Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Valera Allen, Haifa Impressions, bahai-library.com.
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Haifa Impressions

Valera Allen
John Allen

1954-12

[page 1]

To try to put on paper one's pilgrimage to Haifa is at once a joy and a
sorrow. A joy, because one wants more than anything else to share with
those unable to go the inestimable bounty of visiting the Blessed Spots
and the heart-warming privilege of being in the presence of the beloved
Guardian. It is a sorrow not to be equal to the task of putting into words
the real experience of the Pilgrimage.

As we flew over the blue Mediterranean dotted with its many isles of
various shapes and designs we could not help but think of the great
heroine, martyr and champion of the Bahá'í World Faith, Dorothy Baker, who
had so recently fallen in that vicinity, and to say a prayer for the
progress of her soul and to thank God for her beautiful life of service
and outstanding example of devotion to the Beloved Faith.

Nearing the shores of Israel we strained our eyes to see if perhaps we
might catch a glimpse of the Shrine of the Bab, little realizing that we
were miles and miles away from Haifa Bay, farther up the Coast, flying in
toward the new and modern city of Televiv.

We arrived at Televiv about 3:45 P.M. and took a cab to Haifa, which we
discovered was about 65 miles away and took over two hours in the old
dilapidated Chrysler car which was minus the shock absorbers. For those
who are contemplating a pilgrimage, I might say that the best way to make
the trip into Haifa from the Lidda airport is via cherote (sp?) or a
jitney as it is known in San Francisco. These cars take about four or five
people thus cutting down on the expense of the trip and is the way that
most people travel from place to place in the Holy Land. Transportation is
really a problem and one sees people of all ages, types and sexes standing
along the sides of the roads trying to "hitch" a ride.

The country impressed us as looking very much like Greece and other
countries of the Mediterranean area, with rolling hills of a desolate sand
color without much vegetation or trees and covered with rocks that are
painstakingly cleared from plots for the planting of crops. Houses and
buildings are made of stone, rock and mortar - more recent ones are
constructed of cement block.

Driving along toward Haifa we saw to the right a cliff rising, rather bare
and uninviting, and the driver surprised us by saying, "This is where Mt.
Carmel starts." It continued in rather broken lines for some 30 miles
before we rounded a section of the mountain that rose in a large
promintory overlooking the Bay of Haifa. We later discovered that this is
the site of the future Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and is so situated
that it will
be immediately seen by anyone approaching the Bay and certainly will
fulfill the Biblical prophecy in Isa. 2:2: "And it shall come to pass in
the last days, that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established
on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all
nations shall flow unto it."

That night at table we mentioned to the Guardian our surprise that Mt.
Carmel was a range of hills rather than one single mountain and he
answered, "Yes, Mt. Carmel is an extensive mountain. It has a head, a
heart and a tail. The Shrine and Gardens are the heart of the
Mountain."

- 2 -

When we arrived, it was dark and the driver took us to a gate, honked and
tried to raise someone to let us in but all was dark and silent. We tried
to tell him this did not look right to us and that we should go to number
10 Persian Street, the Western Pilgrim House, but he insisted this was the
place as he often brought people here - one doctor in particular. Finally,
he ran around and soon came back through the Gardens accompanied by a
young Persian man who directed the driver to the Western Pilgrim House. We
later that he had brought us to the entrance of the Shrine Gardens which
leads to the Eastern Pilgrim house - and the doctor that he had so often
brought to this spot had been our dear Dr. Lotfullah Hakim, now Keeper of
the Shrine of the Bab.

As a matter of fact, Dr. Lotfullah Hakim was the first to greet us when we
alighted at the gate of the Western Pilgrim House, and then Jessie Revel
appeared asking "what has kept you so long? We expected you earlier this
afternoon." She showed us to our room saying we had about an hour until
dinner. Next we were greeted by Hand of the Cause, Ugo Giachery and his
lovely wife, Angeline, whom we had last seen in Rome on route to
Africa.

We refreshed up a bit and by then Leroy Ioas, another Hand of the Cause
and Secretary- General of the International Council, had come in and took
us to his apartment. How wonderful to be with him again although by now it
was all seeming very much like a lovely dream! We missed Sylvia although
we had the good fortune of having seen her in California just before
leaving for Haifa. Leroy looked very tired but we soon discovered that
"being tired" is a constant state that all of the "staff" are in at Haifa,
and of course, tired and over-worked are the beloved Guardian and his
precious wife, Ruhiyyih Khanum.

Just before dinner, Ruhiyyih Khanum "breezed" in and chatted until dinner
was called. She was quite concerned because she had invited Josephine
Baker, the American Negro singer, to come to visit the Shrine and Gardens
and to remain until dinner. She had received an affirmation answer which
had said, "We will be very glad to accept." So Ruhiyyih Khanum did
not
know whether "we" meant two or twenty.

Dinner was called shortly after seven, and John and I, as the latest
arriving pilgrims, were asked to enter first. After reaching the foot of
the stairs, we could look through a passage room and see the Guardian
seated at the table. On his head was a black "taz" and he wore a tan coat.
He looked so very far away and I felt even more as though I were walking
in a dream. As I made my way through the room leading to the dining room,
I was vaguely aware of large dark objects on each side in the
semi-darkness. Later I found they were monuments and ornaments for the
Gardens at Haifa and Bahji that the Guardian had purchased while he was
away. We were told he gets many things for the Gardens from old estates
which are being sold. Upon reaching the dining room the beloved Guardian
rose to greet us most cordially saying we were most welcome and kissing
John on both cheeks. His eyes shone and one feels an encompassing love as
if returning home after a long journey.

He asked about our trip and then launched into the subject of Africa. How
many believers were there now? How was the work progressing? We stumbled
around a little bit saying we were not too up-to-date on statistics as we
had been to America and were just now returning to Africa, and the picture
changes very rapidly. He smiled and said, "Then I shall tell you." And we
sat absolutely amazed as he told of the progress of the Faith in Africa
without the least hesitation or uncertainty. We thought that surely he
must have had a letter just that day to have it so absolutely at his
finger-tips. And our amazement grew as we would hear him speak with equal
knowledge and understanding of any and all places connected
with the
world-wide Crusade. He knew exactly who

- 3 -

was where and what was happening. He paid great tribute to
Mr. Musa
Banani, Hand of the Cause for Africa, saying his great love and sacrifice
were responsible for the rapid progress of the Faith in Africa.

