In
their
relation,
however,
to
the
age
in
which
they
appear,
each
and
every
one
of
them
‘doeth
whatsoever
He
willeth.’”
“O
my
friend!”
He thus addresses in one of His Tablets a man of recognized authority and standing, “The
undying
Fire
which
the
Lord
of
the
Kingdom
hath
kindled
in
the
midst
of
the
holy
Tree
is
burning
fiercely
in
the
midmost
heart
of
the
world.
The
conflagration
it
will
provoke
will
envelop
the
whole
earth.
Its
blazing
flames
will
illuminate
its
peoples
and
kindreds.
All
the
signs
have
been
revealed;
every
prophetic
allusion
hath
been
manifested.
Whatever
hath
been
enshrined
in
all
the
Scriptures
of
the
past
hath
been
made
evident.
To
doubt
or
hesitate
is
no
more
possible…
Time
is
pressing.
The
Divine
Charger
is
impatient,
and
can
tarry
no
longer.
Ours
is
the
duty
to
rush
forward
and,
ere
it
is
too
late,
win
the
victory.”
And finally, is this most stirring passage which He, in one of His moments of exultation, was moved to address to one of His most trusted and eminent followers in the earliest days of His ministry: “What
more
shall
I
say?
What
else
can
my
pen
recount?
So
loud
is
the
call
that
reverberates
from
the
Abhá
Kingdom
that
mortal
ears
are
well-nigh
deafened
with
its
vibrations.
The
whole
creation,
methinks,
is
being
disrupted
and
is
bursting
asunder
through
the
shattering
influence
of
the
Divine
summons
issued
from
the
throne
of
glory.
More
than
this
I
cannot
write.”
Dearly-beloved friends! Enough has been said, and the quoted excerpts from the writings of the Báb, of Bahá’u’lláh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are sufficiently numerous and varied, to convince the conscientious reader of the sublimity of this unique cycle in the world’s religious history. It would be utterly impossible to over-exaggerate its significance or to overrate the influence it has exerted and which it must increasingly exert as its great system unfolds itself amidst the welter of a collapsing civilization.
To whoever may read these pages a word of warning seems, however, advisable before I proceed further with the development of my argument. Let no one meditating, in the light of the afore-quoted passages, on the nature of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, mistake its character or misconstrue the intent of its Author. The divinity attributed to so great a Being and the complete incarnation of the names and attributes of God in so exalted a Person should, under no circumstances, be misconceived or misinterpreted. The human temple that has been made the vehicle of so overpowering a Revelation must, if we be faithful to the tenets of our Faith, ever remain entirely distinguished from that “innermost Spirit of Spirits” and “eternal Essence of Essences”— that invisible yet rational God Who, however much we extol the divinity of His Manifestations on earth, can in no wise incarnate His infinite, His unknowable, His incorruptible and all-embracing Reality in the concrete and limited frame of a mortal being. Indeed, the God Who could so incarnate His own reality would, in the light of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, cease immediately to be God. So crude and fantastic a theory of Divine incarnation is as removed from, and incompatible with, the essentials of Bahá’í belief as are the no less inadmissible pantheistic and anthropomorphic conceptions of God— both of which the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh emphatically repudiate and the fallacy of which they expose.
He Who in unnumbered passages claimed His utterance to be the “Voice
of
Divinity,
the
Call
of
God
Himself”
thus solemnly affirms in the Kitáb-i-Íqán: “To
every
discerning
and
illumined
heart
it
is
evident
that
God,
the
unknowable
Essence,
the
Divine
Being,
is
immeasurably
exalted
beyond
every
human
attribute
such
as
corporeal
existence,
ascent
and
descent,
egress
and
regress…
He
is,
and
hath
ever
been,
veiled
in
the
ancient
eternity
of
His
Essence,
and
will
remain
in
His
Reality
everlastingly
hidden
from
the
sight
of
men…
He
standeth
exalted
beyond
and
above
all
separation
and
union,
all
proximity
and
remoteness…
‘God
was
alone;
there
was
none
else
beside
Him’
is
a
sure
testimony
of
this
truth.”
“From
time
immemorial,”
Bahá’u’lláh, speaking of God, explains, “He,
the
Divine
Being,
hath
been
veiled
in
the
ineffable
sanctity
of
His
exalted
Self,
and
will
everlasting
continue
to
be
wrapt
in
the
impenetrable
mystery
of
His
unknowable
Essence…
Ten
thousand
Prophets,
each
a
Moses,
are
thunderstruck
upon
the
Sinai
of
their
search
at
God’s
forbidding
voice,
‘Thou
shalt
never
behold
Me!’;
whilst
a
myriad
Messengers,
each
as
great
as
Jesus,
stand
dismayed
upon
their
heavenly
thrones
by
the
interdiction
‘Mine
Essence
thou
shalt
never
apprehend!’”
“How
bewildering
to
me,
insignificant
as
I
am,”
Bahá’u’lláh in His communion with God affirms, “is
the
attempt
to
fathom
the
sacred
depths
of
Thy
knowledge!
How
futile
my
efforts
to
visualize
the
magnitude
of
the
power
inherent
in
Thine
handiwork—
the
revelation
of
Thy
creative
power!”
“When
I
contemplate,
O
my
God,
the
relationship
that
bindeth
me
to
Thee,”
He, in yet another prayer revealed in His own handwriting, testifies, “I
am
moved
to
proclaim
to
all
created
things
‘verily
I
am
God!’;
and
when
I
consider
my
own
self,
lo,
I
find
it
coarser
than
clay!”
“The
door
of
the
knowledge
of
the
Ancient
of
Days,”
Bahá’u’lláh further states in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, “being
thus
closed
in
the
face
of
all
beings,
He,
the
Source
of
infinite
grace…
hath
caused
those
luminous
Gems
of
Holiness
to
appear
out
of
the
realm
of
the
spirit,
in
the
noble
form
of
the
human
temple,
and
be
made
manifest
unto
all
men,
that
they
may
impart
unto
the
world
the
mysteries
of
the
unchangeable
Being
and
tell
of
the
subtleties
of
His
imperishable
Essence…
All
the
Prophets
of
God,
His
well-favored,
His
holy
and
chosen
Messengers
are,
without
exception,
the
bearers
of
His
names
and
the
embodiments
of
His
attributes…
These
Tabernacles
of
Holiness,
these
primal
Mirrors
which
reflect
the
Light
of
unfading
glory,
are
but
expressions
of
Him
Who
is
the
Invisible
of
the
Invisibles.”
That Bahá’u’lláh should, notwithstanding the overwhelming intensity of His Revelation, be regarded as essentially one of these Manifestations of God, never to be identified with that invisible Reality, the Essence of Divinity itself, is one of the major beliefs of our Faith— a belief which should never be obscured and the integrity of which no one of its followers should allow to be compromised.
Nor does the Bahá’í Revelation, claiming as it does to be the culmination of a prophetic cycle and the fulfillment of the promise of all ages, attempt, under any circumstances, to invalidate those first and everlasting principles that animate and underlie the religions that have preceded it. The God-given authority, vested in each one of them, it admits and establishes as its firmest and ultimate basis. It regards them in no other light except as different stages in the eternal history and constant evolution of one religion, Divine and indivisible, of which it itself forms but an integral part. It neither seeks to obscure their Divine origin, nor to dwarf the admitted magnitude of their colossal achievements. It can countenance no attempt that seeks to distort their features or to stultify the truths which they instill. Its teachings do not deviate a hairbreadth from the verities they enshrine, nor does the weight of its message detract one jot or one tittle from the influence they exert or the loyalty they inspire. Far from aiming at the overthrow of the spiritual foundation of the world’s religious systems, its avowed, its unalterable purpose is to widen their basis, to restate their fundamentals, to reconcile their aims, to reinvigorate their life, to demonstrate their oneness, to restore the pristine purity of their teachings, to coördinate their functions and to assist in the realization of their highest aspirations. These divinely-revealed religions, as a close observer has graphically expressed it, “are doomed not to die, but to be reborn… ‘Does not the child succumb in the youth and the youth in the man; yet neither child nor youth perishes?’”
“They
Who
are
the
Luminaries
of
Truth
and
the
Mirrors
reflecting
the
light
of
Divine
Unity,”
Bahá’u’lláh explains in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, “in
whatever
age
and
cycle
they
are
sent
down
from
their
invisible
habitations
of
ancient
glory
unto
this
world
to
educate
the
souls
of
men
and
endue
with
grace
all
created
things,
are
invariably
endowed
with
an
all-compelling
power
and
invested
with
invincible
sovereignty…
These
sanctified
Mirrors,
these
Day-Springs
of
ancient
glory
are
one
and
all
the
exponents
on
earth
of
Him
Who
is
the
central
Orb
of
the
universe,
its
essence
and
ultimate
purpose.
From
Him
proceed
their
knowledge
and
power;
from
Him
is
derived
their
sovereignty.
The
beauty
of
their
countenance
is
but
a
reflection
of
His
image,
and
their
revelation
a
sign
of
His
deathless
glory…
Through
them
is
transmitted
a
grace
that
is
infinite,
and
by
them
is
revealed
the
light
that
can
never
fade…
Human
tongue
can
never
befittingly
sing
their
praise,
and
human
speech
can
never
unfold
their
mystery.”
“Inasmuch
as
these
Birds
of
the
celestial
Throne,”
He adds, “are
all
sent
down
from
the
heaven
of
the
Will
of
God,
and
as
they
all
arise
to
proclaim
His
irresistible
Faith,
they
therefore
are
regarded
as
one
soul
and
the
same
person…
They
all
abide
in
the
same
tabernacle,
soar
in
the
same
heaven,
are
seated
upon
the
same
throne,
utter
the
same
speech,
and
proclaim
the
same
Faith…
They
only
differ
in
the
intensity
of
their
revelation
and
the
comparative
potency
of
their
light…
That
a
certain
attribute
of
God
hath
not
been
outwardly
manifested
by
these
Essences
of
Detachment
doth
in
no
wise
imply
that
they
Who
are
the
Day-Springs
of
God’s
attributes
and
the
Treasuries
of
His
holy
names
did
not
actually
possess
it.”
It should also be borne in mind that, great as is the power manifested by this Revelation and however vast the range of the Dispensation its Author has inaugurated, it emphatically repudiates the claim to be regarded as the final revelation of God’s will and purpose for mankind. To hold such a conception of its character and functions would be tantamount to a betrayal of its cause and a denial of its truth. It must necessarily conflict with the fundamental principle which constitutes the bedrock of Bahá’í belief, the principle that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is orderly, continuous and progressive and not spasmodic or final. Indeed, the categorical rejection by the followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh of the claim to finality which any religious system inaugurated by the Prophets of the past may advance is as clear and emphatic as their own refusal to claim that same finality for the Revelation with which they stand identified. “To
believe
that
all
revelation
is
ended,
that
the
portals
of
Divine
mercy
are
closed,
that
from
the
daysprings
of
eternal
holiness
no
sun
shall
rise
again,
that
the
ocean
of
everlasting
bounty
is
forever
stilled,
and
that
out
of
the
tabernacle
of
ancient
glory
the
Messengers
of
God
have
ceased
to
be
made
manifest”
must constitute in the eyes of every follower of the Faith a grave, an inexcusable departure from one of its most cherished and fundamental principles.
A reference to some of the already quoted utterances of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will surely suffice to establish, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the truth of this cardinal principle. Might not the following passage of the Hidden Words be, likewise, construed as an allegorical allusion to the progressiveness of Divine Revelation and an admission by its Author that the Message with which He has been entrusted is not the final and ultimate expression of the will and guidance of the Almighty? “O
Son
of
Justice!
In
the
night-season
the
beauty
of
the
immortal
Being
hath
repaired
from
the
emerald
height
of
fidelity
unto
the
Sadratu’l-Muntahá,
and
wept
with
such
a
weeping
that
the
concourse
on
high
and
the
dwellers
of
the
realms
above
wailed
at
His
lamenting.
Whereupon
there
was
asked,
Why
the
wailing
and
weeping?
He
made
reply:
As
bidden
I
waited
expectant
upon
the
hill
of
faithfulness,
yet
inhaled
not
from
them
that
dwell
on
earth
the
fragrance
of
fidelity.
Then
summoned
to
return
I
beheld,
and
lo!
certain
doves
of
holiness
were
sore
tried
within
the
claws
of
the
dogs
of
earth.
Thereupon
the
Maid
of
heaven
hastened
forth
unveiled
and
resplendent
from
Her
mystic
mansion,
and
asked
of
their
names,
and
all
were
told
but
one.
And
when
urged,
the
first
letter
thereof
was
uttered,
whereupon
the
dwellers
of
the
celestial
chambers
rushed
forth
out
of
their
habitation
of
glory.
And
whilst
the
second
letter
was
pronounced
they
fell
down,
one
and
all,
upon
the
dust.
At
that
moment
a
voice
was
heard
from
the
inmost
shrine:
‘Thus
far
and
no
farther.’
Verily
We
bear
witness
to
that
which
they
have
done
and
now
are
doing.”
In a more explicit language Bahá’u’lláh testifies to this truth in one of His Tablets revealed in Adrianople: “Know
verily
that
the
veil
hiding
Our
countenance
hath
not
been
completely
lifted.
We
have
revealed
Our
Self
to
a
degree
corresponding
to
the
capacity
of
the
people
of
Our
age.
Should
the
Ancient
Beauty
be
unveiled
in
the
fullness
of
His
glory
mortal
eyes
would
be
blinded
by
the
dazzling
intensity
of
His
revelation.”
In the Súriy-i-Ṣabr, revealed as far back as the year 1863, on the very first day of His arrival in the garden of Riḍván, He thus affirms: “God
hath
sent
down
His
Messengers
to
succeed
to
Moses
and
Jesus,
and
He
will
continue
to
do
so
till
‘the
end
that
hath
no
end’;
so
that
His
grace
may,
from
the
heaven
of
Divine
bounty,
be
continually
vouchsafed
to
mankind.”
“I
am
not
apprehensive
for
My
own
self,”
Bahá’u’lláh still more explicitly declares, “My
fears
are
for
Him
Who
will
be
sent
down
unto
you
after
Me—
Him
Who
will
be
invested
with
great
sovereignty
and
mighty
dominion.”
And again He writes in the Súratu’l-Haykal: “By
those
words
which
I
have
revealed,
Myself
is
not
intended,
but
rather
He
Who
will
come
after
Me.
To
it
is
witness
God,
the
All-Knowing.”
He adds, “Deal
not
with
Him,”
“as
ye
have
dealt
with
Me.”
In a more circumstantial passage the Báb upholds the same truth in His writings. “It
is
clear
and
evident,”
He writes in the Persian Bayán, “that
the
object
of
all
preceding
Dispensations
hath
been
to
pave
the
way
for
the
advent
of
Muḥammad,
the
Apostle
of
God.
These,
including
the
Muḥammadan
Dispensation,
have
had,
in
their
turn,
as
their
objective
the
Revelation
proclaimed
by
the
Qá’im.
The
purpose
underlying
this
Revelation,
as
well
as
those
that
preceded
it,
has,
in
like
manner,
been
to
announce
the
advent
of
the
Faith
of
Him
Whom
God
will
make
manifest.
And
this
Faith—
the
Faith
of
Him
Whom
God
will
make
manifest—
in
its
turn,
together
with
all
the
Revelations
gone
before
it,
have
as
their
object
the
Manifestation
destined
to
succeed
it.
And
the
latter,
no
less
than
all
the
Revelations
preceding
it,
prepare
the
way
for
the
Revelation
which
is
yet
to
follow.
The
process
of
the
rise
and
setting
of
the
Sun
of
Truth
will
thus
indefinitely
continue—
a
process
that
hath
had
no
beginning
and
will
have
no
end.”
“Know
of
a
certainty,”
Bahá’u’lláh explains in this connection, “that
in
every
Dispensation
the
light
of
Divine
Revelation
hath
been
vouchsafed
to
men
in
direct
proportion
to
their
spiritual
capacity.
Consider
the
sun.
How
feeble
its
rays
the
moment
it
appeareth
above
the
horizon.
How
gradually
its
warmth
and
potency
increase
as
it
approacheth
its
zenith,
enabling
meanwhile
all
created
things
to
adapt
themselves
to
the
growing
intensity
of
its
light.
How
steadily
it
declineth
until
it
reacheth
its
setting
point.
Were
it
all
of
a
sudden
to
manifest
the
energies
latent
within
it,
it
would
no
doubt
cause
injury
to
all
created
things…
In
like
manner,
if
the
Sun
of
Truth
were
suddenly
to
reveal,
at
the
earliest
stages
of
its
manifestation,
the
full
measure
of
the
potencies
which
the
providence
of
the
Almighty
hath
bestowed
upon
it,
the
earth
of
human
understanding
would
waste
away
and
be
consumed;
for
men’s
hearts
would
neither
sustain
the
intensity
of
its
revelation,
nor
be
able
to
mirror
forth
the
radiance
of
its
light.
Dismayed
and
overpowered,
they
would
cease
to
exist.”
In the light of these clear and conclusive statements it is our clear duty to make it indubitably evident to every seeker after truth that from “the beginning that hath no beginning” the Prophets of the one, the unknowable God, including Bahá’u’lláh Himself, have all, as the channels of God’s grace, as the exponents of His unity, as the mirrors of His light and the revealers of His purpose, been commissioned to unfold to mankind an ever-increasing measure of His truth, of His inscrutable will and Divine guidance, and will continue to “the end that hath no end” to vouchsafe still fuller and mightier revelations of His limitless power and glory.
We might well ponder in our hearts the following passages from a prayer revealed by Bahá’u’lláh which strikingly affirm, and are a further evidence of, the reality of the great and essential truth lying at the very core of His Message to mankind: “Praise
be
to
Thee,
O
Lord
my
God,
for
the
wondrous
revelations
of
Thine
inscrutable
decree
and
the
manifold
woes
and
trials
Thou
hast
destined
for
myself.
At
one
time
Thou
didst
deliver
me
into
the
hands
of
Nimrod;
at
another
Thou
hast
allowed
Pharaoh’s
rod
to
persecute
me.
Thou
alone
canst
estimate,
through
Thine
all-encompassing
knowledge
and
the
operation
of
Thy
Will,
the
incalculable
afflictions
I
have
suffered
at
their
hands.
Again
Thou
didst
cast
me
into
the
prison-cell
of
the
ungodly
for
no
reason
except
that
I
was
moved
to
whisper
into
the
ears
of
the
well-favored
denizens
of
Thy
kingdom
an
intimation
of
the
vision
with
which
Thou
hadst,
through
Thy
knowledge,
inspired
me
and
revealed
to
me
its
meaning
through
the
potency
of
Thy
might.
And
again
Thou
didst
decree
that
I
be
beheaded
by
the
sword
of
the
infidel.
Again
I
was
crucified
for
having
unveiled
to
men’s
eyes
the
hidden
gems
of
Thy
glorious
unity,
for
having
revealed
to
them
the
wondrous
signs
of
Thy
sovereign
and
everlasting
power.
How
bitter
the
humiliations
heaped
upon
me,
in
a
subsequent
age,
on
the
plain
of
Karbilá!
How
lonely
did
I
feel
amidst
Thy
people;
to
what
state
of
helplessness
I
was
reduced
in
that
land!
Unsatisfied
with
such
indignities,
my
persecutors
decapitated
me
and
carrying
aloft
my
head
from
land
to
land
paraded
it
before
the
gaze
of
the
unbelieving
multitude
and
deposited
it
on
the
seats
of
the
perverse
and
faithless.
In
a
later
age
I
was
suspended
and
my
breast
was
made
a
target
to
the
darts
of
the
malicious
cruelty
of
my
foes.
My
limbs
were
riddled
with
bullets
and
my
body
was
torn
asunder.
Finally,
behold
how
in
this
day
my
treacherous
enemies
have
leagued
themselves
against
me,
and
are
continually
plotting
to
instill
the
venom
of
hate
and
malice
into
the
souls
of
Thy
servants.
With
all
their
might
they
are
scheming
to
accomplish
their
purpose…
Grievous
as
is
my
plight,
O
God,
my
Well-beloved,
I
render
thanks
unto
Thee,
and
my
spirit
is
grateful
for
whatsoever
hath
befallen
me
in
the
path
of
Thy
good-pleasure.
I
am
well
pleased
with
that
which
Thou
didst
ordain
for
me,
and
welcome,
however
calamitous,
the
pains
and
sorrows
I
am
made
to
suffer.”
Dearly-beloved friends! That the Báb, the inaugurator of the Bábí Dispensation, is fully entitled to rank as one of the self-sufficient Manifestations of God, that He has been invested with sovereign power and authority, and exercises all the rights and prerogatives of independent Prophethood, is yet another fundamental verity which the Message of Bahá’u’lláh insistently proclaims and which its followers must uncompromisingly uphold. That He is not to be regarded merely as an inspired Precursor of the Bahá’í Revelation, that in His person, as He Himself bears witness in the Persian Bayán, the object of all the Prophets gone before Him has been fulfilled, is a truth which I feel it my duty to demonstrate and emphasize. We would assuredly be failing in our duty to the Faith we profess and would be violating one of its basic and sacred principles if in our words or by our conduct we hesitate to recognize the implications of this root principle of Bahá’í belief, or refuse to uphold unreservedly its integrity and demonstrate its truth. Indeed the chief motive actuating me to undertake the task of editing and translating Nabíl’s immortal Narrative has been to enable every follower of the Faith in the West to better understand and more readily grasp the tremendous implications of His exalted station and to more ardently admire and love Him.
There can be no doubt that the claim to the twofold station ordained for the Báb by the Almighty, a claim which He Himself has so boldly advanced, which Bahá’u’lláh has repeatedly affirmed, and to which the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has finally given the sanction of its testimony, constitutes the most distinctive feature of the Bahá’í Dispensation. It is a further evidence of its uniqueness, a tremendous accession to the strength, to the mysterious power and authority with which this holy cycle has been invested. Indeed the greatness of the Báb consists primarily, not in His being the divinely-appointed Forerunner of so transcendent a Revelation, but rather in His having been invested with the powers inherent in the inaugurator of a separate religious Dispensation, and in His wielding, to a degree unrivaled by the Messengers gone before Him, the scepter of independent Prophethood.
