The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith

The Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith

Rúhíyyih Khánum

London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1988

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chapter 1

CONTENTS

Foreword, by David Hofman xiii I Childhood and Youth 1 II 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Ascension and its Consequences 13 III Early Years of the Guardianship 29 IV Martha Root and Queen Marie 39 V A Many Splendoured Personality 53 VI The Deepest Ties 65 VII The War Years 71 VIII The Writings of Shoghi Effendi 83 IX Creation of a World Headquarters 99 X The Heart and Nerve Centre 121 XI The Rise of the Administrative Order 145 XII Fundamental Truths and Guidelines 169 XIII The Spiritual Conquest of the Globe 197 XIV A Unique Ministry 229 Index 241

[page ix]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

'Abdu'l-Bahá's eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi Frontispiece

Birthplace of the Guardian Between pages 10-11 The Priceless Pearl Shoghi Effendi and his sister That child is born The young scholar at his ease The map maker's work Study years in Beirut 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the steps of His home

The Master's secretary 34-35 Shoghi Effendi in oriental robes Shoghi Effendi in his early twenties Shoghi Effendi before he became Guardian Shoghi Effendi with Harry Randall The samovar

'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi 50-51 Some distinguished Bahá'ís with 'Abdu'l-Bahá Shoghi Effendi in Alexandria, Egypt Shoghi Effendi, 1920-1921

Balliol College, Oxford University 66-67 Balliol College, Junior Common Room A gathering in Manchester, England The first flight?

[page x]

Shoghi Effendi with Dr. J.E. Esslemont 82-83 The Guardian after his return to Haifa 'Abdu'l-Bahá's home The Tomb of the Bab

The Tomb of the Bab on Mt. Carmel 90-91 The Guardian and Bahiyyih Khanum The Guardian's handwriting Shoghi Effendi in the early 1920's

The young Guardian in Switzerland 122-123 Interlaken, Switzerland Shoghi Effendi in the Alps Rivers, mountains and glaciers The Guardian became a mountaineer The indomitable enthusiast The top of the mountain Shoghi Effendi and his guide

Mountain hazards 154-155 Shoghi Effendi walking in the Swiss Alps On top of the world Bicycling over snowy passes

The mountaineer 162-163 A photograph by Shoghi Effendi Victoria Falls, Rhodesia, 1929 A ferry on the Nile

African views 178-179 A photograph by the Guardian Safari The Guardian studies his gardens

[page xi]

Two views of Mt. Carmel 194-195 The Shrine on Mt. Carmel The Shrine of the Bab on Mt. Carmel The development of Mt. Carmel by Shoghi Effendi

The transformation of Mt. Carmel 210-211 Buildings erected by Shoghi Effendi That Sacred Spot The Resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf The handwriting of Shoghi Effendi Aerial view of Bahji

Bahá'u'lláh's Tomb in Bahji 234-235 The Most Holy Tomb Facsimile of Shoghi Effendi's handwriting Facsimiles of Queen Marie's handwriting The Guardian The Funeral of Shoghi Effendi in London The Grave of the Guardian

[page xiii]

Foreword

Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, and appointed Expounder of the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, its Founder, is the one human being in all history, past, present or future, to exercise the greatest influence on the ultimate shape and modus operandi of the social order of the world. He is the one who understood the vision of his great-grandfather Bahá'u'lláh and his grandfather 'Abdu'l-Bahá — respectively the Revealer and the Interpreter of teachings destined to reshape the divisive society of the present world and usher in an era of universal peace — and applied Their doctrines in practical terms to the organization of such a future state of society. There cannot be, on this planet, a greater social or political unit than World Order. It is Shoghi Effendi who, while not the architect of that consummation, is certainly its chief builder and engineer. He laid the foundations of the Administrative Order of a Faith which, as it develops, will come — as he stated — "to be regarded not only as the nucleus but the very pattern of the New World Order destined to embrace in the fullness of time the whole of mankind."

Only his widow, Ruhiyyih Rabbani, could have written this book. For twenty years she was his wife, and for sixteen of those years his personal secretary; she was his close companion and his representative on many occasions. In a cable to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, her homeland, he designated her as "my helpmate, my shield in warding off the darts of Covenant breakers and my tireless collaborator in the arduous tasks I shoulder." She shared in all the circumstances of his life and knew the pressures and restrictions both within and without the Bahá'í community which imposed themselves on his total dedication to his divinely-appointed task. She observed his deep love for his fellow Bahá'ís and his constant concern for their spiritual and material welfare.

[page xiv]

It is apparent that countless eulogies, evaluations, acclamations, biographies and panegyrics of the God-given genius of Shoghi Effendi will be added in future to the already proliferating number. The prime depository of source material for such works will forever be The Priceless Pearl, Ruhiyyih Rabbani's own version of her illustrious husband's life and mission, of which this sister volume constitutes a more compact presentation. We can offer the gratitude of posterity to Ruhiyyih Rabbani for this clear and authentic account of his life and endeavours. But for the present generations, and particularly those of us who served under the beloved Guardian, no expressions of thanks can be adequate for the personal glimpses of our "true brother" — as he was wont to sign his letters — in action and in his daily life. This book, dealing so intimately with the life of a man who in 36 years of ministry left an indelible imprint on the fortunes of mankind, will outwear the ravages of time as it continues to bear authentic witness to the life and personality of Shoghi Effendi.

David Hofman

[page 1]

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