We asked Leroy and Ugo their opinion about the progress of the work on the
new gardens and told some of his plans as to how the building should be
laid out. He showed us the artist's drawing of the Archives Building and
discussed various features about it. We mentioned that we had seen his
most recent cable (November 24) about the expropriation and acquisition of
the land that had been owned by Mrs. Sprague (Fareed's sister) and now one
of the Covenant breakers. He was exceedingly pleases that the transaction
was completed and now the work on the Archives Building could go ahead.

A little history of the Spragues was given. Years ago when Mr. Sydney
Sprague was travelling in India with Mason Remey, he contracted the
plague. One of the Indian believers [ed. note: actually, an Iranian believer living
in, and having been born in India, Friborz Roozbehyan] upon hearing of it asked that he might
be allowed to go and nurse him. He did so but fell ill from the plague
himself. Mr. Sprague recovered but the Indian believer died. Both Mr.
Remey and Mr. Sprague were very touched by the sacrifice.

Later Mr. Sprague became acquainted with Fareed and his family and married
the sister. Eventually Fareed became a Covenant breaker and the sister
influenced Mr. Sprague until he became alienated from the Faith. However,
before his death he was reinstated but Mrs. Sprague became more and more
antagonistic and when approached about the land, she refused to allow the
Bahá'ís to have it in spite of the fact that it had been bought in her
name many years ago when Abdu'l-Bahá had advised that land be purchased in
the name of various Bahá'ís so that it would be available when it was
needed for the development around the Shrine. It lay in the vicinity of
the Monument Gardens where the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahiyyih Khanum; the
wife of Bahá'u'lláh, Navvab; the Purest Branch, Mirza Mihdi; and the wife
of Abdul-Baha, Munirih Khanum are all buried and is part of the building
site for the Archives Building. Because she had left the country when the
Jews were at war with the Arabs and because of her refusal to part with or
sell the land and was thus holding up the development on Mt. Carmel, the
land was expropriated by the Israeli Government and sold to the
Bahá'ís.

The Guardian suggested that strings be placed as an outline of the
building so he cold see and determine the right and exact location for it.
Ugo Giachery and John volunteered to place some string for his
consideration.

Ruhiyyih Khanum asked the Guardian to tell the friends at the table about
the progress of his work on the codification of the Aqdas. He responded by
telling us it was proving to be quite a difficult and time consuming task
and he was doing it in outline form. It will include five parts, dealing
with the following: (1) Appointment of Abdu'l-Bahá as Center of the
Covenant and Interpreter of the Writings. (2) Laws and ordinances which
comprise eighty per cent of the Aqdas. (3) Exhortations, admonitions and
warnings. (i.e. Admonitions on marriage and divorce - no one can
interfere in marriage before choice is made, and divorce is not actually
forbidden). (4) Tablets to the Kings, Ecclesiastics and Rulers. (5)
Miscellaneous. (This last includes the section of Questions and Answers
which was added by Bahá'u'lláh to clarify certain points.) In all there
are some 200 items to be classified and an additional 100 in the Question
and Answers section.

The Guardian mentioned the fact that the Persians had long had the Aqdas
because it helped them to break away from the Mohammadan laws and gave
them laws of hygiene which they had needed.

The Guardian told a story in connection with the time when Abdu'l-Bahá had
been appointed the Center of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant and His Successor. He
said that

- 4 -

Muhammad Ali, Abdu'l-Bahá's half brother, who was attempting to undermine
Abdu'l- Baha's authority, once admitted to Abdu'l-Bahá that he might not
be the legal successor to Bahá'u'lláh but he said, "Neither was Omar the
legal successor of Muhammad." To which the Master replied, "Yes, but
Muhammad Ali is not as clever as Omar nor is Abdu'l-Bahá as timid as
Ali."

He loved talking about the Ten Year Crusade. He spoke about the two
processes going on outside and inside the Faith. God's plan was the one
going on outside the Faith and this would eventually lead to the
establishment of the Lesser Peace. At the same time our task was the
development of the Ten Year Crusade which was clear cut and definite. He
spoke of the exemplary service of the Hand of the Cause in Africa, Mr.
Banani, and his family. He reiterated the need for concentrating on
teaching the Africans and not wasting time on the Europeans. We asked
about having mixed Assemblies in South Africa and he answered the ultimate
goal was to have only Africans in all Assemblies. For the present we
would have to be guided by the conditions that existed in each territory.
In the Union of South Africa the decision would have to left to the
Spiritual Assembly of Johannesburg but he thought it was better to have no
mixed assemblies in the Union.

When the Guardian, who had already triply endured himself to us in the
short space of one dinner, left us, we felt very bereft but Ruhiyyih
Khanum, Leroy and the others tried to fill in the gap and stayed with us
and talked over what had been discussed at the table. One of the
surprising things to us was that there was considerable difference in
opinion as to just what the Guardian had said or meant to imply. It
made
us acutely aware of why Pilgrim's notes must always remain on the
basis of
personal understanding and cannot have any official standing. We talked
far into the night as it seems in Haifa no one (at least the Pilgrims)
ever wants to go to bed. But when finally the last good-nights were said
and all retired to their rooms, we found tucked in the foot of the beds
hot water bottles that were placed there by the loving hands of Homa or
Sheyda, the two Persian girls who assist with the work in the Western
Pilgrim House. Most of those selected to serve in the Guardian's household
and also those in charge of the various Shrines and Gardens are from
families of outstanding and steadfast Bahá'ís which go back several
generations.

Thursday morning, the 16th of December, we were up bright and early.
Everyone is allowed to rise as he feels and to take care of his own
breakfast. John enjoyed getting up and cooking bacon and eggs for everyone
which the Revel Sisters and Leroy appreciated very much as they were in
the habit of hurrying in, eating a few bites and rushing off to their
manifold duties.

After breakfast we were conducted to the Shrine on Mt. Carmel by Jessie
and Ethel Revel- those two staunch and efficient workers who were sent for
by Shoghi Effendi in the spring of 1951 - and then at the Shrine given
over into the capable hands of Dr. Lotfullah Hakim, the Keeper of the
Shrine and Gardens, who explained many things of intense interest to
us.

To try to explain the experience of entering the Shrine of the Blessed
Youthful Martyr- Prophet is not possible. It is only something that one
can experience. However, to me it was like entering into a sanctuary that
completely shut out the world and one felt absolute peace, except for the
anguish of one's own heart while meditating upon the tribulations and
eventual martyrdom He had suffered for our sakes. We said prayers for all
our friends, relatives (living and dead), for the progress of the Faith in
America, Africa and all the world. One had the feeling of being really in
contact with the ""Prayer-Hearing, Prayer- Answering God."