The short duration of His Dispensation, the restricted range within which His laws and ordinances have been made to operate, supply no criterion whatever wherewith to judge its Divine origin and to evaluate the potency of its message. “That
so
brief
a
span,”
Bahá’u’lláh Himself explains, “should
have
separated
this
most
mighty
and
wondrous
Revelation
from
Mine
own
previous
Manifestation,
is
a
secret
that
no
man
can
unravel
and
a
mystery
such
as
no
mind
can
fathom.
Its
duration
had
been
foreordained,
and
no
man
shall
ever
discover
its
reason
unless
and
until
he
be
informed
of
the
contents
of
My
Hidden
Book.”
“Behold,”
Bahá’u’lláh further explains in the Kitáb-i-Badí‘, one of His works refuting the arguments of the people of the Bayán, “behold,
how
immediately
upon
the
completion
of
the
ninth
year
of
this
wondrous,
this
most
holy
and
merciful
Dispensation,
the
requisite
number
of
pure,
of
wholly
consecrated
and
sanctified
souls
had
been
most
secretly
consummated.”
The marvelous happenings that have heralded the advent of the Founder of the Bábí Dispensation, the dramatic circumstances of His own eventful life, the miraculous tragedy of His martyrdom, the magic of His influence exerted on the most eminent and powerful among His countrymen, to all of which every chapter of Nabíl’s stirring narrative testifies, should in themselves be regarded as sufficient evidence of the validity of His claim to so exalted a station among the Prophets.
However graphic the record which the eminent chronicler of His life has transmitted to posterity, so luminous a narrative must pale before the glowing tribute paid to the Báb by the pen of Bahá’u’lláh. This tribute the Báb Himself has, by the clear assertion of His claim, abundantly supported, while the written testimonies of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have powerfully reinforced its character and elucidated its meaning.
Where else if not in the Kitáb-i-Íqán can the student of the Bábí Dispensation seek to find those affirmations that unmistakably attest the power and spirit which no man, except he be a Manifestation of God, can manifest? “Could
such
a
thing,”
exclaims Bahá’u’lláh, “be
made
manifest
except
through
the
power
of
a
Divine
Revelation
and
the
potency
of
God’s
invincible
Will?
By
the
righteousness
of
God!
Were
any
one
to
entertain
so
great
a
Revelation
in
his
heart
the
thought
of
such
a
declaration
would
alone
confound
him!
Were
the
hearts
of
all
men
to
be
crowded
into
his
heart,
he
would
still
hesitate
to
venture
upon
so
awful
an
enterprise.”
“No
eye,”
He in another passage affirms, “hath
beheld
so
great
an
outpouring
of
bounty,
nor
hath
any
ear
heard
of
such
a
Revelation
of
loving-kindness…
The
Prophets
‘endowed
with
constancy,’
whose
loftiness
and
glory
shine
as
the
sun,
were
each
honored
with
a
Book
which
all
have
seen,
and
the
verses
of
which
have
been
duly
ascertained.
Whereas
the
verses
which
have
rained
from
this
Cloud
of
divine
mercy
have
been
so
abundant
that
none
hath
yet
been
able
to
estimate
their
number…
How
can
they
belittle
this
Revelation?
Hath
any
age
witnessed
such
momentous
happenings?”
Commenting on the character and influence of those heroes and martyrs whom the spirit of the Báb had so magically transformed Bahá’u’lláh reveals the following: “If
these
companions
be
not
the
true
strivers
after
God,
who
else
could
be
called
by
this
name?…
If
these
companions,
with
all
their
marvelous
testimonies
and
wondrous
works,
be
false,
who
then
is
worthy
to
claim
for
himself
the
truth?…
Has
the
world
since
the
days
of
Adam
witnessed
such
tumult,
such
violent
commotion?…
Methinks,
patience
was
revealed
only
by
virtue
of
their
fortitude,
and
faithfulness
itself
was
begotten
only
by
their
deeds.”
Wishing to stress the sublimity of the Báb’s exalted station as compared with that of the Prophets of the past, Bahá’u’lláh in that same epistle asserts: “No
understanding
can
grasp
the
nature
of
His
Revelation,
nor
can
any
knowledge
comprehend
the
full
measure
of
His
Faith.”
He then quotes, in confirmation of His argument, these prophetic words: “Knowledge
is
twenty
and
seven
letters.
All
that
the
Prophets
have
revealed
are
two
letters
thereof.
No
man
thus
far
hath
known
more
than
these
two
letters.
But
when
the
Qá’im
shall
arise,
He
will
cause
the
remaining
twenty
and
five
letters
to
be
made
manifest.”
He adds, “Behold,”
“how
great
and
lofty
is
His
station!
His
rank
excelleth
that
of
all
the
Prophets
and
His
Revelation
transcendeth
the
comprehension
and
understanding
of
all
their
chosen
ones.”
“Of
His
Revelation,”
He further adds, “the
Prophets
of
God,
His
saints
and
chosen
ones,
have
either
not
been
informed,
or,
in
pursuance
of
God’s
inscrutable
decree,
they
have
not
disclosed.”
Of all the tributes which Bahá’u’lláh’s unerring pen has chosen to pay to the memory of the Báb, His “Best-Beloved,” the most memorable and touching is this brief, yet eloquent passage which so greatly enhances the value of the concluding passages of that same epistle. “Amidst
them
all,”
He writes, referring to the afflictive trials and dangers besetting Him in the city of Baghdád, “We
stand
life
in
hand
wholly
resigned
to
His
Will,
that
perchance
through
God’s
loving
kindness
and
grace,
this
revealed
and
manifest
Letter
(Bahá’u’lláh)
may
lay
down
His
life
as
a
sacrifice
in
the
path
of
the
Primal
Point,
the
most
exalted
Word
(the
Báb).
By
Him,
at
Whose
bidding
the
Spirit
hath
spoken,
but
for
this
yearning
of
Our
soul,
We
would
not,
for
one
moment,
have
tarried
any
longer
in
this
city.”
Dearly-beloved friends! So resounding a praise, so bold an assertion issued by the pen of Bahá’u’lláh in so weighty a work, are fully re-echoed in the language in which the Source of the Bábí Revelation has chosen to clothe the claims He Himself has advanced. “I
am
the
Mystic
Fane,”
the Báb thus proclaims His station in the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’, “which
the
Hand
of
Omnipotence
hath
reared.
I
am
the
Lamp
which
the
Finger
of
God
hath
lit
within
its
niche
and
caused
to
shine
with
deathless
splendor.
I
am
the
Flame
of
that
supernal
Light
that
glowed
upon
Sinai
in
the
gladsome
Spot,
and
lay
concealed
in
the
midst
of
the
Burning
Bush.”
He, addressing Himself in that same commentary, exclaims, “O
Qurratu’l-‘Ayn!”
“I
recognize
in
Thee
none
other
except
the
‘Great
Announcement’—
the
Announcement
voiced
by
the
Concourse
on
high.
By
this
name,
I
bear
witness,
they
that
circle
the
Throne
of
Glory
have
ever
known
Thee.”
“With
each
and
every
Prophet,
Whom
We
have
sent
down
in
the
past,”
He further adds, “We
have
established
a
separate
Covenant
concerning
the
‘Remembrance
of
God’
and
His
Day.
Manifest,
in
the
realm
of
glory
and
through
the
power
of
truth,
are
the
‘Remembrance
of
God’
and
His
Day
before
the
eyes
of
the
angels
that
circle
His
mercy-seat.”
“Should
it
be
Our
wish,”
He again affirms, “it
is
in
Our
power
to
compel,
through
the
agency
of
but
one
letter
of
Our
Revelation,
the
world
and
all
that
is
therein
to
recognize,
in
less
than
the
twinkling
of
an
eye,
the
truth
of
Our
Cause.”
“I
am
the
Primal
Point,”
the Báb thus addresses Muḥammad Sháh from the prison-fortress of Máh-Kú, “from
which
have
been
generated
all
created
things…
I
am
the
Countenance
of
God
Whose
splendor
can
never
be
obscured,
the
light
of
God
whose
radiance
can
never
fade…
All
the
keys
of
heaven
God
hath
chosen
to
place
on
My
right
hand,
and
all
the
keys
of
hell
on
My
left…
I
am
one
of
the
sustaining
pillars
of
the
Primal
Word
of
God.
Whosoever
hath
recognized
Me,
hath
known
all
that
is
true
and
right,
and
hath
attained
all
that
is
good
and
seemly…
The
substance
wherewith
God
hath
created
Me
is
not
the
clay
out
of
which
others
have
been
formed.
He
hath
conferred
upon
Me
that
which
the
worldly-wise
can
never
comprehend,
nor
the
faithful
discover.”
“Should
a
tiny
ant,”
the Báb, wishing to stress the limitless potentialities latent in His Dispensation, characteristically affirms, “desire
in
this
day
to
be
possessed
of
such
power
as
to
be
able
to
unravel
the
abstrusest
and
most
bewildering
passages
of
the
Qur’án,
its
wish
will
no
doubt
be
fulfilled,
inasmuch
as
the
mystery
of
eternal
might
vibrates
within
the
innermost
being
of
all
created
things.”
“If
so
helpless
a
creature,”
is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s comment on so startling an affirmation, “can
be
endowed
with
so
subtle
a
capacity,
how
much
more
efficacious
must
be
the
power
released
through
the
liberal
effusions
of
the
grace
of
Bahá’u’lláh!”
To these authoritative assertions and solemn declarations made by Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb must be added ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own incontrovertible testimony. He, the appointed interpreter of the utterances of both Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, corroborates, not by implication but in clear and categorical language, both in His Tablets and in His Testament, the truth of the statements to which I have already referred.
In a Tablet addressed to a Bahá’í in Mázindarán, in which He unfolds the meaning of a misinterpreted statement attributed to Him regarding the rise of the Sun of Truth in this century, He sets forth, briefly but conclusively, what should remain for all time our true conception of the relationship between the two Manifestations associated with the Bahá’í Dispensation. “In
making
such
a
statement,”
He explains, “I
had
in
mind
no
one
else
except
the
Báb
and
Bahá’u’lláh,
the
character
of
whose
Revelations
it
had
been
my
purpose
to
elucidate.
The
Revelation
of
the
Báb
may
be
likened
to
the
sun,
its
station
corresponding
to
the
first
sign
of
the
Zodiac—
the
sign
Aries—
which
the
sun
enters
at
the
Vernal
Equinox.
The
station
of
Bahá’u’lláh’s
Revelation,
on
the
other
hand,
is
represented
by
the
sign
Leo,
the
sun’s
mid-summer
and
highest
station.
By
this
is
meant
that
this
holy
Dispensation
is
illumined
with
the
light
of
the
Sun
of
Truth
shining
from
its
most
exalted
station,
and
in
the
plenitude
of
its
resplendency,
its
heat
and
glory.”
“The
Báb,
the
Exalted
One,”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá more specifically affirms in another Tablet, “is
the
Morn
of
Truth,
the
splendor
of
Whose
light
shineth
throughout
all
regions.
He
is
also
the
Harbinger
of
the
Most
Great
Light,
the
Abhá
Luminary.
The
Blessed
Beauty
is
the
One
promised
by
the
sacred
books
of
the
past,
the
revelation
of
the
Source
of
light
that
shone
upon
Mount
Sinai,
Whose
fire
glowed
in
the
midst
of
the
Burning
Bush.
We
are,
one
and
all,
servants
of
their
threshold,
and
stand
each
as
a
lowly
keeper
at
their
door.”
“Every
proof
and
prophecy,”
is His still more emphatic warning, “every
manner
of
evidence,
whether
based
on
reason
or
on
the
text
of
the
scriptures
and
traditions,
are
to
be
regarded
as
centered
in
the
persons
of
Bahá’u’lláh
and
the
Báb.
In
them
is
to
be
found
their
complete
fulfillment.”
And finally, in His Will and Testament, the repository of His last wishes and parting instructions, He in the following passage, specifically designed to set forth the guiding principles of Bahá’í belief, sets the seal of His testimony on the Báb’s dual and exalted station: “The
foundation
of
the
belief
of
the
people
of
Bahá
(may
my
life
be
offered
up
for
them)
is
this:
His
holiness
the
exalted
One
(the
Báb)
is
the
Manifestation
of
the
unity
and
oneness
of
God
and
the
Forerunner
of
the
Ancient
Beauty
(Bahá’u’lláh).
His
holiness,
the
Abhá
Beauty
(Bahá’u’lláh)(may
my
life
be
offered
up
as
a
sacrifice
for
His
steadfast
friends)
is
the
supreme
Manifestation
of
God
and
the
Day-Spring
of
His
most
divine
Essence.”
“All
others,”
He significantly adds, “are
servants
unto
Him
and
do
His
bidding.”
Dearly-beloved friends! I have in the foregoing pages ventured to attempt an exposition of such truths as I firmly believe are implicit in the claim of Him Who is the Fountain-Head of the Bahá’í Revelation. I have moreover endeavored to dissipate such misapprehensions as may naturally arise in the mind of any one contemplating so superhuman a manifestation of the glory of God. I have striven to explain the meaning of the divinity with which He Who is the vehicle of so mysterious an energy must needs be invested. That the Message which so great a Being has, in this age, been commissioned by God to deliver to mankind recognizes the divine origin and upholds the first principles of every Dispensation inaugurated by the prophets of the past, and stands inextricably interwoven with each one of them, I have also to the best of my ability undertaken to demonstrate. That the Author of such a Faith, Who repudiates the claim to finality which leaders of various denominations uphold has, despite the vastness of His Revelation, disclaimed it for Himself I have, likewise, felt it necessary to prove and emphasize. That the Báb, notwithstanding the duration of His Dispensation, should be regarded primarily, not as the chosen Precursor of the Bahá’í Faith, but as One invested with the undivided authority assumed by each of the independent Prophets of the past, seemed to me yet another basic principle the elucidation of which would be extremely desirable at the present stage of the evolution of our Cause.
An attempt I strongly feel should now be made to clarify our minds regarding the station occupied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the significance of His position in this holy Dispensation. It would be indeed difficult for us, who stand so close to such a tremendous figure and are drawn by the mysterious power of so magnetic a personality, to obtain a clear and exact understanding of the rôle and character of One Who, not only in the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh but in the entire field of religious history, fulfills a unique function. Though moving in a sphere of His own and holding a rank radically different from that of the Author and the Forerunner of the Bahá’í Revelation, He, by virtue of the station ordained for Him through the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, forms together with them what may be termed the Three Central Figures of a Faith that stands unapproached in the world’s spiritual history. He towers, in conjunction with them, above the destinies of this infant Faith of God from a level to which no individual or body ministering to its needs after Him, and for no less a period than a full thousand years, can ever hope to rise. To degrade His lofty rank by identifying His station with or by regarding it as roughly equivalent to, the position of those on whom the mantle of His authority has fallen would be an act of impiety as grave as the no less heretical belief that inclines to exalt Him to a state of absolute equality with either the central Figure or Forerunner of our Faith. For wide as is the gulf that separates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from Him Who is the Source of an independent Revelation, it can never be regarded as commensurate with the greater distance that stands between Him Who is the Center of the Covenant and His ministers who are to carry on His work, whatever be their name, their rank, their functions or their future achievements. Let those who have known ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who through their contact with His magnetic personality have come to cherish for Him so fervent an admiration, reflect, in the light of this statement, on the greatness of One Who is so far above Him in station.
That ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is not a Manifestation of God, that, though the successor of His Father, He does not occupy a cognate station, that no one else except the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh can ever lay claim to such a station before the expiration of a full thousand years— are verities which lie embedded in the specific utterances of both the Founder of our Faith and the Interpreter of His teachings.
“Whoso
layeth
claim
to
a
Revelation
direct
from
God,”
is the express warning uttered in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, “ere
the
expiration
of
a
full
thousand
years,
such
a
man
is
assuredly
a
lying
imposter.
We
pray
God
that
He
may
graciously
assist
him
to
retract
and
repudiate
such
claim.
Should
he
repent,
God
will
no
doubt
forgive
him.
If,
however,
he
persists
in
his
error,
God
will
assuredly
send
down
one
who
will
deal
mercilessly
with
him.
Terrible
indeed
is
God
in
punishing!”
He adds as a further emphasis, “Whosoever,”
“interpreteth
this
verse
otherwise
than
its
obvious
meaning
is
deprived
of
the
Spirit
of
God
and
of
His
mercy
which
encompasseth
all
created
things.”
“Should
a
man
appear,”
is yet another conclusive statement, “ere
the
lapse
of
a
full
thousand
years—
each
year
consisting
of
twelve
months
according
to
the
Qur’án,
and
of
nineteen
months
of
nineteen
days
each,
according
to
the
Bayán—
and
if
such
a
man
reveal
to
your
eyes
all
the
signs
of
God,
unhesitatingly
reject
him!”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own statements, in confirmation of this warning, are no less emphatic and binding: “This
is,”
He declares, “my
firm,
my
unshakable
conviction,
the
essence
of
my
unconcealed
and
explicit
belief—
a
conviction
and
belief
which
the
denizens
of
the
Abhá
Kingdom
fully
share:
The
Blessed
Beauty
is
the
Sun
of
Truth,
and
His
light
the
light
of
truth.
The
Báb
is
likewise
the
Sun
of
Truth,
and
His
light
the
light
of
truth…
My
station
is
the
station
of
servitude—
a
servitude
which
is
complete,
pure
and
real,
firmly
established,
enduring,
obvious,
explicitly
revealed
and
subject
to
no
interpretation
whatever…
I
am
the
Interpreter
of
the
Word
of
God;
such
is
my
interpretation.”
Does not ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His own Will— in a tone and language that might well confound the most inveterate among the breakers of His Father’s Covenant— rob of their chief weapon those who so long and so persistently had striven to impute to Him the charge of having tacitly claimed a station equal, if not superior, to that of Bahá’u’lláh? “The
foundation
of
the
belief
of
the
people
of
Bahá
is
this,”
thus proclaims one of the weightiest passages of that last document left to voice in perpetuity the directions and wishes of a departed Master, “His
Holiness
the
Exalted
One
(the
Báb)
is
the
Manifestation
of
the
unity
and
oneness
of
God
and
the
Forerunner
of
the
Ancient
Beauty.
His
Holiness
the
Abhá
Beauty
(Bahá’u’lláh)(may
my
life
be
a
sacrifice
for
His
steadfast
friends)
is
the
supreme
Manifestation
of
God
and
the
Day-Spring
of
His
most
divine
Essence.
All
others
are
servants
unto
Him
and
do
His
bidding.”
From such clear and formally laid down statements, incompatible as they are with any assertion of a claim to Prophethood, we should not by any means infer that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is merely one of the servants of the Blessed Beauty, or at best one whose function is to be confined to that of an authorized interpreter of His Father’s teachings. Far be it from me to entertain such a notion or to wish to instill such sentiments. To regard Him in such a light is a manifest betrayal of the priceless heritage bequeathed by Bahá’u’lláh to mankind. Immeasurably exalted is the station conferred upon Him by the Supreme Pen above and beyond the implications of these, His own written statements. Whether in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the most weighty and sacred of all the works of Bahá’u’lláh, or in the Kitáb-i-‘Ahd, the Book of His Covenant, or in the Súriy-i-Ghuṣn (Tablet of the Branch), such references as have been recorded by the pen of Bahá’u’lláh— references which the Tablets of His Father addressed to Him mightily reinforce— invest ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with a power, and surround Him with a halo, which the present generation can never adequately appreciate.
He is, and should for all time be regarded, first and foremost, as the Center and Pivot of Bahá’u’lláh’s peerless and all-enfolding Covenant, His most exalted handiwork, the stainless Mirror of His light, the perfect Exemplar of His teachings, the unerring Interpreter of His Word, the embodiment of every Bahá’í ideal, the incarnation of every Bahá’í virtue, the Most Mighty Branch sprung from the Ancient Root, the Limb of the Law of God, the Being “round
Whom
all
names
revolve,”
the Mainspring of the Oneness of Humanity, the Ensign of the Most Great Peace, the Moon of the Central Orb of this most holy Dispensation— styles and titles that are implicit and find their truest, their highest and fairest expression in the magic name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He is, above and beyond these appellations, the “Mystery
of
God”—
an expression by which Bahá’u’lláh Himself has chosen to designate Him, and which, while it does not by any means justify us to assign to Him the station of Prophethood, indicates how in the person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the incompatible characteristics of a human nature and superhuman knowledge and perfection have been blended and are completely harmonized.
“When
the
ocean
of
My
presence
hath
ebbed
and
the
Book
of
My
Revelation
is
ended,”
proclaims the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, “turn
your
faces
towards
Him
Whom
God
hath
purposed,
Who
hath
branched
from
this
Ancient
Root.”
And again, “When
the
Mystic
Dove
will
have
winged
its
flight
from
its
Sanctuary
of
Praise
and
sought
its
far-off
goal,
its
hidden
habitation,
refer
ye
whatsoever
ye
understand
not
in
the
Book
to
Him
Who
hath
branched
from
this
mighty
Stock.”
In the Kitáb-i-‘Ahd, moreover, Bahá’u’lláh solemnly and explicitly declares: “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:
‘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
other
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.”
In the Súriy-i-Ghuṣn (Tablet of the Branch) the following verses have been recorded: “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.
Magnified
be
He,
therefore,
for
this
sublime,
this
blessed,
this
mighty,
this
exalted
Handiwork!…
A
Word
hath,
as
a
token
of
Our
grace,
gone
forth
from
the
Most
Great
Tablet—
a
Word
which
God
hath
adorned
with
the
ornament
of
His
own
Self,
and
made
it
sovereign
over
the
earth
and
all
that
is
therein,
and
a
sign
of
His
greatness
and
power
among
its
people
…Render
thanks
unto
God,
O
people,
for
His
appearance;
for
verily
He
is
the
most
great
Favor
unto
you,
the
most
perfect
bounty
upon
you;
and
through
Him
every
mouldering
bone
is
quickened.
Whoso
turneth
towards
Him
hath
turned
towards
God,
and
whoso
turneth
away
from
Him
hath
turned
away
from
My
beauty,
hath
repudiated
My
Proof,
and
transgressed
against
Me.
He
is
the
Trust
of
God
amongst
you,
His
charge
within
you,
His
manifestation
unto
you
and
His
appearance
among
His
favored
servants…
We
have
sent
Him
down
in
the
form
of
a
human
temple.
