# The New Garden: An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Hushmand Fatheazam, The New Garden: An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith, Juxta Publishing Limited, 2002, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> The
> New
> Garden
> An Introduction to
> 1             the Bahá’í Faith
> By Hushmand Fathea’zam
> 
> THIS BOOK IS DISTRIBUTED AS PART OF THE BOOKS FOR THE
> WORLD SERIES FROM JUXTA PUBLISHING LIMITED (HONG KONG).
> © 2002, Juxta Publishing Limited.
> BOOKS FOR
> This book was first published by the Bahá’í
> Publishing Trust in India. This electronic
> THE WORLD
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> Acknowledgements
> The New Garden is based on my revised notes prepared for
> the Bahá’í Teaching Institute at Indore, Central India. The
> Hindi version of this book has already been published. As for
> the English edition, I must offer my grateful thanks to Dr R.
> Muhájir, Hand of the Cause, who not only encouraged me to
> prepare these lessons but also enriched them by his wise
> suggestions and observations so that they may be used, with
> appropriate modifications, in other countries where the
> Message of God is being actively spread among their peoples.
> In this connection, my efforts were greatly facilitated by
> the generous co-operation of Mrs Gloria Faizi, who has
> patiently gone through the manuscript and has corrected and
> improved it.
> My thanks are also due to the National Spiritual Assembly
> of the Bahá’ís of India for their approval to publish The New
> Garden.
> Hushmand Fathea’zam
> New Delhi, Ridván 119 [1963–64]
> 
> The New Garden is dedicated to the awakening masses of
> India, as a token of my gratitude for all the good lessons of
> devotion, sincerity and love that I have learnt from them.
> Hushmand Fathea’zam
> 
> Contents
> 
> God and His Religion ....................................................... 8
> The purpose of our lives .................................................... 8
> How to know God ........................................................... 10
> The love of God .............................................................. 11
> Oneness of religion .......................................................... 14
> Religion renews itself....................................................... 16
> Progressive religion .......................................................... 18
> 
> Manifestations of God ..................................................... 22
> Krishna ........................................................................... 22
> Buddha .......................................................................... 24
> Moses ............................................................................. 27
> Zoroaster ........................................................................ 29
> Jesus Christ ..................................................................... 32
> Muhammad .................................................................... 35
> The Báb ......................................................................... 38
> Bahá’u’lláh ...................................................................... 45
> 
> The Covenant ................................................................. 52
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ................................................................... 52
> Shoghi Effendi—The Guardian of the Faith ...................... 58
> 
> Some of the teachings and principles ............................... 65
> Oneness of mankind ........................................................ 65
> Removal of prejudice ....................................................... 67
> Search after truth ............................................................ 69
> Universal language ........................................................... 73
> Equality between men and women ................................... 74
> Universal education ......................................................... 76
> Religion and science must work together .......................... 80
> Extremes of wealth and poverty must end ......................... 81
> Happiness ....................................................................... 87
> Immortality .................................................................... 90
> Heaven and hell .............................................................. 93
> Miracles .......................................................................... 96
> Moral and ethical teachings ........................................... 100
> 
> Administration .............................................................. 106
> Religion without priests ................................................ 106
> What is Bahá’í Administration? ...................................... 109
> Election of a Spiritual Assembly ..................................... 113
> Duties of a Local Spiritual Assembly ............................... 115
> Officers of the Spiritual Assembly .................................. 118
> The Spiritual Assembly at work—Part I .......................... 121
> Consultation ................................................................. 123
> The Spiritual Assembly at work, Part II .......................... 129
> The Spiritual Assembly at work, Part III ......................... 134
> The Nineteen Day Feast ................................................ 134
> Some points on the Nineteen Day Feast ......................... 136
> National Spiritual Assembly ........................................... 142
> National Convention ..................................................... 144
> The Universal House of Justice ....................................... 146
> Some important points about the Bahá’í Administration . 149
> Bahá’í temples .............................................................. 151
> The Bahá’í Fund ........................................................... 153
> 
> Some of the laws and obligations ................................... 156
> Cleanliness .................................................................... 156
> Prayer ........................................................................... 157
> Fasting .......................................................................... 160
> Work is worship ............................................................ 163
> Teaching the Cause of God ............................................ 166
> Alcoholic drinks are prohibited ...................................... 170
> Observing the Holy Days .............................................. 171
> Marriage ....................................................................... 175
> Loyalty to government ................................................... 179
> How one becomes a Bahá’í ............................................. 181
> 
> God and His Religion
> The purpose of our lives
> Have you ever compared a jungle with a farm? In the
> jungle the trees grow wild; there are thick shrubs and
> untamed creepers. The farm has geometrical borders, tilled
> earth, a network of canals and streams—a patch of corn here, a
> field of sugarcane there.
> What is the difference between the wild jungle and the
> farm?
> In the farm you can see order in everything while in the
> jungle there is no order. On the farm, things have been cared
> for and tended, while in the jungle everything grows
> haphazardly, without order.
> Where there is order there is purpose.
> We develop a farm for a reason. We dig canals and wells for
> a reason. We have a purpose in doing all this. If there were no
> purpose in doing so, we would have left the field to the rains,
> the winds and the sun. We would have abandoned it to grow
> into a jungle with all its wild life.
> The farm has order. The farm has a purpose.
> 
> Look at Creation as a whole. Do you not see perfect order
> in everything? Look at the moon, how it comes and how it
> goes! Next month the crescent of the new moon will again
> glitter in the sky like a golden dagger. Wait 14 more days and
> watch the full moon rise in all its beauty like a silver shield.
> You can count the days of the moon because it comes and
> goes according to an order. Look at the sun, the change of the
> seasons, the birth of a child, and the growth of a field.
> Everywhere there is order and therefore there is a purpose
> behind all these things. They cannot be without a reason.
> What is the purpose of our creation? To know God, our
> Creator, and to worship Him.
> If we know God, the purpose of our lives is fulfilled. The
> purpose of a lamp is to give light. The purpose of a flute is to
> give out melodious notes. We must know God if the purpose
> of our lives is to be fulfilled. If we do not know Him, we are
> like unlit lamps, or silent flutes.
> Bahá’u’lláh, the great Manifestation of God for this age,
> reveals a prayer, saying:
> “I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know
> Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment to my
> powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy
> wealth.
> “There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-
> Subsisting.”1
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh has asked us to recite this prayer at noon every
> day lest we forget why we have been created. Let us be
> melodious flutes, vibrant with the praise of God. Let us not be
> silent flutes!
> How to know God
> Our life on earth is chiefly dependent on the sun. It gives
> us light and life. If the blessings of the sun were withdrawn
> from us, everything would die on the face of the earth.
> However, it is impossible for us to get very close to the sun,
> impossible to go directly to it. If we do so, the sun, the source
> of light and life, will burn us away. We are too weak to bear
> the direct heat and light of the powerful sun. But the sun
> gives its energy, heat, light and life to us through the medium
> of its rays. The rays of the sun connect us to the sun.
> God, the Almighty, the Creator, the Omnipotent, is
> immeasurably greater than what we can imagine. He is the
> “Unknowable Essence”. How can we reach Him through our
> efforts? We will burn if we try to get too close to the sun. How
> can we then ever hope to be able to reach God, the Creator of
> all things—the All-Glorious, the Most High? We cannot go to
> Him but He can reach out to us. The sun sends its energies to
> us through its rays. God’s guidance and glory come to us
> through His Manifestations like Krishna, Jesus, Muhammad
> and Bahá’u’lláh. The Manifestations of God are the only
> means that can take us to Him. Had it not been for Them,
> our world would have remained dark and our lives would
> indeed have been dead.
> 
> If we recognize the Manifestations of God, then we have
> recognized God. If we deny Them, then we have denied God.
> Bahá’u’lláh, the Manifestation of God for our age, tells us:
> “The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever
> been, and will continue for ever to be, closed in the face of men.
> No man’s understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy
> court. As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His
> loving-kindness, He hath manifested unto men the Day Stars of
> His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath
> ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be
> identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso
> recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to
> their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso
> testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the
> truth of God Himself. … whoso disbelieveth in them, hath
> disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the Way of God that
> connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard
> of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and
> heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the
> evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory.”2
> The love of God
> The knowledge of the Manifestations of God creates the
> love of God in our hearts. The love of God is the source of our
> everlasting happiness. Love is the cause of our creation, as
> Bahá’u’lláh says:
> 
> “O SON OF MAN!
> Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of
> My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee,
> have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My
> beauty.”3
> God created and loved us. Since God has loved and will
> always continue to love us, He will never leave us alone in our
> helplessness. He manifests Himself to us from time to time.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “Consider to what extent the love of God makes itself manifest.
> Among the signs of His love which appear in the world are the
> dawning points of His Manifestations. What an infinite degree
> of love is reflected by the divine Manifestations towards
> mankind! For the sake of guiding the people They have
> willingly forfeited Their lives to resuscitate human hearts. They
> have accepted the cross. To enable human souls to attain the
> supreme degree of advancement, They have suffered during
> Their limited years extreme ordeals and difficulties. …
> “Observe how rarely human souls sacrifice their pleasure or
> comfort for others; how improbable that a man would offer his
> eye or suffer himself to be dismembered for the benefit of
> another. Yet all the divine Manifestations suffered, offered
> Their lives and blood, sacrificed Their existence, comfort and
> all They possessed for the sake of mankind. Therefore consider
> how much They love. … Were it not for Their illumination,
> human souls would not be radiant. How effective is Their love!
> This is a sign of the love of God; a ray of the Sun of Reality.”4
> 
> God loves us. He wants us to love Him too.
> “O Son of the Wondrous Vision!” says Bahá’u’lláh, “I have
> breathed within thee a breath of My own Spirit, that thou
> mayest be My lover. Why hast thou forsaken Me and sought a
> beloved other than Me?”5
> “To be God’s lover! That is the sole object of life for the Bahá’í.
> To have God as his closest companion and most intimate
> friend, his Peerless Beloved, in Whose Presence is fullness of joy!
> And to love God means to love everything and everybody, for all
> are of God. The real Bahá’í will be the perfect lover. He will
> love everyone with a pure heart, fervently. He will hate no one.
> He will despise no one, for he will have learnt to see the Face of
> the Beloved in every face, and to find His traces everywhere. His
> love will know no limit of sect, nation, class or race.”6
> The love of man for man will be easy if the love of God is in
> our hearts. In the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
> “The love which exists between the hearts of believers is
> prompted by the ideal of the unity of spirits. This love is
> attained through the knowledge of God, so that men see the
> Divine Love reflected in the heart. Each sees in the other the
> Beauty of God reflected in the soul, and finding this point of
> similarity, they are attracted to one another in love. This love
> will make all men the waves of one sea, this love will make
> them all the stars of one heaven and the fruits of one tree. This
> love will bring the realization of true accord, the foundation of
> real unity.”7
> 
> Remember the Call of God:
> “O SON OF BEING!
> Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love
> can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.”8
> Oneness of religion
> When we are Bahá’ís, we believe that all the religions of the
> past are divine in origin. We do not change our religion to
> become Bahá’ís because we believe that God has only one
> religion that comes to us from time to time. By accepting the
> religion of all ages we have made our belief in God more
> perfect. We have not in fact changed it. A seed grows roots,
> then puts forth a stem and leaves, and later flowers and fruit.
> The tree is the same tree all the time. It does not change. It
> only grows. The sun is the same sun though it dawns from
> different horizons. The people of the world worship the
> dawning place from which their ancestors saw the Sun of
> God’s Manifestation. Through blind imitation and ignorance,
> they become bewildered and reject the same Sun when it rises
> from a different dawning-point. However, when we look more
> carefully at that Sun, we recognize it as the same Sun that has
> shone before from other horizons.
> Bahá’ís believe that all the Prophets of the past are equal in
> rank and main purpose. They are all divine Gardeners helping
> the growth of the blessed Tree of God. Therefore, Bahá’ís are
> united in one common Faith.
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh writes:
> “Consider the sun. Were it to say now, ‘I am the sun of
> yesterday,’ it would speak the truth. And should it, bearing the
> sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it
> still would speak the truth. In like manner, if it be said that all
> the days are but one and the same, it is correct and true. And if
> it be said, with respect to their particular names and
> designations, that they differ, that again is true. For though they
> are the same, yet one doth recognize in each a separate
> designation, a specific attribute, a particular character.
> Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity
> characteristic of the various Manifestations of holiness, that
> thou mayest comprehend the allusions made by the Creator of
> all names and attributes to the mysteries of distinction and
> unity, and discover the answer to thy question as to why that
> everlasting Beauty should have, at sundry times, called Himself
> by different names and titles.”9
> Again, Bahá’u’lláh assures us that there is neither
> distinction nor difference between the Manifestations of God.
> Their names may be different but they represent the same
> Truth, are seated upon the same Throne and enjoy the same
> nearness to God. He invites us to believe in all of them in
> these words:
> “Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to
> make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His
> Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have
> accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is
> the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that
> 
> apprehend and believe this truth. Be ye assured, moreover, that
> the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations
> of God, nay whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever
> they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and
> are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Whoso maketh the
> slightest possible difference between their persons, their words,
> their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved
> in God, hath repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of
> His Messengers.”10
> Religion renews itself
> Every year has a number of seasons. The beauty of spring is
> followed by summer and then the season of harvest and
> abundance. Later, winter sets in and nature is stripped of its
> abundance and glory. However, the end of each winter is the
> beginning of another springtime, to be followed again by the
> harvest season.
> Every day the morning sun gradually rises until it reaches
> its zenith, then gradually goes down again until it sets. As the
> sun disappears from the surface of the earth, everything is
> wrapped in darkness. All the candles and lamps of the world
> will fail to dispel the darkness. However, when the sun rises
> again—the same beautiful, the same glorious sun—the
> darkness rapidly vanishes. This is exactly what happens with
> all the world’s great religions.
> A New Day of glory sets in when the Sun of Reality rises.
> Everywhere there is light. Everyone is happy for the age of
> darkness has gone. A New Day begins and gradually draws to
> its end. There comes a time in every religion when Truth is
> 
> veiled by the appearance of man-made teachings. The more
> man forgets the teachings of God, the darker his spiritual life
> becomes. When man introduces his own teachings and
> interprets religion to suit his selfish motives, an age of
> darkness spreads over the world. The only sources of light for
> us in such a dark night are a few saints and sages. They are the
> small spiritual lights that continue to burn like the small
> earthen lamps and candles that shine after the sun has set.
> Eventually, these small lights also burn out one after another
> and the world falls into the deep slumber of ignorance. This is
> the time when the Sun of Truth shines forth again. In the
> past, the Sun of Truth has shone through Krishna, Buddha,
> Jesus, Muhammad and others. In this dark age, the Sun of
> Truth shines again through Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God.
> Let us not be satisfied with our earthen lamps and vanishing
> candles. The sun is shining. Wake up! Wake up!
> Bahá’u’lláh proclaims:
> “Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the
> Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of
> God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath
> been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the
> trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze,
> with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His
> Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His
> glory.”11
> 
> Progressive religion
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “From the seed of reality religion has grown into a tree which
> has put forth leaves and branches, blossoms and fruit. After a
> time this tree has fallen into a condition of decay. The leaves
> and blossoms have withered and perished; the tree has become
> stricken and fruitless. It is not reasonable that man should hold
> to the old tree, claiming that its life forces are undiminished, its
> fruit unequalled, its existence eternal. The seed of reality must
> be sown again in human hearts in order that a new tree may
> grown therefrom and new divine fruits refresh the world. By
> this means the nations and peoples now divergent in religion
> will be brought into unity, imitations will be forsaken, and a
> universal brotherhood in the reality itself will be established.
> Warfare and strife will cease among mankind; all will be
> reconciled as servants of God.”12
> Religion is a spiritual school in which mankind receives
> divine teachings and progresses in body and soul. The
> Founder of this school is God. The children of men have to
> pass through this divine school if they seek progress and
> happiness. As children we start school in the first grade, and
> there the loving teacher begins with the alphabet and other
> simple lessons. When, through the care and kindness of our
> teacher, our mind is sufficiently developed, we are sent to the
> second grade. In the new class, we find another teacher basing
> his teachings on what we have already learnt in the previous
> one, but adding to them new measures of knowledge. Our
> 
> mind and body thus grow in this school under the guidance
> of our teachers.
> Can we say that any of these teachers who teach in
> different standards is better than the others? Can we dislike
> the teacher of the second standard merely because we
> happened to love our teacher in the first standard? Can we say
> that what we were taught in the first grade was better than the
> lessons in the second grade? Of course not! These different
> standards belong to the same school. They follow the same
> method of teaching, but our ages and capacities are different
> in each grade. When we were six years old, our capacities were
> very little, so the wise founder of the school advised the
> teacher of our class to give us as much knowledge as we could
> then understand. What we were taught in that class were the
> best lessons we could understand at that particular age. If we
> were given the lessons of the third standard to begin with, we
> could never make any progress. The same is true with religion.
> God is One and His institution of Religion is one. It is we
> who have different capacities in different ages.
> Our Divine Teachers, the Manifestations of God, are wise
> teachers. All of them have one purpose—to help us progress in
> the Kingdom of God. But man has been developing down the
> ages and his capacities have changed with his growth. We
> must therefore see the wisdom of this evolutionary law of
> progress that God has provided for us through His
> Manifestations in different ages. We must not allow ourselves
> to remain in one standard of this divine Institution merely
> because we love the Teacher Who has taught us in that
> standard. This is not true love that we have for our Teacher,
> 
> because if we remain in His class, He will be sad. He wants us
> to go further and to receive instructions from the Teachers of
> the following standards too. This does not mean that the
> knowledge of one Teacher is less than that of another. No! All
> these Teachers have the same knowledge. All the Teachers are
> equally wise and important. It is because They are wise, that
> They give us only as much knowledge as we require at a
> certain time. They assure us that when we have done our best
> and followed Their instructions, then we will have another
> Teacher who will help us to make further progress. Our next
> Teacher in turn praises the effort and ability of the previous
> Teacher who gave us His knowledge. In like manner, we see
> that all the Prophets of God have praised the Manifestations
> Who came before Them, and have promised further education
> through a Teacher who is to come after Them.
> If any one of us stops his progress in the school of the
> religion God, he will be a failure. However, if he believes in
> progress and the wisdom of the Divine Manifestations, then
> he will try to attain a greater measure of knowledge from the
> Divine Teacher Who has brought the lessons for this age.
> Bahá’u’lláh has taught that the foundation of all religions
> is one. In all the standards of school, one is taught to be
> honest, to be truthful, to be kind, etc. These fundamental
> rules do not change when we move into a higher standard.
> Whether we are in the first, second or third standard, these
> heavenly attributes are always praised. They are eternal Truths
> that are true in every age. These are the foundations. However,
> the foundation alone is not enough. Something must be built
> on this foundation that will suit our needs in different ages.
> 
> This is exactly what the religions of God do. From the same
> foundation of truth, which is unchangeable, they give the
> knowledge appropriate to the capacity of man at each stage of
> his growth. In doing so, they still base their rules on the
> foundations of knowledge taught by the previous
> Manifestations of God, just as the algebra taught in the higher
> standards of a school is based on the elementary arithmetic
> rules we study in our childhood.
> We are now living in a new cycle of human power. This
> means that we are now living in a new age and we have greater
> powers and capacities than we have ever had before. Thanks to
> the Manifestations of the past we have been prepared to
> receive a greater measure of the knowledge of God through
> His Mouthpiece for this new age—Bahá’u’lláh.
> Bahá’u’lláh teaches us the Oneness of God, the oneness of
> religion and the oneness of mankind. He has praised all the
> Prophets of the past and has told us that all of Them have
> given the glad-tidings that, in the fullness of time, Their
> beloved Promised One will come. The golden chain of
> prophethood has been linked through Bahá’u’lláh. It is a
> beautiful story.
> 
> Manifestations of God
> Krishna
> Krishna was a Messenger of God. His Message was the
> Message of love. He was born in a prison. This was a sign for
> us to know that all of us are born in the prison of self—the
> prison of this world. Krishna miraculously escaped from
> prison. If we try to be good, if we try to be godly, then we too
> can escape from the prison of self.
> Krishna, like all the other Manifestations of God, was
> confronted with the forces of evil. He fought against evil and
> became victorious. No matter how powerful evil might be, the
> power of truth is always victorious.
> Krishna became the king of Dwarka—meaning the small
> Gate. He was the gate to the knowledge of God Himself. His
> teachings were for the good of man. But alas! man has rejected
> them.
> Krishna was sad that the people could not understand
> Him. He complained that people did not believe in Him
> because He came in human form. They had their own fancies
> about God and His Manifestation. Therefore, when Krishna
> claimed that He manifested God, the people rejected Him.
> This is what Krishna says in the Gita:
> 
> “The deluded despise Me clad in human body not
> knowing My higher nature as Lord of all existence.”13
> Even His beloved disciple Arjuna could not understand the
> Divine Power in Krishna. Arjuna could not believe that the
> temple of man might become the seat of the Divine Being.
> They say that Krishna had to transfigure Himself into the
> Divine Form so that Arjuna could see His power and believe
> in Him.
> This means that Krishna helped Arjuna to understand His
> spiritual majesty and grandeur before Arjuna could find faith
> in the Lord. The battle of Kurukshetra took a different turn
> when Arjuna took up arms to obey the Lord.
> You know that this battle was the battle between Good
> and Evil. The Kaurvas, the cousins of the Pandavas, started it.
> Arjuna, the mighty one among the Pandavas, was led by
> Krishna to fight the army of Darkness. Krishna was Arjuna’s
> charioteer. However, Arjuna did not want to fight his
> relatives. His beloved teacher and his friends were in the army
> of the Kaurvas. Arjuna tried to argue and laid down his
> mighty bow. But Krishna demanded that Arjuna should
> surrender to Him and follow Him.
> When we find the Manifestation of God and embrace His
> Faith, we must obey His Commands. This is what Krishna
> taught us in the Gita.
> 
> “Surrendering in thought all actions to Me, regarding Me
> as the Supreme and resorting to Steadfastness in
> understanding, do thou fix thy thought constantly on
> Me.”14
> Krishna was, in reality, the abode of peace. He called us to
> Himself, saying:
> “Abandoning all duties, come to Me alone for Shelter, be
> not grieved, for I shall release thee from all evils.”15
> Krishna, the Manifestation of God, brought a new
> civilization. He delivered man from evil and sorrow. He
> assured His followers that in the future God would again
> manifest Himself to repeat what Krishna had done. To guide
> the wandering people of the world to the straight path of
> God, He said:
> “Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and rise of
> unrighteousness, O Bharta (Arjuna); then I send forth
> Myself for the protection of good, for the destruction of the
> wicked and for the establishment of righteousness. I come
> into being from age to age.”16
> We shall see in the following pages how this promise of the
> Lord has been fulfilled.
> Buddha
> Prince Gautama (later known as the Buddha) was born in
> the royal family of a Himalayan kingdom. He was still a baby
> when an old sage, named Asita, visited the palace. Asita was a
> godly man and he gave the good news to Gautama’s father
> that his son would become the Saviour of Man.
> 
> Prince Gautama’s father provided his beloved son with all
> the enjoyments of life. He wanted to make his son a good
> king. However, Gautama found that worldly pleasures alone
> were not the cause of comfort. One day He saw an old man,
> then a man who was sick, and then one who had died. He
> learnt that all human beings were subject to suffering and
> death. Therefore He realized that spiritual happiness alone
> could make all men truly happy. He left His home, His wife
> and child to seek spiritual truth. In the beginning He went to
> far away jungles and denied Himself food and comfort. He
> proved that physical denial was not helpful. For if the body is
> weakened, then mental powers also grow weak. It was under a
> Bodhi Tree in India that Buddha received His enlightenment.
> From that day He started His great mission to save mankind
> from suffering. He told men to purify their souls and minds,
> to avoid greed and dishonesty and to realize that this world of
> suffering is a place where they should prepare themselves for
> eternal and spiritual worlds of joy and happiness.
> His blessed life set an example for us. While He was sitting
> under the Tree wrapped in meditation, Mara, the evil one,
> tried to tempt Him with the wealth of the world and the
> pleasures of the senses. However, Buddha, the Enlightened
> One, overcame the forces of evil. His power was the power of
> the spirit.
> Through His wonderful teachings, Buddha helped
> millions of people of various nations to attain spiritual
> salvation.
> 
> In the days of Buddha, the people of His country were
> fighting against each other in the name of God. They were
> devoted to many different gods and goddesses that they had
> created for themselves. Buddha knew that the way to God was
> only through His Manifestation. Since He was the
> Manifestation of God, He did not want people to fight each
> other in the name of God Whom they could not know except
> through Him. He was a wise teacher. To avoid quarrels among
> the people, He was mostly silent about God but called upon
> them to obey Him, the Manifestation of Truth. In this way he
> succeeded in uniting millions of people who were divided
> among themselves either in the name of God or in the name of
> caste. He said, “One does not become a Brahmin by birth,
> one does not become an outcast by birth. One becomes
> Brahmin by act, one becomes an outcast by act.”
> Shortly before His passing away from this earth, Buddha
> made a great promise to His followers who were afraid that
> His Cause would gradually die away. He said:
> “I am not the first Buddha who came upon earth nor shall
> I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise in the
> world, a holy one, a supremely enlightened one endowed
> with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the
> universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels
> and mortals. He shall reveal to you the same eternal truths
> which I have taught you. He will preach to you this
> religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax, and
> glorious at the goal, in the spirit and in the letter. He will
> proclaim a religious life wholly perfect and pure such as I
> 
> now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands
> while Mine number many hundreds.”
> This promise gave hope to Buddhists that they would not
> be left alone on this earth but would receive the light of
> guidance from another glorious Buddha. Buddha is now
> rejoicing in His eternal abode because He sees His glorious
> promise fulfilled in Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God.
> Moses
> In a far-away land there was a group of slaves living a very
> difficult life. They were called the “Children of Israel” and
> were working as slaves under the mighty Pharaoh (emperor) of
> Egypt. These people belonged to another country, now called
> Israel, but had been forcibly taken away from their homes.
> Only a Manifestation of God could save them from their
> suffering. It was Moses who was destined to arise for the
> salvation of these people. He was alone and the Egyptian
> Pharaoh appeared to have the power to destroy Him.
> However, the Manifestation of God is endowed with such a
> great power that no power on earth can overcome it. Moses,
> unaided and single-handed, arose to give the glad-tidings of
> the Kingdom of God to His people.
> When Moses declared Himself to be the Manifestation of
> God, the Children of Israel knew that the time of their
> suffering was about to end. They followed Him. They
> returned to Israel, the Holy Land, and started a new life. The
> Pharaoh of Egypt, with all his might and all his power, could
> not prevent them. When he and his army tried to do so, they
> were drowned in the Red Sea.
> 
> The words of God transformed the lives of the Children of
> Israel. Though they had been mere slaves, they established a
> wealthy kingdom. They became great teachers of mankind.
> Many philosophers and teachers of other lands derived their
> knowledge from the followers of Moses. For with His coming,
> the Manifestation of God not only brings us happiness but
> also gives us great knowledge and wisdom.
> Moses summarized His teachings in ten laws. They are
> beautiful laws. He told us to love God; never to love anything
> else more than God; and to love our father and mother and to
> obey them. He told us not to steal; not to hurt other people;
> to be pure and clean; and to be always truthful. Moses also
> made a promise to His people that the Lord of Hosts would,
> in the fullness of time, come to deliver them from all their
> sufferings. He promised that when the Lord of Hosts did
> come, the Children of Israel would return to the Holy Land,
> after ages of separation, and would be united again in the land
> of their forefathers.
> The Lord of Hosts has come. Bahá’u’lláh has proclaimed
> that the Day of God, promised in the Holy Books of the past,
> has come. He gave the glad-tidings to the followers of Moses
> that their cherished Promise has been fulfilled. Jews of all
> countries, after an age-long separation, during which time
> they endured all forms of humiliation and suffering, have now
> gathered in the Holy Land. They have established a separate
> homeland for themselves called Israel. According to the
> Promise of Moses, all this had to be fulfilled when the Lord of
> Hosts sat on the Throne of judgement on this earth. Many
> Jews, when they saw how the Children of Israel had gathered
> 
> in the Holy Land according to the Promise in their Holy
> Book, understood that the Lord of Hosts had come.
> Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to gather
> in Israel.
> In the Bahá’í world community there are many Jews who
> believe in Bahá’u’lláh as their glorious Promised One.
> Zoroaster
> The light of divine guidance has always been burning in
> the temple of men’s hearts. Our kind Creator, through His
> love and mercy, has never left, nor ever will leave us in
> darkness.
> Zoroaster was one of those shining Lamps Who has
> enlightened the people of a large part of western Asia. He, like
> Krishna, Buddha and Moses established a new civilization
> that lasted for centuries.
> There is still living in India a small but God-loving and
> advanced community of the followers of Zoroaster who are
> called Parsees (Pársís).
> According to tradition, Zoroaster was born in the northwestern part of the country now called Írán. His parents were
> of the nobility and He had every comfort at His home that
> was situated near a beautiful lake. Besides receiving the
> normal and modest education that was available in those
> times, Zoroaster also learned to be a good farmer. He learnt in
> his early years, like Buddha, that this temporary life of ours on
> this earth, in itself, is not important. Therefore, in the pursuit
> of truth, He left the comforts of His home and went to a cave
> 
> on a high mountain to pray and meditate. After ten years,
> when He was only thirty years old, He returned to His people
> with the joyful announcement that He was now the Bearer of
> a message from the Supreme Being, Ahurámazdá. He gave the
> glad-tidings that there is an eternal life in store for us. He
> invited the people to observe the three principles of good
> thought, good deeds and good speech. He considered good
> and evil to be permanently at war with each other, and said
> that Ahurámazdá, the Essence of Good, would ultimately
> destroy Ahríman, the Evil One. He also brought a number of
> teachings concerning one’s daily life and stressed cleanliness of
> the body, soul and home.
> Zoroaster, as all the other Manifestations of God before
> and after Him, was rejected by His people. In one of His Holy
> Books, the Avestá, He remonstrated, “Where can I go? The
> leaders and nobility are denouncing Me. Even the farmers
> have turned against Me. How can I be happy with those, who
> though bound with falsehoods, are ruling our people, O
> Mazdá, how can I make You happy?”
> He further lamented that even His relatives had forsaken
> Him and that the people persecuted and offended Him. He
> therefore left His home and went east to Balkh to announce
> His mission to Gushtásb, the King of that land. As expected,
> the people there were also reluctant to accept a new religion.
> They preferred their old ways and traditions and were happier
> to remain in darkness than to make any effort to see the light.
> The King, however, was impressed with the courage and
> sincerity of this Man. He ordered his sages and noblemen to
> arrange a public debate in his court. The debate made it clear
> 
> to everybody that the power of Zoroaster was not in Himself
> but was given to Him by Almighty God. Then the King and
> his people submitted to the call of Ahurámazdá, and a new
> Faith emerged.
> People of neighbouring countries were alarmed that good
> was established in the Kingdom of Balkh and that it
> threatened the evil life they were pursuing. They gathered a
> great army and attacked the Íránian Kingdom. Zoroaster was
> captured while He was praying in a temple and at the age of
> 77 was killed by the sword of a soldier. Thus the life of a
> Harbinger of Truth ended, but His Mission is everlasting.
> Zoroaster is an eternal inextinguishable Fire of the Most
> Great Spirit. Tradition has it that when He was debating at
> the King’s court, fire appeared from His hands and emitted
> light and warmth without burning Him physically. This was
> merely an outward symbol of His power, not to be taken
> literally. The Fire of the love of God, which is lit by His
> Manifestations, is eternal and incapable of being extinguished.
> This is a Fire that guides mankind and brings forth warmth
> and happiness to their souls instead of burning and destroying
> them. As a symbol of the Most Great Spirit’s eternal Fire, the
> Zoroastrians always keep a fire burning in their temples, and
> they are thus often incorrectly thought to be worshippers of
> fire.
> Zoroaster not only completed His Mission, but also gave
> the glad-tidings that in the fullness of time, the World
> Saviour, Whom He called Sushiyant or Sháh-Bahrám, would
> appear and triumph over the Evil One. He also specified the
> 
> date of His appearance, stating that a period of 3,060 years of
> conflict would continue before Ahríman would be conquered
> and the era of blessedness and peace would be ushered into
> the world. This date corresponds to the age when Bahá’u’lláh
> announced that He was the fulfilment of all the Prophets of
> the past.
> Jesus Christ
> The story of Jesus Christ is a very beautiful story. It is a
> story of the love of God and the love of mankind, and it is the
> story of a Manifestation of God.
> Before Jesus revealed His Mission to mankind, there lived a
> holy man called John the Baptist. We have seen in the story of
> Buddha how a holy man gave the good news that the Saviour
> of mankind would soon appear. That is exactly what
> happened before Jesus revealed His Mission. John the Baptist
> gave the good news to the people of his time that the
> Messenger of God would come to deliver them from all
> sorrows. The people of that time did not like to change their
> ideas; they wished to go on imitating what their forefathers
> had done for centuries before them. The priests who led the
> people did not want a Messenger of God to come, because
> they were afraid that they might lose their position if He
> came. Therefore, they put John the Baptist in prison and,
> after some time, they cut off his head. John was happy to give
> his life in the path of God.
> Jesus Christ was born in a very simple home. Joseph, who
> was known as His father, was a carpenter. Jesus was born in
> the Holy Land, Palestine (now part of Israel). He was very
> 
> good and kind to the people even while He was still a young
> boy working as a carpenter with His father. When He was a
> young man, He said, “The time has now come for Me to look
> after the business of my real Heavenly Father.”
> He went to meditate for many days, then came back to the
> people to reveal His true mission. He gave the glad-tidings of
> the Kingdom of God. One day He went to a holy place. This
> was a centre of pilgrimage and reverence for the Jews, but they
> had turned it into a business centre. Jesus pulled down their
> shops and chased them out of the holy place. He said, “This is
> the House of God. You should not pollute it with your
> worldly interests.” He wanted to show that the Religion of
> God should not become a source of material gains.
> In the days of Jesus Christ there were very many people
> who were spiritually sick or spiritually dead. He cured them
> and gave them spiritual life with the power of the Word of
> God. He soon became very popular. The priests grew jealous
> because their followers were being attracted by this simple
> man who was teaching a new way of life for the people. The
> priests grew very angry when He told them that He was their
> spiritual King and the One Promised in their Holy Books.
> They expected their king to be a man of worldly grandeur.
> Jesus Christ was only a simple man who did not even wear
> shoes. Nevertheless, He proclaimed that He was the King of
> Israel. “I am your true King”, He said, “I am the Master of the
> New Kingdom. These worldly Kingdoms are nothing as
> compared to the everlasting Kingdom of God.” However, the
> Jews did not want to believe Him. They rose against Him and
> 
> had Him crucified along with two thieves. Even on the Cross,
> Jesus Christ prayed for the forgiveness of His enemies.
> The Jews did not understand the true meaning of their
> Holy Book. They did not even know that killing the
> Manifestation of God would not kill His voice, as it was the
> Voice of God, and it would later be heard in every land.
> When Jesus died, many very simple and ordinary people
> were among those who believed in Him. They had received a
> new spiritual life by the power of the Word of Jesus and had
> risen out of their graves of ignorance. Although these early
> disciples of Jesus Christ were humble fishermen, ordinary
> clerks, farmers and tillers of the soil, they were guided by the
> Manifestation of God and received new powers through Him.
> They scattered far and wide throughout the world and spread
> the good Message of their Master—Jesus Christ. Many of
> them even gave their lives for the sake of His Cause. Under
> great hardships and the threat of the sword, they carried His
> Message to different peoples and cried aloud that the
> Kingdom of God had been established on earth through Jesus.
> Though mere fishermen and farmers, they withstood the
> onslaught of the forces of the whole world. They conquered
> nation after nation with the Word of God and brought new
> spiritual life to all who came under their influence. This was
> the Divine power of Jesus Christ, the Manifestation of God.
> Jesus Christ, like Krishna and Moses before Him, assured
> the people of the world that in the fullness of time He would
> come again in the glory of His Heavenly Father. He said to
> the people of His age that He had many more things to say to
> 
> them but they would not be able to understand them. He
> promised, however, that another great Messenger would come
> later to tell them more about God and religion.
> Bahá’ís now give the good news to their Christian brothers
> that Christ has come again in the glory of the Father. This is
> what Bahá’u’lláh said to the leaders of Christianity, “Say, Lo!
> The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the
> Kingdom is fulfilled!”17
> Muhammad
> There is a land called Arabia. It is mostly desert with very
> little water and a hot, unfavourable climate. In this difficult
> land there used to live savage tribes who were always at war
> with one another. They were so savage and ignorant that they
> used to bury their living baby daughters just because they
> were girls, and women were no more than slaves in those days.
> However, no matter how cruel those people were, they were
> still God’s children and had to be educated.
> Muhammad, the Prophet of God, was born among the
> savage tribes of Arabia. Muhammad was a simple man. As a
> young man, He was placed in charge of a camel caravan taking
> loads of goods from Arabia for sale in other lands. Most of the
> Manifestations of God were simple people. Even those who,
> like Buddha, came from higher ranks in life, gave up their
> princely positions to live simple lives. God wants to show that
> it is His wealth and His influence that work through His
> Manifestations rather than Their material possessions. When
> charged with the spiritual Power of God, even the humblest
> 
> person becomes victorious over all the material power of the
> world.
> One day when Muhammad was praying on a hill-top, He
> received inspiration from God. He had not been to any school.
> He could not even write His own name,18 but from that hour
> the verses of the Holy Qur’án were revealed through Him.19
> From then onwards, Muhammad was no longer a leader of a
> caravan. He was the Messenger of God. He went to the people
> with His Message. At first nobody listened to Him. When He
> insisted that they should stop worshipping the idols they had
> built, and should believe in the One True God, the people of
> Arabia rose up against Him. They called Him a madman.
> They ridiculed Him as a poor poet. However, Muhammad
> went about saying, “O people, I am the Messenger of God. I
> have come to save you and to lead you to the Path of Truth.”
> This was too much for the proud people of Arabia. At first the
> people had tolerated Muhammad, then they began to
> persecute Him and His followers. However, after thirteen long
> years of suffering, Muhammad was still calling upon them to
> turn to the One Compassionate God and to follow His
> Commandments. Why should they put aside their gods, they
> thought. Besides, they were too busy with their continuous
> warfare. They finally lost patience with Muhammad, so they
> decided to kill Him and His handful of followers. However,
> the Mission of Muhammad was not yet fulfilled. He had
> additional laws to give to the people of His age. So He left His
> birth place, Mecca, for another town, now called Medina.
> The enemies of the Cause of God organized great armies to
> kill
> 
> Muhammad and His band of followers. Muhammad had
> to protect the Cause of God and those who had come to
> believe in God, so He permitted His followers to fight against
> the savages who wished to destroy them. Thus, in the days of
> Muhammad, as in the life time of Krishna, the armies of Light
> and of Darkness arrayed their forces against each other.
> Muhammad was a Divine Shepherd. He had to protect His
> innocent flock from the attack of savage wolves. Muhammad
> and His followers initially had a difficult time. Many of them
> were killed while defending themselves against the fierce
> onslaught of their enemies. However,
> Muhammad continually assured them that the Cause of
> God had always been victorious and would always continue to
> be so. When the Muslims, His followers, were surrounded by
> powerful enemies, Muhammad foretold that mighty empires
> would soon crumble before them because they were alive with
> the Spirit of God whereas others were spiritually dead.
> This has happened as we all know. The great Persian and
> Roman empires were defeated by a handful of Arabs whose
> lives were transformed after they believed in Muhammad, the
> Prophet of God, and accepted His Divine Message. The
> Message of God transformed the lives of millions of other
> people too as the teachings of Islám spread from India to
> Spain. During the Age of Islám’s golden civilization, many
> different nations were united in one great brotherhood. They
> offered their daily Prayers to the One God, the
> Compassionate, the Merciful. They recited the Holy Qur’án
> which prescribes a life of virtue and submission to the Will of
> 
> the Almighty. Even today millions of people all over the world
> pray the same prayer and read the same Holy Book.
> Muhammad, like all the Manifestations of the past, assured
> his followers that a great Messenger would come after Him.
> He said that the Religion of God, which had come down from
> heaven through Him, would go back to God after the passing
> of a thousand years. His meaning is that people would forget
> His teachings during the following one thousand years.
> However, after that, He said, when no trace of God’s Religion
> was left on earth, a mighty Trumpet sound would be heard—
> not once but twice—and the people of the world would
> behold the Face of God Himself.
> A Trumpet call refers to the Call of God. The Call of God
> has already been raised twice in this age as foretold by
> Muhammad. The Báb appeared over one thousand two
> hundred years after the revelation of the Qur’án. Very soon
> after this, Bahá’u’lláh declared His Mission. It was the Báb
> Who called men to God and reminded them of God’s great
> Promise.20 And it was Bahá’u’lláh Who raised up the cry a
> second time immediately after the Báb, calling upon the
> children of God to behold His Face!21
> The Báb
> The word ‘Báb’ means ‘Gate’. The Báb was the Gate to a
> new Kingdom-the Kingdom of God on earth.
> The Báb was very young when He told people about the
> Message that God had given Him. He was only twenty–five
> years old. A beautiful city in the south of Írán, called Shíráz,
> was the birth place of the Báb. The people of Írán were
> 
> Muslims. Hence, the names He was given were very common
> in that country. He was called ‘Alí Muhammad, and was a
> descendant of the Prophet Muhammad Himself. The Báb’s
> father died soon after His birth, so He was placed under the
> care of His maternal uncle. As a child He was sent to a teacher
> who taught the Qur’án and elementary subjects. However,
> from His early childhood, the Báb was different from other
> children. He was always asking difficult questions and then
> giving the answers Himself in a way that astonished His
> elders. Often when other children were busy at play, He
> would be found wrapped in prayer under the shade of a tree
> or in some other quiet spot.
> Later, when the Báb revealed His reality as a Manifestation
> of God, both His uncle and His teacher believed in Him
> because they had known Him since His childhood, and seen
> the differences between Him and other children. His uncle
> even died as a martyr for the Cause of God revealed through
> his Nephew, the Báb.
> Before the Báb declared His Mission as a Messenger of
> God, there were two famous teachers who said, that according
> to the Qur’án and the holy traditions, the Promised One of
> Islám would soon appear. These two teachers were Shaykh
> Ahmad and his chief disciple Siyyid Kázim. Many people
> believed what they said because they were holy and very
> learned men. These people then prepared themselves to
> receive the Promised One.
> When Siyyid Kázim died, his followers scattered in
> different directions to find the Promised One. A number of
> 
> them, under the leadership of a pious and learned young man,
> called Mullá Husayn, spent 40 days in prayer and fasting, and
> then travelled to Shíráz.
> Their prayers were answered. Near the gate of Shíráz,
> Mullá Husayn met a radiant young man who had come out to
> receive him. This young man was none other than the Báb
> Himself.
> He invited Mullá Husayn to His house and there, on the
> 23 May 1844, the Báb declared Himself as the Promised
> One.
> Mullá Husayn’s heart had been drawn towards the Báb
> from the minute his eyes rested on Him outside the gate of
> Shíráz. However, now that his Host made His great
> announcement, he asked for some proof by which he could
> know Him as the Promised One. The Báb said that no proof
> was greater than the divine verses revealed by a Manifestation
> of God. Then, taking up His pen and paper, He wrote down
> His first sacred Writing. Though He had not attended any
> school except for a brief period in His childhood, the Báb, like
> all the other Manifestations, was endowed with a deep
> knowledge that was a gift of God. He wrote with great speed
> and, as He wrote, He chanted the verses in a soft, heavenly
> voice. Mullá Husayn needed no further proof. With tears in
> his eyes, he prostrated himself before the Manifestation of
> God.
> Mullá Husayn was the Báb’s first disciple. The Báb gave
> him the title of Bábu’l-Báb which means gate of Gate. That
> 
> night was the beginning of a new era. The Bahá’í calendar
> starts from that year.
> It was not long before many people came to believe in the
> Báb. Some met Him, some read His holy Writings, while
> others recognized Him through dreams and visions.
> The Manifestation of God is like the sun. When the sun
> rises, everybody sees it except those who are fast asleep. Even
> the sleeping ones must eventually learn that the sun is
> shining.
> The Message of the Báb was first given to the people of
> Írán. The Muslims of other countries did not yet know that
> their Promised One had come. Therefore, the Báb journeyed
> to Mecca, the holiest spot of Islám, when thousands of
> Muslims from many countries would gather for their
> pilgrimage. When He reached Mecca, He told them that the
> object of their adoration had come and that He was their
> Promised One. Nobody listened to Him; but the Báb, had
> completed His announcement.
> When the Báb returned to His native land, He was met by
> a group of soldiers who had come to arrest Him because the
> fanatical Mullás did not want the new Faith to spread. These
> Mullás made every effort to put out the Light of God that was
> burning in the breast of the Blessed Báb. From that day the
> Báb had to undergo many hardships. His short but brilliant
> life was mostly spent in prison after He had made His
> Declaration. Twice He was sent to prisons built on very cold
> and forbidding mountains. However, no chains nor prisons
> could ever prevent the Call of God from spreading. While the
> 
> Báb was in prison, His faithful followers spread His Message
> throughout the country. During the brief period 22 of the
> Báb’s Ministry, thousands of people gave their lives for His
> Cause.
> The Báb was still young, about 31 years of age, when the
> religious leaders of Írán decided to kill Him. The Báb knew
> that He would be martyred in the path of God. He was glad
> to give His life so that the people of the world might come to
> understand the purpose of their lives and turn to God and His
> eternal Kingdom.
> The Báb was taken with some of His followers, including
> His amanuensis, Siyyid Husayn, to Tabríz and confined in a
> house there for three days. The Báb was escorted to the
> military barracks the day before His martyrdom. On the way,
> one of the disciples of the Báb, a young man named
> Muhammad-‘Alíy-Zunúzí, rushed forward. He threw himself
> at the feet of his beloved Master and begged to be permitted
> to die with Him. The Báb reassured the youth that he would
> be with Him on the day of the martyrdom. Then
> Muhammad-‘Alíy-i-Zunúzí and two other companions, who
> had also rushed forward to offer their loyalty, were seized and
> placed in the same cell of the barracks with the Báb and
> Siyyid Husayn.
> The day of His martyrdom was the 9 July 1850. In the
> morning, the officer, who was in charge of the Báb’s
> execution, came to visit Him in the barracks. The Báb was
> talking to Siyyid Husayn who was writing down His last
> instructions. The officer interrupted the Báb and told Him
> 
> that the time had come for His execution and soldiers were
> ready in the city square to carry out the orders. The Báb said
> that He had to finish His conversation with Siyyid Husayn.
> However, the officer laughed and said that a prisoner could
> not choose to do as he wished. The Báb replied that no power
> on earth could harm Him until He had completed His
> Mission in this world and had finished what He intended to
> say. The officer ignored this and ordered the Báb to follow
> him. Muhammad-‘Alíy-i-Zunúzí was so insistent in his
> determination to remain with the Báb that the officer was
> obliged to take him also.
> In the barracks square where the soldiers were waiting to
> shoot the Báb, a great crowd had gathered. They all watched
> while the Báb, and His young disciple, were tied in such a
> way that the head of the disciple rested on the chest of his
> Beloved. Then came the great moment. Drums were beaten
> and trumpets were sounded. As the sound of the trumpets
> died away, the terrible order was heard: “Fire”. Hundreds of
> soldiers took aim and fired their guns. A huge cloud of smoke
> spread through the whole place. The smell of gunpowder
> filled the air. After some time when the smoke cleared, there
> came a great surprise. There was no trace of the Báb, while
> His faithful disciple was standing there unharmed. No one
> knew what to think. Many people said that a miracle had
> happened and that the Báb had gone up to Heaven. The
> firing squad and their commander had never seen such an
> extraordinary thing happen before. Officers were sent in every
> direction to search for the Báb. The same officer who had
> brought the Báb, from the prison cell now found Him sitting
> 
> calmly at the same place, finishing His conversation that had
> been so rudely interrupted. The Báb turned to the officer and
> smiled saying that His Mission on earth was now completed,
> and that He was ready to sacrifice His life to prove the truth of
> His Mission.
> The Báb was again taken in to the square, but the
> commander of the firing squad refused to have anything to do
> with His execution. He took his soldiers out of the square and
> swore that nothing would make him take the life of such an
> innocent and saintly youth. Another company of soldiers was
> found to carry out the execution, and this time hundreds of
> bullets riddled the bodies of the Báb and His faithful disciple.
> His beautiful face, which was not scarred by the bullets, still
> bore a lovely smile showing the peace and happiness of One
> who had given His life to proclaim the beginning of a new era
> for mankind.
> The Báb was a great Manifestation of God. He said in His
> Writings, that the main purpose of His coming was to give the
> glad-tidings that very soon the Promised One of all ages
> would appear. He warned His followers to beware lest they
> failed to recognize “Him Whom God will make manifest.” He
> said that they should lay aside everything else and follow Him
> when they heard His Message. The Báb wrote many prayers
> beseeching God that His own life might be accepted as a
> sacrifice to the Beloved of His heart, the One “Whom God
> will make manifest.” He even referred in His Writings to the
> Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, and said: “Well is it with him 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.”23
> The Báb’s prayers were answered and His promise was
> fulfilled. Nineteen years after His Mission, Bahá’u’lláh openly
> declared that He was the Promised One Whose coming had
> been foretold by all the Manifestations of God in past ages.
> Bahá’u’lláh
> On 21 April 1863, Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed to the world
> that “The Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been
> acclaimed as the Purpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God,
> and the most cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now … been
> revealed unto men.”24
> When Bahá’u’lláh made this wonderful announcement, He
> was a prisoner at the hands of two powerful monarchs, and He
> was being exiled to Acre (‘Akká) in Palestine, “the most desolate
> of the cities of the World”.25
> About forty–six years before this announcement,
> Bahá’u’lláh was born in the house of a distinguished Minister
> of the royal court of Írán. From the days of His childhood
> everybody observed that Bahá’u’lláh was different from other
> children, but no one knew that this wonderful Boy was soon
> to change the whole destiny of mankind. When He was 14
> years old, Bahá’u’lláh was already famous in the court for His
> learning and wisdom. He was 22 years of age when His father
> died. The government wished Him to take over the position
> His father had occupied. They thought this gifted young man
> would make a very good minister, but Bahá’u’lláh had no
> 
> intention of wasting His time in the management of worldly
> affairs. Being a man of God, He took no interest in the royal
> life that was offered to Him. He left the court and its
> ministers so that He could follow the path set for Him by the
> Almighty.
> When the Báb, declared His Mission, Bahá’u’lláh was 27
> years old. He immediately accepted the Báb as the
> Manifestation of God and soon became one of His most
> powerful and famous followers.
> At the time when the Government and fanatical Mullás
> persecuted the followers of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh was not
> spared in any way. He was twice imprisoned, and once He was
> beaten so severely with whips and canes that the soles of His
> feet were left cut and bleeding. Nine years after the Báb’s
> Declaration, Bahá’u’lláh was thrown into a dark dungeon.
> This was a terrible underground room that had no window
> nor other opening except the door through which they
> entered. In this dungeon Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned with
> about 150 murderers, highway robbers and other hardened
> criminals. The chains that were put round His neck were so
> heavy that He could not lift up His head. He spent four
> terrible months of suffering here, yet it was in this dungeon
> that the Glory of God filled His soul. He writes that one
> night, in a dream, He heard the following words vibrating
> from all sides:
> “Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy
> Pen.”26
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh endured all these hardships for our sake and for
> the sake of generations to come. He bore chains around His
> blessed neck to free us from the chains and fetters of prejudice,
> bigotry and enmity.
> Finally, Bahá’u’lláh and His family were deprived of all
> their ancestral riches and ordered to leave the country. They
> were exiled to Baghdád in the bitter cold of winter. The road
> lay along mountainous parts of Írán where thick snow and ice
> covered the ground. Bahá’u’lláh, His wife and young children,
> had to walk hundreds of miles to their destination. The lack of
> suitable clothing made the journey even more difficult to
> endure. At last they reached Baghdád but Bahá’u’lláh’s
> sufferings did not end in that city. Had Bahá’u’lláh been
> afraid of hardships and difficulties, He could have chosen to
> enjoy a luxurious life in the court of the Sháh (king) of Írán.
> Instead, He was prepared to endure any amount of suffering
> in the path of God.
> The fame of Bahá’u’lláh soon spread throughout Baghdád
> and the other cities of ‘Iráq, and many people came to the
> door of this exiled Prisoner to receive His blessings. The
> followers of the Báb gathered round Him from different parts
> of Írán and ‘Iráq to seek guidance and inspiration. However,
> there were some who became jealous of His fame. Among
> them was His own half-brother Mírzá Yahyá, who was living
> under Bahá’u’lláh’s loving care and guidance. Yahyá thought
> that, because he was respected by the followers of the Báb, he
> might be accepted as their leader if he should denounce
> Bahá’u’lláh. He did not realize that he was causing his own
> doom by turning against the Manifestation of God. For when
> 
> a Manifestation appears, only those who accept His station
> can hope for true greatness. Even His closest relatives are not
> excluded, because a Manifestation of God stands apart from
> all other human beings and has a station that no one else can
> share. All the past Manifestations have had brothers and
> sisters or other relatives, but even their names have now been
> forgotten.
> Yahyá’s plotting caused disunity among the followers of
> the Báb, and this made Bahá’u’lláh very sad. One night,
> without telling anybody, He left His home and went into the
> mountains of Kurdistán. He spent two years of secluded life in
> these mountains giving all His time to prayer and meditation.
> He stayed in a small cave and lived on very simple food.
> Nobody knew His name. Nobody knew where He had come
> from. Soon, however, like a moon in a dark night, His light
> spread over all Kurdistán and everybody heard of the
> “Nameless One”. All this time His family and friends in
> Baghdád, who were heartbroken by His departure, did not
> know where He was. Then they too heard about the
> “Nameless One”, the great Saint, who was known to have
> inherent knowledge bestowed upon Him by God. ‘Abdu’l-
> Bahá, Bahá’u’lláh’s son, immediately knew that this could be
> no one but His beloved Father. He sent letters and a special
> messenger entreating Him to return because not only His own
> family but all the followers of the Báb were suffering from His
> absence.
> Thus, after spending two years in prayer and meditation,
> Bahá’u’lláh returned to Baghdád and with Him returned the
> joy of all the Báb’s followers. The only people who were angry
> 
> about His return were the fanatical Mullás and His
> treacherous and jealous brother Yahyá. The Mullás did not
> want Bahá’u’lláh to stay in Baghdád. This was partly because
> He was too close to a number of sacred places belonging to the
> Muslims, and pilgrims who came to visit these places were
> often attracted by Bahá’u’lláh’s charm and personality. These
> Mullás kept complaining until the Government of Írán
> combined with the authorities of the Turkish Empire to
> remove Bahá’u’lláh to a more distant place—Istanbul. The
> same sequence of events occurred in Istanbul since it was also
> the seat of the Muslim Caliphs. Bahá’u’lláh’s great wisdom
> and personal charm attracted many people. “He must not stay
> in Istanbul any longer,” said the fanatical Mullás. Hence,
> again, He was sent to a smaller town, Adrianople. From there
> He was again exiled, but this time to ‘Akká (Acre) in the Holy
> Land, which was then a special penal colony reserved for
> murderers, thieves and highway robbers sentenced to life
> imprisonment. It was a terrible place and for the first few days
> after their arrival even water was denied to Bahá’u’lláh, His
> family and friends. The hardships and sufferings of
> Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Akká are too numerous to describe. In the
> beginning He was imprisoned in a lonely cell where even His
> children were not permitted to see Him. He lacked every
> means of comfort, and was surrounded by enemies day and
> night. Yet it was from ‘Akká that He sent His famous letters
> to the most powerful kings and rulers of His day. He called
> upon them to listen to the Message of God and to obey the
> Commandments of the King of kings. No one but a
> 
> Manifestation of God could dare to address those who had
> imprisoned Him, as a king addresses his vassals.