- 5 -

Certain afternoons the Shrine and Gardens are open to the public, and
people flock there from far and near. There is always an attendance of
from 200 to 500 or more, and various Bahá'ís are stationed around to
watch that nothing is destroyed or the plants trampled. It was my
privilege to stand at the door of the Shrine and hold the cameras of
those wishing to enter and to instruct them to remove their shoes. Some
rebelled at removing their shoes but would walk around trying to peer
into the Shrine without actually going in, but in practically every
instance their curiosity overcame them and finally they would remove
their shoes and go in. Many stayed a long time in the Shrine and when
they came out, there was reverence and respect written on their faces,
and one could see they were deeply moved. Many stayed to ask questions
or wanted literature, but the Guardian prefers to let the Shrine and
the Gardens speak for themselves and we give answers as briefly as
possible - now is not the time to give the Message to the people of
Israel, but rather we show friendship and cooperation to the new
Government. Two young girls dressed in the Israeli army uniform (girls
must give two years compulsory military service along with the men)
stayed for a long time watching the crowd and waiting to ask a
question. Finally they approached and asked why I, an American, was
serving at the Shrine of a Persian religion. The act itself had been a
teacher, so all I answered was, "This is not a Persian religion, it is a
World Religion and you will find coming here Bahá'ís from every country
of the world." I told them also that I thought they were very
privileged to have in their country the World Center of a World
Religion. They asked to know more but I gave them only some of the
Principles and the barest outline of the Faith.

The Jewish Nation seems to be quite happy at having so many tourists
coming which brings business to their land and great consideration is
given to all Bahá'í pilgrims arriving either by sea or air. Their
luggage is never opened by custom officials and they are made to feel
very welcome. When we left Leroy and the Giacherys went with us to the
airport. Leroy invited the manager of the airport to visit the Shrine
and Gardens as his guest and he would personally conduct him around.
The man was very pleased and when it was time to leave he conducted us
personally ahead of the other passengers to the plane and asked the
hostess to show us every consideration.

Another nice thing the Israeli Government has done for the Bahá'ís in
appreciation of the beautification of Mt. Carmel was to purchase the
land that extends on from the Shrine Gardens and connects with the
section on which the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is to be built, with the plan to
develop it into a garden similar to the already existing gardens around
the Shrine. This had made the Guardian and all at Haifa very happy.

Next we visited the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the One so close to the
heart of the Americans because of his visit to our shores and because He
had been visited by many of the American friends in the Most Great
Prison who had told us countless stories of the Holy Family and
particularly of the greatness and humility of the Master. He seemed
very close and we said many prayers here at this precious Threshold of
the One who is the Centre of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant, for the success,
Triumph and speedy fulfillment of His Divine Plan and that the Bahá'ís
the world over would arise as one person, imbued with His spirit of
selflessness to steadfastly carry out His instructions to "hasten to all
parts of the world. . .travel through all the continents and islands of
the globe. . .raising the cry of 'Ya Baha'ul-Abha'" One was so aware of
the fact that 'Abdu'l-Bahá longed to travel throughout these regions
Himself, but since He was not able to go He wanted more than anything
else to see the believers shouldering their responsibilities and
accepting the great privilege of taking this Blessed Message for Him.
His "Tablet of Visitation" took on new and deeper meaning when we said
it in this Holy Place. . . "Lord give me to drink of the chalice of
selflessness; its robe clothe me and in its ocean immerse me. . ."

The rest of the morning we viewed with intense interest everything there
and were deeply thrilled to stand on the spot where the Archives
building is to be erected and to calculate where the "arc" for the
buildings mentioned in the Guardian's cable of Nov. 24th, would be
erected with the Memorial Gardens as the pivot.

In the afternoon we all "fell in" to help Ruhiyyih Khanum in preparation
for the dinner party to be given in honour of Josephine Baker. We
helped to polish silver,

- 6 -

wash dishes, arrange flowers, set tables, clean house and do the "million
and one" things that need to be done for such an event. One cannot help
but have the greatest admiration for the dear Guardian's wife for the way
in which she runs her house under the most trying circumstances and yet
carries out all her responsibilities socially. I should say two houses as
there is both the Pilgrim House (Western) and the Guardian's House.

In all there were 22 or 23 quests who attended the party so it was quite a
function. The American Consul and his wife, the Italian Consul and his
wife and various other dignitaries of Haifa were there besides Josephine
baker and her entourage. All in all it was a very nice party and Miss
Baker was very impressed, I am sure, and the next day when she visited the
Shrine and Gardens with Ruhiyyih Khanum she expressed her appreciation and
a desire to know more about the Faith. Our only regret was to have miss
one evening with the beloved Guardian as he does not attend such functions
but we were compensated by being allowed to stay an extra night.

Early Saturday morning there was a great deal of hurrying around, food was
packed in baskets and the station wagon was loaded with various and sundry
things. One had the feeling that a picnic was in the offing. We were told
to take our warmest clothes, wool socks to wear to the Holy Places, and a
hot water bottle was a must. In other words we were going to Bahji
for the
week end. When the party finally got off the two cars were carrying, four
Hands of the Cause, Ruhiyyih Khanum, Amelia Collins, Leroy Ioas and Ugo
Giachery, and three other members of the International Council, Jessie and
Ethel Revel and Dr. Lotfullah Hakim, Iraj Hakim, Angeline Giachery, Mr.
and Mrs. Esfandiar Bakhtiari, Persian friends from Pakistan (He is a
member of the NSA of Burma-Pakistan- India), Shadah, the Persian girl who
came from along to help with the meals, John and I.

We were met by the radiant Keeper of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, Saladin
Jaharrah and welcomed warmly to Bahji. The first thing we did was to enter
the Shrine in the company of such outstanding servants and loved ones of
His Cause. We took off our shoes and reverently stepped into the Holiest
Place in the universe, and again that "peace that passeth all
understanding" encompassed us as we listened to the "Tablet of Visitation"
chanted by Sala, followed by prayers from all present. It was indeed a
moment that we will never forget for our minds go back constantly in
memory to this "Holiest of Holies" to which all hearts must turn in
adoration during prayer.

After a walk around the Gardens that are enthusiastically described by
Sala as a miracle wrought by our dear Guardian in the short space of a
week, Ruhiyyih Khanum and Millie Collins left us to go back to Haifa.
Leroy, Dr. Lotfullah Hakim and Dr. Giachery made the hours rich indeed
telling us stories at the table of the building of the gardens, the trials
encountered through the machinations of the covenant-breakers, the early
history of the Faith, and trying to straighten out in our minds all the
various families who are serving at the Mansion of Bahji, the Garden of
Ridvan, the House of Aboud, etc.