Blest
and
sanctified
be
God
Who
createth
whatsoever
He
willeth
through
His
inviolable,
His
infallible
decree.
They
who
deprive
themselves
of
the
shadow
of
the
Branch,
are
lost
in
the
wilderness
of
error,
are
consumed
by
the
heat
of
worldly
desires,
and
are
of
those
who
will
assuredly
perish.”
“O
Thou
Who
art
the
apple
of
Mine
eye!”
Bahá’u’lláh, in His own handwriting, thus addresses ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “My
glory,
the
ocean
of
My
loving-kindness,
the
sun
of
My
bounty,
the
heaven
of
My
mercy
rest
upon
Thee.
We
pray
God
to
illumine
the
world
through
Thy
knowledge
and
wisdom,
to
ordain
for
Thee
that
which
will
gladden
Thine
heart
and
impart
consolation
to
Thine
eyes.”
“The
glory
of
God
rest
upon
Thee,”
He writes in another Tablet, “and
upon
whosoever
serveth
Thee
and
circleth
around
Thee.
Woe,
great
woe,
betide
him
that
opposeth
and
injureth
Thee.
Well
is
it
with
him
that
sweareth
fealty
to
Thee;
the
fire
of
hell
torment
him
who
is
Thine
enemy.”
He, in yet another Tablet, affirms, “We
have
made
Thee
a
shelter
for
all
mankind,”
“a
shield
unto
all
who
are
in
heaven
and
on
earth,
a
stronghold
for
whosoever
hath
believed
in
God,
the
Incomparable,
the
All-Knowing.
God
grant
that
through
Thee
He
may
protect
them,
may
enrich
and
sustain
them,
that
He
may
inspire
Thee
with
that
which
shall
be
a
wellspring
of
wealth
unto
all
created
things,
an
ocean
of
bounty
unto
all
men,
and
the
dayspring
of
mercy
unto
all
peoples.”
“Thou
knowest,
O
my
God,”
Bahá’u’lláh, in a prayer revealed in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s honor, supplicates, “that
I
desire
for
Him
naught
except
that
which
Thou
didst
desire,
and
have
chosen
Him
for
no
purpose
save
that
which
Thou
hadst
intended
for
Him.
Render
Him
victorious,
therefore,
through
Thy
hosts
of
earth
and
heaven…
Ordain,
I
beseech
Thee,
by
the
ardor
of
My
love
for
Thee
and
My
yearning
to
manifest
Thy
Cause,
for
Him,
as
well
as
for
them
that
love
Him,
that
which
Thou
hast
destined
for
Thy
Messengers
and
the
Trustees
of
Thy
Revelation.
Verily,
Thou
art
the
Almighty,
the
All-Powerful.”
In a letter dictated by Bahá’u’lláh and addressed by Mírzá Áqá Ján, His amanuensis, to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá while the latter was on a visit to Beirut, we read the following: “Praise
be
to
Him
Who
hath
honored
the
Land
of
Bá
(Beirut)
through
the
presence
of
Him
round
Whom
all
names
revolve.
All
the
atoms
of
the
earth
have
announced
unto
all
created
things
that
from
behind
the
gate
of
the
Prison-city
there
hath
appeared
and
above
its
horizon
there
hath
shone
forth
the
Orb
of
the
beauty
of
the
great,
the
Most
Mighty
Branch
of
God—
His
ancient
and
immutable
Mystery—
proceeding
on
its
way
to
another
land.
Sorrow,
thereby,
hath
enveloped
this
Prison-city,
whilst
another
land
rejoiceth…
Blessed,
doubly
blessed,
is
the
ground
which
His
footsteps
have
trodden,
the
eye
that
hath
been
cheered
by
the
beauty
of
His
countenance,
the
ear
that
hath
been
honored
by
hearkening
to
His
call,
the
heart
that
hath
tasted
the
sweetness
of
His
love,
the
breast
that
hath
dilated
through
His
remembrance,
the
pen
that
hath
voiced
His
praise,
the
scroll
that
hath
borne
the
testimony
of
His
writings.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, writing in confirmation of the authority conferred upon Him by Bahá’u’lláh, makes the following statement: “In
accordance
with
the
explicit
text
of
the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Bahá’u’lláh
hath
made
the
Center
of
the
Covenant
the
Interpreter
of
His
Word—
a
Covenant
so
firm
and
mighty
that
from
the
beginning
of
time
until
the
present
day
no
religious
Dispensation
hath
produced
its
like.”
Exalted as is the rank of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and however profuse the praises with which in these sacred Books and Tablets Bahá’u’lláh has glorified His son, so unique a distinction must never be construed as conferring upon its recipient a station identical with, or equivalent to, that of His Father, the Manifestation Himself. To give such an interpretation to any of these quoted passages would at once, and for obvious reasons, bring it into conflict with the no less clear and authentic assertions and warnings to which I have already referred. Indeed, as I have already stated, those who overestimate ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s station are just as reprehensible and have done just as much harm as those who underestimate it. And this for no other reason except that by insisting upon an altogether unwarranted inference from Bahá’u’lláh’s writings they are inadvertently justifying and continuously furnishing the enemy with proofs for his false accusations and misleading statements.
I feel it necessary, therefore, to state without any equivocation or hesitation that neither in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas nor in the Book of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, nor even in the Tablet of the Branch, nor in any other Tablet, whether revealed by Bahá’u’lláh or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is there any authority whatever for the opinion that inclines to uphold the so-called “mystic unity” of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, or to establish the identity of the latter with His Father or with any preceding Manifestation. This erroneous conception may, in part, be ascribed to an altogether extravagant interpretation of certain terms and passages in the Tablet of the Branch, to the introduction into its English translation of certain words that are either non-existent, misleading, or ambiguous in their connotation. It is, no doubt, chiefly based upon an altogether unjustified inference from the opening passages of a Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh, extracts of which, as reproduced in the “Bahá’í Scriptures”, immediately precede, but form no part of, the said Tablet of the Branch. It should be made clear to every one reading those extracts that by the phrase “the Tongue of the Ancient” no one else is meant but God, and that the term “the Greatest Name” is an obvious reference to Bahá’u’lláh, and that “the Covenant” referred to is not the specific Covenant of which Bahá’u’lláh is the immediate Author and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Center but that general Covenant which, as inculcated by the Bahá’í teaching, God Himself invariably establishes with mankind when He inaugurates a new Dispensation. “The Tongue” that “gives,” as stated in those extracts, the “glad-tidings” is none other than the Voice of God referring to Bahá’u’lláh, and not Bahá’u’lláh referring to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Moreover, to maintain that the assertion “He is Myself,” instead of denoting the mystic unity of God and His Manifestations, as explained in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, establishes the identity of Bahá’u’lláh with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, would constitute a direct violation of the oft-repeated principle of the oneness of God’s Manifestations— a principle which the Author of these same extracts is seeking by implication to emphasize.
It would also amount to a reversion to those irrational and superstitious beliefs which have insensibly crept, in the first century of the Christian era, into the teachings of Jesus Christ, and by crystallizing into accepted dogmas have impaired the effectiveness and obscured the purpose of the Christian Faith.
“I
affirm,”
is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own written comment on the Tablet of the Branch, “that
the
true
meaning,
the
real
significance,
the
innermost
secret
of
these
verses,
of
these
very
words,
is
my
own
servitude
to
the
sacred
Threshold
of
the
Abhá
Beauty,
my
complete
self-effacement,
my
utter
nothingness
before
Him.
This
is
my
resplendent
crown,
my
most
precious
adorning.
On
this
I
pride
myself
in
the
kingdom
of
earth
and
heaven.
Therein
I
glory
among
the
company
of
the
well-favored!”
“No
one
is
permitted,”
He warns us in the passage which immediately follows, “to
give
these
verses
any
other
interpretation.”
“I
am,”
He, in this same connection, affirms, “according
to
the
explicit
texts
of
the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas
and
the
Kitáb-i-‘Ahd
the
manifest
Interpreter
of
the
Word
of
God…
Whoso
deviates
from
my
interpretation
is
a
victim
of
his
own
fancy.”
Furthermore, the inescapable inference from the belief in the identity of the Author of our Faith with Him Who is the Center of His Covenant would be to place ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a position superior to that of the Báb, the reverse of which is the fundamental, though not as yet universally recognized, principle of this Revelation. It would also justify the charge with which, all throughout ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ministry, the Covenant-Breakers have striven to poison the minds and pervert the understanding of Bahá’u’lláh’s loyal followers.
It would be more correct, and in consonance with the established principles of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, if instead of maintaining this fictitious identity with reference to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, we regard the Forerunner and the Founder of our Faith as identical in reality— a truth which the text of the Súratu’l-Haykal unmistakably affirms. “Had
the
Primal
Point
(the
Báb)
been
someone
else
beside
Me
as
ye
claim,”
is Bahá’u’lláh’s explicit statement, “and
had
attained
My
presence,
verily
He
would
have
never
allowed
Himself
to
be
separated
from
Me,
but
rather
We
would
have
had
mutual
delights
with
each
other
in
My
Days.”
“He
Who
now
voiceth
the
Word
of
God,”
Bahá’u’lláh again affirms, “is
none
other
except
the
Primal
Point
Who
hath
once
again
been
made
manifest.”
He thus refers to Himself in a Tablet addressed to one of the Letters of the Living, “He
is,”
“the
same
as
the
One
Who
appeared
in
the
year
sixty
(1260
A.H.).
This
verily
is
one
of
His
mighty
signs.”
He pleads in the Súriy-i-Damm, “Who,”
“will
arise
to
secure
the
triumph
of
the
Primal
Beauty
(the
Báb)
revealed
in
the
countenance
of
His
succeeding
Manifestation?”
Referring to the Revelation proclaimed by the Báb He conversely characterizes it as “My
own
previous
Manifestation.”
That ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is not a Manifestation of God, that He gets His light, His inspiration and sustenance direct from the Fountain-head of the Bahá’í Revelation; that He reflects even as a clear and perfect Mirror the rays of Bahá’u’lláh’s glory, and does not inherently possess that indefinable yet all-pervading reality the exclusive possession of which is the hallmark of Prophethood; that His words are not equal in rank, though they possess an equal validity with the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh; that He is not to be acclaimed as the return of Jesus Christ, the Son Who will come “in the glory of the Father”— these truths find added justification, and are further reinforced, by the following statement of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, addressed to some believers in America, with which I may well conclude this section: “You
have
written
that
there
is
a
difference
among
the
believers
concerning
the
‘Second
Coming
of
Christ.’
Gracious
God!
Time
and
again
this
question
hath
arisen,
and
its
answer
hath
emanated
in
a
clear
and
irrefutable
statement
from
the
pen
of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
that
what
is
meant
in
the
prophecies
by
the
‘Lord
of
Hosts’
and
the
‘Promised
Christ’
is
the
Blessed
Perfection
(Bahá’u’lláh)
and
His
holiness
the
Exalted
One
(the
Báb).
My
name
is
‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
My
qualification
is
‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
My
reality
is
‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
My
praise
is
‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Thraldom
to
the
Blessed
Perfection
is
my
glorious
and
refulgent
diadem,
and
servitude
to
all
the
human
race
my
perpetual
religion…
No
name,
no
title,
no
mention,
no
commendation
have
I,
nor
will
ever
have,
except
‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
This
is
my
longing.
This
is
my
greatest
yearning.
This
is
my
eternal
life.
This
is
my
everlasting
glory.”
Dearly-beloved brethren in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá! With the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh the Day-Star of Divine guidance which, as foretold by Shaykh Aḥmad and Siyyid Káẓim, had risen in Shíráz, and, while pursuing its westward course, had mounted its zenith in Adrianople, had finally sunk below the horizon of ‘Akká, never to rise again ere the complete revolution of one thousand years. The setting of so effulgent an Orb brought to a definite termination the period of Divine Revelation— the initial and most vitalizing stage in the Bahá’í era. Inaugurated by the Báb, culminating in Bahá’u’lláh, anticipated and extolled by the entire company of the Prophets of this great prophetic cycle, this period has, except for the short interval between the Báb’s martyrdom and Bahá’u’lláh’s shaking experiences in the Síyáh-Chál of Ṭihrán, been characterized by almost fifty years of continuous and progressive Revelation— a period which by its duration and fecundity must be regarded as unparalleled in the entire field of the world’s spiritual history.
The passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, on the other hand, marks the closing of the Heroic and Apostolic Age of this same Dispensation— that primitive period of our Faith the splendors of which can never be rivaled, much less be eclipsed, by the magnificence that must needs distinguish the future victories of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. For neither the achievements of the champion-builders of the present-day institutions of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, nor the tumultuous triumphs which the heroes of its Golden Age will in the coming days succeed in winning, can measure with, or be included within the same category as, the wondrous works associated with the names of those who have generated its very life and laid its pristine foundations. That first and creative age of the Bahá’í era must, by its very nature, stand above and apart from the formative period into which we have entered and the golden age destined to succeed it.
‘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 period in which the seed of the Faith had been slowly germinating is thus intertwined both with the one which must witness its efflorescence and the subsequent age in which that seed will have finally yielded its golden fruit.
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.
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 developed. 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 fullness of time the whole of mankind.
It should be noted in this connection that this Administrative Order is fundamentally different from anything that any Prophet has previously established, inasmuch as Bahá’u’lláh has Himself revealed its principles, established its institutions, appointed the person to interpret His Word and conferred the necessary authority on the body designed to supplement and apply His legislative ordinances. Therein lies the secret of its strength, its fundamental distinction, and the guarantee against disintegration and schism. Nowhere in the sacred scriptures of any of the world’s religious systems, nor even in the writings of the Inaugurator of the Bábí Dispensation, do we find any provisions establishing a covenant or providing for an administrative order that can compare in scope and authority with those that lie at the very basis of the Bahá’í Dispensation. Has either Christianity or Islám, to take as an instance two of the most widely diffused and outstanding among the world’s recognized religions, anything to offer that can measure with, or be regarded as equivalent to, either the Book of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant or to the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá? Does the text of either the Gospel or the Qur’án confer sufficient authority upon those leaders and councils that have claimed the right and assumed the function of interpreting the provisions of their sacred scriptures and of administering the affairs of their respective communities? Could Peter, the admitted chief of the Apostles, or the Imám ‘Alí, the cousin and legitimate successor of the Prophet, produce in support of the primacy with which both had been invested written and explicit affirmations from Christ and Muḥammad that could have silenced those who either among their contemporaries or in a later age have repudiated their authority and, by their action, precipitated the schisms that persist until the present day? Where, we may confidently ask, in the recorded sayings of Jesus Christ, whether in the matter of succession or in the provision of a set of specific laws and clearly defined administrative ordinances, as distinguished from purely spiritual principles, can we find anything approaching the detailed injunctions, laws and warnings that abound in the authenticated utterances of both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá? Can any passage of the Qur’án, which in respect to its legal code, its administrative and devotional ordinances marks already a notable advance over previous and more corrupted Revelations, be construed as placing upon an unassailable basis the undoubted authority with which Muḥammad had, verbally and on several occasions, invested His successor? Can the Author of the Bábí Dispensation however much He may have succeeded through the provisions of the Persian Bayán in averting a schism as permanent and catastrophic as those that afflicted Christianity and Islám— can He be said to have produced instruments for the safeguarding of His Faith as definite and efficacious as those which must for all time preserve the unity of the organized followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh?
Alone of all the Revelations gone before it this Faith has, through the explicit directions, the repeated warnings, the authenticated safeguards incorporated and elaborated in its teachings, succeeded in raising a structure which the bewildered followers of bankrupt and broken creeds might well approach and critically examine, and seek, ere it is too late, the invulnerable security of its world-embracing shelter.
No wonder that He Who through the operation of His Will has inaugurated so vast and unique an Order and Who is the Center of so mighty a Covenant should have written these words: “So
firm
and
mighty
is
this
Covenant
that
from
the
beginning
of
time
until
the
present
day
no
religious
Dispensation
hath
produced
its
like.”
He wrote during the darkest and most dangerous days of His ministry, “Whatsoever
is
latent
in
the
innermost
of
this
holy
cycle,”
“shall
gradually
appear
and
be
made
manifest,
for
now
is
but
the
beginning
of
its
growth
and
the
dayspring
of
the
revelation
of
its
signs.”
“Fear
not,”
are His reassuring words foreshadowing the rise of the Administrative Order established by His Will, “fear
not
if
this
Branch
be
severed
from
this
material
world
and
cast
aside
its
leaves;
nay,
the
leaves
thereof
shall
flourish,
for
this
Branch
will
grow
after
it
is
cut
off
from
this
world
below,
it
shall
reach
the
loftiest
pinnacles
of
glory,
and
it
shall
bear
such
fruits
as
will
perfume
the
world
with
their
fragrance.”
To what else if not to the power and majesty which this Administrative Order— the rudiments of the future all-enfolding Bahá’í Commonwealth— is destined to manifest, can these utterances of Bahá’u’lláh allude: “The
world’s
equilibrium
hath
been
upset
through
the
vibrating
influence
of
this
most
great,
this
new
World
Order.
Mankind’s
ordered
life
hath
been
revolutionized
through
the
agency
of
this
unique,
this
wondrous
System—
the
like
of
which
mortal
eyes
have
never
witnessed.”
The Báb Himself, in the course of His references to “Him
Whom
God
will
make
manifest”
anticipates the System and glorifies the World Order which the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is destined to unfold. “Well
is
it
with
him,”
is His remarkable statement in the third chapter of the Persian Bayán, “who
fixeth
his
gaze
upon
the
Order
of
Bahá’u’lláh
and
rendereth
thanks
unto
his
Lord!
For
He
will
assuredly
be
made
manifest.
God
hath
indeed
irrevocably
ordained
it
in
the
Bayán.”
In the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh where the institutions of the International and Local Houses of Justice are specifically designated and formally established; in the institution of the Hands of the Cause of God which first Bahá’u’lláh and then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá brought into being; in the institution of both local and national Assemblies which in their embryonic stage were already functioning in the days preceding ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension; in the authority with which the Author of our Faith and the Center of His Covenant have in their Tablets chosen to confer upon them; in the institution of the Local Fund which operated according to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s specific injunctions addressed to certain Assemblies in Persia; in the verses of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas the implications of which clearly anticipate the institution of the Guardianship; in the explanation which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in one of His Tablets, has given to, and the emphasis He has placed upon, the hereditary principle and the law of primogeniture as having been upheld by the Prophets of the past— in these we can discern the faint glimmerings and discover the earliest intimation of the nature and working of the Administrative Order which the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was at a later time destined to proclaim and formally establish.
An attempt, I feel, should at the present juncture be made to explain the character and functions of the twin pillars that support this mighty Administrative Structure— the institutions of the Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice. To describe in their entirety the diverse elements that function in conjunction with these institutions is beyond the scope and purpose of this general exposition of the fundamental verities of the Faith. To define with accuracy and minuteness the features, and to analyze exhaustively the nature of the relationships which, on the one hand, bind together these two fundamental organs of the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and connect, on the other, each of them to the Author of the Faith and the Center of His Covenant is a task which future generations will no doubt adequately fulfill. My present intention is to elaborate certain salient features of this scheme which, however close we may stand to its colossal structure, are already so clearly defined that we find it inexcusable to either misconceive or ignore.
It should be stated, at the very outset, in clear and unambiguous language, that these twin institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh should be regarded as divine in origin, essential in their functions and complementary in their aim and purpose. Their common, their fundamental object is to insure the continuity of that divinely-appointed authority which flows from the Source of our Faith, to safeguard the unity of its followers and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings. Acting in conjunction with each other these two inseparable institutions administer its affairs, coordinate its activities, promote its interests, execute its laws and defend its subsidiary institutions. Severally, each operates within a clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction; each is equipped with its own attendant institutions— instruments designed for the effective discharge of its particular responsibilities and duties. Each exercises, within the limitations imposed upon it, its powers, its authority, its rights and prerogatives. These are neither contradictory, nor detract in the slightest degree from the position which each of these institutions occupies. Far from being incompatible or mutually destructive, they supplement each other’s authority and functions, and are permanently and fundamentally united in their aims.
Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh would be mutilated and permanently deprived of that hereditary principle which, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, has been invariably upheld by the Law of God. “In
all
the
Divine
Dispensations,”
He states, in a Tablet addressed to a follower of the Faith in Persia, “the
eldest
son
hath
been
given
extraordinary
distinctions.
Even
the
station
of
prophethood
hath
been
his
birthright.”
Without such an institution the integrity of the Faith would be imperiled, and the stability of the entire fabric would be gravely endangered. Its prestige would suffer, the means required to enable it to take a long, an uninterrupted view over a series of generations would be completely lacking, and the necessary guidance to define the sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives would be totally withdrawn.
Severed from the no less essential institution of the Universal House of Justice this same System of the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be paralyzed in its action and would be powerless to fill in those gaps which the Author of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas has deliberately left in the body of His legislative and administrative ordinances.
“He
is
the
Interpreter
of
the
Word
of
God,”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, referring to the functions of the Guardian of the Faith, asserts, using in His Will the very term which He Himself had chosen when refuting the argument of the Covenant-breakers who had challenged His right to interpret the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh. “After
him,”
He adds, “will
succeed
the
first-born
of
his
lineal
descendants.”
“The
mighty
stronghold,”
He further explains, “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.”
“It
is
incumbent
upon
the
members
of
the
House
of
Justice,”
Bahá’u’lláh, on the other hand, declares in the Eighth Leaf of the Exalted Paradise, “to
take
counsel
together
regarding
those
things
which
have
not
outwardly
been
revealed
in
the
Book,
and
to
enforce
that
which
is
agreeable
to
them.
God
will
verily
inspire
them
with
whatsoever
He
willeth,
and
He
verily
is
the
Provider,
the
Omniscient.”
“Unto
the
Most
Holy
Book”
(the Kitáb-i-Aqdas), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states in His Will, “every
one
must
turn,
and
all
that
is
not
expressly
recorded
therein
must
be
referred
to
the
Universal
House
of
Justice.
That
which
this
body,
whether
unanimously
or
by
a
majority
doth
carry,
that
is
verily
the
truth
and
the
purpose
of
God
Himself.
