# A New Development in the Baha'i Community

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: R. Mehrabkhani, A New Development in the Baha'i Community, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> A New Development
> in the Bahá’í Community
> R. Mehrabkhani
> 
> Through the guidance of the August Body, the Bahá’í World Community at
> present is active and dynamic with such eagerness that it astonishes every observer. In
> tens of thousands of large and small communities all over the world, the believers are
> enthusiastically working in a harmonized and coordinated manner; and in villages and
> cities throughout the globe, whether in the frozen lands of Alaska or in the hot jungles
> in Africa, be it in the advanced countries of the West as well as the developing areas of
> the East, one sees innumerable groups that have formed in which men and women,
> young and old, educated and untaught alike, gather to study the Rúhí books, or get
> together in prayer meetings.
> 
> Such gatherings are on the one hand reminiscent of the early years of the history
> of the Faith when the believers used to assemble - often after midnight and undetected
> by eavesdroppers and trouble makers - to share and study a newly received Tablet. At
> other times, seeing the friends on their way to the study circles revives the memories of
> the Friday morning Bahá’í children Classes in Tihrán when students - with books
> tucked under their arms - used to go to their classes. How often it is seen that inactive
> believers who were most unlikely to be involved in the activities of the community, now
> eagerly join the gatherings of the friends and regret the lost bygone times and
> opportunities. So numerous are the enthusiastic seekers who even offer their own
> homes for holding prayer meetings and Rúhí study circles.
> 
> This world-wide movement and uniform activity might be interpreted by some
> as a revolution, but for those who are familiar with the course of the history of the Faith,
> this is but another stage within the developing stages of the Bahá’í World Community;
> albeit due to its pace and speed, such a development might be interpreted as a
> revolution.
> 
> The Promise of Entry by Troops
> 
> The period associated with the accession of Him Who is the Promised One of all
> Ages - the Blessed Beauty - to the throne of celestial sovereignty consists of four stages:
> 
> 1- The darkest and most foul prison in Tihrán.
> 2- The tribulation-filled period in Baghdád.
> 3- The years in Adrianople.
> 4- The `Akká period, also referred to as the Most Great Prison due to the extent of
> its trials and afflictions.
> 
> Every one of these four stages has been brimming with ordeals and sufferings,
> the likes of which were seldom witnessed in the history of past religions. The
> period in Adrianople, however, contains characteristics that make it more striferidden than any of the other three phases. In those other three periods, the
> afflictions suffered by the Ancient Beauty were mainly launched by the enemies
> from without; those who in all religions have always arisen to oppose the Faith of
> God, but who in fact have forever been the cause of its victory and triumph. Say: go
> through the land: then see what hath been the end of those who treated them as
> liars.1. During the Baghdád period, although the Faith seemed languishing, sorelystricken, sinking into obscurity, and threatened with oblivion, but the hostility and
> rebellion of Mírzá Yahyá had not yet been flagrantly made manifest. It was during
> the period in Adrianople – and in addition to the ordeals from without, and the
> united attacked launched by the two powerful monarchs rising to uproot the
> foundations of the Faith of God – that the most great separation took place, and the
> threat of an internal schism became fully apparent; a threat to which all past
> religions, alas, had yielded.
> 
> When the hour struck for the Faith to be proclaimed and announced to the kings
> and the religious leaders of the world, as well as to the Bábís, the embodiment of
> faithlessness2 rose up against the Tabernacle of God and introduced himself as the
> bearer of a station that was singled out for the Promised Manifestation of God. As it
> had been prophesised by Paul the Apostle in his Second Epistle to the
> Thessalonians: ¨Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
> except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
> perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
> worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he
> is God¨.3
> 
> It is easy for us today to look back and to read about this event in the history of
> the Faith, and to smile with the knowledge of the end result and the triumph of the
> Word of God; or we might even feel sorry for the disgrace and abasement that befell
> Yahya Azal and for his sad end, seeing that how even at his time of death not a
> single one of his followers were to be found by his side to bury his body, and how
> finally the governor of the city placed the body in a coffin and buried it. But
> formerly, and during those earlier days, he [Azal] was outwardly known as the
> leader of the Bábís. Some even regarded him as the successor of the Báb and
> believed him to be the author of the Book of Certitude.
> 
> Qur’án Surih of Cattle 6:10-11 (Rodwell): Moreover, apostles before thee have been laughed to
> scorn: but that which they laughed to scorn encompassed the mockers among them! Say: go through
> the land: then see what hath been the end of those who treated them as liars.