After dinner we went to the Mansion, to the up-stairs, and first of all
visited with awe, deep reverence and love in our hearts the room where
Bahá'u'lláh passed away. It is a lovely room, large and airy and spacious
with things replaced just as they were when the Blessed Beauty occupied
it. Even though the covenant-breakers robbed the room of its original
pieces of furniture the room has been refurnished in the same manner and
many of His own things are there. It is the same room where Bahá'u'lláh
received Professor Browne, who wrote his impressions thus: "The face of
Him on whom I gazed I can never forget though I cannot describe it. Those
piercing eyes seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority sat on
that ample brow; while the deep lines on the forehead and face implied an
age which the jet-black hair and beard flowing down in indistinguishable
luxuriance almost to the waist seemed to belie. No need to ask in whose
presence I stood, as I bowed myself before One who is the object of a
devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in
vain!"

We were privileged to say many prayers here and then were shown the
beloved Guardian's room, and rooms holding all the relics that the
Guardian has collected - pictures, pictures and pictures of many and
varied events and persons - the disciples of Bahá'u'lláh, the Disciples of
Abdu'l-Bahá among whom were several of the early American believers,
documents of incorporation of Assemblies, temple models and hundreds of
other articles and books of special interest to Shoghi Effendi and the
Bahá'í world. The rooms were all build around one large central room that
is supported by eight pillars. You have seen pictures of it.

- 7 -

After memorable prayers at dawn in Bahá'u'lláh's room and a quick
breakfast the station wagon was again packed and we started off for Acca.
Dr. Lotfullah pointed out the "plains of Acca" were Napoleon met his
defeat, the Hill of Napoleon that he built in an effort to get an
advantage in attacking the walled city of Acca, "the hills of Lebanon",
the old acquaduct that was restored at the request of Bahá'u'lláh to bring
fresh water to the city that was so vile a "bird flying over it would fall
dead", and many other things that we had read about and never expected to
see.

In approaching the "Most Great Prison" of Acca, Dr. Lotfullah Hakim took
us first beyond the moat overlooking the Prison from which the worn and
weary pilgrims in days gone by had traveled hundreds of miles on foot
hoping to catch a fleeting glimpse of the face of the Blessed Perfection
and a wave of His hand from across the moat. The moat, toady, is filled
and a highway goes past the door of the Prison which is partially used to
house the mentally deranged, and the window from which the white
handkerchief of Bahá'u'lláh waved is considerably larger than in the days
when the Blessed Beauty was incarcerated there so we were told, but as one
gazes toward that window and hears the lapping of the sea behind him, it
takes little imagination to put oneself in the place of those early
pilgrims and one almost expects to see a hand wave from the window and
then with a guilty start you realize you have not trudged the long weary
miles to deserve such a bounty but rather you have flown in swiftly and
comfortably to Haifa airport and then were brought by the luxury of a car
the rest of the way. The same feeling of unworthiness goes with you as you
climb the steps to the cell that has been set aside as a Holy Place. The
Cell, itself, is adorned with lush Persian rugs which look very much out
of place except that they have been placed there by the loving hands of
the followers who wished to bring some gift to their King, as in days of
old precious gifts were brought to the Christ child in the manger. But the
beautiful carpets do not completely cover the cold, hard, rocky floor that
had been the resting place of the beloved of the World for over two years,
and snatches of the "Tablet of Ahmad" jumps into your mind ."O Ahmad,
forget not My bounties while I am absent.remember My days during thy days
and My distress and banishment in this remote prison.". We are told this
much beloved Tablet was written was written in Adrianople yet it seems
also to apply to "the Most Great Prison."

As you leave this sacred room after reaching out through the medium of His
Holy Communes to that Holy Presence that you know is the Hope of All
Mankind and is felt so strongly in this Spot, you visit the room occupied
by Abdu'l-Bahá and some of the others. You visualize the loving ministry
of Abdu'l-Bahá during the times of sickness and near starvation suffered
by fellow-exiles privileged to share this living martyrdom.

Outside your these rooms your attention is called to the spot where the
Purest Branch, Mirza Mihdi, fell to his death while reciting prayers on
the roof of the Prison. You tray to recall the beautiful Tablet revealed
by Bahá'u'lláh on this occasion for His beloved son, "I have, O my God,
offered up that which Thou hast given Me, that Thy servants may be
quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united." You remember that this
lovely youth, "created the light of Baha" chose that his life not be
spared but rather that it might be offered as a ransom for "all those who
were prevented from attaining the presence of the Beloved." and you pray
you, too, might become worthy to lay on the alter of sacrifice some gift
that might help hasten the unity of mankind and dispel the darkness of
error.

When the barracks of the Prison were needed for quartering the Turkish
soldiers who were being mobilized, Bahá'u'lláh, His family and followers,
were shuttled around from house to house, still within the Walled City
until eventually they were placed in the House of Aboud, as it is now
called. It was so insufficient for the needs of the party that thirteen
persons of both sexes were forced to stay in one room. Dr. Lotfullah told
the story of one night when one fell out of an upper bunk onto the ones
below and caused no end of commotion.

It was in this house, overcrowded in the extreme, that the Kitab-i-Aqdas,
the Most Holy Book of Laws, was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh and written down
by the pen of Abdu'l-Bahá. You see the room where this Mighty Work was
born.. Our Guardian tells us in "God Passes By", p.213, that provisions of
this Most Holy Book of the Bahá'í Revelation, "must remain inviolate for
no less than a thousand years, and whose system will embrace the entire
planet, may well be regarded as the brightest emanation of the mind of
Bahá'u'lláh, as the Mother Book of His Dispensation, and the Charter of
His New World Order." And again

- 8 -

"the Kitab-i-Aqdas, revealed from the first to the last by the Author of
the Dispensation Himself, not only preserves for prosperity the basic laws
and ordinances on which the fabric of His future World Order must rest,
but ordains, in addition, to the function of interpretation which it
confers upon His Successor, the necessary institutions through which the
integrity and unity of His Faith can alone be safeguarded." We felt
fortunate indeed, to be in Haifa and hear the Guardian discuss his work of
codification of this Most Mighty Book and has difficulty in getting it
condensed into outline form.