Whoso
doth
deviate
therefrom
is
verily
of
them
that
love
discord,
hath
shown
forth
malice,
and
turned
away
from
the
Lord
of
the
Covenant.”
Not only does ‘Abdu’l-Bahá confirm in His Will Bahá’u’lláh’s above-quoted statement, but invests this body with the additional right and power to abrogate, according to the exigencies of time, its own enactments, as well as those of a preceding House of Justice. “Inasmuch
as
the
House
of
Justice,”
is His explicit statement in His Will, “hath
power
to
enact
laws
that
are
not
expressly
recorded
in
the
Book
and
bear
upon
daily
transactions,
so
also
it
hath
power
to
repeal
the
same…
This
it
can
do
because
these
laws
form
no
part
of
the
divine
explicit
text.”
Referring to both the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice we read these emphatic words: “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
the
Exalted
One
(the
Báb)(may
my
life
be
offered
up
for
them
both).
Whatsoever
they
decide
is
of
God.”
From these statements it is made indubitably clear and evident that the Guardian of the Faith has been made the Interpreter of the Word and that the Universal House of Justice has been invested with the function of legislating on matters not expressly revealed in the teachings. The interpretation of the Guardian, functioning within his own sphere, is as authoritative and binding as the enactments of the International House of Justice, whose exclusive right and prerogative is to pronounce upon and deliver the final judgment on such laws and ordinances as Bahá’u’lláh has not expressly revealed. Neither can, nor will ever, infringe upon the sacred and prescribed domain of the other. Neither will seek to curtail the specific and undoubted authority with which both have been divinely invested.
Though the Guardian of the Faith has been made the permanent head of so august a body he can never, even temporarily, assume the right of exclusive legislation. He cannot override the decision of the majority of his fellow-members, but is bound to insist upon a reconsideration by them of any enactment he conscientiously believes to conflict with the meaning and to depart from the spirit of Bahá’u’lláh’s revealed utterances. He interprets what has been specifically revealed, and cannot legislate except in his capacity as member of the Universal House of Justice. He is debarred from laying down independently the constitution that must govern the organized activities of his fellow-members, and from exercising his influence in a manner that would encroach upon the liberty of those whose sacred right is to elect the body of his collaborators.
It should be borne in mind that the institution of the Guardianship has been anticipated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in an allusion He made in a Tablet addressed, long before His own ascension, to three of His friends in Persia. To their question as to whether there would be any person to whom all the Bahá’ís would be called upon to turn after His ascension He made the following reply: “As
to
the
question
ye
have
asked
me,
know
verily
that
this
is
a
well-guarded
secret.
It
is
even
as
a
gem
concealed
within
its
shell.
That
it
will
be
revealed
is
predestined.
The
time
will
come
when
its
light
will
appear,
when
its
evidences
will
be
made
manifest,
and
its
secrets
unraveled.”
Dearly-beloved friends! Exalted as is the position and vital as is the function of the institution of the Guardianship in the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and staggering as must be the weight of responsibility which it carries, its importance must, whatever be the language of the Will, be in no wise over-emphasized. The Guardian of the Faith must not under any circumstances, and whatever his merits or his achievements, be exalted to the rank that will make him a co-sharer with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the unique position which the Center of the Covenant occupies— much less to the station exclusively ordained for the Manifestation of God. So grave a departure from the established tenets of our Faith is nothing short of open blasphemy. As I have already stated, in the course of my references to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s station, however great the gulf that separates Him from the Author of a Divine Revelation it can never measure with the distance that stands between Him Who is the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant and the Guardians who are its chosen ministers. There is a far, far greater distance separating the Guardian from the Center of the Covenant than there is between the Center of the Covenant and its Author.
No Guardian of the Faith, I feel it my solemn duty to place on record, can ever claim to be the perfect exemplar of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh or the stainless mirror that reflects His light. Though overshadowed by the unfailing, the unerring protection of Bahá’u’lláh and of the Báb, and however much he may share with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the right and obligation to interpret the Bahá’í teachings, he remains essentially human and cannot, if he wishes to remain faithful to his trust, arrogate to himself, under any pretense whatsoever, the rights, the privileges and prerogatives which Bahá’u’lláh has chosen to confer upon His Son. In the light of this truth to pray to the Guardian of the Faith, to address him as lord and master, to designate him as his holiness, to seek his benediction, to celebrate his birthday, or to commemorate any event associated with his life would be tantamount to a departure from those established truths that are enshrined within our beloved Faith. The fact that the Guardian has been specifically endowed with such power as he may need to reveal the purport and disclose the implications of the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá does not necessarily confer upon him a station co-equal with those Whose words he is called upon to interpret. He can exercise that right and discharge this obligation and yet remain infinitely inferior to both of them in rank and different in nature.
To the integrity of this cardinal principle of our Faith the words, the deeds of its present and future Guardians must abundantly testify. By their conduct and example they must needs establish its truth upon an unassailable foundation and transmit to future generations unimpeachable evidences of its reality.
For my own part to hesitate in recognizing so vital a truth or to vacillate in proclaiming so firm a conviction must constitute a shameless betrayal of the confidence reposed in me by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and an unpardonable usurpation of the authority with which He Himself has been invested.
A word should now be said regarding the theory on which this Administrative Order is based and the principle that must govern the operation of its chief institutions. It would be utterly misleading to attempt a comparison between this unique, this divinely-conceived Order and any of the diverse systems which the minds of men, at various periods of their history, have contrived for the government of human institutions. Such an attempt would in itself betray a lack of complete appreciation of the excellence of the handiwork of its great Author. How could it be otherwise when we remember that this Order constitutes the very pattern of that divine civilization which the almighty Law of Bahá’u’lláh is designed to establish upon earth? The divers and ever-shifting systems of human polity, whether past or present, whether originating in the East or in the West, offer no adequate criterion wherewith to estimate the potency of its hidden virtues or to appraise the solidity of its foundations.
The Bahá’í Commonwealth of the future, of which this vast Administrative Order is the sole framework, is, both in theory and practice, not only unique in the entire history of political institutions, but can find no parallel in the annals of any of the world’s recognized religious systems. No form of democratic government; no system of autocracy or of dictatorship, whether monarchical or republican; no intermediary scheme of a purely aristocratic order; nor even any of the recognized types of theocracy, whether it be the Hebrew Commonwealth, or the various Christian ecclesiastical organizations, or the Islámic or the Caliphate in Islám— none of these can be identified or be said to conform with the Administrative Order which the master-hand of its perfect Architect has fashioned.
This new-born Administrative Order incorporates within its structure certain elements which are to be found in each of the three recognized forms of secular government, without being in any sense a mere replica of any one of them, and without introducing within its machinery any of the objectionable features which they inherently possess. It blends and harmonizes, as no government fashioned by mortal hands has as yet accomplished, the salutary truths which each of these systems undoubtedly contains without vitiating the integrity of those God-given verities on which it is ultimately founded.
The Administrative Order of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh must in no wise be regarded as purely democratic in character inasmuch as the basic assumption which requires all democracies to depend fundamentally upon getting their mandate from the people is altogether lacking in this Dispensation. In the conduct of the administrative affairs of the Faith, in the enactment of the legislation necessary to supplement the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the members of the Universal House of Justice, it should be borne in mind, are not, as Bahá’u’lláh’s utterances clearly imply, responsible to those whom they represent, nor are they allowed to be governed by the feelings, the general opinion, and even the convictions of the mass of the faithful, or of those who directly elect them. They are to follow, in a prayerful attitude, the dictates and promptings of their conscience. They may, indeed they must, acquaint themselves with the conditions prevailing among the community, must weigh dispassionately in their minds the merits of any case presented for their consideration, but must reserve for themselves the right of an unfettered decision. “God
will
verily
inspire
them
with
whatsoever
He
willeth,”
is Bahá’u’lláh’s incontrovertible assurance. They, and not the body of those who either directly or indirectly elect them, have thus been made the recipients of the divine guidance which is at once the life-blood and ultimate safeguard of this Revelation. Moreover, he who symbolizes the hereditary principle in this Dispensation has been made the interpreter of the words of its Author, and ceases consequently, by virtue of the actual authority vested in him, to be the figurehead invariably associated with the prevailing systems of constitutional monarchies.
Nor can the Bahá’í Administrative Order be dismissed as a hard and rigid system of unmitigated autocracy or as an idle imitation of any form of absolutistic ecclesiastical government, whether it be the Papacy, the Islámic or any other similar institution, for the obvious reason that upon the international elected representatives of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh has been conferred the exclusive right of legislating on matters not expressly revealed in the Bahá’í writings. Neither the Guardian of the Faith nor any institution apart from the International House of Justice can ever usurp this vital and essential power or encroach upon that sacred right. The abolition of professional priesthood with its accompanying sacraments of baptism, of communion and of confession of sins, the laws requiring the election by universal suffrage of all local, national, and international Houses of Justice, the total absence of episcopal authority with its attendant privileges, corruptions and bureaucratic tendencies, are further evidences of the non-autocratic character of the Bahá’í Administrative Order and of its inclination to democratic methods in the administration of its affairs.
Nor is this Order identified with the name of Bahá’u’lláh to be confused with any system of purely aristocratic government in view of the fact that it upholds, on the one hand, the hereditary principle and entrusts the Guardian of the Faith with the obligation of interpreting its teachings, and provides, on the other, for the free and direct election from among the mass of the faithful of the body that constitutes its highest legislative organ.
Whereas this Administrative Order cannot be said to have been modeled after any of these recognized systems of government, it nevertheless embodies, reconciles and assimilates within its framework such wholesome elements as are to be found in each one of them. The hereditary authority which the Guardian is called upon to exercise, the vital and essential functions which the Universal House of Justice discharges, the specific provisions requiring its democratic election by the representatives of the faithful— these combine to demonstrate the truth that this divinely revealed Order, which can never be identified with any of the standard types of government referred to by Aristotle in his works, embodies and blends with the spiritual verities on which it is based the beneficent elements which are to be found in each one of them. The admitted evils inherent in each of these systems being rigidly and permanently excluded, this unique Order, however long it may endure and however extensive its ramifications, cannot ever degenerate into any form of despotism, of oligarchy, or of demagogy which must sooner or later corrupt the machinery of all man-made and essentially defective political institutions.
Dearly-beloved friends! Significant as are the origins of this mighty administrative structure, and however unique its features, the happenings that may be said to have heralded its birth and signalized the initial stage of its evolution seem no less remarkable. How striking, how edifying the contrast between the process of slow and steady consolidation that characterizes the growth of its infant strength and the devastating onrush of the forces of disintegration that are assailing the outworn institutions, both religious and secular, of present-day society!
The vitality which the organic institutions of this great, this ever-expanding Order so strongly exhibit; the obstacles which the high courage, the undaunted resolution of its administrators have already surmounted; the fire of an unquenchable enthusiasm that glows with undiminished fervor in the hearts of its itinerant teachers; the heights of self-sacrifice which its champion-builders are now attaining; the breadth of vision, the confident hope, the creative joy, the inward peace, the uncompromising integrity, the exemplary discipline, the unyielding unity and solidarity which its stalwart defenders manifest; the degree to which its moving Spirit has shown itself capable of assimilating the diversified elements within its pale, of cleansing them of all forms of prejudice and of fusing them with its own structure— these are evidences of a power which a disillusioned and sadly shaken society can ill afford to ignore.
Compare these splendid manifestations of the spirit animating this vibrant body of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh with the cries and agony, the follies and vanities, the bitterness and prejudices, the wickedness and divisions of an ailing and chaotic world. Witness the fear that torments its leaders and paralyzes the action of its blind and bewildered statesmen. How fierce the hatreds, how false the ambitions, how petty the pursuits, how deep-rooted the suspicions of its peoples! How disquieting the lawlessness, the corruption, the unbelief that are eating into the vitals of a tottering civilization!
Might not this process of steady deterioration which is insidiously invading so many departments of human activity and thought be regarded as a necessary accompaniment to the rise of this almighty Arm of Bahá’u’lláh? Might we not look upon the momentous happenings which, in the course of the past twenty years, have so deeply agitated every continent of the earth, as ominous signs simultaneously proclaiming the agonies of a disintegrating civilization and the birthpangs of that World Order— that Ark of human salvation— that must needs arise upon its ruins?
The catastrophic fall of mighty monarchies and empires in the European continent, allusions to some of which may be found in the prophecies of Bahá’u’lláh; the decline that has set in, and is still continuing, in the fortunes of the Shí‘ih hierarchy in His own native land; the fall of the Qájár dynasty, the traditional enemy of His Faith; the overthrow of the Sultanate and the Caliphate, the sustaining pillars of Sunní Islám, to which the destruction of Jerusalem in the latter part of the first century of the Christian era offers a striking parallel; the wave of secularization which is invading the Muḥammadan ecclesiastical institutions in Egypt and sapping the loyalty of its staunchest supporters; the humiliating blows that have afflicted some of the most powerful Churches of Christendom in Russia, in Western Europe and Central America; the dissemination of those subversive doctrines that are undermining the foundations and overthrowing the structure of seemingly impregnable strongholds in the political and social spheres of human activity; the signs of an impending catastrophe, strangely reminiscent of the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West, which threatens to engulf the whole structure of present-day civilization— all witness to the tumult which the birth of this mighty Organ of the Religion of Bahá’u’lláh has cast into the world— a tumult which will grow in scope and in intensity as the implications of this constantly evolving Scheme are more fully understood and its ramifications more widely extended over the surface of the globe.
A word more in conclusion. The rise and establishment of this Administrative Order— the shell that shields and enshrines so precious a gem— constitutes the hall-mark of this second and formative age of the Bahá’í era. It will come to be regarded, as it recedes farther and farther from our eyes, as the chief agency empowered to usher in the concluding phase, the consummation of this glorious Dispensation.
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 is founded is God’s immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which it derives its inspiration is no one 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 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.
Haifa, Palestine.
February 8, 1934.
To the beloved of God and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the West. Friends and fellow-heirs of the grace of Bahá’u’lláh: As your co-sharer in the building up of the New World Order which the mind of Bahá’u’lláh has visioned, and whose features the pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, its perfect Architect, has delineated, I pause to contemplate with you the scene which the revolution of well-nigh fifteen years after His passing unfolds before us.
The contrast between the accumulating evidences of steady consolidation that accompany the rise of the Administrative Order of the Faith of God, and the forces of disintegration which batter at the fabric of a travailing society, is as clear as it is arresting. Both within and outside the Bahá’í world the signs and tokens which, in a mysterious manner, are heralding the birth of that World Order, the establishment of which must signalize the Golden Age of the Cause of God, are growing and multiplying day by day. No fair-minded observer can any longer fail to discern them. He cannot be misled by the painful slowness characterizing the unfoldment of the civilization which the followers of Bahá’u’lláh are laboring to establish. Nor can he be deluded by the ephemeral manifestations of returning prosperity which at times appear to be capable of checking the disruptive influence of the chronic ills afflicting the institutions of a decaying age. The signs of the times are too numerous and compelling to allow him to mistake their character or to belittle their significance. He can, if he be fair in his judgment, recognize in the chain of events which proclaim on the one hand the irresistible march of the institutions directly associated with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and foreshadow on the other the downfall of those powers and principalities that have either ignored or opposed it— he can recognize in them all evidences of the operation of God’s all-pervasive Will, the shaping of His perfectly ordered and world-embracing Plan.
“Soon,”
Bahá’u’lláh’s own words proclaim it, “will
the
present
day
Order
be
rolled
up,
and
a
new
one
spread
out
in
its
stead.
Verily,
thy
Lord
speaketh
the
truth
and
is
the
Knower
of
things
unseen.”
He solemnly asserts, “By
Myself,”
“the
day
is
approaching
when
We
will
have
rolled
up
the
world
and
all
that
is
therein,
and
spread
out
a
new
Order
in
its
stead.
He,
verily,
is
powerful
over
all
things.”
“The
world’s
equilibrium,”
He explains, “hath
been
upset
through
the
vibrating
influence
of
this
Most
Great,
this
new
World
Order.
Mankind’s
ordered
life
hath
been
revolutionized
through
the
agency
of
this
unique,
this
wondrous
System,
the
like
of
which
mortal
eyes
have
never
witnessed.”
“The
signs
of
impending
convulsions
and
chaos,”
He warns the peoples of the world, “can
now
be
discerned,
inasmuch
as
the
prevailing
Order
appeareth
to
be
lamentably
defective.”
Dearly-beloved friends! This New World Order, whose promise is enshrined in the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, whose fundamental principles have been enunciated in the writings of the Center of His Covenant, involves no less than the complete unification of the entire human race. This unification should conform to such principles as would directly harmonize with the spirit that animates, and the laws that govern the operation of, the institutions that already constitute the structural basis of the Administrative Order of His Faith.
No machinery falling short of the standard inculcated by the Bahá’í Revelation, and at variance with the sublime pattern ordained in His teachings, which the collective efforts of mankind may yet devise can ever hope to achieve anything above or beyond that “Lesser Peace” to which the Author of our Faith has Himself alluded in His writings. “Now
that
ye
have
refused
the
Most
Great
Peace,”
He, admonishing the kings and rulers of the earth, has written, “hold
ye
fast
unto
this
the
Lesser
Peace,
that
haply
ye
may
in
some
degree
better
your
own
condition
and
that
of
your
dependents.”
Expatiating on this Lesser Peace, He thus addresses in that same Tablet the rulers of the earth: “Be
reconciled
among
yourselves,
that
ye
may
need
no
more
armaments
save
in
a
measure
to
safeguard
your
territories
and
dominions…
Be
united,
O
kings
of
the
earth,
for
thereby
will
the
tempest
of
discord
be
stilled
amongst
you,
and
your
peoples
find
rest,
if
ye
be
of
them
that
comprehend.
Should
any
one
among
you
take
up
arms
against
another,
rise
ye
all
against
him,
for
this
is
naught
but
manifest
justice.”
The Most Great Peace, on the other hand, as conceived by Bahá’u’lláh— a peace that must inevitably follow as the practical consequence of the spiritualization of the world and the fusion of all its races, creeds, classes and nations— can rest on no other basis, and can be preserved through no other agency, except the divinely appointed ordinances that are implicit in the World Order that stands associated with His Holy Name. In His Tablet, revealed almost seventy years ago to Queen Victoria, Bahá’u’lláh, alluding to this Most Great Peace, has declared: “That
which
the
Lord
hath
ordained
as
the
sovereign
remedy
and
mightiest
instrument
for
the
healing
of
all
the
world
is
the
union
of
all
its
peoples
in
one
universal
Cause,
one
common
Faith.
This
can
in
no
wise
be
achieved
except
through
the
power
of
a
skilled,
an
all-powerful
and
inspired
Physician.
This,
verily,
is
the
truth,
and
all
else
naught
but
error…
Consider
these
days
in
which
the
Ancient
Beauty,
He
Who
is
the
Most
Great
Name,
hath
been
sent
down
to
regenerate
and
unify
mankind.
Behold
how
with
drawn
swords
they
rose
against
Him,
and
committed
that
which
caused
the
Faithful
Spirit
to
tremble.
And
whenever
We
said
unto
them:
‘Lo,
the
World
Reformer
is
come,’
they
made
reply:
‘He,
in
truth,
is
one
of
the
stirrers
of
mischief.’”
He, in another Tablet, asserts, “It
beseemeth
all
men
in
this
Day,”
“to
take
firm
hold
on
the
Most
Great
Name,
and
to
establish
the
unity
of
all
mankind.
There
is
no
place
to
flee
to,
no
refuge
that
any
one
can
seek,
except
Him.”
The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, whose supreme mission is none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the entire human race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man’s collective life on this planet. The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture— all of which must synchronize with the initial stages in the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Bahá’í Era— should, by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress and develop.
That mystic, all-pervasive, yet indefinable change, which we associate with the stage of maturity inevitable in the life of the individual and the development of the fruit must, if we would correctly apprehend the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh, have its counterpart in the evolution of the organization of human society. A similar stage must sooner or later be attained in the collective life of mankind, producing an even more striking phenomenon in world relations, and endowing the whole human race with such potentialities of well-being as shall provide, throughout the succeeding ages, the chief incentive required for the eventual fulfillment of its high destiny. Such a stage of maturity in the process of human government must, for all time, if we would faithfully recognize the tremendous claim advanced by Bahá’u’lláh, remain identified with the Revelation of which He was the Bearer.
In one of the most characteristic passages He Himself has revealed, He testifies in a language that none can mistake to the truth of this distinguishing principle of Bahá’í belief: “It
hath
been
decreed
by
Us
that
the
Word
of
God
and
all
the
potentialities
thereof
shall
be
manifested
unto
men
in
strict
conformity
with
such
conditions
as
have
been
foreordained
by
Him
Who
is
the
All-Knowing,
the
All-Wise…
Should
the
Word
be
allowed
to
release
suddenly
all
the
energies
latent
within
it,
no
man
could
sustain
the
weight
of
so
mighty
a
revelation…
Consider
that
which
hath
been
sent
down
unto
Muḥammad,
the
Apostle
of
God.
The
measure
of
the
Revelation
of
which
He
was
the
Bearer
had
been
clearly
foreordained
by
Him
Who
is
the
Almighty,
the
All-Powerful.
They
that
heard
Him,
however,
could
apprehend
His
purpose
only
to
the
extent
of
their
station
and
spiritual
capacity.
He,
in
like
manner,
uncovered
the
Face
of
Wisdom
in
proportion
to
their
ability
to
sustain
the
burden
of
His
Message.
No
sooner
had
mankind
attained
the
stage
of
maturity,
than
the
Word
revealed
to
men’s
eyes
the
latent
energies
with
which
it
had
been
endowed—
energies
which
manifested
themselves
in
the
plenitude
of
their
glory
when
the
Ancient
Beauty
appeared,
in
the
year
sixty,
in
the
person
of
‘Alí-Muḥammad,
the
Báb.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, elucidating this fundamental verity, has written: “All
created
things
have
their
degree
or
stage
of
maturity.
The
period
of
maturity
in
the
life
of
a
tree
is
the
time
of
its
fruit-bearing…
The
animal
attains
a
stage
of
full
growth
and
completeness,
and
in
the
human
kingdom
man
reaches
his
maturity
when
the
light
of
his
intelligence
attains
its
greatest
power
and
development…
Similarly
there
are
periods
and
stages
in
the
collective
life
of
humanity.