> Mírzá Yahhá
> King James Bible, 2 Thessalonians
> 
> It was during that dark period - one which Bahá’u’lláh refers to as the darkest
> night4 - that the Tablet addressed to the Shah of Persia was revealed; a Tablet in
> which the future of the Faith was ordained in the following words:
> 
> Erelong shall the snow-white hand of God rend an opening through the darkness
> of this night and unlock a mighty portal unto His City. On that Day shall the people
> enter therein by troops, uttering what the blamers aforetime exclaimed, that there
> shall be made manifest in the end that which appeared in the beginning.5
> 
> The word blamers6 mentioned in the above passage is a reference to the
> Qur’ánic story of Joseph and Zelicha7 according to which Zelicha fell in love with
> Joseph and she was disgraced in town; so some of the notable women of that town
> blamed and condemned her saying that Zelicha has fallen for a slave. Thus, hearing
> of that, Zelicha prepared a feast, invited them to it and handed them each an orange
> and a knife to cut the fruit with. She then ordered Joseph to go out in front of them.
> As soon as the women saw him, distracted by his beauty and gracefulness, they
> repeatedly cut their hands, and then proclaimed that Zelicha had rightfully given her
> heart to the beauty of Joseph. The Blessed Beauty says that in the day when people
> shall enter the City of God in troops, those who used to condemn the Bahá’ís will
> proclaim that these lovers were right to be utterly enraptured by the love of the
> Beloved, and to surrender their all in the path of that love.
> 
> The Subtle Reality of Faith
> 
> The greatest bounty bestowed upon man through the Lord’s Mercy is the ability
> to know God through His Manifestation. This is a bounty that throughout the whole
> of creation, whether from the tiniest atom to the greatest of galaxies, is only
> conferred upon man. This ability exists in all human beings and it is what was
> meant by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in one of His Prayers when He stated that although the
> people of the world are oblivious of God, yet they seek Him with all their beings8.
> 
> Every time that the Divine Springtime arrives, the rays of the Day Star of His
> Revelation penetrate in all the atoms of the existence of men, and all peoples across
> the globe will hear the call of God in the depth of their beings. This is that true
> morn and the new garden as stated in the Hidden Words. It is the same call of Am I
> not your Lord? as mentioned in the Qur’án, by which all veils are torn asunder and
> 
> Laylayi Dalmá’: The gloomiest night, the night with no moon [TN: The last night of the lunar month
> which is very dark]
> Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p.134
> In the original passage in Arabic the word blamers is feminine plural.
> Also known as Zoleikha or Zulaikha; the wife of al-Aziz (in Biblical passages known as Potiphar):
> Joseph’s master.
> Not the exact Words of the Master.
> 
> all those who stand bare before the Divine Light with a sanctified, pure, and kindly
> heart will receive its first rays. I have heard that there once lived an erudite scholar
> who carried the load of volumes on his well-read mind. When he was confronted
> with an unlearned believer, he told the latter: I am a man learned in the Divine
> Law, and I possess all the knowledge that can be known. Do you not think that if
> this Faith were true, I would have recognized and fathomed it before the likes of you
> who can hardly name the letters of the alphabet? The believer humbly replied: Your
> excellency, you are absolutely right. You are among the gems of existence, and you
> are esteemed as diamonds and jewels. It is only right that priceless gems be kept in
> velvet and stored in a well-guarded safe. But the likes of me; we are like the
> pebbles and the sand of the shore; tons of which are worthless. Yet, when the dawn
> breaks and the first ray of the sun reaches the earth, we are the ones that are
> immersed in its heat and light. It will take a long time for that ray to reach the likes
> of you; and that is if it ever does reach you, so hidden and concealed you are
> behind the doors, velvets, safes, and boxes.
> 
> All those who have passed through the gates of this divine City, who having
> kissed its threshold, and who have found themselves in the promised paradise, know
> well what a marvel and what a wonder it is. Some years ago, a German young man
> had come to our country and city to complete part of his higher education. He had
> learned about the Faith through one of his Bahá’í friends, and had decided to
> investigate it further. He spent several hours a week studying the Faith during a
> period of six months, after which time he returned to his homeland. Two years
> passed and he finished his studies and secured a job in the United Nations Office in
> Europe, and then used to travel widely. One day, his friend through whom he had
> originally heard about the Faith called me and said that this young man has come
> and wishes to declare himself as a Bahá’í and that he has asked me to also be
> present on the occasion. It so happened that we were invited on that day to the
> house of this mutual friend where our young friend was also present. He was
> dressed in his travelling clothes as he was on his way to the airport. After lunch,
> when he was going to sign his declaration card, he asked the host permission to use
> one of the rooms. A little while later he emerged and had changed his travelling
> clothes and was wearing a splendid outfit that he wore in his meetings with
> dignitaries. Seeing our surprise, he humbly said: In this moment of my life, when I
> am presenting myself before Bahá’u’lláh to declare my faith in Him, I can not do so
> in my travelling clothes. He then recited a prayer in an indescribable humbleness
> and signed his card.