We were served lunch in this house of Aboud, at the same table where the
Master had so often served Their guests and then were taken into the
courtyard where Abdu'l-Bahá had distributed alms and bread to the poor. We
walked along the little winding streets that were little more than alleys.
We saw tiny shops where trinkets and food are now sold or a cobler sits on
a stool mending or making shoes. It might be termed "picturesque" if it
were not so tragic to see human beings living in such unsanitary
conditions and see small children so poorly clad and all crowded into
these dirty little streets - the only place to play. In one of these
crowded little "flats" we were served tea by a man who was doing some work
on the Shrine of the Bab.

As we left the City of Acca with all its poignant, heart-stirring
memories, we passed the Muhammadan Mosque where Abdu'l-Bahá was wont to go
and pray: We went inside for a quick tour of its nice garden and to
appreciate the lovely tile that was in such evidence. It was sacred to us
because Abdu'l-Bahá's eyes had looked upon it and he had come here to
pray.

Riding from the City of Acca to the Garden of Ridvan, Dr. Hakim and Leroy
Ioas told stories of happenings at the world center which had taken place
during the time they had been associated with its development. It was all
most intensely interesting.

[undecipherable word] at the Garden of Ridvan, called by Bahá'u'lláh, "Our
Verdant Isle", is, in reality, a small island in a river, covered with
pomegranate, tangerine and various other fruit trees. It is truly a bit of
paradise and as one sits by the softly flowing fountain and walks the
paths that you know were trod by the feet of the Blessed Perfection and
attempt to capture the feeling that one would have being confided within
prison wall for nine long years you see added beauty to every leaf, flower
and drop of water. The custodian of this lovely spot is a tried and trusted
follower who is the father of one of the girls employed in the household of
the Guardian. He lives at the garden with his wife and his greatest joy is
to show the pilgrims every "nook and cranny" of the lovely Hallowed
Garden.

It was growing late as we walked around the "Verdant Isle" and we had to
hasten back to Bahji to be there before too late. Sala had taken the day
off and gone with us to Acca but in no time he had the lights on in the
Shrine and we all went in and again lifted our hearts in thanksgiving for
having been "quickened with the water of life." the "Tablet of Visitation"
took on a new and deeper meaning as we prayed, "May my spirit be a
sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the
adversities Thou didst sustain."

As this was the last night we were to spend in Bahji we decided to rise at
dawn and go to the Shrine for prayers. And what a rewarding experience!
It is, in truth, the place where "the holy ecstacy of prayer may fill our
souls — a prayer that shall rise above words and letters and transcend the
murmur of syllables and sounds — that all things may be merged into
nothingness before the revelation of Thy splendor."

After breakfast we all felt a little sad for we knew that soon we must
leave this Most Holy Place and we walked around the garden trying to
saturate our minds and hearts with its beauty and spirit. We wanted
enough to last a life time, if need be, of this heavenly atmosphere. We
wanted to absorb every detail so that we might share it with others and
carry it always in our hearts. We were told that in days to come no one
would be allowed to enter the Shrine itself but would only
circumambulate it. The Gardens, now are taking on a circular shape with
paths going out like spokes of a wheel. We took pictures and
pictures.....

On our way back to Haifa we went by the house to which Bahá'u'lláh moved
when He first left the Walled City. We were served tea and cakes that
were most delicious and were told stories of the early days when the
Blessed Beauty lived here.

- 9 -

Soon we were reminded that we were expected for lunch at the home of
two of Shoghi Effendi's cousins in Nazareth. The luncheon was in the
nature of an occasion because the transaction had been completed that had
given to the Bahá'ís a section of land adjoining Bahji. It is one of those
strange events that convinces one that "God works in mysterious ways His
wonders to perform." It seems that the land had once been owned by a
staunch Christian who used to observe Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá and was
impressed enough to recognize that these men were not molded of ordinary
clay yet he was antagonistic in the extreme. So much so that he made his
son promise that the land would never be sold to the Bahá'ís. The son was
very friendly to Abdu'l-Bahá and in order to cover up his friendship he
would tell his father that he was associating with Abdu'l-Bahá in an
effort to convert him to Christianity. However, he did promise his father
not to sell the land to them. Time went on and the old man died and the
son needed money so he sold the land to some Arabs. When the war
between the Arabs and the Jews broke out the owners of the land fled
from the country and the Government took it over. Now the cousins of
Shoghi Effendi lived in Jordan and their farm land was appropriated by the
Government because it was in the war zone. The cousins made application
for an exchange of their farm for the land adjoining Bahji and it was
granted to them. They immediately gave it to the Guardian and this was
the event we were going to Nazareth to help celebrate. And what a
celebration! The luncheon had been prepared for Ruhiyyih Khanum, Millie
Collins, Leroy Ioas and the Giacherys and John and I were invited because
we happened to be on pilgrimage so were included. Ruhiyyih Khanum came
down with a very bad cold at the last minute and could not go and I could
see well why one with a cold would not, or could not eat the terrifically
rich food that was served to us. There were courses and courses of all
kinds of delicacies we had never heard of or tasted. We ate from 1 o'clock
until 3 and then had to go over to the other cousins house and had sweets
which lasted for another hour. We really had difficulty rising from the
table when it was over! They were really two of the loveliest families
one could ever want to know, and with them was living a little old lady
who was a relative of Bahá'u'lláh and looking very much as if the least
breeze would blow her away yet her eyes shone with an inner brilliance as
if she might have 1000 watt lights concealed behind them.

While we were in Nazareth we were able to see some of the spots that are
sacred to the Christians. We were mindful of the fact that here Jesus
spent his early youth as a carpenter. We saw the well where Mary used to
go and draw water — still in use. It really is a very pretty little town
nestled in hills and not nearly as barren as the section around Jerusalem.
We were sorry that we did not get to visit more of the Holy Land but were
able to spend Xmas night in Jerusalem. The only indication that it was
Xmas were the strings of colored lights that were strung from the tower
of the Y.M.C.A. building directly across from the King David Hotel where we
were stopping and Christmas carols were played over a screechy loud
speaker. But, I think, if we could have been allowed to go over into Old
Jerusalem we would have found more of the Christmas spirit as we were
told that if tourists applied in time they were granted permission to visit
Old Jerusalem and Calvary. But this was war territory and many sections
were surrounded with barbed wire entanglements. The next day we
started on the road to Galilee but had to turn back because it was too far
for the amount of time we had before our plane took off for South
Africa.

It was nearly dinner time when we arrived back in Haifa from Nazareth but
were still uncomfortable and only because we would not miss seeing the
beloved Guardian did we go to the table.