> Bahá’u’lláh raised the banner of universal peace and
> brotherhood from His prison walls. Although the powers of
> the world combined their forces against Him, He was
> victorious over them all as God had promised Him in His
> dream. The Message of Bahá’u’lláh influenced the hearts of
> thousands of people and many of them gave their lives for His
> Cause. Through the power of the Word of God and the
> sacrifices of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, hundreds of
> thousands of people, who were once divided under various
> names, have now become like members of one family.
> Bahá’u’lláh was sent to ‘Akká (Acre) as a prisoner for life.
> However, the attitude of the government officials and His
> jailers gradually changed so much over the nine years after His
> arrival that an influential citizen finally begged Him to leave
> that fortress city. By this time, His great personal charm had
> made such friends of all those around Him—even His hardhearted jailer—that no one objected to His leaving His prison.
> Bahá’u’lláh spent the remaining years of His life in a place
> outside the city of Acre (‘Akká) where He passed away to His
> heavenly Kingdom on 29 May 1892.
> The Message of Bahá’u’lláh spread to different parts of the
> world from the Holy Land as had been foretold in the sacred
> Books of the past. In Buddhist Scriptures the Holy Land is
> referred to as a Paradise in the West, the Seat of the Promised
> One—Amitabha. To the Jews it is “The Promised Land” from
> where the Law of God will again go out into the world.
> 
> Christians and Muslims too have wonderful prophecies about
> this sacred country that has been their Holy Land for many
> centuries. Since the exiling of Bahá’u’lláh to ‘Akká, the Holy
> Land of the religions of the past has become the World Centre
> of the Bahá’í Faith.
> Bahá’u’lláh is that Great Manifestation of God Whose
> coming all the Manifestations of the past have foretold. The
> divine religions of all ages lead in the same direction and teach
> the same goal—the Bahá’í Faith. They are like many rivers
> that flow into the ocean. Each river irrigates thousands of acres
> of land, but no single river is, by itself, as vast and powerful as
> the mighty ocean because the ocean is the meeting place of all
> these rivers. In the Bahá’í community, followers of all religions
> have come together and become united. Even though they are
> from the four corners of the earth, they have now joined hands
> in one great Brotherhood, one common Faith.
> The waters of different Rivers merge into one indeed, when
> they pour into the Mighty Ocean!
> 
> The Covenant
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
> Bahá’u’lláh was a Divine Architect. He drafted the
> magnificent Plan for the unity of mankind. He laid the firm
> foundation of this sacred Edifice and selected the necessary
> materials.
> However, who was to erect this wonderful Edifice after
> Bahá’u’lláh had left us? It is true that His plan was complete
> but even a perfect plan must be left in the hands of a qualified
> person or the construction may collapse. No matter how
> perfect the plan and how firm is the foundation of a building,
> if the construction of it is not properly supervised by a capable
> man, the resulting building may be entirely different from the
> plan intended by the architect.
> When Bahá’u’lláh passed away, He left the execution of
> His Divine Plan in the hands of His son. He appointed
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of His Covenant and asked His
> followers to turn to Him for guidance.
> The name “‘Abdu’l-Bahá” means the servant of Bahá.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh, and was born
> on the 23 May 1844—the very same night that the Báb
> 
> declared His Mission. A blessed son was born to a blessed
> house at a blessed hour.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was only eight years of age when Bahá’u’lláh
> was thrown into that terrible dungeon in Tihrán. From early
> childhood He willingly shared all the sufferings of His beloved
> Father. He accompanied Bahá’u’lláh on the difficult journey
> from Tihrán to Baghdád, and spent forty years of His life in
> prison and in exile. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was an old man when He
> was set free at last. However, the love of God had kept Him
> happy even in the darkest hours of His life. He had a deep
> spiritual happiness that the worst of prisons could not take
> away. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wanted us to enjoy that kind of
> happiness, too. He says:
> “Happiness consists of two kinds; physical and spiritual. The
> physical happiness is limited; its utmost duration is one day, one
> month, one year. It hath no result. Spiritual happiness is
> eternal and unfathomable. This kind of happiness appeareth
> in one’s soul with the love of God and suffereth one to attain to
> the virtues and perfections of the world of humanity. Therefore,
> endeavour as much as thou art able in order to illumine the
> lamp of thy heart by the light of love”.27
> Bahá’u’lláh announced the Word of God to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
> in Baghdád. Though still a young child, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
> recognized the Station of His Father and, throwing himself at
> the feet of Bahá’u’lláh, begged to be accepted as a sacrifice for
> His Cause. From that day, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave His whole life to
> the service of Bahá’u’lláh and sacrificed every comfort in His
> path. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá won the love and respect of Bahá’u’lláh’s
> 
> followers at a very early age, and later became known among
> them as “The Master”. When Bahá’u’lláh passed away, His
> will, which is known as the Book of the Covenant, was opened.
> The Bahá’ís were happy to know that Bahá’u’lláh had
> appointed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of His Covenant and as
> the authorized interpreter of His teachings.
> The appointment of the Centre of the Covenant is a
> unique characteristic of the Bahá’í Faith. All the religions of
> the past became divided after the death of their Founders
> because the followers did not know where to turn after the
> Manifestation of God had left them. They started to interpret
> the teachings of God as they themselves understood them
> and, as they did not understand them the same way, these
> teachings were explained in different forms. This became the
> cause of disunity among the followers of the past religions. In
> the Bahá’í Faith, however, the case has been different.
> Bahá’u’lláh, Who had come to remove every form of disunity
> from the peoples of the world, did not allow the Bahá’í Faith
> to become divided. He wrote a document in which He
> appointed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the one to whom all Bahá’ís
> should turn for guidance in matters concerning His teachings.
> This document, the Book of the Covenant, saved the Bahá’ís
> from disunity. The Book of the Covenant preserved the unity of
> the followers of Bahá’u’lláh but increased the jealousy of
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s half-brother,
> Muhammad-‘Alí. Like Yahyá during the time of
> Bahá’u’lláh, Muhammad-‘Alí tried to bring disunity among
> the Bahá’ís in the days of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He imagined that
> since he was a son of Bahá’u’lláh, he, too, could make a claim
> 
> to leadership. However, his efforts were useless because his
> outward relationship with the Manifestation of God was of no
> value when he did not obey what Bahá’u’lláh had
> commanded. Muhammad-‘Alí was like a branch that had
> grown out of a mighty Tree, but which could bear no fruit
> because it had dried up and become worthless. And, like a
> withered branch, he was cut off and thrown away.
> When Muhammad-‘Alí failed to cause disunity among the
> Bahá’ís, he joined hands with the enemies of the Cause and
> tried to harm ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He poisoned the minds of
> government officials against the Master and said that He was
> gathering people around Him to rise up against the
> government. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was building the Shrine of
> the Báb on Mount Carmel, Muhammad-‘Alí reported that He
> was building a fortress. This caused the Turkish Government
> send a special party to the Holy Land to investigate the
> matter. Muhammad-‘Alí succeeded in bribing the corrupt
> General, who came as the head of the party, and false reports
> were sent to the Government about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the meantime, was giving every hour of
> His life to the service of the Cause. The beautiful tablets that
> streamed from His pen brought joy and inspiration to
> thousands of Bahá’ís in the world. Through His precious
> letters, He guided and strengthened their steps in the path of
> service to their Faith. When He was not occupied in writing,
> the Master was busy visiting the sick and seeing to the needs
> of the poor. From His scanty purse He freely gave to others,
> and no one ever turned away disappointed from the door of
> the Master’s house.
> 
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá paid little attention to the party of officials
> who had come to investigate the false charges brought against
> Him. Muhammad-‘Alí, on the other hand, showed them
> great respect and showered them with gifts and presents.
> Before they left, the General in charge of the party swore that
> he would come back to hang ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the city gate.
> This brought great rejoicing to the Master’s enemies, while
> those who loved Him were filled with anxiety. Many of His
> friends begged ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to flee from the Holy Land while
> there was still time, but the Master, whose trust was always in
> God, did not worry in the least. He said:
> “To me prison is freedom, to me incarceration is an open court,
> to me humility is identical with glory, to me adversity is a gift
> and death is life.”28
> The General who wanted to hang ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was
> himself killed in a war soon after he left the Holy Land. The
> Turkish Empire itself was broken up and a new regime took
> over the affairs of the government. Muhammad-‘Alí and the
> few others who had broken the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh were
> frustrated in their efforts to harm ‘Abdu’l-Bahá or to cause
> disunity among the Bahá’ís. They fell into disgrace and their
> shameful schemes became known to everyone.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s freedom came after nearly a lifetime of
> imprisonment when a new regime took over the government.
> At last the Master, who had served Bahá’u’lláh’s Cause so
> faithfully under severe hardships, was free to move about and
> take the Message of His Father to the people of other
> countries. The Bahá’ís of the West requested Him to travel to
> 
> Europe and America and, though old and very weak from
> years of imprisonment, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá graciously accepted their
> invitation.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to thousands of people about the
> Bahá’í Faith during His journeys in the West. Sometimes he
> gave several lectures in one day. Both Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís
> came from far-off places to visit Him and hear His inspiring
> words. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was busy teaching the Cause wherever
> He went, from early morning until late at night. He did not
> think of Himself even when He was ill with fever and His
> friends begged Him to rest.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laid the cornerstone of the first Bahá’í House
> of Worship in the West—in the United States of America. It is
> now a beautiful building dedicated to the glory of the cause of
> God.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s travels in Europe and America produced
> wonderful results. The Bahá’í Faith was established in many
> countries, and before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away, He
> encouraged the believers to carry the new Message to other
> countries.
> The Master passed away from this life in the Holy Land on
> the 28 November 1921. His resting place is in a room of the
> Shrine of the Báb next to that containing the remains of the
> Báb, a building that He Himself built during His lifetime.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the Expounder of the Faith of God, the
> Interpreter of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, and the perfect
> 
> Exemplar of His Teachings. Bahá’u’lláh called Him “The
> Mystery of God”.29
> Shoghi Effendi—The Guardian of the Faith
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was like a loving father for the Bahá’ís. When
> He passed away the Bahá’ís of the world were very sad indeed.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ministry had lasted about 30 years during
> which time the Bahá’ís had progressed under His unerring
> guidance and deepened their understanding in the teachings
> of Bahá’u’lláh. The Bahá’ís felt like orphans who had lost their
> wise and loving parent when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left this world.
> The enemies of the Cause on the other hand, and those who
> had broken the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, thought that this
> was the time for them to come forward and carry out their
> wicked plans. They thought that because ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was
> not there to protect the unity of the Bahá’ís, it would be easy
> for them to attack the Cause. They did not know that God
> would not allow any breach in the unity of His Cause in this
> age.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had already provided for the unity of
> Bahá’u’lláh’s followers. He, too, had made a firm covenant
> with Bahá’ís all over the world. He had left behind a
> wonderful Tablet—His Will and Testament—in which He
> had appointed His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as the Guardian
> of the Faith of God.
> The Bahá’ís lost a loving father with the passing of
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but in Shoghi Effendi they found a “true
> brother”.
> 
> Shoghi Effendi was born in the blessed household of
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. His mother was the daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
> and His father was a close relative of the Báb. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
> has called him “the most wondrous, unique and priceless pearl
> that doth gleam out from the twin surging seas” and “the sacred
> bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees”3 0
> because in him the families of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh were
> joined together. Shoghi Effendi grew up under the direct care
> and supervision of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. However, no one was aware
> of the station for which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was preparing him
> although many saw signs of greatness in Shoghi Effendi long
> before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away. An American Bahá’í once
> wrote to the Master asking if she had correctly understood a
> prophecy mentioned in the Bible.31 The prophecy indicated
> there should be a young child alive then who was destined to
> hold the helm of the Cause after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Master
> replied that she was right and that the blessed child was living
> and would soon illumine the world with his radiance.32 To
> another person ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave the assurance that the
> blessed child would “raise the Cause of God to great
> heights”.33
> Shoghi Effendi was a young boy when the beloved Master
> wrote His Will and Testament. He was only twenty–four years
> of age when he became the Guardian of the Cause of God. It
> did not matter that he was not old in years because he was
> always assisted by Bahá’u’lláh. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called Shoghi
> Effendi the Sign of God on earth and said that all who obeyed
> him had obeyed God. It was through the great wisdom and
> 
> spiritual guidance of Shoghi Effendi that the Message of
> Bahá’u’lláh was carried to every country of the globe.
> Shoghi Effendi was studying in England at Oxford
> University when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away. His cherished
> desire was to serve the beloved Master throughout his life and
> to be able to translate the sacred Writings of the Bahá’í Faith
> into English for the thousands of believers who could not read
> them in Persian or Arabic. The news of the passing away of
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was such a great blow to Shoghi Effendi that he
> became ill. Before he had fully recovered from the shock of
> being so suddenly separated from the Master, he arrived in the
> Holy Land to learn that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had given him the
> crushing responsibility of being the Guardian of the Cause of
> God. However, when God gives anyone a task to accomplish
> in this world, He also gives him the strength to undertake it.
> After many weeks spent in meditation and prayer, Shoghi
> Effendi was ready to start his great work in life. God blessed
> him with divine wisdom and inspiration in every step he took
> for the promotion of His Cause.
> During the 36 years of his guardianship, Shoghi Effendi
> had no other thought but the progress of the Cause. He
> worked day and night, and did not spare himself in any way.
> His personal life was very simple. He seldom had more than
> one meal in twenty–four hours, nor slept more than a few
> hours every night. The rest of his time was given to his evergrowing work for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. Those who saw the
> quantity of work he accomplished, realized that it was only
> through the power of God that a simple man could do so
> much day after day and year after year.
> 
> The enemies of the Cause, who had hoped to carry out
> their evil designs after the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, soon
> realized that the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh was now guarded by the
> iron arms of Shoghi Effendi. It was he who taught the Bahá’ís
> of the world how to work together to establish the World
> Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and how to carry out the instructions of
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá mentioned in His Tablets of the Divine Plan. In
> these Tablets, which the Master wrote to the Bahá’ís just
> before he passed away, He calls upon them all to arise for the
> promotion of the Cause, to forsake their homes and their
> comforts, and to carry the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the far off
> corners of the world. Shoghi Effendi trained the Bahá’ís for
> years to prepare them for this great task. He taught them how
> to work through their local and national Assemblies, because
> unless the Bahá’ís learned to work as a united body, it would
> be impossible for them to accomplish anything. When they
> were prepared for the great undertaking, the Guardian
> encouraged them to scatter throughout the world and carry
> the banner of Bahá’u’lláh to every part of the globe. Under his
> divine guidance, hundreds of Bahá’ís went out with the torch
> of Faith and settled in distant islands and territories to give
> the new Message to people everywhere.
> The Bahá’í Faith had spread to 35 countries by the time of
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing. During the lifetime of the beloved
> Guardian, the Message of Bahá’u’lláh was carried to over 251
> countries of the world, including all the places mentioned by
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan.
> In His Will and Testament, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called upon the
> Bahá’ís of the world to arise for the service of the Cause, and
> 
> not to rest for a single moment until they had established the
> banner of the Faith in every part of the globe. Our dear
> Guardian carried out this request of the Master throughout
> his entire life and up to his very last day in this world. He
> passed away on the 4 November 1957, in London, where he
> had gone to buy materials for the construction of Bahá’í
> Institutions in the Holy Land.
> The Guardian left us only after he was sure that his efforts
> during his 36 years of guardianship had given the universal
> Faith of Bahá’u’lláh a firm foundation. He knew that
> Bahá’u’lláh’s work could then be continued by the Bahá’ís
> after he had gone. Like the perfect captain of a boat, he set the
> directions we were to follow and gave us the necessary
> instructions before he went away to rest. There could be no
> danger of our losing the way because the direction and the
> course we were to take were fixed by the Guardian himself.
> Under his spiritual guidance this Ark of God will surely reach
> its destination. During his lifetime, Shoghi Effendi drafted a
> Ten Year Plan that ended in 1963. This Plan required the
> Bahá’ís of the world to work closely together in taking the
> Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the remaining islands and territories
> of the globe where the Bahá’í Faith had not yet been
> established. The Guardian himself supervised the progress of
> this Plan in its early stages and, before he passed away, over
> 4,200 Bahá’í Centres had been established in the world, while
> Bahá’í literature had been translated into over 200 different
> languages,
> In the Holy Land—the World Centre of the Faith—the
> Guardian built a beautiful superstructure over the Shrine of
> 
> the Báb. He also built an International Archives building
> where the original Writings of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, as
> well as many other very precious relics are kept. These
> buildings and the lovely gardens surrounding them are one of
> the most beautiful spots in the world, and thousands of
> people come to visit them every year.
> Shoghi Effendi completed his work by appointing 27
> Hands of the Cause, whom he called the “Chief Stewards” of
> the Faith. He gave them the responsibility of protecting the
> Cause and of spreading the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. When
> the Guardian passed away, the Hands of the Cause elected a
> body of 9 from among themselves to remain in the Holy Land
> and see to the work at the World Centre. These were called
> the Custodians. The rest of the Hands scattered throughout
> the world to help in completing the Guardian’s Ten Year
> Plan.
> The end of the Ten Year Plan in 1963 marked a new
> milestone in the history of the Bahá’í Faith. A full century had
> passed since the day when Bahá’u’lláh had proclaimed His
> Mission. It was then that the Bahá’ís of the world elected the
> first Universal House of Justice—that Supreme Body that
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has assured us will be under the direct guidance
> of God and infallible in all its decisions.
> To celebrate this occasion, the Bahá’ís of the world were
> called to a great feast in London from 28 April to 2 May
> 1963. Over 6,200 people from all over the world attended
> this great festival. The unity of mankind was embodied in this
> grand celebration. Peoples of so many races and backgrounds,
> 
> dressed in their national costumes, formed the beautiful
> garden of Bahá’u’lláh. That colourful audience in the Bahá’í
> World Congress was indeed the most befitting bouquet that
> we could offer to the precious memory of Shoghi Effendi, our
> beloved Guardian, who had left us with the Ten Year Spiritual
> Crusade—a plan potent with so many victories and
> achievements.
> Thanks to the untiring and ceaseless efforts of the beloved
> Guardian, the Bahá’ís of the world were well prepared for this
> tremendous new development in the progress of the Cause of
> God—the election of the Universal House of Justice. Shoghi
> Effendi, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá foretold, when he was still a child,
> did indeed raise the Cause of God to great heights!
> 
> Some of the teachings and principles
> Oneness of mankind
> Bahá’u’lláh has taught us the Oneness of Mankind. All
> human beings are the children of one God. If we believe in
> one Heavenly Father, then we must accept each other as
> brothers and sisters, as members of one family—the family of
> Man.
> Before Bahá’u’lláh brought us the light of unity, there were
> many reasons that made men think they were different from
> others. Some people thought that because the colour of their
> skin was white, they were better than those who were black or
> yellow or brown. Bahá’u’lláh said this is not true. Man is not
> different because of his colour. If people are different, it is
> because they have received different degrees of education and
> not because they have different skin colours. The different
> coloured peoples of the world are like the different kinds of
> flowers you find in a garden. If all the flowers of a garden were
> of the same colour, it would not be so beautiful. Bahá’u’lláh
> said God is like a kind Shepherd for whom the white sheep are
> no better than the brown or the black. God loves us all, no
> matter what the colour of our skin may be or which part of the
> world we may come from. Why should we, then, look upon
> each other as strangers? Bahá’u’lláh has kindled such love in
> 
> the hearts of His followers that they feel like members of the
> same family even though they come from all the countries of
> the world. In His Writings, Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been raised;
> regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one
> tree, and the leaves of one branch.”34
> “Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one body.
> Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation ….”35
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written:
> “And among the teachings of His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh is the
> oneness of the world of humanity; that all human beings are
> the sheep of God and He is the kind Shepherd. The Shepherd is
> kind to all the sheep, because He created them all, trained
> them, provided for them and protected them. There is no doubt
> that the Shepherd is kind to all the sheep and should there be
> among these sheep ignorant ones, they must be educated; if there
> be children, they must be trained until they reach maturity; if
> there be sick ones, they must be cured. There must be no hatred
> and enmity, for as by a kind physician these ignorant, sick ones
> should be treated.”36
> Let us pray for the unity of mankind:
> “O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and
> reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy
> commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in
> their endeavour, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God,
> leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of
> 
> Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by their love. Verily,
> Thou art their Helper and their Lord.”37
> Removal of prejudice
> Bahá’u’lláh teaches that all forms of prejudice must be
> forgotten, whether it is national, racial or religious prejudice.
> As long as people cling to prejudice, we will not have any
> peace on earth.
> All the wars that we have had in the past, all the murders
> and the bloodshed have been due to prejudice of some kind.
> People have fought over their country or their religion,
> bringing destruction to the world and death to millions of
> their fellow humans.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “If this prejudice and enmity are on account of religion consider
> that religion should be the cause of fellowship, otherwise it is
> fruitless. And if this prejudice be the prejudice of nationality
> consider that all mankind are of one nation; all have sprung
> from the tree of Adam, and Adam is the root of the tree. That
> tree is one and all these nations are like branches, while the
> individuals of humanity are like leaves, blossoms and fruits
> thereof. Then the establishment of various nations and the
> consequent shedding of blood and destruction of the edifice of
> humanity result from human ignorance and selfish motives.
> “As to the patriotic prejudice, this is also due to absolute
> ignorance, for the surface of the earth is one native land.
> Everyone can live in any spot on the terrestrial globe. Therefore
> all the world is man’s birth place. These boundaries and outlets
> 
> have been devised by man. In the creation, such boundaries and
> outlets have been devised by man. In the creation, such
> boundaries and outlets were not assigned. Europe is one
> continent, Asia is one continent, Africa is one continent,
> Australia is one continent, but some of the souls, from personal
> motives and selfish interests, have divided each one of these
> continents and considered a certain part as their own country.
> God has set up no frontier between France and Germany; they
> are continuous. Yea, in the first centuries, selfish souls, for the
> promotion of their own interests, have assigned boundaries and
> outlets and have, day by day, attached more importance to
> these, until this led to intense enmity, bloodshed and rapacity in
> subsequent centuries. In the same way this will continue
> indefinitely, and if this conception of patriotism remains
> limited within a certain circle, it will be the primary cause of
> the world’s destruction. No wise and just person will
> acknowledge these imaginary distinctions. Every limited area
> which we call our native country we regard as our motherland,
> whereas the terrestrial globe is the motherland of all, and not
> any restricted area. In short, for a few days we live on this earth
> and eventually we are buried in it, it is our eternal tomb. Is it
> worth while that we should engage in bloodshed and tear one
> another to pieces for this eternal tomb? Nay, far from it, neither
> is God pleased with such conduct nor would any sane man
> approve of it.
> “Consider! The blessed animals engaged in no patriotic
> quarrels. They are in the utmost fellowship with one another
> and live together in harmony. For example, if a dove from the
> east and a dove from the west, and a dove from the north and a
> 
> dove from the south chance to arrive, at the same time, in one
> spot, they immediately associate in harmony. So is it with all
> the blessed animals and birds. But the ferocious animals, as
> soon as they meet, attack and fight with each other, tear each
> other to pieces and it is impossible for them to live peacefully
> together in one spot. They are all unsociable and fierce, savage
> and combative fighters.”38
> Search after truth
> When a child is born in a Christian family, he becomes a
> Christian. When the parents are Muslim, the children also
> become Muslims; if they are Hindus, their children become
> Hindus. Why? because most of the people of the world go on
> imitating their forefathers, and as long as this blind imitation
> is continued, people cannot become united. They fight over
> their imitations. Everyone claims that he has the truth and all
> the others are wrong. People seldom stop to think what would
> have happened if they had been born into another family with
> different beliefs. It is most likely that they would have beliefs
> quite different from those that they now believe to be the only
> true way.
> Bahá’u’lláh teaches that Truth is one. If the people of the
> world would stop imitating their fathers and search after
> Truth for themselves, they would all reach the same
> conclusion and become united. The different peoples are like
> children who live in different houses and look at the sun
> through coloured window panes. However, as the colour of
> the panes in each house is different from that of the other
> houses, each child thinks the sun is a different colour. One
> 
> child looks at the sun through green glass and thinks the
> colour of the sun is green. Another child looks through blue
> glass and thinks it is blue, and a third child believes the sun to
> be red because his window panes are red. These children may
> even quarrel over the colour of the sun, each believing what he
> sees to be the right colour. However, if they would stop
> looking at the sun through their little window panes, and step
> outside into the open, they would all see the true colour of the
> sun. Then there would be no further fights over the colour of
> the sun.
> Bahá’u’lláh is calling upon the children of men to step out
> of the houses they have inherited from their great grand
> parents and stop looking at the sun through coloured window
> panes. For the sun we are looking at is the same sun, and once
> we remove the coloured glass from before our eyes, we will see
> it in its true colour.
> God expects us to think about what we believe instead of
> following a certain belief for no better reason than that our
> forefathers have believed that way for many generations. If we
> all search after truth for ourselves, we will come to see that
> Truth is one; it can bring us together and make us forsake the
> differences of the past.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “… the divine religions of the Holy Manifestations of God are
> in reality one, though in name and nomenclature they differ.
> Man must be a lover of the light, no matter from what
> dayspring it may appear. He must be a lover of the rose, no
> matter in what soil it may be growing. He must be a seeker of
> 
> the truth, no matter from what source it come. Attachment to
> the lantern is not loving the light. Attachment to the earth is
> not befitting, but enjoyment of the rose which develops from the
> soil is worthy. Devotion to the tree is profitless, but partaking of
> the fruit is beneficial. Luscious fruits, no matter upon what tree
> they grow or where they may be found, must be enjoyed. The
> word of truth, no matter which tongue utters it, must be
> sanctioned. Absolute verities, no matter in what book they be
> recorded, must be accepted. If we harbour prejudice, it will be
> the cause of deprivation and ignorance. The strife between
> religions, nations and races arises from misunderstanding. If
> we investigate the religions to discover the principles underlying
> their foundations, we will find they agree; for the fundamental
> reality of them is one and not multiple. By this means the
> religionists of the world will reach their point of unity and
> reconciliation.”39
> At another place ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “Alas that humanity is completely submerged in imitations and
> unrealities, notwithstanding the truth of divine religion has
> ever remained the same. Superstitions have obscured the
> fundamental reality, the world is darkened, and the light of
> religion is not apparent. This darkness is conductive to
> differences and dissensions; rites and dogmas are many and
> various; therefore, discord has arisen among the religious
> systems, whereas religion is for the unification of mankind.
> True religion is the source of love and agreement amongst men,
> the cause of the development of praiseworthy qualities, but the
> people are holding to the counterfeit and imitation, negligent of
> the reality which unifies, so they are bereft and deprived of the
> 
> radiance of religion. They follow superstitions inherited from
> their fathers and ancestors. To such an extent has this prevailed
> that they have taken away the heavenly light of divine truth
> and sit in the darkness of imitations and imaginations. That
> which was meant to be conducive to life has become the cause of
> death; that which should have been an evidence of knowledge is
> now a proof of ignorance; that which was a factor in the
> sublimity of human nature has proved to be its degradation.
> Therefore, the realm of the reglionist has gradually narrowed
> and darkened, and the sphere of the materialist has widened
> and advanced; for the religionist has held to imitation and
> counterfeit, neglecting and discarding holiness and the sacred
> reality of religion. When the sun sets, it is the time for bats to
> fly. They come forth because they are creatures of the night.
> When the lights of religion become darkened, the materialists
> appear. They are the bats of night. The decline of religion is
> their time of activity; they seek the shadows when the world is
> darkened and clouds have spread over it.”40
> Bahá’u’lláh has risen from the eastern horizon. Like the
> glory of the sun He has come into the world. He has reflected
> the reality of divine religion, dispelled the darkness of
> imitations, laid the foundation of new teachings and
> resuscitated the world.