> 
> The Advent of a World Religion
> 
> In the fifth chapter of the fifth unit of the Bayán the Báb declares that …during
> the advent of each Revelation all that dwell on earth must come under that
> Revelation. For example during the Dispensation of the Apostle of God it was
> 
> befitting for all those on earth to believe in Him. Such an event not coming to pass
> was due to the weakness of the Muslims.9 He has further repeated this same point in
> the book Panj Sha’n. The substance of those passages is that all the Religions were
> potentially world religions. In the Qur’án too, the Apostle of God is referred to as
> the mercy unto all creatures10. In fact it is inconceivable that a Religion and a
> Messenger should appear, and for some to be barred from accepting His Teachings.
> Yet, there is a difference between saying that a religion could have potentially
> become universal, and it being explicitly promised to become one.
> 
> The promises recorded in the Sacred Scriptures indicate that the day must come
> and the means will become available for all the peoples of the world to stand before
> the Almighty God, and that the words The day when mankind shall stand before the
> Lord of the worlds11 will be fulfilled. In the Tablet addressed to Queen Victoria,
> Bahá’u’lláh writes the following:
> 
> Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and
> perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and
> maladies…That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and
> mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in
> one universal Cause, one common Faith12.
> 
> The renown scholar, Abu’l-Fadá’il - who was counted by the Centre of the
> Covenant amongst them that are well-grounded in knowledge, in other words
> among those individuals who are aware of the meanings and mysteries of the Holy
> Books - wrote in a letter that he sent from Isfahán to Ábádih: O pride of the
> righteous! I swear by the Sovereign Beauty that the majority of the believers have
> not yet apprehended the greatness of this most glorious Revelation, and have not
> fathomed the inconceivable worth of this great Day. Enoch, the seventh from Adam,
> prophesied the advent of this Great Revelation through the following emphatic
> words: ‘Behold, The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling, and the
> eternal God will tread upon the earth and appear in the strength of His might from
> the heaven of heavens. The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute
> judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their
> ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed...’13 The call is a Divine Call
> and not a Prophetic one. The Advent is Universal and not confined to one Message.
> All who dwell on earth must needs come under its banner and no one will deny it.
> 
> The believer: The Bearer of the Divine Trust
> 
> These are not the exact Words as stated in the Bayán, and only convey the contents of that Passage.
> The Qur’án (Rodwell tr), Surih 21 – The Prophets, verse 107
> The Qur’án: (Rodwell tr.), Surih 83, verse 6
> Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p.90
> Book of Enoch, and King James Bible, Jude 1:14
> 
> In the same manner that the Holy Spirit - by taking the human form - becomes
> the bearer of the Word of God; likewise, teaching the Faith belongs to those
> enlightened souls who assisted by the Abhá Kingdom will embark upon guiding the
> peoples and nations. As such, teaching the Faith and the guidance of souls is
> considered as the most noble of acts in numerous Tablets. After one’s belief and
> steadfastness in the Cause, such teaching is regarded as the first duty prescribed
> unto the believer. The Most Exalted Pen writes: Verily, in this day, to the soul who
> is the cause of guidance to another soul the recompense of a martyr in the way of
> God will be assuredly recorded by the pen of the Cause for his deed.14
> 
> The Cause of God is a trust that the Lord assigns to the care of the believers in
> each Dispensation, so that they may deliver it to its intended destination or goal;
> namely the hearts of the servants of God. It is a lamp that must enlighten the abode
> of the hearts of others. In past religions, this duty was performed through three
> stages. First: Through the arising of pure hearted and detached souls. Second:
> Through force and by compelling people to accept. Third: The turning over of this
> duty or task to specific personalities or scholars in each religion.
> 
> In early Judaism, Moses initially proclaimed the Faith of God with the rod of
> Commandments and by wielding the serpent of God’s Testimony. He endured and
> suffered oppression and hardships, and was even ready to give up his life when one
> of Pharaoh’s men arose to defend Him. Yet, when the Israelites approached the
> promised land - the land flowing with milk and honey - they drew on the iron rod;
> and we see many verses such as: When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the
> land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before
> thee…and when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite
> them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew
> mercy unto them.15
> 
> Similarly, in Christianity, we read how after the martyrdom of Jesus Christ, His
> disciples so often met and dealt with people with the power of faith and with the
> armour of clear and conclusive evidences. It is recorded in the second chapter of the
> Acts of the Apostles that Peter spoke to a gathering with such love and devotion that
> some three thousand souls entered into the Faith of God. They then dispersed all
> over the world and each one gave up his life in another country and another locality.