He was very happy and jovial and showed great interest in our trip to
Bahji and Acca. He spoke again of the Covenant Breakers and how they
were all being punished and their efforts to destroy the Faith brought to
naught. While he was speaking he was heaping our plates high with pilau.
We told him how much we had for lunch and begged for small helpings but
he continued to heap food upon our plates kidding John about always having
a good appetite. He is extremely hospitable and usually serves the
pilgrims himself but takes very little notice of what he eats or scarcely
is aware of the food in front of him. Ruhiyyih Khanum told us that often
he forgets all about lunch and only because she gets so faint from lack of
food will he stop working or suggest that she take time out to eat.

After serving our plates he started to speak bout marriage in different
countries. He told us that Abdu'l-Bahá had observed much on his trip to
America although he said little

- 10 -

He said that in America the husbands were slaves to their wives. The
husbands would work hard all day to make money which they turned over
to their wives and then when they came home from work wishing to relax
and be comfortable the wives insisted on dragging them off to a cocktail
party or the theater. Then the husbands would die young and the widows
would travel. He commented that Americans for the most part like to
travel but were not such good settlers. He said that intermarriage
between the Germans and the Americans was good because the Germans
dominated their wives too much and the wives were the slaves. He
mentioned that in America we over-emphasized everything. Machines run
people and even our administration is excessive. The British he believes
are the are the most balanced although they are afflicted with class
prejudice and in America there is race prejudice. He said in Italy the
women dominated the men just as they did in America and he mentioned
that the kissing of hands must be abolished.

He spoke about Bahá'í elections and said the minority of the community
should always be given preference in a tie vote. There was no need for a
recasting of a vote in the case of a tie but the one belonging to the
minority group should automatically be chosen. This applied to either
religious or racial minority groups. He cited Egypt as an example. The
Persians were the majority among the Bahá'ís in Egypt so the Egyptians
should be given the preference in case of a tie vote. It is not good to have
a stronger group dominate a community. In America the minority race is
negro and one of the minority religions is Jewish.

One evening he spoke at length of the Catholic Church. The question was
asked if the Bahá'ís should seek to have a representative at the Vatican as
some of the other religions have. He answered that nothing would be
gained by it and it would stir them up and our greatest advantage lay in
our obscurity at the present time. Now the Catholic Church is making bids
for allies against their enemies but it did not mean she accepted them on
an equal basis. He gave a resume of the history of early Christianity
showing how their obscurity was their protection against their enemies,
just as it is ours today, until such time as Christianity was made the
State Religion by Constantine. He further compared the Bahá'í Faith with
the Catholic Church in that the Hands of the Cause are like the Cardinals
only with reverse functions. The Cardinals are administrative in their
function and all the propaganda on the Church is closely supervised by the
Vatican while in the Bahá'í Faith the World Center is the heart of the
Administrative Order and works through the NSAs and the propagation of
the Faith is carried out by the Hands of the Cause who are the eyes and
arms of the Guardian. He said the Church is losing its power and in order
to combat the threat of Communism they are willing to make alliances
with their enemies — not because they are more liberal. Only now will the
Pope associate with Moslems. Their great problem now is Russia. The
Church is a declining force and Communism is a growing force. Enemies of
the Church and the Pope are becoming bolder and bolder. The Church tries
to protect itself by issuing orders. He intimated that Communism would
probably over-run Europe then use Europe as a spring-board to America —
the real enemy. He said the countries of Europe are very poor and need
help badly.

He spoke frequently about Africa. The pioneers must remain free to move
about as the African should be deepened and encouraged to take the
leadership of his people as soon as possible. The pioneers should convert
the African and then move on.

The Ten Year Crusade was always very much in his conversation and
obviously in his thoughts. The various homefronts were frequently
discussed also. He stressed strongly that the Cause should not be just
another occupation. It must be THE occupation. That is the reason
that living in a village is better than a city as there are not so many
distractions. He told us that in Persia there were 600 centers and in
America there were 1300 yet the numbers of believers were in reverse.
And if one-tenth of the Bahá'ís of Persia would disperse it would double
the membership of the world.

He said that after this Crusade there would be others. There would be a
series of epoch and a series of plans. The virgin areas in the course of
successive plans would have to be consolidated and the administrative
order would have to be developed until NSAs were formed everywhere. In
future the plans will take in more Sovereign States and other Islands.
now we have reached only the Chief Dependencies and the Chief Islands.

We are now in the 2nd epoch of the Formative Age. Probably this will last
much longer than the first. The Golden Age of Bahá'u'lláh will end with the
coming of a new Prophet when there will be new laws.

- 11 -

He said the important thing in teaching the Christians is to stress the
things we have in common with Christ. It is good to quote from the
Gleanings. Teach that religion is progressive and religious truth is
relative and not absolute. Always identify the Bahá'í Faith with the
maturity of mankind. The Bahá'í Teachings could not possibly have been
given in another age. The world has passed through its age of infancy, its
adolescence and now it is in its maturity.

The friends from Rome presented their plan for the purchase of an
Haziratu'l-Quds which was a suite of offices in one of the down town
buildings. It would cost $17,000. He said that was too much. If he
accepted that plan for Rome then he would have to accept equally central
and expensive Haziratu'l-Quds for all the capital cities. It would be nice
for Rome to have a nice Haziratu'l-Quds as it is an important center but
all they had to think about was Rome and he had to deal with the whole
world and they would not understand. After all these places are all
temporary. Even the Temple sites may be temporary and can be exchanged.
The Persian Temple must be larger than the one in Germany and not so
large as the one in America.

On the evening of the 23rd of December, two new pilgrims arrived. Laura
Davis from Canada and Olivia Kelsey from Monoco. He asked Olivia about
the pioneering work in Monoco and she told him some of her problems. He
gave suggestions. Then he asked about Canada and the friends. He said
many wonder things about the Canadians. They have the best qualities of
both the Americans and the English. He said that the Center of Canada was
Toronto and the heart was in Montreal where the Master had visited. Then
again he spoke on the Ten Year Crusade and the succession of plans that
would be given until the whole earth would have been reached by the
Teachings.