> “The first teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the investigation of reality.
> Man must seek reality himself, forsaking imitations and
> adherence to mere hereditary forms. As the nations of the world
> are following imitations in lieu of truth and as imitations are
> many and various, differences of belief have been productive of
> strife and warfare. So long as these imitations remain, the
> 
> oneness of the world of humanity is impossible. Therefore, we
> must investigate reality in order that by its light the clouds and
> darkness may be dispelled. Reality is one reality; it does not
> admit multiplicity or division. If the nations of the world
> investigate reality, they will agree and become united. Many
> people and sects … have sought reality through the guidance
> and teaching of Bahá’u’lláh. They have become united and
> now live in a state of agreement and love; among them there is
> no longer the least trace of enmity and strife.”41
> Universal language
> One of the causes of misunderstanding in the world is that
> people cannot understand each other’s language. Every
> country has a different tongue and when a person goes from
> his land to another part of the world, he feels that he is among
> strangers.
> Bahá’u’lláh has come to unite all the peoples of the world
> and make them like members of the same family. One of His
> laws, therefore, is that a common language must be taught in
> every part of the world, so that every person will learn that
> language besides his own native tongue. In this way, people
> will feel at home, no matter where they go, because they can
> all understand each other.
> The difference in language sometimes causes
> misunderstanding that may even lead to dangerous conflicts.
> Take the name of our Creator, for example. In the Hindi
> language He is called Ishwara, in Arabic Alláh and in English
> God. Ignorant people think that God is different from Ishwara
> or Alláh and fight with each other over these different names.
> 
> When the people can all speak one common universal
> language, they will come to realize that they are all referring to
> the same Creator. This in itself will remove many
> misunderstandings among them.
> The Bahá’ís have so far translated the Message of
> Bahá’u’lláh into over 800 languages of the world because
> people do not know one common language. When a universal
> language is adopted in the world, it will become much easier
> to give the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to different peoples. Then
> everyone will be able to read the sacred Writings of the
> Manifestation of God Himself, in the universal language.
> Equality between men and women
> A pigeon cannot fly if you cut off the feathers from one its
> wings, regardless of how strong its other wing may be, because
> a bird needs two wings to fly.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “… the world of humanity possesses two wings: man and
> woman. If one wing remains incapable and defective, it will
> restrict the power of the other, and full flight will be impossible.
> Therefore, the completeness and perfection of the human world
> are dependent upon the equal development of these two
> wings.”42
> Again He says:
> “God has created all creatures in couples. Man, beast, or
> vegetable, all the things of these three kingdoms are of two sexes,
> and there is absolute equality between them.
> 
> “In the vegetable world there are male plants and female
> plants; they have equal rights, and possess an equal share of the
> beauty of their species; though indeed the tree that bears fruit
> might be said to be superior to that which is unfruitful.
> “In the animal kingdom we see that the male and the female
> have equal rights; and that they each share the advantages of
> their kind.
> “Now in the two lower kingdoms of nature we have seen
> that there is no question of the superiority of one sex over the
> other. In the world of humanity we find a great difference;
> the female sex is treated as though inferior, and is not
> allowed equal rights and privileges. This condition is due
> not to nature, but to education. In the Divine Creation
> there is no such distinction. Neither sex is superior to the
> other in the sight of God.”43
> God has created us all as human beings, and it makes no
> difference to Him whether we are men or women. To a loving
> parent, sons and daughters are equally dear.
> “Bahá’u’lláh has said that both [men and women] belong
> to humankind and that in the estimation of God they are
> equal, for each is the complement of the other in the divine
> creative plan. The only distinction between them in the
> sight of God is the purity and righteousness of their deeds
> and actions, for that one is preferred by God who is most
> nearly in the spiritual image and likeness of the Creator.”44
> Since God’s bounty reaches man and woman alike, we
> should make no distinction between them. The duties of a
> 
> man in a community may differ from those of a woman, but
> their rights and privileges must be equal. We should not think
> that a woman’s talents are less than a man’s. In the past
> women did not have the same education and opportunities as
> men, that is the reason they were not able to develop their
> different capacities.
> When Bahá’ís are electing their Assemblies every year, the
> members they choose are those who are most sincere and
> capable. It does not make any difference whether they are men
> or women. We should always remember that God looks to the
> heart and character of a person and not the sex.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “One whose thought is pure, whose education is superior, whose
> scientific attainments are greater, whose deeds of philanthropy
> excel, be that one man or woman, white or coloured, is entitled
> to full rights and recognition; there is no differentiation
> whatsoever.”45
> Universal education
> Another teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is that every child—boy or
> girl—must receive an education. If the parents neglect the
> education of their children, they are responsible before God.
> This is the command of Bahá’u’lláh:
> “Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son
> and daughter in the art of reading and writing … He that
> putteth away that which is commanded unto him, the Trustees
> are then to take from him that which is required for their
> instruction if he be wealthy and, if not, the matter devolveth
> 
> upon the House of Justice. Verily have We made it [the House of
> Justice] a shelter for the poor and needy.”46
> The education of children, therefore, is a compulsory and
> binding law for all Bahá’ís. If the parents can afford to educate
> their children but neglect to do so, then the Spiritual
> Assembly must force them to see to their education. However,
> if they are poor, the Spiritual Assembly must provide for the
> education of the children through the funds of the
> community.
> Bahá’u’lláh states that the education of children is a sacred
> task. He says:
> “He that bringeth up his son or the son of another, it is as
> though he hath brought up a son of Mine ….”47
> Is it not a privilege and a great honour for us to educate
> one of Bahá’u’lláh’s children? We can receive this honour if
> only we educate our children or those of other people.
> We cannot say that we need our young children to work at
> home, or take the cattle out to the pasture, so they have no
> time to go to school. We must remember that looking after
> the cattle or working in the field is not a command of God,
> but education is. If we do not obey this command, we are
> responsible. Similarly, we cannot say that our child is a girl
> and hence does not require any education. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said
> that there is equality between the rights of men and women.
> However, education is an example where, if a priority must be
> given, it must be given to the girls. The reason for this is that
> 
> the girls will become the mothers of the future, and an
> educated mother can bring up better children.
> Education, according to Bahá’u’lláh, does not consist of
> only learning how to read and write. Children must also be
> educated in subjects that will enable them to serve the human
> race and virtues that will make them want to serve. At present
> children who live in different parts of the world are being
> brought up to be loyal to their country alone, and sometimes
> hatred towards another nation is engraved on their young
> minds. They are taught to be proud of being Germans, Arabs
> or Chinese and made to believe that their race, their religion
> or their special caste is the best in the world. According to
> Bahá’í Faith this is not correct. The aim of education must be
> to bring up men and women who believe that “The earth is but
> one country, and mankind its citizens”.48 Then they will give
> their love and their services to the betterment of the whole
> world. If people adopt this method of education, it will take
> but one generation to establish the unity of all mankind.
> Bahá’u’lláh also says:
> “Schools must first train the children in the principles of
> religion, so that the Promise and the Threat recorded in the
> Books of God may prevent them from the things forbidden and
> adorn them with the mantle of the commandments; but this in
> such a measure that it may not injure the children by resulting
> in ignorant fanaticism and bigotry” 49
> This means that the spiritual values taught by the
> Manifestations of God must be the basis for every system of
> education. Only through spiritual enlightenment can man
> 
> become happier in life, because they will learn to live without
> any prejudice towards their fellowmen and be full of hope and
> confidence for the future. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes:
> “These schools … must favour character and conduct above the
> sciences and arts. Good behaviour and high moral character
> must come first, for unless the character be trained, acquiring
> knowledge will only prove injurious. Knowledge is praiseworthy
> when it is coupled with ethical conduct and virtuous character;
> otherwise it is a deadly poison, a frightful danger. A physician
> of evil character, and who betrayeth his trust, can bring on
> death, and become the source of numerous infirmities and
> diseases.”50
> Education must free us from superstitions and prejudices,
> and from the clutches of materialism. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes:
> ‘And among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is man’s freedom, that
> through the ideal Power he should be free and emancipated
> from the captivity of the world of nature; for as long as man is
> captive to nature he is a ferocious animal, as the struggle for
> existence is one of the exigencies of the world of nature. This
> matter of the struggle for existence is the fountain-head of all
> calamities and is the supreme affliction.”51
> A Bahá’í should never deprive his children from acquiring
> true knowledge, for according to Bahá’u’lláh:
> “Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his
> ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The
> knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can
> profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with
> 
> words and end with words. Great indeed is the claim of
> scientists and craftsmen on the peoples of the world. …
> “In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a
> source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and
> gladness unto him.”52
> Religion and science must work together
> God has given us the power of thinking for ourselves so
> that we may be different from animals. Man has been able to
> progress down the ages, and to live very differently today than
> he used to thousands of years ago, because he can use his
> mind. New discoveries and inventions have made it possible
> for people to live in better homes and to fight against disease
> and ignorance. However, material progress is of little use to us
> if we do not also progress spiritually. God has given us religion
> to help us with our spiritual progress. Science without religion
> can do great harm but religion without science can also cause
> trouble. For the real progress of human race, both are
> necessary together. Science and religion must go hand and
> hand.
> Science provides us with the tools and religion tells us how
> to use them. An axe or a sickle is a very useful thing if we use it
> correctly. However, if a murderer gets hold of an axe or a
> sickle, that useful tool becomes a dangerous weapon. The
> trouble with the world today is that science has provided
> people with useful tools that they can also use as weapons.
> The reason for this is that they have no religion to teach them
> how to make the best use of these tools. On the other hand, if
> we forsake science and stop using our mind and reason
> 
> altogether, religion will become nothing but ignorance and
> superstition, and therefore harmful to the people of the world.
> In the past people have thought that religion and science
> could not work together, but Bahá’u’lláh teaches that true
> religion agrees with true science. He tells us that our hearts
> and our minds can accept the same truths. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:
> “There is no contradiction between true religion and science.
> When a religion is opposed to science it becomes mere
> superstition: that which is contrary to knowledge is
> ignorance.”53
> We will conclude this section with a wonderful quotation
> from a talk by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
> “God made religion and science to be the measure … of our
> understanding. Take heed that you neglect not such a
> wonderful power. Weigh all things in this balance.
> “… Put all your beliefs into harmony with science; there can be
> no opposition, for truth is one. When religion, shorn of its
> superstitions, traditions and unintelligent dogmas, shows its
> conformity with science, then will there be a great unifying,
> cleansing force in the world which will sweep before it all wars,
> disagreements, discords and struggles—and then will mankind
> be united in the power of the Love of God.”54
> Extremes of wealth and poverty must end
> Bahá’u’lláh tells us that He prefers justice to everything
> else in the world:
> 
> “O SON OF SPIRIT!
> “The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice; turn not
> away therefrom if thou desirest Me …”55
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “One of the most important principles of the Teaching of
> Bahá’u’lláh is:
> “The right of every human being to the daily bread whereby
> they exist, or the equalization of the means of livelihood.
> “The arrangements of the circumstances of the people must be
> such that poverty shall disappear, that everyone, as far as
> possible, according to his rank and position, shall share in
> comfort and well-being.
> “We see amongst us men who are overburdened with riches on
> the one hand, and on the other those unfortunate ones who
> starve with nothing; those who possess several stately palaces,
> and those who have not where to lay their head. Some we find
> with numerous courses of costly and dainty food; whilst others
> can scarcely find sufficient crusts to keep them alive. Whilst
> some are clothed in velvets, furs and fine linen, others have
> insufficient, poor and thin garments with which to protect them
> from the cold.
> “This condition of affairs is wrong, and must be remedied.”56
> “Certainly, some being enormously rich and others lamentably
> poor, an organization is necessary to control and improve this
> state of affairs. It is [as] important to limit riches, as it is also of
> importance to limit poverty. Either extreme is not good. …
> 
> “… When we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of
> starvation it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find
> tyranny. Men must bestir themselves in this matter, and no
> longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of
> grinding poverty to a very large number of the people.”57
> There are a number of wonderful laws and teachings in the
> Bahá’í Faith for the creation of a balanced society where there
> are no extremes of wealth nor poverty. Many of these laws
> must be put into practice by the governments of the world,
> but the basic solution of the economic problems of today
> depends upon the individual. Bahá’ís are encouraged to make
> every effort towards material as well as spiritual advancement,
> but they should never forget these Words of Bahá’u’lláh:
> “The essence of wealth is love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the
> possessor of all things, and he that loveth Me not is indeed of the
> poor and needy.”58
> True wealth for a Bahá’í then is the love of God in his
> heart. When he possesses this great treasure that no one can
> take away from him, then material riches will not be of great
> value in his eyes and outward poverty cannot be the cause of
> unhappiness.
> Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
> “Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches, for poverty
> is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty.”59
> Once our hearts are detached from the riches of this world,
> it becomes easy for us to share our wealth with those who are
> 
> in need. This sharing is what Bahá’u’lláh expects His followers
> to do. In one of the Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá we read:
> “Among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is voluntary sharing of
> one’s property with others among mankind. This voluntary
> sharing is greater than equality, and consists in this, that man
> should not prefer himself to others, but rather should sacrifice his
> life and property for others. But this should not be introduced by
> coercion so that it becomes a law and man is compelled to
> follow it. Nay, rather, should man voluntarily and of his own
> choice sacrifice his property and life for others, and spend
> willingly for the poor, just as is done in Persia among the
> Bahá’ís.”60
> No matter how poor a person may be, he can still find
> others who are poorer than himself and with whom he can
> share what he has. To the rich Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH!
> “The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and
> be not intent only on your own case.”61
> He warns them not to forget those who are in need, for
> they will be punished if they are selfish:
> “O CHILDREN OF DUST!
> “Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest
> heedlessness may lead them into the path of destruction, and
> deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous
> are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself
> with My virtues.”62
> 
> Although the rich are called upon to give of their riches,
> Bahá’u’lláh forbids the poor to beg. He says that they must
> strive to earn their own living and place their trust in the
> Almighty. Every individual is called upon to “… pursue his
> profession and calling in this world, to hold fast unto the Lord, to
> seek naught but His grace, inasmuch as in His hands is the destiny
> of all His servants.”63
> We must never envy those who have more money than we
> do, for Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “O SON OF EARTH!
> “Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant of envy yet
> lingers, shall never attain My everlasting dominion, nor inhale
> the sweet savours of holiness breathing from My kingdom of
> sanctity.”64
> And again:
> “O MY SERVANT!
> “Purge thy heart from malice and, innocent of envy, enter the
> divine court of holiness.”65
> We must know that wealth in itself is not a virtue. It can
> become a dangerous thing. Bahá’u’lláh says that God tests
> men with gold, just as gold is tested by fire. He also says.
> “Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the
> seeker and his desire, the lover and his beloved. The rich, but for
> a few, shall in no wise attain the court of His presence nor enter
> the city of content and resignation. Well it is then with him,
> who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal
> kingdom, nor deprived by them of imperishable dominion. By
> 
> the Most Great Name! The splendour of such a wealthy man
> shall illuminate the dwellers of heaven even as the sun
> enlightens the people of the earth!”66
> Our object in life, therefore, should not be the gathering of
> wealth to enjoy a short life of comfort in this world. Material
> riches can profit us only after we have acquired spiritual
> wealth and come to know ourselves and the purpose of our
> lives in this world.
> Bahá’u’lláh has written:
> “… man should know his own self and recognize that which
> leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement, wealth
> or poverty. Having attained the stage of fulfilment and reached
> his maturity, man standeth in need of wealth, and such wealth
> as he acquireth through crafts or professions is commendable
> and praiseworthy in the estimation of men of wisdom, and
> especially in the eyes of servants who dedicate themselves to the
> education of the world and to the edification of its peoples.”67
> Whether we possess the riches of this world or not, let us
> remember that we can all be spiritually rich if we let the love
> of God enter into our hearts. This is what God tells every one
> of us through Bahá’u’lláh:
> “O SON OF SPIRIT!
> “I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to
> poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself?
> Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest
> thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of
> love I moulded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another?
> 
> Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing
> within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.”68
> Happiness
> One of Bahá’u’lláh’s great bounties to us is the joy and
> happiness He has created in our hearts. We are joyful because
> the love of God is within us. We are happy because we know
> the meaning and purpose of our short lives on this earth. We
> rejoice because we have found our Beloved, and through the
> influence of His creative Words are now at peace with the rest
> of humanity
> Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “O My friends that dwell upon the dust! Haste forth unto your
> celestial habitation. Announce unto yourselves the joyful tidings:
> ‘He Who is the Best-Beloved is come! He hath crowned Himself
> with the glory of God’s Revelation, and hath unlocked to the
> face of men the doors of His ancient Paradise.’ Let all eyes
> rejoice, and let every ear be gladdened, for now is the time to
> gaze on His beauty, now is the fit time to hearken to His voice.
> Proclaim unto every longing lover: ‘Behold, your Well-Beloved
> hath come among men!’ and to the messengers of the Monarch
> of love impart the tidings: ‘Lo, the Adored One hath appeared
> arrayed in the fullness of His glory!’ O lovers of His beauty!
> Turn the anguish of your separation from Him into the joy of
> an everlasting reunion ….”69
> The joy of having recognized the Beloved and of
> hearkening to His voice fills the heart of every Bahá’í. This
> great bounty was felt by the thousands of Bahá’í martyrs who
> 
> were glad to give their precious lives for the sake of their
> Beloved. When the joy of Faith takes possession of our heart,
> nothing on this earth can discourage us or make us unhappy.
> Poverty, sickness and hardship can be forgotten when the love
> of God and His creatures is in our hearts.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá often mentioned the continuous happiness
> that He felt even when He was living in prison under very
> severe conditions. He wrote:
> “… I was happy in imprisonment. I was in the utmost elation
> because I was not a criminal. They had imprisoned me in the
> path of God. … I was happy that—praise be to God!—I was a
> prisoner in the Cause of God, that my life was not wasted, that
> it was spent in the Divine service. Nobody who saw me
> imagined that I was in prison. They beheld me in the utmost
> joy, complete thankfulness and health, paying no attention to
> the prison.”70
> The happiness that comes through the love we feel for God
> and our fellow creatures makes us more worthy of giving praise
> to the Almighty and of receiving His blessings. Bahá’u’lláh
> has written:
> “O SON OF MAN!
> “Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou mayest be
> worthy to meet Me and to mirror forth My beauty” 71
> Bahá’ís should always reflect the radiant light of happiness.
> How can we be unhappy when we read these wonderful
> Words of Bahá’u’lláh?:
> 
> “O SON OF SPIRIT!
> “With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee: rejoice! To the court
> of holiness I summon thee; abide therein that thou mayest live
> in peace for evermore.”72
> Bahá’u’lláh says that the heart is the seat of God. When
> the heart has known the joy of receiving its Beloved, no
> happiness on earth can compare with it. The wealth of the
> world cannot add to this happiness, nor can the lack of
> prosperity become a cause of sorrow to such a heart.
> The joy that comes with the pleasures of this world is not
> true happiness because it does not endure. Bahá’u’lláh tells us
> not to be affected by it:
> “O SON OF MAN!
> “Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should
> abasement come upon thee, grieve not, for both shall pass away
> and be no more.”73
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “When a man is thirsty he drinks water. When he is hungry he
> eats food. But if a man be not thirsty, water gives him no
> pleasure and if his hunger be already satisfied, food is distasteful
> to him.
> “This is not so with spiritual enjoyments. Spiritual enjoyments
> bring always joy. The love of God brings endless happiness.
> These are joys in themselves and not alleviations. …
> “God created in us a divine holy spirit—the human spirit with
> its intellectual powers which are above the powers of nature. By
> this we enjoy the ecstasies of the spirit and see the world
> 
> illumined. … This power distinguishes you above all other
> creatures, why do you devote it only to your material conditions?
> This is that which should be used for the acquisition and
> manifestation of the bounties of God, that ye may establish the
> Kingdom of God among men and attain to happiness in both
> worlds, the visible and the invisible.”74
> Let us be happy because we are living in such a wonderful
> age. Let us enjoy the paradise that God has prepared for us
> where men live as brothers, and where the strifes and
> differences of the past are forgotten.
> Let us rejoice in these words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
> “GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!
> For Everlasting Life is here!
> O Ye that sleep, Awake!
> O ye heedless ones, Learn wisdom!
> O Blind, receive your sight!
> O Deaf, Hear!
> O Dumb, Speak!
> O Dead, Arise!
> Be Happy!
> Be Happy!
> Be full of joy.”75
> Immortality
> Our lives are very short. Twenty or thirty years may seem a
> long time when we are still very young, but when we have left
> those years behind us, we wonder how they could have gone
> 
> by so swiftly. The years that lie ahead of us will also pass like
> fleeting moments, and death will soon overtake us all.
> Is death the end of everything for us? No! The Bahá’í Faith
> teaches that death is not the end. It is only a beginning.
> Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “O SON OF THE SUPREME!
> “I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost
> thou grieve? I made the light to shed on thee its splendour. Why
> dost thou veil thyself therefrom?”76
> Death is the beginning of our spiritual journey towards
> God. It is a rebirth—a spiritual rebirth.
> When our soul departs from our body, it continues to live
> and to progress in the Kingdom of God. But it never comes
> back to the earth in a material form.
> A nightingale that has always lived in a cage does not know
> any other place but the cage. It may get glimpses of a garden
> through the bars of its cage. However, the poor bird has no
> idea of freedom and has never known the joy of flying in the
> green woods or the open fields. If you open the door of the
> cage to set the bird free, it may hop to a corner of the cage but
> not want to leave it. When you put your hand in to take the
> bird out, it will become frightened and will try to escape from
> your hand. However, once the bird is free it will soar high in
> the open sky, and sing among the green trees. It makes its
> home in the flowered meadows and the perfumed woods, and
> would not return to captivity even if you were to offer it a
> thousand golden cages.
> 
> Similarly, when the soul is set free from the cage of this
> body, those who are not aware of the Kingdom of God and
> the happiness that awaits them after they depart from this life,
> will find it very difficult to let go of this life. It is because they
> know only the cage, and are unaware of the heaven of God’s
> love and eternal mercy
> Those who have recognized the Manifestations of God,
> however, are sure of the immortality of the soul and
> everlasting life. Somebody asked Bahá’u’lláh about life after
> death, and this was His reply:
> “And now concerning thy question regarding the soul of man
> and its survival after death. Know thou of a truth that the soul,
> after its separation from the body, will continue to progress
> until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition
> which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the
> changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as
> long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion
> and power will endure. It will manifest the signs of God and
> His attributes, and will reveal His loving-kindness and bounty.
> The movements of My pen is stilled when it attempteth to
> befittingly describe the loftiness and glory of so exalted a
> station.”77
> Death is spiritual rebirth for each one of us. Let us
> therefore be prepared to welcome “the messenger of joy” 7 8
> whenever it may knock at our door.
> 
> Heaven and hell
> You will be rewarded with a rich harvest if you plant a field
> in the proper season, water it regularly and protect it from
> pests and birds. However, if you do not sow your seeds at the
> right time, and neglect to water the field, you cannot hope for
> a good crop. You will be punishable for your negligence when
> the time comes to reap the harvest and who can be blamed for
> the loss except yourself?
> Reward and punishment are necessary for order to exist in
> the world. Reward and punishment are the natural
> consequences of our deeds. All the Messengers of the past have
> tried to make us realize that what we do in this world not only
> affects our lives here, but continues to bear results after our
> death. If our deeds are good, they will produce good results
> and become the cause of everlasting happiness; if they are bad,
> they will bear evil results and bring eternal suffering to us.
> God does not wish to take revenge on those who have done
> wrong. However, it is impossible to get good results from bad
> actions, just as it is impossible to have beautiful flowers in the
> garden when we have planted weeds. This is what is meant by
> reward and punishment. This essential belief, which has been
> taught in all religions, has been greatly misunderstood.
> The manifestations of God have explained the existence of
> reward and punishment through symbols and parables. We
> have mentioned that the Manifestations of God are perfect
> Educators. A perfect educator must necessarily teach in a way
> that his students may understand or else there would be no
> purpose in His teaching. God’s Messengers have pictured a
> 
> life full of joy and pleasure for the good, and spoken of torture
> and misery for the wicked. They have done this to help people
> understand that they will have to account for their deeds after
> their life in this world has ended. The pleasures and tortures
> they have mentioned are those that people know of in this
> world because it was the only way to make people understand
> the importance of Their teachings on life after death.
> To a small child who asks about knowledge, the parent
> may say that it is sweeter than anything he has ever enjoyed.
> Of course, the parent does not mean that knowledge is a type
> of food that can be tasted. When the child is older, he will
> come to know what his parent meant by the description he
> gave. Most of the people in the world are taking the symbols
> and parables that the Manifestations of God have used about
> life after death quite literally. The people do not realize that
> they were meant to illustrate spiritual experiences. They have,
> therefore, set up an imaginary hell and heaven. Some believe
> hell to be a horrible place with fire, disease and horrid devils
> in which sinners are tortured forever. Heaven, according to
> them, is a beautiful garden full of delicious fruits and earthly
> pleasures. Others believe that our souls will return to this
> world after death as if there were no other place in the whole
> of the universe except our little planet. They say that we will
> come back in different forms, and that we may even come as
> animals depending on the kind of deeds that we have done in
> our lifetime.
> Whereas the Manifestations of the past have had to speak
> of our experiences after death in symbolic terms, Bahá’u’lláh
> says we are now ready to know the true meaning of heaven
> 
> and hell. The two important facts that we must remember are
> these:
> 1. Our souls are immortal and continue to live after our
> bodies die.
> 2. The consequences of our deeds in this world will continue
> after the soul departs from the body.
> The world into which the soul enters after departing from
> the body is very different from the world that we are used to
> here. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says it is as different from this world as our
> world is different from the womb of the mother where a child
> lives before it is born. A child prepares for his life in this world
> by developing his eyes, ears and limbs that he does not need
> in his mother’s womb. However, he cannot live a normal,
> healthy life here without these physical features. Similarly, we
> too must prepare for a happy life in the next world that our
> souls will be born into after leaving this world. In the next
> world, we are not going to need physical eyes and ears any
> more. There we will need spiritual qualities that we can
> acquire in this world by following the teachings of God sent to
> us through His Messengers.
> There is, however, a great difference between the condition
> of a child in his mother’s womb and that of a person who is
> living in this world. The unborn child is not responsible for
> his development because he is helpless. However, in this
> world we are given the power to choose between right and
> wrong, good and bad. We are, therefore, responsible for our
> spiritual development. If we fail to grow strong and healthy in
> spirit, then we are going to be very unhappy in the next
> 
> world. This state of unhappiness is called hell. If on the other
> hand, we strive to understand and obey the laws of God, we
> will be preparing for a life of happiness in the next world and
> we will enjoy the state that is spoken of as heaven. Bahá’u’lláh
> says that heaven is nearness to God and hell is being deprived
> of this bounty. He calls upon each one of us to strive to
> become worthy of the eternal blessings that are prepared for us
> in the worlds to come:
> “O SON OF BOUNTY!
> “Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My
> command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy
> training every atom in existence and the essence of all created
> things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother’s womb, I
> destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over
> thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, ‘neath
> the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the
> essence of My grace and favour. And My purpose in all this was
> that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become
> worthy of My invisible bestowals. …”79
> Miracles
> The Manifestations of God are endowed with great powers.
> They are able to perform things that are impossible for other
> people to do. Their great miracles are: Their teachings, Their
> personal lives, and the influence of Their words on the hearts
> of men for centuries after They Themselves have left this
> world. These miracles have been performed by all the
> Manifestations of God.
> 
> The Messengers of God use no worldly means or power to
> influence people, yet They have always been opposed by the
> forces of the state and all the powerful, learned people of Their
> time. Those who first believed in Them have usually been
> poor and insignificant people, without any worldly position.
> In spite of all this, Their Message has spread to conquer the
> world and create new civilizations. This story has been
> repeated in every age, and with the coming of every
> Manifestation a new civilization has been established in the
> world. When we hear of the civilizations that the Hindus,
> Jews, Christians or Moslems developed during past ages, we
> must remember that the Founder of each of these great
> movements was but a single Messenger of God. Each
> Messenger, in His days, initially stood alone against the forces
> of the whole world, and still They were victorious! What
> greater miracle do we need to prove the truth of these
> Manifestations of God!