> 
> Yet, later on, as Christianity grew strong, it was once again the sword and not
> the breath of the pure hearted and faithful that opened the way for the Religion of
> God. For example Charlemagne converted the Saxons under duress by giving them
> the choice between baptism and death during his wars of 804-872 AD. Will Durant
> writes in The History of Civilization that as Charlemagne met resistance and the
> rebellion of the Saxons, he ordered the beheading of 4500 Saxons in one day; after
> 
> Compilations, Bahá’í Scriptures, p. 204
> King James Bible, Deuteronomy, Ch.7
> 
> which he proceeded to Thionville to take part in the celebration of the nativity of
> Christ. The famous Latin proverb Cuius regio eius religio that also has its parallel
> in Arabic and means whose region, his religion, (or in other words, the religion of
> the people would be the religion of the king) reigned throughout the Middle Ages.
> So, when a king was converted to Christianity, his subjects were also all converted.
> When Olaf I of Norway ascended to the throne in 995 AD, as he had been converted
> to Christianity in Britain, he ordered that all the old pagan temples be torn down and
> churches be built throughout Norway. When he was confronted with the people’s
> opposition, he consented to leave the temples but to use them to carry out the
> customary pagan sacrifice rites to slay those who resisted Christianity.
> Consequently, they all surrendered.
> 
> Further, it is recorded that Vladimir the first, king of Russia wished to marry the
> sister of the Byzantine Emperor who was a Christian. He accepted Christianity and
> proceeded to make it the official religion of his state. He ordered and eventually
> forced his subjects to accept baptism in 988 AD.
> 
> Regarding the conversion of the people of Denmark, it is recorded that the
> peace treaty drawn up between Otto II, the German Emperor, and the King of
> Denmark in 974, compelled Harald Bluetooth (Blatonn) to enforce Christianity upon
> the people of Denmark.
> 
> Christianity is now passing through the third of the above-mentioned stages.
> That is to say that the teaching and the spread of the Religion is undertaken by the
> clergy, the missionaries, and the theologians. The general public has no part in it.
> 
> The history of the spread of Islam has also gone through these same three stages.
> Initially the duty of the believers was ordained as follows in the Surih of Na? l:
> Summon thou to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and with kindly warning: dispute
> with them in the kindest manner: thy Lord best knoweth those who stray from his
> way, and He best knoweth those who have yielded to his guidance16.
> 
> After the passing of the Prophet, the Muslim conquests started. Nowadays, there
> are lengthy debates written by Iranian writers both residing within the country as
> well as those abroad, regarding whether or not the Persians would have willingly
> submitted to Islam had it not been for the wars that took place. The truth of the
> matter is that in addition to the outer power that Islam had at the time, the Sassanian
> dynasty was a exceedingly corrupt one, and an impenetrable class differentiation
> was harshly dominant. Furthermore, considering the prevailing corruption within
> the religious society of the time, and the cruelty inflicted upon the people by the
> Zoroastrian clerics; the Persians would only have needed to hear the message of
> brotherhood and equality of Islam, and they would have no doubt accepted it by
> will, and there would have not been the need for the massacre of hundreds and
> 
> The Qur’án (Rodwell tr.), Surih 16, verse 126 – The Bee
> 
> hundreds of thousands of people, as was done in Jilawla or in the subsequent riots
> and battles. As such, tens of thousands of women and children would not have been
> taken captive; and it would not have been necessary to place an Arab in each home
> to watch over the observance of the religious duties of prayer and fasting of the
> newly converted believers in order to consolidate Islam in their hearts. Later, that
> stage also passed away and the spread of the Faith fell in the hands of the clergy and
> the Hujjatu’l-Islams who, rather than using wisdom, counsels or kindly manners,
> proceeded to enforce the belief through imposing fear and domination.
> 
> The question now raised by the scholars and researchers is whether these three
> stages will also be repeated within the Bahá’í Faith. Those who are familiar with the
> Bahá’í Writings and Scriptures are well aware that not only the believers are advised
> through scores of Tablets to speak not unless they obtain a hearing17, or to …Set forth
> that which ye possess. If it be favourably received, your end is attained; if not, to protest
> is vain…18; but further, the Blessed Beauty made the following assertion at the eve of
> His earthly life as recorded in the Book of His Covenant: Conflict and contention are
> categorically forbidden in His Book. This is a decree of God in this Most Great
> Revelation. It is divinely preserved from annulment and is invested by Him with the
> splendour of His confirmation. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.19
> 
> According to this blessed statement, God Himself will protect this
> commandment, and will prevent it from becoming annulled. In many thousands of
> Tablets revealed by the Pens of Bahá’u’lláh and of the Master, the teaching of the Faith
> has been made dependent upon a twofold process: First: The proclamation of the
> Word of God; that like unto the breezes of springtime confers life to every withered
> branch and every disheartened soul. Second: The observance of the Teachings of God
> that attract the hearts and transform the souls.