At
one
time
it
was
passing
through
its
stage
of
childhood,
at
another
its
period
of
youth,
but
now
it
has
entered
its
long-predicted
phase
of
maturity,
the
evidences
of
which
are
everywhere
apparent…
That
which
was
applicable
to
human
needs
during
the
early
history
of
the
race
can
neither
meet
nor
satisfy
the
demands
of
this
day,
this
period
of
newness
and
consummation.
Humanity
has
emerged
from
its
former
state
of
limitation
and
preliminary
training.
Man
must
now
become
imbued
with
new
virtues
and
powers,
new
moral
standards,
new
capacities.
New
bounties,
perfect
bestowals,
are
awaiting
and
already
descending
upon
him.
The
gifts
and
blessings
of
the
period
of
youth,
although
timely
and
sufficient
during
the
adolescence
of
mankind,
are
now
incapable
of
meeting
the
requirements
of
its
maturity.”
Such a unique and momentous crisis in the life of organized mankind may, moreover, be likened to the culminating stage in the political evolution of the great American Republic— the stage which marked the emergence of a unified community of federated states. The stirring of a new national consciousness, and the birth of a new type of civilization, infinitely richer and nobler than any which its component parts could have severally hoped to achieve, may be said to have proclaimed the coming of age of the American people. Within the territorial limits of this nation, this consummation may be viewed as the culmination of the process of human government. The diversified and loosely related elements of a divided community were brought together, unified and incorporated into one coherent system. Though this entity may continue gaining in cohesive power, though the unity already achieved may be further consolidated, though the civilization to which that unity could alone have given birth may expand and flourish, yet the machinery essential to such an unfoldment may be said to have been, in its essential structure, erected, and the impulse required to guide and sustain it may be regarded as having been fundamentally imparted. No stage above and beyond this consummation of national unity can, within the geographical limits of that nation, be imagined, though the highest destiny of its people, as a constituent element in a still larger entity that will embrace the whole of mankind, may still remain unfulfilled. Considered as an isolated unit, however, this process of integration may be said to have reached its highest and final consummation.
Such is the stage to which an evolving humanity is collectively approaching. The Revelation entrusted by the Almighty Ordainer to Bahá’u’lláh, His followers firmly believe, has been endowed with such potentialities as are commensurate with the maturity of the human race— the crowning and most momentous stage in its evolution from infancy to manhood.
The successive Founders of all past Religions Who, from time immemorial, have shed, with ever-increasing intensity, the splendor of one common Revelation at the various stages which have marked the advance of mankind towards maturity may thus, in a sense, be regarded as preliminary Manifestations, anticipating and paving the way for the advent of that Day of Days when the whole earth will have fructified and the tree of humanity will have yielded its destined fruit.
Incontrovertible as is this truth, its challenging character should never be allowed to obscure the purpose, or distort the principle, underlying the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh— utterances that have established for all time the absolute oneness of all the Prophets, Himself included, whether belonging to the past or to the future. Though the mission of the Prophets preceding Bahá’u’lláh may be viewed in that light, though the measure of Divine Revelation with which each has been entrusted must, as a result of this process of evolution, necessarily differ, their common origin, their essential unity, their identity of purpose, should at no time and under no circumstances be misapprehended or denied. That all the Messengers of God should be regarded as “abiding
in
the
same
Tabernacle,
soaring
in
the
same
Heaven,
seated
upon
the
same
Throne,
uttering
the
same
Speech,
and
proclaiming
the
same
Faith”
must, however much we may extol the measure of Divine Revelation vouchsafed to mankind at this crowning stage of its evolution, remain the unalterable foundation and central tenet of Bahá’í belief. Any variations in the splendor which each of these Manifestations of the Light of God has shed upon the world should be ascribed not to any inherent superiority involved in the essential character of any one of them, but rather to the progressive capacity, the ever-increasing spiritual receptiveness, which mankind, in its progress towards maturity, has invariably manifested.
Only those who are willing to associate the Revelation proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh with the consummation of so stupendous an evolution in the collective life of the whole human race can grasp the significance of the words which He, while alluding to the glories of this promised Day and to the duration of the Bahá’í Era, has deemed fit to utter. “This
is
the
King
of
Days,”
He exclaims, “the
Day
that
hath
seen
the
coming
of
the
Best-Beloved,
Him
Who,
through
all
eternity,
hath
been
acclaimed
the
Desire
of
the
World.”
“The
Scriptures
of
past
Dispensations,”
He further asserts, “celebrate
the
great
jubilee
that
must
needs
greet
this
most
great
Day
of
God.
Well
is
it
with
him
that
hath
lived
to
see
this
Day
and
hath
recognized
its
station.”
He, in another passage explains, “It
is
evident,”
“that
every
age
in
which
a
Manifestation
of
God
hath
lived
is
divinely-ordained,
and
may,
in
a
sense,
be
characterized
as
God’s
appointed
Day.
This
Day,
however,
is
unique,
and
is
to
be
distinguished
from
those
that
have
preceded
it.
The
designation
‘Seal
of
the
Prophets’
fully
revealeth
its
high
station.
The
Prophetic
Cycle
hath
verily
ended.
The
Eternal
Truth
is
now
come.
He
hath
lifted
up
the
ensign
of
power,
and
is
now
shedding
upon
the
world
the
unclouded
splendor
of
His
Revelation.”
“In
this
most
mighty
Revelation,”
He, in categorical language, declares, “all
the
Dispensations
of
the
past
have
attained
their
highest,
their
final
consummation.
That
which
hath
been
made
manifest
in
this
preëminent,
this
most
exalted
Revelation,
standeth
unparalleled
in
the
annals
of
the
past,
nor
will
future
ages
witness
its
like.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s authentic pronouncements should, likewise, be recalled as confirming, in no less emphatic manner, the unexampled vastness of the Bahá’í Dispensation. “Centuries,”
He affirms in one of His Tablets, “nay,
countless
ages,
must
pass
away
ere
the
Day-Star
of
Truth
shineth
again
in
its
mid-summer
splendor,
or
appeareth
once
more
in
the
radiance
of
its
vernal
glory…
The
mere
contemplation
of
the
Dispensation
inaugurated
by
the
Blessed
Beauty
would
have
sufficed
to
overwhelm
the
saints
of
bygone
ages—
saints
who
longed
to
partake,
for
one
moment,
of
its
great
glory.”
“Concerning
the
Manifestations
that
will
come
down
in
the
future
‘in
the
shadows
of
the
clouds,’”
He, in a still more definite language, affirms, “know,
verily,
that
in
so
far
as
their
relation
to
the
Source
of
their
inspiration
is
concerned,
they
are
under
the
shadow
of
the
Ancient
Beauty.
In
their
relation,
however,
to
the
age
in
which
they
appear,
each
and
every
one
of
them
‘doeth
whatsoever
He
willeth.’”
“This
holy
Dispensation,”
He, alluding to the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, explains, “is
illumined
with
the
light
of
the
Sun
of
Truth
shining
from
its
most
exalted
station,
and
in
the
plenitude
of
its
resplendency,
its
heat
and
glory.”
Dearly-beloved friends: Though the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh has been delivered, the World Order which such a Revelation must needs beget is as yet unborn. Though the Heroic Age of His Faith is passed, the creative energies which that Age has released have not as yet crystallized into that world society which, in the fullness of time, is to mirror forth the brightness of His glory. Though the framework of His Administrative Order has been erected, and the Formative Period of the Bahá’í Era has begun, yet the promised Kingdom into which the seed of His institutions must ripen remains as yet uninaugurated. Though His Voice has been raised, and the ensigns of His Faith have been lifted up in no less than forty countries of both the East and the West, yet the wholeness of the human race is as yet unrecognized, its unity unproclaimed, and the standard of its Most Great Peace unhoisted.
“The
heights,”
Bahá’u’lláh Himself testifies, “which,
through
the
most
gracious
favor
of
God,
mortal
man
can
attain
in
this
Day
are
as
yet
unrevealed
to
his
sight.
The
world
of
being
hath
never
had,
nor
doth
it
yet
possess,
the
capacity
for
such
a
revelation.
The
day,
however,
is
approaching
when
the
potentialities
of
so
great
a
favor
will,
by
virtue
of
His
behest,
be
manifested
unto
men.”
For the revelation of so great a favor a period of intense turmoil and wide-spread suffering would seem to be indispensable. Resplendent as has been the Age that has witnessed the inception of the Mission with which Bahá’u’lláh has been entrusted, the interval which must elapse ere that Age yields its choicest fruit must, it is becoming increasingly apparent, be overshadowed by such moral and social gloom as can alone prepare an unrepentant humanity for the prize she is destined to inherit.
Into such a period we are now steadily and irresistibly moving. Amidst the shadows which are increasingly gathering about us we can faintly discern the glimmerings of Bahá’u’lláh’s unearthly sovereignty appearing fitfully on the horizon of history. To us, the “generation of the half-light,” living at a time which may be designated as the period of the incubation of the World Commonwealth envisaged by Bahá’u’lláh, has been assigned a task whose high privilege we can never sufficiently appreciate, and the arduousness of which we can as yet but dimly recognize. We may well believe, we who are called upon to experience the operation of the dark forces destined to unloose a flood of agonizing afflictions, that the darkest hour that must precede the dawn of the Golden Age of our Faith has not yet struck. Deep as is the gloom that already encircles the world, the afflictive ordeals which that world is to suffer are still in preparation, nor can their blackness be as yet imagined. We stand on the threshold of an age whose convulsions proclaim alike the death-pangs of the old order and the birth-pangs of the new. Through the generating influence of the Faith announced by Bahá’u’lláh this New World Order may be said to have been conceived. We can, at the present moment, experience its stirrings in the womb of a travailing age— an age waiting for the appointed hour at which it can cast its burden and yield its fairest fruit.
“The
whole
earth,”
writes Bahá’u’lláh, “is
now
in
a
state
of
pregnancy.
The
day
is
approaching
when
it
will
have
yielded
its
noblest
fruits,
when
from
it
will
have
sprung
forth
the
loftiest
trees,
the
most
enchanting
blossoms,
the
most
heavenly
blessings.
Immeasurably
exalted
is
the
breeze
that
wafteth
from
the
garment
of
thy
Lord,
the
Glorified!
For
lo,
it
hath
breathed
its
fragrance
and
made
all
things
new!
Well
is
it
with
them
that
comprehend.”
He, in the Súratu’l-Haykal, proclaims, “The
onrushing
winds
of
the
grace
of
God,”
“have
passed
over
all
things.
Every
creature
hath
been
endowed
with
all
the
potentialities
it
can
carry.
And
yet
the
peoples
of
the
world
have
denied
this
grace!
Every
tree
hath
been
endowed
with
the
choicest
fruits,
every
ocean
enriched
with
the
most
luminous
gems.
Man,
himself,
hath
been
invested
with
the
gifts
of
understanding
and
knowledge.
The
whole
creation
hath
been
made
the
recipient
of
the
revelation
of
the
All-Merciful,
and
the
earth
the
repository
of
things
inscrutable
to
all
except
God,
the
Truth,
the
Knower
of
things
unseen.
The
time
is
approaching
when
every
created
thing
will
have
cast
its
burden.
Glorified
be
God
Who
hath
vouchsafed
this
grace
that
encompasseth
all
things,
whether
seen
or
unseen!”
“The
Call
of
God,”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “when
raised,
breathed
a
new
life
into
the
body
of
mankind,
and
infused
a
new
spirit
into
the
whole
creation.
It
is
for
this
reason
that
the
world
hath
been
moved
to
its
depths,
and
the
hearts
and
consciences
of
men
been
quickened.
Erelong
the
evidences
of
this
regeneration
will
be
revealed,
and
the
fast
asleep
will
be
awakened.”
As we view the world around us, we are compelled to observe the manifold evidences of that universal fermentation which, in every continent of the globe and in every department of human life, be it religious, social, economic or political, is purging and reshaping humanity in anticipation of the Day when the wholeness of the human race will have been recognized and its unity established. A twofold process, however, can be distinguished, each tending, in its own way and with an accelerated momentum, to bring to a climax the forces that are transforming the face of our planet. The first is essentially an integrating process, while the second is fundamentally disruptive. The former, as it steadily evolves, unfolds a System which may well serve as a pattern for that world polity towards which a strangely-disordered world is continually advancing; while the latter, as its disintegrating influence deepens, tends to tear down, with increasing violence, the antiquated barriers that seek to block humanity’s progress towards its destined goal. The constructive process stands associated with the nascent Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and is the harbinger of the New World Order that Faith must erelong establish. The destructive forces that characterize the other should be identified with a civilization that has refused to answer to the expectation of a new age, and is consequently falling into chaos and decline.
A titanic, a spiritual struggle, unparalleled in its magnitude yet unspeakably glorious in its ultimate consequences, is being waged as a result of these opposing tendencies, in this age of transition through which the organized community of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh and mankind as a whole are passing.
The Spirit that has incarnated itself in the institutions of a rising Faith has, in the course of its onward march for the redemption of the world, encountered and is now battling with such forces as are, in most instances, the very negation of that Spirit, and whose continued existence must inevitably hinder it from achieving its purpose. The hollow and outworn institutions, the obsolescent doctrines and beliefs, the effete and discredited traditions which these forces represent, it should be observed, have, in certain instances, been undermined by virtue of their senility, the loss of their cohesive power, and their own inherent corruption. A few have been swept away by the onrushing forces which the Bahá’í Faith has, at the hour of its birth, so mysteriously released. Others, as a direct result of a vain and feeble resistance to its rise in the initial stages of its development, have died out and been utterly discredited. Still others, fearful of the pervasive influence of the institutions in which that same Spirit had, at a later stage, been embodied, had mobilized their forces and launched their attack, destined to sustain, in their turn, after a brief and illusory success, an ignominious defeat.
It is not my purpose to call to mind, much less to attempt a detailed analysis of, the spiritual struggles that have ensued, or to note the victories that have redounded to the glory of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh since the day of its foundation. My chief concern is not with the happenings that have distinguished the First, the Apostolic Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation, but rather with the outstanding events that are transpiring in, and the tendencies which characterize, the formative period of its development, this Age of Transition, whose tribulations are the precursors of that Era of blissful felicity which is to incarnate God’s ultimate purpose for all mankind.
To the catastrophic fall of mighty kingdoms and empires, on the eve of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s departure, Whose passing may be said to have ushered in the opening phase of the Age of Transition in which we now live, I have, in a previous communication, briefly alluded. The dissolution of the German Empire, the humiliating defeat inflicted upon its ruler, the successor and lineal descendant of the Prussian King and Emperor to whom Bahá’u’lláh had addressed His solemn and historic warning, together with the extinction of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the remnant of the once-great Holy Roman Empire, were both precipitated by a war whose outbreak signalized the opening of the Age of Frustration destined to precede the establishment of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. Both of these momentous events may be viewed as the earliest occurrences of that turbulent Age, into the outer fringes of whose darkest phase we are now beginning to enter.
To the Conqueror of Napoleon III, the Author of our Faith had, on the morrow of the King’s victory, addressed, in His Most Holy Book, this clear and ominous warning: “O
King
of
Berlin!
…Take
heed
lest
pride
debar
thee
from
recognizing
the
Day-Spring
of
Divine
Revelation,
lest
earthly
desires
shut
thee
out,
as
by
a
veil,
from
the
Lord
of
the
Throne
above
and
of
the
earth
below.
Thus
counseleth
thee
the
Pen
of
the
Most
High.
He,
verily,
is
the
Most
Gracious,
the
All-Bountiful.
Do
thou
remember
the
one
whose
power
transcended
thy
power
(Napoleon
III),
and
whose
station
excelled
thy
station.
Where
is
he?
Whither
are
gone
the
things
he
possessed?
Take
warning,
and
be
not
of
them
that
are
fast
asleep.
He
it
was
who
cast
the
Tablet
of
God
behind
him,
when
We
made
known
unto
him
what
the
hosts
of
tyranny
had
caused
Us
to
suffer.
Wherefore,
disgrace
assailed
him
from
all
sides,
and
he
went
down
to
dust
in
great
loss.
Think
deeply,
O
King,
concerning
him,
and
concerning
them
who,
like
unto
thee,
have
conquered
cities
and
ruled
over
men.
The
All-Merciful
brought
them
down
from
their
palaces
to
their
graves.
Be
warned,
be
of
them
who
reflect.”
“O
banks
of
the
Rhine!”
Bahá’u’lláh, in another passage of that same Book, prophesies, “We
have
seen
you
covered
with
gore,
inasmuch
as
the
swords
of
retribution
were
drawn
against
you;
and
so
you
shall
have
another
turn.
And
We
hear
the
lamentations
of
Berlin,
though
she
be
today
in
conspicuous
glory.”
The collapse of the power of the Shí‘ih hierarchy, in a land which had for centuries been one of the impregnable strongholds of Muslim fanaticism, was the inevitable consequence of that wave of secularization which, at a later time, was to invade some of the most powerful and conservative ecclesiastical institutions in both the European and American continents. Though not the direct outcome of the last war, this sudden trembling which had seized this hitherto immovable pillar of Islámic orthodoxy accentuated the problems and deepened the restlessness with which a war-weary world was being afflicted. Shí‘ih Islám had lost once for all, in Bahá’u’lláh’s native land and as the direct consequence of its implacable hostility to His Faith, its combative power, had forfeited its rights and privileges, had been degraded and demoralized, and was being condemned to hopeless obscurity and ultimate extinction. No less than twenty thousand martyrs, however, had to sacrifice their lives ere the Cause for which they had stood and died could register this initial victory over those who were the first to repudiate its claims and mow down its gallant warriors. “Vileness and poverty were stamped upon them, and they returned with wrath from God.”
“Behold,”
writes Bahá’u’lláh, commenting on the decline of a fallen people, “how
the
sayings
and
doings
of
Shí‘ih
Islám
have
dulled
the
joy
and
fervor
of
its
early
days,
and
tarnished
the
pristine
brilliancy
of
its
light.
In
its
primitive
days,
whilst
they
still
adhered
to
the
precepts
associated
with
the
name
of
their
Prophet,
the
Lord
of
mankind,
their
career
was
marked
by
an
unbroken
chain
of
victories
and
triumphs.
As
they
gradually
strayed
from
the
path
of
their
Ideal
Leader
and
Master,
as
they
turned
away
from
the
light
of
God
and
corrupted
the
principle
of
His
Divine
unity,
and
as
they
increasingly
centered
their
attention
upon
them
who
were
only
the
revealers
of
the
potency
of
His
Word,
their
power
was
turned
into
weakness,
their
glory
into
shame,
their
courage
into
fear.
Thou
dost
witness
to
what
a
pass
they
have
come.”
The downfall of the Qájár Dynasty, the avowed defender and the willing instrument of a decaying clergy, almost synchronized with the humiliation which the Shí‘ih ecclesiastical leaders had suffered. From Muḥammad Sháh down to the last and feeble monarch of that dynasty, the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh was denied the impartial consideration, the disinterested and fair treatment which its cause had rightly demanded. It had, on the contrary, been atrociously harassed, consistently betrayed and prosecuted. The martyrdom of the Báb; the banishment of Bahá’u’lláh; the confiscation of His earthly possessions; His incarceration in Mázindarán; the reign of terror that confined Him in the most pestilential of dungeons; the intrigues, the protests, and calumnies which thrice renewed His exile and led to His ultimate imprisonment in the most desolate of cities; the shameful sentences passed, with the connivance of the judicial and ecclesiastical authorities, against the person, the property, and the honor of His innocent followers— these stand out as among the blackest acts for which posterity will hold this blood-stained dynasty responsible. One more barrier that had sought to obstruct the forward march of the Faith was now removed.
Though Bahá’u’lláh had been banished from His native land, the tide of calamity which had swept with such fury over Him and over the followers of the Báb, was by no means receding. Under the jurisdiction of the Sulṭán of Turkey, the arch-enemy of His Cause, a new chapter in the history of His ever-recurring trials had opened. The overthrow of the Sultanate and the Caliphate, the twin pillars of Sunní Islám, can be regarded in no other light except as the inevitable consequence of the fierce, the sustained and deliberate persecution which the monarchs of the tottering House of ‘Uthmán, the recognized successors of the Prophet Muḥammad, had launched against it. From the city of Constantinople, the traditional seat of both the Sultanate and the Caliphate, the rulers of Turkey had, for a period covering almost three quarters of a century, striven, with unabated zeal, to stem the tide of a Faith they feared and abhorred. From the time Bahá’u’lláh set foot on Turkish soil and was made a virtual prisoner of the most powerful potentate of Islám to the year of the Holy Land’s liberation from Turkish yoke, successive Caliphs, and in particular the Sulṭáns ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz and ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd, had, in the full exercise of the spiritual and temporal authority which their exalted office had conferred upon them, afflicted both the Founder of our Faith and the Center of His Covenant with such pain and tribulation as no mind can fathom nor pen or tongue describe. They alone could have measured or borne them.
To these afflictive trials Bahá’u’lláh has repeatedly testified: “By
the
righteousness
of
the
Almighty!
Were
I
to
recount
to
thee
the
tale
of
the
things
that
have
befallen
Me,
the
souls
and
minds
of
men
would
be
incapable
of
sustaining
its
weight.
God
Himself
beareth
Me
witness.”
“Twenty
years
have
passed,”
He, addressing the kings of Christendom, has written, “during
which
We
have,
each
day,
tasted
the
agony
of
a
fresh
tribulation.
No
one
of
them
that
were
before
Us
hath
endured
the
things
We
have
endured.
Would
that
ye
could
perceive
it!
They
that
rose
up
against
us
have
put
us
to
death,
have
shed
our
blood,
have
plundered
our
property,
and
violated
our
honor.”
“Recall
to
mind
My
sorrows,”
He, in another connection, has revealed, “My
cares
and
anxieties,
My
woes
and
trials,
the
state
of
My
captivity,
the
tears
that
I
have
shed,
the
bitterness
of
Mine
anguish,
and
now
Mine
imprisonment
in
this
far-off
land…
Couldst
thou
be
told
what
hath
befallen
the
Ancient
Beauty,
thou
wouldst
flee
into
the
wilderness,
and
weep
with
a
great
weeping…
Every
morning
I
arose
from
my
bed,
I
discovered
the
hosts
of
countless
afflictions
massed
behind
My
door;
and
every
night
when
I
lay
down,
lo,
My
heart
was
torn
with
agony
at
what
it
had
suffered
from
the
fiendish
cruelty
of
its
foes.”