> There are many people who believe that the proof of
> prophethood lies in the performance of some difficult task
> that is usually expected of a magician. The followers of each
> religion relate extraordinary things about the Founder of their
> Faith to prove that He was a true Manifestation of God. The
> Hindus say that one day the feet of baby Krishna touched the
> river Yamuna while He was being carried by His father. The
> water immediately receded to allow Him to be carried to the
> other side. The Christians say that Jesus Christ satisfied the
> hunger of hundreds of people with a few loaves of bread.
> Similar miracles are attributed to Zoroaster, Buddha, Moses
> and Muhammad by Their followers.
> 
> Bahá’ís believe that all the Manifestations of God have
> been capable of accomplishing extraordinary things. However,
> such deeds are neither convincing to those who do not believe
> in Them, nor can they be used as proofs of Their
> Prophethood. A Christian, for instance, may tell a Jew or a
> Buddhist that Jesus Christ gave life to a dead person.
> However, his words will have little effect on the person who
> does not believe in Jesus. It certainly will not convince him
> that Jesus Christ was a Manifestation of God. He may even say
> that it is only the followers of Jesus Christ who have attributed
> this miracle to Him. Even those who lived in the days of Jesus
> did not believe in Him because of His miracles. However, if
> the Christian points out how the beautiful teachings of Jesus
> Christ have brought eternal life to millions of people who were
> spiritually dead, or refers to the saintly life of Jesus Christ
> Himself that has inspired the hearts of many generations of
> the human race, no one can deny it. The life of Jesus Christ
> and His teachings are by far greater miracles than His having
> raised to life one or two people who might have lived for a few
> more years and died again.
> The Manifestations of God are divine Physicians. What we
> should expect from them is a prescription that will cure our
> spiritual ailments. It is foolish of us to expect them to prove
> their Prophethood through the demonstration of magical
> performances. We do not ask a doctor who has come to
> prescribe for a patient to prove his skill by jumping from the
> roof. The only way the doctor can prove that he is indeed
> what he claims to be, is to cure his patient. That is why
> Bahá’u’lláh, despite those who were with Him seeing Him
> 
> accomplish extraordinary things, has forbidden Bahá’ís to
> mention them as proofs of His greatness. The following
> incident, which occurred when Bahá’u’lláh was in Baghdád,
> shows how valueless these so-called miracles can be.
> A council of Muslim divines, who knew that they could
> not deny the Truth of Bahá’u’lláh through argument and
> logic, asked Him to perform a miracle for them. They hoped
> that Bahá’u’lláh would refuse and thus give them an excuse to
> denounce Him. They chose one of the greatest Mullás from
> among themselves to deliver the message to Bahá’u’lláh. His
> reply to them was that the Cause of God was not a plaything
> and that He had not come to set up a magical show to please
> the whims and fancies of the people. However, if they could
> all decide upon a particular feat, no matter how impossible it
> might seem, then Bahá’u’lláh would accomplish it before
> their eyes. The only condition was that when the miracle was
> performed, they would all accept Him as the Promised One.
> The Mullás did not accept the condition. They were afraid
> that Bahá’u’lláh might perform the miracle and then they
> would have no excuse for denying His claim. So they dispersed
> without asking Bahá’u’lláh for any miracle.
> This incident clearly shows that miracles, even if
> performed, do not serve to prove anything to those who have
> already decided to deny the Truth. For those who are just in
> their judgement and willing to understand, the teachings of
> the Manifestations of God are in themselves true and lasting
> miracles.
> 
> Moral and ethical teachings
> One of the principles of the Bahá’í Faith is that the
> foundation of all religions is one. The moral principles of all
> religions are certainly a part of the foundation of the religions.
> Therefore, they are similar.
> In the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, we find very high standards
> of ethics and personal conduct. We can say that almost all the
> teachings of Bahá’u’lláh influence the personal conduct and
> behaviour of man. In the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, there are
> literally thousands of Tablets revealed by the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh
> and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and in the writings of Shoghi Effendi
> setting the pattern of Bahá’í life based on purity of mind and
> action. We are not able to compile all these beautiful writings
> into one large book. Nevertheless it is appropriate to have
> some glimpses of these beautiful writings from the Bahá’í
> Scriptures.
> Readers of this book will have to continue their studies to
> immerse themselves in the immeasurable ocean of the Holy
> Writings if they wish to bring out such treasures and
> incomparable gems.
> Bahá’u’lláh writes to one of His sons:
> “Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be
> worthy of the trust of thy neighbour, and look upon him with a
> bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an
> admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a
> preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgement,
> and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all
> 
> meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in
> darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for
> the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of
> oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine
> acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a
> tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a
> guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the
> countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of
> the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of
> mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above
> the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an
> ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty,
> a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the
> firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of
> humility.”80
> Here are more quotations from the Holy Writings
> pertaining to personal conduct:
> “All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing
> civilization. … To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of
> man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance,
> mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples
> and kindreds of the earth.”81
> “To transgress the limits of one’s own rank and station is, in no
> wise, permissible. The integrity of every rank and station must
> needs be preserved. By this is meant that every created thing
> should be viewed in the light of the station it hath been
> ordained to occupy.”82
> ***
> 
> “Charity is pleasing and praiseworthy in the sight of God and
> is regarded as a prince among goodly deeds. … Blessed is he
> who preferreth his brother before himself. Verily, such a man is
> reckoned, by virtue of the Will of God, … with the people of
> Bahá ….”83
> “They who are possessed of riches, however, must have the
> utmost regard for the poor, for great is the honour destined by
> God for those poor who are steadfast in patience. … There is no
> honour, except what God may please to bestow, that can
> compare to this honour. Great is the blessedness awaiting the
> poor that endure patiently and conceal their sufferings, and
> well is it with the rich who bestow their riches on the needy and
> prefer them before themselves.”84
> ***
> 
> “To look after the sick is one of the greatest duties. For every soul
> who becomes sick, the other friends should certainly offer their
> lives (in service) with the utmost kindness.”85
> ***
> 
> “We, verily, have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of
> such as are nigh unto Him. Courtesy is, in truth, a raiment
> which fitteth all men, whether young or old. Well is it with him
> that adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is
> deprived of this great bounty.”86
> “O people of God! I admonish you to observe courtesy, for above
> all else it is the prince of virtues. Well is it with him who is
> illumined with the light of courtesy and is attired with the
> 
> vesture of uprightness. Whoso is endued with courtesy hath
> indeed attained a sublime station.”87
> ***
> 
> “Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbours.”88
> “Be fair to yourselves and to others, that the evidences of justice
> may be revealed, through your deeds, among Our faithful
> servants.”89
> “… equity is the most fundamental among human virtues. The
> evaluation of all things must needs depend upon it.”90
> “Say: Observe equity in your judgement, ye men of
> understanding heart! He that is unjust in his judgement is
> destitute of the characteristics that distinguish man’s station.”91
> ***
> 
> “We love to see you at all times consorting in amity and concord
> within the paradise of My good-pleasure, and to inhale from
> your acts the fragrance of friendliness and unity, of lovingkindness and fellowship. … We shall always be with you; if We
> inhale the perfume of your fellowship, Our heart will assuredly
> rejoice, for naught else can satisfy Us.”92
> ***
> 
> “The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and
> be not intent only on your own ease.”93
> 
> “If ye encounter one who is poor, treat him not disdainfully.
> Reflect upon that whereof ye were created. Every one of you was
> created of sorry germ.”94
> ***
> 
> “A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the
> bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the
> fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding.”95
> “Each sees in the other the Beauty of God reflected in the soul,
> and finding this point of similarity, they are attracted to one
> another in love. This love will make all men the waves of one
> sea, this love will make them all the stars of one heaven and the
> fruits of one tree. This love will bring the realization of true
> accord, the foundation of real unity.”96
> “Love is unlimited, boundless, infinite! Material things are
> limited, circumscribed, finite.”97
> “It is clear that limited material ties are insufficient to
> adequately express the universal love.
> “The great unselfish love for humanity is bounded by none of
> these imperfect, semi-selfish bounds; this is the one perfect love,
> possible to all mankind, and can only be achieved by the power
> of the Divine Spirit.”98
> ***
> 
> “Deal not treacherously with the substance of your neighbour.
> Be ye trustworthy on earth, and withhold not from the poor the
> things given unto you by God through His grace. He, verily,
> will bestow upon you the double of what ye possess.”99
> ***
> 
> “Fair speech and truthfulness, by reason of their lofty rank and
> position, are regarded as a sun shining above the horizon of
> knowledge.”100
> 
> Administration
> Religion without priests
> There was a time when it was necessary to have a group of
> people in society to be in charge of religious affairs. Ordinary
> people were either illiterate or did not have time to make a
> proper study of their religion. They therefore engaged a
> number of people who had no other task or profession in life
> than to study religion and to see that people observed its laws.
> That is why we find Brahmins among the Hindus, Bhikkhus
> among the Buddhists, priests among the Christians and
> Mullás among the Muslims.
> In the Bahá’í Faith, one of its distinctions is that a
> professional priesthood is abolished. Bahá’u’lláh says that
> although it was necessary to have priests in the past, they are
> not needed in our age. He has called upon every one of us to
> search after Truth for himself. Hence, we may see with our
> own eyes and not with the eyes of others, hear with our own
> ears, and understand with our own power of reason. Bahá’ís
> are expected to acquire more knowledge about their Faith by
> searching after Truth for themselves. This may not be the case
> with people of other religions who expect to receive their
> instruction from clergymen. Every Bahá’í has to pray for
> himself. He cannot pay another man to pray for him as is
> 
> done by many people in other religions. A Bahá’í asks for
> God’s grace and forgiveness himself and does not need a priest
> to do it for him through man-made rituals and ceremonies.
> Every Bahá’í can establish contact with God through His
> Manifestation, and no medium is required between him and
> Bahá’u’lláh.
> Although there have been many good priests in every
> religion, much of the harm done in the name of religion has
> been due to the priests in every age. There were two priests
> living in one neighbourhood that did not always agree on
> religious problems, and their disagreement brought a great
> deal of trouble to the world. Some people thought one priest
> was right, while other people believed that the other priest’s
> views were correct. In this manner, disunity and divisions have
> arisen in every religion. Gradually many sects were formed as
> men quarrelled with each other over different interpretations
> of their sacred writings, and eventually this became the cause
> of wars and bloodshed.
> Such conflicts cannot occur in the Bahá’í Faith. Firstly,
> there are no priests or other personalities in the Faith who can
> form a following among the believers. All are equal in the
> Faith. Secondly, nobody has the right to interpret the
> teachings and Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. This authority was
> given only to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by Bahá’u’lláh Himself, and after
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the right of interpretation was given to Shoghi
> Effendi alone.
> It is dangerous that a living can be earned through religion.
> The danger arises because insincere people may be attracted to
> 
> this profession for no other reason than that they want to live
> an easy life or have a good income. Such people, in the garb of
> the priesthood, have often misled others and have committed
> many crimes in the name of religion to serve their own selfish
> interests.
> Bahá’u’lláh has abolished the institution of the priesthood
> so that no one can ever hope to misuse religion to serve his
> own selfish and worldly desires.
> The history of the past shows that whenever a
> Manifestation of God appeared in the world, priests of the
> previous religions were the first to oppose Him. Why? because
> those priests knew that by believing in the new Manifestation,
> they would have to sacrifice their positions, their wealth and
> material comforts. They therefore did their best to uproot the
> new religion when it appeared among them. Buddhism was
> pushed out of India by the priests of the time. Jesus Christ
> was crucified because the Jewish priests opposed Him. The
> Báb was martyred because Muslim priests did not want
> people to follow Him. Bahá’u’lláh suffered all His life chiefly
> because the Mullás instigated the government and the people
> of their time to rise against the new Cause of God.
> There were exceptions of course. Many learned priests who
> lived at the time of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh believed in Them,
> and some even shed their blood in the path of God. However,
> when they accepted the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, they became
> Bahá’ís—humble servants of the Cause of God—they were no
> longer priests. They took up other professions with which to
> 
> earn their livelihood. They did not mingle money with
> religion or a worldly profession with the Faith of God.
> Bahá’u’lláh laid down the foundation of a wonderful
> system of Administration so that individuals can organize the
> religious affairs of the community. This Administration
> enables all of us to work together for the progress of the Faith
> and the spiritual welfare of the community without the help
> of priests. The Bahá’í Administration and all the other
> institutions established by the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh are
> divine in origin. We shall read about it in the following pages.
> What is Bahá’í Administration?
> If there is a stretch of farmland with a river on one side of
> it, how would we distribute water to the various fields we wish
> to grow? We would first dig a canal that is large enough to
> bring sufficient water from the river to irrigate the whole area.
> Then we would dig smaller canals that would take water from
> the large canal to different sections of the land. Lastly, we
> would require a multitude of small channels to take water
> from these canals to every field. When our system of canals
> and streams is completed, the river will be able to irrigate all
> the farmland.
> Bahá’í Administration, Shoghi Effendi has told us, is like a
> system of canals and streams “through which … the Holy
> Spirit of the Cause pours forth” to the Bahá’í communities
> scattered throughout the world.101
> In previous ages the priests were expected to bring the
> water of life from its Fountainhead to the people of the time.
> 
> However, their power was limited. It was as if they could only
> carry a handful of this water and, even then, only as long as
> they had the strength and the zeal to do so.
> Bahá’u’lláh has not entrusted this task to individuals. He
> has planned a wonderful network of channels through which
> the water of life is brought to the field of existence. This plan
> is called the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and Bahá’í
> Administration is a part of it.
> The good news of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh was first
> proclaimed by the Báb when He said:
> “Well is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of
> Bahá’u’lláh, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord. For He will
> assuredly be made manifest.”102
> Bahá’u’lláh laid the foundation for this World Order, and
> drafted its plan. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained the details of the
> divine plan and started its construction. However, it was
> through the lifelong efforts of Shoghi Effendi that the Bahá’í
> Administration was gradually built up, and far-flung
> communities were joined to make them parts of a united
> whole.
> Bahá’í Administration is different from every other form of
> religious order because it is not man-made. It is the Plan of
> God for this age, given to us through His Manifestation,
> Bahá’u’lláh, and destined to establish order and peace among
> all the various peoples of the earth.
> 
> Bahá’í Administration is composed of many linked parts:
> · Local Spiritual Assemblies (LSAs) elected by the Bahá’ís
> of their respective villages or towns. These act as the
> streams that bring water from the channels to the fields.
> · National Spiritual Assemblies (NSAs) elected by the
> Bahá’ís of each country. These act as the channels that
> connect the streams to the one large canal into which
> water flows from the river itself.
> · The Universal House of Justice elected by all the Bahá’ís
> of the world through their National Assemblies. It acts
> as the main canal. It is through the Universal House of
> Justice that God’s guidance flows out to all parts of the
> world.
> Before we cover the duties and responsibilities of each level
> of the Administration, let us make it quite clear that the
> Bahá’í Administration can never be divorced from
> Bahá’u’lláh’s other teachings. No Bahá’í can believe in
> Bahá’u’lláh without accepting and working with His
> Administrative Order. It is an essential part of the Message of
> God that has been brought for the happiness of the
> individual, and most importantly, also for the unity and
> welfare of society. In some cases, the interests of the society
> have priority over those of individuals. However, it is in the
> best interest of society to foster the well-being of individuals.
> As you can see from the following illustration, individuals
> within society are like the grains of corn in a field. A single
> grain of corn is of little significance. However, every grain of
> 
> corn profits by the water that flows in for the benefit of the
> whole field.
> We must realize that our individual happiness lies in the
> welfare of a united society and strive to strengthen this
> Administrative order on which depends the future hope of
> mankind. This is how we may illustrate our Administration:
> 
> The Holy Spirit
> 
> A
> 
> A
> LS
> 
> LS
> e
> stic
> 
> NSA                                      NSA
> f Ju
> eo
> 
> A
> LS
> ous
> lH
> rsa
> ive
> 
> NSA
> Un
> 
> A
> SA
> 
> LS
> L
> 
> Election of a Spiritual Assembly
> Bahá’u’lláh has ordained in the Book of Aqdas103 that a
> Spiritual Assembly must be elected in every locality where the
> number of adult Bahá’ís is nine or more. This Spiritual
> Assembly, as a body, will serve the local community to which
> it belongs.
> How do we elect our Local Spiritual Assembly?
> Let us suppose that the Bahá’ís of Rampur104 , a village in
> India with about 60 believers, wish to elect their Spiritual
> Assembly. These are some of the points that they should
> remember:
> 1. They cannot form their Assembly at any time of the year.
> They can only elect their Assembly on the 21 April.105
> This date is the first day of our Ridván festival and the
> only day on which Bahá’ís can elect their Spiritual
> Assembly. If an Assembly is not elected within the 24
> hours between sunset on the 20 April and sunset on the
> 21 st, then the community must wait a whole year until the
> next Ridván to elect their Assembly.
> 2. Only Bahá’ís who are 21 years of age or over can vote for
> and be elected to the Spiritual Assembly. Let us use the
> community of 60 Bahá’ís living in Rampur as an example.
> There are 35 men and women who are either 21 or over
> that age. Only these 35 members can vote for their
> Assembly, and they must choose nine from amongst
> themselves to form their Assembly.
> 
> 3. Every person who votes must write down the names of the
> nine persons whom he or she considers most worthy for
> being elected on the Spiritual Assembly. A vote is not valid
> if more or less than nine names are mentioned or if one
> name is repeated.
> 4. People should never be elected on the Spiritual Assembly
> because of their wealth or prestige in the community, or
> because they have shown kindness to us in some way and
> we wish to reward them. The only reason for selecting a
> person should be their sincerity and devotion to the Cause
> of God and their ability to serve the Faith. Every Bahá’í
> who can vote should consider the character and spiritual
> qualities of the men and women in his community. They
> should also pray to God that he may be guided to name
> the right people for the Assembly.
> 5. No Bahá’í is permitted to recommend anyone as worthy of
> membership of the Spiritual Assembly, no matter how
> good that person may be. Bahá’u’lláh has forbidden us to
> nominate any individual or try to draw attention to any
> special person before or during the election. No one in the
> Bahá’í community must know whom any other person has
> named, or intends to name, in his voting paper. Even a
> husband and wife or close friends cannot consult together
> on whom they should choose. Every Bahá’í must seek
> assistance from God alone and make his own decisions in
> this matter without being influenced by the opinions of
> others. Only a Bahá’í who cannot write is allowed to ask a
> trusted person to write down the names that he or she
> dictates.
> 
> Keeping all these points in mind, the Bahá’ís of Rampur
> then elect the members of their Spiritual Assembly for that
> year. If they have all gathered at one place to give their votes,
> they will start their meeting with prayers asking God to help
> and bless them in their sacred task. Then the ballots will be
> collected, and a few Bahá’ís will be asked to count the votes.
> One person will read out the names written on each slip of
> paper, while two or three others will make a careful note of the
> number of votes received by each individual. The nine Bahá’ís
> who have received the largest number of votes are elected as
> members of the Local Spiritual Assembly for that year.
> Thus the Bahá’ís of Rampur, like their fellow-believers in
> thousands of other villages, towns and cities in the East and
> the West, are blessed with a Spiritual Assembly that will serve
> their community until the first day of
> Ridván of the next year, when the process of election is
> once more repeated throughout the Bahá’í world.
> Duties of a Local Spiritual Assembly
> Regarding the duties of Spiritual Assemblies, Bahá’u’lláh
> has written:
> “It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among
> men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of
> God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to
> take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the
> servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own
> interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus
> hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put
> 
> away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O
> ye that perceive.”106
> The Spiritual Assembly of every village or town must
> therefore guard the interests of the Bahá’ís in that locality.
> The most important work of every Spiritual Assembly is to
> help Bahá’ís teach the Cause of God. The Message of
> Bahá’u’lláh is the source of blessings for all mankind and our
> Spiritual Assemblies must become channels through which
> this great bounty can reach people in every part of the world.
> Hence, when we form our Local Spiritual Assemblies, we must
> ensure that teaching is their main task.
> Another important duty of a Spiritual Assembly is to try to
> promote amity and love among the believers. An Assembly
> must create a loving atmosphere of unity among the Bahá’ís; it
> must see to it that everybody is happy in that community. If
> there are any differences among the friends, it is the duty of
> the Spiritual Assembly to ensure that they are resolved. Each
> Spiritual Assembly must act as a wise and loving father to the
> Bahá’ís of its locality.
> Writing on the duties of Spiritual Assemblies, the
> Guardian says:
> “They must do their utmost to extend at all times the helping
> hand to the poor, the sick, the disabled, the orphan, the widow,
> irrespective of colour, caste and creed.”107
> Every Spiritual Assembly has to have its own Fund. We
> will see how this Fund is to be collected by the voluntary
> contributions of friends, and how it is to be used in the
> 
> interests of the Cause and the community. If the Bahá’ís
> enrich the Funds of their Assemblies, the Assemblies will, in
> turn, be able to come to the aid of the Bahá’ís when they are
> in need of assistance.
> The education of Bahá’í children and youth is another
> responsibility of our Spiritual Assemblies. In the words of the
> beloved Guardian, “They must promote by every means in
> their power the material as well as the spiritual enlightenment
> of youth, the means for the education of children, institute,
> whenever possible, Bahá’í educational institutions, organize
> and supervise their work and provide the best means for their
> progress and development.”108
> Another important duty of the Spiritual Assemblies,
> according to the Guardian, is:
> “They must undertake the arrangement of the regular
> meetings of the friends, the feasts and the anniversaries, as
> well as the special gatherings designed to serve and
> promote the social, intellectual and spiritual interests of
> their fellow-men.”109
> What we have mentioned above are some of the important
> functions of every Local Spiritual Assembly. Members of the
> Spiritual Assembly must be very careful in faithfully
> discharging their duties. They must always remember these
> Words of Bahá’u’lláh:
> “It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among
> men … and to have regard for the interests of the servants of
> God, for His sake ….”110
> 
> Officers of the Spiritual Assembly
> The members of a Spiritual Assembly are those nine
> Bahá’ís who receive more votes than the other Bahá’ís in their
> community on election day. After their election, the members
> of an Assembly must gather and hold their first meeting. Out
> of the nine elected members, the person receiving the highest
> number of votes is the temporary chairman. It is his duty to
> make arrangements for the members to quickly hold their first
> meeting.
> They must begin their meetings with prayers to ask God to
> help them in promoting His Cause and to serve the
> community that has chosen them. After that, they must elect
> the officers of the Spiritual Assembly for that year.
> Every Spiritual Assembly must have a Chairman, a Vice-
> Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer. This is necessary as it
> makes the work of the Assembly much easier.
> The work of the Chairman is to conduct the meetings and
> help the Assembly to make decisions. If the members just
> gather to talk and disperse, then the Assembly will not
> accomplish anything. The Chairman asks for the views of all
> the members in every matter that comes up for discussion.
> Then he asks the members to vote on the subject to ensure
> that the Assembly makes a decision about the matters that it
> has considered. In the chapter on Consultation, we will read
> more about the decision making process.
> 
> The Vice-Chairman conducts the meetings of the
> Assembly whenever the Chairman is unable to attend, for
> example, in case of illness.
> The Secretary is the person who keeps a record of all the
> work of the Assembly—all that has to be done and a record of
> what has been accomplished. The Secretary writes all the
> letters that have to be sent to individuals, to other Local
> Assemblies, or to the National Spiritual Assembly. It is
> through its Secretary that every Local Assembly is in touch
> with the rest of the Bahá’í World.
> The Treasurer is in charge of the Assembly Fund. He gives
> receipts to all who contribute to the Fund and pays out from
> this amount the expenses undertaken by the Spiritual
> Assembly.
> When electing the officers of the Assembly, the members
> must consider the merits of each individual and determine
> which one is most capable of performing the duties assigned
> to these different officers. The same principles that had been
> used for the election of the members of the Assembly should
> now be applied in electing its officers. This election, therefore,
> is also to be carried out by secret ballot, and without any
> electioneering. No one should be elected because of his or her
> social standing. Let us assume that among the members of the
> Assembly there is an elderly and highly respected member of
> the community. Neither this respect nor his age are reasons
> for electing him as the Chairman of the Spiritual Assembly. A
> good reason would be if he is the most capable person of
> 
> undertaking this duty. The same is true of a person whose
> wealth may give him a social position.
> On the other hand, we must also remember that the
> officers of the Spiritual Assembly have no special position in
> the community. The Chairman, for instance, is not the leader
> of the community nor the most respected personality. His or
> her station outside a Spiritual Assembly meeting is the same as
> that of any other member of the community. When the
> meeting of the Assembly is over, he or she has no more rights
> in the community than any other Bahá’í.
> To make the point quite clear, let us think of the people of
> a village who need pure drinking water and decide to dig a
> well. The headman in that village, though highly respected,
> may have no knowledge of how to dig a well. However, there
> may be a young man, with no special position in the village,
> who has had considerable experience in this matter. Which of
> these two men would the villagers choose to execute the job?
> It is the young man who will be entrusted with the work, and
> the headman of the village may be the first one to choose him
> for this purpose. While working on the well, all the villagers—
> even the headman himself—will accept the guidance of the
> young man that they themselves have chosen to supervise the
> work. This does not mean, of course, that the young man is
> going to become the leader of the village in everything or that
> the headman is going to lose his position in the community.
> It is this spirit of co-operation that will benefit everybody in
> the village.
> 
> It is with this spirit of loving co-operation and harmony
> that the Bahá’ís elect their Spiritual Assembly and the
> Spiritual Assembly elects its officers.
> The beloved Guardian wrote that the members of a
> Spiritual Assembly “… should approach their task with
> extreme humility, and endeavour, by their open-mindedness,
> their high sense of justice and duty, their candour, their
> modesty, their entire devotion to the welfare and interests of
> the friends, the Cause, and humanity, to win, not only the
> confidence and the genuine support and respect of those
> whom they serve, but also their esteem and real affection.”111
> The Spiritual Assembly at work—Part I
> Let us suppose that the village of Rampur has elected its
> Local Spiritual Assembly, and Babulal has received more votes
> than the other eight members. What happens next? Babulal
> invites all the other members to gather at a special hour in one
> place to hold their first meeting. They decide to meet an hour
> after sunset on 22 April, the second day of the Feast of
> Ridván, in the village square. We will follow them there to see
> what they will do.
> Babulal arrives a little before the appointed time. He has
> brought his lamp with him in case their meeting should
> continue until after dark. The other members now start
> arriving from their work in the fields. They greet each other
> and go to the village well for a wash. After having cleaned and
> refreshed themselves, they gather on a platform in the village
> square. At exactly an hour after sunset, Babulal announces
> that the Assembly will start its work.
> 
> A few prayers are first said by two or three of the
> members—this gives their meeting a wonderful spiritual
> atmosphere. Then Babulal says that they must elect the
> Chairman of the Assembly. He cuts a sheet of paper into small
> pieces and, giving each member one piece, requests them to
> write down the name of the person whom they consider most
> suited among themselves to be Chairman of their Assembly.
> Five members of the Assembly cannot write; so Babulal
> asks one of the members to go to each of these in turn, and
> write down the name of the person they want to elect as
> Chairman. The nine pieces of paper are then collected and
> mixed together in such a way that no one can tell to whom
> each belongs. Then Babulal asks two other members to help
> him count the votes. While he himself reads them out one by
> one, the other two make a note of the names on the paper, and
> then count them to see which member has received more votes
> than all the others.
> Lal Chand has received five votes, Babulal three votes and
> Kamla one vote. Therefore, Lal Chand is elected as the
> Chairman of the Assembly. If no one had received more than
> four votes, then they would have to repeat this election
> because the officers of the Assembly must each receive at least
> five votes before being elected. The election is repeated until
> someone does get the required number of votes.