> 
> The stages of teaching the Faith during the time of the Báb – that was the era of
> moving from one world to another, and was as a bridge by which to pass from the old
> world to the new – and later, the stages and phases of teaching during the eras of the
> Blessed Beauty, of the Master and of the period of the Guardianship, all need to be
> studied and researched. But we can briefly say that each one of the believers during the
> Heroic Age, acted in the way that he or she found possible in face of the severe pressure
> from the enemies. The history of the Faith is filled with hundreds of stories and
> anecdotes of their sacrificial efforts. Yet, this activity was not a collective one. The
> possibility did not exist and even the time was not ripe for the believers to act as an
> organized troop and conquer the citadels of the hearts of men. Those were individuals
> who - during the time of the Blessed Beauty and the Master, and then later on, and after
> reading the contents of the Will and Testament of `Abdu’l-Bahá in which He states that :
> …They must disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime, and travel
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh: Hidden Words Persian: The wise are they that speak not unless they obtain a hearing,..
> Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, page 91
> Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, page 220
> 
> throughout all regions…20 - they left their homes and shelters behind; they forwent
> their material possessions, their lives, and their whole being in the path of love, and
> considered that to be their real abode. Finally, each one passed away in a different land
> and region. In the western world also, there were some who arose and exerted the
> utmost endeavour in the wilderness of the love of God. They were individuals such as
> the exemplary and indefatigable teacher Martha Root who wrote the pages of history of
> the Faith through her magnificent services. Yet, all of these activities were scattered
> ones. There was a need for entering into a new phase and stage: the establishment of
> the Institutions of the Administrative Order, and the formation of Assemblies to
> coordinate the activities of the Faith according to specific Plans, and to allow the flow
> of the life of the Faith of God within structured and ordered channels.
> 
> This phase too, just like the previous stages, was difficult to achieve. When the
> Guardian of the Faith of God proceeded to establish these Administrative Institutions,
> some arose in opposition both in the East and the West, and considered the
> Administration to be contrary to the spirit of the Faith. They compared it to the
> organization of the Church that had become corrupted.             Some others contented
> themselves with remaining silent and inactive. The spread of the Faith seemed to slow
> down, and as Dr. Moojan Momen has referred to in his valuable article, the number of
> believers in the United States reduced to half the number. This fact gave the enemies of
> the Faith an opportunity to openly announce that the flame of the Faith of God was
> about to be extinguished. In the midst of all this, it was only the pulsating heart and the
> fluent pen of the Guardian of the Faith of God, together with the efforts of a group of
> the lovers of the matchless Beauty that removed all obstacles, and led to the foundation
> of the Bahá’í Institutions all over the world.
> 
> The passage of time, as well as the firm establishment of the Institutions of the
> Administrative Order (that is the model and the seed of the World Order), demonstrated
> what a great portal to the unknown city was unlocked in those days through the
> establishment of the Administrative Order. It was thus revealed how the mighty hand of
> the Guardian of the Faith of God had turned a new page in the book of the Formative
> Age. Great Plans were gradually formulated; Plans that could only be possibly
> implemented providing the Institutions and National Assemblies existed. These were
> completed with the Ten Year Crusade, the fruit and result of which was the
> establishment of the Faith in all the countries of the world. The Faith of God had taken
> a sudden and unbelievable leap forward.
> 
> A New Culture: The Challenge of our Time
> 
> Earlier on we saw that despite the sacrifices of the believers during the Bábí
> Dispensation, as well as during the ministries of Bahá’u’lláh and of `Abdu’l-Bahá -
> periods that are collectively referred to as the Apostolic Age (or Heroic Age) – and
> notwithstanding those sacrifices that constitute the contents of scores of volumes of
> 
> `Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament, page 10
> 
> history; the number of countries opened to the Faith and the number of believers were
> relatively small. After the establishment of the Administrative Order, unprecedented
> victories resulted within a short span of time during the Formative Age. Nevertheless,
> we are still far from the time when the peoples of the world shall turn their attention to
> the Faith of God. Today, the population of the world is estimated to be between six and
> seven billion people, and the Bahá’ís form some six to seven million; that is to day one
> thousandth of the population of the world. That is to say that every Bahá’í carries the
> duty of proclaiming the Faith to one thousand other people; and that is providing every
> one of the Bahá’ís arises to do so.