The orders which these foes issued, the banishments they decreed, the indignities they inflicted, the plans they devised, the investigations they conducted, the threats they pronounced, the atrocities they were prepared to commit, the intrigues and baseness to which they, their ministers, their governors, and military chieftains had stooped, constitute a record which can hardly find a parallel in the history of any revealed religion. The mere recital of the most salient features of that sinister theme would suffice to fill a volume. They knew full well that the spiritual and administrative Center of the Cause they had striven to eradicate had now shifted to their dominion, that its leaders were Turkish citizens, and that whatever resources these could command were at their mercy. That for a period of almost three score years and ten, while still in the plenitude of its unquestioned authority, while reinforced by the endless machinations of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities of a neighboring nation, and assured of the support of those of Bahá’u’lláh’s kindred who had rebelled against, and seceded from, His Cause, this despotism should have failed in the end to extirpate a mere handful of its condemned subjects must, to every unbelieving observer, remain one of the most intriguing and mysterious episodes of contemporary history.
The Cause of which Bahá’u’lláh was still the visible leader had, despite the calculations of a short-sighted enemy, undeniably triumphed. No unbiased mind, penetrating the surface of conditions surrounding the Prisoner of ‘Akká, could any longer mistake or deny it. Though the tension which had been relaxed was, for a time, heightened after Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension and the perils of a still unsettled situation were revived, it was becoming increasingly evident that the insidious forces of decay, which for many a long year were eating into the vitals of a diseased nation, were now moving towards a climax. A series of internal convulsions, each more devastating than the previous one, had already been unchained, destined to bring in their wake one of the most catastrophic occurrences of modern times. The murder of that arrogant despot in the year 1876; the Russo-Turkish conflict that soon followed in its wake; the wars of liberation which succeeded it; the rise of the Young Turk movement; the Turkish Revolution of 1909 that precipitated the downfall of ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd; the Balkan wars with their calamitous consequences; the liberation of Palestine enshrining within its bosom the cities of ‘Akká and Haifa, the world center of an emancipated Faith; the further dismemberment decreed by the Treaty of Versailles; the abolition of the Sultanate and the downfall of the House of ‘Uthmán; the extinction of the Caliphate; the disestablishment of the State Religion; the annulment of the Sharí‘ah Law and the promulgation of a universal Civil Code; the suppression of various orders, beliefs, traditions and ceremonials believed to be inextricably interwoven with the fabric of the Muslim Faith— these followed with an ease and swiftness that no man had dared envisage. In these devastating blows, administered by friend and foe alike, by Christian nations and professing Muslims, every follower of the persecuted Faith of Bahá’u’lláh recognized evidences of the directing Hand of the departed Founder of his religion, Who, from the invisible Realm, was unloosing a flood of well-deserved calamities upon a rebellious religion and nation.
Compare the evidences of Divine visitation which befell the persecutors of Jesus Christ with these historic retributions which, in the latter part of the first century of the Bahá’í Era, have hurled to dust the chief adversary of the religion of Bahá’u’lláh. Had not the Roman Emperor, in the second half of the first century of the Christian Era, after a distressful siege of Jerusalem, laid waste the Holy City, destroyed the Temple, desecrated and robbed the Holy of Holies of its treasures, and transported them to Rome, reared a pagan colony on the mount of Zion, massacred the Jews, and exiled and dispersed the survivors?
Compare, moreover, these words which the persecuted Christ, as witnessed by the Gospel, addressed to Jerusalem, with Bahá’u’lláh’s apostrophe to Constantinople, revealed while He lay in His far-off Prison, and recorded in His Most Holy Book: “O
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
thou
that
killest
the
Prophets
and
stonest
them
which
are
sent
unto
thee,
how
often
would
I
have
gathered
thy
children
together,
even
as
a
hen
gathereth
her
chickens
under
her
wings!”
And again, as He wept over the city: “If
thou
hadst
known,
even
thou,
at
least
in
this
thy
day,
the
things
which
belong
unto
thy
peace!
but
now
they
are
hid
from
thine
eyes.
For
the
days
shall
come
upon
thee,
that
thine
enemies
shall
cast
a
trench
about
thee,
and
compass
thee
round,
and
keep
thee
in
on
every
side,
and
shall
lay
thee
even
with
the
ground,
and
thy
children
within
thee;
and
they
shall
not
leave
in
thee
one
stone
upon
another;
because
thou
knewest
not
the
time
of
thy
visitation.”
“O
Spot
that
art
situate
on
the
shores
of
the
two
seas!”
Bahá’u’lláh thus apostrophizes the City of Constantinople, “The
throne
of
tyranny
hath,
verily,
been
established
upon
thee,
and
the
flame
of
hatred
hath
been
kindled
within
thy
bosom,
in
such
wise
that
the
Concourse
on
high
and
they
who
circle
around
the
Exalted
Throne
have
wailed
and
lamented.
We
behold
in
thee
the
foolish
ruling
over
the
wise,
and
darkness
vaunting
itself
against
the
light.
Thou
art
indeed
filled
with
manifest
pride.
Hath
thine
outward
splendor
made
thee
vainglorious?
By
Him
Who
is
the
Lord
of
mankind!
It
shall
soon
perish,
and
thy
daughters
and
thy
widows
and
all
the
kindreds
that
dwell
within
thee
shall
lament.
Thus
informeth
thee
the
All-Knowing,
the
All-Wise.”
To Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz, the monarch who decreed each of Bahá’u’lláh’s three banishments, the Founder of our Faith, while a prisoner in the Sulṭán’s capital, addressed these words: “Hearken,
O
king,
to
the
speech
of
Him
that
speaketh
the
truth,
Him
that
doth
not
ask
thee
to
recompense
Him
with
the
things
God
hath
chosen
to
bestow
upon
thee,
Him
Who
unerringly
treadeth
the
Straight
Path
…Set
before
thine
eyes
God’s
unerring
Balance
and,
as
one
standing
in
His
presence,
weigh
in
that
Balance
thine
actions
every
day,
every
moment
of
thy
life.
Bring
thyself
to
account
ere
thou
art
summoned
to
a
reckoning,
on
the
day
when
no
man
shall
have
strength
to
stand
for
fear
of
God,
the
day
when
the
hearts
of
the
heedless
ones
shall
be
made
to
tremble.”
To the Ministers of the Turkish State, He, in that same Tablet, revealed: “It
behooveth
you,
O
Ministers
of
State,
to
keep
the
precepts
of
God,
and
to
forsake
your
own
laws
and
regulations,
and
to
be
of
them
who
are
guided
aright…
Ye
shall,
erelong,
discover
the
consequences
of
that
which
ye
shall
have
done
in
this
vain
life,
and
shall
be
repaid
for
them…
How
great
the
number
of
those
who,
in
bygone
ages,
have
committed
the
things
ye
have
committed,
and
who,
though
superior
to
you
in
rank,
have,
in
the
end,
returned
unto
dust,
and
been
consigned
to
their
inevitable
doom!…
Ye
shall
follow
in
their
wake,
and
shall
be
made
to
enter
a
habitation
wherein
none
shall
be
found
to
befriend
or
help
you…
The
days
of
your
life
shall
roll
away,
and
all
the
things
with
which
ye
are
occupied,
and
of
which
ye
boast
yourselves,
shall
perish,
and
ye
shall,
most
certainly,
be
summoned
by
a
company
of
His
angels
to
appear
at
the
spot
where
the
limbs
of
the
entire
creation
shall
be
made
to
tremble,
and
the
flesh
of
every
oppressor
to
creep…
This
is
the
day
that
shall
inevitably
come
upon
you,
the
hour
that
none
can
put
back.”
To the inhabitants of Constantinople, while He lived the life of an exile in their midst, Bahá’u’lláh, in that same Tablet, addressed these words: “Fear
God,
ye
inhabitants
of
the
City,
and
sow
not
the
seeds
of
dissension
amongst
men…
Your
days
shall
pass
away
as
have
the
days
of
them
who
were
before
you.
To
dust
shall
ye
return,
even
as
your
fathers
of
old
did
return.”
“We
found,”
He, moreover, remarks, “upon
Our
arrival
in
the
City
its
governors
and
elders
as
children
gathered
about
and
disporting
themselves
with
clay…
Our
inner
eye
wept
sore
over
them,
and
over
their
transgressions
and
their
total
disregard
of
the
thing
for
which
they
were
created…
The
day
is
approaching
when
God
will
have
raised
up
a
people
who
will
call
to
remembrance
Our
days,
who
will
tell
the
tale
of
Our
trials,
who
will
demand
the
restitution
of
Our
rights
from
them
that,
without
a
tittle
of
evidence,
have
treated
Us
with
manifest
injustice.
God
assuredly
dominateth
the
lives
of
them
that
wronged
Us,
and
is
well
aware
of
their
doings.
He
will,
most
certainly,
lay
hold
on
them
for
their
sins.
He,
verily,
is
the
fiercest
of
avengers.”
He graciously exhorteth them, “Wherefore,”
“hearken
ye
unto
My
speech,
and
return
ye
to
God
and
repent,
that
He,
through
His
grace,
may
have
mercy
upon
you,
may
wash
away
your
sins,
and
forgive
your
trespasses.
The
greatness
of
His
mercy
surpasseth
the
fury
of
His
wrath,
and
His
grace
encompasseth
all
who
have
been
called
into
being
and
been
clothed
with
the
robe
of
life,
be
they
of
the
past
or
of
the
future.”
And, finally, in the Lawḥ-i-Ra’ís we find these prophetic words recorded: “Hearken,
O
Chief…
to
the
Voice
of
God,
the
Sovereign,
the
Help
in
Peril,
the
Self-Subsisting…
Thou
hast,
O
Chief,
committed
that
which
hath
made
Muḥammad,
the
Apostle
of
God,
groan
in
the
Most
Exalted
Paradise.
The
world
hath
made
thee
proud,
so
much
so
that
thou
hast
turned
away
from
the
Face
through
Whose
brightness
the
Concourse
on
high
hath
been
illumined.
Soon
thou
shalt
find
thyself
in
evident
loss…
The
day
is
approaching
when
the
Land
of
Mystery
(Adrianople)
and
what
is
beside
it
shall
be
changed,
and
shall
pass
out
of
the
hands
of
the
King,
and
commotions
shall
appear,
and
the
voice
of
lamentation
shall
be
raised,
and
the
evidences
of
mischief
shall
be
revealed
on
all
sides,
and
confusion
shall
spread
by
reason
of
that
which
hath
befallen
these
captives
at
the
hands
of
the
hosts
of
oppression.
The
course
of
things
shall
be
altered,
and
conditions
shall
wax
so
grievous,
that
the
very
sands
on
the
desolate
hills
will
moan,
and
the
trees
on
the
mountain
will
weep,
and
blood
will
flow
out
of
all
things.
Then
wilt
thou
behold
the
people
in
sore
distress.”
Thirteen hundred years had to elapse from the death of the Prophet Muḥammad ere the illegitimacy of the institution of the Caliphate, the founders of which had usurped the authority of the lawful successors of the Apostle of God, would be fully and publicly demonstrated. An institution which in its inception had trampled upon so sacred a right and unchained the forces of so distressful a schism, an institution which, in the latter days, had dealt so grievous a blow to a Faith Whose Forerunner was Himself a descendant of the very Imáms whose authority that institution had repudiated, deserved full well the chastisement that had sealed its fate.
The text of certain Muḥammadan traditions, the authenticity of which Muslims themselves recognize, and which have been extensively quoted by eminent Oriental Bahá’í scholars and authors, will serve to corroborate the argument and illuminate the theme I have attempted to expound: “In
the
latter
days
a
grievous
calamity
shall
befall
My
people
at
the
hands
of
their
ruler,
a
calamity
such
as
no
man
ever
heard
to
surpass
it.
So
fierce
will
it
be
that
none
can
find
a
shelter.
God
will
then
send
down
One
of
My
descendants,
One
sprung
from
My
family,
Who
will
fill
the
earth
with
equity
and
justice,
even
as
it
hath
been
filled
with
injustice
and
tyranny.”
And, again: “A
day
shall
be
witnessed
by
My
people
whereon
there
will
have
remained
of
Islám
naught
but
a
name,
and
of
the
Qur’án
naught
but
a
mere
appearance.
The
doctors
of
that
age
shall
be
the
most
evil
the
world
hath
ever
seen.
Mischief
hath
proceeded
from
them,
and
on
them
will
it
recoil.”
And, again: “At
that
hour
His
malediction
shall
descend
upon
you,
and
your
curse
shall
afflict
you,
and
your
religion
shall
remain
an
empty
word
on
your
tongues.
And
when
these
signs
appear
amongst
you,
anticipate
the
day
when
the
red-hot
wind
will
have
swept
over
you,
or
the
day
when
ye
will
have
been
disfigured,
or
when
stones
will
have
rained
upon
you.”
“O
people
of
the
Qur’án,”
Bahá’u’lláh, addressing the combined forces of Sunní and Shí‘ih Islám, significantly affirms, “Verily,
the
Prophet
of
God,
Muḥammad,
sheddeth
tears
at
the
sight
of
your
cruelty.
Ye
have
assuredly
followed
your
evil
and
corrupt
desires,
and
turned
away
your
face
from
the
light
of
guidance.
Erelong
will
ye
witness
the
result
of
your
deeds;
for
the
Lord,
My
God,
lieth
in
wait
and
is
watchful
of
your
behavior…
O
concourse
of
Muslim
divines!
By
your
deeds
the
exalted
station
of
the
people
hath
been
abased,
the
standard
of
Islám
hath
been
reversed,
and
its
mighty
throne
hath
fallen.”
So much for Islám and the crippling blows its leaders and institutions have received— and may yet receive— in this, the first century of the Bahá’í Era. If I have dwelt too long on this theme, if I have, to a disproportionate degree, quoted from the sacred writings in support of my argument, it is solely because of my firm conviction that these retributive calamities that have rained down upon the foremost oppressor of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh should rank not only among the stirring occurrences of this Age of Transition, but as some of the most startling and significant events of contemporary history.
Both Sunní and Shí‘ih Islám had, through the convulsions that had seized them, contributed to the acceleration of the disruptive process to which I have previously referred— a process which, by its very nature, is to pave the way for that complete reorganization and unification which the world, in every aspect of its life, must achieve. What of Christianity and of the denominations with which it stands identified? Can it be said that this process of deterioration that has attacked the fabric of the Religion of Muḥammad has failed to exert its baneful influence on the institutions associated with the Faith of Jesus Christ? Have these institutions already experienced the impact of these menacing forces? Are their foundations so secure and their vitality so great as to enable them to resist this onslaught? Will they, as the confusion of a chaotic world spreads and deepens, fall in turn a prey to their violence? Have the more orthodox among them already arisen, and, if not, will they arise, to repel the onset of a Cause which, having pulled down the barriers of Muslim orthodoxy, is now advancing into the heart of Christendom, in both the European and American continents? Would such a resistance sow the seeds of further dissension and confusion, and consequently serve indirectly to hasten the advent of the promised Day?
To these queries we can but partly answer. Time alone can reveal the nature of the rôle which the institutions directly associated with the Christian Faith are destined to assume in this, the Formative Period of the Bahá’í Era, this dark age of transition through which humanity as a whole is passing. Such events as have already transpired, however, are of such a nature as can indicate the direction in which these institutions are moving. We can, in some degree, appraise the probable effect which the forces operating both within the Bahá’í Faith and outside it will exert upon them.
That the forces of irreligion, of a purely materialistic philosophy, of unconcealed paganism have been unloosed, are now spreading, and, by consolidating themselves, are beginning to invade some of the most powerful Christian institutions of the western world, no unbiased observer can fail to admit. That these institutions are becoming increasingly restive, that a few among them are already dimly aware of the pervasive influence of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, that they will, as their inherent strength deteriorates and their discipline relaxes, regard with deepening dismay the rise of His New World Order, and will gradually determine to assail it, that such an opposition will in turn accelerate their decline, few, if any, among those who are attentively watching the progress of His Faith would be inclined to question.
“The
vitality
of
men’s
belief
in
God,”
Bahá’u’lláh has testified, “is
dying
out
in
every
land;
nothing
short
of
His
wholesome
medicine
can
ever
restore
it.
The
corrosion
of
ungodliness
is
eating
into
the
vitals
of
human
society;
what
else
but
the
Elixir
of
His
potent
Revelation
can
cleanse
and
revive
it?”
“The
world
is
in
travail,”
He has further written, “and
its
agitation
waxeth
day
by
day.
Its
face
is
turned
towards
waywardness
and
unbelief.
Such
shall
be
its
plight
that
to
disclose
it
now
would
not
be
meet
and
seemly.”
This menace of secularism that has attacked Islám and is undermining its remaining institutions, that has invaded Persia, has penetrated into India, and raised its triumphant head in Turkey, has already manifested itself in both Europe and America, and is, in varying degrees, and under various forms and designations, challenging the basis of every established religion, and in particular the institutions and communities identified with the Faith of Jesus Christ. It would be no exaggeration to say that we are moving into a period which the future historian will regard as one of the most critical in the history of Christianity.
Already a few among the protagonists of the Christian Religion admit the gravity of the situation that confronts them. “A wave of materialism is sweeping round the world”; is the testimony of its missionaries, as witnessed by the text of their official reports, “the drive and pressure of modern industrialism, which are penetrating even the forests of Central Africa and the plains of Central Asia, make men everywhere dependent on, and preoccupied with, material things. At home the Church has talked, perhaps too glibly, in pulpit or on platform of the menace of secularism; though even in England we can catch more than a glimpse of its meaning. But to the Church overseas these things are grim realities, enemies with which it is at grips… The Church has a new danger to face in land after land— determined and hostile attack. From Soviet Russia a definitely anti-religious Communism is pushing west into Europe and America, East into Persia, India, China and Japan. It is an economic theory, definitely harnessed to disbelief in God. It is a religious irreligion… It has a passionate sense of mission, and is carrying on its anti-God campaign at the Church’s base at home, as well as launching its offensive against its front-line in non-Christian lands. Such a conscious, avowed, organized attack against religion in general and Christianity in particular is something new in history. Equally deliberate in some lands in its determined hostility to Christianity is another form of social and political faith— nationalism. But the nationalist attack on Christianity, unlike Communism, is often bound up with some form of national religion— with Islám in Persia and Egypt, with Buddhism in Ceylon, while the struggle for communal rights in India is allied with a revival both of Hinduism and Islám.”
I need not attempt in this connection an exposition of the origin and character of those economic theories and political philosophies of the post-war period, that have directly and indirectly exerted, and are still exerting, their pernicious influence on the institutions and beliefs connected with one of the most widely-spread and best organized religious systems of the world. It is with their influence rather than with their origin that I am chiefly concerned. The excessive growth of industrialism and its attendant evils— as the aforementioned quotation bears witness— the aggressive policies initiated and the persistent efforts exerted by the inspirers and organizers of the Communist movement; the intensification of a militant nationalism, associated in certain countries with a systematized work of defamation against all forms of ecclesiastical influence, have no doubt contributed to the de-Christianization of the masses, and been responsible for a notable decline in the authority, the prestige and power of the Church. “The whole conception of God,” the persecutors of the Christian Religion have insistently proclaimed, “is a conception derived from the ancient oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men.” “Religion,” one of their leaders has asserted, “is an opiate of the people.” “Religion,” declares the text of their official publications, “is a brutalization of the people. Education must be so directed as to efface from the people’s minds this humiliation and this idiocy.”
The Hegelian philosophy which, in other countries, has, in the form of an intolerant and militant nationalism, insisted on deifying the state, has inculcated the war-spirit, and incited to racial animosity, has, likewise, led to a marked weakening of the Church and to a grave diminution of its spiritual influence. Unlike the bold offensive which an avowedly atheistic movement had chosen to launch against it, both within the Soviet union and beyond its confines, this nationalistic philosophy, which Christian rulers and governments have upheld, is an attack directed against the Church by those who were previously its professed adherents, a betrayal of its cause by its own kith and kin. It was being stabbed by an alien and militant atheism from without, and by the preachers of a heretical doctrine from within. Both of these forces, each operating in its own sphere and using its own weapons and methods, have moreover been greatly assisted and encouraged by the prevailing spirit of modernism, with its emphasis on a purely materialistic philosophy, which, as it diffuses itself, tends increasingly to divorce religion from man’s daily life.
The combined effect of these strange and corrupt doctrines, these dangerous and treacherous philosophies, has, as was natural, been severely felt by those whose tenets inculcated an opposite and wholly irreconcilable spirit and principle. The consequences of the clash that inevitably ensued between these contending interests, were, in some cases, disastrous, and the damage that has been wrought irreparable. The disestablishment and dismemberment of the Greek Orthodox Church in Russia, following upon the blow which the Church of Rome had sustained as a result of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy; the commotion that subsequently seized the Catholic Church and culminated in its separation from the State in Spain; the persecution of the same Church in Mexico; the perquisitions, arrests, intimidation and terrorization to which Catholics and Lutherans alike are being subjected in the heart of Europe; the turmoil into which another branch of the Church has been thrown as a result of the military campaign in Africa; the decline that has set in the fortunes of Christian Missions, both Anglican and Presbyterian, in Persia, Turkey, and the Far East; the ominous signs that foreshadow serious complications in the equivocal and precarious relationships now existing between the Holy See and certain nations in the continent of Europe— these stand out as the most striking features of the reverses which, in almost every part of the world, the members and leaders of Christian ecclesiastical institutions have suffered.
That the solidarity of some of these institutions has been irretrievably shattered is too apparent for any intelligent observer to mistake or deny. The cleavage between the fundamentalists and the liberals among their adherents is continually widening. Their creeds and dogmas have been watered down, and in certain instances ignored and discarded. Their hold upon human conduct is loosening, and the personnel of their ministries is dwindling in number and in influence. The timidity and insincerity of their preachers are, in several instances, being exposed. Their endowments have, in some countries, disappeared, and the force of their religious training has declined. Their temples have been partly deserted and destroyed, and an oblivion of God, of His teachings and of His Purpose, has enfeebled and heaped humiliation upon them.