> Now that Lal Chand has been chosen as Chairman, it is his
> duty to supervise the election of the rest of the Assembly’s
> officers. After thanking Babulal for having done his part, Lal
> Chand now hands out pieces of paper on which all the
> 
> members must now vote for their Vice-Chairman. The same
> procedure that was followed for the election of the Chairman
> is now repeated in electing all the other officers of the
> Assembly.
> The result of the election is that: Mrs Shanta Devi is
> elected as Vice-Chairman, Babulal as Secretary and Hasan-‘Alí
> as Treasurer of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Rampur.
> The Chairman then asks the Secretary to record the
> minutes, that is, make notes on what has been done during
> the first meeting of the Assembly.
> By this time it is quite late, and one of the members
> suggests that they adjourn the meeting and come together
> again the next day. All agree to this proposal, and it is decided
> to hold their next meeting on the morrow at the same time
> and at the same place. The meeting is closed with a prayer, as
> every Bahá’í gathering should be, and the members of the
> Assembly go to their homes.
> We shall read about their second meeting in the coming
> pages.
> Consultation
> Bahá’í Administration works through consultation.
> Consultation is applied to Bahá’í work in the Nineteen Day
> Feast, the Local Spiritual Assembly meetings, the Bahá’í
> Convention, the National Spiritual Assembly meetings, and
> in our Committee meetings and conferences. The Guardian
> tells us to remember two important virtues when we are
> 
> consulting in Bahá’í gatherings—truthfulness and
> frankness.112
> While we come together in a Bahá’í meeting, we must
> always feel that Bahá’u’lláh is with us in spirit. This creates a
> wonderful spiritual atmosphere that helps us in our
> consultations. If we feel the presence of Bahá’u’lláh in our
> meetings, then we will always try to be worthy servants of His
> Cause, whether we are serving on an Assembly, a Committee
> or a Nineteen Day Feast. We will make every effort to
> suppress selfish motives or unfair statements during
> consultations; no trace of insincerity will find its way into our
> discussions; and nothing but the truth will be spoken, for
> Bahá’u’lláh has said:
> “O HEEDLESS ONES!
> “Think not the secrets of hearts are hidden, nay, know ye of a
> certainty that in clear characters they are engraved and are
> openly manifest in the holy Presence.”113
> In Bahá’í consultation, everybody should express his views
> with absolute freedom. He should only think of the interests
> of the Cause, and forget his personal relationships with the
> other individuals present. For example, if a father and a son
> are both members of an Assembly, then at the time of
> consultation or of giving votes, the son should not consider it
> his duty to agree with his father. Bahá’ís are commanded to
> have the greatest respect for their parents. However, when
> they are taking part in a Bahá’í consultation, they must
> remember that they are responsible only to Bahá’u’lláh Who
> is present in their meeting and Whose Cause they are serving.
> 
> They should never let personal feelings interfere with the
> interests of the Faith. Therefore, if the son feels that his
> father’s views are wrong, it is his duty to say so. In addition,
> the father should not expect his son to do otherwise, because
> he knows that they have both come to the meeting to serve
> the Cause with absolute honesty. Neither is expected to please
> the other with their views.
> Let us beware lest petty personal grudges creep into our
> hearts at the time of consultation and influence our views. If,
> for instance, an acquaintance of mine has not assisted me
> when I asked him to do something for me, then I should take
> great care that this incident does not prejudice my views
> against some good suggestion that that person may have in the
> meeting. Here again, I must remember the presence of
> Bahá’u’lláh, and let nothing come in the way of service to His
> Cause. When Bahá’ís come together in a meeting, they should
> work as “fingers of one hand”114 and “drops of one ocean”.115
> We should never insist on our views, or try to impose our
> will on others. We have all seen how two small children
> sometimes quarrel, each one insisting that he is right and the
> other is wrong. They may continue to quarrel in this way for a
> long time without achieving anything. However, when their
> father comes, they lower their raised voices through love and
> respect for him, and soon their problem is solved in his
> presence. If we know that Bahá’u’lláh is with us at every
> meeting, then we will never act in a manner that is unworthy
> in His presence.
> 
> Although every Bahá’í is free to express his opinion in
> consultations, the decision that is arrived at depends on the
> wisdom of the majority of the members. Once a decision has
> been taken, every Bahá’í must respect it, even those who had
> different views themselves. Let us suppose that Shyam is a
> member of the Spiritual Assembly and suggests that the
> meeting for the Feast of the 12th day of Ridván be held on the
> morning of the 2 May. However, the majority of the members
> vote for the Bahá’ís to gather after sunset on 1 May. Now
> Shyam might have had very good reasons for his suggestion.
> However, once the Assembly has decided against it, Shyam
> must put aside his own view, accept the decision of the
> Assembly with all his heart, and try his best in helping to
> arrange for the meeting after sunset.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said:
> “In this day, assemblies of consultation are of the greatest
> importance and a vital necessity. Obedience unto them is
> essential and obligatory. The members thereof must take counsel
> together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord
> may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth
> with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his
> argument. Should anyone oppose, he must on no account feel
> hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way
> be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after
> the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion, a decision be
> carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid,
> differences of opinion should arise, a majority of voices must
> prevail.”116
> 
> The different views offered by the members of an Assembly
> are like the different ingredients of a delicious stew. When we
> want to make a good stew, we mix many different ingredients
> together and boil it until it is well cooked. It is delicious only
> when the ingredients are well blended, for each contributes to
> the taste of the stew. However, if we were to taste those
> ingredients separately, they would never taste so good.
> Similarly, every individual opinion offered by the Bahá’ís
> gathered in a meeting contributes something towards the
> ultimate decision that is taken. The decision itself is not one
> person’s opinion. It is not just the sum of the views of all the
> members. It is based on the collective wisdom of an Assembly.
> In the following Tablet, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá clearly shows the
> way Bahá’ís should consult together. Let us read it carefully
> and follow it in our meetings:
> “The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are
> purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else
> save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and
> lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering
> in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should
> they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from
> the unseen Kingdom of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them.
> “… The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst
> the members of the assembly. They must be wholly free from
> estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of
> God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the
> stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard,
> the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and
> 
> absolute unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed
> and that assembly be brought to naught. … They must, when
> coming together, turn their faces to the Kingdom on High and
> ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with
> the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to
> express their views. They must in every matter search out the
> truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness
> and persistence in one’s views will lead ultimately to discord
> and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The
> honoured members must with all freedom express their own
> thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle the
> thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set forth the
> truth, and should differences of opinion arise a majority of
> voices must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the
> majority. It is again not permitted that any one of the honoured
> members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting,
> any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not
> right, for such criticism would prevent any decision from being
> enforced. In short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony
> and with love and purity of motive, its result is light, and
> should the least trace of estrangement prevail the result shall be
> darkness upon darkness. … If this be so regarded, that assembly
> shall be of God, but otherwise it shall lead to coolness and
> alienation that proceed from the Evil One.”117
> “Discussions must all be confined to spiritual matters that
> pertain to the training of souls, the instruction of children, the
> relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in
> the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances
> of God and the exaltation of His Holy Word. Should they
> 
> endeavour to fulfil these conditions the Grace of the Holy Spirit
> shall be vouchsafed until them, and that assembly shall become
> the centre of the Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine
> confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day
> receive a new effusion of Spirit.”118
> The Spiritual Assembly at work, Part II
> The nine members of the Spiritual Assembly of Rampur
> met again on 23 April. The Chairman asked some of the
> members to say a few prayers. These were prayers by
> Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, some of them written
> especially for reading in meetings. After the opening prayers,
> the Chairman asked the Secretary to read the minutes of the
> previous meeting from the notes he had recorded. This is what
> the Secretary read:
> “The first meeting of the Spiritual Assembly of Rampur
> was held on the 22 April, an hour, after sunset. Opening
> prayers were read and Mr Babulal conducted the first part
> of the meeting. Election of the Chairman took place; Mr
> Lal Chand was elected Chairman, and therefore conducted
> the rest of the meeting. The election of the officers of the
> Assembly was continued, and the following members were
> elected:
> “Mrs Shanti Devi, Vice-Chairman; Mr Hasan-‘Alí,
> Treasurer and Mr Babulal, Secretary.
> “It was decided to hold the next meeting of the assembly
> on the 23 April. The meeting adjourned with a closing
> prayer, three hours after sunset.”
> 
> When the Secretary finished reading, the Chairman asked
> the other members if they approved the minutes of their last
> meeting. Everybody agreed that the minutes were correct, and
> Babulal noted down that the minutes of the last meeting had
> been read and approved.
> The Chairman then announced that as the main purpose
> of every Spiritual Assembly was to spread the Message of God,
> they would like to discuss this matter in their meeting.
> The Chairman invited each member to express his views on
> this subject. When they had all given their views, the
> Chairman summarized them as follows:
> 1. We ourselves need to know more about the Cause.
> 2. We need literature.
> 3. We need a fund.
> 4. We have to start our teaching activities in the
> neighbouring villages.
> Then they looked at these subjects one by one. One of the
> members suggested that they tell the community about this
> important undertaking to see if anybody could participate in
> the teaching campaign that they were going to start. One
> member suggested that to know more about the Cause they
> would need to have weekly meetings to study the Cause. They
> could use their Saturday meetings for this purpose. He
> suggested that they ask Sunil, who was the teacher in the
> Bahá’í School of the neighbouring village, to conduct the
> classes.
> 
> The Chairman asked who seconded this proposal. Ameeta
> seconded it. After a little discussion, the Chairman put the
> suggestion to a vote. He asked those who approved of the
> suggestion, to call Sunil from the village of Gandhinagar to
> conduct their Saturday classes, to raise their hands.
> Seven members raised their hands. The other two
> members, Amrik and Lal Chand, who thought that Sunil
> would not be able travel such a long distance, did not agree
> with the proposal and did not raise their hands.
> The Chairman announced that the suggestion was carried
> and asked the Secretary to record the decision in the minutes.
> Then the Chairman announced that Sunil, the teacher, has
> to travel by bus to reach their village and he must leave his
> part-time job that he was doing in the evening in his village.
> Therefore, a Fund had to be raised to help Sunil to reach
> Rampur to conduct the classes. The Chairman asked the
> others what they thought about this idea. Amrik said, “We,
> the members of the Assembly, must set an example of
> devotion to our Faith for the rest of community. I promise to
> pay one day’s wages to the Fund every month. I will be glad
> to offer it to the Assembly.” This made all the members very
> happy and they congratulated Amrik for his generous
> donation to the community. They were particularly happy
> that, though Amrik originally did not vote for the suggestion,
> now that it had been passed by the Local Spiritual Assembly,
> he lent his support to it. When an Assembly passes a
> resolution, whether we agree with it or not, we must accept
> and respect the vote of the majority. The other members of
> 
> the Local Spiritual Assembly also contributed some money.
> Their names and the amounts promised by them were noted
> by the Secretary. The Treasurer also made a note of these
> contributions and announced that 200 rupees (Rs) per month
> were promised by the members of the Assembly for the Fund.
> It was decided to announce this decision to the community
> at the Nineteen Day Feast, to be held on 28 April (Feast of
> Beauty), and to ask the friends for their support of this
> activity.
> The Chairman then reverted to the question of literature
> required for their teaching activities. After discussion, the
> Assembly decided to ask the National Spiritual Assembly for
> their assistance.
> After these arrangements were made the Chairman
> announced that the question they must next discuss was how
> to start spreading the Faith in the neighbouring villages.
> Babulal proposed that every Sunday groups of Bahá’ís
> should visit the villages around Rampur. Others also agreed
> with this suggestion. Another member added that Sunday
> would be the most suitable day because on Saturday they
> would have their study class and then Sunil could also
> accompany them in their teaching tours on Sunday.
> Babulal, the Secretary, noted these ideas.
> The Chairman asked if there were any more suggestions on
> the subject.
> Hasan-‘Alí said that it was a good idea to hold large public
> meetings on special Holy Days and anniversaries, and to invite
> 
> non-Bahá’í friends and relatives from nearby places to these
> meetings.
> This suggestion was seconded, put to the vote, and
> approved by the Assembly.
> A number of decisions were made: to present the
> Assembly’s plans to the community at the next Nineteen Day
> Feast; to ask the Bahá’ís of Rampur to help with the Assembly
> Fund; to ask for volunteers for teaching activities to
> neighbouring villages.
> Lastly, they decided that the next meeting of the Assembly
> would take place on 29 April—one day after the Nineteen
> Day Feast, so that the suggestions made by the community
> during the Feast could be discussed by the Assembly.
> After a closing prayer, the members of the Assembly went
> home with joyful hearts thanking God for having assisted
> them in arriving at such vital decisions for the good of the
> community
> What took place in this meeting is an example of how a
> Spiritual Assembly should conduct its work, how it should
> enter into discussions, and how it should arrive at useful
> decisions. The problems that occur in different communities
> may not be the same, and even their needs may not be alike.
> Every Assembly should carefully consider its duties and decide
> to consult on its tasks according to their importance in each
> community.
> 
> The Spiritual Assembly at work, Part III
> The Nineteen Day Feast
> It is the Feast of Beauty (Jamál) and the Bahá’ís of Rampur
> have gathered for their Nineteen Day Feast. The Chairman of
> the Assembly conducts all the meetings of the Nineteen Day
> Feasts unless he is unable to attend, in which case the Vice-
> Chairman takes his place. The first part of the Feast is always
> given to prayers and readings from the Writings of the Báb,
> Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. These can be read by any of
> the Bahá’ís present in the gathering at the request of the
> Chairman, while all listen to the Words with great care and
> attention. The number of prayers and readings must not be so
> many as to make everybody tired.
> When the Bahá’ís of Rampur finished the first part of the
> programme, the Chairman of their Spiritual Assembly, Lal
> Chand, asked the Secretary, Babulal, to read the report of the
> Assembly. Babulal told the community the names of the
> elected officers of the Assembly and the Assembly’s decision to
> start a teaching campaign for spreading the Message of God in
> the neighbouring area. He also told the community of the
> assistance needed in the teaching work and the funds that
> were required to invite a teacher and hold conferences.
> After the report of the Secretary, the Chairman asked the
> members of the community for their suggestions on these
> matters and how they were able to help. Each of the Bahá’ís
> promised to help in one way or another. One said that he
> could supply a pound of wheat at each conference. Another
> said he would pay the one-way fare of the teacher once in a
> 
> month, while a third promised to dedicate one full day each
> week to teaching activities. Besides these promises of cooperation, the Bahá’ís of Rampur drew the attention of their
> Assembly to some very important facts that they had not
> considered. For example, besides the weekly study classes and
> teaching tours, they might also make preparations to give the
> Message at country fairs that were being held from time to
> time. Those who were going to these fairs should also take
> Bahá’í literature with them for distribution. Many valuable
> suggestions were also given on methods to economize on the
> use of the funds, etc. The Secretary noted all the suggestions
> made at the Nineteen Day Feast so that the Spiritual
> Assembly might consider them at its next session.
> The Chairman promised that the Spiritual Assembly
> would carefully consider all the Feast suggestions and
> communicate the results of its decisions to the community at
> the next Nineteen Day Feast.
> The third part of the programme of the Nineteen Day
> Feast is the entertainment period. Four of the Bahá’í families
> in Rampur shared the task of providing some puffed rice to be
> served to everyone. A group of young people sang some
> beautiful songs and many of the others joined them in the
> chorus. A Bahá’í girl recited a lovely poem that she had
> memorized at school.
> The spirit of unity and happiness with which the Bahá’ís
> of Rampur held their Nineteen Day Feast brought spiritual
> blessings that were felt by all. They left the meeting after a
> 
> closing prayer, and took their happiness with them into their
> homes.
> Some points on the Nineteen Day Feast
> One of the duties of every Assembly is to see that the
> Bahá’í friends of every town or village in its locality observe
> the Nineteen Day Feasts. The holding of regular community
> Feasts is very important as it “… was inaugurated by the Báb
> and ratified by Bahá’u’lláh ….”119
> Question: What is the purpose of a Nineteen Day Feast?
> Answer: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says that in the Nineteen Day Feast
> “… people may gather together and outwardly show
> fellowship and love, that the divine mysteries may be disclosed.
> The object is concord, that through this fellowship hearts may
> become perfectly united, and reciprocity and mutual
> helpfulness be established.”120
> Question: What should we do at the Nineteen Day Feast?
> Answer: This feast is a part of the Bahá’í Administration and
> as the beloved Guardian has explained, the programme of
> the Nineteen Day Feast consists of three parts. The first
> part is a devotional programme. Prayers and readings
> from the Holy Writings may be offered by a few friends
> at the beginning of the Feast. The second part is
> administrative. The Spiritual Assembly through its
> Secretary gives reports of its activities and asks the Bahá’í
> friends of the locality to give their suggestions and
> pledges for the promotion of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
> The period of consultation is the time for the believers to
> 
> voice proposals to be sent through the Local Spiritual
> Assembly to the National Spiritual Assembly. The third
> part is entertainment. Songs may be sung by the friends,
> stories may be told, etc. Refreshments, no matter how
> simple, are served.
> Question: Who invites people to the Feast?
> Answer: Where there is an Assembly, the Secretary invites the
> Bahá’ís according to the dates given in the Bahá’í
> calendar to a particular place at a specific time. In a
> locality where there is no Assembly, the Bahá’ís may form
> a group and elect a person from among themselves as the
> Secretary of the Group. This Secretary will remind the
> Bahá’í community about the Nineteen Day Feasts.
> Question: Who conducts the Nineteen Day Feast?
> Answer: Chairman of the Assembly conducts the Nineteen
> Day Feast. He will ask individuals to chant prayers at the
> beginning and later request friends to consult with the
> Assembly during the second part.
> Question: Who plays host to the Feast?
> Answer: Individual Bahá’ís usually play host at the Feast, each
> taking a turn. Sometimes the Assembly observes the
> Nineteen Day Feast by using its own funds. It is also
> possible that a few Bahá’ís may combine to be the host of
> a Feast. It is preferable that the physical feast should
> consist of some simple food or snacks. However, this is
> not necessary as Bahá’u’lláh says that even by serving
> plain water we can be the host of the Nineteen Day
> 
> Feast. The most important aspects of the Nineteen Day
> Feast are the spiritual development of the Bahá’ís and the
> unity and harmony among them. It should also serve to
> assist the progress of the Cause in the locality through
> consultation and collaboration with the Spiritual
> Assembly.
> We quote below from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to
> show the spirit of every Bahá’í meeting:
> “In these meetings outside conversation must be entirely
> avoided, and the gathering must be confined to chanting the
> verses and reading the Words, and to matters which concern the
> Cause of God, such as explaining proofs, adducing clear and
> manifest evidences, and tracing the signs of the Beloved One of
> the creatures. Those who attend the meeting must, before
> entering, be arrayed with the utmost cleanliness and turn to the
> Abhá Kingdom, and then enter the meeting with all meekness
> and humbleness; and while the Tablets are being read, must be
> quiet and silent; and if one wishes to speak he must do so with
> all courtesy, with the satisfaction and permission of those
> present, and do it with eloquence and fluency.”121
> The dates of holding the Feasts are as follows:
> First Day          Arabic Name Translation
> 
> 21 March           Bahá             Splendour
> 
> 9 April            Jalál            Glory
> 
> 28 April           Jamál            Beauty
> 
> 17 May            ‘Azamat        Grandeur
> 
> 5 June            Núr            Light
> 
> 24 June           Rahmat         Mercy
> 
> 13 July           Kalimát        Words
> 
> 1 August          Kamál          Perfection
> 
> 20 August         Asmá’          Names
> 
> 8 September       ‘Izzat         Might
> 
> 27 September      Mashíyyat      Will
> 
> 16 October        ‘Ilm           Knowledge
> 
> 4 November        Qudrat         Power
> 
> 23 November       Qawl           Speech
> 
> 12 December       Masá’il        Questions
> 
> 31 December       Sharaf         Honour
> 
> 19 January        Sultán         Sovereignty
> 
> 7 February        Mulk           Dominion
> 
> 2 March           ‘Alá’          Loftiness
> 
> The Spiritual Assembly of Rampur met on the day after
> the Nineteen Day Feast. The minutes of their previous
> meeting were first read and approved before they discussed
> 
> the suggestions given by the community at the last Feast.
> After careful consideration, they approved all the suggestions except one.
> The Assembly decided to invite all the Bahá’ís to a picnic
> on the last day of Ridván. They also decided to inform the
> friends which group they were placed in to visit the various
> neighbouring villages for teaching activities. Three of the
> members of the Assembly were chosen to form a committee to
> arrange a suitable programme for the meeting that was to take
> place on the last day of Ridván.
> Before closing the meeting of the Assembly, there was one
> other matter to discuss. Two of the members had requested
> assistance of the Assembly to help them solve a personal
> difficulty that had arisen between them and on which they
> had not been able to agree. The Assembly listened to what
> each side had to say, and then proposed a solution for their
> problem in a spirit of great love and wisdom.
> When the Secretary of the Assembly consulted his notes
> the next day, he wrote the following letter to the National
> Spiritual Assembly:
> 
> The Secretary,
> 
> National Spiritual Assembly,
> 
> New Delhi.
> 
> Dear Bahá’í Friends,
> 
> We are glad to inform you that by the grace of Bahá’u’lláh
> we have formed our Spiritual Assembly in Rampur. We have
> already returned the forms that you asked us to fill out after
> the election, giving the names and addresses of the members
> and officers of the Assembly.
> We have requested Mr Sunil, the Bahá’í teacher of
> Gandhinagar, to come every Saturday to our village to
> conduct weekly study meetings.
> We have decided that on every Sunday a number of the
> friends would go to the neighbouring villages to teach the
> Cause in new areas.
> We have raised a special Fund to which the friends have so
> far contributed Rs 145, with promises of contributions of the
> same amount every month. This amount will be spent on
> teaching activities under the supervision of this Assembly.
> As we lack a sufficient quantity of literature, we request the
> National Assembly’s help in sending this Assembly a large
> number of pamphlets and declaration cards.
> We hope to be able to write to you soon of the good news
> of the progress of the Cause in our next letter.
> May Bahá’u’lláh assist us in His service!
> Yours sincerely,
> 
> BABULAL
> 
> Secretary
> 
> National Spiritual Assembly
> All the Local Spiritual Assemblies in our country are linked
> through a National Spiritual Assembly.
> The National Spiritual Assembly is a body that is elected
> by the Bahá’ís of the country through a National Convention.
> Delegates are sent to this Convention from all parts of that
> country. The basic rules of Bahá’í elections, which have been
> mentioned before, apply to the election of the National
> Spiritual Assembly too. Bahá’í elections are a sacred duty that
> takes on a spiritual character; no prior nominations nor
> propaganda are ever used.
> The purpose of a National Spiritual Assembly is to guide,
> co-ordinate and unite the work that is done by the Bahá’ís
> throughout the country and to encourage them in their
> activities. Bahá’í communities lend their co-operation to the
> National Spiritual Assembly through their Local Spiritual
> Assemblies. The National Spiritual Assembly maintains
> contact with the Bahá’ís of the country through letters and
> circulars. It provides them with news about the activities of
> other Bahá’ís and the progress of the Faith throughout the
> world. The National Spiritual Assembly also asks the Bahá’ís
> for their suggestions, invites them to consultations, and
> expects their co-operation in implementing the Assembly’s
> decisions.
> The circulars of the National Spiritual Assembly are read
> by the Secretaries of the Local Spiritual Assemblies at the
> Nineteen Day Feasts. If they call for consultation, then every
> individual Bahá’í is welcome to give his views or promise of
> 
> co-operation. The result of these consultations at the
> Nineteen Day Feasts will be sent to the National Spiritual
> Assembly by the Local Spiritual Assembly of each locality.
> The National Spiritual Assembly will then go through all
> these suggestions and decide what action should be taken after
> careful deliberation.
> If a locality has fewer than nine adult Bahá’ís,122 then the
> National Spiritual Assembly writes to the person who has
> been chosen by the group to act as Secretary. When there is
> only one Bahá’í in a locality, then the National Spiritual
> Assembly corresponds with him directly.
> As the National Spiritual Assembly has many duties, it
> appoints committees to help it with their work. The members
> who are to serve on these committees are chosen by the
> National Spiritual Assembly itself, and a special task is given
> to each committee. If, for example, the National Spiritual
> Assembly of India decides to build a House of Worship in the
> country, it will appoint a special committee to see to all the
> details of the work and give suggestions for the construction of
> the Temple. The National Spiritual Assembly is free to accept
> the suggestions of the committee; to modify or even to reject
> them. Local Spiritual Assemblies can also appoint committees
> in the same way to assist them where they feel it is necessary.
> The committees that are appointed by the National Spiritual
> Assembly or by Local Spiritual Assemblies are directly
> responsible to the Assembly for which they are working. The
> Local Spiritual Assemblies are responsible to the National
> Spiritual Assembly, and the National Spiritual Assembly is
> the highest authority for the Bahá’ís in every country.
> 
> The National Spiritual Assembly, like the Local Spiritual
> Assembly, elects a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Treasurer
> and a Secretary. The duties of the officers in the National
> Spiritual Assembly are the same as those of the officers of a
> Local Spiritual Assembly but at a national level.
> National Convention
> The members of a National Spiritual Assembly are elected
> each year by delegates chosen to represent regional areas. This
> means that each Bahá’í community or electoral unit elects a
> certain number of delegates from its own members. These
> delegates meet annually at a National Convention where they
> elect the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.
> The number of delegates that are elected in each locality
> depends upon the number of Bahá’ís in that region. The
> National Spiritual Assembly of every country designates the
> extent of each region and the number of delegates to represent
> each region.
> The delegates to the Convention will travel from all parts
> of the country to gather at one place, sometime during the 12
> days of Ridván (21 April to 2 May). The preferred meeting
> place will be at the National Spiritual Assembly’s office. The
> main purpose of the Convention is to elect the members of the
> National Spiritual Assembly for that year. Another important
> task for the delegates is to consult with the new National
> Spiritual Assembly and with each other about the progress of
> the Cause in the country.
> 
> After the Convention is opened with a few prayers, the
> members elect a Chairman for their meetings. The duty of the
> Chairman, here too, is to see that the consultations are carried
> out in an orderly manner and with the Bahá’í spirit. The
> members of the Convention then elect a Secretary to record
> the suggestions that they wish to offer to the National
> Spiritual Assembly.
> Here are a few important points that we must know about
> the Convention:
> 1. Delegates to the Convention must elect the members of
> the National Spiritual Assembly from among the Bahá’ís of
> the whole country. The selection of members is not
> limited to the Convention delegates. They can choose any
> nine adult (21 years and older) members of the Bahá’í
> community of the country.
> 2. Those who are elected as delegates to the Convention have
> neither duties nor privileges other than their participation
> in the Convention and the election of the new National
> Spiritual Assembly. The duties of the delegates end when
> the Convention is over, unless a vacancy arises on the
> National Spiritual Assembly during the year. In that case,
> the delegates are called upon to vote in a by-election.
> Hence, a Convention is not a permanent body, and there
> can be no permanent members after the Convention has
> ended.
> 3. The Convention is a consultative body. Its
> recommendations are passed on to the National Spiritual
> 
> Assembly and the Assembly is free to accept or reject those
> recommendations.
> 4. The Convention has no supremacy over the National
> Spiritual Assembly. The National Spiritual Assembly is
> the highest authority in each country and has control over
> all Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual Bahá’ís in the
> country.
> The Universal House of Justice
> One of the unique institutions of the Bahá’í Faith is the
> Universal House of Justice whose members are elected from
> amongst the Bahá’ís of the whole world through their
> National Spiritual Assemblies. Bahá’u’lláh has assured us that
> He will continue to guide the Bahá’ís through the Universal
> House of Justice as long as the Bahá’í Dispensation lasts.
> Bahá’u’lláh has given us the fundamental laws and
> teachings of God for this age. However, He has said that we
> shall also need other social rules that will be gradually decided
> for us according to our changing needs. These social rules and
> regulations, Bahá’u’lláh says, must be ordained by the
> Universal House of Justice that will always be under the
> unerring guidance of God.