When dinner was finished he cleared the place in front of him and said
that he had read a most important news item. He produced a copy of the
"London Times", December 16, 1954 and read to us the following excerpt:
"Mr. Wyatt asked the Prime Minister (Mr. Churchill) whether he could state
with greater exactness the number of atomic and nuclear explosions that
he was advised would make lethal the atmosphere over substantial areas
of the world and whether he had now studied the evidence that he (Mr.
Wyatt) had submitted to him." The Guardian called attention to the
reference in the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, "Words of Paradise", (B.W.F. p.183)
where He wrote: "A strange and wonderful instrument which has the
power to change the atmosphere of the whole earth, and its infection
causes destruction." He said the word "wonderful" was not right, a better
translation would be "astonishing" and "instrument" was also a wrong
translation but he could not put his finger on the right word. We all tried
to help out with suggestions but he said none was exactly right. He told
us that there is a difference in translating a word correctly and using a
term to explain the meaning. Just to explain the meaning he said that
probably "substance" would be the nearest word.

The Guardian said he was impressed because of the use of the word
"atmosphere" in the paper and the idea that the "lethal" properties could
cover large areas of the earth. Bahá'u'lláh had prophesied a third stage —
covering the whole earth. The beginning or the first stage was the
explosions in Japan that had effected the immediate areas. The second
stage was the covering of large areas of the globe such as the article in
the "Times" referred to and the third was the one anticipated by
Bahá'u'lláh as a teaching point. And added as an afterthought that one
could easily see how the prophecy in Daniel regarding 2/3 of the earth
being destroyed could come to pass.

The last night of our pilgrimage, December 24th, was a sad one for us. The
beloved Guardian was very tired having had a hard day. He told of the work
on the Gardens and the progress on the ground work for the Archives
Building. He said the plot of ground owned by Fareed's sister was already
an integrated part of the landscape.

The question was asked if the Guardian when in his recent cable (Dec.
24th) he mentioned that the completion of the buildings housing the
institutions of administration of which the Archives Building was the
first would synchronize with the establishment of the Lesser Peace, if
that meant all the buildings of the "arc" must be built before the Lesser
Peace would come to pass. He answered that by synchronizing meant that
the Lesser Peace would be developed simultaneously with the erection of
the institutions. These were the two processes going on. One was on the
outside and one was within the Faith. A third pro-

- 12 -

cess was the further development of the local and national
institutions.

He went on to explain that the culmination of the one process would be in
the evolvement of the Lesser Peace into the Most Great Peace and the
evolvement of the World Center Institutions would culminate into the
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. These two processes would finally emerge in
the World Commonwealth.

He stressed the point that the Bahá'ís must always point out that the
Message of World Unity is unique in that the world is coming into maturity
and therefore needs a Message such as Bahá'u'lláh's. Up until this time it
had not been possible because the world had not all been discovered,
therefore could not have been united.

He mentioned the seven stages of development through which the Faith
would pass. These have frequently been discussed in other Pilgrim Notes
and are mentioned in "Advent of Divine Justice, p. 12) so will only mention
them briefly. These stages are not in chronological order in every country
for the Cause is developing through different stages in different countries
and some countries skip various stages. The stages are: 1. Obscurity. 2.
Persecution. 3. Emancipation. 4. Recognition. 5. Establishment. 6.
Assumption of rights and privileges as a Bahá'í State. Institutions of the
Cause will assume the function of government. 7. World wide Bahá'í
Commonwealth.

Just now in teaching we refer only to the first four points as
misunderstandings may arise from the last three. The stage of obscurity
is always the protection of the Faith until it is firmly established then it
can enter subsequent stages. Obscurity was also the protection of the
Faith of Christ. When it became known the Romans persecuted the
Christians until the time when Constantinople instituted it as the State
Religion.

He said the Bahá'í Faith would develop into the World Commonwealth but
would still be under the Bahá'í Cycle.

He was asked if interplanatary unity would be the goal of future
Dispensations or if it might be achieved in the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh.
He answered it would be a goal of the future but science is developing so
fast that it was difficult to know how soon it would come, but it might at
least soon be possible to observe life on other systems that are in various
stages of development — some lower and some higher than ours.

The Guardian was asked if the meaning of the verse in the Bible "the day
that would not be followed by night" meant that succeeding Manifestations
would not be persecuted but immediately accepted by the people. He
answered, "No, there will always be evil in the world and doubtless the
succeeding Manifestations would be persecuted though in a lesser degree."
The meaning of the verse was that the Guardians would be sources of
guidance and protection for the Faith until the coming of the subsequent
Manifestation which might not be for 6000 years although He might come
any time after 1000 years — depending on need.

We became slightly involved as to why the people would probably not
accept the new Manifestation if they had the Guardian to guide and direct
them which led to Shoghi Effendi recounting for us the functions of
Guardianship. He stressed the Infallibility of the Guardian as being the
essential thing that kept schisms from developing the Faith. One could not
say that he was infallible only as Interpreter of the Writings but he was
infallible in anything that he stated he was infallible in. He was the only
one who could know when he was guided infallibly. That was the very
nature of infallibility. Regardless of what he talked about if he gave his
word as an infallible statement then it was so — if it were a suggestion he
would say so. In speaking of the Guardian as the Head of the Universal
House of Justice he said that the Universal House of Justice was bound to
accept the Guardian's authority if he spoke from the Station of
Infallibility, because of statement in the "Will and Testament of Abdu'l-
Baha" which says: "It is incumbent upon the members of the House of
Justice, upon all the Aghsan, the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God to
show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian
of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him." He spoke
with great power and authority when he mentioned the Station of the
Guardian and the functions of the Guardianship. We had the feeling that he
does not think that the Americans or the peoples of the West have a true
concept of the Guardianship but take it a little too lightly and taking it
too lightly we have a tendency not to appreciate its true worth and the
great bounty that is ours in this Day of Days. We are too close to the
source to fully and rightly evaluate the tremendous dynamic power behind
that personality. Just as one gazing at a spring

- 13 -

cannot realize the power and force of the river that makes possible the
running of great dynamos that send out light, heat and power to countless
homes and factories and brings life giving water to vast areas. We see
and love the personality of the Guardian but only vaguely sense the power
at such times as these or glimpse it through the scope and compelling
force of his writings. All pettiness and non-essentials fall away in the
light of this understanding as shadows fall away from the sun. Only
future generations and historians can rightfully place him in the scheme
of the unfolding World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. Ours is a privilege that we
MUST NOT TAKE LIGHTLY but pray for illumination and understanding.