Might not this disintegrating tendency, from which Sunní and Shí‘ih Islám have so conspicuously suffered, unloose, as it reaches its climax, still further calamities upon the various denominations of the Christian Church? In what manner and how rapidly this process, which has already set in, will develop the future alone can reveal. Nor can it, at the present time, be estimated to what extent will the attacks which a still powerful clergy may yet launch against the strongholds of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the West accentuate this decline and widen the range of inescapable disasters.
If Christianity wishes and expects to serve the world in the present crisis, writes a minister of the Presbyterian Church in America, it must “cut back through Christianity to Christ, back through the centuries-old religion about Jesus to the original religion of Jesus.” Otherwise, he significantly adds, “the spirit of Christ will live in institutions other than our own.”
So marked a decline in the strength and cohesion of the elements constituting Christian society has led, in its turn, as we might well anticipate, to the emergence of an increasing number of obscure cults, of strange and new worships, of ineffective philosophies, whose sophisticated doctrines have intensified the confusion of a troubled age. In their tenets and pursuits they may be said to reflect and bear witness to the revolt, the discontent, and the confused aspirations of the disillusioned masses that have deserted the cause of the Christian churches and seceded from their membership.
A parallel might almost be drawn between these confused and confusing systems of thought that are the direct outcome of the helplessness and confusion afflicting the Christian Faith and the great variety of popular cults, of fashionable and evasive philosophies which flourished in the opening centuries of the Christian Era, and which attempted to absorb and pervert the state religion of that Roman people. The pagan worshipers who constituted, at that time, the bulk of the population of the Western Roman Empire, found themselves surrounded, and in certain instances menaced, by the prevailing sect of the Neo-Platonists, by the followers of nature religions, by Gnostic philosophers, by Philonism, Mithraism, the adherents of the Alexandrian cult, and a multitude of kindred sects and beliefs, in much the same way as the defenders of the Christian Faith, the preponderating religion of the western world, are realizing, in the first century of the Bahá’í Era, how their influence is being undermined by a flood of conflicting beliefs, practices and tendencies which their own bankruptcy had helped to create. It was, however, this same Christian Religion, which has now fallen into such a state of impotence, that eventually proved itself capable of sweeping away the institutions of paganism and of swamping and suppressing the cults that had flourished in that age.
Such institutions as have strayed far from the spirit and teachings of Jesus Christ must of necessity, as the embryonic World Order of Bahá’u’lláh takes shape and unfolds, recede into the background, and make way for the progress of the divinely-ordained institutions that stand inextricably interwoven with His teachings. The indwelling Spirit of God which, in the Apostolic Age of the Church, animated its members, the pristine purity of its teachings, the primitive brilliancy of its light, will, no doubt, be reborn and revived as the inevitable consequence of this redefinition of its fundamental verities, and the clarification of its original purpose.
For the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh— if we would faithfully appraise it— can never, and in no aspect of its teachings, be at variance, much less conflict, with the purpose animating, or the authority invested in, the Faith of Jesus Christ. This glowing tribute which Bahá’u’lláh Himself has been moved to pay to the Author of the Christian Religion stands as sufficient testimony to the truth of this central principle of Bahá’í belief:— “Know
thou
that
when
the
Son
of
Man
yielded
up
His
breath
to
God,
the
whole
creation
wept
with
a
great
weeping.
By
sacrificing
Himself,
however,
a
fresh
capacity
was
infused
into
all
created
things.
Its
evidences,
as
witnessed
in
all
the
peoples
of
the
earth,
are
now
manifest
before
thee.
The
deepest
wisdom
which
the
sages
have
uttered,
the
profoundest
learning
which
any
mind
hath
unfolded,
the
arts
which
the
ablest
hands
have
produced,
the
influence
exerted
by
the
most
potent
of
rulers,
are
but
manifestations
of
the
quickening
power
released
by
His
transcendent,
His
all-pervasive
and
resplendent
Spirit.
We
testify
that
when
He
came
into
the
world,
He
shed
the
splendor
of
His
glory
upon
all
created
things.
Through
Him
the
leper
recovered
from
the
leprosy
of
perversity
and
ignorance.
Through
Him
the
unchaste
and
wayward
were
healed.
Through
His
power,
born
of
Almighty
God,
the
eyes
of
the
blind
were
opened,
and
the
soul
of
the
sinner
sanctified…
He
it
is
Who
purified
the
world.
Blessed
is
the
man
who,
with
a
face
beaming
with
light,
hath
turned
towards
Him.”
No more, I believe, need be said of the decline of religious institutions, the disintegration of which constitutes so important an aspect of the Formative Period of the Bahá’í Era. Islám had both as a result of the rising tide of secularism and in direct consequence of its declared and persistent hostility to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh sunk to a depth of abasement rarely attained in its history. Christianity had, likewise, owing to causes not wholly dissimilar to those operating in the case of its sister Faith, steadily weakened, and was contributing, in an increasing measure, its share to the process of general disintegration— a process that must necessarily precede the fundamental reconstruction of human society.
The signs of moral downfall, as distinct from the evidences of decay in religious institutions, would appear to be no less noticeable and significant. The decline that has set in in the fortunes of Islámic and Christian institutions may be said to have had its counterpart in the life and conduct of the individuals that compose them. In whichever direction we turn our gaze, no matter how cursory our observation of the doings and sayings of the present generation, we can not fail to be struck by the evidences of moral decadence which, in their individual lives no less than in their collective capacity, men and women around us exhibit.
There can be no doubt that the decline of religion as a social force, of which the deterioration of religious institutions is but an external phenomenon, is chiefly responsible for so grave, so conspicuous an evil. “Religion,”
writes Bahá’u’lláh, “is
the
greatest
of
all
means
for
the
establishment
of
order
in
the
world
and
for
the
peaceful
contentment
of
all
that
dwell
therein.
The
weakening
of
the
pillars
of
religion
hath
strengthened
the
hands
of
the
ignorant
and
made
them
bold
and
arrogant.
Verily
I
say,
whatsoever
hath
lowered
the
lofty
station
of
religion
hath
increased
the
waywardness
of
the
wicked,
and
the
result
cannot
be
but
anarchy.”
He, in another Tablet, has stated, “Religion,”
“is
a
radiant
light
and
an
impregnable
stronghold
for
the
protection
and
welfare
of
the
peoples
of
the
world,
for
the
fear
of
God
impelleth
man
to
hold
fast
to
that
which
is
good,
and
shun
all
evil.
Should
the
lamp
of
religion
be
obscured,
chaos
and
confusion
will
ensue,
and
the
lights
of
fairness,
of
justice,
of
tranquillity
and
peace
cease
to
shine.”
He, in yet another connection, has written, “Know
thou,”
“that
they
who
are
truly
wise
have
likened
the
world
unto
the
human
temple.
As
the
body
of
man
needeth
a
garment
to
clothe
it,
so
the
body
of
mankind
must
needs
be
adorned
with
the
mantle
of
justice
and
wisdom.
Its
robe
is
the
Revelation
vouchsafed
unto
it
by
God.”
No wonder, therefore, that when, as a result of human perversity, the light of religion is quenched in men’s hearts, and the divinely appointed Robe, designed to adorn the human temple, is deliberately discarded, a deplorable decline in the fortunes of humanity immediately sets in, bringing in its wake all the evils which a wayward soul is capable of revealing. The perversion of human nature, the degradation of human conduct, the corruption and dissolution of human institutions, reveal themselves, under such circumstances, in their worst and most revolting aspects. Human character is debased, confidence is shaken, the nerves of discipline are relaxed, the voice of human conscience is stilled, the sense of decency and shame is obscured, conceptions of duty, of solidarity, of reciprocity and loyalty are distorted, and the very feeling of peacefulness, of joy and of hope is gradually extinguished.
Such, we might well admit, is the state which individuals and institutions alike are approaching. “No
two
men,”
Bahá’u’lláh, lamenting the plight of an erring humanity, has written, “can
be
found
who
may
be
said
to
be
outwardly
and
inwardly
united.
The
evidences
of
discord
and
malice
are
apparent
everywhere,
though
all
were
made
for
harmony
and
union.”
“How
long,”
He, in the same Tablet, exclaims, “will
humanity
persist
in
its
waywardness?
How
long
will
injustice
continue?
How
long
is
chaos
and
confusion
to
reign
amongst
men?
How
long
will
discord
agitate
the
face
of
society?
The
winds
of
despair
are,
alas,
blowing
from
every
direction,
and
the
strife
that
divideth
and
afflicteth
the
human
race
is
daily
increasing.”
The recrudescence of religious intolerance, of racial animosity, and of patriotic arrogance; the increasing evidences of selfishness, of suspicion, of fear and of fraud; the spread of terrorism, of lawlessness, of drunkenness and of crime; the unquenchable thirst for, and the feverish pursuit after, earthly vanities, riches and pleasures; the weakening of family solidarity; the laxity in parental control; the lapse into luxurious indulgence; the irresponsible attitude towards marriage and the consequent rising tide of divorce; the degeneracy of art and music, the infection of literature, and the corruption of the press; the extension of the influence and activities of those “prophets of decadence” who advocate companionate marriage, who preach the philosophy of nudism, who call modesty an intellectual fiction, who refuse to regard the procreation of children as the sacred and primary purpose of marriage, who denounce religion as an opiate of the people, who would, if given free rein, lead back the human race to barbarism, chaos, and ultimate extinction— these appear as the outstanding characteristics of a decadent society, a society that must either be reborn or perish.
Politically a similar decline, a no less noticeable evidence of disintegration and confusion, can be discovered in the age we live in— the age which a future historian might well recognize to have been the preamble to the Great Age, whose golden days we can as yet but dimly visualize.
The passionate and violent happenings that have, in recent years, strained to almost the point of complete breakdown the political and economic structure of society are too numerous and complex to attempt, within the limitations of this general survey, to arrive at an adequate estimate of their character. Nor have these tribulations, grievous as they have been, seemed to have reached their climax, and exerted the full force of their destructive power. The whole world, wherever and however we survey it, offers us the sad and pitiful spectacle of a vast, an enfeebled, and moribund organism, which is being torn politically and strangulated economically by forces it has ceased to either control or comprehend. The Great Depression, the aftermath of the severest ordeals humanity had ever experienced, the disintegration of the Versailles system, the recrudescence of militarism in its most menacing aspects, the failure of vast experiments and new-born institutions to safeguard the peace and tranquillity of peoples, classes and nations, have bitterly disillusioned humanity and prostrated its spirits. Its hopes are, for the most part, shattered, its vitality is ebbing, its life strangely disordered, its unity severely compromised.
On the continent of Europe inveterate hatreds and increasing rivalries are once more aligning its ill-fated peoples and nations into combinations destined to precipitate the most awful and implacable tribulations that mankind throughout its long record of martyrdom has suffered. On the North American continent economic distress, industrial disorganization, widespread discontent at the abortive experiments designed to readjust an ill-balanced economy, and restlessness and fear inspired by the possibility of political entanglements in both Europe and Asia, portend the approach of what may well prove to be one of the most critical phases of the history of the American Republic. Asia, still to a great extent in the grip of one of the severest trials she has, in her recent history, experienced, finds herself menaced on her eastern confines by the onset of forces that threaten to intensify the struggles which the growing nationalism and industrialization of her emancipated races must ultimately engender. In the heart of Africa, there blazes the fire of an atrocious and bloody war— a war which, whatever its outcome, is destined to exert, through its world-wide repercussions, a most disturbing influence on the races and colored nations of mankind.
With no less than ten million people under arms, drilled and instructed in the use of the most abominable engines of destruction that science has devised; with thrice that number chafing and fretting at the rule of alien races and governments; with an equally vast army of embittered citizens impotent to procure for themselves the material goods and necessities which others are deliberately destroying; with a still greater mass of human beings groaning under the burden of ever-mounting armaments, and impoverished by the virtual collapse of international trade— with evils such as these, humanity would seem to be definitely entering the outer fringes of the most agonizing phase of its existence.
Is it to be wondered at, that in the course of a recent statement made by one of the outstanding Ministers in Europe this warning should have been deliberately uttered: “If war should break out again on a major scale in Europe, it must bring the collapse of civilization as we know it in its wake. In the words of the late Lord Bryce, ‘If you don’t end war, war will end you.’” “Poor Europe is in a state of neurasthenia…”, is the testimony of one of the most outstanding figures among its present-day dictators. “It has lost its recuperative power, the vital force of cohesion, of synthesis. Another war would destroy us.” “It is likely,” writes one of the most eminent and learned dignitaries of the Christian Church, “there will have to be one more great conflict in Europe to definitely establish once and for all an international authority. This conflict will be the most horrible of horribles, and possibly this generation will be called on to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of lives.”
The disastrous failure of both the Disarmament and Economic Conferences; the obstacles confronting the negotiations for the limitation of Naval armaments; the withdrawal of two of the most powerful and heavily armed nations of the world from the activities and membership of the League of Nations; the ineptitude of the parliamentary system of government as witnessed by recent developments in Europe and America; the inability of the leaders and exponents of the Communist movement to vindicate the much-vaunted principle of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat; the perils and privations to which the rulers of the Totalitarian states have, in recent years, exposed their subjects— all these demonstrate, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the impotence of present-day institutions to avert the calamities with which human society is being increasingly threatened. What else remains, a bewildered generation may well ask, that can repair the cleavage that is constantly widening, and which may, at any time, engulf it?
Beset on every side by the cumulative evidences of disintegration, of turmoil and of bankruptcy, serious-minded men and women, in almost every walk of life, are beginning to doubt whether society, as it is now organized, can, through its unaided efforts, extricate itself from the slough into which it is steadily sinking. Every system, short of the unification of the human race, has been tried, repeatedly tried, and been found wanting. Wars again and again have been fought, and conferences without number have met and deliberated. Treaties, pacts and covenants have been painstakingly negotiated, concluded and revised. Systems of government have been patiently tested, have been continually recast and superseded. Economic plans of reconstruction have been carefully devised, and meticulously executed. And yet crisis has succeeded crisis, and the rapidity with which a perilously unstable world is declining has been correspondingly accelerated. A yawning gulf threatens to involve in one common disaster both the satisfied and dissatisfied nations, democracies and dictatorships, capitalists and wage-earners, Europeans and Asiatics, Jew and Gentile, white and colored. An angry Providence, the cynic might well observe, has abandoned a hapless planet to its fate, and fixed irrevocably its doom. Sore-tried and disillusioned, humanity has no doubt lost its orientation, and would seem to have lost as well its faith and hope. It is hovering, unshepherded and visionless, on the brink of disaster. A sense of fatality seems to pervade it. An ever-deepening gloom is settling on its fortunes as she recedes further and further from the outer fringes of the darkest zone of its agitated life and penetrates its very heart.
And yet while the shadows are continually deepening, might we not claim that gleams of hope, flashing intermittently on the international horizon, appear at times to relieve the darkness that encircles humanity? Would it be untrue to maintain that in a world of unsettled faith and disturbed thought, a world of steadily mounting armaments, of unquenchable hatreds and rivalries, the progress, however fitful, of the forces working in harmony with the spirit of the age can already be discerned? Though the great outcry raised by post-war nationalism is growing louder and more insistent every day, the League of Nations is as yet in its embryonic state, and the storm clouds that are gathering may for a time totally eclipse its powers and obliterate its machinery, yet the direction in which the institution itself is operating is most significant. The voices that have been raised ever since its inception, the efforts that have been exerted, the work that has already been accomplished, foreshadow the triumphs which this presently constituted institution, or any other body that may supersede it, is destined to achieve.
A general Pact on security has been the central purpose towards which these efforts have, ever since the League was born, tended to converge. The Treaty of Guarantee which, in the initial stages of its development, its members had considered and discussed; the debate on the Geneva Protocol, the discussion of which, at a later period, aroused among the nations, both within the League and outside it, such fierce controversy; the subsequent proposal for a United States of Europe and for the economic unification of that continent; and last but not least the policy of sanctions initiated by its members, may be regarded as the most significant landmarks in its checkered history. That no less than fifty nations of the world, all members of the League of Nations, should have, after mature deliberation, recognized and been led to pronounce their verdict against an act of aggression which in their judgment has been deliberately committed by one of their fellow-members, one of the foremost Powers of Europe; that they should have, for the most part, agreed to impose collectively sanctions on the condemned aggressor, and should have succeeded in carrying out, to a very great measure, their decision, is no doubt an event without parallel in human history. For the first time in the history of humanity the system of collective security, foreshadowed by Bahá’u’lláh and explained by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, has been seriously envisaged, discussed and tested. For the first time in history it has been officially recognized and publicly stated that for this system of collective security to be effectively established strength and elasticity are both essential— strength involving the use of an adequate force to ensure the efficacy of the proposed system, and elasticity to enable the machinery that has been devised to meet the legitimate needs and aspirations of its aggrieved upholders. For the first time in human history tentative efforts have been exerted by the nations of the world to assume collective responsibility, and to supplement their verbal pledges by actual preparation for collective action. And again, for the first time in history, a movement of public opinion has manifested itself in support of the verdict which the leaders and representatives of nations have pronounced, and for securing collective action in pursuance of such a decision.
How clear, how prophetic, must sound the words uttered by Bahá’u’lláh in the light of recent international developments:— “Be
united,
O
concourse
of
the
sovereigns
of
the
world,
for
thereby
will
the
tempest
of
discord
be
stilled
amongst
you,
and
your
peoples
find
rest.
Should
any
one
among
you
take
up
arms
against
another,
rise
ye
all
against
him,
for
this
is
naught
but
manifest
justice.”
“The
time
must
come,”
He, foreshadowing the tentative efforts that are now being made, has written, “when
the
imperative
necessity
for
the
holding
of
a
vast,
an
all-embracing
assemblage
of
men
will
be
universally
realized.
The
rulers
and
kings
of
the
earth
must
needs
attend
it,
and,
participating
in
its
deliberations,
must
consider
such
ways
and
means
as
will
lay
the
foundations
of
the
world’s
Great
Peace
among
men…
Should
any
king
take
up
arms
against
another,
all
should
unitedly
arise
and
prevent
him.”
“The
sovereigns
of
the
world,”
writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in elaboration of this theme, “must
conclude
a
binding
treaty,
and
establish
a
covenant,
the
provisions
of
which
shall
be
sound,
inviolable
and
definite.
They
must
proclaim
it
to
all
the
world,
and
obtain
for
it
the
sanction
of
all
the
human
race…
All
the
forces
of
humanity
must
be
mobilized
to
insure
the
stability
and
permanence
of
this
Most
Great
Covenant…
The
fundamental
principle
underlying
this
solemn
Pact
should
be
so
fixed
that
if
any
government
later
violate
any
one
of
its
provisions,
all
the
governments
on
earth
should
arise
to
reduce
it
to
utter
submission,
nay
the
human
race
as
a
whole
should
resolve,
with
every
power
at
its
disposal,
to
destroy
that
government.”
There can be no doubt whatever that what has already been accomplished, significant and unexampled though it is in the history of mankind, still immeasurably falls short of the essential requirements of the system which these words foreshadow. The League of Nations, its opponents will observe, still lacks the universality which is the prerequisite of abiding success in the efficacious settlement of international disputes. The United States of America, its begetter, has repudiated it, and is still holding aloof, while Germany and Japan, who ranked among its most powerful supporters, have abandoned its cause and withdrawn from its membership. The decisions arrived at and the action thus far taken, others will maintain, should be regarded as no more than a magnificent gesture, rather than a conclusive evidence of international solidarity. Still others may contend that though such a verdict has been pronounced, and such pledges been given, collective action must, in the end, fail in its ultimate purpose, and that the League itself will perish and be submerged by the flood of tribulations destined to overtake the whole race. Be that as it may, the significance of the steps already taken cannot be ignored. Whatever the present status of the League or the outcome of its historic verdict, whatever the trials and reverses which, in the immediate future, it may have to face and sustain, the fact must be recognized that so important a decision marks one of the most distinctive milestones on the long and arduous road that must lead it to its goal, the stage at which the oneness of the whole body of nations will be made the ruling principle of international life.
This historic step, however, is but a faint glimmer in the darkness that envelops an agitated humanity. It may well prove to be no more than a mere flash, a fugitive gleam, in the midst of an ever-deepening confusion. The process of disintegration must inexorably continue, and its corrosive influence must penetrate deeper and deeper into the very core of a crumbling age. Much suffering will still be required ere the contending nations, creeds, classes and races of mankind are fused in the crucible of universal affliction, and are forged by the fires of a fierce ordeal into one organic commonwealth, one vast, unified, and harmoniously functioning system. Adversities unimaginably appalling, undreamed of crises and upheavals, war, famine, and pestilence, might well combine to engrave in the soul of an unheeding generation those truths and principles which it has disdained to recognize and follow. A paralysis more painful than any it has yet experienced must creep over and further afflict the fabric of a broken society ere it can be rebuilt and regenerated.
“The
civilization,”
writes Bahá’u’lláh, “so
often
vaunted
by
the
learned
exponents
of
arts
and
sciences
will,
if
allowed
to
overleap
the
bounds
of
moderation,
bring
great
evil
upon
men…
If
carried
to
excess,
civilization
will
prove
as
prolific
a
source
of
evil
as
it
had
been
of
goodness
when
kept
within
the
restraints
of
moderation…
The
day
is
approaching
when
its
flame
will
devour
the
cities,
when
the
Tongue
of
Grandeur
will
proclaim:
‘The
Kingdom
is
God’s,
the
Almighty,
the
All-Praised!’”
“From
the
moment
the
Súriy-i-Ra’ís
(Tablet
to
Ra’ís)
was
revealed,”
He further explains, “until
the
present
day,
neither
hath
the
world
been
tranquillized,
nor
have
the
hearts
of
its
peoples
been
at
rest…
Its
sickness
is
approaching
the
stage
of
utter
hopelessness,
inasmuch
as
the
true
Physician
is
debarred
from
administering
the
remedy,
whilst
unskilled
practitioners
are
regarded
with
favor,
and
are
accorded
full
freedom
to
act.
The
dust
of
sedition
hath
clouded
the
hearts
of
men,
and
blinded
their
eyes.
Erelong
they
will
perceive
the
consequences
of
what
their
hands
have
wrought
in
the
Day
of
God.”