> 
> In order to attain such an end, the Universal House of Justice speaks in its
> Messages of a new culture – one which will need to be established in the lives of
> individuals and communities from different aspects. It is a culture that will enable all
> the Bahá’ís of the world to arise. It might not be easy for all the friends to fathom and
> comprehend this culture, inasmuch as the two words of new and culture seem to be
> incompatible or at odds. The culture of every nation, people, and society consists of the
> way of life, the customs and practices, and the language and traditions that are formed
> throughout centuries, and it is not something that is created at once. This is of course
> true; but it is also true that one of the characteristics of the religions of God is that they
> create a new culture through their advent: a culture that is not the result of the
> experiences of past centuries, but rather, one that is the guide of centuries to come, one
> that will gradually take form. A clear example of this in the past was the advent of
> Christ. The culture of the time prevailing both in the Judaic Faith as well as the society
> in that period was one of revenge, and it was considered as a fundamental principle
> throughout the Roman Empire. At such a time, Jesus Christ proposed and brought forth
> a culture of pardon and forgiveness. This gradually took form and with the passage of
> centuries, it became recognized as the most exalted quality and distinguishing
> characteristic of any human being. For the past two thousand years, the talks and
> sermons of priests and ministers have been based upon this quality, and every true
> Christian thinks of it every day. Even during the Middle Ages, when the heretics were
> burned at the stake, a priest would kneel before the victim and would pray for him.
> 
> Also, as we have seen, when the Guardian of the Faith of God began to lay the
> foundations of the Administrative Order, it was not easy for everyone to comprehend it.
> Some imagined the administrative institutions of the Faith to be a newly-fashioned
> phenomenon. As such, in order to help those who were slower in grasping it, to
> understand, he repeatedly emphasised in his Letters written during the 1920s and the
> 1930s that he was not adding anything new to the Faith, but rather had turned a new
> page in the Book of the Faith. He emphatically stated that the Administrative Order is
> based upon the Universal House of Justice as well as the National and Local Spiritual
> Assemblies; that these Institutions have been explicitly introduced in the Writings of the
> Faith; and that the time had then come to establish them.
> 
> Similarly, in this day the elements of this new culture are not a novelty being
> imposed upon the community, but rather a new page in the Book of the Faith of God
> 
> has been turned; that is the page for bringing forth those gems that lie hidden within the
> mine of the inner selves of men.
> 
> The Mine of Man – Education and Consultation
> 
> Baháu’lláh, describes the purpose of His Advent; a Revelation that was a six-thousandyear promise made by the Messengers, as follows: The Purpose of the one true God,
> exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie
> hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves.21 Further, He states:
> 
> Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however,
> deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess…. The Great Being saith: Regard
> man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to
> reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.22 And again:
> 
> O people of Baha! The source of crafts, sciences and arts is the power of
> reflection. Make ye every effort that out of this ideal mine there may gleam forth such
> pearls of wisdom and utterance as will promote the well-being and harmony of all the
> kindreds of the earth.23
> 
> The meaning of these statements is evident. The experts in psychology and
> education are totally aware that every child and every human being has magnificent
> hidden talents; and that throughout the past several thousand years up to the present day,
> only a small number of people have had the means to reveal these capacities. Contrary
> to the world of nature where the mines of precious stones that are left untouched simply
> remain for the use of future generations; these human mines of gems, however,
> disappear after a number years with the death of their owner. As such, universal
> education is one of the Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, but this is not the issue that is
> presently being discussed.
> 
> Our attention, however, in this article is focused on the period beyond one’s
> academic education; The period during which each person comes forth in society to
> draw on that which has been learnt through education and to apply it to his or her social
> and spiritual life. Once again, in our present society, there are unfortunately few who
> have the opportunity to do so. In ancient Greece, in a system that was called
> democracy, it was agreed that all people express their opinion on important issues. It
> was therefore deemed necessary that cities be small ones, so to facilitate universal
> participation in consultations. Although that system had the limitation and weakness
> that only the city dwellers enjoyed such a privilege, and that the foreigners and slaves
> were excluded; yet, the system later developed into the parliaments of the nations. But
> rather than civil progress, their purpose and arena became the centre for the clash of
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXXII, p.287
> Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXII, p.259
> Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p.72
> 
> parties, for disputes and debates, and even at times for conflict and fight; and the rest of
> the population remained deprived of expressing that which they contained within.