He told us of the conflict within himself when he first heard that he was
the appointed Successor to Abdu'l-Bahá. Already burdened with grief over
the passing of his beloved grandfather this was suddenly thrust upon him.
He said that he knew himself, and it was most difficult for him to see
himself in the role that Abdul-Baha had placed upon him. Yet he had no
choice but to accept. He said it was easy for the Bahá'ís — all they had to
do was to obey the "Will and Testament." But he had to reconstruct the
whole plan of his life and his idea of himself. He spoke with extreme
humility and conviction. He had fought his battle and is now confident and
assured. (Old time Bahá'ís will remember that Shoghi Effendi went into
retirement after the passing of Abdu'l-Bahá and the Greatest Holy Leaf
took over the reigns of guidance until he found himself). He said that the
Manifestations, too, had fought the same kind of battle only their
responsibility was still greater but they, too, had a human station.

All of us know how little he speaks of himself and if at all possible he
gives the credit to the believers of the various countries for the victories
that really belong to his unerring guidance and planning.

How well 'Abdu'l-Bahá must have realized the calumnies that would be
heaped upon him and the machinations that would be devised to pierce his
heart because he, too, had suffered a living martyrdom so in his effort to
protect Shoghi Effendi he stated in his "Will and Testament": "to take the
greatest care of Shoghi Effendi.... that no dust of despondency and sorrow
may stain his radiant nature....(and) He that obeyeth him not, hath not
obeyed God." Yet as we sat at the table and listened to the accounts of
viciousness of the Covenant Breakers we knew that he had been tried in
the same crucible as the Master. We prayed to God as we sat there that
we would never be the cause of bringing him one moment of unhappiness
but rather we wanted to rush out and do something that would help relieve
the burden of his heart.

When the meal was finished we all sat teary-eyed and speechless — our
hearts overflowing with love and gratitude that God had given us the
Institution of the Guardianship and the Guardian who was the embodiment
of all those virtues we were striving for and fell so short of, he broke the
tension by bringing out gifts that he wanted us to take to the friends in
Johannesburg and sending messages of love to all along the way — with
special love for the Banani Family and Mother Fisher. He said to assure
Mother of his prayers and he considered her residence in the pioneer field
again as highly meritorious.

When he had left the remaining friends again gathered around trying to
make the last few hours of our pilgrimage a happy occasion. We cannot
speak too highly or lovingly of the great consideration and kindness heaped
upon the pilgrims by the "staff" at the World Center. They spare no effort
to fill to overflowing every moment with treasured memories. Ruhiyyih
Khanum, always breathless, at times full of fun and happy, at others
deeply serious; Millie Collins, not at all well, yet exerting every effort to
be with us and going personally, with us to visit some of those Holy
Places that through her explanations they might be more meaningful to us;
the Revel Sisters, Jessie and Ethel, in their wonderfully sweet and loving
ways made us so at home, looking after all our needs, going with us on
shopping tours, and doing many kindnesses for us each day; Dr. Lotfullah
Hakim at the Shrine of the Bab was always the perfect host and regardless
of the time of day when we visited the Shrine insisted on serving us tea
with his own hands; Leroy Ioas who we knew sat up long hours into the
nights to take care of the work that piled up because he was devoting too
much time to us. But what a joy to have the privilege of looking at the
Blessed Shrine through his eyes and hear the stories of their experiences
during the construction and realizing the problems that could have been
resolved only through the guiding influences of Unseen Powers. It was
really wonderful seeing him again, talking over old times in California,
recalling old memories, half forgotten, hearing news of mutual friends and
speaking of the many changes that had come into our lives since we had
last met, wondering what

- 14 -

the next few years would bring and thrilling to the thought that regardless
of whatever happened to any of us personally, the glorious Faith was
marching on! We greatly marvelled at the speedy acceleration of the last
few years and were deeply grateful for the unerring leadership of our
beloved Guardian. Then there were those we met who were the loving
keepers of the Holy Places and the Persian friends who were on pilgrimage
with us. I enjoyed the afternoon teas as Ruhiyyih Khanum's for the ladies.
She was our interpreter and we had lot of fun as well as serious
discussion. All in all we were so showered and saturated with LOVE that
we felt as if we had left this world of darkness and tribulation and
entered the happy realms of eternity.

We shall always remember how happy the Guardian was when he surprised
us at the end of one of the dinners by bringing out the Roll of Honor that
had just been returned that day by the artist. It was all done by hand,
beautifully illustrated and complete except for those names that must be
added as the still remaining Virgin Areas are filled. There was a note of
sadness over those who had left their posts and we all mentioned the fact
that many names not there were certainly inscribed on another and a
higher roll of honor because as we all know some of the consolidation
areas were far more bleak and hard to enter than some of the virgin areas.
Incidentally, it is not to be hung in the entrance of the Shrine of
Bahá'u'lláh but is to be placed beneath the floor of the entrance. But it is
beautifully and artistically done although the design is simple.

These are just some of the highlights of our pilgrimage and is not a
complete account by any means. The treasured relics have not even been
mentioned — the famed sword of Mulla Husayn, the blood stained garments,
the precious hand work and first copies of the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, the
Bab and 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the lovely portraits and photographs of
Bahá'u'lláh, the Bab and 'Abdu'l-Bahá and many other things that soon will
be placed under glass for preservation when the new Archives Building is
complete. It truly is urgently needed.

It was not easy to take notes and it is not encouraged except on rare
occasions. We all know the confusion that arises from putting too much
emphasis upon "Pilgrim's Notes" so they encourage us to take back
"Impressions" more than factual things because the Guardian sends in his
direct messages those things which are the yard sticks for Bahá'í
consultation and decisions. So my notes are mostly from memory written
down after we had retired to our room for the night and there were many
things that were not set down because we did not want to give wrong
"impressions," and it is very easy to give the wrong slant to what has been
said. However, our feelings many times were that Shoghi Effendi was
almost quoting from "God Passes By" so now when we want to hear him
speak it has become a great incentive to read and re-read that valued and
instructive book. One sees things never before noticed and the pilgrimage
is relived over and over again in those pages.

But if we gained nothing else other than the welding of our hearts more
firmly to the Center and Focal Point of Bahá'u'lláh's Mighty Covenant and
the deepening of our understanding of just what the Guardianship can and
does mean to us and to the world with a fuller loyalty to all that it
implies then our pilgrimage was rich beyond measure. And our greatest
desire now is to share these convictions with all who we come in contact
and it is a source of tremendous joy that the heart of the African is so
understanding and receptive to those Divine Assurances.

And if our friends in America could realize how GOLDEN are their
opportunities and could see the joy that any achievement or victory by the
friends always brings to the beloved Guardian they would not rest for a
moment nor grow discouraged but press on until the whole of America was
aflame!

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Typed 1998 by Robert Stauffer and Nuri Beheshty.
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