He again has written, “This
is
the
Day,”
“whereon
the
earth
shall
tell
out
her
tidings.
The
workers
of
iniquity
are
her
burdens…
The
Crier
hath
cried
out,
and
men
have
been
torn
away,
so
great
hath
been
the
fury
of
His
wrath.
The
people
of
the
left
hand
sigh
and
bemoan.
The
people
of
the
right
abide
in
noble
habitations:
they
quaff
the
Wine
that
is
life
indeed
from
the
hands
of
the
All-Merciful,
and
are,
verily,
the
blissful.”
Who else can be the blissful if not the community of the Most Great Name, whose world-embracing, continually consolidating activities constitute the one integrating process in a world whose institutions, secular as well as religious, are for the most part dissolving? They indeed are “the
people
of
the
right,”
whose “noble
habitation”
is fixed on the foundations of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh— the Ark of everlasting salvation in this most grievous Day. Of all the kindreds of the earth they alone can recognize, amidst the welter of a tempestuous age, the Hand of the Divine Redeemer that traces its course and controls its destinies. They alone are aware of the silent growth of that orderly world polity whose fabric they themselves are weaving.
Conscious of their high calling, confident in the society-building power which their Faith possesses, they press forward, undeterred and undismayed, in their efforts to fashion and perfect the necessary instruments wherein the embryonic World Order of Bahá’u’lláh can mature and develop. It is this building process, slow and unobtrusive, to which the life of the world-wide Bahá’í Community is wholly consecrated, that constitutes the one hope of a stricken society. For this process is actuated by the generating influence of God’s changeless Purpose, and is evolving within the framework of the Administrative Order of His Faith.
In a world the structure of whose political and social institutions is impaired, whose vision is befogged, whose conscience is bewildered, whose religious systems have become anemic and lost their virtue, this healing Agency, this leavening Power, this cementing Force, intensely alive and all-pervasive, has been taking shape, is crystallizing into institutions, is mobilizing its forces, and is preparing for the spiritual conquest and the complete redemption of mankind. Though the society which incarnates its ideals be small, and its direct and tangible benefits as yet inconsiderable, yet the potentialities with which it has been endowed, and through which it is destined to regenerate the individual and rebuild a broken world, are incalculable.
For well nigh a century it has, amid the noise and tumult of a distracted age, and despite the incessant persecutions to which its leaders, institutions, and followers have been subjected, succeeded in preserving its identity, in reinforcing its stability and strength, in maintaining its organic unity, in preserving the integrity of its laws and its principles, in erecting its defenses, and in extending and consolidating its institutions. Numerous and powerful have been the forces that have schemed, both from within and from without, in lands both far and near, to quench its light and abolish its holy name. Some have apostatized from its principles, and betrayed ignominiously its cause. Others have hurled against it the fiercest anathemas which the embittered leaders of any ecclesiastical institution are able to pronounce. Still others have heaped upon it the afflictions and humiliations which sovereign authority can alone, in the plenitude of its power, inflict.
The utmost its avowed and secret enemies could hope to achieve was to retard its growth and obscure momentarily its purpose. What they actually accomplished was to purge and purify its life, to stir it to still greater depths, to galvanize its soul, to prune its institutions, and cement its unity. A schism, a permanent cleavage in the vast body of its adherents, they could never create.
They who betrayed its cause, its lukewarm and faint-hearted supporters, withered away and dropped as dead leaves, powerless to cloud its radiance or to imperil its structure. Its most implacable adversaries, they who assailed it from without, were hurled from power, and, in the most astonishing fashion, met their doom. Persia had been the first to repress and oppose it. Its monarchs had miserably fallen, their dynasty had collapsed, their name was execrated, the hierarchy that had been their ally and had propped their declining state, had been utterly discredited. Turkey, which had thrice banished its Founder and inflicted on Him cruel and life-long imprisonment, had passed through one of the severest ordeals and far-reaching revolutions that its history has recorded, had shrunk from one of the most powerful empires to a tiny Asiatic republic, its Sultanate obliterated, its dynasty overthrown, its Caliphate, the mightiest institution of Islám, abolished.
Meanwhile the Faith that had been the object of such monstrous betrayals, and the target for such woeful assaults, was going from strength to strength, was forging ahead, undaunted and undivided by the injuries it had received. In the midst of trials it had inspired its loyal followers with a resolution that no obstacle, however formidable, could undermine. It had lighted in their hearts a faith that no misfortune, however black, could quench. It had infused into their hearts a hope that no force, however determined, could shatter.
Ceasing to designate to itself a movement, a fellowship and the like— designations that did grave injustice to its ever-unfolding system— dissociating itself from such appellations as Bábí sect, Asiatic cult, and offshoot of Shí‘ih Islám, with which the ignorant and the malicious were wont to describe it, refusing to be labeled as a mere philosophy of life, or as an eclectic code of ethical conduct, or even as a new religion, the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is now visibly succeeding in demonstrating its claim and title to be regarded as a World Religion, destined to attain, in the fullness of time, the status of a world-embracing Commonwealth, which would be at once the instrument and the guardian of the Most Great Peace announced by its Author. Far from wishing to add to the number of the religious systems, whose conflicting loyalties have for so many generations disturbed the peace of mankind, this Faith is instilling into each of its adherents a new love for, and a genuine appreciation of the unity underlying, the various religions represented within its pale.
“It is like a wide embrace,” such is the testimony of Royalty to its claim and position, “gathering together all those who have long searched for words of hope. It accepts all great Prophets gone before it, destroys no other creeds, and leaves all doors open.” “The Bahá’í teaching,” she has further written, “brings peace to the soul and hope to the heart. To those in search of assurance the words of the Father are as a fountain in the desert after long wandering.” “Their writings,” she, in another statement referring to Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, has testified, “are a great cry toward peace, reaching beyond all limits of frontiers, above all dissension about rites and dogmas… It is a wondrous message that Bahá’u’lláh and His son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have given us. They have not set it up aggressively knowing that the germ of eternal truth which lies at its core cannot but take root and spread.” “If ever the name of Bahá’u’lláh or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” is her concluding plea, “comes to your attention, do not put their writings from you. Search out their Books, and let their glorious, peace-bringing, love-creating words and lessons sink into your hearts as they have into mine.”
The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has assimilated, by virtue of its creative, its regulative and ennobling energies, the varied races, nationalities, creeds and classes that have sought its shadow, and have pledged unswerving fealty to its cause. It has changed the hearts of its adherents, burned away their prejudices, stilled their passions, exalted their conceptions, ennobled their motives, coördinated their efforts, and transformed their outlook. While preserving their patriotism and safeguarding their lesser loyalties, it has made them lovers of mankind, and the determined upholders of its best and truest interests. While maintaining intact their belief in the Divine origin of their respective religions, it has enabled them to visualize the underlying purpose of these religions, to discover their merits, to recognize their sequence, their interdependence, their wholeness and unity, and to acknowledge the bond that vitally links them to itself. This universal, this transcending love which the followers of the Bahá’í Faith feel for their fellow-men, of whatever race, creed, class or nation, is neither mysterious nor can it be said to have been artificially stimulated. It is both spontaneous and genuine. They whose hearts are warmed by the energizing influence of God’s creative love cherish His creatures for His sake, and recognize in every human face a sign of His reflected glory.
Of such men and women it may be truly said that to them “every foreign land is a fatherland, and every fatherland a foreign land.” For their citizenship, it must be remembered, is in the Kingdom of Bahá’u’lláh. Though willing to share to the utmost the temporal benefits and the fleeting joys which this earthly life can confer, though eager to participate in whatever activity that conduces to the richness, the happiness and peace of that life, they can, at no time, forget that it constitutes no more than a transient, a very brief stage of their existence, that they who live it are but pilgrims and wayfarers whose goal is the Celestial City, and whose home the Country of never-failing joy and brightness.
Though loyal to their respective governments, though profoundly interested in anything that affects their security and welfare, though anxious to share in whatever promotes their best interests, the Faith with which the followers of Bahá’u’lláh stand identified is one which they firmly believe God has raised high above the storms, the divisions, and controversies of the political arena. Their Faith they conceive to be essentially non-political, supra-national in character, rigidly non-partisan, and entirely dissociated from nationalistic ambitions, pursuits, and purposes. Such a Faith knows no division of class or of party. It subordinates, without hesitation or equivocation, every particularistic interest, be it personal, regional, or national, to the paramount interests of humanity, firmly convinced that in a world of inter-dependent peoples and nations the advantage of the part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole, and that no abiding benefit can be conferred upon the component parts if the general interests of the entity itself are ignored or neglected.
Small wonder if by the Pen of Bahá’u’lláh these pregnant words, written in anticipation of the present state of mankind, should have been revealed: “It
is
not
for
him
to
pride
himself
who
loveth
his
own
country,
but
rather
for
him
who
loveth
the
whole
world.
The
earth
is
but
one
country,
and
mankind
its
citizens.”
And again, “That
one
indeed
is
a
man
who
today
dedicateth
himself
to
the
service
of
the
entire
human
race.”
“Through
the
power
released
by
these
exalted
words,”
He explains, “He
hath
lent
a
fresh
impulse,
and
set
a
new
direction,
to
the
birds
of
men’s
hearts,
and
hath
obliterated
every
trace
of
restriction
and
limitation
from
God’s
Holy
Book.”
Their Faith, Bahá’ís firmly believe, is moreover undenominational, non-sectarian, and wholly divorced from every ecclesiastical system, whatever its form, origin, or activities. No ecclesiastical organization, with its creeds, its traditions, its limitations, and exclusive outlook, can be said (as is the case with all existing political factions, parties, systems and programs) to conform, in all its aspects, to the cardinal tenets of Bahá’í belief. To some of the principles and ideals animating political and ecclesiastical institutions every conscientious follower of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh can, no doubt, readily subscribe. With none of these institutions, however, can he identify himself, nor can he unreservedly endorse the creeds, the principles and programs on which they are based.
How can a Faith, it should moreover be borne in mind, whose divinely-ordained institutions have been established within the jurisdiction of no less than forty different countries, the policies and interests of whose governments are continually clashing and growing more complex and confused every day— how can such a Faith, by allowing its adherents, whether individually or through its organized councils, to meddle in political activities, succeed in preserving the integrity of its teachings and in safeguarding the unity of its followers? How can it insure the vigorous, the uninterrupted and peaceful development of its expanding institutions? How can a Faith, whose ramifications have brought it into contact with mutually incompatible religious systems, sects and confessions, be in a position, if it permits its adherents to subscribe to obsolescent observances and doctrines, to claim the unconditional allegiance of those whom it is striving to incorporate into its divinely-appointed system? How can it avoid the constant friction, the misunderstandings and controversies which formal affiliation, as distinct from association, must inevitably engender?
These directing and regulating principles of Bahá’í belief the upholders of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh feel bound, as their Administrative Order expands and consolidates itself, to assert and vigilantly apply. The exigencies of a slowly crystallizing Faith impose upon them a duty which they cannot shirk, a responsibility they cannot evade.
Nor are they unmindful of the imperative necessity of upholding and of executing the laws, as distinguished from the principles, ordained by Bahá’u’lláh, both of which constitute the warp and woof of the institutions upon which the structure of His World Order must ultimately rest. To demonstrate their usefulness and efficacy, to carry out and apply them, to safeguard their integrity, to grasp their implications, and to facilitate their propagation Bahá’í communities in the East, and recently in the West, are displaying the utmost effort and are willing, if necessary, to make whatever sacrifices may be demanded. The day may not be far distant when in certain countries of the East, in which religious communities exercise jurisdiction in matters of personal status, Bahá’í Assemblies may be called upon to assume the duties and responsibilities devolving upon officially constituted Bahá’í courts. They will be empowered, in such matters as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, to execute and apply, within their respective jurisdictions, and with the sanction of civil authorities, such laws and ordinances as have been expressly provided in their Most Holy Book.
The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has, in addition to these tendencies and activities which its evolution is now revealing, demonstrated, in other spheres, and wherever the illumination of its light has penetrated, the force of its cohesive strength, of its integrating power, of its invincible spirit. In the erection and consecration of its House of Worship in the heart of the North American continent; in the construction and multiplication of its administrative headquarters in the land of its birth and in neighboring countries; in the fashioning of the legal instruments designed to safeguard and regulate the corporate life of its institutions; in the accumulation of adequate resources, material as well as cultural, in every continent of the globe; in the endowments which it has created for itself in the immediate surroundings of its Shrines at its world center; in the efforts that are being made for the collection, the verification, and the systematization of the writings of its Founders; in the measures that are being taken for the acquisition of such historical sites as are associated with the lives of its Forerunner and its Author, its heroes and martyrs; in the foundations that are being laid for the gradual formation and establishment of its educational, its cultural and humanitarian institutions; in the vigorous efforts that are being exerted to safeguard the character, stimulate the initiative and co-ordinate the world-wide activities of its youth; in the extraordinary vitality with which its valiant defenders, its elected representatives, its itinerant teachers and pioneer administrators are pleading its cause, extending its boundaries, enriching its literature, and strengthening the basis of its spiritual conquests and triumphs; in the recognition which civil authorities have, in certain instances, been induced to grant to the body of its local and national representatives, enabling them to incorporate their councils, establish their subsidiary institutions, and safeguard their endowments; in the facilities which these same authorities have consented to accord to its shrines, its consecrated edifices, and educational institutions; in the enthusiasm and determination with which certain communities that had been severely tested and harassed are resuming their activities; in the spontaneous tributes paid by royalty, princes, statesmen and scholars to the sublimity of its cause and the station of its Founders— in these, as in many others, the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is proving beyond doubt its virility and capacity to counteract the disintegrating influences to which religious systems, moral standards, and political and social institutions are being subjected.
From Iceland to Tasmania, from Vancouver to the China Sea spreads the radiance and extend the ramifications of this world-enfolding System, this many-hued and firmly-knit Fraternity, infusing into every man and woman it has won to its cause a faith, a hope, and a vigor that a wayward generation has long lost, and is powerless to recover. They who preside over the immediate destinies of this troubled world, they who are responsible for its chaotic state, its fears, its doubts, its miseries will do well, in their bewilderment, to fix their gaze and ponder in their hearts upon the evidences of this saving grace of the Almighty that lies within their reach— a grace that can ease their burden, resolve their perplexities, and illuminate their path.
The whole of mankind is groaning, is dying to be led to unity, and to terminate its age-long martyrdom. And yet it stubbornly refuses to embrace the light and acknowledge the sovereign authority of the one Power that can extricate it from its entanglements, and avert the woeful calamity that threatens to engulf it.
Ominous indeed is the voice of Bahá’u’lláh that rings through these prophetic words: “O
ye
peoples
of
the
world!
Know,
verily,
that
an
unforeseen
calamity
followeth
you,
and
grievous
retribution
awaiteth
you.
Think
not
that
which
ye
have
committed
hath
been
effaced
in
My
sight.”
And again: “We
have
a
fixed
time
for
you,
O
peoples.
If
ye
fail,
at
the
appointed
hour,
to
turn
towards
God,
He,
verily,
will
lay
violent
hold
on
you,
and
will
cause
grievous
afflictions
to
assail
you
from
every
direction.
How
severe,
indeed,
is
the
chastisement
with
which
your
Lord
will
then
chastise
you!”
Must humanity, tormented as she now is, be afflicted with still severer tribulations ere their purifying influence can prepare her to enter the heavenly Kingdom destined to be established upon earth? Must the inauguration of so vast, so unique, so illumined an era in human history be ushered in by so great a catastrophe in human affairs as to recall, nay surpass, the appalling collapse of Roman civilization in the first centuries of the Christian Era? Must a series of profound convulsions stir and rock the human race ere Bahá’u’lláh can be enthroned in the hearts and consciences of the masses, ere His undisputed ascendancy is universally recognized, and the noble edifice of His World Order is reared and established?
The long ages of infancy and childhood, through which the human race had to pass, have receded into the background. Humanity is now experiencing the commotions invariably associated with the most turbulent stage of its evolution, the stage of adolescence, when the impetuosity of youth and its vehemence reach their climax, and must gradually be superseded by the calmness, the wisdom, and the maturity that characterize the stage of manhood. Then will the human race reach that stature of ripeness which will enable it to acquire all the powers and capacities upon which its ultimate development must depend.
Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life.
“A
new
life,”
Bahá’u’lláh proclaims, “is,
in
this
age,
stirring
within
all
the
peoples
of
the
earth;
and
yet
none
hath
discovered
its
cause,
or
perceived
its
motive.”
“O
ye
children
of
men,”
He thus addresses His generation, “the
fundamental
purpose
animating
the
Faith
of
God
and
His
Religion
is
to
safeguard
the
interests
and
promote
the
unity
of
the
human
race…
This
is
the
straight
path,
the
fixed
and
immovable
foundation.
Whatsoever
is
raised
on
this
foundation,
the
changes
and
chances
of
the
world
can
never
impair
its
strength,
nor
will
the
revolution
of
countless
centuries
undermine
its
structure.”
“The
well-being
of
mankind,”
He declares, “its
peace
and
security
are
unattainable
unless
and
until
its
unity
is
firmly
established.”
“So
powerful
is
the
light
of
unity,”
is His further testimony, “that
it
can
illuminate
the
whole
earth.
The
one
true
God,
He
Who
knoweth
all
things,
Himself
testifieth
to
the
truth
of
these
words…
This
goal
excelleth
every
other
goal,
and
this
aspiration
is
the
monarch
of
all
aspirations.”
“He
Who
is
your
Lord,
the
All-Merciful,”
He, moreover, has written, “cherisheth
in
His
heart
the
desire
of
beholding
the
entire
human
race
as
one
soul
and
one
body.
Haste
ye
to
win
your
share
of
God’s
good
grace
and
mercy
in
this
Day
that
eclipseth
all
other
created
days.”
The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahá’u’lláh, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system. A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity. A world metropolis will act as the nerve center of a world civilization, the focus towards which the unifying forces of life will converge and from which its energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will be taught in the schools of all the federated nations as an auxiliary to their mother tongue. A world script, a world literature, a uniform and universal system of currency, of weights and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and understanding among the nations and races of mankind. In such a world society, science and religion, the two most potent forces in human life, will be reconciled, will coöperate, and will harmoniously develop. The press will, under such a system, while giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and convictions of mankind, cease to be mischievously manipulated by vested interests, whether private or public, and will be liberated from the influence of contending governments and peoples. The economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be coördinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated.
National rivalries, hatreds, and intrigues will cease, and racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity, understanding and coöperation. The causes of religious strife will be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction between classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear. The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race.
A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources, blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West, liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation— such is the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving.
“One
of
the
great
events,”
affirms ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “which
is
to
occur
in
the
Day
of
the
manifestation
of
that
incomparable
Branch
is
the
hoisting
of
the
Standard
of
God
among
all
nations.
By
this
is
meant
that
all
nations
and
kindreds
will
be
gathered
together
under
the
shadow
of
this
Divine
Banner,
which
is
no
other
than
the
Lordly
Branch
itself,
and
will
become
a
single
nation.
Religious
and
sectarian
antagonism,
the
hostility
of
races
and
peoples,
and
differences
among
nations,
will
be
eliminated.
All
men
will
adhere
to
one
religion,
will
have
one
common
faith,
will
be
blended
into
one
race
and
become
a
single
people.
All
will
dwell
in
one
common
fatherland,
which
is
the
planet
itself.”
“Now,
in
the
world
of
being,”
He has moreover explained, “the
Hand
of
Divine
power
hath
firmly
laid
the
foundations
of
this
all-highest
bounty,
and
this
wondrous
gift.
Whatsoever
is
latent
in
the
innermost
of
this
holy
Cycle
shall
gradually
appear
and
be
made
manifest,
for
now
is
but
the
beginning
of
its
growth,
and
the
dayspring
of
the
revelation
of
its
signs.
Ere
the
close
of
this
century
and
of
this
age,
it
shall
be
made
clear
and
evident
how
wondrous
was
that
spring-tide,
and
how
heavenly
was
that
gift.”
No less enthralling is the vision of Isaiah, the greatest of the Hebrew Prophets, predicting, as far back as twenty five hundred years ago, the destiny which mankind must, at its stage of maturity, achieve: “And He (the Lord) shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more …And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots… And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together… And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
The writer of the Apocalypse, prefiguring the millenial glory which a redeemed, a jubilant humanity must witness, has similarly testified: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’”
Who can doubt that such a consummation— the coming of age of the human race— must signalize, in its turn, the inauguration of a world civilization such as no mortal eye hath ever beheld or human mind conceived? Who is it that can imagine the lofty standard which such a civilization, as it unfolds itself, is destined to attain? Who can measure the heights to which human intelligence, liberated from its shackles, will soar? Who can visualize the realms which the human spirit, vitalized by the outpouring light of Bahá’u’lláh, shining in the plenitude of its glory, will discover?
What more fitting conclusion to this theme than these words of Bahá’u’lláh, written in anticipation of the golden age of His Faith— the age in which the face of the earth, from pole to pole, will mirror the ineffable splendors of the Abhá Paradise? “This
is
the
Day
whereon
naught
can
be
seen
except
the
splendors
of
the
Light
that
shineth
from
the
face
of
thy
Lord,
the
Gracious,
the
Most
Bountiful.
Verily,
We
have
caused
every
soul
to
expire
by
virtue
of
Our
irresistible
and
all-subduing
sovereignty.
We
have
then
called
into
being
a
new
creation,
as
a
token
of
Our
grace
unto
men.
I
am,
verily,
the
All-Bountiful,
the
Ancient
of
Days.
This
is
the
Day
whereon
the
unseen
world
crieth
out:
‘Great
is
thy
blessedness,
O
earth,
for
thou
hast
been
made
the
foot-stool
of
thy
God,
and
been
chosen
as
the
seat
of
His
mighty
throne!’
The
realm
of
glory
exclaimeth:
‘Would
that
my
life
could
be
sacrificed
for
thee,
for
He
Who
is
the
Beloved
of
the
All-Merciful
hath
established
His
sovereignty
upon
thee,
through
the
power
of
His
name
that
hath
been
promised
unto
all
things,
whether
of
the
past
or
of
the
future.’”
Shoghi.
Haifa, Palestine.
March 11, 1936.