> 
> For the purpose of laying bare the gems of the inner self of man, Bahá’u’lláh has
> ordained the principle of consultation throughout one’s lifetime. He said:
> 
> The Great Being saith: The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two
> luminaries of consultation and compassion. Take ye counsel together in all matters,
> inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the
> bestower of understanding.24
> 
> God’s purpose by consultation is the true meaning of the concept. Nowadays, in
> consultations on a private level – that is to say when a person consults with a friend –
> the aim is primarily to either confirm one’s own point of view, or else to benefit of the
> correct judgement of the friend. In collective or group consultations the aim is often to
> take sides or to impose an idea upon others. The Writings of the Bahá’í Faith explain
> that the purpose of consultation is to search for the truth, as well as the exchange and
> meeting of ideas. It is under such circumstances that consultation may lead to an idea
> that had not occurred to the minds of any of those present. In common words, a stew is
> not a simple combination of meat, potatoes, onions and some vegetables, but rather, it is
> the process of cooking it which will enhance the flavour and provide a special taste to
> the meal.
> 
> The following Statement of `Abdu’l-Bahá throws light on the subject: The
> shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions.25 When
> two flint stones are struck against one another, a spark is produced that outwardly was
> not visible in the two pieces of stone.
> 
> Consultation: The Foundation of the New Culture
> 
> At the present day, the Bahá’í World Community and its Administrative Order
> can be likened to a orchard filled with saplings in which healthy and fruitful young trees
> are developing under the care of the true Gardner – that is to say the August Body; until
> the time when the owners of the gardens of the world, or in other words the human
> societies will seek and purchase them. One of these saplings revealed in the Sacred
> Writings of the Faith, is the principle of consultation. The time has now come for it to
> receive special attention. This sapling must grow and develop in the heavenly orchard
> in such wise that every member of society will be able to taste its luscious fruit for
> himself. In other words, everyone, whether young or old, learned or unlettered must
> attempt to extract from this gem-filled mine that exists within their selves, and to use it
> as a tool for teaching the Faith.
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p.168
> `Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of `Abdu’l-Bahá, p.87
> 
> The need for consultation has always been clearly specified in the Writings, and
> steps have been taken in the community in that direction. Yet, those actions were like
> unto preliminary practices. A significant measure taken in this respect was powerfully
> carried out by the beloved Guardian; and that was at the time when he instructed that
> consultation be made part of the Nineteen Day Feast, and explained that from among
> the three parts of the Feast (ie.: spiritual, consultation, and social), consultation is the
> most important. Based on this priceless fact, in all the communities throughout the
> world, in every city and village, hundreds of thousands of Bahá’ís got together in
> numerous gatherings and consulted on the affairs of their community on equal footing.
> In Tihrán alone some three hundred Feasts used to be held, in which a scholar sat
> together with an untutored person, or a colonel with a simple soldier and they all
> consulted and expressed their views. This, of course was the first step. Today, after
> several decades of practice, unfortunately some friends are simply content with the
> spiritual part of the Feast, or that in some other parts of the world full use is not made of
> the viewpoints of the youth or the women in the community. In order to prepare the
> necessary preliminary steps for the correct implementation of this principle, and with
> the aim of utilising the incessant strength of the community, the Universal House of
> Justice initially formulated two Plans of four-year and twelve-month duration:
> Following those two Plans, a further four Plans of five years each have been devised
> that will terminate with the centenary of the Formative Age and the entry of troops.
> 
> Two Important Instruments
> 
> Following the instructions of the August Body, today, the believers throughout
> all the communities in the world are using two important and significant instruments for
> the correct implementation of these Plans:
> 
> 1- The first tool or mechanism is the Cluster and its Reflection Meetings. All the
> believers of a cluster gather together in these meetings, and contrary to the past
> method when the Plans and instructions were received from Institutions above,
> and were carried out by the friends; now the friends themselves, through a
> loving consultative process, devise and carry out their own teaching Plans and
> the methods of implementing them. Furthermore, while in the past many
> sacrificial souls single-handedly dedicated their time to proclaiming the Word of
> God, now, the friends work together to fulfil this duty, thus strengthening the
> sense of collaboration and teamwork amongst themselves, and each one
> becoming a source of encouragement to the other. In this way the principle of
> cooperation and harmony, that is the aim and purpose of every Bahá’í, is used in
> the teaching work. Among the characteristics of this culture that is referred to
> by the August Body as the culture of learning, is that in the arena of
> consultation, we should not fear our mistakes and errors; but rather, to act again,
> aim to rectify the mistake and to move forward.