> About the Universal House of Justice, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “… if it be established under the necessary conditions—with
> members elected from all the people—that House of Justice will
> be under the protection and the unerring guidance of God. If
> that House of Justice shall decide unanimously, or by a
> 
> majority, upon any question not mentioned in the Book, that
> decision and command will be guarded from mistake.”123
> It is, therefore, obvious that the Universal House of Justice
> will be inspired in all its decisions, and that whatever rules it
> may ordain, will be perfect for the requirements of the times.
> However, we must not think that the House of Justice will
> ever change those fundamental principles that have been given
> us by Bahá’u’lláh. What it will do is to set the rules by which
> we must carry out the laws of Bahá’u’lláh. For instance, one of
> the principles of the Bahá’í Faith is that there should be no
> extremes of wealth or poverty in the world. However,
> Bahá’u’lláh has not told us how much tax people should pay.
> It is left to the Universal House of Justice to work out a
> method of taxation that will enable everyone to live a
> comfortable life, and at the same time prevent anyone from
> accumulating excessive wealth.
> Another example is that Bahá’u’lláh has commanded us to
> have a universal language in the world, but he has not
> mentioned which language it should be. This again has been
> left to the Universal House of Justice to decide.
> In this connection Bahá’u’lláh writes:
> “In former Epistles We have enjoined upon the Trustees of the
> House of Justice either to choose one language from among those
> now existing or to adopt a new one, and in like manner to
> select a common script, both of which should be taught in all
> the schools of the world.”124
> 
> Although the Universal House of Justice cannot change
> anything that has been revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, or alter any of
> the interpretations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, it can
> change its own decisions if circumstances require it. Suppose
> the Universal House of Justice, at one time, chooses a set of tax
> rates. That decision is no doubt perfect for that time, but fifty
> years later it may no longer suit the requirements of the time.
> The Universal House of Justice, therefore, is free to change
> their previous decision.
> In His Will and Testament ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes:
> “Unto the Most Holy Book everyone 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.”125
> The labours of our beloved Guardian, during the thirty–six
> years of his ministry, paved the way for the establishment of
> the Universal House of Justice. The Guardian mentioned that
> the Universal House of Justice was like the dome of a building
> that needed strong pillars to support it. Those pillars, he said,
> were the National Spiritual Assemblies of the world. And it
> was through the ceaseless efforts of our Guardian that these
> pillars were erected one by one in all parts of the earth. Under
> the divine guidance of the Guardian, Bahá’ís learned to work
> together in groups and Local Assemblies, and later, in each
> country, through their National Spiritual Assembly. Then he
> 
> gave them the Ten Year Plan that taught the National
> Spiritual Assemblies to work together on a world undertaking.
> The Plan also helped the Bahá’ís to establish the additional
> pillars of the Universal House of Justice. By the end of the
> Ten Year Plan in 1963, there were sufficient National
> Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world to establish the
> Universal House of Justice.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá foretold that the Universal House of Justice
> would be formed when the Bahá’í Faith had spread to all parts
> of the world. This occurred at the end of the Ten Year Plan—
> in April 1963.
> Some important points about the Bahá’í Administration
> 1. Obedience to the decisions of the Assembly.
> A Bahá’í Spiritual Assembly should be regarded by the
> Bahá’ís as a sacred institution because it is based on the
> Teachings of God. We must therefore obey all the
> decisions of the Assembly. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said that He
> Himself would obey the decisions of the Spiritual
> Assembly even if He knew that some of those decisions
> were wrong. Hence, by obeying the Assembly, we are
> obeying a Command of God.
> 2. What should we do if we felt that a decision made by our
> Local Spiritual Assembly is not correct?
> First, we must obey that decision because God has
> commanded us to do so. However, we can appeal to the
> National Spiritual Assembly to reconsider the decision of
> our Local Spiritual Assembly. By obeying our Local and
> 
> National Spiritual Assemblies, we strengthen the
> foundation of Bahá’í Administration. There could be no
> unity among us if we were each to obey only some of our
> Assembly’s decisions.
> 3. Can we disobey the decisions of an Assembly because we
> do not like some of its members?
> No. This is a very bad attitude. Our loyalty to the
> Spiritual Assembly is not dependent on our liking or
> disliking its members. It is the institution of Bahá’u’lláh to
> which we are loyal, no matter who the members of that
> Assembly may be. The unity of the community is
> safeguarded only if we lend our complete support to the
> institutions of the Cause regardless of their members.
> 4. Can we resign from the membership of a Spiritual
> Assembly?
> Not unless we have a very good reason, such as continuous
> bad health or having moved to some other town or village.
> When we are elected as members of an Assembly, we must
> remember that God has given us the privilege of serving
> our community. Our loyalty to the Teachings of
> Bahá’u’lláh and our love for Him should encourage us to
> accept any responsibility in the service of His Cause.
> 5. Can we consult the Spiritual Assembly about our personal
> problems?
> Yes, we can. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has encouraged the Bahá’ís to
> take their problems to the Spiritual Assembly and consult
> them about their difficulties. If, God forbid, there should
> 
> arise any differences between two Bahá’ís, they should ask
> the Spiritual Assembly to help them solve their problems,
> and should willingly accept the decisions of the Assembly.
> 6. Is the Spiritual Assembly responsible to the Bahá’ís who
> elect it?
> No. The Local Spiritual Assembly is responsible to God,
> and in administrative matters to the National Spiritual
> Assembly of the country. Every Assembly should make
> decisions based on what is good for the Cause. In problems
> that may arise between members of the community, the
> Assembly should be impartial and just in its decisions. It
> does not matter how the community may react towards its
> decisions, so long as the Assembly has been guided by
> justice.
> 7. Is the authority of any Bahá’í higher than the authority of
> a Spiritual Assembly?
> No. There is no individual leadership in the Cause. Being
> Chairman or Secretary of an Assembly does not give an
> individual any special rights. The Assembly members have
> no more rights than any other Bahá’í in the community
> once they leave the Assembly meeting, and like them, have
> to abide by all the decisions of the Assembly. There is
> absolute equality of rights in the Bahá’í Faith.
> Bahá’í temples
> The Bahá’í Faith is a universal religion. Therefore, the
> Bahá’í temple is a universal house of worship of God. When
> Bahá’ís build their temples, they dedicate them to the people
> 
> of the world. Everyone belonging to any religion, caste or
> creed is welcome in the Bahá’í temple. The sacred Writings of
> all religions are read in our temples. People gather in Bahá’í
> temples as members of one family under one roof to worship
> one Almighty God.
> The structure of the Bahá’í temples is a symbol of unity
> itself. They are nine-sided buildings. Each side has a door. All
> these doors open to a central hall under one beautiful dome.
> These nine doors and the nine-sided structures symbolize the
> nine major religions of the world. They express the basic unity
> of all religions. We see only beautiful doors on all sides when
> we are in the central hall looking around the interior. There is
> no front or back door in a Bahá’í temple. The doors open on
> all sides, and all receive light to and send light from the
> central hall where peoples of all races gather to worship God.
> This is a wonderful way to show in a building the equality
> and unity of religions.
> The Bahá’í temples are not merely houses of worship. They
> are institutions. Around these nine-sided temples will be nine
> humanitarian institutions (such as a school, orphanage,
> hospital, etc.) each connected to one side of the temple
> through beautiful roads and pathways. All these roads lead to
> the House of God. Is this not a beautiful arrangement? It
> certainly is and it is because ‘Abdu’l-Bahá revealed in His
> Tablets the plan for Bahá’í temples.
> At present, there are seven Houses of Worship in seven
> continents or regions of the world. They are to be found in:
> Wilmette, near Chicago in the United States of America;
> 
> Kampala, Uganda; Sydney, Australia; Frankfurt, Germany;
> New Delhi, India; Panama City, Panama; and Apia, Western
> Samoa. They are called the mother temples of each continent
> because in future numerous temples will be built in many
> countries of the world. The Bahá’ís in many countries have
> acquired lands to build their temples.126
> The Bahá’í Fund
> Suppose you were living in a village where there was a flood
> and someone’s house had been washed away, leaving him and
> his children homeless. If you learnt that a number of people
> were helping to build a shelter for this homeless family, what
> would you do? Would you say you were too poor to help, or
> would you come forward to help, no matter how little it
> might be, to make it possible for this family to have a roof over
> their heads in the rainy season? You might be able to offer a
> cartload of stones or a very small sum of money. Your
> contribution would be one of many other donations that,
> when combined, would make it possible to build a shelter for
> this family.
> The human race today can be likened to a homeless family
> caught in the tempest of war and hundreds of other
> calamities. The Bahá’í Faith is the refuge in which humanity
> can find peace and happiness. The Bahá’ís of the world are
> striving to build up this shelter for mankind. Would not every
> one of us come forward to help?
> We must establish the institutions of the Cause, build our
> Centres and Houses of Worship, translate the teachings of the
> Faith into all the languages of the world, and publish
> 
> pamphlets and books. To support these and many other
> undertakings, we need material resources and spiritual help.
> This is why every Local and National Spiritual Assembly has a
> special Fund to receive the contributions of the Bahá’ís.
> Each contribution must be made voluntarily; no one can
> oblige us to donate to the funds if we do not wish to do so.
> However, contributions to our funds are a spiritual obligation,
> and a test of our faith. No Bahá’í, knowing the importance of
> this Cause to humanity, can deprive himself of the privilege of
> helping to raise its institutions and bringing it to the
> attention of the suffering world.
> The amount we give to the Bahá’í Fund is not as
> important as the spirit in which we give our contribution.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked the believers of the world to contribute
> towards the cost of the Temple in the United States when the
> Bahá’ís there decided to build it. There was an English lady
> who was very poor but longed to give something for the
> Temple. All she had in the world that she could sell was her
> long, beautiful golden hair. Although it meant a great
> sacrifice, she cut her long hair and contributed the money
> obtained from selling it to the Fund. In this way she, too,
> could participate in building a glorious Temple.
> Our beloved Guardian said:
> “We must be like the fountain or spring that is continually
> emptying itself of all that it has and is continually being
> refilled from an invisible source. To be continually giving
> out for the good of our fellows undeterred by the fear of
> poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the Source
> 
> of all wealth and all good—this is the secret of right
> living.”127
> Every Spiritual Assembly must establish a Fund. Members
> of the community must contribute according to their capacity
> by their own free will. By our giving a part of what God has
> given us, we offer our thanksgiving to our benevolent God.
> Remember what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said:
> “O Friends of God! Be ye assured that in place of these
> contributions, your agriculture, your industry, and your
> commerce will be blessed by manifold increases, with goodly
> gifts and bestowals. He who cometh with one goodly deed will
> receive a tenfold reward. There is no doubt that the living Lord
> will abundantly confirm those who expend their wealth in His
> path.”128
> 
> Some of the laws and obligations
> Cleanliness
> Bahá’u’lláh says in the Book of Aqdas:
> “Be ye the very essence of cleanliness amongst mankind.”129
> “Hold ye fast unto refinement under all conditions ….”130
> “Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement with such tenacity as to
> allow no trace of dirt to be seen upon your garments.”131
> “Immerse yourselves in clean water; it is not permissible to
> bathe yourselves in water that hath already been used. …
> Truly, We desire to behold you as manifestations of paradise on
> earth, that there may be diffused from you such fragrance as
> shall rejoice the hearts of the favoured of God.”132
> This command of Bahá’u’lláh helps us to understand the
> importance of cleanliness. God wants us to be healthy and
> happy throughout our days. If we do not keep clean, our
> health will suffer. When we are not healthy, then we will not
> be as happy as we should be.
> Science has proved that most of the diseases in the world
> are caused by uncleanliness. If we eat food with dirty hands,
> then we endanger our health because many diseases enter our
> bodies that way. If we put dirty hands on our eyes, we will
> 
> have eye trouble. In many villages of the world today, people
> wash their clothes and dishes in water that is not very clean.
> Sometimes, even their drinking water is polluted, and the
> diseases and poisoning that it may cause can result in much
> unhappiness.
> Keeping ourselves, our clothes and our homes clean is very
> important for us as Bahá’ís, not only because we will be
> healthier and happier, but also because it is a command of
> Bahá’u’lláh.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said:
> “External cleanliness, although it is but a physical thing, hath a
> great influence upon spirituality. … The fact of having a pure
> and spotless body likewise exercises an influence upon the spirit
> of man.”133
> Prayer
> “If one friend feels love for another he will wish to say so.
> Though he knows that the friend is aware that he loves him, he
> will still wish to say so. … God knows the wishes of all hearts,
> but the impulse to pray is a natural one, springing from man’s
> love to God ….”134
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says that “prayer is conversation with God”.135
> At another time He says:
> “We should speak in the language of heaven—in the language
> of the spirit—for there is a language of the spirit and heart. It is
> as different from our language as our own language is different
> from that of the animals, who express themselves only by cries
> and sounds.
> 
> “It is the language of the spirit which speaks to God. When, in
> prayer, we are freed from all outward things and turn to God,
> then it is as if in our hearts we hear the voice of God. Without
> words we speak, we communicate, we converse with God and
> hear the answer …. All of us, when we attain to a truly
> spiritual condition, can hear the Voice of God.”136
> Prayer is the food of the soul. We cannot grow strong and
> healthy in spirit if we do not pray. Therefore prayer is
> compulsory in our religion. Bahá’u’lláh, in His Most Holy
> Book (the Aqdas), writes:
> “Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. Whoso
> faileth to recite them hath not been faithful to the Covenant of
> God and His Testament, and whoso turneth away from these
> holy verses in this Day is of those who throughout eternity have
> turned away from God. Fear ye God, O My servants, one and
> all. Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses or on a
> multitude of pious acts by night and day; for were a man to
> read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for
> him than to read with lassitude all the Holy Books of God, the
> Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Read ye the sacred verses in
> such measure that ye be not overcome by languor and
> despondency. Lay not upon your souls that which will weary
> them and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten and
> uplift them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine
> verses towards the Dawning-place of His manifest signs; this
> will draw you nearer to God, did ye but comprehend.”137
> From these sacred Words of Bahá’u’lláh we understand
> that Bahá’í prayers, though compulsory, must not be treated
> 
> as a ritual or ceremony. You will find many people who think
> that by the mere recitation of some words, which they usually
> do not understand, they are performing a meritorious deed.
> Some people believe that if they recite a whole book of Sacred
> Writings in one day, then they will find favour in the sight of
> God and be rewarded in some manner.
> Thousands of people spend hours reading their sacred
> Books in Sanskrit, Latin or Arabic when they do not
> understand a word of these languages. They do this because
> they suppose that the mere recitation of sacred Words will
> bring them salvation, when in reality they are blindly
> imitating what their fathers did before them. Lip service
> worship is not permitted in the Bahá’í Faith.
> There are hundreds of beautiful prayers revealed by the
> Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Bahá’ís are encouraged to
> read them whenever they wish to pray. Bahá’í meetings
> usually open and close with prayers. One person reads or
> chants from the Holy Writings at a meeting while the rest
> listen and meditate upon the words. The prayers are very
> inspiring and we can experience great joy and spiritual
> upliftment when Bahá’í prayers are being recited. These
> prayers are not obligatory and it is left to every individual to
> recite them whenever he likes. However, Bahá’ís also have
> compulsory prayers. Bahá’u’lláh has revealed three such
> prayers. We are free to select any one of these three prayers,
> but we must use one of them every day. Of these prayers,
> there is one that must be said once every 24 hours. It is called
> the long Obligatory Prayer. Then there is the medium
> Obligatory Prayer that must be said three times, a day—in
> 
> the morning, at mid-day and in the evening. The third is the
> short Obligatory Prayer, to be said once every day at noon.
> You can find all these prayers printed in Bahá’í prayer
> books. The short compulsory prayer can be found in the first
> chapter of this book under the subject “Purpose of Our Lives”
> (on page 8). If you decide to say this prayer every noon, it is
> best to memorize it. However, whichever prayer you choose to
> say, you must remember that the spirit with which we offer
> our prayers is of the greatest importance. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “In the highest prayer, men pray only for the love of God, not
> because they fear Him or hell, or hope for bounty or heaven ….
> When a man falls in love with a human being, it is impossible
> for him to keep from mentioning the name of his beloved. How
> much more difficult is it to keep from mentioning the Name of
> God when one has come to love Him …. The spiritual man
> finds no delight in anything save in commemoration of
> God.”138
> Fasting
> In the Bahá’í Calendar there are four and sometimes five
> days between the 18th and 19th months of the year that are
> called the “Days of Há” or the Intercalary Days. During these
> days Bahá’ís entertain their friends and relatives, or feed the
> poor amongst them. With the beginning of the 19th month,
> the month of Loftiness (‘Alá), the period of our fasting begins.
> Throughout the nineteen days of fasting, we do not eat nor
> drink anything from sunrise to sunset. We get up at dawn to
> pray to God and thank Him for all His favours and blessings.
> 
> Then we eat our food before sunrise and have nothing more
> during the day until after sunset. We break our fast at sunset
> after offering our prayers. These 19 days of fasting bring us
> closer to God than at other times. When we keep the Fast, we
> are showing in a symbolic way our love for God and our
> faithfulness in carrying out His commandments.
> This is what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says about fasting:
> “Fasting is a symbol. Fasting signifies abstinence from lust.
> Physical fasting is a symbol of that abstinence, and is a
> reminder; that is, just as a person abstains from physical
> appetites, he is to abstain from self-appetites and self-desires.
> But mere abstention from food has no effect on the spirit. It is
> only a symbol, a reminder. Otherwise it is of no importance.
> Fasting for this purpose does not mean entire abstinence from
> food. The golden rule as to food is, do not take too much or too
> little. Moderation is necessary. There is a sect in India who
> practise extreme abstinence, and gradually reduce their food
> until they exist on almost nothing. But their intelligence suffers.
> A man is not fit to do service for God with brain or body if he is
> weakened by lack of food. He cannot see clearly.”139
> Before sunrise we prepare ourselves for prayers and
> meditation. There are beautiful prayers revealed by
> Bahá’u’lláh especially for this period. Shortly before sunrise
> we finish our breakfast. We will not eat or drink from sunrise
> to sunset. During the period of fasting we, more than ever
> before, feel our love for Bahá’u’lláh and always remember that
> it is for His love that we observe the Fast. After sunset we
> break our fast. We also offer prayers before or after breaking
> 
> the fast. Though there are a number of prayers especially
> revealed by Bahá’u’lláh for the fast, we are allowed to offer any
> one of the revealed prayers from the Bahá’í Holy Books.
> However, for the convenience of our dear readers, we mention
> below one of the prayers that may be said during the fasting
> period:
> “Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this
> Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light,
> through which the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the
> Written Tablet revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered, to
> send down upon me and upon them who are in my company
> that which will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy
> transcendent glory, and will wash us from the stain of such
> doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering into the
> tabernacle of Thy unity.
> “I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy
> loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and
> favours. Do Thou ordain for me and for my loved ones the good
> of this world and of the world to come. Supply them, then, with
> the Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain for the choicest among Thy
> creatures.
> “These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden
> Thy servants to observe the fast. Blessed is he that observeth the
> fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all
> things except Thee. Assist me and assist them, O my Lord, to
> obey Thee and to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to
> do what Thou choosest.
> 
> “There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All
> praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.”140
> The period of fasting continues to the last day of the Bahá’í
> year. New Year’s day, which falls on 21 March, marks the end
> of the fast. Bahá’ís celebrate this day as the Feast of Naw-Rúz.
> Work is worship
> One of the laws of Bahá’u’lláh is that everybody should
> work. It is a sin to beg or to be idle in life and therefore it is
> forbidden in the Bahá’í Faith. Work is compulsory for
> everybody in this Cause, and when it is done in the spirit of
> service to the people of the world, it becomes a form of
> worship for the Bahá’ís.
> Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some
> occupation - such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted
> your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one
> true God. Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of your
> Lord, and yield Him thanks at eventide and dawn.”141
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá further explains:
> “In the Bahá’í Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are (counted
> as) worship. The man who makes a piece of notepaper to the
> best of his ability, conscientiously, concentrating all his forces on
> perfecting it, is giving praise to God. Briefly, all effort and
> exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is
> worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to
> do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and
> to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer.”142
> 
> Work is worship! Service is prayer! This is a wonderful law.
> When we want to worship God, we must worship Him
> with happiness and sincerity. Bahá’ís believe that the farmer
> who is tilling his land for the benefit of himself and others is
> worshipping God. The carpenter who is making a door for
> somebody’s house, or the tailor who is stitching a garment
> with all his skill in making it beautiful for someone to enjoy,
> is giving praise to God.
> So we see that, with the blessing of Bahá’u’lláh, every field
> can become a temple of God, every workshop a house of
> worship. Therefore, work for a Bahá’í, no matter how difficult
> or unpleasant it may be, becomes a pleasant occupation
> because it is a means of worshipping God. Hence a Bahá’í will
> carry out his work with the same happiness, sincerity and
> honesty as he performs his prayers.
> An ascetic who lives in a cave or in the heart of a jungle is
> prepared to perform many types of penance because he feels
> that in doing so he is worshipping God. Bahá’u’lláh has said
> that the age of asceticism and monkhood has ended. He has,
> instead, elevated every type of useful work to the level of
> worshipping God. When we consider it to be a prayer, work
> can no more be tiresome for us and it will be done with
> devotion.
> Renunciation of the world and living a solitary life is not
> considered meritorious in our Faith. That is why Bahá’ís have
> no monks nor ascetics among them. Bahá’u’lláh says:
> 
> “O people of the earth! Living in seclusion or practising
> asceticism is not acceptable in the presence of God. It behoveth
> them that are endued with insight and understanding to
> observe that which will cause joy and radiance. Such practices
> as are sprung from the loins of idle fancy or are begotten of the
> womb of superstition ill beseem men of knowledge. In former
> times and more recently some people have been taking up their
> abodes in the caves of the mountains while others have repaired
> to graveyards at night. Say, give ear unto the counsels of this
> Wronged One. Abandon the things current amongst you and
> adopt that which the faithful Counsellor biddeth you. Deprive
> not yourselves of the bounties which have been created for your
> sake.”143
> Let us worship God in our fields and our workshops. Let us
> praise Him by continuous and conscientious work. Let us
> offer sincere prayers to our creator through our service to
> mankind. Let us remember this law of God for this age:
> “Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves
> with that which profiteth yourselves and others. Thus hath it
> been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon the day-star of
> wisdom and utterance shineth resplendent.
> “The most despised of men in the sight of God are those who sit
> idly and beg. Hold ye fast unto the cord of material means,
> placing your whole trust in God, the Provider of all means.
> When anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such
> occupation itself is regarded in the estimation of God as an act
> of worship; and this is naught but a token of His infinite and
> all-pervasive bounty.”144
> 
> Teaching the Cause of God
> If anyone asks us what are the duties of a Bahá’í, we can say
> that a Bahá’í should:
> 1. study the Cause
> 2. practise its Teachings
> 3. spread its Message
> Bahá’u’lláh says, “God hath made it incumbent upon every
> soul to deliver His Cause according to his ability.”145
> Why is it necessary for us to teach the Cause of God?
> When a person suffers from a terrible disease and then
> finds a medicine that cures him and brings immediate relief
> from all his pain and suffering, he will certainly treasure that
> medicine with great care. Hence, if he sees a friend of his
> suffering from the same disease, what will he do with the
> medicine? Will he selfishly keep it for himself and allow his
> friend to suffer? Of course not! He will gladly give the
> medicine to his friend and assure him that it will bring
> immediate relief from his sickness because he has already
> tested it himself.
> Bahá’u’lláh is the All-Knowing Physician, and He has
> brought a wonderful Medicine that can cure us of all our
> ailments. The disease of hatred, superstition, despair and
> disunity is destroying the people of the world. How can a
> Bahá’í who has himself been cured of these ailments and
> knows the remedy, be indifferent towards the suffering of
> others? Surely he must try to share what he himself has
> 
> received from the teachings of God with his ailing brethren
> whom he finds in every land.
> In the Bahá’í Faith, we have no special people whose job is
> to preach and spread the Message of God. The responsibility
> of guiding people to the Cause, therefore, is placed on the
> shoulders of every individual believer.
> What is our interest in giving the Message of God to
> others? We are not trying to gather an army. We do not hope
> for any material gain in giving the Message. We only teach the
> Cause of God because we feel love towards others and we want
> them to receive the great bounty that God has bestowed upon
> us in this age. We should never try to impose our ideas upon
> other people, nor should we argue with them. If they refuse to
> accept what we offer them, we will still love them. We never
> tell people that they are wrong and we are right. We just
> present the Message that God has sent us through
> Bahá’u’lláh. It is left to them to accept it. Our love for others
> is not dependent on their becoming Bahá’ís. This is what
> Bahá’u’lláh orders us to do:
> “Defile not your tongues with the cursing and reviling of any
> soul, and guard your eyes against that which is not seemly. Set
> forth that which ye possess. If it be favourably received, your end
> is attained; if not, to protest is vain. Leave that soul to himself
> and turn unto the Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Be
> not the cause of grief, much less of discord and strife. The hope
> is cherished that ye may obtain true education in the shelter of
> the tree of His tender mercies and act in accordance with that
> 
> which God desireth. Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the
> drops of one ocean.”146
> Bahá’u’lláh expects us to teach ourselves before teaching
> others. This means that we should do our best to learn His
> teachings and to practice them in our lives before we expect
> others to follow these teachings. In the Words of Bahá’u’lláh:
> “It behoveth the people of Bahá to render the Lord victorious
> through the power of their utterance and to admonish the people
> by their goodly deeds and character, inasmuch as deeds exert
> greater influence than words.”147
> The effect of the word spoken by the teacher depends upon his
> purity of purpose and his severance. Some are content with
> words, but the truth of words is tested by deeds and dependent
> upon life. Deeds reveal the station of the man. The words must
> be according to what has proceeded from the mouth of the Will
> of God and is recorded in Tablets.”148
> “As to the fundamentals of teaching the Faith: know thou that
> delivering the Message can be accomplished only through goodly
> deeds and spiritual attributes, an utterance that is crystal clear
> and the happiness reflected from the face of that one who is
> expounding the Teachings. It is essential that the deeds of the
> teacher should attest the truth of his words. Such is the state of
> whoso doth spread abroad the sweet savours of God and the
> quality of him who is sincere in his faith.
> “Once the Lord hath enabled thee to attain this condition, be
> thou assured that He will inspire thee with words of truth, and
> 
> will cause thee to speak through the breathings of the Holy
> Spirit.”149
> It is a great privilege for us to become a source of spiritual
> advancement and blessings to others. There may be nothing
> more precious for us spiritually than to help people
> understand the purpose of their lives and for them to become
> united in one universal Cause. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said that
> every Bahá’í should try to guide at least one person to the
> Cause of Bahá’u’lláh each year.150 Teaching the Cause of
> Bahá’u’lláh is not dependent on our education. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
> says that even if one cannot read and write, he can still prove
> that he is a true servant of mankind through his deeds and
> actions.151 If we live the life of a Bahá’í, people will themselves
> come to see that we are different because we have put into
> practice the teachings of God for this age. The importance of
> teaching the Cause and the blessings it brings us is clearly
> understood from this Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
> “It is known and clear that today the unseen divine assistance
> encompasseth those who deliver the Message. And if the work of
> delivering the Message be neglected, the assistance shall be
> entirely cut off, for it is impossible that the friends of God could
> receive assistance unless they be engaged in delivering the
> Message. Under all conditions the Message must be delivered,
> but with wisdom. … The friends should be engaged in
> educating the souls and should become instruments in aiding
> the world of humanity to acquire spiritual joy and fragrance.
> For example: If every one of the friends (believers) were to
> establish relations of friendship and right dealings with one of
> the negligent souls, associate and live with him with perfect
> 
> kindliness, and meanwhile through good conduct and moral
> behaviour lead him to divine instruction, to heavenly advice
> and teachings, surely he would gradually arouse that negligent
> person and would change his ignorance into knowledge.”152
> Alcoholic drinks are prohibited
> We have seen how man is distinguished from animals
> because of his mind and soul. God expects us to take good
> care of these precious gifts with which He has blessed the
> human race. We must strive to keep our minds and souls as
> healthy as possible.