> 2- The second instrument is the Ruhi course. This course presently consists of
> seven books, and has been tried in a national community for several years, and
> has thus gradually been developed; and it is now being used throughout the
> 
> International Community. The purpose is twofold: To deepen in and meditate
> upon the Sacred Writings, and to acquire a preliminary knowledge of the history
> and the Teachings of the Cause, as well as the education of children, and the
> methods of teaching the Faith. It might be that a small minority of the friends
> who have a good knowledge of the Faith regard themselves above such classes;
> but it should be borne in mind that even in the west, there exists only a small
> number of Bahá’ís in this day who are well informed of the history of the Faith,
> its life-giving Teachings, and the methods of proclaiming it; and who are aware
> of the techniques and methods of teaching it. This in itself is one of the
> obstacles for the proclamation of the Faith by the believers. In a letter dated 21
> October 1943 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi by his secretary, he states the
> following: The Cause has the remedy for all the world's ills. The reason why
> more people don't accept it is because the Bahá'ís are not always capable of
> presenting it to them in a way that meets the immediate needs of their minds.26
> A further aim of these books is that the friends sit together, immerse themselves
> in the ocean of the Words of God, and help one other to enkindle the flame of
> faith and devotion in each other’s hearts. That is why the first Ruhi book is
> named Reflections on the Life of the Spirit. It has been seen that after going
> through the Ruhi courses, believers who seldom studied Bahá’í books become
> enthused and motivated to study more Writings. There are youth who, through
> these courses, have decided to enter research and scholarly studies. In the past,
> the friends in many local communities did not have much interest in forming
> deepening classes. Now, after studying the Ruhi courses, many deepenings for
> the study of theAqdás, the Book of Certitude, or the Bahá’í Dispensation are
> formed; and even some friends whose free time does not coincide with these
> classes, eagerly request special extra classes to be organized for them.
> 
> The Three Stages of Teaching –
> Two Great Glad Tidings
> 
> The following statement of the beloved Guardian – published in the book
> Citadel of Faith - was written in one of his Letters dated June 1953 addressed to the
> Bahá’ís of America in explanation of the Ten Year Crusade:
> 
> …This flow, moreover, will presage and hasten the advent of the day which, as
> prophesied by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, will witness the entry by troops of peoples of divers nations
> and races into the Bahá'í world -- a day which, viewed in its proper perspective, will be
> the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a mass conversion on the part of these same
> nations and races, and as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly
> catastrophic in nature and which cannot as yet be even dimly visualized, will suddenly
> revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and
> 
> The Compilation of Compilations volume II p.431
> 
> reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the
> spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh27.
> 
> Considering the above statement, we can envisage three stages in the process of
> proclamation and the recognition of the Faith by the peoples of the world:
> 
> Stage One: A seemingly lengthy stage than consists of the acceptance of the Faith by
> individuals during the Apostolic Age as well as part of the Formative Age.
> 
> Stage Two: The stage of entry by troops that the Bahá’í community is presently
> preparing its preliminary and first steps, to which the Guardian referred to as the day
> that will witness …the entry by troops of peoples of divers nations and races into the
> Bahá'í world…This stage is the fulfilment of the tidings announced in the Lawh-i-
> Sultán28 to which reference was made at the beginning of this article:
> 
> Erelong shall the snow-white hand of God rend an opening through the darkness
> of this night and unlock a mighty portal unto His City. On that Day shall the people
> enter therein by troops….29
> 
> Contrary to the earlier stage in which the duty of teaching was carried out by a
> small number of believers, in this stage this task is accomplished as a universal
> enterprise, in which all individuals are trained, guided and prepared to serve as hosts of
> salvation under the guidance of the Lord of Hosts, and will prepare the way for the third
> stage. The duration of this stage will continue until the centenary of the Formative Age.
> 
> Stage Three: Is confirmed in the statement of Shoghi Effendi as follows:
> …will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the
> world, and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material
> power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh.
> 
> This stage has also been foreseen in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh as follows:
> 
> The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned
> towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight, that to disclose it now
> would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And when the
> appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of
> mankind to quake. Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the
> Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.30
> 
> Citadle of Faith; Messages to América 1947-1957, p.117 (25 June 1953)
> The Tablet to the Shah of Persia (Násiri’d-Dín Sháh)
> Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p.134
> Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p.118
> 
> A glance from afar at the third stage - in which according to the Writings,
> thousands upon thousands will enter the Faith, a stage which will be the fulfilment of
> the statement of Bahá’u’lláh recorded in His Tablet addressed to Queen Victoria as
> mentioned earlier on in this article - will make the importance of the second stage clear
> and evident. That is to say that if during the third stage, certain catastrophic events will
> cause mankind to turn to the shelter of the Cause, one can then compare the Faith in that
> stage to a large vessel or ark that has anchored in the vast ocean of existence at a time of
> imminent storm; and it is awaiting the numerous souls who are happily and obliviously
> swimming in that water. Those troops who attain the recognition of the Faith in the
> second stage throughout the world and who will strengthen and consolidate the
> foundations of the Institutions of the Faith, may be likened to the rescue boats that will
> guide the masses during the storm to this Ark of Salvation; to this Crimson Ark.
>
> — *A New Development in the Baha'i Community (Used by permission of the curator)*