> Alcoholic drinks poison the mind to such an extent that
> people forget their station as human beings and drop to the
> level of beasts when they are drunk. Therefore, Bahá’u’lláh has
> forbidden us from using alcoholic drinks altogether.
> There are many Bahá’ís who had the habit of using
> alcoholic drinks before they accepted this Faith. However,
> after they accepted Bahá’u’lláh as the Manifestation of God
> for this day, they proved their love and loyalty towards Him
> by giving up this harmful habit that brought nothing but
> financial, physical and spiritual loss. Now they drink from the
> water of life that Bahá’u’lláh has provided for us through His
> teachings, and do not need alcoholic drinks to make them gay
> or to forget their daily problems.
> There are some tribes in the world who were accustomed
> to serving alcoholic drinks during tribal festivals or
> ceremonies. They still perform those ceremonies that conform
> to the Bahá’í laws after becoming Bahá’ís. However, instead of
> 
> alcoholic drinks, they serve delicious fruit juices that are free
> from the harm of alcohol.
> Use of not only alcohol, but also of drugs not medically
> prescribed (e.g. opium) that poison the mind and the body
> (generally those that are habit-forming, mind altering and
> poisonous), are also forbidden in the Bahá’í Faith.
> Observing the Holy Days
> There are nine Holy Days each year on which Bahá’ís
> should not work. These days have been set aside because some
> special event of great importance in the Cause has taken place
> on each of them, and hence they are to be treated as special
> days. Seven of the Holy Days are days of celebration, and two
> of them commemorate the martyrdom of the Báb and the
> ascension of Bahá’u’lláh.
> The first of the Holy Days is the Feast of Naw-Rúz that
> marks the end of the fasting period and the beginning of the
> New Year.
> The next three Holy Days occur during the Ridván festival.
> This is the anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s public Declaration
> that took place in Baghdád. During the twelve days we speak
> of as “the days of Ridván”, Bahá’u’lláh stayed in a beautiful
> garden called “Ridván” where His friends and followers came
> to see Him for the last time before He was exiled to
> Constantinople. His many followers, as well as hundreds of
> other people who had grown to love and respect Him, were
> filled with grief at His departure. However, the bitter sorrow
> that weighed the hearts of His lovers was to be changed into
> 
> eternal joy when they learnt that Bahá’u’lláh was the One
> Whose coming the Divine Manifestations of the past had
> foretold, and for whom the Blessed Báb had given His
> precious life. In memory of those wonderful twelve days, we
> celebrate the Feast of Ridván every year, and of these days, the
> first, the ninth and the twelfth are Holy Days on which we do
> not work.
> After Ridván, we have the anniversary of the Declaration of
> the Báb when the Báb spoke privately of His Mission to Mullá
> Husayn for the first time in Shíráz.
> The sixth and seventh of our Feast days are the Birthdays
> of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.
> Here are the Bahá’í Holy Days:
> 1   21 March       Feast of Naw-Rúz (New Year)
> 
> 2   21 April       First day of Ridván—Declaration of
> Bahá’u’lláh (1863) at 3 p.m.
> 
> 3   29 April       Ninth day of Ridván
> 
> 4   2 May          Twelfth day of Ridván
> 
> 5   23 May         Declaration of the Báb (1844), two
> hours and eleven minutes after sunset
> on 22 May
> 
> 6   29 May         Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (1892) at 3
> a.m.
> 
> 7   9 July          Martyrdom of the Báb (1850) at about
> noon
> 
> 8   20 October      Birthday of the Báb (1819)
> 
> 9   12 November Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh (1817)
> 
> Sunset is the end of one day and the beginning of
> another in the Bahá’í calendar. Therefore, each Holy Days
> starts with the sunset on the previous day. For example, the
> Declaration of the Báb took place two hours and eleven
> minutes after sunset on the 22 May and ends at sunset on
> 23 May. The day of Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension starts at sunset
> on 28 May and ends at sunset on 29 May, etc.
> 
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says that we should try to make these Holy
> Days different from the rest of the days of the year by taking
> some important step for the progress of the Cause and in
> service to humanity. We can establish a Bahá’í centre, a Bahá’í
> class, start a school, or a hospital. Each community will decide
> what action to take based on its capacity and its special needs.
> As individuals, too, we can make decisions that will help us to
> become better Bahá’ís in our personal lives and better
> members in our community. Hence, according to ‘Abdu’l-
> Bahá, the purpose of a Feast or Holy Day is more than an
> occasion to eat good food and have a good time. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
> gave a particular example in a talk on the Feast of Naw-Rúz,
> in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1912. He stated:
> “As it [Naw-Rúz] is a blessed day it should not be neglected or
> left without results by making it a day limited to the fruits of
> 
> mere pleasure. During such blessed days institutions should be
> founded that may be of permanent benefit and value to the
> people so that in their conversations and in history it may
> become widely known that such a good work was inaugurated
> on such a feast day. Therefore, the intelligent must look
> searchingly into conditions to find out what important affair,
> what philanthropic institutions are most needed, and what
> foundations should be laid for the community on that
> particular day, so that they may be established.”153
> We do not sit and mourn on the day of the Báb’s
> martyrdom nor Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension. Although it is natural
> for us to feel the grief of these days, we know that the only
> way to show our loyalty to the Manifestations of God is to
> dedicate our lives to the service of the Cause for which They
> lived and died.
> Bahá’ís always gather to meet each other and to offer
> special prayers on the Holy Days. These meetings are very
> important because through them unity is established among
> the members of the community, and the unity of the Bahá’ís
> is a source of divine blessings.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “… it hath been decided by the desire of God that union and
> harmony may day by day increase among the friends of God
> and the maid-servants of the Merciful …. Not until this is
> realized will the affairs advance by any means whatever! And
> the greatest means for the union and harmony of all is Spiritual
> Meetings. This matter is very important and is as a magnet [or
> to attract] for divine confirmation.”154
> 
> Marriage
> We have seen that there is no monastic life in the Bahá’í
> Faith. Marriage is an important institution in the Bahá’í
> Faith. In the Aqdas, the Most Holy Book, Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “Enter into wedlock, O people, that ye may bring forth one who
> will make mention of Me ….”155
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “The true marriage of Bahá’ís is this, that husband and wife
> should be united both physically and spiritually, that they may
> ever improve the spiritual life of each other, and may enjoy
> everlasting unity throughout all the worlds of God. This is
> Bahá’í marriage.”156
> How is the Bahá’í marriage performed? The necessary
> requirements for a Bahá’í marriage are:
> 1. The man and woman must consent to marry each other.
> They cannot be forced to marry each other.
> 2. Parents of the bride and bridegroom, if alive, must give
> their consent for the marriage.
> Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “It hath been laid down in the Bayán157 that marriage is
> dependent upon the consent of both parties. Desiring to
> establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our servants, We
> have conditioned it, once the couple’s wish is known, upon the
> permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour should
> arise amongst them.”158
> 
> When these necessary consents are obtained, the parties
> inform their Spiritual Assembly of their intention of getting
> married and fix a date so that a representative may be sent to
> witness the marriage. Then in the presence of two witnesses,
> the bridegroom and the bride will separately repeat the
> following verse enjoined by Bahá’u’lláh in His Most Holy
> Book:159
> ‘We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God.”160
> The man and the woman then become husband and wife,
> and the date of the marriage is registered with the Spiritual
> Assembly.
> If there is no Local Spiritual Assembly in the area, the
> Bahá’í marriage can be performed in the way we have
> described, by the bride and the bridegroom themselves in the
> presence of two witnesses. In either case, any additional civil
> requirements must also be fulfilled.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> “But the Bahá’í engagement is the perfect communication and
> the entire consent of both parties. However, they must show
> forth the utmost attention and become informed of one
> another’s character and the firm covenant made between each
> other must become an eternal binding, and their intentions
> must be everlasting affinity, friendship, unity and life.”161
> In the light of this teaching, marriage is a material and a
> spiritual union. We are not losing our sons and daughters
> when they get married. We are joining them in a union that
> also unites their families. It is a customary obligation in some
> 
> cultures that the bride and her parents (sometimes it is the
> bridegroom’s family) pay a specified sum of money and gifts
> to the bridegroom’s family—a dowry. Disagreements can
> occur over the value of the dowry and the bride’s family
> sometimes suffers severe financial hardship—especially in poor
> families or those with many daughters.
> The law of Bahá’u’lláh abolishes all previous variations in
> the dowry and converts it into a symbolic act whereby the
> bridegroom presents a gift of a certain limited value to the
> bride. Bahá’u’lláh states:
> “No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry,
> which hath been fixed for city-dwellers [the bridegroom] at
> nineteen mithqals [about 69.2 gm] of pure gold, and for
> village-dwellers [the bridegroom] at the same amount in
> silver. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to
> exceed the limit of ninety–five mithqals. Thus hath the
> command been writ in majesty and power. If he content
> himself, however, with a payment of the lowest level, it shall be
> better for him according to the Book.”162
> There are some beautiful prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh
> and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for marriage163 that are not obligatory but
> can be said along with the marriage vow, if so desired.
> In marriage, as at any other happy occasion, people of every
> tribe or nation are free to entertain each other and have any
> kind of performances that are part of their culture. These
> customs, however, should not be against the teachings of God
> in maintaining the purity of character and the dignity of man.
> There are beautiful folk-dances and folk-songs that enrich the
> 
> new composite culture of mankind. Bahá’ís are encouraging
> people to retain their cultural heritage. Therefore, the
> beautiful cultural heritage of people, whether relating to
> marriage or other festive occasions, may be performed.
> One may ask if a Bahá’í can marry a non-Bahá’í. A Bahá’í
> man or woman may marry a non-Bahá’í belonging to any
> other religion. In fact, one of Bahá’u’lláh’s commands is:
> “… to consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of
> friendliness and fellowship, to proclaim that which the Speaker
> on Sinai hath set forth and to observe fairness in all matters.
> “They that are endued with sincerity and faithfulness should
> associate with all the peoples and kindreds of the earth with joy
> and radiance, inasmuch as consorting with people hath
> promoted and will continue to promote unity and concord,
> which in turn are conducive to the maintenance of order in the
> world and to the regeneration of nations. Blessed are such as
> hold fast to the cord of kindliness and tender mercy and are free
> from animosity and hatred.”164
> A Bahá’í who marries a non-Bahá’í should make it clear to
> his or her life-partner that he or she is a Bahá’í and must
> conform to the Bahá’í laws. As a Bahá’í expects his or her non-
> Bahá’í partner to take part in a simple but dignified Bahá’í
> ceremony, he or she should also be ready participate in the
> marriage ceremonies of the religion of his or her partner.
> The Bahá’í marriage law is another symbol of the oneness
> of mankind. It shows that the Bahá’í Faith is not meant for a
> special cult or group. It is for all mankind.
> 
> Loyalty to government
> Bahá’u’lláh has forbidden us to engage in any activity that
> may harm society. We also have to refrain from anything that
> is not honest or is subversive. About a hundred years ago
> Bahá’u’lláh set this principle in one of His Writings:
> “In every country where any of this people reside, they must
> behave towards the government of that country with loyalty,
> honesty and truthfulness.”165
> A Bahá’í cannot be faithful to his religion if he is not
> faithful to his government.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said:
> “The essence of the Bahá’í spirit is that, in order to establish a
> better social order and economic condition, there must be
> allegiance to the laws and principles of government.”166
> “Furthermore each and every one is required to show obedience,
> submission and loyalty towards his own government. … the
> Baha’is are the well-wishers of the government, obedient to its
> laws and bearing love towards all peoples.”167
> Loyalty to the government is a part of the character that
> has to be built up among us. Any act of treachery is a sin.
> Bahá’u’lláh says:
> “Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts.”168
> “Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn
> your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that
> ye deal not treacherously with anyone. Be ye the trustees of God
> 
> amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity
> amidst His people.”169
> In this connection, another important point may be
> mentioned that every Bahá’í must observe.
> Bahá’ís must avoid any involvement in politics. However,
> we are still friendly to those who are involved in politics. We
> believe that God has set a direction for us to spend our
> energies and resources in building up a divine World Order.
> We have a plan given to us by God that includes all the good
> points of the existing political parties and much more,
> without their shortcomings.
> God has set a straight path for us to tread. This path is
> neither inclined towards left nor right, neither to the East nor
> the West. It is the path that will lead to the unity of all
> mankind, regardless of their nationality, creed or social class.
> Moreover, the Order that Bahá’u’lláh has established in the
> world is divine in origin and necessarily is quite different in
> nature, scope and dimension from that of the existing manmade, and often conflicting, ideologies.
> There is another reason that a Bahá’í cannot participate in
> political movements. This has been explained by Shoghi
> Effendi, the Guardian, in one of his letters:
> “We Bahá’ís are one the world-over, we are seeking to build up
> a new World Order, Divine in origin. How can we do this if
> every Bahá’í is a member of a different political party—some of
> them diametrically opposed to each other? Where is our unity
> then? We would be divided because of politics, against ourselves,
> 
> and this is the opposite of our purpose. Obviously if one Bahá’í
> in Austria is given freedom to choose a political party and join
> it, however good its aims may be, another Bahá’í in Japan, or
> America or India, has the right to do the same thing, and he
> might belong to a party the very opposite in principle to that
> which the Austrian Bahá’í belongs to. Where would be the
> unity of the Faith then? These two spiritual brothers would be
> working against each other, because of their political
> affiliations (as the Christians of Europe have been doing in so
> many fratricidal wars).
> “The best way for a Bahá’í to serve his country and the world is
> to work for the establishment of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order,
> which will gradually unite all men and do away with divisive
> political systems and religious creeds.”170
> How one becomes a Bahá’í
> Many times we hear this question: “How can I become a
> Bahá’í?”
> Some people think that the Bahá’í Faith is a society that
> invites members. This is not correct. Some other people think
> that Bahá’ís require people to change their names and to give
> them a new denomination in religious spheres. This also is not
> correct.
> Becoming a Bahá’í means you are convinced of the
> Oneness of God, the oneness of religions and the oneness of
> mankind; you realize that religion is progressive and
> continuous; and that religion aims for unity rather than
> disunity. A Bahá’í, moreover, is convinced that all religions are
> 
> divine in origin and are equal. However, a Bahá’í believes that
> Bahá’u’lláh (the Glory of God) is the Manifestation of God for
> this age. Additionally, Bahá’u’lláh, like the Manifestations of
> God in the past, has come to open a new era of happiness and
> unity for us in this age. When one becomes a Bahá’í, he finds
> the love of Bahá’u’lláh in his heart. When this conviction is
> there, we are Bahá’ís. No ceremony, baptism nor change of
> name is necessary to enrol a person into the Bahá’í Faith. In
> other words, any conversion results from an individual’s own
> inner conviction and does not need to be validated by a
> ceremony. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
> ‘The man who lives the life according to the teachings of
> Bahá’u’lláh is already a Bahá’í.”171
> The aims of the Bahá’ís are to serve men and to bring unity
> and happiness to the world. Bahá’ís are trying to change the
> hearts of men. The change of heart is not possible except by
> the power of the Words of God.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was once asked, “What is a Bahá’í?” He
> replied that “To be a Bahá’í simply means to love all the world;
> to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace
> and universal brotherhood.”172
> “If he is a Bahá’í in reality, his deeds and actions will be
> decisive proofs of it. What are the requirements? Love for
> mankind, sincerity toward all, reflecting the oneness of the
> world of humanity, philanthropy, becoming enkindled with the
> fire of the love of God, attainment to the knowledge of God and
> that which is conducive to human welfare.”173
> 
> When a mirror is clean, it reflects the light. When it is not
> clean, it does not reflect anything. If Bahá’ís teach their
> religion to others, it is an attempt to clean the dust of
> prejudice, hatred and animosity from the mirrors of human
> hearts. When pure-hearted people meet the Sun of Truth,
> they receive the light in great measure and reflect it to others.
> Many Bahá’ís of today are those who had always felt in
> their hearts the necessity of having new teachings for this new
> age, but they did not know how they could realize their
> feelings in practice. They did not know that there was a
> religion in the world that contained all the teachings they
> wished to exist in a religion. When they heard about the
> Bahá’í Faith, they believed in it as the Voice of God because
> they had already heard the Voice of God in their hearts
> without knowing about Bahá’u’lláh. They are those clean
> mirrors that have now been aimed towards the rays of the Sun
> of Truth and reflect its splendour. The mirrors of hearts,
> though clean, will remain dark if they are not turned towards
> the light.
> You become a Bahá’í when this conviction and realization
> of truth occurs. However, there is a form to be filled in and
> signed by the Bahá’ís, giving their names and addresses, to
> inform the National Spiritual Assembly of their country that
> they believe in Bahá’u’lláh. In this way you inform the Bahá’í
> world community that you are a fellow believer in
> Bahá’u’lláh. You become a member of that community when
> the signed declaration form is accepted. By signing the
> declaration form, you pledge yourself to serve humanity
> through the God-given administration that is a part of the
> 
> divine guidance for this age. Declaration forms are issued by
> the National Spiritual Assembly of each country and are given
> to the believers in Bahá’u’lláh in that country to sign. The
> signed forms are returned to the National Assembly through
> the Local Spiritual Assemblies. Where there is no Local
> Assembly, those who declare themselves as Bahá’ís may send
> the form directly to the National Spiritual Assembly.
> Being a member of the Bahá’í community is not the same
> as joining a club. Bahá’ís have been given God’s plan for the
> uniting of humanity and, as members of the community, we
> are working together to implement that plan in the manner
> most suited to our capabilities and experience. This means our
> individual efforts are co-ordinated rather than regimented.
> Membership of the Bahá’í Faith gives us the right and the
> responsibility to take an active part in the process of uniting
> mankind. Membership in other religions differs in that the
> responsibility and direction of actions are left to their religious
> leaders. In the past, religion has been concerned with the
> spiritualization of individuals; whereas in the Bahá’í Faith,
> this has been extended to include the spiritualization of
> mankind. Individuals loving the Bahá’í principles, but
> working as individuals, will each go in their own direction
> without the guidance of a common God-directed goal.
> A Bahá’í serves men and prays for them. Among the
> innumerable beautiful prayers revealed, we read:
> “O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the
> same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same
> household. In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and
> 
> all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have
> gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined
> through the light of Thy Providence.
> “O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost
> shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each
> and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the
> Ocean of Thy Mercy.
> “O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make
> the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and
> the whole earth as one home. May they live together in perfect
> harmony.
> “O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.
> “O God! Establish the Most Great Peace.
> “Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.
> “O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the
> fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of
> Thy Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word,
> and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.
> “Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving
> and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all
> mankind.”174
> 
> Footnotes
> Bahá’u’lláh: Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, Section
> CLXXXI, p. 314.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section XXI, pp. 49–50.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 3.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp.
> 256–7.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 19.
> J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, Chapter 5,
> Section: Love of God, p. 73.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, pp. 180–81.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 5.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp. 21–2; and Gleanings
> from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Section XIII, p. 22.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section XXIV, pp. 59–60.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section VII, pp. 10–11; and The Proclamation of
> Bahá’u’lláh, p. 111.
> 
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp.
> 141–2.
> Gita IX, II
> Gita XVIII, 57
> Gita XVIII, 66
> Gita IV, 7–8
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 11; and The
> Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 84–5.
> The traditional illiteracy of Muhammad contrasts with:
> “The ignorant Muslim scholars then decided to proclaim
> Muhammad an illiterate man!” They figured that this
> would make the Qur’án’s extraordinary literary excellence
> truly miraculous. Muhammad was a successful merchant.
> Hence, He would have dealt with numbers every day and
> would have had to know the alphabet, from one to one–
> thousand, since at that time the letters of the alphabet
> were used as numbers. Refer to Dr Rashad Khalifa: Quran,
> The Final Testament.
> Despite this, Bahá’u’lláh’s description of the station of a
> Manifestation of God means that the knowledge of a great
> scholar or spiritual giant is still nothing compared to that
> of the prophets.
> The first revelation was probably in AD 610 (1,234 yrs).
> The first public announcement was about AD 613 (1,231
> years), and the Islámic calendar starts in AD 622 (1,222
> years). (The time span refers to solar years before A D
> 1844.)
> Refer to page 40.
> Refer to page 15.
> 
> Six years.
> The Báb quoted in: Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: Notes
> No. 189, p. 247; and Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp.
> 25, 324–5.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section III, p. 5.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: A Traveller’s Narrative, p. 80; and Shoghi
> Effendi: God Passes By, p. 186.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 21.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. III, pp. 674–5;
> and The Divine Art of Living, 2nd ed. 1986, pp. 29–30.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. III, p. 725.
> Bahá’u’lláh quoted in: Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p.
> 242; and World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 134. 143–4.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Will and Testament, p. 3.
> Isaiah 11:6.
> Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum Rabbani: The Priceless
> Pearl, p. 2; and the article “Twenty–five years of the
> Guardianship” in The Bahá’í World, Vol. XI, 1952, p.
> 114.
> Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum Rabbani: “Twenty–five
> years of the Guardianship” in The Bahá’í World, Vol. XI,
> 1952, p. 114.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 164; and Gleanings
> from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Section CXII, p. 218.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 58, p. 40; Gleanings
> from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Section LXXII, p. 140; and
> The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 118.
> 
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp.
> 298–9.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Bahá’í Prayers (US), p. 204.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp.
> 299–301.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 151–
> 2.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 179–
> 80.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 180.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 318.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, pp. 160–1.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 280.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 166.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 48, p. 37.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 48, p. 37.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 167; Gleanings from the
> Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Section CXVII, p. 250; and The
> Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 116.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 68.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I
> (Education), p. 278.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 26–7; and
> Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 51–2.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, p. 141.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, pp. 145–6.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No. 2.
> 
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, p. 151.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, p. 153.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 156.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.
> 51.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
> p. 302.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.
> 54.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.
> 49.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 155.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.
> 6.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.
> 42.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.
> 53.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 35.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 13.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section CLI, p. 320.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 225.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 36.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 33.
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 52.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Divine Art of Living, 1974 ed., pp. 16–
> 17.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London , Notes of
> Conversations, pp. 126–7.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 32.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section LXXXI, pp. 155–6.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No.
> 32.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.
> 29.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 93–4; and
> Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Section CXXX,
> p. 285.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section CIX, p. 215.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section XCIII, p. 188.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 71.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section C, p. 202.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. I, p. 149; and
> Lights of Guidance, No. 946, p. 282.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 50; and The
> Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 20.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 88.
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section CXVI, p. 315.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section CXXVIII, p. 278.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section C, p. 203.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section C, p. 204.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> Section CXLVI, pp. 315–6.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words, Persian No. 54.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 55.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 15: and
> Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Section CXXXII,
> p. 289.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, pp. 100–1.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, p. 36.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, p. 37.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 54–5.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 40.
> Shoghi Effendi quoted in Principles of Bahá’í
> Administration: A Compilation (London: Bahá’í Publishing
> Trust, 1976), p. 1; and Shoghi Effendi: Guidance for Today
> and Tomorrow (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1953),
> p. 110).
> The Báb quoted by Shoghi Effendi: God Passes By, pp. 25,
> 324–5; and The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 146–7.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
> A fictitious Indian village.
> 
> The anniversary of the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh, the day
> on which He announced in the Garden of Ridván that He
> was the Promised One of all ages.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 30, p. 29.
> Shoghi Effendi quoted in Bahá’í Administration: Selected
> Messages 1922–33, p. 38; and Lights of Guidance, p. 123.
> Shoghi Effendi quoted in Bahá’í Administration: Selected
> Messages 1922–33, p. 38; and Lights of Guidance, p. 124.
> Shoghi Effendi quoted in Bahá’í Administration: Selected
> Messages 1922–33, p. 38.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 30, p. 29; and Bahá’í
> Administration: Selected Messages 1922–33, p. 38.
> Shoghi Effendi quoted in Bahá’í Administration: Selected
> Messages 1922–33, p. 64; and Lights of Guidance, pp. 32–
> 3.
> Shoghi Effendi quoted in Bahá’í Administration: Selected
> Messages 1922–33, p. 102; Lights of Guidance, p. 180; and
> The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II
> (Trustworthiness), pp. 347–8.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.
> 59.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 58, p. 40; Gleanings
> from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh , p. 140; and The
> Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, 118.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Other Sections, p. 92; and
> Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 27, 128.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in Bahá’í Administration: Selected
> Messages 1922–33, p. 21; and Shoghi Effendi: Unfolding
> Destiny, p. 6.
> 
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
> pp. 87–8. Quoted in Bahá’í Administration: Selected
> Messages 1922–33 , pp. 21–2; and Shoghi Effendi:
> Unfolding Destiny, pp. 6–7.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in The Compilation of Compilations,
> (The Local Spiritual Assembly) Vol. II, p. 47; Bahá’í
> Administration: Selected Messages 1922–33, pp. 22–3; and
> Shoghi Effendi: Unfolding Destiny, pp. 7–8.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Compilation of Compilations, (The
> Nineteen Day Feast) Vol. I, p. 430.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Compilation of Compilations, (The
> Nineteen Day Feast) Vol. I, p. 430.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted by J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and
> the New Era, Chapter 11, Meetings section, p. 172.
> A community with less than nine adults Bahá’ís cannot
> elect a Local Spiritual Assembly. They are often described
> as a Bahá’í Group.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, p. 172; and
> quoted in Lights of Guidance, No. 1065, p. 317.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 127.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Will and Testament, pp. 19–20.
> Sites for future Bahá’í temples exceeds 120.
> Shoghi Effendi: Directives of the Guardian, No. 83, p. 32.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Bahá’í Prayers (US edition), p. 84.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 74, p. 47.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 46, p. 36.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 74, p. 46.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 106, p. 58.
> 
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. III, pp. 581–2.
> The second sentence is quoted in The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Notes
> No. 104, p. 212.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and
> the New Era, Chapter 6, Prayer the Language of Love
> section, p. 90. Also given in The Compilation of
> Compilations, (Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional
> Attitude) Vol. II, No. 1755, p. 236.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and
> the New Era, Chapter 6, Conversation with God section, p.
> 85.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and
> the New Era, Chapter 6, Conversation with God section,
> pp. 85–6. From a talk reported by Miss Ethel J.
> Rosenberg.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para 149, p. 73–4.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and
> the New Era, Chapter 6, Prayer the Language of Love
> section, p. 90 (from notes of Miss Alma Robertson and
> other pilgrims, November and December 1900). Also
> quoted in The Compilation of Compilations, (Prayer,
> Meditation and the Devotional Attitude) Vol. II, No.
> 1756, p. 236; and Lights of Guidance, No. 1512, p. 463.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and
> the New Era, Chapter 11, Fast section, p. 171 (quoted by
> Miss E. S. Stevens in Fortnightly Review, June 1911).
> Bahá’u’lláh: Prayers and Meditations of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 9–
> 10.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 33, p. 30.
> 
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks, 176–7.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 71.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 26.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Bahá’í World Faith, p. 206.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 27 and 129.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 57.
> Bahá’u’lláh quoted in J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and the
> New Era, Chapter 5, Teaching section, p. 77.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
> p. 175.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
> p. 265.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I
> (Education), p. 282.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. II, pp. 390–1.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Quoted by Baher Forghani in Days to
> Remember, 2nd edn., p. 26.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. I, pp. 125–6.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 63, p. 42.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
> p. 118.
> The “Mother Book” of the Báb.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 65, p. 42.
> Shoghi Effendi quoted in Lights of Guidance, No. 1294,
> pp. 388–9.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Questions and Answers,
> No. 3, p. 105.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. II, p. 325.
> Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 66, p. 42.
> 
> See the Marriage section of the Bahá’í prayer books.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 35–6.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 22–3.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 238.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
> p. 239.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 93; and
> Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXX, p. 285.
> Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
> CXXXVI, p. 297.
> Shoghi Effendi: Light of Divine Guidance, Vol. I, pp. 123–
> 4. (Letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi dated 24 June 1947)
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and
> the New Era, Chapter 5, Living the Life section, p. 69.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in J. E. Esselmont: Bahá’u’lláh and
> the New Era, Chapter 5, Living the Life section, p. 69.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 336.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 100.
>
> — *The New Garden: An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith (Used by permission of the curator)*